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Unstable Arcanum Regulator 312

—

by

Dale
in

From: Lineage 801 of the Va Korrum

 (Core-Slot)

This device is a masterwork of Va-Korrum engineering, designed to be installed directly into a Kwe-Sar’s Core-Slot. It appears as a complex sphere of interlocking, polished brass rings surrounding a pulsating, deep red Forge Heart crystal. The rings slowly counter-rotate, etched with microscopic Va-Shar runes that absorb ambient magical energy from the environment. This energy is then refined and channeled directly into the user’s essence, reducing the personal toll of using powerful abilities and powering other integrated gear. When active, it emits a low, resonant hum and the user’s internal metallic conduits glow with a faint, fiery light.

Lore

The Unstable Arcanum Regulator 312 is not merely a piece of equipment; it is Sar-Elun’s magnum opus from his youth, the very project he integrated into his own body during his First Tempering. While most Va-Korrum apprentices craft a stable, predictable power core for their rite of passage, Sar-Elun chose a far more dangerous and ambitious path. He acquired a flawed, discarded Forge Heart crystal, one deemed too volatile for standard use due to its erratic energy emissions. Where others saw a defect, Sar-Elun’s analysis revealed a unique harmonic frequency that, if properly regulated, could be pushed to produce power far exceeding conventional limits.

The “unstable” designation is not a sign of poor craftsmanship but of deliberate, high-risk design. The counter-rotating brass rings are not just conduits; they are a harmonic sieve, etched with Va-Shar runes that Sar-Elun calculated to specifically filter and tame the crystal’s wild energy. The device constantly siphons ambient magic, but instead of storing it in a placid state, it holds the energy in a highly kinetic, volatile balance. This allows the user to either draw a steady, efficient stream of power for normal operations or, by mentally adjusting the runic alignments, to deliberately destabilize the containment field, unleashing a torrent of raw, unrefined power. It is a prototype of immense potential and considerable risk, a perfect reflection of Sar-Elun’s belief that true power lies not in safe limits, but in controlled chaos.

Item Values and Mechanics

  • Tier One Stats: +1 Intelligence, +1 Constitution
  • Skills Gained: Grants Skill Proficiency in Arcana and Tinker’s Tools.
  • Specific Slot: Core-Slot
  • Passive Magic
    • Ambient Siphon: The regulator constantly absorbs and refines ambient magical energy. This reduces the energy or resource cost of all abilities granted by other worn gear by 10% (rounded down, to a minimum of 1).
    • Vitality Conduction: The steady flow of refined energy reinforces the user’s durable Kwe-Sar form. The user passively regenerates 1 hit point per minute, as long as they are conscious.
    • Internal Illumination: The user’s Va-Shar runes and internal metallic conduits glow with a soft, fiery light. The user can mentally control this light, causing it to shed dim light in up to a 10-foot radius or suppressing it completely.
  • Activatable Magic
    • Power Surge (Action): Once per day, the user can intentionally overload the regulator’s containment field. For the next minute, the first time they deal damage with an attack or an ability, they deal an additional 1d6 fire damage. After this effect is triggered, the regulator forcefully vents superheated energy, causing the user to take 1d4 fire damage that bypasses any resistances.
    • Arcane Discharge (Action): By expending a significant amount of the regulator’s stored energy, the user can release a concussive blast of raw magic. This creates a 15-foot cone of force originating from the user. Creatures within the cone must make a Strength saving throw or be pushed back 10 feet and take 1d8 force damage. This ability can be used once per long rest.
  • Tags: Kwe-Sar, Va-Korrum, Core-Slot, Magi-Tech, Artificer, Forge Heart, Arcane Power Source, Unstable, Prototype, Self-Augmentation, Power Core, Regeneration, Overload, Volatile, Experimental, Masterwork, Runic, Flawed Crystal, Kinetic, Energy Siphon, Concussive Force

The Unstable Arcanum Regulator 312 is not a common piece of gear that can be found in a typical market stall. As a unique, lineage-specific, and potentially dangerous prototype, its acquisition is an adventure in itself. Below are the types of places where such an item might be bought or sold in the world of Saṃsāra.

1. The Va-Korrum Guilded Workshop (Sar-Kwe, Acheulean)

The Shop and Location: This is not a public shop but the exclusive, heavily guarded headquarters of the Va-Korrum lineage, located deep within the industrial heart of the capital city, Sar-Kwe. The “shop” is a consultation chamber adjacent to a massive, roaring forge, filled with holographic schematics and prototypes in various stages of completion. The air hums with contained power and the scent of hot metal and ozone. Here, items are not sold; they are commissioned.

The Transaction: One cannot simply “buy” a Regulator here. A prospective Kwe-Sar client must formally petition the Va-Korrum masters. This involves presenting a portfolio of their own works, proving their technical aptitude, and demonstrating a philosophical alignment with the lineage’s principles of self-augmentation. If deemed worthy, they enter a lengthy and expensive commission process. Selling a Regulator back to the workshop is also possible, but the Va-Korrum would treat it as a recovery of proprietary technology, offering a fair but unsentimental price based on its condition.

The Cost:

  • To Buy (Commission): 2,500 Rhodium. This price reflects a brand new, custom-calibrated device built by the original creators. The cost includes the masterwork components, the unparalleled craftsmanship, and a lifetime service guarantee. The price may be partially subsidized by the completion of a significant service or the acquisition of extremely rare materials for the lineage.
  • To Sell: 1,200 – 1,500 Rhodium, depending on the item’s condition and any unique data it may have collected.

2. The Gilded Cog Magiporium (Major Trade Metropolis)

The Shop and Location: Located in a neutral, high-end trade metropolis known for dealing in rare artifacts from across the 73 island nations, The Gilded Cog is an exclusive emporium. The interior is silent, magically climate-controlled, and displays its wares like museum pieces in magically shielded display cases. The proprietor is a shrewd and knowledgeable appraiser who deals only with the wealthiest clientele.

The Transaction: Here, a Regulator would be a rare curiosity, likely acquired from a wealthy collector or a fortunate adventurer. The proprietor would know its origin (Acheulean, Kwe-Sar tech) and recognize its power, but would lack the specific expertise of its creators. The transaction is discreet and professional. Before a purchase, the buyer would be allowed a limited, supervised inspection. Selling an item here is a straightforward, if shrewdly negotiated, business deal based on rarity and perceived power.

The Cost:

  • To Buy: 2,000 Rhodium. The price is slightly lower than a direct commission, reflecting its second-hand nature and the lack of a service guarantee. The buyer purchases the immense power of the device, but also assumes all the risk of its “unstable” nature.
  • To Sell: 800 – 1,000 Rhodium. The proprietor must account for the difficulty of finding another Kwe-Sar buyer wealthy enough to purchase it, and thus offers a lower price to ensure a profitable margin.

3. The Shadow Syndicate Auction (Clandestine Location)

The Shop and Location: This is not a shop but a secret, moving auction held in the lawless underbelly of a bustling port city. The location is known only to a select few brokers and high-ranking criminals. Deals are made in shadow, backed by threats and the promise of immense wealth. The auctioneer is a mysterious figure who deals in items that have been stolen, salvaged from shipwrecks, or otherwise “liberated” from their former owners.

The Transaction: A Regulator would appear here without provenance. The seller would likely know only that it’s a valuable piece of Acheulean magi-tech. It is sold “as-is,” with no inspection allowed beyond a brief visual appraisal from a distance. The item could be damaged, cursed, or have hidden trackers on it. Bidding is tense and final. Selling to this syndicate is quick and requires no questions, but the payout is significantly lower, and the act itself is highly illegal.

The Cost:

  • To Buy: Starting bid of 950 Rhodium. The final price depends on the ambition of the bidders. This is the cheapest monetary price one might find, but it comes with the highest possible risk. The buyer is not just purchasing an item but all the trouble attached to it.
  • To Sell: 400 Rhodium or an equivalent value in rare contraband or a dangerous favor. The syndicate takes a massive cut for the risk of moving such a unique and traceable piece of technology.

Roleplaying guide for how Sar-Elun would use the Unstable Arcanum Regulator 312 for offense and defense in different environments:

1. In a Cramped, Unstable Mine Tunnel

This environment is claustrophobic and dangerous, where raw power could be as deadly to the user as the enemy. Sar-Elun’s actions would be precise, contained, and tactical.

Defensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: A sudden tremor shakes the tunnel, and the ceiling begins to crack and crumble, threatening to bury Sar-Elun and his companions.
  • How it’s Used: Sar-Elun would not hesitate. He plants his feet, his mind instantly calculating vectors and load-bearing stress. He activates the Arcane Discharge, but instead of aiming it forward as an attack, he points a hand toward the collapsing ceiling.
    • Roleplay Description: “Sar-Elun shouts, ‘Brace!’ His voice is a flat command, devoid of panic. The brass rings on his chest-mounted Regulator spin into a blur, emitting a high-pitched whine that cuts through the groaning rock. His internal conduits flash with brilliant orange light, and instead of a wide cone, he focuses the energy into a tight, upward blast of pure force. A shimmering shockwave erupts from his palm, not with a boom, but a sharp CRACK. It slams into the falling debris, shattering the larger boulders and blasting the smaller ones into the tunnel walls. For a moment, a cloud of dust and pulverized rock obscures everything, the air tasting of ozone and ancient stone.”

Offensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: A hulking, rock-skinned beast ambushes the party, its thick hide resistant to normal weapons. A full-power blast would risk collapsing the tunnel.
  • How it’s Used: Sar-Elun needs to punch through the creature’s natural armor without compromising the environment. He activates the Power Surge, channeling the raw energy into his Kinetic Forge-Hammer for a single, overwhelming strike.
    • Roleplay Description: “Ignoring the beast’s roar, Sar-Elun focuses inward. ‘Overload initiated,’ he murmurs, a self-diagnostic. The Regulator’s hum deepens into a gut-rumbling thrum, and the Forge Heart crystal in its center pulses with the intensity of a furnace. The copper conduits inlaid in his obsidian arms glow cherry-red, channeling the immense heat into his hammer. The weapon’s head begins to shimmer, wreathed in an aura of pure heat. He hefts the hammer—a deliberate, calculated motion—and brings it down on the creature’s plated shoulder. The impact is not just a crunch of stone, but a sharp hiss and a flash of steam as the superheated hammerhead vaporizes the moisture on the creature’s hide, transferring a massive amount of thermal and kinetic energy in one precise, devastating blow.”

2. In an Open Field Skirmish

With no risk of collateral damage to his surroundings, Sar-Elun can unleash the Regulator’s full, unconstrained power. His movements would be more decisive and demonstrate the true force of his creations.

Offensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: A line of charging bandits is closing in across a grassy field, confident in their numbers.
  • How it’s Used: This is the perfect scenario for the Arcane Discharge. Sar-Elun uses it as a tool for crowd control, breaking their charge and their morale in a single act.
    • Roleplay Description: “Sar-Elun remains motionless as the bandits charge, his mind calculating the optimal firing solution. He plants his Geared Steam-Piston Greaves firmly into the soil, anchoring himself. As the leader raises his sword to signal the final rush, Sar-Elun thrusts his palm forward. The Regulator emits a sound like tearing fabric, and a 15-foot cone of visible, shimmering distortion erupts from his chest. There is no fire or smoke, only a wave of pure, concussive force. The grass in the cone flattens instantly, and the front rank of bandits are lifted from their feet as if struck by an invisible giant, thrown tumbling backward into their comrades. The charge is broken, replaced by stunned silence and the groans of the injured.”

Defensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: An enemy spellcaster atop a hill begins a powerful chant, weaving a dangerous curse aimed at a vulnerable ally.
  • How it’s Used: Sar-Elun can’t counter the spell directly, but he can break the caster’s concentration. He uses the Power Surge‘s backlash as a tactical weapon—a brilliant, disorienting flare.
    • Roleplay Description: “Sar-Elun identifies the primary threat. ‘Caster. Line of sight must be broken,’ he states to his allies. He triggers the Power Surge, but instead of channeling it, he braces himself and focuses on the vent ports of his Regulator. The device whines, and with a sharp bang, it vents a blinding flash of white-hot energy directly from his chest. It’s not an attack, but a searing flare of light and heat that washes over the battlefield. He grunts as the backlash scorches him, the smell of burnt ozone clinging to his stone-like form. Across the field, the spellcaster flinches, their eyes blinded by the flash, their complex chant broken.”

3. In a Tense Social Standoff (City Street)

In a civilized environment where overt violence is illegal, the Regulator becomes a tool of intimidation and deterrence. Its use is subtle, a clear threat made without drawing a weapon.

Defensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: A group of guild enforcers has Sar-Elun cornered in an alley, attempting to intimidate him with their numbers and menacing words.
  • How it’s Used: Sar-Elun remains silent and still, letting the Regulator’s passive effects do the talking. He uses the Internal Illumination as a non-verbal warning.
    • Roleplay Description: “As the lead enforcer steps forward, spitting threats, Sar-Elun doesn’t respond. He simply stands at ease, his breathing even. But as the enforcer speaks, the Va-Shar runes on Sar-Elun’s visible hands and forehead begin to glow with a soft, then insistent, orange light. The hum from his chest becomes an audible, low-frequency thrum that seems to vibrate in the teeth of those standing nearby. The air around him grows noticeably warmer, and the polished brass rings of the Regulator, visible at his collar, begin to slowly spin. He says nothing, but the message is clear: he is a barely-contained furnace, and they are standing far too close.”

Offensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: The enforcers are undeterred by the subtle threat and begin to draw their weapons.
  • How it’s Used: Sar-Elun still wishes to avoid a public brawl. He uses the threat of his most powerful abilities, a “warning shot” to de-escalate through overwhelming intimidation before a single blow is thrown.
    • Roleplay Description: “The moment steel clears leather, Sar-Elun makes his move. He doesn’t draw a weapon. He looks the leader in the eye and activates the Power Surge, immediately releasing its energy. With a loud HISS, a wave of shimmering heat and a flash of light erupts from his chest. It’s harmless, directed upwards, but it’s as startling as a thunderclap. The sudden wave of heat makes the enforcers recoil instinctively, their hands flying up to shield their faces. In the sudden silence that follows, the only sound is the deep, menacing thrum of Sar-Elun’s now-glowing core. He has proven he can unleash incredible power in an instant, and the enforcers must now decide if they wish to see what happens when he actually aims it at them.”

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective (Sar-Elun)

  • Somatic & Auditory: The activation begins with a deep, resonant hum that vibrates through your entire obsidian form, a feeling that starts in your chest and spreads to the tips of your fingers. This quickly escalates into a high-frequency whine as the internal gears and rings of the Regulator accelerate. You hear the sharp, distinct click-clack of runic conduits aligning and feel a powerful, contained pressure building within your Core-Slot. The process culminates in a sharp hiss of venting energy, felt more than heard.
  • Visual: Your own vision shimmers at the periphery as waves of heat begin to radiate from your core. The internal light from the Regulator intensifies, casting a fiery, orange-red glow that illuminates your own metallic conduits from within, making your arms and chest look like a living forge.
  • Extrasensory (Thermal Sense): Your natural ability to perceive heat is momentarily overwhelmed. The world of distinct heat signatures dissolves into a blinding, white-hot flare centered on your own body. You are, for a brief moment, the brightest object in your own thermal spectrum.
  • Extrasensory (Lithic Resonance): You feel the powerful, harmonic vibration of the Regulator resonating with the crystalline structure of your own stone-like body. It is a feeling of being perfectly in tune with a powerful engine, your physical form becoming an extension of the machine.
  • Extrasensory (Arcane Perception): You perceive a vortex of ambient magic being violently drawn into your core. You can feel the texture of the energy—thin and wild in an open field, thick and ancient in a ruin—as the Regulator siphons and refines it. It is a sensation akin to a sudden, deep inhalation of raw power.

Observer’s Perspective

  • Auditory: A nearby observer first hears a low, guttural hum emanating from the Kwe-Sar’s chest, a sound that quickly sharpens into a piercing, mechanical whine. The sound is unnatural, a clear sign of immense power being gathered. This is often followed by the sharp hiss of venting steam or a crackle of raw energy.
  • Visual: The first sign is a soft, pulsating red light that appears in the center of the Kwe-Sar’s chest. This light rapidly intensifies, causing any runes or metallic seams on their body to glow with a brilliant, fiery light. The air around the user visibly distorts and shimmers from the intense heat, and small, harmless sparks of energy may arc between their metallic plates.
  • Somatic: Anyone standing within 10 feet feels a palpable wave of heat wash over them. The air becomes thick with a static charge, causing the hair on their arms to stand on end. The ground may subtly vibrate from the resonant hum of the device.
  • Extrasensory (Arcane Perception): A magically sensitive observer would see a violent and sudden in-rush of magical energy from the surroundings, all converging on the Kwe-Sar as if they were the center of a whirlpool. Their aura, if visible, would flare to several times its normal size, shifting from a stable pattern to a chaotic, raging inferno of raw power.

Positives

  • Intimidation Factor: The dramatic and powerful sensory output is a potent psychological weapon. The clear build-up of energy can cause hesitation, break enemy morale, and force opponents to reconsider their attack.
  • Tactical Signaling: For allies, the activation is an unmistakable audio-visual cue that a powerful ability is about to be deployed. This allows them to coordinate their actions, clear the area, or press an advantage created by the distraction.
  • User Feedback: For Sar-Elun, the intense sensory feedback acts as a clear diagnostic, confirming that the device is functioning correctly and allowing him to feel the flow of power he is about to unleash.

Negatives

  • Loss of Stealth: Activating the Regulator is the antithesis of stealth. The light, sound, and heat make it impossible to use any of its powerful abilities without immediately giving away your position.
  • Telegraphing Intent: The noticeable “charge-up” time, while intimidating, clearly signals to a disciplined enemy what is about to happen. This gives a prepared foe a crucial moment to erect a defense, find cover, or attempt to interrupt the user before the ability is fully unleashed.
  • Sensory Overload: For Sar-Elun, the rush of power borders on overwhelming. A miscalculation or an unexpected surge of energy could be disorienting, potentially causing a momentary lapse in focus immediately after the ability is used. For nearby allies, the sudden flash and wave of heat can be startling if they are not prepared for it.

Blueprint: Va-Korrum Harmonic Power Core

This document outlines the highly complex and dangerous process for recreating a magi-technical power source similar in principle to Sar-Elun’s prototype. Crafting this item is a monumental undertaking, attempted only by master artificers of the Kwe-Sar race who possess a deep understanding of both arcane science and the volatile nature of raw magic.

Materials Needed

  • 1x Volatile Forge Heart Shard: The core component. This cannot be a stable, refined crystal. It must be a shard culled from a larger, flawed Forge Heart, one known for its erratic energy spikes and unpredictable harmonic frequencies.
  • 5x Orichalcum-Brass Alloy Ingots: A rare, magically conductive alloy necessary for forging the harmonic rings. Standard brass or steel will fracture under the arcane stress.
  • 1x Vial of Stabilized Quicksilver: The same silvery fluid that flows through the Kwe-Sar. It serves as a coolant and energy transfer medium. Must be alchemically stabilized to prevent it from bonding with the user’s own essence prematurely.
  • 1x Scroll of Master-Grade Va-Shar Runes: This document contains the complex, microscopic runic sequences required for energy regulation. Attempting to scribe these from memory is exceptionally dangerous.
  • 2 oz. Powdered Ley-Stone: Dust ground from a stone found at the confluence of powerful magical ley lines. This will be used as a medium to etch the runes onto the alloy.
  • 1x Heartwood of a Petrified Ironwood Tree: A dense, magically inert material used to craft the internal, non-conductive housing that insulates the user from the core’s raw output.

Tools Required

  • Acheulean Volcanic Forge: A standard forge is insufficient; one that draws its heat directly from a volcanic ley line is required to achieve the necessary temperatures for working the Orichalcum-Brass alloy.
  • Masterwork Artificer’s Tool Set: Includes both Tinker’s and Smith’s tools of the highest possible quality.
  • Arcane Resonance Calibrator: A diagnostic device essential for analyzing the Forge Heart Shard’s unique frequency and for tuning the finished core.
  • Diamond-Tipped Runic Stylus: A precision instrument required for the microscopic and flawless inscription of the Va-Shar runes.
  • Arcane Containment Sphere: A magical device that generates a temporary force field, necessary for safely handling the Volatile Forge Heart Shard during the assembly process.

Skill Requirements

  • Mastery in Arcana: The crafter must have a profound understanding of magical theory to comprehend the runic sequences and the volatile nature of the power source.
  • Expertise with Smith’s & Tinker’s Tools: Flawless craftsmanship is non-negotiable. The slightest imperfection in the mechanical components will lead to catastrophic failure.
  • Literacy in Kwe-Va (Va-Shar Script): The ability to not only read but understand the function of the master-grade runes is critical for their correct application.
  • Race Requirement: Kwe-Sar. The final step of the process, installation and attunement, can only be performed by a Kwe-Sar with an active Core-Slot.

Crafting Steps

  1. Shard Analysis: The process begins with caution. The Volatile Forge Heart Shard must be placed within the Arcane Containment Sphere. Using the Arcane Resonance Calibrator, the artificer spends no less than six hours meticulously mapping the shard’s erratic energy patterns and identifying its unique harmonic frequency. This frequency will dictate the precise dimensions and runic tuning of the entire device. An incorrect reading will result in an explosion during the final calibration.
  2. Forging the Harmonic Rings: Using the Volcanic Forge, the Orichalcum-Brass Alloy Ingots are melted down. The artificer must forge a series of five interlocking, counter-rotating rings. This requires absolute precision; each ring must be perfectly balanced and calibrated to rotate flawlessly within the others. This process takes a full day of focused labor.
  3. Runic Inscription: This is the most mentally taxing step. The crafter must use the Diamond-Tipped Runic Stylus to painstakingly etch the master-grade Va-Shar runes from the scroll onto the surface of each ring, using the Powdered Ley-Stone as an arcane ink. This process requires absolute concentration and takes at least 12 hours. Any mistake in a single glyph will disrupt the entire regulatory circuit.
  4. Core Assembly: Working entirely within the Arcane Containment Sphere, the artificer assembles the device. The Heartwood is carved into an insulating housing. The inscribed rings are carefully fitted around the Volatile Forge Heart Shard, and the Stabilized Quicksilver is injected into the coolant conduits.
  5. Harmonic Calibration: This is the moment of truth. The artificer uses the Arcane Resonance Calibrator to slowly tune the assembled core, aligning the frequency of the rotating rings with the unique frequency of the shard identified in Step 1. The device will hum violently and glow with intense, uncontrolled energy. If the runes are correct and the calibration is successful, the hum will stabilize into a steady, powerful thrum. If it is flawed, the device will overload and violently detonate within the containment sphere.
  6. Integration and Attunement: The final step. A successful Harmonic Power Core must be surgically integrated into the Kwe-Sar’s Core-Slot. This is an arduous and painful procedure that requires the user to consciously attune their own life essence to the core’s immense power, a process that takes a full 24 hours of uninterrupted meditation and focus.

Verse of Star-in-Chest

It is told, from the scrolls that are brittle with age and whose ink is but a ghost, a story of the time before. The words are crooked, for the tongue that first spoke them is lost to dust, and the hand that wrote them struggled to shape their meaning.

Lo, there came a time of Great Stillness upon the people of Acheulean, who are the Kwe-Sar. The Great Fire Mountain, which is the very forge-place of their god Korrath, did grow quiet. Its breath, which is the steam that drives the gears and the heat that feeds the forges, became thin and weak. A coldness, a thing of dread to the Stone-Folk, crept into the deep halls of the megacity Sar-Kwe. The hammers in the Grand Emberforge fell silent, one by one, their ringing songs replaced by a grim quiet.

The masters of the forge, the Greybeards whose forms were shaped by centuries of labor, gathered and spoke in low tones. They brought forth their finest Forge Heart crystals, stones of pure light and steady power, and offered them to the mountain. But the mountain’s heart was too weary, and it would not drink of their power. Despair began to settle like a fine, cold ash.

In this time lived a youth, Sar-Elun, of the Va-Korrum blood. His form was yet Unformed, and his hands, though skilled, had not yet earned the deep grooves of a master. He was known for his strange mind, for he saw not what a thing was, but what it could be. He went to the deep vaults where the dross was kept, the place of failed forgings and imperfect materials. And there, cast in a shadowed corner, he found it.

The scrolls call it the Korr-Varr, a name whose meaning is debated. To some, it is the “Angry Star.” To others, “Flawed Heart.” It was a Forge Heart crystal, but one of twisted light and furious energy. It pulsed with a sick, red glow, and its power was a wild, untamed thing. The masters had cast it aside, for its energy was a torrent, not a river, and it would shatter any machine it was set within. They called it a thing of chaos, a shard of the mountain’s own anger. But Sar-Elun, the Gear-Wright, put his hand upon it and felt not chaos, but a great and terrible potential. A thought-spark did kindle in his mind-forge.

He brought the Angry Star to his private workshop, a secret thing. For many days and nights, he did labor. He did not seek to tame the stone, as the masters had tried. No, he sought to build a cage worthy of the beast. He took the sun-metal, which we now call brass, and forged it not with strength, but with a mind of cunning. He made rings, five of them, that did turn one against the other, a dance of metal. Upon these rings, he carved the word-marks of power, the Va-Shar, so small that a man’s eye could not see them. He made a home for the Flawed Heart, a device of humming, a regulator of impossible design.

When it was done, the masters found him. They saw the device, the glowing heart, and they called him a fool. “You have caged a storm,” they said. “And it will devour you for your pride.”

Sar-Elun gave no answer in words. He did what no Kwe-Sar had done. He did not wait for the First Tempering to take him. He took the Tempering himself. He opened his own chest, a thing of great pain, and he placed the unstable core within, making it one with his own unformed body. The masters cried out, for they believed he would be unmade, shattered into dust by the raw power.

And for a moment, it seemed they were right. A light, red and terrible, erupted from Sar-Elun. The hum became a scream. The scrolls say his form did crack and shudder, the very stone of his being threatening to give way. But Sar-Elun’s will was a thing of iron. He did not fight the power. He yielded to it. He guided it. He spoke to the Angry Star in a language of gears and runes, and he commanded it to be his own heart. The light subsided, and where the Unformed youth had stood, now stood something new. His body was of polished obsidian, and through seams of brass, a fiery light did pulse in time with a slow, powerful rhythm. The star-in-the-chest was his.

He walked from the city, and the people fell back in awe and fear. He went to the foot of the Great Fire Mountain and began to climb, to the place called the Great Anvil where the ley lines did meet. He stood before the mountain’s weary heart, and he unleashed the power of his own.

He did activate the device. A great roar of light and heat, a pillar of fire, erupted from his chest and struck the heart of the mountain. He did feed the mountain his own light, and the mountain did drink. He poured the untamed, chaotic power of the Flawed Heart into the fading embers of the god’s own forge. Three times he did this, until his own form began to smoke and crack from the strain. On the third strike, the mountain answered. A deep, ancient rumble shook the world, and a plume of clean, white steam rose to the heavens. A wave of warmth and power flowed down its slopes, and in the city below, the forges roared to life, their fires burning hotter and brighter than ever before.

The Gear-Wright, the Stone-Son, had saved them. He returned not as a youth, but as a living legend, his body a testament to his work. The masters were shamed, but they were also wise, and they saw the truth of his deed. The Age of Stillness was over. The Age of the Unstable Core had begun.

The Moral of the Story: What is discarded as dross by the wise may be the foundation stone for the bold.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Regulator of the Obsidian Heart

Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a creature of the earth or fire subtype, such as a Genasi or a Kwe-Sar)

This device is a complex sphere of interlocking brass rings surrounding a pulsating, deep red crystal. It is designed to be integrated into the wearer’s torso, where it merges seamlessly with their form. Microscopic runes glow along the rings, which slowly counter-rotate with a low, resonant hum.

A creature attuned to the regulator gains the following benefits:

  • Your Constitution and Intelligence scores each increase by 1, to a maximum of 22.
  • Vitality Conduction. At the start of each of your turns, you regain 1d4 hit points if you have at least 1 hit point.
  • Ambient Siphon. The regulator draws in and refines ambient magical energy. When you finish a long rest, you gain 3 temporary sorcery points. These points can be used to power metamagic or other features that use sorcery points. Any temporary sorcery points you don’t use are lost when you next finish a long rest.
  • Internal Illumination. As a bonus action, you can cause the regulator and any integrated runes on your body to shed dim, fiery light in a 10-foot radius, or extinguish the light.

The regulator has 3 charges. It regains all expended charges daily at dawn.

  • Arcane Discharge. As an action, you can expend 1 charge to unleash a 15-foot cone of raw force from your chest. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d8 force damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and is not pushed.
  • Power Surge. Once per day, you can use a bonus action to overload the regulator. For 1 minute, the first time you deal damage on your turn with an attack or spell, you deal an additional 2d8 fire damage to one target. When this effect triggers, the regulator immediately vents excess energy, and you take 1d8 fire damage that ignores resistance and immunity.

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

The Resonating Trapezohedron Core

This artifact is a piece of non-Euclidean bio-machinery, likely of Elder Thing or Yithian origin. It appears as a sphere of interlocking, impossibly precise metallic rings around a crystalline structure that pulses with a sickening, life-like red light. It is designed to be surgically implanted into the chest cavity of a living organism.

  • Installation: Installing the Core is a horrific procedure requiring a successful Hard Medicine roll or a Hard Electrical Repair and Mechanical Repair roll. The process takes 1d6 hours and costs the recipient 1/1D10 Sanity points. Failure results in the death of the subject.
  • Unnatural Vitality: Once installed, the user’s body is reinforced by the Core’s alien energies. They gain a +20 bonus to all CON rolls and no longer need to eat, sleep, or breathe. However, the Core requires a constant source of energy; the user must expend 1 Magic Point per day or suffer the effects of a Major Wound as their body begins to reject the implant.
  • Cthulhu Mythos: Studying and successfully installing the Core grants the user +5 Cthulhu Mythos skill points but costs a permanent 1d4 Sanity points.
  • Ambient Drain: The Core passively siphons energy from its immediate surroundings. This effect is purely cosmetic but deeply unsettling: lights may flicker, small electronics may fail, and sensitive individuals feel a profound sense of dread in the user’s presence.

Powers: Activating the Core’s primary functions requires the expenditure of Magic Points and a successful POW roll.

  • Overload Weapon Matrix (Power Surge): By spending 5 Magic Points and 1D4 Sanity points, the user can channel the Core’s energy into a held weapon. The user’s next successful Brawl or Melee Weapon attack is infused with a crackling, otherworldly energy, gaining the Impale special rule.
  • Kinetic Wave Emitter (Arcane Discharge): By spending 8 Magic Points and 1D6 Sanity points, the user unleashes a wave of invisible force. All characters in a 5-yard cone must make a Hard DEX roll. Those who fail are thrown 1D10 yards, suffer 1D6 damage from the impact, and are knocked prone.

Blades in the Dark

The Unstable Spark-Core of a Forgotten God

An artifact from before the cataclysm, this pulsating crystal heart is caged in a lattice of brass and silver. It hums with a frightening intensity, containing a power that feels far older than the Shattered Isles.

This is a rare, powerful artifact that must be integrated into your body via a long-term project (e.g., a 6-segment clock, “Integrate the Spark-Core,” overseen by a Whisper or Leech). Once integrated, it grants the following:

  • Fictional Permissions: You are a walking source of immense power. The core’s energy sustains you, allowing you to ignore penalties from exhaustion or extreme cold. Your body may be subtly marked by glowing runes or metallic seams.
  • Siphon Energy: When you are near a potent source of electroplasmic energy (a ghost, a lightning barrier, a spirit well), you can Attune to it. On a successful roll, you absorb a portion of its power; clear 1 Stress.
  • Overcharge (Power Surge): When you push yourself to make a devastating physical attack, you can take 2 Stress (in addition to the normal push cost) to activate the Core’s full power. Gain Potency for this action. The Core visibly overheats, venting plumes of steam and light from your body.
  • Resonant Blast (Arcane Discharge): You can unleash the Core’s power as a wide-area blast of force to scatter a crowd or shatter a structure. When you do, this is always a Desperate action, regardless of the circumstances, but its effect will be dramatic. The GM will also start a 4-segment clock labeled “Core Meltdown,” which will be ticked under appropriate circumstances (e.g., suffering severe harm, taking another Desperate action, etc.).

Knave (2nd Edition)

Volatile Geode Core

A heavy, spherical device of interlocking brass rings around a pulsing red crystal. It is warm to the touch and hums constantly. It must be worn.

  • Slots: Takes up 3 inventory slots (Torso).
  • Passive: While the Core is worn, you are immune to damage from non-magical fire and heat.
  • Charges: The Core has 6 Pips of Power. It regains all expended Pips at the next dawn. You can spend Pips to activate the following abilities:
    • Imbue Weapon (1 Pip): For the next minute, one of your held weapons glows with fiery energy. Your attacks with this weapon are considered magical.
    • Force Pulse (2 Pips): You unleash a 15-foot cone of force. All creatures within the cone must pass a CON save or be knocked prone and take 1d6 damage.
    • Repair Flesh (3 Pips): You channel the Core’s energy inward, healing yourself for 1d8 HP.
  • Instability: When you spend the last Pip of Power, you must immediately make a CON save. If you fail, the Core backfires, dealing 1d6 damage to you. It becomes inert and cannot be used again until it regains all Pips at the next dawn.

Fate Core System

Heart of the Unstable Forge

This powerful device is an Extra, representing a significant, character-defining piece of gear. It must be integrated into the character, likely as the result of a major milestone.

  • Aspects:
    • High Concept: Volatile Magi-Tech Power Core
    • Trouble: Prone to Dangerous Overloads
    • Other: A Masterwork of the Va-Korrum Artificers
  • Stunts:
    • Sustaining Core: You are suffused with regulated energy. Gain a +2 bonus to Overcome actions when using Physique to endure physical hardship, such as forced marches, extreme heat, or resisting poison.
    • Power Surge: Once per session, you can declare you are channeling the core’s full power. Create an Advantage to place the aspect Surging with Unstable Power on yourself with one free invocation. This does not require a roll.
    • Concussive Vent: As an Attack action, you can vent the core’s energy. Make a physical attack using your Physique skill against all targets in your current zone. If you succeed, you still must absorb the backlash, taking a 2-shift hit that cannot be reduced by armor.

Numenera & Cypher System

The Resonant Geode Engine

This device is a powerful piece of numenera, functioning as an artifact that merges with the user’s body.

  • Level: 8
  • Form: A heavy, chest-mounted crystalline engine with interlocking brass rings that must be surgically integrated into the user’s torso.
  • Effect: The engine provides a constant, if unstable, source of power drawn from ambient energy.
    • Passive: While installed, the user is trained in all tasks involving crafting, repairing, or identifying machines and devices of the numenera. Their Might Pool is also increased by 3.
    • Active (Power Surge): For the next minute, all of the user’s melee attacks inflict an additional 3 points of fire damage. Depletion: 1 in 1d20.
    • Active (Arcane Discharge): The user unleashes a concussive blast in an immediate area. All other creatures and objects in the area are flung a short distance away and suffer 5 points of damage. Depletion: 1 in 1d20.
  • Depletion: Check for depletion each time one of the Active abilities is used.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Regulator of the Crimson Core

Artifact 18 Unique, Artifact, Invested, Magical Usage worn (integrated); Bulk 1

This device of interlocking brass rings and a pulsating red crystal must be surgically installed into the user’s chest over 8 hours by a creature with master proficiency in both Crafting and Medicine. Once installed, it cannot be removed without a similar procedure that leaves the former user drained 4 for one week. You must have the Kwe-Sar heritage (or similar GM-approved lineage) to install this artifact.

Passive The regulator sustains your body with refined energy. You gain resistance 10 to fire and a +2 item bonus to Arcana and Crafting checks.

Activate [reaction] Power Surge (Concentrate) Frequency once per day; Trigger You deal damage with a Strike or spell; Effect You stoke the core’s power to overload your attack. You deal an additional 3d8 fire damage to one target of the triggering effect. The backlash from this surge deals 1d8 fire damage to you, which you cannot resist.

Activate [two-actions] Arcane Discharge (Concentrate, Evocation, Force) Frequency once per hour; Effect You unleash a 15-foot cone of raw force from your chest. Each creature in the cone must attempt a DC 40 Fortitude save.

  • Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
  • Success The creature takes 4d10 force damage.
  • Failure The creature takes 8d10 force damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you.
  • Critical Failure The creature takes 8d10 force damage, is pushed 20 feet away from you, and is knocked prone.

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE)

The Kwe-Sar Steam-Core

A legendary artifact of Acheulean magi-tech, this device must be installed into the user’s body via a successful Dramatic Task using the Crafting and Healing skills.

  • Requirements: Legendary, Kwe-Sar race, Seasoned
  • Passive Bonuses:
    • Resilient Core: The wearer gains a +1 bonus to all Vigor rolls to resist heat, poison, or exhaustion.
    • Power Source: The wearer is considered a walking power source, able to power appropriate machines or devices with a successful Crafting roll.
    • Hindrance: The core constantly vents steam and emits a low hum. The wearer gains the Quirk (Minor) Hindrance, as they are unable to be subtle or quiet, incurring a -1 penalty on all Stealth checks.
  • Granted Powers: The core grants the user access to the following powers. The first use of each power per combat is a free action and does not cost Power Points.
    • Burst: Manifests as a 15-foot cone of concussive force originating from the user’s chest.
    • Smite: Channels fiery energy into a held weapon.
    • Regeneration: The wearer gains the Regeneration ability. They may make a natural Healing roll once per day without the need for the “golden hour.”

Shadowrun, Sixth World

Aztlan Forge-Heart Bioware

This piece of experimental, magically-active bioware is rumored to be a product of Aztechnology’s more esoteric research divisions. It consists of a pulsating, crystalline nodule housed in a bio-compatible chassis that is surgically integrated with the user’s thoracic cavity and circulatory system. It draws in and processes background magical energy, reinforcing the user’s body and providing a source of immense, volatile power.

  • Type: Cultured Bioware
  • Rating: 4
  • Essence: 0.8
  • Availability: 16R
  • Cost: 250,000¥

Game Effects:

  • Core Reinforcement: The user gains a +1 bonus to their Body and Willpower attributes.
  • Innate Fire Resistance: The bioware regulates the user’s core temperature and reinforces their tissues. Gain Fire Resistance equal to the device’s Rating (4). This provides 4 extra dice to your defense pool when resisting fire damage.
  • Volatile Overload (Simple Action): By mentally interfacing with the device, the user can flood their system with a surge of raw power. For the next Combat Turn, add the device’s Rating (4) as bonus Fire damage to one successful melee or ranged attack. This generates significant heat, imposing a -4 modifier on the user’s Stealth tests for the next minute.
  • Kinetic Vent (Major Action): The user can vent a concussive blast of force from their chest. This is treated as an Exotic Ranged Weapon attack, using Willpower + Engineering [Astral] as the attack pool. The attack has a Damage Value of 4P, AP -2, and the Blast (5m) trait.
  • Instability: The device is dangerously unstable. Whenever the user takes Physical damage from an attack, they must roll 1D6. On a result of 1, the core vents uncontrollably, inflicting an additional 1P damage that cannot be resisted.

Starfinder

Ifriti-Class Obsidian Core

System Heart Price 355,000 credits Level 18

This magitech augmentation replaces much of the user’s natural heart with a biomechanical housing containing a pulsating crystal of raw, magical fire, said to be sourced from the Elemental Plane of Fire. The device integrates with the user’s biology, drawing power from both their stamina and the ambient magical energies of the universe.

Effects: The user’s body is suffused with refined elemental energy. You gain a +2 insight bonus to Engineering and Mysticism checks. You also gain Fire Resistance 15. Your unarmed strikes are considered to have the magic weapon special property.

Abilities:

  • Overdrive Systems (Swift Action, Once per day): You can flood your body with a surge of elemental power. For the next minute, the first time you hit with an attack each round, you deal an additional 2d6 fire damage.
  • Kinetic Expulsion (Standard Action, Recharge 1d4 rounds): You can unleash a 15-foot cone of pure force from your chest. Creatures in the area take 8d6 force damage and are pushed 10 feet away from you. A successful Reflex save (DC = 10 + half the item’s level + your Constitution modifier) halves the damage and negates the push effect.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Zhodani-Pattern Kinetic Regulator

A rare and incredibly advanced piece of technology, believed to be a Zhodani psionic amplifier that has been repurposed or was designed for their elite bio-engineered shock troops. It requires extensive surgery to implant and integrate with the user’s nervous and circulatory systems.

  • TL: 16
  • Mass: 1 kg
  • Power: 1/hour
  • Cost: MCr15

Installation & Effects: Requires a Formidable (12+) Medicae check over 1D6 hours to install. Once active, the regulator reinforces the user’s torso, which is now considered to have Bonded Armour (Armour 8). The user also gains DM+2 on all Engineer (power) and Mechanic checks.

Functions:

  • System Overcharge: Once per day, the user can shunt the regulator’s full power into a held weapon. If the user makes an attack with a powered melee weapon (such as a blade or stunner) in the same round, the attack’s damage is increased by +1D6.
  • Kinetic Pulse: The regulator can be discharged as a weapon. This is an attack using the Melee (brawl) 8 skill that targets all characters within a 2-meter radius of the user. A successful hit inflicts 2D6 damage.
  • Instability: If the user suffers 6 or more points of damage from a single attack, they must immediately make an END (8+) check. Failure means the regulator’s safety protocols engage, shutting the device down for 1D6 minutes, during which time none of its benefits are active.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

The Unstable Heart of Karak-Drazh

This device is a marvel of lost Dawi engineering from a fallen hold, combining runic magic with a barely-understood geological power source. It is a caged, pulsating geode, unnaturally warm and covered in fading Master Runes, which must be surgically embedded into the user’s chest.

This is a unique and powerful magical artifact.

  • Installation: Installing the Heart requires a Hard (–20) Heal Test that takes one day. Upon successful installation, the recipient immediately gains 1d10/2 Corruption Points as the raw, untamed energies of the earth are permanently bound to their soul.
  • Qualities: This item has the Magical, Unstable, and Dangerous Qualities.
  • Passive Effects: The wearer is suffused with raw, primal energy. They gain the Magical and Fireproof (5) Creature Trappings. They also gain a +10 bonus to all Channeling (Aqshy) Tests.
  • Forge’s Fury: Once per day, when casting a spell from the Lore of Fire, you may add +1 Success Level to the casting test after you have rolled. This counts as pushing your luck for the purposes of channeling, but you do not need to roll on the Minor Miscast table unless your casting roll already contained a double.
  • Concussive Roar: As an Action, you may make a Challenging (+0) Cool Test. If successful, you unleash a blast of force. All other characters within a number of yards equal to your Willpower Bonus must pass an Average (+20) Agility Test or gain the Prone Condition.
  • Instability: The Heart is volatile. Whenever you roll a Critical or a Fumble on any Test whilst in combat, the device painfully vents raw energy, immediately inflicting one Bleeding Condition upon you.