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Whispering Void 813

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by

Dale
in

Lore Legends among the Aurelians and the reclusive coastal sages speak of a unique event, a confluence of purpose that merged three distinct echoes of the world’s magic into a single, unparalleled instrument. It is told that an archer of profound empathy, who carried the Gravity Defier’s Bow as a symbol of their mastery over the physical world, found themselves facing a sorrow of celestial scale. A great Sky-Beast, a creature woven from the very firmament, was afflicted by a poison that caused it to writhe in silent agony, threatening to unravel the constellations themselves. The archer, also a keeper of Old Man Finnigan’s wisdom, understood that this was not a beast to be slain, but one to be soothed and understood. They affixed Finnigan’s Gentle Probes to their own form, not to a tentacle, but to their fingertips, seeking to understand the creature’s affliction from a distance. To administer the cure—an arrow carrying a sacred balm—they needed to be utterly unnoticed by the parasitic spirits tormenting the beast. For this, they wore the Amitabha 27 of Absence, quieting their presence in the world’s grand emotional spectrum. As they drew the bow for the impossible shot, a moment of perfect synthesis occurred. Their intent to heal, to strike true beyond physical law, and to exist without presence, caused the three items to resonate. In a flash of silent, bioluminescent light, the Probes and the Amulet dissolved, their essences flowing into the bow. The wood and metal became one with the woven algae and ethereal alloy, forging a new artifact: the Whispering Void. The arrow loosed from this transformed bow did not fly; it simply arrived, delivering its cure and becoming a new star. The bow remained, a testament to an act that balanced compassion, precision, and the serene power of nothingness.

Description The Whispering Void 813 is an elegant longbow that appears to be carved from a single piece of polished, dark heartwood, reminiscent of the Skyward Willow. Woven into the grain of the wood are intricate, swirling patterns of what looks like bioluminescent sea-algae and kelp, which pulse with a soft, tranquil seafoam-green light that brightens and dims in rhythm with the wielder’s breathing. The riser and grip are wrapped in a velvety, dark material that feels subtly cool and damp to the touch, almost like living tissue, granting an uncanny connection to the weapon. The metallic fittings at the tips and arrow rest are crafted from an ethereal alloy that shimmers and refracts light, making the bow’s exact edges seem to blur and fade into the background, becoming elusive to the eye. The entire weapon feels preternaturally light yet incredibly stable, humming with a quiet energy that is both deeply vital and profoundly empty.

Stats

  • Tier: 3
  • Bonus: +3 Dexterity
  • Skills: Archery (+4 bonus to ranged attack rolls made with this bow).

Tags Ranged, Precise, Gravity-Defying, Empathic, Diagnostic, Bioluminescent, Soothing, Absence, Evasion, Tier 3, Unique, Aurelian Legacy, Void-touched, Palliative, Ethereal, Merged Artifact, Sky-Bender, Life-Sense, Confluence

Passives Magic

  • Unburdened Flight: All arrows loosed from this bow are inherently affected by its gravity-defying magic. They suffer no penalties for range up to their maximum distance and seem to intuitively arc over or around cover to seek their target, making shots that would normally be impossible merely difficult.
  • Wave-Whisperer’s Insight: By taking a moment to aim at a creature, the wielder receives an empathic and diagnostic echo through the bow. They gain a clear sense of the creature’s general state of health (healthy, wounded, poisoned, etc.), its dominant emotional state (fear, rage, contentment), and one significant physical or magical vulnerability. This perception is a direct, intuitive understanding.
  • Shroud of Absence: The wielder is cloaked in a subtle aura of emotional and physical elusiveness. They are naturally more difficult to read, granting a bonus to social checks involving deception or hiding one’s intentions. In combat, enemies making ranged attacks against the wielder do so with a penalty, as the wielder’s exact position is difficult to pinpoint.

Active Magics

  • Arrow of Succor: Once per day, the wielder can choose to imbue an arrow with gentle, healing energy. The arrow is fired at an ally or a beast. It inflicts no damage upon impact but instead dissolves into a wave of calming bioluminescent light. The target is immediately healed for a significant number of hit points and is cured of one non-magical disease or poison. If used on a hostile or frightened beast, it instead pacifies them, removing their will to fight for several minutes unless they are attacked again.
  • Strike From the Void: Once per encounter, the wielder can declare they are using a Strike From the Void. As they loose their arrow, their physical form vanishes completely into an imperceptible state for two turns. The arrow itself travels unseen and unheard until the moment it strikes, where it deals additional psychic damage from its connection to the void. The wielder reappears at the end of their second turn in a location of their choice within 20 feet of their original position.
  • Silent Sky’s Benediction: Once per week, the wielder can fire a single, specially conjured arrow of pure, shimmering light straight into the sky. The arrow vanishes at its apex, creating a silent, shimmering aurora that covers the battlefield for one minute. While under this aurora, all allies are affected by the Shroud of Absence, and the wielder can use the Wave-Whisperer’s Insight on any enemy within the area as a free action.

Specific Slot

  • Weapon

Item Integrity and Repair

The Whispering Void 813, as a unique Tier 3 merged artifact, possesses a magical integrity that can be targeted and temporarily disabled, though the physical item is exceptionally durable.

Magical Hit Points The bow’s magical essence has 40 Hit Points. Attacks specifically aimed at sundering its magic (such as targeted dispelling effects, anti-magic strikes, or specific artifact-breaking abilities) deplete these hit points. Once the magical hit points are reduced to zero, the bow is not physically broken, but its enchantments fall dormant. All magical properties—the Dexterity bonus, skill bonuses, passive abilities, and active magics—cease to function. In this state, it performs as a non-magical, masterwork-quality longbow. Its bioluminescent patterns fade to a dull, inert grey, and the ethereal shimmer of its fittings vanishes.

Repair Process Restoring the Whispering Void 813 is not a simple matter of mending wood and metal; it requires a complex ritual to reawaken and re-harmonize the three distinct magical essences merged within it. The process can only be undertaken by a master artisan who possesses a rare combination of skills in Enchantment, Bowyery, and Natural/Spiritual Lore.

The repair ritual has three critical stages, reflecting the item’s tripartite origin:

  1. Reattuning the Sky: To restore the essence of the Gravity Defier’s Bow, the dormant weapon must be taken to a location where the influence of gravity is weak or in flux, such as the peak of the highest mountain or a floating earthmote. Here, the artisan must restring the bow with a single strand of freshly harvested Wind Serpent sinew while chanting to the forces of trajectory and the open sky. This process realigns the bow’s fundamental connection to defying physical law.
  2. Reinfusing Life: To reawaken the spirit of Finnigan’s Gentle Probes, the bow must be immersed for a full cycle of tides in a pristine, living tide pool, one teeming with the same bioluminescent algae from which the probes were first woven. During this immersion, the artisan must gently channel empathic energy into the bow, focusing on the concepts of soothing, diagnosis, and the interconnectedness of all life. This nurtures the dormant bio-magical patterns back to vitality.
  3. Reconsecrating the Void: Finally, to restore the power of Amitabha 27 of Absence, the now glowing bow must be brought to a place of profound silence and spiritual stillness. The artisan will burn rare, ethereal incenses and perform a rite of absence, meditating upon the bow for a full day without interruption. This final step quiets the reawakened energies, merging them back into the singular, balanced harmony of the Whispering Void, allowing its connection to the elusive nature of the void to be re-established.

The Whispering Void 813, as a unique Tier 3 merged artifact, is an item of legendary status and immense power. It would not be available for purchase in any conventional shop, marketplace, or emporium. Its transfer from one owner to another would be a significant event, occurring only in the most exclusive, secretive, or high-stakes environments where artifacts of world-altering potential are exchanged.

Types of Venues and Methods of Acquisition

1. The Celestial Vault Auction House

  • Location: Found only in the most opulent and politically neutral floating cities, establishments like the Celestial Vault are known throughout Saṃsāra as the premier auction houses for one-of-a-kind artifacts. These events are invitation-only, attended by guild masters, national leaders, archmages, the wealthiest nobles, and occasionally, representatives of draconic lineages.
  • How Bought/Sold: The Whispering Void 813 would be the centerpiece of a generation-defining auction. The sale would be conducted in absolute secrecy, with magical wards preventing any scrying or unauthorized entry. Bidders would use magically shielded plaques to place their bids. The auctioneer would be a master of lore, recounting the bow’s entire history—from the forging of its components to the legendary act of its merging—to inflame the desire of the attendees. Payment would be required in full within one day, often involving entire fleets of treasure ships or the transfer of deeds to vast territories.
  • Cost: The bidding would not start in gold but in platinum or rhodium. A conservative starting bid would be 2,000 Rhodium coins (equivalent to 200,000 Gold coins). However, in the heated atmosphere of such an auction, with rival nations and ancient guilds vying for its power, the final price would likely escalate to 10,000 Rhodium coins or more, potentially supplemented by the trading of other legendary artifacts, mining rights to entire mountain ranges, or binding magical pacts of allegiance.

2. The Ashen Market Syndicate

  • Location: The Ashen Market is not a physical place but a clandestine, mobile network of brokers who deal in items too powerful or dangerous for the public eye. They operate through coded messages, trusted intermediaries, and secret meetings in forgotten ruins or the depths of the under-cities. They are the epitome of the world’s black market for magical artifacts.
  • How Bought/Sold: Acquiring the Whispering Void 813 through the Ashen Market would be a perilous affair. A potential buyer would first need to get the attention of the Syndicate, a feat in itself. A meeting would be arranged in a location where the buyer is at a distinct disadvantage. The transaction would be tense and fraught with the risk of betrayal. The brokers care nothing for honor, only for the price. The bow might be currently held by a notorious assassin’s guild, a shadowy collector, or have been recently “liberated” from a monarch’s vault.
  • Cost: The Ashen Market deals less in currency and more in pure, untraceable value and leverage. The monetary price would be astronomical, likely starting at 15,000 Rhodium coins, as they factor in their own risk. More often, they would demand a price that cannot be easily measured. This could include: the assassination of a ” magically-protected political figure, the map to an uncharted island said to house the soul of a demigod, the permanent servitude of a powerful magical being bound to the buyer, or a favor of equal gravity to be called upon at any time in the future.

3. The Archive of the Unseen Arrow

  • Location: This is the hidden sanctum of the archer order that originally conceived of the Gravity Defier’s Bow. Its location is a closely guarded secret, perhaps on a mountain peak that scrapes the sky or in a valley perpetually shrouded in mist. It is less a shop and more a sacred repository and place of pilgrimage for the most dedicated archers.
  • How Bought/Sold: The Whispering Void 813 would not be for “sale” here. If the order came into possession of it, they would see it as a sacred relic. To acquire it, one would have to prove themselves worthy not just of wielding it, but of embodying its core principles: mastery, empathy, and humility. This would involve a series of trials known as the “Three Echoes.” A petitioner would have to first replicate an impossible shot of legend (mastery), then track and heal a mythical creature without using violence (empathy), and finally, navigate the order’s Labyrinth of Self without their own name or past, guided only by intuition (humility).
  • Cost: The cost is the successful completion of the trials. No amount of coin would ever be accepted. Should the petitioner succeed, the bow would be bestowed upon them not as a purchase, but as a charge to be carried until they too become part of its legend. Failure in the trials often results in the petitioner being magically bound to serve the order for a century, or being sent away with their memory of the sanctum’s location erased.

4. The Vault of a Reclusive Artifact Hoarder

  • Location: In a forgotten corner of Saṃsāra, a vastly powerful and ancient being (perhaps a dragon, a lich, or a Fae lord who has lived for millennia) maintains a private collection of the world’s most significant artifacts. The Whispering Void 813 would be a jewel in such a collection, kept not for its use but for the sheer prestige of its possession.
  • How Bought/Sold: Gaining an audience with such a being would be a life’s quest. If granted, the owner would have no need for money. They would trade the bow only for something they do not possess and cannot easily acquire. The negotiation would be a battle of wits, where every word matters. The hoarder would be amused by offers of wealth but swayed only by the truly unique.
  • Cost: The price would be an exchange of legends. The buyer might have to offer something like: “The last tear of a dying phoenix,” “a song that can make mountains weep,” “the true name of the first shadow,” or “a memory of a world that existed before the first reincarnation.” The cost is not a resource to be gathered, but a story to be lived or an impossibility to be made real.

The roleplay of wielding the Whispering Void 813 is a nuanced performance, blending the serene focus of a master archer, the deep empathy of a naturalist healer, and the unsettling stillness of a phantom. The wielder is not merely a combatant; they are a battlefield philosopher whose actions are deliberate, precise, and often profoundly quiet. How this is expressed varies dramatically depending on the environment.

1. In a Dense Forest or Ancient Jungle

This environment is where the bow’s connection to life and elusive nature is most at home.

  • Offensive Roleplay: The wielder becomes an extension of the forest’s will. They move without snapping twigs, their presence muted by the Shroud of Absence. An attack isn’t just an arrow; it’s a thorn delivered by an unseen branch.
    • Example: The party is ambushed by skilled trackers. Instead of targeting their hearts, the wielder uses the Wave-Whisperer’s Insight to feel the anxious pride of the lead tracker. They then use the bow’s Unburdened Flight to send an arrow on an impossible arc, threading it through the canopy to silently pin the leader’s bow to a tree trunk without harming him. The message is clear: “I could have killed you. The forest itself is against you. Leave.” It’s an act of intimidation born from superior position and an understanding of the enemy’s psyche.
  • Defensive Roleplay: The archer uses the environment as a living shield. They are not hiding behind a tree, but rather asking the tree to hide them. The bow’s bioluminescence is used not as a beacon, but as a lure.
    • Example: A massive, territorial beast charges the party. The wielder doesn’t try to kill it. Pressing a hand to the ground, they use the bow’s empathic echo to sense the beast’s pain from an old wound. They activate the Arrow of Succor, firing it not at the beast, but at a cluster of glowing moss near its flank. The arrow dissolves, and its healing light soothes the creature’s chronic pain. The beast, confused but no longer enraged, halts its charge and regards the party with curiosity instead of aggression, neutralizing the threat through compassion.

2. In a Barren Wasteland or Open Plains

Here, with no cover, the bow’s themes of absence and impossible distance become paramount.

  • Offensive Roleplay: The wielder is a ghost on the horizon, a myth. Attacks come from nowhere, seemingly from the empty sky itself. The roleplay is one of absolute, untouchable dominance over the battlefield.
    • Example: A warband is crossing the salt flats. The wielder takes a position miles away, far beyond the range of normal sight. Using the bow to focus their senses, they feel the commander’s arrogance. They loose a single arrow using Strike From the Void. The commander’s war horn is suddenly and silently shattered on their hip by an arrow that seemed to materialize from thin air. Panic and confusion ripple through the ranks. The wielder isn’t just killing; they are dismantling the enemy’s morale from a distance they can’t even comprehend.
  • Defensive Roleplay: With no physical cover, the wielder becomes the void. They rely on making themselves an unsolvable tactical problem.
    • Example: Pursued by swift cavalry, the party is exposed. The wielder stands their ground. As the enemy archers fire, the wielder’s Shroud of Absence makes them a wavering, uncertain target. They then fire a series of shots not at the riders, but a hundred feet in front of them, using the gravity-defying magic to make the arrows hang in the air for a moment before creating a low-hanging, impassable lattice of razor-sharp arrowheads. It’s a wall made from impossible physics, forcing the cavalry to halt or swerve into treacherous terrain.

3. In a Bustling City or Urban Environment

In this setting, the bow’s precision and subtlety are key. It’s used for surgical strikes and manipulating the complex social and physical terrain.

  • Offensive Roleplay: The archer is a rumor, a whisper. They use the city’s geometry to their advantage, making shots that defy logic and law enforcement.
    • Example: A corrupt magistrate needs to be relieved of an incriminating ledger during a crowded masquerade ball. The wielder is perched on a distant rooftop. They use Wave-Whisperer’s Insight to sense the magistrate’s anxiety. When he momentarily sets the ledger down, the wielder fires an arrow. It arcs over the building, drops into an alley, ricochets off a metal signpost, flies through an open ballroom window, and snags the ledger’s binding with a specially-tipped head, yanking it out of the window and back into the alley for an accomplice to retrieve. The act is so impossible it’s dismissed as a freak accident or a stage magician’s trick.
  • Defensive Roleplay: The wielder uses the chaos of the city as their shield and the bow’s empathic abilities to navigate social threats.
    • Example: Cornered in a marketplace by city guards, the wielder doesn’t fight. They sense the agitation of the penned livestock nearby. They fire a single, blunt-tipped arrow high into the air, which arcs down to neatly sever the rope on the pen’s gate. The panicked animals flood the square, creating mass chaos and a perfect cover for the party’s escape. They have used their understanding of the environment’s living components to create a non-lethal diversion.

4. In a Deep Cavern or the Underdark

Light, sound, and alien life are the core elements. The bow becomes a tool for navigation, communication, and psychological warfare against creatures of the dark.

  • Offensive Roleplay: The wielder is the bringer of a quiet, judgmental light. The bioluminescence of the bow is a weapon in itself.
    • Example: Facing a nest of creatures who are blinded by light, the wielder uses Silent Sky’s Benediction. The arrow fired into the cavern ceiling creates a gentle, silent aurora. The beautiful light is agonizing to the creatures, scattering them in panic without a single lethal shot being fired. The party walks through the now-empty nest unharmed, the path lit by a beautiful, tactical display.
  • Defensive Roleplay: The bow is a sensory tool, an extension of the wielder’s senses into the oppressive darkness and silence.
    • Example: Stalked by a massive, sound-sensitive predator, the party must remain silent. The wielder presses the bow’s riser against the stone floor. Closing their eyes, they use its enhanced empathy to feel the faint vibrations of the approaching creature, pinpointing its location through the stone. They then fire an arrow not at the creature, but at a distant cavern wall where it will make the loudest possible echo, luring the predator away from the party’s true path. They have used the bow to listen to the darkness and speak its language.

Perception of Activation:

Sight

  • User’s Perspective: As the wielder focuses their intent, a wave of visual phenomena washes over the bow. The swirling, algae-like patterns woven into the heartwood begin to glow, shifting from a dormant grey-green to a vibrant, pulsing seafoam green. This light is soft and tranquil, seeming to breathe in time with the user. Simultaneously, the metallic fittings at the tips and arrow rest flare with an ethereal, silvery light, refracting the ambient light in a way that makes the bow’s outline blur and shimmer, becoming difficult to focus on. A nocked arrow appears to float weightlessly, its tip gleaming with a focused point of the same ethereal light.
    • Positives: Provides instant, unambiguous confirmation of activation. The sight is both beautiful and confidence-inspiring, helping the archer achieve a state of focus. The blurring effect on the bow’s form aids in the wielder’s own defense.
    • Negatives: The combined glow and shimmer, while not overtly bright, makes stealth in complete darkness impossible. The initial blurring of the weapon’s edges can be momentarily disorienting to an untrained user.
  • Observer’s Perspective: From a distance, an observer witnesses a beautiful and uncanny transformation. A dark, elegant longbow suddenly comes alive with internal, flowing patterns of soft green light. The ends of the bow seem to dissolve into shimmering distortions of light and air, making it hard to judge its exact length or position. It looks less like a solid object and more like a captured, living piece of twilight and sea.
    • Positives: The visual is awe-inspiring and clearly marks the wielder as someone of great power. It can be intimidating and psychologically unsettling to an opponent.
    • Negatives: It is an unmistakable beacon of powerful magic, drawing immediate attention and potentially marking the archer as the highest-priority target on any battlefield.

Sound

  • User’s Perspective: The activation is accompanied not by a loud noise, but by a profound shift in auditory perception. The user hears a deep, resonant hum that seems to emanate from within the bow and their own chest simultaneously. This hum has the quality of a cello note held at the edge of hearing and the sound of a distant ocean tide. It effectively dampens ambient noise, creating a bubble of intense focus around the archer.
    • Positives: The sound is deeply centering and blocks out distracting battlefield noise, allowing for unparalleled concentration.
    • Negatives: This sensory filtering can be dangerous, potentially masking the sound of a nearby threat, such as a silently approaching assassin.
  • Observer’s Perspective: An observer hears almost nothing. If they are within a few feet, they might perceive a very faint, low-frequency vibration in the air. More noticeably, the area immediately around the archer seems to become unnaturally quiet, as if the weapon is actively absorbing sound.
    • Positives: Reinforces the mysterious and phantom-like nature of the wielder.
    • Negatives: The unnatural silence is eerie and can cause unease or fear in allies and enemies alike.

Touch

  • User’s Perspective: The sensation of activation is complex and intimate. The velvety grip feels cool and damp, almost like living skin, and a distinct, gentle pulse can be felt, matching the rhythm of the glowing algae. A cool, tingling energy, like a gentle electrical current, flows from the bow into the user’s hands and arms, feeling weightless and responsive. Drawing the string requires almost no physical effort, as if the bow itself wills it, yet it holds a sensation of immense contained power.
    • Positives: Creates a powerful symbiotic connection, making the bow feel like a natural extension of the wielder’s body and will. The lack of physical strain allows for rapid, sustained firing.
    • Negatives: The “living” sensation of the grip can be unnerving. The flow of energy, while not painful, can feel intense and overwhelming for a novice.
  • Observer’s Perspective: No direct tactile perception is possible for an observer.

Smell

  • User’s Perspective: A unique and indescribable scent manifests—a combination of fresh ozone like the air after a lightning strike, the clean, salty brine of a deep ocean tide, and a faint, otherworldly fragrance of exotic incense and blooming night flowers.
    • Positives: The scent acts as a powerful sensory anchor, helping the user to quickly enter the focused mental state required to wield the bow.
    • Negatives: The aroma is distinctive and could be used to track the wielder by creatures with a highly developed sense of smell.
  • Observer’s Perspective: No scent is typically perceived unless the observer is immediately downwind and has an exceptionally keen sense of smell.

Extra-Sensory Perceptions

  • Empathic Resonance (User’s Perspective): The wielder’s awareness expands beyond their physical senses. They feel a distinct connection to the life force of other beings in their vicinity. This manifests as an intuitive understanding of their emotional state (fear, aggression, sorrow) and their physical condition (vitality, injury, poison). It’s a quiet, constant stream of information.
    • Positives: Provides unparalleled tactical information, allowing the user to predict enemy behavior, identify leaders, or choose to pacify a creature rather than kill it.
    • Negatives: Can be emotionally and mentally exhausting, especially in a target-rich environment or when surrounded by intense suffering. It can forge an unwanted connection to an enemy.
  • Spatial Trajectory Insight (User’s Perspective): The user’s mind perceives the world in terms of vectors and arcs. When they look at a target, they see a faint, shimmering line of pale green light tracing the perfect, gravity-defying path the arrow will take to strike it, bending over cover and around obstacles.
    • Positives: Allows for acts of legendary, seemingly impossible accuracy. It removes the guesswork from complex trick shots.
    • Negatives: Can lead to a dangerous over-reliance on the bow’s magic, causing the archer’s innate skills of estimation and calculation to atrophy.
  • Perception of Absence (User’s Perspective): Perhaps the most profound sensation. The user feels their own presence in the world soften and blur. Their emotional state becomes placid and still, and they feel a sense of detachment, as if they are an unseen observer of events rather than a participant. They feel less like a solid object and more like a quiet space between other objects.
    • Positives: Induces a state of perfect, fearless calm, ideal for high-pressure situations. This sense of “un-being” is the source of their magical elusiveness.
    • Negatives: This detachment can bleed into their personality over time, making it difficult to connect with allies or feel strong emotions. It can be a lonely and isolating experience.
  • Aura Perception (Observer’s Perspective with Mind’s Eye): An observer with the ability to perceive magical auras would see something deeply paradoxical. They would see the wielder’s aura flare with immense power, rich with the green energies of life and the silvery-white energy of spatial magic. Yet, simultaneously, the core of this aura would seem to collapse inward, creating a “hole” or a patch of absolute nothingness where the wielder should be. The user is both a beacon of power and a void, a contradiction that is mystifying and deeply unsettling to perceive.

The Rite of Confluence: Forging the Whispering Void

This legendary crafting process is less a matter of simple assembly and more a sacred ritual of magical deconstruction and synergistic rebirth. It requires the permanent sacrifice of three powerful artifacts to create a singular item of unparalleled power, harmony, and purpose. The process is known to only a handful of master artisans in all of Saṃsāra, for it demands expertise across wildly different magical and mundane disciplines.

Items Merged

  • Gravity Defier’s Bow (Tier 1): The physical and functional chassis of the final weapon, providing the core principles of unparalleled accuracy and mastery over the physical laws of flight.
  • Finnigan’s Gentle Probes (Tier 1): The source of the merged item’s connection to the living world, providing its empathic, diagnostic, and soothing properties.
  • Amitabha 27 of Absence (Tier 1): The spiritual core of the new artifact, imbuing it with the paradoxical powers of presence and absence, evasion, and ethereal elusiveness.

Additional Materials Needed

  • One Heart-Tear of a slumbering Leviathan: A single, solidified tear of a great beast of the deep sea. This crystalline gem pulses with a profound, ancient empathy and is used as the catalyst to liquefy and transfer the essence of life-attuned magic.
  • One Breath of the Void, Captured: An esoteric component, this is a small, magically sealed vessel containing a perfect vacuum that is also a font of negative spiritual energy. It is required to handle and bind the essence of non-existence.
  • Three Strands of Sun-Woven Silk: Threads spun by celestial arachnids in the highest reaches of the atmosphere, these strands are used to bind purely spiritual or conceptual magic to a physical form.
  • A single, flawless Geode from the Core: A geode mined from a depth where elemental magic is born. Its interior is perfectly smooth and absorbs all light and sound, providing a stable, neutral ground for the merging of chaotic, high-tier enchantments.

Tools Required

  • The Soulforge of Unmaking and Remaking: Not a forge of fire, but a great, obsidian altar that can safely deconstruct magical items into their base conceptual energies without destroying them.
  • The Harmonizing Mallet: A small, elegant hammer carved from the petrified heartwood of an Arch-Druid. It is used not to strike with force, but to tap an object, sending harmonizing vibrations through it to align and weave disparate magical energies together.
  • A Confluence Chamber: The ritual can only be performed in a location where a ley line of celestial energy (for the sky), a ley line of vital energy (for the sea), and a null-point of spiritual energy (for the void) all intersect.

Skill Requirements The crafter must be a true polymath, a master of skills that rarely coexist in a single individual. They must possess all of the following at a Grandmaster level:

  • Grandmaster Bowyer: To understand and preserve the physical integrity and martial perfection of the Gravity Defier’s Bow.
  • Master Bio-Alchemist: To safely handle the living essence of Finnigan’s Probes and guide its integration into an inanimate object.
  • Arch-Enchanter: To manipulate the potent enchantments of all three items.
  • Void Metaphysician: To comprehend and safely manipulate the dangerous “absence” magic of the Amitabha 27 of Absence without being spiritually annihilated.

Crafting Steps

  1. Preparation of the Chamber: The crafter must first align the Confluence Chamber, a process that can take days of meditation and minor ritual. The ritual must begin on a night of a new moon when the tide is at its peak.
  2. The Unmaking of Life: Finnigan’s Gentle Probes are placed upon the Soulforge. The crafter places the Heart-Tear of the Leviathan upon them and taps the tear with the Harmonizing Mallet. Instead of shattering, the probes dissolve into a shimmering, bioluminescent, seafoam-green liquid—the pure essence of empathetic life. This essence is carefully collected into a crystalline phial.
  3. The Unmaking of Absence: The Amitabha 27 of Absence is placed on the Soulforge. The crafter opens the Breath of the Void vessel next to it. Using the Harmonizing Mallet, they tap the accessory. It does not dissolve; it evaporates into a patch of perfect, silent shadow that is immediately drawn into and contained within the vessel.
  4. The Infusion of Life and Spirit: The Gravity Defier’s Bow is laid upon the Soulforge. The crafter first pours the liquid life-essence over the bow’s wooden body. The wood drinks the essence thirstily, and the bioluminescent patterns of kelp and algae bloom into existence within the grain. Next, the riser and grip are draped with the three Strands of Sun-Woven Silk. The vessel containing the essence of absence is opened, and the shadow-stuff flows out, clinging to the silk and weaving itself into a new, velvety, living grip.
  5. The Final Harmony: The Flawless Geode from the Core is placed carefully upon the bow’s newly formed riser. The crafter must then perform the most critical step: a single, perfect strike with the Harmonizing Mallet upon the geode. The geode does not shatter but sends a silent, omnidirectional shockwave of pure, stabilizing energy through the bow. This shockwave permanently fuses the three distinct magics—Sky, Life, and Void—into a new, singular, and stable whole.
  6. The Awakening: The bow will levitate an inch above the Soulforge, its ethereal fittings shimmering and its bioluminescent patterns pulsing in a steady, living rhythm. The Rite of Confluence is complete, and the Whispering Void 813 has been born.

Chronicle of Arrow That Did Not Fly

It is sung in the cracked tablets, from a time when the sky was a younger thing, of the one called Aethelan the Sky-Watcher. He was a man whose eyes knew the paths of arrows better than a river knows the sea, and his bow was a thing of great wonder. It was the Gravity Defier, which is to say, the Bow That Spat Upon The Earth-Pull. Its wood was from a tree that desired the moon, and its string was the sinew of a serpent that knew only the wind. An arrow from this bow did not listen to the world’s heavy call to fall.

Now, in this time, a great sorrow fell upon the sea of night. The Great Sky-Whale, whose passage made the seasons turn and whose hide was the field upon which stars did bloom, was taken with a great sickness. A poison of crawling darkness had entered its celestial flesh, and it thrashed in the high emptiness, weeping comets and shedding constellations like dying scales. The wise men looked up and said, “The sky is breaking. The world will soon forget its own turning.”

Many great heroes took up their weapons, their spears of sun-metal and their axes that could split mountains. They boasted they would climb to the heavens and put the great beast out of its misery, to kill the pain by killing the thing that felt it. But Aethelan the Sky-Watcher looked up, and his heart felt a great echo of the Sky-Whale’s agony. For he was also a keeper of the old sea-wisdom, and on his own hands, he wore the Fingers of Knowing, which men called Finnigan’s Probes. These were not true fingers, but sheaths woven from the sea-hair that glows without fire, made to fit upon a creature’s suckers, yet Aethelan had shaped them to his own flesh. To touch with them was to feel the inside-sickness of another, to know the hurt as if it were his own. And through them, he felt the Sky-Whale’s pain not as a rage, but as a frightened plea.

“This is a wound to be cleansed,” he spoke to the wind, “not a life to be taken.”

He knew his Bow That Spat Upon The Earth-Pull could reach the great beast. He knew he could fletch an arrow not with feathers of death, but with a poultice of moon-herbs and dawn-light, a cure. But the sickness was a living thing, a swarm of fever-demons that drank the Whale’s light. They were blind, but they could sense the presence of any living soul, any flicker of emotion, any intent. They would see his arrow coming. They would see him aiming. They would turn the cure to more poison before it could ever land.

And so Aethelan took from its silk wrapping his third treasure, the Charm of the Empty Space, which was named Amitabha of Absence. To wear this charm was to become like the air between branches, a shape of not-a-thing. Your anger was a still pond. Your fear was a fallen stone. Your life was a forgotten word. You were there, but you were not-there.

He went to the highest peak, the one they called the World’s Tooth. He wore the Fingers of Knowing to feel the Whale’s wound. He held the Bow That Spat Upon The Earth-Pull to reach the wound. And he hung the Charm of the Empty Space about his neck, to hide from the fever-demons. He nocked the healing arrow and drew the string.

And then a great thing, a strange thing, did happen. The need was a three-headed need. The Bow did hunger for the Knowing of the Fingers, to better aim not at flesh, but at pain. The Fingers did yearn for the Emptiness of the Charm, to feel the wound without being felt. The Charm did wish to clothe the arrow and the bow in its great not-a-thing-ness. The three powers, seeing their purpose was one purpose, did cry out.

There was a light that was also a great dark. There was a sound of utter silence. The glowing sea-hair of the Fingers flowed like water from Aethelan’s hands and into the wood of the bow, weaving itself into the grain. The Charm of the Empty Space dissolved into a quiet shadow, which wrapped itself around the riser and the grip until it was like holding a piece of the tranquil night. The Bow was not three things anymore. It had become one-thing.

Aethelan the Sky-Watcher drew the string of this new bow. He aimed at the heart of the Sky-Whale’s pain, a place farther than any mortal had ever looked. He loosed the string.

The arrow did not fly. It did not arc. It was not seen to cross the great distance. It simply was here, on the string, and then it was there, in the flesh of the Sky-Whale. It arrived like a secret. The fever-demons, sensing no presence, feeling no intent, did not see it. The balm of moon-herbs and dawn-light washed through the great beast. A long, contented sigh echoed across the heavens, and the thrashing ceased. The crawling darkness fled from the holy light of the cure, and the wound closed.

The arrow itself, its purpose served, did not fall. It remained, and became a new, bright eye in the night-face of the world, a star of healing. And Aethelan stood upon the World’s Tooth, holding the new bow, a weapon that was also a tool of knowing and a cloak of silence, and he called it the Whispering Void.

The Moral of the Story: To strike a true mark, the hand must be strong and the eye must be clear. But to heal a great wound, the arrow must also know the shape of the pain, and arrive without a name.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Whisper of the Void Weapon (longbow), legendary (requires attunement)

This elegant longbow appears carved from a single piece of dark heartwood, with intricate, swirling patterns of bioluminescent algae woven into its grain. These patterns pulse with a soft, seafoam-green light.

You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. When you nock an arrow, the bowstring requires no physical effort to draw.

Curse. This bow is cursed, and becoming attuned to it extends the curse to you. You gain the following flaw: “I feel detached from the world, finding it difficult to form strong emotional bonds or express my own feelings.”

Unburdened Flight. Attacking at long range with this bow doesn’t impose disadvantage on your attack rolls. Your attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.

Wave-Whisperer’s Insight. While holding the bow, you have a deep, empathic connection to other living things. As a bonus action, you can focus on one creature you can see within 120 feet of you. You learn its current emotional state, its current hit points, and one of its damage vulnerabilities (if any).

Shroud of Absence. While holding this bow, you are cloaked in an aura of elusiveness. You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks. Additionally, any ranged attack roll made against you has disadvantage.

Arrow of Succor. The bow has 1 charge. As an action, you can expend the charge to fire an arrow at a creature you can see. If the target is a willing creature, it regains 70 hit points, and you can end one disease or one condition afflicting it. The condition can be blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. If the target is a beast, it must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become pacified for 1 hour, becoming indifferent to creatures it was hostile toward. The bow regains its expended charge daily at dawn.

Strike from the Void. As an action, you can fire an arrow and activate this property. You and the arrow become invisible. You remain invisible until the end of your next turn or until you attack or cast a spell. If the attack hits, it deals an additional 6d8 psychic damage. Immediately after the attack, you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once this property is used, it cannot be used again until you finish a short or long rest.

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

The Absent Curve of Hypnos Mythos Artifact

An elegant longbow seemingly carved from a single piece of dark, polished wood. Intricate patterns that resemble bioluminescent algae are woven into its grain, pulsing with a soft, tranquil green light. It feels unnervingly cool and damp to the touch. Merely holding it instills a sense of profound detachment from the world.

Attunement. To first wield the bow effectively, the user must spend an hour in quiet meditation with it, succeeding on a Hard POW roll. Failure results in the user being unable to try again for 24 hours. Success costs 1d6 Sanity points as the user’s mind expands to comprehend its impossible nature.

Abilities.

  • Supernatural Aim: The wielder gains a +30% bonus to their Bow skill. The bow’s effective range is doubled.
  • Arrow Through the Veil: The wielder can target enemies behind cover. The attack ignores one level of cover (e.g., treats full cover as partial cover). Doing so requires a Hard Bow roll.
  • Empathic Echo: By spending a full combat round aiming at a living entity, the wielder may make a PSY roll. On a success, they gain a flash of insight into the target’s primary emotional state (e.g., terrified, enraged) and one major physical vulnerability. Witnessing the inner life of a Mythos entity this way costs 0/1d3 Sanity points.
  • Unsettling Presence: The wielder gains a bonus die on Deception, Fast Talk, or Intimidation rolls where hiding their emotions is key. Conversely, they suffer a penalty die on Charm or Persuade rolls that require genuine emotional connection.
  • Ghostly Shroud: Any ranged attack targeting the wielder suffers one penalty die.

Spells. Using the bow’s deeper magic requires the expenditure of Magic Points and Sanity.

  • Soothing Arrow: Once per day, the wielder may spend 8 Magic Points and 1d3 Sanity points. Instead of dealing damage, the arrow heals a willing target for 1d8+2 hit points and allows them to immediately attempt a CON roll to overcome one poison or disease.
  • Void Strike: Once per day, the wielder may spend 10 Magic Points and 1d4 Sanity points to fire a Void Strike. The wielder becomes invisible for 1 round. The attack deals an additional 1d8 damage, and the target must make a SAN roll (1/1d4 loss) due to the unnatural attack.

Blades in the Dark

Whisper’s Remorse Artifact, Ghostly, Worn

An ancient longbow of strange, dark wood that glows with soft, sea-green patterns. It feels cool and damp, and hums with a silent energy. They say it was made by merging a master assassin’s weapon, a whisper’s empathic tool, and a ghost’s amulet. It does not count for Load.

Mechanics:

  • When you Hunt with this bow, you have potent effect and can target anyone you know the location of, ignoring range and physical cover. You also ask the GM one question about the target’s emotional state or immediate weakness, which they must answer honestly.
  • You are supernaturally elusive and difficult to read. Gain +1d to Prowl or Finesse when trying to remain unseen or dodge attacks from a distance. Your intentions are masked; when an NPC tries to read you, they can’t get a clear sense of your motives.
  • Soothing Arrow (1 Stress): Once per score, you can fire an arrow of peace instead of one of violence. You can either mend a wound (clear a single level 2 harm from a crewmate or ally) or pacify a single living target (PC or NPC). The target loses their will to fight for the remainder of the scene unless they are harmed.
  • Void Strike (Push Yourself): When you push yourself to make an attack with this bow, you can choose this benefit instead of +1d: you and your arrow momentarily fade into the ghost field. The attack is terrifyingly effective against a supernatural target and bypasses mundane armor. After the arrow strikes, you may immediately reappear in any nearby shadow.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Void-Kelp Bow Quality: Unique, Damage: d8

A masterwork longbow made of dark, polished heartwood. It is inlaid with glowing, sea-green patterns of what looks like kelp. It feels cool and damp to the touch and hums with a quiet power.

Properties:

  • Masterwork: You have an Asset on all attack rolls made with this bow.
  • Far-Flung: The bow ignores range penalties. If you can see a target, you can shoot at it.
  • Wraith-Veiled: Ranged attacks made against you have a Disasset. You have an Asset on Will saves made to resist effects that would read your mind or emotions.
  • Insightful: You can spend a Turn studying a creature you can see. At the end of the Turn, the GM tells you its current HP and its most significant weakness.

Spells (Slots are stored in the bow itself): The bow holds 3 spell slots, which refresh each morning. Each ability costs one slot.

  • Arrow of Peace: Your next arrow does no damage. Instead, it can either heal a target of your choice for 2d8 hit points, or force a single non-magical beast to become non-hostile for one hour (Will save to resist if the GM deems it appropriate).
  • Ghost Arrow: You become invisible for 3 rounds. Your first attack made while invisible deals an additional 1d8 damage.
  • Aurora Arrow (Costs 3 Slots): You fire an arrow into the sky, creating a 300ft radius area of silent, shimmering light for 10 minutes. All allies within this area gain the Wraith-Veiled property.

Fate Core System

The Arrow that Arrives Unsent

This is a legendary artifact represented as an Extra with its own aspects and stunts. A character must have an aspect that justifies their connection to such an item (e.g., Heir to the Sky-Watcher’s Legacy or Drawn to Impossible Archery) to acquire and use it.

Aspects:

  • High Concept: Legendary Bow of Empathy and Absence
  • Trouble: A Distant, Lonely Echo (The bow’s nature fosters an emotional detachment in the user, making connection difficult and providing a rich source for compels).

Stunts:

  • Unburdened Flight: Because the bow defies the laws of physics, you get a +2 when you Shoot to overcome impossible range, obstacles, or cover. When you succeed with style on such a roll, you can choose to create a situation aspect like Nowhere is Safe! on the scene with a free invocation for your team.
  • Wave-Whisperer’s Insight: Because the bow feels the world around it, once per scene, you can spend a moment to aim at a single target and Create an Advantage using Shoot. You don’t need to roll; you automatically succeed and create a situation aspect on the target related to their emotional state or a hidden weakness (e.g., Terrified of Fire, Arrogant and Overconfident, Cracked Armor Plate) with one free invocation.
  • Arrow of Succor: Because the bow’s purpose can be turned to healing, once per session, you can fire a special arrow to Overcome a physical affliction. You automatically remove a moderate physical consequence from a willing target. Alternatively, you can use it to pacify a single non-sapient beast, taking it out of the conflict without harming it.
  • Strike from the Void: Because the bow can touch the essence of nothingness, once per session, you can declare you are using this stunt before making a Shoot attack. You become an unseen phantom. Place the aspect Cloaked in Absence on yourself with two free invocations. If your attack succeeds, in addition to any other effects, it inflicts a moderate consequence on the target as the arrow strikes from a direction that is both everywhere and nowhere at once.

Numenera & Cypher System

The Tri-Essence Longbow Level: 8 Form: An elegant longbow of dark, polished wood, inlaid with swirling patterns of softly glowing green bioluminescence. The grip is wrapped in a cool, velvety material. Effect: This is a legendary weapon that combines advanced technology, biological integration, and dimension-warping properties. It functions as a longbow that deals 6 points of damage. Attunement to the bow takes 28 hours, during which the user often experiences dreams of soaring through an empty sky and swimming in a silent, deep ocean.

Its abilities are as follows:

  • Passive: All ranged attack tasks made with this bow are eased by two steps.
  • Passive: Any ranged attack task targeting the wielder is hindered by one step due to the bow’s aura of spatial and emotional distortion.
  • En-Masse Insight (Action): The wielder can take an action to open their senses through the bow, getting a clear, intuitive understanding of the emotional state and a one-sentence summary of the physical condition (e.g., “healthy,” “near death,” “suffering from a poison”) of every creature within long range.
  • Arrow of Succor (Action): Once per day, the wielder can fire an arrow that transforms into a wave of tranquil light upon striking a target. It restores a number of points to a target’s Pools equal to the bow’s level (8 points), which the wielder can distribute among the target’s Pools as they see fit. This also moves the target one step up the damage track.
  • Void Strike (Action): Once per day, the wielder can fire an arrow that briefly slips through a dimension of non-existence. The attack task is eased by three steps. On a success, it deals an additional 4 points of ambient damage that ignores Armor, and the wielder can immediately teleport to any spot they can see within short range. Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (If depletion is rolled, the bow’s active abilities cease to function for 28 hours, but its passive effects remain.)

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Whispering Void ITEM 18 [UNIQUE] [LEGENDARY] [MAGICAL] [EVOCATION] [INVESTED] Price — (Artifact) Usage held in 2 hands; Bulk 2

This elegant longbow is carved from a single piece of dark heartwood, with intricate, swirling patterns of bioluminescent sea-algae woven into its grain that pulse with a soft, tranquil light. It feels preternaturally light yet incredibly stable.

You must be a master in longbows to invest this artifact. While invested, you feel a profound sense of emotional detachment that can make forming bonds difficult.

The Whispering Void is a +3 major striking greater seeking longbow.

Passive Shroud of Absence While you hold the bow, you are perpetually cloaked in an aura of elusiveness. You are always concealed from creatures making ranged attacks against you.

Free Action Wave-Whisperer’s Insight (concentrate); Trigger You target a creature with a Strike from the Whispering Void; Effect You gain a flash of insight into the target. You learn whether it is under any emotion effects, its current Hit Point value (numerically), and one of its weaknesses or lowest saving throw modifiers (GM’s choice).

Activate [one-action] command, envision; Frequency once per day; Effect You loose an arrow of succor. Choose a willing creature within the bow’s first range increment. The target is restored 70 Hit Points and you may attempt to counteract one disease or poison effect on the target, with a counteract modifier of +32.

Activate [two-actions] command, envision; Frequency once per 10 minutes; Effect You fire an arrow while stepping through the void. You become invisible until the start of your next turn. Make a Strike with the Whispering Void. If it hits, it deals an additional 6d8 psychic damage. Immediately after the Strike, you can teleport to any unoccupied space you can see within 60 feet.

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE)

The Voidwood Bow Legendary Artifact

This beautiful darkwood longbow glows with soft green patterns. It feels cool and damp, and it seems to guide the archer’s hand with an intelligence of its own. To bond with the bow, a hero must spend a week in isolation with it, after which they gain the abilities below, but also acquire the Detached custom Major Hindrance, representing their growing emotional distance from others.

Abilities:

  • Legendary Weapon: The bow grants a +3 bonus to the wielder’s Shooting and damage rolls. Its base damage is Str+d10.
  • Unburdened Flight: The wielder ignores all penalties for range, cover, and scale when making a Shooting roll with this bow.
  • Shroud of Absence: Ranged attacks against the wielder suffer a –2 penalty.
  • Wave-Whisperer’s Insight: As a free action on their turn, the wielder can make a Notice roll to gain insight into one target they can see. On a success, they learn the target’s general state (unhurt, Shaken, number of Wounds). On a raise, they also learn one of the target’s specific weaknesses (such as a vulnerability to fire, low Parry, or a specific Hindrance).
  • Powers: The bow grants access to the following powers, usable only by the bonded wielder, who uses their Spirit as their arcane skill die. The bow provides its own 20 Power Points, which recharge daily.
    • Arrow of Succor: Costs 5 PP. An adapted version of the healing power. A successful shot on a willing target heals 2 Wounds (3 on a raise). Alternatively, it can be used to pacify a single non-Wild Card animal, which must make a Spirit roll vs the archer’s Spirit or become non-hostile.
    • Strike from the Void: Costs 5 PP. An adapted version of the invisibility power that also enhances an attack. The archer becomes invisible for 3 rounds. Their first Shooting attack made while invisible adds +2d6 damage.

Shadowrun (6th World)

Manadyne “Whispering Void” Artisanal Bow Weapon (Bow), Artifact

A masterpiece of artisanal technomancy, the “Whispering Void” is a one-of-a-kind tactical longbow crafted by a legendary elven weapon-smith. It is built from a single piece of polished ebony infused with living, bioluminescent mycelia that pulse with the user’s biorhythms. The riser is wrapped in a bio-sympathetic polymer that feels unnervingly like living tissue. The bow is a powerful and dangerous magical focus, and bonding with it inevitably instills a sense of cold detachment in the user (gaining the Phobia (Intimacy) Negative Quality is common for long-term users).

ACC 7 DAM 6P AP -3 MODE SS AMMO Arrows (m)

Availability: 22R Cost: 350,000¥

Features:

  • Active Targeting System: The bow’s smartlink is a direct magical-neural interface. The wielder ignores all negative dice pool modifiers from range and visibility. Attacks made with this bow treat all cover as one level lower (Hard Cover becomes Partial Cover, Partial Cover is ignored).
  • Aura Sight (Complex Action): The wielder may make an Assensing test with a threshold of 3 targeting one living creature they can see. On a success, they learn the target’s general emotional state and can see a visual representation of any augmentations and sustained spells on the target.
  • Wraith Shroud: The bow’s aura of absence projects a subtle distortion field. Any ranged attack targeting the wielder receives a -2 dice pool penalty.
  • Arrow of Succor (Complex Action): Once per combat, the wielder can fire a specialized arrow that delivers a payload of regenerative nanites infused with a Health spell. Instead of dealing damage, the arrow can be used to heal a willing target, restoring 10 boxes of stun or physical damage (wielder’s choice).
  • Void Strike (Complex Action): Once per combat, the wielder can channel their focus through the bow to become invisible (as the spell, with 5 hits) for 3 rounds. Their first attack made while invisible deals +2 DV and ignores all armor.

Starfinder

Arboreal Void-Singer Level: 18 Price: 420,000 Hands: 2 Bulk: 2 Category: Advanced Melee Proficiency: Special Weapon

This legendary longbow is a hybrid artifact crafted from the heartwood of a long-extinct Golarion tree, woven with living, bioluminescent flora from a world lost to the Drift. The riser is wrapped in a cool, damp material that seems to bond with the user’s hand. It hums with a quiet energy that is equal parts life and the cold vacuum of space.

Damage: 6d12 P Range: 120 ft. Critical: x3 Special Properties: Analog, quick reload, seeking, unwieldy

Abilities:

  • Unburdened Flight: Attacks with this bow ignore the AC bonus from cover.
  • Wave-Whisperer’s Insight: As a move action, you can focus on a single creature you can see. You learn its current Hit Points and Stamina Points, as well as one of its weaknesses (such as a damage type vulnerability or lowest saving throw).
  • Shroud of Absence: You have concealment (20% miss chance) against all ranged attacks.
  • Arrow of Succor (Standard Action, 1/day): You can fire an arrow of tranquil energy at a willing creature. The target regains 10d8 Hit Points.
  • Strike from the Void (Standard Action, 1/day): You can fire an arrow that briefly slips through the void. You become invisible until the end of your next turn. The attack is made against the target’s EAC, deals an additional 6d6 force damage, and you can teleport up to 60 feet immediately after the attack.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Ancients’ “Ghost-Weave” Gravitic Bow TL: 16 Skill: Archery Damage: 4d6+4 Range (Effective): 600m Kg: 3 Cost: MCr 12 Magazine: 1 (Arrow)

This weapon is a priceless artifact of the Ancients, appearing as an elegant longbow but functioning via technology so advanced it is indistinguishable from magic. It is crafted from a psycho-reactive smart material inlaid with bioluminescent conduits that monitor the user’s vital signs and intent. The grip is a cool, damp bio-polymer that directly interfaces with the user’s nervous system.

Traits:

  • Smart Trajectory System: The bow contains a sophisticated AI and micro-gravitic emitters that guide the arrow. It grants DM+3 to all Archery checks and ignores all cover penalties.
  • Integrated Sensor Suite: As an action, the user can designate a target. The bow performs a full sensor scan, revealing the target’s physical condition (as a successful Medic check at DM+2) and any technological augments.
  • Distortion Field: The bow projects a low-level gravitic field around the user, imposing a DM-2 penalty on all ranged attacks targeting them.
  • Nanite Delivery Arrow (1/day): The user can load a special nanite-core arrow. Instead of dealing damage, a successful hit on a target injects a cloud of restorative nanites. On a willing target, this heals 2d6 characteristic damage. On an unwilling target, it can be used to pacify them, forcing an Average (8+) Stamina check to avoid falling into a peaceful stupor for 1d6 minutes.
  • Phase-Strike Arrow (1/day): The user can activate the bow’s phase-strike capability. The user becomes invisible to electronic sensors and the naked eye for 3 rounds. Their first attack made in this state deals double damage and ignores the target’s armor.

Warhammer 40,000: Wrath & Glory

The Silent Cry of Isha (Wraithbone Bow) An Aeldari Artifact of Unfathomable Age

This weapon is an exquisite Wraithbone Longbow, shaped not by tools but by the psychic will of a long-dead Bonesinger. It is impossibly light, and living, glowing patterns of turquoise light flow through its dark form. To wield it is to touch the melancholy and grace of the Aeldari, and a human user may find themselves becoming aloof and emotionally distant, seeing the universe through the long, sad lens of that ancient race.

Damage: 14 +1ED Range: 25m AP: -3 Salvo: 1 Keywords: Aeldari, Psychic, Silent

Abilities:

  • Asuryani Grace: This weapon grants +3 to the wielder’s Ballistic Skill Tests.
  • The Arrow Knows its Path: The wielder never suffers penalties for visibility or cover when making an attack with this weapon.
  • Whispers of the Soul: As a free action, the wielder may make a DN 3 Psychic Mastery (Int) Test targeting a creature they can see. If successful, they learn the target’s current Wounds and any Keywords representing a Weakness (e.g., Weakness (Fire)).
  • Shroud of Absence: The wielder’s Defence against ranged attacks is increased by +2.
  • Tears of Isha (1/scene): The wielder can choose to fire an arrow of life. Instead of dealing damage, a successful hit on a willing target restores up to 5 Shock and 3 Wounds.
  • Strike from the Void (Defiance): The wielder may spend 1 point of Defiance. For their next turn, they are considered to be in a place of total darkness (gaining all relevant benefits). Their next attack with this bow resolves at AP -5 and inflicts the Fear (2) condition on the target if it survives.