Teflonshugenja/BrilliantRain

Brilliant Rain

Artifact 4

Crafted of teak, yew and orichalcum, Brilliant Rain is a magnificent powerbow that more than lives up to its name. Created in the early battles of the Primordial War, it was carried into the fray by no less than four different Solar champions and in their hands slew scores of the servants of Those Who Came Before. During the Usurpation, the Dawn Caste warrior who held it was slain in the massacre at the Hall of the Deliberative, and his trappings taken along with his body back to his homeland in the Northwest, to be entombed along with him on the shores of Lake Remanya. Several years ago a daring attempt on the part of a group of Outcaste Dragon-Blooded to raid and loot the tomb ended successfully, but though the raid itself succeeded, the incident went awry when members of the group fell to bickering over how to divide the spoils. Several members of the group died in the ensuing treachery, and the fate of Brilliant Rain is unknown.

In addition to being a potent weapon, Brilliant Rain is woven with wondrous enchantments that make it a marksman's ideal tool - the bow was crafted to be an answer to those things that plague the warriors that use it, and as such its magics are threefold.

The first worry that an archer faces is his ammunition - an imperfect arrow can ruin even a perfect shot. The Chosen that carries this weapon need never fear this fate, for any shaft fired from Brilliant Rain by an Exalt that has harmonized the item with his anima is touched and shaped by the dweomers woven about the weapon, straightening the shaft and smoothing frayed fletching - every arrow will fly straight and true, with no penalty for poor quality or partial damage to the missile, so long as it is whole (negate all penalties for poor quality ammunition). Arrows so altered by the bow are also sturdier and more resistant to breakage than normal ones, ensuring that any shaft that has not been deliberately damaged can be recovered intact. Alterations to arrows through this effect are permanent - the arrow itself is physically transformed as it is drawn, and bears the mark of the magic with a shaft that is streaked with gold highlights and eagle's fletching, making a missile fired from this weapon an unmistakable work of art. If the arrow is ever afterward fired from a nonmagical bow, add +1 to the attack's accuracy - the missile is flawless, though the magics of artifact weapons are potent enough to supercede this minor benefit (this bonus is accounted for in the weapon's Accuracy statistic). Arrows fired by wielders of this weapon during routine target practice were often later collected by their subordinates, who considered the shafts blessed.

Second is the worry of the target itself, for while most creatures of the world are reliant on their natural resilience to protect them, men and demons gird themselves in steel and jade to turn aside the shafts of their enemies. By channeling 2 motes of Essence through the bow, the Exalt that wields Brilliant Rain can hone the edge of his arrow beyond razor sharpness for the space of a single shot, allowing it to slice through steel, stone and sinew with effortless ease. The arrow gains the Piercing quality for that single attack, halving the target's armor rating before soak is applied. If this effect is used to enhance an attack against a demon or other servant of the Yozis, it also halves the target's natural soak as the arrow burns itself up in a flare of holy light that is antithetical to their hateful nature. Arrows fired against such targets using this ability are destroyed and thus cannot be recovered.

Last, the most dangerous enemy is one who can fight you on your own ground. A marksman need always fear another of his kind, and so Brilliant Rain was woven with protective magics that would guard his person against attacks from range. Any time the character is targeted with a ranged attack, the Dazzling Ward activates: a momentary flash of light flares around the incoming projectile, either consuming it (if it can be burned) or turning it harmlessly aside (if it cannot). The Ward activates against all attacks, regardless of whether or not the Exalt wielding Brilliant Rain is aware of them, and drains 1 mote from its wielder for each attack so halted. Magical attacks and attacks enhanced by Charms are not so easily defeated, and so rather then being foiled completely, they lose 3 attack successes. The Exalt wielding Brilliant Rain can always choose not to activate the Dazzling Ward against an attack he is aware of, though it will continue to defend against unperceived attacks independent of his wishes.

Brilliant Rain has a setting for a single Hearthstone.

Acc +3, Dmg +5L, Rate 3, Range 300 yards

(these are the artifact's base statistics and do NOT include the Orichalcum materials bonus)

Comments

I swear I didn't know about this when I was picking my user name. ^_^;

BrilliantRain

I'm just stunned that someone other than me came to my page! teflonshugenja