The user must place their hand upon the cover of the sketchbook and utter these words, "Hear my call. Pierce The Well and Manifest The Hollow Choir." They then must rip their hand away and swing it over their head. A flood of ink will erupt from the sketchbook like a harsh ocean storm wave and surge around the user. It does not wash people away when it crashes over them, but it will completely bathe them in total darkness, where all light is swallowed up and destroyed.
Those within will be able to hear the low droning groans of those that had died seeking perfection.
Those that are unfortunate enough to be close enough to see the user as they activate this effect will meet eyes with one of The Well's Eidolons. And take it from Luci herself, that is no fun experience.
This is an ability that Luci has had access to for some time- to open a wide portal connected directly to The Well. It was and still is a requirement each time she has to craft an artifact or upgrade an item, but she had conceded the process to dangerous to use outside of a controlled space, such as her tree house in the Imp's Bog. Well, sometimes, drastic times call for drastic measures.
This power is mainly used as a per-requisite for accessing some of the other effects on this sketchbook- some effects that are simply just too weak not to be able to use while not actively bathed in The Well. But sometimes, in a pinch, it can be used offensively.
At the very least, though, Luci had to limit the exposure of its effects in order to be able to copy this ability onto her sketchbook and control it at her own whim, or at least while she has control of her sketchbook.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect. Its Difficulty cannot be reduced by any means.
You create a hemispherical dome of inky blackness originating at your Location, with a radius of 60 feet. and lasting for 2 hours. You are fully immune to the effects of your zone. The area inside your zone is affected in the following ways:
You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see an Eidolon of the Well. The act of meddling with other planes of existence does not come without some undesired side effects. Sometimes, when peering through the veil with the intent to make use of its energies, something stares back and imparts upon the onlooker a warning of disorienting magnitude. Requires an Anguish Roll.
As one is struck, it tips sideways, redistributing the energy to the nearby smaller scales, spreading the impact over a much larger area and emitting a muffled ringing sound.
With each strike, however, the vitreous enamel coating of the scales, made to further reinforce the suit, shoots outward akin to shrapnel at the point of impact.
Upon closer inspection, it looks to be made of hundreds, no, thousands of scale-like ceramic chunks, interlinked with kinetic-resistant farbrics underneath. As one is struck, it tips sideways, redistributing the energy to the nearby smaller scales, spreading the impact over a much larger area and emitting a muffled ringing sound. While great at stopping strikes that arrive at a slowed pace, constant kinetic absorption will cause the ceramic to heat up, softening or even cracking it. The material will take time to cool and heal itself, mending tiny cracks that may form from constant grazing hits.
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. Called Shots may circumvent your Armor, depending on its coverage.
When you take Damage from a source which is within 5 feet, deal back as much Damage as your Armor prevented.
Ew don't touch my stuff.
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.
The poor (anyone who doesn't have Rich Finances 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.
If the true owner of this Artifact ever dies, it immediately disappears. At least one week later, it will appear to The next Warren Buffet and reveal its power to them. They become its new true owner.
If this Artifact is used by someone other than its true owner, its true owner is alerted and learns the user's appearance, direction, and distance at that moment. The true owner may use a single investigation Effect on them once at any range.
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.
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: Compulsion to Hate the Poor and Fear of Poors. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
The Umbrae Defender, crafted by Mr. Porter, is the epitome of a spy’s tool—an elegant umbrella concealing a sophisticated arsenal. Its sleek, high-end appearance masks a precision projectile system, allowing it to silently fire high-velocity darts that dissolve on impact, leaving no trace. A discreet grappling hook is hidden within one of the umbrella’s ribs, with a high-tensile micro-filament line capable of latching onto distant surfaces, allowing rapid ascents, controlled descents, or swift repositioning. In close quarters, the umbrella’s frame subtly shifts to reveal a razor-thin blade along its edge, effective for silent takedowns without sacrificing its refined look. With all mechanical functions silenced by an internal “Stealth Mode,” the Umbrae Defender remains as discreet as it is deadly, blending seamlessly into any environment while ready to adapt to any challenge.
This Artifact can be used as a crossbow. It is roughly the same size as a crossbow and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +2 Weapon Damage. Attacks do not require a successful called shot to do damage.
You also gain the following effects:
When used, the chains of the manacles reform, once again bound. The wearers body deforms and grows in size to a become a monstrous cycloptic being. When the transformation finishes, the creature breaks the chains. Where there once stood a person now stands a one eyed colossus.
Many ages ago, these manacles were used in a ritual to bind a powerful monster known as 'Aginos'. This beast is depicted in Greek and Roman mythology as a terrible demon of great might, that was killed by a great heroine. However, these are not mere legends as this artifact was found by Alfred Birgir during a hike in Corno Grande.
Exert your Mind and spend a Quick Action.
You transform into Aginos the Hulking for 3 minutes. You have access to all of your Powers while you are Aginos the Hulking, 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 Body or Mind Penalties.
Your body is adapted to Destruction. You receive +3 dice on non-attack rolls related to Destruction.
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 Seeing a man’s flesh pop and bubble, as his body destroys itself only to rebuild into a horrific monster..
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.
The -inator comes with a built in automatic trophy-system: deleting any "bullets", "swords", "javelins", and alike, which would come to cause harm apon it's user... though, sometimes, the distinction between "delete" and "upgrade" are confused.
This Effect activates whenever an object or otherwise construct would cause a injury. It does not require an Action or Exertion. Select a Object or Construct Object within arm's reach no larger than an SUV (4,000 liters). Roll a single D10 as a critical failure check. If you roll a 1, the Effect fails, and you instead, "bolster" or "upgrade" the damaging projectile.. You cannot target objects which are currently in someone else’s possession. Roll Intellect + Technology Difficulty 6. Sapient targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 8.
If your Outcome is 4 or higher, the target will be fully and completely destroyed, leaving behind no meaningful remains. 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.
You may use this Effect to destroy a hunk of material as large as a duffel bag (35 liters), even if it is a part of a larger structure or object.
The De-Neuralizer is a small silver device that can emanate a bright flash of light. Any being that looks into it with uncovered eyes has their most recent period of the their memory set into a highly over-writable state for a moment. While in this state, their memories may be overwritten at will.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Location within within arm's reach. All Sapient targets within 20 feet are affected. This Effect cannot be used unless the target is looking directly into the device with uncovered eyes. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. The target may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.
If the contested Outcome is positive, the most recent 1 hour from your target’s memory is either replaced with new memories or forgotten entirely. This is recorded as a Condition. The level of detail and completeness of the alteration depends on your Outcome. If you fail, the target realizes that you are attempting to alter their memories.
The period is chosen either by time (i.e. “last Friday night”) or by reference to a specific event (i.e. “when the murder occurred”).
Dazzle Glasses are advanced "black-tech" espionage gear. They can be styled as any sort sunglasses. When the wearer is recorded, they will quickly flash a non-visible laser into the recording device, destroying it after only a moment of footage is taken.
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.
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 "Reaper" Assault Helmet is the signature piece of the Future Soldier's arsenal. It has a sleek, design and is made of a mysterious matte-metallic alloy. The wearer's face is exposed normally, but when activated, a blue holographic visor flickers to life in front of the eyes. This HUD contains information about the soldier's ammunition and shield status, but more significantly can detect enemy combatants. Anyone nearby who is holding a weapon is painted with a red dot that follows them in real time. This allows the Future Soldier to fire at painted targets in the dark, detect ambushes lurking around corners, and grants an overall tactical advantage.
Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action.
You automatically detect all people wielding weapons within 300 feet of you for the next hour. This includes any who come within range during the duration. You have a sense of how many valid targets are nearby, as well as their distance and direction.
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.