Legendary Artifact

"The Mandarin"

Created and held by Sakngea Somm.
A Chinese Type 56 (Chicom RPD Clone) complete with a 100-round drum magazine chambered in 7.62x39 FMJ,and a deployable steel bipod, bearing various engravings of Daoist scripture and prayers in it's wooden furnishing as well as sealing talismans and a bell-charm on the rear-sling mount. The Gun itself is possessed by the spirit of one of Somm's ancestors, an ancient CCP soldier, and it occasionally likes to give Somm advice. The Ghost Gun is capable of folding down into a (de)extendable Dizi flute, and being played just like one.

Somm's flute folds out into a large machinegun, and as he deploys it, he shoulders it and immediately starts to spray through the wall. The gun appears to be also... talking? as it compliment's Somm's accuracy and tact.


This Artifact can be used as a Rifle. It is roughly the same size as a Rifle but can be collapsed into A de(extendable) dizi belled flute and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Free Action.

Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal 2 Weapon Damage +1 Bonus Damage. The target's Armor is reduced to 1/2, rounded up against this damage.

This item is a living thing. It counts as a Creature when targeted. If destroyed or abandoned for more than two days, it dies and becomes unusable.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Keyhole: Any bullet that kills your target tumbles through their body and may strike a target in a 90 degree angle behind them. Any damage beyond that needed for the kill is applied to the secondary target.
  • Silencer: Shots you fire can be made silent at will.

  • Excess keyhole damage does not reapply the weapon's damage bonus and is affected by Armor as normal. The secondary target may React to the tumbled bullet if they have a Gift which lets them do so.

Community Artifacts

The Seal of Nephthys

Created by Jules, looted by Leon Vanderblight.
A large golden ring set with a Black Opal, clearly ancient. It throbs with inky darkness when in use. It has a 6 point Battery that must be used to fuel it's powers. (Note: Obscure is out of date and original character is out of system. Updated Obscure: https://thecontractrpg.com/gift/23406/ )

While Jules bears the Seal of Nephthys, the Goddess herself protects him, until such a time as he has avenged his family & returned the stolen artifacts of the Goddess. When Jules would be harmed one can see slender arms composed of shadows that ward off the attack. Even ethereal attacks can be thwarted by the Embrace of Darkness. When employing his Defensive Curl this effect is even more pronounced, with the wings of the Goddess enfolding him completely in a display of otherworldly power.


You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.

You have 6 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack.

You may spend an Action or Reaction and Exert your Mind to double your Armor rating for one Round.

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.

Those that bear the blessing of Nephthys, Goddess of Darkness, may defy the will of Geb, God of the Earth, running or walking up vertical surfaces or even sitting comfortably on the ceiling. This blessing remains in effect at all times, provided they bear the Seal of Nephthys as a conduit for the Goddess powers & remain in good standing with her; blasphemers may find this power fails them when they need it most...


You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.

You may move easily and without a roll in any of the following situations.

  • Spider Climber: You are able to climb on and cling to any surface without regard for the ordinary rules of gravity. You climb at your normal movespeed.
  • Surface Skimmer: You are able to move across the top of any bodies of water, ice, or other surfaces where others might sink with no penalty to your movement speed.

  • This Effect not provide any inherent protection from dangerous surfaces such as acid, lava, etc, so be careful!

The Gods of Ancient Egypt are renowned for their treasures. By holding or touching an item with one hand & making mystic passes with the hand bearing the Seal of Nephthys, Jules may invoke the Goddess to learn who values it, where it has recently been, & the presence of magical influence.


Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. At the end of your investigation, roll Dexterity + Thievery at Difficulty 6.

You learn all the following information about your target:

  • Determine if this target is Alien in origin or whether it has any Alien energy or outside influences. You receive information about the type of energy, including the name of the relevant Source pool or equivalent.
  • You receive visions, allowing you to discern where this object has recently been.
  • You receive whispers telling you who has used this object recently.
  • You learn the object's intended function and how to use it for its intended purpose, though not necessarily the ability to do so.
The quality and specificity of information gained depends on your Outcome.

After you finish activating this Effect, you cannot move quicker than a walk (max 15 feet per Round) for one minute and suffer a -1 dice penalty for an hour. Exhaustion’s penalty and duration stacks with multiple activations.

  • Exhaustion penalties and duration stack. If you activate this Effect or another Effect with Exhaustion, your penalty will worsen, and the duration is increased by one hour.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

The Black Opal on the ring bleeds darkness, engulfing items that then vanish, stored away safely in the Divine realm of the Goddess.


Spend a Quick Action. This Effect cannot be used unless both you & the target are completely within shadow.

You may withdraw an item from your stash, or add an item that is within arm’s reach to your stash. You may only stash targets which are in your possession, grappled, or otherwise controlled by you.

You may store any targets in your stash, each no larger than something which could fit inside a briefcase (15 liters), and you may store up to 7 things at a time.

You may choose to equip any equipment you withdraw at no additional cost.

Animate targets may Resist being stashed.

  • "Equip" refers to drawing a gun, putting on a piece of armor, etc.
  • Containers which hold multiple things may count as a single item so long as the things within are generally packaged together. For instance, you may stash a clip full of bullets, a medical kit full of medical supplies, or a box of crackers, but you cannot stash a backpack full of miscellaneous equipment.
  • You may only attempt to store Objects which are free-standing and disconnected from other things. The use of this Effect will not allow you to sever any connections holding an Object in place.
  • The Maximum Object Size parameter is intended to roughly capture the weight / size restriction of items and isn’t intended to restrict shape. GM discretion is advised. A human being is level 4 in the Maximum Object Size parameter.

The ring visibly throbs with power in darkness, washing away pain & fatigue from the bearer.


You gain the following benefits as long as you are completely in shadow and you are wearing this Artifact.

Your Stress from Injuries and Mind Damage is reduced to 0.

While Incapacitated, you may Exert your Mind to take a single action.

Stress from Injuries acts as a dice bonus instead of penalty.

Any dice penalty from being stunned, diseased, cold, hot, dizzy, sick, distracted, or similar circumstances is reduced to zero. Does not affect penalties from Effects you activated.

From the ashes of despair a God appears before you. Anubis has returned to deal death and destruction in the name of the Goddess. The bearer of the ring transforms into a God like figure and is able to cause wanton destruction around him.


Expend a point of Battery and spend a Quick Action. This Effect cannot be used unless you are fully within shadow.

You transform into Jackal-Headed Monster for 30 minutes. You have access to all of your Powers while you are Jackal-Headed Monster, 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.

Your alternate form is its own deadly weapon. Unarmed attacks made in your alternate form deal +3 Weapon Damage (instead of the typical -2).

Your alternate form renders you unable to speak any human language and incapable of fine object manipulation. You can only hold or grasp objects in a crude, clumsy way.

  • Reminder: Weapon Damage from multiple sources does not stack. Instead, the highest value is used.
  • Attribute bonuses from multiple sources do not stack. Instead the highest bonus is used.

Jules has taken a Sacred Oath to the Goddess of mourning,darkness, the dead, protection, magic, health, embalming, & beer. Until the day he can return all her stolen artifacts, she sustains his life - causing even the most grievous wounds to heal in days.

Jules must be wearing her sacred ring, the Seal of Nephthys, for her healing power to flow, & then only when fully obscured by shadow.


You gain the following benefits as long as you are completely in shadow and you are wearing this Artifact.

Any Injury you receive heals quickly, reducing its Severity by one level every 10 minutes. Any Injuries you receive while this Effect is active automatically count as a successful Proper Stabilization and do not deteriorate further. Any Battle Scars caused by such an Injury will heal with the Injury.

You may Exert your Mind and spend an Action to reduce the Severity of one of your Injuries by 2. Does not affect Injuries suffered as an activation cost for Effects.

By invoking the Goddess of Darkness in a short ritual, Jules can draw the shadows to him, rendering him unseen & unheard. He must be wearing the Seal of Nephthys & must invoke her secret names, not known to any living mortal for this power to function. If he steps into the shadows he now can disapear much easier.


You gain the following benefits as long as you are completely within shadow and you are wearing this Artifact.

You are obscured in one of the following manners. You may Spend an Action to change the way in which you're concealed.

  • Arcane: You are partially obscured from being noticed by all senses, natural and supernatural. All attempts to notice you are rolled at -3 dice.
  • Sight:You are completely obscured from sight. All attempts to detect you via sight fail. Attempts via other senses where sight would assist are rolled at -2 dice.

While this Effect is active, any Effect that would obscure you from other, additional senses fails automatically. If someone discovers you, this Effect will not help you hide from them for the next minute. This Effect does not end early when you activate an obvious Effect, attack, or receive an Injury.

You may turn this Effect on and off at will during its duration.

  • You may only switch this Effect on or off once per Round on your initiative as a Free Action.

The Divine voice of the Goddess may be channeled by the bearer of the seal, provided they stand within her house of shadows. The ring visibly throbs & pulsates with power as this occurs.


Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action. Select a Sapient being, human, or Dead target within 50 feet. Dead targets must have died within the past week, and you must have their remains in your possession. This Effect cannot be used unless both you & the target are completely in shadow.

The target can communicate in your language for the next hour.

  • The target of "human" refers to any target that speaks a human language.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

The Big One

Created by The Sniper, looted by Edgar Stokes.
Currently At home.
Nutter's Rifle - needs updated

The nutter's rifle, stock cut down to make it more manageable.


This Artifact can be used as a heavy sniper rifle. It is roughly the same size as a heavy sniper rifle and just as difficult to conceal.

Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +5 Weapon Damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Silencer: The report of any shots you fire may be made silent at will.
  • Silent Killer: If your shot would kill or incapacitate your target, they make no sound, even incidentally, for the next Round.

  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.
  • Rifles are +1 Difficulty to use in melee range. Sniper Rifles are +3 Difficulty to use without a tripod or in melee range. Setting up a tripod takes an Action.

Freddy wears it around his neck like a bandana and he can pull it up to cover his face.

Using the ability of the veil makes the voice sound a bit distorted but still easily understood. The veil emits a soothing warmth reminiscent of a warm hug filled with love while the user talks.

While being deployed in Vietnam, Gladys Newman was send ahead of her squad in a reconnaissance to scout out the exact location of the enemy camp harboring prisoners of war.

While on her way to the lookout spot she crashed through old wooden boards covering the entrance to an old forgotten Vietnamese grace site. The stone cave was filled with strange symbols carved into the stone , with the only other thing of notice being a stone pedestal with a red veil on it. Gladys felt the veil almost calling her to pick it up. Falling to temptation Gladys decided to pick up the veil uncovering a horrific site to behold. The thing that was being covered by the veil was a head that was cut off long ago.

Once she had the red veil in her possession she noticed something change. She was able to understand the text carved into stone walls. A part of them were prayers to the mother goddess , another part of them were protection spells trying to protect the grave site from evil spirits and the last part regarding the previous owner of the red veil , the shaman giao. That must have been the person whose skull was underneath the veil.

With the veil in her possession Gladys decided to climb out of the gave site and go on with her mission. After a couple of hours she was able to locate the enemy’s location. She got a close as possible to a building that seemed to have been the cabin of the officer in charge. Inside of the cabin were the officer and the captains discussing their plan of operation. To her surprise she was able to perfectly understand the words they’ve said without having spoken a single word of Vietnamese her whole life. It must have been because of the veil she carried with her!

Listening closely to every word spoken Gladys uncovered that the camp was actually a decoy leading into an ambush which would lead to a high amount of casualties on the Americans sides. The location where the p.o.w. were relocated to was also one of the topics . Hearing this Gladys headed back to her squad and reported her findings to her sergeant, only leaving out the part about the red veil and its ability’s.

Her discovery led to the US Army being able to take out the decoy camp with minimal soldier casualties and also able to rescue the p.o.w.’s from their actual prison. She got a Purple Heart for all of her troubles and the war continued as if nothing happened.

Years later Gladys found the veil in a chest containing all of her old equipment from the war. She knew of the possibility’s such an artifact could bring but she decided against using it herself and gave it to her son Freddy knowing that he would use it to make the world a better place.

She still sometimes gets letters from some of the p.o.w.’s telling her about their life and thanking her for the service she did.


You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.

You may understand and communicate to Creatures, humans, and Sapient beings as if you are fluent in a relevant language.

This also includes understanding any recorded communications from the relevant targets, including writings, scent trails, etc.

  • Communing with creatures does not grant them intellect but does allow you to converse with them.
  • The target of "human" refers to any target that speaks a human language.
  • When reading written communications, you get no information beyond what the writer was intending to communicate.

VSC Circuit board

Created and held by Devonia.

The metal choker emanated a loud, attention grabbing voice when the 6ft sewn together human turned to them. he said in a intimidatingly deep tone "Where is the suitcase" as he trudged over to the guards, his knuckles crackling menacingly.


You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.

You may understand and communicate to Creatures and humans as if you are fluent in a relevant language.

This also includes understanding any recorded communications from the relevant targets, including writings, scent trails, etc.

  • Communing with creatures does not grant them intellect but does allow you to converse with them.
  • The target of "human" refers to any target that speaks a human language.
  • When reading written communications, you get no information beyond what the writer was intending to communicate.

the last part of Devonia's history is now virtually indestructible thanks to tampering with it and researching the company from where it came from. it also seems to hum a bit whenever it's used to translate speach


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 the true owner of this Artifact ever dies, it immediately disappears. At least one week later, it will appear to Must have Aspects of the Crucible and reveal its power to them. They become its new true owner.

  • If there is no available Next of Kin, it will wait two months and then appear to a random person. If multiple next of kin are appropriate, the GM will decide randomly.
  • "Cannot be broken" means that damage cannot render the Artifact's Effects unusable, nor can it cease to be used for its primary mundane purpose, if it has one.

The Choker will unclip from the back, slowly folding and shifting itself into a metal throwing axe lined with a metal grip, and a single bladed axe head with a fireman spike on the other hand


This Artifact can be used as a throwing axe. It is roughly the same size as a throwing axe but can be collapsed into a Choker and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.

Attack by rolling Brawn + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +3 Weapon Damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Not Quite Flying: You may Exert your Mind and use up your Movement to “follow” any attack using this weapon, traveling right next to its point of impact.
  • Return: When you throw this weapon, you may opt to have it return to your possession at the end of the attack. Whoever threw this artifact last may use an Action to recall it from up to 100 feet away, attacking one target in its return path as they do so.

  • If there is not enough free space to expand the object, it cannot be expanded. You cannot expand this Object as an attack.
  • The attack must be the primary form of attack for this weapon.
  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.

With all the Chaos of life, there ARE ways to identify their various forms and trails, what they leave behind from their influence and the mark that forms from it, life takes all kinds of forms,

Place the fragment of the Crucible on the ground, and focus. it shall pulse orange, linking with the various living and animate entities, and you shall see through their senses, how they perceive the world differently from yours....


Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Investigate an area with a radius of up to 500 feet At the end of your investigation, roll Intellect + Animals at Difficulty 6.

You learn the following information about the area:

  • You learn where exactly creatures and people live within the area, and what sorts of creatures they are.
  • You learn how heavily trafficked the area is, what sorts of Animate beings have moved through the area and when.
The quality and specificity of information gained depends on your Outcome.

You cannot investigate the same area more than once per day.

  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

Golden embers flicker off of the Crucible's piece, affected by the Apotheosis. As long as Devonia has this flickering torch, they will continue, and will embrace their own pain, for others, and for fixing what was broken


You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.

Your Stress from Injuries and Mind Damage is reduced to 0.

Stress from Injuries acts as a dice bonus instead of penalty.

Frankie's Teardrop

Created and held by Vándor Nándi.
A Chain Necklace with a curved Teardrop shaped piece of 'glass' full of ash seemingly attached to it.

The necklace consists of a thin metal chain and a teardrop pendant filled with the ash of a vampire. Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that both the chain and the droplet are slightly transparent, and there is no hole through which the necklace pierces the pendant.

Through a ritual, the incorporeal form of a vengeful specter was bound to the ash of a vampire. The undead remains combined with the incorporeal body create an artifact that lends undead resilience to the user.


You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.

You have 3 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack.

You may spend an Action or Reaction and Exert your Mind to double your Armor rating for one Round.

Your Armor cannot be destroyed or shredded, and it always provides a minimum of 2 Armor regardless of any Armor penetration. Your Armor cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.

Stock Legendary Artifacts

You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.

You have 6 Armor, which reduces incoming 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 shredding or penetration. It cannot be circumvented with Called Shots. When shredded, it returns to full potency in one hour.

Any time your Armor prevents Damage, your Armor rating is temporarily decreased by 2. Whenever it goes five Rounds without preventing any Damage, it is restored back to its full value.

  • Armor recharging happens automatically and does not require an Action.
  • This Effect’s Armor rating cannot be increased by any other Effects.

The Bug-out Bag

No hiker would bat an eye if they saw someone wearing this 80 liter backpacking pack in the backcountry. Those who look closer find it's made of a curious mix of modern materials and what appears to be rawhide stitching.

This Artifact holds 5 times what it normally could inside of it. Objects stored inside are weightless.

Living things can be stored in this Artifact. They will have access to anything else inside and may attempt to break free, damaging or destroying the Artifact in the process.

If this Artifact is destroyed, things inside may get out, and it will cease to function until it is repaired.

When scanned or investigated without opening, the contents of this container appear normal and unremarkable.

If anyone other than you opens the container, it appears empty. Others can still destroy it to get at the contents.

  • A container of holding cannot be placed inside another created by the same Gift.
  • There is no cost to use this container.

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.

  • "Cannot be broken" means that damage cannot render the Artifact's Effects unusable, nor can it cease to be used for its primary mundane purpose, if it has one.

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.

  • If there is not enough free space to expand the object, it cannot be expanded. You cannot expand this Object as an attack.
  • Changing the Artifact’s appearance does not allow you to conceal its Alien nature while any of its other Effects are in use.

The Axe of Legend

This electric guitar has one edge sharpened into a deadly blade. It can be used as either sort of axe.

This Artifact can be used as a sword / axe. It is roughly the same size as a sword / axe and just as difficult to conceal.

Attack by rolling Brawn + Melee, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +4 Weapon Damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Mjolnir: You may call your weapon back to your hand as a Quick Action if it is within 50 feet of you. Can only be used on melee weapon that you have wielded in the past hour.
  • Shredder: If you successfully hit your target, the value of any Armor they are wearing is reduced by 2. For material armor, this penalty lasts until it is repaired. For intrinsic armor, it lasts until the end of Combat and any relevant wound is healed.

  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.

This Effect activates whenever you are recorded. It does not require an Action or Exertion. Select a Non-Sapient Object within 20 feet no larger than a duffel bag (35 liters). Your target should be intuitively based on the triggering event. Roll Perception + Culture Difficulty 6.

If your Outcome is 4 or higher, the target will be completely destroyed and can no longer function, though it may still be repaired. If your Outcome is less than 4, the target will be partially damaged, and any attempts to use it will suffer a dice penalty equal to your Outcome.

  • When triggered, the Effect activation resolves immediately after the triggering Action. It is not Reaction speed.
  • The penalty from an object being damaged will stack with itself if a target is hit multiple times, but the object is destroyed when it reaches a total penalty of -4.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.