Sirrush

Blue Jade Devil Caster, Artifact 4

The island city of Wu-Jian is a critical port for the Realm’s expansion into the West. Discovered by Realm explorers a little over a century ago, Wu-Jian was quickly acquired as a satrapy and now serves as a nexus for all travel between the Isle and the Western satrapies.

Most of the island is covered in slums, thousands of buildings stacked on top of one another for a chance to get to the sunlight. The depths of the city are lost in darkness, lit by lanterns, the sunlight blocked by the soaring cityscape above. Around the mountain at the heart of the island, Dynastic mansions cling to the rock and stone to stay out of the reach of the criminals below.

House Sesus makes good trade in Wu-Jian. Here, force is currency, and blood is contract ink. The Sesus enforcers roam the regions near the Dynastic compounds, extorting protection money from Realm interests to keep their business safe. In the slums, contracted criminals ensure that Sesus interests are advanced through extortion and the occasional assassination.

Sesus Root was posted here. Publicly, he was administering an expansion of a Sesus business interest. In reality, the House was arranging for meetings with some of the Criminal Lords to discuss certain… Subtle elements of Sesus foreign policy.

During his posting, Sesus Root was involved in a major escapade involving Sirrush. Fished from the mud by children searching for coins, the blue jade devil caster is of unknown origin but undeniable value. By various twists and turns the devil caster came to rest in Sesus Root’s hands, and he had a mighty and thrilling adventure to smuggle it back home.

Attunement: 5m

Type: Medium Artifact (Accuracy +1/+5/+3/+1/-1, Damage +12L, Overwhelming 4)

Tags: Artifact, Archery (Short), Flame, Lethal, One-handed, Slow

Aesthetics

Sirrush is a beautiful and elegant flintlock, slightly larger than most of its peers. The wood is a dark walnut lacquer and the metal components a steely azure jade alloy.

The whole of the pistol is wrapped with a white jade inlay of a strange creature: a long-bodied hound with the hind legs of an eagle, the forelegs of a lion, and a pair of curled horns. Study of the creature revealed that it is called a mushkhusshu (moosh-koo-shoo), a hunting beast from the far East.

When you use Sirrush’s Evocations, the creature’s eyes begin to glow with cerulean energy, and the gonne twists and comes alive in your grip.

Evocations of Sirrush

All devil casters gain the following effect:

Reload – Spend 1m to reload this weapon reflexively. The firedust flies from your pouch to the barrel as if by magic.

While Sesus Root is attuned to Sirrush, it gains the Concealable tag. You get Lightning-Draw Method for free as long as you are attuned.

Essence 1

Lightning Draw Method

Cost: –; Mins: Essence 1

Type: Reflexive; Duration: Instant

Keywords: None

Prerequisites: None

Sirrush leaps to hand, eager to be wielded in battle.

On the first round of combat, you may choose to treat your Initiative as (Wits) higher than it actually is, but if you do so, you must make an attack.

Thorn Among Roses

Cost: – (+2m); Mins: Essence 1

Type: Permanent; Duration: Permanent

Keywords: None

Prerequisite Charms: Lightning Draw Method

Leave it to Root to make an entrance.

Whenever you use Lightning Draw Method, you may pay 2m and make a reflexive Instill action to instill fear or awe in the target plus any other foe within close range of your target. Apply your one roll against all of their Resolves.

Essence 2

Storm-Dueling Maneuver

Cost: 5m, 2i; Mins: Essence 2

Type: Reflexive; Duration: Instant

Keywords: Clash, Uniform

Prerequisites: Lightning Draw Method

The watchful eye of the Sirrush protects you even when you don’t know you’re in danger.

Use this Evocation if you are the target of a surprise attack from close or short range. This has no effect against ambushes.

You clash the attack with a withering or decisive attack and instantly draw and ready Sirrush. This doesn’t count as your combat action for the turn.

Fiery Gale Barrage

Cost: 4m, 1i; Mins: Essence 2

Type: Supplemental (Attack Against Cover); Duration: Instant

Keywords: Uniform

Prerequisites: Storm-Dueling Maneuver

Sirrush’s fiery breath is eager to expose the hidden.

In addition to opposing your target’s Defense, this attack roll also counts as a feat of demolition against the target’s cover, as long as the feat doesn’t require greater than Strength 5. If you successfully destroy the cover, it gives no benefit to your target.

Forked-Lightning Flame Attack

Cost: 10m, 3i, 1wp; Mins: Essence 2

Type: Simple; Duration: Instant

Keywords: Decisive-only, Restriction (1/scene)

Prerequisites: Fiery Gale Barrage

The beast along Sirrush’s sides opens its mouth to spew fire. In a cascade of shining blue-white fire, the beast seems to leap to life and burn.

Roll a decisive attack against up to (Wits) enemies in a 180-degree arc in front of you. This can’t target enemies behind cover; you may use Fiery Gale Barrage to destroy their cover first, though. Divide your Initiative evenly among all targets hit, rounded up, to a maximum of (Essence + 3) against each target.

Against a battle group, there’s no maximum damage and you double 10s on your damage roll.

You must make an ammunition check after using this Evocation.

RESET – Crash a non-trivial enemy or completely rout a battle group.

Inferno-Drinking Stance

Cost: –; Mins: Essence 2

Type: Permanent; Duration: Permanent

Keywords: None

Prerequisites: None

Sirrush swallows flame like a hungry beast, ready to roll.

Whenever you spend 1m to reload, you may draw in a nearby source of fire rather than use your firedust. You automatically succeed on any ammunition check as long as there is a fire within short range to consume.

Special Activation Rules – You unlock this Evocation immediately and for free if you fail an ammunition check while fighting to uphold one of your Intimacies, getting a free reload even if there’s no fire nearby.