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Gossamer Fable Style

• Themes: The Five Graces, storytelling through battle

Compatibility and Systems

Form Weapons

When learning the first Charm in Gossamer Fable Style, the raksha may choose two particular weapons (one for each of their Major Graces) and spend a day touching and admiring them. These two weapons must have some degree of history and meaning to the raksha and their Graces---for instance, a maul wrested from a capable mortal in fair combat may apply to their Sword, while a staff another mortal foe used to defend their loved ones may apply to their Cup.

The types of weapons so 'chosen' become their allowed Form Weapons---in this case, the raksha may use mauls and staves (as well as their artifact counterparts), considering attacks with these unarmed when using Gossamer Fable Charms. These decisions are permanent and irrevocable save for one exception: if the associated Grace is broken, the 'memorized' form weapon is lost, and the raksha must commune with and designate another when their Grace is rebuilt.

This style is not compatible with armor.

Creation's Structure, Wyld's Shaping

One thing that this style's creator realized what that its 'true' effects could be effortlessly stopped by even the most basic of Exalted Charms. He had initially intended to make a Shaping Art that would be more tuned to tearing into the Shaped things beyond the Marches... but then he discovered something interesting.

What his discovery was remains a point of debate amongst the small number raksha who practice this art, but the end result was him discovering a way to mesh the Essence of Creation around the Essence of the Wyld like a fine net, allowing the Wyld to shine through while confusing the fabric of Creation in regards to what type of reality was actually being expressed by the combined lump of power.

This secret has been forever meshed into an Oath (the first Charm, Gossamer Fable Stance) that is practiced, memorized and internalized by raksha pupils until their very Graces repeat it effortlessly when the time to bring their Fable to life has come. From then on, their body moves, acts, strikes... but their Heart tells a story at the same time, one even the Creation-born find difficult to ignore.

The first and greatest lesson of Gossamer Fable Style is one that defines the art quite nicely: "The Fable is not the art of attaining victory, but the art of shaping the story leading to it."

In mechanical terms, the 'shaping' of Gossamer Fable Style ignores the perfect Wyld immunity granted by Charms and similar effects, but nonetheless finds it difficult to affect those so warded. All shaping checks attempted when performing the art against warded opponents suffer a +2 difficulty.

The Living Will (Initiation Charmset)

Observing the Living Will

Cost: X motes, Y gossamer 
Duration: One scene 
Type: Simple 
Minimum Martial Arts: 3 
Minimum Essence: 3 
Prerequisites: None 

To see Dreams is to see Essence. To see Essence is to see Life. To see Life is to see Will.

Focusing their understanding on Essence less on Virtue and more on Structure, the raksha (or very Fair Folk-friendly) practitioner opens their perceptions to the broader truth of Creation's Essence. After a moment of concentration, the artist's eyes take on the appearance of oil, black with a gleaming iridescent film.

They can perceive (through sight, sound and sensation) the eddies and ripples of Essence around objects and beings within (Essence) yards, even allowing them to visually focus on dematerialized and hidden beings, so long as they are not actively using Essence to conceal themselves. While similar to the effects of Tiger and Bear Awareness (which is what this Charm is an offshoot of), this Charm is not as quick to warn against ambushes, instead granting two additional dice to ambush checks.

Furthermore, the artist gains the following Ability:

Virtue's Will: For one mote, the artist may focus on a specific target and roll their Essence after ten seconds of study. On success, they are given a general idea of how the target's Virtues are prioritized, including vague hints at Virtue Specialty Merits, Vice Flaws, and even a clue as to the nature of their Limit Break or Lure conditions (if applicable) with 3+ successes. A botch gives them completely wrong information.

Disrupting the Living Will

Cost: (X motes, Y Willpower, Z gossamer 
Duration: A turns 
Type: Reflexive 
Minimum Martial Arts: 4 
Minimum Essence: 3 
Prerequisites: None 

To shatter Dreams is to unravel Essence. To unravel Essence is to end Life. To end Life is to erase Will.

Hands dripping with iridescent oil, the artist lashes out to do harm, aiming at Essence instead of Structure.

While this charm is active, the artist may strike dematerialized beings as if they were material, although they still need other charms to locate the being's form. Also, when rolling damage for successful attacks, rolling a 10 inflicts an additional point of aggravated damage (up to a maximum of the practitioner's Essence). The aggravated level so inflicted is the last to be removed should the target have the means to reduce inflicted damage, and if this damage is inflicted on a raksha by another raksha in the Marches and they are later slain in the same scene, their death is real and permanent.

Gossamer Fable Charms

Gossamer Fable Stance (Wyld Groit Mantra)

Cost: X motes, Y Willpower, Z gossamer 
Duration: One scene 
Type: Simple 
Minimum Martial Arts: 3 
Minimum Essence: 3 
Minimum Heart: 3
Prerequisites: None 

The Wyld Groit Mantra, which all practitioners of the Fable must internalize, is as follows:

The Story is All.
In accordance to the Will of the Teller: It slashes, It condemns, It shapes, It adjusts, It disturbs, It maddens, It heals or slaughters, It uplifts or detracts, It excites or soothes the Soul that Hears.

And thus, with this lesson, the Story flourishes in their Heart, forming from the innate half-truths of the Wyld and shaped by the undeniable realities of Creation before bursting out all around them. This Charm takes their Shaping Action and forms it into a far-reaching network of slightly unstable reality, centered around the artist, in which they may freely apply their Art. This zone extends as far as the ST deems appropriate, although the suggested limit is a ten-yard sphere.

While this consumes their Shaping Action for the scene, it nonetheless allows them to make as many 'shaping checks' as needed to power the numerous Charms of the style, so long as the targets are within range. This field is too thin and Creation-tainted to allow for true Wyld Shaping or respiration by raksha. Sensing the zone is easy (a single success on applicable Occult checks or casual Essence-sensing Charm use), but countering it requires ending the artist's 'tale', usually by defeating him or bringing the battle to a conclusion one way or another.

This is a Stance-type Charm. Characters may not use more than one Stance-type at a time.

The Tale of the Ravenous Imp: Path of the Heart

All-Inclusive Ignorance of Agony

Cost: - 
Duration: Instant 
Type: Reflexive 
Minimum Martial Arts: - 
Minimum Essence: - 
Minimum Heart: -
Prerequisites: Gossamer Fable Stance 

"Once upon a time there was a tiny little Imp from Malfeas. Some say he wasn't even worthy to be considered part of the First Circle, for was small and weak and ugly even for his kind. But he was feared for his bottomless belly and incredible speed. They say that, if he so chose, he could run the length of Creation in five days. The little beast terrorized many farms, devouring crops and animals, until a particular farmer found out that the beast could be brought low by looking at his reflection in a polished brass plate. Thus the trap was set, the beast saw its reflection... and then shrugged before eating the man's chickens and defecating in his favorite boots.

"The Ravenous Imp was a bit too preoccupied with his hunger to be defeated so easily."

(Convert cold iron damage to Lethal for one attack, allow use of [half? full?] Lethal nat-soak, rounded down)

Gradual Annoyance Trick

Cost: - 
Duration: Special 
Type: Reflexive 
Minimum Martial Arts: - 
Minimum Essence: - 
Minimum Heart: -
Prerequisites: Gossamer Fable Stance 

"A trapper of great renown sought to catch the beast and skin it, for its flesh would sell well to an Exalt who dabbled in the work of demons, and he would be hailed as a minor hero. Thus he set a well-made metal trap with a freshly-killed deer within it and went about his business for a while. Upon returning, he found the imp devouring the deer outside of the cage, somehow. Chasing him, but failing to catch him, he refined his trap further, set it the next day... and got the same result. This went on for weeks, the trapper growing more and more sloppy in his anger. Finally, on the day when he swore to himself to never try again if he failed, he found the beast within the trap, devouring the deer! Moving in to close the trap fully, the imp grasped his hand, yanked it inside in such a manner as to entrap the trapper himself, and then quietly exited out of the device in a spot the trapper had forgotten to fasten shut in his anger."

"The Ravenous Imp, deer meat in scraggly hand, was not going to be caught that easily."

(Stackable [dice penalty/+diff?] against target should they succed in attack/block/dodge against artist, fades when they fail, remains if they botch)

Subtle Redefinition of Yes and No

Cost: - 
Duration: Instant 
Type: Reflexive 
Minimum Martial Arts: - 
Minimum Essence: - 
Minimum Heart: -
Prerequisites: All-Inclusive Ignorance of Agony 

"Later, there was a hunter who claimed, without ceasing, that he had skewered the imp on an arrow blessed by a forest god who hated the Malfeans. His tale seemed honest but didn't explain why he was found next to his horse, which had been stripped of all flesh and organs, with one of those blessed arrows lodged in his right lung."

"The Ravenous Imp, they say in hushed whispers, cannot be shot so easily."

(When attacked successfully, can make a shaping check [Willpower? WP + Heart?] against target's unmodified Dodge to reflect---cancellable by counter target with WP. [Able to reflect perfect attacks?])

Drowning the Ocean

Cost: - 
Duration: Instant 
Type: Supplemental(?) 
Minimum Martial Arts: - 
Minimum Essence: - 
Minimum Heart: -
Prerequisites: Gradual Annoyance Trick 

Text forthcoming~

[Last-ditch/automatic +diff against multiple/independant action attacks?]

Starving Man's Last Resort

Cost: 1 permanent Essence 
Duration: Instant 
Type: Special 
Minimum Martial Arts: 6 
Minimum Essence: 5 
Minimum Heart: 4
Prerequisites: Subtle Redefinition of Yes and No, Drowning the Ocean,  

LAST BIT, and the moral: "Take what your heart desires, but be wary of the consequences."

(Extreme-case effect: spend 1 perm-Ess and break Major Graces to save self from death is brought below Incap to go back to Incap, stable. Ess rebought at double XP cost [needs to be a real drawback for using this]. Useless if ANY damage inflicted is iron-based agg.)

The Tale of Iron Dagger and Copper Shield: Path of the Cup

Bitter Soul Tears

Force target to either lessen or completely lose Virtue-channel dice used against Raksha, gain 2 mote per die 'eaten'. Virtue can only be mote-eaten once/scene.

Misunderstood Lover's Quarrel

Suddenly alter the emotions and reasoning behind the fight, given proper substitutes. Confusion effect that may give the raksha an escape route/ambush attempt.

Swept Away In Passion's Waves

Twist emotions to draw others into the actual fight itself or into general rioting

Dagger's Bleeding Sheath

WP contest on hit---failure drowns target in depression chosen by Virtue, dice penalty

Conflicting Emotions

Capstone--Successful hit redistributes all temporary AND permanent Virtues (up to max rating of 10) for Ess scenes---cannot break Great Curse/Lure minimum: victim cannot regain WP without extensive stunting.

The Tale of Wise Sage Granite: Path of the Ring

The World Is My Weapon

Ranged MA attack using incidental scenery effects, ignore cover/LoS, undodgeable without stunts

A Foot In The Mire

Movement inhibiter, minor dodge penalty

Obsidian Shard Waltz

ignore natural environmental penalties, reduce unnatural ones

Battling Across The Seasons

make fight seem much longer than it is, redefining time---'false' fatigue penalty

Water and Wind Sculpt the Stones

Capstone--Dodged/parried/'withheld' attack independatly 'triggers' every turn after under it does damage for X turns

The Tale of the Five Warkings: Path of the Staff

The Last Argument of Kings

Make an initial insult/comment have enough sting to force the target to act rashly or cockily, shifting dice pools somewhat (attack <-> defense, max dice = Ess). Would hafta be used before one's first blow.

Neither Equal Nor Peer

Remove target's ability to properly take or give orders, inflating their self-image to dangerous levels--other effects?

Image of Apparent Victory/Imminent Demise

Capstone?--Make the fight *seem* like one or another is winning or losing when that's not the case, can be used to milk sympathy from or inspire dread in nearby individuals

Warlords Are Not Courtesans

Temporarily damage opponent's perceived Social graces and defenses, 'shuffle' Social Dots temporarily

Defeat, or Something Like It

'Feign' defeat for ease of escape, should opponent fall for it: shaping check, sux turns where 'victor' considered raksha defeated and harmless, botch enrages target

The Tale of the Divided Earth: Path of the Sword

Plowshares Into Swords

Add half rnd-up Craft(Goss) to attack/defense pool, parry weapons barehanded, (???)

Courtesans Are Not Warriors

Bonus against those with BASE App > 2: can force a reroll of succ attack dice = (App-2)

--

HYOON~

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HYOON~

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HYOON~

Form and Final Charms

Lesser Gossamer Fable Form

Cost: X motes, Y Willpower 
Duration: One scene 
Type: Simple 
Minimum Martial Arts: - 
Minimum Essence: - 
Minimum Heart: -
Prerequisites: One complete Major Grace Path 

It is impossible to understand the meaning of 'The End'...

Greater Gossamer Fable Form

Cost: X motes, Y Willpower 
Duration: One scene 
Type: Simple 
Minimum Martial Arts: - 
Minimum Essence: - 
Minimum Heart: -
Prerequisites: Both complete Major Grace Paths 

It is impossible to fathom the importance of 'Happily ever after'...

Turning The Pages of Eternity

Cost: None 
Duration: Permanent 
Type: Special 
Minimum Martial Arts: 7 
Minimum Essence: 5 
Minimum Heart: 4
Prerequisites: Both complete Major Grace Paths, complete Heart Path 

...until you have completely digested just what it takes to reach the end of a truly epic Fable.

('Free' [you still pay motes (mebbe a mild discount?), but still] usage of one charm from each complete Path without need to spend WP or build Combo?)

Comments, Notes, Suggestions, Ect.

Water and Wind Sculpt the Stones creates an extra to continue the attacks. Killing the extra stops the attacks.
The sword path could have a charm that aids in disarm attempts. - Talion