From: Lineage 6274 of Qosqo Pacha
• Weapon Type: Spell Focus (Knotted Cord)
• Held Slot: One hand. Coiled around the wrist or carried in the cord satchel when stowed.
• Tier: 1 (Common)
• Required Training: Spell Cords (Qosqo-Khipu Focus)
• Attunement: Handheld (instant when held)
• Attack Roll: d20 + tier die
• Base Damage: 1d6 piercing (earth) + tier die (1d4 at tier 1)
• Range: Simple (40)
• Item Health Points: 10 plus the avatar’s maximum health points (resilience 10)
• Weight: 0.5 pounds
• Suggested Value: 95 silver
• Appearance: A main cord about 3 feet long, braided of dark indigo fiber, with seven pendant cords hanging from it in ochre, crimson, verdigris, pale gold, slate grey, copper and black. Each pendant cord carries a cluster of knots that glow softly when the wielder’s bioluminescent veins brighten. A small chip of grey stone from the Rockfall scar is bound into the knot where the pendants join the main cord.
• Properties:
• Stone Needle (spell, at will): As an action, the wielder pulls one pendant cord taut and speaks a Pacha-Qosqo phrase. A needle of compacted stone forms from the knots and flies at a target within range, dealing the base damage listed above. Damage changes with casting style:
• Silent: no words, 25% less damage.
• Normal (Somatic): a few spoken words with a flourish, standard damage.
• Ritual: chanting for more than 6 seconds, up to 25% more damage.
• Echo of Turrath (spell, 1 charge, recharges at dawn): As an action, the wielder chants the recorded name of a fallen Turrath elder knotted into the black pendant cord. A brief shimmer of crumbling stone and dust rises around one creature within 30 feet. That creature makes a Wisdom saving throw or becomes Shaken until the start of the wielder’s next turn.
• Knot Archive (passive): The pendant cords act as a working record. The wielder may tie up to seven short notes, names or numbers into the cords and recall them exactly later, as long as the knots remain untouched.
• Lore: Illari tied this cord herself during her apprenticeship, copying the knot-patterns of a damaged Turrath fragment as a training exercise. When she fixed the last knot, the cord grew faintly warm and began to glow with her veins. The archive’s elders declared it a living khipu, a cord that had taken on magic through faithful reproduction of a record. The stone chip at its heart was a gift from the Keeper of the Long Cord. Some readers think the cord still carries echoes of the voices of Turrath, and that it hums faintly whenever Illari stands near anything connected to the lost city.
Expanded Lore
* In the subterranean annals of Hanan-Pacha, the cataclysm of Turrath remains an open wound preserved entirely in string. When the lower tectonic vaults sheared away during the legendary Rockfall, an entire civilization of architectural scribes, lapidary sages, and stone-singers was pulverized beneath hundreds of cubits of falling basalt. Most records recovered from the dust-choked margins of the scar were scorched, frayed, or broken into disjointed snippets of dead lineages. To train apprentices in the exacting discipline of the Khipu-Willaq, masters assign the painstaking reconstruction of these shattered artifacts. Novices must sit in cold silence, feeling the calcified crimps and ash-stained fibers of ancient remnants to deduce missing plies and replicate lost genealogies without introducing a single false twist.
* Huaraca-bearer Illari undertook this exercise using seven distinct wool and bast skeins dyed to match the archaic liturgical spectra of the fallen city: ochre for foundation stones, crimson for bloodlines, verdigris for municipal bronze, pale gold for solar solstices, slate grey for quarry weights, copper for trade pacts, and midnight black for the ancestral dead. As she worked by the dim phosphorescence of the archive’s moss basins, the rhythmic friction of her fingers against the fibers began to draw upon the ambient geomantic currents leaking from the Rockfall scar. When she looped the terminal knot of the black cord—voicing the cadence of an elder who died holding the sluice gates against the lava surge—the inert wool stiffened with galvanic heat. The cords attuned directly to the bioluminescent vascular network beneath her skin, glowing with a soft, sympathetic luminescence that mirrored her heartbeat.
* Recognizing that the exercise had transcended ordinary transcription to become an autonomic vessel of tectonic memory, the Keeper of the Long Cord gifted Illari a polished chip of fractured grey granite harvested from the deepest fracture of the scar. This stone was spliced directly into the primary junction where the seven pendant strands hang from the three-foot indigo spine. The living khipu does not merely hold information; it breathes with the residual consciousness of the dead city. When brought near stonework cut by Turrath masons or within subterranean galleries experiencing tectonic stress, the cords emit a low, harmonic murmur like gravel sliding down a dry chute, warning the bearer of cave-ins, hidden masonry voids, and the proximity of unquiet ancestral spirits.
Item Specifications
* Item Name: Living Khipu of the Turrath Echo 1739 * Weapon Type: Spell Focus (Knotted Cord / Geomantic Arcane Implement) * Specific Slot: Held Slot: One hand in use (coiled around the wrist or stowed within a cord satchel) * Tier: 1 (Common) * Required Training: Spell Cords (Qosqo-Khipu Focus) * Attunement: Handheld (instantaneous upon grasping the primary indigo cord) * Attack Roll: d20 + tier die + 1 (focus bonus) * Base Damage: 1d6 piercing (earth) + tier die (1d4 at tier 1) * Range: Simple (40 feet) * Item Health Points: 10 plus the avatar’s maximum health points (Resilience 10) * Weight: 0.5 pounds * Suggested Value: 95 silver
Tier One Stats
* Intelligence: +1 * Wisdom: +1
Skills Gained While Openly Worn or Held
* Qosqo-Khipu Knot Reading: +1 temporary skill point * History (Turrath & Hanan-Pacha): +1 temporary skill point * Arcana (Geomancy & Earth Inscription): +1 temporary skill point
Multiple Passives Magic
* Knot Archive: The seven pendant cords function as a flawless mnemonic vessel. The wielder can tie up to seven distinct concepts, mathematical sums, spoken names, or geographic routes into the cords, recalling every detail with photographic clarity as long as the knots remain tied. * Turrath Resonant Hum: When the item is within 60 feet of structural masonry, relics, hidden chambers, or entities originating from ancient Turrath, the cords vibrate with a low, tactile hum, alerting the wielder to architectural stress fractures, hollow stone walls, or nearby geomantic anomalies. * Bio-Vascular Luminescence: The knotted clusters pulse in synchrony with the wielder’s vascular flow, providing dim, hands-free ambient illumination in a 5-foot radius around the hand whenever spell slots or arcane charges are actively channeled. * Variable Somatic Modulation: The wielder can cast the Stone Needle ability through three distinct disciplines: Silent (no vocalization, damage reduced by 25%), Standard (vocal cadence and somatic flick, standard damage), or Ritual (chanting for more than 6 seconds, damage increased by 25%). * Rockfall Hearth Anchor: The granite stone chip bound at the main junction anchors the caster’s footing, granting advantage on saving throws and ability checks to maintain spell concentration against violent physical shaking, earth tremors, or blast turbulence.
Multiple Activatable Magics
* Stone Needle: At will. As an action, the wielder pulls one of the pendant cords taut and speaks a Pacha-Qosqo cadence. A dart of crystalline basalt condenses from the knot and launches at a target within 40 feet, dealing 1d6 piercing (earth) damage plus tier die modifiers. * Echo of Turrath: 1 charge, recharges daily at dawn. As an action, the wielder speaks the name of a fallen Turrath elder tied into the black pendant cord. A spectral swirl of tumbling masonry and dry tomb dust erupts around a creature within 30 feet; the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 13) or become Shaken until the start of the wielder’s next turn. * Seismic Cord Snap: 2 charges, recharges daily at dawn. As an action, the wielder snaps the indigo cord against the ground or a stone floor. A low-frequency shockwave radiates in a 15-foot cone, forcing all standing creatures within the area to make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 13) or be knocked prone. * Mnemonic Rewind: 1 charge, recharges daily at dawn. As a reaction when failing an Arcana, History, or Investigation check regarding subterranean structures or ancient texts, the wielder reties a slip-knot on the slate-grey cord to immediately reroll the check with a +2 bonus.
Specific Slot
* Held Slot: One hand in use (coiled around the wrist or carried within a cord satchel when stowed)
Tags
Spell Focus, Knotted Cord, Living Khipu, Turrath Echo, Earth Needle, Mnemonic Weave, Rockfall Chip, Bio Luminescent, Wrist Coiled, Tier 1, Hanan Pacha, Stone Needle, Seven Pendants, Ancestral Murmur, Seismic Snap, Basalt Dart, Mnemonic Rewind, Tectonic Resonance, Somatic Modulation, Shaken Aura, Indigo Spine, Lost City Artifact
Acquisition and Commerce of the Living Khipu of the Turrath Echo
* Acquisition through avatar possession occurs when a player character soul descends into the atmospheric mantle of Saṃsāra and merges with an unpossessed native host in the mountain province of Andean who belongs to the archival or liturgical caste. Junior khipu-willaq apprentices, subterranean catalogers, and acolyte geomancers stationed within the lower galleries of Hanan-Pacha carry their practice cords coiled around the wrist or tucked into utility satchels. When an arriving soul targets an unpossessed apprentice carrying the cord, possession succeeds on an even result on a d4. Following the brief disorientation of transient global amnesia, the newly awakened character assumes direct ownership of the Living Khipu, its seven dyed pendant cords, and the bound granite chip, beginning active play equipped with an attuned geomantic spell focus without spending coinage.
* Acquisition through institutional assignment or quest rewards occurs when characters undertake research, excavation, or recovery contracts for the Keepers of the Long Cord or the council of the Hanan-Pacha Archive-Terraces. Expeditions dispatched to explore unstable lower galleries, stabilize crumbling foundation arches near the Rockfall scar, or recover forgotten municipal cord-registers from seismic fracture fissures are frequently issued a Living Khipu to serve as both an architectural sensor and a non-lethal defense focus. Bringing back intact fragments of pre-cataclysm script, mapping tectonic fracture shifts, or purging hostile cavern-mites from historic vaults results in the item being formally gifted to the character, conferring institutional recognition as an associate of the archival lineage.
* Acquisition through crafting requires an artisan versed in textile magic, sacred geometry, and lapidary binding. The crafter must possess a minimum trained skill level of 5 in Textile Crafting or Cord Weaving, a skill level of 3 in Rune Inscription or Qosqo-Khipu Knot Reading, and a skill level of 2 in Alchemy or Material Infusion. The required materials comprise half a pound of select highland wool and bast fiber split and dyed in the seven liturgical pigments (ochre, crimson, verdigris, pale gold, slate grey, copper, and black), a three-foot main spine cord of dark indigo fiber, an intact polished chip of tectonic granite harvested from the Rockfall scar, and an intact Tier 1 magic crystal catalyst. Over ten minutes of uninterrupted chanting, the artisan guides the arcane energy of the catalyst into the fibers, dissolving the crystal into fragrant vapor that permanently binds the Stone Needle focus properties, the ancestral Echo of Turrath resonance, and the autonomic memory weave into the cord.
* Acquisition through combat recovery occurs when the party confronts renegade cord-scribes, rogue geomancers, or subterranean tomb-delvers who employ knot-magic in battle. When an unpossessed enemy wielding the focus is defeated, their body remains intact upon the floor, allowing adventurers to uncoil the cord from their wrist or retrieve it from their satchel. If the defeated caster was an avatar host possessed by an external soul, the physical shell collapses upon reaching zero health points into an eruption of purple soul-sparks, depositing its Tier 1 soul crystal and all personal inventory—including the coiled Living Khipu—directly onto the ground for salvage.
* Archival scriptoriums, weaver-scholar guilds, and temple academies in Hanan-Pacha serve as the standard civic markets for purchasing and selling these living cords. Because these scholarly establishments cater directly to student scribes, catalogers, and court record-keepers, the items are cataloged at their base suggested value of 95 silver (equivalent to 9 gold coins and 5 silver, or 19 electrum). Unaffiliated travelers pay the full 95 silver. A buyer holding recognized standing within an associated archival guild or civic order receives a 10% discount multiplied by their character tier level; a Tier 1 guild member pays 85.5 silver, while a Tier 2 member pays 76 silver. When selling a Living Khipu to an archival master, the standard haggling deduction of 10% multiplied by the seller’s tier level applies; a Tier 1 seller receives 90% of the value (85.5 silver), while a Tier 2 seller receives 80% (76 silver), with funds wired electronically into the seller’s World Bank account.
* Mountain collegiate exchanges, post-house study halls, and frontier caravanserai script-posts situated along the high-altitude gorge roads toward Peakhold stock these cords as field sensors and record tools for traveling scholars, prospectors, and architectural surveyors. Because travelers value the cord’s ability to detect structural stress in old stone tunnels and record seven precise numerical sequences without ledger paper, frontier vendors price the item at an elevated rate between 110 silver and 125 silver (11 to 12.5 gold coins). Unaffiliated buyers pay the full frontier markup, while faction-aligned explorers apply their tier discounts to the adjusted price. When purchasing surplus cords from wandering adventurers, frontier outposts pay between 65 silver and 75 silver, factoring in the difficulty of preserving natural dye-fastness and structural wool fibers along damp mountain routes.
* Distant arcana galleries, imperial antiquities salons, and curio emporiums in low-altitude coastal capitals—such as the great commercial centers of Aterian, Assyria, or Magdalenian—regard the Living Khipu as an exotic ethnographic relic of lost Turrath. Because commercial maritime trade across Saṃsāra moves continuously from east to west, transporting mountain textiles eastward against oceanic currents incurs steep transit surcharges, quarantine inspections, and harbor tolls. In these coastal salons, dealers display the item in glass cases, retailing it to noble collectors, academy professors, and private spellcasters for 190 silver to 240 silver (19 to 24 gold coins). An adventuring company transporting an intact Living Khipu to a coastal metropolis can sell it to an antiquities broker for 140 silver to 160 silver in World Bank funds, as dealers count on substantial resale profits among collectors fascinated by pre-cataclysm earth-magic.
* Illicit antiquarian dens, shadow-scribe circles, and clandestine pawnshops operating in the under-levels of Peakhold or concealed mining camps trade in uncataloged, looted, or black-market cords taken from breached ancestral burial niches. All transactions in the shadow market are conducted in physical coinage—predominantly gold coins—leaving no trace in the World Bank ledger. When buying through a shadow-scribe, an avatar pays a premium for anonymity, facing costs between 105 silver and 130 silver in unclipped coin without faction reductions. When liquidating a cord through a black-market fence, the seller receives untraceable physical coin; a standard fence offers the baseline rate of 85.5 silver to a Tier 1 seller, but if the fence holds a standing contract from an illegal excavation outfit seeking a tool to detect hollow tomb vaults, they may pay up to 170 silver (17 gold coins) in hard cash.
* Fiscal duties and statutory tariffs apply to all legitimate sales of the Living Khipu in settled municipal districts. Any dealer listing the cord for sale within a Central City, State Capital, or chartered Town must pay a 3% value tax (2.85 silver on the 95 silver base) to the municipal tax magistrate. Consignments merely passing through a city gate or harbor wharf incur a 1% transit tax, in addition to the standard traveler entry fee of 1 silver per person. Moving the item across sovereign state borders incurs a 5% border tariff based on assessed value. Foreign nationals conducting commercial trade face doubled assessments, paying a 6% sales tax or a 10% border levy. Failure to remit assessed taxes upon demand results in the immediate impoundment of the focus by municipal bailiffs until all back levies and administrative penalties are satisfied.
Tactical Environmental Roleplay for Defense and Offense with the Living Khipu of the Turrath Echo
* Within subterranean vaults, catacomb halls, and collapsing ruins surrounding the Rockfall scar, the cord serves as an early-warning architectural monitor and an acoustic-safe kinetic artillery focus. Defensively, the passive Turrath Resonant Hum acts as a tactile seismic sensor; whenever the party traverses chambers with micro-fractured lintels, unmapped sinkholes, or hollow walls hiding gas pockets, the seven pendant cords vibrate against the wielder’s forearm like sliding grit. The Rockfall Hearth Anchor guarantees that sudden ceiling collapses, stone-tremors, or blast shockwaves do not break the caster’s concentration on ongoing spells. Offensively in narrow granite corridors, the wielder invokes Stone Needle using the Ritual discipline from behind full cover, chanting for six seconds to launch a dense basalt dart that strikes with 25% bonus piercing damage without burning spell slots. When swarmed by tomb-crawlers or breach-raiders in a choke point, the wielder triggers Seismic Cord Snap against the flagstones, projecting a 15-foot cone shockwave that sends charging enemies crashing to the stone, while Echo of Turrath summons phantom tumbling masonry that leaves surviving vanguard fighters Shaken and retreating in disarray.
* Along high-altitude mountain cliffs, narrow switchbacks, and loose shale ledges in the Andean peaks, the focus provides secure footing and silent ranged skirmishing across deep chasms. Defensively, the cord remains tightly wound around the wrist, freeing both hands to grip safety ropes, ice axes, or climbing stirrups without sacrificing instantaneous spell access. In low-light twilight along fog-draped precipices, the Bio-Vascular Luminescence pulses with the caster’s veins, casting hands-free indigo light across handholds and footing fractures without blinding the user with smoke or torch glare. Offensively across gorge gaps, the wielder utilizes the Silent casting modulation of Stone Needle; by omitting verbal incantations, the wielder launches crystalline stone needles across 40-foot drop-offs in total silence, striking enemy scouts without producing echoes that would alert distant sentry towers or trigger loose snow and scree avalanches. If mountain raiders attempt to rush across a precarious two-foot ledge, snapping the cord sends a seismic pulse through the rock face, dropping the lead combatants prone where they risk slipping into the chasm.
* Inside urban archives, crowded council chambers, and high-security municipal scriptoriums, the khipu excels as a concealed, non-metallic arcane focus and non-lethal crowd-control tool. Defensively, the weapon completely bypasses city-gate weapon bans, armor inspections, and anti-blade wards, appearing to magistrates and bailiffs as an ordinary, innocent scholar’s mnemonic notebook or prayer tassel wound around the sleeve. If an argument in a council chamber turns violent, the wielder stays grounded against physical shoving and uses Mnemonic Rewind to instantly recall municipal statutes or legal precedents with a tactical reroll bonus. Offensively during covert extractions, the wielder deploys Stone Needle with the Silent method to eliminate a guard or puncture an iron locking bolt without uttering a sound or producing a visible arcane circle. If an entire municipal squad breaches the office door, the wielder snaps the indigo cord against the floorboards, sweeping the entire entry team off their feet with a localized floor shudder and walking out while the guards scramble to recover their balance.
* Within flooded caverns, sunken drainage sluices, and river cisterns, the focus proves immune to environmental degradation while weaponizing submerged minerals. Defensively, unlike paper scrolls, parchment grimoires, or firearm powder horns that ruin upon contact with moisture, the vegetable-dyed wool, bast core, and stone chip operate perfectly while fully submerged. When navigating murky floodwaters, the Rockfall chip hums against the wielder’s skin when approaching structural masonry drains, pointing the party toward submerged air pockets and structural outflow valves. Offensively against amphibious cavern-eels or wading bandits, Stone Needle condenses basalt needles directly from suspended river sediment and launched mineral slurry, ignoring water drag over short distances. Snapping the indigo cord on submerged flagstones conducts the Seismic Cord Snap through the water table, creating a concussive hydraulic shockwave that knocks swimming adversaries prone and disorients their lateral-line navigation.
* In active geothermal calderas, boiling mud flats, and volcanic basalt fields, the cord leverages ambient tectonic forces for heightened offensive devastation. Defensively, the heat-tempered wool resists singeing from hot cinders, while the Rockfall chip resonates with deep magmatic pressure shifts, vibrating to signal sudden geyser blowouts, sulfuric gas releases, or thin crust layers over semi-molten slag. Offensively, the wielder draws upon the abundant volcanic glass and superheated basalt littering the ground, channeling Stone Needle to fling razor-sharp, heat-retaining obsidian needles that punch through thick hides and scale armor. Invoking the Echo of Turrath in a sulfurous caldera manifests the ancestral memory of the city’s final fiery burial; swirling ash clouds and screaming stone phantoms envelop a hostile fire-drake or caldera scavenger, targeting its psyche with the crushing weight of a fallen civilization to inflict the Shaken status and break its predatory resolve.
* On suspended ropewalks, vine-tethered chasm bridges, and moving cloud-skiff decks, the focus maintains balance and neutralizes enemy boarding vectors. Defensively, the Rockfall Hearth Anchor counteracts the violent rocking, sway, and turbulence of suspension bridges or buffeting aerial winds, preventing the caster from losing balance or dropping spells due to sudden platform drops. The Knot Archive allows the navigator to record precise wind-shear numbers, altitude adjustments, and coordinate sequences across the seven pendant cords without juggling ledgers in high winds. Offensively against boarders swarming a bridge or boarding plank, the wielder uses Normal somatic Stone Needle strikes to sever enemy safety lines, snap mooring tackle, or pierce the steering vanes of approaching enemy gliders. Loosing an Echo of Turrath against the lead boarding officer forces a Wisdom save amidst the dizzying height; the spectral illusion of a collapsing mountain causes the target to freeze in terror or flinch backward, disrupting the entire boarding line.
Perception of Activation:
* User’s Perspective: * When the wielder grips the three-foot indigo cord, an immediate, tingling galvanic surge spreads upward through the hand and around the wrist where the fiber coils. As the wielder’s bio-resonance begins to brighten, the wielder feels a warm, throbbing sync between their own pulse and the knot clusters, which glow softly against the skin like embers. Invoking Stone Needle causes a tight, magnetic friction to pull the selected pendant taut, manifesting a heavy, dry basalt needle in the hand that tastes of basalt dust and mineral salt in the back of the throat. When released, the needle launches with a localized recoil that feels like a heavy snapping tension. Activating Echo of Turrath floods the wielder’s mind with an echo of ancient, distant voices—a fading chorus of a ruined subterranean populace—while a crushing, cold gravitational weight of memory presses down on the temples. For Seismic Cord Snap, the physical snap of the indigo cord against the floor produces a deep, vibrating shockwave that can be felt in the marrow of the wielder’s bones, anchoring their feet securely to the bedrock.
* Observer’s Perspective: * Onlookers see the dark, indigo cord instantly flare to life as it coils about the caster’s wrist, the veins in the wielder’s hand and forearm brightening with faint indigo and teal bioluminescence that mirrors the pulse of the knots. As Stone Needle is cast, the pendant cords (ochre, crimson, verdigris, pale gold, slate grey, copper, and black) shift on their own, vibrating in a soft blur before a compact, needle-sharp dart of grey basalt condenses in a flash of stone-powder and arcs toward the target. When Echo of Turrath is invoked, observers witness a spectral, swirling shroud of crumbling masonry and dry tomb dust erupt around the target, accompanied by the fleeting, shimmering outlines of falling ruins and the whisper of dead voices. A Seismic Cord Snap is accompanied by a visible, dusty ripple that tears across the ground, sending a low-frequency shudder through the stone floor while the wielder’s stance remains immovably anchored.
* Extra-Sensory Perceptions: * Through the Mind’s Eye, the seven pendant cords and their knot clusters are seen as a glowing geometric web of records, with glowing nodes tracing structural stress vectors, coordinates, and historical data, displaying 1739’s intricate past as an overlay on the current environment. * Under True Sight, the Living Khipu is enveloped in a thick, pulsing mantle of indigo-and-crimson geomancy, while a ghostly, silver-threaded spectral loop is seen extending from the obsidian and granite chip, tethering the wielder’s hand directly to the spirit-matrix of ancient Turrath. * To beings with Tremorsense or acute acoustic perception, drawing the focus or activating a spell triggers a low-frequency, subsonic thrumming that propagates through bedrock, alerting subterranean entities within 15 meters to the presence of an active geomantic epicenter. * Under Soul Sight or astral vision, the wielder’s aura is seen merging with the fading, spectral silhouettes of Turrath’s lost elders who rise faintly from the black pendant cord, their phantom hands overlapping the wielder’s hand during invocation. * Psychometrically, a touch to the stone chip bound in the knot floods the mind with the final, violent sensation of falling earth, crushing weight, and the dense, dark heat of the Rockfall Scar, letting the user “feel” the architectural history of the stone.
* Positives: * Seamless, instant casting of the Stone Needle at will, with damage adjustable through variable somatic modulation (Silent, Normal, or Ritual) to balance impact against stealth. * The Knot Archive offers a flawless mnemonic repository, letting the wielder remember up to seven precise notes, codes, or names with photographic exactness. * Seismic stabilization via the Rockfall Hearth Anchor, granting advantage to resist falling, being knocked prone, or losing spell concentration when the ground shakes. * The passive Turrath Resonant Hum alerts the bearer to hidden masonry voids, structural instability, and nearby geomantic anomalies. * Faint bio-vascular luminescence provides non-intrusive, hands-free ambient lighting for picking locks or examining scripts without revealing the user’s position to distant observers.
* Negatives: * Subsonic humming and bio-vascular glow can easily give away the user’s position to acoustic and visual predators in absolute subterranean darkness. * Active magical effects, particularly the Seismic Cord Snap and Echo of Turrath, draw from limited daily charge pools and may produce loud concussive sounds that ruin party stealth. * Heavy psychometric feedback from the Rockfall stone chip can trigger brief disorientation, nausea, or emotional distress when passing through areas of historical catastrophe. * The item’s function relies heavily on fiber integrity; damp environments, fire, or blade strikes can fray the cords, necessitating tedious textile repair before magical properties can be fully accessed. * Requires specialized Spell Cords (Qosqo-Khipu Focus) training; untrained users cannot access the focus benefits or the mnemonic archive without triggering harmonic failure.
Crafting Recipe: Living Khipu of the Turrath Echo 1739
Materials Needed
* Primary Spine Cord Fiber: Three yards of high-tensile, long-staple highland alpaca wool and wild agave bast fiber, hand-spun and immersed in a fermented vat of cliff lichen indigo to form the 3-foot deep-indigo central spine cord.
* Seven Sacred Archival Wool Skeins: Half a pound of select highland fleece, divided into seven equal portions and dyed in the liturgical spectra of lost Turrath: mineral ochre from mountain terrace clay, crimson cochineal from dried highland bugs, verdigris scraped from geothermal copper veins, pale gold from saffron root, slate grey pulverized from river shale, copper-red steeped in oxidized metal salts, and deep charcoal-black carbonized with bone ash.
* Fractured Granite Stone Chip: A single thumb-sized chip of tectonic grey granite harvested from the direct fracture fault of the Rockfall scar, free of soft chalk inclusions, to be bored and spliced at the main junction where the seven pendants meet the spine.
* Resinous Pine Conditioning Sap: Two ounces of amber resin drawn with a fluid collector from alpine pines growing along Andean ley fissures, combined with mineral oil to seal the knot clusters and preserve the fiber’s autonomic memory weave.
* Bio-Resonant Tallow Lubricant: One ounce of clarified highland marrow fat infused with sulfur-spring salts, used to coat the cord surfaces during knot-twisting so that the completed weave harmonizes with the caster’s vascular pulse.
* Sulfur Mineral Water: One gallon of boiling mineral water taken directly from the geothermal vents of Hanan-Pacha, used to simmer the dye vats, temper the granite chip, and seal the finished knots.
* Tier 1 Magic Crystal Catalyst: One intact, coin-sized Tier 1 magic crystal harvested from a defeated entity or acquired through certified merchant banks, sacrificed during the final transference ritual to permanently bind the Stone Needle spellcasting matrix, the ancestral Echo of Turrath resonance, and the autonomic memory weave into the cord.
Tools Required
* Hardwood Spindle and Tension Loom Board: A pair of weighted walnut drop spindles balanced for high-twist spinning, paired with a flat oak braiding jig fitted with bone tension pegs to hold the seven pendant skeins at equal tension during knot-sequence tying.
* Bone Weaving Bodkins and Split-Picks: Three polished bodkins sculpted from vicuña leg bone, including a needle-sharp bodkin for splitting fiber plies and a flat sword-beater for compressing intricate half-hitch clusters.
* Diamond-Tipped Bow Drill: A miniature cord-driven bow drill equipped with a diamond-bort drill bit, used to bore a smooth, straight mounting hole through the center of the brittle granite stone chip without fracturing the rock.
* Precision Fluid Collector and Crucible: A calibrated brass fluid collector with a needle nozzle for applying warmed resin balm directly into internal knot cavities, paired with a small clay crucible for heating resins over coals.
* Stone Brazier and Ceramic Boiling Vats: A clean charcoal brazier and seven glazed earthenware bowls used to simmer the dye vats and sustain constant heat during the crystal transference ritual.
Skill Requirements
* Textile Crafting and Cord Weaving: A minimum trained skill level of 5 in Textile Crafting, Cord Weaving, or Braiding, required to spin the hollow-core fleece, braid the dense 3-foot indigo spine, and splice the seven pendant cords into the main line without structural weakness.
* Rune Inscription and Qosqo-Khipu Knot Reading: A minimum trained skill level of 3 in Rune Inscription or Qosqo-Khipu Knot Reading, necessary to correctly tie the historical knot-sequences, encode the Turrath ancestral names into the black cord, and structure the seven mnemonic registers.
* Lapidary and Gem-Drilling: A minimum trained skill level of 2 in Lapidary, Gem-Cutting, or Fine Masonry, required to drill and seat the fractured Rockfall granite chip into the central knot without cracking the stone under tension.
* Alchemical Preparation and Material Infusion: A minimum trained skill level of 2 in Alchemy or Material Infusion, required to formulate the bio-resonant resin balm and safely channel the catalyst crystal’s arcane matrix into the dyed fibers.
Crafting Steps
* Phase One: Fiber Preparation, Dyeing, and Spine Braiding * Clean the fleece and bast fibers in hot sulfur mineral water to remove raw impurities while preserving the natural hollow-core flexibility of the wool. * Prepare the seven ceramic dye bowls with the liturgical pigments: ochre, crimson, verdigris, pale gold, slate grey, copper-red, and charcoal-black; simmer each wool skein for forty minutes, rinse in cold stream water, and allow them to dry out of direct sunlight. * Take the long-staple indigo fibers and spin them on the weighted drop spindle into three balanced strands of heavy two-ply cord; braid these three strands together in a tight, twelve-carrier round sinnet to form the 3-foot main spine cord, finishing one end with a wrist-coiling loop and the other with a solid stopper knot.
* Phase Two: Lapidary Drilling and Granite Chip Splicing * Submerge the fractured Rockfall granite chip in a basin of cold mineral water; use the diamond-tipped bow drill to bore a clean, 2-millimeter hole through its widest axis, keeping the bit lubricated to prevent thermal stress fractures. * Thread a waxed strand of indigo bast fiber through the drilled granite chip, seating it firmly against the main spine cord twelve inches below the wrist loop. * Bind the granite chip into the spine using a four-fold Carrick bend reinforced with two drops of warm pine-resin sap, establishing the central geomantic focal anchor for the pendant strands.
* Phase Three: Pendant Attachment and Archaic Knot Scribing * Mount the spine cord onto the tension loom board; use a bone bodkin to pierce the plies of the spine immediately below the granite chip, creating seven separate entry eyes. * Splice the seven dyed wool cords into the spine in precise liturgical order: ochre (foundation), crimson (vital force), verdigris (bronze archive), pale gold (solar transit), slate grey (quarry mass), copper (commercial pact), and black (ancestral memory). * Coat your fingers in bio-resonant tallow lubricant and tie the historic knot clusters into each pendant according to the recovered Turrath archive fragments; tie the phonetic name-cadence of the fallen Turrath elder into the black cord using an interlocking series of figure-eight and long-hitches. * Use the fluid collector to inject warm pine-resin conditioning balm into the interior folds of each knot cluster, sealing the fibers against humidity and locking in the physical memory tracks.
* Phase Four: Catalytic Transference and Attunement Priming * Lay the completed khipu flat upon the granite workbench with the seven pendant cords fanned out over a bed of warm basalt sand; place the Tier 1 magic crystal catalyst directly atop the bored granite chip at the junction. * The artisan loops the indigo spine cord three times around their dominant wrist, presses their palm flat over the crystal and granite chip, and chants the ancient Pacha-Qosqo cadence of stone-memory and thread-longevity. * Over ten uninterrupted minutes, the artisan guides the arcane current through their own pulse and down into the cords; the catalyst crystal flares with violet-amber phosphorescence before sublimating into a dense, mineral-rich vapor that sinks into the fibers and sets the stone chip with a deep indigo glow. * Roll a d20 to determine the stability of the magical transference: * A roll of 1 results in catastrophic harmonic backlash; the granite chip fractures and the wool knots burn through, destroying the materials and requiring fabrication to restart from Phase One. * A roll of 2 through 19 confirms a stable binding, permanently securing the Stone Needle spell-focus capability, the Knot Archive, the Echo of Turrath ability, the Seismic Cord Snap, the Mnemonic Rewind trait, and the Rockfall Hearth Anchor. * A roll of 20 results in masterwork resonance, granting +1 additional daily charge to Echo of Turrath and extending the base casting range of Stone Needle to 50 feet. * Inspect the finished focus, verifying that total weight is exactly 0.5 pounds, the pendant cords hang straight without curling, the knots pulse in sympathetic synchronization with the wielder’s vascular flow, and the stone chip emits a low harmonic hum when held near architectural masonry.
Seven Cords That Breathe and Maiden Who Sang Back Dead City of Turrath Out of Falling Dust
Now this is that speech which was pulled out of the dark throat of the hollow cliff by the hand of the second scribe, who did twist the words of the mountain people into the letters of the low country, having many mistakes of sheep-names and the counting of bread. In that very early season, before the great sky-cloud VaporSphere had shed its seventh coat of white wool upon the head of Hanan-Pacha, there was a great dropping down of the earth-ribs. The ancient city of the masons, which in the tongue of the dead is named Turrath, was eaten by its own cellar. In that night of the red noise, the stone roofs which were thicker than ten oxen fell into the deep boiler-places, and forty thousand cutters of granite were turned into flour. Their houses were broken into small meal, and their counting-ropes, wherein was written the price of every lintel and the names of the mothers who carried the lime, were scorched black by the hot breath of the split earth.
Now in the high archives of Hanan-Pacha, where the air is very dry and smells of dried fleece and old copper, the wise grandmothers of the Khipu-Willaq did weep with dry eyes. For they said: The house of the stone-singers is dead, and there is no tongue left in the mountain that knows how many cubits of basalt are needed to hold the sky off our sleeping-mats. If a child does not learn to tie the speech of Turrath, the memory of forty generations will be like the water that runs between the fingers into the ash.
Therefore, the Keepers of the Long Cord gathered the young girls who had no skin-webs between their knuckle-bones, and gave unto each a bundle of unwashed wool and a basket of dye-roots. Among these children was the maiden Illari, whose blood was mixed with the red river-sand and whose crown was the color of a roasted copper kettle. The master mother of the terrace set before her a broken rag of thread that had been fished out of the brimstone-crust of the Rockfall scar. The rag was burnt at both tails, grey with sulfur-scale, and smelled like an old furnace when the rain falls down the flue. The mother said: Take your spinning-stick, little spider. Tie again the names of the seven elders who held the water-doors against the boiling sludge. If you make one twist to the left when it was tied to the right, their souls shall be turned upside-down in the cold rock; and if you tie a slip-knot where there was a crown-knot, the roof over our heads shall remember the lie and drop a stone upon your cooking-dish.
Then Illari sat down upon the cold flagstones by the basin of the glowing green water. For six times forty days she did not wash her face, nor did she speak with the girls who carried the water-jars. She took three yards of the long bast of the wild thorn-bush and the wool of the dark blue alpaca, and with her thumb she rolled them into a spine-cord three feet long, dyed as dark as the middle of the sky when there is no star.
Then she took seven skeins of the soft sheep-hair, and made for them seven pots of water over the sulfur-hearth. In the first pot she cast the yellow mud of the terrace beds, which is the color of the earth before it is baked. In the second pot she threw the dried scarlet lice that eat the fat leaves of the rock-prickle. In the third she put the green mold that scrapes off the water-pipes of bronze. In the fourth she boiled the yellow hair of the mountain saffron. In the fifth she put the grey dust of the shale-quarry where the heavy rollers are beaten out. In the sixth she threw the red scale of the beaten copper kettle. And in the seventh pot, which was the deepest and smelled of the burning of dry bones, she put the charcoal of the holy cedar and the ash of the old linen that had wrapped the skull of an elder.
When the threads were dry, they hung from the dark blue spine like the seven tails of a rainbow bird. Then the maiden began to tie. She had no iron needle, but only a little bodkin carved from the shin-bone of a spotted vicuña. She looked upon the scorched fragment with the eyes of her mind, which had no sleep in them. She tied the yellow cord with forty and two knots of the foundation-survey, telling how deep the granite posts must be sunk into the live rock. She tied the crimson cord with seventy knots of the blood-roll, naming the families of the stone-hewers. She tied the verdigris cord with the measure of the water-gates; the pale gold cord with the days of the sun-door; the grey cord with the weight of the quarry-sledges; and the copper cord with the cattle that were eaten while the city was being stacked.
Last of all, she took the black cord into her two hands. Her fingers were very thin, like the twigs of the frost-bush, and the veins beneath the skin of her arms were blue and green like the moss on a wet gutter. When she began to tie the knots of the dead elders, her throat became dry like lime. For every knot she twisted, she had to blow her own warm breath into the wool and speak the true name of the stone-singer who had been crushed under the wall.
Now as she reached the seventh knot of the black tail, which was the name of the ancient master mason Vorzul-Kahn, the sulfur-wind blew down the archive chimney and put out the tallow lamp. The chamber was black like the belly of a drum. The other maidens on the far stairs cried out with fear, for they heard the mountain give a long, dry groan, such as a rock gives before it splits. But Illari did not drop the thread. She closed her white eyes, and with her bare skin she felt the seven plies of the black wool. She whispered into the dark the ancient speech which says: O grandfather of the wall, do not sleep in the mud; come up into the wool, for your house is swept and the string is clean.
She pulled the last knot hard against her knuckle.
In that very breath, the cord did not remain like common wool. A great galvanic shivering ran along the three feet of the indigo spine, like the jumping of a silver trout in a grass-basket. The knots of the seven tails began to grow red and hot, like the stones that are pulled out of the hearth to boil the goat-milk. The veins in Illari’s hand and forearm, which had been cold, caught the light of the cord; they flared up with a pale indigo and verdigris fire that shone through her flesh, so that the bones of her fingers were seen clearly upon the dark air, like the ribs of an umbrella-leaf.
The master mother and the Keepers of the Long Cord came running down the stone stairs with their copper lamps shaking in their fists. When they looked upon the maiden, they fell down upon their knees upon the flagstones and covered their mouths with their sleeves. For the seven cords were not hanging limp; they were floating upon the air like the legs of a water-spider when it walks upon the pool. And from the black cord, where the name of the master mason was tied, there came a sound like the grinding of two great basalt millstones, and a whisper that said: The lime is dry; who calls the wall to stand?
Then the Chief Scribe took from his leather pouch a small, rough chip of grey granite, which had been picked up from the very lip of the Rockfall scar where the city had dropped into the dark. He held it in a pair of bronze tongs, for it was still bitter with the sulfur-juice, and said: If this cord is a true daughter of Turrath, let the stone of the grave be joined unto the mouth of the wool, so that the earth may never forget its own name.
Illari reached out her glowing hand. Her skin did not burn, though the wool was hot like a baking-tile. She took the grey stone chip, and with a four-fold knot of the dark indigo bast, she tied the granite directly into the throat where the seven pendant threads hung down from the spine. As the knot bit into the stone, the grey rock gave a sharp, singing ring, like the striking of an anvil in the valley. The glow did not die; it sank into the belly of the stone, where it began to pulse with a slow, heavy beat, like the heart of a toad that sleeps within a mud-brick through the winter.
The Chief Scribe rose up and said: This is not a common khipu such as the shepherds use to count their fleeces, nor is it a dead book of the middle scribes. It is a Living String. The breath of the child has drawn the voice of the dead elders into the wool, and the granite of the scar has become its tooth. Let it be written in the Great Roll that this is the one thousand, seven hundred and thirty-ninth treasure of the sky-caves, and let it be named the Living Khipu of the Turrath Echo, because it speaks with the tongue of the city that was broken.
Now it was not long after this night that the mountain was visited by the great creeping worms of the under-caves, which the miners call the Stone-Mites. These are beasts as long as five men, having skins like slag-iron and mouths that eat the granite like soft cheese. Three of these great worms, smelling the fat of the archive-tallow, bored through the lower foundations of the third terrace. The stone columns that held up the Great Scriptorium began to lean, and the apprentices fled up the ramps, screaming that the mountain was turning into sand.
The temple guards came down with their copper-headed maces and their long spears of fire-hardened oak, but their points could not pierce the iron hide of the beasts; the maces bounced from their grey scales with a dull clatter, and the worms continued to gnaw the bottom pillars, so that the dust fell from the roof in great white clouds like summer snow.
Then Illari came down the ramp, having the three-foot indigo cord wrapped three times about her wrist like a thick blue serpent, with the seven colored tails hanging past her fingers. She did not bring a spear, nor a shield of hide. She stepped upon the broken floor, right before the snout of the greatest worm, which was opening its round stone-eating maw to chew the base of the King’s Pillar.
She took the slate-grey cord, wherein was tied the weight of the ancient quarries, and with her vicuña bodkin she drew it taut between her two hands. She spoke no common word of the village; she chanted the third cadence of Pacha-Qosqo, which is the song the masons sing when they drop the great capstone upon the tomb.
From the middle knot of the grey cord there burst a sharp, spitting light. A dart of compacted basalt stone, six inches long and four-sided like an architect’s plumb-needle, leaped forth from the wool with a noise like the crack of an alpine whip. It flew across the forty paces of the hall, straight through the cloud of lime-dust, and struck the iron-skinned worm directly between its two blind eye-holes. The basalt needle did not shatter; it drove through the iron plate into the brain-marrow of the beast. The great worm gave a long, whistling hiss like a hot horse-shoe dropped into water, curled its five-man length into a hard ball of grey iron, and lay dead upon the flags.
The two other worms, hearing the death-whistle of their brother, turned from the pillars and rushed upon the girl, their hundreds of horn-legs tearing up the granite flags with a terrible rasping sound.
Illari did not fly up the stair. She took the indigo spine of the cord in her right hand, holding the grey granite chip tight against the ball of her thumb. She threw her arm downward and snapped the cord hard against the stone floor, as a mule-driver snaps his lash across the gravel.
When the indigo wool touched the stone, the Rockfall chip spoke to the bedrock. A great concussive ripple of earth-force, shaped like the open mouth of a condor, tore across the flagstones for fifteen cubits. The stone floor did not break; but it leaped upward two spans into the air with a seismic shudder so violent that the two great worms were thrown upon their backs, their yellow soft bellies kicking at the ceiling, unable to find purchase with their horn-feet upon the shaking flags.
Then the maiden took the black cord into her left hand, and spoke the name of the elder Vorzul-Kahn with a loud voice.
At that word, the air of the chamber became grey and cold like a winter cloud. Around the two overturned beasts there arose a great spectral whirlwind of tumbling phantom granite, shattered lintels, and the dry, choking dust of the fallen city of Turrath. Out of the whirling dust came the sound of forty thousand dead stone-cutters shouting their work-cries, and the ghostly weight of the Rockfall seemed to settle upon the breasts of the worms. The two beasts, though they were but mindless eaters of the rock, were seized with the Shaken madness; they gave great groans of terror, scrambled upon their bellies through the broken floor, and fled back down their dark bore-holes into the bowels of the mountain, never to return unto the house of the strings.
The scribes and the mothers came down from the high galleries with their hands upon their heads, praising the girl and bringing down jars of sweet chicha to wash her red arms. They looked upon the Living Khipu; the seven colored pendants were hanging straight once more, but they were warm to the touch, and the knot of the black cord was humming with a low, contented murmur, like a hive of stone-bees when the sun goes behind the peak.
Illari coiled the three-foot indigo spine around her wrist, tucking the seven tails under the edge of her woolen sleeve. She looked upon the broken pillars that had been saved from the worms, and said to the young apprentices who stood trembling upon the stair: The string does not fight with the strength of the arm, but with the weight of what was tied into it before we were born. If you tie a thread with a lazy heart, it will snap when a mouse bites it; but if you tie the truth of the grandmothers into the knot, the wool will hold up the ceiling when the mountain itself has forgotten how to stand.
And ever after, when a scholar of the archives goes down into the dark places where the earth is loose and the ancient walls lean like old men, she carries the Living Khipu upon her wrist, not to read the stories of the dead for pleasure, but to let the dead speak through the stone needles when the living have run out of words.
Moral of the Story: A record that is kept only to be looked upon is like dry fleece that rots in the chest; but a record that is tied with the breath of true memory becomes a living shield, for the wisdom of those who fell yesterday is the only stone that can turn the beast of today.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition) Living Khipu of the Turrath Echo
* Item Classification: Hypergeometric Spell Focus and Mnemonic Artifact (Held Slot: One hand in use, coiled around wrist or carried in cord satchel when stowed)
* Physical Profile: A 3-foot spine braided from dark indigo wool and bast fiber, bearing seven pendant cords in ochre, crimson, verdigris, pale gold, slate grey, copper, and black. A thumb-sized chip of tectonic granite from the Rockfall scar is bound into the primary junction. Weight: 0.5 lbs.
* Attunement: Instantaneous upon grasping the primary indigo spine; requires an investigator with a minimal working knowledge of Cthulhu Mythos, Occult, or Archaeology.
* Weapon Skill: Fighting (Brawl) or Firearms (Dart / Sling) / Hypergeometric Casting
* Base Damage: 1d6 Piercing (Earth/Mineral)
* Range: 15 yards (45 feet)
* Attacks per Round: 1
* Malfunction: 00
* Bio-Vascular Luminescence (Passive Hypergeometry): * When channeling magic points or focusing intent, the knots pulse in harmony with the bearer’s vascular flow, shedding faint ambient illumination in a 2-yard radius around the hand.
* Turrath Resonant Hum (Passive Hypergeometry): * Within 20 yards of subterranean hollows, ancient cyclopean masonry, or structural shear faults, the pendant cords vibrate with a low tactile hum, granting one Bonus Die to Spot Hidden or Archaeology checks made to detect architectural traps, concealed masonry doors, or imminent cave-ins.
* Rockfall Hearth Anchor (Passive Hypergeometry): * The bound tectonic granite chip anchors the bearer’s footing, granting one Bonus Die on STR or CON checks made to remain standing during tremors, explosions, or physical buffeting.
* Knot Archive (Passive Utility): * The bearer can tie up to seven numerical figures, dates, proper names, or geographic coordinates into the seven cords. As long as the knots remain tied, the investigator recalls this information with photographic clarity without requiring an INT check.
* Stone Needle (Active Hypergeometry): * Cost: 0 Magic Points (At will). * Effect: The wielder pulls one pendant cord taut and speaks an archaic Pacha-Qosqo cadence. A crystalline dart of basalt forms and launches at a target within 15 yards. Damage varies by somatic modulation: * Silent Casting (no vocalization): 1d4 Piercing damage (25% reduction). * Standard Casting (gesture and vocal phrase): 1d6 Piercing damage. * Ritual Casting (chanting for more than one round): 1d6+2 Piercing damage (+25% increase).
* Echo of Turrath (Active Hypergeometry): * Cost: 2 Magic Points; 1 charge per 24-hour cycle. * Effect: The wielder speaks the name of an entombed elder tied into the black pendant cord. A spectral swirl of tumbling granite blocks and dry tomb dust erupts around a target within 10 yards. The target must succeed on a Hard POW check or become Shaken (suffering one Penalty Die on all skill rolls until the end of the next combat round).
* Seismic Cord Snap (Active Hypergeometry): * Cost: 1 Magic Point; 2 charges per 24-hour cycle. * Effect: The wielder snaps the indigo cord against a stone floor or bedrock. A localized ground shockwave radiates in a 5-yard cone; standing entities in the area must succeed on a Hard DEX check or fall prone.
* Mnemonic Rewind (Active Hypergeometry): * Cost: 1 Magic Point; 1 charge per 24-hour cycle. * Effect: As an immediate reaction upon failing an Archaeology, History, or Occult roll regarding ancient subterranean ruins, the wielder reties a slip-knot on the slate-grey cord to reroll the check with a +10% bonus.
Blades in the Dark The Living Khipu of Turrath
* Item Classification: Fine Arcane Implement and Mnemonic Focus (Arcane Implement, 1 Load)
* Quality and Tier: Tier I (Fine Quality, granting +1 effective Quality level to geomantic casting, ancient architectural recall, and subtle subterranean manipulations).
* Item Traits: Fine (+1 Quality), Arcane, Mnemonic, Earth-Attuned, Silent.
* Turrath Resonant Hum (Passive Quality): * The pendant cords vibrate when near ancient stonework, hollow foundations, or unstable subterranean vaults. When rolling Survey or Study to inspect structural integrity, hidden niches, or old catacombs, you operate with increased Effect.
* Knot Archive (Passive Quality): * The seven pendant cords retain seven distinct secrets, passcodes, or map routes. You take zero Stress when resisting mental consequences related to memory loss, confusion, or disorientation regarding subterranean paths recorded in the cords.
* Rockfall Hearth Anchor (Passive Quality): * The granite stone chip preserves your center of gravity; you resist being knocked off your feet or losing footing from quakes and shockwaves with improved Position.
* Stone Needle (Special Ability): * You manifest and launch a needle-sharp shard of dense basalt from the knots at a target within medium range. Roll Attune: * Silent: Prowl or Attune without spoken words for Standard Effect with zero acoustic footprint. * Standard: Standard Effect and standard sound. * Ritual (spend 1 Stress or take prep time): Inflict Great Effect or +1 Harm level.
* Echo of Turrath (Special Ability): * Spend 1 Stress to channel the name of a fallen elder from the black cord. A cloud of spectral falling masonry and choking tomb dust envelopes a target within throwing range, inflicting the Terrified or Shaken status and forcing them to hesitate or flee.
* Seismic Cord Snap (Special Ability): * Spend 1 Stress and strike the indigo cord against the pavement or cavern floor. A sharp shockwave radiates through the ground, knocking charging opponents or guards in close range off their feet and creating an immediate opening.
* Mnemonic Rewind (Special Ability): * Spend 1 Stress to retie the slate cord when a Flashback or Study check concerning old ruins or lost vaults yields a desperate or failed result, converting the roll outcome into an immediate reroll with improved Position.
Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition / 2024 Edition) Living Khipu of the Turrath Echo 1739
* Item Type: Wondrous Item (Spellcasting Focus), Uncommon (Requires Attunement by a Spellcaster)
* Physical Profile: A 3-foot dark indigo cord with seven pendant cords in ochre, crimson, verdigris, pale gold, slate grey, copper, and black. A drilled chip of grey tectonic granite from the Rockfall scar is bound at the primary junction. Weight: 0.5 lbs.
* Spell Focus & Attack Bonus: * While holding this cord, you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your spells, and you gain a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls and spell save DCs for spells that deal bludgeoning or piercing damage with the earth trait.
* Turrath Resonant Hum (Passive): * While held or coiled around the wrist, the cords hum faintly when within 60 feet of structural masonry voids, secret stone doors, or active tectonic stress, granting Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks to detect architectural features, hollow stone walls, or unstable ceilings.
* Knot Archive (Passive): * You can tie up to seven short pieces of information (names, numbers, command words) into the cords. You can recall this information with complete accuracy as long as the knots remain tied.
* Rockfall Hearth Anchor (Passive): * The bound granite chip grounds your physical form. You have Advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws against being knocked Prone, and Advantage on Constitution saving throws to maintain Concentration on spells when subjected to earth tremors or kinetic shockwaves.
* Bio-Vascular Luminescence (Passive): * When expending a spell slot or activating an item ability, the knot clusters shed dim light in a 5-foot radius centered on your hand.
* Stone Needle (At Will): * As an Action, you pull a pendant cord taut and target a creature within 40 feet. Make a ranged spell attack (d20 + spellcasting ability modifier + proficiency bonus + 1). On a hit, the target takes 1d6 + 1d4 piercing damage (earth). * Silent: Cast without verbal components; damage is reduced by 25% (inflicts 1d6 piercing damage). * Normal: Standard verbal and somatic components; deals full base damage (1d6 + 1d4). * Ritual: Spend an extra Action to chant; damage is increased by 25% (inflicts 1d6 + 1d4 + 2 piercing damage).
* Echo of Turrath (1 Charge, Recharges Daily at Dawn): * As an Action, you speak the name of a fallen Turrath elder tied into the black pendant cord. Spectral collapsing masonry and tomb dust swirl around a creature within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become Frightened (Shaken) until the start of your next turn.
* Seismic Cord Snap (2 Charges, Recharges Daily at Dawn): * As an Action, you strike the indigo cord against the ground. A shockwave pulses outward in a 15-foot cone. Each creature on the ground in that area must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked Prone.
* Mnemonic Rewind (1 Charge, Recharges Daily at Dawn): * When you fail an Intelligence (Arcana, History, or Nature) check concerning stone, subterranean structures, or ancient inscriptions, you can use a Reaction to reroll the check with a +2 bonus.
Knave (Second Edition) Living Khipu of Turrath
* Inventory Slot: 1 Item Slot (Held in one hand or coiled around the wrist).
* Item Durability: 3 Quality.
* Weapon/Focus Type: Spell Focus (Ranged Earth Attack).
* Range: 40 feet.
* Base Damage: 1d6 Piercing (Earth).
* Turrath Resonant Hum (Passive Trait): * The cords vibrate in the presence of ancient tunnels, hidden stone rooms, or imminent cave-ins. You gain Advantage on Wisdom checks to notice subterranean architecture and architectural hazards.
* Knot Archive (Passive Trait): * The wielder can tie up to seven specific names, dates, or inventory tallies into the pendant cords, remembering them without error as long as the knots remain intact.
* Rockfall Hearth Anchor (Passive Defense): * The bound granite chip stabilizes your stance, granting Advantage on Strength and Constitution saves made to avoid being tripped, knocked prone, or knocked off ledges.
* Stone Needle (At-Will Casting): * You draw a pendant cord and fling a needle of solid basalt at an enemy within 40 feet. * Silent: Cast in total silence; deals 1d4 damage. * Normal: Spoken words and hand flick; deals 1d6 damage. * Ritual: Spend two actions chanting; deals 1d8+1 damage.
* Echo of Turrath (Daily Exploitation): * Frequency: Once per day. * Effect: Speak the name in the black knot. A swirl of phantom falling stone dust engulfs a creature within 30 feet. The target must make a Wisdom save or become Shaken, losing its next action to panic.
* Seismic Cord Snap (Daily Exploitation): * Frequency: Twice per day. * Effect: Snap the cord against the floor. A seismic jolt travels in a 15-foot cone; all standing creatures in the area must make a Dexterity save or fall Prone.
* Mnemonic Rewind (Daily Reaction): * Frequency: Once per day. * Effect: When failing an Intelligence save or check to recall ancient history, runes, or underground navigation, retie the slate cord to immediately reroll the check with a +2 bonus.
Fate Core Living Khipu of the Turrath Echo 1739
* Classification: Extra (Geomantic Spell Focus, Tectonic Sensory Implement, and Mnemonic Repository)
* Permission: An aspect establishing training in Andean Khipu-Willaq cord-sorcery, an apprentice scribal lineage from Hanan-Pacha, or attunement to subterranean tectonic lore, along with possession of the bound cord.
* Refresh Cost: 1 Refresh point to bind the focus to the character sheet.
* Primary Item Aspects: * Seven-Cord Memory of Fallen Turrath * Rockfall Hearth Anchor of the Deep Bedrock
* Passive Stunt – Turrath Resonant Hum & Knot Archive: * The cords vibrate tactilely near ancient masonry, hollow stone walls, or seismic fault lines, granting a +2 bonus to Notice or Lore rolls to detect architectural hazards, secret passages, and subterranean instability. * The wielder can store up to seven distinct passwords, mathematical tallies, or true names within the knot clusters, automatically succeeding on Overcome rolls to remember them without error.
* Passive Stunt – Rockfall Hearth Anchor & Somatic Modulation: * The granite stone chip grounds the bearer against physical instability, granting a +2 bonus to Physique or Athletics defense rolls against being knocked down, shoved, or unbalanced by tremors. * When attacking with Stone Needle, the wielder may modulate casting freely: Silent casting grants a +2 bonus to remain hidden on Stealth without raising an alarm (dealing -1 shift of stress), while Ritual casting (spending an entire exchange chanting) adds a +2 bonus to the attack roll.
* Basic Action – Stone Needle: * The wielder uses Shoot or Lore to make ranged magical attacks up to two zones away, conjuring needle-sharp basalt darts from the knots that inflict physical stress.
* Active Stunt – Echo of Turrath: * Once per scene (or by spending 1 Fate Point if already used), the wielder invokes the name of the elder in the black cord as an action. Swirling phantom masonry and dust envelop a target in the same or adjacent zone; the wielder rolls Lore against the target’s Will. On a success, the target takes 2 mental stress and gains the situation aspect Shaken by the Fallen with one free invoke.
* Active Stunt – Seismic Cord Snap: * Twice per scene, the wielder strikes the indigo cord against the stone floor. The wielder makes a Physique or Lore attack against all standing targets within their immediate zone. Any target that fails to defend is placed in the situation aspect Knocked Prone.
* Active Stunt – Mnemonic Rewind: * Once per session, when failing a Lore, Notice, or Investigate roll concerning ancient ruins, historical texts, or underground pathways, the wielder may spend 1 Fate Point to immediately reroll the dice with a +2 bonus.
Numenera & Cypher System Turrath Echo Mnemonic Focus 1739
* Classification: Artifact (Geomantic Focus / Mnemonic Sensor)
* Level: 4
* Form: A 3-foot dark indigo cord braided with bio-reactive fibers, bearing seven multicolored pendant cords (ochre, crimson, verdigris, pale gold, slate grey, copper, black) anchored by a drilled chip of tectonic granite.
* Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (roll for depletion only upon triggering an active ability).
* Passive Properties: * Geomantic Focus: Eases all Intellect-based actions to cast earth, stone, or architectural tasks by one step while held or coiled around the wrist. * Turrath Resonant Hum: Tasks involving detecting hidden chambers, structural voids, or subterranean tremors are eased by one step. * Knot Archive: Grants asset on tasks involving exact recall of up to seven pre-recorded figures, coordinate sequences, or glyphs. * Rockfall Hearth Anchor: Might defense rolls against being knocked prone, unbalanced, or shoved by seismic tremors are eased by one step. * Bio-Vascular Luminescence: Emits dim ambient light in an immediate radius when channeling Intellect Pool points.
* Stone Needle (Action): * At will. The wielder looses a dart of crystallized basalt from the knots at a target within short range (50 feet), inflicting 4 points of ambient damage. * Silent: Cast without noise; damage reduced to 3. * Normal: Inflicts standard 4 damage. * Ritual: Spend an extra action in prep/chanting; inflicts 5 points of damage.
* Active Ability – Echo of Turrath (Action): * The wielder recites the elder’s name from the black cord, conjuring phantom collapsing masonry and dust around a creature within short range. The target must succeed on an Intellect defense task against the artifact level or become dazed and hindered (all tasks hindered by one step) for one minute. Roll for Depletion.
* Active Ability – Seismic Cord Snap (Action): * The wielder snaps the indigo cord against the floor. A localized seismic wave radiates through the ground in an immediate radius (10 feet); all ground-based targets in the area must succeed on a Speed defense roll or be knocked prone. Roll for Depletion.
* Active Ability – Mnemonic Rewind (Enabler): * Upon failing an Intellect roll concerning ancient history, architecture, or rune reading, the user re-ties a slip knot to immediately reroll the task with the benefit of one step of Effort without spending points from their Intellect Pool. Roll for Depletion.
Pathfinder (Second Edition Remaster) Living Khipu of the Turrath Echo
* Item Traits: Uncommon, Magical, Focus, Earth, Invested
* Item Level: 3
* Price: 95 gp
* Usage: Held in 1 hand (coiled around the wrist or held)
* Bulk: Light (L)
* Description: * A 3-foot dark indigo cord with seven pendant cords woven in the liturgical hues of fallen Turrath. A drilled chip of tectonic granite sits at the primary junction, vibrating with subterranean echoes and ancestral memory.
* Resonant Focus: * Acts as a primal or arcane spellcasting focus. You gain a +1 item bonus to spell attack rolls and spell DCs for spells with the Earth trait.
* Turrath Resonant Hum: * You gain a +1 item bonus to Perception checks to notice architectural hazards, structural instability, hollow stone walls, and subterranean secret doors within 60 feet.
* Knot Archive: * You can tie up to seven specific names, codes, or geographical directions into the cords. You can recall this information with complete accuracy without needing a Recall Knowledge check.
* Rockfall Hearth Anchor: * You gain a +1 item bonus to your Fortitude and Reflex DCs against Shove and Trip attempts, and to saves against effects that knock you prone or shake the ground.
* Stone Needle (One Action): * Traits: Attack, Earth, Primal/Arcane, Manipulate. * Range: 40 feet. * Effect: Make a ranged spell attack roll. On a hit, you deal 1d6 piercing damage plus your spellcasting ability modifier. You can modulate casting: * Silent (omits verbal): Deal 1d4 piercing damage; does not reveal your location if hidden. * Normal: Standard 1d6 damage. * Ritual (spend Two Actions): Deal 1d6+2 piercing damage.
* Activate – Echo of Turrath (Two Actions): * Traits: Concentrate, Emotion, Fear, Mental. * Frequency: Once per day. * Effect: A spectral shroud of falling stone blocks and choking tomb dust surrounds a target within 30 feet. The target must attempt a DC 19 Will save: * Critical Success: The target is unaffected. * Success: The target is Frightened 1. * Failure: The target is Frightened 2. * Critical Failure: The target is Frightened 3 and Fleeing for 1 round.
* Activate – Seismic Cord Snap (Two Actions): * Traits: Earth, Manipulate. * Frequency: Twice per day. * Effect: You snap the cord against the floor, releasing a shockwave in a 15-foot cone. Each creature standing on the ground in the area must succeed on a DC 19 Reflex save or fall Prone.
* Activate – Mnemonic Rewind (Reaction): * Trigger: You fail a Recall Knowledge check about architecture, subterranean geography, or ancient history. * Frequency: Once per day. * Effect: Reroll the triggering check with a +1 circumstance bonus.
Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition) Living Khipu of Turrath 1739
* Item Classification: Arcane Focus Relic / Mnemonic Sensor
* Weight: 0.5 lbs
* Value: 950 currency units
* Minimum Strength: d4
* Turrath Resonant Hum (Passive Property): * Grants a +2 bonus to Notice rolls made to detect hidden stone doorways, unstable ceilings, sinkholes, and architectural traps within 12 yards.
* Knot Archive (Passive Property): * The wielder can tie seven distinct pieces of data into the cords, recalling them without making a Smarts roll.
* Rockfall Hearth Anchor (Passive Property): * Grants a +2 bonus to rolls to resist being Shoved, knocked Prone, or losing balance from seismic tremors and footing failures.
* Bio-Vascular Luminescence (Passive Property): * Emits ambient dim light in a 2-yard radius when channeling magic or using powers.
* Stone Needle (Integrated Attack): * Range: 8/16/32 * Damage: 2d6 Piercing (Earth) * ROF: 1 * Mechanics: Cast using the Athletics (Throwing) or Focus skill. Modulations: * Silent: Damage is 2d4; does not reveal the caster from stealth. * Normal: Full 2d6 damage. * Ritual (spend a full round chanting): Damage is 2d6+2 with AP 2.
* Internal Power Reserve: * Contains 5 dedicated Power Points that recharge at a rate of 1 point per hour.
* Integrated Power – Echo of Turrath (Fear): * Power Points: 2 * Range: Smarts * Duration: Instant * Trapping: Spectral collapsing masonry and ancient choking tomb dust. * Mechanics: Target must make a Spirit check (at -2 on a Raise) or roll on the Fear Table, becoming Shaken.
* Integrated Power – Seismic Cord Snap (Havoc): * Power Points: 2 * Range: Cone Template (radiating from the user) * Duration: Instant * Trapping: Ground-rippling seismic shockwave. * Mechanics: Targets within the Cone Template must make a Strength roll (at -2 on a Raise) or be knocked Prone and pushed back 2d6 inches.
* Integrated Power – Mnemonic Rewind (Reroll): * Power Points: 1 * Range: Self * Duration: Instant * Mechanics: Reroll a failed Academics, Common Knowledge, or Occult check regarding ancient stonework, runes, or lost cities with a +2 bonus.
Shadowrun (Sixth World) Turrath Echo Mnemonic Focus 1739
* Item Classification: Spellcasting Focus / Mnemonic Weapon Focus (Held Slot: One hand in use, coiled around wrist or stowed in satchel)
* Item Force & Karma Cost: Force 2 (Bonding Cost: 12 Karma for dual Combat/Manipulation attunement; non-awakened users may carry it purely as a non-electronic mnemonic record).
* Physical Profile: A 3-foot dark indigo cord hand-braided from highland bast and llama wool, suspending seven pendant cords dyed in ochre, crimson, verdigris, pale gold, slate grey, copper, and black. A drilled chip of volcanic grey granite from the Rockfall scar anchors the central junction. Weight: 0.25 kg (0.5 lbs).
* Ranged Focus Profile: * Skill: Sorcery (Spellcasting) or Athletics (Throwing) * Damage Value (DV): 3P (Physical / Piercing Earth) * Attack Rating (AR): Close 9, Near 6, Far — * Firing Mode: Single Shot (SS)
* Bio-Vascular Luminescence (Passive Trait): * When channeling magic or rolling tests aided by the focus, the knots pulse in harmony with the wielder’s vascular flow, providing hands-free ambient illumination in a 2-meter radius.
* Turrath Resonant Hum (Passive Detection): * Within 15 meters of subterranean hollows, concealed architectural voids, structural stress fractures, or pre-cataclysm masonry, the pendant cords vibrate tactilely against the wrist, granting a +2 dice pool bonus to Perception tests made to detect hidden doors, unstable tunnels, or collapse hazards.
* Knot Archive (Passive Matrix Alternative): * Up to seven discrete data packets, commcodes, safehouse coordinates, or cipher keys can be knotted into the seven cords. As long as the knots remain tied, the data is immune to Matrix surveillance, snooping, or decker interception, and the wielder recalls it without a Memory Test.
* Rockfall Hearth Anchor (Passive Defense): * The bound tectonic granite chip anchors the wielder’s center of mass, granting a +2 dice pool bonus on tests to resist being knocked Prone, pushed, or having sustained spells disrupted by tremors and concussive shockwaves.
* Stone Needle (At-Will Major Action): * The wielder pulls a pendant cord taut, launching a needle-sharp basalt dart at a target within 12 meters. Modulated casting styles apply: * Silent: Cast without verbal incantation. Inflicts 2P damage; makes no acoustic sound and does not compromise stealth. * Normal: Standard gesture and spoken cadence. Inflicts 3P damage. * Ritual: The caster spends one full combat turn chanting before launching. Inflicts 4P damage with an Armor Piercing quality (+2 AR).
* Echo of Turrath (Active Major Action): * Frequency: 1 charge per 24-hour cycle. * Effect: The wielder speaks the elder’s name knotted into the black cord. A swirling phantasm of falling granite blocks and dry tomb dust erupts around a target within 10 meters. The target must succeed on a Willpower + Intuition test (threshold 3) or suffer the Dazed status and become Shaken until the end of the next combat round.
* Seismic Cord Snap (Active Major Action): * Frequency: 2 charges per 24-hour cycle. * Effect: The wielder snaps the indigo cord against the pavement or stone floor. A low-frequency seismic wave radiates in a 5-meter cone; all ground-based targets in the area must succeed on an Athletics + Body test (threshold 3) or be knocked Prone.
* Mnemonic Rewind (Active Reaction): * Frequency: 1 charge per 24-hour cycle. * Trigger: A failed Knowledge, Engineering, or Arcana test concerning underground ruins, vault masonry, or forgotten inscriptions. * Effect: Retie the slate-grey knot to reroll the failed test with a +2 dice pool bonus.
Starfinder (Second Edition) Turrath Resonant Khipu 1739
* Item Level: 3
* Price: 1,350 Credits
* Bulk: Light (L)
* Category: Held Magic and Tech Hybrid Focus (1 Hand in use, coiled around wrist or carried in pouch)
* Usage: Held in 1 hand, invested
* Weapon Traits: Primal, Earth, Focus, Non-Metallic, Hybrid, Analog
* Range: 40 feet
* Base Damage: 1d6 Piercing (Earth)
* Resonant Focus Bonus: * Functions as an attuned spellcasting focus, granting a +1 item bonus to spell attack rolls and spell DCs for abilities carrying the Earth or Force traits.
* Turrath Resonant Hum (Passive Trait): * The cords vibrate tactilely near subterranean voids, hollow planetary bedrock, or ancient masonry. You gain a +1 item bonus to Perception checks to notice architectural hazards, structural fractures, and secret chambers within 60 feet.
* Knot Archive (Passive Trait): * The wielder can tie up to seven coordinate sets, override codes, or alien glyphs into the cords. You recall this stored information with photographic accuracy without requiring a Recall Knowledge check.
* Rockfall Hearth Anchor (Passive Trait): * The bound granite chip stabilizes your gravity center. You gain a +1 item bonus to Fortitude and Reflex DCs against Trip, Shove, and knockdown maneuvers, as well as on saving throws to maintain spell concentration during seismic tremors or explosive decompression.
* Bio-Vascular Luminescence (Passive Trait): * When expending a spell slot or activating an item ability, the knots shed dim illumination in a 5-foot radius centered on your hand.
* Stone Needle (One Action): * At will. You make a ranged spell attack against a target within 40 feet, launching a crystallized basalt dart. On a hit, you deal 1d6 piercing damage (earth). Modulations: * Silent: Cast without verbal components; deals 1d4 piercing damage and does not reveal your position from stealth on a miss. * Normal: Full 1d6 piercing damage. * Ritual (spend Two Actions): Deals 1d6+2 piercing damage.
* Activate – Echo of Turrath (Two Actions): * Traits: Concentrate, Emotion, Fear, Mental, Magical. * Frequency: Once per day. * Effect: A spectral illusion of crumbling alien stone and dust envelops a target within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Will save or become Frightened 1 (Frightened 2 on a critical failure).
* Activate – Seismic Cord Snap (Two Actions): * Traits: Earth, Manipulate, Magical. * Frequency: Twice per day. * Effect: You snap the indigo cord against the floor or plating, releasing a kinetic tremor in a 15-foot cone. Each creature on the deck or ground in the area must succeed on a DC 19 Reflex save or fall Prone.
* Activate – Mnemonic Rewind (Reaction): * Frequency: Once per day. * Trigger: You fail a Recall Knowledge check regarding planetary geology, subterranean ruins, or archaic texts. * Effect: Reroll the failed check with a +1 circumstance bonus.
Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition) Turrath Resonant Mnemonic Cord 1739
* Item Classification: Archaic Mnemonic Focus and Kinetic Dart Implement (Held Slot: 1 Hand in use, wrist-coiled when carried)
* Tech Level: TL 9 (Exotic Non-Metallic Archaeological Relic)
* Mass: 0.25 Kilograms
* Suggested Cost: Cr 950
* Physical Form: A 1-meter spine of dense indigo weave bearing seven multicolored pendant cords (ochre, crimson, verdigris, pale gold, slate grey, copper, and black), anchored by a bored granite stone chip.
* Weapon Profile: * Skill: Gun Combat (Archaic) or Athletics (Dexterity) / Psionics (Telekinesis) * Damage: 2D Piercing (Basalt Dart) * Range: 12 meters * Traits: Silent, Concealable, Non-Metallic, Bio-Resonant
* Turrath Resonant Hum (Passive Sensor): * The cords vibrate when brought within 20 meters of hollow bulkheads, unmapped subterranean voids, or seismic faults, providing a +1 DM on Recon, Survival, or Engineer (Civil) checks to spot structural breaches or unstable passages.
* Knot Archive (Passive Data Storage): * The traveler can knot up to seven navigation waypoints, jump-drive coordinates, or access codes into the cords. These cannot be corrupted by EMP or electronic intrusion and can be recalled without an Education or Intelligence check.
* Rockfall Hearth Anchor (Passive Stability): * The mineral-bound core grounds the bearer against physical instability, granting a +2 DM to STR or DEX checks to resist falling prone during hull vibrations, artificial gravity failures, or shockwaves.
* Stone Needle (At-Will Action): * The user draws a pendant taut and snaps a crystalline stone dart at a target within 12 meters. * Silent: Fired without sound; damage is reduced to 1D+3. * Normal: Standard 2D damage. * Ritual (requires 1 round of aim and vocal cadence): Deals 2D+2 damage with AP 2.
* Echo of Turrath (Active Action): * Frequency: 1 charge per standard day. * Effect: The user recites the name of the elder in the black cord. Swirling phantom rubble and suffocating tomb dust surround a target within 10 meters; the target must succeed on an Average (8+) Willpower or SOC check or become Shaken, suffering a -2 DM on all actions for 1 round.
* Seismic Cord Snap (Active Action): * Frequency: 2 charges per standard day. * Effect: The user strikes the indigo cord against the decking. A kinetic shockwave sweeps outward in a 5-meter cone; all standing targets must pass an Athletics (Dexterity) check with an Effect of 0+ or be knocked Prone.
* Mnemonic Rewind (Active Reaction): * Frequency: 1 charge per standard day. * Effect: Reroll a failed Science (Archaeology), Science (Planetology), or Navigation check regarding underground facilities or ancient structures with a +1 DM.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition) Living Khipu of the Turrath Echo 1739
* Item Classification: Fine Magical Focus and Geomantic Missile Implement (Held Slot: 1 Hand in use, coiled around wrist when stowed)
* Encumbrance: 0
* Availability: Exotic (Highland Andean Provenance)
* Weapon Group: Missile (Dart / Sling) or Channeled Focus (Lore of Beasts, Lore of Metal, or Lore of the Earth)
* Range: 15 yards (45 feet)
* Damage: +SB+3 Piercing (Earth)
* Qualities: Fine, Accurate, Magical, Precise, Trap Blade (while uncoiled)
* Bio-Vascular Luminescence (Passive Relic Trait): * When channeling Willpower or casting spells, the knot clusters shed dim ambient light in a 2-yard radius centered on the wielder’s hand.
* Turrath Resonant Hum (Passive Relic Trait): * The cords vibrate when within 20 yards of structural voids, secret stone doors, or active cave-in hazards, providing a +10% bonus to Perception and Lore (Geology) Tests to spot structural weaknesses or concealed masonry.
* Knot Archive (Passive Relic Trait): * The wielder can tie up to seven names, sums, or codes into the pendants, recalling them flawlessly without an Intelligence Test as long as the knots remain intact.
* Rockfall Hearth Anchor (Passive Ward): * The bound tectonic granite chip stabilizes footing, granting a +10% bonus to Athletics and Cool Tests made to resist being knocked Prone or losing spell concentration from quakes, physical shoves, and explosions.
* Stone Needle (At-Will Action): * The wielder draws a pendant taut and snaps a sharp basalt needle at a target within 15 yards using Ranged (Dart) or Channelling. * Silent: Fired in absolute silence; damage is +SB+1; does not reveal the firer from concealment. * Normal: Standard +SB+3 damage. * Ritual (requires spending 1 full round chanting): Deals +SB+5 damage with the Penetrating quality.
* Echo of Turrath (Active Action): * Frequency: Once per day. * Effect: Chanting the name in the black cord unleashes a spectral vortex of tumbling masonry and choking tomb dust around a target within 10 yards. The target must succeed on a Challenging (+0) Cool Test or gain the Shaken (or Broken) Condition until the start of your next turn.
* Seismic Cord Snap (Active Action): * Frequency: Twice per day. * Effect: The wielder snaps the indigo cord against the flagstones. A kinetic shockwave sweeps outward in a 5-yard cone; all standing targets within the area must succeed on a Challenging (+0) Athletics (Dodge) Test or gain the Prone Condition.
* Mnemonic Rewind (Active Reaction): * Frequency: Once per day. * Trigger: A failed Lore (History), Lore (Engineering), or Research Test concerning subterranean vaults or ancient masonry. * Effect: Retie the slate cord to immediately reroll the failed Test with a +10% bonus.