Hapushet/TeresuGido

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Teresu Gido

Aspect: Water
Nature: Traditionalist
Anima: Swirling Whirlpool
Concept: Paranoid sohei

Attributes
Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 5, Stanima 4
Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2
Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 5, Wits 4

Abilities
Archery 2, Athletics 5, Awareness 5 (Ambushes +2), Brawl 5, Bureaucracy 5, Craft: First Age Weapons 4, Dodge 5 (While Unarmed +2), Endurance 3, Investigation 5, Larceny 3, Linguistics 5 (Riverspeak, Flametongue, Forest-tongue, High Realm, Old Realm, Skytongue), Lore 5 (Essence Flows +2, The First Age +1), Martial Arts 5 (Using Charms +3), Medicine 2, Melee 3, Occult 5 (Spirits +3), Performance 5 (Rabble-Rousing +1), Presence 5, Resistance 3, Ride 2, Sail 3, Socialize 5, Stealth 2, Survival 3, Thrown 1

Backgrounds: Allies 2, Arsenal 2, Artifact 5, Backing (7th Legion) 4, Breeding 1, Connections (Adjutant General Directorate) 3, Connections (Stores Directorate) 3, Manse 3, Reputation 2, Resources 3, Sorcery 4

Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 5, Temperance 3, Valor 3
Great Curse: Conviction

Willpower: 7
Essence: 5
Essence Pool: 13/32(41)

Charms

Dodge

Flickering Candle Meditation

Safety Among Enemies

Endurance

Ox-Body Technique (x2)

Linguistics

Wind-Carried Words Technique

Lore

Elemental Bolt Attack

Martial Arts

Tiger-and-Bear Awareness

Tiger-and-Bear Unity

Five-Dragon Style

Five-Dragon Blocking Technique

Five-Dragon Claw

Five-Dragon Fist

Five-Dragon-Force Blow

Five-Dragon Form

Five-Dragon Fortitude

Five-Dragon Invulnerability

Five-Dragon Wrath

Hungry Ghost Style

Charm Smothering Technique

Consuming Entropy Strike

Essence-Discerning Glance

Hungry Ghost Form

Power-Reaping Prana

Shrouded Claw Attack

Melee

Dragon-Graced Weapon

Ghost-Fire Blade

Occult

Spirit-Chaining Strike

Spirit-Detecting Mirror Technique

Spirit-Grounding Shout

Spirit-Shredding Attack

Terrestrial Circle Sorcery

Resistance

Impervious Skin of Stone Meditation

Strength of Stone Technique

Combos:

Wave of Righteousness (Elemental Bolt Attack, Spirit-Shredding Attack)

7+ motes, 1 Willpower

When this Combo is activated, Gido stands transfixed as a wash of torrential water leaps up from the ground behind him, while ripples of black Essence ride down the crest, spelling out mantras that glory in the perfection of the Celestial Heavens. The wave rushes past him, racing out to strike down the offending spirit not just with to force of the water, but with the righteous power of the Heavens themselves.

Activating this Combo requires 7 motes and a Willpower. The base attack does 2L damage, but additional motes may be spent to increase the damage, up to a total damage of 8L (twice Gido's Stamina). He makes an attack roll using his Dexterity + Athletics, adding his Permanent Essence to the dice pool as well. If the attack is successful, the spirit suffers normal damage and Gido makes an immediate Willpower + Essence roll with a difficulty equal to the spirit's Essence. Every success on this roll reduces the spirit's Essence Pool by 5 (Gido's Essence). If a spirit is destroyed by this attack, it is irrevocably gone.

Hammer of Gods Above and Below (Consuming Entropy Strike, Five-Dragon-Force Blow, Shrouded Claw Attack, Tiger-and-Bear Unity)

10+ motes, 2 Willpower

As Gido begins to enact the Hammer of Gods Above and Below, mournful howls whip across the landscape, and surges of black Essence twist themselves into the shape of small dragons with faces like skulls that crawl down Gido's arms to his fists. As the blow strikes its target - as it almost inevitably does - the howls turn to the frenzied calls of starving wolves, and the dragons explode in plumes of death-white Essence, bludgeoning the target into Oblivion itself.

When this Combo is activated, Gido's unarmed attack does lethal damage, and the base damage is doubled (though not the successes). The target's lethal soak is reduced by 2L, and Gido may spend additional motes to reduce their soak by an additional 2L per mote spent. The target's soak may not be reduced below 0 in this way, and the reduction applies only to this attack. The blow is exceedingly difficult to avoid - not only are all the target's defensive pools reduced by one-half, rounded up, but Gido adds 5 automatic successes to his roll (his Martial Arts rating). Due to the heavy commitment involved in using this Combo, Gido typically has Charm Smothering Technique standing by to negate any defensive Charm use the target may possess.

Spells Known:
Burning Glory of the Dragon Prince
Call the Knowing Whisper
Cunning Aegis of Daana'd
Emerald Circle Banishment
Emerald Countermagic
Incantation of Spiritual Discretion
Open the Spirit Door
Private Plaza of Downcast Eyes
Ritual of Elemental Empowerment
Sacred Tongue
Shield of Jade
Spirit Sword
The Spy Who Walks In Darkness
Stormwind Rider
Summon Elemental
Summon First Circle Demon
Summoning the Lesser Minions of the Eyeless Face
Vines of Strangling Virtue
Virtuous Guardian of Flame

Equipment
Hat, loose flowing shirt, breeches, sandals, jade perfected kata bracers, jade hearthstone amulet, essence-scrying visor, walking staff, grim expression.

Combat:
Base Initiative: 9
Soak: 7L/9B (Perfected Kata Bracers, +5L/+5B)
Health Levels: -0, -1x4, -2x4, -4, Inc.
Dodge Pool: 15

Attacks

Fist

Spd 10(15), Acc 11(16), Dam 4B(9B/L), Def 11(16), Rate 5

Kick

Spd 7(12), Acc 11(16), Dam 7B(12B/L), Def 6(12), Rate 3

numbers in parathenses indicate perfected kata bracer bonus, when using a Form Charm only

History

Teresu Gido is a man with a vision. In his long life, he has seen the devastation and chaos that rogue small gods can cause, and he believes the time has come for Lookshy to step in and act, to take arms against the usurping spirits and reestablish the glories of the Shogunate, both in Heaven and in Creation. Once he thought that such spirits could be negotiated with, convinced to see the error of their ways... but no more. If force must be used and blood shed, then so be it. Those who resist will be punshied, and those who die in the cause will die as martyrs, sure to reincarnate as Exalts when they next traverse the Cycle. The day is coming when Lookshy will be able to launch its crusade.

It will be a glorious day.

Unfortunately, not all those around Gido can see that day as clearly as he can. Exalts with ideas like his are reviled and called "crackpots," and so he must act cautiously, restrain himself, rein in his desires to wipe away the filth that besmirches the River Province... at least, he must do so for now. One day soon, though... The time is near. It must be near, for the gods who scheme and manipulate and use the Scavenger Lands as their private temples know that Gido is planning something, know that their reign is drawing to a close, and they are attempting to stop him. Their spies and assassins are everywhere. He is sure of it.

It can only be the result of such a plot that has lead the General Staff to allow Anathema into Lookshy, to offer them sanctuary, rank and command in the Legion itself. These vile demons walk the streets of Lookshy untouched, uncaring, defiling the paving stones with each step. The worst of them by far is the demon who names itself "Anaba" - not only is she corrupting the young and valiant soldiers of the Legion with her "training" sessions, but she holds up as her finest student a degenerate half-breed, a God-Blood who came from good Dragon-Blooded stock and who should have been one of the Princes of the Earth, not some twisted abomination. Their friendship is proof of the Anathema's wickedness! But no, the General Staff will not see it; they see only the lies they tell themselves, that they have somehow leashed the tyrant lizard and believe it will not turn on them.

Fortunately, not all are so blind. Gido has allies, and has recently he has found a new insight, a new way of battle that will allow him to bring the rogue gods and Anathema both to the graves they so richly deserve. He claims it is an ancient warrior lore, from the First Age, and those who have seen the power of his new style are simply unable to match it. He cannot yet teach it to others - and, oddly, has found few who seem willing to learn, despite the power of his technique. They seem... frightened. It is no matter, though. Once he has mastered the Hungry Ghost Style, then he will be able to begin his crusade... alone if need be.

It will be a glorious day.

(For more information on Teresu Gido, see page 96 of Aspect Book: Water.)

Expanded Backgrounds

Allies: Gido has a small group of close advisors who share his mad dreams of conquest and crusade. Until recently, he counted Tien Yu as an ally as well, but his fast-slipping sanity caused her to draw away from him.

Arsenal: Due to his high rank in the Seventh Legion, Gido has access to the Legion's armory and Manses. Currently he has an essence-scrying visor and a suit of ashigaru armor assigned to him, but he does not normally wear the armor these days, as it would interfere with his performance of the Hungry Ghost Form. He also has attuned to a minor Air Manse, and carries the Stone of the Spider's Eye from it in his jade heartstone amulet.

Artifact: Gido's personal supply of artifacts is far more impressive. In addition to a simple jade hearthstone amulet around his upper left forearm, he also wears jade perfected kata bracers (called the Lotus Bracers of Triumph), inherited from his ancestors, and has a skin-mount amulet implanted into his skin, over his heart. (The bonus to his Peripheral Essence Pool has already been calculated in his statistics, above.)

Backing (7th Legion): Gido is semi-retired, and therefore carries an official rank of shozei.

Breeding: The Teresu gens is an ancient and powerful line, but Gido's branch is far separated from the most powerful families. Neither of his parents were Dragn-Blooded, and he carries only a touch more of the Dragons' blessing than his average fellow-Terrestrial.

Connections: Gido has served the 7th Legion for almost two centuries, and has close ties with both the Adjutant General Directorate and the Stores Directorate. This gives him great access to other sohei, as well as to artifact requisitions if need be.

Manse: Until recently, the sizable Earth-aspected Manse controlled by Gido's family produced a Precision of Form Gemstone, favored by the family's traditional pursuit of the martial arts. Recently, however, Gido commissioned a tricky redesign of the Manse from the Legion's Corps of Engineers, causing the Manse's output to change to 2 stones - a Kata-Sculpting Gem and Hardened Spirit Gemstone. Gido provided the plans for the redesign himself, surprising many of his associates. Though Gido is renowned for his expertise in Essence flows (developed over decades of locating spirit Sanctums), even his closest allies were unaware that he had any familiarity with Manse design.

He wears the Kata-Sculpting Gem in his skin-mount amulet, and the Hardened Spirit Gemstone resides in the Lotus Bracers of Triumph.

Reputation: Gido has garnered much respect throughout the years as a warrior and intercessor with the gods. Recent rumors about his shifting attitudes have damaged his standing, however.

Resources: Gido possesses the minimum Salary paid to his rank, but generally eschews physical goods as distractions from more important matters.

Sorcery: As a sohei with great sorcerous talent, Gido was taught much of the lore of the Lookshy Sorcery Academy, and has even studied some of the fragments of the Celestial Circle spells the Academy possesses. Though he cannot cast such mighty magics, a Perception + Occult roll, with a difficulty determined by the Storyteller, will allow him to identify such spells.