Spytech: The Prussian Secret Service Ring.

Spytech

The Prussian Secret Service Ring.

Looking like any standard signet ring, this Spytech device has a lidded hollow within it. It can be filled with a range of contents such as those below.  As you can see, some contents are more commonly issued than others.

Possible Contents:

Rapidly Expanding Gas. (Common) see note (1) below.

The Evidenzbureau (the Austro-Hungarian Secret Service) has managed to discover the cause of the devastating punch that some Prussian agents appear to be able to deliver. At first it was thought to be magically derived but a ring found on a dead Prussian have revealed the true source of the powerful blow.

The agent flicks open a ring on his index finger just as he is about to make contact, this releases a small bubble of gas that expands extremely rapidly and hits the target with tremendous force. This blow is strong enough to crack skulls or even knock down ordinary doors.

Apparently, British agents have been heard to refer to this version of the ring as a “Prussian Pummeler”.

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Cold Iron Dust. (Very Rare) see note (2) below.

The Ultimate Anti-Faerie Weapon! A ring holding this powder is very rare as the use of Cold Iron against the Faerie in some circumstances may be seen as a Breach of the First Compact and call down all sorts of revenge upon the user. It may even endanger the whole of Humanity!

Thermic Powder. (Common) See note (3) below

A small pellet of Thermic Powder which is ignited by fire or being struck forcefully or ground under the toe of your boot. In a few seconds, it will build up enough heat to melt a hole in metals or glass and will quickly cause almost any combustible substance to burst into flame.

It has been used for such things as burning out a prison door lock, causing a large explosion when struck on a gas pipe, rendering a steam automotive inoperable but cutting through its axle and so on.

Soporific Draught Powder. (Common)

The ring contains an opiate powder which can be slipped into someone’s drink in order to render them insensate.

Tiger Whiskers. (Very Rare)

This Dastardly Ring contains finely chopped Tiger’s Whiskers (provided by Berlin Zoo). An assassination tool, the whiskers are put into the target’s food and when eaten they pass through the body and perforate the intestines. This cause of internal bleeding is less apparent than most and most post-mortems miss the actual cause of death.

Miniaturised Dageurotype (Rare)

This ring has a lid with a tiny hole in it which can be opened to allow it to act as a small pinhole camera. It can only contain the mechanism and one plate but the plates can be replaced and stored elsewhere (such as in another ring (see next item).

Miniaturised Dageurotype Stash. (Rare)

The hidden compartment in the ring can hide a large book’s worth of pages on small, very thin Dageurotype plates.

Radium Light. (Very Rare)

A small piece of green crystal which gives off a greenish light without needing any fuel or Voltaic Battery supply. This device can be used as a short range lamp or for signalling It cannot be used to ignite anything as it is not hot to the touch.

Flash Powder. (Common)

Flash Powder requires a flame to set it off. The flash temporarily blinds any one looking at it and anyone nearby who has not covered their eyes will suffer reduced vision, The powder can be used as an accelerant for a fire but does not burn as hot as Thermic Powder (see above)

Universal Antidote. (Very, Very, Very Rare)

The ring carries a single dose of  Sir Tristan Kilvert’s Wondrous Universal Antidote as described in this Chemical Formulation entry.

Holy Water and Miniature Bell. (Common)

Another Anti-Faerie device, this ring contains a pea-sized vial of Holy Water and when this is removed it releases a small clapper allowing the ring to be used as a bell.

Poison. (Common)

A Rather Boring option, this ring holds a small, but lethal, dose of poison. Usually Arsenic or Strychnine, for use against an opponent or as a Last Resort for yourself.

Host’s notes:

(1) The blow delivered by the Rapidly Expanding Gas Ring is equivalent to a EXC to EXT on the hand-to hand table on page 186 of the CF corebook or Harm Rank B of ‘Fearful Harm & Great Danger’ on pages 78-80 of Comme-il-faut

(2) The effects of Cold Iron are described on page 173 of the CF corebook and improved and expanded information can be found on pages 24-25 of The Memoirs of Auberon.

(3) As a guideline, a single pellet of thermic powder will burn though about three cubic inches of iron or steel.