MartialArts/CrimsonDanceoftheLivingBladeStyle
Contents
Crimson Dance of the Living Blade Style
Steel
By ObsidianTank
Background
Steel: Crimson Dance of the Living Blade
Charms in Crimson Dance of The Living Blade Style treat attacks made with any weapon that has a blade to be considered as unarmed.
This tree is an extension of the Violet Bier of Sorrows Style (so you must have mastered it before moving onto this one) and both forms work together without problem. This means you can use both VBoS charms and CDotLB charms together as well as have both form charms active at the same time. This only applies to these two forms.
The Student's Sutra of Steel:\\ Once, there was a lithe maiden,\\ Standing in a barren field,\\ Caressing her blade.\\ She smiles as she lets the cold steel,\\ Become one with her warm flesh.
The Elder's Sutra of Steel:\\ Lashing out like an enraged tempest,\\ She seems to deflect the very air.\\ The blade becomes her eyes,\\ As she acts without thought.\\ Her movements seem to blur,\\ As she strikes at the heart of Creation,\\ Marring it for eternity.
Charms
Star-Flash Dance</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Reflexive Min. MA: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: None
Standing in a barren field\\
The Sidereal begins to move her blade in slow methodical motions, bouncing light off her blade into the eyes of those around her. The sight makes it seem like there are hundreds of stars blinking in and out of existence around her body.
All beings that rely on sight have a dice penalty on all actions to harm or defend against the Sidereal equal to her essence. This is cumulative with other dice removing charms, but only affects those that rely on sight.
Ecstasy of Violence Technique</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 WP Duration: One Scene Type: Reflexive Min. MA: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: None
She smiles as she lets the cold steel\\ For a moment the Sidereal closes her eyes and attunes herself to the flows of essence coming from those involved in violence. A cruel smile crosses her lips as she begins to enjoy the flows of violence and begins to crave it herself, letting it wash over and through her.
For a scene all attacks by the Sidereal that cause damage give her 2 motes per point of damage successfully given, up to her Essence + Martial Arts. Alternatively the Sidereal may let the essence heal her for 1B or 1L for every 2 motes she would have gained, or 1A for every 4. All essence used in this manner is not added to her pool.
Sword of Living Steel Prana</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 WP, 1 HL Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. MA: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Star-Flash Dance, Ecstasy of Violence Technique
Caressing her blade\\ The Sidereal draws her blades across her flesh, letting it taste from her blood and essence. The blade then begins to pulsate with a dull crimson light in tune with the beating of her heart. The Sidereal then adds her permanent essence to the accuracy, speed, damage, and defense of her weapon for the duration of the scene.
Crimson Dance of the Living Blade Form</b>
<b>Cost:10 motes, 1 WP Duration: One Scene Type: Reflexive Min. MA: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Sword of Living Steel Prana
Become one with her warm flesh\\ The Sidereal goes through a series of katas and becomes one with her blade, the steel adhering to her flesh as she moves it around with uncanny grace and fluidity. It seems as if the blade is an extension of her and she is an extension of the blade.
For the rest of the scene the Sidereal adds the defense of her weapon to all her soaks and can soak aggravated damage with her lethal soak. The Sidereal's initiative base is also doubled and can act before those that use charms along the lines of Thunderclap Rush Attack. Also the Sidereal can reflexively parry all attacks at her full dexterity + martial arts score and make a counter attack at her full dice pool plus any extra successes left over from the parry. Both the parry and the counter attack may be altered via charms.
She may also never be disarmed as the Essence binding her with her blade keeps them joined in perfect harmony. This charm is only compatible with silk armor and may be used in conjunction with the Violet Bier of Sorrows Form.
Mirror of the Blade Technique</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Min. MA: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Crimson Dance of the Living Blade Form
The blade becomes her eyes\\ The Sidereal takes a moment to attune to the essence around her and begins to see the world as it's reflected off her blade. The unseen become clear to her and so does the way to interact with them. She ultimately becomes intimately aware of the world around her.
For the duration of the scene the character gains perfect awareness and is unable to be surprised. All stealth charms and effects against her fail automatically. Also the character can see dematerialized spirits and may interact with them as if they were materialized.
Steel Tempest Attack</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes Duration: Instant Type: Extra Action Min. MA: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Mirror of the Blade Technique
Lashing out like an enraged tempest\\ The Sidereal plants herself and seems to blur as she strikes out at all those who stand against her. It seems to onlookers as if her blade strikes those around her as she stays in the same spot.
The character may make a martial arts attack against all those within her essence x 5 yards. She strikes with such speed that all counter attacks fail automatically.
Discipline the Child</b>
<b>Cost:10, 1 WP Duration: Instant Type: Extra Action Min. MA: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Steel Tempest Attack
As she acts without thought\\ This charm is an extension of Steel Tempest Attack. On top of what the previous charm does the Sidereal may also choose to disarm their opponents as a free action but rolled out as normal. Also the opponent is knocked back by the force of these blows 2 x the Sidereal's essence in yards.
Heavenly Blade Armor Defense</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. MA: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Mirror of the Blade Technique
She seems to deflect the very air\\ The Sidereal blurs as she moves herself along the lines of fate until she is at the exact moment she is to be struck. The she stops with her blade in the path of the attack, stopping it dead. This charm blocks any attack that has a physical component. This effect is not perfect so will not work on attacks specifically stating they can not be parried.
Reversal of Fortune</b>
<b>Cost:10 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. MA: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Heavenly Blade Armor Defense
Her movements seem to blur\\ The Sidereal grabs hold of the fate of an incoming attack and turns it around, effectively turning the attack back unto the attacker. The Sidereal may reverse an attack back unto their opponent as if it were their own. All modifiers from charms that were previously in use are still used plus any the Sidereal wishes to enact from charms comboed with this one.
Example: Rising Thunder, a Solar, uses his Thunder Split combo which involves Excellent Strike and Hungry Tiger Technique on Sahjun Toren, a Chosen of Saturn who decides to use Reversal of Fortune. Turning the attack back against Rising Thunder who is surprised to see his blade racing into his gut, powered by his own charms. So effectively Sahjun rolls his dexterity + martial arts, adding whatever dice Rising Thunder added, and doubling pre soak damage.
Shatter Soul Technique</b>
<b>Cost:10, 1 WP Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. MA: 5 Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Discipline the Child, Reversal of Fortune
As she strikes at the heart of Creation\\ The Sidereal concentrates upon her opponent, following her thread of fate directly to its source. Her blade begins to glow violet as she gathers her essence. Then with a quick blow she strikes her opponent and her fate causing great disruption in the target.
The Sidereal's attack causes aggravated damage to the target and can cripple the essence of the enemy as well. Both the Sidereal and her opponent roll a contested essence roll, if the Sidereal wins the opponent can not use essence in any form for the Sidereal's essence in rounds.
Five Fold Shatter Soul Technique</b>
<b>Cost:15 motes, 2 WP, 1 HL Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. MA: 6 Min. Essence: 6 Prereqs: Shatter Soul Technique
Marking it for eternity\\ This charm acts the same as the previous one, but has these added effects. Whatever charms the opponent had active are dissipated and the essence used for them is absorbed by the Sidereal. Also any spirit/elemental/demon killed with this charm is destroyed forever. Also any being which has essence less than the Sidereal must roll stamina + essence at a difficulty of the Sidereal's essence or die as their soul is shattered into hundred of pieces.
Comments
Heavenly Blade Armor Defense</b> seems a bit underpowered to me. It has basically the same effect as Seven Shadow Evasion - which auto dodges anything dodgeable for 6 motes - but at a higher cost and stat minimums, and a huge number of prereq charms. I'd consider making it fully perfect (which usually means adding a WP to the cost) or lowering the cost substantially. -- Qaphsiel
