I'm confused by the last bit of text. I have a sword I suspect to be Purifier. I have given it to friend, the world's greatest Troubador, who has Step 1000 Item History, but only Rank 3. What does he learn after one week of devotion to Purifier?FASA Games, on ED4PG155, wrote: Item History
Step: Rank+PER Action: Sustained
Strain: 0 Skill Use: No
The adept learns the history of an enchanted or mundane item. The adept studies the item for a week, carefully examining it for at least one hour each day, then makes an Item History test against the item’s Mystic Defense.
If successful, each success reveals one new Key Knowledge from the item’s history. When used on mundane items (which do not have True Patterns), each success provides the adept with a different piece of information instead of a Key Knowledge. Item History can be used multiple times on the same item, but each test requires another week of study. The adept can learn a maximum number of Key Knowledges from a given item equal to his Item History rank.
Ulm Curvehorn, a troll Weaponsmith, has devoted weeks of study to a weapon known as Kestrel. Previous studies have revealed three Key Knowledges from the weapon’s history. On his latest Item History attempt, Ulm achieves three successes, learning three more Key Knowledges from the axe’s past. However, Ulm’s Item History is only Rank 5, so he can only learn a maximum of five Key Knowledges—the sixth remains out of his reach until he improves his Item History rank, allowing him to make another attempt to learn more of the axe’s secrets.
The talent must be used on all thread item ranks, even if there is not a Key Knowledge or Deed associated with the rank. See Workings of Magic, p.202, for more information on Key Knowledges, and Thread Magic, p.218, for more information on how Key Knowledges are used to weave threads to magic items.
My friend also recently found the journal of the creator of a curious set of Fernweave Armor Named Poison Ivy. I know its Name, I know who created it, I have access to detailed notes on the use of the poison it creates. Do I have to use Item History? What about the creator of the item. Did they have to use Item History?