Latest revision as of 01:17, 6 April 2010

Green Sun Style

by AliasiSudonomo

This martial arts style dates from shortly after the Primordial War, as the Sidereal Exalted took on the pursuit of escapees from Malfeas as one of their duties. While the original style was markedly different from what is described below, the handful of Sidereals who possess this style in the Second Age learned the below set of charms, although they may have invented others. Each charm draws power by emulating a specific demon or Yozi, which gives the style great potency against all things infernal, reinforcing the oath of imprisonment the Yozis swore long ago. Even so, the charms honor their subject after a fashion, and practicioners of this style are closely watched for signs of corruption.

Green Sun Style has no signature weapons, although normal martial arts weapons may be freely used, and most of the charms are compatible with armor.

The Four Winds of Adorjan

The four daughters of Adorjan who cast off their bodies to become the winds of Malfeas are most easily imitated in Creation, as they are not bound to the prison of the Yozis as their true children, the demons, are. While they are no more difficult to learn than any other Celestial martial art, a student must possess an Occult of 3 in order to truly understand the beings he seeks to emulate.

RAZOR-CONJURING BREATH

COST: 5 motes

DURATION: Instant

TYPE: Simple

Min. MA: 2

Minimum Essence: 2

Prequisite Charms: None

Kalmanka, the first of Adorjan's daughters, is emulated by this charm. The character inhales deeply, shaping their Essence into the drawn air, and exhales a fine cloud of razor-sharp particles. This attack cannot be dodged or parried, but the cloud evaporates soon after leaving the character and thus is ineffective beyond melee distance. The victim of the Razor-Conjuring Breath may roll Stamina+Resistance at difficulty 2. If this roll is failed, they suffer 5 + the user's Essence in lethal damage; otherwise only 1L is done.

BLINDING SHINE BREATH

COST: 3+ motes

DURATION: Instant

TYPE: Simple

Min. MA: 2

Minimum Essence: 2

Prequisite Charms: None

The unearthly light of Vitaris, the Brillant Wind, cannot be withstood by eyes demon or mortal. When using this charm, the character must breathe on their target, treating this as a standard Dexterity + Martial Arts attack which may be dodged, but not parried, adding one die per addition 2 motes spent, up to a maximum bonus of Dexterity + Martial Arts. The brillant light thus emitted shines even through closed eyelids, blinding the target for a number of turns equal to the number of successes in the attack. If the number of successes is double the target's Stamina + Endurance, they are permanently blinded.

STONE-ERODING BREATH

COST: 2 motes per point of damage

DURATION: Instant

TYPE: Simple

Min. MA: 2

Minimum Essence: 2

Prequisite Charms: None

Pellegrina, whose touch carves stone yet no flesh, moves through the character who uses this charm. By exhaling Pellegrina against any thing made of stone or metal (other than the Five Magical Materials) the character causes one point of lethal damage for every two motes spent, just as if an attack to break or smash the stone had been attempted. In general, a single use of this charm cannot destroy an amount of material greater than the size of a man, and is ineffective against any living thing, or any thing that is not stone or metal.

HONORABLE BURIAL BREATH

COST: 2 motes

DURATION: Instant

TYPE: Simple

Min. MA: 1

Minimum Essence: 2

Prequisite Charms: None

Kamilla was said to be the most merciful of Adorjan's daughters when she still had mortal form, and as the Wind of Promise her mercy continues. This charm causes a non-animate corpse to turn to dust, preventing the arising of both hungry and sentient ghosts as per the Zenith anima. This charm is ineffective against undead.

The Lesser Style

The lesser style evokes and honors four specific Third Circle demons. While there are many potential charms, the ones described here are by far the most common. One of them must always be the Green Sun Form, while the other three may emulate other demons of the third circle. The four Winds of Adorjan may be subsituted for one Third Circle demon for purposes of learning Green Sun Form. Naturally, a demon is immune to a technique that draws power from itself. Both the Lesser and Greater styles are considered Sidereal styles, and a character must have an Occult of 4 or more in order to learn any charm of the Lesser Style.

FLOW-DISCERNING GLANCE

COST: 8 motes

DURATION: Instant

TYPE: Reflexive

Min. MA: 5

Minimum Essence: 4

Prequisite Charms: None

Orabilis, who is described as the End of All Wisdom, is the foremost scholar of all demons. By borrowing a fraction of Orabilis's knowledge and insight, the character may observe any charm or sorcery and know precisely the duration and nature of the magic's effect. This does not give a direct bonus to combat - knowing HOW your opponent can strike so accurately with their sword does not help you to stay away from it - but it will divulge any special effect the charm may impart on the attack.

TRUTHFUL LIE STANCE: (N'shur by bobthepariah )

COST: 10 motes, 1 Willpower

DURATION: One scene

TYPE: Simple

Min. MA: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prequisite Charms: None

Mimicing the Speaker of Truths, N'shur, the character openly telegraphs their intentions in combat, appearing to adopt one defense while truly using another. If a given attack can be dodged and parried - that is, it is not undodgable or unparryible - the character may add one-half of his parry to a dodge, or one-half of his dodge to a parry, rounded up. Similarly, if a character could attack with several different skills - such as choosing between Martial Arts and Brawl if unarmed - he may add one-half the score of one form of attack to the other. Item and charm bonuses are not counted when halving the "supplementary" skill. The primary and supplementary skills chosen separately for each attack or defense.

LOST ELEMENT BLOOD

COST: 8 motes, 1 Health Level

DURATION: Six turns

TYPE: Simple

Min. MA: 4

Minimum Essence: 4

Prequisite Charms: None

The things of Malfeas are not made of the common elements. They are the flesh of the Yozis given form. All things, that is, except for theion to, the ultimate acid, also called vitriol. For a brief time a martial artist can bring the forgotten sixth element of the world into Creation through their own blood. This causes any non-living thing to dissolve if it makes contact with the character's blood, provided it is not made out of a Magical Material. A single splatter of blood (a health level of damage) is sufficent to destroy a normal sword or breastplate. Larger items require proportionally more blood - a character's own possessions are not proof against the acid, meaning one should not wear any clothing they wish to keep in good condition. Vitriol is an unnatural substance within the bounds of Creation and all spilled blood returns to a normal state at the end of the charm.

While this charm does not directly emulate a demon of the second circle, the demon Gervesin is ultimately responsible for the elementals of theion to, and so both he and his children the metody are immune to the vitriol produced by Lost Element Blood.

GREEN SUN FORM

COST: 14 motes

DURATION: One scene

TYPE: Simple

Min. MA: 5

Minimum Essence: 4

Prequisite Charms: Three Lesser Form charms (or two and the four Winds of Adorjan, see above), one complete martial art

While using this Form, the character shines a baleful, sickly green, rather than their usual anima banner; even caste marks glow with the light of Ligier, the central soul of Malfeas. While under this form, the character may add his Martial Arts to any melee attack on a demon, and can pass as a nameless demon of the first circle while in Malfeas proper, where the green glow subsides. This camoflage is useless against demons of the third circle or the Yozis themselves should they give the character even the slightest attention, and demons of the second circle may see through it with a Perception + Awareness roll, difficulty equal to the character's Essence.

Ligier is a prideful soul, and looks favorably on a character who adopts the Green Sun Form when conversing with him.

Finally, by preparing a prayer strip inscribed with the names of the two Third Circle demons the character honors through learned charms, any demon of the first circle may be banished from Creation with a successful martial arts attack, with success affixing the strip to the demon and preventing it from returning to Creation until removed. This attack is useless against any demon who is ultimately derived from one of the two Third Circle demons so honored.

The Greater Style

The Greater Style goes from honoring the souls of the Yozis, to the Yozis and the concepts they embody. While these techniques are powerful, no charm can be used against the Yozi it derives from, nor any of their Third Circle demons. Just as the Lesser Form, each Yozi has a potential charm, but the ones below are the best-known. A character must have an Occult of 5 to learn any charm of the Greater Form.

SPACE-CONSUMING STRIDE

COST: 10 motes

DURATION: Instant

TYPE: Reflexive

Min. MA: 5

Minimum Essence: 5

Prequisite Charms: Green Sun Form

The endless desert that surrounds Malfeas, Cecelyne, embodies Space. Accordingly, the character may bend space, allowing her to reach any visible destination with a single step. In addition, the character may increase or decrease the range penalties for attacking herself or others with thrown, archery, or other missile weapons, provided they would still be visible at the new range; this is done without moving. For example, a character could cause someone one mile away to be treated as if they were at point blank range, or cause herself to be as hard to hit as if she was as far away as the furthest visible object. (Naturally, this charm becomes less useful indoors.)

ORDERLY REVELATION

COST: 6 motes, 1 Willpower

DURATION: Instant

TYPE: Reflexive

Min. MA: 5

Minimum Essence: 5

Prequisite Charms: Green Sun Form

She Who Lives In Her Name is perfect Order. Those who emulate her nature can determine the fastest manner to accomplish a given goal, working within a hierarchial, ordered system. Figuring out the fastest way to move through a city's streets, to the best series of bureaucrats to talk to in order to get a request acted upon, to knowing exactly which fifty people you need to kill to become Emperor of the Realm - this charm can tell all of these things, although complex answers (such as how to become Emperor) fade within a few turns. Particularly, by determining the quickest way through an opponent's defense, the character may negate all non-perfect parries of his attacks for one full round of combat.

CESSATION OF MOTION TECHNIQUE

COST: 10 motes, 1 Willpower

DURATION: Special

TYPE: Simple

Min. MA: 5

Minimum Essence: 5

Prequisite Charms: Green Sun Form

The Silent Wind blows eternally through the streets of the demon city, the very essence of Motion. By invoking the smallest portion of Adorjan's nature, the character attempts to lay the touch of the Yozi on an opponent with a successful Martial Arts attack. The victim is not immediately vulnerable to the Silent Wind - if he stays completely still, making no voluntary movement, Adorjan is incapable of noticing him. If he is pushed, or carried, or otherwise moved by another he is safe. Should the victim twitch so much as a finger, he is immediately scoured by the Silent Wind; if he is a mortal, or a demon of the first circle, he is slain instantly. Beings such as Exalted, powerful spirits, or greater demons must make a reflexive Stamina + Resistance roll with difficulty equal to the martial artist's Essence. If this roll succeeds, they take 1A; if it fails they suffer 4A. In Creation, this damage is rolled, but if this charm is used in Malfeas, the full amount is inflicted and the rest of Adorjan will soon follow.

TEN THOUSAND TONGUES (Logosh by Proteus on RPGNet)

COST: 7 motes

DURATION: One scene

TYPE: Simple

Min. MA: 5

Minimum Essence: 5

Prequisite Charms: Green Sun Form

Logosh eternally repeats his oath of imprisonment through his ten thousand thousand mouths, each mouth adding a syllable amidst a sea of spoken nonsense. Each mouth speaks a different tongue, and so a character using this charm may understand any language spoken to her, but will speak only gibberish in turn. Alternatively, she can speak in a manner that anyone will hear as their native tongue, but will hear only similar gibberish. One of the two effects must be chosen when using the charm, and the other effect cannot be chosen until the first one wears off. Ten Thousand Tongues is only effective against spoken language, but will foil pig-latin-like attempts to mask what is being said.

MEDITATION OF THE FREED

COST: 5 motes

DURATION: Instant

TYPE: Reflexive

Min. MA: 5

Minimum Essence: 5

Prequisite Charms: Green Sun Form

In the bowels of Malfeas there lies an ocean that corrupts and kills all who touch it. This ocean is Kimbery, the Sea That Marched Against The Flame, who cannot be restrained by any force lesser than the Endless Desert. The character who takes a moment to meditate on the essence of the Sea is gifted with the knowledge of how to evade all forms of restraint. A single use of this charm can prevent a grappling attempt, unbind sorcerous bindings, unlock doors, or unbar gates. The only limitation is the restraint must be on the character; the Meditation of the Freed, reflecting Kimbery's selfish nature, cannot be used to free another.

EMBRACE ALL HELL

COST: 20 motes, 1 Willpower

DURATION: One scene/Special

TYPE: Instant

Min. MA: 6

Minimum Essence: 6

Prequisite Charms: Five Greater Form charms

From the Green Sun to the Demon City himself, this charm infuses the character with infernal essence in such a way that no being lesser than a Primordial can distinguish him from a demon, in Creation or in Malfeas. This mask includes a vulnerability to any special attack or defense against demons, including Embrace All Hell itself, and grants a bonus to attack and defense equal to the characters Martial Arts against demons. The character's appearance may subtly change to reflect the darker aspects of his own nature.

If a prayer strip is inscribed with a verse dedicated to one of the Yozis (it need not be one of those whom the character honors through their charms), a successful martial arts attack can be used to banish any demon subordinate to that Yozi from Creation by affixing the strip to that demon in the manner of Green Sun Form. If a demon is banished in this fashion, all other effects of Embrace All Hell cease immediately. This second effect is effective on Malfeas' own demons.

Comments! I LOVE comments!

I like the idea of a modular Martial Arts style. I don't have the attention span to do a full Charm-by-Charm critique, but this looks pretty cool. What are the caps on the variable-cost Winds of Adorjan? I'd like to see more Lesser Form charms, actually... and I wonder if Meditation of the Freed isn't a bit on the low-power scale. - willows

I didn't place a particular cap on the Stone-Eroding Breath, since it already has an "area" cap; you can't blow away a larger space than occupied by the average human with one application. The upshot is you can blow away through ANY stone or metal, provided you have enough essence and it isn't Magical Material-class. You couldn't scratch the adamant dome of Yu-Shan with it, for example. And Blinding Shine Breath... oopsie. Fixed that.

As for Meditation of the Freed, I actually thought it was a little high-powered. It works like the ability of the Hounds of Autocthon from Creatures of the Wyld; you can escape from ANY binding of any sort, including sorcerous ones. You could break a Solar Circle spell with it, except anyone who knows about the style would make sure that the binding affected you and another person equally, to take advantage of the "selfish" loophole. The only other limit is, since it draws power from the emulation of a Yozi, you couldn't use it to dispel the oath that binds them in Malfeas, or any binding Kimbery itself slaps on you. - AliasiSudonomo