[✓][CArt] [27] The Sanguine Touch

[Lenny 1617]

 

Name of the Artefact: The Sanguine Touch

 

Effects of the artefact: Touched by the origins of the curse which flows over the island of Emberrest and twisted by the primordial vein of living crimson which pulses deep within the earth. This creation seems to have formed from a fallen guardian which was swallowed by this vein and remade in its image. 

 

“A pulse was present … yours, yet not -- echoing throughout your flesh.”

 

The Legend of the Emberrest speaks to its origins; that of a great warrior who traversed deep into the caverns in pursuit of quelling this encroaching plague yet met their demise at the hand of the tainted, devoured and used for a nefarious display of power.

 

The curse would bind itself to the wielder’s blood, threading its nefarious origins into their veins and which each heartbeat from there would only allow it to fester and settle deeper, embedding itself through its host.

 

One who accepts the curse shall find themselves slowly attuning to its power, and over the course of [3] weeks (Increasing tier every week) they will find new powers naturally bestow upon them, either through the gleam of a vision through the arm’s desire or from their own empiricism.

 

[Passive, Combative] [T1] - The Living Arm of The Emberrest

Upon attunement, and corruption, the wielder’s arm -- whichever they pick -- undergoes a visual and metaphysical metamorphosis. It becomes sheathed in a shifting red-black ‘fire’, streaked with vein-like patterns that move beneath the wielder’s skin. The arm will appear as it is permanently wreathed in this glow, flickering like flames whilst behaving like liquid bloodlight and the wielder’s finger-tips will sharpen, as they gain the ability to utilize its power.

REDLINES

• The limb cannot be fully concealed by mundane means. Wraps, gloves, or armor will give way to or distort to reveal its corruption. 
• Touching the arm will feel warm to the touch, almost like fever, and the pulse often beats out of sync with the wielder’s natural heartbeat.
• In moments of strain or danger, the arm’s energy will intensify and grow brighter as an aesthetic effect.
• The wielder would have an additional pulse emitting from the arm. For any magical purpose, this is akin to a secondary heartbeat or separate entity. To those with magical insight, it appears as oozing, red-hued liquid; however, it remains invisible to the common man's eye.
• Should the arm come in touch with a spell of [Voidal] origin or [Thanhic] influence, it will become unusable for [1] emote. 

[Passive, Non Combative] [T2] - The Fog’s Tendril

The presence of the Sanguine Touch has the ability to subtly warp the environment around the wielder. Crows will often find themselves materializing within the wielder’s vicinity, perched on rooftops, branches, as they passively observe. Additionally, surfaces and objects may take on a faint red-black sheen as the ambient corruption displaces the physical space around the wielder, causing objects to subtly rearrange in harmless, aesthetic ways.

 

Furthermore, a growing comfort will settle in the wielder as they find themselves within the bounds of the Emberrest, feeling a faint connection to the corrupted soil. Leaving the island induces a faint irritability, and it would feel as if the island itself sought to return home, constantly pulling upon the wielder’s mind.

MECHANICS
[Emote]
The Host extended his hand, causing a faint red-black shimmer to ripple across his arm and across nearby surfaces as a pair of crows flickered into existence atop a branch above. With a flick of his wrist, did this shimmer harden onto a stool next to him, and with a pull did the influence of his arm quickly cause it to come careening toward him, settling just before his feet.

REDLINES

• This is a passive ability and is purely aesthetic and as such grants no combative benefit.
• The environmental shifts cannot cause harm, inflict fear, or impede another player’s movement or actions in a combative manner.
• The crows summoned passively can’t be used to glean any information normally unobtainable to the player, but they may be utilized for simple area interactions like fetching a letter and handing it to another, et-cetera but are thematically symbolic otherwise.
• Alterations to flames are cosmetic, and they do not increase damage, duration, or heat intensity.
• The red-black environmental sheen may only shift or rearrange objects in visually flavorful but physically negligible ways, so no blocking doors or altering terrain or structures.
• Manipulations must remain small and atmospheric, they cannot destroy or be used maliciously.
• The irritability that is induced upon leaving is aesthetic. 

[Combative] [T3] - Sanguine Burst - ACTIVE

When calling upon the cursed essence of the Emberrest, a wielder of the Sanguine Touch may marshal the corruption into a volatile surge of force. It is used by channeling this tainted blood from their arm, the corruption will then strengthen and begin to coil and sharpen as it manifests into thin vibrating ribbons of blood. Then finally, with intent, these strands are unleashed as a fan of narrow, penetrating, crimson spikes in a [3]m wide CONE, travelling [2m] forward (See image in redlines). These rivulets carve forward in straight lines and sear with the heat of corrupted lifeforce before they fade into a red haze, drifting away.

MECHANICS

[First Emote]

The wielder begins to channel their corrupted blood, their arm taking on a pulsing red-black glow as faint, twitching filaments of crimson stretch from their tainted arm.

[Second Emote]

The corruption condenses which causes the filaments to tighten and sharpen into thin lines of blood.

[Third Emote]

The Sanguine Burst is released and [3] narrow projectiles fire out in a wide fan.

REDLINES

• Sanguine Burst is an offensive ranged spell and as such may not be used to defend, parry or block.
• Sanguine Burst shoots out [3] small projectiles.
• Sanguine Burst may only be used [2] times per combative scenario.
• If the wielder was to dodge, attack, or do any other ability whilst charging, it will subside and cancel.
• The spikes must travel in straight lines and cannot bend, curve, home, or track any targets.
• The projectiles do not cause any lingering effects beyond brief visual residue to the environment, like a trail of red-hued mist.
• The wielder may not move more than [2] blocks while charging or casting the spell.
• The spell can not be held indefinitely, and will dissipate if not used upon being charged. Upon being charged, it must be expelled within [3] emotes, or it will fade away and be nullified.
• The spikes which it releases cut with the sharpness of a steel blade, akin to a dagger being launched. Therefore, as they are akin to projectiles, they would penetrate [MEDIUM ARMOR] and pierce deep into the target's flesh, though they are reliably halted by [HEAVY ARMOR], which would only suffer dents.
• The spikes will always fire from the wielder’s finger-tips, allowing them to control the height of which they will be launched from, ex: aiming at torso-level.
• The shot spikes may hit several characters within range and spread, and depending on distance, may be concentrated to only hit one target. For example, if one was to put their hand up to the skin of another, all the spikes would hit that [1] target. 

• The stone block represents the player, and the diamond block represents the cone, extending maximum [2] blocks out, and starting [3]m wide before concentrating toward the apex of the cone. The spikes may hit up to [3] blocks (up or down) in height.

Redlines of the Artefact:

• The artifact will replace the limb of the host and in the instance one wishes to rid themselves of it, they must amputate their entire arm from the shoulder joint. As a lingering consequence, The Emberrest will become a source of intense dread should they ever return to the region.
• If the arm is decapitated or rendered useless through too much damage, the item representation must be /use’d.
• In the instance the arm is forcefully removed, ST must be informed.
• The host will always feel like they are missing a piece of themselves as long as they are a host to the curse, as the arm is not actually theirs yet they will still be able to move it and feel pain through it. This could optionally grant the host a feeling of paranoia, obsession, and anxiety as they feel like their arm is missing.
• The arm may only be ‘taken’ by another player by amputating it, where an ST ticket must be made to update accordingly. Should another player wish to indulge in the curse, they must contact the owner of the CArt beforehand.
• For gameplay, the arm item is represented as Black Glazed Terracotta to avoid abuse and the individuals 'blessed' with this boon are also marked in a hidden comment to track.

 

Explanation of the Artefact:

Hailing from the source beneath the Emberrest, this taint has been formed as a ‘gift’ bestowed by its malevolent creator. For one which descends into the depths of the Emberrest, they may encounter these defiled marks and eventually find themselves before it. 

 

The Sanguine Touch is a vile, parasitic manifestation, a 'gift' of corruption that originates deep within the Emberrest. It is a deliberate taint, painstakingly crafted by a malevolent entity. These underground labyrinths are the true domain of the Sanguine Touch where its influence saturates the air. Explorers will encounter the first signs of this corruption with defiled, pulsating crimson marks that stain the cavern walls.

 

The true goal of this horrific pilgrimage is the source of the Touch itself. Should one survive the oppressive atmosphere and the dread-inducing silence of the depths, they will eventually find themselves standing before the heart of the taint. It is an encounter with a profound malice that marks the end of their journey by being utterly consumed by its raw, sanguine force.

 

ET responsible for the Artefact:

Lenny (XDpwLenny)

[squakhawk 14044]

Approved.