Occult artifacts (Tremere or Banu Haqim only)

The 21st century saw a great decline in the use of occult artifacts among the Kindred outside the chantries of Clan Tremere. As the Age of Reason flowered, the Age of Magic withered, and occult objects once prized among the Kindred were cast aside in favor of modern innovation.
The destruction wrought by the Second Inquisition, the Beckoning, and Tremere schism, combined with the Camarilla’s edicts against technology have begun to reverse this trend. Many elders’ havens are now abandoned, or in the hands of “trusted” ancillae. Entire Tremere chantries lay fallow, and prized artifacts from an older time lay forgotten in slumbering elders’ collections, ripe for the taking.
You have gained access to, or knowledge of, one or more precious occult artifacts. These were likely entrusted to Nicolai for safekeeping in the Chicago Chantry or may be located elsewhere. Note that all are powerful in their own way and are likely sought by others, which can make them more trouble than they are worth. It is unlikely that more than one of these will be available to any given coterie.

•	Rowan Ring: Rowan Rings are feared tools of assassination employed by elder members of the Banu Haqim or their trusted neonates. They appear to be simple wooden rings, though they are detectable as magical with Auspex or other occult means. After making a Rouse Check, the ring mystically sharpens and elongates into a wooden stake that can be used to make a stake attack (Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 221). The stake detaches after use and the ring falls off its wielder’s finger. A simple thought transforms the stake back into a ring when not in use.
• •	Cloak of Abalone: Woven by the Tremere as a powerful weapon against Toreador, the Cloak of Abalone is dull black, brown, or gray on the outside, but opens to reveal a lining that forms a scintillating shower of mesmerizing color. The wearer must make a Rouse Check to activate the cloak, after which the targeted Toreador is immediately treated as if they rolled a Bestial Failure and are afflicted as if their Toreador Obsession was in effect (Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 210). Note that the cloak only works on one target at a time, and there is seldom more than one cloak per Tremere Chantry
• • •	Powder of Rigidity: This uncommon mixture of rare herbs, Gangrel blood, and wolfsbane is increasingly sought after in the wake of the War in Chicago and Clan Gangrel’s defection from the Camarilla. Coming in long tubes, the concoction is hurled on the target in an opposed Dexterity + Athletics test. If the thrower succeeds, the tube shatters on the target and coats them in a viscous purple dust. As the magical effects take hold, the target, whether they be a user of Protean, Lupine, or other shape changer, loses all ability to change shape for the next four hours.
• • • •	Monocle of Clarity: Designed by the Tremere to detect Obfuscated spies, the Monocle of Clarity is a beautifully etched monocle set into a delicately filigreed gold and silver frame. The user makes a Rouse Check to activate and rolls Wits or Resolve + five dice against the Targets Wits + Obfuscate. Success pierces the targets Obfuscate. Total Failure pierces the veil between this world and the next, exposing the user to “things” best left unseen, inflicting one point of superficial Willpower damage.
• • • • •	Tapestry of Blood: A rare and powerful artifact highly sought after by all. The Tapestry of Blood is a massive medieval tapestry said to have graced the halls of the Vienna Chantry before its transfer to Chicago. The user must make five Rouse Checks and spend a full evening contemplating the weave of the tapestry. As the first rays of dawn strike, the user makes a Wits or Resolve + Occult check with each success granting them greater clarity of vision. This vision can take almost any form, from glimpses of ancient civilizations to glimpses of the future. The only certainty is that the subject of each vision will directly relate to the fate of the user. Total Failure indicates the user saw something truly unsettling about their fate and immediately triggers a compulsion as detailed in the Vampire: The Masquerade core book.