The Rune-Carved Citadel
Maximum Threads: 1
Mystic Defense: 14
Legend Point Cost: Warden
This crystal juggernaut armor is a veritable mountain. The massive plates are carved with Scythan runes of protection, warding, and channeling the elements. As a whole, it represents an outstanding feat of craftsmanship and enchanting. Anyone wearing this has given up the pretense of being the wind and waves in battle, swift and deadly, but instead become the rock the waves break against.
Without a thread attached, this armor is Physical and Mystic Armor 8, Initiative Penalty 6, and weighs 110 pounds. A potential wearer must have at least Strength 16 (14 if a dwarf) and is sized for a dwarf by default. With a thread attached, the armor automatically resizes to fit the wearer. It will not resize to fit a windling under any circumstance.
Thread Rank One
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn the armor’s Name.
Effect: The wearer can wear the armor even if it reduces their Initiative Step to 0; they cannot wear it if it or other items (e.g., shields) would reduce their Initiative Step below 0. At Initiative Step 0, the wearer does not roll Initiative and acts at Initiative 0. If there is a tie at Initiative 0, the wearer acts last.
Thread Rank Two
Effect: The armor is Physical Armor 9.
Thread Rank Three
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn who designed, crafted, and enchanted the armor.
Effect: The armor gains the Rune-Carved Citadel ability. For 1 Strain as a Free action, the wearer causes some of the armor’s runes on the armor to glow. These runes form a bulwark across the armor and buttress it against attack. The wearer gains a +2 bonus to Physical Armor against the next successful Attack that affects Physical Armor before the end of the next round. This ability can be used after the Attack test is resolved, but must be used before the Damage test is made.
Thread Rank Four
Effect: The armor is Mystic Armor 9.
Thread Rank Five
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn the meanings of the various runes and the personal runes of all involved in the creation.
Effect: The Rune-Carved Citadel ability now causes a new set of runes to flare across the armor. The wearer also adds a +2 bonus to Mystic Armor and the ability works against the next successful Attack that affects Physical or Mystic Armor before the end of the next round.
Thread Rank Six
Effect: The Rune-Carved Citadel ability now causes a new set of runes to blaze to life, dancing with contained, violent energy. When Rune-Carved Citadel protects against a Damage test (whether it was necessary or not to prevent damage), the wearer gains a +2 bonus to their next close combat Damage test until the end of the round. If Rune-Carved Citadel protects against more than one Damage test, the bonus to Damage tests is cumulative; i.e., if Rune-Carved Citadel is activated three times (paying 3 Strain) and protects against three attacks from two different opponents, the wearer gains +6 to their next close combat Damage test until the end of the round.
Thread Rank Seven
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn about the first owner.
Effect: When Rune-Carved Citadel is active, the protective runes glow more intensely and a field of protective energy can be faintly seen around the wearer. The wearer gains +3 to Physical and Mystic Armor against the next successful attack before the end of the next round.
Thread Rank Eight
Effect: The Rune-Carved Citadel establishes itself as a fortification for the wearer’s allies and a place for their enemies to crash against in futility and face their inevitable destruction. For 1 additional Strain (2 Strain total), the wearer can extend the protective field from Rune-Carved Citadel to an adjacent ally. The ally gains the bonus to Physical and Mystic Armor against the attack and it counts as a Damage test Rune-Carved Citadel protected against for the purpose of the close combat Damage test bonus.