WEAPONS AND ARTEFACTS
New weapons
[GAME II-WEAPONS-v3]
2005
"GAME II - WEAPONS
KAREL’S NEPHILIM WEAPONS - THE SHIELD.
A frisbee sized disc protects Karel’s chest like a shield. It hovers and weaves protecting him from everything thrown at him. By absorbing the kinetic energy from impacts of bullets, psychic bolts, Chirugai or whatever it builds up enough energy to spit a charged ion bolt back at the enemy source.
It can vary the bolt from a single explosive bullet to a stream of needle thin charges, to arcing lightning charges, to a solid beam etc etc etc. The more energy directed at Karel the more powerful is the return fire.
THE SUIT
Karel can strip an enemy’s etheric-electrical field from them and use it as an energy suit. It retains all, or a selection, of that enemy’s abilities.
GOODIES’ WEAPONS
Kurtis’ Chirugai is a Lux Veritatis weapon, made of ferilium, a rare meteorite alloy. He inherited it along with the Periapt Shards when his father was killed by Eckhardt. Kurtis’ ability to control the terrifying weapon comes from his early years of training as a Lux Veritatis initiate.
There are other Lux Veritatis Blade weapons still in existence but non-Veritatis can’t use them effectively and they are all well hidden. [Chirugai = shuriken + assegai]
Game II has other Chirugai Blades come to light. Lara could learn how to use them. (She is a kind of honorary Lux Veritatis having the 3 Periapt Shards from Game I still.)
Each Chirugai is unique and is controlled by a secret Veritatis name. Blades could have crystals or rods slotted into them to create different qualities:
BLADE A could have rods or phials of alchemically pure elements to slot in. This
would:
- convert the target, or part of the target, into the same element as the rod ie mercury, plutonium, silver, hydrogen, etc.
- convert the target into the same material as the rod or phial ie ice, glass, bone, wood, water, stone, blood, magma, slime,
BLADE B has crystals slotted into it, which give the blade different abilities such as:
- making the target crumble into dust
- producing a high pitched sound to deafen the enemy
- making the target burst apart in flames
- hovering and stalking invisibly
- meshing the target in ‘slo-time’ for a limited period
- delivering an intense, blinding light burst
- imprison the enemy by circling in a high speed blur
BLADE C splits into half a dozen tiny razor discs that:
- swoop like a flock of birds
- attack multiple targets
BLADE D: locks onto a target and pursues it beyond of the normal viewpoint of the
controller, like a travelling camera.
THE STAFF.
A telescoping staff with two retracting blades like an ice axe. When in its compact form it’s about two feet long. Can extend to six feet. Carried over the shoulder in a back holster."
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Glove histories
[GLOVE HISTORIES-v1]
2013
"THE GLOVE HISTORIES
[The Devil’s Hand – Devil Glove – Diabolus Manus?]
To protect himself from the dangerous backlash of the arcane forces released during alchemic transmutation Eckhardt built the Alchemy Glove. This protective device of leather, metal, straps and rods was bulky and terrifying being fitted with vicious talon like razor tips for ‘harvesting’ essential elements from his victims. His murderous methods added to his already notorious reputation as the most powerful Black Alchemist of his age.
The Glove was used in conjunction with the keys of Prima Materia pure elements which Eckhardt sometimes wore on a kind of key ring at his waist. These keys or rods were slotted into various points on the Glove controlling the transmutation of whichever element he required from the victim’s body. The Prima Materia rods themselves had been created by prolonged and exhaustive processes of alchemic science known only to the most advanced adepts.
Eckhardt made much use of the Glove before his downfall and incarceration by the Lux Veritatis 1445. Having imprisoned him in the Pit of Pain they hid the Glove in a secret location kept under Lux Veritatis guard along with many other dangerous arcane treasures and secrets.
On being released from the Pit by misdirected Allied bombers in 1945 Eckhardt set about recovering the Glove. It was an essential part of his delayed plan to breed and rule the Nephilim race. He needed the five Obscura Paintings and the Glove, which would be used:
- to ‘harvest’ vital purified elements from the bodies of murdered victims
- to lock together with the metallic symbols hidden inside the five Obscura Paintings to form the Sanglyph.
- Using the ‘harvested’ elements and the combined Sanglyph and Glove he could successfully revive the mythic Nephilim Sleeper. Once this was done he could establish the breeding programme that would return the lost biblical race to world dominance.
THE GLOVE WARS
The history of how Eckhardt tracked down the Glove and retrieved if from its Lux Veritatis guardians is one of horrendous hardship and bloodshed with no quarter given on either side. The trail raged across Russia, Europe, the Americas (involving Kurtis’ young father) and the middle East. It was a full-scale war carried on in the shadows of history, secret from all but those directly involved.
(The only other Shadow War to rival it had been the War of the Sketches, the fierce struggle between the Lux Veritatis and the Cabal to posses the Obscura Engravings created by the deaf mute monk Brother Obscura in the 14th century.)
The Lux Veritatis could not use the Glove against Eckhardt and his Cabal forces because its awesome powers could only be controlled by a true Adept of the black arts. But they did have other arcane weapons and used them without compunction.
In 1948 a Lux Veritatis stronghold, in the obscure mountain highlands of Scotland, was finally infiltrated by the Cabal using stealth and treachery. After hundreds of years of fanatical brutality the two forces battled it out within the walls and tunnels of the ancient mountain with a staggering ferocity. No Lux Veritatis survived. It was a devastating defeat. The stronghold was a desolate smoking ruin. The sacred Order was decimated. World wide there were no more than thirty or so survivors to uphold the struggle against Eckhardt and his sinister forces.
Eckhardt entrusted his Cabal sergeants with the task of hunting down and eliminating the last of the Lux Veritatis members. He was intent on possessing all of their secrets and weaponry, most important of which were the Periapt Shards that had been used to keep him confined in the Pit of Pain for 500 years.
With the recovered Glove Eckhardt was now able to initiate his 20th century reign of bloodshed and terror as the Monstrum. Investigating police forces were baffled by the particularly ugly murder scenes where his victims had parts of their disfigured corpses removed and were left surrounded by obscure symbols daubed on walls. Tabloid reporters world wide has a story that would delight and horrify their readers for decades to come.
By the early 2000’s the tale was nearing its conclusion. Eckhardt had recovered the Glove, most of the Obscura Paintings and the last remaining Nephilim Sleeper. He was about to unleash hell on Earth."
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The Chirugai
[CHIRUGAI MULTIPLES 2017a]
2017
"CHIRUGAI MULTIPLES
Kurtis’ Chirugai is a Lux Veritatis weapon, made of ferilium, a rare meteorite alloy. He inherited it along with the Periapt Shards when his father was killed by Eckhardt. Kurtis’ ability to control the terrifying weapon comes from his early years of training as a Lux Veritatis initiate.
There are other Lux Veritatis Blade weapons still in existence but non-Veritatis can’t use them effectively and they are all well hidden. [Chirugai = shuriken + assegai. Also chirurgia latin = surgery]
Game II has other Chirugai Blades come to light.
Lara could possibly learn how to use one of them. (She is a kind of honorary Lux Veritatis having the 3 Periapt Shards from Game I still, so this is a possibility to play with at some point.)
Each Chirugai is unique and is controlled by a secret Veritatis name. Blades could have crystals or rods slotted into them to create different qualities
BLADE A could have rods or phials of alchemically pure elements to slot in. This
would:
- convert the target, or part of the target on impact, into the same periodic element as the rod ie mercury, plutonium, silver, hydrogen, etc.
- convert the target into the same natural material as the rod or phial ie ice, glass, bone, wood, water, stone, blood, magma, slime,
BLADE B has crystals slotted into it, which give the blade different abilities such as:
- making the target crumble into dust
- producing a high pitched sound to deafen the enemy
- making the target burst apart in flames
- hovering and stalking invisibly
- meshing the target in ‘slo-time’ for a limited period
- delivering an intense, blinding light burst
- imprison the enemy by circling in a high speed blur
BLADE C splits into half a dozen tiny razor discs that:
- swoop & mob like a flock of birds
- attack multiple targets simultaneously
- swarm & shred the target
- surround the target in a shell or prison, immobilising
BLADE D: for gameplay the blade locks onto a target and pursues it beyond of the normal viewpoint of the controller, like a travelling camera – a bit like scrying or farseeing."
To read the original document, click the download button.
Baetyl stones
[BAETYL stones DETAILS -v9aa]
2019
"BAETYL STONES, KNIFE MISSILES. Details
& history
“Everything
is pattern and harmony.
Everything
begins with, and derives from, sound.
The
Code is All.” L Veritatis
maxim.
Baetyl
stones aka training blades, knife missiles or excision blades, are
roughly arrowhead-shaped artefacts forged by Lux Veritatis adepts
from meteorite iron or ferrilium (Fl). Another LV term for a Baetyl
is arcus procul
or ‘far bow’.
Ferrilium
is an unusual fusion-amalgam of iron and trace elements,
predominantly complex silica compounds. The material exhibits
extremely high-level magnetic properties. These can be further
augmented by arcane alchemical processing to become an elementally
paired isotope form of iron (ferrum Fe). Such esoteric manipulations
create a material which can be controlled and manipulated to an
astounding degree by any psychically gifted mind attuned and trained
in its uses.
- LV initiates are trained to attune to the vibrational resonances of the material by touch and by sound. Each trainee is allocated a particular Baetyl stone to work with.
- Starting with the stone resting on the palm, or in cupped hands, the initiate is coached in how to produce a low, barely audible humming note, an ‘awakening’ vibration, that resonates with the natural piezoelectric signature of the meteorite iron. This part of the training process involves entering into self-induced trance states. The atonal sounds thus produced lock into the dormant properties of the meteorite stone.
- This ‘harmonic note’ strengthens the empathic or resonant connection between the stone’s properties and the initiate. [reference: Tibetan atonal humming, discordant-harmonic scales and singing bowls.]
- With much practice an activated stone can be induced to hover, riding on the Earth’s magnetic fields.
- The next step is to learn how to impart an impulse to the Baetyl driving it forward and guiding it, known as steering. The Baetyl can be made to accelerate and weave patterns riding along the planetary magnetic fields like a dolphin rides the ocean waves.
- These weave-patterns can propel the knife missile in zig zags, loops, spirals, spins and slicing back and forth cross-stitch formations.
- At the end of each training exercise the Beatyl should be returned to its point of origin on the controller’s palm.
- An initiate must be able to maintain the intense concentration needed to control a knife missile under conditions of extreme duress. This means that the trainee will be distracted, struck, beaten or even attacked with other knife missiles whilst practicing Baetyl control. It is an arduous and highly dangerous process requiring years of dedication.
- There are some individuals, however, who display extraordinary aptitude for such training and can progress very rapidly. In some rare and promising cases the Baetyl training will lead to working with a proto-chirugai.
- Learning to handle a Chirugai is significantly different from Baetyl practice. The larger, more potent Bladed Disc takes much longer to master. A Chirugai Adept can grow to share an almost empathic link with an attuned ferrilium artefact. There is no consciousness involved on the part of the artefact but it can often display characteristics resembling an almost proto-rudimentary sentience..."
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Kurtis' ring
[KURTIS_RING theories]
2021
"ABOUT KURTIS' RING
If I was to guess about its material and/or manufacture I’d hazard that it is ferrilium (sky iron) like so many LV artefacts. I’m sure it must have some great significance for Kurtis as he isn’t given to whimsy.
Another rough guess – possibly it came from his mother!?!
As a tribal Navajo adept/warrior in her own right she would, in all likelihood, have bequeathed some arcane artefacts to her unusual son, just as his father did. A wampum bag with various objects of tribal potency could very well have included a ring…possibly…I’m just riffing here.
“…wampum or medicine bags are small and worn under the clothing. Their contents are private, and are often of a personal and religious nature containing objects that symbolize personal well-being and tribal identity.”
The ring itself could be of some traditional Amerindian material: copper, bone, abalone, silver, turquoise. All would be likely as well as attractive and of course all would impart special qualities of protection and personal power/identity. Coming from his mother the ring would impart tremendous personal potency to Kurtis, as do all things given to us by those who love us.
My personal choice: I’d go for a dull silver ring with flat inset turquoise stone inscribed with some Amerindian motif, perhaps a glyph for Kurtis’ tribal name, Chicawa or Bearer of Weapons. It would be very low key, not showy, not drawing attention to itself, something you wouldn’t really notice.
[Check out archaeological finds at Chaco Canyon for info on turquoise traditional items uncovered there.]
At some later date in Kurtis’ life the ring could become imbued with arcane possibilities and play a part in some of his Demon Hunter adventures.
As it didn’t really feature in AOD he obviously had no need to call on its potential, although…ALTHOUGH….bloody hell, how about this - it was the thing that saved him from dying in his death-tussle with The Boaz Thing. Its power neutralised the venom from the Boaz sting!!!!! Hey, that’s kinda cool eh. It gives Marie Cornel a place in the saga instead of her simply remaining a background figure, although of course she was highly significant in Konstantin’s life (and death as it worked out).
In the follow up games that never were (Lost Dominion etc) the ring could feature as part of Kurtis’ defence assets. Chapter heading: The Hoard of the Ring(s), naw, just being silly now. I have outlined several possible ‘new’ weapons that Kurtis could have in other documents and one more would be welcome.
It’s such fun to come up with all kinds of theories and speculation about the ring’s uses, design, origins and so on.
It’d also be a terrific item for Kurtis fans to copy and wear. Oooohhh - surmise conjecture speculation supposition**********
For example: why would K sometimes wear his ring and sometimes not. Perhaps it goes into his medicine bag (if we play with the Navajo origin idea), or a pocket or pouch. There is some powerful medicine going on here. Who knows…but there are most definitely some great story possibilities to explore. Very exciting! For example why does K’s ring sometimes appear almost wood-like, sometimes metallic? Perhaps the ring itself is mimetic and takes on the qualities or characterstics of things or events around it.
I’m a great believer in having nothing in a story, or conceptual world, which is gratuitous. Everything, names, artefacts, locations, costumes, characters, should serve the story. Everything should be there for a reason, and if it’s a mysterious and multi-layered reason with a vast amount of background story attached to it, then so much the better. That’s how I wrote AOD in the first place."
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