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Talons

Class III Earthly Weapons of the Gods!

The Bridge of Birds has a monumental task -- theirs is the responsibility of traveling from planet to planet, bearing messages, shipments, and all the trappings of civilization, while simultaneously restoring order, upholding the rule of the Emperor, and assuring that no-one has fallen to the Void. When their founder, Captain Birdy Pants, was given his post, he despaired at the impossibility of ever creating a force that could withstand and overcome the challenges such a mandate presented. Desperately seeking help, he set out for the Gates of Heaven, but was turned back before he reached them by the Emperor of Heaven's elite starfighters. Hovering at the edge of the demilitarized zone, he kneeled in supplication for three months before he passed out. As he slept, a dream of the Celestial Goddess came to him and told him what to do to fulfill his duties admirably. When he awoke, he immediately returned to the Capital, where he fashioned for himself the very first talon.

Although talons are all alike, they are all totally different. One may be a carefully carved bone, the next a collection of jade-inked coins on a string, the next merely a bracelet of multicolored feathers.

Legends tell of twin brothers who wished to have talons exactly alike. When the elder brother's talon was finished, he headed out to face down a group of Hell Clan invaders, while the craftsman worked on the younger brother's weapon. Unfortunately, as he put the finishing touches on it, the elder brother's talon sputtered and died -- for when two talons are made exactly alike, neither will function! The elder brother's end was quick and grisly; the younger brother's, slow and grieving.

Although every talon is crafted differently, the principles behind each remain the same. The materials, carefully chosen and arranged, act as a focus for chi manipulation, which can be detected upon examination with a Difficult (20) Awareness roll. When used with the Bridge of Birds' specialized kung fu, Breaking the Eggshell, a talon can be activated by investing chi into it, causing it to extrude a "blade" composed of coherent chi about the length of a longsword's blade. This blade constantly glows the color of the chi invested in the talon. It has no actual weight or mass, but it has the cutting power of any god- weapon of its level. There are rumors of talons that manifest blades other than longswords, but they are rare at best. When activated, talons also have small manifestations relating to their planet of origin; talons crafted in Hell Clan areas will cause the user's hand to flicker with fire, while those crafted in SOME CLOUDY PLACE will give off wisps of vapor.

Like any god-weapon, crafting a talon requires superlative crafting skill and intense passion. Many Bridge of Birds craftsmen are motivated by the desire to defeat the Void and keep civilization together; several groups of adepts accompany these craftsmen as they travel the known worlds in search of previously unused materials that can be made into more talons. Given sufficient skill, the best raw materials, and a truly overwhelming desire, stronger talons can be and have been crafted -- even Class II Heavenly talons are known to exist!

Talon -- Class III Earthly Longsword of the Gods
Speed +5, Strike +15, Damage +10, artful

Effortless Power: Pure Energy. In their deactivated state, talons are not weapons at all -- not even kung fu techniques that work on any weapon work on them! While activated, they possess blades composed of chi alone. Since these blades have no mass, they cannot be effectively wielded in any but the most precise manner: they cannot be used with Brutal or even Artful/Brutal kung fu! Only kung fu which works with Artful weaponry alone possesses the necessary delicacy. While contact with forces too great for it can cause the talon's blade to be damaged or even shatter it into dissolving fragments of chi, all such damage is temporary, and will be gone the next time the talon is activated. The method by which a talon focuses and concentrates chi can be discerned from its makeup -- a talon available for study and experimentation counts as a tutor for the purposes of learning the first Breaking the Eggshell technique, First Glimpse of Light.

Destiny Costs:
The following supersedes the normal god-weapon destiny costs.
8 Fortune: You possess a talon. They are quite rare! Usually only members of the Bridge of Birds have talons. Is it a family heirloom? Perhaps it was given to you by a mysterious man for whom you did an immense favor? Possibly you just killed an adept and took it. This purchase is only available at character creation; however, see the next purchase.
(-3) You are a member of the Bridge of Birds.
3 Fortune: You will come across an opportunity to obtain a talon.
1 Defense: You learn useful defenses against talons.
1 Defense: Having previously learned useful defenses against talons, you learn to make Quality Weapons that have as their special property immunity to damage caused by contact with talons.
4 Bonus: You receive the loresheet "Making Weapons of the Gods" for free, even if you do not have the loresheets necessary for it. However, you may only craft talons. You may purchase the loresheet again to gain the ability to craft other god-weapons..

Weightfoot

1: Emptiness Anchor
You can use this tech to stop moving as a Free Action.

2: Trust me there is something there
When you use this technique, you can act as though you have any reaction surface of your choosing.

3: Meteor Pursues the Moon
You cling to an object or surface. This guarantees you remain in contact with a surface when you Dodge or are Knocked Back. Furthermore, when you inflict Knockback, you may use this technique to cling to your opponent and move as he does, and similarly you may use it to drag your attacker with you if he knocks you back.

4: Constellation Floor
Stringing your chi between a group of stars, you subjectively define the direction towards them as down. You fall gently in their direction when you're not anchored; when falling thus, you may arbitrarily choose a point and stop as though you have reached a floor. This technique continues for your Favored Chi in rounds.

5: Eternal Devotion
Like Infinite Endurance.

6: No down is that way
Overriding the effects of lesser Weightfoot techniques and local gravity, you subjectively define yourself as upwards in relation to all things; to reach you, opponents must fly or climb.

Breaking the Eggshell

Uncommon Flexible Chi Style
Destiny Cost: 10 (with a discount for the right loresheet)
Artful (Talons only)

Notes: Standard Style, sort of like lightfoot for Talons

Crits: Down,

1. First Glimpse of Light (1 Any): Using this technique requires a full action. You may invest 1 Chi of any color into a talon, causing it to assume its combat form. The talon constantly shimmers and gives off light in the color of chi invested into it. It immediately deactivates if you lose contact with it. Investment of 1 Any Chi.

2. Defend the Nest (2 Any): Using this technique requires a full action. If your talon is within your Favored Chi in yards, you may summon it into your hand.

3. Clear Vision (3 Any): This technique lasts for the entire round. You may parry projectile or beam attacks as though they were melee.

4. Submerged in Light (4 of One Color): For the round, you may add the chi modifier of the color you used to activate this technique to your Strike.

5. Weapons of the Body (5 Any): Use this technique when you would otherwise be Disarmed. You retain control of your weapon and are not Disarmed. (Something needs to be added, at least a weapon retrieve - Jon)

6. Condemn to Earth (10 Any): This technique affects one attack. If you do at least one full health level of damage, you may sever a limb of your opponent's. (How about having the tech auto-sever a limb if any damage is done, bumping the damage up to 1 health level? - Jon)

Waiting in Reeds

Uncommon White Chi Style
Destiny Cost: 10
Artful (Talons only)

Crits: Maim

1. Crane Spear (1 White): This technique requires a full action. You may activate a talon by investing 1 White chi into it, just as Civilized Weaponry, except that it will not deactivate when you lose contact with it. It stays in its combat form until you decide to deactivate it. Investment of 1 White.

2. Suddenly Moving Swiftly (2 White): You may make an additional attack this round, doing two extra damage dice and ignoring five points of armor.

3. Eye for an Eye (3 White): For the round, if you successfully defend against an attack, you may make a Reply -- even if it is a projectile or beam attack! Add the Damage of your opponent's weapon to the damage roll in place of yours; in addition, any special effects the attack would have had on a successful hit (not critical hit) are applied to your opponent! Channel: 2 Crimson (continues for an additional round).

4. Crane Leap (4 White): This technique affects one attack. If you throw your talon for this attack, add your White chi modifier to your Strike and Damage, and ignore five points of armor.

5. Crane Trap (5 White): As Crane Leap, except that, hit or miss, your talon swoops around and returns to strike your foe again! For as long as you keep this technique active, once each round you may direct your talon to attack your foe as a free action, just as if you had thrown it. Channel: 2 Silver (continues for an additional round).

Floating through Night

Uncommon Crimson Chi Style
Destiny Cost: 10
Artful (Talons only)

Crits: ?

1. Awash in Shadows (1 Crimson): Add your Crimson Chi modifier to your Initiative and any Dodge rolls you make this round, and double your running and leaping speed for this round.

2. Nightfall (2 Crimson): Use this technique with one attack. If your talon is within your Crimson Chi in yards, you may summon it to your hand as a free action. If you do so, you may immediately invest one additional Crimson Chi to cause it to assume its combat form, exactly as per Civilized Weaponry. Possible Investment of 1 Crimson.

3. Edge of Dusk (3 Crimson): As Awash in Shadows, but you also gain a secondary attack. Channel: 2 White.

4. Day's End (4 Crimson): As Edge of Dusk, but add your Crimson Chi modifier to your Damage for the round, and your opponent is Shaken on a successful hit. Channel: 2 White.

5. Moon-Dark Sword (5 Crimson): This technique lasts for one round. While this technique is active, whenever your opponent uses a die of Chi Aura, she loses one die from all her defense rolls against you and you gain one die to all your attack rolls against her for as long as the technique is active. This penalty is cumulative; however, it can be reversed by ending the round with unused Chi Aura dice, in exactly the opposite way, until it reaches neutrality. Channel: 2 Jade.

Gliding through Clouds

Uncommon Silver Chi Style
Destiny Cost: 10
Artful (Talons only)

Crits: ?

1. Surrounded by Wings (1 Silver): For the round, subtract your Silver Chi modifier from the Strike of any opponent who attacks you.

2. Serpent-And-Eagle Duel (2 Silver): This technique affects one attack. You may add your Silver Chi modifier to your Strike. If this attack is successfully defended against, you may immediately leap ten yards in any direction. This is not considered Covering Ground.

3. 10,000 Feathers (3 Silver): While this technique is active, you may add your Silver Chi modifier to your Strike for the purposes of defense and parry projectile or beam attacks as if they were melee. Whenever you parry an attack, you immediately gain 1 Chi of any color. You may invest the chi used to activate this technique, causing it to remain active for as long as you want, or whatever the 5SE text says. Investment of 3 Silver.

4. Clipping the Sparrow's Wings (4 Silver): This technique affects one attack. On a successful hit, the target suffers chi flow loss in one color, which you choose by channeling 1 Chi of that color. The chi flow remains closed until the damage from the attack is healed.

5. Invulnerable Updraft (5 Silver): While this technique is active, all techniques used to attack you cost an additional chi of the appropriate color, which you receive! Channel: 2 Gold (continues for an additional round).

Perching on Mountains

Uncommon Gold Chi Style
Destiny Cost: 10
Artful (Talons only)

Crits: Disarm, Knockback

1: Above the Clouds: You stand apart from your enemies, beating back their attacks with sharp reproofs of the blade. For the round, add your Gold chi modifier to your Strike for the purpose of parries only.

2: Falling from the Cliff: You impose your own decisions regarding velocity on your opponents. For the round, your attacks cause Knockback on a successful hit. This forced motion is hard to resist! For each result die on your attack against an opponent, he must spend 1 additional chi to activate Lightfoot or Weightfoot techniques this round.

3: Avalanche: With your sheer mental presence, you constrict your opponent's body. This technique can be used two ways. As a free action, you may entangle his limbs, subtracting your Gold chi modifier from all his defensive rolls that round. As a full action, you may seize his heart and windpipe, preventing breath. Make a Confidence roll, adding your Gold chi modifier; your opponent opposes this with a Hardiness roll. You do one die of damage for each result die; this attack ignores armor, and Disorients on a Critical Success!

4: Above the Stars: Further separating yourself from the fray, your maneuvers become pointed, aloof, and inevitable. Add your Gold Chi modifier to your Strike for the round; also, subtract it from any penalties imposed on your Strike this round. Channel: 2 Any (to continue this technique for another round).

5: Lord Eagle Directs the Assault: As a full action, you point your talon at a foe and designate him as the chosen target; golden tendrils flash out to gently weave about him. While this technique is active, all your allies within ten times your Favored Chi in yards receive your Gold Chi modifier to their Strike (or Base Value) and Damage when attacking or defending against that target. This technique continues as long as you spend a full action each round to maintain it; it fails immediately when you take any other full action. You do not benefit from this technique.

Soaring in Wind

Uncommon Jade Chi Style
Destiny Cost: 10
Artful (Talons only)

1. Chill Wind (1 Jade): You may make a secondary attack this round.

2. Flash of Lightning (2 Jade): You swing your talon around your head viciously. This technique affects one attack. Apply it to all enemies within your Jade Chi in yards. Double the number of minions you knock out with this attack.

3. Distant Thunder (3 Jade): For the round, you may add your Jade Chi modifier to your Strike for the purposes of parries. On a successful parry, you may make a Reply. Channel: 2 Crimson.

4. Freezing Gust (4 Jade): As Distant Thunder, except that you may channel White Chi to add damage dice to your Replies -- one point per die. Channel: White (to add damage dice), 2 Crimson.

5. Heartbeat of Storms (5 Jade): While this technique is active, you cannot be Disarmed, and you may Disarm your opponent on a successful hit or Reply. Furthermore, for each result die you receive on the attack or Reply which caused the disarm, you may fling your opponent's weapon one yard away. Channel: 2 Gold (to maintain this technique for another round).