Code of the Clay King
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You’ve studied the Code of the Clay King, said to be written by Amurah, the insane ruler of the lost kingdom of Shinar. You’ve also become an expert on the nature of Shinarian Vessels and the history of the kingdom. If you start the game with this lore, you have a physical copy of the Code in the form of a clay tablet—or, if you like, carved onto your body, if you're a Shinarian.
All Shinarians, even the illiterate, know something of the Laws of Amurah, the totalitarian legal text that governed the old realm of Shinar—and was often minutely inscribed on the bodies of Amurah’s Vessel subjects. The Code, in contrast, is a more esoteric text. It was intended for Amurah’s closest lieutenants and confidants—his Arbiters, as they were known.
If you’re an Arbiter: this lore reflects a deeper theoretical understanding of the science of souls. Add your Intellect to your success margin when you Soulgaze.
You know the following ability.
What was the function of this Shinarian building or object?
What magic spells can Arbiters cast?
How can one overcome the weakness of flesh?
How can a soul transcend injustice?
Repair Vessel
Take -2 awareness and roll Maneuver to tend to a wounded Shinarian or other Vessel character (including yourself, if you’re conscious).Transfer Soul
Requires empty vessel and Tophet. You’ve learned the art of transferring your soul from your fleshly body to an empty clay Vessel. See the “Vessels” endeavor in XP & Downtime for information on how to prepare such a vessel during downtime, as well as the magical kiln called a tophet you’ll need for this activity. As a rest activity, you fire the empty Vessel in the tophet, alongside your own body. As your body is consumed in the fire, roll Compel.✦ 7+: Your soul transfers to the Vessel, which gains your Will, your Intellect, your memories, your calling, your ideals, and all your lore and abilities that don’t require Agility. ⬖ 4–6: Part of your soul transfers to the Vessel, which gains your Will, your calling, and your calling’s starting ability. Your Intellect, however, is lost, as are all of your memories, lore, and other abilities. Your ideals are lost as well, and you gain the ideals of Power and Justice.ⓧ 1–3: The transfer fails, and your soul is lost to the depths beneath the Skysea. On a success or struggle, you gain the ✪ Vessel ability (see the Shinarian origin): you have +2 Armor, and you can transfer your Stamina to Spirit and vica versa on your turn.You can’t transfer your soul with this ability if you’re a Shinarian or otherwise already inhabiting a Vessel. The magic relies on smoke and ash produced from burning flesh. You can, however, use this ability to transfer another fleshly character’s soul into a Vessel you create, consuming their body in the fire instead of your own. The character must be present with you during the rest activity (though they need not be willing). For the challenge roll, both you and the character must make compel rolls; use the lower result.← Civilization ✧ Crafting →