Difference between revisions of "Artifacts/Seraph"

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<b>Jade:</b> Jade blindcloths are woven to reflect scenes appropriate to their element and show only the strength of its material’s essence in an area. In some circumstances, this sight may be as effective as ordinary sight, in some it may be as bad as total blindness, and in some it may grant special bonuses.
 
<b>Jade:</b> Jade blindcloths are woven to reflect scenes appropriate to their element and show only the strength of its material’s essence in an area. In some circumstances, this sight may be as effective as ordinary sight, in some it may be as bad as total blindness, and in some it may grant special bonuses.
  
::<u>Black Jade</u>: Black Jade blindcloths show only water and the movement and levels of moisture. As most objects contain some moisture and most of Creation has enough water that even dry things are coated in a thin layer of water, black jade blindcloths provide the most perfect sight of all blindcloths in all but the driest climates. Furthermore, the wearer of a black jade blindcloth can see the blood moving in the flesh of his opponents, granting a +2 to damage against living foes.
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::<i>Black Jade</i>: Black Jade blindcloths show only water and the movement and levels of moisture. As most objects contain some moisture and most of Creation has enough water that even dry things are coated in a thin layer of water, black jade blindcloths provide the most perfect sight of all blindcloths in all but the driest climates. Furthermore, the wearer of a black jade blindcloth can see the blood moving in the flesh of his opponents, granting a +2 to damage against living foes.
::<u>Blue Jade</u>: Blue Jade blindcloths show the movement of air patterns. Although the wearer's sight will only register moving objects and then only at close range, it makes him more potent in combat. He gains a +2 to initiative and a +2 to all dodge and parry rolls. Furthermore, most forms of invisibility will not function on him, as he can see the air moving around a hidden person. Only those forms of invisibility that effect the mind will effect the wearer of a blue jade blindcloth.
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::<i>Blue Jade</i>: Blue Jade blindcloths show the movement of air patterns. Although the wearer's sight will only register moving objects and then only at close range, it makes him more potent in combat. He gains a +2 to initiative and a +2 to all dodge and parry rolls. Furthermore, most forms of invisibility will not function on him, as he can see the air moving around a hidden person. Only those forms of invisibility that effect the mind will effect the wearer of a blue jade blindcloth.
::<u>Green Jade</u>: Green Jade blindcloths show only the presence of living, dead, and undead, matter, and the relative strength of that matter. The wearer becomes able to spot the weaknesses in others' bodies, gaining a +2 bonus to all attack rolls and a +2 bonus to all medicine rolls.
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::<i>Green Jade</i>: Green Jade blindcloths show only the presence of living, dead, and undead, matter, and the relative strength of that matter. The wearer becomes able to spot the weaknesses in others' bodies, gaining a +2 bonus to all attack rolls and a +2 bonus to all medicine rolls.
::<u>Red Jade</u>: Red Jade blindcloths reveal only heat and its relative strength, showing a world of shifting oranges, yellows, and blues. Any form of invisibility that depends on shifting light away from the user will not work with regauds to the wearere of the blindcloth. Furthermore, he will sometimes be able to see "through" objects, if the thing behind them is hotter and track by following the warm footprints his quarry might leave behind.
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::<i>Red Jade</i>: Red Jade blindcloths reveal only heat and its relative strength, showing a world of shifting oranges, yellows, and blues. Any form of invisibility that depends on shifting light away from the user will not work with regauds to the wearere of the blindcloth. Furthermore, he will sometimes be able to see "through" objects, if the thing behind them is hotter and track by following the warm footprints his quarry might leave behind.
::<u>White Jade</u>: White Jade blindcloths reveal only stone and mineral, their composition and relative strengths. The wearer of a white jade blindcloth gains a +3 bonus to find secret doors and passages in a stone structure, and the same bonus to construct, destroy, or alter, a manse. Although the wearer of a white jade blindcloth will have trouble in combat against opponents who do not wear armor or carry weapons, as they will be invisible to him, against opponents who do wear armor and carry weapons he will have a potent tool. The blindcloth allows him to see the flaws in their weapons and armor, granting 2 bonus dice to all attempts to break them.
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::<i>White Jade</i>: White Jade blindcloths reveal only stone and mineral, their composition and relative strengths. The wearer of a white jade blindcloth gains a +3 bonus to find secret doors and passages in a stone structure, and the same bonus to construct, destroy, or alter, a manse. Although the wearer of a white jade blindcloth will have trouble in combat against opponents who do not wear armor or carry weapons, as they will be invisible to him, against opponents who do wear armor and carry weapons he will have a potent tool. The blindcloth allows him to see the flaws in their weapons and armor, granting 2 bonus dice to all attempts to break them.
  
 
<b>Oricalcum:</b> Orichalcum blindcloths are usually abstract or military, with images of starbursts or weapons. They are more powerful than jade, and so are considered level three artifacts. Wearers of orichalcum blindcloths can see only when the sun is in the sky. At night, they are blind again. When they do grant sight, however, orichalcum blindcloths grant essence sight, ignoring visual penalties and light cover.Magicaly created sunlight is as effective as natural sunlight and for the purposes of this artifact, solar anima banners are sunlight.
 
<b>Oricalcum:</b> Orichalcum blindcloths are usually abstract or military, with images of starbursts or weapons. They are more powerful than jade, and so are considered level three artifacts. Wearers of orichalcum blindcloths can see only when the sun is in the sky. At night, they are blind again. When they do grant sight, however, orichalcum blindcloths grant essence sight, ignoring visual penalties and light cover.Magicaly created sunlight is as effective as natural sunlight and for the purposes of this artifact, solar anima banners are sunlight.
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  • Speed +14, Accuracy +5, Damage +13L, Defense +3, Rate 5, Attunement: 5 (Power Combat)
 
  • Speed +14, Accuracy +5, Damage +13L, Defense +3, Rate 5, Attunement: 5 (Power Combat)
  
Raven Wing is a curiously crafted dire lance made of mingled starmetal and orichalcum. The shaft of the spear is made of starmetal inlaid with stylized raven's feathers of black jade. The head is carved in the shape of a raven with forward-swept wings that just barely touch at the tips; the outside of the wings are razor sharp and form the weapon's slashing and piercing edges. The raven's body itself is made of orichalcum plated with black jade, only the razor-sharp edges of the wings glitter with gold. The butt of the spear is a large black pearl. Raven Wing has a setting for a single hearthstone, a stylized orichalcum torque carved into the body of the raven, so that the raven seems to be wearing the hearthstone. Similarly, the raven's eyes are inset starmetal orbs.
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Raven Wing is a curiously crafted dire lance made of mingled starmetal, orichalcum and jade. The shaft of the spear is made of starmetal inlaid with stylized raven's feathers of black jade. The head is carved in the shape of a raven with forward-swept wings that just barely touch at the tips; the outside of the wings are razor sharp and form the weapon's slashing and piercing edges. The raven's body itself is made of orichalcum plated with black jade, only the razor-sharp edges of the wings glitter with gold. The butt of the spear is a large black pearl. Raven Wing has a setting for a single hearthstone, a stylized orichalcum torque carved into the body of the raven, so that the raven seems to be wearing the hearthstone. Similarly, the raven's eyes are inset starmetal orbs.
  
In addition to its curious form, Raven Wing apparantly has an anima banner of its own. Whenever essence is channeled through it - because of the use of the spear's innate abilities or charms that employ the spear, such as most melee charms and some martial arts charms - the black jade portions of the spear glow with deep violet light. As more and more essence is spent through the spear, the orichalcum, and finally the starmetal begin to glow as well, each with its own light. Finally, when the blade's banner becomes "iconic," it manifests as a flurry of phantasmagoric black feathers
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In addition to its curious form, Raven Wing apparantly has an anima banner of its own. As it is used in combat, the weapon begins to glow. The more it is used, the brighter the weapon glows, until finally becoming iconic. Raven Wing's anima banner is always subservient to its weilder's, complimenting, rather than clashing with, the themes present in its wilder's banner.
  
 
The orichalcum in Raven Wing makes it an excellent weapon, far more powerful than most dire lances. These enhanced abilities are reflected in the attributes given above. Thanks to the orichalcum in its construction, Raven Wing can be attuned to by solars and it grants the solar magical material bonus to anyone who attunes it, also reflected in the above statistics.
 
The orichalcum in Raven Wing makes it an excellent weapon, far more powerful than most dire lances. These enhanced abilities are reflected in the attributes given above. Thanks to the orichalcum in its construction, Raven Wing can be attuned to by solars and it grants the solar magical material bonus to anyone who attunes it, also reflected in the above statistics.
  
The starmetal in Raven Wing has several powers as well. It can be attuned to by sidereals and grants the starmetal magical material bonus to anyone who attunes it, reflected in the above statistics. At the heart of Raven Wing's shaft is a white jade staff inalid with swirling lines of moonsilver-alloyed starmetal reflecting the perfected movements of the Raven Style martial art, and then further inlaid with a Secret Sutra of the Raven Style, the text of which is known only to those adepts who have mastered both the mundane Raven Style charms and both secret branches. As a result, any martial artist attuned to Raven's Wing can spend up to his permanent Essence in motes of essence. For each mote spent in this way, the essence cost of all Raven Style charms to be used in that scene is reduced by one. There is not enough moonsilver in Raven Wing to grant any distinct bonus.
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The starmetal in Raven Wing has several powers as well. It can be attuned to by sidereals and grants the starmetal magical material bonus to anyone who attunes it, reflected in the above statistics. At the heart of Raven Wing's shaft is a white jade staff inalid with swirling lines of moonsilver-alloyed starmetal reflecting the perfected movements of the Raven Style martial art, and then further inlaid with a Secret Sutra of the Raven Style, the text of which is known only to those adepts who have mastered both the mundane Raven Style charms and both secret branches. As a result, Raven Wing channels the essence of creation into its weilder's martial arts. Any martial artist attuned to Raven's Wing recieves a one mote discount to use all Martial Arts charms in the Raven Style and to every attack purchased with the charm Carrion Call.
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As Raven Wing grants discounts to its weilder over the course of a scene, it's anima banner increases in intensity. At one mote, the black jade inlays flicker with the deep violet of the maiden of endings. At four motes, the black jade inlays glow brightly. At eight motes, the orichalcum begins to glow as well, with a piercing golden light. At eleven motes the starmetal of the shaft joins in, surrounding the spear with an aura of all the colors of the five maidens. At sixteen motes, the banner becomes iconic, resolving into a cloud of constantly-shedding black feathers backlit by the brilliance of the jade, orichalcum, and starmetal.
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As the Raven Wing's anima increases in intensity, so does its ability to contribute to its weilder's prowess. For each stage it increases it adds a dot to its weilder's permanent Essence for the purpose of determining the effects of Raven Style martial arts charms. So, at the first stage, the weilder's effective permanent Essence is increased by one, at the second stage it is increased by two, and the third by three, and so on, until finally increasing its wielder's effective essence by five at the fifth stage. As with any anima banner, the glow - and the benefits - vanish at the end othe scene.
  
 
Finally, the black jade in Raven Wing recalls the power of a lashing tempest to the lance's strikes. Pre-soak damage is doubled, but only with regaurds to causing knockdown or, if the Storyteller deems it appropriate, knockback. The amount damage dealt is not effected by this ability. Unfortunately, there is not enough jade in Raven Wing to grant a magical material bonus, though terrestrial exalted can attune to the weapon for ordinary cost, should they choose to.
 
Finally, the black jade in Raven Wing recalls the power of a lashing tempest to the lance's strikes. Pre-soak damage is doubled, but only with regaurds to causing knockdown or, if the Storyteller deems it appropriate, knockback. The amount damage dealt is not effected by this ability. Unfortunately, there is not enough jade in Raven Wing to grant a magical material bonus, though terrestrial exalted can attune to the weapon for ordinary cost, should they choose to.
  
Because it is intended to be used as a martial arts weapon, Raven Wing is not ballanced for use from horseback and does not grant the "as lance" statistics listed in <b>Exalted</b>.
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Because it is intended to be used as a martial arts weapon, Raven Wing is not ballanced for use from horseback and does not grant the "as lance" statistics listed in Exalted.
  
 
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On Raven Wing - I'm a bit unclear on the attunement cost - wouldn't everyone need to double it in order to get the MM bonuses of the inappropriate MMs? Also, the mote reduction in Raven Style is, I think, too much even if you note that Charm costs can't be reduced below 1 (which you should). With someone who has maxed out the style (Min Essence 4), you'll have pretty much every Charm costing 1 mote to use. Also, would this apply to Carrion Call attacks? My suggestion (with the observation that almost all of Raven Style is keyed off of Permanent Essence in some way): The spear reduces the cost of Raven Style Charms by one mote each, as it channels the ambient Essence of Creation into the forms of the style. Each mote that is discounted in this way counts as a mote spent by the artifact for the purposes of determining its anima. After each point at which the weapon's anima increases (1, 4, 8, 11, and 16 motes spent by the weapon) the user's Permanent Essence is treated as increasing by one for determining the effects of Raven Style Charms. -[[szilard]]
 
On Raven Wing - I'm a bit unclear on the attunement cost - wouldn't everyone need to double it in order to get the MM bonuses of the inappropriate MMs? Also, the mote reduction in Raven Style is, I think, too much even if you note that Charm costs can't be reduced below 1 (which you should). With someone who has maxed out the style (Min Essence 4), you'll have pretty much every Charm costing 1 mote to use. Also, would this apply to Carrion Call attacks? My suggestion (with the observation that almost all of Raven Style is keyed off of Permanent Essence in some way): The spear reduces the cost of Raven Style Charms by one mote each, as it channels the ambient Essence of Creation into the forms of the style. Each mote that is discounted in this way counts as a mote spent by the artifact for the purposes of determining its anima. After each point at which the weapon's anima increases (1, 4, 8, 11, and 16 motes spent by the weapon) the user's Permanent Essence is treated as increasing by one for determining the effects of Raven Style Charms. -[[szilard]]
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:That's hot stuff. I'm going to take your advice on this, because you're version is cooler and yes, I hadn't considered the fact that someone who'se maxed out raven style is going to have three or four essence and will be throwin off all charms for one mote, which is kind of nuts. I like the way the Essence addition would compliment Flying Before the Storm but not Fading with the Dusk - it follows my idea that the two charms are ballanced against each other with Flying Before the Storm being more powerful and Fading with the Dusk being more flexible. The magical material deal is part of a personal theory, that if you can attune to part of an object you can, for simplicity's sake, attune to the whole thing. In other artifacts (none on the wiki yet), I've taken advantage of this to create "filigreed" objects, made of one material, but attunable by the type that matches the material of the filigree. -[[Seraph]]

Latest revision as of 03:18, 1 June 2005

Level One Artifacts

Resplendant Wrappings of the Master (Artifact •)

Resplendant Wrappings of the Master are the ultimate martial arts weapon. Nothing more than strips of finely woven magical material, they can be wrapped around the forearms and lower legs of martial artists, allowing him to deal bashing or lethal damage at will and parry lethal attacks unarmed without a stunt.

More importantly, Resplendant Wrappings of the Master are a universal weapon. They are considered style weapons for all martial arts styles, even those that can normally only be used unarmed. As a result, they are excellent for martial artists who have mastered several styles and wish to combo their charms, hense the name. Resplendant Wrappings of the Master cost two motes to attune.

Finally, Resplendant Wrappings of the Master are very easy to hide. In appearance, they are nothing more than brightly colored cloth wrappings, and in the presence of those with the wisdom to see them for what they are, it is an easy matter to cover them with long sleaves and gloves or mundane wrappings.

Resplendant Wrappingsof the Master also give minor bonuses based on their material:

Orichalcum: +1 Speed, Accuracy, and Defense

Moonsilver: +2 Accuracy

Jade: +3 Speed

Starmetal: +2 Damage

Soulsteel: +1 Accuracy, drains motes equal to the martial artist’s permanent Essence


War Horns (Artifact •)

War horns were used in the first age and are still used today to rally troops and announce the beginning of battle. Many war horns were crafted to the specification of exalts of many different types in the war, and others were created in the First Age. Most war horns were buried with their owners, but a few are still in circulation. Some ancient war horns have specific powers that exceed the ones listed here, but they are almost always family heirlooms or grave goods.

All war horns have one ability in common. When their attuned bearer lifts them to his lips and blows, the tone they produce can be heard for miles around; at least one mile per point of the bearer’s essence, perhaps more if he gains many succeesses on a Stamina + Performance roll. In addition, minor magic ensures that all who hear the tone and have a basic context – knowledge of the bearer’s name or commonly used titles and the fact that he carries a horn – will know that it is the bearer’s horn that sounds. In addition, most of those who hear the horn’s tone will be able to easily follow it to the bearer’s location. This ability effects friends and foes alike. War horns have other abilities based on the magical material used in their construction. All war horns must be attuned to function, at a cost of 3 motes.

Orichalcum: Orichalcum war horns are usually made from the horns of bulls, rams, and other animals associated with strength and power and are decorated with solar imagery and scenes of battle and victory. All the bearer’s servants and soldiers – those who can be honsetly said to fight for and beneath the bearer and in his name, not the bearer’s allies, friends, or equals – are filled with hope at the horn’s clear tone and gain an extra dot of valor until the end of the battle.

Moonsilver: Moonsilver horns are made from curving ram’s horns or the straight, ribbed horns of the gazelle. Unlike other war horns, which are often heavily worked, moonsilver horns are usually left in as unchanged a state as possible, with moonsilver filagree flowing over its surface in ways that accent, rather than submerge, the horn’s natural patterns. All the bearer’s servants and soldiers are filled with the strength and cunning of wild beasts at the horn’s warbling tone, and gain an extra dot to their highest combat skill for the duration of the battle.

Jade: Jade horns are the most heavily worked; some are made entierly of jade and contain no actual horn at all! All the bearer’s servants and soldiers who hear the horn’s simple, braying note are pushed to run faster to do their master’s bidding, adding one to their initiatives until the end of the battle.

Starmetal: Starmetal horns are made from the horns of mystical and elusive animals, like unicorns, re’em, and white bulls, and they contain as little starmetal as possible, owing to the material’s rarity. All the bearer’s servants and soldiers who hear the horn’s high, piercing tone become fearless in the face of death, knowing that their ends will come at its appointed time and not a moment sooner, and gain a point of conviction until the end of the battle.

Soulsteel: Soulsteel horns are most often made out of stark white bone and decorated with scenes of death and suffering. Their deep, reverberating tone fills all mortals and god-bloods with less essence than the bearer with terror, subracting one from their valor for the duration of the battle. The bearer's servants and soldiers are unaffected by this power.

Level Two Artifacts

Blindcloths (Artifact •• to ••••)

Blindcloths were created for exalts who lost their sight in ways that charms could not repair. Each blindcloth is a strip of fine cloth woven with threads of one of the five magical materials and embroidered with a variety of motifs. When worn accross the eyes, blindcloths grant the wearer the ability to see, in a limited fashion, depending on the material used to make the blindcloth. In some situations, blindcloths will make a blind exalt as capable as one who is sighted, but in other situations, blindcloth-wearing exalts are severely hampered. Blindcloths require a 3 mote commitment of essence.

Sighted characters can wear blindcloths, but for them the commitment is 6 motes, as the artifact must subvert their normal capacity for sight to function.

A secondary benefit of blindcloths, available to both blind and sighted characters, is that they grant immunity to any magic intended to rob the wearer of his sight. Extremely powerful effects might still have a chance to succeed; in this case, the wearer gains bonus dice equal to his permanent Essence to resist.

Jade: Jade blindcloths are woven to reflect scenes appropriate to their element and show only the strength of its material’s essence in an area. In some circumstances, this sight may be as effective as ordinary sight, in some it may be as bad as total blindness, and in some it may grant special bonuses.

Black Jade: Black Jade blindcloths show only water and the movement and levels of moisture. As most objects contain some moisture and most of Creation has enough water that even dry things are coated in a thin layer of water, black jade blindcloths provide the most perfect sight of all blindcloths in all but the driest climates. Furthermore, the wearer of a black jade blindcloth can see the blood moving in the flesh of his opponents, granting a +2 to damage against living foes.
Blue Jade: Blue Jade blindcloths show the movement of air patterns. Although the wearer's sight will only register moving objects and then only at close range, it makes him more potent in combat. He gains a +2 to initiative and a +2 to all dodge and parry rolls. Furthermore, most forms of invisibility will not function on him, as he can see the air moving around a hidden person. Only those forms of invisibility that effect the mind will effect the wearer of a blue jade blindcloth.
Green Jade: Green Jade blindcloths show only the presence of living, dead, and undead, matter, and the relative strength of that matter. The wearer becomes able to spot the weaknesses in others' bodies, gaining a +2 bonus to all attack rolls and a +2 bonus to all medicine rolls.
Red Jade: Red Jade blindcloths reveal only heat and its relative strength, showing a world of shifting oranges, yellows, and blues. Any form of invisibility that depends on shifting light away from the user will not work with regauds to the wearere of the blindcloth. Furthermore, he will sometimes be able to see "through" objects, if the thing behind them is hotter and track by following the warm footprints his quarry might leave behind.
White Jade: White Jade blindcloths reveal only stone and mineral, their composition and relative strengths. The wearer of a white jade blindcloth gains a +3 bonus to find secret doors and passages in a stone structure, and the same bonus to construct, destroy, or alter, a manse. Although the wearer of a white jade blindcloth will have trouble in combat against opponents who do not wear armor or carry weapons, as they will be invisible to him, against opponents who do wear armor and carry weapons he will have a potent tool. The blindcloth allows him to see the flaws in their weapons and armor, granting 2 bonus dice to all attempts to break them.

Oricalcum: Orichalcum blindcloths are usually abstract or military, with images of starbursts or weapons. They are more powerful than jade, and so are considered level three artifacts. Wearers of orichalcum blindcloths can see only when the sun is in the sky. At night, they are blind again. When they do grant sight, however, orichalcum blindcloths grant essence sight, ignoring visual penalties and light cover.Magicaly created sunlight is as effective as natural sunlight and for the purposes of this artifact, solar anima banners are sunlight.

Moonsilver: Moonsilver blindcloths are often simple, sometimes little more than a silvery strip of cloth. They grant perfect sight in all conditions and are capable of following their owner’s shapeshifting perfectly. They are considered level three artifacts.

Starmetal: Starmetal blindcloths are very powerful, and so are considered level four artifacts. Like moonsilver blindcloths, they are usually simple, almost stark, in design. Starmetal blindcloths show the twisting threads of fate. They are nearly as good as ordinary sight; better in some ways. They grant three bonus dice to any attempt to read fate and can easily detect hidden people and things without a roll, because nothing but essence can obscure the fate of a hidden person or object. An exalt wearing a starmetal blindcloth can track perfectly by following a target’s fate, even if his target leaves no physical trail, though he may be confused if the target interacts with many people. In addition, exalts wearing starmetal blindcloths can not be surprised. However, in some situations, wearers of these artifacts may be blinded by the powerful presence – or noticeable absence – of fate, and, of course, they are unable to see or sense beings outside of fate.

Soulsteel: Soulsteel blindcloths are as powerful as orichalcum, except that they reverse light and darkness. In absolute darkness, the exalt wearing the blindcloth can see. As the light level increases, the exalt's sight becomes dimmer and dimmer, until, in full daylight, he is as blind as an ordinary man lost in the darkest night. When they do grant sight, soulsteel blindcloths grant essence sight, ignoring visual penalties and light cover. For the purpose of this artifact, the abyssal anima banner projects darkness. Soulsteel blindcloths are usually dead, dull black, sometimes inscribed with blasphemies and scenes and images of death and suffering. They are level three artifacts.

Level Three Artifacts

Bracer of the Loyal Blood (Artifact •••)

Bracers of the Loyal Blood are armbands made of all five forms of jade, designed to be worn on the upper arm. Made during the Primordial War, when enduring loyalties needed to be forged quickly between different kinds of Exalted, these bracers are imbue their wearer with the essence of the Terrestrial Exalted, making him seem worthy of respect, obedience, and loyalty. In time, this magic fades, leaving a lasting bond of trust that will perservere in the face of great hardship.

The wearer of this armband recieves bonus dice equal to twice his permanent Essence to all social rolls made with Dragon-Blooded. This effect requires no commitment, and can be used by any wearer. In this age, some Dragon-Blooded doubtless use this item to dominate their fellows, and even mortals who stumble upon a bracer can benefit from this bonus.

The greater power of the Bracer of the Loyal Blood is to earn a Dragon-Blood’s respect and loyalty, over time. A Celestial Exalt can touch a Terrestrial Exalt and imbue the bracer with motes of essence equal to the Dragon-Blooded’s permanent Essence. So long as the motes remain comitted, the die bonus for interacting with that particular Dragon-Blood is doubled and the Dragon-Blooded must violate his own highest virtue to harm or act against the wearer. This effect is explicitly subtle; the Dragon-Blood should not notice it except in extraordinary circumstances. If the two characters interact regularly for ten days and the motes remain committed, the Dragon-Blood will begin to see the wearer as a commander worthy of his respect and obedience. So long as the Celestial Exalt does nothing to disillusion the Dragon-Blood, this bond will, whithin the season, become a genuine, non-magical friendship, at which point the motes can be withdrawn. There is no limit, save time and essence, to the number of Dragon-Blooded who can be subjected to this treatment at the same time.

This artifact has a darker side as well. It is designed to win the loyalty and respect of Dragon-Blooded, not maintain it indefinately. If the wearer of the bracer keeps the motes comitted, as many paranoid Solars might have done in the latter days of the First Age, the relationship will slowly sour. The Terrestrial will not begin to hate his master, instead, he will become obsessed with her. His loyalty might become all-consuming and self-destructive, his jealousy might become murderous, or his admiration might become dangerously unprofessional.

At the end of the First Age, many of these bracers were destroyed with their Solar owners. Because of their primarily military use, very few Bracers were in Sidereal hands, though Bronze-faction Sidereals made a concerted effort to recover them, thinking that they would be useful in the coming age. Unfortunately, this effort was largely a failure. Today, most of these items that still exist are in the hands of ancient Lunars or languish forgotten in dusty tombs and the far corners of treasuries, owned by mortals and scavenger lords who have no idea of their real value.

Although these bracers were meant to be used by Celestial Exalted, there are those who suspect that a Dragon-Blood capable of using Celestial Circle Sorcery might be able to “fool” the bracer into working for her. If the Scarlet Empress possessed one of thse items, it would certainly explain a lot...


Righteous Scepter (Artifact •••)

Righteous Scepters appear as large, ornate orichalcum goremauls with white jade shafts inlaid in orichalcum with blessings and prayers to the Unconquered Sun. In the hands of most solars, they are nothing more than extraordinarily beautiful weapons. It is in the hands of Dawn and Zenith Solars that the Righteous Scepters come into their own.

Firstly, Righteous Scepters act as essence lenses for Dawn and Zenith anima banners, adding two to the Solar’s effective permanent Essence and halving the essence cost, rounding up. Righteous Scepters do the same for all solar charms that form constructs of solar essence: Blazing Solar Bolt, Fiery Solar Chakram, Corona of Radiance, Glorious Solar Plate, Glorious Solar Sabre, Immaculate Golden Bow, Phantom Steed, and Spirit Repelling Diagram, to name a few.

Secondly, Righteous Scepters hate all creatures of death and darkness, such as the undead and the inhabitants of Malfeas. In the presence of such beings, the Righteous Scepter will begin to glow faintly. The more powerful (higher Essence) and closer the entity, the brighter the glow. The bodies of those slain by Righteous Scepters are blessed and cannot be used for demonic or necromantic purposes and their souls, if willing, are sent immediately into lethe. No Abyssal or Infernal Exalted can ever attune to a Righteous Scepter.

Righteous Scepters existed in the Old Realm as weapons of Dawn and Zenith demon hunters. So far, the only Righteous Scepters Creation has seen were made of orichalcum, weilded to hunt the dead and the evil. The idea of Unrighteous Scepters made of Soulsteel that damn the souls of those they kill to oblivion and make Dusk and Midnight Abyssals more potent and aid in such dark charms as Crypt Bolt and Resplendant Shadow Blade has surely occured to the Deathlords and their artifcers, and it is only a matter of time before they appear in the world.

Level Four Artifacts

Claw (Artifact ••••)

Formed of pure moonsilver, a Claw is weapon, armor, and tool all rolled into one. In its natural state, a Claw is a sphere of moonsilver a little larger than two fists held together. The surface is hard and smooth, but warm to the touch. When an Exalt attunes to a Claw, requiring the expenditure of 6 motes of essence, the Claw writhes with life and flows over the Exalt’s body. Thereafter, for so long as the Exalt remains attuned to the Claw, it is a part of him, appearing as a thin web of moonsilver flowing and pooling across the character’s flesh. The web normally avoids the face, except for four slender tendrils that extend up the neck, across the cheeks and forehead, and into the his eyes.

While wearing a Claw, character can deal lethal damage with his unarmed strikes, parry lethal attacks unarmed without a stunt, and gains a soak of 10 against bashing, lethal, and aggravated damage. This soak bonus does not stack with armor, although it does stack with charms. A Claw uses its limited senses to “look out” for the character, granting an extra three dice on any perception check to avoid surprise. The character may cause the moonsilver sheath to sink into his flesh and bind itself to his bones, avoiding the item’s distinctive look but also giving up its advantages until he takes a moment (one action) to call it forth again.

At will, the character may cause a portion of a Claw to flow into his hands and become any tool or weapon the character can imagine, whithin reason. A Claw can not duplicate any weapon larger than an ordinary daiklaive (ie. not a grand daiklaive, but possibly a reaper daiklaive or reaver daiklaive). The substance of a Claw remains moonsilver, however, and the tool or weapon can not include any moving parts. The character may still use any moonsilver combat charms he knows. If the character uses the Claw to work with moonsilver, the essence cost and work time of the Moonsilver Shaping Rite is halved.

The Claw can also be used to attack and manipulate objects at range by extending slender yet strong and potentially razor sharp pseudopods. These tentacles may be a number of feet long equal to the twice the wearer’s essence, and have strength and dexterity equal to the Exalt’s. The tentacles are immune to damage from any source that could not damage moonsilver. There is no limit to the number of tentacles the Claw can form, but the wearer must split his actions to allow them to act independantly.


Raven Wing (Artifact ••••) orichalcum, starmetal, and jade dire lance

• Speed +11, Accuracy +5, Damage +7L, Defense +3, Attunement: 5
• Speed +14, Accuracy +5, Damage +13L, Defense +3, Rate 5, Attunement: 5 (Power Combat)

Raven Wing is a curiously crafted dire lance made of mingled starmetal, orichalcum and jade. The shaft of the spear is made of starmetal inlaid with stylized raven's feathers of black jade. The head is carved in the shape of a raven with forward-swept wings that just barely touch at the tips; the outside of the wings are razor sharp and form the weapon's slashing and piercing edges. The raven's body itself is made of orichalcum plated with black jade, only the razor-sharp edges of the wings glitter with gold. The butt of the spear is a large black pearl. Raven Wing has a setting for a single hearthstone, a stylized orichalcum torque carved into the body of the raven, so that the raven seems to be wearing the hearthstone. Similarly, the raven's eyes are inset starmetal orbs.

In addition to its curious form, Raven Wing apparantly has an anima banner of its own. As it is used in combat, the weapon begins to glow. The more it is used, the brighter the weapon glows, until finally becoming iconic. Raven Wing's anima banner is always subservient to its weilder's, complimenting, rather than clashing with, the themes present in its wilder's banner.

The orichalcum in Raven Wing makes it an excellent weapon, far more powerful than most dire lances. These enhanced abilities are reflected in the attributes given above. Thanks to the orichalcum in its construction, Raven Wing can be attuned to by solars and it grants the solar magical material bonus to anyone who attunes it, also reflected in the above statistics.

The starmetal in Raven Wing has several powers as well. It can be attuned to by sidereals and grants the starmetal magical material bonus to anyone who attunes it, reflected in the above statistics. At the heart of Raven Wing's shaft is a white jade staff inalid with swirling lines of moonsilver-alloyed starmetal reflecting the perfected movements of the Raven Style martial art, and then further inlaid with a Secret Sutra of the Raven Style, the text of which is known only to those adepts who have mastered both the mundane Raven Style charms and both secret branches. As a result, Raven Wing channels the essence of creation into its weilder's martial arts. Any martial artist attuned to Raven's Wing recieves a one mote discount to use all Martial Arts charms in the Raven Style and to every attack purchased with the charm Carrion Call.

As Raven Wing grants discounts to its weilder over the course of a scene, it's anima banner increases in intensity. At one mote, the black jade inlays flicker with the deep violet of the maiden of endings. At four motes, the black jade inlays glow brightly. At eight motes, the orichalcum begins to glow as well, with a piercing golden light. At eleven motes the starmetal of the shaft joins in, surrounding the spear with an aura of all the colors of the five maidens. At sixteen motes, the banner becomes iconic, resolving into a cloud of constantly-shedding black feathers backlit by the brilliance of the jade, orichalcum, and starmetal.

As the Raven Wing's anima increases in intensity, so does its ability to contribute to its weilder's prowess. For each stage it increases it adds a dot to its weilder's permanent Essence for the purpose of determining the effects of Raven Style martial arts charms. So, at the first stage, the weilder's effective permanent Essence is increased by one, at the second stage it is increased by two, and the third by three, and so on, until finally increasing its wielder's effective essence by five at the fifth stage. As with any anima banner, the glow - and the benefits - vanish at the end othe scene.

Finally, the black jade in Raven Wing recalls the power of a lashing tempest to the lance's strikes. Pre-soak damage is doubled, but only with regaurds to causing knockdown or, if the Storyteller deems it appropriate, knockback. The amount damage dealt is not effected by this ability. Unfortunately, there is not enough jade in Raven Wing to grant a magical material bonus, though terrestrial exalted can attune to the weapon for ordinary cost, should they choose to.

Because it is intended to be used as a martial arts weapon, Raven Wing is not ballanced for use from horseback and does not grant the "as lance" statistics listed in Exalted.


Spellbreakers (Artifact ••••)

Spd +1 Acc +2, Dam +4L, Def +3, Min St ••, Attunement 6

Spellbreakers appear as a matched set of ornate orichalcum shortswords. Each pommel is an orb of white jade carved with a protective diagram. Many are also decorated with small rubies or chunks of red jade. Each sword costs 3 essence to attune, and they must be attuned as a pair to be more use than a simple orichalcum weapon.

Once attuned, a set of spellbreakers grant a number of benefits. Firstly, each sword allows the wielder a separate action without die pool splitting or off-hand penalty. The wielder can split these actions normally, if he chooses, but in any round that he benefits from an extra-action type charm he can not benefit from this ability. Secondly, the wielder notices essence flows, not with the precision granted by All-Encompassing Sorcerer’s Sight or similar charms, but sharply enough to determine the location and approximate power of any magic with a reflexive Perception + Awareness roll. The exact manifestation of this ability varies from wielder to wielder, and also from set to set, but most see magic as a faint glow in the air. Smell, accompanied by a sense of direction is not uncommon, however, nor is a nameless intuition.

Thirdly, and most importantly, spellbreakers can be used to defend against or attack magic. Defending against magic acts as a standard parry; if the wielder rolls more successes to cut the magic in mid air than the caster did to create it, the magic is rent asunder, and even the wielder fails to destroy the magic utterly, he most often manages to weaken it slightly. If the magic was sorcery or necromancy of any sort, the spell probably shatters dramatically, possibly causing flash burns and collateral damage to those nearby.

Attacking magic is a little more complicated: the wielder must first detect the magic with his Perception + Awareness roll, then make an attack roll against the magic, adding his Essence as automatic successes. Magic can not dodge, but it has a lethal soak equal to its caster’s Essence and a number of health levels equal to the number of successes rolled when the it was cast. Any and all charms, spells and other essence-fueled magic powers may be attacked in this way, unless they have a material component that is more easily combated, such as the zombies created by an Abyssal necromaner.

Spellbreakers contain a setting for a single hearthstone in the hilt of one of the two swords, most often whichever sword will be wielded in the primary hand.

In the First Age, these swords were wielded by Night Caste assassins whose primary purpose was to neutralize renegade spellcasters and demonoligists before their corruption could spread. In the modern age, many of these wonders are in the hands of Terrestrial and Sidereal Exalts, and many more are lost, waiting to be found. Some Solar sorcerers have already been dispatched by Day caste Abyssals wielding soulsteel versions of these deadly weapons. With their ability to drain essence, soulsteel spellbreakers are probably more dangerous to sorcerers than the originals.


Stormseeker (Artifact ••••)

Spd +12 Acc +3 Dam +10L Def +3 Rate 4 Min St •• Attunement 6

Stormseeker is a trident made of orichalcum and black jade, with a butt of a tremendous pearl and its three tines tipped with blue jade. Stormseeker has settings for two hearthstones. In the first age, Stormseeker was wielded by the ruthless Solar captain Kathane Stormsteeth. It was said that Stormseeker is the equal of Islebreaker, Leviathan’s moonsilver trident, but the two captains’ rivalry is legendary, and it may be nothing more than Kathane’s bravado.

In battle, Stormseeker wreathes itself in lightning, causing an additional 5L to targets who are not immune to lightning. As a Melee attack, the wielder of Stormseeker can send a lash of lightning at any foe up to fifty yards away. This lash is intended to attack the mast and riggings of enemy ships; unlike most attacks, this lightning does normal damage to structures.

Stormseeker can also alter the weather at its wielder’s command. Stormseeker is insufficient to change the weather immediately or break the power of intense weather, but a storm can be changed to a gentle rain or a fog called down out of an already cloudy sky in a matter of minutes. More intense changes may take longer, at the ST’s discretion. Stormseeker always excells at summoning powerful thunderstorms, and can call them out of even clear skies in only moments. Because of ancient names and pacts wound into Stormseeker’s construction, only the most egregious use of the artifact will earn the ire of the Elemental Courts.

Comments

On Raven Wing - I'm a bit unclear on the attunement cost - wouldn't everyone need to double it in order to get the MM bonuses of the inappropriate MMs? Also, the mote reduction in Raven Style is, I think, too much even if you note that Charm costs can't be reduced below 1 (which you should). With someone who has maxed out the style (Min Essence 4), you'll have pretty much every Charm costing 1 mote to use. Also, would this apply to Carrion Call attacks? My suggestion (with the observation that almost all of Raven Style is keyed off of Permanent Essence in some way): The spear reduces the cost of Raven Style Charms by one mote each, as it channels the ambient Essence of Creation into the forms of the style. Each mote that is discounted in this way counts as a mote spent by the artifact for the purposes of determining its anima. After each point at which the weapon's anima increases (1, 4, 8, 11, and 16 motes spent by the weapon) the user's Permanent Essence is treated as increasing by one for determining the effects of Raven Style Charms. -szilard

That's hot stuff. I'm going to take your advice on this, because you're version is cooler and yes, I hadn't considered the fact that someone who'se maxed out raven style is going to have three or four essence and will be throwin off all charms for one mote, which is kind of nuts. I like the way the Essence addition would compliment Flying Before the Storm but not Fading with the Dusk - it follows my idea that the two charms are ballanced against each other with Flying Before the Storm being more powerful and Fading with the Dusk being more flexible. The magical material deal is part of a personal theory, that if you can attune to part of an object you can, for simplicity's sake, attune to the whole thing. In other artifacts (none on the wiki yet), I've taken advantage of this to create "filigreed" objects, made of one material, but attunable by the type that matches the material of the filigree. -Seraph