Character:Vengeance of the Righteous

[A Date With Destiny].

• Vengeance of the Righteous
• Caste: Dusk
• Concept: Repentant Assassin
• This lanky man moves stiffly, but with the air of a former military man. Occasionally, the odd misstep where he trips over a rock or such betrays a fluid grace as he recovers his step. His black hair is close-cut, a marked change from the red hair of his past life. He smiles easily and frequently, but it never seems to quite reach his eyes...

Motivation

• Redeem himself into a Solar through elimination of enemies of Creation

Intimacies

Natural

Negative

Mask of Winters (Hatred) (Calcified by his Gem of Frozen Hatred, this Intimacy is counted as a second Motivation for social combat, mental influence, and regaining WP.)

Positive

His Lunar Mate (love)

Supernatural

Positive

• love towards Shrike and what she stands for: a victorious, defiant Lookshy

Anima

Aura of Dread- (Permanent Essence) to DV, regardless of the opponent's Valor. Mortals and normal animals automatically flee in terror if they attempt to oppose the Dusk Caste. Heroic mortals and demons of the first circle (and non-noble fair folk) may avoid fleeing if they succeed at a Valor roll with a difficulty of the Dawn's permanent essence. Otherwise, as per normal. Characters with Valor higher than his Essence are immune, as is anything else that cannot feel fear. Mortals who botch a Morale roll in the same scene as they witnessed that Abyssal Exalt’s iconic anima not only flee, but must spend 1 Willpower point not to gouge out their own eyes in a maddened attempt to remove the horrors etched behind their lids (or do something similarly self-destructive). The unnatural Compulsion expressly overrides a mortal’s basic survival instinct to impose this unacceptable order.

As he spends motes, faint music is heard. When it reaches totemic level, the choir can be audibly heard by anyone who can see the anima banner. The song is an Old Realm dirge about a fallen family and their promise of revenge. (Not being fluent in Old Realm, Vengeance doesn't know this.)

Attributes

==Physical== (Primary)

• Strength 2
• Dexterity 2
• Stamina 3

==Social== (Tertiary)

• Charisma 2
• Manipulation 5
• Appearance 4

==Mental== (Secondary)

• Perception 3
• Intelligence 4
• Wits 4

Abilities

Caste

• Archery
• Martial Arts 5
• Melee 5
• Thrown
• War 5

Favored

• Integrity 5
• Resistance 5
• Dodge 4
• Occult 5
• Socialize 5

Unfavored

• Performance
• Presence 5
• Craft
• Investigation
• Lore 2
• Medicine
• Larceny
• Bureaucracy
• Linguistics 2 (Low Realm, Old Realm)
• Ride
• Sail
• Socialize 5
• Athletics 3
• Survival 1
• Stealth 5

Backgrounds

Whispers

Five dots, The murmurs of the not-yet-dead but not-ever-alive Neverborn creep alongside his consciousness. Everything he sees is vaguely commented on by timelessly dreaming dead monsters...

Arsenal

Five dots, Vengeance's role as Lord General of Deheleshen gives his armies might seen rarely outside of a Deathlord's army. Fitting, considering the number of First Age ghosts he's been able to sway to him, as well as all the grave goods he's looted from the Mask of Winter's armory...

Manse

Five dots, Somewhere in the Underworld. Vengeance stole the hearthstone for the manse when he left the Mask of Winter's service. Abruptly. Hearthstone is a Gem of Frozen Hatred. (Oedenol's Codex, pg. 101-102, combines the effects of an Ice Gem and a Road of Hatred Gem. May reflexively coat self and weapons in a layer of ice that adds +4L to damage. Anyone striking bearer while this is in effect that isn't immune to cold takes five dice of lethal damage. Also reinforces an Intimacy based on Hatred, counting it as effectively a second Motivation for purposes of social combat, mental influence, and recovering Willpower.)

Artifact

Celestial Battle Armor made entirely of Soulsteel. This heavy set of incredible articulate plate was salvaged out from under the nose of one of the Mask of Winter's lieutenants, resulting in heavy punishment for said lieutenant, considering that it was particularly powerful...

Requires a Level 3 or higher Hearthstone to power it exclusively, and has three sockets. It has the following abilities:

• Filtration Baffles: +2 bonus to Resistance against poison or all forms of disease (including wound infection); one-hour supply of fresh air (refi lling the tank in fresh air takes one minute per 10 minutes of air added to the tank).
• Sensory Augmentation Visor: As a reflexive action, the wearer gains a +2 bonus to Awareness. Alternatively, the wearer can reflexively activate Essence sight (see p. 85) for three motes per scene, which also automatically pierces any dragon armor cloaking device. In addition, the lenses that provide Essence sight for this armor are coated with thin films made from a mixture of orichalcum, starmetal and soulsteel. As a result, when the character activates the armor’s Essence sight, she can also see unmanifested spirits, ghosts, living beings and enchanted objects (including walking dead and automatons) as glowing presences. In addition, the wearer can see the Essence-flows of demesnes and manses at the range of her normal vision and can easily tell the power of these locations and if their Essence flows have been properly capped.
• Exomuscular Fibers: +2 dots to Strength for feats of strength, calculating jump distance and inflicting damage with attacks.
• Peripatetic Greaves: Doubled movement rate; 10mph marching movement rate.
• Adaptive Camouflage Subsystem: +2 bonus to Stealth while moving or +3 while stationary. This ability specifically defends against Essence sight. In addition, this color-changing feature can also be used to provide the armor with the appropriate colors and imagery for parades and other formal occasions.
• Essence Gauntlets: Each of the user’s gauntlets have enchantments built into them that allow them to be used as power maces. The character can use these gauntlets to both make hand-to-hand attacks and fire Essence bolts, identical to those delivered by a power mace. Use the statistics for the power mace.
• Oblivion’s Panoply: (soulsteel only, this addition counts as two features): This armor is forged from the inhumanly durable soulsteel that results when a Deathlord soulforges the substance of a hekatonkhire and then coats this substance with a fine layer of pure Oblivion. Oblivion’s panoply offers the following benefits:
• Chill: Any time an attacker strikes the armor in hand-to-hand combat, roll that character’s (Stamina + Resistance), difficulty 2. Failure indicates that the attacker loses a point of Dexterity due to numbness. (Only orichalcum weapons insulate against this effect.)
• Energy Drain: The Oblivion’s panoply plates drain five motes from Essence users each time they contact them with their bare hands or with mundane or soulsteel weapons. Mortals age two years with every successful strike. Flames that touch Oblivion’s panoply are snuffed out, including the animas of Fire Aspects. Water that touches the plates freezes and slides off.
• Force Nullification: +15L/20B soak and hardness from the cancellation of attacks’ kinetic energy.

Upkeep: None. Soak +29L/34B, Hardness 24L/29B, Mobility -0, Fatigue 1, Attune 10

Abyssal Command

Five dots. The hosts of Deheleshen are unanimous in their support of the Lord General.

Cult

Two dots. Thanks to Shrike's intervention, Vengeance is known to the populace as the Lord General of Deheleshen, and prayers directed to him to care for those who crave one more battle to fight.

Backing

Five dots. Vengeance of the Righteous is the whole of the law in Deheleshen. Being a warlord with enough First Age-equivalent weaponry to give even the First and Forsaken Lion a run for his money will do that.

Followers

Three dots. The shades of wise Dragonblooded run Deheleshen for Vengeance, bringing only the large matters to his attention.

Influence

One dot. Vengeance is known as someone who has the ear of those in power in both Thorns and Lookshy. This translates into favors rather easily...

Lunar Bond

Five dots, unknown mate. (True Love folded into it, due to DM bonus thingie)

Charms

Melee

First Excellency, Ravening Mouth of Melee (Core, pg. 185-187, Abyssals pg. 122)

• Savage Shade Style
• Artful Maiming Onslaught
• Soul Cleaving Wound
• Five Shadow Feint
• Unfurling Iron Lotus
• Time Scything Technique
• Thousand Wounds Feinting
• Blade Summoning Gesture
• Resplendent Shadow Blade
• Instant Murder Flash
• Blood Press Guillotine

War

First Excellency (Core, pg. 185-187)

• Morale Shattering Method (Abyssals, pg. 135) - Causes an immediate Rout check in any mob. Can be used socially as well.
• Arise and Slaughter (Abyssals, pg. 135) - Creates an Abyssal Command unit of rating 5 of either zombies (requires slain bodies) or hungry ghosts (requires darkness)

Integrity

• First Integrity Excellency
• Integrity Essence Flow

• Unconquered Hero's Faith
• Heart of Darkness
• Lesser Horror's Scorned
• Soulsteel Reaper Spirit
• Bright Days Painted Black
• Sunlight Bleeding Away

Resistance

• Third Resistance Excellency
• Injury Absorbing Discipline
• Armor Calling Kata
• Void Banished Mail
• Spirit Hardened Frame
• Wounds Mean Nothing
• Restless as the Dead

Stealth

• First Stealth Excellency
• Shadow Cloak Technique
• Shade Walker Prana

Dodge

First Excellency (Core, pg. 185-187, Hundredfold Facets of Enlightenment)

• Flitting Shadow Form (Abyssals, pg. 168)- Removes DV penalty on one attack's Dodge
• Flickering Wisp Technique (Abyssals, pg. 168)- Perfect Dodge, Flaw of Temperance (Can't dodge Unexpected Attacks)

Occult

• Shadowlands Circle Necromancy
• Labyrinth Circle Necromancy
• Void Circle Necromancy

Socialize

• First Socialize Excellency
• Scribing the Old Laws
• Keeper of the Old Laws
• Exquisite Etiquette Style
• Honey Tongued Serpent Attack

Presence

First Excellency

• Dread Lord's Demeanor (Abyssals, pg. 144) - Can negate Social attacks unless opponent succeeds on a difficulty 1 Valor roll
• Barrow King's Authority

Essence

• Essence: 5
• Personal: 22/22
• Peripheral: 41/51
• Overdrive: 0/25
• Committed to Charms: 0
• Committed to artifacts:10
• Willpower: 7/7
• Anima status: 0 motes

Virtues

• Compassion: 2
• Conviction: 2 (Flawed Virtue)
• Temperance: 3
• Valor: 2
• (Virtue channels used: None)

Resonance

0 out of 10 points.

Conflict

Physical

• Join Battle: 7
• Dodge DV: 8
• Parry DV: 9 (Power Maces), 4 (Unarmed)
• Soak: Soak +29L/34B
• Hardness: 24L/29B

When Iconic

• Dodge DV: 10
• Parry DV: 11 (Power Maces), 6 (Unarmed)

Movement

• Move: 5
• Dash: 11

Social

• Join Debate: 6
• Dodge MDV: 9
• Parry MDV: 5

Health Levels

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

Equipment

• Edge of Oblivion (Resplendent Shadow Blade and enhancements as Grand Daiklaive) Speed 5, Accuracy +9, Damage +17L/4, Defense +5, Rate 5, drains six motes and takes one Willpower from opponent.
• Rending Fangs (Resplendent Shadow Blade and enhancements as Paired Short Daiklaives) Speed 4, Accuracy +11, Damage +9L, Defense +6, Rate 2, drains six motes and takes one Willpower from opponent.

• Celestial Battle Armor Soak +29L/34B, Hardness 24L/29B, Mobility -0, Fatigue 1, Attune 10 (Iron Reliquary Body reduces the mobility and fatigue by three, making them zero.)

• Twin Power Mace Gauntlets -

Melee-

• Type:Hand-to-Hand (lethal), Speed 5, Accuracy +6, Damage +10L/4, Defense +1, Rate 2, Minimums:Str ••, Tags: O, P, drains six motes when damaging opponent
• Type:Hand-to-Hand (bashing), Speed 5, Accuracy +6, Damage +15B/4, Defense +1, Rate 2, Minimums:Str ••, Tags: O, P, drains six motes when damaging opponent

Ranged-

• Type:Ranged(lethal), Speed 5, Accuracy +6, Damage 12L, Rate 2, Range 60, Cost-2 motes/shot Minimums-Str ••
• Type:Ranged(bashing), Speed 5, Accuracy +6, Damage 17B, Rate 2, Range 100, Cost-2 motes/shot Minimums-Str ••

History

• Tepet Dreus laid his hand on his innards and tried desperately to shove them back into place long enough to make one final stab at the hulking man's back. The Anathema had laid waste to more men than he had ever seen dead at one time, and still he killed dozens of Stair-trained legionaires with every few moments. Luckily, Dreus thought, he leaves his back unguarded as he mows through my men. Finally managing to clutch enough of his intestines into himself that he can move relatively unimpeded (if in unimaginable pain), he raises his black jade daiklaive, and with a scream of agony-born defiance, he charged the Bull of the North.

The Bull, without so much as disrupting his rythym of attacking, chopped him in half on a backswing and continued to cleave through Tepet legions as if they were naught but air.

And now we see the young Dreus, intestines spilled over a wide area, life's blood steaming with the smell of spilled offal, his legs at least six feet from his waist. The light in his eyes starts to fade, only for his face to change to an expression of puzzlement, for he hears a whisper over the din of battle and other deaths. A whisper that promises power and retribution, if he accepts service.It promises him that he would be able to kill any army as quickly as the Bull, maybe even faster. All he has to do is accept, and he will be saved.

The young Dreus quickly thinks over the offer. With the last of his life's energies, he lifts his head slightly and releases it, a slight nod his final word...

-Years and miles later-

The man in the black and screaming armor raised his bloody daiklaive and brought it crashing down on yet another Immaculate monk, the monk's corpus split in two. His face, beautiful as it is, is fixed in a expression of utter boredom. Finally, only one more monk stands between him and the barn where his target is hid. The monk assumes a graceful one-legged stance and motions the man to come forward. "I will not let you hurt these people, Anathema!"

The man in black swipes his sword so fast you could barely see it, severing the monk's head and sending it flying away. The body, neck stump spewing blood into the air that invariably blows at the man in black's face, remains fixed in its perfectly balanced stance.

The man in black merely stands there for a few moments, until the monk's corpse stops spraying him with blood and finally collapses. The man pulls his hair out of his eyes and grips his daiklaive harder. The blood coats his profile for a few moments, before seeming to dry up and disappear.

Finally, he steps forward and enters the barn quietly. Nothing is heard for a few moments, then three screams split the air. The first two are the usual ones he is normally faced with, but the last hangs in the air for a few moments, it being the cry of a newborn.

Silence hangs over the barn for a minutes, then finally the man in black exits, tears of blood running down his angered face. Once he gets outside, he falls to his knees and looks up at the Sun. "I'm a fool, and for that, there can be no recompense. But I swear this oath, bound by whatever scripts hold you in the sky. I will follow the orders of the Mask of Winters no more, from this day forward, all of my power and prowess is devoted to preserving the things that I may not have." Reaching his left hand up to his daiklaive, he gently runs it down the naked edge for a moment, before making a fist in front of him, his blood dripping to the slowly blackening ground. "May this oath become as binding as the fates of the Neverborn."

Slowly, he stands and starts walking. After about ten minutes of walking, as he's a speck on the horizon, the young family exits the barn, the mother clutching the newborn to her chest. "Who was that man?" the father whispered. Speechless, the two of them watch him disappear into the oncoming night. Neither of them noticed the blackened earth not far in front of them, so none can say exactly when the corpse white rose bush bloomed there, but for years afterward, the roses bloomed every night, their fragrance only subtly tinged with the sickness of decay...

Personality

• Vengeance tries to be kind to people and good to everyone. unfortunately, his Neverborn masters try to erase that with every Resonance eruption. While he hunts the enemies of Creation in his quest for redemption, he tends to push away anyone that wouldn't survive his 'master's displeasure in defense of their lives...

He has a weakness for puppies, even though they tend to die first in the eruptions....

Goals

Redeem himself into a Solar Exalt, and eliminate the enemies of Creation

Story Awards

• 10 XP and 3 Background dots. Background dots spent on Manse from last game, with 6 XP to make the difference. 4 XP remaining.
• 10 XP and 2 Background dots. 14 XP, two dots. Spent 12 of 14 XP on Martial Arts 4, shuffling the two dots into the five dot Manse to get the XP instead, makes 8 XP. Spending 7 on Martial Arts 5. 1 XP banked.
• 30 XP and 5 background dots