From: Lineage 2741 of the Zaf Amra
Secondary Weapon
Description:
A compact, single-shot alchemical pistol built from tempered sand-glass, copper tubing, and silver filigree. Its cylinder chambers glow faintly with elemental fire and water essence, producing bursts of pressurized steam when triggered. The grip is inlaid with jade powder that cools under stress.
Function & Effects:
- Fires condensed bolts of scalding steam; range 60 ft; heat + pierce damage.
- Active (3 charges/day): Flow Cycle — absorbs ambient moisture to instantly reload, creating a swirling mist that grants +2 Stealth until end of turn.
- Overcharge Mode (once per rest): discharges all heat at once in a cone of steam (15 ft), forcing Fortitude/Constitution saves or mild burns/blindness.
- Built-in heat regulator prevents misfire but warms scales slightly during sustained fire, useful in cold tunnels.
Lore:
Developed for engineers maintaining ley-pumps along subterranean canals, this elegant sidearm bridges tool and weapon, its transparent barrel embodying Amratian belief in clarity of purpose.
Expanded Lore:
Forged in the echoing foundries of Sandhaven’s canal forges, the Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge was not conceived for war but for precision work beneath the dunes. Early Amratian engineers tasked with maintaining ley-pump systems faced dangers that conventional weapons could not address—underground heat surges, elemental leaks, and erratic vapor constructs that haunted the conduits. From this necessity, the Guild of Flowwrights commissioned the invention of a “clarifier”—a weaponized maintenance tool capable of cutting through stone scale or banishing rogue heat spirits while still serving as a valve regulator or welding torch.
Its construction mirrors the balance that defines Amratian craft: the clarity of river glass paired with the discipline of desert engineering. Each pistol is hand-blown from sand-glass reinforced with translucent copper veining that channels the dual elements of water and fire. When fired, the weapon’s chamber glows like a captured sunrise, and the escaping steam takes the form of faint sigils—glyphs of balance known as Zaf-Therin—which evaporate seconds later. The jade-inlaid grip, cooled by alchemical gel, allows the wielder to maintain focus even when the weapon grows hot from sustained use.
Legends tell that the prototype was blessed in secret by Sandwhisperers of Zephara, who murmured over its forming glass that “no hand that holds this tool with clarity will strike in error.” Some Amratian duelists claim the pistol “listens” to intent—its steam pulse narrowing or broadening with the wielder’s emotional state. For explorers, it became both guardian and compass: the mist it emits can briefly reveal ley currents, shimmering as lines of light in the haze, guiding travelers through the endless caverns and canals beneath the Serene Dunes.
Tier & Values:
• Tier: 1 (Common–Uncommon hybrid; crafted artifact-grade tool weapon)
• Damage: 1d8 piercing + 1d6 heat (steam-based, magical)
• Range: 60 ft effective; disadvantage or penalty beyond 120 ft
• Weight: Light (approx. 3.5 lbs)
• Durability: 20 HP (tempered sand-glass reinforced by copper filigree)
• Cost: ~450–600 gold (depending on alchemical purity and craftsmanship)
Skills Gained:
• +1 Engineering or Tinkering (maintenance or repair applications)
• +1 Perception when analyzing moisture, steam, or pressure differentials
• +1 Stealth when Flow Cycle or mist concealment is active
Passive Magics:
• Thermal Balance Regulation: Automatically adjusts chamber temperature to ambient climate. Prevents freezing in cold, and reduces overheating risk in desert heat. The wielder feels a comforting warmth that steadies their breathing (advantage or +2 vs cold fatigue or environmental chill).
• Elemental Reflection: Steam discharges cause faint ley-ripples that reveal water sources or ley channels within 30 ft for one round (perceptible only to attuned users).
• Heat Vein Resonance: The copper filigree subtly amplifies concentration, granting advantage (or +2) on reloading or crafting checks when using the weapon as an alchemical or engineering focus.
Activatable Magics:
• Flow Cycle (3 charges/day): The weapon draws ambient moisture to instantly refill its chamber and creates a soft mist field around the wielder. Grants +2 Stealth (or advantage) until end of turn and extinguishes small flames within 5 ft. The mist reflects faint ley-glyphs visible only through the Mind’s Eye.
• Overcharge Mode (1/rest): The weapon vents all internal pressure in a 15-ft cone. Targets must make a Fortitude or Constitution save (DC 13 or appropriate scaling) or take 2d8 heat damage and become Blinded for 1 round. Success halves damage and negates blindness. The wielder suffers mild warmth feedback (+1 fatigue or –1 to next precision-based roll until cooled).
• Glass Resonance Pulse (minor passive activation): Once per scene, when used in total darkness or underwater, the weapon can emit a brief bioluminescent pulse (5 ft glow radius) revealing structures, steam-creatures, or hidden glyphs.
Slot: Secondary Weapon (off-hand compatible or engineering sidearm).
Tags:
Steam Pistol, Alchemical Firearm, Precision Tool, Mist Concealment, Desert Utility Weapon, Steam Engineer’s Companion, Glass Forged, Radiant Mechanism, Dual Element (Fire/Water), Zaf-Amra Design, Subterranean Defense, Balanced Elemental Weapon, Steam Pistol, Alchemical Firearm, Single-Shot Mechanism, Mist Cover, Engineer’s Tool, Desert Utility Weapon, Translucent Design
Commerce and Trade of the Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge (Saṃsāra)
In the world of Saṃsāra, this weapon-tool hybrid occupies a unique commercial niche—half alchemical instrument, half sidearm—most often found where steam meets sand, and where Amratian precision engineering intersects with desert necessity. Though widely respected among engineers, explorers, and Sandwhisperer acolytes, its transparency of form and hybrid elemental design make it a prized rarity outside Amratian borders. Prices vary with region, purity of sand-glass, and availability of elemental essence.
1. Flowwright’s Atelier (Sandhaven Subterranean Districts)
Type: Artisan Alchemy & Engineering Forge
Description:
Hidden beneath the dunes of Sandhaven, the Flowwright’s Atelier is one of the few establishments licensed by the Amratian monarchy to craft glass-channelled armaments. Here, the air is perpetually humid with the hiss of steam lines, and apprentices etch glyphs into cooling sand-glass cylinders. Customers may purchase standard-issue sidearms or commission personalized variants tuned to a specific user’s breathing rhythm or magical resonance.
Transaction Style: Personal patronage or guild voucher. Buyers are often asked to demonstrate basic knowledge of steam safety and desert law.
Price: 550–600 gold, including tuning and legal inscription by the Royal Engineer’s Guild.
Notes: The Atelier sometimes accepts payment in ley-crystals, purified water reserves, or steam schematics instead of coin.
2. Canal-Edge Bazaar of Khet-Vara (River District)
Type: Public Market & Engineer’s Exchange
Description:
Khet-Vara’s open bazaar thrives along the great canal arteries, where traveling engineers and sandship crews trade inventions and repair services. The Glass-Pulse is a staple here—displayed in steam-cradles beneath hanging copper mists, their chambers glowing faintly like bottled sunrises. Many are refurbished models, their jade grips re-polished or their essence chambers refilled with alchemical reagents.
Transaction Style: Haggling and barter dominate. Buyers often offer elemental salts, heat regulators, or exotic oils as trade.
Price: 450–500 gold for refurbished models; 600+ gold for ceremonial editions with Zepharic engravings.
Notes: Street artificers occasionally sell illegal “dual-core” overcharged variants, but they’re unstable and prone to thermal rupture.
3. The Oasis Arsenal (Surface-Level Armament Emporium, Serene Dunes Frontier)
Type: Licensed Military & Explorer Supply Depot
Description:
At the edges of Amratian territory, where patrols guard against sandbeasts and raiders, the Oasis Arsenal stocks sidearms designed for self-sufficient survival. The Glass-Pulse 882 is often listed under Engineer’s Sidearm, Steam Grade 3A. Its value here is less in its elegance and more in its reliability—able to produce both weaponized steam and potable condensation in emergencies.
Transaction Style: Military voucher or cash; identification required.
Price: 500–550 gold per standard-issue model (basic water/fire essence, single-core).
Notes: Purchases include a small maintenance kit and single-use “Mist Veil” cartridge for field concealment.
4. The Crystal Vein Market (Coralis Dominion Underwater Quarter)
Type: Subaquatic Arcane Traders’ Market
Description:
Far from the deserts, traders in Coralis Dominion consider Amratian glasscraft a luxury. The weapon’s ability to operate in high-humidity or submerged environments makes it coveted among undersea artificers and explorers. Its transparent barrel gleams like coral crystal under refracted light, attracting wealthy collectors.
Transaction Style: Silent auction or trade in crystallized mana pearls.
Price: 800–1,000 gold, depending on origin and authenticity of ley-core.
Notes: Some versions are modified with water-pressure regulators, allowing safe underwater discharges—a rare adaptation.
5. The Whispered Exchange (Black Market of the Lower Dunes)
Type: Shadow Bazaar / Salvage & Contraband
Description:
A hidden network operating through shifting desert tunnels and collapsed forges, the Whispered Exchange deals in reclaimed Amratian tech. Many Glass-Pulse sidearms sold here are salvaged from lost ley-pump stations or stolen from guild shipments. Their cores hum erratically, and the mist they emit carries faint whispers of past owners.
Transaction Style: Barter only—trade in memory crystals, stolen artifacts, or favors.
Price: 250–350 gold, or equivalent in rare salvage.
Notes: Risk of elemental instability; some malfunction under stress, releasing boiling mist that scars or blinds.
Commercial Flow in Saṃsāra
The Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge moves through Saṃsāra’s economy as both weapon and cultural emblem. In Amratian lands, it symbolizes craftsmanship and equilibrium—bought with reverence. In borderlands, it’s a survival tool traded in dust and necessity. In foreign markets, it’s a trophy of elegance and danger. The cost spectrum—250 to 1,000 gold—reflects this divide, balancing practicality, legality, and the ever-present shimmer of prestige that accompanies any glass forged beneath Zephara’s sun.
Desert — Open Dunes / Patrols / Caravan Roads
Defense: draw the sidearm and fire short steam bursts into swirling sand to knock attackers off mounts or into shallow dunes; use Flow Cycle to refill and cloak the bearer in a low mist so trackers lose fresh prints for a turn. Roleplay beats: heat-hazed mirage refracts off the glass barrel; the jade grip cools the hand; the mist smells faintly of wet clay.
Offense: Overcharge cone drives scalding sand and steam at a raiding party to blind and break momentum; use short, precise shots to cauterize wounds on allies after a fall. Tradeoff: overcharge creates visible steam plume that draws attention and leaves the wielder flushed and slightly fatigued (mechanical feedback).
Subterranean / Canal Tunnels / Ley-pump Chambers
Defense: use the bioluminescent Glass Resonance Pulse to reveal hidden steam-creatures or ley-glyph traps; Flow Cycle fills from canal moisture and instantly reloads while also creating a mist that muffles footsteps. Roleplay beats: echoing drips catch the pulse and refract into faint glyphs; the weapon’s chamber hums like an anxious heart.
Offense: short, aimed blasts clear vapor elementals or force-lock leaking valves closed; Overcharge in confined spaces is devastating but risks structural collapse or cavity pressure feedback—describe the room filling with scalding fog and the scalded air tasting metallic.
Riverine / Canal-side / Dockyards
Defense: use Flow Cycle to condense potable water while simultaneously masking presence during a midnight repair; spray small steam bursts to stall boarding ladders or foul enemy grapples. Roleplay beats: mist beads on brasswork, cooling the skin; ley-ripples shimmer across canal surfaces.
Offense: precise shots to sever ropes/cables or to force a ladder release; the weapon’s steam can briefly reveal hidden hull weakpoints when viewed through the Mind’s Eye.
Urban / Market / Bazaar
Defense: snap a warning shot of white mist into the air to disperse a crowd or blunt a pickpocket’s escape path; Flow Cycle’s mist gives short concealment for a getaway. Roleplay beats: market vendors cough as the mist rolls between stalls; the transparent barrel draws stares—possession implies craft guild ties.
Offense: limited—public use risks law and guild sanctions; using Overcharge in crowds risks collateral blindings and legal reprisal. Roleplay consequence: watchful guild officers note serial numbers.
Shipboard / Aerial Platform / Airship Rigging
Defense: use short steam bursts to stall rope slides or to create localized steam curtains near rigging, keeping attackers off balance; Flow Cycle condenses humidity to top off emergency boilers. Roleplay beats: the sidearm’s mist mingles with engine steam; the jade grip warms as the hull breathes.
Offense: Overcharge aimed downward can throw boarders back along narrow gangways; the recoil is felt as a wrenching breath through the ship’s timbers.
Cold / High-Altitude / Frosted Ruins
Defense: thermal balance regulation prevents icing of hands and prevents chamber freeze; brief steam discharges fog the area for concealment and heat allies. Roleplay beats: the weapon’s warmth is almost a comfort in the cold; small steam ghosts rise and form frost patterns on brass.
Offense: sustained use melts thin ice bridges or clears frost-obscured runes; prolonged firing lowers the weapon’s reliability unless cooled and tended.
Battlefield / Skirmish / Line Combat
Defense: short, aimed shots at advancing enemies’ gear can seize mechanisms or jam leather straps; Flow Cycle mist used tactically to screen a withdrawal or to cover the treating of casualties. Roleplay beats: the field smells of oil and steams; the pistol’s glow mirrors the sunrise over helmets.
Offense: Overcharge used as an area denial tool to force flanking routes or break formation; single-target shots to blind or disable artillery crews. Tradeoff: charges are finite and reloading by Flow Cycle may be limited if ambient moisture is low (e.g., in arid midday).
Stealth / Infiltration / Espionage
Defense: Flow Cycle’s mist gives short stealth bonus (+2) and muffles footfalls; the transparent barrel avoids clanking metal, aiding silent work. Roleplay beats: mist hides breath in cold corridors; the jade grip’s coolness steadies trembling fingers.
Offense: single, precise shots to cut power conduits, release locks, or neutralize lone sentries quietly. Overcharge is a last resort—far too loud and conspicuous.
Engineering / Maintenance / Ritual Work
Defense: use the sidearm as a regulated welding tool to reseal a ruptured pipe or solder delicate fittings under pressure; the Thermal Balance prevents accidental stress fractures in nearby glass fixtures. Roleplay beats: the pistol hums in tune with pump rhythms; steam glyphs flare and reveal flow direction.
Offense: mechanical: not primarily a weapon here—its roleplay is as a trusted engineer’s implement that can be repurposed in a fight.
Ley-line / Magical Environments
Defense: Glass-Pulse reveals nearby ley currents for a round and can vent a disruptive pulse to destabilize hostile enchantments in a 5–10 ft radius; Flow Cycle’s mist makes ley-signatures briefly readable to those with the Mind’s Eye. Roleplay beats: faint glyphs shimmer in the fog; the weapon seems to “listen” to the earth.
Offense: Overcharge can disrupt or overload small ritual foci or animate steam constructs by force; beware that aggressive disruption in a ley-rich node may trigger unpredictable ambient responses.
Social and Legal Implications (Roleplay)
Owning a named Glass-Pulse often marks the bearer as a guild member, royal engineer, or sanctioned explorer. Pulling it in a temple or Sandshrine can be viewed as sacrilege; in markets and ports, use may draw guild inspectors. Roleplay consequences: questioning by Flowwright officials, confiscation if used contrary to local law, or grudging respect and favors from engineers who recognize its signature.
Tactical Considerations & Roleplay Opportunities
• Charge Management: deciding when to spend Flow Cycle charges or save Overcharge creates tension—do you use the mist to hide now or keep charges for a bigger threat?
• Environmental Interaction: the weapon interacts differently with humidity, enclosed spaces, and ley lines—describe how the glass glows, how mist hangs, how glyphs reveal themselves.
• Sensory Detail: emphasize cooling jade in heated moments, the quiet hiss between shots, the faint Zaf-Therin sigils evaporating—these are hooks for roleplay.
• Risk vs Reward: Overcharge is powerful but costly—describe the physical feedback (warmth, fatigue, temporary loss of precision) to make players weigh choices.
• Non-lethal uses: the pistol shines as a tool—repair, reveal, stabilize—so roleplay can focus on clever utility rather than brute force.
Mechanical Reminders (for adjudication)
• Flow Cycle grants immediate reload + mist concealment (3 charges/day).
• Overcharge is powerful (cone, DC 13 Fortitude/Con save baseline) and inflicts feedback on the wielder.
• In very dry midday desert, Flow Cycle recharge may be hindered—require a brief ambient check or condensation source.
• Confined spaces amplify Overcharge effects (greater damage, greater risk).
• Legal/guild status affects availability and social consequences when used publicly.
Use these environment-specific beats to animate scenes: the weapon is at once a craftsman’s tool, a guardian’s friend, and a dangerous instrument when temper and necessity override restraint.
Perception of Activation:
User’s Perspective:
The moment the trigger is drawn, the Glass-Pulse Sidearm exhales like a living thing. The cylinder glows from within—amber light from fire essence intertwining with a cool cerulean hue of water essence, spiraling through the tempered glass like molten veins of balance. The weapon’s hum matches the user’s pulse; warmth radiates up the arm, then a faint vibration ripples through the scales. A whispering hiss of vented steam fills the ears, carrying a rhythmic cadence that feels oddly like breathing. The scent is sharp—ozone mixed with wet stone and faint jasmine from the jade powder. For a brief instant, the world seems slowed, as if the surrounding air acknowledges the equilibrium between flame and water. Extra-sensory resonance hums across the user’s Mind’s Eye: threads of ley-energy map faint blue lines across surfaces nearby, revealing humidity pockets, life heat, and hidden movement through the mist.
Observer’s Perspective:
To onlookers, the weapon comes alive in silence before erupting in a controlled burst of glimmering vapor. The barrel glows through translucent glass—pulsing from within as though something divine or volatile is caged inside. Steam rolls outward in twisting ribbons, dancing with flashes of gold and blue, each puff trailing faint motes of condensed light. When the wielder fires, there’s no explosion, only a sharp exhalation that ripples the sand or air around them, followed by a faint lingering shimmer, like sunlight diffused through morning mist. Observers hear faint tonal hums—harmonics that seem too deliberate to be mechanical, resonating briefly in the chest and throat before fading.
Positives:
– The sensation of perfect temperature balance—heat meeting coolness—restores calm under pressure.
– Extra-sensory awareness enhances precision: the user feels guided by unseen ley-currents.
– Emotional equilibrium: stress drains away, replaced by focus.
– The mist conceals motion and masks scent, ideal for stealth or evasion.
– Creates awe or reverence among those who witness its elegance, reinforcing Amratian craftsmanship’s sacred reputation.
Negatives:
– Extended activation can cause mild sensory overload: warmth may turn to uncomfortable heat, light becomes dazzling, and the rhythmic hum becomes a pounding in the ears.
– The glow and mist attract attention, betraying position in dark or dry environments.
– Overcharge disorients both user and nearby allies, causing short-term vertigo and flickering vision.
– Residual steam can warp fine machinery or parch nearby parchment and silk.
– Over time, repeated activations leave the wielder’s hands faintly trembling with thermal fatigue—a reminder that even balance, when overdrawn, burns.
In the wake of activation, silence returns, broken only by the quiet crackle of cooling glass and the final sigh of evaporating steam—a brief echo of harmony made manifest.
Recipe Title: The Glass-Pulse Alchemical Sidearm – Pattern of the River’s Edge (882 Reconstruction Protocol)
Materials Needed:
- Tempered Sand-Glass Core (x1): harvested from desert lightning-struck dunes near the Serene Dunes or melted from purified Amratian silicate crystals. Must be cooled under flowing riverwater at dawn to fuse the elemental duality of sand and water.
- River-Bronze Alloy Tubing (x2 lengths): copper-tin composite mixed with trace silver powder and smelted in steam kilns; ensures pressure stability under alchemical heat.
- Silver Filigree Thread (x12 in.): for rune-etched detailing and conduction of magical equilibrium currents between essence chambers.
- Elemental Essence Capsules (x3): balanced pairings—Fire Essence (sun-infused) and Water Essence (river-condensed), stabilized by crystal phials of obsidian quartz.
- Jade Powder (1 vial): ground from serenity-grade jade imported from Khet-Vara; functions as thermal regulator and emotional stabilizer.
- Pressure-Gasket Resin (small batch): mixture of steam-oil, sand resin, and powdered obsidian used to seal the firing chamber.
- Runic Ink (blue-gold): for engraving the dual spiral sigil of Zephara’s equilibrium across the barrel and grip.
- Polished Obsidian Lenses (x2 small): serve as focus ports for pressure gauge sighting and ley-alignment.
- Essence Filter Coil (x1): thin mesh of ley-threaded copper, filters unstable magic before it reaches chamber ignition.
Tools Required:
– Steam-Forge Anvil: pressure-calibrated forge capable of maintaining heat flux under dual-element infusions.
– Alchemical Crucible: two-chambered, used to blend Fire and Water Essences without combustion.
– Runesmith’s Engraver: precision tool for Khet-Glyph spiral etching (mandatory for resonance alignment).
– Glassblowing Tube with Steam Core Attachment: allows temperature modulation while shaping tempered sand-glass.
– Pressure Clamp Array: stabilizes the barrel during cooling to avoid fracturing.
– Balance Scale of Serenity: Amratian dual-scale used to measure essence equilibrium before sealing.
Skill Requirements:
– Advanced Steamcraft Engineering (Journeyman or higher): knowledge of regulating pressure release, vent construction, and steam pistons.
– Alchemical Metallurgy (Intermediate): ability to blend volatile essences without cross-reaction.
– Runic Etching (Expert Precision): mastery of Khet-Glyph patterns to ensure harmony of flow and containment.
– Elemental Balance Insight (Faith or Mind’s Eye Training preferred): intuitive attunement to the balance of opposing elements; failure risks spontaneous cracking or pressure backflow.
– Glass Tempering (Apprentice level acceptable): shaping and sealing sand-glass under high heat.
Crafting Steps:
- Prepare the Sand-Glass Core:
Melt purified desert sand under elemental flame until it reaches translucence. Quench not in ordinary water, but through a controlled trickle of ley-infused riverwater. The goal is to produce glass that “remembers” both dryness and flow—symbolizing Amratian balance. - Forge the River-Bronze Tubing:
Heat copper and tin in the steam forge while channeling water vapor from a sacred basin. Slowly add silver dust as steam coils around the alloy, creating the faint hum of alignment. Hammer the tubing into twin spirals representing Zephara’s dual harmony. - Assemble the Firing Chamber:
Insert the tempered sand-glass barrel into the bronze frame using the pressure clamp array. Coat interior seams with resin to prevent leaks. Align the pressure core precisely over the center spiral engraving to ensure even heat distribution. - Embed the Essence Capsules:
Using the Alchemical Crucible, slowly fuse a single drop of Fire Essence and one of Water Essence into the capsule’s opposing halves. Rotate until both hum in equilibrium (the liquid should glow amber-blue). Insert into chamber housing and seal with silver filigree rings. - Inlay the Jade Powder:
Mix jade powder with a trace of obsidian dust and apply to grip carvings while whispering the River’s Oath—a binding phrase said to stabilize the wielder’s emotions and prevent reactive essence surges. - Engrave the Khet-Glyph Spirals:
With the runesmith’s engraver, etch twin spirals across the barrel and grip—one clockwise (representing water flow), one counterclockwise (representing fire control). Infuse with Runic Ink during engraving to establish the harmonic feedback channel. - Fuse and Test the Steam Core:
Heat the pressure core gently until the inner vent exudes a faint mist. The correct sound is a steady “pulse” like calm breathing. Overheating will produce a shriek, indicating misalignment and requiring restart. - Final Blessing / Calibration:
Place the finished weapon under a noon beam refracted through desert glass and submerge the grip in cold river water for one minute. This seals the duality of temperature and essence. - Test Firing and Ley Attunement:
Fire three test rounds into open sand to check for symmetrical venting. Observe if the mist forms stable spirals; instability or wild patterns mean the weapon’s core is unbalanced and must be recalibrated under steam meditation.
Outcome:
When crafted correctly, the weapon hums faintly even at rest—its glass chamber shimmering with the tranquil light of balanced essences. The wielder will feel a cooling pulse through their hand upon gripping it, signaling the union of fire and water in harmony, as the first Glass-Pulse engineers of Amratian once intended.
Crafting Difficulty: Hard (multi-discipline; failure risk: 25% if equilibrium not maintained).
Crafting Time: 2–3 days continuous work or 12 hours ritual-paced under temple conditions.
Yield: 1 functional Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge.
Breath That Would Not Cool
Fragmented Account from the Scrolls of the River’s Edge, copied by the Silt-Priest of Half-Sand Haven
It is told in the half-remembered tongue of the Old Engineers that there was once a craftsman whose hands knew both flame and water, but whose heart knew neither. His name is lost in the shifting of words, recorded sometimes as Rakh-Ena, sometimes The One Who Blew Upon the Steam. He lived in the age when the dunes were still restless and the river spoke too loudly, a time before the balance of Zephara was properly remembered.
Rakh-Ena was a servant of the deep canals, charged with taming the old ley-pumps that beat like hearts beneath the desert floor. Day and night he worked among pipes that groaned and cores that sang. His flesh blistered from the heat, and his breath turned to frost from the cold drafts that leaked up from the water veins. He came to despise both elements—the fire that burned his tools, and the water that eroded his foundations.
In his frustration, he struck his anvil and declared, “If the sands and the river cannot be reconciled, I shall bind them into my own breath.” And so began his long madness of crafting.
For nine cycles of the twin moons, Rakh-Ena melted the sands of the Serene Dunes until they wept into glass. He cooled them with droplets stolen from the Great River, and the glass hissed as if alive. He carved it into tubes, filled them with fire, sealed them with water, and watched them burst again and again. The priests who walked the upper sands said they could hear him laughing beneath the earth—some said it was joy, others grief.
One dawn, when the dunes shivered with a rare frost, he emerged from the underground forges. In his hands was a small device—no larger than the length of his forearm, clear as a dew drop, glowing like the sun caught under ice. The people gathered to see, but he spoke nothing. He aimed the thing toward the horizon, where the dunes met the river, and pressed the trigger.
What happened then is argued by scholars. The oldest version says that steam burst forth in a great sigh that cooled the desert wind and watered the dry reeds. Another says that fire and water wrestled in the sky, birthing clouds that rained molten glass upon the land. A later text, much degraded, insists that the device sang—a pure tone, so beautiful and so sorrowful that even Zephara herself paused in her stillness to listen.
When the vapor cleared, Rakh-Ena was gone. In his place, the people found only his creation: a glass weapon that glowed softly and whispered when held, as though it were still breathing. The priests named it The River’s Edge, for it held the temper of flame and the patience of flow. They declared it sacred and locked it beneath the temple vaults, fearing to repeat the maker’s ambition.
Centuries later, when the dunes shifted again and the vaults were uncovered, the weapon was found lying intact, still warm. The Silt-Priest who recovered it claimed that when he grasped the jade-inlaid grip, he heard a voice—not in words, but in rhythm. It spoke of balance, of two hearts beating as one, of steam that cools itself.
He carried it back to the forges of Sandhaven, and from his sketches were born the first replicas: the Glass-Pulse Sidearms. Yet none ever breathed as the original did. Some said it was because Rakh-Ena had given his soul to the mechanism; others said the original still roamed the dunes as vapor, whispering through the mist to remind smiths of their limits.
The oldest fragment ends thus, written in a hand half-burned by heat:
“He who commands fire must drink of water. He who channels water must carry the burn of flame. Only in the exhalation between both shall peace be found.”
Moral of the Story: True mastery is not in controlling opposing forces, but in surrendering enough of oneself that the forces find harmony within you.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu 7e — “Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge”
Item type: Alchemical Steam Pistol (handgun, experimental). Skill: Firearms (Handgun). Base range: 20 yards; extreme range: 100 yards (disadvantage at long/extreme as Keeper rules). Damage: 1D8 piercing + 1D4 heat (fire). Armor: ballistic/kevlar reduces piercing only; heat bypasses mundane cloth/leather. Rate of fire: 1/round (single-shot). Ammunition: alchemical cartridge (fire/water essence cell). Ammo capacity: 1. Reload: 1 full round (or instant via Flow Cycle; see below). Malfunction: 96–00 (94–00 if used while submerged or in heavy rain). Build: 0. Encumbrance: handgun.
Special: Flow Cycle (3/day). As a bonus action within the same round, the pistol draws ambient moisture and re-pressurizes: reloads instantly and produces a brief mist around the wielder; apply Hard difficulty to Spot Hidden rolls to see the wielder until end of round, or grant the wielder a one-step bonus die on Stealth for that round (Keeper’s choice by scene).
Overcharge Cone (1/scene). Discharge stored heat as a 15-ft cone. Targets within cone must attempt CON rolls: Regular failure = 1D4 heat damage and blinded 1 round; Hard failure = 1D6 heat damage and blinded 1D3 rounds; success = half damage, no blind. This expends the current cartridge and vents the regulator; weapon cannot fire until 1 full round of cooldown has passed.
Reliability notes: On Malfunction, roll Mechanical Repair (Hard) to clear a fouled valve; failure increases Malfunction range by 1 for the session.
Keeper guidance: Treat heat damage as “fire” for interactions; mist effects do not grant full concealment, only momentary visual penalty.
Blades in the Dark — “Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 (Fine, Alchemical, Single-Shot)”
Type: Fine pistol (counts as fine quality; +1 effect or improved potency where quality matters). Load: 1. Tags: single-shot, alchemical, subtle steam, translucent frame.
Harm: Standard pistol harm; on a hit you may choose heat harm instead of normal to bypass light armor and scorch.
Special actions:
• Flow Cycle (3 ticks per score). Spend 1 stress to instantly reload without exposing yourself; also create a fleeting mist—take +1d to a Prowl or Finesse to hide, reposition, or vanish in the same beat.
• Overcharge (once per score). Push yourself (2 stress) to unleash a close cone blast; affects a small group in close range with searing steam (great effect vs. unarmored, standard vs. armored; may inflict the “blinded” temporary condition on a consequence clock). Mark the pistol “venting”—you cannot fire it again until you take a moment to cycle it (1 downtime-style action or a risky Tinker in the scene).
Crafting/Claim: Alchemical mod; Tier I workshop can produce ammo cartridges with Tinker; heat signature is distinctive and can be traced by investigators on a 4-clock if repeatedly used in a district.
Dungeons & Dragons (5e) — “Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge”
Weapon (martial, ranged), uncommon. Properties: ammunition (glass-cell), light, loading, special. Range 60/180. Damage: 1d8 piercing + 1d4 fire. Proficiency: firearms or special training at DM’s option. Attunement: not required to wield (weapon attunes while held in Saṃsāra-style play).
Charges: 3 charges that refresh at dawn as the regulator condenses moisture (or via a Short Rest with a tinker’s kit and 10 gp essences).
Flow Cycle. When you hit or immediately after you take the Attack action, you can expend 1 charge to reload instantly and shroud yourself in hissing mist. Until the end of your turn, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and attacks made against you have disadvantage if the attacker relies on sight and is within 30 feet.
Overcharge (1/long rest). As an action, discharge a 15-foot cone of scalding steam. Creatures in the area must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 fire damage and is blinded until the end of its next turn; on a success, it takes half damage and isn’t blinded. The weapon cannot be fired again until the start of your next turn as the regulator vents.
Heat Regulator. You have resistance to cold damage until the start of your next turn during any turn in which you fire the pistol (tunnels and blizzards love you). Misfire: On a natural 1, the vent clogs; spend an action to clear or make a DC 12 Tinker/Smith’s Tools check.
Knave (latest) — “Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882”
Type: Light firearm, single-shot. Damage: d8 (piercing); on a hit add +d4 heat (fire). Range: near/far. Reload: requires a turn unless Flow Cycle triggers. Slots: 1.
Usage die: Flow Cycle UD d6 (roll on each use; on 1–2, step down; when it depletes, no more Flow Cycles until a full rest or workshop). When you attack or immediately after, you may invoke Flow Cycle to reload instantly and create a drifting mist: you gain advantage on your next Sneak or Dexterity test this round, and attacks against you at near range have disadvantage until end of round.
Overcharge: 1/Rest. Spend your action to unleash a close cone; creatures must save vs. CON or take d6 fire and be blinded for one turn (save for half/no blind). After Overcharge, you cannot fire next turn as the regulator cools.
Notes: Heat counts as fire for vulnerabilities; glass frame is immune to rust but vulnerable to shatter on a fumble at Referee discretion (require a Craft test to repair in the field).
Fate Core — “Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge”
Aspect: Breath of Balance Between Flame and Flow
Type: Fine Alchemical Firearm (Unique Equipment).
Weapon Rating: +2 when used in controlled or balanced environments (steamworks, canals, desert forges).
Invoke for: shots that use precision, concealment under mist, or intimidation via visible steam.
Compel for: environments of extreme dryness or moisture causing instability; mental echoes of the original engineer’s ambition clouding focus.
Stunts:
• Flow Cycle — Once per scene, you may reload instantly and create a mist barrier; gain +2 to Create an Advantage with Stealth or Evade as you vanish in haze.
• Overcharge Discharge — Once per session, unleash the full stored pressure. Attack every opponent in your zone using Crafts or Shoot; on success, targets also take the Aspect Scalded and Blinded for one round.
• Regulated Heart — Gain +2 to Overcome checks resisting environmental heat or cold due to the internal jade regulator.
Stress/Consequences: On a major failure, the weapon vents unpredictably; apply a minor consequence Hands Scalded by Essence Heat.
Narrative note: The gun hums faintly near water or fire sources, serving as a ley-sensor in story scenes.
Numenera & Cypher System — “Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge”
Level: 4 (artifact).
Form: A translucent steam pistol with internal alchemical chambers swirling blue-orange.
Effect: Fires a bolt of superheated steam at short range (inflicts 5 points damage: 3 heat + 2 piercing).
Recharge: 1 in 1d20 chance per day unless maintained by a Crafter or Nano using an Intellect roll (DC 15).
Special functions:
• Flow Cycle (3/day): As an action, absorb ambient moisture to reload. User gains +1 Armor for one round from surrounding mist and +1 asset to Stealth for next action.
• Overcharge Vent (1/rest): Creates a 5-meter cone. All in area make a Speed defense roll (DC 15). On failure, they take 6 heat damage and are dazed one round.
• Regulator Benefit: While wielded, user gains +1 Armor vs. environmental heat/cold effects.
Depletion: 1 in 1d10 per use. When depleted, the core must be recrafted with new Fire/Water Essences.
Crafting rarity: Common artifact among Amratian ley engineers.
Pathfinder (2e) — “Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge”
Weapon type: Alchemical Firearm (one-handed).
Category: Martial, Rare.
Hands: 1. Range increment: 60 ft. Reload: 1 (or 0 via Flow Cycle). Damage: 1d8 piercing + 1d4 fire; critical specialization (Firearm). Bulk: L. Traits: Alchemical, Fire, Steam, Magical, Single-Shot.
Activation (Interact, 3/day) — Flow Cycle: You instantly reload without an action cost and gain Concealed until the start of your next turn as a vaporous mist surrounds you.
Activation (2 actions, once per hour) — Overcharge Vent: You fire a cone of scalding steam (15 ft). Each creature must attempt a Reflex save (DC 18). Critical failure: 2d6 fire damage and blinded 1 round. Failure: 2d6 fire damage. Success: half. Critical success: none. After use, the weapon becomes venting and cannot fire until end of next turn.
Passive magic: resistance 5 to fire when wielded for at least 1 minute in combat.
Crafting requirements: Expert in Crafting, access to Alchemical Steam formulas, and a workshop with elemental infuser. Price: 800 gp.
Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition) — “Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge”
Type: Unique Steam-Alchemical Pistol (Ranged Weapon). Range: 12/24/48. Damage: 2d6 + 1d4 (fire). RoF: 1. Ammo: 1 (reload 1 round; see below). Weight: 2 lb.
Notes: Transparent barrel, releases mist bursts. Counts as magical for DR purposes.
Edges/Perks:
• Flow Cycle (3/day): Free Action reload and gain –2 penalty to enemy Shooting rolls until end of round due to obscuring mist.
• Overcharge (1/session): Fires a cone template (SM). All targets make Vigor roll or take 2d6 fire damage and are Shaken; raise = also Blinded for 1 round. Weapon then overheats (cannot fire next round).
• Regulated Core: User gains +2 bonus to resist environmental Fatigue from heat or cold.
Malfunction: On a roll of 1 on Shooting die (regardless of Wild Die), roll d6—on a 1–2, minor steam leak: user takes 1d4 heat damage; on 3–6, no effect.
Cost: 800 credits or equivalent; repair requires Repair roll (–2) and access to Steamworks or Alchemist’s Lab.
Shadowrun (6e) — “Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge”
Type: Exotic Weapon (Steam-Alchemical Pistol)
Category: Ranged / Elemental Hybrid
Accuracy: 6 Damage: 5P (Physical) + 2 Fire AP: –1 Mode: SS RC: 0 Ammo: 1 (Recharge via condensation) Range: 0–10/40/80/120
Special Rules:
• Flow Cycle (Free Action, 3/day): Instantly reloads by drawing ambient moisture. Creates a 2-meter radius steam cloud lasting 1 Combat Turn; visibility –2 dice to Perception tests. Shooter gains +2 dice to Sneaking while inside the cloud.
• Overcharge Vent (1/scene): Fires a 5-meter cone. Opponents must roll Body + Armor (threshold 3) to resist 6S(e) heat damage and risk temporary blindness (Opposed Intuition Test; failure = blinded 1 Combat Turn).
• Regulator Core: While wielded, user gains +1 dice to resist Environmental Heat or Cold modifiers.
• Custom Craftsmanship: Treated as both Firearm and Alchemical Tool for tests involving steam mechanisms. May accept personalized grip mod or minor focus enchantments.
Availability: 12F Cost: 6,000¥ Street Index: 2.
Notes: Considered a relic of early Magitech revolutions—Amratian models fetch higher prices among collectors.
Starfinder — “Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge”
Level: 4 Price: 2,200 credits Bulk: 1 Capacity: 5 charges Usage: 1/shot Range: 60 ft.
Damage: 1d8 piercing + 1d4 fire Critical: Burn 1d4 Special: Analog, Magical, Steam, Single-Shot
Type: Small Arm (one-handed firearm)
Traits: heat-adaptive grip, mist-venting reload
Special Abilities:
• Flow Cycle (3/day): As a move action, the weapon recharges 1 expended charge by drawing ambient moisture. You become concealed (20% miss chance) until the start of your next turn as mist curls around you.
• Overcharge Vent (1/day): As a full action, you release a 15-ft cone of scalding steam. Each creature in the cone must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 15) or take 2d8 fire damage and be blinded 1 round; success halves damage and negates blindness. The pistol overheats and cannot be used again for 1 round.
• Adaptive Regulator: The grip stabilizes internal temperature, granting the wielder resistance 5 to fire or cold for 1 round after firing.
Description: A translucent Amratian relic blending art and weaponcraft, the pistol exhales heat with the measured rhythm of a heartbeat.
Traveller (Mongoose 2e) — “Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge”
Type: Alchemical Steam Pistol (Unique)
Range: 20 meters Damage: 3D6 (half ignores armor vs. unsealed targets) Magazine: 1 shot Recoil: 0 Mass: 1 kg TL: 12 equivalent (experimental Magitech).
Traits: Fire, Steam, Concealment, Reliable.
Special Rules:
• Flow Cycle (3/day): Reload instantly by absorbing atmospheric moisture; creates a small vapor cloud that grants the user DM +2 to Stealth or Evade until next round.
• Overcharge Discharge (1/combat): Release stored pressure in a cone (5 meters). Targets must roll END 8+ or suffer 2D6 fire damage and DM–2 to attacks for 1 round due to scalding.
• Heat Regulator: Automatically negates first Fatigue effect from environmental heat or cold each day.
Cost: Cr. 8,500 Availability: Rare (Amratian or Ley-Engineered markets only).
Note: Requires specialized ammunition cells (Fire/Water Essence); refilling needs an Engineer or Science (Alchemy) 8+ check.
Warhammer (Fantasy Roleplay 4e / 40K hybrid interpretation)
“Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge”
Classification: Blessed Steam Pistol (Rare Artefact, Amratian Origin)
Encumbrance: 0 Availability: Very Rare Range: 20 yards Damage: 8 + SB Qualities: Pistol, Penetrating (1), Magical, Steam, Dangerous, Flame.
Ammunition: 1 (Essence Cell, reload 1 full Action).
Special Rules:
• Flow Cycle (3/Encounter): As a Free Action immediately after firing, the wielder may reload automatically and gains +10 to Stealth until the start of their next turn as mist shrouds their figure.
• Overcharge Vent (1/Session): As a Full Action, discharge an area cone (template). All within must pass an Agility Test or take 2d10 damage (Fire, Armour Ignoring) and be Blinded for 1 Round. Afterward, the pistol is considered Unready for one Round.
• Sacred Balance: When held by a character aligned with either the Element of Fire or Water (GM discretion), gain +1 Success Level to Ranged (Blackpowder or Steam) Tests.
• Unstable Essence: On a Misfire (00), the gun vents wildly; wielder must pass a Toughness Test or take 1d10 damage from internal scalds.
Value: 250 Gold Crowns (unblemished models).
Comments
One response to “Glass Pulse Sidearm 882 of the Rivers Edge”
[…] Glass-Pulse Sidearm 882 of the River’s Edge — Secondary […]