GanbaruHarvest

Ganbaru Harvest

Caste: Zenith Nature: Traditionalist Anima: A large golden bull with long horns, with eyes that flash the characters for "righteousness" and "justice." Concept: Redneck farmer

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3 \ Charisma 5, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3 \ Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 2

Abilities: Brawl 3 (ground fighting +special; see Combat below), Melee 4, Dodge 3, Craft 2 (Farming), Lore 1, Endurance 3, Performance 2, Presence 4, Resistance 3

Backgrounds: Artifact 4, Influence 1, Manse 1, Resources 2

Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 3, Temperance 3, Valor 2 Virtue Flaw: Overindulgence (Temperance)

Willpower: 8 Health: -0,-0,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-2,-2,-2,-2,-4,Incap Essence: 3 Essence pool: 17/39 (5 Committed)

Charms:

Brawl: Ferocious Jab

Endurance: Ox-Body Technique (x3)

Melee: Excellent Strike, Golden Essence Block, One Weapon Two Blows

Performance: Respect-Commanding Attitude

Presence: Harmonious Presence Meditation, Listener-Swaying Argument

Resistance: Alcohol-Resisting Prana, Drunken Warrior Technique, Durability of Oak Meditation, Iron Skin Concentration, Spirit Strengthens the Skin

Equipment: Sturdy work shirt and pants, sandals, broad-brimmed hat, artifact scythe (The Righteous Harvest), bag of family mementos

Combat:

Base Initiative: 3

Soak: 3B/1L/0A (unarmored)

Dodge: 6

Attacks:

Righteous Harvest: Speed +13 Acc +11 Damage 12L Defense +4 Rate 4 (Note: Ganbaru's stats have been factored into this)

Punch: Speed +5 Acc +6 Damage 3B Defense +6

Takedown Specialty: Speed +6 Acc +6 Damage 3B Defense +6

Groundfighting Specialty: Speed +5 Acc +7 Damage 5B Defense +6

The last two attacks are based off of a house rule allowing 4 points to be spread through various non-Charm related attacks. Where a Charm would take precedence, such as using Dragon Coil Technique instead of Groundfighting, the Charm replaces the specialty.

Righteous Harvest

The Righteous Harvest was the scythe carried by Ganbaru's incarnation in the First Age. It appears as a gleaming and wicked narrow blade of orichalcum attached to a haft of ironwood. The ironwood is inlaid with lacquered teak showing scenes of farming, ranching, and sericulture. The swing grips on the side of the haft are also made of ironwood, but are inlaid with small bands of textured orichalcum to facilitate a better grip and to better channel the flow of Essence from Ganbaru to his blade. During the Usurpation, the Righteous Harvest was given to a field spirit in order to hide it from Solar spark of Ganbaru's previous incarnation. The field spirit acted as caretaker for the blade, knowing that the Zenith would return for his blade and symbol of his office as Grand Mediator Between Sun and Fields. There are settings for two hearthstones; one is at the head of the scythe where the blade fits onto the haft and the other is close to the front swing grip. The scythe is not only a potent weapon in battle but is rumored to be able to enhance the bounty of food provided by farmers and orchard-owners.

Weapon stats: Speed +8 Acc +6 Damage 9L Defense +2 Rate 4

Ganbaru's Story

Ganbaru Harvest was born only as Ganbaru. His parents were helots serving the Dragon-Blooded lords of Lookshy. He grew up as most helots do; basic field work of back-breaking intensity, a rough schooling that allowed him to conduct daily business and understand written orders, military training, and a devotion to the Immaculate Dragons. During his service as an infantryman in the Legion of Righteous Fury (a Legion founded in Lookshy by a Cathak outcaste, and designed to fight alongside the Seventh Legion), his heroism earned him the rank of Scale Leader and a reward of citizenship. Ganbaru spent fifteen years in the Legion and became a trusted advisor for more than a few young Dragon-Blooded officers. Indeed, some of the young Terrestrials can credit the gruff, no-nonsense legionary for whipping them into shape and giving them a proper attitude for leading their men. Ganbaru petitioned the general of his legion for an early discharge and was granted it. He took his wife Meichou and their six children from Lookshy into the lightly-populated area between Nexus and Lookshy to establish a small farm. For the next seven years, Ganbaru brought in crops of wheat, barley, and maize and sold them in a village known to locals and Guild merchants alike as Market Town. His family's income from farming was supplemented by Meichou's sericulture, providing bolts of silk for local clothiers. Ganbaru settled into life as a simple farmer, with hunting and fishing as his pastimes. He was noted in Market Town as a fair mediator and persuasive speaker, often helping the village leaders choose a course of action that would benefit everyone in the area.

In the seventh year of his life as a small farmer, Ganbaru Exalted. He had sent his second-eldest son back to the farmhouse to fetch a waterskin while he worked his field. The sun shone down upon him for hours, its heat intensifying to the point where even the hardened veteran succumbed to exhaustion. In his delirium, the Unconquered Sun appeared before him to charge him with spreading the light of the sun to where the shadows of evil fell over Creation.

Suffice it to say that Ganbaru was pissed off that some god just came onto his property without invitation. After a heated argument where Ganbaru threatened the Unconquered Sun with a severe beating (or "almighty ass-kicking" as Ganbaru put it), the Sun disappeared, convinced he'd found a man stubborn enough to do his work in Creation. Ganbaru awoke to find his son standing over him, holding a full waterskin and staring at him. Ganbaru went back to tending the fields as if he'd merely fainted from the heat. His son, however, backed away and ran for the farmhouse. Taking his farm implements back to the barn, Ganbaru noticed something strange. The sunflowers that his wife grew for seeds weren't tracking the sun as normal. Instead, they followed him as if he were sun. Ganbaru scratched his head and walked towards the house. The normally shady interior of the home was illuminated by Ganbaru as he walked in, since he was filled with the Unconquered Sun's essence. Ganbaru stepped back out of the house, convinced it was a trick of the light, that perhaps he needed to add a few more shingles to the roof. He headed back to the barn to gather his tools.

Arriving at the barn, he was stopped by the field spirit with whom he bartered to keep his fields bountiful and the spirit placated. The spirit bowed to him, and she led the bewildered farmer to her small plot of sacred crops. She bade Ganbaru to hravest the wheat that had grown in a certain spot, and Ganbaru discovered the Righteous Harvest hidden among the stalks. The spirit also asked Ganbaru to lay with her for one evening, as she had not entertained an Exalted in centuries. Ganbaru tipped his hat and politely refused, saying that despite the spirit's beauty, he could not do so without breaking the bond of marriage to his wife. The field spirit was impressed with Ganbaru's loyalty, and rewarded him with a promise to aid his family in their labors. With his new scythe and his bond of alliance with the spirit renewed, Ganbaru returned home.

The scene at the farmhouse was one of frantic worry. His three youngest children had not returned from their day at school, and were late for supper. With a fatherly grin and oath of parental discipline, Ganbaru set out for Market Town to bring in his dawdling children. He arrived at Market Town to see what caused their delay, expecting a travelling show or trader caravan to be the source of their tardiness. Instead, Market Town was in chaos as a detachment of House Cynis legionaries were sizing up the populace for potential as slaves. Cynis Lashvra, an Air Aspect with a fondness for younger and younger slaves, was seen leading the legionairies in their looting of the city. The Terrestrial had said something about the town's taxes not being paid, a lie since the town paid its taxes to Cathak lords. Ganbaru roused the men of Market Town to battle as the peasants and townsmen resisted the well-trained Realm troops. Only when Ganbaru used his gifts as a Zenith to rally the townsfolk did the tide turn against the Realm's soldiers. Sore and wounded from multiple sword strikes, Ganbaru brought his scythe down on the shoulders of Lashvra, removing the Air Aspect's arms and killing him from shock and blood loss. The Cynis forces retreated after recovering the body of their fallen officer. Ganbaru was asked to protect the people of Market Town, but he realized that staying would only bring more Realm troops to disrupt the town and the farms. He left his family and farm behind, promising to return once he'd made their lands safer from Cynis interference. He travelled back to Lookshy, meeting his circlemates along the way. Today, Ganbaru stays in Nexus, training a mercenary company to protect his home and town.