ArkElectrum
New Member
Re: City of Glass, City of Lights [Exalted 2e, Dragon-Bloode
Sounds fun! How do you feel about a House Ledaal Necromancer joining the group? My AIM handle is Daathicwind.
EDIT: Character Sheet is up, along with a couple of short background scenes.
EDIT LOG 2: Threw in a few edits, some minor corrections, Anima Banner, and more details on the Artifacts, etc.
Ledaal Kerata Cyril, Air Aspect
Concept: Cyril builds upon on a character I made for another campaign set before the fall of the Scarlet Empress, and by "builds upon" I mean that Cyril is his descendant. This is me trying my hand at lineage building so there's a lot of family history. Like pretty much everyone descended from Ledaal Kerata Kylin Cyril has a talent for Necromancy, and with it he acts as House Ledaal's eyes in the Chiaroscuro Underworld, making valuable otherworldly connections, and keeping a watchful eye out to combat the influence of the Deathlords.
Motivation: Resolve the disputes of the living and the dead in Chiaroscuro.
Intimacies:
Chiaroscuro (+)
The Realm (+)
Music (+)
The Dezahn (+)
Taua and Henchmen (+)
Attributes:
Perception 3
Intelligence 4
Wits 3
Charisma 5
Manipulation 1
Appearance 3
Strength 1
Dexterity 4
Stamina 2
Abilities:
[C] Linguistics (Flametongue. Native: High Realm) 1
[C] Lore 2
[C] Occult 5
[C] Stealth 2
[C] Thrown 4 (Chakram +2)
[F] Performance 5 (Sanxian +3)
[F] Resistance 2
[F] Awareness 3
Integrity 2
Investigation 1
War 1
Dodge 2
Melee 1
Presence 1
Socialize 3
Bureaucracy 1
Martial Arts 1
Archery 1
Ride 1
Virtues:
Compassion 2
Conviction 3
Temperance 3
Valor 1
Advantages
Willpower 7
Essence 5
Motes:
Personal 15
Peripheral 38 [Committed: 14 motes]
Merits:
Necromancy Focus
Flaws:
Enemy (1pt. Ragara Canan, a young Dragon-Blooded beaurocrat.)
Code of Honor (2pts)
Backgrounds :
Ally 3 (Taua the Phantom Maid)
Resources 3 (Related to trade Chiaroscuro, primarily of Salt.)
Connections 2 (Chiaroscuro Ghost Bankers, Chiaroscuro Delzahn Nobles)
Artifact 4 (Advanced Gemstone Esssence Capacitor, Silken Armor, Jade Advanced Buff Jacket (plates sewn on the inside))
Artifact 3 (Tarin's Coin, Unsurpassed Sanxian, Infinite Jade Chakram)
Artifact 1 (Two Jade Hearthstone Amulets)
Manse 3 (Key of Mastery, Memorial Iron, Labrinthine Eye, Jewel of Swift Comprehension)
Breeding 3
Henchmen 2 (Gilles the Ghost Watchman, Rau the Ghost Banker, and Kang Fei the Exorcist)
CHARMS
[=Thrown=]
First Thrown Excellency
Loyal Weapon
Flying Hornet Attack
Whirlwind Shield Form {p. 139}.
[=Occult=]
Iron Circle Necromancy
[=Stealth=]
Feeling the Air Technique {p. 138}
[=Resistance=]
Second Resistance Excellency.
[=Linguistics=]
Wind-Carried Words Technique {p. 131}
[=Dodge=]
First Dodge Excellency.
[=Resistance=]
Uneating Earth Meditation [2m] {p. 148}
[=Performance=]
First Performance Excellency.
Invisible Street Performer Technique [3m] {p. 179}
Soul-Stirring Performance Method [5m, 1wp] {p. 178}
Vibrating String Defense [5m] {p. 179}
SPELLS
[=Iron Circle Necromancy=]
Door of the Dead [18m] {p. 27}
Five Gifts
Dusk Eyes
Flesh-Sloughing Wave
Silent Master's Pollen
Trolling the Dark Waters
Field of Fell Dreams {p. 28}
Bonfire Visions {p. 25}
Blessed Dead Fools [14m] {p. 24}
Ghost-Bolstered Body {Custom}
Shattering Void Mirror
Artifacts:
Advanced Gemstone Essence Battery (Artifact 4)
{Abyssals, p. 215}
Repair: 2.
Stores up to 15 motes. Motes may be put into or drawn from the capacitor by anyone who can attune artifacts as a Miscellaneous Action.
Tarin's Coin (Artifact 2)
{Custom}
Attune: 4m.
A coin of black jade, on one side it features a ghostly judge holding a pair of scales and a book of law, on the other a jester smiling as he slips free of his bounds. The character who has attuned the coin may take a miscellaneous action (Speed 3, DV -1) to flip the coin before taking a Shape Necromancy Action. The coin vanishes into a place it cannot be tampered with, and appears an instant later in its owner's palm. If the coin lands with the Jester facing up, the character may forgo having to pay the Willpower cost associated with the subsequent Shape Necromancy action. If the judge lands face up, the character must reflexively pay 2 motes or take 1 bashing level of damage. The coin may be used up to three times per day.
Jade Reinforced Buff Jacket (Artifact 2)
{Exalted, p. 391}
The plates are sew into the jacket, normally this would make the jacket more fatiguing to wear, but this is offset by the material bonus of jade. It appears a heavy set of white robes.
Soak +7L/+10B. Hardness 5L/5B. Mobility -1. Fatigue 0. Attune: 3m.
Silken Armor (Artifact 2)
Can be worn while practicing martial arts styles the prohibit the use of armor, or worn on top of other armor. In this case it takes the form of a decorative white silk robe. It does not seem like armor and cannot be detected as magical without magic detecting Charms like All-Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight.
Soak 5L/3B, Hardness --, Mobility -1*, Fatigue 0, Attune: 2m.
*-Attunement removes this penalty
Infinite Jade Chakram (Artifact 2)
{Exalted, p. 389}
A Chakram made out of blue jade that creates phantom chakrams so that it be thrown infinitely without ever leaving the wielder's hands. May only be used by Exalts who are attuned to the Jade's magical material bonus.
Spd 4, Acc +0, Dmg +4L, Rate 4, Range 50, Attune: 5m.
Jade Hearthstone Amulet (Artifact 1)
{Exalted, p. 380}
Currently set with a Key of Mastery Hearthstone {Oadenthol, p. 88} attuned to spell Field of Fell Dreams {Black Treatise, p. 28}.
Jade Hearthstone Amulet (Artifact 1)
{Exalted, p. 380}
Currently set with a Memorial Iron Hearthstone {Oadenthol, p. 92}.
Quotes:
"Hey, don't break that, its an antique, I was alive back when they made it!"
"I'll bring the poison."
"Its not so bad, the worse thing you could do is die, and for some of us that a positive career move!"
"Indeed the centuries of death have revealed to me many secrets. I know more about doilies than you could possibly comprehend!"
Motivation: Serve the Kerata Kylin family to the best of her ability.
Fetters:
A sealed letter addressed 'to my sister,' most of the text is strangely missing -- 2
Leedal Kerata Cyril -- 1
A floor length mirror where she used to talk to herself as a young girl, it was significant to her throughout her life -- 1
Passions:
Service to the Leedal Kerata family (Conviction) -- 4
Skill/identity as a Maid (Temperance) -- 3
Protecting her Charge (Valor) -- 1
Attributes
Strength 2
Dexterity 6
Stamina 2
Intelligence 3
Wits 3
Perception 2
Charisma 1
Manipulation 3
Appearance 3
Abilities:
[F] Thrown 5 (Knives +3)
Craft (Pandemonium, Water, Wood, Air, Jadecrafting) 5
Melee 5
Dodge 4
Athletics 3
Stealth 3
Awareness 3
Bureaucracy 3
Presence 3
Socialize 2
Integrity 2
Resistance 1
Lore 1
Virtues:
Temperance 2
Conviction 5
Valor 3
Compassion 1
Advantages:
Essence 4
Merits
Legendary Dexterity
Backgrounds:
Age 1
Artifact 2 (Perfect Talon Dagger {Oadenthol p. 35})
Artifact 1 (Underworld Jade Chain Shirt)
Contacts 1 (Chiaroscurio Tea and Dishware experts)
Resources 3
Manse 1 (Attuned to the Villa)
ARCANOI:
=Common=
Assassin's Subtle Escape [5m; 1wp] {p. 128}
Angry Trickster Ghost Method [5m] {p. 129} (Hurricane of objects)
Moon's Cold Glow
=Terror-Spreading Art=
Corpse-Fed Radiance [2m] {p. 156}
Hand of the Wind [3m, 1wp] {p. 158}
Strike of Dead Hands [+5m, +1wp] {p. 159} (double strength Hand of the Wind)
Flying Time Technique [8m, 1wp] (Extra Action, Pandemonium.)
Black Breath of the Abyss
Painting the Sunset Picture
Midnight Canvas Unfurled
The Ichor Cauldron
Messenger of the Grave
Six Plauge Summons (Spiders!)
=Essence Measuring Thief Arts=
Aura Reading Technique
=Tangled Web Arts=
World Bridging Meditation.
Death Avoiding Monitor.
Bonus Points: [26 BP]
12 BP: Essence 2=>3
4 BP: Dexterity 4=>5.
4 BP: Conviction 3=>4
2 BP: Thrown 3=>5. 1 BP: Thrown (Knives)+2
1 BP: Resources 2=>3
3 BP: Legendary Dexterity
Experience: [250XP]
30XP Essence 3=>4
12XP Conviction 4=>5
14XP Craft 2=>5 (added Water, Air, and Jadecrafting)
6XP Presence 1=>3
6XP Awareness 1=>3
9XP Bureaucracy 0=>3
6XP Dodge 3=>4
14XP Melee 3=>5
10XP Integrity 2=>4
20XP Dexterity 5=>6
8XP Manipulation 2=>3
8XP Wits 2=>3
3XP Thrown (Knives+3)
10XP Black Breath of the Abyss
10XP Painting the Sunset Picture
10XP Midnight Canvas Unfurled
10XP The Ichor Cauldron
10XP Messenger of the Grave
10XP Six Plauge Summons
10XP Aura Reading Technique
10XP Moon's Cold Glow
10XP World Bridging Meditation
10XP Death Avoiding Monitor
Sounds fun! How do you feel about a House Ledaal Necromancer joining the group? My AIM handle is Daathicwind.
EDIT: Character Sheet is up, along with a couple of short background scenes.
EDIT LOG 2: Threw in a few edits, some minor corrections, Anima Banner, and more details on the Artifacts, etc.
Ledaal Kerata Cyril, Air Aspect
Concept: Cyril builds upon on a character I made for another campaign set before the fall of the Scarlet Empress, and by "builds upon" I mean that Cyril is his descendant. This is me trying my hand at lineage building so there's a lot of family history. Like pretty much everyone descended from Ledaal Kerata Kylin Cyril has a talent for Necromancy, and with it he acts as House Ledaal's eyes in the Chiaroscuro Underworld, making valuable otherworldly connections, and keeping a watchful eye out to combat the influence of the Deathlords.
Motivation: Resolve the disputes of the living and the dead in Chiaroscuro.
Intimacies:
Chiaroscuro (+)
The Realm (+)
Music (+)
The Dezahn (+)
Taua and Henchmen (+)
Attributes:
Perception 3
Intelligence 4
Wits 3
Charisma 5
Manipulation 1
Appearance 3
Strength 1
Dexterity 4
Stamina 2
Abilities:
[C] Linguistics (Flametongue. Native: High Realm) 1
[C] Lore 2
[C] Occult 5
[C] Stealth 2
[C] Thrown 4 (Chakram +2)
[F] Performance 5 (Sanxian +3)
[F] Resistance 2
[F] Awareness 3
Integrity 2
Investigation 1
War 1
Dodge 2
Melee 1
Presence 1
Socialize 3
Bureaucracy 1
Martial Arts 1
Archery 1
Ride 1
Virtues:
Compassion 2
Conviction 3
Temperance 3
Valor 1
Advantages
Willpower 7
Essence 5
Motes:
Personal 15
Peripheral 38 [Committed: 14 motes]
Merits:
Necromancy Focus
Flaws:
Enemy (1pt. Ragara Canan, a young Dragon-Blooded beaurocrat.)
Code of Honor (2pts)
Backgrounds :
Ally 3 (Taua the Phantom Maid)
Resources 3 (Related to trade Chiaroscuro, primarily of Salt.)
Connections 2 (Chiaroscuro Ghost Bankers, Chiaroscuro Delzahn Nobles)
Artifact 4 (Advanced Gemstone Esssence Capacitor, Silken Armor, Jade Advanced Buff Jacket (plates sewn on the inside))
Artifact 3 (Tarin's Coin, Unsurpassed Sanxian, Infinite Jade Chakram)
Artifact 1 (Two Jade Hearthstone Amulets)
Manse 3 (Key of Mastery, Memorial Iron, Labrinthine Eye, Jewel of Swift Comprehension)
Breeding 3
Henchmen 2 (Gilles the Ghost Watchman, Rau the Ghost Banker, and Kang Fei the Exorcist)
CHARMS
[=Thrown=]
First Thrown Excellency
Loyal Weapon
Flying Hornet Attack
Whirlwind Shield Form {p. 139}.
[=Occult=]
Iron Circle Necromancy
[=Stealth=]
Feeling the Air Technique {p. 138}
[=Resistance=]
Second Resistance Excellency.
[=Linguistics=]
Wind-Carried Words Technique {p. 131}
[=Dodge=]
First Dodge Excellency.
[=Resistance=]
Uneating Earth Meditation [2m] {p. 148}
[=Performance=]
First Performance Excellency.
Invisible Street Performer Technique [3m] {p. 179}
Soul-Stirring Performance Method [5m, 1wp] {p. 178}
Vibrating String Defense [5m] {p. 179}
SPELLS
[=Iron Circle Necromancy=]
Door of the Dead [18m] {p. 27}
Five Gifts
Dusk Eyes
Flesh-Sloughing Wave
Silent Master's Pollen
Trolling the Dark Waters
Field of Fell Dreams {p. 28}
Bonfire Visions {p. 25}
Blessed Dead Fools [14m] {p. 24}
Ghost-Bolstered Body {Custom}
Shattering Void Mirror
Artifacts:
Advanced Gemstone Essence Battery (Artifact 4)
{Abyssals, p. 215}
Repair: 2.
Stores up to 15 motes. Motes may be put into or drawn from the capacitor by anyone who can attune artifacts as a Miscellaneous Action.
Tarin's Coin (Artifact 2)
{Custom}
Attune: 4m.
A coin of black jade, on one side it features a ghostly judge holding a pair of scales and a book of law, on the other a jester smiling as he slips free of his bounds. The character who has attuned the coin may take a miscellaneous action (Speed 3, DV -1) to flip the coin before taking a Shape Necromancy Action. The coin vanishes into a place it cannot be tampered with, and appears an instant later in its owner's palm. If the coin lands with the Jester facing up, the character may forgo having to pay the Willpower cost associated with the subsequent Shape Necromancy action. If the judge lands face up, the character must reflexively pay 2 motes or take 1 bashing level of damage. The coin may be used up to three times per day.
Jade Reinforced Buff Jacket (Artifact 2)
{Exalted, p. 391}
The plates are sew into the jacket, normally this would make the jacket more fatiguing to wear, but this is offset by the material bonus of jade. It appears a heavy set of white robes.
Soak +7L/+10B. Hardness 5L/5B. Mobility -1. Fatigue 0. Attune: 3m.
Silken Armor (Artifact 2)
Can be worn while practicing martial arts styles the prohibit the use of armor, or worn on top of other armor. In this case it takes the form of a decorative white silk robe. It does not seem like armor and cannot be detected as magical without magic detecting Charms like All-Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight.
Soak 5L/3B, Hardness --, Mobility -1*, Fatigue 0, Attune: 2m.
*-Attunement removes this penalty
Infinite Jade Chakram (Artifact 2)
{Exalted, p. 389}
A Chakram made out of blue jade that creates phantom chakrams so that it be thrown infinitely without ever leaving the wielder's hands. May only be used by Exalts who are attuned to the Jade's magical material bonus.
Spd 4, Acc +0, Dmg +4L, Rate 4, Range 50, Attune: 5m.
Jade Hearthstone Amulet (Artifact 1)
{Exalted, p. 380}
Currently set with a Key of Mastery Hearthstone {Oadenthol, p. 88} attuned to spell Field of Fell Dreams {Black Treatise, p. 28}.
Jade Hearthstone Amulet (Artifact 1)
{Exalted, p. 380}
Currently set with a Memorial Iron Hearthstone {Oadenthol, p. 92}.
3XP unspent, 249XP spent.
30XP Essence 3=>4: .
40XP Essence 4=>5
10XP: Occult 3=>5
10XP: Performance 3=>5
5XP: Thrown 3=>4
4XP: Socialize 2=>3
9XP: Performance (Sanxian+3)
6XP: Thrown (Chakram +2)
12XP: Willpower 6=>7
5XP x10 10 Necromancy spells (see list of spells).
20XP [Performance] Soul-Stirring Performance Method [5m, 1wp] {p. 178}
20XP [Performance] Vibrating String Defense [5m] {p. 179}
8XP Artifact 0=>4
6XP Manse 0=>3
2XP Artifact 0=>1
4XP Henchmen 0=>2
2XP Ally 2=>3
Taua, "Kerata Family Maid"
A maid whose worked for the Kerata Household for the last 250 years, as such she is extremely good at what she does. Specialist in the Terror-Spreading Art, reflecting her former status as a Haunter. She was Cyril's first teacher, and her combat abilities arguably still surpass his. She is dry, sarcastic, remorseless and a bit vicious, at least in private. In public she acts the obedient servant. There's a lot about her he doesn't know. She has an affinity for knives and spiders, and is currently in charge of handling the affairs of a particular Ledaal villa in Chiaroscuro where Cyril resides, which is located just above one of the numerous tiny shadowlands that dot Chiaroscuro. Its understaffed, but she manages well enough alone.
Images: Image
Theme Song: Zessei Bijin and
30XP Essence 3=>4: .
40XP Essence 4=>5
10XP: Occult 3=>5
10XP: Performance 3=>5
5XP: Thrown 3=>4
4XP: Socialize 2=>3
9XP: Performance (Sanxian+3)
6XP: Thrown (Chakram +2)
12XP: Willpower 6=>7
5XP x10 10 Necromancy spells (see list of spells).
20XP [Performance] Soul-Stirring Performance Method [5m, 1wp] {p. 178}
20XP [Performance] Vibrating String Defense [5m] {p. 179}
8XP Artifact 0=>4
6XP Manse 0=>3
2XP Artifact 0=>1
4XP Henchmen 0=>2
2XP Ally 2=>3
Taua, "Kerata Family Maid"
A maid whose worked for the Kerata Household for the last 250 years, as such she is extremely good at what she does. Specialist in the Terror-Spreading Art, reflecting her former status as a Haunter. She was Cyril's first teacher, and her combat abilities arguably still surpass his. She is dry, sarcastic, remorseless and a bit vicious, at least in private. In public she acts the obedient servant. There's a lot about her he doesn't know. She has an affinity for knives and spiders, and is currently in charge of handling the affairs of a particular Ledaal villa in Chiaroscuro where Cyril resides, which is located just above one of the numerous tiny shadowlands that dot Chiaroscuro. Its understaffed, but she manages well enough alone.
Images: Image
Theme Song: Zessei Bijin and
"Hey, don't break that, its an antique, I was alive back when they made it!"
"I'll bring the poison."
"Its not so bad, the worse thing you could do is die, and for some of us that a positive career move!"
"Indeed the centuries of death have revealed to me many secrets. I know more about doilies than you could possibly comprehend!"
Motivation: Serve the Kerata Kylin family to the best of her ability.
Fetters:
A sealed letter addressed 'to my sister,' most of the text is strangely missing -- 2
Leedal Kerata Cyril -- 1
A floor length mirror where she used to talk to herself as a young girl, it was significant to her throughout her life -- 1
Passions:
Service to the Leedal Kerata family (Conviction) -- 4
Skill/identity as a Maid (Temperance) -- 3
Protecting her Charge (Valor) -- 1
Attributes
Strength 2
Dexterity 6
Stamina 2
Intelligence 3
Wits 3
Perception 2
Charisma 1
Manipulation 3
Appearance 3
Abilities:
[F] Thrown 5 (Knives +3)
Craft (Pandemonium, Water, Wood, Air, Jadecrafting) 5
Melee 5
Dodge 4
Athletics 3
Stealth 3
Awareness 3
Bureaucracy 3
Presence 3
Socialize 2
Integrity 2
Resistance 1
Lore 1
Virtues:
Temperance 2
Conviction 5
Valor 3
Compassion 1
Advantages:
Essence 4
Merits
Legendary Dexterity
Backgrounds:
Age 1
Artifact 2 (Perfect Talon Dagger {Oadenthol p. 35})
Artifact 1 (Underworld Jade Chain Shirt)
Contacts 1 (Chiaroscurio Tea and Dishware experts)
Resources 3
Manse 1 (Attuned to the Villa)
ARCANOI:
=Common=
Assassin's Subtle Escape [5m; 1wp] {p. 128}
Angry Trickster Ghost Method [5m] {p. 129} (Hurricane of objects)
Moon's Cold Glow
=Terror-Spreading Art=
Corpse-Fed Radiance [2m] {p. 156}
Hand of the Wind [3m, 1wp] {p. 158}
Strike of Dead Hands [+5m, +1wp] {p. 159} (double strength Hand of the Wind)
Flying Time Technique [8m, 1wp] (Extra Action, Pandemonium.)
Black Breath of the Abyss
Painting the Sunset Picture
Midnight Canvas Unfurled
The Ichor Cauldron
Messenger of the Grave
Six Plauge Summons (Spiders!)
=Essence Measuring Thief Arts=
Aura Reading Technique
=Tangled Web Arts=
World Bridging Meditation.
Death Avoiding Monitor.
Bonus Points: [26 BP]
12 BP: Essence 2=>3
4 BP: Dexterity 4=>5.
4 BP: Conviction 3=>4
2 BP: Thrown 3=>5. 1 BP: Thrown (Knives)+2
1 BP: Resources 2=>3
3 BP: Legendary Dexterity
Experience: [250XP]
30XP Essence 3=>4
12XP Conviction 4=>5
14XP Craft 2=>5 (added Water, Air, and Jadecrafting)
6XP Presence 1=>3
6XP Awareness 1=>3
9XP Bureaucracy 0=>3
6XP Dodge 3=>4
14XP Melee 3=>5
10XP Integrity 2=>4
20XP Dexterity 5=>6
8XP Manipulation 2=>3
8XP Wits 2=>3
3XP Thrown (Knives+3)
10XP Black Breath of the Abyss
10XP Painting the Sunset Picture
10XP Midnight Canvas Unfurled
10XP The Ichor Cauldron
10XP Messenger of the Grave
10XP Six Plauge Summons
10XP Aura Reading Technique
10XP Moon's Cold Glow
10XP World Bridging Meditation
10XP Death Avoiding Monitor
Gilles, "The Watchman"
Specialist in Sail and Linguistics. Formerly an explorer. He can repair Magi-tech, something he learned from his mentor, a wise savant. In life, he was part of a team that attempted to explore the Labyrinth. His former mentor approached him as a ghost, having learned Underworld Astrology, seeking his aid in exploring a new frontier of adventure, namely the mysteries of the Underworld. They made several short expeditions into the Labyrinth accompanied by others before one disastrous expedition in which his partner and former mentor was lost to madness and became a Wraith, and Gilles himself died shortly after of grievous infected wounds. He suspects the operation was sabotaged, but he doesn't know why. Gilles hopes that one day he will cross paths with his former partner and set things right. His primary function is as a translator, he is capable of speaking languages from all across Creation. He also specializes in riding inside of mortals and watching for the hidden influence of other ghosts.
Motivation: Uncover the secret behind his death.
Fetters:
A old family sextant -- 2
His pitiful grave in Chairoscuro -- 1
His cousin (a travelling merchant from the Scavenger Lands) -- 1
The peak of an unexplored (as far as he knows) mountain near his homeland -- 1.
Passions:
Sidan, his old mentor (Compassion) -- 2
Helping Travellers (Conviction/Compassion) -- 3
Foiling the plots of ghosts who serve the Void (Valor) -- 3
Serving as a Guide (Temperance) -- 1
Attributes:
Strength 3
Dexterity 3
Stamina 3
Intelligence 1
Wits 2
Perception 4
Charisma 2
Manipulation 1
Appearance 2
Abilities:
[F] Linguistics 5 (Low Realm, Forest Tongue, Fire Tongue, Sky Tongue, Sea Tongue, 3 Eastern Tribal Languages. Native: Rivertongue) [4 BP: Linguistics 1=>5, 1BP: Linguistics (Sky Tongue)]
Sail 5 [4 BP: Sail 3=>5]
Craft (Fire, Air, Magitech) 3
Athletics 3
Melee 3 [2 BP Melee 2=>3]
Awareness 3
Resistance 3
Integrity 3 [2 BP: Integrity 2=>3]
Survival 5 [4 BP: Survival 3=>5]
Lore 3 [2 BP: Lore 2=>3]
Occult 3 [2 BP Occult 2=>3]
Virtues:
Temperance 1
Convinction 2
Valor 3
Compassion 3
Backgrounds:
Artifact 3
Artifact 1
Grave Goods 1
Contacts 1 (Helldivers)
Resources 2
ARCANOI
=Common=
Ox-Body Technique x1
=Stringless Puppetteer=
Spirit-Catching Eye Technique [2m] {p. 146} (see ghosts)
Soul-Whispering Empathy Discipline [3m, 1wp] {p. 146} (read surface thoughts)
Mortal-Shadowing Technique [7m, 1wp] {p. 147} (shadow mortals)
Intangible Guardian Presence x2 [--] {p. 148} (ox-body like improvement for Shadowed Mortals)
Rau The Banker
A banker who sometimes acts a bit too much like a thief. Always grumbles about losing money, but is actually very charitable. He dreams of extreme luxury.
Imagine: Image 1
Motivation:
Get rich.
Fetters:
A chest filled with jade -- 2
The plaque on which his contract is bound -- 1
A Red Bandana -- 1
Passions:
Acts of Charity (Compassion) -- 3
Aquiring wealth (Conviction) -- 4
Attributes
Intelligence 3
Wits 3
Perception 3
Strength 2
Dexterity 4 [4 BP: Dex 3=>4]
Stamina 2
Charisma 3
Manipulation 2
Appearance 1
Abilities:
[F] Bureaucracy 4 [3 BP: Beaurocracy 1=>4]
Athletics 2
Socialize 2
Presence 2
Performance 2
Lore 1
Investigation 3
Larceny 4 [2 BP: Larceny 3=>4]
Integrity 3
Resistance 2
Martial Arts 2
Occult 1
Virtues:
Temperance 2
Conviction 4 [4 BP: Conviction 3=>4]
Valor 1
Compassion 3
Advantages:
Essence 3 [12 BP: Essence 2=>3]
Flaws:
Code of Honor [-2 Bonus Points]
Backgrounds:
Age 1
Backing 1 (Chiaroscuro Underworld Bankers Guild)
Contacts 1 (Underworld Customs and Trade Offcers)
Influence 1 (Chiaroscuro Underworld Market)
Underworld Cult 1
Resources 3
ARCANOI:
=Chains of the Ancient Monarchs=
Soul Anchor {p. 131}
Essence Binding [5m] {p. 132}
Essence Lasso [6m] {p. 133}
=Tenacious Merchant's Way=
Jangling Coin Pouch Sense [1m] {p. 153}
Earnest Creditor Technique [3m] {p. 153}
Bold Thief's Way [3m] {p. 154}
Kang Fei
A mortal Exorcist, similar to the one described on page 317 of the Exalted Core book.
Backstory Information
Dear Cousin Koya,
In your most recent letter, you asked me to describe what my life was like in Chiaroscuro, and, while I must say that is impossible for me to properly describe, with my meager writing abilities being what they are, I shall certainly try.
One must understand that this is not just merely another city in Creation, Chiaroscuro is unique. My days are spent watching duals and horse-races while chatting with the local noblemen, trying to convince them that we, too, in the Realm have a conception of honor as deep and rich as their own. Gazing out into the field of gold in the noon-day sun, knowing that somewhere, out there, young Delzahn children are betting their lives on tests of bravery. My nights are more active, preforming visitations for friends and clients, helping them resolve their problems with the dead. Most of the time my powers are not required, it is simply enough that they have the skills of a Necromancer at their disposal to make ghosts accede to more reasonable demands. Of course, when spirits from beyond the grave threaten the Realm's interests, I am there to put them back in line.
I had not thought that I could love a city so full of heathens as this, but truly I do. And the Chiaroscuro Underworld, what way is there for me to describe it? For a place of the dead it is so vibrant, bustling with countless teaming specters of all nations and creeds, going about their business subject to no shortage of ghostly intrigues.
Currently I live in a Ledaal villa well located in the heart of the city. Currently, the only other residents are Taua, two of my ghostly followers, and an apprentice Exorcist studying the ways of the ghostly world. Of course, local rumors have gone around for some time that villa is haunted, which, I suppose it is. I have quiet a few ghostly callers, who either want to check up on their Fetters or experience the richness of life once again. Taua of course never asks for such comforts, I imagine that she would rather dine on dust than dates, so unusual her outlook on life is. I honestly believe she vastly prefers being a ghost to her life among the living. I am rather curious about her past, though she never speaks of it.
My life at the moment is good, though we are understaffed, occasionally I have even had to personally go to the market to fetch materials. Additionally, I seem to have forged a rather unpleasant relationship with one of the local Dynasts, a Ragara Canan, however I am sure we can resolve our problems peacefully.
"Message for you, sir, from...'Ragaara Canan.' "
The messenger handed Cyril his message, then bowed and left.
Cyril turned the letter around in his hand, looking at it quizzically as he walked through into the music room of the villa. There Taua, the ever reliable phantom maid, was cleaning the baseboards. She wasn't his maid, of course, not someone of her caliber. She served the Kerata Household in general, taking orders down from the top. Currently, her orders where to keep the villa in order, handle its affairs and occasionally run some errands for the family, but she also took it upon herself to look out for Cyril when she wasn't busy. After all, she was his first teacher when he was a child, so they had a fairly close bond.
"Whose the letter from?"
"...Ragara Canan, it seems." Cyril said after a pause.
"Ah." an irritated expression crossed her face. "Explain to me again, why haven't we killed him yet?"
"To start he's a fellow member of the Dragon-Blooded Host."
"He's a evil decadent bureaucrat, and you're a combat-trained Necromancer, it shouldn't be that hard to slash him, Dragon's blood or not. Heck, he'll probably shrivel and die if you just pry him away from all his precious money."
"...I wasn't referring to how easy it would be to kill him, I'm not going to raise a blade against a fellow Dynast, so murder really isn't an option here."
For a moment she stopped cleaning, her face dead serious. "Murder is always an option."
"For you perhaps."
She went back to work. "I don't understand what your hesitation is. He's a ridiculous prick, its an indisputable truth, like the existence of air...anyway, what does the letter say? Did you meet another prostitute that he's killed, or maybe the ghosts of another family he cheated into starvation?"
"Not this time."
"A pity, last time he tried to bribe us."
Cyril turned the letter around in his hands again. "Actually its an invitation."
Taua stopped. "But we hate him, he knows this."
"It looks important, some sort of meeting with an official from the Realm about the defense of Chairoscuro. They want us both involved."
"It could be trap, I'll get the poison."
"The seal is proper, as far as I can tell."
"We should at least bring some, just in case."
"...Is that really necessary?"
"Trust me, this is Realm backdoor politics, you should always have a bottle of poison and a set of various antidotes handy. Sure, you might not always need then, but when you do, you'll be glad you had them."
"I really don't think its that bad."
She stood up, mentally weighing her options with her mind. "Hm, hypothetically do we want him dead, or just helpless?"
"..."
"What? Its always good to be prepared."
Cyril is soft-spoken, with a calm, quiet demeanor, and a penchant for both mysticism and worldly wisdom. While he is a Necromancer, and sees nothing wrong with talking to ghosts, he hasn't gone off the deep end as far as the Realm's ideology is concerned. He upholds a number of tenants of the Immaculate Faith, such as a distaste for "graven icons" and encourages ghosts to have only small Ancestor Cults, as are allowed by the Immaculate Faith (1-dot Ancestor Cult Backgrounds). Somewhat musically inclined, he plays a Sanxian.
As a child Cyril had a passionate love of tales of adventure, and he once longed to travel in the footsteps of great explorers, who where his personal heroes. As his final trail of Necromancy, he let this passion decay into utter indifference. He slowly watched as once gleaming heroes became nothing more than mere men, and Creation-spanning journeys became nothing more than stories, and he came to understand that dreams could grow old die just like people. Gone was his wanderlust and his plans to live an adventurous future seemed pointless and impotent, so he settled down in Chairoscuro, and he has no plans of leaving.
Cylis thinks his position in Chairoscuro is important. He has been told that as an Underworld mediator he provides valuable insight and safeguards against critical danger, and he doesn't think that he could be replaced by anyone outside of his immediate family, who he knows have other plans.
Cyril is part of a close-knit household, the Ledaal Keratas. The Keratas share a lot in common with the Ledaal Catalias. In addition to having many of the same interests, both households share an adventurous thirst for knowledge that takes them far from the Realm, sometimes ideologically as well as physically, which they inherit from their founders. However the Keratas are, in general, stronger Realm loyalists than the Catheks. The Kerata family traits include a strong independent streak and a thirst for understanding tempered by wordly pragmatism. Every Dynast in the Kerata family must spend at least week meditating on the natural flows of Essence, a week in the Underworld, a season in at least two of the Four Directions in Creation, and they must talk at length with an old Ghost, a demon, a god, an Astrologer, a successful merchant, a Ledaal planner, and both a mortal and Exalted Immaculate.
The Three Kerata Families: The Kerata household is dominated by three main families descended the first three children Ledaal Kerata (one of whom was adopted). Cyril comes from the smallest of these three families, who are descended from the adopted child, Ledaal Kerata Kylin. The small size of the family is at least partially due to the fact that they have very obviously tainted blood, which makes for poor marriage prospects as far as Dynasts go. All of the descendants of Kylin share two traits: an uncommonly swift rise in Essence, and a strong affinity for Necromancy. Even some of the mortals in the bloodline learn how to use Shadowlands Circle Necromancy, generally in their twilight years. As a result, the Kylin family maintains their own small Necromantic order with a rather Salinian flavor, and spells are generally passed down through the family. Of the other two families, the descendants of Ledaal Kerata Kalika pride themselves on their mercantile abilities and are infamous as economic chessmasters who mastermind long range, big picture schemes that net important, and subtle, victories for House Ledaal. Members of the other family, the descendants of Kerata's eldest child, Ledaal Kerata Kariss, tend to be either Immaculate Monks, Salinian Sorcerers, or both, who have their own way of interpreting the Immaculate Texts in synthesis with the Salinian philosophy which is fairly famous for being cryptic to outsiders. Kariss' family, starting with Kariss himself, has heavily intermarried with House Memnon, and support Memnon's bid for the throne. Their founder is the only one to have died, he fell a hero of the Realm against what was supposedly a demon worshiping heresy, the true details of that conflict, however, are known only to Sidereals.
Cyril has gotten along very well with his family, though he is something of a loner. That combination is fairly common among the Keratas, and is part of the reason they are able to spread out across Creation (and the Underworld) while still retaining a strong sense of family cohesion. He is a Kerata, and to him that's as real and a part of him as the blood of the Dragons that flows through his veins. But Cyril's father, in one of his rare moments of involvement with his son, told him that each Kerata lives or dies by their own hands. It would be a difficult thing for Cyril, or any of Kylin's line, to face an Anathema who was a Kerata, and that goes both ways. This is because, deep down, the Kylins see the Kerata family as their one true refuge from a world that often misunderstands and mistreats them. It is implicitly understood that the children of Kerata provide a shelter for each other that transcends their differences. The story of how Leedal Kerata took Ledaal Kerata Kylin as a son and gave him the opportunity to pursue his Necromantic talents is one that is engrained in the mythos and family traditions of the Keratas. On one hand stood an exceptional prodigy among the Dragon-Blooded, whose standard the family has never been able to live up to, who took in an orphaned bastard child of a ghost-blooded and a nameless Ledaal researcher with little chance of Exaltation, and defending him despite his oddities and flaws. Cyril, like the rest of his family, was raise with this story, and the values behind it, the Keratas look out for their own.
As someone who has inherited the blood of Kerata Kylin, Cyril has understood from an early age that he will face prejudice, and even persecution, for his "tainted blood" and Necromantic arts, and such things no longer discourage him. Both an uncle and a great uncle gave their lives proving the loyalty of their bloodline to Creation and the Realm, and, while he hopes it does not come to that, he is prepared to accept a suicidal mission to defend his homeland or his family's name.
Like many Dynasts, Cyril received little attention from his parents growing up. This was compensated for by the close relationships he formed with his relatives, who, by contrast to his parents, where often around. Through them, and his required Kerata eduction, he was exposed to many facets of the world which shaped his outlook on life. In one notable instance, a relative from the Kariss branch of the family took him on a trip through part of the Scavenger Lands and the Southern Threshold alongside a number of other Kerata children and members of House Cynis (who, alongside House Ragaara, are often sought by the Kariss' family as candidates for marriage). Such trips were customary for the Kariss' side of the family, helping the adults scope out potential couples and expose the children the realities of the world at the edge of the Realm's influence while simultaneously scoping out trading opportunities. It was Cyril's first venture outside of the Realm proper, and he saw both that the rumors of the Realm's weakening grasp were true and that Cynis' ignoble reputation was rather exaggerated, and so he resolved to always take reputations with grain of salt, but to never dismiss a rumor without good reason.
Specialist in Sail and Linguistics. Formerly an explorer. He can repair Magi-tech, something he learned from his mentor, a wise savant. In life, he was part of a team that attempted to explore the Labyrinth. His former mentor approached him as a ghost, having learned Underworld Astrology, seeking his aid in exploring a new frontier of adventure, namely the mysteries of the Underworld. They made several short expeditions into the Labyrinth accompanied by others before one disastrous expedition in which his partner and former mentor was lost to madness and became a Wraith, and Gilles himself died shortly after of grievous infected wounds. He suspects the operation was sabotaged, but he doesn't know why. Gilles hopes that one day he will cross paths with his former partner and set things right. His primary function is as a translator, he is capable of speaking languages from all across Creation. He also specializes in riding inside of mortals and watching for the hidden influence of other ghosts.
Motivation: Uncover the secret behind his death.
Fetters:
A old family sextant -- 2
His pitiful grave in Chairoscuro -- 1
His cousin (a travelling merchant from the Scavenger Lands) -- 1
The peak of an unexplored (as far as he knows) mountain near his homeland -- 1.
Passions:
Sidan, his old mentor (Compassion) -- 2
Helping Travellers (Conviction/Compassion) -- 3
Foiling the plots of ghosts who serve the Void (Valor) -- 3
Serving as a Guide (Temperance) -- 1
Attributes:
Strength 3
Dexterity 3
Stamina 3
Intelligence 1
Wits 2
Perception 4
Charisma 2
Manipulation 1
Appearance 2
Abilities:
[F] Linguistics 5 (Low Realm, Forest Tongue, Fire Tongue, Sky Tongue, Sea Tongue, 3 Eastern Tribal Languages. Native: Rivertongue) [4 BP: Linguistics 1=>5, 1BP: Linguistics (Sky Tongue)]
Sail 5 [4 BP: Sail 3=>5]
Craft (Fire, Air, Magitech) 3
Athletics 3
Melee 3 [2 BP Melee 2=>3]
Awareness 3
Resistance 3
Integrity 3 [2 BP: Integrity 2=>3]
Survival 5 [4 BP: Survival 3=>5]
Lore 3 [2 BP: Lore 2=>3]
Occult 3 [2 BP Occult 2=>3]
Virtues:
Temperance 1
Convinction 2
Valor 3
Compassion 3
Backgrounds:
Artifact 3
Artifact 1
Grave Goods 1
Contacts 1 (Helldivers)
Resources 2
ARCANOI
=Common=
Ox-Body Technique x1
=Stringless Puppetteer=
Spirit-Catching Eye Technique [2m] {p. 146} (see ghosts)
Soul-Whispering Empathy Discipline [3m, 1wp] {p. 146} (read surface thoughts)
Mortal-Shadowing Technique [7m, 1wp] {p. 147} (shadow mortals)
Intangible Guardian Presence x2 [--] {p. 148} (ox-body like improvement for Shadowed Mortals)
Rau The Banker
A banker who sometimes acts a bit too much like a thief. Always grumbles about losing money, but is actually very charitable. He dreams of extreme luxury.
Imagine: Image 1
Motivation:
Get rich.
Fetters:
A chest filled with jade -- 2
The plaque on which his contract is bound -- 1
A Red Bandana -- 1
Passions:
Acts of Charity (Compassion) -- 3
Aquiring wealth (Conviction) -- 4
Attributes
Intelligence 3
Wits 3
Perception 3
Strength 2
Dexterity 4 [4 BP: Dex 3=>4]
Stamina 2
Charisma 3
Manipulation 2
Appearance 1
Abilities:
[F] Bureaucracy 4 [3 BP: Beaurocracy 1=>4]
Athletics 2
Socialize 2
Presence 2
Performance 2
Lore 1
Investigation 3
Larceny 4 [2 BP: Larceny 3=>4]
Integrity 3
Resistance 2
Martial Arts 2
Occult 1
Virtues:
Temperance 2
Conviction 4 [4 BP: Conviction 3=>4]
Valor 1
Compassion 3
Advantages:
Essence 3 [12 BP: Essence 2=>3]
Flaws:
Code of Honor [-2 Bonus Points]
Backgrounds:
Age 1
Backing 1 (Chiaroscuro Underworld Bankers Guild)
Contacts 1 (Underworld Customs and Trade Offcers)
Influence 1 (Chiaroscuro Underworld Market)
Underworld Cult 1
Resources 3
ARCANOI:
=Chains of the Ancient Monarchs=
Soul Anchor {p. 131}
Essence Binding [5m] {p. 132}
Essence Lasso [6m] {p. 133}
=Tenacious Merchant's Way=
Jangling Coin Pouch Sense [1m] {p. 153}
Earnest Creditor Technique [3m] {p. 153}
Bold Thief's Way [3m] {p. 154}
Kang Fei
A mortal Exorcist, similar to the one described on page 317 of the Exalted Core book.
Backstory Information
Dear Cousin Koya,
In your most recent letter, you asked me to describe what my life was like in Chiaroscuro, and, while I must say that is impossible for me to properly describe, with my meager writing abilities being what they are, I shall certainly try.
One must understand that this is not just merely another city in Creation, Chiaroscuro is unique. My days are spent watching duals and horse-races while chatting with the local noblemen, trying to convince them that we, too, in the Realm have a conception of honor as deep and rich as their own. Gazing out into the field of gold in the noon-day sun, knowing that somewhere, out there, young Delzahn children are betting their lives on tests of bravery. My nights are more active, preforming visitations for friends and clients, helping them resolve their problems with the dead. Most of the time my powers are not required, it is simply enough that they have the skills of a Necromancer at their disposal to make ghosts accede to more reasonable demands. Of course, when spirits from beyond the grave threaten the Realm's interests, I am there to put them back in line.
I had not thought that I could love a city so full of heathens as this, but truly I do. And the Chiaroscuro Underworld, what way is there for me to describe it? For a place of the dead it is so vibrant, bustling with countless teaming specters of all nations and creeds, going about their business subject to no shortage of ghostly intrigues.
Currently I live in a Ledaal villa well located in the heart of the city. Currently, the only other residents are Taua, two of my ghostly followers, and an apprentice Exorcist studying the ways of the ghostly world. Of course, local rumors have gone around for some time that villa is haunted, which, I suppose it is. I have quiet a few ghostly callers, who either want to check up on their Fetters or experience the richness of life once again. Taua of course never asks for such comforts, I imagine that she would rather dine on dust than dates, so unusual her outlook on life is. I honestly believe she vastly prefers being a ghost to her life among the living. I am rather curious about her past, though she never speaks of it.
My life at the moment is good, though we are understaffed, occasionally I have even had to personally go to the market to fetch materials. Additionally, I seem to have forged a rather unpleasant relationship with one of the local Dynasts, a Ragara Canan, however I am sure we can resolve our problems peacefully.
"Message for you, sir, from...'Ragaara Canan.' "
The messenger handed Cyril his message, then bowed and left.
Cyril turned the letter around in his hand, looking at it quizzically as he walked through into the music room of the villa. There Taua, the ever reliable phantom maid, was cleaning the baseboards. She wasn't his maid, of course, not someone of her caliber. She served the Kerata Household in general, taking orders down from the top. Currently, her orders where to keep the villa in order, handle its affairs and occasionally run some errands for the family, but she also took it upon herself to look out for Cyril when she wasn't busy. After all, she was his first teacher when he was a child, so they had a fairly close bond.
"Whose the letter from?"
"...Ragara Canan, it seems." Cyril said after a pause.
"Ah." an irritated expression crossed her face. "Explain to me again, why haven't we killed him yet?"
"To start he's a fellow member of the Dragon-Blooded Host."
"He's a evil decadent bureaucrat, and you're a combat-trained Necromancer, it shouldn't be that hard to slash him, Dragon's blood or not. Heck, he'll probably shrivel and die if you just pry him away from all his precious money."
"...I wasn't referring to how easy it would be to kill him, I'm not going to raise a blade against a fellow Dynast, so murder really isn't an option here."
For a moment she stopped cleaning, her face dead serious. "Murder is always an option."
"For you perhaps."
She went back to work. "I don't understand what your hesitation is. He's a ridiculous prick, its an indisputable truth, like the existence of air...anyway, what does the letter say? Did you meet another prostitute that he's killed, or maybe the ghosts of another family he cheated into starvation?"
"Not this time."
"A pity, last time he tried to bribe us."
Cyril turned the letter around in his hands again. "Actually its an invitation."
Taua stopped. "But we hate him, he knows this."
"It looks important, some sort of meeting with an official from the Realm about the defense of Chairoscuro. They want us both involved."
"It could be trap, I'll get the poison."
"The seal is proper, as far as I can tell."
"We should at least bring some, just in case."
"...Is that really necessary?"
"Trust me, this is Realm backdoor politics, you should always have a bottle of poison and a set of various antidotes handy. Sure, you might not always need then, but when you do, you'll be glad you had them."
"I really don't think its that bad."
She stood up, mentally weighing her options with her mind. "Hm, hypothetically do we want him dead, or just helpless?"
"..."
"What? Its always good to be prepared."
Cyril is soft-spoken, with a calm, quiet demeanor, and a penchant for both mysticism and worldly wisdom. While he is a Necromancer, and sees nothing wrong with talking to ghosts, he hasn't gone off the deep end as far as the Realm's ideology is concerned. He upholds a number of tenants of the Immaculate Faith, such as a distaste for "graven icons" and encourages ghosts to have only small Ancestor Cults, as are allowed by the Immaculate Faith (1-dot Ancestor Cult Backgrounds). Somewhat musically inclined, he plays a Sanxian.
As a child Cyril had a passionate love of tales of adventure, and he once longed to travel in the footsteps of great explorers, who where his personal heroes. As his final trail of Necromancy, he let this passion decay into utter indifference. He slowly watched as once gleaming heroes became nothing more than mere men, and Creation-spanning journeys became nothing more than stories, and he came to understand that dreams could grow old die just like people. Gone was his wanderlust and his plans to live an adventurous future seemed pointless and impotent, so he settled down in Chairoscuro, and he has no plans of leaving.
Cylis thinks his position in Chairoscuro is important. He has been told that as an Underworld mediator he provides valuable insight and safeguards against critical danger, and he doesn't think that he could be replaced by anyone outside of his immediate family, who he knows have other plans.
Cyril is part of a close-knit household, the Ledaal Keratas. The Keratas share a lot in common with the Ledaal Catalias. In addition to having many of the same interests, both households share an adventurous thirst for knowledge that takes them far from the Realm, sometimes ideologically as well as physically, which they inherit from their founders. However the Keratas are, in general, stronger Realm loyalists than the Catheks. The Kerata family traits include a strong independent streak and a thirst for understanding tempered by wordly pragmatism. Every Dynast in the Kerata family must spend at least week meditating on the natural flows of Essence, a week in the Underworld, a season in at least two of the Four Directions in Creation, and they must talk at length with an old Ghost, a demon, a god, an Astrologer, a successful merchant, a Ledaal planner, and both a mortal and Exalted Immaculate.
The Three Kerata Families: The Kerata household is dominated by three main families descended the first three children Ledaal Kerata (one of whom was adopted). Cyril comes from the smallest of these three families, who are descended from the adopted child, Ledaal Kerata Kylin. The small size of the family is at least partially due to the fact that they have very obviously tainted blood, which makes for poor marriage prospects as far as Dynasts go. All of the descendants of Kylin share two traits: an uncommonly swift rise in Essence, and a strong affinity for Necromancy. Even some of the mortals in the bloodline learn how to use Shadowlands Circle Necromancy, generally in their twilight years. As a result, the Kylin family maintains their own small Necromantic order with a rather Salinian flavor, and spells are generally passed down through the family. Of the other two families, the descendants of Ledaal Kerata Kalika pride themselves on their mercantile abilities and are infamous as economic chessmasters who mastermind long range, big picture schemes that net important, and subtle, victories for House Ledaal. Members of the other family, the descendants of Kerata's eldest child, Ledaal Kerata Kariss, tend to be either Immaculate Monks, Salinian Sorcerers, or both, who have their own way of interpreting the Immaculate Texts in synthesis with the Salinian philosophy which is fairly famous for being cryptic to outsiders. Kariss' family, starting with Kariss himself, has heavily intermarried with House Memnon, and support Memnon's bid for the throne. Their founder is the only one to have died, he fell a hero of the Realm against what was supposedly a demon worshiping heresy, the true details of that conflict, however, are known only to Sidereals.
Cyril has gotten along very well with his family, though he is something of a loner. That combination is fairly common among the Keratas, and is part of the reason they are able to spread out across Creation (and the Underworld) while still retaining a strong sense of family cohesion. He is a Kerata, and to him that's as real and a part of him as the blood of the Dragons that flows through his veins. But Cyril's father, in one of his rare moments of involvement with his son, told him that each Kerata lives or dies by their own hands. It would be a difficult thing for Cyril, or any of Kylin's line, to face an Anathema who was a Kerata, and that goes both ways. This is because, deep down, the Kylins see the Kerata family as their one true refuge from a world that often misunderstands and mistreats them. It is implicitly understood that the children of Kerata provide a shelter for each other that transcends their differences. The story of how Leedal Kerata took Ledaal Kerata Kylin as a son and gave him the opportunity to pursue his Necromantic talents is one that is engrained in the mythos and family traditions of the Keratas. On one hand stood an exceptional prodigy among the Dragon-Blooded, whose standard the family has never been able to live up to, who took in an orphaned bastard child of a ghost-blooded and a nameless Ledaal researcher with little chance of Exaltation, and defending him despite his oddities and flaws. Cyril, like the rest of his family, was raise with this story, and the values behind it, the Keratas look out for their own.
As someone who has inherited the blood of Kerata Kylin, Cyril has understood from an early age that he will face prejudice, and even persecution, for his "tainted blood" and Necromantic arts, and such things no longer discourage him. Both an uncle and a great uncle gave their lives proving the loyalty of their bloodline to Creation and the Realm, and, while he hopes it does not come to that, he is prepared to accept a suicidal mission to defend his homeland or his family's name.
Like many Dynasts, Cyril received little attention from his parents growing up. This was compensated for by the close relationships he formed with his relatives, who, by contrast to his parents, where often around. Through them, and his required Kerata eduction, he was exposed to many facets of the world which shaped his outlook on life. In one notable instance, a relative from the Kariss branch of the family took him on a trip through part of the Scavenger Lands and the Southern Threshold alongside a number of other Kerata children and members of House Cynis (who, alongside House Ragaara, are often sought by the Kariss' family as candidates for marriage). Such trips were customary for the Kariss' side of the family, helping the adults scope out potential couples and expose the children the realities of the world at the edge of the Realm's influence while simultaneously scoping out trading opportunities. It was Cyril's first venture outside of the Realm proper, and he saw both that the rumors of the Realm's weakening grasp were true and that Cynis' ignoble reputation was rather exaggerated, and so he resolved to always take reputations with grain of salt, but to never dismiss a rumor without good reason.
Specifically, it is not a distaste for male anatomy that is stopping Nika from producing an heir with a woman-hearted-man and sharing his powerful blood with the Delzhan. It is in fact a combined sense of propriety and lack of self control. Given his lecherous responses too formal courtship rites, he has always sent away proper suitors of both sexes before he can do something inappropriate.