Character:Second Thoughts

[A Date With Destiny]

• Second Thoughts
• Caste: Secrets
• Concept: Bitter Old Maid, Determined to Leave Things Better Than She Found - (by her definition of 'better')
• A cross between the pictures of Eileen Atkins, Wynne of Dragon Age: Origins, and Molly Grue, of the Last Unicorn. Dressed in close fitting long-sleeved green shirt, slight upturn of shoulder cuffs, and flowing skirt, with sandles. Subtle starmetal bracers, holding a hearthstone. Ruddy hair, culy, not that long, with green eyes. Thin to the point of being gaunt. Always has her staff (her war fans, stowed) with her.

Once upon a time, there was a Maiden who lived on the shores of the Yellow River. She loved the frogs, who would croak secrets of the pools, and the worms under rocks, who squirmed of what lay below the earth. She jumped in puddles to watch the splash, she climbed up trees to see what she could see.

None of these were very lady-like things.

And as she grew, she learned that books were quite interesting things, hiding secrets of frogs, and worms, and beetles, and birds, all in one place.

When the slavers came, she was away, reading in a tree, shirking her duties.

Her book dropped to the dirt-now-mud with the life-blood of her family and friends. She rank, barefoot, to find her brothers dying, bleeding out their last heartbeats.

Her mentor waited, sad faced, at the edge of the village, come to take her to Heaven - for all her learning, she lacked knowledge to Survive.

In Heaven, she learned again; that for all the knowledge held in books, there were far more interesting things to be gleaned from a Look, a Smirk, or a Forelorn Gaze.

Knowledge is Power. And with this, she crippled the slave trade along the Hundred Kingdoms, striking non-physical blows that stang and smarted far long after she was gone.

Her metaphorical childhood was over after this, and she was inducted to the Bronze. She guessed it all made sense; certainly it did when Kejak spoke. In service to the East, and to the Bronze, she was asked to sacrifice. It is not your Fate, she was told, to have issue or heirs. Give your womb to one who has need, that they may have children in your stead.

And so she did. The lost eggs of Thorns needed heirs, and their blood was damaged. Prayer scripts hanging from her wrists, waist, and over her eyes, wrapped 'round her fingers, she reached into herself, and took out her womb, placing it in the young dragonblood maiden, who wept in horror and honor.

Only after was the Vizier told that all sexual pleasure was gone with her womb, a sacrifice for both her and the young maiden. Bitterness for the second time crept in her mouth, curled towards her heart.

Now that her metaphorical parenthood was over, she was not meant, she was told, to care the least about the Fates of those she touched. And she did not - except for the young Maiden. She could not help but stop by, in one guise or another, and act the God-mother to the expectant dragonness.

When her divinations failed, and her sight was unable to pierce why, she frowned. And left for the Underworld, to spy. What she saw was indefinite, but disturbing. Things were beginning to Change, and the Underworld was Ascendant.

When returning to Heaven, she voiced uncertainty, suggested that for all the problems of the Solars, things were becoming worse, and perhaps they were needed now? Kejak had her immediately sent on reconaisance to the Wylds of the East - "in case the Fae were mobilizing, too." She fumed, knowing this was punishment not concern, and yet, did not disobey.

She thought she was there for but a day. Or maybe five. She knew she was not Meant to plumb the Wyld, she had not the charms for it.

She did not expect to return more than five years later in Creation.

She uttered one word upon her return, and reading the night skies of Creation.

"SHIT."

Thorns was gone, and there was no trace she could find of her God-Daughter. Beyond fury at the petty waste of her time, she has read the past in the sky, knows the gist of the East, and has wept for her loss, and stupidity of the Wise, and for Thorns.

She is barred from Heaven; perhaps Kejak fears the damage of her testimony. She doesn't care; she is sick of inaction and petty infighting. She will go where she is needed, and tip the scales as she has always done. Incense and prayer strips send her word to allies in Heaven; they write in the stars to her.

The stars of the Underworld help the Mask of Winters - he'll need it.

Motivation

• Revenge for Thorns/Kill Mask of Winters

Anima

Whirling mandala of green light and stars

Attributes

Physical

• Strength 2
• Dexterity 5
• Stamina 2

Social

• Charisma 2
• Manipulation 4
• Appearance 2

Mental

• Perception 5
• Intelligence 5
• Wits 3

Abilities

Caste

• Investigation: 5
• Larceny: 5 (+3 Ephemeral Theft)
• Lore: 5
• Occult: 4
• Stealth: 4

Favored

• Awareness 5
• Craft Fate 5
• Dodge 5
• Martial Arts 5 (+3 Celestial Styles)
• Sail 5
• Socialize 5

Unspecified Dodge Specialty +3 -- help find specialty? Unspecified Craft or Awareness +3 specialty - help?

Unfavored

• Resistance 3
• Ride 1
• Linguistics 2
• Athletics 3
• Melee 4
• Presence 3
• Bureaucracy 2
• Integrity 5

Backgrounds

Each Background

Savant 4 Sifu 2 Allies 3: Queen of Cats Salery: 2 Manse: 2: Air, Surface Thoughts Backing 1: Bureau of Secrets Celestial Manse: 3, Divine Observatory Artifact 2: Discrete Essence Armor, Starmetal Artifact 2: Heathstone Bracers, starmetal Artifact 3: War Fans, starmetal, whorls of intricate designs. +1DV, can illustrate as Second Thoughts speaks via light & lines

The Queen of Cats works with Second Thought's goals in Heaven while she can't be there, and shares information through cats in Creation. She is in the Bureau of Secrets, and shares common interests. Very unhappy at the lost of so many hearths in Thorns, and is looking to Second Thoughts and the defense of Lookshy to prevent worse damage. Hearths are where cats sleep (and overhear secrets) - and the undead have no use for hearths or cats. She appears either as a lion-sized Abyssinian cat, or as Bast, humanoid with an Abyssinian cat's head, claws, tail, dignity. Dry humor, and very, very pissed as peaceful hearths as destroyed. (She'll be beside herself when Gem goes, I'm sure.)

Charms

from the Loom 2.0

Resistance

(Ox Body x3 for Resistance 3, Essence 3+), the Loom 2.0 pg 5

Sail

Salt into Ash Slight, pg. 9

• 2m+2m per target number, Simple, 1 scene. Charisma + Sail against difficulty of a target spirit's Essence; a success causes the spirit's attempts to stealth to be at +1 difficulty, UMI to attend to something elsewhere (3 wp to ignore). Others reduce the target number of their actions to drive away the spirit by 1 for every 2 extra motes spent, min TN 4. Applies to social and physical attacks, and damage rolls - and this persists even if the spirit throws off the influence. Does not assist beings outside Fate. Can only target spirits within Essence x10 yards, and only water-associated elementals, gods, demons, and ghosts whose deaths are strongly water associated; can target spirits outside of Fate.

Stone Skipping Method, pg. 9-10

• 5m, simple, one journey. Eases the journey by: difficulty of navigation & piloting rolls can not rise beyond (6-Exalt's Essence, min 1) due to environmental factors, likewise unstable footing of crew & passengers. No amount of damage can cause the vehicle to take on water nor can mundane environmental hazards inflict damage on the vessel.

Mirror Shattering Method, pg. 10

• 5m, 1wp. Duration up to 5 days. Vehicle and all on it drop into Elsewhere and travel at 2x normal speed. Can't be tracked or found. Will be dropped someplace safe, like it or not. Can go to Yu Shan, takes 5 days. Other Fateful places must be learned to travel there, except if the Sidereal activates Auspicious Prospects, in which case don't have to learn to go there.

Craft Fate

World Shaping Artistic Vision (in Underworld), pg. 14

Dodge

Absence, pg. 15

• 4m, one action, reflex. Ignore penalities to Dodge DV except those imposed by own actions.

Duck Fate, pg. 15-16

• 10m, reflexive, one tick. Essence 4+ can spend 1wp and roll reflex Dex + Dodge, extending duration by number of ticks equal to successes, and 5m to switch the source of danger. Perfect Dodge, avoiding consequences that would harm, constrain, or alter the Exalt directly. Can use to defend against theft, or prevent the death of an ally.

Avoidance Kata, pg. 16

• 4m, 1wp, reflexive. Must be activated within first two of Exalt's actions in combat, 1st action in social combat, or 1st two minutes following the introduction of any significant new character to the current scene. Revising fate, Sidereal was never there, was somewhere else the whole time. Similar state warping; should be less dangerous. People don't remember unless they spend 3wp.

Trouble Reduction Strategy, pg. 16

• Add 3m to the cost of any Dodge charm, and can apply to someone else. Counts as Sidereal's charm use, but any rolls are made by the receiving character.

Neighborhood Relocation Technique, pg. 16-17

• 15m, 1wp, 1hl. Physically "drag" an area up to Essence miles large, a discrete feature, under own power. Shadowlands don't work, can target waypoints of Bordermarches and Middlemarches. Another hl lost every hour the area is being moved. 3wp to realize area is being moved.

Socialize

Stern Essence Replenishment, pg. 20

Melee

Impeding the Flow, pg. 25 Serenity in Blood, pg. 25-26

Presence

Heroic Essence Replenishment, pg. 27 Vermillion District Haze, pg. 27

Investigation

Auspicious Prospects for Secrets, pg. 30 Marvelous Inclusion of Details, pg. 31 Efficient Secretary Technique, pg. 31

Larceny

Creation Smuggling Procedures, pg. 32 Siderial Shell Games, pg. 32

Lore

Avoiding the Truth, pg. 35.

• 3m, reflexive. Illusion. Makes listener disbelieve the Sidereal's statement. Any listener with Dodge MDV less than Exalt's (connections or backing in Bureau of Secrets) + Lore + Essence believes this is statement is false. 3 wp to ignore, or 1wp if compelling evidence, and if incontrovertable evidence, then breaks automatically.

Stealth

Soft Presence Practice, pg. 37:

• 5m, 1wp, Simple, Duration is 1 day. Reduces Target Number by 1 (TN min 4), to remain concealed or subtle; includes Stealth, Manipulation based social attacks, & attempts to make unexpected social attacks, Larceny rolls for disguise, and Survival rolls to evade pursuit.

Walking Outside of Fate, pg. 37-38:

Martial Arts

Crane Style

Glories Most High, The Maidens, pg 21-24 Fluttering Cry of Warning Empowering Justice Redirection Crane Form Humbling Enlightenment Commentary Crossed Wings Denial Feather-Stirred Arrow Deflection Kindly Sifu's Quill Beak Spears Frog Wings Spread to Sky Wisdom of the Celestial Crane

Charms for that Ability/Attribute (include short description and page #)

Essence

• Essence: 5
• Personal: 20/20
• Peripheral: 43/54
• Committed to Charms:
• Committed to artifacts: 11
• Willpower: 10/10
• Anima status:

Virtues

• Compassion: 2
• Conviction: 5
• Temperance: 5
• Valor: 2
• (Virtue channels used: None)

Limit Break

Pride, and gets worse the more Sidereals are around

Conflict

Physical

• Join Battle: 8
• Dodge DV: 8 or 10 with fans (+1 DV from fans)
• Parry DV: 10 (+1 DV from fans, +1 DV from form charm & prayer charm sleeves)
• Soak: 6/7/5, Hardness: 3L/3B, reduce attacking roll by 1 dice

Movement

• Move: 5
• Dash: 11

Social

• Join Debate:
• Dodge MDV: 9
• Parry MDV:

Health Levels

• -0, -0, -0, -0, -1, -1, -2, -2, -4, Incapacitated
• (wounds are designated as bashing, lethal or aggravated)

Equipment

Starmetal War Fans: Speed 4, Acc +2, Damage +6L, Defense +3, Rate 3, attune 2m Discreet Essence Armor (Artifact 2): Soak: +5L/+5B Hardness: 2L/2B Mobility: -0 Fatigue: 0 Attune:5 Starmetal adds 1 to lethal and bash hardness and reduces attacker's damage rolls by -1 external penalty Artifact 2: Heathstone Bracers, starmetal, +1 to Acc & Dam Savant 4 Sifu 2 Allies 3: Queen of Cats Salery: 2 Manse: 2: Air, Surface Thoughts Celestial Manse: 3, Divine Observatory

Colleges

• Pillar: 1
• Quiver: 1
• Key: 2
• Sorcerer: 3
• Treasure Trove: 3

History

• Give us at least two or three short paragraphs

Personality

• Give at least one short paragraph

XP

• Earned: 204 (including starting exp from Ryan L., last updated 8/21/10)
• Spent: 140 on Wits 2->3, Essence 3->4, 10 MA charms, Stern Essence Replenishment, Trouble Reduction Strategy, Neighborhood Relocation Technique, 32 exp on Essence 4 -> 5, 5 exp on Stealth 3 -> 4, 3exp on Backing: Bureau of Secrets 1, 8 exp on Walking Outside of Fate, 8 exp on Auspicious Prospects for Secrets, 6exp on Backing: BoS 1 -> 3.
• Unspent: 6