Seiraryu/AshenEnigmaDrake

Ashen Engima Drake

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History

Beginning

The life of a fisherman is a life based on humility and honesty; that is what Snapping Fingers taught his son since the moment the boy could understand words. That was the way he conducted his business and the way that everything was done in the small, nameless village in which they lived down the ways along the Silver River near the grandiose city of Rubylak. Snapping Fingers was a large man, built for hard labor and strong muscles—however he was gentle with his son, and used his physical prowess only to help others and defend those who could not do the same. He derived his name when he began snapping salmon in mid air with his bare fingers, having no trouble what-so-ever with the catching of the fish in that fashion. His son, of course, had to use a fishing rod, but Snapping Fingers made sure the boy had the best there was, building the rod himself and showing him how to use it.

The fishing village they lived in was quiet and calm, strangers were wafted in greeting and sent on their way with cordial goodbyes. It wasn't that the villagers didn't trust strangers (well, as much as one can trust a stranger), it simply did not seem right to have anyone dwindle in what could possibly become a deathtrap without notice...for Maldagas was always near, watching and waiting.

Maldagas was a god, you see, and he had ruled (at least he considered himself ruler of) the village for almost two centuries, ever since the village had been founded. They were not a very industrious or expansionist people, so they hadn't grown much. Maldagas, however, was quite greedy; but he knew that if he let the village grow, they would revolt. More than wealth, he enjoyed the fear he saw in their eyes when he appeared amongst them, and he enjoyed the grovelling he saw when he demanded their weekly offerings. In two centuries, the offerings had slowly changed, from foods and prayers, to gifts of flesh and soul. Mostly he would ask for lofty prayers that would fill him with power; but occasionally his mood would be dark and evil, and he would take a girl or youth away, not to return them for weeks. When he finally did, they were much somber than they ever had been, and would not talk about what they had experienced, even to others who had shared such a conesequence of being taken away. Most of the time, the village fought him when he attempted to take someone—but they had no powerful shaman or other powerful being to help them, and thus some would lose their lives trying to fight a god.

Exalted

When Snapping Finger's daughter, Smiling Rainbow, turned twenty-three, she was a beautiful young woman, with honey-colored skin, eyes of hazel and a smile that could sparkle light into the darkest of hearts. Her brother, Snapping Finger's son, Anake (who was named by his mother before she died), was still quiet. He had forever been that way, even when he turned sixteen and it was time for his passage to manhood, the boy had kept silent. All that changed when Maldagas came calling for his sister's presence.

He appeared before the three as they returned from a fishing picnic near the small river that ran past their village from the Silver River; his magnificent glory striking fear within their hearts more than awe. He hissed foward, wrapping tendrils of mist and fog around Rainbow's form, his lustful visage oblivious to the presence of the father and brother. Snapping Fingers did not take well to this, and attacked the god, hoping to bring him down before the spirit knew what hit him. It was to no avail, however. With a thunderous howl, the god tossed the father aside and laughed, watching him tumble over the dirt. The god, feeling impish now, laughed aloud and mocked the man on the ground, calling him unspeakable barbarities and telling Rainbow how useless her father was. He should have kept his eyes on the son, however.

The axe ripped into the spirit with tremendous force as Anake assaulted him from behind, digging it in deeper than it was meant to go in even the wood that it was made to chop. He pushed and kicked the god, roaring and howling in a frenzied rage that caused him to toss himself on Maldagas and claw at his face. The silver light that glowed about the boy was awe-inspiring, circling him in quick, sinuous movements; a moonlit aurora that burned with a candence unheard of by any of them—except Maldagas. Even as he pushed the boy aside, he watched the writhing corona of argent light with a fearful glare...and then he disappeared, not to be heard of for quite some time.

The boy did not return home for days, even after sending his sister and father back to the village with a commanding presence that they had never expected from him. His quiet demeanor had shifted into an insane frenzy and then a commanding bearing so abruptly, that they found no choice but to do as he said.

He, on the other hand, met with something far more unusual than a mere change in attitude. He met with a Celestial God, for Luna, the moon-goddess, came down before him in the shape of his mother, embracing him in a loving, argent hug.

"Anake," she spoke, holding him tight against her and stroking his pale, ashen hair slowly. "I have chosen you today, my son. I have seen in you a courage buried deep inside, honor bound by solitude, and glory to be unhinged. You are a survivor, Anake, and you will continue to be one. You will run with the gazelle, fly with the eagles and swim with the dragons; you will be a hero and champion...you will be Exalted."

He felt her turn to ash in his hands and, fearing that he had lost his mother again, sobbed into his heart. But there he found her once more—always present, a spark within himself. She would be there forever, never quitting or departing. She would always be with him.

When the Silver Pact found Anake, it was in the form of Shadow of the Hunter, a Changing Moon who saw in the boy great potential, but the need for stability. The young man had not even found a Totem beast yet! He swept what was now a man—for Anake was a boy no longer—and took him away to the nearest place where the Silver Pact was strong. There, Anake was subjected to the trials and tribulations of the initiation of the Silver Way...his passage was found violent and vicious, and thus Full Moon was dubbed he. His totem the River Dragon and his deed name the Ashen Enigma Drake.

For three years, Drake ran with three other Lunars in a pack. They were good friends, although of all of them, he was the most silent and acquiescent. He discovered that he loved to build things, particularly boats, and that he had a good head for sailing and hand-to-hand battle. They roamed the Hundred Kingdoms in search of honor and glory for years, until they ran across something that would decimate them all physically, and him emotionally.

A group of the Wyld Hunt was roaming the countryside in search of a gang of Anathema that had been recklessly raiding caravan after caravan of dynastic supplies and cargo. The Wyld Hunt was very well armed in that time, and along with two weapon masters there were three Immaculates along for the ride and fifteen mortals. It was a large gathering, and they coordinated and investigated thouroughly. That is why they found them—the Swirling Thunder pack. The battle was furious when they matched wits. The Wyld Hunt found the four Lunars and attacked unexpectedly. The mortals rushed first, and damaged Glamour Anointed in Sapphire, the No Moon, severely before Ashen Enigma Drake and Force of the Wind, both Full Moons, ripped through them with rampaging blows. Even though the mortals were decimated, when the dragon-blooded arrived it was a surprise. The mortal hunters had been disguised so as to not arouse suspicion—and yet now here they were: three Immaculates and two weapon masters, comfronting four Lunars, one badly injured and two low on essence.

The Wyld Hunt also possessed powerful artifacts, and that was decisive in the battle. Glamour Anointed in Sapphire and Force of the Wind both died that day, along with Jewel of Purpose, the Changing Moon. It was all so sudden and quick, and when it was over, only one dynast remained, staring at the fierce figure of Ashen Enigma Drake, the Lunar who now rampaged towards him. The battle was over after that, but Drake's suffering was obviously not. He had lost his mother, he had walked away from his family, and he had lost his bretheren. The Full Moon walked away from everything that day, heading South towards the region of Calormene along the River of Tears. What else could he do? He had lost everything.

Sorrow and Hermitage

His mentor from the Silver Pact, Shadow of the Hunter, went to him to make an attempt at honorable consolation, but he was ushered back by the ferocity with which the Full Moon greeted him. Drake was in no mood for this Silver Pact nonsense. Not now, not ever. When he finally came to rest, it was in a small village close to the edge of the Calormene River called Falda. There, he made a small life for himself as the village fisherman and protector. But first, he had to match wits and mettle with an old acquiantance.

When he arrived at Falda, he recognized the routine almost immediately. Please and waft away, let no questions be asked and let nothing deter the visitor from making a quick getaway. Something was not right. He left quickly enough, staying in the periphary and watching the village from the shadows, waiting. As expected, within a few days he appeared, Maldagas, the little god that had held his own village in sway for such a long time. The Lunar followed Maldagas to the god's manse, pondering what to do...finally, he resorted to what had worked the last time: intimidation. He faced Maldagas in the dead of night, burning with the argent glow of moonlit power. The god was fearful almost immediately, and before he could move, Ashen Enigma Drake ripped the amulet that held the manse's hearthstone to the spirit's chest and clenched it in his fist. "Leave forever, Maldagas. Return to Heaven or Hell, whichever you belong to, and stay away from Creation and all the villages. The next time I see you, I will destroy you...permanently." And with that, the Lunar ripped the spirit asunder with vicious claws, the shape of a slithering man-dragon thrashing the spirit's shape and form to nothing but essence.

Now with a manse and a village to live in, the Lunar settled down. It was still a few years before he could speak with Shadow of the Hunter again without feeling bitterness and hate towards the Silver Pact—but even though he does not completely agree with their methods and purpose, he has come to accept that they are a necessary part of his life, and that they gifted him with many things. He meets with his mentor occasionally, but most of the time he fishes and builds riverboats, plays with the children and tells them stories. He does not receive any worship from the village what-so-ever, simply not having the need for it. He prefers to serve them as a protector more than as a god.

Character Sheet

Caste: Full Moon
Concept: Fisherman
Nature: Architect

Totem: River Dragon
Face: Nain-ya
Anima: Miniature River Dragons

Attributes
Physical: Strength 3 (7), Dexterity 5 (7), Stamina 3 (6)
Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3
Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 4

Abilities
War: Athletics 2 (Swimming +1), Awareness 2, *Brawl 4, Dodge 4 (When Unarmed +1), Endurance 2, Resistance 2
Life: *Craft (Carving, Carpentry) 3, Linguistics 1, *Presence 2, Ride 0, *Sail 2, Socialize 1, Stealth 2, *Survival 3 (Fishing +2)
Wisdom: Lore 2, Medicine 1, Occult 1

Advantages
Backgrounds: Artifact 1, Influence 1, Manse 2, Mentor 2, Resources 1
Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 2, Temperance 3, Valor 2
Renown: Succor 13, Mettle 10, Cunning 21, Glory 12

Essence: 3
Personal: 15/15
Peripheral: 35/36
Committed: 1

Willpower: 6/6
Health: -0, -1, -1, -2, -2, -2, -2, -2, -2, -4, Inc.
Armor and Soak: No armor.
Lethal: 1
Bashing: 3
Aggravated: 0

Virtue Flaw: The Curse of the Drunken Monkey
Limit: 0

Shape Library
Animals: River Dragon, [Nessie], Tyrant Lizard, Alligator, Coral Snake, Bat, Rat, Large Weasel, Great Cat, Mospid, Strix
People: None.

Charms

|[ Charm Name |[ Attribute |[ Cost |[ Duration |[ Type |[ Effect || |[ Bowing Reed Technique |[ Dexterity |[ 4 motes |[ Instant |[ Reflexive |[ Allows him to Dodge all attacks in one turn. || |[ Unmoving Bear Defense |[ Dexterity |[ 2 motes |[ Instant |[ Reflexive |[ Allows him to dodge in situations where he doesn't have much space to move. || |[ Ox-Body Technique |[ Stamina |[ None |[ Permanent |[ Special |[ Adds four -2 Health Levels. || |[ Steel Paw Style |[ Stamina |[ 1 motes |[ Instant |[ Reflexive |[ Allows him to block a lethal attack. || |[ Deadly Beastman Transformation |[ Charisma |[ 5 motes |[ Instant |[ Reflexive |[ Re: Deadly Beastman below. Taken three times. || |[ Finding Spirit Shape |[ Charisma |[ 1 motes |[ Instant |[ Reflexive |[ Inconsequential. || |[ Towering Beast Form |[ Charisma |[ None |[ Indefinite |[ Special |[ Allows him to take larger forms. || |[ Humble Mouse Shape |[ Charisma |[ None |[ Indefinite |[ Special |[ Allows him to take smaller forms. || |[ Hide of the Cunning Tiger |[ Manipulation |[ 1 motes |[ One Day |[ Simple |[ Hide the tattoos. || |[ Masking the Brilliant Form |[ Manipulation |[ 3 motes, 1WP |[ One Scene |[ Simple |[ Hides the Tell. || |[ Spirit-Scenting Technique |[ Perception |[ 2 motes |[ One Scene |[ Simple |[ Allows him to detect spirits. ||

Expanded Traits

Manse: The Lodge of Misted Mirrors, from which the Stone of Fog grows. You can find this stone at HearthStones/IkselamAir.

Beastman

Description: When Ashen Enigma Drake takes on his deadly beastman visage, he becomes a terrifying mixture of river dragon and man. His face elongated, giving him a draconic snout and his entire body covers itself with hardened scales. His torso and neck elongate a foot each and he grows a tail. His maw is huge, a double row of teeth adorning it; his hands and feet grow huge and terrible claws. While in beastman form, he can be bipedal or quadrupedal, and he can swim.
Attributes: Strength 7, Dexterity 7, Stamina 6
Gifts: Rugged Hide, Inpenetrable Beast-Armor, Resilience of Nature, Terrible Beast Claws
Armor and Soak: No armor.
Lethal: 12
Bashing: 12
Aggravated: 0
Powers: He heals 1B per turn and 1L per hour.

Combat Statistics

Attacks
Terrible Beast Claws (Beastman): Spd 13, Acc 12, Dmg 12L, Def 12, Rte 4
Terrible Beast Bite (Beastman): Spd 5, Acc 10, Dmg 15L, Def 10, Rte 2
Terrible Beast Kick (Beastman): Spd 10, Acc 12, Dmg 13L, Def 9, Rte 3
Punch (Beastman): Spd 11, Acc 12, Dmg 7B, Def 13, Rte 5
Fist (Human): Spd 9, Acc 10, Dmg 3, Def 11, Rte 5
Kick (Human): Spd 6, Acc 10, Dmg 6, Def 6, Rte 3

Dodge
Human: 12
Beastman: 14
Specialties: When Unarmed +1
Initiative: 9 (11)

Experience

Character Creation: 80 additional XP (approx.)
Total: 62
Spent: 12
12 on Humble Mouse Shape
Remaining: 50