Salroka

Nexus Of Worlds Multiverse

So... the last and ONLY IC post was over a week ago... is anyone gonna post next, or am I gonna have to hammer THAT out in addition to a 33k+ character long CS?

Nexus Of Worlds Multiverse

I have no clue what any of this means.

Nexus Of Worlds Multiverse

GreivousKhan said
This sounds allot like it was inspired by that horrid bloodline thing from unearthed arcana.

Dragon-Blooded have been in Exalted since it was first created. So... I doubt that. I wouldn't know for sure, though. I don't know when Exalted came out and when Unearthed Arcana was released.

Nexus Of Worlds Multiverse

Ah. The simple explanation, then.

In Exalted, a Dragon-Blooded is a person who (usually through controlled marriages to other powerful individuals) awakens an elemental power within themselves upon reaching a certain age. They can be in tune with one of the following: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, or Wood. Each Aspect has different abilities. Fire, for example, tend to lean more toward combat and are generally very passionate and valorous individuals. Their abilities reflect this element as well, enabling them to rise above the earth like a trail of smoke, explode with a ferocious burst of power, etc.

Nexus Of Worlds Multiverse

Asuras said
Nooo. I was going to make a dragon-kind. ;-;

Dragon Blooded are very different from Dragon Kings, Dragons, Dragonkin, etc. ... or were you not talking about Exalted?

Nexus Of Worlds Multiverse

Name: Cathak Talon

Age: 274

Gender: Male

Race: Terrestrial Exalt - Fire-Aspect Dragon-Blooded

Random descriptors: When his anima banner flares, the plates on the back of Cathak Talon's armor appear to melt and stretch into skeletal steel wings, which then burst into brilliant flames. These steel "bones" then melt and reform constantly, with no apparent detriment to Cathak Talon's armor whatsoever. The anima banner of the Dragon-Blooded is a raw, powerful effect. While those of the other Exalted can be intense, and even have lasting impact on their environment, that of the Terrestrials can be so powerful as to inflict considerable damage on their surroundings. The effects of the damage is different for each type of Terrestrial, but the source is always the raw power of the character’s Essence.

If the Dragon-Blood’s anima banner is at the 8–10-motes level of display, it inflicts light heat damage for every minute of contact to everything within a number of feet equal to the character’s permanent Essence. This damage is sufficient to destroy cloth and soft wood in a minute or two. It can eventually reduce even treated hardwoods to junk (within five minutes). At the 11–15-mote level, the banner inflicts moderate fire damage for every few seconds of combat. At these two levels, characters who are able to endure lethal damage without the use of armor or defensive abilities (such as other Exalts) ignore the damage inflicted by Terrestrial anima banners. At the 16+ level, however, the banner generates that same damage every single second, and all beings and objects (except the Exalt’s personal equipment, which is immune to the effect at all levels) suffers this damage.

This anima flux effect has had obvious impacts on their Terrestrials’ fighting style and architecture (among other things). At the expenditure of five motes of Essence, the Children of Hesiesh can draw on their inner passions, forcing their anima banner to erupt. For the duration of the scene, the Exalt is surrounded by a corona of flames, which inflicts no damage on his body or possessions but affects anything else he touches as normal flames would. Any bare-handed or grappling attacks against the Exalt cause the attacker to suffer severe elemental damage, and any similar attacks made by the Dragon-Blood inflict additional elemental damage as well. The Exalt can also ignite flammable materials with a touch.

Character Tier: Intermediate

Character Type: Critical Character - Active Multiverse Participant

Physical Description: I'm terrible at writing descriptions... he looks pretty much like THIS

Personality Description: Brash and bold even for a Fire-Aspect Terrestrial, Talon was not well liked among his peers on the Blessed Isle. This culminated in him being stationed in Lookshy. It was there that he went from devoted to the Realm, to hating it. Always an honorable person despite his outright willingness to do battle, he saw the oppression of others as a personal affront.

He is not beyond fighting with someone at one instant, then offering to buy them a drink the next. Talon can fly off the handle if he feels insulted, or blush like a newlywed bride if he is openly flattered. This makes him a bit of a wild-card in the opinions of most people. However, there's nobody better to have on your side if shit hits the fan. In that regard, Talon is an honorable man... but rarely is able to sit idle if there's some action he could be a part of.

Skills, powers and abilities:

Attributes

Strength: 2 Dexterity: 5 Stamina 3
Charisma: 2 Manipulation: 3 Appearance: 2
Perception:4 Intelligence: 2 Wits: 3

Abilities

Abilities:

* = Favored Ability

Linguistics: 1
*Lore: 3
Occult: 0
Stealth: 0
Thrown: 0

*Awareness: 5
Craft: 0
Integrity: 2
Resistance: 2
War: 0

Athletics: 5
Dodge: 3
Melee: 3
Presence: 1
Socialize: 2

Bureaucracy: 0
Investigation: 2
Larceny: 0
*Martial Arts: 5
Sail: 0

Archery: 1
Medicine: 2
Performance: 1
Ride: 1
Survival: 2

Advantages

Essence 4

Essence Pool
Personal = 14 (6) - 8 of these 14 motes are always used to attune to his gear
Peripheral = 35

Willpower: 7/7
Spent WP: 0/7

Virtues:

Compassion: 1
Temperance: 4
Conviction: 3
Valor: 3

Backgrounds

Allies: 3
Artifact: 3
Breeding: 3
Henchmen: 3
Resources: 3
Connections: 3
Manse: 2

Lore-based Powers

ELEMENTAL BOLT ATTACK - Low to Mid Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 1 mote per 2L damage
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple (Attack)
Minimum Lore: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None
The character extends their hand, and a bolt of elemental force flashes forth from it ― a shaft of ice, a blast of fire, a barbed wooden javelin, a stroke of lighting or slashing shards of crystal. This attack has a range of 20 yards x the character’s permanent Essence. The accuracy of the attack is equal to the character’s Essence. A character cannot spend more motes on this Charm than their Stamina.

Athletics-Based Powers

EFFORTLESSLY RISING FLAME - Low Tier Supplementary Ability
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (At Will)
Minimum Athletics: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
Fire does not oppose Earth in the same way that it opposes Water, but a glance at a bonfire shows the obvious: Fire abhors Earth. With this Charm, a burst of fiery energy propels the Exalt from the earth’s surface in as much time as it takes a man to take just a single step. The Dragon-Blooded may rise from a prone or supine position INSTANTLY. This Charm can also be used to greatly increase how far she can jump.

FALLING STAR MANEUVER - Low to Intermediate Tier Offensive/Supplemental Ability
Cost: 1 mote per increase
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental (During an attack)
Minimum Athletics: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: Effortlessly Rising Flame
Fire lifts the Exalt’s every footstep. The Dragon-Blooded with Falling Star Maneuver may jump, tumble, roll or outrun a foe in hand-to-hand combat gaining a positional advantage that allows him to strike devastating blows.
Mechanically, this Charm adds a moderate increase per mote expended to the damage of an attack. No more motes can be spent than the character’s permanent Essence rating. This damage is added before soak is applied. Normally, this Charm can be used only with hand-to-hand attacks, but with a stunt, the Charm can even be used to gain a bonus to the character’s Thrown or Archery damage. However, this generally only happens when a target has left himself wide open to attacks from the sides and the Exalt can reach his flank swiftly. This Charm can explicitly be used in Combos with Charms from other Abilities.

BELLOWS-PUMPING STRIDE - Low Tier Supplemental Ability
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: One scene
Type: Reflexive (At Will)
Minimum Athletics: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Falling Star Maneuver
The Exalt can double his movement rate for the scene with this Charm. As he does so, he leaves fiery footprints in the ground behind him. At a full sprint, he leaves a trail of fire ― this is normal fire and can cause problems in flammable areas.
To his own perceptions, he is not moving any faster; walking is still walking, and running is still running. However, his walk is twice as swift as normal. Resultingly, he can move up to (Dexterity + 12) yards and still act in a turn and up to (Dexterity x 5) + 25 yards as his only action for the turn. This Charm does not increase the character’s attack speed; it only affects his movement.

INCENSE SMOKE LADDER - Low-Tier Supplemental Ability
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (At Will)
Minimum Athletics: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Bellows-Pumping Stride
Like a burning ember, the Exalt is propelled away from the ground beneath him, so long as he has a surface to guide his feet. During any turn this Charm is active, the Dragon-Blooded can run up walls, trees and other vertical surfaces as easily as across an open courtyard. This is not a casual shuffle ― the Exalt must get a running start of at least two steps and then run up the wall, using his relationship to the rising element of fire to push himself away from the earth below. The character’s feet do not stick to the wall, and he cannot stand on the wall’s surface ― he can only run up it. Similarly, the Dynast may run across the surface of water while this power is active, though he cannot stop. If he should attempt to run across the surface of dangerous liquids, such as lava or acid, he will stay on the surface, but his feet may be burned badly.

DANCING EMBER STRIDE - Intermediate Tier Supplemental Ability
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant/One Scene
Type: Simple (At Will)
Minimum Athletics: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Incense Smoke Ladder
The character drifts upward, buoyed by a hot updraft. He may move a distance up to twice his ordinary movement rate upward, or once he is in the sky, he can move horizontally as if he were standing on the ground or ascend or descend as he wishes. As with many of the other Charms in this cascade, the only restriction is that the Exalt must keep moving; he cannot remain still, or he will plunge to the ground. The Dragon-Blood can carry as much weight as he can normally lift while using this Charm

Dodge-based Powers

THRESHOLD WARDING STANCE - Low Tier Defensive Ability
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (When an attack is received)
Minimum Dodge: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
Ordinarily, when dodging an attack, the defender must have ample space in which to move around. The character using the Threshold Warding Stance can dodge attacks while keeping his balance and leaving his feet in one place; as he does so, his torso, arms and legs flicker back and forth like a candle flame exposed to high wind. The Dragon-Blooded cannot dodge attacks when he is entirely immobilized, but so long as he has some degree of freedom to move, he can use his full Dodge dice pool. This Charm works whether the character is standing on a tree limb, is hemmed in by walls on three sides, is up to his shins in quicksand or is dangling by his arms from a great height.

HOPPING FIRECRACKER EVASION - Low Tier Defensive Ability
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (When an attack is received)
Minimum Dodge: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Threshold Warding Stance
When this Charm is activated, the Dragon-Blooded’s dives to avoid attack become truly pronounced. The Exalted with Hopping Firecracker Evasion can move more than just a few steps as he avoids attacks. He can leap, dive or tumble up to his normal running pace, which is half of (Dexterity + 12) yards, when he succeeds in dodging an attack. If he is in hand-to-hand combat range after a single attack, unless the attacker is able to move and continue attacking. This effectively allows him to evade the effects of many multiple-attack techniques.

Melee-based Powers

DRAGON-GRACED WEAPON - Low Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental (Before an attack is made)
Minimum Melee: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None
The character with Dragon-Graced Weapon can impart special properties to the melee weapon in hand by merely concentrating for a moment. The effect on the character’s weapon is based on his elemental aspect, as described below. This effect is instantaneous; the Exalt must pay Essence for every attack, and he must do so before making his attacks.
Fire: The target bursts into flames and, on his next action, must endure additional damage from fire. This damage is separate from the normal attack and without any modifiers added. The fire gutters out after one turn.

BLINDING SPARK DISTRACTION - Low Tier Offensive/Supplemental Ability
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (As an attack is made)
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Dragon-Graced Weapon
It is common in the course of combat for clashing weapons to give off sparks. This Charm gives the Exalt the ability to elicit a strategic spray of sparks into her opponent’s face any time their weapons clash. The Dragon-Blood can use this Charm any time she parries an opponent’s metal weapon with her own or whenever her weapon hits anything metal or stone in the course of combat. Essence multiplies what would normally be a few flying sparks into a crackling blue and gold spray aimed right into her opponent’s eyes. The opponent will be blinded the following turn, subtracting two successes from all attack rolls made for him. The target of the spray of sparks has a very brief chance to have his character turn away from the spray of sparks. If they succeed, they are not blinded by the attack, but merely a bit disoriented.

GHOST-FIRE BLADE - Low Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental (Before an attack)
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Dragon-Graced Weapon
Ghosts and dematerialized spirits cannot be hit by ordinary weapons. Though many powerful weapons can strike those immaterial beings, warriors caught without that kind of armament are in great danger when facing spirit foes. This Charm allows a Dragon-Blooded warrior to call upon the Dragon of Fire to enchant his weapon, allowing it to strike immaterial creatures normally. The character must spend the Essence and activate the Charm before making her attack. This Charm provides no additional bonus beyond allowing the character to hit dematerialized spirits.

Even Blade Style Description

EVEN BLADE STYLE

THE VARIANT OF MASTER LORD CHAOWIN REGISTROPHE, FIRST OF HEAVEN’S CHOSEN

The famous and popular Even Blade Style is known not just for its practitioners’ subtlety, speed and awareness, but for the story of its founders. The Masters Azure Crane, Zu Rat Te and Master Lord Chaowin Registrophe (self-styled First of Heaven’s Chosen) are three of the most sought-after teachers in Creation. Young hopefuls travel hundreds of miles for the chance to study in one of their dojos. All three learned from the same sifu and once formed a sworn brotherhood that performed deeds of legend—but they split up almost 200 years ago and established separate dojos.

Rumor in the Martial Arts World says the masters now hate each other because they could not reconcile their differences about the style they designed together. (Spiteful former peers say they fell out in a three-way lover’s tiff.) Each master certainly argued for one particular ending to the Even Blade Style. Their passion, skill and inability to agree resulted in something so rare that most masters thought it impossible: Each of them created their own, specific style, that yet began in the same way as the others’.

The three teachers’ dissension also had wider ramifications than they realized, which was revealed when Resolute Brigada, a student of Azure Crane’s, abandoned her teacher to study with Zu Rat Te. Brigada discovered, to her horror, that this gained her not Zu Rat Te’s Even Blade variant, but an entirely new, fourth version of the style. Brigada did not set up her own school because she thought she had failed to follow Zu Rat Te’s ideal path. To this day, she tells most would-be students that they should follow Zu Rat Te’s teaching instead.

Despite their stylistic differences, all three masters (and their disciples who set up dojos of their own) use similar training methods. Students learn basic kicks, blocks strikes and thrusts in the classroom as well as 20 elaborate katas using wooden practice blades. All three masters also enjoy assigning tasks that initially seem useless, arbitrary and impossible. Master Azure Crane insists that her best students be able to catch a buzzing fl y between two toothpicks. Master Lord Chaowin Registrophe, First of Heaven’s Chosen, sometimes starves his apprentices for days on end. The followers of Master Zu Rat Te commiserate about being asked to pull a specific straw from a bale of hay in one swift strike, without warning or preparation.

All three teachers also place a particular emphasis on ritualistic, meditative upkeep of one’s sword. The blade, they constantly repeat, must be treated with loyalty and faith, respected as a close partner and loved as a friend. Since the style focuses so much on sword usage, some dojos also work hard on Melee Charms and encourage students to use them in Combos with the traditional Even Blade Charms. In those places, an apprentice is lauded more for coming up with an interesting and flexible new Combo than for actually mastering the style itself.

Even Blade Style is elementally neutral. It focuses on the blade, not any particular element.

Weapons and Armor:
The Even Blade Style favors slashing swords. Indeed, sifus generally demand that their followers use one and will judge an unknown stylist by the quality of her blade. Master Azure Crane, in particular, does not even teach how to use the style with other weapons or barehanded (though her assistants surreptitiously make sure her students know how anyway).

Characters may use this style while wearing armor, but only up to medium weight.

Complementary Abilities:
Even Blade dojos teach conventional swordsmanship as well as the style’s special techniques. To learn this martial art, a character must possess at least two dots in Melee.

Martial Arts Powers

DEATH BETWEEN HEARTBEATS - Low Tier Offensive/Supplemental Ability
Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1;
Type: Reflexive (Before an attack is made)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
Briefly standing very still, the martial artist tilts her head. Then, with a shout, she strikes suddenly, surprising her enemies. This Charm may be used when a character performs an attack at the same time as the user.: The user's attack goes before any other actions made in that moment. The target has less ability to defend against this attack, and the martial artist has both a slightly more accurate attack, and slightly improved defenses against all attacks in that moment
.
If other characters use similar abilities to make their actions go first, then everyone involved acts simultaneously

BREATH AND ESSENCE CONTROL - Intermediate Tier Supplemental Ability
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2;
Type: Supplemental (Before combat)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Death Between Heartbeats
Drawing breath carefully, constantly wary, the martial artist is always ready for battle. This Charm supplements a Join Battle action. Instead of reacting to combat as normal, the character may spend three motes simply to be ready to fight in an instant. A character who fights barehanded may always use Breath and Essence Control normally, but if he uses a sword, then the martial artist may invoke this Charm only while it is sheathed. When he does the latter, the Charm allows him to ready his weapon as a reflexive action instead of a miscellaneous action.

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND LOOK - Intermediate Tier Supplementary Ability
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2;
Type: Reflexive (Before any attacks are made)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Breath and Essence Control
Concentrating hard, the martial artist blinks slowly, then whirls into action. A character can use the Charm as part of a normal attack, or reflexively to abort an already-begun Aim action. The martial artist focuses, spots a weakness and attacks. If her target suffers penalties to his DV—whether onslaught, mobility or anything else—then those penalties double when the target defends against the martial artist. Additionally, for the briefest moment, the character sees phantom trails of Essence hanging in the air around her foe and may trace their sources.

The martial artist’s player may ask the Storyteller a single effect-related question about her foe—regarding his Charms, enchanted weaponry, divine blessings, general defensive skill and so on—to which the Storyteller must supply an honest, if vague, response. Questions such as, “Is he using any defensive abilities?”, “Why are those arrows glowing?” and “Is it even possible for me to hit this guy?” are appropriate. Inappropriate queries involve specific numbers, odds calculation or relative values.

Close Your Eyes and Look may be used only once per action.

EVEN BLADE FORM - High Tier Supplemental/Offensive Ability
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Form-type
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Close Your Eyes and Look
With a narrow glance left, right, then straight ahead, the martial artist extends his blade before him and watches a gleam chase down its edge. His mind calms, and his eyes darken; he is beyond distraction and imprecision.

For the rest of the scene, the character cannot be perturbed or confused by anything that would distract him at a crucial moment or disrupt his battle focus, even if it is a magical effect specifically designed for that purpose. Furthermore, due to the martial artist’s lightning-swift cuts and supernatural exactitude, the user obtains an even greater swiftness than any mortal could ever hope to achieve. His attacks are all improved in speed, as well as his movements and defenses. In short, this technique improves the users speed across the board.

Although the Even Blade Form is intended partly to exalt the sword, it can be used perfectly well without one. If a character begins use of the Form-type Charm while wielding a sword, however... being disarmed or losing his blade instantly deactivates the Charm. The martial artist will have to activate it again (taking six ticks and five motes of Essence) to gain its benefits.

FLASHING ZEPHYR SPEED STANCE - Intermediate Tier Supplementary Ability
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2;
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: One Flurry
Prerequisite Charms: Even Blade Form
A cerulean spark blazes in the martial artist’s eyes, then flickers as she spins and strikes, spins and strikes again. She may spend four motes to supplement a flurry in which she makes only Martial Arts attacks. Its speed increases, lending itself to lightning-fast strikes. Her attack rate improves, increasing the number of blows in a flurry. Finally, each cut’s accuracy improves as well, creating a truly impressive onslaught.

FIERY GARDA FORCE ATTACK - Intermediate/High Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 4m or 4m + 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2;
Type: Supplemental (During an attack)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Even Blade Form
With a sudden red flare around her hands, the martial artist brings all her strength to bear in one tightly focused strike. A successful attack deals piercing damage, but the Fiery Garda Force Attack has another aspect. If the martial artist’s foe successfully parries the Charm-supplemented attack, then the character may reflexively spend a Willpower point to break the parrying weapon. The martial artist is not required to attempt this.

Artifacts cannot be broken in this way, but most normal weapons shatter or are sliced in half. A fine, exceptional or perfect weapon (as detailed on p. 365 of Exalted) may resist destruction. The owner’s player may roll one, two or three dice, respectively, with success indicating that the weapon withstood the awful blow. The three great masters of the Even Blade Style teach their students that great quality ought to be admired and that the bearer of a great weapon should be respected. Often times, practitioners will pull back and bow to such a foe respectfully before continuing the fight.

If a weapon is broken by means of Fiery Garda Force Attack, then the martial artist may continue the attack against its bearer. The follow-through is somewhat less accurate, but otherwise it is resolved normally and as if the target had no parrying weapon in the first place.

GRUESOME WOOD KING REVELRY TECHNIQUE - Low Tier Supplemental Ability
Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2;
Type: Reflexive (After an attack is made or received)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: One action
Prerequisite Charms: Even Blade Form
A terrible light flares across the martial artist’s face as he surveys the battle. Then, as he slices—with hands or blade—straight through his enemies, the blood that splashes so liberally upon him seems to seep into his skin, leaving only a greenish shadow to mark its passage. The character inflicts lethal damage even if barehanded, and he regains a few of Essence if a succesful attack is made.

STUBBORN JOKUN DEFENSIVE POSTURE - Intermediate Tier Defensive Ability
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2;
Type: Reflexive (Before or After an attack is sustained)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: One action
Prerequisite Charms: Even Blade Form
The martial artist raises his gaze steadily, and his eyes glow softly. The blood seeping from his wounds shimmers a luminous white. Until the character takes his next action, he suffers no wound penalties, he adds his Martial Arts to his bashing soak and he adds half his Martial Arts (rounded up) to his lethal soak. The martial artist cannot prevent himself from dying by using Stubborn Jokun Defensive Posture, but he may use it to act normally while Incapacitated or Dying, and may reactivate it on each action to continue to do so.

DEEP CUT - Intermediate Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3;
Type: Supplemental (After an attack hits)
Keywords: Crippling, Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Fiery Garda Force Attack, Flashing Zephyr Speed Stance, Gruesome Wood King Revelry Technique, Stubborn Jokun Defensive Posture

Roaring, the martial artist rushes forward, her eyes ablaze with Essence. As long as she inflicts at least one health level of damage, her target is automatically crippled. It is entirely possible that the relevant limb may be completely removed. Even if Exalted, a target so injured has suffered a disabling wound (as described on p. 152 of Exalted), which will continue to inflict penalties until surgically or magically treated.

GRAVE CUT - High Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4;
Type: Reflexive (After an attack hits)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Deep Cut
As her strike bites deep, the martial artist shouts in joyous rage and calls upon all her strength to force it still deeper. Then she turns her hand or blade to one side, wrenching it out in a shower of gore. After her attack has been resolved, the character may spend five motes to double the total damage dealt.

Combo Powers

Arisen Phoenix Blinds the Impure:
Effortlessly Rising Flame( 1m ) and/or Threshold-Warding Stance ( 1m ) + Dragon-Graced Weapon ( 1m ) + Blinding Spark Distraction ( 2m ) + Hopping Firecracker Evasion ( 2m )

Cost: 6m, 1wp if only one of the first two is used. 7m, 1wp if both are used.

Character Equipment:

Red Jade Wavecleaver Daiklave named "Flame of Freedom"

Speed: 4
Accuracy: +3
Damage: +8L/3
Defense: +1
Rate: 2
Minimums: Str ••
Attune: 5
Cost: ••
Tags: O

Red Jade Reinforced Buff Jacket named "Cloak of Heshiesh"

Soak: +7L/10B
Hardness: 5L/5B
Mobility: -1
Fatigue: 0
Cost: ••
Attune: 3
Tags: N/A

Yellow Jade Hearthstone Amulet - Cathak Talon regains one additional mote of Essence per hour.

Gemstone of Last Resort equipped into his sword. This smooth, dull-brown stone is speckled with black. Its bearer can ignore all wound penalties during a combat. When the character reaches Incapacitated, this effect ends immediately, and he can still die. The bearer can choose to invoke or cancel the stone’s power at will. Wounds sustained while the bearer used this power take twice as long to heal, and the Essence cost of any Charms or other magics used to heal these wounds is doubled.

Bag of 50 Blood Berries - Blood berry vines grow in Wood-aspected demesnes throughout the outer edges of the Northeast. Since they root in tree branches high above the ground, however, they are seldom harvested outside the arboreal Haltan Republic. In the last months of Descending Fire, these vines produce clusters of tart, red berries, which people who know of their properties then pick and dry in the sun. These berries owe their name to their curative power as well as their oozing, crimson juice. A character who eats a dozen blood berries a day can halve the time required to heal one lethal wound that caused a great deal of blood loss when it was inflicted. (For instance, the berries help heal gashes but not broken bones.) Dried blood berries keep for a year, after which they lose their potency.

Character History: The story of Cathak Talon begins many years before the present day. Born to Cathak Jura and an un-exalted human male, Talon was expected to exalt just like his mother. And indeed, at the age of 16, Talon was imbued with the might of the Elemental Dragons. He was then sent to a sort of "basic training" program that his mother had herself gone through more than a century before. The training Talon would receive on the Blessed Isle was fairly standard for Dynasts, with an emphasis on his martial prowess and athletic ability. He quickly mastered the charms and skills taught to him in the program, and moved on to command training.

Here, Cathak Talon learned to give orders to troops and mercenaries, as well as strategize on the battlefield. In time, he was even given command over a small regiment of soldiers. Pleased with his progress, the powers that be passed him through the rest of the program rather quickly... allowing Talon to pursue his own interests. Wanting to become the best fighter possible, and to more easily overcome any "Anathema" he may come across, Cathak Talon began to study the Even Blade Style of Terrestrial Martial Arts under Lord Chaowin Registrophe. Over the next fourty years, he learned nearly everything there was to learn about Even Blade. The form, the techniques, the history, and even the deadliest attacks that the style had to offer. Now nearing his first full century of life, It was time for something... more.

However, before he could request a posting... some of his former rivals in the academy had used the last fourty years to rise in station rather than better themselves... and had Cathak Talon stationed far from the Blessed Isle, in the city of Lookshy. It was there he remained for over another century. After many years, he befriended a group of young men and women from the local guard force. But unbeknownst to him, these men and women would change his life. One day, a man by the name of Yuri did not report to his post. Yuri was one of the mortals that Talon had befriended since coming to Lookshy. And while the missing man wasn't worried about at first... three days passed without so much as a word from him or his family.

It was time to investigate. Luckily, being an Exalt among mortals had many advantages. When Talon said he was leaving to find someone, the guard forces not only didn't stop him... but sent him on his way with a token force of around one-hundred soldiers. This was in addition to the nearly fifty mortals that swore their service to the Dynast over the last ten years. They investigated any and all leads they could find, and learned that for some reason... Yuri had traveled to the city of Nexus. Consulting his map, Talon saw that Nexus was over one-thousand kilometers to the east. "Why would he go there?" thought Talon as he and his forces marched to the city.

The horrifying truth quickly came to light shortly after Cathak Talon arrived. Yuri was an Anathema... a Solar Exalt. Had he been one this whole time? Had he simply exalted and left Lookshy to avoid his friend? The Dyanst needed answers... and he would only find them with Yuri. Finding the Solar took only three days... and it seemed like he wasn't even TRYING to hide. Indeed, when Talon approached, Yuri greeted his old friend as if nothing had changed. ... he had been born to fight them, he had been taught they were evil, he had SEEN them kill his comrades! Then WHY could Talon not attack this Anathema like he had done with others in the past?

His mind torn, Talon instead chose to find out what had happened. As his friend, Yuri was more than happy to explain. While Nexus was known as a popular gateway to the realm of Yu-Shan, few knew why it was truly named as it was. The city was built over a far more mysterious relic... a gateway to a UNIVERSAL Nexus. His Solar soul had once used this nexus gate and traveled the cosmos, venturing to realms that no one in Creation had ever seen and bringing back several objects of immense power in an attempt to thwart the usurpation. However... there was a catch.

Yuri explained that this gate required something to function. It required the heart's-blood of a Solar to operate. And suddenly the truth hit Talon like a great-maul to the head. Yuri had been waiting for him. He wanted his friend to see that there was more to the universe than what he knew. Standing in stunned silence, Talon could not stop Yuri as he slammed a knife into his own chest and pierced his heart. It was then that a blaze of golden light erupted from the floor and enveloped both Talon AND the forces he had brought with him. ... when they awoke, they were in a place most unfamiliar... the Planar Nexus.

Nexus Of Worlds Multiverse

LeeRoy said
By the way, can someone translate Beta's Sheet into Not D&D language? I'm at a loss as to what any of this means.

It's Exalted. And PM me with any questions. I will be happy to answer them.

Nexus Of Worlds Multiverse

My apologies, Skall. I wasn't sure where exactly to put him. I will move him shortly.

Nexus Of Worlds Multiverse

Name: Cathak Talon

Age: 274

Gender: Male

Race: Terrestrial Exalt - Fire-Aspect Dragon-Blooded

Random descriptors: When his anima banner flares, the plates on the back of Cathak Talon's armor appear to melt and stretch into skeletal steel wings, which then burst into brilliant flames. These steel "bones" then melt and reform constantly, with no apparent detriment to Cathak Talon's armor whatsoever. The anima banner of the Dragon-Blooded is a raw, powerful effect. While those of the other Exalted can be intense, and even have lasting impact on their environment, that of the Terrestrials can be so powerful as to inflict considerable damage on their surroundings. The effects of the damage is different for each type of Terrestrial, but the source is always the raw power of the character’s Essence.

If the Dragon-Blood’s anima banner is at the 8–10-motes level of display, it inflicts light heat damage for every minute of contact to everything within a number of feet equal to the character’s permanent Essence. This damage is sufficient to destroy cloth and soft wood in a minute or two. It can eventually reduce even treated hardwoods to junk (within five minutes). At the 11–15-mote level, the banner inflicts moderate fire damage for every few seconds of combat. At these two levels, characters who are able to endure lethal damage without the use of armor or defensive abilities (such as other Exalts) ignore the damage inflicted by Terrestrial anima banners. At the 16+ level, however, the banner generates that same damage every single second, and all beings and objects (except the Exalt’s personal equipment, which is immune to the effect at all levels) suffers this damage.

This anima flux effect has had obvious impacts on their Terrestrials’ fighting style and architecture (among other things). At the expenditure of five motes of Essence, the Children of Hesiesh can draw on their inner passions, forcing their anima banner to erupt. For the duration of the scene, the Exalt is surrounded by a corona of flames, which inflicts no damage on his body or possessions but affects anything else he touches as normal flames would. Any bare-handed or grappling attacks against the Exalt cause the attacker to suffer severe elemental damage, and any similar attacks made by the Dragon-Blood inflict additional elemental damage as well. The Exalt can also ignite flammable materials with a touch.

Character Tier: Intermediate

Character Type: Critical Character - Active Multiverse Participant

Physical Description: I'm terrible at writing descriptions... he looks pretty much like THIS

Personality Description: Brash and bold even for a Fire-Aspect Terrestrial, Talon was not well liked among his peers on the Blessed Isle. This culminated in him being stationed in Lookshy. It was there that he went from devoted to the Realm, to hating it. Always an honorable person despite his outright willingness to do battle, he saw the oppression of others as a personal affront.

He is not beyond fighting with someone at one instant, then offering to buy them a drink the next. Talon can fly off the handle if he feels insulted, or blush like a newlywed bride if he is openly flattered. This makes him a bit of a wild-card in the opinions of most people. However, there's nobody better to have on your side if shit hits the fan. In that regard, Talon is an honorable man... but rarely is able to sit idle if there's some action he could be a part of.

Skills, powers and abilities:

Attributes

Strength: 2 Dexterity: 5 Stamina 3
Charisma: 2 Manipulation: 3 Appearance: 2
Perception:4 Intelligence: 2 Wits: 3

Abilities

Abilities:

* = Favored Ability

Linguistics: 1
*Lore: 3
Occult: 0
Stealth: 0
Thrown: 0

*Awareness: 5
Craft: 0
Integrity: 2
Resistance: 2
War: 0

Athletics: 5
Dodge: 3
Melee: 3
Presence: 1
Socialize: 2

Bureaucracy: 0
Investigation: 2
Larceny: 0
*Martial Arts: 5
Sail: 0

Archery: 1
Medicine: 2
Performance: 1
Ride: 1
Survival: 2

Advantages

Essence 4

Essence Pool
Personal = 14 (6) - 8 of these 14 motes are always used to attune to his gear
Peripheral = 35

Willpower: 7/7
Spent WP: 0/7

Virtues:

Compassion: 1
Temperance: 4
Conviction: 3
Valor: 3

Backgrounds

Allies: 3
Artifact: 3
Breeding: 3
Henchmen: 3
Resources: 3
Connections: 3
Manse: 2

Lore-based Powers

ELEMENTAL BOLT ATTACK - Low to Mid Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 1 mote per 2L damage
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple (Attack)
Minimum Lore: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None
The character extends their hand, and a bolt of elemental force flashes forth from it ― a shaft of ice, a blast of fire, a barbed wooden javelin, a stroke of lighting or slashing shards of crystal. This attack has a range of 20 yards x the character’s permanent Essence. The accuracy of the attack is equal to the character’s Essence. A character cannot spend more motes on this Charm than their Stamina.

Athletics-Based Powers

EFFORTLESSLY RISING FLAME - Low Tier Supplementary Ability
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (At Will)
Minimum Athletics: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
Fire does not oppose Earth in the same way that it opposes Water, but a glance at a bonfire shows the obvious: Fire abhors Earth. With this Charm, a burst of fiery energy propels the Exalt from the earth’s surface in as much time as it takes a man to take just a single step. The Dragon-Blooded may rise from a prone or supine position INSTANTLY. This Charm can also be used to greatly increase how far she can jump.

FALLING STAR MANEUVER - Low to Intermediate Tier Offensive/Supplemental Ability
Cost: 1 mote per increase
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental (During an attack)
Minimum Athletics: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: Effortlessly Rising Flame
Fire lifts the Exalt’s every footstep. The Dragon-Blooded with Falling Star Maneuver may jump, tumble, roll or outrun a foe in hand-to-hand combat gaining a positional advantage that allows him to strike devastating blows.
Mechanically, this Charm adds a moderate increase per mote expended to the damage of an attack. No more motes can be spent than the character’s permanent Essence rating. This damage is added before soak is applied. Normally, this Charm can be used only with hand-to-hand attacks, but with a stunt, the Charm can even be used to gain a bonus to the character’s Thrown or Archery damage. However, this generally only happens when a target has left himself wide open to attacks from the sides and the Exalt can reach his flank swiftly. This Charm can explicitly be used in Combos with Charms from other Abilities.

BELLOWS-PUMPING STRIDE - Low Tier Supplemental Ability
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: One scene
Type: Reflexive (At Will)
Minimum Athletics: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Falling Star Maneuver
The Exalt can double his movement rate for the scene with this Charm. As he does so, he leaves fiery footprints in the ground behind him. At a full sprint, he leaves a trail of fire ― this is normal fire and can cause problems in flammable areas.
To his own perceptions, he is not moving any faster; walking is still walking, and running is still running. However, his walk is twice as swift as normal. Resultingly, he can move up to (Dexterity + 12) yards and still act in a turn and up to (Dexterity x 5) + 25 yards as his only action for the turn. This Charm does not increase the character’s attack speed; it only affects his movement.

INCENSE SMOKE LADDER - Low-Tier Supplemental Ability
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (At Will)
Minimum Athletics: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Bellows-Pumping Stride
Like a burning ember, the Exalt is propelled away from the ground beneath him, so long as he has a surface to guide his feet. During any turn this Charm is active, the Dragon-Blooded can run up walls, trees and other vertical surfaces as easily as across an open courtyard. This is not a casual shuffle ― the Exalt must get a running start of at least two steps and then run up the wall, using his relationship to the rising element of fire to push himself away from the earth below. The character’s feet do not stick to the wall, and he cannot stand on the wall’s surface ― he can only run up it. Similarly, the Dynast may run across the surface of water while this power is active, though he cannot stop. If he should attempt to run across the surface of dangerous liquids, such as lava or acid, he will stay on the surface, but his feet may be burned badly.

DANCING EMBER STRIDE - Intermediate Tier Supplemental Ability
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant/One Scene
Type: Simple (At Will)
Minimum Athletics: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Incense Smoke Ladder
The character drifts upward, buoyed by a hot updraft. He may move a distance up to twice his ordinary movement rate upward, or once he is in the sky, he can move horizontally as if he were standing on the ground or ascend or descend as he wishes. As with many of the other Charms in this cascade, the only restriction is that the Exalt must keep moving; he cannot remain still, or he will plunge to the ground. The Dragon-Blood can carry as much weight as he can normally lift while using this Charm

Dodge-based Powers

THRESHOLD WARDING STANCE - Low Tier Defensive Ability
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (When an attack is received)
Minimum Dodge: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
Ordinarily, when dodging an attack, the defender must have ample space in which to move around. The character using the Threshold Warding Stance can dodge attacks while keeping his balance and leaving his feet in one place; as he does so, his torso, arms and legs flicker back and forth like a candle flame exposed to high wind. The Dragon-Blooded cannot dodge attacks when he is entirely immobilized, but so long as he has some degree of freedom to move, he can use his full Dodge dice pool. This Charm works whether the character is standing on a tree limb, is hemmed in by walls on three sides, is up to his shins in quicksand or is dangling by his arms from a great height.

HOPPING FIRECRACKER EVASION - Low Tier Defensive Ability
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (When an attack is received)
Minimum Dodge: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Threshold Warding Stance
When this Charm is activated, the Dragon-Blooded’s dives to avoid attack become truly pronounced. The Exalted with Hopping Firecracker Evasion can move more than just a few steps as he avoids attacks. He can leap, dive or tumble up to his normal running pace, which is half of (Dexterity + 12) yards, when he succeeds in dodging an attack. If he is in hand-to-hand combat range after a single attack, unless the attacker is able to move and continue attacking. This effectively allows him to evade the effects of many multiple-attack techniques.

Melee-based Powers

DRAGON-GRACED WEAPON - Low Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental (Before an attack is made)
Minimum Melee: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None
The character with Dragon-Graced Weapon can impart special properties to the melee weapon in hand by merely concentrating for a moment. The effect on the character’s weapon is based on his elemental aspect, as described below. This effect is instantaneous; the Exalt must pay Essence for every attack, and he must do so before making his attacks.
Fire: The target bursts into flames and, on his next action, must endure additional damage from fire. This damage is separate from the normal attack and without any modifiers added. The fire gutters out after one turn.

BLINDING SPARK DISTRACTION - Low Tier Offensive/Supplemental Ability
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive (As an attack is made)
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Dragon-Graced Weapon
It is common in the course of combat for clashing weapons to give off sparks. This Charm gives the Exalt the ability to elicit a strategic spray of sparks into her opponent’s face any time their weapons clash. The Dragon-Blood can use this Charm any time she parries an opponent’s metal weapon with her own or whenever her weapon hits anything metal or stone in the course of combat. Essence multiplies what would normally be a few flying sparks into a crackling blue and gold spray aimed right into her opponent’s eyes. The opponent will be blinded the following turn, subtracting two successes from all attack rolls made for him. The target of the spray of sparks has a very brief chance to have his character turn away from the spray of sparks. If they succeed, they are not blinded by the attack, but merely a bit disoriented.

GHOST-FIRE BLADE - Low Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental (Before an attack)
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Dragon-Graced Weapon
Ghosts and dematerialized spirits cannot be hit by ordinary weapons. Though many powerful weapons can strike those immaterial beings, warriors caught without that kind of armament are in great danger when facing spirit foes. This Charm allows a Dragon-Blooded warrior to call upon the Dragon of Fire to enchant his weapon, allowing it to strike immaterial creatures normally. The character must spend the Essence and activate the Charm before making her attack. This Charm provides no additional bonus beyond allowing the character to hit dematerialized spirits.

Even Blade Style Description

EVEN BLADE STYLE

THE VARIANT OF MASTER LORD CHAOWIN REGISTROPHE, FIRST OF HEAVEN’S CHOSEN

The famous and popular Even Blade Style is known not just for its practitioners’ subtlety, speed and awareness, but for the story of its founders. The Masters Azure Crane, Zu Rat Te and Master Lord Chaowin Registrophe (self-styled First of Heaven’s Chosen) are three of the most sought-after teachers in Creation. Young hopefuls travel hundreds of miles for the chance to study in one of their dojos. All three learned from the same sifu and once formed a sworn brotherhood that performed deeds of legend—but they split up almost 200 years ago and established separate dojos.

Rumor in the Martial Arts World says the masters now hate each other because they could not reconcile their differences about the style they designed together. (Spiteful former peers say they fell out in a three-way lover’s tiff.) Each master certainly argued for one particular ending to the Even Blade Style. Their passion, skill and inability to agree resulted in something so rare that most masters thought it impossible: Each of them created their own, specific style, that yet began in the same way as the others’.

The three teachers’ dissension also had wider ramifications than they realized, which was revealed when Resolute Brigada, a student of Azure Crane’s, abandoned her teacher to study with Zu Rat Te. Brigada discovered, to her horror, that this gained her not Zu Rat Te’s Even Blade variant, but an entirely new, fourth version of the style. Brigada did not set up her own school because she thought she had failed to follow Zu Rat Te’s ideal path. To this day, she tells most would-be students that they should follow Zu Rat Te’s teaching instead.

Despite their stylistic differences, all three masters (and their disciples who set up dojos of their own) use similar training methods. Students learn basic kicks, blocks strikes and thrusts in the classroom as well as 20 elaborate katas using wooden practice blades. All three masters also enjoy assigning tasks that initially seem useless, arbitrary and impossible. Master Azure Crane insists that her best students be able to catch a buzzing fl y between two toothpicks. Master Lord Chaowin Registrophe, First of Heaven’s Chosen, sometimes starves his apprentices for days on end. The followers of Master Zu Rat Te commiserate about being asked to pull a specific straw from a bale of hay in one swift strike, without warning or preparation.

All three teachers also place a particular emphasis on ritualistic, meditative upkeep of one’s sword. The blade, they constantly repeat, must be treated with loyalty and faith, respected as a close partner and loved as a friend. Since the style focuses so much on sword usage, some dojos also work hard on Melee Charms and encourage students to use them in Combos with the traditional Even Blade Charms. In those places, an apprentice is lauded more for coming up with an interesting and flexible new Combo than for actually mastering the style itself.

Even Blade Style is elementally neutral. It focuses on the blade, not any particular element.

Weapons and Armor:
The Even Blade Style favors slashing swords. Indeed, sifus generally demand that their followers use one and will judge an unknown stylist by the quality of her blade. Master Azure Crane, in particular, does not even teach how to use the style with other weapons or barehanded (though her assistants surreptitiously make sure her students know how anyway).

Characters may use this style while wearing armor, but only up to medium weight.

Complementary Abilities:
Even Blade dojos teach conventional swordsmanship as well as the style’s special techniques. To learn this martial art, a character must possess at least two dots in Melee.

Martial Arts Powers

DEATH BETWEEN HEARTBEATS - Low Tier Offensive/Supplemental Ability
Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1;
Type: Reflexive (Before an attack is made)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
Briefly standing very still, the martial artist tilts her head. Then, with a shout, she strikes suddenly, surprising her enemies. This Charm may be used when a character performs an attack at the same time as the user.: The user's attack goes before any other actions made in that moment. The target has less ability to defend against this attack, and the martial artist has both a slightly more accurate attack, and slightly improved defenses against all attacks in that moment
.
If other characters use similar abilities to make their actions go first, then everyone involved acts simultaneously

BREATH AND ESSENCE CONTROL - Intermediate Tier Supplemental Ability
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2;
Type: Supplemental (Before combat)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Death Between Heartbeats
Drawing breath carefully, constantly wary, the martial artist is always ready for battle. This Charm supplements a Join Battle action. Instead of reacting to combat as normal, the character may spend three motes simply to be ready to fight in an instant. A character who fights barehanded may always use Breath and Essence Control normally, but if he uses a sword, then the martial artist may invoke this Charm only while it is sheathed. When he does the latter, the Charm allows him to ready his weapon as a reflexive action instead of a miscellaneous action.

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND LOOK - Intermediate Tier Supplementary Ability
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2;
Type: Reflexive (Before any attacks are made)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Breath and Essence Control
Concentrating hard, the martial artist blinks slowly, then whirls into action. A character can use the Charm as part of a normal attack, or reflexively to abort an already-begun Aim action. The martial artist focuses, spots a weakness and attacks. If her target suffers penalties to his DV—whether onslaught, mobility or anything else—then those penalties double when the target defends against the martial artist. Additionally, for the briefest moment, the character sees phantom trails of Essence hanging in the air around her foe and may trace their sources.

The martial artist’s player may ask the Storyteller a single effect-related question about her foe—regarding his Charms, enchanted weaponry, divine blessings, general defensive skill and so on—to which the Storyteller must supply an honest, if vague, response. Questions such as, “Is he using any defensive abilities?”, “Why are those arrows glowing?” and “Is it even possible for me to hit this guy?” are appropriate. Inappropriate queries involve specific numbers, odds calculation or relative values.

Close Your Eyes and Look may be used only once per action.

EVEN BLADE FORM - High Tier Supplemental/Offensive Ability
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Form-type
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Close Your Eyes and Look
With a narrow glance left, right, then straight ahead, the martial artist extends his blade before him and watches a gleam chase down its edge. His mind calms, and his eyes darken; he is beyond distraction and imprecision.

For the rest of the scene, the character cannot be perturbed or confused by anything that would distract him at a crucial moment or disrupt his battle focus, even if it is a magical effect specifically designed for that purpose. Furthermore, due to the martial artist’s lightning-swift cuts and supernatural exactitude, the user obtains an even greater swiftness than any mortal could ever hope to achieve. His attacks are all improved in speed, as well as his movements and defenses. In short, this technique improves the users speed across the board.

Although the Even Blade Form is intended partly to exalt the sword, it can be used perfectly well without one. If a character begins use of the Form-type Charm while wielding a sword, however... being disarmed or losing his blade instantly deactivates the Charm. The martial artist will have to activate it again (taking six ticks and five motes of Essence) to gain its benefits.

FLASHING ZEPHYR SPEED STANCE - Intermediate Tier Supplementary Ability
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2;
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: One Flurry
Prerequisite Charms: Even Blade Form
A cerulean spark blazes in the martial artist’s eyes, then flickers as she spins and strikes, spins and strikes again. She may spend four motes to supplement a flurry in which she makes only Martial Arts attacks. Its speed increases, lending itself to lightning-fast strikes. Her attack rate improves, increasing the number of blows in a flurry. Finally, each cut’s accuracy improves as well, creating a truly impressive onslaught.

FIERY GARDA FORCE ATTACK - Intermediate/High Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 4m or 4m + 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2;
Type: Supplemental (During an attack)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Even Blade Form
With a sudden red flare around her hands, the martial artist brings all her strength to bear in one tightly focused strike. A successful attack deals piercing damage, but the Fiery Garda Force Attack has another aspect. If the martial artist’s foe successfully parries the Charm-supplemented attack, then the character may reflexively spend a Willpower point to break the parrying weapon. The martial artist is not required to attempt this.

Artifacts cannot be broken in this way, but most normal weapons shatter or are sliced in half. A fine, exceptional or perfect weapon (as detailed on p. 365 of Exalted) may resist destruction. The owner’s player may roll one, two or three dice, respectively, with success indicating that the weapon withstood the awful blow. The three great masters of the Even Blade Style teach their students that great quality ought to be admired and that the bearer of a great weapon should be respected. Often times, practitioners will pull back and bow to such a foe respectfully before continuing the fight.

If a weapon is broken by means of Fiery Garda Force Attack, then the martial artist may continue the attack against its bearer. The follow-through is somewhat less accurate, but otherwise it is resolved normally and as if the target had no parrying weapon in the first place.

GRUESOME WOOD KING REVELRY TECHNIQUE - Low Tier Supplemental Ability
Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2;
Type: Reflexive (After an attack is made or received)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: One action
Prerequisite Charms: Even Blade Form
A terrible light flares across the martial artist’s face as he surveys the battle. Then, as he slices—with hands or blade—straight through his enemies, the blood that splashes so liberally upon him seems to seep into his skin, leaving only a greenish shadow to mark its passage. The character inflicts lethal damage even if barehanded, and he regains a few of Essence if a succesful attack is made.

STUBBORN JOKUN DEFENSIVE POSTURE - Intermediate Tier Defensive Ability
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2;
Type: Reflexive (Before or After an attack is sustained)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: One action
Prerequisite Charms: Even Blade Form
The martial artist raises his gaze steadily, and his eyes glow softly. The blood seeping from his wounds shimmers a luminous white. Until the character takes his next action, he suffers no wound penalties, he adds his Martial Arts to his bashing soak and he adds half his Martial Arts (rounded up) to his lethal soak. The martial artist cannot prevent himself from dying by using Stubborn Jokun Defensive Posture, but he may use it to act normally while Incapacitated or Dying, and may reactivate it on each action to continue to do so.

DEEP CUT - Intermediate Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3;
Type: Supplemental (After an attack hits)
Keywords: Crippling, Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Fiery Garda Force Attack, Flashing Zephyr Speed Stance, Gruesome Wood King Revelry Technique, Stubborn Jokun Defensive Posture

Roaring, the martial artist rushes forward, her eyes ablaze with Essence. As long as she inflicts at least one health level of damage, her target is automatically crippled. It is entirely possible that the relevant limb may be completely removed. Even if Exalted, a target so injured has suffered a disabling wound (as described on p. 152 of Exalted), which will continue to inflict penalties until surgically or magically treated.

GRAVE CUT - High Tier Offensive Ability
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4;
Type: Reflexive (After an attack hits)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Deep Cut
As her strike bites deep, the martial artist shouts in joyous rage and calls upon all her strength to force it still deeper. Then she turns her hand or blade to one side, wrenching it out in a shower of gore. After her attack has been resolved, the character may spend five motes to double the total damage dealt.

Combo Powers

Arisen Phoenix Blinds the Impure:
Effortlessly Rising Flame( 1m ) and/or Threshold-Warding Stance ( 1m ) + Dragon-Graced Weapon ( 1m ) + Blinding Spark Distraction ( 2m ) + Hopping Firecracker Evasion ( 2m )

Cost: 6m, 1wp if only one of the first two is used. 7m, 1wp if both are used.

Character Equipment:

Red Jade Wavecleaver Daiklave named "Flame of Freedom"

Speed: 4
Accuracy: +3
Damage: +8L/3
Defense: +1
Rate: 2
Minimums: Str ••
Attune: 5
Cost: ••
Tags: O

Red Jade Reinforced Buff Jacket named "Cloak of Heshiesh"

Soak: +7L/10B
Hardness: 5L/5B
Mobility: -1
Fatigue: 0
Cost: ••
Attune: 3
Tags: N/A

Yellow Jade Hearthstone Amulet - Cathak Talon regains one additional mote of Essence per hour.

Gemstone of Last Resort equipped into his sword. This smooth, dull-brown stone is speckled with black. Its bearer can ignore all wound penalties during a combat. When the character reaches Incapacitated, this effect ends immediately, and he can still die. The bearer can choose to invoke or cancel the stone’s power at will. Wounds sustained while the bearer used this power take twice as long to heal, and the Essence cost of any Charms or other magics used to heal these wounds is doubled.

Bag of 50 Blood Berries - Blood berry vines grow in Wood-aspected demesnes throughout the outer edges of the Northeast. Since they root in tree branches high above the ground, however, they are seldom harvested outside the arboreal Haltan Republic. In the last months of Descending Fire, these vines produce clusters of tart, red berries, which people who know of their properties then pick and dry in the sun. These berries owe their name to their curative power as well as their oozing, crimson juice. A character who eats a dozen blood berries a day can halve the time required to heal one lethal wound that caused a great deal of blood loss when it was inflicted. (For instance, the berries help heal gashes but not broken bones.) Dried blood berries keep for a year, after which they lose their potency.

Character History: The story of Cathak Talon begins many years before the present day. Born to Cathak Jura and an un-exalted human male, Talon was expected to exalt just like his mother. And indeed, at the age of 16, Talon was imbued with the might of the Elemental Dragons. He was then sent to a sort of "basic training" program that his mother had herself gone through more than a century before. The training Talon would receive on the Blessed Isle was fairly standard for Dynasts, with an emphasis on his martial prowess and athletic ability. He quickly mastered the charms and skills taught to him in the program, and moved on to command training.

Here, Cathak Talon learned to give orders to troops and mercenaries, as well as strategize on the battlefield. In time, he was even given command over a small regiment of soldiers. Pleased with his progress, the powers that be passed him through the rest of the program rather quickly... allowing Talon to pursue his own interests. Wanting to become the best fighter possible, and to more easily overcome any "Anathema" he may come across, Cathak Talon began to study the Even Blade Style of Terrestrial Martial Arts under Lord Chaowin Registrophe. Over the next fourty years, he learned nearly everything there was to learn about Even Blade. The form, the techniques, the history, and even the deadliest attacks that the style had to offer. Now nearing his first full century of life, It was time for something... more.

However, before he could request a posting... some of his former rivals in the academy had used the last fourty years to rise in station rather than better themselves... and had Cathak Talon stationed far from the Blessed Isle, in the city of Lookshy. It was there he remained for over another century. After many years, he befriended a group of young men and women from the local guard force. But unbeknownst to him, these men and women would change his life. One day, a man by the name of Yuri did not report to his post. Yuri was one of the mortals that Talon had befriended since coming to Lookshy. And while the missing man wasn't worried about at first... three days passed without so much as a word from him or his family.

It was time to investigate. Luckily, being an Exalt among mortals had many advantages. When Talon said he was leaving to find someone, the guard forces not only didn't stop him... but sent him on his way with a token force of around one-hundred soldiers. This was in addition to the nearly fifty mortals that swore their service to the Dynast over the last ten years. They investigated any and all leads they could find, and learned that for some reason... Yuri had traveled to the city of Nexus. Consulting his map, Talon saw that Nexus was over one-thousand kilometers to the east. "Why would he go there?" thought Talon as he and his forces marched to the city.

The horrifying truth quickly came to light shortly after Cathak Talon arrived. Yuri was an Anathema... a Solar Exalt. Had he been one this whole time? Had he simply exalted and left Lookshy to avoid his friend? The Dyanst needed answers... and he would only find them with Yuri. Finding the Solar took only three days... and it seemed like he wasn't even TRYING to hide. Indeed, when Talon approached, Yuri greeted his old friend as if nothing had changed. ... he had been born to fight them, he had been taught they were evil, he had SEEN them kill his comrades! Then WHY could Talon not attack this Anathema like he had done with others in the past?

His mind torn, Talon instead chose to find out what had happened. As his friend, Yuri was more than happy to explain. While Nexus was known as a popular gateway to the realm of Yu-Shan, few knew why it was truly named as it was. The city was built over a far more mysterious relic... a gateway to a UNIVERSAL Nexus. His Solar soul had once used this nexus gate and traveled the cosmos, venturing to realms that no one in Creation had ever seen and bringing back several objects of immense power in an attempt to thwart the usurpation. However... there was a catch.

Yuri explained that this gate required something to function. It required the heart's-blood of a Solar to operate. And suddenly the truth hit Talon like a great-maul to the head. Yuri had been waiting for him. He wanted his friend to see that there was more to the universe than what he knew. Standing in stunned silence, Talon could not stop Yuri as he slammed a knife into his own chest and pierced his heart. It was then that a blaze of golden light erupted from the floor and enveloped both Talon AND the forces he had brought with him. ... when they awoke, they were in a place most unfamiliar... the Planar Nexus.

Nexus Of Worlds Multiverse

Praise Heimdall, you see the evil that is that game. TF2 isn't even 1/1000th as bad.