Widow's Lament An aphorism about good intentions and pavement technology

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This Artifact allows you to catch and hold a target's attention.
Used by Jenny Thorndike, Created by donniecesar.
On Legendary Artifact Charred Heart of Grief.
(When activating this Effect, it is obvious you are interacting with the target. You must use this Artifact obviously when activating this Effect.)

When Widow’s Lament is unleashed, the air thickens with an almost tangible weight, as though the grief itself is pressing down on everyone nearby. Her howl cuts through the atmosphere like a jagged blade, raw and anguished, reverberating in the bones of those who hear it. The world seems to blur at the edges, colors dulling as all attention is pulled towards her, as if the very space around her bends and warps with the intensity of her sorrow. Her eyes burn with a deep, mournful light, and for a moment, it feels as if nothing else exists but her pain.


Take a Severity-1 Injury and spend an Action. A number of Sapient, Living targets within 50 feet who can perceive you through any of their senses no greater than your Charisma rating are affected. Audiences or mobs with a singular focus count as one target. Roll Charisma + Performance at Difficulty 6. All affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.

If you succeed, the targets will keep their full attention focused on you for Contested Outcome in Rounds. They will automatically fail any rolls related to noticing anything other than you.

If you pass from their perception and they are unable to pursue you, the Effect ends. If they can follow you, they must do so for 2 Rounds or the Effect will end. The Effect will continue even if violence occurs nearby or if your target is Injured. It does end if the target takes Damage from a source other than you.

This does not affect the target’s opinion of you or their mood, and they may take any Actions while affected (including attacking), as long as that action centers on you. Fascinated targets cannot Concentrate.

You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.

You may Exert your mind to compel a Fascinated target to begin moving towards you.

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: Uncontrollable Anger. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.

  • The Injury received from activating this Effect heals in 1 day and cannot be prevented or prematurely healed by any means.
  • 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.

Community Fascinate Gifts

Spend an Action to activate. All Sapient, Living targets within 20 feet of you who can perceive you through Sight are affected. You must actively and obviously use A steel chair to activate this Effect. Roll Charisma + Athletics at Difficulty 6. All affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, the targets will keep their full attention focused on you for contested Outcome in Rounds. They will automatically fail any rolls related to noticing anything other than you. If they cannot perceive you through Sight for three Rounds, the Effect is broken. The Effect ends early if the target is Injured or enters Combat.

This does not affect the target’s opinion of you or their mood, and they may take any Actions while affected (including attacking), as long as that action centers on you.

You may end this effect prematurely as a Free Action.

This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.

You must retain Concentration to keep up the effect; if your Concentration is interrupted, the effect will end.

  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. A number of Sapient, Living targets within 50 feet who can perceive you through no greater than your Charisma rating are affected. Audiences or mobs with a singular focus count as one target. You must actively and obviously use American Flag to activate this Effect. Roll Charisma + Alertness at Difficulty 6. All affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.

If you succeed, the targets will keep their full attention focused on you for Contested Outcome in Rounds. They will automatically fail any rolls related to noticing anything other than you.

If you pass from their perception and they are unable to pursue you, the Effect ends. If they can follow you, they must do so for 2 Rounds or the Effect will end. The Effect will continue even if violence occurs nearby or if your target is Injured. It does end if the target takes Damage from a source other than you.

This does not affect the target’s opinion of you or their mood, and they may take any Actions while affected (including attacking), as long as that action centers on you. Fascinated targets cannot Concentrate.

  • 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.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action to trap a region of any shape that contains your current location and fits entirely within 50 feet. This trap lasts one hour or until triggered or disarmed. Audiences or mobs with a singular focus count as one target. This Effect cannot be used unless you are trapping an illusion. You must actively and obviously use A musical instrument to activate this Effect. You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect. Its Difficulty cannot be reduced by any means. Roll Charisma + Performance at Difficulty 6.

The trap looks like A slight magenta hue to the object that draws the interest and curiosity of the viewer. Only those who have seen this trap before can identify it as a trap. Anyone who is aware of the trap may intuitively avoid or destroy it.

When setting the trap, specify the condition under which it will trigger. The trap can trigger against a target in the trapped region. All affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.

When the trap is triggered, the targets will keep their full attention focused on the trap for contested Outcome in Rounds. They will automatically fail any rolls related to noticing anything other than the trap.

The Effect ends if the trap is destroyed, or the target cannot perceive it. The Effect will continue even if violence occurs nearby.

This does not affect the target’s opinion of the trap or their mood, and they may take any Actions while affected (including attacking), as long as that action centers on the trap. Fascinated targets cannot Concentrate.

Fascinated targets are at a -2 dice penalty to any rolls they make to resist any other Effects that you attempt to use on them.

  • Anyone who witnesses you place the trap learns about this type of trap and can avoid it at will.
  • Multiple traps cannot be placed in the exact same location or be triggered by the same single Action. Nor can one trap triggering cause another to trigger.
  • Trap can only be spotted by someone who has witnessed this particular trap before, has been informed, or possesses relevant supernatural abilities. They must achieve an Outcome of 4 or higher on a Perception + Alertness roll to do so.
  • The trap's triggering condition, once set, is final. The trap cannot be manually triggered or made to fire on a selected target at will.

Spend an Action. A number of Animate targets within 50 feet who can perceive you through no greater than your Charisma rating are affected. Audiences or mobs with a singular focus count as one target. This Effect cannot be used unless The target is in a conversation with or trying to break off a conversation with you. Roll Charisma + Culture at Difficulty 6. All affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.

If you succeed, the targets will keep their full attention focused on you for contested as long as you maintain Concentration. They will automatically fail any rolls related to noticing anything other than you.

If you pass from their perception and they are unable to pursue you, the Effect ends. If they can follow you, they must do so for 2 Rounds or the Effect will end. The Effect ends early if the target is Injured or violence occurs nearby.

This does not affect the target’s opinion of you or their mood, and they may take any Actions while affected (including attacking), as long as that action centers on you. Fascinated targets cannot Concentrate.

This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.

  • You must retain Concentration to keep up the effect; if your Concentration is interrupted, the effect will end.
  • 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.

Stock Fascinate Gifts

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. All Sapient, Living targets within 50 feet who can perceive you through sight are affected. Roll Charisma + Performance at Difficulty 6. All affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, the targets will keep their full attention focused on you for contested Outcome in Rounds. They will automatically fail any rolls related to noticing anything other than you. If they cannot perceive you through sight for three Rounds, the Effect is broken. The Effect ends early if the target is Injured or violence occurs nearby.

This does not affect the target’s opinion of you or their mood, and they may take any Actions while affected (including attacking), as long as that action centers on you. Fascinated targets cannot Concentrate.

  • 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.