Paths/Tardach
The Path of Abiding Sun
This Path concerns the relationships of the Dragon Kings with the rest of creation in the Age of Sorrows. It requires mastery (Five dots) of one of the ten paths of prehuman mastery before the first dot can be purchased. Even the first dot of the Glorious Consumption Path or other such dark paths bars the Dragon King from the knowledge of this path for the rest of this incarnation. It also requires that the Dragon King not live in a vacuum, but be actively interacting with the Age of Sorrows. (Storyteller discretion.) As such, currently, no Dragon Kings yet know it.
*Primal Fury
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Reflexive
The Dragon Kings existed before the Exalted and their charms, anima powers, and sorcery were even dreamt of. They are neither beast nor man nor god. Their life force springs directly from the Primordials, and as such, they differ from all wrought by the gods. By tapping into the wellsprings of furious life within him, the Dragon King enters a savagely transcendent state of mind. When activating this path, the Dragon King is immune to all forms of fear and mind control. He automatically succeeds all Valor and Conviction rolls, and automatically fails all Temperance rolls, though the expenditure of temporary Willpower can allow him to retain some control over his actions. Compassion, however, may be rolled as usual. Even in a rage, a Dragon King is more than a beast. When confronted with this vision of awesome ferocity, normal mortals and animals, even trained attack animals, will flee. Heroic mortals, familiars, Exalted and the like must make a successful Essence + Valor roll against a difficulty of the Dragon King’s rating in this path. Demons, the undead, Abyssal Exalted, the Fair Folk and other creatures of darkness or chaos must instead roll against a difficulty of the Dragon King’s Essence + his rating in this path. If they succeed, they are unaffected and may do as they will. If they fail, they must either do their best to flee, or they will soil themselves thoroughly, causing a -1 penalty to all normal rolls, and a -3 penalty to social rolls. Magical effects such as the Collar of Dawn’s Cleansing Light can negate this penalty. The Folk of the Mountain are unaffected by this path.
**Ageless Wisdom
Cost: 20 motes, 1 health level, 1 willpower Duration: 1 day Type: Simple
The Dragon Kings have lived longer than anything else under the sun. As such, the wisdom and understanding that can be gained from their counsel is invaluable. By spending the day conversing with, debating against, and learning from a Dragon King who has activated this path, an Exalt may lower his Limit by one point. Sidereals who undergo this process may petition the Pattern Spiders for a reduction of Paradox with a dice bonus equal to the Dragon King's rating in this path. This path can only be used to reduce Paradox levels of five or lower. Abyssals who so interact with a Dragon King GAIN one point of Resonance for every time they use it, but are shielded from that point's adverse effects to his social pools and virtue checks for a number of days equal to the Dragon King's rating in this path. The Exalt must be a willing and open-minded participant, and at the end of the day, the Dragon King must give him the Unconquered Sun’s blessing. Moreover, the use of this power is draining on the Dragon King. As such, the usefulness of this path is limited by the Exalt’s pride and the Dragon King’s patience. If this path is used for an entire week, it can also cure derangements and addictions.
***Quell the Body’s Passions
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: One scene Type: Reflexive
Despite their savagery, the Dragon Kings are not animals. Meditation on the finer points of civilization can allow them to transcend their bestial instincts. Use of this path allows the Dragon King to calm himself and a number of creatures up to his rating in this path. This will pacify animals, uncivilized dragon kings, Solar Exalted in the throes of Bloodthirsty Sword-Dancer Spirit, Dragon Kings in a Primal Fury, or any other such enraged being. The effects of this path are not limited to easing the urge to tear human hearts from their chests as offerings, however. All bodily urges, even magical amplifications of natural ones, are fully within the control of the Dragon King. Torture has no effect on him, nor does the Husband-Seducing Demon’s Dance. If used in conjunction with Primal Fury, the Dragon King may succeed or fail Temperance rolls as he chooses. The ability to pacify stalkers and curb their violent natures allows the regular use of this path to halve the time needed to civilize stalkers equal to his rating in this path, as time is no longer lost on their attempts to eat their civilizers. This halving even applies when a Solar uses Dragon-Soul Enlightening Method.
****Undying Soul
Cost: 10+ motes, 2 Willpower Duration: Until released Type: Simple
The Dragon Kings do not truly die. They do not enter the Underworld. Rather, their immortal souls are reborn in each new generation of eggs. They are greater than death. A Dragon King using this path can call on the properties of his soul to blur his spot in the web of fate. When the Dragon King commits the Essence and Willpower, he is shielded from all scrying, divination, astrology, or fate magic. For the cost of one additional mote per being, he can also shield a number of beings of his choosing up to his rating in this path. This affects many spells and charms, including all charms requiring the sanction of the Bureau of Destiny. In addition, while this path is in effect, all essence is the same to the Dragon King, so he regains essence normally wherever he is. Those of his shielded companions who are themselves Dragon Kings also gain this benefit.
*****Blinding Atonement
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Simple
The Dragon Kings are fierce warriors of the Unconquered Sun, though he did not create them. They are not human, and do not suffer from human flaws of character. This makes them singularly adept at judging the powers of the Age of Sorrows. When activating this path, the Dragon King shines with the glory of the Unconquered Sun, and recites a litany of the target’s sins. The trump of the Unconquered Sun sounds, and the area shakes with its mighty blast. If the target is guilty of the accusations, and if the Unconquered Sun is indeed wroth with the target because of them, the god will pour out his power through his scaly vessel, and strike the iniquitous with his holiness. The Dragon King rolls his Essence + his rating in this path. The target may resist by rolling his Essence. For every success on the Dragon King’s roll, the target loses one temporary point of Perception. Extra successes are rolled as unsoakable bashing damage. Targets with 0 Perception are blind and deaf, and must subtract 2 successes from attack rolls for each disability. This path cannot be used to cause further damage to a blind and deaf target. Blindness and deafness caused by use of this path cannot be circumvented by any means except successful prayers for forgiveness to the Unconquered Sun, though mental communication such as telepathy is still possible. The Dragon King doubles his net successes against Solar and Abyssal Exalted before applying Perception damage. If the Dragon King attempts to use this path against the innocent, he must immediately soak his own Essence + path in lethal damage. The Unconquered Sun does not take kindly to the misuse of his name.
***** *Live the Past
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: One day Type: Simple
When activating this path, the Dragon King enters a trance, during which he vividly relives one or more of his past lives. He sees and hears as he did before, though the allocation of his attention can be changed, and he may use paths to enhance his senses or understanding. Thus, repeated use of this path could be used to overhear different conversations in a crowd or take another more detailed look at something. The events in the trance occur in real time, so a single day spent in a trance will be a single day of a past life relived, though periods of unconsciousness, sleep, or death are skipped. A Wits + Lore roll is necessary to locate a specific time, event, or bit of knowledge, if desired, with the difficulty depending on how important the information sought was, how close to it the Dragon King was at the time, and other salient factors. While in this trance, the Dragon King is completely oblivious to the outside world, and completely helpless. He can even be killed without his knowledge. The trance only ends when the Dragon King wills it or because he runs out of Essence or Willpower. While in the trance, the Dragon King regains motes at the level of moderate activity, and does not regain Willpower. This method of divining knowledge of the First Age is powerful, and with the right Dragon King, can elucidate subjects such as the truth of the Dragon-Blooded Usurpation, the secret to fixing the Waxing Moons, or the correct operation of the Orrery of Arainthu. However, it is also time-consuming, as every day spent in the Dragon King’s old life is a day not spent in his new, and moreover it is dangerous, requiring allies that he literally trusts with his life.
