Once a common personal weapon in the First Age regularly equipped to elite mortal soldiers, these
weapons resemble fairly conventional spears forged of First Age alloys. Their only distinctive features are
the bulbous nodes placed just above the grip, which contain integrated power cells, and the articulated
blade heads that open like the petals of a flower to reveal a narrow spigot of red jade.
On their own, fire lances are simply expensive spears. Each lance holds 20 motes in its battery, however,
and these motes can be spent to achieve any of three effects. Alternatively, wielders with Essence
pools may attune the spears for a cost of two motes, after which they may choose to power them directly
from their own reserves.
Charge: For a reflexive cost of one mote, the lance’s blade glows a dim red. Whenever it next strikes a target,
these banked energies erupt in a surge of fire, increasing the strike’s raw damage by +4L and immediately
setting any flammable inanimate target alight.
Streamer: For a reflexive cost of two motes, the spear fires a twisting jet of flames at a target using the wielder’s
Archery. While firing a streamer, the lance is considered a firewand for the purpose of Archery Charms.
Type Speed Acc. Damage Rate Range Minimums Attune Tags
Streamer 5 +2 10L 2 150 (max. range) – 2 2, F
Fire Fan: By reflexively spending five motes, the wielder may spray a continuous wash of flames across an
arc. The fan can hit up to three separate targets within three yards of each other with a single attack roll.
Type Speed Acc. Damage Rate Range Minimums Attune Tags
Fire Fan 5 +5 7L 1 100 (max. range) – 2 2, F
Sorcery-Catching Glove
Artifact ●●●○○
Sorcery-capturing cords come in three styles and three levels of power. One is made of threads woven
from white, green, red, black, blue and yellow jade; it is Artifact 3. One is made of intertwining moonsilver
and starmetal threads and is Artifact 4. The five-dot version consists of orichalcum alone.
The cord is about two feet long and immensely strong. It requires no commitment. When the character
is the target or in the path of a spell, he may use a miscellaneous action to capture it in a knot tied in the
cord. Essence channeled into the spell disappears into the knot in a dwindling display of power. Jade cords
can capture Terrestrial Circle sorcery. Moonsilver and starmetal cords can capture that and Celestial Circle
sorcery. Orichalcum cords can capture spells of all three circles. Capturing a spell requires that the character
be able to take an action on the tick that the spell is released and spend temporary Willpower equal to the
spell’s circle: one for Terrestrial, two for Celestial and three for Solar. Cords can hold no more than three
spells at one time, regardless of circle.
Releasing a spell is a miscellaneous action to untie the knot. The character must again spend Willpower
equal to the spell’s circle in order to channel the energies he is releasing. Spells with multiple versions take
the shape intended when originally cast when released. Despite the names, these cords can also capture
necromantic spells of the appropriate circles (see The White and Black Treatises for necromancy).
Capturing and redirecting Emerald Circle sorcery is very useful, but not overwhelming, and it costs a significant
resource (Willpower). It is Artifact 3—about as useful as Emerald Circle Countermagic. Doing the same
with the Sapphire Circle means that nearly every sorcerous opponent the characters might face can be subject to the
cord. It enables the character to direct significantly more powerful sorceries, though it also costs more Willpower.
It is very powerful, and qualifies for Artifact 4. Wielding this power over all circles of sorcery is unbelievable, not
to mention the spells a character might traipse around with ready to set off. It should definitely be Artifact 5. Even
with all this power flying around, the cords’ enchantments are tempered somewhat by the fact that the character
must time his action precisely.
