This week we give you a sneak peak at a very important array that will be used in the Ruined City, the first campaign for the Runed Age coming out in June.

This week we give you The Prophet’s Blood Array.

Notation: Transmute Copper, Gold, Iron, Lead, Silver, Tin and Wood into Water. Create Light and apply this to the transmuted Water.

Description: Last week we had a defensive array focussed on fire and this week we have one focussed on water. Other than the opposite elemental natures of the Flame Ward array and The Prophet’s Blood array, there is also a significant thematic difference. The Flame Ward is the epitome of defence by offence. The Prophet’s Blood is defence by unyielding will.

From a purely defensive point of view, this array could have stopped after transmuting the materials into water. At that stage whatever needs protecting has been protected. Other than a clever technical use of the array, the secondary array that creates light plays a vital psychological role in the defence that this array creates. The secondary array simply creates light, but by applying this effect it means that all the water in the area of the array’s effect creates light. This in effect means that this array creates glowing water.

At first glance, creating glowing water may not seem at all to be much of a psychological advantage, but have a second think about it. Imagine that you have just been shot and rather than seeing blood spurt out (or noticing anything at all because your Middelburg Standard saved you) you see a patch of brightly glowing liquid. You know for a fact that your life had just been saved, you know your arrays work and you know the enemy just wasted a shot. If you were of a religious persuasion, you might also see it as your divinity of choice literally taking a bullet or blade for you. I would say that would put a spring in any man’s step.

As to your opposition, the psychological effects depend entirely on being ignorant of The Prophet’s Blood. If you didn’t know this array existed you would see a man you just shot bleeding light. You don’t even have to be of a religious persuasion to see this as something supernatural, something otherworldly. It would be even more of a fright if this enemy expected this to happen and is even glad to see it. What sort of monster would be glad to see itself glowing blood? More than one man in Middelburg has thought that discretion is the better part of valour after shooting someone with The Prohphet’s Blood.

On the other hand, it must be said that this array comes with a glaring flaw. By creating glowing water, it is also painting a target onto whomever is bearing the array. Once one shot connects, every other shot is sure to follow. This array is definitely not made with prolonged combat in mind. It is for those who prefer the shock and awe approach.

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