Tiffa/TheFaithfulTwinsOfTheMightySouth
Once, in the first age, in the south of Creation, there were a Brother and a Sister. They were not Exalted, but their bravery would have put some to shame. Instead, they served the Solar general Lanis Epija, also known as The Desert Mistress.
Brother and Sister were only human, but they served their leader eagerly and bravely. Lanis Epija was fighting a constant war against demons and Fair Folk, and she had victory after victory. The siblings seemed capable of pulling through any mission, as long as they were together. To reward them, Lanis Apija gifted them with a wave daiklave each, twins, just like their owners.
Alas, they were still only mortals. While heroic and brave, both could feel the weight of the years over them. Finally, they approached their leader one day.
"Milady!" Said Brother. "Our strength is less with each passing day!"
"Milady!" Said Sister. "Our feet now stumble when once they were steady!"
The Desert Mistress looked upon her servants sadly. "Alas, I wish I could help you, but it is the way of mortals to die."
"But we wish to continue fighting alongside you, mistress!" Said Brother.
"We wish to aid you, as we always have!" Said Sister.
"If these mortal bodies are not strong enough..." They both said. "Then forge us into mighty blades for your use!"
Their leader, moved by their loyalty and their words, accepted, and then took the blades she had gifted each. She forged their bodies and souls into these blades, and the two siblings smiled as they left this world, for they knew they would be useful to their leader forever.
She kissed the sword that now was also Brother, and said. "You shall now be called The King of the Sand, and in these vast, dry lands, you shall always be victorious."
Then she kissed the sword that now was also Sister, and said. "You shall be The Queen wrapped in Light, and you shall tear through the deepest darkness and bring the light of the Unconquered Sun where it doesn't reach."
"Together, you shall be the Faithful Twins of the Mighty South! Much like in life, you shall be invincible!"
And Lanis Apija, the Desert Mistress, used these twin blades for the rest of her life. When the Usurpation came, her loyal blades took the life of many an assassin that would claim her life. But she was tricked once, and the blades left her hands, and thus she was finally struck down, as the twin swords were lost into the sand...
The Faithful Twins of the Mighty South are twin orihalcum wave daiklaves. Their blades are made of the golden material and the hilt is made of Jade. Each has a slot for a hearthstone. The 'male' sword has a man's face carved into it, while the 'female' sword has an almost identical yet female figure in it. Each has its individual name carved on it an Old Realm script, and the full title of these blades can only be seen when both are together.
Each of them has its own properties, but together they are incredible weapons, negating off-hand penalties and otherwise working much like the Hooked Daiklaves of Dual Prowess (caste book: Night, page 81), except that it's fully possible to split the character's die pool with -each- blade, thus transforming the character into a whirlwind of destruction.
The King of the Sand, alone, gains strength while in the deserts of the south. It reacts to the sand just about everywhere, but only in the south does its power truly reveal itself. There, the weapon's stats are doubled, when sand appears to wrap itself around the weapon. The owner of this blade can parry once per turn without affecting his normal die pool at all, although this has the measly cost of 3 motes each time it's invoked. Also, the character is instantly aware of any attacks that come to him... as long as that person is under the ground or touching it. This awareness does not extend to the air. This would detect a bowman, for example, but not the arrow he just fired.
The Queen wrapped in Light is as strong as its brother while alone, but in a different fashion. With there mere expenditure of 1 mote, it glows as bright as a golden torch for a scene. This light has another effect, however... demons and undead are hurt terribly by it, suffering Aggravated damage from the blade. This light also reveals immaterialized spirits and ghosts, and can even cut them, but actually attacking them costs 5 motes per attack. Ghosts also suffer aggravated damage, but if the attack destroys them, they will reform as normal unless extra steps are taken.
And, yes, these powers work when the blades are together. Thus, demons and undead fighting the character in the desert might be in some trouble.
It costs 10 motes to attune to these weapons (5 per blade).
The Faithful Twins of the Mighty South: Speed +4, Accuracy +3, Damage +5L, Defense +2, Minimum STR 2, Artifact 5
The King of the Sand, while in the desert: Speed +8, Accuracy +6, Damage +10L, Defense +4
Optional (something I'm having a character do :p): Should anybody find these blade, they will find them together and dormant. While dormant, they are only artifact 4, and work exactly like Hooked Daiklaves of Dual Prowess except that the female blade can glow in the dark and the male blade reacts oddly when in the precense of sand, but gain no bonuses.
Awakening the blades requires a nice quest, most likely involving a trip to the south. It's not difficult seeing when they are awake or not... the faces of the twins in the blades are closed while the blades are dormant, and open when they awake.
Comments
Another awesome Artifact! Nice job! - Issaru
- Yeah, but did you see the character they're attached to? All kinds of mute coolness there.... Dreaming Nymph
- You flatter me -- Tiffa Who is in a really bad mood and needs all t he cheering up she can get.
- Yeah, I've got a special place in my heart for twin daiklaives...matter of fact i have to write about a certain pair....hope mine is as cool ;o) --Dreaming Nymph pours Tiffa a mug of cocoa with marshmallows...no bad mood can stick around after that...
