Latest revision as of 01:17, 6 April 2010

Sweeping Rain of Endless Anguish

History

Sweeping Rain was known as Tomek before his exaltation. He was born among slaves and a slave he remained for all of his childhood and into his early years of adulthood. He watched as his father was beaten for his inability to work the mines of Gem any longer. He saw as his mother time and time again came back from the taskmaster's bedroom night after night. Sweating. Bleeding. And all she would say is, "Tomek, I do this for us. To protect you and the rest of our family."

He was the eldest of three with only one brother and a young sister who he knew in his heart of hearts would end up like his mother one day. After his 23rd summer of his life of toil he found himself with the opportunity to run. He could save himself or remain with his family. He chose himself. And snuck past the lone guard left on duty.

He ran for days. Hiding under the sand of the desert like he heard of the many tribes of the deadly, burning sands of the south. He was able to make it to the Lap where he was found by 5 of the slave master's sons. They beat him. Taunted him. Let him gain some of his strength and then beat him again. Hours. It may have been days or even weeks he lay in a small building being watched over and beaten when he was finally able to move.

One early morning they came to finish what they had started.

After being brought within an inch of his life they leveled a sword at his head. And he heard a voice, "Give yourself to me and they will never hurt you again. No one ever will again. Give yourself to my cause and your life will be spared." His soft whisper was a yes.

What happened in those moments was forever lost in Tomek's mind. He found himself holding the sword that had been leveled at his head and the five bodies of his oppressors lying at his feet. He could see their souls leaving their carcasses and before they could leave he tied them to himself. Two of these he turned into his sword Humility's Vengeance using the hilt of the sword he had used to kill them. The other two he used for Silent Wail of the Dead. The last he gave to his lord and master Mask of Winters to do with as he pleased.

He has traveled all across Creation and the Underworld. Assassinations, artifact recovery, hard line diplomacy, and information gathering are all duties his master calls on him to perform, alone except for the few mortals and ghosts that give him the information he needs to complete his work. He has spread his network of contacts and spies across the world. He has never met one of his master's servants face to face only watching them from a distance. He lives for his master's praise and his master's call to duty.

Stats

Name:		Sweeping Rain		Concept:	Assassin, Spy
Player:		Ryan			Nature:		Survivor
Caste:		Day			Anima:		Flock of Crows

-- ATTRIBUTES --
Strength	**	Charisma	**	Perception	****
Dexterity	*****	Manipulation	**	Intelligence	**
Stamina		**	Appearance	***	Wits		*****

-- ABILITIES --
+Archery	***	Endurance	**	Craft
Brawl			Performance	*	+Investigation	*
Martial Arts		Presence		Lore		
+Melee		***	Resistance	***	Medicine	*	
Thrown			+Survival	*****	Occult

+Athletics	****	+Bureaucracy	***	-- Specialties --
+Awareness	***	Linguistics		Stealth (Hide	**
+Dodge		*****	Ride			   in plain sight)	
+Larceny	*****	Sail
+Stealth	*****	Socialize	

-- BACKGROUNDS --	-- CHARMS --
Artifacts	****	Hoodwink			[Temperance]
Inheritance	*****	Cunning Thief				
Liege		****	Uncanny Prowess			[Valor]
Manse		****	Harrow the Mind			[Conviction]
Patron		***	Bloodthirsty Arrow		[Archery]
Resources	*	Furious Blade			[Melee]
Spies		*****	Enduring Huntsman Method	[Survival]
[[UnderworldManse]]	****	Infallible Barghest Mien
			Ghost Leaves No Trail
-- VIRTUES --		Raiton’s Nimble Perch		[Athletics]
Compassion	**	Flitting Shadow Form		[Dodge]		
Conviction	****	Fivefold Shadow Form
Temperance	**	Flickering Wisp Technique
Valor		***	Theft of Face			[Larceny]			
			Theft of Mien		
-- OTHER --		Flawless Doppleganger Disguise
Willpower	7	Concealing Distraction          [Stealth]		
Essence		****			Discipline
Essence Pool	20/33	Unseen Wisp Method
Committed	15      Corruption-Sensing Scrutiny	[Bureaucracy]             
Resonance       2       
Experience	9/83/92

-- COMBAT --
Base Initiative:	10
Dodge Pool:		10
Soak:			10L/14B (Reinforced Soulsteel Buff Jacket 12B/9L)
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -2, -2, -4, Incap
Attacks:
Bare Fist 		 Speed 10 Accuracy 5  Damage 2B Defense 5
Kick 			 Speed 7  Accuracy 4  Damage 4B Defense 4
Silent Wail of the Dead  Speed 10 Accuracy 11 Damage 7L Rate	2
Humility’s Vengeance 	 Speed 13 Accuracy 11 Damage 7L Defense 10
Cartaphelus’ Dagger	 Speed 13 Accuracy 8  Damage 3L Defense 6

-- Equipment --\\ Silent Wail of the Dead, Humility’s Vengeance, Cartaphelus’ Dagger, Soul Debt, Scarab of Fertility, Automaton Assassin (Scorpion), clothes, and a few pieces of jade

Expanded Backgrounds

Artifacts ••••

Silent Wail of the Dead\\ Soulsteel Long Powerbow\\ Artifact •••\\ Commitment: 7

Created shortly after Sweeping Rain of Endless Anguish’s exaltation Silent Wail of the Dead is composed of a pair of souls, two of the five tormentors that Rain killed upon exalting. This long powerbow is made out of darkened mahogany wood and the soulsteel laced through it from top to bottom.

At the handgrip the two souls meet and intertwine to give the appearance of a death mask. As the soulsteel leaves the handgrip and races down the top and bottom limb of the bow the soulsteel has been used to imprint sigils in Old Realm. The lower portion writing is the bow’s name and the top portion is a lament to the soon to be deceased. The tips of the bow are encased in soulsteel formed as a screaming skull and each end.

Humility’s Vengeance\\ Soulsteel Daiklave\\ Artifact ••\\ Commitment: 5

Humility’s Vengeance is the forged brother of Silent Wail of the Dead. It was made of two more of Rain’s tormentors. It is an impossibly flat blade and if looked at straight on it almost disappears before the eyes. Humility’s Vengeance has a single hearthstone setting at the base of the pommel. A ghastly maw is the seating for the stone. The blade itself is dark gray bordering on black and if one looks close enough the brothers used to make the blade can still be seen inside dying a thousand deaths everyday. Their screams and mans can be heard when Humility’s Vengeance is unleashed upon the world.

Soul Debt\\ Soulsteel Reinforced Buff Jacket\\ Artifact ••\\ Commitment: 3

Soul Debt is a lesson for any and all those that fall under Sweeping Rain’s authority. Soul Debt was created out of six spies that worked in Rain’ convoluted spy network. They decided to betray their master on one nearly fatal assignment. In order to prevent further treachery within the ranks Rain killed the mortals bound their souls together to become Soul Debt. Now when he makes an appearance before one of his many agents they can all see with their own eyes what will become of them at the first sign deceit. So far no others have backstabbed their dark master.

Scarab of Fertility\\ Orichalcum Jewelry\\ Artifact •\\ Commitment: 1

This scarab can either make the wearer extremely fertile or completely sterile at his option. If set to promote fertility, the scarab virtually guarantees that intercourse with a fertile partner will result in conception, and even barren women and impotent men become fertile as long as they wear the scarab. Although it cannot overcome magically induced sterility such as that produced by the scarab's second mode.

If set to counteract fertility, the wearer becomes completely sterile until they remove the scarab though the wearer retains all normal sexual function and libido, but cannot sire or conceive children. Women who wear the scarab in this state cease menstruating until it is removed. The scarab has no effect on existing pregnancies.

The scarab that Sweeping Rain of Endless Anguish carries was the only item he found in the Cavern of Hidden Desires. He found it laying atop an immaculately made bed that seemed untouched by time.

Automaton Assassin\\ Soulsteel Scorpion\\ Artifact ••\\ Commitment: Special

The Mask of Winters gave this soulsteel scorpion to Sweeping Rain after serving dutifully for a year. Rain carries the scorpion tucked away and protected in the sash that always surrounds his waist. The scorpion is another avenue Rain can take in his day-to-day duties as an assassin. The scorpion requires 5 motes of Essence to activate and 2 motes per sting it delivers. Automaton Assassin stats can be found on page 92 of the Book of Three Circles.

Inheritance •••••

Sweeping Rain just recently discovered his true heritage. Before he had believed that an average human had had planted the seed of birth in his mother's womb, but he was proven wrong with dramatic effect. In the Stygian palace of Walker in Darkness Sweeping Rain with others of his new found circle confronted Ebon Dragon and their compatriot Voice of Red. Ebon Dragon and Rain's demon companion, Cartaphelus, revealed that Ebon Dragon was his true father. Since then his entire life has changed. Ebon Dragon has gifted Rain with the knowledge og his inheritance he held for so long but never truly knew was there.

Liege ••••

Since the day he entered the Mask of Winter's service Sweeping Rain has devoted himself to his master. He has become an extension of the deathlord's own hand in the Underworld and in Creation. He gathers information and assassinates threats to his lord without reservation. He is always prepared to do his lord's work because without the Mask he would have joined his false father in the Underworld or worse Oblivion.

Manse ••••

Cavern of Hidden Desires\\ Manse ••••\\ Hearthstone: The Ice Blade Gem

The Cavern of Hidden Desires was a former retreat for Splinter of the Sun although this is unknown to Sweeping Rain. This network of tunnels and caverns lay dormant since the Usurpation and Sweeping Rain has only gone through it with a cursory glance and enough time to tune himself to it. He is completely unwitting to the vast treasures that lay hidden in secret compartments throughout the network of tunnels.

The Cavern was designed and built by Splinter of the Sun late in the First Age. It was to be a retreat from the capital and a place to hide his ill-gotten goods. Only his consort Nightcast Prophet ever knew of this home away from home and his true source of power in Creation. The tunnels and rooms that make up this buried Manse glitter even with no light. Flecks of orichalcum are scattered across the walls, floors, and ceiling giving the appearance of stars.

Each of the dozen or so rooms contained fountains of lights and furniture made by the best craftsmen of the First Age. Sweeping Rain though has other plans for this hidden place. He has already begun corrupting it and turning it into a darker sanctuary. The fountains that once poured light and water now contain sludge and darkness has replaced the brilliant lights. Unable to do anything about the orichalcum that is everywhere Rain has put quite an effort into filling the place with soulsteel as much as he could scrounge anyways. He has also begun decorating the carious living quarters with accoutrements of the dead.

The Cavern of Hidden Desires entrance is some 80 miles northeast of the city of Greyfalls. At first it appears as only a man-sized hole in the ground surrounded by trees and rocks on the whole it appears as an unimpressive place. Only once a person gets past the first dozen feet of soil and rock does the cavern open up and show its true splendor.

Patron •••

As well as being beholden to the Mask of Winters Rain is also dedicated to his father, Ebon Dragon. He has already received his tasking, but is always there willingly to give his body to his father for whatever task needs doing. Though he expects to receive few assignments from his father due to the broadness of his current chore no one truly knows the workings of the Yozi lords, especially Ebon Dragon.

Resources •

Sweeping Rain is given a small salary when leaving his lord's palace. It is only enough to get him to his destination and back and does not allow for luxuries such as frequent room and board. He usually has a few jade on him at any one time.

Spies •••••

Sweeping Rain has thousands of individuals that provide information, safe houses for others, and as waypoints for messenger birds. Hundreds of full time spies litter the various cities of the East in both the Underworld and Creation. They provide notification of dramatic changes in their respective areas through the use of runners and birds. Only the most reliable spies have ever met Sweeping Rain in the flesh and blood. Sweeping Rain is known by a hundred different names and hundred different faces across the East and in some cases he only known as a shadowy figure in a dark alleyway. Sweeping Rain learned not so long ago that loyalty will only take you so far and the rest of the way must be covered by fear, confusion, and misdirection.

Keireth Maala\\ Spymaster of Nexus

He Ting\\ Spymaster of Port Calin

Daask\\ Street Thug from Marakuni

Daask is a small time enforcer for an even smaller time gang. Though his position is fairly low on any social totem pole he is able to keep Sweeping Rain up-to-date on the general crime scene of the Marakuni. Daask also has a brother in the Marakuni military. Though little use has been found for this relatively minor contact recent events may have changed things.

Daask is a towering mass of fat and muscle in equal amounts. He's slow to think but quick to act and this fact has gotten him into more than his fair share of action. A broken nose, missing teeth and multiple scars on his face, arms, and body are proof of the rolling brawls he frequently gets into. His head is clean shaven to keep lice and other parasites from bothering him as often as they normally would.

Aiolos of the Wind\\ Courier for the Hundred Kingdoms region

Aiolos is a slight, young man with handsome features and a penchant for the ladies. His current love is who has brought him unknowingly into Sweeping Rain’s spy network.

Underworld Manse ••••

The Tomb of Cimil Yum\\ Manse ••••\\ Hearthstone: Unknown

The Tomb of Cimil Yum is located in the ancient city of Atarine. The tomb and the city itself fell into the Underworld during the time of the Great Contagion. War, lack of food, and disease ravaged the city to the point where none survived. In Creation the only remnants of the city and the manse are covered by thousands of tons of sand. Atarine's remains in the world of the living and dead are south of Chiaroscuro.

Cimil Yum was a Zenith of great charisma in the days of the Old Realm until he became corrupt with his own power. By the time of the Usurpation he used the city's people as experiments toward greater sorcerous power and to create monuments in his name instead of the Unconquered Sun's. When the Dragon-Blooded threw off the yoke of Solar rule the people of Atarine rose up with the Terrestrial Exalted to depose their tyrannical ruler. Today Cimil Yum's body and most vile belongings lie entombed under rock, sand, jade, and orichalcum so that none can learn the dark secrets he unraveled in the latter days of his life.

The inside of this dark and miserable crypt is great ambience for any deathknight. Cobwebs, skeletal remains and hungry ghosts haunt its corridors. Cimil Yum was a collector of death masks and other accoutrements used in the burial rites of the dead. Cimil used these goods frequently in his own dark rituals and many of these items remain today. A perpetual cold, Underworld fog hugs the ground in Atarine and the Tomb of Cimil Yum.

This Manse once created a hearthstone but upon Sweeping Rain arriving to attune to the manse he found the hearthstone was gone along with whoever took it. Though rarely in the south Sweeping Rain tries to find any chance available to search for the lost hearthstone. The fact it is lost worries Rain greatly especially if his master were to ever find out.

Crumbling Monument to Fallen Glory\\ Manse ••\\ Hearthstone: The Monkey Stone

The Tear-Stained Halls\\ Manse •\\ Hearthstone: Gemstone of Shadows

The Mendicant's Sacred Sepulcher\\ Manse •\\ Hearthstone: Jewel of the Flying Heart

Breeding •

Sweeping Rain's parentage was chosen carefully, well carefully by the Ebon Dragon. His entire life was a proving ground for what was to come. So far he has not let his father or his liege down and hopefully will continue to let this natural and unnatural abilities shine in their name.

Infernal Abilities

Eyes of Wicked Madness

A glance of Sweeping Rain's eyes is able to cause any mortal to go insane. Each person's vision is different except for one small detail. The light of the Green Sun, Ligier, is their to burn away any sanity left to the unfortunate victim.

Shadow Supination

Sweeping Rain is able to take control of as many shadows as his permanent Essence for 10 motes. Each shadow has the physical stats of the person they are shadows of, +1 for every success on Stamina + Inheritance roll. Each success may be added to whatever abilities Sweeping Rain chooses. Further, for an additional 5 motes, Rain can add their likeness to his repertoire of faces and bodies.

Green Sun's Cast

The light of the Green Sun shines brightly around Sweeping Rain when he activates this ability searing the eyes of onlookers. This ability gives a defense penalty of Rain's permenant Essence to an attacker's melee attacks. Unfortunately the brightness is a sginal light for all archers and ranged weapons. Any ranged attack gains one-half of Rain's permenant Essence as a bonus to attack.

Unpromised Name

(15m) Malfeans never gave their names to be imprisoned. They didn't have to they're dead. But your singular heritage brought about by so many conspiracies has given power back to the names of the Malfeans by the power of the Yozis. You say the dead Malfeans name (of whom you have his hand), All That Was and Will Be. You rewrite the book of death. (It's a nuke of some goddamned prodigious power -- Ebon Dragon's Shadow says only use it if you need to. I'll handle the effects, but it's essentially an N/A Artifact. Absolutely ANYTHING goes when you say his name, like the Eye of Autochthon).