In Changeling, does Armor of the Elements' Fury stack with multiple elements?

Question

So, in Changeling: The Lost, the Contract of Elements allows you to take additional elements at half-cost. Cool enough, this helps hit some builds that might not otherwise be feasible (for instance, a steam-powered clockwork character might take Metal and Fire together or something like that).

So, suppose I take Elements 2 (Fire) and Elements 2 (Smoke) (or some other combination that fits thematically with the character). I then activate Armor of the Elements' Fury for each, once for Fire and once for Smoke, spending the full glamour for each. The description says it "provides" one point of armor, but it's not clear if this stacks.

This elemental sheath also provides the character with one point of armor useful against all attacks, including attacks by the summoned element.

Likewise, it's unclear if the damage provided by this contract would stack (the character "does" the damage.), if it would just pick the most favorable kind, or something else.

Answer 1

To answer your second question first, while the wording is vague regarding whether it can be stacked for damage, and, so far as I know, there's no specific rule preventing it, it's worth noting that actively attacking someone by way of this contract (rather than dealing damage with a mere touch or by being touched) has a static damage bonus value:

The dice pool for this attack is Dexterity + Brawling + half of the character’s Wyrd.

To me, this implies that you cannot "stack" the effect for damage, since it doesn't say you get "half of the character's Wyrd per application of this contract" or something of the sort, and I would extend that to the touch / being touched automatic damage as outlined in the description. I can't find anything authoritative in the rules themselves, so this is, of course, to the Storyteller's discretion, but that's my best reasoning there.

As for the question of stacking armor, that's even more vague in the Changeling rules; as a Storyteller, I would personally take my cue from Mage: The Awakening which specifically addresses the prospect of overlapping magical protection effects. In general, protection does not overlap, but can complement - that is, being protected from heat and smoke could be completely separate things, but wouldn't double up. I think, from a game balance perspective, this is most likely the best way of running this.

Having said that, I can see a certain reasoning to saying that a character who is, for example, both cloaked in smoke and a wave of blistering heat could argue that they are protected in completely different ways, and that the effects should stack, but I would recommend caution to prevent it from becoming overpowered. Remember, for one, that what's good for the gander is good for the goose, and if the players are permitted to stack powers in this way, the Storyteller should certainly create antagonists who do likewise.