Artifacts/CreedArmor

Followers of the Virtuous Creeds

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In the early years of the First Age, before the Great Curse set in and the Old Realm reached its heights of terrible decadence and cruelty, the Virtuous Creeds were a force of great power and influence amongst the Exalted. Originally formed as a part of the Realm's military structure the Creeds were eventually given their autonomy and charged with maintaining the quality of life and spirit for the Realm's populace. Each of the Five Virtuous Creeds was dedicated to a different idealistic virtue which was represented in the powers of the armor that identified their members and the mission that each Creed undertook.

The Creeds themselves were composed of 100 Exalted and numerous mortal followers. From among the hundred Exalted members of a Creed a Creed Mother or Father was elected once every century or upon the death of the current leader. The Creed Parent adopted the name of the Creed as their own for their tenure and many changed their names to include it even after their stint of leadership.

As the Solar Realm became corrupt, the Creeds were absorbed into various parts of the Realm's governmental structure or disbanded as various Exalted found the Creeds to be an impediment to their plans. By the time of the usurption all the Creeds had been officially disbanded. Their armor, the uniforms that marked each member of the Creeds, were left in the hands of their last owners as souveniers.

The Creed of Mercy

Originally a group of dedicated workers and healers, the Creed of Mercy travelled to sites of great devestation and disasters to alleviate the suffering of the people. The famous red and white armor of the Mercy-bound was a welcome sight to the people of the Realm at any time. Later in the First Age the Creed of Mercy was corrupted and began serving only those able to pay bribes or willing to serve the Mercy-bound in return for help. In the last days of the First Age people would flee the site of a disaster to avoid the attention of the Mercy Creed.

Armor of the Mercy Bound - Level 3 Artifact </b>

Bright scarlet and marked in white Old Realm glyphs for Mercy and Aid, the armor of the Mercy-Bound is distinctive and highly visible. The slim, form-fitted strips of Jade-hardened leather taken from the Holy Cattle of the Bovine Mother offer protection and succor to their wearer as well as confering the strength to help the helpless. Mercy Armor makes its wearer immune to environmental damage of all types and allows them to go without food or sleep for three days before needing a full day of rest. Because of protective enchantments woven into the armor anyone attacking a wearer does so at +2 difficulty.

Mercy-Bound Armor : 8/8 Soak | -0 Mobility | 0 Fatigue | 6 Motes Committed

<b> Mercy's Habit - Level 5 Artifact </b>

Traditionally worn by the Mother of Mercy, the Habit bears little resemblance to the clothing it takes its name from. The few Fathers of Mercy called their armor Mercy's Frock instead. Whatever name it is called by, the armor offers its protection in the form of flowing scarlet robes reinforced with strips of ivory-white leather cut from the hide of the Bovine Mother and containing her great compassion and powers of protection and restoration. Thanks to the magical leather the Habit protects its wearer from all forms of environmental damage, poison, disease and infection. This is a Perfect Effect. The armor's gifts also extend to rebuilding and healing, reducing the difficulty of any Crafts, Survival or Medicine roll by 3.

Mercy's Habit strengthens the body of its wearer, adding 2 to their Strength and Stamina and making it possible for them to go for up to three weeks without food or rest. After doing so the wearer will need to rest for three days before attempting strenuous actions. To aid in recovering lost people and finding survivors, the wearer can sense and locate any living being within 100 yards of her location and tell what sort of creature they are.

In combat the protective enchantments of Mercy's Habit come into play, making it so plain that the wearer is an agent of mercy and good will that striking her requires a difficulty 2 Willpower roll. Even those who succeed attack at +4 difficulty.

Mercy's Habit : 10/10 Soak | -0 Mobility | 0 Fatigue | 7 Motes Committed

The Creed of Justice

One of the three Creeds that eventually became the judicial system of the Old Realm the Justice Creed was famed for settling disputes bringing fair trial to those in desperate need of it. The Justice-bound would eventually become the Judges of the Old Realm and offer whatever justice best suited their own personal ends and resulted in the most personal gain. Their green uniforms became associated with greed and avarice, leading to many common expressions that last far beyond the Creed itself.

<b> Armor of the Justice Bound - Level 3 Artifact </b>

<b> Justice's Robes - Level 5 Artifact </b>

The Creed of Honor

Affiliated with both the courts and the legions of the Realm, the Creed of Honor attempted to uphold the moral code espoused by the Old Realm. They spoke often at massive assemblies and lead by example, often becoming paragons of virtue and heroes of the Realm. In later years the Honor-bound dedicated themselves not to inspiring honor amongst the people but in enforcing it. The black armor of the Honor Creed was all too often seen at public executions as the Creed became the morality police of the Realm.

<b> Armor of the Honor Bound - Level 3 Artifact </b>

Similar in construction to regular Articulated Plate, though far sleeker and more flexible, the Red Jade suits of the Honor Bound are edged in Orichalcum and decorated as orantely as any ceremonial guard's regalia. The suits were designed to make their wearer impressive and to inspire awe in those who would stand against the Honor Bound. Anyone seeing the Honor Bound in their armor is at +1 difficulty to act in a dishonorable fashion for the next day. While actually in the presence of the Honor Bound an additional +1 difficulty is imposed.

For every Virtue the wearer has at 3 or above, the armor confers a +1 bonus to all combat rolls. These bonuses are cumulative and specifically count against dice-adder limits.

Honor-Bound Armor : 6/10 Soak | -1 Mobility | 2 Fatigue | 6 Motes Committed

<b> Honor's Mantle - Level 5 Artifact </b>

Defying tradition and the established precepts of the others Creeds, Honor's Mantle is not a full set of clothing but rather a pair of Red Jade bracers and an Orichalcum armband. The three items are all similar in casting: heavy, thick and decorated with Old Realm runes celebrating honorable combat and virtuous behavior. The pieces of Honor's Mantle must be used together to confer any of their numerous enchantments and benefits.

To enforce honorable combat the Mother of Honor would face her foes openly, without subterfuge or back-stabbing. Enchantments laid into her uniform make her immune to surprise attacks but also make her unable to execute a surprise attack herself; her armor will betray any such dishonorable attempt. The magic of the armor protects against ambush in other ways, giving a bonus of +3 dice to all actions when facing an opponent un-aided and forcing would-be opponents to succeed on a Willpower roll, difficulty 4, to attack the Mother of Honor when she is already engaged in battle.

Incorporating rare and potent magics to fortify the soul and encourage moral behavior the Honor's Mantle raises its wearer's Virtues by 1 each and confers an automatic success on all virtue rolls. Every time the Mother of Honor succeeds on a virtue roll she adds 1 die to all her pools for the rest of the scene. This effect is cumulative but is limited to a total of 10 added dice.

A potent Oathstone was sacrificed in the creation of Honor's Mantle, giving the armor the ability to enforce surrenders and pacts. The Mother of Honor has the ability to seal oaths in the manner of an Eclipse-Caste Exalted. Broken pacts inflict 4 botches on the breaker. Magics woven into this ability make the Mother of Honor aware when a pact she has sealed is broken and under what circumstances the break was committed.

Honor's Mantle is not considered to be armor.

Honor's Mantle : 5/10 Soak | -0 Mobility | 0 Fatigue | 8 Motes Committed

The Creed of Truth

Working alongside the Magisters and Enforcers of the Realm the Creed of Truth brought the laws of the Realm into the streets and the fields. Their bright blue armor carried the power of authority and their tireless quest to make the truth known and valued brought them great love from the people. In its failing days the Creed of Truth became a force of inquisition and terror, acting as the secret police of the tyrannical Solars.

<b> Armor of the Truth Bound - Level 3 Artifact </b>

The brilliant Blue Jade plates of a Truth-Bound armor protect its owner from those who would fear the truth and those that bring it to light. As a tool of the agents of Truth, the armor can sense lies and informs its owner of the identity of someone speaking a deliberate lie in earshot. The enchantments inside the armor also whisper to the wearer which parts of the spoken statements are false and which are true. They can even tell if large parts of the truth are being ommitted. Against anyone who has lied to the wearer within the last scene, the armor's soak is increased by 5. Because of the aura of respect and sometimes fear that the armor's magic conjures up it requires a Willpower roll with a difficulty of 2 to tell a lie to the wearer of Truth Bound armor.

Truth-Bound Armor : 10/8 Soak | -2 Mobility | 1 Fatigue | 5 Motes Committed

<b> Truth's Badge - Level 5 Artifact </b>

The armor worn by the Father of Truth is made of pure Blue Jade mined from the very peak of the Imperial Mountain, washed in the blood of Thunderbirds and containing the bones of the first God of Truth. Truth's Badge covers the entire body of its owner with thick plates of Jade but it is the helmet of the armor that offers the greatest powers.

Within the stern, genderless visage of the helm are hidden enchantments that tell the wearer if the words he is hearing are truth or false. When the bearer of Truth's Badge is told a lie they are able to gain vast amounts of information. They can tell why the liar is speaking a falsehood and what parts of the statements are false. If the liar is speaking in half-truthes then the left out portions of the statements are made known to the wearer of the Badge as whispering voices that only he can hear. If a question asked by the wearer is answered with a lie then the true answer, as long as the liar actually knows it, is told to the wearer by the same whispering voices.

The Badge offers benefits in battle as well, granting an additional 10 soak against characters who have lied to the wearer in the last scene. Anyone attacking the wearer under has their true motivations revealed to both themselves and the wearer of the armor and in the event that the attacker was mislead or decieved into attacking the character, they are shown the truth and enough information for their decision to attack to be fully informed.

In part because of the reputation of Truth's Badge and its wearer and in part because of the magic bound into the armor, all attempts to tell a lie within hearing of the wearer require a Willpower roll with a difficulty of 4. Telling a direct lie to the wearer of the armor requires an additional Courage roll with a difficulty of 2.

Truth's Badge : 12/12 soak | -2 Mobility | 1 Fatigue | 7 Motes Committed

The Creed of Piety

Dazzing in their white and black robes the Piety-bound were allied with the Censors of Heaven and worked to keep the interests of the spirits and the mortals of the Realm in harmony. The Creed of Piety promoted the worship of the Unconquered Sun, bringing his wisdom and light to the far reaches of Creation. The spiritual well-being of the Realm was left in the dust as the Realm darkened and the Creed of Piety became an order dedicated to the enforcement of Celestial Worship. Tirelessly and ruthlessly hunting out infernalists and ghost-worshippers, the Piety-bound ignited many witch hunts and razed hundreds of villages.

<b> Armor of the Piety Bound - Level 3 Artifact </b>

The white-stripped black of the Piety Bound armor was feared by any spirit or human that sought to break the Celestial Laws governing the interaction between the mortal and the divine. The armor grants its wearer the powers to both see and attack immaterial beings. Both social rolls and attacks against such creatures gain an extra 2 dice and have their difficulty reduced by 1.

Piety-Bound Armor: 7/7 soak | -2 Mobility | 1 Fatigue | 5 Motes Committed

<b> Piety's Vestments - Level 5 Artifact </b>

The blazing white robes of Piety's Vestments, striped down the chest and back with midnight black, make an imposing statement all their own. With the palpable aura of magic woven into the Jade-toughened fabric the Vestments are one of the most impressive garments in Creation or Yu-Shan. Much of the power of these robes comes from the enchantments within, but part of their power is socia l. After so many powerful Exalted wore them, they could not help but take on an aspect of the importance they represented.

The Father of Piety, bound as he was to ensure harmony between spirits and mortals, must have easy access to Heaven and the offices of power. His voice must be heard easily. To facilitate this the wearer of Piety's Vestments is never stopped nor searched by Celestial Lions or other law-enforcers while in Yu-Shan. He may always pass the Gates without challenge, as may his guests. The Golden Canals of Heaven are always open to him and the red tape of the Celestial Bureaucracy is no impediment. All Bureaucracy rolls in Yu-Shan have their difficulty reduced by 3.

Even in Creation the wearer of the Vestments has great power to discipline spirits and enforce Celestial Law. The wearer may both see and attack dematerialized spirits but those same spirits may not attack him without taking material form. Related to this power, the wearer of the Vestments can see when mortals have been Endowed or Ridden or otherwise touched by spirits. In Heaven or out, all social rolls with spirits have 5 additional dice.

The final protection of the Vestments is against the magic of those spirits which might wish to evade punishment for their tresspasses. The Charms or Arcanoi of spirits with a lower Permanent Essence score then the wearer of the Vestments do not affect the wearer at all.

Piety's Vestments : 7/10 soak | -1 Mobility | 0 Fatigue | 7 Motes Committed

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