Breakingthewheel/Verali

Primary Motivation

Verali's motivation is--at present, to reclaim the Book of Three Circles from the clutches of the evil overlord presently cackling over it. While she has a subgoal/intimacy of establishing some sense of order and balance in the world, the Heroic Thing is really secondary to advancing her knowledge of how Creation operates, and how to bend the forces of Creation to her whim.

In that sense--at risk of evoking an argument, if you had to give her a traditional alignment, she'd probably be somewhere in the Neutral ranges. She's not a crazy baby eater, maniacal overlord, or fond of blood sacrifices, but at the same time, she's not going to go particularly out of her way to save a random village off in the corner--her 'Choices' when going up the Circles was to give up various degrees of focus on particular areas--in short, giving up the luxury of following your own ideals in the overwhelming presence of the Big Picture, and to come to realize that in the name of the greater good, sometimes you've got to let people shoot themselves in the foot. It fits in with how one of her first Solar Circle Spells were specifically designed to clean 'UP' the messes that had been thrown around by the mad Celestials of the past.

She works with the Circle because they work well together, and their goals--if not neccessarily one-hundred percent united as one--are at least supportive enough that it's more practical to work together then apart. To say there aren't certain bonds of comraderie at this point would be a lie, but she's not going to endanger Creation's overall survival, and if their end would further that goal, she'd probably stand back and let their fate come to them.

• One incident in which their Limit Break caused problems for another PC.

Verali is very much a bit of a quirky sort of character even under the best of circumstances. Given how her Limit Break causes her normally balancing degree of common sense and intelligence to take a nap for a day or so... Well, the group had just gotten back from Dendansor, and she was already feeling rather proud of herself with her new shiny armor, and a nice First Age Siege weapon she had managed to restore--and when Juggernaut first began looming on the horizon--the plan being to at least show up a semblance of negotiation to give what remained of Lookshy's defenders time to dig in, she had--instead, decided to take several rather painful pot-shots at the giant Behemoth, effectively buggering that little attempt at a plan

• One ally of the Circle. This ally will be closest to the character of the player choosing them, but should have tension or conflict with another PC. Please note that they can be a canon character from an existing book, but I will be just as happy (perhaps more happy!) if you make up an NPC. This type of ally should be decently powerful or influential: another Exalt, a God, a large nation or city.

Verali has been working very hard at advertising her attempts to assemble a team of expert craftsmen ever since the Circle had dug in. Particularly was a rather bright--if a little quiet at skittish young man of no particularly distinctive features--save for some rather pleasant looking glittery red eyes... In any case, regardless of such little details, they've had some remarkably excellent insights on some of the twistier little details of high-end artifice, and she's quite thankful for their presence.

• One enemy defeated by the PC. This defeat will become relevant to future conflicts, as it’s an established element of your setting. Choose an NPC who you’re happy to have come back to haunt you (either literally, or in the form of allies, lackeys, curses or other consequences). Conversely, you get fame and boasting rights for the defeat, so don't hold back! Again, feel free to make up an new NPC for this. Prime suspects based on what we have from the Legend: deathknights of the Mask of Winters, or the Walker In Darkness, "bad" Lunars, "bad" Solars, a Sidereal assassin, a Wyld Hunt from the Realm.

Shortly after the haze on Dendansor had lifted, naturally, several of the decidedly more unpleasant forces lying not too far off--particularly the Walker In Darkness--who had a few operatives in the area--wanted a piece of the giant first age pie... That said, while the others of the Circle were busy trying to pass the request for alliance down to the Confederation of Rivers' Powers That Are, Verali was left alone against a rapid-response force tossed up...

However, she had just recently managed to restore several rather useful little things--a number of automatons that were ready for action, and a rather powerful bit of armor that was just about finished when Dendnasor went bad. Finding the documentation and completing it, Verali then proceeded on laying down a barrage of artillery down on the positions of the Walker's forces, and successfully managed to reduce at least one Midnight Caste who was making a point of looking overly important into a fine smear on the plains.

They eventually broke off and made a run for it, deciding that a direct approach wasn't precisely in the cards....

• One living enemy of the Circle. This enemy will have the greatest ire of the character of the player choosing them, but should have some sort of bond or positive connection with another PC.

Verali doesn't like Raksi--she thinks she's an entirely terrible being that needs to have bolts of death and explosion rained down on her and her army--preferably sooner rather then later. She's heard much of the baby-eating Lunar Elder by now--and especially since she's essentially sitting on the greatest font of sorcerous knowledge in Creation--and being the only one in Creation (As far as she knows anyway) who can utilize a third of the sorcery that would be listed in it, she deems it her divine right to 'Liberate' the Book from Raksi's clutches. She figures it'll count as her Epic Good Deed for the next century or so as well.

• An NPC who owes the PC a debt.

Verali lifted the curse on Amilar Kraik--she had attended the Academy during her younger years--being born from an insanely rich family that wanted to put their daughter's fearsome intelligence to work. When combined with the addition of some restored magitech healing devices, the Valkhawsen Administrator has pledged his fortune and influence to aid in her cause when need be as thanks for giving his life back.

It also helps that she occasionally teaches classes there when there's a bit of spare time--having an Adamant Circle Sorceress of the Silurian School--rather rapidly approaching the Absorption for that matter--has been a boon that's rejuvinated attendance significantly to this day.

• An NPC whom the PC owes a debt. These two debts should be roughly equivalent.
Ayesha Ura had--intentionally or not--managed to pull a certain amount of strings, and get Verali enrolled in Department 137 for a while--thinking that the effort involved would certainly be enough to initiate the Solar into the Celestial Circle, and in that sense, indebt Verali to the efforts of the Gold Faction--in that sense, Verali greatly agrees that the education there was excellent, and she'd have never progressed without it... Unfortunately though for Ayesha, Verali had already achieved the Sapphire Circle through her journeys prior to this--and merely hadn't yet found any sorcery of that level to cast. The education, instead, pushed her over the top right into the Adamant Circle.

So, while Verali agrees that she owes a tremendous debt to "That nice lady", the Sidereal is presently kicking herself for getting into the habit of assessing for Emerald Circle aptitude, without bothering to check if she was a more 'Advanced' Student.

• A major change to the setting. This is a change on the level of a destruction of a city, a major shift in alliances, or the death of a powerful Exalted. While this should usually be the result of the Circle’s actions (particularly those of the PC in question), it’s not strictly necessary.

The normally frequent Wyld Patches in the River Provinces have been mostly cut down over the last few adventures--when considering transportation is no longer by any means 'Slow' for a small group, it didn't take long for the Solars to patch up the most egregious holes in Creation. While in the process, they also sealed a few minor Shadowlands. As such, while the largest of the bruises on Creation still remain intact, and are now well fortified from intrusion, many of the smaller entryways are no longer a threat.

• A minor change to the setting. Mostly for colour and fun, this should be a tweak to the setting, such as an unexpected marriage, a change to the name of a city, or an important God being fired from their job.

The Tepet Legions weren't quite as decimated as they were in canon--it was still a nasty hit, but they still remain viable as a house, and they're mad as heck at the Solars for bringing them so close to a nasty position.

*Personality.

As said, energetic, prone to the philosophy of taking grand, highly demoralizing, and sweeping actions when dealing with the more troublesome sorts in Creation (After all, more lives are saved if half the opposing force is incinerated with the fires of Ligier, then it is if you've got to use your own men to deal with them, right?). And utterly, utterly brilliant, there is very little information that she doesn't already know, and while she's prone to getting excited and going entirely too far when given the opportunity to try getting a little... 'Creative' when she thinks something's a little too regular.

Nonetheless, she has a powerful sense of ethics. Recognizing that the Solars of the first age got killed because they wound up tampering with terrible, terrible things, Verali is well aware that there is no possible way that she would be able to bring herself to matching some of those terrible things. She may be good with weapons of considerable destruction, and putting together and repairing powerful and flashy equipment, but she draws the line at negotiating with demons, and tampering with living beings.

*Appearance:

Varies just a tiny bit, depending on the situation. Normally, Verali will be busy puttering around with her usual attire of a rather nicely designed gray coat, over a top of a slightly darker shade, lined with various blue, somewhat occultishly significant designs. Below is a split skirt of a dull, not quite so ostentacious shade of gold, and a set of white trousers visible beneath that. She'll usually be sporting a pair of flamepieces, one tucked into a holster on each side of her, usually concealed by the skirt.

When trouble lies on the horizon though, she breaks out the heavier artillery--specifically, a set of golden powered armor lovingly completed, and customized for Verali's own self and style--much of it is set up to cover her weakenesses, the orichalcum plates have been reinforced significantly, and as much of the extraneous little details have been removed, leaving it with the sigils and designs it requires to function, and little else. She'll also usually be sporting a fuel bolt launcher at this point as well, and is quite keen on using it whenever she gets a chance, relying on her superior mobility and equipment to compensate for her comparably weak combat skills.

*Circlemates.

Jorim:
He's a nice guy, really, while he's a little bit too focused on helping every little thing he can, he's mostly good enough that the corresponding lack of efficiency doesn't stop him from succeeding anyway. While we have our occasional disagreements, he's fairly ethical in his own right, and it wouldn't be too hard to overly get along with him.

Smoke Wolf:
Anyone with the patience to stalk and counterstalk the powerful generals of an army for two days without rest is a man to be reckoned with. While he's just a tiny bit cold about such things... Well, to be honest, you'd have to be cold to last long in his profession, and it is a little neccessary, given how twisty our foes can wind up getting. It would be nice if he could loosen up a bit though

Xiao Pung:
Err, he's completely lost his memory of a significant portion of his life? It's possible, I guess, I've heard of spells that could do that, but they're customarily not quite that precise--and I've been tossing countermagic at it whenever I think he isn't looking. Given how my countermagic was able to cancel the haze around Dendansor--something that had been impossible for centuries--I'm a little concerned about what took them--it's either Necromancy at a corresponding level of enlightenment, heaven forbid, as we'd likely all be killed if that's the case--or someone else has been screwing around... I don't like it much, he bears watching.

Name: Verali Noelan
Caste: Twilight
Calling: Master Crafter/Lady of Three Circles
Motivation:
Acquire the Book of Three Circles, then use the superior knowledge and sorcerous might to clean up the messes left from the First Age

Attributes:
Str: 3 Cha: 3 Per: 5
Dex: 5 Man: 2 Int: 5
Sta: 2 App: 3 Wis: 2

Abilities
Archery (Favored +3) 5 (2 BP) (Firearms +3 (1 BP))
Martial Arts:
Melee
Thrown
War (Favored, +3) 3 (Strategy +1)

Athletics
Awareness 3
Dodge (Calling, Favored, +3) 4 (1 BP) (In Armor +1)
Larceny
Stealth

Integrity (Favored, +3) 3 (Vs Unnatural Influence +1)
Performance
Presence 1
Resistance 1
Survival

Bureaucracy
Linguistics 2
Ride
Sail
Socialize

Crafts (Calling, Favored, +5) Magitech (First Age Weapons +2, First Age Armor +1)
Fire 2 (1 BP)
Air 2 (1 BP)
Earth 2 (1 BP)
Investigate (Calling, Caste +3) 3 (Research +1)
Lore (Calling, Caste +5) 5 (First Age +3)
Medicine (Caste)
Occult (Calling, Caste, +5) 5 (Sorcery +3)

Essence: 5 (14 BP)
Willpower: 7

Personal Essence: 22
Committed
Total Available 22
Peripheral Essence: 55
CBA 10
Total Available 45

Compassion: 2
Conviction: 4
Temperance: 2
Valor: 3

Virtue Flaw: Heart of Stone

Health: 0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -2, -2, -4, Incapacitated

Move 5 yards (10 in Armor), Dash 11 yards (22 in Armor), Jump 3 yards vertical, 6 yards horizontal (5 and 10 in armor)

Natural Soak: 2B/1L Armored Soak 17B/17L; Total soak 19B/18LHardness: 11B/11L

Dodge DV: 7 normally, 8 in armor

Fuel Bolt Launcher
Speed 6, Acc 14, 18L, Rate 1, 30 yards range,

Twin Perfect Flame Pieces
Speed 5, Acc 16, 9L, Rate 4 (Two Barrels, two guns), 8 yards range

Join Battle: 5

Backgrounds Manse 3
--Solar Aspected Workshop-Manse in Dendansor--the Hearthstone is dedicated to powering her armor--usually, but on the off-chance that it's set to do something else, it counts as a Gem of Sorcery
Manse Powers:
Rainbow Tabernacle
Workshop Manse (Dedicated to Magitech)

Artifact 5: Orichalcum Celestial Battle Armor
--Enhanced Durability
--Spirit Bane
--Essence Wings

Artifact 2: Fuel Bolt Launcher
--'Commandeered' while working on a major overhaul of Lookshy's armory as payment for the service. While she does have a fine set of firepieces for more... Sociable encounters, this massive weapon--in combination with her attacks, makes for an excellent alternative to researching and developing a more nasty attack spell

Resources 3:
While most of her income is tied up with restoration projects going on back at Dendansor, she has retained a certain small amount for her own purposes.

Followers 2:
Roughly a score of mortal assistants, usually working on lesser projects to keep income at a decent rate, when not being tapped for a major project.

Allies 2:
Sidereal Battles Caste Sikiyo Dagari, capable of assisting in Artifact creation rolls
Amilar Kraik, Administrator of the Valkhawsen Academy, old and well educated in artifice--would count as much higher in a non-apotheosis game most likely.

Charms
First Archery Excellency
Infinite Archery Mastery
Essence Arrow Attack (Righteous Judgement Arrow)
Trance of Unhesitating Speed
Arrow Storm Technique

Second Craft Excellency
Craftsman Needs No Tools

Shadow Over Water
Seven Shadows Evasion (Temperance Flaw)

Terrestrial Circle Sorcery
Celestial Circle Sorcery
Solar Circle Sorcery

Summon Elemental
Chariot of the Blazing Sun
Cleansing Solar Flames
Adamant Countermagic

Combos: (Reserved for later)

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