MartialArts/FifteenMonthsDescendingEarth

Descending Earth Style

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Background

Show me your stance. What, that's it? Pitiful.

Training

Descending Earth is not an obviously supernatural style. It is practiced in the same way as traditional mortal martial arts - and class sizes are large, because mortal martial arts students and exalted students are trained side by side. Indeed, this is an exceptional style to teach to mortals, since it teaches enlightened combat through training hard in the most basic principles. Of course, as an Earth style, the core principle is stance. Often, classes of hundreds of students will be taught by a single master. They will be required to rise before dawn and stand in their rows, knees bent and feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Until well after noon, they stand like this, the master walking among them and correcting tiny flaws in the stance of each one. Irreverent or lazy students often get beaten with the master's cane.

Weapons and Armor

The only weapon used by this style is the cane of the masters; treat as a wooden club. The weapon is only learned along with the form, though it can be used with the pre-form charms after it is learned. No armor is allowed.

Complementary Abilities

Resistance and Athletics •• are requirements of this style, and each charm requires Integrity equal to its Essence requirement.

Charms

Old version of style (with comments) archived.

Superior Stance Accepts Blows</b>
Cost: 3m
Type: Reflexive (step 4)
Essence 1
Martial Arts 2
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: none

A proper martial arts stance prepares the Descending Earth student to defend him/herself, reducing the chance of a lucky hit. Reroll one attack made against this martial artist's DV, using the worse result. This charm's effects are canceled if the attacker uses Essence Resurgent or other offensive reroll charms.

<b>Stand as Stone Poised for Avalanche</b>
Cost: 2m1w
Type: Reflexive (step 9)
Essence 1
Martial Arts 3
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: none

Readiness of stance enables instant reaction to any attack. This charm is a Dexterity + Martial Arts counterattack against any close combat attack. However, the Speed of the weapon used to counterattack is added to the ticks remaining before this character's next DV refresh, each time this charm is used.

<b>Eternal Stone Body Stance</b>
Cost: none
Type: permanent
Essence 1
Martial Arts 4
Keywords: permanent
Duration: permanent
Prerequisites: Superior Stance Accepts Blows, Stand as Stone Poised for Avalanche

The rigorous training of a student's body creates a fighting machine without comparison. This charm allows characters to attune to their own body as if it bore the following artifacts of Jade: Smashfists (replaces Punch profile), God-Kicking Boots (replaces Kick profile), and Breastplate (counts as armor and prevents wearing other armor). The attuned areas of the body partially transform into Jade as essence is infused into them. Dragon-Blooded may choose to use their Aspect-specific color of Jade, or the generalized Jade profile. The attunement cost of these pseudo-artifact profiles must come from Personal Essence, and non-Dragon-Blooded must pay the doubled cost to harmonize with the Jade profile. Mortals must learn the ability to attune to artifacts and harmonize with magical materials as an additional prerequisite to this charm.

<b>Descending Earth Form</b>
Cost: 7m
Type: Simple
Essence 1
Martial Arts 5
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Form-Type
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisites: Eternal Stone Body Stance

Descending Earth masters gain many benefits from their perfected stance, represented by this form. Great speed: add Martial Arts to move distance, and twice that to Dash distance. Readiness in all situations: reduce terrain penalties by one. Spotting weak stance: if an opponent's Martial Arts is less than this character's, treat all attack and defense stunts against that opponent as +1 die, including for mote/willpower regeneration.

Post-form: permanent charms enhancing form and pre-form charms, and attack charms with extra effect on weak/non-martial artists.
Pinnacle: Permanent charm enhancing attacks and defenses, especially against those who don't have this charm.

=== Work in Progress ===