Nikink/JadeMonkey

Jade Monkey

A Demon bound and crafted into the form of a fist-sized rough green Jade Carving of a Monkey during the height of the First Age.

The Jade Monkey is a powerful Artifact much coveted by those who know it's secrets. In the ignorance of the Second Age, only the most learned Scholars, Sorcerers or Sages have even a remote chance to know of it's many powers. (Int + Lore; Dif. 7 (outside the South-West) or Dif. 4 (within the South-West) (Having a specialisation in South-West HistoryNikink/Lore counts); each success indicates a power known)).

• 1. Can store essence. Upto Ess x 10 extra motes are available to the attuned owner. The Monkey regains these motes at a rate of 1 per day. This extra essence counts as peripheral.
• 2. The Monkey can be made to hold a Hearthstone. While holding this stone, the Monkey recharges the Owner's essence at double that of the Hearthstone, (so a 1 point Hearthstone would give the owner 4 motes of essence per hour instead of 2, and a level 5 Hearthstone would give 20!) and regains essence of it's own at a rate of (1 + (2x the Hearthstone Rating)) per hour. While the monkey holds the stone, however, it provides no other benefit to the Owner.
• 3. The Monkey can be animated. By infusing it with 10 motes (which must come from the Owner's personal stores) it grows to about 3' tall, and becomes much like a real monkey - even growing a covering of short green hair with flecks of orange throughout. In this form it can be given simple tasks to perform, and has the intelligence of a 5 year old child. It is quite strong, though and can be useful for carrying items, or getting into confined spaces etc. (Str 4, Dex 5, Sta 5, Wit 4, Ath 4, Stealth 3, Larceny 3, Dodge3, Brawl 2, End 2, Res 2; WP 3, Ess= Owner's, Motes = Stored Motes, Virtues = all 1, Soak = 10B/7L (5/5 Stone skin) HL= 2xEssx0Nikink/Inc). Should it die in this form its stored essence explodes outwards to 10xEss yards, doing 1L per mote to everything in that area from expelled energy and shards of jade. The Owner takes one automatic Agg HL. The explosion may be dodged or blocked as normal, treat as an attack with auto-successes = 2x (Ess+ Hearthstone level). This explosion also destroys any Hearthstone being held. The Monkey then appears in the centre again, completely unattuned and drained.
• 4. The Monkey can be animated into a warrior ape. It grows into a 4' tall ape, with green hair striated with orange stripes. In this form it is unable to provide any essence to its owner, but becomes a formidable opponent, despite it's small size. (Add owner's Ess to the above Attributes + Abilities, gains 10/10 Stone Skin armour and twice as many HL, gets 3 attacks per round (BiteNikink/Punch) and 1 free parry (Tail), does Lethal damage (Spd = Dex+Wit+Ess, AccNikink/Def = Dex+Brawl+Ess, Dam = Str+Ess+2L, can parry Lethal, is highly acrobatic, and very noisy as it hoots and screams.