As one of the potential players, where is the IC thread? I may have botched an Investigation roll, but I can't find it, and I'd like to look.
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
Word:
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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.
I don't think that's the right link, it takes me to a D&D 4e game. Can you double-check?
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
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.
On a slightly less silly topic, I think I'll spend two points of my Experience on Literacy - which would give me ten left over-...
How many points would it take to raise my Daiklave's as 2-dot artefacts and grant them limited power over Fire and Water respectively?
Or maybe I should raise my Sail or some other stats. *Shrug*
The xp cost to raise the artifact another dot. Simple as that.
Edit: Though the justification would presumably require you to know someone able to craft the final artifact dot rating to do the upgrade. Also, do you mean that you are buying 1 dot in Lore or that there is a literacy merit or some such?
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Many, many thanks to azuyomi244 for the avatar.
Last edited by Exthalion : 11-16-2012 at 05:11 PM.
The xp cost to raise the artifact another dot. Simple as that.
Edit: Though the justification would presumably require you to know someone able to craft the final artifact dot rating to do the upgrade. Also, do you mean that you are buying 1 dot in Lore or that there is a literacy merit or some such?
I guess I'll save it for later then, in favour of raising my stats.
And yeah, I mean a dot in Lore.
EDIT: And so speaks Huan T'zai "The deed is done, and let us celebrate my literacy with continued forum posting and internet conversation!" And it was good.
Oh, first dot is 3 xp. If it was favored you would have a dot already and you aren't Twilight so... yeah.
But yes, thank you for becoming a valid target for Solar Linguistic charms.
"I prepared explosive runes this morning."
And about that 3 exp dot - Argh, I'm foolish sometimes/all the time!
Edit: Raiseth have I my rating in Performance! For lo, the rules would not allow my ascent to the highest levels of bureaucracy alongside my attainment of literacy. And yay, for I am holy, I shall pilfer Ryzala's ambrosia for my own.
And about that 3 exp dot - Argh, I'm foolish sometimes/all the time!
Edit: Raiseth have I my rating in Performance! For lo, the rules would not allow my ascent to the highest levels of bureaucracy alongside my attainment of literacy. And yay, for I am holy, I shall pilfer Ryzala's ambrosia for my own.
I have long harbored a secret longing to see her thrown bodily from her office while Lytek gets his old job back. Then again, if this ever gets us into Yu-Shan, there will be much house cleaning.
__________________
Many, many thanks to azuyomi244 for the avatar.
Last edited by Exthalion : 11-17-2012 at 01:42 AM.
I have long harbored a secret longing to see her thrown bodily from her office while Lytek gets his old job back. Then again, if this ever gets us into Yu-Shan, there will be much house cleaning.
*Evil finger pyramids* Shall we fashion her star into an ash tray?
Heh. If I get in, there may be some eventual tension along those lines, due to Compassion 5. Although my Twilight is terrible at social-fu, so she can probably be persuaded. Technically her Limit Break only triggers on seeing innocents suffering...
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
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.
*Evil finger pyramids* Shall we fashion her star into an ash tray?
Who there. She is very powerful. A bedpan at least.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ifni
Heh. If I get in, there may be some eventual tension along those lines, due to Compassion 5. Although my Twilight is terrible at social-fu, so she can probably be persuaded. Technically her Limit Break only triggers on seeing innocents suffering...
We can work out a quid pro quo sort of thing. She is responsible for the god of innovation being trapped for thousands of years due to supporting the Solars. There is a Sidereal charm that lets them turn a god into starmetal temporarily.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaoticSky
Well get along interestingly
I believe the word you are looking for is famously.
__________________
Many, many thanks to azuyomi244 for the avatar.
We can work out a quid pro quo sort of thing. She is responsible for the god of innovation being trapped for thousands of years due to supporting the Solars. There is a Sidereal charm that lets them turn a god into starmetal temporarily.
So, what you're saying is, let's team up with the Sidereals to kick annoying gods into shape? (in a temporary way that teaches them a lesson without permanently harming them) Huh. Autumn might actually be able to get Sidereal support for that kind of plan...
If I get in, I'm actually expecting the combination of "my Twilight's mentor is Bronze Faction" and "our Night is dedicated to undermining the Realm" to be more of a source of tension, at some point. We shall see! (maybe)
Quote:
I believe the word you are looking for is famously.
Heh. It'll be fine, Ms. Compassion 5 sacrificed her personal ethic of non-violence for Terrestrial Circle Sorcery... (after her Chosen-of-Battles mentor persuaded her that sometimes the compassionate course of action requires punching evil in the face)
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Spoiler
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.
So, what you're saying is, let's team up with the Sidereals to kick annoying gods into shape? (in a temporary way that teaches them a lesson without permanently harming them) Huh. Autumn might actually be able to get Sidereal support for that kind of plan...
It would have to be for a fairly long time given gods' perception of time. After a point, the threat becomes powerful enough I think.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ifni
If I get in, I'm actually expecting the combination of "my Twilight's mentor is Bronze Faction" and "our Night is dedicated to undermining the Realm" to be more of a source of tension, at some point. We shall see! (maybe)
What about the Zenith's desire to throw down this Brazen Age, which includes the realm and the current state of Yu-Shan Politics?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ifni
Heh. It'll be fine, Ms. Compassion 5 sacrificed her personal ethic of non-violence for Terrestrial Circle Sorcery... (after her Chosen-of-Battles mentor persuaded her that sometimes the compassionate course of action requires punching evil in the face)
Mr. Temperance 5 sacrificed his ability to view the world in simple terms. He can no longer have the clarity, purity, or comfort of Black and White.
__________________
Many, many thanks to azuyomi244 for the avatar.
What about the Zenith's desire to throw down this Brazen Age, which includes the realm and the current state of Yu-Shan Politics?
Right now she'll be rather skeptical because she's heard an edited version of the Bronze Faction party line, in particular regarding what the end of the First Age was like. But I suspect they'll be compatible in the long run (well, assuming he intends to build something better to replace the "Brazen Age"; if he doesn't, she has some ideas of her own).
Quote:
Mr. Temperance 5 sacrificed his ability to view the world in simple terms. He can no longer have the clarity, purity, or comfort of Black and White.
Mmm, that's an interesting one.
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Spoiler
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.
Right now she'll be rather skeptical because she's heard an edited version of the Bronze Faction party line, in particular regarding what the end of the First Age was like. But I suspect they'll be compatible in the long run (well, assuming he intends to build something better to replace the "Brazen Age"; if he doesn't, she has some ideas of her own).
Oh, he does. Notice he is 3/5 Twilight as it is, it will be a VERY shiny age.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ifni
Mmm, that's an interesting one.
I like the Station of Choice explanation. I also agree that the cutting off a finger thing is terribly uninspired.
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Many, many thanks to azuyomi244 for the avatar.
Cutting off a finger is pretty weak, I would agree. They really should use a better example in the books.
Station of Sacrifice just sounds better though, doesn't it? I guess anything works as long as the Sorcerer comes out the other side a changed man/woman - hooray for character development!
I would also like to point out, that my character is also interested in building something. I have a Abyssal version of this character who is content to just kill anyone (and everyone) who she figures is guilty of something (but especially dragon bloods). For the Solar however, I felt she needed something more.... generative. She very much follows a Punisher legal ideology. Justice, Not Law. While working against the Realm with one hand, she supports the creation of a new nation with the other (which is the bit that ties her to this Circle, instead of just wandering off in search of more dynasts to kill). Which she naturally plans to instill her values in.
And that, is where I see a great deal of the tension, in so far as my character goes anyway. There are several people in the group who seem well disposed to.... legalism, to say nothing of the entire body of Sidereals, and Heaven in general. The idea of upholding the spirit of a law, rather than the letter of the law, promoting vigilantism, and punishments that are directly equal to the crime, would disturb a great many
As directed, posting the character into the OOC, extra experience points granted from the lovely GM spent (Picked up one more melee charm)
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Name: Edge of Variance Caste: Dawn Anima: A blazing gold anima aura flare that surrounds the Lawgiver and rises towards the cloud as a giant blade.
The aura flares in an uncontrolled and wild manner, representing the searing anger of the Unconquered Sun. Motivation: To break the people's chains from their corrupt rulers
Accuracy, +1 Defense, +1 Rate for Melee and Martial Arts weapons. (Errata, 15, 16)
Ever Edge of Variance's companion, Searing Edge is a Orichalcum Reaver Daiklave of the First Age that mirrors his heart
and soul. The hilt and guard are of mundane material, allowing it (while sheathed) to pass largely unnoticed as a Solar's
weapon. When drawn, however, it is unmistakably borne of the Once-Guarding Star much as it's wielder when his anima
flares. A small disc of Orichalcum, bearing the mark of the Unconquered Sun, hovers neatly next to the blade, as if it
were a part of it. The disc flares wildly with golden light in responce to any anima use, or Edge's emotions. Words
etched along the blade read in High Realm "The Banishing Line of Dawn's Light". A weapon of an age of wonders, it's
worn by a Solar, add two to both the armor’s lethal and bashing soak, and add one to both the armor’s lethal and bashing
Hardness.) A breastplate depicting a roaring lion's face, and intricate knotwork spiraling across it's expanse.
Manse
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FIRE DRAGON’S SCALE (MANSE •••)
This wedge-shaped piece of cat’s eye protects its
bearer with heat drawn from the Elemental Pole of Fire.
The stone channels this heat into any melee weapon
that strikes the bearer. Metal weapons instantly become
red hot and wooden weapons catch fi re. The player of
the weapon’s wielder must succeed at a Willpower roll,
diffi culty 3, or the wielder drops the weapon. Even if this
roll succeeds, however, the attacker suffers environmental
damage from holding onto the burning or heated
weapon (1L/action damage, trauma 1). Fire-aspected
Terrestrial Exalted who have ignited their animas are
immune to the effects of this hearthstone.
(Books of Sorcery, pg 93)
Charms
Integrity
Integrity-Protecting Prana 5 m, 1 wp Reflexive (2) One day Combo-OK Ex2, 199
Heh, our Dawn does like his Melee charms, doesn't he? (although I can't talk given that most of my Charms are Martial Arts - but hey, they're useful and versatile, they let me notice when people are shadowing us, balance perfectly, and heal people with a touch...)
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Name: Autumn Wind, or "Autumn" for short. Her original name was Rani. Caste: Twilight Anima: A stylized red-gold ship limned in blue and violet light, like St Elmo's fire in a storm. Motivation: Bring peace and plenty to the people of the West.
Appearance
Spoiler
Autumn is a little taller than average for a Western woman, with bronzed skin, blue-gray eyes, and blue-black hair. In Tya tradition, she keeps her hair cut short. Her face is tattooed, with the classic jagged marks of the Tya supplemented by swirling lines that evoke stormwinds.
She usually wears a simple monk's robe over trousers; in cold weather she may add a shawl or cloak. The fabric of her clothes is always well-woven and suited to the harsh weather one encounters on the open ocean, but the colors and patterning are subtle - she prefers dark reds and soft browns - and there is no extraneous decoration: her garb is for practicality, not adornment. She frequently wears a belt from which hang an assortment of tools and small pouches, holding bandages, herbs and other medical supplies.
Once upon a time there was a girl.
She was a daughter of Inero, of the Coral Archipelago, and so the sea was not for her. But she liked to stand on the cliffs and breathe in the chill salt spray and listen to the howl of the wind. And she liked to go home, and sit in the lamplit warmth watching the storm out the window, and spin and braid and weave seaweed and silk into patterns of beauty.
They would go out across the world, even if she could not. Little pieces of dreams - to ornament some Dynast's mansion, to soften the chill stone floors of a northern prince's hall, to curtain a southern palace from the hot desert winds, to whisper stories of exotic islands to tree-dwelling Easterners.
Once upon a time there was a bride.
Her father arranged the marriage, of course, but she didn't object. He was a decade or so older than her, and reasonably good-looking, and not unkind. He was a trader, and he prized her skill at the loom and the abacus; it was her duty to handle his investments and finances, and she found she had a knack for it.
And when her son was born, he was the joy of her life.
Once upon a time there was a storm.
It happens sometimes, even with all the proper rites of propitiation. Even to the best of captains. When the north wind blows to Inero, straight down from the ice-cap across hundreds of miles of ocean, then the sea becomes a raging beast, and the breath of winter freezes exposed skin - and to fall from the ship then is death, swift and chill and choking, life flensed away in the momentary aftermath of one trivial mistake.
It happens sometimes. Every child of Coral knows that. The world is cold and cruel and unjust. Even to innocent six-year-old boys, joining their father for the first time on a straightforward run to a nearby island, on what should have been a fine autumn day.
Once upon a time there was a widow.
With her son gone, her husband's heir was his brother, not his wife. Her father would have taken her back under his protection, and in time found her another husband; although she was no longer a maiden, her skills would still likely have won her a place as junior wife to one of her father's friends.
But she'd played by the rules all her life, and on that day when she stood on the sea-cliff wrapped in her winter cloak and heard the priest of the Sea-Lord offer up his prayers for her husband and child, lost to the hungry sea...
... she wondered, then, what following the rules had bought her. When her life was burned down to the ground, leaving only the ashes of mourning daubed on her face.
The next day, she asked her father for permission to travel to Azure, to finish setting her husband's affairs in order before turning over the records of his trading and investments to her brother-in-law. He granted it - she had never given him reason to distrust her - and assigned one of her brothers to accompany her. She said goodbye to her parents and kin and friends, knowing - as they did not - that it would be for the last time.
Once upon a time there was an exile.
In Azure there is a house rarely visited. The people who enter and leave most commonly are not women, although the uninformed might call them so. Well-bred women don't speak of them; well-bred men don't mention them in their sisters' or wives' or daughters' presence. But some information percolates, nonetheless. Whore, they call the one who runs the house, scar-faced witch, when they think you're not listening. Tya.
She'd hugged her brother, and told him to go out drinking for the evening and enjoy himself, she'd stay at the inn and finalize the book-keeping - he was young, and excited to be in the city, and it didn't take much persuasion. She left all the books, all the detailed records: all debts paid off, everything squared away, and showing hefty profits. They would have no cause to complain of her management.
And then she wrote a note to her family, and dressed in her brother's spare set of clothes, and cut her long hair and bundled it in a bag. She walked through the dark city streets to the house rarely visited, and knocked on the door.
That night she took her oaths, and drank the potion they gave her; the potion that would forestall any chance of another child, another heartbreak. That night she gritted her teeth against screams as they carved the marks of her choice irrevocably into her flesh, and made her one of them.
That night she left Coral with the outward tide, never to return.
Once upon a time there was a Tya.
She got seasick, she found, to her embarrassment. She took some of the remedies she'd brought from home, anti-nausea herbs she'd used while she was pregnant, and they seemed to help. She shared them around, to general approval: you should train as a healer, some of them said, we always need more doctors.
In Wavecrest they tested her, and welcomed her skill with numbers and weaving and herb-lore, even as they found her hilariously inept with weapons and sailing. Yeah, I think you'll be one of those who focus on land-crafts, one of her teachers had said, wiping away tears of laughter. And then, growing more serious, But I'll still do my best to teach you how to defend yourself; even on the land, those skills are needed. Especially for us.
Weaver, carver, clerk, healer, teacher... and after a life spent on a single island, living among the Tya seemed to expand her horizons to infinity. She traveled with them across the West, teaching where she could and learning all that was offered, exploring a world so much greater than even her childhood dreams. She even learned how to sail - well, a coracle, at least. She learned to speak to the spirits of the storm and the volcanoes. She learned the mysteries and perils of the western Wyld. She learned, in the final accounting, a great many things.
And in a thousand thousand possible worlds, that was all there was, to the story. She died in a storm, or a sea-battle, or of a dread sickness; she grew old in honor among the Tya. It didn't matter. Her life was a brief flicker of light, against the long fall into darkness, and then - well, there's always an ending.
But in this world, something different happened...
-----------------------
It was a dark and stormy night.
It had come up fast, as sea-storms often do, especially in the late days of autumn. They were far out from the main islands, carrying a cargo of medicines and weapons; the frantic pair of youths who'd made it to Amphiro in their fishing boat had been babbling about war, plague, destruction; begging aid from anyone who'd listen to them, promising everything their families had in exchange.
Of course I'll go, she'd said, when asked. My students here don't really need me anymore, anyway. It wasn't the kind of situation she'd seek out, but time was at a premium; they needed to get a ship over there to find out what was going on, and she was the only one in the local house with the training to serve as ship's surgeon.
When the sky turned dark and the wind began to rise, she'd felt the bite in the air and shivered with the old cold memories it brought. She'd taken a reading of their current position, and marked it on the charts; the captain was trained in navigation as well, but she had other things on her mind.
Where they were now, of course, was a more difficult question.
In a brief ebbing of the wind and towering waves, where stars gleamed briefly between the towering black thunderheads, she managed to make out a few bright constellations - the Ship's Wheel, the Sorcerer, the Sword. And pulling up the maps in her memory - for trying to hold them up here, or even spread them out on a table, seemed like an implausible proposition - she made her way slowly over toward the wheel, clinging to thick twisted waterlogged ropes that burned at her surgeon's hands.
"Captain!"
The other Tya turned to her, face a paler blur in the chaotic dark, and shouted something in reply; it was whipped away by the wind. She pushed herself closer and shouted into the captain's ear,
"Chance of shelter north!"
The captain nodded curtly, her lips forming the words, You sure? (even so close, inaudible in the howl of the storm)
"No, but best chance we've got..."
North put the stormwinds behind them, at least (and even if they hadn't wanted to go this way, the storm wasn't leaving them much choice). This wasn't one of the great winter blizzard-hurricanes that roared down to Inero in the Season of Air, although it was cold enough with the wind striking through soaked clothing, but a Wyld-fueled juggernaut out of the open sea to the South.
Eerie light burned along the masts and rigging as they ran north before the wind. She tried to stay out of the professional sailors' way, and listened to the laughter of the wind- and water-spirits, delighting in the storm.
In time the rocky shapes of the isles rose up before them, illuminated by lightning and the blue-purple light that flowed and crackled about the ship. The captain waved to her, and when she came close, mouthed What now?
An old memory, from five years ago or more; a mention by a wandering healer, passing through. A monastery, on one of these barren rocks in the sea, with a sheltered harbor...
She closed her eyes and let the memory coalesce out of the depths of her mind, not forcing it, even in this extremity. Directions. A distinctive shape that the man had sketched idly in the dirt.
If you ever decide you want more training than you can get here, they might be willing to teach one with your skills... but you'll need to wait outside, for them to send out a boat to bring you in. They accept new postulants, but only on their own terms, and the channel into their harbor is a damn maze...
There would be no watchers and no guide-boat, on such a night. But it was still the best chance they had. And there was the remembered silhouette...
"That way!"
Into the labyrinth, all jagged cliffs and knife-edged rocks sprouting from the water, only hinting at the far more numerous dangers lurking below the surface. This is insane, she thought, impossible...
But it's the best chance we have, so I'm going to try it anyway.
And with that thought came calm, and in the dazzling blue-violet light hazing the ship in radiance she stood up against the battering wind, and raised her hand to point the way. And looking into the deadly maze through a veil of driving rain and white sea-spray, she saw...
Design.
Pattern no less intended, no less perfect, than the colors and textures of the fabric on her loom. Artistry of sea and sky and stone, a tapestry woven to guard a secret core.
Not static, never static. Always moving, ever changing - like the sea, like the clouds, like life itself. The elementals of water and air, dancing in the gusts and gouts of spray - she knew their language, their personalities, their natures, and she saw in that moment the truth behind their cavorting, the pattern revealed and woven in their dance. A riddle that was its own answer, written not in words but in the world, and the numbers danced faster and faster in her mind, counting off the secrets of the sequence.
It was so obvious, hidden in plain sight, mocking those who couldn't see its glory and laughing in delight: pointing clear as an arrow through the jagged gauntlet to the protected heart.
She laughed as well, sharing that exhilaration, and drank in the buffeting wind and the cold salt tang of the sea-spray, and let go of the rigging because she didn't need it anymore, and shouted out the directions to guide them to shore.
And in the radiance that shone gold and red and blue and violet about her, like a lighthouse's beacon in the tempest, they came to a safe harbor, nestled amid the high cliffs.
-----------------------
That safe harbor - where they were greeted by monks who gave shelter and blankets and hot drinks to the exhausted survivors, and quietly but very quickly hurried the new Solar away for a private interview - was the Monastery of the Deep Stars, the secret headquarters of the Sidereals assigned to the West.
The arrival of a newly-Exalted Twilight caused considerable tension in the Convention of Water. The Bronze Faction members felt that the usual argument, that allowing Wyld Hunts outside Wavecrest was an inefficient use of much-needed resources, manifestly did not apply in this case; killing her would cost them nothing and remove a threat. The Gold Faction members indicated that killing her out of hand would have a cost, i.e. their future cooperation in certain bureaucratic matters, and argued that dealing with Solars in the West outside Wavecrest was their purview.
After her initial interview with Righteous Tsunami, the Chair of the Convention - where they'd determined that she was newly Exalted, had no idea what Sidereals were, and had landed on their doorstep more or less by accident - the Solar slept through the increasingly heated debate in a drugged slumber, under guard by Sidereals from both factions.
The dispute was finally resolved when Righteous Tsunami lost her patience, dispatched the most prominent of the hot-heads on both sides to deal with certain unpleasant missions that everyone had been trying to avoid for weeks (or months, or years, in some cases), and declared that she would take charge of the Twilight's education. Or in her words, grumbled to the night air, "Power-mad and destructive, yes, but the Solars were bloody good at dealing with problems outside fate. Chance or the Maidens have given me a weapon against the Wyld and the Silver Prince; I'd be an utter fool not to use it. Not to mention that half my Convention would run to Ayesha to complain if I ordered her execution. Although, by the Gauntlet, some of the junior Bronzes are nearly as bad - you'd think I wouldn't have to explain to Viziers the virtues of turning your enemies against each other."
Tsunami put her new protege through a crash course in those skills she deemed likely to be most valuable, made some strong suggestions as to which Charms she should work on, and then sent her back out into the world, with directions on how to stay in touch.
While initially the Sidereal Elder's motivations had been almost entirely pragmatic, she became rather fond of the Twilight, over the course of her training; she no longer really considers her an enemy, and she'll regret it if she's forced to order her death. In the course of her martial arts studies, it became clear that the younger Tya just wasn't very good at being aggressive; she could fight back, and fight to defend others, but her automatic response to the idea of hurting others was revulsion. Tsunami finds this a... good quality, in a Solar, despite being rather frustrating for her present plans. She changed tack and taught Autumn two martial arts styles that channeled this tendency rather than fighting against it: Crane Style and the Art of Victorious Concession (although see also the description of her sorcerous Sacrifice, below). Tsunami has provided her student with training manuals for the remainder of both styles; she's not especially worried about her teaching others, as neither style is secret and both are most powerful defensively.
Tsunami has given Autumn Wind a very brief and unemotional account of the end of the First Age, to whit:
-Once the Solars ruled the world, but they became corrupted by power and did horrifying things, eventually becoming a threat to Creation itself.
-The Sidereals, whose duty is to guide and protect the world, rallied the Exalted to remove the Solar rulers, and locked away their Exaltations, for everyone's sake.
-Now those Exaltations have been released (we don't know how). You have one of them.
-Be very wary of people trying to tell you that you're entitled to rule the world; there are lots of people who'll want to manipulate you.
-Don't be surprised that people regard you as Anathema; the end of the First Age was really bad. (She gave Autumn an edited description of selected atrocities, and Autumn has Compassion 5.)
-My duty is still to protect and guide the world. So long as you're helping that goal rather than hindering it, I'm on your side.
(This is mostly true, or at least what Tsunami believes. It is a little manipulative, but not massively so.)
Autumn knows what Sidereal caste marks and animas look like, because Tsunami wanted her to be able to help Sidereals who got into trouble. She knows a little about Yu-Shan politics and the nature of the missions that Sidereals are given. She has an unusually good knowledge of the First Age, albeit only the bits that Sidereals wanted her to know. She generally won't recognize individual Sidereals (aside from Tsunami) because of Arcane Fate, unless they're wearing a Resplendent Destiny that she's seen before. Every Sidereal in the West probably also knows what she is, which may have good points and bad points (on the one hand, attacking her directly and openly without provocation will likely draw the wrath of Righteous Tsunami; on the other hand, "directly and openly" isn't really a Sidereal thing anyway).
Trials of Sorcery:
Spoiler
Tsunami would rather like her student to attain the Adamant Circle, because it remains the fastest way to remove large-scale shadowlands. That's still a fair way off, but she initiated Autumn into the Emerald Circle using similar methods to those developed to train young Sidereals in emergencies. This was unpleasant, to say the least; Tsunami was unsympathetic, her attitude being "You're a Tya and a Solar, you can take it". Fortunately, Autumn had already passed most of the stations.
Humility: She grew up as a girl in Coral, subordinating her life to the wishes of her father and her husband.
Fear: When her son died, and she went on living.
Journey: When she left everything she'd known behind, and traveled across the West as one of the Tya.
Tutelage: Provided by Righteous Tsunami. It was rather like trying to drink from a firehose.
Sacrifice: Her personal commitment to nonviolence.
Spoiler
Girls in Coral are not trained to fight. And that had suited Rani: violence seemed wasteful to her. She had always preferred to build, not destroy.
Among the Tya she'd learned to defend herself, with a staff or unarmed. But she'd pledged quietly to herself that she'd only ever take up a blade to heal, not to harm. Human life is precious, and everyone is some mother's child.
And so when Tsunami first tried to teach her the martial arts, she politely refused. I'd rather learn magic to help people, Chosen, not to fight - although I appreciate the offer.
The Chosen of Battles gave her a disbelieving look. You think warriors can't help people?
I think they frequently do more harm than good. Although I don't mean any disrespect. Just that... if I can heal people's injuries and illnesses, if I can make goods that improve their lives, if I can teach... why would I want to spend my time learning how to hurt people instead? It's always harder to build than to break, but harder doesn't mean less worthwhile.
After that conversation, the topic didn't arise again for a few days. Tsunami directed Rani's studies toward occult theory, and she thought she'd won the argument - although she felt a little guilty, she hadn't meant to insult the Sidereal's calling, but she could see how it might be taken that way.
Then one afternoon, a messenger came to speak to Tsunami in the midst of their lessons, and the Elder nodded, and stood up, and beckoned Rani to come with her. The Twilight's questions were met with a command not to speak, only to watch and listen. The Chosen of Battles led the younger Tya to a cloud-skiff, and they rose from the island and soared over the waves. Rani was more than content to stay quiet and gaze in wonder at the world spread out below.
Then Tsunami began to speak, and her words were like shards of ice in a winter storm.
When you were mortal, you could say 'Others will fight my battles for me'.
You could be a teacher and craftswoman and healer, and trust the warriors among your fellow Tya to protect you, even as they benefited from your skills. There's nothing wrong with that.
But now you are Exalted, and there are very few others who can do what you can.
There is no one who will stand forth to do the necessary tasks you refuse.
And there is no one who can step into your place if you fail.
And then Rani saw the gray trail of smoke ahead, coiling into the darkening evening sky.
The Lintha like to attack at night. Adds to the confusion.
Tell me, child, among the Tya, did you ever see a town during or immediately after a Lintha attack?
Rani shook her head, a slight motion, still silent - although with a rising sense of foreboding.
You're going to see one now.
The skiff swooped from the sky, as Tsunami bound a blindfold across her eyes. The Elder jumped to the ground, weapons ready, crimson light falling like streams of blood from her hands, and leapt into the fray.
The air was full of screams and smoke. The attack had only just begun, but already there were corpses littering the street - and people with hideous wounds crying out for help that wasn't going to come. Rani's eyes caught, horrified, on a little girl, maybe five or six, one side of her body seared and blackened from the fire...
She'd seen the casualties of war, before, of course. But not like this, not in these numbers defying all triage, not in this horrifying immediacy.
Maybe you could help that child. But while you do so, another hundred children will have died.
The Sidereal's voice was utterly calm, but she turned as she spoke, blades flashing out - her movements deceptively casual - and the invaders rushing up the street fell like grain before the reaper. The tide ebbed, the pirates falling back with fear dawning on their faces.
The Elder walked down the street toward them, stepping past the wounded and the dead, her face veiled by the blindfold and the broken Mask. Rani went to check on the closest wounded, automatically reaching for her supplies of painkillers and bandages, but found her eyes drawn inexorably back to Tsunami.
The Sidereal spoke quietly as she walked, and fought, and killed, and in every heartbeat men died.
There is a time for birth, and a time for death.
A time to sow, and a time to reap.
A time to kill, and a time to heal.
A time to break, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh.
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to rend, and a time to sew.
A time for silence, and a time for speech.
A time for love, and a time for hate.
A time for peace-
The Elder paused, and turned back to glance at Rani. They had come down to the harborside. There were Lintha ships in the bay, but they seemed... empty? How could that be? Surely they wouldn't have committed all their forces...
Tsunami spoke again, her voice matter-of-fact. This is a small island, Tya Rani. This is only the barest fraction of the Lintha fleet. A far smaller fraction than what it takes from our efforts, for me to come here and deal with a problem like this myself.
Her blindfolded eyes turned toward the ships, the bay, the sea beyond. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven...
And there is a time for war.
There was a man standing on the deck of one of the ships. He wore finer clothing than the others, and held an auhzian in his hand. He raised the blade toward them in salute.
Attend, Tya.
The Sidereal's voice grew pensive, not her usual brusque tones.
This is the Sutra of Sacrifice.
When the rookery falls, and the birds all fly away, you cannot shoot them all down...
Tsunami jumped, soaring across the gap between ship and shore. Rani could only watch, in mingled awe and wonder and horror.
Unless you shoot only one, the Chosen of Battles finished. She reached out with one hand and tapped the man gently on the forehead.
He hesitated for a moment, and raised his sword - he was good, Rani could tell that just from his stance, perhaps as good as any swordmaster she'd ever seen - and struck at the Sidereal, a vicious twisting blow.
She stopped it with a single finger.
The Empress Lives For All.
Her blade came down.
From across the town there was a chorus of screams, piercing the air, a terrible symphony. And then a chorus of shouts, roaring triumph and grief and vengeance, crying victory.
Rani turned abruptly toward the shouts. I should go help them. There will be wounded.
Go ahead. But remember, Exalt...
The Sidereal's eyes were blood and starlight, and old, and knowing.
Look to the living as you help them, and look to the dead. And remember what you withhold, when you say you do not wish to be a warrior.
That evening, after they had returned to the monastery, Rani went to meditate and contemplate, for several hours. Afterward, she went to seek out Righteous Tsunami. And standing in the dojo before her teacher, she said,
The final wisdom is sacrifice, so you taught me. So be it then. I was Rani of Inero once, and then Tya Rani, and in three decades of life I have dealt no harm to any man or woman or child.
But the empress lives for all. So here is my sacrifice: Rani who was, and her innocence. She took a long breath. She'd never wanted to hurt anyone...
But there is a time for war.
If you are willing to teach me, Sifu - she bowed her head, It would be my honor to learn.
The world seemed to crack, soundless, dizzying. As it had twice before, in a house in Coral as she listened white-faced to a message out of nightmare, and when she first saw the golden light shining on her own brow...
But this time, it had been her choice - to shuck off an old self like a snake shedding its skin, and become something new.
Warrior. Sorcerer. And in the name of the storms that had shattered and remade her life... Autumn Wind.
Righteous Tsunami watched her for a moment, and grinned sardonically. Took you long enough, kid. Right. Well, let's get started then...
And then, a little more gently, Remember, a warrior can be a shield as well as a sword.
Attributes
Stat
Dots
Physical
Str
•
Dex
•••••
Sta
•••
Social
Cha
•••
Man
•
App
•••
Mental
Per
•••
Int
•••••
Wit
•••
Abilities [C for caste, F for Fav]
Stat
Aff
Dots
Dawn
Archery
Martial Arts
F
••••• (+••• Nonlethal Combat)
Melee
Thrown
War
Zenith
Integrity
F
•
Performance
Presence
Resistance
F
•••••
Survival
Twilight
Craft
C
••••• (+••• Magitech)
Investigation
C
•
Lore
C
•••••
Medicine
C
•••
Occult
C
•••••
Night
Athletics
Awareness
F
••••
Dodge
Larceny
Stealth
Eclipse
Bureaucracy
Linguistics • (Old Realm)
Ride
Sail
F
•
Socialize
Backgrounds
Mentor •••• (Righteous Tsunami, Chosen of Battles, Chair of the Convention of Water)
Backing • (respected member of the Tya)
Artifact •• (Orichalcum Discreet Essence Armor)
Artifact • (Orichalcum Seven-Jeweled Peacock Fan)
Panoply Fan Of The Five Winds (Orichalcum Seven-Jeweled Peacock Fan)
Speed 5, Accuracy +4, Damage +4B/+1L, Defense +4, Rate +4, Attune 2
(Note: stats have been reduced by -1 Accuracy, -1B damage, to account for 2.5 changes)
Spoiler
This large folding war fan, about half again the size of a normal war fan, is made of polished hardwood and midnight-blue steelsilk, reinforced with razor-edged orichalcum spines. A braided cord of blue and gold silk hangs from the join, where seven star sapphires are set. When the fan is closed, the jewels and inner spines are concealed, and it can pass as simply a large and high-quality war fan, at least to casual inspection.
Righteous Tsunami took this weapon as a trophy from a Solar she personally killed several centuries ago. She has noticed that in the presence of the fan, the air is never completely still - small breezes seem to constantly dance about the wearer, ruffling their hair and keeping them cool - but if it has more useful properties, she hasn't discerned them. None of the styles she regularly practices employ the war fan, so she gave it to her student as a gift on the completion of her training.
---------------------
Brainstorming for possible future expansions, based on the idea of a storms / weather control artifact that also functions as a martial arts weapon - all extremely tentative at this point, it's basically a (long) list of things I could think of that might be fun:
Spoiler
General properties: The attuned wielder of the Fan of the Five Winds gains bonus successes equal to the Fan's current artifact rating on any Craft(Air) roll, or any roll pertaining to manipulation or understanding of the weather.
Weapon properties: (these are heavily based around existing effects with air/storm thematics, at least before the 5-dot level)
An attuned wielder of the Fan of the Five Winds gains these benefits to unarmed attacks, as well as to their strikes with the Fan itself.
2-dot level: Sapphire Reinforcement, gain the magical material bonuses of blue jade (+1 damage, +2 rate); these bonuses explicitly stack with the existing orichalcum MM bonus for the fan.
3-dot level: Benediction of Lightness, granting -1 Speed (inspired by the spell Ritual of Elemental Empowerment, this is one of the air-based blessings).
4-dot level: Blessing of the Air Dragon, all attacks gain the benefit of the Air-Aspected version of Dragon-Graced Weapon.
5-dot level: Becoming The Wind, the DV penalty from all attacks is reduced by 1, as per Protection of Celestial Bliss. Furthermore, while the attuned owner uses a Form charm for a martial art that has the war fan as a form weapon, the Overwhelming value of their attacks is set to their Essence or Martial Arts, whichever is lower.
(Alternatively, could do something like Perfected Kata Bracers, adding Essence to accuracy/damage/defense.)
Miscellaneous properties:
2-dot level: gives the benefits of a Wind Jewel and Godspeaking Trillion (Oadenol's Codex) to the attuned wielder (can control minor winds and light breezes in your vicinity, air spirits are more favorably inclined to you), with the exception that the roll for precise control of the breezes is Wits+Lore not Wits+Larceny. The cord tied around the hilt functions as a Cord of Winds (Oadenol's Codex); it is initially empty, but unlike a usual Cord of Winds is rechargeable, if you can persuade or compel elementals to enter it.
3-dot level: produces an Atmospheric Manipulation Field as per the Armor of Elemental Inurement (Wonders of the Lost Age). The cord tied around the hilt now functions as a three-dot Sorcery-Capturing Cord (Oadenol's Codex), with the following exceptions:
-Only spells related to the air, the sky, weather, etc, may be captured and stored. (Thunder Wolf's Howl and Lightning Whip Smites The Water would qualify; Internal Flame would not.) Spells that might be deflected by manipulation of the air/weather (such as spells that hurl something at the target) may be captured and stored only with an appropriate stunt.
-The cord may also capture and store weather phenomena that could be produced by an Initiate of the Art of Weather Working (for example, the cord could be used to capture a fog covering no more than one square mile, and release it at a later date).
4-dot level: The cord around the hilt now functions as a 4-dot Sorcery-Capturing Cord with the limitations specified above. Terrestrial Circle spells that do not satisfy the above criteria may now be captured, but with the WP cost for Celestial Circle spells. The cord may capture and store weather phenomena that could be produced by an Adept of the Art of Weather Working, treating these as Celestial Circle spells for the purposes of WP expenditure. The fan can now unfold into an Essence Glider (Wonders of the Lost Age) as a Simple action, although using it as a glider prevents its use as a weapon; the glider also has a powered mode, in which case it functions as Transcendent Phoenix Pinions (Wonders of the Lost Age). Finally, the fan gives bonuses to manse construction equal to those provided by a Singing Staff, for Air-Aspected manses only.
5-dot: The cord around the hilt now functions as a 5-dot Sorcery-Capturing Cord with the limitations specified above. Celestial Circle spells that do not satisfy the above criteria may now be captured, but with the WP cost for Solar Circle spells. The cord may capture and store weather phenomena that could be produced by a Master of the Art of Weather Working, treating these as Solar Circle spells for the purposes of WP expenditure. The shadows of clouds seem to constantly flow over the fan, and a spirit long bound within the star sapphires stirs. The fan now operates as both an air-aspected portable Sympathetic Elemental Scanner (Wonders of the Lost Age) and a portable Sky Mantis Tower (Wonders of the Lost Age) that does not require a hearthstone or maintenance to power it.
Bright Aurora (Orichalcum Discreet Essence Armor, Wonders of the Lost Age)
Soak bonus: +7L/+7B, Hardness: 3L/3B, Mobility:0, Fatigue:0, Attune:5
Spoiler
This artifact consists of four twisting serpentine bands of ancient orichalcum, two bracelets and two anklets. They are plain and minimalist in design, as they were one of the first prototypes of their kind. This particular set was a museum piece, kept in the archives at the Forbidding Manse of Ivy; in the High First Age, much more ornate designs were in style, and after the Usurpation there was nobody to use them.
When activated, the sheet of Essence that shrouds the wearer's body has the appearance of the northern lights, a constantly shifting luminous veil of many-colored radiance.
The set was discreetly removed from the archives by members of the Gold Faction after the return of the Solars; one of the Gold Faction Sidereals in the West slipped them to Autumn Wind shortly before she left the Monastery of the Deep Stars, telling her to remember that she had friends in the Fivescore Fellowship other than Righteous Tsunami.
Charms Martial Arts First, Second and Third Martial Arts Excellencies Martial Arts Essence Flow The Art of Victorious Concession: (Scroll of the Monk: The Imperfect Lotus)
Hearing The Unspoken Word
Spoken In Kindness
Instruction In Good Will (Victorious Concession Form)
Soothing Word of Wisdom Crane Style: (Glories of the Most High: Maidens)
Fluttering Cry of Warning
Empowering Justice Redirection
Crane Form
Beak Spears Frog
Integrity
Integrity-Protecting Prana
Resistance First, Second and Third Resistance Excellencies Resistance Essence Flow
Durability of Oak Meditation
Spirit Strengthens The Skin
Craft First, Second and Third Craft Excellencies Craft Essence Flow
Lore First, Second and Third Lore Excellencies Lore Essence Flow
Chaos-Repelling Pattern
Occult First, Second and Third Occult Excellencies Occult Essence Flow
Terrestrial Circle Sorcery
Infallible Messenger (free)
Medicine First, Second and Third Medicine Excellencies Medicine Essence Flow
Awareness First, Second and Third Awareness Excellencies Awareness Essence Flow
Charm wishlist for future:
Spoiler
-Martial Arts: the rest of Crane and Compassion Styles (in particular, Oath of Presence, Crossed Wings Denial).
-Resistance: Iron Kettle Body + Iron Skin Concentration + Adamant Skin Technique.
-Lore: Wyld-Shaping Technique, Harmonious Academic Methodology.
-Craft: Craftsman Needs No Tools.
-Investigation: more dots + Judge's Ear Technique.
-Medicine: Flawless Diagnosis Technique + the three condition-removers.
-Occult: Spirit-Detecting Glance + Spirit-Cutting Attack + Ghost-Eating Technique + All-Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight.
-Awareness: Panoptic Fusion Discipline.
Combos: (I know we don't need to buy them in 2.5, but I like coming up with names and combo displays) The Elenctic Method - Instruction In Good Will (form-type) + Beak Spears Frog + Spirit Strengthens The Skin + Durability Of Oak Meditation + Empowering Justice Redirection + Fluttering Cry of Warning + Spoken In Kindness + Integrity-Protecting Prana + Martial Arts, Resistance and Awareness Excellencies
Combo display: A soft shimmer of white light surrounds Autumn Wind, outlining and emphasizing her gestures, and the air around her becomes perfectly still; when she speaks, her voice carries a force out-of-keeping with its softness, and seems to linger in the air.
With Charm,Final Soak: 18B/16L/7A if Durability of Oak Meditation is used
Health
-0 [][][]
-1 [][]
-2 [][]
-4 []
-X []
Virtues
Compassion •••••
Conviction •••
Temperance ••
Valor ••
Limit 0/10
Virtue Flaw: Compassionate Martyrdom
Duration: One scene in combat or one day otherwise.
Limit Break Condition: The character witnesses innocents suffering through no fault of their own.
Intimacies
+Righteous Tsunami (Affection and Respect)
+Sidereals (They Do Their Duty)
+The Tya (Unwavering Loyalty)
+The Memory Of Her Son (Old Love, Old Grief)
-Coral (Regret At Waste)
Bonus Points 30/30 (including 12 extra BP)
WP 5->10 = 5
+3 Virtues = 3
Mentor 3->4 = 2
Favored Abilities +6 = 6
Essence 2->3 = 7
Extra Charms = 6
Specialties in favored Ability +2 = 1 XP 12/12
Medicine 1->3 = 4
Extra Charm = 8
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
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.
It isn't reflected on my sheet, but I purchased Elysian Fulfillment Display with that last xp. It is one of the three options for Radiant Overture Ignition.
Chaotic: We are the Lawgivers, the spirit of the law is what we want the law to mean. Capricious? Of course. Legal? Well, we do have the Mandate to rule the world.
__________________
Many, many thanks to azuyomi244 for the avatar.
Heh heh. Autumn Wind objects to that brand of legalism (We're Solars, Therefore It's Right).
... I think I'm going to need more Integrity.
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
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.
Heh heh. Autumn Wind objects to that brand of legalism (We're Solars, Therefore It's Right).
... I think I'm going to need more Integrity.
You will notice my sacrifice for Terrestrial Circle. Nothing is that clear cut.
The realities of the world mean that those with power for the most part are the ones who get to decide what the law is. This has applied since the Primordials. Consequently, those who created the concept of morality were of the opinion that Might Makes Right. Human morality at base is a combination of our intrinsic characteristics, which were designed to make us afraid of our betters to produce more prayer, and a social contract we developed to get along with each other.
A good ethical theory must balance what is good with what is good for people. As people are the one's who are meant to uphold it the theory will be fruitful only if there is instrumental value in it being upheld by people. This makes for some interesting conflicts.
We are Solars and therefore right is a Law of Nature in the same way as Things Fall Down. The only way it will change is if we change it. We must give up our right to be absolute if we wish to be equitable.
__________________
Many, many thanks to azuyomi244 for the avatar.
Yes, there may be interesting philosophical discussions.
Exthalion, couple of questions: on the recruiting thread you mentioned "DBL" several times, saying it reduced crafting costs - I'm not familiar with this Charm, can you give me the full name? (I know Wonder-Forging Genius, from Oadenol's Codex, which reduces the Ability requirements to build artifacts, but this sounds different)
Also, would you mind posting the homebrew/custom charms you're using somewhere, or linking to them? I'd like to see them
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
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.
Yes, there may be interesting philosophical discussions.
Exthalion, couple of questions: on the recruiting thread you mentioned "DBL" several times, saying it reduced crafting costs - I'm not familiar with this Charm, can you give me the full name? (I know Wonder-Forging Genius, from Oadenol's Codex, which reduces the Ability requirements to build artifacts, but this sounds different)
Also, would you mind posting the homebrew/custom charms you're using somewhere, or linking to them? I'd like to see them
Design Beyond the Limit is from scroll of errata. For the Solar, all manses and artifacts are built as though one dot lower. A 4 dot manse can cap a 3 dot demesne at full power. A two dot artifact requires 1 exotic material component and as many successes as a 1 dot.
It can turn level 1 artifacts into more or less mundane craft projects and cap 5 dot demesne with super manses.
Who is like the Sun? Who can rival his splendor? Who can mar his glory? Who is worthy to raise their hand against him? The Solar likewise attains to the heights of an untouchable glory, his radiance so mighty that for a brief instant he ceases to be, the world unable to bear the continued presence of his glory.
This charm grants a perfect dodge which is used in response to an attack. It suffers from one of the four flaws of invulnerability.
Radiant Overture Ignition
Spoiler
Cost: -; Mins: Performance 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Demon-Wracking Glory
The Sun shines upon all the world: Mighty and Mortal, Just and Wicked, Friend and Enemy. They who bask in the majesty of the Lawgivers are rewarded according to the judgement of the Shining Ones. This charm upgrades the effect of Demon-Wracking Glory with one of the following effects. The player may select one effect when they purchase this charm and additional effects for 1xp each.
Way of all Suns Eruption: The Solar may target anyone within the range of the attacks granted by that charm, doing lethal damage to non Creatures of Darkness, and exempting anyone they chose each action.
Worlds Filling Majesty: With a surcharge of one mote per action the attack may cross the barrier of state and affect anyone who can perceive the performance be they material or immaterial. If the user cannot perceive beings in the opposite state they must decide each time they spend motes to declare all creatures in the opposed state as targets of the attack, beneficiary of one of the other granted options, or not affected at all.
Eleison Promenance Display: For a cost of four motes per action the Solar may reinforce his fellows instead of simply immolating his foes. The Lawgiver's Majesty may turn aside blades and arrows intended for his companions. The user takes a reflexive Defend Other action, protecting all allies in the range of his Demon-Wracking Glory, with his performance. This grants each ally a Defend Other benefit, with a PDV of (Charisma or Manipulation+Performance+Specialty+Essence)/2. Attackers may abort an attack that exceeds the bestowed DV to strike the performer only if the performer is also in range of the attack being used - otherwise, the attacker must apply her remaining successes against the DV of their intended target.
The user also benefits from access to this Performance-Based physical Parry DV, which does not suffer action penalties from the use of Demon-Wracking Glory, against any attacks directed at her during the action, and it may parry both Lethal or Ranged attacks without the use of a stunt. This cost may be paid independently of or in addition to another use of Demon-Wracking Glory.
In Mass Combat it raises the DV of the unit by (Solar's Essence) for one action, and provide a bonus success on any rout checks for 4m, 1 wp.
NEW: For example. Say you have Alice and Bob in range, and use the effect.
You attack a foe, throw down 4m extra. You gain a PDV of (Value), and you Defend ohther the others with a PDV of (Value). (Value) ignores any DV penalties you'd have from actions using Demon-Wracking Glory. Once the allies start coming under attack (Say, two on Alice, one on you, one on Bob) that DV will start accruing onslaught penalties.
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Re: Exalted 2.5: Rise of the West (OOC)
