Item from The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
An arrow-catching device designed by Kvothe in the University's Fishery. Uses sygaldric bindings to detect and deflect incoming projectiles. A clever and profitable piece of artificing.
The Bloodless is the kind of invention that makes other artificers quietly furious because they didn't think of it first. It detects the kinetic energy of incoming arrows or bolts and redirects them, effectively making the area around it a dead zone for projectile weapons. Kvothe designed and built it in the Fishery, and it sold well enough at the Stocks to make a meaningful dent in his perpetual tuition debt. Beyond its practical value, the Bloodless demonstrates what makes Kvothe dangerous as an artificer: he doesn't just understand sygaldry, he thinks sideways, combining principles in ways the curriculum doesn't teach.
A compact device of inscribed metal plates and carefully wound springs, small enough to carry on a belt or set beside a bedroll. The sygaldric runes covering its surfaces are precise and densely packed — the work of someone who understands bindings at an intuitive level.
Also known as: the Bloodless, arrow-catcher