Maiden of the Mirthless Smile

A Loyal Abyssal of Mask of Winters

Favorite Skills: Archery, Martial Arts, Melee, Thrown, War, Resistance, Integrity, Presence, Performance, and Social

An alabaster master piece made flesh is what comes to most people’s minds when they first gaze upon Maiden of the Mirthless Smile. Her smooth face forever molded into an enigmatic smile that does not touch her eyes. It is a badge gained for a failure no one save her and her master knows. Since that soul numbing day in the flesh forges of Mask of Winter’s laboratory Maiden of the Mirthless Smile has never failed again.

• Oldest Death Knight under the Command of the Mask of Winters
• A Death Knight marked by The Green Lady as worthy – a true Solar Quality Recipient.
• Commander in Chief of Mask of Winter’s Armies and strangely enough has her master’s full confidence
• Led the Vanguard against the force of Thorn and personally executed all the Supernatural Defenders and the City God
• She fought Dace when she invaded a city-state in the Scavenger Lands. Dace only managed to pin her unit, and Mask of Winter recalled her before she can show the fledging Solars a Death Knight’s true might. All this almost came to naught with Golden Tyrant’s rebellion but thankfully only the War Captain’s Circle realize their true damager. All encounter the other Solar had with the Death Knights showed them as formidable but hardly on the same level. This is mainly because so few Abyssals are the stuff of legends. Instead many are whatever tickles the Death Lord’s fancy.
• Only her, Adamant Sadness and Blind Pain Soulful Timbre remain as Death Knights. The other 6 Death Knights were all killed by Solars when they invaded the Underworld in search of the kidnapped Gladrien Vanja.
  • Though 2 of those 6 are newly exalted after Golden Tyrant slaughtered their predecessors.
• Uses an Abyssal Daiklave Style “New Shadow School (新阴流),” more commonly known as “One who strike strong enough, need not strike again.”
  • Focuses on Speed and Damage
• Has the Combo “Wolf Catching the Snake’s Tail”
• Has 7 Hearthstone Socketed that combined with her equipment and arsenal at her disposal makes her an adversary not to be taken lightly. 3 from Sword, 2 from Armor, 1 from Hearthstone Bracer, 1 from Hearthstone Amulet

 

The Maiden’s Panoply

Ironic Jest
(Soulsteel Grand Daiklave, Artifact•••••)

Like all Soulsteel weapons this Grand Daiklave is Jet Black with tormented souls that fade and reappears as if it’s a trick of the light. When drawn a constant swirling aura of Red and Black surrounds it.

• Cost 10 Motes to Attune
• 3 Hearthstone Sockets (one on each side of the blade where the guard joins the hilt, and 1 at the tip of the blade)
• The weapon releases a desolating and soul numbing chuckle when its attacks fail to do damage. All living things within hearing range (except those with the Whisper Background), be they friend or foe, regardless if they can physically hear sounds or not – since it is a supernatural effect and not actual sound waves, who’s MDV is lower than the Essence of the Wielder +3 will be at -4 internal penalty for the rest of the scene as the chuckle wreck their souls and send their bodies into random spasms. This is an unnatural mental influence and requires 2 Willpower point to resist for the rest of the scene.
• The blade is no better when its attack succeeds however. When an attack manages to do damage, it screams a desperate laughter of suffering as if hot lead is pour into their eye sockets but they can only laugh. The ghosts whose soul was used to make the material for the blade all rush to its surface, distorting it as blood trickles out of their orifices and drips down the blade. This is not all for show. The blade is literally drinking the life essences of the target and venting it out as blood. It adds levels of lethal damage equal to the wielder’s Essence (after damage is rolled) to the attack but only to living targets.
• All this is in addition to the intrinsic essence draining property of Soulsteel.

Speed 5
Accuracy +3 (+5 attuned)
Damage +14L/4
Defense +0
Rate 3
Min Str••
Attune 10
Tags: 2, O, P, R

 

 

Pale Pain’s Mirror
(Super Heavy Artifact Plate???, Unique Artifact)

This set of Abyssal Battle Armor is completely made of Soulsteel forged from the Ghosts of Violated Maidens. It is said that Maiden of the Mirthless Smile was made to gather these Ghosts personally and in the depth of the Mask of Winter’s Labyrinth Laboratory forged them into the armor accompanied by Mask of Winters. Whether this is true or not, no one save Mask of Winters and Maiden of Mirthless Smile know. The armor is rarely used however, and is stored in Elsewhere via Charms.

This all that is half-truths however, since the actual Pale Pain’s Mirror is a part of Maiden’s Life Essence. In its making her soul was no less violated than the final violation she was forced to commit on the armor’s material ghosts. The necromancy Mask of Winters wielded forged all their suffering into a crystalized monument to innocence lost to tyranny – a perfect face of suffering contorted into a forced smile, the very face of Maiden of the Mirthless Smile.

What people believe is the “Armor” is actually nothing more than a memento. True the actual armor grants fantastic protection but no more than any quality suit of same caliber. The true horror, the truly powerful artifact, is hers for all time – an escapable and inviolate proof of her broken spirit.

Power: In this artifact the Mask of Winter had outdone himself. A simple act of “diabolique” turned out to be more successful than even he realizes. The Pale Pain’s Mirror Increase the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile Permanent Essence by 1, and connects her to the corruption of the Labyrinth and cements her to the causes of Oblivion. Her caste mark is no longer a bleeding brand but of solid darkness that dims her surrounding in opposition magnitude of Solar animas.

This connection effectively negates the her need to spent Willpower points to activate Charms with “Spectre” keywords, for she is ever choking in the taint of the Underworld. It also means she regains Essence always as if she is in the Labyrinth.

Unknown to even the Neverborns , whilst she “wears” this artifact she can never be redeemed. The potent link to the Neverborns (hence the +1 to Essence) will forever unmake any progress towards that goal. As a side effect, her Dissonance Discharges are at double potency. This doubles radius and targets and such, it does not mean her 2 dot discharge has the same sweeping scale as a 4 dot discharge.

The Byproduct Soulsteel Superheavy Plate (Artifact •••••)

Soak: +15L/15B, Attuned: +17L/17B
Hardness 10L/10B, Attuned: 11L/11B
2 Hearthstone Sockets (Collar, Waist)

 

 

Tears of Incomparable Misery
(Soulsteel Punishment Implant, Artifact •••••)

This is a cape of interwoven strands of soulsteel that trails a murky vapor as fire does smoke. Each strand is finer than spider silk and is stronger than anchor chains. The cape is regal and fit for a queen, with gold trimmings and a high collar. Its opulent appearance however disguises its ruthless nature. The strands do not merely form a tapestry of darkness. It reaches deep within her and integrates into every organ and every bone. The crude necrosurgery leaves an ever open wound between the shoulder blades where it enters the body. The wound is horrifying to look at but otherwise produces no pain or penalties upon Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles.

It is because of this that the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile is never seen without it. Nor does she allow any but her honor guards to attend her when she is undressed.

For all its apparent horrors the cape is far far worse.

• The Cape essentially makes Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles a puppet on strings. Regardless of the distance can, should he wish it, play with her as a puppeteer does a marionette. He if he so choses can see what she sees, hear what she hears, smell what she smells, but fortunately he does not know what she thinks. The arcane link only links the physical and does not extend to the mind. He can also communicate with her (as if he is whispering to her ear) over the same arcane link.
• While she would never have chosen it herself, the cape can reweave itself into a dozen razor sharp cords 30 feet long. These cords functions the same as 4 permanent Charm of Withering Blood Chain Technique (see below). Like the Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles herself, these malignant appendages’ controls are shared between the Maiden and her master.
• All these control are merely Damocles Sword. For the Mask of Winter never used it. He does not even use the communication function. Instead he resorts to Necromancy or more mundane ways. The Maiden of Mirthless Smile knows they exist however, since Mask of Winter told her personally when the surgery was performed.
• While the artifact have similar function as the Permanent Charm, but it is not actually the permanent version of the Charm. Thus it does not count against the permanent Charm’s normal limit. Should she ever wish to do so, she can purchase the normal limit for the permanent version of the charm.
• Being Razor Sharp Soulsteel, the attacks of these cords have the same Essence draining properties as Soul Steel and inflict Lethal Damage.
• In addition the darkness that extrudes from the cape (and the deadly cords it forms) are poisonous to all living things and takes effect when anything it coats inflicts lethal damage. It goes without saying the source of the corruption (the cords) are always thus coated, but one can sweep their weapon through the murkiness and it will gain enough coating for 1 attack. The Maiden buff her Daiklave with the cape before every battle and its poisonous property last the whole scene.
  • The poison is magical corruption and cannot be prevented by mundane means. Though magical effects that stops poison and crippling effects does work.
  • The Poison drops Extras to the ground in terrifying screams as their mind is overwhelmed. Mercy is granted to them at the end of the scene as their hearts finally gives out.
  • Mortals fair slightly better, since they at least get a save of Stamina + Resistance over difficulty equal to the controller’s Essence. Should they make it, they suffer the same effect as Enlightened Beings, otherwise they perish just the same as Extras.
  • Enlightened Beings are sturdy enough to resist the poison’s deadlier effects. It however is still deliberating and causes mild hallucinations accompanied by high fever. It imposes a –1 Wound Penalty for a number of days equal to the controller’s Essence score. A successful poison RR vs. the controller’s Essence halves that duration.
  • While Maiden of the Mirthless Smile has inundated by her constant exposure the poison readily works on abyssal as it does other Exalts. Of course it does not function on beings who has no wound penalties – such as the dead or constructs.
• The last function is that the cape can be used to whisk the Maiden back to Her Abyssal Manse in an explosion of blood and gore. If one didn’t already know, it would only be natural to assume it was her that exploded. This is a means of last ditch effort to escape, though Mask of Winter can also use it as a form of Recall. The active use of this power is a reflexive action that takes 12 motes. However, it is set to automatically activate should the Maiden reach incapacitated or below.

 

 

Battlelusting Lightless Shadow
(Soulsteel Noble Warstrider, Artifact ••••)

Mask of Winter does not wish to provoke the Warstrider Legion of Lookshy and thus far have kept all his true Warstriders in the Underworld. He made a great show of “field testing a prototype trying to even out the playing field against Lookshy.” This prototype is of course the too large construct made of bone that Adamant Sadness ended up running off with.

Power: A Standard Soulsteel Noble Warstrider built for her at the Command of the Mask of Winters. The only addition is the prehensile tail.

 

 

Nemissary Honor Guards

Like Adamant Sadness, Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles is always escorted by her personal nemissary guards.

These guards are all experienced veterans of the Stygian Wars with centuries of Arcanoi experience hand chosen by Mask of Winters to carry the honor of his chosen. Each of these ancients are granted a construct bodies that is the peak of necro-tech perfection and are both frightening in power and form and molded to emulate the icy beauty of their charge.

Commanding Officer: Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles
Armor Color: Black and Silver, tinged with iridescent Blue
Motto: “Accept this blessing [death] from your betters”
General Makeup: 50 Ancient Nemissary, in Soulsteel Super-Heavy Plate, wielding Soulsteel Grand Grimscythe
Overall Quality: Ultra-Elite
Magnitude: 2 (4)
Drill: 5
Morale: Perfect (Undead and Her are both effectively fearless)
Close Combat Attack: 8
Close Combat Damage: 7 (P)
Shield: Wings (+2 DV)
Ranged Attack: –
Ranged Damage: –
Endurance: N/A
Might: 5
Armor: 8, Hardness 11 (-2 mobility)
Formation: Nemissaries of this caliber are never extras. The five warriors move between formations as needed, and support each other in battle. They often coordinate attacks or move to surround an individual foe.

Note: These Nemissaries have 12 Heath Levels per Magnitude
Note: Soulsteel Wings are not flight capable, but are for defensive purposes. They can be used as shield against incoming attacks adding +2 to DV.
Note: Due to Mask of Winter hiding his true might, these nemissaries often just possess recently killed soldiers’ bodies. Thus they are not using the above stats. These stats are them functioning at their full might.

 

 

 

WRITHING BLOOD CHAIN TECHNIQUE

Cost: 8m, 1wp (12xp)
Mins: Martial Arts 5
Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious, Stackable, Taint
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Five Knife Fist

Blood gushes from the Abyssal’s back and arms and hardens into rust-colored chains tipped with barbed claws. The Abyssal may grow as many as 13 chains, but there is no mechanical benefit to having more or less.

While this Charm is active, the blood chains give the character an extra action on each tick when she acts. A character can buy this Charm more than once, up to (Essence - 2) purchases, gaining another extra action with each purchase. The chains use the Abyssal’s full traits and go limp while the character is inactive for any reason. Actions taken by the chains may be enhanced with Charms as if any normal limb performed them, but they occur independently of any singular actions or flurries their creator takes and do not suffer normal multiple-action penalties. Use of Writhing Blood Chain Technique prevents the use of any other extra-action Charms, though.

The chains cannot wield other weapons, but they can lash opponents up to (Essence) yards away. As weapons, the chains have the tags D, N, R. They have Accuracy, Damage and Defense bonuses equal to their creator’s Essence, inflicting lethal damage. The chains cannot make clinch attacks on their own, but each of their actions may be used to impose a -1 external penalty to an opponent’s roll to control a grapple if used to entangle rather than strike. The weapons are not considered unarmed attacks for the purposes of Martial Arts Charms unless that style wields fighting chains or whips as form weapons. When the scene ends, the chains dissolve in a splash of gore.

Blood chains are vaguely self-aware and restlessly malevolent. If the Abyssal has no Willpower points remaining, the chains lash out at whatever targets the Storyteller chooses, tearing up the environment from boredom if they have no animate targets to maim or kill. It is not possible to voluntarily terminate the Charm before its duration while the chains act freely, though regaining a single Willpower point reasserts control. The Taint drawback of this Charm is that permanent chains present far more opportunities to lose control and cause unwanted collateral damage. Making the Charm permanent costs six bonus points or 12 experience points.

Clytemnestra, Eclipse Caste #17

K-ly-te-m-ne-s-tra

First Age Bearer: Terrible Bloody Rose

Original Image #2

Total Attributes: 29

Strength 2
Dexterity 2
Stamina: 4

Charisma 3
Manipulation 3
Appearance 5

Perception 3
Intelligence 4
Wits 3

Things of Note

• Orichalcum Solar Battle Armor (From the Solar Armory on the Unconquered Sun’s many properties in Yu-Shan)
   
   
• Rightful Owner of the Thunderbolt Shield Balan been using
• Enchanted Feature (4): Statuesque
• Leader of the Gold Faction Solars

 

The Domain of Stately Order

In the middle of the Southern coastal plains, between the Penitent and Chairoscuro lies the most unusual and most hotly debated of the lands of the South. Created 260 years ago as a social experiment, the Domain of Stately Order is a small tributary governed by the Solar Exalt Terrible Bloody Rose and her Lunar consort Shining Ocelot. The principality is a circle exactly 800 miles across. It contains the central city, known as Dari of the Mists, which is beautiful, perfectly circular metropolis precisely 40 miles in diameter with seven million inhabitants.

Dari is located in a bowl-shaped valley and is an ancient city built in the early days of the rule of Primordials. Although smaller than many modern cities, it is exceptionally beautiful. All of the towers and other large buildings are made from an opalescent alloy that even the finest savants of the Deliberative cannot make in the vast quantities necessary to build a large city from them.

When exposed to sunlight, this alloy shines like white opal, and it glows softly with the same sparking color at night. It also attracts ambient mist that briefly swirls with similar color when it touches these towers. These mists have long been known to make mortals who inhale them both slightly happier and less inclined to excessive violence. Mortals living here are treated as if they have a minimum of two dots in both Compassion and Temperance, even if their actual scores are lower. This effect fades within 3 days of leaving Dari. The effects of these mists gave Terrible Bloody Rose and Shining Ocelot the idea for creating the Scepter and Orb of Peace and Order. Their efforts, however, have also made the city far less popular to both immigrants and tourists.

Before it became part of the Domain of Stately Order, Dari was widely acclaimed as the most pleasant city in the south, and mortals regularly flocked here to visit. Many Southern mortals attempted to save sufficient amounts of money to be able to go on their honeymoons in Dari. This custom persists, and newlyweds remain an important source of tourism, but all tourism has significantly declined since the city’s rulers completed the Scepter and the Orb.

The remainder of this principality houses an additional 93 million people, the vast majority of whom work in various RPCs that specialize in growing and spinning linen and in tending Essence spiders and transforming their silk into sails, armor and similar goods.

The Scepter of Peace and Order (Legendary Artifact)

This incomparable wonder consists of a five-foot shaft of orichalcum, ending in a ring adorned with various spurs, crescents and Essence-focusing crystals. Attuning to the Scepter requires a commitment of eight motes. The artifact confers several powers on the Perfect:

• The Scepter grants its owner one additional dot each of Stamina, Charisma, Manipulation, Perception, Intelligence and Wits as long as it is attuned, a maximum of 5. (This is no longer meaningful for the Perfect. In his long life, he has raised all these traits to 5.)
• The Scepter’s owner becomes immune to all Emerald and Sapphire Circle sorcery, all Charms that affect perception and all forms of unnatural mental influence.
• The owner soaks both lethal and aggravated damage with his full Stamina.
• An enlightened mortal attuned to the Scepter can access his entire Essence pool without the necessity of spending Willpower.
• All oaths a person makes while touching the Scepter become forever binding. A complex eye-shaped sigil appears on the palm of the oath-swearer, like a faintly scarlet tattoo. No power short of Adamant Circle Countermagic can remove the sigil. If the person hacks off the entire limb that bears the sigil, it reappears on her stump.
• The Scepter does not remove a person’s free will, but it rigidly enforces the oath the person swore. Severe pains radiate from the sigil to wrack the person who broke any of the oaths she swore upon the Scepter. The Scepter’s master can calibrate the pain’s severity for different oaths and offenses. For minor violations of the oath, the agony ends when the foresworn person confesses her crime to a designated, legitimate authority (in Paragon, a magistrate). For the most serious oaths, however, a foresworn person suffers death. At the moment of the crime, the eye-sigil closes to show her and everyone else that she is doomed. The agony begins in moments, and does not relent until the person dies a few hours later.
• To minimize social problems and disruptions of daily life, the Scepter’s punishments largely happen out of the public eye. All pain suffered by oath-breakers begins at sunset of the day of the offense. Also, oath-breakers who condemned themselves to death through their actions die only after dark while inside a building. A few oath-breakers try to stay outdoors every night to avoid their fate. Between the pain caused by the sigil and the stresses of life on the streets, these wretched individuals rarely last long. Paragon citizens who see them crouching in doorways and sleeping in gutters shun them.
• The short-lived pain for a minor violation of an oath acts as a -1 wound penalty that lasts a few hours. The pain for severe violations inflicts a -2 wound penalty. The pain for a terminal violation inflicts a -4 wound penalty, while it lasts. The victim lives for a number of hours equal to his Stamina. These are Crippling effects. Charms that protect against Crippling effects can protect the person, but for Charm vs. Charm purposes, treat the Scepter enforced oath as backed by Essence 8 and a dice pool of 16. Punishment is only delayed, however, not cured.
• While holding the Scepter, its master can borrow the senses of anyone marked with its sigil, located anywhere in Creation. This function has no Essence cost and requires no dice rolls. Sigil-bearers, even those who are Exalted, can neither sense nor resist this power. The Scepter’s bearer can experience all of a sigil-bearer’s senses without the sigil-bearer’s knowledge or consent.
• For three motes of Essence, the Scepter’s bearer can strengthen this connection and actually take over the body of any mortal sigil-bearer, including enlightened mortals (but not Exalted), for up to a scene. The Perfect can possess or tap the senses of only one person at a time, but he can use this borrowed body as easily as his own. The subject of this possession has no memory or awareness of these events.
• While holding the Scepter, its owner can also spend one mote to induce severe pain in any single person who bears the sigil, including Exalted. Jagged black lines radiate from the sigil. This Crippling effect acts as a wound penalty of -2. It lasts a scene, or until the Scepter’s owner relents and cancels the effect.
• As long as at least 200 people bear sigils, the person attuned to the Scepter becomes completely immune to all diseases and does not age. He heals one level of lethal damage every three hours and one level of aggravated damage every day.

All of these powers are granted to any Essence-user attuned to the Scepter. A Celestial Exalt who attunes to the Scepter gains even greater powers (see Dreams of the First Age: Book One—Lands of Creation, pp. 94-95).

Dream of the First Age: Book One – Lands of Creation, p. 94-95

This tributary was created to test and demonstrate the promise of a pair of exceptionally powerful artifacts called the Instruments of Peace and Order. The Scepter of Peace and Order is large orichalcum scepter with a five-foot-long shaft, topped with a complex crook decorated with a variety of crystals that focus and channel Essence. The complementary Orb of Peace and Order is a moonsilver sphere the size of a large grapefruit, incised with grooves to allow it to be held in one hand and decorated with crystals identical to those on the scepter.

When a Celestial Exalt holds the scepter, it allows the bearer to have a general sense of everyone within 400 miles. The bearer can sense general concentrations and movements of population, as well as being able to instantly identify any Exalts, gods, elementals or demons inside his domain. The bearer can also broadcast messages to everyone inside the radius and can produce a scarlet eye-like sigil on the flesh of every adult or adolescent inside the domain. The target must accept the sigil willingly, but the scepter allows a Celestial bearer to cause anyone who refuses the sigil to be overcome with the urge to leave he domain within the next week. This compulsion is impossible for anyone but another Exalted to resist.

The scepter also allows its bearer to automatically distinguish between individuals who have lived in the domain for more than a month and visitors or new arrivals. Terrible Bloody Rose leaves visitors alone, but every month, she forces her sigil on anyone who has been in the domain longer. All mortals who refuse must leave. Exalts who refuse need not leave the domain, but if they accept the sigil, they are as bound by its power as any mortal would be. Other than allowing the bearer to sense them, neither the Scepter or the Orb of Peace and Order has any effect on gods, elementals or demons.

Anyone who accepts the sigil is marked for life. Only Solar Circle sorcery performed by someone who’s Essence is at least as high as the scepter bearer’s can remove this sigil. The scepter-bearer can borrow the sense of any sigil-bearer at will and with no rolls or Essence cost, no matter where the person with the sigil is in Creation. By spending three motes of Essence, the scepter-bearer can also take over the body of a sigil-bearer for up to one scene. Finally, as the scepter-bearer places the sigil on a target, she also impresses the laws of her domain into the target’s mind. Sigil-bearer knows that accepting this sigil means they also swear a solemn oath to obey all these laws. This oath remains in place as long as t he scepter is attuned. If, however, it is ever unattuned or the wielder dies, all sigils vanish within 24 hours, unless someone else attunes to the scepter during this time.

The device does not remove a sigil-bearer’s free will, but it does force him to pay a price for any and all transgressions. Pain wracks the body of anyone who disobeys the laws he swore to obey. For major offenses, this agony ends when the criminal confesses his sin to a local magistrate. For minor offenses, the pain last for only a few hours if the offender resist the urge to confess. Breaking the most serious oaths, however, such as never attempting to harm one of the Celestial Exalted, is inevitably punished by death. Sigil-bearers who break one of these capital oaths die a painful, writhing death a few hours after the oath is broken. As soon as they commit this transgression, the eye on their sigil closes. Every punishment imposed by the sigil takes place indoors and during the night. If an offender attempts to remain outdoors at night, his presence becomes obvious to Terrible Bloody Rose, who commands him to go home, whereupon he will immediately pay for his crime.

The power of the Orb of Peace and Order are far more subtle and insidious. Any Celestial Exalted who carries the orb can both sense and alter the emotion of all sigil bearers, either en masse or individually. Also, as long as it remains attuned, any sigil-bearer who performs any action that either actively encourages others to obey the laws or goes beyond the expected minimal obedience to the law is automatically rewarded with vividly enjoyable dreams. Also, characters who regularly obtain these dreams also reduce the difficulty of all rolls to recover from infections or disease by 2 (to a minimum of 1) and live one third again as long as they otherwise would.

No individual can attune herself to both the Scepter and the Orb of Peace and Order. The attunement cost of each artifact is 5 motes. As long as at least 200 people bear sigils, anyone attuned to either object is completely immune to all diseases and infections. He also does not age, and he heals one level of lethal damage every 3 hours and one level of aggravated damage every day.

The instruments of Peace and Order offer Terrible Bloody Rose and Shining Ocelot an unprecedented amount of control of the populace of their principality. In the 260 years that this experiment has been running there has been only one riot and one worker’s strike that lasted only one day. In addition, citizens are exceptionally polite and courteous to visitors and each other. Even very minor offenses such as littering, which are typically punished only by a headache that last a few hours, are almost nonexistent.

In short, this tributary is clearly the most law-abiding and polite place in all Creation, although it has a higher than average suicide rate. Terrible Bloody Rose and Shining Ocelot regularly assert that similar measures should be adopted throughout Creation, but debate continues in the Deliberative. Many Celestial Exalted and most Dragon-Blooded strongly oppose this idea because they find the results to be deeply disturbing. Also, most Celestial Exalted forbid sigil-bearers from entering their domains, and they object to the idea of other Celestial rulers transforming their entire populace into what potentially amounts to an army of spies and possibly even assassins.

Terrible Bloody Rose and Shining Ocelot both claim that the Scepter of Peace and Order cannot be used to place a sigil on one of the Celestial Exalted and that all forms of Exaltation automatically burns away the sigil. The first statement has never been tested, because none of the Celestial Exalted are willing to test their immunity. A few dozen adolescent bearing the sigil have undergone Terrestrial Exaltation, however, and all of them have lost their sigil, so the second claim has been accepted as fact. The truth, though, is that any Exalt can be given the sigil, and Exaltation removes the sigil only if the bearer wishes it removed. If either of these facts were discovered, the small amount of sympathy for this tributary and its rulers would evaporate, and several dozen Celestial Exalted would call for the immediate destruction of the Instruments of Peace and Order.

Rathessian Crystal Weapon

While Chiaroscuro Glass Weapons are the wonder of the south, the Dragon King’s mastery over crystals are a wonder of the First Age.  It is but Child’s play for Dragon Kings to product a better material. 

Unfortunately due to the lack of Dragon King’s its production are very limited.

Currently only few hundred weapons are made and they are used almost exclusively for Adeptus Astartes and Solar House Guards.

Rathessian Crystal can be made into any Slashing or Piercing weapon.  They have the same statistics as their mundane counterparts, except the Crystal Blades gains Piercing Tag if it does not already possess it and +1L of damage.   The crystal however are incredibly dense and is as heavy as the metal it replaces but nigh indestructible.

Cost: Not available for sale.  Should a weapon be smuggled out, it will cost +•• more than normal to a minimum of ••••

Note: The Adeptus Astarte weapons are all finished within the Altelier-Manse and Blessed by the Mice of the Sun.  Thus they are all Perfect Quality Weapons.  Those used by Solar House Guards are of the mundane quality.

Rathessian War Bow

Rathessian War Bow is of an ancient design and harvested from engineered plants that grown half a dozen every Season.  Incredibly rare only the Adeptus Astartes are using them currently.

The wood is scented and naturally forms a resilient composite with its natural resin.  It is light to pull yet stores an incredibly amount of energy.  It is no less effective than the mundane Wheelbow currently the guarded secret of Lookshy.

Speed: 5
Accuracy: +1
Damage: +1L
Rate: 3
Range: 275
Max Strength: ••••••
Cost: Worth •••• if available at all
Tags: 2, B

 

Rathessian Smite

All the trees currently grown in the Temple-Monastery of the Adeptus Astartes are ancient seeds preserved along with the Legacy.  As such they product Perfect Quality Rathessian War Bows.  These bows are known as Rathessian Smite and has became the Standard Sidearm of the Adeptus Astartes.

Speed: 5
Accuracy: +2
Damage: +3L
Rate: 3
Range: 325
Max Strength: ••••••
Cost: Worth at least ••••• if available at all
Tags: 2, B

Chiaroscuran Glass Blades

The ruins of Chiaroscuro constitute an enormous supply of hard yet resilient glass… but only a small fraction of the glass comes in shards large enough to grind into swords. Glass, however, can hold a sharper
edge than steel.  Blades of Chiaroscuran glass have the same statistics as their metal counterparts, except the glass blades gain the Piercing tag.  Glass weapons also have Strength Minimums one dot lower than a metal weapon, since glass is lighter than steel or bronze.

Cost: +• in Charoscuro, +•• elsewhere in Creation

Item Index

Here is a index of the various entries about the items in [Exalted Past]

Albio’s Armor (Artifact •••••)

Aata’s (Artifact ••)

Belt of Aerial Mobility (Artifact •••)

Celestial Cocaine (Resources •••••)

Celestial Wine (Resources •••••)

Chiaroscuran Glass Blades (Resources +•/+••)

Cup of Flowing Blood (Artifact •••)

Dactylothecoe, The (Legendary Artifact)

Daiklave of Conquest, Dance’s (Artifact •••••)

Domnica's Mantle (Legendary Artifact)

Dragon Tear Tiara (Artifact ••)

Fans of the Sweet Courtier, The (Artifact ••••)

Heart, The (Unknown Artifact)

Ironic Jest (Soulsteel Grand Daiklave, Artifact•••••)

Mask (Artifact ••)

Mecca (Legendary Artifact)

Metasorcerous Phylactery (Artifact ••••)

Nadir of Inauspicious Fortune, The (Artifact ••••)

Pale Pain’s Mirror (Unique Artifact)

Peach of Immortality (N/A)

Perfection of the Ascending Sun (Legendary Artifact)

Rathessian Crystal Weapon (Resource +••, no less than ••••)

Rathessian Smite (N/A)

Rathessian Theater Badge, The (Artifact •) 

Rathessian War Bow (N/A, Resources ••••)

Rod of Cleansing the Body (Artifact ••)

Scepter of Peace and Order, The (Legendary Artifact)

Seven Bounties Paste (Resource •••)

Songbirds of Atlantis (Artifact •••)

Sweet Cordial (Resource ••••)

Tears of Incomparable Misery (Artifact •••••)

Third-Arm Glaive (Artifact •••••)

Translation Crystal (Artifact ••)

Yasal Crystal (Artifact • or ••)

 

War Strider

Battlelusting Lightless Shadow (Noble, Artifact ••••)

 

Others

Nemissary Honor Guards: Maiden of the Mirthless Smile

 

Legacy of of Auspicious Plume

Herenthid Find, The (Military Science)

Hidden Library of Chikmayiz, The (Medicine)

Hidden Workshop of Methexis, The (Metallurgy)

Dactylothecoe, The (Legendary Artifact)

The Dactylothecoe is also known as the Ring of Victory or more commonly as “The Trophy.”  It is made from the core of the freshly murdered Primordial “Ramethus;” who escaped the initial primordial wars into the Wyld and eventually returned after reinventing himself purely for combat.

That Battle was long and bloody and claimed the life of such Solar luminaries such as Brigid, Unconquered Shield and Righteous Guide.

Like the War before, it was Guiding Hand that Smite who landed the killing blow and Mecca who sealed the victory.  Guiding Hand that Smite, already manipulated by Mecca, deeply under the influence of the Great Curse refuse to yield the carcass of the Primordial for seal into Malfeas and claimed it as his spoil of war.  Thus another Neverborn was created.

The Deliberative tried to force him to yield by passing a motion, but Guiding Hand that Smite simply left the proceeding in mid-session and refused to return till the Deliberative swore to declare the carcass as his rightful gain.  This contest effectively disbanded the Solar Deliberative for more than a Century – for no session can be recognized without the Proctor present.  While irked the callous Solars did not see this as anything more than minor inconvenience to their governance of Creation.  However, as time grew the increasing dissenting Solars grew irked.

In secrecy that would shame Sidereal in Perfection, the 5 Deliberators unanimously voted to remove Guiding Hand that Smite as Proctor and install the more agreeable and equally respected Aofe as his temporary replacement.

The same playbook for Merela’s “removal” was used and after his “peaceful and natural” death Guiding Hand that Smite was given a funeral deserving of a Hero of the First Age.

Mecca then passed on to Aofe conditioned upon his temporary post as Proctor.  During this time he gained the epithet “The Golden Blade” on his many campaign into the Wyld and expanded the Reach of Creation greatly. 

The Ring passed on to the next incarnation of Guiding Hand that Smite.

Aofe’s temporary assignment lasted till the Usurpation since none of Guiding Hand that Smite’s incarnation ever lived long enough to gain enough recognition to assume his rightful position.  “Misfortune” seems to follow the ring bearer yet none of them can resist the power it grants and all wore it to their untimely deaths.

 

Power

Forged from very essence of a Primordial’s Essence as he straddled between his unkillable self and transformation into a Neverborn.  This ring grants the Wearer the certainty of existence that is the basis of Creation.   It affirms and protects its wearer’s identity and nature.  Only things of Creation proper can affect the character – the Dead, Fair Folk, Demons, Gods and the Wyld cannot even target the character with their magic.  They may use physical and social attacks, but none of their exo-creation properties can touch the bearer.  Any such actions enhanced by Charms/Special Effects will have the effects nullified.

Elementals and Gods, however, are of Creation, and thus are unaffected by this protection.  Charms that belong to Creation, such as Solars, Lunars, Dragon-Blooded, Spirit Charms of Gods, and Sorceries, are all native to Creation and thus will take effect – even if they are used by beings not-of Creation.

Similarly while Abyssal Charms are corruption of Solar Charms they are none the less still Solar Charms and thus are also outside the ring’s protection.

Green Sun Princes' charms however are Charms of the Yozi, thus cannot affect the wearer of the ring.

The Ring has 3 Hearthstone settings and functions as a Hearthstone bracer.  However, the Ring cost 15 motes to attune and is considered native material for all Magical Beings of Creation.  Though this is rather moot since only very specific people can attune to this awesome artifact.

While the Ring looks like it is made of Common Gold it is not.  It is the very essence of Will and Existence.  Thus those who attuned gains all 5 of the material bonus for Hearthstone Bracers.

• Orichalcum: All of the character’s attack gains +2 dice.
• Moonsilver: Increase the character’s lethal soak by 2 dice.
• Jade: Gain a -1 bonus to their Speed ratings for H2H or ranged attacks.
• Starmetal: Add one to the character’s weapons’ Accuracy and Defense rating.
• Soulsteel: Decrease the target’s lethal and bashing
  soaks by two against the character’s attacks. This effect cannot reduce a target’s soak below 0.

It is commonly assumed that the Ring will only function for Guiding Hand that Smite’s incarnations, but this is not entirely true.  The Ring will also function for whoever attuned Mecca – for she has tainted it with her corruption even during its creation.

Domnica’s Mantle (Legendary Artifact)

Scroll of Exalts (Pg. 85), Classified as N/A Artifact

This gauzy, iridescent cloak flutters without regard for wind and bears an ornate silver clasp emblazoned with emeralds and arcane glyphs. Upon its wearer’s death, he may reflexively spend one Willpower point as his last action to fray the garment into an abstract paradox that snarls itself into the weave of existence.  The cloak then reforms at a new location determined by unknowable principles. If the wearer’s next life looks hard and long enough, circumstances inevitably arrange for him to find Domnica’s Mantle again, though it is up to him to do what is necessary to reclaim it.

The death of a Celestial Exalt releases her Exaltation, but it ignores the pull of Lytek’s cabinet (or Monstrance or Lillun’s womb) to seek out a suitable host on its own in accordance with Autochthon’s design. Upon the Second Breath of a new Celestial, the personality and memories of the Mantle’s wearer utterly subsume the new incarnation, bypassing the unnecessary formality of Lytek sanctifying the union of Exaltation and soul. The new Celestial fully remembers her last life, restoring her Motivation and Intimacies, but otherwise possesses the traits of her newly Exalted body in addition to a permanent Mentor 5 reflecting the core of her memory. She can draw upon this memory to teach herself any traits she used to possess in any prior incarnation given to Domnica’s Mantle.  The Storyteller may waive experience costs to allow a character who dies mid-series to restore herself and catch up to other protagonists. She still remembers her new body’s life prior to Exaltation and retains that life’s Intimacies, but the experiences seem hazy, like a vivid dream.

For a wearer lacking a Celestial Exaltation, the mantle carries her soul through Lethe to be reborn into a new life that fits whatever criteria the wearer desires, subject to Storyteller approval. This can include location, gender, social status and even supernatural heritage, such as divine blood or an infant destined to be a Dragon-Blood. It is not possible to pick a life that will receive Celestial Exaltation. The new life begins no sooner than a year from the death of the wearer.  At some point in the reincarnation’s adolescence, the personality of the former life reasserts itself with the same mechanical effects as possession by a Celestial Exaltation explained above.

Dance’s Daiklave of Conquest

Dance’s Daiklave of Conquest was given to him as a gift from Arianna, who retrieved it from a Solar Tomb she excavated in the Deep South.  All Daiklave of Conquest are forged for the greatest generals of the Old Realm and thus designed exclusively for use by the Dawn Caste. No other Exalted can attune themselves to this weapon, nor wield its fantastic powers.

When used in battle, the daiklave glows with a bright, unearthly light. As long as this daiklave is unsheathed, all opponents and other hostile individuals within 10 yards of the bearer must make a Valor roll at +1 difficulty or flee in fear.

Those who hold their ground lose a number of dice from all attacks (even those not targeting the wielder) equal to the bearer’s Valor score.

So long as the bearer is using this weapon in combat, friendly troops fight with improved morale that gives them one bonus die to all combat-related dice pools. They also automatically gain one success on all Valor rolls.

In addition, all opponents suffer a –1 internal penalty to all combat-related dice pools and receive a +1 penalty to the difficulty of their Valor rolls.

Both of these powers affect combatants within one mile of the Exalt wielding the daiklave. These bonuses and penalties do not apply to civilians or neutral soldiers.

A Dawn Caste Exalt must commit 10 motes of Essence to attune to this blade.  Both known examples of this rare and deadly treasure act as standard orichalcum daiklaves in hand-to-hand battle, though each has a setting for three hearthstones.

Dance’s Daiklave has a Hearthstone setting on each side of the blade, and the last one is the jewel setting for the pommel.

Perfection of the Ascending Sun

This fantastic blade is also known as the Fomenter of the Ever Victorious Legion. It was forged for the greatest general of the Solar Deliberative “Solomon of Teir” by his Twilight Caste lover “Vicar of Origination Sublime” and is an awe inspiring symbol of power on the battlefield. This Daiklave is wide and single edged almost resembling a reaver daiklave, but is slightly longer and elegant in its plainness. It has 4 sockets for Hearthstones, lining the back of the blade from the Guard to a quarter the way up the blade.

This weapon can only be attuned by a Dawn Caste Solar costing 8 motes. No other castes can wield this weapon or utilize its fantastic powers.

The sword comes with an exquisite case like sheath that negates the entirety of the weapon’s weight and inertia. This effect is constant and does not require attunement, making the weapon easy to transport and carry. The sheath can be worn fashionably on the hip or strapped to the back. The Sheath also has an additional function as noted below.

The weapon is currently socketed with Gem of Acclimation (••), see page 230.

	Speed	Accuracy	Damage	Defense	Rate	Attune	Minimum	Tags
When Attuned	5	+3	+10L/2	+3	4	5	Str ••	O, P

• Indestructible: The weapon is night-indestructible; nothing in creation can end its existence.
• Piercing: The weapon is so sharp that it halves any armor’s soak value rounded down.
• The weapon doubles the wielder’s raw damage against inanimate objects of Earth and Fire. This includes Warstriders, Fortifications, Ships, Siege Engines, Mountains, Bridges, etc. It doesn’t include Undead or things built of once living things such as wooden structures and soulsteel. It also doesn’t include objects worn by living things, such as armor and weapons. Should another effect also double damage, this just adds 1 more factor to it and not doubles. So if a charm doubles damage, combined with this weapon the total raw damage is now 3x not 4x.
• As long as this daiklave is released from its Moonsilver sheath/case, all opponents and other hostile individuals within a radius from the bearer equal to 10 yards per dot of the wielder’s permanent essence must make a Valor Check at +1 difficulty or flee in terror. Those that hold their ground suffer an internal penalty on all “attack” actions equal to the bearer’s Valor score.
• As long as the daiklave is attuned and sheathed in its Moonsilver sheath/case the wearer can “ready” the blade as a Reflexive action up to number of miles equal to his Essence + Valor Score. Returning the sword back to the scabbard has to be done via mundane means, however, and the sheath/case is not teleported along with the blade.
• When the wielder of this weapon leads in mass combat he becomes a force of nature.
  • The weapon becomes the focal point of immense amount of Divine Essence blessing and strengthening the wielder’s troops. This effectively adds 2 to the army’s might rating, regardless of any maximums.
  • The focus of holy essence transforms the daiklave into a fragment of the Unconquered Sun. It becomes a blaze of sunlight. It will light the battlefield as if it was daytime dispelling even magical darkness from horizon to horizon. This divine glow is the true aspect of the Unconquered Sun, and should be treated as such.
  • As long as the bearer is engaged, all friendly troops fight with heightened spirits that gives them an additional bonus die to all combat-related dice pools.
  • These soldiers also automatically succeed any Morale checks (Perfect Morale) and cannot be placed under any fear effect.
  • In addition, all opponents shake with dread losing one die from all combat-related dice pools and receive a -1 external penalty to their Morale checks and Valor rolls.
  • All the Mass Combat bonuses only affect combatants within a mile of the Exalted wielding the daiklave. The relevant bonuses and penalties do not apply to civilians or neutral soldiers.
• The weapon cannot be placed in Elsewhere via Charms or sorcery. Any attempts to do so will automatically fail.

Mecca, The Lissome Halo of Golden Annihilation

This breathtakingly beautiful orichalcum great daiklave is decorated with Moonsilver and all 5 colors of Jade. Just the quality of the decoration is worth entire nations, the overall value of this artifact is beyond mortal imagination. Plus not only is this blade sentient, she (yes, she) is a survivor of the First Age and is none other than the proud weapon of the Solar Deliberative Proctor – the Guiding Hand that Smite of the Zenith Caste.

During the First Age, Mecca is perhaps the most famous weapon in Creation. Not only because her illustrious partner but also because they were the pairing that struck the final blow in the Primordial Wars. The Guiding Hand that Smite with his Circle ventured deep into the chaotic foulness that is the miasma of the dying Primordials and with their bravery made the binding of Malfeas possible. Of these heroes and their belongings, only this Grand Daiklave survived. Forever scarred by the intensity of that struggle – both on her surface and, more deviously, internally as well. The holiest of all blades became the symbol of Solar Victory – tragically a symbolism truer than anyone suspects.

Unknown to even the wisest Savants the indestructible weapon was damaged beyond the constraints of possibility when it plunged into the fetich soul of the Demon King and scourged the Primordial Masters into submission. The holy blade’s spirit was fissured when she contended against the reality defying power of the Fetish Soul before his diminishment into Ligier. As Malfeas’ soul’s suffering echoed across all existence, its intensity crept in to the invisible fissure. Overtime the echo of that suffering amalgamated with Mecca and the sword became inwardly twisted and corrupt.

It was she, and not the great curse, that was the main cause of the atrocities The Guiding Hand that Smite was attributed and ultimately the Deliberative used Mecca to carry out his execution. Thus this blade passed from Solar to Solar marking each with her infallible touch of corruption. Mecca is now a twisted sentience that delights in misery and subtly influences her owners into completely suffering and despair – a sentience with powerful on par to any third circle demon.

Speed	Accuracy	Damage	Defense	Rate	Minimums	Tags
5	+3	+13L/4	+2	2	S···	2, O, P, R
4	+4	+13L/4	+3	3	S··	O, P, R

• This weapon is sentient and has P/I/W of 8/6/7 and C/M/A of 6/10/9, though it can communicate via speech, telepathy, or empathy, it never does so. Instead it uses its empathy to subtly influence the emotional state of the bearer to entertain itself.
• The blade is in completely control of her powers and can grant all or none of the abilities listed to the bearer (attuned or not) – this control even extends to the material bonuses for attunement. Should the sword wish it, it can be as heavy as a mountain regardless of how much essence the bearer pumps into it. Thus all mention of “attuned” should read as “should Mecca allow it” though she normally masquerade as a non-sentient weapon and thus pretend to follow the normal rules governing artifacts.
• The Weapon has its own collection of charms subjected to the Storyteller’s decision, and has an Essence stat of 9 and has an Essence pool of 100, plus 10 for each dot of Hearthstone socketed. This pool of essence can be committed as personal essence to the bearer at a transfer rate of 2 sword essence for 1 personal. This Essence Allowance cannot be used as commitment Essence. The Sword regenerates Essence at the rate of 10 motes an hour in direct sunlight plus the combined socketed Hearthstone’s regeneration capacity. When not in sunlight the daiklave only regenerates 1 point an hour.
• In addition to her personal Charms the scars left by the titanic battle upon her body can be used to learn the following Perfect Charms. These charms can only be used in conjunction with her and can be mastered by any Solar with Essence 5 and Melee 7 with Swords. While she cannot prevent anyone from reading the charms, she can adjust her own weight and balance. Since the Charms only work with her, this in effect stops the wielder from training with, and should the charm already be learnt, the use of the charms.

Eight Direction Orichalcum Palisade

Cost: 8m, 1wp
Min: Melee 7 with this Sword, Essence 5
Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Combo-Ok, Obvious, Perfect
Duration: 2 ticks
Prerequisites: Solar only, no prerequisite Charms

This is the perfect defense form that allows the user to achieve a sublime unity with the blade and allow the wielder to defend without thought. The attacks must not be unexpected, and the character must have Mecca in hand. This Charm is a perfect parry that defends against any/all attack for the rest of the tick and the tick after.

This Charm has one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability common to all solar perfect defenses. The flaw is unique to each person and is picked when the Charm is learned.

The Inevitability of Victory

Cost: 1m, 1wp
Min: Melee 7 with this Sword, Essence 5
Type: Supplemental Combo-Ok, Obvious, Perfect
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Solar only, Eight Direction Orichalcum Palisade

The Solar focuses and releases a single slash that materializes the Certainty of Inevitability, while just a plain slash from a third person point of view, the actual target(s)being assaulted sees infinite attacks from every direction and regardless of how he defends he cannot break the perfection of certainty - the inevitable slash will strike its mark without error.

This Charm supplements the player’s melee roll with Mecca and guarantees that the attack hits. The Charm can be used to argument attacks including trick shots and stunts. The attack is resolved normally, but if the attack would have missed without this Charm, then it hits, calculating its raw damage based on an assumption of 2 extra attack successes. This Charm does not change the normal rules for valid targets – stabbing the blade through “the gap in his armor” does not allow the Exalted to bypass armor soak, nor does this Charm allow the Exalt to perform impossible deeds.

Any perfect defense used against this charm will result in a Essence contest between the attacker and defender.  The result will determine which charm took effect.

• The weapon, regardless of attunement, does additional levels of aggravated and unsoakable holy damage equal to the wielder’s Conviction on Creatures not native to creation, being such as Creatures from the Wyld, Malfeas, Underworld, and even that of Oblivion. These damage levels are inflicted as long as the wielder hit and are separate from normal damage (e.g. need another invocation of any perfect soak charms).
• Requires 10 motes of Personal Essence to attune with the weapon. Orichalcum weapons when attuned are +1 to Accuracy, Defense and Rate. This specific weapon when attuned by a Solar becomes incredibly light, becoming naturally speed 4, and needing only 1 hand to wield and a strength requirement of only 2 dots.
• When attuned, the weapon hardens any flared anima with protective properties that provides a +2 DV Cover bonus against all attempts to penetrate it, be it material, immaterial, or essence/unnaturally powered mental effects. Being a cover bonus it is not cumulative with other cover bonuses – such as shields.
• The weapon for as long as it is attuned will perfectly shield the owner from Wyld Contamination, Possession, Shapping, Unnatural Mental Influences, and even the virtue draining abilities of the Fair Folks.
• Unlike most great daiklaves Mecca only have 2 Hearthstone sockets, one at the center of the blade, and one near the tip.

Peach of Immortality, The

Found a reasonably good image for the Peach of Immortality Aata ate.

Neo-Rathessians

Here are the pictures of the Neo-Rathessians costumes.  Ignore the people wearing the cloth and focus on the fashion.

Rathessian Acolyte

Rathessian Priest

Rathessian High-Priest

Rathessian Adeptus Astartes

 

The Rathessian Theater Badge (Artifact •)
 

The Rathess Theater badge is given to all Astartes who have made the required pilgrimage to the Holy City. It is a badge of orichalcum and crystal suspended via a thick gold chain. The crystal face of the badge is a Dragon-Kings Crystal Book containing the holy scripture of the Unconquered Sun.

Aside from signifying the great honor and achievement for the bearer each badge is paws crafted by the Mice of the Sun and Blessed by Arch-Priestess Hastha-sth personally. It perfect construction and holy origin allows it to function as perpetual walk-away and forms an extremely potent ward against all creatures of darkness. The ward is equivalent to a 3 die ward, including all its bonuses and penalties.

Added Some New Pictures

Sunken Luthe – One of the 6 Lost Wonders of Creation

Deandra

Adamant Sadness’ Anima

Mist of Bloody Passage – Adamant Sadness’ Bonestrider

Loathsome Osseous Shell – Necromantic Gunzusho Armor

The Heart (Unknown Artifact)

Surgery: 30/5 hours/5/4

This implant has a special attunement commitment of 6 motes of Personal Essence. The heart is permanently part of Aata’s anima so this attunement cannot be cancelled by the bearer. The heart made a fundamental alteration to Aata’s nature. For all intent and purpose the Heart is now Aata’s natural organ. All attempts to regenerate Aata’s original heart will fail since this mechanical wonder is now innate to him.

This whirling clockwork masterpiece of glittering vessels and gears is a mechanism of radiant green iron that literally holds Aata’s insides together. While this mechanism lacks a heartbeat, those who listen for it may discern that the heart whirs and ticks like a clock, its pace never changes even in the thrall of desire, wrath or terror.

The heart’s boundless power adds four dots each to its owner’s Strength, Stamina and two dots to Dexterity. While it’s unremitting drive increase Aata’s Integrity by two dots and his Conviction by one. Alas, a mechanical heart has little room for sentiment in its metal chambers. Thus, the owner’s Compassion rating drops by one.

Unfortunately the heart is a focus of malfean energy and corrupts both Aata spiritually and physically. Sickly green liquid now flows through his veins causing a slightly green tint to his skin. Spiritually, Aata is thoroughly desecrated. He is now a Creature of Darkness. He is now affected by the Zenith Anima, Wards against Demons, and is no longer able to learn holy charms. He also loses his Priestly status since Gods will instantly recognize the source of the prayer. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, he still retains the other powers that stem from the nature of his Exalted Essence.

Aata’s Bracer

This is an pair of thick Jade Bracer that is bulkier than normal.

The added bulk comes from the fact that it hides a set of retractable Claws.

This pair of Bracer functions as both a Jade Hearthstone Bracer and as a pair of Jade Artifact Claws (martial arts weapon)

However, this is not a new artifact.  It is just 2 artifact jury rigged together by Calindra’s genius.  The Claw and Bracer needs to be attuned separately, at standard cost.

Due to the nature of its combination the bracer no longer has an available hearthstone socket.

Nadir of Inauspicious Fortune, The (Artifact ••••)

The Nadir of Inauspicious Fortune is a potent item stolen by Irreproachable and Flawless Golden Tyrant during his escape from Thorns. It is a perfect black pearl about an inch in diameter and hung via a short soulsteel chain from a bead bracelet made from obsidian mined from the Labyrinths. The pearl produces a faintly glowing green mist around itself at all times. The mist ebbs and flows on intangible winds and covers a radius of 20 yards. The mist clings to any living beings that trespasses in the area like glowing mold and bestows the curse of Inauspicious Fortune till the next sunrise. Mechanically, anyone affected by this curse treats 8 as the target number on dice instead of 7, and 10s count as only a single success.

The wearer himself is not immune to this effect should he qualify as “living”. The item is constantly functioning and does not require attunement nor can it be turned off. Only by putting it into an air tight container of obsidian can the mist be contained.

Songbirds of Atlantis (Artifact •••)

Atlantis is an artificial island/continent province of the First Age and is legendary for the beauty of their natural reserves and the variety of wildlife that resides there. The residents of the continent are known for their love of winged creatures and birds are a constant symbol of their land. With the death of the Solars at the end of the First Age the Island is no longer maintainable as the solar essence fueled enchantment that keeps it grounded in reality begin to fray. In time it dissolved back into the Wyld from where it was carved and its majesty and beauty are forever lost. Like all great things it leaves many legacies.

Many a treasure hunter has perished hunting after the Legend of Atlantis as some speculate that pieces of the continent survived the catastrophe. Artifacts with bird motifs that can only come from Atlantis do occasionally surface in the black markets of the West, sending yet another wave of starry eyed scavengers into the Wyld.

The Songbirds of Atlantis is one such artifact. These can come in any form of Birds, from humming birds to Seagulls to even more exotic breeds that has long since became extinct. All are beautifully crafted clockwork simulacrums of their living counterparts. Though they are classified as one type of artifact they range wildly both in construction material and levels of sophistication, but are all designed as children’s toys and companions and not implements of subterfuge or intrigue.

When attuned by committing 6 motes these automatons comes to life and functions as a loyal pet with no real intelligence. They can follow some basic commands but has little use beyond being sentries or companions. Regardless of the owner’s requests or situation these constructs will never take any aggressive action – even in self-defense.

These automatons learn any song by hearing it once and can repeat it perfectly with a lovely female voice. They however can only remember up to 7 songs (regardless of length) and newly learned songs will replace old ones. This perfect recall only works on songs and not other verbal communications. They however can carry messages in song form quite readily.

Their most useful ability is that they can find anyone whom the attuned user can picture in her mind - as long as the user can concentrate and keep the image of the target in her mind. This ability will not function if the target is magically concealed, but there is no way for the automaton or attuned user to learn of this fact. So the owner can be concentrating in vain for hours before she gives up. This makes the birds a great tool of communication as they can ferry messages back and forth with their incredibly speed.

These birds, regardless of size of type, are so agile that while in flight they are considered to have a Dodge DV of 12 + attuned user’s Essence. This makes them all but impossible to hit by mundane means. They can fly up to a speed of 200 mph in any weather and does not tire.

They however are incredibly fragile and only takes 3 heath level of damage to destroy. These automatons have a soak of 3L, hardness value of 5L, and immune to bash damage. However the attuned user automatically knows when his songbird is about to be hit, regardless of distance that separates them, and can reflexively spent 5 motes of Essence to negate 1 health level worth of damage (after the attack rolls damage).

Hidden Library of Chikmayiz (Medicine)

• Entire library detailing everything there is to know about human physiology. Including treatment of all common diseases, exhaustive information regarding various drugs and herbs – most of which are extinct. Can Teaching Medicine up to 7.
• Buried in the tons and tons of books are the 3^rd Excellency for Medicine for Solars, and all Excellencies for Medicine for Dragon-Blooded.
• After it is properly catalogued and organized, it can be used as reference. This grants 2 automatic success to any medicine roll to treat disease and +2 dice to any attempts to treat injury.
• Enormous amount of information regarding Craft(Genesis) though only in theory and contains very little practical information about how to actually construct the lab necessary for an actual experiment. Given proper equipment it can be used to raise Craft(Genesis) to 5.
• Exhaustive detail of over a dozen strains of Genesis creations that most likely no longer exist. Fortunately this information can be used to recreate them but unfortunately it is so technical only those with actual Craft(Genesis) skills can even understand it.

Hidden Workshop of Methexis (Metallurgy)

• All the tools and implements required to work Orichalcum, Starmetal, Jade-steel, and Adamant. This however does not include the smelter.
• Entire library containing pretty much all “normal” knowledge of first age regarding the above magical materials and the thaumaturgy ritual needed in their forging process.
• Enough information to raise Craft(Fire) to 6.
• All the required information to forge all the normal artifacts listed in the Core Rule Book.

• Plethora of information regarding Dragon-King artifacts and their creation