View source for LordLeafar/HarmonyUndertheObsidianSunStyle

== Harmony Under the Obsidian Sun Style ==

The Sun brings light and warmth to all of Creation, most living beings feel safe in under its golden light, fearing what lies hidden in the shadows of the world, and fearing even more the unknown horrors that might lie during its absence, as cold and death rule the night, creatures of darkness reigning under the supremacy of the Obsidian Soul, the lifeless and dead shadow of the Sun, and the complete absence of Light.

This Sidereal Martial Arts was created by a Sidereal Exalted named Emerald Silk, with the help of one Solar of the Night Caste called Shadow Sky, both were lovers in the 1st Age, and she created this Style specifically for him, in the hopes of help him with his understanding of purpose as a Solar, and what It meant to be a member of the Night Caste.

Practitioners of this Style fear no darkness, some of them even feel at home with it, and prefer little to no light in their homes. The understanding of this Style brings its practitioners dangerously close towards being Creatures of Darkness, sometimes even drawing on some of their powers, as such, each Master of this Style must be really careful who she teaches this Art to, as it might bring its student on a path of self-destruction.

Weapons and Armor: For purposes of this Style, attacks with fighting chains, and their artifact equivalents are considered unarmed martial arts attacks, as they symbolize the coiling tendrils of darkness.
Characters cannot use this style while wearing armor.

Special Notes: Due to the nature of its Celestial Shard and a spiritual affinity with this Style, Solar Exalts of the Night Caste, all Lunar Castes, along with all Abyssals but the Day Caste, pay 2 experience point less for each charm of this Style they learn. Sidereals find themselves exempt of this discount as they already posses a greater affinity to the intricacies of all Sidereal Martial Arts.

<b>The Shadowed Student’s Sutra:</b> <i>Once there was a Maiden…</i>

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<b><i>Silent Steps Under the Night</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> 5m
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 5, Essence 4
:<b>Type:</b> Reflexive
:<b>Keywords:</b> Combo-Ok, Obvious
:<b>Duration:</b> Martial Arts x2 Actions
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> None

<i>…who walked at nights,</i>

The Exalt brings out the darkness of the night from within his own soul, light wanes and distorts to create multiple shadows that grow in shape and size, sounds seem to mute and the vision darkens in the surrounding area.

An area of (Essence x 3) yards around the Exalt is affected by this charm, all awareness rolls are affected by an external penalty equal to the Exalt’s Martial Arts score, all attacks made against the Exalt are affected by this penalty as well. In addition, all attempts at re-establishing surprise and stealth rolls have a number of automatic successes equal to the user’s permanent Essence, as the shadows dance to obscure the character and his movements make no noise like the night’s breeze. The Exalt is immune to the perception penalty of his own charm.

<b><i>Surprise Beneath the Darkness</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> 8m
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 5, Essence 4
:<b>Type:</b> Reflexive
:<b>Keywords:</b> Combo-Ok
:<b>Duration:</b> Martial Arts in Actions
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> None

<i>she would hide and wait</i>

The absence of light is for most the best time to strike; an enemy is at its weakest when he fears what he cannot see during the night. Using this knowledge, the Exalt attacks at the worst possible times for his target and strikes in the most vulnerable places.

Each time he makes a Martial Arts attack that is not expected, either by stealth or magical effects, ignore all armor soak and hardness for that attack and double the base damage of it. A successful use of Surprise Anticipation Method or any similar charm negates the surprise of the attack, rendering the effects useless.

<b><i>Devoid of all Light</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> 10m
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 5, Essence 4
:<b>Type:</b> Simple
:<b>Keywords:</b> Combo-Ok, Obvious
:<b>Duration:</b> Martial Arts x 2 Actions
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> None

<i>unobserved by mortal eyes,</i>

Covering his body in a mantle of lightless essence, the Exalt effectively disappears from Creation; light can show no trace of him, nor evidence of his passing.

The Exalt who uses this charm dematerializes; he’s unable to affect the material world in the same way the material world cant affect him without the use of charms or effects that specifically allow him to do so. At the end of this charm, if the exalt reflexively spends 10 motes he can reactivate the charm without counting as a charm use. The Exalt can end this charm at any time he wishes.

<b><i>Harboring the Mind’s Horror</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> 10m, 1willpower
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 5, Essence 4
:<b>Type:</b> Simple
:<b>Keywords:</b> Combo-Basic, Illusion, Compulsion
:<b>Duration:</b> One Scene
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> Silent Steps among the Night, Surprise beneath the Darkness, Devoid of all Light

<i>she faced her nightmares</i>

Nobody knows what lies in the corners of the world where darkness gathers, yet those who live under the light fear the creatures those shadows might harbor, their deepest horrors coming to life in the dark corners of their minds.

The Exalt who uses this charm becomes the embodiment of those shadows and anyone who dares to look at them sees their deepest fears staring back. Anyone in an area around the Exalt equal to his permanent Essence x 10 yards is target of this charm. At the moment this charm is activated, and on each subsequent action they take under the Exalt’s presence, all targets must make a Valor roll at a difficulty of the Martial Artist’s Essence, on a success the character can act normally but all of his actions suffer an internal penalty equal to the Martial Artist’s Essence, this penalty remains the same during the rest of the scene and does not stack with further rolls during the fight. On a failure, the character loses his action due to sheer terror. On a botch, the character can’t act for the rest of the scene and loses a number of temporary willpower points equal to the Martial Artist’s Essence. Such character gets the opportunity to re-roll his Valor once 5 ticks have passed as long as he spends 1 temporary willpower point to do so.

<b><i>Forsaken Among Shadows</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> 10m, 1 willpower
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
:<b>Type:</b> Supplemental
:<b>Keywords:</b> Combo-Basic, Touch, Illusion
:<b>Duration:</b> One Scene
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> Harboring the Mind’s Horror

<i>in the cold solitude of the dark,</i>

The touch of the Martial Artist is cold and lifeless; it engulfs its prey in the lonely shadows of world that is ruled by the Obsidian Sun, where it must endure a life of loneliness among its nightmares.

The Martial Artist makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack against the Dodge MDV of its target. On a successful attack the target finds himself trapped in an illusion, he is among the most absolute darkness, no light warms his body and his friends and allies become living shadows, he can interact normally with the world but cant recognize friend from foe. He can’t hear any sound and no one but the Martial Artist can hear his voice, the only being that remains normal to its perception is the Martial Artist himself, no one else. During the next scene, the target loses one willpower at a rate of 1 dot per 6 ticks, once he runs out of willpower he starts losing essence at a rate of 2 motes per tick, if the target loses all of his essence while the charm effects remain he loses consciousness for a number of minutes equal to the Martial Artist’s Essence score. Extras die automatically at the end of this charm, while heroic mortals might gain an appropriate derangement subject to the Story Teller’s approval. The Essence of the charm remains committed during the full duration, the Exalt can end this charm at any point earlier if he wishes so. If the Exalt who used this charm dies or falls unconscious before the charm duration, it ends immediately.

<b><i>Harmony Under the Obsidian Sun Form</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> 15m
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
:<b>Type:</b> Simple
:<b>Keywords:</b> Form, Obvious
:<b>Duration:</b> One Scene
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> One complete Celestial Martial Art, Forsaken Among Shadows

<i>and so she would smile.</i>

Taking his place as a creature of the night, the Exalt activates this charm and gains the effects of Silent Steps Among the Night, Surprise Beneath the Darkness and Harboring the Mind’s Horror for the rest of the scene.

Furthermore, the Exalt can make one free use of Devoid of All Light and Forsaken Among Shadows per action he takes; this does not count as his Charm’s use for the turn. As an added bonus, this Form charm can coexist with any other Form Styles that specifically deal with themes of Darkness, Shadow, Nightmares, etc, as the individual aspects of the cold world without light all come under harmony beneath the Obsidian Sun. The Martial Artist can use a number of additional Forms equal to half his permanent essence (rounded down) in this manner, which he must activate as usual.

Harmony Under the Obsidian Sun Form has a downside, each time the Exalt uses this charm, he must roll his Essence score, if he botches he’s considered a Creature of Darkness for the rest of the Scene, regardless of his Motivation or moral nature. Furthermore all charms used by the Exalt have a 1 mote surcharge during daylight while the Form is active. This effect is overridden once the Exalt masters the whole Style.

<b><i>Dance of the Obscure Soul</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> 8m, 1 willpower
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
:<b>Type:</b> Simple
:<b>Keywords:</b> Combo-Basic, Obvious
:<b>Duration:</b> One Scene
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> Harmony Under the Obsidian Sun Form

<b>The Shadowed Elder’s Sutra:</b> <i>She talked to the shadows</i>

Light casts away darkness leaving only one’s shadow, but it is only the practitioners of the Obsidian Sun who can use their own shadows, voids absent of light, to their command and will.

With a simple gesture, the Exalt’s shadow grows and comes to life, a dark counterpart of the Martial Artist’s soul. For the duration of the charm, the Exalt gains one extra independent action through her shadow. Consider the user to be in two different places simultaneously. It can attack, move, use charms and move at the will of his owner but cannot speak. What the Shadow sees and hears his owner knows too. Yet it can only be affected by charms or magic with the Holy Keyword, or that specifically targets Creatures of Darkness. Any damage done in this matter appears on the Exalt as well, and any damage done to the Exalt appears on the Shadow being. Furthermore, charms used by the Exalt or by the Shadow affect the other equally. (For example: Onyx the Night Caste invokes his shadow, on his next action he invokes the Style Form while his Shadow invokes Flow Like Blood, now Onyx and his Shadow both gain the benefits of both charms. In a different way, Onyx is under the effects of Ebon Shadow Form, if he were to invoke Dance of the Obscure Soul during his next action, his Shadow would be under the effects of Ebon Shadow Form as well.) As an added benefit, all charms from this Style used by the Shadow cost half the usual cost in motes. The Shadow cannot benefit from any Sutra discount.

If the Exalt attacks the same target of his Shadow, the victim suffers a Coordinated Attack penalty. The Shadow always acts on the same tick as the Exalt. The Shadow can never use Dance of the Obscure Soul, as it lacks a shadow of his own to summon, nor can it use Nightmare Assumption Methodology as it lacks a soul of its own.

<b><i>Shadows Coil Around the Heart</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> -
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 5, Essence 6
:<b>Type:</b> Permanent
:<b>Keywords:</b> None
:<b>Duration:</b> Indefinite
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> Dance of the Obscure Soul

<i>and played with all of them,</i>

For those who wield the cold darkness of the world, terrible power lies in their bodies, spreading its cold touch at will to cover Creation and its inhabitants in the darkness of the Obsidian Sun.

Each time the character makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack; dark tendrils of pure cold darkness surround his hands and weapons and penetrate the deepest of their targets souls. At the moment of an attack, the Exalt reflexively spends 5m and makes his damage aggravated against all beings for the duration of this attack.

<b><i>Soul Crushing Grasp</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> 20m, 1 willpower, 1 health level
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
:<b>Type:</b> Simple
:<b>Keywords:</b> Obvious, Touch, Combo-Ok
:<b>Duration:</b> Instant
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> Harmony Under the Obsidian Sun Form

<i>dark claws would caress her skin</i>

Armed with the cold Essence of the deepest shadows of the world, the Exalt rivals the very same power found in the Void to an extent. Smothering a soul until it devours is life force from the very inside, and fueling the Exalt’s hunger.

The Martial Artist makes a single Dexterity + Martial Arts roll against his target with a number of Essence in bonus successes. This attack deals no damage, if it connects roll Essence + Martial Arts against the target’s Stamina + Integrity. If the target wins, he suffers the Martial Artist’s Essence in unsoakable Aggravated levels of damage. If he ties or loses, he falls immediately dead and the Martial Artist recovers all spent motes. If the target botches, the Martial Artist also heals any physical damage done to him.

<b><i>Night Lasts an Eternity</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> -
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 6, Essence 6
:<b>Type:</b> Permanent
:<b>Keywords:</b> None
:<b>Duration:</b> Permanent
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> Soul Crushing Grasp

<i>…and embrace it as a child</i>

Under the mantle of the Obsidian Sun the practitioners of this Style are truly at peace, it’s cold caress providing them strength and energy. From dusk to dawn and in rooms of total darkness, all charm costs from this style are reduced by a number of motes equal to the Martial Artist’s permanent Essence to a minimum of 1 mote. Any Exalt benefiting from Sutras discounts only applies the biggest discount bonus, not both.

<b><i>Nightmare Assumption Methodology</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> 20m, 1 willpower
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 6, Essence 6
:<b>Type:</b> Simple
:<b>Keywords:</b> Obvious
:<b>Duration:</b> Indefinite
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> Shadows Coil Around the Heart, Night Lasts an Eternity

<i>…for she enjoyed the night’s touch,</i>

Consuming all light around him and wrapping himself in the shadows of his surroundings, the Martial Artist becomes the embodiment of the darkest portion of his soul, a nightmare from the cold world without light.

The Exalt activates this charm and gains the following benefits:
- Adds a number of attribute dots equal to half his permanent Essence to each physical attribute. This increased bonus adds to the normal limits of dice-adder caps.
- His Martial Arts attacks gain +Essence to Accuracy, Damage, Defense and Rate.
- He can now soak Lethal damage with full stamina, and adds a number equal to his permanent Essence + Martial Arts to all his soak values, including Aggravated soak. He also gains a Hardness value equal to his Essence.
- Any attack that hits the Exalt (it does not need to inflict damage) drains the attacker Essence in motes.
- The Exalt is now considered to be out of Fate, as well as a Creature of Darkness.

<b><i>Light and Shadow’s Eternal Dance</i></b>
:<b>Cost:</b> 15m, 1 wp
:<b>Minimums:</b> Martial Arts 6, Essence 6
:<b>Type:</b> Reflexive
:<b>Keywords:</b> Combo-Ok, Holy
:<b>Duration:</b> 1 day
:<b>Prerequisites:</b> Nightmare Assumption Methodology

<i>…but she enjoyed even more the dawn’s warm light.</i>

The Exalt who knows this charm embodies the balance between two worlds, the world under the Obsidian Sun and the one ruled by the Unconquered Sun, he understands that one needs the other to exist, light is truly appreciated in the presence of darkness, and shadows cannot rise in the absence of light, each concept dancing around the other in a harmonious balance, and with the knowledge gained from the Darkness, the Exalt strengthens his soul against it.

Any effect from any charm or magic that makes or transforms the Exalt into a Creature of Darkness is completely negated; this is considered a perfect defense and cannot be ignored in any way. This includes the spells and magic used to corrupt Celestial Shards into Infernal or Abyssal Exalted.

Any action or effect made by a Creature of Darkness against the Exalt has an increased difficulty of the Exalt’s permanent Essence; this difficulty cannot be negated in any way. All attempts at mental influence (both natural and unnatural) against the Exalt made by Creatures of Darkness give the Exalt a bonus to his MDV equal to his Essence.

The Exalt can also feel the presence in an area of Essence x 100 yards of any and all kinds of Creatures of Darkness, as well as agents of the Unconquered Sun, Celestial Lions, and beings of Holy origin. This does not require a roll, the Exalt intuitively knows the location of such beings, negating any chance of them hiding from his senses.

Furthermore, the Exalt now can regain Essence in the Underworld as he does in Creation.

As a minor bonus, once the Exalt learns this charm he no longer becomes a Creature of Darkness by effects from this very same Style. There’s no need to activate this charm to gain the effects.

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