• The item originates in the performance districts of coastal and central cities where small family workshops supply gear to traveling players, guild messengers who must address crowds, and those who speak before royal courts or market gatherings. Artisans collect shed plumage from hybrid beasts during the Passion and Dimming weeks, selecting feathers whose natural spread and color shift can be emphasized under ordinary daylight. These are layered over a light frame of dyed plant fiber and bound with sap that has been mixed with fine mineral dust taken from stones near public squares. The resulting covering is intended for avatars who already possess a Feathers slot and who rely on visible gesture and presence rather than physical force. It is commonly exchanged in the same stalls that sell masks, colored cords, and other display pieces because the work requires no large crystals and can be completed by a single artisan in the space of one day.
• Slot is Feathers. The covering is worn directly on or over the avatar’s existing feathers and occupies only that specialized slot. It remains functional only while the plumage is openly visible and is suppressed if fully covered by a cloak, armor, or other garment. Removal or adjustment can be performed as a free action when the wearer is not engaged in an immediate exchange.
• Skills gained when openly worn consist of a temporary +2 to the Acting skill. These points are supplied by the item itself and do not count against the character’s maximum trained skill level of 5 plus tier. The bonus applies to any check that involves performed speech, exaggerated gesture, staged movement, or the deliberate presentation of emotion or status before an audience. When the item is covered or removed the temporary points cease immediately.
• Color is deep indigo along the outer vanes fading to pale silver-gray at the base, with the tips carrying a shifting violet sheen that becomes more pronounced when the feathers are spread under Helios or under ordinary torchlight. The pattern is visible at the distances typical of a market square or a modest hall.
• Passive magic includes a continuous subtle lift along the feather edges that makes small gestures appear larger and more deliberate, granting advantage on Acting checks made to hold the attention of a group or to convey a specific emotion without spoken words. A second passive causes the violet sheen to brighten faintly in time with the wearer’s breathing, providing a visual rhythm that aids in timed performances or in matching the pace of a partner’s lines. A third passive offers modest insulation that keeps the wearer’s movements from stiffening during brief exposure to cooler evening air or warmer stage lighting, reducing the chance that temperature shifts interrupt a sustained display.
• Active magic includes the ability, once per long rest, to flare the full layered covering as an action and create a momentary wave of moving color and shadow that imposes disadvantage on any immediate check an observer makes to look away or to ignore the wearer. A second active permits the wearer, as a free action at the start of a spoken performance, to set the feathers into a slow rhythmic pulse that lasts for up to ten minutes and adds the tier-1 die result to a single Acting check made during that period. A third active, usable once between long rests, allows the wearer to snap the feathers closed and open again in a sharp sequence that produces a clear audible rustle timed to punctuate a line or a gesture, granting advantage on one subsequent check to influence a listener who heard the sound. Each active draws only on the ambient magic already present in the feathers.
• Tags are Feathers, Acting, Display, Common, Tier1, Worn, Magical, Performance, Sheen, Gesture, Audience, Oratory, Timed-Pulse, Color-Wave, Audience-Hold, Stage-Light, Rhythmic-Rustle, Emotion-Cue, Public-Square, Guild-Player, Violet-Sheen, Gesture-Lift
• Additional information states that the item is sized for any avatar possessing a functional Feathers slot and can be adjusted by the wearer or a nearby artisan in a few minutes of ordinary handling. It adds negligible weight and does not restrict ordinary movement when the feathers are kept close to the body. In cities with active performance guilds or frequent public gatherings the piece appears regularly in small shops and is exchanged according to local availability and the buyer’s willingness to pay. The magic remains stable under normal magic-flow conditions and does not require attunement to function at the listed level, although an avatar may still choose to attune it if an open attunement slot remains. When the wearer is in an area of reduced magic flow the active uses remain available but the passive advantage on attention-holding checks becomes an ordinary roll until the flow returns to ordinary levels. The feathers show ordinary wear after repeated flaring and can be repaired or replaced by any artisan familiar with display gear without altering the magical properties.
Acquisition and Trade of Feathers 4186 of the Stage Flourish
• The item may be obtained when an avatar is successfully possessed if the previous host already wore or carried the covering among their gear used for public address or staged performance. It may also appear as a reward from a completed task for a performance guild, a market organizer, or a local official who values those able to hold a crowd’s attention during announcements or festivals. Combat or confrontation with other performers or messengers who have been outfitted by others can leave the covering intact among the dropped items once the body is searched. An artisan with the proper skills and a supply of suitably colored shed plumage can craft a new example by following an established recipe that consumes ordinary plant fibers, sap, and mineral dust rather than crystals.
• Shops that handle the item are almost always small family workshops or single-proprietor stalls located in the performance districts of coastal towns or in the quarters of larger cities nearest public squares and guildhalls. These establishments specialize in gear for display and gesture, often sharing space or neighboring the makers of masks, colored cords, and simple instruments. The owners change the items they produce whenever local demand from traveling players or court speakers shifts. They hire a few local workers for the gathering of feathers during the Passion and Dimming weeks and for the final stitching, but the core binding remains the work of the family members who know the pattern. No central warehouse stocks large numbers of identical pieces; each shop keeps only what its current artisans have finished.
• Purchase occurs through ordinary face-to-face exchange inside the shop or at a nearby open stall beside a square. The buyer examines the feathers under ordinary light or torchlight, tests the flare of the frame, and then haggles. An NPC merchant typically begins near the suggested local value and moves approximately 10 percent of that figure times the buyer’s tier. Membership in the local performance guild or a related faction grants a matching 10 percent reduction. Payment is accepted in gold or the local non-metal coinage of equivalent weight; the merchant may deposit the proceeds in the World Bank or keep a portion as coin. If the buyer lacks immediate funds the merchant may accept a short written note of future payment tied to an upcoming performance, though such notes are uncommon for common tier-1 pieces. Black-market stalls near busy markets will sell the same item at full suggested value or higher and will accept only physical gold, remaining silent about prior owners.
• Sale of a worn or carried example follows the reverse path. The owner presents the item to a merchant who haggles downward from the suggested value by roughly 10 percent times the seller’s tier. The resulting gold is deposited directly into the seller’s World Bank account. Black-market buyers may offer the ordinary merchant price or, if they need the piece quickly for a scheduled gathering or a court appearance, up to twice that amount, again in physical gold only. In either case the merchant keeps a quasi-log of the transaction that can later be examined by local officials if questions arise about the item’s origin.
• Cost is never fixed. In a city district with several competing family workshops and frequent public performances the piece may change hands for a quantity of silver equal to a few days of ordinary labor. In a remote town where suitably colored feathers must be carried by wagon the same item may require several gold pieces because of the added cost of access and the lower number of artisans familiar with the binding. During weeks when festivals draw larger crowds and demand from players rises, buyers routinely pay more; when a recent shipment of similar coverings has arrived or when magic flow is low, sellers accept less. The final figure is always what the parties agree upon after haggling, with the buyer responsible for judging whether the price matches the local availability and the seller free to refuse any offer. Taxes on the transaction itself are collected by the city or state according to the ordinary rates for goods sold inside their boundaries, and the merchant handles that payment before the buyer leaves with the item.
Roleplay Applications of Feathers 4186 of the Stage Flourish in Defense and Offense Across Environments
• In the open squares and performance districts of a central city the wearer keeps the feathers partially lifted while addressing a crowd or moving through a gathering. When an opponent attempts to interrupt or close distance the wearer flares the full covering as an action, the wave of moving indigo and violet imposing disadvantage on the opponent’s immediate check to ignore the display or to strike cleanly. The same flare can be turned into an offensive opening by following it with a spoken line or exaggerated gesture that draws allies or bystanders into the moment, creating space for the wearer to step aside or for another to act. The passive lift of the edges makes even small hand movements appear larger, aiding both the defensive hold on attention and any subsequent influence.
• Inside a royal court or a formal hall the covering remains close until the wearer is called to speak or must answer a challenge. At the start of the address the free-action pulse sets the feathers into a slow rhythm that adds the tier die to a single Acting check, allowing the wearer to maintain composure and timing while questions or accusations are directed forward. If a physical threat emerges the sharp snap of the feathers closed and open produces an audible rustle that punctuates a denial or a command, granting advantage on the check to sway those who heard it and giving the wearer a moment to reposition behind a pillar or attendant. The insulation passive keeps movements fluid under the warmer lights or cooler drafts common in such spaces.
• On the decks of sailing vessels or along harbor quays the wearer uses the display properties when crews or dock workers must be directed during loading or when tensions rise between groups. A flared wave of color can impose disadvantage on an aggressor’s attempt to push through a line of people, buying time for the wearer to step onto a higher coil of rope or behind a stacked crate. Offensively the rhythmic pulse can be started before issuing orders, the added die helping the words carry over wind and water noise so that allies move in coordination while opponents hesitate. The sheen remains visible against the brighter surface light, reinforcing the passive advantage on holding group attention.
• Among the stalls and narrow ways of a market the feathers stay ready for sudden exchanges. When a dispute over goods turns physical the wearer snaps the covering in a sharp sequence as a free action tied to a spoken refusal, the rustle granting advantage on the immediate check to deter the other party or to call for nearby guards. If the exchange continues the full flare can be used once to create the color wave, forcing the opponent to contend with the disadvantage while the wearer uses the passive gesture lift to signal allies without breaking the performance of calm authority. Temperature shifts between sunlit open areas and shaded stalls are eased by the insulation, keeping the timing of gestures consistent.
• In wilderness clearings or along roads between garrisons where travelers gather the wearer treats the feathers as a tool for managing larger groups or unexpected encounters with beasts that respond to display. Flaring the covering can impose disadvantage on a creature’s initial aggressive action if the beast pauses at the sudden movement and color, allowing the wearer to back toward cover or to direct others. The rhythmic pulse started before a warning shout adds the die to the Acting check, helping the sound and gesture carry farther and coordinate a defensive withdrawal or a focused response. In areas of low magic flow the passive advantage on attention becomes an ordinary roll, so the wearer relies more on the audible rustle and deliberate positioning to achieve the same separation.
• Beneath floating structures or in the open air near cloud-bowl edges the feathers can be flared against the sky to create a visible signal that both defends by drawing eyes away from a vulnerable companion and offends by marking the wearer’s position for allies on higher levels. The pulse property timed to a shouted direction adds the die and helps the message reach those on distant cables or decks before an approaching threat closes. Once the active uses are spent the passive sheen and gesture lift continue to support smaller signals, though reduced flow requires the wearer to combine them with ordinary movement to maintain the same effect. In all settings the item’s benefits end if the feathers are fully covered, returning the wearer to unaided checks until the covering is again openly displayed.
Perception of Activation:
• Normal sight registers the outer feathers flaring outward in a deliberate wave, the deep indigo vanes shifting to reveal more of the pale silver-gray bases while the violet sheen brightens and travels along the tips in time with the motion. The description is a controlled expansion of the layered covering that produces moving bands of color and shadow lasting only as long as the chosen active continues, after which the feathers settle or continue a slower pulse. Positives include a clear visual confirmation that the display has begun and an immediate enlargement of gesture that helps the wearer judge how the motion reads to an audience at a distance. Negatives include the temporary filling of peripheral vision with the spread plumage and the risk that the brightening sheen draws eyes from beyond the intended group before the action completes.
• Touch registers a gentle lifting pressure along the attachment points where the frame meets the avatar’s own feathers, followed by a faint coolness as air moves across the newly exposed surfaces and a soft rhythmic tug if the pulse active is engaged. The description is a series of light, even pulls that match the breathing or the timed flare and then ease when the feathers close or slow. Positives include an immediate physical cue that the activation has aligned with the intended gesture and a heightened sense of the covering’s response that aids precise timing. Negatives include a brief stiffness if the snap sequence is used too sharply and a lingering awareness of the frame against the skin that can distract during a long sustained performance.
• Hearing registers a layered rustle that rises and falls with the flare or resolves into a sharp, even snap when the feathers are closed and opened in sequence, distinct from ordinary movement because of its deliberate cadence. The description is a brief cascade of soft overlapping sounds or a single clear punctuation produced by the vanes sliding and striking lightly against one another. Positives include an auditory marker that lets the wearer confirm the timing of a line or gesture even when sight is divided and a sound that carries just far enough to punctuate speech without overwhelming it. Negatives include the possibility that the rustle masks quieter replies from nearby listeners for a moment and that the same sound can alert an observer who was not meant to notice the activation.
• Darkvision registers the flaring motion as a shift in gray-scale edges, the indigo areas appearing as slightly darker bands against the lighter silver-gray while the violet sheen remains nearly absent. The description is a rapid change in outline definition along the outer feathers that resolves or continues as a slower pulse once the covering settles into rhythm. Positives include continued clarity of the activation’s shape in low light without reliance on color. Negatives include reduced ability to judge the exact brightness or emotional impact of the sheen because the subtle violet shifts that normally guide performance adjustments are missing.
• True sight registers a faint ultraviolet pulse that travels outward along the vanes at the moment of activation, strongest at the tips during a flare and softer during the rhythmic setting. The description is a short-lived violet-tinged outline that expands with the feathers and then either collapses or continues as a gentle throb matching the wearer’s breath. Positives include an immediate confirmation that ambient magic flow has been channeled into the display and a clear boundary that helps the wearer track how far the visual effect reaches. Negatives include a brief after-image that can overlap with other magical lights in a hall or square and a slight delay in reacquiring fine ordinary detail once the pulse fades.
• Blindsight registers a sudden expansion and then rhythmic thickening of the echo returns from the feathers themselves, the layered surfaces producing a denser, patterned cluster that matches the flare or the pulse. The description is a momentary broadening of the acoustic field around the upper body that thins or continues in even beats. Positives include an accurate sense of the covering’s new outline and timing even in dim or crowded spaces and an early indication if the flare encounters an unexpected obstruction. Negatives include a short period in which more distant sounds are harder to separate from the closer feather returns and a mild shift in spatial awareness if the wearer depends on blindsight while performing.
• Soul sight registers a soft brightening and color shift in the personal aura along the feather edges, the tones moving toward indigo and pale silver in time with the activation. The description is a gentle pulse or wave that travels the length of the covering once or continues rhythmically and then returns toward the wearer’s baseline. Positives include a clear internal marker that the item has accepted the direction of thought and begun its effect on presence. Negatives include a fleeting sense of exposure if other beings capable of soul sight are in the audience and a minor draw on focus while the aura pulse remains active.
• Mind’s Eye perception registers a brief overlay of the item’s known properties—slot, temporary skill bonus, and remaining active uses—appearing across the physical feathers at the instant of activation. The description is a translucent set of familiar values that holds for less than a second and then recedes, sometimes lingering faintly if the rhythmic pulse continues. Positives include instant verification that the correct active has been selected and that the display is functioning as expected. Negatives include a momentary division of attention if the wearer is already tracking an audience’s reactions or other items and a slight delay in returning full presence to the external performance once the overlay vanishes.
Recipe for Feathers 4186 of the Stage Flourish
• Materials needed consist of twelve primary display feathers shed by hybrid avian beasts during the Passion or Dimming weeks, each feather showing a natural capacity for deep indigo outer coloring that can be enhanced and pale silver-gray bases with tips able to hold a violet sheen. Four lengths of flexible plant fiber harvested from reeds or stalks grown near public squares or performance grounds and already carrying a light dye that will not clash with the feather tones. A small quantity of clear tree sap collected with a fluid collector from a living tree within the past three days. One measure of fine mineral dust gathered from stones in a market square or hall floor that has been exposed to both ordinary daylight and the foot traffic of gatherings. No magic crystals are required; the ambient weave present in the feathers and sap supplies the necessary binding for the display effects.
• Tools required include a fluid collector for obtaining the sap, a pair of fine bone or hardened-wood needles sized for delicate stitching, a flat stone or wooden work surface large enough to lay the feathers in overlapping rows, a shallow bowl for mixing the sap with the mineral dust, a soft brush for applying the mixture along the edges, and a length of ordinary cord for temporary alignment of the frame. All tools are mundane and commonly found in small family workshops that specialize in performance and display gear.
• Skill requirements call for a trained skill level of at least 3 in a crafting skill focused on display or flexible worn gear, plus a temporary or trained level of at least 2 in an alchemy or binding skill sufficient to mix and apply the sap without dulling the natural sheen of the feathers. The crafter must also possess enough familiarity with Acting-related items to judge the correct flare, pulse, and audible snap of the finished covering. These levels may be met through ordinary downtime training or through openly worn faction badges that grant temporary points in the relevant skills.
• Crafting steps begin with the gentle cleaning of each feather by soft wiping to remove debris while preserving the vane structure and any existing color variation, followed by arranging the twelve feathers in two overlapping layers on the work surface so that the indigo sides face outward and the tips align along a gentle outward curve suited to display. The plant fibers are then soaked briefly in a mixture of the fresh sap and mineral dust until they become pliable, after which they are laid as a light internal frame beneath the feathers and stitched into place with the fine needles using a pattern that allows the layers to lift and settle smoothly. Once the frame is secure the remaining sap mixture is brushed lightly along the attachment points and the outer edges to encourage the violet sheen, then left to dry under ordinary daylight or torchlight for the length of one After Noon period. The finished covering is tested by hand for even flare, rhythmic response, and clear snap; any section that binds or fails to produce the expected sound is gently loosened before the item is considered complete. The entire process consumes the listed materials and occupies the better part of a single day when performed by a single artisan in a workshop near a public square. The resulting piece matches the slot, temporary skill bonus, passive adjustments, and active uses of the original when worn openly on an avatar that possesses a Feathers slot.
Feathers That Spoke Without Words
In the time before the years were marked with the names of the gods there lived among the people of the shore and the people of the stone squares those who stood before others and made their meaning known by the moving of the body and the sounding of the voice. These ones gathered the fallen feathers of the mixed beasts when the time of joining and the time of lessening light came upon the land. They bound the feathers with the threads of the plants that grew where many feet passed and with the sap of the trees and the dust of the stones so that the feathers would lift when the wearer wished to be seen.
One among them was called by a name that later tongues could not keep and so is spoken only as the One Who Stood Before the Many. This one desired that the words spoken in the open places would not be lost in the noise of the crowd and that the feeling carried in the face and the hands would reach even those who stood far back. The One Who Stood Before the Many took feathers that held the dark color of the deep water and the pale color of the morning mist and bound them so that when the thought was given the feathers would open in a wave and the edges would catch the light in a moving line. The binding was done in a small house near the place where the people gathered to hear judgments and to watch the players. When the work was finished the feathers lay close until the wearer called them and then they spread and the light upon them changed.
The first time the feathers opened the One Who Stood Before the Many stood in the center of the square while others argued over the division of a catch from the water. The body turned and the feathers rose and the moving color passed across the faces of those who watched so that the arguing slowed and the eyes came to the one who stood. The words that followed were heard because the people had already looked. Those who saw it said the feathers had taken the scattered attention and drawn it into one place. The One Who Stood Before the Many tried the feathers again when a player forgot the next line and the rustle of the sudden close and open gave the moment that was needed for the line to return. The people began to ask for the same feathers so that their own speakers and players could hold the gathering when the voices alone were not enough.
Yet the feathers did not always bring the looking that was wanted. When the unseen flow that moves through all things grew thin the opening still happened but the wave of color was weaker and some who stood far back did not turn their heads. When the flow grew strong the feathers opened wider than the wearer intended and the light upon them drew eyes from beyond the square so that others came who had not been called. The One Who Stood Before the Many saw this and spoke to the people that the feathers remembered only the displays the beasts had made when they lived and that the wearer must also remember what was to be shown and what was to be hidden. The people did not all hear. Some wore the feathers and flared them in every speaking so that the gatherings grew tired of the moving color and looked away even when the words were important. Others wore them only to be seen themselves and the true matter of the speaking was lost beneath the display.
In the years that followed the feathers were made again and again in the small houses near the squares. Each maker used the shed feathers of the mixed beasts and the sap and the dust of the gathering places and each covering was a little different in the way the color moved. Some coverings let the wearer hold a larger group with a single flare. Some let the wearer mark the rhythm of a long telling so that the listeners knew when the next part would come. The stories that were told of these coverings grew long. One story said that a wearer had stood before the court of a ruler and flared the feathers so that the ruler’s own advisors turned and heard the plea that had been ignored. Another story said that a wearer had used the snap of the feathers to silence a false accusation in a market and that the sound alone had made the accuser step back. These stories were repeated until the words changed and the names of the wearers were lost.
The One Who Stood Before the Many grew old and the feathers that had been made first began to lose their outer color at the edges. New feathers were added and the binding was renewed with fresh sap. The people asked whether the first feathers still held the memory of the gatherings or whether only the new feathers answered. The One Who Stood Before the Many answered that all the feathers held what they had been given when they grew and that the binding only let the wearer speak to that memory through the moving of the body. When the One Who Stood Before the Many no longer stood in the squares the coverings continued to be made. The small houses kept the way of the work and the travelers who came from other islands carried the coverings away and brought back tales of how the feathers had opened in halls and on the decks of ships when words needed to be heard above the wind.
In one season when many people had come to a coastal town for the exchanging of goods a wearer stood upon a raised platform while two groups disputed the price of a cargo. The feathers opened in a slow wave and the violet edge caught the light so that both groups paused and looked. The words that followed settled the matter before the dispute became a striking of hands. In another season a wearer used the rhythmic pulse of the feathers while speaking a long warning about the rising of the water and the added measure helped the listeners keep the count of the dangers until the speaking ended. The people who kept the roads and the harbors began to look for those who wore such feathers when a message needed to reach a crowd quickly.
Not every use brought the desired end. A wearer once flared the feathers in a small hall so that all would look and in that moment a quiet speaker at the side was forgotten and the matter that speaker carried was never heard. Another wearer trusted the opening when the flow was thin and the color did not reach the back of the gathering so that half the people continued their own talk and the warning was lost. The covering was later brought back to a small house and new feathers were set in the place of those that had dulled and the sap was applied again. The covering worked once more but the wearer chose the moments of flaring with greater care. The stories that were told after these happenings said that the feathers gave the drawing of eyes and the marking of time only when the wearer also chose what should be seen and heard and that the feathers alone could not decide the meaning.
Long after the first binding the coverings were still found in the stalls near the squares. Travelers asked the makers how the sheen was kept and how the snap was made clear and the makers answered with the steps that had been used since the early days. Some buyers paid with the small coins of silver and some paid with the larger coins of gold when the feathers had come from distant beasts. The makers did not set one price for all days. When many feathers of the right color lay ready the covering left the stall for less. When few could be gathered the covering stayed until more was offered. The people who bought them carried them to other places and the way of making them spread though each new maker changed a small part of the binding to suit the gatherings of that island.
In the time when the ships moved more often a wearer stood upon the deck while two crews argued over the right of passage. The feathers snapped once in a sharp sequence and the sound carried across the water so that the arguing slowed. The words that followed were heard by both sides and the vessels passed without further striking. Other times were told in which the feathers opened too soon and drew the eyes of those who meant harm or opened too late and the moment for speaking was already gone. In each telling the feathers themselves remained as they had been made: layers that lifted when called, that moved the light across those who watched, and that settled again when the display ended. The people who wore them learned that the opening gave the chance to gather the looking but did not place the meaning into the minds of those who looked.
Thus the tale was carried from the shore squares to the inland halls and from the inland halls back to the shore. Each telling added a new gathering or a new failure and the words shifted as they passed through different tongues. The feathers themselves remained as they had been made. The people who wore them learned that the moving color and the timed sound could draw the eyes and mark the moment yet the words and the gestures that followed were still the wearer’s own to give.
Moral of the story: The feathers lift when the wearer asks and the light moves as it has always moved, yet the meaning that reaches those who look is still the meaning the wearer must choose to show.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu Seventh Edition Adaptation of the Covering Known as Plumage of the Gathered Gaze
• The item appears as a layered arrangement of deep indigo and pale silver-gray feathers with violet sheen bound to a light frame of plant fiber. It occupies the space of a worn garment that must remain visible to function and is treated as a minor magical artifact of common availability.
• When worn openly the investigator gains a bonus die on all Art/Craft (Acting), Persuade, and Charm rolls that involve performed speech, exaggerated gesture, or holding the attention of a group. The bonus die is lost the moment the feathers are fully covered.
• Once per day the wearer may spend a single action to flare the feathers and impose a penalty die on any immediate roll an observer makes to look away or to ignore the investigator. The same action may instead be used to produce a sharp audible rustle that grants a bonus die on one subsequent social roll against listeners who heard it.
• As a free action at the start of a performance the wearer may set the feathers into a slow pulse lasting up to ten minutes and add one bonus die to a single Art/Craft (Acting) or Persuade roll made during that time. This may be done only once between periods of rest.
• The feathers provide a minor measure of protection against brief temperature shifts that might interrupt gesture, reducing any related CON roll penalty by one step for short exposures.
• Sanity loss is not directly caused by the item. An investigator who flares the feathers before entities sensitive to display or magical aura may draw focused attention, prompting the Keeper to adjust reaction rolls accordingly.
• The item has 8 hit points. If reduced to half or fewer it becomes torn and the bonus die and active uses cease until repaired by someone with a relevant Craft skill and access to replacement feathers and sap.
Blades in the Dark Adaptation of the Covering Known as Audience-Vane
• The item is a fine wearable of layered indigo and silver-gray feathers on a reed frame that must be worn openly. It counts as a single item of load.
• While worn the character gains potency on all Sway and Consort actions that involve performance, public address, or commanding attention through gesture. The potency is lost if the feathers are concealed.
• Once per score the wearer may push themselves to flare the vanes, imposing reduced effect on a target’s immediate attempt to disengage or ignore the character, or to create a brief distraction that aids an ally’s action in the same moment.
• As a free action the wearer may spend 1 stress to begin a rhythmic pulse lasting several minutes, gaining increased effect on one Sway roll made during a performance or negotiation.
• The item can produce a sharp rustle as part of an action to punctuate a statement, granting potency on a single social roll against those who heard it.
• Quality is standard. If the item takes harm it becomes impaired until repaired during downtime. An impaired item loses its potency and active benefits.
• The covering functions only while the wearer can gesture freely and provides no benefit if restrained.
Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition Adaptation of the Covering Known as Feathers of the Commanding Flourish
• Wondrous item, common. The covering consists of layered deep indigo and pale silver-gray feathers with violet sheen on a plant-fiber frame. It must be worn openly and requires attunement.
• While attuned and worn the creature gains a +2 bonus to Charisma (Performance) checks. The bonus ends if the feathers are covered.
• As an action the wearer can flare the feathers to force one creature within 30 feet that can see the display to make a Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on its next attack roll or ability check made before the end of its next turn as it is momentarily distracted. Once used this property cannot be used again until the wearer finishes a long rest.
• As a bonus action the wearer may start a rhythmic pulse lasting up to 10 minutes and add 1d4 to one Charisma (Performance) check made during that time. This can be used only once per long rest.
• The feathers grant advantage on Constitution saving throws against brief environmental temperature changes that would impose disadvantage on Performance checks.
• The item has AC 11 and 15 hit points. Damage below half suppresses the bonus and active properties until repaired.
• The covering provides no combat armor benefit beyond the distraction effect.
Knave Second Edition Adaptation of the Covering Known as Bound Plumes of the Address
• The item is a worn piece of gear of layered indigo and silver-gray feathers on a reed frame. It occupies one slot and must be worn openly.
• While worn the character adds +2 to all checks involving Performance, persuasion through display, or holding attention. The bonus is lost if covered.
• Once per day the wearer may activate the feathers as an action to impose disadvantage on one observer’s immediate check to ignore or disengage from the character, or to grant advantage on one subsequent social check against listeners of a sharp rustle.
• As a free action the wearer may begin a pulse and add an extra d4 to one Performance check made in the next ten minutes. This may be used only once between rests.
• The item provides a +1 bonus to saves against environmental effects that would hinder gesture for short periods.
• The covering has 10 item hit points. Below half the bonuses cease until repaired. At zero it is destroyed.
• The feathers grant no direct combat bonus beyond social and distraction effects.
Fate Core Adaptation of the Covering Known as Aspect of the Drawn Eye
• The item is a wearable extra of layered deep indigo and pale silver-gray feathers with violet sheen on a plant-fiber frame. It must be worn openly and is represented by the aspect “Feathers That Gather the Looking” which the character may invoke when performing or commanding attention through gesture.
• While the aspect is active the character gains a +2 bonus to Overcome or Create an Advantage actions that use Rapport or Performance-related skills to hold a group’s focus or convey emotion through display. The bonus is unavailable if the feathers are concealed.
• Once per session the character may invoke the aspect for free to flare the feathers and place the aspect “Momentarily Distracted” on a single target or small group, or to punctuate a statement with a rustle that aids a subsequent social roll. This free invoke does not consume a fate point.
• As part of a performance action the character may spend a fate point to begin a rhythmic pulse, adding +2 to one Rapport or related roll made during the scene.
• The feathers can Create an Advantage by flaring the sheen, establishing “Commanding Presence” on the scene with a successful roll.
• If the character takes a consequence damaging worn gear the aspect becomes unavailable until recovered.
• The covering provides no direct physical defense beyond social and distraction effects.
Numenera and the Cypher System Adaptation of the Covering Known as Gaze-Plume Binding
• The item is a cypher-level wearable artifact of common complexity appearing as layered indigo and silver-gray feathers. It occupies one slot, must be worn openly, and depletes on a 1 on 1d20 after active use.
• While worn the character reduces the difficulty of all Intellect-based tasks involving performance, persuasion through display, or holding attention by one step. The reduction ends if covered.
• As an action the wearer may activate to impose a one-step increase in difficulty on one observer’s immediate task to ignore or disengage, or to gain an asset on one subsequent social task after a rustle. This risks depletion.
• The wearer may spend 1 Intellect as a free action to start a pulse, reducing the difficulty of one performance task by one step during the next ten minutes. Usable once per rest.
• The feathers provide an asset on tasks to maintain gesture under brief temperature shifts.
• Depletion renders the item inert until repaired with a difficulty 3 crafting task.
• The binding offers no direct combat benefit beyond distraction.
Pathfinder Second Edition Adaptation of the Covering Known as Plumage of the Held Attention
• Item 1. Worn wondrous item, common, magical, invested. Layered indigo and silver-gray feathers with violet sheen. Must be worn openly.
• While invested the wearer gains a +1 item bonus to Performance checks. Suppressed if covered.
• Once per day as an Interact action the wearer can flare to force one creature within 30 feet to attempt a Will save or become distracted, taking a –1 circumstance penalty to its next attack or skill check. Alternatively produce a rustle granting a +1 circumstance bonus to one subsequent Diplomacy or Performance check against hearers.
• As a free action once per day the wearer may start a pulse adding 1d4 to one Performance check within 10 minutes.
• Grants +1 circumstance bonus to saves against brief temperature effects hindering performance.
• Hardness 2, 8 HP. Below half HP the bonus and actives are suppressed until repaired.
• No armor or direct damage benefit.
Savage Worlds Adventure Edition Adaptation of the Covering Known as Flourish Plumes
• Worn gear, magical quality, layered indigo and silver-gray feathers. Occupies back slot, must be worn openly.
• While worn the character gains +1 to all Performance rolls. Lost if concealed.
• Once per session as a free action flare to impose –1 on one target’s next Trait roll to ignore or attack the character, or grant +1 on one subsequent social roll after a rustle.
• Spend a Benny or as part of an action to start a pulse adding +1 to one Performance roll in the scene.
• +1 to Vigor rolls against brief environmental temperature for five rounds.
• Toughness 4. A Wound damages it and suppresses benefits until repaired. Second Wound destroys it.
• Provides no Armor bonus.
Shadowrun Sixth World Adaptation of the Covering Known as Attention-Plume Focus
• The item is a wearable Force 1 sustaining focus of Availability 4R that appears as layered deep indigo and pale silver-gray feathers with violet sheen on a light frame. It must be worn openly.
• While worn and active the character receives a +2 dice pool bonus to all Con and Performance tests involving public address, gesture, or holding attention. The bonus is lost if covered.
• Once per day as a Simple Action the wearer may flare the focus to impose a –2 dice pool penalty on one observer’s immediate test to ignore or disengage, or to gain +2 dice on one subsequent social test after producing a rustle.
• As a Free Action the wearer may begin a pulse lasting up to ten minutes and add 2 dice to one Performance or Con test made during that time. Usable once between rests.
• Provides 1 point of environmental resistance to brief temperature shifts affecting gesture.
• Barrier Rating 2, 6 Condition Boxes. Filled boxes destroy it. Half or more filled suppresses benefits until repaired.
• No direct combat pool bonus beyond distraction.
Starfinder Adaptation of the Covering Known as Flourish-Vane
• Worn magic item, item level 1. Layered indigo and silver-gray feathers. Shoulders slot, worn openly, requires investment.
• While invested grants +2 enhancement bonus to Performance checks (or Diplomacy for display). Suppressed if covered.
• Once per day as a standard action flare to force one creature within 30 feet to succeed at a Will save or take –2 on its next attack or skill check. Or gain +2 on one subsequent Charisma-based check after a rustle.
• Bonus action once per day to start pulse adding 1d4 to one Performance check within 10 minutes.
• +1 circumstance bonus to saves against brief temperature effects on performance.
• Hardness 2, 10 HP. Below half suppresses benefits until repaired.
• No armor bonus.
Traveller Mongoose Second Edition Adaptation of the Covering Known as Display Harness
• Personal equipment, artistic quality. Layered indigo and silver-gray feathers. Negligible weight when worn openly. Cost varies by market.
• While worn DM+1 on all Persuade or Art (performance) checks involving display or address. Lost if concealed.
• Once per day significant action to flare imposing DM–1 on one target’s immediate check to ignore, or DM+1 on one subsequent social check after rustle.
• Free action to start pulse adding DM+1 to one performance check in the next ten minutes. Once between rests.
• DM+1 on Endurance checks for brief temperature resistance affecting gesture.
• Can be damaged like clothing; torn state removes benefits until repaired.
• No armor value.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Fourth Edition Adaptation of the Covering Known as Mantle of the Public Address
• Worn magical garment, common. Layered indigo and silver-gray feathers. Back/cloak location, Encumbrance 0, worn openly.
• While worn +10 bonus to all Perform or Charm Tests involving gesture and attention. Lost if covered.
• Once per day Action to flare forcing one observer within 10 yards to test Willpower or suffer –10 on next relevant Test, or grant +10 on one subsequent social Test after rustle.
• Free Action once per day to pulse adding +1 SL to one Perform Test within ten minutes.
• +10 to Endurance Tests against brief temperature hindering performance.
• 4 Wounds. At 0 destroyed. At 2 or fewer benefits suppressed until repaired.
• No armor points.