Affable Crag Leaves (Blue/White Jade Warfans ****)

A match of wills, a contest of skills, only one may win. The great forging competition of Reylaam was renowned across the North. Once every 50 years, the most skilled and determined smiths of the land would travel to Reylaam and receive a challenge to craft an item of power, of beauty, of utility to display their prowess and prove themselves worthy of tutelage under the great Solar twilight Arcalon.

Ganest was not the most renowned smith from her village, but she was determined. She was not the most skilled, but she was patient. She was not the most powerful, but she was blessed by the dragons. She persisted against the laughs and mockery of her peers and her betters and she entered the competition.

The challenge was issued: A weapon grace and force. A tool of finesse and power. A compliment of two opposing forces and a divergence of similar sources. The challengers were then given 5 years to return with their results. Ganest was determined. And so she gathered ores of blue jade from the mines near her home and traveled to the Blessed Isle. There she find a mine of white jade and buried the blue jade amongst it. She placed prayer strips around the spot and channeled the ley lines towards that spot.

Then she mined white jade from the mine and brought it home to her blue jade mine and repeated the ritual. She waited years, drawing out plans and gathering other agents, all the while mocked by her peers for not being already underway in her forging. Ganest persisted. In her fourth year, she gathered up the earth infused blue jade, and then the air infused white jade. She forged them into long panels and alternated them in sequences in old realm prayers to the elemental dragons of earth and air.

The competition in Reylaam came and on display were a dozen artifacts of immense power, glittering with gold filigree, or glowing with unnatural colors. Ganest brought her war fans, unmarked with blue and white patterns that showed no formality or unnecessary expense. The breeze shifted as she displayed them through the air. Such simplicity and yet, such precision. Despite the lack of lavishness, they showed a thoroughness and thoughtfulness that moved mighty Arcalon so. He granted Ganest, the simple smith from the North, an apprenticeship.

Affable Crag Leaves are a matched pair of Blue and White Jade artifact warfans. They have 2 hearthstone sockets, one in each fan at the base where it hinges. When opened, the air and earth begin to stir slightly.

Evocations of Affable Crag Leaves

When a Solar or Dragon-Blood spends 3 extra motes to attune to the Affable Crag Leaves, they gain power over the air and earth. As their advantage shifts in battle, the war fans react and fluctuate in strength accordingly. Unfolding the fans makes them begin to generate charges of elemental power based on their initiative state.

When the exalt ends their turn at 9 or less initiative, they gain 1 Vortex charge. With each gathered Vortex charge, the exalt becomes surrounded by a flurry of wind that builds in strength. Loose clothes are whipped around in the wind and small items left unattached on surfaces nearby the exalt will fly around their position.

• At 2 charges, the exalt’s movements are enhanced by buffeting winds. They may ignore 1 point of penalties to movement actions. For every charge above 2, they add a die to all movement actions.
• At 5 charges, the exalt’s defense against ranged attacks increases by 1, as the winds knock projectiles aside.
• Affable Crag Leaves cannot hold more than 5 Vortex charges

When the exalt ends their turn at 10 or more initiative, they gain 1 Quake charge. With each gathered Quake charge, the ground begins to quake around the exalt, though this does not affect the wielder themselves. Small rocks and pebbles may begin to float around the exalt and cracks may break outward for their position.

• At 2 charges, opponents in Close range must roll (Dexterity or Strength + Athletics or Dodge) versus difficulty 1 each round to avoid knockdown. For every charge above 2, the difficulty increases by 1.
• At 5 charges, the range increases to Short, but the difficulty to avoid knockdown beyond Close range remains capped at 1.
• Affable Crag Leaves cannot hold more than 5 Quake charges.

Lacerating Gale

Cost: 3m, 1 Quake charge Mins: Essence 1

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Uniform

Duration: Instant

Prerequisites: None

The Affable Crag Leaves shape many things, the air least among them. Lacerating Gale allows attacks to be made up to Short range through gusts of cutting air.

Alternatively, against an opponent at Close range, the exalt may create a massive gust of wind that changes the damage to bashing but knocks an opponent from Close range backward one range band.

Once per round that Lacerating Gale is used, the Affable Crag Leaves builds a vortex charge.

Carving Tremor

Cost: 3m, 1 Vortex charge Mins: Essence 1

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Dual

Duration: Instant

Prerequisites: None

The mighty war fans can shape earth as easily as the wind. Lashing out with a wave of cutting force, the Affable Crag Leaves rend the ground around their enemies causing small stones, sharp stalagmites, or coarse sand to rise up and strike the exalt’s foes. Add 2 dice to the raw damage of a withering attack. On a decisive attack, convert 1 extra success on the attack roll to an automatic success to the damage roll.

Once per round that Carving Tremor is used, the Affable Crag Leaves build a Quake charge.

Terra Cyclone

Cost: 7m, 3+ Vortex & Quake charges Mins: Essence 3

Type: Simple

Keywords: Decisive-Only

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite: Lacerating Gale, Carving Tremor

Channelling the accumulated power of the Affable Crag Leaves, the exalt moves heaven and earth with the might of her fans. By expending equal amounts of Vortex and Quake charges, with a minimum cost of 3 each, the exalt may choose a variety of outcomes:

• Splitting the earth, the exalt carves a gorge between themselves and their foes beginning up to Short range away, extending to Medium range in width, and expanding Short range wide. This chasm is Extreme Range deep. If the exalt expends 5 charges instead of 3, the gorge begins Medium range away, extends Long range in width, and expands Medium range wide.
• Cutting a close range circle around an individual foe, the fan hoists the ground beneath the target up, buffeted on a small cyclone, before disintegrating and dropping them. This resolves as an unblockable decisive attack, where the opponent tries to jump off the floating rock before it gains height. If the attack is successful, the earth will raise the target up to Medium range in height before disintegrating and dropping them to the earth below, forcing them to contend with falling damage. If the exalt expends 5 charges instead of 3, the height is increased to Long range.
• Blasting their foes with a flurry of crushing rocks and piercing wind, the exalt unleashes a decisive attack against all foes within close range of each other and close range of the exalt. Against individuals, the exalt splits initiative as evenly as possible amongst all the targets. Battle-groups take a -1 Defense penalty against this attack. All targets struck are knocked prone. If the exalt expends 5 charges instead of 3, the exalt gains (Essence + 1) initiative to their pool for calculating damage and struck opponents are pushed back one range band.