Acantha/ThreeBrilliantStars

• back to Acantha
• back toAcantha/Characters

Three Brilliant Stars

I got a little paranoid after a recent session and was convinced poor Adi was going to die very soon, and came up with a replacement character just in case. Three Brilliant Stars is that character. Of course, my paranoia came to nothing and Adi still lives (so far), but Stars is still hanging around, waiting in the wings.

Stars was inspired by The Silmarillion, specifically Feanor, son of Finwe. He is my absolute favorite, followed closely by Maeglin and Maedhros. But enough of that.

Description

Three Brilliant Stars is a tall, dark-haired man whose heritage lies in the Realm. He is toned and attractive, but the odd light behind his grey eyes is somewhat disturbing. His clothing is unremarkable save for a few items of note: his sword and his diadem. His sword is an expertly-made longsword, perfectly balanced and made of orichalcum. His diadem, an elegantly simple circlet made of starmetal, has settings for three Hearthstones. The settings remain empty, despite Stars' best efforts.

Personality

If Stars is anything, he is driven. Once he sets his mind on a task, nothing can stop him but his own destruction, and even that might fail. His passion for his work and for the creation of new and more beautiful objects has both defined his life and ruined it, driving away all but his most faithful followers. He knows he is one of the best, and is arrogant to the point of meglomania.

Lately, Stars has been manic; alternating between periods of frantic activity and moments of ill-temper and anger. The loss of his precious Hearthstones, focus points of his magnificent Manse's power, has consumed him with a hunger he has never known before. His flashbacks to the First Age, once only coming at night, are now taking minutes and hours out of his life, bouncing him carelessly through time until he can't tell what is real and what is just a vision. All he knows is that he needs his jewels back -- otherwise, the fire within him could consume him completely.

History

Before his Exaltation, Three Brilliant Stars was a master artisan and blacksmith, a former pupil of one of the region's greatest craftsmen. He fell in love with and eventually married his master's daughter, and the two lovers built a home and a family for themselves in a large town on the shore of the Blessed Isle. He and his wife bore seven sons, and Stars' fame spread throughout the land, with commissions being offered from all across Creation. For Stars, life felt perfect.

Then, everything changed. A stranger appeared on the threshold of Stars' workshop, holding a piece of strangely glowing metal and offering it to Stars for a paltry price. The metal intrigued Stars, and he spent many weeks ruminating on the large chunk before he could see the object that lay within it. He worked for an entire month on the metal, shaping it with loving hands and coaxing it into the perfect shape until he found himself with one final adjustment to make. As the sun set, Stars worked the last delicate strand into place, and with his masterpiece complete, Stars Exalted.

With a vision of a great palace in the mountains guiding him, Stars left his wife behind and set out. His seven sons followed him, having vowed to follow their father wherever he led them. After a year of searching, Stars came upon the mountain stronghold of his First Age self, and entered the fortress with his sons in tow. At the center of the mansion, Stars found three perfectly crafted jewels -- the Manse's Hearthstones -- and set them into his crown.

to be continued...

Statistics

Name: Three Brilliant Stars
Caste: Twilight
Nature: Artisan (possibly Visionary)
Anima: A slowly rotating starscape extending into the darkness
Concept: Obsessive artisan

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

Abilities
Archery 2, Melee 3, Endurance 1, Performance 3, Presence 2, Survival 1, Craft 4 (Creating Something New +2), Lore 3, Occult 3, Dodge 3, Stealth 1, Linguistics 4, Ride 2, Sail 1

Backgrounds
Artifact 5, Resources 3, Followers 3

Charms
Melee: Excellent Strike, Hungry Tiger Technique, Golden Essence Block, Dipping Swallow Defense
Craft: Flawless Handiwork Method, Object-Strengthening Touch, Shattering Grasp
Linguistics: Whirlwind Brush Method, Flawless Brush Discipline, Letter-Within-a-Letter Technique

Virtues
Compassion 2, Conviction 3, Temperance 1, Valor 3
Virtue Flaw: Deliberate Cruelty
Limit Break:

Willpower 6

Essence
Personal:
Peripheral:

Notes

Expanded Backgrounds

Artifact 5

Orichalcum longsword and starmetal diadem with spaces for three Hearthstones.

Resources 3

Stars' long work as a blacksmith and master artisan gave him the ability to live comfortably, despite his large family.

Followers 3

Stars' seven followers are his sons, ranging in age from 25 to 15. They are all mortal.

Things to finish:

• Personality
• History
• Stats
  • Backgrounds: Manse 3 at least
  • stat followers?