TheHoverpope/Lepida

Back to TheHoverpope
Back to TheHoverpope/Demons

Lepida, the Razor of the Forsaken Heart

It is in the nature of the weapon to reflect the desires of its wielder. It is to be an extension of the arm that holds it, but sometimes this balance is reversed, and it is the knife that steers the hand.
The Lepida appear in the image of a sword, usually a katana, sitting on a shelf or stuck in the ground, or otherwise passively existing. Essence sight reveals that the Lepida is, in fact, a living demon; otherwise, it appears to be a mundane but perfect weapon. When it is taken up by a person, though, the demon forms a bond with them. When they sleep from that point on, they will be greeted in their dreams by the thing that they most wish to fight for - the target of their vengeance, the one they wish to protect, the honour that they seek. This apparition is the Lepida's soul; it will use the target's intimacies and virtues to convince them that they should fight together. From that awful daring of a moment’s surrender, the Lepida begins to take hold of its target. The target is drawn to battle, his valour inflamed, and the Lepida slowly consumes him. With every battle, the Lepida takes more control of his target's soul, gaining greater and greater powers as it feeds, taking on new and impressive forms totemic of the person that wields the weapon. A mad assassin might wield a Lepida that uncurls as a viper to strike its opponents when he is partially taken, eventually becoming a nest of serpents writhing about his arm that spit vitriolic venom; a holy warrior of the unconquered sun might wield the Lepida as a golden spear which eventually becomes a ray of purest flame. When battle is not underway, the Lepida returns back into its form of a simple weapon. Soon, the host is gone completely, merely a vessel for the tool that it wields, and with the apotheosis of the Lepida it becomes even more dangerous, a powerful combatant whose drive is solely to make war.

Stats:
In its weapon form, the Lepida takes the form of a perfect, but otherwise mundane example of whatever its target's weapon of choice is.
Dream avatar form: physical: NA social: 5/5/1-5, mental: 3/3/4
Abilities: melee 4, socialize 3, presence 5, awareness 3, integrity 4
Essence 3
Willpower 7
Essence pool: 65
Virtues:
Compassion: 4
Conviction: 2
Temperance: 2
Valor: 4

Charms:
Dematerialize (35 motes) First presence excellency
First Melee Excellency
Dreamscape: The Lepida appears in the dreams of those who hold it, convincing them to make the demon their weapon.
Essence inveigle: The charm is used to addict the target to battle, starting in the first dream.
Hollow out the Soul: The Lepida attacks the willpower of the wielder at the end of any scene involving combat. It cannot choose not to do so.
Landscape Hide: The lepida hides until it sees a target it considers appropriate for adoption

The Lepida gains a combat charm for each point of willpower that it hollows from its target. These charms may be deployed by the demon on its wielder's behalf. They are spirit or demon charms, flavoured by the style of the wielder. The first half of the target's willpower consumed (round down) grants essence 2 charms. The second half of the target's willpower grants essence 3 charms. When the target's last point of willpower is consumed, the demon gains a single essence four charm.
The Lepida, after consuming half of the target's willpower, gains the ability to transform into a level three artifact in combat, in some way representative of the soul whose consumption powers it. After consuming all of the target's willpower, it gains the ability to change into the equivalent of a level five artifact when in combat. Transforming into this higher form costs 10 motes and 2 willpower, paid by the demon. When the target's willpower is fully consumed, the Lepida is still wielded with its abilities and attributes, and gains access to any essence pool it may have. The target's motivation becomes "Make war."

The Five Gods of Administering Death

TheHoverpope/SixteenBladesAru
TheHoverpope/LightningWalkingSteel
TheHoverpope/FathomlessUnderworldSea
TheHoverpope/ShakaTheDirgeSinger
TheHoverpope/WrathFalcon