Here's the Third Edition rules, as promised. I have a distinct memory that this artifact felt somewhat undertuned for an essence 3-4 character, but it's been years since the campaign petered out and I haven't seen the need to retune it.
So, if you use this in your own game and make changes, please leave a comment and tell me what you did with it!
This is a 3-dot artifact, because its main function is to allow a brawler combo her brawl ability with performing sorcery. It has no “unique style” nor mechanics that seem to define 4 and higher dot artifacts.
Handwraps of Telestic Might
For the artifact's history and a longer introduction, see Monday's Essence version.
The Handwraps of Telestic Might are a set of two orichalchum embroidered rolls of fine silk. Wrapped around a brawler’s hands they attune the wielder's ki with the ethereal forces of Creation. Thus the artifact guides the Chosen's strikes along the currents of Essence, effectively turning the sorcerer's strikes into an elaborate shaping ritual. The Handwraps' delicate essence pathways are easily disturbed and thus the wielder may not use its evocations, if they are holding any other weapon. This includes weapons with the Unarmed-tag. The only exception to this rule is when the brawler uses an opponent she is grabbing as a weapon (and the sorcerer's own fists, of course).
Evocations of the Handwraps of Telestic Might
When the artifact is attuned for five motes, the wielder may add non-charm bonus dice equal to a relevant Intimacy to her Shape sorcery actions performed while engaged to an enemy.
Additionally, when the user is wearing the Handwraps, she gains access to the following Shaping Ritual:
The Handwraps of Telestic Might were made for a duel and their essence was permanently imprinted by the Sorceress of the Seven Hues’ fierce battle anima. Other users in later generations have only bolstered this history. Any time someone is challenged into a battle in the wielder’s presence, the wielder may draw power from the Handwraps by rolling (Dexterity+Occult) and generating that many motes. If the wielder herself gives the challenge, she may roll (Dexterity+Occult+Essence) instead. These motes last until the end of next battle the wielder participates in. What counts as a challenge is ultimately up to Storyteller’s discretion, but most verbal declarations of assault should count. For example, an ambush or a hostile encounter does not count as a challenge, but a slighted lord demanding satisfaction or a written declaration of war does. In borderline cases, the challengee can avoid confrontation by losing face or prostating herself.
The wielder may draw power from the Handwraps once per scene only, unless the challenge is given during a battle. If the wielder herself gives the challenge, she must face her opponent in battle, before she can challenge the same person again.
Attunement: 5m
Type: Light (as fists)
Tags: Worn, Brawl, Bashing
Heartstone slots: 2
Era: Era of Champions
Mystic’s Hands
Cost: 3m Mins: Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Perilous, Resonant, Dissonant
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None
A fighter’s body is a temple and the Handwraps reveal its mystic power. When the wielder strikes, the Handwraps glow and weave sorcerous incantations in their wake.
This evocation allows the wielder to flurry Shape sorcery actions with Brawl and Martial Arts attacks. This flurried Shape sorcery action can only be used to begin and continue shaping the spell. The action to cast the spell cannot be flurried with this evocation.
Resonant: The wielder may waive the normal flurry penalty.
Dissonant: The wielder may only flurry Shape sorcery with Brawl ability.
Special Activation: This evocation awakens at no cost, when the artifact is first attuned.
Power Gathering Strike
Cost: 4m Mins: Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Dual, Dissonant
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Mystic’s Hands
Every move the brawler makes forms another word of sorcerous power into the Handwraps. When she harries the opponent, the Handwraps weave lyrics of a song that ends the fight. When she closes in for a killing strike, her hands form the crescendo of a spell being realized.
This evocation supplements an Unarmed withering or decisive attack. After a successful withering attack, but before rolling damage the wielder may transfer up to their (Wits+Occult) extra successes to her next Shape Sorcery roll. These dice reroll all 1s until they fail to appear.
When the wielder completes a successful decisive attack, she may immediately flurry a Shape Sorcery action (as if they had used Mystic’s Hands) and cast the spell, if they gather enough motes. The wielder’s martial prowess enhances the spell, so if the spell has an activation roll, she gains bonus dice equal to the highest wound penalty inflicted by the attack or her Essence, whichever is lower.
Dissonant: The wielder does not reroll 1s nor gains bonus dice to the activation roll.
Essence Preserving Battle-Meditation
Cost: 2i Mins: Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Mystic’s Hands
Sorcery is an art for the keen and the patient. When the fight lulls to a halt, the Handwraps cover the wielder and store any sorcerous energy that might dissipate.
This evocation allows the sorcerer to retain their sorcerous motes even if they did not perform a shape sorcery action this turn. Additionally, as long as the wielder has shaped at least half of the sorcerous motes required for her spell, she can add a fitting Intimacy to her Soak and Hardness.
Silk As Steel Approach
Cost: 8m, 1wp Mins: Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Power Gathering Strike
The wielder commits the charm’s cost and lets her energies empower the wraps, which weave into weapons sharp as a wood dragon's claws and hard as bronze. Using this evocation turns the wraps into an equivalent of artifact Slayer Khatars or Smash fists (the type must be chosen when the Evocation is purchased) for as long as the motes remain committed. When this evocation is active, the wielder may waive the cost of the Mystic’s Hands evocation.
Rival-Constricting Vines
Cost: 5m Mins: Essence 2
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Perilous, Decisive-only, Resonant
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Power Gathering Strike
This evocation supplements a decisive Grapple gambit. When the wielder grapples a sorcerer, the handwraps spring into life and slither to constrict the enemy mage. If the grapple is successful, the wielder may reflexively roll a (Wits+Occult) to counterspell any spell the target had been shaping. She may take the leeched sorcerous motes to power a spell of her own or convert them into bonus dice for the roll to establish grapple duration. If the wielder succeeds to completely negate the spell or if the spell otherwise fails during the grapple, the wielder gains 2 points of temporary Willpower. If the opponent still has motes left after the initial roll, the wielder may counterspell as her grapple action without reactivating this charm until the grapple ends.
Resonant: When using this evocation, the wielder can counterspell like she knew the target spell as long as they are initiated into the spell’s Circle. If the wielder also knows the target spell, she gains one automatic success to the roll.
Wisdom Bestowing Rapport
Cost: - Mins: Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Dissonant, Resonant
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Essence Preserving Battle-Meditation
The Handwraps have had many wielders and each has left a part of herself into the wrap's embroidery. As the wielder's bond with the artifact deepens, she may study the orichalchum embroidery to learn its mystical secrets. This evocation allows the wielder to learn one spell for no xp cost as long as the sorcerer meets its prerequisites. This spell can be cast only when the caster is attuned to and is wearing the Bandages.
If the sorcerer later pays the experience cost to learn the spell, they may use this Evocation to pick a new one.
Special Activation: This Evocation awakens at no cost, when the wielder supports a Major or Defining Intimacy by defeating a sorcerous enemy.
Resonant: The spell granted by this evocation may be picked as an additional Control spell. If the wielder gains another spell via this Evocation, she may choose which she keeps as a Control spell. This switch can be done only, when picking a spell via this evocation.
Dissonant: Those dissonant with the artifact may not awaken this Evocation.
Delayed Casting Method
Cost: 8m, 1wp Mins: Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Perilous, Dissonant
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: Essence Preserving Battle-Meditation, Rival-Constricting Vines
This evocation allows the wielder to store a Terrestial Circle spell that only affects the caster into the Handwraps. The Spell may then be reflexively cast by paying the charm’s mote cost. Mind that the wielder must also pay the one point of willpower for beginning the shaping action. Effectively, when the wielder uses this evocation to store the spell, they pay two points of Willpower and regain one point when releasing the spell. At essence 4 the wielder may use this evocation to store Celestial Circle spells. Spells that have a potential to target characters other than the wielder can be stored, but when manifested affect only the wielder. (For example, if the wielder uses this evocation to cast Stormwind Rider, the spell will manifest around her - all others must use an action to hop aboard. Technically one could store an offensive spell, like the Death of Obsidian Butterflies, into the Handwraps, if they designate themselves as the only target.)
Dissonant: The wielder does not regain the point of willpower for casting a spell, when the spell is released.
Puissant Magic Armour
Cost: 5m, (1wp) Mins: Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Dual
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Silk as Steel Approach, Essence Preserving Battle-Mediation
The Handwraps move instinctively to protect their owner. When hit by a withering attack the wielder may exchange three sorcerous motes to increase her evasion by one (up to their Essence).
When hit by a decisive attack the wielder may pay a point of Willpower to immediately perform a Shape Sorcery action. If this roll enables the wielder to complete a spell, she may cast it against her opponent as a clash action. If she cannot generate enough motes or if she chooses not to cast the spell, but has conjured at least half of the sorcerous motes required, the sorcerous energy is expelled violently to hurl the wielder one range band away from the opponent. If the wielder could have cast the spell and decides not to, she is hurled two range bands instead. (The wielder is still hit by the original attack.) The sorcerous motes are expended when this happens.
Unity Restoring Sacrifice
Cost: 12m, 2wp Mins: Essence 4
Type: Simple
Keywords: -
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Wisdom Bestowing Rapport, Delayed Casting Method
The Handwraps remember being part of a larger whole and yearn to return to their original home. This evocation can be used to reweave the Handwraps into the Grand Tapestry of Argent Soul and thus complete the Weaver’s magnum opus. The Handwraps of Telestic Might effectively cease to exist as their essence merges with the Tapestry's grand weaving.
The effects of completing the Grand Tapestry should be up to the Storyteller's and player's discretion. The Tapestry itself is an NA artifact woven with all known magical materials (and few unknown ones) by a powerful First Age enchantress. Making it whole could grant the Tapestry's new evocations to the wielder or produce any thematically appropriate effect roughly equivalent to a Solar circle Sorcerous Working. Themes such as making whole something unfinished or rent apart, spreading sorcerous lore through Creation, or protecting something dear through self-sacrifice are part of the Tapestry's story.
If a non-solar wielder is able to invoke this evocation, the Tapestry's completion permanently elevates her essence, essentially granting her the ability to wield sorcery one Circle higher than usual.
Special Activation: This evocation cannot be bought. The wielder has to go on a quest to find the Grand Tapestry of Argent Soul. The Evocation will awaken at no cost at the end of the story the Tapestry is found. When the evocation is used, the wielder may use the experience points she has invested in the Handwraps to buy evocations of the Grand Tapestry. If the Tapestry has no evocations in your story or it is used to complete a Sorcerous Working, the spent experience points are returned to the wielder.
Designer’s Note: I like artifacts that tell a story or are an integral part of one, so I designed the Capstone with that in mind. I felt that the rest of the evocations already fill this artifact’s theme and function, so making some kind of special attack would be superfluous - sorcery is already flashy as heck! There’s no need to underline it further with a flashy capstone. (Tho I’m tempted to design some kind of spellstrike attack as an alternative.)
So, this capstone is probably a disappointment to some and undeniably cool for others. I intentionally left its exact effects vague, so an ST can tailor it to fit her campaign and the wielder’s character arc.
And if you want a more traditional capstone, you can always rule that the tapestry turns into even bigger handwraps that have even better evocations.
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