Difference between revisions of "DovesPurityStyle"

Latest revision as of 01:15, 6 April 2010

Although created by a great and warlike Solar, this style was made for Peace. It is an inherently spiritual style, adopting principals of nonviolence in all things. It teaches that one should use "moral force" and nonviolent action to solve disputes. Few who attempt to learn this style ever truly master it, for they fail to realize that nonviolence is not simply a matter of sheathing the sword. It requires loving thy enemy, not out of the expectation that he will become your friend, but simply for the sake of love. It requires acknolweding that poverty and hunger too cause pain, and that as such greed and gluttony are forms of violence. Finally, this style requires a great deal of courage. It is not the style of the hermit, decrying the sins of the world from some remote cave. It is the style of one who wants peace so badly, he will throw himself between two warring armies, saying that they must kill him before they may reach each other. In terms of actual practice, the style is very much like mortal Tai Chi. It consists largely of breathing and meditative exercises designed to bolster the Exalt's spirit. Unlike most students of Tai Chi, the master of Doves Purity Style also learns many powerful blocks, throws, and other defensive manuveurs.

Dove's Open Heart</b>

<b>Cost: Special
Type:  Special
Length: Special.
Prereq: 2 MA, 1 Essence 

The student of Peaceful Dove Style may, in time, learn virtues beyond the reach of mortal man. The Exalt may raise his Virtues above 5. Only those with a Nature or Limit break somehow related to kindness or peace may benefit from this Charm, although others may study it.

Peaceful Dove Meditation</b>

<b>Cost: 5 Motes
Type:  Simple
Length: Instant.
Prereq: 3 MA, 2 Essence, Dove's Open Heart 

The student of Peace practices breathing and meditative exercises deisgned to relax him and bolster his will.Using this charm requires at least 20 minutes worth of meditation, and may only be done once per day. Make a Compassion roll at difficulty 3. Success means full recovery of temporary Willpower.

Humility's Eyes</b>

<b>Cost: 2 Motes
Type:  Simple
Length: Instant
Prereq: 3 MA, 2 Essence, Peaceful Dove Meditation 

The studnet of Humility learns to look into the souls of his fellows, searching for those who may be willing to make Peace. Make a Temperance roll. The more succesus you roll, the more information your Storyteller should give you about the target's soul, particularly his relation to violence, charity, and similiar ideas. 2 succesus should be enough for some useful information. This could be a look at the Target's virtue dots, or the Storyteller could say something like "He is evil and merciless man. Because of him, the Deathlords have welcomed many men, and their wives would wail and could not be comfoted, and their children were hungry and could not be fed."

Peaceful Dove Form</b>

<b>Cost: 5 Motes
Type:  Simple
Length: One Scene
Prereq: 4 MA, 2 Essence 

Executing the motions of the Peaceful Dove Style creates a temporary spiritual bond between the participants in the battle. The leaders of each side must choose: will they put down their weapons and make peace, or will they continue to fight? If a given party to the conflict has several leaders of equal status, all must choose peace, or that group is considered to have chosen war. Celestial Exalted are always considered leaders of their group.

• The Exalt using this Charm must choose peace. However, his companions may choose war on his behalf.
• If all sides choose peace, it is considered an oath to "Make Peace for now, and not to resume hostilities without fair warning". "Fair warning" means giving the other side sufficient time to either retreat or prepare for battle. This oath is enforced as though it were sanctified by an Eclipse.
• If even one leader of one side chooses war, then war it is. All those who chose peace (or had peace chosen for them by their leaders) recieve one temporary Willpower, which may take them above their normal limit. Those who chose war lose one temporary willpower.
• In addition, the Exalt who activated this Charm in the first place now has the Peaceful Dove Form active. The world cares for him and tries to protect him: inanimate objects such as chairs, dust motes, or stray Essence flows rush to defend the Martial Artist. These would-be defenders provide the Exalt with a free reflexive parry againist every attack. It is the world and not the Exalt who provides the parry: as such, the Exalt may make a parry of his own in addition this reflexive parry. On the down side, inanimate objects have a base dice pool of zero. See below, however, for ways to bolster them.
• He does not activate the form if he chose war, or had war chosen for him.

Dove Flys through the Storm</b>

<b>Cost: Special
Type:  Special
Length: One Scene
Prereq: 5 MA, 3 Essence, Peaceful Dove Form 

The peacemaker must sometimes throw himself into dangerous situations in order to reach his goals. The world values this sort of selfless courage and seeks to protect him. He may add his Valor as a bonus to any defensive actions others make to protect him. This includes the reflexive blocks from Peaceful Dove Form.

Weary Dove Flys On</b>

<b>Cost: Special
Type:  Special
Length: One Scene
Prereq: 4 MA, 2 Essence, Dove Flys through the Storm 

A peacemaker must endurer many hardships. The Exalt gains a number of -0 Health Levels equal to his Conviction. If he ever must make a virtue check (generally compassion) to force himself to do something evil or wrong, he immediatelly loses these health levels (which could result in him dying, if he is badly injured.) The Storyteller must warn the player and allow him to choose another course of action before he revokes the health levels.

A Farewell to Arms</b>

<b>Cost: 20 Motes, 1 Willpower
Type:  Simple
Length: Instant
Prereq: 5 MA, 3 Essence, Peaceful Dove Form

The Peacemaker may negotiate lasting peace. If two sides negotiate a peace arrangement, the Exalt may sanctify it as though he were an Eclipse Caste Solar. He may only sanctify peace agreements, not other sorts of bargains.

Dove's Gift</b>

<b>Cost: 2 Motes
Type:  Reflexive
Length: Instant
Prereq: 5 MA, 3 Essence, A Farewell to Arms 

The Martial Artist may bolster parry attempts made by his companions or allies. He may add his Temperance in dice to any parry attempt made by an ally. This includes the reflexive parries provided by Peaceful Dove Form.

Forsaken Dove's Wail</b>

<b>Cost: Special
Type:  Special
Length: Instant
Prereq: 5 MA, 3 Essence, Dove's Gift, Weary Dove Flies On 

The wail of a dove, abandoned and ignored despite all his efforts, is a heartbreaking sound. It pierces the Souls of all who hear it, reminding them that their actions have a price. Whenever the Martial Artist puts up the Peaceful Dove Form, he may reflexively activate his charm, with no price and no need for a combo. Brillant white light races out from the Exalt to burn everyone who declined peace. The launches up to five attacks on each target. The number of attacks depends on the target's soul and his motivations for fighting. A good man who did not want to fight (but had war chosen for him) might be spared entirely. A Deathknight who willingly serves his master might recieve the full five attacks. The attacks are perfect, and as such may not be stopped except using perfect defenses. Each attack does the Exalt's Compassion in aggravated damage, which may be soaked normally.
This charm may only activate once per scene. The Exalt and his allies are definitily not immune.

Rejected Charms

Peacemaker's Wisdom</b>

<b>Cost: Special
Type:  Special
Length: Instant
Prereq: 4 MA, 2 Essence 

The Peacemaker makes a habit of always thinking through the consequences of his actions. Eventually, the action becomes a reflexive habit of the mind. The Exalted master takes this a step further. His compassionate Essence reaches out to the world, and learns its pains. Whenever someone is about to be injured or hurt, or an evil deed is about to be done, the Exalt feels a warning scream in his head. If the evil is being perpuated by a being with Essence greater than the Exalt's, this charm has no effect. If the evil is being perpuated by the Exalt himself, this charm definitly does take effect.

Covenant of Love</b>

<b>Cost: 10 Motes, 1 Willpower
Type:  Simple
Length: Special
Prereq: 5 MA, 3 Essence, Peaceful Dove Form

The Peaceful Dove Style is not just about peace, but also love. And love carries with it an implicit promise: that the one you love will not be taken away from you, that you will not make another person a part of you only to have that part of you removed. If someone is fighting to protect or regain one they love, you may use this charm to aid them: they temporarily increase their permemant Essence by 1, and learn 2 Charms for free. (You don't choose the Charms: its whatever the GM feels will help them the most.) They may keep this benefit until they regain their love or abandon their mission. They may not take time out from their search, except to deal with pressing needs such as food. The Essence and Willpower spent to power this Charm are commited until then. If you use this charm on a mortal, they temporarily gain the Merits Awakened Essence and Essence Mastery, and the Flaw (the one that gives them an Anima Banner.)

Comments

Rock on! Nonviolence! Non Combat! Could you log in so I know who to thank for this? I tinkered with the format some, hope you don't mind... Dreaming Nymph

I'm always glad when people clean up my formatting. The only problem is, I was still working on the Style at the time, so I may have messed up some of your formatting in the reconcile. I'm sorry if I did. (or if I made it worse =P). And thanks for the complement! -MeiRen

Hey again, I was just pondering on a few things...The rejected charm Covenant of Love is a great charm, it prompts ideas about a style reminiscent of the martyred god Ilmater from (dare I say it?) D+D. Maybe something with a charm that allows you to take someone elses damage(ha! Shield Other), and other charms involving self-sacrifice in the name of the greater good, protection, etc. I might have more ideas after another cup of coffee. The other thing is, from what i remember of torturous stretching and the art of moving in slow motion <or tai chi, whatever ;o)> there are blocks, throws and defensive moves...speed it up and its a decently formidable style. Thats all the 2 cents I have for now. Dreaming Nymph

Thanks for the feedback, I really need it. I've thought about branching Convenant of Love off into a new style, or possible just an artifact or spell. Doves Purity Form started off as "Peace Desiring Rose", a charm from FallingRosePetalStyle.

I also want to work in some more blocks and throws - I know they're there, I just wasn't sure if I should put them in. I probably should. -MeiRen

I quite liked the look of this one, given my solar's goal is pretty much peace, not sure about all of them mind.. like Forsake Doves Wail .. .. ouchee for any naughty people with no armour ;) .. maybe a bit too scary really. Perfect aggravated attacks that will use a compassion which is likely to be above 5? Very scary there.

One question I have, what's with the few special cost ones? Are they only able to be activated during the form charm? Or.. whenever, because if they're free.. may as well just give them a duration of 'until cancelled' or something. Still... all said and done, I'm gonna ask my ST if he'd mind me using any of these :) FluffySquirrel

The Three "speical" Charms are always active once learned. (Unless you abandon your ethics, at which point Weary Dove Flys On goes bye-bye.) Maybe I should write them differently. Forsaken Dove's Wail was to create a "Please make peace, or I'll kill you all." type idea. I probably should make it a little less nasty. Although don't forget that it toasts you and your friends too.

And thanks for the Complements! If you or your ST want the style to work a little differently, tell me and I'll try to rewrite it. I've been wondering if this was the best approach anyway. -MeiRen

As the ST in question, I regret to say I don't really like this style. I'm not sure -why-, otherwise I'd tell you, and I'm not trying to criticize... For some reason, unlike the rest of the related things, I just don't like it very much. Sorry.
On a completely different topic, students of Tai Chi often learn powerful blocks, throws, defensive -and- offensive maneauvers. Usually with interesting names. It's still a martial art, whether old chinese people use it for exercise in parks or not.
-- Darloth

That's cool, I'm not sure I like how it turned out. Let me ask: do you have a problem with the idea or the execution? I want to remake it (or do another version) that is a little more conventional anyway. -MeiRen