MeriExalted:Veli Taikaesineet

Pintavirtaus

(Black Jade Reaper Daiklave, Artifact ••••)

Although Surface Current is known to be older, the first reliable records of it are from when the Empress donated it to a grandchild of Ledaal, as part of the hoard of her gifts to the newly founded house. Ledaal Valevuo carried it for many years, passing it on to a worthy younger relative when she retired from active duty. It was last seen in the hands of Ledaal Uhskals on his trip to investigate the Skullstone Archipelago, but he escaped with barely his life, and has been tight-lipped about what happened to him on his trip. Since then, there are tales of an newly exalted solar carrying it after his trip to the Skullstones, but these have not been confirmed.

Surface Current is a gently curving blade made of black jade, with faint moonsliver waves traveling along the blade. Earlier records state that the guard separating the blade and grip was a small band of soulsteel, but according to the latest rumours, the hilt is now guarded by a small soulsteel cup. It has two hearthstone slots, one in the pommel and one hidden by the cup.

Attunement: 5m
Type: Medium (+3 ACC, +12 DMG, +1 DEF, OVW 5)
Tags: Lethal, Melee, Balanced
Hearthstone slots: 2
Era: Late Shogunate?

Evocations of Surface Current

Surface Current carries it's wielder above things that might impede others, notably unstable or moving surfaces, or swiftly flowing fluids. A character attuned to Surface Current ignores all penalties from such things, and when activating charms that would counteract them (such as Graceful Crane Stance, Feather Foot Style, or using Increasing Strength Exercise to stride through a flooding river), their activation cost is decreased by 2 (to a minimum of 1 mote).

Railing-Colliding Nausea

Cost: 1m; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant

On a surging, slippery deck, the land-lubber is more likely to hurt themself than others. If you successfully parry, your opponent loses 1 initiative as you slowly turn the tide of the battle against them.

Swinging Deck Vertigo

Cost: 2m; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Resonant, Withering-Only, Stackable
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Railing-Colliding Nausea

When Surface Current connects with an opponent, a pulse of essence pushes through them, down their legs and on to the bottom of their feet, keeping them off-balance. If the withering damage done was greater than the (Essence) of the opponent, they suffer a special -1 onslaught penalty that lasts as long as the wielder keeps the opponent as their primary focus. This effect is cumulative, up to the wielder's (Essence) in penalties, but it does decrease by one each turn that the wielder does not act against that opponent.

Resonant: The penalty is applied when the wielder lowers their opponent below their own initiative, even if the damage was not greater than the opponents (Essence).

Mendaciously Smooth Shorewaters

Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Resonant
Duration: One turn

Using Surface Current teaches one to not show one's intentions clearly. When the wielder knows they are being targeted by an Read Intentions action, they may activate Mendaciously Smooth Shorewaters to gain +2 to their Guile until the end of their next turn.

Resonant: The wielder may also activate Mendaciously Smooth Shorewaters as a supplemental charm with an instant duration when making gambits based on deception, such as Distract. The difficulty of the Gambit is lowered by 2, to a minimum of 2.

Rip-Current Deception

Cost: 1Wp; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Resonant
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Mendaciously Smooth Shorewaters

Though the surface may be calm, the undercurrents can be fierce. When your opponent fails in their Read Intentions, you may activate this charm to give them a false motivation or Intimacy that they will believe to be true. Their belief will be sustained until it causes them to fail in a social action that should have succeeded, they see you act counter to what they read from you, or they spend 1 Wp to accept that they have been deceived.

Resonant: You may pay 5m instead of 1 Wp as the cost.

The Calm Before White Waters

Cost: 2m; Mins: Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Swinging Deck Vertigo, Rip-Current Deception

Favorable waters make your reflection look better than others. When an opponent is misled or unbalanced by your actions, you may activate this charm to cause an onlooker to temporarily gain the minor Belief "The wielder of Surface Current is superior to their opponent". This is not all-encompassing, but rather in terms of skills and talents relevant to the context of the current situation or conflict.

Storm-Wracked Seas Chaos

Cost: 2i, 6m; Mins: Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords:
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Swinging Deck Vertigo

As the storm surges and ship heaves, unsecured tools or cargo may hit the unwary. Whenever an opponent within Short range fails at an attack against someone else than you, you may redirect it to another target within Short range of them. Handle that attack as having successes equal to the degree of failure.

Crashing Wave Empties the Deck

Cost: m; Mins: Essence 4
Type:
Keywords:
Duration:
Prerequisites: Storm-Wracked Seas Chaos

Hidden Shoal Treachery

Cost: m; Mins: Essence 3
Type:
Keywords:
Duration:
Prerequisites: Rip-Current Deception

Rip-Tide Drags to the Fathoms

Cost: m; Mins: Essence 4
Type:
Keywords:
Duration:
Prerequisites: Hidden Shoal Treachery

The Eye of the Typhoon

Cost: m; Mins: Essence 5
Type:
Keywords:
Duration:
Prerequisites: Crashing Wave Empties the Deck, Rip-Tide Drags to the Fathoms

Pilvenrako

(Orichalcum Chain Shirt, Artifact •••)

On a small island on the edges of the Skullstone Archipelago, there was an ancient, tiny, well-hidden tomb, emptied of everything but what appeared to be a simple orichalcum circlet. The young Solar that happened upon this tomb dared to place the circlet upon his brow, and soon heard whispers, guiding him after the trail of an quite maculate Air Caste. After a few odd turns of events while on the hunt, he finally catched up to the Dragonblood, and attempted to do battle. Unfortunately, he was unable to strike a decisive blow, nor corner his prey, until in a fit of inspiration, he transferred the circlet to rest upon the head of his opponent. The Air Caste went instantly comatose – but when touching the circlet once more, the Solar felt a great apprehension. He therefore simply took from his defeated opponent the armor they had worn, which had prominently figured in the murals of the tomb, and went upon his way to other adventures in the West. What became of the Dragonblood is not known.

Cloudbreak is a plain and simple Orichalcum chain shirt, notable only for it's tendency to catch sunlight when openly worn. It was made for newly exalted Solars in an Age when they were expected to soon progress to greater things; it's previous wearers were most likely Zenith or Night castes. It features a single hearthstone socket in the braiding that forms the neckline.

Attunement: 4m
Type: Light (Soak +5, Hardness 4, Mobility Penalty -0)
Tags: Concealable
Hearthstone slots: 1
Era: The Centuries of a Thousand Worlds

Evocations of Cloudbreak

The powers of Cloudbreak evoke the themes of a sunbeam breaking through a rift in clouds. For the attuned wearer, each time they raise their anima to a new level, they gain 1 initiative. This bonus may be gained only once per anima level in a scene. Additionally, when their anima is lowered by sources other than Cloudbreak, they gain 1 mote.

Distracting Glare Reflection

Cost: 1a, 1m+ Mins: Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Resonant
Duration: Instant

A glance at the Sun where one thought would be just clouds can leave one momentarily blinded. When you attempt to disengage, your anima flares, then fades, allowing you to pay 1m to convert a dice to a success, up to a maximum of your Essence.

Resonant: The first time each scene you use Distracting Glare Reflection, halve (rounded down) the amount of initiative you lose.

Surrounding Shadow Disappearance

Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Mute
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Distracting Glare Reflection

As the Sun breaks through the clouds, suddenly blinding, it allows the well-prepared to vanish. When the anima of anyone else within Short range is raised above Glowing, or when they perform a 2- or 3-dice stunt, you may attempt to re-establish stealth as an Reflexive action.

Sunbeam-Racing Haste

Cost: 1 Wp; (3m/use) Mins: Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: Distracting Glare Reflection

As a ray of light races across the landscape, so can the Chosen make haste. When you activate the charm, your anima must be at Glowing or higher level. Choose one opponent within Short range; when they move, you may keep them at the same distance by paying 3m. This charm ends if your anima goes below Glowing.

Sun-Covered Skin of Bronze

Cost: 2a, 2m+; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Distracting Glare Reflection

As a strike closes in on the bearer of Cloudbreak, their anima coalesces on their skin, granting temporary protection. You gain +2 Soak against an attack, and may spend an additional 1m to gain +1 Soak, up to a maximum of your Essence.

Burst of Healing Sunlight

Cost: 1 Wp, 3m+; Mins: Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Dissonant, Resonant
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Surrounding Shadow Disappearance, Sunbeam-Racing Haste, Sun-Covered Skin of Bronze

As your anima flares for all to see, it radiates golden warmth, healing your companions with it's power. You may only activate this charm when your anima flares to it's iconic level, and only once per day. Choose a non-opponent within Close range of you; you heal their most damaged health level. If the damage is bashing, the cost is 3m; if it is lethal, the cost is 5m.

Dissonant: You take the damage healed upon yourself.

Resonant: By paying 8m, you may choose to instead heal a single bashing health level from two different targets or an aggravated health level from one target.

Joutuva Taimikko

(Standard Manse, Stone of Resilient Bamboo, AotC p.135)

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