Soft the Sea's Song

Kassie's Diary
Apparent Age: 11
Date of Birth:  ??
Hair: While Golden blond
Eyes: Violet
Skin: Pale
Homeland:  ??
Height 4'3"
Weight: 85lbs
Sex: female

Languages Known:
High Realm (Kassie cannot read/write yet)

LARGE

LARGE

TEPET KASSIOPIA, "KASSIE"

Lawgiver of the NIGHT Caste

Also Known As...

Soft the Sea's Song

Tabula Rasa (the Blank Slate)

Kassiopia the Outcast

Adelpha Sunchild - (dear sister, child of the unconquered sun)

BACKGROUND

???

3x3

Allies

Allies are people that care about your character enough to aid them without payment.

• Mordial Kassiopia [age 24]:

• gender, race, rank: female, dragonblood concubine

sobriquet: Windswept Candle

• Brief character description and personality: imagine Kassiopia at age 24 with black hair - MoaG...
• Short Background, why they know me: Windswept Candle is/was one of the many concubine kept by the father of Kassie about his war galleon. Mordial Kassiopia (a slave name) birthed Kassie at age 13 to the Dragonblood commander. The baby was taken and cared for as one of her fathers children, although Mordial was never made known to be more than a wet nurse to young Kassie and several other children of the commander. Kassie was only permitted to spend one day with her true mother once a year since she could remember. But those days were all glorious and inspiring to the young girl. So much strength came from her mother - hence the sobriquet of "Windswept Candle"... because to this day she's never flickered out. If anyone would aid Kassie if in a tough position among the Tepet and the Dragonblood it would be her mother - Mordial Kassiopia.
• Brief Skill/Abilities of note: Compassion and Conviction would be the primary parts that Kassie was given by her mother. Resolve to survive and thrive through any hardship or lack of attention... That and her learned ability as a primary geisha of the Tepet.
• When/Where last scene by me: This would likely be the last time she spent a day with her mother. Every year for her memory she's spent the day of her birth with her mother. They've never not been together on this day... as yet.

•  ??name?? [age ??]:

• gender, race, rank, sobriquet, etc...
• Brief character description and personality.
• Short Background, why they know me.
• Brief Skill/Abilities of note.
• When/Where last scene by me.

•  ??name?? [age ??]:

• gender, race, rank, sobriquet, etc...
• Brief character description and personality.
• Short Background, why they know me.
• Brief Skill/Abilities of note.
• When/Where last scene by me.

Contacts

Contacts are people that would aid your character but require some sort of payment or promise.

• Silence makes Victims [age 45]:

• gender, race, rank, sobriquet, etc...
• Brief character description and personality.
• Short Background, why they know me.
• Brief Skill/Abilities of note.
• When/Where last scene by me.

• Cazzar Blynne [age unknown, appears 40-50s]:

• Male, of some presence or importance within the dock workers of various ports.

sobriquet: the Necessary Evil, the old crow

• Brief character description and personality: Cazzar, Mr. Blynne, or the Necessary Evil as he is known is a rat/weasle of a man. But one with the charisma to lead within the holes and haunts that he inhabits. His nose is peaked and pointed like a vulture, with a bald head and sloped ears. His teeth are more like a rat, jutting his lip out as he flicks his greasy tongue over them constantly. He's unusually thin but you'd never know it for all the layers of cloths he wears, shedding them down when he needs to slip into places or change his appearance even more drastically.
• Short Background, why they know me: Mr. Blynne is as much an outcast as Kassie is in many ways... He constantly "surfs" between ports, staying only long enough to build "business" contacts ... which he eventually angers with his sharp "I should be running this outfit" attitude. He then slips aboard a freighter or galleon to a port where the people have never heard of him or (more frequently) have been culled out of the "business" population (ie. killed in deals gone sour). His business... he's in the business that no one wants to talk about... he'll do the dirty work passing traitor's dialogues and messages, spying when needed, working the gallows so that he can overhear information that he can use to sell or trade.
  As for why someone like Kassie would know this "Fagin", imagine the little girl playing on the Golden Ivory's ship and low and behold, down in the bilge she finds this stow-away... Rather than turning him in (as she perhaps should have) Mr. Blynne bartered with the little girl... Soon (over the course of the weeks at sea) she learned to use her small/thin form in similar ways that old Mr. Blynne could. Lurking and leaping rafter to rafter, rigging to rigging. She kept him hidden and now and then he takes her up on this hidden passage for any world on the street that she can offer back to her crew and captain, or perhaps even just a story or new technique.
• Brief Skill/Abilities of note: Running and lurking the high places of the darker places above the streets is his signature ability.
• When/Where last scene by me: Mr. Blynne was last visited by Kassie with the crew of the Silver Falcon, he's likely at one of the ports we travel to frequently.

•  ??name?? [age ??]:

• gender, race, rank, sobriquet, etc...
• Brief character description and personality.
• Short Background, why they know me.
• Brief Skill/Abilities of note.
• When/Where last scene by me.

Enemies

Enemies are people that dislike your character for any reason, minor as a slight grudge or anything greater.

• Tepet Ejava [age 20-30 something]:

• female, Dragonblood

sobriquet: the Roseblack

• Brief character description and personality: see the books.
• Short Background, why they know me: Ejava is the elder step-sister of Kassie. Born of the same father. Ejava barely knew (or cared) about this sibling, until Kassiopia exalted that is...

Tepet Ejava, famously known as the Roseblack, is a close cousin of Tepet Lisano, his deceased twin sister Tepet Felara, and their brother Tepet Aekino. The infamous “Roseblack,” Tepet Ejava, is a brilliant officer on whom the entire House may soon place all its bets.

the Roseblack

Meanwhile, the other Great Houses debate the idea of choosing to support the Roseblack, the nickname of Tepet Ejava, a recent military hero and superior strategist who is currently on campaign in the Southwest with the ragtag Vermilion Legion. Even with such a rebellious and broken force under her command, the Roseblack has given the Realm a series of successes and victories that raise people’s hopes for the empire’s glorious survival and renewal.

At present, no one can quite figure out how to keep her safe from Mnemon. If she were recalled to the Blessed Isle, Tepet Ejava would probably face an accident or even obvious assassination the moment she landed. While she is a military genius, she is not as politically savvy a woman as Mnemon—which is, of course, part of the Roseblack’s appeal. But Mnemon is among the most capable sorcerers in the Realm. Even the Roseblack’s most ardent supporters must face the truth: If the Roseblack wants the throne, she will have to take it and then discover how many supporters she has To offer her the throne is tantamount to signing her death warrant, though, for she likely would not survive long enough to be crowned.

Possessing all the native cunning of her military family as well as years of hard-won battle experience and a strategic genius that is hers alone, Tepet Ejava is a general commanding the ragtag force that House Tepet is trying to call a legion. While it does constitute the single largest body of troops surviving from the once-proud Tepet legions, her force is little more than a motley crew of mercenaries, the Red-Piss Legion and the few lucky Tepet legionnaires that survived the campaign against the Bull of the North. She is currently making war on various pirate and smuggler bases in the southwest. Ejava herself, having caught wind of a possible plot to have her killed before House Tepet can establish another “legion,” is extending the mission as long as possible in hopes of outlasting the conspiracy.

More information about the Roseblack is in Aspect Book: Wood.

• When/Where last scene by me: Ejava likely visited the crew of the Silver Falcon, as this was one of the many galleons in her father's command. This ship was the ship that Kassie was stationed on with her mother (a concubine of her Dragonblood father). When the Silver Falcon was stolen by Golden Ivory, Kassie only watched as her step-sister's regiment were left behind on the dock... not knowing if Ejava was there or not. In the beginning of being outcast, Kassie secretly wished that her older sister would come save her from the pirate thieves.

•  ??name?? [age ??]:

• gender, race, rank, sobriquet, etc...
• Brief character description and personality.
• Short Background, why they know me.
• Brief Skill/Abilities of note.
• When/Where last scene by me.

•  ??name?? [age ??]:

• gender, race, rank, sobriquet, etc...
• Brief character description and personality.
• Short Background, why they know me.
• Brief Skill/Abilities of note.
• When/Where last scene by me.

Exalted Details

Concept

• Former Dragon-Blood princess, now outcast solar on the run

Motivation

• I will seek to one day see my kind (a Solar) to the throne, not my sister (the Blackrose) or her kind (Terrestrials/Dragon-Blood)

Intimacies

• the Golden Ivory's ship - I was ship's first mate in the First Age, I will prove myself worthy in this age
• My duty is to my Circle, especially when they are insane, treacherous, or wrong
• I am a kung-fu master, but my enlightenment is still incomplete
• There is another way, there is always another way [session 1]

Virtues

• Compassion, which measures the character’s empathy and forgiveness. Characters with high Compassion have difficulty ignoring the plights of others.

••• Kassie has Compassion 3, Compassion is her primary virtue.

• Conviction, which represents the character’s resistance to mental and physical hardship. Characters with high Conviction can endure (and inflict) immense pain and suffering and ignore the suffering of others.

••• Kassie has Conviction 3.

• Temperance, which measures self-control and clearheadedness. Characters with high Temperance sometimes withdraw from human contact or hold themselves above those less “pure,” partly because they can easily ignore temptations to which others yield.

• Kassie has Temperance 1.

• Valor, which represents courage and bravery. Characters with high Valor have difficulty backing down from any challenge, however dangerous or foolhardy, but they can also face daunting foes fearlessly.

•• Kassie has Valor 2.

Limit Break & Virtue Flaw

 ?? (the GM will supply these)

Backgrounds

• ALLIES:

Trait Effects

• Each dot in this Background typically represents one ally approximately equal in power to a starting character. More powerful allies require higher ratings. Depending upon both her score in this Background and the power of the allies, your character can have between one and five allies.

• The Old-Strong :

• gender, race, rank: Male, Dragonblood, retired former high commander.

sobriquet: Commander Virynn Koss

• Brief character description and personality: calm and even, willing to take any amount of punishment - phycial or mental. I imagine his as a mountain of a man but extremely dexterous (imagine Paul Sr. from American Chopper).
• Short Background, why they know me: This ally is a retired former commander in the Tepet Verilion Legion assigned to care for Kassie. He became loyal and loving of the child & is now secret Dragon-Blood aid. The Old Strong knew and cared for Kassie's mother a great deal. Some (the Roseblack) taunt that Kassie is more likely the prodigy of old Commander Koss ... while this is likely untrue (as the Old Strong, though he loved Kassie's mother would likely not have been disloyal to the Tepets) it is known widely that the Old Strong had loved Windswept Candle (Kassie's mother) from the day they met, over a decade ago. This love translated into an apathy for following the orders of the Tepet family for the Old Strong which led to one of the greatest defeats in the history of the Verilion Legion, or at least that's what it has been told... In reality, the Old Strong would have died on that battlefield that day fighting and defending for the house he swore oath to... But it was the arts of a sorceror who was hidden on the battlefield that twisted what men saw, making the Old Strong seem weak and less than loyal. It was something the strong general could never overcome. His rank was demoted to that of a lesser commander by the end of those battles, and soon was ushered out unceramoniously - many bitter Tepets passive agressively had him keep his title of commander and the sobriquet (that he'd earned) of the Old Strong. But they did so with smirks and laughter behind the old man. He retired to become the chief of care for Kassie, again a slap in the face taunting him from Kassie's father - almost baiting the Old Strong to say "you couldn't have my concubine and you will protect our child".... to the Old Strongs surprise the child grew in his heart and the rest is an 11 year old dedication of history watching over Kassie... until the Silver Falcon was stolen!
• Brief Skill/Abilities of note: the Old Strong has a top tier power of his own, something that's focused like a razor blade in war... something that's a one shot kill. But he rarely uses it. Instead he relies on his strong skill of tactics and war knowledge... knowing the history and logistics of nearly every battle on record, so that he can use the information to lead men.
• When/Where last scene by me: the Old Strong is probably hating himself for whatever reason he was not watching over Kassie that day she exalted and was kidnapped by the crew of the Silver Falcon. It might have been that Kassie's Exaltation took him by surprise blasting him (with her Thunder of Heaven charm) a dozen yards into the sea while the ship and Kassie sailed away. He's likely now hunting for her and should be catching up soon. I wouldn't be surprised if he's not tracked her down into the islands and is waiting there for the Silver Falcon to return... to seek vengence on its captain for kidnapping Kassie!!

• CONTACTS:

Trait Effects

• Each dot of this Background provides one major contact and one additional die for finding minor ones.

• Major Contact #1 :  ???
• Major Contact #2 :  ???
• Major Contact #3 :  ???
• Minor Contacts : Various NPCs met/contacts.

• CULT:

Trait Effects

•• Gods know that worship gives them power. Your character also learned this lesson and has worshipers who honor her as their patron goddess. It doesn’t matter if the character’s worshipers love or fear her. What matters is that they make regular offerings and prayers to her. However, cults based upon love endure far longer when facing oppression or persecution. If you actively aid your worshipers, your cult will grow and spread. However, the Wyld Hunt attempts to destroy all Solar cults.

Cult Notes & Description: The members of one large community or several small ones worship you. Several hundred people make daily prayers and full-time priests or nuns tend a few shrines and make offerings to you.

Benefit: You gain a point of temporary Willpower every morning and also regain two motes of Essence per hour from worship.

• FAMILIAR:

Trait Effects

••••• The familiar is a powerful, impressive, dangerous small animal pet that is as intelligent as a child of eight or nine years. It can fetch items and do chores, but it has no book learning and is easily distracted. The familiar can communicate with you as well as if it were speaking by its noises, postures and expressions. It has increased preternaturally intelligence and near-perfect communication. When it is touching your character, it makes an additional five motes of Essence available. This Essence is “stored” in the familiar but is otherwise treated as Personal Essence. It regenerates only after your character has regained all his own Essence. The character can share one of the familiar’s senses (at a time) when the familiar is within 100 yards.

Familiar Notes & Description:
Saxson the golden-mouthed.

Saxson the golden-mouthed

Saxson is a rust-colored fire-breathing field mouse... Looking much like a normal field mouse... about 5 inches (13cm) long (including a long tail), weighing 1/4 ounces (7gm). His coat color is brown with orange streaked throughout (rust-colored). It has a pointed snout with long whiskers, round ears, and thin tails. He can scurry along the ground and hop or jump and is generally nocturnal and very good at hiding, balancing, climbing, swimming and moving about undetected even if rushed or threatened. As with his species, Saxson has a remarkable adaptability to almost any environment, and an ability to live commensally with humans. Mice are regarded to be the third most successful mammalian species living today, after humans and the rat. As pets, mice are entertaining, affectionate, clean (contrary to popular belief), socially self-sufficient when in a group of other mice, significantly less likely to bite than other rodent pets, quite intelligent given their size, fun, loving.

Ember-Spider  :

In the first age, Solars developed many modified species for various utilitarian purposes. No single species was tinkered with more than the humble field mouse. The first recorded modification was a mouse made more intelligent for help around the genesis lab. Many more modifications soon developed. Some were made for children’s companions, either as entertainment or protection, some were designed to climb inside the intricate gears of first-age clockwork artifacts, some were even designed to read and record data.

One peculiar modification, called the ember-mouse, allowed the animal to breathe fire. Records of the exact reasons are lost. Savants and scholars believe that this creature was often used as an inexpensive fuel source for balloons and derigibles that were so common at the time. They became a common pet for those with leisure time and a desire to travel.

At some point, through breeding or ill-concieved tinkering this particular trait started to be found in a version designed specifically for covert operations, once called the spider-mouse. This strange combination of abilities must have made the animal fit enough to survive without the solars of the first age, for this creature, known as the ember-spider, is the only known surviving variant, though even these are extremely rare.

Strength: 1

Perception: 4

Dexterity: 6

Intelligence: 3

Stamina: 2

Wits: 5

Willpower: 6

Health Levels: -0/-1/-2/-4/Incap

Dodge DV: 6

Soak: 1L/2B

Abilities:

Martial Arts: 4, Thrown: 3, Survival: 3, Investigation: 2, Awareness: 4, Dodge: 5, Larceny: 3, Stealth: 5

Other Abilities:

Torch-Tounge: Speed: 5 | Acc: 10 | Dam: 12L | Rate: 1 | Range: 10

The torch-tounge ability is an iconic ability for this creature. The ember-spider can spend 5 motes of essence to launch a flame attack, burning its would-be attackers, and often distracting enemies long enough to escape. When the ember-spider uses this ability, its back glows as the essence is channeled through its body.

Alternatively, the ember-spider can use 1 mote of essence to burn a less intense flame for 1 minute. This flame is treated as an environmental hazard of 2L/action, but cannot be used if the ember-spider is moving. Ember-spiders will emit this flame automatically if scratched or rubbed on the stomach.

Spider-Foot Style 4m Reflexive Lasts for one scene: This is the ability that gives this stealthy mouse variant its name.

Camoflauge 5m Simple Indefinite duration: The ember-spider is able to change it’s coloration to match the surrounding area. This has the same effect as the Solar Charm Invisible Statue Spirit.

Feather Foot Style 4m Reflexive One Scene: The ember-spider can use this ability to run on water if necessary.

Door Evasion Technique 10m, 1wp Reflexive Instant: Now and again, even the ember-spider cannot find a way to its target. At a great cost, the ember-spider can take a speed 6 action and burrow through a single wall, ceiling, or floor that is made of a substance that a mouse would eventually be able to burrow through. This creates a hole for the ember-mouse to travel through. The hole will close up at a predetermined time after the hole is originally made. Once the time is set, it cannot be changed.

Stealing From Plain Sight Spirit 5m: Often, ember-spiders were employed to “retrieve” various objects. The ember-spider can use the stealing from plain sight spirit ability, but not the version that allows it to steal something it cannot reach

Essence: 2

Essence Pool: 40

CHARMS

KNOCKOUT BLOW

p. 190 , Exalted 2nd Core

Cost: 4m, 1wp

Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2;

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling, Obvious

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: Solar Hero Form

Solar Exalted with this Charm can topple even behemoths with a single punch. This Charm supplements an unarmed Martial Arts attack. This Charm takes effect if the attack hits and inflicts even one health level of damage. If [damage successes x Exalt’s Essence] is greater than the target’s remaining health levels, this Charm knocks the target unconscious, and the target remains so for a scene.

SOLAR HERO FORM

p. 242 , Exalted 2nd Core

Cost: 6m

Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2

Type: Simple

Keywords: Form-type, Obvious

Duration: One scene

Prerequisite Charms: Sledgehammer Fist Punch, Dragon Coil Technique

The Solar suffuses his body with the Essence of the Sun. He becomes a paragon of strength and skill, radiant with the power of a legendary hero returned. There is nothing formal to this fighting style, but there is an unstoppable and unchallengeable grace to it. This is an honest battle art, for champions, gladiators and heroes. It was forged in the dawning of the world so that the Lawgivers could face the greatest monsters with nothing save their hands and skill and be undaunted by them.

This Charm allows the Exalt to count the successes of unarmed Martial Arts attacks twice for the purposes of determining damage. She must spend one mote reflexively in Step 7 of attack resolution each time she takes advantage of this effect. This Charm also allows the character to make an unarmed Martial Arts block against ranged and lethal attacks without a stunt.

SLEDGEHAMMER FIST PUNCH

p. 242 , Exalted 2nd Core

Cost: 3m

Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: Fists of Iron Technique

This Charm is also called the “Pillar-Breaking Blow.” The Lawgiver’s anima flares, and he strikes like the judgment of Heaven. This Charm supplements an unarmed Martial Arts attack against an inanimate object, doubling the raw (pre-soak) damage of the attack.

DRAGON COIL TECHNIQUE

p. 242 , Exalted 2nd Core

Cost: 3m

Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2

Type: Reflexive (Step 1)

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Until next action

Prerequisite Charms: Fists of Iron Technique

The clinch of the Lawgivers does not fail. The Solar’s grip is inexorable, and she may, if she chooses, squeeze the life from the strongest opponent. This Charm makes clinch crush damage lethal. This Charm also adds the Solar’s Essence in dice to the dice pools to inflict, maintain and control a clinch. It also adds the character’s Essence to the damage of clinch crush attacks. This Charm cannot be placed in a Combo with extra-action Charms.

FISTS OF IRON TECHNIQUE

p. 242 , Exalted 2nd Core

Cost: 1m

Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: None

The Solar infuses her hands with the strength of her Essence and strikes like the Unconquered Sun. This Charm enhances an unarmed Martial Arts attack, improving its Accuracy by one and its Damage by two and making its damage lethal. The Solar can parry lethal hand-to-hand attacks without a stunt until his next action.

HEAVEN THUNDER HAMMER

p. 242 , Exalted 2nd Core

Cost: 3m

Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2;

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: Solar Hero Form

The fury of the Lawgivers scatters their enemies like leaves before the storm. This Charm supplements an unarmed Martial Arts attack. It ensures that the Solar’s attack throws his enemy backward one yard for each point of pre-soak damage. Targets that strike hard objects take one die of damage for each yard they would otherwise have traveled. This damage is typically bashing but it can be lethal if the target strikes a sufficiently dangerous object.

FIRST (Martial Arts) EXCELLENCY — ESSENCE OVERWHELMING

p. 183 , Exalted 2nd Core

Cost: 1m per die

Mins: (Ability) 1, Essence 1

Type: Reflexive (Step 1 for attacker, Step 2 for defender)

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: None

Lawgivers 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. This Charm is the paradigmatic dice adder. The rule that Solars are prohibited from increasing a dice pool by more than their (Attribute + Ability) almost always refers to the purchase of dice through the use of this Charm.

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.

Characters cannot use this or other Excellencies or diceadding Charms to “create” actions. For example, if a character attacks on tick 3 and will attack again on tick 8, she cannot buy dice for an attack on tick 4 that only exists because she used the Excellency to conjure dice for it. A character who uses this or other reflexive Charms to add to an attack can also use it to enhance her defense until the next tick when she acts, but she must spend Essence for each separate roll she wishes to modify. This Charm can be part of a Combo or used together with the Second Excellency, but it is incompatible with the Third Excellency. It can never be used on the same roll as the Third Excellency.

ADAMANT SKIN TECHNIQUE

p. 207 , Exalted 2nd Core

Cost: 4m

Mins: Resistance 5, Essence 3

Type: Reflexive (Step 7)

Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Strengthens the Skin, Iron Skin Concentration

Driven by her purpose and her Virtues, the Exalt becomes invincible. The Solar invokes this Charm immediately before the damage of a physical attack or similar effect is rolled. This Charm is a perfect defense against the raw damage of the attack, reducing it to zero after all other effects. This Charm has one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability (see p. 194).

THE FOUR FLAWS OF INVULNERABILITY

Standard perfect defenses against physical attacks are a cheap way to entirely ignore attacks, but each has one of four flaws.

Conviction Flaw: This Charm does not function when a Solar’s actions are contrary to his Motivation. The Storyteller should assume that a Solar’s actions qualify unless an enemy deliberately arranges for terms of conflict that dispirit and shake the purpose of the Exalt. The player can interpret it more strictly if desired.

SPIRIT STRENGTHENS THE SKIN

p. 207 , Exalted 2nd Core

Cost: 1m per pre-soak damage die removed

Mins: Resistance 2, Essence 2

Type: Reflexive (Step 7)

Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: Durability of Oak Meditation

The unconquerable flame of the Solar’s spirit armors her against attack. She invokes this Charm after an attack hits her but before damage is rolled. This Charm reduces the raw (presoak) damage of the attack by one die for each mote spent. This Charm can reduce the damage of the attack to zero.

IRON SKIN CONCENTRATION

p. 207 , Exalted 2nd Core

Cost: 2m

Mins: Resistance 3, Essence 2;

Type: Reflexive (Step 7)

Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: Durability of Oak Meditation

Mortal weapons are as the stings of wasps and hornets to the Lawgivers reborn. The Solar invokes this Charm after an attack hits him but before damage is rolled. Roll (his Stamina + Resistance) against a difficulty equal to the attacker’s Essence (up to a maximum of 6). On a success, this Charm prevents all damage from the attack; on a failure, this Charm still gives him +4A/+8L/+8B soak.

DURABILITY OF OAK MEDITATION

p. 207 , Exalted 2nd Core

Cost: 3m

Mins: Resistance 2, Essence 1;

Type: Reflexive (Step 7)

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: None

A boy cannot cut down an oak tree with a kitchen knife. Nor can a mere mortal slay the Solar with petty blows of mortal steel. The Solar invokes this Charm after an attack hits but before damage is rolled. This Charm sets her Hardness against that attack to 8.

COMBOS

"Wingless Bird Attack"

Cost: 1 point (NOTE: GM gave one 1pt Combo at character creation)

Charms: 1st (Martial Arts) Excellency + Heaven's Thunder Hammer + Adamant Skin

Description:  ???

"Bull in a China Shop Method"

Cost: 2 points

Charms: 1st (Martial Arts) Excellency + Sledgehammer Fist Punch

Description:  ???

"Sleepytown Technique"

Cost: 2 points

Charms: 1st (Martial Arts) Excellency + KO Blow

Description:  ???

MERITS

na

FLAWS

Small

p. 32 - 1st Edition

3 pt. flaw

A characterwith this Flaw stands only four and a half feet tall or less. She has difficulty reaching and manipulating objects designed for normal adult size, reducing her effective Strength by one dot for the sole purpose of meeting the minimum requirements of weapons and large tools. Her reduced size also costs her one -1 health level. Lunar Exalted with this Flaw appear proportionally smaller in all forms unless assuming a specific guise as with Prey's Skin Disguise. In addition to representing children or short adults or pygmy races such as the Djala, this Flaw can aid in portraying extremely gaunt and frail characters of normal height (especially in conjunction with low Stamina).

Notes on Kassie:

Child

p. 38 - 1st Edition

3 pt. flaw

The character has not yet reached full maturity, and therefore, most adults treat him with patronizing amusement or disdain. Her opinions are generally ignored in favore of those older and wiser, especially in matters for her own good. And that assumes anyone even bothers to hear what she has to say in the first place. The character's player loses one to three dice from all Social rolls involving interactions with adults, depending on the tolerance of the adult in question. Most children also have the Small Flaw. and a measure of Unskilled.

Notes on Kassie:

Wanted

p. 37 - 1st Edition

1 pt. flaw

The character is a known criminal, or her actions have somehow incurred the wrath of authorities willing to send hunters after her. Whether she is actually innocent is irrelevant. For on point, the character is mostly likely an escaped slave or has defaulted on a moderate loan, committed a theft or become involved in some other minor crime involving another's property. Pursuit will be slight if at all, though the character will need to keep a low profile if she ever returns home. Three points indicates a murder or violent crime and a certainty of pursuit, with capture mostly likely leading to death or lengthy imprisonment. Five points indicated the character has committed an act of highest inexcusable treason: consorting with the Deathlords or fae, leading a rebellion, assassinating the king, etc. Storytellers should use these guidelines to interpolate crimes rated at two or four points.

Notes on Kassie:

Gear

A little girl and her shoes...
Kassie has fashioned and "iron boot" from more traditional asian shoes... As the name implies, an iron boot is a heavy leather boot covered in brass or iron studs or small plates of metal. Iron boots are always worn in pairs.
A character wearing iron boots cannot use them to block lethal attacks without a stunt. (see notes to the left)
LARGE

Iron Geta
Speed	Accuracy	Damage	Defense	Rate	Minimums	Cost	Tags
5	+0	+6B	-3	2	Str ••	••	M

Geta (下駄) are a form of traditional Japanese footwear that are a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric thong to keep the foot well above the ground. Sometimes geta are worn in rain or snow to keep the feet dry, due to their extra height and impermeability compared to other shoes such as zori.
There are several different styles of geta. The most familiar style in the West consists of an unfinished wooden board called a dai (台, stand) that the foot is set upon, with a cloth thong (鼻緒, hanao) that passes between the big toe and second toe. As geta are usually worn only with yukata or other informal Japanese clothes or Western clothes, there is no need to wear socks.
The two supporting pieces below the base board, called "teeth" (歯 ha), are also made of wood, usually very light-weight kiri (桐, paulownia) and make a distinctive "clacking" sound while walking: カランコロン or karankoron. A traditional saying in Japanese translates as "You don't know until you have worn geta." This means roughly, "you can't tell the results until the game is over."
Merchants use very high geta (two long "teeth") to keep the feet well above the seafood scraps on the floor. The "teeth" are usually not separate, instead, the geta is carved from one block of wood. The "teeth" of any geta may have harder wood drilled into the bottom of the "teeth" to avoid splitting, and the soles of the "teeth" may have rubber soles glued onto them.
The hanao can be wide and padded, or narrow and hard, and it can be made with many sorts of fabric. Printed cotton with traditional Japanese motifs is popular, but there are also geta with vinyl and leather hanao. According to Japanese superstition, breaking the thong on one's geta is considered very unlucky.

Okobo are wooden sandals worn by maiko (apprentice geisha) during their apprenticeship. Okobo are very tall, and usually made from a block of willow wood. Usually, the wood has either no finish or a natural finish, but during the summer months, maiko will wear black-lacquered okobo. They are held to the foot by simple thong-like straps in colors that represent their maiko status. Red straps are worn by new maiko, yellow are worn by maiko that are nearly done with their apprenticeship.
Alternatively, okobo are referred to as "pokkuri" or "koppori". These names come from the sound okobo make when walking.

Hidden Compartments: Kassie has fashioned small compartments in the hard-wooden soles of her shoes. It was "the Necessary Evil" who showed her this technique long ago. She generally hides minor trinkets, keys and such inside for safe keeping. The compartments also act as a nice, if not jarring, little place for Saxon to ride along.

XP Expenditures

Gained: Session #1 = 8,

XP SPENT

• 5

XP UNSPENT

• 10

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WORKING NOTES

TEPET LISARA, AMBITIOUS YOUNG OFFICER

While the infamous “Roseblack,” Tepet Ejava, is a brilliant officer on whom the entire House may soon place all its bets, her cousin Tepet Lisara is a perfect example of what happens when an inferior soldier rises to command solely through Charms and connections. Both of Lisara’s parents were noted generals, so her future admission to the House of Bells was a foregone conclusion, despite mediocre grades in primary school. And to her credit, Lisara did seem to excel at the House of Bells, although few would have guessed that her high marks in military tactics classes could be attributed to simultaneous clandestine affairs with three different instructors. She later blackmailed the most respected of them into recommending her for a position as adjutant to General Tepet Tilis Mallon, then commander of the Third Legion. It was Lisara who, out of petty jealousy, persuaded Mallon to remove the Roseblack from the field, and it was Lisara who suggested the ill-fated stratagem that led to disaster for both the legion and House Tepet against the Bull of the North. Fortunately for Lisara, no one in her House fully realizes just how responsible she is for its declining fortunes. Unfortunately for her, she is nevertheless seen as a failure to be kept far from home and away from any other position of authority.

Therefore, Lisara finds herself as second-in-command of a miserable outpost in Chiaroscuro, surrounded by sweltering heat and ignorant barbarians. To pass the time, she amuses herself by reassigning up-and-coming male officers to either menial or suicidal tasks depending on her moods. Her commanding officer, who was himself assigned to this dead-end position as punishment for his habitual drunkenness, neither knows nor cares about this agenda, which is driven by Lisara’s deep-seated sense of female chauvinism. Her contempt for the Tri-Khan of Chiaroscuro has threatened on several occasions to trigger a diplomatic incident, and her strange obsession with the Bull of the North (who she considers her chief “rival” even though he is thousands of miles away) has extended to all male Anathema. She constantly seeks information about such Anathema in or near Chiaroscuro, in hopes that she can defeat one without even calling in the Wyld Hunt and thus rehabilitate her reputation.

Aspect: Fire

Anima Banner: A swirling corona of yellow flames.

Charms: Lisara is a Fire Aspect. For five motes, she can surround herself for a scene with a corona of flames that does no damage to her body or possessions but affects anything else she touches as normal flame would. Bare-handed or grappling attacks against Lisara will cause the attacker to suffer three dice of lethal damage, and any hand-to-hand attacks made by her inflict an additional three dice of lethal damage. She can also ignite flammable materials with a touch. Lisara has First and Second Excellencies for Melee, and First, Second and Third Excellencies for Socialize. She can also add five dice to any single attempt to seduce another. She can cause opponents to burst into flame with a successful Melee strike for single mote, causing an extra four levels of lethal damage for one action, and she can summon a flaming sword out of thin air for three motes and one Willpower. She can also render her steed temporarily immune to the lethal effects of her anima. Lisara has two levels of Ox-Body Technique.

Other Notes: Lisara typically travels with fellow officers in groups of two to six, usually leading detachments of possibly dozens of elite troops. These traits could be used for any young Dragon-Blooded officer. Additionally, the imperial garrison at Chiaroscuro contains a dragon of 500 troops (treat as elite troops), any number of which might accompany Lisara if she knows she is going into combat, especially against Anathema.

House Tepet Notes

House Tepet (Air) wanted the throne desperately but has lost its legions fighting the Bull of the North. The Regent is a hideous embarrassment to the Tepets, and many of their soldiers go berserk when taunted with Fokuf’s name. Tepet used to be supported by House Cathak and House V’neef, but now it seems to be hanging in the wind.

House Tepet VIPs

Tepet Fokuf the Regent :  ???

Tepet Ejava, the Roseblack :  ???

Tepet Arada: One of the great legion generals, much respected and much decorated, Tepet Arada has become a shadow of his former self in the wake of the destruction of the Tepet legions. It was he who commanded one of those legions to its destruction and survived only through a strange quirk of fate. While he feels he bears some responsibility for the defeat, he fi rmly believes House Tepet was deliberately set up to fail in order to lessen the House’s claim to the Scarlet Throne. To say that he’s bitter would understate the deep disillusionment, grief and rage that haunts him. Since the defeat, the one thing Arada has nursed more than his bitterness is his sake bottle. The House elders, including his father, have offered Arada many olive branches to come out of his monastic retirement and to serve his House one last time by helping to reestablish a legion for his family. While he resents the request on all levels, his dedication to military ideals and his family make it unlikely that he’ll refuse.

Tepet Lisano : a close cousin of the Roseblack

Tepet Felara : deceased twin sister of Lisano

Tepet Aekino : brother of Lisano

Tepet Lisara :  ???

Former Supporters

House Cathak (Fire) wants to be a critical power behind the Scarlet Throne and it possesses the military experience to put someone on the throne and keep her there. It is allied with House V’neef and once supported House Tepet.

House V’neef (Wood) vacillates between wanting the throne and avoiding it. The House’s vacillation—or is it a power struggle in the House?—is costing it control of its satrapies, which are slowly breaking loose. The V’neef run the Realm’s merchant marine defense force and protect their wineries and orchards by overthrowing governments that want their land for peasant farms.

WANTS for later

Mountain-Crossing Leap Technique [-4 bonus points]

Souring Crane Leaping [-4 bonus points]

Monkey Leap Technique [-4 bonus points]

[2 point Combo] "Iron Cloud Falling Approach" = Mountain-Crossing Leap + Adamant Skin

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Hull Preserving Technique [-4 bonus points]

Ship Claiming Stance [-4 bonus points]

"Ship Claiming" would be VERY handy next session, heheh... but I don't know if you'd want me to do that. I don't know that I'd immediately have Kassie "claim" anything. But rather do it when the time is right.

1st (Sailing) Excellency [-4 bonus points]

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Mob Dispersing Rebuke [-4 bonus points]

RULES NOTES

Virtues

Passion and emotion are powerful forces in the world of Exalted. Virtues measure how passionately committed a character is to certain types of behavior. There are four Virtue traits, each representing the extremes the soul can reach. The Virtues are:

Motivations

Motivation is a short description of your character’s primary goal. It’s what drives your character to go out and be a hero, and it is part of the reason the Unconquered Sun chose her for Exaltation. The Chosen of the Sun (and all other Celestial Exalted) cannot have mundane or pedestrian Motivations—by their very nature, Celestial Exalted are epic heroes, and their goals must be similarly epic. Everyone who is Exalted deserves it. Your character might not have been wealthy, powerful or famous, but everyone who is Exalted already had a soul large enough to accept a fragment of divine power. Many other Motivations are possible, and in most series, every character will have a different Motivation. However, every character’s Motivation must be large and must be something that will take many sessions of roleplaying to accomplish. When deciding on a Motivation, consider what in your character’s history or concept pushes her to redefine the world according to her hopes and dreams. A compelling, dramatic Motivation can give you a lot of mileage for roleplay in any series. Your character’s Motivation must answer the question, “Why does she do the things that become the stuff of legend?”
Taking a significant action that brings your character closer to completing her Motivation can allow her to regain Willpower. Anytime a character spends an entire scene performing some action that directly brings her closer to completing her Motivation, she regains one point of Willpower. For example, if a character’s Motivation is to transform a large nation into a just and fairly run polity, and if she spent a scene judging crimes and administering justice in a city in that nation, she would recover one point of Willpower.

Intimacies

Characters can have things they are loyal to that are not their primary motivation in life. These secondary motivations are called Intimacies. Intimacies take the form of a noun—it can be a person, place, idea or any other sort of thing—in which the character feels invested. A character can normally have a number of Intimacies equal to her (Willpower + Compassion), but they don’t automatically “fall off” if the character has too many. Normally, Intimacies don’t mean all that much. Serving them does not gain the character Willpower or Essence, for example. Instead, they are a way to protect certain things the character cares about from socially adept characters (see the Social Combat rules on pp. 169-175), while providing those same socialites with handles they can use to manipulate the character. Intimacies are also often the target of beneficial magic. For example, there is a Solar Charm that prevents the character from betraying an Intimacy to a great ideal or society. These Intimacies are very important, but the average character is going to have some pretty simple and infrequently challenged Intimacies. Only really worry about these in a very social game. Starting characters normally get a number of starting Intimacies equal to their Compassion. Characters gain and lose Intimacies based on their Conviction. For more information on Intimacies, see pages 173-174 of the Drama chapter and page 201 of the Charms chapter.

Contacts

In addition to having friends and allies, many characters also know people in various sectors of society. Contacts use their talents, information or resources to help your character, but they always expect some sort of favor in return. This favor could be a service, trade or even payment—generally matching the value of the contact’s assistance. These associates don’t risk themselves as far as a follower or even an ally. They aid your character because of mutual self-interest, not because of love or loyalty.

• Each dot in this Background represents both major and minor contacts.

Major contacts are individuals with whom your character interacts frequently. They have names, personalities and positions that make them useful to know. A major contact could be a Guild factor, a high-ranking military officer, a powerful courtier, a small god or a Dynast of the Realm. Such a character is always your contact, but he has his own life and problems. He might not be there when you need him.

Minor contacts simply represent your character’s overall “connectedness.” They aren’t as knowledgeable or influential as major contacts, but all you need to do to find one is roll a success on your Contacts. Most of these minor contacts do not know your character personally. Minor contacts represent your character’s innate ability to sniff out information and people willing to work with her. Just use common sense: Your character isn’t going find minor contacts in the middle of a desert.

Familiar

Creation is filled with exotic beasts, from the intelligent animals of the deep forest, to semi-intelligent Haltan pets and various small gods that take on animal form. In addition, some animals are sensitive to Essence who are drawn to various magical beings like the Exalted. Some are little more than unusually loyal pets, but others share a deep and profound link with the character. In either case, the familiar draws the character’s Essence to supplement its own life, and the animal will not age or die until the character does.

Allies

Allies are your character’s close friends and trusted companions. Unlike followers, allies are never extras. Most are either Exalted (of any type), small gods, Fair Folk or other magical beings that are typically at least as powerful as one of the Terrestrial Exalted. Alternatively, they might be exotic beings such as intelligent animals, or exceptionally skilled and powerful mortals such as masterful thaumaturges, wealthy nobles, crime lords or Guild factors. Characters don’t have to buy the Allies Background to represent the rest of their circle—allies are always Storyteller characters. Also, allies are independent people with their own lives and goals. If your character asks for aid but does not provide any in return, her allies will soon desert her. Allies do what they can to help your character, but they won’t risk their lives for any but the most important causes—possibly, not even then. Allies asking for help can make for fun roleplaying.

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