Artifacts/TelgarFlyingCrane
The Flying Crane
A level 5 Artifact.
Made of Blue Jade and Moonsilver, the Flying Crane is shaped like its namesake, the outstretched wings of the crane forming the body of the bow while the crane's body itself forms the handle. A thin Orichalcum beak points the arrow toward its target with flawless precision. A single Hearthstone can be set into the Crane where it shrinks down and becomes the eyes of the engraved crane figure. When pulled, the wings move as if in flight. In the heat of battle Flying Crane seems to be flapping its wings, rushing death toward its foes.
- Universal Applicability The Flying Crane counts as a Martial Arts weapon and can be used freely with any Style. It does not, however, count as a signature weapon and can not be used with Charms that demand to be used unarmed.
- Grace of the Crane The arrows sent from the Flying Crane are not by any means normal once they have left. In combat, they seek the target with the force and unflinching grace of the Crane. These arrows can not be dodged, only parried.
- Unmoving Hunt When standing still the archer adds 5 dice to his roll if his target is in motion. Moving targets are the favored prey of the patient Crane.
- Crane Arrows The arrows of the Flying Crane are not always simple shafts of wood and metal. When powered by the Essence of the Archer, the Flying Crane lends a bit of its magic to the arrows, allowing them to fold into tiny origami cranes, each of a different color and having a different effect. When in flight, Crane Arrows have 5L/8B soak and take 6 health levels to destroy.
- Red Crane Arrows Should an arrow fired from the Crane kill its target without expending all of its damage, the arrow will transform into a blood-red origami crane and seek another foe. Using the original attack roll, the Crane will fly up to 200 yards to find another target. If successful in attacking, the Crane has a raw damage of the left over successes from the original strike to which attack successes are not added. The Cranes will continue to hatch until the left over damage falls below 5. Creating a Red Crane Arrow costs 1 mote.
- White Crane Arrows Arrows fired straight into the air fold themselves magically into the form of white origami cranes and pause to recieve a single order from the archer before departing. They can perform any action a normal crane can, as well as speak up to 100 words. These origami cranes never tire, but are easily destroyed. If they successfully complete their mission, they fly off once more and transform forever into normal, mortal cranes of immense stature and grace. Creating White Crane Arrows carries no charge.
- Blue Crane Arrows If water is in sight of the archer then the shafts of the Flying Crane may fold into delicate blue origami cranes. Unlike the other Crane Arrows, Blue Cranes last forever in their paper forms. They can not be destroyed by anything short of the Void itself. They have marginal intelligence, slightly less then that of a real Crane. They are also utterly worthless by themselves. However, when 10 of the Blue Crane Arrows gather together, they can swarm a single person (determined by the archer) and grant a single, automatic success to whatever roll he is currently making. Once the Cranes have participated in such a swarm, they lose the ability to participate in them forever. Creating Blue Crane Arrows has no cost, however the invocation of the swarm does carry a 1 mote charge.
- Black Crane Arrows When fired in darkness, the arrows of the Flying Crane transform into black paper birds, invisible and undetectable without magical awareness. These arrows are immaterial and harm only immaterial beings. While they can not harm material beings, they are attracted to them and often hover near by, distracting with ethereal song. Any material being who has a Black Crane Arrow fired at them will suffer a +2 difficulty on all concentration-related tasks and has their Temperance and Conviction reduced by 1. Immaterial beings are attacked normally. Black Cranes will survive until struck by natural sunlight. Creating Black Crane Arrows is a 1 mote expenditure.
- Gift of the Crane While normal Crane Arrows work only with the Flying Crane, the bow does have the power to imbue arrows so that they retain their magic when fired from another bow. By expending 10 motes and 1 experiance point, the archer may create 5 Crane Arrows of any assortment of colors which will function normally for any bow. Every batch of 5 arrows counts as a level 1 Artifact.
Flying Crane : Damage +4L | Acc +6 | Rate 5 | Range 400 | Committment 6
Comments:
After finding the link here, I must say, I am very impressed. A wonderful artifact, although (I'm still deciding) the commitment might be a little low for my tastes. Where's the green crane though? One other question, does this still count as a signature weapon for Wood Dragon style? (I personally think that bows as a signature for wood dragon is... rather more overpowered that I would like for such a style, but, such it is written.)
-- Darloth
Yes, it would count as the signature weapon for Wood Dragon because Wood Dragon's signature is bows and this is a bow. It only doesn't count as signature when the signature is not a bow. It can be used with, say, Earth Dragon Style, but it won't be a signature weapon.
As for the Green Crane, there isn't one. I actually hadn't thought about the fact that I was following the five colors of Jade here and didn't intentionally do so. There are only four types of Cranes that this bow can make.
On committment, I'm opposed to commit costs over 10 except for really, really rare items. I don't think I've ever written an Artifact with a higher commit then 8. By the time you're enough of a badass to really get the most out of this, does 2-3 motes more commit really matter?
