Artifacts/Bastions
Bastions of Power
The Bastion Background was designed to replicate the effects of large, stationary magical devices and structures. They may be thought of as giant Artifacts but the difference is that while an Artifact is a thing a Bastion is a place.
Bastion</b>
Bastions, in addition to being defensible fortresses and prime locations for scavenging remnants of the First Age, are also titanic works of magic and artifice. Each Bastion was designed for a specific purpose. They may be titanic weapons installations, manufacturing centers like Factory Cathedrals or vast libraries with information on every topic imaginable. The wider the application and stronger the impact of a Bastion's particular function, the higher its rating.
Bastion scales like Artifact, growing in power exponentially with each dot in the Background. Bastions are purchased like Artifacts in that if a character wishes to have more then one Bastion he must purchase the background again to represent the second installation. Storytellers are discouraged from allowing a character to start play with multiple Bastions due to their rarity and story impact. Unlike many other backgrounds, it is possible for a Circle of starting characters to pool background dots to create a Bastion that all the Circle's members have access to.
Example Bastions
<b>Mirror Array, level 5 Bastion
- The Mirror Array is a multi-segmented installation that sprawls across several square miles in the Southern desert. The central structure of the Array is called the Reflection Citadel. Standing exactly one thousand feet tall the Citadel is a spire of optical crystal and silvered glass that channels any light striking it into the man-sized diamond at the pinnacle of the citadel. In the diamond the light is gathered, focused and redirected downwards. A column of burning liquid light is guided down a mirrored tunnel into the underground basement. 1 mile directly north, south, east and west of the Citadel there is a secondary structure. These four structures, not exactly buildings, are rotating Mirror Relays. The Relays use six banks of 36 hexagonal mirrors to focus the sunlight gathered by their lighteater fields. Focused properly and with the power flowing in from the lighteaters, each Relay Station is able to direct a potent beam of light across the desert to the diamond pinnacle of the Citadel.
- Reflection Citadel, level 3 Bastion
- At all times the basement of the Reflection Citadel, fueled by the light of the great diamond, can be used to refine Orichalcum from gold but this is the least of the Citadel's functions. Originally, the Citadel was designed as a great weapon against the creatures of the darkness. When at least one Mirror Relays is active and beaming its light to the Citadel, the master of the Citadel can activate enchantments woven into the crystal and class of the building's exterior and channel all the sun-given power of the Citadel outwards. Everything within a mile's reach of the Citadel is swept with blazing sunlight, even in the darkest night. This powerful light deals 1L per turn to all creatures of darkness within its reach. Solar Exalted and other beings who gather power from sunlight regain Essence at twice their normal rate when within the reach of the Citadel's effects. For each additional Mirror Relay that is active and directed at the Citadel, the radius of the sunlight effect is doubled, as is the damage done. If all four Mirror Relays are active then the reach of the sunlight is 10 miles from the Citadel and the the light does 1 Aggravated damage every turn.
- Mirror Relay, level 1 Bastion
- Individually, Mirror Relays can be used for fairly little. Their only function is that of an anti-personnel weapon with particular effectiveness against creatures of darkness. The Relays can rotate 180 degrees, facing up to 90 degrees either way from their natural orientation: aimed directly at the Reflection Citadel. Their collected light can be fired at targets other then the Citadel, producing a wide beam of blazing sunlight hot enough to melt copper. The beam can sweep across an area of up to 20 feet across and can reach up to 1 mile away from the station. If directed across that entire distance the beam's effects are diluted and it only deals 10B damage to those in its range. The beam of light can be directed specifically at a circular area 20 feet in radius in which case the light is far more concentrated and does 20L damage to those in the circle. Either use of the beam lasts only for a single turn before the automatic safeties of the Relay cut in and turn the beam off. It takes a full 10 seconds to over-ride the safeties and fire the beam again at a target other then the Citadel.
