When Tethered, the Dead Line shifts temporarily into a more spectral form that allows it to float next to Charlie's physical body, surrounded by a ghostly aura.
The Dead Line saps away the vitality of those who attempt to touch it with malice in their hearts, threatening to tear the very souls from their bodies.
Charlie's is merely a puppet for the Dead Line, one which hasn't yet achieved it's true form. Her experience as a puppet has given her a passion that she would never have felt otherwise.
The motto of The Dead Line, engraved by Charlie herself onto a small plaque in the conductor's compartment, is as follows:
"For as many trails as our passengers walk down, many rails we must lay down in turn."
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.
Those who disrespect public transport cannot hold or use this Artifact. They take a Severity 1 Injury each Round they touch or possess of the Artifact. It cannot be prevented or healed by any means until one day after they relinquish possession.
This Artifact's true owner is always aware of the direction and distance to this Artifact.
Whenever this Artifact is unattended and within 300 feet of its true owner, it will fly back to them. When not held or stowed, it floats beside its true owner, moving with them. While within 10 feet, the true owner does not need to touch it to use it.
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.
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: Nightmares: Turning into the Conductor - Your sleep is plagued with horrible nightmares. At the start of each Contract and each time you fall asleep, make a Self-Control roll. If you fail, you take one Mind Damage. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
Ellis' faith in the Lord has blessed him with the sustenance necessary to constantly continue his ministry. He can last for months without food, and has gone close to a month without water on occasion. No one has seen him sleep in years, and his features don't seem to suffer the effects of aging. However, he does frequently appear to be bathed in a halo of warm golden light.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You may go five times longer than a normal human without food, water, and sleep. You no longer age naturally, and supernatural attempts to age you fail.
During fight, ark can turn his arms into giant red claws with energy streaming from his pendant into them.
You gain the following benefits as long as as long as Must not be in the sunlight, you are wearing this Artifact, and you are engaged in unarmed combat.
Your unarmed attacks deal +4 Bonus Damage (instead of -2). The target's Armor is reduced to 1/4, rounded up against this damage.
You also gain the following effects:
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.
Gifted with an incredibly kind disposition, Vergil's natural charisma has been boosted by Odessa who has made him quite literally radiant. His general honesty, kindness, and decency now naturally incline people to trust him. His efforts have brought him no small amount of fame however, and his friends tend to swarm him when he's in public.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your Charisma rating is increased by 1. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Charisma (Cannot be used on combat rolls or Power activations).
You also gain the following effects:
Your eyes seem to magically glow for everyone. Your ability to see is unbound by any means, and while awake it's almost impossible to be surprised.
You gain the following benefits as long as you have your Eyes clearly glow blue.
Your Perception rating is increased by 1. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Perception (Cannot be used on combat rolls or Power activations).
If you are witnessed actively using this Effect, whoever sees it can make a Perception + Alertness roll at Difficulty 6. A complete success reveals the source of your power.
You also gain the following effects:
You never know whether or not the musician's death is merely part of the performance.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
If you would take an Injury that would kill you, you don’t die. Instead, you survive in an Incapacitated state. This state lasts for the next hour, at which point you fully return to life.
If, while you are unconscious, your wound level rises above your rating in Body + Charisma, or if you take an Injury with Severity greater than your rating in Charisma, you die. After you return, the Injury that would have killed you, as well as any Injuries sustained while Incapacitated, are healed. Battle scars obtained during this time remain.
Most severe injuries occur far from a facility that could treat them, and in the fetid muck of the battlefield even minor wounds may be a death sentence. Luckily the soldier is well-trained in the use of their standard-issue medical kit. They may stabilize even the most severe injuries with a little gauze and some no-anesthetic stitching. Furthermore, the treated wounds of their comrades never get infected.
You gain the following benefits at all times. You must actively and obviously be using a standard issue military medical kit to gain the benefits of this Effect.
All Stabilizations you attempt are considered Proper Stabilizations.
You also gain the following effects:
The influencer is welcome at any event or social gathering, but they're easy to recognize, even when they'd rather not be.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your Charisma rating is increased by 1. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Charisma (Cannot be used on combat rolls or Power activations).
You also gain the following effects:
The mad scientist can craft steel helmets that protect their wearers from mental influence and attack.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You get +1 dice to any Mind resistance rolls you make. You also gain the following effects:
Be amazed as the magician wields a deck of simple playing cards with all the poise and precision of a ninja's shurikens. Fear not, for they will not hit you, unless they want to.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are engaged in combat with playing cards.
+2 dice to all rolls utilizing playing cards.
You also gain the following effects: