Description
Manse 
(Fire)
Created specifically for Tya Mnemia, this hearthstone allows the solar to manifest as her anima totem, the Phoenix Born of Blood.
The bearer of this hearthstone can perform a transformation action (Speed 5, -0 DV) to assume the form of a phoenix. Everything worn by the character is also transformed. The size of the phoenix is dependent upon the mass transformed in this way. While wearing normal equipment the phoenix form will be roughly the size of a person, with a wingspan of 4-5 yards. But if used by someone operating a warstrider, the phoenix form will be much larger, with a wingspan in excess of 30 yards.
All time spent in phoenix form counts as Strenuous Activity (Core, pg.130), whether the bearer is flying or not. Ending the transformation requires the same transformation action as assuming phoenix form. Ending the transformation also exhausts the hearthstone, preventing it from being used to return the bearer to phoenix form for 1 hour.
While transformed the bearer has a flying movement rate of 150 (roughly 300 miles/hour) and still receives the benefits of all equipment worn. All weaponry is subsumed into the form though, so while transformed the bearer is unable to initiate an attack or perform fine manipulations.
While transformed, a corona of fire surrounds the bearer. The fire generated by the phoenix form functions the same as the anima banner of a fire-aspected Dragon-Blooded of Essence 3 (this does not include the features of Anima Flux). This fire ignites flammable objects and causes 3 dice of lethal damage to anyone that comes in contact with it.
If the bearer is entirely submerged in water while transformed, the transformation ends instantly. Similarly, a significantly heavy rainfall can also prematurely end the transformation. In general, if the quantity of water the bearer comes in contact with would put out a natural fire of the size of the phoenix form, it will cause the transformation to end.
Backstory
This is the hearthstone of The Beacon of the Ninefold Manse. Possession of this hearthstone marks its bearer as the Watcher of the Vault.
Design Commentary
This stone is a variation of the Firebird Gem from Oadenol’s Codex (pg.94).
This starts with an extension of the rules as written. The most basic description is that this allows the owner to turn into a human-sized bird of fire. This transformation also includes everything the character wears. So, what happens when the bearer tries to use this while using a warstirder? A warstrider is defined as “a large suit of nigh-indestructible, strength-augmenting armor”, which would imply that it counts as worn equipment. And indicating that the bird is human-sized normally allows for a sort of conservation of mass that would result in a larger phoenix form in the stone was activated while using a warstrider.
The first significant difference comes from the removal of the combat ability. As written this stone grants a fly speed of 150 and extra damage without removing or restricting any melee combat capabilities. The mobility alone grants an extremely potent advantage, allowing for devastating hit and run tactics. To compensate for this power there are a number of severe restrictions. To reduce these restrictions fairly I decided to remove the combat capability entirely.
The original stone also calls for the phoenix form to be able to ignite flammable objects and deal heat damage based on proximity. This is the same mechanical effect of a fire-aspected dragon-blooded, so the rules were rewritten to reference that mechanic directly. The potency of this aura is capped at an equivalence to essence 3, raised from essence 2 given the complete removal of combat capability referenced above.
The original stone also called for the bearer to be forced back into normal form at noon and midnight. With the removal of the combat functionality I’ve also removed this restriction. In addition, the requirement of one hour of rest after using the stone has been rewritten as a one hour recharge or cool-down on the stone. It’s still important to prevent transforming repeatedly during a battle, but it’s not necessary to support two different sources of fatigue.
The final alteration is to the amount of water needed to break the transformation. Once again, with the removal of the combat potential this restriction was significantly reduced, allowing the form to be effective in a wider variety of locales and situations.
