[Raksha] Ember of the New Dawn [Anathema Ascendant]

[ArkElectrum]

Ember of the New Dawn:


Artisan Caste Raksha


Concept: A dashing prince of thieves who plans to steal victory from the Yozis and the Neverborn


Theme Song: Time of the World Revolution


Appearance: Hails from the far South, he has long white hair that trails into a blazing red fire, which dims and fades when he is attempting to be stealthy. His eyes are flashing gold. He is rather tall, enough that its quite noticeable, but somehow his height, like his fiery hair, manages not to inconvenience his attempts at stealth. The catlike-feet in the picture below are his boots designed to help him walk softly and silently.





Motivation: Support the reformation of the Transcendent Fellowship of the New Creation, currently by amassing important valuables (such as labs, demesnes, and rare artifacts) for their use and working towards reclaiming their Exaltations from the Yozis and the Neverborn.


Intimacies:


Members of the Transcendent Fellowship of the New Creation (Positive)


The Red Star Hawks (Positive)


Creation as a whole (Mostly Positive)


Creating Works of Masterful Craftsmanship (Positive)


Attributes:


Strength â—â—â—


Dexterity â—â—â—â—â— â—â—


Stamina â—â—â—


Charisma â—â—â—â—â— â—


Manipulation â—â—â—â—


Appearance â—â—â—â—â— â—


Perception â—â—â—â—â— â—


Intelligence â—â—â—â—â— â—


Wits â—â—â—â—â— â—â—


Abilities:


[C] Larceny â—â—â—


[C] Stealth â—â—â—â—


[C] Resistance â—â—


[C] Lore (First Age +1) â—â—â— 1.5BP


[C] Craft (Glamour, Fire, Air, Magitec) â—â—â—â—â— 1.5 BP


[F] Archery â—â—â—â— [Firewands +2]*


[F] Martial Arts â—â—â—


[F] Occult â—â—â—


Athletics â—â—â—


Investigation â—


Linguistics â—â— (Low Realm, Riverspeak, Native: Flametongue)


Dodge â—â—â—


Performance â—â—


War â—


*--from Surpassing Excellence: [Archery (Firewands)]


Virtues and Graces:


Compassion â—â—â—


Conviction â—â—


Temperance â—â—â—


Valor â—â—


Cup â—â—â—


Staff â—


Ring â—â—â—


Sword â—


Lure (Compassion): Always respond to a cry of distress


Backgrounds


Allies â— 1BP


Artifact â—â—â—â—â— 2BP


Retainers â—â— 1BP


Birth â—â—


Freehold â—â—


Gossamer â—â—â— 1BP


Style â—â—â—â—â— 7BP


Advantages


Essence â—â—â—


Motes: 30 [16 committed]


Essence (God-Monster Form) â—â—â—â—â—


Motes: 50 [26 committed]


Willpower â—â—â—â—â— â—


Equipment:


Cradle of the Clockwork Phoenix. Treasure â—â—â—â—â—.


A Waypoint Complex (Fair Folk p. 139). If evoked into Creation, manifests as a Mobile Repair and Fabrication Platform (Wonders of the Lost Age, p. 34).


As a Ring Shaping Weapon it has the following stats:


Speed 5, Acc +3, Damage +13, Defense -6, Range 12, Rate 1, Attune 5m.


Tirobhava Oath (Artifact â—â—â—â—)


"As long as the Yozis and the Neverborn hold the Shards of my allies, I shall walk in Creation as a Champion of the Sun, harassing his enemies, the Creatures of Darkness that threaten Creation, and offering relief to his followers."


Attune: 4m


Mutation Points: 6.


Grants Grace of the Infinite Revolving Spheres (4mp), Surpassing Excellency (1mp) [Archery(Firewands)], and Worker's Gift (1mp).


Samhara Oath: Artifact â—.


"Until the Transcendant Fellowship is reunited, I shall always be in readiness to heed the call of any member of the Fellowship who remains whole and true to the cause, and if they command, I shall rush to their aid."


Attune: 1m.


Mutation Points: 2


Grants the Defining the Parameters of Battle (1mp) {p. 214} and Racing Dragon Speed (1mp) {p. 217}


Shaping Armor: Artifact â—


Attune: 1m


Acts as equivalent value artifact armor in creation.


Inferno Piece: Artifact â—


Attune: 5m


{Taken from the Armorium.} Made to be wielded in the off-hand with no penalty. 3 shots per reload.


Speed 5, Acc +2, Damage 9L, Rate 2, Range 12, Attune 5, Tags: DW, F, S.


Magma Revolver: Artifact â—


Attune: 5m


{Taken from the Armorium.} Roll Dex+Archery when reloading to determine how many shots before the next reload, maximum 5. Can be dual-wielded with no off-hand penalties. Deals Piercing damage.


Speed 5, Acc +1, Damage 6L, Rate 3, Range 75, Attune 5. Tags: DW, P, S, *.


Book of Allies: Oneiromancy â—


Cost: 10m, 2g


Invocation Time: 1 scene.


Duration: The book lasts for one story or tale as appropriate. The Contacts created by the book last until the book fades away or one season, whichever is shorter.


This Waking Circle Oneiromancy takes the form of a small black leather-bound book. The book has permanent versions of Assumption of Wood Shape and The Naming of Secrets {p. 183}. The spell is first cast, roll the Lorekeeper's (Manipulation + Investigation). For each success the user gains 1 dot in Contacts, this cannot raise the user's contacts above the Lorekeeper's Essence. While this charm is technically a work of glamour, it does not provoke Glamour Resistance.


Advanced Gemstone Essence Capacitor: Artifact â—


Repair: 2


Capacity: 1m.


Anyone capable of attuning Artifacts may take a Miscellaneous Action to feed motes into it or draw motes from it. Pretty useless in combat time but I could use it out of battle to transfer motes among my group, say to save someone on the verge of calcifying from Essence loss. Also, it has a Repair rating of 2.


Cat's Paw Feet: Resources â—â—â—


Perfect Shoes. Grant a +2 bonus to Stealth (Move Silently) rolls.


Exceptional Gossamer Fighting Gauntlet: Gossamer â—â—â—


A character using Fighting Gauntlets can parry lethal attacks with their Martial Arts skill. Gossamer Bonus (+1 to accuracy and defense), Exceptional Bonus (+1 to accuracy, defense, and rate).


Speed 5, Acc +2, Damage +5B, Defense +4, Rate 3, Min Str â—. Tags: M.


Clinch:


Speed 6, Acc +1, Damage +3, Defense --, Rate 2, Min Str â—. Tags: C, M, P.


Freehold â—â—: Alcazar of the Sun


A fortress at the center of which stands a wide red tower topped with a giant golden clock that counts down the years since the fall of the Solar Deliberative. The wind around the palace travels in strange and winding ways, and gusts of fire occasionally wind through the air. It is located in the far South.


The Freehold produces 1 level-1 Cyst and 3 Pennants.


Charms:


=Assumption Charms=


Assumption of Fire (10m, 1g) {p. 156}


Assumption of Fire (1mp)


=Elemental Charms=


Sovereign Fire Mastery (1g) {p. 161}


World-Angering Elemental Mastery (1g) {p. 163}


Teeth of the World (1g) {p. 163}


Elemental Evokation (10m, 1g) {p. 162}


=Crafter Charms=


Essence Forging Art (3m, 0g)


Gossamer-Forging Art (5m, 1+g)


=World-Shaping Charms=


Heart Reigns Wisdom (1g) {p. 183}


=Feeding Charms=


Soul-Carving Artifice (3m, 1wp)


Ravishing the Created Form


Banquet of Crumbs


=God-Monster Style Charms=


Wyld Communion (5m) {p. 219} .


Spirit Flaying Meditation (1wp, 1g) {p. 219}


Being-Nonbeing Approach (1m, 2g) {p. 219}


God-Monster Stance (10m, 1wp) {p. 220}


=Body-Strengthening Charms=


Ox-Body (1g) {p. 191}


Ox-Body (0g) {p. 191}


=God-Monster Body Benefits=


Calling Upon The Dragon's Ire


Terrible Shaping Suasion


Heart-Stopping Numinous Power


Backstory

Spoiler

Forged as an Oath Child, one of five Created at the time, between the powerful Unshaped Lord Ssuzarek, He Who Internalizes that Which is Not of Himself, and a group of three Solars and two Lunars, lead by a legendary Eclipse Casete called Flower of the Infinite Shrouds of Chaos who, in his time, was known as the Solar Deliberative's unmatched expert on the Fair Folk, his detractor's claimed he was practically a Raksha himself, and the many Fair Folk, Raksha and even some Unshaped, told stories of the amazing tales he wove far outside the boarders of Creation. This was well into the days of the High First Age, and this Fellowship had realized that Creation was rapidly becoming too small for the endeavors of the Exalted.


Ember remembers stories of the group's first meeting, the meeting that led to his creation. The rapid tension that swept the room when they all turned to a reclusive Solar whose name and accomplishments are utterly forgotten by history because he devoted the majority of every hour of every day of his millenia long existence to studying the nature of Essence and the Shinma, with the question "is it possible that the Solars will destroy Creation itself?" The grave silence that came over them when he said "Yes." The insecurity and uncertainty of the seventh member, far younger than the rest who had devoted his life to becoming Creation's foremost expert on crystals. The loss of the third member, a great Artificer named Kal Bax who, in his arrogance, rejected the claims of the rest of the group, and sought instead perfection within Creation. Until finally, the three Solars, two Lunars, one Rashka and one great Unshaped Lord remained. They shared the belief that Creation was good, but it was too limiting. So they looked outward contemplating the birth of new Primordials, the discovery of new Realms within the sea of the Wyld, the transformation of their own natures, and, at their core, the project which one member had been engaged since the First Age, the genesis of a new Creation build from the ground up, just as the Primordials did so long ago. Each undertaking was epic in scope, and each individual endeavor wove into a greater whole. The Ember of the New Dawn believed that there could be no greater story than this, a thousand roles to play, each the stuff of great legends, and when they where finished with their new Creation, that was just the beginning of a whole new world rife with an entirely new horizons of stories undrempt of, one that might change the Raksha and Unshaped around it just as the first Creation did in its time, inspiring new dreams and new ways to redefine one's self. It was incredible, and there was nothing like it. Then the Usurpation came, the Solars where sealed away, and the project was doomed. Ember, an Artisan, felt that he had been cheated of the opportunity to take part in creating the greatest work of craftsmanship ever, and was resentful for that, but there was nothing he or his fellows could do, Creation was sealed off to them.


Then the Great Contagion happened, and everyone and their cousin came wooping and hollering into Creation looking to dissolve the whole thing back to the Wyld. It wasn't a good time to be one of those who spoke out against the Crusade. Ember learned that the hard way, and was rather painfully Vexed and Incumbered to help the war effort. When the Balorian Crusade was driven back, he was freed from his Incumberances, the people he owed them to where dead, but still dimenished. Flash forward to the present day, where he has managed to regain a considerably portion of his powers and his noble status. While he was a part of the Lapis Court for a time, he left because it didn't sit well with him, and started his own band, the Red Star Hawks, noble thieves, who stole both from mortals and Fair Folk, taking especial pleasure in targeting Dynasts and members of the Church of Balor. One such individual, a member of the Church of Balor named Szal, was impressed by Ember's style and the scope of his dreams, so he joined up with Ember's Red Star Hawks as second-in-command and cast aside his religion (having found something much more fun to do). When the Solars were released as Green Sun Princes and Death Knights, Ember of the New Dawn knew what he must do, still compelled to find and unite the Transcendent Fellowship he decided that he would steal victory from the Yozis and Neverborn, seizing their prized Exaltations from them and leading them back to the light of the Unconquered Sun.

.


Current Body





Permanent Assumption of Fire [1mp]


World-Angering Elemental Mastery [1g]


Teeth of the World [1g]


Heart reigns Wisdom [1g]


Ox-Body x1 [1g]


Being-Nonbeing Approach [2g]


TOTALS:


6g.


4mp (temporary)


1mp (permanent)


Health


-0 []


-1 [] [] []


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


-4 []


I []


Movement


Move: 12


Dash: 18


Experience





Unspent Experience: 2XP.


=Advantages=


Essence 2=>3 16XP


=Graces=


Ring 3=>4 9XP


Sword 1=>2 6XP


Staff 1=>2 6XP


=Charms=


Elemental Evokation 6XP


Permanent Assumption of Fire Shape 6XP


Wyld Communion 6XP


Spirit Flaying Meditation 6XP


Being-Nonbeing Approach 6XP


God-Monster Stance 6XP

 

[ArkElectrum]

The Red Star Hawks


Concept: A lackadaisical band of brigands on a round-about quest to save the world.


Banner: A red sun surrounded by 7 red stars on a red-orange background.


Motto: For the Fires!


The Red Star Hawks truly enjoy themselves, and while they may sometimes wax morose about how they've caste out to wander the world alone on an impossible quest, that's all part of the fun. They are a fairly daring group of Rakshas, as, for all the times they get side-tracked or involved in some complex, and frequently comedic, sequence events that distracts them from their oathbound mission, they're actually serious about saving Creation from the Green Sun Princes and Deathknights, after all that's the best part of the story! The unexpected twist that no one saw coming, perfect touch, Creation saved by a band of Fair Folk miscretes who brough ruin to the armies of Hell and Underworld!


The Band is compose of the following minor characters:


Phylix: Loremaster. Diplomat. Uses a Water-based Assumption and sports an appearance most appropriate on a librarian. When threatened throws beautiful Gossamer knives at her opponents, but tries very hard to avoid battle.


Rippling Copper: Handler. Warrior. Appears as a dark-skinned Southerner who wears an Assumption based on the emotion of Pride. He wields an Exceptional Gossamer Poleaxe (+2 to Acc and Defense, +1 Rate from being Exceptional and Gossamer) and wears a Fine Reinforced Buff Jacket.


Bald and The Brothers 12: Lion-Folk Warrior Castes. Two thirds of them use Flame Pieces and either Fine Chopping Swords (+1 to Acc) or their claws. The remainder have compound longbows, nets, lances, and clubs to deal with a variety of situations. Of them ride horseback and all are good at Survival and Stealth. They play the part of a group of brothers, and form the backbone of the Band. Bald, the "senior brother" (he isn't actually the oldest, but that's the role he's playing), is distinguished only by the fact that he wields a Bola and a Tetsubo and is the largest of the bunch.


The Five Wolves: Two Eastern Raksha, one North-Eastern Raksha, one Raksha from the far North whose wolf-form is jet-furred, and one Southern Raksha whose fur is gold. Warrior Castes all, rather than go by name, they simply go by fur/hair color, respectively they are the Jet Wolf, the Golden Wolf, the Gray Wolf, the Red Wolf, and the Amber Wolf. They shift between the form of a human with a few lupine features and a completely wolf form. They are all Martial Artists, all of whom have access to very basic Terrestrial Martial Arts and who specialize in team-attacks. They seek to become Heroic Commoners.


Ajec and Johla: A Half-Fey brother and sister who look mostly human with a few Leopard features. Agile but not resiliant, they specialize at theft, larceny, and discreetly gathering information, rather than fighting. When forced into combat, they each wield a knife and a Boom Piece {from Armorium v1.2}.


Mirrani: A Wolf Beastman, as a true Beastman of strong blood Mirrani is a Half-Caste Lunar with Enlightened Essence who knows a couple of Lunar Charms (Claws of the Silver Moon and Secure Cat Stepping). A Martial Artist who uses her claws and a composite longbow. Has knowledge of Sail, and so acts as pilot when one is needed. She carries around a few iron-tipped arrows the Band will use to threaten any particularly....uncooperative....Raksha. She likes to tell stories of her mother, a Lunar who she learned to hunt from. She joined the band after her mother was killed by Demons.


Toc: Toc is a Worker Caste who support the logistics of the group, Toc's talent for Beaurocracy is a rare and valued asset within the group. Toc uses a combined Fire and Stone based Assumption to get a Metal based form and wrangles a small troop of Poppets to help with cleaning and chores.


Charo: Charo is an Entertainer who specializes in juggling, slight of hand, and stories, he wears a large floppy blue and purple hat and a brightly colored mask. He is notable because he also wears an Assumption of Cerements and Bone, which gives him an undead form, specifically that of a ghost.


Ember's band often travels with Caravan of eight wagons. Four of these wagons are totally empty, places to put pilfered treasure and to rest on, the rest contain various good, arms, and magical reagents for Ember. The rest of the wagons are as follows: a cart full of valuable spices (to trade with), powders, and remedies, a cart full of fireworks and "festival gear" (masks and such which serve as handy disguises), a cart full of crates of Firedust and ammo for Firedust weapons, and a cart full of assorted decorative items, toys, broken devices and other nick-knacks (and, of course, a few thieves tools hidden amongst all this gear, but mostly they are either raw materials more Ember to craft Creation-based objects with or items to trade for Dreams).

 

[ArkElectrum]

The Ally:

Spoiler

Szal, Serpent of the Jade Grotto


Imperial Caste Raksha


Motivation: To serve Ember, the Prince of Thieves, to the best of his capacity until the day they fight for the glory of their spoils.


Intimacies:


Ember (Loyalty)


Beating up people and taking their stuff (Positive)


Second in Command of the Red Star Hawks, self-described as the "token evil one," Szal occasionally drops hints that he is discontent with his master and looking to seize power, this is all a lie to lure in potential threats to his master so that he might kill them. As far as Creation is concerned, Szal is a true monster, albeit one that doesn't pose an immediate threat, a former member of the Church of Balor, he made a game of waging war on all Creation until he witnessed an rather bold and auspicious act of thievery by the Ember of the New Dawn that humiliated his former masters. The act awoke ambitious of being part of a much greater dream than his idle preoccupation than Balor's Church. So he left and, after confronting the Ember he swore his loyalty to the Red Hawks. Szal and Ember have an unspoken understanding that he will serve the Prince of Thieves until the day of his greatest triumph and on that day, they shall have a climatic battle, the most dramatic clash of their story. Szal is manipulative and cruel, under the Church of Balor he was a brutal Anarch, who was a subtle poison on his allies as much as he was a danger to his enemies. He has a black sense of humor and makes a show of presenting himself as a being with absolutely no moral compass .He prefers to fight like a true Eastern Fair Folk, striking from the shadows of the trees. Szal looks mostly human with elfin ears, green hair, with a few roots growing on his body.


Abilities


Strength: â—â—â—â—â— â—


Dexterity: â—â—â—â—â— â—â—


Stamina: â—â—â—â—â— â—


Charisma: â—â—â—â—â— â—


Manipulation: â—â—â—â—â— â—


Appearance: â—â—â—â—


Perception: â—â—â—â—


Intelligence: â—â—â—â—â—


Wits: â—â—â—â—


Abilities


Caste:


Melee â—â—â—â— (Spear+2<+4>*) 2BP: Melee 3=>4; Melee (Spear+2)


Archery â—â—â—â—


Presence â—â—â—â—


Socialize â—â—â—


War â—â—â—â—


Favored:


Athletics â—â—â—â—


Resistance â—â—


Stealth â—â—â—â—


Awareness â—â—


Integrity â—


Dodge â—â—â—


Linguistics â— (Low-Realm Native: Riverspeak)


Ride â—


*-Surpassing Excellence [Melee (Spear)] raises it to a total of +4.


Graces & Virtues


Compassion 1


Conviction 3


Temperance 3


Valor 4 3BP: Valor 3=>4


Staff 3


Sword 5 4BP: Sword 4=>5


Cup 1


Ring 1


Advantages


Essence: â—â—


Motes: 20 [9]


Willpower:â—â—â—â—â— â—â—


Backgrounds


Gossamer â—â—â—â— 2BP: Gossamer 3=>4.


Birth â—â—â—


Artifact â—â—â—â— 2BP: Artifact 3=>4.


Freehold â—â—â— 1BP: Freehold 1=>2.


Style â— 1BP: Style 1


Charms:


=General Charms=


Unassilible Tower of Manipulation (1g per increase)


Second Sword Excellency (2m per success)


=Assumption Charms=


Assumption of Wood Shape (10m, 1g)


=Elemental Charms=


World-Angering Elemental Mastery (1g)


=Charms of the Heart=


Imposition of Law (Dexterity+Melee+Spear) (2g)


Bastion of Self (Sword) (4g)


=Sword Charms=


Fearsome Mein (5m, 1wp, 2g) {p. 214}


=Feeding Charms=


Ravishing the Created Form


Banquet of Crumbs


=Ox-Body=


Ox-Body x2 (0g) {p. 191}


=Wyldlife Berthing Charms=


Awakened Dream Manufacture (3m, 0g) {p. 199}


Shape-Forged Servant (5m, 1g per mutation) {p. 199}


=Crafter Charms=


Essence Forging Art (3m, 0g)


Health


-0 []


-1 [] []


-2 [] [] [] []


-4 []


I []


Equipment:


Tirobhava Oath (Artifact â—â—â—â—)


Attune: 4m.


"I shall stand as the serpent of lightning, and I shall strike my enemies in a flash, in my field of combat I shall be lauded as a master, and those who recognize my skill will be rightly impressed, and if any profane my skill, I shall not react with rage or a demonstration of my might, but instead I shall exact a vengeance upon them that is both subtle and malicious, for that is the way of poison."


This oath grants Surpassing Excellence [Melee (Spear) +2] (1mp) {p. 219}, Grace of the Infinite Revolving Spheres (4mp) {p. 217}, and Defining Parameters of Battle (1mp) {p. 214}


Thorn of Lament (Artifact â—â—â—)


Attune: 2m.


Mote Reserve: 20m.


Thorn of Lament is Szal's most treasured possession, a gossamer-forged Firelance given to him by Ember of the First Dawn. It is an elegant weapon that looks as though it where made of glass expertly crafted in the image of a green sapling with a still-green bud at the tip (the head of the Firelance). Szal knows that such a piece of First Age Magitech crafted specifically for the use of a Raksha makes it a rare and prized item indeed.


Shaping Armor (Artifact â—)


Attune: 1m.


Samhara Oath (Artifact â—)


"For a year and a day, I shall never go a week without preforming a ritual in which I rub my body with snake-oil, drap myself in the skin of a snake, and hiss."


Attune: 1m.


Grants Opalescent Gossamer Raiment (1mp) and the 1 gossamer varient of Elongated Reach (1mp).


Hearthstone Bracers (Artifact â—)


Contain a slot for a Hearthstone, made of Green Jade, spoils from a battle with a Terrestrial that he took part in when he was a Crusader in the Church of Balor.


Plague of Serpents (Oneiromancy â—)


Cost: 10m, 1g.


Casting Time: 1 scene.


Duration: 1 story or tale, whichever is appropriate.


This spell takes the form of a wooden staff that is also a living snake which allows the Lorekeeper to summon swarms of spectral snakes to attack their enemies. This Oneirmancy is best used in the hands of a Lorekeeper who is a martial artist. It has Assumption of the Beastial Visage (Snake), Assumption of the Wood Shape, and Thousand Gnawing Fangs {p. 166}. After casting the spell, as long as they hold the Serpent, The Lorekeeper can spend 5 motes and take a Speed 5 action to make an attack, rolling their (Dexterity + Martial Arts), with a range of with a range of 100 yards that inflicts base lethal damage equal to the twice the Lorekeeper's Essence.


Glamour Resistance: This attack cannot harm a Creation-Born whose Stamina+Resistance is higher than the Lorekeeper's Dexterity.


Juvenile Craw Snake (Behemoth â—)


A Fey Beast with Thick Skin (mp 2), Huge (mp 2), and Glorious Hero Form (2mp) {p. 217}. It uses its controller's stats but adds +2L/+2B soak, +1 Dexterity, +2 Stamina, +2 Strength, a -0 and -1 health level.


Freehold: Marsh of Quiet Roots: (Freehold â—â—â—)


A marsh filled with cypress tree roots, in whose waters swim strange serpents who make no sound who can pass through any inanimate object (or an animate object whose Essence less than 2), whose bodies are made of whatever they are surrounded by (for instance, if they are surrounded by water, they are made of water, if surrounded by wood, they are serpents of wood, etc). All sounds in the marsh are distorted to sound as if they had come from far off in the distance, and spectral whips of multicolored light dance around occasionally. As one walks into the heart of the Marsh they find trees made of a jade leading into a mouth-like jade grotto.


The Marsh produces a level-1 Cyst and 6 pennants.