Darkkling/FireWindStyle

Fire Wind Style

Celestial Martial Art Style
- designed by Darkkling

Intro:
Fire Wind Style is a martial arts style from long before the Usurpation. And its history, while glorious and brilliant, is also one of tragic self-destruction. Developed in the South by a First Age Solar of considerable prowess and courage, the style has a rich heritage and set of traditions that sprang up around it; practitioners of the style became nicknamed "firedancers". The founder of the school was a man of unquestionable courage, both on and off the battlefield. He was an insightful sensei and understood the limitations of his students, as well as their strengths. Knowing that the Dragons-Blooded lacked the ability to harness Essence as the Celestial Exalts could, he aided a few Dragon-Blooded students in devising a Terrestrial martial art. The Terrestrial style became known as Crimson Pentacle Blade Style and though similar possessed significant differences, emphasizing the Dragon-Blooded strength in working together. Secretly as the lesser style was created he hoped that Dragon Blooded who mastered it would then be able to grasp the advanced techniques of his own style. As he developed the style and his training techniques, students gathered around him quickly, attracted to his Charisma and prestige. But as time progressed, the Great Curse took hold of the founder more and more often, especially as he employed the abilities of his new founded style. Though the style is complete, it is also flawed. The strictures and training regimen of the style require brazen confidence and trust in ones own ability, but often cause the firedancer to overestimate his prowess. The founder saw this flaw in his students, but as insightful as he was, he could never he the same flaw in himself, and so was never able to correct the training to solve this problem. The founder himself died a glorious but tragic death as his students watched him slowly consume himself with his daring and courage, until nothing was left.

Practitioners of this style are often brazen and possessing of courage beyond the normal bounds. They possess a burning self-confidence, not a haughty superiority like practitioners of Graceful Crane Style, but one of daring and surety of skill. The thought that they could fail in physical confrontations rarely crosses their mind. As such, firedancers walk a fine line between courage and folly. When their daring is kept in check, they are capable of astounding feats and physical prowess. When their valor gets the better of them they tend to quickly push themselves beyond the edge of their limitations into disaster. Many such Exalts from the First Age have repeated this cycle of events. It is extremely rare for a committed student of Fire Wind Style to have a Valor lower than 3 or a Temperance higher than 3. The nickname "firedancers" came not only from the affinity of the style, but also the rituals that developed around the school during the First Age. Firedancing became a standard practice of members of the school. It was used both as a training technique and as a way to show off the prowess of the firedancer. Fire dancing still exists today in certain societies, most often nomadic or barbarian groups in the South, though scholars expect that it was once more wide spread. There, as in the First Age, it is used to display skill and daring, especially before a confrontation of warriors, much like bragging in other cultures. Fire dancing may also be used as a form of dueling between to people. Generally Performance is the Ability that governs fire dancing, but practitioners of Fire Wind Style may substitute their Martial Arts score if they wish, as it is used as a training technique in the school.

Firedancing, as the use of this style is sometimes called, tends to be very quick and light. Firedancers, after a certain level of proficiency tend to acquire an energy that keeps them constantly moving, whether in a conflict or not. Firedancers prefer quick actions, favoring speed and offense over defense. The philosophy is that the only enemy you turn you back to is a dead one, the quicker you finish them, the sooner you can move on to the next threat. This ideal, though sound, does not emphasize strategies facing multiple opponents, a weakness in the style. This is countered by the speed and prowess with which the firedancer dispatched his opponents one by one. Any defensive capabilities fostered through training always stem from movement and speed. Also, multiple attacks are rare in the style. At most the student might make up to 3 attacks, though they are most often directed at the same opponent, hounding him with lightning fast strikes, one of which is sure to get through. Learning this style, not to mention mastering it, is a grueling process, involving exercises that most people would find cruel and unusual. These include fire dancing (often blindfolded), long hours of meditation in extreme heat (a favorite in the South), branding as ritual scarification, and others. The training regimen employed has a few specific goals. One is to allow the would-be firedancer to harness his emotions, specifically fear and hesitation. Secondly, they learn to push their bodies beyond their normal limits, becoming faster and more skillful. The last goal is to focus the mind on to a single task, completing it and then moving on. This style, obviously, has a certain affinity for fire. Fire-Aspect Dragon-Blooded who learn this style do not pay the elemental surcharge for going outside their element, though they still do not have the necessary ability to channel as a Celestial and must meet all other restrictions like the rest of their brethren. Notes

• The spear and short spear may be used with Stone Burning Strike and any of the Charms stemming from it.
• Though many of the Charms in Fire Wind Style prohibit the use of armor, those few that do not innately prohibit the use of Heavy or Super Heavy armor while using the Charm. Light and Medium armors are okay unless otherwise specified.

Charms

Stone Burning Strike
Cost: 2 motes
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisites: none

The first step in learning Fire Wind Style is to focus one's Essence into their attacks, making them more powerful. Long hours of practice are spent until the student realizes that their soul is like a flame and that they can channel that heat throughout their bodies, fueling it with their own Essence. That heat then is channeled into the fist or weapon of the student until he can manifest the Inner Fire's blazing heat through his limbs and extending it beyond the physical form towards his enemies. The Exalt's attack is surrounded by a shimmering heat that is channeled into the opening created by force of the Exalt's attack. Mechanically, the Exalt's unarmed attack is considered to have the Piercing quality.

Dancing Among Flames Kata
Cost: 3 motes
Type: Reflexive
Duration: 1 turn
Minimum Martial Arts: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Stone Burning Strike

Further training expects the student to push her movements beyond their normal boundaries, drawing on their Inner Fire to fuel themselves, becoming faster and faster. Eventually, the student begins to become surrounded by small eruptions of flame signifying the violent expulsion of Essence from the body as the martial artist moves at super-human speeds. The final step in the lesson is withstanding an onslaught of attacks from the master for a half minute. The student is prevented from moving on to the next level until he can avoid all of them. Use of this Charm adds the firedancer's Martial Arts score to all Dodge attempts for the duration of the Charm. This Charm is incompatible with armor.

Fire on Wind Technique
Cost: 4 motes per attack
Type: Extra Action
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Dancing Among Flames Kata

The next step in learning Fire Wind style is the concentration of one's focus and becoming relentless in the tasks that one pursues. Through training the student should begin realize some of the style's weaknesses, but ultimately learns to compensate for them. This Charm is the manifestation of that realization. The student becomes as fast as the wind and burns everything in its path, particularly the single target which he sets his focus on. The Exalt gains a number of extra attacks up to his permanent Essence all intended for use against a single target. In addition the character gains extra (running) movement equal to his normal movement pool with which to make the attack. This Charm is incompatible with armor.

Fire Wind Form
Cost: 5 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: 1 scene
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Minimum Valor: 3
Prerequisites: Fire on Wind Technique

By this point the Exalt has mastered the most basic of concepts. This level combines previous learning into the beginning of more advanced techniques. Here he learns to focus his Inner Fire and move beyond the boundaries of human speed and reflexes. The mastery of this Charm signifies the Exalt's attainment of this concept. He becomes surrounded by flickering fires and his footprints leaves patches of fire behind as he moves. His form is surrounded by an aura of ethereal flame which is the visual manifestation of his own Inner Flame. Moving at speeds beyond the capabilities of many others the Exalt adds his Martial Arts score to his base initiative. Additionally, he adds his Martial Arts to Athletics for the purposes of jumping distances. He also adds Martial Arts to Dexterity in order to determine running distance. Finally, the firedancer's attacks occur at blinding fast speeds, seemingly coming from nowhere, making them harder to avoid. To this end, the difficulty of avoiding the firedancer's attacks is increased by his permanent Essence. This Charm is incompatible with armor.

Furious Backdraft Method
Cost: 5 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Fire Wind Form

Further refinement of the Exalt's style produces attacks faster than the eye may see. Covering any distance, as long as it is within the martial artist's movement range, that may exist instantly, the attack is considered an unperceived attack. Additionally, the increased speed of the attack creates a greater impact force when the Exalt strikes his target, adding his Essence to the damage he does before soak. This Charm is incompatible with armor.

Searing Wind Strike
Cost: 4 motes
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Furious Backdraft Method

Prior to this level of proficiency, the firedancer was creating his own attacks, becoming increasingly faster. Having reached a new level of reflexes and quickness, the firedancer adopts a completely offensive stance willing to throw himself onto the opponent's blade if needs be to finish his target. Having honed his reflexes this far he is now capable of interrupting incoming attacks by attacking the aggressor before he can attack. The firedancer makes a Martial Arts counter attack with his full pool, rolled before the attacker's damage is determined. The successes achieved count against the incoming attack as if it were a parry attempt. Should the attack be completely consumed by the martial artist's roll, then the extra successes apply to the attacker as an unavoidable counterattack. For all intents and purposes this Charm is a counterattack Charm, but the Exalt may not make a parry attempt and activate this Charm against the same attack. This Charm is incompatible with armor.

Desert Mirage Meditation
Cost: 6 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: 1 scene
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Fire Wind Form

Long hours of meditation in the hot sun are the inspiration, and training, for this Charm. With it the Exalt focuses his Inner Fire, radiating an intense heat and creates mirages, perfect duplicate images of himself. A number of mirages are created equal to the Exalt's permanent Essence. Using these constantly moving copies the firedancer may avoid attacks by confusing his enemies, who are unsure which is really him. The mirages are incapable of doing damage and only vaguely corporeal, so they do not take damage. For mechanical purposes, this Charm increases the difficulty to hit the Exalt by his permanent Essence. Though primarily a defensive tactic, the Exalt may capitalize on his opponent's confusion and make attacks while they are unaware. As a dice action, separate from his actual Martial Arts attack roll) he may make a Manipulation + Martial Arts roll to confuse his intended target. This roll is opposed by the target's Wits + Awareness (other firedancers may substitute their Martial Arts score instead). If the Exalt succeeds then the target is unaware of the attack. If the target wins, then the attack may still be made, but the defense granted by this Charm is lowered by 1 for the rest of its duration. Charms that grant the target the ability to defend against unknown attacks allow the target to defend himself without opposing the Exalt's roll. All such mirages must remain within Essence x 3 yards of the Exalt or dissipate. The Charm ends prematurely if all of the mirages are ever destroyed in this manner or the defensive bonus given reaches 0.

Engulfing Inferno Attack
Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Desert Mirage Meditation

Further refining the manifestations of his Inner Fire, the Exalt may now temporarily manifest his Inner Fire in a truly physical form, if only momentary. Launching a single attack towards an opponent, the Exalt's Inner Flame bursts forth from the Exalt's anima searing towards the intended target, enveloping the target in flame as the strike lands. For mechanical purposes, the martial artist makes a single attack that appears to split into a number of attacks equal to his permanent Essence. They are all defended against as a single attack, but each applies damage independently. In addition, the attack may not be dodged, only parried. This Charm is incompatible with armor.

Vengeance of the Inner Fire
Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 Health Level (bashing)
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Engulfing Inferno Attack, Searing Wind Strike

Focusing the Inner Fire and the rage within, the Exalt bellows his rage as a manifestation of his Inner Flame rips out of his body. His anima bursts into flame and explodes outward. All (friendly or otherwise) objects within a radius in yards equal to the firedancer’s Essence must defend against an Essence + Martial Arts attack. This attack may not be parried only dodged. The attack ignores armor and does Essence in lethal environmental damage. Successes do not add to damage for this attack.

Firedancer Form
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 Health Level (lethal)
Type: Simple
Duration: 1 scene
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Essence: 5
Prerequisites: Vengeance of the Inner Fire

Mastery of Fire Wind Style implies mastery over the workings of ones Inner Fire (in theory). Making the Greater Sign of Fire, the firedancer is engulfed in blazing flame that bursts forth from his very soul. Gouts of fire shoot from his mouth and eyes as he screams in pain. Entering the Firedancer Form, the Exalt alters his entire form into the manifestation of his own Inner Fire, becoming a being of living flame. While in the form the Exalt is immune to fire damage, including fire damage from Charms and other magical sources, such as Fiery Arrow Attack and the Fire-Aspect version of Dragon Graced Weapon. Additionally, the Exalt puts out a great amount of heat, which he controls and may intentionally light things on fire. The fire that he is capable of spreading is normal fire. However, this heat does afford him some protection while in this form as normal weapons cannot withstand the intensity of the heat. Only weapons of made of the Five Magical Materials are immune to the effects of this fire. Mundane attacks (non-magical in any way) have no effect on the martial artist at all. The firedancer's bashing and lethal soaks are increased by his permanent Essence against attacks made with mundane weapons but augmented with magic and against attacks that would be considered siege attacks, such as a ballista bolt or a hurled boulder. All the martial artists’ attacks do lethal damage, and any involved in a clinch with the Exalt take his permanent Essence in fire damage each turn. If the firedancer is in Fire Wind Form when he activates this Charm the cost of Firedancer Form is lowered by 3 motes. This Charm is incompatible with armor. This is a Form-type Charm.