From: Lineage 417 of the Qosqo Pacha
Layered stone-cloth and bronze-jointed greaves embossed with spiral terraces. Miniature pressure vents release faint bursts of steam, cushioning each stride.
Effects: +5 ft movement speed; reduces fatigue from climbing or long travel; allows silent movement over stone surfaces once per day for 10 minutes.
Lore: Named for the sacred terraces of Qosqo-Suma, these greaves mimic the balanced step of a terrace-builder—steady, deliberate, unyielding.
Expanded Lore:
In the mountain metropolis of Qosqo-Suma, where stone terraces rise in radiant arcs that catch the dawn’s mist, the ancient Matriarch-Artificers of Andean forged the first Greaves of the Terraced Step. They studied the rhythmic movements of terrace-builders—each measured pace in perfect harmony with the slope, each exhale tuned to the pulse of the mountain’s ley breath. To walk the terraces of Qosqo-Suma was to perform a ritual of endurance, a prayer whispered through every footfall. These greaves were devised not merely as protection but as an act of reverence: they embody the balance of strength and serenity, the philosophy that true progress comes from steady ascent, never haste.
The materials reflect this duality. The inner layer is stone-cloth, a woven fabric infused with powdered obsidian and ley-silk that adjusts its rigidity depending on the wearer’s stride. The outer plating is bronze-jointed, shaped in concentric terrace patterns that shimmer with faint reflections of green and gold when struck by sunlight. Each step vents a thin exhalation of steam from micro-etched vents, releasing the fatigue of the traveler as the mountain exhales with them.
Pilgrims, couriers, and explorers across Andean prize these greaves for their endurance on treacherous cliff paths. The most disciplined Qosqo-Pacha artisans believe that wearing them aligns one’s spirit with the terraces’ geometry—an echo of the divine architecture of Intayra’s balance. In moments of activation, the faint scent of wet earth and stone rises, and a low harmonic hum vibrates through the legs, as if the mountain itself were guiding each motion. Legends claim that an avatar wearing the original pair once walked across a shattered landslide without sinking, the mountain reshaping itself beneath each silent step.
Tier 1 Statistics
• Armor Rating: +1 (light protection; flexibility prioritized over heavy defense)
• Movement Bonus: +5 ft to base movement speed while worn.
• Durability: 12/12 HP equivalent; resistant to heat and minor shock from steam exposure.
• Weight: 3 lb (lightweight due to ley-woven alloys).
Skills Gained
• Athletics (Climbing, Running, Endurance): +2 bonus on checks or rolls involving sustained motion, uneven terrain, or vertical ascent.
• Stealth (Stone and Mineral Terrain): +1 bonus; the greaves absorb vibration through micro-vent release, dampening footfall resonance.
• Survival (Mountain Navigation): +1 advantage when identifying safe paths or stable footholds on slopes and terraces.
Passive Magic Effects
- Steam Harmonization: Automatically vents heat and pressure in rhythm with the wearer’s gait, reducing fatigue from extended travel, climbing, or running by half.
- Ley-Line Resonance: While in contact with natural stone, the greaves slightly pulse in sync with local geomantic fields, stabilizing footing on loose or shifting rock.
- Terraced Balance: The wearer instinctively adjusts stance to terrain incline, gaining advantage against being knocked prone or losing balance on sloped surfaces.
- Enduring Rhythm: The subtle internal vibration of the greaves promotes circulation and breath control; the wearer gains a minor resistance to exhaustion and altitude sickness.
Activatable Magics
- Silent Step of the Stone (1/day, Duration 10 minutes): Activating this ability channels compressed steam into focused bursts that cancel sound on impact, allowing movement across natural stone, tile, or crystal without producing any audible noise.
– While active, the user’s steps leave faint, glowing terrace-patterns that fade within seconds.
– Grants advantage or equivalent on stealth checks when moving on earthen or mineral terrain. - Breath of the Mountain (1/hour, Duration 1 minute): Compresses the vented steam into kinetic bursts; the next leap or climb gains double vertical reach or allows clearing gaps up to 10 ft wider than normal.
– Each activation produces a gentle harmonic hum audible only to those attuned to geomancy. - Traveler’s Renewal (Passive Triggered Ability, Long Rest Recharge): When the user completes a full day’s travel in contact with natural ground, they recover an additional 1 HP (or minor stamina equivalent) from rest as the greaves siphon residual ley heat into healing warmth.
Tags:
Leg Armor, Mobility, Endurance, Steam-Vent, Terrain Adaptability, Geomantic Traveler, Tier 1, Light Armor, Balance Enhancement, Mountain Craft, Steam-Powered, Cultural Relic, Andean Make, Traveler’s Blessing, Resonant Gear, Leg Armor, Mobility, Endurance, Steam-Vent, Terrain Adaptability, Tier 1, Geomantic Traveler
Commerce and Trade of the Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step (Saṃsāra)
The Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step are not simple travel gear—they are a hybrid of sacred artifact, industrial innovation, and cultural heritage, and thus occupy a special niche in Andean commerce. Their rarity lies not only in their craftsmanship but also in the philosophy embedded within: each pair is calibrated to the rhythm of the wearer’s movement, meaning new greaves must often be “attuned” before sale.
1. Stonewright’s Emporium (Urban Craft Districts – Peakhold, Qosqo-Suma)
Typical Cost: 9–12 Gold (Tier 1 Standard Market Value)
Environment: High-end stonecraft and metalwork boutique in the terraced heart of major Andean cities. Steam pipes hum beneath glass floors; walls display armor framed by ley-light.
Acquisition Method:
Here, the Greaves 288 are sold as artisan commissions, often crafted to match the buyer’s gait and posture. Customers stand on a geomantic calibration plate while copper braids and runes adjust to their unique stride rhythm.
– Buyers may negotiate through guild tokens or present pilgrimage permits from the Stonegrower Order for a discount.
– Payment can include rare minerals or ley-charged obsidian in lieu of gold.
Notes: Purchase includes a blessing ceremony by a Stonewright Apprentice who harmonizes the greaves with the city’s ley grid.
Clientele: Engineers, scholars, couriers, and guild travelers seeking both prestige and practical mobility.
2. Pilgrim’s Terrace Bazaar (Trade Markets, Mountain Slopes of Urin Pacha)
Typical Cost: 6–8 Gold (Worn or Refurbished Market Value)
Environment: Open-air terraces lined with prayer flags, steam carts, and portable forges. The air smells of hot stone and mountain herbs.
Acquisition Method:
Sold or traded by pilgrims and returning travelers who have finished sacred routes through the Andean terraces. Each pair carries etched markings of the journey—minor wear is viewed as spiritual proof of endurance rather than flaw.
– Buyers barter with food, crafted tools, or relic fragments rather than coin.
– Sellers often recount a brief travel tale; the sale doubles as a storytelling ritual.
Notes: Greaves here may still hum faintly with old ley signatures—usable but slightly unstable until re-attuned.
Clientele: Adventurers, explorers, or low-tier avatars beginning mountain ascents or sacred pilgrimages.
3. Guild of Steam and Stone (Industrial Quarter – Ironflow and Southflow Dominion)
Typical Cost: 14–16 Gold (Enhanced or Modified Guild Version)
Environment: Heavy machinery, hot vents, metallic echo—where inventors, artisans, and mechanists experiment with traditional geomancy fused with steam pressure.
Acquisition Method:
Guild versions integrate custom pressure regulators and extra vents, allowing better performance in industrial or urban terrain. Buyers are usually technicians, architects, or steamship engineers who need balance and safety at high elevations or on unstable catwalks.
– Negotiation occurs via guild contracts, sometimes involving work exchanges or prototype testing.
– A certification scroll is issued with each sale, listing enchantment strengths and power thresholds.
Notes: These models glow with a stronger bronze sheen and are reinforced with carbonstone weave, raising durability and resale value.
Clientele: Industrial magi, geomantic engineers, city guards, and expedition coordinators.
4. Obsidian Veil Curio House (Black Market and Shadow Trading Networks)
Typical Cost: 20–25 Gold (Illegal or Antiquated Artifact Model)
Environment: Dimly lit subterranean vaults in the caverns beneath Puna-Qollas. Steam condenses on black stone pillars, and runic locks guard crates of forbidden relics.
Acquisition Method:
Ancient prototypes—some predating the Rockfall—are traded discreetly through smuggler channels or relic dealers. These versions are highly volatile but more powerful, with unregulated steam bursts.
– Purchases are finalized via sealed promises (oath contracts) written on Qosqo-Khipu cords instead of coin.
– Buyers may face magical audits by Peakhold’s religious inspectors.
Notes: Many are considered “whispered relics,” their resonance partially corrupted by overuse. They hum audibly even when inert.
Clientele: Treasure hunters, heretic scholars, Isekai smugglers, and rogue adventurers seeking an edge.
5. Sanctum of Terraced Light (Temple Foundries – Grand Peakshrines)
Typical Cost: 3–5 Gold (Donated or Blessed Versions, Non-Commercial Distribution)
Environment: Quiet, sanctified workshops lit by geothermal glow and echoing hymns to Intayra. Every strike of the hammer is part of a ritual chant.
Acquisition Method:
Blessed greaves are not sold but earned—granted to those who complete sacred service maintaining terraces or ley conduits. The process involves a three-day fasting and resonance trial overseen by the Stonegrowers.
– Each pair carries the temple’s seal of balance and a personal blessing from a Resonant Priest.
Notes: These are the most spiritually potent versions, capable of long-term synchronization with the user’s Mind’s Eye.
Clientele: Temple guardians, geomancers, chosen pilgrims, or avatars performing sacred restoration duties.
Roleplay: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step — Defensive and Offensive Use Across Environments
These greaves are not merely armor; they are living conduits of motion and terrain harmony. Every puff of steam, every balanced step, and every vented hiss embodies Andean philosophy — movement as meditation, stillness as strength. The wearer becomes a part of the landscape itself, and their tactics adapt fluidly to the environment.
1. Mountain or Cliff Environments
Defense:
In high-altitude terrain, where loose rock and thin air threaten both footing and stamina, the greaves’ Terraced Balance and Steam Harmonization grant exceptional poise. Each micro-vent adjusts to the incline beneath the avatar’s feet, neutralizing slips and preventing knockdowns from tremors or sudden gusts. A defensive stance becomes a ritual of rootedness — a literal grounding in the mountain’s will.
– The avatar can stand at the edge of precipices without fear, absorbing shock from debris or collapsing ledges.
– During combat on uneven terrain, they can sidestep falling rocks or redirect momentum down-slope, using gravity as a shield.
Offense:
The Breath of the Mountain ability turns the user into a climbing predator. Activating steam bursts beneath the feet propels the avatar upward or outward, enabling leaping strikes or airborne grapples.
– In cliff fights, an avatar can spring off walls to deliver spinning kicks or crash down upon enemies below.
– The rhythmic venting produces a sonic pulse that disrupts footing in nearby enemies, subtly shaking unstable ground.
Roleplay Flavor: Dust swirls in concentric terraces around the avatar’s feet as each step echoes like the heartbeat of the peak.
2. Urban and Industrial Zones
Defense:
In metal walkways, bridges, or crowded foundries, the greaves’ steam vents soften vibrations, allowing the wearer to walk silently and maintain equilibrium on slick or shaking surfaces. The passive Enduring Rhythm dampens the reverberations of explosions or collapsing architecture.
– They can brace against steam pressure waves or heavy machinery impacts.
– The greaves redistribute kinetic energy from strikes through the wearer’s stance, reducing stagger or pushback.
Offense:
Steam propulsion can be channeled to enhance short-range lunges or evasive rolls across factory floors. The user may open vents fully for a “Burst Stride,” propelling forward like a piston to close distance or shoulder-tackle an opponent into industrial machinery.
– Using the Silent Step of the Stone, an assassin or spy could move unseen across metal plating and stone foundations alike.
– Engineers and street warriors alike use this technique to bypass noise-detection wards and strike first in close quarters.
Roleplay Flavor: When the greaves activate, the rhythmic exhale of steam matches the city’s pulsing gears — indistinguishable from the hiss of the forges themselves.
3. Desert or Arid Plains
Defense:
Over long treks, Steam Harmonization reduces fatigue by regulating temperature and preventing dehydration. The greaves emit micro-bursts of cooled air between steps, maintaining comfort even on heated terrain. The wearer’s footing remains sure even across unstable sand crusts or eroded stone.
– Their stride remains even, minimizing sinking and spreading weight across shifting surfaces.
– Sandstorms buffet harmlessly as the greaves stabilize posture and lower body resistance.
Offense:
The heat venting system can be overcharged, releasing pressurized steam bursts that briefly obscure vision in melee combat — creating mirage-like concealment.
– A swift downward stomp can send a shockwave through loose soil, destabilizing nearby opponents.
– Desert hunters use the greaves to leap from dune to dune, appearing like mirages themselves.
Roleplay Flavor: The avatar’s footprints steam faintly as if the desert itself exhales beneath their stride — the scent of hot metal and stone mingling with the wind.
4. Cavern and Subterranean Depths
Defense:
The greaves thrive underground, where stone’s voice resonates most clearly. The wearer senses vibrations and echoes, translating through the soles into subconscious awareness of approaching motion.
– The Ley-Line Resonance hums in warning before cave-ins, seismic shifts, or ambushes.
– The bracing design deflects falling debris and shields the legs from heavy impacts or molten runoff.
Offense:
In narrow tunnels, the wearer’s mobility is a weapon. Steam vents provide both propulsion and distraction — bursts of vapor can fill the tunnel, confusing enemies with distorted echoes.
– By leaping from wall to wall, the avatar performs acrobatic attacks where others stumble.
– The rhythmic vibration of their steps can disorient subterranean predators relying on tremor sense, flipping their advantage.
Roleplay Flavor: The greaves’ vents whistle softly like the mountain breathing through the avatar’s stride. Each footfall carries the echo of ages-old miners and builders beneath Andean stone.
5. Coastal and Wet Environments
Defense:
On slick rock or damp platforms, the pressure-regulated vents dry surfaces on contact, preventing slips. Steam bursts repel splashing water, while the bronze joints resist corrosion from salt or humidity.
– The greaves absorb pressure waves from rough surf or collapsing docks.
– They enable balance atop shifting decks or floating platforms.
Offense:
Steam bursts double as propulsion underwater or in heavy mist. When charged, the greaves emit a sonic pulse that confuses aquatic monsters or distorts sonar-like perception.
– Onshore, the wearer can launch a ground-stomp to spray superheated water and steam outward, momentarily scalding or distracting foes.
Roleplay Flavor: Steam and sea-spray fuse into shimmering light. To onlookers, the avatar seems to glide across wet stone as if walking on breath itself.
6. Battlefield or Combat Arena
Defense:
With precision timing, the wearer can use steam bursts to cushion explosive impacts or redirect momentum from charging enemies. The greaves act as kinetic absorbers, converting force into heat vented through bronze exhaust ports.
– Grants the ability to maintain footing in quakes, blasts, or magical surges.
– The rhythmic motion prevents overextension and stabilizes posture mid-fight.
Offense:
By channeling energy into the vents, the wearer performs the Terraced Strike—a forward stomp that sends a compressed air shockwave, toppling lighter opponents or disrupting magic circles.
– The burst can also serve as a midair dash, combining offense and escape.
– In duels, masters of the greaves use “mountain echo strikes,” timed with their opponent’s heartbeat to unbalance rhythm and form.
Roleplay Flavor: Steam wreaths the legs in curling halos of light, each burst leaving terrace-shaped patterns of vapor across the ground before fading like divine breath.
Perception of Activation:
User’s Perspective:
The moment the Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step awaken, the avatar feels an internal alignment — as if every heartbeat syncs to the rhythm of the mountain’s breath. A pulse travels up from the soles, warm and steady, carrying with it the scent of damp stone and faint ozone. The bronze joints exhale tiny plumes of steam that brush against the skin like sighs of relief. Each step becomes measured perfection: the sound of their stride fading into silence as the vents equalize pressure and balance. Time feels slower; every incline, every pebble, every vibration is sensed as a language of the earth. The ground seems to rise gently to meet the avatar’s feet, transforming travel into an act of communion.
Extrasensory impressions bloom — the faint hum of ley lines below, a whispering vibration at the edge of perception, and the impression of being watched benevolently by something vast and ancient beneath the stone. The world’s pulse seems to echo faintly within the wearer’s bones, a shared cadence of life and endurance.
Observer’s Perspective:
To witnesses, activation is subtle but breathtaking. The greaves exhale soft clouds of silver steam that coil upward in concentric spirals before fading. The stone-cloth layers shimmer faintly, veins of green-gold light rippling up the legs as if mimicking terraces illuminated by sunrise. Each step leaves a faint geometric glow in its wake — not a footprint but an impression of balance, dissolving within seconds. The avatar’s gait appears impossibly smooth, gliding even across shattered terrain, their movements almost musical in precision. When they sprint or climb, the steam releases in rhythm, resembling a living engine bound by ritual grace.
Positives:
– Ground connection heightens environmental awareness, enabling instinctive terrain use and surefooted grace.
– Tremendous balance and endurance: fatigue dissipates, travel becomes meditative rather than exhausting.
– The steam harmonizes body and environment, reducing sound and motion disturbance.
– Extrasensory link to the land aids navigation, resonance detection, and ley-line alignment.
Negatives:
– Prolonged use over unstable or magically corrupted ground induces dizziness or vertigo as the ley signals distort.
– The hum of geomantic pressure within the greaves can become intrusive, like a heartbeat not one’s own.
– Steam emissions, though controlled, can betray the avatar’s presence in quiet or confined areas.
– The heightened connection to the terrain may create emotional dissonance — a longing to remain rooted, slowing reaction when forced to retreat.
To the Qosqo-Pacha, activation of the Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step is said to be the soul’s brief synchronization with the island’s eternal rhythm — a moment where stone, steam, and spirit walk in perfect accord.
Crafting Recipe: “Forging the Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step”
(Reconstruction of the original Andean geomantic design through steamcraft and ley-harmonic metallurgy)
Materials Needed
- Bronze of the High Terraces (4 ingots) – Bronze alloy infused with powdered obsidian and trace silver; mined and smelted only in the Andean terraces above Qosqo-Suma where geomantic resonance is stable.
- Stone-Cloth Weave (2 rolls) – Woven basalt fiber mixed with mountain moss, steeped in ley-infused mineral water for flexibility and steam resistance.
- Pulse-Vents (6 miniature valves) – Small pressure regulators made of brass and crystal lenses, calibrated to open rhythmically with the wearer’s step.
- Steam Core Bead (1 unit) – A crystal sphere containing condensed elemental steam created by combining water and fire essences within a sealed aether crucible.
- Ley-Thread Filament (10 feet) – Thin copper and silver cords enchanted to vibrate in harmony with mountain ley lines; used to link mechanical components.
- Terrace-Etched Insignia Plate (2 plates) – Embossed spiral plates inscribed with the Pattern of Enduring Steps, representing patience and rhythm.
- Essence of Endurance (1 vial) – A rare alchemical distillate made from snowmelt, powdered granite, and the heart oil of the Stonebloom plant.
- Binding Resin of Qosqo (1 jar) – Transparent adhesive resin derived from volcanic sap trees, used to fuse metal and fiber layers without weld marks.
- Optional Aesthetic Additions: Copper inlay, woven sigils, or personal grain spiral emblem (for artisans who wish to mark ownership).
Tools Required
– Steamforge Anvil: A high-temperature forge powered by elemental steam for consistent thermal balance.
– Geomantic Hammer: Weighted with ley attunement stones, vibrates in rhythm with the crafter’s heartbeat to ensure flow alignment.
– Ley-Tuner Rods: Copper tools that detect vibration misalignments in filament threads.
– Aether Crucible: For creating and stabilizing the Steam Core Bead.
– Pressure Gauge Set: Ensures vent alignment and regulated steam output.
– Etching Stylus of Terraced Pattern: Used to inscribe the Pattern of Enduring Steps on the bronze layers.
– Cooling Basin of Spirit Water: Prevents spiritual cracking during the final quenching stage.
Skill Requirements
– Smithing (Intermediate or higher): Ability to shape and temper bronze-obsidian alloys without disrupting embedded ley-filaments.
– Geomancy (Basic): Knowledge of ley-line resonance patterns and rhythmic energy synchronization.
– Steamcraft Engineering (Intermediate): Familiarity with pressure vent calibration, flow control, and harmonization of mechanical rhythm.
– Runecraft or Inscription (Basic): Capable of etching stable magical patterns that channel endurance.
– Alchemy (Minor): Understanding of essence infusion and resin bonding to prevent ley backflow.
Crafting Steps
- Preparation and Purification:
Cleanse the workspace with a brief ley-chant to harmonize local energy. Place all materials in a circle aligned with the cardinal ley points (north and south for stability, east for ignition, west for cooling). - Forging the Core Plates:
Heat the Bronze of the High Terraces in the steamforge until molten. Add obsidian dust and Essence of Endurance drop by drop. Pour into greave molds lined with Stone-Cloth Weave, alternating layers to produce a composite flexible plate. - Embedding the Ley-Threads:
Once semi-cooled, wind Ley-Thread Filament through the greave’s interior channeling grooves. Tap gently with the Geomantic Hammer, syncing your breathing with the hammer’s vibration. Each strike binds a thread of magic to a vein of metal, forging rhythm into form. - Installation of Pulse-Vents:
Drill vent sockets along the lower calf and ankle joints. Insert the Pulse-Vents, using the Pressure Gauge Set to calibrate their release interval to every third heartbeat. Connect the vents to the Steam Core Bead housed behind the shin plate. - Etching the Pattern of Enduring Steps:
Using the Etching Stylus, carve spiraling terraces along the outer shell of the greaves. Each spiral must touch a ley thread point and end on a vent line, symbolizing flow and restraint. Dust with powdered silver to seal. - Infusion and Resonance Alignment:
Place the greaves upon the Steamforge Anvil, activate the Ley-Tuner Rods, and begin the Song of Steps—a rhythmic chant passed down from Andean Stonegrowers. The greaves should emit a faint hum and light pulse when resonance is achieved. - Quenching and Binding:
Immerse the greaves into the Cooling Basin of Spirit Water to finalize the bond. The sound of a soft hiss and the scent of mountain rain mark success. Apply Binding Resin of Qosqo to seal the seams, allowing the resin to cool naturally for twelve hours. - Testing Phase:
Strap the greaves on a stable stone floor and take a single deliberate step. If properly crafted, a faint exhalation of silver steam will emerge from each vent, and the greaves will gently balance themselves to your rhythm.
Result
Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step (Replica Quality)
– Tier 1 mobility gear aligned to the mountain ley-flow.
– Capable of +5 ft movement speed, fatigue reduction, and silent travel on stone surfaces.
– True mastery requires wearing the greaves during one full dawn-to-dusk journey across natural stone to awaken their harmonic memory.
Note from Peakhold’s Smithing Codex: “Only when the crafter’s heart moves with the mountain’s beat will the greaves exhale in time — the difference between metal and motion lies not in steel, but in breath.”
Song of Hundred Steps
(Recovered and retranslated through the cracked tablets of the Old Terrace Library, believed to be derived from an even more ancient oral scripture of unknown origin.)
It is said — though none agree how the saying began — that before the terraces were carved and before the ley-lines had veins to travel, there walked a builder named Aruqan of the Lower Stone. His hands were chapped by cold basalt and his knees bruised from years of climbing the unfinished peaks of Andean. He was a quiet soul, a listener of echoes, and in those early days of shaping the mountains, he wished only for the land to speak back.
The mountains, however, were silent. Their breath was steam and their speech was quake, and mortals could not yet hear their rhythm. So Aruqan, weary of his clumsy pace and of slipping down wet stone, made a vow beneath the still-forged stars — that he would learn to walk in perfect time with the heartbeat of the island, that no step of his would ever fall out of rhythm with the pulse of Intayra’s will.
He began his long work, alone and unheard. He listened to dripping water and the hiss of steam vents, watching how mist gathered and dispersed, as though the island itself inhaled and exhaled. He counted the beats between thunder and echo, mapping in his mind a strange arithmetic of balance: two steps forward, one for patience; one backward, one for breath. His life became a pattern of movement and waiting.
Some say decades passed, others centuries — for the old tongue muddles time as easily as it bends stone. Aruqan was no longer merely human; his bones thickened with mineral, and his feet grew calloused to stone. He wove bronze joints from the veins of the cliffs, wrapping his legs in stone-cloth soaked in geothermal mist, fusing motion and matter. He built what the texts call the Silent Shrouds of Step and Steam — what modern scholars know as the Greaves of the Terraced Step.
With each dawn, he climbed higher. The vents hissed beneath his soles, not as resistance but as rhythm. Steam burst in harmony with his stride, each vent whispering a syllable of the island’s long-forgotten language. “Ka… ru… na… thu…” it murmured, which scholars cannot agree to translate — perhaps “Rise with care,” or “Remember the pulse.”
He became a legend among the early terrace-builders. They said that when Aruqan walked, he did not leave footprints but terraces, each step pressing the mountain into gentler shape. He could travel for seven days without rest; cliffs bent slightly under his balance, and avalanches halted mid-fall, unwilling to disturb his rhythm.
Yet pride, as the fractured translation warns, is the chisel that dulls itself. When a young stonecrafter named Iruva — bright-eyed and fleet — saw his teacher walk in silence, she thought, If one step can carve, then ten may command. She copied the greaves, but in haste, adding ten more vents and threading her work with quicksilver instead of copper. Her greaves hissed louder, her steps faster, her terraces steeper.
The texts fragment here, but one phrase endures:
“And the mountain blinked.”
It is unclear whether this was a metaphor or catastrophe. Later verses describe a steam-quake — the terraces collapsing, the air turning to boiling mist, Iruva vanishing beneath her own ambition. Aruqan found only her footprints, burned into basalt, leading nowhere. He removed his greaves and left them at the mountain’s summit, saying nothing for three days. When he finally spoke, it was not to the mountain but to the next dawn:
“To walk the pulse is to hear the silence between breaths.”
He buried the greaves beneath a terrace newly laid, and the story says that from that place sprang the first balanced harvest, for the earth grew calm and steady again. The steam vents around that region now exhale in intervals — one breath every hundred heartbeats — a rhythm locals call The Builder’s Rest.
Some centuries later, when the scholars of Qosqo-Suma unearthed the site, they found the greaves sealed in volcanic ash, their bronze still warm, still humming faintly as though they had never stopped walking. The runes along their edges had changed — some said they resembled terraces, others said they looked like words for “patience.” The script is worn, unreadable, yet one phrase survives clearly on the left greave’s inner seam:
“He who runs too swiftly outruns the song of the stone.”
Moral: Patience is the rhythm that holds the mountain steady. Walk in balance, or your own steps will become your fall.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step
Type: Arcane Relic (Protective Gear – Legs)
Era Use: Renaissance / Steamcraft Era
Description: Ancient bronze-and-stone greaves with vented joints that exhale rhythmic bursts of steam. When worn, they resonate faintly with subterranean vibrations and the pulse of the mountain itself.
Game Mechanics:
– Armor Value: 2 points (legs only)
– Bonus: +10% to Climb and Jump checks.
– Endurance Effect: Once per game day, the wearer may ignore the effects of fatigue for 6 hours.
– Geomantic Pulse: Once per session, the wearer can move silently on stone terrain for 10 minutes, gaining +20% to Stealth rolls while doing so.
– Terrace Sense: The wearer instinctively feels shifts in the ground (detects nearby tremors, structural instability, or hollow spaces within 10 meters).
– Magic/Power Cost: Using the Geomantic Pulse costs 3 Magic Points.
– Sanity Effect: Observers of the greaves’ rhythmic breathing may make a SAN roll (0/1d2 loss) due to the unsettling sense of the land responding to the wearer’s motion.
Lore: Crafted after the Rockfall of Turrath to restore harmony between artisans and the living mountains of Andean. Some claim they whisper rhythmic chants when left atop natural stone under moonlight.
Blades in the Dark (Latest Edition)
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step
Item Type: Fine Arcane Gear (Worn, Tier I)
Load: 1
Description: Steam-vented greaves that breathe softly with each step, tuned to the hidden pulse of the mountain’s ley lines.
Mechanics:
– Grants +1d to any Prowl or Survey roll involving stone, machinery, or vibration.
– While attuned, you can “hear” vibrations within 30 feet, detecting movement, hidden hollows, or approaching threats.
– Once per score, you may move silently for 10 minutes on any stone or metal surface.
– You take less effect from fatigue or exhaustion while climbing, running, or performing long-term labor.
– When you push yourself using these greaves, describe how the vents hiss or the metal glows faintly; you gain +1d but risk a minor steam-burn harm on a 1–3 result.
Lore Note: A relic of the Andean terrace-builders, prized by smugglers and saboteurs working in the tunnels beneath the mountains.
Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step
Wondrous Item (Leg Slot), Uncommon (requires attunement)
Armor Class Bonus: +1 AC (when wearing light or medium armor).
Speed: Increases walking speed by 5 feet.
Fatigue Reduction: You have advantage on saving throws to resist exhaustion from forced marches, climbing, or travel.
Silent Step (1/Day): As an action, you can activate the steam vents to silence your movement for 10 minutes. During this time, you have advantage on Stealth checks made while moving across stone or metal.
Stone Sense: You gain tremorsense (10 feet) while both you and the source of vibration are in contact with the same surface.
Geomantic Resonance (1/Short Rest): As a bonus action, you may stabilize difficult terrain in a 10-foot radius for 1 minute, treating stone or rocky ground as normal terrain for all allies.
Activation Aesthetics: Upon activation, soft silver light outlines the wearer’s calves as steam vents exhale with rhythmic pulses resembling heartbeats.
Lore: The Matriarch-Smiths of Qosqo-Suma forged these greaves after the loss of the City of Shattered Terraces to teach balance in progress — each vent breathes in memory of restraint.
Knave (Latest Edition)
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step**
Type: Leg Armor (Tier 1, Steamcraft / Magical)
Armor Bonus: +1 Defense
Weight: 1 slot
Effects:
– Movement speed increased by 5 feet (or one grid increment).
– You do not suffer movement penalties from climbing or rugged terrain.
– Once per day, you can walk silently across stone or metal for up to 10 minutes.
– You sense ground vibrations within 20 feet (hidden hollows, traps, or moving creatures).
Optional Magical Usage:
Once per rest, you may center yourself for one round, breathing in rhythm with the greaves’ pulse; regain 1 lost Hit Point or remove one level of fatigue.
Tags: Leg Armor, Steamcraft, Endurance, Mobility, Magic Item, Tier 1, Andean Forged
Lore Fragment: “When the mountain breathes, step with it — for to rush the rhythm is to tumble into silence.”
Fate Core System
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step
Type: Arcane Gear (Aspect-Driven Item, Tier 1)
High Concept Aspect: “Breathing Steps of the Mountain”
Description: Steam-vented bronze-and-stone greaves that exhale gentle puffs of silver vapor in rhythm with the wearer’s stride. Their internal vents harmonize with the mountain’s ley-lines, granting both balance and stealth to those who listen to their rhythm.
Item Aspects:
– “The Earth Moves as I Move” – gain narrative permission to detect tremors, ground shifts, or hidden hollows.
– “Rhythm of Stone and Breath” – once per session, reroll or add +2 on a movement, stealth, or endurance roll if walking or climbing upon natural stone.
Stunts:
– Silent Step: Spend 1 Fate Point to move across stone or metal terrain without making a sound for one scene.
– Geomantic Awareness: Once per session, declare you’ve noticed an oncoming quake, collapse, or subterranean disturbance before it occurs.
– Steam Pulse: Once per session, create an Advantage such as Stable Ground or Balanced Stride by venting pressure beneath your feet to rebalance footing.
Drawbacks/Compels: The vents require occasional synchronization—on a failed Overcome roll involving machinery or balance, you risk a steam misfire causing brief noise or exposure.
Refresh Cost: 1
Lore: Forged by the terrace-builders of Qosqo-Suma, these greaves remind their wearer that every step is part of a greater rhythm—the heartbeat of the land itself.
Numenera / Cypher System
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step
Level: 3 (Occasionally 4 for masterwork variants)
Form: A pair of jointed bronze greaves with miniature steam vents and ley-thread inscriptions that resonate faintly when walking on stone.
Effect:
– Increases Speed Defense by +1.
– The wearer moves +2 meters per round.
– Reduces the difficulty of climbing, jumping, or balance tasks by one step.
– Once per hour, the wearer may activate the Silent Step function, which masks sound and vibration for 10 minutes. During this time, Speed-based stealth tasks are eased by two steps.
– When walking across natural or crafted stone, the wearer automatically detects significant vibrations within a short range (10 meters), such as moving creatures, traps, or unstable ground.
Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (for Silent Step)
Wearer Requirements: Must attune by standing barefoot upon natural stone for 10 minutes and synchronizing breath with the vents’ rhythm.
GM Intrusion: The vents overheat or release a loud hiss, alerting nearby foes or disturbing ley-balance, temporarily halving movement for one round.
Lore: Ancient Andean relics engineered to honor the “Terrace Pulse”—a forgotten technique that allowed artisans to walk long distances without tiring. Modern artificers struggle to reproduce the precise rhythm that powers the vents.
Pathfinder (2nd Edition)
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step
Item Type: Magical Armor – Leg Slot
Rarity: Uncommon
Level: 4
Price: 120 gp
Usage: Worn leg armor
Bulk: 1
Traits: Magical, Steam, Geomancy, Andean-Crafted
Armor Bonus: +1 item bonus to AC (applies only when wearing light or medium armor).
Speed Bonus: +5 feet circumstance bonus to Speed.
Skill Bonuses: +1 item bonus to Acrobatics and Athletics checks related to climbing, jumping, or balancing.
Passive Magic Effects:
– Enduring Step: You ignore the first stage of fatigue from forced marching or overland travel.
– Pulse Awareness: You gain tremorsense 10 feet, but only when both you and the target are in contact with a solid surface.
Activatable Magics:
– Silent Movement (1/day): Command word; gain a +2 status bonus to Stealth checks for 10 minutes, only on stone or metal surfaces.
– Steam Cushion (1/hour, Reaction): Trigger: You fall or are pushed from a height. The greaves vent steam, reducing fall damage by half and allowing you to land silently if you succeed a DC 15 Reflex save.
Crafting Requirements: Expert in Crafting and Arcana; access to a geomantic forge. Requires Bronze Alloy, Steam Core Bead, and Essence of Endurance.
Lore: Forged in memory of the terrace-builders who followed Intayra’s rhythm, the greaves were worn by geomancers who shaped Andean’s slopes during the Steam Renaissance.
Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step
Category: Magical Gear (Leg Slot, Rare, Tier I)
Description: Steam-vented greaves that harmonize the wearer’s stride with geomantic energy, granting fluid motion and rhythmic balance.
Gear Stats:
– Armor: +1 (Legs only)
– Pace: +1 to Pace; running die increases one step (e.g., d6 → d8).
– Climbing & Endurance: +2 bonus to Athletics (Climb) rolls and Vigor rolls against fatigue or environmental travel effects.
– Geomantic Awareness: Detects vibrations and ground movement within 6″ (approximately 30 feet); grants +2 to Notice rolls to detect underground motion or instability.
– Silent Step (1/Encounter): Spend 1 Power Point (or 1 Bennie if no PP pool) to silence your movement for 10 rounds; gain +2 Stealth and ignore noise-based detection.
– Steam Cushion (1/Day): Negate the first 1d6 of falling damage, landing in balance as if weightless.
Activation Effects: Emits soft puffs of silver mist and a rhythmic hum matching the wearer’s heartbeat.
Drawbacks: On a Critical Failure involving running or climbing, the vents misfire, causing a brief hiss—granting nearby foes a +2 bonus to Notice for one round.
Value: 500 credits or equivalent (based on rarity and craft complexity).
Lore: Said to have been designed by the Stonegrowers after the fall of Turrath to ensure that those who tread upon sacred terraces never lose the rhythm of the land again.
Shadowrun (6th Edition)
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step
Item Type: Augmented Armor Gear (Cyberware-Compatible, Tier 1, Rare)
Category: Legwear / Mobility Enhancement
Description: Forged of layered stone-cloth and microsteam bronze joints, these greaves are relics of the geomantic forges of Andean. Modern technomancers consider them hybrid artifacts—half machine, half spirit, resonating with ley-line analogs in the Earth’s magnetic field.
Game Mechanics:
– Armor Rating: +1 to Defense (stackable with standard armor).
– Movement Bonus: +1 meter per Movement Action.
– Skill Bonus: +2 dice to Athletics and Climbing tests.
– Silent Step Mode: Once per Scene, the user may activate the greaves for 10 Combat Rounds to move silently across stone, metal, or similar surfaces (Gain +3 dice to Sneaking tests).
– Geomantic Sensor Suite: Detects underground vibrations, concealed passages, or seismic movement within 10 meters (automatically triggers a Perception test with +2 dice when applicable).
– Drain/Cost: When Silent Step or Geomantic Sensor are activated, the wearer takes 1 Stun Damage from vent pressure and heat buildup.
– Availability: 8R
– Cost: ¥8,500
Lore: Rediscovered by technomancers studying ley data flows beneath mountain megacities, the greaves now circulate in high-end black markets. Some believe they whisper coordinates of “lost ley servers” when worn near geothermal cores.
Starfinder (Latest Edition)
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step
Item Type: Hybrid Item (Technomagical Armor Mod, Leg Slot)
Level: 4
Price: 2,300 credits
Bulk: 1
Slot: Legs (armor upgrade slot)
Description: These hybrid greaves hum faintly with ley-tuned steam vents and etched bronze terraces. Their design mimics ancient Andean craftsmanship infused with modern magitech.
Game Mechanics:
– AC Bonus: +1 EAC/KAC (legs only, does not stack with similar leg upgrades).
– Speed Bonus: +10 feet to base speed.
– Skill Bonus: +2 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics and Athletics checks.
– Passive Magic (Geomantic Resonance): Detects ground vibrations and ley disruptions within 20 feet as if under a constant detect affliction spell targeting structural anomalies.
– Active Magic (Silent Tread, 1/day): As a swift action, the wearer gains the invisibility (sound only) effect for 1 minute. Movement is silent and grants +10 circumstance bonus to Stealth when moving on stone or metal.
– Environmental Mod: Ignore difficult terrain caused by rocky or uneven ground.
Lore: These hybrid relics originated from the mountain citadel of Peakhold. Current technomancers replicate them using micro-forge nanites fused with runic alloys.
Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step
Type: Ancient Artifact (Protective / Mobility Augmentation)
Tech Level (TL): 14 (Pre-Fall Relic)
Mass: 4 kg
Value: Cr12,000
Description: A pair of weathered bronze-jointed greaves whose micro-hydraulic seams emit faint bursts of mineral-scented steam. Their origin lies in Andean’s volcanic terraces—crafted to steady climbers and geomancers through ley-balance technology lost to modern industry.
Traits / Mechanics:
– Armor: +2 Protection (legs only; may be worn under most combat armor).
– Mobility Enhancement: +1 DM to Athletics (Dexterity) and Recon (awareness of ground movement).
– Endurance Boost: Wearer reduces all fatigue penalties from forced travel or climbing by 1 level.
– Silent Step Function (once per day): For 10 minutes, grants +2 DM to Stealth when walking upon rock, concrete, or alloy surfaces.
– Geomantic Sensor: When stationary for one round, may automatically detect tremors, collapses, or buried structures within 10 meters (as if using a seismic sensor).
– Reliability: On a roll of 2 on 2D6 while using Silent Step, vents jam—requiring 1D6 minutes of maintenance.
Lore: Rumored to have been reverse-engineered from ancient “stone-tech” discovered on the Saṃsāran highlands, these greaves remain a coveted prize among Explorers’ Guilds searching the volcanic rifts of lost Andean cities.
Warhammer (Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition)
Name: Greaves 288 of the Terraced Step
Rarity: Very Rare (Magical Artifact)
Encumbrance: 2
Type: Armor (Leg Slot, Tier 1 Relic)
Craftsmanship: Masterwork Andean Steamcraft
Description: Polished bronze greaves engraved with terrace spirals. Tiny vents exhale silvery vapor that follows the rhythm of the wearer’s gait. Revered as relics of the Geomantic Builders of Saṃsāra.
Game Mechanics:
– AP (Legs): 2 (stacks with normal armor).
– Movement: +1 to Movement Characteristic.
– Fatigue Resistance: Reduce all Fatigue points suffered from travel, climbing, or encumbrance by 1 (minimum 0).
– Silent Step (1/day): For 10 minutes, wearer gains the Silent Move (Stone) Talent even if untrained; ignores penalties for stone or metal terrain.
– Geomantic Awareness: Gain +10 to Perception Tests to detect ground-based threats (traps, tremors, tunnels, hidden caverns).
– Backlash (on doubles during Stealth Test): A misaligned steam vent emits a hiss; roll 1d10—on 8–10, the wearer takes 1 Wound and loses Stealth benefits for 1 round.
– Corruption Threshold: 0 (Purely mechanical-magic hybrid, non-tainted).
Lore: The Greaves of the Terraced Step are believed to have been worn by a nameless Builder-Priest who guided the first mountain terraces before succumbing to exhaustion. Each hiss of steam recalls his measured breathing, reminding warriors and masons alike: “The mountain endures, not the hurried hand.”