GregorDyne/DaedalusAttachment
Daedalus Attachment
This is GregorDyne's old Alchemical flying charm, originally posted on Exalted Compendium's forums. It was written long before Autochthonians came out, and may or may not be obsolete. (I haven't checked.)
Daedalus Attachment
Cost: 2 motes Installation cost: 1 mote Duration: 1 scene Type: Simple Min. Strength: 4 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Parabolic Leap Overcharger Device
This components for this charm consist of a pair of large wings, clearly mechanical, to the character, causing him to resemble an angel (or dragon, or demon).
Some versions of this component are capable of folding into a compact storage configuration, like a pair of rods hanging between the shoulders, and can therefore be covered by a robe or other such clothing. Even so, the character must reveal the wings in order to use them. Some versions of the device do not have this feature.
The primary function of this charm is, of course, flight. The character can flit about in the sky like a bird, wheeling, turning, gliding, and even hovering. The character's encumbrance (see EX 251) is effectively halved while in flight.
If he wants to carry more, he can activate the charm Personal Gravity Manipulation Device (which must be bought before this one) to lower his own weight. Be warned that stacking these two charms can be hazardous in high winds, if the character does not bear additonal weight to compensate, as he literally becomes too light to prevent the wind from tossing him about.
Also be warned that the wings can ice over in cold weather (which increases encumbrance and decreases mobility), and they might attract lightning (whether flying or not .. the character is basically prancing about with two large lightning rods pointed at the sky).
In any case, the wing attachment must be accomodated by any armor or clothing the character wears, which basically means that any armor meant for a human that is bought or found will not fit until modified. This is not difficult for clothing, but can be expensive for armor. Fortunately, the charm can compensate for this to some extent with its alternate function.
By wrapping the wings around his body and fortifying them with Essence, the character creates a wall of armor to repel attacks. This has the effect of adding the character's permanent Essence rating to his Bashing and Lethal soaks (on top of whatever armor and stamina soaks he normally has).
The protection lasts until the character stops hiding behind the wings, but it can be re-established later as a reflexive action, and the character does not have to pay the activation cost again for the rest of the scene.
The drawback is that hiding behind the wings impairs mobility and sight, and therefore prevents the character from dodging.
The two functions of this charm are NOT directly compatible: wrapping a pair of wings around your character tends to prevent using them to fly, so the character would begin to plummet immediately. Luckily, once both versions are active for the scene, the character can switch back and forth more or less at need.
Since their appearances change so radically, Alchemicals with Essence of 6+ can use this charm, but it need not look like a pair of wings. It could just as easily be a spinning disc under, above, or behind the Exalted ... or some other form.
Despite the allusion in the charm's name, the wings are not held together with wax.
