Artifacts/Greymane

Level 2 Artifacts

Dragon-Tear Amulet
Artifact 2
Jade Amulet
Commitment: 5

The night had set upon the glory of the Deliberate. The knight had set aside his blade and watched his lord slain. Sun-Wei wept. He wept for the passing of an era which would never be again. While his fellows jeered and mocked his unmanly demeanor, Sun-Wei cried ever more. To every tomb and every unmarked grave he traveled, shedding tears for those whom history would never know. He cried in joy for the world as it slew the rotting heart of the Empire and celebrated it’s freedom. Tears of black frustration poured down his cheeks in helpless as he watched the world striding back down it’s darkened path again. But what could one man do? Only mourn at loss and smile at rebirth and hate for the treachery of it all. Sun-Wei did them all when no others dared to.

He wrapped every tear with the whole-spun cloth of his heart, till he had wept himself dry and spun himself empty. To his brethren, the new lords of the world, the tears he shed and crafted were beautiful things, prizes to be claimed for their own. So they snuck into hallowed grounds where he had once walked and stole the gifts of sadness and joy he offered Creation. They set them into finely wrought jade and wore them as prizes, letting the tears of Sun-Wei reflect the emotions their stone-hard hearts no longer could comprehend.

Sun-Wei’s tears normally appear as large round crystals. Pure and clean, they glitter faintly blue when struck by the light and feel cool and slightly damp to the touch, carrying away a salty wetness upon the hand which holds it. Once attuned to a character however, the color of the tear will begin to change quickly, taking on a shade which best matches their nature. The true use of sure an amulet is not merely a magical ‘mood stone,’ but in seeking out the true emotions which pass between the barer and his companions.

Expending a single mote Essence and focusing his attention upon another being, the Tear will shift in color in a reflection of general disposition the target feels towards the character. A code of colors exists which can take some time to comprehend for someone who has never seen a Tear before. The displays only embrace the relationship between the character in the most sweeping manner and the nuances of deeper, more subtle emotions are beyond it’s power. Never the less, they are highly sought prizes within the Realm for their ability to at least help determine the loyalty of ones friends and subordinates. Dragon Tears cannot over come the effects of Charms for the purpose of disgusing emotions or intent.

Murderous Intent (Black) Hates the character deeply.
Enmity (Dark red) Dislikes the character intensely. An enemy.
Mistrust, suspicion (Red) Doesn't trust the character, is suspicious of him.
Neutrality (Orange) Has no opinion about the character. The standard of reference.
Kindness, Understanding (Yellow) Favorable towards the character in a general fashion. Good-natured people.
Sympathy (Yellow-green) Actively supports the character’s views and actions.
Friendliness, Cooperativeness (Emerald green) A strong friendship. Would save the character.
Loyalty (Blue) A deeply rooted friendship. Would even sacrifice themselves to save the character.
Destiny (Rainbow) Allies bound to the character by a transcendent power. A display seen only in those who are bound into a Circle.

Needles of Life
Artifact 2
Commitment: Special

Enclosed in a simple wooden box, wrapped in pristine white silk, this set of five acupuncture needles are each composed of one of the five magic materials. Slim and delicate, each needle upon close examination is actual an elaborate sculpture depicting one spirit or another. These mystical healers implements each possess a certain property which can only be activated once the needle has been inserted into the flesh of the patient or the doctor. The needles cause pain upon insertion, but inflict no serious harm. However, they activate themselves automatically once employed. For those whose Essence has awakened, a needle drains a single mote of Essence per half an hour it remains embedded in their flesh. Those who have not unlocked their Essence instead pay a point of Willpower. Should they patient or the healer be unable to meet this requirement, the needle will forcedly reject itself from their body and will not allow itself to be reinserted no matter how much pressure is applied. Only one Needle of Life may be used on a single person at one time.

• The orichalcum needle is the Unconquered Sun, the head of the pin a halo of golden flame around his brow, his shield upon his back and his mighty lance forming the stabbing point. This needle is designed to be inserted into the patient, granting them an additional 2 dice on every roll to resist or recover from poison or illness.

• The moonsilver needle displays Luna’s male and female aspects, back to back and arm in arm, their faces lit with sly grins, they share a silver halo above their heads and merging together into one being at the point. This needle is designed to be inserted into the patient, increasing the healing benefits of rest and care, doubling the amount naturally healed per day when successfully resting. The effects of this needle do not stack with any form of supernatural healing.

• The starmetal needle depicts the Maidens standing arm and arm in a circle in around the Loom of Fate, their long hair twirling into the Loom and coming out into a braid at the needles tip. This needle is designed to be inserted into the healer, reducing the target number required to perform any manner of surgery by 1.

• The jade needle is the most colorful needle, as is composed of all fire elemental dragons, each carved from the jade of their respective element, entwined about one another, their long tails thinning into five separate points. This needle is designed to be inserted into the healer, granting them a single extra dot of Medicine, even to those with no formal training otherwise.

• The soulsteel needle is of Usine, Eset, Setesh, and Nebthys; the Duel Monarchs all facing inward towards each other, leaning back and clasping their arms together to form a hollowed tube down the center of the needle. This needle is designed to be inserted into the patient, but is employed for exorcism rather than healing, granting +2 on all rolls to purge those possessed by a dark spirit or unwelcome ghost.

Level Three Artifacts

Comet Tail Rider
Starmetal and Jade (Terrestrials and Sidereals can equally attune) Sword-Catcher or Slashing Sword
[Unactived]
Speed: +3, Accuracy: +1, Defense: +2, Rate: 1
(Reduces difficulty to disarm opponents with swords to 1)

[Activated]
Speed: +4, Accuracy: +3, Damage: +3L, Defense: +1, Rate: 3
Commitment: 6 motes

Appearance: While most artifacts are known as Wonders, Comet Tail Rider truly befits the image that word conjures. The handle is a long, singular thread of blue-toned starmetal, shaped into oblong bar. Flowing up from handle, two elongated prongs thrust from one end, the horn like fixtures smoothing into triangle shaped spikes as they rise. Spiraling around the handle is a serpentine dragon. Carved from black-jade and of such exquisite detail that every scale on it’s body can be traced. The dragon is so polished that, struck with the proper light, the scales seem to pulse as the light shimmers across it, as if the great beast were breathing. It’s claws grip the bottom curve of the prongs and it’s fin-crested head rests in the narrow space between them, mouth opened wide to bare rows of frosty white teeth. Each tooth and the dragons tiny eyes are fragments of ice gathered from the very summit of the Imperial Mountain, still bitingly cold to the touch.

Deceptively just a decoration, the coils of the dragon and the details of it’s scales form a perfect grip for the weapon and help it catch in the wielders hand without the need for a leather wrap. At the opposite end of the hilt, the dragons fan-like tail splits in two, each side inlaid into a diamond shaped Orichalcum cap. Tiny star-burst of Moonsilver and Orichalcum splinters form flowers-patterns in the space between the dragons coils, both enhancing the beauty of the weapon and aiding the grip.

Once an Exalt has activated it’s enchantments, a brief gust of frigid, powdery white air blasts from the dragon’s maw and a crystalline blade of ice forms between the prongs, the edges like razors and the tip a sharp, puncturing point.

Abilities:
Unleashing the Comets Tail
[Cost: 1 mote]
The most basic function of Comet Tail Rider is also required to even get the blade to perform as an effective weapon. A single mote of essence channeled into the artifact will cause the dragon to puff for a frigid breath of air. In mere seconds, the air will coalesces and harden into the form of a double edged sword blade that lasts for the remainder of the scene of until the wielder deactivates it. The blade is effectively as hard as jade and immune to the effects of heat, both natural and mystical. At the wielders will however, the blade can instantly be reverted to normal ice, causing it to melt in heat or shattered easily under a determined blow.

Riding the Falling Star
[Cost: 1 mote, Unleashing the Comets Tail must be activated first]
For an additional mote of essence (or two initially) channeled through the dragon, the wielder can then charge the blade even further. The dragon will breathe again, yet this time the frosty cloud of air will remain, flowing constantly around the sword like a heavy fog while a faint blue glow pulses from within the cloud.

For the remainder of the scene, any living creature that is not immune to cold suffers an extra +2L damage when struck by the charged blade. Furthermore, regardless of whether or not they took any damage, as the unnatural cold permeates their whole being it sets them to shivering uncontrollably. For the remainder of the scene, they suffer an immediate and extra -2 to all actions. Any metallic object struck by the charged blade double any damage inflicted before soak is applied, potentially shattering into a thousand razor-sharp shards. Objects of the Five Magical Materials are immune to this effect.

Touching the Endless Sky
[Cost: 1 mote, Unleashing the Comets Tail must be activated first]
Instead of activating the Riding the Falling Star, a wielder can chose to channel their essence into the blade itself rather than through the dragon. For an additional mote of essence (or two initially), the blade begins to thrum harmonically and vibrate faintly. A crisp nexus of blue light forms within the center of the blade and radiates outward with enough intensity to read by. In a moist climate, the very air around it will begin to crackle and ground will begin to steam as the temperature drops suddenly.

While the cold is only mildly uncomfortable to living beings, any normal source of heat that comes near the blade in this state will be snuffed out by the end of the turn (fires sputter and die, burning desert sands cool, even magma cools to rock). If placed into a large body of fresh water for a single turn, such as a lake or stream, the blade will instantly freeze the water out to a radius of 50' and a depth of 4”. If held in the water for a second turn, the radius of ice increases to 70', with a further 10' per turn after that. These numbers are halved if the blade is placed in seawater and quartered if placed in fast currents such as a river. The blade becomes embedded in the ice, and must be yanked out or deactivate and broken free. The ice is completely normal in all respects.

Song of the Sirocco
Artifact 3
Jade Firewand
Commitment: 4
Acc +4, Dam 12L, Rate ½, Range 10, Ammo 1

A darkly burnish weapon, the stock is carved from the stone-like glass that lays at the very edge of where Creation dissolves completely into the elemental pole of flame, where firedust itself has seared to glass. Smoky and opaque, the stock is burning hot at all times, able to scald the flesh of men and set light to easily flammable materials. The barrel is red jade so dark in tone that it seems black unless light reflects off of it. Inlaid across it is brass from a bell of Malfeas, stolen from the demon-city and melted down to form the butt-plate, trigger, hammer, and most other parts. Demon-brass crawls up the barrel and spills out down the sides red jade in dancing flame-like patterns and twists on either side of the stock into an eight-pointed star.

Red jade. Malfeas brass. Glass flame. Song of the Sirocco resonates strongest with the Children of Hesiesh. In it’s mere presence, they sense a draw to the weapon and the feeling of familiarity. Attuning to Song of the Sirocco is far easier than most artifacts, the link between Exalted and artifact forming almost instantly, as if the weapon too were attempting to form the bond of Essence. Fire Aspect Dragon-Blooded pay only 3 motes to attune to the firewand. All others attempting to attune to it pay 6 and in addition increase the difficulty to attune to an out of type magic material by 1.

Song of the Sirocco draws strength from the anima of the Exalted wielding it. As their anima begins to flare, visible trail of ambient Essence runs off the Exalt and bleeds into the firewand. The stronger the anima banner displayed, the more Song of the Sirocco feeds off the Essence, and the less the Exalted champion will find himself wanting for ammunition.

Each level of anima displayed by an Exalt increases the Rate of Song of the Sirocco by 1. Note that this only increases the number of times a single action may be split with the firewand, it does not grant additional actions. In addition, so long as at least one level of anima is displayed, the firewand will not need reloading. When the trigger is pulled, a gout of flame still snakes from the barrel, but rather than the smoky burst of fire that accompanies a firedust discharge, the flame takes on a color matching the Exalted’s anima. Thus, Solars unleash torrents of golden flame, while Lunars spill forth frosty silver fire, and Abyssals let loose ghostly black infernos.

For a single mote of Essence as a supplemental action to any standard shot, a blast from the firewand causes the Malfeas brass to resonate harmonically. The thin line of music traces through the lines of the wood and into the inner coating of the barrel, bouncing down it’s length and ringing out with the heartbreaking honesty of the music of the Yozi. When any of the component souls of Adorjan are confronted with this sound, it sends a shiver through the fabric of their being and breaks them apart painfully through their Essence, mote by mote. They immediately take a level of unsoakable aggravated damage equal to the wielders permanent Essence. This power bares no effect on any other demon, though they will instantly recognize the sound.

Song of the Sirocco is designed to be emplyed with the Anarchy Iris artifact listed bellow.

Anarchy Iris
Artifact 3
Jade Short Daiklave & Bayonet
Commitment: 4
Speed +3, Accuracy +4, Damage 4L, Defense +1, Rate 6

Crafted from a piece of colored Chiaroscuroian glass, this long bayonet is reinforced with red jade molded into the shade of an inhuman eye. Forming the iris of the eye is bubbles of glass, inside of which rest rains of Cecelyne's flesh, gathered yet living and brought back to Creation. The demon-sands shift and lap at the walls of their prison, causing the blade to give off the sounds of sands shifting under the wind. The blade is as long as a man's forearm and curves delicately, it's hair-thin edge pinking slightly. Red jade, crafted in a bone-like fashion, also forms the handle and the clasps that secure it to a firewand, the claps closely resembling thin-boned fingers gripping the gun.

The blade carries the arid weight of the desert. From tip to grip, there is an air of dryness around the smooth glass artifact. Water touching upon it’s surface steams and shrinks to nothing in seconds and one can feel the ambient sweat being leached off your finger tip as you stroke the blade. Water elementals, Water Aspect Dragon-Blooded, and those Fair Folk who take their forms from liquid things all take aggravated damage from Anarchy Iris.

The cut of Anarchy Iris means almost assured madness for a mortal. It boils the very sweat off their flesh. Held in longer and deeper, it makes the water in their bodies steam out their pours or burn away in a fevered pitch till the skin cracks and flakes from their face as blood becomes dust in their veins. As heat-stroke and dehydration set in, their minds begin to boil. So is the fate of any who challenge the desert.

For 3 motes of Essence, any living creature which normally exists within Creation struck by Anarchy Iris will receive a dice penalty to all their actions equal to the Essence of the Exalted wielding it, while mortals suffer from double this penalty as heat stroke terrorizes their body and mind. They may make a reflexive Stamina + Endurance roll, each success reducing the penalty by 1. A failed roll by a mortal will result in a permanent derangement forming in their heat-addled minds. For most other creatures, a botch will almost certainly result in the target gaining a permanent derangement, provided the target survives the encounter.

When Anarchy Iris is fixed to Iron Song of the Sirocco, it adds an element of madness to the firewand and enables the blade to draw upon the strength of the Exalts anima just as the firewand does. As the Exalted casts more Essence into the beckon of his nature, the blade will begin to take on a wavering nimbus of light that matches the color of the Chosen, until the blade seems burn with a flame of unnatural color. Each level of anima-banner displayed increases the damage done by Anarchy Iris by 1.

As Song of the Sirocco can normally bring harm to the souls of Adorjan with simply the sound of it’s blasts, with the Anarchy Iris attached the same sound can be used to bring chaos to the battlefields of mortal men. For 5 motes of Essence, as each discharge of the weapon casts out it’s bell-strike sound, the echo travels down the barrel and passes through to the bayonet. Glowing in the green-light of Ligier, the blade vibrates and sings cants in the voices of a thousand demons. Just as the cut of the blade normally can drive men to madness, the songs of the demon-city even in only this dim reflection is a clamor to cause delirium in mortal man. Until the end of the scene, all creatures from within Creation who stand within a yard of the blast point receive a single die penalty to all their actions. Mortals suffer this same penalty, but the sound of the demon-city wreak their minds far worse, inflicting a penalty equal to the wielders Essence.

Rammstein
Level 3
Jade Goremaul
Commitment: 4
Speed: +5, Accuracy: +2, Damage: +7L (Piercing), Defense: +0, Rate: 4

Rammstein was a weapon crafted for the Dragon-Blooded late in the Usurpation by a conclave of Mountain Folk in order to overcome the impressive defenses of remaining strongholds of the Solar Anathema. A siege weapon at heart, though certainly capable of other employment, Rammstein is a rude looking length of white and black jade, a twisting shaft that blossoms into a brutal flower of gothic flanges spiked with rosy quartz. Having little of the artistic qualities that later artifacts of the Shogunatte and the Realm would see, the goremaul’s only aesthetically pleasing aspect is the beautifully carved dragons head at the pommel, which grips Rammstein’s jade-studded loop-hold in it’s fangs. Yet the weapon is so perfectly balanced that it moves with surprising speed and strikes with a deadly grace.

Several weapons similar to Rammstein were known to have been created in the twilight years of the Usurpation, including a truly terrifying version of the goremaul designed to carried by a warstrider, but most of these are suspected to have been lost in the Fair Folk invasion. Most examples of this weapon known to exist remain in the armories of Lookshy and the Realm, though a handful float about in the world.

Crafted with but one purpose in mind, to batter through all manner of defenses, Rammstein doubles it’s pre-soak damage against any man-made or natural object. Doors buckle and fortress walls crumble against the blows of the great mace. The term man-made here applies to anything crafted with natural materials found within Creation by mortal or Exalt. Artifacts created out of Fair Folk glamour, spiritual quintessence, the living flesh of demons, or any of the five magic materials do not apply. Natural objects are similar defined by objects found normally within Creation, such as stones, trees, or ice. This effect does not differentiate between mystical and mundane objects however. An automation of steel or a wooden fortress simply ‘grown’ out of the ground are as susceptible as any mundane wall of stone.

Armies can make for as effective a barrier as any shuttered portal, and with this in mind, Rammstein’s creators thought to ensure that a ready path could always be cleared through the fray. In addition to the normal damage of an attack, roll the wielders Strength + Relevant Combat Ability in a reflexive opposed roll against the targets Strength + Resistance. If the wielder wins, the opponent is knocked back a number of yards equal to the wielders Strength + the number of successes rolled over the opponents attempted resistance.

The blunt impact of the goremaul’s teeth is capable of rendering useless much of the protection armor offers, but rather than simply bypassing armor soak, Rammstein’s wielder can chose to rupture and destroy many forms of artificial protection. For three motes of Essence as a supplemental action to any attack, wielder makes his Melee or Martial Arts attack as normal, including determining the amount of raw damage before soak. The opponent may reduce the attack’s damage only using his armors lethal soak rating, not his Stamina or any enhancements, unless they specifically reinforce the armor. Unlike normal soak, this may reduce the damage of the attack to zero. Roll any remaining damage, and subtract the number of successes from all of the armors soak ratings. This reduction is a permanent one, reflecting the sundering of the armor by Rammstein’s enchantments. If the number of successful damage dice exceed the armors soak rating, the armor is destroyed and any remaining damage successes are applied to the opponent. This ability does not function against armor crafted from any of the five magic materials.