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CheshireCatGrin
2014-10-21, 02:23 PM
I'm currently running an Exalted game in which the primary nemesis is an Infernal who is going Devil Tiger. The original in Infernal is a Fiend with Cecylene as his favored Yozi. He is a Guild factor, and a notorious, high stakes gambler. I'm looking for some advice/critiques on how to properly balance his charms and build appropriately off his themes.

Ksathra, The Crossroads of Infinity
Themes: Chance, Change, Crossroads, Gambling, Infinite, Manipulation, Negotiation, Self-Determination, Trade, Travel, Vice
Caste Abilities: Bureaucracy, Dodge, Larceny, Socialize, Sail
Anima: ???

The Urge of the Infinite Crossroads: The Urge to Expand
The Crossroads of Infinity intersects with all paths, so that all must come to him in time. In so doing, he ensures he has a hand in everything. To do this, he must always grow and expand, so that even new roads in life find their way to him. An Infernal with this Urge is compelled to always strive to expand their personal power and influence in both scope and form, so as to bright others to them seeking favors.
Examples:
• Become Head Factor of The Guild.
• Turn the merchant houses of the Scarlet Empire into puppets of the Guild.
• Seize the Scarlet Throne.
• Be the first leader of a United River Provinces.
• Replace Malfeas as King of the Yozis.

Torment of The Crossroads of Infinity
The Infernal’s contempt for restrictions, including fate, leads him to disregard all limitations. The Infernal suffers the effects of the Foolhardy Contempt Virtue Flaw for a number of days equal to his Valor. In addition, others he has intimacies towards, or who have intimacies towards him, suffer the same curse for the duration, as all seek to defy the Hand of Fate.

Precipitous Fiat
Tempting Fate: The Crossroads of Ininity accepts no limitations on his endless expansion, and thus has a special loathing of Fate. Such is his contempt for the very concept that the future is already decided, that he can’t help but honor those who stand in defiance of it, daring the Maidens to punish their hubris. Any time an Infernal gives a dangerous adversary (defined as an opponent of at least equal power to themselves) aid in defeating them for no purpose other than prolonging the conflict between them, he loses a number of points of Limit equal to his Valor. This fiat only applies if the adversary has a reasonable chance of succeeding. (Roughly equal power level, or 50/50 odds or better.) An example of this would be releasing a captured opponent and giving them a weapon to fight them in a fair duel to the death. A poisoned enemy drastically outnumbered would not count.

The Imperfection of The Crossroads of Infinity
The Crossroads of Infinity could not exist without trade, whether in legitimate goods, or illegal vices, and such trade requires routes. As such, any charm with this Imperfection can only function in a place where trade has occurred, or has been passed through for the sake of trade. The ocean always qualifies, as it is the universal trade route, as do roads and cities. Abandoned cities still qualify, as they were once centers of trade. However an untouched part of creation, whether an isolated forest or a cavern other than a mine, does not qualify, in which case this charm cannot be used.

The 1st Ksathra Excellency
The Crossroads of Infinity is ever-expanding, laying the groundwork for future profits. He never forces, knowing that he can draw others in with the promise of riches and the fulfilment of desires. While he gives the appearance of being affable, it is only so that he may own them. [/I]Vice and addiction are nourishment to him, and so he indulges both his own desires as well as those of others. Crossroads are the places where others meet to conduct business and negotiate, and so these things are part of his very nature. Because he desires that others come to him, he always keeps his word, but will not tolerate those who deal in bad faith. Those who break contracts, especially sworn oaths, gain his contempt, and when they again inevitably cross his path, he brings them to ruin.

Ever-expanding into the future, he sees all possibilities, but believes in no predetermined outcome. As such, he loves games of chance, as they embody the possibility that anything may occur. Calculated risks are as much a part of trade as gambling, as is the practice of never showing one’s cards.

This Excellency may always be used when gambling or to conduct legal or illegal business. It may never be used to cheat at a game, nor when breaking a promise. It may, however, be used to bluff in any context, as that's just how the game is played. Further, as a trader, this charm may never be used to give something for nothing. Also, as the Infinite Crossroads loathes the very concepts of fate and samsara, this charm may always be used against Sidereal Exalts or any other representative of the Bureau of Destiny, as well as any being associated with The Principle of Hierarchy (for she invented fate).

Note: Due to his contempt for predetermined outcomes, The Crossroads of Infinity lacks the 2nd Excellency. Instead, Infernals with the 1st Ksathra Excellency may learn the 3rd Excellency.

Ksathra Mythos Exultant
The Crossroad of Infinity favors those that take risks. Whenever the 1st Ksathra Excellency could be applied to a stunt, add double the number of dice. The rewards remain the same.

Ascendency Mantle of Ksathra
The Crossroads of Infinity believes in risks and sacrifices for greater rewards. The Infernal rolls double the normal number of dice when defying his Urge, and gains double the amount of limit when spending willpower to suppress a virtue.

Indulgence Feeds the Soul
Essence 2
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: None
The Crossroads of Infinity does not object to indulgence, for to deny it is to deny one's very nature. It is indulging in desires, no matter how petty, that one truly knows oneself, and such vices feed the very nature of Infinite Crossroads. The Infernal gains the following benefits:
• 1 hour spent indulging in vice provides 1 days’ worth of nourishment.
• Each hour spent indulging in vice counts as rest for the purpose of regaining motes of Essence.
• [8-Essene] hours spent indulging in vice counts as a full night’s sleep.
• The Infernal never needs to suppress Temperance to indulge in a vice. However, he is incapable of suppressing a virtue to break an agreement.

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That's what I have set so far. I'm trying to think up an appropriate anima power at the moment. While a variation on the oath power of Fiends/Eclipses/Moonshadows seems appropriate, I feel like the usual effect of breaking the oath resonates to closely with fate, which he hates. Might work if I can change what incentive there is to stick to the oath. Thoughts? Criticisms? Suggestions?