#THE MIGHTY RED JADE DAIKLAVE

[sondersonne-art]

Of the Five Magical Materials, Jade is one of the most visually striking. In particular, Red Jade is particularly renowned for its beauty. From House Cathak's treasured artifacts, to storied blades fabled across creation, they can be identified at a glance. Red Jade ranges in hue from a deep, almost black of burnt-out-coals, to a bright, fiery...

...

Is that soup?

I've been obsessed with making mapo tofu and while simmering today I noticed it was a particular red batch.

Having finished an Exalted session less than 4 hours prior, my mind was in a particular place.

[unconqueredfun]

Hey ya’ll. I made a grand daiklave. Also tumblr killed my formatting I made in the write up and I’m not redoing it. But maybe add some more decorations.

Stormrune Blue jade grand daiklave Artifact rating 4 Attunement: 5m Type: Heavy (+1 ACC, +14 DMG, +0 DEF, OVW 6) Tags: Lethal, Melee, Reaching, Balanced, Two-Handed Hearthstone slot(s): 2 Era: Age of Sorrows

From the diary and collected notes of Peleps Liao Wen, maker and first wielder.

Sun’s day the 22nd of descending fire. Realm Year 762.

        Today marks the forty-eighth day since I came to the Blessed isle. It has been a very rainy day, I am not one to complain however. I quite like it. However I find it noteworthy to point out as it gave me great inspiration for the making of a great blade. As I visited the Dragon’s footprint temple to study its ancient architecture, a storm rolled in overhead. As I walked around the temple under my umbrella, studying how the ancient constructors funnelled the rainwater so neatly into the moat and ponds lightning starts to thunder overhead. I found myself upon a bridge of the moat overlooking the greenery and the twin waterfalls of the Blessed Tiger and Blue Eyed Doe rivers when suddenly lightning struck an old pavillion. The old green copper spines of the roof glowed red hot and hissed in the rain as it melted and ran down the water spouts made of stone in the shape of dragon-maws.

        I ran over to check and do what I could to save the pavillion from collapsing, I found that the copper had solidified and looked a lot like lightning bolts of their own, forking over shingles and out of the pillars created by the fall. They had splashed down down onto the cobblestone into a puddle, droplets cascading out of it shaped like dragon-tongue letters, bursting out of it. Much to my surprise however I found that despite that the spines were no longer there, the structure made from the melted copper and hardened by the rain again carried the shingles and roof just fine. The bolts carried the rainwater out of the dragon-maws and onto the stone and into the moat just fine as well. I find it hard to appreciably describe what I saw to give it any justice. I feel like I can only describe it as seeing the elements in harmony with one and another in a tiny scale.

        Seeing the lightning carrying the rain and becoming a focal point to carry the structure upon itself gave me ideas for a blade. Upon which I aim to contain this harmony as caused by lightning into a blade that functions in harmony with its own design, where its own elements become a mighty dragon in combination with each other. I think the letters that the copper spelled out in flawed strokes would be ideal for this, but to make inscriptions in jade as fine as brush strokes will be a great challenge, but nevertheless I believe this will hold the power of lightning for the blade. Together this sword will move quicker than its peers and fork into many avenues of approach for the strikes.

Mercury's day the 12th of resplendent wood Realm Year 763.

        My toil with this blade has reached an end with this blade and it is a mighty fine one if I am to be allowed to boast. I do not know if blades have been made a like it, but I find my design to be very interesting. I can hold it in several ways and the way it's formed allows me to switch between my hand to hand techniques, even if they are a little inelegant at times, and the greatsword between heartbeats and without losing any of the defensive posture I desire.

        My own affinity for lightning and storms however may have bleed more into the sword than I had intended. Nevertheless, it has created a versatile greatsword that carries the unrelenting fury of a storm and the alacrity of lightning. I'm sure it would be a great boon to my immediate future as war looms between my home and invaders from the further north.

Attunement benefit: Stormsurge Slash unlocks at no extra cost. Additionally Stormrune’s design allows the wielder to easily hold onto it, in the heat of battle she suffers no penalties for making unarmed attacks while wielding Stormrune and do not need to drop it even during a grapple. Additionally unarmed attacks made without artifact weapons gain +1 overwhelming that does not stack with charms.

Stormsurge Slash Cost: 1m Essence: 1 Duration: Instant. Keywords: Withering-only, Stackable Type: Supplemental Prereq: None Each slash energizes Stormrune. The runes along the blade light up with bright blue and electrical sparks travels down the furrow between the two sides of the blade.

Every successful withering attack made supplemented by this increases the withering damage by 1 of Stormrune until the next turn. This effect stacks up to (lower of essence or 3) times and each consecutive use extends the duration until the end of the next turn.

Dragon Thunder Might Cost: 3m+ Essence: 2 Duration: Instant Keywords: Decisive-Only Type: Reflexive Prereq: Stormsurge Slash When making a decisive attack with Stormrune the she may transfer as many threshold successes as she has charges of Stormsurge Slash built up. She may activate this after the attack roll but When three charges are spent in this manner the decisive damage gains double 10s.

At Essence 3, the wielder may activate Dragon Thunder Might during a clash by spending another two motes before the attack roll, to release an electric shock from the runes of the blade. For each charge being spent she removes one success from the opponent’s successes.

Lightning Flash Crash Cost: 2m 1i Essence: 2 Duration: Instant Keywords: Perilous. Withering-Only Type: Reflexive Prereq: Stormsurge Slash After missing a withering attack, the wielder can attempt a follow up attack making a secondary withering attack using an unarmed jab holding Stormrune with her other hand. This secondary attack takes into account the onslaught penalty occurred by the original strike. If this unarmed strike lands, it automatically extends the effect of Stormsurge Slash until next turn.

The attack is considered to be mundane unarmed for the purposes of damage and accuracy. But may inherit the protection or unbreakability of an artifact if a defensive effect calls for it.

Special activation rule: This cannot follow Thunder Follows Lightning or One Weapon Two Blows strikes.

Thunder Follows Lightning Cost: +1m +1i Essence: 3 Duration: Permanent Keywords: Withering-only Type:  Permanent Prereq: One weapon two blows, Lightning Flash Crash This permanently upgrades One Weapon Two Blows  and allows the wielder activate regardless of whether or not she passed her victim in the initiative order, as long as she hit her target but not crashed them, by paying an additional mote and one initiative. This attack may only be withering.

Coil of the Stormdragon Cost: 5m 1wp Essence: 3 Duration: Instant Keywords: Perilous Type: Reflexive Prereq: Thunder Follows Lightning After successfully crashing an opponent with a withering strike. The wielder may forgo the initiative gained by the damage and grapple the victim as if she had successfully landed a grapple gambit. For the control roll she gains automatic successes equal to Stormsurge Slash charges in the blade and an additional number of dice equal to the victim’s onslaught penalty.

Thunderbolt Hold Stance Cost: 4m 2i Essence: 2 Duration: Until next turn Keywords: None Type: Reflexive Prereq: Lightning Flash Crash Charging her speed and reflexes from the energy of the blade, the wielder flows her attacks in harmony with defense as the elements remain in harmony with each other. At the end of her assault the wielder may reflexively take a full defense action by grabbing a hold of the back end of the daiklave and using it similarly to a staff or spear.

Lightning Animated Blade Cost: 2m (+2i) Essence: 1 Duration: Instant Keywords: Perilous Type: Simple Prereq: Stormsurge Slash, Lightning Fingers (merit) Aligned with the element that Stormrune carries within. The wielder can use their own ability to manifest lightning and use it to charge the blade. After a jolt, the blade keeps its current charges of Stormsurge Slash active until the end of the next turn.

Alternatively she can attempt to animate the blade further by spending 2 initiative and roll her intelligence + occult for lightning fingers . If she succeeds at this it adds another Stormsurge Slash charge to the blade and extends the duration to the end of the next turn.

Heaven Cleaves the Mountain Cost: 5m 3i (1wp) Essence: 4 Duration: Instant Keywords: Decisive-Only Type: Reflexive Prereq: Dragon Thunder Might, Thunder Follows Lightning The wielder raises the dragonblade above her head and brings it down with thunderous might upon her foe. As the attack is dealt, Stormrune lets loose a thunderous crash in a flash of light that blinds and deafens anyone present save for the wielder upto medium range. Significant opponents receive a -3 dice penalty to all non-movement related actions for a number of turns equal to the amount of charges of Stormsurge Slash expended by Dragon Thunder Might to a minimum of 1. Trivial opponents gains this penalty for the rest of the scene. If it deals at least one level of damage, Heaven Cleaves the Mountain knocks the victim prone from the force of the blow.

Heaven Cleaves the Mountain may only be used once per scene but may be reset by building up to three charges of Stormsurge Slash and landing a decisive attack that deals at least three levels of damage.

Special Activation Rule: When a melee withering attack crashes an opponent she may activate this reflexively. If it follows One Weapon Two Blows or Thunder Follows Lightning the cost is increased to one temporary point of willpower.

Thunder Tempest Burst Cost: 10m 4i 3a  Essence: 5 Duration: Instant Keywords: Decisive-only, perilous Type: Reflexive Prereq: Heaven Cleaves the Mountain. Bringing herself in harmony with the runes of her blade and the storms kept within, the wielder makes use of its power in one tremendous burst of speed and power. The wielders makes a fierce uppercut that sends her target soaring and then leaps after. Where the wielder is seen slashing with unrelenting ferocity over a short moments in the air until bringing herself and the victim down to the ground like a lightning bolt hurtling towards the ground. From the impact excess lightning arcs and forks from Stormrune into any unlucky being that happen to be nearby.

When at 15 points of initiative she may choose to use an unarmed attack from which she unleashes her tempest, declared before the attack roll. If this attack succeeds the target is launched up into short range with the wielder and Stormrune in hot pursuit, but no damage is rolled. The threshold successes instead become bonus dice on a withering attack made with Stormrune where the target suffers the prone penalty to their defense. The damage from this attack is instantly rolled with the initiative as decisive damage as the wielder brings sword and target down to the ground. If this damage is avoided fully, the target takes short fall damage instead. Once completed Stormrune unleashes a one time environmental effect difficulty 5 damage 5L that afflicts everyone in close range as lightning chains and forks through everyone nearby. Only the original victim and the wielder are not affected by this.

Special activation rule: If the target is grappled then wielder may use this as her grapple actions. It succeeds automatically as she throws the victim into the air. The remaining rolls of control is added as bonus dice on the attack roll and then proceeds as normal.