Difference between revisions of "Crystal Venom Jewel"

Latest revision as of 23:13, 3 June 2015

Aspect: Wood
Rating: •••
Manse: Bilious Retreat
Bearer: Cynis Dipidae
Source: Based on the stone mentioned in Oadenol's Codex, pp. 101, itself adapted from an original stone in Aspect Book Earth. 

This small, smooth stone seems transparent at its edges, but a sickly green glow pulses from within. The hearthstone grants its bearer immunity to all non-magical poisons, and in the case of more exotic ones (such as Yozi Venom) is assumed to automatically resist with double the required successes (reducing damage type by two levels). However, this valuable protection comes with a cost.

When a poison enters the bearer's system, the hearthstone influences the body's internal essence flows to isolate and concentrate the substance. The bearer receives a brief glimmer, a flash of pain or a glimpse of dream, but never suffers any true effects either good or bad (given the stone has long been held in the decadent circles of the Scarlet Dynasty, this condemnation to sobriety has been known to wear heavy on its bearers over time). Instead, the poison is exuded into the bearer's stomach in the form of jagged shards of crystal, triggering waves of nausea in the bearer until they vomit up their stomach contents to purge the crystals. This process typically takes one minute, though the bearer may resist with a successful Stamina+Resistance roll at difficulty equal to the combined Toxicity ratings of all poisons awaiting expulsion. If they fail, they vomit immediately. If they pass, they suffer a -1 internal penalty but may stave off vomiting for five minutes. This may continue on as long as the bearer can manage, with the penalties building up cumulatively with each passed roll until vomiting inevitably occurs.

Some geomancers consider the Jewel, rather than the Gemstone of Deep Drink, to be the Wood-aspected hearthstone amongst the Stones of the Immaculate Body.

While the difficulties caused by the stone have long been borne by bearers willing to pay a cost for what it offers, the current bearer of the stone, Cynis Dipidae, has discovered new uses for its powers: the Crystal does not destroy the poisons it expels, and the crystals vomited up may be dissolved to make use of them once more. Even more significant (though the motives behind the original discovery are unclear), Dipidae has found that crystals form from all the poisons in his system, combining different drugs and toxins into strange new combinations. His family in House Cynis greatly value the new intoxicants and venoms Dipidae has been able to supply them through his unique approach to drugcraft.