Emily lets out a breath, and with her claws, slices the insides of her arm, allowing the blood (for power) to spill to the ground. She then mixes a vial of virgin's blood (for tempting), and mixes it with the dirt (for binding). In a pinch, she can smear it on the floor, but the creatures that speak though the blood to her do not appreciate this as much.
They whisper to her the desires of the land and those in it. Those who desire to hurt, those who desire to change, those who desire to move.
Increase your sacrificial Injury's Severity by 1 and spend a minute. Investigate an area with a radius of up to 1 mile You must use up a vial of virgin's blood in order to activate this Effect. At the end of your investigation, roll Brawn + Alertness at Difficulty 6.
You learn the following information about the area:
If you do not have a sacrificial Injury when you activate this Effect, take a new Severity-1 Injury.
You cannot investigate the same area more than once per day.
When removed, no one can hear it but Emily. But she can. That keening cry, of a babe separated from its mother. It's grating, but she could follow it anywhere.
She can also cry out, and unless held, it will collapse into blood and reform in her paw.
Part of her is in there.
This Artifact cannot be broken. If this Artifact is lost and in no one else’s possession, it finds its way back to its true owner during the next Downtime.
By default, the creator of this Artifact is its true owner. The true owner may formally bequeath this Artifact onto another person within arm’s reach, after which they are its true owner. If the true owner dies or is destroyed, their ownership ends. If this Artifact has no true owner, anyone may spend one day attuning to it to become its true owner.
This Artifact's true owner is always aware of the direction and distance to this Artifact.
If this Artifact is in no one else’s possession, its true owner may Exert their Mind and spend two Actions to bring it to themselves.
This Artifact's true owner must have it with them to have restful sleep. They cannot regain Mind or Source while separated from this Artifact.
Emily lets out a snarl from deep within the folds of her fabric. She draws her paw back, and then strikes the ground. A spike of blood shoots out of her paw, tunneling though the ground before emerging in a location with sudden and remarkable violence. It heads up about five feet before exploding outwards into tendrils of blood, punching though flesh, bone, and steel without care.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Location within 40 feet. This Effect cannot be used unless you are in alternate form. You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect. Its Difficulty cannot be reduced by any means. If you fail or Botch, you receive one Mind Damage and a new Trauma. The area within 25 feet of the chosen Location immediately and obviously becomes imminently dangerous. Roll Brawn + Melee at Difficulty 6. Targets inside the radius may attempt an appropriate Reaction at GM’s discretion. Finding a physical barrier to use as cover will cut total Damage taken in half (applies after Reaction roll but before Armor).
If the Outcome is positive, your blast hits all targets (besides a single chosen species or type of Animate being) within 25 feet of the chosen Location with Damage equal to your Outcome + 8.
The vial is poured from the shadows, forming a ring around the object. Next, blood is poured from her own wrist, and mixed.
The whispers tell her secrets.
Increase your sacrificial Injury's Severity by 1 and spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. You must use up a vial of virgin's blood in order to activate this Effect. At the end of your investigation, roll Brawn + Investigation at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
If you do not have a sacrificial Injury when you activate this Effect, take a new Severity-1 Injury.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
Emily collapses to her knees for a moment, and she locks her paws together. Her claws piece her own flesh, and she remembers, just for a short time, the night that she drank from the Red Grail.
The transformation starts from the blood that stains her claws, the fluid roiling for just a moment before it begins to run up her claws, paws, and her arms. The blood turns into thin, fluttering fabric that moves softly almost by itself. It covers her, wrapping her in many layers, obscuring her form. Her arms and legs and tail are lost in the fabric, her face shrouded in shadow. Digging though the fabric might not even find her at all... although the fabric caresses those who do.
And yet...
Everyone who looks at The Priestess knows she has an ever-present smile.
It is said that those who die at the hands (or paws) of one of the Hedonistic Priestesses always die with a smile on their face.
Increase your sacrificial Injury's Severity by 1 and spend two Actions performing the following ritual: kneeling, and digging your claws into your own flesh.. You must maintain Concentration while activating this Effect, and it fails if you are interrupted.
You transform into a Red Grail Priestess for 3 hours. You have access to all of your Powers while you are a Red Grail Priestess, and you can use your equipment. The Injuries and Battle Scars of your Alternate Form and your true form are tracked separately.
While transformed, your Attributes are the same. Your Stress is reduced by 2.
While transformed, instead of your normal clothes and equipment, you are equipped with: Long, red flowing robes that are constantly in a sensuous motion. One of her hands, wrapped in cloth more blood-red than blood, holds a shield made of thin crystal. It sings a wonderful, keening sound when struck. She wears the Reaper's Skull over her muzzle. On a belt, hidden within the robes, are various injectors of recreational drugs.
You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.
If you do not have a sacrificial Injury when you activate this Effect, take a new Severity-1 Injury.
Emily's conjugality with the Grail has both hardened her against more mundane trials and demonstrated to her several ways of returning a sensation upon one who offers it.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You get +4 dice to any Mind resistance rolls you make. You also gain the following effects:
Emily makes an offering of her own blood (for power) and a virgin's blood (for tempting) to the Grail... and it consumes her. For a moment, the blood leaks from her amulet before spreading over her, turning to red silk as it does, wrapping around her.. and then collapsing in on itself. She emerges in her new desired location as a chrysalis.
She may also make a prayer to the Grail at one of their temples - drinking freely and consuming all pleasures, and travel to another.
Exert your Mind and spend 2 Actions. Select a Location within your line of sight. You must use up a vial of virgin's blood in order to activate this Effect.
You are transported directly to the chosen Location. Anyone who is touching you as you Travel will be brought along with you. You must wait an hour before activating this effect again.
If you traverse any temples to hedonism (clubs, bars, drug dens, etc) for one minute, you may activate this Effect and travel to the edge of any other temples to hedonism (clubs, bars, drug dens, etc) that you’re aware of, regardless of range.
Emily crushes the vial in her paw and her pendant glows, and for a moment, she makes a sacrifice, attracting the attention of entities great and powerful to deepen her connection with all beings.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. You must use up a vial of virgin's blood in order to activate this Effect.
You may understand and communicate to Creatures, humans, and Sapient beings as if you are fluent in a relevant language for the next hour.
This also includes understanding any recorded communications from the relevant targets, including writings, scent trails, etc.
Communicating with a being cannot directly damage your Mind or cause Injury. All rolls to resist Effects that rely on communicating with you are made at -1 Difficulty.
Emily takes a deep breath of the target - or something with its scent - and her amulet flares for a second. And her blood stirs.
In the target, blood stirs in harmony. Some of it brightens, manifesting if it wasn't already there. Removing it all requires removing a good amount of insides as well.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a target within arm's reach. You may select a target at any range if you use up something with the scent of the target.
Your target is marked with bright blood. The mark can only be discovered with a deep medical inspection or Effect. Removal inflicts a Severity 1 Injury on the target.
You are aware of the marked target's direction and distance from you. This lasts for the next month, or until either the mark is removed, or you choose to end the Effect. This Artifact can have up to 3 marks active.
You may use any Awareness Powers on a marked target at any range.
"The otherwise sleek coat is covered with bloodstains of an unknown origin.
Some employees may brag about the bloodstain as a symbol of courage, but it has been there since the archetype was extracted. Perhaps it is the commemoration of all the tragedies of the past and the future.
People used to be afraid of machines in the beginning, but a mechanical rebellion soon became a myth of the past in our world."
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You have 4 Armor, which reduces incoming damage from all sources of physical attack except WHITE DAMAGE. Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
Your Armor cannot be destroyed, and it always provides a minimum of 2 Armor regardless of any Armor penetration. It cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.
"The sharp sawtooth of the grinder makes a clean cut through its enemy. Its operation is simple and straightforward, but that doesn't necessarily make it easy to wield.
As machines have no morals of their own, there was no clear boundary between good and evil. This disregard for value is precisely reflected by the weapon’s reliable dicing force.
People used to be afraid of machines in the beginning, but a mechanical rebellion soon became a myth of the past in our world."
This Artifact can be used as a thrusting sword. It is roughly the same size as a thrusting sword and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Melee, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +6 Weapon Damage.
You also gain the following effects:
the wielder reels back as a deep blue-green light shines from the ring, forming a harpoon, before throwing it forward, even on land it has a trail of bubbles as if going through water.
if one was to smell it, it would smell of sea salt and sand.
This Artifact produces ephemeral projectiles that can be used as a javelin. It is roughly the same size as a javelin and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling Brawn + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +3 Weapon Damage.
You also gain the following effects:
The user is compelled to sing a happy tune and as they do so a translucent energy orb emerges out of the ground at their target. This orb is blue with a silver shimmer.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action or Reaction. Select a Animate target within 20 feet. Roll Brawn + Alertness at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a Barrier extending out 15 feet from your target, which absorbs 2 times the next Outcome + 2 Damage. Only applies to attacks which originated outside the 15 foot radius, and protects anyone who is within that radius. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. This Artifact may only have 1 active barrier at a time.
You must maintain Concentration while using this Effect. The barrier will fall if you are interrupted, or if it absorbs the full amount of Damage. When a barrier falls, you cannot use this Effect again for a minimum of 2 Rounds.
These knuckles, when they strike a target on the intended striking surface seem to flash with a purple light.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact and you are engaged in unarmed combat.
+2 dice to rolls for Attacking, Defending, and Clashing without a weapon. Unarmed attacks do +4 Weapon Damage (instead of -1).
You may Defend against melee, projectile, or firearm Attacks from any range and Clash with those in range of your Attacks. Attacking materials like steel or spikes will not Damage you unless it has an Effect that does so.
You also gain the following effects:
The bearer of the coin transforms into a big (~700 lb) leathery gorilla with goat's horns and heavy claws.
Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend an Action.
You transform into a big (~700 lb) leathery gorilla with goat's horns and heavy claws for 30 minutes. You have access to all of your Powers while you are a big (~700 lb) leathery gorilla with goat's horns and heavy claws, and you can use your equipment. Your Battle Scars, Injuries, and physical Liabilities are carried over between forms. Reverting from your Alternate Form cannot cause your existing Injuries to kill you. Instead, you remain Incapacitated.
While transformed, your Brawn is increased by 1. You do not suffer any Stress while transformed.
Your alternate form is its own deadly weapon. Unarmed attacks made in your alternate form deal +3 Weapon Damage (instead of the typical -1).
You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation or for its duration will almost certainly be disturbed to see the visage of a Fallen Angel.
While transformed, you automatically fail any Mind roll to resist an impulse and suffer -3 dice on all other Mind rolls.
Anyone who touches this Artifact will notice it warping their mind and may drop it. If they choose to hold or use it, they immediately receive the following Trauma: Temptation of a Fallen Angel. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
The lightning bracers can be activated to summon a thunderbolt into the wearer's hand. Throwing these thunderbolts makes an incredibly loud boom. Once a thunderbolt is in hand, the wearer can throw as many as they wish. The electricity from these bolts will jump between nearby targets.
This Artifact produces ephemeral projectiles that can be used as a javelin.
Attack by rolling Brawn + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +3 Weapon Damage.
You also gain the following effects:
The spy can do up their passport to appear as any valid form of identification.
This Artifact can change its appearance. When not transformed, it is roughly the same size as a passport but can be collapsed into a wallet and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.
Spend a Quick Action to activate. This Artifact changes its appearance into a chosen Object. This lasts until you decide to end the Effect, which may be done as a Free Action.
The new object's appearance can mimic specific items (such as a particular painting, a certain person’s ID, etc), but must be of a similar size and weight to this Artifact.
The new appearance is illusory; it will hold up to scrutiny, but its composition is not altered and it gains no new functionality. Any attempt to use it for a function which it cannot perform (for instance, making bread look like a knife and then trying to stab someone) will cause the illusion to fail or allow a Perception check to see through the illusion, at the GM's discretion.
When used as identification and scanned, the scanner will act appropriately and bring up appropriate generic information. Further searches for the identity in the computer will turn up no results. This will not open security doors on its own.
The Scepter of Ang-Kapal is a gruesome device fashioned to look like a skeletal arm clutching a glass eye. When used, blood from the person holding is drawn into the eye where it swirls with dark energy. The eye turns to a nearby corpse and shudders, reviving the creature. The creature does not retain any of its memories or personality, but it is absolutely loyal to whoever is holding the scepter.
The Scepter of Ang Kepal has the unfortunate side effect of driving its owner mad.
Increase your sacrificial Injury's Severity by 1 and spend one minute. Select a Dead target within arm's reach with at least half its skeletal structure remaining. You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect. Its Difficulty cannot be reduced by any means. If you fail or Botch, you receive one Mind Damage and a new Trauma.
Your target rises as an Animate being. The raised creature is totally mindless, with no memory of its past life or hint of its old personality. They cannot communicate. They will follow any command you speak.
The creature lasts for eight hours or until it dies again. It is revived at full health. Any Injuries it had in life are not accounted for when determining its penalties or progression towards re-death, though they may affect its ability to perform certain actions at GM's discretion.
Raised creatures have their Abilities set to the same that they were in life. Their Charisma and Intellect are set to 1, but their Dexterity, Brawn and Perception are the same as they had in life. A raised creature cannot use any Effects.
Destroying one of your zombies requires a called shot to the head or heart. All other Injuries zombies suffer result in Battle Scars only, limiting their mobility and effectiveness in other ways.
Your revived targets deal 2 Weapon Damage with their unarmed attacks.
If you do not have a sacrificial Injury when you activate this Effect, take a new Severity-1 Injury.
The spy can do up their passport to take on the appearance of any valid form of identification they may need.
This Artifact can change its appearance. When not transformed, it is roughly the same size as a passport and just as difficult to conceal.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action to activate. This Artifact changes its appearance into an Object within the category of forms of identification. This lasts until you decide to end the Effect, which may be done as a Free Action.
The new object's appearance can mimic specific items (such as a particular painting, a certain person’s ID, etc), but must be of a similar size and weight to this Artifact.
The new appearance is illusory; it will hold up to scrutiny, but its composition is not altered and it gains no new functionality. Any attempt to use it for a function which it cannot perform (for instance, making bread look like a knife and then trying to stab someone) will cause the illusion to fail or allow a Perception check to see through the illusion, at the GM's discretion.
If the Selkie's seal skin is worn close to the body, any contact with salt water will cause them to transform into a seal. While transformed, they have full access to their normal suite of Powers.
This Effect activates whenever you are submerged in salt water. It does not require an Action or Exertion. Your target should be intuitively based on the triggering event.
You transform into small for two hours or until you choose to end the Effect. See the Extended System text for stats.
While transformed, you cannot use any equipment (including Artifacts and Consumables), and you cannot use your Active, Targeted, or Trap Powers. However, you can use your Passive Powers. Any equipment you are wearing transforms with you.
Injuries and Wound Level are carried over between forms. However, transforming can never kill you; you merely remain Incapacitated until your Injuries are sufficiently healed.