Revision as of 00:34, 6 April 2010

The Full Moon

The Full Moon is the moon of tumult and change, the baser passions of animals and men alike inflamed by its pale light. It is therefore no surprise that the Lunars of this Moon are those mose suited to those passions - they are creatures of infinite rage paired with surprising tenderness, combining the roles of chaplain, medic, and general into one. Where the Dawn Caste are glorious warriors who lead by example, a Full Moon is less lofty, his hands dealing out blessings of fertility and healing to his friends, but his fangs rending the throats of his enemies.

In the First Age, the Full Moons worked closely with the Dawn Caste as humanizing factors and go-betweens. They would be the step between the Dawn's godlike combat intuition and the common soldier, charged with the task of truly caring for the lives of the troops. Where the Chosen of Battles would tell the Dawn the number of his men lost, the Full Moon would tell him their names - and in so doing, a balance between the necessary detachment and caring would be reached, at least in theory.

As the First Age waned, however, the Dawn Caste was divided. Their advisors were often too convincing, resulting in a polarization of the ranks - those generals whose compassionate Full Moon advisors overwhelmed their detachment became timid leaders, risking little and losing much. Those who listened only to the numbers of the Chosen of Battles would become callous, spending the lives of their men in needlessly dangerous grabs for more glory or a faster victory. And it was thus that the warrior hands of the First Age were crippled - at the moment of Usurpation, those generals whose compassion overran them fell prey to the disdain of their peers, often falling alongside their Lunar mates. The Full Moons that found their warnings unheeded, in one of the largest shows of caste solidarity among the Lunars, actively turned on their mates - knowing that their battle techniques would prove futile in the face of a raging Dawn, but determined to, in this final act, reignite some humanity in the Dawns' souls. It is because of this that, of the Lunar survivors of the First Age, the Full Moons are the rarest caste - beings of compassionate valor, they would not abandon their mates even in the face of death.

The Full Moons now find themselves in an odd position, having to adopt more brutal ways with the lack of the other Celestial Exalts to balance their demands. However, Lunars are nothing if not adaptible, and the tribes that gather under the banner of a Full Moon will be strictly, but fairly, governed, and their lives will not be squandered in vain struggles.

Totem Selections: Most Full Moons have the Strength or Alpha totems. Strength totems include beasts of burden and apex predators. Alpha totems include pack animals and majestic beasts. Cunning totems generally include sly hunters, Deceiver totems will include ambush predators, and Mysteries totems will generally be sagely, but dangerous, beasts.

Anima Banner: Full Moons have animas of steady, soft light - generally white or silver. They are beacons, and as such do not fluctuate as much as most Lunar animas - they are markers of where safety lies for the troops under the Lunars' command. When iconic, they generally depict iconic representations of the Lunars' totem animal.

Anima Effects: By expending 5 motes of Essence, the Full Moon can attune his anima to his body for a scene. During this period, the Lunar doubles his running and leaping distances. These bonuses stack with those from Charms, but separately instead of in sequence - a Full Moon who activates his anima and invokes Racing Stallion Method will quadruple, not sextuple, his speed. (Seraph Note: Racing Stallion Method is a charm in the Ride tree that lets a Lunar become a quadruped, tripling movement speed.)

Caste Abilities: The full moon affects the passions of battle and mercy, and as such the Full Moon has Abilities that deal with these concepts. Their caste abilities are Brawl, Medicine, Melee, Presence, and Ride.

Associations: The element of wood, the color white, full moons, weapons, and doves.

Sobriquets: Does anyone really read these?

Concepts: General's assistant, barbarian war-god, being of infinite terror, wise-and-strong-man, neighborhood defender, pirate captain.

As you rode through my village, your horse trampled a child. I did all I could for him, and now I speak on his memory's behalf. Accept your punishment with honor or die in disgrace - there is no steed in Creation that I cannot outrun.

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