Revision as of 09:05, 3 April 2010

Urashima Keitaro, the Anti-Bishonen

Obligatory Introductory Fiction

He didn’t like to fight. He knew he was good at it. He no longer remembered the time when he actually sucked at fighting. Was there such a time? Yes, there was. He at least remembered that.

He looked down at the city currently known as Mauvewall. He remembered with nostalgic sorrow the times when it was Pax Solarica. It was such a long time ago………

Things were so different from the old days. He had seen so much, lost so much…………that was his blessing and his curse: to be witness of the relentless passage of time. How many more times he’d see the people he loved grow, live and die?

It would never end, he knew that. He shouldn’t think about it. Why did he have to remember depressing things? It was so much easier in the so-called Harem Age, when his only worries were passing the Toudai tests. It was much funnier then, too.

He unconsciously strengthened the grip on his trusty old staff as he shook the thoughts back to the deepest recesses of his head stuffed with memories. He had things to do. Something he had done so many times in the past. Something he would do as many times as necessary. Because he loved them.

The sun disappeared behind him, concealed by the mountains surrounding his destination. Shadows covered the city. Soon, all sorts of creatures of the night would creep out of their hidings in the nearby forests, caves and shadowlands and strike at anything that moves.

A rustling in the bushes behind him.

‘Oh, how timely for mindless undead.’

He didn’t need to turn. Long before they lunged at him, he knew there were four zombies: the walking corpses of three males and a young female. With nothing but a whisper he invoked one of his favorite Charms, the good old Honorable Revenge. As he blocked their attacks with one end of the staff, he used the other end to return the favor. The three male zombies fell with one blow each. The female lifted its right arm to claw at his face, which he easily blocked. He extended his hand to make a palm strike at her chest, but the undead moved with surprising speed backwards. There was a sudden silence. His eyes met her cold, lifeless orbs. Despite knowing she didn’t belong to the living anymore, he could swear there was surprise on her face. He hadn’t hit them, but he had definitely gotten to her. He could feel her cold skin under his fingers. It was surprisingly soft. He looked down and closed his hand around the zombie’s left breast.

‘Ooh, soft and bouncy.’

The zombie scratched his face with her free hand, and the young man replied by severing her head off her body.

Would there be a day when he wouldn’t have an embarrassing moment with a female? He secretly hoped not. He knew not. He could still remember the words of the Broodingly Handsome Sun.

“You shall grope, strip and peek at women, and they shall hit, scratch, kick and slap you in return. It shall be so for eternity. However, no matter how many times you fall, you shall rise again, for you are night indestructible. You are the necessary antithesis of everything I am, for your very existence makes me even greater. Now, go! Experience pain and suffering beyond comparison. I assure you it shall be worth it.”

The man looked at the now-utterly-lifeless corpses. He couldn’t lie: it had been worth it. The people he had met, the memories he had created, they were the reason he hadn’t succumbed to brooding and utter boredom and contempt at the current world. For that reason, he was there.

“I’m coming, Shinobu-chan.”

Attributes

• Physical: Primary
  • Strength: 4
  • Dexterity: 6
  • Stamina: 7
• Mental: Secondary
  • Perception: 4
  • Intelligence: 4
  • Wits: 2
• Social: Tertiary
  • Charisma: 4
  • Manipulation: 1
  • Appearance: 2

Abilities

(Bold are Favored)

Kensai:

• Archery: 3
• Brawl:
• Martial Arts: 5 (+3 dice Staff)
• Melee:
• Thrown:

Stalwart:

• Endurance: 5
• Performance:
• Presence: 2
• Resistance: 7
• Survival: 3

Meight: All are Caste Abilities

• Crafts: 4 (+3 dice repairing Artifacts)
• Investigation: 3 (+2 dice in Ruins of the Harem Age)
• Lore: 6 (+3 dice on Toudai Exam Questions)
• Medicine: 5
• Occult: 5

Shinobi:

• Athletics: 3
• Awareness: 2
• Dodge: 6 (+2 dice blades, +1 die unarmed attacks)
• Larceny: 2
• Stealth: 3

Peacemakers:

• Bureaucracy: 2
• Linguistics: 1 (Old Realm, Riverspeak; see Artifacts section)
• Ride:
• Sail:
• Socialize: 2

Backgrounds:

• Allies (Kaolla, Kitsune, Motoko, Mutsumi, Naru, Shinobu) 6
• Artifact N/A (could get pretty much anything he wanted)
• Contacts N/A (too many to be counted)
• Familiar 3 (Tama-chan XXXVII)
• Resources 5
• Manse N/A (has two level 5 Manses and a level 2 Manse. He also possesses several hearthstones from lost Harem Age Manses whose locations only he knows)

Charms and other powers:

Anima Power: Unflappable - Whenever the Stalwarts suffers a setback, defeat or embarrassing moment he may spend 10 motes of Moe to simply come off as so cool and profound that this doesn’t effect him. Even if beaten to within and inch of his life and thrown into a dumpster, as long as this aura is up everyone will simply assume that the Stalwart wanted this to happen and will often talk about how awesome and cool he was for letting it happen. He also gets to add his Moe to his bashing and lethal soak.

Archery

• Graceful Bishonen Archery
• Keen Arrow

Marital Arts

Nobody knows how many styles Keitaro has learned in his millennia of lifetime. He is likely to know at least the Celestial Gentleman Style and the Five Elemental Paths, and he probably has also mastered the secret and insanely powerful Marital Arts of the Helping Goddesses. He may have even created his own styles.

Endurance

• Resoundingly Pretty Body Method x5
• Graceful Bishonen Technique
• Essence Gathering Temper

Resistance

• Graceful Bishonen Resistance
• Blunt the Impact
• Pull the Fang Technique
• Brace Against the Storm
• Unbroken Oak Method
• Steel Skin Prana
• Arm Bracers
• Orichalcum Barrier Defense
• Antithesis of Pain (Original Custom Charm – as the Gothic Lolita Melee Charm Embodiment of Dark Desire, but applies to Orichalcum Barrier Defense. At Moe 6, it allows its user to prepare up to his Resistance score in invocations of OBC, and reduces the cost to 5 m, 1 WP. At Moe 7, it negates the Willpower cost if the OBC is prepared in advance, not when invoked “on the spot.”)

Survival

• Graceful Bishonen Survival
• Elegant Hunting Method

Investigation

• Graceful Bishonen Investigation
• Shadows of the Past

Lore

• Graceful Bishonen Lore
• Know the Past
• Harem Age Anticipation Technique
• Lawyer’s Instincts
• Self-Authorship
• Supporting Cast Protection Method

Medicine

• Graceful Bishonen Technique
• Alleviation of Agony Method
• Crippling Injury Removal Method
• Bed Rest with Beautiful Chicken Soup Technique
• Healing Hands
• Tender Loving Care

Occult

• Shaman’s Eyes Conveyance
• Ghost Touching Prana
• Ghost-Eating Technique
• Magical Girl Circle Sorcery
• Goddess Circle Sorcery
• Bishonen Circle Sorcery
• Bedlam Circle Necormancy

Athletics

• Graceful Bishonen Athletics
• Smooth Landing

Dodge

• Graceful Bishonen Dodge
• Instinctual Avoidance
• Too Pretty to Hit (which Keitaro calls ‘Hinata-sou Violence Negation Kata’)
• Invisible Wall of Brooding
• Preemptive Defense
• Avoiding the Unobserved
• All-Evading Stance
• Run Before the Tide
• Can’t Touch This

Stealth

• Graceful Bishonen Stealth
• Superior Bishonen Stealth
• Unfailing Bishonen Stealth

Nature, Moe, Willpower, and Virtues

Nature: Immortal Keitaro will survive anything. The purpose of his existence is precisely TO EXIST. Keitaro gains Willpower whenever he survives the impossible.

• Permanent Moe: 7
  • Personal: 30
  • Peripheral: 71 (+44 from Skin Mount Amulets, 19 motes committed)

Willpower: 9

Virtues

• Compassion 4
• Temperance 2
• Conviction 4
• Valor 3

Virtue Flaw: Transparency of Conflict: Keitaro finds it extremely hard to make fast decision under pressure, and is prone to evade such responsibilities with lies. He gains a point of Limit whenever he's forced to betray his friends' trust. When he reaches Limit, he becomes an utterly spineless wimp, incapable of saying no.

Possessions

Equipment:

• Archaeologist Kit (a survival kit that also includes tool for the excavation and exploration of ancient ruins)
• Sticker Photo Book
• Toudai Study Books

Artifacts

• Amulet of Perfection of Speech
• Dragon Master Moe Armor
• Eyes of Perspective Variation
• Orichalcum Staff (Echoes of Forgotten Promises) w/Velka Cartridges
• Cry of the Phoenix + Micro Fire Pearls
• Portable Geomantic Recharging Module
• Rod of Cleansing the Body
• Skin Mount Amulet x6

Miscellaneous

• Lethal Soak: 3 (17 with Dragon Master Moe Armor)
• Bashing Soak: 7 (21 with Dragon Master Moe Armor)
• Dodge: 11 dice
• Fatigue: 0
• Mobility Penalty: 0
• Attacks:
  • Staff:
    • Shinmeiryu Hunter Mode: Spd 12 Acc 17 Dmg +14L (+16L if Moe Reinforcement Tissue is active) Def 18
    • Attuned / Urashima Slayer Mode: Spd 10 Acc 16 Dmg +19B (+21B if Moe Reinforcement Tissue is active) Def 16
    • Lord of Eternity Mode: Spd 10 Acc 16 Dmg +14L (+16L if Moe Reinforcement Tissue is active) Def 16

• • Punch*: Spd 8/10 Acc 14/15 Dmg +4B/+11B Def 14/16
  • Kick*: Spd 5/7 Acc 13/13 Dmg +6B/+14B Def 13/11
• values after slash apply if Dragon Master Moe Armor is active.

• • Jitkundo Shockwave: Spd 10 Acc 17 Dmg +10L Range 20
  • Urashima Plasma Shuriken Assault: Spd 10 Acc 16 Dmg +14L Range 60
  • Eternity’s Requiem: Spd 8 Acc 12 Dmg +18L Range 300

• • Cry of the Phoenix Spd 10 Acc 11 Dmg +10L Range 20

• Health:
  • 2 -0
  • 8 -1
  • 6 -2
  • 1 -4
  • Incap.

Appearance

Urashima Keitaro is rather bland for a Bishonen. He’s 171 cm tall, with short dark hair. His big brown eyes are usually covered by his Eyes of Perspective Variation. He’s slightly athletic, with a scrawny body that conceals his unmatched stamina. His skin is nicely tanned after thousands of years of life in the wild. He’s an explorer, and he wears appropriate clothes, made of leather, cloth and tough hide.

A pair of thick leather gloves hides the Skin Mount Amulets he has on both hands. One is right on the skin over his second vertebrae, two behind his shoulders and the sixth one is on the end of his back.

Fetishes

Urashima Keitaro, as the Anti-Bishonen, does not have formal fetishes as other Exalts. His lack of wits, nervousness around women, forgetfulness, and resistance to pain that borders on immortality could be labeled as his fetishes.

Personality:

Keitaro is naturally kind and forgiving, especially to women and children. After a few millennia, he has gotten over his shyness around women. However, he’s still extremely prone to getting into embarrassing situations with females. This is not his fault (most of the time), but part of his “curse” as the Anti-Bishonen. He’s perseverant beyond being obstinate or plain stupid. His insane resilience allows him to get up and keep on struggling when any other would have surrendered. He’s impervious to humiliation (he’s used to it, anyway) and his self-esteem is surprisingly balanced for someone with a life as his. He’s an all-around nice guy who could easily befriend any kind of person.

His greatest problem would be his age. Being the oldest non-divine being on the surface of Creation (save for a handful of Helping Gods) he has seen and suffered much. Watching your loved ones die again and again (often is not-very-nice ways) leaves a scar on one’s soul. He’s prone to moments of nostalgia and unpleasant remembrances, and he finds himself crying at the sight of the world he remembers being replaced with a new, more decadent world. He despises the Scarlet Empire, but he has no ill feelings towards the Magical Girls (the most obvious proof of his boundless tolerance). Should he be killed (since it seems he won’t die for natural causes), it would be very possible that he became (the fourteenth?) Lord of Cute Angst.

History:

Urashima Keitaro has no story as a human. His birth is not recorded in the Ultimate System, for he precedes the Ultimate System. He was one of the first Exalted: he has never died, hence he has never reincarnated. He fought the Prime Ordeal War with his elite team: Hinata Angels (called Hinata Demons by many; and with good reason). He was the only one in his team to survive the war. Since that moment, he has devoted himself to what he loves most: exploring the world, discovering its secrets. He has always kept track of his teammates’ reincarnations. Be they mortal or Exalt, he always finds them, trains them and takes them with him to travel and enjoy the world together, until they pass away again and the cycle starts anew.

Having no attachment to the Bishonen Empire during the Harem Age, he was the first to hide at the first hints of the Magical Girls’ betrayal. Those who dared follow him to hunt him down were quickly dispatched by his supreme skill with Marital Arts. The Helping Goddesses of the BronzeSoft Faction have long ago given up on their attempts to take him down. On the other side, the Open GoldSource Movement would love to have him on their side. Even the Lords of Cute Angst stay away from him, as long as Keitaro does the same. Keitaro only wants to live in peace.

As a consequence of centuries of life and exploring, Keitaro has what probably is the greatest collection of artifacts on Creation, a collection even the Lords of Cute Angst would envy, if they knew of it. He only keeps a few of them with him at all times, changing them when necessary. He has become quite skilled at repairing artifacts after a lot of time experimenting (and blowing up things). His secret stash is hidden in his biggest Manse, an underground cave in a southwestern island not included in any map: Pararakerusu.

Despite his life as a wandered, he has more than enough money at his disposal. He can always sell one of his artifacts, or he can rely on several businesses he has on the Kawaii Isle, which he leaves on the hands of mortal families from generation to generation. He has a hotel (which every century or so become a girls’ dorm for a few decades), a tea house and a beach restaurant.

As of late, there has been something that has worried him considerably. He has recently had several encounters with a Gothic Lolita who calls herself She Who Smites Her Rivals, who seems to be the reincarnation of his mortal sister, whom he lost at the hands of the Magical Girls (in an attempt to draw him out of hiding). After she died, she had never reincarnated (to Keitaro’s surprise), and her existence as a Gothic Lolita would certainly explain that. He still doesn’t know how to deal with this new situation.

Storyteller's Notes:

Keitaro travels either alone or with his companions (while they’re alive). He’ll only enter the Kawaii Isle if he finds out a reincarnation of one of his companions has appeared there. He mostly spends his time traveling aimlessly and performing random good deeds, while adding more and more rare artifacts to his stash.

New Artifacts

Amulet of Perfection of Speech (Artifact Level 3)

This is a tiny rhomboid of clear crystal the size of an apple’s seed set within a narrow frame of blue jade and orichalcum. The wearer need only spend 3 motes of Moe to activate the amulet for a scene. While active, its wearer can perfectly read, speak and clearly understand speech and written text in any language, from Riverspeak to a rare demonic tongue spoken only in Ralph’Malfeas. The wearer can even decipher any mundane code on sight. However, while the amulet is active, everything the wearer reads or hears he does so in the old language of the Harem Age (which means this artifact is useless if you don’t know Old Realm).

Dragon Master Moe Armor (Artifact Level 5)

Created by Otakuchton for Keitaro at the request of the Broodingly Handsome Sun, the Dragon Master Moe Armor is the dream of any marital artist brought to reality.

Most marital artists cannot combine armor with their fighting styles. In addition, even the Anti-Bishonen sometimes needs to show up in ceremonies, diplomatic meetings and other situations where armor is considered rude or unmannered, or proof of either lack of lust or aggressive intent. This artifact is an overtly subtle means of achieving protection.

This artifact consists of a pair of bracers and a pair of anklets, all made of orichalcum. The left bracer contains a socket for a single hearthstone, and both the bracers and the anklets appear relatively delicate and extremely ornate.

To use this item, Keitaro must wear all four of these items and commit ten motes of Moe to them. In addition, Keitaro must wear these artifacts next to his skin and cannot wear armor or any heavy garment made of metal, hard leather or any other inflexible material. If Keitaro attempts to stack these artifacts with any other type of armor, the artifacts will not function. Keitaro may, however, dress in anything from light clothing to the most elaborate robes. If any attack is made upon Keitaro, the Moe armor instantly and automatically activates before the attack strikes him. When activating, the artifact automatically draws three more motes of Moe from Keitaro. Keitaro can deliberately choose not to spend these motes, but in this case, the artifact remains inactive and does not help reduce the severity of the blow. Once activated, these artifacts remain active for one full scene, unless Keitaro dismisses their protection earlier.

When active, the armor covers Keitaro in a glowing sheet of Moe that is obviously magical. This raises the difficult of all Stealth rolls by two, including those aided by Charms. This armor is specifically usable with Charms that require the wearer to not wear armor, and its protection stacks with that given by Charms. In addition, the armor grants Keitaro the following benefits:

Moe Sensory Augmentation Veil: as a reflexive action, Keitaro gains a +2 bonus to Awareness. Alternatively, the wearer can reflexively activate Moe sight for three motes per scene, which also automatically pierces any artifact cloaking device. Moe sight pierces darkness, fog, smoke, precipitation, light underbrush and all other visual obstructions up to solid barriers an inch thick. It also allows seeing unmanifested spirits, ghosts, living beings and enchanted objects (including walking dead and automatons) as glowing presences. In addition, Keitaro can see the Moe-flows of demesnes and manses at the range of his normal vision and can easily tell the power of these locations and if their Moe flows have been properly capped. Only Essence-charge visual obstructions, such as those created with spells or Charms, can obstruct Moe sight, and then only if they do not simply create or summon a mundane phenomenon.

Moe Reinforcement Tissue: Keitaro gains +2 dots of Strength for feats of strength, calculating jump distance and inflicting damage with attacks.

Moe Reinforced Limbs: Keitaro’s hands and legs can parry lethal attacks without a stunt and have the following statistics: Punch: Spd +2 Acc +1 Dmg +5B Def +2 Kick: Spd +2 Acc +0 Dmg +6B Def -2

Moe Adaptive Camouflaging: Keitaro gains a +2 bonus to Stealth while moving, or +3 while stationary. This ability specifically defends against Moe sight.

Blessing of Regeneration: the Moe armor can be focused on repairing Keitaro’s flesh. While active, Keitaro heals all bashing damage every turn and one level of lethal damage every hour.

Jitkundo Shockwave: by expending five motes of Moe, Keitaro can generate a pulse of concentrated Moe that blasts out from his body. The attack affects everyone within range and can be dodged but not parried. The shockwave generated by this attack deals piercing damage to all targets wearing non-magical armor. Keitaro mostly uses it to clear away large numbers of weak attackers.

Speed +2 Acc +3 Dmg 10L Range 20* *This attack has no extended range. This is the maximum range of the effect.

Armor Stats: Soak +14L/+14B Hardness 9L/9B Mobility -0 Fatigue 0 (Includes magical material bonus)

Eyes of Perspective Variation (Artifact Level 3)

These are frameless transparent adamant lenses (one for each eye) attached together by a small node made from Harem Age alloys. If attuned for a commitment of one mote, Keitaro can touch the node to the arc of his nose and tap it once, causing it to adhere to his skin until he taps it again. The lenses negate any penalties to Perception rolls due to natural, internal eye conditions, from bad sight due to age, illness, etc, to total blindness of one eye, either from a grave condition or the sheer absence of the eye altogether. This artifact does not remedy complete blindness (Keitaro would need at least one eye capable of seeing to use this artifact). At will, Keitaro can shift the perspective of his vision, allowing him to view from any point and direction within line of sight that is no farther than (his Moe x 20) yards distant. All Perception rolls suffer a -1 penalty as long as the character divides his vision this way. The extended range of the lenses allows Keitaro to scry through walls or other constructions.

Echoes of Forgotten Promises (Artifact Level N/A)

Velka-Type Staff: Spd +2 Acc +2 Dmg +15B Def +2 Minimums Str 1/Dex 4/MA 4 Attunement 8

Keitaro’s staff is a wonder beyond comparison. The staff is made of a mixture of all the magical materials save soulsteel and First Age alloys. As a consequence, Keitaro gains no magical material bonuses from this weapon. The staff is seven-feet-long, with a spherical red orb on the tip. This orb has the size of a human skull, and it’s attached to the staff by the weapon’s cylinder, made of orichalcum. A ring of orichalcum and white jade also extends from the sides of this cylinder, surrounding the red orb without touching it. When Keitaro’s attuned to the weapon (attunement costs 8 motes) the red orb glows brightly and clouds of shining Moe circle it.

The staff is hollow (as most Velka-Type weapons), allowing a maximum capacity of 40 cartridges. The staff uses simple Level 1 cartridges, and requires an expense of one cartridge per minute of combat use, as well as one cartridge to initiate combat mode with the weapon and one cartridge to switch between weapon modes. If combat mode is not initiated, the staff deals bashing damage, using the stats above.

Echoes of Forgotten Promises can strike dematerialized beings while attuned and in combat mode, regardless of what weapon mode is active. In addition, the following ability is always available to Keitaro, also regardless of weapon mode.

Dematerialize: Keitaro can spend a point of Willpower and 10 motes of Moe to cause himself, his equipment and a number of individuals he’s touching equal to his permanent Moe to dematerialize just like a spirit. Once dematerialized, Keitaro and anyone he took with him can wander Creation immaterial, enter spirits’ sanctums or even walk through one of the gateways into Neo-Yu-Shan. Because being materialized is Keitaro’s natural state, he may materialize as a reflexive action, and doing so requires him to expend no Moe.

Echoes of Forgotten Promises has three weapon modes. Keitaro can choose the initial mode whenever he initiates combat mode with the staff.

Shinmeiryu Hunter Mode: the upper edge of the ring that surrounds the red orb separates and the two parts extends to opposite sides, allowing the Moe focused around the orb to gather and extend upwards. In this way, the staff becomes a naginata with a blade of pure Moe. This adds +2 to the weapon’s speed and defense, +1 to its accuracy. The weapon’s damage becomes lethal, but its damage bonus is reduced to +10L. However, the Moe naginata always deals at least four dice of damage after soak, instead of the usual minimum (one die). While the staff is in Shinmeiryu Hunter Mode, Keitaro can use the special technique taught to him by his partner Motoko:

Zanmaken: Keitaro spends either one or two cartridges and swings his weapon. This Moe is focused and directed into a shockwave that radiates outward from the weapon. Keitaro can choose to have this shockwave radiate out in all directions (something Motoko could never do), or to affect only those targets in front of and on either side of him. If Keitaro spent one cartridge, this shockwave affects everyone within (Keitaro’s Moe + Melee) yards. Players of all characters within range must make a successful (Dexterity or Stamina + Athletics or Resistance) roll, difficulty 2, or their characters suffer knockback. The expense of two cartridges increases the difficulty to 4. Characters who fail this roll all suffer a number of yards of knockback equal to the number of successes Keitaro achieved on his attack roll. Then, players of characters who failed the first roll must make an additional identical roll, this time at difficulty 3, to avoid their characters suffering knockdown. The target the character initially attacks suffers these effects, but the knockback or knockdown is resolved after the attack itself.

Demonic Fist: Keitaro can reflexively activate this ability after a successful attack roll. If the opponent is armored, this ability allows Keitaro to temporarily or permanently reduce or completely negate that protection. Keitaro spends cartridges worth a number of motes equal to the armor’s Resources cost or Artifact rating (as applicable), plus one (in the case of odd Moe costs, the cartridge’s extra mote is wasted). In the case of mundane armor, no roll is necessary: the armor automatically loses points of lethal and bashing soak equal to the extra successes achieved on the attack roll. If this reduces the armor’s soak to zero, it shatters beyond repair (usually taking the rest of the victim’s clothes with it – Keitaro has left many women naked with this technique……no need to explain what usually happens next). In the case of magical armor, Keitaro reflexively rolls Moe + Marital Arts, at a difficulty of the target’s permanent Moe. If he succeeds, the target loses her attunement to her armor, and must attune again. The victim can avert deattunement by immediately spending a number of motes equal to the attunement cost of the weapon.

Urashima Slayer Mode: The ring is vertically split in two and the two halves separate, but the bottom of the two halves remains attached to the cylinder by an extension of red jade, normally concealed within the ring itself. Then, the two pieces are further split in two each, the result being four semicircles of orichalcum and white jade which evenly allocate around the large red orb. The weapons’ stats do not change (it still deals bashing damage), but Keitaro gains access to the abilities of his long lost sister, Kanako:

Illusionary Disguise: Keitaro gains two extra dice to Stealth, as his body is concealed by a layer of veiling Moe (this stacks with the bonus of his armor). In addition, if he spends three cartridges, he gains four dice to all Larceny rolls for the next scene to disguise himself as a being of approximately similar size. This disguise ability also negates the +2 difficulty increase caused by working without effective props and/or trying to mimic a specific person without several weeks of direct observation of the subject.

The base difficulty of all rolls to disguise as another Exalt of the same type is 1. Add +1 if Keitaro is attempting to disguise himself as a mortal or another type of Exalt. Disguising the wearer as any other humanoid being of the same size, like gods or undead, raises the difficulty of this roll to 4. Add one more to the difficulty if the wearer is attempting to disguise himself as a specific individual well-enough to fool characters who know this individual well.

Legendary Ventriloquism: Keitaro can make his voice heard, even at great distances. This has a cost of one mote per sentence (which must be spend from his own Moe pool, not the cartridges). Keitaro does not actually have to speak the sentence out loud, but he does at least have to vaguely mouth the words he wishes to send. The maximum range of this ability is (100 x Keitaro’s Moe) yards.

Urashima Counter: By spending a cartridge, Keitaro can parry ANY incoming hand-to-hand or ranged attack with his full Dexterity + Marital Arts pool, by creating a focused small-area barrier of Moe. He may also defend against ranged area-of-effect attacks, creating a wide-area barrier that entirely surrounds him: this costs two cartridges, and Keitaro only deflects missiles threatening him.

Lord of Eternity Mode: Keitaro must spend three cartridges instead of one to activate the final mode. The cost per minute also increases to three cartridges. Orichalcum extensions come out of the ring and extend outwards, the ring becoming a radiant golden sun. The red orb glows white, nearly blinding those nearby. In this mode, the staff has the same Speed, Accuracy and Defense stats, but it deals lethal damage as the Shinmeiryu Hunter Mode.

While Lord of Eternity Mode is active, Keitaro has the following powers available:

Anti-Bishonen Firewall: The staff temporarily blocks access to Keitaro’s records in the Ultimate System. His future cannot be divined by any means, nor may he be the target of Helping Goddess Background Programs. Furthermore, Helping Goddess Charms cannot drain or grant him Willpower points (even indirectly, as through compulsions), impose compulsions that affect his behavior rather than dice pools or transport him to another location. Should a Helping Goddess wield this weapon, she would lose access to all her Disguises and Cheat Codes.

Life-draining Moe Vacuum: Whenever the staff strikes, small vortexes of Moe suck out the target’s life energy. Anytime Keitaro strikes a blow that inflicts one or more levels of damage to a Moe-using character, Keitaro automatically heals one level of bashing or lethal damage (his choice). The target of the attack takes no additional damage, but he can feel the wielder draining the life out of her. This feature cannot heal aggravated damage.

Voiceless Punishment: The staff drains five motes from Moe users each time Keitaro parries an unarmed attack or a hand-to-hand attack with mundane or soulsteel weapons.

Urashima Plasma Shuriken Assault: Keitaro can summon a swarm of Moe arrows to strike his opponents. He can spend a number of cartridges on this attack equal to his permanent Moe. Each cartridge creates two Moe arrows. Keitaro may freely direct the arrows, which can be parried but cannot be dodged. More than one arrow can be aimed at the same target. Keitaro only rolls once for every attack, using Dexterity + Archery or Dexterity + Martial Arts, also including the staff’s bonus to Speed and Accuracy. Each arrow is defended against separately. Keitaro does not add his Strength score to the arrows’ damage. The arrows base damage is twice Keitaro’s permanent Moe score, and their range is 60 feet.

Eternity’s Requiem: Keitaro spends three cartridges. He spends a turn as Moe is quickly gathered and compressed into a big sphere of flaming destruction. In this turn, Keitaro cannot move, and he can dodge or parry only by using reflexive Charms or persistent Charms that are already in effect. Finally, Keitaro shoots, a line of pure energy that, when it reaches its target, explodes in a radiant burst two yards in diameter. Every creature in the path of the line or within the burst radius takes damage. This attack can be dodged, but it cannot be parried without Charms that allow the user to parry any attack. This is treated as an Archery attack, which can be supplemented with Charms, as usual. The staff is treated as a firewand for the purpose of some Charms’ effects. Keitaro’s Strength is not added to the attack’s raw damage.

Spd +0 Acc +3 Dmg +18L Range 300

Cry of the Phoenix (Artifact Level 3)

Cry of the Phoenix is a custom-made Plasma Tongue Repeater: a type of small, personal firewand that uses alchemical fuel much more stable and powerful than firedust. The ammunition, an alchemically energized micro fire pearl, hits the target fast enough to lodge itself in the impact point (making the initial damage piercing) and continues burning from within until the target burns to cinders. If the initial blast successfully inflicts any damage, the target suffers two lethal health levels of damage per round; bypassing all armored soak until the target is destroyed or the pearl-bullet is removed. Removing the pearl requires a successful (Dexterity + Athletics) roll for a structure of (Dexterity + Medicine) for as being at difficulty 2. Cry of the Phoenix counts as a firewand for the purpose of Archery Charms. Keitaro’s Strength is not added to the raw damage of the attack.

Spd +2 Acc +2 Dmg +10L (Piercing) Range 20 Ammo 5 bullets

Micro Fire Pearls (Artifact Level 1 per 10 bullet pack)

Comments

I'll add Kei-kun's spells and Combos one of these days. The point is, Keitaro is one of those "just don't fight him!" characters. I'll use Keitaro when I work on Marital Arts styles, of course. Oh, and by the way, look forward to Shinobu's write-up, which will include the continuation of Keitaro's intro fiction! --Wings

heh... looks neat... but isn't Keitaro referenced already? With his sister as the current regent on the scarlet throne? ^_^ ~ haku

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dangedy Dang Dang. So why is he the 'Anti-Bishonen'? Just too geeky looking?  :) As for reconciling this with the existence of Tepes Keitaro, brother of Tepes Kanako, the imperial regent, here's my idea--The Ultimate System kicked up an error because he was still wasn't dead, and the easiest way to reconcile it was to ensure the birth of someone who WOULD have been his reincarnation, if only he had DIED when he was supposed to :) Of course, it didn't work because he's not registered properly, so now there's two of him, which can inevitably only lead to more errors if he ever returns to the Kawaii Isle... So which Lord of Cute Angst does She Who Smites Her Rivals serve?-- JohnBiles

He's the Anti-Bishonen because no matter what he does, he will never come out as completely cool. As for the previous reference, I had an idea, but yours is a LOT better! :) As for She Who Smites her Rivals, she's Kanako's Exaltation: she was meant to become the first of all Bishojo, but, well, she got killed. Her soul eventually reincarnated into Tepes Kanako, and her Exaltation endedup in the Maid Prison for who knows how long until it was seized and transformed into She Who Smites Her Rivals. As for who she serves, she serves The Crappy-Savant Annoyed by Cat-Hackers, the "alter-ego" of the Skeletal Lord. You'll learn more about that eventually...when I get to work on it :) --Wings

Excellente! Sounds good to me. --JohnBiles