Aerinn's Boots of Combat
by Darrell Walker
Not all dreams are pleasant. Nightmares await within the darkness. Consequentially, Glamour is a diverse force, embracing yin and yang, good and evil, happy and sad, tranquility and terror. When a Dreamer's psyche is put under unbearable stress, Glamour has a tendency to respond to the Dreamer's subconscious. Such was the beginning of Aerinn's Boots of Combat.
Aerinn received the boots as a gift from a high school friend of his who had spend time in the Marine Corps. They were the boots he had worn in basic training, but he had taken good care of them. Aerinn's friend had not had an easy time in basic, but then, who does? Not long after completing basic, he'd gotten injured and taken off of active duty. His peers didn't approve of this Marine getting out of all the drudgery they had to go through. They first resented him, then despised him, then hated him. Uncountable threats were made on his life, and the only thing that kept him from certain death was the consequences his assailants would face for such action.
Aerinn's friend was a Dreamer--a musician. He'd only entered the Marines to support his new wife and their coming child. His family was poor and couldn't afford to send him to college, so the rather large checks the Marines offered him seemed a Godsend.
Luckily, Aerinn's friend was honorably discharged before the situation became fatal, but he did not emerge unscathed. The scars on his psyche were painfully evident to those who loved him.
Somewhere along the line, the soft leather of the boots began to absorb the angry, fearful Glamour which was writhing around the young recruit. When Aerinn received the boots, he instantly fell in love with them and wore them everywhere. Being a Sidhe, he spent most of his time in Freeholds. The boots soaked up the Glamour, applying it to the matrix that had been defined all through his friend's ordeal.
The Boots became a Treasure.
Appearance
To normal and Fae sight, Aerinn's Boots appear as black, Marine-issue combat boots (complete with speed-laces). Use of Kenning will reveal that the Boots contain an ambient Glamour.
Known Powers
Spit-Shine: No matter what they go through, Aerinn's Boots of Combat will be good as new after a good,through polishing.
Heart of the Marine: The wearer of the Boots feels a boost in his self-image and self-confidance. The difficulty of all Willpower rolls is at a -1.
Voice of Command: The wearer of the Boots has an increased sense of leadership and responsibility. He will feel the urge to take over any situation that isn't being handled properly, even if it would inconvenience or endanger himself. He gets a -2 to the difficulties of all Leadership and Intimidation rolls.
Sure Footing: The wearer receives a -2 to the difficulties of any rolls involving footing or terrain.
Known Flaws
Militant Stride: If the wearer is not concentrating, he immediately assumes a strong, quick stride that would make any drill instructor proud.
Chain of Command: The wearer will not react well to any challenges to his authority (whatever that may be). A willpower roll (with the Boots' bonus) is required to avoid flying into a rage and suitable punishing the offender. Also, the wearer must make a Willpower roll to disobey an order given by someone in a position of authority over him. (i.e. Anyone with a higher Title)
Back to Basic: The wearer will occasionally have very vivid nightmares that are impossible to distinguish from reality. These are usually nonsensical nights of horror--dodging bullets, scrubbing a basketball court with a toothbrush, etc. The wearer is at a -2 to all actions for the next day until he receives some real rest. It is completely up to the Storyteller how often this happens. Occasionally, the wearer will awake with actual Chimerical wounds. The frequency and severity of the dreams seem to be related to how often the powers of the boots are used and how often they are polished. Of course,any true soldier polishes his boots every day...