MartialArts/WindmillStyle
Contents
Facets of the Moving Windmill Style
Development
Foreward
This is my first submission to the Wiki so please bear with me as I learn how to properly submit an entry.
Furthermore, I will admit that a lot of the Charms in this style are shamelessly copied from the CrimsonThicketOfBambooStyle by Quendalon. His Style served as the foremost and primary inspiration for this style, and though I did not ask his permission, the Windmill Style started as a at-home-brewed Style that I just took far enough that I thought I'd like to share. In no way am I claiming to be the author of said Charms. I'd also like to thank Quendalon for making such fantastic inspiration.
Last, I'm posting this Style for peer review. Please help me make this better!
Introduction
There was once a Sidreal, and her name was Three Principal Breezes. As time passed, she saw a need to develop a Martial Art which encompassed the span of time, and how it would affect the Way of things. Three Principal Breezes created the Martial Art known as the Facets of the Moving Windmill Style, and it follows a philosophy which emphasizes the three fundamental gateways of Time: Growth, Stasis, and Decay. Growth represents change, energy, and movement. Stasis represents the span of time in which all Things struggle against change. Decay is the end of all Things, whereupon they return to their primordial state in one fashion or another.
Compatibility
This Style is not compatible with Armor at all.
Compatible Weapon- Certain Destiny (Starmetal Bo-Staff) It is whispered among Sidereals that Three Principal Breezes enlisted the assistance of Enma the Monkey King to help develop the secrets of the Facets of the Moving Windmill Style, and one point of the bargain they established with each other was for Enma to exist forevermore alongside and (some say) within Certain Destiny, teaching the Facets of the Moving Windmill Style to whomever claimed the staff. Some say, however, that it is the staff who chooses its real master. Because only Enma knows the entirety of the Facets of the Moving Windmill Style, it is only he who can teach it. The Sidereal who developed the Style with the Monkey King has long since disappeared, and Enma has yet to claim a new owner, despite the Sidereal's reincarnations, causing the Style to become lost in the Ages, along with the long-discarded Certain Destiny.
Because there is no current practitioner of Facets of the Moving Windmill Style, it cannot be taught. The only real method to learn this Style is by obtaining Certain Destiny, and through it convincing Enma the Monkey King to teach it to a potential pupil.
Certain Destiny appears to be a simple bo-staff, two yards in length and an inch thick, made of hardened wood. It can collapse to a single foot for easier transporting. However, its core is built out of Starmetal (some say the Essence of Enma, the Monkey King himself), and is the source of its magical qualities. An wieldier unfamiliar with it, if allowed by Enma to wield it at all, would find the 70-pound staff cumbersome to use at best. But once an Exalt is able to commit her Essence to it, he is capable of wielding the weapon like the lightest staff.
- Speed: +8
- Accuracy: +3
- Damage: +9B
- Defense: +2
- Rate: 3
- Commitment: 6
- Artifact: 4
- Minimums: Strength 2, Martial Arts 3, Sifu 2 (Representing Enma)
- Abilities:
- Staff Knows Its Master
- Cost: 1 mote to summon or banish
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Reflexive
- As Summoning The Loyal Steel. Enma knows who is the true owner of Certain Destiny, and will (usually) appear in the owner's hand when gestured for.
- The Monkey King Strikes
- Cost: 2 motes
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Simple
- As Iron Raptor Technique, except that it is Enma who strikes the target, and all the wielder of Certain Destiny does is send the staff flying for its victim. The staff whips through the air, spinning, and Enma directs its motion around up to 75% cover. Certain Destiny then returns faithfully to its owner, unless some (likely magical) effect roots the staff to the earth and out of the air.
Student Charms
- The Student's Sutra of Development: Once, there were three Maidens...
Growth: Wielding the Mountain Style
- Cost: 8 motes
- Duration: One scene
- Type: Simple
- Min. Martial Arts: 4
- Min. Essence: 4
- Prereq Charms: None
The first Maiden’s name was Sheng Zhang, and she loved to make things grow
The character twirls her martial arts weapon through the kata of the Wood Dragon's Tail, filling it with vital force. The weapon expands to enormous size (double the size of the weapon), yet it remains perfectly balanced and light as a feather. This increases the weapon's base speed damage by the character's permanent Essence each. If the character is unarmed, or chooses to use this Charm as though she were unarmed, the reach of her hands double as well as the damage, but no physical changes are present. Those using awareness-enhancing effects may notice the character's anima reaching out to perform the damage within the character's new reach.
Growth: Riding the Air Dragon’s Tail Method
- Cost: 8 motes
- Duration: One scene
- Type: Reflexive
- Min. Martial Arts: 5
- Min. Essence: 4
- Prereq Charms: Wielding the Mountain Style
She danced along the winds, without a care in the world, and things in her wake Flourished.
Twisting and churning about on unseen winds, the character moves according to the whims of the Air Dragon. She may now move through air as through she were on land. Furthermore, if subject to an attack, she may reflexively move out of the path of the blow. She may move up to twice her Dexterity in yards. Attacks that must hit her before she moved away (such as hand-to-hand attacks if she puts more than three yards between herself and the attacker) suffer a dice pool penalty equal to half the character’s initiative for that turn, rounded up. Otherwise, this is a hopping defense. If ever the character stops moving (or is forced to), the effects of this Charm end.
Stasis: Forced-Pillar Stance
- Cost: 10 motes
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Supplemental
- Min. Martial Arts: 4
- Min. Essence: 4
- Prereq Charms: None
The second Maiden’s name was Ren Nai, and she was the most meticulous of all Maidens.
Striking an enemy Exalt on exact pressure points, the character locks her victim's Essence. Her aura sputters and flickers out, her Caste mark dims and fades, and the Exalt finds himself unable to access the power which normally flows to him so easily. Make a Martial Arts attack, which does normal damage. Furthermore, for the character's Essence in turns, the victim is unable to use Charms or Magical effects to boost his dice pools or to gain extra actions. Any previously activated effects which give extra dice or actions are canceled out. Furthermore, the victim's aura and Caste mark vanish; reset the victim’s Anima Banner.
Stasis: Space-Maintaining Gesture
- Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower
- Duration: Indefinite
- Type: Reflexive
- Min. Martial Arts: 5
- Min. Essence: 4
- Prereq Charms: Forced-Pillar Stance
She studied all the time, and learned the secret that made things Endure.
The character locks eyes when facing one opponent, and makes the gesture of Time Frozen. For as long as the character continues to commit Essence and Willpower to this Charm, the distance between her and her victim is forever locked and unchanging. When whoever has the highest permanent Essence moves, the other character's body moves of its own accord to maintain the exact space, whether or not their body is normally capable of moving so. This Charm only stops their bodies from changing distance, however, and objects they hold or weapons they wield are free to close this distance. For example, the character who knows Wielding the Mountain could stretch her weapon out and strike her foe, or thrown and archery weapons could still be employed. As long as either character employs a weapon whose reach can stretch the distance, attacks are still possible. The character can use this Charm on a number of enemies equal to her permanent Essence at the same time. The victim must also have eyes for this Charm to work, but they need not be functioning eyes.
Decay: Corrupted Growth Strike
- Cost: 8 motes
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Supplemental
- Min. Martial Arts: 4
- Min. Essence: 4
- Prereq Charms: None
The third Maiden’s name was Jiang, and under her touch things began to Degrade.
As a diseased tree will grow awry, its limbs gnarled and crusted with galls, so too does this Charm deform those whom it afflicts. The character makes a normal unarmed Dexterity + Martial Arts attack, which inflicts normal damage. If the attack succeeds, random parts of the target's body start to expand and warp. At the start of each turn thereafter, the target gains a dice pool penalty equal to the character’s Martial Arts score. Multiple uses of this Charm are cumulative, so a victim of this Charm three times over from a character with Martial Arts 4 is suffering a cumulative -12 penalty. This also reduces the victim's Appearance to 0. The effects of this Charm last for the scene. Tattooed Lunars and other characters with defenses against external transformation cannot be affected by this Charm.
Against mortals, the effects of this Charm are generally both unavoidable and permanent. For targets that can control their Essence, each -1 penalty may be prevented or removed with a reflexive expenditure of motes equal to the victim's own Essence as his magical nature struggles to reclaim dominance of his body. In addition, all effects of this Charm may be wholly remedied by Charms that mend grievous wounds and deformities, such as Bodily Regeneration Prana.
If the total penalty meted out by this Charm equals the size of the target's largest Attribute + Ability dice pool, and the target is standing on earth, sand or clay, the target metamorphoses into an elegantly twisted tree or bush. This effect is also permanent unless healed by some effect that restores a shape shifted target, such as Perfect Reconstruction Method, or if an Exalted character maintains this transformation for a number of years equal to his own Essence, whereupon he returns to normal.
Decay: Acceptance of Destruction Touch
- Cost: 5 motes
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Supplemental
- Min. Martial Arts: 5
- Min. Essence: 4
- Prereq Charms: Forced-Pillar Stance
At first she wept, but then began to understand the importance of her work.
Her anima weeping for the victim's looming fate, the character sweeps at her enemy with two-fingered strikes, striking pressure points for the victim's organs and vital fluids. Imposing her will on the victim's Essence, their two animas begin to weep together as the victim's body begins to shut down.
With a successful Dexterity + Martial Arts attack, the character and victim enter a contested roll, where the character rolls her Essence and the victim his Stamina + Resistance. If the character wins, the target's heart or brain collapses and erodes, resulting in immediate death. Victims of this attack suffer no pain, and most all both smile and cry as their Essence flutters from their form for a perfect reincarnation, destined to live their next life as someone with a deep and innate understanding and appreciation for the passage of life.
The character can use this Charm on a number of enemies equal to her permanent Essence at the same time. The victim must also have eyes for this Charm to work, but they need not be functioning eyes.
Growth, Stasis, and Decay: The Facets of the Moving Windmill Forms
- Cost: 15 motes, 1 Willpower
- Duration: One scene
- Type: Simple
- Min. Martial Arts: 5
- Min. Essence: 5
- Prereq Charms: Riding the Air Dragon’s Tail, Space-Maintaining Gesture, Acceptance of Destruction Touch
Together, the Maidens sought to understand the moving Windmill. Life made them so curious!
As a Student of the Facets of the Moving Windmill Style begins to develop at least a rudimentary understanding of the Way of life, he becomes capable of understanding a Form which is actually composed of three separate Forms. Skilled practitioners are able to swiftly move from one Form to the next, adopting the facet of the Windmill which is most useful in a given situation as they strive to achieve a singular goal. The character's player names a specific task, which must be able to be feasibly accomplished by the end of the scene (Stop the assault, get the letter to its destination, protect the village's ruler, etc). For the duration of this Form, and as long as he still striving to achieve her goal, the Form continues to work. The three Form are:
- Sheng Zhang: The character's anima flourishes with vibrant colors of life, and fills the air with the scent of spring. Wherever he touches the earth, plants native to the region spring up, stretching up towards the Exalt as though he were the sun. Her anima begins to coat her body, boosting what he is capable of. The character's player adds her permanent Essence to her Strength, Stamina, movement rating, and gain a similar number of -0 health levels, which are temporary in nature and disappear upon being used. Also, she ignores her permanent Essence in dice-pool penalties for taking actions.
- For example: Li-Sying the Sidereal is adopting the Sheng Zhang Form, and currently suffers a -2 penalty because of previous wounds. His permanent Essence is 5. He decides to attack three times. His first action is made at full dice pool (-2 + -3 = -5, all nullified by his Essence of 5), his second at -1, ( -5 + -1 = -6 + 5 = -1) and his third at -2.
- Ren Nai: The character adopts the demeanor of a mountain, and becomes unshakable in her mind-set. Her anima hardens around her body, shielding him from further attacks. The character subtracts (her Permanent Essence - attacker's Essence) from all damage he is to take, after it is rolled. This can reduce damage to 0. Furthermore, attacks made on him outside the character's permanent Essence in yards automatically fail as the missiles are easily deflected by the character's solid determination. This is a perfect effect.
- Jiang: Her anima weeping and bringing a deathly chill to the area, the character emulates the concept of degeneration. Each successful Martial Arts attack pits the character's permanent Essence against the Victim's Virtue which currently drives him. Should the victim fail the contested roll, he loses a permanent point of Willpower, and forgets his current goal.
- For example, a solider sent to assassinate the character would forget that task when his Conviction fails against the character's Essence, and stand aimlessly until the thought returned to him. Should the Sidereal continue to attack him, he would operate out of self-defense, but not to assassinate the character. The memories return at the end of the scene. In addition, the saddened, dismayed appearance of both the character and her anima force attackers to make a Compassion roll to negatively affect him. If they succeed, their actions automatically fail.
The initial cost to adopt any one Form is 15 motes and 1 Willpower, and this cost is subject to the effect of Sutra Scrolls. Thereafter, as a Reflexive action which may only be performed on the character's turn, he may pay 10 motes to switch to another aspect of the form. This extra expenditure does not count towards Charm use for the turn, and is also subject to the effects of a Sutra Scroll as well. Each time the character adopts a new Form, he must name a new goal. The new goal can accomplish the same end as the last, but he cannot re-use his exact words or methods. Failure to do so ends the Form. This Charm must be purchased three times, once for each aspect of it.
Elder Charms
- The Elder's Sutra of Development: But when the three sister Maidens tried to learn together, they argued...
Growth: One Root, Many Shoots
- Cost: 12 motes, 1 Willpower per Duplicate
- Duration: One Scene
- Type: Simple
- Min. Martial Arts: 5
- Min. Essence: 6
- Prereq Charms: Sheng Zhang Form
Sutra not completed
As a whole stand of bamboo grows from a single root, the character sends forth additional bodies from the indivisible core of her Essence. With an intricate gesture, she plucks forth a strand of Essence from between her hairs and breathes life into it, where it shapes into a duplicate of herself.
The character may not have more duplicates at any given time than her permanent Essence score. Each duplicate has all of her Attributes and Abilities, her full complement of health levels, and wields copies of her equipment. However, it can only employ any of the character’s Charms or activate any powers of copied artifacts by paying with the character's Essence pools. Each duplicate is subject to its own one Charm per turn rule. It knows everything its creator knows, shares her personality and goals, and serves her loyally unto death.
When a duplicate dies, it disappears along with all of its equipment. All remaining duplicates disappear at the end of the scene. As a dice action, the character may cause any number of surviving duplicates to revert to hair and return to her body, each restoring one health level of damage and restoring the Essence and Willpower necessary to create the duplicate.
Growth: Panes of the Windmill Heritage
- Cost: 20 motes, 1 Willpower
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Reflexive
- Min. Martial Arts: 6
- Min. Essence: 6
- Prereq Charms: One Root, Many Shoots
Sutra not completed
Just as the panes of a Windmill blown by the wind of Hostility spin with the intention to reduce the antagonism, the character draws in the wind of an attack to give force to an act of vengeance. She may use this Charm immediately after someone successfully attacks her. The swirling pattern of her hands emulate that of the rotating panes of a windmill, catching the attack directed at her and consuming it as she returns a number of attacks in kind. The parry itself is automatic in that it requires no roll and it destroys the union the victim enjoys with a Magical Weapon. Add the character's permanent Essence to the commitment cost of the weapon, permanently. Multiple applications of this effect are cumulative. In addition, the character may emerge from the heat of the block with a number of unarmed counterattacks equal to her Martial Arts score, doubling their raw damage.
Stasis: Understanding the Facets Method
- Cost: Charms: Minimum Ability or Attribute + Essence of target, AttributesMartialArts/Abilities: Rating + Essence of target
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Reflexive
- Min. Martial Arts: 5
- Min. Essence: 6
- Prereq Charms: Ren Nai Form
Sutra not completed
The character begins to develop an appreciation for the Facets of the Windmill, or an understanding and devotion to how life progresses on. By observing another in action, the character's appreciation expands to encompass the time and effort that person put into their level of mastery. This allows the martial artist to incorporate that state of understanding unto herself.
The character must see the person perform an action first-hand, and may use this technique only once per Charm cascade, Attribute, or Ability per target per scene. The character rolls Perception + Martial Arts at a difficulty of level of Attribute, Ability, or Minimum Attribute or Ability of what he seeks to emulate. On success, the character is able to immediately spend experience to develop another dot of the Attribute or Ability, or learn the Charm, so long as he meets any prerequisites for doing so. This does not allow a non-Eclipse or Moonshadow Caste to learn the Charms of another Exalted
Thereafter, the character's interactions with the person observed become much easier because of her innate understanding of the target's capabilities. The next (character's Essence) dice rolls made in interaction with the target add the target's own personal Essence in automatic successes. This can create a dice pool where none existed before.
The Martial Artist must wait for a victim of this Charm to further develop their knowledge before using it on them again. It is usable on those with lesser knowledge, as the character has developed an understanding and appreciation for even the most basic of information.
- For example: Li-Sying, Sidereal Agent instructed to deal with a Solars and of Essence 6, is confronted by a Seven Thunder Kid with a temper and Essence 2. Li-Sying skillfully maneuvers with the Solar Exalted in a dance of martial arts, parrying his blows and concentrating on the Solar's methods. Employing Understanding of the Facets Method, Li-Sying's player rolls Perception + Martial Arts at a difficulty of the Solar’s Martial Art and succeeds. Li-Sying’s player can immediately increase his Martial Arts score by 1 point. Grinning to himself, the Sidereal descends on the Solar with a cascade of two-fingered strikes. Li-Sying's player makes six Martial Arts attacks and adds the Solar's permanent Essence (2) in automatic successes to each of them. The Solar is aghast at how easily the Sidereal unraveled his techniques, and is sent flying to the floor, bleeding from several wounds.
Decay: Rending Hemorrhage Shout
- Cost: 20 motes, 1 Willpower
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Simple
- Min. Martial Arts: 5
- Min. Essence: 6
- Prereq Charms: Jiang Form Form
Jiang couldn’t tolerate her sisters; she just screamed in fits of frustration and jealousy,
Injuries must be tended with care lest they grow worse, for in the fullness of time, even the tiniest of scratches may prove mortal. With a mighty roar, the character employing this Charm unleashes a wave of necrotic Essence that unlocks the potential for growth in every wound. This assault affects every other living creature within (the Sidereal’s Essence x 10) yards that currently suffers from at least one health level of damage. All affected victims immediately convert the levels of damage they currently suffer to Aggravated, and triple their Wound Penalties for the scene. Victims with awakened Essence may attempt a Stamina + Resistance roll, with a difficulty of the attacker's Essence, to resist the change.
Decay: Decaying the Moment Proposition
- Cost: 20 motes, 2 Willpower
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Reflexive
- Min. Martial Arts: 6
- Min. Essence: 6
- Prereq Charms: Jiang Form Form
For try as she might, she could not emulate her sister Sheng Zheng, of which she was very envious!
By devolving a moment into its tiniest fractions, the character learns how she can perform a multitude of actions almost all at once. Under the effects of this ability, the complexities of a moment is transformed into several smaller instances, all in which the character is the only one capable of understanding the true situation and how to best take advantage of it.
This Charm replaces the character’s normal action with a number of fully independent actions equal to her Essence score. The first action is made at the character's initiative score, and each successive action made at a cumulative -1 initiative score. These actions are identical to those provided by the Charcoal March of Spiders Form. Multiple sources of fully independent actions do not stack.
Growth, Stasis, Decay: Facets of the Moving Windmill Mastery
- Cost: 20 motes, 1 Willpower
- Duration: Growth Instant Stasis One Scene Decay Instant
- Type: Growth Simple Stasis Reflexive Decay Supplemental
- Min. Martial Arts: 7
- Min. Essence: 7
- Prereq Charms: Burgeoning Forest Strike, Unshakable Concept Stance, Decaying the Moment Proposition
Sutra not completed
Attaining Mastery of the Facets of the Windmill Style is to obtain mastery of understanding the way of life. This understanding is a phenomenal concept, and no Exalt can achieve this level of understanding without a number of things changing her life forever. For instance, Spirits and Gods will forevermore regard the Exalt as an elder, a master, and speak to them with reverence. When confronted by beings with a lower Essence score, the character can demand their respect. Mechanically, this means that mortals and lesser Exalts automatically lose initiative to the character if she wishes it, but my a maximum of 1 less, and Charms such as Opportune Shot and Thunderclap Rush Attack do not automatically win initiative over her, but instead allow the user to act before the character if they rolled a high enough initiative to do so. This is a permanent and perfect effect.
Just as Facets of the Windmill Form, this Charm is actually built of three separate effects which join together to express how each aspect is a part of the Way. This Charm needs only be purchased once.
Growth:
The ultimate expression of Growth is sentiment life springing from where there was once none. Once obtaining this innate understanding of Growth, the character masters the eighty-one patterns of growth through which inanimate matter evolves into higher forms. By combining these patterns into an elegant whole, she may bring forth new structures from the womb of Creation. The character concentrates upon the edifice that she wishes to create and strikes the ground beneath her feet. In but a moment, a structure formed of the substance the character strikes erupts from the source, taking any form that she desires, so long as none of its dimensions exceed (the Sidereal's Essence x 10) in yards. Its floor plan, should there be one, follow her exact design. The growth will emerge within arm's length of the character or beneath her feet, at her preference. In either case, when the character uses a substance that would normally harm her, she takes initial damage as normal. Once she moves within the boundaries of her construct, however, it will no longer do her harm. Lava, for example, would initially burn her fingers but standing on the building of lava would not. These constructs are permanent in nature, but (at Storyteller’s discretion) some may dissolve after a scene if made of particularly unstable substances. There are three ways to apply this Charm, but clever players and Storytellers are encouraged to come up with some other methods. Use of this Charm always comes with a Mental Attribute + Martial Arts roll.
- Earths: The character strikes the rock floor at her feet and a construct of stone (building, column, etc.) rises from the ground with a mighty rumble and a shower of debris. If other characters happen to be standing beneath the emerging building, it strikes them with the force of a charging yeddim. This is an unblockable Perception + Martial Arts attack that always imposes knockback. It inflicts lethal damage equal to the extra successes on the attack roll + the character's permanent Essence. If the construct is deliberately constructed as a weapon by roofing it with razor-sharp spires, edges and spikes, double the character's permanent Essence when determining damage.
- Liquids: The character moves over a body of water of any size, be it a puddle or even a single raindrop, and touches it after making a sign of power. The body of water ripples and quivers, before erupting into a tidal wave out in all directions atop which the character rides, out to at most the maximum radius. The water is infused with the character's Essence and, as such, is both possessed of a startling clarity and bewilderingly difficulty to manage within. As the body of water is created, the Martial Artist rolls her Intelligence + Martial Arts and her successes are added to the difficulty of any rolls made while taking action within the water, except for its creator, who may move over, through, and within the water as easily as though she were on land, and needs not worry about things such as breathing or items on her person which may not be able to fare well in water.
- Plants: The character executes an intricate kata, and then strikes the ground at her feet. A wave of scarlet energy sweeps out from that point, followed by a green wave of life as living plants erupt from the earth in a widening circle. Vines, shoots, trees, saplings, and other plants appear within the radius, erupting from the soil and growing to maturity within a single turn. The plants are unusually large and dense, and every enemy within the area must defend against an attack using the character's Wits + Martial Arts, which inflicts bashing damage equal to the character's permanent Essence. This attack occurs at the beginning of every turn for the remainder of the scene as the plants continue to thrive and grow, always using the initial roll at the time of creation. It may not be parried, but can be dodged and soaked normally. If the character suffers damage greater than their Strength or fails to dodge, than they become enwrapped and constricted by vines and saplings, and are considered in a clinch against a dice pool equal to the character's permanent Essence. Characters held in such a way may not take any combat actions except to attempt to free themselves.
Stasis:
The epitome of Stasis is the resistance to change. Unraveling this mystery, the character masters the eighty-one patterns of stasis through which all things resist the changes enforced on them. By describing these principals as a series of pressure-point and Essence-shaping strikes on her own body or that of another, she instills the Essence of resistance on herself, and becomes impossible to change.
Once the character performs the delicate kata on the recipient of this Charm, which can be herself, any roll made to change the character (her opinion, do her harm, manipulate her course of action, Astrological effects, etc) add the character's permanent Essence to the difficulty for the rest of the scene. If this Charm is being used on someone besides the character, still add the character’s Essence to the difficulty to manipulate the recipient.
Furthermore, even the character's body will resist outside changes as it is hardened over by the character's anima. Convert all damage to the recipient of this Charm to bashing, and the character recovers their permanent Essence in bashing health levels at the start of every turn.
Decay:
When the concept of Decay is mastered to its fullest, the character becomes capable of instilling in his victims the very essence of Decay itself. She masters the eighty-one patterns of decay through which things that were once mighty become decayed and crippled, ghostly images of their former self. By weaving these principals into a martial arts attack against a victim, she may bring forth an unprecedented quickness of decay to his victim.
The character makes a series of deft strikes, numbering at least seven. As her careful pressure-point and precise strikes reshape the victim's Essence, he finds himself entropied and decayed in an uncountable number of years. Where the victim was once strong, he is now weak and withered. The character makes a single martial arts attack that looks like he strikes a number of times equal to his Essence. Each strike gives rise to a wind of entropy, and the victim loses a number of points from his stats equal to the character's Essence, as the character sees fit. A victim cannot have a trait reduced below his permanent Essence. The martial artist must pay three "points" per dot to reduce the victim's permanent Essence.
- For example: Li-Sying (Essence 7) quickly eliminated the Solar Exalt Seven Thunder Kid he was previously fighting, only to be soon attacked by the Solar's mate, a Lunar Exalted who took on the shape of a massive ape (Essence 2). Realizing he needs to take down the Lunar's biggest advantage, his strength, Li-Sying adopts the cold demeanor of Entropy and circles into his opponent's arm reach, dodging a surely fatal blow in the process. The Sidereal reacts quickly, striking the Lunar once on the left arm, and twice on the right. The Lunar loses three dots of Strength instantly, and can only gape as his once-mighty arms are reduced to withered stalks of their former selves. The Sidereal strikes the mighty Lunar in the groin, the Root of Valor. The Lunar instantly loses a point of Valor, and begins to shake with fear at the tiny Sidereal before him. Finally, with a deft below to the ape-beast’s center, ripples of moonsilver-tinted Essence flicker out from the Lunar, and he loses a permanent dot of Essence.
