GoldenCat/SmokeDragon

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Desert Mist

Character Names:</b> Jai Rajnish, The Smoke Dragon
<b>Exalted Type: </b> Solar
<b>Solar Caste:</b> Eclipse ( Crowned Suns, Solar Winds, The Deceivers.)

<b>Age, Apparent Age: </b>28 / 21
<b>Sex: </b> Male
<b>Height: </b> 6’1
<b>Weight: </b> 140lbs
<b>Concept: </b>The Shadow Knows

Crowned Sun

<b>Nature: </b> Visionary ( Gain willpower every time you get the South closer to be rid from the Guild, the Wyld, and the likes of the Perfect )

<b>Charm Theme: </b> Smooth Vigilante

<b>Virtue Flaw: </b> Deliberate Cruelty
(When his limit breaks.... he becomes a nightmare. All the shadows he wrap around him come too close, making him one with them. Bad as he used to be as a member of the guild, worse even. He thrives in fear, and make others terrified of him even when there is nothing he can do – a tone, an eye contact, enough to send others in shivers. And when there is something he /can/ do... the darkness unfurls to its full span.)

<b>Anima Banner:</b> His anima banner spills from him like silver, liquid smoke, filling the air, all around him, making it difficult to see... with it, then comes a maesltrom of golden sad, spinning all around, a sand whirl with him as the epicenter... and then, coalescing. The smoke, twisting, writhing, becoming a serpent, a dragon. A dragon of smoke coiling around him, a Smoke Dragon in a sea of golden sand...

Appearance

He appears, in the middle of the desert. Shrouded in a black cloak, as many pilgrims do... but too fine. Wrapped in shadow, the ends of the cloak trimmed with intricate golden designs – scales, serpents, so many of them. Dragons. The gold shines purely on the southern sunlight – too pure, too magical. Orichalque. Of the man inside, only mists can be seen – and the golden scarf around his neck and mouth, made of many interwoven threads of the same heretical gold of the anathema, linked to the cloak and sporting a smoky stone. And above it... for those that get close enough, the eyes. Dark golden slits shining within the gem, as the serpent gazes upon its prey.

As a fight breaks out, twin blades of cloudy, diamond-hard glass come out of his cloak, golden light pouring from the mists... making them strange, translucent like sun shining through a thunderstorm... until the Smoke Dragon appears in full glory.

Jai Rajnish, on the other hand, is quite a charming man.

A darkly handsome man steps out of the laughing lantern light outside the door and into the dimly lit room of the pleasure house. Aristocracy carries itself in the brooding complexity of his face as he surveys the room; the dark brows, the strong jaw. His black hair hangs in wavy rivulets around his face, slick and glossy. Dangerous intelligence glitters in his eyes though, the too amber shade disturbingly watchful and alert in the smoky atmosphere. The face is only vaguely seen within the veil, depicting his prowess as a negotiator and hunter, a noble Delzahn. Those passing shady deals and dark deeds in the corners are struck by him at once, eyes from all corners turning away from their games of dice and pale skinned ladies to watch him.

But most wave and nod to him, a familiar figure here; a generous patron and able conversationalist, a known poor hand at dice. He dresses well in a silk kimono and handsome over-coat, though his heavily southern features make it seem ridiculously out of place upon him, the golden and silver glinting and chiming all around his clothing, fingers, and hair.

With a grin that lights fire to the skin of even the most veteran ladies of the house, he spots his usual table surrounded by friends and contacts busily playing games of chance. Time to play the game again. To loose a little more money, get a few more notables drunk, find a little more corruption in the world for the Smoke Dragon to burn out.

Merits

<b>Hidden Manse

So many places in the Threshold, marked simply ‘here be dragons’... be it Wyld, Death or other dark things... they are those places any who values his life stays well away from. One of them is the Valley of Mists, where the Pagoda of Ephermeral Dreams and Eternal Sleep lies, covered in mists that wail in the voices of all previous users of the Manse, covered by the mists for so long they leave an imprint, something of them behind... scaring all but those who know them to be harmless and go into the secluded valley, to meet the comfort of the Manse within....

Flaws

Enemy

The Guild knows of him. They know who he is. They know why. They just know not if they can kill him. Time and time again, they have tried, and no assassin so far has been successful. They have bargained with the Wyld Hunt, but it did not reach him. But they know of him, as intent on his death as he is on theirs.. from both sides, it is war.

[ 4 - Point level. The Guild hates him. For he knows all they are, being one of their best once. The Guild is the most powerful human force in the world, and it especifically hates him.]

Known Anathema

Smoke Dragon is Anathema. All those who escaped from his destruction of Caravans and Guild drug and slave dens know that. It is easy enough to see, the unreal gold on his cloak, the light shining from within the mists. The Wyld Hunt has been called once already, but it found nothing. At all. But they know. And sooner or later, they will be on to him...

[ 2 Point level - the Wyld Hunt knows of him, just not how to find him, all the Bronze readings and sorcerous divinations having failed ]

Secret

Jai is an outlaw. Although all who need to know of it, do, but it is not a secret that is leaked much. In part, due to his deals with the underworld – pacts they made lightly, lies as all in the underworld is... until they see themselves geased to secrecy. Some in the Guild are, which is why they do not let it out. So far, it is a stalemate according to that, but if somehow it is leaked, Jai’s life will change...

[ Level 1 secret - it would be risky if it was revealed, and he would have to change how his indetity and social circles work, but it would bring no death or destruction]

Reduced Limit

Jai is a more passionate man than most. He easily loses himself to emotion, even if it is not outwardly apparent - rage is bottled down, indignation is bottled down as Jai Rajnish has his fun in dens of immorality, of slaves and drugs. All this rage is bottled even as he confronts the guild, under a cold, confident facade. And when it finally comes out, earlier and easier than for most Exalts, its on a distilled form of his facade - a desert monster, thriving on fear, loving the means of his operation without any worry for its ends.

[ Level 3 of this flaw, giving him only 7 limit dots]

Attributes

Physical </b>
Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2

<b>Mental </b>
Intelligence 3, Perception 3, Wits 3

<b>Social </b>
Manipulation 4, Appearance 4, Charisma 3

Abilities

<b>Dawn</b>
Melee 5 ( Swords +2 ), Thrown 1

<b>Zenith </b>
Performance 3, Presence 4 ( Intimidation+2 ), Survival 2

<b>Twilight</b>
Investigation 2, Lore 2

<b>Night</b>
Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Larceny 1, Stealth 5

<b>Eclipse [Caste] </b>
Linguistics 2 ( Languages : Flametongue, Guild Cant, Old Realm ), Bureaucracy 3 ( Bussiness+2 ), Socialize 5

Charms

• Awareness
  • Sensory Acuity Prana
  • Surprise Anticipation Method
• Bureaucracy
  • Frugal Merchant Method
• Melee
  • Golden Essence Block
  • Dipping Swallow Defense
• Presence
  • Harmonious Presence Meditation
  • Listener-Swaying Argument
• Socialize
  • Wise-Eyed Courtier Method
  • Motive-Discerning Technique
• Stealth
  • Easily Overlooked Presence Method

Advantages

<b>Virtues
Conviction ***
Compassion ***
Temperance **
Valor **

Willpower 6
Essence **
Personal Essence - 12
Peripheral Essence - 30
Total: 42
Commited: 6[Cloak] = 36

Base Initiative 6
Health Levels -0,-1 ,-1,-2,-2,-4,Incapacitated

Brume Talons:
Pair of Chiaroscuro Glass Straight Swords
Speed 10 Accuracy 14 Damage 6L Defense 12 Rate 3
(Dual-wielding, he can increase his damage by +3L, his accuracy by +2, or his defense by +1)

Backgrounds

Mentor *</b>
Anansi, The Southern God of Spiders and Weavers

Anansi believed on the Guild. Promoted to god of weaving due to his flawless weaving of webs that by far surpassed the former holder of this position. When in it, he begun to notice how the guild was important for trade... how it sponsored or viabilized the foremost workers of which he is the patron of. It is them making different styles of woven tapestries and clothes to reach each part of the South... and he became one of its staunch supporters, little spiritual spiders following caravans, biding all bandits and thieves who dared to prey on them. In a few centuries spreading his flair to webs of Trade and Intrigue, to the webs of human relationship that are spoon by a spider in its center, the darker aspect of them, a consequence of the darker animals he naturally embodies... his power and versatility growing.

And of course, he did not take well to Smoke Dragon systematically breaking their structure.

---

The God of Spiders and Weavers, Lord of Trade and Intrigue sent his agents together with Guild agents against smoke... for naught. The Solar was too crafty, and so, the God decided to go, himself...

... And on the desert twilight, on an oasis where a Guild Caravan should have been, they clashed.

Webs tightened around Smoke's neck, and he broke them. The creature struck with six arms, and he parried them, flaring like the sun. He would win, he knew. He would win if he had no way of ending it. And so, he asked, why. And in his answer, he understood his foe. He did what was best for the South. For the craft trade empowered so. But certainly, he could see... that could be done without consorting with the very beings that erode the South.... that could be done without exploiting humans... that could be done without breaking so many lives.

Smoke's blades went to the ground. The mists around him vanished, as he walked, fearless, towards the Spider God. A Crowned Sun burning on his forehead. Defenseless. He could die now, but he would die as a Chosen of the Sun, as a Solar Wind. For the good of the South, for the good of his charges, a God wanted him dead. And so he spoke. He spoke of what he wanted. Of breaking the Guild. Of breaking the demeaning, the exploitation. Of pushing back the Wyld, instead of consorting with it. He spoke of a finer world.

"For Heaven's sake, we are on the same side!"

When he ended, blazing like the sun, their hands touched, and an oath was sealed, under the desert twilight.

The Smoke Dragon received a guardian spider.

<b>Artifact ***</b>

Shroud of Evanescent Apparition

Celestial Artifact •••
Commitment 6

The cloak is fine, silky, pure liquid darkness. The essence of the night, taken and woven into fine threads. Pinned down only by the might of terrifying dragons, the scales and fangs trimming its edges in beautiful orichalcum. It envelops the form of the wearer, making him indiscernible, terrible, terrible golden darkness. At its neckline, protecting the wearer, there is the scarf, made of many lines of orichalcum, patterns like waving clouds... under the desert sun, it makes the wearer looks like a walking piece of pitch-black void, held by shimmering sunlight.

• It works as a Orichalcum Thunderbolt Shield, the darkness deflecting any incoming blows, adding 3 to the difficulty of hitting the wearer.
• The shroud blends into the night, giving four extra dice to stealth rollsduring the night, or in shadows.
• The serpents trimming it make the wearer look terrible like a dragon, giving four extra dice to intimidation attempts.

<b>Contacts ***</b>
Jai Rajnish was an important Merchant Prince of the Guild, one of the stars of Chiaroscuro's high society. And if there is one thing you pick on the greatest trade organization in the Second Age of Man, in the greatest metropolis of the South... is acquaintances. He remained close to three large groups of those, and in each he has a friend, an influential and knowledgeable figure...

Churas Salet
Is an old man on his fifties, of colorful Varangian heritage, although he is neither as close-minded nor as xenophobic as those from his home, and as much a bastard as Jai once was. At least, on the outside. Years ago, Churas became as jaded as Jai to the true nature of the guild, and decided to change things - from the inside, gathering power, a faction of one that eventually grew to a true faction. He is still very much what a powerful member of the guild - heck, what a powerful man in the Age of Sorrows - has to be - cruel and merciless. But he has good goals, to change the very nature of the guild, and Jai knows of that.

They help one another, Churas giving Jai all the information he needs to weaken and break the Guild, information which omits his own operations, so he grows in power within the organization, the places under his power less exploitative. But yet, said changes are not as great as Jai himself would like, and someday, those two men will have to clash.

But not yet.

Jai also possesses a host of other acquaintances on the Guild, but none as powerful or trustworthy as Churas.

Edge of Morning
Is one of the stars of Chiaroscuro Plaza. Child of Grandmother Bright, a powerful God-Blooded, and arguably the best glassmith of Chiaroscuro ( A couple resident Dragon-Blooded dispute this position with him ), he was Jai's childhood friend. They played and grew together, even if Edge would never approve of how manipulative his friend could be at times. But when people are almost brothers, one forgives certain things... or at least, tries not to mention them. Hair bright blond, eyes shining in all colors of chiaroscuro glass, dressed in the most outrageous clothes with happy and cute manneirisms, Morning is a star of the night in Chiaroscuro, knowing all of its high society, always working for one or another or sleeping with one or another... and always ready, if not eager, to pass the lastest gossip to Jai.

Jai also possesses a host of people he knows from the Chiaroscuro high society, but none as knowledgeable or reliable as Morning.

Peleps Dariune
Is an Water Aspect Dragon Blooded, with many interests on the Delzahn lands. a young woman of sea-tinted skin and a black hair that shines blue under light like ocean depths in a painting, she cares for Chiaroscuro - at least, enough so all her fleet and bussiness there remain safe enough. She is not always there, regularly attending Realm gatherings and parties, but when she is, she is a very good source of information on both the realm and the Delzahn military... especially for Smoke Dragon. Whom she owns, big time.

---

It was in the heat of a day in Resplendent Fire. The forces of Rijan fell upon the Dragon-Blooded. Warriors of Opal with eyes of aquamarine fell upon the legionnaires, murdering them by the score. Just as Smoke had been told they would. Churas never failed in that. Rijan was an old acquaintance of Smoke, and would of course be fighting the Dragon-Blooded officer. Dariune's fleet had been coming back to the Realm, and they had Jade all around them; The Guild's contacts were sure they had enough enemies that, in this time of tumult, would not be missed, and decided to throw them as food for the fae.

Later, the Fair Ones kept the pets, and the Guild bought the Jade from them at premium discounts. Nice enough a trade. But it was not to happen. Smoke moved out of his little boat, moving with his water shoes to the boats. One, two, three Opal creatures he threw off the boat, in the way to Rijan. He met the blue-skinned, beautifully jeweled Fair warrior above a wounded Dragoness, her blood soaking the ground. Before the faerie could deliver the final blow, he was between them, parrying his pearlescent blade, and shining his Eclipse mark.

Smoke spoke then. Remembered Rijan of their deal, which protected Smoke and his'. And he said the Dragoness was his', for him to stop that attack immediatly. And he spoke with such an edge, Rijan could not fathom if it was to be Smoke's own wrath of heaven's to rain down on him if the oath was broken.

And so Rijan, the knight of Opal, called his strike off, and sailed away.

As soon as he was off the ship, the Dragoness rose to her feet, staunching the severe wound in her chest, growling at her savior. At that... anathema! She snarled that she wasn't his', and asked for a reason not to gut him on the deck he had no right standing on.

He pointed the simple fact he did not ower her. As such, that he had lied to Rijan. He did not say it, but she understood enough. And, not being part of their pact, not being anything of his', she was free to turn the Firedust cannons to the fleeing faerie, watching as the beautiful vessel with shells for its sails exploded in the distance...

.. And as she turned, Smoke was gone.

---

He came to her many times afterwards; That she was in his debt was undeniable, and this debt has only grown with time. He appears to her when it is dark, wrapped in cloak and mist, to hear the latest news of the Realm, her fleet, and Delzahn military she often deals with...

He is also well-known to her most trusted lieutenants, but they do not have the in-depth knowledge she does...

<b>Resources ****</b>
Jai is no longer a member of the Guild; Their 'goodbye' involved stabbing him and leaving him, poisoned, in the desert. His place in the Chiaroscuro Plaza emptied. Their surprise was great when he returned... twice the merchant he once was, knowing just how to make deals, raising a fortune out of the scraps he could still claim as his own. Jai regrets having to leave the Plaza, but his manor, a carefully-warded and pristinely restored building on the outskirts of the city, does well enough.

His newfound money comes from three fonts - the first is the dealing in ruins, as he knows exactly which pieces are valuable. The second is the deals in wyld goods, which are easy for him to barter. And the third is his contracts with people formerly serviced by the Guild in their needs - he still cannot cover for any major guild contract, and he stays away from those who were serviced in the likes of slaves, but he has freed many a small village from abusive contracts and monopoly. And is still alive to tell the tale.

<b>Manse ****</b>
The Pagoda of Ephemeral Dreams and Eternal Sleep is a left over of the Shogunate – Within a volcanic valley, dead fire leaving behind faint warmth, running water, joining in mists... mists that enshroud the Valley, heightened by its magic, the voices of the previous users of its Hearthstone wailing on it... but within, it is comfort – the former refugre of a Sidereal and of Dragon-Blooded assassins, within the mix of elements of Water and Fire, shrouded in Secrets... a place Jai found empty, with the cloak that became his signature within.

The Pagoda itself is Shogunate design, five floors high, carved with superb skill. Pools of warm water lit the valley, beautiful gardens and careful walkways in it... the sky and the places afar colored a diffuse gray, which from the inside give a feeling of warmth and protection... the Pagoda’s geomancy produces the following stone :

Stone of Lost Mists

Manse ••••
Trigger: Concentration.

This spherical, translucent gem is the color of smoke, gray, like a light cloudy day reflected on the ocean. It feels ephemeral at the touch, like it will dissolve, like holding a cloud. It is quite solid, though, even if its gemstone-translucent aspect and the ever-moving mists that seem to be inside seem to be like air and mists woven into stone. On command, the mists pour out of the stone, enveloping the wearer, his face unable to be made out, eyes shining like the light on the stone, smoke trailing on his wake. If the wearer is using a cloak or suchlike, the smoke stays there, blurring his form completely... in every spectrum of perception, to the eye, to the spiders in heaven or the ghosts in-between....

Mechanically, it gives four extra dice to any stealth attempt, and allows the wearer to roll a hide in plain sight( as long as he is far enough away and not too close, people will simply not look at him, counting as not standing out for charm purposes ) although if spotted, the bearer will clearly be seen as a supernatural being and suspicious. Despite that, the mists also make the wearer completely invisible against any form of magical detection – magical wards, essence senses, astrology, sorcerous scrying... for all those purposes, the wearer simply does not exist. This effect can be mantained for as long as the wearer so desires.

Birth of a Desert Dragon

Jai Rajnish lived the life. A Delzahn of noble birth, born and bred on the Chiaroscuro Plaza, he always knew beauty, power, in the credle of one of the most proud and ecletic cities on Creation. His skill gave him hunt, and a blade on his hand was doom to any and all who dared to challenge the swift man, who moved like a snake when striking. And not just in swordplay, as his beauty gave him romance, and he jumped on prey on the social arena as easily as he did on the hunt, quickly seizing them with hand and kiss. But it was his tongue who gave him trade... and success.

Honeyed tongue, honest face, a mind for bussiness. He joined the Guild, and soon became one of the most proehminent merchant princes in the South. His deals were merciless, but without any other worry aside from getting the right profit and going to the next party. And so, his profit margins got greater by the minute. During those deals, he saw great indignities against the human condition, and many stratagems that were exploitative and ingenious. But he simply accepted them; The system was in place, it worked, and most everybody was happy at the end.

Why rock the boat?

And then he met Aria. She was a daughter of nobility from the country of Tassel, a great oasis many miles south of Chiaroscuro. They had a very vertile soil on their lands - the Guild paid its nobility and upper class well to exploit their workers to the last breath to plant their drugs, selling their distilled product back to a country of addicts. It was a place of beautiful decadence; Jai thought little of it, when he came to visit; All he saw was the upper class, and their great, surreal parties. It was a fun place to be if you could ignore the rabble of junkies and just have fun with those on top, like he did.

Why rock the boat?

He met Aria in one of those parties, out in a balcony, as disgusted with the drug-driven excesses of that night as he was himself. They talked until dawn, and made love to the first rays of the sunrise. Her views were the opposite of his' - she and her friends wanted to stop the exploitation of those lands. But they saw the greatness of one another. She presented him to her country as it truly was - the opression, the miserables, the revolutionaires. She asked for help, in endless political arguments they had, as she tried to give him her idealistic dreams for a better way to live, a better way for all.

He, on the other hand, took her on his conestoga, showing her the places of his caravan, how the system she so sought to oppose really worked, the intricacies of trade, showed her Chiaroscuro, the Plaza of indestructible glass and the Delzahn nobility. He tried to show her the world worked, how it was good for them instead of that abomination she so sought to destroy. Tried to show her how she had no idea how much would come crashing down if changes were to occur - how all was woven together in a complex web of relationships, and a tug on one side pushed all the rest to discomfort... something he would never help to do.

After all, it worked. They were the upper class, not the rabble, and should enjoy it.

Why rock the boat?

After a time, he stopped trying, just taking his time to get her away from their meetings, stringing her with promises of help - soon, she was one of the heads of their movement, which was stalled by him forever, as he was to be a help that never came. He just enjoyed always trying to get the dignified princess and poster girl for righteousnes kinkier and kinkier on the bedroom. It was nice enough for him.

All was right, on those times.

No reason to rock the boat.

He was away when the tide changed; Things had been gone on for awhile, but as a peer would bluntly tell him, he was too busy fucking to realise. Tassel was no longer profitable. Things begun to dwindle between them and the guild, in a particularly harsh dry season... that begun to last through spring as well. All life was gone from their fields, from whatever curse or natural phenomena, and likewise, all support was pulled, as the Guild , as they put it, had better things to do than them. In all of three months, it bankrupted.

Riots and civil violence begun. Jai rushed from Varang, but when he got there, a furious mob had dispatched its 'justice' upon a 'betrayer', 'liar', and 'guild-lover' such as Aria. Hers was one of the many bodies never found due to what happened next, but the tales of what was done to noble princess came to Jai, and they were a blow to his soul. As soon as a coup happened, the malcontents attacked a Guild post not far from Tassel; The fact it contained slaves slatted for the Fair Ones was enough of a reason to revoke Tassel's 'protection'.

It became a country of wyld creatures and soul-dead zombies.

The boat had been rocked. In the worst of ways.

Suddenly, all that Aria had ever told him burned within his soul. All he had made her do, in and out of the bedroom... he never realised how much he loved her until she was gone. He begun to get unstable, to discuss with his peers, and said too many wrong things, too quickly. T

hat was the opening all those who burned with envy for him were waiting for.

A poisoned blade slipped behind his back, on his caravan. But He wouldn't die so easily.

A commotion begun. Poisoned, cut, hurt, near death, even then, he made enough of a commotion, fighting off his assassins, scaring his beasts, to make the caravan get off the crimson glass road on a place it really shouldn't. The Wyld Lions came upon them, but let Jai untouched.

For, as he fought his assassins, poisoned, dying, heart filled with grief, the light of Eclipse begun to burn in his forehead.

He was spared of the massacre, and received strength to survive the poison, but he was still left alone, poisoned, in the middle of the desert.

For days, he walked, close to his death, hallucinating about his life with every step. But always walking foward. The hallucinations followed him as he stepped within the mists of the Pagoda of Ephemeral Dreams, and there, under its soothing influence, healed. There, he found the power to remake himself. A gem to allow anonimity. A cloak to provide protection. Jai Rajnish walked in the Valley of Mists... but it was the Smoke Dragon that walked out.

Guild's posts and caravans begun to vanish. Jai Rajnish returned to Chiaroscuro, buying a manor on the outskirts of the city, setting on his own commercial venture. The places Smoke Dragon's raids would damage by the lack of trade, his own company came in, allowing them to sign better, not abusive contracts. Letting the Guild know they are not against a an idealist who will shot himself in the foot while trying to change things - they are up against a merciless bussinessman, as good as they can ever hope to be in hostile takeovers.

But who protects those under his wing. And saves each and every ounce of mercilessness to his former peers.

Notes

And it is DONE!

... mostly, I still need more on Anansi, anyway.

But, on its infinite suckytude, on the totally layman, lazy and naive way of mine of placing a story or a character together, there it is. Throw tomatoes at will =P