Revision as of 21:42, 18 November 2004

History

I was born to burn, it seems. But it took time for that fire to grow. Really, it might not have ever happened if for debt, a single game of Gateway and a big wager... but let me tell the story.

My actual name should be just Cathak Coenn. I refer to myself as Cathak Jensa Coenn for a reason you'll soon understand. My father, Cathak Jensa, was a scion of the Garel line, and a fine soldier in his days with the Legion. He eventually retired, settled, and went about having all the children he couldn't get around to having early in his life. I was the first, and I'd adopted my father's firebrand nature. Our relationship was... different. He say me far more than other children my age ever saw their parents, and was sure to have a hand in my upbringing even as I entered Primary. I think he saw a bit of himself in me, and he spoke of wanting me to go into the House of Bells afterwards to become a proper defender of the Realm... and I nodded and smiled then. I loved him so, and his word was gospel to me. Mother simply stayed back and let us bond... she was still quite a loving woman as well, if obviously a bit jealous of how papa---ah, father doted on me.

Exaltation

It was at the end of my next-to-last year of Primary that everything went wrong, painfully wrong. We'd left the Imperial City to return to our vacation home in Juche, when we were met on the way by what seemed to be simple bandits. Their leader prattled on endlessly about some sort of debt, and father was quick to demand he step aside. Me and mother withdrew, knowing full well that father would probably kill the bandits in a heartbeat... and sure enough, the flames of his Exalted blessing ignited, and he moved to act.

The rest... it's hazy. So sudden. All that stood out was a sudden, blinding flash of gold, the clash of metal, and my father's pained cries for us to flee. I remember... running... and then searing pain, all over, like heat jabbed into my body. The pain... Dragons save me, the pain. More cries... my mother. My father. The smell of earth and copper and the feel of warmth flooding away. And then... a spark.

I remember the scream. It was pulled from deep within, and let out with a howl of flame. There was that moment of intense sensation, and the pain went away... everything went away.

When I awoke, I was... home. In my bed, in my home. I felt so weak... and I asked why I had a hard time seeing my grandmother... oh, what followed was heartwrenching.

Papa was dead, slain by an Anathema who apparently looted our wagon and took the slaves that had come with us. Mother had fallen as well, an arrow having sliced open her throat. I... they didn't know how I had survived. The doctors had removed nearly ten arrows from me. Most has hit me in non-vital spots, but one lodged directly in my right eyesocket and two more hit me squarely in the... lower abdomen. Now that I had Exalted, they were certain I would recover at least my health, if not my eye. But there were other worries... they left that off for the time being, and for a while I just alternated between sleeping, crying myself to sleep, eating lightly and wondering 'why'.

Ironically, later on in life, I learned why. Papa... had hidden a substantial debt from us that he owned to another Dynast in Juche, and was doing his best to pay it off. Turns out... the Dynast has wagered and lost the debt to my father's killer in a game of Gateway. People wonder why I can't stand the game.

The Fire Inside

Soon, I was able to function again, and I returned for my final year of Primary. There was, at first, a sort of aura of sorrow that followed me as people saw the eyepath and my dejected look... but it soon changed into anger. Boiling anger. Yet another... loss was confirmed when, after three months, I'd not had my monthly. Knowing that my beloved father's legacy wouldn't continue through me was heart-wrenching, and I just balled it all up and threw it at anyone in my way... the first being the school push-around... Mnemon Madal, who'd later become my sworn sister. As a matter of fact, I... may have caused her Exaltation on that day. I remember her thanking me the first time we met after Secondaries were done. Still, I stayed angry, and it worried people. They thought I'd be trouble, and that the House of Bells would chew me up and spit me out.

So, to prove them wrong I went there and worked with a vengeance. I had to carry on the legacy somehow, even if it wasn't through children. I exceled... and the Legion was waiting for me when I left the door. But... I had to reunite with a few of my Primary classmates. Irran... Madal... and Glica. Slutty, smiling, snitty Glica. We were set to solidify our friendship when Madal suggested a fifth person she'd come to know, to complete the circle. That's when we all met Altana. She was... humble, quiet, and sweet in nature. Needless to say, she hit it off nicely with us, and after some time spent judging her character, we accepted her in. We were the Gang of Five. Friends... and then some. Of course, I couldn't stay long... we did have a bit of fun before I headed out for my first tour of duty. Say what you will about the Cynis, but they can throw a party unlike any other...

Stoking the Flames

I don't even remember how long I spent guarding, fighting, killing. It's all a blur, combat. You either remember a terrible battle, or it all mashes together into one bloody mess. That mess soon came to an end for me, and I requested an extended leave to catch up with the Gang.

I learned that Altana had been killed, her throat torn out by an Anathema... during a Wyld Hunt she'd somehow been invited to as an 'observer'. We soon learned the beast that killed her was her own half-brother, Nellens Kual... and our hearts sank. Knowing Altana's kind nature, she may have tried to calm him, and paid for her kindness in blood. The others were crushed... I know Madal cried for days on end. I was... angrier. I remembered papa, remembered those nights in bed, aching and angry and bitter and helpless. I remembered hearing about how I was useless to House Cathak except as a blunt instrument. I remembered all those losses... and now I had another one to remember.

Curshed Anathema blood would have to wash the pain away. Nothing else would do.

Personality

Coenn has three general attitudes, and most people that know her see only one of them. Around friends, especially the rest of the Gang, she's upbeat, joking and more than a bit big-sisterly and protective. Her few friends are vital to her, and she holds them very close and if often willing to help them with some Dynast-related matters if she can. Around most everyone else, she's quiet, slightly distant and constantly observing what people do and say, trying to discern whether or not she can trust them. Around enemies, especially Anathema, she is a rage-consumed tornado of flame and red-jade violence. She shows little mercy, and believes in triumph above all else.

Appearance

Coenn is a tallish (nigh six feet), athletically muscular young woman with vaguely bronzed skin, vivid orange eyes (or, rather, eye) and shoulder-length reddish-brown hair that naturally feathers not unlike the flames she often calls forth. When not in a situation that requires her to look her best, she's usually wearing her plain red leather eyepath, clad in her gear and in flame-embroidered leather travelwear, along with a matching surcoat and cloak. In more social matters, she does away with the patch and just combs her hair around to hide her right eyesocket. Her time as a soldier has done away with some of her youthful beauty, but she nonetheless carries herself well.

CHARACTER SHEET

Name: Cathak Jensa Coenn
Aspect: Fire
Nature: Survivor
House: Cathak

Attributes

Strength ●●●, Dexterity ●●●, Stamina ●●●●
Charisma ●●●, Manipulation ●●, Appearance ●●
Perception ●●●, Intelligence ●●●, Wits ●●●

Favored and Aspect Abilities

Athletics ●●●
Dodge ●●●●
Melee ●●●●●
Presence ●●●●
Socialize ●●●
Endurance ●●●●
Resistance ●●●●
Survival ●●

Non-Favored Abilities

Archery ●●●
Awareness ●●●
Performance ●●
Ride ●●
Lore ●●

Backgrounds

-Artifact ●●●●●
-Backing (The Legions) ●●
-Breeding ● (+3 essence due to Beacon of Power)
-Connections (House Cathak) ●
-Connections (The Legions) ●
-Manse ●●●
-Reputation ●
-Resources ●●

Merits and Flaws

-Sworn Brotherhood (-2 BP)

Coenn is part of a Sworn Sisterhood that at one point was a perfect Terrestrial Circle, only to be broken when the Wood-Aspect of the group was slain during a Wyld Hunt. The remaining four cling to their bond, even as fate and their own lives pull them away more and more often as the years pass.

-One Eye (2 BP) and Sterile (3 BP)

During the assassination of her parents, Coenn received a number of arrow-wounds. While her near-immediate Exaltation saved her from death, her right eye was completely destroyed and her reproduction organs damaged to the point where even becoming god-like could not save them. She is extremely bitter about being sterile, and will quickly get into an argument if someone makes fun of her barren state... or even offhandedly mentions it within earshot.

-Beacon of Power (4 BP)

Perhaps a side-effect of her unusually vicious, fiery nature, Coenn's essence burns so fiercely that she quickly ignites in the usual show of anima-fire. Hiding her essence-fueled powers simply isn't possible, and she doesn't mind in the slightest.

Virtues and Other Stats

Compassion ●●
Conviction ●●●
Temperance ●
Valor ●●●

[Willpower] ●●●●●●
[Essence] ●●●
[Peripheral (Beacon of Power)] 23 / 36
[Committed] 13
[Soak]

[Health Levels] -0 ■ / -1 ■ ■ ■ ■ / -2 ■ ■ ■ ■ / -4 ■ / In ■

[Anima Effects] 2 motes for fire immunity and [Essence x 2] Lethal damage when someone touches them. (Altered by hearthstones)

Equipment

'War-Forged Aegis' Reinforced Breastplate (Artifact ●●●)
10L/9B soak, Mobility -1, Fatigue 0, 4-mote Commitment

Transcendant Phoenix Pinions (Artifact ●●●)
Activates upon anima ignition; flight at 60mph for 1 mote a turn, 5 dice to dodge with each wing (separate roll)

Hearthstone Bracers (Artifact ●●)
+2 initiative, +3 to all dodge attempts, 4-mote Commitment
Set with Gem of White Heat (Fire ●●● - see Anima Effects)

'Realm-Cleansing Lava Fang' Dire Lance (Artifact ●●)
+15 speed, +2 accuracy, +9L damage, +3 defense, rate 3, 5-mote Commitment
Set with Blazing Soul Shard (Fire ●● - see Anima Effects)

Hardened Spirit Gemstone (Earth ●)
Unset; Adds 1 die to Convictions rolls to regain Willpower every morning

Charms And Such

[Endurance]
-Ox-Body Technique x2

[Resistance]
-Strength of Stone Technique
--Impervious Skin of Stone Meditation

[Dodge]
-Flickering Candle Meditation

[Melee]
-Dragon-Graced Weapon (Fire)
-Stoking Bonfire Style

Expanded Backgrounds

Artifact ●●●●●

Mostly due to her talent as a soldier, she's either earned or has come across a number of artifacts. This includes her trusty Dire Lance 'The Realm-Cleansing Lava Fang', the 'War-Forged Aegis' reinforced breastplate she has come to rely on in the thick of combat, as well as a pair of Hearthstone Bracers and, her personal favorite, a set of Transcendant Phoenix Pinions.

Backing (The Legions) ●●

Even though her capabilities would strike most as using her as a suicide soldier, she has this incredible tendency to not die while performing what's required of her. A fair amount of time spent in service of The Legions has earned her a fair amount of respect and authority within the group.

Breeding ●

Some measure of the Fire Dragon's blood courses through her veins, and her breeding is considered better than average. Due to her Beacon of Power flaw, she gains 3 total essence motes.

Connections (House Cathak) ● and (The Legions) ●

She has a few strings within her own House, as well as The Legions, that she can pull to tweak things slightly in her favor when the situation calls for it.

Manse ●●●

One of the benefits of being a capable warrior is that you can find ways to pick up a few Hearthstones along the way. Coenn owns a Gem of White Heat, a Blazing Soul Shard, and an unset Hardened Spirit Gemstone that she's trying to find a Heartstone Amulet for.

Reputation ●

While capable, talented and obedient, Coenn has a serious temper issue, and it gets in the way of her being more than she is. Nonetheless, she's well-known among her circle of friends and acquaintances, and only mentioned in passing otherwise.

Resources ●●

She has a decent amount of spending money to work with wherever she travels, and usually roughs it anyway; she's not too terribly used to living lavishly after so many years with The Legions.

Upgrade Layout

'Will the Circle Be Unbroken?': Coenn and the Gang of Four

Coenn doesn't pose a major threat to the cohesion of the circle, save for being a self-destructive hothead. It would take some extreme, taboo-breaking act for her to shake things up, as her present rage towards Anathema is a bit unusual for someone not regularly in the Wyld Hunt, but can be overlooked when she's calmer and in good company. If the circle were in danger of collapse, she'd fight to hold it together, mostly out of respect for Altana, who served as the Gang's spiritual glue up until (and in a way, even after) her death.

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