<b>Tears of Ahriman</b>
Artifact <b>••</b>
Tainted potion
Requires: Stamina 3 (otherwise death); Commitment: None
It is said that when the Malfean who is sometimes called Ahriman first awoke from his Deathly Sleep to look upon the Creation he had lost, he cried out a sea that still exists. This passage was the source of inspiration for the foul mixture known as the Tears of Ahriman. Seeped in necromatic power and made from ingredients too foul to contemplate, this potion works powerful changes on a mortal body. They suffer two health levels of aggravated damage as the power rips open paths in their Essence, opening doors not meant for the merely-human body. Afterwards, they have a peripheral essence pool of their Willpower x 2. They have an Essence of 2 and heal as an Exalt. They also gain use of the Charm Crypt Bolt. But this is only a temporary change, for once their essence pool is spent (and it does not refill naturally with respiration as an Exalt's does), they revert to human -- and this power, while costing a high price in pain, is addictive. The mortal who drank the potion rolls Willpower + Temperance at a difficulty of 3, and needs a total of 7 successes to break their addiction.

Should the sea of tears still exist, the potion would work differently: the human would gain Willpower x 3 in essence, and also gain Essence Scattering Blast and Breath-Draining Prana on top of Crypt Bolt. The potion would be an Artifact level 3. But if the sea does exist, it is in unexplored and highly dangerous parts of the Labyrinth. It also has an addiction difficulty of 4 and 10 successes are needed to break it.

Taking this artifact once provides a single drink of the liquid. Should an Exalt drink it, it provides no bonus beyond giving them their Willpower in Essence back; they suffer no damage, and they must contend with the addiction as normal.

Note: The use of this Artifact can allow a mortal to cast spells of Shadowlands Circle of Necromancy (with learning of the knowledge to use something equivalent to the Charm), as it provides someone with the the talent needed to use their knowledge.

<b>Quill of Bone Dust</b>
Artifact <b>••</b>
Mystical quill
Requires: None; Commitment: 2 motes
This quill is made from bone, carefully carved into a form resembling a quill so much that the "feather"'s vanes flex and bend. The shaft is coated in a special alloy of soulsteel, Shimmer. The quill is similar to the Silver Quills of the Exalted, but differs in one important aspect. The owner may write (though not understand) any language (including pictograpic ones) that is remembered in the Underworld, as long as they know of its existence. This is useful, since many ghosts prefer to receive missives in their native tounge.