Sunfire Pennant

The bearer of a Sunfire Pennant inspires their allies to glorious, heroic, or desperate deeds.

Description

Especially popular in Dawn and among the Freeborn, the Sunfire Pennant is a powerful magical standard that allows the banner-bearer to infuse their allies with martial prowess. Invariably brightly coloured and woven with threads of sungold and moonsilver, they inspire and strengthen the spirits of all who fight alongside their wielder. Usually mounted on weirwood poles reinforced with dragonbone, more than any other magical standard they tend to take the form of flags and pennants that are designed to be moved, or waved, on the battlefield. Some Freeborn kohan are accompanied by a standard bearer who weaves a dazzling display of crimson and gold with fire-marked flags, while a Dawnish troubadour, a Wintermark scop, or a Varushkan stzena will often wield a horn or pipe in their other hand, playing martial music as they march alongside the soldiers of their warband.

In Highguard this banner is known a Lancer's Pennant and is favoured by some Highborn cataphracts who favour pole-arms in honour of the lances their forbears once wielded from horseback. Denied the horses with which they once rode down the enemies of Highguard, these chapters replicate the effect on foot. The maneuver first saw significant battlefield usage during the Patrician Civil war when it was used by Lepidus of the Seven Stars chapter against the armies of the Patricians. Today, a hard-hitting charge by heavily armoured cataphracts that focuses on disorienting enemy lines by knocking them off their feet is sometimes referred to as a Lepidian Charge. In recognition, Highborn artisans decorate their standard with seven weltsilver stars in addition to including the symbols of the chapter that bears the pennant.

In the Brass Coast, these magical standards are sometimes called Starfire Banners, and are commonly decorated in bright firey colours, embroidered with glames, stars, or comets. At the end of the year, when the standard's magic begins to wane, the flag is given a ceremonial funeral by the warband, usually at a point which marks the end of the campaigning season. A part of the banner is kept, however, and woven into the fabric of the new banner or tied around the banner pole, giving the oldest of these standards an oddly tatterdemalion appearance.

A common practice among Imperial soldiers who bear a Sunfire Pennant is to have the standard hallowed with one of the hallows of Pride. Another common practice among Wintermark, Marcher and Imperial Orc warbands is to collect small trophies from significant victories (or defeats) the banner is present at and hang them from the standard as memorials to the fallen and to the successes (and failures) of the regiment.

This theme of trophies can also be seen in the Yeoman's Flag of the Marches. Used to provide additional punch to Marcher bill blocks, such standards are usually topped by a woven dragonbone poppet. The poppet is usually given a name, and sometimes takes the role of a tongue-in-cheek good luck charm for the regiment - those who fight alongside the standard often carry a miniature version of the same dolly on their person, or even tied securely to the haft of their bill.

Rules

• Form: Magical standard. The phys-rep requirements for a magical standard are more stringent than those of similar items. You must be bearing this banner aloft to use its magical properties.
• Effect: Five times per day you may use the empower spell as if you knew it without spending any mana. You may not use this ability if you are wearing armour other than mage armour.
• Roleplaying Effect: When you take hold of this banner, you hear a burst of inspiring music. While holding it you feel an urge to passionately celebrate your victories, and mourn your defeats.
• Materials: Crafting a Sunfire Pennant requires thirteen ingots of orichalcum, three ingots of tempest jade, three ingots of weltsilver, eleven measures of dragonbone, five measures of beggar's lye, and nine measures of iridescent gloaming It takes one month to make one of these items.

OOC Note
The bearer of this banner need not be a magician, but if they are not they should make an extra effort to ensure that they know how spellcasting, especially offensive spellcasting rules and are familiar with the effects of the empower spell. If in doubt, they should ask a referee who will be able to explain the details of how the banner works.

The two old farmhands each took a deep draught of mild, as another column marched past.

“Well, thass'a rum'un...”

“You're not wrong, Freddie. I hint never seen the like.”

A banner of soldiers. In parti-coloured blue-and-green silk finery, shimmering like scales. They were armed with halberds and the banner at their head was topped with an ivory-coloured emblem.

"On top of that banner... Thass'like...."

"That it is."

"But it's....."

"Yup. It's a side of salt-cod. And it's on their standard."

"Are they takin' the piss?"

"What, soldiers that dress like kingfishers, with a bit'o'fish on top their flagstaff? They're taking something..."

"Best get our bills out again, Arthur."

He paused for another gulp of beer. The column drew to a halt.

"Do I have the honour of addressing stout yeomen of Overton."

There was an awkward pause.

"Is'ee callin' us...."

"Shut'up Freddie.... You do, and who might you be?"

"We are the Bacalhau. The Company of Salt Cod, from Tassato. Our little joke, although you'll never forget it and so our fame spreads.... You see the dragonbone emblem atop our banner? We travel well, and we are marching to war. Which way to Mournwold?