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By Smeggedoff
Submitted on 17 Jun 2009 at 02:18:44 AM EDTLast updated on 18 Jun 2009 at 05:00:41 AM EDT
Level 5 Artifact
Jareth, the serpent beneath the tree
Once there was a tree.
Unremarkable in nature it began, as trees are want to do, as a seed.
As the tree grew from seed to sprout and sprout to sapling it remained
unremarkable.
It was perhaps this peaceful quality that caused the great sorcerer queen
Brigid to rest her back against its trunk and partake in fruit from its branch
during her journey.
After she had gone on her way The unremarkable tree began to change And the
unremarkable seeds she had discarded were eaten by an unremarkable vole
which in turn was eaten by an unremarkable snake which lived among the roots of
the quite interesting tree.
And as the Tree grew into something quite remarkable indeed, so did the
serpent who lived among its quite remarkable roots.
For when the sercrets of Sorcery were whispered to Brigid atop the spire
at the centre of creation a few of the words tumbled on the wind to the
tree that had provided her shade not too long ago and in turn the serpent
listened at the roots and began to grasp at the tenents of sorcery that
churned within its quite remarkable gut.
As the quite remarkable tree grew and Jareth, for the serpent had named
itself, fed from the magic and grew vain and jealous of the magics he
commanded.
Many years passed until a student of Brigid came upon the tree upon a
pilgrimage and marveled at its nature. As he rested for the night Jareths
coils grew red with rage and he struck, devouring the student and his magic
whole.
It was another year before anyone discovered the tree. A young twilight
who had studied the three circles came searching for the disciple at a
request.
But even the Lawgivers did not cow Jareth from coveting the tree and once
more he struck at the child of Twilight, but where she deflected his fangs
his coils were too much for her and he devoured her essence whole.
Horrified at his behaviour the little gods of the glade where the tree
had grown for years sent a message to the sorcerer queen.
She descended upon the glade like the wrath of the sun.
Jareth had grew daring indeed and intended to add the powerful queen to
his collection, he struck and howled in pain as she broke his fangs and
bound his jaw with three rings of Emerald, Sapphire and Adamant.
He lashed his great body at her and his flesh burned in the light of the
sun and was turned to Orichalcum.
He Screeched his essence and threw a mighty torrent of magic at her but
Brigid simply shed a tear as she reached past it and closed his connection
to the three circles.
As she finished her ritual the glade was silent.
And the tree, the staff and even the great queen passed into history.
Jareth is an Orichalcum Wrackstaff in the form of a khakkhara. A Hooded
cobra head with ruby eyes graces the end with the loop and is decorated
with three circles of Emerald, Sapphire and Adamant, hanging within each a silent bell of the same material, 6 rings hand from the head. The main body and parts of the head have been laquered with tiny delicate scales of red jade.
The staff has one hearthstone socket.
It costs 10 motes to attune to Jareth
Anyone touching the staff sees a figment of Jareth, appearing as a lamia with
four arms and long cascading hair covering his face. He often changes his
appearance to mimic fashion he thinks suit him particularly well, even
changing his apparant gender should he wish.
Jareth will refuse to show anyone his stolen faces, and will endeavour to
cover his mouth of broken fangs whenever he talks.
Jareth is particularly vain and will spend much time preening. He has a
bitter dislike for sorcerers due to his situation, but will remain loyal to
anyone attuned to the staff.
Jareth had a nose for magic, three small bells adorn the head of the staff.
One of Emerald, one of Sapphire and one of Adamant. the bells remain
stubbornly silent no matter how much they are shaken. Should a shape
sorcery action be made within 100ft of the staff, or the staff passes
within 100 feet of a lingering spell, the bell of the appropriate circle
chimes, produces a soft glow momentarily and tugs gently towards the effect
once.
Jareth was a knowledgable magician. His wealth of knowledge gives his
attuned wielder an Occult Specialty of “Identifying Sorcery +2” which can stack with other specialties (to a maximum of +5), and
increases its attuned wielder’s die pools, DVs, and static values by 2 for
purposes of resisting the effects of Sorcery.
Jareth was a jealous magician. When a nearby foe begins to shape sorcery, or
Jareth is brought near an existing effect the Weilder may spent 12 motes of
essence and strike the staff agains the ground. The Player rolls her
(Occult + Intelligence) vs a difficulty of the casters
(Permanant Essence + the spell’s circle). If the roll succeeds the spell
shatters as if dispelled by an equal circle of countermagic
(with concomitant effects).
The player may deal even more damage if someone actually succeeds in
casting a spell within reach and her player succeeds on the roll. She can
Choose to shatter the spell as normal or cause the entire structure to
unravel as if the sorcerer had botched a distraction roll (see exalted P251
for more information)
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