Darinda was crafted near the end of the First Age by a Solar exulting in the violence of the Eastern beasts. Its stock is made of ivory laced with orichalcum and depicts a cat-like predator with six legs and an enormous jaw facing the opponent. The bow of this weapon is made of a single green jade piece engraved with Old Realm boasting the deeds and hunts of its first owner. When firing, the bolt seems to come out of the predator’s mouth.

The Fang of the East has been lost since the Usurpation and through the Shogunate. A few Wood-Aspected Dragon-Blooded searched far and wide for it, without success. It is only recently that it was rediscovered by a sorcerer from the east while fighting an invasion of Fair Folks. One of their hunters was wielding the Artifact, using it to take down worthy warriors and feeding their flesh to its hungry maw. The sorcerer and his troops won the fight, but his wounds would have him die off soon enough. Upon his dying breath, the sorcerer summoned an Elemental and gave it the Fang, bestowing it the mission to bring it back to Elegant Glass Wave, his Exalted mentor.

Evocations of Darinda

It costs an extra 2 motes to attune to this artifact. Attuning to Darinda is a thrilling sensation, akin to an adrenaline rush. It is a primal moment of power and strength filled with a deep understanding of the hierarchy of predators and preys. A Solar, Lunar or Dragon-Blooded attuned to the Fang of the East applies the Double-10 rule on Decisive damage. As a side effect, the wielder finds vegetables and fruits tasteless, gaining no nutriments from them, while raw meat gains savors and nuances which their palate was previously unable to enjoy. They may still nourish themselves from nuts, bread, eggs and other such foods, but they are somewhat bland compared to meats of all kinds.

Predator’s Unity

Cost: 2m Mins: Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None

Pulsing with the thrill of the hunt, Darinda bends itself, always ready to attack. This evocation reloads the Fang of the East reflexively. This Evocation does not remove the Slow keyword from it, and thus Darinda cannot be used with multiple-attacks charms.

Thorn-In-Paw Misfortune

Cost: 5m Mins: Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Decisive-Only, Stackable
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None

Darinda fires a bolt at her target, which turns into a giant thorn midair. If the attack supplemented by this Evocation deals damage, the target gains a -1 penalty (which stacks with wound penalty) to all movement actions. If the penalties from this charm are equal or greater to the target’s Dexterity, using the Move action is no longer Reflexive; it becomes a Simple action, which can be placed in a flurry with any action.

Hunter’s Endless Chase

Cost: 1wp Mins: Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisites: Predator’s Unity

Focusing her mind and sight on the prey, the wielder of Darinda runs forward, keeping pace at all costs. This Evocation targets a single opponent. For the rest of the scene, the wielder of the Fang of the East can use the rush action at any distance against that opponent, with a penalty depending on the distance: -1 at Medium, -2 at Long and -3 at Extreme.

Life-Into-Life Feast

Cost: 6m / hl, 1wp Mins: Essence 2
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Decisive-Only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Thorn-In-Paw Misfortune

This Evocation is a (Dex+Archery) Decisive attack using Darinda’s maw as the weapon, which consumes no ammunitions (and thus does not need to be reloaded). If the attack deals damage, Darinda consumes the flesh of its prey, healing bashing or lethal damage based on the cost of this Evocation.

This Evocation has no effect on automatons or immaterial beings, but will work against the undead and Rakshas.

Soul-Bound Prey Markings

Cost: 10m, 1wp Mins: Essence 4
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Decisive-Only
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: Hunter’s Endless Chase, Life-Into-Life Feast

Declaring her target as the lowest creature on the hierarchy of predator and prey, the character fires a bolt imbued with predatory essence, marking his target for all creatures of Creation. The mark takes effect only if the supplemented attack deals any damage. As long as the wielder of Darinda keeps the motes committed, the victim of Soul-Bound Prey Markings will be a prey to all animals of Creation - herbivores able to attack him will be hostile, carnivores and predators will attack on sight. Decisive attacks targeted at the marked character receive a bonus of [Essence] non-charm dice for the attack roll.

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