Bio Ability: Artifact Attunement
Pearly nodules grow from osteoderms that form on the brow and forehead. These nodules have a complex relationship with the frontal lobe, causing the Spire Sworn to develop a deep knowledge and emotional attachment with a specific object.
Select a piece of Equipment that is not a Consumable or a Hub to Attune to. By focusing on your Attuned Equipment for 10 seconds and expending a Willpower, you may Repair OR Reload OR Recharge (pick one) this Equipment. You may do this once per hour.
You may change the Equipment you are Attuned to between games, but not during a game.
If you lose custody of your Attuned Equipment (ex: drop it during a mission, lose sight of it during down time), you lose all Willpower and cannot gain Willpower until you reclaim it. If you cannot reclaim it, you cannot use Willpower until you Attune to new Equipment between games.
If another person picks up, Repairs, or otherwise meaningfully interacts with your Attuned Equipment, you lose all Willpower.
On Tellus, all things live in the shadow of the Spires -- massive, gleaming, mechanical structures that stab deep beneath the earth and stretch far into the sky, the Spires have been there as long as Tellans have walked the planet. Within the Spires live the Mages, who wield the unlimited power of the Spires to create technological wonders and rule the lands that surround them.
The Mages gift their technology only to those who have proven their loyalty and worth. People of all classes and stations, warriors, craftsmen, academics and even farmers can all prove themselves worthy of these wonders. They are spirited from their homelands, trained, tested, and after a final oath they are given an artifact and the title of Spire Sworn. Their artifacts take as many forms as the people that wield them, each aiding in the task to which they were Sworn. Artifacts can be centuries old with a long list of users that came before, or they might be brand new, custom made for their current user.
For everyone else, the use of artifacts is forbidden. Most Tellans live at an approximately Medieval level of technology (with exceptions made for medicine and assistive devices). Peasants farm with simple iron tools under feudal lords, appointed by the Spire Mages. Merchants and craftsmen travel between the various regions on horse and wagon.
Though they may not use it, low class people see artifacts used every day. Apothecaries distill vital tinctures, academics may store information behind shining screens, farmers are assisted in their harvest by buzzing drones, warriors fire bright beams from gleaming lances. These are the everyday miracles of the Spire Sworn. The power of the artifacts is so great that many would try to steal it from their owners (though they don’t tend to survive very long, even if they are successful).
The relationship between Spire Sworn and the common folk of their distinct lands is complex. While all Lords are Spire Sworn, not all Spire Sworn are Lords. Instead many spend their days working alongside the lower folk or secret themselves away to do their strange work. Some are seen as valiant heroes and defenders, some as hermits and madmen, others little more than corrupt technocrats that squeeze those below them for greater profit and position.
This is exacerbated by the fact that Spire Sworn tend to be rather unique folk even before they are whisked away for years to train, far from the norms of everyday living. It requires a certain kind of person to become talented in the use of artifacts, and that kind of person is…. odd.
The Spire Born rise and fall in the pursuit of nobility, honor, and conquest. They are the heroes of legend, lifting up the innocent and making their lives a fraction easier. They are manufacturers, scientists, soldiers and technicians in a land held in the shadow of the Spires, the last light of hope for a better tomorrow.
Quick Start Questions
Which Spire do you serve?
Dahlia, also known as The Ruby Tower, is one of the most beautiful places in the galaxy. A long period of peace and wealth have allowed craftsmen to master their arts, and peasants find time to plant flowers along every road. This prosperity is defended by the legendary Rose Guard, wielding shining spears of light.
Mossport, settled between the ocean and a mineral-rich savanna, has many mines and trade ports. The frequent exchange of spices, dyes, textiles and grains has led to a rich and colorful culture. Many of the Spire Sworn from this region are sent out as traders and adventurers to far away lands.
Hove, perched on tall black cliffs in the middle of a jagged mountain range, has some of the world’s finest smiths. Beneath the tower, buried in stone, lies the Smokeless Forge, an advanced fabrication factory run by Spire Sworn technicians and craftsmen.
Panak Ko, controlling a large string of volcanic islands, connects several monasteries and libraries with impossibly large bridges that can withstand any storm. Peasant labor to fulfill the everyday needs of its scholars and mystics. The tropical biome provides for the people, and fuels the research of those cloistered inside.
Make your own! There are hundreds of Spires scattered across the planet, each with unique and bizarre traditions and cultures. Work with your friends or on your own to make up one that suits you.
What is your artifact? How does it appear and how is it used?
How do you serve your Spire? Are you in a leadership position?
What was your training like? What do you remember before leaving your home?
Which Division will you support?
Tactical
Exploration
Diplomacy
Maintenance
How were you about to die before arriving on Station Zero?