The Armor of St. Oswin

The Tale of Saint Oswin of Mavramorn, patron of non-combatant soldiers.

Fr. Oswin, wearing The Armor.

During the Stavanger-Mavramorn war, (100+ years ago) Fr. Oswin was a Mavramorn Army Chaplain. At the Battle of Five Hills, Fr. Oswin traversed the battlefield, praying and tending to the wounded. He went as always, unarmed, with his clerical stole over top of his light armor jacket. His actions and prayers saved many from death. As he knelt in prayer with a dying soldier, an enemy sharpshooter, an impious man, spotted him and targeted the chaplain. This despite both sides acknowledging chaplains as non-combatants, exempt from attack.

As the sniper fired, a bird startled from the brush ahead of him and took the bullet. The sniper tried to fire again, but his weapon hung fire. Finding no mechanical fault, he fired twice more, each time thinking he had a true shot, but Fr. Oswin appeared untouched. His fifth shot struck Fr. Oswin in the chest, but the chaplain continued his ministrations unharmed. At this sight, the sharpshooter threw away his weapon and made his way to the Mavramorn lines to surrender, asking only to meet the chaplain. When they met, the sniper explained what had happened.

Mavramorn soldiers inspected Fr. Oswin's armor, and found that it had not only a large hole in the chest, but another in the back. The bullet passed through Fr. Oswin without harming him. At this, the sniper fell at Fr. Oswin's feet and begged his forgiveness for his attempt to murder him. The priest forgave him, but the Mavramorn forces took him as prisoner. Fr. Oswin later baptized him into the faith.

The Army gave the Mesh jacket to a church on Mavramorn where it was venerated as a relic, the Armor of St. Oswin. After the war, both St. Oswin and the former sniper ended their days in peace in a monastery.

The weapon which failed to kill Fr. Oswin was recovered by Stavanger forces, but ever after it could not hit a living target. Time and again it was tested and new sights attached. It would hit practice targets, but when fired at a person it would always miss, or fail to fire. After the war it was decommissioned, and went to a church on Stavanger, and it also is now a relic of St Oswin.

Referee's Information:

 

The story of St. Oswin of Mavramorn is well known around the Corridor. What is less well known is that the Armor was stolen from the church 50 years ago. Tales circulated in St. Oswin's time and after told that the Armor conferred invulnerability on the wearer, and that is why it was stolen. Over the last half-century several people have claimed to have the Armor. It has been worn in battle, and there are stories that no-one who has worn it has died while wearing it. The Armor is a typical Mesh armor jacket, with skirts extending to the knees. It is painted in Mavramorni national colors. The holes were never repaired, and these are the most obvious identifying features. The Armor was photographed many times, so it is possible that any military or Christian PC will recognize it on sight. Rumor has it that the last person to own the Armor paid Cr 200,000 for it. The church on Mavramorn would be happy to have it back, but cannot afford a large reward for its return.

Will the Armor protect any wearer from harm? Or would it depend on the wearer's piety? The PCs would have to locate it to find out. Of course that would also mean getting shot while wearing it.