Dance/Artifacts

Artifact 5

Soul of Creation</b>
Artifact <b>N/A</b>
Commitment: 20

The Soul of Creation was created for the First Age Zenith Uhlar-Kan. A principal warrior at the end of the Primordial War, Uhlar-Kan survived until the Usurpation itself. His creations, both musical and strategical (and oftentimes both) were extremely popular, but most were lost during the Shogunite period, and only a remnant of a remnant remains to this day.

This artifact was to be Uhlar-Kan's most powerful weapon, capable of devastating both armies and hearts alike, and providing him with a mobile base from which he could carry out any symphony - or campaign. Unfortunately, it was never completed, which is fortunate for the Sidereals and Dragon-Blooded, since even by itself it could have helped turn the tide of that war. It can only be attuned by a Zenith-caste Solar.

The Soul of Creation resembles nothing less then a mobile building. It stands on a disc composed of Blue Jade some 100 feet in diameter, and rises to a tower five stories high. The main building is two stories of Orichalcum and Moonsilver, and is designed with a circular architecture. The tower alone is composed of Starmetal. The Soul of Creation does not incorporate any Soulsteel, as Uhlar-Kan believed it to be a corrupt metal and refused to allow its use.

Inside, the Soul of Creation is composed of a main hall and opulent living quarters. Currently, the main hall sits empty, but in its very center is a hole where the main weaponry of the SoC was to be housed - a massive, essence-powered church organ, and the hub of the entire structure. Just before this hole is the central hearthstone socket of the entire structure, which must contain a level 5 hearthstone for power.

The organ, a level 5 artifact by itself, is composed of only the three Celestial metals. The keys are Starmetal, enchanted to guide the player's fingers to hit at the most opportune times. The housing and internal workings of the organ are Orichalcum, strong enough to last an eternity. Finally, the pipes of the organ are Moonsilver, allowing them to reshape themselves as the organ plays to only form the purest notes. The organ is the perfect instrument, capable of duplicating any sound or instrument and having a range of several hundred octaves. The organs powers are as follows:

Performance Mastery: The organ is perhaps the finest instrument ever created. On any applicable performance rolls, double all successes after all other effects.

Musical Sight: This ability is active whenever the organ is playing. Anything within range of the music is considered valid for visual Awareness rolls (on maximum power and when hooked into the Soul of Creation, the organ can be heard at up to the player's (Essence x 10) miles), as if the player himself were making them. All Charms he has active apply as normal.

Essence Weapons: At its center, the organ has a Moonsilver housing designed for a weapon. By default it fits Warsinger, Uhlar-Kan's weapon of choice, but it can resize itself for any weapon. When played, the Lawgiver may spend 1 mote to create a copy of the weapon created from Essence. This copy is exact in every way, including special powers, magical material bonus, and hearthstones socketed, and the player may attack with it as if he was holding it in his own hands. The weapon last as long as the music continues, and has a reflexive move rate of the Lawgiver's (Essence) yards per tick (it may not Dash, and its rate is not effected by charms). Attacks with an Essence weapon use the character's (Charisma x 2) instead of Strength when determining damage if the character does not wield them by hand, and the character can create up to his (Essence) in weapons at any one time. The Solar may have an Essence weapon defend him, allowing him to apply his full PDV as if using it as normal (multiple weapons give no special bonus).

Infinite Performance of the Maestro: Each action, if the Solar takes a Miscellaneous Action to play the organ directly, he gains access to his (Performance / 2) Independent Actions, as per CMoSF and with the following exceptions: 1) He may only take physical actions using Essence weapons, 2) he may take any performance actions using the organ, and 3) he may not dodge (this includes using perfect charms like Seven Shadows Evasion).

Flight of Sound: The player of the organ may direct the Soul of Creation in flight. It is capable of traveling at speeds up to the Lawgiver's (Performance x 10) yards per tick reflexively, in any direction. Phantom Conductor: An attuned Lawgiver may play remotely. If he does, he only gains the effects of Musical Sight, Essence Weapons, and Flight of Sound, but he may play the organ as a reflexive action and gain access to these powers.

While the above powers are extremely powerful and useful, they are not the most potent weapon of the Soul of Creation. Designed for perhaps the most powerful Zenith in the First Age, the Soul also has access to the most powerful weapon of the First Age - the Sword of Creation, now known as the Realm Defense Grid. Direct links inside the Soul of Creation allow a user to musically control all powers of the Realm Defense Grid remotely. They may only be overruled or locked out by a Solar with control in the Imperial Manse itself - absent that, a Solar attuned to the Soul of Creation has complete control.

Full access to the powers of the Realm Defense Grid is only possible in one of two conditions: either the Solar must also be attuned to the Imperial Manse, or the Heart of the Realm (the hearthstone of the Imperial Manse) must be socketed to power the Soul of Creation. Absent these two, the Solar only has local control - he can only target the Realm Defense Grid to areas he can also reach with his music, but within this area he has access to all of its powers. Access to the Realm Defense Grid must be direct - the Solar cannot use Phantom Conductor to control it.

Comments

Good! There just aren't enough apocalyptic death-organs around, I havn't seen a good one since Vegnagun (from Final Fantasy X-2). One minor niggle is restricting it to only zenith castes - I didn't like it with dawn-caste swords and I don't like it here, but that's only a preference. Overall, you are to be commended!
-- Darloth