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Tengrism 319 of the Gilded Tongue

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by

Dale
in
  • Lore: In the vast, wind-swept steppes of the Blue-Sky islands, shamans believe that the wind is the breath of the Great Spirit, Tengri. The Tengrism 319 of the Gilded Tongue was crafted by an itinerant silversmith-shaman who was famous for talking his way out of a bandit execution by convincing the outlaws that the gold in their pockets was actually “solidified bad luck.” He infused this belt buckle with the spirit of the Whispering Steppe Fox, a creature known for its cleverness and speed. Tier 1 avatars often seek this item when they intend to navigate the dangerous political waters of the megacities or avoid a brawl through the art of the “fast-talk.”
  • Detail Stats:
    • Slot: Waist (Buckle)
    • Rarity: Common
    • Tier Requirement: Tier 1
    • Material: Hand-hammered Brass, Sky-Blue Turquoise, Weathered Leather
    • Weight: 0.2 kg
    • Durability: 35/35 (Resistant to wind erosion; vulnerable to acid)
    • Value: 15 Jade Coins
  • Skills Gained While Openly Worn:
    • Master of the Fast-Talk: The wearer gains an intuitive understanding of cadence and tone, allowing them to speak at double-speed while remaining perfectly intelligible to the target.
    • Steppe Bartering: Knowledge of traditional shamanic trade routes, providing a niche advantage when trading animal goods or raw minerals.
  • Passive Magic:
    • The Fox’s Cadence: While the wearer is speaking quickly, a subtle, magical vibration emanates from the buckle, making the listener slightly more prone to nodding in agreement without realizing why.
    • Breath of the Open Sky: The wearer never runs out of breath while speaking, regardless of how long or rapid their sentences become. This also grants a +1 bonus to Stamina checks involving long-distance running.
    • Sky-Spirit’s Favor: If the wearer is under the open sky (not indoors or in a cave), their voice carries perfectly up to 100 feet without the need to shout.
  • Activable Magic:
    • Gilded Distraction (2/day): The wearer claps their hands against the buckle and launches into a nonsensical, rapid-fire explanation of a complex topic. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom check or become “Confused” for 1 round, unsure of how to respond, granting the wearer a +3 bonus to a Deception or Sleight of Hand check during that moment.
    • Spirit-Wind Jabber (1/day): By whispering a quick prayer to the wind spirits, the wearer causes a small whirlwind to stir up dust around their feet while they talk. This provides a “Partial Concealment” effect for 1 minute, making it easier to slip away or hide an object while the target is distracted by the sudden gust and the wearer’s frantic speech.
  • Tags: Tengrism, Shamanic, Fast-Talk, Steppe-Magic, Common Tier, Waist Slot, Spirit-Bound, Social-Tactics, Turquoise, Wind-Breath, Tier 1 Relic, Lithe-Worded, Sky-Blessed, Silver-Breezed, Nomadic, Persuasive, Fox-Spirit, Rapid-Cadence, Open-Horizon, Brass-Etched, Shaman-Tongue, Gale-Whisper

Obtaining the Tengrism 319 of the Gilded Tongue

The Tengrism 319 is a Tier 1 item of common rarity, making it accessible to early-career avatars, though its specific shamanic origin requires looking in the right places.

  • Nomadic Trade Ritual: Most commonly, this item is obtained by encountering a traveling caravan from the Blue-Sky islands. An avatar might earn the buckle by winning a “riddle-contest” or by providing a service to a clan shaman, such as retrieving a lost spirit-hawk.
  • The Wind’s Gift: In the mountainous archipelagos, these buckles are sometimes left as offerings at “Ovoos” (sacred stone heaps). An avatar who leaves a fair trade of tobacco or silk may take the item with the spirits’ blessing.
  • Apprenticeship Crafting: Since it is a common item, it is a frequent “graduation” project for apprentice silversmiths in nomadic camps. Avatars with the proper materials can commission one by providing the brass and a small shard of turquoise.

Market Dynamics and Shop Descriptions

In Saṃsāra, the cost of the Gilded Tongue fluctuates based on how much the local culture values “fast-talking” versus stoic tradition.

Steppe-Wagon Emporiums (Traveling Markets) These are colorful, wind-battered wagons pulled by giant long-haired beasts. They smell of leather, dried herbs, and animal fat.

  • How it is Sold: The merchant won’t just sell it; they will engage in a “Fast-Talk” duel. If the avatar can keep up with the merchant’s rapid-fire sales pitch, the price is lowered.
  • Transaction Method: Trade is often preferred over currency. They accept high-quality wool, dried meat, or elemental water.
  • Cost: 12–15 Jade Coins (or equivalent in trade goods).

Gilded District Curio Shops (Megacity Hubs) In the upper levels of megacities like Valthorne, these items are sold as “exotic curiosities” to bored aristocrats and aspiring lawyers. The shops are sleek, using steam-powered fans to keep the air fresh.

  • How it is Sold: The buckle is cleaned and polished to a high shine, losing some of its rugged charm but looking more “official.” It is sold as a professional tool for negotiators.
  • Transaction Method: Standard Jade Coin currency. The shopkeeper may use a “Truth-Siphon” device to ensure the avatar’s coins are not counterfeit.
  • Cost: 18–22 Jade Coins (the price is higher due to city taxes and “luxury” branding).

Floating Sky-Docks (Trade Hubs) In the ports where airships dock, merchants from the Blue-Sky islands set up small stalls near the landing pads. The air is thin and the stalls are tethered with heavy ropes.

  • How it is Sold: Sold quickly to airship crews who need to talk their way past customs agents or port authorities.
  • Transaction Method: Quick, no-nonsense deals. They prefer Jade Coins but will accept “Sky-Fuel” canisters if the avatar is short on cash.
  • Cost: 15–17 Jade Coins.

Cave System Waystations (Underground Metropolises) In the dark cave cities, these items are rare because the “Sky-Spirit” magic is weaker underground. They are sold in small, damp stalls lit by bioluminescent fungi.

  • How it is Sold: The merchant may be skeptical of the item’s power since there is no “open sky,” selling it primarily for its “Breath of the Open Sky” passive, which helps with the stale cave air.
  • Transaction Method: Bartering for bioluminescent spores or rare ores found in the deep.
  • Cost: 10–13 Jade Coins (reduced price due to the lack of “Sky-Spirit” synergy).

Roleplay and Tactical Utilization of Tengrism 319

Using the Tengrism 319 of the Gilded Tongue requires the avatar to lean into the verbal “flow” of shamanic magic. It is an item that transforms social interaction into a tactical maneuver, relying on the spirits of the wind to carry and sharpen the wearer’s words.

Megacities and Urban Districts (Somewhat Safe Areas)

  • Defense: In a tense standoff with city guards or a guild enforcer, the wearer uses the Fox’s Cadence. Roleplay this as a “verbal parry.” As the guard reaches for their shackles, you launch into a dizzying, rhythmic explanation of a non-existent municipal code. The magical vibration from the buckle makes the guard hesitate and nod, giving you the opening to step back into a crowd before they realize they’ve been duped.
  • Offense: During a high-stakes negotiation, use Gilded Distraction. You overwhelm a rival merchant with a rapid-fire list of “market fluctuations” and “spirit-omens.” While they are “Confused” by the sheer volume of your speech, you secure a signature on a contract or slip a heavy coin purse off their belt with the +3 bonus.

The Open Steppes and Mountain Peaks (Normal Areas)

  • Defense: When cornered by a territorial beast or a rival nomadic scout, use the Sky-Spirit’s Favor. Roleplay your voice booming across the horizon without effort. You “fast-talk” the spirits of the mountain, claiming that the ground beneath you is sacred to Tengri. The sheer authority and volume of your voice, combined with the Spirit-Wind Jabber, creates a dust storm that masks your retreat behind a ridge.
  • Offense: In these environments, you use the Breath of the Open Sky to harass a fleeing foe. You can sprint at full speed while shouting a continuous stream of demands and distractions. Roleplay the “Gale-Whisper” effect—your voice seems to be right in the enemy’s ear regardless of the distance, unsettling them and making them stumble as you close the gap for a capture.

Floating Cities and Airship Platforms (Normal to Unsafe Areas)

  • Defense: On a swaying dock where a misstep means a long fall, use Breath of the Open Sky to keep your oxygen levels steady. If an airship captain threatens to throw you overboard for a lack of fare, you use your rapid-fire speech to “re-appraise” the value of their cargo on the fly, convincing them that your presence as an “omen-reader” is worth more than the ticket.
  • Offense: Activate Spirit-Wind Jabber on a narrow air-bridge. While you launch into a frantic sales pitch to the guards, the localized whirlwind disrupts their footing and vision. Under the cover of the swirling dust and your “Silver-Breezed” words, you bypass the checkpoint or plant a tracking device on a departing zeppelin.

Submerged Sanctums and Cave Metropolises (Normal to Unsafe Areas)

  • Defense: In the stale air of the deep, use Breath of the Open Sky as a survival tool. While others gasp, you continue your rapid talking, which keeps your lungs functioning efficiently through the buckle’s magic. If confronted by a cave-dwelling predator, you use the metallic “Fox-Spirit” vibration of your voice to mimic the sounds of a larger, more dangerous creature, scaring it back into the darkness.
  • Offense: Offense here is restricted by the lack of sky, so you must rely on the Gilded Tongue. Use a “Fast-Talk” duel to convince a cave-cultist that their ritual is missing a key “vibration” that only you can provide. Roleplay the confusion of the target as they try to follow your logic, allowing you to reposition for a surprise attack in the dim bioluminescence.

Ruined Spires and Blighted Zones (Deathly Areas)

  • Defense: In areas where AC is zeroed, the Spirit-Wind Jabber is a literal lifesaver. Since you cannot dodge, the dust and wind generated by your fast-talking provide “Partial Concealment,” which acts as your only layer of protection against inevitable hits. Roleplay the avatar desperately “praying to the wind” at high speeds to keep the dust veil active while moving between covers.
  • Offense: Use Gilded Distraction to stun a non-possessed monster. Since these creatures often operate on instinct, the “nonsensical” shamanic cadence of your voice disrupts their neural or spiritual processing. In the 1 round of confusion, you use the advantage to strike a vital point or activate a secondary magical item to end the encounter before the “Dread” of the zone overcomes you.

Perception of Activation: Tengrism 319 of the Gilded Tongue

User’s Perspective

When you activate the buckle, the world seems to sharpen, particularly in the realm of sound and air. You feel a sudden, cool breeze whip upward from your waist, smelling of sun-warmed grass and distant rain. As you begin to speak, your voice feels remarkably light, as if it is being carried on a stream; there is no strain in your throat, and your lungs feel perpetually full of crisp, high-altitude air. You see the sky-blue turquoise pulse with a soft, cyan light that syncs with the rhythm of your speech. The brass feels warm against your palm, vibrating with a high-frequency “fox-like” hum that makes your skin tingle.

Observer’s Perspective

To those watching, you suddenly appear more vibrant and kinetic. They see the turquoise stone at your waist glow with a gentle, flickering light like a star in a clear sky. A localized, miniature whirlwind stirs up dust and loose debris around your feet, creating a subtle “heroic” or “mystical” framing for your presence. Your voice becomes impossible to ignore; even if you are speaking at a frantic pace, every syllable hits the observer’s ears with crystalline clarity, sounding less like a person talking and more like a melodic wind whistling through a canyon.

Extra-sensory Perceptions

  • Cadence Vision: You perceive the “rhythm” of the target’s thoughts as a series of pulsing colors in your mind’s eye. This allows you to time your words to land exactly when their mental guard is at its lowest.
  • Spirit-Wind Intuition: You feel the literal “direction” of the conversation as a physical tug on your soul. If a lie is detected or a negotiation is failing, you feel a cold “draft” from the north; if you are winning them over, you feel a warm “southerly” glow.
  • Aural Magnification: You can hear the target’s heartbeat and the slight hitch in their breath, giving you a physiological “cheat sheet” to their emotional state.

Positives

  • Social Dominance: The magical clarity and “Fox’s Cadence” make you the undeniable center of attention, allowing you to control the pace and direction of any social encounter.
  • Stamina Reserve: The “Breath of the Open Sky” provides a significant physiological boost, preventing you from becoming winded or fatigued during long speeches or physical exertion.
  • Environmental Harmony: Under the open sky, your influence is amplified, making you feel physically and spiritually connected to the Great Spirit Tengri.

Negatives

  • The “Fast-Talker” Stigma: The localized wind and glowing buckle are conspicuous; while they help you convince people, savvy observers will recognize that magical influence is at play, potentially leading to long-term distrust.
  • Verbal Momentum: Once you start the “fast-talk,” it can be difficult to stop. You may find yourself over-explaining or rambling even after the negotiation is finished, making you appear eccentric or erratic.
  • Sensory Letdown: When the activation ends, the sudden return to “normal” air can feel heavy and stagnant, often resulting in a brief moment of lightheadedness or a dry throat.

Ritual of the Whispering Steppe: Crafting the Gilded Tongue 319

Materials Needed

  • 200g Hand-Hammered Brass: High-purity brass, ideally salvaged from a nomadic hearth or a ceremonial vessel.
  • 1 Raw Sky-Blue Turquoise: A thumb-sized stone with minimal webbing, used to anchor the sky-spirit.
  • 0.5m Weathered Leather: Strips of bison or horse-hide that have been exposed to a high-altitude wind-storm for at least one lunar cycle.
  • 1 Pinch of Fox-Tail Fur: Taken from a steppe fox (willingly shed or ethically sourced) to imbue the “fast-talk” cunning.
  • 1 Vial of Captured Gale-Breath: Air collected at the peak of a mountain during a clear-sky event, sealed in an airtight crystal vial.

Tools Required

  • Nomadic Shamanic Forge: A portable, bellows-driven forge that uses dried dung or spirit-wood as fuel.
  • Fine Chasing Hammers & Steel Punches: For etching the microscopic wind-current patterns into the brass.
  • Silver-Plated Tweezers: For handling the turquoise without grounding its magical charge prematurely.
  • Steam-Powered Polishing Wheel: To give the brass the “Gilded” finish that catches the eye during social interaction.
  • Ritual Censer: To burn mountain sage and sweetgrass during the final binding.

Skill Requirements

  • Intermediate Metalworking: Proficiency in cold-hammering and precision etching.
  • Tengrist Shamanic Rites: Basic knowledge of sky-spirit invocations and animal-spirit tethering.
  • Vocal Cadence Training: The crafter must be able to maintain a rhythmic, rapid-fire chant for the duration of the assembly.

Crafting Steps

  • 1. The Purification of the Brass: Melt the brass over the Shamanic Forge. As it liquifies, stir in a single strand of Fox-Tail fur. The fur must vanish without smoke, indicating the spirit of the fox has merged with the metal.
  • 2. Hammering the Foundation: Pour the metal into a flat buckle mold. Once cooled to a dull red, use the chasing hammers to flatten the surface. You must strike the metal in time with a rapid “fast-talk” cadence, imbuing the physical object with verbal rhythm.
  • 3. Etching the Wind-Paths: Using the fine punches, carve 319 microscopic lines spiraling outward from the center. These represent the “Whispering Steppe” and act as magic circuits for the wind-spirit.
  • 4. Setting the Sky-Anchor: Place the Sky-Blue Turquoise into the central housing. Before securing the prongs, unseal the Vial of Captured Gale-Breath and pour the air over the stone. Use the tweezers to snap the prongs shut instantly, “trapping” the mountain air beneath the turquoise.
  • 5. The Leather Binding: Wrap the back of the buckle with the weathered leather. The leather acts as a grounding agent, ensuring the “Awful Dread” of the user’s guilt doesn’t interfere with the clarity of the sky-magic.
  • 6. The Polishing Chant: Activate the steam-polishing wheel. As you polish the brass to a mirror finish, recite the “Fox’s Bargain”—a 10-minute rapid-fire poem detailing the cleverness of the wind. The buckle should begin to hum at a high frequency.
  • 7. The Sky-Blessing: Take the completed buckle out under the open sky at noon. Hold it high until the turquoise catches a glint of the sun. When the stone flickers with cyan light, the Tengrism 319 is fully awakened.

Quick-Breeze Buckle and Great Sky-Deceiver

In the time when the Sky-Father Tengri had just finished spitting the stars into the blackness, there was a man of the Blue-Grass who had no sheep and no horse, only a mouth that moved like the wings of a fly. This man, whose name-sound is “He-Who-Talks-Before-Thinking,” found a piece of yellow-sun-metal (brass) that had fallen from the pocket of a cloud.

At that time, a Great Hunger-Spirit (a demon of the high-peaks) descended to the camp. The Hunger-Spirit said, “I will eat your children and your tents, for I have a stomach like an empty canyon.” The warriors brought their sharp-sticks, but the sticks broke like dry grass. The shamans brought their drums, but the drums sounded like falling dust.

Then, He-Who-Talks-Before-Thinking stepped forth. He had tied the yellow-metal to his middle-part with a fox’s tail. He began to speak. He spoke so fast that the Hunger-Spirit’s ears began to spin in its head. He told the Spirit that the children were actually made of bitter-smoke and the tents were made of poisonous-wind. He told a story of a Great Feast that was happening on the other side of the world, where the sheep were made of honey and the rivers were made of fermented-milk.

The Hunger-Spirit tried to think, but the man’s words were like a swarm of golden-bees. The yellow-metal on his belt began to hum a fox-song. The man said, “If you go now, the wind will carry you there in a single-breath, but if you wait, the feast will turn to stone!” The man spoke three-hundred and nineteen reasons why the Spirit should leave, never stopping to take a breath-gulp.

The Hunger-Spirit, confused and dizzy with the fast-noise, believed the lie. It turned into a whirlwind and flew toward the sunset, seeking the honey-sheep that did not exist. The camp was saved, but the man could not stop talking for seven days and seven nights, until the sky-blue stone (turquoise) on his buckle turned white with the fatigue of the magic.

The ancient-scribes say the man eventually talked a mountain into becoming a valley just so he wouldn’t have to walk uphill. But the fox-spirit in the buckle is a trick-spirit; one day, the man tried to fast-talk the Great Tengri Himself. The Sky-Father laughed so hard that the man’s tongue was tied into a knot of leather, and he spent the rest of his lives as a silent-fish in the deep-water.

Moral of the Story: The wind can carry your words across the world to defeat a giant, but if you try to blow your breath higher than the sky, you will find yourself with nothing to say and no air to say it.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Artifact Name: The Steppe-Talker’s Talisman Classification: Minor Artifact Description: A brass buckle featuring a rough-cut turquoise stone, recovered from a Central Asian burial site. It seems to vibrate at a frequency that matches the human pulse.

Stat Block & Mechanics:

  • Sanity Loss: 0/1 (The rapid, unnatural cadence of the user’s speech is slightly unsettling to the psyche).
  • Skills: +20% to Fast Talk, +10% to Persuade.
  • Passive – Sky-Spirit’s Favor: If outdoors, the user’s voice carries clearly across great distances without loss of volume. Any “Hard” or “Extreme” penalty to social rolls due to environmental noise (wind, rain) is ignored.
  • Gilded Distraction (Active): Once per day, the user may launch into a dizzying monologue. The target must succeed on a Hard INT Roll or be stunned for 1D3 rounds, unable to take offensive actions as they struggle to process the information.
  • Drawback: After the effects of a Fast Talk roll aided by this item wear off (usually 1D10 minutes), the target realizes they have been manipulated and their attitude toward the user shifts to Hostile.

Blades in the Dark

Item Name: The Fox-Tongue Buckle Tier: I (Fine Quality) Load: 0 (Worn on belt)

Mechanics:

  • Fast-Talker: You gain +1d to Sway rolls when you speak rapidly to confuse or distract a target.
  • Passive – Breath of the Sky: You never take a penalty to actions involving breath control (climbing, sprinting, long-winded speeches) due to fatigue or poor air quality.
  • Spirit-Wind Jabber (Active): Spend 1 Stress to create a sudden, localized gust of dust and wind. This provides a Great Effect on any Setup action intended to hide or sneak away during a conversation.
  • Drawback: Conspicuous. The buckle hums and glows when used. If you fail a social roll while using it, the heat is increased by +2 as the target realizes you were using “Steppe-Witchcraft.”

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Item Name: Tengrism 319 of the Gilded Tongue Type: Wondrous Item, Common (Requires Attunement)

Stat Block & Mechanics:

  • Skill Proficiencies: You gain proficiency in the Deception skill. If you are already proficient, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks made to “fast-talk” or confuse a creature.
  • Passive – Fox’s Cadence: You can speak intelligibly at four times the normal rate. Creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to determine if you are lying while you are speaking at this speed.
  • Gilded Distraction (2/Day): As an action, you can target one creature within 30 feet that can hear you. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or be Incapacitated until the start of your next turn as they are baffled by your speech. This effect ends early if the creature takes damage.
  • Spirit-Wind Jabber (1/Day): You can cast Fog Cloud centered on yourself, but it appears as a swirling dust devil and only lasts for 1 minute.
  • Drawback: While attuned, you have a -2 penalty to Stealth checks due to the buckle’s constant, low-frequency humming.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Item Name: The Shaman’s Brass Buckle Inventory Slots: 0 (Worn)

Mechanics:

  • Fast-Talk: You gain Advantage on all rolls to persuade, lie, or bargain if you can do so in under 10 seconds of real-time talking.
  • Passive – Sky-Lung: You are immune to the effects of thin air (high altitude) or non-magical smoke. You can hold your breath for twice as long as normal.
  • Gilded Distraction: Once per day, roll a check against the target’s Wisdom. If you succeed, they are frozen in place for 1 round, allowing you to automatically succeed on a Thievery or Escape check.
  • Spirit-Wind: Once per day, you may summon a gust of wind that clears a 20ft area of fog or gas, or provides a +2 bonus to a roll to flee from combat.
  • Drawback: If you roll a natural 1 on a social check, your tongue becomes literally tied, and you cannot speak for 1 turn.

Fate Core

Artifact Name: The Gilded Tongue of Tengri Classification: Common Tier 1 Magic Item High Concept: Shamanic Buckle of Rapid-Fire Rhetoric

Stunts:

  • The Fox’s Cadence: Gain a +2 to Deception or Provoke rolls when you speak at an unnaturally high speed to confuse, distract, or overwhelm a listener’s logic.
  • Breath of the Open Sky: You never suffer the “Out of Breath” or “Gasping” environmental consequences. Once per session, you may automatically succeed on a Physique roll to maintain your voice or activity during long-distance travel or prolonged exertion.
  • Gilded Distraction (Active): Once per scene, you can launch into a nonsensical monologue to create a “Baffled” or “Distracted” Situation Aspect on a target with two free invokes, provided the target can hear and understand your language.
  • Spirit-Wind Jabber (Active): Once per session, spend a Fate Point to create a “Swirling Dust Cloud” Aspect in your zone. This provides a +2 to any Stealth or Athletics rolls made to exit the scene.

Numenera & Cypher System

Artifact Name: Tengrism 319 Buckle Level: 1d6 (Common) Form: A brass belt buckle inlaid with turquoise that vibrates when the wearer speaks. Depletion: 1 in d20

Mechanics:

  • Enabler: The wearer is trained in all tasks related to deception and fast-talking.
  • Passive – Sky-Lung: The wearer ignores any negative effects or difficulty increases caused by thin air, smoke, or physical exhaustion related to breathing.
  • Gilded Distraction (Action): The wearer engages a target in rapid-fire speech. The difficulty of the target’s next action is increased by one step as they are momentarily stunned by the verbal onslaught.
  • Spirit-Wind Jabber (Action): The wearer claps the buckle, summoning a localized dust devil. This grants an asset to any task involving hiding or fleeing for one minute.
  • Drawback: The buckle’s constant humming makes the wearer “Inability” in tasks related to silence or subtle movement while it is active.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Artifact Name: Tengrism 319 of the Gilded Tongue Item Level: 1 Price: 15 gp Usage: Worn (Belt); Bulk: L Traits: Common, Divination, Mental, Occult

Stat Block & Mechanics:

  • Item Bonus: You gain a +1 item bonus to Deception checks and Diplomacy checks made to Bargain.
  • Passive – Fox’s Cadence: You can speak at an accelerated rate. When using the Coerce or Make an Impression actions, you can reduce the time required to a single round of talking, though the target’s attitude toward you might become suspicious later.
  • Gilded Distraction (Two Actions): (Frequency: 2/day) You unleash a barrage of confusing shamanic logic. One creature within 30 feet must attempt a DC 15 Will save.
    • Success: The creature is unaffected.
    • Failure: The creature is Stupefied 1 for 1 round and is Flat-Footed against your next attack or skill check before the end of your next turn.
  • Spirit-Wind Jabber (Two Actions): (Frequency: 1/day) You summon a swirling gust of wind. This functions as the Obscuring Mist spell, but it manifests as a cloud of dust and lasts for only 1 minute.
  • Drawback: You take a -1 penalty to Stealth checks due to the audible vibration of the brass.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Artifact Name: Buckle of the Steppe Fox Type: Enchanted Gear Cost: 150 credits

Mechanics:

  • Fast-Talker: The wearer gains the Silver-Tongued Edge. If they already have it, they gain a +2 bonus to Persuasion rolls when attempting to “fast-talk” someone.
  • Passive – Sky-Breath: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to Vigor rolls made to resist Fatigue from running, altitude, or environmental smoke.
  • Gilded Distraction (Active): As a limited action, the wearer can make a Persuasion roll at -2 against a target’s Smarts. On a success, the target is Distracted. On a Raise, the target is also Vulnerable.
  • Spirit-Wind Jabber (Active): Once per day, the wearer can activate the Obscure power using their Smarts as the arcane skill. The effect is a swirling dust cloud centered on the wearer.
  • Drawback: The item’s “hum” gives the wearer a -1 penalty to Stealth rolls.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Artifact Name: Tengrism 319 Adept Buckle Type: Qi Focus (Level 1) Availability: 2 Cost: 3,000¥

Stat Block & Mechanics:

  • Aura: The buckle has a bright, swirling blue astral signature reminiscent of a clear sky.
  • Bonding: Requires 2 Karma to bond.
  • Fast-Talker (Enabler): While active, the focus grants the user the Voice Control adept power (Level 1), allowing the user to shift their pitch and cadence to sound more persuasive or confusing.
  • Passive – Breath of the Open Sky: The user gains a +2 dice pool bonus to any Fatigue Resistance tests related to running or toxic air environments (smoke/gas).
  • Gilded Distraction (Active): The user can perform a “Rapid-Fire Manipulation” as a Minor Action. This adds +1 to the user’s Social Influence dice pool for a Con test. If successful, the target loses their next Minor Action as they process the verbal clutter.
  • Drawback: The buckle emits a low-frequency ultrasonic hum. Electronic sensors or characters with Enhanced Hearing gain a +2 dice pool bonus to detect the user when they are attempting to be stealthy.

Starfinder (2nd Edition)

Artifact Name: Tengrism 319 Sky-Breeze Buckle Item Level: 1 Price: 150 Credits Usage: Worn (Belt); Bulk: L Traits: Common, Hybrid, Magical

Stat Block & Mechanics:

  • Skill Bonus: You gain a +1 item bonus to Deception checks.
  • Passive – Breath of the Open Sky: You gain a +1 status bonus to Fortitude saves against environmental hazards involving thin air, smoke, or airborne toxins. You can hold your breath for twice the normal duration.
  • Gilded Distraction (Two Actions): (Frequency: 2/day) You unleash a “Sky-Spirit” verbal barrage. One creature within 30 feet that can hear you must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC 13). On a failure, the creature is Off-Guard until the end of your next turn.
  • Spirit-Wind Jabber (Two Actions): (Frequency: 1/day) You clap the buckle to summon a swirling dust cloud. This functions as a 1st-level Obscuring Mist spell, but it only lasts for 3 rounds and provides concealment only against creatures more than 5 feet away.
  • Drawback: The item’s vibration imposes a –1 penalty on Stealth checks to remain unheard.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Artifact Name: Shamanic Sky-Governor 319 Tech Level: 5 (Archaeological Relic) Weight: 0.2 kg Cost: Cr 450

Stat Block & Mechanics:

  • Skill Enhancement: The wearer gains a +1 DM to all Persuade checks when attempting to confuse or “fast-talk” an opponent.
  • Passive – High-Altitude Conditioning: The wearer treats their END characteristic as being 2 points higher for the purposes of avoiding fatigue from physical exertion or thin atmospheres.
  • Gilded Distraction (Active): Once per day, the wearer may attempt to stun a target with a rapid-fire monologue. The wearer makes a Persuade (INT) check against the target’s Willpower (END or INT). If successful, the target is distracted and suffers a -1 DM to all their checks for 1D6 rounds.
  • Spirit-Wind Jabber: In outdoor environments, the wearer can kick up a localized dust cloud that grants a +1 DM to their next Stealth or Athletics (Dexterity) check to escape a confrontation.
  • Drawback: The primitive brass electronics interfere with sensitive audio gear. Any Recon check made to detect the user’s movement via sound gains a +1 DM.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Artifact Name: Tengri’s Gilded Tongue-Plate Type: Talisman Encumbrance: 0 AP: 0

Stat Block & Mechanics:

  • Skill Bonus: The wearer gains a +5 bonus to Charm and Gossip Tests when speaking quickly.
  • Passive – Breath of the Open Sky: The wearer gains the Strong-Minded Talent. If they already possess it, they gain +10 to any Cool Tests made to resist the effects of smoke or thin air.
  • Gilded Distraction (Active): Once per day, the wearer may spend a Fortune Point to launch into a “Shamanic Jabber.” One target within 5 yards must pass a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or gain 1 Stunned Condition.
  • Spirit-Wind Jabber (Active): If outdoors, the wearer may perform a Dramatic Agility Test. On a success, they stir up a cloud of dust that acts as the Distracting Quality against any ranged attacks targeted at the wearer for 1 round.
  • Drawback: The buckle’s vibration is distracting; the wearer suffers a –5 penalty to any Language (Magick) or Channelling Tests as the hum disrupts their concentration.