Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Thread Item 72 - Whispers of Frailty

This is the seventy-second 4E Anatomy of a Thread Item, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

A thread item written for an online game I offered to help with thread items. This was written with the request of a windling bow with a request of... look, it was a lot less about what the character wanted and mostly insight into the character. The request came down to more damage. Though that insight gave me a direction how exactly to do more damage.


Whispers of Frailty

Maximum Threads: 2
Mystic Defense: 12

Legend Point Cost: Journeyman

This windling bow is made of black wood that appears featureless and barely appears to even be present. Its presence is best described as an absence in the space it occupies. A roughly bow-shaped black void. Everything slides off of it, from light, blood, even touch. Touching it does reveal intricate carvings across the surface. Though, the details cannot be seen, only felt and even then only the owner has no trouble interacting with it. The carvings are of faces in various sizes and shapes.

When the bow isn’t in the presence of its owner for too long, one Namegiver becomes the focus of its attention. Unintelligible whispers in an eldritch language only they can hear fill the void its presence creates. Slowly at first, but they come from all directions. This has been described as madness caressing their brain.

Thread Rank One
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn the bow’s Name.
Effect: The bow is Damage Step 4.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: The bow is Damage Step 5.

Thread Rank Three
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn the Name of the entity bound to the bow.
Effect: The wielder gains the Whispers of Frailty ability. As a Simple action for 1 Strain, the wielder listens to the comforting whispers of the bow and can make an Awareness test against the target’s Mystic Defense. If successful, the whispers tell them of the target’s frailty, what they fear, how they are weak. The wielder can affect the target with abilities that require them to be Blindsided, Harried, or Surprised until the end of the round. The target is not affected by these conditions.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: When the wielder uses Whispers of Frailty, they gain +2 to Damage tests with the bow against Blindsided or Surprised opponents.

Thread Rank Five
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn who created the bow.
Effect: When the wielder uses Whispers of Frailty, they can spend an additional Karma Point on a Damage test using the bow against a Blindsided or Surprised opponent. This can be used once per round.

Thread Rank Six
Effect: When the wielder uses Whispers of Frailty, they gain +4 to Damage tests with the bow against Blindsided or Surprised opponents.