DylanF/SevenSwordSaint

Ganelon the Grey, Seven Sword Saint
Nature: Paragon
Virtue Flaw: Foolhardy contempt
Anima: A flower of seven swords

Str 3 Dex 5 Sta 3
Cha 2 Man 2 App 3
Per 3 Int 2 Wit 4

Willpower 7
Compassion 2 Conviction 4 Temperance 1 Valor 3
Essence 3 Personal 16 Peripheral 38 Commited: 13

Abilities:
Caste: Martial Arts 3 Melee 5 (Swords 3) Thrown 1
Favored: Occult 2 Lore 2 (Weapons 1) Medicine 2 Endurance 3 Resistance 5
Other: Linguistics 2 (Flametoungue native, Old Realm, Riverspeak) Awareness 2 Athletics 3 Dodge 3 Survival 1

Charms:
Melee: Excellent Strike, Hungry Tiger Technique, Fire and Stones Strike, Whirlwind of Searing Blows (CB), One Weapon, Two Blows, Peony Blossom Attack, Iron Whirlwind Attack, Golden Essence Block, Dipping Swallow Defense, Bulwark Stance, Fivefold Bulwark Stance, Heavenly Guardian Defense, Solar Counterattack, Retrieve the Fallen Weapon, Iron Raptor Technique
Resistance: Durability of Oak Meditation, Iron Skin Concentration, Spirit Strengthens the Skin, Adamant Skin Technique
Endurance: Ox Body x3 (-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-2,-2)
Occult: Spirit Detecting Glance
Medicine: Body-Mending Meditation, Flawless Diagnosis Technique

Backgrounds: Mentor 3 (Kelanan ) Artifact 5 Manse 5 Resources 2

Flaws: Disciples 4 (Katra and her children, Noar and Nole) Known Anethema 3 Unusual Appearance 1 (Completely gray: hair, eyes, skin) Permanent Caste Mark 2
Merits: Ambidextrous 1, Priest of Kelanan 1
Freebies spent: 6 on abilities, 2 on Specialties, 3 on Virtues, 12 on backgrounds, 2 on merits

Combo:
Snake Blinds the Tiger: Excellent Strike, Fire and Stones Strike, Hungry Tiger Technique, One Weapon-Two Blows.

XP:
+1 Essence: 16
+15 Charms: 120
+1 Linguistics: 2
+1 Awareness: 2
Combo: 8

Artifacts:
Level 5
Sevenfold Daiklaive Spd +7 Acc +4 Dam +6L Def +3 Rate 6
An Orichalum Daiklaive that is seven blades in one. It provides 7 additional automatic success that can be applied to the sword every turn, split however the wielder desires. The impact of many blades at once makes in a Penetrating weapon, and the partially Elsewhere nature of the weapon allows it to affect dematerialized spirits. It has 1 Hearthstone Slot.

Level 2
Hearthstone Bracers, Orichalum

The Steel Dragon Sash, as its name implies, is a long silk sash embroidered in orichalcum and moonsilver thread with the image of a celestial dragon. When its wearer is threatened, the sash has the power to magically unwind from her waist and spring into the air, swirling about under its own power. It is unnaturally strong, and attempts to knock blows aside as well as distracting attackers. This power can be activated reflexively at a cost of one mote, and lasts for a scene. During this time, all melee attacks against the character are at +3 difficulty; missile attacks are at only +1. The Steel Dragon Sash requires a commitment of 3 motes. (taken from Ikselam's page)

Level 1:
Hearthstone Amulet: Orichalcum

Hearthstones
Level 1
Manse: in the Hundred Kingdoms, and belongs to an Undine who he had a daliance with.
Duck's Back Stone
This ovoid hearthstone is a slick, iridescent brown. When attuned, it causes liquids to slide off its owner, leaving him perfectly dry even when completely immersed in water. This protection extends to anything (or anyone) he may be carrying; if he picks up a wet object, the water will flow off, leaving it dry.

Level 4
Manse: vincinity of Lap, and was given to him as a reward by an Earth Elemental who had been enslaved by a Deathknight under the employ of the Lion of Winters (or whatever his name is.)
Gem Of Adamant Skin: Converts all Lethal damage to Bashing

Level 5
Manse: Kelenan's temple in the South. Gem Of Solar Power: As long as the bearer of the stone is sunlight, all charms have their cost reduced by 5 motes, minimum 1, Combos have no Willpower surcharge

Notes: He picked up the dailaive from his First Age self's tomb. He was given the bracers by the old scholar who had befriended him while he had been in Kelenan's service. He took the Steel Dragon Sash off the Deathknight he defeated.

Background:

“Father, no! There must be another way…”

“I am sorry, my daughter. We cannot pay the ransom they ask for your brother. And your bastard son is the only payment that the Sword Lord will accept from us. A small thing to trade the rape-get for your brother’s life…”

And so, at the tender age of five, Ganelon the Grey, the product of the rape of Ashra Mohand’s daughter by a Dune People barbarian, was given over to the service of the small god, Kelanan the Sword Lord.

Kelanan lived in a temple in the world, training disciples in the art of swordplay. He was a perfectionist, and although any swordfight was a small offering to him, he took pleasure only in the best of such battles. So he would create the perfect swordfighters, and send them out into the world to worship him with their actions. He would only take young children, for they had not been forged by others, and craft them into the finest instruments. He would gain children from those who wanted the services of one of his acolytes; for that was the only payment he would accept.

Ganelon learned slowly at first. Kelanan was a patient teacher though, having worked with worse material throughout the ages. The problem was finding a way to motivate the young lad. One day he found it.

Ganelon was easily bored, and found the continuous and repetitive exercises dull. When he could, he would slip away into the small village the supported the temple. There dwelt Nine-Tongued Lars, a Northern scholar and the village doctor, so named due to his ability to speak nine languages. For some reason his took a liking to the small, gray half-breed boy, and began to teach him of things besides swordplay. Ganelon was fascinated by this, learning the intricacies of medicine as eagerly as tales from the First Age.

Kelanan was pleased when he found this out, for he now had a way to motivate the boy. Now Ganelon had to excel at his study of swordplay if he wanted to study other things. And excel he did. He learned how to wield a sword from any position, in any condition or environment. He learned how use the sword in any position, whether it was by the hilt, pommel, or the tip of the blade. He learned the Old Realm, and read of the wonders of the First age. He studied the pressure points of the body, and how to manipulate them. He learned how to use the sword in unconventional ways, such as by throwing it, or controlling it at a distance through a wire. He learned calligraphy and sculpture, herbology and demonology. He became the finest disciple that Kelanan ever had.

But all things must come to an end. The day came that a petitioner came before Kelanan to bargain for Ganelon’s service. It was a pregnant woman, who needed a warrior to free her village from the bandits that had taken it over. “I offer you the life that lies in my womb for the service of your best warrior.” Kelanan agreed, and took her within the temple to await the birth of her child; for only upon the birth would he release Ganelon.

The babies were born two days later; Katra had born twins. But they were deformed. The girl had no legs, and the boy had no arms. Kelanan declared the deal null and void, and made to drive them from the temple. “Two halves do not make a whole in this case.”

Above the cries of the mother and her babes, Ganelon spoke. “If their deal is null and void, then so is my service.” “It is not,” replied Kelanan. “You will stay.”

Ganelon gave a small smile, and answered by drawing his sword. “My lord, I challenge you to keep your pledge.” Kelanan drew forth his blade, “You may challenge me, but you will never win. I give you this one chance. Put down your sword.”

Ganelon merely grinned. “Why do you do this, favored disciple?” asked the god.

“I do this because I now see you for what you are: a petty, selfish god who cannot stand to lose, even if it means breaking a pledge. You feel that you would lose taken taking one, if not both of these babes. I will no longer be your servant. I will aid Katra, or die by your hand.”

Kelanan’s placid countenance grew wrathful. “So be it,” he spat. And so the battle began. Ganelon was the best that the Sword Lord had ever forged; but he was the God of Swords. They fought, and it was a thing of beauty. Ganelon fought with all his heart, and barely held off Kelanan’s assault. Six times Ganelon was disarmed or had his blade shattered. Each time he managed to gain another blade.

“Six times I have put your sword down. Six times have I given you a chance to surrender. My patience is at an end. There will be no seventh time. For you will surrender now. For now I take away the reason for our battle.” With those cold words, the God of Swords threw his blade at Katra.

Ganelon shouted a wordless cry and threw his blade too. A golden glow filled the air as his sword blocked the god’s blade. With a gesture, the blade flew back to his hand, and he launched a furious assault upon the Sword Lord. Kelanan seized another blade and defended himself. Ganelon attacked as never before, seeing how to pierce the god’s defenses, how to take advantage of opening when the Sword Lord attacked. Six times the god was pierced.

Kelanan could not bear a seventh wound. He used his most secret technique, and finally struck his former student. Golden light blazed forth from Ganelon, and the sound of a great gong was heard. When the light died down, Kelanan’s sword was lodged in Ganelon’s breast, but his hand laid upon the floor of the temple.

Ganelon still stood, the god’s blade only having penetrated an inch. A golden aura shone around him, the symbol of the dawning sun burnt upon his brow and a flower of seven swords floated above his head.

Kelanan, clutching his maimed arm, fell to his knees and bowed his head. “Ah, forgive me, Unconquered Sun! Ganelon, you are one of his chosen. I am honored to have trained you for this destiny. You have lifted the hubris from my eyes. I go now to Yu-shan, to report for my duties there. You have my blessings, and I shall watch you with fatherly devotion.” With that he vanished.

Ganelon recovered from his shock, and addressed his fellow disciples. “You are now free. Stay and continue to train, or go forth and use your skills. It is your decision.”

With that he turned and left, taking Katra and her babes with him. It was of small note that he freed her village of the bandits, but Katra would not leave him, and followed him on his journey’s….

Adventures in Gem and Nexus earned him a bit of notoriety from the Realm. Gem was a disaster, and he really shouldn’t of attacked the commander of the Imperial garrison in Nexus when the man was mistreating a slave.

DylanF