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Troll in the Playground
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Re: Exalted: Alea iacta est
Character sheets! (and re the recruitment thread, if Morning Glory turns out to be more Dawn-like than Zenith-like, I'm completely fine with either caste - I was just trying to maneuver for a perfect circle  )
Dark Orchid seems like an appropriate color for her text.
Heroic mortal:
Spoiler
Morning Glory
Concept: One of the brightest rising stars in the much-depleted army of Great Forks (admittedly, partly for lack of competition).
Motivation: to win renown and recognition in the service of Great Forks.
Personality traits:
Spoiler
Major:
-Extreme self-confidence, quite a way out of proportion to her actual abilities.
-Truly believes that the world works like a story. (Which, note, doesn't mean that everything always goes right. It means that things will go wrong if they serve a dramatic imperative, even if there's no sensible reason for them to go wrong. She'd probably understand the Fair Folk disturbingly well.)
Minor:
-Kind, generous, brave, a good leader - she makes others believe she can do what she thinks she can. Likes to talk, likes to put people at their ease.
-Easily sees the best in people. Despite wanting glory as a soldier, she dislikes killing people, and prefers to use non-edged weapons.
-Tends to be oblivious to anything that doesn't fit into her narrative of how the world is supposed to work.
-A bit defensive about her upbringing outside the city, has very much adopted the Great Forks attitude that the city is the best place to live in the world.
-Enjoys (and is a bit dazzled by) the sophisticated pleasures of the city; music, dance, theatre, philosophical argument, etc.
-Likes and is good with animals, but doesn't advertise this, because she associates it with where she came from, not where she wants to go.
Appearance:
Spoiler
Glory is a tall, slim young woman, with clear gold-flecked brown eyes, light tan skin and long red-gold hair that falls to the middle of her back. Her face is pretty enough in repose, but she becomes truly striking when she smiles, her face lighting up with delight and warmth.
In the city, she wears her hair in whatever style takes her fancy on that particular day, and wears simple but stylish clothing - typically a loose coat or dress over trousers, although her poise makes almost any garb look fashionable. Out in the field, she usually coils her hair up in an intricate braid, and wears light armor.
Picture
Accurate(ish) information circulating about her in the city:
Spoiler
General:
-Arrived in the city a year or so ago, asking to join the army. Wouldn't say where she'd come from - or rather, she will happily spin a long and dramatic tale of a tragic/heroic/blessed/accursed past, but if you ask her again the next day, the story will be entirely different.
Among soldiers/guards/people who gossip with them:
-Rising star in the army.
-Took down a group of bandits with her squad despite being significantly outnumbered.
-Lightning quick, and almost supernaturally good with her hammer (however, collapsed from exhaustion at least once in basic training; she's not invincible, even though she seems to believe otherwise).
Among healers/scholars/people who gossip with them:
-Picked up healing craft very quickly, despite never going through a formal apprenticeship; she learned from a motley collection of army healers and brief periods studying with various masters in the East Quarter.
-Now a fairly skilled healer, despite her youth; she seems to have a natural talent.
Among members of the criminal element who frequent the East Quarter, and people who gossip with them:
-Dead easy mark for beggars, especially kids. A sufficiently cute kid with a good enough sob story could probably walk off with half her week's pay, although they might risk getting taken home and fed soup instead.
-Doesn't take many safety precautions, or pay much attention to danger, and would probably be an easy mark for pickpockets, but... she's very good with that hammer of hers. You'd have to be pretty confident, or pretty desperate, to risk it.
Possible backstory plot hooks:
Attributes:
Abilities:
Virtues:
Willpower: ●●●●● ●●●●●
Backgrounds:
Spoiler
Resources ●● (officer's salary)
Contacts ●●● (she makes friends easily)
Spoiler
Major contacts:
-Knife Jackal, a skilled surgeon living in the East Quarter of Great Forks. He is described as a "morose and cynical" individual, and often has access to very interesting information (he is a spy for the Minister of Research): whether he shares it or not is of course another matter. He seems to like Glory, or at least be amused by her.
-Moon Pearl, one of the more powerful priests in the city, who runs one of the major temples to Talespinner. She helped Glory get her bearings when she first arrived in Great Forks. She has distant spirit descent, and some skill in thaumaturgy.
-Colonel Bright Crescent, one of the few senior officers remaining in the army of Great Forks who joined before the disaster at Mishaka. She was a young captain at the time, who somehow managed to salvage her troops from the disaster, and consequently rose rapidly through the depleted ranks. She sees Glory as a promising officer, very similar to herself as a young woman.
Influence ● (moderately well-known in the East Quarter of Great Forks)
Backing ● (junior officer, Army of Great Forks)
Assorted Artifacts ●● - not relevant until after she raids a tomb:
Equipment (WIP):
Spoiler
Fine hammer (+1 Accuracy)
Knife
Self bow
Buckler
Fine buff jacket
First aid kit and medicinal herbs
Intimacies:
Spoiler
+Her Own Abilities (Unshakable Confidence)
+Storytelling (Joy)
+Great Forks (Delight, Love, Loyalty)
+Resonance Ben / Conductor of the Cacophonous Steel Chorus (Love Of My Heart + Intense Lust - Irresistible Succubus Style)
+The Circle (Valuable Allies)
+Worthy Rivals and Adversaries (You Can Be More)
+The Unconquered Sun (Trust/Honor/Sorrow)
+Sallah (Anchor / Absolute Trust)
+Dust On The Road (Love and Trust)
+Bright Crescent (I'll Be There For You / Tenacious Hope)
+Hammer-on-Anvil (Protectiveness)
+Her Family (Dutiful Affection)
+Fellow Soldiers (Camaraderie)
+The Wyld and Fair Folk (Fascination)
-Mind-Dulling Drugs (Professional Dislike)
In progress:
+Blossoming Summer Corn (Affection)[*][ ]
-The Neverborn (Pity)[*][ ]
+Clover (Affection)[*][ ]
Former, removed due to exceeding the limit:
Former, actively eroded:
BP accounting:
Spoiler
21/21
Backgrounds = 4
Willpower 5->10 = 5
Valor 3->5 = 2
Compassion 3->5 = 2
Melee Specialty 2 (Hammers) = 1
4 dots Melee = 4
Resistance Specialty 3 (In Combat) = 3
Combat:
Spoiler
Hammer: Acc 14, Dmg 10B/2, Speed 5, Rate 2 (O, P)
Self bow with fowling arrows: Acc 5, Dmg 4B, Speed 6, Rate 2
Clinch: Acc 5, Dmg 2B, Speed 6, Rate 1
Kick: Acc 5, Dmg 5B, Speed 5, Rate 2
Punch: Acc 5, Dmg 2B, Speed 5, Rate 3
Parry DV (5+5+2+1)/2 = 7 +1 in hand-to-hand combat
Dodge DV (5-1)/2 = 2 +1 in hand-to-hand combat
Soak: 4A/5L/7B (4A/4L/5B from armor)
-0 [][]
-1 [][]
-2 [][]
-4 []
Incapacitated []
(I have assumed here we do not get the free Ox-Body charms until we Exalt.)
Social combat:
Note: See the mortal character sheet for Willpower, background, and updated Intimacies.
Changes with Exaltation:
Spoiler
Caste: Zenith
Anima banner:
Themes: inspiration, redemption, chaos, wonder, possibility, legends, healing, courage fearlessness(1), hope, music, devotion, feyness (2), memory, fire (3), light, defiance, command.
Possibly relevant quotes:
Spoiler
"...There was a story under every roof, she knew. She knew all about stories. But those down there were the stories that were never to be told, the little secret stories, enacted in little rooms...
One of the things a witch did was stand right on the edge, where the decisions had to be made. You made them so that others didn't have to, so that others could even pretend to themselves that there were no decisions to be made, no little secrets, that things just happened. You never said what you knew. And you didn't ask for anything in return."
"Sin, young man, is when you treat people as things. Including yourself. That's what sin is."
"It's a lot more complicated than that-"
"No. It ain't. When people say things are a lot more complicated than that, they means they're getting worried that they won't like the truth. People as things, that's where it starts."
"Oh, I'm sure there are worse crimes-"
"But they starts with thinking about people as things..."
"You can't go around building a better world for people. Only people can build a better world for people. Otherwise it's just a cage."
"All she could do for all of them was be herself, here and now, as hard as she could."
(all quotes are from Terry Pratchett's works, mostly via the character Granny Weatherwax)
Appearance:
Spoiler
Still tall and slim, Glory now moves with an undefinable poise, a nearly inhuman grace. Eyes that were once gold-flecked brown are now a bright luminous gold. She was always pretty, but Exaltation removed every physical imperfection, sculpting her features to unsurpassed beauty. When she focuses her attention on someone, her gaze is mesmerizing - and when she truly smiles, it's like the rising sun: light and warmth and wonder to illuminate the world.
Her armor is red jade plate, lit from within by crawling sparks of fiery Essence. It protects her entire body, but fits her like a glove, not hampering the grace of her movements in the slightest. Over it she wears a cloak of ancient design, its rippling golden folds falling past her knees. She customarily braids her red-gold hair into a smooth intricate coif, underneath her jade helm.
So garbed, she might walk the world as a living memory of the First Age - or to the Immaculate Order, the embodiment of the blasphemous splendor they are sworn to destroy.
New picture
Motivation: To build Great Forks into a city to outshine all legends. (May edit phrasing some more... see spoiler for clarification.)
Attributes: Add ●● Charisma, ●● Appearance
Current ratings:
Abilities:
Add ●● Performance, ● Presence
Add favored abilities: War, Medicine, Occult, Athletics
Add free specialties: ●●● Performance (Storytelling), ● Melee (Hammers)
Current ratings:
Backgrounds: Artifact +●●
Spoiler
I would prefer to determine this depending on what happens in-game. Cult ●● would be in-character if her Exaltation is sufficiently impressive, but if she meets up with a suitable Ally or Mentor, I'd happily spend points on that. If nothing else makes sense, default is probably Followers.
Assigned to more future Artifact dots.
Glory's Artifact/Hearthstone Wishlist:
Most-wanted: Singing Staff *dreams* (barring this, an orichalcum goremaul)
Other things that would be nice:
-Orichalcum Thunderbolt Shield
-Some kind of personal flight artifact?
-Something to boost Appearance/Charisma, like an Orichalcum Infinite Resplendence Amulet?
-Stone of Healing (or other Medicine-booster)
-Stone of the Emerald Rooster (Oadenol's Codex - would help boost Iron Skin Concentration)
That said, so far the artifacts the ST has provided have been amazing and wonderfully in-flavor, so very happy to just keep on like that 
Current ratings:
Cult ●●●● (●●● gained in-story, +● from Vestment of Holy Vigilance)
Resources ●●
Contacts ●●●
Spoiler
Major contacts:
-Knife Jackal, a ghost after his murder the day of Glory's Exaltation, he continues to work as a surgeon and spymaster. Glory has been regularly reporting back to him since leaving the city.
-Moon Pearl, now elevated to High Priestess of the Three, and working with Knife Jackal on rooting out the Yozi cults in the city.
-Bright Crescent, also known as Contagion of Sights, a Day caste Abyssal in the service of the First and Forsaken Lion.
-Sallah, a Water Aspect black-ops agent for Lookshy, and a devout Immaculate; he was once Glory's closest friend, and after deciding that Anathema were not quite what he'd believed, has worked with her to protect the East from the Deathlords.
Influence ●●● (Great Forks and surrounding areas; ●● gained in-story)
Backing (Great Forks) ●●● (officer and diplomat authorized to speak for Great Forks to the Celestial Exalted; ●● gained in-story)
Assorted Artifacts ●●●●
Artifacts:
Spoiler
Bloodstained Armor of the Majordomo (Modular Red Jade Superheavy Plate)
Spoiler
This red jade armor was crafted in the First Age by the Solar Cutting Spring Breeze, for her Dragon-Blooded seneschal. During the Usurpation, he died trying to protect her children, at the hands of Bronze Faction assassins. The Fire Aspect's dedication prevented his ghost from passing on to Lethe; instead, for fifteen hundred years he has haunted the armor, waiting for a worthy bearer.
The Zenith called Morning Glory recently managed to commune with the spirit. She told it that it owed no debt and was free to go, but when it chose to remain, she persuaded it to configure the (initially very heavy) armor into a form more suited to her own abilities.
The once-massive plates of jade have now shrunk to more form-fitting and lighter shapes. The armor fits Glory as if it were made for her, an elegant second skin of red jade that glitters with a firefly conflagration of golden sparks.
Properties:
Attunement cost: 6
Soak: +12L/+12B
Hardness: 6L/6B
Mobility: -0
Fatigue -0
Special: The bearers wounds are automatically closed. In addition, at the end of each scene, the highest level of damage is removed. Finally, Fire charms, sorcery, and abilities cost one mote less, to a minimum of zero. In particular, so long as a Zenith is wearing this armor, she can burn the bodies of the dead at no cost.
Earlier description:
This red jade armor was crafted in the First Age by the Solar Cutting Spring Breeze, for her Dragon-Blooded seneschal. During the Usurpation, he died trying to protect her children, at the hands of Bronze Faction assassins. Whether by Breeze's magic or the Dragon-Blood's own dedication, his spirit became bound to the armor, instilling it with powers for vengeance and protection. Perhaps because of this, the armor bleeds, leaving bloody stains on any garment beneath it.
The full properties of the armor are unknown. When not being worn, it destroys projectiles that come too close to it and sticks that are used to poke it. Its original maker told the original bearer that the Essence flows would bend to protect him, making him the perfect defender.
The armor reacts positively to Morning Glory, whose First Age incarnation was apparently a friend of Cutting Spring Breeze, and present when the armor was first gifted to its original bearer. When she wishes to wear it, parts of the armor will fly over to her, or materialize on her body. At the moment, she lacks the strength to wear the full armor, and so generally only dons the breastplate, greaves, arm-guards, and helmet.
The Silver Girdle of Salina
Spoiler
Once, this silver chain-girdle was the most prized possession of the First Age Zenith Salina, a gift to her previous incarnation from a goddess. She wore it always, until she was slain in the Usurpation.
It was found in the Underworld tomb of Cresting Humbled Mountains by the new bearer of Salina's Exaltation, Morning Glory. Now, when she speaks, her voice rings with the tones of the ancient Zenith, recalling days when she charmed the Solar Deliberative into following her plans for Creation.
When worn, the Girdle adds +5 to Glory's Charisma, and ensures that in social combat, she never suffers MDV penalties due to relative Appearance and her opponent never gains an MDV bonus for relative Appearance.
The Mallet of Dispute
Resonating Shield
Golden Cloak (Vestment of Holy Vigilance)
The Dark Mirror
Essence Compass - incorporated into Unity
Virtue Flaw: Red Rage of Compassion
Charms:
Spoiler
Custom
World-Healing Legend
Spoiler
Cost: 1 wp
Mins: Medicine 3, Performance 3, Essence 3
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Wound-Mending Care Technique, Heart-Compelling Method
The shining words and songs of the Solar Exalted may heal all that is broken or corrupted. This Charm supplements a Medicine-based action, transforming it into a special Performance-based social attack and extending the required time to a dramatic action. This natural mental influence ignores MDVs, but may be resisted at no cost. Any and all listeners who do not choose to resist receive the full effects of the Medicine-based action.
If an (Attribute+Medicine) roll is called for, the Solar's effective Medicine is capped by their rating in Performance; however, they may choose to substitute Charisma for the required Attribute, and may also apply relevant Performance specialties to the roll (although as usual, no more than 3 specialty dice can be applied from any source).
By default, this Charm requires the use of the voice, but the Solar may invest the power into written form by committing the motes for the action. Anyone spending a scene to read the resulting document (or have it read or performed to them) benefits from the imbued action. No individual can benefit from a particular text more than once per day.
At Essence 4, the use of this Charm no longer extends the time required to perform a supplemented action. At Essence 5, the Solar's will to heal the world's suffering overcomes distance; the social attack from this Charm may also target any being whose pleas for aid the Solar has heard within the past day. Furthermore, at Essence 5, any action supplemented by this Charm may be performed reflexively, targeting a single individual, in immediate response to a plea for aid.
Melee
First Melee Excellency
Infinite Melee Mastery
One Weapon, Two Blows
Peony Blossom Attack
Iron Whirlwind Attack
Dipping Swallow Defense
Bulwark Stance
Heavenly Guardian Defense (Conviction flawed)
Guardian Sunfire Catechism
War
Third War Excellency
Heroism-Encouraging Presence
Tiger Warrior Training Technique
Mob-Dispersing Rebuke
Fury Inciting Presence
General of the All-Seeing Sun
Cover Shrouding Movement
Integrity
Integrity Protecting Prana
Performance
Second Performance Excellency
Respect-Commanding Attitude
Heart-Compelling Method
Husband-Seducing Demon Dance
Infatuation-Gathering Idol Methodology (aka Incredibly Pretty Face Technique)
Presence
Second Presence Excellency
Enemy-Castigating Solar Judgement
Majestic Radiant Presence (WP option)
Irresistible Salesman Spirit
Terrifying Apparition of Glory
Hastening Night's End (also counts as a Medicine charm)
Shining On Dark Realms
Resistance
Third Resistance Excellency
Ox-Body Technique x2 (2x (-1 HL + 2x -2 HL))
Durability of Oak Meditation
Iron Skin Concentration
Medicine
Second Medicine Excellency
Wound-Mending Care Technique
Flawless Diagnosis Technique
Instant Treatment Methodology
Body-Purifying Admonitions
Wholeness-Restoring Meditation
Ailment-Rectifying Method
Science of Mutation
Occult
Spirit Detecting Glance
Socialize
Mastery of Small Manners
Order gained:
XP allocation planning:
Essence:
Combat:
Spoiler
Mallet of Dispute: Acc 16, Dmg 9B/2, Speed 5, Rate 2 (O, P)
Self bow with fowling arrows: Acc 5, Dmg 4B, Speed 6, Rate 2
Clinch: Acc 5, Dmg 2B, Speed 6, Rate 1
Kick: Acc 5, Dmg 5B, Speed 5, Rate 2
Punch: Acc 5, Dmg 2B, Speed 5, Rate 3
Parry DV (5+5+3+2)/2 +3 shield = 11
Dodge DV (5+4)/2 +3 shield = 8
Soak: 12A/14L/15B (12A/12L/12B from armor)
Health levels:
-0 [][][][][]
-1 [][][][]
-2 [][][][][][]
-4 []
Incapacitated []
Social combat:
XP tracking: 52/349 available.
Temporary Essence/WP/Virtues/Limit:
Permanent/committed effects:
Goals and leads:
Spoiler
Current quests:
(1) Weaver of Dreams (strengthen the Heart Grace, give it to the Lady to shape for the goddess to hold)
(2) Rescue Mission (rescue the captured Solars from the Walker's Realm)
(3) Stoic Kanzashi (track down and destroy his out-of-control Virtues, find the Will again - pay a visit to the Dowager?)
(4) The Trouble With Lookshy (get the Bull of the North to stop attacking Lookshy / stop Lookshy from collecting Solars and trading them to the Mask of Winters / stop Ma-Ha-Suchi from rolling over the East)
(5) The Jadeborn (restore Hammer to himself, seek out Autochthon to lift the Great Geas - via the UCS?, help the Jadeborn with their Endless War)
Assorted leads:
-"Have you seen a little girl, bright as glass, dark as night?
Have you seen our bright young hopes go out without a fight?
Did our days of glory ever come to pass?"
-The Essence Diamond and the Library at Rathess.
-Hammer's Pyrian shard.
-What was Gethel trading with Lookshy, exactly?
-What are the Liminals and how is the Guild creating and using them? (and what did Salina do to the cycle of reincarnation?)
-Lian's daughter: where is she now?
Known subplots / open questions:
-Activities of our favorite Infernal coven.
-The Walker in Darkness' death cult, Norico, Irya, Liminals.
-The Keys that the Lion's Abyssals are searching for.
__________________
PCs:
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
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Last edited by Ifni : 04-14-2013 at 12:11 AM.
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