The Sackcloth Evangelist Of The Ebon Spiral

The Sackcloth Evangelist of the Ebon Spiral

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I am the agent
I am corruption
I am the angel
Of your destruction
I am subversion
Sacred desire-
I am the future
Swallowed up in fire

- "Burn," Nine Inch Nails

Vital Statistics

Caste: Midnight Concept: Oblivion's Missionary Motivation: Become the Omega- cast all into the Void before he is consumed in turn Age: 71 Apparent Age: 65 Gender: Male Hair: White Eyes: Black, glint redly Skin: Pale and dry, like parchment Height: 6'3" Weight: 165 lbs. Homeland: Ethanac, originally from Felmorne Birth Name: (Founder) Uziah Anima: The Ebon Spiral- a ravenous singularity of Essence that whips the air to frenzy and seems to draw all light into it with a low roar and a faint moan Permanent Essence: 5

Strength: 3 Dexterity: 4 Stamina: 4
Charisma: 4 Manipulation: 5 Appearance: 0
Perception: 4 Intelligence: 5 Wits: 4

Compassion: 2 Temperance: 4 Conviction: 4 Valor: 2

Personal Essence: 22 Peripheral Essence: 49 Harvested: 20

Abilities and Specialties

Martial Arts: 3 Melee: 3 War: 4 (the Undead, 2) Integrity*: 5 (Counter-argument, 2) Performance*: 5 (Prayer, 3) Presence*: 5 (Intimidate, 2) Resistance*: 4 Survival*: 4 Craft: 4 (Wood, Fire, Magitech, Necrosurgery) Investigation: 2 Lore: 5 (the Underworld, 3) Medicine: 2 Occult*: 5 (Necromancy, 2) Athletics: 4 Awareness*: 5 Dodge*: 5 (vs. Ranged, 2) Larceny: 2 Stealth: 4 Bureaucracy: 4 Linguistics: 3 (Skytongue, Old Realm, High Realm, Riverspeak) Ride: 2 Sail: 1 Socialize*: 5 (Mind Games, 3)

Backgrounds

Artifact: 5 (Mighty panoply of war and more importantly, toolbox)
Followers: 5 (Nephwrack warrior-priests devoted to his message)
Liege: 5 (Chosen agent of The Crimson Weaver of Subtle Venoms)
Necromancy: 5 (Instructed personally by his Liege)
Resources: 4 (Draws a regular salary to augment his activities in Creation)
Manse: 3, 2, 2 (All in Creation- Earth, Air, and Air aligned)
Cult: 2 (Some particularly heretical nephwracks view him as a Saint of Oblivion)
Whispers: 4 (The ravings of the Neverborn echo in his dreams)
Abyssal Command: 5 (Commands an elite unit of Nephwracks as well as zombies in general)
Allies: 5 (Despite the duplicity of his circle, he may rely on several prominent dead)

Combat

Join Battle: 9 Join Debate: 9 Join War: 8 -Magnitude

Health Track
-0 -0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -4 Incapacitated Dying Dying Dying Dead

Armor: Soulsteel Reinforced Buff Jacket (Frock Coat)
Lethal Soak: 7 Bashing Soak: 10 Notes: Adds 2 to soaks from materials bonus, Adds 5 to Soaks from Abyssal Aegis effect. Collar of Night’s Majesty adds 2 to soaks.

Total Soak:
Bashing: 23 Lethal: 18 Aggravated: 11 Hardness: 6 vs. Bashing or Lethal (or Ag)

Attacks
Extreme Unction: Speed: 4 Accuracy: 15 Damage: 12L Defense: - Range: 50 yds. Rate: 2
Crypt Bolt: Speen 4 Accuracy: 13 Damage: 2L/mote Defense: - Range: 50 yds. Rate: 1
Bare Hand: Speed: 5 Accuracy: 8 Damage: 6L Defense: +2 Range: - Rate: 3
Hideous Sacrament: Speed: 4 Accuracy: 14 Damage: 14L/A Defense: - Range: 50 yds. Rate: 1

Dodge DV Melee: 9 Dodge DV Ranged 10 Parry DV: 5
Mental Dodge DV: 9 Mental Parry DV: 5 Mental Parry DV Mind Games: 7

Charms

Excellencies and the Basics

Lore Overwhelming, Socialize Overwhelming, Athletics Overwhelming, War Triumphant, Performance Triumphant, Occult Triumphant, Dodge Triumphant, Awareness Resurgent, Survival Resurgant, Infinite Dodge Mastery, Dodge Essence Flow, Lore Essence Flow
Ox-Body Technique (x4), Essence Engorgement Technique (x2), Plague Knows Its Master

Flickering Wisp Technique: 3m, Reflexive, Instant. Perfect dodge, Flaw of Temperance.
Incomparable Phantom Form: 5m, 1w, Simple, Scene. Persistent dodge, resistant to coordinated attacks.
Spirit-Sensing Technique: 3m, Reflexive, Scene. Able to perceive dematerialized spirits.
Corpus-Rending Blow: 1m, Supplemental, Instant. Able to strike spirits, inflicts aggrivated damage.
Soul-Eating Strike: 2m, Reflexive, Instant. Recovers 10 essence per hit, will permanantly kill spirits.
Ominous Portent Excercise: 1m, Reflexive, Instant. Makes him aware of an attack, does not count as charm for the round.
Spirit-Hardened Frame: 2m, Reflexive, Instant. Sets hardness to 8 for one attack.
Insensate Corpse Concentration: 3m, Reflexive, Instant. Roll Stamina + Resistance vs. attacker's Essence for invulnerablity
Flowing Wound Defense: 4m, Reflexive, Instant. Perfect soak, Flaw of Temperance. Appears to sustain damage but re-forms
Falling Scythe Attack: 3m, 1w, Supplemental, Instant. Adds one auto success to strike, doubles post-soak damage. Signature combat move. (quick scything hand gesture)
Heart-Sculpting Oration: 6m, Supplemental, Scene. Performance roll is unnatural, instils intense emotion for a scene.
Dread Lord's Demeanor: 7m, Simple, Scene. Attackers (even social) must make a valor check to dare oppose him.
Soul-Flaying Gaze: 3(2)m, Simple, Instant. Renders a target's Mental Dodge DV inapplicable, costs less if Dread Lord's Demeanor is up.
Heart-Stopping Mein: 10m, 1w, Simple, Scene. Mortals who fail a Valor check take 5L damage. If passed, they remain at a -2 to attack him.
Crypt Bolt: 1m/2L, Simple, Instant. Is DV -2, Roll Dexterity + Athletics + Essence to hit.
Radiant Blight Technique: 5m, Simple, Instant. Roll Charisma + Lore. All within the number rolled in yards take 5L soakable only with Stamina.
Hideous Sacrament: 3m, 1w, Simple, Instant. The Abyssal's Caste Mark Blazes, and he casts A necrotic bolt of Unlight and Failed Dreams at his enemy. This charm is a Lore-based attack. It's attack pool equals (Wits + Lore + Essence). It has a range of (Essence x 10) yards and cannot exceed it. It is undodgeable barring charms that trump applicability. It ignores cover, including shields, but cannot otherwise strike around obstacles. It does a base damage of the Abyssal's (Intelligence + Willpower). It deals aggrivated damage against the Fair Folk and the unshaped horrors beyond the world.
Argument-Slaying Remark: 3m, Reflexive, Instant. Brings to an immediate resolution an extended social interaction.
Heart-Hardening Method: 6m, Simple, Instant. Roll Manipulation + Socialize vs. target's MDV. Each success reduces target virtue for one hour/success. If successes exceed target willpower, loss is permanent.
Scathing Cynic Attitude: 6m, 1w, Reflexive, Scene. Adds Essence to MDV but increases Charisma rolls by 1 difficulty.
Skeleton-Summoning Gesture: 5m, 1w, Simple, Instant. Animates all corpses within 50 yards as loyal skeletons (zombie extras).
Morale-Shattering Method: 7m, 1w, Simple, Instant. Forces one unit within 500 yards to check for rout.

Necromancy and Sorcery

Shadowlands Circle Necromancy

Iron Countermagic: 10m/20m, 1w. Sets up defensive barrier, or ruptures another Shadowlands-Circle spell.
Piercing the Shroud: 10m, 1w. Opens a portal from the Underworld into the Labyrinth.
Summon Ghost: 15+m, 1w. Summons a ghost. Spend more to erode their willpower while summoning them.
Walking War Machine: Varies, 1w. Used in the creation of Spine Chains and the like.
Bless the Rapine Soul: 16m, 1w. Target mortal is rendered pliable to postmortem possession.
Flesh and Bone Winds: 18m, 1w. Adds 1 to melee DV, and 3 to ranged DV. Each 2 bodies added to the maelstrom add 1 more to melee or ranged DV, to a maximum of 5 (from 10 bodies).
Flesh Sloughing Wave: 16m, 1w. Travels 25 yards, all targets within must soak 2x(Essence + Occult) (20 for him).
Mother Darkness: 12m, 1w. Death-taints a one mile radius for one week. Abyssals and ghosts can respire essence within.
Shattered Void Mirror: 20m, 1w. Inflicts twice the target's remaining health levels in lethal damage, only natural soak may reduce this. Target also loses twice her Permanent Essence in motes.
Midnight Shadow Sun: 8m, 1w. Causes an alteration in the border of a shadowland persisting for 5 minutes.
Dusk Eyes: 10m, 1w. Allows the caster to see across the veil- Creation into the Underworld, vice-versa, for one hour, at his current location.

Labyrinth Circle Necromancy

Onyx Countermagic: 15m/20m, 2w. Sets up defensive barrier, or ruptures Labyrinth or Terrestrial Circle spells, or snuffs Shadowlands Circle spells.
Arisen Legion: Varies, 2m. Raises a number of temporary zombies within 100 yards equal to the number of motes spent casting the spell.
Reaping the Fallen: 25m, 2w. For every mortal who dies within a league for the rest of the scene, he regains one mote of essence.
Exquisite Undead Aide: 20m, 2w. Is mostly useful for creating capable lab assistants and death camp guards who don't talk or hesitate.
Infinite Footsteps: 25m, 2w. Cast in the Labyrinth, it enables the caster to reach any location in the Underworld within one day.
Rebirth Into Darkness: 25m, 2w. Chains one ghost to his side, prevents them from seeking Lethe or Oblivion, even if discorporated.
Shadow Stones Travel: 24m, 2w. Permits the caster to travel from the Underworld to Creation or vice-versa at his current location.
Ivory Razor Forest: 25m, 2w. Raises a massive fortification which does 8 unblockable lethal damage to any who touch it.

Void Circle Necromancy

Obsidian Countermagic: 20m/25m, 3w. Sets up a defensive barrier, or ruptures Void Circle or Celestial Circle spells, or snuffs Shadowlands, Labyrinth, or Terrestrial Circle spells.
Dimming of the Light: 80m, 3w. Forever corrupts a willing Solar mote into a new Abyssal.
Forsaken Life Engine: 50+m, 3w. Conjures a great engine that creates a 50mile radius shadowland- must be fed 1000 living beings, can devour them at a rate of 3 per minute, so it takes about eleven hours to succeed. (Book of Bone and Ebony, pgs. 140-141 for more details)
Grandmother Void: 40m, 3w, 1L health level. Becomes an invulnerable portal for 5 turns, summons forth 2 loyal Nephwracks per turn.
Mouth of the Void: 50m, 3w. All living beings save the caster within 40 yards sustain 30 levels of aggrivated damage. See pg. 142 of the Book of Bone and Ebony for flavor text.

Terrestrial Circle Sorcery

Emerald Countermagic: 10m/20m, 1 w. Sets up a defensive barrier, or ruptures Terrestrial Circle spells.
Corrupted Words: 10m, 1w. Vomit maggots, biznitch.
Flight of Separation: 10m, 1w. Becomes a flock of ravens who fly up to 500 yards in any direction.
Flying Guillotine: 10m, 1w. 500 yard range, Roll (Perception + Occult) and add 5 auto successes to hit, inflicts a base damage of 18L.
Internal Flame: 15m, 1w. Roll Willpower + Occult vs. victim's Stamina. Inflicts 5L + extra successes damage, 3L per turn until all damage is applied. Target is incapable of conscious movement due to the agony. If victim manages to win, she is still -2 to all actions the next turn due to wracking pains.
Violent Opening of Closed Portals: You dare bar your doors to me?

Combos

Entropic Morality Principle 9+m, 1 w
Argument Slaying Remark, Heart-Hardening Method, First Socialize Excellency.
The Evangelist casts a look of withering scorn at his victim and utters one horrible, hideous Truth about her that undermines her beliefs. A silent shockwave signals the death of a small part of her soul, and she weeps tears of blood.

Steal the Wasted Breath 8+m, 1w
Flickering Wisp Technique, Radiant Blight Technique, First Lore Excellency.
Vanishing like a spectre before a breeze, he suddenly reappears next to his foolhardy attacker and spreads his hands, as if giving a blessing. The world seems to shake and the earth moans in agony as death essence lances out in a terrible circle, rotting the living even as they draw breath.

The Void Hungers 4+m, 1w
Soul-Eating Strike, Corpus-Rending Blow, Crypt Bolt.
The Evangelist speaks one terrible, final-sounding word, and a black bolt howls forth from his outstretched hand to whatever spirit offended him. It is surrounded by a dark pall and purple lightnings crackle over it as it suffers the utter agony of all who resist their ultimate dissolution.

Patient Inquisition 9+m, 1w
Soul-Flaying Gaze, Heart Hardening Method, First Socialize Excellency.
Those who would resist the horror that is Truth are fools perhaps, but not beyond help. Through an extended, grandfatherly interview where he mocks his victim with kindness and regret, the Evangelist sneaks past her mental defenses and drives home the blade of honest criticism, whittling away at all she holds dear.

Rite of Consolamentum 9+m, 3w
Hideous Sacrament, First Lore Excellency, Falling Scythe Attack, Flickering Wisp Technique
The skies darken and roil as the Evangelist's anima seems to flow down his arm, encapsulating a splinter of the ultimate Void in his hand. Small objects lose their connection to Creation and attempt to flee Gaia, floating softly upward in the split second before destruction is hurled forth. His hand moves in a quick gesture that speaks of impatience and hatred, and the air recoils away from him with a shriek as the blast of Unlight washes over his victim, wicking away skin and flesh from the pale bones.

Expanded Backgrounds

Artifact Panoply

The Void is My Shield: Artifact 4. Soulsteel reinforced buff jacket in the form of a long leathery (actually soulcrafted plasm) Frock-style, almost military coat that reaches to his ankles. Grants the wearer the effects of Abyssal Aegis (plus four to soaks, negates the "Holy" descriptor from Solar attacks leveled his way). Due to it's lightweight construction it has no movement penalty. Requires the commitment of 5 motes.

Bracers of Disdain: Artifact 4. Soulsteel Hearthstone Bracers (reduce target's lethal and bashing soak by 2 vs the Abyssal, adds 3 to his dodge pool) that also fire +2 accuracy 12L damage Crypt Bolts at a cost of only 1 mote to any Abyssal who can hurl Crypt Bolts, otherwise they cost 3m each. Requires the commitment of 4 motes.

Collar of Night's Majesty: Artifact 2. Wearer never appears rumpled or shabby, though he may appear clad in resplendent tattered ruin if that is his way. Adds +1 to Intimidation rolls, +2 against poisons, and +2 to all soaks. Requires the commitment of 2 motes.

Unveiling Lenses: Artifact 2. The wearer of these spectacles views the world Through Dead Eyes, which is identical to All-Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight save that rolls for non-death-essence flows are at +1 difficulty. Requires the commitment of 1 mote.

The Book of Dead Names: Artifact 1. This black, leatherbound tome records within the name of any man or woman, god, ghost, or Raksha who is slain, directly or indirectly (to a point) by the Evangelist. It also records the ravings of the Neverborn that echo in the depths of his mind, enabling him to live with the constant whispers. Prolonged reading from this book could well induce severe and numerous derangements.

Steel Pen of Refinement: Artifact 1. Costs a drop of blood and one mote to activate, then adds a die to any roll involving writing for the duration of the scene.

Bloody Ice Comb: Artifact 1. Conjures a supernatural ice storm which attacks any pursuing he who planted the comb in the dirt.

Bag of Harvested Plagues: Artifact 2. Can hold up to 5 diseases, which can then be released upon a hapless victim within 5 yards. Currently holds the Black Death, Cholera, Leprosy, Consumption, and Hysteria.

Followers

25 Nephwracks follow the Evangelist whenever he permits it, otherwise they linger at one of his Manses, wailing paens to the Void and ever so slowly corrupting them toward the Abyssal. They form a military unit, his honor guard, called Oblivion's Anointed Guard. They are led by an ancient Spectre who calls himself Shepherd of Dust.