He moves with a speed that feels less like running and more like vanishing. There is an eerie stillness to his acceleration, as if the world itself forgets him for a moment. His body answers to strange instincts — joints bending with impossible grace, steps soundless, breath invisible even in the cold. Frost seems to cling to the edges of his presence, a silent chill that numbs the senses of those nearby. Though he trains and sharpens his body like any fighter, something deeper stirs beneath the flesh — something ancient and alien to mortal blood. His passage leaves no trace but a fading shimmer, as if he is merely a spirit brushing past. Those who see him move speak in whispers afterward, uncertain whether they witnessed a man or a phantom called forth by the winter itself. Whatever the truth, his speed is a warning, not a gift.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
Whenever you use your Movement, after all other calculations, the distance you may travel is doubled.
Riku's words are not entirely his own. Inherited from his mysterious maternal lineage is gift: the ability to command others with nothing but his voice. Yet his blood sings with more than one song. As he speaks, unseen voices that echo his supernatural heritage and whispers of the parasite form a composite, kaleidoscopic layer beneath his words. Every order he gives carries a strange harmony: slight shifts in tone, conflicting enunciations, a discordant choir behind his intent. When his voice carries an order, the temperature drops perceptibly; his breath condenses into pale mist, and frost may gather on nearby surfaces. The air grows heavy with the weight of his authority and his words grip the minds of listeners, bending their wills under the pressure of something both beautiful and terrifying.
Exert your Mind and spend at least one Action. Select a Sapient target within 20 feet. Your target may be actively engaged in Combat. Communicate a command to your target. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. The target may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.
If the contested Outcome is positive, your target will be compelled to follow your command to their best understanding of the letter and spirit of the command until they have completed it or for your Contested Outcome in hours. You cannot issue another suggestion to the target until 10 minutes after they have completed the first command or 10 minutes after a failure.
The target is unaware that they are under supernatural influence and feel they are acting of their own free will. If you fail, they realize that you were attempting to influence them supernaturally with your command.
Your command can be an order to take an immediate Action and a conditional request. You cannot order a target to "do nothing," and they are free to take other Actions as they fulfill your request. Your command cannot be obviously self-destructive. The Effect ends if following your command would cause a target to cross one of their Limits in a way that would necessitate a Trauma roll.
You may activate this Effect as a Reaction to contest any Action a valid target is taking, reducing their Outcome by your own. Your command has no impact beyond disrupting their Action. This interrupts Concentration.
An item enchanted with this effect will have an ethereal green glow, though not enough for any significant sort of light. Touching the object is energizing, and supplies the wearer with unending function.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You no longer require any food, water, or sleep in order to survive.
Hudson can turn a regular weapon into a machine of death, making most things significantly more powerful.
This Artifact has been upgraded.
This Artifact receives 2 extra dice to all actions taken for its intended use. Attacking with an upgraded weapon grants +2 Weapon Damage instead of additional dice.
The material is strong.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You have 8 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack. Called Shots may circumvent your Armor, depending on its coverage.
Armor penetration does not affect your Armor, and it cannot be shredded or destroyed.
Specially created throwing knives
This Artifact can be used as a throwing axe. It is roughly the same size as a throwing axe and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling Brawn + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +1 Weapon Damage.
You also gain the following effects:
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.
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 Predatory Raiment has a cloak feature that allows its owner to hide themselves and their equipment with active camouflage. When viewed, they look like a slightly shifted and shimmering version of the surrounding environment.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are not at all wet and you are wearing this Artifact.
You and everything you are carrying is obscured in one of the following manners. You may Spend an Action to change the way in which you're concealed.
While this Effect is active, any Effect that would obscure you or your equipment specifically 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.
The Skeleton Key slips easily into any keyhole and turns without a fuss.
Spend an Action.
You may lock, unlock, and/or open any number of doors, containers, knots, or locks within arm's reach of you. Cannot be used on Alien technology.
If you successfully operate a lock, you may choose to destroy it, rendering it inoperable.
The Axe of Legend's blade has been imbued with the metal of the dark lord of rock and roll. It shreds chords and flesh. The rock god commanding it may recall it to their hand at will.
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: