From: Lineage 417 of the Qosqo Pacha
Forged from volcanic alloy and woven with geomantic fiber, this cuirass channels the steady rhythm of mountain ley lines through embedded pulse-crystals. When worn, faint silver light ripples across the torso like a breathing stone pattern.
Effects: +1 Constitution; resistance to concussive and falling damage; minor regeneration (+1 HP per hour in contact with natural rock). Once per day, wearer may stabilize unstable ley flow within 15 ft.
Lore: Crafted by the Matriarch-Smiths of Peakhold after the Rockfall to teach patience through endurance.
Chest Slot — “Stoneheart Cuirass 973 of the Balanced Pulse”
Forged in the aftermath of the Rockfall, this cuirass embodies the Andean principle that true endurance is harmony, not hardness.
Expanded Lore
When the City of Turrath fell beneath its own ambition, the surviving Matriarch-Smiths of Peakhold swore an oath before Intayra to rebuild without arrogance. In the terraces of molten stone where ley lines still hissed with unspent power, they quenched iron and obsidian in mountain steam, weaving geomantic fibers through the metal until the very alloy pulsed with the rhythm of the peaks. Thus were born the Stoneheart Cuirasses, each numbered according to its forging ceremony—973 marking the thousandth forging season after the Rockfall.
The crafting rite required three vows: to breathe with the mountain, to strike with purpose, and to rest with patience. During the final hammering, a pulse-crystal harvested from the ley conduits of Mount Virrath was pressed into the breastplate’s core, binding it to the slow heartbeat of the island itself. The light that ripples across its surface is not enchantment but resonance—the reflection of the wearer’s internal balance harmonizing with the living stone beneath their feet.
Legends hold that the first Cuirass of the Balanced Pulse was given to a Stonegrower who quelled a leyquake by standing unmoving on a trembling cliff, her heartbeat synchronizing with the mountain’s tremor until the flow settled. Ever since, the cuirass has been a symbol of resilience through stillness—a silent teacher of composure under strain. Among the Qosqo-Pacha, to wear one is to shoulder the weight of a mountain and to learn to breathe as it does.
Tier and Stat Values
Tier: 1 (Common–Uncommon Transition)
Armor Class Bonus: +2
Stat Modifiers: +1 Constitution, +5% Fortitude saves
Durability: 42/42 HP
Weight: 16 lbs (medium armor equivalent)
Skills Gained
– Geomantic Fortitude (Passive Skill): grants advantage or +2 bonus on Constitution saving throws made to resist environmental effects (heat, cold, altitude, or exhaustion from terrain).
– Terrace Stability (Trained Skill): when standing on natural or worked stone, gain advantage or +2 to Strength (Athletics) checks involving balance, climbing, or resisting being knocked prone.
Passive Magics
- Ley Resonance Field: The cuirass hums faintly when near ley lines, subtly aligning the wearer’s aura to prevent energy shock. Allies within 10 ft gain +1 on saving throws vs. magical dissonance or fatigue.
- Stonebreath Regeneration: While in contact with natural rock, the wearer’s pulse synchronizes with the terrain, restoring +1 HP per hour and reducing poison or toxin onset time by half.
- Pulse Reflection: Whenever the wearer endures a physical impact exceeding 10% of their HP, a minor vibration radiates outward, momentarily reducing the next incoming blow’s damage by 10%.
Activatable Magics
- Balanced Pulse (1/day, Focus Action):
Stabilizes unstable ley energy or magical resonance within a 15-foot radius. Shattered crystals, ruptured steam vents, or chaotic magical surges calm instantly. Allies in the radius regain composure, ending the Shaken or Panicked conditions (or similar). Duration: 1 minute. - Mountain’s Endurance (1/long rest):
The wearer channels the Cuirass’s deep harmonic rhythm for 10 rounds (1 minute). During this state:
– Resistance to concussive, sonic, and falling damage (50% reduction).
– Each round the wearer remains still, they gain +1 temporary HP (max +10).
– Upon movement, a shock of stabilizing energy ripples outward, granting allies within 10 ft +1 AC for one round.
Slot
Equipment Slot: Chest (Armor)
Attunement Requirement: Must have at least minor geomancy affinity or Andean cultural training (e.g., knowledge of Pacha-Qosqo chant tones).
Tags
Armor, Geomancy, Stability, Steam-Forged, Resonant Crystal, Tier 1, Defensive, Andean Craft, Regeneration, Ley Attunement, Pulse Magic, Constitution Boost, Balance Discipline, Earth Resonance, Rockfall Relic, Armor, Geomancy, Stability, Steam-Forged, Resonant Crystal, Tier 1, Defensive, Andean Craft
Commerce and Trade Context — “Stoneheart Cuirass 973 of the Balanced Pulse”
An Andean geomantic relic whose circulation remains bound by the balance between reverence and practicality.
General Market Value
Base Value: 650 – 780 gold (Saṃsāra standard currency scale)
Trade Category: Tier 1 Enchanted Armor (Medium, Defensive, Resonant Crystal Class)
Appraisal Difficulty: Arcana or Smithing DC 14 to verify authenticity
Counterfeits: Common in coastal trade hubs—imitations lack true ley resonance and do not emit the faint silver pulse under direct moonlight.
1. Grand Peakshrine Foundries (Religious-Industrial Temples, Peakhold & Qosqo-Suma)
These foundries are half-temple, half-forge—sacred workshops operated by the Stonegrowers’ Orders under Intayra’s blessing.
Acquisition: The cuirass is rarely sold outright; it is granted by rite to those who complete the “Trial of Still Pulse,” an endurance and focus test involving geomantic chanting beside a live ley conduit. Applicants must present a service history in mountain defense, terra-stabilization, or civic geomancy.
Donation Cost (Equivalent): ~480 gold in materials plus a vow of communal labor (ten days assisting temple engineers).
Resale Restriction: Forbidden by doctrine; returning a cuirass to the open market without the blessing of a Stonegrower is considered dishonoring Intayra’s breath.
2. Artisan’s Emporium of Steam and Stone (Guild Market, Peakhold Upper Terraces)
A secular guild-run merchant complex where geomantic engineers trade and restore equipment.
Purchase Method: Direct commission or auction from retired Stonegrowers. Each cuirass is inspected for pulse-crystal stability and craftsmanship lineage (recorded on embedded Qosqo-Khipu fibers).
Typical Sale Price: 700–850 gold, negotiable by proof of guild membership.
Trade Services: The guild offers warranty repairs (15 gold per day of forging) and ley-tuning calibrations (+5 gold per pulse alignment).
Atmosphere: Loud forges, scent of burning resin, chatter of apprentices; walls engraved with names of guild-forged artifacts sold into honorable service.
3. Mountain Bazaar of Virrath-Spire (Independent Marketplace, high altitude)
Floating on terraces halfway up Mount Virrath, this bazaar caters to adventurers and mercenaries.
Inventory Origin: Acquired from battlefield reclamation or inheritance sales after climber accidents.
Sale Conditions: Open barter accepted—rare ores, monster hearts, or ley crystals may substitute for coin.
Typical Range: 620–720 gold or equivalent value.
Reputation: Buyers risk encountering replicas made with inert pulse-glass; legitimate merchants will let buyers test the cuirass by placing a palm against the chestplate—authentic items vibrate faintly in rhythm with the mountain wind.
Common Buyers: Griffon riders, terrace guards, independent explorers who value endurance over ceremony.
4. Antiquarian House of Steam Relics (Collector’s Hall, Qosqo-Suma Lower Quarters)
A luxury venue appealing to noble houses, scholars, and Isekai collectors.
Sales Format: Sealed-bid auctions every fifth moon cycle, usually featuring restored pieces with provenance papers signed by retired Matriarch-Smiths.
Average Auction Price: 900–1 050 gold; spikes to 1 200 gold when the lot includes complete Khipu documentation or ley-crystal still responsive to Mind’s Eye resonance.
Buyer Requirements: Proof of solvency, background verification for artifact stewardship, and ceremonial acknowledgment of Intayra’s balance creed.
Resale Taxes: 12% of final bid returned to the Grand Peakshrine restoration fund.
5. Black-Steam Exchange (Underground Trade Network, Virrani Catacombs)
Unlicensed geomantic relic trade operating beneath Peakhold’s vents.
Stock: Damaged or unblessed cuirasses stripped from fallen miners or expeditionary ruins. Functionality uncertain; pulse-crystals often cracked or misaligned.
Price Range: 250–400 gold depending on condition.
Risks: Magical contamination or residual ley imbalance may inflict “Stone-Sickness” (slowed reflexes, dizziness).
Buyer Profile: Prospectors, mercenaries, or desperate repairers seeking spare components rather than full relics.
Law Enforcement Penalty: Confiscation and fine up to 200 gold, unless the buyer can prove restoration intent.
Economic and Cultural Notes
– Appraisal Authority: The Ministry of Ley Maintenance issues authenticity sigils—visible under blue ley-light as concentric pulses—required for lawful resale.
– Export Control: Andean law prohibits export of intact Stoneheart relics; foreign traders may only purchase discharged cuirasses (pulse-crystal inert).
– Cultural Weight: To the Qosqo-Pacha, owning a functioning Stoneheart without having earned it through service is viewed as hollow—its resonance may even dull when worn by the unworthy, a phenomenon scholars describe as “the mountain’s silence.”
Stoneheart Cuirass 973 of the Balanced Pulse — Roleplay Uses by Environment (defensive and offensive applications, with sensory and social cues)
Mountain Terraces / Cliffside Worksites
Defense — The cuirass is a literal and symbolic anchor on terraces. Worn while supervising or repairing cliff fixtures, its Ley Resonance Field murmurs against tremors; when a quarry blast or sudden tremor occurs, the wearer plants feet, channels the cuirass, and activates Balanced Pulse to calm chaotic ley flow in a 15-foot radius. Roleplay beats: hands pressed to stone, breath synchronized to the cuirass’s faint pulse, apprentices fall silent as steam vents slow and grit settles. Mechanically this prevents structural collapse nearby, reduces falling damage to bystanders, and stabilizes steam conduits.
Offense — In a desperate defensive assault on a runaway landslide or hostile siege levered from above, Mountain’s Endurance can be used to endure rockfall and then push outward: the wearer stands as a bulwark while allies reposition, then moves deliberately to shove or topple a siege engine. Roleplay beats: a low, chanting hum as stone chips at the wearer’s feet, the cuirass glowing brighter with each steady breath; children and laborers rally behind the “still stone.” The cuirass’s pulse reflection softens impacts and makes the wearer the center of gravity for tactical pushes.
Peakshrines, Ritual Chambers, and Sacred Workshops
Defense — Inside a Peakshrine, the cuirass functions as a ritual regulator. When priests or Stonegrowers sense a spike in ley stress during a communal stone-shaping, the wearer steps to the altar and triggers Balanced Pulse as part of the liturgy. Roleplay beats: ritual steam forms grain-crest patterns, congregants press hands to the altar while the cuirass emits a slow heartbeat; the altar’s vision ritual runs cleaner and the Vision Ritual’s clarity intensifies. In mechanical terms the ritual cancels or reduces adverse ritual backlashes and calms unstable visions.
Offense — Offensive actions are ritualized and rare; if the shrine is threatened by invading animates or a corrupted construct, the wearer may use Mountain’s Endurance to toughen defenders and then employ the cuirass’s pulse reflection to sap momentum from a charging construct, causing it to stagger. Roleplay beats: chanting turns martial, the glow shifts from silver to deep stone-amber; defenders seize the spiritual high ground and push forward in organized surges.
Quarries, Mines, and Industrial Workshops
Defense — The cuirass protects the wearer from concussive accidents in blasting tunnels and collapsed seams. Stonebreath Regeneration paired with contact to rock keeps minor injuries from becoming mortal. Roleplay beats: a foreman with soot on face steadies a cracked rigging piece while the cuirass hums, valves unseize, and a trapped worker’s pulse steadies. Mechanically, the wearer sustains field repairs longer and reduces downtime for nearby machinery.
Offense — When miscreant salvageers or bandits attempt to hijack ore runs, the wearer uses the cuirass to create local instability for the attackers: activate Balanced Pulse to destabilize their improvised breaching tools (they fumble or break) or use Mountain’s Endurance to launch a coordinated shove that topples temporary scaffolding onto pursuers. Roleplay beats: sparks fly, hammers ring, the cuirass chokes the thieves’ momentum like a hand on their shoulders.
Caverns, Underground Cities, and Subterranean Ley Conduits
Defense — Deep in caverns where ley lines run like veins, the cuirass is a lifeline. Ley Resonance Field warns of surging flows; the wearer can move calm through tunnels to reseat a displaced crystal, stopping an underground quake. Roleplay beats: narrow passages echo with the cuirass’s low thrum; breathing matches the rock’s slow exhale as the wearer squeezes through fissures and lays palm to pulse-crystals. Mechanically, activation prevents chain reactions in ley conduits and reduces area magical damage.
Offense — In subterranean skirmishes, use the cuirass to trigger controlled rock-shifts—create obstacles in pursuit paths or slam a chamber door closed by rocking a pillar. Roleplay beats: a sudden hush as a seam locks, dust hangs like prayer smoke; enemies are funneled into kill zones or deprived of escape.
Urban Streets, Marketplaces, and Guild Halls
Defense — On crowded streets, the cuirass operates as crowd-protection tech. When a panic from a collapsing balcony or rogue steam vent begins, the wearer triggers Balanced Pulse to quell magical panic and stabilize structures long enough for evacuation. Roleplay beats: merchants pause, fountains settle, the cuirass’s glow is a calm prompt to merchants to lower shutters; the wearer is remembered as saving market lives. Mechanically, it ends fear effects in radius and prevents structural collapse for short duration.
Offense — If a guild conflict turns violent, Mountain’s Endurance can convert the wearer into a moving bastion—resisting shove attempts and enabling allies to push through hostile lines. Roleplay beats: the cuirass’s breath syncs with stomps of a crowd, the wearer’s slow deliberate steps split the mob, and the sound of a horn marks the turning tide.
Shipboard and Riverine (Keel, Steamship Decks, Bridges)
Defense — On rolling decks or causeways, resistance to falling and concussive damage is invaluable. The cuirass’s regeneration while in contact with stone extends to metal hulls anchored to riverbeds or canal stone when the wearer clamps to railings. Roleplay beats: rain-slick decks, steam breathing from bilge vents; the wearer anchors a line as waves surge. Mechanically, reduced falling damage, improved balance checks on heaving decks, and faster recovery from injuries.
Offense — When boarding actions occur, the wearer can be the anchor for boarding parties—stand firm on a swaying deck while allies close range; activate pulse reflection to displace attackers trying to cross narrow gangways. Roleplay beats: a single pulse sends a would-be boarder tumbling, the cuirass’s hum competing with sea-salt wind and steam.
Open Battlefield and Siege Lines
Defense — In mass combat, the cuirass is a tactical support item. Placed at a chokepoint, the wearer uses Balanced Pulse to steady defensive constructs and shore up temporary walls, reducing breach speed. Roleplay beats: banners flapping, the cuirass’s glow lines the ramparts as defenders brace; a shout orders archers to hold. Mechanically, reduced damage to fortifications and temporary bonuses to allied saves vs. area effects in the radius.
Offense — The cuirass permits risky but disciplined offensives: lead a shielded wedge into an enemy line, soak initial volleys with Mountain’s Endurance, then have allies exploit the softened formation. Roleplay beats: the wearer’s slow advance is a metronome for assault—footsteps like hammers, the cuirass’s pulse a calling drum for charge.
Stealth, Infiltration, and Espionage Scenarios
Defense — The cuirass is less subtle but still useful: its Terraced Stability grants superior footing in tricky infiltrations along stone gutters or roofs. Stonebreath Regeneration helps recover from minor scrapes when escape routes are cramped. Roleplay beats: cautious steps across moonlit parapets, the cuirass’s glow dimmed to avoid detection, fingers sliding over cold stone to find handholds. Mechanically, improved stealth movement across stone surfaces and faster recovery during downtime.
Offense — Rare, but in sabotage the wearer can plant stabilized wards that later detonate as controlled collapses to close off pursuers or create diversions. Roleplay beats: pressing a palm to a keystone and whispering a Pacha-Qosqo cadence, hearing the tiniest tick as a ward snaps in place.
Ritual Duels, Scholarly Tests, and Public Trials (Trials of Still Pulse)
Defense — As a ceremonial item, the cuirass grants stability during trials: wearer resists mental or physical fatigue induced by endurance challenges and is less prone to ritual backlash. Roleplay beats: judges nod as the wearer breathes calmly, the cuirass’s pulse providing rhythmic time for competitors. Mechanically, penalties to exhaustion checks are reduced and success rates on endurance tasks increase.
Offense — In contest settings where disruption of an opponent’s focus is allowed, the wearer’s pulse reflection can be used tactically to unbalance an opponent mid-action (a legal jostle or timed shove). Roleplay beats: the subtle ripple in the cuirass breaks an opponent’s rhythm; crowds hush then cheer. Mechanically, momentary penalties to the opponent’s actions.
Social and Political Theater (Processions, Remonstrations, and Symbolic Acts)
Defense — Wearing the cuirass at a civic procession signals protection: it calms crowds and discourages violent escalation by embodying Intayra’s patient firmness. Roleplay beats: the wearer walks with measured pace, the cuirass’s light like a beacon; would-be agitators halt at the sight. Mechanically, it provides modest social or intimidation effects and reduces chance of riots flaring into violence within its radius.
Offense — Symbolic but potent: in a power play the wearer can choose to stand between a political target and an angry mob and then use Mountain’s Endurance to push the balance of force, enabling a negotiated removal rather than open slaughter. Roleplay beats: the cuirass’s steady pulse reframes the moment from chaos to ritualized law, forcing adversaries to show restraint.
Environmental Hazards (Volcanic Rims, Hot Springs, and Snowfields)
Defense — The cuirass reduces harm from concussive thermal bursts on volcanic rims, and its regeneration with rock contact speeds recovery after heat exposure. Roleplay beats: steam wreaths curl around shoulders, the wearer feels the stone’s pulse as the ground sighs. Mechanically, reduced heat/thermal damage and faster convalescence.
Offense — In hazardous zones, the wearer can intentionally trigger minor controlled collapses that cut off enemy retreat or expose buried treasures; this is dangerous and dramatizes the Rockfall lesson—use only with expert knowledge. Roleplay beats: moral tension as the wearer weighs the cost of reshaping the land to deny foes; a chorus of nearby villagers either blesses or curses the act.
Tactical Considerations and Roleplay Hooks
• The cuirass rewards patient, measured play. Roleplay opportunities abound where the wearer refuses rash action and instead synchronizes breath and stone; this fosters scenes of training, mentoring, and quiet heroism.
• Social consequences: Wearing a visibly resonant Stoneheart in lowland foreign courts may mark the wearer as an Andean partisan; confrontations can shift from physical to diplomatic as outsiders react to the cuirass’s aura.
• Moral stress: Recalling the Rockfall, other characters may test the wearer’s restraint—provocations and moral dilemmas make for strong roleplay, especially when the cuirass’s Mountain’s Endurance tempts immediate overreach.
• Sensory cues: in every environment the cuirass’s faint pulse, the warmth near the pulse-crystal, the whisper of embedded geomantic fibers, and the subtle rhythm in the wearer’s breathing are reliable signals to players and bystanders that something sacred and powerful is present.
The Stoneheart Cuirass is therefore both a tool of survival and a moral instrument: it stabilizes, protects, and inspires; it can blunt and redirect force when necessary; its greatest danger—and richest roleplay—comes when its powers tempt those who wear it to test the mountain’s patience.
Perception of Activation: “Stoneheart Cuirass 973 of the Balanced Pulse”
User’s Perspective
At the moment of activation, a rhythmic warmth begins deep within the chest as if the avatar’s own heart synchronizes with the pulse of the mountains. The cuirass grows heavier for a heartbeat, then weightless, its engraved channels filling with liquid light that travels in slow, measured waves. Every inhalation draws in the scent of warm rock and iron dust; every exhale releases a shimmer of vapor that tastes faintly of mineral-rich rain.
The sound is low and resonant—like the earth’s breath beneath a cavern floor—accompanied by a metallic heartbeat that matches the avatar’s pulse. The air thickens, damp but charged, and vibrations run through the bones, not as pain but as deep grounding, steadying the soul.
Extra-sensory awareness expands outward: the avatar perceives invisible threads of pressure and magic through the soles of the feet, feeling where the terrain is stable and where ley currents fracture. Each pulse of the cuirass paints faint silver silhouettes of nearby structures or beings in the mind’s eye, mapping fault lines, hidden conduits, and the “mood” of the mountain beneath. Time seems to slow slightly, breath aligning with the tremor of the world.
Positives from this perception include emotional calm, renewed focus, and complete bodily balance—standing feels like being part of the landscape itself. Negatives arise as sensory overstimulation if overused: the awareness of countless subterranean movements can induce dizziness or mild vertigo, especially if the wearer breaks the required breathing rhythm.
Observer’s Perspective
To an onlooker, the activation begins with a faint tremor of air around the avatar. The armor’s pulse-crystals ignite in cascading order from the sternum outward, silver light racing through the grooves like rivers of molten quartz. Each beat of illumination releases a soft, harmonic tone—neither bell nor drum, but a sound between heart and hammer.
Steam vents nearby begin to respond, releasing mist in synchronized bursts. Dust lifts from the ground, caught in unseen currents, while the avatar’s bioluminescent veins (if visible) flicker in resonance. The space around them feels denser, as though gravity deepens in their presence, yet paradoxically they appear lighter—an unshakable figure anchored by invisible rhythm.
Observers often describe the sensation as both humbling and protective. Those within several feet may feel subtle vibrations along their skin, as if standing beside a massive engine or heartbeat. A faint silver reflection flashes in the eyes of anyone who locks gaze with the wearer.
Positives include an immediate sense of reassurance and safety—nearby allies instinctively calm as the rhythm passes through them. Negatives emerge if the observer is magically unaligned or anxious: the deep vibration may trigger discomfort in the chest or ears, or an untrained mind may momentarily misinterpret the pulse as its own heartbeat faltering.
Additional Extra-Sensory Manifestations
• Ley-Awareness: faint geometric patterns overlay the avatar’s mental vision, tracing energy flows in real-time.
• Temporal Pulse Drift: heartbeat and environmental motion align; stones, steam, and echoes seem to breathe in unison.
• Aura Echo: allies’ emotions appear as faint tonal fluctuations in the background hum—steady rhythms signal focus, erratic ones stress.
• Echo of Memory: ancient whispers of forging chants sometimes flicker through hearing, remnants of Matriarch-Smith prayers stored within the alloy.
The Stoneheart Cuirass 973 of the Balanced Pulse transforms activation into an immersive multi-sensory and extra-sensory event: a convergence of sound, vibration, temperature, and magic that unites the avatar with the living mountain. For the wearer, it is grounding and empowering; for the observer, awe-inspiring yet intimidating—the calm heartbeat of a volcano restrained beneath human will.
Crafting Recipe: “Forging the Stoneheart Cuirass of the Balanced Pulse”
An Andean masterwork process of geomantic metallurgy and patient harmony, requiring precision, discipline, and resonance with Intayra’s sacred pulse.
Materials Needed
- Volcanic Alloy Base (40 lbs) – smelted blend of obsidian ore, steel, and trace rhodium dust for ley-line conductivity.
- Geomantic Fiber Weave (10 ft) – spun from basalt-thread moss and tempered silk, dyed in mineral steam to withstand magical flow.
- Pulse-Crystals (3 cores) – harvested from active mountain ley nodes or purchased from Peakshrine stores; must be tuned to the crafter’s own heartbeat rhythm before embedding.
- Crystal Resin Binder (2 flasks) – alchemical adhesive mixed from ground quartz, silver dust, and blessed springwater to seal pulse conduits.
- Blessed Steamwater (1 barrel) – consecrated blend of elemental water and fire essences used during quenching to infuse the mountain’s “breath.”
- Matriarch’s Ash (1 handful) – symbolic inclusion from a prior forge’s sacred hearth; ensures lineage continuity and stabilizes magical resonance.
- Hammer of Silent Rhythm (borrowed or forged) – a forging hammer containing a resonance core; each strike must produce a rhythmic tone synchronized to the crafter’s pulse.
- Ley Conductive Inks (1 vial) – for engraving runic patterns and binding the armor’s pulse-crystals to their conduit channels.
Tools Required
• Steam Forge or Geothermal Crucible: generates consistent elemental heat without combustion.
• Geomantic Anvil of Resonance: carved from leystone; hums faintly when balance is achieved.
• Runesmith’s Chisel Set: inscribed with Pacha-Qosqo symbols for harmonic channeling.
• Pulse Alignment Compass: crystal orb device used to track ley frequency fluctuations during infusion.
• Arcane Tongs and Crystal Filament Wire: for precise placement of pulse-crystals into molten alloy.
• Steam Bellows and Cooling Basin: filled with Blessed Steamwater for quenching; maintains temperature equilibrium.
• Chant Platform or Meditation Circle: needed to sustain focus and match breathing with the forge’s rhythm during activation chant.
Skill Requirements
• Smithing (Expert): minimum 6 years of metalcraft or equivalent Andean guild certification.
• Runecrafting (Adept): must read and engrave Qosqo-Khipu or Khipu-Glyph symbols correctly; one mistraced line can shatter pulse-crystals.
• Geomancy (Intermediate+): ability to feel and manipulate ley-line flow through the Mind’s Eye.
• Alchemy (Basic): sufficient to mix crystal resin and maintain stable magical solvents.
• Endurance & Meditation Discipline: vital for sustaining rhythmic forging over extended sessions (12–16 hours).
Crafting Steps
Step 1 — Alloy Purification and Binding
Smelt the volcanic alloy base in a geothermal crucible until molten. Stir using a ley-infused rod while chanting the First Pulse Mantra of Intayra. Sprinkle Matriarch’s Ash across the surface—if the mixture emits a steady hum, purity is achieved. Pour into mold sheets no thicker than a palm’s breadth, cooling each under steam pressure.
Step 2 — Geomantic Fiber Integration
Lay the cooled alloy plates over the Geomantic Anvil. Weave the geomantic fiber across the interior layer using molten resin as adhesive, ensuring fibers trace in concentric patterns from sternum outward. This weft acts as the armor’s “circulatory system.” Proper resonance occurs when faint vibrations are felt beneath the fingertips.
Step 3 — Pulse-Crystal Attunement
Meditate with each pulse-crystal on the Chant Platform. Maintain breath alignment until the crystal glows faintly in rhythm with the heart. Mark the surface with ley ink in a spiral pattern symbolizing balance. Embed each crystal at pre-cut socket points (sternum and flanks). Secure with resin binder while whispering the Second Pulse Mantra of Endurance.
Step 4 — Hammering of Silent Rhythm
With the Hammer of Silent Rhythm, strike the alloy 108 times following a slow cadence (each blow aligned to the forger’s heartbeat). The anvil’s hum must rise evenly; if it stutters, rest and realign. Each strike seals the crystal’s pulse into the metal lattice, forming the cuirass’s breathing pattern.
Step 5 — Runic Inscription and Channel Etching
Engrave geomantic runes and Qosqo-Pacha glyphs along the cuirass’s surface using the runesmith’s chisel. Trace conduits from the central crystal outward in branching terraces. Ink them with ley-conductive fluid while the metal remains warm to fix the flow direction. Check alignment with the Pulse Compass—channels must pulse in symmetrical timing.
Step 6 — Steam Quenching and Blessing
Submerge the cuirass into the Cooling Basin filled with Blessed Steamwater. Steam will erupt in luminous waves; hold steady until the glow settles into soft silver ripples. Whisper the Third Pulse Mantra of Balance to invite Intayra’s calm. The armor must rest undisturbed for one full lunar cycle before testing.
Step 7 — Final Calibration and Awakening
When the moon next rises over the forge’s mouth, place the cuirass upon the Geomantic Anvil once more. Activate Mountain’s Endurance through meditation—if the armor breathes with you (visible pulsing across chest), the creation succeeded. If resonance stutters or light flickers irregularly, dismantle and recycle materials; forcing activation risks ley detonation.
Result
A fully forged Stoneheart Cuirass of the Balanced Pulse, attuned to its creator’s breath and heartbeat, capable of channeling the mountain’s rhythm into defense, healing, and stability. The armor’s surface will ripple with silver light when worn near ley-rich terrain, signifying perfect balance between the crafter’s patience and the mountain’s will.
Crafting Duration
Total active labor: ~48 hours (over several days)
Meditation & cooling: ~1 lunar cycle (28 days)
Tale of Stoneheart That Breathed
(Fragmented from the Old Pacha Codex of the Third Forge, believed to be a mistranslation from an even older tongue now lost beneath the molten peaks of Andean.)
In the mist-age before the counting of seasons, when the mountains still grew from the sea and the gods had not yet learned silence, there came a time when the peaks themselves sought to speak. From this forgotten era—before even Intayra was named—comes the tale of the Stoneheart that Breathed, told in broken verses and rough carvings, rescued from a ruin half-buried in molten glass. The story has been retold through many tongues: chipped, misheard, and bent like heat-soft metal.
It is said there once was a smith who was not a smith, whose name is written as Kuru-Sumar or sometimes Suma-Koru, depending on whose clay tablet is read. He was neither man nor god, neither of peak nor valley, but something in between—a wanderer who had lost his soul between lives. His eyes were mirrors of obsidian, his hands rough with memory, and upon his back he bore the scars of many forges. He walked the breathing mountains seeking the one heartbeat that matched his own.
He came at last to the place called The Valley of Still Steam, where the air trembled with heat and silence. There he found three sisters, weavers of molten fiber, who labored without rest beside a pool of black glass. They said to him, in a tongue of broken vowels and echoes:
“Why do you walk, traveler of ash?”
And Kuru-Sumar answered in the dialect of forgotten stone:
“Because the mountain’s heart beats uneven. It sleeps while men tremble, and trembles while men sleep. I would forge a shell to teach it patience.”
The sisters laughed, though in the ancient fragments the word is cried. They told him no heart could live in metal without shattering the mountain’s calm. But Kuru-Sumar was stubborn. He smelted iron from the earth’s bones, mixed it with cooled blood of the volcano, and tempered it in steam drawn from the world’s own breath. For seven days and seven nights he hammered while the peaks glowed red.
Each strike he made echoed across Saṃsāra; each echo returned to him changed, carrying the voices of unborn forgers, the sighs of beasts that would one day crawl upon the cliffs. From those echoes he wove the cuirass that shimmered like dawn seen through mist. In its chest he set three glowing stones taken from the tears of the sisters, who had wept—whether for pride or pity, none can tell.
When the last blow was struck, the cuirass breathed. It exhaled steam and inhaled the wind of the heights. The forge cooled to silence. And Kuru-Sumar, weary from his labor, placed his hand upon it and said words that no longer translate cleanly. Scholars render them as:
“Let stone remember the pace of mercy.”
Others claim he said:
“Let patience make flesh of the mountain.”
But when he donned the armor, the world trembled. The peaks quaked in rhythm with his heartbeat. Rivers turned course. Valleys rose. Clouds hung still as though listening. The smith’s breath matched the pulse of the world, and in that moment he became both man and mountain.
Yet as all hearts do, his heart desired to be tested. He descended from the forge to the valleys where other wanderers lived. They saw him and feared him, for light moved beneath his skin like molten silver. He told them he would teach them how to balance life and labor, how to strike without breaking the world. Some followed him and learned restraint. Others, jealous, sought to claim the cuirass.
The broken text of the Fifth Tablet of Cracks describes what followed:
“They took hammers. They took greed. They took fire not yet tamed.
The sky became black, the stone became loud, and the mountain spoke:
I gave breath to patience, and you made thunder of it.”
The world split. The mountain collapsed inward. Many were buried. The smith’s heartbeat slowed until it became the heartbeat of the rock itself. And from that union, steam rose for the first time in true rhythm. The cuirass remained, glowing beneath ash, pulsing like a slumbering heart.
A thousand generations later, when the Qosqo-Pacha climbed through ruins searching for lost machines of balance, they uncovered the cuirass embedded in basalt. Its surface was smooth as water, yet warm as life. They named it Stoneheart, for it did not die. The Matriarch-Smiths of Peakhold reforged its edges, whispering new prayers into its seams, though they never could remove the ancient pulse that lingered.
Even now, when the armor awakens, those who wear it swear they hear distant hammering—slow, deliberate, mournful. Some say it is Kuru-Sumar’s echo still teaching the rhythm of restraint; others whisper it is the mountain’s warning never to shape without listening first.
Moral of the Story: The world endures not by force but by balance. The heart that strikes without listening to its echo becomes the hammer that shatters its own forge.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
CALL OF CTHULHU 7E — STONEHEART CUIRASS (BALANCED PULSE MARK 973)
Type: Arcane Armor (Medium, Andean Craft)
Rarity: Rare Relic
Attunement: Requires a practitioner with Cthulhu Mythos 01%+ or Geomancy/Occult training and a brief mountain-breath rite.
Mechanical Effects
• Protection: Counts as sturdy traveling cuirass; when worn, reduce damage from falls and explosions (concussive/blast) by one die step (e.g., 1D6 → 1D4; 1D10 → 1D8).
• Constitution Steadiness: +5% to CON rolls made to resist fatigue, altitude, or environmental shock while standing on natural stone.
• Stonebreath Regeneration: When in continuous contact with natural rock and not in immediate danger, recover 1 HP per hour (cannot raise above half HP if you have a Major Wound unless it’s been properly treated).
• Balanced Pulse (1/day): As an action and a steadying breath, calm volatile energies in a 5 m radius for one minute. Game effects: Investigators gain bonus dice on POW vs. fear, ritual backfire, or environmental disorientation; Keeper may downgrade one imminent ritual mishap, ward backlash, or unstable device event by one severity step.
• Aura of Composure: In scenes involving tremors, collapsing works, or stampedes, the wearer gains a bonus die on Persuade/Leadership-style calming attempts.
Drawbacks and Notes
• Bulk: Encumbrance as a metal cuirass. Stealth checks in tight stone corridors may suffer a penalty die unless padded.
• Consecrated Craft: Prolonged use in cities far from bedrock may dull the regeneration (Keeper’s discretion).
BLADES IN THE DARK — THE STONEHEART (PULSE-PLATE 973)
Type: Special Armor (counts as 1 load when inert, 2 load when “humming”)
Attunement: Requires a short ritual on a rooftop, bridge arch, or bedrock to “take the mountain’s breath.”
Playbook Use
• While worn, you may mark this as special armor to resist a consequence from falling, crushing, collapse, or concussion (explosive shock). When you do, also gain +1d to that resistance roll.
• Steady on Stone: When you make a resistance roll (any attribute) while you are braced on stone or masonry, take +1d.
• Living Pulse: During a score, once, you can activate the cuirass to stabilize arcane blowback or mechanical overpressure in a room/area. Effect: cancel one “unstable channeling/overcharge” complication, or reduce a ticking danger clock by 2 segments if it’s about structural failure or arcane turbulence.
• Slow Mend: During downtime, if you spend time resting with the cuirass in contact with stone, you may clear an additional 1 segment on your Healing clock (stacks with other sources).
Devil’s Bargains and Positioning Cues
• The hum draws attention; risky actions in silence-sensitive spaces may become desperate if the pulse is active.
• Carrying as 2 load while humming may prevent fine disguise.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 5E — STONEHEART CUIRASS 973 OF THE BALANCED PULSE
Armor (breastplate), rare (requires attunement by a creature proficient with medium armor)
Weight: 20 lb.
Stats
• AC: 14 + Dex modifier (max 2)
• Enduring Alloy: While wearing the cuirass, your Constitution increases by 1 (to a maximum of 20).
• Stonebreath Regeneration: If you are conscious and in contact with natural stone, you regain 1 hit point at the end of each hour. This feature has no effect if you are at 0 hit points.
• Mountain’s Resilience: You have resistance to thunder damage and to bludgeoning damage you take from falls or collapsing debris.
• Balanced Pulse (1/long rest): As an action, you center a steadying aura in a 15-foot radius for 1 minute. Creatures of your choice in the area gain advantage on Constitution checks and saving throws to maintain concentration, and advantage on Strength or Dexterity saving throws made to resist being knocked prone, pushed, or moved against their will. In addition, the first time during the duration that a Wild Magic Surge, lair/environmental tremor, or similar chaotic magical event would trigger in the aura, it is suppressed (no effect) and the aura immediately ends.
Attunement Quirk (optional flavor)
• While attuned, you feel a faint heartbeat under your palm when touching stone; you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to notice incoming tremors or unstable masonry.
KNAVE — STONEHEART CUIRASS, MODEL 973
Type: Armor (Medium)
Slots: 2
Defense: +2 (does not stack beyond system’s armor limits)
Properties
• Constitution Steady: Advantage on CON saves/checks vs. exhaustion, altitude, or stunning from concussive shock while braced on stone.
• Fall and Blast Damping: Reduce damage from falls or concussive/explosive effects by one die step (GM adjudication).
• Stonebreath Regeneration: If you spend one uninterrupted hour in contact with natural stone, recover 1 HP.
• Balanced Pulse (1/day): With a full action and steady breath, create a 15-foot zone of calm for one exploration turn. Allies in the zone gain advantage on checks to keep footing, maintain concentration, or complete delicate tasks under stress; the GM may downgrade one imminent environmental collapse or wild magic surge within the zone.
Complications
• Bulky: Climbing or swimming checks that rely on quiet or flexibility are at disadvantage unless you stow or slacken the chest harness.
• Grounded Craft: The regeneration feature fails in airships or on open water unless you are anchored to built stone.
FATE CORE — STONEHEART CUIRASS (BALANCED PULSE 973)
Aspect: “The Mountain’s Pulse Beats Beneath My Skin”
Type: Unique Armor Artifact (Geomantic Relic)
Permissions: Requires Aspect or High Concept tied to Geomancy, Earth Magic, or Andean Heritage.
Item Aspects
• Forged by the Matriarch-Smiths of Peakhold after the Rockfall.
• Breathes in rhythm with ley lines; steadies the spirit and the body.
• The mountain endures; those who rush, crumble.
Mechanical Benefits
• Grants +2 Armor against any physical or concussive stress (collapses, explosions, or falls).
• Once per session, invoke its Aspect for free to negate a single consequence from falling or crushing.
• While touching stone or metal connected to bedrock, you may automatically succeed at one overcome action involving balance, stability, or holding ground.
• The GM may compel the cuirass when its weight or resonant hum draws attention or when you are away from natural terrain (airships, floating islands).
Stunt — Balanced Pulse (1/session): Spend a Fate Point to create an advantage “Ley-Line Harmony” on yourself or allies within 2 zones; remove one aspect representing chaos, panic, or magical instability.
Drawback: Away from bedrock, stress recovery scenes recover one fewer physical stress box.
NUMENERA & CYPHER SYSTEM — THE STONEHEART CUIRASS (ARTIFACT, LEVEL 5)
Form: Volcanic alloy chest armor with glowing pulse-crystals and harmonic fiber weave.
Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (when Balanced Pulse is used).
Effect
• Armor: 2 points (medium armor; reduces Speed Pool by 2).
• The wearer gains +2 to Might Pool maximum while worn.
• Stonebreath Regeneration: While in contact with natural rock or stone, the wearer regains 1 point of Might every hour.
• Resistance: Reduce damage from falling or concussive forces by 2 points.
• Balanced Pulse (1/day): As an action, emit a stabilizing wave in short range (30 ft). All creatures in the area gain an asset on defense rolls against knockdown, forced movement, or chaotic energies for one minute. Additionally, any ongoing “unstable” cypher or numenera device in range gains +1 to its depletion roll (it stabilizes temporarily).
• When used more than once per day, roll depletion normally. If it depletes, its crystals go dark until repaired with geomantic tools and 1 unit of iotum (quartzine or ley filament).
GM Intrusion: The cuirass resonates too strongly, triggering a localized tremor or minor numenera surge that alerts nearby constructs.
PATHFINDER 2E — STONEHEART CUIRASS 973 OF THE BALANCED PULSE
Item 5 • Rarity: Rare • Price: 200 gp
Usage: worn armor; Bulk 2 • Category: Armor • Group: Medium (breastplate) • Crafting Tradition: Arcane/Primal
Traits: Earth, Magical, Andean, Invested
AC Bonus: +4; Dex Cap +2; Check Penalty –2; Speed Penalty –5 ft; Strength 16; Bulk 2
Activate [one-action] (Concentrate, Primal, Earth) — Balanced Pulse (once per day)
Effect: You release a wave of stabilizing geomantic force in a 15-foot emanation lasting 1 minute. You and allies gain a +1 status bonus to Fortitude saves and to checks to resist being knocked prone, moved, or tripped. Unstable magical effects or environmental hazards in the area take a –1 circumstance penalty to their DCs or damage rolls for 1 round.
Passive Effects
• Constitution +1 item bonus (max +1).
• Stonebreath Regeneration: When resting on natural stone, regain 1 Hit Point per hour without medicine.
• Resistance 2 against bludgeoning and sonic damage.
• While in contact with stone, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics checks to Balance or Reflex saves against tremors.
Drawback: In flight or while above open water, all item bonuses from this armor are suppressed until you regain contact with natural ground.
Craft Requirements: Master in Crafting, Magical Crafting feat, access to an Andean forge or ley-tuned anvil.
SAVAGE WORLDS (ADVENTURE EDITION) — STONEHEART CUIRASS (BALANCED PULSE 973)
Category: Arcane Gear (Armor) • Rarity: Rare Relic • Weight: 25 lbs • Cost: 2,000 credits (or 4× local Andean price)
Armor: +3 (torso)
Min Str: d6
Special Abilities
• Mountain’s Resilience: Gain +2 Toughness vs. falling, concussive, or crushing attacks.
• Steady on Stone: While standing on or touching stone, add +1 to all Vigor rolls and Strength checks.
• Stonebreath Regeneration: When in contact with bedrock or masonry for one hour, recover one Wound or 2 Fatigue with a successful Vigor roll at +2. May only occur once per day.
• Balanced Pulse (1/day, Smarts Action): Emit a harmonic field in a Medium Burst Template centered on you. Allies within gain +2 to Strength and Agility rolls to resist knockback, Shaken, or being thrown prone for 3 rounds. The GM may also remove one unstable magical effect or hazardous terrain modifier (such as earthquake or volatile device) in the area.
Drawbacks
• Geomantic Dependency: The cuirass ceases its magical properties when the wearer is more than 10 yards from natural stone or metal connected to earth.
• Resonant Hum: Stealth checks suffer –2 while active.
Notes for Game Masters
This item suits explorers, Geomancers, or Andean-engineered heroes; its steady pulse thematically reinforces endurance and calm under pressure. Repair requires a Knowledge (Arcana) or Craft (Smithing) roll at –2 and access to volcanic alloy or pulse crystals.
SHADOWRUN 6E — STONEHEART CUIRASS 973 “BALANCED PULSE”
Category: Armor (Arcane/Industrial Hybrid)
Availability: 10R Cost: 18,000¥ Armor Rating: +4 Encumbrance: Medium
Device Rating: 4 (for magical resonance systems)
Slots: 1 (Body Slot)
Essence Cost: 0 (non-cybernetic)
Attributes and Effects
• Armor Enhancement: Provides +4 Armor versus Physical damage.
• Geomantic Resonance: While standing on natural stone, gain +2 dice to Body + Willpower tests against knockdown or concussive effects.
• Stonebreath Regeneration: Regains 1 box of Physical Damage every full hour of rest while in contact with earth, rock, or concrete.
• Balanced Pulse (Complex Action, once per 24 hours): Creates a 5-meter radius field that stabilizes ambient mana flow. Effects:
— All magical glitches within the field are ignored for one Combat Turn.
— All allies receive +2 dice to Defense Tests against Shock, Knockdown, or magical push effects.
— Hostile elemental or structural manipulations (e.g., Shatter, Tremor) suffer –2 dice.
• Resonant Drawback: The cuirass hums audibly (–2 Sneaking) when powered; suppressing this removes magical bonuses for one hour.
Notes
A relic of Andean geomancy adapted for arcano-industrial runners. Street legend holds it was smuggled from the “Steam Nations” of Saṃsāra during an astral overlap event.
STARFINDER — STONEHEART CUIRASS 973 OF THE BALANCED PULSE
Item Level: 6 Price: 4,200 credits Bulk: 2 Type: Hybrid Armor (Medium)
EAC Bonus: +8 KAC Bonus: +10 Upgrade Slots: 1 Capacity: 10 Usage: 1/round
Properties
• Resonant Alloy: The armor’s geothermal veins pulse softly; gain DR 2/— against bludgeoning and sonic damage.
• Stability Matrix: +2 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics or Strength checks to resist bull rush, trip, or knockdown.
• Stonebreath Regeneration: When resting at least 1 hour in contact with a natural surface, regain 1 HP/level (up to once per day).
• Balanced Pulse (1/day): Standard action. The cuirass emits a low-frequency stabilizing hum for 6 rounds (36 seconds). Within 20 ft., allies gain a +1 morale bonus to AC and saving throws versus environmental hazards, gravity shifts, or chaotic magic effects. Constructs and objects in the area gain hardness +2 temporarily.
• Ley-Linked Limitation: The armor’s magic ceases to function in vacuum or when more than 10 miles above a planetary surface unless charged with 1 hybrid capacitor per hour.
Special
Andean relics adapted to spacefaring cultures; prized among dwarven prospectors and drift-engine geomancers.
TRAVELLER (MgT2e) — STONEHEART CUIRASS 973 “BALANCED PULSE”
Type: TL 12 Hybrid Combat Armor (Ancient Design)
Mass: 12 kg Cost: Cr45,000 Legality: Military (Requires Permit)
Armor Protection: 12 vs. physical and concussive; 8 vs. energy
Power: Internal geomantic converter (self-recharging in gravity/rock fields)
Traits
• Resonant Core: Grants +1 END permanently while worn (max 15).
• Anti-Shock Lining: Reduce damage from falls or impacts by 1D6 (minimum 0).
• Stonebreath Regeneration: Heals 1 END or 1 characteristic point every 6 hours if the wearer rests within a natural planetary gravity well.
• Balanced Pulse (1/day): As a Minor Action, project a stabilizing harmonic field in a 10 m radius for 1D6 rounds.
– All allies gain DM+1 on END and STR checks.
– One nearby unstable power source or energy overload is neutralized (Referee discretion).
• Limitations: Field does not function in zero-G environments or on metallic spacecraft hulls without grav-anchors.
Background
Originally from the Saṃsāra colony archives on Andean-Prime, recovered by xeno-archaeologists; its crystal harmonics baffle Imperial technicians.
WARHAMMER 40,000 ROLEPLAY (WRATH & GLORY) — STONEHEART CUIRASS MK-973, “BALANCED PULSE”
Type: Powered Chestplate (Relic Artifact, Medium Armor)
Availability: Very Rare Value: 10 Traits: Powered, Relic, Andean, Earthbound
Statistics
• Armour Rating: 4 Resilience Bonus: +1
• Defence Bonus: +1 vs. Bludgeoning and Explosive damage
• Speed Modifier: –1 m (weight and power conduits)
Abilities
• Mountain’s Resilience: Add +2 bonus dice to Determination tests to soak concussive or fall damage.
• Stonebreath Regeneration: If the wearer spends an hour in contact with natural stone or mineral surfaces, heal 1 Shock automatically.
• Balanced Pulse (Simple Action, once per scene): Channel the cuirass’s internal geomantic field; create a 5-meter aura lasting 3 rounds.
– Allies within the aura gain +1 Defence and may reroll 1 failed Determination test each round.
– Any unstable psychic or mechanical field in the area automatically downgrades one Complication result to a normal failure.
• The Weight of the World: While active, the cuirass emits a deep hum; Stealth tests suffer –2 dice, and psychic detection gains +1DN against the wearer.
Flavor
Forged in the Age of Stone Ascension by the Matriarch-Smiths of Saṃsāra, the Stoneheart Cuirass is said to thrum with the heartbeat of a dormant world-spirit. When its pulse synchronizes with its bearer’s faith, no tremor—mundane or warp-born—can unseat them.
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