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Alabaster Paladin Style

In the region of the Hundred Kingdoms, there lay a small, unremarkable nation known as Noc Tupel. This land was considered heathen and barbarian by the Scarlet Empress and her Dynasty. The people of Noc Tupel were unabashedly heretical, often openly scorning the Immaculate Philosophy. However, the knightly order that provided peace and security were matched only by Dragon-Blooded warriors, and the knights of Noc Tupel had long ago earned the grudging respect of the imperial legions.

Some years ago, however, Noc Tupel was caught between the Juggernaut and the armies of Eye and Seven Despairs. The knights of Noc Tupel rallied to the defense of their land, and paid the ultimate price for their valor. Even the Dragon-Blooded defenders that had come to stay there were defeated, and the entire land was drawn out of human memory and into the Underworld. Only one survivor from Noc Tupel escaped the carnage with his life--and even that was only by cursed happenstance and inauspicious misfortune.

The last knight of Noc Tupel was offered a chance at vengeance by The Lover Clad in Rainment of Tears as his life pumped onto the battlefield. Without hesitation, he accepted, though he did not realize that doing so would curse him with the Abyssal Exaltation. Now known as The Unrequited Lord of Broken Hearts, the last knight of Noc Tupel swore that he would find a way to avenge his people and free himself from the Lover. After a long and bitter battle, the Broken Lord became the first Abyssal to be redeemed in the eyes of the Unconquered Sun.

Now known as Jiresh, the name the Sun gave his new knight, the so-called Knight of the Broken Mask has begun using his newfound Solar prowess to develop a new martial arts style. Sampling philosophies and ideas from his Circlemates, Jiresh fused these concepts with his own beliefs of knightly virtue. The result was Alabaster Paladin style martial arts. By extolling the virtues of the Alabaster Paladin, the martial artist is able to use the focus of his Virtues to enhance his attacks and defenses.

Alabaster Paladin style is a Celestial-type martial art. It permits the use of armor and swords, including daiklaves, for the sword is a reflection of the knight's soul. Many Charms derived from Cleansing Blade Technique have Virtue prerequisites as well, which are listed in the Charm's description.

Cleansing Blade Technique
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 1, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

By washing his sword in the blood of the dishonorable, the Alabaster Paladin cleanses himeslf and dedicates himself to his duty. Thus, he seeks to strike first, and strike swiftly, with uncompromising valor and integrity. When this Charm is activated, the character adds his highest Virtue as dice to his Join Battle action. This is a dice bonus granted by Charms.

Courage Favors The Sword
Cost: 1m per die; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1, Valor 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Cleansing Blade Technique

A knight's sword is given strength by his unshakeable courage. By activating this Charm, the character may purchase additional dice for a single Martial Arts or Melee attack, spending 1 mote per extra die, up to his Valor score. These bonus dice do not count towards the character's normal dice limit from Charms. This Charm is explicitly permitted to be Comboed with Melee Charms.

Alabaster Heart Meditation
Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1, Temperance 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Cleansing Blade Technique

A knight never lets his weapon fly rashly, nor does he allow his feelings to overwhelm his reason. By assuming a defensive stance, the Alabaster Paladin is able to use his temperate nature to fortify his blade's ability to protect himself. When using a sword as a Martial Arts weapon, the character may spend 2 motes to add his Temperance to his Parry DV. This Charm is only effective while the character holds a Guard action. The moment he takes any action besides Guard, the Charm's effects end.

Serf-Warding Stance
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1, Compassion 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Cleansing Blade Technique

A knight's strength protects the weak, and his great compassion places the welfare of his charges above his own. When this Charm is activated, the character may use his Parry DV against any attack aimed at any one of his companions, who must be within his Martial Arts in yards. If the attack beats his DV, the character suffers the attack as though he were its original target.

Unyielding Knight Prana
Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1, Conviction 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Cleansing Blade Style

A knight's resolve is unshakeable, for his conviction is second to none, allowing him to remain steadfast in the face of greatest adversity. When this Charm is activated, the character adds his Conviction to his lethal and bashing soaks against a single attack. This soak even applies to aggravated damage. This soak bonus is considered natural soak, not an armor soak, and is not bypassed by piercing damage.

Alabaster Paladin Form
Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5)
Keywords: Form-type
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Courage Favors the Sword, Alabaster Heart Meditation, Serf-Warding Stance, Unyielding Knight Prana

The character has now come to exemplify the virtues of the Alabaster Paladin, and his great Virtues are now his sword and shield. While this Charm is active, the character adds his Valor to his weapon damage and his Temperance to his bashing and lethal soak. Furthermore, he soaks lethal damage with his full Stamina. Any time the character lands a successful Martial Arts attack, he may roll his Conviction. Success restores a point of Willpower. Lastly, reduce the character's wound penalties by his Compassion.

Characters may not have more than one Form-type Charm active at a time.

Unbounded Wrath of the Righteous
Cost: 5m, 1w; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3, Valor 5; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Holy, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Alabaster Paladin Form

A knight's courage is the companion of his sword. By pouring his righteous wrath into his sword-arm, the knight's blade strikes truer. When the Charm is activated, add the character's Valor to his weapon's damage for the remainder of the turn. This Charm makes the attack's damage Holy, doing aggravatage damage against creatures of darkness.

(Virtue)-Exemplifying Attitude
Cost: 4m per dot; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 6)
Keywords: None
Duration: Indefinate
Prerequisite Charms: Alabaster Paladin Form

Earlier methods of Alabaster Paladin Style drew upon the knight's virtue to augment his martial prowess. Now, he has learned how to focus martial discipline to increase the depths of his Virtues. This is a series of four Charms, one for each Virtue. When this Charm is activated, the character may add up to his Martial Arts score to the corresponding Virtue by spending 4 motes per dot. The Charm remains active as long as the motes remain committed. Only one (Virtue)-Exemplifying Attitude may be active at any time, and activating another (Virtue)-Exemplifying Attitude cancels the first.

While under the effects of this Charm, the character cannot choose to deny that Virtue. He must always act within the auspices of the Virtue. Acting against the Virtue causes the Charm to immediately end. The character may choose to activate this Charm reflexively by spending a Willpower point in addition to the motes.

Characters with Conviction-Exemplifying Attitude may not use this Charm during their daily Conviction rolls to regain Willpower. This also applies to characters who somehow regain Willpower through another Virtue, such as characters with the Merit: True Paragon.

Last Knight Standing
Cost: 8m, 1hl; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3, Conviction 5; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Conviction-Exemplifying Method, Valor-Exemplifying Method

The Alabaster Paladin will always be the last knight to fall on the battlefield. No matter how grievous his wounds, he will continue to fight on, for his honor and depth of conviction give him strength beyond all endurance. Whenever the character suffers a single source of damage that would reduce him to Incapacitated or below, he may activate this Charm to completely negate that one source of damage. The character may choose to activate the Charm before or after damage is rolled. This Charm cannot be activated more times in one scene than the character's Martial Arts score. This Charm has one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability.

Unimpeachable Honor Defense
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3, Compassion 5; Type: Supplemental (Speed 6)
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Social
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Compassion-Exemplifying Method, Temperance-Exemplifying Method

A knight's honor is beyond reproach, and his blade will only break when he does. By ensconsing himself firmly within his own sense of righteous duty, the character is able to fortify his defenses to nearly impervious levels. When this Charm is activated, the character ignores the onslaught and multiple opponent penalties to his Parry DV. Additionally, his weapon becomes as impervious as the five magical materials if it is not so already.

Alternatively, this Charm can be used in social combat. The character's peerless honor and incomparable virtue makes him proof against the barbs and jibes of his opponents. In social combat, this Charm has a Speed of 6 long ticks, and adds the Exalt's Martial Arts score to his Parry MDV.

Blade Tempering Meditation
Cost: -; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4, Temperance 5; Type: Permenant
Keywords: Stackable
Duration: Permenant
Prerequisite Charms: Last Knight Standing, Unimpeachable Honor Defense

The master of Alabaster Paladin martial arts has become such a paragon of virtue that he is able to somewhat mitigate the force of the Great Curse. Like a well-tempered blade, the knight has become unbreakable in his virtue. The character may purchase this Charm a number of times equal to his Martial Arts score. With each purchase, he gains an additional Limit Break box. The Alabaster Paladin has learned to stave off the inevitable breakdown of virtuous behavior. Additionally, the character may avoid gaining Limit from resisting unnatural mental influence by spending an extra point of Willpower in addition to any other costs.

Commentary?

While I'm not 100% on the very fine details of the new ruleset, some of the Charms look very powerful for their requirements - the four Virtue-based pre-Form Charms seem really good for Essence 1 effects, and Unbound Wrath of the Righteous and Last Knight Standing look to me to be pretty close to similar effects outside of MA with not much in the way of additional effects or restrictions that are the calling-card of Martial Arts. This is from someone still with an Ex1 perception, though, so take that as you will. I like the Virtue-based stuff, though - very fitting, and having all four Virtues at 5 is a good start to be able to mess with your Limit just a little bit, in my eyes. - DeadManSeven