Artifacts/EndlessConfigurationBlade
Endless Configuration Blade
Artefact •••• - orichalcum and glass reaver daiklave
Created during the High First Age by one of the Dawn Caste whose name has since been lost to antiquity, the Endless Configuration Blade was his attempt to create a weapon that could be effectively used in almost any situation – with a little forward planning. In appearance it is relatively ordinary as such weapons go, a single-edged blade of orichalcum in a long, sweeping curve almost 5’ long, while the back of the blade is made of alchemically-treated Chiaroscuro glass with a quartet of egg-sized holes spaced evenly along the lower half of the vitreous section. These hole are what made the Endless Configuration Blade stand out amongst its peers, for they were hearthstone sockets of a kind pioneered by the weapon’s creator – a type known as parasitic sockets.
When an attuned hearthstone is set into a parasitic socket then the holder loses access to the special ability granted by the stone for the duration of its stay (although the improved Essence regeneration remains). Instead it is the item that and gains an ability related to that normally granted by the stone, as well as being made measurably better – exactly how depends on the aspect and level of the stone. These bonuses and abilities are cumulative as the parasitic sockets in the Blade are filled in,
- Air
- Hearthstones aspected towards Air improve the Accuracy of the Endless Configuration Blade by half their level (rounded up) and its Rate by 1.
- Earth
- Earth-aspected Hearthstones improve the Damage of the weapon by their level and the Defence by half this amount (rounded up).
- Fire
- Hearthstones from Fire Manses increase the Blade’s Damage by their level and its Rate by 1.
- Water
- When set with a Water-aspected Hearthstone the Endless Configuration Blade increases both its Accuracy and Defence ratings by half of the stone’s level (rounded up).
- Wood
- Hearthstones aspected to Wood improve the Blade’s Defence by half their level (rounded up) and its Rate by 1.
- Abyssal
- An Abyssal Hearthstone set into one of the Blade’s sockets increases its Damage by the stone’s level, its Accuracy by half that (rounded up) and its Rate by 1.
- Lunar
- Hearthstones from Lunar-aspected Manses increase the artefact’s Damage by their level, and its Accuracy and Defence by half that (rounded up).
- Sidereal
- When socketed into the Endless Configuration Blade a Sidereal Hearthstone increases its Accuracy and Derfence ratings by half their level (rounded up) and its Rate by 1.
- Solars
- The additional resonance of a Solar hearthstone makes them the most powerful to set into the Blade, increasing its Damage by their level, its Accuracy and Defence by half (round up) of that, and its Rate by 1.
The basic profile of the Blade is below - does not include the orichalcum Magical Material bonus:
- Speed 5, Accuracy +4, Damage +8L/3, Defence +3, Rate 3, Min. Str •••, Commit 9m
Special Abilities
The additional abilities granted by to the Endless Configuration Blade by the Hearthstones set into it are the hardest part of the artefact to adjudicate. Below are a few possibilities:
- Gemstone of Sapphire and Emerald
- When used to attack a person or object enchanted with Emerald or Sapphire Circle Sorcery the Blade shatters the spell as if Sapphire Countermagic had been applied. The wielder can also literally cut a spell targeted at him in half by attacking it (whether normally or by counterattack Charm) as it is about to affect him – this requires a difficulty 3 (Dexterity + Melee) roll.
- Seacalm Stone
- When used against opponents who are strongly aspected towards water, i.e.: water elementals and Water-aspected Dragon-Blooded the post-soak damage of the Blade is inflicted as automatic levels of Bashing damage; this damage cannot wrap around to become Lethal against these foes.
- Gem of Surface Thoughts
- The Dodge and Parry DVs of the opponent are reduced by 3 as the Blade taps into their mind to find gaps in their defences. This ability does not work against mindless opponents such as the walking dead or automata.
- Seven Leaping Dragon Stone
- The Endless Configuration Blade is treated as a signature weapon for any style of supernatural martial arts that allows the use of a weapon.
- Gem of Day’s Light
- Against Creatures of Darkness the Blade’s inflicts Aggravated damage and it’s post-soak damage against such opponents is doubled.
- Gem of False Death
- Any opponent reduced to Incapacitated or below by the Endless Configuration Blade is not killed (and cannot be by this weapon), instead they a reduced to a near-death state which persists until the wielder chooses to wake them or one week passes. Time spent in this state counts double for the purposes of healing.
I would be remiss in the extreme were I not to acknowledge the inspiration given by Brilliant Jewel Lance for the extra abilty granting for the Endless Configuration Blade.
