Category:Artifacts

=What is an Artifact?=

Artifacts are mysterious relics, fantastical objects, and supernatural souvenirs that are packed with enough energy to somehow move and affect other objects.

Some artifacts in the Stable 13 are supernatural relics that rationalize beliefs held in ancient and modern times about the relics themselves.

Usually these items are collected and stored in Stable 13, but some are used as tools by Stable personnel, or simply can't be moved from their current location.

Birth
“The creation of an artifact is simply the meeting of an object, a person... and a moment. ” — Princess Celestia

Twilight Sparkle accompanied Princess Celestia to witness something that the caretaker explained could better prepare Twilight for her destiny.

They witnessed a mare selflessly throw her self in front of a baby to protect it during a robbery.

When Twilight checked the mare over she noticed her charm bracelet was softly glowing before it returned to normal.

Twilight realized as the pair left she had just witnessed an artifact being born.

Twilight explained that artifacts are born through the meeting of a ponies, extraordinary event and an object at the right moment and time.

She also explained they would leave the newborn artifact with its creator until it poses a problem for the world.

Common attributes
Each artifact presents an inherent danger unique to its existence or it would not require retrieval and storage in the Warehouse.

With very few exceptions, the inherent dangers of artifacts can be mitigated with a purple substance (usually, but not always in liquid form) known as neutralizer that calms down active artifacts.

Exactly how neutralizer works is unknown.

Most artifacts channel tangential energy to some degree, allowing them to move other matter, including people, often into trouble.

Artifacts express significantly more tangential energy when exposed to strong negative energy (e.g., an argument). Electric energy, specifically electrical storms, can magnify the powers of artifact tenfold.

Activity
Artifacts in general either require a pony to activate or don't. Some artifacts like Nightmare Moon's Armour would remain passive and not operate at all without the presence of a pony wearing in it and full of hatred.

Likewise, the Farnsworth and the Telsa Rifle serve merely as otherwise passive tools until used by agents.

Even Celestia's Ban Hammer, which sends ponies to the moon, remains passive until a required phrase is spoken to activate it.

Some artifacts are capable of going dormant for several years at a time making it difficult for them to be tracked and identified by Stable agents.

As such artifacts can travel far and wide without being noticed by the Stable until they reactivate again and cause mischief.

The precise timeframe of dormancy and reactivation can vary but once an artifact has found a suitable location or individual to influence it will reactivate.

Not all artifacts, however, require active Pony manipulation in order to start seeing the effects for which they're known, and at that point sentience or the perception of it comes into question. For example:Canterlot Disco Ball, is only activated by light of laser aimed at it or if it experiences and impact.

Loosely defined, sentience is the ability to feel or perceive subjectively.

Warehouse personnel [REDACTED] and Princess Celestia believe that most artifacts exist as an extension of someponies personality, thus supporting the notion of sentience being possible.

Imprinting
Over a period of time in contact with their original owners, some artifacts appear to have absorbed or been imprinted with certain characteristics and personality traits of their former owners. ''For example, Nightmare Moon's Armour would take the wearer's hatred and increases it hundred-fold. ''

Some artifacts appear to be able to channel the spirits of their original owners, such as Nightmare Moon's miasma.

Other artifacts, like the Canterlot Disco Ball, appear to have been imprinted with the concepts and attitudes of the time and space where they were originally used.

Other artifacts like the Rainbow Dash's Basketball can even develop a sort of fondness for certain individuals, such as when the artifact became attached to Rainbow Dash due it's loyal to her and her friends. It rapidly took out a huge group of Changelings attacking them.

Classes
They are classed as follows:
 * Safe
 * Moderate
 * Dangerous