MartialArts/CrusadingUnicornStyle
Crusading Unicorn Style
The restless Dead are everywhere, and champions from all over Creation seek better means of destroying the hordes of Oblivion when they endanger reality. The sifus of the Golden Janissary Style have spread throughout the reaches of the Threshold, despite the Immaculate Faith's distrust of the symbolics and essence-shapes created by the style. In the last few decades, and even more since the fall of Thorns, whispers have spread around the East that one of the Golden Janissaries was granted a vision after watching a vicious unicorn destroy a nemessary in combat.
Recognizing the ability of the terrible, mad swiftness of the Wyld-born creature to destroy the evil of the walking Dead-- and indeed, be turned against its masters-- this Janissary (or so the story goes) was granted great insight into the Perfected Lotus, developing a "master style" based on the fury and grace of the unicorn, designed to slay Creatures of Darkness, even the mightiest of Deathknights.
Whatever the truth is, a number of Dead-hating Lost Eggs in the East have come back from hidden sojourns in the deep forest with new enlightenment in their hearts and deadly skills in their hands. Few are told even the barest truth, save intimates, but rumor and watching these Lost Eggs in combat fills in a few details.
Somewhere, there is a monastery-- possibly two-- where a small, grandmotherly woman with harsh steel-grey eyes (believed by most to be Earth Caste) teaches capable disciples first the Tiger-and-Bear enlightenment Charms, and then forces them through rigorous, often hazardous training, full contact with only bare minimum medical treatment, to swiftly develop a Celestial martial art designed from the principals of the Golden Janissary Style and the terrible secrets of Wyld combat to destroy the enemies of Creation.
The location of this monastery or monasteries is kept a close secret, as are the names of any students, let alone teachers; the Immaculate Faith is utterly furious at the idea of a rival school of enlightened essence for the Dragon Blooded, and the Deathlords would richly reward any information into this sudden, swift threat within the Threshold. While the school seems especially focused on killing the emissaries of Oblivion, the style's charms are equally effective against Fae who have become dangers to Creation and other alien threats.
Agility, speed, and vicious strikes, whether with knife-hand techniques or the spears of a Golden Janissary, are at the core of Crusading Unicorn Style. When dealing with the Dead, it is best to strike hard and fast, then fade away. Crusading Unicorn dedicants are taught to deceive when necessary, cripple when possible, and to destroy the enemies of Creation wherever they are found.
Of course, certain offshoot members of the Swords of Gaia, and a few other members of the Silver Pact know the truth. Thunder Claw Wildcat, a Murr-ya of the Swords, was alarmed earlier than most by the spread of the Deathlords' power in the underworld. A blunt and practical Changing Moon, the elder realized that Lunar resources could not be removed from the front lines, and, in the manner of many Lunars, she set about building-- or rather modifying-- a society to serve her purposes.
Golden Janissary Style and its already suspect practitioners were a wonderful starting point, and the Wildcat made up a ridiculous, but believable, story and stylistic impressions in order to cloak the true origins of the style, and more importantly, the source of the enlightenment for Lost Eggs willing to learn and teach the style. While it took her decades to get it off the ground, many in the Pact revere her for getting it off the ground so fast, and after the fall of Thorns, many of those who are even elder to her have considered aiding her in manipulating Dragon-Blooded to take the blunt of this cancer internal to Creation. Only the ability of Celestial styles to be turned against Lunars themselves has held back wider spread of the Style.
Weapons and Armor: Like Golden Janissary Style, Crusading Unicorn Style uses Spears and Dire Lances as form weapons. As befits a celestial style, Crusading Unicorn Style can also use swords, and up to medium armor rather than merely light. At the GM's option, learning Crusading Unicorn to the Form Charm can allow a practitioner of Golden Janissary to use these weapons and armor as well. These are the benefits as they are taught to its students, of course; the one clue that Thunder Claw Wildcat could not resist leaving is that the style seems to lend itself to an additional martial arts weapon: razor claws, Wildcat's preferred weapon. Discovering this if you have not been taught requires an Intelligence + Martial Arts roll with a difficulty of 4; it is well hidden, but many katas have hidden obtuseness designed with this purpose in mind.
Heart-Spearing Strike</b>
<b>Cost:1m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Holy, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None
Crusading Unicorns are taught that the hardest strike is most often the final. Heart-Spearing Strike teaches them to focus their essence into their attacks in the manner of the jagged-edged spiral, cutting and tearing out the core of Oblivion's infection. An unarmed or in-style martial arts attack supplemented by this attack gains the piercing tag, halving non-armor soak as well if the attack was already piercing. If this attack hits a Creature of Darkness, (Essence) raw damage dice are converted into bonus successes.
Trampling the Unclean Foe</b>
<b>Cost:1m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1) Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling, Holy, Stackable Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None
Emulating the crushing impact of a charging unicorn, the character makes a powerful strike designed to cripple and weaken their target with painful force, compounding previous injuries. This charm modifies an unarmed or in-style martial arts attack. If it successfully causes even one health level of damage, the target suffers a 1-dot internal penalty to all actions for the rest of the scene. Subsequent attacks using this Charm stack this penalty, to a maximum of the martial artist's Essence + Martial Arts. When used against Creatures of Darkness, both the penalty and the maximum are doubled.
Wary Warsteed Moment</b>
<b>Cost:1m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Holy Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Heart-Spearing Strike, Trampling the Unclean Foe
Nothing survives long which does not know its surroundings. Many ghosts and other shadow beings of the underworld can come upon a martial artist unawares, but a Crusading Unicorn knows how to notice minute signs, and turn a moment into all they need. When the character rolls to contest a surprise attack, add dice equal to her Martial Arts to the attempt. If the attacking entity is a Creature of Darkness, these dice are converted into automatic successes. This Charm may be used even if the character is inactive or otherwise unable to respond to an attack, but does not negate involuntary conditions. In other words, a character who is sleeping may activate this Charm, but one knocked unconscious by a charm or the Incapacitated health level may not.
Brilliant Courser Distraction</b>
<b>Cost:4m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Holy Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Wary Warsteed Moment
The amazing beauty and feral grace of a unicorn has beset and bedeviled the intent of many a foe in combat, leaving them unable to strike the unearthly form before them. Emulating this elegance of form, the martial artist appears to make an elaborate, stylized defense. In actuality, the martial artist channels essence into his kata, distracting an attacker and making it harder for her to strike.
This Charm may be used when the character is applying a Martial Arts Parry DV against an attack. Add an external penalty equal to the martial artist's Essence to the attack. These stylized forms blight the unholy and seemingly draw the crusading unicorn into precise defenses; when this Charm is used to help defend against a Creature of Darkness, remove all penalties to the character's Parry DV in addition to its normal effects. This does not allow the character to parry when Parry DV would be inapplicable.
Crusading Unicorn Form</b>
<b>Cost:7m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-Type, Holy, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Brilliant Courser Distraction
Swift and beautiful, deadly and elegant, the martial artist becomes liquid grace and utter devastation to her foes. The dire and warped enemies of Creation cannot stand against a Crusading Unicorn, broken by righteous fury. For the rest of the scene, the character adds her Essence in dice to all Martial Arts attacks; these dice are converted to automatic successes when used to hit a Creature of Darkness. The character adds her Martial Arts to her Dexterity or other Attribute for the purposes of determining all movement speeds.
Celestials who develop their Essence further gain an additional benefit, enlightening themselves to the unthinking aggression of a battle-mad unicorn. At Essence 4, when a Celestial Exalt or other entity who can learn Celestial Martial Arts as a native style has Crusading Unicorn Form active, they may spend 1 additional mote of essence when activating either Heart-Spearing Strike or Trampling the Unclean Foe to make their activations non-Charm actions.
Purity of Fury</b>
<b>Cost:5m, 1 wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Holy, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Crusading Unicorn Form
The pure and unadulterated fury of a Crusading Unicorn makes them swift beyond measure, untouchable by most opponents as they charge across the battlefield. Untouchable and untouched on the battlefield, the character burns with the rage, making their movements unpredictable. Both external and internal attacks slip away from the martial artist by the sheer force of unicorn madness in his soul. This fury extends to purification of poisons and diseases, as the mad rage and singularity of purpose born of emulating the Essence of a Unicorn allows the martial artist to burn poison and sickness effects out of his blood.
Add half the character's martial arts rating to all Dodge DVs for one scene. This effect is doubled against Creatures of Darkness. The character may also reroll any attempt to resist poison or sickness effects, including successful ones, and take the better of the two attempts. This will allow an instant reroll for ongoing poison or sickness keyword effects in the martial artist at the cost of an additional 1m (not committed) per ongoing effect to be rerolled. Successful attempts reduce or remove effects as normal, but will not erase long term damage such as health levels or permanent crippling that have already occurred.
Silk and Steel Grace</b>
<b>Cost:6m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Holy, Illusion Duration: One Tick Prerequisite Charms: Crusading Unicorn Form
While a mindless unicorn's thoughtless grace may invoke confusion and panic in its enemies, a Crusading Unicorn martial artist brings control and dedication to the consuming fury. Moving in a whirl of steel and silk, the character feints, using the increased speed of her katas to follow up swiftly. This Charm supplements an unarmed or in-style martial arts attack. During Step 1 of the attack, the martial artist's player rolls her Charisma or Manipulation + Martial Arts against the defender's highest MDV. If this roll is successful, the martial artist feints, enhanced by a brief illusion. This feint-- effectively a social attack-- is undodgeable if the target is a Creature of Darkness. Any defenses pitted against the supplemented attack or any subsequent attacks during that tick (generally, more attacks in a flurry) have an external penalty applied to the DV equal to the martial artist's permanent Essence.
Charging Hoofbeat Rhythm</b>
<b>Cost:7m, 1 wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Extra Action Keywords: Combo-OK, Holy, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Silk and Steel Grace, Purity of Fury
The Crusading Unicorn attacks his foes with blinding fury and overwhelming force, rapidly neutralizing multiple targets. The purity and power of this attack is bedazzling to the unholy, distracting them from their defenses. The character makes a magical flurry which may consist of up to (the martial artist's permanent Essence +1) unarmed or in-style attacks. Double the onslaught penalty for any attacks in this Flurry applied to Creatures of Darkness.
Devastation Horn Strike</b>
<b>Cost:10m, 2 wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 4, DV -0) Keywords: Combo-OK, Holy, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Charging Hoofbeat Rhythm
To be impaled upon a unicorn's horn is to know instant and utter death. The masters of the Crusading Unicorn style have perfected a strike that mimics this effect, wrapping their attacks in a spiraling essence-form that digs deep into an opponent. The strike itself is highly accurate, swift, and leaves little opening for retaliation, but its secret lies in the inverted vortex of the essence matrix. Not only does it drill dangerously into an opponent in a burst of multicolored essence-- and, likely, gore-- but it pulls in essence from nearby sources of dark power, purifies them, and releases the resulting energy as pure force. Enemies of Creation are the only non-negligible sources of such motes, and the vortex horn seems Fated to attack them in a manner absolutely devastating to their defenses.
Devastation Horn Strike acts as an unarmed or in-style martial arts attack action with a Speed of 4 and a DV penalty of 0. Add the martial artist's permanent Essence to the Accuracy and Damage of the attack. In addition, add 1 die to the raw damage for every Creature of Darkness within (the martial artist's permanent Essence) x 10 yards of the target, regardless of the target's nature. If the target actually is a Creature of Darkness, he is included in that dice count, and the attack gains a number of successes equal to the Defender's applied DV as it is declared. This number of successes is static, and does not change if the target's DV is lowered, raised, mad inapplicable, or otherwise altered from Step 2 on.
