Artifacts/DarlothLiquidBlade

Liquid Blade</b>
Artifact <b>•</b>
<b>Commitment:</b> 0 motes

The first impression of this artifact is simply that of an ornate sword-hilt, made from sculpted coral and sea-shells, with a tiny pearl of black-jade set where the blade should be. The only other notable feature is a fairly large button, about the size of a thumbnail, set to be easily reachable when the hilt is held in a combative posture, and engraved with the crest of water. The hilt refuses any committed essence, and seems nothing more than a faintly magical oddity until it is placed in or near water or a similar liquid.

Immediately, the water is drawn to the hilt like metal to a magnet, and forms into a blade of solidified water. The field that constrains the water is strongest at whichever edge is being used to strike with, and as a result the water is rigid enough to slash or parry just as a normal blade might. Sustained pressure will eventually deform the blade, although it will spring back into place as soon as that pressure is removed.

If the button upon the hilt is pressed down, the essence-field will shut off, and the water will fall to the floor. The button may also be rotated to lock it into the down position, keeping the blade deactivated, if one does not wish for any passing liquid to be sucked into a sword-blade; for example, inside a backpack or bag. This is not the true function of the button, however, and those who practice with the weapon will notice that the attractive force is momentarily stronger for an instant after the button is released. This makes it very easy to press the button for just a split-second in combat, letting the blade liquify and slide past an opponent's weapon before resolidifying into lethality moments later.

<b>Mechanics: The liquid blade has the same stats as whatever weapon it is based on, with a fine-quality bonus that always adds +1 to accuracy, representing the fine balance. There are versions of most of the sword-type weapons, but the field and attractive effect are not wide enough for axes or maces, so those do not exist. Short spears are possible, but very rare, and count as artifact 2, as do great-swords, because they are much larger.

To use the parry-evading effects of the sword properly, the user must be skilled with this rather strange method of attack, and this requires a melee skill of 4 or a specialty taken in the weapon. Once this is obtained, the user may elect to press the button on any parried attack, which subtracts 2 successes from an opposing parry by a sword or other thin-edged weapon such as a spear, or 1 success from an opposing parry from anything else. In the unlikely event that the opponent also has a liquid blade (they are fairly rare, not being as effective as daiklaves), then using the special ability will result in an automatically failed attack, as the other blade's field steals all of the liquid as it disperses. If the fight is conducted without ever pressing the button, they interact as normal swords.

In case it is ever important, a dagger- or knife-sized weapon requires one glass of liquid; a short sword takes about a pint; and most weapons need between two and three pints. Greatswords may use up to four or more pints, but that is the upper limit.

Since this weapon can use any liquid which is mostly composed of water, several alternate effects are suggested if ingenious players or evilly cunning storytellers decide to change their liquid of choice. Most will have the normal effects, but highly flammable spirits or liquors could be lit for a turn or two of flame (I'd treat this as a Fire-aspected use of the Dragon-Blooded Charm Dragon-Graced Weapon, personally), and a sword of stagnent brown sewage-water would almost certainly inflict penalties on the roll to resist infection. All of these effects are left up to the storyteller, however; there are no fixed mechanics. As a rule, anything comprising at least of 30-40% water or more will be drawn into the blade, which incidentally means that the blade will get progressively murkier and redder as more wounds are inflicted, the blood mixing with the water.

When in normal use, only the blade-shaped field will absorb liquid, but the momentary attraction after the button is released can absorb liquid from up to a yard away, although it will only take free-standing liquid or those in extremely open containers.

It should be noted that as there is no attunement cost; anyone can use a liquid blade, and they are often found in the hands of scavenger lords or mortal assassins, who find their multiple uses and secondary effect very useful indeed. However, this is because it runs off the natural essence flows that are usually ever-present. If it is taken into the Wyld, the shape of the blade will often change, although the utility will not. If it is taken into the Underworld, the blade will often seem to be weeping. If you manage to find somewhere with no natural essence, it will not work at all. Finally, to make the blade requires one extra exotic component associated with stability and earth, and there must be at least a marble sized lump of black jade used in its construction, along with any other exotic materials.

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Comments

I love picturing this! Very cool. One tiny nitpick: I don't think that it should require a Melee skill of 5 to utilize the extra capacity of the blade without a Specialty. 5 is, after all, the very limit of human potential, and that capacity really isn't that complicated. I'd put it at more like 3 myself -- that is, after all, the level of an élite swordsman who's better than the vast majority of professionals.
~ Shataina

Compromise - I don't think a (normal) mortal could ever just -know- how to do this, they'd have to learn (represented by a speciality). However, on review, 5 does look too high. Thus, I've changed it to 4, which is the sort of level I'd expect a combat oriented heroic mortal swordsman to be at.
-- Darloth

I just want to mention that this is preeeetty much my favorite Artifact on the entire Wiki. It's also the core inspiration for a really big Daiklaive-sized version that my rogue Abyssal lugs around.
~ WeepingStar

I hope his uses blood :-) - Malikai

Oh, thankyou! ^_^
-- Darloth is glad to provide inspiration