MartialArts/EbonDragonStyle
Ebon Dragon Style
By Soleil
Background
Powerful Demon followers of the Ebon Dragon might teach these 13 techniques to Exalts of any type in the process of steering their moral compasses towards the Yozis.
Charms
Impressions in the Void</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes Duration: One scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 2 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
Impressions in the Void is the first step in learning the Charms of the Ebon Dragon style. Deep in the maddening prison of Malfeas, the Ebon Dragon has incepted this style of Martial Arts as a grim parody of the Immaculate paths. He seeks to lure Exalts into his grasp using the promise of these martial powers as one of many tools to tempt them.
Impressions in the Void, also known as "Ebon Dragon Sight", allows a character to "feel" through darkness following a brief meditation. Out to a certain range, the character's senses are one with the dark - she can "feel" and discern things, as if the surrounding darkness were her own touch.
A character who activates this charm takes no penalty for loss of vision in darkness, whether that darkness is night or magical in origin. Furthermore, she adds her Martial Arts in automatic successes to her Awareness when rolling to perceive anything within (Character's Essence x5) yards of the character, when both she and the thing that she is perceiving are in darkness. This makes her extremely difficult to ambush at night. The extra successes cannot be applied to anything that is not within range AND in the dark.
Light-Banishing Gesture</b>
<b>Cost: 3 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 1
This Charm is the second technique of the Ebon Dragon style.
The character makes a swift motion with his arms, usually a sharp clap of his hands, and light sources within (Character's Essence x5) yards are all suddenly extinguished.
All conventional light sources are immediately snuffed out: candles flicker and die, torches gutter and lanterns cease to illuminate. If the source of light is magical in origin, make a reflexive opposed roll, rolling the character's Essence against the Artifact rating of the light source, or, if the light source is another character, that character's Essence rating. This power can snuff out the glow of a Caste Mark, and even an Anima Banner.
This Charm has no effect on light from the Celestial Incarna (i.e. natural sunlight, moonlight and starlight). It is also ineffective against the light of Ligier, whether he is present as the Green Sun of Malfeas, or present in his anthropomorphic form.
Steps of the Shadow Dragon</b>
<b>Cost: 4 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 1 Min. Essence: 1
This is the third of the 13 Charms that comprise the Ebon Dragon Style.
A character who activates this power momentarily moves as if he were a shadow; he seems to glide weightlessly, sliding across sufaces with liquid smoothness.
In the turn in which this Charm is activated, the character can move up walls and across ceilings, as long as he maintains at least walking speed. The surreal evasiveness of the character's motions in this turn means that he adds his Martial Arts to his Dodge rolls for the lenght of the turn. In the turn, the character can also make reflexive dodges using just his Martial Arts pool if he has no other way to dodge the attack (this does not apply to surprise attacks).
Shadow Feint</b>
<b>Cost: 3 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Steps of the Shadow Dragon
The fourth Ebon Dragon Style technique, the Shadow Feint allows a character to conjure a shadowy double. The silhouette exists only for a split second, overlaid on the character. As the character makes his move in combat, the shadowy double veers the other way, throwing off an adversary's ability to keep track of the Exalt.
In terms of rules, the character can add his Martial Arts pool to a single dodge attempt, or add his Dodge pool to a single Martial Arts move, usually an attack. This power can, of course, be comboed (and thus "stacked") with Steps of the Shadow Dragon, which could allow an Exalt to add his Martial Arts to a dodge attempt twice.
Ebon Dragon Form</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes Duration: One scene Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Shadow Feint, Light-Banishing Gesture, Impressions in the Void
By executing a series of katas originally mastered by the Yozis, the practitioner of this dark martial style invokes the insidious power of the Ebon Dragon. His stance becomes cloaked in silhouette, and his actions become very difficult to perceive.
If the form is successfully performed, the character no longer takes any penalties for fighting in dark conditions for the rest of the scene. Whenever the Exalt makes an attack in this scene, his target must achieve a single success on a reflexive Perception + Awareness roll, or the attack counts as a surprise attack; the target just did not see it coming out of the darkness that now surrounds the Exalt. Any attempts to observe details about an Exalt using this form, such as spotting what weapons he is carrying, or noting the features of his face, add two to the difficulty. This increased difficulty also applies to all opponents' attempts to make "called shots" in the combat.
If the form is not invoked successfully, the motes of Essence are wasted.
Tenebrous Strike</b>
<b>Cost: 3 Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Ebon Dragon Form
With this Charm , the character lashes out with a claw made from demonic shadow, which extends from his own hand.
The claw strikes using the character's Dexterity + Martials Arts, as if it were a normal hand-to-hand strike. If it hits a living target, it's damage is the character's Essence + extra successes on the strike. The damage can only be soaked by Stamina and Charms. Armour is no protection - the shadowy claw just passes through armour.
Each level of damage that the character inflicts is Bashing, and cannot be made Lethal by other Charms. However, the target also becomes cold, numb and slowed. Each level of damage inflicts a -1 penalty on all of the target's actions, for a number of turns equal to the character's Essence + Martial Arts.
After a target has taken more hits from Tenebrous Strikes than he has Stamina in one scene, he must make a Fatigue roll against a difficulty of (the number of Tenebrous Strikes taken minus his Stamina), whenever he is hit by another Tenebrous Strike. If he fails, he collapses from exhaustion (see Exalted rule book, page 241).
Far-Reaching Darkness Technique</b>
<b>Cost: 1 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Tenebrous Strike
This Supplemental Charm can only be comboed with Tenebrous Strike, and it is designed for that purpose. It does NOT cost Willpower to Combo this Charm with Tenebrous Strike(!).
The user can now stretch out with his claw of demonic shadow, making a Tenebrous Strike up to as far away as his Essence in yards.
Ebon Claws Method</b>
<b>Cost: 1 mote per extra attack Duration: Instant Type: Extra Action Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Far-Reaching Darkness Technique
Like Far-Reaching Darkness Technique, this Charm is only meant for being used in a combo with Tenebrous Strike. A combo including this Charm will cost a Willpower point as normal.
A character using this power can extend multiple claws of Demonic shadow from his hand, and attack with them simultaneously. The character must spend 1 mote of Essence, and pay the cost for Tenebrous Strike for each extra attack. Thus, each extra Tenebrous Strike in the turn costs 4 motes of Essence in practical terms, 5 if the Combo includes the Far-Reaching Darkness Technique. The character does not need to split his dice pools to strike with these additional shadowy claws.
A character cannot make more Tenebrous Strikes in one turn than he has dots in Martial Arts.
Night's Suffocating Embrace</b>
<b>Cost: 7 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One hour Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Ebon Dragon Form
Using the sixth technique of the Infernal Ebon Dragon style, the Exalt, surrounds himself with supernatural darkness. The black gloom extends outwards from the character in all directions, out to a distance of (character's Essence x5) yards. The cloak of shadows blocks out even the sun for all those standing within its radius, and the dark is both cold and suffocating.
All characters within this darkness suffer penalties for acting in darkness, including the Charm's user, if he has not been smart enough to activate another Charm from the Ebon Dragon style to deal with the penalties.
Characters within the darkness, except for the Exalt who activated the Charm, suffer a 1 die mobility penalty, and begin to suffocate in the inky blackness. Treat this as the same as drowning in extremely cold water (see the Exalted rulebook, page 243). The suffocating ceases as soon as the victims leave the darkness, but a wise user of this Charm will attempt to keep his targets within its range.
Ebon Dragon Roar</b>
<b>Cost: 10 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 4 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Ebon Dragon Form
This variation of a kiai shout harnesses the terrifying roar of the Ebon Dragon, inspiring the sort of fear that a person would also associate with the Dawn Caste Anima Power.
When a character uses Ebon Dragon's Roar, he rolls his Essence + Martial Arts. All characters within earshot (except for the deaf, automata and the walking dead) make reflexive Valour rolls. Each character who does not achieve as many successes as the Exalt suffers a 2 dice penalty when taking any aggressive action towards the Exalt. This penalty lasts for as many minutes as the number of successes that the Exalt scored over the character.
If the Exalt using Ebon Dragon's Roar scores more extra successes over a character than that character has Willpower points, that character immediately flees in terror, as fast as possible.
Ebon Dragon Breath</b>
<b>Cost: 10 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Ebon Dragon Roar, Night's Suffocating Embrace
Ebon Dragon breath is an extremely potent weapon in combat, and one of the most feared tactics that an Infernal Exalt can muster. An Exalt who uses this power takes a level of Bashing Damage herself.
The breath weapon is a blast of toxic, inky balckness that billows out in a 45-degree arc from the Exalt's mouth, reaching out to a range of twice her Essence in yards. All creatures, friend or foe, caught in the area of effect are affected by the blast. This attack cannot be blocked, but may be dodged, if a character can cover enough ground to get clear.
The inky blackness clings to the eyes, blinding any character it hits (apply appropriate penalties). The darkness also attempts to claw its way down a victim's throat and afflict that victim with a deadly poison. The difficulty for resisting the poison is equal to the permanent Essence of the Exalt who used the Charm. The difficulty rating is also the amount of Aggravated damage that the Charm does if the poison is not successfully resisted. If the poison is resisted, then it does 3 levels of Lethal damage. The poison has a duration of 6 hours, and a -3 penalty to its victims.
This power cannot poison inorganic beings. Against the inorganic, it acts as an acid that does damage equal to the Exalt's Essence, with 1-turn intervals, for 3 turns. For rules on acid, see the Exalted rule book, page 244.
Song of Erembour</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 willpower Duration: Concentration Type: Supplemental Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Ebon Dragon Roar
An Exalt who uses this Charm must achieve a single success on a Performance roll each round, because it requires her to sing. During combat, the act of singing is likely to cause multiple action penalties for the performer, if she needs to fight at the same time.
While it is being performed, the Exalt's song is infused with the sinister power of Erembour, soul and servant of the Ebon Dragon. Her song, in Malfeas, brings out the shadowy denizens of the Yozi Realms whenever the Ebon Dragon casts his shadow across the Green Sun. In Creation, an Infernal Exalt who channels Erembour's song awakens the hidden, frightening darkneses in the minds of men. Those who hear the song feel haunted, beset by paranoia and psychological demons that hover at the edges of their perceptions. The state is enough to drive mortals, Exalts and even spirits, who may fear the Yozis, to insanity.
When a character, other than the singer, hears the song produced by this Charm, he must make a reflexive Willpower roll. If he does not achieve any successes, he loses a point of Conviction temporarily (it will return in an hour). He must continue to make these Willpower rolls every turn in which he can hear the song. If a character is reduced to Conviction 0 by this Charm, he is incapacitated by madness, unable to act because of the intensity of his delusions and personal demons. The state of incapacity lasts until one hour after the singing stops, when the character's Conviction starts to return at a rate of 1 point per hour.
If the Performance roll is failed at any point, the Charm's effects end. The song can only last for 10 minutes maximum.
Heart-Chilling Blow</b>
<b>Cost: 5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Song of Erembour
With this Infernal Charm, a character can strike at the very heart of a target, attacking that target's emotional centre with such malice that it cuts as harshly as any blade.
To use this Charm, a character must touch the target, possibly needing to make a Dexterity + Martial Arts roll. If this succeeds, the target then must contend with the character's Manipulation + Martial Arts in dice of Lethal Damage.
This damage can only be soaked with the Compassion Virtue, and also with the "Fivefold Armour of Virtue Technique" Charm, if the character posseses it (see Castebook: Zenith, page 75).
Voice of All Fears</b>
<b>Cost: 20 motes, 1 permanent willpower, 1 permanent vitue point Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Martial Arts: 5 Min. Essence: 6 Prereqs: Song of Erembour
The student of the Ebon Dragon style now progresses from channeling the voice of Erembour to channeling a tiny fragment of raw power and voice from her master, the Ebon Dragon himself. This power should never be used lightly; it does not just have an Essence and Willpower cost. The Charm's user must expend a permanent point of a Virtue and a permanent point of Willpower to utilise this gift. If this reduces a Virtue to 0, the Ebon Dragon briefly possesses the user after the Charm's effect expires, for a number of minutes equal to the Permanent Essence of the Exalt. After the spell of possession, the body of the user burns up from the intense power of the Yozi, and the Exalt dies (the Ebon Dragon's consciousness returns to Malfeas).
When an Exalt uses this power, he simply shouts in the voice of the Yozi, issuing either a one word command or a potent threat. He thus chooses to use the Voice of All Fears for one of two puposes - either to cow targets into submission and obedience, or to frighten them witless.
The targets must make Willpower + Valour rolls, and score more successes than the Exalt has Martial Arts. If they fail, one of the following happens:
If the character's intent was to cow the targets into obedience, they must obey the command, no matter how antithetical it may be for them. Victims of the Voice of All Fears can be made to murder their loved ones, while retaining enough self-awareness to realise the horror of what they are doing.
If the character's intent was to frighten the targets, all extras in earshot immediately die of fright. Important characters enter a state that is the equivalent of the Compassion Limit Break "Heart of Tears" (see Exalted rule book page 131) for a number of days equal to the Exalt's Essence. They do not gain Willpower from this condition, unlike the actual Limit Break for Solar Exalts.
If a character successfully resists the Voice of All Fears, he is nonetheless traumatised for a number of days equal to the Exalt's Eseence, and must spend a Willpower point whenever required to roll Valour in that period of time to avoid being afraid, or automatically fail the roll.
