Artifacts/Molikai

The Indomitable Sword

Artifact ••••
Orichalcum Grand Daiklaive
Speed +10 Accuracy +1 Damage +12L Defense +3 rate 3
Requires: Strength 3; Commitment: 8

The true Sword of a hero, this finely wrought blade resonates with Heroes, survivors, those who prevail against impossible odds. The blade carries little in the way of ornamentation or jewellery: Down the length of the blade, runes in the language of the old realm spell out 'For a Hero'. It has but one hearthstone mount, in the pommel. The blade is sharp and deadly, it is true, bt it's true virtue lies in defence: It almost seems to move of it's own accord to block incoming attacks, and the heavy blade seems to absorb the shocks of impact without care. But it is only in the hands of the truly heroic that true power of the blade is revealed: For a hero, bearing this blades against impossible odds and acting as he should, is almost unstoppable. Mechanically, In any given combat, the weilder of this blade may choose to forgo any benefit from a 2 or 3 dice stunt: instead, this spark of cool, this heroic act, is channelled to the blade. For every such act that the blade captures, It may completely nullify the damage from any one attack. Any Heroic acts the blade uses in this fashion, however, fade at the end of the scene.. so it serves the Hero with this blade well to prove he is a hero as early as possible. Likewise, a Hero is inventive, and if he runs out of tricks without defeating his opponents.. then is he truly worthy to bear the blade? [#SoulDragons]

Soul-Forged Dragon & Soul-Forging Dragon

These sleek and deadly monstrosities are modelled on the Thousand-forged Dragon's of the Solar deliberative, but... Improved upon by a Deathlord's art. Typically 30 feet long, with a 20-foot wingspan, a Soul-forged are forged of Jade, bone and soulsteel, and have the appearance of black, malefic dragons with the skeletal head of a dragon, bearing a double rowed maw of soulsteel teeth, and powerful claws of the same terrible metal. Every motion carries with it the agonizing moans of souls in torment, and its roar contains a thousand tortured screams within it. A Soul-forging dragon is even larger, perhaps 40 feet long, but lacks wings: it may also be recognized by it's gleaming yellow eyes of Yasal crystal, as opposed to the glowing red sockets of a Soul-forged dragon. Crafted by a Different master than a thousand-forged Dragon, these Dragons of souls have a somewhat... darker source of power.

Attributes: Strength 20, Dexterity 10, Stamina 24(20), Charisma 1, Perception 10, Intelligence 2(3), Wits 10, Manipulation 1(2), Appearance 0.

Virtues: Compassion 1,Conviction 5, Temperance 1, Valour 5 (cannot fail valour rolls).

Abilities: Athletics 5 (flight +3(+0)), Awareness 5, Brawl 5 (claw+3), Endurance 5, Resistance 5, Occult 1 (ghosts +3), Craft(soulforging) 3(create soulsteel +3).

Base Initiative: 20\Dodge Pool: 10\Soak Pool: 27L/39B(23L/35B)* (Superheavy Plate skin, 15L/15B)\Willpower: 10\Health Levels: -0(8)/-1(8)/-1(15)/-4(18)/incap

• Ignores attacks doing less than 15L/15B

Attack:
Bite: speed 18 accuracy 15 damage 38L defence: 10
Claw: speed 20 accuracy 18 damage 32L defence: 14

Charms:
Soul-Forged dragon: Theft of Essence, Fearsome Mien, Flight of Spectres, Principal of Motion, Ghostlike Form.
Soul-forging Dragon: Theft of Essence, Fearsome Mien, Theft of Souls, Soul of Construction, Principal of Motion.

Essence: 7 Essence Pool: 100
Other Notes: Cannot recover essence Normally, nor may they use hearthstones. If reduced to 0 essence, it will become inactive, and can be reactivated by placing a ghost within it's jaws: it will reflexively absorb the hapless soul, and take half of the ghost's remaining essence pool to recharge itself. Otherwise, a Soul dragon must rely on its theft of Essence attack to replenish its reserves.

Statistics in italics are for a Soul-Forging dragon.

Unique Charms

Theft of Essence
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple

Unlike the plasma attack of a Thousand-forged Dragon, Soul-forged and Soul-forging dragons carry with them the breath of the Void, draining the spirits of their prey. The dragon uses dexterity + brawl to direct the terrifying vortex of inky black, doing a base damage of 10, covering a cone shaped area approximately 60 yards long, 15 yards wide and 5 yards high at the terminus: this is soaked with a roll of Permanent Essence. Every point of 'damage' remaining drains 10 points of essence or fraction thereof from the victim, adding 3 motes to the Dragon's essence pool, with remaining levels being applied as levels of Lethal damage, as the void ravages the soul: opponents destroyed by this attack are cast into oblivion, denied Lethe; spirits are permanently destroyed.

This charm is a property of a Soul dragon, and cannot be learned by an Eclipse or Moonshadow Exalt.

Fearsome Mien
Cost:5 motes
Duration:Scene
Type:Reflexive

See the Thousand-Forged Dragon charm of the same name, p.127, Creatures of the Wyld.

Flight of Spectres
Cost:1 mote.
Duration:1 hour
Type: reflexive

The skeletal, bat like wings of a soul dragon are as insufficient to lift the beast as the wings of a thousand-forged dragon are to lift it: nevertheless, when lightened by the essence of the void, the wings are quite capable of thrusting it into the sky, allowing it to fly slowly, and clumsily, as would a vulture or Raiton.

This charm is a property of a Soul dragon, and cannot be learned by an Eclipse or Moonshadow Exalt.

Ghostlike Form
Cost:6 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration:scene
Type: reflexive

Permeating Its form with Ethereal essence, this ability allows the Soul dragon to become immaterial to the substance of structures: ghostlike or physical, it can pass through them: While this has no effect on living things, or the weapons they possess, it nevertheless allows these fearsome entities to wade /through/ the walls of a castle, to reach the tasty treats within, or to push it's skeletal head into a space that would otherwise be too small for it. This terrible ability costs the dragon 1 willpower to initiate for the rest of the scene, and 6 motes of essence for every turn it is in use.

This charm is a property of a Soul dragon, and cannot be learned by an Eclipse or Moonshadow Exalt.

Theft of Essence
Cost:10 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple

Upon a successful Bite attack upon a ghost, a soul-forging dragon may opt, instead of doing damage, to swallow the soul. By paying 10 motes and a willpower point, the Soul-forged dragon makes an opposed essence roll with the victim: if it succeeds, then the ghost is captured, the yellow Yasal eyes flash with a dark light, and the victim vanishes into an ethereal mist, which is drawn, shrieking, into the beast. A Soul-forging dragon can hold a number of ghosts within it equal to its essence (7).

This charm is a property of a Soul dragon, and cannot be learned by an Eclipse or Moonshadow Exalt.

Soul of Construction
Cost: special
Duration: special
Type: simple

A soul-forging dragon is so named because of this charm: the ability to forge the souls imprisoned within it into Soulsteel, and use said soulsteel to craft certain devices. A Soul-forging dragon requires access to the stones of the Labyrinth to use this charm, as well as souls imprisoned with in it: If it has access to both these things, then it can produce the following effects:

10 motes of essence, 1 soul - Repair a Health level of damage to itself. This appears as almost magical healing, as plates of bone and soulsteel; are reshaped from the inside, and replacement parts grow over the effected area. This charm only heals 1 health level, and takes 12 hours.

15 motes of essence, 1 soul - Repair a health level of damage on another soul dragon. 'Licking' at the effected wound performs this, the soulsteel repairs being made through the sorcerous effects of the charm, and the soulsteel and bone replacements from the soul that is consumed. This charm heals but a single health level, and takes a full day.

50 motes of essence, 2 willpower, 2 souls, and approximately 2 pounds of jade - Upon consuming the jade, and forging the soulsteel, a Soul-forging dragon may attempt the greatest task of all: the creation of Progeny, of a sort. Taking a full week, the soul-forging dragon may attempt to create an EbonLegionnaire : When the soldier is finished, it will remain within the dragon until the dragon captures another soul, in addition to the two consumed, /specifically/ to empower the legionnaire: if this is done, then instead of the soul being stored within the dragon, it is infused into the Legionnaire, it's mind destroyed and reformed by the mighty magics within: the following turn, the dragon disgorges the legionnaire from it's mouth, fully armed and alert, and loyal to the dragon, and it's creator. A Soul-forging dragon may hold up to 5 Ebon Legionnaires, though each legionnaire stored reduces the number of souls the Dragon may capture by 1: if the dragon holds 2 inactive legionnaires, then, it may only hold 5 captured souls. This allows a Soul-forging dragon, if it has had time to prepare, to rapidly produce reinforcements if suitable fodder is available: given time, they can create an army.

A Soul-forging dragon may not store an empowered legionnaire: this charm can only be used for one purpose at a time, and the essence used is considered committed until the construction is finished (NOT until a legionnaire is empowered.) Thus, while constructing a legionnaire, the Dragon may not heal itself, nor recharge it's essence above 50.

This charm is a property of a Soul dragon, and cannot be learned by an Eclipse or Moonshadow Exalt. [#EbonLegionaire]

Ebon Legionnaire

Black mockeries of the Brass Legionaries, these Soulsteel, bone and Jade are clockwork imitations of human form: Standing perhaps seven feet tall, their skin is of polished, darkly shining bone, their face a grinning, stylised skull, with sturdy, softly shrieking veins of soulsteel threaded throughout, giving an almost marbled appearance. Given the semblance of life by the forcible insertion of a Ghost's soul, the Automaton retains none of the memories, charms, or personality of the consumed ghost: the full force of the spirit is inextricably bound to the prison that is the Legionnaire, and its tormented screams and moans of despair can be heard when the Legionnaire speaks: To destroy the Legionnaire is to destroy the spirit that empowers it, and the two can never be separated.

Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 8, Charisma 1, Manipulation 2, Appearance 0, Perception 4, Intelligence 2, Wits 3.

Virtues: Compassion 1, Conviction 4, Temperance 2, Valour 4 (cannot fail valour rolls).

Abilities: Archery 3, Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Brawl 3, Dodge 3, Endurance 5, Melee 3(sword +1), Medicine 1(repairs +2, torture +2) , Resistance 5, Stealth 3(ambush +2, camouflage +1, hide in shadows +2), Survival 2, Thrown 3 (javelin +1), Presence 2 (intimidation +3).

Base Initiative: 6\Dodge Pool: 6\Soak Pool: 12L/14B (Soulsteel lacing and plating, 8L/6B)\Willpower: 7\Health Levels: -0(3)/-1(3)/-2(3)/-4(3)incap

Charms Wyld Resistance

Essence: 2

Other Notes: Ebon Legionnaires Do not sleep, and are immune to poisons, toxins, suffocation and disease: they are not considered objects for the purposes of effects that do or do not apply to such creatures. As are the Brass Legionnaires upon which they are based, they are designed to Self-service while in the field: for every 2 weeks in the field, they require 1 day to repair themselves: they suffer a -1 to all die pools per week they go without refitting, if this is not allowed.
Refitting requires occult materials, human bones, and small quantities of soulsteel: they must be provided with these supplies, either by their master or a Soul-forging dragon (which is capable of regurgitating the necessary components, though the human bones require... other sources.) To Repair one requires 1 day and goods worth resources 2 (if provided by the master) per health level repaired, and you should consider one body's worth of bones adequate to fully repair 2 Legionnaires. [#CrimsonRobes]

Crimson Robes of Deception

Artifact 5
Soulsteel robes
5B/5L

Commitment: 3

Flowing robes of soulsteel thread and crimson silk, with a deep cowl to mask the head. Woven from the souls of spectres, the breath of the labyrinth, and the anguished torment of plague victims, they serve to hide and protect their wearer. Should the Wearer pull back the cowl, Instead of the wearer's face, anyone gazing upon them will see their own face, rotted and decayed in death: this adds 4 dice to any intimidation attempts.
By Infusing 5 motes of essenvce intothe robes, the colours will subtly shift, the silence of the weave, the solitude of the death they represent, enclosing you: this adds 4 dice to any stealth attempts for the scene. <Mbr> Finally, by Offering lives to the robes in place of your own, in a careful ritual, you may gauruntee your safety. For every person whose lifeblood has been ritually stored in the robes, you may survive without harm one attack, no matter how powerful: as your own flesh shatters and tears and burns, the infused lifeblood flows forth, infusing your flesh, repairing the damage, and allowing you to survive any one attack unharmed, in a surge of bloody gore. The robes can store the lifeblood of a single individual per point of the wearer's essence: Should the robes be unattuned, all lifeblood stored within will flow free in a bloody gout. The cowl of the robes has a setting for a single hearthstone. [#Sorcerercrook]

Sorcerer's Crook

Artifact 3
Soulsteel Staff
Speed +8 Accuracy +3 Damage +3L Defense +2 rate 2
Commitment: 3

A Shepherd's crook of bone and soulsteel, with strange eldtritch runes carved upon its black surface, this unusual device was fashioned by the soulsteel serpent when first experimenting with the secrets of the void. The staff itself has an essence pool of 20 motes, accessible as peripheral essence when in skin contact with an attuned user: However, these motes can only be refreshed by inflicting health levels of damage with the staff as a weapon. For every health level of damage inflicted by the staff, it regains 1 mote of essence. It cannot gain more motes than the victim has health levels. [#Hungryhand]

The Hungry Hand of Long Past Pain

Artifact 3
Soulsteel Hand
Speed +0 Accuracy +1 Damage +1L Defense +2 rate 5
Commitment: 5 motes, your left hand

A clawed hand of soulsteel forged around the hand-bones of a defeated foe and imbued with the strength of his Po, this foul artifact was crafted to replace the hand Guardian lost in his first duel with Swift. Fusing with terrible, cold threads of soiulsteel to Guardian's body, An agonizing experience, it cannot be removed from his arm.. at least, not without removing yet more of the flesh. A cold, merciless thing, the claws can inflict terrible wounds, cackling and drinking in the blood that is spilt: for every dice of damage after soak, the user regains 1 mote of essence, up to a limit per attack of the Subject's permanent essence. It has a single hearthstone mount near the back of the wrist. [#Howlingblade]

The Howling blades of the Serpent's Champion

Artifact 4
Soulsteel Grimcleaver
Speed +6 Accuracy +3 Damage +9L Defense -2 rate 4
Commitment: 10 motes

The terrible, screaming blades of the Soulsteel Executioner, this terrible, double-headed grimcleaver is engraved with runes of strength and hunger, and at all times a wispy mist of shed blood and ethereal agony seems to float around the blades. When swung in an attack said mists swirl and shriek with an echo of every life the blades have claimed. Seeming to form and scream in glowing energies, hungry for companionship in their cold, dark tomb. Like most soulsteel weapons, the blows from the howling blade disperse the essence of the Victim, 1 mote per point of the User's essence, but these blows steal far, far more than that. Every time a victim is wounded by these terrible blades, it saps at their strength, saps at their soul... stealing their strength to empower the user. Every successful blow reduces the Strength of the victim by 1, and as long as the victim remains alive, the stolen strength is added to the Abyssals. Once they die, however, the flow of energy ceases, and the abyssal loses the strength stolen - from that victim, at least. Thus these blades spread misery and pain, Torment and agony: For if an Abyssal truly wishes to see the most from these blades, it behooves him to wound, but not kill, a great, great many people.. and with a blade such as this, wounds are terrible Indeed.

[#Viperkiss]

The Viper's Loving Kiss

Artifact 3
Soulsteel whip
Speed +3 Accuracy +0 Damage +4L Defense +2 rate 3
Commitment: 5 motes

A Sinuous, long whip of soulsteel cord, the hilt is studded with subtle spikes, the tips split like a serpent's tongue, and a hearthstone caps the pommel: the threads themselves are woven through with what appear to be rusted threads of iron, creating a complex, distracting pattern of Colour: The crack of the whip carries the seductive allure of death, and the sinuous patterns invite those who observe it into the cruel embrace of the labyrinth. A most dangerous weapon in the right hands, it only shows it's true potential when used to Disarm an opponent. On a disarm attempt, so long as the abyssal achevives at least 1 success they may reflexively spend 5 motes: If they do so, then as the Kiss wraps around the opponent's weapon, the forces of corrosion and entropy are brought to bear, reducing all non-magical weapons to so much powder and dust. This weapon is a Clinch Enhancer.

[#Hungryblade]

The Hungry blade of a Vengeful Soul

Artifact 3
Soulsteel Reaper Daiklaive
Speed +9 Accuracy +6 Damage +6L Defense +2 rate 5
Commitment: 8 motes

A perfectly curved, four foot long blade of vicious soulsteel, it appears at first to be deceptivly simple. A Dark brown pattern is raised upon the blade, like a patina of old blood amongst the agonized faces. The hilt, too, is larger than normal, holding two Hearthstone mounts. When at rest, little else would seem to seperate it from any other reaper daiklaive. When in use, however.. the blade becomes as shadow, flickering, dartingly fast: And the cuts it makes seem to stream blood, pulled hungrily through the air into the blade, pulled by a powerful thirst. Provided the blades inflict at least 1 level of damage, a number of motes of essence are stolen from the victim equal to the attacker's permanent essence, and added to the wielder's pool. If the subject has no essence remaining, then it is only the blade that will be sated: In blood and death and pain.

Comments

• Indomitable Sword

Awesome. I love it. I'm not sure if the damage-nullification might be too powerful an effect, but the idea is so cool I can forgive it. -Madwand

Hey, It's a solar charm: Adamant Skin technique. resistance 5, essence 3, 3 prereq charms. Normal cost: 5 motes, 1 HL, 1 willpower. Normally, You'd get a willpower for a 2 or 3 die stunt, so that's that covered. the Health level, and the 5 motes? I see that as balanced by the fact that Doing 2 and 3 die stunts /all the time/, Is not only going to throw the character into danger a lot - thus using up charges! - but is also interfering with his stunting WP/essence-recovery curve, as he loses all benefits by 'feeding' the sword a stunt, not to mention the law of diminishing returns - he can't keep pulling the same trick twice, at least not in my book. So if it's a drawn out slogging match, sooner or later, He won't be able to use the effect any more.. oops. Though, thinking about it, I might only allow stunts to be transferred to the sword that the GM considers 'heroic'. - Molikai

• Actually if anything it is slightly under powered a level 5 artifact can have effects that emulate perfect defenses built into them as well as a load of other things, this is a level 4 item and the effect is about right - though personaly for my own game I would say that the weilder has to take the level of damage but not pay the will or essence cost to activate and then ignore damage from the attack. I would probably also give it a defensive charm like bulwark stance - the hero stands in the passageway bravely holding his ground as the barbarians press down on him, from behind him he can hear the sounds of fading footsteps as the villagers he is protecting flee from almost certain death. Eldmar

---

• Crimson Robes of Deception

I'm not /quite/ sure of the current level of the artifacts: I'm pretty sure it should be 4/5. They've been upgraded since originally designed.. (Plotdevicium!) - Molikai

I'd say 4, but make them commit a little more. Perhaps 5 motes?
-- Darloth

possibly, possibly. Originally, they didn't have the 'splurge' effect for saving life: They were upgraded in some plotdevicium, as the character's reward for destroying paragon and handing Dari of the Mists on a platter to their master: that was the IC reason. The OOC reason was to steer the player's towards interest in their equipment, make it more personalized, compensate for huge gaping holes in the character's combat strategies, and try and encourage them to make it truly heroic gear, by naming it. I'm slowly writing up the history of the campaign prior to restarting it at the start of feb, so it'll go up on my page when I'm done. :) Did you see Blessing of the Crimson Death's other toy? The Sorcerer's crook? If you take a gander at his sheet, and compare it to, for example, guardian, executioner, or Swift retribution, THen you'll see why we encouraged him to have an emergency life-saver.. - Molikai

I rarely look at sheets. Might have a looksee eventually though.
-- Darloth