Hearthstones
Of Earth
Eye Of The First Goat (Manse •)
Trigger: Non-combat situations
This pale-orange
stone has a slitted red “eye” in its center. The Eye grants the possessor a
bonus to Athletics rolls equal to one-half his Temperance, rounded-up. In
addition, if the Eye of the First Goat is set in a blunt weapon, it grants the
owner a one-die bonus to any melee attacks made with that weapon.
Gem Of Deep Meditation (Manse •)
This Hearthstone
is a translucent, milky moonstone, surprisingly heavy for its small size. Its
owner will find it comforting and cleansing to his mind to meditate on it and will
gain focus and concentration merely by possessing it. Any character owning one
reduces the difficulty of all Willpower rolls by 2, to a minimum of difficulty
1.
Gem Of Dignity (Manse •)
Trigger: None, constant
This stone is luminescent and perfectly clear.
Its bearer possesses a natural dignity, and any attempts to make her look
foolish or stupid are at a +1 difficulty.
Gemstones Of
Synchronicity (Manse •)
Trigger: None, constant
When more than one of these stones are
formed within a single Manse, multiple people attuned to the Manse may carry
them. The stones themselves are octagonal and bright green. Each Exalted in the
bond will feel the pains of the others. Though this is unpleasant, the
sensation is muted and does not generally impede the characters. When the pain
of one is extreme, it causes a penalty of at most one die to all actions
attempted by the others. If one of those bearing a stone from a set dies, the
others feel it as a searing pain of the heart that lasts for a full minute
before easing. These stones only form in. sets of two or more.
Hardened Spirit
Gemstone (Manse •)
Trigger: Regaining Willpower
The deep amethyst of this polished jewel
glitters as if from distantly reflected torchlight. Each morning, its bearer’s
player adds one die to his Conviction roll for his character to regain
Willpower. A character must have a permanent Willpower of 6+ or a Conviction
rating of 3+ to receive this benefit.
Stone Of Breath (Manse •)
Trigger: None, constant
This Hearthstone is a flat, opaque stone of
pale green. When not exerting herself, the bearer settles naturally into deep
breathing — a simple, abdominal rhythm of breath. This breathing increases
overall vitality, aids circulation and strengthens the body. Mechanically, the
bearer gains one die to all Endurance rolls.
Stone Of Comfort (Manse •)
Trigger: Conversation with target
This plain white stone enables the bearer
to soothe the emotional pain of others. The effect lasts for half a day, and it
eases the effects of any derangements. This power may only be used once per
day.
Stone Of Earth’s
Blood (Manse •)
This marbled russet-and-maroon oval, while
useful in the event of poisoning, is truthfully most often used by
Dragon-Blooded who require a few moments of sobriety during their busy party
schedules.
For 1 mote of Essence per minute, the user
of this Hearthstone may completely defer or negate the effects of any poison or
intoxicant in his system. When the character stops spending Essence, or runs
out of Essence, the full effects of the poison or intoxicant returns.
Stone Of Humble
Glory (Manse •)
Trigger: Constant
This pentagonal jewel has a mirror finish
that never dirties or smudges, always revealing the simple truth of the world.
The player of a character bearing this stone adds a bonus equal to the Exalt’s
lowest Virtue to all Social rolls in which the character speaks plain truth
without guile or embellishment. A character who bears this stone for a month
may optionally choose to shift her Nature to Paragon, but this personality
change is not required.
Cold Iron Bauble
(Manse ••)
Trigger: None, constant
Beads of black iron, these Hearthstones are
relatively common on the Blessed Isle, springing forth from the ordered Earth
Essence that flows around the
Gem Of Perfection (Manse ••)
Trigger: None, constant
This Hearthstone is a beautiful, moss-green
gem, transparent and smooth. It causes the bearer to ignore the effects of
long-term injuries, scars and birth defects. Congenital conditions vanish under
the effect of this stone. Paralysis is lifted and chronic pain vanishes. It can
even restore what is missing, although it takes two months for whole limbs to
regenerate. This stone does not allow the bearer to ignore die penalties
incurred during combat, but after a week of healing any remaining penalties go
away. If the bearer loses possession of this stone, the ill effects of any
permanent injuries and defects return, although regenerated limbs remain.
Gemstone Of The
Brother’s Bond (Manse ••)
Trigger: Constant
These marbled pebbles bear intermixed
striations of the five colors of jade and always grow in sets of two to five
from the same Manse. Multiple individuals attuned to the Manse who carry these
stones feel a powerful psychic link binding them together. This link duplicates
the effects of the spell Sworn Brothers’ Oath, save that the bond has a fixed
rating of 5.
Gemstone Of Deep
Drink (Manse ••)
Trigger: Concentration
This grass-green chunk of glass-like stone
with very sharp edges allows its bearer to drink as much alcohol as she likes.
It will act in all respects as water to her, apart from the taste, even to the
point of satisfying thirst.
Kata-Sculpting Gem
(Manse ••)
Trigger: Activating Form
This pearly disk emits a faint white light
that brightens and dims in the regular intervals of a heartbeat. Dragon-Blooded
martial artists can use the focusing rhythms of this Hearthstone to activate
any known Celestial-level Form-type Charms without their players needing to
make the usual reflexive Dexterity + Martial Arts roll. Only Terrestrial
Exalted with a Martial Arts rating of 3+ possess the precision necessary to
execute the expanded katas permitted by this Hearthstone. In addition, all
bearers of this stone reduce the Essence cost to activate Form-type Charms by 2
motes.
Kill-Hand Gem (Manse ••)
Trigger: Unarmed combat
This stone is such a dark green that it
almost looks black. When the bearer engages in unarmed combat, it enables him
to hit his opponent’s vulnerable points. Rather than doing bashing damage, his
unarmed blows deal lethal damage.
Salt-Gem of the Spirit’s Eye (Manse ••)
This stone is white and porous, like salt
or chalk, but like all Hearthstones, is almost impossible to mar without
enchanted tools. A character bearing this Hearthstone is very difficult for
unmanifested spirits to perceive. If a spirit is not actively looking for the
character, it will overlook him. If a spirit is looking for the
character, it increases the difficulty of Perception + Awareness rolls to spot
the character by 1 (if he’s using Stealth). If an unmanifested spirit attacks
the character, any attempts to harm the character at a -2 dice penalty. This
Hearthstone has no effect on spirits that have donned physical form.
Sphere Of Balance (Manse ••)
Trigger: None, constant
This Hearthstone is a sphere of dark green
shot through with white. Its bearer has perfect balance. Any attempts to knock
her down or otherwise throw her off balance suffer a +2 penalty to difficulty.
She gains two dice to any Athletics rolls that involve balance, such as walking
across walls or tightropes or keeping her footing on ice.
Spider’s Eye Stone
(Manse ••)
Trigger: Meditation
This stone is a smooth gray color, with
sparkling veins of blue throughout. The bearer can see through the eyes of any
spider within a 10-yard radius. This effect also works on Ahnules
(spider-demons) and other spider-like creatures.
Stone Of The Earthweb (Manse ••)
Trigger: Constant
An Exalted bearing
this Hearthstone never need fear sneak attacks or stumbling around in the dark.
While wearing it, the Exalt can feel the earth around her just as a spider can
feel the strands of its web. Within a radius of 10 yards, the Exalt can feel
everything that rests upon the ground and is on the same floor she is standing
on. She can feel size, approximate weight and any movement of all such objects
and individuals. A large chest would be a heavy rectangular weight, while even
the most carefully hidden assassin would feel a like a live person standing
very still. As long as the Exalt is standing upon the ground or a floor that is
built directly upon the ground that is within her range. However, if she is
standing upon the upper story of a building, then these perceptions only apply
to objects and people resting upon that upper floor. Also, the Exalt cannot
sense anything that is not on the floor. Hanging lamps, assassins standing upon
desks or couching in windowsills cannot be felt with this item (although the
desk the assassin is standing on might seem oddly heavy). This Hearthstone is a
rough light-gray stone covered with a complex network of black veins. While
using this stone, the characters suffers no penalties for poor visibility and
can effectively detect all invisible characters, so long as they touch the
ground (obviously, this has no effect on mind tricks such as Mental
Invisibility Technique).
Crystal Venom
Jewel (Manse •••)
Trigger: Spending Essence
This smoothly oval-shaped stone pulses with
a bilious acid-green glow. Its bearer can spend 1 mote as a simple action to
purge a single non-magical poison or intoxicant from his body. Over the turn
that the character spends Essence, the toxin condenses and crystallizes within
his stomach as a dull and lightless copy of the Hearthstone. At the end of the
turn, the character coughs out this noxious jewel.
Gemstone Of The White Jade Tree (Manse •••)
Trigger: Constant
This blue-violet
stone seems to glow with an inner light. Any damage suffered (after soak) by
the possessor is halved, rounding all fractions up. At the same time, the
possessor’s Dexterity pool and movement speed are halved, rounding down.
The Jewel Of Stability (Manse •••)
Trigger: None, constant
This stone is
solid inky black and slightly rough. Any character bearing it cannot lose his
balance or fall down as long as he is standing on the ground. In addition to
being immune to knockdowns and knockback, the character will never slip or fall
while running along a narrow ice-covered mountain path or sprinting along a
slick walkway of small, wet, moss-covered stones. The character also cannot be
picked up while standing on the ground. Even when standing on one foot, he
remains firmly rooted to the earth. All forms of movement while climbing ropes
and ladders or on upper stories of a building are unaffected by this Hearthstone.
Precision Of Form
Gemstone (Manse •••)
Trigger: Activating Form
This Hearthstone bears the rainbow
iridescence of an opal glittering inside a translucent white sphere. Whenever
the character activates the Form-type Charm of a martial-arts style, the
Essence cost to use all Charms in that style decreases by 2 motes. This effect
cannot reduce the Essence cost of a Charm below half its original value,
rounded up. Characters using a Form-type Charm cannot activate any Martial Arts
Charms of another style while bearing a Precision of Form Gemstone.
Stone Of Judgment (Manse •••)
Trigger: Concentration
This Hearthstone is a smooth piece of rich
blue stone. The bearer asks someone whether or not he committed a crime or
other harmful act. If the subject answers, the bearer’s player gets an extra
three dice to use in a Perception + Socialize roll to determine whether or not
he is telling the truth.
Gem of Adamant Skin (Manse ••••)
This Hearthstone is a glittering, flawless
black ovoid. The character who bears it cannot be cut or have her bones broken.
Lethal damage done to her is automatically converted to bashing before soak is
applied. This Hearthstone has no effect on aggravated damage.
Gem Of Inner
Purity (Manse ••••)
Trigger: Constant
This clear pentagonal stone smolders with a
perpetual inner fire the color of its bearer’s anima. A Dragon-Blood attuned to
this gem gains the benefits of the Breeding Background at a rating equal to his
Essence. This Hearthstone does not increase the likelihood that a bearer’s
child will Exalt, nor can the jewel raise temporary Breeding above 5. Other
types of Exalted and Dragon-Blooded with a higher innate Breeding rating than
their Essence do not gain access to this power, but may carry this Hearthstone
to recover Essence.
Gem Of Safe
Harvest (Manse ••••)
Trigger: None, constant
This Hearthstone is a dark yellow amber of
irregular shape. Any food eaten or drunk by the possessor of this Hearthstone
will be safe: It cannot kill her or make her ill, even if it is poisoned.
Stone Of Final Rest (Manse ••••)
This Hearthstone
is a polished onyx stone the size of a child’s fist, with odd glints of light
at the heart. It has the power of sanctifying tombs of the dead and bring rest
to the souls of the departed. No grave within a half a mile of the Manse that
produced this Hearthstone may be polluted by necromancy: Skeletons and zombies
may not be raised, and ghosts may not be called forth. In addition, the touch
of a bearer of this Hearthstone causes zombies and other physical creations of
necromancy to lose their semblance of life and return to their proper state of
death. While ghosts can force themselves to approach the wearer, they take one
health level of aggravated damage for each turn that they are within five yards
of him. Ghosts see the Hearthstone as a blazing cold diamond, and though they
are unaffected, Deathlords and deathknights perceive its light as sharp and
hurtful. Ghosts will be aware of its presence from 100 yards away, Abyssals
from as many leagues away as they have dots of permanent Essence, and
Deathlords from 10 leagues away. Deathlords will also know if such a
Hearthstone crosses the border of a shadowland they control and can roughly
sense its location. This Hearthstone does not function in the Underworld. If in
the shadowlands, it does no affect ghosts and only does one level of aggravated
damage per turn when touched against physical undead. It will also be
blindingly perceptible to all natives of the shadowlands, irritating and
disturbing the magical currents for up to a league’s distance.
Stone Of Refuge (Manse ••••)
Trigger: Curl into a ball on any solid ground and concentrate
This stone is a palm-sized green gem, rough
and uncut. The bearer may fade into the ground, becoming a part of it. Her body
will not be visible, her scent may not be detected in the earth, and the scent
of her trail will fade as normal. Minor damage to the ground she lies in
(scuffs, the removal of a handful of dirt, heavy things falling) will not
affect her. If someone digs into the ground where the character lies, she will
take one health level of bashing damage and will immediately rise up out of the
ground. The character will hear and see nothing while in the ground, but she
may feel the vibration of heavy footfalls or other movement above. She will
starve as normal, but she will not suffocate. The character may emerge whenever
she wishes. Magical sight will be able to detect the character.
Gem Of Immortality
(Manse •••••)
Trigger: None, constant
This Hearthstone is a smooth, darkest black,
with the faintest rainbow sheen playing across its surface. Its bearer will not
age while she bears this stone, and she will not fall prey to any of the
infirmities or illnesses of old age. She can be harmed and killed as normal,
but she will never die of old age or natural illness. If she stops carrying
this stone, she will start aging normally.
Gem Of Life (Manse •••••)
Type: Earth
Trigger: None, constant
This smooth, black, iridescent stone grants
a Dragon-Blood the extended lifespan of a Celestial Exalt. While he bears the
stone, he does not age, nor does he suffer from the infirmities and illnesses
of old age, should he already be old when he gets the stone. The Exalt cannot
die of old age or illness, but can be harmed and killed through other means. If
he loses attunement to the Manse or stops bearing the Hearthstone, he will
start to age as normal.
Iron Soul Stone
(Manse •••••)
Trigger: Constant
This unassuming gray stone does not glow or
bear intricate facets. Apart from its surprising weight and perpetually cool
surface, the Hearthstone does not give the slightest impression of magic and
looks no different than any other rounded pebble taken from a riverbank. Those
who bear an iron soul stone receive the stabilizing protection of the Earth,
shielding them and their gear from all effects of the Wyld. If one of the Fair
Folk or any other Wyld denizen susceptible to cold iron approaches within five
yards of a character bearing an iron soul stone, the creature suffers one level
of unsoakable aggravated damage each turn. Creatures of the Wyld killed by this
baleful radiance disintegrate into utter annihilation. All creatures of the
Wyld can sense the deadly chill of an iron soul stone from 15 yards away.
Bringing an iron soul stone any deeper into
the Wyld than the Bordermarches creates a violent disruption of Essence that
all Fair Folk within a league can sense. Needless to say, the hordes of the
unformed fae do not look kindly on those who bring such a bane into their
realms.