Mnemosynis/GauntletOfTheGale

The Gauntlet of the Gale

Artifact: •••••

This orichalcum gauntlet was once the personal weapon of Excelus, the Gale of Blades, a Dawn Caste who fought in the Primordial Wars and survived all the way up until he was slain during the Usurpation. The Gale had a special love of watching the life slowly crushed out of his opponents and designed the gauntlet to do it better than any other weapon known in the First Age.

The gauntlet itself is a massive sheath that covers everything from the hand to the shoulder. The fist of the gauntlet is about the size of an Anklok's, yet the item is enchanted not to lose fine manipulation. Also, if the left hand happens to be the user's off-hand as it was for Excelus, the off-hand penalty is cancelled as well.

The gauntlet serves as a brawling aid allowing the user to use either his melee or brawl charms with the weapon, and allows it wearer to parry lethal attacks without need for a stunt. Also, as long as the weapon isn't currently being used as a clinch enhancer(see below) it's massive size allows it to be used as a shield, adding two to the difficulty to hit the character with both ranged and melee attacks.

It also may be used as a clinch enhancer, and only requires that the user use the gauntlet, leaving his other hand free. The character may then take multiple actions as normal as long as the first action is directed toward the clinch. If the character's free hand is his off-hand he still suffers the off-hand penalty. Clinches using the gauntlet do lethal damage and piercing damage.

In addition, the gauntlet raises the wearer's Strength to 6. If it's already at 6 or above, then the gauntlet adds +1 Strength.

For 5 motes the user may 'lock' a clinch. After the user engages in a clinch and has control of the clinch, the results of his last roll are applied automatically on every turn thereafter until either the character releases the lock or the opponent manages to take control. While the clinch is locked the gauntlet maintains the hold automatically so the character need not spend an action of his own maintaining the clinch, allowing him to focus completely on other things. This includes the effects of charms. If a character used Dragon Coil Technique to gain more success than he normally could have and locked the success, the number would not change. This also includes other effects such as a Charm that would convert dice into automatic damage successes. The effects remain, but the wielder need not reactivate the Charms so long as the lock remains.

The character reflexively decides every round whether a locked clinch will merely maintain the hold or do damage. Unlocking the clinch may be done reflexively. Ending the clinch as per a throw or other maneuver still takes an action, though it may be done at the locked success rating.

Example: Running Wind is attacked by a couple of Guild thugs. He's wielding the gauntlet in one hand and a slashing sword in the other. He gets initiative, splits his action and moves to clinch the closest one with the gauntlet. Both he and the mortal make a clinch roll. With his increased strength, Wind scores 7 successes to the mortal's 4 and opts to do damage. He activates a custom clinch Charm, Coils of Stone Technique, that allow him to convert up to his Essence(4) in damage dice to automatic successes. He then reflexively locks the clinch for 5 motes. Now every turn hereafter when the clinch roll comes up, Wind has 7 successes and doesn't need to roll, and may choose whether or not he wants to do damage, and if he does, the automatic success he bought remain without needing to activate the Charm again. In the mean time the other thug attacks him. Since Wind still has a free hand and actions left, he may do other things. Now that the clinch is locked he won't have to dedicade an action to the clinch every turn as the gauntlet is maintaining the hold on it's own. He begins to fight the other thug with his sword.

A few turns later after the first thug is crushed to death, Wind decides to hold the other for questioning. He gets initiative and makes a clinch against the thug. Not wanting to take any chances he activates Dragon Coil Technique, adding his Essence(4) to his die pool. He rolls 9 successes! He locks the clinch. He stands there as the mortal struggles. After some time with the mortal who was refusing to answer him, he ends the clinch using the 9 locked successes to throw the thug through a nearby wall.

The Searing. 4 motes/turn. The knuckles and palm of the gauntlet glow a hot red-tinged white. In close combat the gauntlet now does +12L damage instead of +8L. If activated while clinching the clinch does +10L damage instead of +5L. In addition, any wound penalties incurred by a blow or clinch inflicted while the searing is activated are counted as double for one turn per health level of damage taken. Also, horrible scars remain on seared clinch victims and they may lose Appearance at Storyteller discretion.

The final effect of the weapon is make the fear, pain and other emotion of a clinched victim known to the user. While the original owner found the sensation of his opponent's (literally)crushing defeat enjoyable, characters with high compassion will probably avoid using the weapon regularly.

The gauntlet requires 12 motes to commit and has 3 hearthstone slots in a triangle setup on the back of the fist.

As a close combat weapon. (For power combat)
+0 Spd, +3 Acc, +8L Dam, +3 Def, Rate 8

As a clinch enhancer.
+0 Spd, +3 Acc, +5L Dam, +3 Def, Rate 1