BurgerSlave/CrystalStyle

Crystal Style Martial Arts

Little is known about those Chosen by the Primordial Autochthon. Few have ever been seen in Creation. Most denizens of the Machine Realm are the black-coated stormtroopers, wielding crossbow and strange technology as the Locust Crusade rampages across the South.

It is known, however, that the Alchemical Exalted are made, not born, and that their Exalted Essence, carefully forged by the Cybernetic God Himself, is lovingly inserted into the constructs' bodies, granting life to the lifeless. It is not known if these bizarre and enigmatic beings communicate with their god, but it is certain that they are the most favored beings in all of Autochthonia's Theomachracy.

Of the Alchemical Exalted, only a few have chosen to study the martial arts. Since their Essence is rigidly controlled, one would think that the study of these ways of fighting would come naturally to the Alchemicals. However, everything about the Alchemical Exalted is artificial. Thus, their approach to the martial arts is likewise artificial. This does not diminish its potency in any way. However, it is considered by most to be an inefficient method of Essence use. Only the most devoted Alchemical Exalted come to study the Tao of Living Crystal, learning how to completely master the Essence within themselves and the world around them.

Crystal Style is a Terrestrial-type martial art native to the Alchemical Exalted. In order to master the Charms of this style, the Exalt must be implanted with Essence-charged crystals and wires, augmenting their artifical bodies. This enables them to channel Essence through the use of martial arts postures and exercises. Any non-Alchemical wishing to learn Crystal Style must be likewise implanted with these systems and trained in its use. However, such implantation is highly dangerous, requiring an Autochthonian surgeon with two dots of specialization in Alchemical Implantation. The surgeon must make a Dexterity + Medicine roll against difficulty 5. Failure means that the operation did not take, and the character's body rejects the implant. A botch means that a critical organ or blood vessel was irreparably damaged, and the character dies a painful and messy death.

Crystal style's signature weapon is the crossbow. It does not permit the use of armor. Since Alchemical Exalted can never favor Martial Arts, they must pay the full out-of-caste cost for each Charm. As artificial constructs, Alchemical Exalted cannot learn any other sort of Martial Arts, since all their Charms are derived from their implants.

Facet Examining Approach
Cost: 1 mote
Type: Simple
Duration: One turn
Minimum Martial Arts: 1
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisites: None

The first lesson of the Tao of Living Crystal is that all things have an exquisitely defined form. Like the facets of a perfectly-cut crystal, living creatures are endowed with physical perfection, which was planned by Autochthon at the beginning of time. By activating this Charm, the Alchemical is able to perceive a creature as an abstract lattice of Essence, examining the basic crystalline structure of its being. The character must spend an entire turn studying this structure in order to take advantage of it. Once this study is complete, the Alchemical adds his Essence to his unarmed Martial Arts attacks.

Vitality Cannibalization Procedure
Cost: 1 Willpower
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisites: Facet Examining Approach

By studying the flow of Essence through his own artificial frame, the Alchemical learns how to boost it by sacrificing some of his own structural integrity. The character may sacrifice health levels as bashing damage, thereby gaining motes of Personal Essence to spend. Each health level sacrificed gains three motes. The character may sacrifice up to his Martial Arts in health levels with each application of this Charm. Health levels spent this way cannot be healed by magic, but must be healed normally. This is considered a most inefficient method of garnering Essence, and is saved for times of utmost desperation.

Essence Emulation Schematic
Cost: 3 motes + Charm cost
Type: Simple
Duration: Essence turns
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisites: Facet Examining Approach

All knowledge proceeds from the Machine, and all Alchemicals are merely a part of that Machine. By taking a dice action to subliminally communicate with Autochthon, an Alchemical is able to 'reformat' one of his Charm implants, briefly emulating another Alchemical Charm in its place. The Alchemical may only affect one Charm at a time with the use of Essence Emulation Schematic, and it cannot be activated again until its duration expires. Non-Alchemical users of this Charm may be briefly overwhelmed by their communication with the Machine God, and must succeed on a Temperance roll or be stunned for the next turn.

Crystal Form
Cost: 6 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: One scene
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Vitality Cannibalization Procedure, Essence Emulation Schematic

By mastering the Form Charm, the Alchemical comes into intimate understanding of the very structure of Creation. By invoking this Charm, he instills himself with the flawless perfection of the world. He gains Hardness equal to his Martial Arts + Essence. Also, he becomes perfectly harmonized with his signature weapon, the crossbow. Negate all dice penalties due to range and adverse environmental effects (but not wound penalties or penalties from splitting one's dice pool) when using a crossbow as a martial arts weapon. Characters may not have more than one Form-type Charm active at a time.

Offense Enabling Prana
Cost: 4 motes + 2 motes per success
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Crystal Form

It is the nature of Essence to harmonize within perfectly structured things, which makes them stronger and more grounded in Creation. Thus, Autochthon created crystal, which has a mathematically perfect symmetry, to capture and contain Essence. By instilling Essence within his fists, the Alchemical is able to emulate this practice. His next unarmed attack is lethal, and cannot be parried without the use of Charms, although it may be dodged normally. Furthermore, he may buy extra damage successes, up to his Martial Arts, by spending 2 motes per success.

Cracked Facet Approach
Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Offense Enabling Prana

By this level of mastery, the Alchemical has learned that all perfected things may be made imperfect by shattering the peerless symmetry inherent in all things. By infusing a martial arts attack with this Charm, the Alchemical is able to wreak grievous harm upon a person or object. If attacking an unattended item, the character's damage successes are doubled by the use of this Charm, and may even affect items made from the Five Magical Materials. If used to attack a living person, the effects of this Charm take hold only if the attack does damage (which may be soaked normally). Damage sustained by this attack leaves no wound and causes the character no pain. However, his inherent crystalline structure has been drastically flawed, and he loses any health levels he would have normally. These health levels remain lost for a number of days equal to the Alchemical's Essence. Only healing magic capable of restoring aggravated damage, such as Miraculous Annointment of Health, is able to restore these lost health levels.

Fragmenting Facet Obliteration
Cost: 5 motes per attack
Type: Extra Action
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Cracked Facet Approach

One ray of light passed through a crystal breaks apart into many colors. Thus, by passing Essence through his artificial body, the Alchemical is able to break one action into many. He may buy extra martial arts attacks for 5 motes apiece, up to his Essence. Each attack must be against the same target. This even applies to crossbow attacks, for the Alchemical has become so attuned to the Tao of Living Crystal, he is able to overcome the limitations of physics, refracting his single crossbow bolt into many through the use of this Charm.

Defense Enabling Prana
Cost: 3 motes
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Crystal Form

By adopting the mode of a scintilating crystal, the Alchemical becomes able to distribute damage more evenly throughout his body, lessening its adverse effects. If he is skillful enough, he may avoid damage entirely, even from the most devastating of attacks. The Exalt is able to use his Martial Arts to parry a single attack, adding a number of dice equal to his Essence. He may parry a lethal attack without a stunt, and may even use a crossbow bolt to parry a ranged attack. Furthermore, should the attack still hit, he is able to soak lethal damage with his full Stamina.

Crystalline Body Style
Cost: 1 mote per health level
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Defense Enabling Prana

That which is perfect cannot be broken. This is the Tao of Living Crystal. This Charm increases the perfection of the Alchemical's nearly-perfected form. He subtracts his Essence from the damage of any one attack. This Charm may be used after damage is rolled, negating the appropriate number of damage successes.

Imperishable Materials Composition Upgrade
Cost: None
Type: Special
Duration: Permenant
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Crystalline Body Style

By this level of understanding, the Exalt has realized that he, himself is but a potent weapon of the Machine God, forged of the finest materials by the most skilled of all artisans. With this understanding, he comes to channel his Essence appropriately, activating the inherent potential of the Magical Material of his caste. The character's combat values are permenantly increased based upon his caste. He gains the appropriate bonus depending on what Magical Material forms his body. This is a permenant increase of the character's capabilities, costs nothing to use, and applies to all martial arts attacks used by the character.

Autochthonian Amalgamation Authority
Cost: 1 Willpower
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Crystal Form

The Alchemical Exalted are the Chosen of Autochthon, and are the caretakers of his great Machine. Thus, all those who dwell within the body of the Great Maker are placed below the Alchemical Exalted, as is defined by the Tao of Living Crystal. A structure is only as strong as its weakest link, and any part of the whole that shirks its duties weakens that whole. By invoking his Exalted authority, the Alchemical is able to draw upon the unity fostered by the Tao of Living Crystal, energizing his form with borrowed Essence. This requires a living, willing Autochthonian, who must be implanted with an Autochthonian soul-gem. The Exalt may draw up to twice his Martial Arts score in motes of Personal Essence. There is a drawback, however: the character takes more motes than the donor has Stamina + Essence, the donor suffers the difference has levels of bashing damage as his life force is drawn away. Alchemicals should not abuse the trust placed in them by the people they are bound to protect, and thus this Charm is only used at great need.

Expansion of Objectives Method
Cost: None
Type: Special
Duration: Permenant
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Autochthonian Amalgamation Authority

By carefully modifying his own internal systems, the Alchemical becomes receptive to the inherent abilities of the other four castes of Alchemical Exalted. The character may buy this Charm as many times as he has dots in Martial Arts. Each time he does so, he may select one Attribute he does not favor. It permenantly becomes a Favored Attribute. Non-Alchemical Exalts who buy this Charm may benefit from it as well. This has interesting implications for Celestial Exalted who come to favor an Attribute, as it may permit them to learn Lunar Charms at a reduced experience cost.

Soul-Retaining Structure
Cost: 10 motes, +1 Willpower per level beyond Incapacitated
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Fragmenting Facet Obliteration, Imperishable Materials Composition Upgrade

The master of Crystal Style martial arts becomes intimately familiar with his own internal systems, and the way Essence interacts with them. Most importantly, he has familiarized himself with the minute and varied places his soul attaches to his body through his soul-gem. Whenever his body suffers terminal damage, the Alchemical is able to stave off death by shunting his soul-connections aside briefly. This is an instinctive action that cannot be prevented--the character has become a perfect, imperishable crystal, and self-preservation is writ into his very being. Whenever a character with this Charm suffers lethal damage beyond Incapacitated, this Charm activates and prevents him from dying. Any excess damage is ignored, and he continues to function as though he were Crippled. He must pay 10 motes and one Willpower per level he would have suffered beyond Incapacitated. The character cannot choose not to activate this Charm--it will activate automatically, even if he has used other Charms in the turn, the moment he suffers damage beyond Incapacitated. The only way this Charm fails is if he cannot pay the Charm's cost, in which case, the character dies normally. This Charm is immune to any spells, Charms, or effects that prevent the use of Charms, such as Charm Redirection Technique. Abyssal Exalted who benefit from this Charm gain 3 Resonance every time it activates--the Deathlords are not pleased by minions who refuse to come when they are called.