Revision as of 09:04, 3 April 2010

Creation Carving Step Style

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Who would dare face a student of the Creation Carving Steps? The occult motions of his fearful war dance forge Creation into a world of iron and blood, a battlefield where he is the certain victor!

Inspirado

The Haka dances of the Maori, the Cretan Kouretes, World-Devouring Warlord Sword shaping style, Crimson Pentacle Blade style, FourWillowsWeeping's White Sword of Summer style and his rethinking of Crimson Pentacle Blade style, Troy, Homer's writings, Chinese geomancy/feng shui, and whatever else pops into my head. Essentially, it's dancing and ancient Greek combat used to alter essence flows.

History

The Creation Carving Step style is a martial art born from the battlefield. Its founder was the great warrior-monk Bayyan fahid Salah iban Cemal Ahanu, who later went on to become one of the three celebrated Southern Sand Wind Generals. In his early days, Bayyan was fascinated by the few scattered writings and records of First Age battles between the massive and mighty armies that had once clashed on Creation's battlegrounds. Bayyan spent many of his early years in and out of various Southern war-colleges and temples, contemplating the concept of the Glorious Brass Lion Hero, the archetypal First Age general, a front line combatant who led his men in an unrelenting dance of blood and blade, a leader who refined the act of martial domination into an art, weilding units of men as a skilled calligrapher weilds a fine brush. This was the ideal that Bayyan would dedicate his life to acheiving, and in doing so, pass on to his followers.

Weapons & Armor

The pyrrhic dance of the Creation Carving Step stylist may be practiced unarmed and unarmored, but is generally performed in full battle dress. It is a dance of the battlefield, of victory, of bloodshed and spilled tears. The stylist may use the short sword, the spear, and the shield as if he were unarmed, and the style is compatible with light and medium armor. This applies to any artifact variants of the above, as well.

Charms

First Step Foundations

Cost: 3 m 
Duration: One Turn 
Type: Reflexive 
Minimum Martial Arts: 2 
Minimum Essence: 1

The character has seen bloodshed, has studied it intensely, and is now ready to begin walking its path. The most glorious military leaders have always begun their careers as simple footsoldiers, and the follower of the Creation Carving Step returns to the roots of his fearsome skill. The practitioner becomes one with the group he commands, and manipulates the group as he would a fine blade. Until the end of the turn, any group the Exalted leads becomes a weapon with an Accuracy and Defense equal the the Exalted's Essence, a Speed bonus equal to his Performance, Damage equal to his Presence + Strength, and a Rate equal to the Exalted's Valour.

Swelling Rally Cry

Cost: 2 m 
Duration: Instant  
Type: Reflexive 
Minimum Martial Arts: 2 
Minimum Essence: 2

The character and his followers unleash a savage cry that swells their hearts and inflames their mettle. The practitioner may make a single Valour roll in the place of one of his allies or followers, or a group of such people if an effect would force that group to make one combined Valour roll, as long as his Valour score is higher than his target's.

Fearsome Devil Mask Footfalls

Cost: 
Duration:  
Type:  
Minimum Martial Arts: 3 
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Swelling Rally Cry 

Mount-Maddening Ductia

Cost: 
Duration:  
Type:  
Minimum Martial Arts: 3 
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Fearsome Devil Mask Footfalls

Creation Carving Step Form

Cost: 5 m 
Duration: One Scene 
Type: Simple 
Minimum Martial Arts: 4 
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Mount-Maddening Ductia

The air around the practitioner becomes heavy and somber as he stomps out a steady kata with grim resolve. Blood flows thicker, blades cut deeper, and the thunderous treading of ten thousand advancing soldiers is heard faintly, as if carried from a distance on the winds. The practitioner takes on the aspects of the Glorious Brass Lion Hero, becoming one with both the savagery and the eminence of the soldier at war. All certainty of victory against the practitioner is swept aside, as his fearsome presence overtakes the battlefield. A number of automatic successes equal to his Essence on any roll against the character are negated completely, and all other automatic successes are instead rolled normally. In addition, he adds his Martial Arts to any Presence or Performance rolls made during combat. Finally, he deals lethal damage with his unarmed attacks, and may parry lethal attacks unarmed without use of a stunt. Characters cannot use more than one Form-type charm at a time.

Thundering Sword-And-Shield Jangle

Cost: 
Duration:  
Type:  
Minimum Martial Arts: 5 
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Creation Carving Step Form

Flow-Seizing Sweep

Cost: 
Duration:  
Type:  
Minimum Martial Arts: 5 
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Creation Carving Step Form

Cost: 
Duration:  
Type:  
Minimum Martial Arts: 5 
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Creation Carving Step Form

Five Pillar World Walking Form

Cost: 
Duration:  
Type:  
Minimum Martial Arts: 5 
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Thundering Sword-And-Shield Jangle, Flow-Seizing Sweep, 

Comments

No mechanics yet, just fleshing out an idea that's been brewing in my head for the last couple days. One of my goals here is to create a useful martial art that would amplify the user's power in Mail & Steel, without making it in any way tied to the Mail & Steel system, as I know that many people aren't big fans of it, and have their own alternatives.