The Best Defense [August Rules and Entries]

[limetom]

Well, well, well, CBG.  It's that time of the month, again.  Contest time.  So join the August contest.  You know, the opposite of what you all did for the July contest.

The Best Defense

This contest should seem quite familiar.  You could say I'm lazy.  Or you could say it worked last time because people actually entered.  So why mess with it.  But anyway.  We're dealing with another staple of fantasy gaming: magical defenses.

Magical protection can come in a range of forms.  The paladin's celestial armor.  The monk's belt.  The wizard's ring of protection.  Like magical weapons featured in the Midsummer Contest, the various forms of magical protection are often overlooked

1 '" Questions to Consider and Answer
You need not answer all of these questions; they are simply here to give you a place to start.

Who created this item of magical protection? Were there any unusual circumstances surrounding its creation? Is its creation and/or creator remembered today?

What is the history behind the item? Has it moved a significant distance over its life, or has it stayed pretty much in the same place (passed down in a family, abandoned in a tomb, etc.)? Are there any particularly notable owners? Has it aided in any notable deeds? Does someone currently possess the item? Is someone currently looking for the item (regardless of whether or not someone currently wields it)? Is the item lost at present?

What is the item (an armor, a shield, a pair of gauntlets, a ring, etc.)?  What does the item look like? Does it gleam in the light or does it look ancient and decrepit? Are there any engravings or notable markings? Is its design notably different than standard items of its type?

Are there any drawbacks to using this item? If so, how severe? Does the item possess some kind of will of its own (even if its just a superstition about its possessor's fate)?

2 '" Some Things to Include
This is where I explain the catch(es).

At most, the entry should be 650 words long.
*The item should be system-less; you are only working on flavor here.
*The item should have one notable event in its history.
*The item should have at least one notable wielder.
*The item should have some kind of description of its appearance.

3 - Necessary Disclaimer Stuff (Below in Spoiler Box)

[spoiler]Please read all these rules before entering. If you enter the contest, it is assumed that you have read and agree with all the rules presented below. Any entries/contesters found in contrast with these rules will be disqualified from the contest and will be ineligible for any prizes.
0. VERY IMPORTANT All entries must be original content, or if outside material is used, it must be used with the express written permission of the original creator. Anything that is the Product Identity (PI) of Wizards of the Coast can be used for submission, but will not be allowed to be published in the Guide, should it win.
1. No one under the age of seventeen (17) can enter a contest without the consent of a parent or a Legal Guardian.
2. Rules and guidelines will vary. Some restrictions may apply.
3. All winners will be contacted by e-mail within seven (7) days of the contest ending.
4. To claim your winning prize, simply follow the easy instructions in your e-mail notification.
5. If we do not hear from you within seven (7) days of notification, we'll select an alternate winner.
6. Read all the rules, entry requirements and deadlines of each contest before entering.
7. The Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) reserves sole and final judgment as to all matters concerning its contests. All decisions are final.
8. Winners are responsible for all Federal, State and Local taxes, if applicable.
9. Void where prohibited and where all Federal, State and local laws and regulations apply.
10. Prizes cannot be exchanged, substituted or transferred, without the prior written consent of the contest sponsor if applicable or the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG).
11. Odds of winning a prize depends on the number of eligible entries received and are determined by each contest's specific
criteria of awarding prizes.
12. If you are a contest winner you also authorize the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) and its affiliates to use your name and/or screen name for promotion purposes and publicity purposes without compensation, as well as for use in the Campaign Builder's Guide.
13. These rules are subject to change without notice.
14. Unless otherwise specified, only members 17 years of age and under as stated in rule number 1 above in the general guidelines, and 18 years of age and older can enter or become eligible to win any of the prizes with respect to any contests or make any submissions of any kind to the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG).
15. The Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) is not responsible for error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of your entry.
16. You agree that the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) and its respective representatives shall have no Liability, in connection with the acceptance and use of prizes awarded, including liability for personal injury and property damage.[/spoiler]

I am yet again a lazy git and cannot give you more than a nifty badge to put in your signature to show everyone your unwarranted self-importance.

The contest will run through 6:00 PM EST, Monday, August 31, 2009.  Only one entry per member, though an entry can be edited if need be. After which, a winner will be chosen by vote, and a new contest may or may not be presented for September.

[LD]

Diplomat's Pouch

Granting "Diplomatic Immunity", the pouch is similar to a bag of holding since many things may be put into it without affecting its size, or relativistic weight. If weighed, however, its true mass can be discovered.

The pouch is about the size of a messenger bag and bears a sleek black appearance. It is wrapped with a white bow-like ribbon that extends around the exterior. The top is sealed by a zipper.

Once opened, the pouch appears filled with inky blackness. If anyone other than the owner places their hand inside, they find nothing. The owner can rummage through the pouch's contents. It is tedious to find what is needed, but with time, anything placed within can be extracted.

The largest item ever placed inside successfully was as wide as the pouch. Any attempt to rip the pouch open larger causes everything to spill outside until the pouch is repaired. The pouch's maximum mass is unknown but at one point over 35 people were placed inside the pouch.

People have been stored in the pouch. For example, Russian ballet star Rudolf Nureyev was stored in a diplomatic pouch when he defected to the "West" in the 1960s. The pouch contains a limited pocket of air that allows someone to survive for several hours. Additionally, if the pouch is opened and "aired", it accumulates more air that allows people to survive for longer periods of time. If a person remains inside too long and the pouch is not aired- they will suffocate, as has happened to several unfortunate souls over the course of the pouch's history.

There are only three known pouches in existence. One pouch was invented by Albert Einstein in 1910 and then given as a gift to the German government. There are rumors that briefly, the pouch was used by a German diplomat in China in 1938 to hide Chinese citizens from Japanese soldiers. Soon thereafter the pouch was returned to the Reich. The pouch was used to great effect in smuggling Jewish gold and artworks into Switzerland post-1945. Then the pouch disappeared for fifteen years. It resurfaced in Argentina and made its way to Colombia in the 1980s. Once in Colombia, it was appropriated by drug lords and used to smuggle black tar heroin into the United States. Many blame the diplomat's pouch for America's current drug problem. (Others blame American demand, but that problem is beyond our scope)

Russian Scientist Nikolai Tesla is said to have discovered and perfected the first modern diplomat's pouch while conducting electrifying experiments. His pouch is currently on display in the Moscow Museum.

The last diplomat's pouch was created by Thomas Edison in 1912. This pouch was used by American diplomats to great effect during world war II and the cold war- helping people defect.

There is some rumor that there is a fourth diplomat's pouch which was owned and used by Kublai Khan. The pouch is said to be buried underneath Chengde, the pleasure-city. Despite efforts by noted archaeologists, none have yet discovered this pouch.

Adaptations
Ancient World - Kublai Khan's pouch, a Mayan's pouch, the pouch of Alexander the Great and the one of King Xerxes of Persia, an ancient Roman pouch, an ancient Egyptian pouch inside a pyramid, a druids' pouch, and a pouch buried beneath the sand of ancient Mali.  Armies jump from the pouch, and kill the King;  the siege of Troy was carried out by use of a diplomat's pouch- the Trojan Horse was only the size of a hobby horse.

Pulp - Race to recover the "lost" diplomat's pouch and excavate them from sites around the world before your enemies ; try to outwit the Americans/Russians and pull off a grand heist while a diplomat in DC/Moscow.

Science Fiction - Miniaturization has allowed armies to secret space drones inside the pouch.

Fantasy - Bag of Holding- but a bit more powerful.

[Acrimone]

Ko-Mu's Standard

Description: This soiled length of linen, with torn, irregular edges and measuring approximately 1 and a half feet by 4 feet.  One end has holes that indicate it was once stitched to fit around the top of a pole.  The faded sigil of Echer the Wet Lord is visible in its center, but only barely, as it is covered by centuries of grit and dirt and blood. It smells faintly of all manner of foul things: sweat and grime and blood and death, and its odor becomes more apparent when it is moistened.  It is not a particularly famous item -- it certainly does not appear in any songs, and there are only passing references to it in obscure histories.  But among the noble families of the Ashani is is almost revered as a symbol of Ashani power and leadership, and it is always treasured by those who have carried it.

History: The standard was commissioned by Pretaren Ko-Mu, Atiq of Co-Van and Hero of the Battle of the North Forest Gap, to commemorate his victory over the Empyric Bloodkin in 561 A.C., during the Age of Glory.  The cloth itself is originally from an Empyric standard that was captured during the conflict, a battle during which Ko-Mu himself very nearly died from catapult fire.  After it was given to him by one of his lieutenants as a gift, Ko-Mu went to the Wizard's College and asked them to enchant the standard to make the army that carries it invincible.  Well, the Wizards were not quite up to that task, but they took Ko-Mu's silver and over the next ten months, placed a very different sort of enchantment on the standard, but one which Ko-Mu found to his liking.

Upon Ko-Mu's death in 587 at the hands of an assassin, the standard passed to Ko-Mu's grandson, Pretaren Mi-Kai. It continued to pass through the family until the fall of Co-Van in 1000 A.C., when Renemu Ti-Ran, then the Atiq of Co-Van by marriage, gave it to his most trusted servant with instructions to take it to Porino, far out of the reach of the Sethreki invaders.  It is not known if the standard ever made it that far.  It's next recorded sighting was in the hands of Beteren Tu-Frel, who would later gift it to Safrey Ir-Nii.  Ir-Nii would carry the standard against the young Sethreki emperor, Arcus II, whom he personally slew at the Battle of Harlace in 1339 (though Ir-Nii's army lost the battle).  The standard was lost when the dragon Nacri destroyed Kisoro and took up residence in its ruins in 1461, 900 years after the standard was first captured.

The Enchantment:  The Wizards were not able to weave the enchantment that Ko-Mu requested, and certainly not in the sullied matrix of a torn, bloodied cloth.  But they were able to draw upon the energies in the sweat and bloodstains to make it into a powerful defensive charm that, given his near brush with death, Ko-Mu gratefully accepted.  The magic is activated by sweat, though only when the standard is draped about the shoulders against bare skin with the sigil of Echer placed square in the middle of the back.  The enchantment is an immensely powerful one, with a far-reaching effect: the wearer is completely immune to undirected (physical) missile fire.  Stray arrows, bolts, and indiscriminately fired artillery will simply hit someone else, and area weapons such as pitch or the rare explosive will, unless specifically used to attack the wearer, end up missing him entirely, one way or another.  The standard has no effect on magical attacks.  Ko-Mu was warned, although there may be no one alive today who remembers this warning, that if he ever washed the standard, its enchantment would be broken forever.  So far, no one has washed it.

[Nomadic]

[ooc]Yes this is in fact a device based on the Mare Eternus setting[/ooc]

Akadam's Momentary Matter Molassafier

Appearance:
The Momentary Matter Molassafier (or Triple-M) is a small round cog-like device that is clipped to the belt or another appropriate area. It is a brass item roughly 3 inches wide and decorated ornately, with a single silver button in the center. When turned on the object emits a low frequency thrum that causes nearby objects to vibrate and thrum in time with the Molassafier. While on, the air around the item appears to thicken, taking on a translucent blue sheen.

Effect:
The Triple-M doesn't actually prevent damage to the wearer, instead it detects incoming threats and slows them down. Projectiles, punching fists, leaping opponents, everything directed at the wearer with intent of harm (whether that intent is driven by a mind or the simple purpose of a trap) seems to slow to a crawl within the translucent shell it projects. This lets a person easily step out of the way our counter attacks against themselves. This is a quite incredible ability and has spawned legends of warriors so fast that they could dodge anything. Unfortunately Akadam was a bit scatterbrained when he created the triple-m and the device can be finicky at best. Sometimes it works flawlessly, sometimes it doesn't work at all, and on rare occasions it has the dreaded effect of speeding up attacks instead of slowing them down.

History:
The engineer Akadam was for a time quite famous. A master tinkerer and brilliant designer of some of the most incredible technological wonders known. Unfortunately his experimentation with some of the more exotic substances known ended up warping his mind and the professor committed suicide in his madness by jumping between two rotating cogs. Before his death though he completed one final project. The Momentary Matter Molassafier was a work of genius and had he not been half insane when he finished it, it probably would have gone down as the most powerful artifact in history. Nobody has any idea how he created it though. It is speculated that he reverse engineered the clockwork (the first to do so in recorded history) and in the process the system drove him to madness, though not before permitting him to craft something with his new knowledge. Since then the Triple-M has passed from owner to owner as it's faulty design inevitably results in death or harm to those that put their full trust in it. It is currently in the hands of one Captain Tulias Marcus and while he normally is untrusting of fringe technology he has made an odd exception for the device (most likely in part due to it being a heirloom from his late grandfather).

[Superfluous Crow]

The current champion enters the fray with a mask that stays the hand of your enemy. (And tortures their soul)

 The Soul Mirror
In ancient times, the mountainous region of Damaren was led by the cruel Lanaan, a man skilled in all the games of treachery and pain, as well as an adept in arcane artifice, which he used to create many horrible instruments. A master of torture, he knew all of the 331 ways to cause pain, but the 331st was beyond his reach; he could not break the heart of his victim because no one would love him. Furious with his incompetence, he created the Soul Mirror over a period of thirteen days. And with that, even the most feared and hated enemy could break the heart of his victim.

The Soul Mirror is a plain white porcelain mask (although of course far more durable than mundane porcelain) with no distinguishing marks or facial traits. It has holes for eyes and a slit for the mouth. While completely unadorned on the outside, the inside of the mask is covered in red writing, supposedly the names of Lanaan's thirteen wives written in their own dried blood. Whether the wives gave up their heart's blood or whether he took it by force is not known.
When worn, and somebody gazes at the mask and its wearer together, they do not see the masked man anymore. Instead, their mind presents them with a vision that can hurt even the strongest of warriors and stay even the truest of swords; they see their enemy in the guise of the person they love the most. No matter whether you know about the enchantment or not, the magic of the mask forces you to believe. Striking against a man wearing the Soul Mirror is as easy as killing your wife or child, and few can move their blade when they are faced by this. Seeing your loved one wield the tools of a torturer, tearing away your nails and burn you with brands, likewise dulls you to the physical pain while making you suffer something much worse.

Wearing the mask, Lanaan became known as the most monstrous torturer to walk the world and forces rose up against him. He passed the mask until his favorite assassin, his 9th son, before his kingdom was destroyed, and the son passed it on to his own apprentice when he retired. This became the powerful and wealthy dynasty of assassins known simply as the Betrayers, who took outrageous sums of money to have their victims' final moments be especially painful. The last Betrayer, ironically, was himself betrayed by his own employer, the usurper Damian, who had him stabbed in the back and then stole the mask for himself.
The mask was now put to a very different use on the battlefield, where soldiers retreated or stood paralyzed on the field when faced by a hellish legion seemingly led by those they trusted. Even the most hardened soldiers broke down crying when they saw their mother slowly passing by a line of prisoners slicing each of their throats meticulously with a smile on her face. The news of these horrors was enough to demoralize most of the resistance against the usurper. Damian made it all the way to the Ulerian court, where his campaign finally came to an end when he was slain by their king in a magnificent duel. The king himself was beaten to death by his own people just after, though, because they knew he had defeated a man wearing the Soul Mirror, and if his sword went so true he could have no love in life and that was why he saw only his enemy. His name was erased from history and he was called the Heartless King forever after.

What happened to the mask after that is unknown, although rumors suggest that it has ended up in the famous brothel Joy's End, with a courtesan catering to those who are the victims of unreciprocated love.  

[Eladris]

[note=Image][spoiler=Borrowed Time][/spoiler][/note]Borrowed Time

This silver pocket watch is always in pristine condition and keeps accurate time when found or received.  Should the bearer of the pocket watch die of unnatural causes, he is transported between 7 and 10 hours into the past, unharmed and with full knowledge of the events leading up to his death.  Once triggered the crystal face cracks and its hands stop; it can no longer be wound.  The watch functions only once for any given bearer.

Borrowed Time's origins are unknown, though some speculate it was a divine gift to the British philosopher William Paley for his famous teleological argument.  The time-piece was first documented by Dr. John Watson who, having escaped a fatal gunshot wound by virtue of the device, included its properties in the account of the case during which he narrowly avoided death.  Never published, the case file wasn't read until Dr. Watson's estate was divided in the 1940s; the pocket watch was missing and its current whereabouts are unknown.