The Book Of Air/Blinding Harmony Of Fists
Blinding Harmony of Fists Style is one of the rarest Sidereal styles in existence. Indeed, only the oldest, most dedicated martial artists in the Fellowship even know it exists, and they have spent most of their exceedingly long lives perfecting their mastery of it. They consider it the pinnacle of Martial Artistry itself, and find increasingly fewer students worthy of teaching it to, risking the Styles' ultimate demise...
FOE-MEASURING GAZE
Cost: 3m
Mins: MA 3, Ess 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: One MA Excellency, One Form Charm
Skill calls to Skill. The practiced martial artist can accurately assess his opposition with but a glance, even if they are simply taking tea or laughing with friends.
This Charm reveals a single opponents' strengths and weaknesses as a martial artist. The user rolls (Martial Arts + Perception) at a difficulty of his opponents' (Manipulation + Essence); each success delivers a different fact about his opponent's capabilities. 1 success might tell him his opponent's MA or Essence level. 3 may reveal how many MA Styles he knows, what level they are, and if he normally leads with his left fist. 5 enables him to get a clear idea of what each Style can do, if he's mastered it fully, who his teacher likely was (if that one is known to the user), and if a recent injury is likely to provide an opening.
In addition, those characters who have mastered a Terrestrial Form may commit the 3 motes. While committed, the target suffers an additional -1 external penalty against Knockdown, Knockback and Stuns effects from attacks made by the player's character. This effect does not stack. Those characters who have mastered a Celestial Form may commit the 3 motes to gain an additional success on all actions opposed by the target's MA. This includes MA-based PDV. This effect does not stack. Those who have mastered a Sidereal Form may commit the 3 motes to combine both sets of non-stackable effects. In any case, these bonuses last for the scene.
MAYFLY TRAINING MEDITATION
Cost: 5m, 1wp
Mins: MA 5, Ess 4
Type: Simple (Dramatic Action)
Keywords: Obvious, Touch, Training
Duration: One Week
Prerequisites: Any Two MA Excellencies, Two Complete Martial Arts Styles
This Charm enhances the act of training others. It is functionally similar to Tiger Warrior Training Technique and other such Charms, except that it only functions on one target at a time. The Sifu focuses on improving the Attributes of Dexterity, Strength, Stamina, and Wits, as well as the Abilities of Martial Arts, Dodge, Athletics, and Resistance. It increases one dot of one Trait for every five hours of effort in each week. As most Sifu preferred to take their time and properly instill their students with virtuous standards of behavior as well as great martial skill, this Charm was rarely used save for when emergencies mandated that knowledge be passed on quickly. As always, those who cannot afford the Experience cost to raise their traits go into Experience Point Debt until they can.
TWOFOLD FORM PRANA
Cost: 10m, 1wp
Mins: MA 5, Ess 5
Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisites: Two MA Excellencies, Two Complete Styles
One of the rarest of the Meta Martial Arts, this Charm allows the user to simultaneously enjoy the benefits of two Martial Arts Forms at once! This Charm must be activated first, then each Form Charm, for their usual costs. Regardless of Exalt type, the user must succeed at a (Dexterity + Martial Arts) roll for each Form, in order to gain the benefits of either. Any and all restrictions or limitations imposed by either Form are in effect so long as they are active. Because of its incredibly draining nature, this Charm was locked away in the Scroll of Forbidden Techniques.
This Charm enhances Form Charms, but is not itself one, and therefore offers no benefit or change to the Sidereal Form Charm of Prismatic Arrangement of Creation, which already treats all other Forms as extensions of itself.
STYLE EXTENSION STANCE
Cost: Variable XP per New Charm; 1wp per Rearranged Charm
Mins: MA 6, Ess 7
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Shaping
Duration: --
Prerequisites: All MA Excellencies, 1 Terrestrial Style, 1 Celestial Style
Every Martial Artist in Creation knows that once a Supernatural Martial Arts Style is created, it is set. If one wishes to create other Charms for it, one must recreate it from scratch. This exceedingly rare Charm works around that limitation, reweaving the pattern of the Style's Essence within the user, enabling each Martial Artist to customize his own particular School of each Style.
With this Charm, the Martial Artist may actually create and teach new Charms for existing MA Styles. He must have entirely mastered the Style in question, and meet the Mins of the new Charms, if they are to be higher than the Style's original Charms. New Charms may be inserted anywhere into the Styles' tree structure that their Minimums allow, and as a side effect, the previous Charms may be rearranged as well, changing their Prerequisites within the limits of their Minimums. Each Charm costs what a normal Charm of that level would cost for the Exalt, although adding it to the tree costs only 10 motes and 1 experience point.
This Charm allows the user to recreate a maximum number of MA Styles equal to their permanent Essence. Each Style may only be modified once. The Charm User must have enough Experience to pay for the Extensions, and may not go into XP Dept for this Charm.
INCOMPARABLE TECHNIQUE SEAL
Cost: 20m, 2wp
Mins: MA 7, Ess 7
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious, Touch, Crippling
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: All MA Excellencies, 1 Complete Celestial Style
One of the greatest Forbidden Charms, this one was nevertheless increasingly used towards the end of the First Age, as unrighteousness shadowed the Martial Arts World. When a Martial Artist went too far, yet it was inadvisable to kill him, this Charm was used to punish them by taking away that which was most precious to them...
The Charm user rolls (Martial Arts + Essence), evoking a violet and black glow around his hands; some have claimed to be able to see the Maiden of Endings' avatar standing over him, reaching out menacingly to the target, who must be successfully Clinched for the Charm to do its work. If so held, the glow seeps into the target, forming moving arcane sigils on his flesh that slowly fade away. The target may attempt to resist with a contested roll of (Martial Arts + Essence), each success cancelling out one of the attack successes.
Each attack success that remains cancels out 1 Dot of the target's Martial Arts Ability. Afflicted characters still retain their knowledge of Martial Arts Charms, and may even still teach them, but now lack the skill to use them if they no longer meet their Minimum Ability rating. So long as this Crippling effect remains, the target has an effective MA rating of zero, and makes any Martial Arts rolls as a non-Heroic Mortal: 10s do not count for double successes and all MA rolls incur -2 internal penalty due to unfamiliarity. This is a Permanent effect. The target may NOT buy up their MA rating again with Experience. They must pursue other rare and dangerous avenues, such as trade with Demons, lost Artifacts, or persuading a Spirit to use the Endowment Charm upon them, if they wish to reenter the World of Martial Arts.
1) learn terrestrial/celestial styles easier
2) read opponents
3) teach styles easier; commit to student, instill Master intimacy (motivation MA)
4) so long as has intimacy to student, arcane link & channels traits to him (Essence ghost)
Tools of the Master Cost: 10 motes, 2 WP Mins: MA 7, Essence 7 Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Indefinite
The bond between a teacher and his pupil is one of the strongest relationships in Creation. When they truly understand one another, no impediment can defeat their synchronicity. This charm can only be used on one that the martial artist has formally accepted as his student in the Martial Arts; the student must have learned at least one MA charm from the sifu before the charm can take effect.
Once it does, the charm creates a mystical Intimacy between the two. Both gain an automatic +2 to their MDV against any natural or unnatural attempts to persuade them to harm the other. Each also gains +2 to their first action to directly aid the other in a scene.
This charm also binds the student to the teacher in a number of ways. Firstly, the sifu may reflexively activate the link between the two, becoming aware of the general state of being of his student. If the student suffers any loss of HL, then the sifu is considered automatically aware of it. Lastly, the sifu may transmit Willpower, Essence and even Health Levels directly to his student, directly subtracting them from his own store, as many he has to give. These abilities work regardless of distance or location.
5) creates essence weapons (unarmed)
6) inflicts penalties on opponents
7) Form-adds MA successes to all abilities
Blinding Harmony of Fists Form Cost: Mins: MA 8, Essence 8 Type: Simple Keywords: Form Duration: Scene
Once the Master has attained true harmony with his Art, it shines through in all his actions, no matter what his task, from fighting to sweeping. For the rest of the scene, the martial artist adds a number of automatic successes equal to his Permanent Essence to ALL his actions, whether using MA or any other Ability. These successes do not count against dice/successes added by charms or spells.
Also, the master may spend 10 motes reflexively to activate any MA-based scene-long charm he knows at no extra cost. This does not count as a charm use (and so does not get the sutra discount).
8) reshapes MA tree
9) shatters opponents charms
10) seals opponents skill
11) statue Artifact enlightening
Master's Legacy Cost:-- Mins: MA 9, Essence 9 Type: Permanent Keywords: Shaping Duration: Special
The Sifu, having attained the highest levels of The Art, now leaves a lasting posterity and monument to his enlightenment for those who follow after him. This is the last charm that will ever affect the Sifu. It has three main effects:
1) When the Sifu's Health track reaches the Dying stage (for any reason), this charm allows him appropriate time to express a final message or piece of wisdom. His death itself is undisturbed, and his higher soul proceeds to its next incarnation as surely as his Exaltation does. This is a Perfect Effect.
2) Any students that have Intimacies to the Sifu automatically sense his passing. In fact, a jolt of his Essence travels down the disconnecting path established by Tools of the Master, shooting into the students' Pattern. This can have one of three effects, determined by both characters' players and the ST:
The master's last bequest can permanently raise the student's MA and Permanent Essence rating by one.
The master can transfer one entire MA that the master knew to the student, so long as he meets its complete prerequisites and can normally learn it. This places the student into Experience Debt as normal.
The master's presence is now encoded into the student's pattern. The master can manifest to the student (who is the only one who can perceive and interact with it) at a time when the student is troubled, and offer his wisdom. This is an idealized copy of the master's essence, and not a true ghost. The master can only manifest a number of times equal to the Permanent Essence the master attained in life, and may only express knowledge the master had in life (and no actual training).
3) As a final lasting testimony to the master's enlightenement, his body transforms in a cascade of Essence into a statue composed of whichever Magical Material resonated with his Exaltation. These statues are Resources NThe_Book_Of_Air/A, and can be attuned to, making them Artifact 5. They have an Enlightening effect, allowing those attuned to them to learn a MA one level higher than they normally can (so Terrestrials can learn Celestial Styles, and Celestials can learn Sidereal ones) without assistance so long as they commit 10 motes of Essence to one. The Hall of the Masters in Yu-Shan has a small room full of such Starmetal (and one Orichalcum) statues...
