Veil D'Fortune
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In a world that's accustomed to wearing and using weaponry on a far too frequent basis, knives are fairly commonplace. Swords, while not quite so common, seem far from rare. For those inclined to long-distance mayhem, missile weapons such as crossbows or guns have been the weapon of choice for years.

While walking softly and carrying the biggest stick make work in the international political arena, things tend not to be that simple on an interpersonal basis. Those weapons that call attention to themselves often create more problems than they solve. Invariably, when you carry a big stick, someone comes along with a stick they figure is better, and they're usually looking for a way to prove the superiority of their stick.

Too, the fastest way to escalate a situation is to draw a weapon, even if intended as just a precautionary or preemptive measure; that signal tends to toss what ever trust and goodwill may still exist right out of the equation. Often, the simple act of readying a weapon, adjusting a peace-tie or shifting a scabbard has escalated tensions past the breaking point.

Unfortunately, in a predominantly armed world, walking around with non-existant or inadequate defenses can also precipitate an attack. Undefended often equates to "easy pickings", in the mind of the typical aggressor. One answer to the complex problem of personal self-defense, turned to by various cultures throughout history, has been to carry and employ weapons that are not recognized as such, until they're brought into play.

One such article is the Veil D'Fortune, appearing to be nothing more than a Romany scarf. The colorful, shifting patterns woven into the scarf hints at runes and other mystic symbols, hovering on the very fringe of recognition and identification, almost appear to move, even when the scarf remains motionless. Threads of gold and silver accentuate the sheer silk and kevlar blend. Decorated with various European coins around the border in typical Romany or middle-eastern fashion, this veil is the embodiment of functional clothing that appears merely decorative.

The three coins at the free corners appear to be standard coins, about three centimeters across and three millimeters thick. The rim of each coin has been married to an active peizoelectric crystal edge just five molecules wide, powered by the standard wafer-thin lithium watch battery concealed within each coin. No more sharp than any other coin until activated, the rapidly vibrating edge easily cuts through stone or steel when powered AND never needs sharpening!

The coin at the fourth corner, grasped between thumb and forefinger, allows the determined wielder to loosen the threads of time to slow or even stop the passage of time for a brief while. or defense. Note that each function of the coin requires one point of willpower and one point of blood, each may be invoked but once within a 24 hour period, and both functions may not be used simultaneously.

When time is slowed, the wielder moves at twice her normal speed. She gains two automatic successes on initiative rolls, is capable of performing double her usual number of actions, and is capable of covering twice her normal movement distance for four minutes. Of course, nothing precludes using the "slow" mode to escape at twice the normal movement rate.

When used to stop time, the wielder steps out of time, literally between the passing seconds, for two minutes relative to the wielder. During this time, the world around the person freezes in place: bullets, raindrops, and falling objects hang suspended in midair. Sounds fall suddenly silent, and even light takes on a strange, otherworldly appearance.

While out of time, the person can apply force to an object but may not physically move an object not carried or worn before the coin was activated; while the effects appear instantaneous to those frozen in time, the wielder won't notice them until the time-flow reverts to its usual pace. Objects released or thrown by the wielder slow as they travel away from the localized time-field until they either meet an "immovable object" or travel two feet. An object no longer in motion becomes frozen in place.

For the clever defender, attacking or countering specific attacks are possible: stories hint of bullets shot out of the air, individuals slipping unseen from impossible ambushes, a grandmother interrupted at tea who filled the eyes and boots of her four assailants with boiling water yet didn't move from the fireside, and six thugs who suddenly each grew a bullet between the eyes and a bullet between the legs, interrupting their sordid plans for the young veil-dancer they'd been attacking.

The standard watch batteries in the three cutting coins last for about an hour of constant use or ninety minutes of intermittant use. They may be activated individually by pressing on the coin, or simultaneously by pressing on a switch disguised as a mirrored disc next to the fourth coin.