Prax/ResplendentCarp

Resplendent Carp Style

Resplendent Carp is a lost style that fell out of vogue after the usurpation and the defeat of the Solars who were its most well known practitioners. In the modern age, only a few members of the Chosen of Venus continue to practice this unique and visually compelling style of martial arts. However, with the return of the Solars old adherents of the Resplendent Carp style are finding new purpose for it in the modern world.

Practitioners of Resplendent Carp style treat wind-fire wheels and fans as form weapons. Masters of the style are also capable of using articles of clothing and ordinary paper fans as effective weapons. It is for this reason the style was often favored by members of the Eclipse Caste so that they would never be truly unarmed.

Demure Carp Feint:

 

Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Illusion

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: None

 

With a subtle gesture, the Carp Stylist momentarily distracts her opponent then subtly shifts just enough so that her opponent strikes where he thought she was, not where the martial artist actually is. When this Charm is invoked if the Carp Stylist’s Martial Arts + Essence equals or exceeds her opponent’s Dodge MDV the Carp Stylist’s opponent suffers an external penalty on his attack equal to the Carp Stylist’s Essence.

Rainbow Veil Technique:

 

Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Obvious, Counterattack, Illusion

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Demure Carp Feint

 

When an opponent attacks, the Carp Stylist can defend herself by unfurling a shimmering veil of essence that temporarily distracts and disorients her opponent. Victims of the attack perceive a flash of light that seems to cause them to move in slow motion, while the world speeds up impossibly around them.

 

When this Charm is invoked the Carp Stylist rolls her Manipulation + Martial Arts as an Illusion attack against her opponent’s Dodge MDV. Each success on this roll delays the next action taken by the Carp Stylist's opponent by 1 tick, up to a maximum of the Carp Stylist's Essence in ticks. If the Carp Stylist scores 3 or more successes against an attack in this way, the attacker automatically aborts all further actions he would have taken that tick.

Resplendent Carp Form:

 

Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -1)

 

Keywords: Form-type, Obvious, Compulsion

 

Duration: One scene

 

Prerequisite Charm: Rainbow Veil Technique

 

By invoking this Charm, the Carp Stylist surrounds herself with glittering veils of gauzy essence that catch and reflect any ambient light sources as well as the light of her own anima. These veils of light shift and change color at the Exalt’s whim creating a distracting supernatural ambience that affects all observers. While this Charm is in effect the Carp Stylist’s opponents suffer a Dodge MDV penalty equal to the Carp Stylist’s Essence with regards to the Carp Stylist’s Charms. This effect is a form of Unnatural Mental Influence and those with a permanent Essence equal to or greater then the Carp Stylist’s permanent Essence may spend 3 points of Willpower to resist this effect of the Charm for the scene. Fair Folk are completely immune to this effect of the Charm.

 

Additionally the Resplendent Carp Stylist may add the lower of her Performance or Essence as a bonus to her Dexterity for the purpose of determining her Dodge and Parry Defense Values. This charm is incompatible with the use of armor.

Dance of Three Flashing Fins:

 

Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Obvious, Illusion

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Resplendent Carp Form

 

This charm creates what appears to be a magical flurry of three martial arts attacks against the same opponent, but what it really does is present a confusing illusion to mask the Carp Stylist’s true attack. As long as the Carp Stylist’s Martial Arts + Essence exceeds her opponent’s Dodge MDV her attack is considered unexpected and cannot be blocked or dodged. If the Carp Stylist’s opponent’s Dodge MDV equals or exceeds her Martial Arts + Essence the target has a chance to perceive the attack and defend normally if he succeeds on a Wits + Awareness roll at a difficulty of the Carp Stylist’s Essence. Fair Folk are automatically immune to the effects of this Charm.

Sevenfold Vision of Prismatic Beauty:

 

Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Obvious, Illusion

 

Duration: One scene

 

Prerequisite Charm: Dance of Three Flashing Fins

 

Weaving illusions of essence, the Carp Stylist appears to shift and move leaving behind copies of herself that mimic her every movement, weaving and dodging about one another in a confusing, but hypnotic dance. This Charm has several benefits once invoked. First, anytime the Carp Stylist makes an attack her opponent suffers a Defense Penalty equal to the difference between the Carp Stylist’s Martial Arts + Essence and the target’s Dodge Mental Defense Value, minimum of 0. Treat this penalty as a Coordinated Attack penalty since it is caused by the Carp Stylist’s illusions appearing to act in concert with the Carp Stylist. When the Carp Stylist herself is attacked she gains a bonus to her Defense Values equal to the difference between her Martial Arts + Essence and the target’s Dodge Mental Defense Value, minimum of 0. Fair Folk are automatically immune to the effects of this Charm.

Golden Fan Concentration:

 

Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Obvious

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Resplendent Carp Form

 

This Charm calls forth essence to magically imbue an object of the Carp Stylist’s choosing with the strength and deadliness of steel. The edge of cape, a paper fan, the sleeve of a coat, all can be temporarily hardened using her Essence into a deadly weapon for an instant. Mechanically, this allows the Carp Stylist to cause one of her unarmed martial arts attacks to inflict her permanent Essence in lethal damage and gain a range equal to (the Carp Stylist’s Essence x 2) yards.

 

The Carp Stylist need not actually possess anything in hand when she activates this Charm. Instead she will temporarily manifest a large golden fan or some similar object in her hand as she strikes her opponent. If the Carp Stylist is wielding one of this style’s Form Weapons when she activates this Charm she may add her Essence to the base damage of the attack instead.

Flurry of Seven Tempests Prana:

 

Cost: 3m per attack; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Extra Action

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Obvious

 

Duration: Instant

 

Prerequisite Charm: Golden Fan Concentration

 

By surrounding herself with essence, the Carp Stylist then quickly lashes out striking her enemies with veils of essence, golden fans and any other object that comes to hand. Whatever is used, the Carp Stylist’s essence imbues the attack with magical strength and accuracy.

 

This Charm creates a magical flurry of two or more martial arts attacks. Each attack costs 3 motes of essence including the first and the Carp Stylist may purchase up to her Essence +1 attacks. This Charm lets the Exalt make these attacks regardless of her rate and without multiple action penalties. Regardless of how she attacks, each attack inflicts the Carp Stylist’s Strength + Essence in her choice of bashing or lethal damage. Each attack also has a range equal to (the Carp Stylist’s Essence x 2) yards. These attacks may be dodged and parried normally. Regardless of the number of attacks the Carp Stylist makes she only suffers a -1 DV penalty as a result of the flurry.

Resplendent Battle Regalia:

 

Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 5)

 

Keywords: Obvious, Compulsion, Illusion

 

Duration: One scene

 

Prerequisite Charm: Flurry of Seven Tempests Prana, Sevenfold Vision of Prismatic Beauty

 

This Charm calls forth essence to magically imbue the Carp Stylist’s clothing, causing it to shimmer with pearlescent golden scales and extend flowing golden veils from the sleeves and hem, reminiscent of diaphanous fins.

 

For the rest of the scene the Carp Stylist’s Appearance gains a bonus equal to her Essence. In addition all opponents suffer an Internal Penalty equal to the Carp Stylist’s Essence to all attacks made against the Carp Stylist due to her distracting beauty. Both of these bonuses count as Unnatural Mental Influence and can be ignored if a character spends two points of Willpower to overcome the compulsion.

 

Additionally the Carp Stylist’s clothing counts as armor with a Lethal Soak value equal to her Essence and a Bashing Soak equal to twice her Essence. The Carp Stylist may also choose to inflict her choice of Bashing or Lethal Damage with any of her unarmed attacks for the rest of the scene. These effects are not illusions and cannot be overcome by spending Willpower.

Dream of the Resplendent Carp:

 

Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple

 

Keywords: Combo-Ok, Obvious, Compulsion, Illusion

 

Duration: One scene

 

Prerequisite Charm: Resplendent Battle Regalia

 

The Resplendent Carp Stylist begins a whirling hypnotic dance, that at times seems to go into slow motion and other times speeds up faster then the eye can follow. This Charm exerts unnatural mental influence on everyone who can see the Carp Stylist. With the exception of the Carp Stylist beginning with each character’s next action anyone who’s Dodge MDV is less then or equal to the Carp Stylist’s Martial Arts + Essence increases the Speed of all of their actions by +2 for the rest of the scene. In addition affected character’s reduce their Dexterity by 2 to a minimum of 1 due to being forced to move in slow motion. Resisting the effects of this Charm requires the expenditure of 1 point of Willpower per action, but does not increase a character’s Limit.

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