ArtifactRelay/Circles

Practical Joker's Token ~ Shataina

Fingernail-sized starmetal loop

Artifact •

Commitment: none; 5 motes to activate

This tiny metal circle was invented as a practical joke by some Sidereal whose name we don't remember. It can only be used on mortals, and the user must speak three words, spend the requisite motes and hide it on the target's person (for example, sewn into the hem of her tunic, or inserted into her boot). If the target, knowingly or unknowingly, removes the token, the effect ends prematurely; otherwise, the effect lasts for the user's Essence in days.

While under the influence of the Joker's Token, a mortal goes in circles on the subject named by the user. For example, if the user named "your current travels", the mortal will travel in a vast loop and end up where she started; if the user named "your last lover", the mortal will be unable to make any headway in her feelings for her ex. The user had best beware, though, for the token has a way of influencing Fate in such a way as to -- if possible -- turn the practical joke on the mortal into a joke on the user as well.

Endless Coil Of Vengeance ~ DeathBySurfeit

Jade scabbard

Artifact ••

Commitment: 4 motes

Built (and named) for grandeur over function, the Endless Coil Of Vengeance was popular in the days of the Shogunate but, since the decline of First Age stockpiles, has declined in popularity to little more than a collector's item. The artifact is a vast circular construction of marble, inlaid with runners and settings of polished jade and adorned with brightly coloured streamers. The entire edifice is styled in the manner of a coiled dragon, its maw open at the centre and sinuous body forming the perimeter's length. Fully five feet in diameter and with weight befitting its size, the Endless Coil is nevertheless near-weightless when attuned; positioned behind the bearer's back, it hangs in midair of its own accord and follows them wherever they may go.

The Endless Coil is a scabbard, but no conventional one; when a weapon is placed into one of the many fittings and the artifact activated (a reflexive action costing no Essence), the marble-and jade components wheel about one another with a blur of motion - by the time they halt, the weapon has gone Elsewhere, although the transition is difficult to mark. Another reflexive action and the Endless Coil spins, placing the weapon in hand once more. The Coil can store an infinite number of weapons of any kind, but only weapons - Storyteller's discretion dictates what constitutes a weapon for this purpose. Attuned artifacts remain attuned (and the Essence committed) whilst sent Elsewhere in this fashion.

Sunshine Walking Anklets - Seiraryu

Orichalcum Ankle Bracelets

Artifact •••

Committment: 5 motes; 2 to activate

Idealized as more of a theater tool than anything else, the Sunshine Walking Anklets have been adapted since the First Age into aids for more than just abstract Essence ladden performances. Named so because of their higher efficiency when used under the light of the sun, the anklets are artifacts that have been used for a number of things in the past aside from the original purpose of theater performance, such as travel, battle, and are invaluable for climbing expeditions.

The anklets are about half a foot in radius each, and come in pairs of two. When both have been slipped around each foot of the user, and the Essence committed, they glow bright golden and shrink to the appropriate size so that, while still loose and comfortable, they do not slip off the wearer's feet.

From the moment they are attuned, whenever the person wearing them wants to she may spend 2 motes of Essence to activate the enchantment within the artifacts. For one hour (or a scene if used during combat) the character may freely walk upon the air as if were ground. To rise he must make the motion of using stairs, or jump, but he can in effect walk, run and move in mid air. The character can fall as much as she wants to and will never suffer any damage so long as she lands on her feet (even if she lands on actual ground). Additionally, the character can spend 2 motes of Essence to double her maximum movement rate for an hour (or a scene if during combat).

If the wearer is standing directly under sunlight, she does not have to pay the cost for the first effect, as long as she remains under the gaze of the sun. Even stepping under a shadow will force her to the ground unless she makes a reflexive Dexterity + Athletics roll and spends the motes to activate the anklets.

The anklets glow with the brilliance of the sun whenever in use. Since they were made for the stage, this light cannot be concealed by clothing, as it permeates the very materials around them to show off their brilliance and impress the audience further.

Circlet of Power -Miles

Orichalcum with White Jade

Artifact ••••

Committment: 10 motes, various

The circlet of power has been used by many of rulers over the ages in order to give them a more commanding presence and protect them from would be assasins. The circlet grants the attunded wearer a presence rating of 5 as long has they have at least 1 rank in presence. It also adds one die to any one buracracy roll (chosen by the character) each day. In prolonged negotiations this can be inportant in order to protect the one asset you are unwilling to compromise on.

If the wearer spends one mote of essence they will recieve the equivalent of 3B/2L soak to any one attacks made against them in the next hour. If somehow poisioned the circlet will disolve a white jade gem in order to fight off the poision for the wearer. These can be replaced with a craft check difficulty 8, 3 of them costing resources 1. Roll a random d10 in order to determine the current number of white jade gems. If there are no gems remaining the protective powers do not function.

The circlet is made of Oricalcum with White Jade inlayed into the crown.

Wind, Moon and Sun Circles -FlowsLikeBits

Orichalum, Moonsilver and Jade chakra

Artifact +•• to +•••• , •••••(set)

Committment: 6 motes each

These artifacts were originally made it sets of 3; a large jade chakram(usually blue, often with inset emeralds), a smaller moonsilver and amathest one inside it, and tiny orichalum one inset in that with tiny adamant teeth. All have exceptional amounts of tiny runes in Old Realm inscribed upon them. The orichalum circle is barely large enough for the handle. The are now commonly found seperated however. When attuned, light occasionaly appears to run around the rim of each chakra, as long as there is some ambient light, other than this, they are ordinary throwing weapons. A few sets are Wind, Star and Sun circles and substitute a lacy ring of Starmetal for the moonsilver chakra and some sets have adamant instead of orichalum.

The main power of these artifacts is only useful to sorcerers. A spell may be imbued into each circle. Jade chakra may hold a terrestial spell, moonsilver or starmetal may a celestial or terrestial spell and the orichalum circle can hold any sorcery spell. Any non-ritual(any spell that is cast normally through shaping actions) may be cast into a chakra. Spells will remain in the circles indefinatly, although each may hold only a single spell.

When the chakra is thrown and hits a target, the spell can be released by paying it's normal mote cost. This attack will also do it's normal damage, although this usually pales in comparison to the spell effect. Realeasing a spell is not charm use and combo's and charms may be used on the thrown attack. The user must make a standard Dex + Thrown roll to strike the target; Charms may affect this roll normally. If the spell's effect would typically include an attack roll, substitute the result of the Thrown roll instead. Bonus successes supplied by the spell itself are counted only to determine the spell's effects, and do not increase the user's chance to hit the target. This treats the dex+thrown roll as the attack roll(usually per+occult) for sorcery spells that require such. This attack may be both dodged and parried by default, even if the imbued spell could not be. For all purposes the impact point of the chaka is treated as the target point of the spell. Charms and such that duplicate attacks do not duplicate the stored spell for mechanical purposes. (Thanks to Hapushet for rewording)

It is possible to detect a spell in a chakra with a Wits+Occult roll at a difficulty of 4 + spell circle. This becomes 4 - spell circle if some means of seeing essence is used.

A few versions of this artifact are found combined with a thrown weapon with other powers. In this case, this adds +•• for terrestial spells, +••• for celestial and +•••• for solar. Necromantic versions of this artifact, made of soulsteel are theoretically possible. Also, the Autocthonias are known to have access to similar artifacts that work with their protocoals. A famous example is the Tiara Is A Recursive Assault , a soulsteel gyrochakram that can hold Man-machine protocols(artifact 5).

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Comments

Forgive the delay as I learn to program the Wiki. -Miles

If you'd care to provide the first (one-dot) artifact for the new theme, we can get this party jumpin'...DeathBySurfeit

I've provided the theme, havn't had any one dot artifacts jump at me yet. Anyone is more than welcome to start it. -Miles

These seemed to fit the theme nicely. I'm sure that other versions could be made of the other Magical Materials (and I'll probably make them later). Though making an Blue Jade version might be awkward, seeing as how I don't really see how you could nto be surrounded by air all the time, heh. Maybe I'll just make the effect be free if a certain amount of wind is blowing or something... I'll think about it. - Seiraryu who hadn't designed an artifact in months until now.

The circlet is pretty weak for a level 4; seems like a greatly downgraded Crown of Thunders, which is 5. I'd probably stick it at 3, maybe even 2 if the Presence effect was dropped a little. Also, might wanna lower the difficulty on replacing those gems; diff 8 is pretty severe, and seems out of place if the gems are designed to be consumed to power the item. - LeumasWhite

I thought that an automatic resist on an item was well worth a 4 point artifact. Just me though. Did take the suggestion on downgrading the replacement, seems to fit, especially since the gems are consumed. I thought 2L soak was quite generous. An Exalt would realy love to stack with that. BTW, never seen a Crown of Thunders. -Miles

Level 4 artifact armor, per the base book, gives 14B/12L soak, with -2 mobility and 1 fatigue. Remove the mobility and fatigue, you get 10/10. If the soak bonus isn't considered armor, it's usually less, as well as not providing any hardness. You also have two other abilities, but they're very limited. I'd lump those into the power represented by armor's magical materials bonus. So, if soak is your primary bonus for this thing, I'd recommend giving at least 6/6, if not 8/8.

Didn't know that this was ment to be armour. -Miles

Didn't say it was... I said "if soak is your primary bonus..." I said this because you made the comment about thinking 2L was quite generous. - IanPrice

I have to agree that the circlet is rather weak for level 4, given it's much-too-high commitment cost. If you tone down the commitment, that would help, and I would consider loosening up the Presence and Bureaucracy bonus dice - that is, convert those into straight bonus dice, and remove the once-per-day rule. You could take a page from the Obsidian Sheath (I think that's the armor I'm thinking of), and have it set Presence at 5, or add, say, +2 dice to Presence for characters who have Presence 5. - David.

Miles, you can choose the new theme. I'm out of ideas.(If you don't want to ,I can come up with something). Yeah, I'd agree that the Crown is kinda weak for a 4. I'd put it at a solid 3 right now. -FlowsLikeBits

I'm confused. "Spells that add successes to the attack roll add these to the dex+thrown roll for the purposes of spell effects, but these do not affect the targets defences or thrown damage."

Does this mean stored spells from within the chakram? The way its worded, it could extend to outside effects, maybe even Precision of the Striking Raptor being used to throw the chakram... - IanPrice

What if it went something like, "The user must make a standard Dex + Thrown roll to strike the target; Charms may affect this roll normally. If the spell's effect would typically include an attack roll, substitute the result of the Thrown roll instead. Bonus successes supplied by the spell itself are counted only to determine the spell's effects, and do not increase the user's chance to hit the target." - Hapushet

That would be much clearer, thank you. - IanPrice

Thanks. Yes, that was basicly the intent. -FlowsLikeBits

Nooooo... recursive ARTIFACT names now. It's getting Bad. (Great artifact though!)
-- Darloth