Arcahan/Calistas
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Calis the Snake
“Hmm? Oh, please don’t mind me. I am here merely to find out the truth of what happened last night.”
Character Name: Ledaal “Calis the Snake” Calistas
Concept: Backstage Investigator
Nature: Savant
Exalt Type: Dragon Blooded
Aspect: Air
Physical Description
A man of controlled, scholarly demeanor and a penetrating gaze, Ledaal Calistas can hardly be called a very handsome fellow, yet he is not altogether displeasing to look at, either. He has an average – if somewhat fragile-looking – build and thick, dark-brown mane of hair that flows mostly towards the back of his head and down his back. He sometimes ties his hair into a ponytail or two, but usually just keeps it neatly combed. Although hardly a very old man, his forehead has already been divided by a few lines, above which his hairline tapers sharply into a widower’s peak. Calistas has green eyes and a sharp, hawkish nose. The latter feature is further complemented by a tiny dent right in the center of his chin, as if that raptor’s beak of his would have once nipped a little piece off his own face. Calis carries himself with a serious, dignified manner and occasionally even plays on his seeming frailty by leaning on his walking cane more heavily than he’d actually need.
Despite his wealth and status as a Dynast Dragon Blooded, Calistas dresses in a relatively plain manner during his daily life. He favors robes and sashes of simple design yet good quality, and all of his clothes have been cut so that they do not hinder his movements should the situation require some physical exercise. Unlike most Dragon Blooded, he feels no obligation to wear the colors of his aspect – he is most often found wearing either green or brown, but it is just a preference, not a rule. His wardrobe naturally does contain some more elaborate outfits for formal occasions as well, but personally, he prefers professional tidiness over extravagant flaunting of wealth.
Personality
Learned, proper and matter-of-fact, Calistas is a champion for logical thought. While he does acknowledge the value of instinct and intuition, he mostly relies on his superior knowledge and intelligence to carry him through the day. He usually carries himself in a very civilized and polite manner, although meaningful glances and a slight edge in his voice can sometimes give a very sarcastic tone to his behavior. Insults and critique towards him or those dear to him are usually countered with seemingly polite yet rather sharp-tongued ripostes. While he might seem a bit cold to those who do not know him, he stands firmly in defense of those he considers his friends and companions (in a certain “only I have the right to point out their mistakes” sort of manner.)
Making his way through a world of murders, swindlings and conspiracies and sorting through tangled webs of lies and half-truths, Calistas ends up seeing much of the society’s dark and ugly side in his line of work. Tracking down drug dens or riding someone’s sight into their private quarters have left Calis rather disillusioned about the general nobility of mankind and he has a certain sort of cynical attitude towards life in general. This does not mean that he would actively attempt to dress down anyone who is trying to live by his or her ideals – everyone is more than welcome to try – he just has little patience for naivety. He also has a sense of humor, albeit a slightly dry and sarcastic one.
Calistas follows a certain code of honor that requires him to treat his given assignments as Problems To Be Solved. He takes personal pride in his ability to discover an answer to every question and carry every task to the finish, and he will usually not give up unless he is absolutely certain that the solution of the problem truly is beyond him. He is much more comfortable with his work when he knows that he is acting on behalf of justice and greater good. In his line of work, however, such a dream is not always possible and there are times when Calistas is forced to do dark, even vile deeds in order to carry out his missions. He never enjoys this sort of assignments and almost invariably feels bad afterwards, even when he knows that what he did was the best possible choice he could make at the time. While Calis does rationalize this problem with the “End justifies the means” sort of philosophy, his conscience tends to weight more heavily on him than what he cares to admit. This has gotten to the point where Calistas has begun to rely on a nerve-soothing drug to help him keep his mind at ease.
His work aside, Calistas also spends his time with a number of interesting hobbies that include Gateway and archery. He occasionally even practices the latter within his own quarters, claiming that a few arrows every now and then do miracles on his ability to concentrate. As for Gateway, well, Calistas is probably one of the few people on all Blessed Isle to have seriously played a game against himself. (When inquired about this match, he usually says that he put up a fight, but in the end, he had no choice but to yield the game to his better.)
Flaws
Addiction * - Calistas is addicted to a mild, easily available drug. He claims that it stimulates his mind and helps him to concentrate on his work. However, what Calis usually does not mention is also the fact that the drug also soothes his nerves and helps him to keep his mind off some of the less virtous deeds his line of work has sometimes required him to do.
Rivals ** - In Calistas’ line of work, you end up treading upon a lot of toes. While obscurity and lack of reputation are the trademarks of a competent spymaster, even Calis cannot always return from his assignments completely anonymously. This has left him with some enemies here and there who are aware of not only of his identity, but also of his role in the revelation of this or that scandalous piece of information. Fortunately (for Calis, that is), most of these enemies are quite far away from his current assigned working location.
Secret * - Once arranged an assassination for a certain respected merchant. Calis had been only ordered to investigate his business, but after finding out about some fairly dangerous matters, he hastily arranged for an assassination. They are still looking for the culprit to that crime, and although Calis was involved only indirectly with the matter, it might cause some troubles if it's ever found out. Might also be the reason why he's currently as far from home as he is.
Atributes
Physical
Strength 1, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2
Social
Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2
Mental
Perception 3, Intelligence 5, Wits 3
Abilities
- Air
- Linguistics 3
- Lore 4
- Occult 3
- Stealth 2
- Earth
- Awareness 4
- Endurance 2
- Resistance 1
- Fire
- Athletics 1
- Dodge 3
- Melee 3 (Specialty – Sticks and Canes) +3
- Presence 2
- Socialize 3
- Water
- Brawl 1
- Bureaucracy 2 (Specialty - Illegal Business ) +1
- Investigation 5
- Larceny 3
- Sail 1
- Wood
- Archery 4 (Specialty – Bolts and Bursts) +1
- Medicine 2
- Performance 1
- Ride 1
- Survival 1
Backgrounds
Artifacts ***
Breeding ****
Resources ****
Manse *****
Connections (Thousand Scales) *
Sorcery *****
Charms
- Linguistics
- Wind-Carried Words Technique
- Lore
- Elemental Concentration Stance
- Elemental Bolt Attack
- Elemental Burst Attack
- Occult
- Terrastrial Circle Sorcery
- Dodge
- Flickering Candle Meditation
- Melee
- Stoking Bonfire Style
- Awareness
- Precision Observation Method
- All-Encompassing Earth Sense
- Feeling the Dragon’s Bones
- Sight-Riding Technique
- Hearing & Touch-Riding Technique
- Sight-Destroying Method
- Endurance
- Ox-Body Technique
- Unsleeping Earth Meditation
- Investigation
- Scent of Crime
- Bloodhound’s Nose Technique
- Falsehood Unearthing Technique
Sorcery
- Terrestrial Circle
- Death of the Obsidian Butterflies
- Emerald Countermagic
- Infallible Messenger
- Coin of Distant Vision
- Corrupted Words
- Sprouting Shackles of Doom
- Hound of the Five Winds
Traits
Virtues
- Compassion **
- Temperance **
- Conviction ***
- Valor ***
Virtue Flaw Relentless Pursuit of the Goal
- Willpower 6
- Essence 4
- Personal 14
- Peripheral 35
- Total 49
Health Levels
-0, -1, -1, -1, -2, -2, -2, -4, Incap.
Important Possessions
- Gentleman’s Dearest Friend – Artifact Level 3 Walking Cane
- Speed +2
- Accuracy +2
- Damage +6L
- Defense +2
- Minimums: Strength 1
For some Dynasts, style is all. Others believe that it is always prudent to have a weapon ready in your hand, no matter where you go. Still others believe that there is nothing quite like the baffled mien of disbelief on the enemy’s face when a hefty Daiklave is challenged by a seemingly innocent and harmless little thing. A weapon for gentlemen, merchants, diplomats and elderly members of society, Gentleman’s Dearest Friend is a solution for Dynasts who wish to go to the battle with style and still catch his enemies unprepared and off the guard. For who could imagine a seemingly harmless-looking walking cane that can cut through flesh and bone with all the lethality of a greatsword?
Gentleman’s Dearest Friend was originally crafted by an ambitious craftsman of the old, to be a weapon for the upper classes of the Dynast society. He had originally hoped it to spark an entirely new line of fashion in weapons that would, over the generations, completely displace Daiklaves as the traditional Dynast weapon of choice. Unfortunately, he completely underestimated the sheer arrogance that is so closely associated with Dragon Blooded mindset. Few Dynasts could imagine themselves swinging around these flimsy little weapons in a duel, let alone in a battlefield (where the image changes from appalling to downright ridiculous) The only Dragon Blooded who were actually interested in these walking canes were those to whom discreet weaponry were a necessity: merchants, diplomats and assassins. The poor craftsman could never realize his dream and was soon forced to return to crafting ordinary weapons in order to keep himself fed, but not before he had fashioned at least a handful of Gentleman’s Dearest Friends to try their luck in the harsh world. Calistas himself acquired his own cane during one of his investigations and, realizing that its powers could just as easily have been made just for him, decided to keep it.
A smooth, round rod of lacquered wood tipped with a handle of polished green jade shaped like an upside-down cone, everyone agrees that Gentleman’s Dearest Friend is a beautifully-crafted item, just the sort of thing you might expect rich Dynasts to rhythm their steps with when taking a stroll in the gardens. Tiny carvings imitating the leafy curves of vines coil down the rod that narrows gradually towards the ground, where it then ends into a tiny chip of white jade, a symbol of the connection between the Wood that grows out from Earth. Its heft and weight feel good in hand, its balance guarantee a fine and smooth swing, and its enchantments ensure that it will not be very fun to stand in the receiving end of the spanking session.
- Gentleman’s Dearest Friend is treated as an Exceptional Club (+1 Defense, +1 Accuracy, +1 Speed) which has then been further enhanced with magical properties. (+1 Speed, +1 Accuracy, +4L damage, +1 Defense)
-In addition to its interesting fighting capabilities, Dearest Friend can also enhance Elemental Bolts and Bursts channeled through it, adding +3 Accuracy bonus to the attack roll and granting an additional +1L of damage for each mote of Essence the user spends to power the attack.
- The cane also has a third, less fighting-centered yet just as important power. Should its wielder ever happen to fall over – stumble over a jutting tree root, slip on ice, get pushed off balance in combat, it doesn’t matter how – Gentleman’s Dearest Friend will immediately move forth with dazzling speed, placing itself exactly to the optimal angle and location needed to prop the user and rescue him or her from the humiliating fate. In game-terms, Gentleman’s Dearest Friend grants +3 dice bonus to any attempts the wielder makes to avoid stumbling or falling in any situation. The wielder must be standing on solid ground in order for this to work, of course – the cane has no power to keep its master from falling from high places.
Hearthstone Bracers – Artifact Level 3
- +4L/+4B soak
- 4 Hearthstone slots (2 in each)
- Both bracers must be worn in order for the armor effect to be activated. Hearthstones, however, can be used individually.
These relatively simple bracers made of blue and white jade cover a little over half of Calistas’ forearms. He generally wears them hidden under his sleeves, for he has no desire to show off with the four valuable Hearthstones he possesses.
Little Trinket – Artifact Level 1
- +1 Presence for persuasion rolls, +2 when used to extract information
Originally a gift from a fellow bureaucrat back from the days when Calistas still worked in Thousand-Scales, Little Trinket is a small and very much plain earring made of smooth blue jade. Despite its humble appearance and low level of power, it is actually one of Calis’ favorite toys and a tool he ends up relying on constantly in his work as an investigator.
When worn in an ear, Little Trinket reinforces the connection between the user’s brain and tongue and helps to come up with just the right things to say in order to sway other people through clever persuasion. It should be noted that the user must speak in order to make Little Trinket work – this artifact cannot be used to, say, make a bully back down by striking a very intimidating pose.
Hearthstones
Right Bracer
Stone of the Spider's Eye – Level 1
- Cancel 2 dice worth of penalties of magical stealth or concealment, or give 2 dice bonus to pierce such effects
Gemstone of Surface Thoughts – Level 2
Concentration – Perception + Awareness roll to read other people’s surface thoughts.
Left Bracer
Stone of Recognition – Level 2
Concentration – Manipulation + Social roll. The victim must make Willpower check against the successes or be well disposed towards the bearer.
Gem of Immortality – Level 5
- The wearer does not age nor will he fall prey to any infirmities or illnesses of old age
The pride of Calistas’ Hearthstone collection and probably the single most valuable item in his possession, Gem of Immortality is also a tribute to his conspiracy skills. Acquiring this gem took Calistas several years’ worth of scheming, plotting and spending a good portion of his entire fortune on bribes, but Calis himself considers it well worth the price. Gem of Immortality eliminates the gap between Dragon Blooded and Sidereal life-spans, thus enabling Calistas to live as long as Winter Rose will. After his wife has grown old, though… well, even Calis hasn’t fully decided what he would do after that, but chances are that he could decide that he will no longer need this stone.
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