MartialArts/DesertWindDervishStyle

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Background

Desert Wind Dervish Style
This Style is incompatible with armor. Treat attacks with slashing swords as unarmed attacks for the purposes of charms in this style. It is considered Elementally neutral.

History
This style was developed by an ascetic desert mystic whose name has for whatever reason never been recorded. The ascetic claimed to have received this style as divine enlightenment whole cloth whilst vision questing. Legends of the unnamed master speak of his transcendent power, the beauty of his every move, and the awe-inspiring skill. Other legends say that the style could celestially initiate and that the unnamed master went on to master many celestial styles. Still others claim that the master had divined a way in which to include infinite variation in a single style. How much truth lies in any of these stories will probably never be known. The unknown ascetic only taught one student, a half-dead lost traveler. This traveler later took the name Ever Striving Dervish. The ascetic took in Ever Striving Dervish and taught him many things, the last of which was the beginnings of his style. However, before he could finish the master vanished into the desert. Ever Striving Dervish waited and when that failed he searched and when that failed he fasted and when that nearly killed him, he took his first of many students. Each student was taught as much as was possible and sent out into the desert in turn to mimic the unending quest of Ever Striving Dervish to find the secrets to the remainder of the style.

To this day only the first four charms of the style are left to creation. Not even those four are complete, as Ever Striving Dervish had not mastered the last two techniques of State of Prayer Devout. What is theorized about the available charms is that they represent the three aspects of the desert wind: Elegant, Harsh, and Devout. Unfortunately any further elaborations are purely guess work as throughout all the long years no student of the Desert Wind Dervish style has been able to find the original master, anyone that knew past the form, or had a similar vision to the original master.

Style

Sweeping Vista Movement</b>

<b>Cost: 1 motes
Duration: Supplemental
Type: Instant
Keywords: Combo-Ok, Obvious
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None

This charm allows a Dervish to emulate the quiet sweeping smooth energy of the desert wind. The Dervish spends long years perfecting the movements of their bodies until every movement seems as natural as the flow of the wind. The calm arcing movements belie the strength and purpose behind a blow while conserving energy. On an attack in which this charm is activated the Dervish may remove one from the split action penalty and have that attack count as a –0 DV action.

Scouring Storm Attack</b>

<b>Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-Ok
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None

Nothing can survive the sustained strength of the desert wind. Life, bone, rock, metal: all wither, crumble and fall. This harsh breath is the strength of the Dervish and each one learns to harness it. This charm can only be activated on an attack that follows another attack this action, i.e. the second or later attacks in a flurry. The Dervish makes a graceful slash with her first cut only to follow it with an exaggerated force, harsh and purposeful…inevitable. Such an attack adds the Martial Artist’s strength to the raw damage.

State of Prayer Devout</b>

<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious, Holy
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Sweeping Vista Movement, Scouring Storm Attack

Some pray, some make their actions an act of devotion, and some are a prayer. Like the last a Dervish seeks to make themselves a living prayer, every movement a secret offering and every breath a worshipful koan. The Dervish strives to become a Sutra and in this charm they succeed. The Martial Artist moves with a divine grace, for each step and each turn is part of an eternal prayer. The Martial Artist chants, for each beat and each enunciation is a transcendent moment. While this charm is active the Dervish’s perfected movements flow and sing from one to another. They may parry lethal and cause lethal with their sash or robe, this uses unarmed stats but as lethal. Once there were five living sutras, now there are only three the other two having been lost with the original master. Each sutra can be purchased for 2xp or 1bp.

• Transcendent Veil of Mela – Attacks impose a –1 internal penalty, against enemies of creation this is a –Essence internal penalty.
• Hesiesh’s Faithful Tempering – Treat the Dervish’s weapon as one crafts level higher, for perfect or better weapon add the perfect bonus again. Against enemies of creation add Essence to Damage in addition to the normal effect.
• Flowing Sutra of Pasiap – Add +2 to Lethal, Bashing and Aggravated soak as well as hardness; against enemies of creation consider this +4.

Desert Wind Dervish Form</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Keywords: Form-Type, Obvious
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: State of Prayer Devout

The Martial Artist emulates the desert wind, finding in it a soft yet fervent devotion, the strength to stand before one’s enemies and the externalization of the inner beauty of faith. While this form is active add +2 to damage and +2 to PDV if the Dervish has a slashing sword. If the Dervish only has her robes or sashes treat them as slashing swords including base stats.