The Knight of Spring
- The Legend of the Knight of Spring
Description
History
Powers
Great Helm
Breastplate
Backplate
Aillettes
Rebraces
Coudes
Vambraces
Kneecops
Greaves
Bonus Power
DESCRIPTION
All parts of this suit of piece-meal plate are a pale metallic green in color with well-worn yellow straps of a strong weave. Each piece is engraved with a very fine pattern of vines and leaves so slight that it is difficult to see unless examined closely. The engraving creates the illusion of a raised pattern on the armor, when really the pattern is sunken. The raised pattern is that of leaves, who's edges are defined by the engraving.
The great helm has no openings save at the neck. It is lined with the same material used for the straps and has additional shoulder flaps that, when tucked beneath the shoulder under-armor, provides a tight-fitting seal. The front of the helmet has 12 horizontal lines of engraving running almost straight across.
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HISTORY
In the time of the great colonization of Hârn, the worship of Peoni came with the peaceful colonizers and settled somewhere east of Lake Benath. After two colonies were brutally wiped out within 10 years, a master-smith of the area began crafting the Knight of Spring. Decgrid the Smith, as he was called, spent the next 5 years in utter agony as he learned of two more villages being destroyed by well armed and armored raiders. But the terror did not end there for those killed were said to rise again and help in the destruction of the next village. Dead friends seemed mindless and bent on killing and maiming with their bare hands and teeth if they could find no better weapon.
Decgrid's tears stained the metal armor he was crafting, adding an odd green tinge to it. His prayers were said to be louder than his hammer blows and he often went without food or break for days as the task of finishing the armor consumed him. [It is not known if Decgrid was a mage. Some tales say he had assistants, others say he worked alone.]
When he finished the armor he gave it to the priestess of Peoni, asking her to find a worthy wearer. He then died on the very steps of the temple, his life's work complete.
The priestess took the armor and reverently placed it on the steps of the temple. Then she called to Saint Belsirasin, the Peonian in the house of Larani for aide. The armor remained on the steps for a fortnight. Many throughout the land heard of its value and wealth, but though they came to take it, they found they could not remove a single piece from the steps. Not by strength, prying, magic or prayers.
Then one day a young girl came into the village.[Here name is not mentioned in any of the tales.] Her hair was shorn in morning and she wore only sackcloth. Her face was awash in tears. She said nothing to anyone she passed and accepted no succor. Instead she walked directly to the temple and began donning the armor over the sackcloth.
By a miracle the sackcloth became quilted armor and her sandals became leather boots. Once dressed she turned to back the way she came. As she walked a sword by the grace of Saint Belsirasin appeared in one hand and a giant tower shield appeared in the other.
No one ever heard of the young woman, nor learned her name. But the attacks on the villages ceased and the dead remained buried shortly after her appearance.
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POWERS
Great Helm
This helm covers the neck, face and skull completely. It allows the wearer three abilities:
- To see all things, regardless of lighting (this includes the ability to see heat variations, astral beings, ghosts, spatio-temporal discontinuitites and auras as clearly as their eyesight allows on a summer day at noon). [Eye of Kemdal (Neutral I): 9000 yard range. 2 point of Ego/Will, Maugrim's Awareness (Neutral II*): Grants the artifact the ability to see and hear at 15. 3 points of Ego/Will. Sight of Teri (Odivshe II*): 3 points of Ego/Will]
- To breath without air. The inside of the helm remains comfortably cool and the air fresh - regardless of the condition of the air (or lack there of) outside the helm. [Wind of Sharis (Lyahvi IV*): 5 points Ego/Will]
- To see 360 degrees. This removes the ability to be surprised by an attack
from behind. [Reinwald's Auguration (Savorian II*): 450 foot radius. 3 points
of Ego/Will.]
It is a major artifact with an Intelligence of 15, an Aura of 19 and an Ego/Will of 19. It's morality is Law-Abiding and it can use Telepathy [Power of Daras (Neutral II*): 3 points Ego/Will)] to project what it sees/hears into the wearer's mind as if they were seeing/hearing it. The armor has one purpose - the protection of the innocent. Any wearer trying to go against that purpose must perform a Mental Conflict to gain control. The helm is the center of the suit's intelligence. If it gains control it will immobilize the wearer so that all the wearer can do is remove the helm. It is not interested in controlling the wearer, for that would be immoral.
The helm must be worn to expend a charge.
Side Effects
The helm is always aware, regardless of the wearer's action. If the helm spots something - the wearer will "see" it regardless of their state of consciousness, focus or intent. This heightened sense of alertness, if not equal to that of the wearer, causes strain and fatigue at the rate of 2FP/round for every round worn. The maximum number of rounds a wearer can remain in such a heightened sense of awareness is equal to their Stamina.
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Breastplate
This breastplate covers the front of the abdomen and thorax completely. It allows the wearer one ability:
- To pass without leaving a natural trace (specifically body odor that an animal could use to track the wearer). Normal signs of passage (footsteps, broken branches etc.) as well as items dropped, and aural emanations are not affected nor is smell from normal signs (broken branches, crushed plants) although the wearer will create no smells whatsoever so long as they are wearing the breastplate. [Freas's Traceless passage (Fyvria II*).]
It is a minor artifact that is +2 in all aspects of it's protection. To activate the power, the word "Traceless" must be spoken by the wearer.
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Backplate
The backplate covers the back of the wearer (Abdomen and Thorax). It allows the wearer one ability:
- To pass without leaving a normal sign of passage (specifically footsteps, broken branches, etc.). Natural traces (items dropped, left behind as well as smells, aural emanations) are not effected. [Ketherian's Traceless passage (Fyvria IV)]
It is a minor artifact that is +2 in all aspects of it's protection.
Side Effects
Use of this armor (defined as being warn and moving a distance) causes an additional 1/2 the normal amount of fatigue to accrue.
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Aillettes
Each of the two shoulder armors are a divine item that make the wearer immune to the Shadow of Burkai. When a creature of Morgath touches a living being, it must engage in Mental Conflict or be consumed by the Shadow of Burkai. This is the primarily religious animating force behind the undead of Morgath.
Anyone wearing these bracers is immune to this effect. There is no spell associated with this effect.
Side Effect
Any wearer who's Morality is outside the range of that of Peoni (06-18) suffers 1d4 burn damage per round that the aillettes are worn.
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Rebraces
Each of these two upper-arm armors allows the wearer one ability:
- To reduce the penalty for firing greater distances. Short and Medium +0, Long -20, Extreme -40. [Targeting (Lyahvi II*) The spell effects are cumulative; wearing one rebraces gives the above mentioned bonuses, wearing two changes the above to: Short, Medium and Long +0, Extreme -20]
It is a minor artifact that is +2 in all aspects of its protection.
To be used, the wearer must say the word "Target".
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Coudes
Each of these elbow guards allow the wearer one ability:
- To be immune to both ethereal and natural fire damage. [Belly of the Beast (Peleahn II*)]
It is a minor artifact that is +2 in all aspects of it's protection. To activate, the user must say the word "Protect" otherwise the power will not activate.
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Vambraces
Each of these forearm armors provides one ability:
- To protect the wearer from the cold. In game terms this halves all cold or frost damage done to the wearer. [Cloak of Yavaris (Peleahn II*)]
It is a minor artifact that is +2 in all aspects of it's protection. To activate, the user must say the word "Defend" otherwise the power will not activate.
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Kneecops
Each of these knee armors provides one ability:
- To protect the wearer from all forms of mind magic (savorian and psionic effects) by causing a -90 penalty to all EML rolls targeted upon the wearer. [Reinwald's Blockade (Savoria III*)]
It is a minor artifact that is +2 in all aspects of it's protection.The power is activated automatically upon the wearer dawning the Kneecops. Each dawning costs 1 charge.
Side Effects
When the wearer is attacked through mind magic, the wearer will hear a faint buzzing sound, like whispering just beyond their hearing. The buzzing will persist for as long as the attack continues. The sound causes a distraction penalty of -10 to all EML.
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Greaves
Each of these calf-guards provides one ability:
- To reduce the chance of the wearer from contracting disease. It bolsters the immune system and increases the wearer's stamina (for contagion purposes only) by 1d6. [Dolan's Aura of Immunity (Fyvria I*)]
It is a minor artifact that is +2 in all aspects of it's protection
The power is activated automatically upon the wearer dawning the greaves.
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Bonus Powers
When the suit is dawned, or any piece combined with the helm, powers are activated only as needed and not per dawning or spoken command word. For those items with a command word, the command word can still be used to activate the power; but the helm takes care of managing when each power should be used.
This allows that only when a power is actively used is a charge expended.
When worn, the suit provides the following other bonus powers:
To add 1d6+5 to the primary aspect and 1d6 to the secondary aspect (wearer's choice) of their primary weapon for so long as the suit is worn. [Anvil of Pytama (Jmorvi III*)]
Side Effects
All side effects of each piece are halved when the entire suit is worn.
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This page was last updated on
June 7, 2002
Questions/Comments should be directed to the Webmaster.
All works are Copyright their respective
authors, 2002.