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Beloved Blossom Style: Flowers

This is a Celestial style in which the practicioners become skilled in doing emotional warfare on people they care about. Its form weapons are the flowering cherry branch and the lotus bud. It has two Charms before the Form and an indeterminate number after (the Style is infinitely expansible), of which we will write six and consider the Relay completed.

Charms

1. Wind Over Fields Meditation</b> - Wohksworth

<b>Cost: 7 motes
Duration: Indefinite
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 2
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: None

There is a parasitic bloom from the far East that binds so tenaciously to its hard-shelled predatory hosts that it will cry out in fear when it is threatened. Its motes bound to its surroundings and its progenitor, this Charm emulates these flowers. The Exalt spreads her Essence around the grounds of some institution with which she is intimated--an organization, family, bureaucracy, and such, to which she belongs or is otherwise commonly associated, of membership or scope not exceeding Essence*50--singing to the falling petals of the ground in which they are being planted.

Until the motes which power this Charm are decommitted, the Exalt will not be surprised by any other member of the institution. They may try to sneak up behind her at night, or surreptiously slip poison in her wine, but the cries of her Charm will make her aware. The petals will also warn her of any strange happenings on the grounds on which they have been planted; strangers coming and going irregularly, or a gathering of members of which she was unaware. She recieves a detection attempt versus any of the above conditions which may be masked by Charm usage.

2. Meadow of Odiferous Fugue Kata</b> - nikink

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 2
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: None

Many plants bear sweet smelling flowers that can sway the heart and stir the memories. By performing a special kata the martial-artist may stimulate their own glands and essence to exude a smell that has meaning to the target. As they inhale the fumes, the target becomes more sluggish and suggestible. The martial-artist may add their Essence rating to any Social roll versus one target they know, and if in combat the target's next initiative is reduced by the martial-artist's Martial Arts rating. These effects are cumulative if there are multiple martial-artists using this Charm against one foe. In the case of multiple Social dice additions, the target will almost certainly be brainwashed to the cause of the group, not one person within it.

Their enemies know to beware the sweet smelling students of this style, and often take precautions such as perfumed kerchiefs held to their noses.

5. Beloved Blossom Form - szilard

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Min. Martial Arts: 4

Min. Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Wind Over Fields Meditation, Meadow of Odiferous Fugue Kata

The Exalt adopts the stance of a blossom being swooned over by one in love. In his hands, flowers become capable of cutting to a victim's heart. The exalt may treat attacks with flowering weapons as dealing lethal damage. Furthermore, if the exalt channels a virtue in an attack while using this form, a number of damage dice equal to the exalt's channelled virtue score are treated as automatic successes, as flowers representative of the exalt's relationship to his victim burst from the wounds. Furthermore, all attacks against the Exalt are reduced by a number of dice equal to the attacker's Compassion score. The Exalt may always channel their Compassion while using this Charm. This is a Form type charm and is incompatible with armor.

3. Enchanting Dewdrops, Snapdragon Entrapment</b> - haren

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Beloved Blossom Form

It is said that among the Wyld areas of the East, there is a flowering tree that lives in a dangerous harmony with a peculiar worm. The flowers of this tree gather dew and smell quite sweet, drawing animals closer to them... where they are caught in an invisible web to be devoured by the worms. They do this because, the worms are the only creature capalbe of carrying their seed and should they not feed the worms, the tree becomes the sustinance.

In much a similar way can the Martial Artist draw those they have a relationship with into a situation where they may be sacrificed. As long as the user has a set relationship to the victim, they may call upon the power of this Charm. They add the victim's Compassion in dice to any attempt to persuade them to take the user's place in some dangerous or unpleasant situation. Should a single one of the Compassion dice grant a success, the victim is compeled as if they succeeded at a virtue roll. They must spend willpower and take the consequences of resisting their virtue. This Charm can even effect those who do not care much for the user, as the bonds of the relationship tighten around their heart like the web of the worms around prey.

6. Unforgettable Soul-numbing Poppy Trance - TedPro

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Min. Martial Arts: 4

Min. Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Enchanting Dewdrops, Snapdragon Entrapment

The Exalt takes on the numbing aspect of the poppy - appealing, intoxicating, and ultimately, poisonous. The Martial Artist's motions draw loved ones closer with a deceptive hypnotic sweetness. Those who know the Martial Artist must succeed on a Temperance roll to move away from the Exalt, even to Dodge. A failure means the victim cannot attempt to move away again until given new cause.

Furthermore, the touch of the Martial Artist carries a sweet psychic venom. Anyone who touches or is touched by the Exalt, whether a stranger or the closest lover, must make a Conviction roll. On a failure, the victim loses one point of Willpower, and, if appropriate, gains a point of Limit. On a success, the victim will not be affected by this touch for the rest of the scene.

4. Rose-Attar Fragrance of the Flesh - FourWillowsWeeping

Cost: None

Duration: Permanent

Type: Special

Min. Martial Arts: 4

Min. Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Beloved Blossom Form

Learning this Charm, the martial artist transmutes his flesh and blood; a rosy, perfumed substance flows through his veins; its subtle composition reflects the garden of the artist's heart. This has a dual effect. First, it adds the value of his current wound penalty to the bonuses provided by the Meadow of Odoriferous Fugue Kata, and secondly, it reduces the mote cost of that Charm, if the adept and target are linked by a Background. The reduction is equal to the Background rating (the highest relevant Background among the target and artist), and it is fully capable of reducing the cost of the aforementioned Charm to zero.

7. Fragile Wisteria Defense - TedPro

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Reflexive

Min. Martial Arts: 4

Min. Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Rose-Attar Fragrance of the Flesh

The eyes of the Martial Artist become sweet and wide, conveying a false sense of helplessness. He or she can perform a Fragile Wisteria Defense as a dice action: an attacker must make a Conviction roll, or will stop the attack at the last moment, affected by remorse and indecision. Those who the Exalt knows personally have a difficulty of 2 for this Conviction roll. Family members and lovers have difficulty 3.

8. Splendorous Floral Weapon - Sparrowhawk

Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: One Scene

Type: Simple

Min. Martial Arts: 5

Min. Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Beloved Blossom Form

The martial artist uses his essence to transform an ordinary plant into a fearsome weapon. The plant to be transformed must be no bigger than a sapling and no smaller than a single blossom; and must have been living until, at most, (Essence) hours before this charm was used. When transformed, the plant grows and changes shape, becoming a beautiful example of whatever weapon the exalt wishes. Its vegetative origins are apparant, making the weapon deceptively fragile-looking in many cases.

Mechanically, this turns a plant into a weapon the equivalent of any standard level 2 artifact weapon, without magical material bonuses. It has the strength and durability of a weapon made of one of the magical materials, but only lasts for one scene before crumbling into sweet-smelling ash. Any weapon created by this charm is considered a martial arts weapon for charms of this style.

9. Flower of Ancient Enmity - FourWillowsWeeping

Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 Health Level

Duration: One Month

Type: Simple

Min. Martial Arts: 5

Min. Essence: 4

Prerequisite Charms: Unforgettable Soul-Numbing Poppy Trance, Fragile Wisteria Defence, Splendorous Floral Weapon

The character takes a handful of seeds and plants them in the earth, watering them with his blood and a litany of grievances against a specific person. In exactly a month's time, a flower grows from that place; in its shape, the nature of the relationship in question can be read. This flower, fed as it was on dark emotions, is openly inimical to the person it was grown for. Against this person only, and only with respect to Martial Arts attacks, it functions as a jade daiklave with unlimited Rate, and the martial artist can always channel Valor and Conviction against him, without counting it toward the per-story limit. While the adept is bearing this flower, which remains fresh as long as he continues to commit motes, the target has a penalty to Social rolls affecting the adept equal to the adept's Essence.

Finally, the adept can learn to select specific aspects of the darkness in his heart and distill them into the flower-weapon; when he learns this Charm, he learns a single first-Circle spiritual disease that the flower may inflict on its mark. This infliction can only be attempted with a Martial Arts attack, and only once per scene. He may buy additional spiritual diseases as Martial Arts Charms with the same minima as this Charm. An enmity-flower may only carry one such spiritual poison at a time.

Comments

Emotional warfare on people they care about? A style useful only for fratricidal purposes? How odd! - Quendalon

I dunno. Sounds really cool, in that weird over-specific Siderealy sort of way. - David.

If you consider care to be feels strongly about, it might not be so strange. Sort of an Anti-Celestial-Monkey style. You must have strong feelings about the target for the Charm to work. - nikink

Allow me to illuminate: caring about someone allows you to perform emotional warfare on them, but if you don't care about them, you can still fight them with the stem of a daffodil or a pussy willow twig. - willows

Oh, I thought that the meaning was clear, it was just the purpose that seemed murky. - Quendalon

In that case, my Charm might lean a little in the wrong direction, as its a little closer to Q's fratricidal suggestion. Regardless, comments? It's a bit esoteric, and'll probably end up reworded another time. _Wohksworth

That is an intensely cool Charm. - willows, bowled over

Ok. Pick it apart. B-) nikink

I am not sure if this is too powerful, but seems like a perfectly reasonable effect on those you know and care for. - haren

I think eight Charms is a bit...short for a Celestial Style Martial Art. - Seiraryu

It's certainly on the brief side. There is at least one similarly-sized style in canon, I'm sure; it's those later styles that became bloated with ten and twelve and fourteen Charms. But, in deference to this, I have changed the length of the Style to better fit the hopes and desires of all. Enjoy! - willows

So there is no pinnacle? Weird. -szilard

I am highly disappointed in the choices of Charm names. Not a flower name in sight! Where are the Fragrant Dahlia Attacks and Broken Zinnia Approaches? - Quendalon

re: Rose-Attar Fragrance of the Flesh. What happened to the end of the first sentance? Also the mote reduction it grants Meadow of Odoriferous Fugue Kata is unclear. Whose background is it lowered by the Martial artist's, his opponents, the differance of the two, or the sum of the two? - Issaru

Oop! I left the first sentence out. Thanks for catching that and the unclearness; I edited the Charm text to be more explicit. - w

Added a Form-type Charm. Kind of weird. Four different psychological effects, each resisted with a different Virtue. - TedPro

Urk. I was writing a Form Charm at the same time. Darn. Oh well, here it is:- szilard Ed.: this is the current Form. - willows

The Exalt adopts the stance of a blossom being swooned over by one in love. In his hands, flowers become capable of cutting to a victim's heart. The exalt may treat attacks with flowering weapons as dealing lethal damage. Furthermore, if the exalt channels a virtue in an attack while using this form, a number of damage dice equal to the exalt's channelled virtue score are treated as automatic successes, as flowers representative of the exalt's relationship to his victim burst from the wounds. Furthermore, all attacks against the Exalt are reduced by a number of dice equal to the attacker's Compassion score. The Exalt may always channel their Compassion while using this Charm. This is a Form type charm and is incompatible with armor.

That's really cool, szilard! I'm worried that mine is way too powerful - the effects of mine are potent but fairly easy to resist. Want to switch to yours? I can easily split mine into two higher-level Charms, and probably should. -TedPro

Your call. You were first. -szilard

Okay, done! -TedPro

When trying to think of a charm for this style, I thought of Kurama, from the anime Yu Yu Hakusho. One of his special techniques is taking a rose and transforming it into a Rose Whip, capable of cutting through stone. I figured something like that would be good for this style; perfectly in-theme, adding more pure combat ability, and (most importantly), cool. I'm not sure how well-balanced it is, but I don't think it's too bad.

Also, the next charm should be the pinnacle, unless willows decides to extend the style further. I'm not unhappy about not getting the last shot in, because I have no idea how to wrap this style up! - Sparrowhawk

If you want to make the style both complete and infinately extendable, how about making one of those strange charms you can learn extra uses for, like the sidereal many missile technique? I would suggest something regarding using up a flower-blossom for a one-off effect, and then let people invent new ones (appropriate to the blossoms) for 1 xp a piece. Unfortunately, I cannot -right now- come up with a sufficiently masterful wording for it, but I shall try and do so. That said, if anyone else has a better idea or implements this one in the mean time, please by all means go ahead.
-- Darloth is thinking about trawling Nobilis for flower ideas

I wrote your Charm idea up. Um, I called this theme, so let's have Darloth or Sparrowhawk set the next? Since one of you suggested the last charm and one wrote the one before...you can work it out. - willows

Hmmmm. I like the charm, but I'm not sure it's what Darloth had in mind. In any case, I'm pretty pleased with this style. It's just the kind of strange style a Sidereal would come up with. Of course, the "Martial Arts charms should only do combat things aaaarrrrrgggghh" people would spasm and twitch if they read it, but who cares about them? xp Seriously, I like the way this turned out.

As for the next theme: I really want to set it, but will let Darloth have it if he wants it. Particularly if he decides to write his own pinnacle charm for this style. - Sparrowhawk

It's nothing like what I had thought of, and I'll try making an alternate (perhaps a -secret- pinnacle) charm, but Sparrowhawk is welcome to set the next theme... I think I've already written my best theme idea into a style (high level celestial) so I'll leave it to Sparrowhawk instead. Also, I managed to miss all of the updates here until willows tagged my userpage. No idea how. Sorry!
-- Darloth