Scrollreader/Hearthstones
The Glassee Stone</b>
<b>Manse •, Air aspect Trigger: Looking through the stone.
This stone is many-faceted and perfectly clear. It is always the same size as the eye of it's bearer. When pressed to a surface, the bearer may look through the stone, and see through the surface it's pressed up against as if it was glass. This effect penetrates 6 inches of wood or flesh, half that of stone, and an inch of metal. It cannot see through any of the five magical materials, or through the enchanted walls of a sorceror or thaumaturge's abode. Note that looking through very thick glass is hardly the ideal situation for viewing, and the difficulties of making out more than the number and vague shape and color of objects will be increased by at least 1 for every two inches of material seen through in this manner.
Fool's Gem</b>
<b>Manse •, Solar Trigger: Displaying the Gem.
This gem is often used to teach Dynastic children lessons today, much as it taught them to new Solars, long ago. The stone appears to be an item of great power, large and multicolored. It glows with essence, brightly, and appears to be quite powerful, even to things such as Essence Sight, glowing as brightly as a four or five dot stone does in the essence spectrum. The stone has an additional power. Appearing to be as impressive as it does, anyone who is taking something from a collection including the Fool's Gem, even a thief, must succeed at a temperance roll, or take only the Fools Gem, convinced in their heart that this priceless treasue is worth all their efforts, and that anything else in the collection is worthless.
Stone of Still Waters
Manse •, Water Aspect Trigger: Constant
This stone, a perfectly smooth ovoid of pale blue, gives the wearer the serene countenance of a still pond, hiding the treacherous snags beneath. Mechanically, it adds two dice to any rolls to tell a lie or conceal one's true feelings or motives, no matter how fantastic, as the character's body language and nuances give nothing away. The bearer is also able to hear any bad news, no matter how disastrous to his private plans, and show no visible reaction at all. Many versions of this stone are rumored to exist, but after their widespread use by House Iselsi in their failed attempt against the Empress, their Manses were seized by the Scarlet Throne. They currently find favor with the many operatives of the All-Seeing Eye.
Stone of Lucky Fools</b>
<b>Manse ••, Lunar Trigger: Botching.
This stone is devoted to Luna, though none of these manses are created intentionally (one must in fact /botch/ a manse design roll to make one). Luna herself is beleived to inspire the few of these that exist. Whenever the bearer botches a roll, he is allowed a roll to recover from the botch, though the action still fails. This 'recovery' always makes him look even more foolish than before, if possible. For example, a bearer who botches a roll in combat loses his weapon, which flies up in the air, and then lands on his head, and he gets a dex+weaponskill roll to catch it. This stone has no effect on failures, only botches, and the action still fails, it just has none of the adverse affects (save perhaps embarassment) that it normally would /if/ the bearer suceeds at a reflexive roll fo the Storyteller's choosing to recover (much like stunt insurance). If this second roll is failed however, the botch is terrible indeed, and the results are grave. Should the exalt /botch/ his recovery roll of course, the stone allows the comedy of errors to continue.
The Slave's Stone</b>
<b>Manse ••, Sidereal aspect Trigger: WP.
When the bearer of this stone accepts virtual slavery, fate itself conspires to bring the bearer a teacher. This slavery can be actual (toiling as a slave for the guild) metaphorical (taking a sifu who is tyrannical and cruel) or practical (being the whore of a vicious and controlling pimp). Whatever the circumstances, the bearer may choose to surrender themselves to this fate by concenting on what they wish to learn, and spending a WP. If they do so, circumstances and the fates will conspire to show them, though their master, and other slaves, the secrets to anything they wish to learn, as they are enslaved by the power of the stone. For as long as the bearer submits to this slavery, they may learn charms and abilities as if they had a qualified instructor. The stone offers no protections from the vagaries of their new master. Once they refuse to accept such slavery anymore, the bearer is freed from the power of the stone, until next they submit (though any partially learned traits are lost). The stone does not however, protect against the wrath of the former Master of the slave, or the consequences of this rebellion. The more intense the trait, the more likely the master is to be powerful. While learning the second dot of larceny will probably enslave one to a Nexus Pimp, using this stone to seek the secrets of Solar Circle sorcery will likely enslave the bearer to a deathlord or worse.
The Mirror Stone</b>
<b>Manse •••, Water aspect Trigger: Touching the stone to a mirror.
The hearthstone is made up of a thousand planes, each and every one a mirror. This has the side effect of meaning that there is always a mirror which the bearer can see a reflection of something around him in, allowing for the use of mirror dependent charms and stunts. The true purpose of this stone is found when the hearthstone is is touched to a mirror. The mirror ripples and parts, and the exalt may reach through the Mirror to place or retrieve inanimate objects Elsewhere. The mirror-cahe has a 'depth' of the exalt's permanant essence in feet, and no weight limit. The exalt may retrieve items from the mirror-caches by touching the mirror with the stone again. As long as the exalt has the stone socketed in an artifact, he will see faint impressions of items held in other mirrors, as well as being able to see entirely through one way mirrors, if he wishes. Should a mirror holding any items from this hearthstone be broken, all items are immediately released from elsewhere.
Soul-Fire Jewel
Manse ••••, Fire Aspect Trigger: Silent Act of Will
This gem is a deep red color, and flickers like a guttering candle, flames dancing within it. It infuses it's bearer with fiery essence, leaving him elementally atuned to fire (This reduces the cost of any fire aspected DB charms by 1 mote). This will almost certainly have cosmetic effects, such as smoking blood or skin that is warm to the touch. When he activates the gem (a reflexive action) it flares to life, the flames inside wrapping around the stone and igniting it without consuming it or burning the wielder. Athletics, Dodge, Melee, Presence, and Socialize rolls get a number of bonus dice equal to his valor, for the rest of the scene. His attacks leave burning trails in the air, his leaps and bounds may leave footprint of fire behind, and his words crackle with the sound of flame, as his eyes burn with the radiance of coals. He must be careful, lest he do damage to the scenery, with extreme actions. While the low smoky croon of his voice and the flickering candlelight in his eyes during a seduction atempt are unlikely to burn down an inn, a mighty leaping attack in the midst of a lumberyard could easily start a blaze.
This hearthstone also comes in other elemental varieties with their own abilities, though this is by far the most common. It is favored by Immaculates who choose to walk a different path than their aspect, though many secular fire aspects also use it, to magnify their aspect.
The Razor Of Flesh and Clay
Manse ••••, Abyssal Aspect Trigger: Craft: Moliation Rolls
This flat, sharp edged hearthstone looks like a hard chip of obsidian or perhaps, some darker stone from deep within the labrynith. Though it resembles a potter's edge, the true purpose of this hearthstone is much darker. When used as part of a craft: moliation roll and the shifting ghost-clay path, the hearthstone may be used over a period of five hours to actually carve and shape the flesh of a living being who is willing or restrained. Each hour, the subject suffers a single unsoakable level of lethal damage. Should this process kill the mortal, than the changes made by the hearthstone bearer become permanant, should that mortal become a ghost. When used on ghosts, the hearthstone adds a number of automatic sucesses to the roll equal to the bearer's permanant essence, and the ghost being shaped gains the benefits of the Steeling the Spirit arcanos for the duration of the change (extra hard weapons and very fixed features). This hearthstone may be used to shape the bearer, if he has the nerve.
Though many would like to credit the deathlords for the invention of these stones (And indeed, they make frequent use of them) they were originally the idea of a cabal of twilight and eclipse sorcerors in the first age, who had become obsessed with transcending their living state to an ideal half dead, half alive condition.
Gem of Pure Essence
Manse •••••, Infernal Aspect Trigger: Constant
Offered as a temptation to several Exalts in the First Age, as they saw their peers grow more and more corrupt. This Hearthstone focuses the Essence of the weilder, into a 'prime' pattern, like to that of the primordials. This has the effect of protecting him from any effect that would affect his innate mind or essence, as well as affecting greater alterations, such as the Great Curse, Resonance, the Great Geas of the Mountainfolk, Paradox and similar effects. It also removes him from Fate. Of course, the only manses which produce such stones are those made of Malfeas himself. Liger is the only one of his Souls who can arrange such bargains, and even then, cannot be sorcerously compelled into gifting a stone to a mortal, merely arranging for Malfeas to do so, should Malfeas wish it. Should Malfeas later desire it, the stone shatters immediately, and the bearer is /simultaneously/ affected by all the Great Curse, Resonance, Paradox, or Deviation he has acrrued while wearing the stone. Many Solars driven too far into the brink of madness to recover, and capable of shaming even their decadent fellow god kings can be traced back to this stone.
