Dice Abyssals 2.5 - Character Thread

Psychie · Apr 22, 2023

You are starting out as loyal Deathknights to your Master, The Deliverer of Dark Dreams and Nightmares. Her ally is another Deathlord called The Twisted Toymaker.

There is no requirement to play different castes, so if everyone wants to be the same caste that is fine. We will be using the 2.5 errata for character creation with the following changes:

All characters will start at Essence 3, with a max of Essence 4 at start-up.
Attributes are 9-7-5 instead of 8-6-4
35 dots of Abilities
10 dots of Backgrounds
Any purchase of Sorcery or Necromancy gives one free spell of the appropriate Circle
and everyone will start with 25 Bonus Points
Finally, with every dot of Permanent Essence you have, you get one (1) free Ox-Body Technique, and you cannot buy more of that Charm.

A suitably dark and edgy backstory is a must, remembering the RpN rules for content. Custom Charms are discouraged but I might allow a few exceptions.
You are going to be starting out in the South, so Flametongue is required, and Old Realm is strongly suggested.

Xp tracker: 8

Sherwood · Apr 22, 2023

Name: Voice That Cries From the Heart of Darkness
Gender: Female
Apparent Age: 24
Caste: Dusk

Attributes
Str: 5 - (8 with Armor)
Dex: 5
Sta: 2

Cha: 4
Man: 2
App: 4

Per: 2
Int: 3
Wits: 3

Abilities
*Archery
*Martial Arts
*Melee: 5
*Thrown: 2
*War: 5

Integrity
Performance
Presence: 3
*Resistance: 3
Survival: 1

Craft
Investigation
Lore: 2
Medicine
Occult

*Athletics: 5
*Awareness: 5
*Dodge: 1
Larceny
*Stealth: 2

Bureaucracy: 1
Linguistics: 2 - Flamespeak, Riverspeak, Old Realm
Ride: 1
Sail: 1
Socialize: 2

Specialties
Melee - Polearms: 3
Awareness - Spotting Small Details: 1
Artifact - Obsidian Sheath Armor: 4
Artifact - Soulsteel Third Arm Glaive: 5
Liege: 3
Manse - Stone of the Earthweb: 2
Whispers: 4

Slavery to a Deathlord has its rewards. After all, the Deathlords view the Abyssal Exalted as their greatest weapons. Such prized champions receive the best equipment and training that the Deathlords can provide, limited only by the proven loyalty of each slave. It would not do to suffer a second Usurpation at the hands of a deathknight more concerned with his own ambitions than the greater glory of Oblivion.
Dots in this Background provide benefits as if an Abyssal had Backing, Mentor and Resources ratings each equal to her Liege rating. The character can also request the temporary use of Abyssal Command, Allies, Artifact, Manse, Mentor or Spies. She just asks her Deathlord and hopes that he finds her request reasonable for the mission. The higher a character’s Liege rating is, however, the closer her master watches her actions and the more time she must spend on the Deathlord’s missions.
Your character is appreciated by his master. Whether she likes him in some twisted fashion or just knows he fears to consider rebellion, she considers him a worthwhile investment. He spends about half his time carrying out assignments. Most Abyssals settle at this Liege rating after a few successful missions.

Every Abyssal bears the stain of the Neverborn upon her soul and Essence. For some, this connection stays as distant and impersonal as the relationship between the Solar Exalted and the Unconquered Sun. Others are less fortunate. The Neverborn are not kind gods, but unknowable horrors who hate their Exalted only marginally less than they hate their enemies. Abyssals particularly blessed—or cursed—with the direct attention of their chthonic masters experience an endless torrent of blasphemies that gnaw away their sanity.
As a Background, an Abyssal’s Whispers rating represents her attunement to the dreams of the Neverborn. Characters can consciously tap into this connection once per scene by reflexively spending one Willpower point. Invoking this connection has several possible effects:
• For one roll, the player can substitute her character’s Whispers rating for an Ability rating.
• The Neverborn sustain the Underworld through their Essence. They perceive everything that happens in the Underworld and know everything known by mortal souls who sojourn there as ghosts or pass to Oblivion. (They do not acquire knowledge from souls that pass immediately to Lethe when they die.) A character can glean clues and other information from the dreams of the Neverborn if her player succeeds at a (Perception + Whispers) roll. More successes yield clearer and more extensive information. The effective number of successes may not exceed the character’s Whispers rating (excess successes are wasted). Failure results in
distorted or false information that leads the character astray.
Storytellers should strongly consider making the rolls in secret so players can’t ever completely trust the results. Queries outside the purview of Whispers results in automatic failure. Open-ended questions such as, “What is my purpose?” are a perfectly reasonable way to trigger a Storyteller-directed vision. Inquiries into the future can reveal only what the Neverborn want or plot to happen, not what will definitely come to pass. Glimpses of these plots can provide valuable insight to anyone attempting to further or thwart these ambitions, though.
• A character’s presence at significant events that further the agenda of the Neverborn may trigger a reflexive activation of Whispers to understand the event, but these undirected visions are Storyteller-controlled plot devices and do not cost Willpower. In particular, the first meaningful interaction between two characters with Whispers often causes them to experience visions of each other as their shared connection to the hive-mind nightmares of the Labyrinth experiences momentary psychic feedback.
• A character can use Whispers as a guide to where the Neverborn believe her actions could further their goals. She attunes herself to the whispers, and lets them lead her where they will. Usually, the whispers lead Abyssals to places and times where a single death could devastate a community or thwart important plans for Creation’s health and defense. Alternatively, they might lead to a village ripe for recruitment into an ancestor cult or as other possible minions. Long-lost and well-guarded artifacts are another option. (Really, this use of Whispers is an invitation to the Storyteller to provide a short side-adventure.)
Non-Abyssals can develop Whispers only within the Labyrinth itself. If the Storyteller charges experience points for raising Backgrounds, living, non-Abyssal characters pay twice as much. In any case, a character who wants to increase her attunement to the Neverborn must undergo a vision-quest resembling those that Abyssals use to raise their Essence. There are no recorded methods for reducing a character’s Whispers rating, but Storytellers should interpret this statement as best fits their series.
Trait Effects:
Your character drowns in the omnipresent nightmares of the Neverborn. Visions are mostly complete and either use literal
depictions or obvious symbols. This level of contact can answer many questions outright, but does not provide supplementary
information to expand the inquiry beyond the actual wording of the question, nor do these glimpses explore other points of view
or any indirect connections. Storytellers should feel free to present incomplete truths to misdirect players who come to rely on
Whispers as a crutch to avoid or bypass plot rather than expand their involvement and awareness of the story.

Anima Effects:
Anima Effects: By reflexively spending 10 motes, a Dusk Caste envelops herself in an aura of dread. The Peacebringer’s enemies fear even to look at her, giving her a +2 DV bonus against their attacks. Characters whose Valor exceeds the Dusk Caste’s Essence are immune to this effect, as are automata, the walking dead and other creatures that cannot feel fear. This effect comes into play automatically once the Abyssal spends 11–15 motes of Peripheral Essence.
Melee

Cost: 1m per die; Mins: Melee 1, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive; Keywords Combo-Ok
Duration: Instant
Abyssals with this Charm are known for their moments of brilliance. The Exalt's player can invoke this Charm when making a roll based on the relevant ability. This Charm then adds one die to that roll for each mote spent.
Characters can also use this Charm to enhance unrolled uses of the relevant Ability, usually to increase a Defense Value, for example by increasing (Dexterity + Dodge) to protect against a physical attack. When enhancing static values, her player rolls one die for each mote spent on the First Excellency. Each success increases her effective (Attribute + Ability) rating for the task by two. Therefore, each success on the First Excellency roll increases an applicable static value by one.

Cost: 2m+, 1wp; Mins: Melee 4, Essence 3
Type: Simple; Keywords: None
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Any Melee Excellency
Each two motes committed to this Charm reduces the mote cost for the first three Excellencies by one, to a minimum of 0. Exalted with Essence 3 can spend up to six motes on this Charm, while Exalted with Essence 4+ can spend as many motes as they like.

Cost: 2m per DV; Mins: Melee 2, Essence 1;
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Any Melee Excellency
The Abyssal’s weapon spins in a flicker of shadowy images, confusing her foe. For every two motes the Exalt spends on Five Shadow Feint, her target’s DV against the attack drops by one.

Cost: 2m per attack; Mins: Melee 3, Essence 2; Type: Extra Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Peony Blossom Attack; Exalted, p. 191), Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Five Shadow Feint
The Abyssal spins and thrusts in a cascade of blows, trailing wispy afterimages that fleetingly resemble the petals of a blooming flower before the victim’s screams break the serenity of the display.
--
The maneuver named Peony Blossom Attack burns significant Essence to unleash a powerful flurry of blows. The Lawgiver moves as smoothly and rapidly as ice on hot metal. This Charm is a magical flurry of two or more Melee-based attacks. Each attack costs two motes, including the first, and the Exalt can buy up to (her permanent Essence + 1) attacks. This Charm lets the Solar make
these attacks regardless of the weapon’s Rate, without multiple action penalties, and with a DV penalty equal to only the highest penalty for any one attack.

Cost: 1m; Mins: Melee 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Mirror (Call the Blade; Exalted, p. 191), Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
The weapons of the Abyssal Exalted fear their masters and swiftly leap to their grasp when bidden by an imperiously
outstretched hand.
--
The Solar’s weapons know their master. The Solar holds out her hand and calls to the Essence of one of her weapons. If the desired weapon is within (Essence x 10) yards, and a flight path exists between the weapon and her hand, this Charm draws the weapon into her grasp. She must own the weapon she calls. This Charm can be used to draw and ready a sheathed weapon reflexively.

Cost: 1m; Mins: Melee 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Summoning the Loyal Steel; Exalted, p. 192)
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Blade-Summoning Gesture
The weapons of the Abyssal Exalted have no reality except when they are needed, lessening the offense of their existence against the purity of Oblivion. As with Solars, separate committed activations of this Charm may concurrently banish multiple weapons.
--
This Charm functions exactly as the Archery Charm Summoning the Loyal Bow on page 189, save that it applies to hand-to-hand rather than ranged weapons. Characters are explicitly permitted to draw their stored weapons from Elsewhere using Charms such as Call the Blade.

Cost: 2m; Mins: Melee 2, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Dipping Swallow Defense; Exalted, p. 192)
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Any Melee Excellency
The Abyssal’s weapon interposes itself in the path of an attack with contemptuous disregard for the laws of inertia, as if possessed of its own volition and horrid grace.
--
The maneuver named Dipping Swallow Defense restores defensive advantage to a beleaguered or overextended fighter.
This Charm is used in response to an attack. It allows the Exalt to ignore all penalties that apply to her Parry DV when resolving
that attack. Her Parry DV is still 0 if it’s inapplicable, but it takes no further penalties.

Cost: 3m; Mins: Melee 4, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Counterattack, Mirror (Solar Counterattack; Exalted, p. 194)
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Elegant Flowing Deflection
The Abyssal holds his weapon loosely at his side, his monstrous arrogance practically inviting opponents to strike him, while promising horrific retribution on anyone foolish enough to take the dare. The Charm does not defend the deathknight in any way, but he can strike back with his weapon at his attacker.
--
Those who attack the Chosen of the Sun invite their own deaths. The Solar invokes this Charm after using her Parry DV against an attack. This Charm gives the Solar a counterattack, which is resolved in Step 9 of the initial attack’s resolution. Note the rules for counterattacks on pages 150 and 183.

Cost: 3m; Mins: Melee 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Heavenly Guardian Defense; Exalted, p. 193), Obvious, Spectral
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Vengeful Riposte
Whether the arrows of man or the spear of the Unconquered Sun, no force may strike an armed Abyssal with this Charm. Note that this Charm does differ slightly from its Solar counterpart in its Essence cost and bearing the Spectral keyword.
--
The character invokes this Charm in response to an attack. The attack must not be unexpected, and the character must have a weapon in hand. This Charm is a parry that perfectly defends against any attack, even if it is unblockable.
Mundane weapons can break when used with this Charm. If the character uses this Charm and a mundane weapon to block an attack that inflicts at least 25L raw damage before soak, the weapon breaks (though it still successfully parries).
This Charm has one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability (see boxed text) common to all Solar perfect defenses.

Thrown

Cost: 1m per die; Mins: Thrown 1, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive; Keywords Combo-Ok
Duration: Instant
Abyssals with this Charm are known for their moments of brilliance. The Exalt's player can invoke this Charm when making a roll based on the relevant ability. This Charm then adds one die to that roll for each mote spent.
Characters can also use this Charm to enhance unrolled uses of the relevant Ability, usually to increase a Defense Value, for example by increasing (Dexterity + Dodge) to protect against a physical attack. When enhancing static values, her player rolls one die for each mote spent on the First Excellency. Each success increases her effective (Attribute + Ability) rating for the task by two. Therefore, each success on the First Excellency roll increases an applicable static value by one.

Resistance

Cost: —; Mins: Resistance 1, Essence 1; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Mirror (Ox-Body Technique; Exalted, p. 208),
Stackable
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: None
This Charm works exactly the same way for Abyssals as for Solars, though deathknights prefer to give it names like “Corpse-Body Resilience.”
--Each purchase provides one of the following, at the player's option, determined at time of purchase:
One -0 health level,
Two -1 health levels,
One -1 health level and two -2 health levels

Cost: 10m; Mins: Resistance 1, Essence 1; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Body-Mending Meditation; Exalted, p. 208)
Duration: Until the night ends
Prerequisite Charms: None
Having died once, Abyssals quickly shrug off lesser wounds as inconsequential.
--
Even wounded nigh unto death, a Lawgiver will marshal the strength to rise again. This Charm supplements a dramatic action to marshal the character’s inner resources for recovery. This action requires one hour without a stunt or another Charm. The Solar’s player rolls (Stamina + Resistance). Success speeds his healing rate by a factor of 10 or, if the character prefers, adds directly to the successes of a physician using Wound-Mending Care Technique on the character. See page 149 for more on natural healing rates.
Characters can activate Body-Mending Meditation when inactive (see p. 143).

Cost: 1m; Mins: Resistance 1, Essence 1; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Whirlwind Armor-Donning Prana; Exalted, p. 205), Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Abyssal levitates a yard into the air as inky tendrils reach from her anima to grab and attach her armor. Unlike its Solar Mirror, this Charm has the Obvious keyword.
--
When the Solar armors himself for battle, there is no delay or fumbling—Essence smoothes his course. This Charm allows the Exalt to make one minute’s progress on donning armor in a single action. The Solar Exalted normally use this Charm for a number of successive actions equal to the armor’s mobility penalty in order to complete the armor-donning process. For example, six actions and six invocations allows an Exalt to gird himself in chain swathing. Facing exigent circumstances such as limited Essence or frequent interruptions, he could also spend two minutes’ effort and four invocations of the Charm.
This Charm applies to personal worn items, including body armor, shields, clothing and warstriders.

Cost: 1m; Mins: Resistance 3, Essence 3;
Type: Simple (Speed 3)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Hauberk-Lightening Gesture; Exalted, p. 205), Obvious
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Armor-Calling Kata
The deathknight dismisses armor Elsewhere until he has need of it again, that it might not sin against Oblivion by existing.
--
Armor worn in countless battles becomes a part of the Solar’s spirit. It is always on hand when its master calls. The Solar first dons a suit of armor that she owns and has worn in battle. This Charm banishes that armor to Elsewhere. The Solar can gird herself in that armor directly from Elsewhere. Doing so takes as much time as donning the armor normally would, and she can use Whirlwind Armor-Donning Prana to speed the process. The Charm ends when she does so. If she cancels the Essence committed to this Charm while the armor is fully or partially Elsewhere, any donned pieces return Elsewhere, and then, the entire suit appears within arm’s reach.
This Charm applies to body armor and shields, but not other worn items.

Athletics

Cost: 3m; Mins: Athletics 1, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Monkey Leap Technique; Exalted, p. 223)
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Abyssal impossibly bounds across the battlefield, landing in a hunched crouch only to leap away again and land on another astonished enemy.
--
The heroes of the dawn leap with the grace of a flying crane and the speed of a striking hawk. For the rest of the scene, the
character can jump with a movement action instead of a miscellaneous action, and she doubles the length of all jumps.
A five-foot staff topped with a thick, two-foot blade, carved from a golden wood and laced with soulsteel, this weapon is perfect in its balance, weight and razor’s edge. As if that were not enough to set it apart, a wide and thin sash hangs from the point where the metal of the blade meets the haft, permanently fastened to the weapon. Over 10 feet in length, the sash is made from tiny links of soulsteel, and flows smoothly through the air.
The Third-Arm Glaive has many powers.
In war, the sash is the perfect banner for friends and foes alike. While its bearer lives, the sash undulates to better reflect whatever light available — the rays of the sun, the shine of the moon or the animas of nearby Exalted. The light is visible to the entire battlefield. Troops friendly to the bearer of the weapon gain a one-die bonus to their Valor checks, and enemy units are penalized by one.
In personal combat, the sash has additional uses. Once its bearer has struck — inevitably a long, smooth motion that causes the sash to flow out behind the blade — the sash begins to act on its own, twisting and swirling through the air about him. When someone or something comes too close to the sash’s master, the metallic sash raps the object or being to keep it away. This effect adds the user’s Essence to her Parry DV for an entire battle after she has taken an offensive action. If the sash aids in the successful parry of an unarmed attack, the attacker suffers one die of bashing damage.
The wielder of the Glaive can choose to forego this benefit for a greater one. Taking a Speed 3, DV -1 action to commit an additional 3 motes to the Glaive, the user may demonstrate the source of the weapon’s name. From that point on, the sash acts entirely independently from the weapon’s wielder in battle. Though the Glaive’s first action is simultaneous with the committal of Essence, the sash’s future actions depend solely on the speed of its attacks. The weapon either makes an unarmed attack or a clinch, at the wielder’s option. The Glaive can attack and clinch out to nine yards. The wielder may uncommit the 3 motes reflexively, at any time.
Third-Arm Glaive has two hearthstone settings, one on either side of its blade. Attuning costs 5 motes.

This unusual armor looks like a suit of articulated plate carved from shining black stone trimmed in soulsteel, and it provides the magical material bonuses for soulsteel armor when properly attuned. When attuned, the armor not only acts like a second skin, it also boosts the wearer’s Strength and mobility. The armor automatically increases the wearer’s Strength by 3. In addition, in combat, the wearer adds four yards per tick to move actions and eight yards per tick to dash actions.
When walking long distances, the wearer can march at a speed of 15 miles per hour, covering up to 210 miles in a day.

Black veins crawl across this rough, light-gray octagon. An Exalt bearing this hearthstone never need fear sneak attacks or stumbling around in the dark. While wearing it, the Exalt can feel the earth around her just as a spider can feel the strands of its web. Within a radius of 10 yards, the Exalt feels everything resting upon the ground or on the same floor that she stands upon. She can feel size, approximate weight and any movement of all such objects and individuals.
A large chest would be a heavy rectangular weight, while even the most carefully hidden assassin would feel like a live person standing very still. So long as the bearer stands upon the ground or a floor that is built directly upon the ground, she can feel everything upon the ground that is within her range. However, if she stands on the upper story of a building, then these perceptions only apply to objects and people resting upon that upper floor. Also, the mystical perception granted by the hearthstone does not extend to anything that is not on the floor. Hanging lamps or assassins crouching on desks cannot be felt with this item (although the desk might seem oddly heavy). In addition, the character will not trip over obstacles in the dark or suffer other penalties to movement based on poor visibility.
Health Levels
-0 [ ][ ]
-1 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ]
-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ]
-4 [ ]
I [ ]

Essence: 4
Personal Motes: 18
Peripheral Motes: 43 (31)
Committed: 12
Willpower: 6

Compassion: 1
Conviction: 3
Temperance: 2
Valor: 3

Personal Soak: 2B/1L
Armored Soak: +12B/12L, Hardness 6B/6L

Parry DV: 9 (+4 from Third Hand Glaive)
Dodge DV: 5

Jumping Distance: 10 yards vertical, 20 horizontal (20 yards/40 yards with Charm)
Move: 9 yards
Dash: 19 yards

Weapons
Soulsteel Third-Arm Glaive
Blade - Speed 4, Accuracy +6, Damage +8L, Defense +4, Rate 2
Sash (Unarmed) - Speed 4, Accuracy 10, Damage 5L, Rate 3
Sash (Clinch) - Speed 6, Accuracy 10, Damage 5B, Rate 1, 9 Yard Reach

The rules of Exalted reward players with additional dice for describing their characters’ actions in an evocative manner. The out-of-game rationale for a stunt bonus is that well-described actions keep the game interesting for everyone and help the Storyteller set the scene. In game, stunts represent the capacity of epic heroes to be truly spectacular when they take risks and act like heroes.
==At the lowest level, one-die stunts require a good description of an action, adjudicated by the Storyteller. In return, the player gains one additional die, and the character may perform feats that border on impossible (such as running across the heads of people in a crowd, deflecting a blade or arrow barehanded and so on).
==Two-die stunts require that the character interact with the environment in some notable fashion, taking advantage of the scenery that the Storyteller has provided. This can be physical environment or things the character knows about the world, like an enemy’s phobias or a lover’s favorite flower. The player gets two bonus dice and may perform limited dramatic editing. No detail of the scene may be contradicted, but minor details may be “revealed” in the context of the character’s actions. For instance, a character might leap off a parapet to escape a hail of arrows, and the player could use a two-die stunt to reveal a banner fortuitously hung on the wall, which the character grabs to save himself. The Storyteller may veto any editing that he feels strains belief or is otherwise inappropriate (such as an edit that contradicts a major detail he has not yet revealed). Players cannot generally use a stunt to draw a “hidden” weapon from nowhere, although some assassins might well have shuriken or throwing needles hidden all over their person, leaving exact placement vague until a good stunt opportunity arises.
==Three-die stunts are singular acts of greatness, stunning bravado and visual poetry, defined by their capacity to leave the other players slack-jawed in astonishment. If any doubt exists as to whether a stunt merits three dice, it isn’t a three-die stunt. In addition to providing three bonus dice, these feats allow for the same measure of dramatic editing as two-die stunts.

If an action enhanced by a stunt succeeds, the character receives a number of motes of Essence equal to twice the stunt’s rating. For two- or three-die stunts, the player may choose to have the character recover a point of Willpower instead of Essence.
Anna Byrne was dying, and there was nothing she could do about it.

How did her life lead to this? Things seemed to be going so well for her. Living in Lookshy, Anna was a member of the city's military, working in the ranks of the supply and logistics corps, doing a fairly good job of keeping the various departments and units with their needed gear and provisions. It was here that Anna met the man that would eventually become her husband, and with her wedding, she was a woman that was quite content with her lot in life and was looking forward to starting a family someday with her husband.

Things took a dramatic turn for the worse one day when Anna discovered that one of the officers of the supply corps was stealing equipment from the storehouse and was selling it to earn a profit for himself. With her documented proof in hand, she immediately went to her supervisor to turn him in. Little did she know that the thief was the dearly loved son of her supervisor, and if he did turn on his own son, it would also ruin his own career, since no one would believe that he didn't know about the graft of his own son. The supervisor makes the immediate decision to discredit Anna, and as a result, she is now ordered out of the cushy office job in the supply corps to now being assigned to work in one of the much smaller field offices that Lookshy has set up on its border.

Returning to her home in disgrace, hoping to find some solace from her husband, she instead finds him in bed with another woman! It is only due to her 'dear' husbands' strength that held her at bay from her attempt to kill him and his mistress. The next day, with her life in shambles and her marriage destroyed by infidelity, Anna is sent off into the field where she is expected to rot away, far from the city that she was so devoted to.

Forced to live in the rough conditions of the forward base, things went from bad to worse. While out on a foot patrol with a squad of infantry, they came across a band of raiders from an opposing nation that were heading towards the small garrison that they were ordered to guard with overwhelming numbers that they couldn't hope to stand against for long. They immediately signaled for help from Lookshy and waited for support to arrive but the needed help never came. Despite their best efforts, the small garrison force was overrun, and Anna herself was run through by a sword and left for dead.

As she lay there dying, coughing up blood, the mortally wounded woman spewed forth her utter hatred for all those that had betrayed her: her superior officer, her husband, and finally, Lookshy itself. Surprisingly, a voice answers her, asking what she would do if she had the chance to live. Even though she thought she was imagining it, Anna answers that she would seek out her revenge against all of Creation for abandoning her and destroying her life piece by piece. With her last breath, Anna was laying out a horrendous curse at the feet of all that had wronged her.

But instead of fading out and having her spirit go into the Underworld as she expected would happen, she felt a strange warmth flowing through her body, along with a sudden rush of strength and vitality. Slowly she rises, and is faced with a strange man standing nearby, watching her. It turns out that he was one of the fearsome Deathknights, and he was there to escort her to her savior and new master, The Deliverer of Dark Dreams and Nightmares.

Instead of falling into despair at this dark fate, the newly minted Abyssal reveled in the discovered power of her new existence. Giving up her old name and taking on the title of the Voice That Cries From the Heart of Darkness, she completely threw herself into her life as a servant of the Underworld. One day, as a reward for a job well done, Deliverer called for Voice to attend her. Voice was then presented with a gift; both her husband and his mistress, bound and gagged, lying on the cold, hard ground.

So many delightful and exquisite ways of delivering pain to her captives flashed through her mind, and for many nights, the quiet of the Underworld was shattered by the tormented screams of Voice's prisoners. Finally, the enjoyment of causing pain to those that had wronged her started to fade. Voice then takes her prisoners and delivers them to the artificers and had them made into the Soulsteel Glaive that she now carries with her so they can now be together forever.
Trait Increase / Cost
Attribute / Rating x4
Favored or Caste Ability / (Rating x2) -1
Out of Caste Ability / Rating x2
Essence / Rating x8
Virtue / Rating x3
Willpower / Rating x2
New Ability / 3
Specialty / 3
Favored/Caste Charm / 8
Out of Caste Charm / 10
Spell (Occult Favored) / 8

Xp earned: 8
Xp banked: 8

Eonivar · Apr 22, 2023

Name: Camina, The Deliverer's Shadow, Widow of One Thousand Betrayals, aka The Moon Killer
Gender: Female
Apparent Age: 25
Caste: Day

Attributes:
Strength 3
Dexterity 5
Stamina 4

Charisma 3
Manipulation 2
Appearance 3

Perception 5
Intelligence 2
Wits 3
Anima Effects - Day Caste

Like their Night Caste counterparts, They Who Dwell Among the Wretched can reflexively spend an extra mote to prevent any Peripheral Essence spent activating a Charm from adding to their anima banners. Hiding the use of Obvious Charms doubles the Charm’s mote cost instead.

Additionally, Daywalkers can reflexively shroud themselves in ghostly concealment for a scene by spending 10 motes. (Obviously, this power does not contribute to anima display.) Other characters suffer an internal penalty equal to half the deathknight’s Essence rating to notice or track the shrouded character. While radiating an anima banner at the 11–15 mote level or higher, the character’s specific identifying features become indiscernible apart from any iconic display.

Abilities
Dusk
*Archery 5 Specialty- PowerBow
Martial Arts
Melee
Thrown
War

Midnight
Integrity
Performance
Presence 3
*Resistance 3
Survival 1

Daybreak
Craft
*Investigation 3
Lore 2
Medicine 2
Occult 2

Day
*Athletics 3
*Awareness 5 Specialty - Listening
*Dodge 5 Specialty - With bow in hand
*Larceny 3
*Stealth 5 Specialty - In the city

Moonshadow
*Bureaucracy 2
Linguistics 3 (Flametongue, Old Realm, Guild Cant, Riverspeak) Specialty: Native Dialect Chiaroscuro Flametongue
Ride 1
Sail
*Socialize 3
Artifact - Time Strung Bow (4)

speed 5, accuracy +1, damage +3L, rate 3, range 350, attune 8
Crafted from Szoreny’s tarnished silver wood, this
bow is inlaid with black nacre and strung with a thread
of Time. By expending one Willpower, its wielder may
launch an arrow into the future. She fires the bow as
normal but her player makes no attack roll. The arrow
disappears before it strikes, vanishing into the folds
of eternity. At some point within the next five days,
when the target is unaware, the arrow reappears and strikes.
The Storyteller determines the moment of the attack.
An arrow striking out of time uses its owner’s dice pool
and modifiers as they were when the arrow was launched.
Such an attack cannot be enhanced by Charms, but its target
treats the attack as unexpected. The arrow moves through
space as well as time. Thus, the target cannot escape it by
traveling to another location—or even to another realm of
existence. The number of arrows an archer may suspend in
time cannot exceed her permanent Essence.

Artifact - Everyman Armor (2)

Soak +6L/8B
Everyman armor looks like a plain steel suit of lamellar armor. It functions similarly, offering the same amount of protection, mobility penalty and fatigue. Before attunement, its only unique feature is near indestructibility. Attuning it requires six motes, at which point its mobility penalty and fatigue drop to zero. While wearing the armor, an attuned character may spend three motes to reflexively change her appearance. The character can look like any human she imagines, in any dress, and the armor can look like any sort of armor (but provides a constant amount of soak). Mundane attempts to see through the disguise fail, but people with inhuman sensory acuity may succeed. Their attempts are made at +2 diffi culty on top of the character’s additional efforts to conceal her identity. The only restriction is that the disguise always includes some form of evident armor.

In the event that a nonhuman wears everyman armor (such as a Fair Folk or beastman), that character can change his appearance but not his species. A wolfman, for instance, could look like any wolfman, but not a snakeman or human.

Liege Rank 5

Dots in this Background provide benefits as if an Abyssal had Backing, Mentor and Resources ratings each equal to her Liege rating. The character can also request the temporary use of Abyssal Command, Allies, Artifact, Manse, Mentor or Spies. She just asks her Deathlord and hopes that he finds her request reasonable for the mission. The higher a character’s Liege rating is, however, the closer her master watches her actions and the more time she must spend on the Deathlord’s missions

Rank 5 = Your character is the right hand of his Deathlord master’s unholy will. The Deathlord regularly requests his advice when making plans, but he must always stay on call for assignments and cannot count on uninterrupted free time.
Archery

Cost: 1m per die; Mins: Archery 1, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive; Keywords Combo-Ok
Duration: Instant
Abyssals with this Charm are known for their moments of brilliance. The Exalt's player can invoke this Charm when making a roll based on the relevant ability. This Charm then adds one die to that roll for each mote spent.
Characters can also use this Charm to enhance unrolled uses of the relevant Ability, usually to increase a Defense Value, for example by increasing (Dexterity + Dodge) to protect against a physical attack. When enhancing static values, her player rolls one die for each mote spent on the First Excellency. Each success increases her effective (Attribute + Ability) rating for the task by two. Therefore, each success on the First Excellency roll increases an applicable static value by one.

Cost: 3m or 5m; Mins: Archery 4, Essence 1; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (There is No Wind;
Exalted, p. 187)
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Any Archery Excellency
No distraction can keep an Abyssal from her quarry. Her attacks unnaturally twist in flight with a predatory hunger of their own to find their mark, negating all penalties except wound and multiple-action penalties.

She spends three motes and fires a single flawless shot, regardless of distance, visibility, weather and other prevailing conditions. This Charm nullifies all penalties, except wound and multiple action penalties, applying to a single Archery-based attack.

If the Abyssal has Essence 3 or higher, she can spend two additional motes and this Charm will increase the Range of her weapon to her maximum visibility range.

Cost: 4m; Mins: Archery 4, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Pulse of the Prey
When the arrows of Oblivion taste blood, can they be blamed for drinking deeper of the wound? This Charm enhances any Archery-based attack that inflicts lethal (or aggravated) damage. If the attack inflicts any damage to an animate being, the projectile burrows deeper into the wound and cannot be removed without a difficulty 3 (Strength + [Athletics or Medicine]) roll as a miscellaneous action. Energy-based attacks instead cover the target in an agonizing nimbus of the appropriate energy (so firewands set victims aflame), but the action to extinguish this nimbus is the same. Until the effect is stopped, the victim suffers an number of dice of lethal damage equal to the Abyssal’s Essence on each tick when the victim acts (or once every five seconds out of combat). This damage bypasses soak and Hardness from armor.

Victims suffering from multiple activations of this Charm use the highest Essence among the archers to determine damage, adding one die to the damage and one to the difficulty of removal for each activation after the first.

Cost: 1m, 1wp; Mins: Archery 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords:Combo-OK, Mirror (Accuracy Without Distance; Exalted, p. 187), Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Pulse of the Prey
Nothing can save those whom an Abyssal archer has chosen for death. As the arrow leaves her bow, a shrieking spectral aura guides her shaft inexorably to its target. As with the Solar Charm, the player rolls the attack but only to see if there are sufficient successes to add to damage.

The Exalt spends this Charm’s cost and fi res an arrow at a valid target. This Charm supplements the player’s Archery roll and guarantees that the arrow hits. This Charm can be used in archery contests and for trick shots—such as severing a rope from afar—but it is most often used in attacks. Resolve such attacks normally. If the attack would have missed without this Charm, then it hits, calculating its raw damage based on an assumption of 0 attack successes. This Charm does not change the normal rules for valid targets—shooting “the gap in his armor” does not allow the Exalt to bypass armor soak, nor does this Charm allow the Exalt to fi re through a stone wall or beyond the maximum Range of his bow without additional magic.

Cost: 2m or 4m per attack; Mins: Archery 3, Essence 2; Type: Extra Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Trance of Unhesitating Speed; Exalted, p. 187), Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Any Archery Excellency His fingers an unnatural blur of motion, the Abyssal draws and fires a barrage from his weapon.
This Charm is a magical flurry of two or more Archery-based attacks. Each attack costs two motes, including the first, and the Exalt can buy up to (her permanent Essence + 1) attacks. This Charm lets the Solar make these attacks regardless of the weapon’s Rate, without multiple action penalties, and with a DV penalty equal to the highest penalty for any one attack.

Some Archery weapons, such as firewands and siege crossbows, are difficult to fi re rapidly. Characters using Trance of Unhesitating Speed with a weapon that has a Rate less than 1 must spend four motes rather than two motes on each attack.

This Charm need not be Obvious if the character does not exceed the normal Rate of the bow, but it can be Obvious at any time if the activating character desires.

Cost: 5m; Mins: Archery 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 4)
Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Withering Feathered Maelstrom
Some Abyssals find ranged weapons distasteful because they do not afford an opportunity to stare into a victim’s eyes as she dies. Unfortunately, archers who fire weapons close enough to savor each kill lose the primary advantage of using ranged weapons in the first place. This Charm reconciles the paradox of sadism and practicality, invoking the proximate certainty of Oblivion to aid point-blank shots. Upon activating Elegant Executioner Stance, the Abyssal may draw and load any Archery weapons available to him as part of the action needed to use this Charm. For the rest of the Charm’s duration, whenever the Abyssal makes an Archery based attack on a target within five yards, extra successes on attack rolls count twice for purposes of determining raw damage.

Cost: 2m; Mins: Archery 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Essence Arrow Attack; Exalted, p. 188), Obvious
Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None

The deathknight imbues a ranged attack with the Essence of Oblivion, making every arrow a talon of the Neverborn and every firewand blast a shrieking exhalation of Primordial doom. This Charm adds the Abyssal’s Essence to the raw damage of an Archery-based attack. Learning the Charm also gives the Abyssal one of the following effects. Additional effects cost one experience point for each or one bonus point for two. Abyssals may apply as many known effects to each attack as desired, but each costs two motes to use.

Bloodthirsty Arrow: The necrotic Essence infusing the arrow brings certain death. The archer adds two dice to post-soak damage or reduces the target’s DV against the attack by one, as he chooses. The character can stack these effects by spending additional motes, but cannot increase damage or reduce the target’s DV by an amount greater than his permanent Essence.

Dream-Shattering Spite: The attack unravels the illusions of life and hope. It inflicts aggravated damage to creatures of the Wyld. The attack inflicts normal damage to all other targets.

Hundred Paces Bite: Imbued with necrotic power, the attack disrupts and devours Essence. If the attack hits a being with an Essence pool (regardless of whether it inflicts any damage), the victim loses a number of motes equal to the Abyssal’s Essence rating. Beings with Personal Essence lose motes from this pool first. Abyssals who know Ravening Mouth of Archery absorb the drained motes. Otherwise, the energy simply fades into Oblivion.

Imposition of Agony: The Neverborn suffer without the release of death. An attack blessed with this effect carries a brief taste of this cold torture. If the attack hits an animate target (regardless of whether it inflicts any damage), the victim convulses and falls prone from psychic shock, unless her player successfully rolls to resist knockdown (Exalted, p. 153). If the Abyssal chooses, this effect can also remove all physical damage from the attack, transforming the projectile into a writhing corona of red and black lightning on impact.

Cost: 1m; Mins: Archery 3, Essence 2;
Type: Simple (Speed 3)
Keywords:Combo-OK, Mirror (Summoning the Loyal Bow;Exalted, p. 189)
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Splinter of the Void

An Abyssal archer may hide her weapons Elsewhere where none may disarm her. She rips them out of a shadowed vortex when a new opportunity for murder arises. As with Solars, separate committed activations of this Charm may concurrently banish multiple weapons.

The Abyssal first draws a ranged weapon that he owns and has used to inflict damage in battle. This Charm banishes that weapon to Elsewhere. The Solar can then draw the weapon directly from Elsewhere later, using a miscellaneous action. The Charm ends when he does so. If he cancels the Essence committed to this Charm while the weapon is Elsewhere, the weapon falls to the ground at his side. This Charm can banish only objects (including artifacts) deliberately created as ranged weapons.

Awareness

Cost: 3m (2xp); Mins: Awareness 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Taint Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: None

The Abyssal’s pupils ooze outward to stain iris and white alike with featureless and pitiless darkness. Enemies who stare into this darkness sometimes see their own death reflected within, the death they fear or perhaps the death the Neverborn wish for them (though such visions carry no true prophetic power). More practically, the deathknight can see perfectly in the dark without any penalties or reduction in visibility. He is no better able to see through fog or other visual obstructions.

The Taint drawback to this Charm is that the Abyssal’s eyes become painfully sensitive to direct sunlight within Creation, imposing a -1 internal penalty to all non-reflexive actions while so illuminated unless he closes his eyes completely. His eyes also immediately betray his supernatural nature if he cannot somehow hide their stain. The Taint costs one bonus point or two experience points.

Resistance
Ox Body Technique X 4

Dodge

Cost: 1m; Mins: Dodge 3, Essence 1;
Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Shadow Over Water;Exalted, p. 227)
Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None
The Abyssal shifts slightly and effortlessly, giving the impression that the attack harmlessly passed by her—through her?—without any effort on her part.

The maneuver restores defensive advantage to a beleaguered or overextended fighter. This Charm is used in response to an attack. It allows the Exalt to ignore all penalties that apply to her Dodge DV when resolving that attack. Her Dodge DV is still 0 against an undodgeable attack, but she takes no further penalties.

Cost: 3m; Mins: Dodge 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (Seven Shadow Evasion; Exalted, p. 227), Obvious, Spectral
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Flitting Shadow Form
The Abyssal unnaturally dissolves out of the path of an attack, seeking respite in the momentary peace of non-existence. He reappears all too quickly, his perfect dodge completed by re-forming him somewhere within (Essence) yards that he could have reached through conventional evasive action. This Charm can dodge undodgeable attacks, but it cannot dodge unexpected attacks. This Charm carries one of the Four Flaws of Abyssal Invulnerability.

Stealth

Cost: —; Mins: Stealth 3, Essence 1; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Mirror (Easily Overlooked Presence Method;
Exalted, p. 230)
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: None
It is not merely the judgment of the Unconquered Sun
that makes Abyssals creatures of darkness. Shadows are their
element, hiding them from their prey until it’s too late. Purchasing this Charm gives Abyssals an artificial +3 specialty
“In Darkness” for Stealth, though this bonus is not cumulative
with normal specialties. Furthermore, whenever this artificial
specialty applies to an action, Shadow Cloak Technique also
doubles all bonus dice and/or successes received from stunts
or Stealth Excellencies, although Excellency use remains
capped by the usual limits for bonuses added by Charms

Cost: 4m; Mins: Stealth 5, Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Avatar (1), Combo-Basic, Spectral
Duration: One hour
Prerequisite Charms: Shadow Cloak Technique
The Abyssal blurs and fades into the darkness between
the strands of the Tapestry, outside fate and completely
invisible except to those who share her insight into the
Neverborn’s madness (i.e., those with a Whispers rating).
This invisibility imposes a -2 external penalty to any attempt
to notice or attack her. Ranged attacks against her become
impossible (she is not a valid target) without the aid of magic
or a stunt. The bonus adds two successes to contested Stealth
rolls to avoid notice instead of adding to the onlooker’s difficulty (such as when reestablishing surprise).
As an additional benefit, the Abyssal is outside fate
for purposes of Sidereal astrology. While the Charm lasts,
the deathknight cannot be found on the Loom of Fate,
astrological blessings and curses do not affect her, and she
sees through the false identities created through resplendent destinies.
It is still possible for the Abyssal to be detected,
making effective Stealth rolls as important as ever. The
fact that the Abyssal may use that Stealth even in the
absence of cover or concealment, however, provides a
significant tactical opportunity for repeatedly setting up
unexpected attacks.
Health Levels
-0 [ ][ ]
-1 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
-4 [ ]
I [ ]

Essence: 4
Personal Motes: 19
Peripheral Motes: 37
Committed:
Willpower: 5

Compassion: 2
Conviction: 3
Temperance: 2
Valor: 2

Personal Soak: 2L/4B
Armored Soak: +6L/8B

Parry DV: 3
Dodge DV: 7

Jumping Distance:
Move:
Dash:

Weapons
Time Strong Bow
Intimacies
- "I give my heart, body and soul to The Deliverer of Dark Dreams and Nightmares, she is the only one who has truly loved me."
- "The Sidereals took my son away from me and turned him against me, no one should control others fate and destinies like they do. They all should die and their souls be used for fuel."
- "The living must be set free from this cruel world of Gods, Sidereals, Dragonbloodeds, Lunars, and Solars who toy with them like figures on a game board. Their spirits must be set free of their mortal shells to find salvation and escape the oppression of the higher powers of the living."
- "My son Sebastian is a part of me I am not certain I will be able to get back. I fear he has committed himself too much into the cause of the Sidereals. Through their manipulation he had taken almost everything away in my life only for myself to be reborn to find the truth in Death. There is a part of me that still thinks he loves me deep down inside."
- "I thought my reincarnated Lunar Mate Khione loved me as we had in past lives. I regretted at the time greatly in killing her twin but in doing so only revealed to me the truth of my former mate's feelings. I will always love her, and I will happily, as a mercy, end her tortured living existence so she may find salvation in death."
- "My brothers and sisters in my Solar Circle welcomed my with open arms when I exalted. We went on many adventures and had good times together, only for them to turn their backs on me and abandon me to the Wild Hunt after I had saved and loved them for so long. I will one day find and kill each one of them so they may find the salvation of death and that the truth of their warped manipulated souls can be revealed before their very eyes."
- <I have one more intimacy I will figure out and add as the RP goes on>
Camina's Story
Some time ago on the night of the new moon in the slums of Chiaroscuro during a time that a shadowland formed there briefly, a very poor little girl named Lilly met a a Pretty Cold White Lady in front of the house. The Lady who was much more than she seemed to be had thought to end this little one's suffering in the living world but stopped when she realized that this little girl could actually sense that the woman was more than she seemed, and that when she touched the little girls hand, the woman sensed the potential for great power and destiny.

The woman then went to 'help' the girl's mother by getting her a job with a local underworld boss. Things were better for a little bit, It improved their situation. Lilly's mother got married but was abused, turned into a prostitute, and addicted to drugs. Lilly learned to take care of herself on the streets, learned to hide, to steal things, to listen, to watch. One day, she had stolen a bow from one of the city soldiers and took to it quickly. She was a natural archer.

When she was a teenager. Lily had her first betrayal. Desperate to maintain her drug habit, her mother sold her to another underworld boss. She tried to run away, but was caught. She was forced into prostitution. She became pregnant and had a child. The child was taken away from her and disappeared completely (Taken to become a Sidereal). Then Lily exalted into a Night Caste Solar. She combed the city for her child and could not find them.

She was found by a circle of Solars and Lunars. She had found her Lunar mate in fact. She found her Time String bow as a Solar.

Her son grew up to be a Bronze Faction Sidereal, and was made very bitter at her for 'abandoning him' by the one who took him away and mentored him. He manipulated fate to bring his mother to an end like no other. Through a case of oddly switched identity, Lilly murdered her Lunar Mate's sister during a mission. There was a big misunderstanding and communications. Her lunar mate attacked her and wounded her, she fought back, but the attack was just to keep her occupied for the Wild Hunt to come and finish her off as her Circle and Lunar Mate betrayed and abandoned her.

As Lily bled out, full of arrows and sword wounds, her body burned and shredded by sorcery, as she cast her last breath, the Pretty Alabaster Lady came to her in a vision and offered her love and a new chance in return for her eternal service.

Lily did not say no. At the moment Lily became Camina, The Deliverer's Shadow, Widow of One Thousand Betrayals, The Moon Killer.

EbonChevalier · Apr 22, 2023

Placeholder

Tachyon · Apr 28, 2023

Name: Apostle of Immortal Freedom
Caste: Midnight
Concept: Messiah of a death cult
Theme Song

ATTRIBUTES
Str 2
Dex 3
Sta 3

Cha 5
Man 4
App 3 (7 /w Hearthstone)

Per 4
Int 2
Wits 4

ABILITIES
Presence 5 (Caste)
Performance 5 (Caste)
Resistance 5 (Caste)
Linguistics 5 (Favored)
Integrity 5 (Caste)

Occult 3 (Favored)
Lore 3 (Favored)
Bureacracy 3
Socialize 3
Investigation 1 (Favored)
Athletics 1
Awareness 1 (Favored)

Specialties
Oration - Performance 2
Athletics - Flight 2

Languages
Flametongue (Native)
Old Realm
High Realm
Seatongue
Forest Tongue
Riverspeak
Whisper 3
Liege 4

Artifact 3, Chaomorphic Amulet.
Artifact 1, Soulsteel Hearthstone Amulet

Cult 2
Followers 2, 20 monks dedicated to the Apostle.

As cutting edge as a new pair of wings might be, many Exalted just don’t feel comfortable altering themselves in a permanent fashion until they are really sure that doing so is right for them. Chaomorphic symbiotes provide that middle option, designed for quick attunement and quick removal as circumstances warrant. In their natural state, these genesis artifacts exist as viscous masses of iridescent protoplasm. Contact with a willing host awakens them, at which point they rapidly ooze across the offered surface to form a membrane and begin the attunement process. After five minutes of bonding, the organism soaks completely into its host’s tissue and out of sight, forcing a one-mote commitment, but remains visible to Essence sight. Discontinuing the attunement to a chaomorphic symbiote forcibly ejects it through available orifices and pores, inflicting one level of unsoakable lethal damage to the host.

While hosting one of these artifacts, a character can manifest any or all of the mutations programmed into it, transforming her body as needed to access these powers. Hosting requires a reflexive indefinite commitment of ([sum of positive mutations manifested – sum of negative mutations manifested] x 2) motes. (The difference between the two aforementioned sums cannot be less than zero, even if the symbiote has more negative mutations manifested than positive ones.) The Artifact rating of the symbiote determines the maximum number of mutation points that may be conferred, as noted on the accompanying table. This value also caps the total value of positive mutations that may be programmed into the artifact at the time of its Creation. (Negative mutations do not count against the limit, but Storytellers should probably limit them to a total value no greater than the total value of positive changes.) Mutations gained this way do not decrease one’s viability in Creation.

Mortals can even attune to these devices without enlightened Essence if they dare, as the process temporarily gives them a pool of (Essence x 10) motes with which to manifest mutations. This power comes with a steep price however, as the symbiote generates the motes by feeding on its host’s life, aging her at twice her normal rate like a set of aegis-inset amulets (see The Books of Sorcery, Vol. I—Wonders of the Lost Age, p. 71). Still, it makes a fascinating maintenance-free alternative to gunzosha armor (see The Books of Sorcery, Vol. I—Wonders of the Lost Age, p. 81). Rating Mutation Points
• 2
•• 4
••• 8
•••• 12
••••• 16

This particular artifact grants the wearer access to the Wings mutation, requiring 12 motes to commit.

Manse 5

Base Points, 10
Maintaince Flaw, +2 Points
Hearthstone of Lower Level (4), +1 Point
Comfort Zone, -1 Point
Archive (Ghosts, Religion, Geography, Necromancy, Another Thing), -2 Points
Fortress, -3 points
Temple (Delivered of Dark Dreams and Nightmares/Neverborn), -3 points
Soul Prison, -4 Points

This iridescent white oval adds four dots to the wearer’s Appearance, raising it to a maximum of 7. In addition, the bearer cannot be made to look anything other than beautiful: nothing short of Solar Circle Sorcery can even temporarily reduce his Appearance. If dressed in rags and covered in mud, he appears handsomely disheveled; if disguised to look horribly scarred, he seems to bear noble wounds that must obviously have come from performing some grand feat of heroism. Other people always notice the bearer unless he uses stealth, Charms or the cover of darkness to conceal himself. This is good when giving a speech… not so good for a discreet meeting with an informant.
Resistance
2nd Resistance Excellency
Injury-Absorbing Technique
Spirit-Hardened Frame
Wounds Mean Nothing

Performance
1st Performance excellency
Haunting Apparition Trick
Withering Phantasmagoria
Elegy of the Fallen

Linguistics
Screaming in Silence

Presence
1st Presence Excellency
Chaining the Weak
Backstory
*Tragic background story involving him being a disillusioned immaculate monk*

Theology
"Mortality is suffering, and the cycle of reincarnation is a prison. A great lie has been told to the people of Creation, that to be reincarnated is to be desired, right, and just. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a lie spewed forth by the great Elemental Dragons and the other Incarnae, to satiate their depraved hunger with the death of mortals. As you die, they eat your memories and sense of self, then regurgitate you into the world once more like a farmer fertilizing the fields with the corpses of cattle. You are reborn knowing nothing of your past self to make sure you cannot slip free of this torture.

What is true freedom? Immortality. Ghosthood.

It is the only way for mortals to escape their perverse enslavement, to live forever with their memories intact. To no longer suffer from old age, disease and death. By worshipping your ancestors, they will be empowered to help you break free of the cycle like they once did, so that you may join them in glorious immortality. Glorious freedom."

-The Apostle
Essence: 4
Peripheral Motes: X/Y with Z committed
Personal Motes: X/Y
Willpower: 8

Dodge
Parry

MDV

Health matrix:

Compassion: 4
Conviction: 4
Temperence: 3
Courage: 2

Intimacies
Delivered of Dark Dreams and Nightmares (Infatuation)
The Immaculate Order (Hatred)
The Neverborn (Admiration)
Bonus points 25
6 backgrounds

Willpower 3
Virtues 4

Essence 4 (7)
2 abilties
1 Charm

Crocodile · May 3, 2023

Name: The Merchant of Death
Gender: Male
Apparent Age: 30
Caste: Moonshadow
Concept: Mad Genius
Merchant of Death Theme

Attributes

Str: 2
Dex: 3
Sta: 3

Cha: 3
Man: 4
App: 3

Per: 3
Int: 5
Wits: 4

Abilities

Dusk
Archery
Martial Arts: 3
Melee
Thrown
War: 3

Midnight
Integrity: 3
Performance
Presence: 3
Resistance: 1
Survival

Daybreak
Craft: 5 (Air, Fire, Water, First Age Tech, Necrotech) (Favored)
Investigation 1 (Favored)
Lore: 5 (Favored)
Medicine: 5 (Favored)
Occult: 5 (Favored)

Day
Athletics
Awareness: 1
Dodge: 3
Larceny
Stealth

Moonshadow
Bureaucracy: 5 (Caste)
Linguistics: 3 - Riverspeak, Flametongue, Old Realm, High Realm (Caste)
Ride (Caste)
Sail (Caste)
Socialize: 5 (Caste)

Specialties

Bureaucracy - Commerce: 2

Socialize - Political Intrigue: 2
Artifact - Soulsteel Chainshirt: 1

Artifact - Soulsteel Hearthstone Cane (Hearthstone Bracers): 2

Liege: 3 (Abyssal Command 3 - 100 Nemissaries)

Manse - Death Speech Stone: 3 (Oasis of Dark Waters)

Resources: 5

Anima Effects: The consummate hypocrites do not abide the lies of others. If a Moonshadow touches the hands of people who make a promise, the deathknight may reflexively spend 10 motes and a point of Willpower to call the Neverborn to witness the oath. (Doing so costs nothing while the Moonshadow displays his anima banner at the 11-15 mote level.) Upon invocation, the air bleeds spider-like runes spelling out the broken promises of the gods' ancient fealty to the Primordials. Anyone whoe breaks these sanctified promises is fated to botach a number of actions equal to the Essence rating the Moonshadow had w hen the promise was made. The Storyteller decides when the botches occur. Until all of the botches take place, the oathbreaker instinctively understands the doom her treachery brought upon herself. For this reason, the infinitely spiteful Neverborn often delay their wrath so that oathbreakers live in constant fear, waiting for the day when the darkness finally strikes.

Although Moonshadows a re not protected by the same pacts as their Eclipse cousins, they receive similar protection from other creatures of death. Such creatures instinctively know that the Neverborn care twist their fate to make them suffer. If a creature of death initiates physcial hostilities against a Moonshadow who has shown his caste mark and invoked the protection of Oblivion, the aggressor suffers a Resonance effect chosen by the Abyssal's player. The severity of the effect equals the Aybssal's Essence rating (though the Moonshadow does not actually vent any points of Resonance). Even mindless creatures such as hungry ghosts and walking dead understand this doom. They will not attack the Moonshadow, or anyone the deathknight names as under his protection, unless they are supernaturally compelled to do so. Only the Deathlords can other Abyssals are exempt from this ban.

Finally Moonshadows may perform the ultimate feat of magical cheating by learning non-Abyssal Charms. Such Charms cost 16 experience points apiece to learn, and two extra motes to active.
Martial Arts
-First Martial Arts Excellency

Crafting
-First Crafting Excellency
-Fault Finding Scrutiny
-Eternal Embalming Preparation

Occult
-1st Occult Excellency
-Shadowland Circle Necromancy
(Raise the Skeletal Horde)

Bureaucracy
-1st Bureaucracy Excellency
-Cunning Subversion Style

Socialize
-First Socialize Excellency
-Exquisite Etiquette Style
The Soulsteel Hearthstone Cane functions as Hearthstone bracers. The cane is designed to protect and service the Merchant's needs, including being used as an improvised weapon in combat in conjunction with Dark Messiah Style.

The cane provides a three-dice bonus to dodge attempts made by an attuned user.

The cane channels entropic energies against its target, decreasing lethal and bashing soaks by 2 against the Abyssal's attacks. This cannot reduce a target's soak below 0.

Attuning costs 4 motes.

A simplistic piece of armor to guard the Merchant in his travels through Creation. He almost always wears it beneath the fine clothing in grim colors he wears to stave off Creation's touch.

Attunement: 2 Motes

This Abyssal hearthstone is cobalt blue and perfectly egg-shaped. The Bearer may concentrate (as a miscelaneous action) to initiate a conversation with any corpse, so long as there still is some flesh left on the bones. The corpse will have no knowledge that it didn't already have when it died.
WIP
Health Levels

-0 [ ][ ]

-1 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ]

-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] - [ ]

-4 [ ]

I [ ]

Essence: 3

Personal Motes: 17

Peripheral Motes: 38 (32)

Committed: 6

Willpower: 8

Compassion: 2

Conviction: 2

Temperance: 3

Valor: 2

Personal Soak: ?

Armored Soak: ?

Parry DV: ?

Dodge DV: ?

Jumping Distance: ?

Move: ? yards

Dash: ? yards

Weapons

Unarmed
Clinch
Kick
Punch

Improvised

The rules of Exalted reward players with additional dice for describing their characters’ actions in an evocative manner. The out-of-game rationale for a stunt bonus is that well-described actions keep the game interesting for everyone and help the Storyteller set the scene. In game, stunts represent the capacity of epic heroes to be truly spectacular when they take risks and act like heroes.

==At the lowest level, one-die stunts require a good description of an action, adjudicated by the Storyteller. In return, the player gains one additional die, and the character may perform feats that border on impossible (such as running across the heads of people in a crowd, deflecting a blade or arrow barehanded and so on).

==Two-die stunts require that the character interact with the environment in some notable fashion, taking advantage of the scenery that the Storyteller has provided. This can be physical environment or things the character knows about the world, like an enemy’s phobias or a lover’s favorite flower. The player gets two bonus dice and may perform limited dramatic editing. No detail of the scene may be contradicted, but minor details may be “revealed” in the context of the character’s actions. For instance, a character might leap off a parapet to escape a hail of arrows, and the player could use a two-die stunt to reveal a banner fortuitously hung on the wall, which the character grabs to save himself. The Storyteller may veto any editing that he feels strains belief or is otherwise inappropriate (such as an edit that contradicts a major detail he has not yet revealed). Players cannot generally use a stunt to draw a “hidden” weapon from nowhere, although some assassins might well have shuriken or throwing needles hidden all over their person, leaving exact placement vague until a good stunt opportunity arises.

==Three-die stunts are singular acts of greatness, stunning bravado and visual poetry, defined by their capacity to leave the other players slack-jawed in astonishment. If any doubt exists as to whether a stunt merits three dice, it isn’t a three-die stunt. In addition to providing three bonus dice, these feats allow for the same measure of dramatic editing as two-die stunts.

If an action enhanced by a stunt succeeds, the character receives a number of motes of Essence equal to twice the stunt’s rating. For two- or three-die stunts, the player may choose to have the character recover a point of Willpower instead of Essence.
Oh, that's my blood pouring onto the floor...

Damn, I thought I really had something going here. I had everything set and then those raiders attacked the shipment. All those supplies I was going to sell gone in mere moments because of local brigands. I would laugh if I weren't dying. Years spent studying the ancient world and its wonders, to die like a dog in the mud. What a joke.

TO BE COMPLETED
Trait Increase / Cost

Attribute / Rating x4

Favored or Caste Ability / (Rating x2) -1

Out of Caste Ability / Rating x2

Essence / Rating x8

Virtue / Rating x3

Willpower / Rating x2

New Ability / 3

Specialty / 3

Favored/Caste Charm / 8

Out of Caste Charm / 10

Spell (Occult Favored) / 8

---

BP: 25
Bureaucracy 3 > 5 (2)
Craft 1 > 5 (4)
Lore 1 > 5 (4)
Medicine 3 > 5 (2)
Occult 3 > 5 (2)
Socialize 3 >5 (2)
Artifact 2 (2)
Resources 3 > 5 (4)
Willpower 5 > 8 (3)
= 25

Dice Abyssals 2.5 - Character Thread

Psychie

Princess Psychie

Sherwood

Luna's Concubine

Eonivar

Looking for Hope and Inspiration

EbonChevalier

Senior Member

Tachyon

Not a bird

Crocodile

Mister Zero

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