Latest revision as of 13:33, 15 April 2014

Black Lead is a relic, a hold over from one brief sentence in first edition describing a precursor to the Infernals rules proper. That said it has a special place in the hearts of the fans and this fan in particular so I have created here my own version of the material, complete with special rules for using it in one very creative way.

The Nature of Black Lead

Like the related substance of Viridium Black Lead is an artificial Magical Material, unlike Viridium it's creation process is a well known but closely guarded secret. Black Lead is only produced in Malfease for the use of the Infernal Exalted and unlike most magical materials exists only in a corrupted form: there is no such thing as pure Black Lead. Like Viridium Black Lead is weaker than the natural Magical Materials, losing both speed and attacks due to the shier weight of the material VS the other Magical Materials, even when attuned. The Compensation for this deficiency is it's raw deadliness, as it is highly poisonous when used in weapons. When used for armor it's weakness is that it is fatiguing to wear and slows the wearer as well, but is frighteningly capable of absorbing damage, acting as a supernatural energy sink that can suck down the force of attacks into a bottomless well of vitriolic hunger. These attributes make Black Lead popular with the Infernal Exalted and many of them boast Artifacts made from the substance.

The Mechanics of Black Lead

Black Lead makes devastating weapons and tenacious armor, having the following properties:

Weapons:

+5 damage, -1 Rate, +1 Speed. (Speed is one worse than normal.) In ranged weapons distances are also reduced by one quarter.

Armor:

+4 lethal and bashing soak, and a further +1 to Aggravated Soak, fatigue suffers by 1 as does mobility penalty.

Creating Black Lead

To create Black Lead regular lead must be dissolved in Vitriol until the Vitriol becomes Super Saturated with the lead particles, as one might imagine this consumes copious quantities of lead, easily several tons for a one ton vat of Vitriol. The next stage of the process is to focus the green sunlight of Ligure into the vat to boil away the Vitriol. What will be left when the vitriol is gone is a lump of greasy black metal which when alloyed with Steel produces Black Lead.

A Blasphemy Against Autochthon

It may come to pass, under the wrong conditions, that an attempt will be made to create an Alchemical from Black Lead. It is possible: but the results are horrific in the extreme. The 'Heroic' soul to animate an Alchemical of Black Lead must be one that showed, in lifetime after lifetime, depravity and cruelty applied so as to get the results they desired. The leader of a voidbringer cult that escaped detection, the factory chief who worked their staff into an early grave to meet quota, the Militate interrogator who broke dozens of enemy soldiers with torture, and the preceptor child molester, these are the lifetimes that combine to make a Black Lead alchemical.

Because Black Lead Emphasizes the power of the hard hit, and the lying interference of the master deceiver, and the cunning and craft of the steady infiltrator, their cast attributes are Strength, Manipulation, and Wits.

Black Lead Alchemicals may freely install Voidtech: because they all suffer from Gremlin Syndrome from the moment they are created. Built of materials corrupted by the Yozis the black lead alchemical naturally shares the Yozis' hatred and malice toward their erstwhile brother, and is a living instrument of their desire to kill the King of Craftsmen.

Black Lead is evil: truly wicked and corrupt in a way that even soulsteel is not. As such it's Alchemicals anima power is as follows: By spending five motes and one willpower they may inflict a temporary version of Gremlin Syndrome on everyone within (Essence) yards. This functions exactly like normal Gremlin Syndrome except that even if an Exalt's dissonance track reaches ten while effected they do not become permanently effected. This alteration of the subject's minds lasts (Essence/2) days at which point it fades completely. This effect does not count as a social attack or UMI, nor can it be blocked or parried with social combat charms or spending willpower. That said a character effected by this power may spend one willpower per scene to ignore the influence of the Dissonance Track inflicted by this power. For those who suffer from the Great Curse however this counts as resiting UMI for the purpose of gaining limit. As normal this effect automatically comes into play at no cost when the exalt's anima reaches the 11-15 point level.