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| − | == Walker of Unfathomable Shadows ==
| + | = Walker in Boundless Shadows = |
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| − | Chosen of Saturn
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| − | The instrument of the Maiden of Endings in Yu-Shan and Creation: twisted by an impossible love, dominated by an overwhelming obsession, desperately seeking for a sense of fulfillment, unaware that what he seeks is right beside him.
| + | <i>"Call me naive, but...is it really wrong? To believe in kindness in this rotten world of ours?"</i> |
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| − | * back to [[Wings]].
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| − | * back to [[Characters/Sidereals|Sidereals]].
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| − | * back to [[Characters]].
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| − | ---- | + | Like most children fated to join the Five-Score Fellowship, Walker was noticeably different. Born Damien Ragriz sixteen years ago, he was more often called "Little Walker", for his habit of wandering off on his own for hours at a time, much to his parents' frustration. He was the child of humble farmers; workers under the rule of the Malirien family in the River Province Administrative District, living just mere miles southeast of Greyfalls. |
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| − | === Cut Scenes ===
| + | In his walks, he appreciated the beauty of the natural world, and wondered why the things created by humans lacked that "natural" beauty. Ashe became older, he wondered if humans were truly nothing but a disruptive existence, unable to live in harmony with the world around them, or even with each other. Wise beyond his years, he hoped he could somehow get away from living as a mere servant, to find away to make the world a better place. |
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| − | <i>“It just seems so……extreme.”</i>
| + | Young Damien was quiet and submissive, almost too obedient, and possessing of a gentleness and kindness of heart that made women squeal and men dismiss him as a weak pussy. Not one to fight back even when struck, he was the kind of person who could still smile in front of his bullies, for he blindly believed in the goodness of human hearts. It might be this excessive optimism which attracted his two closest childhood friends: the tomboyish daughter of Malirien, Maya, and her neighbors' young girl, a waif-like redhead his age called Arisa. |
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| − | <i>“It is necessary.”</i>
| + | At the age of fourteen, when Damien and Arisa were already more than friends but not quite at the point of being lovers, the girl joined him in one of his wandering escapades. This time, however, their trail took them face to face with a trio of bandits in the midst of planning how to rob the Malirien household. The trigger for Damien's Exaltation was the awareness that he and his dearest friend were in mortal danger, that Arisa's safety was most definitely his responsibility, and that he would never forgive himself should something happen to her. So, for the first time, he chose to fight: a losing battle, of course, but it mattered little as long as he could keep the thugs busy to allow Arisa to run away and get help. Aware that it was a matter of time before others arrived, the thieves beat and stabbed Damien mercilessly and left him to bleed to death before dashing away as fast as possible. |
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| − | <i>‘Necessary……causing pain to others should not be a necessity.’</i>
| + | During that short period of solitude in which he calmly waited to be claimed by Lethe, he saw someone. |
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| − | <i>The man cloaked in black robes shook his head and refocused on the task at hand; the painful task at hand. Entering the Manse and moving past its defense had been a walk in the park. After all, he had raised that Manse. He knew its layout better than its own inhabitants, those he was now looking at from a corner of the room. So hedonistic, so haughty………so sad in many ways……the man shook his head again, at the Circle of Solars he was about to annihilate.</i>
| + | He saw a girl. A young girl of impossible loveliness, with skin clear as milk and sad, gentle eyes of indeterminate color. Her hair changed between silvery white and obsidian black every time he blinked. But then she was gone, and instead there was an agent of the Bureau of Destiny, who took him away. |
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| − | <i>They had been his friends, a long time ago. He still considered them his friends. They had fought together, ruled together and celebrated together. They had been a Perfect Circle in many ways. He had taught Martial Arts to the Dawn Caste, preached the glory of the Unconquered Sun and the Five Maidens with the Zenith Caste, and raised Manses and crafted wondrous objects with their Twilight sorcerer. He had stalked and killed (and shared the bed sheets) under the cloak of night with the beautiful Night Caste huntress, and dealt with Gods, Exalts, demons and Fair Folk alike with the Eclipse diplomat. They had been a great group, and they had accomplished great things and amassed great riches.</i>
| + | The bandits were never found, and it was assumed that Damien was taken by them. While his parents and Arisa mourned his loss, Damien was explained his new status as a Chosen of the Maiden of Endings, and told he had to leave his former life behind. It was a proposal Damien calmly accepted: he saw it as his chance to fulfill his ambition to make Creation a better, kinder place, and he had always believed Arisa could do much better as well. He was not surprised to learn, a year into his training in Yu-Shan, that his former best friend had awakened as a Fire-Aspect Dragon-Blooded and sent to the Obsidian Mirror. |
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| − | <i>‘What happened?’</i>
| + | During training, Damien gained the approval of his peers solely by his dedication and eagerness to finish his training and get to work, as well as a plethora of scoldings every time he questioned the overly complicated and inefficient ways of the Celestial Bureaucracy. His nature drives him to make Yu-Shan efficient and transparent, something he sees as a (extremely) long-term ambition. |
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| − | <i>He considered drawing his faithful short daiklave, Saturn’s Finger, but he changed his mind. He had a better idea. He slithered with the subtlety of a rattlesnake and the silence of a cat’s footsteps. Such caution wasn’t really necessary. After a night of celebration and debauchery, four of the five members of the Circle were fast asleep, defeated by tiredness and alcohol. The one who remained awake, the Eclipse Caste, was too distracted making love to his Lunar lover on the dining table that he wouldn’t probably notice the cloaked intruder, not even if the intruder weren’t using Charms. The Night Caste’s Lunar partner was snoring on the floor next to his (nude) mistress, and a harem of lovely Dragon-Blooded and human females slept sprawled all over the room.</i>
| + | It was Damien's Sifu who increased his total training time to a year and a half, to further his understanding of martial arts and do something about his unwillingness to harm others. It was also his sifu who gave him the name "Walker in Boundless Shadows", claiming that it came to her in a dream. |
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| − | <i>Assassinating an entire Solar Circle was no easy feat, he was aware of it. But he was absolutely certain he could do it. His Solar friends had fallen down a spiral of degeneration and irresponsibility. Their skills had rusted and decayed, while he had honed his skills to perfection. He knew their strengths and weaknesses. Even if all that failed, a contingent of Dragon-Blooded was waiting for a signal at a safe distance from the manse. But he would not fail. In fact, he had the painful certainty that it would be disappointingly easy.</i>
| + | His very first mission during training time were centered on the Realm, in a straightforward attempt to pull him to the Bronze Faction. The attempt failed, for Walker believed his mission and purpose existed outside of and transcended political differences. What he gained, however, was the valuable insight of the Realm and its bureaucracy, as well a small network of connections within Houses Mnemon, Ledaal, V'neef and Iselsi. |
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| − | <i>A single mudra (hand seal) activated a Charm that made other Charms easier to invoke. It was one of his original creations, a Martial Arts technique he was very proud of. That was followed by the powerful Soul Fire Shaper Form. With that, all preparations were complete. The time had come. But there was a part of him that rejected this course of actions. Sidereal Exalted like him were supposed to put the mission above everything, but the nagging feeling in his chest would leave.</i>
| + | The elder Sidereals acknowledged Walker's devotion to his work, but disapproved of his "idealistic" perception of things. When his training was finished, he was dispatched to the West, if only to keep him away from Faction politics and roughen him up a bit by giving him a taste of "the real world". However, in the three seasons he spent there, he accomplished so much he has earned the favor of the entire Convention of Water--his honesty and well-meaning attitude make it hard for his peers to resent or envy his achievements. Among his achievements, Walker is known to have stopped an operation to smuggle produce out of Skullstone to Coral, a feat which earned him an audience with the Silver Prince himself. He's also known to have slain a Storm Mother and impose audit on a second one for abusing their positions, and for being behind the creation of the first formal Shipwrights' School in Abalone. The Convention of Water would have loved to keep Walker, and the Elder would not have minded much, but neither expected a direct command from the Maiden of Endings herself to transfer Walker to the Convention of Wood and his inclusion to the Convention on Deathlords. |
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| − | <i>He had loved them.</i>
| + | Walker has come to believe it was Saturn herself who appeared before him the day of his Exaltation (it's either that or the delusions of a dying man, which is not nearly as inspiring). He does not get the changing hair color thing, but he assumes it has a meaning. Regardless, Walker has become a devoted follower of the most feared Maiden, and an eager instrument of her will. His devotion borders on obsessive love, and he tackles his missions with enthusiasm, no matter how unfathomable, for he believes such is Saturn's will. That does not stop him from shedding tears and quietly wondering why innocents must suffer for the sake of success in a mission and the stability of Creation. |
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| − | <i>“It is necessary.” The words of Chejop Kejak pounded in his brain like war drums. He considered Kejak a good friend (even if he was sure Kejak didn’t share the feeling), but he would never agree to those words.</i> | + | <b>Appearance:</b> Not even the physical training involved in learning martial arts fixed Walker's rather thin and lanky frame, and his clothes tend to make him look weak and ordinary, concealing his well-defined musculature. He is white-skinned, but the last three seasons he spent in the West have given him a healthy tan. Short and messy black hair, sharp violet eyes, rough cheekbones and slightly sunken cheeks adorn an otherwise round face. His thin, nigh-colorless lips are almost always shaped into a smile, giving him a permanent "I know something you don't" aura. As an agent of Endings, he prefers dark clothes, favoring tight indigo t-shirts and baggy black pants. He is rarely seen without his black cape. He does not like gloves, and will only wear them if the circumstances absolutely demand it. |
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| − | <i>‘Pain should not be necessary’ he thought to himself.</i>
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| − | <i>“Everything has an ending.”</i>
| + | == Character Stats == |
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| − | <i>Those words………he would never believe Kejak’s words, but the soothing voice of the Goddess he loved worked like the most effective pain-numbing drug. He’d do anything for the Maiden of Endings, even killing those he loved.</i>
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| − | <i>‘Everything has an ending.’ He repeated the words in his mind like a mantra, shifted to a crouching stance, and attacked.</i> | + | <b>Caste:</b> Endings<br> |
| | + | <b>Nature:</b> Caregiver<br> |
| | + | <b>Anima:</b> Ascending violet rings surrounding Walker's body.<br> |
| | + | <b>Concept:</b> Paladin of Saturn |
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| − | <i>The Circle never had a chance.</i>
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| − | ----
| + | <b>Attributes:</b><tt><br> |
| | + | Strength 1, Dexterity 5, Stamina 3<br> |
| | + | Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2<br> |
| | + | Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 4</tt> |
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| − | The Chosen of Saturn known as the Walker of Unfathomable Shadows slowly opened his eyes. He immediately recognized the familiar ceiling of his private residence in Yu-Shan. He remembered he had returned “home” after dealing with a minor insurrection leaded by a rebellious God-Blooded in the Haltan borders. It would have been an easy task had it not been for the secret “sponsor” of the guerilla movement: a deathknight at the service of the Deathlord known as the First and Forsaken Lion. The Abyssal Exalt of the Midnight Caste, named the Crimson Hand of Perpetual Damnations, had escaped, and Walker knew it wouldn’t be the last he’d see of her. It was a shame. That deathknight was kind of cute.
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| − | A soft moan interrupted the Walker’s early morning musings. He turned left and smiled at the sleeping figure next to him. It was ironic, in a fairly twisted kind of way. He was thinking about a deathknight when he had a deathknight sleeping by his side. Of course, the title of “deathknight” didn’t apply to this particular Abyssal Exalted. The smile on her face as she slept was the proof.
| + | <b>Abilities:</b><tt><br> |
| | + | <b>Athletics</b> 2, <b>Awareness</b> 2, <b>Bureaucracy</b> 3, <b>Craft (Fate)</b> 5, Dodge 3, Endurance 1, Investigation 2, Linguistics 3 (<i>Riverspeak</i>, High Realm, Old Realm, Seatongue), <b>Lore</b> 3, <b>Martial Arts</b> 5 (Daiklaves +3), <b>Medicine</b> 2, Melee 2, <b>Occult</b> 3, <b>Performance</b> 5 (To Avoid Harm +3), Sail 1, Socialize 3, Stealth 3, Survival 2</tt> |
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| − | He jumped off the bed and moved to open the blue silken curtains to the right. It was daytime in Yu-Shan, like most of the time, and the clear sky was dotted by all sorts of flying creatures and objects, like most of the time. The day was warm and Yu-Shan’s perfect weather was always welcomed. But he felt an awkward cold deep within his chest. He guessed it was the dream.
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| − | He reflexively wrapped his right hand around the amulet tied to a cord around his neck. It was a simple trinket shaped as his Caste Mark, or at least it looked like a simple trinket. It was made to look as if it had been made with mundane materials, but it was actually made of an undetermined amalgam of starmetal and other substances unknown. Walker didn’t know how it was made; he only knew his prayers worked better when they’re backed up in written form and sealed with an ink mark made with that amulet.
| + | <b>Backgrounds:</b> Allies 2, Artifact 2 (<i>Saturn's Kiss</i>), Artifact 2 (<i>Amulet of the Maiden's Favor</i>), Celestial Manse 2, Connections (Convention on Deathlords) 1, Connections (Convention of Water) 2, Connections (Division of Endings) 1, Connections (Division of Secrets) 1, Connections (Division of Serenity) 1, Connections (The Dragon-Blooded) 2, Salary 2, Sifu 2 |
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| − | Another dream. Was it the Maiden’s will, to have him experience the memories of his past incarnation in his sleep? So, he had killed a Circle of Solars during the Usurpation, Solars he was friends with. Did that even matter anymore? The nagging feeling wouldn’t disappear. Maybe he’d have to check if those Solars had reappeared. He felt sick, which was unusual for many reasons. He calmly watched the city beyond the walls of his residence while scratching the stump of his missing left hand. It was one of his many quirks. He also felt like scratching the left side of his head, but he knew that wasn’t a good idea. He was still getting used to the Skin-Mount Amulet he had implanted on his left eye socket. After all, he had lost that eye a long time ago; he might as well put that part of his body to a good use. Besides, it had been an interesting exercise, adjusting the flow of Essence his Manse to make the Hearthstone look like a real eye. With the Hearthstone properly place within the amulet, he almost looked like a normal person, except for the notorious red jade circle where his eyelashes would have been. That’s why he still preferred to cover that side of his head. Besides, he still had to cover his Caste Mark.
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| − | <i>“My blessing will glow bright on you, so bright that it will be etched on your skin, and on the pupils of those who witness your glory.”</i> | + | <b>Virtues:</b><tt><br> |
| | + | Compassion 4, Conviction 2, Temperance 3, Valor 1</tt><br> |
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| − | Those had been her words. He still remembered every single word she had ever told him after so long.
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| − | He was (futilely) trying to fix the mess he called his black hair when a sleepy moan from behind interrupted him. He turned to face the petite beauty that groggily shifted to a sitting position, slowly rubbing her drowsy crimson eyes. Her long black hair cascaded ceremoniously until it caressed the bed sheets, which were stark white, matching her pale, almost unhealthy-looking, skin. The lithe girl didn’t look older than ten years old, and she’d keep that appearance for a very long time.
| + | <b>Willpower:</b> 8<br> |
| | + | <b>Health:</b> -0,-1,-1,-2,-2,-4,Incap<br> |
| | + | <b>Essence:</b> 2<br> |
| | + | <b>Essence pool:</b> 12/24(30) |
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| − | She, like him, seemed to be trying to remember where she was.
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| − | “Good morning, Shoat.” He said. While the terms “morning” and “night” were meaningless in Yu-Shan, Walker was pretty sure it was morning in Creation, or at least in the part of Creation they had arrived from.
| + | <b>Charms:</b> |
| | + | *<b>Craft</b><br> |
| | + | Mending Warped Designs<br> |
| | + | World-Shaping Artistic Vision (Dealing with Spirits) |
| | + | *<b>Bureaucracy</b><br> |
| | + | Icy Hand |
| | + | *<b>Investigation</b><br> |
| | + | Efficient Secretary Technique |
| | + | *<b>Lore</b><br> |
| | + | Systematic Understanding of Everything |
| | + | *<b>Melee</b><br> |
| | + | Impeding the Flow |
| | + | *<b>Performance</b><br> |
| | + | Compassionate Essence Replenishment<br> |
| | + | Perfection in Life |
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| − | The young girl’s smile lifted the Walker’s spirits. “Morning, brother.”
| + | *<b><i>Violet Bier of Sorrows Style</i></b><br> |
| | + | Blade of the Battle Maiden<br> |
| | + | Flight of Mercury<br> |
| | + | Joy in Adversity Stance<br> |
| | + | Secrets of Future Strife |
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| − | Why had she started calling him ‘brother’ in the first place? Was that how she saw him, as some sort of brotherly figure? He wasn’t precisely her protector: she could take pretty good care of herself. But they were so many things: companions, best friends………family, maybe?
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| − | He loved her, he was sure of that. He loved her in pretty much every way a nigh-immortal being can love another nigh-immortal being with the looks of a ten-year-old. He knew they drew some odd looks from others. He couldn’t care less; besides, he didn’t love her THAT way……at least not yet. Did she love him? She certainly seemed to enjoy his company, but……was she even capable of love?
| + | <b>Equipment:</b> leather bag with writing materials, cash, large piece of linen cloth, flint and steel, soap, cooking utensils, salt and spices, maps, compass, astrological measurement devices, small writing board and chalk, traveling log; thigh pouch with cash and empty paper strips; Amulet of the Maiden's Favor; Saturn's Kiss |
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| − | She was smiling, but Walker knew that smile hid so many things. They lived together, traveled together and fought together, but she was still an Exalted of the Deathlords. She cannot escape her tainted Essence, and every time she tries, there are consequences. She wants to get rid of that taint, he knows that. He helps her in any way he can, but is that even possible? Can she sever the dire connection that ties her to everything that is impure and tainted?
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| − | So, he loved her. And he watched her. Should she fail, and be swallowed by the darkness of her soul, then he would kill her. That would be the most painful moment of his life. The mere thought was horribly excruciating, so he shook it away and returned the little girl’s smile.
| + | <b>Combat:</b><br> |
| | + | <b>Base initiative</b>: 9 (18 in the first turn of combat)<br> |
| | + | <b>Soak</b>: 3B/1L/0A (unarmored)<br> |
| | + | <b>Dodge</b>: 8<br> |
| | + | <b>Attacks</b>:<br> |
| | + | Fist: Speed 9 Acc 10 Damage +1B Def 10<br> |
| | + | Kick: Speed 6 Acc 9 Damage +3B Def 10<br> |
| | + | Straight Sword: Speed 9 Acc 11 Damage +4B Def 11 |
| | + | Starmetal Daiklave (Saturn's Kiss) (Martial Arts): Speed 12 Acc 15 Damage +8L Def 15<br> |
| | + | Starmetal Daiklave (Saturn's Kiss) (Melee): Speed 12 Acc 9 Damage +8L Def 9<br> |
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| − | “Go clean yourself. We have a busy day ahead of us.”
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| − | The renegade Abyssal Exalt known as the Shoat of the Mire nodded and smiled even more widely.
| + | === Expanded Backgrounds === |
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| − | “Yes!”
| + | Walker normally uses a straight sword with a blunt edge, both to conceal his Exalted status and to not kill unnecessarily. When push comes to shove, however, he draws his treasured starmetal daiklave, Saturn's Kiss, a heirloom from a previous Exaltation given to him by Nara-O. He also wears the Amulet of the Maiden's Favor, a small starmetal pendant in the shape of Saturn's symbol. This is a hearthstone amulet with two additional benefits. First, it allows the user to store and retrieve a single weapon from Elsewhere as per the Solar Charm Summoning the Loyal Steel), spending a single mote when performing any such action. Second, the wearer gains an automatic success in any prayer roll aimed at gods in the Division of Endings, not including Saturn herself. Walker found this amulet by his bedside the day after his training was deemed to be finished. |
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| − | ---- | + | Walker's residence and manse in Yu-Shan is the Infinite Serpent Pagoda, a strange, gloomy building where snake basreliefs adorn the walls and depictions of starred skies transform the ceilings into observatories of times long past. Within the manse, all lights become pale flickers and fires do not radiate warmth. Walker shares the pagoda with his two allies and attendants, Alexara and Zophitria, the Twin Goddesses of the Main Gates of Meru, which he saved from the slums of Yu-Shan. They are completely loyal to him and keep their eyes on Heaven's developments while he's in Creation. |
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| − | Walker’s short daiklave, Violet Star of the Maiden’s Shadow, clashed against the hobgoblin’s chopping sword. His blade was an extension of him: infused with Essence, it left trails of starlight as it traced geometrically perfect arcs through the air. Performing moves he had practiced day and night for years, the Walker’s martial arts allowed him to keep the three hobgoblins at bay with quick parries and the occasional attack. He was fighting on the defensive, as he always did. The three creatures had yet to land the first blow. On the other side, he had yet to miss the first attack. His concentration was intense. He not only looked at the Wyld beings and their weapons, but the twists and turns of fate that surrounded them. It was like watching the world through a strobe: he saw the creatures as they were, but he also saw they creature as they would be in the immediate future.
| + | Walker's Sifu is Lineth White Lotus, Goddess of Ritualistic Dance and a member of the Division of Serenity. |
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| − | He saw the simultaneous horizontal swipe the three were about to perform and ducked an instant before the three swords would have torn his neck. He took a chance and slashed, the same way he had been struck in the abdomen the day he Exalted. He didn’t bother to see the creature fall dead; he leapt backwards, falling on his hands. He was about to return to a standing position when a black figure leapt on his feet, standing on them for an instant before lunging at superhuman speed at one of the two remaining hobgoblins. She didn’t move so much as flickered from his feet to the place where her target stood. Her blade, a short daiklave black as a starless night she had named Shadow of Saturn’s Finger, flickered with dark pulses of tainted Essence as it tore through the hideous creature body, leaving a trail of blood and gore Walker (disturbingly) realized he had gotten used to.
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| − | The remaining hobgoblin, in a sudden burst of intelligence, dropped its weapon and ran as fast as its feet would take him. Shoat of the Mire looked at her Sidereal partner, who simply nodded. The small girl lowered her soulsteel blade and, with another mighty leap, closed the distance that separated her from the hobgoblin in an instant, taking it down with another swift slash of her blade.
| + | === Other Notes === |
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| − | Shoat of the Mire swiped the sweat off her forehead with her free hand, staining it with the stigmata of her Caste Mark in the process. She groaned at the sight and rubbed her hand against her clothes to get rid of the blood. She was wearing her “battle” dress, a black skintight dress that covered her neck, shoulders, both arms and her body; together with a short black skirt and black low-heeled boots.
| + | Walker is a starting character, plus 15 XP, spent to increase Bureaucracy and Linguistics to 3, Sail to 1 and Survival to 2. The higher number of Background points (mostly Connections) compared to a starting Sidereal character reflects Walker's achievements in his short career prior to the beginning of the campaign. |
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| − | “Thank you, Shoat.”
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| − | The little girl replied with her usual cute smile. “No problem. Not that you needed it, though. Were you taking your time or what?”
| + | * back to [[User:Daneel_Rush]]. |
| − | | + | * back to [[Characters/Sidereals|Sidereals]]. |
| − | Walker shrugged and smiled. “What about the other four?”
| + | * back to [[Characters]]. |
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| − | Shoat’s smiled changed into a wicked grin. Yep, definitely a deathknight. “I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t gotten rid of them, would I?”
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| − | “True.”
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| − | “But, really, I got six of them and you only took out one. What’s the big deal?”
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| − | Walker replied by closing his eyes, or at least the one that Shoat could see, the other being hidden behind a violet bandana, as usual. His sword became a thing of pure light, which flickered for a moment and then jumped to the glove he wore on his right hand, and the Hearthstone studded on it. The sword had been stored Elsewhere until the moment Walker needed it again. Still with his eyes closed, he took a deep breath.
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| − | Shoat had to move a step backwards to avoid the blaze of violet flames that engulfed her partner. His anima flowed as if it had a life of its own, embracing him and spinning around him. Shoat felt as if she could see the whole world in that moment, with Walker as its center. The wind seemed to spin around him and the grass and plants seemed to inch towards him. Suddenly, his anima seemed to seep through his robe, wrapping around his skin. His fingernails grew and sharpened to become shimmering instruments of death. His body seemed to shift in and out of existence at random intervals, as he was an illusion of sorts. He had become something: not truly human, not even truly Exalt. Definitely magical, but definitely not completely organic. He was the world.
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| − | “Four Magical Materials Form.” The girl concluded. Walker opened his eyes and smiled.
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| − | “Good. You’ve been paying attention.”
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| − | “So you were just saving Essence. What for, if I may ask?”
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| − | “For them, I guess.” Walker calmly replied as he pointed to his right with one of his nine-inch nails.
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| − | They were hobgoblins, but they were something else, too. For starters, they were at least twice the size the ones they had just killed. Each of them was at least as tall as Walker and Shoat, one standing on top of the other. In fact, each of their arms was the size of an ordinary hobgoblin. They wielded what, from the distance and under the moonlight, looked like starmetal grand daiklaves. And they were screaming bloody hell and running towards them with giant steps. They were two Wyld-tainted aberrations, definitely not a pleasing sight.
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| − | If Shoat was impressed by the two hulking beasts, she didn’t show it.
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| − | “How did you know those two were coming……oh, right, Sidereal. Forget I asked. So, which one do you want?”
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| − | “You have pretty much done the whole job so far, so why don’t take a break and let me handle this?”
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| − | | |
| − | Walker swiped the air to his right twice, and the two abominations fell backwards, making the ground shake as their massive bodies collapsed. Shoat remembered that Walker could attack from a distance with the Four Magical Materials Form Charm. She chuckled and grabbed Walker’s robe with her tiny left hand. Showing surprising strength for someone her size, she pulled and forced Walker to bend forward. He was about to ask for an explanation when Shoat interrupted him with a soft kiss on his right cheek.
| |
| − | | |
| − | “Take care.” She whispered.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Walker sighed and walked away from the girl, to face the two giant hobgoblins. He noticed with surprise that their wounds were closing as they slowly stood up.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The wind blew carrying the sounds of Great Forks’ perennial party to the outfield right outside the city’s walls. Slavery was every day’s bread in Great Forks, and Fair Folk were common in that city, too. Their presence isn’t a problem, until a Fair Folk slave trader sends hobgoblins to kill slaves to improve his sales. That isn’t really that much of a big deal, at least not something worth the attention of the Division of Endings. However, when the same slave trader has Wyld-enhanced abominations wielding starmetal grand daiklaves, it’s obvious there’s something terribly amiss there.
| |
| − | | |
| − | “Where did you get those weapons!?”
| |
| − | | |
| − | The two beasts roared together; all traces of the blow they had just received long gone. Walker sighed again.
| |
| − | | |
| − | “Why do I even bother?”
| |
| − | | |
| − | ----
| |
| − | | |
| − | === Character Background and Explanations ===
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | <b>Description</b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | The Walker of Unfathomable Shadows looks no older than twenty years old, as a consequence of his Exaltation at the early age of twelve years old. Coming from the easternmost edges of what is commonly known as the South and after years of rigorous physical training, he has an athletic body, built for grace and speed rather than brute force. His skin is of a much-lighter tone than the average Southeasterner, a trait he inherited from his past incarnation and the fact that he spent (and still prefers to spend) most of his time indoors. His short, spiky black hair is perennially messy, impervious to all attempts to fix it in any way. His facial features are narrow and sharp, but his face is capable of looking both incredibly menacing and impressively tender. For some reason (Walker jokingly calls them “Saturn’s Fetishes.” Saturn doesn’t seem to like the joke), facial hair doesn’t grow on his face. His pupils glow with the minute violet flecks characteristic of the Chosen of Saturn. However, his left eye is a fake. It is actually a Hearthstone shaped like an eye and placed on a Skin-Mount Amulet implanted on the Walker’s left eye socket. A successful Perception + Occult roll (difficulty 7) can reveal the original disguise to an attentive observer.
| |
| − | | |
| − | He’s approximately 5’9’’ tall (175 cm) and of average weight and build. His favorite attire is a loose violet robe that covers his whole body from the neck down. Under the robe he wears a rather plain black cloth t-shirt, black baggy pants and brown leather boots. He also wears a brown leather belt in which he hangs small bags of various sizes, where he stores all kinds of mundane items and spare cash. He wears the robe for another reason other than aesthetic preference: concealment. He uses it to conceal the fact that he’s lost his left hand, to conceal the two rings he wears on his right hand and the pendant he wears around his neck, which he received the day of his Exaltation (the <b>Mark of the Violet Maiden</b>, see below).
| |
| − | | |
| − | While his looks aren’t really out of the ordinary, he possesses a natural charm product of his warmth and friendliness; a charm that naturally attracts people to him. He might be one of the most naturally social Sidereals, but he has no magical methods to use or enhance this charm of his. He probably doesn’t need them. If his personality as it is doesn’t work, he’ll just resort to other, non-social methods.
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | <b>History</b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | The Walker of Unfathomable Shadows was born Mawara Dah’vali in a humble cotton farm two or three hours east of the southeastern city of Kirighast. His parents were cotton farmers, like his parents’ parents, and he would inherit the farm when he came of age. Dah’vali’s parents shipped their product to the Varangian cities and made a decent living of it.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Young Dah’vali was well aware of his position in the world. He displayed great insight from an early age, and soon understood his life was pretty much laid out in from of him. He was willing to accept it and eventually become a farmer and trader, but he guessed that didn’t mean he couldn’t try other things. His parents soon noticed their child’s interests were slightly different. Dah’vali often approached travelers and assaulted them with questions. He cherished all forms of written text more than any toy. He played with other children, and often proved to be vastly superior regardless of the game, but he didn’t seem to truly enjoy it. He spent his days working on the fields with his parents. Most of his idle time he secluded himself in his room, looking at the distance and thinking about only Jupiter knows what.
| |
| − | | |
| − | At the age of eight, Dah’vali decided to take a more active role in the farm that would eventually become his. He proposed growing more different crops and suggested different methods of crop rotation to increase productivity. He watched how other farms managed their affairs and took the best ideas to his parents. Everything he proposed became a success, and Dah’vali’s suggestions eventually improved his family’s profits, raising their status above other neighboring farms.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Dah’vali’s parents were more than ecstatic with their son’s sudden interest in the family’s business, but they secretly feared it wouldn’t last, like many of Dah’vali’s other interests. To ensure Dah’vali’s priorities would remain the way they were, they arranged his marriage with the daughter of a neighboring farm, to eventually merge the two farms when Dah’vali became of age. Dah’vali had seen the girl before, but they had never really interacted with her. He was ten years old when he truly met Violet Blossom.
| |
| − | | |
| − | She was a year older than him, and already promised to become an attractive woman in the near future. Dah’vali was charmed by the girl’s beauty, by her warmth and her carefree nature, so different to his. She was impressed by his maturity despite his age, and by his ageless eyes that somehow resembled a beautiful night sky. They became close friends, and their parents saw a bright and successful future for them. Of course, Dah’vali’s history was sealed, long before the day he was conceived.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The previous Walker of Unfathomable Shadows was exalted among the Exalted. He was a master of martial arts, researcher of sorcery and necromancy, and builder of magical wonders; he was admired by many, envied by some and respected by all. It wasn’t a secret that he was particularly favored by the Maiden of Endings, and some rumored she secretly blessed him with all kinds of favors. The most outrageous rumors stated that they might have been, in fact, lovers. Whatever the truth was, the Walker of Unfathomable Shadows was an exemplar of Sidereal Exaltation. As such, many looked up to him, more particularly the Division of Endings; and everyone wanted to be in good terms with him. That wasn’t usually a problem, since he was easygoing and prone to making friends. The Walker had many friends and lovers……until the Usurpation.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The Walker and Chejop Kejak were quite courteous to each other most of the time. Some would dare say they were friends. They both agreed that disposing of the Solars was the best solution to prevent an Age of Darkness (That was the Great Curse working, of course). What Walker couldn’t understand was the subtle but radical change of the Chosen of the Unconquered Sun. He remembered the gallant, courageous warriors of the Sun from the Primordial War. He struggled to seek a way to prevent the demise of the Solars, but the other Sidereals rushed to actions, and so he, too, was summoned to join the Great Hunt. He was forced to kill people he considered his friends, ignoring the insults of some and the pleas for mercy of most. He killed over thirty-five Exalts, Solars and Lunars, by himself, including one Perfect Circle, and the Exalt who would later become the Deathlord known as the Arabesque Perfect of Nameless Perversions. He killed many, and with each death, a part of him died, too.
| |
| − | | |
| − | It soon became noticed that the Walker wasn’t the same after the Usurpation. He secluded himself to the halls of the Violet Bier of Sorrows, filling paperwork and trimming with the threads of Fate rather than working in Creation. He followed orders like a mindless automaton, performing his missions with ruthless precision. He remained like that for centuries, and it became obvious that the former Walker was lost and would never return. Some (namely, the Bronze Faction) used this to their advantage, having Walker share their great knowledge with them and claiming it as their own. They stole and twisted many of his teachings to forge The Five Glorious Dragon Paths. Meanwhile, the poor Walker remained an outstanding protector of Fate, but he had lost <i>something</i>. Whatever it was, Saturn needed it. So, she summoned Walker to the Jade Pleasure Dome. Nobody knows what happened after the gates of the Dome closed behind him. A week after he entered the immense structure, the stars and the Loom of Fate revealed his death.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The Division of Endings immediately began to work, using their powerful astrology to find the person in which the Walker of Unfathomable Shadows would reincarnate. However, no matter how much effort they put into the work, or many Sidereals combined their powers to the astrological readings, the results always came out nothing. It seemed the Exalted Essence of the Walker had disappeared. They reported this to the Maiden of Endings, who dismissed them with the promise of handling the matter personally.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The truth was that Saturn had imprisoned the Walker’s Exaltation. She had told the Walker that his time was over, and it was up to his next incarnation to continue his job of understanding the truth behind the demise of the Solars. She thanked him for the many things he had accomplished, for the love he had professed towards her, and the many ways he had honored her by contributing to the growth of the Martial Arts she had created with her wisdom and love for her Chosen. He had returned her words with a smile; a smile that didn’t leave his face, not even when the Maiden struck him down.
| |
| − | | |
| − | However, when the Exalted Essence was free, the vengeful Arabesque Perfect of Nameless Perversions struck. After all, is there a possibly better revenge than turning her murderer into her eternal slave? Saturn took the Essence and kept it with her. However, she knew she couldn’t keep it forever: the Bureau of Destiny needed the Walker of Unfathomable Shadows. She needed the Walker of Unfathomable Shadows. But the Arabesque Perfect of Nameless Perversions would seize him the moment she released the Essence. She decided to hide it in a place the Deathlord wouldn’t be able to take it from (or so she thought): the Jade Prison. The Essence of the Walker remained there for centuries, but the Maiden never forgot him. She patiently waited, until the Arabesque Perfect of Nameless Perversions gave up on her plan. Some say the Maiden shed a single tear for every day the Walker remained imprisoned, and they also say she used her tears to create all sorts of wondrous items, which she kept for the day her favored would return to her.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Eventually, the Jade Prison was destroyed, and Saturn and the Bureau of Destiny were pleased to see the Walker’s Essence escaping the clutch of the Deathlords and taking possession of an auspicious destiny. The Essence picked the newborn Mawara Dah’vali. And Saturn still waited.
| |
| − | | |
| − | At the age of twelve, Mawara Dah’vali found his death and Exaltation. It wasn’t the usual subtle, quiet Sidereal Exaltation. It involved a life-threatening moment, like most Solar Exaltations, yet it wasn’t nearly as flashy.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Dah’vali and his fiancée were strolling through the woods together when they were spotted and caught by a trio of bandits who had been convicted in Yane for murder but had escaped justice. The three murderers stated Dah’vali’s options: either he stayed and got himself killed or he left Violet Blossom with them, returned home and said nothing about them or his girlfriend to anyone. Dah’vali didn’t even bother to look at Blossom’s pleading, crying face; he had made his choice long before the criminals had finished threatening him. It was more the surprise than the force of his blow, but the man who held Blossom released her. Dah’vali told her to run away, and that’s what she did. Of course, Dah’vali wasn’t as fortunate. The men drew swords and literally tore him apart. One of them cleanly cut his left hand. The second man thrust his blade through Dah’vali’s left eye. The third sword entered through his belly and tore down until it came out through his crotch. Then, the three men left him to look for the girl (who managed to reach her house and spread the alarm to the nearby population, who eventually apprehended the three criminals), while the young boy bled to death. Dah’vali closed his remaining eye……and he saw a woman of unparalleled beauty.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The words that were said then would remain in Dah’vali’s memory forever.
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“Do you want to live?”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“…………”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“Do you want to live, Mawara Dah’vali?”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“No……not now that I have met you, whoever you are.”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>The white-haired goddess smiled. “Good answer. So, do you desire me?”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“………yes.”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“Do you think you are worthy of me?”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“…………no. Nobody is.”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“……listen to me.”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“From this day on you belong to me and only me. You are my Walker of Unfathomable Shadows, precious among my Chosen. You shall follow the orders of others, but in the end, to answer only to me. Your destiny demands nothing less than greatness and perfection. Disappoint me, and my retribution will be swift and stern. Fulfill my expectations, and you’ll receive from me nothing but my love and blessings.”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“From this day on, you have nothing but me and only me. You need no more and no less. You shall thirst for me and seek relief in my gaze. I will be your cause, your consequence and your satisfaction. I am above you and a part of you. Follow me, and I’ll always be by your side. You shall be my eyes, my words and my hands. You are the instrument of my will, the harbinger of endings, who wields fate and makes it flow like water in his hands. You were Chosen by me, just like you have just chosen me. Do not make regret my decision, and I will not make you regret yours.”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“Our pact is of a unique nature. I demand much and expect much, and I shall give plenty in return. Let us seal our pact, then. A pact of loyalty, trust, love and blood………”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“You are my eyes, and there will be nothing in your eyes but me. Hence, I will take the left eye you have just lost. Do not forget.”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“You shall touch no one else but me, and you won’t expect any other touch but mine. Hence, I will take your left hand, too. Do not forget.”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“You shall desire nothing and no one else but me. Hence, you will be incapable of siring progeny. Do not forget.”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i>“This is our pact, and its symbol will shine on your forehead for the rest of your days. You have died and you have been reborn. You do not belong to this world anymore. Renounce to everything else and receive my embrace, my Walker………”</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | The young Walker of Unfathomable Shadows was promptly picked by another Sidereal and taken to the Most Perfect Lotus of Heavenly Designs. There was a small amulet in the shape of Saturn’s Caste Mark next to Dah’vali’s limp body when he was found. Of course, his body was never found by his parents, who mourned his passing for a year and a day. They would have two more children, but they’d never forget their first son, the one they had loved and lost. Violet Blossom’s marriage was canceled, of course. She wouldn’t get married. As a matter of fact, she Exalted a few months after Dah’vali, joining the ranks of the Immaculate Order as the Wood-aspect Resplendent Violet Lotus (the Walker of Unfathomable Shadows and Resplendent Violet Lotus would eventually meet again, as enemies –Walker and his group were being chased by the Wyld Hunt).
| |
| − | | |
| − | As a person, the current Walker can be described with one word: devoted. His dedication to the Division of Endings and, by extension, to the Maiden of Endings, borders on disturbing. He claims to hear the voice of Saturn when he’s alone, and he follows her instructions to the letter. When the order comes from Saturn, he doesn’t argue, no matter how bizarre the order might be. His skill with the manipulation of fate is average, but this is slightly reinforced by the magical power of his amulet. He maneuvers through the chaotic bureaucracy of Heaven like a fish through water, wielding his position as a Favored of Saturn as a sword and his natural Charm as a shield. Unlike the previous Walker, he has few real friends, as he sees most people as means to his end. After all, he needs no one else but Saturn. At least that was the case until he met the renegade Shoat of the Mire.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The Walker’s devotion to Saturn extends to her greatest gift to her Chosen. To the Walker, martial arts are the maximum expression of the greatness of the Maiden of Endings. As such, he has made the mastery of martial arts his obsession. He’s slowly becoming a superb martial artist, to the point that the eldest Sidereals already keep close track of his progress. When he finished his training (which took a year and four months) he received from Wayang a collection of writings on various topics authored by his previous incarnation. He was greatly impressed by the previous Walker’s teachings and accomplishments, and he vowed to always strive to become as great as his predecessor. That’s why he has taken some of his free time between assignments and martial arts training to learn the basics of sorcery and necromancy, as well as the theory of Manse design and construction.
| |
| − | | |
| − | In the time since the end of his training, he has already performed several missions with impressive results and efficiency for such a young Sidereal in both age and appearance. So far the Division of Endings is pleased with the new incarnation of the Walker of Unfathomable Shadows. Of course, excellence is as prone to drawing enemies as it is to drawing friends. This is particularly expectable in the case of the young Walker, as he has politely rejected both Bronze and Gold Factions, making it clear that he’s not interested in matters such as the status quo or revolutionizing the world. To him, the matter of who should rule Creation cannot be solved with simple political and/or military maneuvering, as there are more fundamental problems that need to be solved before that. In the meantime, he will do what Saturn expects him to do: nothing more, nothing less. However, he does seem to have some sort of personal agenda. What he plans and why he does some of the things he does remain a mystery only known (probably) to the Maiden of Endings.
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i><b>New Artifact: Mark of the Violent Maiden (Artifact Level 1)</b></i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | This simple starmetal amulet in the shape of Saturn's Caste Mark receives its name not only from its shape, but from the fact that these amulets are forged at extremely high temperatures and cooled with the cold breath of the Maiden of Endings. By attuning to one of these amulets (which costs 2 motes), a Sidereal Exalt reduces the target number of all prayer rolls by 1.
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | ----
| |
| − | | |
| − | === Statistics ===
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b>Attrbutes</b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b>Strength 3 Dexterity 3 Stamina 3</b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b>Charisma 3 Manipulation 2 Appearance 2</b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b>Perception 3 Intelligence 4 Wits 4</b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b>Abilities</b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b><i>House of Battles</i></b>
| |
| − | :Presence 3
| |
| − | :Resistance 2
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b><i>House of Endings</i></b>
| |
| − | :<i>Athletics 3</i>
| |
| − | :<i>Awareness 2</i>
| |
| − | :<i>Bureaucracy 3</i>
| |
| − | :<i>Martial Arts 5 (+1 – Prodigy Merit)</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b><i>House of Journeys</i></b>
| |
| − | :Endurance 2
| |
| − | :Sail 1
| |
| − | :Thrown 1
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i><b>House of Secrets</b></i>
| |
| − | :Investigation 1
| |
| − | :<i>Lore 3</i>
| |
| − | :<i>Occult 2</i>
| |
| − | :Stealth 3
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i><b>House of Serenity</b></i>
| |
| − | :<i>Craft [Fate] 2</i>
| |
| − | :<i>Dodge 4</i>
| |
| − | :Linguistics 3 (Flametongue, Old Realm, High Realm, Riverspeak)
| |
| − | :Socialize 3
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b>Backgrounds</b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | :Artifact: 2
| |
| − | :Celestial Manse: 2
| |
| − | :Connections
| |
| − | ::Division of Secrets: 1
| |
| − | ::The Cult of the Illuminated: 2
| |
| − | ::The Dragon-Blooded: 1
| |
| − | ::The Guild: 1
| |
| − | ::The Realm: 1
| |
| − | :Salary: 2
| |
| − | :Savant: 3
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b>Virtues and Other Advantages</b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | Compassion: 2
| |
| − | Conviction: 3
| |
| − | Temperance: 1
| |
| − | Valor: 3
| |
| − | | |
| − | Willpower: 6
| |
| − | Essence ([[PersonalWings/WalkerofUnfathomableShadows/Peripheral]]): 3 (12/33 – 4 committed)
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b>Merits and Flaws</b>
| |
| − | :<b><i>Merits: </i></b>
| |
| − | ::<i>Driving Passion</i> (Following the voice of Saturn – gains the extra dice whenever he works to ensure the ending of someone or something that is meant to not exist anymore, or whenever he works to accomplish anything on behalf of the Maiden of Endings).
| |
| − | ::<i>Prodigy – Martial Arts</i>
| |
| − | :<b><i>Flaws:</i></b>
| |
| − | ::<i>Amputee (1 pt. Flaw – Left Hand)</i>
| |
| − | ::<i>One Eye (Left Eye)</i>
| |
| − | ::<i>Permanent Caste Mark (Sidereal version; 1 pt. Flaw)</i>
| |
| − | ::<i>Sterile (1 pt. Flaw)</i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b>Charms and Combat Statistics</b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | :<b>Awareness</b>
| |
| − | ::Prior Warning
| |
| − | :<b>Dodge</b>
| |
| − | ::Absence
| |
| − | :<b>Endurance</b>
| |
| − | ::Optimistic Security Practice
| |
| − | ::Ox-Body Technique
| |
| − | :<b>Occult</b>
| |
| − | ::Incite Decorum
| |
| − | ::Mark of Exaltation
| |
| − | :<b>Stealth</b>
| |
| − | ::Soft Presence Practice
| |
| − | | |
| − | :<b>Martial Arts – Violet Bier of Sorrows Style</b>
| |
| − | ::Blade of the Battle Maiden
| |
| − | ::Flight of Mercury
| |
| − | ::Joy in Adversity Stance
| |
| − | ::Secrets of Future Strife
| |
| − | ::Violet Bier of Sorrows Form
| |
| − |
| |
| − | :<b>Base Combat Statistics</b>
| |
| − | ::Exceptional Slashing Sword (+3/+2/+3/+2): Speed 17*/10 Accuracy +11 Damage +6 Defense +11
| |
| − | ::* The Martial Arts Charm Secrets of Future Strife doubles Walker’s Dexterity + Wits on the first turn of every combat.
| |
| − | ::Dodge Pool: 7
| |
| − | ::Soak: 4 Bashing 2 Lethal
| |
| − | ::Health: -0, -0, -1, -1, -2, -2, -4, Incapacitated
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b>Expanded Backgrounds:</b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | <i><b>Artifacts:</b></i> Walker carries two artifacts with him at all times: the Mark of the Violet Maiden, detailed above; and the Gauntlet of the Hidden Circle, presented here.
| |
| − | | |
| − | <i><b>New Artifact: Gauntlet of the Hidden Circle (Artifact Level 1)</b></i>
| |
| − | | |
| − | Despite its name, the Gauntlet of the Hidden Circle is a glove made of ordinary cloth. However it must be woven with threads made of silk covered with an alloy of silver and molten white jade. After the glove is made, a circular band of gold and red jade is placed on top of it, and a Hearthstone slot is crafted within the space limited by the band. If the enchantment is done properly, any Hearthstone placed on the Gauntlet will seem to glow as if a flame flickered within it.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The Gauntlet is basically a practical pocket to Elsewhere. However it can only store a single weapon. It cannot store more than one weapon, and it cannot store other kinds of objects, regardless of size. However, using this ability has no commitment or activation cost. The wearer of the Gauntlet must attune to it to activate the powers of any Hearthstone placed on it, though. Such attunement requires a commitment cost of 2 motes.
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | <i><b>Celestial Manse:</b></i> The Walker has a rather plain residence in Yu-Shan. His predecessor had an impressive marvel of architecture, built by him to exploit the potential of his powerful Manse to the fullest, but it was seized by a member of the Bronze Faction’s Inner Circle soon after his death. The current Walker’s residence is a small two-story house that supplies the most basic needs (by Yu-Shan standards, so its quite comfortable by Creation’s standards), as well as a large library and a small working office. It does have spacious front and backyards. All of Walker’s needs in Yu-Shan, as well as the maintenance of the residence, are taken care of by four minor servants (two earth-elemental, a water-elemental and a wood-elemental). The Celestial Manse is of Sidereal-aspect, and the Hearthstone it currently creates is presented here.
| |
| − | | |
| − | <b><i>Honing of Mind and Body Gemstone (Hearthstone Level 2)</i></b>
| |
| − | | |
| − | This Celestial Hearthstone is transparent in color, but glows with tendrils of flowing blue-green Essence within it. It centers its owner's mind and stabilizes its chakras, which facilitates learning. For every five days that would be needed for a particular training, the Exalt attuned to this stone needs only one. This cannot reduce training times below their normal order of magnitude (i.e. raising Essence takes at least 1 month).
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | <b><i>Connections – Division of Secrets:</i></b> After many visits to the endless libraries of the Forbidden Manse of Ivy, he has befriended most of the archivist gods, particularly those who are prone to say more than they’re supposed to.
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| − | <b><i>Connections – The Cult of the Illuminated:</i></b> Walker keeps track of the Gold Faction by means of a Solar and a fellow Sidereal. Fleet Brilliance, recruiter of the Gold Faction, Chosen of Mercury and member of Ayesha Ura’s Golden Circle secretly informs Walker of the appearance of new Solar Exalted in the Scavenger Lands and the Cult’s plans in exchange for protection and the occasional aid in recruiting and training newly-Exalted Solars. Aria of Delights, a breathtakingly beautiful woman who rules a small territory southwest of Nexus and happens to be a Solar of the Zenith Caste and a secret supporter of the Cult of the Illuminated, is Walker’s Solar contact within the Cult. She shares information on the recruited Solars’ abilities. In exchange, Walker suggests specific training regimens for individual Solars, which have proven to be quite useful.
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| − | <b><i>Connections – The Dragon-Blooded:</i></b> Walker watches history unfold from every side. That’s why he keeps close contacts within the Dynasty, too. Walker is particularly interested in House Ledaal, because he thinks he shares many beliefs and opinions with that House. He approached the House in the guise of Kaius Silvarelen, a scholar and master of martial arts from the Immaculate Order, and he quickly gained their trust. Together with them, he studies sorcery, the shadowlands and the Deathlords and keeps track of the other Houses and the struggle for the Scarlet Throne. While he’s in good terms with pretty much everyone in the House, he’s particularly close to the youngest members, and among them, he’s especially fond of Ledaal Kebok Coren. It’s a good thing Coren shares the sentiment. Walker never forgets to pay a visit to Coren every time he visits the Ledaal, and his calm and collected nature can control Coren’s emotional outbursts something the other members of the House greatly appreciate.
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| − | <i><b>Connections – The Guild:</b></i> The Walker mostly works within the lands of the East. Through the Guild, the Walker keeps track of the flow of worldwide economy and finds powerful opportunities for business: the Walker has an impressive penchant for making money, only bolstered by his great cunning and insight at commerce and negotiation. Considering that all of Walker’s expenses are covered by his salary, nobody knows what Walker will use the eventual extra income for.
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| − | <i><b>Connections – The Realm:</b></i> To accomplish within the Realm the same businesses he makes in the Scavenger Lands, lots of bureaucratic skill and contacts are a necessity. Thanks to his connection to House Ledaal, he’s (or, at least, his Resplendent Destiny is) a prominent figure in Tuchara. He uses the money he makes in the Threshold to sponsor a school of architecture and several miscellaneous businesses (from inns to armories, including artisan shop, restaurants and realty).
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In his walks, he appreciated the beauty of the natural world, and wondered why the things created by humans lacked that "natural" beauty. Ashe became older, he wondered if humans were truly nothing but a disruptive existence, unable to live in harmony with the world around them, or even with each other. Wise beyond his years, he hoped he could somehow get away from living as a mere servant, to find away to make the world a better place.
Young Damien was quiet and submissive, almost too obedient, and possessing of a gentleness and kindness of heart that made women squeal and men dismiss him as a weak pussy. Not one to fight back even when struck, he was the kind of person who could still smile in front of his bullies, for he blindly believed in the goodness of human hearts. It might be this excessive optimism which attracted his two closest childhood friends: the tomboyish daughter of Malirien, Maya, and her neighbors' young girl, a waif-like redhead his age called Arisa.
At the age of fourteen, when Damien and Arisa were already more than friends but not quite at the point of being lovers, the girl joined him in one of his wandering escapades. This time, however, their trail took them face to face with a trio of bandits in the midst of planning how to rob the Malirien household. The trigger for Damien's Exaltation was the awareness that he and his dearest friend were in mortal danger, that Arisa's safety was most definitely his responsibility, and that he would never forgive himself should something happen to her. So, for the first time, he chose to fight: a losing battle, of course, but it mattered little as long as he could keep the thugs busy to allow Arisa to run away and get help. Aware that it was a matter of time before others arrived, the thieves beat and stabbed Damien mercilessly and left him to bleed to death before dashing away as fast as possible.
During that short period of solitude in which he calmly waited to be claimed by Lethe, he saw someone.
He saw a girl. A young girl of impossible loveliness, with skin clear as milk and sad, gentle eyes of indeterminate color. Her hair changed between silvery white and obsidian black every time he blinked. But then she was gone, and instead there was an agent of the Bureau of Destiny, who took him away.
The bandits were never found, and it was assumed that Damien was taken by them. While his parents and Arisa mourned his loss, Damien was explained his new status as a Chosen of the Maiden of Endings, and told he had to leave his former life behind. It was a proposal Damien calmly accepted: he saw it as his chance to fulfill his ambition to make Creation a better, kinder place, and he had always believed Arisa could do much better as well. He was not surprised to learn, a year into his training in Yu-Shan, that his former best friend had awakened as a Fire-Aspect Dragon-Blooded and sent to the Obsidian Mirror.
During training, Damien gained the approval of his peers solely by his dedication and eagerness to finish his training and get to work, as well as a plethora of scoldings every time he questioned the overly complicated and inefficient ways of the Celestial Bureaucracy. His nature drives him to make Yu-Shan efficient and transparent, something he sees as a (extremely) long-term ambition.
It was Damien's Sifu who increased his total training time to a year and a half, to further his understanding of martial arts and do something about his unwillingness to harm others. It was also his sifu who gave him the name "Walker in Boundless Shadows", claiming that it came to her in a dream.
His very first mission during training time were centered on the Realm, in a straightforward attempt to pull him to the Bronze Faction. The attempt failed, for Walker believed his mission and purpose existed outside of and transcended political differences. What he gained, however, was the valuable insight of the Realm and its bureaucracy, as well a small network of connections within Houses Mnemon, Ledaal, V'neef and Iselsi.
The elder Sidereals acknowledged Walker's devotion to his work, but disapproved of his "idealistic" perception of things. When his training was finished, he was dispatched to the West, if only to keep him away from Faction politics and roughen him up a bit by giving him a taste of "the real world". However, in the three seasons he spent there, he accomplished so much he has earned the favor of the entire Convention of Water--his honesty and well-meaning attitude make it hard for his peers to resent or envy his achievements. Among his achievements, Walker is known to have stopped an operation to smuggle produce out of Skullstone to Coral, a feat which earned him an audience with the Silver Prince himself. He's also known to have slain a Storm Mother and impose audit on a second one for abusing their positions, and for being behind the creation of the first formal Shipwrights' School in Abalone. The Convention of Water would have loved to keep Walker, and the Elder would not have minded much, but neither expected a direct command from the Maiden of Endings herself to transfer Walker to the Convention of Wood and his inclusion to the Convention on Deathlords.
Walker has come to believe it was Saturn herself who appeared before him the day of his Exaltation (it's either that or the delusions of a dying man, which is not nearly as inspiring). He does not get the changing hair color thing, but he assumes it has a meaning. Regardless, Walker has become a devoted follower of the most feared Maiden, and an eager instrument of her will. His devotion borders on obsessive love, and he tackles his missions with enthusiasm, no matter how unfathomable, for he believes such is Saturn's will. That does not stop him from shedding tears and quietly wondering why innocents must suffer for the sake of success in a mission and the stability of Creation.
Walker normally uses a straight sword with a blunt edge, both to conceal his Exalted status and to not kill unnecessarily. When push comes to shove, however, he draws his treasured starmetal daiklave, Saturn's Kiss, a heirloom from a previous Exaltation given to him by Nara-O. He also wears the Amulet of the Maiden's Favor, a small starmetal pendant in the shape of Saturn's symbol. This is a hearthstone amulet with two additional benefits. First, it allows the user to store and retrieve a single weapon from Elsewhere as per the Solar Charm Summoning the Loyal Steel), spending a single mote when performing any such action. Second, the wearer gains an automatic success in any prayer roll aimed at gods in the Division of Endings, not including Saturn herself. Walker found this amulet by his bedside the day after his training was deemed to be finished.
Walker's residence and manse in Yu-Shan is the Infinite Serpent Pagoda, a strange, gloomy building where snake basreliefs adorn the walls and depictions of starred skies transform the ceilings into observatories of times long past. Within the manse, all lights become pale flickers and fires do not radiate warmth. Walker shares the pagoda with his two allies and attendants, Alexara and Zophitria, the Twin Goddesses of the Main Gates of Meru, which he saved from the slums of Yu-Shan. They are completely loyal to him and keep their eyes on Heaven's developments while he's in Creation.
Walker's Sifu is Lineth White Lotus, Goddess of Ritualistic Dance and a member of the Division of Serenity.
Walker is a starting character, plus 15 XP, spent to increase Bureaucracy and Linguistics to 3, Sail to 1 and Survival to 2. The higher number of Background points (mostly Connections) compared to a starting Sidereal character reflects Walker's achievements in his short career prior to the beginning of the campaign.
