Tattoo Artifact

The moonsilver tattoos placed upon the body of modern Lunars provide invincible defense against the transforming power of the Wyld. Most of the Lunar elders who inscribe such symbols are content to eliminate the terrible danger of becoming a chimera, but a tiny handful has advanced even further. These sorcerer Stewards devised secret techniques to incorporate simple artifacts into their tattoo designs. Every set of these special tattoos is an artifact composed of moonsilver. The sorcerer who inscribes the tattoo artifact embeds additional elements that mimic the form of the desired artifact. Such designs are limited to artifacts the Storyteller deems appropriate to include in a tattoo design. Endlessly repeating whorls of moonsilver covering the Lunar's chest, abdomen, shoulders and back might confer the benefits of an artifact chain shirt. Cylindrical designs around her forearms and wrists might form hearthstone bracers. An intricate inset pattern might serve as a hearthstone amulet. See Artifacts, Greater Wonders, and Hearthstones.

All forms of tattoo artifacts are constantly visible, except where specific Knacks or Charms would render a Lunar's artifacts invisible to detection. This only counts for those tattoos that are actually artifacts. The remainder of a Lunar's moonsilver tattoos function as normal. Whether always having access to built-in artifacts outweighs any extant stealth issues is a judgment call players must make for themselves.

A tattoo artifact has the advantage that no one can steal it from the character. Short of death, few forces could possibly deprive a Lunar of use of her tattoo artifacts. On the other hand, the Lunar must permanently attune to tattoo artifact. Any Essence normally committed must stay committed forever. Unlike the rest of a Lunar's moonsilver tattoos, a tattoo artifact cannot be hidden by shapechanging Knacks or Charms unless such powers explicitly allow the Lunar to hide her artifacts as well. If a supernatural effect hides a Lunar's moonsilver tattoos, but cannot hide her artifacts, then the rest of her tattoos become invisible except for the specific designs that compose her tattoo artifact. A Steward bearing a pair of hearthstone bracers as a tattoo artifact might still bear moonsilver designs upon her forearms but nowhere else should she manage to hide her caste-fixing tattoos.

Tattoo artifacts cannot reproduce medium or heavier armor. They also may not create external weapons: A moonsilver design encompassing the Lunar's entire hand might qualify for a smashfist, but there is no way to create a tattoo artifact daiklave. An artifact with no attunement cost may not be a tattoo artifact. A tattoo artifact cannot duplicate magitech items with a repair rating (such as those found in Books of Sorcery Volume 1: Wonders of the Lost Age). Storytellers should feel free to disallow tattoo versions of other artifacts, if they can't see a simple way the artifact could be represented by a design on a person's body. This Background is not available to Casteless Lunar characters. Unless the Storyteller decides to allow some special exception, a Lunar who already has moonsilver tattoos cannot add a tattoo artifact. The design must have been incorporated into her original caste-fixing.

Tattooed hearthstone bracers and hearthstone amulets possess working hearthstone settings. The hearthstone is encompasses about the edges by the mixture of moonsilver and flesh that makes up the tattoo. It's very similar to the way a skin mount amulet works, though it counts more on the natural proclivities of moonsilver and the malleability of Lunar flesh.

Tattooed armor can typically stack with any other worn armor, but does not count as armor for the purposes of Martial Arts Styles that restrict armor use.

Trait Effects: Your character can purchase this Background multiple times, once for each Tattoo Artifact she owns. Each tattoo artifact has a rating between 1 and 5, and this is the Background cost of that particular artifact.