GoldenCat/NineShadowDiamonds

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Nine Shadow Diamonds

The Brilliant Lantern

Description

Walking out of a great cursed ship, features obscured by a cloak that seems to vanish in the shadows around him, that appears to have eyes as light play with it on the corner of one’s eyes, he appears sinister, a demon that walks like a man. As the hood pulls back, however, one sees a handsome, youthful face, bangs of warm amber-brown hair falling over a smooth white face, his eyes... something else. The left side of his face is marred by a long scar that shines the color of purest brass, an orichalcum snowflake where his eye sockd used to be, holsing a opalescent crystal that shines with an orange-gold of a summer afternoon... a hearthstone that makes his right eye just as crystaline, and just as shining. It is an unreal and impressive sight, and when Nine Shadow Diamonds speaks, the sinister voice that came from within the hood is now pleasant, his words soft. A cultured, curious man, always seeking knowledge and understanding, a connoisseur of the finer things in life, Diamonds is nothing one would expect from seeing the shadowy figure stepping out of the sinister, cursed ship.

Within the cloak a long jacket of shimmering opal colors, powerful and solid like the actual gems that shine on its careful working, protecting him against all harm. His flesh below is many times marred with scars, of his many trials, of his many adventures, those that not even his Exalted constitution could weather. When fighting, he fills his hands with essence, surrounding his hands in summerflame, trailing heathaze behind them as he strikes.

Caste: Twilight
Concept: Brilliant Lantern Upon Shadows of Mystery
Nature: Explorer ( Gain Willpower whenever you make a significant discovery )

Anima Banner:

His anima blows in the hues of violet and crimson, orange and gold, a true twilight about him. As Nine spends more and more of his peripheral essence, those colors become stronger, more marked, and frangments of glass begin to appear in the air, as little glass-sand, reflecting the light... and the more he spends, the more they distort all the light around him. Light appears distorted around him, and all those looking through the air around him see the world as through many mosaics of multiple colors, all with him and the glass.. and then, he becomes iconic, and all the glass coalesces into a giant glass swan that burns from within around him, three rows of Emerald, Sapphire and Adamant eyes intent on his enemy...

Anima Abilities:

• Inherent Excellence: Essence-Directing Will. The Descending Suns weave the flows of Essence with an offhand elegance, producing with the merest energy effects others must channel immense power to create. Each turn, a Twilight Caste Solar may reduce the combined costs of Charms he uses that turn by a number of motes equal to half her permanent Essence, rounded down. No individual charm may cost less than 1 mote. Constant flows require constant attention; reducing the committed cost of a Charm reduces the effect of this anima power by an equivalent amount until the commitment is released.
• Supreme Power: Thought Becomes Action. Applied knowledge is the cornerstone of the Twilight Caste; their peerless sagacity allows them to accomplish any design with a minimum of effort. Once a day, by spending 5 motes, a Twilight Caste Solar may complete in one turn any non-opposed task that would normally take no longer than a day -- the information she needs is already within her mind, the tools she has at hand can easily be made ideal for the job, and the work necessary is performed in a few simple motions. This effect does not and cannot actually speed up the Twilight's movement or actions; it merely allows them to see the best way to accomplish a certain goal. As an example, if this were used to deliver a message to a nearby town, in a few seconds, it would be there. It's up to the player to optionally describe some mechanism, such as catapult, flock of birds, or pneumatic tube, that did the job.
• Divine Privilege: Inquisitor-Kings of the Celestial Hierarchy. The Children of Twilight are tasked with the responsibility of gathering, sorting, and providing all the knowledge under Heaven. In pursuit of this sacred duty, they may enjoin any member of the Celestial Hierarchy to aid them by disgorging their hard-won information. Once a scene, a Twilight Caste Solar may ask a question in their official capacity as a Twilight of any member of the Celestial Bureaucracy; the person asked must answer to the best of their ability.

Flaws

Enemies

Arent is waiting. The Whisper in Brass is not happy with the one who stole his servant, who cut his chains when the Second Circle was so close to successfuly severing himself from his prision, from his whole. He whisper to those Diamonds meets, he whispers to other demons, he bids his time. He knows Diamonds is curious, a explorer by passion... and has used it against him at least once. He has led the Solar to the crossroads where he encountered the Brass Spire, a semi-real labyrinth, a test for the mind. That backfired on Arent, however, as not only the Solar came through, even if losing an eye, but such test of will, power, essence and demons allowed the Solar to reach to the Adamant Circle, walking its strange libraries and halls, and finding Violet Lament drifting at its peak. That delighted Arent as much as infuriated him. His attempt on the Solar’s life took his eye, gave him a cursed ship... and mastery of the strongest Sorcery. But he does not give up. The whispering brass will have the Solar’s head on a pike, of that he is sure. The only question is... when?

Known Anathema

He may walk in the shadows with a cloak that blends in them, that is made of them... but it is hard to disguise his passage. He was there when Arent came to the world. He was there asking a truce with a Dynast to fight the Second Circle Demon. He moves in the West in a dark legend, known as a figure of shadows, as much demon as he is a man. They fear him, throughout the West, but he uses it to his advantage. But that makes him known... and that is, so many times, a liability.

Permanent Caste Mark

When he walked the Brass Spiral, between Reality and Dreams, he nearly had his flesh seared from his bones... and he had his Caste Mark seared to his brow, as it would not let the winds of Brassdust rip his flesh, rip them from him – his power stood in defiance, and it still does.

One Eye and Unnatural Feature: Scar

Unfortunately, his victory in the battle of willpower that was the walkway of the Brass Spiral had a grave price. The demon roared, and tore out on his face... leaving a large scar on the left side of his face, a scar bright as the purest brass, an amulet of orichalcum and a crystal where his eye used to be...

Reduced Limit

Violet Lament is already taking its toll. It weights on him. He snaps more easily. He walks in a razor’s edge of tension, and his ropes are slowly wearing down, surrounded by blades he cannot see. More and more, the Curse takes hold of him, as the ship’s curse erodes his soul... he wishes to be stronger. He knows he can beat the ship, and make it his conquest, not his curse. But this... has not come yet.

Attributes

Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3
Charisma 2, Manipulation 4, Appearance 4
Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3

Abilities

Dawn
Brawl 5 (Face of Aurakles +3)
Zenith
Endurance 2, Performance 2, Presence 2 (Mystery Aura +2), Resistance 3
Twilight
Lore 5(Western History +1), Occult 5, Investigation 3
Night
Athletics 5, Awareness 2
Eclipse
Bureaucracy 2, Linguistics 2(Seatongue, Old Realm... ), Sail 3 (Violet Lament +2)

Tempers

Essence: 5

Willpower: 10

Personal Essence Pool: 25

Peripheral Essence Pool: 73

Basic Battle Commitment: 14

Compassion 2

Conviction: 4

Temperance 4

Valor 2

Virtue Flaw: Deliberate Cruelty

Health Levels:

-0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap

Charms

• Athletics
  • Graceful Crane Stance
  • Unearthly Grace
  • Fluid Alacrity Style
  • Unparallaled Elegance Spirit
• Brawl
  • Ferocious Jab
  • Unerring Fists
  • Stonefist Meditation
  • Fist-Striking Method
  • Irresistible Force Fist
  • Roaring Tiger Stance
• Endurance
  • Ox-Body Technique x2
  • Radiant Essence Technique x1
• Lore
  • Lore-Unearthing Method
  • Forgotten Secrets Technique
  • Knowledge-Locating Glance
  • Integrity-Protecting Prana
• Occult
  • Terrestrial Circle Sorcery
  • Celestial Circle Sorcery
  • Solar Circle Sorcery
  • Spirit-Detecting Glance
  • All-Encompassing Sorcerer’s Sight
• Performance
  • Respect Commanding Attittude
• Presence
  • Harmonious Presence Meditation

Spells

• Emerald Circle
  • Black Diamond Claws
  • Brilliance of Eldritch Words
  • Demon of the First Circle
  • Lantern of Scintillanting Spirits
  • Ritual of Elemental Empowerment
  • Wisdom of Paradise
  • Written Upon the Water
• Sapphire Circle
  • Between the Minute and the Hour
  • Storm Rider Enchantment
  • Swift Journey
• Adamant Circle
  • Unfettered Primordial Champion ( Aurakles )

• Wisdom of Paradise is Diamonds’ personal version of the spell The Eye and the Mouth; Instead of a Grotesque Mouth that appears to read him the arcane passages, a Bird of Paradise appears instead, a quetzal of emerald, crimson and white liquid color plumage, without any apparent eyes that reads what the Sorcerer wishes with a singing voice...

• Black Diamond Claws is Diamond’s personal version of the spell Wood Dragon’s Claws. His fingers sharpen until they appear to be flawless, translucid dark diamond claws, crimson eyes appearing on the back of his hands and shedding burning liquid-fire tears with each strike.

Backgrounds

Artifact ***

Violet Lament	
Commitment 6
- Ghost Ship

Violet Lament is a great ship, an old and disturbing wonder whose tale could shatter even the staunchest heart. Violet Lament was once Blade of Love, created during the latter days of the Shogunate by a Lunar Exalted, Raimel Threewings with the help of Kimberry and the Ebon Dragon so as to conquer the love of a Sidereal Exalted, Sweet Rhapsody. Their story was born in tragedy: Sweet Rhapsody was a member of Broken Moon Brotherhood, a Circle of Sidereals that hunted Lunar Exalted, an occupation so dire that none survived into the modern age, and their cautionary tale is still told both in and to the members of the Silver Faction as a reason not to cross the Children of Luna. But in the first days of the Shogunate, when Lunars were scattered, hurt and occupied with their survival in the Wyld and the creation of their Moonsilver Tatoos, they were very successful. Sweet Rhapsody, like all other members of the Circle, had a very particular motivation. She had loved a Solar in the end of the First Age, a man whose very step made the earth brighter under him. But he would not look upon her, devoted as he was to his Lunar Bride – who had been Raimel’s former life. Jealously thrust her upon the Usurpation, and made her hunt Lunars where she could – especially Raimel. They met when she killed a great friend of his’... and yet, he fell in love with her in that instant. Many times they clashed, and she could not kill him, nor could he hurt her.

Seeking her love, Raimel walked into the Wyld to learn how to bend Fate, in an attempt to better survive and second-guess her, but it was not enough to attain her love. He walked into Malfeas, and was told what he believed to be the Truth of Love, giving all he could to attain it. With Kimberry he created a ship of his sweat and tears, love and purity, named Blade of Love, with which he sailed seas of insanity and shadow on the Ebon Dragon to discover love... and came back to Creation to give it to her. When she came aboard Blade of Love, they again fought... and the shadow took his will, delivering a blow through her heart with the Truth of Love, allowing her to see as he did, to feel as he did, to understand him... and fall in love with him. And she did, as she died on his deck. He refused to let it end there, however, and used his tears to bind her to the ship, making her part of its being to live forever with him. He used great magics of its time to make her manifest, and they lived, for a time, their love as it was meant to be.

But there is a reason why even the Solar Kings tread lightly when dealing with the Yozi. Through her heart, the Shadow had embedded itself on the Ship... riding Love and twisting it. Growing in beauty, becoming a cancer that made it fester, twisting it. Soon, Rhapsody begun to feel herself stalked in her realm of dreams within Blade of Love. She was violated, tortured and broken, always told it was Raimel’s fault. She was twisted beyond recognition, but still had her same face when she came upon him, tearing his throat with a blade of her own darkened love, her own first tears of violation. Seeing him die made her come to her senses, in a way, and she tore her own spirit apart, shrieking curses against Fate and Primordials, Love and Living. And Raimel’s body rose, now filled with shadow, an avatar of the Ebon Dragon. Like Raimel before him, he bound the dying Lunar’s soul to the boat, where he cradled the remains of his Love’s soul for ever after... and watched what happenned next with horror.

Raimel’s Shade, the Avatar of Shadow proceeded to rip Fate apart. Erembour’s Horn sounded, turning men into beasts of shadow that came upon cities at night to drag couples to the ship, to draw power to it through their suffering. Raimel’s Shade became a threat upon the world... broken down by Silver and Fate, by Divinity and Dragons. The powers of Creation broke the Ebon Dragon’s avatar and sent him screaming back to Malfeas as Blade of Love sank with the hopes of lovers and the defeat of darkness.

Many Calibrations later, however, Blade of Love appeared on a port. Now Violet Lament, the immense ship of unparallaled beauty and impossible craftsmanship attracted looks even with its now sinister, forlorn appearance, and it many came to own it. And one after another, it destroyed them. Insanity came to some. Tragedy to others. When the Cotagion came, many sought refuge in the ship due to its size and the fact none died within... but as legend says, they would rather have died then. Violet Lament still cruises the waters of the west, ageless and undying, with dark shadows and secrets, but now under the command of Nine Shadows Diamond. He knows full well what the Ship is. He has tamed it when he first walked onboard, beating ghosts and demons, but he is not enough of a fool to think he has broken its curses. But for reasons he tells none, he remains at its Wheel. For he has to.

Violet Lament is a large ship, created to be a mansion of undying love – it has a Library, a Ballroom, a Study, a Room of Summoning, an indoor pool, one large room for its captain and twenty rooms for guests. It has no weaponry, resists damage like a First Age Ship and moves at normal speed for a ship of its size. Spirits are always materialized within Violet Lament, and any attempt at summoning demons within it receives 4 extra dice. It is known to bring those who live within it nightmares, and is home to many Haunts, such as a pair dancing on its ballroom at first moonlight, and a woman who appears in the Library at dawn, always asking, pleading, begging for a book named ‘Evelyn’

There are no effects known to Diamonds for its Curse.

Artifact **

Cyclopic Chrisantemum    
- Skin-Mount Amulet

The flesh around his left eye is clearly made of the purest Orichalcum, little forming a pattern in the shape of a snowflake, its north and south ends meshing seamlessly with his scar. This small Skin-Mount Amulet is intricately carved with the shapes of the sun, moon and stars, and little words, barely visible, depict the Lion Warder’s chant. Within, where the eye should be, lays his hearthstone. Diamonds does not see through the Skin-Mount, but he can see strange things... shadows of light on the corners of his eyes, and sometimes, a blossoming crystalline flower on a person’s heart...

Familiar *****

Kyiacero	
- Unique Demonic Spirit

Kyiacero is the first demon Diamonds has ever summonned.

That is to say, he completely blew it. Naive, he tugged the wrong strings, made the wrong call, and a mass of shadow with devious pools of Viridian for eyes appeared before him, shifting to the shape of a great bat. Kyiacero beat the young sorcerer... but took a shine to him. Last of a first circle lineage that once spawned from a now-changed Second Circle Demon, he became the Solar’s friend and companion for a year and a day... even though he had ulterior motives for it. He guided the Solar, trained him, and made him rip open the world in the right ways for his master to come through. The places they visited, the world he discovered, the seals he broke, brought much of the knowledge Diamonds possess in the ways of Sorcery.

Kyiacero left then, after Diamonds’ tutoring was well-advanced and his objective was all but complete. But the Solar would see him soon... when Arent, the Whispering Brass came forth on the right Calibration with Kyiacero in tow. Diamonds was beaten by Arent, but Kyiacero discovered he had truly took on a shine to the Solar... and with his help, Diamonds managed to rally the right people, and banish Arent back to his prision on Malfeas before he managed to sever himself from it. Arent will forever hate Diamonds and Kyiacero for it... but the shadow-demon will not return, for he mingled with Diamonds’ form to save both their lives in the fight with Arent... and now, he can remain in Creation, an extension of the Solar. Kyiacero wishes to continue his lineage, and many times asks to impregnate females, intending to guide the baby into the steps of becoming a demon himself. Diamonds tends to fight hard to keep his pet demon’s lecherousness in check.

Kyiacero is a strong Demon of the First Circle who can share his sight with Diamonds. He is usually inert around the Solar as his heavy cloak, providing Diamonds with some protection, but when he needs to scout – or to call on his unique Adamant Circle Spell – he throws the cloak aside, where it becomes a large shadow bat.

Manse ***

Jewel of Brilliant Sight
- Trigger: None, Constant 

This round jewel shimmers with opalescent color, shot through with a diamond’s rainbow fire. Once attuned, both the stone and the bearer’s eyes take on the color and translucency of a gemstone appropriate to his aspect. For example, in the hands of a Wood Aspect, it might become as clear as fine emerald or as opaque as jade, while a Chosen of Venus’ stone might gleam with the blue asterisms of a star sapphire.

Whether they inspire fear, respect or wonder, the bearer’s gemstone eyes grant him three additional dice on all Presence rolls. More importantly, he may see dematerialized spirits, and he gains an automatic success on all Perception rolls. However, the distinctive appearance of the jeweled eyes gives the bearer a three-die penalty on all Stealth rolls to conceal his nature or identity.

Diamonds’s color is warm orange like a summer afternoon’s sun, like a fiery Opal.

Resources ***

Diamonds is an scavenger... and there is money on Scavenging. Most of his considerate resources he found within Violet Lament, however, when it was still plagued by ghosts and worse, before he cleansed it and became able to sell the treasure trove he found within... which he did quite promptly, to get rid of any and all objects that connected to curses or ghosts. They did not sell for much, however... and he is forever seeking more than that.

Sorcery *****

On Arent’s bidding, Kyiacero took Diamonds through a tour in places best left forgotten. He learned much in the ways of Sorcery from Arent himself, initating in the Circle of Sapphire. He walked in the Bridge of Light, read the Library of Sunset Lament, seen the books hidden in a Library of Glass made by Orabilis. Throughout his body, he has scars even his Exalted Nature cannot heal, from those walks. But his worst scar came from the Adamant Trials. He lost his right eye to them, and received a scar the color of the purest brass accross his face. He walked up in a hall of Dreams and Brass for it. He stood up against the whisper of Malfeas, against its souls and power for such great station. He won this confrontation in a place of dreams, and achieved the Adamant Station. However, like all who achieve such station, he made a grave sacrifice. He had to sacrifice his own fate for it – for this power, he is the captain of the Violet Lament, until he draws his last breath.

Adamant Swan

• Base Initiative: 7
• Soak: 7L / 10B / 7A (Expectional Earth Buff Jacket), 23L / 28B / 7A (Aurakles)
• Dodge: 9
• Attacks:
• Eldritch Hands Spd 7 Acc 12 Dmg 9L Def 13 Rate 5
• Fist of Aurakles Spd 7 Acc 15 Dmg 14L Def 16 Rate 5
  • Def 21, Dmg 16L with the Persistant

Unfettered Primordial Champion

Adopting the Face of Aurakles
I have learned a Thousand Secrets.
Without Breath.
Without Pause.
Greatest, the Face of the Champion.
The Spear of Reason.
The Face of Order.
The Mother’s Shining Child.
Now I am the Secret.
Now I lose myself.
The fire of my soul is as his’.
And yet, I do not breath. I do not pause.
As I adopt the face of Aurakles.

Adamant Circle Spell
Cost: 40 motes
This spell was created by Nine Shadow Diamonds as he lay trapped in the Island of Sorrows. He had walked in to discover the truth about its ruins, but could not escape, trapped as he was with all its inhabitants by the mad dragon Al-Ourob in his twisted experiment. There, the Solar discovered the remains of a Behemoth. Aurakles, the Golden Spear of Reason, Champion of Primordials. Conversing with its unkillable corpse, he learned its tale, how he was made by Five Primordials as their champion, and thus, Diamonds received the knowledge of adopting Aurakles’ face, receiving the blessings of his creators.

As the incantation finishes, the caster spreads his hands, and the Sky above him twists. Everything goes silent for a moment, and somewhere, green fire burns a palace of brass and wonders to provide the material for this spell, which comes pouring through the cracks in the sky in a silent cascade, wrapping around the caster like the arms of a mother, as crystal pours from the circle beneath him. Both surround the caster, who goes into fetal position inside a sphere of crystal and brass... and his essence explodes with soul-fire, filling the sphere, blurring his body as his essence can be seen, stark and burning... and changing, as the blessings of the Primordials become one with his body and essence.

As it does, it breaks spetacularly, dealing the caster’s essence in lethal damage as enviromental damage to all within 20 yards of the him. Stepping out, the caster is surrounded by a sinister, sleek shell, bound to his body and soul, motes of burning dust and essence trailing behind his every move, creating strange mirages which depend on the caster’s personality, for some wings, for other afterimages, and still others posses great cloaks of power...

• Malfeas, Lord of Primordials, blessed Aurakles with power and greatness, to be untouchable by his lessers, and to crush them under his feet. From this blessing comes the shell, made of brass and the most precious gemstones. The shell gives the caster 13L/13B soak, which counts as Natural for all purposes, allows the caster to survive without breathing, and adds 5 to his Strength, Stamina and Presence. Those he strikes find it hard to defend against him, compelled to kneel, not defend, and receive a penalty of 4 dice on their defenses.
• Adjordan, the Silent Wind, once gave another gift to Aurakles when it was Adrian... but now it can only be the Touch of Silence - the caster's strikes are silent, and he deals one automatic level of aggravated damage dealt in his strikes for every four damage dice rolled(barehanded or with any weapons).
• Cytherea, Mother of Creation, granted him a smile, and his every action was grand, epic, like that of a child in its mother's eyes – double all the bonus dice awarded for stunts, as well as their mote and willpower reward. Her compassion allows the caster to always deal bashing damage with his attacks, if he so wishes.
• She Who Lives In Her Name, the Yozi of Order, granted him an internal order to his every movement, making them all ordered, purposeful, crystal shining on his body, flame on his eyes – the caster receives one success for every four dice rolled on all of his physical actions, including combat actions.
• Finally, Cecelyne, the Endless Desert, the Yozi of Space allows the caster to move in impossible ways, flickering in the air amidst the grains of burning sand and appearing next to an enemy to strike - the character may make strikes up to 20 yards away, and those who face him must subtract 4 dice from their attacks against the chosen, as he simply steps aside from any strikes.

The Face of Aurakles breaks after one hour has gone by, or when the caster is knocked unconscious – he reverts to his normal form then, and all lethal damage on him becomes bashing. This can reverse an otherwise certain death, but enough bashing damage may still leave him on the verge of death. As it breaks, the shell splinters around the caster, forming a pattern of burning crystals that can be read as the poems of the Yozis’ souls on the ground, their voices heard in the wind before a moment of silence.

Diamonds has theorized that there may be other Primordials Champions, with different gifts brought by different creators, but he has yet to see confirmation to this theory. Were it true, variations of this spell to Wear the Face of different Champions, each with their own specialties, might exist...

“I am Primordial Fire. I am the Sun’s Twilight. I burn away what does not work.”
“You, who has no place in this world – Burn!”

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