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Sowing Order, Reaping Chaos

Cost: 30 motes, 10 gossamer, 6 experience points 
Duration: Five days 
Type: Simple 
Minimum Ring: 5
Minimum Heart: 4
Minimum Essence: 5 
Prerequisites: Esctatic Reproduction Style 

The raksha are quite capable of creating more of their own, given time and talent. There is, however, a method to bring about new raksha that uses a most unusual set of materials; the dissolved Essence of a willing Creation-born. Only a scant few Nobles know this technique, and guard it jealously, for the raksha forged from this Charm are often dangerous customers... and sometimes are the unknowing thralls of their creator.

This Charm only functions in the Middlemarches and beyond, and in order for this charm to even be effective, the mortal intending to take the journey from shaped to unshaped must be fully aware of what is going to happen; this is a core part of the Charm's power, as the raksha must swear an oath to see the mortal through safely to the end of their rebirth, shaping their broken spirit into its new form with their own Essence. Once the oath has been made, the mortal and raksha's players pay half the essence and experience cost of the Charm, while the raksha relinquishes the gossamer. Once the cost is paid, the raksha and mortal embrace, the raksha symbolically ushering the mortal into the world of the Wyld with a few words and a kiss. At the moment that the raksha's lips touch the mortal their very being, down to their hun and po, dissolve into the purest of Essence as the raksha's pattern effectively tears the mortal's own Essence pattern apart, and promptly spreads itself throughout the immediate area like seeds cast to fertile soil. That done, the raksha is thus honorbound to both nurture the wayward essence and guard the area for a full five days. Each day, one of the former mortal's new Graces forms; first is always the Heart, followed by their primary Grace or Graces, in the order of their eventual Caste. The remaining Graces form in whatever order, and at the end of the fifth day, the newborn raksha rises from the ground and lets forth a cry not unlike the wailing of a newborn child. Another embrace seals the Charm's effects.

In mechanical terms, the former mortal or Exalt's player may completely recreate their character as a Raksha, using whatever generation rules and limits their ST deems appropriate, and retaining all previously-earned experience points, that they may respend instantly as they see fit. This new raksha, however, must purchase the Past Lives merit in order to remember anything of their previous existance. One point grants brief flashes and urges, while five imparts near-total memory... for better, or for worse, as the newborn raksha may be a completely different person emotionally and mentally. They may not even be their previous gender... or any gender.

This charm works on Heoric Mortals (who arise as Heroic Commoners whose Hearts invariably end up in their new master's hands) or as Nobles, who automatically hold their Graces if their Essence was higher than or equal to the raksha's before the change. If that is not the case, both must make a contesting Willpower check before the Creation-born sublimates, with the Creation-born gaining a bonus die if they are Terrestrial Exalted, two dice if they are Celestial, Abyssal, Alchemical or Infernal, and three dice if they are Solar. Only if the raksha rolls more successes do they hold the new raksha's Heart.

For Celestial and Abyssal Exalted, this Charm does irreparable damage to their Exalted essences, which... mostly escape before they are dissolved. They are nonetheless damaged badly, beyond even Lytek's repair capabilities, (although Autochthon *might* be able to repair them...) and any future reincarnations will lose a fraction of the essence's former power and memories. Alchemical Exalted are utterly obliterated; even their soulgem shatters, and every piece of Magical Material that was in their body sublimates along with their frame.

Terrestrial Exalted have their Essences shattered completely, and that elemental force joins the rest of their being. Unlike the other Exalted, this added power grants them an unusual ability; when they assume their new form, they are born with an innate version of Assumption of Elemental Shape using the same element as their previous Aspect and requiring only 5 motes and 0 gossamer to activate.

It cannot be stated enough that this is the sort of Charm that holds some serious weight, and was mainly built for plot-device purposes.

Comments

I love the idea for this charm, and I'm definately adding it to my collection! Things to consider:

• Can Heroic mortals have an essence of 5 or above? If not, I'd change the text about Heroics becoming Nobles. Why not give them a contested Essence roll vs the Raksha? Or maybe you'd just let Heroics with Essence 2 or 3 become Nobles?
• I'd also drop the part about damaging Celestial essences that badly. It just doesn't feel right to me that a Raksha should damage them even beyond Lytek's capabilities, and it doesn't seem to add any interesting plot element I can see.
• How about making it possible for Alchemicals to seperate their soulgem from their body to become a Raksha? Of course this would still undo their frame, but I think it would be an interesting twist, to go from a servant of order to a servant of chaos.
• I like what happens to Dragon-Blooded :) How about similiar effects for Celestials?

-- DustAngel

Thanks! Now, to answer!

One: Heroic Mortals can, at best, gain a permanent Essence of 3. Anything past that makes them into a little god. And the reasoning for making Heroics start as H-Commons is that, well, they're lively souls, but they're not too dazzling an array of spiritual materials to work with. They could eventually work up the XP ladder, open up a second Grace and become Nobles, but I wanted them to not get that huge of a jump in power.

Two: Hrm. Well, you do have a bit of a point. Perhaps I'll change it to taint the Essence with a fair touch of the Wyld instead of doing serious damage to it. Thanks for the suggestion!

Three: Yeah, mechanically it's not too different than what's in the charm now, but that is a neat thematic touch.

Four: I decided that for a couple of reasons, and probably won't give Celestials any favors. DB essences are just weaker, and aren't cyclical like Celestials... and I have a soft spot for the Blooded. =P

Anyway, thanks for the feedback! I'll do some thinking! --Raksha Boy