The Skyguard are the Aerial Armada of the City-State of Lotus, separate from the tightly regimented military hierarchy of the Militia of the Godkings. Indeed, while the Militia obeys the orders of General Transval and the Godkings themselves, the Skyguard answer (at least in theory) only to Ivory Eyes, the Admiral Empyrean. Because she loathes bureaucracy, Ivory Eyes has structured the Skyguard through a system of fealty backed by sanctified oathes: each Captain owes his loyalty first and foremost to Lotus and then to the Admiral; each crewman owes their loyalty to Lotus and then to their Captain.
The Skyguard are charged with monitoring all transit through Lotus' skyways, in addition to defending Lotus against external threats of any sort and facilitating trade.
The Captains of the Skyguard are given broad leeway in the operations of their ship, but all but the simplest thaumaturgical airboats are the property of the Admiral and only given to her Captains as a kind of movable fief. She may recall them with a moment's notice, with neither need for justification nor explanation. Part of Skyguard's oath to Lotus includes upholding the human rights implicit in the city-state's Declaration of Being. While all Skyguard Captains are of theoretically equal rank, the Captains of full airships are given more prestige and attention than the commanders of zepplins, sky-frigates, and other minor thaumaturgical wonders.
There also exist several ports, commissioned by the Admiral Empyrean for the explicit use of the Skyguard. Each is overseen by a Portmaster who is equal to any Captain--and, indeed, superior to a Captain while they remain in port. Permanent officers of a port are called portsmen rather than crewmen, and they have a reputation among the simpler sailors as being too intellectual for a life of adventure, though their temperaments run the same gamut as most crewmen.
A Loose Hierarchy of the Skyguard is relatively simple to understand at a glance: at the top is Ivory Eyes, the Admiral Empyrean. One step below her is the Seven-Leaved Prince, Animating Intelligence and de facto captain of the Flower of the East (Glory-Class Flagship). A half-step below the Prince are the five Captains of the Izunagi-Class Warships, and a half-step further still are the sixteen Captains of the d'Resh Class Frigates. Three or four dozen zepplins and their Captains come next, with all other small skyboats and aircutters coming in last.
In terms of ports, the Portsmasters of Lotus and Petal are equal in prestige to the Captains of the Izunagi-Class, and the Portsmasters of Lotus' smaller ports throughout the East are considered equal to the captains of the d'Resh-Class. Silver Heron, the Portsmaster of Petal, is considered especially prestigious, because he controls which ships are given priority access to the latest technologies from the labs of Petal.
The Captains and their crew often gossip among themselves about rumors of Ivory Eyes' latest projects. For her part, the Admiral Empyrean is tight-lipped about her intentions, partially out of a desire to keep her designs secret, and partially out of a very real need to prevent the Skyguard from tearing itself apart jockeying for the Captainship of a newly commissioned vessel. In truth, she is working on a joint Lotus-Lookshy venture that will help fund the construction of three new warships as a peacekeeping force in the East.
Commissioned Ships:
Glory-Class
The Flower of the East (Captain: the Seven-Leaved Prince)
Izunagi-Class
The Brilliant Raptor (Captain: Grinning Harkness, Social Amalga)
The Grinning Crocodile (Captain: Jasari, Half-Caste Chosen of Journeys)
The Noble Hart (Captain: Red Atem, Enlightened Stag Beastman)
The Storm Serpent (Captain: Daruman the Blessed, Godblooded of Plentilomon)
The O-Mochi (Captain: Black Mag, Enlightened Mortal)
d'Resh-Class (incomplete)
The Sidewinder (Captain: Lord Rex, Enlightened Mortal)
The Five Trials (Captain: Little Fox, Enlightened Sorcerer)
The Salamander (Captain: N/A; Officially on loan to Lookshy)
Major Ports:
The Aerie of Lotus (Portsmaster: Red Sand Gamine, Crafting Amalga)
The Bough of Petal (Portsmaster: Silver Heron, Enlightened Sorcerer)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Airship: the Azure Garda
Generation II Airfleet Schematic:
d'Resh Class Transport - Yomiko Custom
The R.L.S. Azure Garda is the first of Ivory's newest class, the d'Resh imperial transport. Designed for speed, the d'Resh class in general provides sustainable travel for diplomatic or scholarly missions. The Garda, as both the prototype for the model and a vessel designed for Yomiko and her bride, bears several features that do not appear in the standard run of d'Resh transports. These features are indicated by asterisks.
The ship itself is narrow, its silhouette like a birds, with wide, back-swept wings.
Speed: 100/200mph
Maneuverability: +3S (Lore 3, Sail 4)
Endurance: A d'Resh transport requires a dedicated hearthstone rated 4 or higher, and the captain must attune to the ship for five motes. The ship has been designed with long expeditions in mind, and requires maintenance only once every five hundred hours. Every hundred hours beyond that runtime lowers the top speed by a cumulative 10% and inflicts a level of Aggravated damage on the hull.
Crew: 1/1
Cargo: The d'Resh is a slim cruiser with room enough to berth four in shared rooms of two. They are outfitted with a kitchen and other basic comforts that allow the ship to serve as its own home.
Armor: 24L/24B
Health Levels: Ux22, Mx10, Cx6, Ix6, D
Weapons: No weapons are standard issue for the d'Resh, but the Azure Garda does have twin medium Essence cannons and four Thunderwolf missiles.
Other Systems:
Rudimentary AI - The Azure Garda is equipped with Ivory's first attempt at a rudimentary AI not derived from Bronzeheart. This AI is a fleeting creature created when the ship is socketed with a hearthstone. It always has a clear bias in thinking based on the nature and aspect of the hearthstone. These AI have no real sense of self, and rather function like newly awakened elementals, able to understand and communicate on rudimentary levels. Still, the AI can handle plotting and navigating the ship in any noncombat situation, freeing the crew for other activities.
Wyldshielding - Not a standard option, but one that Ivory is considering installing on all future d'Resh transports. Wyldshielding is a coating of cold iron, liquified through extreme temperatures and carefully energized by a series of moonsilver conduits. When attuned separate from the ship at a cost of ten motes, it bursts to life, shedding blue moonlight from the entire hull. Shaping attacks that would alter the ship instead deal their user's (Essence) in dice of Bashing damage. When captained by a Lunar, their resonant powers further enhance this shielding--Shaping Attacks launched against the ship by Raksha of lesser Essence than the captain are absorbed and converted--every success the attack would have scored is instead adds an hour to the ship's runtime before requiring maintenance, consuming the dangers of the Wyld to fuel inevitable flight.
d'Resh Class Transport - Yomiko Custom
The R.L.S. Azure Garda is the first of Ivory's newest class, the d'Resh imperial transport. Designed for speed, the d'Resh class in general provides sustainable travel for diplomatic or scholarly missions. The Garda, as both the prototype for the model and a vessel designed for Yomiko and her bride, bears several features that do not appear in the standard run of d'Resh transports. These features are indicated by asterisks.
The ship itself is narrow, its silhouette like a birds, with wide, back-swept wings.
Speed: 100/200mph
Maneuverability: +3S (Lore 3, Sail 4)
Endurance: A d'Resh transport requires a dedicated hearthstone rated 4 or higher, and the captain must attune to the ship for five motes. The ship has been designed with long expeditions in mind, and requires maintenance only once every five hundred hours. Every hundred hours beyond that runtime lowers the top speed by a cumulative 10% and inflicts a level of Aggravated damage on the hull.
Crew: 1/1
Cargo: The d'Resh is a slim cruiser with room enough to berth four in shared rooms of two. They are outfitted with a kitchen and other basic comforts that allow the ship to serve as its own home.
Armor: 24L/24B
Health Levels: Ux22, Mx10, Cx6, Ix6, D
Weapons: No weapons are standard issue for the d'Resh, but the Azure Garda does have twin medium Essence cannons and four Thunderwolf missiles.
Other Systems:
Rudimentary AI - The Azure Garda is equipped with Ivory's first attempt at a rudimentary AI not derived from Bronzeheart. This AI is a fleeting creature created when the ship is socketed with a hearthstone. It always has a clear bias in thinking based on the nature and aspect of the hearthstone. These AI have no real sense of self, and rather function like newly awakened elementals, able to understand and communicate on rudimentary levels. Still, the AI can handle plotting and navigating the ship in any noncombat situation, freeing the crew for other activities.
Wyldshielding - Not a standard option, but one that Ivory is considering installing on all future d'Resh transports. Wyldshielding is a coating of cold iron, liquified through extreme temperatures and carefully energized by a series of moonsilver conduits. When attuned separate from the ship at a cost of ten motes, it bursts to life, shedding blue moonlight from the entire hull. Shaping attacks that would alter the ship instead deal their user's (Essence) in dice of Bashing damage. When captained by a Lunar, their resonant powers further enhance this shielding--Shaping Attacks launched against the ship by Raksha of lesser Essence than the captain are absorbed and converted--every success the attack would have scored is instead adds an hour to the ship's runtime before requiring maintenance, consuming the dangers of the Wyld to fuel inevitable flight.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sorcery.
When Brigid descended from Mount Meru with the blessings of Sorcery, the gods trembled, the mountains bowed, the rivers sang, and the Yozi smiled in the depths of their raging king’s world-body. The fallen tyrants of Creation had hoped for the Exalted Host to fall into the traps of sorcery but the Deliberative, led in its investigations of the new art by the wary Mother of All Spells, proved indomitable. The Unquestionable of Hell tried to console their greater selves with the trinkets that had been tithed to the Yozi in countless sorcerous initiations, and for a time they were content to surround themselves with these sacrificed prizes. At the height of the First Age, however, a Zenith known as Salina put a stop even to that, enacting her working and encoding the principles of sorcery into the very substrata of Creation—and it was not the Yozi interpretation that she etched forever onto the face of existence, but that of distant and lonely Gaia. There would always be bold sorcerers who reached beyond Creation’s boundaries, who sacrificed some part of themselves to the Yozi, but the fallen titans howled that day, knowing that this—and the eventual Usurpation—would delay their plans by an Age or more.
To be a sorcerer is, at its most fundamental level, to understand the science of Essence that underpins all existence. At its heart, sorcery is the process of shaping matter and energy in a uniquely Primordial fashion. I draws upon the Schema of the Primordials and the Yozi alike to draw many smaller magics together into an expression of titanic power known as a spell. While Brigid refused all attempts to quantify the nature of these smaller magical units—the Mother of All Spells took a notoriously holistic and intuitive view to sorcery that no Solar Exalt since has truly been able to emulate (to the amusement of many Lunar mates)—popular Silurian notation encoded them as Glyphs, and the terminology has persisted even through the turn of the First Age. Sorcery is rooted in Occult, as it is the Ability that allows a mortal or spirit to understand the vast and alien workings of Primordials, but a true sorcerer must study and understand countless fields and disciplines to exercise true cosmic comprehension.
NEW KEYWORDS
Physical – Shapings and spells directed through the Physical keyword take on a tangible shape and interact with the world according to the Principle of the Material. Such effects compare against Physical Defense Values and Soak (where applicable) to determine the efficacy.
Mental – Shapings and spells directed through the Mental keyword remain dreamstuff and phantasmagorical Essence in concordance with the Prince of the Immaterial. Such effects are compared against Mental Defense Values and may be resisted through expenditures of Willpower.
INITIATION CHARMS
Terrestrial Schema of Gaia
Cost: -- (1wp); Mins: Essence 3 (additional requirements below)
Keywords: None; Type: Permanent
Prerequisites: None
For millennia, this Initiation has been the foundation of Creation’s sorcery by an overwhelming margin. When illustrated as the Master Glyph in Silurian notation, this schema is a character of five strokes converging at a central point and spiraling outward like a maelstrom, reflecting the unity of the Five Dragons. Dragon-Blooded, Dragon-Kings, Solars, Infernals, and Abyssals require Occult 3 to learn this Schema; Lunars and Alchemicals need only Intelligence 3. Mortals brought to the peak of human capability (Occult 5) may also learn this Charm. Immediately upon learning the Terrestrial Schema of Gaia, the character learn the Motic Glyph and a single additional Glyph with the Elemental keyword for free.
A sorcerer inside Creation (the environs of an effect such as Chaos-Repelling Prana count) may spend a point of Willpower to attune themselves to the harmonious Schema of Gaia’s infamous souls, becoming capable of taking Shaping actions against the surrounding Creation, Creation-born, or objects from Creation. Spells built and unified by the Terrestrial Schema of Gaia may contain no more than five additional Glyphs, and must always include at least one Glyph with the Elemental keyword.
Cosmic Schema of Gaia
Cost: -- (3wp); Mins: Essence 5
Keywords: None; Type: Permanent
Prerequisites: Terrestrial Schema of Gaia
Most Dragon-Blooded would balk at the very notion of this Charm. The idea that they command but a fraction of Gaia’s proper sorcerous principle would surely chafe and might even cause several to reconsider their place in the great cosmos. Solars and Third Circle Kami require Occult 5 to learn this Schema; Lunars may do so with Intelligence 5. Either way, it requires the direct tutelage of a Third Circle Kami already initiated into this Schema or Gaia herself.
A sorcerer may spend three Willpower to sear the surrounding locale with the primal Essence of the Emerald Mother, super-saturating the area with Gaian Essence and allowing the sorcerer access to Shaping Actions. This power transforms an area (Essence) miles in radius into part of Creation for the duration of the scene; if invoked in Creation proper, this effect levies a three mote tax on any Shaping Actions or Charms with the Shaping keyword invoked be being outside of the purview of Creation. The sorcerer may access Terrestrial Schema of Gaia naturally during the scene without further cost. This otherwise function as Terrestrial Schema of Gaia, save that spells united by this Schema may contain up to (Willpower x 2) Glyphs.
When Brigid descended from Mount Meru with the blessings of Sorcery, the gods trembled, the mountains bowed, the rivers sang, and the Yozi smiled in the depths of their raging king’s world-body. The fallen tyrants of Creation had hoped for the Exalted Host to fall into the traps of sorcery but the Deliberative, led in its investigations of the new art by the wary Mother of All Spells, proved indomitable. The Unquestionable of Hell tried to console their greater selves with the trinkets that had been tithed to the Yozi in countless sorcerous initiations, and for a time they were content to surround themselves with these sacrificed prizes. At the height of the First Age, however, a Zenith known as Salina put a stop even to that, enacting her working and encoding the principles of sorcery into the very substrata of Creation—and it was not the Yozi interpretation that she etched forever onto the face of existence, but that of distant and lonely Gaia. There would always be bold sorcerers who reached beyond Creation’s boundaries, who sacrificed some part of themselves to the Yozi, but the fallen titans howled that day, knowing that this—and the eventual Usurpation—would delay their plans by an Age or more.
To be a sorcerer is, at its most fundamental level, to understand the science of Essence that underpins all existence. At its heart, sorcery is the process of shaping matter and energy in a uniquely Primordial fashion. I draws upon the Schema of the Primordials and the Yozi alike to draw many smaller magics together into an expression of titanic power known as a spell. While Brigid refused all attempts to quantify the nature of these smaller magical units—the Mother of All Spells took a notoriously holistic and intuitive view to sorcery that no Solar Exalt since has truly been able to emulate (to the amusement of many Lunar mates)—popular Silurian notation encoded them as Glyphs, and the terminology has persisted even through the turn of the First Age. Sorcery is rooted in Occult, as it is the Ability that allows a mortal or spirit to understand the vast and alien workings of Primordials, but a true sorcerer must study and understand countless fields and disciplines to exercise true cosmic comprehension.
NEW KEYWORDS
Physical – Shapings and spells directed through the Physical keyword take on a tangible shape and interact with the world according to the Principle of the Material. Such effects compare against Physical Defense Values and Soak (where applicable) to determine the efficacy.
Mental – Shapings and spells directed through the Mental keyword remain dreamstuff and phantasmagorical Essence in concordance with the Prince of the Immaterial. Such effects are compared against Mental Defense Values and may be resisted through expenditures of Willpower.
INITIATION CHARMS
Terrestrial Schema of Gaia
Cost: -- (1wp); Mins: Essence 3 (additional requirements below)
Keywords: None; Type: Permanent
Prerequisites: None
For millennia, this Initiation has been the foundation of Creation’s sorcery by an overwhelming margin. When illustrated as the Master Glyph in Silurian notation, this schema is a character of five strokes converging at a central point and spiraling outward like a maelstrom, reflecting the unity of the Five Dragons. Dragon-Blooded, Dragon-Kings, Solars, Infernals, and Abyssals require Occult 3 to learn this Schema; Lunars and Alchemicals need only Intelligence 3. Mortals brought to the peak of human capability (Occult 5) may also learn this Charm. Immediately upon learning the Terrestrial Schema of Gaia, the character learn the Motic Glyph and a single additional Glyph with the Elemental keyword for free.
A sorcerer inside Creation (the environs of an effect such as Chaos-Repelling Prana count) may spend a point of Willpower to attune themselves to the harmonious Schema of Gaia’s infamous souls, becoming capable of taking Shaping actions against the surrounding Creation, Creation-born, or objects from Creation. Spells built and unified by the Terrestrial Schema of Gaia may contain no more than five additional Glyphs, and must always include at least one Glyph with the Elemental keyword.
Cosmic Schema of Gaia
Cost: -- (3wp); Mins: Essence 5
Keywords: None; Type: Permanent
Prerequisites: Terrestrial Schema of Gaia
Most Dragon-Blooded would balk at the very notion of this Charm. The idea that they command but a fraction of Gaia’s proper sorcerous principle would surely chafe and might even cause several to reconsider their place in the great cosmos. Solars and Third Circle Kami require Occult 5 to learn this Schema; Lunars may do so with Intelligence 5. Either way, it requires the direct tutelage of a Third Circle Kami already initiated into this Schema or Gaia herself.
A sorcerer may spend three Willpower to sear the surrounding locale with the primal Essence of the Emerald Mother, super-saturating the area with Gaian Essence and allowing the sorcerer access to Shaping Actions. This power transforms an area (Essence) miles in radius into part of Creation for the duration of the scene; if invoked in Creation proper, this effect levies a three mote tax on any Shaping Actions or Charms with the Shaping keyword invoked be being outside of the purview of Creation. The sorcerer may access Terrestrial Schema of Gaia naturally during the scene without further cost. This otherwise function as Terrestrial Schema of Gaia, save that spells united by this Schema may contain up to (Willpower x 2) Glyphs.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Generation II Warships
Transval-Class Ship of the Line
Smaller than the Flower of the East but no less dangerous, the first five warships to leave the drydocks of Petal's first Factory-Cathedral were commissioned by Ivory Eyes in order to better prepare the city's defenses for what seems to be an inevitable war with the Mask of Winters. Each Transval-Class warship is a sleek construct of red orichalcum and jade; its silhouette resembles the barbs of a trident as two curved wings jut from the main hold of the ship. Constructed to be lighter and more response than the comparatively bulky Renewed-Glory class, the Transvals are among the fastest known ships in service to Creation. The five ships currently in operation are the S.G.L. Brilliant Raptor, Storm Serpent, Grinning Crocodile, Noble Hart, and O-Mochi.
Speed: 55/110mph
Maneuverability: +3S (Lore 3, Sail 5)
Endurance: Each Transval-Class warship requires the power of a dedicated hearthstone rated 4 or higher, and the captain must attune to the ship for five motes. All five current ships feature tri-core Hearthstone Reactors capable of reflexively changing from one stone to the next in the event of geomantic sabotage. This redundancy unfortunately limits the number of ships that can be in commission at once.
Crew: 10/4 (3/1 if captained by a Celestial Exalt)
Cargo: Each Transval-Class ship can birth and supply about thirty soldiers in a temporary capacity. It has only ten proper bunks in three sets of three and a small Captain's Quarters. Each also features an array at the bottom of the hull that would allow up to a Royal Warstrider to attach to the ship with minimal adjustments.
Armor: 36L/36B
Health Levels: Ux35, Mx20, Cx10, Ix10, D
Weapons: Four forward medium Essence cannons, two rear. Each is also allotted four Thunderwolf bombs.
Other Systems:
Hover Drive - Something of a standard feature on Ivory's ships, each Transval-class ship has a less cumbersome (but equally less sophisticated) version of Ivory's Levitation Pillar. If the engine fails, anyone at any panel may spend two motes per tick to power the Hover Drive, keeping the ship aloft or gently descending ten yards. This power can be used to arrest a dive-bombing Transval-class warship only seconds from crashing and set it down with the utmost grace.
Jade Dragon Hyperdrive - The Flower was constructed to travel all of Creation, but the Transval-class was created to move swiftly and effectively across a battlespace, not the entirety of the world. To that end, Ivory Eyes has simplified the Hyperdrive technology employed on the Flower. Jade-Dragon class Hyperdrives allow for brief, instant jumps into Elsewhere eddies. For a cost of four motes, payable by the captain, the ship may be transported one-hundred yards in either a random or predetermined direction in a tick. For an addition six motes, the jump becomes weaponized by a deliberate lack of complete dematerialization--the ship erupts forward in a blaze of Essence, dealing 15 dice of bashing, piercing damage to anything unlucky enough to be in its path. Sadly, the lack of an onboard AI in the first generation of Transvals means that if this power is used on the ground, there is a very real chance that the ship will materialize amidst an obstruction, dealing the same damage (or more) to itself.
Transval-Class Ship of the Line
Smaller than the Flower of the East but no less dangerous, the first five warships to leave the drydocks of Petal's first Factory-Cathedral were commissioned by Ivory Eyes in order to better prepare the city's defenses for what seems to be an inevitable war with the Mask of Winters. Each Transval-Class warship is a sleek construct of red orichalcum and jade; its silhouette resembles the barbs of a trident as two curved wings jut from the main hold of the ship. Constructed to be lighter and more response than the comparatively bulky Renewed-Glory class, the Transvals are among the fastest known ships in service to Creation. The five ships currently in operation are the S.G.L. Brilliant Raptor, Storm Serpent, Grinning Crocodile, Noble Hart, and O-Mochi.
Speed: 55/110mph
Maneuverability: +3S (Lore 3, Sail 5)
Endurance: Each Transval-Class warship requires the power of a dedicated hearthstone rated 4 or higher, and the captain must attune to the ship for five motes. All five current ships feature tri-core Hearthstone Reactors capable of reflexively changing from one stone to the next in the event of geomantic sabotage. This redundancy unfortunately limits the number of ships that can be in commission at once.
Crew: 10/4 (3/1 if captained by a Celestial Exalt)
Cargo: Each Transval-Class ship can birth and supply about thirty soldiers in a temporary capacity. It has only ten proper bunks in three sets of three and a small Captain's Quarters. Each also features an array at the bottom of the hull that would allow up to a Royal Warstrider to attach to the ship with minimal adjustments.
Armor: 36L/36B
Health Levels: Ux35, Mx20, Cx10, Ix10, D
Weapons: Four forward medium Essence cannons, two rear. Each is also allotted four Thunderwolf bombs.
Other Systems:
Hover Drive - Something of a standard feature on Ivory's ships, each Transval-class ship has a less cumbersome (but equally less sophisticated) version of Ivory's Levitation Pillar. If the engine fails, anyone at any panel may spend two motes per tick to power the Hover Drive, keeping the ship aloft or gently descending ten yards. This power can be used to arrest a dive-bombing Transval-class warship only seconds from crashing and set it down with the utmost grace.
Jade Dragon Hyperdrive - The Flower was constructed to travel all of Creation, but the Transval-class was created to move swiftly and effectively across a battlespace, not the entirety of the world. To that end, Ivory Eyes has simplified the Hyperdrive technology employed on the Flower. Jade-Dragon class Hyperdrives allow for brief, instant jumps into Elsewhere eddies. For a cost of four motes, payable by the captain, the ship may be transported one-hundred yards in either a random or predetermined direction in a tick. For an addition six motes, the jump becomes weaponized by a deliberate lack of complete dematerialization--the ship erupts forward in a blaze of Essence, dealing 15 dice of bashing, piercing damage to anything unlucky enough to be in its path. Sadly, the lack of an onboard AI in the first generation of Transvals means that if this power is used on the ground, there is a very real chance that the ship will materialize amidst an obstruction, dealing the same damage (or more) to itself.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
The Book of Three Circles, I
Titanic Glory of Gaia
Solar Circle Sorcery
Keywords: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Shaping
Cost: 60m
Target: Caster
This spell is one of the last to have been entered into the Book of Three Circles, penned by a Solar Circle Sorcerer who sought to bolster the affections of his Lunar mate to their utmost zenith by taking on the Essence, aspect, and spiritual mantle of the Emerald Mother herself. The marginalia of the Book of Three Circles itself lists no small controversy over the spell's creation and inclusion, with the strongest objections being levied against certain modular notation used in the spell that suggest it's possible adaptation to channel different titanic powers. Traces of a poor attempt to over-write the spell can still be seen under the effects of Essence sight, where it was given the name Mother and Empress Assumption. The marginalia notes this attempt as conducted by the spell's largest opponent, the sorceress Aesha.
This spell is a deliberate exception to normal Shape Sorcery rules--prospective casters must declare their intent to cast this spell during their first Shape Sorcery action and cannot change this decision without aborting the entire shaping process. In exchange, this spell's shaping bears unique powers in and of itself. During each Shape Sorcery action taken to cast this spell, the sorcerer channels ever-increasing amounts of Gaian Essence that projects a field equal in strength and size to Creation-Repelling Prana. Each action, the sorcerer's player receives (Essence + Occult) dice which may be reflexively awarded to any action taken inside that radius by a creature born of Creation. These bonus dice count as dice from Charms, and manifest as a helpful burst of Essence.
Once cast, the sorcerer is engulfed in a fleeting chrysalis of Primordial power eerily similar to the Chrysalis Grotesque. They emerge an instant later, their physical appearance changed as their body transforms to better utilize their alien Essence. Their Attributes become equal to the values given below for an Avatar of Gaia unless their natural Attributes are superior--with the exception of Manipulation, which may be lowered by this spell. They still project a field of Creation-aspected Essence as they did during the Shaping process, and still gain dice to distribute each action.
The sorcerer is terrifying and beautiful to behold, and any creature born of Creation is cowed by a sense of overpowering love. If their MDV does not exceed the caster's (Compassion + Occult + Essence), they must spend a single point of Willpower to take any hostile action against the caster. It curious to note that this mental influence is unblockable to Lunar Exalted; they cannot so casually deny the majesty of everything that their patron finds to be worthy and lovely.
Anytime a demon, raksha, ghost, or other creature born outside the bounds of Creation dies within the sorcerer's presence, they may reflexively spend five motes to transform the creature's spiritual matter into an Essence 1 mortal as a Shaping effect. The mortal retains their former memories, but their Attributes and Abilities are diminished as befits a mortal frame.
Channeling so much power into a mortal frame has other difficulties. Once cast, the sorcerer crafts an Urge fitting to Gaia's thematics of love, life, protection with the approval of his storyteller. Any action that works contrary to that Urge requires the expenditure of a point of Willpower; any action that is unrelated to that Urge requires the expenditure of a single mote of Essence. Ending this spell is a miscellaneous action that always works contrary to that Urge.
Avatar of Gaia
Strength 12, Dexterity 8, Stamina 15, Charisma 10, Manipulation 1, Appearance 10, Perception 8, Intelligence 8, Wits 10
Titanic Glory of Autocthon
Solar Circle Sorcery
Keywords: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Shaping
Cost: 60m
Target: Caster
Sometimes, objection is nothing more than a smokescreen for ambition. This spell, also called Brass and Shadow Ascension, was never made public in the Solar Deliberative and never entered into the Book of Three Circles. The only record of its existence was kept by its creator, and to this day the only record of the sorceress Aesha's final spell is still secreted away in some dank corner of Lotus-that-Was.
Like the spell it was based on, this spell is a deliberate exception to normal Shape Sorcery rules--prospective casters must declare their intent to cast this spell during their first Shape Sorcery action and cannot change this decision without aborting the entire shaping process. In exchange, this spell's shaping bears unique powers in and of itself. During each Shape Sorcery action taken to cast this spell, the sorcerer channels the dark cunning of Autocthonian Essence. This Essence manifests as a field equal to (Essence) yards in radius. Within this field, all beings are brought into the Design of Autocthon as an Axiomatic Shaping effect; against Creatures of the Void, this field constitutes an environmental hazard that deals (Craft)L/action and has a trauma of (Essence).
Once cast, the sorcerer is engulfed in a fleeting chrysalis of Primordial power eerily similar to the Chrysalis Grotesque. They emerge an instant later, their physical appearance changed as their body transforms to better utilize their alien Essence. Their Attributes become equal to the values given below for an Avatar of Autocthon unless their natural Attributes are superior--with the exception of their Stamina, which may be reduced through this spell.
Empowered by the might of the Great Maker himself, the caster becomes sovereign over all mechanisms. They may reflexively spend three motes to strip an attack from any bonuses granted by artifacts--this completely negates entirely artifact-based attacks such as a blast from a Concussive Essence Cannon. For the duration of this magic, the sorceress may instantly force full attunement to any unattuned artifact as a reflexive, diceless action and incurs no special expense for attuning to other magical materials.
Channeling so much power into a mortal frame has other difficulties. Once cast, the sorcerer crafts an Urge fitting to Autocthon's thematics of artifice, revenge, and invention with the approval of his storyteller. Any action that works contrary to that Urge requires the expenditure of a point of Willpower; any action that is unrelated to that Urge requires the expenditure of a single mote of Essence. Ending this spell is a miscellaneous action that always works contrary to that Urge.
Avatar of Autocthon
Strength 8, Dexterity 10, Stamina 1, Charisma 8, Manipulation 8, Appearance 7, Perception 12, Intelligence 16, Wits 12
Solar Circle Sorcery
Keywords: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Shaping
Cost: 60m
Target: Caster
This spell is one of the last to have been entered into the Book of Three Circles, penned by a Solar Circle Sorcerer who sought to bolster the affections of his Lunar mate to their utmost zenith by taking on the Essence, aspect, and spiritual mantle of the Emerald Mother herself. The marginalia of the Book of Three Circles itself lists no small controversy over the spell's creation and inclusion, with the strongest objections being levied against certain modular notation used in the spell that suggest it's possible adaptation to channel different titanic powers. Traces of a poor attempt to over-write the spell can still be seen under the effects of Essence sight, where it was given the name Mother and Empress Assumption. The marginalia notes this attempt as conducted by the spell's largest opponent, the sorceress Aesha.
This spell is a deliberate exception to normal Shape Sorcery rules--prospective casters must declare their intent to cast this spell during their first Shape Sorcery action and cannot change this decision without aborting the entire shaping process. In exchange, this spell's shaping bears unique powers in and of itself. During each Shape Sorcery action taken to cast this spell, the sorcerer channels ever-increasing amounts of Gaian Essence that projects a field equal in strength and size to Creation-Repelling Prana. Each action, the sorcerer's player receives (Essence + Occult) dice which may be reflexively awarded to any action taken inside that radius by a creature born of Creation. These bonus dice count as dice from Charms, and manifest as a helpful burst of Essence.
Once cast, the sorcerer is engulfed in a fleeting chrysalis of Primordial power eerily similar to the Chrysalis Grotesque. They emerge an instant later, their physical appearance changed as their body transforms to better utilize their alien Essence. Their Attributes become equal to the values given below for an Avatar of Gaia unless their natural Attributes are superior--with the exception of Manipulation, which may be lowered by this spell. They still project a field of Creation-aspected Essence as they did during the Shaping process, and still gain dice to distribute each action.
The sorcerer is terrifying and beautiful to behold, and any creature born of Creation is cowed by a sense of overpowering love. If their MDV does not exceed the caster's (Compassion + Occult + Essence), they must spend a single point of Willpower to take any hostile action against the caster. It curious to note that this mental influence is unblockable to Lunar Exalted; they cannot so casually deny the majesty of everything that their patron finds to be worthy and lovely.
Anytime a demon, raksha, ghost, or other creature born outside the bounds of Creation dies within the sorcerer's presence, they may reflexively spend five motes to transform the creature's spiritual matter into an Essence 1 mortal as a Shaping effect. The mortal retains their former memories, but their Attributes and Abilities are diminished as befits a mortal frame.
Channeling so much power into a mortal frame has other difficulties. Once cast, the sorcerer crafts an Urge fitting to Gaia's thematics of love, life, protection with the approval of his storyteller. Any action that works contrary to that Urge requires the expenditure of a point of Willpower; any action that is unrelated to that Urge requires the expenditure of a single mote of Essence. Ending this spell is a miscellaneous action that always works contrary to that Urge.
Avatar of Gaia
Strength 12, Dexterity 8, Stamina 15, Charisma 10, Manipulation 1, Appearance 10, Perception 8, Intelligence 8, Wits 10
Titanic Glory of Autocthon
Solar Circle Sorcery
Keywords: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Shaping
Cost: 60m
Target: Caster
Sometimes, objection is nothing more than a smokescreen for ambition. This spell, also called Brass and Shadow Ascension, was never made public in the Solar Deliberative and never entered into the Book of Three Circles. The only record of its existence was kept by its creator, and to this day the only record of the sorceress Aesha's final spell is still secreted away in some dank corner of Lotus-that-Was.
Like the spell it was based on, this spell is a deliberate exception to normal Shape Sorcery rules--prospective casters must declare their intent to cast this spell during their first Shape Sorcery action and cannot change this decision without aborting the entire shaping process. In exchange, this spell's shaping bears unique powers in and of itself. During each Shape Sorcery action taken to cast this spell, the sorcerer channels the dark cunning of Autocthonian Essence. This Essence manifests as a field equal to (Essence) yards in radius. Within this field, all beings are brought into the Design of Autocthon as an Axiomatic Shaping effect; against Creatures of the Void, this field constitutes an environmental hazard that deals (Craft)L/action and has a trauma of (Essence).
Once cast, the sorcerer is engulfed in a fleeting chrysalis of Primordial power eerily similar to the Chrysalis Grotesque. They emerge an instant later, their physical appearance changed as their body transforms to better utilize their alien Essence. Their Attributes become equal to the values given below for an Avatar of Autocthon unless their natural Attributes are superior--with the exception of their Stamina, which may be reduced through this spell.
Empowered by the might of the Great Maker himself, the caster becomes sovereign over all mechanisms. They may reflexively spend three motes to strip an attack from any bonuses granted by artifacts--this completely negates entirely artifact-based attacks such as a blast from a Concussive Essence Cannon. For the duration of this magic, the sorceress may instantly force full attunement to any unattuned artifact as a reflexive, diceless action and incurs no special expense for attuning to other magical materials.
Channeling so much power into a mortal frame has other difficulties. Once cast, the sorcerer crafts an Urge fitting to Autocthon's thematics of artifice, revenge, and invention with the approval of his storyteller. Any action that works contrary to that Urge requires the expenditure of a point of Willpower; any action that is unrelated to that Urge requires the expenditure of a single mote of Essence. Ending this spell is a miscellaneous action that always works contrary to that Urge.
Avatar of Autocthon
Strength 8, Dexterity 10, Stamina 1, Charisma 8, Manipulation 8, Appearance 7, Perception 12, Intelligence 16, Wits 12
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Titan Ascending, Part I
Sorcerous Enlightenment of Ivory Eyes
Cost: --; Min: Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: First Ivory Eyes Excellency
Sorcerers initiated in the magic of Ivory Eyes learn that enlightenment is power, and with that power comes the duty to spread enlightenment. Whenever they cast a spell that would target themselves, they may instead touch another and make them the target of the spell, though all calculations based on Attributes, Essence, and other traits depend on the sorcerer's ratings. It is a curious side-effecting of this beneficence that the target may later learn the spell that affected them, using their own experience with the enchantment as a tutor. In return, a sorcerer initiated through the enlightenment of Ivory Eyes...
Empathy Crosses Creation
Cost: --(+WP, Compassion); Min: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Sorcerous Enlightenment of Ivory Eyes
Ivory Eyes was once mortal, and so she understands that the bindings of affection and esteem can join mortals in ways more complex than even the most intricate geomancy. Whenever the sorcerer casts a spell that benefits from the enhancement the Sorcerous Enlightenment of Ivory Eyes, she may spend a Compassion channel to strengthen a mutual Intimacy with her target into an Arcane Link. The target and the sorcerer must each have an Intimacy for each other, or for a group that they represent. While the context of these Intimacies do not need to be identical, they must be compatible--love and hate cannot form the indelible connection this magic requires. This can replace any one Arcane Link the spell would normally require, and it also allows the spell to work without a touch. For a single point of Willpower, the spell may target a being in the same realm of existence. For two, the spell can pierce any distance short of the Seal of Eight Divinities.
Hallowed Promise Aegis
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Min: Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Up to (Essence) actions
Prerequisite Charms: Sorcerous Enlightenment of Ivory Eyes
Ivory Eyes promised the people of Lotus that she would be their bulwark against the darkest magic that could be brought against them. This charm supplements a Defend Other action taken by the sorcerer, eliminating the action's DV penalty. The ward protected by this Charm shimmers with incandescent light, a pale aurora similar to Ivory's own. Until the user fails to take a Defend Other action on the target's behalf or the Charm's duration elapses, they are protected as if through the personal protection effect of Emerald Circle Countermagic.
A second purchase at Essence 4+ allows the user to spend an extra four motes to grant protection equal to Sapphire Circle Countermagic. A third purchase at Essence 5+ allows the user to spend an additional six motes (for a total of 15m, 1wp) to grant protection equal to Adamant Circle Countermagic.
Cost: --; Min: Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: First Ivory Eyes Excellency
Sorcerers initiated in the magic of Ivory Eyes learn that enlightenment is power, and with that power comes the duty to spread enlightenment. Whenever they cast a spell that would target themselves, they may instead touch another and make them the target of the spell, though all calculations based on Attributes, Essence, and other traits depend on the sorcerer's ratings. It is a curious side-effecting of this beneficence that the target may later learn the spell that affected them, using their own experience with the enchantment as a tutor. In return, a sorcerer initiated through the enlightenment of Ivory Eyes...
Empathy Crosses Creation
Cost: --(+WP, Compassion); Min: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Sorcerous Enlightenment of Ivory Eyes
Ivory Eyes was once mortal, and so she understands that the bindings of affection and esteem can join mortals in ways more complex than even the most intricate geomancy. Whenever the sorcerer casts a spell that benefits from the enhancement the Sorcerous Enlightenment of Ivory Eyes, she may spend a Compassion channel to strengthen a mutual Intimacy with her target into an Arcane Link. The target and the sorcerer must each have an Intimacy for each other, or for a group that they represent. While the context of these Intimacies do not need to be identical, they must be compatible--love and hate cannot form the indelible connection this magic requires. This can replace any one Arcane Link the spell would normally require, and it also allows the spell to work without a touch. For a single point of Willpower, the spell may target a being in the same realm of existence. For two, the spell can pierce any distance short of the Seal of Eight Divinities.
Hallowed Promise Aegis
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Min: Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Up to (Essence) actions
Prerequisite Charms: Sorcerous Enlightenment of Ivory Eyes
Ivory Eyes promised the people of Lotus that she would be their bulwark against the darkest magic that could be brought against them. This charm supplements a Defend Other action taken by the sorcerer, eliminating the action's DV penalty. The ward protected by this Charm shimmers with incandescent light, a pale aurora similar to Ivory's own. Until the user fails to take a Defend Other action on the target's behalf or the Charm's duration elapses, they are protected as if through the personal protection effect of Emerald Circle Countermagic.
A second purchase at Essence 4+ allows the user to spend an extra four motes to grant protection equal to Sapphire Circle Countermagic. A third purchase at Essence 5+ allows the user to spend an additional six motes (for a total of 15m, 1wp) to grant protection equal to Adamant Circle Countermagic.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Wonders of Far-Flung Petal I
Wonders I: from Ivory's Own Forge
Glass Rule (Artifact 4) is a perfect dome-shaped shield crafted from rare veins of thrice-sanctified white orichalcum polished to a peerless sheen. Thin but intricate glyphs are etched into the mirror's surface through a process of direct motic inscription; as they are illuminated, each forms one of twelve great orisons to the Unconquered Sun's role as the arbiter of equitable justice. When attuned for eight motes, it becomes weightless as sunlight and strong as the Omphalos itself. No blow can mar its surface or shatter its wholeness. The bearer may add a +3 Shield bonus to both of his DVs. If the shield is successfully used to parry a magically supplemented attack, the owner may reflexively spend 3m, 1wp to mirror the attack--and its enhancements--upon the aggressor as a Counterattack. The attacker is subjected to the same attack, using the results as he originally rolled them.
Inherent to the justness of this retribution, though, is the concept of real danger--this power may not be used if the owner of Glass Rule invoked a perfect defense of any sort during this action. Equally dangerous to the owner is the way that Glass Rule enforces its sense of fairness--an attuned owner who personally instigates a battle or who escalates a battle to lethal levels is automatically subjected to the first attack they make that qualifies for either of these conditions--striking an unarmed man or moving to kill when no other blood has been shed, for example. The owner himself appears in phantom light reflected off Glass Rule, striking at the true attuned user with a look of righteous contempt. Glass Rule can subject its owner to only one such attack per scene, but it may continue to do so for twenty four hours after the breaking of attunement, temporarily taking over any other reflective surfaces in the former owner's presence.
The Tenfold Scabbard (Artifact 4) is a humble-looking bit of black leather covered all over with orichalcum filigree and marked by ten dark, lusterless gemstones. Its attunement cost is highly unorthadox in that it is entirely variable--the owner may attune it for a single mote, or for ten, or for two-thousand if they wanted. Once attuned, the owner may place any artifact blade within it; the Tenfold Scabbard expands to cover anything from a mortal dagger to a grand daiklave. Once sheathed, a weapon disappears entirely, consumed in a burst of golden Essence, and one of the sheath's ten stones brightens in color. Artifact weapons held within the Tenfold Scabbard need not be attuned and, in fact, attunement breaks when they are sent Elsewhere. As a miscellaneous action (Speed 4, DV -1), the bearer may draw any number of blades from the sheath so long as their combined attunement cost is equal to or less than the number of motes invested in the Tenfold Scabbard. Banishing a blade by sheathing it is a reflexive action. Mote committed to the Scabbard can be adjusted through a twenty-minute process of meditation. Obviously, the Scabbard may hold no more than ten swords in its Elsewhere arsenal at any one time.
The First Hunter's Mantle (Artifact 4) is a sash of black silk that seems to devour light from the world around it. When tied around the wearer's waist and attuned for five motes, it covers the user in an umbra of pitch black--save, curiously, for the wearer's eyes, which grow yellow and feline, shining with a savage intensity. The very fibers of the Mantle were woven from some of the eldest memories of mortalkind, and whoever wears the mantle may prey upon those fears. Those who glimpse the attuned user compare their MDVs to the owner's (Charisma + Presence). If they succumb to this attack, they suffer a Compulsion effect forcing them to flee; this Compulsion costs a point of Willpower to resist per action and persists until the target either steels their nerves with a Miscellaneous action to roll their Valor against a difficulty of 2 or has spent three Willpower in total. The greatest power of this mantle comes in pursuit--when chasing anyone fleeing because of fear or still in the process of shaking off the mantle's effect, it doubles the attuned owner's speed and allows him to reflexively dematerialize for three motes a tick in order to overcome obstacles between him and his quarry.
The Gaoler's Key (Artifact 4) is a solid piece of orichalcum worked into a key just under a foot in size. When attuned for four motes, it sheds a cruel, white light at all times equal to a Solar anima at the 4-7 level. The owner is reflexively aware of any attempts to circumvent the proscribed boundaries of Creation within an area equal to their (Essence x 100) yards in radius. In the Wyld, this can mean an Unshaped Raksha crossing the shinmatic horizons of Chaos to take on true shape. It applies equally well to the crossing of a Shadowland, the summoning of Ghosts or Demons, or the use of secret paths into Creation from the endless body of Cecelyne. The owner may spend a point of Willpower to initiate a contested roll of (Essence + Willpower) with any such intruder. The Goaler's Key grants the owner a single automatic success on all such rolls. If they owner wins the roll, the intruder is banished back to the heart of their natural realm and suffers a Compulsion to remain there for at least five days.
Harmony and Wisdom (Artifact 4) are a pair of short daiklaves crafted from pale blue jade the color of the morning sky. They sing in the hands of a gentle soul, and may be attuned for eight motes, with a discount equal to half the owner's Compassion, rounded up. Their blunted edges are soft as clouds and so it is that these swords inflict spiritual damage that can only be soaked through Stamina or Charms, and add Charisma to determine their damage rather than Strength. Mark this damage with an S; it heals at a rate of one point per day. While suffering from the powers of Harmony and Wisdom, a target adds a bonus to their Compassion rolls equal to the highest wound penalty that contains a level of this spiritual damage. If the incapacitated level is filled by this spiritual damage, the target suffers a Compulsion to cease hostilities which they may resist for three points of Willpower, healing back that level of damage. Actual physical damage replaces spiritual harm inflicted by Harmony and Wisdom without moving them up.
Speed 3, Accuracy +4, Damage +1S, Defense +1, Rate 2, Attune (Varies)
Glass Rule (Artifact 4) is a perfect dome-shaped shield crafted from rare veins of thrice-sanctified white orichalcum polished to a peerless sheen. Thin but intricate glyphs are etched into the mirror's surface through a process of direct motic inscription; as they are illuminated, each forms one of twelve great orisons to the Unconquered Sun's role as the arbiter of equitable justice. When attuned for eight motes, it becomes weightless as sunlight and strong as the Omphalos itself. No blow can mar its surface or shatter its wholeness. The bearer may add a +3 Shield bonus to both of his DVs. If the shield is successfully used to parry a magically supplemented attack, the owner may reflexively spend 3m, 1wp to mirror the attack--and its enhancements--upon the aggressor as a Counterattack. The attacker is subjected to the same attack, using the results as he originally rolled them.
Inherent to the justness of this retribution, though, is the concept of real danger--this power may not be used if the owner of Glass Rule invoked a perfect defense of any sort during this action. Equally dangerous to the owner is the way that Glass Rule enforces its sense of fairness--an attuned owner who personally instigates a battle or who escalates a battle to lethal levels is automatically subjected to the first attack they make that qualifies for either of these conditions--striking an unarmed man or moving to kill when no other blood has been shed, for example. The owner himself appears in phantom light reflected off Glass Rule, striking at the true attuned user with a look of righteous contempt. Glass Rule can subject its owner to only one such attack per scene, but it may continue to do so for twenty four hours after the breaking of attunement, temporarily taking over any other reflective surfaces in the former owner's presence.
The Tenfold Scabbard (Artifact 4) is a humble-looking bit of black leather covered all over with orichalcum filigree and marked by ten dark, lusterless gemstones. Its attunement cost is highly unorthadox in that it is entirely variable--the owner may attune it for a single mote, or for ten, or for two-thousand if they wanted. Once attuned, the owner may place any artifact blade within it; the Tenfold Scabbard expands to cover anything from a mortal dagger to a grand daiklave. Once sheathed, a weapon disappears entirely, consumed in a burst of golden Essence, and one of the sheath's ten stones brightens in color. Artifact weapons held within the Tenfold Scabbard need not be attuned and, in fact, attunement breaks when they are sent Elsewhere. As a miscellaneous action (Speed 4, DV -1), the bearer may draw any number of blades from the sheath so long as their combined attunement cost is equal to or less than the number of motes invested in the Tenfold Scabbard. Banishing a blade by sheathing it is a reflexive action. Mote committed to the Scabbard can be adjusted through a twenty-minute process of meditation. Obviously, the Scabbard may hold no more than ten swords in its Elsewhere arsenal at any one time.
The First Hunter's Mantle (Artifact 4) is a sash of black silk that seems to devour light from the world around it. When tied around the wearer's waist and attuned for five motes, it covers the user in an umbra of pitch black--save, curiously, for the wearer's eyes, which grow yellow and feline, shining with a savage intensity. The very fibers of the Mantle were woven from some of the eldest memories of mortalkind, and whoever wears the mantle may prey upon those fears. Those who glimpse the attuned user compare their MDVs to the owner's (Charisma + Presence). If they succumb to this attack, they suffer a Compulsion effect forcing them to flee; this Compulsion costs a point of Willpower to resist per action and persists until the target either steels their nerves with a Miscellaneous action to roll their Valor against a difficulty of 2 or has spent three Willpower in total. The greatest power of this mantle comes in pursuit--when chasing anyone fleeing because of fear or still in the process of shaking off the mantle's effect, it doubles the attuned owner's speed and allows him to reflexively dematerialize for three motes a tick in order to overcome obstacles between him and his quarry.
The Gaoler's Key (Artifact 4) is a solid piece of orichalcum worked into a key just under a foot in size. When attuned for four motes, it sheds a cruel, white light at all times equal to a Solar anima at the 4-7 level. The owner is reflexively aware of any attempts to circumvent the proscribed boundaries of Creation within an area equal to their (Essence x 100) yards in radius. In the Wyld, this can mean an Unshaped Raksha crossing the shinmatic horizons of Chaos to take on true shape. It applies equally well to the crossing of a Shadowland, the summoning of Ghosts or Demons, or the use of secret paths into Creation from the endless body of Cecelyne. The owner may spend a point of Willpower to initiate a contested roll of (Essence + Willpower) with any such intruder. The Goaler's Key grants the owner a single automatic success on all such rolls. If they owner wins the roll, the intruder is banished back to the heart of their natural realm and suffers a Compulsion to remain there for at least five days.
Harmony and Wisdom (Artifact 4) are a pair of short daiklaves crafted from pale blue jade the color of the morning sky. They sing in the hands of a gentle soul, and may be attuned for eight motes, with a discount equal to half the owner's Compassion, rounded up. Their blunted edges are soft as clouds and so it is that these swords inflict spiritual damage that can only be soaked through Stamina or Charms, and add Charisma to determine their damage rather than Strength. Mark this damage with an S; it heals at a rate of one point per day. While suffering from the powers of Harmony and Wisdom, a target adds a bonus to their Compassion rolls equal to the highest wound penalty that contains a level of this spiritual damage. If the incapacitated level is filled by this spiritual damage, the target suffers a Compulsion to cease hostilities which they may resist for three points of Willpower, healing back that level of damage. Actual physical damage replaces spiritual harm inflicted by Harmony and Wisdom without moving them up.
Speed 3, Accuracy +4, Damage +1S, Defense +1, Rate 2, Attune (Varies)
Monday, June 7, 2010
Military Structure of Lotus
Ranks of the Unenlightened
• Velites: Archers and skirmishers. Equivalent to a Private.
• Miles: Infantry soldier. Equivalent to a Private.
• Equis: Cavalryman. Equivalent to a Private.
• Decanus: Fang or Scale commander. Between a Sergeant and a Lieutenant.
• Decurio: Commands a cavalry Fang or Scale. Between a Sergeant and a Lieutenant.
• Tesserarius: Third-in-command of a Talon. Act as assistants to the Optio.
• Optio: Second-in-command of a Talon. Act as assistants to the Centurion.
Ranks of the Enlightened
• Centurion: Talon commanders. Equivalent to a Captain.
• Centurion Ordines: Senior Talon commanders. The better sort of Captain.
• Centurion Prior: Special title for the five senior Centurions of a Legion.
• Centurion Primus: Special title for the senior Centurion of a Legion. One of the Centurion Priors.
Ranks of the Mighty, Sorcerers, and War-Amalga
• Praefectus: Commander of a Dragon. Equivalent to a Lt. Colonel.
• Tribune: Second-in-command of a Legion. Can independently head a Field Force. Loosely analogous to a Colonel.
• Legatus: Legion commander. Equivalent to a Brigadier.
• Dux: Commander of multiple Legions. Loosely analogous to a General.
• Imperator: Holder of Lotus's official power. Similar to a General, but also implies rulership. You all would be Imperators, Transval would not be.
Special Ranks of the Unenlightened
• Evocatus: A skilled soldier exempted from the worse kinds of work. Encompasses Specialists and Warrant Officers.
• Imaginifer: Carries icons of the God-Kings. Could be considered a priest, except for the sword.
• Cornicean: Special title for relays.
Specialist Ranks of the Enlightened
• Signifier: Elite relay of a Talon.
• Aquilifer: Elite relay of an entire Legion.
• Augur: A military diviner.
• Mechane: An honorary title for sentient constructs and other artifacts.
Specialist Ranks of the Mighty, Sorcerers, and Exalts
• Vates: Equivalent of a Sorcerer-Engineer.
• Sacerdos: Equivalent of a Sorcerer-Technician.
• Principium Mundi: A special title for any Exalt, albeit mostly used to refer to you guys in Lotus.
• Velites: Archers and skirmishers. Equivalent to a Private.
• Miles: Infantry soldier. Equivalent to a Private.
• Equis: Cavalryman. Equivalent to a Private.
• Decanus: Fang or Scale commander. Between a Sergeant and a Lieutenant.
• Decurio: Commands a cavalry Fang or Scale. Between a Sergeant and a Lieutenant.
• Tesserarius: Third-in-command of a Talon. Act as assistants to the Optio.
• Optio: Second-in-command of a Talon. Act as assistants to the Centurion.
Ranks of the Enlightened
• Centurion: Talon commanders. Equivalent to a Captain.
• Centurion Ordines: Senior Talon commanders. The better sort of Captain.
• Centurion Prior: Special title for the five senior Centurions of a Legion.
• Centurion Primus: Special title for the senior Centurion of a Legion. One of the Centurion Priors.
Ranks of the Mighty, Sorcerers, and War-Amalga
• Praefectus: Commander of a Dragon. Equivalent to a Lt. Colonel.
• Tribune: Second-in-command of a Legion. Can independently head a Field Force. Loosely analogous to a Colonel.
• Legatus: Legion commander. Equivalent to a Brigadier.
• Dux: Commander of multiple Legions. Loosely analogous to a General.
• Imperator: Holder of Lotus's official power. Similar to a General, but also implies rulership. You all would be Imperators, Transval would not be.
Special Ranks of the Unenlightened
• Evocatus: A skilled soldier exempted from the worse kinds of work. Encompasses Specialists and Warrant Officers.
• Imaginifer: Carries icons of the God-Kings. Could be considered a priest, except for the sword.
• Cornicean: Special title for relays.
Specialist Ranks of the Enlightened
• Signifier: Elite relay of a Talon.
• Aquilifer: Elite relay of an entire Legion.
• Augur: A military diviner.
• Mechane: An honorary title for sentient constructs and other artifacts.
Specialist Ranks of the Mighty, Sorcerers, and Exalts
• Vates: Equivalent of a Sorcerer-Engineer.
• Sacerdos: Equivalent of a Sorcerer-Technician.
• Principium Mundi: A special title for any Exalt, albeit mostly used to refer to you guys in Lotus.
The Seven-Leaved Prince
The Seven-Leaved Prince
Motivation: Faithfully serve and protect Lotus
Attributes:
Strength 0, Dexterity 0, Stamina 0
Charisma 2, Manipulation 1, Appearance 4
Perception 5, Intelligence 4, Wits 3
Abilities:
Archery 3, Awareness 3, Bureaucracy 1 (Shipboard Scheduling +1), Craft 2 (Magitech +1), Integrity 2, Linguistics 2 (Old Realm and Forest Tongue), Lore 4, Occult 3, Presence 3 (I'm a Warship, You Know +3), War 1 (Coordinating Attacks +2)
Essence 3, Willpower 6/6, Motes: 200/200
Compassion 3, Conviction 2, Temperance 2, Valor 3
Attacks: Four Medium Essence Cannons
Accuracy 8, Damage 20B Piercing, Rate 1, Range 125, the Prince may spend 1m per cannon to ignore multiple action penalties for an action.
Motivation: Faithfully serve and protect Lotus
Attributes:
Strength 0, Dexterity 0, Stamina 0
Charisma 2, Manipulation 1, Appearance 4
Perception 5, Intelligence 4, Wits 3
Abilities:
Archery 3, Awareness 3, Bureaucracy 1 (Shipboard Scheduling +1), Craft 2 (Magitech +1), Integrity 2, Linguistics 2 (Old Realm and Forest Tongue), Lore 4, Occult 3, Presence 3 (I'm a Warship, You Know +3), War 1 (Coordinating Attacks +2)
Essence 3, Willpower 6/6, Motes: 200/200
Compassion 3, Conviction 2, Temperance 2, Valor 3
Attacks: Four Medium Essence Cannons
Accuracy 8, Damage 20B Piercing, Rate 1, Range 125, the Prince may spend 1m per cannon to ignore multiple action penalties for an action.
The Flower of the East
The Flower of the East
Renewed Glory-Class Flagship of Lotus
There is no weapon known in the East finer than Ivory's Flower. The hull itself is a wide 'V' of adamant and orichalcum several hundred yards long and half as tall. Inside, the Flower of the East is divided into five decks, in ascending order: Cargo, Engineering, Recreational, Living, Bridge.
From its bridge, the Flower of the East commands an impressive view of the horizon. Essence-lit displays offer an Exalted captain a 360-degree view of the battlespace. The Living Deck contains comfortable berths for fifty crew members in mostly doubles, and the Recreational Deck offers a wide park stocked with the most exotic and beautiful plants of the East.
Speed: 35/70mph (90/210mph in Hyperdrive)
Maneuverability: +2S (Lore 4, Sail 4)
Endurance: Requires a Dualcore Protoshinmatic Reactor, and the captain must commit five motes of Essence to the throne. The shipboard AI must assent to the captain's commitment. Every five hours of operations beyond low-power deals a single point of Bashing damage.
Crew: 25/10 (5/1 if captained by a Celestial Exalt)
Cargo: The Flower of the East has roughly two decks worth of cargo space in addition to crew berths and even a small recreational area. It could comfortably transport legions of troops, a fang of warstriders, and other assorted supplies.
Armor: 38L/38B
Health Levels: Ux35, Mx20, Cx10, Ix10, D
Weapons: Ten mounted Medium Essence Cannon emplacements, six must be manned. Six manned lightning bows. Two manned Medium Implosion Bows. Six manned Medium Essence Cannons fitted specifically with Motonic Disruptor Lenses.
Other Systems:
Shipboard AI - The Flower of the East is administered by an awakened intelligence called the Seven-Leaved Prince. His core is a battery capable of holding two hundred motes of Essence; these are not linked to the reactor and thusly must be donated by Essence-users. He is kind spirited and somewhat naive. Bronzeheart has curiously adopted him as something of a son, and the Prince is capable of projecting his image to a transmitter in Bronzeheart to discuss strategy with the elder mechanism. When in range of one another, Bronzeheart and Seven-Leaved Prince can automatically coordinate any attacks that they can control (Seven-Leaved Prince controls only two of his Medium Essence Cannons; Bronzeheart controls one Large).
Hover-System - The Flower of the East is equipped with a large artifact at it's core called a levitation pillar. The pillar is, somewhat ironically, a tremendous cylinder of blue jade. When attuned for fifty motes--usually by Seven-Leaved Prince--the cylinder's girth is mystically inverted and it becomes less than weightless, capable of holding the ship in place. In this mode, the engines may be disengaged and operational damage can be assessed without causing further risk to the Flower. This also means that it would take quite a feat to down the Flower of the East, as this artifact is explicitly not part of the ship itself in any meaningful way.
Golden Dragon Hyperdrive - Now partially operable, the Golden Dragon Hyperdrive was reverse engineered from the Dragonrail system. It allows the ship to completely Dematerialize and would effectively triple the craft's speed. Opening a stable hyperdrive window through the Dematerialized world is a Speed 7, DV -4 action costing the Seven-Leaved Prince or captain 25m. Every hour spent in hyperdrive deals 1B damage to the Flower. It can also be used more readily: by spending 15m, Seven-Leaved Prince may reflexively dematerialize the ship for one tick, acting as an applicability-trumping Perfect Dodge against any attack that can not strike immaterial targets. This can not be invoked against attacks which the Prince or his captain are unaware of. This also incidentally sends the ship 100 yards in a random direction.
The Titanic Emulator - A chamber newly opened by Ivory Eyes, it is directly above the ship's Protoshinmatic Reactor. Inside, there is little more than a single throne of polished crystal and feathersteel. When in use, the room darkens and begins to draw energy from the Reactor. While in use, the ship is completely inoperable: it must be kept aloft by its levitation pillar. It can not move, and weapons tied to the ship's reserves must be powered by the Prince's own store of motes or, in the case of manned emplacements, their operators. The Prince may invoke the Flower's Perfect Dodge, but the cost rises to 25m, 1w.
Activating the Titanic Emulator requires someone with Wyldshaping Technique to attune to the chamber as a reflexive action by investing ten motes of Essence (or five, if the being is also attuned as the Flower's captain). Once attuned, the Emulator acts as a large-scale Hand of the Great Maker. The Protoshinmatic Reactor is capable of storing up to 50 banked successes. Spending successes on Battlefield Shaping causes the Flower's core to temporarily expose itself through an iris, releasing a thin beam of concentrated Wyld energy directly downwards.
Renewed Glory-Class Flagship of Lotus
There is no weapon known in the East finer than Ivory's Flower. The hull itself is a wide 'V' of adamant and orichalcum several hundred yards long and half as tall. Inside, the Flower of the East is divided into five decks, in ascending order: Cargo, Engineering, Recreational, Living, Bridge.
From its bridge, the Flower of the East commands an impressive view of the horizon. Essence-lit displays offer an Exalted captain a 360-degree view of the battlespace. The Living Deck contains comfortable berths for fifty crew members in mostly doubles, and the Recreational Deck offers a wide park stocked with the most exotic and beautiful plants of the East.
Speed: 35/70mph (90/210mph in Hyperdrive)
Maneuverability: +2S (Lore 4, Sail 4)
Endurance: Requires a Dualcore Protoshinmatic Reactor, and the captain must commit five motes of Essence to the throne. The shipboard AI must assent to the captain's commitment. Every five hours of operations beyond low-power deals a single point of Bashing damage.
Crew: 25/10 (5/1 if captained by a Celestial Exalt)
Cargo: The Flower of the East has roughly two decks worth of cargo space in addition to crew berths and even a small recreational area. It could comfortably transport legions of troops, a fang of warstriders, and other assorted supplies.
Armor: 38L/38B
Health Levels: Ux35, Mx20, Cx10, Ix10, D
Weapons: Ten mounted Medium Essence Cannon emplacements, six must be manned. Six manned lightning bows. Two manned Medium Implosion Bows. Six manned Medium Essence Cannons fitted specifically with Motonic Disruptor Lenses.
Other Systems:
Shipboard AI - The Flower of the East is administered by an awakened intelligence called the Seven-Leaved Prince. His core is a battery capable of holding two hundred motes of Essence; these are not linked to the reactor and thusly must be donated by Essence-users. He is kind spirited and somewhat naive. Bronzeheart has curiously adopted him as something of a son, and the Prince is capable of projecting his image to a transmitter in Bronzeheart to discuss strategy with the elder mechanism. When in range of one another, Bronzeheart and Seven-Leaved Prince can automatically coordinate any attacks that they can control (Seven-Leaved Prince controls only two of his Medium Essence Cannons; Bronzeheart controls one Large).
Hover-System - The Flower of the East is equipped with a large artifact at it's core called a levitation pillar. The pillar is, somewhat ironically, a tremendous cylinder of blue jade. When attuned for fifty motes--usually by Seven-Leaved Prince--the cylinder's girth is mystically inverted and it becomes less than weightless, capable of holding the ship in place. In this mode, the engines may be disengaged and operational damage can be assessed without causing further risk to the Flower. This also means that it would take quite a feat to down the Flower of the East, as this artifact is explicitly not part of the ship itself in any meaningful way.
Golden Dragon Hyperdrive - Now partially operable, the Golden Dragon Hyperdrive was reverse engineered from the Dragonrail system. It allows the ship to completely Dematerialize and would effectively triple the craft's speed. Opening a stable hyperdrive window through the Dematerialized world is a Speed 7, DV -4 action costing the Seven-Leaved Prince or captain 25m. Every hour spent in hyperdrive deals 1B damage to the Flower. It can also be used more readily: by spending 15m, Seven-Leaved Prince may reflexively dematerialize the ship for one tick, acting as an applicability-trumping Perfect Dodge against any attack that can not strike immaterial targets. This can not be invoked against attacks which the Prince or his captain are unaware of. This also incidentally sends the ship 100 yards in a random direction.
The Titanic Emulator - A chamber newly opened by Ivory Eyes, it is directly above the ship's Protoshinmatic Reactor. Inside, there is little more than a single throne of polished crystal and feathersteel. When in use, the room darkens and begins to draw energy from the Reactor. While in use, the ship is completely inoperable: it must be kept aloft by its levitation pillar. It can not move, and weapons tied to the ship's reserves must be powered by the Prince's own store of motes or, in the case of manned emplacements, their operators. The Prince may invoke the Flower's Perfect Dodge, but the cost rises to 25m, 1w.
Activating the Titanic Emulator requires someone with Wyldshaping Technique to attune to the chamber as a reflexive action by investing ten motes of Essence (or five, if the being is also attuned as the Flower's captain). Once attuned, the Emulator acts as a large-scale Hand of the Great Maker. The Protoshinmatic Reactor is capable of storing up to 50 banked successes. Spending successes on Battlefield Shaping causes the Flower's core to temporarily expose itself through an iris, releasing a thin beam of concentrated Wyld energy directly downwards.
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