Alien Artifacts
A few very odd pieces technology have found
their way into League space. No one knows much about them, but everybody
wants them, either to sell, to study, to collect, or to use. Here
are but a few:
The BlackSword
The BlackSword was recovered in system 2254 by a
private human exploratory vessel in the year 2392. The sword (when
off) looks like a normal weapon, the blade being about 3 1/2' long, with
a hilt just big enough for human hands (although more suited to the smaller
hands of fraal or t'sa). It does damage as a katana. No one
has found out what materials compose this artifact. There are no
distinguishing marks on it, save a small round gem in the hilt. When
the gem is turned slightly, the device activates, the blade turns jet black,
and grows to a full 4' long. In this form, the blade does d6+2w/d8+2w/d6+1m.
The blade can maintain its dark form for 5 rounds. It can be used
up to 3 times per day. An unfortunate drawback is that the artifact
seems to draw upon its wielder for power. A constitution feat check
must be made each time the blade is used. Success means the wielder
is only drained of d4s. Failure equals d8s, while critical failure
causes the wielder to loose d4w as his very life energy is sapped.
The Spider Spine
Found in the Tulomon system in 2290, the spider spine
has gained quite a reputation, mostly as a horror story told late at night.
It began during the colonization of the Tulomon system (then know as system
1977-A). The fraal were the ones who settled the small terran world
of Tulomon VI. The colony at this time had about two hundred fraal
present, and, being a rim system, was very seldomly visited. During
a routine land survey, intended to find a spot for a new water reclamation
plant, the fraal geologist Shumsa found an odd power reading about 10 meters
below the surface. Borrowing some excavation equipment, he and a
small team began to dig down to see what was causing the readings.
What they found was a cylindrical tube about 2' long and 1 1/2 inches in
diameter. It had six 2' long thin flexible appendages on it, three
on each side. A seventh appendage extended from what was decided
as the top of the device, reaching only one foot up. Each appendage
had a pointy tip. Shumsa was thrilled about his find (at least as
thrilled as a fraal can get) and immediately radioed his findings to the
nearest League science outpost. The responded by sending a ship for
him and the artifact. From this point on the story is unclear in
some parts, as this part has been reconstructed from security camera footage
from the ship. He boarded the ship with the artifact in tow.
Several days into the flight to the outpost, Shumsa retired to his quarters
for his meditations. When he was next seen, the artifact was spotted
clinging to his back, each of the six tips of the appendages buried into
his flesh, the seventh extending into his brain stem. He began ranting
in an unknown tongue and killing the crew off one by one with powerful
psionic attacks. After the entire crew was murdered, he took the
ship to the nearby system of Orpheus where it was found abandoned.
No trace was been found of him ever since. The League has declared
that any such item, if ever found, should be destroyed IMMEDIATELY!!
From the footage, it appears that the spider spine
multiplies the user's own psionic powers by a great deal. The trade-off
however is too high; total homicidal lunacy, the likes of which would even
turn a cykotek's head.
Speed Collar
This device is most often worn as a collar, although
what it was originally meant to be worn as is unknown. When not in
use it looks like a thin bar of steel, although it can easily be bent to
wrap around a human or smaller creature's neck (it is assumed a weren could
use it as a bracelet). It fastens automatically, responding seemingly
to the wearer's mental command. It can also be activated by thought.
When activated, time flows differently for the wearer as they are phased
into a different stream of time. It is odd to explain, but the wearer
of the bracelet sees everyone as moving sluggishly, while everyone
sees the wearer acting very quickly. This translates into a -2 bonus
to the user's action check in combat. The device can be used for
up to 7 rounds per day, being activated and deactivated as the wearer sees
fit. The only drawback to this device is that each time the wearer
phases into the faster time, a willpower check must be made. Failure
indicates that when exiting fast time, the wearer suffers 1 point of fatigue
damage and d4+1s. This artifact was found by the t'sa about 20 years
before they encountered the League. Its current owner and whereabouts
are unknown.
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