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Barding of the Shimmering Shoals 719

—

by

Dale
in

From: Lineage 913 of the Tideglass Artificers

This is a masterfully crafted piece of light armor covering the avatar’s quadrupedal lower body. It is made from the iridescent blue-green hide of a great sea-drake, cured to be as tough as leather but completely waterproof. Small, polished plates of Tidal Glass are expertly inlaid along the flanks in a wave-like pattern. These glass plates not only offer additional protection but also absorb and amplify ambient light, causing them to glow with a soft, turquoise luminescence when underwater. This provides dim, hands-free illumination and makes the wearer a beautiful but ethereal sight in the depths.

Lore

This specific piece of barding was the culmination of Caelia’s formal apprenticeship and served as her journeyman’s masterpiece, the final test she had to pass to be recognized as a full-fledged Artificer. The hide was not taken by force; rather, it was a gift from the sea itself. An ancient sea-drake, known in local legends as Aqualus the Serene, had died of old age in a secluded coral grotto near Coralia Major. Honoring the creature’s long life, the Wavekeepers of the underwater city declared its remains a sacred bounty. Caelia was one of a select few artisans granted a portion of the magnificent hide.

She spent a full year treating the material, using a mixture of rare alchemical salts and her own resonant magic to cure it, preserving its iridescent, waterproof qualities and its innate connection to the currents. For the inlaid plates, Caelia did not use pre-existing Tidal Glass. Instead, she undertook a dangerous expedition to the Sunstone Shallows during a rare twin-moon high tide, a time said to produce water with the highest magical resonance. She used her Tidal Resonance Sampler to find the perfect nexus of power and light, coaxing into existence the twenty-four flawless glass plates required for the design. Each plate was shaped to match the natural scale patterns of the drake, creating a seamless fusion of the two materials. The barding is therefore not just armor, but a deeply personal work of art that represents Caelia’s devotion to her craft and her respect for the natural world of Aegean.

Item Values

  • Tier One Stat Modifiers:
    • Armor Value: +1
    • Endurance: +1 bonus to saving throws against the effects of cold environments or cold water.
  • Skills Gained:
    • Athletics (Swimming): The wearer gains proficiency with this skill. The barding’s hydrodynamic design and magical properties make movement through water feel effortless and natural.
  • Passive Magical Effects:
    • Shimmering Hide: The sea-drake hide’s natural iridescence actively shifts and warps light. While submerged in water with at least dim natural light, creatures attempting to visually locate the wearer suffer a disadvantage on their perception checks.
    • Aqualus’s Blessing: The barding retains a faint echo of the serene spirit of the great drake it came from. Non-monstrous aquatic wildlife, such as schools of fish or crustaceans, are not startled by the wearer’s presence and treat them as a natural part of the marine ecosystem.
    • Tidal Resilience: The enchanted Tidal Glass inlays regulate the pressure around the wearer’s lower body, rendering them immune to the crushing physical effects of deep water up to a depth of 500 feet.
  • Activatable Magical Effects:
    • Shoal’s Light (At Will): As a minor action, the wearer can mentally cause the Tidal Glass inlays to emit a soft, turquoise luminescence. This light is bright enough to read by and provides dim, hands-free illumination in a 15-foot radius around the wearer. The light can be extinguished with another minor action.
    • Slipstream (Once per Long Rest): As a main action while swimming, the wearer can activate the barding’s latent power. For one minute, the glass plates generate a magical current that envelops the wearer’s form, doubling their swim speed and allowing them to take the Dash action as a minor action. While active, they leave a faint, shimmering trail of light in their wake.
  • Specific Slot:
    • Barding
  • Tags:
    • Barding, Light Armor, Apsaran, Tidal Glass, Sea-Drake Hide, Aquatic, Enchanted, Luminescent, Tier 1, Masterpiece, Artificer Crafted, Aqualus’s Hide, Journeyman’s Piece, Sacred Harvest, Hydrodynamic, Amphibious Gear, Illumination, Stealth, Mobility, Pressure Regulation, Iridescent, Living Legacy

In the world of Saṃsāra, an item as unique as the Barding of the Shimmering Shoals 719 would never be found in a common marketplace. It is not merely equipment; it is a work of art, a piece of history, and a potent magical artifact. Its sale or acquisition would be a significant event, handled only in specialized and exclusive venues.

1. The Patron’s Gallery in Tidehaven

  • Type of Shop: This is not a shop in the traditional sense, but an exclusive gallery and patronage house located in the highest spires of the floating capital, Tidehaven. Venues like “The Azure Collection” or “Thalindra’s Hoard” cater to the Apsaran monarchy, the heads of major trading guilds, and legendary Tier 5 avatars. These establishments deal in artifacts and bespoke commissions, where the provenance and story of an item are as valuable as its function. The interior would be opulent, with items displayed on levitating platforms under magically controlled lighting to accentuate their beauty.
  • How it is Bought/Sold: An item like the barding would be acquired by the gallery on consignment from a desperate noble or a successful adventurer. A potential buyer would not simply walk in; they would be invited for a private viewing. The transaction would be a slow, formal dance of negotiation, often handled by intermediaries. The gallerist, an expert historian and appraiser, would present a detailed record of the item’s creation, the legend of the sea-drake Aqualus, and a certificate of authenticity from the Artificer’s Guild. Payment is often a complex affair, sometimes involving the trade of other artifacts, land deeds, or exclusive trade contracts in addition to coin.
  • Cost: This is the most expensive venue. The price reflects the item’s quality, its story, and the gallery’s immense prestige.
    • Cost to Purchase: Approximately 1 Rhodium and 50 Platinum.

2. The Master Adventurer’s Outfitter in Port Aqua-Vel

  • Type of Shop: In the bustling, cosmopolitan trade hub of Port Aqua-Vel, one could find a high-end outfitter like “The Sea-Serpent’s Scale” or “The Wind-Rider’s Post.” These shops are practical yet prestigious, catering to successful ship captains, wealthy merchants, and seasoned adventurers who need the best gear to survive Saṃsāra’s dangers. The shop would be well-fortified, its walls lined with enchanted weapons, rare alchemical components, and unique armors from across the 73 island nations. The proprietor would be a retired, high-tier adventurer with a keen eye for quality and a network of contacts for acquiring rare finds.
  • How it is Bought/Sold: Here, the transaction is more direct but no less serious. The barding would be displayed on an armored mannequin, its magical properties clearly listed on a slate plaque written in Aque-Script. The shopkeeper would allow a serious buyer to handle the item, using their own “Mind’s Eye” to appraise its qualities. Negotiation would be tough but fair, based on the item’s practical combat applications and magical utility. If Caelia were to sell the item here, the proprietor would offer a price significantly below its market value to ensure their own profit, though it would still be a fortune.
  • Cost: The price is based on fair market value for a unique, masterwork magical item.
    • Cost to Purchase: Approximately 1 Rhodium.
    • Value if Selling: A shopkeeper would offer around 75 Platinum.

3. The Shadow Broker in an Undisclosed Location

  • Type of Shop: This is not a physical shop but a clandestine service operating in the underbelly of a port city or the unmonitored depths of an underwater metropolis. A shadow broker deals with clients who need discretion above all else—disgraced nobles, spies, or adventurers who’ve acquired an item of questionable origin. The transaction would never happen in the open. A meeting would be arranged in a secret location, like a private room in a tavern or a secluded sea cave.
  • How it is Bought/Sold: The process is fraught with risk. The seller contacts the broker through coded messages and intermediaries. The meeting is tense, with both parties bringing protection. The broker’s appraisal is swift and focused solely on the item’s power and potential for resale, with no value placed on its history or artistry. Negotiations are brief and final. Payment is immediate, often in easily transportable and untraceable forms like flawless gemstones or bars of precious metal, rather than officially minted coin. There is always the risk of betrayal or ambush.
  • Cost: The price is significantly lower, reflecting the risk and the need for a quick, discreet transaction.
    • Cost to Purchase: Approximately 60 Platinum.
    • Value if Selling: A broker would offer between 40 and 50 Platinum.

4. Commission from the Tideglass Artificer’s Guild

  • Type of Shop: One cannot simply buy an item like this “off the shelf” from its creators. To acquire a new piece of this caliber, a client must formally petition the Tideglass Artificer’s Guild in Tidehaven. This is not a shop, but the administrative and creative heart of the lineage.
  • How it is Bought/Sold: The process of commissioning such an item is arduous and can take years. The client must prove their worthiness and present a compelling reason for their request. If the Guild accepts, a master artisan is assigned. The process involves multiple consultations to finalize the design, followed by a perilous quest to source the required materials—such as the hide of a specific magical beast. The client is often expected to fund or even participate in this quest. A substantial down payment is required before any work begins.
  • Cost: This is the true cost of creation, making it the most expensive method of acquisition, but it results in a bespoke item perfectly attuned to the user.
    • Cost to Commission: A minimum of 2 Rhodium, with at least half paid upfront to fund the acquisition of materials.

The Barding of the Shimmering Shoals 719 is far more than simple armor; it’s a versatile tool that an avatar can use to control the flow of encounters through both subtle defense and surprising offense, with its utility changing dramatically depending on the environment.

Defensive Roleplay

Defensively, the barding allows the Apsaran to become one with her environment, turning her unique form from a large target into a resilient and elusive force.

Underwater Combat

In the depths, the barding is in its element. Instead of just stating you have a higher armor value, you’d describe how a blow from a sea-troll’s spear glances off the iridescent drake-hide, the impact dispersed by the flexible, scale-like structure. When facing ranged attacks, you could narrate how you angle your body so the Tidal Glass inlays catch the light, creating a dazzling glare that distorts your form and causes the incoming projectile to go wide.

To evade a powerful foe, you don’t just swim away. You’d describe using the Shimmering Hide passive, “melting” into a curtain of kelp or a sun-dappled reef, your form becoming nearly invisible as the light-bending hide makes you appear as just another part of the seabed. This turns defense into a stealthy repositioning, allowing you to escape or prepare for a counter-attack.

Shipboard & Coastal Skirmishes

On the slick, pitching deck of a ship in a storm, your Apsaran form is already stable. The barding enhances this, making you a living anchor. You would roleplay this by describing how, as pirates swing aboard, your four hooves plant themselves firmly, the sheer weight of your armored form making you an immovable bastion amidst the chaos. When an enemy charges, you narrate how you lower your shoulder, letting their attack skid off the enchanted hide while you remain perfectly balanced, ready to bring your own weapon to bear. The armor isn’t just protecting you; it’s turning you into a piece of defensible terrain for your allies to rally around.

Social & Urban Encounters

In a tense negotiation or a hostile court, the barding is a tool of passive intimidation and status defense. You aren’t wearing crude steel; you’re wearing a legendary masterpiece. When a rival merchant tries to verbally intimidate you, you would describe how you shift your weight slightly, causing the light to catch the prismatic fur and Tidal Glass, drawing all eyes to the undeniable wealth and power you carry. It’s a non-verbal declaration of your importance. The story of the armor—a gift from a serene drake, a masterpiece of a famed lineage—defends your reputation before you even speak a word.

Offensive Roleplay

Offensively, the barding is used to manipulate the battlefield, create openings, and enhance the Apsaran’s natural physical power.

The Underwater Ambush

The barding is a perfect tool for an ambush predator. You’d narrate the hunt: “I glide silently through the murky water, my Shimmering Hide making me a ghost among the coral. I approach the sahuagin patrol from below, staying in their blind spot. Once I’m within striking distance, I activate the Shoal’s Light.” At that moment, you describe how your flanks erupt in a brilliant turquoise glare, momentarily blinding and disorienting the targets just as you lunge forward with your trident, turning their aquatic advantage against them.

The Slipstream Charge

While its primary function is for swimming, the Slipstream ability can be roleplayed as a devastating charge. You would describe the moments before an attack: “Focusing my will, I feel the barding’s magic surge. A shimmering aura of light envelops my form. I lower my head and charge!” You’d narrate an explosive burst of movement across the battlefield, becoming a living battering ram of hide, glass, and muscle. The goal isn’t just to close the distance, but to slam into a key enemy with enough force to shatter their shield or send them reeling, creating a crucial opening for your allies.

Controlling the Field

The armor’s light is a tactical weapon. In a dark sea cave or the shadowy alleys of Port Aqua-Vel, you can use Shoal’s Light offensively. You would describe pulsing the light on and off, creating a confusing strobe effect that makes it difficult for enemies to track your movements or those of your companions. You can also use it as a lure, illuminating one area to draw enemies’ attention while your allies sneak past them in the darkness. You aren’t just a combatant; you are a mobile, tactical light source, actively shaping the battlefield to your advantage.

Perception of Activation:

When the Slipstream ability of the Barding of the Shimmering Shoals 719 is activated, the perception of the event is a dramatic and multi-layered experience, felt physically, magically, and emotionally by both the wearer and those nearby.

User’s Perspective

For you, the wearer, the activation is an intimate and overwhelming rush. It begins with a deep, resonant hum that you feel in the bones of your lower body, as if the barding is singing the first note of a powerful oceanic chord. This isn’t just a sound; it’s a vibration you feel through your hooves, a direct connection to the latent magical currents of the world.

Instantly following the hum is a sensation of sudden weightlessness, as if the sea itself has risen to cradle you, even on dry land. The air around you grows cool and smells sharply of salt and ozone. Through your innate Wave-Sight, your vision is momentarily flooded with a brilliant turquoise light as the magical energy surges, outlining the world in shimmering, flowing patterns.

The most profound sensation is an extra-sensory one: a ghostly, exhilarating echo of the sea-drake Aqualus’s spirit. It’s a feeling of immense, serene power and absolute freedom, a fleeting memory of a life spent gliding effortlessly through the endless ocean. For that one minute, you don’t feel like you are using an item; you feel like you are the current—a perfect, unstoppable flow of motion and will.

Observer’s Perspective

An observer witnesses a breathtaking and intimidating spectacle. The first sign of activation is a sudden flash of intense turquoise light erupting from the Tidal Glass plates inlaid on the Apsaran’s flanks. The light coalesces into a shimmering, watery aura that completely envelops the creature’s lower body, blurring its form into a fluid, ethereal shape.

The air around the Apsaran crackles audibly with magical energy, and the distinct sound of a powerful, rushing tide fills the immediate area, seeming to come from no single source but from the air itself. As the wearer moves, they leave a hanging trail of faint, glittering motes of light, like bioluminescence disturbed in a deep-sea trench. Anyone with magical senses perceives a massive, sudden draw on the ambient magic in the area, as if the barding is inhaling the world’s energy to fuel its incredible speed.

Positives

The primary positive is the extraordinary burst of tactical speed, allowing for a battlefield reposition, a desperate escape, or a devastating charge that would otherwise be impossible. The activation is also a powerful tool of intimidation and misdirection; the sheer spectacle of the event can easily break the morale of lesser foes or create a critical diversion. The light trail left behind can serve as a clear visual marker, guiding allies through confusing terrain or marking a path to a key objective. The feeling of connection to the item’s spirit grants the user a momentary surge of confidence and focus.

Negatives

The activation is the antithesis of stealth. It is a massive, unmissable beacon of magical power that announces your presence and capabilities to everyone, friend and foe, for hundreds of feet around. The magical drain is significant; after the effect ends, you would feel a profound sense of physical and magical exhaustion, as if you’ve run a marathon in a single minute. The barding itself feels cold and magically inert to your senses until it has had time to recharge. For a novice user, the sudden acceleration can be difficult to control, potentially causing you to overshoot a target or collide with an obstacle. Finally, its use is strictly limited, making the decision of when to activate it a critical, high-stakes choice.

Artisan’s Formula: Tidal Shoal Barding

This document outlines the required materials and procedures for the creation of a suit of Apsaran light barding, crafted in the traditional style of the Tideglass Artificers. The resulting item is a Tier 1 magical armor piece, suitable for a journeyman’s portfolio or for outfitting a skilled adventurer.

Materials Needed

  • Primary Hide (One Full Pelt): The cured, unblemished hide of a Greater Coral-Backed Drake, a creature native to the deeper reefs of the Sunstone Coastlands. The hide must be taken respectfully and treated within one cycle of the moons to retain its natural iridescence and water-repellent qualities.
  • Resonant Water (Three Vials): Seawater collected from a known tidal ley line convergence, gathered during the apex of a high tide under a full moon. The water’s purity must be verified; it must possess a minimum resonance of ‘Grade 4’ or higher.
  • Light-Catching Agent (One Ounce): Finely ground Sun-Salt Crystals, harvested from the evaporated pools of the Shimmering Coastlines. These are necessary to capture and stabilize the ambient light during the glass-coaxing process.
  • Fittings & Rivets (One Set): A complete set of buckles, clasps, and rivets forged from a corrosion-resistant bronze-mithral alloy.
  • Binding Thread (200 yards): Spun and waxed thread made from the silk of the Giant Sea Spider, valued for its incredible tensile strength and natural resistance to saltwater decay.
  • Empowerment Agent (Two Pinches): Finely powdered Aura Pearls of at least moderate quality. This is the catalyst used to awaken the barding’s magical properties.
  • Curing Oils (One Flask): A specialized alchemical solution made with rendered drake fat, sea kelp extract, and crushed coral. This is used to treat the hide and prepare it for enchantment.

Tools Required

  • Tidal Resonance Sampler: Essential for verifying the magical potency of the collected seawater. Attempting the craft with sub-par water will result in inert, brittle glass.
  • Aque-Mist Etching Stylus: Required for the fine, runic inscriptions during the final enchantment phase.
  • Artificer’s Shaping Hammer: Used for seating the Tidal Glass plates into the cured hide without cracking them and for securing the metal fittings.
  • Master Leatherworker’s Kit: A full set of high-quality awls, skiving knives, needles, and edge groovers.
  • Alchemist’s Crucible & Grinder: Necessary for preparing the powdered Aura Pearls and the curing oils.
  • Tide-Washed Forge: The entire crafting process must take place in a specialized workshop that has direct, channeled access to the magical energy of the tides.

Skill Requirements

  • Primary Skill: Artisan Leatherworking (Magical Hides). The crafter must be proficient in the unique challenges of working with the hides of magically-infused creatures.
  • Secondary Skill: Tidal Glass Shaping. The crafter must be a member of the lineage or have been formally trained in the secret techniques of creating and shaping Tidal Glass.
  • Required Knowledge: Alchemy. A working knowledge of alchemical principles is necessary for mixing the curing oils and handling the magical catalysts correctly.

Crafting Steps

  1. Hide Preparation (Duration: 3 Days): The raw drake hide is submerged in the alchemical curing oils over a low, magical heat. The artisan must periodically chant verses in Thal-Vox to soothe the hide’s spirit and prevent it from rejecting the treatment. Once cured, the hide is stretched, cut, and stitched into the final barding shape using the Sea Spider silk.
  2. Coaxing the Tidal Glass (Duration: 6 Hours): This is the most critical step. In the heart of the Tide-Washed Forge, the three vials of Resonant Water are poured into a shallow, rune-etched basin. The Sun-Salt Crystals are dissolved within. Using a series of lenses, the artisan must capture the ambient light and focus it into the basin while gently humming to create a sympathetic vibration. Over several hours, the light and magic will coalesce, solidifying into raw, uncut plates of Tidal Glass at the bottom of the basin.
  3. Inlaying the Plates (Duration: 1 Day): The raw glass plates are carefully shaped and polished. The artisan then uses the Shaping Hammer to expertly set the finished plates into pre-cut impressions along the flanks of the barding, following a traditional wave pattern. The bronze-mithral fittings are then attached.
  4. The Awakening Ritual (Duration: 1 Hour): The completed barding is laid out under the open sky during a high tide. The artisan uses the Aque-Mist Etching Stylus to inscribe nearly-invisible activation runes on the back of each glass plate. Finally, they sprinkle the powdered Aura Pearls over the barding and perform a lengthy chant, formally requesting a blessing from Thalindra. If the ritual is successful, the Tidal Glass plates will pulse with a soft, turquoise light, indicating the enchantment has taken hold and the item’s magical properties are now active.

Testament of Aqualus and Maiden of Glass

It is told, in the days of the first daughters of Lyra, there dwelt a great King in the deep places of the sea. His form was that of a drake, but his soul was that of the water itself. His name, as the runes are now poorly read, was Aqualus, which means The Serene Breath of the Tide. For a count of years beyond the grasp of land-folk, he swam the currents of the world. He saw the first ships of the Thal-Ae, their sails but small leaves upon the great water. He beheld the raising of the floating cities, and the glow of Coralia Major when it was but a new coral bud. His scales were not of common stuff, but were as a thousand blue and green jewels, and they shimmered with the water’s inner light. He was a creature not of rage, but of deep knowing.

And it was so, that the weight of many years came to rest upon the shoulders of Aqualus. His great heart, which had beat with the rhythm of the tides, began its slow final song. He knew his time to return to the sea’s soul was near. He turned from the open waters and made his last swim to the Sunstone Shallows, to a grotto known only to the wisest of the sea-folk, a place where the light of the sun and the heart of the world met in the water. This was the Grotto of Final Stillness, and he went there to give his body back to the world.

Now, in the high city of Tidehaven, there lived a maiden of the Artificer line. She was a young shaper, whose hands knew the secrets of Tidal Glass, a magic taught to her mother’s mother by the Great Tide-Mother herself. One night, as she looked into a basin of sacred water, a thought-picture came to her. It was not her own thought. It was a feeling, a deep and quiet calling from the sea. She saw a grotto of glowing coral, and in it, a great and ancient light beginning to fade. She saw the form of the great drake, Aqualus, not in fear, but in peace. And she saw a new shape, a skin of light to be worn by a daughter of the waves. The vision showed her a journey she must make.

She spoke of the thought-picture to the Wavekeepers, and they, reading the truth in her eyes and the resonance in her voice, understood. They prepared a vessel and journeyed with her to the Sunstone Coastlands. They did not carry harpoons of war or nets of capture, for the maiden told them this was not a hunt, but a pilgrimage. They found the Grotto of Final Stillness, and as they entered, the water itself seemed to hum a sad and beautiful song.

There lay Aqualus, his great body resting on the sandy floor, his light now soft and dim. He was not dead, but waiting. He lifted his ancient head and his eyes, which held the wisdom of a thousand tides, fell upon the maiden. She came forward, her four hooves making no sound on the sand. She reached out a hand and touched the great drake’s brow. Words were not spoken, for their spirits did not need them. In that touch, a bargain of respect was made. The great drake offered his body, his beautiful, shimmering hide, as a gift. It was his final testament to the people of the shore, a pact of harmony. And the maiden, in her heart, promised that his skin would not be used for war or for pride, but as a reminder of the sea’s deep and quiet strength. Then, the last of the light faded from the drake’s eyes, and his long life was finished.

The Wavekeepers helped the maiden to respectfully take the hide, a task of great ceremony. She returned to her Tide-Washed Forge, and the true work began. She did not merely craft. She communed. She took the water from the grotto, water that held the last breath of Aqualus, and in her basin, she caught the light of the full moon. For many days she worked, weaving the moonlight into the water, coaxing the shimmering plates of Tidal Glass into being. She stitched the hide not with common thread, but with the memory of the drake’s spirit. She hammered the fittings not with force, but with the rhythm of his ancient heart.

When it was finished, the barding shone with a life of its own. It was a piece of armor, yes, but it was also a story, a promise, and a blessing. It carried the beauty of Aqualus, the magic of the moonlit tide, and the skill of a maiden who understood that the greatest gifts are not taken by force, but received with a grateful heart.

The moral of the story is: True strength is not in the power you can seize, but in the harmony you are willing to receive.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

The Shimmering Pelage of Aqualus

This is the preserved hide of a creature unknown to terrestrial biology, resembling a great marine reptile. Its iridescent, blue-green scales feel unnervingly smooth and cool to the touch, and the polished, glass-like plates inlaid in its flanks seem to shift with colors that are not entirely of this spectrum. The barding is designed for a quadrupedal form, and any human attempting to wear it as a cloak or wrap will find it disturbingly heavy and ill-fitting, requiring a successful STR x3 roll to avoid being encumbered.

  • Armor: Provides 2 points of armor.
  • Aquatic Adaptation: The wearer gains a Bonus Die on all Swim rolls.
  • Unnatural Camouflage: While submerged, the hide bends light in an unsettling way. Anyone attempting to spot the wearer visually must pass a Hard Spot Hidden roll.
  • Shoal’s Light: By focusing their will and spending 1 Magic Point, the wearer can cause the inlaid plates to glow with a cold, turquoise luminescence. This alien light illuminates a 15-foot radius and forces a Sanity roll (0/1 SAN loss) for all who witness it for the first time.
  • The Serene Current: Once per day, the wearer may spend 4 Magic Points and 1d4 Sanity points to activate the hide’s true power. For the next hour, they may swim at three times their normal rate and are immune to the effects of water pressure or cold.
  • The Cost of the Deep: The pelage is tied to the dreaming consciousness of the ancient creature it came from. Each time the wearer uses The Serene Current, they must make a POW roll. On a failure, they suffer from recurring nightmares of crushing depths and endless, alien seas, resulting in the temporary loss of 1d6 SAN points upon waking. Prolonged possession of the item may lead to the development of a phobia of dry land or an obsession with returning to the sea.

Blades in the Dark

The Whisper-Drake Cloak

A heavy, shimmering cloak stitched together from the iridescent hide of a great leviathan hunted in the Void Sea by Iruvian spirit-trappers. Polished plates of ghost-glass are sewn into the flanks, and they whisper faintly in the dark. It smells of ozone and the deep, cold ocean.

Special Item: Occult, Warded Load: 3

  • Void-Kissed Hide: This is a heavy cloak that functions as armor (1 Armor). When you wear it, you gain access to the following abilities:
  • Deep Camouflage: When you Prowl through shadows, water, or ectoplasmic haze, you may take +1d to your roll. The shimmering hide blends with the darkness, making you appear as a mobile, watery shadow.
  • Ghost-Light: You can cause the glass plates to emit a dim, spectral glow. It’s enough to read by and is visible only to you and others attuned to the ghost field. You can use this to your advantage to gain improved Effect on a Sway or Command action against a ghost or other spectral entity.
  • Leviathan’s Rush: Once per score, you can channel the leviathan’s spirit. When you are fleeing or giving chase through water or ruins, you may push yourself for a free action without spending Stress. Describe how a shimmering, watery aura envelops you as you move with unnatural speed and grace.
  • Attune to the Drake: When you attune to the cloak, you may study its history. The GM will start a 4-segment clock labeled “The Leviathan’s Hunger.” When this clock is filled, you learn a powerful ritual from the creature’s ancient memories. However, you also gain a new trauma, such as Obsessed or Paranoid, related to the crushing solitude of the Void Sea.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Barding of the Shimmering Shoals

Armor (barding), Rare (requires attunement by a creature of the monstrosity or fey type, such as a centaur)

This masterwork light armor is made from the iridescent hide of a great sea-drake and is designed to fit a large, quadrupedal creature. Polished plates of magical glass are inlaid along its flanks.

  • Armor Class: When worn, your base Armor Class becomes 13 + your Dexterity modifier.
  • Amphibious Advantage: You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, and you can breathe both air and water. If you already have a swimming speed, it is increased by 20 feet.
  • Aqualus’s Blessing: You have advantage on Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks made to interact with non-hostile aquatic beasts.
  • Shimmering Hide: While you are fully submerged in water and in an area of dim light or sunlight, you can use a bonus action to take the Hide action.
  • Shoal’s Light: As a bonus action, you can speak the barding’s command word to cause the glass inlays to emit a soft, turquoise light, providing dim light in a 15-foot radius. Speaking the command word again extinguishes the light.
  • Slipstream (1/Day): As an action, you can activate the barding’s latent magic. For 1 minute, you gain the benefits of the freedom of movement spell while swimming.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Sea-Drake Barding

A beautiful suit of light barding for a four-legged creature, made from the shimmering, iridescent hide of a great sea-drake. It is waterproof and inlaid with plates of softly glowing glass.

  • Slots: 4
  • Qualities: Flexible, Quiet, Waterproof
  • Armor: Provides 1 Armor Die (d6).
  • Abilities:
    • Aquatic: While wearing this barding, you are not encumbered by swimming and can breathe underwater.
    • Glow: You can cause the glass plates on the barding to emit a light as bright as a candle.
    • Camouflage: When underwater, you are very difficult to see. Enemies have a disadvantage on rolls made to spot you.
    • Rush (1/day): Once per day, you may move through water at the speed of a running horse for up to 10 minutes.

Fate Core

Heirloom of the Serene Drake

In Fate, this powerful barding isn’t just an item with stats; it’s a core part of your character’s story and identity. It is best represented as an Item of Power that grants a new character Aspect and a number of Stunts.

Aspect: Wielder of the Shimmering Shoals Barding

  • This is a core truth about your character. You can invoke this Aspect for a +2 bonus or a re-roll on any roll where wearing a legendary, beautiful piece of aquatic armor would be an advantage. This includes swimming, resisting intimidation through sheer status, or navigating the deep sea. The GM can also compel this Aspect to introduce complications; for example, its beauty might attract the unwanted attention of a greedy collector, or its connection to the sea might make you feel agitated and unwell on dry land for extended periods.

Stunts:

  • Shimmering Hide: Because the barding bends light and blends with the water, you get a +2 to Create an Advantage when you are being Stealthy while fully submerged.
  • Shoal’s Light: Because the barding contains Tidal Glass, you can cause it to emit a soft, turquoise light as a free action. This light is bright enough to remove any darkness-related situational Aspects within your immediate vicinity.
  • Slipstream: Once per session, you can activate the barding’s latent power. You can automatically Overcome any obstacle related to movement in water, allowing you to instantly move to any other zone in the scene as long as there is a clear aquatic path.

Numenera & Cypher System

The Resonant Hide of the Aquanaut

This suit of barding is a relic of a prior world, crafted from the synth-organic hide of a bio-engineered marine creature. The material is iridescent, feels slick to the touch, and is completely waterproof. Crystalline plates that seem to be grown, not manufactured, are inlaid along the flanks. They glow with a soft internal light when the artifact is active.

Level: 1d6+2 Form: A wearable suit of light barding for a large, quadrupedal creature. Effect: This artifact provides a number of passive and active abilities.

  • Passive: Grants the wearer +1 to Armor.
  • Passive: The wearer can breathe water as easily as air and is immune to the environmental dangers of natural water pressure up to a very great depth (level of the artifact in miles).
  • Passive: The wearer’s swimming-based tasks are eased by two steps (or they gain a +2 bonus on such rolls).
  • Passive: The wearer’s stealth-based tasks while underwater are eased by one step.
  • Active: Shoal’s Light. Action to cause the crystalline plates to emit dim light in a short-range radius.
  • Active: Slipstream. Action to activate. For one minute, the wearer can move a short distance and make an attack as a single action. Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (Check only when the Slipstream active ability is used).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

BARDING OF THE SHIMMERING DEPTHS – ITEM 4

RARE, MAGICAL, INVESTED, LIGHT ARMOR Price 100 gp Usage worn barding; Bulk 1

This masterwork barding is made from the iridescent hide of a sea-drake. Polished plates of glowing Tidal Glass are inlaid in a wave-like pattern along its surface. It is designed to be worn by a quadrupedal creature of at least Large size.

  • AC Bonus +1; Dex Cap +4; Check Penalty 0; Speed Penalty 0; Strength 12; Group leather;
  • When you invest this armor, you adapt to the water. You gain a swim Speed equal to your land Speed and can breathe underwater. The barding is light and flexible enough that it does not impede this swim Speed. You also gain a +1 item bonus to Athletics checks to Swim and Stealth checks made while underwater.

Activate (manipulate) Effect You touch the barding and cause the inlaid plates to glow, shedding dim light in a 20-foot radius. You can use this activation again to extinguish the light.

Activate (envision, manipulate) Frequency once per day; Effect You call upon the barding’s latent power. For 1 minute, you gain the effects of a 4th-level freedom of movement spell, but only while you are swimming.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Sea-Drake Scale Barding

This beautiful suit of light barding is crafted from the shimmering, iridescent scales of a great sea-drake and is fitted for a large, quadrupedal creature. It feels slick and cool to the touch and hums with a faint arcane energy.

  • Armor: +2
  • Min. Strength: d6
  • Weight: 15
  • Notes:
    • Aquatic: The wearer is considered to have the Aquatic ability. They can breathe underwater and suffer no penalties for acting while submerged. Their base swimming Pace is equal to their Athletics skill.
    • Chameleon: The iridescent scales bend light and help the wearer blend in with watery environments. The wearer gains a +2 bonus to Stealth rolls when underwater.
    • Light: As a free action, the wearer can make the barding’s inlaid plates glow, providing light equivalent to a torch in a Medium Blast Template centered on themselves.
    • Slipstream: Once per day, the wearer may cast the Speed power on themselves as an Innate Ability, affecting only their swimming Pace. This power does not require a roll to activate and costs no Power Points.

Shadowrun (Sixth World)

Aztlan Shimmer-Scale Barding

This custom-fitted suit of barding is a flagship product from Aztechnology’s Atlantean Foundation, marketed to high-end clients like centaur metavariants or those with severe SURGE expressions. The armor is bio-crafted from the cloned and magically treated hide of a rare North Atlantic Sea Drake paracritter. The iridescent scales are interwoven with fiber-optic light emitters and minute plates of polished, awakened sapphire that function as a low-grade magical focus.

  • Type: Custom Armored Jacket
  • Armor Rating: 12
  • Availability: 16R
  • Cost: 125,000 Nuyen
  • Effects:
    • Aquatic Adaptation: The barding incorporates a magical gill-filtering system linked to the wearer’s respiration. The wearer can breathe underwater indefinitely.
    • Thermal Damping: The hide is naturally insulating. The wearer gains a +2 dice pool bonus to resist the effects of cold environments.
    • Active Camouflage (Rating 3): The light emitters and iridescent scales work in concert to bend light. This provides a +3 dice pool bonus to Sneaking tests when in water or low-light conditions.
    • Sapphire Focus (Rating 2): The awakened sapphire plates function as a Health Spellcasting Focus, adding 2 dice to any Health-category spellcasting tests.
    • Slipstream: Once per Combat Turn, the wearer may take the Sprint action as a minor action, but only while swimming. This may cause 1 box of Stun Drain (resist with Willpower + Intuition).

Starfinder

Barding of the Akpallu Deeps

This suit of light armor is crafted from the bio-luminescent hide of a mature Kothama Reef-Drake from the oceanic world of Akpallu. The armor is a hybrid of technology and magic, with micro-thin plates of energized abyssal crystal inlaid in the hide to channel and amplify bio-electrical energy.

BARDING OF THE AKPALLU DEEPS – LEVEL 5 CATEGORY Light Armor; PRICE 2,900 credits EAC BONUS +6; KAC BONUS +7 MAXIMUM DEX BONUS +5; ARMOR CHECK PENALTY 0; SPEED ADJUSTMENT — SLOTS 1; BULK 1 DESCRIPTION This barding is designed for quadrupedal creatures. It grants the following abilities:

  • Aquatic Adaptation: The barding is equipped with an integrated rebreather and micro-jets. You can breathe underwater and gain a swim speed of 30 feet.
  • Shimmering Hide: The hide’s natural luminescence can be controlled to match the surrounding light. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Stealth checks made while underwater or in dim light.
  • Shoal’s Light: The abyssal crystals can be made to glow as a free action, shedding normal light in a 20-foot radius.
  • Slipstream (1/day): As a swift action while swimming, you can overcharge the micro-jets. For 1 minute, your swim speed increases by 30 feet.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Ancient ‘Sea-Drake’ Environmental Barding

An artifact of the Ancients, this suit of quadrupedal barding appears to be made from a seamless, iridescent biological polymer that is incredibly resilient yet flexible. Thin, glowing plates are integrated into its surface. Analysis suggests it is a high-performance, multi-environment suit for a non-humanoid species.

  • Tech Level: 16 (Ancient)
  • Protection: 10 (vs all)
  • Armor Type: Vacc Suit
  • Rad Protection: 12
  • Weight: 15 kg
  • Cost: Artifact (Effectively priceless; 15+ MCr if a buyer could even be found)
  • Traits:
    • Multi-Environment System: The suit functions as a standard Vacc Suit, providing life support in vacuum, toxic atmospheres, and underwater for up to 24 hours before its internal processors need to recycle. It can draw oxygen directly from water.
    • Active Camouflage System: The suit’s surface can bend light, providing DM+2 on all Stealth checks in any environment with at least partial shadow or cover.
    • Variable Illumination: The integrated plates can provide light ranging from a soft glow to a high-intensity beam with a range of 100 meters.
    • Maneuver Drive: The suit is equipped with high-efficiency maneuvering jets. The wearer gains DM+2 on all Athletics (Zero-G) or Athletics (Swimming) checks.
    • Burst Drive (1/hour): The suit can vent a burst of plasma from its maneuvering jets, tripling the wearer’s movement speed for one round.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Merwyrm-Scale Barding

This magnificent suit of light barding was crafted for a mighty Centigor hero long ago from the supple, iridescent hide of a juvenile Merwyrm of the Sea of Claws. It is surprisingly light and smells perpetually of salt and the deep ocean. Small, polished plates of Ithilmar are inlaid along the flanks, glowing with a soft inner light.

  • Armour Points: 2
  • Locations: Body
  • Qualities: Flexible, Lightweight, Magical
  • Weight: 1
  • Special Rules:
    • Child of the Sea: The wearer is immune to the negative effects of cold water and water pressure. They may breathe water as easily as they breathe air and gain a +20 bonus to all Swim Tests.
    • Shimmering Scales: The barding’s scales shift and change with the light. The wearer gains a +20 bonus to Stealth Tests made while in water or in darkness.
    • Sea-Light: The wearer may, at will, cause the Ithilmar plates to glow with a soft, silver light equivalent to a candle. While this can be useful, it may also attract unwanted attention from the denizens of the deep.
    • Wyrm’s Rush: Once per day, the wearer may call upon the spirit of the Merwyrm. For the next 1d5 rounds, their Movement characteristic is doubled while swimming.
    • Wyrm’s Temperament: The barding is infused with the wild spirit of the Merwyrm. The wearer develops a strong aversion to fire of all kinds and must pass a Challenging (+0) Cool Test to willingly move closer to a large, open flame.

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