MoonSword/CathakCinaed

Name: Cathak Cinaed
Aspect: Fire
Anima: A burning owl rising above him.
Concept: An honest man searching for a noble truth.
Motivation: To discover a truth that he considers worth living for and dying in defense of. XP: Left/Total: 0/0

Attributes

Strength: 4, Dexterity: 4, Stamina: 3

Charisma: 3, Manipulation: 2, Appearance: 2

Perception: 3, Intelligence: 3, Wits: 3

Abilities

Archery: 1, Athletics: 3, Awareness: 2, Craft: Fire 1, Dodge: 4,

Linguistics: 2, Lore: 2, Martial Arts: 2, Medicine: 1, Melee: 5, Performance: 1, Presence: 2,

Resistance: 2, Ride: 2, Socialise: 2, Stealth: 2, Survival: 2, Thrown: 2, War: 2.

Backgrounds

Artifact: 2, Backing: House Cathak: 1, Breeding: 4, Familiar: 3, Manse: 2, Resources: 3

Virtues

Compassion: 3, Conviction: 2, Temperance: 3, Valor 2.

Willpower: 6
Essence: 2
Essence pool: 17 Personal / 27 Peripheral

Health Levels -0/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap

Charms

Skill here

Charms here

Equipment

Twin red jade short daiklaves, discreet Essence shield, six red jade knives (note: these are exceptional weapons, not artifacts), exceptional quarterstaff, smashfist (habitually worn), self-bow, 20 arrows, well-made but tough clothing of silk in shades of red and black, travelling supplies, several books of philosophy, a small backpack.

Combat

Base init: x

Soak: xB/xL/xA

Dodge: x

Attacks:

Weapons here

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Character Description

Grandson of Cathak Cainan himself, Cinaed is something of an odd duck as far as House Cathak is concerned. An extremely skilled swordsman, Cinaed has little interest in commanding men, leaving the House of Bells early to pursue his own interests despite the good marks he received from his instructors. At the same time, he is a member in good standing of the House, mainly because of his grandfather's faith that the young Dragon-Blooded serves the House loyally and well when called on, a faith that has been proven in the past. On an extended walkabout while he, in his own words, "discovers what I'm looking for", Cinaed's minor reputation as a wandering Cathak do-gooder has smoothed a few ruffled feathers in the East although it rarely actually helps him directly.

In person, Cinaed is tolerant and easy-going in general, not the seethingly dangerous person that many Fire Aspects seem to be, at least around people who don't offend his code of honor. Those who do, though, generally get informed of that in short order. His passions are based in his own beliefs of tolerance, self-discipline, and curiosity, not in desires and ambitions. Troubled by the Immaculate Philosophy's treatment of so-called 'lesser' beings, his sense of noblesse oblige runs as deep as his commitment to tolerance.

Cinaed's fears and troubles with the state of the world are leading him to question his own society. The answers he's finding aren't ones that the Realm considers acceptable, a fact that bothers him as much as the Realm's own flaws do. These answers led Cinaed to wander, searching for a real, noble truth that he can call his own. This truth may not be what he expects, however...

At first glance, someone could be forgiven for mistaking Cinaed for a dilletante mortal noble. He doesn't wear his daiklaves openly and deliberately conceals his Exalted nature in the same way as a Solar much of the time. Only the observant pick up on the clues that point to his true nature, suppressed under his passionate commitment to humility and self-discipline. When he truly cuts loose, though, that passion is turned loose on his (usually dishonorable) foes and his power is released to fulfill its noble purpose.

Expanded Backgrounds

Backing: House Cathak
This deserves some explanation. Cinaed's backing mainly comes from being a member in good standing and answering the occasional call of service from Cathak. He isn't a regular member of Cathak and, most of the time, is just a wandering Dragon-Blood. If, for some reason, he gets involved with officals of the Realm or the various satrapies, Cinaed's Backing kicks in. In his day-to-day life, though, it doesn't matter that much. The main effect of this in game is either when dealing with officials or to give the Storyteller something to jerk him around with since Cinaed does value his family's respect and will answer reasonable requests quite promptly. (Reasonable mainly means not against his moral code and not taking more than a few months to handle.) Thus, Cinaed is quite independent but still well-regarded; his Backing doesn't give him any real authority.

Familiar
Cinaed's familiar is a tawny owl by the name of Athene. Athene's usual behavior is quite friendly and her cheerful, playful behavior masks the real intelligence lurking behind her golden eyes. Perceptive and stealthy, Athene normally sits on Cinaed's shoulder during the day, looking around and occasionally making an excited chirp if she sees something interesting or just dozing with her head tucked under her wing. At night, she perches in a tree or on a ledge above his sleeping form, keeping watch for much of the night.

Storyteller Uses

The simplest way to use Cinaed is as a friendly Dynast to Solars trapising around the East. He's not convinced of the Immaculate position on the Solars and is, at worst, coldly neutral towards them and will work together against common foes (especially Abyssals). At the same time, he isn't going to openly break from the Realm without a *very* good reason. If one of the Solars seems noble enough, though, they might become his cause, but he won't follow blindly.

A good use might be to play him as a foil to particularly combat-happy characters. He's a skilled swordsman, capable of taking a fledgling, non-combat focused Solar with some luck, and a smart, savvy person in general. He can also give a good showing of himself against low-grade Dawns, especially with mortal support. Having worked with the Wyld Hunt several times, Cinaed is well aware of how to use mortals for supporting fire in Exalt-vs-Exalt combat and will have his allies lay down covering fire, harry the back ranks, and similar annoyances while he focuses on wearing the Solars down.

As a follower and friend, Cinaed can blunt those same trigger-happy instincts, acting as a voice of caution. At the same time, he will also rush in to fight things that offend his moral code, like slaves (which this version of Cathak disdains as spiritually-limiting; more enlightening that the mortals work of their own will) or drugs. He will calmly step in front of certain death (like a charging elder Lunar) to save a trusted friend. He also shows what the Dragon-Blooded were in the best parts of the First Age: heroes in their own right and the noble, loyal allies and seconds of the Solars and Lunars. He might make a good character to bring the better parts of the Realm to light; as a general do-gooder who hails from the Realm, Cinaed is a rare breed, indeed, but a valuable one.