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Previous Themes

Hearthstone Relay Archive

The Twenty-Fifth theme is Gems

Fool's Gem</b> - by Scrollreader

<b>Manse •, Solar
Trigger: Displaying the Gem.

This gem is often used to teach Dynastic children lessons today, much as it taught them to new Solars, long ago. The stone appears to be an item of great power, large and multicolored. It glows with essence, brightly, and appears to be quite powerful, even to things such as Essence Sight, glowing as brightly as a four or five dot stone does in the essence spectrum. The stone has an additional power. Appearing to be as impressive as it does, anyone who is taking something from a collection including the Fool's Gem, even a thief, must succeed at a temperance roll (diff 2) , or take only the Fools Gem, convinced in their heart that this priceless treasue is worth all their efforts, and that anything else in the collection is worthless.

Finery Pearl - by FourWillowsWeeping

Solar Manse ••

Trigger: Constant

This pearl is tiedd into a net of fine red silk cords. Any item it is set into looks fine and regal, embroidered with the finest jewelled cutwork; displaying the item provides the bearer with a bonus to Presence and Socialise rolls. This bonus is equal to the Resources cost of the bearer's clothing or twice the Artifact level of the item the jewel is set in, whichever is greater.

Jewel of Brilliant Sight (Quendalon)

Water Manse •••
Trigger: None, constant

This round jewel shimmers with opalescent color, shot through with a diamond’s rainbow fire. Once attuned, both the stone and the bearer’s eyes take on the color and translucency of a gemstone appropriate to his aspect. For example, in the hands of a Wood Aspect, it might become as clear as fine emerald or as opaque as jade, while a Chosen of Venus’ stone might gleam with the blue asterisms of a star sapphire.

Whether they inspire fear, respect or wonder, the bearer’s gemstone eyes grant him three additional dice on all Presence rolls. More importantly, he may see dematerialized spirits, and he gains an automatic success on all Perception rolls. However, the distinctive appearance of the jeweled eyes gives the bearer a three-die penalty on all Stealth rolls to conceal his nature or identity.

Cabochon of the Cunning Crafter (Suzume)

Earth Manse ••••
Trigger: Use

This smooth, highly-polished, unfaceted stone is a pearlescent white, showing hints of pastel blues, greens, yellows, and pinks. The bearer, on examining a precious or semi-precious stone in the rough, may unfailingly identify its type and determine the eventual resource value of the stone once worked. If the bearer is the also the gemcutter or polisher, add four dots to the bearer's Craft plus Attribute rolls for the crafting process, and increase the ultimate Resources value of the finished product by one dot.
The bearer also gains great insight into the individual characteristics of gemstones, and my unfailingly identify any stone she has personally worked with just a glance. Identifying other stones requires a Perception plus Craft roll, adding four dots to the bearer's pool due to the stone's influence, and requires only a glance. Extended examination makes the roll unnecessary. Identifying a legendary stone or a Hearthstone requires close examination and a roll of Perception plus Craft, adding two to the bearer's pool. Stones dating from the First Age are difficulty 3, and require Lore ••• and a specialty in either the First Age or in Gemstones. Hearthstones require Lore •••, Occult •••, and are at difficulty equal to the level of the Manse producing them.

Annihilation Amethyst (FlowsLikeBits)

Solar or Fire Manse •••••
Trigger: Concentration or Combat

This triangular purple stone shines with a clear light, and appears to have a bright pinpoint immediatly to it's rear, shining through the stone. Several long cracks wind through the gem, more lights streams from these, as though the light were threatening to escape. These stones are more common in the south and one is known to reside within the city of Gem.

The bearer of this stone may reflexivly concentrate and cause the stone to put forth a clear, bright light. This lasts for a scene and is equivilent to well lit caste mark (solar 5-7 mote level). In combat, the bearers hands (or weapon, if the gem is socketed in a weapon), are surrounded by glowing sharp amethyst during strikes. They may do lethal damage while unarmed, and may parry lethal damage without a stunt. Attacks do an additonal 3L damage.

This stones name comes from the fact that the bearer can reflexivly command it to release the light within. They may also throw the stone first, in which case the effect happens on impact. When this occurs the Annihilation Amethyst lives up to it's name and releases a brillant flash of light, followed by a powerfull shockwave and backed up by a fast moving front of purple energy.

This explosion has a base radius of 500 yards, the shockwave does 50L damage(which is tripled vs objects). It cannot be blocked or dodged without charms or stunts and has a difficulty of 5 to dodge or parry. The following purple front encases those who die and most objects in thin layer of perfect amythest. Objects are often frozen in the process of being blown apart, suppored by thin crystal spires that reach to the ground. Those attuned to the manse are immune to this effect, althought the resulting scenery damage can be dangerous to them. The bearer may also spend an action to channel essence into the gem to increase the effect, just before releaseing it. Each mote spend doing this increases the radius of the explostion by 10 yards. The stone will reform in the manse normally(unless the manse in damaged by the explosion).

The beared may also release the energy through the manse inself. In this case, the manse is destroyed, and the stone crumbles to dust. The bearer may activate this ability reflexivly as long as they carry the gem, regardless of their distance from the manse. This is the same as the previous explostion, with the following changes. The base radius for the blast is 5 miles, with each mote spend to enhance it adding 100 yards to the radius. Several of these manses detonated during the Upsurpation, although there have been no recorded instances since.

Comments

A request: When you archive a relay, please index and link the hearthstones on the appropriate subpage of HearthStones. This will make it much easier to find Hearthstones by level and nature. -- JesseLowe

That's a big request considering no one has even indexed the HearthStones on HearthStones by level and nature. - Telgar

Ah, well, I'm working on that... :) -- JesseLowe

Inspired by a great-aunt who wears a Porche-worth of stones as if they were costume jewelry... (Bemused semi-disbelief) Visiting family is always... Amusing. ^_^ -Suzume

The level 4 reads more like a level 2. It's just not that awe-inspiringly useful. - Telgar

Hmmm... Suggestions? -Suzume

How about removing the limitations on identifying hearthstones? To me, a level four is a primary advantage, such as knowing what your opponent's stones do. I'd say allow an identify roll as a reflexive, at normal dice pools, or if you're willing to spend a die action on it, add four dice to the pool. This gives a significant advantage, but not an all-encompassing one. After all, it really only helps in very specific situations, as hearthstones are aimed to do. - GregLink

Got nothing for the level 4, but will post a new theme soon. -FlowsLikeBits

Might I suggest that the Annihilation Amethyst's main power is unblockable and undodgable if you're not using charms? (Or possibly stunts...) I mean... difficulty 5 isn't that hard to hit. Most heroic mortals can abort to a parry and survive something that should just be frying them where they stand.
-- Darloth

Changed so it requires charms -FlowsLikeBits