BurgerSlave/Steel

Steel

Steel was born twenty-nine years ago to a well-off family of craftsmen upon the Blessed Isle. Though peasants by ancestry, Steel's family had the fine distinction of being one of the most favored families employed by House Ragara. Steel's family had outfitted the Ragaras for generations, forging weapons and armor for their troops, and even shaping plates of jade alloy into ornate armor and weapons for the House's Exalted scions.

As soon as he was strong enough to lift a forging hammer, Steel's father began instructing him in the discipline of the forge. He learned the many intricate ways and means that rough ores could be smelted into refined alloys. He learned how to apply his will to the molten metal, shaping it with the greatest of care and most exquisite skill. It soon became obvious to all that Steel had a gift for the forge, and that he would do his family proud.

Steel was fifteen when the Lord Ragara Ramil visited his family's home. One of his daughters had bought a finely wrought trinket of drawn wire, one that bore their distinctive chop. Without hesitation, Steel's parents offered his services to Lord Ramil's household, eager for the prestige that having their son work for the Exalted would grant to their family. For his part, Steel was glad to study with Lord Ramil's blacksmiths, for they would have new forging techniques that he could add to his own repertoire.

Steel was brought to live as a retainer of Lord Ramil's. In exchange for working personally for Ramil's house, he was to be given all the benefits of noble life. Steel was permitted to study with Lord Ramil's children, learning much from their personal tutors. It became obvious that he had a knack for scholarship on par with his talents as a smith. Because he performed so well for the household, Lord Ramil was only too pleased to permit Steel to study as much as he liked in his free time. And so, Steel would read books on feng shui, thaumaturgy, and spiritualism, all subjects he found fascinating. He also read the Immaculate Texts, for Lord Ramil's family was remarkably religious for Ragaras. As he studied, his skill with the hammer grew, until he was without a doubt the most accomplished smith in the entire prefecture.

For six years, Steel lived in contentment with Lord Ramil's family. He never wanted to be more than a humble servant of his master. However, as he studied, he became interested in the Magical Materials. He had had the opportunity to forge jade once or twice in his young life. But all the techniques handed down to him by his teachers and the manuals were incomplete and imperfect. Steel could not help but think that there were better ways to forge jade. The more he dwelled upon the subject, the more he yearned to seek out the forgotten forging manuals of the fallen First Age. It was clear that his skill as a blacksmith had reached its limit. Without further study, he could not improve. Though many of his peers though him audacious to say so, Steel knew that he could not faithfully serve his master without continuing to improve his skills.

So it was, one evening after the family had dined, Steel addressed his lord with utmost humility and observing all the proper obiesances that are due to the Princes of the Earth. He begged of his lord that he be sent east, into the River Provinces, so that he might search the ancient ruins and tombs for the knowledge he craved. So earnest and forthright was Steel's plea, Lord Ramil could not refuse him. Besides, a skilled servant is worth his weight in jade.

Steel was sent east with a scale of Ragara troops and Lord Ramil's blessing. For his part, Steel could hardly contain his excitement. He had never travelled abroad before. And if he could find the knowledge he sought, he knew that he would become the finest smith in all Creation, perhaps even to rival the Dragon-Blooded themselves.

Everything went wonderfully for the first week. The party had tracked down an ancient codex that pointed to an ancient tomb somewhere in the mountains of the Southeast. It was said that a great and mighty craftsman was lain to rest there, with all his grave goods and worldly treasures. But as soon as they left civilized lands, disaster struck. Hideously warped and twisted barbarians fell upon them in the dark of the night. Though the soldiers fought valiantly, they fell to sheer numbers and savagery. For his part, Steel's resolve broke, and he fled for his life. But he was ill-equipped to evade pursuit by the barbarians, and they soon found him.

To this day, Steel cannot be sure why the barbarians did not kill him when they found him. Perhaps they recognized his face from some strange Wyld-induced vision. Perhaps they were simply as cruel and sadistic as all the stories say they are. Whatever the reason, the barbarians held him in place while their leader sawed Steel's left arm off at the shoulder, deaf to his agonized screaming and begging. Then, they melted back into the wilderness while Steel's life pumped out into the earth.

If he had been made of lesser stuff, Steel would have lain down and died there. But a spark of anger refused to let him wait patiently to die. With the remains of his shirt, he managed to tie a clumsy tourniquet around the stump of his arm, and he staggered off into the forests, his mind clouded with painful delirium. So intent was he on putting one foot before the other, he did not realize that he'd begun climbing until he quite literally fell into a crevice in the mountainside. That crevice became a hallway, which led to a door bound in brass and orichalcum. Within that door lay a tomb--the very tomb Steel had been seeking.

The sarcophagus of obsidian and jade called to him, and Steel could not refuse. With the last of his strength, he levered the heavy stone lid off. Within was all of interred's mortal remains--mere handfuls of dust. But it was the golden arm that attracted Steel's eye. In a daze, he lifted the arm, marvelling at its workmanship. At a glance, it appeared to be a perfect replica of a large man's left arm. But closer examination revealed the intricate clockworks and gearwheels inside, assembled by what had to have been the finest smith in history.

Steel pressed the end of the arm to the stump of his own. To his amazement, the arm sealed itself to his maimed flesh, and he became able to move the mechanical limb as though it were his own. As he stumbled out of the cave, weak from blood loss and sickness, he beheld the setting sun. "All these things are yours, my Chosen," said a voice deep inside Steel's heart. "All these knowledges and treasures I give to you, to share with the world." Steel drew his Second Breath, and with it came all the knowledge he had ever wanted, and more.

Steel stripped the tomb of its goods. The orichalcum forging hammer felt like an old friend when he hefted it, and the chain shirt was still bright and supple. He explored his dreams and half-remembered recollections of his previous lives, learning much as he travelled into the Southeast. He followed roads that had not felt human feet since the turning of the Age, and soon found himself before Mount Tekkai, a dormant volcano far from civilization. Steel spent many months searching for the entrance to the Manse he knew was located there, and he spent many more months restoring the geomancy to proper working order. By the time he had his shop set up, he was ready to do the Sun's bidding.

It has been four years since Steel was Exalted, and he has spent his time honing his craft. He has dealt with the Fair Folk on occasion, leading him to study Charms that would give him power over the Wyld. He has also recently learned the disciplines of Terrestrial Circle sorcery, although he has yet to research any spells. While many of the Twilight Caste are wizards and sorcerers without peer, Steel is content to be as he always has been--a blacksmith. But now, he is the finest blacksmith in all of Creation. And it will not be long before he shares the bounty of his skill and knowledge with all the world.

Image: Steel is a massive, sturdy man who reflects his chosen profession. His firey red hair is worn tied back, and his beard is kept trimmed neatly close. His eyes are a brilliant green, though they turn red when his anima begins to flare. His face is often sooty from long work at his forge. Steel is broad of shoulder and powerfully built. His muscle is the rough, unrefined meat of a hard laborer, rather than the perfectly cut definition of the athelete or the soldier. His voice is deep and gravelly, though his pronunciation is precise and without accent, regardless of the language he speaks. He dresses in simple work leathers--apron, gloves, pants. He goes shirtless, which gives one a good view of the pock-marks and scars up and down his massive arms. His most striking feature, however, is the artifact mechanical arm. For details, see Arm of Twilight.

Statistics

Name: Steel
Nature: Explorer
Caste: Twilight
Anima: A firey red anvil surrounded by an orange-gold corona of fire. Essence expenditure causes a golden hammer to strike a shower of golden sparks.

Strength 5, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3
Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2
Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3

Favored Abilities: Melee 2, Endurance 3, Resistance 3, Crafts (Smithing) 5, Lore 5, Occult 4, Athletics 3, Linguistics 4 (Low Realm, High Realm, Old Realm, Riverspeak, Flametongue)
Abilities: Survival 1, Dodge 1
Specialities: Weapons (Crafts) +2, First Age Artifacts (Lore) +2

Backgrounds: Artifact 5 (Arm of Twilight, orichalcum goremaul), Manse 3 (Gem of the Burning House), Resources 1

Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 2, Temperance 4, Valor 2
Virtue Flaw: Artistic Obsession (Temperance) - Whenever Steel's Limit breaks, he throws himself into a frenzy at his forge, shutting himself away from all contact for a number of days equal to his Temperance. Anyone trying to forcibly drag him from his labors will be violently attacked. Limit Break Condition: Whenever the quality of his work is disparaged, or he is otherwise forced to confront any flaws he might have worked into a finished product.
Advantages: Willpower 7, Essence 3 (Personal 16, Peripheral 38)

Charms: Retrieve the Fallen Weapon, Flawless Handiwork Method, Object-Strengthening Touch, Durability Enhancing Method, Chaos-Resistance Preparation, Shattering Grasp, Craftsman Needs No Tools, Crack Mending Technique, Stability-Conferring Establishment, Integrity Protecting Prana, Chaos-Repelling Pattern, Terrestrial Circle Sorcery, Increasing Strength Exercise, Whirling Brush Method

Merits: Large +4, Destiny +3, Lucky +3
Flaws: Beacon of Power -4, Vice -3 (-6 Temperance dice when seeking after First Age knowledge), Throwback -3 (Essence Nature: Savant)