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List of neat artifacts-- see description!
🕑 Added 2020-03-14 20:50:45 +0000 UTCPatreon reward for Astral Cicada. Thanks so much for supporting me (:
A big list of artifacts with useful or interesting properties. One on the left are common, carried by any common artificer or just regular lizards. Ones further to the right are rarer, more valuable, and more specialized... For instance, there's only one Tissue Core in the world, and it lives in a federal lab.
tissue core-- excretes tissue that's biocompatible with lizards and other engineered sophants and has some, weird, mind of its own. Used for advanced medical care, currently housed in a federal lab.
fungal manipulator glove-- a standard fungal manipulator torn off a lizard Custodian suit-- but in working condition and accessible to Free lizards. can be formed into any shape.
personal fuse-- good for artificers. one-use-"absorbs a deadly magical pulse that would've otherwise killed you"
also it's the same piece of tech as one of the light emitters, just in better condition and with a conductive pad attached
specific psychoactive handheld-- makes engineered sophants feel an incredibly specific way. How you ask? depends on the artifact. People like to collect interesting ones. Ever wanted to feel impossibly giddy and deeply, instantaneously sad... somehow at the same time?
threshold reducer-- can convert an "easier" low intensity, long-duration magical pulse into a high intensity, short-duration magical pulse. Essentially makes advanced artifacts somewhat easier to use, but doesn't reduce any of the risks. A foolish thing for amateurs to use
assorted conduits-- generally can do lots of stuff, badly. Can be used as peronal heaters, energy emitters, cutting tools, but not very well and they have limited durability. Also can be used to join artifacts or bridge conductive points. Any decent artificer carries a bunch of various kinds and qualities.
calming field-- emits a psychoactive, magical "white noise" that makes nearby lizards feel vaguely content and relaxed. Also fun to watch the little ceramic beads and bobbles whirling around over their pad
flash bombs-- a kind of small, shitty capacitor. Can be used to store a bit of charge, or can be "overloaded" and thrown for a small explosion and a loud bang
Comments
I would absolutely love to do a Shell game, I spend a lot of time thinking about it. It'd be heavy on equipment and inventory management, picking just the right combination of gear for your expedition. Lizards respond psychologically to ancient machines-- lots of psychoactive artifacts are just... a little doohickey that works *right* or *wrong* in such a way to produce a specific feeling. Like calming fields are the equivalent of a desk toy, a pointless toy that works perfectly in a simple, clean way that makes lizards around them feel satisfied and calm. More powerful and specific ones are embedded in ancient structures as sensors, or to direct and control lizard behavior. The *most* powerful are generally the ones that are supposed to be embedded in custodian suits.
Ever since the "metroidvania" image I've been thinking how cool a game set in The Shell would be. Never go delving without a personal fuse! Psychoactive artifacts look to be pretty frequent, especially the calming ones. I guess Management Engines must manufacture them often to keep custodians in the proper mindset?
