Seven Circling Siaka
This artifact weapon is a sectional staff composed of seven interlocking sharks. Its orichalcum-steel alloyed segments are treated with an alchemical wash that shades the chiseled recesses of their features with the dark tones of the deep sea. Each of the elongated sharks is turned one-quarter angle to its precedent, and grasps its leader's tail fin with a single fang. The stylized fins and fangs are designed to draw blood with every strike, and each shark bears fine etchings that spell out the name of the Western war goddess Siakal. The artifact was given to Ebon Surf Chaser by the god Echeneis.
Seven Siaka Circling has the same statistics as an orichalcum serpent sting staff with two special exceptions. First, the goddess Siakal craves bloodshed, and thus one of the staff's Health levels of applied Bashing damage is always treated as a Lethal level, unless the defender has some effect to prevent Lethal damage. Thus, if the wielder caused 3 levels of Bashing damage, the weapon would actually apply 2 levels of Bashing and 1 level of Lethal. The victim also suffers +1 difficulty to prevent or stop bleeding from that single Lethal wound level. If the defender was using a defense such as a Gem of Adamant Skin, then all of the damage would remain Bashing and no bleeding penalty is applied. Secondly, the goddess Siakal enjoys the blood of the wielder as readily as that of any other, and thus the weapon provides two less base Defense than usual (Defense +2 instead of +4). Orichalcum metal bonuses apply as normal, provided the wielder qualifies.
(Note: Conrad originally posted his write-ups of this to the group email list. Summers posted one of those write-ups here. Conrad edited that to include the followup notes that he had mailed to the group list, including the simplifications.)
