Revision as of 17:29, 3 October 2005

Ikselam's Fire Hearthstones

Fire represents energy, passion, masculinity and courage.

• back to /Ikselam's Hearthstones.

Level 1

Ever-Burning Ember Stone

Manse •
Trigger: None, and Concentration (Reflexive).

This dull-surfaced white stone glows with a soft orange light, and emits about the same level of heat as a hot water bottle. This provides no direct mechanical benefit, but can be quite useful in cold climates. In addition, the Ever-Burning Ember Stone can emit a small spark on command. The spark can't do damage, and only travels a few inches at most, but is effective for igniting dry tinder.

Firefly Gem</b>

<b>Manse •
Trigger: Concentration (Reflexive). 

This hearthstone looks like a large ruby scarab. When attuned, it gains the ability to spread tiny flaming wings and leave its socket, flitting about at its bearer's command. The firefly-scarab casts about as much light as a bright candle, and can move to any point its owner can see, at a speed of up to 50 yards per turn.

The scarab's wings are made of real fire, and can inflict minor burns. If its owner wishes, it can harass a target, inflicting a 1-die penalty to all her rolls for the turn. Attacks against the scarab are made at a flat difficulty of 3; if hit, it immediately fold its wings and falls to the ground for the rest of the scene.

The scarab can fly around for an entire scene, after which it must return to its socket and remain there for at least one scene before being activated again. If it cannot make it back for some reason, it immediately becomes deattuned.

Gem of Taunting Fury

Manse •
Trigger: Taunting.

This bright pink hexagonal jewel makes the wearer's taunts much more aggravating. Even the weakest insults will be delivered with such charisma and panache that they will be impossible to ignore. Mechanically, this power adds three dice to any action intended to make someone lose their cool.

The Hot Potato

Manse •
Trigger: Becoming attuned to the stone.

This lumpy brown stone is uncomfortably warm to the touch. When attuned, it immediately gains a bonus level for the purposes of Essence regeneration (despite the fact that its Manse always remains at level 1). The bonus level remains after the stone becomes deattuned, and is cumulative; it can even raise the Hot Potato's effective level above 5. However, each time it is attuned, there is also a chance that the Hot Potato will explode.

Mechanically, when a character attunes to the Hot Potato, roll a die. If it comes up a success, the Hot Potato detonates in a blast of searing Essence. The character attuning to it makes an immediate roll versus environmental damage; the difficulty is the Hot Potato's current level. The resisted effect is a number of lethal health levels equal to the Hot Potato's current level; the failed effect is twice that. After the Hot Potato explodes, it reforms back at its Manse as normal, losing all its bonus levels in the process.

The Hot Potato always counts as level 1 unless it is attuned; a character cannot benefit from its bonus levels unless he actually places it in an artifact (and risks it exploding). As it gains bonus levels, the Hot Potato's temperature rises; use the following chart as a guideline.

• No bonus levels (freshly reformed): Hot as fresh bread. Pleasantly warm.
• One or two bonus levels: Hot as a freshly-filled teacup. Uncomfortably warm, but not dangerously so.
• Three or four bonus levels: Hot as a stovetop. Can boil water and cause first-degree burns.\\

  Resistance: difficulty 1, resisted: 0, failed: 1B; interval 1 minute

• Five or six: Hot as a torch flame. Can cause second-degree burns.\\

  Resistance: difficulty 2, resisted: 2B, failed: 1L; interval 3 turns

• Seven or eight: Hot as a branding iron. Can inflict third-degree burns if touched.\\

  Resistance: difficulty 3, resisted: 1L, failed: 2L; interval 1 turn

• Nine or more: Hot enough to melt lead. Can burn clear down to bone in seconds. \\

  Resistance: difficulty 4, resisted: 2L, failed: 3L; interval 1 turn

Spitfire Gem

Manse •
Trigger: None.

This ovoid hearthstone is a bright, translucent orange. When attuned, it makes its owner a much wittier (and sharper-tongued) conversationalist. Mechanically, the character adds one die to all Wits dice pools having to do with social interaction, and two dice to any social dice pool involving arguments or insults. Unfortunately, her sharp tongue also makes her come off as something of a shrew; she suffers a two-die penalty to any Charisma or Manipulation pools related to friendly interaction.

Level 2

Berserker's Gem

Manse ••
Trigger: Tasting one's own blood.

This bright white stone is spattered with irregular blood-red markings. When attuned, it causes its bearer to fly into a battle frenzy whenever she tastes her own blood. In this state, she reduces all penalties from wounds or pain by two, and receives a one-die bonus to every combat dice pool (not including damage). However, she also cannot retreat from battle, or use ranged weapons from beyond point-blank range, until all her enemies have fallen.

This power lasts for a scene, unless the character makes a Willpower check at a difficulty equal to her own Valor score. She may also attempt to resist going berserk when she tastes her blood; this requires a Willpower roll at difficulty 1.

Biting one's own tongue hard enough to draw blood requires a difficulty 2 Willpower roll, and inflicts a single level of unsoakable bashing damage.

Gem of the Feverish Muse

Manse ••
Trigger: Feeling unwell.

Resembling a candle without a wick, this thick, disc-shaped stone is waxy to the touch. When attuned, it can transform the feverish malaise of sickness and sleep-deprivation into the clear-burning fires of genius. Mechanically, whenever the character is suffering dice-pool penalties from wounds, disease, poison, or fatigue, he may choose to change the penalty to a bonus for purposes of any roll involving artistic or academic endeavour. This bonus is explicitly prohibited from adding to combat rolls of any kind. The bonus only lasts as long as the penalty persists, so it cannot be used on rolls which take more time than the penalty's duration.

Gem of Fiery Catharsis (with dissolvegirl, willows)

Manse ••
Trigger: Concentration (Simple). 

This lumpy, oblong hearthstone is dull black, like a lump of basalt. It is always warm to the touch; if struck with sufficient force, parts of its surface may flake off, revealing a glowing orange substrate which quickly cools to matte black. When attuned, it gives its owner the ability to purge herself of doubt and uncertainty in a most extraordinary way.

The Gem of Fiery Catharsis may be used once per story. Upon activating it, the character rapidly begins to feel sick. Within about an hour, she will be running a high fever and will feel too miserable to move (4-die penalty on all actions); this lasts for a full day. After this time, the character will become violently ill, and vomit forth a copious amount of red-hot, molten metal. As soon as she is done retching, she will feel perfectly well again; in fact, she will be more invigorated than ever. She immediately regains all her temporary Willpower, as well as all her temporary Virtue points. For example, if she had Compassion 4, and had already channelled it three times, she could normally only use it one more time before the story ended; using the stone would allow her to use it four more times.

The metal vomited out by the character is magical, and may be used in artifact construction. If an item made out of it is attuned by the character who produced it (and only that character), she gains a Magical Material bonus based on her highest Virtue at the time she used the stone.

• Compassion: Weapons gain +2 defense. Armor has no fatigue penalty.
• Conviction: Weapons gain +3 speed. Armor has no mobility penalty.
• Temperance: Weapons gain +2 accuracy. Armor gains +2 hardness.
• Valor: Weapons gain +1 damage (PowerCombat: and +1 rate). Armor gains +2L/+2B soak.

Gem of Hunger</b>

<b>Manse ••
Trigger: None.

This orange oblong occasionally emits quiet growling noises, like an empty stomach. When attuned, it speeds up its bearer's metabolism; this causes her to heal at twice the normal rate, but also halves the interval between rolls versus hunger or fatigue. Additionally, her normal body temperature becomes significantly higher; she will appear slightly flushed, and feel feverish to the touch.

The Gem of Hunger affects the character's base healing rate, and does not follow the normal rules for stacking multipliers; for example, a character with the Gem of Hunger who is also using Body-Mending Meditation would heal at 20 times normal speed, instead of 11.

Stone of Manly Virtue

Manse ••
Trigger: None.

This rod-shaped hearthstone is a deep, ruby red. When attuned, it brings its bearer more fully in tune with traditionally masculine virtues. Men who wear this stone receive a one-dot bonus to both Conviction and Valor, and regain a point of Willpower whenever one of those Virtues forces them to act in a certain way (i.e., they encounter a situation which calls for a Virtue check, and do not either fail the roll or spend a point of Willpower to act against the Virtue). This bonus cannot raise a character's temporary Willpower above his permanent rating.

Women who attune to the Stone of Manly Virtue receive the Virtue bonus, but not the Willpower-gain effect. In addition, any woman who wears the stone will probably suffer some mild gender-confusion; whenever her Valor or Conviction forces her to act in a certain way, she must succeed on a reflexive Willpower roll, or suffer a 2-die penalty to all social rolls for the remainder of the scene due to her disconcertingly mannish bearing.

Women who identify themselves as men count as men for the purposes of this stone. Note that thinking of oneself as an actual member of the opposite gender is different from being homosexual.

Stone of Purifying Flames

Manse ••
Trigger: Concentration (Simple).

This tetrahedral stone is colored in swirls of red and orange. The person attuned to it can burn poison and disease out of a person's body simply by laying her hand on his skin and concentrating for a full turn. All traces of toxin or sickness are cleansed from his body, and any lingering effects or penalties imposed by such things are negated. This process is very painful, and inflicts one level of unsoakable lethal damage. It is permissible to use this power on oneself.

Stone of Rhymes

Manse ••
Trigger: Speech.

A tiny flame flickers rhythmically in the heart of this dark lens. When attuned, the stone allows the bearer to express himself perfectly through clever, incisive rhyme, flowing smoothly from one lyric to the next. It is especially effective in situations where he is trying to out-rhyme others; the rhyming instincts granted by the stone make it easy for him to play off their words.

Mechanically, the Stone of Rhymes gives its bearer a number of bonus dice equal to his Wits for any roll involving extemporaneous rhyme. If engaged in a contest of rhymes, he can opt to instead add a dice bonus equal to the number of successes his opponent scored on her last roll.

Thief-Burning Stone

Manse ••
Trigger: Theft.

This orange sphere glows with a soft, pulsating light. When attuned and socketed into an artifact, it becomes an effective theft-deterrent. If anyone besides the person to whom the stone is attuned picks up the artifact, the Thief-Burning Stone will heat it up until it glows red-hot. Anyone touching the artifact must make a Stamina + Resistance roll versus environmental damage; this check is made at difficulty 3. The resisted effect is 1L, the failed effect is 2L, and the interval is one turn.

It takes two full turns for the stone to finish heating the weapon; damage starts on the third turn. It takes the same amount of time to cool down once it has been dropped. The Thief-Burning Stone will never activate in such a way as to cause damage to its owner.

Level 3

Blazing Ecstatic Dancer Gem

Manse •••
Trigger: Dancing.

This ovoid hearthstone shades from blue at one end to red-orange at the other, like a candle flame, and is warm to the touch. When attuned, it allows its bearer to perform dances of such intensity and energy that her passion flows into her anima, replenishing her Essence. Mechanically, the character adds a number of automatic successes equal to her permanent Essence to any Performance roll involving dancing. If she chooses to accept this bonus, she recovers two motes for every success on the roll (including automatic successes granted by the stone). These motes count toward her anima display, just as though they were being spent instead of regained.

Although exhilarating, the dance is also exhausting; once it ends, the character must make a fatigue check at a difficulty of her own permanent Essence, or suffer a 2-die penalty to all actions until she rests.

Essence Torch

Manse •••
Trigger: None.

This round stone is colored a dull, dark gray, and is slightly warm to the touch. When attuned, it acts as a filter for its owner's peripheral Essence, allowing him to draw upon it without flaring his anima. Whenever the character spends peripheral motes, they do not contribute to his anima banner. Rather, the Essence Torch begins to burn brighter and brighter, depending on the number of motes spent. Essence expenditures muffled by the Night or Day Caste anima powers do not count toward this display.

• 1-3 motes: The stone glows with a dim, ruddy light, little brighter than a smoldering coal. Its light can be easily concealed by even light coverings. Even if it is not covered, a Perception + Awareness roll is necessary to notice its glow in well-lit surroundings.
• 4-7 motes: The stone glows strongly, producing light equivalent to a candle flame. It will shine through thin wrappings, but can still be concealed with little effort. Stealth rolls are at +1 difficulty unless the stone is concealed.
• 8-10 motes: The stone shines with bright orange light, producing illumination equivalent to a torch. Only very heavy or very opaque coverings (such as leather or heavy canvas) will fully block its light. It is uncomfortably hot to the touch, but not hot enough to burn. Stealth is impossible unless the stone is concealed.
• 11-15 motes: The stone radiates a brilliant yellow light, casting light equivalent to a large bonfire, and is visible up to a mile away. It will shine dimly through even the heaviest wrappings, and is hot enough to scorch objects touching it. Stealth is not possible if the stone is bare, and Stealth rolls suffer a +1 difficulty modifier even if it is covered.
• 16+ motes: The stone is too bright to look at directly, and its light is visible from up to several miles away. It will burn through most wrappings in a matter of moments. Stealth is impossible.

The stone's "anima banner" subsides at the same rate as normal anima banners. The bearer does not have to route his peripheral Essence expenditures through the stone if he does not want to, but choosing to use its power while his anima is already flaring will not cause his anima display to subside any faster than normal (or cause the stone's flare to activate any more swiftly than normal).

Fever Stone

Manse •••
Trigger: Touch.

This translucent, rosy-colored hearthstone is warm to the touch, just above normal human body temperature. When attuned, it allows its owner to infect others with mild desire to perform a simple task. The character must make skin-to-skin contact with his target, and whisper what it is he wants her to do into her ear; within the next hour, the target will find that she has developed a slight fever. The fever is not severe enough to seriously imperil her health, but does make her somewhat light-headed and tired. She will also become aware that the fever will stop once she performs the action the character suggested to her.

The fever lasts for five days, or until the target makes a serious attempt to follow the character's suggestion. It becomes more intense as time passes; on the first through third days, it inflicts a one-die penalty to all actions; this increases to two dice on the fourth day, and three dice on the fifth, one hour before the effect ends and the fever breaks. Multiple uses are not cumulative. The fever is caused by magic, not an actual disease, and is thus unaffected by medicines or powers that would normally be effective against such things.

Gem of Burning Exorcism

Manse •••
Trigger: Laying on hands (Simple).

This bright white orb has no shadow. When attuned, it allows its bearer to drive invading spirits out of a person's body by setting the person's soul on fire. The user lays her hands on the victim's head or heart, and concentrates fiercely, forfeiting her dice action for the turn; bright orange light bursts out of the victim's eyes, mouth, and ears as his soul ignites.

Mechanically, the victim loses a point of temporary Willpower each turn. The possessing entity suffers dice of unsoakable aggravated damage equal to the victim's highest Virtue, and must make a Conviction roll at a difficulty of the damage taken to not flee his body. If the victim is reduced to zero temporary Willpower, the stone's bearer may choose to continue the exorcism, at the cost of permanently damaging the victim's soul; for each additional turn, the stone's user spends a point of temporary Willpower, and the victim loses a point of permanent Willpower. If he is reduced to zero permanent Willpower, he dies.

Once the spirit is driven out of the victim's body, he will be exhausted and feverish for a number of days equal to the number of Willpower points (temporary and permanent) he lost, suffering a 2-die penalty to all actions.

Use of this power requires skin-to-skin contact to be maintained for the entire duration. It is explicitly useable in a clinch; the effect takes place instead of inflicting normal damage. The victim need not actually be possessed; more than one wicked Exalted has been known to use it to torture prisoners or disobedient henchmen.

Gem of Burning Focus

Manse •••
Trigger: Concentration (Simple).

This oblong gem looks like a smooth chunk of rose quartz with a bright white spark burning in its center. When attuned, it allows its bearer to focus down on a single task to the exclusion of all else. The character closes her eyes and meditates for a full turn; when she opens her eyes, her senses will have narrowed down until all she can perceive is the object of the action she wishes to undertake. Mechanically, she gains a number of automatic successes equal to her Conviction on every roll she makes to further her task. However, she will be totally oblivious to the rest of her surroundings, and cannot take any action whatsoever that is not directly relevant to the task at hand.

This power lasts for one scene, and may be used a number of times per story equal to the character's Conviction. The object of the character's focus must be fairly narrow and immediately attainable; "Make lots of money," or "Overthrow Lord Crimson's rule," would not be legal goals, but "Make sure this buyer pays top dollar for these goods," or "Slay Lord Crimson," would. If the stone's power is used in combat, the character is considered to be unaware of any attacks launched against her from any source besides the object of her focus.

Lust-Kindling Gem

Manse •••
Trigger: Consensual sex.

This irregularly-shaped hearthstone looks like a smoldering coal, and is almost uncomfortably warm. When attuned, it causes its bearer to exude a sultry, sexual allure. Mechanically, she adds one die to any seduction attempt.

In addition, anyone who has sex with the character will feel a slow-building craving for more. Once per day, beginning the day after their encounter, he must make a Willpower check. The difficulty starts at 1, and increases by one on each subsequent day, until it peaks at the hearthstone user's permanent Essence. After this point, the difficulty begins decreasing by one per day; once the difficulty reaches zero, the craving stops and no further rolls are necessary.

Success on a roll means that the victim has managed to suppress most of his lust, and suffers no penalty for the remainder of the day. If he fails, he cannot keep from fantasizing about the character, and suffers a cumulative 2-die penalty on any roll not related to finding her and getting her to sleep with him again. This penalty lasts until he either has sex with the character, or succeeds on one of his Willpower rolls to resist the gem's power; however, it cannot reduce dice pools to below his Temperance score. A botch means that he is completely overcome with lust, and does everything in his power to find the character.

Wildfire Rumor Gem</b>

<b>Manse •••
Trigger: Telling someone to keep a secret.

This egg-shaped stone is bright orange. When attuned, it gives its owner the ability to make bits of gossip so unbelievably juicy that those who hear it are compelled to share it with everyone else they know.

When the gem's bearer shares a rumor with another person, that person must make a Temperance check at difficulty 3 to prevent himself from passing it on to as many people as possible. Anyone who hears the magically-augmented rumor must themselves make a Temperance check to avoid passing it on, at a difficulty one lower than that of the person who told them the rumor. In all cases, the difficulty of a character's check decreases by 1 for every 10 people he tells.

The gem also operates to keep the rumor a rumor; anyone under compulsion to spread it is also under compulsion to not publicly broadcast it. He receives an automatic success on his Temperance roll to resist doing so, should the temptation present itself.

During most of the year, the Wildfire Rumor Gem's power may only be used once per month. During the three months of Fire, however, it may be used up to once a week.

Level 4

Gem of Consuming Rapture

Manse ••••
Trigger: Touch (Simple).

This pomegranate-red orb causes slight goosebumps when touched, as though it carries a static charge. When attuned, it allows its bearer to cause incapacitating ecstasy with a touch, completely overwhelming a person's mind with waves of shattering pleasure. The character must make skin-to-skin contact with his target and concentrate, sacrificing his dice action for the turn; use of this power in a clinch or hold is explicitly permitted. His victim must make an immediate Willpower check at a difficulty equal to her own Perception score. If she has any power active which heightens her sense of touch, the difficulty increases by 1; if she is in physical danger (e.g., combat), the difficulty is decreased by 2 (to a minimum of 1). Success means that she is only slightly dazed, and takes a two-die penalty to all actions for the next turn. Failure means that she is temporarily incapacitated by the orgasmic sensation, forfeits all dice actions for the next turn, and is at -2 to all dice pools on the turn following that. On a botch, she is completely overloaded and falls unconscious for the remainder of the scene; characters who faint in this way are no more difficult to revive than normal.

If the character is actually engaged in intercourse when he activates this power, the effects are much more intense. His partner makes a Willpower roll as described above, but a success means that she is incapacitated for a turn; failure will cause her to pass out for a scene; and a botch will result in her both fainting and taking a number of dice of unsoakable bashing damage equal to her Perception score.

Gem of Virtue's Bright Beacon

Manse ••••
Trigger: Channel Virtue.

This multifaceted, diamond-like gemstone shines with a bright, white light. When attuned to it, the bearer finds his convictions strengthened immeasurably. Whenever he spends Willpower to activate a Virtue, he may choose to add its rating as automatic successes to his roll, rather than extra dice. Use of this power counts toward a character's per-story limit for Virtue activation, and causes him to immediately gain a point of Limit (if applicable).

Heavenly Soul Incense Gem

Manse ••••
Trigger: Concentration (Simple)

This beige globe looks somewhat granular, as though made of incense. When attuned, it can burn itself up, releasing a powerful surge of Essence into its bearer's anima. Activating this power requires the bearer to concentrate strongly, consuming her dice action for the turn. On the following turn, the Heavenly Soul Incense Gem ignites with a low, bluish flame, releasing wisps of colorful, fragrant smoke. It burns for the remainder of the scene, after which point it is completely consumed; while it is alight, its bearer regains four motes per turn. Fire-Aspected Dragon-Blooded regain five motes each turn. If this would increase the bearer's Essence pool above its normal maximum, the excess provides no benefit, but is counted toward anima display.

After it has burnt out, the Heavenly Soul Incense Gem reforms at its Manse as normal over the course of a month.

Smeltstone

Manse ••••
Trigger: Touch and concentration (Simple).

This hearthstone looks like an irregularly-shaped lump of coal. When attuned, it grants its bearer the ability to heat metal objects red-hot with but a touch. The character has complete control over the amount of heat she channels into the object; she could choose to warm up a lock only enough to melt the ice which has made it stick, or she could choose to heat it to such a degree that the lock itself melts.

In game terms, this power allows any kind of metalwork to be done without access to a forge. It can also be used to weaken metal objects; for each full turn the character stays in contact with the object, its soak is reduced by 2L/2B, down to a minimum of half its normal values. At the Storyteller's discretion, objects composed of metals with low melting points (such as gold) may be fully destroyed, reduced to molten puddles. Using the stone's power consumes the character's dice action for the turn.

The induction power can also be used in combat. Since using it consumes the character's dice action, it cannot legally benefit normal attacks, but its use is explicitly permitted in a clinch or hold. If the character is grappling with another, and her opponent is wearing metal armor, she can heat it up in an attempt to cook him alive. Each turn she maintains the power, her opponent must roll to resist environmental damage. The difficulty of the Resistance roll is 3; the resisted effect is 1L, and the failed effect is 3L. Even after the clinch is broken, it takes time for the armor to cool down; the wearer of the heated armor must continue making checks versus environmental damage each turn, but the difficulty decreases by 1 for every full turn of cooling. Immersion in water, or similar application of coolant, will immediately end the effect.

Finally, the stone allows its owner to resist heat given off by metal objects. She never takes any damage, or suffers any discomfort, due to heat radiated by metal, and can touch hot metal without fear. Other heat sources affect her normally.

The Smeltstone affects only metal objects, and only works if the character touches the object with her bare skin. It can heat up objects made of the Five Magical Materials and other magically-fortified metals, but cannot weaken them.

Stone of the Burning Soul

Manse ••••
Trigger: Concentration (reflexive).

This orb looks like it is made of orange-hot iron, but is only warm to the touch. When attuned, it allows the bearer to draw upon the strength of her soul, transforming the pain of her injuries into a burst of ferocious energy.

Once per scene, the Stone of the Burning Soul may be activated as a reflexive action. Upon doing so, its bearer exchanges his current wound penalty for a dice bonus of the same size. This bonus applies to all actions directly related to violent struggle, and lasts for a number of turns equal to the character's Willpower + Essence.

Level 5

Inferno Stone

Manse •••••
Trigger: Breaking the stone.

This dead-black orb is laced with a slowly-changing pattern of glowing orange veins. When attuned, it essentially becomes a powerful bomb. The character hurls the artifact containing the hearthstone (or, more sensibly, removes the stone from its setting and then throws it); upon impact, the Inferno Stone will explode in a titanic blast of fiery destruction. Everyone within fifty yards of the detonation point rolls Stamina + Resistance versus environmental fire damage, at difficulty 5. The resisted effect is 10L, and the failed effect is 25L. Any flammable object within this area will be set on fire; objects near the center of the blast may be completely vaporized. In addition, everyone within 100 yards must make a Stamina + Athletics roll at difficulty 4, or be knocked to the ground and stunned for 6-Stamina turns (to a minimum of 1). The stone's owner is not immune to any of these effects.

The hearthstone is destroyed in the explosion, but will reform at its Manse as normal over the course of the next month (see Exalted, p.247). If it detonates while set into an artifact, roll the artifact's ranking. Success means that it escapes scorched, but otherwise intact. Failure means that it has been badly damaged and must be repaired by an artificer; a botch means that it has been shattered, slagged, or disintegrated beyond repair.

The Inferno Stone will never explode unless its bearer "primes" it; this requires only brief concentration, and is a reflexive action requiring no roll. Once the stone is primed, any sharp blow will cause it to explode. The character can "disarm" it at any time; this action is reflexive, but requires a Wits + Awareness roll.

Phoenix-Fire Gem

Manse •••••
Trigger: Dying.

This porous, irregularly-shaped black stone looks like a lump of charcoal. When attuned, it allows its owner to rise from the ashes of his own destruction like the phoenix, reborn in a towering inferno of fiery Essence. When its bearer dies, the stone immediately begins to shine with a brilliant light, too strong to look at directly. One turn later, the stone and its owner are engulfed in a roaring mass of flame. For Exalted, the pyre's flames usually take the form of their iconic anima banner. Everyone within twenty yards of the explosion's center must make a Stamina + Resistance check versus environmental fire damage, at a difficulty of the dead character's permanent Essence. The resisted effect is a number of lethal damage levels equal to the character's Essence; the failed effect is twice that.

The detonation restores the character to full health and Essence pool, and cleanses him of any ongoing negative conditions (such as poison, disease, or magically-induced penalties), but also causes his anima to flare at maximum intensity for the remainder of the scene, even if he doesn't spend any motes. In addition, the Phoenix-Fire Gem is completely destroyed in the blast; it will reform at its Manse as normal.

If for some reason the stone and its owner are separated at the time of his death, only one explosion occurs, at the character's location. The stone glows for a turn as normal, but then crumbles to ash without fanfare.

Stone of Inextinguishable Flame

Manse •••••
Trigger: Blowing on an existing flame. 

This deep red, octagonal gemstone is warm to the touch, and emits a flickering radiance. Its bearer gains the ability to magically stoke any existing flame by blowing on it. Such enchanted fire will not spread, but will also not stop burning until it has completely consumed its fuel; not even magic can put it out. Flame that is already magical is unaffected by this power. The enhanced fire is much hotter than normal fire. Anyone foolish enough to expose themselves to it suffers damage as per the normal rules for environmental hazards, except that the damage is aggravated.

Inextinguishable flame can be used to light fires, but those fires will be normal, nonmagical fires unless they, too, are enhanced with the Stone of Inextinguishable Flame. As noted above, inextinguishable fires will not spread on their own.

• back to /Ikselam's Hearthstones

Comments

Just a quick query: How do you think the Essence Torch interacts with a Sidereal wearing a Resplendent Destiny? Since his peripheral expenditure doesn't make his own anima flare, it could be damned handy. - Moxiane

I dunno. I guess it interacts with RD however you want it to. _Ikselam rarely thinks about Sidereals and their crazy rules.

The Thief-Burning Stone is brilliant. - Quendalon

Just noting I'm going to use your Stone of Purifying Flames. I'm writing a manse for it as well, but I have no idea where to put it. 1001 Manses seems more like somewhere to put manses for general use, rather than for specific hearthstones. Any suggestions?
-- Darloth

If I may: when I write Manses for these, I usually put it in 1001 Manses, and just link to the stone from there. - LeumasWhite

First of all, the Hot Potato is the most cackle-inducing hearthstone EVER. Secondly, the Stone of Rhymes, although especially clever, would be hard to play inless the player is already a rhyming genius. Any suggestins on how to run that? - AmbroseCollector