TheHoverpope/SpiritDanceStyle

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Spirit Dance Style

The Lunar exalts of the first age grew close to the avatars of their totems, they grew close to the spirits that accompanied their forms. This tree was designed to allow the Lunars to even more closely mate themselves to their idealised forms, but it can be utilised by anyone. The Lunars almost always produce an animal spirit; the Solars often bring forth a spirit that matches their anima totem; and Terrestrials usually produce something akin to a littlest dragon. Some exalts have fought alongside things akin to personal ghosts, demons, or fae, but none speak of them. Only exalts can learn this martial arts tree.

The actual style of fighting that this tree ultimately embodies varies greatly depending on the spirit who is involved; the style produced by a water-aspected elemental and its partner exalt will be very different from that of a tiger-spirit.

Form weapons and Armor

This tree allows for any weapon or armor that emulates the natural – brawling aids are acceptable, and any armor without mobility or fatigue penalties is compatible with the form – no charm in the tree functions with another weapon or while wearing heavier armor.

Charms

Spirit Affinity
Type: Permanent
Duration: One Scene
Cost: 2m
Keywords: Combo-OK
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite charms: None
The exalt goes silent in meditation and after a time, between a day and a few, meets with their spirit companion. A spirit will join with them, and none know whether it is a new spirit, forged out of the world by learning this charm, or an old spirit, whose past duties have been irrevocably changed and forgotten. In any case, there is now a spirit accompanying the exalt into battle. It cannot be killed while it shares a body with the exalt. Some have said that the spirit is not a true one, for it appears only when the exalt uses charms from this tree, apparently non-existent during other times. This charm brings the spirit into alignment with the body of the exalt; charms following this one cannot be used without it active. The spirit cannot take actions of its own while this charm is active.

Spirit's Swiftness
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Cost: 1m
Keywords: Combo-OK
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 1
prerequisite charms: None
The exalt strikes with speed born of essence and not of flesh, strikes with the haste that is not weighed down by bone or muscle. An attack gets -1 speed, and gets an accuracy boost of the exalt's lowest virtue
In first edition, add essence to initiative rather than reducing speed.

Sharing the Spirit's Skin
Type: Reflexive
Duration: One Scene
Cost: 5m
Keywords: combo-ok, obvious
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite charms: Spirit Affinity, Spirit's Swiftness
The exalt dances with the nature of the spirit, and their flesh is hardened agains the petty blows of the world. They add their highest virtue to all three of their soaks. Faint glimmers of spiritual essence are visible around the exalt.

Prayers Between Brothers
Type: Reflexive
Duration: One Scene
Keywords: Combo-Ok, Obvious
Cost: 4m
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Sharing the Spirit's Skin
The exalt activates this charm, and they breathe with the purpose of a spirit; their essence flows from the dragon-lines of the world into their flesh. When the exalt successfully strikes a target, roll their essence; for each success, the exalt regains two motes.

Spirit Dance Form
Type: Simple (Speed 6, DV -0)
Duration: One Scene
Cost: 6m
Keywords: form-type, obvious
Minimum Martial Arts:4
Minimum Essence:2
Prerequisite Charms: Prayers Between Brothers The exalt moves in unison with the spirit who accompanies them, and they strike together perfectly and flawlessly, and they share their eyes and their wits.
Every attack made by the martial artist counts as a coordinated attack with their spirit companion, imposing a coordinated attack penalty against targets equal to essence. Note that this is still one attack, rolled once; it just benefits from that penalty. The exalt is able to see and interact with spirits. The spirit's shape is clearly outlined around the exalt as if it had spent a mote to appear.

Spirit and Exalt Unity
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Cost: 3m
Keywords: Combo-OK
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Dance Form The exalt and the spirit strike together with perfect unity, and the infusion of essence from this charm allows them both to affect both worlds. Double the post-rolled damage of a single attack as both attacks strike in unison.

God-Beast Perfection
Type: Reflexive
Duration: One Scene
Cost: 6m, 1wp
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Spirit and Exalt Unity
The spirit and the exalt become one being, overlapping and blending with one another, obviously two forms but unclear where one begins and the other ends. To those who see as mortals, they have the impossible physics of a spirit; to those who see with spirit sight, the exalt's body seems to be of flows of essence like a spirit. Increase the physical attributes and Appearance of the exalt by their essence.

Lesser Principle of Motion
Type: Extra Actions
Duration: Instant
Cost: Varying motes
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious,
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Dance Form
The exalt strikes with infinite speed, making a number of attacks up to willpower, at a cost of three motes per attack. This does not ameliorate the DV penalties for the attacks; however, they do not suffer extra actions penalties. Charms that reduce DV penalties, such as Fivefold Bulwark Stance, act as they normally would on natural flurries.

Greater Bane Weapon
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Cost: 7m
Keywords: combo-OK, Obvious
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prequisite Charms: Lesser Principle of Motion
The exalt's fists glow with malevolent, baleful light for just a moment before they strike; the attack they make has a minimum damage equal to Willpower and ignores non-magical armor; against magical armor, it gains the piercing tag.

Celestial Reification
Type: Permanent
Duration: Permanent
Cost: None
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Greater Bane Weapon, God-Beast Perfection The spirit who is unified with the exalt is made whole and true as any other – a memo is passed hand to hand in Heaven, until it reaches an office that does not exist, manned by a spirit who died long, long ago. None know where the message ends up. That memorandum lists the new name and duty of the spirit, personal guardian to the exalt. It becomes truly sentient, and is capable of leaving the presence of the exalt as per a normal spirit, not ceasing when charms of this tree are not active.. It shares the exalt's attributes, abilities, virtues, willpower, and speaks its languages. These are updated to match the exalt's as they change. It has an essence of 1. It is now a five dot familiar, who does not gain the other benifits of high familiar ratings. Its essence pool, as per usual equalling essence x 10 + willpower x 5, can be used to pay up to half of the cost of any charm in this cascade, rounded down. This pool respires as per normal for a spirit. If Prayers Between Brothers if active, the spirit regains one mote on top of the exalt's two. If the spirit is killed, the exalt may rebuild it as it was immediately when killed at a cost of essencex10 motes; if it is killed with aggravated damage or a spirit-destroying charm, there is an additional cost of all the exalt's temporary willpower; further, there is an additional cost of 2 experience to reconstruct the being. This process takes a week of meditation, two if

Comments:

Thematically, I like it. Seems quite powerful though. I guess I'll say more when you finalize the tree and minimums, but I would suggest it be a dot or two higher than the standard celestial martial arts range.
-- Darloth