Greymane/Deshane
Contents
The Burning King
Name: King Deshane Batief
Concept: King of the Dancehall
Aspect: Fire
Nature: Hedonist
Languages: Low Realm, High Realm, Sea Tongue
Merits: Signature Style: "Just having a good time."
Flaws: Rival (Brother Jessan Batief)
Anima: A fighting rooster wreathed in flame.
Description: Say hello to the Red Rooster. The Burning King. The one and only King! Deshane! Batief! Sitting on a golden throne, King Batief may actually pass for a true king at first glance. His court is grand, it's massive hall lined with sleek-bodied guards, energetic musicians spilling forth a symphony of rhythm for the scantily clad native women present to dance to, and beasts imported from near and far displayed in golden cages or tamed to silver leashes. The opulence of his court is unmatched anywhere in the west, but nothing in it seems grander than the man himself. He is young and vivacious, with a face that combines almost all the best features of his mixed Dynastic and deep Easter features. Blessed with a handsomely broad lips and nose, dark red eyes that seem as at home smoldering sleepily as they do dancing in passion, and a white toothed smile that is both playful and earnest; the Burning King would turn heads even without the wealth of his throne behind him. A lifetime practicing the 'game' of jaoreia have left him with a body trim and athletic, his broad chest and long limbs hard and muscular. His skin the sort of mocha-brown that lays between the paleness of the Elemental Pole of Earth and the darker tones common to the tribes of the deep eastern forests. Tattoos mark his arms, zig-zagging bands of red and streaks of black meant to represent the element of fire and water conjoined. Wearing his thick hair twisted into a mop of tiny braids, it does nothing to hide the burning red stripe that runs down the center of his scalp that gives him his nick name.
Dressed most often in a cloak of royal red and white tiger fur and a red jade crown sprinkled liberally with pearls and fire opals, Deshane often wears little else. Certainly the colorful and heavy 'short-pants' favored by jaoreia performers, but only rarely does he dig into his expansive wardrobe for any of the lavishly detailed and expensive outfits purchased on his world-tour shopping trips. His informality is reflective of his court and despite all the pomp and circumstance King Batief strives to give himself, most who come to Sain-Wanno describe the experience as being more of a strange circus than the court of the king, with Deshane itself as the ringleader. Certainly, few visitors to the Scarlet Empresses throne room had ever experienced her coming down from her seat and shedding her robes of office to be oiled before putting on acrobatic displays along side the Legion of Silence. Such events are common in the kingdom of the Red Rooster however and it is undeniable that the king shares a great rapport with his people, who love him in spite of, or perhaps because of, his frivolent excesses.
The Tale of Batief Siblings: A History of the Burning King and his Shadows
Nyesha Batief: Sister of the King
Attributes and Abilities
Attributes
7/6/4
Physical
Strength 4 Dexterity 4 Stamina 4
Mental
Intelligence 2 Wit 3 Perception 2
Social
Manipulation 1 Appearance 3 Charisma 5
Abilities [35]
Aspect: Athletics, Dodge, Melee, Presence, Socialize
Favored: Endurance, Martial Arts, Performance
Archery 1 Athletics 5 Dodge 5 Endurance 3 Linguistics 3 Lore 2 Martial Arts 5, +3 Kicks Melee 2 Performance 5, +1 Dance Presence 5 Ride 1 Resistance 3 Sail 2 Socialize 3 Thrown 1
Virtues
Compassion 3 Conviction 2 Temperance 2 Valor 4
Willpower: 7
Essence: 4
Personal Essence Pool: 11 (Essence + Willpower)
Peripheral Essence Pool: 30 (Essence x 4 + Willpower + Sum of 2 Highest Virtues)
Commitment: 8
Total Essence Pool: 33
Backgrounds
Allies 1: Nyesha Batief
Artifacts 5: Treasures of the Red Rooster
Deshane's crown, the Crown of the Burning King, is the greatest of all his treasures and prized above anything else within his possession. But with the wealth of Sain-Wanno and, most importantly, the form it takes, it is not difficult to see how the king would come into possession of other objects of power. Of all the needless expenses that Deshane indulges in, he has ever been cautious and particularly about the artifacts he commissions from their allies in the Realm, wanting only those that compliment his sense of style. What could have been a vast treasury is instead then merely a handful of potent objects of power. Tiny, perhaps, against the vast armories of the Realm, but potent for a king of the west.
Followers 4: Retinue
Some kings surround themselves with advisors of wisdom. Some enjoy the pageantry and strength of their lands finest warriors. Some seek out the greatest beauties in their lands. Some have a love of musicians and performers. Some of exotic beasts tamed to serve or left wild to thrill honored guests. Deshane likes them all.
At once.
In the same room.
The retinue of the Red Rooster could be called an excess at best and a chaotic circus at worst. It is certainly one of the most energetic and affable courts one is apt to find. The smiles are genuine and the laughter constant among the servants and soldiers of his escort. And why should they not be? For the mere price of doing things they love and engaging in an almost endless party, they are better paid and cared for than any servants outside the Realm. Everywhere he goes, Deshane takes his entire household staff with him, and most have become as well-traveled as Guild merchants and sailors of the Realm. They are loyal and reliable, though typically only singularly skilled in one area.
Backing 5: King of Sain-Wanno
Sain-Wanno. "Twenty Lands." In the endless archipelago of the west, twenty islands seems could be swallowed by the Sea in a day and their passing go unnoticed. But Sain-Wanno is different. For better or worse, it has cast it's die and made it's mark. A nation of former slaves who defied one of the Great Houses of the Realm and for it were rewarded with a boon of wealth unmatched in the West. It is a rare and precious place, one with more comfort than hardship, more laughter than tears, and more full bellies than empty plates. The responsibility of tending to this marvel of fate falls to Deshane, who... while perhaps not the optimal choice of rulers, is none the less beloved by his people. The Sain's adore their playboy king, with his casual and personal way and overblown manner. He lives the dream of ever Sain, surrounded by wealth and comfort, and most know that however lazy he may seem, should the Twenty Lands ever fall under threat, the Burning King will repay his excesses twenty-fold by being the first to protect it.
Manse 5: The Royal Hall and Vacation Palaces
The Hall of One Hundred Broken Chains, known in the days of Iselis rule as the House of the Burning Iron, is the royal hall of Sain-Wanno. Place of rest to it's golden throne and home to the Batief family, it is an epic structure that presides grandly over the city of Rodo. A ziggurat of hot-iron red stone and black volcanic glass steps, each of it's terraced levels playing home to another, increasingly important branch of government until one reaches the uppermost story where the throne room lay. There are no doors in the Hall, only curtains of chains. Plain iron, the sort used by dynasts to shackle their slaves. As indeed these once were, until the people of Sain-Wanno rebelled. Now they serve as wardens of passage, grasping any who comes to the Hall with ill intent and shackling them to it's walls or drawing upon the ambient essence of flame to brand the unwelcome guest for what they are. The Hall was once the home to Iselis slave lords, but has since become a place of freedom and life. A symbol of Sain-Wannoa. There is an energy runs through it that is more than mere geomancy. An awareness that boarders upon an awakening god. Most who stay there fail to really notice that they feel no desire for food beyond the pleasure of eating, no need for drink beyond the pleasure of drinking. Sleep never claims them nor does fatigue weigh them down. This living, vital energy sustains them all, encouraging life and motion among those who call the Hall home even for a single day.
The Hall is the only Manse Deshane truly owns. It is the hereditary home of the Batief line and a gift to them from the people of Sain-Wanno. He lays partial claim to several others spread across the island however, the homes of friends or lesser manses rented from spirit-owners who've little need for them. It allows him to maintain an impressive array of hearthstones to adorn his crown, equal to any a dynast could claim.
Deshane gains the following hearthstones from his manses. They are all socketed into the Crown of the Burning King:
Gem of Perfect Mobility (Fire) Manse: ***** Trigger: None (constant)
Any Exalted bearing this Hearthstone moves as swiftly as a racing fire. A character attuned to the stone can take two normal actions per turn without any penalties and may divide her dice pools normally to gain additional actions. By taking both actions as movements, the character can also walk, run or sprint twice as fast as normal. Sorcery still takes the normal time to cast and using these additional actions makes the character appear inhumanly fast. Anyone seeing the character move or react this rapidly will know she is not human. This Hearthstone is a brilliant red and glows as bright as a candle. The additional action gained from using the stone is incompatible with all Extra Action Charms. The character can use one or the other, but never both.
Soul Blazing Shard (Fire) Manse: ** Trigger: Concentration
Strangely unattractive for a Hearthstone, the blazing soul shard is a long, jagged, violently yellow gemstone containing red flecks throughout. The only Exalted who can benefit from this jewel are Fire-aspect Dragon-Bloods. Once a Dragon-Blood has attuned this Heathstone, the Essence cost of igniting his anima banner decreases from 5 motes of Essence to 2.
Blazing Ecstatic Dancer Gem (Fire) Manse *** Trigger: Dancing.
This ovoid hearthstone shades from blue at one end to red-orange at the other, like a candle flame, and is warm to the touch. When attuned, it allows its bearer to perform dances of such intensity and energy that her passion flows into her anima, replenishing her Essence. Mechanically, the character adds a number of automatic successes equal to her permanent Essence to any Performance roll involving dancing. If she chooses to accept this bonus, she recovers two motes for every success on the roll (including automatic successes granted by the stone). These motes count toward her anima display, just as though they were being spent instead of regained. Although exhilarating, the dance is also exhausting; once it ends, the character must make a fatigue check at a difficulty of her own permanent Essence, or suffer a 2-die penalty to all actions until she rests.
Sphere of the Revolutionary Dog (Fire) Manse: *** Trigger: Constant
This orb is a brilliant orange, and it appears to be filled with slowly billowing tongues of flame. This sphere increases the rate at which temporary Willpower is regained. Any time the owner recovers Willpower for any reason, the amount of Willpower regained is increased by one. This bonus will never raise the character's temporary Willpower above his permanent Willpower.
Resources 6: Ridiculously, Horrifically Wealthy
There is no nation in the west which can match the wealth of Sain-Wanno. There are no nations in the world of it's size that can. When the Scarlet Empress struck her bargain with Jerme Batief those countless years ago, she unknowingly set the stage for what would be the creation of the biggest economic powerhouse in the west. Even with the Realm holding exclusive rights to purchase the jade harvested from the volcanoes, Sain-Wanno grew wealthy at a mind-boggling pace. One which has seemingly yet to peek, as the Sains find new treasures to trade, opening markets for gemstones and volcanic glass and deep sea pearls. King residing over this all this fabulous wealth, Deshane is free to take a large portion of it for himself, which he has no compulsion of doing. His people, most of them at least, don't mind. There is always more to go around.
Charms
Athletics: Effortlessly Rising Flame
Athletics: Fiery Prowess
Athletics: Falling Star Maneuver
Athletics: Bellows Pumping Stride
Athletics: Incense Smoke Ladder
Dodge: Threshold-Warding Stance
Dodge: Hoping Firecracker Evasion
Dodge: Flickering Candle Mediation
Dodge: Safety Among Enemies
Endurance: Ox-Body Technique x2
Presence: Phantom Fire-Warrior Horde
Presence: Glowing Coal Radiance
Presence: Awakening Dragon's Roar
Presence: Harnessing the Wild Dragon
Presence: Instinctive Fear Flash
Audacious Dancer Style: Lessons of Calloused Feet
Audacious Dancer Style: Use-The-Space Flourish
Audacious Dancer Style: Grand Entrance
Five Dragon Style: Five-Dragon Claw
Five Dragon Style: Five Dragon Force Blow
Brave Dragon Style: Puissant Taunting Stance
Brave Dragon Style: Rolling Taunt
Combos
Holocaust Talon Kick: Five-Dragon Force Blow, Five-Dragon Claw, Falling Star Maneuver, Harnessing the Wild Dragon, Use-The-Space Flourish
Combat
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -1, -2, -2, -2, -2, -4, Incap
Initiative: 7
Dodge: 13
Soak: 4B/2L/0A
Attacks
Kick: Speed 4, Accuracy 13, Damage 7B, Defense 15, Rate 4
Punch: Speed 7, Accuracy 13, Damage 4B, Defense 14, Rate 5
Bonus Points
Flaws: +1bp
Abilities: 9bp
Specialties: 2bp
Combo: 5bp
Total: 15
Experience
Awarded: 300
Spend: 300
Merits: 4exp
Attributes: 24
Virtues: 15
Abilities: 8
Essence: 50
Backgrounds: 39
Charms: 160
Total: 300
