Artifacts/IceAxe

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Infinite Ice Axe

Artefact •• (Terrestrial Rank)

This grimcleaver was forged with blue jade harvested from the permanently frozen reaches of the uttermost North, and bound with Essence carefully bargained for from the spirits of Resplendent Water. Its appearance is that of a large axe, the blade roughly cut from blue-white ice and mounted on a 4’ long shaft of Haltan redwood. The blade itself is also ice-cold, so much so that, in a warm & humid climate, cool mist can be seen continually spilling from it, and rain-drops that strike the blade flash and shatter as they instantly freeze. Despite this eternal chill, the Infinite Ice Axe has no further effect on anyone struck by it, unless the wielder charges the blade with two motes of Essence. Upon this occurring, the blade instantaneously becomes so cold that the air itself begins to freeze to it. This super-chill effect lasts only one turn, and can have various effects, but some of the most common are detailed below:

• 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 from the blow suffers an immediate and extra –2 to all actions for the remainder of the scene. The cold permeates their whole being, setting them to shivering uncontrollably.
• Any metallic object (objects of the Five Magical Materials are immune to this effect) struck by the charged blade doubles any damage inflicted before soak is applied, potentially shattering into a thousand razor-sharp shards
• If placed into a large body of fresh water (i.e.: a lake or river) it 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. The axe becomes embedded in the ice, and must be yanked out. The ice is completely normal in all respects.

                          Speed    Accuracy    Damage     Defence  Minimums
    Infinite Ice Axe        +3        +1        +8L          +0      S••