Curtain of Unity Banner

From: Actarism

This flowing banner is decorated with intricate cosmic patterns and symbols. When unfurled, it creates a zone of harmonious energy around it. Anyone within this zone experiences a heightened sense of connection and empathy, making it difficult for conflicts to escalate. The banner can also be used offensively by waving it rhythmically, causing opponents to momentarily lose their focus and balance, leaving them vulnerable to attacks.

Lore: The Curtain of Unity Banner is rooted in a tale of a traveling performer who wandered the lands, using their art to bridge divides and bring people together. Touched by Actara’s grace, the performer wove this banner from threads that represented the harmonious dance of the cosmos. The banner’s intricate patterns and symbols serve as a visual representation of the interconnectedness of all things. It is said that the very act of unfurling the banner invokes Actara’s presence, fostering unity and empathy wherever it is displayed.

Values and Level One Stats:

• Harmonic Aura: When unfurled, the banner creates a 10-foot-radius zone of harmonious energy. Allies within this zone gain a +15% bonus to Empathy and Charisma skill checks.
• Disruptive Wave: Once per combat encounter, the banner can be rhythmically waved to create a disorienting wave of energy that imposes a -20% penalty to opponents’ next action.

Skills:

• Empathy: The banner’s presence enhances the empathic abilities of those within its zone.

Cost and Requirements:

• Cost: 600 gold coins
• Requirements: Must be a skilled performer or artist with a deep understanding of Actarism’s teachings. Recognition by Actarism’s religious authorities is needed to purchase or be granted the banner.

Tags:

• Harmonious: The banner is a symbol of harmony and interconnectedness.
• Empathic Enhancement: The banner enhances empathic skills and fosters unity.
• Disruptive: The banner’s energy wave disrupts opponents’ focus and balance.
• Additional: Celestial, Pacifying, Artistic, Cosmic, Ritualistic, Inspirational, Defensive, Aura, Sacred, Communal

Selling and Availability: The Curtain of Unity Banner is rarely sold openly in markets. Instead, it’s usually obtained through a combination of artistic mastery and adherence to Actarism’s philosophy. Performers, artists, or those who actively promote unity and understanding in the world may have the opportunity to acquire the banner as recognition of their dedication to Actara’s teachings.

Environment and Combat Usage: The banner is most effectively used in environments where people gather, such as communal spaces, gatherings, or even battlefields where conflicts arise. In peaceful settings, the banner is unfurled to create a zone of harmonious energy. Within this zone, allies experience heightened empathy and are more persuasive in their interactions. In combat, the banner’s disruptive wave can be used to momentarily unsettle opponents, making them more susceptible to attacks from allies. Additionally, the banner’s ability to foster unity can help defuse tensions and promote understanding, encouraging nonviolent resolutions to conflicts. Its strategic usage aligns with Actarism’s principles of harmony, empathy, and the interconnectedness of actions and consequences.

Perception of Activation:

• User’s Perspective:
  • Sight: The banner unfurls, its cosmic patterns shimmering with golden and blue hues. The symbols pulse rhythmically, as if alive, forming an intricate, flowing dance of light.
  • Sound: A resonant hum, akin to a celestial choir, harmonizes with the movement of the banner, soothing yet commanding attention.
  • Touch: A tingling warmth spreads through the hands, traveling up the arms and into the chest, instilling a sense of serenity and heightened awareness.
  • Smell: A faint fragrance of incense and morning dew fills the air, evoking a sense of sacred presence and ancient wisdom.
  • Taste: A subtle metallic tang, like charged air before a storm, lingers on the tongue, resonating with the energy coursing through the body.
  • Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
    • Empathic Resonance: The presence of others within the zone becomes intimately clear, their emotions more tangible and readable.
    • Temporal Awareness: Time seems to slow slightly, granting a sense of control over one’s surroundings.
    • Divine Connection: A distant but undeniable presence of Actara is felt, as if observing the event with silent approval.
• Observer’s Perspective:
  • Sight: The banner moves with an unnatural grace, its symbols glowing and shifting as if whispering secrets of the cosmos. Those within its influence appear subtly more composed and attuned to one another.
  • Sound: A low but clear harmonic resonance is heard, not intrusive but impossible to ignore.
  • Touch: A gentle vibration in the air, like standing near an energy source, barely perceptible but undeniably present.
  • Smell: The air carries a light, refreshing aroma, almost imperceptible yet calming.
  • Taste: No direct effect unless standing within the harmonic aura, where a cool, airy sensation lingers.
  • Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
    • Emotional Shift: Those caught in the aura seem to experience a moment of clarity, as if their internal conflicts are less pressing.
    • Disruptive Effect: The sudden, rhythmic movement of the banner causes an involuntary sense of imbalance in foes, momentarily breaking their concentration.
    • Dimensional Echo: Those attuned to magical forces may perceive faint traces of past users, as if the banner holds echoes of previous wielders’ emotions.
• Positives:
  • Increases emotional and strategic unity among allies.
  • Enhances empathy, understanding, and non-violent resolution potential.
  • Disrupts enemy focus, creating vulnerabilities in combat.
  • Encourages a divine connection, amplifying faith-based or artistic abilities.
• Negatives:
  • Those resistant to harmony or with strong willpower may experience irritation or defiance.
  • Disruptive effect may unintentionally affect allies if not controlled properly.
  • The celestial presence may be overwhelming for those unaccustomed to divine energies.
  • Prolonged exposure to the aura can create an emotional vulnerability if suddenly removed from its influence.

Crafting Recipe: Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Materials Needed:
  • Celestial Weave (3 yards) – Blessed silk infused with cosmic energy, woven under a full moon.
  • Sacred Thread (1 spool) – Thread spun from the wool of a consecrated beast, dyed in purified water.
  • Ink of Harmonious Flow (1 vial) – A mixture of crushed starflower petals, powdered moonstone, and enchanted ink, used to inscribe the sacred patterns.
  • Feathers of the Empyrean (3) – Plucked from birds believed to be messengers of Actara, enhancing the banner’s connection to divine harmony.
  • Wind-Kissed Rod (1) – A lightweight wooden rod blessed by an air-aligned ritual to allow effortless unfurling.
  • Echo Crystals (2 small shards) – Placed at the edges of the banner to enhance its resonance, amplifying the harmonic aura.
• Tools Required:
  • Silver-etched Needle – Specifically crafted for inscribing patterns that channel cosmic energy.
  • Loom of Tranquility – A loom attuned to celestial magic, required for weaving the celestial weave without disrupting its inherent energies.
  • Engraving Stylus – Used to etch the divine symbols into the ink with precision.
  • Threading Tongs – For delicately incorporating the sacred thread without fraying.
  • Blessed Incense – Burned during the final step to bind the banner’s purpose to Actara’s divine essence.
• Skill Requirements:
  • Weaving (Expert Level) – Required to handle celestial weave without disrupting its enchantments.
  • Calligraphy & Inscription (Advanced Level) – To properly inscribe the cosmic patterns with the Ink of Harmonious Flow.
  • Spiritual Attunement (Intermediate Level) – Necessary for aligning the banner with Actarism’s harmonic energies.
  • Artistic Expression (Intermediate Level) – The patterns must flow naturally, requiring an artistic touch.
  • Ritual Invocation (Basic Level) – A minor ritual must be performed to finalize the banner’s power.
• Crafting Steps:
  • Prepare the Celestial Weave: Lay out the celestial weave on a sacred workspace, ensuring it remains untangled and undisturbed. Infuse it with a minor harmonic chant to retain its magical properties.
  • Threading the Sacred Fibers: Using the silver-etched needle and threading tongs, carefully stitch the sacred thread along the edges of the weave, reinforcing the banner’s integrity and spiritual energy.
  • Engraving the Symbols: Dip the engraving stylus into the Ink of Harmonious Flow and begin inscribing the cosmic patterns across the fabric. Each stroke must follow the principles of harmonic balance.
  • Attach the Empyrean Feathers: Sew the feathers strategically into the upper corners of the banner, ensuring they align with the natural flow of energy when unfurled.
  • Embed the Echo Crystals: Affix the small shards of echo crystal along the bottom hem, allowing the resonance to enhance the harmonic aura’s reach.
  • Mount on the Wind-Kissed Rod: Secure the banner to the rod, ensuring it rolls and unfurls smoothly when activated.
  • Ritual of Unity: Burn the blessed incense and recite a short invocation to Actara, dedicating the banner to the principles of harmony, empathy, and unity.
  • Final Blessing: Lay the completed banner under the open sky during twilight, allowing celestial energies to imbue it with its final properties.
  • Activation Test: Gently unfurl the banner and observe its resonance. If the harmonic aura manifests properly and the fabric flows effortlessly, the process is complete.

Completion & Use: Once completed, the Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner will radiate its harmonious energy when unfurled, serving as a conduit of unity, empathy, and divine influence. Properly wielding it requires an attuned performer, artist, or spiritual figure capable of channeling its power.

Wandering Hand and the Sky-Cloth of Many Voices

Long before counting of years, when the sky and earth spoke with same tongue, there was one who walked and did not stop. This one had no name, only song, only dance, only tale that never had ending. Hands like river water, feet like whispering leaves, this one wove words not with mouth, but with motion. Where this one stepped, laughter grew. Where this one paused, sorrow softened.

But there was a place where voices were jagged and cruel, where hearts were stone, where hands only knew how to strike. This one, the Walker, did not turn away, but stepped forward. With nimble fingers, the Walker took sky-thread, thin as breath, and wove it with earth-fiber, thick as sorrow. For three nights and three breaths of the moon, the Walker shaped cloth that moved as wind, glowed as dawn, hummed as the hidden river. Upon its surface, symbols curled and turned, meaning known and unknown, shifting like sleeping clouds.

The Walker lifted the sky-cloth high, and silence fell. Not heavy silence, not silence of blade waiting, but the hush of first snowfall, of last note before song’s end. Those who had hands for striking now felt them soften, and eyes that had seen only red now saw gold and blue. The cloth, woven from sky and sorrow, held all voices together, so none could rise above nor sink below.

But not all wished for still waters. One, sharp of eye and sharp of hand, saw no place for striking in this new silence. With anger like burning air, this one took blade and cut the cloth. Yet the cloth did not fray, did not break. It only shifted, rippling outward, its symbols dancing faster. And in that moment, the sharp-handed one’s own voice tangled, slipping away like sand in wind. Eyes wide, hands trembling, this one saw not enemy nor stranger, but many faces, many hands, all bound by unseen thread.

The Walker, nameless and endless, only smiled, for the cloth was never cloth, but the breath between words, the space between hands. And so, leaving the cloth behind, the Walker stepped onward, never stopping, never seen again, yet always near where voices might turn sharp once more.

Moral: One thread alone cannot bind nor break, but woven together, even sky and sorrow may become song.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition) Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Type: Mythos Artifact
• Sanity Cost: 1d4 upon first activation (due to the overwhelming sensation of interconnectedness)
• Effects:
  • Harmonic Aura: When the banner is unfurled, all individuals within a 10-yard radius experience an unnatural sense of camaraderie. Any attempt to provoke violence or deception within the area imposes a Hard Difficulty penalty.
  • Disruptive Wave: Once per scene, the wielder may wave the banner rhythmically, causing a wave of disharmony. All enemies within the aura must make a Hard INT roll or suffer a penalty die on their next action due to mental disorientation.
  • Ritual Use: Scholars may attempt to study the banner for insight into cosmic unity. A successful Cthulhu Mythos roll reveals connections between Actarism and greater eldritch harmonies.
  • Downside: Prolonged exposure (more than a full day) can cause dissociation, requiring a Sanity roll (1d2 loss on failure).

Blades in the Dark Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Item Type: Fine Religious Artifact (Load: 2)
• Quality: Tier III (Requires a skilled performer or religious figure to use effectively)
• Abilities:
  • Harmonic Aura: While the banner is unfurled, all social interactions within its presence gain improved effect, making negotiations and truces more likely to succeed. Characters engaging in deception or hostility suffer reduced effect unless they resist.
  • Disruptive Wave: Once per score, the wielder may wave the banner in a mesmerizing pattern. All present must make a Resolve roll or suffer Reduced Effect on their next action as they struggle to regain their focus.
  • Downside: Drawing upon the banner’s power attracts the attention of supernatural entities who resonate with harmony or discord. At the GM’s discretion, using the banner too frequently may result in unforeseen spiritual consequences.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition) Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Wondrous Item, Rare (Requires Attunement by a Bard, Cleric, or Paladin of Good or Neutral Alignment)
• Effects:
  • Harmonic Aura: While unfurled, the banner creates a 10-foot radius aura of unity. Allies within the aura gain a +2 bonus to Charisma (Persuasion) and Wisdom (Insight) checks and advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
  • Disruptive Wave (Recharge 5-6): As an action, the wielder may wave the banner in a hypnotic pattern. All creatures within 15 feet must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be disoriented (subtracting 1d4 from their next attack roll or ability check).
  • Curse (Optional): The banner subtly influences its wielder toward pacifism, requiring a Wisdom saving throw (DC 12) when attempting to make a direct attack while attuned.

Knave Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Type: Wondrous Item
• Effect:
  • Harmonic Aura: When unfurled, the banner creates a 10-foot aura where all friendly creatures gain +1 to Charisma-based checks and are immune to fear effects.
  • Disruptive Wave: Once per dungeon delve or major event, the wielder may wave the banner to force all enemies within 15 feet to make a Wisdom save or suffer Disadvantage on their next action.
  • Encumbrance: Takes up 2 inventory slots due to its size.
  • Downside: Those carrying the banner for extended periods feel an unnatural urge to mediate conflicts, making them hesitate in high-stakes combat situations.

Fate Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Aspect: Symbol of Celestial Harmony
• Function:
  • Harmonic Aura: While unfurled, the banner creates a zone of empathy and unity. Allies within the zone gain a +2 bonus when invoking an aspect related to diplomacy, persuasion, or emotional insight.
  • Disruptive Wave (Once per Session): The wielder may create a wave of harmonic energy that forces all hostile creatures in the zone to make a Will defense roll against the wielder’s Charisma-based skill roll. On failure, they receive a situational Aspect like “Unsteady Focus” or “Momentarily Conflicted,” which can be compelled or invoked.
  • Compel Effect: Prolonged use may lead to an internal conflict, making the wielder hesitant to engage in direct confrontation.

Numenera & Cypher System Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Level: 5
• Effects:
  • Harmonic Aura: While unfurled, allies within Immediate Range gain +1 to all positive social interactions, and hostile actions against them require an Intellect defense roll (Difficulty 5) to be carried out successfully.
  • Disruptive Wave (1 Intellect Point, Action): The wielder may create a pulse of discordant energy, causing all creatures within Short Range to make an Intellect Defense roll (Difficulty 5) or suffer Hindered (increased difficulty on their next action).
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d20 – The banner loses its effectiveness until properly re-attuned via a one-hour ritual.
  • Drawback: The wielder becomes subtly averse to aggressive actions, requiring an Intellect defense roll (Difficulty 3) to act violently while attuned.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition) Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Wondrous Item, Rare (Invested, Divine, Emotion, Mental)
• Effects:
  • Harmonic Aura (Passive, 10 ft.): Allies within 10 feet gain a +2 status bonus to Diplomacy checks and +1 status bonus to Will saves against fear or confusion effects.
  • Disruptive Wave (Once per Hour, Reaction): When an enemy within 15 feet attempts an attack or aggressive action, the wielder may activate the banner, forcing them to make a DC 20 Will save. On failure, the enemy is Stupefied 1 for 1 round and takes a -1 status penalty to attacks and skill checks.
  • Curse: After prolonged use (1 day or more), the wielder must make a DC 17 Will save or become Reluctant to engage in direct combat, taking a -1 circumstance penalty to attacks until they spend an hour meditating with the banner.

Savage Worlds Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Type: Wondrous Item
• Rarity: Rare
• Effects:
  • Harmonic Aura: While unfurled, allies within a Medium Burst Template gain a +2 bonus to Persuasion and Spirit rolls. Additionally, any attempts to intimidate or provoke them suffer a -2 penalty.
  • Disruptive Wave (Once per Encounter, Action): The wielder may make an opposed Spirit check against all enemies within the aura. Those who fail suffer Distracted and Shaken conditions for one round.
  • Drawback: Prolonged exposure makes the wielder hesitant to use force. Any time they choose to make a violent action, they must make a Spirit roll (TN 4) or hesitate for one round, losing their action.

Shadowrun (6th Edition) Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Type: Magical Item (Foci, Rating 4)
• Effects:
  • Harmonic Aura (Sustained, 10m Radius): While unfurled, the banner generates an aura that grants +2 to Negotiation and Leadership checks for allies within the radius and imposes -2 penalty to Hostile Social Tests (e.g., Intimidation).
  • Disruptive Wave (Complex Action, Magic + Charisma vs. Willpower + Logic): The wielder may wave the banner, creating an area-wide dissonance that forces enemies within 10 meters to make a Willpower + Logic Test (Threshold 3) or suffer a -3 dice pool penalty on their next action.
  • Drain Value: 3
  • Restrictions: The banner must be bonded (4 Karma) to be used effectively. Non-bonded wielders suffer 2 Stun Drain per activation.

Starfinder Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Item Level: 7
• Type: Magic Item
• Slot: Held
• Effects:
  • Harmonic Aura (Standard Action, 20 ft. Radius): Allies within the aura gain +2 to Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks, while enemies attempting hostile actions suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls for one round.
  • Disruptive Wave (Once per Short Rest, Standard Action): All enemies within the aura must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or become flat-footed until the start of their next turn due to momentary disorientation.
  • Usage: 10-minute charge per day, recharges at dawn.
  • Special: Those who are strongly opposed to unity or diplomacy (e.g., anarchists, warlords) take a -1 penalty on all rolls while holding the banner.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition) Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Type: Exotic Artifact
• Effects:
  • Harmonic Aura (Passive, 10m Radius): When unfurled, the banner creates an aura that provides a +1 DM bonus to Persuade and Leadership checks to allies within range.
  • Disruptive Wave (Once per Hour, Free Action): The wielder can activate the banner’s disruptive energies, forcing all enemies within range to make an Average (8+) Intelligence or Endurance check or suffer a DM -2 penalty on their next action.
  • Limitations: The banner is ineffective in environments without atmosphere or where social interaction is impossible (e.g., combat against machines).
  • Special: Ancient scholars speculate the artifact originates from an unknown pre-spaceflight culture, yet it reacts to specific psychic energies, suggesting a lost psionic civilization.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP 4E) Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Type: Magical Standard
• Encumbrance: 1
• Effects:
  • Harmonic Aura (Passive, 10 Yards): Allies within range gain +10 to Leadership and Fellowship tests and are immune to the Broken Condition.
  • Disruptive Wave (Once per Scene, Full Action): The wielder waves the banner, forcing all enemies in range to pass a Challenging (+0) Cool Test or gain a -10 penalty to all tests for one round due to momentary loss of focus.
  • Drawbacks: Extended use (more than one hour) requires a Routine (+10) Willpower Test or the wielder develops a pacifistic hesitation in combat, taking -10 to all Melee and Ranged combat rolls until they take a Long Rest.

Warhammer 40K (Wrath & Glory) Adaptation

Actarism Curtain of Unity Banner

• Type: Relic (Sacred Banner)
• Keywords: Imperial, Relic, Psionic
• Effects:
  • Harmonic Aura (Continuous, 10m Radius): Allies gain +1 bonus die to Persuasion and Conviction tests, and all enemies suffer +1 DN to actions requiring concentration.
  • Disruptive Wave (Once per Battle, Action): As an action, the wielder may create an unsettling wave of energy. All enemies in range must make a DN 3 Willpower test or gain the Hindered Condition for one round.
  • Corruption Risk: Prolonged exposure to the banner causes unsettling psychic phenomena. The wielder must pass a DN 2 Corruption Test after each battle to avoid gaining 1 Corruption Point due to its unnatural influence.