CharmRelay/YuShan

Yu-Shan

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These are SolarCharms which deal with the Heavenly City of Yu-Shan and the beings that live within it.

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Erudite Mastery of Ceremonies (DeathBySurfeit)

Cost: 5 motes

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Min. Bureaucracy: 2

Min. Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: TBA

The Solar infuses his senses with Essences, revealing the glimmering tell of roles and positions within the Heavenly design of Fate. For the remainder of the scene, he knows all formal titles possessed by anyone he sees; what hierarchies those titles lie in, however, remain concealed to him.

Incarnation Fountain Crown - willows

Mark of Unequivocal Authority (Ambisinister)

Cost: 7 motes

Duration: Special

Type: Supplemental

Min. Presence: 4 (this may be better as a bureaucracy charm...)

Min. Essence: 4

Prerequisite Charms: Incarnation Fountain Crown

The Unconquered Son invested in his chosen the authority to rule, and this charm is but one of the many gifts given them to reinforce this privilege. Upon activating this charm the Solar's caste mark flares brilliant gold and his words and gestures are lent a portion of the Unconquered Sun's authority.

This charm is the Celestial equivalent of flashing your badge and saying "I'm going to need to commandeer this vehicle for the good of the State." By invoking this charm the Solar is almost guaranteed at least temporary compliance from spirits or elementals with an Essence inferior to his own. Likewise, this charm can be used to force through most situations requiring sanction by an organization, person, or bureaucracy (anything from getting a gold line ride in one of Yu-Shuan's canals or gaining access to a restricted library to getting into a private party or popular restaurant.). This charm won't force beings of a equal or higher essence to listen to you, but they will certainly realize that the charm is being employed. Likewise, certain heavenly mandates cannot be overridden through use of this charm. Naturally, the Storyteller is the final arbiter as to just how far this charm can get a character both in scope and duration.

Invocation Of Divine Righteousness (DeathBySurfeit)

Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Min. Bureaucracy: 5

Min. Essence: 5

Prerequisite Charms: Mark of Unequivocal Authority

Upon activation of this Charm, the Solar's Caste Mark flares into full prominence, and wisps of his anima surround him; for a moment, he stands with the undisputed majesty of his patron, an avatar of his dealings in Heaven. He may issue a direct command to any god or elemental short of one of the Immaculate Dragons or Celestial Incarna. Unless his subject then wins an opposed Essence + Bureaucracy roll, they are obliged to obey such a command until it is fulfilled, until next Calibration or until the unlikely intervention of one of the Incarna themselves, whichever comes first. If they do win the roll, they are immune to further invocations of this Charm until next Calibration.

This Charm inspires awe and respect, not unthinking obedience; some gods and elementals will resent being ordered around this way. The subject's actions are considered the responsibility of the Solar, under celestial law, and abuse of this Charm is heavily regulated by celestial auditors - most likely because they are vulnerable to its effects themselves. Consequently, it is wise to use this Charm with caution.

Incorruptible Radiance - willows

Comments

EMC is descended from Mastery of Small Manners, I think. Thanks for starting the relay off with something inspiring! - willows

I agree with Mastery of Small Manners, but the confusing ability pre-reqs in this relay are going to really fuddle many uses of it in actual gameplay, are they not?
-- Darloth likes the charms, just wonders if they couldn't all be confined to one thematic tree without cross-wossnames? Maybe not, but something to think on.

Meh. Realistically, a Solar character who has built a suite of Charms that make him a social juggernaut in Yu-Shan will have first built a solid foundation of social Charms with wider applicability. Frankly I don't find these prereq assignments and charm linkages remotely as confusing and stupid as, for instance, those in Lunars. - willows

First up, I like the newest charm "Mark of Unequivocal Authority". Thing is, without the concept of "Severity" offenses for Solars, is there anything other than ST arbitration to make this a bit less super-cool? Does it need to have a limit, or do we just accept that an Essence 4 Solar charm is the bomb-diggity? -- GreenLantern, who has always loved Ambisinister, master of the 6-pack.

Perhaps the Charms should all be in the Bureaucracy tree? They all seem thematically apt, and bureaucrats are allowed to have social oomph too! Well, especially when they use Charms as a way of pushing their authority. Incidentally, I like MOUA, but perhaps you might consider upgrading it a little? Considering its prerequisites, I'd motion that gods of lesser Essence would flat out obey your orders for a scene - but then have celestial auditors make sure you don't abuse your power, as suggested for... ah yes, have a fourth! I must apologise for shunting the power level up even further, but I'd so like to see an Essence 6 pinnacle...DeathBySurfeit

DBS, I don't really, erm, get why yout Charm is a Charm and not a spell. - willows

Willows, please don't yell at other Wikizens. -- GreenLantern, not too plussed with the all-caps edit-note that willows just left

HELLO I AM YELLING AT YOU please get over it. - willows doesn't think that this is the place, go bitch at my userpage

If you've a problem of leaving notes by making minor edits, willows, please refrain from doing so yourself. And please, show a degree of civility; the Wiki is a cooperative, not an excuse to shout at one another. Anyway, with regards the Charm it's been my experience that higher-level noncombat Charms increasingly resemble sorcery in terms of their scope; I considered this instance to have sufficiently focused, Exalt-centred effects to make it a valid Charm. If you wanted to enhance this aspect, perhaps a reduction to one day's effects, requiring repeated invocations to maintain a shift in tribute? Hmm, probably wouldn't improve gameplay that way, though. How would you have rendered the same idea? ...DeathBySurfeit

To me, the charm is the forced re-allocation. The only reason that it ever ends is that the Celestial Bureaus re-evaluate salaries each year during calibration (why do you think they call it "calibration" anyway?), and ensure that each god is getting their fair share. Hence, the charm really is that you have such power that your will and opinion is enough to shift the pay systems in Yu-Shan. Because you can. To me, that's a charm, really. Sorcery would require time, and thought, and effort, and such. This really is you just stomping your foot and saying "Hey. Now.". -- GreenLantern, thanking DBS for his support of civility

Thanks for the more coherent version of my thoughts! I did just notice, though, that I'd put the Duration as 'Until next Calibration' instead of just effect-led. D'oh! ...DeathBySurfeit, quickly remedying matters

DBS, please confine your discusions of civillity to letters to Miss Manners. I am disinterested in them and they are not Exalted-germane, therefore inappropriate for this wiki.

I will explain why I feel that your Charm is Sorcery-like! My apologies for not having done so previously. There are several reasons.

1. 1. 1. It does not have a specifically Solar theme.
      2. It's not an effect that should be confined to Solars - budgeting concerns of Heavenly entities is a matter for gods to deal with, and Exalted involvement would include Sidereals.
      3. The effect is external to the Exalt, though the Lantern gentleman points out that this is a matter of interpretation.
      4. The examples of sorcery-like high-level Charms in canon are confined to Sidereals, who, you will have noticed, explicitly link their Sorcery-like Scripture Charms to Sorcery, in the implementation of their Sorcery Charms. The obvious conclusion is that they are Sorcery-like as a special feature of Sidereal Charms, and not a general rule. Compare with Protection of Celestial Bliss.

I would suggest implementing it rather as a Charm that simply forces divine obedience, and note that when applying this to divine legislature or business, these effects are re-evaluated by the appropriate bodies at Calibration. "Force obedience" is a clean, obvious, and thematic effect. - willows

Be Polite. The Wiki is not a forum where we hash out our differences in week-long flamewars; it is not the place for personal attacks and inflammatory comments. This is our garden that we have made together with our hands, and you are obliged not to plant weeds among the flowers. Perhaps you recognize the first three sentences, they're from your own soapbox page. 2 out of four isn't bad, right? - FiatVictrix who is too lazy to have problems with living up to his own standards

While I disagree with much of Willow's points, I really can't argue them well - he does have valid interpretations of the setting. More importantly, though, I do like his proposed change - there is something much more strikingly Solar about simply ordering dang-near anything, and having it re-set at Calibration. Perhaps, then, re-writing DBS' charm as a nicely powered upgrade to Ambisinister's charm would allow manipulation and commanding of even higher-Essence gods, as long as you're asking them to do things within the scope of their purview? Of course, no ordering around the Maidens just yet, but at least you can order Amoth City-Smiter to go smite a city, or he'll lose his yearly bonus. And of course, as noted, if you order Amoth City-Smiter to go after, say, the Imperial City, I'm sure there'd be some serious paperwork and problems with the very unhappy city-god who didn't want their city smited, and perhaps a nice fight. And if Amoth should die in the attack (quite possible, actually), it'd be your ass for telling him to do it. -- GreenLantern

Good points there, and I've rewritten the Charm accordingly. I look forward to the pinnacle! ...DeathBySurfeit

I'm especially fond of the part where auditors themselves are subject to the charm. Sure, it makes sense, but actually stating it is just funny (and effective) in my opinion. Also, right now it's a contested Essence+Willpower roll. Could we perhaps change that roll to something that charms can affect? Since there are no WP-based charms, nor Essence-based charms, there's no way to combo this with anything to really gain a boost, nor is there a way for supplementals to affect it, really. Perhaps Charisma+Bureaucracy, or even Essence+Bureaucracy? (Heck, if you want to go crazy, it'd be your Ess+Bureaucracy vs. their Ess+Presence). -- GreenLantern

Good idea. Dun! I went for Ess+Bureaucracy, as this is more based upon celestial loftiness than personal charm or chutzpah. Nevertheless, its mano-a-mano nature satisfies requirements for Harmonius Presence Meditation rather nicely, alongside others...DeathBySurfeit

Another thing: Putting blank lines between nested indents renders them as flat (with the same indenting level) in some browsers. I suggest that we avoid that! The new version of the Charm is much improved, and the auditor note is exactly the right touch. Cheers. - willows

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