by Various (Kindred of the East | Resources)
Here’s the second installment of our Artifacts of KoE. Once again, if you have any to give, we’ll put them up as well. See ya!
If ever the character would be lost in a maze, dungeon, catacomb, or (dare I say it) labyrinth, this item would come in handy. By expending 2 chi (of any kind) into the metallic, baseball-sized sphere, it becomes energized. The player then must only state to the sphere in which direction he’d like to go (out of the maze or further in) and the sphere will guide him. If this item is used in the spirit worlds, a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) must be made to use the sphere, as the spirit courts do not like their puzzles solved so easily.
One of the great 'equalizers' in modern Japanese society is jan-ken-pon, known to Westerners as the Rock-Paper-Scissors game. Many decisions are made with this game, from deciding who foots the bill to who takes the last seat in the soba stand. More commonly known as jan-ken, everyone from executives to children uses it. Often when an individual must be gleaned from a crowd, the determiner plays against a whole crowd of people, with the losers of each duly stepping off to the side. The wearer of this obtrusively bright yellow bracelet (crafted by a secretive Running Monkey) is able to win jan-ken with unnerving regularity. While this item is virtually useless in older gaki circles, a cunning bearer will be able to get to the front of lines and circumvent crowds handily.
This mask is a favorite for Thousand Whispers, Running Monkeys and other younger shen that love the nightlife and indulge themselves frequently. By placing this mask, which appears as a wooden Noh mask, on and spending one point of chi, the mask melds with the face and gives the wearer 2 dice to boost the Charisma and Appearance (Either +2 Charisma, +2 Appearance, or +1 to both). This allows an easier time of seducing or doing anything to that effect. Upon placing the mask on, the player rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty 7), each success allowing the mask’s use for 1 hour.
This sword stands as one of the swords that have been passed down through the centuries of emperors during the feudal periods of Japan. There are only 3 of them in existence and an epic hero in Japanese Legends has wielded each one. To the outside eye, it appears like any other sword, but the blade of the sword is enchanted. By spending 1 point of Chi, the sword takes on its enchanted powers. Every time the weapon strikes it target, it does Str+1 damage, but also adds one extra die of wound penalties to the victim. This has brought more than one opponent to their knee in pain.
This sword was forged by a demon hunter many hundred years ago. At the time of its creation, it was imbued with several 'magical' properties that the bearer would find infinitely useful. First and foremost, the sword is very unnoticeable. Not that it isn't a nice sword, but people just don't seem to notice it. Eyes pass over it, but its existence does not register with anyone. Metal detectors don't pick it up and people looking through x-ray machines see a can of hairspray, or nail-clippers. Only when the bearer actively uses it does anyone finally seem to acknowledge its existence. The sword does Strength+2 aggravated damage against supernatural creatures, and is laced with silver down the middle, to look like a wisp of smoke trailing up the side.
Zhu Leung was a powerful Wan Kuei from the Fourth Age. His control of Equilibrium was without peer, and he was a skilled craftsman as well. His masterwork was a staff he carved of bamboo and jade. Although the jade was common, as well as the bamboo, the extraordinary ability bestowed upon the staff was not. Wan Kuei historians record the epic battles of Zhe Leung, in which he decimated his foes and seemed to drain them of their chi with every strike, his opponents unaware of the theft. On one end of the staff was a solid piece of Red Jade, and on the opposite, a solid piece of Black Jade. Zhu Leung had committed a piece of his very essence into the staff, allowing it to steal the appropriate type of chi, depending on which end his enemies were struck with. Upon Zhu Leung's death at the hands of a shih, his staff was said to have disappeared into the ethers of time. It has never been found to this day. Roll Dexterity+Melee difficulty 7. Every success after the dodge roll has been made steals one point of chi, depending on which end struck the opponent, as well as the normal Strength +1 lethal damage.
Favorite among the stylish and on the cutting edge of fashion, the Clothe of Shifting is just that: Clothes that will change to suit your mood. Many of the shen have access to a pair of these clothes that were created by the Hsien. It originally was a gift to those emperors that proved themselves worthy, but not any more. Anyone with enough money and connections can a hold of one of these suits now. With the expenditure of 1 chi point and it can be changed to any type of clothing that is needed, even armor (up to Level 2). The change does need 1 full turn to become solid and in that time, the wearer can only dodge attacks.
This Charm, created from a combined necklace of Black and White jade, is the bane of all Hengeyokai. When infused with 5 Yin Chi, it summons thousands of magical locusts (viewable only by spirit or Yin sight) that begin to devour all the vegetation in a radius of 30 yards per dots in Yin rating. As the vegetation’s echoes in the Mirror Lands are consumed by the Yin Locusts, their forms in the Middle Kingdom begin to wither and die within minutes. After activating the charm it cannot be stopped, but can only be used once per month and never on the same area twice. There are only 2 known Locust Charms that have passed from Kuei-jin to Kuei-jin who all seem to meet Final Death at the hands of the Beast Courts of the Emerald Mother.
This magical talisman holds the true power of the demon inside it and is coveted by any Kuei-jin who has possession of one. It allows the character to release one extra Demon Form Characteristic upon activating Demon Shintai. After spending the 3 Demon Chi to transform, the wearer may opt to spend additional Demon Chi to do either of the following: 1) Reduce the turns needed to change by one per Demon Chi spent. The character must have the Stamina to release that much Demon Chi in the amount of turns he reduces it to however. 2) Can take on 1 additional Demon Characteristic (Rolled randomly or approved by ST) per Demon Chi spent. This does not affect the turns needed to change, only the form.
Many Chin'ta and Kuei-jin historians date these mysterious silk umbrellas back to the fourth age. As the legends around them suggest, they make potent weapons. However they seem to have at one time existed in great number and a few shen even keep collections of them. If used as a melee weapon normally these umbrellas grant only Strength+1 Bashing damage. These umbrellas all manifest amazing powers when charged for a scene with a point of chi. Each Umbrella is aspected either to yin or yang and usually the color and design on the umbrella is a good indication of which type of chi it requires. Intelligence + Occult or Intelligence + Classics will reveal the chi necessary to activate these abilities. This artifact works in any Lotus game (for Hengeyokai spend rage and gnosis instead yang and yin chi, respectably). All Enchanted Umbrellas possess the following 3 abilities:
As each umbrella is only aspected to either yin or yang they can only have one of the following two powers:
