Tiffa/TheLivingWeapon
Still quite open to suggestions. This weapon is meant to be, mostly, completely stunt crazy. This is meant to be a level 5 artifact, and thus it -might- stand to be more awesome.
In the first age, there once existed a great Lunar weaponmaster, A great Full Moon by the name of Setram the Weaponlord. He set out to master every existing weapon ever... and, thanks to his incredible lifespan, was able to do so. He was as deadly with a simple knife in his hands than with a Goremaul, and he could hit any target with a thrown weapon or with bow and arrow. Even with his hands he was an incredible combatant. His only sorrow was that keeping many weapons was, at best, incredibly inconvenient. Thus, his Solar mate gathered a few other Lunars to present a gift to Setram... a weapon that could take any shape he could think of. Setram was delighted with the gift, and his skill with a weapon grew. He became as impressive in battle as any Dawn caste... which was, in the end, his doom, as one increasingly corrupt Dawn killed Setram with treachery and tried to claim the weapon for himself.
He was slain by Setram's wife before he could as much as touch it. Outraged by the corruption she was now seeing in her brethren, she bid the Lunars that had helped construct the artifact to make it so only their kind could use it, and nobody else. Then, she killed herself. The Usurpation began less than a year later.
The Living Weapon, as it came to be known, has been passed from Lunar to Lunar, but it has lost many of the shapes it could take. Few Lunars were interested in mastering so many different weapons, and so the offended spirits of those weapons left the artifact. It’s last known possessor fell to the Fair Folk in the Wyld.
When inert, The Living Weapon doesn't appear as a weapon at all. It fits around the user like bracers for both hands and legs, a belt, and a choker, all made of Moonsilver. However, in an instant, it can take the shape the user wills it to, although it can only take the forms of certain weapons of certain size. These weapons are: A daiklave (or a sword), a long powerbow (or a long bow), a Dire Lance (or a spear/lance), and a Grimcleaver (or an axe). It can change weapon shape in an instant, but the user better be prepared for it. Ruby has given each weapon an individual name.
The weapon only reacts to Lunars, who must commit 7 motes to attune to the weapon. The character may reflexively spend 1 mote to change the weapon's form from one shape to another, and he must spend a mote every time he wishes to change the weapon's form. It will change back into its inert form without needing to spend motes, however. Again, the change is almost instantaneous (it can change and be used in the same turn of combat), thus making The Living Weapon quite a tricky weapon in combat.
Also, The Living Weapon is basically indestructible. When struck by a charm or spell that can destroy magical materials, the weapon will melt... and reform the next turn as another weapon. It will not be able to take the form of the weapon destroyed until the next night. It’s also hard to disarm the user of the weapon... if successfully disarmed; the weapon promptly melts, and flows back to the user the next turn.
Finally, being a Moonsilver weapon, all the forms the weapon may take will have the Moonsilver bonus already applied to it. If inert, the Living Weapon provides some defense, as well as the ability to parry attacks unarmed (using the bracers). The "basic" weapons themselves don't quite match the strengths and weaknesses of the actual weapons, however.
Oh yes. The weapon is not fond of Fair Folk. It makes aggravated damage to them. The Fair Folk aren't exactly fond of this weapon either. Curiously enough, it didn't have this property in the beginning...
Moon Blade: The daiklave appears to be made completely out of Moonsilver, right down to the hilt. It’s actually rather fast but fairly weak at the time to attack.
Speed +5, Accuracy +5, Damage +5L, Defense +2
Star Lancer: This Dire Lance enjoys the greatest melee reach of all the weapons, and it’s fairly strong and fast.
Speed +3, Accuracy +4, Damage +6L/+10L, Defense +0
Grand Cleaver: This (very very big) grimcleaver is meant for pure power. It’s slow and large, but -damn- can it tear things apart.
Speed +0, Accuracy +3, Damage +12L, Defense -2
Sharpshooter: The powerbow works like a normal (if silver) powerbow. The weapon attaches itself to the user's hand and he may apply as much strength as he has available. The bow doesn't come with arrows, so the user better have his own!
Accuracy +3, Max Strength (any), Damage +3, Rate 3, Range 350
The Living Weapon can set a single hearthstone. When Inert, the Hearthstone may be wherever the user wishes it to be (neck, belt, legs or arm bracers).
The Weapon also has the ability to absorb spirits of other weapons, and thus take their shapes. Normal weapons just require having a nice chat with the weapon's spirit ("be part of an artifact? Sure!"). Artifacts require an actual ritual. Powerful, named, one-of-a-kind artifact weapons cannot be absorbed at all. At best, it can absorb an Artifact 4 weapon (as long as they are not one of a kind... Hooked Daiklaves of Dual Prowess come to mind). Infinite Weapon spirits are also not likely to accept.
Spirit-less weapons decay quickly.
Once part of the Living Weapon, it may take the shape of any of the weapon it has absorbed permanently. However, if the shape of a weapon isn't taken in a year and a day and used (either in actual combat or for practice), the spirit of that weapon departs, annoyed. Even lowly Essence 1 spirits have their pride. There's also no real advantage in having two spirits of the same kind of weapon in the artifact.
All new weapons have the same stats as they used to, but with a +2 to Accuracy thanks to its new Moonsilver properties. Small weapons would only require part of the Moonsilver, instead of all of it (a dagger might be formed of a single bracer, while a long sword might be formed of 2, etc). It may form paired weapons as well.
It's fully possible that the Living Weapon may absorb the spirits of shields as well, but only works used in combination with another weapon (sword and shield style, for example).
Comments
Hmm. Why's it only usable by Lunars? I could understand that better if it required a user that could change their form, but I don't see why using this sort of thing should require that. Hmm. I can think of an artifact that requires knowing a given DB Charm, but it's one that amplifies that Charm, and one that requires being a ghost, but that's one that actually integrates itself into the user's body. Is the Lunars-only thing a deliberate limitation built into it by a Lunar creation, or a side effect of how it works? -Random Nerd
- Backstory aside? I kinda thought about it the first time I thought about it. I'm thinking of "Lunar's Only" because the only thing in this artifact -is- moonsilver, unless the current owner has a hearthstone. - Tiffa Who wrote "Toffa" about three times trying to sign this.
- So, it's just a moonsilver thing? I mean, yeah, that'd be a surcharge for everyone else, but under normal conditions they could still attune... I'm not saying that your approach is bad, just that I don't understand the reasoning at the moment. -Random Nerd
Love the weapon can i use it in a write up i'm doing for a First Age Lunar? Also if you allow it can i include a small story about how Living Weapon came to hate the fair folk? - Issaru
- If you so wish, I don't have a problem with it. But I might bug you about it if I feel it got misused somehow, so be warned ;p -- Tiffa Who probably won't do a damned thing unless its very serious
- ok.Thanks!I'll keep you posted on the write up when i get to it. - [[Issaru]
