BloomOfGhostlyThorns

Bloom Of Ghostly Thorns

Bloom Of Ghostly Thorns</b>\\ Artifact <b>••••</b>\\ Soulsteel Chains\\ Speed +3 Accuracy +1 Damage +9B/L Defense +4\\ Commitment: 8 motes and 1 Agg. HL\\ This does not include the Soulsteel 5MM bonus\\ \\ This artifact, in its unattuned state is a soulsteel ring, about 6 inches across, with 8 chains attached to it radially. The chains are about a foot long, with links of soulsteel and moonsilver. In the centre of the ring, there is a rose, with petals of soulsteel and when 5 motes are fed to the ring, this rose opens, to accept a single hearthstone. The ring it then set to the base of the spine, where it sinks in, inflicted a HL of aggravated damage that connot be healed until it is removed. the entire rink sinks in, although the rose bloom remains above the skin, as do the chains, which lengthen and coil themselves sinsously around the wearers limbs. To remove the Bloom, the wielder must pay 3 motes to have it rise, or they must be killed and the body burnt or otherwise chopped away.

The chains coiled about the users limbs provide a +3B/+3L soak (compatiable with armour) and provide a +1 difficultly to hand-to-hand attacks against the weilder.

If the user pays 3 motes, the chains come to life, stretching up to 15ft at the bearers command, for an additional 2 motes the chains grow vicious, curving thorns, making them inflict lethal damage.

In additon the standard attack, the chains may be used to clinch or hold a victim, flowing out and wrapping around him or her. The clinch or hold attempt is made as a normal attack that type. If it succeeds the victim is held/clinched. For Maintaining the clinch, the users strength is counted as 2 higher than its actually value. While clinching someone within the chains, the user is free to act normally, although they cannot use the chains to attack without freeing the victim. Due to the soulsteel nature of the Bloom, the chains drain the victims essence at one mote per turn unless they do damage in a clinch, in which case they drain the standard soulsteel amount. Note that turning immaterial is not enough to escape the cruel embrace of the thorns and their grip does not slacken for an instant, the essence drained by the chains goes into paying the cost of the materialise charm for the victim, though any remaining cost must be paid by the user.

(this artifact is heavily based on the Ghost Strengthing Chains, found in the abyssal book)