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Carodin

Name: Carodin; also "The Little Cricket"
Caste: Serenity
Nature: Martyr
Concept: Naïve but Passionate Idealist

ATTRIBUTES
Strength 6, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4
Charisma 5, Manipulation 1, Appearance 3
Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 1

ABILITIES
Athletics 5 (Feats Of Strength +3), Awareness 2, Brawl 2, Bureaucracy 2, Craft (First Age Artifacts) 2 (Repairs +2), Craft (Fate) 2 (Planning +1), Dodge 1, Linguistics 3 (Native: Realm, Old Realm, Skytongue, Riverspeak), Lore 2, Martial Arts 5 (Clinches +1, Touch Attacks +2), Medicine 2, Occult 2 (Astrology +2), Performance 2 (Prayer +3), Presence 2 (While Impassioned +2), Resistance 1, Socialise 5, Stealth 1, Thrown 1

BACKGROUNDS
Artifact 2, Allies (Bureau of Humanity) 2, Backing (Bronze Faction) 1, Celestial Manse 2, Connections (Gold Faction) 1, Connections (Immaculate Order) 2, Connections (The Realm) 2, Salary 2, Savant 2, Sifu 1

MERITS: Legendary Attribute (Strength)

FLAWS: Rival 3 (Axeria Shay, Elder Sidereal)

VIRTUES: Compassion 4, Conviction 2, Temperance 1, Valour 2

Willpower: 6
Essence: 2
Essence pool: 10/27 (23)
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -2, -2, -4, Incapacitated

CHARMS

• Athletics: Burn Life
• Craft: Elegant Patterns Of Fate; Excellent Implementation Of Objectives
• Linguistics: Favourable Inflection Procedure
• Martial Arts (Cerulean Lute Of Harmony Style): Bearing The Ewer, Peacock’s Feather Approach, Soul-Pillar Scribing Offensive, Lover’s Guise Mudra, Cerulean Lute Of Harmony Form, Ecstatic Whore’s Kiss
• Performance: Heart Brightening Presentation Style
• Socialise: Hot-Eyed Snake Whispering

COMBOS

• Impassioned Exhortation Technique (Heart Brightening Presentation Style & Hot-Eyed Snake Whispering)

COLLEGES: Ewer 1, Pillar 3, Shield 2, Treasure Trove 1

RESPLENDENT DESTINIES

• Cathak Nimerel: Ageing and wise 3rd coil, earth-aspected, itinerant Immaculate, trusted as political fixer and mediator; college of the treasure trove, duration 20 years, 1 effect points remaining
• Granite Leng: Gruff & hardened sergeant of the 10th legion; college of the shield, duration 1 season, 3 effect points remaining (RD expired fighting Swiftly Flowing Crimson)
  
• Captain Nobinaya: A grizzled sea dog with a loyalty as fierce as the ocean and the strength of will to match. Duration 1 season, 6 effect points.

Paradox: 1

EQUIPMENT

• Starmetal Bracers, “Praise” and “Elation” (+1 attack, defence & initiative; +3 dodge pool; commitment 4)
• Gem of Omens (level 2 water hearthstone; allows glimpses of the immediate future; Bo3C p114)
• Water elementally attuned tools in well-worn leather bundle (can change form for 1 mote)
• An ebony and orichalcum clockwork essence-box which when the right cogs are turned can record or play back up to ten minutes of speech but will create the sounds of various now extinct animals when others are moved
• A rose-quartz lens on a jewelled headband which sheds enough pale pink light to read or work by in dim conditions (requires 1 mote commitment)
• A filigreed white and black jade ball the size of a fist decorated with children riding dragons in oricalchum which responds to voice commands to roll or bounce about (requires 1 mote commitment)
• A trio of silver and ivory pens, each in the shape of a feather, each of which will mirror the movement of the others, allowing the user to perform writing in triplicate (requires 1 mote commitment)

COMBAT
Base initiative: 5 (Bracers +1) or 7 (+2 CLoH Form)
Soak: 4B/2L (Unarmoured) or 7B/5L (+3B/+3L CLoH Form)
Dodge: 9 (Bracers +3, Essence +2)
Minimum Damage: 2

ATTACKS
Touch: Spd 5, Acc 11, Dmg -, Def – or Spd 7, Acc 11, Dmg -, Def – (+2 speed & damage CLoH Form)
Punch: Spd 5, Acc 9, Dmg 6B, Def 9, Rate 5 or Spd 7, Acc 9, Dmg 8B, Def 7, Rate 5 (CLoH Form)
Kick: Spd 2, Acc 10, Dmg 9B, Def 6, Rate 3 or Spd 4, Acc 10, Dmg 11B, Def 8, Rate 3 (CLoH Form)
Clinch: Spd -3, Acc 13, Dmg 6B, Def -, Rate 1 or Spd -1, Acc 13, Dmg 8B, Def -, Rate 1 (CLoH Form)

MOVEMENT
Normal: 15 yds
Full: 25 yds

BONUS POINTS
Abilities: 4
Specialisations: 8
Merits: 3
Flaws: -3
Backgrounds: 2
Combos: 2

EXPERIENCE Current: 15
Total: 27
Spent On: Dexterity 1 > 2 > 3 (12 XP)

XP WISHLIST

• Dex 4 (So he can use a fighting chain. He really needs a clinch enhancer to be combat effective)
• The brawl charm that does aggravated vs. Infernal and Underworld targets
• Defense Of Shining Joy (and the rather rubbish prerequisite WP gaining charm). Then use Defense Of Shining Joy with Hot Eyed Snake Whispering and Heart Brightening Presentation Style for pure unadulterated reflexive dodgtasticality.
• Raise Performance (good for DoSJ and astrology)
• Some new colleges to support Rook and Hikaru's astrology
• Raise essence
• Get higher charms in Cerulean Lute of Harmony Style, especially the multipurpose healing charm and the multiple attack charm. Put them into combos.
• Lore charm which lowers astrology TN
• Efficient Secretary Technique
• Increase performance (benefites form charm and astrology)
• WSAV (with friends beside him?)

MISC Height: 7'3" Weight: 20 stone (280 lbs)

Combos

• Impassioned Exortation Technique

Unlike most combos, when Carodin activates the Impassioned Exortation Technique, the only visual effects are hardly noticable. Gleams of sapphire blue light momentarily manifest on and run along polished surfaces and all light sources darken imperceptably, except around Carodin who is instead bathed in faint blueish glow.

The real effect is in fact sensory as whatever emotion he evokes resonates physically on everyone within essence x 2 yards. If he speaks of love, everyone in the vicinity feels the tender caress of a loved one somewhere on their body and a swelling sense of powerful emotion in their hearts. If he uses the combo to intimidate, targets may feel the the cold tingle of terror or flinch from the sensation of a blow about to land. If used to reprimand they may feel the sting of being slapped or involuntarily blush with shame.

It is not uncommon for someone in the vicinity to shed a silent tear and for many others to completely forget what they were doing, instead standing lost in reflection on whatever emotion was most prevalent in Carodin's speech.

Biography

Cathak Carodin’s early life was one of contentment and love. His parents were very close and, as their only son, he was given more attention and care than most dynastic children. It was seen as an omen that Carodin was always stronger and larger than most children his age, and his parents never doubted that he would exalt as an earth aspect like his father. Yet when he failed to exalt, they loved him all the more, finding him a position in the Humble and Honest Assessors of the Imperial Tax where he could serve his House and the Realm while remaining close to his family home in the Imperial City.

As a tax collector Carodin spent several years either travelling among the peasants of the eastern Realm or socialising with the dynasts and patricians of the Imperial City. Despite not being an exalt, his natural likeability and his parents good-standing allowed him access to the better salons and parties, while a combination of his dedication and hard work and the favours owed to his parents ensured he rose quickly through the ranks of the Ministry.

Of course it was not to last.

Carodin had been rapidly falling out of favour with his superiors. With every tax rise the Ministry ordered him to milk from the peasantry he had protested with increasing vehemence. It had already been whispered to him that Ledaal Rebekadi, head of his department, was unpleased. He suspected that only his father’s standing protected him. However his conscience would not allow him to watch as human lives were crushed under the heel of the already prosperous Great Houses.

But the situation was worse than Carodin imagined. His father had been making himself increasingly unpopular by protecting his son; his loyalty was questioned and he had soon alienated himself from those in power.

His enemies chose a masked ball hosted to honour the Empresses coronation to assassinate Carodin’s father, Cathak Eleno.

On his way to the bathrooms, Carodin asked directions from a woman in a Swan domino. Smiling enigmatically, she pointed him in completely the wrong direction. It was this chance misdirection that caused him to pass by a room where the plotters were making their preparations.

As he passed, he noticed a young man he recognised as a dynast enter a sideroom in the clothing of a house slave. Intrigued, Carodin quietly approached. Assuming the young man was conducting an affair, he listened at the door hoping to pick up some gossip for his friends. Instead he heard the plotters’ plans in full. The man was to watch Carodin’s parents, sending a message to accomplices by Wind-Carried Words Technique when they left. The accomplices would then ensure the pair did not return to their manse alive.

In a flash, Carodin was filled with insight into the fate he had embroiled his parents in. A moment later he had come to the conclusion that if his conscience was endangering his beloved parents they would be safer without his presence. It was a simple matter to get a slave to pass a message that there was a disturbance at their manse to his parents. Carodin watched the dynast who spied upon them until he had passed on his warning then fell on him from the shadows, stunning him with a single blow and locking him securely in closet. He then raced to catch his parents. They were boarding their coach as he had another slave deliver a second message: the disturbance had been a false alarm – there was nothing to fear. At that moment, he arrived, and begging tiredness, asked if he could take the coach home instead. They looked puzzled by the tears in his eyes as he spoke his request but allowed him to go.

Carodin sat stoically within the coach as it rumbled along the cliff-top road to the family manse. He had made his choice and would die as his decision demanded.

And he would have done if he had not suddenly become aware that he was not alone in the cabin of the coach. Removing her domino, she for the coach driver to halt on a lonely spot. As she stepped from out Carodin followed, only then spotting a tree trunk laid across the road. Within seconds, assailants were swarming from the bushes towards him. Not one get close. In her fluid movements the woman was unstoppable. Within a few seconds more they all lay still. She then spoke a word to the coach driver who threw his horses into a gallop; far too fast to avoid the trunk, the wheels buckled, flipping the coach straight off the cliff edge.

In the eyes of his family, he died that night. In the eyes of Yu Shan, he had only just been born.

Detailed Backgrounds

Artifact 2: These bracers, named Praise and Elation, were a gift from Axeria Shay, shortly before she gave up on his tuition. In a last ditch attempt to give him gracefulness she provided him with these artifacts from her own possessions. Both are fine-filigreed starmetal which swirl from the wrist to elbow in a shimmering pattern of astrological houses.

Allies (Bureau of Humanity) 2: Carodin has made friends with Gri-Fel, god of the Imperial City, and with a number of his underlings, all of whom are gods of either city districts or outliying towns and villages under the sway of the greatest of cities. Carodin spends many evenings either visiting or entertaining these gods, gossiping about events in the city or the future of the Realm. Occassionally he will perform small favours for them when travelling their locales, provided he sees it as benefiting the Realm and not against the teachings of the Immaculate Order. The gods, in return, have helped Carodin gain a manse in Yu Shan, take care of his parents and provide him with information to aid his work.

Backing (Bronze Faction) 1: Too newly exalted to be properly taken into the bosom of the Bronze, Carodin has still proven himself loyal on a number of occasions. But his meddling with mortal affairs, personal friendships with partisan gods, his sometimes overwillingness to become involved and his contacts in the Gold alll cause those of the inner circle to view him with caution.

Celestial Manse 2: The Dome of A Thousand Shimmers. As simple, three-tiered pagoda, reached by crossing three elegant, ivory bridges over a carp-filled lake hides the true manse. Visitors who drop into a well at the centre of the pagoda are born slowly below the lake where many small domes of gold, glass and steel make up the manse proper. The manse gets it’s name from the swimming light filtered by the lake and domes. The central dome creates the hearthstone for this manse, a blue-grey Gem of Omens.

Connections (Gold Faction) 1: Carodin is already known as something of an idealist and has been approached on a number of occasions by members of the Gold. Although he is firmly against the return of the anathema, he never wholly refuses their advances, hoping in turn that he will persuade their envoys to return to his faction. In this way he has become well known to several ranking members of the Gold.

Connections (Immaculate Order) 2: Many of his early missions have made use of his primary Resplendent Destiny, an immaculate monk. In this capacity, Carodin has infiltrated a number of temples and gained the trust of several high ranking monks. They see him as a noble and apolitical being who they can trust for advice on any matter. If possible he tries to be impartial except where it clashes with the needs of his mission or would cause harm to the peasantry. His Resplendent Destiny is now known by many in the Order as superb political fixer, advisor and mediator and this reputation is allowing him access to more and more power within the order.

He also manipulates destiny to promote the work the Order does to maintain order and the well-being of the peasantry as well as his assigned mission.

He has also made contact with a number of Sidereals who act as brokers for the Immaculates’ power, most notably Broken Edge of Passion and Willow Tiger, and is trying to forge friendships with the group though he will have to prove himself more before they let him into their circle.

Connections (The Realm) 2: Still retaining much information from his mortal life, Carodin is particularly well placed to influence House Cathak and the Thousand Scales. He also understands the intricacies of dynastic social affairs and how to infiltrate it’s off-the-record political machinery. Both his parents are living and ranking members of the Thousand Scales and the 10th legion respectively and he can use his Resplendent Destiny’s role as their friend to make use of their connections, although he would never put them in danger by doing so.

Salary 2: Although his loyalty to the Bronze will eventually ensure a better wage, his youth necessitates him being on the lower end of Sidereal pay.

Sifu 1: Axeria Shay, also known as Nine Feathers Dancing, was the elder Sidereal initially entrusted to train Carodin. Unfortunately their natures clashed horribly. She is flighty, subtle, sharp-witted and as graceful as the ghost of a cat; to her, Carodin’s direct charm and methodological approach to everything was almost an insult to Venus in it's frustratingness. Added to that his utter lack of grace and tendency to break anything delicate left in his presence left her often too enraged to teach. Although inwardly hurt by her attitude, Carodin would always respond with politeness and patience, a fact which only drove her into further paroxysms of anger. Eventually she walked out on him, arranging instead for another, and much less experienced, tutor to take over. Meridian Edge, a soft-spoken chosen of serenity, proved a much better tutor despite hardly having more experience than Carodin himself. Under his patient tutelage they developed not only Carodin’s skills but friendship as well. To this day Axeria Shay speaks only to Carodin in clipped formalities and he knows she blames him for the disgrace failing to teach im has brought.

A Day In The Life Of Carodin

My major domo, Zephyr Through Rushes, wakes me two hours before dawn. The reports from the field gods of the Western Realm lie unfurled by my bed. I fell asleep reading them late last night – now I am tired but at least I have finished the bulk of my preparation.

It occurs that Zephyr should have rolled the reports or at least had one of the other servants see to it. Still, when I look at the cracks which line his woven-reed-like skin I bite back any comment. Since his village was destroyed by the demon, Yugi-Ha, he is forced to work for his quintessence. I can see it hurts his pride to serve another and cannot bring myself to hurt him further by criticizing his work. Perhaps today I shall find enough time to petition the spiders to bless his fields so the peasants return.

Speaking a word of command, I cause the dome around me to become transparent. Ripples of silver light filter through the strong-as-steel glass, illuminating the room I sleep in. Outside, a celestial carp glides gracefully past.

I spend an hour in meditation. Although the day ahead is full there is no use rushing. Plus I must prepare myself to make a good impression this evening.

Completing my report on the planned harvests takes another three hours. Perhaps I should not have volunteered for this extra duty but I doubt Wine-Coloured Flame would have taken the well-being of the peasantry into consideration. Plus it appear that Axeria has been casting doubt on my ability to fulfil my duties again, she is an elder of the Lute and her words carry weight. I have tried to approach her about this, but she is closed to me, seething because I am not the same man my previous incarnation was. She cannot or will not see that I have my own strengths. No, talking to her does no good; I shall just have to prove myself through hard work and dedication. Hopefully her hard feelings will fade in time.

Sending Zephyr to deliver the completed paperwork I prepare for the arrival of Meridian Edge. He is instructing me in the kata for the Form-Mending Chord. I must practice well before his lesson as I would hate to disappoint him; while driving away one sifu could be termed unfortunate, to lose two would just be careless. Also I shall never progress within the Cerulean Lute is I cannot master even a single style.

When Meridian Edge arrives I greet him on the bridges to my manse. He is in good spirits today and brings gossip from the Lute: apparently Liu Mae’s banquet was a complete failure. There was a mix up with the invitations and instead of those she intended to be invited, all the gods present were from the marshes in the South-West. Apparently there isn’t a scrap of incense left in the whole of Yu Shan and Palace in Emerald Cacophony still stinks of mud. We laugh together – as much for the folly of such gatherings as for the fact that Axeria Shay is well known to have spent three weeks preparing her costume for the feast.

We are still chuckling as we descend into the manse. Inside I am again thankful for my sifu’s patience. Despite my practice I have not the poise to perform the Chord. After three hours we lunch and he leaves me with a promise to return in two days time.

The Capital Convention’s pre-planning assembly meets later this afternoon. I have perhaps five hours until the meeting. Of course, it is not compulsory for me to attend but it is in these meetings that the important fates are planned. If I am not there I cannot argue for the needs of the many – it is not only around the lives of essence-wielders that the fate of Creation revolves.

In the meantime I take a barge to the gate which adjoins the Imperial City. As I approach I don the resplendent destiny of the ageing immaculate, Nimerel, appearing to shrink to almost half my height in the process. I chuckle at what this must look like – if anyone could remember for more than a few minutes what I looked like before I donned the destiny that is.

Githrael is on duty today. Stopping, I offer the lion a quick prayer and ask after his mansion. Last time we met he was very concerned about the unemployed gods who had moved into his neighbourhood. Now it appears the problem is solved – they may be incorruptible but the celestial lions sure look after their own. I am careful not to ask too many questions. Gimrael also thanks me for reading the stars to find clues as to the location of the Acheira, the poetry god who scandalised the city with his irreverent verses about Luna. Waving his thanks away I head for the portal. It never hurts to have a Celestial Lion owe you a favour.

Compared to Yu Shan the Imperial City is a study in squalor; but I still pause to absorb the familiar scents and sounds with pleasure. There are many of the One Hundred who never visit Creation any more. I cannot but wonder at their wisdom – how can they steer a ship of destiny of they are never on deck? I continue to ponder such things as I make my way towards dockyards.

I have discovered from the stars that a soldier will return for leave today bearing a broken artifact I intend to purchase. With luck it will have a usable essence-vane I can transfer to my weather plant.

As I watch the ship pull in, I take out the Gem of Omens and gaze at the seabirds which circle overhead. Time seems to slow as the patterns of their flight solidify – then, with a pounding rush, time speeds up as I am hit with foresight. I shake my head to clear the haze of premonition. How crude it seems compared to the art of astrology. But useful nonetheless.

I know the purchase will not be an essence-vane now, but I wait nonetheless as I am also meeting another at the docks. Moonlight Swell, the harbour god, has been watching over the new arrivals for me. Hopefully the rumours I heard last week will not be true.

As I make way back to the gate I ponder what Moonlight Swell had to tell. House Mnemon truly is bringing troops into the Imperial City disguised as guards. Only a few hundred so far, filtered in from garrisons across the River Province. However other sources have it that she has also been meeting in secret with a cabal of her previous pupils in her country manse to the north-west. Does she plan a coup? If so I must act – the Realm is weak enough without a civil war. I determine to write to Chejop Kejak or another of the inner circle with this news. If I act, and they already have plans in place I may cause more harm than good. On the other hand is there time to wait on the inner circle? Their hands are already so full.

I walk back through the poorer districts so as to have more time to ponder my discoveries. Only once am I lifted from my reverie, by a man and wife, both dressed in rags and shouting blame at one another for the misfortune life has brought. I have time, so I pause to petition the pattern spiders to bring their stars into the constellation of the pillar. Using the Favourable Inflection Procedure I calm their quarrel and offer them a few words of comfort. Then, as I urge them back into their house, I let their new destiny drop onto their weary shoulders. If only I could help them all this way but I am only one man and Creation is awash with such suffering.

At the assembly I speak little, still absorbed as I am by my thoughts. As it is, the agendas of Starlight Melody and Ovin-Bareth clash and so little is achieved as they wrangle over the details of the destiny of a Lookshy Dragonlord they both wish to guide.

Having decided that there can be no delay in passing on my news, I manage to collar Ascending Cloud as he leaves the meeting. He appears completely unsurprised when I tell him of Mnemon’s movements. Does he know already or just not wish to appear unknowledgable before a younger chosen, I wonder? However, before I can make any suggestions about the situation, he informs me, without passing on any details, that everything is in hand and not to interfere. At least I have done my duty now. I had hoped to ask him to talk to Willow Tiger about my being assigned to the Working Committee on Rural Immaculate Affairs but he is called away by his secretary. Perhaps I will have a chance this evening.

Outside I discover disaster. Zephyr Through Rushes waits nervously. It is a moment before I can make him tell me what has made him come this far from the manse but when he does my heart sinks. As he delivered my report this morning he met with misfortune – the entire report was whipped from his hand by a freak gust and scattered across the canals, entirely ruined. I send him away with a glare and a promise that we will speak later.

As I stand on the steps of the department it takes me a moment to realise what is really so wrong about the situation: How can a wind-aspected god have been the subject of freak winds? Could he be corrupt or… could he have been cursed?

I hurry to the loom now to observe the weave. And yes, there has been interference with my servant’s day, the natural flow of his destiny shifting suddenly in response to astrological interference. Could Axeria be behind this? Is she really so petty?

I had been invited to the Capitol Ball this evening - all the movers and shakers of the Bronze will be together there for the first time in months. It has taken me three favours from various gods to acquire an invitation for Gri-Fel, God of the Imperial City, so I could be seen with him before the inner circle and they would realise that I am an asset not a liability. Now I must spend my evening rewriting a report on the effects of harvest figures in the Western Realm… and I would not be surprised if Axeria Shay is there, and happy to ensure Gri-Fel is not lonely.

Still, at least I will have time to work on the Form-Mending Chord.

Other Notes

Modifications made to MartialArts/CeruleanLuteofHarmonyStyle1:

• Ecstatic Whore's Kiss now does no damage, but the cost and cumulative effect are the same.
• The Form charm no longer gives you the Soul-Pillar Scribing extra attacks. The bonus to damage applies to all unarmed martial arts attacks made while the Form is active, Charm-enhanced or not, and including signature weapons.