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Character Description

Name: Jack of Hearts, Jack, Jackie
Aspect: Air
Nature:Child
Concept: Harem Anime Prietess
Merits:Holy Mien, Priest
Flaws: Mute, Rival, Alien Upbringing

Appearance: Jack of Hearts is an adorable girl, worthy to win the heart of any Dynastic court with the freshness in her face and the naiveté in her aura. Her face is girlish with a deeply rooted gentleness and eager excitability at the world around her. Exalting as an Azure Dragoness, the low standards of her breeding have seen to it there is little of the sky in her colors. Her eyes are soft and brown, large and of a somewhat sleepy character to them but capable of taking on striking focus when something grabs her attention. Bundled into loose braids against her shoulders but else wise left free to gentle breeze that picks up around her from time to time, her hair is silky red and bares the sign of great care by a loving hand. Jack of Hearts possesses a red-ish pink tattoo upon her face centered over her right eye; a perfectly formed heart to match the card suite she was named for. Adorned across the cuffs and the hem with highly ceremonial looking, yet ultimately meaningless patterns, Jack of Hearts clothing reflects the environment she was raised in. Every outfit she possesses consists of nothing more than a kimono of a single color, one for each day in a week, and hakama of a similar but darker shade; each variation of color supposedly bringing good fortune on the day in question. Between the loose robes which hide the curves of her lithe frame, the youthful complexion of her face, and her astounding lack of height, it is for many to mistake her for being far younger than she actually is.

Expanded Merits and Flaws

Attributes

Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2
Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 4
Perception 2, Intelligence 5, Wits 3

Abilities:
Athletics 2, Craft: Caligraphy 5, Dodge 3, Linguistics 3 (Old Realm, Forest Tongue, River cant), Lore 2, Martial Arts 5 (Thrown Wards + 3), Medicine 2, Occult 5, Performance (Tea Cerimony + 2), Thrown 2

Backgrounds: Artifact 4, Thaumaturgy 3, Familiar 2

Virtues:
Compassion 3, Conviction 2, Temperance 2, Valor 2

Willpower: 5
Health: -0,-1,-1,-2,-2,-4,Incap
Essence: 3
Essence pool: 30

Charms:
Linguistics: Language Learning Ritual
Linguistics: Cipher Missive
Linguistics: Craft Icon
Martial Arts: Incandescent Razor Style: Edge-Dancer Stance
Martial Arts: Incandescent Razor Style: Steel Cuts Deep
Martial Arts: Incandescent Razor Style: Incandescent Razor Form
Martial Arts: Incandescent Razor Style: Needle Pierces Cloth
Occult: Spirit-Detecting Mirror
Occult: Spirit-Grounding Shout
Occult: Spirit-Chaining Strike
Thrown: Seeking Throw Technique
Dodge: Flickering Candle Meditation
Dodge: Smoke-Obscuring Effect

Thaumaturgy
Art of Warding (Trained)
Aspects: Demons, Ghosts, Spirits, Undead

Art of Exorcism (Trained)
Aspects: Demons, Ghosts, Spirits

Science of Geomancy: **

Combat

Combat:
Base initiative: 6
Soak: 4B/3L/0A (unarmored)
Dodge: 7
Attacks:
Wards: Acc 12, Dmg 5L, Rate 4, Range 15
Fist: Spd 6, Acc 9, Dmg 2B, Def 10
Kick: Spd 3, Acc 9, Dmg 5B, Def 5

Expanded Backgrounds

Jade Set of the Ascendant Scribe – Artifact 4 Calligraphy Set
Though the act of scribing ink to paper for practical purposes had been all but abandoned in the First Age, as an art-form calligraphy had remained a strong presence. The Sunrise Over Tranquil Lake school of calligraphy was one of the greatest colleges of the art of the written word in great Deheleshen. Mortal, Exalted, and Spirit practitioners alike all came to study under it’s venerated masters and discover inner peace at the tip of a brush stroke. Yet, more than a simple school of artists, beyond the peaceful outer facade stood another purpose of the Sunrise School; training and readying Dragon-Blooded and mortal oculists to face threats of the supernatural. Master calligraphers of the Sunrise School were not merely artists, but ghost and spirit hunters of the finest pedigree, their comprehension of the written character giving strength to the wards they created and offering them a universal strength in any corner of Creation. Jade Sets of the Ascendant Scribe were rare rewards passed out to only the most promising pupils and the most gifted masters. The magic in the carefully arranged set of calligraphy tools outwardly made for uncommonly high-quality utensils and inwardly granted strength to the protective and offensive magics the Sunrise School taught to it’s pupils.

The Sunrise School lived out the fall of the Solar Anathema and even survived through the Contingent. But the wasting illness left too few masters alive to ward off the coming of the Fair Folk invasion. As so many pieces of Creation had been, the school was sacked and destroyed, it’s art and items of power carted off to treasure holds of the Raksha. Reiryosha was one of the Raksha noblewomen involved in the pillaging of the Sunrise School and took several of these sets as prizes from it’s melted walls and crumbled remains. Jack carries the last of these, the only one to still survive the ravages of the Wyld. The young Terrestrial learned the history of the school in her studies and treats her set with an almost religious reverence; refusing to allow any to so much as lay finger upon it. A masters set among masters sets, she carries it in an ornate white jade box held by jeweled clasps. Within, sculpted slots and soft felt hold each piece in place when not in use. Even after so many years, every gilded edge still sparkles brightly and the blood-painted characters which name the school still bare a wet sheen upon the front of the box. It’s delicate porcelain water bowl is unchipped and flawless. It’s ink stone, stamps, and jade seals all

The jade set grants +3 to any sort of roll that involves writing. This includes such activities as making a Wits + Craft (Calligraphy) roll for the purpose of making attractive valuable art, attempting a Larceny + Linguistics to forge someone’s handwriting, or even an Intelligence + Bureaucracy roll to fill out paper work in Yu-Shan properly.

Specially made for the crafting of wards, use of the jade set allows the calligrapher to roll her ((Craft (Calligraphy) + Occult)) in place of ((Manipulation + Occult)) to determine the strength of the ward. It is impossible to fumble any step in the creation of a ward when using the set (fumbles are rerolled) and all 10s count double. The jade set also allows the calligrapher to channel essence during the creation of a ward in order to improve it’s Power and Durability ratings. Each mote of Essence channeled through the set during the crafting of a ward will increase either Power or Durability rating by one. The calligrapher may channel a number of motes in this fashion up to her Occult score.

Jack, having studied the recordings in her clock-word bird, can use the jade set produce several special styles of wards lost with the Sunrise School. Apart from the style of wards Jack uses as edged weapons, she can craft several which bare elemental related effects. Each ward is keyed to a different element. Each ward generally costs the standard 3 motes to activate, but DBs pay 2 less mote on the ward of their element. They are created as normal wards, possessing a Power (Strength) and Durability rating. However, the actual function of these ratings tends to differ from normal wards.

Sorrowful Sonnet of the Empty Child (Earth) – “… for she knew not light nor life. Never did Empty Child know to love a song. Never could she whisper to her mother ‘I love you.’” Inscribed upon these wards is a heartbreaking song of the First Age, detailing the brief, tragic life of Empty Child, an Earth Aspect girl born blind, deaf, and mute. When used, ward plasters itself over a targets face and distorts sight, hearing, and speech, reducing their Awareness rolls involving sight or sound by a number of points equal to the wards Power rating and leaving them unable to speak entirely. Thrown as a normal ward, should the Sonnet strike it's target, the target makes a reflexive Resistance+Essence roll and the number of successes subtracted from the Wards Durability for determining the number of turns it remains active.

Blue Serpent’s Manta (Water) – “The water engulfs as the dragon embraces. The coils of the serpent are inescapable as the tide.” Two lines, written over and over, fill the whole of this ward, a simple lay-mans chant in honor of the Elemental Dragons of Water. Then thrown, the ward will lengthen and twist itself into an elaborate origami dragon, which coils around the target and binds them tightly. The target of the ward is then considered to be in a clinch with the dragon, unable to act until breaking free. Each turn, the target makes a reflexive Strength + Brawl against the paper-dragon, which rolls its Power + the Essence score of the occultist. If successful in gaining control of the clinch, the target may make a Strength roll to attempt to escape. Each success in this roll subtracts a point from the wards Power rating. When reduced to zero Power, the paper-dragon is torn to pieces. If not overcome, the dragon holds the target in a clinch for a number of turns equal to it’s Durability.

Sihen-Ku, the Clockwork Bird – Artifact Level 2
Novalities of the Shoggunate, clockwork animals were simple tools and pets modeled after the more comlicated beings created in the First Age. Each varriation had it's own function and use. Clockwork birds such as Sihen-Ku were the study aids of students; gifted often to young Terrestrials studying abroad. Greatly resembling large metal ravens with emerald eyes and claws of jade, these simple automations were powered by the commited Essence of their masters. Semi-sentient creatures, they possessed a child-like intelligence, but flawless memory. Capable of articulate speech in Old Realm, but incapable of making meaningful conversation, they were instead used to translate texts.

While their memory was limited in space, they could be crafted to possess a very through knowledge of specific areas of education. This was not enough to allow them to teach in any capacity, but allowed them to offer limited assistance in studies. Most clockwork birds also possess six 'record gems,' small round crystals arrayed down their back which when activated will record all sound local for up to an hour each. The owner fixes each gem with a certain phrase, gesture, or written symbol which must be displayed to the automation to make it replay the recording. Record gems are gray when empty and bright green when used. Sihen-Ku possesses the standard six, of which three were already in use when Jack of Hearts recived it. Thus far she has managed to accidentally unlock two of the gems, both of which contained the recording of a lecture on the use of wards. The third has remained beyond her reach.

Not common among clockwork birds, Sihen-Ku is of the rare varrity which also possesses Cloud-Rider Gem. A large clear tetrahdron implanted into it's back, for five motes of Essence the Cloud-Rider Gem will display a small birds-eye map of the local overland area as it existed in the First Age.

Certain clockwork animals were creatures designed for battle, but clockwork birds are fragile automations. To help elivate this, they are self-repair with some aid from their master. For ten motes per health level, a clockwork bird may regenerate a single health level.

Clockwork Bird (Sihen-Ku) Str: 1 Dex: 3 Stam: 1 Willpower: 2 Health Levels: -3x3/I Claws: Spd 3 Atk 3 Dmg 1L

Dodge 6 Soak 0L/3B Abilities: Athletics 3, Awareness 2, Brawl 1, Dodge 3, Lore 1 (Eastern Geography +3, Common Spirits of Darkness +3, Wards of the First Age +3), Stealth 3

Impenetrable Fortress – Artifact 2 Chastity Belt
Highly popular during the Shogunatte, jade chastity belts fell greatly out of favor in the decadent and more open Scarlet Empire. At the height of their popularity, they were almost a cultural necessity. Woe be to the daimyo who could not name the maker and style of chastity belt guarding the virtue of their children. To not force your young son or daughter to wear one at all was seen as paramount to deflowering them yourself and left them socially stained for life.

There were thousands of different styles produced, varying in craftsmanship and capabilities. The Impenetrable Fortress style was considered by most to be the most secure and a fool proof way to keep an adolescents virginity intact until marriage. Despite their awkward sounding name, the Impenetrable Fortress style belts are surprisingly comfortable. Crafted from thin cut jade woven into a silky cloth, apart from a small lock fixed to the waist band, there was little to visibly differentiate between the chastity belt and normal undergarments.

Against the skin of the person attuned to the belt, the cloth was smooth and cool as silk – ever clean and always comfortable. The makers, wishing only to keep the wearer safe from the touch of others, even allowed for the cover of the belt to be moved aside when no other living being stood within a radius of the wearer, so that they could deliver intimacy upon themselves and not go mad in impotent frustrations. Yet, others attempting to even touch them would find a hardened barrier of freezing jade to ward them off – immovable then even by the wearer themselves. Nor could the lock, once in place, ever be undone. There was no key nor any hole to even turn one. Only after undertaking the ritual of marriage could the lock be opened and the belt removed.

In addition to the ‘special’ protection the belt offered, Impenetrable Fortresses were also designed to aid in keeping an imperial child safe from an assassin’s blade and their own lack of good judgment. The belt adds +2B/+2L to the wears natural soak. In addition, it also gives a +3 bonus to all Temperance rolls to resist any form of seduction; from simple social willies to Charms to powerful sorceries.

Familiar 2 - The Legion of the Card
Servants and retainers since she was little, the Legion of the Card is a small army of manikins given to her by Reiryosha. These diminutive figures closely resemble playing cards with tiny human heads, arms, and legs. Kept filed away into small wooden boxes until she needs them, they spring forth and assemble themselves rank and file by suite. Championed by the aces, who stand armored and gleaming, captained by the kings and queens, resplendent in their flat finery, and with their jacks as the trusted lieutenants; the Legion of the Card is a fearsome sight. Or would be, were they not only a few inches tall. The mankins are effectively useless in combat. Easily stomped and torn to pieces, they would none the less throw themselves in wave after futile wave against Jack of Heart’s foes should she command it. But the Outcaste has always tried to take good care of her little servants and the Legion mostly sees itself employed for cleaning duties and other minor tasks.

Thaumaturgy 3
Reiryosha counted numerous mortal thaumaturges of varrious skill among her enslaved servants and ensured the best of them still possessed a spark of life enough to pass their skills onto her daughters. Jack of Hearts is primarily self-taught however, owing only partly to several faceless acolyte tutors and far more largely to a library of books pillaged from the same school of caligraphy where most of her items of power were taken from.

Creation Notes

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