Artifacts/EndlessChaseLevel4
Level Four Artifacts
Highsight
Artifact: **** Commitment: 5 motes (Moonsilver)
The Waning Moon Lunar once called Sun's Setting was one of the first to lose both his mind and his shape after the usurpation. His degeneration was accelerated far more than that which most other Lunars suffered, and the young No Moon, Alaethis, who once called Sun's Setting Mentor, went to work trying to find a solution to this terrible problem.
Through a combination of ritual sorcery, Moonsilver Shaping, and a technique that would later become the foundation to the Tattoo-Cutting Wisdom Charm, Alaethis managed to find a partial solution. A set of True Path Kunai, owned by Sun's Setting, was magically manipulated to be re-forged. Sun's Setting, as corrupted as his mind was, regretted the sacrifice, but it was necessary to use something personal to him for the base material. Other occult materials of incredible value were also used, mixed into the solution of Moonsilver. After a full month and three days, from the beginning of the first full moon to the last day of the second, of constant heating, the solution was ready, and Sun's Setting was held in place by several of his brethren. The mixture, while still molten, was poured over Sun's Setting's head and face. The mixture settled over the back of his head, onto his face, and into his nose, ears and eyes.
The entire experience was terribly painful, as the molten Moonsilver adhered itself to his head. The metal eventually hardened, though not as a simple coating. The end result was a helm, simple and eloquent, all of a solid piece that covered his face from his nose to the edge of his neck. The entire thing was a single contour, perfectly symmetrical for the left and right sides. The helm was marked only by small holes for the nostrils and contours flowing over and around the ears, and eye shaped slots for free sight. A single setting for a Hearthstone resided just above where the Castes Mark on his brow shone. Aside from the pain of the process, no real harm came to Sun's Setting, and all of his senses were left undamaged, though the helm could not be removed in any way.
Alaethis' success was considerable; the helm provided Sun's Setting's mind with protection to all forms of Wyld Mutation. He could spend an indefinite amount of time in the deepest parts of the wild and his mind would become no more corrupt. His senses were also enhanced by the magics of the helm, granting him better sight, hearing, and a stronger sense of smell.
The protection Highsight granted Sun's Setting was also a contributor to his demise. The helm acted like a seal, from both problematic energies and beneficial ones. While Sun's Setting's mind no longer degenerated, it was also impossible to help him recover. Sun's Setting lived for a few years with the helm leaving at least a portion of his mind in tact. Mysteriously, one day he disappeared into the Wyld, and was never seen again, Highsight disappearing with him.
Mechanically, Highsight grants total immunity to the mind warping aspects of the Wyld. The wearer can live in the deep Wyld for decades, and no harmful effects will enter his mind from the ambient energies of the Wyld. This protection extends to non-Wyld sources as well, though its potency is not as extreme. When making an opposing roll against an effect that alters or touches the mind or perceptions of the wearer, add the wearer's permanent essence in automatic successes to the roll. In addition, abilities that check against the willpower of the wearer consider the wearer's willpwer to be two dots higher. If the effect would normally not grant the wearer a roll, such as Respect Commanding Attitude, the wearer may roll their willpower against a difficulty equal to the opposing person's permanent Essence. If the roll is successful, the ability has no effect on the wearer.
The wearer also gains two dice on all perception rolls involving the senses of sight, hearing, or smell. Highsight has a setting for a single Hearthstone, and provides the same 2L soak that Moonsilver Hearthstone Bracers grant.
The helm is impossible to remove while attuned, as the metal bonds with the flesh as it did when the artifact was first created. Even when not attuned, the helm must be ripped from the head of the wearer. This requires a Wits+Medicine roll, difficulty four, or the wearer suffers five dice of unsoakable lethal damage, as his flesh is ripped and torn as the helm is removed. A botch on this roll makes the damage automatic.
If the wearer activates the Hide of the Cunning Hunter charm, the helm disappears along with their tattoos. If there is a Hearthstone set into the helm, a Moonsilver Tiara bearing the stone remains. This is the only way for the wearer's face to be exposed after the helm is put on.
Flowing Quicksilver Carapace
Artifact: **** Commitment: 6 Motes (Moonsliver)
Soak: 10/10, Mobility Penalty: -0, Fatigue: 1 per full hour exposed, Hardness: 6
Made by the Lunar Sun’s Setting during the waning years of the First Age, this armor is like no other. The entire suit is made of the purest Moonsilver imaginable, and as such it is far more protean than most items crafted out moonsilver alloys.
This armor is special in a way that no other armor can be. The Flowing Quicksilver Carapace resides within the body of its wearer. The armor may be called upon at any time as a reflexive action at a cost of two motes. Flowing from the mouth, nose, ears, and even skin pores, the armor covers the entire body of its wearer in an instant. This effect, while potent, is not without its drawbacks. The armor will not be able to completely cover the body if any other armor is being worn over it. If any other armor is worn, regardless of size, the carapace will attempt to fill in the gaps, granting a further 2 soak to the other armor’s rating temporarily.
The armor itself is more like a symbiotic life form than merely a piece of clothing. It wishes to protect its wearer, and will do so in an instant if his body is in immanent danger. The armor can reflexively burst from the flesh of its wearer, causing one unsoakable level of lethal damage, and be in place to protect him from attacks that strike him that he is not aware of, automatically expending the normal two mote activation cost.
Being so life like and fluid allows the armor to shift not only to try to block, but to absorb some of the damage from blows. For a single mote, the armor will absorb one health level of damage. Once the armor has absorbed a total of twelve health levels, it must retract to heal itself. The armor heals one health level per hour.
The Carapace does not count as armor as far as charms that ignore armor are concerned, but it is for all other purposes. Martial Arts or Lunar Shape Changing charms that are not compatible with armor will not function while the carapace is exposed, though the armor may be retracted as a reflexive action to allow the use of such charms.
Generally the armor appears like nothing more than a silver coating of the body of the Lunar who wears it, though for a single mote it can alter its apearance to that of any armor design that the wearer wishes. This does nothing to inhibit the potencey of the armor; this is simply a cosmetic effect. In addition, this ability may also be used to hold equipment efficiently and quickly. Swords, bows, and even arrows or throwing weapons can be held by the armor for a single mote per item. Once held, an item may be released simply by grasping it and bringing it to bear at no cost.
The armor takes a full scene to bond to its potential wearer. When being attuned, the metal becomes fluid, and absorbs in through the pores on the wearers body. When being removed, the armor spills from the mouth and nose of the wearer, almost seeming as though the metal is being vomited. The Flowing Moonsilver Carapace, when not worn, can be stored in a jar or skin that has a volume of approximately one gallon. After a few moments in this new container, the armor solidifies.
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