B y Reminiscent Oasis and the Forums Main Editor, Samuel “Dragonmystic ” Smith Art: Cover: B entti Bisson Backgrounds: Whitney L eopard Chapter Comics: Inverted Mind Character Portraits : N ox Portrait: G onzo G od Portraits : Mellisa Pena C aste Marks : T eleute
Table
of
Contents
Introduction Chapter One : Heralds
4 and
Harlequins
7
Chapter Two : Nox , The Onyx Youth
29
Chapter Three: Character Creation
59
Chapter Four: Traits
63
Chapter Five: Charms
83
Chapter Six: The Miracles
of
Night
Chapter Seven: Storytelling
Table
166 180
of
Contents
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INTRODUCTION If the Universe came to an end every time there was some uncertainty about what had happened in it, it would never have got beyond the first picosecond. And many of course don’t. It’s like a human body, you see. A few cuts and bruises here and there don’t hurt it. Not even major surgery if it’s done properly. Paradoxes are just the scar tissue. Time and space heal themselves up around them and people simply remember a version of events which makes as much sense as they require it to make. ——Douglas Adams, “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency”
Lost for millennia, abandoned in a forgotten prison, the Nocturnal Exalted are a possibility waiting to be set free upon Creation. Or maybe they already have been. Or they might not yet exist at all. Perhaps they are all these things and more. The Chosen of Nox—the Incarna of Possibilities—are forged in paradox and contradiction. Unraveling that conundrum is just the beginning of their tale. Or possibly the end.
H ow to Use This Book The Manual of Exalted Power—The Nocturnals provides the rules and background to run a game that focuses upon Nocturnal Exalted characters or to design such characters as allies or antagonists for other Exalted games. The book’s contents are as follows: Chapter One: Heralds and Harlequins This chapter details the all too brief, and occasionally perplexing, history of the Nocturnal Exalted. It examines how they fit into and interact with the rest of Creation and its heroes and villains. Finally, a few notable Nocturnals are presented as sample characters. Chapter Two: Nox, the Onyx Youth
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In this chapter, the history of Nox, patron of the Nocturnals, is presented from his creation by the Primordials to his imprisonment by the Incarnae. His panoply and entourage from the height of his power are detailed, in addition to some gods and demons who continue to seek the Bound God. Chapter Three: Character Creation This chapter supplies the rules for creating a Nocturnal Exalted character. Chapter Four: Traits Unique traits and backgrounds for the Nocturnal Exalted are provided in this Chapter. Chapter Five: Charms The Nocturnals are the Chosen of chance and possibilities. They wield a variety of powers that defy the established order and undermine the dictates of tyrants and Fate alike. Chapter Six: The Miracles of Night In addition to Charms, the Nocturnal Exalted may perform reality-warping Fluctuations to momentarily reshape Creation. They also employ a unique set of hearthstones, artifacts, and other wonders. Chapter Seven: Storytelling This final chapter describes the special factors one must consider when storytelling a game about the Nocturnal Exalted.
This Is Not a Complete Game!
For that matter, The Manual of Exalted Power— The Nocturnals isn’t even an official supplement to White Wolf’s Exalted. In order to play with this book, you’ll need to have the Exalted Core, which details the Solar Exalted, the (mostly) virtuous Chosen of the Sun, as well as the basic rules for the game. But you probably knew that already. The Manual of Exalted Power—The Sidereals will also be quite useful to you, since many setting elements and unique rules overlap with the Chosen of the Maidens of Fate. When such overlap exists, those rules are not included in this book. Instead, alternative methods are provided. Use whichever you please, or blend them together. The Manual of Exalted Power— The Sidereals also, briefly, shows the Maidens’ side of Nox’s story and provided the original inspiration for this manual.
Lexicon
The majority of terms used in Exalted also apply to the Nocturnal Exalted. The following terms, however, are particularly relevant to Nocturnal characters. adamant: The sharp, light-weight magical material that resonates with the Nocturnal Exalted. A supernatural amalgam of diamond, glass, and various crystals, it usually appears sky blue or indigo from light scattering through its structure. Amber Legion: An enormous army of Fair Folk trapped within the Caverns of the Sky. They are unaware that the Balorian Crusade ended over 700 years ago. Bureau of Destiny: the division of the Celestial Bureaucracy headed by the Five Maidens and staffed by Sidereal Exalted and various gods, which oversees Fate and Destiny. Caelian City: Equivalent to the Daystar or the Silver Chair, this enormous city was Nox’s personal domain on the Firmament. It has since fallen to ruins and is fought over by various tribes of Godblooded, descendants of Nox’s entourage. Calibration: Five days set apart from the rest of the calendar to mark the end of one year and the beginning of the next. During this time, the night sky is empty of stars and the moon never rises. Regarded as an inauspicious time dominated by strange occurances. Many festivals are held during this time as people attempt to avoid serious activites during these troubled days. Once part of Nox’s domain. Calibration Court: The collective term for all Heralds before the majority of Nocturnals became Harlequins. Carnival Fantastique: The collective term for all Harlequins, equivalent to the Sidereal Five-Score Fellowship. Caverns of the Sky: An extensive network of caves and tunnels within the Firmament. A few segments have openings to the Empyrean Expanse. Celestial Vaults: The vaults within the Caverns of the Sky which served as the storehouse for the Primordials’ excess wonders. In a fit of anger, the Holy Tyrant sealed it from the rest of Creation during the Primordial War. It continues to be guarded and maintained by a large contingent of forbidden gods. Celestial Void: The highest, thinnest layer of Creation’s atmosphere immediately bordering the Firmament. Here the stars glow on immense towers anchored in the Firmament. companion: Either partner in a Nocturnal-Sidereal pair united by the mystical bond of their Exaltations. coterie: A small group of Heralds, equivalent to a circle of Solars. See also troupe.
Convention on Oversight: A mysterious agency that assigns many missions to Sidereals, watches their conduct, and generally makes everyone nervous in the Bureau of Destiny. Nox’s shattered mind composes at least part of this agency. Destiny: Specific plans for the future of beings, objects of locations within Fate created by the Bureau of Destiny. See also Fate, Samsara. domain: Similar to the astrological colleges studied by the Sidereal Exalted, the nine domains are fundamental facets of reality which the Nocturnals alter to perform fluctuations. The nine domains are the Stone, the Chisel, the Statue, the Silk, the Needle, the Cloak, the Clay, the Stylus, and the Tablet. Empyrean Expanse: The vast plain of the Firmament facing Creation. Its near-featureless glassy surface is occasionally interrupted by immense adamant towers that hold the stars aloft in the Celestial Void or by sinkholes leading down to the Caverns of the Sky. Fate: The routine sequence of events and causal relationships within Creation maintained and updated as needed by the Bureau of Destiny. See also Destiny, Samsara. Fate, Obscured from: The powers of Nox hides all references to himself, the Nocturnal Exalted, or forbidden gods from Fate. Those who are obscured from Fate are treated by all others as being outside of Fate. Beings who are mutually obscured from Fate instead treat one another as being within Fate. Fate, Outside of: Beings not native to Creation are naturally outside of Fate. They do not appear in the records of Fate and are not accounted for in future plans. After a few days of monitoring the weakest of such creatures—like the First Circle Demons and the Raksha—the Bureau of Destiny can usually account for the influence of these beings and bring them within Fate. Fate, Within: Beings native to Creation are generally within Fate and under the influence of the Bureau of Destiny. Powerful supernatural beings such as the Exalted can typically ignore Bureau’s influence, disturbing Fate in the process. Some cause more damage than others. Firmament: The adamant shell that forms the sky over Creation, originally created by the Primordial Oramus and ruled over by Nox during the earliest ages of the world. Fluctuation: A talent unique to the Nocturnal Exalted that allows them to warp Creation and its history into a new shape, if only for a moment. forbidden god: A god that is not part of the Celestial Bureaucracy, usually a fugitive deity of some unwholesome concept or a loyalist who supported the Primordials. Many were executed after the Primordial War. Others remain in hiding. Imprisoned by the Celestial Bureaucracy, Nox is the highest ranking forbidden god. Harlequin: A Nocturnal Exalt potentially under the influence of the Curse of Subservience. They make up the majority of Nocturnals. Herald: A Nocturnal Exalted without the Curse of Subservience. Only a handful remain. Kalpa: The hypothetical multiverse composed of all Manvantara. Manvantara: Any of a hypothetically infinite number of possible universes which Nox claimed existed. Manvantara have been theorized by other beings but not yet proven. An individual Manvantara is composed of all interrelated Realms of Existence. For example, Creation, the Wyld, the Underworld, Malfeas and Autochthonia form one Manvantara.
Introduction
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Nocturnal Exalted: The Chosen of Nox. One hundred Exalted designed to reveal and encourage alternate possibilities. Nox: The Incarna of Possibilities. The Onyx Youth. The Diamond Prince. The Calibration King. The Bound God. He was created by the Primordials to oppose the Five Maidens and ensure they did not overstep their bounds. Later, he was defeated by a conspiracy of the Five Maidens at the beginning of the Primordial War. Paradox: A conflict or error in Fate, typically caused by Sidereals overwriting Fate with new Destinies, or by a Nocturnal blatantly rejecting Fate by creating a Fluctuation. The Paradox Liberation: A clandestine organization apparently dedicated to releasing the Nocturnal Exaltation from whatever means has trapped them for millennia.
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samsara: The metaphysical principle of predestination.
It exists independently of Creation and its influence extends into all neighboring Realms of Existence. The Maidens can perceive a fraction of its vision, have never known it to be wrong, and must adhere to it once glimpsed. Nox was created to struggle against its vision, perhaps in vain. Only the Yozi Sacheverell has seen the full extent of samsara. All others are generally ignorant of its vision or even its existence. See also Destiny, Fate. Subservience: Autochthon placed the Curse of Subservience onto the Nocturnal Exaltations after Nox was defeated to discourage the Nocturnals from rebelling against those who had imprisoned their patron. troupe: A small group of Harlequins, equivalent to a circle of Solars. See also coterie.
Chapter One
Heralds and Harlequins
The Nocturnal Exalted are a mystery, to themselves and to the Bureau of Destiny. They have no established elders to spirit them away to learn in seclusion. No Silver Pact to train them in their ancient arts. No holy vision to give them guidance. The stars are silent regarding their destiny – it has fallen between the gaps in Fate, dissolving into the Infinite Possibilities that is the domain of their crippled patron, Nox. Not even the Immaculate Order’s propaganda against Anathema provides them with insight. At best, the Nocturnal Exalted have the half-coherent murmur of their patron whispering the past into their minds.
T he Cascade of Years In order to understand the Nocturnal Exalted and their place
in Creation, one must first understand their tragic origins and fall from grace. The current state of the Nocturnals is the end result of a long line of betrayals and misunderstandings. Like every Exalt though, their story begins with their patron in the prehistory of the world before the Incarnae rose up against their Primordial makers.
Nox and the Maidens
In the beginning, the Primordials fashioned Creation out of the raw chaos of the Wyld and established the Loom of Fate to ensure their greatest marvel continued to function as they decreed. To work the Loom, the Primordials unwittingly
made and appointed the five Maidens. It was their role to oversee specific areas of Fate that, collectively, held Creation together. Fearful of the predestined future from which the Maidens derived their power, the Primordials made Nox, the God of Infinite Possibilities, to supervise the work of the Maidens and inspect the Loom for dangers. Nox acted as a liaison between the Primordials and the Maidens, reporting hazards to the Lidless Eye that Sees, now the Yozi Sacheverell, and receiving requests from the various Primordials for alterations in Fate they wished the Maidens to enact. Nox had only limited power over the Loom of Fate. He could create vast changes, but could not sustain these alterations. The destinies woven by the Maidens overpowered the possibilities he revealed. More often than not, he evoked this power to demonstrate the inscrutable whims of the Primordials, displaying the changes their masters wished the Maidens to make a reality. At other times, he used this power to restore small segments of the Loom that had been ruined by Unshaped incursions before they could be driven off by the Unconquered Sun and Luna, while the Maidens worked to solidify the restored portions. Still, any interference with the Loom by Nox caused tangles that the Maidens had to fix. To the Maidens, Nox was only a source of deviation in their carefully laid plans. The Maidens were perfect manipulators of Fate, toiling tirelessly and flawlessly at their work. Nox, however, was
Chapter One • Heralds
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fashioned as the prime agent of free will and the randomness self-determination inserts into any system. The conflict between the Maidens and Nox soon became inevitable. To make matters worse, sexual tension among the Maidens and Nox ran high. To a mortal mind, such a relationship reeks of incest, but in all truthfulness, the Maidens and Nox were no more siblings than a set of tools crafted by the same hand. The Maidens and Nox played their games throughout Prehistory, sometime out of honest attraction, other times just to relieve the tedium of their work. As time went on, such dalliances only generated more ire among the Incarnae that interacted with the Loom of Fate. Nox was the last Incarna to be brought into the conspiracy against the Primordials. His close relationship to the Lidless Eye That Sees and the Black Boar that Twists the Sky made the other Incarnae skeptical of his loyalties. It was Luna who vouched for him, and convinced the Maidens that their true rivalry was not with Nox, but with the Primordials who issued orders through him. Remove the Primordials, she argued, and Nox would not interfere with their duties any longer. Perhaps she swayed their hearts. More likely, the Maidens had planned further ahead than the other Incarnae realized.
The Origins of the Nocturnal Exalted
After bringing him into the conspiracy, Nox’s primary role was to keep the Primordials distracted and assuage any misgivings the titans had regarding the original generation of Exalted. Nox met with The Lidless Eye That Sees and the White Ram, the titan’s Fetich, and argued to allow the Maidens’ chosen into Yu-Shan, so that they could gather requests from the various Primordials personally, at least until Nox’s own Chosen were ready to assume such duties. Though he allowed them into Yu-Shan, The Lidless Eye That Sees never truly trusted the Sidereals. Only his relationship with Nox caused him to be lax in security. Like a father that could not deny his favorite child a new toy, The Lidless Eye opened the Celestial Gates to the Sidereals. In doing so, he allowed the first Sidereals access to all the information the Exalts needed in their upcoming war. While the first Sidereals were already busy traveling between Heaven and Creation, the first Nocturnals were still a thought in the minds of Autochthon and Nox. As the last– and most indecisive–of the Incarnae to join the conspiracy, his Chosen were the last Exaltations to leave the Primal Forge. Nox spent considerable time studying the other Chosen as well as venturing into the Wyld to study the Unshaped. After returning to Autochthon with his observations, they still had much compromising to work out before the first Nocturnals could be Exalted. Nox’s original designs were far too eclectic for even the Great Maker to contain in a single Exaltatation. In the end, Autochthon built the Nocturnal Exalted according to Nox’s altered plans, a type of Exalt ready for any possible situation and able to make any possibility a momentary reality. Of course, the Exalted were more than just toys and tools for the Incarnae. They were weapons to be deployed in the greatest war Creation would ever see. That Nox needed constant reminding about this fact troubled the Maiden of Battles greatly. Still, the final design of the Nocturnals included their potential military application. The Nocturnal Exalted were intended to be the Heralds of the Exalted Host. They formed links that held the military together and kept it running smoothly, just as Nox had been the voice of the Primordials intended to ensure the gods operated as their makers’ had decreed. The Vanguards prepared the way for the Exalted military, not only in current battles but for potential
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battles hidden beyond the horizon. The Armigers fought alongside other champions of the gods, ensuring they went into battle under the most favorable conditions possible. The Ambassadors accompanied diplomats, protecting them from possible harm and revealing potential benefits from the Exalted victory in order to sway the hearts of neutral parties. The Barristers followed in the military’s wake, stabilizing conquered territory and enforcing the edicts of the Lawgivers among the frightened mortal populace. The Sophists maintained the flow of information, inspiring the Descending Suns and Silver Shadows to forge wonders as much as helping the Oracles hinder the progress of the Primordials’ spies. Or so they would have had Destiny not intervened.
Betrayals
The first generation of Nocturnal Exalted had nearly completed their initial training when the Maiden of Battles and the Maiden of Endings conferred and determined the war against the Primordials should begin within the next year if it had any hope of succeeding. Nox’s contradictory allegiances to both the Incarnae’s insurrection and his Primordial superiors frustrated the Maidens. They sought to win him wholly over to their side or expose his hypothetical treachery to the rest of the conspiracy. In order to do so, they tempted him with the one thing he desired most. Venus seduced Nox, not just personally, but also with the prospects of a union between his Chosen and the Maidens’. Having seen the bond the Unconquered Sun and Luna had forged between their Chosen, Nox had long desired a similar relationship between the Nocturnal Exalted and the Sidereal Exalted. Until now, the Maidens had refused his arguments on that subject. Venus’ seductive advances created implicit consent to the union of the Heralds and the Viziers, a union that was consummated by Venus and Nox themselves. What happened then, no one quite knows. The Maidens have told one version of the story (The Manual of Exalted Power—The Sidereals, p. 88-89), but Nox himself is in no condition to relate his own account. The Maidens had successfully brought Nox over to the conspiracy’s side through Nox’s love of Venus. Jupiter masked their relationship while Saturn severed his old affections for the Primordials. However, the Maidens mistook the nature of their brother. As a being of contradictions, bringing him fully into their own camp simultaneously sent him into the arms of the Primordials. Before he could warn the Primordials, Mercury sent him off course and into an ambush, while Mars defeated him and left him incapacitated. That moment, perhaps, was the true beginning of the Primordial War and the great series of betrayals that followed. With Nox defeated, the Incarnae had to accelerate their plans before the Lidless Eye That Sees noticed the absence of his most loyal servant. The trial of Nox was brief and held while he was still unconscious from his fight with Mars. The Unconquered Sun, in particular, demanded an out-right execution of the traitor; Mars and Saturn agreed. Luna, Venus, and Mercury dissented, while Gaia abstained. Jupiter, too, kept silent, claiming it was not her place to bear witness in such matters. Autochthon cast the deciding vote, and it was agreed that Nox’s life would be spared, though those who sought his execution only abandoned their position because they saw the alternative as a fate worse than death. Autochthon’s solution was to cripple Nox’s mind and fuse him with the Loom of Fate itself, where he could continue his most basic function of inspecting the Loom for potential hazards. Binding him to the Loom was a simple process for the Great Maker. He completed the work within a few days
of Nox’s defeat at the hands of the Maiden of Battles and issued one final order to Nox: hide yourself. In that task, Nox has never faltered, slowly obscuring all information regarding himself to the point that—millennia later—even the other gods have difficulty remembering him. With Nox eliminated, the Incarnae turned their attention to his Chosen.
The Night’s Tale
What really happened to Nox on that fateful day? The world may never know. Only a few forbidden gods, the Incarnae, and the Primordials now remember that he ever existed. Of these, only the Incarnae, Gaia and Autochthon know that he yet lives. Sacheverell likely knows, but he is no state to speak on the matter either. Isidoros has guessed, but cannot prove his hypothesis. All others presume the Onyx Youth to have died as the first causality of the war. It is left to each Storyteller to say how accurate the Maidens’ narrative is. They certainly have motive to portray themselves in an overly favorable light, yet, as they have told no one, for whom could this propaganda possibly be designed to convince? The Onyx Youth’s proclivities in the Time of Glory earned him a host of sycophants and hangers-on, but among the mightiest of gods he had few friends and many rivals. Perhaps he truly deserved all that the Maidens dealt to him. Still, with all the trauma he has suffered, it is just as likely that Nox unbound will remember none of his life before regaining his freedom.
The Massacre
The Nocturnals, youngest of the Chosen, had been exalted less than five years when Mars secretly defeated Nox in battle. During that time, they spent most of their year scattered across Creation, working with various older Exalts or training with gods. Already, they had established the Calibration tradition among themselves to gather on the slopes of a coastal volcano across the Inner Sea from Nox’s palatial manse on the Blessed Isle. They participated in the native Cereus Blossom Festival, which honored their patron and coincided with the rare blooming of the local cereus plant. Typically, these festivities were jovial. Competitive hunts went out to acquire javelinas for the night’s feast. Martial artists displayed their skills in exhibitions. Stories and jokes were exchanged; dances and songs performed. That year, the hunting horns were silent, the celebration subdued by an air of trepidation. Some Nocturnals had begun to hear a faint murmuring in the back of their minds, a whisper that would not go away, while others had felt a longing in their hearts as their Essence called out to their Sidereal companions. When questioned about this, the Empyreans had no answers. They prayed to Nox and received no response, which troubled them all the more. The Empyreans urged calm and patience. They would speak to Nox about this matter directly when, as he had done in years before, he joined them for the festival on the evening before the first night of Calibration. But evening came and went. As a purple dusk settled over the festival, the Nocturnals anxiously awaited the sight of The Philopannyx, Nox’ sable-sailed ebony trireme, across the Inner Sea. Instead, a fog rose out of the Sea, shrouding the area and obscuring all but a small portion of the night
sky, which revealed something more disturbing than the starless sky of Calibration: the Five Planets. A hunting horn sounded, drawing the Nocturnals’ attention away from the stars. A young girl emerged from the fog, her face masked with a violet funerary veil, which did more to confirm her identity than hide it, and her starmetal daiklave unsheathed. Where the Maiden of Ending passed, no one was left alive. The Maiden of Battles ensured the Nocturnals could not devise an effective strategy to escape her sister, while the Maiden of Journeys ensured they had nowhere to run. The Maiden of Serenity gathered the fleeing Exaltations so that they would not trouble them during the coming war, while the Maiden of Secrets obscured her sisters’ responsibility.
The Primordial War
Though Jupiter had sealed all records of the Maidens’ involvement in the massacre of the Nocturnals, their sudden disappearance did not go unnoticed by the other Exalted. The Chosen soon came to believe that Nox and the Nocturnals, already a fading memory, had been destroyed as a preemptive assault by the Primordials. Believing they were now fighting for their lives, the Exalted made their first strike: killing the White Ram while the Primordial was sent out to discover the fate of Nox. It remains unclear how much the Incarnae encouraged this misconception among the Exalted. Likely the Exalted came to their own conclusions, and as they coincided with the plans of the Maiden of Battles and the Maiden of Endings, there was no need to reprimand them. While the war raged, the Incarnae thought it best to keep the Nocturnal Exaltations locked away. The gods feared what might happen if Nox’s Chosen discovered the fate of their patron and what retribution the Nocturnals might seek. The Incarnae could not allow the Nocturnals to side with the Primordials during the war. They instructed Autochthon to make a few alterations to the Nocturnal Exaltations to ensure, once they were released after the war to aid their own Chosen in maintaining Creation, that they would be hampered in seeking revenge against the gods. Following their instructions, the Great Maker inserted a Geas of Subservience into the Nocturnals, to encourage them to follow the orders of the
The All-Encompassing Vision of Samsara
The Maidens have never observed an error in samsara. The one Twilight who dared question them on this matter detected no falsehood or misdirection, much to his surprise. How can this be if Nox has the power, at least in theory, to defy samsara? Perhaps it is that Nox and the Maidens can never question samsara regarding the same topic simultaneously, that the vision of one blinds the other. Perhaps this is mere coincidence, that Nox and the Maidens never learned the exact same fact. Perhaps the Maidens wrote Nox off as a loss. Why struggle forever against the one being that could fight back? Samsara’s vision is far grander than the life of one god; no sense losing the war for the sake of one uncertain battle. What then of that famous night when the Maidens and Nox finally came to blows? The Maidens wouldn’t dare consult samsara for fear the answer would not be to their liking. Nox, seeing the Maidens arrayed against him with Mars as their champion, could only assume that they would not throw their full might against him without such assurances. He asked samsara what his fate was to better fight against it. It whispered two words: “You win.” In a way, he did. Samsara is always right.
Chapter One • Heralds
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other Celestial Exalted. The Geas earned the Nocturnal their derogatory title of Harlequins. In the end, having seen how mighty the Exalted had grown during the war, the Incarnae convened again to discuss the final fate of the Nocturnal Exaltations and decided it would be best if Autochthon never released them again. The gods, bound to their own geas, had just overthrown their masters and claimed Yu-Shan as their own, using beings that were far inferior to the Primordials. The same could be done with Nocturnals, even with the imposed Geas. As well, the alleged destruction of Nox and the Nocturnals served as a useful political tool. By the end of the war, Nox had successfully masked all memory of his name in Creation and all events that stemmed from his existence. The Princes of the Earth erected a monument in to the nameless Incarnae that were destroyed by the Primordials during the war and their Chosen that tore themselves apart in their absence. The Incarnae themselves attended the dedication ceremony of the Fallen Stars Memorial. To this day, no one can remember seeing Jupiter smile as contently as she did that day.
The First Age and the Last Herald
Ivy collected the accounts of all Exalted who experienced the temporal disruption. Jupiter herself read each one of the reports trying to find evidence that Nox had been behind the incident. Though she found nothing to place blame directly on Nox, she did discover hints of Nocturnal involvement. Beings that resembled Nocturnals appeared explicitly in half the reports, and possible Nocturnals appeared in a sizable portion of the remaining reports. Jupiter involved herself personally in the investigation. She concluded her research and sealed the records of her discoveries. Whether the event was a result of their sudden, but brief, return to Creation or whether their return was a consequence of the event itself remains known to none by the Maiden of Secrets and, perhaps, the Nocturnals involved. In either case, no Nocturnal was reported in Creation after the time of Cascading Years was resolved.
The Second Age
Unfettered Adolescent returned to Creation once more. Landing on a dirty sidewalk amid broken glass towers, he appeared in Chiaroscuro well into the Second Age on a brisk Calibration evening. As night settled in, he saw grim portions of the city descend into the underworld, bringing with them ghosts that prowled the streets of the living. The marvels of the First Age had decayed and fallen to ruin. Though he was more cautious this time, he still sought out the Chosen of the Sun and the Moon. He could find neither. Even the Chosen of the Maidens were nowhere to be found. Only the Dragonblooded remained. Quietly he traveled the world, waiting and watching. He learned the history of Creation from the Primordial War to the modern day from a multitude of sources. From public sources he learned many things, but from the dreaming whispers of Nox he learned the secret history of the world. Unfettered Adolescent pledged himself to freeing the rest of his kind. In order to do so, he knew he would need to distract the Chosen of the Maidens or wait until something else attracted their attention. For years he searched for something that would keep the Maidens and their Chosen busy while he attempted to free the rest of the Nocturnals. In time he learned to shape the future in his own mind and followed the misty information he learned. His meditations led him to the Imperial Mountain where he sought further answers among Autochthon’s chosen people, the Jadeborn. Conferring with their cruel prophets, Unfettered Adolescent learned that the cage containing the Nocturnal Exalted could only be opened from without and only by those within. It could not be opened until it was found and could not be found until it was opened. Frustrated by the mad ravings of the chaos seers, he departed Urvar with only riddles to guide him. For years the paradox of the seer’s words confounded him. The Heralds were no strangers to such seemingly nonsensical situations, but without some crucial detail he could not solve this puzzle.
During the First Age, Autochthon departed Creation for regions unknown, taking with him two secrets. The first is the final resting place of the Nocturnal Exaltations. It remains unclear whether the Great Maker took them with him or if he left them in a private and secure location within Yu-Shan or Creation. The second secret is shared only between the Maidens and Autochthon.The Maidens’ success was not total at the massacre. At least five Heralds managed to escape through a pathway unguarded by the Maiden of Journeys. Most famous of these is Unfettered Adolescent. He credits his survival to Nox, whose imprisoned whispering instructed a technique to step outside of time itself. The rugged Nova caste felt his essence surge in him as the Maidens attacked, and in a blink of an eye, he was gone. The fog-shrouded night transformed into a bright summer’s day. Unfettered found himself in a small farming village at the base of an enormous statue, sitting cross-legged where once stood a volcano. In what is now known as the “First Age,” he immediately attempted to warn the other Exalted that the Maidens had gone mad and slaughtered the Nocturnal Exalted. His activities alerted the Forbidding Manse of Ivy, and immediately the Maiden of Secrets dispatched her most trusted Chosen to deal with the Herald, the young Chejop Kejak among them. She did not explain what the Herald was, merely instructed them in the methods of capturing Unfettered Adolescent’s Exaltation. The Viziers pursued the Herald through the South, eventually chasing him to Chiaroscuro. Among the glass towers and flying transports of the First Age metropolis, Unfettered Adolescent sought refuge. He found it only briefly; Chosen of Secrets assassins trapped him on a rooftop of one of the city’s taller towers. When it became clear that he could not win the fight, Unfettered Adolescent threw himself from the roof rather than be captured. His body and his Exaltation The Paradox Liberation were never recovered. Fifteen years ago, while travelling between Kirighast and As for the other four escaped Nocturnals, they either Yane, Unfettered Adolescent encountered a strange woman learned the lesson of Unfettered Adolescent well and have remained hidden, or they are still lost to time and space, cast waiting for him on the road. She stood before him. As he approached, the day dimmed and his horse froze in place. adrift in the endless dirac sea at reality’s edge. Calling herself the Madame, she appeared beautiful and pale, dressed in sky-blue silk. If he wished to see the Nocturnal The Cascading Years The Nocturnals were not heard from again until the Exalted return to Creation, she said, he would do as she time of the Cascading Years (Lands of Creation, pg 17-18). instructed. Providing a list of names, of dates, and of terrible After the crisis had been resolved, the Forbidding Manse of
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deeds that needed to be performed, the Madame departed and Unfettered Adolescent set about his task. Over the years he has been a scourge of the Bureau of Destiny, though he is hardly aware of their constant pursuit of him. He travels widely throughout Creation, wrecking destinies on the carefully timed schedule the Madame provided. The Bureau of Destiny can only react to his systematic, if apparently haphazard, attack on Fate. Though each ruined destiny appears as a tangle in the Loom of Fate, those charged with its maintenance have yet to realize the unity or precision of Unfettered Adolescent’s actions. How could they? The Herald operates hidden from their sight, and though he has rendered dozens of destinies obsolete, hundreds of other small tangles appear each year from any number of other means. By the time the Sidereals arrive, he has already departed the scene of the crime and has moved on to the next target. In recent years, Unfettered Adolescent has begun to see the fruits of his labors. Five years ago, the Solar Exalted returned to Creation. He was on the Blessed Isle at that moment and had the honor of watching the short-lived Night Caste known as Autumn Fox exalt. Autumn Fox had been one of Unfettered Adolescent’s long term projects, slowly and methodically manipulating her life toward her moment of Exaltation. What became of Autumn Fox, he never learned. On the last night of the most recent Calibration, the first new Nocturnal Exalted appeared in Creation. The new Herald, or rather the first Harlequin for she suffers from the Geas imposed on her kind by Autochthon’s mercy, was one of the many people whose destinies had been manipulated and ruined by Unfettered Adolescent’s interference. Others followed soon afterwards. In Yu-Shan, the Loom of Fate convulsed for a week. The Sidereals who inspected the Loom could not even find the remnants of the strands of Fate that had been disturbed. By all appearances, they had simply never been there. Attempts to question Asna Firstborn, mother of all the Pattern Spiders and the most knowledgeable being regarding matters of the Loom of Fate, were stymied by her rare leave of absence during Calibration. She returned from a sojourn in the abandoned industrial district of Yu-Shan, Autochthon’s Primal Forge, said not a word to the panicked Sidereals and set about directing the Pattern Spiders in stabilizing the quaking Loom. Asna’s quiet assurance calmed most Sidereals, and those few who might have been suspicious of the incident knew better than risk the ire of the spider queen. For Unfettered Adolescent, it marked the end of an era. His goal of freeing to other Nocturnals had been accom-
Autumn Fox and the Madame
Unfettered Adolescent was not the only person approached by the Madame. After her exaltation, Autumn Fox encountered the mysterious woman as well. The Madame came to her with a risky bargain. Revealing the location of the Scarlet Empress’s summer home near Juche, the Madame provided Autumn Fox with information needed to bypass the magical security systems there. In exchange for this information, the Madame expected Autumn Fox to acquire a single item from those hidden in the Empress’s cache – the rest the young Lawgiver could do with as she pleased. Autumn Fox successfully infiltrated the mountainside manor, but was killed by Bronze Faction agents before she could escape. Among the many sorcerous tomes, jade artifacts, and wonders of the Mountain Folk Autumn Fox had attempt to steal, it is impossible to determine which the Madame had desired.
plished, but not by him. Certainly he helped the wandering Exaltations find new hosts, but they would have found new hosts regardless. What did he do to free those Exaltations from whatever prison held them? The Madame never reappeared to congratulate him or to explain. Over recent months he has grown bitter due to what he perceives as a lack of direct involvement with the liberation of the Nocturnals. Lacking proper motivation, he seeks a new calling in life. He is too suspicious of the world to reveal himself as one of the Heralds just yet, and has not taken any of the new generation as an apprentice. He waits and watches. He is easily distracted and his goals alternate between attempting to discover how the Nocturnals became free and learning how the modern Nocturnals differ from those of his generation.
The Lives of Nocturnals Mortal Condition
In their original form, Nocturnal Exaltations sought new Heralds among those mortals destined for greatness but who were unable to accomplish their destinies due to the inference of others. Among the first generation of Heralds were many who had their destinies rendered obsolete by the fickle whims of the Primordials and their servants. A young man, destined to unite two warring tribes by marrying the rival chieftain’s daughter, received his Second Breath when his bride-to-be caught the eye of one of the lesser devas of the Dragon’s Shadow and was transported to life of luxurious servitude in Yu-Shan. In the Second Age, a mortal commander might receive her Second Breath when her destiny to defeat a barbarian invasion is thwarted by the opposition of a Lunar general. Since every expenditure of Essence risks changing Fate, any action of a magical being has the potential to cause a chain reaction resulting in the exaltation of a Herald. However, since Autochthon altered the original design and inserted the Geas that transformed the Heralds into Harlequins, another qualification has become equally important. Exaltations seek out those whose destined greatness stems not from a desire for personal glory, but for the greater good. Unfortunately, “the greater good” is open to interpretation. Exaltations are incapable of issuing any moral judgment on a potential host. It detects only what the potential host personally believes about his or her own motivations. A person who believes that the complete elimination of all Exalted is in the best interest of Creation is just as likely to receive a Nocturnal Exaltation as one who struggles to eradicate an epidemic. Regardless of the specifics, so long as the person’s primary motivation focuses on the betterment of a large number of other people, that person may become a Harlequin. When a mortal struggles against a dead-end destiny for the betterment of others, the Nocturnal Exaltation descends upon him. His anima erupts fully, and he joins the ranks of whichever of the five castes bests suits his personality and history; the Exaltation is not bound to a single caste from incarnation to incarnation. He receives a flash of insight, revealing what cannot be.
The Current State of Nox
Unlike other Celestial Exalts, whose patrons live in luxury and enjoy the euphoric pleasures of the Games of Divinity, the Nocturnal Exalted serve a patron enslaved. While Nox’s consciousness is sublimated into the Loom of Fate, his dreams mingle with those of his Chosen, watching and guiding them indirectly. The emancipation of Nox provides the Nocturnals with a unifying goal, though it is by no means unanimous.
Chapter One • Heralds
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Harlequins
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Even Death Has a Purpose
In an era of heroic exploits and epic deeds, those who become Nocturnals often arise even when their inability to accomplish their Destiny is advantageous to themselves. Many of the new generation of Nocturnals have exalted after being rescued from certain death by a Solar or Lunar hero. In the grand scheme of Fate, even death serves a vital role. The death of protesters can spark a nationwide revolution, and without those deaths the grand revolt will not happen as Fate decries. The gift of Nocturnal Exaltation grants the would-be martyr the power to set things right. Heroic suicide is only one option and more often than not the least effective. With the magic the Exalted yield, entirely new paths can be tread. Nox is bound physically and spiritually to the Loom of Fate. Autochthon hammered the god’s very Essence into the workings of the Loom and so long as they remain bound together, one cannot be destroyed without destroying, or at least severely damaging, the other. Any form of Essence Sight reveals Nox and the Loom to be so mingled they are indistinguishable. Indeed, unless one knows Nox is within the Loom, not even the most potent Charms and Magic may reveal his presence. So long as Nox abides by Autochthon’s last command, he masks his presence and the presence of anything that might reveal himself by proxy. The process of placing Nox within the Loom was as unpleasant as it was absolute. Autochthon fractured the Incarnae’s mind during the procedure, preventing Nox from taking anything but the most basic and involuntary actions. His broken mind dreams incessantly, shaping conflicting visions, contradictory pasts and paradoxical futures from the information he can glean from the Loom. If one were to hear the mind of Nox, one would hear myriad voices chattering inanely and nonsensically. In their last days, a few of Nox’s favorites did, in fact, hear such murmuring, but the whispers of Nox have been extinguished with his Chosen until perhaps the day of their liberation. Within the Loom, Nox unconsciously performs periodic maintenance of Fate. Sweeping through the threads, he automatically notices errors and abuses, which are filtered through his ruined mind into cryptic instructions to the agents of the Bureau of Destiny, as part of the mysterious Division of Oversight. Aside from the indirect power he wields anonymously through the mask of Oversight, Nox is unable to influence the world in any other way that might reveal his presence. The sole exception with this is in regards to his Chosen. They are also hidden due to Autochthon’s last command and Nox is capable of exerting a small amount of his true power through them. Freeing Nox from the Loom of Fate may be impossible, Autochthon is not known for craftsmanship that is easily undone. If the possibility exists, however, his Chosen will find it: perhaps in a brief epic struggle, perhaps in decades or centuries of tireless pursuit.Since the goal of releasing Nox from his bounds might bring the Nocturnals into conflict with their fellow Celestial Exalts, the Nocturnals must be clever. They must know how to appease the concerns of their equals and superiors, and know how to provoke a fight they are forbidden to start should appeasement fail. Through their service to Nox, the Nocturnals hope to finally and truly be free of the Geas themselves.
Interactions with Others
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The emergence of the Harlequins has already begun to subtly shift the relationships of the world powers. As they settle into their own niche, the Nocturnals assert themselves as Princes of the Earth. Yet in the presence of other Celestial Exalted, they must defer even to their equals. The dynamics of such relationship are as varied as the individuals who participate in them, but time and time again certain themes reemerge.
Sidereal Exalted
Among the first to detect the advent of the Chosen of Nox were the Sidereal Exalted. Lytek, ignorant of the bond forged by Nox and Venus within each Sidereal Exaltation and a Nocturnal companion, had been methodically purging the apparently obsolete emotional ties. Incarnation after incarnation slowly lost their connection to their appointed mate. Only the oldest of the Sidereals detected a faint pang of familiarity descend upon them when their companion exalted. For these Sidereals, having been so long hindered from building lasting emotional connections with anyone other than their own kind or with potent Celestial deities, this feeling was foreign and disturbing. Only one or two have yet determined the source of this feeling, and few have broached the topic with their peers. Certainly, they have considered exploring the situation, but so far they have let other priorities command their attention. Such personal matters are best left to sabbaticals, and with Creation in its current state, who among the elders could put aside their duties now? Sidereal Exaltations that have passed through Lytek’s office more often have had their bond to their Nocturnal companion reduced nearly to non-existence. Only in the presence of the Harlequin would such a Sidereal detect the feeling of being near something strangely familiar. Conversely, the Nocturnal Exaltations departed from their cage directly to their new hosts and have never passed into Lytek’s hands. The bonds to their Sidereal remain strong, and even being in an area influenced by the astrological workings of their Sidereal companion will spark the feelings of longing and a desire to be with the mysterious power whose handiwork is obvious in the destinies of the world. This feeling has compelled many Harlequins to search out their companions, but their attempts to make contact have been hindered by the significant amount of time the Chosen of the Maidens spend in Yu-Shan and their ability to travel quickly from one end of Creation to the other. For those who make contact, determining the meaning of their relationship is an even greater challenge. Unlike the bond between the Lawgivers and the Stewards, which has been well understood and established in past lives, the bond between the Viziers and the Harlequins is without precedence. A mortal rarely knows that Sidereals exist, and the Nocturnal Exaltation does not necessisarly impart this knowledge to them. However, the machinations of a secret Beureu of Destiny are simultaneously alluring and repulsive to the nature of the Chosen of Infinite Possibilities. For the Sidereals, who pride themselves in knowing practically all that occurs upon the face of Creation, the sudden appearance of a new breed of Exalt troubles them greatly. The Harlequins are to be distrusted, no matter how much their Exaltation might compel them otherwise. Only after detailed observations have been conducted will the Five Score Fellowship allow the Harlequins into their inner sanctums. Among all the Celestial Exalted, the Harlequins are only truly the equals of their companions. Though the Geas imposes obedience to other Celestial Exalted upon them, they do not suffer from this curse in regards to their Sidereal
The Harlequins, The Viziers, and Fate
The breaking of the Mask obscured the Sidereal Exalted from Creation. Their Arcane Fate prevents others from remembering them for long and they have grown quite accustomed to this. Despite the strength of this fractured constellation, the bond between Harlequin and Vizier is stronger. The Nocturnal Exalted bonded to a particular Sidereal can always see through the Vizier’s Resplendencies and remembers her without concern for Arcane Fate. Once they have met, his player never needs to roll in order to remember the Sidereal. Likewise, Autochthon’s last command to Nox has caused the Incarna to obscure his Exalted within the Loom of Fate. Their threads still exist but are masked by the Incarna’s own powerful magic. As such, the Chosen of Nox are considered Outside of Fate by all who would care about such a designation, with two exceptions. First, all Nocturnals treat each other as within Fate for Nox has no need to hide them from each other. Second, each Sidereal treats their companion as within Fate. Only that Sidereal can directly target a Nocturnal with astrological effects, though others may attempt to do so by casting a wider net. When a Harlequin performs a Fluctuation she simultaneous imposes a powerful Illusion which causes all witnesses to forget the original state in favor of the altered one. Only her Sidereal companion and other Nocturnals are automatically immune to this effect. companions. If commanded by their companion, they accept such orders out of honest respect and affection rather than a metaphysical compulsion.
Lunar Exalted
So far there has been little, if any, contact between the Harlequins and the Stewards. Among the Exalts native to Creation, the Stewards have long been an anomaly, deriving their powers through raw natural talent rather than individual skills. With the emergence of the Harlequins, a second front has been opened on the development of such magic. More likely than not, once the Harlequins have become established and are recognized by their Celestial peers they will enter into many collaborative efforts with the Chosen of Luna to develop shared charms. The most promising front will almost certainly be in the potential development of new martial arts styles. For millennia, the Lunar Exalted have only been able to employ their native Hero Style solely through their natural grace and speed without requiring extensive martial arts training. The Harlequins bring with them a second Style to expand their potential. Working together, who knows what other esoteric martial arts they might invent? Such a thing might well be outside the realm of possibilities, but if not, the Lunars’ mastery of their own bodies and the Nocturnals’ mastery of potential will surely make it a reality.
Solar Exalted
Long before the Primordial War was even a dream in the ambitious minds of the gods, Nox and the Unconquered Sun had a well established rivalry. The two male Incarnae vied often for authority over the other gods – and despite Nox’s persistence any challenge to the God of Perfection is doomed to failure, though Nox’s consistently new and unexpected plans at least entertained the Sun. In many ways, this rivalry is reflected in the relationship of their Chosen.
The Nocturnal Exalted can work momentary wonders, shaping the world in grand detail and sweeping scope, but they cannot compete with the permanent glories the Solar Exalted can create. Despite having their reality enforced by the Loom of Fate, any world-shaping envisioned by a Harlequin will be remembered only as a novel sort of illusion, a mere parlor trick compared to the works of the Lawgivers, rather than as something truly real. When the histories of the Second Age are written, they will recall the noble endeavors of the Lawgivers and the majesty of their labors, glossing over the inspiring vision with which the Harlequins guided such efforts. Given their nature, most Nocturnals who have sculpted any future know this fact. A few grow embittered by this lack of recognition; others strive all the harder to earn their own place in the annals of history. Even the most scholarly of Twilights know no more about the Harlequins than anyone else. Many over-zealous and xenophobic Solars suspect the Nocturnals of some dark purpose. Their fears are not entirely unfounded. The first appearance of the Harlequins has roughly corresponded with the advent of the Deathknights and the Green Sun Princes, and the Harlequins are hardly above making convenient alliances.
The Missing 150
Though 300 Lawgivers fought the Primordials before the Age of Man and ruled Creation throughout the millennia that followed, in the fallen state of the Second Age only 150 Solars spread their light across the world. The other half have been stolen and corrupted by forces beyond the purview of Fate. This has not stopped the threads of destiny from offering more candidates for Solar Exaltation than can receive this boon. Those that fail to join the ranks of the Solar Exalted at their appointed time have few options. Many remain mortal heroes, continuing the natural course of their lives. Others may find an alternative Exaltation. Those who have only themselves to blame receive the corrupt alternative of the Yozi. Those who fail to exalt solely because their destined Exaltation is currently in the employ of a Deathlord or a Yozi may instead receive their Second Breath from Nox. Such would-be-Solars-turnedNocturnals are among the most ambitious and most zealous of their kind. Often they realize that their new-found powers do not feel entirely appropriate, that they were perhaps meant for something else. This feeling compels them to use their powers in more grandiose displays than other Nocturnals, as if they were out to prove they can make the most of even this “lesser” Exaltation.
The Dragon-blooded
The Immaculate Order does not know what the Harlequins are either, but they are clearly Exalted and clearly not Dragon-blooded so they are therefore certainly Anathema. No attempt has been made by the Immaculate Order to investigate the Harlequins any more than they have any other Anathema that they deemed worthy of slaughter. In older days, when the Scarlet Empress herself rode out with the Wyld Hunt, some Nocturnals might have been captured as novelties. In her absence, the Wyld Hunt eliminates this new breed of Anathema with direct and deadly fervor. Yet the Heralds were made to mediate between the Celestial Exalted and their lessers. The Harlequins retain this
Chapter One • Heralds
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Harlequins
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charge and some subtle members among their ranks have already begun the process of reconciling the Terrestrial Exalted with the Celestial Exalted. For those Dragon-blooded willing to make alliances with “Anathema,” the Harlequins provide them with a potent secret weapon. Unfortunately, for those Dragon-blooded who intend to wield their new allies against other Anathema, an unpleasant surprise awaits. For the Nocturnals, the relationship between themselves and the Terrestrial Exalted is often the most rewarding relationship they may have with a fellow Exalt. In such a relationship there is no looming Geas and no Great Curse that can be exploited against them. Their dealings with the Dragon-blooded can be as honest or as deceptive as the Harlequin pleases. They may forge friendships and alliances with beings of considerable power and similar station without fear of sublimating their own will in favor of the Dragon-blooded’s demands.
The Alchemical Exalted
The Chosen of the Great Maker were the first Exalts to be designed but were never produced during the Primordial War. They served as the prototype for all that followed, including the Nocturnal Exalted. The Harlequins resonate with their crystalline counterparts in Autochthonia: the hidden Adamant Caste. Should the seal between the worlds fall and the Nocturnals encounter the clandestine angels of the Realm of Brass and Shadows, they will find their Exaltations stirred to greatness. The Adamant Caste kindles in them memories of their intended glory as inspiring visionaries and vigilant watchmen. When the Nocturnal next sleeps after encountering the Alchemical, she dreams of being as it is: a free agent guarding their home rather than a servant shackled to their peers. While in the presence of an Adamant Caste, Harlequins gain Subservience only once per scene, and should Heralds be required to gain Limit from being opposed by Destiny, they reduce the total limit gained by one, to a minimum of zero.
The Abyssal Exalted and Ghosts
The Nocturnal Akuma
Will defines the Nocturnal Exalted. It is from the free exercise of their will that they gain their power. Even under the influence of the Geas, the Harlequins are too strong-willed to give up their freedom to a Yozi without possessing a great desire to do so. Certain Yozi then will be more appealing to the Harlequins than others. Above all others are Isidoros and Sacheverell, the Primordials that, via their Creation of Nox, most influenced the nature of the Nocturnals.
New Infernal Monster Style Charm Shackled Slave Revolution
Cost: — (+1wp); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Form-Enhancing, Native, Obvious, Rage Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Infernal Monster Form The Yozi enslaves the Harlequin with a promise of true freedom. The akuma is unleashed upon a world that can no longer constrain her. This Charm permanently enhances Nocturnal akuma, and provides additional benefits when activating Infernal Monster Form. The akuma is not obligated to attack her Yozi patron or any of its Third Circle demons while in a berserk state (such as that induced by Retribution Will Follow) unless those beings have physically attacked her earlier in the scene. The akuma’s slavery to her Yozi master is complete and she knows no lesser servitude. Rather than the usual means, she gains Subservience only when defying Infernal Exalted and Third Circle Demons. When a usual trigger for Subservience is met, she instead enters a state of violent madness as per the Rage-keyword. Through slavery to another master, the damned Harlequin brings a terrible resolve against those who would have exploited her otherwise. While Infernal Monster Form is active, her minimum damage is increased to her Temporary Willpower if it is higher than her Essence. Temporary Willpower gained from Willful Strength Bolstering also increases her minimum damage. If she attacks a Celestial Exalt, she regains a Temporary Willpower if she successfully damages him or loses a Temporary Willpower if she successfully hits but inflicts no damage—she may gain or lose willpower this way once per Tick.
The Harlequins have few dealings with the Underworld. The stasis of that realm does not yield itself to the worldshaping mind of the Harlequin and denies them the full extent of their power. As such, the Nocturnal Exalted have no more interaction with the dead than any other type of Exalt native to Creation would. Beyond the dead themselves, the Underworld possesses its own champions, and the Deathknights have inherited the ability to bend the Harlequins to their will. At least two Nocturnals have come to the attention of Deathlords and even these ancient beings are perplexed by the Harlequins’ arrival. With varying success, the Deathlords and their servants have explored potential alliances with the Chosen of Nox, hoping to find some common purpose in darkening Creation. slumber by the other Yozi. The progeny of Sacheverell have long searched for a way to rouse their lord, striving against The Infernal Exalted and Demons other demons that ensure the dreaming Yozi never stirs in his The Incarnae feared the Nocturnal Exalted would turn slumber. Together the Harlequins and these demons might to the Primordials if they ever uncovered what the gods had conspire to liberate the ancient wardens of Creation: Nox and done to Nox. Indeed, upon their return to Creation, many The Lidless Eye. Harlequins have forged alliances with the hellish host. Just as the Deathknights may command the Harlequins, the Green The Fair Folk Sun Princes and appropriate Akuma may also issue edicts and The Harlequins and the Raksha view each other jealorders to those Harlequins they encounter. ously. Within their own purview, both can shape the world Specifically among the Yozi, the Harlequins are drawn to their whims, but they do so in very different ways. In the to the progeny of Sacheverell, He Who Knows the Shape of Wyld the Raksha craft fantastical wonders of artistry and Things to Come. Sacheverell was once the Primordial known impossibilities, yet within Creation they are powerless. The as the Lidless Eye That Sees, in whose burning vision Nox Harlequins may shape even the world of Creation but are was first imagined. Just as Nox was betrayed and imprisoned confined to the realm of possibilities. As they venture farther by his own kind, Sacheverell has been condemned to eternal
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from the influence of the Loom of Fate, their power to influence the world around them grows weaker until they are fully in domain of the Raksha and the Unshaped monsters the dwell beyond. Within the Bordermarches and Middlemarches, the powers of the Harlequins and the Raksha overlap. Here they may engage each other in shaping contests. The Raksha attempts to impose the mad dream logic of the Wyld upon the tainted lands of Creation, while the Harlequin seeks to stabilize the region into a possibility safe for the habitation of the Creation-born. As they play their games of tug-of-war, the Harlequins and the Raksha pull Creation and the Wyld farther apart, expanding the marches or causing them to retreat according to who claims victory.
Gods
The small gods of Creation react to the Harlequins with the deference a Celestial Exalt deserves – assuming they take any note of the Harlequin at all. Such gods are the ones most likely to interact with the Harlequins, and generally lack the knowledge necessary to recognize them as something new or unusual. The Harlequins may seek or extort aid from more potent gods, but few beneath the ranks of Celestial gods will dare question the will of a Celestial Exalted. Beyond this, the Harlequins interact with the gods no more frequently than a young Lawgiver or Steward would. As an interesting consequence of Nox’s obscuring his own existence, he has also masked the existence of the forbidden gods – those deities that sided with the Primordials during the Great War or those who were purged from the ranks
Lytek
Among all the gods of Yu-Shan, Lytek certainly possesses the greatest interest in the Harlequins. Upon their initial release last Calibration, the Exaltation bypassed his office and flew immediately to new, long-awaited hosts. A handful have been slain. Though he had overheard curious reports before this, he had not concerned himself with the matter until the first Exaltation landed in his cabinet. To Lytek’s amazement, the cabinet expanded of its own accord, revealing a new row of shelves holding the Nocturnal Exaltations. He attended to those curious novelties with great care, examining them in detail and struggling to determine their exact nature. For some time he has assumed these dark Exaltations belong to the mysterious Abyssal Exalted that had appeared in Creation and the Underworld, and as yet he has not ruled out this possibility. He lets the Exaltations come and go as they please, attempting to determine their method of Exaltations and preferred targets so that he might begin offering them suggestions as he has done with others. Still, the desires of the Nocturnal Exaltations remain elusive to him and immediately upon leaving his office, Lytek is incapable of detecting their location or destination. Now and then, Lytek considers that they may not be the same as the Abyssals, but always seems to forget this line of reasoning within a few days. Occasionally he is surprised to find scrolls in his own handwriting with lengthy notes describing the differences between the Nocturnal Exaltation and the hypothetical qualities of the Abyssal Exaltation. This surprise, too, he promptly forgets.
of the Celestial Bureaucracy as the Incarnae established their rule. Just as Harlequins are not hidden from one another they may also interact with the forbidden gods without interference from the Loom of Fate and the power that possesses it.
Mortals
Like all Celestial Exalted, the Harlequins arise from the mortal population of Creation, typically independent of any other Exalt. Unlike other Exalts, however, the Harlequins as a group are the least likely to place themselves in positions above the common people. Guided as they are by altruistic motives, they often seek to elevate the masses alongside themselves. Suffering from the Curse of Subservience, they know the burden of being ruled better than most. Their unique perspective often makes them highly accessible to mortal populations compared to other Exalted. Even the Dragon-blooded can appear as mighty god-kings to those who possess no Charms of their own. While the Lawgivers rule imperiously over their subjects, the Stewards subtly manipulate their chosen peoples from afar, or the Viziers guide Creation from their offices in Yu-Shan – the Harlequins most often interact with the people among the people. Many of their Charms works best not on those they rule, but on social and military groups to which they belong. Inevitably, almost any Harlequin that hopes to influence a mortal population will present himself as one of their own, even if he doesn’t believe in the group’s cause himself.
Known Nocturnals
Unfettered Adolescent The Last of His Kind
Quote: I’m over five thousand late already, and I don’t have time to waste on you. Among all the Exalted, Unfettered Adolescent believes himself unique. Though he appears no older than thirty, he is, as far as he knows, the last surviving human of the Primordial Age. Those who wish to question him for secrets of that era will be sorely disappointed. He launched himself out of the flow of Time before the Primordial War began and is unable to provide any insight on the greatest exploits of the Exalted. Despite being apart from Creation at the time of the Three Spheres Cataclysm, even he was affected by the destruction wrought by She Who Lives In Her Name. Having no knowledge of the Yozi’s devastating parting shot, he did not know what had occurred to Creation to leave it in its current diminished state when he returned to the First Age nor could he identify anything that was missing. Unfettered Adolescent exalted at the young age of fourteen. He had aspirations of becoming a great explorer, wan-
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dering the dangerous world the Primordials had crafted and discovering the truth behind the wondrous tales told of lands beyond his tribe’s borders. Destiny at first compelled his aspirations, but the advent of the Exalted rendered him obsolete as the great heroes of that age boldly ventured into untamed realms beyond the safety of the Dragon Kings’ nations, laying claim to marvels meant for Unfettered Adolescent to discover. Nox delivered a Nocturnal Exaltation to the young man personally, transforming him into one of the first Nova Castes and inducting him as a Vanguard in the Exalted host. He trained as hard and as diligently as any Exalted, frequently meditating upon his own nature and that of his patron. Through such devotion he quickly earned great attention even from Nox. The young Vanguard trained frequently under the Incarna’s tutelage along with a handful of other chosen favorites. When the Incarnae betrayed Nox, the lobotomized god immediately began murmuring in the minds of his favorite Chosen, including Unfettered Adolescent. By the time the Maidens attacked the Heralds’ Calibration festivities, he had barely begun to comprehend the constant murmuring in his head. Mere moments before Saturn’s blade would have fallen upon him, he allowed the whispers of Nox to guide him to safe passage through timeless Elsewhere to safety in the future. He wandered the First Age briefly and the Second Age for considerably more time. Until recently his driving goal has been to seek the freedom of the other Heralds, but now, with the Harlequins released, he wanders in search of a new purpose. He recognizes that the Nocturnals that now appear throughout Creation differ somehow from himself and those he once knew. Their will is weakened, and he keeps his distance from them for fear that whatever changed them may affect him as well. He is disheartened that the diminished state of Creation seems to have also worn down the will of his fellow Heralds, transforming them into these lesser Harlequins. At times he regrets ever accepting Nox’s gift of Exaltation. When such moods strike him he temporarily discards his Exalted powers and adopts the form of a young heroic mortal – himself at a much younger age. Adopting this younger form returns his youthful vigor and the many ruins of the Second Age provide plenty of opportunities to live out his original desire for adventure. Otherwise, he appears as his true adult age, though still with a youthful look about him that only the Exalted can achieve in the rugged world of Creation. He travels lightly and quickly. In a fight, he quickly dons a heavy suit of adamant plate and wields a crackling shock pike – both of which he summons to himself through the bonds of history. He prefers to fight among other soldiers as he had been trained, but his secretive missions from the Madame and his increasing paranoia have forced him into an uncomfortable solitude. Likely his growing misanthropy will only end once he discovers a Harlequin he deems worthy of the name Herald. Motivation: Find a Nocturnal Exalted worthy of his tutelage. Caste: Nova Anima Banner: An eruption of white light followed by expanding sky-blue rings forming an hourglass pattern around him. Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5, Charisma 4, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 5, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 4, Temperance 3, Valor 3 Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 4, Bureaucracy 1, Dodge 4, Integrity 4, Investigation 4, Lore 1, Linguistics (Native: Old Realm; Flametongue, Riverspeak, Low Realm), Melee 4 (Shock Pikes +1), Occult 3, Presence 3, Ride 2, Stealth 3
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(Making a clean get-away +1), Survival 3 (Unexplored Territory +1), War 3 (Alongside other Exalted +2) Backgrounds: Ally 1, Artifact 4, Artifact 2, Companion 1, Resources 2, Tangled Fate 4, Whispers 5 Domains: The Stone 5, The Chisel 1, The Statue 3, The Silk 3, The Clay 5, The Tablet 4 Charms: Excellencies: Strength (3rd), Dexterity (1st), Charisma (2nd), Wits (3rd) Strength: A Cut In Time, Arena-Hopping Advance, Armor and Cloth Juxtaposition (x2), Battlefield-Leaping Maneuver, Broken Destiny Majestic, Dashing Meteor Speed, Falling Star Endowment, Momentous Comet-Warrior Method, Myriad Possibilities of Strength (x2), Position of Uncertainty Offense, Shields to Rust, Strength and Stone Unity, Tumbling Troupe Technique Stamina: Horizon’s Captured and Conquered, Ox-Body Technique, Road-Smoothing Attitude, Shadow Out of Time, The Open Road Softly Calls Charisma: Hold The Line, Stentorian Amplification Practice, Trumpets Herald Victory Appearance: Rescinding The Nocturnal Gift Perception: Another Face In the Crowd, Assassin’s Fatal Stare, Breaking The Dragon’s Fangs, Captain’s Insightful Command, Ever-Wary Bandit’s Premonition, Owl-Eyed Hunter Technique, Standing In Harm’s Way, Weighing The Scales Wits: Blades Drawn In Peace (x2), Night Prepares At Dawn (x2) Join Battle: 8 Attacks: Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 4, Damage 5B, Parry DV 3, Rate 3, Tags N Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 3, Damage 8B, Parry DV 1, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 3, Damage 5B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P History’s Tear: Speed 4, Accuracy 10/11, Damage 12L/14L, Parry DV 5, Range 100, Rate 3, Tags 2, R, * *History’s Tear operates both in close combat and ranged combat, with the numbers after the slash representing its ranged Traits. Firing the weapon at range costs two motes and subtracts one from the target’s Parry DV. Soak: 17L/19B (Adamant Articulated Plate, +15L/+14B, 8L/8B Hardness, Mobility -1, Fatigue 1) Health Levels: -0x2/-1x2/-2x2/-4x2/Incap Dodge DV: 6 (5 in armor) Willpower: 10 Essence: 5 Personal Essence: 25 Peripheral Essence: 45 (56) Committed Essence: 11 Other Notes: Unfettered Adolescent’s purchases of Night Prepares At Dawn reduces the speed of his (Dexterity + Melee) attacks by one when he uses a polearm such as his shock pike, and reduces the speed of Rally actions (Exalted, p. 165) by one. His artifact backgrounds represent his armor and his Shock Pike, History’s Tear. The armor of ancient design, while he claimed the shock pike during his brief adventure in the First Age and once belonged to a Terrestrial infantryman (see Book of Sorcery, vol I—Wonders of the Lost Age, p. 76 for the details on this weapon.) His Ally Background represents his loose association with the Madame. He has actively avoided his companion for many years and would like to keep it that way. His Rescinding the Nocturnal Gift reshapes himself as the 14-year old child he was upon Exalting.
Sapphire Lavandra
Quote: In all languages four words are saddest: what might have been. It is no coincidence that they hint at those two words which bring the most hope and wonder: what if. The tragic tale of poet Sapphire Lavandra begins on the small island of So Blessed, a minor protectorate of the Coral Archipelago. She had a typical childhood, seeing little of the world beyond her family or the other girls of her village. When her father returned from sea, she listened raptly to his tales of far-off ports and high adventure and through him learned the strange tongues of the world beyond the islands. She didn’t care that her father embellished the details. He inspired her and that was enough. As she grew, she found the ways of the West stifling. It was not a woman’s place to seek adventure. She was meant to stay home and attend to the family’s affairs while the men were away. The words of the world became her connection to distant lands she’d never know. Poetry was her chief outlet. Her verse spoke of her longing and of the inequalities inherent in her society. The beauty of her words stirred conflicting emotions within her audience. Unfamiliar notions entered their minds, but none would dare voice those ideas save Lavandra herself. But destiny had dealt the young poet a cruel hand. As her popularity spread through the archipelago, a fury grew among those who favored the nation’s patriarchal traditions. Lavandra attracted the ire of people she had never met, and eventually, she made wealthy enemies. One of the plutocrats hired a band of privateers to attack So Blessed, with orders to find and quietly kill Lavandra in the process. Though they succeeded in their mission, the privateers were pursued by the Coral fleet and captured. They revealed name of their employer, and when the plutocrat’s crime was exposed, Lavandra’s long-sought revolution for gender equality began in earnest, toppling centuries of established patriarchy. Or so the Division of Endings had planned. Unfortunately for the Bureau of Destiny, but quite to Lavandra’s liking, the privateers caught the attention of a great whale, marked with shimmering silver tattoos, long before they arrived at So Blessed. Her destiny avoided, the poet attracted the attention of a Nocturnal Exaltation and found new strength in her voice as one of the Troubadours of the Nova Caste. She is unaware of her near brush with death or the ancient Lunar who unwittingly saved her. Her poems continue to inspire those who hear or read them, and her fame continues to spread. The plutocrat who conspired to have her murdered, too, enjoys a second a chance and plots against her still. His secret is safe still and he has had time to reconsider the folly of his first rash attempt to silence the poet. While he delays, Lavandra attracts larger and larger audiences, stirring more hearts to break the chains of patriarchy that have long kept the women of Coral shackled to their homes. In the Loom of Fate, Lavandra’s strand vanished on schedule. Only later did a Sidereal note that it had not been severed by the Maiden of Endings as planned. After much searching he has finally found it—a tangled mess hiding deep
within the Loom. The Sidereal weighed his options. Fate veered off course, but it still seemed to be heading ultimately toward the destination he intended. In the meantime, he continues to monitor the situation. With increasing frequency, the young poet’s strand twists and convulses, shaking the surrounding strands. The pattern spiders ignore her, so the Sidereal tends to her strand personally. He can barely keep up. Motivation: Inspire the women and men of the West to rise up for equality Caste: Nova Anima Banner: A flash of white and expanding fiery halo leaving behind sea foam green wisps Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Charisma 5, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3, Perception 5, Intelligence 4, Wits 2 Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 3, Temperance 3, Valor 2 Abilities: Awareness 2, Craft (Air) 3 (Calligraphy +2), Dodge 2, Integrity 3, Investigation 2, Linguistics (Native: Seatongue; Skytongue, Riverspeak, High Realm, Low Realm, Firetongue) 5 (Poetry +2), Lore 2 (Philology +1), Performance 3, Presence 3, Sail 1, Socialize 3 Backgrounds: Companion 2, Influence 2, Resources 2, Tangled Fate 3, Whispers 1 Domains: The Stone 2, The Silk 5, The Needle 2, The Clay 5, The Stylus 2 Charms: Excellencies: Charisma (1st), Perception (1st) Charisma: Artful Conversationalist’s Allure, Brothers in Arms, Fifteen Minutes of Fame Approach, Services Rendered Perception: Lover’s Attentive Ear, Open Book Interaction Intelligence: Basic Necessities Provisions Join Battle: 4 Attacks: Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 4, Damage 2B, Parry DV 3, Rate 3, Tags N Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 3, Damage 5B, Parry DV 1, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 3, Damage 2B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P Soak: 3L/1B Health Levels: -0/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 4 Willpower: 6 Essence: 2 Personal Essence: 14 Peripheral Essence: 31 Committed Essence: 0 Other Notes: Since Lavandra’s Companion spends most of his time in Yu-Shan, she is only vaguely aware of his existence. Some of her more recently poems have addressed her desire to find the source of this mysterious longing (though her admirers—represented by her Influence—argue incessantly over this series of poems, as they differ in style from her previous work). Her resources come from a combination of working as a scribe for her family’s shipping enterprise and from donations received at her poetry readings. Her Basic Necessities Provisions provides her with materials typically found in a scriptorium, though she supplies her own paper when she can. The artifact this Charm provides is a crystalline Audient Brush (Book of Sorcery, vol. III—Oadenol’s Codex, p. 33).
Indigo Grace
The Teahouse Assassin
Quote: Arm yourself and let the dance begin! Born in the village of Rigin, a rice-farming community a mere two-day ride from the outskirts of Lookshy, Indigo Grace was the only child born to a poor farmer and his blind
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wife. The people were under the jurisdiction and protection of Lookshy and greatly admired the famous soldiers who had long guarded their small village from raiders. Indigo Grace grew up hearing the tales of famous battles and noble heroes, and while other girls learned how to be proper women, she spent more time fantasizing of her own exploits as a glorious sword-princess. Tragedy befell her family when she was still young and ruined her dreams of heroism. While traveling to Lookshy to deliver Rigin’s rice tribute, Indigo Grace’s father was fatally wounded by a bandit. He survived long enough to recount his assailant’s description: a man armored head to toe in glittering blue armor and wielding a crackling pike. Her father had spotted the man some distances away, but before he could even consider fleeing, the bandit was already upon him. Oddly, the bandit took nothing but a single sack of rice, before departing. The local regiment vowed to apprehend the bandit but although they searched for the Deserter, as he came to be called, for months he was never found or even seen again. After her father’s death, the patron of her village took pity on Indigo Grace. While the patron invested in the community that had taken his name, as is expected from wealthy citizens of Lookshy, his wife Rigin Oshipa operated a fine house of entertainments not far away. There foreign visitors and off-duty soldiers could take their leave and indulge themselves with little concern for who else was watching. Working for Oshipa provided Grace with enough money to support her mother. Oshipa groomed Indigo Grace for a life as a geisha. She easily mastered the arts of hospitality and though the clientele were rowdier than most she might encounter in similar establishments closer to Lookshy, she was never asked to do anything demeaning while Oshipa managed the house. After two years of standard work such as serving tea and dancing, Oshipa began instructing Grace in subtle methods of selfdefense. Unfortunately, Oshipa was never able to complete Grace’s training in the esoteric arts. Early last year a client revealed himself to be a Fair Folk and a brief fight ensued. While most of the guests and Grace’s fellow geisha fled the house, Grace lingered to watch the fight. A single young Dragon-blooded officer remained with Oshipa. Her mistress exhibited a martial prowess that seemed to impress even the officer. The Fair Folk was as cruel as he was cunning, and he shielded himself with Oshipa as the officer prepared to land a final blow. “Do it!” were Oshipa’s last words. The Rigin family was well honored for her bravery and sacrifice. Oshipa’s husband cared little for the management of the house after his wife’s death. Its popularity soared in the wake of Oshipa’s heroism. The new wave of clients were very respectful the first season, and while Grace remained busy every day, it was not unpleasant work and she sent her mother more wealth in those months than most people of Rigin saw in years. As Oshipa’s husband’s interest in the house waned, the rules grew lax and the clientele became more eccentric and demanding. The clients made requests that would have never been honored while Oshipa managed the house but which Grace was now bound to fulfill.
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As her work became increasingly unpleasant, Grace retreated to her heroic fantasies. She imagined herself as a hidden martial arts master, transforming her lightest caress into a deadly blow, like Oshipa had been able to do. Against particularly lewd clients she played out her dreams of revenge in fine detail. And so she kept herself from despair until Calibration. Somewhere far away, a cage had been opened and a Nocturnal Exaltation made its way to her. Indigo Grace exalted as the first Gladiator of the Comet Caste. Soon after she took her Second Breath, the Madame came to visit her. Indigo Grace, being ignorant of spiritual affairs, mistook the strange woman as the deified spirit of Rigin Oshipa, returned to guide Grace’s new found mission. The Madame told Grace to recover a hidden book wrapped in white cloth from beneath the floor boards of Oshipa’s office, which only confirmed Grace’s suspicions. The book contained coded information and a dozen or so illustrations of martial arts techniques. Instructed by the Madame, Grace took the book to Lookshy and showed no one. Those who knew how to translate the book would find her. True to her word, the White Veil Society quickly discovered Indigo Grace and after proper initiation she has joined as rising star in the secret society. Much to the Society’s surprise, she mastered their style rapidly. Indigo Grace remains disguised as a mere geisha, working now at an establishment within Lookshy. Those within the Society know she is some sort of Anathema, but they know how to keep a secret. The grandmasters of the White Veil frequently make use of her power and send her on the most dangerous assignments – under the pretense that her new mistress has sent her to entertain at private parties. Indeed, Grace’s beauty and talent as a geisha have not gone unnoticed and such requests are not uncommon. Motivation: Embody the elegance and grace of the martial arts to inspire others Caste: Comet Anima Banner: A blue, streaming coma with a tumbling indigo nucleus. Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 2, Temperance 4, Valor 3 Abilities: Awareness 2, Athletics 2, Craft (Water) 2, Dodge 3, Integrity 2, Lore 1, Martial Arts 5 (Without Attracting Attention +2), Performance 3 (Dance +1), Socialize 3 (As Hostess +1), Stealth 3 Backgrounds: Artifact 2, Backing 2, Companion 2, Resources 2, Tangled Fate 3 Domains: The Stone 3, The Chisel 5, The Silk 1, The Stylus 1, The Tablet 4 Charms: Excellencies: Dexterity (1st), Wits (2nd) Strength: Hidden Might Physique Dexterity: Feather and Iron Descent, Improbable Response, Unhesitating Duelist Parturition Appearance: Essential Possibilities Wits: Blades Drawn in Peace, Spears from Quivers Drawn Supernatural Martial Arts: White Veil Style: Alehouse Memory Stance, Birdsong Over Blades, Owl Clutches At The Night, White Veil Form Other: Faceted-Lotus Enlightenment
Join Battle: 6 Attacks: Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 11, Damage 3B, Parry DV 6, Rate 3, Tags N Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 10, Damage 6B, Parry DV 1, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 10, Damage 3B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P Soak: 6L/8B (Jade Discrete Essence Armor, +5L/+5B, Hardness: 2L/2B, 3m to activate reflexively) Health Levels: -0/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 5 Willpower: 7 Essence: 2 Personal Essence: 16 Peripheral Essence: 25 (35) Committed Essence: 10 Other Notes: Indigo Grace’s artifact is her Discrete Essence Armor, which typically costs only 5 motes to attune but is doubled because it is not of the appropriate magical material for her. For more information, see Book of Sorcery, vol. 1: Wonders of the Lost Age, p. 80. It was a gift from the White Veil Society, which is where she has Backing.
Seneca
The Lion In the Woods
Quote: Sleep no longer, Linowans, or you shall wake to find the bones of your ancestors beneath the red trees of Halta. On the last night of Calibration, a lone Nocturnal Exaltation flitted about the world searching not just for a host dedicated to the plight of his people but also one that would lead it to its long lost companion. It paused to consider many heroes, but flew on. It could do better. If Exaltations can know joy, surely this one did when it discovered its new host. No other choice could be better. The Exaltation found Seneca alone in the woods, just within the Haltan border. The only survivor against a failed raid, he crudely attempted to tend to gossamer arrow protruding from his shoulder. Not far away, a twig snapped. No Raksha would be so clumsy. They wanted him to know. They wanted him afraid. But the Raksha found no helpless mortal when they came to finish Seneca. The Nocturnal Exaltation found him first. Flooded with celestial power, the new gladiator was more than a match for his Raksha foes, especially once armed with a glittering crystal bow. The Fair Folk retreated in terror, and Seneca headed south to plan his next raid on Halta. Another surprise awaited Seneca when he returned home. After years of absence, his younger brother Lowuyica stood before him, with a mix of utter surprise and relief upon his face. Immediately, both knew something had changed between them since they last met. Lowuyica, now the Chosen of Mars, had been to Yu-Shan and back; Senca, now Chosen of… well, someone at least, had been waylaid by Raksha on destined path to ignite open war between the Haltans and the
Linowans—one in which the Haltans and their new Solar ally were intended to win. If it were a war Destiny demanded, then Seneca was happy to oblige. But it would be war on his own terms. With his brother’s help, Seneca will soon give Destiny more than it ever bargained for. He travels the waterways of the Linowan, rallying support. Lowuyica aids in whatever manner he can, increasingly finding excuses to visit his homeland, careful to avoid suspicion that he is on the verge of going ronin. Seneca has, thus far, neglected to inform Queen Arkasi of his activities. If asked, he will say he does not wish to involve the Queen in this matter officially—if he attracts the attention of the Bull of the North, let it be a rogue band rather than with royal sanction. There is some pragmatic truth there. Should he fail, he would not wish bring ruin upon his entire people. But deep down, he simply doesn’t care for the Queen. Arkasi’s alliance with the Realm has failed the Linowans dramatically. Its local legion has been eradicated by the Bull of the North. The Queen Who Lives Forever has vanished from her scarlet throne. What aid can the Dynasts offer now, in the Linowans most desperate hour? The leaves are changing; new leadership is needed. Already, Seneca’s name is one whispered to be better fit for the throne, or at least he should replace Virithan Splitsthe-Door as the royal war leader. So far, Seneca has ignored such suggestions. Each day, he, his mysterious prophet and their war band travel from boat clan to boat clan, spreading his mission and preparing the people for war. Motivation: Fight for the ultimate victory of the Linowans Caste: Comet Anima Banner: A dual-tailed comet with a dark ominous heart Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 5, Temperance 2, Valor 3 Abilities: Archery 4 (On the move +1), Awareness 3, Athletics 2, Craft (Wood) 2 (Woodworking +1), Dodge 3, Integrity 3 (Never Forgive +1), Lore 1, Medicine 1, Presence 3 (Oratory +1), Sail 2 (Rivers +1), Survival 2, War 3 (Guerilla Tactics +1) Backgrounds: Companion 5, Artifact 3, Followers 2, Influence 2 Domains: The Stone 4, The Chisel 4, The Statue 2, The Silk 2, The Tablet 4 Charms: Excellencies: Strength (3rd), Dexterity (1st), Charisma (2nd) Strength: Cometary Impact Technique, Tumbling Troupe Maneuver Dexterity: Empty Handed Innocence, One Bird, Two Stones Stamina: Destiny Adopting Humility, Road Smoothing Attitude Charisma: Birds of a Feather Unity, Trumpets Herald Victory Join Battle: 7 Attacks: Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 5, Damage 4B, Parry DV 3, Rate 3, Tags N Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 4, Damage 7B, Parry DV 1, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 4, Damage 4B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P The Barbed Meteor: Speed 6, Accuracy 11, Damage +6L, Rate 2, Range 250, Tags 2, B, P Soak: 2L/4B
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Health Levels: -0/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 5 Willpower: 8 Essence: 2 Personal Essence: 18 Peripheral Essence: 35 (39) Committed Essence: 4 (3 Paradox) Other Notes: Seneca’s companion, obviously, is his brother. When he accompanies his brother, he wears a Spear Resplendency and, thanks to Destiny Adopting Humility, has placed an Ascending Spear Destiny on Seneca as well. Once per scene, Seneca regains one willpower whenever he succeeds on a rolled action related to training his troops, represented by his Followers. This destiny will last for one year. While in Yu-Shan, Lowuyica tends to his brother’s Fate and keeps it orderly. Seneca’s artifact is The Barbed Meteor, a Paradoxed short powerbow. By gaining a Paradox, Seneca may fire an unlimited supply of frog-crotch arrows for a scene. Due to the adamant nature of the weapon, these arrows can puncture all but the hardest armor. Lethal armor soak is unaffected by either the doubling nature of the arrows or the Piercing effect of the weapon. His Influence is his growing reputation among the Linowans.
Sartor Verdan Love’s Fool
Quote: Look, love, this is fun, but maybe I can tie you up for a change. Born somewhere in the West, the blue-haired Sartor Verdan knows little of his own past. Sartor Verdan may not even be his real name. Nothing before his Exaltation in the month of Resplendent Air remains. Since then he has been haunted by the memories of his previous incarnation. The alien world of prehistoric Creation perplexes him and the incongruity with his “memories” and modern Creation unnerve him. He sleeps poorly as the grim veiled image of Saturn manifests in his nightmares. From time to time, his past life erupts to the fore of his psyche, assuming control with intense passion, living vicariously through Sartor. With little attachment to his mortal life, Sartor set out toward something familiar. He did not know what it was, but could feel it calling him. Whenever he awoke from one of his black-outs, he almost always regained consciousness to discover himself closer to the source of the calling than before. Periodically the calling went silent, and he thought he had found wherever it was he was supposed to go. Romance came easily to him, and the handsome youth has broken the hearts of many women along his travels. When the calling comes again, he departs without explanation. In time his travels brought him to an isolated island monastery hidden atop sheer cliffs. The calling cried to him stronger than ever, but guided him no further. Among the monks, he thought he had truly and finally found the place he sought. He joined them attempted to learn their Sea-
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Faring Hero Style, remaining careful to hide his identity as an Anathema. Soon after starting the student’s training of the style, he suffered another black-out. When he awoke, he found himself chained to a chair being questioned by a harsh Tya woman, tattooed and sporting men’s clothing and hair style. She interrogated him for hours, demanding to know why he was trying to break into her base, who he worked for, and most importantly who and what he was. Sartor Verdan had few answers for her questions and what he was able to answer did no please his captor – Righteous Tsunami. She wasn’t exactly the sort of woman he usually pursued, but his attraction to her was undeniable. Sitting in her presence, he knew once and for all that she was his calling, the thing that had traveled thousands of miles to discover. Unsurprisingly for those who knew Righteous Tsunami well, his seductive advances were not met well. What did surprise those who knew the Chosen of Battles was the way she handled Sartor’s capture. Usually level-headed, she grew frustrated and annoyed with him easily, yet refused to let anyone else interrogate him without her direct permission. No one beyond the Convention of Water was to know about Sartor until they had discovered exactly who and what he is. It seemed odd to other members of her Convention, considering how she might have typically used an unknown threat as a means of garnering extra funds from the Bureau of Destiny. Sartor Verdan remains Righteous Tsunami’s prisoner today. She continues to interrogate and occasionally torture him, convinced he has placed some magic on her that must be revoked. Torture typically takes the form of elaborate experiments that also allow her to gauge the power of the young Concubine of the Aurora Caste. To his credit, Sartor endures Righteous Tsunami’s cruelty without bitterness. He admits to others that this is illogical, that he should be angry, but he simply cannot be angry with her. It’s only a matter of time before she comes around. Since Sartor remains outside of Fate to all but Righteous Tsunami, this has provided the members of the Convention of Water a rare opportunity; bets have been placed on when exactly he’ll eventually snap under the abuse. Motivation: Win Righteous Tsunami’s love Caste: Aurora Anima Banner: Gently rolling curtains of sea-foam green. Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Charisma 5, Manipulation 3, Appearance 5, Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 3, Temperance 2, Valor 2 Abilities: Athletics 3, Dodge 3, Integrity 5 (While Being Tortured +1), Martial Arts 3, Presence 5 (Seduction +2), Resistance 3 (In the Company of a Woman +1), Sail 2, Socialize 2, Survival 1 Backgrounds: Companion 3, Cult 1, Past Lives 1, Tangled Fate 2 Domains: The Chisel 4, The Statue 1, The Silk 4, The Needle 1, The Cloak 5 Charms: Excellencies: Charisma (2nd), Appearance (3rd) Stamina: Road-Smoothing Attitude Charisma: Artful Conversationalist’s Allure, Constellations Fill The Sky, Interest Catching Camaraderie, Zodiac and Ecliptic Union Appearance: Personified Mask of Conviction, Too Pretty To Die Supernatural Martial Arts: Seafaring Hero Style: Sea Spider Plunge
Join Battle: 3 Attacks: Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 8, Damage 2B, Parry DV 5, Rate 3, Tags N Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 7, Damage 5B, Parry DV 3, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 7, Damage 2B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P Slashing Sword: Speed 4, Accuracy 8, Damage 5L, Parry DV 4, Rate 1 Soak: 1L/3B Health Levels: -0/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 5 Willpower: 6 Essence: 2 Personal Essence: 14 Peripheral Essence: 31 Committed Essence: 0 Other Notes: Sartor Verdan’s Cult background represents the members of the Convention of Water which pray for his continued endurance—so that they might win the bets they’ve placed. He is a rarity among Harlequins as he possesses the Past Lives background. His Exaltation was not entirely purged of its former memories by Autochthon and occasionally those memories surge and overtake his mind. The background is fully detail in Manual of Exalted Power, vol. V: Infernals, p. 77-78. For Nocturnals, this would represent their Primordial War incarnations, and no Nocturnal may have Past Lives greater than 1.
Lady Ferem Abrianne Death’s Harlot
Quote: Honestly, now! Why do you waste time groveling in the streets? You can’t be that poor. You still have two arms, two sturdy legs, and a strong back, don’t you? There’s a necrotech surgeon in town who would gladly pay you for the spare parts, since you’re obviously not using them. When the Mask of Winters marched on the city of Thorns, how many destinies were disrupted? Only the Bureau of Destiny knows for sure, but this is certain: among those was the destiny of a young woman far from home. Ferem Abrianne was born in the city of Cherak. Renowned for her beauty and little else, Ferem’s father considered her a liability when she failed to carry on the family’s Exalted heritage. She became a bargain chip in his politic schemes. By way of their mutual alliance with the Realm, her father had arranged for her marriage to a son of Thorn’s Autocrat. To her protests, she was shipped off across to the Inner Sea to meet her betrothed. She found herself in Thorns on the eve of its invasion. Abandoned by her family, she became trapped in city as the dead marched in. Through guile and wit, she survived the initial attack. This would surprise her father, not only because he still assumes that she died in the attack but also because he would have never expected her to possess such skill. Living in squalor taught her harsh lessons. She did what she had to in order to survive. When Calibration came, she received charity from an unlikely source. Exalting in Thorns’
shadowland soon brought her to the attention of its new master. She perplexed the Mask of Winters, and he refused to let her depart until he solved the riddle of her existence. This suited her just fine. True, for a time she was little more than a prisoner, but soon she won the favor of the Deathlord’s court. Swearing an oath to never leave the city, she was given freedom of movement within it. She once again enjoys the benefits of being nobility and has adapted well to the aristocracy of the dead. She is a known lover of more than one of the city’s Deathknights. The people of the city speak of her with disdain, calling her Death’s Harlot behind her back. They curse her, more so than they do the Abyssals, for they remember that she was once one of them. Recently risen from the filth of the streets, she shows them no love, only contempt. Where she walks, discontent and malice follows. The people grow restless in her presence. Should they see an opportunity to revolt, her head would be among the first they place upon a spike. Abrianne smiles as she walks away from their insults. Their hatred gives her hope. She has taken it upon herself to become a parody of the city’s rulers. To dwell among them, to imitate their habits, to draw the ire of the common people. If her death will buy the people their freedom, she would gladly accept that bargain. Not without attempting to negotiate a better price first, of course, and when the day comes, she has a few more tricks up her sleeve to ensure her continued survival. Motivation: Inflame the rebellious spirit of Thorns’ mortals. Caste: Aurora Anima Banner: Pale green-and-white wisps coiling slowly around her. Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 4, Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Virtues: Compassion 3, Conviction 3, Temperance 2, Valor 2 Abilities: Awareness 3, Bureaucracy 2, Dodge 3 (In expensive clothes +1), Integrity 3, Linguistics 2 (Native: High Realm; Skytongue, Riverspeak), Lore 2, Melee 3 (Fencing +1), Occult 1 (The Dead +2), Performance 2, Presence 2, Socialize 3 (High Society +2), Survival 1 (Street Smarts +2) Backgrounds: Backing 1, Companion 1, Resources 3, Tangled Fate 2 Domains: The Chisel 3, The Silk 4, The Needle 2, The Cloak 4, The Tablet 2 Charms: Excellencies: Manipulation (1st), Appearance (3rd) Dexterity: Empty Handed Innocence Charisma: Confident Debate Initiation, Interest-Catching Camaraderie, Following the Heart’s Desire Manipulation: Absurd Satirist’s Mask Wits: Devil Reigning Hypothesis, Smiling Traitor Opportunity Join Battle: 7 Attacks: Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 4, Damage 2B, Parry DV 2, Rate 3, Tags N Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 3, Damage 5B, Parry DV 1, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 3, Damage 2B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P Straight Sword: Speed 4, Accuracy 8, Damage 5L, Parry DV 4, Rate 2 Soak: 1L/2B Health Levels: -0/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 5 Willpower: 6 Essence: 3 Personal Essence: 15 Peripheral Essence: 35 Committed Essence: 0
Chapter One • Heralds
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Harlequins
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Other Notes: Lady Abrianne wears courtly finery to flaunt the wealth of Thorns’ new aristocracy. Though ragged, it is among the best the half-dead city can provide and is sufficient for its purpose. She is a fine fencer, having practiced the sport since childhood (at her mother’s insistence and without her father’s consent). This practice served her well in her days surviving on the streets; she still carries the sword that saved her life on more than one occasion. Though it is no rapier, it has served her well thus far. Her Backing represents her ‘official’ status among the city’s Exalted. Her Devil Reigning Hypothesis allows her to appear as a Creature of Death. Who her companion is, she cannot say. They have not yet met.
Aolan Graf-Keszic
Herald of the Day of Reckoning
Quote: Let all chains break! Let all traitors wail! The Day of Reckoning draws nigh! Unwittingly Aolan Graf-Keszic’ life has been ruled by numerous conspiracies. Born into the royal family of Gradafes, a small kingdom located halfway between the Haslanti League and Halta, he was indoctrinated into a Yozi-worshiping cult of Sacheverell from the moment of conception. Many believed he would be the one to pave the way for the two sons of Aolan fated to open the door between the living and the dead and enter the Third Place, in accordance with a prophecy that the minions of Sacheverell had delivered to the Yozi’s cult long ago. As such, the secretive cult prepared Graf-Keszic, as they had all members of the royal family, to be the Herald of the Day of Reckoning. The foremost obstacle to this prophecy is the Deathlord, the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears, who rules Gradafes from her shadowland within the kingdom. Together with her deathknights, she interferes daily in the destiny of the nation, constantly manipulating who will become her next vassal king. Graf-Keszic is not the first in line to inherit the throne and he has not earned the Lover’s notice. He is a heavy-set man with a full dark beard and a ruddy face well known for his stoic integrity, cunning, and sharp wit. Such a man hardly appeals to the Lover – though he might interest her for a moment while he attempts to resist her seduction, as a mere mortal he could never resist long enough to make himself a true challenge. There is no sport in seducing mortals, and so the Lover prefers to select those who appeal to her standards of male beauty. To her, the kings of Gradafes are little more than toys with which to gratify her own desires until she can find more challenging opportunities deserving of her attention. Additionally, Cecelyne herself has learned of Sacheverell’s interference in the region and she will not abide by his flagrant circumvention of restrictions she and the other Yozi placed upon him. Sending her own agents into Gradafes, she began undermining a revolution Sacheverell’s cult had
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prepared, so that its leader, Aolan Graf-Keszic, would falter at the crucial moment. Cecelyne succeeded and Aolan Graf-Keszic aborted his own revolution when the Lover sent one of her Deathknights to investigate disturbances in the capital of Graf-Vindak. Before Cecelyne could claim him as her own Green Sun Prince, a Nocturnal Exaltation came upon him, transforming him into a Jester of the Empyrean Caste. Today, Aolan Graf-Keszic is a hunted man. The Lover is aware of his new-found power and seeks to make him her slave. Cecelyne is enraged that he escaped her own attempt and has directed one of her Infernals to find and eliminate him. As for Sacheverell’s cult, Graf-Keszic remains an active member, using his power to further its agenda. Already he has contacted the lesser souls of Sacheverell and is preparing to take their conspiracy in a new direction thanks to unexpected boon the cult has received from Nox. Motivation: Prepare the world for the Day of Reckoning Caste: Empyrean Anima Banner: A sphere of darkest indigo of apparently infinite depth. Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4, Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 4 Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 5, Temperance 2, Valor 4 Abilities: Awareness 1, Bureaucracy 3 (Affairs of State +1), Dodge 2, Integrity 2, Lore 1, Linguistics 1 (Native: Skytongue; Old Realm), Melee 2 (Sacrificial Dagger +1), Occult 3, Performance 2 (Oratory +3), Presence 2, Ride 1, Socialize 2, Stealth 2 Backgrounds: Companion 1, Cult 2, Influence 2, Resources 3, Tangled Fate 2 Domains: The Statue 4, The Silk 1, The Needle 4, The Stylus 2, The Tablet 4 Charms: Excellencies: Charisma (2nd), Manipulation (2nd) Stamina: Death and the Broken Mirror, There Is No Sword, Time-Halting Auroch Mastery, Truthful Nomenclature Habits, Charisma: Brothers In Arms Manipulation: Manipulation and Needle Unity Intelligence: Fickle Leopard’s Defense Wits: Smiling Traitor Opportunity Join Battle: 4 Attacks: Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 3, Damage 2B, Parry DV 2, Rate 3, Tags N Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 2, Damage 5B, Parry DV 0, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 2, Damage 2B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P Sacrificial Dagger: Speed 5, Accuracy 7, Damage 5L, Parry DV 4, Rate 1 Soak: 8L/12B (Royal Lamellar +6L/+8B) Health Levels: -0/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 3 (2 in armor) Willpower: 7 Essence: 2 Personal Essence: 16 Peripheral Essence: 36 Committed Essence: 0 Other Notes: Aolan Graf-Keszic has escaped with a bit of his family fortune while the forces of the Lover and Cecelyne pursue him. This includes a set of royal lamellar armor, which is of fine quality and only imposes a -1 Mobility Penalty. His sacrificial dagger is of perfect quality, adding one to its Accuracy, one to its Damage, and two to its defense. He serves as the priest of Sacheverell’s cult in Gradafes, and a portion of
Nexus has kept him busy and his actions as unofficial the cult praises him daily as the Herald of the Day of Reckon- ing. His Influence includes both his sway in the Cult and his law enforcement have begun to attract unwanted attention. familiarity among the locals as a member of the royal family. Avoiding the wrath of the street gangs and, occasionally, the Council of Entities is tiring work, but since he has found ways urning aters to pit rival gangs against each other, he had time to consider other mysteries. The Law Without Borders From time to time, as he wanders the city, he spots a Quote: Two months and not a clue in sight? You door crafted of blue crystal. Oddly, he alone seems to even found me just in time. notice the mysterious door. Where it leads, he does not know Calibration held many surprises for it appears to stand free of any structure. He has tried openfor Burning Waters, few of them pleasing it, but it is always locked. The door comes and goes with ant. Born in the Hundred Kingdoms, a cacophonous racket only he hears. He’ll solve that mystery his family emigrated to Greyfalls some day, but for now, there are murderers and thieves runduring a time of famine. Growing ning free. up in the city was not always easy. Motivation: Make the Streets of the Scavenger Lands After a few run-ins with the law, Safe at Night he realized that if he couldn’t Caste: Empyrean beat them, he might as well join Anima Banner: A black and indigo sphere which shows the them. By the age of twenty, he stars as they would appear overhead during the day. was chasing petty thieves through Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Charisma 2, crowded markets. By thirty, he Manipulation 4, Appearance 2, Perception 4, Intelligence 2, was tracking down murderers. Wits 5 The next thirty-five years of his Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 3, Temperance 2, Valor 2 life saw his continued service to the Abilities: Athletics 1, Awareness 3, Bureaucracy (Laws +1), law. Admirable as his works were, Integrity 2 (No one is above the law +2), Investigation 5 (Cold he was but a mortal in a city which Cases +2), Lore 1, Martial Arts 3 (Tonfas +1), Presence 2, attracted Outcastes and Dynasts Resistance 2, Survival 1 looking for a second chance. Time Backgrounds: Artifact 3, Artifact 3, Resources 1, Tangled and again, he is accomplishments Fate 1, Whispers 2 were ignored in favor for yet another Domains: The Chisel 2, The Statue 4, The Needle 4, The Dragon-blooded passing through the Clay 2, The Tablet 5 ranks. Charms: Over sixty, he could no longer Excellencies: Dexterity (1st), Charisma (2nd), Manipulation keep up with even the younger mortal (2nd), Perception (3rd), Wits (1st) officers. Since he refused to quit the Stamina: Ox-Body Technique, There Is No Sword job he loved, he was unceremoniously Charisma: Ears to the Ground discharged one Calibration eve. Packing his things, he trudged out into an evening shower. Passing Manipulation: Scapegoat and Glory Hound a dark alley, he heard a cry for help. Placing his box on the Perception: Whence You Came rain-slicked cobblestones, he muttered: “Once more, for old Join Battle: 8 Attacks: time’s sake.” He encountered a lovers’ spat turned violent, on the Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 8, Damage 2B, Parry DV 4, Rate 5, verge of murderous. But no good deed goes unpunished. Tags N Burning Waters crossed paths with a Bloody Hand that night. Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 7, Damage 5B, Parry DV 2, Rate 4, Though he was unaware of it, for years Burning Waters had Tags N been arresting the murder god’s favorite serial killers, forcing Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 7, Damage 2B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, him to start over time after time.The Bloody Hand had had Tags C, N, P enough of Burning Waters interference and would not let Tonfas: Speed 5, Accuracy 8, Damage 6B, Parry DV 5, Rate 5, Tags M him stop this one. Had the Bloody Hand thought to consult with the Soak: 12L/14B (The Dusty Lawman, +10L/+10B, Hardness Bureau of Destiny, he would have learned that Burning 5L/5B) Waters was fated to die that night in a double murder. His Health Levels: -0x2/-1x2/-2x2/-4x2/Incap Willpower: 8 death would have sparked an outcry among the Confederate Dodge DV: 4 Essence: 2 community in the city and eventually leading to them being Peripheral Essence: 35 recognized as true citizens of Greyfalls rather than long-term Personal Essence: 15 Committed Essence: 3 (3 Paradox) visitors. Instead the gift of Nox came upon him. In a way, Burn- Other Notes: Burning Waters possesses a pair of adamant ing Waters did die that night. The old man who walked into hearthstone bracers, which he acquired from the Guild facthat alley never walked out. Renewed by his Second Breath, a tor Erimav the Librarian after Burning Waters arrested the thief who had stolen from the factor’s vast collection of rare young man walked out victoriously. He has since left his old life behind. Traveling the River wonders. His other artifact is the Dusty Lawman, a Paradoxed Confederacy, he eventually arrived in Nexus. He uses aliases Reinforced Buff Jacket. Burning Waters may gain a Paradox as he travels, typically referring to himself merely as the Con- to banish the armor to Elsewhere or to retrieve it, ready for stable, when he can avoid using a proper name. Though still battle, so long as he’s not wearing any other armor. adjusting to his transformation, he has not faltered in his duty to the law.
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Chapter One • Heralds
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Harlequins
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Rothel Xul The Hunter of Men
Quote: We’ll skip introductions. I can tell by your steadily rising stench that you already know who I am, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t know you. Life in the great southern desert is particularly harsh. A nomadic tribe leads a hard life, and the sandy wastes are prowled by many dangers – not the least of which are other tribes. Rothel Xul once belonged to small tribe in the northern fringe of the desert until his tribe was raided by another, larger tribe. The raid leader was a Dragon-blooded bastard, ignorant of his own heritage but hoping to earn the favor of certain wealthy Dynasts. The Dragon-blooded captured Rothel’s tribe and sold them into slavery. Rothel’s wife caught the eye of a scion of House Cynis and was taken to the Blessed Isle. Rothel was sold to wealthy merchant in Chiaroscuro to serve as a eunuch in the merchant’s harem. For years Rothel hated the Outcaste raider who captured him and the nameless member of House Cynis who separated him from his wife. He mourned the children he would never have. As he guarded his master’s harem he brooded and formulated his revenge. Yet all his planning were little more than childish fantasies. As time passed, he grew to accept his new lot in life. Who was he to rail against the hand of Destiny? Performing his duties with increased dedication and loyalty, he became a trusted member of his master’s entourage. When Calibration came recently, his master invited Rothel to join the feast as a guest rather than a servant. Rothel was honored and accepted graciously. He wore his finest outfit and rubbed expensive scented oils onto the skin of his bald head as was customary for his culture. Rothel’s enthusiasm evaporated as the merchant’s guests arrived, among them Cynis Matto – the very man he had sworn revenge against all those years ago! Rothel ate and drank little during the feast and watched the gluttonous Matto intensely. Oblivious to the fury building in the eunuch, Cynis Matto boasted regarding his sexual exploits with his own slaves and mourned the loss of so many to his ravenous fetishes over the years. Rothel’s drunken master assured the Dragon-blooded that he was free to do as he pleased with his harem, so long as he paid for any damaged goods. Laughter filled the room while Rothel sipped at his own drink to mask his expression. As the night wore on and Matto drank more, he admitted a particularly strange fetish. Of all the women of Chiaroscuro, he wished to bed Crimson Leaves, the famous beauty from the mountains, who had died during the previous year at the hands of a jealous lover. Emboldened by many strong drinks, the merchant suggested it would be a small matter for a potent Dragon-blooded like Cynis Matto to summon the ghost of the deceased beauty and have his way with her.
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With the wisdom only drunken lechers possess, the merchant and Cynis Matto decided to venture into the shadowlands of the city and call out Crimson Leaves. And who better to accompany them on their exploit than the merchant’s eunuch? The three went lightly armed into the shadowland. Rothel’s hand never left the hilt of his ceremonial khopesh, waiting for the perfect moment to strike Cynis Matto. Perhaps he would cut the Dragon-blooded down just moments before he could add Crimson Leaves to his list of sexual exploits. That would be bitter justice. Whether Rothel would have actually done what he swore to do may never be known. He raised his sword just as Cynis Matto completed his slurred evocation of the dead. A dozen ravenous ghosts manifested before them. As they torn into the Dragon-blooded, the ghosts splattered Rothel with his blood. The ghosts torn his khopesh from his hands and surely would have devoured him as well. Chance smiled on Rothel Xul that night. The Second Breath came upon him and just within reach an arcane device glistened, inviting him to pull the trigger. Invested with new power and armed with potent weapon, he fought his way free of the hungry ghosts, with his former master in tow. His traumatized master suffered delusions following the incident, caused by a combination of drunkenness, fear, and Rothel’s own mind-subduing anima. The next morning, seeing blood on Rothel’s clothes, the merchant accused Rothel of murder. False though the accusation was, Rothel happily accepted the blame. After all, had it not been for the ghosts, he would have done it himself. Of course, Rothel had no intention of suffering the consequences of the crime and has fled and evaded the local authorities ever since. He remains within Chiaroscuro or its immediate environs, learning all he can about the slave traders that pass through the city. Meanwhile, he has let the fear of his name run wild. Rumors of Rothel the Hunter spread through the city, tales of a mortal who slew a mighty Dragonblooded. Since Cynis Matto’s death several other prominent figures, mainly visiting Dragon-blooded, have died under mysterious circumstances. Such deaths are always attributed to Rothel the Hunter, slayer of the mighty. While some within think the Hunter of Men is nothing but an urban legend, many others whisper prayers to Rothel, wishing death upon those who have offended them. The truth is Rothel is only partially to blame for these deaths. He obscures evidence and warps memories to hide the true cause and make it appear as though he is responsible. When his name is feared far and wide and he has learned the name of the man who ruined his life, he will announce his intent and set out into the desert. Until he is ready, he carefully cultivates his mythos so that his enemy will quake with fear the day Rothel the Hunter comes against him. Motivation: Make the Wicked Fear His Name Caste: Nebula Anima Banner: Billowing pillars of crimson smoke that darken to the color of dried blood. Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Charisma 2, Manipulation 5, Appearance 2, Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 4 Virtues: Compassion 1, Conviction 3, Temperance 2, Valor 3 Abilities: Archery 2 (Executing Justice +2), Awareness 2, Dodge 2, Integrity 2, Investigation 3, Larceny 3, Lore 1, Melee 1, Presence 3, Resistance 1, Ride 1 (Camels +1), Stealth 3, Survival 2 (Deserts +1) Backgrounds: Artifact 3, Cult 1, Influence 2, Resources 1, Tangled Fate 1
Domains: The Statue 2, The Needle 5, The Clay 4, The Stylus 4, The Tablet 2 Charms: Excellencies: Manipulation (2nd), Wits (1st) Manipulation: Scapegoat and Glory Hound Appearance: Essential Possibilities Perception: Another Face in the Crowd, Assassin’s Fatal Stare, Ever-Wary Bandit’s Premonition, Open Book Interaction, Someone Else’s Problem Intelligence: Mind of the Mad Genius Wits: Shadow Leaping Surprise Join Battle: 6 Attacks: Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 4, Damage 2B, Parry DV 3, Rate 3, Tags N Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 3, Damage 5B, Parry DV 1, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 3, Damage 2B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P That Lucky Feeling: Speed 5, Accuracy 7, Damage 10L, Range 20, Rate 1, Tags F, P Soak: 5L/8B (Buff Jacket +3L/+4B) Health Levels: -0/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 4 (3 in armor) Willpower: 5 Essence: 2 Personal Essence: 12 Peripheral Essence: 27 Committed Essence: 0 (3 Paradox) Other Notes: Rothel Xul’s Influence represents the myth of himself he has cultivated. His Cult represents a disorganized group of mortals who pray to the Hunter of Men in order to rid them of some enemy. In combat he favors That Lucky Feeling, a Paradox Artifact variant of the Plasma-Tongue Repeater. It is made of glittering adamant with an ornate ivory detailing. Rather than alchemical reagents, That Lucky Feeling fires high velocity adamant-tipped bullets. It is not reloaded in the usual sense. After firing five shots, Rothel Xul may gain one Paradox as a diceless miscellaneous action to reload the same five bullets, over and over, removing them from their current location and returning them to their chambers in pristine condition.
[REDACTED] The Madame
Quote: Do we have an agreement? Little can be said of the Madame with certainty. She is a Nocturnal, that much is clear, and an old one at that. She has gone through at least one Renewal in her life, and with that she wiped the rest of her history clean. Her name has been erased from Fate and is known now only to her Companion—if she has even exposed herself to her Companion—and those beings beyond Fate who knew here in the days before she lost her name to become a legend. If such beings, none of the Madame’s would-be accomplices have found them. She has met with the few surviving Heralds, but none recall her from their days in the Time of Glory. She wears a new face now. Appearing as a beautiful, petite woman with pale skin and black hair, she is most frequently seen wearing a sweeping black cloak, in a Northern style, with hood raised and hands tucked neatly in her sleeves.
She is never seen arriving. Mysteriously, she appears upon the path of a hero, either waiting for him in some unexpected location or suddenly unveiling that she had been traveling alongside him for quite some time. After a cryptic explanation, the Madame offers the hero a challenge and a reward. She provides him with information which aids him in his endeavors or goads him to pursue a personal desire. In exchange for this information, she asks for that he find and deliver some seemingly insignificant article to her—one that can be found as he pursues whatever goal he now seeks to accomplish. Many adventurous heroes who took the Madame up on her offer have met with unfortunate ends. More often than not, she neglects to mention some potential hazard. With increasing frequency, her accomplices find themselves on the wrong end of the Bureau of Destiny. Worst still, this all seems part of the Madame’s master plan, whatever it may be. Fortunately, her loyalties lie with her peers, and she offers the Nocturnal Exalted the best tasks. Such tasks rarely involve run-ins with the Bureau of Destiny, unless the Nocturnals themselves prompt such an investigation. Otherwise, the Madame does her best to ensure minimal chance of interference. She approaches her fellow Nocturnals with tasks to occur during Calibration, or while arranging for some other event to distract the Bureau. In one notable incident, she organized the assassination of a Hundred Kingdom’s royal family at the hands of an Abyssal Exalted merely to cover the tracks of a pair of Harlequins who were busy in a neighboring kingdom. This is the most important lesson one can learn about the Madame. Behind her demure appearance lurks a patient, ruthless heart. In order to free the Nocturnals and Nox, she has no qualms with sacrificing the lives of mortals and Exalts alike. She rarely takes pleasure in this grim necessity, though a faint smile crosses her lips when she hears a Sidereal has fallen to one of her accomplices. Motivation: Liberate the Nocturnal Exaltations and their Patron from their Prison Caste: Nebula Anima Banner: A billowing, mountainous shape colored rose and rust Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Charisma 5, Manipulation 5 (Illusive +1), Appearance 5 (Fragile Beauty +1), Perception 5 (Seeing the Heart’s Desire +1), Intelligence 5, Wits 4 Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 5, Temperance 4, Valor 3 Abilities: Awareness 3, Bureaucracy 2, Dodge 3, Integrity 5 (Enigmatic +3), Investigation 3, Larceny 3, Linguistics 5, Lore 5 (History of the Second Age +2), Occult 3, Performance 4, Presence 4 (Withholding Details +2), Resistance 2, Ride 1, Sail 1, Socialize 3, Stealth 4 (In a Crowd +2), Thrown 3 (From Shadows +1, Counterattacks +2), Backgrounds: Artifact 2, Artifact 4, Companion 2, Tangled Fate 5, Whispers 5 Domains: The Statue 1, The Silk 3, The Needle 5, The Cloak 3, The Clay 4, The Stylus 5, The Tablet 2 Charms: Excellencies: Charisma (2nd), Manipulation (2nd), Appearance (3rd), Perception (1st), Intelligence (1st) Dexterity: Unhesitating Duelist Parturition Stamina: Boundless Possibilities Assimilation, Hidden Might Physique, The Crooked Made Straight Charisma: Courtesan and Artisan Meditation, Darkest Night Hero, Following the Heart’s Desires, Interest Catching Camaraderie
Chapter One • Heralds
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Harlequins
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Manipulation: Deception of Self, Fickle Lover’s Affections, Unreliable Face of Contradiction Appearance: Alpha and Omega Epithet, Broken Soul Reborn, Curious Onlooker Deflection, Essential Possibilities, Familiar Face Confusion, Personified Mask of Conviction, Personified Mask of Temperance, Unwavering Critic Style Perception: Another Face in the Crowd, Cheaters Never Prosper, Ever-Wary Bandit’s Premonition, Heart-Halting Accusation, Lover’s Attentive Ear, Open Book Interaction, OwlEyed Hunter Technique, Now My Watch Begins, Someone Else’s Problem, Standing in Harm’s Way Intelligence: Accidental Discoveries, Black Veil Conspiracy, Beautiful Mind Savant, Ingenious Singularity Advancement, Interrogation Halting Simpleton, Mind of the Mad Genius, Parting the Veil, Strategic Unexpected Brilliance, Puzzle Box Courier Technique, The Riddle Responds, The Veil Sundered Wits: Coiling Möbius Counterstrike, Night Prepares at Dawn Join Battle: 7 Attacks: Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 5, Damage 3B, Parry DV 3, Rate 3, Tags N Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 4, Damage 6B, Parry DV 1, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 4, Damage 3B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P Knives: Speed 5, Accuracy 8, Damage 5L, Parry DV 2, Range 50, Rate 3, Tags P, T Soak: 2L/4B Health Levels: -0/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap
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Dodge DV: 6 Willpower: 10 Essence: 5 Personal Essence: 25 Peripheral Essence: 58 (67) Committed Essence: 9 Other Notes: The Madame’s Artifact represents her Cloak of Vanishing Escape (Book of Sorcery, vol. III—Oadenol’s Codex, p. 40), which she will use in conjunction with Unhesitating Duelist Parturition to escape from combat as quickly as she can. Her lesser Artifact is a strange contraption wore around one wrist. The device appears to be an adamant Concealed-Knife Brace (Manual of Exalted Power, vol. VI— Alchemicals, p. 208), which provides her with six constantly refreshing knives. Where she acquired such a device, who can say? Regarding her true nature, there are few possibilities. The most likely is that she is a Herald, in which case she likely has Shadow Out of Time, in addition to her other Charms, or has used some other means to survive the long millennia. At least one Herald believes her to be the unwitting Alter-Ego of another, though whose he cannot guess. If true, she would have access to at least a few of Charms of the Alter-Ego. A stranger possibility exists, at least in a few Manvantara, that she is an advanced Harlequin who has twisted time and space to arrive in Creation before her own birth. If this were the case, she would also possess Walking the Skeins, or some method of bridging Manvantaras. She six languages appropriate to her actual background, but which six depends on which background is true.
Chapter Two • Nox, The Onyx Youth
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Chapter Two
Nox, The Onyx Youth
Bound and broken, Nox is the lowliest of the mighty Incarnae. His long imprisonment has stripped him of his volition and left him an emotionless husk. The threads of Fate wrap tightly around his essence, trapping him like a fly in the web of the Maidens’ design. This has not always been so. Ages ago, the Onyx Youth had a privileged place among the Most High. He bore the air of an entitled prince and the carefree nature of one unaccustomed to heavy duty. As the emissary of the Primordials he enjoyed their collective favor unlike any other god. For that, he earned the ire of his overworked peers long before Ignis Divine first drew up his plans for war. Had it not been for the words of Luna and the Maidens’ slavery to their own vision, Nox might never have been privy to the other Incarnae’s guarded dreams of rebellion. As it were, the others could not hope to create and train their Exalted in utter secrecy and to deny the knowledge of Exaltation to one of their own would raise suspicions among the Primordials. Thus, with the Great Maker’s help, the Onyx Youth crafted the Nocturnal Exaltations, and empowered them to be agents of unfettered will.
PERSONAGE AND PANOPLY
In the early days of Creation, the Dragon Beyond the World embraced the imperiled world to shield it from the ravages of the chaos beyond. From his seven wings he excreted the adamant Firmament and placed the wondrous dome atop the world. Unwittingly, he infused it with essence, the beginning of the nascent Nox, which drifted mindlessly through its crystal lattice, ignored and ignorant, until the first night of Creation. On that night, the Maidens revealed themselves to the Primordials in order to rejoice at Luna’s birth. Isidoros, insulted by their presumption, and the Lidless Eye That Sees, horrified at the potential tyranny of samsara, conspired to oppose these Incarnae. The Black Boar That Twists the Sky shattered a portion of the Firmament with a single stamp of his hoof. From the crack erupted the essence trapped within. The Boar stretched it toward infinity and compressed it toward singularity. The Lidless Eye burned into it visions of eternity and realities unrealized. Their toil continued for centuries, until at last, when the Lidless Eye feared their effort
Chapter Two • Nox, The Onyx Youth
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was finally lost and the Boar demanded one last strike upon the anvil of the Firmament, the essence cried out, “Enough!” and would permit no more imposition upon itself. The Lidless Eye blazed with joy, and Isidoros trampled the entire civilization of Bharanta in elation. The Primordials revealed their work as Calibration fell upon the world. With neither sun, nor moon, nor stars as witnesses, the Onyx Youth appeared at the zenith of the heavens, a handsome entity with skin of darkest indigo and long jet black hair. The Primordials draped him with sky-blue garments and crowned him with adamant. They named him the Calibration King and proclaimed him the God of the Firmament and the Lord of Possibilities. The aspect of the Onyx Youth is that of optimistic aspiration and impetuous rebellion. He is the child who believes all things are possible and that no yoke can be placed upon him. To ensure he complied with his makers’ needs, special care was taken in framing his duty. His time as the Calibration King was a privilege, one that grants him complete freedom to do as he pleased. He was an endless experimenter, always willing to try anything once—an attitude that has seduced many a god, deva, or mortal (often several at once) into the bedchambers of the Crystal Palace. In his role as Calibration King, Nox ingrained upon reality the barely controlled chaos that continues to haunt it on those five unique days. Yet his stubbornness would make him difficult to control were he not the favored youngest child of the Primordials. Outside of Calibration, his duties included serving as the emissary of the architects, declaring their desires to the rest of the divine bureaucracy, and channeling their might into a single moment of primal revelation, without need to perform the difficult work himself. When the Lords of Chaos broke through Creation’s outer defenses, he took on the aspect of the Diamond Prince, adorned himself in his adamant armor, and joined the fray. While the Unconquered Sun saw battle as a solemn necessity, Nox reveled in the sport of it. In this, he shared Luna’s passion. When their enemies fled in terror before the Incarnae, he was loath to remain behind to help the Maidens anchor reality. Once the unspoiled potential of reality had been evoked, the Diamond Prince departed to sate his own whim’s elsewhere. The first reign of the Calibration King was met with the rejoicing of the gods. Finally, they were given a reprieve from their eon-long toil. Nox empowered himself with unbridled potential and ruled supreme—for those few days only the Holy Tyrant and Ignis Divine could hope to defeat him in a fair fight. When Calibration ended and the Onyx Youth stepped down from his regency, the gods soon learned that he was not created for eternal slavery as they were. Who was this young upstart to enjoy all the comforts the Primordials could provide while their labors continued? Still, many deva and gods were easily seduced by his charm. The Onyx Youth earned enormous favor for the yearlong revelries he hosted in the Crystal Palace. His parties continued day and night, punctuated only by the occasional necessity to deliver orders on behalf of his patrons. At all other times, Nox went about the world fulfilling his every desire and, unwittingly, fulfilling the purpose for his creation—eroding the shackles of predestination and proclaiming the primacy of free will. Few desires escaped his grasp, yet one prize eluded him. Creation’s scholars called Nox the brother of the Maidens, for both meddled with the nature of Fate, but his so-called sisters were as much a mystery to him as he was to the Maidens. Such mystery was a temptation too great to resist. Opposites by design, he forever clashed with the Maidens, and each re-
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buffed his advances in turn. They were the forbidden desire, that which he might pursue endlessly but never be expected to claim. Yet, the Onyx Youth is nothing if not persistent. As the Time of Glory drew to a close and Incarnae drew up their plans for insurrection, the Fate of Nox hung in the balance. All too easily he could have been tipped in either direction; which direction he fell is a matter of debate to this day. Regardless, the outcome is known to the chief conspirators alone: that Nox was flayed from his mind and will, and his essence was entwined throughout the Loom of Fate where he weakly struggles against the very strands of Fate he long sought to undermine but which, in the end, proved stronger than he had imagined. Perhaps someday, should he ever be freed, Nox can recount his own side of the story. Until then, only the Maiden of Secrets knows the full account. Since his imprisonment, three events have nearly freed the Bound God. The first of these occurred during the Primordial War, when the architects captured Meru and absconded with the Loom of Fate to Yu-Shan. The constant prodding by She Who Lives In Her Name, combined with the periodic attempts by Isidoros to demolish the entire structure, almost shattered the threads that held his essence in place. The Maidens and their Chosen, however, were able to use Nox’s presence in the Loom as an arcane link, allowing them to control Fate through direct manipulation of the Firmament, until such time as the Unconquered Sun could throw open the gates of Yu-Shan and allow the host to reclaim the Loom. The second event was the Time of Cascading Years. The cause of this event remains a mystery, notably because the evidence collected from the various universes it spawned is riddled with contradictions. Some say a Twilight built a device that fractured reality. Others say reality broke asunder when a Primordial attempted to enter Creation. The Maiden of Secrets fears that Nox’s struggles jarred reality loose. Regardless of the cause, a second such event could easily weaken the Tapestry enough to cause Nox’s essence to bleed through. The third event was the Balorian Crusade. As reality frayed and unraveled from rim to core, slowly Nox’s binding loosened. Had it broken away completely, certainly Nox would have been freed—though restoring his broken mind would have been another question entirely.
T he Night’s Regalia As befitting a god of his importance, the Onyx Youth
was invested with numerous artifacts by his creators. Each is a unique wonder crafted by Primordial will and forged in their primal intent. The whereabouts of these items are currently unknown. Some may reside in the Crystal Palace. Others could have been claimed by the Maidens and stored in the infinite warehouse beneath the Forbidding Manse of Ivy. Others may be buried beneath miles of blood-soaked sediment just south of Arjuf, where the run-off from the First Siege of Meru during the Primordial War buried Nox’s temple-city. As each was specifically crafted for the sole use of the Onyx Youth, he need not commit any motes to attune to them. All other beings attempting to employ these artifacts must commit the designated attunement cost.
The Auroral Kamarbands
Artifact •• Coruscating with green, red, and blue light, these three ropes were forged by The Lidless Eye That Sees from adamant, molten stars, and the breath of the Elemental Dragons. They were once fastened around the Onyx Youth’s waist, adorning him with the dancing glow of the aurora. Each of these
artifacts raises by one the penalty imposed on another being’s Mental DV by the wearer’s Appearance, and likewise increases the bonus to his own Mental DV provided by his Appearance. Attuning to one costs four motes. Each kamarband after the first adds one mote to the attunement costs of the set.
The Skyward Sandals
Artifact •• These adamant-soled sandals are laced almost to the knee with starmetal cords. Clasps of white jade hold the laces tight. These sandals allow the wearer to reorient which direction is considered “down” for himself at will, allowing him to walk up walls or hang from ceilings. The pair costs five motes to attune.
The Lapis Dhoti
Artifact ••• The Onyx Youth most often appeared as a shirtless young man with only the Lapis Dhoti wrapped around his waist fastened with the Auroral Kamarbands. Isidoros hammered lapis lazuli and adamant into this fine flexible cloth, as rich a blue as has ever been seen on a clear day. The Lapis Dhoti ensures the wearer is unbroken in all his affairs. It adds half the wearer’s Socialize to his Hardness and to his Parry Mental DV. Attuning to the Lapis Dhoti costs six motes.
The Kurta Unrealized
Artifact ••• When the mood struck him for more formal attire, the Onyx Youth donned the Kurta Unrealized. This long shirt ends just below the knees and is decorated with elaborate kalamkari artwork depicting a dozen unrealized realities for the wearer’s present moment. These images from the Kalpa flow elegantly, like dreams, constantly updating and altering as choices are made. Even if the wearer were not able to otherwise, this garment allows him a brief glimpse the Kalpa. Once per scene, he may spend one willpower to roll (Wits + Occult) to intuit a comparison between his current situation and that occurring in other worlds. The difficulty of this roll is the highest Essence of any being present in the scene, excluding the wearer. If successful, the wearer determines the outcome he wishes to occur in the current scene. He lowers the target number of his rolls which aid in the accomplishment of that outcome by one, usually to six and to a minimum of four. Any being who can see the Kurta Unrealized after it has been activated in this way may also roll (Wits + Occult) at half the wearer’s initial difficulty, rounding up. This allows them to determine what outcome the wearer is hoping to achieve and also lowers their target numbers to accomplish that outcome.
Unbridled Authority
Artifact ••• Gifted to the Nox by the Holy Tyrant, this saffron sash is a nearly identical copy to the one the Holy Tyrant gave to the Unconquered Sun. A third Unbridled Authority exists, also in the possession of the Unconquered Sun, though it did not originally belong to him. Each functions only under specific conditions. Nox’s version functions only during the five days of Calibration. It imposes a Servitude effect on all spirits who see him and recognize the authority of Yu-Shan, forcing them to do as he commands or spend five willpower to resist. Should a spirit adhere to Nox’s orders both Nox and the spirit regain one willpower at the completion of that task.
The Armor of the Diamond Prince
Artifact ••••• In times of conflict, Nox took on the aspect of the Diamond Prince and donned this suit of adamant lamellar to shield himself against the foes of all realities. From its shoulders a long cape hangs—for a time this was replaced with the Cloak of Night. Out of respect, Luna replaced the original cape when she reclaimed the Cloak. The dazzling crystal of the armor refracted any attack which struck it. If Nox’s soak is sufficient to reduce the attack to its minimum damage, he may spend three motes to redirect the attack to another being of his choice within range of the original attack. Against the new target the attack was unblockable and undodgeable. Unless stopped by a suitable defense in Step 2, the redirected attack skipped immediately to Step 7, where it possessed the same amount of Raw Damage as it did against Nox.
Nox, Luna, and the Cloak of Night
The Onyx Youth’s first convert was the Fickle Lady, and an easy convert she was. Willful in her own right, she accepted his gifts with eager glee. Her orbit unshackled, the Silver Chair was free to roam through day and night with equal frequency. At times she could rise at sunset, revealing her full glory. Other times, she arose with sun, hiding her face alongside his blinding radiance. To express her gratitude to Nox, she offered him the Cloak of Night, which he accepted without hesitation. He wore it proudly in the Time of Glory, particularly during his time as the Calibration King. With the exchange of the Cloak of Night, Nox inherited the role of the God of Night from Luna—a role he adopted on with varying degrees of interest throughout the millennia. The Onyx Youth lax attitude only further stoked the ire of the Unconquered Sun, the de facto God of the Day, who never faltered or shirked his burdensome duties. For countless centuries the God of the Day and the God of the Night played out their rivalry. After the Onyx Youth was imprisoned, Luna took up the Cloak of Night and once again became the Goddess of Night as she was originally intended to be. She finds this role uncomfortable. It reminds her of her ancient slavery and old betrayals. The Argent Madonna divides her time between the day and night evenly since the victory over the Primordials, guiding the Silver Chair on its regular orbit. The night haunts her dreams and she would gladly give back the Cloak if Nox were revived as penance for failing to come to his aid when he cried out to her—the only other Incarnae who truly regarded him as a friend.
The Sastraratri
Artifact ••••• The divine weapon of Nox is the Sastraratri, an infamous bow crafted with adamant, entwined with onyx. It is strung with a single nerve from Urathi, the Devourer of Light, a behemoth that gorged itself on the light of the Unconquered Sun and could only be slain by Nox while Luna served as a distraction. This adamant bow requires eight motes to attune and needs no arrows, unless the archer desires a type other than the target arrows that manifest whenever the bow is drawn. When enhanced with motes, the arrow punctures through the
Chapter Two • Nox, The Onyx Youth
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Kalpa, creating interference pattern with otherworld versions of itself. The arrow’s path spreads like an ever-growing wave across the battlefield, striking one additional target per mote spent. Once the archer spends ten motes on a single shot in this way, he may spend an additional willpower and, if he does so, the shot strikes all viable targets in a 90-degree arc in front of him, out to the maximum range of the weapon. Armor of the Diamond Prince Soak: +15L/+10B, Hardness: 7L/7B, Mobility: -0, Fatigue: 0, Attune: 8m The Sastraratri Speed 5, Accuracy +5, Damage +5L, Rate 5, Range 500, Attune 8m, Tags 2, B, P]
The Philopannyx
Artifact ••••• Manse ••••• Part pleasure-barge, part battleship, The Philopannyx ferried the Onyx Youth and his host of courtiers from his temple district on the Blessed Isle to the Caelian City and carried the Diamond Prince to war. Nox attunes to it as manse, requiring no mote commitment, and may permit others to do so as well. While Nox is not attuned to The Philopannyx, other beings may attune to it as an artifact, costing twenty motes. While not as impressive as the Daystar, or even many ships of the High First Age, it is still a wonder upon the sea or in the sky. One hundred yards of ebony wood, adamant rivets, and black sails, the ship was unrivaled in size until the Solar’s built their own mighty warships. Its numerous decks provide penalty of room for guests and troops alike, and its cargo hold could store half a dozen warstriders or enough wine to last the Endless Revelry a year. Speed: 50/100mph Maneuverability: +0S Endurance: Requires one hour of festivities held aboard it for every two hour spent doing anything else. If rediscovered, it cannot set sail again until this qualification is met. Crew: 30/10 (1/1, if the captain is attuned to it as a manse) Cargo: 500 Tons and space to comfortably house 100 guests Armor: 18L/25B (Hardness 18L/25B) Health Levels: Ux30/Mx30/Cx30/Ix10/D Weapons: The Philopannyx effectively has one Medium Implosion Bow affixed wherever the captain feels it is needed at any given moment. It may be fired from the helm by the captain or anyone else attuned to the ship. Other Notes: The Philopannyx may fly or sail, typically maintaining its vertical orientation until it enters the weightless Celestial Void above Creation and inverting as it approaches the Empyrean Expanse. During such travels, the vessel maintained its own localized gravity, ensuring its passengers remained firmly affixed to its decks. It possesses whatever simple magical conveniences its captain could desire, and the ship and all aboard are considered outside of Fate. It produces no hearthstone, but its helm is fixed with the equivalent of a Compass of Imminent Strife (Book of Sorcery, Vol. III— Oadenol’s Codex, p. 34) which may point toward the nearest conflict as described, or the nearest party. The captain must hedge his bets before he sets sail.
The Calibration Crown
Artifact N/A This domed crown is crafted from adamant and bejeweled with amber and orichalcum leaf. Isidoros and the Lidless Eye collaborated on its creation, spending as much effort with it as they did creating Nox himself. It is loathsome to the Maidens and the Pyrian Queen alike, as it thwarts all Fate and the best laid plans. The Dragon’s
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Shadow long coveted the crown, and undoubtedly the Ebon Dragon still recalls its power. Isidoros dispatched his first akuma to reclaim the Calibration Crown and crushed her underfoot after a century of failure. During the five days of Calibration, the crown allows its wearer to override the baseline operations of the Primordial’s greatest handiwork: Creation. With it the Calibration King may tweak reality as he sees fit, from simple cosmetic changes to vast alterations of the laws of physics. Cosmetic changes, such as changing how a particular type of food tastes or how a color is perceived, costs only one mote. If altering the laws of physics to create or remove Environmental Penalties, each point created or removed costs two motes. Changes that result in physical hazards, such as granting water the properties of a potent acid, or remove such hazards, such as making fire as harmless as air, cost two motes for every point of Trauma added and removed and one mote for every level of damage added or removed. This applies as well to Poisons and Sicknesses, replacing Trauma with Toxicity and Virulence, respectively. Finally, Nox may impose effects mimicking the results of mutations by paying one mote for poxes and deficiencies, two motes or afflictions and debilities, four motes for blights and deformities, and six motes for abominations. These costs must be committed until the end of Calibration and are immune to any effect that would remove that commitment, whether voluntarily or involuntary, short of the Calibration King’s death. The bearer of the crown may not spend more than (Essence + Willpower) motes in this way, and no single effect of the crown may cost more than (Essence) motes. Nox himself preferred to spend about ten motes each Calibration. These changes are universal, applying everywhere governed by the Loom of Fate and affecting all beings without appropriate Shaping defenses. He may limit the influences of particular changes only to universal classifications of beings. For example, he may make sand as satisfying as water to “all humans”, “all mammals”, or “all living beings”, but not only “the Dune People.” The major restriction of the Calibration Crown is that it is not intended to be used as a weapon. Changes, once determined, are implemented slowly over the course of an hour, and begin to manifest throughout Creation randomly. No alteration may be made which would be universally lethal without also imparting some compensatory effect to mitigate that lethality; if the Calibration King makes air as thick as earth, he must also grant beings the ability to breathe it. Finally, the true power of the crown lies in its ability to blanket all of Creation in its alterations, not in the individual potency of any single change. On an individual scale, the greatest effect of the crown may be comparable to Terrestrial Circle Sorcery. Though never tested, this may include generating scenarios which permit a particular breed of First Circle Demons to slip free of the Demon City. The Storyteller may apply other restrictions as necessary. If the Calibration Crown were ever rediscovered and used, the wearer would be met with the full force of the Bureau of Destiny, and almost certainly the Bureau would do all in its power to prevent such an event from occurring. Due to the risks involved should it ever fall into the wrong hands, one can safely assume that the Maidens themselves have secured the crown long ago and keep it where only they can access it. The bond between samsara and the Maidens metaphysically prevents them from attuning to the crown, which costs 10 motes for all other beings.
NOX Even before his mutilation, the Onyx Youth was a god
beyond the comprehension of most mortals. Indeed, other gods had difficulty knowing his true self. To the Maidens, he was broken enigma—something that needing to fix if only they knew how. Only Luna and the Primordials truly had minds capable of comprehending his often contradictory nature. Now the Bound God haunts the Loom. His mind has been utterly altered and any discussion of the nature of Nox would be incomplete without a comparison between the prince and the prisoner. Where differences exists, the Trait preceding the “/” presents Nox in his prime, while the Trait which follows is that of the broken Incarna. Motivation: Defy expectations / Hide all evidence of Forbidden Gods. His notable Intimacies include the following: Free Will (Passionate Defense), The Maidens (Forbidden Desire), Samsara (Dread), Calibration (Anxious Anticipation), The Kalpa (Infinite Curiosity), The Nocturnal Exalted (Fraternal Kinship), Creation (Dissatisfaction), Isidoros and the Lidless Eye That Sees (Filial Respect), Luna (Friendship), The Unconquered Sun (Professional Rivalry), malcontents (Sympathy) / None Attributes: Strength 8 / 0, Dexterity 12 /0, Stamina 8 /0, Charisma 12 /0, Manipulation 12, Appearance 10 / 0, Perception 12 / 20, Intelligence 10 / 1, Wits 12 /5 Virtues: Compassion 3, Conviction 5, Temperance 2, Valor 4 Abilities: Archery 10 (Sastraratri +3)/0, Athletics 10/0, Awareness 10 (In Utter Darkness +3)/ (Loom of Fate +3), Bureaucracy 6 (During Calibration +3), Craft: Fate 0/10, Dodge 10/0, Integrity 10 (Resisting Commands +3)/(Maintaining Secrecy +3), Larceny 5, Lore 5/10, Martial Arts 6/0, Occult 10 (the Kalpa +3), Performance 10 (Sexual Activity +2, Entertaining Guests +1)/0, Presence 8 (Seduction +1, Issuing Edicts +2)/0, Ride 5 (Kerivoula +3)/0, Resistance 8
(Festivities +3)/0, Sail 5 (The Philopannyx +3)/0, Socialize 8 (During Calibration +1, Endless Parties +2)/0, Stealth 8 (At Night +3)/0, Survival 5/0, War 3/0 Backgrounds: Beloved by the Primordials, Nox once had access to near limitless Backgrounds, possessing ratings 5 or N/A as applicable. His Cult N/A provides 5m, 1wp per hour during daylight hours and 10m, 1wp per hour at night. As the Calibration King, he regains one mote per minute during the days of Calibration. The Bound God has no Backgrounds, nor could he use them even if he did. Sorcery: Like the other Incarnae, Nox is a potent sorcerer with mastery of the Emerald and Sapphire Circles and knowledge of all spells which do not clash with his nature—in particular spells which bind the wills of other beings are antithetical his being. He possesses several spells learned during his time as the God of Night which he did not lose upon having that position taken from him. He is aware of the Adamant Circle, but is unable to obtain it. He finds this unacceptable, and desires the pinnacle of sorcerer as his birthright. Charms: Even imprisoned, Nox is a god of the highest caliber, rightfully taking his place among the Incarnae. He possesses the All-Encompassing version of nearly all spirit Charms, save those unique to particular spirits, Host of Spirits, Excellencies, and related Charms. He has ten purchases each of Essence Plethora, Reserve of Will, and OxBody Technique and it costs him 100 motes to Materialize. His Hurry Home transports him to any location within or upon the Firmament and from there to Meru, a sunken grotto off Arjuf’s coast, and the bridge of The Philopannyx. During Calibration, he may transport himself to any location within Creation. For obvious reasons, while bound to the Loom, he may use neither Materialize nor Hurry Home. Storytellers should likewise restrict many of his other common Charms. Otherwise his Charms are restricted only by the limits of his exploration the Kalpa and, to a lesser extent, his extremely limited knowledge of samsara. He may issue any manner of Blessing or Curse as often as he likes and may make them permanent by spending (30m) rather than one permanent willpower. By spending (30m, 1wp), his version of Endowment may grant the Nocturnal Exalted their Charms, dots of Domains, or dots of Essence as a Training effect so long as they have not Training debt currently. His Endowment may render a being outside of fate for (15m, 1wp) and or make the target Lucky (2m per point of Lucky, 1wp); his Scourge may likewise make a being Unlucky. See Scroll of Heroes, p 60 and 74 for further details. Nox was imprisoned in the Loom before the great proliferation of supernatural martial arts by the Exalted. As such he knows only Nocturnal Hero Style. He knows of others he would likely pursue if ever freed, including Crystal Chameleon, Ebon Shadow, and Dreaming Pearl Courtesan Styles.
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Charm Concept: The Kalpa
Creation is not alone. Contemplating ancient scars, Luna has guessed this. Alone among the Primordials, Oramus has an inkling of the truth. Though faint hints are common across Creation and beyond, only the Lord of Possibilities knows the truth in any great detail. He has seen the multi-faceted structure of reality, the great blossoming of worlds upon worlds known to him as the Kalpa. The Maidens cannot comprehend it any more than Nox can comprehend samsara, for the two visions are wholly incompatible. The Kalpa is subdivided into a host of Manvantara, of which Creation and its environs are but one. The precise number, not even Nox knows. Some Manvantara differ from Creation in every aspect, others are so similar that they differ only the timing of a single yeddim’s sneeze. Some are Ages ahead of Creation, some only seconds behind—and every possible variant thereof. Early investigations revealed that all Manvantara appear to be branching away from Nox, an ever expanding, ever divergent pattern of universes, radiating their origins in Creation. Further study revealed that an observer in any Manvantara would see the same pattern, with themselves at the center. If any Manvantara can claim to be the first, that status has been lost to the clutter of the entire collection long before Nox began his observations. In Creation, there are several points at which the local Manvantara connects with its neighbors. There exists a fragile connection with the flooded Manvantara of the Triple Matriarchy. The Well of Udr serves as another such point, where beings from the other side tunneled through early in the Time of Glory and were immediately consumed by ceaseless light of the Unconquered Sun. The Saigoth Gate, if it exists at all, is likely a third point of contact. The Sevenfold Temple of Oramus, the caverns of the deep within the Silver Chair, and Great Mirrored Hall within the Firmament are also potential points of connection—either to a Manvantara itself or its fleeting echo resounding off Creation’s reality. Finally, and most famously, a great collision of Manvantaras occurred, for reasons unknown, during the Cascading Years. Creation seethes with lesser points of contact. For example, every use of Essence Resurgent causes a connection to form and immediately dissipate. Nox finds this endlessly fascinating, as the Charm is possessed by numerous devas but by none of the Primordials—rendering the architects blind to the Kalpa. Likewise, though he often tried to explain it to them, the Maidens remain unaware even of their own use of the Kalpa. Knowing a bit about samsara, Nox has pondered whether each Manvantara has its own unique samsara or whether a single vision guides the Kalpa. If samsara is universal throughout the Kalpa, does it determine events in each individually or does it continuous generate new Manvantara to allow all possibilities until nothing is left undone? Nox is incapable of answering such questions. It remains for an enterprising Twilight or a joint effort between the Chosen of Fate and the Chosen of Possibilities to discover. Nox employs the regions of the Kalpa he has explored to his full advantage, finding outcomes he likes and willing them into Creation. His long imprisonment diminishes his ability to do so considerably and has prohibited him from discovering and exploring new Manvantaras. Lacking access to these worlds is a crippling blow the Bound God’s power. It is important for Storytellers to understand that a Manvantara is as all-encompassing as samsara. A Manvantara that is similar to Creation in which your game is set, includes not only the lands and seas between the five elemental poles, but also the Demon City, the Underworld, the Wyld, Autochthonia, Elsewhere, etc. A similar Manvantara is perhaps the setting of a different chronicle you have told, or home of the other players’ adventures. Samples of more divergent Manvantaras are included on p. 184. Feel free to populate the Kalpa further as needed. Typically, this will not be necessary. The Kalpa is a wholly esoteric concept. Only a few beings in any Manvantara have any idea that it even exists. The one that knows the most is bound and gagged in most Manvantara. Even if you set your chronicle in a Manvantara where Nox is free, he has little reason to wax philosophical about the topic. Travel between Manvantara is not impossible, as the doomed cosmonauts of the Well of Udr proved, but any attempt is an epic quest in itself, a feat worthy of the Exalted and not a journey to be taken lightly. Traveling may be possible, but navigating is another matter entirely. And of course, as you’ve certainly noticed in your own games, most chronicles find plenty to do in their home Manvantara and never have need to venture so far afield. Or perhaps you prefer to chalk this all up to Nox’s own imagination. There is no Kalpa, There is but one Manvantara and it is the Creation of your narrative. Nox’s Charms work not by dragging elements across the multiverse, but by willfully conjuring such items from his own fantasy. This is a simple enough alternation. Only Nox firmly believes in the Kalpa. Luna and Oramus may consider the possibility in an idle fancy, but they have no solid proof. Alternate explanations may be provided for the Cascading Years, the Well of Udr and the Great Mirrored Hall. The Kalpa allows for all possibilities, even its nonexistence.
Cosmic Panoply of the Calibration King These Charms are the unique powers of Nox and may be
learned by no other being. Should the need arise, they are all considered to have a minimum Essence rating of 10. Defying Samsara’s Shadow: As a man might know the position of the sun without ever turning his eyes to the light, Nox guessed the nature of samsara by studying the shadow he cast on reality. By spending (1m), he could guage the unseen
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momentum of samsara and attempt to deviate from the path it intended for him. Upon activating this Charm, a vague hint of the future course of events comes to him, like the faintest whisper from samsara itself. Whatever this hint is, Nox’s Motivation is transformed into one opposing that upcoming event. He may not use any of his Charms to facilitate or promote the intended outcome and the doubling threshold of all his dice is decreased by one, usually to 9, on any roll he makes to set reality down a different path. Once the event has come to pass or been successfully diverted, Nox’s Motivation returns to normal and he not reactivate this Charm until then. In
ancient days, Nox used this Charm sparingly, fearing that his curiousity might lead him to stare directly at samsara and thus become a slave to its narrative. Best of All Possible Worlds: Nox’s every mote is a fluctuating link to the Kalpa. After any roll, Nox may pay (1m) per die to reroll any dice that did not turn up a success and may continue to do so until all dice are to his liking. For static values, he may spend (1m) to employ this Charm as a standard Third Excellency. When spending a willpower to enhance an action, he ignores all Internal and External penalties to his dice pool and instead of gaining a single success and he instead treats all dice as having rolled two successes rather than actually rolling the dice. If he spends this willpower to enhance a static value, he doubles its value. If used to enhance a DV, this allows him to block the unblockable and dodge the undodgeable, even if it were an unexpected attack. Uncertain Supremacy: Nox abhors predetermined results. By spending (30m, 1wp), as a Simple Charm, Nox may place a zone of chance one mile in radius anywhere he can perceive. Any being with Essence 9 or lower within that region suffers from Shaping effect enforcing the uncertainty of the moment; during Calibration this Charm affects all beings, even himself. They must pay a (+1wp) surcharge on any action which is normally rolled but is now guaranteed to succeed due to use of Charms or other magic. Examples include the use of Accuracy Without Distance or using the Second Excellency to gain enough successes to automatically succeed. Perfect defenses do not suffer from this effect as DVs are not rolled actions. Additionally, any effect which ensures automatic failure also suffers the (+1wp) surcharge. Finally all target numbers of affected beings are set to seven, regardless of other influences, unless the origin of that other influence pays the (+1wp) surcharge each action they wish to maintain the altered target number. This zone dissipates at the end of the scene, or when Nox releases his commitment. He cannot use this Charm while in the Loom. The All-Seeing Eye in the Sky: Nox may naturally perceive the world as though he used the Charm All-Encompassing Sorcerer’s Sight whenever he desires. Focusing his senses through the lens of the Firmament, he may project his awareness anywhere exposed to open sky. The light of the Daystar blinds this awareness, limiting his awareness to the western half of Creation at sunrise and to the eastern half at sunset. By the time the Daystar reaches its zenith, all Nox can see with this power is its brilliant radiance. Otherwise, any location that can see any patch of open sky is subject to his view. Those in windowless rooms, underground, or beneath heavy cloud cover are beyond his sight. While bound to the Loom, he instead may project his limited awareness anywhere within Fate. If freed from the Loom and permitted to take his place among the Incarnae in Yu-Shan, he may also project his awareness anywhere beneath the sky of the heavenly city while he leads in the Games of Divinity, during which time the sky of the celestial city would turn to starless night. He may also cast his awareness to any location where a being has successfully prayed to him, though while he is in the Loom, he cannot receive prayers. Following a successful prayer, he may employ any of his Charms as though he stood beside the supplicant. Mapping Manvantaras’ Shores: As a Dramatic Action, Nox may spend at least one hour in deep meditation and cast his awareness far into the Kalpa. A (Wits + Occult) roll, difficulty 10, is required to find any Manvantara Nox has previously discovered. A (Perception + Occult) roll, difficulty 15, is required to discover a new Manvantara and only one new Manvantara may be discovered per season. During Calibration, he may discover one new Manvantara per day, if he decides to put in
the effort to do so. Extra successes determine the extent of the divergence, with each extra success representing the Magnitude of people that difference affects. Once he has chosen a Manvantara, he may observe it for as long as he likes. Each hour he observes a new Manvantara, he may make a reflexive (Intelligence + Lore) roll, difficulty 25, to gain the collective knowledge of that Manvantara’s inhabitants regarding its history. Each additional hour spent in meditation adds one automatic success. Once he has successfully done this, he may navigate back as described above and may catch up on missed details by making an (Intelligence + Lore) roll with a difficulty equal to the number of seasons which have passed in Creation since he last checked. If a Primordial has ordered him reveal an aspect of reality yet unrealized in Creation, he gains ten automatic successes to discover a new Manvantara which already contains the Primordial’s desire. Nox cannot perform this Charm while in the Loom but once free he would need to begin his explorations anew. Vision of Worlds Beyond: As a Simple Charm, Nox may pay (10m, 1wp) to perform acts equivalent to the Fluctuations of the Nocturnal Exalted as though he possessed any relevant Domain at 10. However, he can only generate Fluctuations which have equivalents concurrently existing in at least one Manvantara he has explored. There is no Illusion-effect associated with Nox’s actions and he gains no Paradox from performing it. He may only do this once per scene and is prohibited from doing so while in the Loom. Favored Son Beckons: Nox may never perform spells which summon demons. He was not part of the treaty which ended the Primordial War and gave the victors those privileges. He did, however, enjoy the special patronage of Isidoros and the Lidless Eye that Sees. As a diceless miscellaneous action, Nox may spend (10m, 1wp) to call to one deva descended from either Primordial. First Circle Devas are compelled to arrive in a manner similar to Summon Elemental, granting them a few hours to put their affairs in order. Second and Third Circle Devas come only if they desire and may either refuse outright or send a representative in their stead. While this still works on demons descended from the Yozis his patrons have become, it grants Nox no power to liberate demons from their prison. Such demons are aware of his call, but cannot cross into Creation. If Nox and the demon are in the same Realm of Existence, the demon may come to him as described if both are in the Demon City, or if the demon’s binding does not otherwise prohibit it from venturing to Nox’s location. He cannot use this Charm within the Loom. Herald of the Architects: Isidoros and The Lidless Eye That Sees created Nox to be their voice in the greatest debate to ever wage. Other Primordials availed themselves of his talents and used him as a messenger of their will. Nox may relate any message given to him by a Primordial into an unnatural Compulsion, Emotion, or Illusion, as appropriate to the nature of the message, as an unblockable, undodgeable social attack toward its intended recipients,which costs costs (11-target’s Essence, maximum 5) willpower to resist. Deva of Primordials other than the one who invested Nox with the message never need to spend more than one willpower. Nox himself is under no obligation to actually deliver the message. If freed, this power will still works as there was no clause in the terms of surrender regarding position of Nox as emissary between the Incarnae and the Primordials. Luckily, Nox cannot receive such messages while bound to the Loom. He does, however, relay Autochthon’s final order to any spirit within Fate, compelling any spirit to ignore (as a Compulsion) or forget (as an Illusion) any information that might lead the spirit to discover Nox and the forbidden gods are more than mere rumors. He
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may do so only once a day and he must continually reissue these orders when the spirit discovers new evidence. It took Nox nearly a century to successfully dissuade continued interest in the forbidden gods. Until recently he rarely needed to apply this power. The emergence of the Nocturnal Exalted has necessitated more frequent use. Mandate of the Calibration King: Nox ascended each Calibration to ranks of the highest divinity in Creation while the other Incarnae rested. During those days, Nox may issue orders to all spirits with lower Essence as though they were his own subordinates (see Exalted, p. 295), though he does not need to spend willpower to do so. The Bound God can never shake free of his woven shackles to assume the mantle of the Calibration King. The God With a Thousand Faces: Nox may reflexively transform himself into any of his analogues in other Manvantara. As they can transform similarly, which image of Nox belongs to which Manvantara is a complicated and bewildering riddle. His most common forms are the Onyx Youth, who appears as a young athletic man in his late teens with dark indigo skin and long black hair; the Diamond Prince, who appears as a more mature version of the Onyx Youth but still in the prime of his life; and the Calibration King, stern, bearded, and appearing eons old. Less common forms include the StarBellied Dancer, a lithe young woman with pitch black skin studded with diamonds; the Smoking Jaguar, an enormous feline formed of smoke and mirrors; the Blue Khakhan, an azure-skinned warrior dressed in the finery of a barbarian king; and Cosmic Natator, an enormous volant turtle inside whose sapphire and adamant shell exists his entire Manvantara and himself. Typically such transformation is free, but Nox may also pay (3m) to transform into another version of himself to remove or avoid any unwanted Shaping or Crippling effect. If he reverts back to a form which was afflicted with such an effect in the same scene, the effect remains on that form. Otherwise, the effect terminates at the end of the scene regardless of its usual duration. As an extension of this power, when shifting from one form to another, he may heal any heal any number of damaged health levels by spending (1m) per Bashing, (2m) per Lethal, and (4m) per Aggravated. Additionally, when transforming he may pay one mote per dot to raise any Attribute, Ability, or Virtue by one to better align with the Traits of his fellows, by simultaneously lowering an equivalent Trait. For example, in the guise of Cosmic Natator, he may sacrifice 10 dots of Dexterity to raise his Stamina by 10, paying ten motes to facilitate the transformation. This cost is not committed. The Traits of the Youth, the Prince, and the King are identical and are those listed here. If he is slain, but not permanently killed, he always reforms as one of those three with their Traits restored to the described baseline, rather than as one of his more exotic forms with its altered Traits. Finally, while changing forms, he may gain mutation points to better represent the nature his more exotic guises, by committing one mote per mutation point. In either case, the exchanges must be made and the mutations acquired when he transforms or he uses his natural traits for the duration of the disguise. The Bound God is locked into his identity by the cage of Fate woven around him and may not alter it with this Charm. Shattered Mirror Transcendence: Nox is a being of contradictions. He has seen the Kalpa and knows everything can and does happen. Here, he loves the Maidens; there, he despises them; over there, they love him back, and so on. Within himself he manifests these contradictory Manvantara and fractures his identity between them. When afflicted by a Compulsion, Emotion, Illusion or Servitude effect, Nox may
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immediately pay (20m, 1wp) as a reflexive Indefinite duration Charm. This creates a second Nox up to one mile away which is either unaffected by the effect or suffers from the opposite, as Nox’s player chooses. This Nox is a wholly independent entity, capable of using his own motes, willpower, any Charms he possesses, etc. Either Nox may reflexively pass additional potential triggers of this Charm between themselves, canceling them or inverting them as they desire. Neither Nox can have simultaneous contradictory effects, and if this occurs, the contradictory effects cancel each other out. For example, no single Nox could have the Emotion effects “Love Luna” and “Hate Luna” simultaneously, and those two would cancel each other. This Charm ends if both Noxes are ever afflicted by the same combination of mental influences (including when both are under no such influences) or if either one is Incapacitated—the first to become Incapacitated remains while the other dissipates; otherwise, Nox may choose which remains and which does not when the Charm ends. Famously, Nox employed this Charm when the Maidens compelled him to betray the Primordials, creating a second Nox which was compelled to betray the Incarnae. This Charm is unavailable while Nox remains bound to the Loom.
Nox and The Convention on Oversight
When the Maidens retired from their nigh endless toil from the Loom, entrusting it to their Chosen and the Pattern Spiders, they left behind one safeguard to keep watch: The Convention on Oversight. The system was designed to be fully automated, accepting the information and warnings that Nox mindlessly gathers and directing agents accordingly. That Nox unthinkingly performs these duties is unfortunate for the Nocturnal Exalted who threatens to thwart the Bound God’s Motivation. Such an Exalt may find that Oversight itself has signed his death warrant. If and when the Maidens desire they may access Oversight and dispense orders anonymously. Unbeknownst to them, they are not the only beings who can do so. While the Maidens and Sidereals’ attention has been elsewhere, the Pattern Spiders have been secretly attempting to hack into the Convention on Oversight and are nearing success. They also speculate that a few covert Viziers have already done so—though they cannot say which ones or if they are even still alive. Worse still, some of the Convention on Oversights more bizarre orders have come from the mad dreams of the Chaos Seers inadvertly syncing with the Great Maker’s handiwork. Skin Like Diamonds: Nox soaks all damage with his full Stamina and gains Hardness equal to his Soak, which stacks with that provided by any Adamant armor he wears. By reflexively spending (4m), he is immune to any automatic levels of damage and effects that deal infinite or arbitrary amounts of damage, ensuring that chance always plays a part in determining his continued existence. He may commit (10m) reflexively to render himself immune to all Environmental, Sickness, or Poison effects indefinitely. Sky God’s Stride: Gravity influences Nox only as much as he allows it. As desired, he may move normally, or he may float weightlessly. While floating, he may move in any direction at any speed he desires, up to his full Dash. Additionally, he may spend (25m, 1wp) as a Simple Charm to cause gravity to fail in an area up to a mile across, centered upon himself. This Shaping effect is attached to Nox and moves as he moves,
allowing him to float upwards and carry those caught in the region with him. Cosmic Exile Banishment: When Nox inflicts enough damage to permanently slay a character, he may instead choose to banish that being to any Manvantara he has observed which does not currently have a version of that character. The character arrives in an incapacitated, but stable, state and will awaken in a number hours equal to her Dying health levels, or one day, whichever is shorter. As far as Creation is concerned, the character is dead. If she bore an Exaltation, it departs her; she however arrives in her new Manvantara with undiminished Essence and mote pools and gains a number of Spirit Charms to mimic those of her former Exaltation. If she were a spirit she is considered to have been slain by Ghost-Eating Touch for the purposes of Nox’s own Manvantara. Nox regains one willpower and the target’s Essence in motes as a reward for his mercy. Absolute Objective Oversight: While bound to the Loom, Nox is shackled by Fate and his power harnessed in permanent Servitude to the will of the Maidens the Great Maker who bound him. He is obligated to acts, as far as he is capable, in the manner they have decreed. The Great Maker imposed a new Motivation on the Bound God, causing him to perfectly obscure all reference to the forbidden gods, including himself and the Nocturnal Exalted, from the Loom of Fate. Should any effect contest this, Nox adds twenty automatic successes to the Essence roll-off. All things obscured in this manner effectively remain in Fate and cannot be detected through direct observation of Fate or affected through direct manipulation of their individual strand of Fate. They can, of course, be perceived by direct observation of the being and remembered in the usual fashion. In all other situations, Nox remains an impassive observer, mechanically executing his power in service of Fate and scanning the Loom for potential errors that are reported to appropriate agents via systems designed by the Maidens. Join Battle: 22 Attacks: Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 19, Damage 8B, Parry DV 10, Rate 3, Tags N Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 18, Damage 11B, Parry DV 9, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 18, Damage 8B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P Soak: 8L/8B (Hardness 8L/8B) Health Levels: -0/-1x16/-2x16/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 16 Willpower: 10 (20 points) Essence: 10 Essence Pools: 250 Other Notes: Should another being inherit the destiny and station of Nox following his demise, use the same rules as for the Unconquered Sun (Glories of the Most High: The Unconquered Sun, p. 14), except that finding Incarnae willing to approve the new Nox may be more difficult that actually killing Nox. While Nox is in the Loom, he is immune to all additional harm. Destroying the Loom may kill Nox or it may set him free, as Storytellers prefer. Alternatively, Storytellers may determine that Nox has long since died and that the entity currently residing in the Loom is little more than an AI construct crafted from his remains and harboring a few residual memories of Nox. To scale Nox down, Storytellers may wish to increase to cost of Nox pays to heal himself and force him to commit the cost of any alterations of his Traits with The God With a Thousand Faces.
THE FIRMAMENT
The sky is Nox’s dominion—a vast expanse of adamant and other minerals larger than Creation itself. From Creation’s surface it appears as a featureless plain of blue by day refracting the light of the Daystar; by night, its darkness reveals enigmatic depth and is punctuated by the occasional star. Yet it is a vibrant and exotic realm, full of its own wonders and mysteries. It is well guarded by the Incarnae to this day, but brave souls willing to risk the wrath of the greatest gods, the Firmament offers much promise. Oramus crafted the Firmament in the earliest era of Creation as an adamant pearl separating Creation from the Wyld. It was the Primordials first attempt to design a mechanism to contain and define reality. As such, it was vast and inefficient at the task compared to later mechanisms made for the same purpose—the Daystar, the Silver Chair and the Loom of Fate. But without this early wall against Chaos the experiment of Creation would have failed in its infancy. While often referred to as a dome, this is only partially true. Certainly, from the point of view of Creation, the material hemisphere of the Firmament sits atop the world like a crystal dome. In the beginning the crystal dome of the Firmanent was ended precisely one mile over Creation’s utmost border, allowing a small enough gap to allow the appropriate influx of the Wyld’s creative energies. These energies were needed, particularly in Creation’s earliest days, to maintain the ongoing process of essence regeneration and, later, automated soul generation. Too much, though, would have torn Creation apart. The Firmament protected Creation from above; the stabilizing influence of Earth protected it from below. In the mile-high gap between the two, the River of All Torments ran her perpetual circuit, devouring anything that dared cross Creation’s border. But the Firmament above Creation is only half the story. The Firmament rotates above Creation and through Elsewhere as a continuous whole, carrying the Constellations with it, ever emerging and departing along ancient boundaries. It moves at a pace of its own, slightly faster than orbit of the Daystar, thereby revealing certain constellations in their own season throughout the year. As the years rolled on, Creation’s size has waxed and wane. The rim of the Firmament now wraps into Elsewhere a mile above the Middlemarches in most places.
The Celestial Void
The Celestial Void was a later addition to the Firmament. The Fixed Stars of the constellations were anchored to adamant towers hundreds of miles tall. These stars serve to refine the reality-stabilizing nature of the Firmament and were the second prototype for the Loom of Fate. As such, this territory more properly belongs to the dominion of the Maidens and here their stars drift among the constellations, far above the sun and moon. So tall are the greatest adamant towers which bear the numinous stars, and so great the distances between each and any other object, that all perception of distance fails. Everything from Creation to the foundations of the Firmament appear infinitely far away. Indeed this is not far from the truth, as spatial distortions in higher heavens expand distance beyond human reasoning. There is no proper sense of up and down either, except in reference to the nearest star. Otherwise beings float weightless here, caught between the gravitation pull of Creation and the Firmament. The smaller towers, ranging in height from a few hundred feet to a mile, bear dim stars. These represent the common, trivial elements of realty—the mortals, the little gods, and the like—and are quite numerous. They are often undetectable by the naked eye from the surface of Creation.
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On the the surface of the Firmament, however, they cluster like groves of crystal sequoias. Though they may seem firmly rooted, through the powers of Astrology, these stars and their towers may be shifted across the sky. The star moves incrementally to its newly designated location each time it dips into Elsewhere. Though blazing light of the Daystar washes out the pale starlight, the silver illumination of the moon cannot reach this region or beyond. Starlight alone pierces this dark void and is too weak to ward of monstrosities that dwell among the stars. Fortunately for Creation, the argentim patrol this vast empty region and the great distances keep the cosmic horrors of the Firmament from ever reaching the surface of Creation before daybreak and sunlight drives them back into hiding.
Distance and Travel
The space between the stars is vast beyond measure. Though they appear only a few hundred miles up from Creation’s surface, they are in fact much, much further than that. The very concept of distance stretches in the Celestial Void and continues to stretch to this day. A stellar explorer may travel between the stars of the Guardians and record a distance of several thousand miles on his way. Returning he discovers that the distance is ever so slightly longer than what it was before. This dialation of space begins little over a mile above Creation’s surface. Vehicles or beings not specifically designed for or protected from this stretching of space, can be severely damaged or randomly ejected from Creation. By six miles up, serious damage or ejection is almost a certainty. This effect is less pronounced around the stabilizing influence of the Imperial Mountain and does not begin until at least ten miles above its towering summit and a hundred miles away from its slopes Higher still, over a thousand miles up as the eye perceives, is the realm of the Daystar and the Silver Chair. More accurate measurements, taking this distortion into account, would reveal them to be at least ten times higher and much larger than suspected. Still, beings climbing Luna’s silver ladder or riding upon Chirmirajen travel this great distance with incredible speed. Both means of travel are specifically designed to overcome the distortion of space, at least for these lower levels. Once a traveler has reached this height, he no longer moves with Creation as his frame of reference. Instead he orbits Creation just as the sun, moon, and entire Firmament do. With each passing moment, he drifts westward, first rising to his zenith then arcing back to Creation. If he travels beyond the sun and the moon, when he reaches a mile above Creation’s surface he is transported to the Elsewhere along with the rest of the Firmament and its caravan of stars. There he may continue his journey skywards, but cannot descend any lower until he rises in Creation once again. Beyond the Daystar is the realm of the Five Maidens. As a traveler passes each planet in turn, she would find the distortion growing more pronounced. What seems like only a few miles stretches on and on for thousands. The difference between perceived and actual distance reaches its peak once one reaches the great stars of the Constellations. Beyond these, the distortion diminishes rapidly toward the Firmament proper. Within a mile of the Firmament, perceived and actual distances are the same as upon Creation’s surface. To travel in this distorted space, special preparations are needed. Spirits native to this region, such as the argentim and tindholes, seemingly move at incredible speeds through the Void. All their variations of Landscape Travel allow them to
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ignore this distortion and move through perceived distances rather than actual distance. Magical vehicles may be designed specifically to travel through this region, but such vessels would need to incorporate large amounts of starmetal and adamant among other materials to function properly. Since the last days of the Ereta’een, no one has yet committed such resources into vessels like these.
Comets
Erupting from the Firmament itself, comets are failed stars. Formed from unresolved possibilities, they do not solidify properly and never form an adamant tower to anchor themselves to the Firmament. Instead that rush through the Celestial Void, disrupting the destinies represented by the stars they pass, until they eventually burn themselves out. This process may last only a few days or an entire season. Comets are composed primarily of starmetal and adamant. As the comet disintegrates, great plumes of dust trail behind it. Adamant dust is drawn back toward the Firmament, while starmetal continues to follow the motion of the stars and is held aloft in the Celestial Void until drawn in by the influence of star. Rarely does this dust ever fall from the Celestial Void. When it does it illuminates the night sky with a beautiful display of so-called falling stars. Fortunately for those who care about the undisturbed progress of Fate, comets occur infrequently. The last noteworthy comet appeared during the height of Bagrash Köl’s empire and lasted three weeks before fading from view and breaking up. Several hundred years earlier, another great comet rose from the ruined Mask and slammed into Jupiter’s personal star, after the Maiden intentionlly veered onto an intercept course. The damage to Jupiter’s star was neglible, all things considered, but the display of essence and fury unleashed by the impact would have been a sight to behold. The momentous occasion went unnoticed by Exalted observers, who were too busy fighting the last battles of the Usurpation. No comet has unintentionally struck the surface of Creation since the Time of Glory, but such impacts would cause massive devastation for hundreds of miles and throw an entire Direction into chaos. The Primordials were very fond of comets. A few deva took the form of comets, as others took the form of forests or rivers. Other Primordials harnessed comets as their own personal chariots or as Deep Wyld probes. Isidoros, in particular, found endless uses for them. During the Primordial War, his forces deployed comet-based artillery weapons and mobile command platforms. Presumably these weapons have been destroyed. The Exalted may have permitted the Yozi to take these weapons with him to the Demon Prison since he could find no ammunition for them there. Even if the weapons themselves do not exist anywhere, the plans most certainly do. An interested Defiler would find Isidoros most eager to recount the glories of his ancient arsenal.
The Sky Is Falling
Most comets drift aimlessly through the Celestial Void, safely separated from the stars by the outstretched emptiness. Eventually they are blown away by the resolving light of the Daystar, revealing themselves to be nothing more than a collection of hypothetical particles. A few comets escape into the Wyld and return to Creation periodically. Once in a great while, however, a comet veers widly off course and strikes the Firmament or Creation. The smallest comets are half a mile in diameter with tails ten miles long. The largest are six miles in diameter with tails stretching a hundred miles or more. When such objects
The Hard Way Up
Though the Celestial Void is mostly empty space and collisions are exceptionally rare, travel there is not without its hazards. Pilots of vessel travelling in this region must make a periodic (Intelligence + Sail) roll once a day or whenever they enter a new region of the heavens. The difficulty begins at five and increases as the vessel rises with each successive region: one to six miles up: 5; up to the Daystar and Silver Chair: 10; up to Mercury: 15 (+1 for each additional planet passed); the Celestial Void: 20. Additionally, the roll suffers an external penalty of -2 for every 100 mph or fraction thereof that the vessel travels at. If the roll fails, the pilot’s player rolls one die: 1:
All the vessel’s health levels fill with damage immediately.
2-3:
The vessel suffers 20L dice of damage, which ignores armor.
4-5: The vessel is teleported into the skies of the Underworld (or 15L, as per the previous option if the Underworld does not exist). 6-7: The vessel is teleported into the skies of Malfeas (or 10L, as per the previous option if the Demon City does not exist). 8-9: The vessel is teleported into the skies of Yu-Shan (or 5L, as per the previous option if Yu-Shan does not exist). 10:
The vessel continues on undaunted.
Vessels composed primarily of adamant or starmetal decrease the difficulty by five and halve the external penalty. Beings or objected thrown into the sky always suffer some unusual fate, as their uncontrol flight cannot avoid particularly distorted regions of space. Typically the magical effect which launched them into the sky will describe the effect, but if not, continue to roll this die until the object or being is destroyed or finds itself falling from the sky of another world. impact, the damage they inflict is truly catastrophic. Anything at the point of impact, whether it be a quarter mile or three miles in radius, suffers an environmental damage effect that inflicts ∞L/Tick, Trauma 5L, for five ticks, as the comet’s mass converts into raw incandescent essence. In a flash, the whole of Creation is illuminated as though a second sun were rising from the site of the impact. In short, anything that cannot perfectly resist environmental damage is instantly destroyed. From the point of impact a sphere of environmental damage expands outward at ten miles per Tick, out to (comet’s diameter x 100) miles. In the Firmament, the front of this explosion inflicts a one time environmental damage event of 100L, Trauma 5L. On the surface of Creation, the superheated atmosphere lingers, changing this damage to 100L/minute, Trauma 5L. Every hour, this damage is halved, rounding down. A great deal of debris is kicked up from such impacts, and the comet leaves a crater ten times larger than itself. If it strkes the Firmament, it can send adamant-enriched material falling to Creation, but most of the debris will fall back to the Firmament after drifting through the Celestial Void for a time. If it strikes Creation’s surface, it rains burning debris well outside of the blast radius (typically large and small rocks inflicting an amount of bashing damage to anything they strike equal to the Strength + Athletics needed to lift them and igniting flammable materials where they land). Dust from an impact on Creation temporarily cools the world if the Bureau of Seasons does not rush to repair the damage. Unseasonably cool weather follows a small impact for one Season; exceptionally large impacts might cool Creation for up to a decade.
The Empyrean Expanse
The majority of the Firmament’s surface is a vast plain known as the Empyrean Expanse. From this arise the starbearing towers and mountain ranges thousands of miles long. The auroral rivers ripple across its surface, changing colors as they near the Elemental Poles and flooding with luminescent essences periodically only to drain to faded gullies at other
times. The shattered remains of ancient towers lay scattered by destructive novas, and stormy nebulas of possibilities collapse violently to birth new star-bearing towers. Comets burst like volcanoes from the Empyrean Expanse to blaze disruptive trails through the Celestial Void before finally burning out. A visitor to the Empyrean Expanse would find themselves oriented so that Creation was above them, allowing them to walk freely on the vast surface of the Firmament. Everywhere the alien aesthetic assails the senses of those born on Creation’s surface. The sky curves up in all directions toward the horizon overhead. The visitor feels the “ground” beneath her feet swing westward, carrying her along with it. Acclimating to this world in perpetual motion is challenging but rewarding. Once she adjusts, she may stroll through its crystal forests of resonant trees. She could swim in the vibrant streams of the aurora. She could scale the adamant peaks and towers or descend into the black depths of the fissures and caverns which mar the otherwise flawless surface. Of course, no journey to the Firmament’s surface would be complete with visiting a few of its most prominent and unique features.
Nebulas and Novas
The exact number of nebulas in the sky at any particular time varies. Typically there are at least fifty; the vast majority of which are too faint to be detected by the naked eye from the surface of Creation. Even most supernatural vision reveals them to be little more than faintly luminescent smudges upon the Firmament. In truth they are towering banks of essential clouds mixed with the debris of Fate. Their edges glow faintly with crimson or saffron light, though occasionally one might find other colors tinting the periphery of the cloud. Their hearts, however, are always a deep red, approaching black. Nebulas stand as lingering monuments to all that was and all that is yet to come. When a star dies, it throws off tremendous amount of debris before casting its starmetal core to Creation. Before a new star is born it draws essence toward itself, building it up from the cast-off debris of its predecessors. The nebula may stand for several generations before the
Chapter Two • Nox, The Onyx Youth
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Survival in the Firmament
For all its beauty, the Firmament is not a place designed for mortal habitation. Its crystalline landscape is sterile by Creation’s standards, and its air so rarified it can hardly be breathed at all. Mortals who find themselves in this region die as quickly as it takes them to asphyxiate. Magical beings that require air to live can survive longer. They must pass a (Stamina + Resistance) roll, difficulty 4, every (Stamina + Resistance) hours. Failure imposes a cumulative -1 Internal Penalty from shortness of breath. If this penalty would ever exceed the character’s (Stamina + Resistance) or he botches the roll, he immediately begins to asphyxiate. Magical beings suffering from asphyxiation may be stabilized by allies, if the ally succeeds at a (Stamina + Medicine) roll, difficulty 3, as the ally personally augments the victim’s breathing temporarily. Additionally, there is no food or water suitable for beings native to Creation’s surface. Survival rolls to discover nutriment is as difficult as in the most barren desert, but these regions do not count as places of desolation. Alien though they certainly are, they are far from lifeless. Finally, the adamant-enriched material of the Firmament prohibits the movement of dematerialized entities as well as materialized ones. Only the god of the Firmament and those whom he granted special leave may pass through its solid barriers while dematerialized.
New Mutation:
Celestial Adaptation (Pox): The mutant is at home among the stars and may breathe normally in the Firmament. He may consume the crystalline food and drink from the luminescent rivers of the Firmament. Creatures that have subsisted off such fare for more than (Stamina) weeks offer no nutritional value to beings without this mutation, as their biochemistry has now been completely retrofitted for this alien ecosystem. Many animals reside on the Firmament, having contracted this mutation near the point of contact between Creation’s surface and the Firmament itself. Most of the biosphere is composed of flightless creatures descended from birds and more exotic aerial creatures. This mutation might also result from exposure to Sidereal or Nocturnal demesnes. possibility of the new star is fully realized. When the time is right, the heart of the nebula swirls, drawing the entire cloud into a tight sphere. As it approaches sufficient essential mass, it flares into a brilliant nova. Soon afterward a new star is born, rising toward the Celestial Void on a spire of adamant. Each nebula is unique. Without wind on the Firmament to disappate them, the billowing clouds form persistent shapes which invite the imagination to see all manner of entities within them. Nebulas are often named for the whatever shape catches the eye of the spirit who first happens up it. Most iconic among the Maidens’ servants who patrol these heights are the Rearing Stallion Nebula, the Helm of Ahlat Nebula, and the Laughing Eagle Nebula. Though these destinations would certainly attract a traveller seeking impressive natural wonders, they are best viewed from a distance. Travel within a nebula is extremely hazardous. The dark heart of a nebula is nearly impenetrable to light (treat as fog on a moonless night). Tindholes are attracted to this points of unresolved Fate and stalk in the darkness for unwary intruders who many disrupt the new star’s development. And, of course, there is the ever-present possibility that
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the nebula might suddenly flare into a nova with devasting force. Novas are apocalyptic events in the truest sense of the word. They unleash destructive energies to clear the way for the birth of the new, unvealing empty niches to be filled or Heralding the arrival of a rising star. There are two types of novas, both of which are equally dangerous. The first type occurs when a nebula spins itself into a new star; the second occurs when a star dies and casts off its excess material, which eventually drifts back to the Firmament to form a new nebula. In either case, the nova inflicts an environmental damage effect across a large area. This inflicts 10 dice of lethal damage for each dot of Essence the being the star represents is fated to achieve in its lifetime or its Essence at death, with a Trauma 5. This affects an volume with a radius equal to (Essence x 10) miles. This effect persists for one day per dot of Essence. The stars of Essence 1 beings flicker in and out without much fanfare and their novas are barely detectable from Creation’s surface. Beings of Essence 6+ have novas which become as bright as the Maidens’ planets for several days. When a nova occurs at the birth of a new star, the process may be interrupted if something prevents an Essence 4+ being from coming into existence during that narrow window of time. Doing so causes a comet to launch from the nebula instead of a star, casting it adrift through the Celestial Void untethered to the Firmament.
The Two Auroras
Though from Creation’s surface, there is little to distinguish them, those upon the Firmament would recognize two distinct types of aurora. The most common type is the riperine aurora. These are the streams of luminescent essence that flow across the Firmament, fed by frequent rains of respired essence rising from Creation. While they glow brightly in close proximity, most are too dim to see from Creation until they form enormous, chaotic rivers near the elemental Poles. The second type is the more extravagant solar aurora. These occur when the Daystar burns off excess energy, igniting essence mixtures in the Celestial Void and lower portions of the sky. These are the most dramatic aurora displays seen in Creation and appear overhead of ground-dwellers and sky-dwellers alike, uniting them in a common sense of wonder and amazement.
The Wadi Everlasting
Spanning the entire Firmament lays the Wadi Everlasting. The vast canyon splits the Firmament into northern and southern hemispheres, arcing primarily over the South of Creation. The flanks of the gorge descend for nearly eighty miles into the Firmament and at its widest it is over a thousand miles across. Though it fractures the Firmament, it exists apart from it. During Calibration, it does not exist. On the first day of the year, the ruins of the Cyan Fountain rise in the east. Once the source of an ancient river of light, the fountain hosted a cataclysmic battle during the war against the Primordials. It and its goddess were destroyed. The luminous river drained, revealing the canyon that cuts the sky. Throughout the year, the canyon continues along the course of the extinct river, twisting and turning, broadening and narrowing, until at last, just before Calibration, it comes to an abrupt end, just where the mouth of the river would have deposited its light before
nature of his departure, he may have left enough finery for an adventurous soul to claim the mantle of the god of Natural Order, or he may have left only traps to punish intruders. The identity of the goddess of the Cyan Fountain Isidoros’ Hoof has been lost to history. She is depicted graphically in Near the constellation of the Pillar, a misshapen ring of the ruins of the fountain, but no words record her name jagged mountains surround a deep caldera nearly a hundred or deeds. What can be gathered from the ruins would miles across. The tallest of these mountains reach into the be tell an explorer that the goddess once consorted with Celestial Void and have accumulated glittering starmetal dust the Incarnae; indeed her river of endless light appears upon their peaks. The caldera delves into the Firmament, exto mark her as a deity of equal stature to those Celestial posing openings to the Caverns of the Sky along its sheer cliff entities. While her precise domain is unknown, an edufaces. This great scar upon the Firmament is the birthplace of cated guess can be made from the artwork at the Cyan Nox, where the Titan Isidoros cracked the sky and pulled the Fountain. young god’s essence from it. The goddess is shown receiving men and women Nebulas often form around the peaks of the mountains, from Saturn’s guidance. She wears a simple white dress but no star has ever grown from them. The fractured nature of and a feathered hedjet crown. She carries a shepherd’s this landscape prohibits the nebulas potential from solidifying staff, to which is tied her sacred knot sealed with a and ensures they all eventually cast off comets in time. Along serpent clasp and upon which grow her sacred rose blostheir lower slopes, twisting crystal forests provide a home soms. She escorts those delivered to her by Saturn to into for many giant flightless birds and bats which colonized the her river, and baptizes them in its light. Once immersed, Firmament ages ago. the man or woman is then drawn from the river as an Amid the broken slopes of Isidoros’ Hoof one would infant and given to Mercury. Yet other images around find many ancient shrines dedicated to Nox and the Primordithe Cyan Fountain depict elderly beings drinking directly als who wrought him. They are built upon demesnes, aspected from it and restored to youth. either to Nox or to Isidoros. The whole mountain range is What is unclear is who destroyed the Cyan Founpockmarked by craters and ruins where once stood shrines to tain and its goddess or for what purpose. Perhaps the the Lidless Eye; once his essence was drained from the world aggressor sought to claim control of Lethe or somehow to create the Yozi Sacheverell, the demesnes destabilized and disrupt or suspend its influence. Perhaps the Primordials the shrines underwent catastrophic failure. attempted to seize its life-giving font to revive their fallen Most notable of these shrines is the Forge of the Nativcompatriots. Perhaps there was no battle and the creation ity, which based upon its elaborate murals, claims to be built of the Underworld in turn destroyed the Cyan Fountain. upon the site where Isidoros and the Lidless Eye toiled and Only a dedicated investagtion that dares to question the shaped Nox into being. Like all the shrines, the Forge of the most inscrutable beings in Yu-Shan, the Underworld, Navitity is an ancient building. Unlike the other shrines, and Malfeas has any hope of unraveling the truth. however, it appears have been inhabited periodically over the the starless nights. Due to its nature, the Wadi Everlasting is millennia and its hearthstone is currently missing. significantly longer than the circumference of the Firmament. he aelian ity Those wishing to explore this mystery must reach the Wadi Somewhere upon the Empyrean Expanse rise the adaEverlasting on the first night of Ascending Air to find its bar- mant walls and crystalline towers of the Caelian City. Its posiren source, and depart again before that portion of the Wadi tion always changes, once according to the whim of Nox, now sets in the west. Failing to leave the Wadi before it sets sends solely by random chance, and the city never dips below the the explorers to Elsewhere, where they reside until that por- horizon. Its size is vast, equivalent to Tongma Island, which is tion of the Wadi rises again a year later or they travel down the northwest of the Blessed Isle. The Caelian City served as the dried-up streambed to a portion that has not yet set. Doing capital of Nox’s immense domain, and housed his personal so requires that they move faster than the Firmament spins, a sanctum as well as many other marvels. Among the deva, the feat of superhuman speeds. Caelian City was a popular destination, and it fell to Nox and his entourage to keep the souls of their masters well enterThe Axial Pharos of Original Motion At the center of the Firmament’s northern hemisphere tained. In the Time of Glory, the Caelian City was a place of spins the Axial Pharos of Original Motion, around which the whole Firmament rotates. This celestial lighthouse once sheer beauty. By day, its faceted spires refracted the rays of belonged to one of the most prominent gods of the Time the sun and turned sky blue, as does the entire Firmament. of Glory, Polaris, the Jade Viceroy, god of Natural Order. At night, its vast cityscape was light by auroral lamps, blazing During the Primordial War, he stood aside, recognizing the with reds, greens, and blues, flashing brilliant advertisements danger the Primordials posed to Creation yet reluctant to of all the spectacles the Caelian City had to offer. The city was defy the architects of that which he was dedicated to promote. divided into eleven wards, each dedicated to a different means He vanished at the end of the War, a casualty of the Three of delighting the Primordials and home to the gods and their Spheres Cataclysm, some say. Others speculate that, in the offspring who served there as part of Nox’s entourage. The end, he could not abide the overthrow of the Primordials and central ward is that of the Crystal Palace, now an empty shrine departed Creation, perhaps accompanying Gaia in search of to Nox locked away from the rest of the city for millennia. The remaining ten wards form a ring around the Crystal Palace. the Shining Answer. So the Axial Pharos, his ancient sanctum, stands as a Each is separated from its neighbors by adamant walls and hollow monument to this once great god. It is sealed and whenever the city transports, the precise arrangement of the its beacon deactivated. Its light is hardly necessary now, as wards changes. Each of the ten exterior wards has a gate to the Daystar provides enough to catalyze the natural order as two of its neighbors, a gate to exit the city, and a locked gate Ignis Divine pleases. Who can say what treasures, if any, the to that would lead to the Crystal Palace if it were ever opened. Jade Viceroy, left within the Axial Pharos? Depending on the
The Goddess of the Cyan Fountain
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C
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Chapter Two • Nox, The Onyx Youth
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After Nox disappeared at the beginning of the Primordial War, the gods who dwelt in his city seized upon the opportunity to lay claim to the dominion itself. They fought fiercely among themselves, launching their godblooded in crusades to conquer the city ward by ward. However, as the Primordial War continued, the gods were drawn away from their petty infighting and joined (or were drafted into) the greater conflict that engulfed Creation below. As the wars raged on, the influence of the Bound God worked its magic upon the minds of the gods. One by one, they forgot their former positions and relinquished their claim. The godblooded kept up the fight in their absence, until only one god remained. For a time, Boundless Mirth, God of the Endless Revelry, ruled over the ruins of the Caelian City. By the time the Exalted stood victorious before the humbled Tyrant, even Boundless Mirth had forgotten about his other war and took up occupation of Yu-Shan with the other gods. Centuries of periodic warfare has left its mark on the Caelian City. Its elegant geometries, its friezes, and its murals are all marred by an ever-growing tangle of gypsum trees and quartz vines that have spread from the untended crystal hedge mazes of the Orchid Maze Ward. The auroral lighting now flickers ominously throughout the city. Occasionally a fixture is broken in the fighting, erupting into great curtains of luminescent energy, consuming all parties in the conflict. Tidholes and other beasts prowl the city at night. Some have been tamed by the tribes to serve as mounts and war dogs; others are feral hunters who escaped from Nox’s private kennels and the cages of the Glass Menagerie Ward. Singularity fountains, once the delight of residents and visitors alike, have been loosed from their foundations to devour buildings and cut canyons in their wake until they find a new resting place. The fountains continue to blast intense jets of blinding energy. The secure fountains produce steady vertical streams of energy; the rogue fountains might shoot off at random and at strange angles. Several of the Caelian City’s towers are pierced straight through by a fountain resting at a shallow angle nearby.
The Eternal Festival Ward
For the last five thousand years (with a few interruptions now and then), the Eternal Festival Ward has been the center of culture in the Caelian City. From here, Boundless Mirth ruled over the broken city for a time. His descendants, the Masqueraders, have been the ruling tribe for most of the subsequent centuries, in one form or another. The Masqueraders were originally known for their effective mix of intrigue and swift, intense ambushes during the war to claim the Caelian City. These tactics served them well, and solidified the rule of the First Masquerade Empire for a thousand years. Culturally, the godblooded of the Eternal Festival have changed considerably since those early barbaric days. Their empire has risen and fallen five times since they first conquered the city, and each great revolution has reforged their civilization from the remains of the old. Today, the Masqueraders are known for their sophistication and subtlety, both in the arts of politics and in war. Their society is arranged around important yearly festivals, as it always has been, though the exact festivals have changed many times over as each generation finds something new to commemorate. The many of the most important festivals are local affairs, held for the benefit of a particular clan rather than the tribe as a whole. The most common festivals are the Mask Day Festivals, held once a year for all the thirteen-year-old children of a clan as a rite of passage. During this festival
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the clan celebrates the transition into adulthood with lavish decorations, food, and, music and dance. Each of the children receives a mask specially crafted by the clan elders. Donning the mask, they become fully recognized members of the tribe and entitled to all the rights afforded to Masqueraders of the Fifth Empire. Celebrations for the whole tribe are held in the heart of the Eternal Festival Ward. Though surrounded by an impressive palace and the estates of the Fifth Empire’s most prominent bureaucrats, the Imperial Plaza itself is the true seat of power among the Masqueraders. Here all the clans gather to celebrate important tribal festivals. Among the most important are the Reunification Festival, which commemorates the preservation of the Empire in its fifth form after a near collapse, and the anniversary of the coronation of current empress Feather-Eyed Jholo, first of her line. Feather-Eyed Jholo took the throne after a brief successional crisis. The previous emperor ascended without heirs. The nation seemed on the brink of civil war; skirmishes broke out far and wide between those loyal to the opposing sides. Before a protracted conflict could begin in earnest, Feather-Eyed Jholo graciously offered a marriage proposal to her rival claimant. The Masqueraders breathed a collectively sigh of relief when he accepted. The wedding festival attracted more guests than the previous five Reunification Festivals combined. On their wedding night, while their cheering subjects still filled the Imperial Plaza, Feather-Eyed Jholo had her new husband quietly poisoned. The wake was as well attended as the wedding and, in the years following, more fondly remembered. The empress has ruled for twenty years, and is approaching what the Skyborn consider old age despite being only sixteen when she took the throne. She distances herself from the daily routine of Imperial politics, allowing her eldest daughter, Cracked-Ivory Hegu, to learn the role that she will soon inherit. Feather-Eyed Jholo is far from idle. She convenes regularly with her spies and foreign advisors, dispatching agents to disrupt any plot that threatens her empire. Most notably, the Gamblers of the Rolling Dice Ward have begun conducting raids near the entrances of the Crystal Palace Ward. The Crystal Place, once Nox’s personal sanctum, has been cut off from the rest of the city since the god disappeared. No one may enter the Crystal Palace without the permission of the Onyx Youth or bearing the mark of his essence. Her advisors fear that the Gamblers have discovered such a person, but Jholo is unconcerned. If any other tribe were behaving in such a manner, she might have reason to worry. The Gamblers, however, are known to act without rhyme or reason. Regardless, the great god of the City left no tribe of his own (if he had, the Concubines would have long since learned of them), so who could the Gamblers have
A City With A View
The view from the Caelian City is one of the most spectacular sights in all Creation. Even in its fallen state, to look up and see the stars and the vast expanse of the earth spread out above is breathtaking. Throughout the day, the view changes as the Firmament rotates and the city warps to new locations to stay above the horizon. The whole of Creation is visible from the city, as the Firmament swings toward the distant horizon, and the lands and seas, obscured only the ever-moving clouds, are rolled out like a map overhead.
possibly found to throw upon the gates to the Crystal Palace? Better to let the Gamblers waste their efforts where they can do no harm.
The Sapphire Evening Ward
Azure banners still wave over the broken ramparts of brothel palaces in the Sapphire Evening Ward. Once the devas gathered here to enjoy all the sexual pleasures the Primordials’ world had to offer. Madame Kama, the Purveyor of Bought Nights and long-deceased goddess of Prostitutes, oversaw this ward and was one of Nox’s earliest and most frequent lovers. She mothered the tribe of Courtesans before being the first of the rival gods to leave the fight for the Caelian City. Joining the Incarnae’s rebellion when her mistress Venus called, Madame Kama educated the Exalted in the arts of the bedroom and more exotic locales and taught them how to seduce the devas. The Courtesans forged an early alliance with the Masquerades after their goddess abandoned them. These ancient treaties allowed them to retain their independence throughout the First Empire. When the First Empire went into decline 1,019 years later, the Courtesan’s Conclave temporarily became the seat of culture in the Caelian City for the next five hundred and thirty-two years. Renowned for their beauty, the Courtesans have consistently proven to be poor warriors in a large scale fight. They have, however, produced a large number of martial artists and continue to be the epicenter for such training. Among their other talents is the ability to sense bloodlines and for this reason other tribes will typically hire Courtesan advisors root out foreign spies and suggest ideal matches for the purest possible offspring. The New Conclave currently oversees tribal matters for the Courtesans from the House of Assignation. Originally a matriarchal assembly, Conclave law was rewritten a hundred and fifteen years ago to allow men to serve as well. Despite this change, only five members of the fifty seats in the Conclave are taken by men—the most that have ever served at once. Elsewhere in Courtesan society, men continue to struggle for equal representation.
The Drawn Curtain Ward
A serpentine canyon cuts its way through the Drawn Curtain Ward. The crumbling ruins of theaters slide down its jagged slopes. Crystal forests surround abandoned odeum. By all appearances the theater district of the Caelian city is a wilderness devoid of any sign of civilization. Indeed the civilization of the Thespians who once inhabited this region has vanished. Three thousand years ago, they lead a rebellion that brought down the Second Masquerade Empire. They lead a brief intertribal council which rapidly decayed along established alliances and devolved into pointless bickering before finally dissolving completely. After the collapse of their great alliance, the Thespians isolated themselves from the larger Caelian society, sealing the gates between their wards and others. Not until the Third Masquerade Empire rose three hundred years later where the gates finally pried open again. By then, the forests had spread through the ward and the singularity fountains had cut deep scars in the cityscape. The Thespians themselves had left no trace. The disappearance of the Thespians has been a persistent source of legend and conspiracy theories. Among the various tales told by the Skyborn, there are a few common themes. Some say the Thespians grew sick of the follies of the world and ascended en masse. Other say they conducted
Life and Death Among the Skyborn
The Skyborn, as the people of the Caelian City have come to call themselves, number in nearly two hundred thousand today. Nox has obscured the entire Skyborn population from Fate, for their discovery would lead to the discovery of his ancient city and to him in turn. The Bureau of Destiny does not tend to the fates of these people, and with their magical inheritance, the Skyborn possess highly tangled fates. The godblooded Skyborn typical face an early death as prey for the tindholes. Less commonly, a Skyborn ascends, transforming herself into a true god. This is a bittersweet moment for the Skyborn. The newborn god helps replenish the bloodlines of her tribe. If they stay with the tribe, they effectively become forbidden gods and centers of the ancestor worship that is common among the Skyborn. However, a gnawing edict preys upon their minds if they ever wander from their tribe. In time, those who depart to explore the Empyrean Expanse lose all sense of themselves and wander as nameless gods with no recollection of their past. Mortals are uncommon in the Caelian City. The Firmament was not designed for human habitation. None can survive without the protection of gods or without being properly adapted to the local environment. Strong selective pressures maintain purity in the bloodlines as the majority of those born without divine essence die only moments after their birth. heinous acts within their sealed ward and brought down the wrath of the ancestors. Some say they began to starve within their walls but their hubris would not allow them to rejoin the rest of the city; instead they left the City and became lost in the Empyrean Expanse when it warped to a new location. A final theory is frequently presented. In some nations there are whispers that the Thespians still walk among the other tribes, secretly manipulating history as they see fit. If one is wealthy enough and knows the right shadowy figures, one might hire the Black Hands. Always appearing in the dark clothing of stage hands, these assassins certainly adhere to the ancient code passed down through surviving Mortality Plays. Courtesan advisors, however, recognize them as a motley guild drawing its members from many of the other tribes. True, now and then, the Courtesans encounters a Black Hand whose bloodline they cannot recognize, but this can be accounted for by weak inheritance or mixed parentage. The Courtesans hold no stock in the conspiracy theories of other tribes—which has only encouraged other tribes to assume they are part of the conspiracy. Today, the Fifth Empire claims the Drawn Curtain Ward as part of its domain. The Masqueraders have several colonies of their own in the ward, each taking up residence in a single city block. The towers and theaters of each colony provided enough room to house a thousand or more Masqueraders. The rest of the Drawn Curtain Wilderness they leave undeveloped, as hunting and harvesting grounds, which help alleviate the need to import as much food from the Villeins for the Orchid Maze and Glass Menagerie Wards. The Villeins themselves have long contested the Empire’s claim and many of their clans have resided in the Drawn Curtain wilderness for generations. Masquerader hunting parties are increasingly assaulted by Villein raiders. FeatherEyed Jholo is currently negotiating a deal with the Cheering
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the Cascading Years which precipitated the rise of the Third Masquerade Empire, the Gardeners and the Kennelmasters united into one tribe, the Villeins. Since the Third Masquer Lasting two-hundred and fifty-six years, the Time of ade, the Villeins have had an uneasy relationship with the Fallen Crowns began roughly a century before the UsurMasqueraders, centered mostly around disputed claims in the pation took place on Creation’s surface. Historians mark Drawn Curtain Ward. The Villeins cite a poorly worded treaty this period as beginning with an assault on the Caelian with the Second Empire which granted their ancestors all City by the behemoth Kerivoula. The reason for the atrights to the “wilderness wards.” The Third and subsequent tack is still a matter of speculation, though placing blame Empires have all maintained such treaties were voided when on a hypothetical Thespian conspiracy remains popular. the Second Empire collapsed, though this has not stopped During the Fallen Crowns era itself, this belief led to the them from citing similarly ancient treaties when convenient bloody persecution of alleged Thespians. for their needs. After Kerivoula destroyed the upper echelons of Today, the Villeins are a scattered people. They live in imperial society, the Courtesan’s Conclave unsuccessfully isolated clans with little authority at the tribal level. Only the attempted to hold the empire together until the emperor’s monks who reside in the ancient kennels can command the bloodline could be reestablished. Instead, beginning with respect of all the clans. The monks, however recues themselves the Villein warlord Natas the Baying Hound, the next from such worldly affairs. They spend their days in their two and half centuries saw the rise and fall of nearly a kennel monasteries, breeding various plants and animals as dozen would-be emperors. Eventually Rakish-Smiling monks elsewhere might trim a bonsai tree. These long-term Farhor, propped up by an alliance of Courtesans and meditative acts aid the monks on their path toward ascension. Restorationists retook his ancestral throne and began the Those who do achieve apotheosis are revered by the clans and Fourth Masquerade Empire. the plant or animal breed they created becomes fashionable Arena Ward to hire more mercenaries to protect her interests both among the clans and the tribes beyond. in the Drawn Curtain. The Serene Orchestra Ward The Orchid Maze and Glass Menagerie Wards Throughout the Serene Orchestra Ward echoes the Accounting for nearly a quarter of the Cealian City, sound of shattered glass, of strings out of tune, of cacophothe vast wilderness of the Orchid Maze and Glass Menagerie nous dissonant choirs. The Musicians who dwell amid the Wards is blanketed under a canopy of twisting gypsum trees grand concert halls, recital studios, and windless chime and a dense crystalline understory. Flightless bats swing gardens call it Tiger Music, for the winged muse said to have through its glittering branches. Large birds waddle among its inspired the movement currently in vogue. The tribe of Musicians bears little resemblance to their sparkling trunks and never know the joy of taking wing. ancestral way of life. Once a strongly united tribe capable of In ancient days, the Orchid Maze Ward contained elegant pleasure gardens arranged in ever-shifting mazes made fending off any invader with pacifying song, they have become of every beautiful or fragrant plant found in Creation. During a mismatched band, all playing to a different beat. Clans are the war to control the city, many of the greenhouse manses defined by the aesthetics of one’s music, rather than one’s in this Ward were shattered. Their escaping essence mutated parentage. Of course, deviating from the style of one’s parents the plants into crystalline forms that could survive long-term is seen as a great (though exceptionally common) insult. Matters of politics among the Musicians are settled by exposure to the Firmament. Their seeds have since spread throughout the city and beyond, colonizing various portions a simple vote, which falls along clan lines more often than of the Empyrean Expanse as the city has teleported across its not. This has led to the folk belief among other tribes that the Musicians based their decisions upon whose style of music is surface. Likewise, the Glass Menagerie Ward once held numer- most popular at the time. This stereotype portrays them as ous species of fearsome and exotic beasts. The deva would vacuous fools concerned more for their art than practical matgather here to admire the creative handiwork of their patron ters, which in turn has resulted in a long serious of popular and to hunt in the vast game preserves—which, most deva jokes at their expense. The Musicians are a dynamic, ever-changing society admitted, were a poor substitute for hunts sponsored by the Bloodied Huntress, even if Nox’s hunts were available on that has, in fact, produced many of the brightest minds in demand. Additionally this ward was home to Nox’s personal the Caelian City despite the stereotype against them. Notably, kennel of tindholes, and the manse that held these feral gods the scholars of the Third Masquerade Empire were predominantly either from the Serene Orchestra Ward or trained in still stands today. The two wards were once overseen by Galeola of the Em- its academies. The loss of those academies during Kerivoula’s erald Labyrinth and Udarin, God of Cages, respectively. The rampage through the City nearly fifteen hundred years ago two formed a powerful alliance, and with their godblooded ultimately resulted in the collapse of the Third Empire and tribes—the Gardeners and the Kennelmasters—they won many the onset of the Years of Fallen Crowns. early battles against the other tribes. In time, their alliance The Endless Gallery Ward fractured due to external politics. Galeola sided with the Originally home to the city’s artist and their exhibitions, Incarnae; Udarin joined the Primordials. Both regretted torn the Endless Gallery Ward has become a hallowed museum allegiances, and had it not been for the Bound God’s interfer- over the centuries. Early fighting in the ward destroyed much ence, they might have returned to the Caelian City to live in of prehistory’s greatest art. When the war was over, the peace had they remembered it existed at all. Instead, Udarin godblooded of the Endless Gallery dedicated themselves to died in desperate attempt by the Primordials to seal the Exal- repairing and restoring their artistic treasures. This desire has tation Cabinet. Galeola still lives and maintains a modest post come to define the Restorationists. The Courtesans surmise in the Bureau of Nature as the Goddess of Uncharted Forests. that the main lineages of the Endless Gallery descended from The Gardeners and Kennelmasters were vassals of the gods charged to maintain the ancient galleries rather than First Masquerade Empire and allies of the second. During
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those who actually created the art, but anyone who says as much in front of a Restorationist will have to defend such an accusation in a formal duel. Of all the inhabited wards, the core region of the Endless Gallery Ward most resembles its ancient condition. The hinterlands of the ward closest to the unused exterior gate are a wasteland of cannibalized buildings. Amid these systematic ruins, peltate crystals grow in vast forests and shelter isolated Villein clans. The two tribes have a mutually beneficial relationship. The Restorationists permit the Villeins to hunt in their wilderness and establish posts along the periphery of the forest to facilitate trade, while the Villeins keep the wilderness relatively safe for Restorationist salvage parties. Throughout history, the Restorationists have been strong allies of the Masqueraders and have continuously aided the establishment of a new Masquerade whenever a viable imperial candidate came forward. Following the Time of Fallen Crowns, Restorationist museums became the centers of learning in the Caelian City. There they teach a conservative view of history, emphasizing long standing traditions and the value of heritage. Their academics resist any change to the status quo, and new ideas rarely catch on until a generation or two has passed.
The Epicurean Delights Ward
While the Caelian City was spared the Balorian Crusade, it did not escape the Great Contagion. The diseased arrived in the city, carried by some flying creature, while the Raksha tore Creation apart. The divine constitutions of the godblooded tribes prevent the same catastrophic loss of life, but the population plummeted from half a million to just over a hundred thousand all the same. This marked the end of the Fourth Masquerade Empire. In its place, the Gourmand Regency arose. The Gourmand tribe is native to the Epicurean Delights Ward, a region of the city formerly dedicated to fine dining and and intoxicants. Its restaurants, taverns, and drug dens catered to the exotic tastes of the devas, and to this day one can procure rare ingredients if one knows where to buy. The Villeins have long assumed the Gourmands have their own greenhouse manse serving a nursery for their intoxicating plants, but if so, the Gourmands have successfully kept its location a secret for five millennia. When the Great Contagion struck, the Gourmands proved more resilient that other tribes, suffering the deaths of only a quarter of their number. To them, the torch of civilization was passed much to their reluctance. The Gourmands had been willing vassals of the Masqueraders and allies of the Restorationists since time immemorial, enjoying the benefits of their civilization with minimal investment. During the interregna, they allied with the Courtesans, initially opposed the Thespians until the Second Masquerade had fallen, they backed whichever candidate seemed most likely to bring lasting peace to the city during the Years of Fallen Crowns, but never did they make a bid to rule the city themselves. The Great Contagion changed that. If civilization were to continue, it would do so only under their guidance. Placing regent after regent in the imperial palace within the Eternal Festival, the Gourmands administrated the long period of rebuilding after the Masquerade. Collaborating with surviving Courtesans and Restorationists, the Gourmands spent two hundred and forty-five years reestablishing the imperial bloodline. When the Masquerader tribe finally recovered its numbers enough to retake their empire, the Gourmand regent gladly abdicated the throne.
Under the Fifth Masquerade, the Gourmand are still considered a vassal tribe, but one which is afforded a great deal of respect by the Masqueraders. The Masqueraders rarely intrude upon the Epicurean Delights Ward or the sybarite ways of the Gourmands, so long as they continue to pay their rather lenient tribute.
The Cheering Arena Ward
Amid crumbling hippodromes and collapsing stadiums, the Bronze Laurel clan conducts training exercises. They hold garland wars against less prominent clans of the Laurels and sell their martial services to neighboring tribes. Despite their violent acumen, the Bronze Laurels are highly respected throughout the Fifth Empire. The Laurel tribe seemed poised to defeat all other claimants to the Caelian City before their patron god abandoned them to fight in the Primordial War. They continued to fight in her name, but honor-bound as they were, they fell prey to the subterfuge and dishonest tactics of the Masqueraders. In the intervening time, they have become a fractured tribe of highly competitive rival clans, happily fighting beneath the banner of whoever was willing to pay them. The Bronze Laurel clan rose to prominence during the Year of Six Masks, a little over a century into the Fifth Empire’s rule. Six potential emperors and empresses each made a bid for the throne, hiring what mercenaries they could find to support them. The Bronze Laurels sided with DrunkenSauntering Adro, and within a generation had eliminated all rival claimants. During the Reunification ceremony that officially ended the civil war, the emperor granted the Bronze Laurels dominion over the Cheering Arena Ward. Though Drunken-Sauntering Adro’s dynasty has ended and Feather-Eyed Jholo’s has begun, the Bronze Laurels continue to be the strong arm of the Fifth Empire—at least as far as official military matters are concerned. The Laurels still hold to the ancient warrior code that bound their actions during the war for the Caelian City, and betraying the code is a capital offense. Clan members tend to turn a blind eye to their own members violation of the code so long as the violation impedes a rival Laurel clan and the violator is sufficiently discrete. If the rival clan can identify the violator, he or she will find no safe haven anywhere among the Laurels, including her own clan.
The Rolling Dice Ward
The Gambler tribe of the Rolling Dice Ward is the only tribe never to fall beneath the banner of the Masquerade Empires. Few of the other tribes desire long-term relations with the Gamblers, and the tribe is widely considered to be fickle and unpredictable. This reputation is well-deserved. Each year, representatives from each Gambler clan are chosen randomly, typically by drawing straws or casting lots. Once selected, the representative travels to the House of Uncertain Victory at the heart of their ward and joins the tribal council that convenes there. The tribal council, in turn, poses matters concerning tribal affairs to ten-sided die whose roll determines their decision. Despite their isolation, the Gamblers are a successful tribe. Along with the Villeins and the Masqueraders, they are one of the three tribes to colonize the Empyrean Expanse beyond the city’s wall. While the Villeins simply abandoned their colonies to survive on their own and the Masqueraders rely on outdated artifact transports to move quickly to and from their colonies whenever the Caelian City appears nearby, the Gamblers simply appear to always be in the right
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place at the right time, despite seemingly aimless wandering through the desolate Empyrean wilderness. In recent years, the Gamblers have increased raids on other tribes within the city, particularly focusing their attention near the gates of each ward that lead to the central Crystal Palace Ward. Though Feather-Eyed Jholo is unconcerned by these efforts, other factions within her regime are deeply troubled. The Restorationists, in particular, fear how the balance of power would shift if the Gamblers successfully opened the Crystal Palace Ward. Restorationist advisors encourage the empress’ daughter to take action against the Gamblers, if only to dissuade further incursions into imperial territory. Ever ambitious, Cracked-Ivory Hegu has drawn up her own plans against the Gamblers, one which she hopes will demonstrate early on that her rule is not to be contested.
The Crystal Palace
With Nox’s disappearance, his personal sanctum was sealed off and the Crystal Palace remains relatively untouched by the wars that have raged around it. Crystal vines scale its outer walls, and the tindholes prowl its unkempt gardens. But inside, it is as pristine as the day Nox left it. The palace itself is as large as the city of Lookshy, and its towers loom over the rest of the city, standing half a mile tall. Their auroral lighting still beam vividly at night. Within clean forgotten halls, the Crystal Palace holds many wonders awaiting Nox’s return. Chief among these are the Universal Ecumene Cartographer and the Salon of the First and Final Debate. The Universal Ecumene Cartographer is an immense room in the lower levels of the palace. Its main hall is circular and decorated with radial geometric patterns. In the center is a raised dais surrounded by a complicated bank of controls. The primary switch on these panels activates a threedimensional cladogram of the known Kalpa, manipulation of which permits the user to access information regarding any known Manvatara with records stored in the Toponomastic Archives of the Cosmos. It also projects three dimensional maps and tangible holographic environments from any such Manvantara, allowing the user to interact with the location as though she were really there or move unseen through it if she prefers. The Toponomastic Archives reside in wings around the Universal Ecumene Cartographer and are filled with Nox’s accumulated knowledge of the Kalpa and its Manvantaras. Whenever Nox uses Mapping Manvantaras’ Shores while in the Cartographer, any information he learns is automatically penned upon the appropriate scrolls in inaccessibly dense technical terminology and complex mathematical formulae. One must understand Old Realm and pass a (Intelligence + Lore, difficult 7) roll to understand any scroll. These scrolls are potent artifacts (Artifact ••••, 10 motes to attune). Possession and attunement to such a scroll allows any being capable of performing Fluctuations to automatically succeed at any attempt to fluctuate an element of that Manvantara into Creation and reduces the final Paradox gained by half, rounding down. Once a scroll has been removed from the Toponomastic Archives, the Cartographer cannot access any information about that Manvantara until it is returned. All the records in the archives are woefully out of date as they have not been updated since just before the Primordial War. At the top of the highest tower of the Crystal Palace is the Salon of the First and Final Debate. There are six entrances to the room. One is the main lift that leads down to the lower floors. The other five lead to the domains of the Maiden, but only when both Maiden and Nox agree to confer. It is a luxurious room designed to mask its more martial capabili-
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ties. Hidden within the room are the controls to the defenses of the Crystal Palace and the Caelian City. From here, Nox may erect an adamant dome over the city, direct the quantum cannon batteries, and aim the singularity fountains as true and proper weapons. More dangerous still, the Salon of the First and Final Debate allows Nox to evoke novas across the Empyrean Expanse, direct the motion of comets against his enemies, and transport the Caelian City to any point in the Firmament above the horizon. He is free to do as he pleases to the Firmament, but is incapable of launching attacks from his high redoubt upon Creation. The greatest weapon at Nox’s disposal is the Cosmic Catharsis Xiphos. The Xiphos stands like an adamant-andstarmetal armillary sphere upon the peak of the Crystal Palace. The Onyx Youth has never fired this weapon for to do so would be an open act of war against the Maidens. It has accidentally been triggered at least twice, as the cataclysmic build-up of possibilities and destiny that mark the end of an Age forces the weapon to discharge before overloading catastrophically. The moment that Cosmic Catharsis Xiphos fires, destines woven through use of the stars and their constellation colleges are untangled, unless they specifically relate to the establishment of the new Age. All knowledge gained through the Art of Astrology becomes obsolete until new star charts are compiled and new readings made, which will typically give different results. The slate of destiny is wiped clean, and the Maidens and their Chosen must work fervently to recreate much of what was lost.
The Caverns of the Sky
The Empyrean Expanse is broken by immense fissures and scarred with craters. These allow access to the networks of caves and tunnels beneath the Empyrean Expanse, which form thousand-mile long mazes through the adamant ceiling of the world. Navigation is perilous throughout. Up and down become entirely arbitrary. Through some passages, gravity is oriented toward Creation. In others it might be oriented away, or at perpendicular angles, or toward the walls of the cavern itself, or cease to exist at all. These changes can be abrupt and a being who loses his grip may find himself falling for days at a time, thrown about in odd angles. The truly unfortunate tumble through indefinite gravity loops, never to strike solid ground again. Within these caverns dwell things that have not seen the light of day since the Incarnae usurped their makers and some that have not breeched the surface since the Primordials themselves banished them beyond the stars. In lightless regions, vast structures as old as Creation itself punctuate the seemingly endless tunnels. So enormous is this region that one could spend decades exploring it and never once encounter anything except beautiful crystal chambers, despite the innumerable forbidden gods and lost temples that populate the Caverns of the Sky. There are, however, certain locations and beings that one will likely wish to find or otherwise might discover with tireless effort. The Celestial Vaults Throughout their eons-long reign the Primordials built countless wonders and to them the teeming masses of Creation forged tributes worthy of their station. The toil of a thousand slave races and the reality-conjuring might of the Titans themselves created more wonders than even the makers of the world could reasonably use. Their prized possessions were kept with them in Yu-Shan, and were either claimed by the victors of the war, destroyed, or permitted to remain with their owners as a token of mercy.
The vast majority of the Primordials possessions were stored safely in the Celestial Vaults within the Firmament. Tegores, the Hiriyabhandari of the Infinite Reliquary, holds the keys to the Celestial Vaults and knows the location and proper owner of every item within. A member of the Onyx Youth’s extensive entourage, Tegores remained loyal to the Primordials throughout the war and the Celestial Vaults witnessed frequent sieges and attempted infiltrations. At least one intrepid Night Caste slipped past the vaults’ security and absconded with one of the Holy Tyrant’s own weapons. Following this humiliation, the Empyreal Chaos unleashed his rage against the Celestial Vaults, sealing the adamant tunnels that lead to it and trapping Tegores within the Firmament along with all the treasures of the Primordials, denying them to the Exalted and the Titans alike. Today, Tegores is the leader of a host of forbidden gods trapped with him. His isolation along with the Celestial Vaults ultimately proved to be a blessing in disguise as it permitted his followers to defend Creation from threats from deeper within the Caverns of the Sky. Astride Kerivoula, Tegores led the charge against the Amber Legion to preserve Creation from these invaders. But the general defense of Creation and the welfare of his followers remain Tegores only solid loyalties. He has no love for the Primordials (though news of their imprisonment may evoke sympathy) or the Celestial Order. His long independence from both powers has forced self reliance upon him and his followers, and they will not give up that independence easily.
The Amber Legion
The rim of the world was certainly the easiest point of attack for the Balorian Crusade, but it was not the only point of entry for the Raksha. The Inaugural Templar, strategos of the Amber Legion, sought fame and fortune among the followers of Prince Balor and hatched a daring scheme. Misunderstanding key aspects about the nature of Creation, he sought a way directly into Yushan from the Wyld by breaking through the Firmament itself. After much searching he did, at least, find a fissure in the far side of the Firmament that opened into the Caverns of the Sky and poured his dream-spun army into this crack to fill the tunnels. That was the last the Balorian Crusade ever heard of the Inaugural Templar and his legion. Cut off from the Wyld by a cave-in early during their march, they had no means of retreat and only thousands upon thousands of miles of crystal caverns before them. In these lifeless chambers, they found no easy prey and no glorious battle. The strategos’ dream threatened to evaporate until, by sheer chance, he stumbled
The Mask and the Maze
Far beneath the crooked celestial lampposts marking the constellation of the Mask, colossal tectonic forces have fractured and twisted the Firmament. Tindholes swarm here, gorging upon the ambient paradox of the crippled constellation. This is, perhaps, the second greatest alteration to the cosmos the Sidereal Exalted ever wrought and the extent of their alteration pierce through the Firmament completely. Should one be brave or foolish enough to pass through this region of mangled destiny, the caverns beneath are as nightmarish and inauspicious as the Labyrinth itself. This is not coincidental, for after the perilous journey through the Firmament, the traveler would find himself suspended in the sky over the Underworld, with that bleak expanse stretched out beneath him.
upon a Nocturnal demesne and established a freehold within the Firmament. The Incunabulum Station became the raksha’s base of operations and allowed him to create reinforcements. From here, his Amber Legion has spread and found additional demesne to convert into freeholds. They control sizable regions of the Caverns of the Sky and their advance has only been halted by Tegores and his host of forbidden gods wielding the weapons of the Primordials. Even with such technology at their disposal, Tegores’ forces have only been able to fight the Inaugural Templar to a standstill. The raksha and his army are too well entrenched and command far more resources than the forbidden gods for the spirits to defeat or even risk a major offensive against them. The Inaugural Templar is unaware that the Balorian Crusade has ended centuries before. He is uncertain how much time has passed since he entered the Firmament. His raksha mind is unaccustomed to thinking in such linear terms and deep caverns of the Firmament provide little reference for the passage of time. By his reasoning, he knows the crusade has not yet succeeded. His forces are still trapped in the Firmament, which has not yet unraveled with the destruction of Creation. He throws his forces against the gods in a nearly unending stream, unaware that the Celestial Vaults are sealed from the other side. His remote scouts, exploring the most distant parts of the known caverns from his realm have recently reported a strange discovery: the Great Mirrored Hall. The Great Mirrored Hall Beneath an empty part of the sky, from which no constellation has ever been raised, the twisting Caverns of the Sky yawn wide to reveal the Great Mirrored Hall. The hall stretches nearly a mile and on either side mirror after mirror made of highly polished crystal and adorned with emeralds and amethyst fixtures. Each mirror is a yard wide and three yards tall. When a being approaches one, only a handful will show him as he actually appears. A slightly larger number show him somehow altered: here his face is scarred, here he wears the regalia of a king or a beggar, here he is a woman. In either case, he and his reflection are not guaranteed to mirror each other’s movements for long. In the majority of mirrors, however, he casts no reflection at all. These mirrors reflect strange alien realities and from time to time, beings from those worlds will approach the mirror from their side and peer into Creation’s Firmament. The ultimate origin of the Great Mirrored Hall remains unknown. It began as titanic geode, a unforeseen cyst of possibility in Oramus’ grand design of the Firmament. Nox discovered it during the Time of Glory and plied its secrets, eventually cracking it open and fashioning it into the Great Mirrored Hall. The hall has aided him in contemplation of the Kalpa but functions as little more than a fetish to focus his meditation. No communication has yet proven possible between beings (if indeed they are truly beings) on the other side of the mirrors. Of particular note, one mirror shows nothing but complete and unsettling darkness. It fixtures are warped, as though the blackness in the mirror had attempted to drag them into it. Three others lie shattered on the floors of the hall. One had been broken by Nox attempt to wrest its secrets from it by force. The other two were broken well after Nox’s disappearance. Their shards still reflect the world beyond. Conversely, two mirrors in the hall show disjointed images as though the mirror on the other side were itself broken. Finally, one mirror is missing entire and has been since the Amber Legion rediscovered the hall.
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The experience with their possibility counterparts haunts those who have encountered the hall. The hall demands attention and is enthralling to all observers. Beings who enter it and gaze into any of its mirrors must make a Willpower roll, with a difficulty equal to the number of hours, or fraction thereof (maximum 5), they have spent in the hall before they can leave. Alternatively, they may spend Willpower equal to the required difficulty to depart. Even after they have left, the vision of the mirrors echoes in their dreams, beckoning them to return. Such dreams strike their victim once a week, requiring two willpower to resist. This rises to three if the being has looked into any mirror since departing the hall. If the victim can resist returning for one month, the dreams subside, occurring only once a month. After a year away from the hall, the dreams no longer hold any sway over the being.
ENTOURAGE As the chosen emissary and entertainer of the Primordi-
als and their devas, Nox attracted numerous allies, consorts, and underlings. As one of the most powerful gods in existence, he broke the will of many foes and earned their servitude. Following his disappearance, his collection of allies and servants scattered. Some allied with the Incarnae and found employment in the Celestial Order. Others remained loyal to the Primordials and were slain or exiled as forbidden gods. Here is a sampling of Nox’s allies and servants who are still alive in the Second Age, as well as other beings who have a vested interest in discovering the true fate of the Bound God. In addition to these beings, Nox also associated closely with Plentimon of the Dice (Compass of Terrestrial Directions, Vol. II—The West), Arilak the Unseen (Compass of Terrestrial Directions, Vol. III—The East), and Burning Feather (Book of Sorcery, Vol. IV—Roll of Glorious Divinity). The god Luranume (Compass of Celestial Direction, Vol. III—Yu-Shan) was created following the Primordial War to fill some of the duties once performed by Nox, and is the likeliest candidate to replace him completely. Five Days Darkness (Compass of Terrestrial Directions, Vol. I—The Scavenger Lands) would seem a likely ally of Nox, but in truth, the two were bitter rivals. Though Five Days Darkness has since forgotten Nox, he still covets his position as god of Calibration.
Kerivoula of the Ten-Thousand Wings
In the ages before humanity, the Incarnae each defeated their share of monstrous behemoths. Among the mightiest to fall before Nox’s might is Kerivoula of the Ten-Thousand
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Wings. As the beast lay broken before him, the Onyx Prince took pity and nursed it back to health. So enamored with the god was the behemoth that it chose to become his personal mount and faithful companion. From a distance, the behemoth recalls the general form of a gigantic squid, though one that prowls the sky rather than the seas. Upon closer inspection, one realizes that each of its long “tentacles” is formed from dense clouds of bats which comprise the bulk of its body. The head, however, is a solid mass. Its face is squat and marked with twisted flanges, wrinkled skin, atrophied eyes, and rows upon rows of needlelike teeth. Where ears would be upon the head of normal bat, the behemoth possesses immense leathery wings. So large is Kerivoula that as he flies through the Celestial Void he blots out the sun below for miles, bringing a false night to all in his wake. Kerivoula is fanatically loyal to Nox, and has not forgotten his former master. It moves freely through the Caverns of the Sky thanks to a blessing placed on it by the Onyx Youth, passing through solid adamant that can imprison even gods. One can only imagine what devastation it might wreak upon the Celestial Void should it learn of the Maidens involvement in Nox’s disappearance. Fortunately for Creation, the behemoth shuns the light of the sun and does not dare fly too closely. So long as the sun rises, the behemoth cannot rage upon its surface. Motivation: Defend the dominion of Nox until his return. Attributes: Strength 20, Dexterity 10, Stamina 10, Charisma 7, Manipulation 2, Appearance 1, Perception 8, Intelligence 4, Wits 6 Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 4, Temperance 2, Valor 4 Abilities: Athletics 8, Awareness 6 (The Sound of Fear +3), Dodge 6, Integrity 4 (Loyalty to Nox +1), Investigation 2, Martial Arts 8, Presence 8 (Invoking Horror +1), Occult 1, Resistance 6, Stealth 3 (At Night +3), War 2 Powers: Kraken of the Celestial Sea: Kerivoula may pass through solid adamant as easily as he flies through thin air of the Firmament. When he chooses he may squeeze his entire body through any space small enough to fit a single average-sized bat, pouring himself through piece by piece. With a dash, the behemoth jets across the sky, moving 100 yards in a single tick. Ravages of the Unending Flock: Where Kerivoula flies, death follows. Anything caught within his mile-long body suffers from continuous environmental damage of 10L/action and Trauma 2. He may clinch targets to keep them within this area and carry them off. He may be damaged only by attacks which inflict damage over an area of effect, rather than a single point. He cannot crush beings he clinches, but may throw or hold them as normal. The Blind Eye Sees: The chattering and chirping of the behemoth’s flock body can be heard well in advance of his arrival. This is merely the portion of Kerivoula’s alien aria which the human ear can detect. Those who can hear higher frequencies are overwhelmed with the approaching cacophony. This imposes a -2 External Penalty on all Awareness rolls involving hearing within one mile of the behemoth, and allows Kerivoula to perceive objects and beings within that range even while in utter darkness. He is truly blind only to that which reflects no echo. Fear of Night: As an Emotion effect, Kerivoula spreads fear far and wide. By spending five motes, he may make a (Charisma + Presence) social attack against any being caught within his flock or a shadow he casts, employing his Essence in place of Appearance. If successful, the target is overwhelmed with abject horror. Mortals can do little more than cower
before him. Particularly strong-willed beings may spend four willpower to overcome this effect. This effect lasts as long as the being can perceive Kerivoula. By spending a willpower with this effect, the behemoth may induce long-term phobias as a Shaping effect (see Manual of Exalted Power, Vol. II—Lunars, p. 210). Most commonly he inflicts fear of darkness or of bats, but any sort of phobia is available to him. He may only inflict the Deficiency on Exalts and beings with Essence greater than or equal to his own, and no greater than the Debility version on other magical beings. All these effects are automatically and freely applied to extras within range, unless the behemoth is feeling merciful. He is immune to fear-based Emotion effects. Join Battle: 12 Attacks: Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 18, Damage —, Parry DV —, Rate 4, Tags C, N, P Soak: 25L/30B (Endless Flock Body, 20L/20B) Health Levels: -0x60/Quiescent Dodge DV: 12 Willpower: 10 Essence: 8 Essence Pool: 100 Other Notes: Kerivoula’s may make a clinch attempt against up to four individuals per action, but may have any number of beings clinched at a time and suffers no penalty for attempting to maintain multiple clinches.
Tegores the
Hiriyabhandari of the Infinite Reliquary
Most of the forbidden gods have been driven to hideous acts of desperation by their exile. Tegores is one of the few to have maintained his nobility despite millennia of isolation. His constant war against the Amber Legion has demanded no less of him. When relaxing, something he has little time for these days, he appears a studious curator bedecked in fine robes. When at war, he dons the fierce armor and weapons of the Primordials themselves and becomes a horror to all beings. What manner of horror depends largely on what threats the Amber Legions have launched on any given day.
Long ago, he discovered among the Primordial’s possession a means of breaking the Holy Tyrant’s curse upon the Celestial Vaults and unraveling the maze that separates his dominion from Creation. Immediately, he had the artifact scrapped for parts, though he keeps accurate, if cryptic, records of the current locations of each part should he ever have need of it. His host of lesser gods are comprised mostly of the gods of particular branches of Primordial technology, each well versed in their unique areas of expertise and form guilds among themselves, arranged by which Primordial’s technology they represent. In total, only 1,187 gods stand between the nigh-infinite armies of the Amber Legion and the arsenal of the Primordials. Morale among the gods has waxed and waned over time, as one might expect, and recent victories by the Amber Legion have disheartened many. There are whispers among the Hegran Dreamcatchers Guild that defection would be preferable to defeat. Tegores struggles to root out potential traitors without further eroding morale. Fortunately, the memory of what became of the treacherous Oramic Critical Existence Engines Guild keeps most of other guilds in line. Sanctum: The doorway to Tegores’ sanctum is an ornate archway near the entrance of the Celestial Vaults. Within, in addition to the comforts of his home, he stores the vast catalogue of wonders under his authority. The various guilds under his command maintain communal sanctums in the wings of vault dedicated to their purview. Motivation: Maintain his independence from the gods and Titans alike Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4, Charisma 6, Manipulation 3, Appearance 4, Perception 4, Intelligence 6, Wits 4 Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 3, Temperance 3, Valor 4 Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 2, Bureaucracy 4 (Working With the Guilds +2), Craft 5 (Repair +2), Dodge 3, Integrity 3, Lore 4 (Time of Glory +2), Occult 2, Performance 2 (Boosting Morale +1), Survival 3 (Caverns of the Sky +1), War 3 (Against the Amber Legion +3) Backgrounds: Allies 4 (Kerivoula), Artifacts N/A, Followers 5 (The Guilds), Backing 5 (The Celestial Vaults), Sanctum 4 Charms: Amethyst Awareness Animating Management—May possess any item noted within his catalogue Benediction—Tegores may grant any being +1 die to operate or repair one of the artifacts stored within the Celestial Vaults. Bane Weapon—Those who have stolen from him Banish—Expels intruders from the Celestial Vaults Commandeer—Removes spirits from items he cares for Divine Prerogative—Tegores cannot betray the security of the Celestial Vaults or the guild members within it Essence Plethora—x3 Hand of Destiny—Determine the fate of artifacts within the vaults Hurry Home—The Celestial Vaults Materialize—85 motes Measure the Wind Ox-Body Technique—x3 Portal—Opens to the Celestial Vaults or his sanctum Regalia of Authority—Advocates how to use and maintain items entrusted to his care Reserve of Will—x3 Sense Domain—Items stored within the vaults Signet of Authority—May issue orders through Guild members Spice of Custodial Delectation
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Tracking—May follow artifacts under his care First (Ability) Excellency—Bureaucracy, Craft, Lore, Occult, Performance Second (Ability) Excellency— Bureaucracy, Craft, Lore, Occult Third (Ability) Excellency— Bureaucracy, Craft, Lore, Occult, War Divine Subordination of (Ability)—Craft (While repairing the Primordials’ artifacts) Panoply: These Charms are unique to Tegores and may not be learned by any other being. Keys to the Celestial Vault: Tegores alone may open or close the Celestial Vaults and may summon to him any artifact stored within by reflexively paying its attunement cost. He may banish them back to the Vaults freely. Certain Maintenance Mastery: While he may not create on his own, Tegores is consider to have any Craft type, no matter how exotic, necessary to maintain an item stored within the Celestial Vaults. Additionally, he may wield any such item with his Lore rather than the usual Ability. Join Battle: 6 Soak: 2L/4B Health Levels: -0/-1x5/-2x5/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 7 Willpower: 8 (11 points) Essence: 6 Essence Pool: 130 Other Notes: Tegores attacks are not listed here, nor is his armor soak. He has access to a vast arsenal of bizarre weapons and armors crafted by the Primordials, as represented by his Artifact background. He favors none and will select his weapon and battle attire to suit his current needs. Storytellers should feel free to invest him with any magical items they feel are necessary. Chapter 6 of Manual of Exalted Power, Vol. VI—Infernals demonstrates the sort of esoteric wonders the Primordials favor even in their broken state. Some of these wonders have variants stored within the vaults.
ceased overseeing the continuous festival of the Caelian City. He appears as robust, jovial man, with garlands in his hair and a flowing mantle the color of rich red wine. He wears a garish jewel-and-feathered mask at all times, which results in his iconography often mistakenly depicting him as an avian spirit. He spent the Primordial War vying for control of the Caelian City and siring the Masquerader tribe. When most of the Caelian City lay in ruins and the Primordials had surrendered, Boundless Mirth swore fealty to the Unconquered Sun and joined the Celestial Bureaucracy as the god of festivals. Political savvy, he petitioned for his office to be moved from the Bureau of Humanity to the Bureau of Heaven when he saw which way the tides of power had turned. Currently he’s eying a position in the Division of Serenity, hoping to take advantage of the imbalanced power and infighting there. For all his conniving, Boundless Mirth is not a god who loves power. He seeks only whatever position provides him with the most salary and the greatest opportunity for leisure. Surely, he would love to claw his way to the ranks of the Incarnae to join with them in the Games of Divinity, but that is a mere idle fancy. A visitor seeking audience with the god of festivals is unlikely to find him in his heavenly office. Most of his day he spends recovering in his sanctum from his “fact-finding missions” the night before. Sanctum: Boundless Mirth’s sanctum is surprisingly austere: a single, bare room where he can recuperate from long parties. He could have a more lavish sanctum, one more befitting his station, if he desired, but as he spend little time there except to recover, he sees no need for the effort. Motivation: Revel. Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5, Charisma 7, Manipulation 4, Appearance 4, Perception 5, Intelligence 4, Wits 6 Virtues: Compassion 3, Conviction 3, Temperance 2, Valor 3 oundless irth Abilities: Athletics 1, Awareness 3, Bureaucracy 3, Craft (Water) 4, Dodge 2, Integrity 3, Investigation 4 (Seeing Bethe Majordomo of Endless Reverie yond the Mask +3), Larceny 1 (Party Tricks +3), Linguistics 6 (Native: Old Realm; High Realm, Riverspeak, Flametongue, Skytongue, Woodspeak, Seatongue), Lore 3, Martial Arts 5, Occult 3, Performance 4, Presence 3, Socialize 5 (Festivals +3), War 1 (Garland Wars +2) Backgrounds: Allies 4, Backing 2, Influence 3, Salary 3, Sanctum 1 Charms: Amethyst Awareness Benediction—Grants +1 die to Performance or Socialize actions during parties Calculated Order of Immediate Action—Anything required to host a fine party Domain Manipulation Scenario—Guides the course of a party Essence Plethora—x3 Foretell the Future—Determines which parties to attend and which to avoid Host of Spirits Hurry Home—Parties Materialize—70 motes Measure the Wind Ox-Body Technique—x1 Reserve of Will—x3 Sense Domain—Parties Spice of Custodial Delectation Stoke the Flames—Sways opinions regarding a party Formerly the Majordomo of the Endless Reverie, Bound- First (Ability) Excellency—Martial Arts, Performance, Socialize less Mirth dropped the definite article from his title once he Second (Ability) Excellency—Performance, Socialize Third (Ability) Excellency—Bureaucracy, Performance, Socialize
B
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M
Infinite (Ability) Mastery—Socialize Divine Subordination of (Ability)—Socialize (While attending or organizing Parties) Martial Arts: Dreaming Pearl Courtesan Style (up to Form Charm), Origiastic Fugitive Style (All Charms) Panoply: These Charms are unique to Boundless Mirth and may not be learned by any other being. By Invitation Only—Some parties are meant for all to enjoy, others are reserved for a select few. By committing 10 motes, Boundless Mirth may extend an invitation to a particular party to all beings who share a specified trait. This may be as broad or as narrow as he likes. So long as the motes remain committed, any being who meets the qualification immediately knows about the party and all relevant information. Guest of Honor—By the rights due to him as god of all festivals great and small, Boundless Mirth is presumed to be on the guest list of any party and is immune to any effects which would dissuade him from attending or hampering his abilities while there, such as the penalty imposed by Ship-Claiming Stance if he has not been officially recognized by the Lawgiver who owns the pleasure barge. Join Battle: 9 Attacks: Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 10, Damage 2B, Parry DV 6, Rate 3, Tags N Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 9, Damage 5B, Parry DV 4, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 5, Accuracy 9, Damage 2B, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P Soak: 2L/5B Health Levels: -0/-1x3/-2x3/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 7 Willpower: 7 (10 points) Essence: 6 Essence Pool: 135 Other Notes: The Charms of Boundless Mirth were incredibly popular among the Crowned Suns during the First Age, and many bearing the Exaltations of the Eclipse Caste still owe the god favors to account for their predecessor’s debt. Most commonly, he asks only that they manage his affairs for a night so he can slip out to attend a party or two. At other times, he has more serious business for them, such as aiding him in his latest political maneuver.
Abiskoa Who Jumps At Fate’s Shadow
Among the Pattern Spiders, Abiskoa is infamous. While attempting to untangle a knotted Paradox, Abiskoa and his broodmates were caught in an eruption of pent up causality. Such accidents are increasingly common—Abiskoa’s survival, though, is exceptional. So fortunate was his survival, that the Division of Endings investigated the incident and interrogated the Pattern Spider thoroughly. The investigation determined that the pattern spider was thoroughly mad, but his survival was not fate-defying. After a season’s isolation he was allowed to return to work, though under careful scrutiny of the August Weavers. Since his return, he has proven to be a nuisance to his fellow Pattern Spiders. He claims to have tended to the strand of a young courtesan in Lookshy; but the next day her strand was gone and no record of her remains in the Loom of Fate. With increase regularity, his madness calls his attention to other vanishing strands. He fears the Loom itself is disappearing before eyes, strand by strand, and only he can see it. He skitters about the Loom now, foretelling doom. With each day, fewer spiders are drawn to the novelty of his ranting. With utmost conviction, he knows the truth of his words. He has seen the monster devouring Fate, the broken child within the Loom of Fate itself. He does not speak of
this. He has tried, but finds the words caught in his throat and sees the blazing seal of the Maiden of Secrets and the Great Maker burning in his mind. He pursues this mystery in frantic solitude, having wholly abandoned his proper duties. Between his fellows and the Division of Endings, there is talk to recues him of his duties and removing him from the Loom of Fate before he can cause any permanent damage. Sanctum: Abiskoa shares a Sanctum with the rest of its kind— much to their frustration. Motivation: Unravel the Loom’s Secrets Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4, Charisma 3, Manipulation 1, Appearance 2, Perception 4, Intelligence 5, Wits 3 Virtues: Compassion 1, Conviction 4, Temperance 2, Valor 3 Abilities: Athletics 2 (Balance +2), Awareness 3, Bureaucracy 3, Craft (Fate) 5, Dodge 2, Integrity 3, Investigation 4, Lore 4, Martial Arts 3, Occult 4 Backgrounds: Backing 1, Connections 1, Sanctum 4 Charms: Amethyst Awareness Call—Other Pattern Spiders Foretell the Future— All-Encompassing while attending the Loom Hurry Home—The Loom of Fate Intrusion-Sensing Method—All-Encompassing while attending the Loom Landscape Travel—Particularly swift upon the Strands of Fate Measure the Wind Natural Prognostication— All-Encompassing while attending the Loom Ox-Body Technique—x1 Spice of Custodial Delectation First (Ability) Excellency—Craft, Investigation Second (Ability) Excellency—Craft, Investigation Third (Ability) Excellency—Craft, Investigation Divine (Ability) Subordination—Craft (While working the Loom) Panoply: These Charms are unique to the Pattern Spiders and may not be learned by any other being. The August Weavers have Charms in addition to those listed here.
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By Fate Bound: When performing a Clinch, the Pattern Spider may spend (6m) to wrap the target in unbreakable strands of Fate. The spider may not crush the target after this, but the target is rendered Inactive until he is untangled. Additionally, the Pattern Spider may clinch a being’s Strand of Fate, paying a (+1wp) surcharge for this Shaping Effect. This allows the Spider to perform a Malediction on the target as though it possessed that Charm. Join Battle: 6 Attacks: Bite: Speed 6, Accuracy 9, Damage 4L, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags N, * Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 8, Damage 7L, Parry DV 3, Rate 2, Tags N Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 8, Damage 4L, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P * The soulsteel jaws of the Pattern Spiders drain 3 motes whenever they bite a target. Soak: 10L/12B (Orichalcum and Moonsilver Body 8L/8B, Hardness 4L/4B) Health Levels: -0/-1x3/-2x3/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 5 Willpower: 10 Essence: 3 Essence Pool: 80 Other Notes: Abiskoa’s Connections represent those sympathetic to his plight in the Bureau of Destiny. When desperation takes him, he may turn to those beings and ask of assistance, either to get to the bottom of the mystery that plagues him or, in a more lucid moment, to cure him of his madness.
Tindholes
As the Firmament was the precursor of the Loom of Fate, the tindholes were the precursor to the Pattern Spiders. Designed by the Primordials to prowl the stars for the detritus of Fate, the tindholes feast upon paradox. Whenever errors occurred in Fate, the tindholes descended upon the offending party and devoured the hapless soul. Ultimately, these beings proved too destructive for their intended purposes and were banish to the Caverns of the Sky. These forbidden gods have long, serpentine bodies covered in segmented chitin. Their tails end in rigid, vertical
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fins and their flanks are marked with bioluminescent nodes. Their jointed forelimbs are like that of a praying mantis and their eyeless heads possess hollow pits resembling eye sockets. They lack mouths, but possess an adamant-tipped projectile proboscis. When Nox arrived at the Caelian City, tindholes were drawn to him like ravens to a fresh kill. They swarmed upon the Onyx Youth, seeking to consume him. Their ceaseless howls echoed through the city for weeks, until at last, Nox had killed or maimed the entire horde. Those that survived, Nox kept in his kennels as trophies of his victory. Since his disappearance, they have broken free, bred, and spread throughout the Caverns of the Sky. They are both the predators and prey of the argentim (Glories of the Most High—The Five Maidens) and the two races of gods battle every night as tindholes rise from their dens and hunt among the stars. Sanctum: As feral gods, the tindholes do not possess luxuries such as Sanctums. Motivation: Feast upon that which deviates from Fate Attributes: Strength 6, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4, Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 1, Perception 5, Intelligence 1, Wits 6 Virtues: Compassion 1, Conviction 5, Temperance 1, Valor 5 Abilities: Athletics 4, Awareness 2 (On the Hunt +3), Dodge 4, Integrity 3, Martial Arts 5, Presence 3 (Intimidation +3), Stealth 5, Survival 5, War 2 (Pack Hunting +3) Backgrounds: None Charms: Amethyst Awareness Bane Weapon—Against those who have deviated from Fate Call—Other Tindholes Intrusion-Sensing Method—All-Encompassing, so long as it is the nearest Tindhole to the deviation in Fate Landscape Travel—Flies without visible means of lift Materialize—45 motes Measure the Wind Meat of Broken Flesh—Beings who have deviated from Fate Mirror of the Infinite Wardrobe—Transform into any being it has devoured Ox-Body Technique—x5 Principles of Motion—Keeps 6 actions banked Sheathing the Material Form—While hunting Spice of Custodial Delectation Spirit Cutting—Beings who have deviated from Fate Tracking—Pursues deviations within Fate First (Ability) Excellency—Martial Arts, Stealth, Survival Second (Ability) Excellency—Martial Arts, Stealth, Survival Third (Ability) Excellency—Martial Arts, Stealth, Survival Infinite (Ability) Mastery—Martial Arts Divine (Ability) Subordination—Stealth (While hunting beings who have deviated from Fate) Join Battle: 6 Attacks: Siphon: Speed 5, Accuracy 13, Damage 6L, Parry DV —, Range 3 yards, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P Claws: Speed 5, Accuracy 11, Damage 8L, Parry DV 6, Rate 3, Tags N Soak: 10L/10B (Chitin Carapace 8L/6B) Health Levels: -0/-1x7/-2x7/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 6 Willpower: 6 Essence: 3 Essence Pool: 60 Other Notes: Whenever a being deviates from its Fate, the nearest tindhole becomes aware of the event. This includes any Suspicious or Blasphemous action, as well as actions which cause a being to gain Paradox and more mundane errors in Fate, the likes of which the Bureau of Destiny deals
with nearly every day. Against beings that possess Paradox, the tindhole’s minimum damage is increased to the target’s Paradox rating. Tindholes have been cursed by the Unconquered Sun. So long as the sun shines, tindholes can only rarely escape the Firmament to prowl Creation, and are more commonly seen along the rim of world nearest the horizon. No tindhole has hunted upon the Blessed Isle since they were deemed forbidden gods.
Sibarthan
The Tiger That Stalks in Dreams Messenger Soul of the Serpent Manjaa
The Tiger That Stalks in Dreams is a lithe being who hunts upon six slender legs. She wields two fangs like those of a great cat. Her coat is short and deep red. Black stripes flow along her lean body as she prowls. When she desires, she sprouts enormous owl-like wings to fly through the barren dreamscapes between sleeping minds. Though dreaming, the Yozi Sacheverell has not forgotten Nox and is well aware of his favorite god’s imprisonment, having seen all that is. The sleeping Yozi has dispatched Sibarthan into the dreams of Creation, to prowl for clues regarding how to release Nox from bondage. For centuries, the demons search has been in vain. Only the Incarnae are likely to know how to rescue Nox, and their dreams are barred against her hunt. She has found better prey in the dreams of the forbidden gods, but that motley pantheon is too concerned with its own survival to attempt the rescue of the greatest among them. Tegores himself has flatly refused even an audience with the demon, so great is his hatred for both sides of that ancient war. So year after year, she slips from dream to dream, always lurking in the background for some hint that might gain the freedom of Nox. The advent of the Nocturnal Exalted has provided Sibarthan with fresh hunting grounds and more willing ears. Many of the Harlequins are naturally distrusting of demons, but a few have heeded her advice and are now aware of their patron’s plight. Of course, Sibarthan does not seek Nox’s
liberation purely for the sake of old alliances. If handled properly, the turmoil in the Celestial Order that a free Nox would cause would awaken Sacheverell himself, and the demon desires nothing less than that. Summoning: (Obscurity 5/7) The demons of Sacheverell are poorly known even among expert demonologists. Those who have learned of Sibarthan call upon her skills to interpret dreams or to steal into the minds of their enemies, either to rob them of a closely guarded secret or impart some meme of their own devising. She gladly performs such tasks if granted one day to ravish the dreams of her summoner in search of esoteric knowledge that will aid her ultimate objective. Sibarthan sometimes leaves the Demon City and enters directly into the minds of those who dream of tigers on moonless nights. She dwells in their dreams until they wake and cannot leave them under circumstances until then. Motivation: Drag the Dream of Liberation into the Waking World Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 6, Stamina 5, Charisma 4, Manipulation 5, Appearance 4, Perception 3, Intelligence 5, Wits 4 Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 3, Temperance 5, Valor 3 Abilities: Athletics 3 (Feline Grace +3), Awareness 4, Craft (Glamour) 5, Dodge 5, Integrity 4, Investigation 4 (Of Dreams +3), Larceny 3 (Stealing Dreams +2), Linguistics 3 (Native: Old Realm; High Holy Speech, Pelagial, Tribal Languages), Martial Arts 5 (Claws +2), Occult 5, Presence 4, Resistance 2, Stealth 4 (While in Dreams +3), Survival 2 Backgrounds: Allies 4, Sanctum 5 Charms: Amethyst Awareness Bane Weapon—Against Lucid Dreamers Capture—Draws beings into the dreamscape she creates Divine Prerogative—Leaving a dream is an unaccepted order Dreamscape—All-Encompassing Domain Manipulation Scenario—Alters the course of dreams Endowment—Allows target to be a lucid dreamer Essence Plethora—x3 Hollow Out the Soul Host of Spirits Impromptu Messenger—Causes beings whose dreams she haunts to talk in their sleep Landscape Travel—Exceptionally fast in dreams Materialize—70 motes Measure the Wind Mirror of the Infinite Wardrobe—Disguises herself as other elements in the dream Ox-Body Technique—x2 Paralyze—Induces sleepy lethargy as a Crippling effect Possession—Those asleep Principles of Motion—Keeps 8 actions banked Reserve of Will—x3 Subtle Whispers—Conveys social attacks through the narrative of a dream Terrestrial Circle Sorcery—Mists of Eventide, Silent Words of Dreams and Nightmares Wine of Infinite Heartbreak—Dreamers hate to wake up from her dreams First (Ability) Excellency—Martial Arts, Occult, Stealth, Second (Ability) Excellency—Martial Arts, Occult, Stealth Third (Ability) Excellency—Martial Arts, Occult, Stealth Infinite (Ability) Mastery—Martial Arts Divine (Ability) Subordination—Martial Arts (while in dreams) Join Battle: 8 Attacks:
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Bite: Speed 6, Accuracy 12, Damage 5L, Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags C, N, P Claws: Speed 5, Accuracy 14, Damage 8L, Parry DV 3, Rate 2, Tags N Soak: 8L/11B (Nightmare-wrought Form 6L/6B, Hardness 2) Health Levels: -0/-1x4/-2x4/-4/Incap Dodge DV: 6 Willpower: 8 (11 points) Essence: 6 Essence Pool: 130 Other Notes: While residing in the dreams of other beings, Sibarthan may only influence the dream and engage in Social Combat with the dreamer, unless her host is a lucid dreamer. If she encounters lucid dreamers, either may engage the other in physical combat while in the dream. The results of this combat are fatally real. The lucid dreamer may call to his aid any weapon, Charm, etc. that he possesses in the walking world to help fight off this demon. Sibarthan may also perform thaumaturgical divinations, though her methods involve interpreting dreams rather than the stars.
OBSERVANCES The God of the Sky, the God of Possibilities, the God
of Calibration, and the God of Night: In these roles, Nox was worshiped across Creation during the Time of Glory. Each aspect received its share of veneration from different sources expressing their gratitude and lamentations in unique ways. With the Pteroks as a notable exception, he was not well regarded in Dragon King society, and fell behind even a few lesser gods in human temples. But in the earliest days of Creation, there were more supplicants than just these to offer praise to the Onyx Youth. The Pteroks, the Haeloi—a now extinct race of delicate aerial siphonophores—and others paid their respects to the god of the sky. Those beings who had mastered flight, either by natural or artificial means, offered prayers before each flight. Lavish festivals in honor of Nox and other gods were held before major migrations. Even the Ereta’een, who generally cared little for the affairs of the gods, painted a small tribute to Nox on their flying vessels. The gargantuan organic towers of the parasitic onychophoran Nipavo displayed banners trimmed with indigo, to appease the god into whose sky they intruded. Many of these prayers were wasted on Nox, as he held no authority over what occurred below the Firmament, as that fell to the mad goddesses of the storm or to the sun and the moon. Still, when appeased by prayers, the young charismatic god advocated on behalf of the supplicant to the appropriate god. Never has he stayed the wrath of the Unconquered Sun when a supplicant had been so unfortunate to catch Ignis Divine’s ire. Astrologers and prophets of all species prayed to Nox to save them from their own dire predictions. These heartfelt prayers were among the most dangerous uttered to the god of possibilities, for he would do all in his power to help the supplicant avoid her unwanted fate. A young alaun oracle once prayed to Nox to relieve him of the burden of his new mate’s imminent death. Nox sent a rival suitor to seduce the mate, so the oracle delighted in his mate’s fatal accident months later. In another infamous moment, a Lintha warlord learned of her defeat in an impending battle from a travelling soothsayer. After sacrificing to Nox, the Lintha and her entire crew were lost at sea before the battle could arrive. Not all prayers to the Onyx Youth were answered with such macabre results. Many resulted in definitive improvements to the supplicant’s life. But any prayer to alter one’s fate was a gamble with the chance extremes that Nox represented.
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When the moon and stars vanished from the sky, beings across Creation knew that the Calibration King had come again. The whims of the Calibration King brought boons and curses arbitrarily to all Creation. Prayers went up to him, begging him to stay his mad experiments or to grant a long sought after wish. Nox delighted to see others live out their dreams and frequently granted such requests. A mortal boy touched Nox’s heart with a desire to fly; the following Calibration, Nox gifted mortals with that power. One year, prayer after prayer rose above the waves as the Pelagials hoped for a few spare days to move freely upon the land and mingle with beings there. This too Nox granted, to his dismay. The Pelagials abused his gift and ambushed many Lintha towns. Not until ever living Pelagial of that generation had died did the Calibration King attend their prayers. Nox’s inheritance of the godhood of night proved highly controversial. Among nocturnal beings, the validity of Nox’s claim was matter of violent theological dispute. Numerous crusades were waged between those who revered Nox and those who still clung to Luna. Each side dedicated their battles to their chosen patron and fought to the bitter end for their god’s honor. After centuries of periodic conflict, several inter-species communities could be found across Creation, bound by their mutual adherence to this volatile religious question. Nox frequently accused Luna of encouraging this schism. With a smile, she denied any involvement. In addition to prayers received from the battlefield, Nox received prayers from those seeking safety in the dark of night, and from those hoping to commit some nefarious act best kept hidden from the light of the Unconquered Sun. The adulterers’ tryst, the thief’s escape, the murderer’s approach, so long as they happened under the cover of darkness, they fell to Nox. Rarely would he answer such prayers without introducing some new element of chance to the situation. The lovers met, but their maiden tea proves inert. The thief bypasses the guards, but encounters a greater but riskier prize along the way. The murderer ambushes his victim, but lost his weapon along the way. Likewise for those calling upon Nox’s aid. The caravan encampment avoids midnight raiders, but their beasts slip free of their reigns in the night. The hunter stalks his prey without error and finds himself with a perfect opportunity to slay a tyrant lizard which has plagued his tribe for years. The spy escapes the guards by ducking into the rival general’s war room and discovers his battle plans. Such uncertain consequences made Nox a favored god of the brave, foolhardy, or just plain lucky; more prudent individuals learned to avoid such risks and pray to more reliable gods—like the Fickle Lady. The endless string of prayers has long since dried up. The Bound God receives no adoration, nor could he if anyone
The Gambler’s Prayer
A successful prayer to Nox is always a risky gambit. Unless the Storyteller has reason for Nox to answer in a specific fashion or refuse the prayer entirely, she may instead roll one die to determine the general results of the prayer, in addition to the minimum requirements of fulfilling the prayer. The supplicant is given an Unlucky pool of 5 if the Storyteller rolls a 1 through an Unlucky pool of 1 if she rolls a 5; he instead gains a Lucky of 1 if she rolls a 6 through a Lucky pool of 5 if he rolls a 10. See Scroll of Heroes, p. 60 and 74 for more information. These pools are not permanent, cannot be refreshed, and dissipate after 25 hours.
even remembered him. Should his position be restored, he would not immediately regain his extensive and varied cult. The Onyx Youth must once again demonstrate his authority over his domain before mortals will begin praying for his eclectic aid.
for each additional cycle of reincarnation through which the soul has passed since the death of the person who knew what the thaumaturge seeks. Beyond learning simple facts, the thaumaturge may extend his meditation over many hours. Each additional hour counts as one spent training with a mentor to learn any Trait known to a particular past life. Beings with the Past Life or The Onyx Youth contributed greatly to the arcane Eidolon Background may add their rating in that Background arts during the Time of Glory. He saw no reason to deny as bonus dice to this ritual. power to mortals merely because of the circumstances of their lowly origins, provided the mortal had the will to claim it. His Chosen proved particularly adept at the simple miracles of The Art of Demon Summoning thaumaturgy, enacting such magic with casual deftness. Lidded Eye of the Prophet Abhorrent (3, Percep Principally, the sacred rites of Nox are those that allow a tion, 7, one hour or more): While not a ritual directly being to transcend the happenstance of her birth and defy her associated with Nox, this rite is well known to the own destiny. Many of these rituals are now exceptionally rare, demons descending from the Onyx Youth’s ancient practiced only in isolated communities. Some are outright patron, the Yozi now called Sacheverell. The thauforbidden in certain parts of the world. A few are preserved maturge must first obtain an arcane link associated only by outcaste communities of forbidden gods once loyal with a being, object, or location. Clutching the arcane to Nox. The rebirth of the Chosen of Possibilities may be the link tightly as he sleeps, the thaumaturge receives only hope of saving these rituals from extinction. clairvoyant dreams of the being, object, or location associated with the link. These dreams reveal the The Art of Alchemy current state of the link’s target and are a form of Last Days Inheritance (3, Intelligence, 2, one night): The scrying. Upon waking the thaumaturge discovers alchemist loathes to see her life of accumulated knowledge that the arcane link has twisted into a useless blasdisappear with her death. To preserve her wisdom for the next phemous shape. Only indestructible objects survive generation, she performs this work of inner alchemy during a this treatment unbent but are still rendered ineffecnight of meditation. She imbibes a mix of halucigenic herbs tive as arcane links thereafter. and concentrates on particular aspect of her training. At the end of the ritual, she coughs a thick grey liquid, which must be captured and stored, and loses the Trait she had been meditating upon. Anyone who drinks the liquid gains that The Art of Husbandry Subtle Words Hypnosis (2, Manipulation, target’s MDV, Trait as a Training effect. five Long Ticks): With this procedure, a mortal mind is unfet Sweet Waters of Youth (3, Intelligence, 4, six hours): As a popular adage goes, youth is wasted on the young. This for- tered and free to act as it truly desires. There is no Resource mula allows the elderly a chance to recapture a bit of their lost cost associated with this ritual, but the target must volunteer youth. By mixing the powdered inflorescence of the century to be hypnotized or the thaumaturge must be able to touch agave with the poison of certain jellyfish polyps, the thauma- the target if he is unwilling. If successful, the ritual imparts turge produces this draught. A single dose will cause a person a powerful but simple delusion: You are excused. The target to appear in the prime of their life and removes any infirmities believes this lie utterly and acts upon all subsequent impulses of old age, but only for a day. However, the poison inherent and suggestions shamelessly. He holds no regard for social in the drink slowly works its way through the subject’s body, taboos and only his Virtues hold him back. This effect lasts until an impulse or suggestion would be regarded as an unacreducing their lifespan by one day for each dose. ceptable order, the target spends two willpower to resist the The Art of Astrology effect, or some trigger determined by the thaumaturge occurs. The Stars Blindly Run (3, Manipulation, 3, one night): The Art of Spirit Beckoning The practice of this ritual is a capital offense in Varangia, Blood-Soaked Crusaders of (Spirit) (3, Charisma, 5+[Spirit’s where it is most commonly known. Having first performed Essence], [Magnitude] hours): This rite was more common a Divination of some sort, the astrologer then methodically during the Time of Glory when the gods were less unified paints his star charts with indigo ink produced during Cali- and more prone to fight amongst themselves openly. Now it is bration. The chart is then burned, bit by bit, over the course rarely practiced except by the Siakal’s cult and a few surviving of the night. Thereafter, any subsequent attempt to divine the Dragon Kings. Each version of this rite is tied to a specific same information that the astrologer learned in his previous god, and can be learned only by a being who is a priest of that Divination suffers an external penalty equal to his additional deity. The priest performing this rite blesses a military unit in successes on this action, to a maximum of his Occult. the name of his divine patron and charges it with a mission appropriate to that god. For example, the priest of Siakal may The Art of the Dead charge the unit with the wholesale slaughter of a Lintha fleet, Enlightened Tathagata Awareness (3, Perception, 5+, one but not an attempt to capture the Lintha alive. The Storyteller hour): This obscure meditative art is currently practiced only remains the final authority on what is appropriate for each by the muni of remote mountain monasteries east of An-Teng. spirit, and a spirit may veto any application of this rite if it The thaumaturge prepares his meditation with candles, exotic determines the unit’s task is not within its interests. The priest incense, and the chanting mantras of his fellow muni. He may substitute his Performance in place of Occult for this enters a deep trance and attempts to unlock the knowledge ritual. buried within his own soul. If successful, after one hour, he If successful, the unit gains a number of +1 bonuses may learn any single fact known to a previous incarnation of equal to half the god’s Essence (rounding down), which may his hun soul. A minimum of five successes is necessary for his be applied to the unit’s Drill, Morale, or Endurance as the most recent incarnation, but the difficulty increases by one unit’s leader’s player chooses. Additionally, the death of any
SACRED RITES
Chapter Two • Nox, The Onyx Youth
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individual within the unit counts as a prayer to the chosen deity. These effects last for (god’s Essence) days or until the end of the unit’s next battle, whichever comes first.
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Versions of this ritual exist in the Arts of the Dead and of Demon Summoning. In particular, Blood-Soaked Crusaders of Octavian is a common practice in the Demon City.
Chapter Three
Character Creation
Released from their mysterious prison by unknown means, the Nocturnal Exalted find themselves thrust back into a Creation that has no recollection of their former greatness. Elder Nocturnals, if such things are more than mere legend, might be counted upon a single hand and are isolated and well hidden. This provides the young Harlequins with unique challenges and opportunities to forge their own agendas in this blind world they find themselves in. To the Chosen of Possibilities the Second Breath comes at a moment of absolute necessity. The hero finds himself thwarted at every turn, beset by enemies on every side, oppressed by limitations beyond his mortal skills to overcome, and finally abandoned by Destiny. In that hopeless moment the Exaltation finds him and elevates him to a new level of potential. So exceptional is such an event, that the crippled mind of the Bound God takes note and, for the briefest of moments, rejoices. In that rush of potential, the Harlequin is treated to a wondrous and heartbreaking vision of all possible realities. For an instant, the whole of Creation revolves around him
and his own willful determination. From a thousand possible worlds, including the bleak and the glorious, the reborn hero stretches out his will and chooses one of his liking. In that vital second, what world the Harlequin chooses is determined wholly by the content of his character.
Step One: Character Concept
Historically, the Nocturnal Exalted come in two varieties. First, the Heralds of Primordial War filled their ranks with visionaries and revolutionaries. These discontents were hampered by the flawed and incomplete world the Primordials had wrought, and sought above all else to tear down the stumbling blocks the universe had put between them and the dream they wished to externalize. Second, following the purge of the Heralds, the Nocturnals were recreated as the Harlequins. These maintained the revolutionary spirit of their forebearers, but like their patron, are bound to perpetual servitude—not that they haven’t discovered ways to skirt around such impositions. For the Harlequin, the Second Breath now comes to those whose own desire is to elevate others, those
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who find satisfaction through service and through the betterment of his fellow man. Therefore, every Nocturnal character begins with a suitable character concept. For Heralds, such concepts may include “Heretical Priest,” “Rebel Leader,” or “Scientific Innovator.” For Harlequins, appropriate concepts might include “Passionate Abolitionist Pamphleteer,” “Wealthy Guild Philanthropist,” “Charsimatic Anticolonial Militiaman,” or “Disillusioned Prince Turned Ascetic Philosopher.”
Caste
•Nebula Attributes manifest the Exalt’s supremely calculated cunning: Manipulation, Perception, and Intelligence In addition to these three Caste Attributes, each Nocturnal is granted two Favored Attributes of his player’s choice, as suitable for the character concept. The selection of Favored Attributes also corresponds to Favored Domains (see Step Four below), and this should be kept in mind when making this choice. Once these have been chosen, prioritizes the character’s Physical, Social and Mental Attributes as described on Exalted, p. 74. Each Attribute begins with one dot, and the player then divides eight additional points to his Primary Attributes, six points to his Secondary Attributes, and four points to his Tertiary Attributes. Finally, he may add one additional point to a single Caste or Favored Attribute of his choice. His Caste Attributes must be rated at least two, and no Attribute may be rated over five.
The caste of the new Nocturnal Exalt crystallizes around the host’s adamantine personality. There is no set number of each caste and a single Exaltation carries with it all the instructions necessary to be whatever its host demands of it. The Exaltation initially surveys the host’s natural aptitudes and inclinations and locks into the form best suited. From there, it influences the young Exalt’s future development. The player should determine his character’s caste as appropriate hree bilities for the concept and do so early. The nature of the five castes tep The new Exalt retains numerous skills from his mortal will be discussed fully in Chapter IV. days, which are enhanced by insights from other possible worlds. He retains one Favored Ability from his time as heotivation As with all Exalts, the Second Breath is a transition from roic mortal, chosen by his player. The Exalt gains 25 dots to the heroic to the epic. Heralds and Harlequins must possess distribute among his Abilities, and at least one dot must be epic Motivations fitting of their station among the greatest of placed in his Favored Ability. The Exalt is blessed for the task Creation’s legendary heroes and villains. The Harlequins, in ahead of him; the character’s concept and Motivation should particular, will have Motivations appropriate to their altered help guide this process. For example, the boy who dreams of nature—they perform epic feats not solely for their own self- discovering new lands for his impoverished village to settle aggrandizement, but for the improvement of the world at on might take his Second Breath and gain several dots of Sail large. There is no guarantee that the Exaltation of any par- even if he’s never been aboard a boat in his life. No Ability ticular Nocturnal will be a blessing to Creation, but rare is may be rated higher than five. the misguided Herald or Harlequin who believes he means ill to the world. For every troupe of Harlequins who seek to pecialties Whether insights from previous experience or gifts of eradicate poverty or build a new society free of modern vices, his Exaltation, the Nocturnal begins with four Specialties of there is one who desires to subjugate the world beneath his his player’s choice, to be spread among his Abilities as desired. might—not for wealth or power, but for its own good. Even if Remember, no single Ability may benefit from more than he seeks to slay the Maidens themselves, he does so with the three Specialties. intent that such deicide is best for the world. See Exalted, p. 88, for more information about Motitep our dvantages vations, then choose one suitably epic and attuned to your Beyond their natural talents and skills, the Nocturnal character concept. Exalted employ potent magical effects and wield the panoply of heroes. Such advantages are what truly allow the Herald or tep wo ttributes The source of power for the Nocturnals is in their own Harlequin to transcend the mortal limitations of his heroism. raw potential, not individual training. As such Attributes play ackgrounds a more important role in the development of a Herald or Backgrounds are a representation of the character’s Harlequin than such Traits do for the Solar Exalted. Upon wealth and social ties, including magical possessions and drawing their Second Breath, the hero finds his natural po- supernatural connections. Like the Solar Exalted, the Noctential greatly expanded by the Essence welling up inside his turnals are reborn into a world without an infrastructure to soul. Set free of his limitations, the mortal truly becomes the accommodate them. The Harlequin gains seven points of epic hero he always desired to be. Backgrounds for his player to spread as he pleases. None may The Nocturnal Exalted possesses both Caste and Fa- be higher than three without spending Bonus Points. The vored Attributes, which function in a manner similar to the Nocturnals may obtain a few unique Backgrounds, as detailed Caste and Favored Abilities of Solars. The Harlequin may in Chapter IV. master these Attributes with comparatively little effort. harms •Nova Attributes demonstrate the sheer force of their per The mystical powers of the Nocturnals are codified in sonality and vision: Strength, Charisma, and Perception. •Comet Attributes allow the Exalt to strike swift and true to their Charms as with all Exalted. The Charms of the Heralds and Harlequins tap into the infinite possibilities of their deliver the fatal blow: Strength, Dexterity, and Wits •Aurora Attributes epitomize grace and alluring beauty: own potential rather than being extensions of more specialized might. They are divided into categories based on the Dexterity, Charisma, and Appearance •Empyrean Attributes represent the Exalt’s unflagging will associated Attribute, not Ability as with the Solar Exalted. and the sharpness of his tongue: Stamina, Manipulation, and The Harlequin’s player selects eight Charms for which his character meets the minimum requirements. These need not Wits
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be associated with his Caste or Favored Attributes, but those and uncertainties. Always in flux, the Exalt depends on few Charms will likely prove the most useful to him. defining characteristics to maintain his identity. Consider for a moment what those core elements are for your Herald or omains Harlequin. Unique to the Nocturnal Exalted is the ability to ma- What is your character’s story? Though agents of chance nipulate the substrate of existence and conjure alternate reali- themselves, the Nocturnals are not chosen by random lottery. ties as desired. By harnessing a Domain to his will, the Exalt They are exalted for a reason. Why was yours? What was the crafts reality in a manner more pleasing to him, if only for a seemingly impossible obstacle that blocked your character moment. Each Domain is associated with one Attribute. The from achieve more mundane heroism and necessitated the Exalt’s Caste Domains are the ones that correspond to his gifts of Nox? Once invested with those gifts, how did he overCaste Attributes, and begin at the same rating as the associat- come that obstacle—or how does he plan to overcome if it still ed Attribute. His Favored Domains are those that correspond stands in his way? to his Favored Attributes, and begin at half the rating of the What does your character look like? This is a tricky quesassociated Attribute, rounded down. All other Domains begin tion for the Nocturnals. While not as adept at transformations at zero. For more information about Domains, see Chapter as the Lunar Exalted, their fundamental nature is beyond the VI. scope of a single mortal form. Still, as mortals they begin, and that body image leaves an indelible mark upon his soul. How irtues Virtues are the character’s guiding ethos, influencing does your character present himself to the world? Does he see how the character acts and perceives the world. All Virtues this image as something to preserve or to overcome? Where is your character from? Creation is vast and dibegin with one free dot, and the character’s player may dis- verse. Where your character grew up and where he now lives tribute five additional dots among the Virtues as he pleases to define his character’s personality. None may be higher will have a great influence upon his nature. Was he born into than three without spending Bonus Points. Unlike the Solar poverty or wealth? Did he spend his days among the trees of Exalted, the Nocturnals never suffered from the Great Curse Halta or the waves of the Western isles? What did he find unsatisfying about his circumstances that fueled his revoluand do not need to select a Virtue Flaw. tionary desire? How did your character encounter his fellow heroes? tep ive inishing ouches Whether he travels in a troupe of Harlequins or in the mixed Lastly, determine the character’s static values and apply company of other Exalts, your character is unlikely to be alone Bonus Points to flesh out the character further. in the world. How did your character team up with those of the other players? Was it a recent chance meeting or a long illpower The will to act is of vital importance to the Nocturnal standing relationship? Do you hide your mysterious nature or Exalted. The Herald or Harlequin begins with Willpower 5. are you open about the unknown source of your power? How does your character feel about his Exaltation? Your See Exalted, p. 115, for more information about Willpower. character is the inheritor of a strange birthright. Creation ntimacies lacks any record of the Nocturnal Exalted and the Exaltation Intimacies are expressions of the Exalt’s passions and itself is encoded with only basic information of your new his desires. He may select up to (Willpower + Compassion) status. He is one of the Exalted, Chosen of a powerful god Intimacies. See Exalted, p. 90, for more information about whose name he do not recognize. Your character finds himself Intimacies. in possession of great power. With a thought he may twist the past and future around the present and alter reality before his ssence eyes. Demented murmuring might haunt the silent corners of The Exaltation that fuels the Nocturnal’s transforma- his mind and, most disturbingly, seem comforting to hear. An tion into a legendary hero elevates him above the ranks of oddly familiar longing might call to him from across Creation. mortals. He begins at Essence 2. This may be raised up to Es- The days following his Exaltation are a confusing and dangersence 3 with Bonus Points, but no further without Storyteller ous time in your character’s life. Certainly he has learned to approval. cope with such upheaval, but how? The Exalt’s Personal Essence pool is equal to his permanent Essence plus twice his Willpower. His Peripheral Essence pool is equal to her permanent Essence times four, her Willpower times three, and the sum of her highest and lowest Virtues.
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The Exalt possesses the usual health levels (-0, -1x2, -2x2, -4, I), plus any health levels gained from Charms.
Bonus Points
Spend 18 bonus points as desired to improve Traits or to purchase new ones. See the Character Creation Summary for a full listing of Bonus Point costs.
S park of Life The Nocturnal Exalted is more than dots on a page. He
is a mighty hero empowered by the quantum foam of a magical cosmos. The life ahead of him is one full of possibilities
Chapter Three • Character Creation
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Character Creation Summary •Step One: Character Concept
Choose concept, caste and Motivation. Note caste anima power. •Step Two: Select Attributes Note Caste Attributes. Note that all Attributes begin at one dot for free. Select Favored Attributes (2); Favored Attributes cannot be the same as Caste Attributes. Prioritize Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Attributes. Assign dots to Primary Attributes (8), Secondary Attributes (6), and Tertiary Attributes (4). Place one additional dot in one Caste of Favored Attribute of your choice. Caste Attributes must possess at least two dots, and no Attribute may be higher than five.
•Step Three: Select Abilities Note Favored Ability (1). Assign dots to Abilities (25). Assign Specialties (4).
•Step Four: Select Advantages
Select Backgrounds (10, none may be higher than 3 without spending Bonus Points). Select Charms (8). Caste Domains begin at same rating as your Caste Attributes; Favored Domains begin at half the rating of your Favored Attributes, rounding down. All other Domains begin at 0. Assign dots to Virtues (5, none may be higher than three without spending Bonus Points).
•Step Five: Finishing Touches
Record Essence (2) and Willpower (5), Personal Essence (Essence + [Willpower x2]), Peripheral Essence ([Essence x 4] + [Willpower x 3] + Highest Virtue + Lowest Virtue), and health levels (standard 7, plus any gained from Charms.) Bonus Points Bonus Points (18) may be spent at any point during character creation. Castes •Nova: Revelators and destroyers who uncover what others do not see and banish what is undesirable. Caste Attributes: Strength, Charisma, Perception Caste Domains: The Stone, The Silk, The Clay Caste Anima Power: Causes all mundane attempts to hide or lie within his anima banner to automatically fail. •Comet: Swift warriors who stamp their will upon the battlefield. Caste Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Wits Caste Domains: The Stone, The Chisel, The Tablet
Caste Anima Power: Increases the Speed of her foes Actions by one. •Aurora: Alluring and agile socialites who bend societies to their will. Caste Attributes: Dexterity, Charisma, Appearance Caste Domains: The Chisel, The Silk, The Cloak Caste Anima Power: Imposes an external penalty on opponent’s MDV equal to their own Compassion when attempting to resist the Exalt’s advances. •Empyrean: Enduring missionaries who spread and maintain their cause. Caste Attributes: Stamina, Manipulation, Wits Caste Domains: The Statue, The Needle, The Tablet Caste Anima Power: Allows Nocturnals to activate Charms as though it were Calibration and darkens the world as though night has fallen. •Nebula: Cunning and secretive scholars and conmen who battle in the arena of the mind. Caste Attributes: Manipulation, Perception, Intelligence Caste Domains: The Needle, The Clay, The Stylus Caste Anima Power: Imposes External Penalties on all of his opponent’s Mental actions.
Virtues
•Compassion——Empathy and capacity for mercy •Conviction——Determination and capacity for suffering. •Temperance——Mental clarity and capacity for selfcontrol. •Valor——Courage and capacity to defend your honor.
Backgrounds
•Allies——Aides and friends who help you. •Artifacts——Wondrous objects and magical devices. •Backing——Standing or rank in an organization. •Companion——The bond between a Harlequin and a Vizier •Contacts——Informatants in useful places. •Cult——Mortals who worship you •Familiar——An animal companion •Influence——Pull in the world around you •Manse——A place of power and Essence •Mentor——A teacher and instructor •Tangled Fate——Your ill-maintained Strand of Fate helps and hinders you •Resources——Material goods and money •Whispers——Connection to Nox or, more rarely, to the Neverborn.
Bonus Point Costs
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Trait
Cost
Attribute
4 (3 if Caste or Favored)
Ability
2 (1 if Favored Ability)
Background
1 (2 if Background is being raised above 3)
Speciality
1 (2 per 1 if Favored Ability)
Virtue
1
Willpower
1
Essence
10
Charms
6 (5 if Caste or Favored Attribute)
Domain
5 (4 if Caste or Favored Domain)
Chapter Four
Traits
The Chosen of Nox possess many of the same Traits as those discussed in Exalted, beginning on page 88. Consult that Chapter for details on Attributes, Abilities, Virtues, Willpower, Essence, and the like. In addition to the standard Traits, the Harlequins also possess several variants of common Traits and a few Traits unique to themselves.
A STheoul With A Hundred Lives physiology of the Nocturnal Exalted is unique to
them. Unlike other Exalted, their physical aging process is not slowed by their Exaltation. They live out their lifespan like any mortal. They are immune, of course, to the infirmities of old age and maintain their health and vitality well into what most people would consider their twilight years. As they approach the end of their mortal life, a truly miraculous event occurs…
Renewal
When his old body seems on the verge of surrendering his soul to Lethe, usually sometime between the Exalt’s 75th to 80th year of life, his anima erupts to its full splendor. Within
this expanse of light and darkness, the Exalt undergoes a metamorphosis. To say that the Exalt’s youth is restored is an oversimplification of the process. The Exalt’s body, once past its natural lifetime, expires and his Exaltation forges a new one from the remains. This is the Renewal which rejuvenates the Exalt into a being at the prime of his life. The Exalt’s body is obviously different. He cannot pass as a younger version of his old form among those who knew him when, but perhaps as a son or daughter at best. Subtle personality shifts are common during Renewals, though they are usually only discernable with frequent interactions as such quirks take hold. Despite his new body, the Exalt is still fundamentally the same character. The same Exaltation and the same souls reside within it. While typically only “death” from old age triggers a Renewal, the process does more than just give the Exalt a younger body. All ongoing Poison and Sickness effects are immediately ended and any Crippling effect is healed. The Nocturnal Exalted have invented Charms to expand the capabilities of Renewals.
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The Indiscriminate Exaltation
Because of this potential, the Nocturnal Exaltation is not as selective when choosing a host as other Exaltations. Others may be directed toward the hale and youthful heroes of the world, Nox could not bear to deny so great a second chance as an Exaltation to those who needed it most. Heroes denied their destiny by infirmity, injury, or old age may still receive the Second Breath. When they do, they immediately undergo a Renewal and are given young, healthy bodies if they desire such a transformation.
E xpanded Backgrounds The Harlequins return to Creation alone and isolated.
They have no Five-Score Fellowship to spirit them away to seclusion for education. They have no Silver Pact to regale them with the tales of their past glories and instruct them in the challenges ahead. Rarely do they have family fortunes to exploit as the Dynasts do. The Harlequins must survive what with paltry supplies and alliances they might collect through their own adventures. As such, they use the same Backgrounds given to the new-born Solar Exalted, with a few additional limitations.
Altered Backgrounds
the Harlequins have few options. The extra effort required to obtain such Artifacts translate into an additional cost during Character Creation. All adamant Artifacts are considered to be rated one higher than the base Artifact for the purposes of acquiring them at Character Creation. Adamant weapons become Piercing, and if they were already piercing inflict an additional -4 on the target’s armor soak; Adamant armor provides +3L soak and reduces the mobility penalty by one. For additional adamant magical material benefits consult Manual of Exalted Power, vol. VI: Alchemicals, Chapter VI, and Chapter VI of this book.
Backing, Contacts, Followers, Influence, Resources
The Harlequins are Exalted from humble heroes, and only rarely do the wealthy and well-connected find themselves among the Chosen of Nox. As such, no combination of these Backgrounds may be higher than four without spending bonus points. Similarly broad social Backgrounds, such as Command from Manual of Exalted Power: Dragon-blooded, also apply toward this total. More limited social Backgrounds such as Allies and Mentor are unaffected.
Familiar
As creatures of the night themselves, the Harlequins have a special affinity for animals which share their nocturnal The Nocturnal Exalted resonate with the rarely utilized habits. Such creatures reduce their Familiar rating by one and magical material adamant. Adamant is the primary compo- so long as his familiars are nocturnal, he may possess up to nent of the Firmament, both in Creation and in Yu-Shan. (Essence) animal companions. This supernal diamond is actually clear, though as it catches and refracts light it often frequently appears sky-blue in direct Manse If any Nocturnal-aspected manses still exist they are light, red or orange if the light strikes it at an oblique angle or indigo in darkness. Today, adamant artifacts are among found only in the depths of the earth, well within the terthe rarest in existence. In Creation, only the Mountain Folk ritories of the Darkbrood, or upon or within the Firmament commonly employ them. To obtain their natural material, itself. With memory of the Nocturnal Exalted and their patron lost during the Primordial War, those Nocturnal manses which were known to have survived to the First Age were destroyed in early pogroms, suspected of being temples to the Paradox Artifacts some unknown Primordial. Autochton’s feigned ignorance During preparations for the Great War, several Herof their construction unsettled the Exalted.Surely they saw alds possessed Paradox Artifacts. Their cousins preferred through his lies, but they could not fathom why he would to consider these potent tools to be forged by the Heralds keep such knowledge secret from them. The Great Maker’s bizarre Charms, yet the Heralds themselves insisted that secrecy only bolstered those who perceived them to be the Paradox Artifacts were not made, but received. These shrine of some unspeakable blasphemy.The knowledge of the objects exist outside of time and space, and can remain architectural styles necessary to cap Nocturnal demesne may in Creation only while attuned by a Nocturnal. To attune have been retained by First Age archaeologist, but even that to such objects, the Exalt must also commit a number has been lost in this Age of Sorrows. of points of Permanent Paradox equal to the Artifact’s Without the knowledge necessary to cap them properly, rating, which is always one higher than normal. A NocNocturnal demesnes are notoriously unstable. They fleetingly turnal may only attune to one Paradox Artifact at a time. form only in sunless regions: under the earth, beneath impenIn addition to the regular adamant bonus, these Artifacts etrable forest canopies, at the bottom of the sea, on the evergain the following benefits: shadowed slopes of mountains in the remotest areas of the Any attempt to steal the artifact suffers from an North and South. Due to these positions, they often convert external penalty equal to the Exalt’s current Paradox. to elemental-aspect demesne at the slight provocation, ranked Against effects that automatically steal or disarm items, one higher than the Nocturnal demesne itself. Frequent expothis always triggers an Essence roll-off and the Nocturnal sure to moonlight or starlight causes the demesne to convert gains a number of automatic successes equal to the Artiinto a Lunar or Sidereal demesne after a week. Any contact fact’s rating. with sunlight immediately burns away the demesne, leaving a The artifact gains one unique power which the Nocturnal Solar demesne ranked one lower than the original. must gain one Paradox to use. Storytellers and players As such, Harlequins are not able to claim Nocturnal should work together to design these powers. See Chapmanses during Character Creation unless the principles of ter VI for examples. Nocturnal architecture have been rediscovered. Demesnes If the artifact is ever de-attuned, it immediately vanishes. should be claimed with caution. For more information on It may only be removed from Elsewhere when a NocturNocturnal demesnes and manses, see p. 64. nal Exaltation finds a new host, who may elect to attune to one of Paradox Artifacts currently in Elsewhere. ew ackgrounds
Artifact
N
64
B
Companion
According to legend, when Venus seduced Nox before his defeat, the two Incarnae consummated the union between the Heralds and the Viziers. It is a fascinating tale, but perhaps it is only that. The bond between Herald and Vizier is etched deep into the Exaltation of each, as though the two were created to complement each other from the beginning. This relationship is more egalitarian that that which exists between Lawgiver and Steward as the Chosen of the Possibility and of Destiny are thoroughly peers. As such, this Background is available to both Nocturnal and Sidereal Exalted. The Harlequin will typically have a higher Companion rating than the Vizier, as the connection has been less eroded by subsequent incarnations. In the absence of the Harlequins, the Five-Score Fellowship has been unaware of this connection. As the companions return, many Sidereals will feel a sense of longing as the bond asserts itself. The bond between Nocturnal and Sidereal may be used in a few ways. First, either partner may add their Companion rating in dice to any attempt to find the other and may roll (Companion + companion’s Essence) to detect the companion across large distances. A single success lets the Exalt know if her companion is in the same plane of Existence. Two successes reveal which Direction her companion is in. Three successes would narrow down the companion’s location to within 1000 miles; each additional success refining that estimation by a factor of ten. This ability fails if either companion is outside of Fate. Additionally, either Exalt may add their Companion rating in dice to any action which aids the other. This may be done a number of times per story equal to the Exalt’s Companion rating. If both Exalts work together on a simultaneous action, such as a coordinated attack or some form of teamwork, both may add (their own Companion rating +1) in dice to the action. This counts as one use of the solo dice bonus ability for only one of the Exalts. Finally, regardless of rating, this Background grants both Exalts an unbreakable positive Intimacy. The Herald may always see through his companion’s Resplendencies and never suffers from the effects of Arcane Fate with regards to his companion. Likewise, the Vizier immediately perceives her companion’s Fluctuations without spending Willpower to do so and ignores Nox’s attempts to obscure her companion from Fate. If her companion knows the Charm Destiny Adopting Humility, she may weave Ascending or Descending Destinies for him by touching him directly rather than sending her request through the Pattern Spiders (who would be unable to locate his Strand, anyhow). x
You are estranged from your companion. Perhaps his Exaltation has not yet enlightened its next host, or perhaps you are deliberately suppressing your true feelings.
•
Your connection is undeniable and shows great potential for future development.
••
You and your companion live in auspicious harmony—most of the time.
•••
No matter your differences, you and your companion are irresistibly drawn to one another.
••••
The friendship or romance between you and your companion would be the stuff of epic song, if only you were not hidden from the world.
••••• The stars will fall from the sky before you and your companion are separated again.
Tangled Fate
Nox hides his Chosen from the Pattern Spiders. As a result, their strands of Fate are passed over during the spiders’ maintenance of the Loom. In time, these strands become knotted and difficult to work. This condition worsens so long as it persists and provides the Exalt with a mix of benefits and detriments. Primarily, each dot of this Background increases the difficulty of any attempt to manipulate or perceive his Fate. This includes mortal astrology, Sidereal Astrology, and Fluctuations, including his own. Additional effects are noted below and are cumulative. Tangled Fate is both a help and a hindrance. The Exalt’s rating may ebb and flow over time. Any event that causes the Exalt to gain Paradox is a valid reason to raise his Tangled Fate background to a maximum of half the Paradox gained in the incident. Likewise, any event that causes him to lose Paradox may be used as an excuse to lower his Tangled Fate, to a minimum of his remain Paradox. Other events may raise or lower this Background with Storyteller approval, and any Strand that is not properly maintained will begin to tangle. x
Your Strand of Fate is immaculately well-kept. Perhaps you are freshly Exalted or you have recently burned off accumulated Paradox.
•
Your Strand has begun to twist around itself. You receive only the base effects of this Background.
••
Your tangled Strand does not quite sync up those around it. Once per session, rather than rolling, you may cause a mundane scenario to go your way despite appearances to the contrary. Conversely the Storyteller may cause one mundane scenario to go against you. As an example you may determine that a mortal guard was looking away at precisely the right moment, while your Storyteller may determine that local apothecary just sold the last bottle of medicine you desperately need. If you and the Storyteller use this power simultaneously, they cancel each other and the event is determined by a roll as normal.
•••
Your Strand spirals around itself. Luck and misfortune is ever present. Once per session you may reroll one Chance die. Likewise your Storyteller may force you to reroll a Chance die. Whoever caused the reroll decides of the two results determines the Chance effect of your Charm. Uniquely, the Charm Improbable Response is immune to Storyteller interference.
••••
Your Strand weaves dangerously through other Strands, ensnaring them along the way. You require one fewer scenes to build Intimacies and other beings require one fewer scenes to build Intimacies toward you, for better or worse. Characters with Conviction 1 gain relevant Intimacies at the beginning of the scene, based on their first impression or whatever rumors have preceded you. If you have Conviction 1, you will likely cycle through new Intimacies at a rapid pace.
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•••••
Your Strand is a tightly wrapped bundle, pulling in other strands around it. You may select one being with whom you interact frequently, whether it is an ally or an enemy. That being is also drawn under Nox’s obscuring influence. Sidereals and beings outside of Fate are immune, as are beings who are already obscured in this manner. However, so ill-maintained is your Strand that you gain one additional Paradox die whenever you gain Paradox. Beings obscured by this effect may also gain the Tangled Fate background.
Whispers
While Harlequins who journey to mausoleum-bodies of the Neverborn may return with haunting susurration of the dead Primordials as much as anyone else, more commonly the Chosen of Nox hear the gibbering madness of their own crippled patron. While broadly similar to the Background described in Manual of Exalted Power, vol. IV—Abyssals, there are several important differences between the two versions of Whispers. The Whispers of Nox should be noted as a distinct background from the Whispers of the Neverborn, but it provides largely the same benefits. Once per scene, the Exalt may reflexively spend one Willpower and glean from Nox’s ramblings some useful information within Fate, which may be applied in one of the following ways. The Exalt may substitute his Ability for one roll with his Whispers rating. Mentally crippled though he is, Nox still perceives all that occurs within Fate thanks to his connection to the Loom. The fraction of his consciousness that remains whole is barely enough to assist his Chosen in some small way. The Exalt may roll (Perception + Whispers) to probe his patron’s ramblings for information relevant to his cause. The more successes, the more detailed the results. For example, if the Exalt’s asks, “What sort of army will the Bull of the North attack with?” one success would reveal “One thousand men,” three successes would reveal “Two wings of infantry, two talons of archers, and two scales of siege weapons and attendants,” and five successes would detail the precise nature of each unit’s equipment, their overall quality, and the identity of their commander. All successes in excess of his Whispers rating are wasted. Failure results in nothing but insane mutterings, while a botch causes the Exalt to misapprehend those mutterings as vital clues. Seeking information outside of fate always results in failure. As a character robbed of his own personal agency, Nox is incapable of plotting or planning beyond his Motivation (see p. 33) and cannot provide his Chosen with any guidance that is not specifically request. As such, questions such as “What should I do next?” result only in answers which further Nox’s Motivation. The Exalt may recognize any other Nocturnal, forbidden god, or other beings and objects which Nox is deliberately hiding for what they truly are. The Exalt becomes aware of the nearest and most recent error in Fate, which may be the result of a Suspicious Charm, the influences of beings outside of Fate, or naturally occurring mistake in the Loom itself. Only beings actively hidden by Nox are capable of gaining his Whispers and they may do so at any time. If a being with these Whispers is ever outside of Fate, he temporarily loses access the voice of Nox. Should Nox be liberated from the Loom, this background loses its efficacy. As a unique benefit, Nocturnal Exalted who possesses Whispers 2+ may learn the nature of their shattered destiny if desired.
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x
The Bound God does not speak to you, or you ignore his mad words.
•
Amid the nonsense you occasionally glean some useful bit of information.
••
From endless strings of words and images you may extract a single coherent sentence.
•••
Nox frequently presents you with a broken, incoherent riddle, which you somehow decipher. You might worry his madness is beginning to rub off on you.
••••
Ever gibbering, your patron seems to recognize that you exist and desperately seeks to give you aid. You’ll have to learn to tune out his most recent obsession and focus only on the details you desire.
••••• You begin to see a strange logic in the words of your mad god. Or maybe you’re just as crazy as he is now. When no one is near (and occasionally when they are) you may find yourself conversing with Nox in an equally nonsensical blather.
The Curse of Subservience
For the Harlequin, the Second Breath does not come without an air of tragedy. Their Exaltation frees them from the chains that reality had designed for them, whether those be the slave’s shackles or a gilded cage. In a sudden rush of power, the young Harlequin finds himself thrust among the mightiest beings in the world. But when he encounters his peers, he begins to learn that he has exchanged one yoke for another. A more glorious yoke, to be sure, but a yoke all the same. Some might say that the Harlequins were spared the Great Curse. Secreted away before the opening shots of the war, their Exaltations never fell prey to the blasphemous last words of the Neverborn. But Autochthon’s hammer did not fall lightly upon the Nocturnal Exaltations either. If the Harlequins were aware of the Great Curse, they might look upon the tragic hamartia of their peers with a hint of envy. At least the Great Curse is an expression of the Exalt’s desires—twisted and exaggerated as they might be. The Curse of Subservience exploits the same venting mechanism as the Great Curse, but does so in a way that so thoroughly subjugates the Exalt’s will that only the original maker of the Exalted could have devised it. Since both the Harlequins’ curse and the Great Curse function on similar principles, those who suffer from the Curse of Subservience cannot be afflicted by the Great Curse, or vice versa (if the Great Maker ever hoped to punish the other Exalted in similar fashion). Unlike the Great Curse, the Curse of Subservience is not an esoteric secret. That it is not known to the Celestial Exats as a whole is only due to the absence of the Nocturnals. The Incarnae certainly know if it, for it was designed by their request. Once Harlequins begin interacting with other types of Celestial Exalted, the Curse of Subservience could be detected with sufficient study. The Maidens may choose to inform their Chosen of Nocturnal’s Curse as a method of containing the Harlequins. In either case, this revelation would also likely provide an avenue to discover the Great Curse hidden in other Exalts.
Gaining Subservience
The Heralds and the Great Curse
Had the Nocturnals fought alongside the other Exalts during the Primordial War, they would have met the same fate as their peers when the Primordials spoke their blasphemous final words. They would gain Limit they first time they spend willpower to resist an unnatural mental influence in a scene and when they suppress a 3+ Virtue. Also, whenever another being employs its Destiny background in dice to oppose the Herald, the Exalt rolls that many dice and gains one Limit per success. When her Limit reaches 10, she suffers one of the following Limit Break effects based on the characters primary Virtue, decided at character creation. If needed, others may be created with Storyteller approval. An uncontrolled Limit Break grants the Herald temporary willpower equal to his primary Virtue, even if this would exceed her normal maximum. Cage The World (Compassion): The Exalt treasures her own freedom, of course, for she has the wisdom to use it properly. Few in this unruly world do. For one day, she spends her time using any method in her power to limit the freedom of others in order to protect them from dangerous choices, intervening with force when necessary. Partial Control: The Exalt is not obligated to use force or Charms, but must still advocate against any choice she perceives not being in the other character’s best interests. Adamant Desire (Conviction): The Exalt sets her mind to a task and nothing can shake her from it. For one day, once the Exalt has decided on a course of action, all attempts to convince her otherwise are treated as unacceptable orders. She cares not for consequences, only expedience, and will employ violence to achieve her goals if anyone stands in way. Partial Control: She may restrain herself long enough to debate her point with others or find some other way to avoid violence, but will still pursue her own agenda fervently. Infinite Discourse (Temperance): For any problem set before the Exalt many possible paths exist. How can she decide upon just one? For one day, whenever the Herald must make a decision, she must either debate the pros and cons of all options ad nauseum or attempt to divide her resources between multiple options. Partial Control: The Herald may commit to a single option, so long as one other possibility was considered and rejected. Blood Diamond (Valor): The treasures of this world are meant for those with the will and courage to claim them. By this right, the Herald claims whatever she desires as her own. For one day, the Exalt ruthlessly pursues the acquisition of something she desires. The object of her desire must be tangible rather than abstract. She may seek to claim the Guild’s fortune, but she could not seek simply to be wealthy; she may attempt to bed the Perfect, but not gain his affection. She pursues this goal without concern for the morality of her actions, and is not above killing to claim her prize. Partial Control: The Exalt does not need to resort to violence, and may scheme and plot as necessary to obtain her desire. Every Harlequin possesses a Subservience track, similar to the Limit or Resonance tracks of other Exalted. Points of Subservience can be gained in several ways. Defiance: Whenever the Harlequin spends willpower to resist a direct order or personal request from a Celestial Exalt, he gains one subservience, to a maximum of that Exalt’s Essence per scene. Sublimation of Virtue: Even when following orders or fulfilling requests the Harlequin is not entirely safe from Subservience. He gains one point whenever he must suppress a Virtue rated 3+ in order to accomplish the other Celestial Exalt’s goal. Limit: The Exalt also gains Subservience in some situations in which other Exalt’s would usually gain Limit. If successfully afflicted with a Charm, Artifact, Spell, or other effect which would cause an Exalt to gain Limit, the Harlequin gains Subservience instead. Additionally, the first time each scene he spends willpower to resist an unnatural mental influence raises his Subservience by one—unles the first unnatural mental influence would also cause her to gain Subservience for Defiance. In such situations she gains only one Subservience, rather than two.
Losing Subservience
However, the Harlequins have one advantage that their Exalted peers do not. They have several ways of reducing their Subservience. Deference: Whenever the Harlequin obeys a direct order or fulfils a personal request issued by a Celestial Exalt, he lowers his Subservience by one when he accomplishes the task. He can only lose one Subservience once a scene per Celestial Exalt. However, long term tasks also allow him to continuously lower his Subservience. Such tasks allow the Harlequin to lower his Subservience by one whenever he completes a major facet of the task, similar to the manner
in which the Exalt would regain willpower for completing a major portion of their own Motivation (Exalted, p. 89). Expression of Virtue: If the Harlequin channels a Virtue he possesses rated 3+ in the service of an order or request from a Celestial Exalt, he lowers his Subservience by one. Motivation: If the Harlequin’s Motivation resonates favorably with the order or request, he may lose one Subservience instead of gaining a willpower from a stunt that resonates with his Motivation. He may do so only once per order or request.
Effects of Subservience
Through this curse, the Harlequins are bound to their fellow Celestial Exalted in servitude. This extends to all Celestial Exalts, save the Nocturnal Exalted themselves, of course, and their individual companions; even the corrupted Exaltations of the deathknights and the Green Sun Princes may inflict this curse upon the Harlequins. The curse begins simply enough, first eroding the Harlequin’s ability to resist the mental influences of their superiors. In time, however, they simply cannot refuse any longer. The effects of the curse vary in severity depending upon the amount of Subservience accumulated. Such effects a cumulatively, but in the case of MDV penalties, only the greatest applies. Points of Subservience
Effects
0-2
No effect.
3-4
The Exalt’s MDVs suffer a -1 penalty against orders and requests from appropriate Celestial Exalted.
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5-7
The Exalt’s MDVs suffers a -2 penalty against appropriate orders and requests; such social attacks are always considered Unnatural mental influences.
8-9
The Exalt’s MDV suffers a –[Celestial’s Essence] penalty; such social attacks cannot be dodged.
10
The next appropriate social attack cannot be parried, and negates perfect social defenses as though it exploited a Charm’s Flaw or Imperfection of Invulnerability, even if the Charm does not normally possess such weaknesses. The Nocturnal cannot spend willpower to resist the order or request. Additionally, upon completing this task, his Subservience immediately is set to zero.
Paradox
New Sidereal Charm
Clasped Fists of Heaven Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Sifu’s Useful Fingers The Vizier has trained Exalted and gods in his long career, but who could be more deserving of his insights than his long lost companion? When the Exalt employs Sifu’s Useful Fingers on her companion, he treats her as though she were a Sidereal for the purposes of that Charm and grants the Nocturnal an additional bonus die to her Martial Arts rating. He uses the higher of his own Martial Arts or Companion rating to add to the Nocturnal’s Dodge MDV. The lessons of this Charm do not flow only from the Vizier to the Harlequin. In exchange, she grants him a bit of Nox’s protection from the wrath of the Loom’s guardians. The Vizier gains a Temporary Paradox track capable of absorbing (his Companion) points of Paradox. If the Vizier breaks the commitment to this Charm while he has points of Temporary Paradox, all such points transfers over to usual track, potentially causing an immediate Pattern Bite if this results in Paradox 10+. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ grants the Vizier a Temporary Paradox track capable of absorbing (the pair’s combined Companion dots) points of Paradox.
Creation does not take kindly to the constant tampering of the Heralds and Harlequins. Such interference attracts the ire of the Maidens and the pattern spiders alike. Were it not for the obscuring influence of Nox himself, the Nocturnal Exalted would quickly find themselves at the mercy of the Fate’s caretakers. Thank the Maidens, then, for the small favor of imprisoning Nox in the Loom and offering the Chosen of Possibilities greater opportunities to avoid punishment from the likes of the Maidens and their servants. The degree of distress the Exalt causes those who work the Loom of Fate is measured in points of Paradox. The Nocturnal may gain Paradox in several ways and it is marked in in the most extreme cases will a Maiden personally pursue a one of two tracks. First is Temporary Paradox, which denotes Nocturnal Exalt. the amount of Paradox that Nox can personally hide from The Maiden’s Revenge the attention of others. The Exalt can reduce his Temporary Paradox by having Nox excise his troublesome Strand of Fate 1-2 Mercury: Grasping tightly to the offending Strand of completely from the Loom and untangles it. This is often an Fate while she can, Mercury quickly weaves a disasunpleasant experience for the Exalt, but not nearly as bad as trous journey into the Exalt’s future. He might be the alternatives lost at sea with all his possessions sent to the depths, Should the Exalt allow his Temporary Paradox to reach or his most potent foe will pursue him wherever he 10, all additional Paradox cycles into Permanent Paradox. hides. This destiny haunts the Exalt until it comes So long as the Exalt remains outside of the authority of the to fruition, even if he appears to have escaped it, for Bureau of Destiny, he is incapable of removing Permanent one month. If he earns Mercury’s ire again while still Paradox. If he submits to the Bureau, they might teach him under the influence of one of her previous curses, methods of dissipating Permanent Paradox, such as Wrapped she may instead instantly teleport the offending Fly or Wrapped Diamond rituals (Manual of Exalted Power, Nocturnal to anywhere within Fate, including imvol. III—Sidereals, p. 209-210). However, Permanent Paradox mediately before her. gained from Charms and Paradox artifacts cannot be removed 3-4 Venus: The Maiden of Serenity ensures there is no without losing the source of the Paradox itself. rest for the mischievous soul who ruins her vision of Once the Exalt’s Permanent Paradox reaches 10, he sufFate. The Exalt is haunted by nightmares that impose fers the effects of the Pattern Bite (Manual of Exalted Power, a -1 External Penalty on all attempts to regain Willvol. III—Sidereals, p. 209) or worse. Unlike the Viziers, the power from sleep for the next month. For this time, Nocturnal Exalted do not tamper with Fate with the permisno being within Fate may gain a positive Intimacy sion of the Maidens who guard it. Nocturnals who reach toward the Exalt unless forced to do so by Charms Permanent Paradox 10 may find that one of the Maidens has or other magic. Beings within Fate only require one declared a personal vendetta against him. In either case, the scene to gain a negative Intimacy toward the Exalt. Exalt’s Permanent Paradox drops to zero, plus any remaining If the Exalt draws Venus’ attention again while from Charms and Artifacts. The Storyteller then rolls one die under her influences, she may convert all positive to determine the outcome, either from the Pattern Bite or for Intimacies toward the Exalt into negative Intimacies. the justice of the Maidens. In the case of the Maidens, if the Only inviolable Intimacies such as those preserved Exalt reaches Permanent Paradox 10 while under the influence by Righteous Lion Defense or the Exalt’s connection of a Maiden’s curse and attracts that same Maidens attention, to his companion remain unmarred. that Maiden may either extend her curse for another month, perform a different curse as described, or dispatch one of her most loyal Chosen to hunt down the troublesome Exalt. Only
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5-6
Mars: Blood and strife await the Herald or Harlequin who offends the Maiden of Battles. For one month following the curse of Mars, the Exalt finds himself caught in a maelstrom of conflict. An increase in banditry and barbarian raids hinders his attempts to open new trade routes; court intrigue causes his diplomatic efforts to falter; a bull mammoth in musth wrecks his manor in a fit of competitive fury. If he attempts to deal with any of these problems with Mass Combat, rival units within Fate add +3 to their Might as the Maiden of Battles aids them against the Nocturnal. Should Mars direct her wrath against the Exalt again while he is already under her curse, she may instead invest up to (Exalt’s Essence) beings with the Destiny Background, all rated at 5—all of whom are fated to oppose the Exalt. While Dragon-blooded are the only Exalts who may bare this Destiny, such potent fates often attract Exaltations to the mortals who bear them, potentially creating a host of potent enemy’s for the Harlequin.
7-8
Jupiter: The Harlequin cannot hide from the Maiden of Secrets, but she can hide from him. For one month, whatever the Exalt seeks within Fate becomes exceptionally hard to find. If he desires passage from the Blessed Isle to Abalone, no ships are willing to take him aboard or none are heading that way. Doctors lack the knowledge needed to cure his disease. Merchants have always sold out of whatever he desires. Likewise, anything that can be used against the Exalt is always readily known. Magistrates accuse the Exalt of breaking an obscure, long-forgotten law. His pursuers always find a trail, regardless of whatever magic he used to cover it up. Old debtors suddenly appear to collect. If Jupiter turns her anger against the Exalt while is already under her curse, she may instead reveal one of the Exalt’s closely guarded secrets to any and all beings within Fate that she desires.
9-10 Saturn: When grim Saturn directs her cold hatred toward the Harlequin, he must struggle to stay alive. For one month, all natural diseases and poisons within Fate are empowered against him, forcing him to respond to them as though he were a mortal. This includes infection of wounds. Also, all beings within Fate who attack the Exalt inflict one additional automatic level of damage in Step 10 if they inflict any damage at all. His physical well being is not the only thing that’s threatened. Organizations to which the Exalt belongs will soon find reason to terminate his position or revoke his membership. Mentors and allies will often find that their partnership is no longer in their interests and decide to cut off contact with the Exalt. Only the most loyal remain. For all beings within Fate, each week that passes counts as one scene to erode an Intimacy toward the Exalt. Once an appropriate person has no Intimacy toward the Exalt, they will seek to sever ties with him at the earliest opportunity. If Exalt falls under Saturn’s deathly stare again while under this curse, she may instead slay something the Exalt cares deeply for. Only the Exalt’s companion is immune from Saturn’s vengeance.
Venting Temporary Paradox
With diligence and luck, the Harlequin will never have to feel the vengeful touch of the Pattern Spiders or Maidens. For younger Chosen, Nox dissipates Temporary Paradox on his own—though whether this is simply an automatic response to errors in the Loom only he can see or deliberate caring for his new Chosen is hard to tell. The Exalt may also request such attention from Nox at any time, if she desires to purge herself of accumulated Paradox, by performing one of ten known rituals. Nox automatically causes one of these rituals to affect his Chosen at random whenever her (Temporary Paradox + Whispers) is greater than her (Permanent Willpower + Essence). The Nocturnal may voluntarily engage in one of these rituals by rolling Essence with a difficulty of the amount of Temporary Paradox the ritual dissipates, if she meets the minimum requirements. Alongside the name of each of these rituals is listed the minimum Whispers and Essence required for each, as well as the Paradox the ritual alleviates. The Exalt must possess at least as much Temporary Paradox as he hopes to dissipate. These ten rituals are the ones Nox applies to his Chosen, without regard to minimum requirements, and are innately known to all Nocturnals. The Chosen of Possibilities may invent new rituals as though they were favored Charms, with the same training times and experience costs. They may teach any known ritual for which she meets all the minimum requirements to another Nocturnal, or to her Companion, who learns them as though there were non-favored Sidereal Charms, and who replaces the Whispers requirement with an equivalent Companion background. Without a Temporary Paradox track, however, the Viziers have little use for such rituals at the moment. Only one ritual may be attempted per day. All such rituals last twenty-five hours and once begun cannot be ended until that duration expires. For this time, the supplicant is considered completely outside of Fate while the Bound God mechanically untangles a bit of the Exalt’s strand. Freed completely from the Loom’s guiding influence, the Exalt experiences this process as particular errors in how cause and effect play out, how her history appears to have played out, or in the flickering existence of certain important aspects of her life which are no longer backed up by the Loom’s definition of reality. These rituals tend of have a mix of positive and negative effects on the Exalt. Courtesan’s Backward Glances (Whispers 0, Essence 2, Paradox 1): This ritual produces many minor cosmetic errors in causality. Mud on the Harlequin’s garments might fall away without leaving a mark or dry immediate as though it were there for days. Cuts and other wounds close smoothly behind the offending weapon as though it never touched her—any damage inflicted, remains, however. While it provides no consistent mechanical benefit for the Exalt, it does allow for some stunting opportunity as her player describes how these cosmetic effects take shape in her everyday life. On the downside, anyone who witnesses such errors instantly recognizes the Exalt as a supernatural being. Skipping Author’s Amnesia (Whispers 1, Essence 2, Paradox 2): This ritual severs ties between the Exalt and her past. Once it takes hold she forgets all that occurred before the ritual until its conclusion. Additionally at the beginning of each new scene for the duration of the ritual, she forgets what has occurred earlier that day. While this leads to some very confused moments for the Exalt, it also makes all attempts to force her to reveal forgotten information into impossible
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orders (Exalted, p. 180), and causes all attempts for the Exalt to recall such information to automatically fail. Lost Loves Forgotten (Whispers 1, Essence 3, Paradox 2): This ritual is the inverse of the Skipping Author’s Amnesia. For its duration the world forgets the Exalt. Unless rendered inviolable by another effect, any Intimacy toward the Exalt possessed by another being within Fate is removed. Any records of Exalt and her deeds within Fate are also unable to be tied back to her for the duration. This can easily obscure wanted posters and the like, but also removes her from employee rosters, dinner reservations, and other records she might wish to remain on. Bartering Beyond Reality (Whispers 2, Essence 2, Paradox 2): The Exalt temporarily sacrifices a treasured artifact when performing this ritual. The artifact ceases to be for the duration. In exchange the Exalt receives a common, but random, artifact, chosen by the Storyteller, that is rated one dot less than the sacrificed artifact. The received artifact is not guaranteed to be immediately useful to the Exalt’s current situation, but a savvy Nocturnal knows how to make the most of a bad situation. One-dot artifacts sacrificed in this way are traded for mundane items costing Resources 2-3. At the end of the ritual the acquired item transforms back into the Exalt’s original artifact. If any damage befell the acquired item, the artifact returns in a similar state of disrepair. Crimes of the Natural Philosopher (Whispers 3, Essence 3, Paradox 3): The Loom of Fate maintains many of Creation’s most fundamental laws. Freed from such constraints, the Exalt who performs this ritual becomes an outlaw of physics. One of the following physical properties of Creation fail when the Exalt attempts to interact with them. Friction: the Exalt treats all surfaces as smooth ice (Exalted, p. 155), and suffers a +3 difficulty on all actions to maintain her grip, including clinches and disarm attempts. She also adds 3 automatic successes to any attempt to escape or avoid a clinch and adds 3 to her Dexterity for the purposes of determining movement speed. Gravity: The Exalt becomes exceptionally light, allowing her to ignore falling damage and to move without applying any weight to the objects on which she stands. She also suffers a +3 difficulty to resist knockback and adds three yards to how far she is thrust. Additionally, everything else seems exceptionally heavy to the Exalt. She adds +2 to weapons’ minimum strength, doubles the (Strength + Athletics) required to lift or throw and object and doubles the mobility and fatigue penalties of any armor she wears. Elemental: The essence binding objects together falter around the Exalt. The Storyteller chooses two Element from Creation, Autochthonia, or elsewhere. For the duration, the Exalt treats one of the chosen elements as the other, as the Storyteller decides. Fire may feel as hard as stone. She may swim up trees as though they were water (though in this case, if she wears clothing made of natural fibers, she would find them as substantial as clothing made of water as well). Licking a stone might quench her thirst, and she might burn water like kindling. Air, though it may be made as thick as water, always remains breathable and may never be made impermeable or lethal like fire. Other Effects: The Storyteller may assign other creative effects from this ritual as desired. Over Before It Begins (Whispers 4, Essence 2, Paradox 3): The Exalt who performs this ritual fights all his battles in hindsight. Whenever she engages in Join Debate, she immediately loses two willpower. When she engages in Join Battle, she immediately suffers two levels of unsoakable lethal damage. Whenever she engages in Join War, any unit she leads immediately loses on Magnitude. However, having already suffered these effects, she does not suffer them in their proper
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time. Whenever she desires during the scene, she may cancel up to two points of willpower expenditure to resist a mental influence, up to two of levels of damage as that gained by this effect, or one effect that would cause her unit to lose further Magnitude. Once she has evoked these benefits she may not do so again until she engages in Join Battle, Debate or War again and incurs these penalties anew. If she does not make use of them this scene, she may store them up for later scenes but these advantages are lost if not used before the ritual ends. Surgeon’s Delicate Blade (Whispers 5, Essence 2, Paradox 4): When the Exalt performs this ritual, the ill-handled blade undoes all its wielders hard work. For every non-success rolled in Step 10, the target of her attacks heals one level of damage, to a maximum of the target’s Essence. This also applies in the Exalt’s benefit to any attack directed at the Exalt unless her attacker is immune to Shaping. Either the Exalt or her attacker may sacrifice any number of Post-soak damage dice to mitigate this potential situation. Absent Hero Sabbatical (Whispers 5, Essence 3, Paradox 4): For the duration of this ritual the Exalt completely ceases to be. She is utterly removed from existence for a full day, unable to act or be acted upon by any force. At the end of the ritual, she returns to reality at the point she left as though no time at all had passed. Turning Back the Maker’s Hand (Whispers 5, Essence 4, Paradox 5): Anything that can be done can be undone by the Exalt who practices this ritual. Any object she spends more than an action handling converts back to its base components. A sword breaks down into pommel and blade. The blade converts from steel to iron and from iron into raw ore. Her clothing becomes spools of thread, and thread becomes bundles of raw wool, silkworm cocoons, or other materials. Only items to which a being is attuned remains unchanged by her touch, as are those objects which are require a feat of strength to break greater than ([Strength + Athletics] x 5) or are otherwise immune to Shaping effects. In all other cases, this effect is mandatory. Cosmic Sailor Explorations (Whispers 5, Essence 5, Paradox 5): To the outside observer, this ritual is identical to Absent Hero Sabbatical. The Exalt disappears from Creation completely and Nox sets the Exalt aside in a world generated from his own broken memories while he tends to her tangled fate. This allows the Exalt to explore a randomly chosen Manvantara simulation for twenty-five hours. The Exalt who elects to perform this ritual personally may only choose the Manvantara she visits if she possesses a scroll from
The Bound God’s Cosmic Atlas
Trapped within the Loom of Fate, Nox has not accessed the Kalpa in many thousands of years. He therefore is limited in the number and types of Manvantaras he may recreate for his Chosen. He produces only those Manvantaras which contain a Loom of Fate, and all his Manvantaras are woefully out of date. The Nocturnal arrives in that Manvantara on the eve of the Primordial War or the equivalent time period. Even bound, Nox will update his repertoire of Manvantaras if Nocturnal performs Cosmic Sailor Exploration while possessing an up-to-date scroll from the Toponomastic Archives. This allows him to offer that world to other Nocturnals for further exploration in the future, though his knowledge of that Manvantara will not advance beyond what information was originally provided to him unless supplied by a Nocturnal.
the Toponomastic Archives. If two companions or a troupe of Harlequins perform this ritual simultaneously, they are delivered to the same simulation and permitted to explore together. The simulation, of course, is not real. Nothing may be taken from it except knowledge and should the Exalt die while there, she returns to Creation at the end of the ritual without any temporary willpower or motes of Essence.
1—3
The Exalt’s caste mark begins to manifest as a faint shadow upon her brow. It may be detected with a difficulty 3 (Perception + Awareness) roll or covered to hide it from view.
4—7
Dramatic shadows fall upon the Exalt and her caste mark appears like a dark indigo tattoo on her brow. Under direct lighting, these markings cannot be hidden, adding two automatic successes to detect her under such conditions. But while she stands in shadow or in darkness, she adds +2 dice to her Stealth rolls.
8—10
The Exalt is wreathed in an aura of darkest indigo, obscuring all details of her appearance. In direct light, all attempts to hide herself automatically fail, including magical effects; in shadow or under the cover of night, she adds +4 dice to Stealth rolls and prevents beings who did not see her before her anima reached this point from recognizing her by sight later. This aura casts no light, but does allow the Exalt to see in darkness as well as she could in sunlight.
11+
Her dark anima implodes and in an instant erupts outward again. On the tick during which the anima reaches this level, she imposes a -2 Internal Penalty due to blindness on all within (Essence) yards. The exact manifestation of this effect differs among the five castes. Her anima display, also unique to each caste, begins to expand. Initially, her anima display and power only has a radius equal to her (Essence) yards. During her action tick it expands by (Essence) yards again, to a maximum of (Essence x 5) yards in radius. Alternatively, she may expand it to its maximum range by spending (5m, 1wp) at any time. The Nocturnal Exalted do not have iconic animas, but the caste manifestation is individualized within the themes of their caste.
Castes
Just as their starry-eyed cousins possess five Castes, the Harlequins are also divided into five Castes of their own. Each has its own role and purpose to fulfill. All Exalted are first and foremost warriors—weapons designed to slay the architects of the world. But not all necessarily pursue this purpose in the most literal sense. Nox designed his Chosen to serve a function similar to his own: to announce the will of his superiors. So the Heralds took up the cause of the Exalted host and spread it across all Creation through diplomacy and the sword. But what role will the orphaned Harlequins fill in this fallen Age? Only time will tell.
Anima Effects
In addition to an anima power unique to each Caste, all Nocturnal Exalted possess a few common anima abilities. These may be activated by spending a single mote. The Exalt may cause her Caste mark to appear as a dark etching on her brow and have dramatic shadows fall upon her as though she spent 4-7 motes of peripheral essence. The Exalt may surround herself in an indigo halo, as though she spent 8-10 motes of peripheral essence. This allows her to see as well in darkness as she would in full sunlight. If the Exalt is in a region within Fate, she may detect the presence of things outside of Fate within (Essence x 100) yards; If she is a region outside of Fate, she detects the presence of things within Fate instead. While the Exalt will know that such a thing is nearby, he does not learn its precise location. The Exalt may reveal a current Fluctuation to any and all beings she wishes.
Nocturnal Anima Banners Motes of Effects Peripheral Essence
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Nova Caste
Very rarely something truly new happens, something unprecedented in all of history. The night sky announces such rare occurrences with a brilliant display called a nova. The nova erupts brilliantly from the collapsed potential of the event, flaring vividly for weeks until it fades into a star. The nova burns with the total intensity of the star’s future life, allowing sage astrologers a chance to gauge the destined greatness of this wondrous novelty. A similar event occurs after a concept has been utterly removed from the purview of Creation, as it star goes through its brilliant death throws. Immediately following the Three-Spheres Cataclysm, the nights burned with a fierce white light that rivaled the brilliance of the Unconquered Sun. Those Exalted to the Nova Caste, the vanguards, are truest to the name Herald. It is their duty to escort and announce. Wherever they go, greatness follows and new truths are revealed. In a military capacity, they excel at delivering orders and ensuring maneuvers are executed properly. While they are no strangers to personal combat, they’re better known for their military prowess. When a vanguard determines a new power will rise, he preserves morale and fitness of that power until it has ascended to its proper place. Bolstered by the vanguard’s power, his charge can only be toppled from within. In order to preserve their responsibilities against such internal threats, the vanguards have the power to root out all manner of deception and subterfuge. Their shaping talents specialize in conjuring the new and dismissing the old. A visionary goal drives members of the Nova Caste. They have some great task they seek to fulfill, though not for their own benefit. Vanguards possess all the hallmarks of great leaders, yet they rarely have the desire to truly rule. For them, leadership is but a means to an end, not an end in itself. The vanguard seeks to ensure his vision is fulfilled, whether it is to guide a small nation’s ascent into imperial dominion or make a revolutionary discovery in some field of study; it makes no difference to him whether he or someone else actually accomplishes this task. Anima Banner: The Nova’s caste mark is a solid diamond of darkest indigo inside the outline of a larger diamond, with the corners of either connected by thin bars. His anima erupts with a blinding flash of white light, followed by ever expanding rings, waves, and arcs of brilliantly colored essence. Anima Effect: The Nova Caste reveals new possibilities, including the possibility of betrayal. The vanguard may spend 5 motes and 1 Temporary Willpower to flare his anima out to (Essence x 5) yards. Within this radius, all mundane attempts at Stealth, Larceny, and deception fail, as the culprit is illuminated in by a white halo. Objects deliberately hidden or sabotaged through mundane means are similarily outlined. Any expenditure of essence (or application of a Permanent Charm) trumps this detection. This power activates automatically over (Essence) yards once the Exalt has spent 11+ motes of Peripheral Essence, expanding by an additional (Essence) yards every Action, to a maximum of (Essence x 5) yards. Caste Attributes and Domains: Creation does not always welcome change. In order to bring about something new, the vanguards must be forceful in all aspects of their life. They are naturally adept at Strength, Charisma, and Perception. In their Fluctuations, they can create alliances as easily as they conjure a sword or dismiss old hatred as readily as a thought. Their Caste Domains are the Stone, the Silk, and the Clay.
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Associations: The Maiden of Endings, the element of air, the half moon, the season of spring, the color white Sobriquets: Vanguards, Troubadours, the Ivory Trumpets Concepts: Field medic, Lookshy banner man, cutting edge scholar, obsessive investigator, court musician, epic poet.
The Troubadours
The Curse of Subservience often means the troubadour must sacrifice his own dreams to reveal the glory of another. At the behest of Celestial patrons, troubadours focus their driving passion into art. They create symphonies to honor the triumphs of the Exalted. They sculpt beautiful memorials so that the populace will never forget the nobility of their lords. They regale their benefactors with epic poetry recounting their heroic deeds. They are sent from court to court, to entertain the entourage of the Lawgivers, to let others marvel at something they’ve never seen before.
They say there is nothing new under the sun. But the night is dark and hides many wonders. You’ll see. I’ll show you. Chapter Four • Traits
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Comet Caste
Throughout Creation the sudden arrival of a comet is a portentous event. These mysterious bodies appear without warning and follow unpredictable paths through the starry void. Trailing long, luminescent tails, they pierce and bridge constellations, throwing the metaphysical alignment of the heavens into conflict. Astrologers carefully study the passage of the comet, hoping to glean some insight from its trajectory, but the comet does not exist to provide wisdom. It comes to shake Destiny to its foundation and suspend the dictates of Fate, it only for a brief while. For those who desire peace, the comet is an ill omen. For those willing to seize the fleeting opportunity, the comet offers a chance for all to ascend to greatness. Conflict is the appointed role of the Comet Caste. They have earned the name Armigers as they dutifully prepare others for battle. Though swift and mighty warriors in their own right, they often lack the resilience for sustained fighting. As the armigers establish themselves in Creation, they quickly earn a reputation for the speed and power of their attacks and the lightning response of their reflexes. So rapid are the movements of the armigers that merely keeping pace with one requires a focused mind. With their shaping skill, the armigers remold the battlefield to suit their needs, deprive their enemies of vital resources while supplying themselves and model the success of strategies. Those with dreams of heroic daring are accepted into the ranks of the armigers. Creation has no lack of would-be heroes, but all too often their potential is stifled by lack of training or perhaps Fate intervened to prevent them from acting when the time was right, though certainly not for lack of trying. The gift of Nocturnal Exaltation bypasses both of these problems, allowing the hopeful hero to battle even without specialized skill and granting her the power to revitalize conflicts. The armiger never has to wonder what would have happened if only she had been there. Whether for personal glory or revenge, she need only set herself to the task of discovering her potential. Anima Banner: The armiger’s caste mark is an indgo outline of a diamond with a solid diamond within it; three bars rise up and to the right of the larger diamond. Her anima blinds with a blue haze and takes the form of a blue coma with a lengthening tail trailing behind her wherever she goes. Anima Effect: By spending 5 motes and 1 Temporary Willpower, everyone within (Essence x 5) yards who is considered by the armiger to be an opponent increases the Speed of all their actions by 1. A focused mind may overcome this effect by spending one willpower. This power activates automatically over (Essence) yards once the Exalt has spent 11+ motes of Peripheral Essence, expanding by an additional (Essence) yards every Action, to a maximum of (Essence x 5) yards. Caste Attributes and Domains: The armigers do not necessarily possess the endurance for long battles. They specialize in being swift and brutal, pouncing upon their opponents before he even has time to react. The Caste Attributes of the Comets are Strength, Dexterity, and Wits. Their Fluctuations focus on creating the ideal conditions for battle and testing the success of strategies before they are required. Their Caste Domains are the Stone, the Chisel, and the Tablet. Associations: The Maiden of Battles, the element fire, the full moon, the season of autumn, the color blue Sobriquets: Armigers, Gladiators, the Azure Drums
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Concepts: idealistic adventurer, farm boy with delusions of grandeur, war orphan, bounty hunter, the dark horse champion
The Gladiators
The Curse of Subservience means many gladiators fight not for their own cause but at the whim of others. When commanded they fight and kill to satisfy the bloodlust of spectators or to line the treasuries of their masters. The greatest gladiators are highly prized commodities, to be bought and traded at the pleasure of their managers. Gladiators rarely make lasting friendships. Not because they do not seek companions, but because they know that someday they may be forced to face that friends on the sands of the arena.
How did you insult me? You sent a dozen men to hunt me through field and forest. Only a dozen! It was over far too quickly. Chapter Four • Traits
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Aurora Caste
The living essence of Creation courses through the air, to be inhaled and exhaled by all living things. High in the Firmament it pools and flows in luminescent rivers, which ripple and twist their way toward the Elemental Poles where they are drawn down to Creation once more. At night, the regions of Creation nearest the Poles are treated to a vivid display of flowing essence projected onto the sky. The aurora, as these manifestations are collectively known, is where the terrestrial mingles with the celestial. Myriad colors illuminate the night near the Poles, always dominated by the color of the Pole itself and the viridian glow of living essence. As the auroras bridge the heavens and the earth, so too do the Ambassadors form a crucial link between the mighty Celestial Exalted and the people they rule. Beautiful, charming, and graceful, the ambassadors are a welcomed addition to almost any social setting. Though predominately focused on assisting the Crowned Suns in their negotiations, the ambassadors also excel at being secret weapons in the event that diplomacy fails. Their shaping abilities allow them to be adept social engineers. They forge social bonds, create pleasant environments, and model social experiments with detailed accuracy. Such talents are often used to tantalize prospective allies. The allure of the ambassadors is legendary, and those who linger in her presence come to desire her and seek her favor, as far as they are capable of such passion. The gift of the Nocturnal Exaltation comes to ambassadors as they dream of a glamorous life of wealth and fame, though not necessarily for themselves. While some seek personal fame and fortune and a life of luxury, others seek to reshape their society, to topple oppressive regimes or abolish economic depressions. Though the ambassador’s first solution tends to be peaceful, she is perfectly capable of fighting for her cause. She is a master of words and of swords. Anima Banner: The ambassador’s caste mark is an indigo diamond with its lower half filled; three short bars rise from its top, left and right corners. Her anima blinds with curtains of multi-colored essence, dominated by green, which later form great dancing ribbons and loops of light. Anima Effect: Everything about the ambassador is beguiling: her words, her movements, her beauty. For 5 motes and 1 Temporary Willpower, the ambassador may flare her anima out to (Essence x 5) yards. All within this radius subtract their own Compassion from their Mental DVs when opposing the ambassador, her Motivation, or any of her Intimacies, even if the social attack does not originate from the ambassador herself. This power activates automatically over (Essence) yards once the Exalt has spent 11+ motes of Peripheral Essence, expanding by an additional (Essence) yards every Action, to a maximum of (Essence x 5) yards. Caste Attributes and Domains: Through her charm and will, societies bend to the ambassador. She is naturally skilled at Dexterity, Charisma, and Appearance. Her Fluctuations focus on molding societies and perfecting their environment. Her Caste Domains are the Chisel, the Silk, and the Cloak. Associations: The Maiden of Serenity, the element water, the gibbous moon, the season of summer, the color green
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Sobriquets: Ambassadors, Concubines, the Viridian Flutes Concepts: peasant revolutionary, opera house diva, community organizer, philanthropic merchant, vainglorious manabout-town, overwhelmed physician
The Concubines
The concubines are a great treasure. Their beauty adorns the courts of the Mighty. Their grace can inspire the lusts of all but the most stoic observers. The Curse of Subservience often encourages the concubines to satisfy the carnal desires of those they serve. Such sexual dalliances are not unheard of among the Celestial Exalted, and only rarely is the experience unpleasant for the concubine. Far more frustrating are the frequent periods during which the concubine is expected to be seen and not heard. When the concubine is treated as a mere ornament, she must either reluctantly accept her position or learn more subtle ways to manipulate her surroundings. Luckily, such skills are common among the concubines.
I pity you. I really do. Who could envy this pathetic and miserable life? If you only knew how much better it could have been, how much better it could be. Would you like to see? Chapter Four • Traits
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Empyrean Caste
When the stars go out during Calibration, only the stark empyrean field remains. The Empyrean Expanse is the foundation of the Firmament itself, the solid barrier that separates Creation from the vastness of Chaos. As the stars delineate the predetermined pathways of Fate, the empyrean field serves as the foundation of possibilities—infinite, but not unlimited. Out of this blank slate, anything that is possible can emerge and nothing that is not. In this way, the Firmament protects Creation from both the chaotic realm of impossibilities beyond it and the rigid definition of Fate within it. Aligned with the foundation of the Firmament rather than anything that adorns it, the members of the Empyrean Caste are closest to the mind of Nox. They serve as his priests, though they are quite unlike the priests of other Incarnae. His priests are more cunning businessmen than shining paragons. The Barristers, as they are also known, seek to maintain order without hindering freedom. Their task verges on contradiction, and they rely on being quick and clever, knowing how to shift sentiments for individual circumstances, and consider the outcome of every decision fully before implementing it. They are wandering enforcers, rarely staying in any place for long to prevent their own will from becoming the law of the land. The barristers have a chaotic streak in their personality. Many are out-right anarachists. Those who join the Empyrean Caste dream of leaving behind their current circumstances in the world. They worry about the destination only so much as to ensure it is an actual change rather than simply more of the same. Where they go, they undermine the status quo and break down barriers only to erect replacements in their wake. They see the potential folly in a society before it has a chance to manifest and subtly nudge others onto better paths. Anima Banner: The caste mark of the barristers is an outline of an indigo diamond containing three vertical bars, a horizontal bar connecting them, and a small hollow diamond in its lower corner. Their anima is pitch black at first, but as eye adjusts to it, it is seen to be a field of darkest indigo, occasionally adorned with the faintest hints of a field of stars or strange distortions. By spending 5 motes and 1 Temporary Willpower, the barrister casts his anima on an area with a radius of (Essence x 5) yards. Within this darkened field, vision is penalized as though it were a moonless night (Exalted, p. 135), and all Nocturnal Charms with the Calibration-OK keyword may be activated as though it were Calibration. This power activates automatically over (Essence) yards once the Exalt has spent 11+ motes of Peripheral Essence, expanding by an additional (Essence) yards every Action, to a maximum of (Essence x 5) yards. Caste Attributes and Domains: The barristers are tireless in their pursuits, subtle in their method of swaying society to their way of thinking, and quick to think of new courses of action. Their Caste Attributes are Stamina, Manipulation, and Wits. With their Fluctuations, they reveal the foolishness of others, exposing the consequences of their action before they have a chance to become reality as well as maneuvering social
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norms more to his liking. Their Caste Domains are the Statue, the Needle, and the Tablet. Associations: The Maiden of Journeys, the element earth, the new moon, Calibration, the color black Sobriquets: Barristers, Jesters, the Ebony Bells Concepts: mad prophet, the man behind the curtain, wandering magistrate, conniving merchant, political pamphleteer, renegade officer of the law
The Jesters
The jesters cut to the heart of any social setting. They find flaws and hold them up for public derision. The Curse of Subservience has made them useful tools of state, focusing their skill on undermining the social standing of their master’s political enemies. The jester has only one prayer and it is answered in abundance: “Gods, make my enemies ridiculous.” A wise jester rarely makes a joke at his master’s experience, but a brilliant one knows how to do so and get away with it.
There is a fine line between the sublime and the absurd; I will walk it as far as it will take me. Chapter Four • Traits
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Nebula Caste
Scattered throughout the night sky are small pockets of diffuse, oddly tinted light. Lacking the definition of stars, these nebulas present spots where Fate refuses to settle. In time, they may collapse into novas, or a dying star might leave a nebula behind as it falls from the Firmament. Always mysterious, the presence of a nebula within or near a constellation disrupts the calculations of astrologers. The Chosen of Destiny disagree as to whether the nebulas represent an error in Fate or are a necessary step in the process of congealing Fate from chaos; for the Chosen of Possibilities, it matters not. The nebulas confound those who seek to divine the future, and that is enough for them. The Sophists, as the Nebula Caste came to be called, are designed to work closest with their Sidereal cousins. While the Oracles shield the minds of their allies, the sophists take their counter-espionage duties further still, reaching into the minds of their enemies to discover what they have learned and to prevent them from forging memories. The sophists excel at being spies themselves and are masters of subterfuge, deception, and misdirection. They move through unfamiliar and hostile regions, bending laws and regulations out of their path, faking whatever documentation might be needed, and creating false memories in the minds of those they meet. Those with a love of mystery become members of the Nebula Caste. Most often they have a secret they wish to protect or one they wish to discover. Perhaps it is some embarrassing or threatening piece of information that may have already been discovered by someone else. Their Exaltation gives the power to retrieve that secret and keep it hidden. Or at least so confound the world that it cannot discern the truth of the matter. This is the primary difference between the sophists and Jupiter’s oracles. While the oracles seek to gather secrets and use them when appropriate, the sophists exist to obscure. While the oracles are masters of extortion and blackmail, the sophists know that people are more easily manipulated when their own imaginations are left to fill in the mystery. Secrets are a powerful weapon, but the unknown threat is a terrifying tool. Anima Banner: The sophist’s Caste Mark is a solid indigo diamond, save for a diamond-shaped hole in its center. Their anima billows up from the ground around them into tall columns of dense, colored smoke. Typically these are a dull red, but orange and pinks are also common. As the anima grows, it darkens until it is nearly black with only fringes of color. Anima Effect: The sophist distracts and fogs the mind. By spending 5 motes and 1 Temporary Willpower, the sophist causes his anima to rise up around him within a radius of (Essence x 5) yards. Within the pillars of his essence, his enemies suffer a -1 External Penalty on all actions involving their Mental Attributes. This penalty increases by one for each action the opponent remains within the anima banner, to a maximum of the Nebula’s (Essence +1), and decreases by one for each action the opponent remains outside of the anima.This power activates automatically over (Essence) yards once the Exalt has spent 11+ motes of Peripheral
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Essence, expanding by an additional (Essence) yards every Action, to a maximum of (Essence x 5) yards. Caste Attributes and Domains: The sophists are cunning observers and interrogators. Their Caste Attributes are Manipulation, Perception, and Intelligence. Their Fluctuations focus on manipulating information and the rules regarding who may access that information. Their Caste Domains are the Needle, the Clay, and the Stylus. Associations: The Maiden of Secrets, the element wood, the crescent moon, the season of winter, the color red. Sobriquets: Sophists, Charlatans, the Crimson Lyres Concepts: criminal mastermind, triple agent, academic saboteur, propaganda minister, confidence man, sorcerous interrogator.
The Charlatans
The charlatans perform petty tricks for the amusement of the court. They guess secrets from the crowd, stage shows of chicanery and distractions, discern a person’s history from the lines on a palm. They are magicians, adept at sleight-of-hand trickery, and when their master’s allow, perhaps even true sorcery. Which miracles are true and which are lies is all part of the mystique of the charlatans.
Don’t ask questions if you’re not willing to have me change the answers. Chapter Four • Traits
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Singularity Caste
Inherent within the design of the Nocturnal Exalted is the possibility for the existence of a sixth Caste. This Singularity Caste is not native to the basic Exalted Manvantara, but does exist in others. In some, it replaces one of the other five Castes, usually one which shares a Caste Attribute with it. Elsewhere it exists alongside them. In all, the Singularities are known for their enduring beauty and wisdom. They have a captivating presence and educate others with ease. When they warp reality, they conjure lost kingdoms and future societies, adjusting the history and predictions of both to prove her point. Caste Attributes: Stamina, Appearance, Intelligence Caste Domains: The Statute, The Cloak, The Stylus Anima Banner: The Singularity’s caste mark is a small solid indigo diamond within the outline of a larger one. A dark line protrudes from the top and bottom of the outer diamond. At the 11+ mote level her anima forms a sphere of absolute darkness (Essence) yards in radius, much like the Empyrean’s anima However, this sphere never expands. Instead, a vortex of white and violet essence swirls around the black heart of the Singularity’s anima banner. A jet of violet and indigo essence shoots skyward as well. Anima Effect: The Singularity demands the company of all who approach her so that they might learn what she has to teach them. By spending 5 motes and 1 Temporary Willpower, she spreads her anima banner over (Essence x 5) yards. Whenever a being within this radius attempts to move away from the Singularity he must engage in a contested roll as though prevented by a Blockade Movement Action, for which the Singularity does not roll but applies (Essence) successes automatically. The Exalt may selectively render any number of allies immune to this effect. Additionally, if she flares her anima at the beginning of a Dramatic Action to train another being, she doubles the effective time spent educating her student—this effect is not compatible with other effects which speeds Training times. These powers activate automatically over (Essence) yards once the Exalt has spent 11+ motes of Peripheral Essence, and expands by (Essence) yards each Action to a maximum radius of (Essence x 5) yards. Limitless Cosmos Expansion: The Exalt adds two additional automatic successes to the contested roll to prevent other beings from moving away and she halves the cost of her Training Charms while her anima is flared. Sobriquets: Philosophers, Nurses, the Violet Chior Concepts: traveling showman, a Dynast’s au pair, boarding school headmaster, counter-historian, hero with a thousand faces.
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Chapter Five
Charms
It is not the nature of the Onyx Youth to place restrictions upon his favorites. When the Nocturnal Exalted were devised, they were given free reign over the realms of possibility and potential. They focused their power into Charms, like all Exalts, but devoted their miracles to revelations of counterfactuals, to the invention of epiphanies, and to the liberation of all desired outcomes. They obtain power easily, but struggle to ascend past an early plateau. Nox did not desire his Chosen to stagnate, but if they are to succeed, they must pursue their own paths toward transcendence. As such, unlike their Sidereal cousins, the Nocturnal Exalted may continuously invent new Charms. Many of the Charms included here will not be part of the Nocturnal library upon their return, but instead represent examples of new Charms waiting to be invented.
R equirements The Charms of the Heralds and Harlequins are derived
from the Exalt’s inherent potential, rather than her particular training. As such, unlike Solar or Sidereal Charms, Nocturnal Charms require a minimum Attribute rating. In this they are similar to the Charms of the Lunar and Alchemical Exalted and typically a single Charm will be applicable over a range of potential situations. For example, a Nocturnal’s Dexterity Excellency might be applied to any situation employing that Attribute, whether it is an attack, an attempt to pick someone’s pocket, or a nimble acrobatics routine—likewise the Charm Basic Necessities Provision could potential serve as a workshop or a field hospital, among other options, based on the character’s decisions.
Limits
The Harlequin pushes herself to express her full potential, allowing her to achieve great bursts of power. However, overcoming her natural limits is a taxing process. No combination of Nocturnal Charms may add more dice to a roll than the Exalt’s current Temporary Willpower. However, if the character adds more dice than her rating in the relevant Attribute, she must also spend one Temporary Willpower. This expenditure comes after determining her maximum number of dice. For example, if a Harlequin with eight Temporary Willpower and Strength 4 decides to add four dice to a Strength-based action with her First Strength Excellency, she pays only four motes. However, if she wished to add the maximum eight dice allowed to her, she would need to spend eight motes and one Temporary Willpower in total, reducing her maximum number of dice to seven for any following actions. If a Charm adds dice for a duration longer than an Instant, the Nocturnal need only pay the willpower surcharge on the initial activation of the Charm. Static values are subject to the same limitation, and are increased at the same rate as they are for Solars (Exalted, p. 185).
Combos
Like other Exalts, the Nocturnals use Combos to augment the power of individual Charms or to maintain both defense and offensive options during combat. While Nocturnal Charms are still limited by the Charm’s Type when it comes to building a Combo, a Nocturnal is free to mix and match Charms from various Attributes.
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Charm Conflict
When two Charms conflict, the Nocturnal rolls (Attribute + Essence) if the relevant Ability is unclear. Otherwise, they resolve such conflicts with a standard (Attribute + Ability) contest.
N ew Keywords Calibration-(OK): The Nocturnals are the Chosen of the
Calibration King and authority over those five untamed days is their inheritance. Charms with this keyword have enhanced or additional effects when used during Calibrations. Charms with the Calibration-OK keyword can also be used within the radius of an Empyrean’s anima banner as though it were Calibration. Chance: The Chosen of Nox draw their power from possibilities, not certainties. Charms with this keyword have suite of possible effects which manifest randomly. This requires the Exalt to roll a “Chance” die to determine the outcome, when directed by the Charm. At times, even the Nocturnals know better than to leave things entirely up to chance. The character may spend one willpower when activating the Charm to select a desired outcome before the die is rolled. She may be prohibited from selecting certain options in this way until she meets additional requirements, such as a second purchase of the Charm, a higher Attribute minimum or both. Flux: In addition to their Charms, the Nocturnals also draw power from their ability to perform Fluctuations (see Chapter VI), but at times the two become indistinguishable. Charms with this keyword count as the Exalt’s Fluctuation for the scene if it is successful. As such, only one successful Flux Charm or Fluctuation may be performed by the Exalt in a scene. Additionally, all Charms with this Keyword are also considered to have the Native, Shaping, and Suspicious Keywords. Kalpa: The Kalpa is divided into myriad Manvantaras, each with its own metaphysical quirks. Transcending the limits of a single reality, a few Nocturnal Charms have variable functions depending on which Manvantara the Exalt finds himself in. If the Exalt discovers a method to travel between Manvantaras, he may discover that his Charms have increased or decreased in power depending on the local metaphysics. The initial presentation of the Charm is the one most commonly found across all Manvantaras. The Storyteller should inform her players which variant exists in the native Manvantara of their game, if any variant exists at all. As the Kalpa allows for the possibility of its own non-existence, the Storyteller may decided that any or all Kalpa-keyworded Charms do not exist either. Nox: Maimed and trapped within the Loom of Fate, the Bound God can do little to aid his Chosen. Those Heralds and Harlequins how hear his mad murmuring occasionally find that he bends Fate to augment the Charms with this keyword. In order to gain access to the enhanced effects while Nox is in the Loom, the Exalt must be affecting objects or beings within Fate or himself and have the Whispers background for their patron equal to the minimum Essence of the Charm, to a maximum of 5. Without meeting these qualifications, the Charm can be used as though Nox were not in the Loom, as described. Suspicious: The powers of the Harlequins often register in the Loom of Fate as glitches that not even Nox can keep hidden. This may alert the Bureau of Destiny to the presence of the Exalt if she frequently abuses Charms with this Keyword. Whenever she employs a Suspicious Charm, the Storyteller rolls one die. On a 10, the offense goes unnoticed. On a 9-7,
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error is noted but not considered significant. On a 6-2, the error is a matter of concern for the Bureau and an operative will be dispatched as soon as possible. On a 1, the Exalt has tampered with the convoluted machination of the Bureau of Destiny or one of its Sidereal Exalted; an agent is dispatched immediately to set things right. This is a general rule. At times the Storyteller may simply determine the Bureau’s response as best suits the story—also, the Storyteller is under no obligation to inform the Exalt of the Bureau’s response. Additionally, a Suspicious Charm does not normally trigger a roll when any of the following apply: it is used during Calibration, it affects beings and objects obscured by Nox’s influence (a Nocturnal, a Nocturnal’s belongings, or a forbidden god, for example), or it affects beings outside of Fate. Unless indicated otherwise, a Suspicious Charm with a Duration longer than Instant only triggers a roll once per activation.
Return of the Keyword
This Manual uses a few keywords original found in other Exalted material. For ease of reference, they are provided here as well. Enhanced: This Charm is found in association with the Hero Styles of the Exalted. When the Charm is learned by its native type of Exalt, it gains the benefits of the Enhancement feature described at the end of the Charm. Merged: Charms with this keyword are found in multiple Attributes (or Abilities for Solars, Sidereals, and Terrestrials). It may be purchased with any listed Attribute, with appropriate alterations. For example, if a Merged Charm requires Stamina 3 and adds (Stamina) successes to a roll, its Intelligence variation requires Intelligence 3 and adds (Intelligence) successes. A Charm merged into another Attribute has the same prerequisite unless otherwise noted. As a special case, if the above example required Any Stamina Charm, its Intelligence version requires Any Intelligence Charm instead. Once the Exalt has learned a Merged Charm, he may use it as a prerequisite for any Charm that specifically requires it as a prerequisite, regardless of which Attribute he purchased it for or which Attribute the new Charm is in. Native: Charms with this keyword may only be purchased by the type of being for whom the Charm is part of his natural set. For example, Nocturnals may only purchase Nocturnal Charms with the Native keyword. They may never be learned through the use of the Eclipse Anima Power or similar methods. Flux Charms are inherently Native.
General Charms
Excellencies and Attribute Charms First (Attribute) Excellency – Essence Overwhelming
Cost: 1m per die, (1wp); Mins: Attribute 1, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive (Step 1 for attacker, Step 2 for defender) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None The Harlequin may increase her (Attribute)-based dice pool by spending up to (temporary willpower) motes. If this adds more than (Attribute) dice, she must expend one temporary willpower to do so.
Second (Attribute) Excellency – Essence Triumphant
Cost: 2m per success, (1wp); Mins: Attribute 1, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive (Step 1 for attacker, Step 2 for defender) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None By spending up to (temporary willpower) motes, the Harlequin may add one additional success to any (Attribute) dice pool for every two motes spent. As with other Essence Triumphants, each success added counts as two dice from Charms and the Nocturnal must spend a willpower if these dice more than doubles her effective Attribute.
Third (Attribute) Excellency – Essence Resurgent
Cost: 1wp; Mins: Attribute 1, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive (Step 4 for attacker, Step 6 for defender) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None The Harlequin wills herself through failure. By spending one willpower, the Nocturnal may be reroll one (Attribute) roll or add half her temporary willpower to a derived static value. As usual, the Third Excellency can never be used on the same roll as a First or Second Excellency.
Transcendent (Attribute) Potential
Cost: 2m+, 1wp; Mins: Attribute 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: None Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: First or Second (Attribute) Excellency The Harlequin can overwhelm her foes with pure expression of will and mastery of her innate aptitudes, but she must do so quickly. For every two motes spent on this Charm, the Exalt may employ her (Attribute) Excellency as though she had spent one mote for the Charm’s duration. Even a 0m Excellency must spend +1wp to add more than (Attribute) dice, and can never add more than the Exalt’s current Temporary Willpower at the time of the Excellency would be applied. With a second purchase of this Charm at Essence 5+, the Exalt increases her effective (Attribute) by one for every four motes spent, for the purposes of determining when she must pay the (+1wp) surcharge of her First and Second (Attribute) Excellencies.
Myriad Possibilities of (Attribute)
Cost: —; Mins: Attribute 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Shaping Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Third (Attribute) Excellency For every action there are hundreds of equally likely outcomes and even more unlikely ones. Whenever an (Attribute)based action undertaken by another being results in an outcome that does not suit the Harlequin, she may employ her Third (Attribute) Excellency on that being’s behalf as a Shaping effect. This action must occur within (Essence x 5) yards, and the Exalt must be aware of it in order to use this effect. This may also be used on her foes. In either case, the Exalt must accept the second result. This effect cannot be used if another re-roll effect has already been used, such as the target’s own Third Excellency, but if the Nocturnal declares the re-roll first, the target is explicitly allowed to apply his own re-roll effects to make a third roll if desired. Static values may not be altered using this effect.
A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 5+ allows the Harlequin to reflexively spend four motes to regain one Willpower whenever a reroll granted by her Third (Attribute) Excellency results in more successes for herself or her allies, or fewer successes for her foes, than the original roll.
Willful (Attribute) Bolstering
Cost: 4m per Temporary Willpower; Mins: Attribute 6, Essence 6; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic, Native Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Transcendent (Attribute) Potential or Myriad Possibilities of (Attribute) The adamant will of the Harlequin feeds her natural ability; and her natural ability bolsters her will. This Charm effectively creates a second Temporary Willpower track. For every four motes spent she adds one point of Temporary Willpower to this new Track, to a maximum of two points for each dot of Permanent Essence she has over 5. This willpower may only be spent to enhance rolls involving the chosen Attribute or to activate Charms of the chosen Attribute. If a Charm of the chosen Attribute defines its effects based on the character’s Temporary Willpower, such as First (Attribute) Excellency, these points also count toward that effect. If the Exalt successfully performs a 2+ dice stunt involving the chosen Attribute, she may restore a point of this additional Temporary Willpower; other 2+ dice stunts never restore this willpower. Only one version of Willful (Attribute) Bolstering may be active at a time.
(Attribute) and (Domain) Unity
Cost: —; Mins: Attribute 2, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Native Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Any (Attribute) Excellency The Harlequin’s mind and body are a microcosm of Creation as a whole. Her own attributes correspond to the Domains that form the substrate of existence. Each Attribute corresponds to a specific Domain. Strength to the Stone; Dexterity to the Chisel; Stamina to the Statue; etc. Once she has learned this Charm, the Exalt treats all her (Attribute) Excellencies as though they were also corresponding (Domain) Excellencies.
STRENGTH
Attack Enhancement Charms Position of Uncertainty Offense
Cost: 4m; Mins: Strength 4, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Strength Charm Of all the possible methods of attack, the Harlequin cannot select just one. Instead he learns to gamble and let chance decide how (and sometimes who) he will attack. This Charm enhances a physical attack. Upon activation in Step One, the Nocturnal vanishes and his player rolls a Chance die to determine how he reappears. 1:
Reappearing as suddenly as he vanished, the Exalt’s attack rushes forward at terminal velocity. The attack may employ Strength in place of Dexterity, including the use of related Excellencies, and proceeds normally from there.
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2-3:
The Nocturnal reappears within range and ready to attack another enemy within the Engagement Range of his original target. The Nocturnal may only direct his motion if he spent willpower to choose this option; otherwise the new target is chosen randomly by the Storyteller.
4-5:
The Exalt’s weapon appears first, followed by the Exalt. This imposes the usual -2 External Penalty for blindness on the target. If such a penalty would have already applied to the target, it is instead doubled.
6-7:
The Nocturnal appears, trailing the echoes of other possibilities and imposing an Onslaught Penalty equal to the Rate of her weapon, in addition to other applicable penalties.
8-9:
Multiple versions of the Exalt surround the target, imposing a Coordinated Attack penalty equal to his Essence, in addition to other applicable penalties. All but one version vanish again once the attack is resolved.
10:
The Nocturnal reappears behind his target, making the attack unexpected. This option may not be intentionally selected unless the Exalt has Essence 3+.
Defenses Fractured and Warped
behind the Nocturnal. The Nocturnal may avoid this hazard if her own attack was unexpected.
Armor and Cloth Juxtaposition
Cost: 1m per -1L/-2B, (3m,1wp); Mins: Strength 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Strength Charm The Nocturnal warrior excels at putting his opponent in unfavorable conditions. With this Charm the Harlequin transforms his opponent’s armor into a less protective sort, just long enough to slip his blade into the enemy’s vulnerable flesh. This may turn a suit of articulated plate into a thin layer of chainmail, or a chainmail shirt into a broken, rusting tangle – provided he pays enough motes to warrant the change. The more motes spent, the more dramatic the alteration. With a second purchase of this Charm at Strength 5+, Essence 3+, the Exalt may instead spend three motes and one willpower to completely remove her targets’ armor, leaving him in whatever sort of clothing he would normally wear in casual circumstances. This Charm has no effect on ethereal armor such as that created with Glorious Solar Plate.
Shields to Rust
Cost: 1m per -1DV; Mins: Strength 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Strength Charm Time rushes ahead of the Herald’s attack, announcing her lethal intent. Her target can find no shelter from this impending onslaught. This Charm hampers a target’s defense temporarily aging them into disrepair: his shields and cover into disrepair and ruin. When contending with a shield-wielding opponent, the Nocturnal may spend a number of motes equal to half the Defense rating of the shield to lower the target’s DV by one for every mote spent. After the attack, they revert to their normal condition. Alternatively, it may be used to reduce the DV bonus provided by cover no greater than 90%, as cracks open in walls and columns erode away to allow for the passage of the Nocturnal’s attack. After the attack is resolved, all changes wrought by this Charm are undone.
Cost: 5m (+2m, 1wp); Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Merged, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Position of Uncertainty Offense The most determined of the Harlequins will shatter reality if it means the defeat of their foes. An attack supplemented by this Charm may be enhanced in one of two ways. If the Exalt qualifies for both, he may pay an additional two motes and a willpower to apply both effects to the attack. If the Exalt knows Position of Uncertainty Offense and possesses Strength 5+, the supplemented attack becomes unblockable as it punches through the intervening space and bypasses such defenses. if the Exalt knows One Stone, Two Birds and possesses Dexterity 5+, the supplemented attack becomes undodgeable as the Harlequin appears wherever his foe might try to flee. Quantum Assassin Tunnel Merged: Defenses Fractured and Warped (Dexterity, Cost: 1m, 1wp; Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; Prerequisite Charms: One Stone, Two Birds) Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Between the Body and the Guard Duration: Instant Cost: 6m; Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; Prerequisite Charms: Shields to Rust Type: Supplemental The Exalt strikes at a foe who hides behind a solid barKeywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping rier. The Exalt’s sword bounces off the wall or the arrow beDuration: Instant comes lodged in the masonry. A phantom echo of the attack Prerequisite Charms: Defenses Fractured and Warped continues on, rippling through the barrier as a possibility of The Herald sees and exploits the smallest gaps in dewhat might have been had the barrier not stopped the attack. fenses. This Charm supplements an attack against a target The attack may pass through up to (Temporary Willpower) protected by a Defend Other Action. The Nocturnal shifts feet of solid material, excluding armor. It then continues out positions of her target and his defender. If the defender is to its normal range. If the attack passed through more than immune to Shaping effects, this Charm provides no benefits. (target’s Perception) feet of material, it is considered unexOtherwise, the Nocturnal appears between her target and pected, with a difficulty to detect equal to the additional feet the defender in a flash of her anima, just long enough to of material through which it travelled, to a maximum of 5. launch one attack without the defender’s interference, before The Exalt must have some way to detect the target beyond the returning to her original position. If the defender is capable barrier in order to make this attack. Used in conjunction with of making a counterattack against the Nocturnal, he may do Arena Hopping Advance, this Charm allows the Exalt himself so as though he had been attacked, and this counterattack to pass through such a barrier to make the attack. gains the benefit of being unexpected as the defender is now Behind the Fading Barrier
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Cost: — (+3m or +6m); Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Armor to Cloth Juxtaposition, Shields to Rust This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisites. The Shaping effects caused by these Charms do not revert back to their original state immediately. The duration of both Charms is extended to One Action for three additional motes. A second purchase at Essence 4+ extends the duration to One Scene for six additional motes. A third purchase at Essence 5+ makes the shaping until the end of Calibration. Used in this way, these Charms are treated as Instant-duration, Fluxkeyworded Charms and cause the Exalt to gain one Paradox die for mundane armor and (Artifact rating) Paradox dice otherwise.
Infinite Prismatic Arsenal
Cost: 8m; Mins: Strength 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Chance, Combo-Basic, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: None This Charm causes a mundane weapon to materialize out of the possibilities underlying fate. It is an echo from the past or a dream from a possible future. Always it has some special connection to the Nocturnal. A sword he lost months ago, the arrow that slew his grandmother’s first love causing her to marry his grandfather instead, the scythe his unborn descendants may one day use to harvest grain in an unplanted field. All are possible. In a vibrant blue and indigo swirls, a variety of readied weapons manifest on the Nocturnal’s body. Upon activating this Charm, the Exalt rolls a Chance die and receives a weapon of his choice as described. In addition to the weapons and ammunition created by this Charm, the Exalt also gains whatever scabbards, quivers, holsters, etc., would normally be required to carry them. In all cases a group of (Essence x 5) Resource 0 items, such as mundane arrows or knives, may be acquired as though they collectively cost Resources 1. At the end of the Charm, the item vanishes as it appeared. 1:
Any number of mundane weapons or ammunition costing no more than a total of Resource 1.
2-3:
Any number of mundane weapons or ammunition costing no more than a total of Resources 2.
4-5:
Any number of mundane weapons or ammunition costing no more than a total of Resources 3.
6-7:
Any number of mundane weapons or ammunition costing no more than a total of Resources 4.
8-9:
Any number of mundane weapons or ammunition costing no more than a total of Resources 5.
10:
The Exalt gains a specific an Adamant Artifact with a rating no higher than 3, which his player selects at the time he purchases this Charm. Paired weapons, including a one-handed weapon and a shield, may be chosen as well so long their individual Artifact rating is 2 or less. In the case of bows and the like, the Exalt also gains an unlimited supply of Resource 0 ammunition to accompany the Artifact. The Exalt may spend willpower to choose this option only if he also knows Thousand-Faceted Mercenary Armaments. This Charm may be purchased (Essence) times. The Exalt gains a different artifact or artifact pair with each purchase and may select from the available artifacts freely when this option is rolled or chosen.
Thousand-Faceted Mercenary Armaments
Cost: —; Mins: Strength 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Merged, Native Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None Even a Herald who has committed herself to the bloody necessity of combat cannot commit to merely one method of delivering death to the enemies of Creation. The way of the sword and the way of the bow call to her equally. The hammer and the axe have their appeal as well. This Charm allows the Exalt to keep all his options open. When attuning to Adamant artifacts, excluding N/A artifacts, the Exalt pays the full commitment for the artifact with the highest attunement cost. Thereafter, he reduces the commitment cost of all Adamant weapons to one mote and all non-weapon Adamant artifacts to two motes. The total commitment to such discounted artifacts may not exceed the cost of the original item. Any artifacts beyond this limit must be committed as normal. If the Exalt commits to an artifact with a greater attunement cost than the original item, the new artifact takes precedence and costs are adjusted appropriately. Merged: Thousand-Faceted Mercenary Armaments (Intelligence, Stamina).
The Fork in the Road
Many Nocturnal Charms require ‘Any (Attribute) Charm’ as their prerequisite. Also, several introductory Charms are Merged with other Attributes, such as Thousand-Faceted Mercenary Armaments. Being Merged, the Exalted can acquire this Charm as either a Strength Charm or a Stamina Charm. However for the purposes of satisfying the prerequisites of other Charms, it counts only for the Attribute it was purchased through, not both. Therefore, if the Exalt purchased this Charm as a Strength Charm, he must acquire a different Stamina Charm to satisfy the ‘Any Stamina Charm’ requirement.
A Cut In Time
Cost: 1m; Mins: Strength 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3) Keywords: Combo-OK, Merged, Obvious Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: None The Herald no longer waits for his inheritance of his ancestors or the borrowed gifts of his descendants. His own weapons arrive precisely when they are needed. The Exalt selects an appropriate object that he owns upon activating this
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Charm. In a vortex of sky blue and indigo light, the object vanishes. It is carried through the vortex to a point in the future when the Exalt decommits the mote, re-opening the vortex and extracting the item once more. For the duration of this Charm it is treated as though it were in Elsewhere. With Strength 3+, this Charm works on weapons; with Stamina 3+ it works with armor; with Intelligence 3+ it works with miscellaneous tools and items. Shields may be treated as either weapons or armor for the purposes of this Charm. The Exalt may also use this Charm on items created by Infinite Prismatic Arsenal, Armor Summoning Methodology, or Basic Necessities Provisions, launching these items backwards through time to the point when he originally summoned then. Once all the items created by one of those Charms have been returned to the past, the Exalt in the present is refunded the eight motes committed to the Charm originally. Used in this fashion, this Charm becomes Duration: Instant and causes the Nocturnal to gain one Paradox. Merged: A Cut In Time (Stamina, Intelligence).
Damage Enhancement Charms Remembered Mortality
place? Demonstrating mercy upon her foes, the Exalt grants him a second chance at life. This Charm enhances a killing blow. When the Exalt would otherwise kill a living opponent, she may instead choose to activate this Charm. Instead of dying, the opponent transforms into an infant version of himself, stripped of the memories and training of his life as though his soul had passed through Lethe. If the target is a Celestial Exalted, the Exaltation departs for a better host, treating him as dead. Terrestrial Exaltation, bound to the Exalt by blood as it is, is suppressed until the baby once again matures. Alchemical Exalts are completely immune to this Charm. Kalpa: In some Manvantara, Sidereal Exaltations are not released upon the Viziers reversion to infancy. Instead, the Exaltation continues to recognize the infant as its destined heir and will not abandoned him. The lingering Exaltation waits until the child matures to Exalt him once again. In most Manvantara, the spirits and Primordials ‘slain’ with this Charm do not usually become infant-versions of themselves. Typically, if they would not have been permanently slain, they revive as normal, minus any memories of the scene during which the Exalt employed this Charm. If they would have been slain permanently, they still revive normally, but without any of their past memories. However, in a few Manvantara, this Charm does create infant versions of spirits and primordials, stripped of all memories, even if that being never had such a period of infancy or had a very different period of infancy (such as a mortal who ascended to godhood). In the case of Primordials, if they would have been permanently slain, this spares them from becoming Neverborn but adds a suitable infantile or child-like trait or two to their Excellency. This change ripples through the Primordial’s entire nature, altering its aesthetics but not its general power.
Cost: 1m; Mins: Strength 2, Essence 1; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling, Sickness Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None Ever since the first Neverborn descended toward Oblivion, the mightiest of beings have learned to fear their own demise. Even the Chosen were once mortals themselves and lived under that same fear. This Charm supplements a physical attack. Any damage done by this Charm should be marked uniquely. As a Crippling effect, this damage will heal no faster than it would for a mortal unless Charms or other Accidental Amputation magical effects are applied. Additionally, as a Sickness effect, Cost: 4m (+2m), 1wp; Mins: Strength 5, Essence 4; the victim of this damage must resist infection as a mortal Type: Supplemental while the damage remains. Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling, Obvious, Shaping, Suspicious Recollection of Pain Cost: 5m; Mins: Strength 4, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Recollection of Pain Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping, Stackable Creation is a dangerous place and any of a thousand Duration: Instant missteps could leave a person beyond the help of mortal Prerequisite Charms: Remembered Mortality No foe, no matter how insurmountable, is invincible. medicine. The Harlequin cuts deep into her target’s past If the Harlequin cannot harm him, then someone else at and severs a limb from the body, changing a target’s physical some other time will. A physical attack supplemented with history with a single metaphysical blow. If a physical attack this Charm tangle’s the target’s Fate. Past injuries and future supplemented with this Charm inflicts at least one level of wounds overlap with the target’s present, causing intense damage, the Nocturnal inflicts a Crippling effect (Exalted, pain. If the attack hits, the Nocturnal does not apply damage p. 152). A subsesquent Shaping effect warps the wound to in Step 10. Instead, the target suffers an additional -1 wound disguise its origins. The retroactive crippling injury must be penalty for each damage success the Nocturnal’s player rolled. something the target could have experienced in his past and These stack with the target’s normal wound penalties and last potentially survived with the help of mundane medicine. Since it is resphaped as though it had already healed naturally, for the remainder of the scene. only magical healing can repair this damage. For example, if attacking bandits near Gethemane, the Nocturnal may strike Oaks to Acorns an opponent and cause him to lose a foot to frostbite, but such Cost: 1m; Mins: Strength 5, Essence 4; an injury would be inappropriate for desert nomads in the far Type: Reflexive (Step 10) south. Limbs severed with this Charm disappear completely, Keywords: Combo-OK, Flux, Kalpa but the wounds do not bleed and are otherwise fully heal as Duration: Instant best as they naturally could. This Charm does not actually Prerequisite Charms: Recollection of Pain Death is abhorrent to Nox and his Heralds. It is cessa- change any portion of the victim’s past, but the Loom of Fate tion of possibilities. Even in the days of the Bound God and is fooled by this Charm. Though everyone recalls the victim his Harlequins, the Underworld offers only a pale mockery having all his limbs the day before meeting the Nocturnal, an of life surrounding the bottomless well of anhilation. What examination of the Loom reveals that he did, indeed, lose his Nocturnal in good conscious could banish his foes to such a arm to a tyrant lizard attack three months earlier.
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At Essence 5+, this Charm allows the Nocturnal to spend an additional two motes to inflict an Illusion effect on the victim and all who witness the attack. The Illusion imposes the false history the Nocturnal concocted to justify the injury upon the memories of those affected. The target suffers this automatically, but may resist by spending willpower equal to the damage inflicted by the attack, to a maximum of 5. Witnesses whose Mental Dodge DV is less than the Nocturnal’s ([Strength or Stone Domain] + current temporary willpower) also gain this Illusion but may resist by immediately spending two willpower. If they do not spend this willpower immediately, the victim cannot do so later until contradictory evidence is presented.
Imitations of Strength
Cost: 4m; Mins: Strength 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Strength Charm The lightest touch of the Harlequin could have been worse and the Nocturnal’s opponents soon learn to fear her, no matter how soft her attacks appear to be. This Charm is activated in Step 1, as usual, and the Exalt must spend willpower and select an option then if she wishes to do so. Otherwise, the Chance die is rolled in Step 7. 1:
The attack’s Minimum Damage increases by one or by two if the Exalt currently has 8+ Temporary Willpower remaining. The attack becomes Overwhelming if was not already.
2-3:
The attack becomes Piercing or subtracts an additional -2 from the target’s armor if already Piercing, to the usual minimum.
4-5:
The target is knocked back (Nocturnal’s Temporary Willpower) yards. This adds the Knockback-keyword to this Charm and stacks with other Knockback effects. If the target strikes a hard object, he suffers a die of bashing damage for each yard he would have continued to travel. Striking a particularly dangerous object may convert this damage to lethal.
6-7:
If the target unsuccessfully parried this attack with a mundane weapon, it receives the full force of the Nocturnal’s fury. It shatters, scattering shrapnel with horrific force. This destroys the weapon and creates a one-time Environmental effect with Damage 4L, Trauma 2 and a radius of (Strength) yards. The Nocturnal and anyone who stands behind her is immune to this damage.
8-9:
The target’s lungs are filled with the vacuum of the Firmament, causing him to rapidly asphyxiate as a Crippling effect. In addition to any damage inflicted by this attack, the target continues to take one level of Bashing Damage every action until he catches his breath with a difficulty 4 (Strength + Resistance) roll as a Miscellaneous action. This has no effect on someone who is already under its influence or does not require air to breath.
10:
The target takes the Nocturnal’s Essence in unsoakable levels of lethal damage rather than the usual dice of damage.
Frothing Quantum Fury
Cost: — (1wp); Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Chance, Native, Overdrive Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Position of Uncertainty Offense or Imitations of Strength The Harlequin’s motes quiver with a thousand possible offensives all waiting to be realized. Eventually, these attacks boil over and are unleashed upon her foes. This Charm grants the Exalt an Overdrive pool of ten motes. The first time each scene she rolls Join Battle, she may spend one willpower to roll a die, adding that many motes to the pool as a Chance effect; she may never spend willpower to select the results of this Chance die. Additionally, the first time each Tick that she rolls a Chance die due to another Charm, she adds one mote to her Overdrive pool.
Cometary Impact Technique
Cost: 4m; Mins: Strength 4, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Strength Charm The Herald’s might is awe-inspiring and devastating. This Charm supplements a ranged attack made with a physical projectile whose flight is powered by the Exalt’s own force, such as an arrow or throwing knife. The projectile momentarily unravels into raw potential, a miniature comet glowing with a fierce brightness, and trailing a brilliant tail the color of the Nocturnal’s anima—in the case of an Empyrean this instead takes the form of roiling black smoke. This Charm adds (Essence +4) dice of damage to the attack, ignites flammable material, and can be seen for (Essence x 10) miles with an unobstructed view. After unleashing its potential energy, the projectile collapses back into proper form. With Strength 5+, the Exalt can accelerate her attacks with devastating force even over short distances. This Charm can now be used with hand-to-hand attacks as well.
Blast Front Concussion
Cost: —; Mins: Strength 5, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Knockdown Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Cometary Impact Technique The world recoils from the shock of the Exalt’s attack. At the point of impact, all beings within (Strength) yards of the target of an attack enhanced with this Charm’s prerequisite must check for knockdown.
Unstoppable Bolide Improvisation
Cost: — (+5m); Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Cometary Impact Technique In the hands of a Herald, what could not be a deadly weapon? This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite, maximizing the lethal potential of any object driven by his might. Improvised weapons used with attacks supplemented by Cometary Impact Technique increase their Accuracy to +(Perception) and their Damage to the +(Strength + Athletics required to throw the improvised weapon as a Feat of Strength). The Range of these attacks becomes (Strength x 5) yards. Also, the Exalt may pay five additional motes to enhance any attack supplemented with Cometary Impact Technique
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further. If the attack is successful or if it is dodged, it is resolved as normal then carries on to the next potential target along a straight line. This continues until the attack is parried or it reaches its maximum range, whichever occurs first. Such attacks automatically smash through any objects which the Exalt possesses the necessary (Strength + Athletics) to break as a Feat of Strength.
Burning Ejecta Maelstrom
Cost: — (+3m or +5m); Mins: Strength 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Cometary Impact Technique The unbridled majesty of the gladiator scours the battlefield. This Charm upgrades its prerequisite, causing the projectile to explode upon impact with its final destination, for an additional surcharge of (+3m). All mundane weapons are completely destroyed by this effect; artifact and natural weapons are unharmed. The explosion inflicts a one-time Environmental damage effect with a radius of (Strength + Essence) yards, Damage (Strength)L, and Trauma (Essence). If the Exalt also knows Instantaneous Destruction Technique, this damage is doubled against inanimate objects. At Essence 6+ the Exalt doubles his Strength for the purposes of determining Damage, both for the initial attack and for the explosion. A second purchase of this Charm extends the duration of this devastation for (+5m). When she causes a projectile to explode, it now erupts into a towering mushroom cloud. This maintains the visibility radius of Cometary Impact Technique for the remainder of the scene and ignites a firestorm beneath it. The environmental damage effect of this Charm lasts for (Strength) actions, inflicting damage once an action to all beings caught its radius, except the Exalt herself.
Feats of Strength Charms
Enlightening Material Falsification
Cost: 3m; Mins: Strength 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping, Touch Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Any Strength Charm Across Creation a variety of materials are used in construction of all manner of buildings and items. Among these possibilities, the Nocturnal may find one that better suits her needs. As long as the Nocturnal touches the item, she subtracts her (Strength x 2) from the (Strength + Athletics) required for related Feats of Strength (Exalted, p. 127) or she may double her raw damage against an inanimate object. At Essence 3+, this Charm also allows the Nocturnal to invert its effects – adding her (Strength x 2) to required Feats of Strengths or halving raw damage against the object so long as she maintains contact with the item. This Charm physically transforms the object into a suitable material, which may defined with as part of a stunt, as she transforms prison bars to balsa wood or a wicker basket to an steel drum.
Instantaneous Destruction Technique
Cost: 4m, (+1wp); Mins: Strength 3, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, War Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Enlightening Material Falsification On the battlefield, time is urgent. One cannot wait while battering rams hammer at city gates or individual soldiers hack
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through barricades. This Charm allows the Exalt to break an object instantly if he his (Strength + Athletics) would permit him to break it as a Feat of Strength, or multiplies his pre-soak damage against an object by his Strength. Also, by expending a point of willpower, the Nocturnal may extend this benefit to a complimentary unit with a Magnitude no greater than his Essence. During Calibration, add the Nocturnal’s Essence to his Strength for all purposes related to this Charm.
Alchemy and Sabotage Touch
Cost: — (+2m, 1wp); Mins: Strength 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Flux Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Enlightening Material Falsification This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite, rendering the transformation permanent if the Nocturnal pays the surcharge.
Empty Box Imagination
Cost: 1m; Mins: Strength 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Touch, Shaping Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: None As far as the Harlequin is concerned, anything he cannot perceive might not exist. As long as the Nocturnal cannot see the contents of a container small enough to carry on his person, he may treat it as though it were empty with regards to its weight. A second purchase of this Charm at Strength 4+, Essence 3+ allows the Exalt to also regard it as empty with regards to volume, allowing him to place more objects in the container than could naturally be permitted. However, if he adds more than could be held by (Strength) such containers, this Charm becomes Suspicious.
Broom Closets to Ballrooms
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Strength 4, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Flux, Obvious Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Empty Box Imagination (x2) The closed door beckons to the Harlequin to reveal the mysteries that hide behind it. As he opens the door, so long as there are no beings with Essence 2+ on the other side to observe the room’s current state, he may activate this Charm. The space within the room expands rapidly as the door swings open, multiplying the room’s interior volume by the Exalt’s Strength. The exterior volume remains constant. Within this increased space, the Exalt may define additional architectural features, such as adding walls or staircases, but must remain true to the overall architectural style and construction materials. The room, however, is bare of any items save what it originally contained. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 6+ multiplies the volume of the space by (Strength x 10).
Fitness Charms
Hidden Might Physique
Cost: —; Mins: Strength 2, Essence 1; Type: Permanent Keywords: Illusion, Merged Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None While the Unconquered Sun flaunts his power, Nox’s strength is subtle and unassuming. Once a Nocturnal has
learned this Charm, his physique remains lean regardless of how high his Strength or Stamina rises. While he gains increasing definition, he does not gain any apparent increase in associated muscle mass. This is not merely a cosmetic effect. While performing Strenuous Activity (Exalted, p. 130), while engaged in physical combat or in any Scene immediately following engagement in Strenuous Activity or physical combat, the Nocturnal adds his half his Strength or Stamina to his effective Appearance. At all other times, the Nocturnal adds a similar number of dice to all attempts to hide his true strength, both literally and metaphorically, as an Illusion effect. As usual, the Storyteller is the final arbiter of when this bonus applies. Merged: Hidden Might Physique (Stamina)
Companion backgrounds to his Strength for the purposes of determining how many hours of healing the Charm creates.
Tumbling Troupe Technique
Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Strength 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Touch, War Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Strength Charm The Harlequin needs his entire troupe at peak fitness to perform the elaborate feats his kind is famous for. The Nocturnal may use this Charm to enhance an individual or a unit with a Magnitude no greater than (Essence) if he leads it, or (Essence +2) if he serves as a special character within it. This may only enhance one unit or up to (Essence) indiMilitant Artist Intimidation viduals. For the remainder of the scene, all beings benefiting Cost: 4m; Mins: Strength 2, Essence 3; from this Charm may substitute their own Athletics with the Type: Reflexive (Step 1 or Step 2) Nocturnal’s Strength and may halt their bleeding as though Keywords: Combo-OK, Social, Mandate they were Exalted. Additionally, individuals affected by this Duration: Instant Charm treat 10s as one additional success on all Strength- or Prerequisite Charms: Hidden Might Physique Athletics-based rolls except damage; for mass combat units, In days of old, the Heralds were experts of placing troops this Charm ensures a minimum Might of 1. and military installations in positions to maximize their intimidating qualities. Even today’s Harlequins remember Lead By Example these techniques. If a military unit to which the Nocturnal Cost: 5m, (1wp); Mins: Strength 4, Essence 3; belongs comes under threat of a social or mental influence or Type: Simple attempts to levee such an influence against an opposing force, Keywords: Combo-OK, Suspicious, War the Nocturnal may use this Charm to add the unit’s Might in Duration: One Scene automatic successes. Additionally, this Charm may be used to Prerequisite Charms: Tumbling Troupe Technique Fighting shoulder to shoulder with the front line, the add a Dominion’s Military rating to its Culture for a single action that the Nocturnal guides as sorcerer or savant. In such Herald bolsters the might of any unit in which he serves as a cases, the Nocturnal’s player rolls (Dominion’s Military) dice Hero. While doing so, he also counts as one Relay. The Close Combat Attack of the unit is increased to half his (Martial and the Dominion gains one point of limit per success. Arts or Melee) and its Ranged Attack is increased to half his Twice-Beating Heart Exercise (Archery or Thrown), if otherwise lower. Close Combat and Cost: 10m; Mins: Strength 4, Essence 2; Ranged Damage are likewise increased to half the Exalt’s Type: Reflexive Strength if lower. The unit’s Drill may also be increased to Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK half his War rating. The Nocturnal must make one attack as Duration: Indefinite a solo unit each action for the unit as a whole to gain this Prerequisite Charms: None benefit. The traits revert to their true value on any action the The Harlequin keeps himself fit and healthy at all times, Nocturnals does not attempt such an attack. strengthening his body for battles ahead. As his heart races If the unit lacks a Commander, either because it never from the exertion, the rest of his body is forced to run all had one or because the Commander was slain by a duel or the faster to keep up. While this Charm may be activated at a Called Shot, the Exalt may pay an additional willpower to any time, the Exalt only gains its benefits while performing activate an optional Suspicious effect. The unit’s Magnitude Strenuous Activity. During such activities he ignores wound drops to (Essence -1) if it were higher. The remaining soldiers or fatigue penalties and every hour spent in this way counts as fight on for the rest of the scene without a Commander. The (Strength) hours of rest for the purposes of healing damage. Exalt effectively becomes its Commander for the purposes During Calibration, it is considered (Strength x 2) hours of of determining the unit’s dice pools, but continues to act rest instead. as a semi-independent character, as normal for a Hero. All attempts to discern the unit’s strategy fail, for it has none, as Lovers’ Entwined Hearts does any attempt to target the Commander for any reason—for Cost: —; Mins: Strength 4, Essence 3; the same reason. Type: Permanent Keywords: None We Are All Heralds Duration: Permanent Cost: 1-9m; Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; Prerequisite Charms: Twice-Beating Heart Exercise Type: Reflexive (Step 10) Rather than running one heart at twice the speed, the Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion, Flux, Merged, War Harlequin finds it better to run two hearts at once. The Exalt Duration: Instant opens his body and soul and accepts the heart of a Sidereal Prerequisite Charms: Lead By Example who uses Heartless Maiden Trance (Manual of Exalted Pow- The Herald fights as a common soldier and is welcomed er, vol. III—Sidereals, p. 129-130). So long as the Harlequin among them. He is one of them. Who strikes at him, strikes hides the Sidereal’s heart, the Sidereal is also considered to at all of them. While engaging in the duel on behalf of a Mass be under the effects of Twice-Beating Heart Exercise and the Combat unit, the Nocturnal may activate this Charm should cost of that Charm is reduced to five motes. If the Sidereal is he otherwise be slain during the fight. It is not the Exalt who the Harlequin’s companion, they both add their combined fell, but one of his brothers in arms—another soldier from the same unit who fought bravely, empowered by the Nocturnal’s
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essence. This perfectly defends the Exalt from the possible death.The cost of this Charm is (10 – Unit’s Magnitude), minimum one mote. For obvious reason, this Charm cannot be used when the Exalt is part of a Magnitude 0 solo unit. The necessity of an alternate martyr constitutes a unique Flaw of Invulnerability. Only mortals and Dragon-blooded may become this martyr; heroic characters must have a Positive Intimacy toward the Nocturnal and willingly accept the fatal blow. Extras are considered to always consent. The Nocturnal is healed of all damage received during the duel and all effects placed on him by his opponent are removed. He is still drained of any motes, willpower, or other costs paid during the fight. The Exalt also gains a Positive Intimacy toward the martyr, recognizing him as a fallen hero as a self-inflicted Emotion effect. He may regret the death of his compatriot, but he feels no guilt. He aided the soldier as best he could and would have done no better if he himself had fought in the soldier’s place. The Nocturnal will remember fondly those who died in performing such valiant duty. Merged: We Are All Heralds (Charisma, prerequisites: Saturn Shuns the Willing)
Dashing Meteor Speed
Cost: 3m; Mins: Strength 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3) Keywords: Combo-OK, Merged Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Strength Charm With a blur of motion, barely noticed before it is has gone, the Harlequin races past her competitors. The Nocturnal unites all forms of motion: she adds her Strength to her Dash distance and her Dexterity to her Jump. Additionally, she swims and climbs as a Move or Dash action, covering the same amount of distance as she would walking or running. Merged: Dashing Meteor Speed (Dexterity)
Momentous Comet-Warrior Method
Cost: 7m; Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 4, DV -2) Keywords: Calibration, Combo-Basic, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Dashing Meteor Speed The true might of the armigers are lost on those who now treat them as mere gladiators. Focusing his mind on the task of war, the Nocturnal becomes the champion he was meant to be. For the Duration of this Charm, he twists the threads of reality in his favor, bending – and breaking – destinies to suit his own needs. When the Exalt channels Willpower on an attack, he adds one to his minimum damage and adds (Essence) to the difficulty of all attempts to resist knockback or knockdown from his attacks and to stop the bleeding from any wound he inflicts – so grievous are his empowered blows. He may gain one Paradox rather than spend the willpower cost of any First, Second, or Third Excellency. During Calibration, the Nocturnal adds one success to all his combat-related actions, one to all his physical DVs, and gains one Paradox die instead of one Paradox. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ makes this Charm Calibration-OK.
Broken Destiny Majestic
Cost: — (+1-3m); Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Merged, Suspicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Momentous Comet-Warrior Method
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The strands of fate twist and coil around the overwhelming might of the Harlequin. This Charm upgrades its prerequisite. Each mote spent lowers the doubling threshold of the Nocturnal’s dice by one. For example, one mote spent on this Charm makes all 9s count as two successes in addition to 10s and three motes make all successes count twice. The Nocturnal gains one die of Paradox each Action. Even though this Charm affects the Nocturnal personally, if she fights beings within Fate it still is considered Suspicious. Merged: Broken Destiny Majestic (Charisma, prerequisite: Entrancing Aurora Novelty; Intelligence, prerequisite: Ingenious Singularity Advancement)
Falling Star Endowment
Cost: 10m, 2wp; Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: Calibration, Mandate, Obvious, Touch, Training, War Duration: One Week Prerequisite Charms: Tumbling Troupe Technique, Dashing Meteor Speed The Heralds of old cared for the fitness of their armies. Their exercise regimes provided the Exalted military with troops beyond compare. This Charm allows the Nocturnal to train a unit with a Magnitude no greater than his Essence in one of the following: Strength, Stamina, Athletics, Survival, Medicine, War, or increase the Drill of the unit by one. This Training time requires eight or more hours a day for one week and adds one to the selected Trait, to a maximum of the Exalt’s current rating or four, whichever is lower. During Calibration, this training requires only five days, and may use the higher of the Exalt’s rating or four to determine the maximum the training allows. The Exalt may use this Charm to train himself. If the unit is loyal to a non-Nocturnal Celestial commander the maximum Magnitude this Charm can train is raised to (Essence +2). When used in conjunction wih the Mandate of Heaven rules, this Charm adds the Exalt’s Strength to the Dominion’s Military for the season and causes the Dominion to gain one Limit. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ allows the Exalt to train war and combat-related Specialties in any Ability.
Movement Charms
Arena Hopping Advance
Cost: 1-2m; Mins: Strength 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Strength Charm For a single attack, the Harlequin blinks out of his present location and taps into another possible location closer to his target. This effectively increases the range of his attack. For one mote, he instantly moves up to (Essence x 2) yards for a close combat attack. For two motes, he flashes across a much large swath of territory, up to one range increment of a ranged attack. The Nocturnal remains in his new location long enough for a single attack and any subsequent counterattack but returns to his original position immediately thereafter. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 3+ increases the distance the Exalt may travel to (Essence x 5) yards for close combat attacks or twice the range increment of a ranged weapon. A third purchase at Essence 5+ allows the Exalt to move up to (Essence x 10) yards or three times the range increment of his weapon. If for some reason the
maximum distance allowed for close combat attacks would be Cost: 4m; Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; greater than that for his ranged attack, the Exalt may default Type: Simple to the longer distance for his ranged attacks. Keywords: Touch, Shaping, Stackable Duration: Indefinite Battlefield Leaping Maneuvers Prerequisite Charms: Wilderness Vaulting Journey Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Strength 4, Essence 2; Harlequins keep their friends close. Even when Mercury Type: Reflexive or Mars drive them apart, the Nocturnal knows of some posKeywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping, War sible world where Venus held sway over their destiny and Duration: Instant kept them close. Breaking through the isolation of reality, Prerequisite Charms: Arena Hopping Advance the Nocturnal reaches across time and space transport his As masters of war games and training exercises, the ally to himself. When activating this Charm, the Nocturnal Heralds knew how to quickly place troops on a battlefield and touches a willing partner and commits four motes. For the untangle units from conflict before they harmed themselves duration of this Charm, the Nocturnal may use Wilderness too greatly. While attached to a unit, the Nocturnal may use Vaulting Journey to draw that person to himself. Effectively, this Charm to augment its Move or Dash action and multiply the ally obeys all the rules associated with Wilderness Vaulting the unit’s movement distance by his own Essence. Travel Journey and her player makes all the necessary rolls to arrive supplemented with this Charm is instantaneous, as the unit at her destination. The distance she travels counts toward the flashes brilliantly and streaks across the battlefield as streams total distance that Wilderness Vaulting Journey may cover in of essence the same color as the Exalt’s anima. These stream- a single day. The Nocturnal may use this Charm on up to ers of essence move along the same path as the unit naturally (Essence) individuals simultaneously and must reapply to any would and is slowed and blocked by obstacles in the same person he successfully transports. Any person touched by this fashion. The Exalt may use this on any unit with an Magni- Charm may reflexively break the bonds of essence by spendtude no greater than (Essence) if he leads it or (Essence +2) if ing two willpower at any time – up to and including the very he serves as a special character within the unit. moment of transportion. Additionally, if the Nocturnal’s unit is currently engaged with another unit and is attempting to disengage, the Noc- Intimate Interests Relocation turnal may use this Charm to move his unit up to its aug- Cost: — (+2m); Mins: Strength 5, Essence 4; mented Dashing distance away, provide he first succeeds at a Type: Permanent Willpower roll with a difficulty of the opposing commander’s Keywords: Nox Essence. Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Wilderness Vaulting Journey Wilderness Vaulting Journey The Harlequin is drawn to the things she cares about. Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Strength 5, Essence 3; They call to her and she comes as quickly as she can. This Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -2) Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite. Whenever an Keywords: Obvious, Calibration-OK Intimacy is within one mile, she becomes superficially aware Duration: Instant of its existence. She knows neither its location nor nature. For Prerequisite Charms: Arena Hopping Advance two additional motes, she may activate Wilderness Vaulting Time does not hinder the Nocturnal’s travel—he simply Journey to transport herself to a safe location in the vicinity taps into a possible world where he has already arrived at his of that Intimacy. For example, if a Nocturnal had both an destination. With this Charm the Nocturnal disappears in a Intimacy for Free Drinks and an Intimacy for Bar Fights, this flash of his anima and a streamer of anima-colored essence, Charm would give her a sense that somewhere within one invisible to the mortal eye, streaks along his most probable mile one of the two was currently occurring. She could then path. Obstacles along this path may still stop the Nocturnal elect to transport herself there, either to find a new father has before arriving where he intends. The Nocturnal and the just bought a round of drinks for everyone or that a brawl has source of the obstacle engage in a contested Essence roll to just broken out. If the Intimacy is within Fate and Nox is in determine if the Exalt’s progress is halted. If the Nocturnal the Loom, she is aware of the nature of the Intimacy if she is victorious, he continues along unheeded. If the Nocturnal gains at least three successes on a (Whispers + Compassion) fails, he must confront the obstacle or escape it normally roll. before moving on. Truly natural occurrences do not roll Essence but are considered to have one automatic success on the roll. The Nocturnal may travel no further than (Essence x 5) miles in twenty-five hour period with this Charm, but may use efensive harms multiple evocations to make numerous shorter trips, up to the Empty Handed Innocence maximum During Calibration, the Nocturnal may extend this Cost: 2m+; Mins: Dexterity 2, Essence 2; benefit to a large number of surrounding travelers, such as a Type: Reflexive naval fleet or a desert caravan, so long as the total Magnitude Keywords: Combo-OK of such a makeshift unit does not exceed his Essence. If it is Duration: Instant not actually Calibration, only those within the radius of the Prerequisite Charms: None It is often hard to tell when the Harlequin has acted Empyrean’s Anima Banner are teleported. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 5+ increases and when she hasn’t—even she might be deceived into believthe maximum distance that can be traveled in a 25 hour pe- ing events played out differently than she imagined. Every riod to (Essence x 10) miles. A third purchase at Essence 6+ two motes spent on this Charm reduce the penalties to her increases this limit to (Essence x 50) miles. A final purchase at physical DV by 1, to a minimum of zero. This Charm cannot remove environmental penalties or wounds. At Dexterity 4+, Essence 8+ increases this to (Essence x 100) miles.
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this Charm upgrades automatically to Duration: Until Next Untouchable Quantum Stance Action. Cost: — (+4m or +4m, 1wp); Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Improbable Response Keywords: Obvious Cost: 2m; Mins: Dexterity 3, Essence 2; Duration: Permanent Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Prerequisite Charms: Improbable Response Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK, Nox, Obvious In a sparkling whirlwind of adamant blades and elegant Duration: Instant twists of her own body, the Harlequin becomes an unassailPrerequisite Charms: Any Dexterity Charm able point of defense. This Charm upgrades its prerequisite, The Harlequin always finds a possible defense, no mat- increasing its Duration to One Tick for four additional motes. ter how unlikely. When purchasing this Charm, the player At Essence 6+, this Charm may be repurchased to extends assigns its effects to either the Parry or Dodge Defense Value. this Duration to One Action at the additional cost of one This Charm may be purchased twice. Charms which directly willpower. In any case, this additional cost must be paid up upgrade this Charm need only be purchased once. When front, before any Chance die is rolled or willed. activating this Charm for the chosen Defense Value, the If the Exalt also knows Harmony and Equilibrium EvaNocturnal’s player rolls a Chance die. sion, at Essence 4+, this Charm may be repurchased to extend 1: Though his opponent hopes for a killing blow, the the duration of that Charm as well. Herald thwarts that desire and finds a more surviv- Position of Uncertainty Defense able path. The chosen defense becomes applicable, if Cost: 3m; Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 2; otherwise not, including against unexpected attacks. Type: Reflexive (Step 9) While Nox is in the Loom this option also imposes a Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK, Counterattack, Obvious -(Whispers/2) External Penalty on the attacks origi- Duration: Instant nating from beings within Fate, as the Bound God Prerequisite Charms: Any Dexterity Charm subtly advises his Chosen. If an attack does not strike the Harlequin, one cannot 2-3: Nimble and surefooted, the Exalt never finds him- be certain she was ever there to strike. If the Nocturnal’s DV self in a disadvantageous position. The Harlequin successfully defends against a physical attack, she may activate ignores all penalties to his DV that do not originate this Charm and disappear from her current location. The from himself. This includes onslaught and coordi- Nocturnal reappears instantly anywhere within (Dexterity x nated attack penalties but excludes wound penalties [one die]) yards of her original position. This Charm can be used to escape flurries if the attacker cannot keep up with the or penalties resulting from his own actions. Nocturnal. 4-5: The fabric of reality thins and echoes of other worlds briefly emerge, increasing the Exalt’s cover by 25%, Harmony and Equilibrium Evasion Cost: 10m; Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 3; to a maximum of 90% (Exalted, p. 147). Type: Reflexive (Step 2) 6-7: Leaving a trail of afterimages to distract and deflect, Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK, Illusion, Obvious the Exalt forces a blow to smash through a thousand Duration: Instant possibilities before it can reach him. If the attack Prerequisite Charms: Position of Uncertainty Defense succeeds, the opponent subtracts the Exalt’s current The Herald may not know much for certain, but he Temporary Willpower from her extra successes for knows this: somewhere there is a sword or arrow or ax thirstthe purposes of calculating damage. Even if the at- ing for his life. Should their paths cross, the Exalt must meet tack is reduced to zero extra successes or lower, it is this doom with an equal and opposite desire and evade not still considered successful. only the attack but the conflict itself. Activated in response to a physical threat against the Exalt, this Charm shunts the 8-9: A swirling blue and indigo vortex opens between the attack into a hypothetical world and allows peace to dwell in Exalt and his attacker, from which a hypothetical fu- this one. ture version of the Nocturnal emerges to defend his He perfectly dodges the attack and rolls a Chance die. younger self. The Exalt is effectively protected by a If his Dodge DV would have been sufficient to overcome this Defend Other action with a DV equal to his current attack without the use of this Charm, he adds his Dodge DV Temporary Willpower, even against unblockable to the number rolled. This number is then compared to the attacks. The future Nocturnal immediately dives Mental Dodge DV of all witnesses including the original atback into the original vortex or into a new one. If tacker. If it exceeds their defenses, they suffer an unnatural the attacker has any remaining successes, he must Illusion causing them to forget the attack (and any potential continue on to attack the younger Nocturnal. If the counterattack the Nocturnal might make in response). This Nocturnal currently benefits from a Defend Other Charm possesses one of the four Flaws of Nocturnal InvulnerAction with a higher DV, this option adds +(Noctur- ability. nal’s Essence/2) rather than the usual +1 to the lead defender’s DV, to a maximum of the Exalt’s current Bending Destiny Maneuver temporary willpower. Cost: — (+3m); Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent 10: Multiple defensive strategies are superposed upon Keywords: Merged one another, magnifying their results. The Exalt may Duration: Permanent choose (Essence/2) of the previous options to apply Prerequisite Charms: None simultaneously to his defense. Willpower may never Dodging the odds and parrying probabilities, the Harbe spent to select this option. lequin dances around her own destiny and gracefully, rather
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Flaws of Nocturnal Invulnerability
Perfection does not come easily to the Nocturnal as it does to the Solar. His soul balks at the imposition of such absolute certainty, preventing the easy use of such perfect defenses unless the Exalt’s action serves to precipitate some greater change. In all cases, these defenses apply against attacks from beings who seek to prevent the Nocturnal from performing the specified actions or who attack him in retribution for previously acting in such a way. When the Nocturnal has not acted in accordance with his Flaw, he may still activate the Charm with a +1wp surcharge. Compassion: A defense with this flaw can only be used when the Exalt fights to improve the lot of the oppressed or beleaguered populace of an area, whether it be a large empire or a small tribal village. This act of kindness must align with known desires rather than merely being whatever the Exalt thinks is best. If, for some reason, the locals do not wish to be rid of the monster that terrorizes their countryside, the Nocturnal cannot employ this defense while fighting it. Conviction: A defense with this flaw can only be used when the Exalt’s actions knowingly undermine an established regime. For example, he may use this defend himself against the Emissary of Nexus after he attracted its ire, but not to defend himself from random muggers in a back alley. However, if he learns that those muggers were hired to attack him by the Council of Entities, this defense becomes viable again. Temperance: A defense with this flaw can only be used when the Exalt’s actions seek to elevate another being to a station at least equal with his own, so that she may enjoy all the freedoms, if not more, that he enjoys. For example, he may use this Charm to defend himself while fighting a robber baron’s guards to acquire treasures for a poor family or when fighting to place a usurper upon a throne. However, he could not use this defense while fighting for personal gain. Those he fights for need not know about his actions—in fact, it’s often better if they don’t. Valor: A defense with this flaw can only be used when the Exalt’s employs extravagant methods for social change. While he may work in the shadows and keep his identity hidden, the results of his actions must be intended to have a highly visible impact on society. For example, he may be attempting to blow up the Deliberative with a basement full of firedust or arrange the assassination of a prominent public figure during a victory speech. Quietly killing a political opponent in her sleep and making it look like an accident would not qualify. than forcefully, finds a more preferable future. This Charm enhances one Chance-Keyworded Charm the Exalt knows. Instead of spending willpower to select an option, she may instead spend three motes. This Charm may be learned (Essence) times to enhance a different Chance-keyworded Charm with each purchase. Merged: Bending Destiny Maneuvers (Stamina, Perception)
Cheaters Never Prosper
Cost: —; Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Merged, Native
Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None The Harlequin abhors certainty. Who would not rebel against her guaranteed demise? Against those who are so certain of her doom, the Exalt is not above the hypocrisy of ensuring their failure. When faced with an attack which succeeds regardless of its number of successes, such as Accuracy Without Distance, and the Exalt activates a Charm with a Flaw of Invulnerability against it, she may either reduce the cost of that Charm by three motes or regain one point of Temporary Willpower. Merged: Cheaters Never Prosper (Stamina, Perception)
Sowing the Seeds
Cost: — (5m); Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration, Merged Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Cheaters Never Prosper The Herald’s restless soul gains strength from each kind act and every rebellious gesture. From each a larger revolution will grow, all propogated from the Nocturnal’s single act. When the Exalt spends a scene performing an act that would permit him to enjoy the full benefits of his defenses through one of his Flaws of Nocturnal Invulnerability, he may immediately commit five motes. So long as he maintains this commitment, he may activate a Charm with the chosen Flaw of Nocturnal Invulnerability without the additional willpower surcharge situations where he would be unable to otherwise. This commitment automatically drops at the end of any scene during which he benefited from this effect, or after twenty-five hours. During Calibration, the commitment’s time limit lasts until the end of Calibration. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 6+ grants it the Stackable keyword. Each additional scene spent acting in the appropriate fashion allows the Exalt to commit one additional mote to enjoy the benefits of this Charm for one additional scene. She may maintain this commitment for up to (Essence) days. A suitable act performed during Calibration may be committed to for the remainder of the year. After exhausting one scene, the total commitment drops by one mote until it reaches five motes. At which point, the Exalt has only one scene of protection remaining. She can maintain a commitment to a total of (Essence) protective scenes. A third purchase at Essence 8+ allows the Exalt to always activate her Charms with a Flaw of Nocturnal Invulnerability during Calibration without a willpower surcharge due to inapplicability. Merged: Sowing the Seeds (Stamina, Perception)
Shield of Chance
Cost: 4m (+1wp); Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Shaping Duration: Until Next Action Prerequisite Charms: Any Dexterity Charm The Harlequin is protected by happenstance. Strange coincidences come to his defense. Various elements of the environment move between the Nocturnal and her attackers. Swaying branches stop arrows; loose floorboards trip assailants at the pivotal moment. This imposes a -1 External Penalty for each die the Nocturnal’s player receives for stunts describing how this Charm manifests its effects for a particular action. The attackers may bypass these penalties with appropriate Charms (for example, using Charms that ignore Cover to
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bypass the aforementioned tree branches) or by preventing the Nocturnal from shaping the environment. During Calibration, the manifestations of this Charm become even more pronounced and circumspect. While they are never truly impossible, the sheer odds against such events become staggering and this Charm is regarded as Obvious. A flock of sparrows fly between the Nocturnal and a flurry of arrows, just as the archer’s bow string snaps. Attackers who botch their attacks must roll (Wits + [weapon ability]), with a difficulty equal to the external penalty imposed on their attack. Failure indicates that they are disarmed; mundane weapons may be destroyed by this Charm if the Nocturnal’s stunt logically permits this, as determined by the Storyteller. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ allows the duration to be extended to One Scene for the additional cost of one willpower.
Collateral Damage Obstruction
Cost: — (+4m); Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration-OK, Counterattack, Obvious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Shield of Chance Those foolish enough to attack the Herald risk harming themselves and their allies. This Charm permanently upgrades its prerequisite. By paying four additional motes, so long as the Exalt would impose any external penalties through Shield of Chance, the penalty is increased to –(Essence). Additionally, Shield of Chance permits the Nocturnal to redirect any attack that failed to hit him in Step 6 of combat resolution to another target within range of the original attack. The new target, which may be another being or an object, interacts with the attack as though he were the original target, allowing him to select defense options in Step 2 and take other necessary actions. This redirection is a Shaping effect and either the attacker or the new target may prevent it as such. During Calibration, the Nocturnal may choose to redirect the attack to the original attacker, as his enemy’s weapon backfires or he falls upon his own sword.
Watchful Ally Intercession
Cost: 2m, (+1wp); Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Merged, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Dexterity Charm The Herald is always alert and aware of his surroundings in combat, ready to spring into action to aid an ally at a moment’s notice. When an ally within (Dexterity) yards of the Nocturnal is attacked, the Exalt may activate this Charm to interpose himself between the attacker and his ally. The attacker must interact with the Nocturnal as though he had engaged in a Defend Other Action for this attack. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ allows the Nocturnal to activate it with a duration of Until Next Action at the additional cost of one willpower. Merged: Perception (Watchful Ally Intercession)
Grace and Balance Charms Feather and Iron Descent
Cost: 5m ; Mins: Dexterity 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: (Essence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Any Dexterity Charm
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The Loom of Fate dictates that all objects fall toward the element of earth with a speed ingrained upon the founding of Creation. Such natural constants are not beyond the Harlequin’s chicanery. With this Charm the Nocturnal alters the way gravity interacts with the character. Divide the distance the character falls by his Essence for the purposes of calculating falling damage and multiply the time it takes to fall by the same amount. The Nocturnal’s Strength is also multiplied by his Essence in order to calculate jumping distance. Finally the character’s weight is divided by his Essence for the purposes of determining if an object could support him.
Sometimes Apples Fly
Cost: 3m (+1wp); Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: (Essence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Feather and Iron Descent The night sky calls to the Herald, and with this Charm they are drawn into it. This Charm enhances a vertical leap by causing the Nocturnal to fall upward, rather than down. The Nocturnal’s vertical jumping distance is multiplied by his Essence. He continues to fall upward by the same distance as his vertical leap each tick for up to (Essence) actions. This inverted gravity also allows him to walk on ceilings and the underside of other objects. At the end of this Charm, the Nocturnal will begin falling downward again. Additionally, at Essence 4+, by spending an additional willpower upon activation, the Nocturnal may cause this Charm to last one scene.
Burden of the Earth
Cost: 5m (+1wp); Mins: Dexterity 3, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping Duration: (Essence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Feather and Iron Descent The weight of the earth is not displaced freely. Turning the fundamentals of Creation against his enemies, the Nocturnal causes gravity to drag his victim down with increased strength. This Charm supplements an attack, so long as the attack inflicts at least one level of damage. For the purposes of determining movement, his Dexterity is halved, as is his Strength for the purposes of determining leaping distance. His falling distance is doubled for the purposes of calculating damage, and his weight is doubled for the purposes of determining what objects can support him. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ causes the target’s Dexterity and Strength to be divided by the Nocturnal’s Essence, to a minimum of 1, and for the target’s falling distance and weight to be multiplied by the same amount.
Stepping Stones Method
Cost: 2m (+1wp); Mins: Dexterity 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping Duration: (Essence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Any Dexterity Charm Chance coincidences are among the Harlequin’s greatest tools. While this Charm is active, the environment is shaped to meet her needs. She may move across surfaces that would otherwise be impossible, as a cool patch of lava solidifies to hold her weight, or a passing group of sea turtles allows her to skip between ships at sea. Likewise it makes climbing easy as well, creating handholds and beneficial architectural features to aid her ascent. These effects linger for the duration of the Charm, allowing others to follow with a successful (Dexter-
ity + Athletics) roll, with a difficulty 2. The Nocturnal may spend willpower to allow only someone as nimble as herself to exploit these advantages, imposing an External Penalty equal to her Dexterity on all attempts to follow her.
Ice and Oil Stance
Cost: 1m; Mins: Dexterity 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: (Essence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Any Dexterity Charm The graceful Harlequin need never fear falling and may remain perfectly balanced regardless of the situation. When standing or moving on unstable terrain, the Nocturnal requires no roll and suffers no penalties from such circumstances.
Ballet and Trapeze Mastery
Cost: — (+1m); Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration-OK Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Feather and Iron Descent, Stepping Stone Method, Ice and Oil Stance Beings of consummate grace, the Harlequin never falters in her dance. This Charm upgrades its immediate prerequisites. During Calibration, the Nocturnal may spend an additional mote to increase the duration of the Charm to Indefinite.
Slippery Slope Infliction
Cost: 2m+, 1wp; Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping Duration: (Essence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Ice and Oil Stance Engaging in battle with an Exalt is to fight on uneven ground. Against a Herald, this saying is literal. This Charm supplements an attack. Should the attack succeed, the target suddenly finds himself on unstable ground. Every action for the duration of this Charm, the target must make a (Dexterity + Atheltics) roll with a difficulty equal to half the motes spent, to a maximum of 3. This necessitates that he flurry if he wishes to take other actions. Should the target fail the roll to maintain balance, he must make another roll, at +1 difficulty, to rise again.
Movement Charms
Surpassing the Breeze
Cost: 3m; Mins: Dexterity 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Dexterity Charm Night settles on Creation as quickly as the dawn overcomes it in the morning. The Nocturnal increases her Move and Dash actions by +(Temporary Willpower) yards for the remainder of the scene, including any bonuses gained from Willful Dexterity Bolstering.
Transcending the Wind
Cost: — (+2m, 1wp); Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Obvious, Shaping Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Surpassing the Breeze
Nothing stands in the way of a determined Herald when it could be elsewhere. The Nocturnal may pay the additional cost when activating Surpassing the Breeze. As he moves, all obstacles are warped out of his path, bending and flowing around a bubble of unobstructed space (Essence) yards in diameter. Unless her opponent is immune to Shaping, the Exalt cannot be hindered by Blockade Movement actions and any obstacle less than (Essence) yards across is moved aside, providing her with a clear path and removing (Essence) penalties to her movement.
Routing the Gale
Cost: — (+1m per Magnitude); Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: War, Touch Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Surpassing the Breeze This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite. By spending the required additional motes, the Nocturnal may extend the benefits of Surpassing the Breeze to a complimentary unit, using her own temporary Willpower. The Magnitude of the unit may not exceed (Essence) if she leads it, or (Essence +2) if she serves as a special character within the unit. If Surpassing the Breeze is also enhanced by Transcending the Wind, the Herald’s unit may disengage from another unit or charge straight through enemy ranks with a Move or Dash action, unless the opposing commander can counter the Nocturnal’s shaping.
Hurricane in the Heavens
Cost: —; Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Native Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Surpassing the Breeze Like an onrushing comet, the Herald always moves at phenomenal speeds. This Charm permanently adds +(Temporary Willpower) yards to his Move and Dash distance, including any gained from Willful Dexterity Bolstering. Surpassing the Breeze may still be used to add this number again.
Speed and Extra Action Charms Unhesitating Duelist Parturition
Cost: 2m; Mins: Dexterity 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Merged Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None From the very moment she took her Second Breath, the Harlequin has been ready for the fight to come. It might not arrive tomorrow or even in half a dozen lifetimes, but eventually, when it does, it will find her waiting. Who is her foe to keep her waiting? Instead of rolling Join Battle, she may activate this Charm to ensure she acts on Tick 0. With Dexterity 4+, she may also activate this Charm to ensure her actions are resolved before the actions of any other being who acts on her Action-tick. Merged: Unhesitating Duelist Parturition (Wits)
Shooting Star Speed
Cost: 2m per tick; Mins: Dexterity 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Dexterity Charm
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Like a falling meteor, the Herald flashes into action and is gone in a moment. This Charm may supplement any action and reduces the Speed of that action by one tick for every two motes spent, to a minimum of three, after persistent effects.
Heartbeat Accomplishments
Cost: — (+2m per tick, 1wp); Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration-OK Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Shooting Star Speed So swift is the Herald, he appears to finish almost before he begins. The Nocturnal may employ Shooting Star Speed at the increased cost associated with this Charm to extend its benefits to all actions for her next (Essence) Actions. During Calibration, the surcharge of this charm is reduced to (+0m, 1wp). A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 6+ increases the duration to One Scene.
One Stone, Two Birds
Cost: 4m; Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 2; Type: Extra-Action Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Dexterity Charm When faced with two mutually exclusive options, the Herald may always choose both. The Nocturnal splits reality and simultaneously attacks two different targets within range, even if moving into combat with one would move him out of range of the other. The Nocturnal rolls only one attack and applies it against both targets. If the Nocturnal needed to move toward either opponent, he may choose to remain at either of those two locations or return to his original position at the end of the attack.
Flock and Boulder Strike
Prerequisite Charms: One Stone, Two Birds The Herald tangles his past and future with that of his opponent, catching himself and his foe in a violent repetition as long as he wills. The Exalt spends the willpower cost of this Charm when making the first attack at her full dice pool. If she gains more successes than her target’s Essence, she may pay three motes to make a second attack also with her full dice pool. So long as she continues to gain at least more successes than her target’s Essence, she may continue to do so, paying one less mote for each additional attack, to a minimum of zero motes. She may make no more than (Dexterity +1) or (Temporary Willpower) attacks, whichever is lower. This Charm becomes Obvious if the Exalt makes more attacks than the rate of her weapon would normally allow. During Calibration, the second attack costs two motes rather than three and the remaining costs decrease from there.
Blade Cuts the Past
Cost: — (1m); Mins: Dexterity 2, Essence 1; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None Quicker than one can blink, the Harlequin arms herself for battle. In a deadly sleight of hand, the Harlequin seems to attack empty-handed, only to reveal a hidden weapon. This Charm allows the Exalt to reflexively ready a weapon. She may do so at any time, but during attack resolution she may only do so during Step 1. Additionally, she may sheath her weapon in Step 10 whether she was the attacker or defender for free.
Nocturnal Hero Style Expansions Multifaceted Martial Acumen
Cost: — (+1m); Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Obvious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Crystallize Kata Insights The Exalt moves to counter multiple foes, fracturing her motion to appear as a multi-armed goddess of conflict. She increases the DV bonus provided to +(Essence) DV. This upgrades automatically at Essence 4+; she may target up to (Essence) foes with Crystallize Kata Insights simultaneously.
Cost: — (+1m); Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration-OK Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: One Stone, Two Birds Fracturing reality to reflect innumerable options, the Herald unleashes a storm of attacks. This Charm upgrades its prerequisites. The Nocturnal may simultaneously attack a number of opponents equal to the Rate of his weapon. The Exalt’s refracted image appears before all her targets. During Calibration, the Nocturnal may use his Essence in place of One Body Unity Cost: —; Mins: Dexterity 3, Essence 2; Rate if he desires. Type: Permanent Migration and Avalanche Onslaught Keywords: None Cost: — (+2m); Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 4; Duration: Permanent Type: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Diamond Fist Atemi Keywords: None Though her martial practice has many facets, the HarleDuration: Permanent quin is, ultimately, one complete whole. Her mastery for her Prerequisite Charms: Flock and Boulder Strike own body reflects this unity. Her Punch and Kick attacks are The Exalts fractured assault appears to fill the battlefield unified into one Strike attack with the following traits: Speed with images of herself fighting all her foes at once. This Charm 5, Accuracy +1, Damage +3B, Defense +2, Rate 5, Tags N. Any adds +3 to the Exalt’s Rate or Essence for the purposes of reference to Punch or Kick attacks is assumed to apply to her Flock and Boulder Strike. Alternatively, by paying a two-mote Strike attack. A second purchase of this Charm at Dexterity surcharge on One Stone, Two Birds, the Exalt may strike all 4+, Essence 3+ allows the Exalt to apply the exceptional qualtargets within (Essence x 3) yards at once. Doing so makes this ity bonus to her Strike (Exalted, p. 366). She may reassign this Charm Suspicious. bonus by spending a day retraining her body and spending one experience. Time-Looping Tempest Cost: 0-3m per attack, 1wp; Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 3; Jeweler’s Many Tools Type: Extra Action Cost: —; Mins: Dexterity 3, Essence 2; Keywords: Combo-OK, Calibration-OK Type: Permanent Duration: Instant Keywords: None
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Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Diamond Fist Atemi The jeweler has an array of tools, for her work requires precise instruments for various tasks. So too, the Harlequin might employ a variety of weapons to enhance her talents on the field of battle. This Charm may be purchased up to (Essence) times. Each purchase may add one of the following to the list of Nocturnal Hero Style’s form weapons: hand and throwing needles and throwing knives, spears and lances, straight swords and rapiers, or bows. Other weapons may be acquired with Storyteller approval. In general, anything that can attack with a single, fine point might be permissible while bulky two-handed weapons or flame and energy based weapons are not. If the Exalt also knows Falling Hammer Mastery she may also add staves or one-handed hammers to her list of Form weapons—the jeweler needs her hammer as much as she needs her chisel. In all cases the artifact equivalents also become form weapons.
Seizing the Fallen Star
Cost: — (4m); Mins: Dexterity 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Falling Hammer Mastery Seeing an opportunity, the Herald pounces while his opponent is weakest. If his target is successfully knocked down by an attack supplemented with Falling Hammer Mastery, the Exalt may reflexively pay four motes to make an immediate Clinch attempt against that target, so long as the target is within the range of her Move action.
Any target the Exalt hurls away from herself using Falling Hammer Mastery, may be returned to the edge of her Move radius by spending one mote at the end of his journey.
Pressure Point Puncturing Grip
Cost: — (2m); Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Seizing the Fallen Star The Harlequin has no need to coil limbs around her foe to subdue him. She tightens her fingers around a single point on her target’s body and completely immobilizes him. This Charm permanently enhances the Exalt. She may maintain a clinch with only one limb, freeing her others to perform other actions, though she would need to flurry to maintain a clinch and attack. Her Clinch attack increases its Rate to 2. She cannot Dash or Jump while clinching, and the number of yards she may Move is reduced by her target’s Strength, to a minimum of one. Finally, if she wishes to inflict crushing damage on her target, she may pay two motes to ignore all soak from armor.
World Sleeps at Nightfall
Cost: — (1m); Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Pressure Point Puncturing Grip So she might go about her business unmolested, the Nocturnal takes the world by the hand and guides all to slumber. The Exalt tightens her fingers upon a vital point in the Star-Taunting Launch target’s body, cutting off essential functions. The Harlequin Cost: — (+2m, 1wp); Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 3; may pay one mote to double post-soak damage done durType: Permanent ing a Clinch. This damage is always Bashing, even if would Keywords: None otherwise be Lethal, and never wraps around into Lethal. Duration: Permanent All damage dealt in this way heals automatically at the next Prerequisite Charms: Falling Hammer Mastery sunrise. During Calibration, this damage remains until the Swing her attack from low to high, the Exalt channels end of Calibration. the force of his blow into pure momentum. This Charm enhances Falling Hammer Mastery. By paying two additional Adamant Forceps Tactic motes and a temporary willpower, if the attack would success- Cost: 5m, 1wp Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 4; fully knock the target down, he is first launched a number of Type: Supplemental yards vertically equal to the Exalt’s vertical Jump or a number Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling of yards horizontally equal to her horizontal Jump, as the Ex- Duration: Indefinite alt prefers. Targets launched vertically suffering falling damage Prerequisite Charms: World Sleeps at Nightfall Striking multiple pressure points along her target’s as normal. If the target strikes a hard surface as part of this body, the Exalt may freeze her foe in place. The Exalt may flight, they take additional damage as with the Solar Charm Heaven Thunder Hammer (Exalted, p.242). At the end of the employ this Charm when she could inflict crushing damage target’s flight they are knocked down, allowing the Exalt to on the victim of her clinch. Instead, she pays a willpower and commits five motes to cripple the target’s pressure points and trigger Seizing the Fallen Star if within range. With a second purchase this Charm, if the Exalt uses immobilize him. Though she may release him, he continues Falling Hammer Mastery against a target that is currently to be consider clinched by her. She may act as she pleases, prone, she may employ this effect without incurring its usual reflexively rolling to maintain the Clinch each action, adding her Essence in automatic successes, until she either drops the surcharge. commitment or the target restarts his own pressure points Grasping the Comet’s Tail and escapes. Cost: — (1m); Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 3; Vitality Rupturing Assault Type: Permanent Cost: — (+2m); Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 3; Keywords: None Type: Permanent Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Seizing the Fallen Star, Star-Taunting Keywords: Crippling Duration: Permanent Launch As her opponent sails away from her strike, the Harle- Prerequisite Charms: Pressure Point Puncturing Grip The Exalt pinpoints her foe’s vital organs and aims to quin performs a quick kata, grasping the rushing air trailing behind her target as though it were a rope. When the foe inflict lasting harm upon her foe. If the Exalt has paid the reaches the end of his tether, the Exalt snaps the rope back. two motes to make her crushing damage ignore armor, this
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Cost: —; Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Native, Overdrive Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Nocturnal Hero Form The Harlequin’s attacks strike with frightful accuracy, but they are likewise empowered with incredible force. Together the combination devastates her foes. This Charm Chakra-Cracking Chisel grants the Exalt an Overdrive pool of ten Peripheral motes. Cost: 4m; Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 4; This pool can be filled by sacrificing dice accumulated from Type: Reflexive Aim actions, granting one mote per die. She may only sacrifice Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling, Obvious these dice on her Action tick and may never sacrifice more Duration: One Action than three dice at a time. The universal Aim die granted by Prerequisite Charms: Vitality Rupturing Assault Nocturnal Hero Form may be sacrificed in its entirety for one As easily as she makes her foe bleed to death without mote. Sacrificed dice granted by Charms such as Crystallize ever shedding a drop of his blood, the Harlequin spills her Kata Insights and Nocturnal Hero Form refresh along with target’s essence upon the world. Pressing upon her target’s her DV unless otherwise prevented. chakra points, she punctures the essence pathways within him. If she inflicts any damage with a clinch, she may activate this Charm. Her opponent adds his current wound penalty as a mote surcharge on all Charms activated for the next action. amage and haping This surcharge does not stack with any similar surcharge, such esistance harms as from the Solar Charm Sun-Sufficing Slag; only the highest surcharge applies. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 5+ extends this Charm to (Target’s Wound Penalty) Ac- Armor-Summoning Methodology tions, minimum one. A third purchase at Essence 7+ extends Cost: 8m; Mins: Stamina 2, Essence 2; this Duration to One Scene at the cost of an additional (+2m, Type: Simple Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK, Obvious 1wp). Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: None Diamond Pierces Iron The Herald girdles himself in revelations of the past and Cost: 6m; Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 3; shields himself with the hope of the future. This Charm is Type: Reflexive (Step 9) functionally identical to the Strength Charm Prismatic ArseKeywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack nal Methodology, save that instead of summoning weapons Duration: Instant it summons armor, helmets, and shields, and the artifact verPrerequisite Charms: Pressure Point Puncturing Grip When her brutish foe seizes the Harlequin, threatening sions thereof. to throttle her with his grotesque force, the Exalt smiles and reveals that he has only exposed a fatal point of weakness. There Is No Sword The Exalt may activate this Charm whenever an opponent Cost: 5m; Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 2; initiates a Clinch against her, but not when she has lost an Type: Reflexive (Step 2) attempt to maintain a clinch. She may make her own Clinch Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Nox, Obvious attempt against her attacker. This attack cannot be dodged or Duration: (Essence) Actions parried unless her target also releases her, but her counterat- Prerequisite Charms: None Nocturnal philosophers debate the exact relationship tack suffers an External Penalty equal to half the successes her between Creation and the Loom of Fate. Is a person repreattacker gained on his clinch attempt. sented by a strand of Fate, or is the strand represented by the person? Is there meaningful difference? The Harlequin turns Pierced Soul Mercy this debate into a powerful defense, bending the fate of an Cost: 6m; Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 4; incoming attack around his own to avoid all contact between Type: Supplemental the two. The Nocturnal gains an effective DV of (Permanent Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion Willpower/2), plus Essence at night or during Calibration. Duration: Instant This DV suffers onslaught penalties as normal but is neither Prerequisite Charms: Pressure Point Puncturing Grip If the Exalt is feeling particularly merciful, she strikes Parry nor Dodge—the Nocturnal stands stoically still as the straight through the body of the being that earned her ire and sword warps or arrows flow around him. While Nox is in the pierces its soul. This Charm enhances an attempt to inflict Loom, the Nocturnal adds an additional bonus of +(Whiscrushing damage on a clinched target and flee. If the attack pers/2) to this DV if the attacker is also within Fate. If the would inflict any damage in Step 10, it instead imposes a attacker is immune to Shaping, his bare-handed attacks bypass Compulsion effect to abandon the fight. This unnatural men- this DV completely; if his possessions are immune to Shaping, tal influences costs a one willpower to resist per level of health they also ignore this DV. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 3+ also level it would have inflicted. (i.e. One willpower for damage in the -0 health level, three willpower for -2 health level, up to provides the Nocturnal with +(Temporary Willpower) lethal five willpower for Incapacitated/Dying level.) The compelled and bashing Soak. Attacks which ignore the DV provided by target may defend himself as normal, and should the Exalt this Charm also ignore this soak. A third purchase at Essence attack him, the Compulsion terminates immediately. Other- 5+ grants a DV equal to the Exalt’s full Permanent Willpower. wise, the Compulsion lingers for one day. The Crooked Made Straight Cost: 7m, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 3, Essence 2; With Precision Struck damage becomes Lethal. She may also pay two additional motes at this time to further enhance this damage. If her attack inflicts any damage, the target suffers one unsoakable lethal die of damage every Action for (Strength or Dexterity, whichever is higher) Actions as a Crippling effect, even after he has escaped her clinch. Wounds inflicted by this effect are purely internal, and mortals cannot close these wounds.
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Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic, Shaping Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: None Through force of will, the Herald claims ground for the lords of Creation. Upon activating this Charm, the Nocturnal immediately crystallizes the metaphysics of the Wyld, Labyrinth, Malfeas or similar realms within his (Essence) yards of him. This region immediately begins obeying the laws of Creation (meaning, that if the Nocturnal were imprisoned by a Fair Folk in a heatless bonfire, activating this Charm might not be such a good idea unless the Nocturnal can also resist damage of the fire once it begins burning as normal). The region is protected from further Shaping-effects that could not be performed in Creation, and within this small area, the Nocturnal may perform Fluctuations as if he were in Creation. Those within the region must still resist further shaping effects normally. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ extends the radius of the protected region to (Essence x 5) yards; a third purchase at Essence 5+ extends this to (Essence x 10) yards. As an additional benefit, a Sidereal using Mending Warp Designs (Manual of Exalted Power—Sidereals, p. 142) within this Charm’s area of effect adds the Nocturnal’s Essence to her roll. Companions also add the higher of their two Companion ratings.
Phantasmagoric Minotaur Body
Cost: 1m+, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 3, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One Story Prerequisite Charms: The Crooked Made Straight Should the Herald be required to venture far afield and face the minions of unbridled Chaos in their own territory, she finds herself in a precarious situation, as her own powers are diminished in the Wyld. Still, she has a few tricks left to her even if her primary defenses falter. This Charm grants the Exalt one Shaping Health Level per mote spent, to a maximum of her Permanent Willpower.
Boundless Possibilities Assimilation
Cost: 1wp (4m); Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: The Crooked Made Straight The Herald’s adamant integrity grows to accommodate some changes and remains rigid against others. In the face of new possibilities, she adopts some and rejects others. The Nocturnal may reflexively pay one willpower to perfectly ignore any unwanted shaping effect. If a shaping effect has both desirable and undesirable results, the Nocturnal may also commit four motes to gain only those beneficial results for as long as he maintains the commitment. He may maintain up to (Essence) separate commitments in this way. If the Nocturnal has The Crooked Made Straight active, the duration of this Charm becomes One Action. A second purchase at Essence 4+, extends the duration while within the influence of The Crooked Made Straight to One Scene, and this extension may be applied even in the presence of another’s activation of The Crooked Made Straight.
Ox-Body Technique
Cost: —; Mins: Stamina 1, Essence 1; Type: Permanent Keywords: Native
Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None Like all Exalts, the Nocturnal’s body is bolstered against damage. This Charm may be purchased once per dot of Stamina the Harlequin possesses. Each odd-number purchase provides her with one -0 and one -4 health level. Each evennumber purchase provides her with one -1 and one -2 health level.
Unbroken Gayal Resilience
Cost: — (3m); Mins: Stamina 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Ox-Body Technique While most beings are either dead or alive, the Nocturnal is not limited to only two possibilities. This Charm grants the Exalt one additional Dying Health Level for each purchase of Ox-Body Technique. If any effect would damage his Dying Health Levels without completely filling all of them, he may pay three motes in Step 10 to negate all damage to his Dying Health Levels. This may be done while unconscious.
Living Beyond the Moment
Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 8) Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Ox-Body Technique The Heralds do not live entirely in the present—nor do they die entirely in the present. With just a quick thought, the Nocturnal spreads a potentially fatal wound into many minor injuries along his future. The Nocturnal activates this Charm in response to an attack with at least one die of postsoak damage. He gains a number of temporary -0 health levels equal to his temporary Willpower, including any gained from Willful Stamina Bolstering. All damage is channeled into these temporary health levels first, and all health levels from this Charm, damaged or undamaged, disappear immediately. Record the number of damaged health levels created by this Charm. This Charm cannot absorb Aggravated damage. Thereafter, this damage plagues the Exalt like a poisonous future, inflicting (number of damaged health levels absorbed by this Charm)L/one day with a “Toxicity” of 5. Though this functions similar to poisons, it cannot be halted by Charms that resist or remove Poison effects. This damage is considered part of the Charm’s cost and cannot be avoided by any means. If the Exalt is ever Incapacited, this lingering harm will attempt to finish him off. The interval of this ‘poison’ drops to One Hour. During Calibration, this Charm drops to a cost of one willpower if it has been previously activated during the scene. Additionally, any damage absorbed by this Charm disappears permanently, never to haunt the Exalt again.
Time-Halting Auroch Mastery
Cost: 1m, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Until Next Action Prerequisite Charms: Any Stamina Charm Lesser beings might find death an appropriate and timely response to a fatal attack, but the Herald only notes his demise with causal disinterest, knowing it is but one possibility and eager to see what else the future might offer him. He sets his death aside for the moment and awaits more interesting opportunities. This Charm allows the Nocturnal
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to remain active even into his Incapacitated and Dying Health Levels. While this Charm is active he does not continue to lose Dying Health Levels except from additional attacks. With a second purchase at Essence 4+, this Charm no longer costs Willpower if the Nocturnal had previously activated it on his last action.
Endurance and Travel Charms
Cost: 15m, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Flux, Nox, Obvious Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: None Whether by grave necessity or simple boredom with his current situation, the Herald finds that the present is no longer fit for his habitation. He strikes out for more interesting locales, not by crossing vast distances of space but by piercing time itself. The Nocturnal deliberately excises his Fate from the Loom and rolls it into a single point. He is cut off from causality and, indeed, all meaningful forms of existence. After activating this Charm, the dark shadow of the End of Time falls over the Nocturnal and his thread of Fate, illuminated by anima, coil tightly around him. At the beginning of his next action, the Herald vanishes without further fanfare. The Nocturnal declares up to (Essence) qualifications, which must be detectable by the Loom of Fate that will cause him to return to Creation. These qualifications may either be independent or rely upon simultaneous fulfillment. The Nocturnal need not name a maximum duration as one of those qualifications, but he would be foolish not to. This Indefinite potential of the Charm is made possible only by the presence of Nox in the Loom. Should he be removed from the Loom, the Nocturnal may remain outside of time only for his (Willpower) years, and all Nocturnals outside of Fate when Nox is removed from the Loom immediately return to Creation despite their chosen requirements. Regardless of the Nox’s current condition, the Nocturnal must remain outside of time at least until the first day of the next Calibration. Once the return qualifications are met, the Nocturnal immediately turns to Creation at the point he was last seen, or as near to it as possible if some obstruction has developed in the intervening time. His Fate uncoils from around him and the shadow of the End of Time lifts from his face. From his perspective, no time has passed, but in his instantaneous isolation he has glimpsed outside of Time. He must roll Conviction or Valor, whichever is lower, difficulty 3, or loss all Willpower in excess of that Virtue. What he has seen is indescribable and unintelligible except to his fellow Heralds who have experienced it, and to Second Circle Demons who have answered the call of Fiend-Vassal Conscription and witnessed similar, if not identical, horrors.
Enduring Procrastinator Style
Road-Smoothing Attitude
Death and the Broken Mirror
Cost: 5m; Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 7) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Time-Halting Auroch Mastery The Herald knows a dozen deaths, reveals them to his enemies and escapes while they are distracted. This Charm is activated in response to a physical attack that successfully struck him, turning it into an instantly fatal blow. His body falls dead immediately. Before his attacker has a chance to gloat, however, the Exalt jumps out from behind a tree, sprints from around a corner, or otherwise emerges from nearby spot that might have hidden him and arrives within one Move action of his own corpse. If no such hiding place exists, the Exalt flickers into existence as though created by a Fluctuation (see p. 166). His deceased duplicate and its possession remain on battlefield until disturbed or the end of the scene, whichever comes first, fading away when reality catches up with it. This Charm allows the Nocturnal to perfectly soak, ignoring all damage from the attack, and has one of the Four Flaws of Nocturnal Invulnerability.
Falling Through the Cracks
Cost: — (+1wp); Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration-OK Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Death and the Broken Mirror In the face of powerful foes, the Herald might face a thousand deaths and avoid them all. This Charm permanently upgrades Death and the Broken Mirror. During Calibration, the Nocturnal may pay an additional willpower upon the first use of the Charm during or after his Action. Until his next action, each additional use of this Charm gains a -1 mote discount, to a minimum of zero. Even a free use of this Charm counts as a Charm activation.
Cost: 4m; Mins: Stamina 3, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Stamina Excellency Some things are better put off until later, when the Herald can give the matter his full attention. Activating this Charm, the Herald segregates all forms of pain and weariness from his being, and sets it aside for later. While this Charm is active, the Nocturnal ignores all wound penalties and fatigue penalties. At the end of the scene, the Nocturnal’s player rolls (Stamina + [Resistance or Integrity]) with an external penalty equal to the maximum total penalties he should have received from wounds and fatigue in the previous scene, as those penalties settle on him once again. If successful, he recovers from those penalties at the normal rate. Failure indicates that the character is overcome by the sudden onrush of pain and exhaustion; all his penalties are doubled for a number of hours equal to the total penalty.
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Shadow Out of Time
Cost: 2m+ or 5m, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: None Neither rain nor sleet nor dark of night can keep the Herald from her appointed duties. Whenever travelling long distances, the Nocturnal may activate this Charm and spend up to [(Stamina + appropriate ability) x2] motes. Typically, the most common abilities used with this Charm are Athletics, Ride, or Sail depending on the mode of transport. Other Abilities may be used at Storyteller discretion. Every two motes spent cancels out one point of external penalties that might hinder her on her travels. Additionally, if using the Complex Travel rules (Exalted, p 266-267), two motes may reduce a negative Terrain Modifier or Travel Quality by 1/8, as the Nocturnal subtly shifts problematic situations out of her way.
For example the barrister Swift Gull is attempting to escort a large band of refugees across a border between two warring states. He decides to take the refugees along well established roads and risk the checkpoints along the way. With his Stamina 2 and Bureaucracy 2, he may spend eight motes with this Charm. Doing so he cancels out the usual -1/4 speed modifier for Large Group (4m) and the -1/8 penalty for Political Upheaval (2m); the -1/4 penalty from Warzone he reduces to a -1/8 penalty (2m). In all cases, the changes wrought by this Charm are subtle; the hazards are not removed, but the Exalt does find (or creates as necessary) a path around them. During Calibration, the Nocturnal may use this Charm as if she had spent (Essence x 2) motes, without needing actually spend any motes, though these do count toward the maximum number of motes the Nocturnal may spend. This benefit only applies if the Nocturnal can reach his destination during Calibration. With a second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+, the Exalt may spend five motes and one willpower in lieu of the usual cost of the Charm, to cancel external penalties or speed modifiers as though he had spent the maximum number of motes allowed by this Charm for his current situation.
Detour Directing Stare
Cost: 2m+, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 2, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK, Nox, Suspicious Duration: (Essence) Days Prerequisite Charms: Road-Smoothing Attitude Chance encounters turn against the enemies of the Nocturnal and Creation defends itself from incursions from beyond. The Harlequin may activate this Charm whenever he witnesses or hears a report about an enemy or an enemy unit with Magnitude no greater than the Nocturnal’s (Essence -1) on the move, so long as they are within (Essence x 25) miles. His player rolls (Stamina + appropriate Ability)—as with RoadSmoothing Attitude, Atheltics, Ride and Sail are the most commonly used Abilities though others may be used under certain circumstances. If this overcomes the enemy’s (or enemy leader’s, as the case may be) Mental Dodge Value, the Harlequin may name a destination to which he wish to prevent his enemy from arriving. For every two motes this Charm adds one external penalty to the enemies movement, or adds a -1/8 speed modifier, as described in Road-Smoothing Attitude a shaping effect, so long as the enemy is moving toward the named destination. In addition to these basic options, the Nocturnal may also increase the difficulty of the Terrain Type once, for 4 motes. In total, he may not spend more than twice (Stamina + appropriate Ability) motes. During Calibration, the Nocturnal gains his Essence in automatic successes on the initial roll. Should Nox be removed from the Loom, the Harlequin may only use this Charm on enemy’s he can directly perceive. Use of this Charm greatly frustrates the Bureau of Destiny and triggers the Suspicious-keyword once a day for as long as it persists.
uisite. In addition to removing negative penalties to Complex Travel, the Nocturnal may also add bonuses to his journey at a similar cost: 2 motes per each +1/8 bonus provide. He may also pay four motes to decrease the Terrain difficulty once.
The Open Road Softly Calls
Cost: —; Mins: Stamina 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Compulsion Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Road-Smoothing Attitude Unfamiliar territory beckons to the Nocturnal. He is drawn to find new lands and new adventures beyond the edge of the map. His wanderlust invigorates him. While he travels, whether on foot, upon a mount or upon some other convoyence. No matter who arduous the Nocturnal’s travels prove to me, he is always considered to be meditating for the purposes of regaining motes or raising his Permanent Essence. This makes him a tireless wanderer. He suffers no fatigue from his travels and every eight hours of consistent travel allows him to regain willpower as though he had slept. For the purposes of this Charm, can only travel a particular path once per day. Riding circles around a hippodrome becomes tedious after one lap, but circumnavigating the Blessed Isle over a season is a suitable, if leisurely, change of scenery. However, the Exalt’s wanderlust gnaws on him. He may remain in an area for only (Temperance) days before the desire for travel drives him away. If he possesses a positive Intimacy toward a region or its people, he may remain there for up to (Temperance + Compassion ) days instead. This manifests as self-inflicted Compulsion effect, costing one willpower to resist for another (Temperance) days. If he succumbs to the Compulsion, he must travel at least (Essence x 10) miles before it he is free to settle down for a time. The Sidereal Exalted have an identical Charm called Wanderer’s Saffron Whip, which requires Ride 3, Essence 3 and Yellow Path.
Undiscovered Country Pioneer
Cost: 15m; Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration, Chance, Flux, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: The Open Road Softly Calls The vast unmapped regions of Creation have long seduced explorers into their depths. The First Age saw a great expansion in Creation’s territory, and the ebb and flow of the Wyld has since wiped the maps clean. The time is ripe for new adventurers to brave the wild regions of the world and learn what hides beyond civilization. The Nocturnal may activate this Charm while within a region of Creation, including Bordermarches and Middlemarches. This region of Creation is (Essence x 10) miles in diameter.Excluding spirits, all sapient beings native to Creation within this region must be within (Essence) yards of the Nocturnal when he activates this Charm and it cannot be activated within the radius of a previous activation of this Charm until Calibration. During Calibration, it may be Rapid Transit Alteration activated in overlapping regions no more than once per day. Cost: —; Mins: Stamina 3, Essence 3; Upon activating this Charm, the Nocturnal causes Type: Permanent something to fluctuate into existence, somewhere within the Keywords: None designated region. The larger the total area of the region, the Duration: Permanent greater extent of whatever this Charm creates, to a maximum Prerequisite Charms: Road-Smoothing Attitude size of half the area. The Nocturnal’s player rolls a Chance The Herald discovers new paths and where none exist, die to determine what exactly waits to be discovered in this he makes them. This Charm permanently enhances its prereq- untamed wilderness. The discovery is not made immediately
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upon activating the Charm, but will be found within a day of natives of Creation. Instead of alerting the Bureau of Destiny, continuous exploration. the suspicious nature of the Charm alerts the nearest Essence 10 being to the Exalt’s activities. Whatever the Charm creates 1: Something hostile to the Nocturnal or his goals, adheres to the metaphysical laws of the realm that birthed it such as an active volcano or an aggressive barbarian and always bears the mark of that regions unique aesthetics. tribe. This Charm may be purchased (Essence) times. 2-3: An impressive landmark, suitable to the surround- Horizons Captured and Conquered ing landscape. Such features are notable for their Cost: —; Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 3; aesthetic beauty and possibly provide shelter or Type: Permanent defensible positions for settlements, but have no Keywords: None immediate practical value. Duration: Permanent 4-5: Something that expands an arena of knowledge, such Prerequisite Charms: The Open Road Softly Calls The Heralds are wanderers and explorers, but they are as a new species of plant or animal, the overgrown not rulers. Venturing into new territory, the Nocturnal claims ruins of a lost civilization, or a previously unknown mineral. The benefit, if any exists, of the discovery it only to aid in future colonization before moving on to do will not be fully known until a full investigation is the same in other regions. When the Nocturnal travels as made. Discovering more samples in the region re- compelled by The Open Road Softly Calls and arrives in an quires a (Perception or Intelligence) + (Investigation area (Essence) miles in radius where he has never before been, or Survival) roll, difficulty 5, which may be made he temporarily claims metaphysical ownership of the area—so long as the area is not currently owned by another Essence once per (Essence) square miles. user. He maintains this ownership until he leaves the area or 6-7: A landscape rich in natural resources, such as trees until he must spend willpower to remain. suitable for timber, wildlife suitable for hunting, While he maintains this ownership, he gain access to one medicinal herbs, or veins of metal ores. The total of the following actions of his choice. Once per day, he may value per (Essence) square miles is equal to half the change which action he can perform within the claimed land. Nocturnal’s highest Physical Domain, minimum The bonuses provided by this Charm last after the Exalt’s owner lapses. They remain until the map or structure is deResources 1. stroyed or the designated resource is depleted. 8-9: A settlement of mortals long isolated from the out- Cartographer’s Precise Hand: The Exalt spends one hour craftside world, with a Mandate of Heaven Magnitude ing a highly detailed and accurate map of his region. This equal to half the Exalt’s highest Social Domain, map grants its owner (Nocturnal’s Essence/2) successes on all minimum Magnitude 1. attempts to navigate through the area. 10: A landscape rich in magical resources, such as Local Resource Exploitation: The Exalt spends a day surveying magical materials, exotic ingredients, or auspicious the region for natural resources and after finding a suitable geomancy. This landscape produces enough exotic supply of a single resource, he designates it for future harvest. ingredients, magical materials or a demense strong Subsequently, those who gather the specified resources gain enough to build an (Artifact or Manse) with a maxi- (Nocturnal’s Essence/2) successes on any action where failure mum rating of half the Nocturnal’s highest Mental would indicate the loss of any portion of the resource or seriDomain, minimum (Artifact or Manse) 1. This ous harm to the gatherer during her relevant labors. option cannot be selected with willpower unless Trader’s Lucrative Outpost: The Exalt spends a day constructing the Nocturnal created the land with Weaving the or designating a structure for trade. Thereafter, any being who engages in commerce within the structure gains (Nocturnal’s Tapestry. Essence/2) successes on all attempts to ensure fair and equitable trade between the native populace and outsiders. Exotic Universe Navigator Holy Fellowship Mission: The Exalt spends a day constructing Cost: —; Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 5; or consecrating a structure as a site of worship. The object Type: Permanent of this worship may be any Incarnae, any forbidden god, or Keywords: None any other type of Celestial Exalt toward whom the Nocturnal Duration: Permanent possesses a positive Intimacy. Akuma may also designate their Prerequisite Charms: Undiscovered Country Pioneer When the Herald has exhausted Creation’s horizons patron or any member of its soul hierarchy.Thereafter anyone he must search farther afield for new lands. Prior to the within this structure gains (Nocturnal’s Essence/2) successes Primordial War, the Wyld alone offered a limitless source of on all appropriate prayer rolls and to any attempt to convince adventure. The death, imprisonment and willing exile of the another being to join the cult. Primordials has offered the Nocturnals ever more diverse pos- Insurrectionist’s Hidden Camp: The Exalt spends a day constructsibilities for exploration. When purchasing this Charm, the ing or designating an area to train troops. Any native of the Exalt choses another Realm of Existence, such as the Demon region who trains within this area for at least one week gains City, the Underworld (including the Labyrinth), or the Wyld. (Nocturnal’s Essence/2) successes or an equivalent MDV boIf the Exalt were to discover some lost realm created by the nus to keep the location of the training a secret. Additionally, Primordials, such as the remnants of Cenumian’s sun-blasted they also gain an equivalent number of successes to establish Cajerron or the Font of Horizon’s museum-planet Mysejot, surprise and ambushes against the local authorities. those Realms become possible options for this Charm as well. Within the chosen realm, the Nocturnal may now employ Un- Stirring Travelogue Epic discovered Country Pioneer as though he were in Creation. Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 3; For the purposes of this Charm, beings who have ancestors Type: Supplemental native to Creation, no matter how remote, are considered Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Emotion, Merged, Nox
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Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: The Open Road Softly Calls Traveling into the wilderness, seeing sights no human eye has ever witnessed, beholding wonders long thought lost: such is the average day for the wandering Herald. If only she had traveling companions to share her experiences.The Charm supplements any spoken or written social attack to encourage travel to a location the Nocturnal has previously visited. This may be as blatant and elaborate as a lengthy travelogue or as subtle as a return address stamped on a gift mailed to a distant friend. The attack gains a number of automatic successes equal to the higher of the Nocturnal’s (Ride, Sail or Survival). If the attack succeeds, the target suffers a Compulsion to travel to the described destination costing willpower to resist equal to the higher of their own (Ride, Sail, or Survival), maximum 5, which can be paid at any time but must be paid all at once. Alternatively, the target may spend one willpower immediately to convert the Compulsion into a Positive Intimacy toward the location as an Emotion effect, which reestablishes itself whenever the target is reminded of the location, until the target spends the same amount of willpower he would have needed to resist the Compulsion. Additionally, this attack cannot be dodged by any being who possesses The Open Road Softly Calls, or—while Nox is in the Loom—any Chosen of Mercury if the target has never been to the designated location. Merged: Stirring Travelogue Epic (Charisma, prerequisites: Interest Catching Camaraderie)
Beckoning Nocturnal Lighthouse
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration, Combo-Basic, Native, Obvious Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Stirring Travelogue Epic Venturing first into remote lands, the Herald establishes safe passage or, at least, the potential of victory should the travelers be waylaid. This Charm may be activated at night or during Calibration. If activated during Calibration it will last until next Calibration and does not require continued commitment of motes. A tower of light, the color of the Exalt’s anima, rises skyward from the point where he activated the Charm. allowing it to be seen even then. This uncanny light can be seen (Essence x 10) miles away but does not serve to illuminate the region and casts no shadows. The Charm cannot be activated again within sight of another tower of light. This Charm affects all applicable beings that can see the tower of light. When the Charm is first purchased, the effect is that of his own Caste. Additional Caste options may be purchased at Essence 4+, for the cost of four experience each. Only one option may ever be applied through a single tower of light, and the light remains that of the Exalt’s own Caste regardless of which option he applies. Applicable beneficiaries gain whatever bonuses this Charm provides so long as they move at least ten miles closer to the light each day. Once they are within ten miles of the light, they retain these benefits when they move at least one mile in any direction. The Exalt who used this Charm is always considered a beneficiary. Any other type of Celestial Exalt may stand within this pillar of light and flare their anima at the 11+ mote level to engage the Nocturnal in a contested Essence roll. The Nocturnal suffers an external penalty on this roll equal to half his accumulated Subservience, rounding up. If the other Exalt succeeds, this Charm is immediately deactivated.
Nova: The vanguard scouts ahead and prepares the way for a larger army. A pillar of pure white light guides their way and draws others to their cause. Any unit with a Magnitude 3+, led by a being the Exalt considers an ally, gains the Exalt’s Essence in automatic successes on any attempt to recruit or otherwise bolster their numbers. Comet: The armiger prepares others for battle and proclaims an area ripe for conquest. A column of diffuse blue light signals the attack. Any being or military unit that is considered an ally by the Exalt gains the Exalt’s Essence automatic successes on all Join Battle or War rolls. Likewise, beings increase their minimum damage to half the Exalt’s Essence if it would otherwise be lower, and military units increase their Might to a minimum of 2, or a minimum of 3 if the Exalt has Essence 5+. Aurora: The ambassador travels between cultures to facilitate unity and ensure peace (through any means necessary, they often add quietly). A pinnacle of twisting green light is the banner of their peace. Any beings that the Exalt regards as an ally enjoys the hospitality of the region as a default. As a result of this hospitality, such beings suffer no social penalty for being strangers or foreigners and will be treated kindly and fairly by all, so long as he has given the locals no reason to distrust or antagonize him personally. This is a Compulsion effect, and the exceptionally hard-hearted or xenophobic among the locals may spend three willpower to act as they please for the duration of this Charm. Additionally, the being benefiting from this Charm understands the basics of the most common of the regions social customs, though he remains ignorant of particularly obscure or esoteric customs at the Storytellers discretion. Empyrean: The barrister wanders—settling disputes or sowing them. He cares not which so long as he leaves no land unchanged. None know quite what to expect when the black tower rises over their region, outlined by a distinct indigo glow so that it remains visible even at night. Upon activating this Charm, the Exalt chooses whether he wishes his ally to be a peacemaker or a rabble-rouser. As a peacemakers, the Exalt’s allies gain his Essence in automatic successes on any social attack to peacefully settle a dispute. Those convinced by the social attack gain a positive Intimacy toward the ally’s solution, considering it either a suitable settlement to the problem or at least a step in the right direction, if the Storyteller feels the dispute is too large to settle on one issue. As rabblerousers, his allies gain a like number of successes on any social attack to convince others that they have been unfairly treated, exploited, or otherwise wronged. Those who are successfully convinced gain a negative Intimacy toward those perceived to be at fault, each choosing the specific context of the Intimacy based on their own experiences. In either case, the social attack is considered an Emotion effect and costs two willpower to resist and renders the target immune to further influences from this Charm for one week. Nebula: The sophist obscures and misdirects. Beneath her dim red light, her allies move unseen. All beings she considers an ally gain her Essence in automatic successes on all Stealth rolls and any attempt to track her allies by others suffers an external penalty equal to her Essence. Failing an attempt to track her allies renders the tracker hopelessly lost until the next sunrise or sunset, whichever comes first, as an Illusion effect. This Illusion costs four willpower if the tracker has never been in the region before, two if he has, and one if he has lived in the region for at least a year. Botching the roll adds one to the willpower needed to spend to resist the Illusion. Merged: Beckoning Nocturnal Lighthouse (Charisma)
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Oblivious Wayfarer’s Endurance
Cost: 5m; Mins: Stamina 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Any Stamina Excellency Every journey is full of hazards, but what joy is there in life without some risks? In pursuit of his desires, the Herald walks boldly into the fire, singed by not burned. Naming an objective, whether it be a destination he wishes to reach or a goal he wishes to achieve, the Herald commits the cost of this Charm. While advancing toward that objective, he reduces the Trauma of all natural environmental hazards by his Essence. At Stamina 4+, magical environmental hazards as also lessened. If the Trauma is reduced to zero, the Herald is completely immune to the environmental damage. Unless purchased a second time at Stamina 5+, Essence 4+, this Charm does not reduce the Trauma of environmental effects caused by the deliberate action of other characters. If the Exalt also knows Cheaters Never Prosper and encounters an environmental effect without Trauma or one that is otherwise assumed to be automatically injurious, this Charm protects the Exalt perfectly.
Possibility Preservation Charms Vein and Hourglass Freezing Touch
Cost: — (2m); Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Obvious, Shaping, Touch Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Any Stamina Charm For the sick and the dying, time is a precious commodity. The Herald possesses time to spare. Touching an incapacitated or willing living being, the Nocturnal halts all bodily function for two motes. The target’s heart stops beating, he no longer bleeds out, nor does he need to breath. All Sickness and Poison effects are suspended immediately. To beings without supernatural means of diagnosis, he appears conclusively dead. While in this state, he is impervious to any unintentional damage. The Nocturnal must maintain the two-mote commitment throughout the duration of this effect, up to (Stamina) hours. For beings with the Destiny Background, she may maintain this commitment for an additional number of hours equal to the Destiny of the target. The target of this Charm may not perform any actions that he could not do while Inactive, and doing so immediately terminates this Charm’s effects on him. When the effects end, for any reason, the target begins suffering from his wounds, diseases, and toxins as normal. He may be treated by Medicine actions and healing magic normally, even while under the influence of this Charm.
Extemporal Medic Transport
Cost: 2m+; Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK, Obvious, Touch Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Vein and Hourglass Freezing Touch Hauling an injured allied off the battlefield is slow and dangerous work. Better for both the Herald and his ally if they ignore all that hazardous tedium. When the Nocturnal uses Vein and Hourglass Freezing Touch he may also commit two motes per target’s Essence. In a flash of the Nocturnal’s anima, the target vanishes. The Nocturnal has until the ex-
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piration of Vein and Hourglass Freezing Touch to reach an appropriate destination to deliver the injured person, such as a hospital or holding cell. When the Nocturnal arrives at such a place, or decommits the motes, or the target is no longer under the influence of Vein and Hourglass Freezing Touch, the target returns in another flash, minus one willpower for each hour he was gone. This Charm cannot be used again on the same person until he has recovered all his willpower. As a permanent effect, this Charm extends the length of time a being might be under the influence of Vein and Hourglass Freezing Touch to “Until the end of Calibration”, and during Calibration the target of this Charm loses only one willpower per day, rather than per hour.
Softly Stretch the Hours
Cost: — (+1wp); Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Shaping, Suspicious, Training Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Extemporal Medic Transport Elsewhere is not a place meant for human habitation. The timeless force of that spaceless region is a dangerous tool, and if the Exalt did not shield his charge with his own Essence it would almost certainly prove fatal to all but the hardiest beings. However, to a well-trained Nocturnal, the extemporal nature of Elsewhere can be controlled. Expending a willpower when activating this Charm’s prerequisite the Nocturnal allows controlled exposure to Elsewhere. His player rolls (Stamina + Essence), with a difficulty of the target’s Essence, each extra success allows the Nocturnal to apply one point of Elsewhere Mutations as a Training effect which takes a number of hours equal to the total Mutation points to apply. If the Nocturnal botches this roll, he cannot retrieve the person from Elsewhere until Extemporal Medic Transport expires on its own. In such an event, whenever the subject would lose willpower during the use of this Charm he also suffers one unsoakable level of lethal damage. This Charm is not regarded as Suspicious until the subject returns to Creation.
Destiny Adopting Humility
Cost: 1m+; Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Nox, Shaping, Stackable, Suspicious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None In ancient days, the Lord of Possibility absorbed the damage inflicted on the world by the vagrancies of the Primordials, preventing apocalyptic reality failure until the Maidens finished their repairs. So too, the Heralds preserve the work of their Sidereal companions. If a being with an uncompleted Destiny Background dies within (Essence x 10) yards of the Nocturnal, he may activate this Charm by paying a number of motes equal to the deceased’s Destiny and roll (Willpower) with a difficulty equal to the Destiny. If successful, the Nocturnal gains the Destiny as his own. The Nocturnal may not possess more than (Essence) Destinies and any mutually exclusive Destinies or Destinies that are literally impossible, as determined by the Storyteller, are immediately discarded. Otherwise, Destinies remain with the Nocturnal until she fulfills them or a Sidereal removes the Destiny and attaches it to another character. A Sidereal may do this by performing an (Intelligence + Craft [Fate]) dramatic action lasting 10 long ticks, difficulty equal to the number of motes spent to collect the Destiny in question. At some point during this process, he must touch
Elsewhere Mutations
Elsewhere mutations function like Wyld Mutation, except that their variety is far more limited. These mutations may only tamper with the way Time and Space influences a being’s body and mind. They do not, however, interfere with a being’s ability to live in Creation. Some common examples from Exalted (p. 288) include Large, if applied to children who rapidly grow to physical adulthood, Small and Atrophy, if applied to adults as they either revert to physical childhood or succumb to the ravages of old age. From Compass of Celestial Directions, vol. II—The Wyld (pg. 144), Longevity, Wolf’s Pace and its associated mutations (which, while they do not alter the mutant’s body are still impossible to hide if the mutant moves at all), Exalted Healing, Short Gestation, Slow Healing, Short Life, and Amnesia. Some new examples follow and are equally available through Wyld Mutations. Weathering Touch: This Deficiency causes the mutant to be an unwitting agent of the inexorable force of entropy. He doubles effective amount of time he spends using objects, causing them to break down sooner. Food he prepares spoils faster and plants he tends blossom, wither, and die at a much faster pace (which may provide a small benefit in accelerating harvest—offset by rapid spoiling). Mortals and natural animals with whom he interacts also age more quickly, though the acceleration only becomes noticeable on long timescales with near-constant interaction. Mortals who spend time in the Labyrinth or the Blighted Zones of Autochthonia may acquire this mutation from exposure to the entropic nature of those locations. Telekinesis: Space does not quite align properly for the mutant. As a Pox, this adds one yard to the mutants reach. It may be purchased as an Affliction or a Blight, which double or quadruple the bonus, respectively. Unless the mutant is making use of this bonus, this mutation is not immediately obviously. However, the mutant must go through the appropriate motions to control things at this extend range and he suffers an internal penalty equal to the mutation points of Telekenesis on all actions involving use of his actual hands. Neotony: This Affliction halts any overt signs of physical aging. The mutant will still die of old age eventually, but will continue to look the same age throughout the remainder of her life. If the mutant gains this Affliction before reaching sexual maturity, the reproductive system continues to development normally. Some with this mutation enjoy the benefits of remaining in the prime of their life—others suffer the curse of forever being trapped in the body of a child. Phase Shift: The mutant may become slightly out of sync with time and space with this Affliction. By spending one willpower, the mutant and his possessions become dematerialized for one action. This may be activated reflexively only on a Tick during which the mutant acts. Oracle: This Affliction disconnects the mutant’s mind from time and space for a brief moment. Once per day, as a Miscellaneous Action costing one willpower, the mutant may perform a Divination (Exalted, p. 138)—though the mutant’s player rolls (Perception + Awareness) instead of (Intelligence + Occult). This action is Obvious to anyone who can see the mutant and it cannot be flurried. As a Debility, these visions come unbidden and often reveal future horrors rather than useful insights. Once per day, the Storyteller may inflict this vision upon the mutant as a reflexive action. In addition to the roll to determine the accuracy of the vision, the mutant’s player also must succeed at a Valor or Conviction roll (his choice) or lose one willpower. Slow Metabolism: This Affliction doubles the mutant’s Stamina for the purposes of determining how long he may go without requiring food and doubles the interval of Poisons. This mutation is often received in association with Longevity. As the Rapid Metabolism Debility, the mutant halves his Stamina for the purposes of determining how long he can go without food. This mutation is often received in association with Short Lived or Wolf’s Pace and its variants. Mercury’s Pace: This Abomination is the final variant of Wolf’s Pace. This mutation adds eight to the mutant’s Dexterity for the purposes of calculating movement in combat and eight to his Strength for the purposes of calculating his Jumping Distance. He also doubles any mobility penalties that apply to him. For long distance travel he moves at the pace of a tireless horse, so long as he suffers from no mobility penalty or as a simple horse relay otherwise. Additionally, while he has no mobility penalty, he may spend one willpower to Move at his full Dash speed in combat. So fast is the mutant when evoking this ability he appears to teleport—in fact, that is precisely what some mutants with this power do. the Nocturnal and the new recipient. If the Sidereal currently has access of the Loom, the Fates of either participant not only provide a suitable substitute, but gives the Sidereal an extra success on the roll. As appropriate, the Sidereal may attach Destinies to things created by a Solar with Wyld-Shaping Technique, granting them permanence. Additionally the Nocturnal’s companion may now craft Destinies specifically for him and grant them with a touch rather than going through the Loom of Fate. If Nox is removed from the Loom, the Nocturnal gains a number of Paradox dice equal to either the Destiny Background. A Nocturnal under the influences of this Charm is no longer obscured by the Loom, but will appear as the original carrier of the Destiny. Despite only affecting the Nocturnal, this Charm becomes Suspicious when the Nocturnal possesses Destinies from multiple people.
Inheriting the Patchwork Estate Cost: —; Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 3;
Type: Permanent Keywords: Suspicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Destiny Adopting Humility In dark days, heroes fall, cities are raized, and wonders demolished. This Charm enhances its prerequisite, allowing the Nocturnal to salvage uncompleted Destinies of regions and objects upon their untimely destruction. For example, if the Mask of Winters burns Lookshy to the ground before it can complete the epic destiny that Mars had prepared for the city, the Nocturnal could preserve that destiny until such time as her Sidereal companion could find a new military power to assume the role of Lookshy. Possessing even one Destiny belonging to a region or object is Suspicious.
Weaving the Tapestry
Cost: 20m, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK, Nox, Obvious, Shaping
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Duration: One project Prerequisite Charms: Inheriting the Patchwork Estate, The Crooked Made Straight As the gods intended, the Vizier foresees and the Herald pronounces. This Charm allows the Herald and an appropriate Sidereal to work together to tame the Wyld and restore damage to Creation. Simulating the function of the Solar Charm Wyld-Shaping Technique and Wyld Cauldron Technique (consult Scroll of Errata for the updated mechanics of these two Charms), this Charm must be undertaken in two phases, which must occur simultaneously. First, while she has access to the Loom of Fate, the appropriate Sidereal weaves a Destiny she has crafted (Manual of Exalted Power—Sidereals, p. 212) for a person, mundane object (treat as an Exotic Ingredient), or region that does not yet exist, but could exist within the standard physical laws of Creation. The Sidereal rolls (Intelligence + Craft [Fate]) to accomplish this. Meanwhile, the Nocturnal ventures into the Wyld and demands that the Wyld relinquish the desired creation, waiting with indomitable patience until it does so. His player rolls (Stamina + Integrity). Each roll requires five hours of labor and has the same difficulty as the Solar’s (Intelligence + Lore) roll would to accomplish the same task. The Sidereal and Nocturnal must both accumulate the necessary number of successes to complete this task. This Charm may only be used within the Bordermarches and Middlemarches. Once both the Vizier and the Herald have successfully completed their respective tasks, the desired creation forms near the Nocturnal, ready to be escorted back to Creation. Land made with this Charm completely converts the waypoint into Creation, provide it currently borders Creation, and cannot be moved except with specialized magic, such as Neighborhood Relocation Scheme (Manual of Exalted Power—Sidereals, p. 144).Wyld-tained lands in Creation may be healed by treating them as Bordermarch waypoints to be converted into the Creation, with a +3 difficulty if it is not Calibration. Anything created with this Charm is automatically permanent, as it is bound to the Loom of Fate by the destiny forged for it by the Vizier. During Calibration, while Nox is in the Loom, shadowlands may be similarly healed by treating them as Wyld-tainted regions, though the +3 difficulty remains. If Nox is free, this effect requires a second purchase of this Charm to perform.
Thousandfold Hero Threads
Cost: — (+1m); Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Native, Overdrive Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Destiny Adopting Humility Taking up the burdened of fallen heroes, the Herald draws upon their unspent strength. This Charm grants the Exalt an Overdrive pool capable of holding ten motes, initially empty.Whenever the Exalt performs a successful actions enhanced by a Destiny he possesses, he adds a number of motes to this pool equal to the Destiny. Unlike other Overdrive pools, the Nocturnal may use these ten motes to pay for any Charm, so long as its use helps complete the Destiny. However, if the Charm is not an offensive Charm, the Exalt must pay a one mote surcharge from this pool.
Yarn and Epic Spinster
Cost: —; Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent
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Prerequisite Charms: Thousandfold Hero Threads In time the Herald may accumulate the heroic purpose of many fallen, and the echos of these unfinished acts of heroism demand fulfillment from the Exalt. For better or worse, the Nocturnal treats her Destinies as additional Motivations for determining unacceptable orders and bonus or penalties in Social Combat.
Sustenance Charms
Truthful Nomenclature Habits
Cost: —; Mins: Stamina 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None The Herald is a creature of the night, tirelessly working while others sleep. But his labors do not end at the rising of the sun, as his fellows do not share his habits. So long as the Exalt sleeps only while the sun is in the sky, he divides the number of hours required for a full night’s sleep by his Essence—so upon learning this Charm at the first opportunity, for example, grants a full day’s rest in only four hours. The Nocturnal may still only regain willpower from sleep once per day. During Calibration he foregoes all need for sleep, though he may roll to regain willpower at sunset as though he had slept.
Feast Today, Fast Tomorrow
Cost: 1m; Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Stackable Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Any Stamina Charm The Harlequin does not know when her next meal might be. Prudence, not gluttony, encourages her appetite. For each full day’s worth of food and water she consumes in excess of her daily requirement she may commit a mote. The effects of the meal are pushed into her future to be enjoyed later. Whenever she decommits a mote dedicated to this Charm, she experiences all consequences of one meal she holds in reserve. She may also use this Charm to hold the effects of various intoxicants in reserve, along what she consumes to provide both nutrition and recreation, as desired. She may not commit more than (Stamina + Resistance) motes to this Charm.
For Meat and Bread Today
Cost: — (+1wp); Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Stackable Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Feast Today, Fast Tomorrow The Harlequin remembers being poor and hungry and takes pity on herself, transmitting aid back to her past self. This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite. If she has no meals held in reserve, she may pay an additional willpower to benefit from a meal she has yet to eat. The mote cannot be decommited for any reason until she has consumed a day’s worth of food to account for her paradoxical meal. When she consumes the meal and water she gains no benefits from it, but does not suffer any negative effects, such as potential poisoning. Though she may not put meals into reserve with this Charm’s prerequisite while she retains the debt of a future meal, she may still commit up to (Stamina +Resistance) motes, preemptively benefiting from that many future meals.
Marching On the Stomach
Cost: 1m+, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-Basic, Stackable, Suspicious Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Feast Today, Fast Tomorrow The Herald joins the people at feast times, celebrating bounty and preparing them for famine. This Charm functions as its prerequisite with the following exception. The Nocturnal must participate in a large feast attended by a social or military unit to which she belongs. She commits a number of motes equal to the unit’s Magnitude per day’s worth of food and water the group consumes. As with the prerequisite, benefits of meals bound in to the committed Essence have no effects until the Nocturnal decommits them. She may hold up to her (Willpower) meal’s in reserve this way. During Calibration, a single day’s worth of food and water consumed may count as (Essence) day’s worth.
Gleaning the Fields
Cost: 10m; Mins: Stamina 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Suspicious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Feast Today, Fast Tomorrow Though the Herald may mitigate the harm of famine through extemporal meals—actually acquiring the surplus of food needed to support such Charms may be difficult. With this Charm the Exalt eases his burden in the present at the expense of the future. Supplementing any attempt to obtain food or water, the Nocturnal multiplies the final amount of sustenance acquired by his Essence. However, the next (Essence) attempts at similar means of obtaining food or water suffer a -4 External Penalty. A successful hunt steals game animals from the future to the present; a bountiful harvest this year robs the land of nutrients for several seasons to come. At Essence 3+ the Nocturnal may expend (+1wp) to have this Charm affect a social or military unit with a Magnitude no greater than his Essence. In such cases, the associated penalty applies to all people and animals within (Essence) miles of the Nocturnal’s location when this Charm is used. Such use of the Charm is considered Suspicious. During Calibration, this Charm may be used without incurring any penalty, but the Nocturnal gains one automatic point of Paradox.
Adamant Stomach Acclimation
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 3, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Stamina Charm Many travelers have met with embarrassment when tasting foreign delicacies for the first time—or contracted diseases from drinking water in strange lands. The Harlequin with this Charm never fears such situations and may eat as though he were a local. He gains general knowledge of any food or drink brought before him, knowing how the locals usually prepare it and what ingredients typically go into its production. Any peculiar variations of chef are not immediately known, though Nocturnal gains three bonus dice to detect deviation from the norm. If there are any Poison or Sickness effects attached to the meal, he gains his Stamina in automatic successes to resist them, and adds his Stamina in extra dice to avoid any social faux pas while eating exotic dishes.
At Essence 3+ this Charm allows the Harlequin to recall any meal he has consumed and how it was prepared, allowing him to replicate any exotic menu from memory, so long as she can collect the proper ingredients.
Retroactive Prevention
Cost: 2m; Mins: Stamina 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Training Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Stamina Charm Like all Exalts, the Harlequin is immune to most common diseases, but she may still succumb to particularly aggressive diseases and poisons. In order to avoid these, the Nocturnal adjusts her own history to retroactively immunize her body against the disease or toxin. She gains three artificial specialties to resist a Poison or Sickness effect. As a training effect, she may make any of these specialties permanent by expending the appropriate experience—if she already possesses three specialties for the appropriate Ability (usually Resistance) she may swap any number of them out for specialties related to the current threat, as usual. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 3+ allows the Herald to apply its benefits to another person with a Touch.
Unintentional Contact Avoidance
Cost: 6m, (1wp); Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping, Suspicious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Retroactive Prevention In the wilderness, determining what is safe to eat is a challenge, and failure is potentially fatal. This is no less true in the courts of intrigues that surround all Exalted. The Harlequin preserves herself against casual poisoning or diseases. She rolls (Stamina + Resistance) upon activating this Charm. All poisons reduce their Toxicity by one and all diseases reduce their Virulence by one for each success. Any poison or disease reduced to 0 Toxicity or Virulence is rendered inert. By spending a willpower, the Harlequin may extend this benefit to all beings within her (Essence x 2) yards, though doing so is regarded as Suspicious. Anyone who knowingly exposes himself to poison or disease gains no benefits from this Charm. A second purchase at Essence 4+ removes this final restriction. While this Charm is active, the Exalt is also perfectly immune to Poison and Sickness effects which automatically poison or infect the target if she also knows Cheaters Never Prosper.
Live Another Day
Cost: —; Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Native, Obvious, Suspicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Unintentional Contact Avoidance Whether from old age, the ravages of disease, or degenerative poisons, even a mortal who has led a peaceful life will someday die. So too will the peaceful Harlequin. But for her, such things are not the end. This Charm permanently enhances the Exalt’s physiology. When she would otherwise be killed by either a Poison or a Sickness effect, she instead undergoes an immediate Renewal (p. 63). Despite affecting the Nocturnal directly, this is still considered Suspicious. All her Dying health levels are healed immediately and her Incapicated health level heals twenty-five hours later as she awakes to find herself in a new body.
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Die Another Way
Cost: —; Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Live Another Day, Living Beyond the Moment The tenacious Herald clings to life until the bitter end. When he has shuffled his death off until the future, he is better prepared to swindle Saturn one last time. Once the Exalt has mastered this Charm, if he would be killed from damage inflicted by the lingering after-effects of Living Beyond the Moment, he instead undergoes an immediate Renewel as described in Live Another Day. Doing so immediately eliminates all remaining damage left in Living Beyond the Moment’s reserves.
CHARISMA
Background Acquisition Charms Services Rendered
Cost: 8m; Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None The Harlequin is an entertainer and her talents never go unrewarded. This Charm may supplement any action which might qualify the Nocturnal to receive motes from Courtesan and Artisan Meditation (p. 113), even if performed for less than an hour. At the conclusion of that action, her player rolls (Charisma + relevant Ability) against the MDV of all who benefited from her action. She never receives fewer successes on this roll than her extra successes on the previous action. Anyone whose Mental DVs are insufficient to overcome this social attack suffers an unnatural mental influence to compensate the Nocturnal for her services. They are compelled to offer the Nocturnal the equivalent of the Nocturnal’s extra successes in Resources, to a maximum of their own Resources minus one. This Compulsion costs 2 willpower to resist. People with Resources 1 or lower are not required to provide any compensation but will instead feel compelled to voice their appreciation, either to the Nocturnal directly or by praising the Exalt to his friends, family, and strangers he meets—much to their frequent annoyance.
Grabbing the Reins
Cost: 5m, 1wp (3xp); Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 1; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm The Herald is a creature of the night and in the darkness he finds many allies. Using this Charm, the Exalt binds himself to a nocturnal creature, rolling (Charisma + [Presence or Survival]) with a difficulty equal to the Familiar rating of the creature. If successful the Nocturnal gains the creature as a familiar for the remainder of the scene. At Essence 3+, the Herald is no longer limited to animals that share his nocturnal habits. Once per scene, he may spend 3xp to gain one dot of Familiar—permanently gaining the creature as his true Familiar an appropriate number of applications. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 3+ allows the Nocturnal to target creatures that are currently the familiar of other beings. He and the familiar’s owner make a contested
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Willpower roll. The owner gains a number of automatic successes equal to his Familiar rating, while the Nocturnal may supplement this roll with his Charisma Excellency if placed in a combo with this Charm. If successful, the Nocturnal robs the other person of her familiar for the scene—and may permanently reduce the target’s familiar rating by one by spending 3xp. Permanently reducing the target’s Familiar rating makes this Charm Suspicious.
Tightening the Leash
Cost: 1-5m, (+1wp); Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3) Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Grabbing the Reins The Herald and his familiar are bound tightly together. Not even time or space can keep them apart. By spending a number of motes equal to the familiar’s rating, the Nocturnal recalls his familiar to him across any distance within the same realm of existence, provided that there is at least one possible path that the familiar could have followed on its own to reach the Exalt. If, for example, the Nocturnal has a yeddim familiar and is in a cave with a single entrance barely big enough for a human to squeeze through, this Charm cannot call his familiar to him. With a second purchase at Essence 3+, the Herald’s familiar no longer requires a logical path to be summoned with the Exalt pays one willpower when summoning it. So long as there is ample space to receive the familiar and both the Exalt and the animal are within the same realm of existence, this Charm may be used. Used in this way, this Charm becomes Suspicious.
Ears to the Ground
Cost: 4m, (+1wp); Mins: Charisma 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK, Shaping, Suspicious Duration: One Day Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm The Herald depends upon a strong network of connections to be her eyes and ears while away. But even in foreign lands she finds willing informants, and failing that, makes them. The Exalt’s player rolls (Charisma + [Investigation or Socialize]), suffering a -1 external penalty if she has never been in the region before and a -2 external penalty if the region would be openly hostile to her. These penalties stack. She gains one dot of minor contacts per success. By spending an additional willpower she may gain one major contact per success as well though this becomes Suspicious for non-extras, as the contact’s history is rewritten to include a casual relationship with the Herald. Usually only mortals may be bound to the Herald in this way, but a second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ allows her to gain contacts among beings with Essence less than her own, though only if her roll overcomes the potential contact’s Mental DVs. Any being may resist this shaping effect by spending willpower equal to the Herald’s Essence, minus their own, to a maximum of 5. This Charm’s duration changes to Until the End of Calibration if activated during Calibration.
Friends and Lovers Stance
Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Ears to the Ground
With natural social poise, the Harlequin ingratiates himself among the mighty. The Nocturnal spends a scene in social interaction with another person and attempts tangle their futures together on positive terms. So long as the scene does not end on sour terms, the Nocturnal rolls (Charisma + Socialize) against the target’s Mental DV. If successful, the target gains a positive Intimacy toward the Nocturnal, appropriately flavored by their recent encounter. This Intimacy may be resisted for a scene by spending one willpower and is completely dismissed once the target has spent (Nocturnal’s Charisma) willpower. So long as the Intimacy remains, the Exalt gains an appropriate Ally background to represent the target and interacts with that character accordingly. At the Storyteller’s discretion, this may be replaced with a Mentor background if the target is substantially more powerful than the Nocturnal himself.
Zodiac and Ecliptic Union
Cost: — (3xp); Mins: Charisma 2, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None The bond between Herald and Vizier is deep and automatic. While no further apart than their combined Essence in yards, neither the Nocturnal nor the Sidereal needs to spend Willpower to channel a Virtue to support an action which aids their companion. At the end of any scene in which they benefited from their companion’s virtuous actions, the Nocturnal or the Sidereal may spend 3xp to raise their respective Companion rating by one. A second purchase of this Charm adds their combined Companion rating in yards to the maximum distance which may separate the pair.
Constellations Fill the Sky
Cost: —; Mins: Charisma 2, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Zodiac and Ecliptic Union Though often at odds over the eternal debate between free will and predestination, the Herald and the Vizier have a common goal in the defense of Creation. They are stronger together than they are apart. When the Herald successfully performs a stunt to aid his companion by acting in a manner consistent with the nature of his companion’s aspect (acting secretively in the case of a Chosen of Secrets, for example), the Exalt may regain a Virtue channel instead of the usual reward from the stunt. The Storyteller may veto an attempt to regain a Virtue channel if the stunt is determined to be contrary to the ideals of the Virtue.
Implacable Foundations
Cost: 3m; Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Social, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Zodiac and Ecliptic Union The Chosen of Possibilities have few constants in their lives. The past is an illusion to be exploited—the future, a dream to be crafted. There is but one island of certainty that the Herald can rely upon: his Sidereal companion. Calling upon that point of stability, this Charm serves as a perfect defense against unwanted social influences originating from Creatures outside of Fate, so long as the Exalt’s companion has placed upon him an Ascending Destiny that would be
relevant to his current situation. The necessity of a tether to the certainty of the Loom of Fate serves as a unique Flaw of Invulnerability. A relevant Destiny provided by Destiny Preserving Humility will also allow the Nocturnal to activate this Charm, but reduces the Destiny rating by one as part of the cost. During Calibraiton, this may serve as a perfect social defense against beings within Fate, so long as the Exalt possesses a relevant Destiny. A second purchase at Charisma 5+, Essence 3+ grants this benefit even when it is not Calibration, but makes such use Suspicious.
Fifteen Minutes of Fame Approach
Cost: 6m (+1wp); Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm Like all Exalted, the Harlequin, in time, makes quite a name for herself. She is a hero of legend and rumor—even if those legends and rumors are contradictory. Wherever she goes, she knows how to play the part. First, the Nocturnal’s player rolls (Charisma + relevant ability). If she wishes to be famous for her musical talents, she would roll Performance; for her healing abilities, Medicine; for her physical prowess, Athletics; and so on. This roll suffers an external penalty equal to the highest rating in the chosen ability present, excluding her own. The Exalt gains Influence equal to the remaining successes, to a maximum of 5 or the Nocturnal’s Essence, whichever is lower. Additionally, for the remainder of the scene, the Nocturnal may add up to her new Influence rating to the Chosen ability, though this is subject to usual dice cap rules for the Nocturnal. This Charm lasts until the end of Calibration if activated during that time.
Building the Bandwagon
Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Emotion, Social Duration: (Charisma) Days Prerequisite Charms: Fifteen Minutes of Fame Approach As the servants of other Exalted, the Herald is often sent out to drum up support for their superiors and their agenda. The Exalt’s affable personality engenders a Charisma-based social attack with an infectious intimacy. If the attack is successful, the target gains an Intimacy of loyalty to a being other than a Nocturnal Exalted or to a cause lead by such a being. Additionally, the target gains the Compulsion to spread the Intimacy to others. If this was a social attack against a single target, she may spend two willpower to resist the Compulsion and another two to resist the Emotion of the Intimacy—both are regarded as unnatural mental influences. If this is an attack against a social unit, the leader may pay two Loyalty to resist the Compulsion and two to resist the Emotion, otherwise the Intimacy and Compulsion become part of its Policy. If this causes the unit to split, those who split from the main unit must also resist the full effects of this Charm or it continues normally. The Intimacy created by this Charm lasts until it is resisted. The Compulsion, however, lasts until the end of this Charm or until it is resisted. Each day after the first, the social unit gains an additional Magnitude (a single target is considered Magnitude 0 as usual), with the Intimacy as its Policy. This continues each day until the Charm ends or the unit has Magnitude equal to Nocturnal’s Essence. If all people
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affected by the Compulsion resist its effects in the same day, the Charm terminates immediately. This Charm can be used to accelerate recruitment drives for Mass Combat units as well—though it only ensures an ample supply of soldiers willing to fight and die for their loyalties. They’re actually fighting qualifications may leave much to be desired.
Outside Consultant Technique
Cost: 5m; Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK Duration: One Day Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm Though they rarely hold positions of authority themselves, the Harlequins may be called upon by various organizations to offer aid in a particular area of expertise. This Charm allows the Nocturnal to acquire temporary Backing in a particular organization. The Nocturnal rolls (Charisma + relevant ability), with a difficulty of the highest Backing rating possessed by someone else in the scene. Bureaucracy is always regarded as relevant, but the Nocturnal may elect to roll a different ability if it relates to an area of focus for the organization or for the task the organization intends the Exalt to perform (or the task she feigns to perform). For example, a Nocturnal might choose War if trying to offer advice to members of the House of Bells, or Occult while attempting to pose as a visiting scholar at the Heptagram. If successful, the Nocturnal gains Backing in that organization equal to half his Essence. While in the same scene, beings with a higher relevant Backing than the Exalt’s may revoke his status by simply issuing a statement to the organization as a whole, or at least those members present. Those with equal Backing may make a contested ([Charisma or Manipulation] + Bureaucracy) roll; if successful the Nocturnal is denounced and his status revoked. This Charm lasts until the end of Calibration if activated at that time.
Heir to the Calibration King
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK, Mandate, Obvious, Shaping Duration: Until the End of Calibration Prerequisite Charms: Friends and Lovers Stances, Building the Bandwagon, Outside Consultant Technique It is tradition among many kingdoms in Creation to allow the court jester to rule the nation during the chaotic days of Calibration, allowing the actual authority to escape blame for any misfortune that befalls their people during this time. The Harlequin brings this principle to the courts of the Lords of Creation. This Charm may only be used during the five days of Calibration. The Exalt targets an organization or nation he wishes to assume control of and is currently in. If the current leader is willing, this Charm succeeds automatically; otherwise the Nocturnal must roll (Charisma + Willpower) with a difficulty equal to the Magnitude of the target, plus the highest Essence of its leaders. If successful, all trappings of authority and legal and metaphysical rights thereof pass to the Nocturnal. The leader may resist this completely with an appropriate Shaping defense; otherwise beings with immunity to Shaping may ignore the Nocturnal’s borrowed mantle of authority on an individual basis. Authority transfers back to the original leader at the end of this Charm, but the Nocturnal’s decisions remain in effect
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unless specifically rescinded by the current leader. The leader receives no blame or ill-will for anything the Nocturnal does (and a savvy leader can easily exploit this), so long as she terminates any detrimental decisions the Nocturnal made within the first week after Calibration. The Nocturnal is under no obligation to make it easy for the current leader to take back his orders. While this Charm is active, Building the Bandwagon may be used to spread loyalty of himself and his causes within the usurped organization. While this Charm is not Suspicious, it rarely goes without notice. In Mandate of Heaven rules, this Charm allows the Nocturnal to select one of the Dominions actions for a time period including Calibration. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 7+ grants it the Stackable-keyword, allowing the Harlequin to assume control of up to (Essence) nations and organizations simultaneously. Each activation after the first costs only five motes and a willpower.
Fascination Charms
Artful Conversationalist’s Allure
Cost: 4m; Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1) Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Social Duration: (Charisma) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm A master of pleasant conversation, the Harlequin enthralls her audience. Few can tear themselves away from her words. This Charm augments a social attack. Her words draw her opponent deeper into the conversation. If successful, the opponent or opponents are compelled to remain in Social Combat rather than leaving or initiating physical combat. The target may break free of this unnatural mental influence by spending willpower equal to half the Nocturnal’s Charisma, rounding up. A second purchase of this Charm at Charisma 4+, Essence 3+ allows the Exalt to employ this as a social counterattack if her Mental Parry DV was sufficient to overcome a social attack. This Charm may be activated on Step 9 and, if so, gains the Counterattack-keyword. A third purchase at Charisma 5+, Essence 4+ allows the Exalt to employ this Charm as a counterattack in physical combat if she successfully defends herself against a physical attack. If successful the attacker immediately ceases Physical Combat and is regarded as Inactive if combat continues, until either he spends the required willpower or is attacked. He may defend himself normally. Used in this way, this Charm becomes Obvious.
Interest Catching Camaraderie
Cost: 6m, (+1wp); Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Social Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm The Harlequin binds others into lengthy discussions of common interests or long, passionate debates. This Charm supplements a Social attack. If the Exalt possesses an Intimacy which relates, even unfavorably, to the target’s Motivation, Policy, or one of the target’s Intimacies, the attack becomes undodgeable. With a second purchase at Charisma 5+, Essence 4+, the Exalt may spend one willpower upon first activating this Charm. Doing so allows the Nocturnal to enjoy a cumulative -1m discount on this Charm, to a minimum of 0m, for the
remainder of the scene so long as she does not change the Essence mutation as a Training effect. Since he receives this as topic or fail to activate this Charm at least once each action. he completes his Motivation, he may also increase his Essence by one immediately, as usual. Entrancing Aurora Novelty Cost: 7m, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 5, Essence 3; Continued Discussion Addiction Type: Simple (Speed 4, DV -2) Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 5, Essence 3; Keywords: Calibration, Combo-Basic, Obvious Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Duration: (Charisma) Actions Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Social Prerequisite Charms: Interest Catching Camaraderie Duration: (Extra Successes) Days With a smile and a pleasant word, the Harlequin en- Prerequisite Charms: Artful Conversationalist’s Allure, Intersnares the world. For him, Fate itself would unravel if he est Catching Camaraderie would only ask. His forceful presence wins many hearts and Nocturnal courtiers are highly prized additions to any breaks as many minds. For the duration of this Charm, he social setting. Their very presence is intoxicating. This Charm increases the willpower necessary to resist his natural mental requires a scene of interaction between the Harlequin and influences by one and treats his Appearance as being one another being. At the end of the interaction, the Exalt’s player higher. He may gain one Paradox rather than spend the will- makes a (Charisma + relevant ability) roll against the target’s power cost of any First, Second, or Third Excellency. During Mental DVs. In addition to typically Presence or PerformanceCalibration, he adds one success to all his social attacks, one based rolls, this social attack may take some rather unorthodox to his mental DVs, and gains one Paradox die instead of one forms. For example, after a scene of sparing the Nocturnal’s Paradox. player might roll (Charisma + Martial Arts), or (Charisma + A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ makes Craft [Water]) after the target has enjoyed a meal prepared by this Charm Calibration-OK. the Nocturnal. If the social attack is successful, the target gains a ComFollowing the Heart’s Desire pulsion to reengage the Exalt in similar interaction. The tarCost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 3; get is not obligated to pursue this Compulsion until the next Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) day and may resist it for one day by spending one willpower, Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Social or completely by spending half the Nocturnal’s Charisma, Duration: Instant rounding up, in willpower at one time. If the Nocturnal is not Prerequisite Charms: Interest Catching Camaraderie available, the target seeks other means to gratify the Compul A conversation with the Harlequin is an eye-opening sion, but is never quite satisfied by the experience. experience. Like a night of contemplative consideration, those who speak with the Nocturnal leave her presence with nteraction harms new resolve and a sense of purpose. The Exalt spends a scene conversing with the target of this Charm about a topic that Courtesan and Artisan Meditation relates favorably to the target’s Motivation, Policy, or one of Cost: —; Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 3; his Intimacies. At the end of the conversation, her player rolls Type: Permanent a Charisma-based social attack against the target. If success- Keywords: Merged, Native ful, the target is unnaturally compelled to pursue the most Duration: Permanent expedient course of action that will advance his Motivation, Prerequisite Charms: None Through her service to others the Harlequin finds Policy, or chosen Intimacy. For example, if the target has an Intimacy to see justice executed, the Exalt might convince him fulfillment and is, in turn, empowered. This Charm allows to take the law into his own hands and pursue vigilantism. the Nocturnal to recover additional motes while entertaining, physically or emotionally healing others, or aiding another This unnatural Compulsion costs two willpower to resist. in accomplishing his Motivation. For every hour the Exalt Darkest Night Hero spends doing such activities, she recovers a number of motes Cost: — (+5m); Mins: Charisma 5, Essence 3; equal either to the Magnitude of the group affected, or the Type: Permanent highest Essence of any member of that group, whichever is Keywords: Nox, Suspicious, Training higher. If the Exalt also knows The Open Road Softly Calls Duration: Permanent each hour spent traveling at the request of another being or Prerequisite Charms: Following the Heart’s Desire group likewise allows the Exalt to regain motes. Desperation and desire forge champions, if only for Additionally, each purchase of this Charm provides the a night. Come morning, an unlikely hero may wonder why Nocturnal with an additional 10 motes for her peripheral eshe ever acted so boldly or took such foolish risks. By paying sence pool, which may only be refilled through Charms that the surcharge of this Charm when activating Following the recover motes of Essence. This Charm may be purchased once Heart’s Desire, the Nocturnal elevates an extra to Heroic per dot of Permanent Essence. Mortal status while they pursue the Compulsion, exaggerat- Merged: Courtesan and Artisan Meditation (Intelligence, ing the mortal’s Motivation into something suitably heroic. Wits) When this Charm is used, the threads of Fate representing Exaltations quiver and Lytek’s cabinet rattles as the Exaltations Bought Mercenary’s Oath consider this new hero. Additionally, the new hero gains a Cost: — (1xp); Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 3; Willpower rating of at least 6, as a training effect, and restores Type: Permanent all temporary willpower. This reverts to his natural rating, if Keywords: Compulsion, Merged, Native Duration: Permanent lower, once he loses his Heroic status. If the mortal fails to achieve this empowered Motivation Prerequisite Charms: Courtesan and Artisan Meditation The Harlequin spends his days fulfilling the requests of or spends willpower to resist the Compulsion of Following the Heart’s Desire, he reverts back to insignificant extra. If he others and through his service steels his will against further succeeds, however, he may choose to receive the Enlightend demands. When the Harlequin receives an order from a
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Celestial Exalt which could serve as an appropriately heroic Motivation for any type of Exalted, the Harlequin’s player may pay one experience to change his character’s Motivation to the request. The Motivation is thereafter inviolable, even by the Harlequin’s own Charms such as Inevitable Bandit Betrayal. Further application of this Charm is the sole exception to this rule as the Exalt may overwrite one order with a new one. The Harlequin’s Subservience immediately drops to zero and the being who issued the order no longer triggers the Curse while the Harlequin has this new Motivation. The Harlequin gains a Compulsion to complete the Motivation which costs two willpower to resist for a day but can never be fully negated while the Motivation remains. Spending at least one scene a day working toward the Motivation is enough to satisfy the demands of the Compulsion. If the Exalt successfully completes the Motivation, he never again suffers the Curse of Subservience from the Celestial who issued the order. If the Motivation ever becomes impossible, it may be freely abandoned. Once completed or rendered impossible, the Harlequin may choose to restore his own Motivation or adopt a new one as appropriate. Merged: Bought Mercenary’s Oath (Intelligence, Wits)
Limitless Cosmos Expansion
Cost: —; Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Merged, Native Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Courtesan and Artisan Meditation Delving into the hidden depths of their own cosmic power, the Heralds unlock the splendor and majesty of the heavens within their own souls. The effects of this Charm depend upon the Herald’s caste. As a universal effect, all Nocturnals may now use Calibration-OK Charms when their anima flares to the 11+ mote level, as though they were Empyreans. Nova: The intense explosion of the vanguard’s anima ripples outward with tremendous force. When his anima first flares at the 11+ mote level, it sends out a blast of cosmic energy. All beings he considers enemies within the radius of the vanguard’s anima must check for knockdown at a difficulty equal to his Essence. If she fails, the antagonistic being is carried to the edge of the Nocturnal’s anima. As the anima expands to cover more territory, additional pulses radiated out from the vanguard, forcing another knockdown check. Comet: The armiger bombards her foes with a series of powerful attacks, each more powerful than the last. Once her anima has reached the 11+ mote level, she gains one automatic success a physical attack for each previous physical attack she performed in one Action and increases the willpower needed to resist the slowing effect to half her Essence. Aurora: Surrounded by rippling viridian banners, the ambassador is far too lovely to destroy. Once the ambassador’s anima has reached the 11+ mote level, all beings must fail a Compassion roll to physically attack him and such attacks suffer an internal penalty equal to the attacker’s Compassion. Empyrean: The barrister’s life is one of barely controlled chaos, but he is rewarded for embracing a life of chances and risks. Whenever a Chance die is rolled by the player of a being within that radius, that player may reroll the Chance die once and choose which of the two results apply, at the cost of a willpower. The Empyrean himself may make this reroll freely. No Chance die may be rolled more than once. Additionally, the area within the barrister’s anima counts a Calibration for the purposes of Fluctuations as well, so long as the effects of
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the Fluctuation are completely contained within that radius at the time of the Herald’s player makes the roll. Nebula: Dense clouds of cosmic dust surround the sophist, fogging the minds of his foes and obscuring their vision. Once the sophist’s anima banner reaches the 11+ mote level, the initial External Penalty it imposes on Mental Attribute rolls increases to –(Essence), and the maximum it can impose increases to (Essence x 2). Additionally, the anima banner obscures vision as an actual fog (Exalted, p. 135). Merged: Limitless Cosmos Expansion (Intelligence, Wits)
Brothers In Arms
Cost: 5m; Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion, Social Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm At night settles over the world, people band together against whatever may hide in darkness. The Herald likewise encourages solidarity. This Charm supplements a spoken or written Charisma-based social attack which emphasizes commonalities among a group and encourages people to work toward a common goal. The attack suffers an external penalty equal to the social unit’s Magnitude, but if successful, every member of the unit gains an Intimacy of solidarity for the group as a whole. Targets with such Intimacies will temporarily set aside differences and cooperate willing unless schisms between them are deliberately reopened. Resisting this unnatural Emotion costs two willpower.
Stentorian Amplification Practice
Cost: 2m (+1wp); Mins: Charisma 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm On the battlefield or in a debate hall, the Herald must ensure his voice is heard. Any attempt to relate information suffers no external penalty due to range, contesting noise, or other forms of interference, so long as the recipient is within (Essence x 50) yards. All within range may hear the Nocturnal’s words as clearly as though spoken beside them in personal conversation. The Nocturnal may touch another person upon activating this Charm to transfer the benefit to her by spending one willpower—doing so grants this Charm the Touch keyword. A second purchase at Essence 4+ changes the duration to Indefinite. So long as the motes remain committed, the Exalt’s message is received. This is particularly useful for delayed communications. No amount of graffiti may cover-up her propaganda posters; nor will any accident on the road obscure the message written to a distant ally. The material upon which the message is written may be destroyed as normal, but individual pieces continue to remain legible beneath any vandalism. Burning such messages is one of the few ways to effectively break this Charm’s power.
Echoing Polyglot Discourse
Cost: 5m, (+1wp); Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Stentorian Amplification Practice Language barriers hinder efficient communication. Translators take time to relate conversations and all too often the fine details are lost. With this Charm the Herald bypasses the need for such inefficient methods. Anything he says is
simultaneously spoken in all languages he knows. Individuals will only hear one version of the Herald’s words, preferentially their own native language. If an individual and the Herald do not share a common language, they hear only the Herald’s own native tongue. During Calibration, the entire audience hears the Nocturnal’s words in their own native dialect if the Exalt spends an additional willpower upon activating this Charm. Under such circumstances the Nocturnal gains one die of Paradox for each major language which the audience hears that he does not actually know.
From the point of view of non-targets, no time passes. When the Charm ends, all targets rejoin the scene exactly as they were before the Nocturnal activated the Charm, excluding any consequences of social combat that occurred. Those unaffected hear only the rapid high-pitched hum of the accelerated conversation, which is indecipherable to anyone without Perception 6+. Even such superhuman hearing requires a (Perception + Awareness) roll, with a difficulty equal to the number of Paradox dice the Nocturnal received from this Charm. While Nox is in the Loom the Nocturnal may pay an additional (+2m) surcharge to have this Charm affect Creatures Defense in Silence outside of Fate. Otherwise, only such beings with Essence less Cost: 2m+; Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 2; than the Nocturnals are affected by this Charm. Creatures Type: Reflexive (Step 2) beyond Fate with equal or greater Essence may completely Keywords: Combo-OK, Social ignore this Charm. They may move freely while time is frozen, Duration: Until Next Action and the Charm terminates instantly if the being attempts any Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm action other than engaging in social combat with those the No matter how boldly the Harlequin argues her point, Exalted targeted with this Charm. Beings who are immune to the possibility remains that she sat quietly. The same applies Shaping behave similarly. to her opponent. Every two motes spent on this Charm cancels out one point of penalty to her Mental DVs from edicinal harms social attacks and social onslaught, to a minimum of 0. The Nocturnal may not spend more motes on this Charm than Bedside Manner Acceleration Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 2; twice her Charisma. Type: Supplemental Simultaneous Signal Technique Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion, Merged Cost: 3m+, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 3; Duration: Instant Type: Extra-Action Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Social Even the greatest medicines cannot heal a patient who Duration: Instant has given up the will to live. The Harlequin inspires hope in Prerequisite Charms: Defense in Silence her patient and encourages the patient to continue struggling The Harlequin may be silent, or she may speak volumes. against whatever adversity afflicts him. This Charm suppleThe Nocturnal argues several points at once, making up to ments an attempt to tend to a wounded, diseased, or poisoned (Charisma) social attacks at cost of three motes each. She does person. In addition to the standard roll to tend to such things, not make rapid-fire points. Each attack takes up the usual the Nocturnal rolls (Charisma + Medicine), with a difficulty amount of time, but each occupies the same position in time. of the target’s current wound penalty, the poison’s Toxicity, The target hears each individually and only realizes that the or the disease’s Virulence, as appropriate. The Storyteller may Exalt fractured reality to deliver them all in a single instant determine other difficulties for more exotic ailments. once the last word leaves the Nocturnal’s mouth. This magical If successful, the target maintains a positive attitude flurry has a speed and DV penalty equal to the highest among regarding his condition, gaining a positive Intimacy of hope any of the individual social attacks, and all attacks suffer no toward his current condition. The patient heals damage flurry penalties. (Nocturnal’s Charisma) times faster than normal, and adds the Nocturnal’s Charisma in dice to (Stamina + Resistance) Extemporal Message Delivery rolls to resist the poison or disease. This effect lasts for the Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 5, Essence 4; Nocturnal’s Charisma in days, or until some other factor Type: Simple negates the Intimacy the Nocturnal has created. Keywords: Combo-OK, Flux, Nox, Obvious, Social Merged: Bedside Manner Acceleration (Appearance) Duration: Special Prerequisite Charms: Echoing Polyglot Discourse, Simultane- Laughing Pharmacist Placebo ous Signal Technique Cost: 1m+, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 3; The prudent Herald knows not to discuss disagreements Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) within earshot of his enemies. Upon activating this Charm, Keywords: Combo-OK, Merged the Exalt selects no more than (Essence) individuals and rolls Duration: Instant a Charisma-based social attack against them as appropriate. Prerequisite Charms: Bedside Manner Acceleration From the perspective of the Exalt and any target whose mental Laughter, it is said, is the best medicine—though many DV he successfully overcame, all other beings freeze in place concubines disagree on that point. The Harlequin knows and the world loses its color, save for those under the influ- many unorthodox ways of healing injured patient, and masence of the Charm. As time freezes, the Nocturnal and his ters alternative and improbable forms of medicine. Regardless targets make an immediate Join Debate roll. Thereafter they of the method employed, after providing the patient with may only engage in social combat with each other. They may some unlikely doctoring, the Nocturnal rolls a (Charisma not move or interact in any way with anyone not included in + [Presence or Performance]), adding her Medicine in autothis Charm’s effects. They become segregated in a scene onto matic successes. The difficulty of this action is the higher of itself, which lasts as long as the Nocturnal wills or until one of the target’s wounded health levels or base Mental Dodge DV. the targets spend willpower equal to half the Nocturnal’s Cha- Every extra success allows the Exalt to heal one Bashing or risma, rounding up. The Nocturnal gains one die of Paradox one Lethal health level, at the cost of 1 mote for Bashing and for every Action he takes well this Charm is in effect.
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2 motes for Lethal. The Exalt may only use this Charm once Cost: 2m; Mins: Charisma 2, Essence 2; per patient per day. Type: Reflexive Merged: Laughing Pharmacist Placebo (Appearance) Keywords: Combo-OK, War Duration: Instant Sugar and Wishes Remedy Prerequisite Charms: None Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 3; In warfare, the pawns move first, and it is the Herald Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) who drives them forward. Instead of rolling Join War, the Keywords: Combo-OK, Flux, Merged Nocturnal’s unit acts on Tick 0. With Charisma 4+, this Duration: Instant Charm may be used to ensure that the unit’s action is resolved Prerequisite Charms: Laughing Pharmacist Placebo before another unit that acts on the same Tick. The Harlequin is no mere swindler (well, not always, at least). Though she offers nothing but hope; that is enough. Many Messengers Relay Upon activating this Charm, the Exalt spends a scene con- Cost: —; Mins: Charisma 5, Essence 3; cocting a remedy for a specific disease or poison. She rolls Type: Permanent (Charisma + [Medicine or Craft: Water]), with a difficulty Keywords: Obvious, Suspicious equal to the the disease’s Difficulty to Treat or the poison’s Duration: Permanent Toxicity. The concoction may take the form of anything the Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm Exalt desires, from candy to foul tasting medicines. Whatever The Herald is well suited to her role as messenger of the form the remedy takes, it has no true power to heal beyond Chosen, particularly in times of war. In the heat of battle, she what the Nocturnal’s essence invests in it. appears to be just where she needs to be—perhaps even in two If successful, she creates (Essence) doses of the remedy, plus places at the same time. While the Herald serves as a relay for one dose per extra success. She may not create remedies in a mass combat unit, he counts as (Charisma) additional relays this way for diseases that cannot be healed without magic within that unit. The Herald is not obligated to enjoy this unless she also knows Cheaters Never Prosper. Any being benefit, but doing so is Suspicious. who ingests the a number of doses of the remedy equal to the A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 6+ allows disease’s untreated Morbidity or the Poison’s Toxicity +2 is the Nocturnal serve as relays for multiple units with (Essence) immediately healed. Remaining doses may be saved for future miles of one another—though she still cannot serve as more use for up to one month before they lose their power. than a total of (Charisma) relays. While doing so, she may If the healed being suffers the same disease or poison again facilitate near-instant communication between the units. in the future, the Exalt cannot use this Charm to heal them Should a general attempt a Coordinate Units action involving again. Another Nocturnal with the same Charm may attempt only the units the Exalt has simultaneously placed herself in, to do so, but must choose a different sort of concoction as the that general uses the Exalt’s Charisma rather than the lowest vehicle for his healing power. Knowing her own remedies to Drill among the units to reduce the difficulty of the action. At be nothing but a ruse, she cannot use them to heal herself. the end of the battle, the Nocturnal may move herself to any Merged: Sugar and Wishes Remedy (Appearance) unit that benefited from her service as a relay, even one miles away from the unit in which she began the battle. Careful Surgeon Instructions Cost: 5m; Mins: Charisma 2, Essence 2; Hold the Line Type: Supplemental Cost: 2-3m; Mins: Charisma 2, Essence 2; Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Emotion, Merged Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Duration: Instant Keywords: Combo-OK, War Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm Duration: Instant Healers cannot stand beside all their patients every day. Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm The Harlequin knows the value of communicating effectively A strong presence can inspire in the face of overwhelmwith patients so that they can continue to care for themselves ing danger. When serving either as the unit’s commander while she’s away. This Charm supplements spoken or written or relay, the Herald may activate this Charm in response to instructions, usually in the form of a social attack, given to a an attack and cancel up to (Charisma) points of penalties to person who benefitted from one of the Nocturnal’s success- unit’s DV. This Charm costs two motes if the Exalt serves as a ful medicine rolls or Medicinal Charms. The attack becomes relay, or three motes as the commander. undodgeable, and should it succeed, the target must spend the (the Nocturnal’s Charisma) willpower to resist its effects, Evoke the War Gods’ Blessing maximum 5. The Charm generates an Intimacy of gratitude Cost: 6m; Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 3; toward the Exalt and a Compulsion to follow the Nocturnal’s Type: Simple (Speed 4, DV -1) instructions as they relate to his continued recovery. Addition- Keywords: Combo-OK, Chance ally, the target suffers no internal penalties when executing Duration: Until the end of the battle Prerequisite Charms: Hold the Line those instructions. The gods of war are a diverse group of beings, and often With a second purchase at Charisma 5+, Essence 4+, disagree on the nature of warfare. With this Charm, however, this Charm gains the Calibration-OK keyword. The Exalt is no longer limited to instructions dealing directly with the the Nocturnal appeals the universal qualities of War and atpatient’s continued care, if the healing and the order is given tracts the attention of an individual war god. The Herald’s during Calibration. Used in this way, the influence of this player rolls (Charisma + [Performance or War]) with a difficulty equal to the Magnitude of the unit to which she is atCharm lasts only until the next sunrise. tached. If successful, the Nocturnal rolls one die to determine Merged: Careful Surgeon Instructions (Intelligence) the blessing.
Military Unit Charms Trumpets Herald Victory
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1:
Any object that the Herald’s unit employs during combat suffers no wear. This includes artifacts.
2-3:
The unit gains a number of extra -1 health levels equal to the Nocturnal’s Charisma.
4-5:
The unit gains perfect morale.
6-7:
The unit gains a pool of automatic successes equal to the Nocturnal’s Charisma, which may be used at the commander’s discretion.
8-9:
The unit halves opposing Might, rounding up, as a Shaping effect.
10:
Any Exalt in the Herald’s unit enjoys a -1m on all his Charms while fighting a duel, to a minimum of 1m. This option may not be selected with willpower until the Herald has Essence 5+.
Rank-and-File Reformation
Cost: 1m per Magnitude, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1 or Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Suspicious, War Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Hold the Line Military units under the Herald’s tutelage readily fall into formations for which they have regularly trained. When the Nocturnal serves as their commander or relay, he may activate this Charm to change his unit’s formation, merge with another unit, or split into two unites. The Exalt rolls (Charisma + [Performance or War]), with a difficulty of the unit’s (Magnitude – Drill, minimum 1). If successful, the change occurs nearly instantaneously, with the entire unit vanishing in flash of the Nocturnal’s anima and immediately reappearing in their appropriate positions.
Saturn Shuns the Willing
Cost: 8m; Mins: Charisma 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 3 in long ticks, DV -2) Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK, Flux, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Hold the Line The Loom of Fate is not a perfect record of reality. Occasionally errors are made and a mortal might go on living long after his recorded death. With this Charm, the Herald exploits such errors to aid in military unit’s Rally Action to recuperate losses mid-battle. This Charm may only be used after his unit lost a point of Magnitude. The Nocturnal’s player rolls (Charisma + [Performance or War]) with a difficulty of the unit’s Magnitude before the most recent loss. If successful, the soldiers find themselves looking at their own dead bodies, while they themselves are perfectly alive and corporeal. Given a second lease on life, they fight all the harder, increasing the unit’s Magnitude by one. Except during Calibration, the Exalt gains Paradox dice equal to the unit’s restored Magnitude whenever this Charm proves successful.
and the rank and file soldier. Such humble leadership encourages greater cooperation in the society and army. The Nocturnal rolls (Charisma + [Socialize or War]), with the difficulty of equal to the Magnitude of any Dominion, social or military unit she leads. If successful, the Magnitude is doubled for any purpose that the leader considers beneficial. This Magnitude bonus cannot exceed the Nocturnal’s Essence. If she also knows Many Messengers Relay, she may employ this Charm while serving in some other official role within the organization.
Convenient Politician’s Adoption
Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion, Social Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm The charming attitude of the Harlequin forces his way of thinking onto society. With this Charm, the Nocturnal causes a social unit to which he belongs to retroactively adopt a new Policy. His player rolls (Charisma + Socialize), with an external penalty of the unit’s Magnitude. If the Exalt does not lead the social unit, he must overcome the leader’s Mental DV, otherwise he needs only one success. If he succeeds, he may implant one of his own Intimacies into the unit’s Policy. The leader of the social unit may spend 2 Loyalty to remove this facet of the Policy. A second purchase at Charisma 4+, Essence 4+ grants this Charm the Suspicious-keyword. As a Suspicious action, the Nocturnal may remove any number of facets of the Policy and insert any number of his Intimacies, though doing so imposes a (+2m) surcharge. A third purchase at Essence 6+ gives this Charm the Shaping-keyword. For a (+4m) surcharge, any effects wrought by this Charm permanently alter the group’s Policy unless the leader is immune to Shaping effects. The Herald may employ either or both of these upgrades as he desires.
Like Minds’ Congregation
Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Social Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm The people follow the Harlequin, not because she radiates an air of authority but because she appears as one of them. The Nocturnal selects one of her Intimacies when activating this Charm and rolls a Charisma-based social attack, which may employ Socialize in addition to the usual Abilities. Any who has a similar, favorable Intimacy or a Motivation aligning positively with the chosen Intimacy and whose Mental DV the Exalt overcame with this social attack, recognize the Nocturnal as a kindred spirit. The Nocturnal accumulates a social unit, with a Magnitude no greater than her Charisma, so long as there are enough people to comprise such a unit (if not, more are added as they become available). The group recognizes the member with the highest (Charisma + Essence) as their leader, ocial nit harms who is likely, but not necessarily, the Harlequin herself. The social unit persists as long as Nocturnal maintains her comBirds of a Feather Unity mitment to this Charm, though any member, including the Cost: 4m; Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 2; Nocturnal, is immediately ejected if he or she no longer has a Type: Simple qualifying Motivation or Intimacy. Keywords: Combo-OK, Mandate, Social, War A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 5+ allows Duration: (Essence) Actions the Nocturnal to automatically be considered the leader durPrerequisite Charms: Any Charisma Charm Even in their infrequent encounters with true authority, ing Calibration, regardless of other claims. This Charm gains the Herald insinuates themselves among the common people the Calibration-OK keyword.
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Darkest Before Dawn
Cost: 4m; Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Social, Mandate Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Convenient Politician’s Adoption, Like Minds’ Congregation Even under the starless, moonless sky of Calibration, there is hope and the Harlequin embodies that hope with the full potential of her demeanor. No matter what hardships the people face, leaving the Exalt’s presence is more unthinkable than going into the night alone. When a Magnitude 3+ Dominion or social unit to which the Nocturnal belongs must spend willpower or Loyalty to resist an effect, the Exalt may activate this Charm to reduce the cost of the resist by the Nocturnal’s Essence, to a minimum of one. A second purchase at Essence 5+ grants this Charm the Calibration-OK keyword. When activated during that time, the Exalt may elect to spend an additional number of motes equal to the unit’s Magnitude and an additional willpower to extend this Charm’s duration to One Scene.
MANIPULATION
Background Alteration Charms Bureaucracy Transcending Transfer
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic, Illusion, Shaping Duration: (Manipulation) Days Prerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm Unlike the Viziers, the Harlequins are not bound to a particular hierarchy. With this Charm, the Exalt shifts any portion of her Backing from one branch of a larger organization to a sister branch, or to a subsidiary department (in which case, she gains an automatic Backing 1, plus however many dots of Backing were shifted). For example, she might shift her ranking in the House of Bells to the Thousand Scales, as these are both agencies within the larger Scarlet Dynasty—or she might shift her Backing from the Guild at large to increase her authority over the slave traders within the Guild. Anyone whose relevant Backing is equal to or greater than the Nocturnal’s altered rating may make a reflexive (Intelligence + [Backing or Bureaucracy]) roll, with a difficulty equal to the Nocturnal’s Manipulation to see through this deception. Otherwise, this Charm can only be broken by applicability trumping defenses. Illusion immunity defends an individual (or a group, if applicable), or the Nocturnal may be targeted by effects that terminating Shaping effects to end this Charm’s effects on everyone.
organization, except during Calibration, when only applicability trumping defenses will reveal the Nocturnal’s true nature. In all cases, Bureaucracy Transcending Transfer now grants the Nocturnal all the trappings of her new station, such as official documents, uniforms, or unique tattoos. While these are accurate enough to fool any inspection, they do not provide any magical benefits that the true version might.
Currency Converting Calculations
Cost: — (1m); Mins: Manipulation 2, Essence 1; Type: Permanent Keywords: Shaping, Suspicious, Touch Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None The various currencies of Creation often require merchants to exchange one form of money for another in order to do business. With this Charm, the Nocturnal expedites currency exchange. He may instantly alter any form of currency into another of equivalent value. See Exalted, p. 360, for basic monetary conversions. This Charm becomes Suspicious if the Exalt converts money he does not personally own.
Underhanded Haggling Sleight
Cost: 3m; Mins: Manipulation 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Currency Converting Calculation The price of goods and services are not constant, and turbulent times create frequent fluctuations. The Harlequin knows how to manipulate the mind to create the impression of such unstable values. This Charm is an attempt to negotiate the price of something to be bought or sold, or an attempt to barter over the value of something. The Exalt makes a Manipulation-based social attack to set his own price. Every extra success doubles or halves the true value, as the Exalt desires. In terms of Resources, every fifth success adds or subtracts one from Resource cost. This unnatural Illusion costs two willpower to resist
Market Crashing Curse
Cost: — (+[Magnitude]m, 1wp), ; Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Mandate, Social, Suspicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Underhanded Haggling Sleight This Charm enhances its prerequisite, allowing it to influence an entire social unit or Dominion. Used in this way, the Charm costs an additional number of motes equal the target’s Magnitude and one willpower. Additionally, Underhanded Haggling Sleight becomes Suspicious and lasts Indefinitely when so empowered. If the Harlequin overcomes Double Agent Determination the leader’s Mental DVs, the entire group is overcome with Cost: — (+1m); Mins: Manipulation 5, Essence 3; the Illusion that some commodity has become exceedingly Type: Permanent rare and expensive, or a worthless liability, as the Exalt desires. Keywords: Calibration-OK Individuals may resist for the same cost before, but the leader Duration: Permanent of the social unit or Dominion must spend four Loyalty or Prerequisite Charms: Bureaucracy Transcending Transfer Leading up to the Incarnae’s rebellion, Nox maintained Willpower, respectively. dual loyalties, balancing the paradox precariously within him- Unfaithful Husbandry Reconsideration self. With this Charm, the Harlequin emulates the internal Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Manipulation 2, Essence 2; conflict of his patron. When using this Charm’s prerequisite, Type: Simple the Nocturnal may pay the additional motes to convert her Keywords: Combo-Basic, Shaping, Touch Backing into Backing within a rival organization. Anyone who Duration: One Scene has previously encountered the Nocturnal as a foe may spend Prerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm two willpower to recognize that he does not belong within the
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The fox eats the mouse; the eagle eats the fox; and in time, the eagle falls from the sky and becomes food for scavengers. All life is part of an unbroken web, intertwined and inextricably tangled. The Harlequin takes hold of a natural animal and shakes that web until something new falls out. This transforms the animal into another animal of equal or lesser Familiar rating. If the target is currently the familiar of an uncooperative being, the Nocturnal and the target’s owner make a contested roll, following rules similar to that of Snaring the Chains, p. XX, allowing the Exalt to employ her Manipulation Excellency to enhance the roll. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ makes the Duration of this Charm instant and renders the effects permanent and Suspicious. The animal remains transformed until the Exalt intentionally transforms it back, or until the shaping effect is terminated by some other means. Also at Essence 4+ this Charm automatically upgrades to allow the Nocturnal to affect unnatural animals with Essence less than her own. If the animal is sentient, its mind is unaffected by this Charm—only its physical form changes. A third purchase, also at Essence 4+, allows the Herald to manipulate the mind as well as the body. When the Exalt transforms an animal, she may grant it a new Motivation. Sentient animals may receive heroic Motivations, but in all cases, the Motivation must be suitable to the animal’s species. For example, a horse transformed into a mastiff may be given the Motivation of Protect the Harlequin, while an ata-spider might receive the Motivation Uncover the Fair Folk Plot Against Halta.
willpower. The Exalt may enhance written propaganda with this Charm. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ sets its duration to Instant. The Intimacies created by this Charm last until they are resisted or are altered naturally and the Charm no longer requires a commitment of motes to maintain its effects.
Sheep and Cottonwood Transformation
Cost: 10m; Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration, Chance, Combo-Basic, Shaping, Suspicious Duration: (Manipulation) Days Prerequisite Charms: Scapegoat and Glory Hound The magistrate hangs the criminal; the emperor executes the magistrate; and the assassin takes the emperor’s life. The cynical Harlequin sees no difference between the primal struggles of life and contests of political mastery, and though she is a servant, she is neither powerless nor bound to serve an unjust ruler. The Nocturnal targets a leader of any sort of organization, from the foreman of a mine to highest ranking official over an entire nation, and her player rolls (Manipulation + Willpower) against his Mental DV. If successful, the Exalt then selects up to (Essence) potential leaders, one of which must be the original leader and none of which may be the Harlequin herself except during Calibration. The player of each candidate rolls one Chance die and adds his Essence to the result. Whoever possesses the highest score assumes temporary leadership. In the event of a tie, the being with the highest Essence wins; if this still results in a tie, the organization splits accordingly. Alternatively, the Nocturnal may simply spend one willpower to select one of the potential candidates as though she were rolling a Chance die herself. In Mandate of Heaven rules, this Charm allows the winner to choose one of the Dominion’s actions for the season.
Cost: — (+2m); Mins: Manipulation 2, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Suspicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Unfaithful Husbandry Reconsideration The cycle of life does not begin or end solely with animals. The threads of nature extend much further. This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite. She may now transform an animal into an equivalent amount of plant matter, for two additional motes. Intelligent animals with Essence two or higher are instead transformed into wood elementals of equivalent essence.
Belief and Deception Charms Scapegoat and Glory Hound
Cost: 6m; Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion, Social Duration: (Manipulation) Days Prerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm The Harlequin fabricates damning rumors against his enemies and robs them of their due praise. This Charm supplements a Manipulation-based social attack to shift responsibility. If the Nocturnal overcomes the target’s Mental DVs, he may select someone or something else to assume responsibility in the eyes of the targets. If the target already possesses any relevant Intimacies, those Intimacies shift as appropriate for this social attack. For example, if the target loathes a new tax hike, the Nocturnal may convince her that she should not blame the satrap that decreed the tax increase, but the rebels whose insurrection made such an increase necessary, in which case the target would now loath the rebels. Otherwise a new Intimacy is created. Resisting this Emotion effect costs two
Relativistic Truth Discovery
Cost: — (+2m, 1wp); Mins: Manipulation 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Flux Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Scapegoat and Glory Hound Whom the Harlequin accuses, the world condemns. This Charm upgrades its prerequisite, turning the Exalt’s lies into to truth if he pays two additional motes and a willpower. All relevant evidence is transformed to appropriately indicate whomever the Exalt said was responsible whenever a person under the influence of Scapegoat and Glory Hound discovers that evidence. Evidence uncovered by those not under the Harlequin’s influence remains unchanged resulting in conflicting, if apparently equally valid, realities. Evidence found in this way converts back to its original state when Scapegoat and Glory Hound expires or when targeted by effects that terminate Shaping effects. Once the Exalt has purchased Scapegoat and Glory Hound twice, the evidence never transforms back on its own.
The Lion and the Dark Horse
Unreliable Face of Contradiction
Cost: —; Mins: Manipulation 2, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Compulsion, Emotion Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None The Herald embodies possibility, and his mind wanders haphazardly through all potential states. With this Charm, whenever another being successfully performs a Read Moti-
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vation action (Exalted, p. 131) or uses some other method to gauge his intent or emotional state he may immediately elect to impose up to (Essence) contradictory conditions, all of which his opponent learns, confounding his attempt to learn the Nocturnal’s true state. These alternatives become self-imposed Compulsion and Emotion effects, depending on whether they affect his intentions or his mood, respectively, which each cost the Nocturnal (Essence – [Compulsions and Emotions imposed]) willpower to resist, but he cannot spend willpower to resist these emotions until his next action. The effects of this Charm last one scene, and additional evocations of this Charm may either use the same selection of false intentions and emotions, or allow the Nocturnal to reselect them. If the Exalt is currently immune to Compulsion or Emotion effects, he loses one willpower from the feedback between the various effects and suffers no long term effects of this Charm, but his opponent remains as bewildered as always.
Deception of Self
Cost: 2m; Mins: Manipulation 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Unreliable Face of Contradiction The ears of the mighty can discern the slightest hint of deception. To avoid such suspicious the Herald never speaks a lie without first convincing himself of its truth. The Exalt imposes an Illusion on himself and is convince of the truth of some fact or opinion he otherwise knows to be false. Thereafter, when discussing the subject, the Nocturnal presents the information as though he truly believed it, though he may continue to use to make Manipulation-based social attacks regarding the self-imposed lie. Any effect that discerns if a person is being dishonest fails to do so against this lie unless it sees through Illusions or indentifies accidental misinformation in addition to intentional lies. The Nocturnal must spend two Willpower to overcome this Illusion or have the truth demonstrated in a way that would convince him normally before he stops believing his own lie.
Fickle Lover’s Affections
Cost: 1m; Mins: Manipulation 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Social, Stackable Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Unreliable Face of Contraction The Harlequin is not known as a paragon of loyalty. As circumstances demand, he freely dances around obligations and past commitments. This Charm twists one of the Exalt’s Intimacies into a different, though at least tangentially related, Intimacy. For example, if he had a Intimacy to distrust the merchants of Nexus, one application of this Charm could transform that intimacy into distrust of the children of Nexus, or patronage of the merchants of Nexus, or distrust of the merchants of Great Forks. Three stacked applications could change the Intimacy into patronage of the children of Great Forks.
innocent joke, a symphony, a dance, or a childish love letter. This Charm makes the social attack unexpected. If the attack remains unexpected, the target does not become aware of the origins of the social attack unless he spends willpower equal to the Exalt’s Manipulation, to a maximum of five. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ allows the Nocturnal to gain a (-1m) discount on subsequent activations of this Charm in a scene, for each previous social attack enhanced with it, to a minimum of (0m). Even a free use of this Charm requires a Charm activation, and making a social attack without activating this Charm resets the cost.
Truth in Humor
Cost: — (+1wp); Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Emotion Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Cunning Metaphor Delivery The Harlequin influence is slow and subtle, and those she convinces hardly notice that she has shifted their hearts to her own purpose. When employing this Charm’s prerequisite, she may pay a one-willpower surcharge to impose a delayed emotional effect. She determines the sort of Intimacy she wishes to impose at the time of the attack, as well as the length of the delay, up to (Manipulation) days. If her social attack is successful, her target remains unaware of his change of heart until the delay terminates. The next time the subject of the Intimacy comes up in the target’s presence, the Intimacy fully manifests. Only then is the target allowed to spend willpower equal to the Exalt’s Manipulation to resist it. Once the Intimacy has formed, the target may make a (Intelligence + Investigation) roll with a difficulty equal to the Nocturnal’s (Manipulation + Essence) to trace the source of the new emotion back to the Exalt’s performance. For example, the Harlequin may compose a symphony in honor of Lawgiver’s recent conquests. Within its victorious melodies, she weaves subtle, disquieting harmonies which encourage all the Dragon-blooded hearing the performance that their general has not fully appreciated their sacrifice. The Intimacy of being underappreciated by the Lawgiver slowly forms over the next four days, until the next time the Dragonblooded encounter the general or hear mention of his heroic exploits, when it blossoms fully. With a second purchase, the Harlequin learns to manipulate events more directly. This Charm also imbues the target with a delayed Compulsion effect, directing the target’s response when the Emotion triggers as the Exalt determines upon activating Cunning Metaphor Delivery.
Absurd Satirist’s Mask
Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Emotion, Social Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm Perhaps the greatest calamity to befall the Harlequin’s enemies is for her to join their side. Adopting the mannerisms and positions of her rivals, the Exalt makes herself into an Cunning Metaphor Delivery absurd parody and shows her foes to be the fools they are. Cost: 3m; Mins: Manipulation 3, Essence 2; Upon activating this Charm, the Exalt becomes a satiric icon Type: Supplemental of a group, position, ideal, or vice of her choice, acting and Keywords: Combo-OK, Social expressing herself in a hyperbolic fashion. Once she has spent Duration: Instant a scene lampooning her chosen target, she makes a (ManipulaPrerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm tion + Performance) social attack against all who witnessed her Some opponents cannot be directly confronted, even behavior, adding her Essence in automatic successes during in debate. With this Charm, the Harlequin disguises her Calibration. If the attack succeeds, the witness gains a Negasocial attacks in some innocuous form, such as seemingly
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tive Intimacy of ridicule or disgust toward the initial target of the Charm if he did not possess a relevant Positive Intimacy already. If such an Intimacy existed, he instead gains a Negative Intimacy of his choice toward the Nocturnal. Overcoming this effect costs two willpower. At Essence 3 this Charm upgrades automatically and causes those who already have a Positive Intimacy toward the target to gain a Positive Intimacy toward the Nocturnal. Her mockery is so perfect that those she ridicules no longer realize they are the butt of her jokes.
2-3:
She perceives a conversation in incomprehensible language, perhaps arousing the suspicions of the xenophobic.
4-5:
She hears complex jargon and specialized vocabulary outside her area of expertise, perhaps indicating that the Nocturnal and his compatriots are scholars or members of a highly trained profession.
6-7:
She hears dull and vulgar conversation, demonstrating that those involved in it are low-born commoners beneath her concern.
8-9:
She hears idle chatter of between friends, suitable of people of her own class.
10:
The Nocturnal becomes aware of that person eavesdropping and may reflexively choose what she hears.
Proposals Modest and Perverse
Cost: — (+4m); Mins: Manipulation 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Compulsion Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Absurd Satirist’s Mask Becoming an avatar of ridicule, the Harlequin motivates the public to action.This Charm upgrades its prerequisite. By spending an additional four motes, the Exalt also imparts a Compulsion effect on those who gain the desired Negative Intimacy against the targeted subject. The Compulsion compels the target to oppose the target of the Intimacy in some fashion. If the Exalt knows Truth In Humor, she may choose the manner of compelled opposition. Otherwise, those who bear the Intimacy may choose their own manner of opposition. The Intimacy now costs four willpower to resist; the Compulsion costs one willpower to resist. While the Compulsion cannot be fully resisted normally, it disappears as soon as the Initmacy vanishes. Finally, the Exalt may now also use Absurd Satirist’s Mask to pen a satiric work, conveying the Intimacy (and the Compulsion if desired) through the text.
Undeniable Performance
Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Social Duration: (Manipulation) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Cunning Metaphor Delivery The Harlequin’s performance never grows old. Even a long-standing routine is seen as a favored classic rather than a repetitive disappointment. While this Charm is active, any indirect social attack that could be enhanced by Cunning Metaphor Delivery becomes an unnatural mental influence. During Calibration, this Charm makes all social attacks unnatural.
Thousandfold Chattering
Cost: 6m; Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK, Social, Shaping, Suspicious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm The Herald shrouds her conversations to ward off undue attention. He selects no more than (Essence x 2) other beings who hear his words perfectly and whose own words are masked by this Charm. Essence randomly warps their words before they arrive upon the listener’s ears. Whenever a person first perceives the conversation, her player rolls one die to determine what she hears for the rest of the scene. 1:
She hears nothing. Depending on the circumstances she may become suspicious of the Nocturnal and his friends’ silent loitering.
The Nocturnal may spend a point of willpower upon activating this Charm to select one option that applies to all who overhear the conversation. He may only choose the last option if he has Essence 4+.
Flying Times Amnesia
Cost: 4m, (+1wp); Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Social Duration: (Essence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm The charlatan distracts her audience, preventing them from remembering the truth of events unfolding before their very eyes. The Harlequin makes a social attack against up to (Essence) individuals, or a social unit with Magnitude no greater than her Essence if she spends a point of willpower. For the duration of the Charm affected targets are unable to form any memories of events that occur. Afterwards, the target recalls only that he spent time with the Nocturnal, but not what was said or done during that time, or who else might have been present. If this Charm was part of an unexpected attack, the target forgets even the Harlequin herself. They may recall everything for a scene by spending one willpower, or remember forever by spending three willpower all at once. The vague recollection of the Harlequin herself always provides an opportunity to remember, however, if activated during Calibration, she robs her victims even of this opportunity, as the Charm also gains the Crippling-keyword and the memories are forever excised. A second purchase at Essence 4+ extends this Charms duration to one scene.
A Night To Remember
Cost: — (+6m); Mins: Manipulation 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Shaping Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Flying Times Amnesia This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite, allowing the Harlequin to reweave the memories of anyone under the influences of this Charm. She may fill in the blank spots in the target’s memory, warping the target’s perception to suit her needs. This is a Shaping effect. The target’s true memories continue to exist, so long as they were not excised by Flying Times Amnesia’s Calibration effect, but cannot be accessed by spending willpower without first removing the Shaping effect.
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Confident Debate Initiation
Cost: 2m; Mins: Manipulation 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Merged, Social Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None Fine manipulation of conversation ensures that if there is going to be an argument, the Herald will be the one to start it. Using this Charm the Exalt does not roll Join Debate, but instead acts first on Tick 0. With Manipulation 4+, the Nocturnal may use this Charm to ensure that his action resolves first on any Tick that he and another character both act. Merged: Confident Debate Initiation (Charisma)
his Companion, one of the Incarnae, or the bearer of a Solar Exaltation (even a corrupted one), the Exalt may spend one willpower to also gain an equal number of automatic successes to any social attack that promotes that being’s agenda. If she uses Answering the Call to make a counterattack that would qualify for these successes, she gains them freely.
Underling Maneuvering Arguments
Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Social Duration: (Manipulation) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Answering the Call Hearing the complaints of the masses is beneath the station of most Celestial Exalted, so it falls to the Herald to Answering the Call argue on behalf of his betters and deal with the rabble. While Cost: 5m, (1wp); Mins: Manipulation 2, Essence 2; this Charm is active, the Exalt suffers no penalties to his Parry Type: Reflexive (Step 9) Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Counterattack, Mental DV from onslaught, coordinated attacks, or Magnitude differences, so long as the opponent’s or social unit Social leader’s Essence is lower than his own. During Calibration, Duration: Instant the Exalt gains the benefits of this Charm regardless of the Prerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm The Herald announces the will of the mighty and re- Essence of his opponents. ceives the arguments of the masses. When another interferes with her work, she is obliged to object. This Charm may be Debate-Shattering Response activated when another being has been successfully overcome Cost: — (1wp); Mins: Manipulation 5, Essence 3; by a third being’s social attack, so long as both other beings Type: Permanent are within (Manipulation) yards. During Calibration, she Keywords: Calibration-OK, Compulsion adds her Essence to her Manipulation to determine if the Duration: Permanent beings are within range. She may make an immediately social Prerequisite Charms: Answering the Call The appropriate retort can quickly end any debate. counterattack against either being (or a single Performance- based social attack against both), so long as the intent of the The Herald counters his opponent’s argument and turns it counterattack is to convince the target to believe or do the against her with a vicious repartee. This Charm permanently upgrades its prerequisite. First, when used against the original opposite of the social influence which triggered it. If the Nocturnal sways the original target’s opinion to her attacker, it carries with it a Compulsion effect forcing him to side, this Charm undoes the effects of any natural mental in- drop the debate if successful. Resisting this effect costs two fluence. With Essence 4+, the Exalt may attempt to overcome willpower. Second, Answering the Call may now also be used unnatural mental influences as well. By reflexively paying one when another being makes a social attack against the Nocwillpower, she engages the original attacker in a contested turnal herself and she successfully parries it. Finally, during Essence roll. The original attack may substitute his Essence Calibration, the Exalt may spend one willpower to enhance for the numberof willpower an Exalt would need to resist his this Charm. If the social attack attempted to convince him unnatural mental influence. If the Nocturnal wins the roll, or another being to submit to an existing authority, he enjoys the unnatural mental influence terminates immediately. Oth- a cumulative -1 mote discount for Answering the Call, to a erwise it costs one less willpower to resist (or allows the target minimum of zero motes, until his next action. to resist as an Exalt if he could not spend willpower to resist Referring Questions Deflection the influence), to a minimum of one willpower. Cost: 5m; Mins: Manipulation 5, Essence 3; If the counterattack forwards the agenda of another type of Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Celestial Exalted, a Harlequin may lose one Subservience per Keywords: Combo-OK, Social scene if successful. If the Nocturnal was specifically tasked Duration: Instant with spreading this agenda, she may substitute her own Es- Prerequisite Charms: Debate-Shattering Response sence with that of the Exalt who ordered her to perform this Intelligent and cunning as the Herald is, he does not task in the event of an Essence roll-off caused by this Charm. have all the answers. Sometimes he must defer comment to his superiors. The Exalt activates this Charm in response to Pronouncing the Will a social attack directed solely at him. If he successful defends, Cost: 3m, (1wp); Mins: Manipulation 3, Essence 2; he may redirect the attack to a new target within range. The atType: Reflexive (Step 2) tack remains enhanced by whatever effects the attacker chose, Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious and new target compares the attacker’s successes to her own Duration: One Scene Mental DVs as applicable. Prerequisite Charms: Answering the Call None can dissuade the Herald from his duties. He is Society Preserving Alterations the voice of the Lords of Creation, and his position is bol- Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Manipulation 5 Essence 4; stered by their authority. The Exalt may announce his official Type: Reflexive role as the Herald of some other powerful being. If he truly Keywords: Combo-OK, Mandate, Nox, Shaping, Social is on assignment from another being (as determined by the Duration: (Manipulation) Days Storyteller) he adds a bonus to his Parry Mental DV whenever Prerequisite Charms: Referring Questions Deflection an attack attempts to dissuade him from his official business. Though their power to tamper with the Loom of Fate This bonus is equal to half the being’s Essence. If the being is is infamous, the Harlequins possess such power in order to
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preserve the vitality of reality against forces that seek to impose their will upon it. This Charm allows the Nocturnal to ward off undue influences and prevent them from controlling society. For the duration of this Charm, add the Nocturnal’s Manipulation to the difficulty of any Charm or supernatural effect that would harm a society or social unit in which the Nocturnal currently resides. While Nox is in the Loom, effects that would harm the Nocturnal’s social standing or her agenda are similarly affected, even if those effects would ultimately help the society. Individuals within the society gain no protection from this Charm, and this Charm has no impact on physical harm. A second purchase of this Charm at Manipulation 6+, Essence 6+ allows the Nocturnal to activate this Charm as an Instant-duration defense which perfectly negates undue social influences upon an entire society or social unit. In either use of this Charm, if the Exalt is not leader of the society, the actual Leader may activating her own Shaping-countering magic to allow the effect to go through despite the Harlequin’s protests.
Idolatry Charms
False Prophet Aggravation
Cost: 2m+, (1wp); Mins: Manipulation 3, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Illusion Duration: (Manipulation) actions Prerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm The Nocturnal is no holy man, but he knows how to fake piety for the sake of a good con. When confronting a creature outside of Fate or any spirit not native to Creation, the Herald boasts to his enemies and pronounces their inevitable doom. He spends two motes per target’s dots of Essence, and makes a Manipulation-based social attack, in order to convince the creature that the Nocturnal has or knows the means that will do grievous or irrevocable harm to the creature, such as convincing a Raksha that his weapon is made of iron. Overcoming this Illusion costs the creature four willpower. During Calibration, this Charm might be more than a bluff. If the Exalt’s Essence exceeds that of his target, he may spend one willpower to grant this Charm the Shapingkeyword. Against non-natives to Creation, his attacks inflict aggravated damage and gain the benefits of Ghost-Eating Technique (Exalted, p. 221). If the target has specific conditions that can inflict aggravated damage upon it, such as Raksha and iron or a Luminata and rowan wood, the Harlequin’s weapon is suitably transformed. Even if the Exalt is unarmed, he quickly finds a suitable method of attack, often unexpectedly. This Charm may also produce more elaborate methods of destroying its target, including aligning events to cause a Raksha to break a sworn oath, at Storyteller discretion.
Messiah On Demand
Cost: — (6m, 1wp); Mins: Manipulation 3, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Shaping Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: False Prophet Aggravation Creation has many enemies, and the Harlequin cannot always wait until Calibration to strike the killing blow. When learning this Charm, the Exalt selects one of the following: natives of Malfeas, creatures of the Wyld, or creatures of Death. If the Seal of Eight Divinities is broken, those afflicted with Gremlin Syndrome become viable targets of this Charm. Other groups generally antagonistic to Creation may also be chosen at Storyteller discretion. Members of such groups are
always considered outside of Fate for the purposes of False Prophet Aggravation. By targeting a being of the chosen group, the Exalt may activate False Prophet Aggravation as through it were Calibration by spending a flat rate of six motes and one willpower. Additionally, when fighting alongside his companion or while enjoying the benefits of a relevant Ascending Destiny placed on him by his companion, the Exalt adds his Companion rating to his Essence for the purposes of False Prophet Aggravation.
Duplicitous Viceroy Disguise
Cost: 8m, (1wp); Mins: Manipulation 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Illusion, Obvious Duration: (Manipulation) Days Prerequisite Charms: False Prophet Aggravation, Implacable Foundations The Herald is the emissary of the Lords of Creation, and though far afield, he enjoys their protection. With this Charm, the Herald fakes the diplomatic immunity enjoyed by the Eclipse Caste Solars. This protection is obvious to any valid being, though if that being’s Dodge Mental DV is greater than the Exalt’s (Essence + temporary Willpower), they recognize that it is merely an Illusion and may freely ignore the effect. Otherwise, beings may pay 4 willpower to resist it. The Herald is not always lying when he employs this Charm. A Lawgiver may command the Herald to undertake a diplomatic mission on her behalf, touching the Nocturnal as she does so. If the Nocturnal accepts the assignment, he pays an additional willpower with this Charm and gains true diplomatic immunity as a Shaping effect, so long as his encounters are relevant to the assignment. For example, tasked to negotiate the release of hostages from the Lapis Court, he receives diplomatic immunity with the Court itself and its allies, but not any other roving bands of Raksha and certainly not with any demons he might encounter along his travels. Such beings may still be influenced by the Illusion of this Charm.
Military Unit Charms Hare Chases Hounds
Cost: 2m; Mins: Manipulation 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, War Duration: Until Next Action Prerequisite Charms: None The Herald rarely leads battalions, but may command a small strike force to harass and harry her enemies, tiring them before a full assault. For the duration of this Charm, whenever the Exalt’s unit attacks or is attacked, the opposing commander adds half the Nocturnal’s Manipulation to the unit’s fatigue when attempting to prevent Endurance loss. A second purchase of this Charm at Manipulation 4+, Essence 4+ makes this cumulative.
Spider Lures Fly
Cost: 3m; Mins: Manipulation 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion, War Duration: (Essence) Long Ticks Prerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm An expert at disguising her true strength, the Herald easily prepares ambushes and catches her foes off-guard. Her player rolls (Manipulation + War) with a difficulty of the opposing commander’s Perception. If successful, the unit’s commander subtracts half her Manipulation from a mass combat unit’s Magnitude, when desired, and adds her Manipulation
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in extra successes on attempts to envelope opposing units. original opinion, or cause it to completely support the NocturThe opposing commander may spend (Exalt’s Manipulation) nal’s arguments. The target may immediately pay 2 willpower willpower to see through this Illusion. or 2 Loyalty to reassert the original Intimacy or Policy. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ grants Queen Summons Drones the Calibration-OK and Training keywords. During this time Cost: 1m or 3m; Mins: Manipulation 3, Essence 1; the Harlequin may permanently shift one of her target’s Type: Reflexive Virtue dots to another one of his Virtues, so long as the shift Keywords: Combo-OK, War justifies lack of DV bonus on the attack. The dot she moves is Duration: Instant immediately converted into experience to pay for the increase Prerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm of the othe Virtue, placing her in experience debt if it is not The Herald quickly and efficiently redefines the chain sufficient to pay for the increase in full. If there is excess Expeof command. By spending a mote when a unit to which she rience, she may use it to pay toward any additional experience is attached attempts to promote new relays or other special debt she has or hold it in reserve to pay for additional Virtue characters, she may use this Charm to cause that Rally action increases later. It cannot be used in any other fashion. This to automatically succeeds. Should the commander be slain, cannot cause a Virtue associated with the Great Curse to fall this Charm ensures that the unit’s hero or sorcerer (whoever below 3. has the higher War rating) assumes command immediately, or, if no other candidate is available, promotes the Herald to Courting the Ambitious commander. Cost: 6m; Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 2; A second purchase of this Charm allows the Herald to Type: Supplemental ensure that successful Rally action to promote new relays al- Keywords: Combo-OK, Mandate, Social lows the unit to gain its full requirement of relays. Doing so Duration: Instant cost three motes if the Herald is not also serving as a relay for Prerequisite Charms: Blameless in Abandon the unit. The more who follow a leader, the greater the possibility for betrayal. The Harlequin speaks past the leader of a social Swarm Shelters Queen unit or Dominion, and encourages dissent from within. This Cost: 5m, 1lhl; Mins: Manipulation 5, Essence 3; Charm supplements a social attack. The social unit gains no Type: Reflexive (Step 2) benefits to its DV from its Magnitude, and should the attack Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping, Suspicious, War overcome its leader’s Mental DV, the Exalt inspires internal Duration: Instant conflict. The leader must spend Loyalty equal to the unit’s Prerequisite Charms: Spider Lures Fly, Queen Summons Magnitude or the unit immediately splits and loses a point of Drones Magnitude. Not even the sharpest eye can see everything in the In Mandate of Heaven rules, this Charms adds the Nocchaos of battle, and discerning leadership among the throng turnal’s Manipulation to the difficulty of one internal action becomes an exercise in futility. While the Exalt serves as relay the targeted Dominion takes, unless the leader suppresses the or commander, she may use this Charm to perfectly defend opposition by allowing the Dominion to gain (Magnitude) against any attack that targets a special character within her Limit. unit, including a champion in the middle of a duel. The attacker strikes blindly into the united mass of troops, and Praising the Princes the unit (rather than the Exalt) takes the damage cost of this Cost: 8m; Mins: Manipulation 5, Essence 3; Charm. This Charm has no affect on attackers who are im- Type: Supplemental mune to Shaping effects. Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK, Compulsion, Mandate, A second purchase at Essence 4+ extends the duration Social to (Manipulation) Actions, but the unit takes one level of Duration: (Manipulation) Days damage each time the benefit of this Charm are evoked. Prerequisite Charms: Courting the Ambitious The Harlequin is still a Herald at heart and it falls to ocial nit harms him to inspire support for the Exalted and their rule. This Charm supplements a Manipulation-based social attack to Blameless in Abandon convince a social unit or a Dominion that either their current Cost: 1m (+3m, 1wp); Mins: Manipulation 3 Essence 2; leadership is unfit to continue in their role or that an Exalt Type: Supplemental would be better suited to lead them. Against a social unit that Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping, Social broke off due to Courting the Ambitious, this attack cannot Duration: Instant be dodged or parried. Prerequisite Charms: Any Manipulation Charm If successful, the unit or dominion clamors for Exalted All ideals are temporary and mutable, and the Har- lequin taps into possible worlds in which her opponent’s leadership, as determined by a Chance die roll in Step 10. opinion has swayed another way. This Charm supplements a 1: One of the Harlequin’s enemies. As the archetypal Manipulation-based social attack. For a moment, the target’s Sun Princes always count, even if they are allied with Virtues, Intimacies, or Policy shift ever so slightly to avoid the Harlequin. resisting the Harlequin’s words. His attack ignores any DV bonus provided by the target’s Virtues, Intimacies, or Policy, 2-3: Any Terrestrial Exalted. provided no other effect has rendered those inviolable, such as Righteous Lion Defense or Epic Zeal of (Virtue). If the 4-5: Any Celestial Exalted, not otherwise on this list. attack succeeds, he may pay an additional three motes and 6-7: Any Lunar Exalted. a willpower to change the Intimacy or Policy permanently as a Shaping Effect, so long as his Essence exceeds the target’s 8-9: Any Solar Exalted. or unit leader’s Essence. The change cannot fully reverse the
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the benefits of this Charm, allowing the Herald to moderate public debates without outbursts from the audience. Heroic If an appropriate Exalt openly encounters the social unit mortals may spend two willpower to resist this Compulsion. or Dominion during the duration of this Charm, the people Herald Demands Respect will demand her rule, and support her in any endeavor to Cost: — (+1wp); Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; assume control—going so far as attempting to force the Exalt Type: Permanent against her will to accept them. The current leader may spend Keywords: None Loyalty equal to the Essence of the likely usurper (Dominions Duration: Permanent gain a like amount of Limit) to suppress this Compulsion. Prerequisite Charms: Maintaining Manners A second purchase at Essence 4+ makes the duration The Herald speaks for the Lords of Creation and all humanIndefinite, ending only when the Exalt assumes her rightful ity must bow to their wishes. By spending a willpower with place, the current leader puts down the dissent, or the Harle- Maintaining Manners, the Herald affects all essentially huquin releases his sway over the populace. man beings, mortal or otherwise, whose Essence is less than his own. Against other Exalted this requires a successful social attack requesting their compliance in order to transmit the Compulsion effect. Such an attack may be made immediately efense and istraction harms upon activating this Charm. There Are No Words Attention-Catching Distraction Cost: 5m; Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 3; Cost: —; Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Nox, Social Keywords: None Duration: (Essence) Actions Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None Prerequisite Charms: Too Pretty to Die The Herald’s will is as impenetrable as the firmament. The Harlequin turns heads wherever he goes—even into Upon activating this Charm, the Exalt warps the chain battle. This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite, of cause and effect in a debate. He is deaf to all arguments allowing the Exalt to grant activate that Charm in response to and blind to all propaganda. He gains an effective Mental an attack targeting another being with Appearance less than DV, which is neither Parry nor Dodge, equal to (Permanent his own. The defender receives whatever bonus to her DV Willpower/2), plus Essence during Calibration. If Nox is in that the Exalt would have received if he were the target. If the the Loom, she gains an additional bonus of +(Whispers/2) to Exalt has repurchased Too Pretty to Die so that it’s duration this DV, if her attacker is within Fate. This DV is modified by is longer than Instant, he may activate it multiple times to Appearance and other social factors as normal. Social Attacks protect up to (Essence) beings, including himself. Each activawith the Touch-keyword ignore this DV completely. tion requires a separate commitment if the Exalt opts to make them last longer than an Instant as well. Too Pretty To Die Cost: 1m, (+3m, 1wp); Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 1; Center of Attention Stance Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Appearance 4, Essence 3; Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Social Type: Simple Duration: Instant Keywords: Combo-Basic, Compulsion, Obvious Prerequisite Charms: Any Appearance Charm Duration: One Scene The beauty of the Nocturnal Exalted is too precious to Prerequisite Charms: Attention-Catching Distraction discard callously. This Charm allows the Herald to apply his At any social gathering the Harlequin is an alluring presAppearance-based DV modifier to his physical DVs, just as he ence. No one can help but admire him. For the remainder would for his Mental DVs. of the scene, anyone who can perceive the Exalt suffers an A second purchase of this Charm at Appearance 4+, Es- internal penalty equal to his Appearance on all actions not sence 3+, extends its duration to (Appearance) actions if the directed toward him. If a being’s Temperance or Appearance Nocturnal pays a surcharge of three motes and a willpower. is higher than the Exalt’s, they may ignore this penalty freely. With this repurchase, if the Exalt also knows Prettier Than Otherwise, the Compulsion to interact with the Exalt may be You Assertion, the duration of this Charm becomes One resisted either by spending half the Nocturnal’s Appearance Scene for no additional cost. in willpower, or by spending a number of actions equal to the difference in relative Appearance values, minimum 1, Maintaining Manners interacting with the Exalt. Cost: 2m; Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple Glances Stolen and Borrowed Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion Cost: 3m+; Mins: Appearance 4, Essence 2; Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Prerequisite Charms: Too Pretty to Die Keywords: Combo-OK, Social, Touch With this Charm, the Herald is free to deliver his Duration: One Scene message to the people unmolested. While active this Charm Prerequisite Charms: Attention Catching Distraction prevents mortal beings (including animals) from initiating So handsome, so beautiful are the Harlequins that their physical hostilities against him, though once hostilities have poise and appeal overflows and elevates those around them. begun, they are under no further compulsion. Additionally, The Exalt may touch being with Appearance less than his own mortals under this Compulsion will not heckle or rudely and grant that being one dot of Appearance for every three interrupt the Exalt while he speaks. If he is engaged in a motes spent, though he cannot make any being more attracconversation with one or more essence-users, all of them gain tive than himself. 10:
A specific Solar of the Harlequin’s choosing.
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Statesman and Courtesan Lessons
Cost: 10m, 2wp; Mins: Appearance 5, Essence 3; Type: Type Keywords: Calibration, Mandate, Obvious, Social, Touch, Training Duration: One Week Prerequisite Charms: Glances Stolen and Borrowed The Harlequin knows the subtle demands of society and the byzantine complications of civilization. Others would do well to heed his lessons. This Charm allows the Exalt to train others in one of the following per week: Charisma, Appearance, Craft (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, or Wood), Integrity, Performance, Presence, or Socialize. This Training time requires eight or more hours a day for one week and adds one to the selected Trait, to a maximum of the Exalt’s own rating or four, whichever is lower. During Calibration, this training requires only five days, and may use the higher of the Exalt’s rating or four to determine the maximum the training allows. The Exalt may use this Charm to train himself. In Mandate of Heaven rules, this Charm adds the Exalt’s Appearance to the Dominion’s Culture for the season and causes the Dominion to gain one Limit. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ allows the Exalt to train Specialities, which may be for any Ability, which are appropriate to social situations. Examples include Craft: Air (Calligraphy), Socialize (Dynastic Dining Etiquette), Lore (Heraldry), Melee (Formal Duels), and Bureaucracy (Navigating Red Tape).
Prettier Than You Assertion
Cost: 4m, (1wp); Mins: Appearance 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: (Appearance x 2) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Too Pretty To Die The physical allure of the Herald is legendary, and with this Charm he ensures no one can take his beauty for granted. So long as the Exalt has the highest Appearance of beings involved in the scene, he has no limitations on the DV bonus his Appearance can provide. By spending a willpower, this Charm also removes any limitation on DV penalties her opponents receive from the Exalt’s higher Appearance. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 6+ extends its duration to One Scene.
Disguise and Stealth Charms Curious Onlooker Deflection
Cost: 5m (+1wp); Mins: Appearance 1, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion Duration: (Essence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Any Appearance Charm Sometimes it is preferable not to be the focus of attention. With this Charm the Harlequin redirects an onlooker’s gaze and convinces him that another person more greatly deserves his attention. If the Exalt’s current temporary willpower, including any gained from Willful Appearance Bolstering, exceeds the Mental DV of those trying to look at him, she may roll Willpower with a difficulty of the new center of attention’s Essence—doubled if that being is actively attempting to hide, halved, rounding down, if he is actively drawing attention to himself anyhow. Victims of this Charm immediately refocus their attention on the other being, ignoring the Harlequin completely. Spirits and other Exalted hold others’ attention more firmly than mortals; resisting this unnatural
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Compulsion costs a number of willpower equal to half the Essence of the being which now holds his attention. A second purchase at Appearance 2+, Essence 4+, allows the Exalt to spend a willpower when activating this Charm and add the Emotion-keyword. If those searching for the Exalt would have had any emotional reaction to finding him, that emotion is also redirected so long as they suffer from the Compulsion.
Mysterious Hidden Decoy
Cost: 2m; Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Curious Onlooker Deflection Bejeweled with adamant regalia and deep indigo hearthstones, the Herald openly wears the symbols of his office. If this is what he wears openly, how much more valuable are the things he keeps hidden? Only a fool bothers to find out. The Exalt uses this Charm to enchant one of his artifacts and binds its essence to a mundane object. So long as he keeps the mundane object out of sight and within (Essence) yards of the artifact, the artifact is likewise obscured from observer’s minds. Anyone who cannot perceive the object cannot perceive the artifact either, as an Illusion effect. Resisting this Illusion costs (Artifact’s rating—object’s Resource cost), minimum 1, willpower. However, anyone affected by this Illusion gains a vague suspicion that the Exalt is hiding something, gain a onedie situational bonus on Investigation rolls directed toward the Exalt or his possessions.
Familiar Face Confusion
Cost: 6m; Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration-OK, Chance, Combo-OK, Shaping, Suspicious Duration: Until Broken Prerequisite Charms: Curious Onlooker Deflection A person may encounter thousands of faces in a single lifetime—some will be remembered fondly, others with ire, and most with indifference. This Charm shifts the past fates of the Exalt and her target so that the Harlequin will appear familiar. The Exalt rolls a social attack against the target, adding her Appearance in automatic successes. If successful, roll a die to determine how the Exalt is remembered. 1:
In the false past, the Exalt is remembered for committing some terrible offense.
2-3:
The Exalt and her target had an insignificant meeting that is now barely remembered. Perhaps they exchanged greetings in the market yesterday, or they remember each other from an alcohol-fogged party last year.
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The Exalt and her target engaged in some business transaction that was mutually beneficial though otherwise impersonal.
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The Exalt and her target had a brief tryst and split on terms that, while not necessarily friendly, are unlikely to cause the target to react poorly to the Harlequin’s “return.”
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The Exalt and her target were once best friends, close relatives, or long-term lovers, but time and circumstances beyond their control, rather than an emotional falling-out, drove them apart.
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The target remembers the Exalt as an authority figure, such as a priest, magistrate, his own mother, or anyone else who might receive the target’s respect and loyalty.
Once the die determines the general theme of the false past, the Exalt may tailor the specifics appropriately. Both the Harlequin and her target gain the false memories, woven into their own respective histories wherever they might fit. Since this causes differences between the two memories, discrepancies may eventually arise. The target may remember meeting the Exalt a Calibration party last year, while she remembers that party being two years ago. Whenever such conflicts arise, the Nocturnal gains one Paradox die. Once she has received more levels of Paradox than her Essence, the Shaping effect ends. During Calibration, she gains no Paradox from this Charm. Initially this Charm has no affect on beings outside of Fate, but once the Exalt as Essence 4+ he may elect to replace the Shaping-keyword with an Illusion-keyword and affect such beings accordingly. As a shaping effect this Charm cannot be resisted without specialized magic to do so; the social attack successful imparts an Illusion, however, this Charm may be resisted by spending one willpower per scene, or four willpower all at once to completely break it.
Duration: One Day Prerequisite Charms: Essential Possibilities Even the greatest Herald should not draw attention away from his less powerful superiors. No matter his Experience. For each mote of Essence spent, the Exalt lowers his effective Permanent Essence by one, to a minimum of one, for any purposes in which having a lower Essence would be advantageous for the Exalt. If the Nocturnal lowers his Essence to one, he is, by all appearances, a mortal. Only applicability-trumping defenses allow observers to perceive the Nocturnal as he truly is and interact with his Essence accordingly. If activated during Calibration, this Charm remains active until the end of Calibration. Any display resulting from the expenditure of peripheral motes automatically terminates this Charm. Merged: Perfectly Ordinary Spectacle (Perception, prerequisites: Another Face in the Crowd).
Recoiling Cosmos Implosion
Cost: — (1wp); Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Native Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Essential Possibilities Once the Herald’s anima has exploded around him, it will continue to expand until it reaches the limits of his Essence. After it has reached its maximum radius, the Exalt must choose at the beginning of his Action whether the anima holds its current position, retracts (Essence) yards, or begins expanding again after being retracted. The first time per Action the Exalt spends Peripheral motes, the anima must expand by (Essence) yards. If the Exalt retracts his anima banner fully he will appear as though he spent only 10 motes of Essential Possibilities Peripheral Essence. At this point, at the beginning of his AcCost: — (+1-3m); Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 2; tion, he may choose to spend one willpower to snuff his anima Type: Permanent out completely. Spending Peripheral Essence again before the Keywords: None end of the scene causes anima banner to once again flare as Duration: Permanent though he had just spent 11 motes of Peripheral Essence, unPrerequisite Charms: None The Harlequin must be discreet at times and hide less the expenditure is masked by Essential Possibilities. her capabilities. This Charm allows the Exalt to mask any expenditure of Peripheral Essence. If she has enough motes Alternative Visage in her Personal Mote pool to pay for the full mote cost of the Cost: 6m+; Mins: Appearance 1, Essence 3; Charm or other essence-fueled powers such as Combos, she Type: Simple may instead pay one additional mote of Personal Essence and Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK, Shaping, Touch mask any amount of Peripheral Essence spent to power the Duration: (Appearance) Days effect. She treats all motes spent as Personal for the purposes Prerequisite Charms: Any Appearance Charm A person’s life is written upon her face and her experiof increasing her anima display. This may not suppress the Exalt’s anima while she performs any Shape Sorcery action or ences shape her appearance. This Charm is an attempt to crethe use of Overdrive motes. Combos deserve special mention: ate a disguise for a willing being, including the Exalt herself. when determining the full price of a Combo for the purposes She edits the being’s past, allowing her to change almost any of this Charm, ignore the cost of Reflexive Charms. If the physical feature that could have been changed within the time rest of the Combo could be paid for with Personal Motes, allotted. Roll a die to see how far into the target’s past the she need only pay the surcharge to apply this Charm’s effects Nocturnal may change. to the entire Combo, including any Reflexive Charms which 1: Within the last month. This may, for example, remay be activated later. grow a beard shaved off the day before or grant scars A second purchase of this Charm at Appearance 3+, Essence from a bar fight that didn’t occur a fortnight ago. 3+ allows the Exalt to pay this surcharge with Peripheral motes rather than Pesonal, but increases the surcharge to two motes. 2-3: Within the last season. With a third purchase at Essence 4+, the Exalt is no longer required to be able to pay the full mote cost with Personal 4-5: Within the last year. While this could disguise a woman as heavily pregnant (or hide such a pregmotes in order to qualify for this Charm, but if she is not able nancy) no life is created or destroyed in the process. to do so, the surcharge becomes three additional motes. 6-7: Within the last decade. Masking the Divine Cost: 1-9m, 1wp; Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; 8-9: Within the last (Essence) decades. Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK, Illusion, Merged
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10:
Since before the target was born. This may change the target’s sex or race, or other factors determined during the target’s prenatal development. Doing so does not allow the target to disguise himself as a particular being.
The changes made by this Charm are real, but purely physical. Close examination of the changes cannot discern that they are just a disguise, but if the target is questioned on how he received a certain scar, he better be prepared to back up these changes with a clever story. For particularly dramatic shifts, those going back more than one year, the Nocturnal may commit two additional motes to grant the target a bonus of +1 die to an Attribute or Ability as appropriate for every five years of history, or fraction thereof, altered. Alternatively, he can distribute a like number of -1 Internal Penalties to an Attribute or Ability to grant the bonus for only one mote. He is free to mix and match these alternatives as he pleases. These are considered bonuses from Charms and the Exalt may not commit more than (Essence + [higher of The Cloak or The Tablet]) motes in this way.
Unreliable Witness
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic, Illusion Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Alternative Visages Most people are lucky to enjoy even one life. The Harlequin lives a thousand lives in her time, and wears a thousand faces. She knows each person is just a collapsed point of possibilities—potential constrained by history. She is under no such obligations to remain so constrained and may present the countless alternate lives for all the world to see. In this multitude of self, she finds anonymity. When she activates this Charm, her player rolls (Appearance + Stealth), adding her Essence in automatic successes. Each success superimposes one alternate life upon the Exalt, each more different than the last. For the Duration of this Charm, each person who perceives the Exalt perceives a different, distinct version of her, each behaving with its own unique personality quirks, each moving in slightly different ways, each speaking different words. So long as observers do not outnumber the Exalt’s successes, no one will perceive her true identity or behavior. Any observer beyond the successes rolled, however, will. While this Charm is active, the Exalt cannot make a social attack against anyone who does not perceive her as she truly is without at least a two-dice stunt. Other beings may spend three willpower to see through this Illusion.
Another Lifetime Liar
Cost: — (+2m); Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Unreliable Witness Decisions as innumerable as the stars have shaped the Harlequin’s life. Had any gone differently she would be a new person. What sort of person? Only the witness knows. She may now use Unreliable Witness without an activation roll by spending two additional motes. She never runs out of alternate personas to project.
Evidence and Perjury Stance
Cost: — (+1m); Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
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Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Unreliable Witness A thousands lives leave their mark on the world in a thousand ways. This Charm enhances its prerequisite. By spending an additional mote, the Exalt causes each being who perceives an alternate form to discover evidence that aligns only with their perceptions. If they saw the Exalt as an unarmed monk, the aftermath of the Exalt’s attack as appropriate for unarmed attacks, rather than the stab wounds that truly exist. Such misperceptions may impose external penalties on characters’ actions as appropriate. Overcoming the Illusion of Unreliable Witness also allows the being to perceive evidence normally.
Rescinding the Nocturnal Gift
Cost: 1wp; Mins: Appearance 1, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Nox, Shaping Duration: (Essence) Days Prerequisite Charms: None The Primordials never considered humans to be a threat, and the Incarnae exploited that when selecting the vessels for Exaltation. Even after the Primordial War, mortals are hardly given a second thought. With this Charm, the Harlequin gains access to an alternate self who never Exalted. The Nocturnal’s player should create a heroic mortal version of her character, with additional bonus points equal to the Exalt’s (Willpower + Essence), gaining one additional bonus point whenever the Nocturnal raises one of those traits. The mortal does not gain experience, unless the player has spent the majority of a session in this form, in which case the player may assign a portion of that session’s experience to the mortal. The heroic mortal loses access to any benefits directly associated with being a Nocturnal, such as native Charms, Celestial Martial Arts, and Celestial Circle Sorcery, and all other Charms deactivate. The benefits of permanent charms are suspended for the Duration. The heroic mortal begins at Essence 2 which may be raised with bonus points to a maximum of 3. She retains any Terrestrial Martial Arts and Terrestrial Circle Sorcery spells she knows, provided she meets the qualifications for such Charms and spells. For all purposes, the Exalt is now a mortal and will appear as such to Measure the Wind and All-Encompassing Sorcerer’s Sight, though the latter will detect an aura of foreign essence—the lingering effects of the Charm’s shaping. Regardless of the Nocturnal’s state, the mortal enters play in pristine condition—full health, full willpower, and full motes. When the Charm ends, the Exalt’s anima flares to its 10m+ range, and she returns exactly as she departed, still suffering from whatever effects befell her. With Essence 4+, the Exalt may spend one Permanent Willpower to activate this Charm reflexively. Doing so doesn’t just hide his Exaltation—it is ejected, permanently rendering the Nocturnal a heroic mortal again. Nox proposed this feature to a skeptical Autochthon. The Incarna recognized the possibility that his Chosen’s power might be turned against the war effort, or that his Chosen may simply grow tire of their gift. Should all else fail, this Charm preserves the last ounce of the Exalt’s will and humanity. Not even a Primordial could coerce him to use it against his will. By design, this Charm requires extreme duress in order to activate unless the Nocturnal is officially relieved of her duties by her patron. If Nox is free, the Exalt must make her case before him if she wishes to relinquish her Exaltation for merely personal reasons. The ever-watchful eye of imprisoned Nox knows the
minds of his Chosen. While he is in the Loom, the Nocturnal thoughts and interactions. For the duration of this Charm, needs no permission to activate this Charm for any reason. the Exalt may replace her Appearance with the Virtue and she gains one automatic success whenever she rolls the Virtue, Birthing the (Caste) including channeling it in support of other actions. Spending Cost: — (1wp); Mins: Appearance 5, Essence 4; a willpower to resist the influence of the Virtue causes the Type: Permanent Exalt to gain Paradox dice equal to the Virtue. Additionally, Keywords: Kalpa each version of this Charm has the following benefits: Duration: Permanent Compassion: The Exalt attunes herself to hearts and Prerequisite Charms: Masking the Divine, Alternate Visage minds of others and against a number of automatic successes Within each Nocturnal Exaltation is the information neces- equal to her Compassion to all Investigation, Medicine, and sary for the new Exalt to become any Caste, as suits his own Socialize rolls to discern a person’s current state or intent. personality. Even after his Caste has settled, this information Conviction: The Exalt adopts an air of unwavering devoremains. Tapping into a different vision of himself, the Exalt tion and gains her (Conviction/2), rounding up, in automatic convert his Essence, temporarily, into that of another Caste. successes for all attempts to defend or promote her Intimacies. This Charm may be purchased multiple times, with each Temperance: The Exalt takes her time and ensures she purchase representing a different Nocturnal Caste. Each does not leave herself vulnerable. The Speed of her actions purchase of this Charm must be for a Caste which possesses are increased by one and the total DV penalty she suffers from on Caste Attribute in common with his own, either through her own actions is decreased by her Temperance. his own Caste or one acquired through a previous purchase of Valor: The Exalt steps forward and takes charge, inspirthis Charm. For example, with his first purchase, a Nova may ing others in her wake. She adds a number of automatic sucacquire Birthing the Aurora but not Birthing the Empyrean, cesses equal to her Valor to all Coordinate Attack and Rally since the Nova and Empyrean Caste share no Caste Attributes. action she takes. The first time the Exalt’s anima reaches the 11+ mote display during a scene (whether through the slow expenditure Empathetic Advisor Foresight of peripheral motes or the payment of five motes and will- Cost: 5m; Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 3; power), he may pay a willpower to convert his anima display Type: Simple and power to that of the chosen Caste for the remainder of Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Social, War the scene. His Caste Mark remains the same. He may pay this Duration: Instant willpower again to convert his anima back to its natural state. Prerequisite Charms: Personified Mask of Compassion, Per Kalpa: Also inherent in the design of the Nocturnal Ex- sonified Mask of Temperance alted is the possibility of a sixth caste, the Singularities (see p. By putting herself in the place of another, the Herald 82 for full description). While they exist in some Manvantara, knows what any person will possibly do in a given situation. they are absent from many. In some Manvantara lacking the The Nocturnal targets an individual within (Essence x 10) yards Singularity Caste (or in those possessing the Singularities but and rolls (Perception + [Compassion or Temperance]), with lacking one of the other Castes), this Charm may be acquired a difficulty equal to the target’s Manipulation. If successful, in a dramatically different fashion. the target’s player must name (Nocturnal’s Essence) actions he In such Manvantaras, this Charm allows the Exalt to might take on his next action. The Exalt’s player selects one, fully awaken a Caste within himself. This Charm gains the fol- and the target must adhere. If situation changes such that the lowing Keywords: Calibration, Merged, and Training. It also chosen action is impossible or blatantly ill-advised, the target requires any one Charm for each of the Caste’s Attributes. For must spend one willpower to choice a new action and delays the Singularities, this would be Any Appearance Charm, Any his action by one tick. Otherwise, the target must spend four Intelligence Charm, and Any Stamina Charm. willpower to act against the choice. If he follows through with During Calibration, the Exalt may spend a willpower to the Exalt’s suggestion, however, he gains the higher of the become a member of the designated Caste. His Caste and Fa- Exalt’s Compassion or Temperance in automatic successes on vored Attributes and Domains change as necessary and he can the action. convert any number of dots from one Trait into experience to immediately raise another equivalent Trait (Attribute for Meddlesome Monk Hindsight Attribute, Domain for Domain, etc.) He gains two experience Cost: 8m+, (1wp); Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; for every Charm that has been made Caste or Favored by this Type: Simple (Speed 6) process and loses two experience for every Charm that was Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion, Touch formerly Caste or Favored but has no lost that status. In short, Duration: Instant the Exalt’s player may completely redesign his character as the Prerequisite Charms: Empathetic Advisor Foresight Meditating upon the plight of others, the Nocturnal new Caste, keeping in mind that it is the character’s Caste that is changing, with only minor alterations to the character regrets not being able to advise them at some crucial moment in their life. Having learned of some painful experience in otherwise. another being’s life, the Exalt attempts to set things right, or ersona harms at least create the appearance that it has been. Touching the being the Exalt pays eight motes to rewrite the story of their Personified Mask of (Virtue) life for the better, erasing all memory of a single personal Cost: 5m; Mins: Appearance 1, (Virtue) 3, Essence 2; tragedy and replacing it with a happier one—or at least one Type: Simple the Exalt honestly believes the target would have enjoyed Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious more. The Exalt rolls a social attack against the target, adding Duration: One Scene his Appearance (or appropriate Virtue if he currently has a Prerequisite Charms: None Personified Mask of [Virtue] Charm active) in automatic suc An individual’s personality is shaped by the Virtues to cesses. If successful, the target experiences false memories of which she adheres. The Exalt uses this set of four Charm to shape a new personality and allow a Virtue to dominate her
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the event, as an Illusion effect, which costs the higher of the Exalt’s Compassion or Temperance to ignore it immediately. Since this Charm does not actually change the past, the Exalt is encouraged to come up with alternative explanation for the target’s current circumstances so that they do not realize that reality does not match their memories. Should the target detect such deviation, she is provided with another opportunity to spend willpower to resist the Illusion. Regardless of how the Exalt altered the memory, the new memory will conspicuously place the Exalt in the target’s memory, either as a participant in the event or as a background character in some prior scene occurring shortly before. This Charm upgrades automatically at Essence 4. Using the target as a link to all others who shared the experience, the Exalt warps the memories of all. This costs an additional number of motes equal to twice the Magnitude of the social unit that would be formed by this group, plus one willpower. This makeshift social unit may not exceed Magnitude (Essence). The Exalt rolls one social attack and compares his successes to the Mental Dodge Value of all. This attack cannot be parried.
Unwavering Critic Style
Cost: 4m (1wp); Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Social Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Personified Mask of Conviction, Personified Mask of Temperance Through iron-clad dedication and a thorough examination of the situation, the Herald counters any argument. This Charm allows the Exalt to perfectly parry any social attack that can be parried. If the attack was Performance-based, or otherwise targeted a group of people, the Exalt may spend one willpower to extend this defense to anyone who can perceive the Nocturnal’s counterargument.
Different Drumbeat Mastery
Cost: 1m, 1wp; Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Social Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Unwavering Critic Style The Harlequin is her own person, or persons as the case may be. Regardless, she follows no trends and blazes her own trails. Dressing in a distinctive fashion, speaking in her own unique style, behaving ever so slightly out of sync with the reset of society, the Exalt sets herself apart from others. So long as she presents herself in this individualist fashion, she may activate this Charm. For its duration, she ignores the penalty imposed from social units with greater Magnitude and any social attack intended to cause her to join a larger group or follow social norms is considered to be opposed by either her Conviction or Temperance, as she chooses. She doubles the bonus the chosen Virtue provides to her DV against such attacks and may always channel that Virtue to further enhance her DV. However, for the duration of this Charm, she is considered a solo social unit. While she can make no overt social attack to convince others to be like her for the duration of this Charm, she does radiate a passive unnatural mental influence. Anyone whose MDV is less than her (Appearane + Socialize) considers the scene to be an additional scene spent building a positive Intimacy toward one of the Nocturnal’s quirks, plus one scene if any of the following the apply: the being is an extra, the being is a mortal, the being has not encountered the Nocturnal before. In this way, the Nocturnal
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quickly spreads new fashions and idioms and is forced to keep pace with social changes in order to maintain her own unique style.
Forceful Provocateur Stance
Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Personified Mask of Conviction, Personified Mask of Valor The Herald stands by his words and challenges anyone who disagrees. The Exalt rolls Willpower. Anyone with Temperance or Compassion lower than the Exalt’s successes is compelled to challenge the Exalt in whatever form seems most appropriate or efficient to the character. An Exalt hoping to provoke an argument might be surprised when her would-be debater simply pulls a flamepiece and fires. Resisting this Compulsion costs one willpower for the scene, plus one willpower for each of the following: the Exalt possesses Appearance 5+, the Exalt posseses Conviction 5, or the Exalt possesses Valor 5.
Boasting War Chief Recruitment
Cost: — (+4m); Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Social, War Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Forceful Provocateur Stance Taking on the mien of a fierce barbarian warlord or savagely civilized general, the Herald displays that he is not one to be trifled with. Better to join his cause than to suffer his wrath. This Charm permamently enhances its prerequisite. First, the Exalt always gains at least (lower of Conviction or Valor) successes on the activating Willpower roll. Second, it may be used in mass combat, whether military or social, forcing the leaders of opposing units to engage his own as appropriate. Finally, when a unit that engages his own due to this Charm loses Magnitude, the Exalt makes a reflexive (Appearance) roll. If the roll gains more successes than the opposing unit’s prior Magnitude and that Magnitude was greater than that of the Exalt’s own unit, his unit’s Magnitude increases by one as the enemy’s deserters bolsters his own ranks. So long as the Exalt gains at least one success on this roll, he is assumed to have won at least a handful of converts, though not enough to increase the Magnitude of his unit.
Martyrs and Matrons Interjection
Cost: 1m; Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 7) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping, Social Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Personified Mask of Compassion, Personified Mask of Valor Like a caring mother or a loyal bodyguard, the Harlequin steps into harm’s way for those she cares about. This Charm may be activated when a being toward whom the Exalt holds a positive Intimacy is attack within (Essence) yards of her. Attack resolution continues from Step 7 onward as though the Nocturnal had been the target, applying raw damage and all associated and subsequent effects to him instead of the original target. The cost of this Charm drops to 0m after its first activation until the end of the tick.
Kaleyard Child Harvest
Cost: — (1wp); Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Calibration, Flux Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Martyrs and Matrons Interjection Adopting the aspect of the protective parent, the Harlequin learns to be a doting father or mother. But the Exalt cannot truly claim the mantle of a parent until he or she has a child. A boy or a girl, how can the Nocturnal Exalt decide? The proper answer is obvious. This Charm permanently enhances the Exalt. Whenever he potentially could cause a sexual partner to become pregnant (or she become pregnant herself), the Exalt can spend a willpower to ensure the pregnancy as a Flux effect. The pregnancy always results in twins, a boy and a girl. If two Nocturnals apply this effect simultaneously on the same pregnancy, the result is a set of identical male twins and another set of identical female twins. Once per Calibration, the Exalt may spend a willpower to create a child without the entertaining but messy business of sex. The child is created nearby, out of sight but within earshot, and discovered as though abandoned by some other being. The child always appears in a container of some sort, such as a wicker basket, cradle or papoose. The created child is considered the offspring of the Nocturnal alone and will always bear a striking resemblance to the Exalt.
Surgeon’s Unflinching Scalpel
Cost: 5m; Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping, Touch Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Personified Mask of Compassion, Personified Mask of Conviction The process of healing often requires further harm. The surgeon must cut his patient. The apothecary brews poisons to cure diseases. Likewise the Harlequin knows that a little harm can serve the greater good. This Charm allows the Exalt to convert (Compassion or Conviction) levels of Bashing Damage into a level Lethal Damage, or levels of Lethal Damage into a level of Aggravated. Alternatively, the Exalt may purge a mundane disease or poison by converting it into one level of Lethal Damage. This Charm may be used either on himself or on others.
Sorrowful Doctor’s Decision
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK. Compulsion Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Surgeon’s Unflinching Scalpel Every hero someday comes to a troubling crossroad. Every hero must make sacrifices to protect those she loves. The Exalt may activate this Charm whenever she finds herself facing a vexing moral quandary. For example, if forced to choose which of two patients to save when she has only enough resources to save one and both patients are equally deserving of the cure, or if her compassionate heart encourages her to disobey an order from a commander she respects. Upon activating this Charm, she chooses a course of action, so long as it is supported by at least one Virtue rated at 3+. Any Virtues which would otherwise conflict with this decision are temporarily ignored as the Exalt rationalizes her actions through the lens of the ignored Virtue. She may continue to ignore this Virtue whenever it would conflict with her chosen path for as long as this Charm remains active. Additionally, she gains her Appearance (or the ignored Virtue if the appropriate Personified Mask is active) in automatic successes on any social attack to convince others that
she has made the right choose. If the attack is successful, the target gains a Compulsion effect to follow her example in the current matter. Resisting this Compulsion costs (6 – target’s rating in ignored Virtue) willpower. So long as the Compulsion remains, the target likewise ignores the designated Virtue while performing the dictated action. The Solar Exalted possess a similar Charm called Wearing the Heavy Crown, which requires Integrity 5, Essence 3, and Epic Zeal of (Virtue). It is a Permanent Charm which allows the Exalt to ignore the influence of any Virtue which conflicts an action dictated by Epic Zeal of (Virtue) even if that Virtue is also backed by its own Epic Zeal. The Lawgiver’s social attacks add the Virtue to which his action adheres, rather than the one he ignores, and cost (6 – opposing Virtue) willpower to ignore.
Wary Bravo Warning
Cost: —; Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Chance Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Personified Mask of Temperance, Personified Mask of Valor It is often difficult to distinguish bravery from foolishness. If a successful Valor roll compels the Nocturnal into a dangerous situation, he may use this Charm to determine what possible dangers await. Roll a Chance die to determine what information the Exalt gains. 1:
The Essence rating of the most dangerous threat.
2-3:
The number of antagonists, including the Magnitude of any units involved.
4-5:
Environmental hazards that lie along his path.
6-7:
The location of the most dangerous threat.
8-9:
(Essence) powerful Charms or other magic effects the most dangerous opponent possesses, determined by the Storyteller.
10:
All of the above. Willpower may not be spent on this option.
Shipwrecked Corsair Memento
Cost: — (1m); Mins: Appearance 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Emotion, Merged, Stackable Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Wary Bravo Warning The Harlequin’s adventures are never forgotten, especially when they leave behind a permanent reminder. This Charm allows the Nocturnal to commit a mote as a diceless Miscellaneous Action. Doing so creates a mark on his body. Usually this mark is a tattoo or a scar, but more creative options are also available, such as piercings, but in such cases the Nocturnal’s body gives the mark its reality and it cannot be removed. The mark is a record of some past event that the Exalt participated in, such as a famous battle or surviving some tragic event. Anyone who can see the mark (and the Exalt may choose where it appears—whether he wishes all to see it or to keep it hidden to be revealed only to a select few) become intuitively aware that the Exalt participated in the designated event. In the case of battles or other events during which the Exalt may have taken a side, those who see the mark know which side he was one, but not the specifics of his role. This knowledge
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radiates a mental influence which bypasses normal social defenses. Instead, those who see the mark, must roll their Temperance, with a difficulty equal to half the Exalt’s Appearance, rounding up. If they fail, they react strongly to this information, immediately gaining an appropriate Intimacy as an Emotion effect, which costs their own Valor in willpower to resist. For the remainder of the scene, this new Intimacy imposes the usual internal penalties associated with Emotion effects. Otherwise, the knowledge counts as one additional scene spent building the appropriate Intimacy. Additionally, while the mark remains, the Exalt gains one artificial Specialty in any Ability of his choice which he might have gained from the designated experience. He may commit up to (Essence) motes to this Charm. Each mote either creates a different mark from a different experience, or makes an existing mark more prominent and grants an additional Specialty die related to that experience. Merged: Shipwrecked Corsair Memento (Perception, prerequisites: Tattle-Tell Scar Attunement)
Broken Soul Reborn
Cost: —; Mins: Appearance 1, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Chance, Native Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Any Personified Mask of (Virtue) The process of Renewal is, quite literally, life changing. The Herald is reborn and just as one incarnation of a hun soul differs from the previous incarnation, so too might the Herald change during his Renewal. When the Exalt undergoes a Renewal, his player rolls one die. 1:
Nothing happens. The Renewal proceeds as normal with merely cosmetic changes.
2-3:
The character’s sex is changed along with other alterations.
4-5:
The Exalt’s player may convert any number of Virtue dots into Experience, which must be immediately spent to raise the Exalt’s Virtues. If changing the Exalt’s Virtues in this way disqualifies the Exalt for any Personified Mask of (Virtue), the player may switch to another version as applicable. Similar Virtue-dependent effects may be changed at Storyteller discretion.
6-7:
The Exalt changes any number of Intimacies and his Motivation.
8-9:
Either the Exalt appearance increases by one, to its current maximum, as a training effect, or converts any number of Appearance dots, to a minimum required for his Charms, into Experience, which may immediately be spent to raise any other Attribute.
clothes. What he knows today, he might discard tomorrow for more useful knowledge. Always in a state of flux, the Exalt has few constants. Among those is the legend his exploits have won for him. That will be with him until the end of time. The Nocturnal may learn this Charm while undergoing a Renewal as a Training effect. If learned before that moment, it waits until the Exalt’s next Renewal before it expresses its power. Shedding his name with his old body, he anchors his identity to a potent epiphet. The epiphet must have been earned by the actions of his life to date, but beyond that the choice is freely up to him. If he was renowned for fighting for the highest bidder, he may call himself the Mercenary. If he had gained infamy as a master thief, he may adopt the pseudonym granted to him by the local populace, such as the Gray Fox or the Masked Bravo. Once he has sacrificed his name, it is erased from Fate and replaced universally by his chosen epithet. It remains known only to himself and beings Outside of Fate who knew it prior to the sacrifice. Curiously, his companion continues instinctively knows his true name on sight, even if the companion had no prior experience, and knows it is some grave secret. The epithet becomes the lynchpin of the Exalt’s personal legend. He gains three Attribute specialties, distributed among his Attributes as he pleases, which must support and reinforce his legend. These Attributes may be as broad as an entire Ability, or narrower but potentially covering multiple Abilities. For example, the Mercenary may gain two Dexterity specialties in “Fighting For Profit” and a Charisma specialty in “Commanding a High Price,” while the Gray Fox gains a Dexterity specialty in “Larceny,” a Manipulation specialty in “Fooling You Twice,” and a Wits specialty in “Trickery.” Like Ability specialities, no Attribute can have more than three specialities and no roll can gain more than three dice from specialities, whether they be Attribute or Ability specialties. Dice from Attribute specialties do not count as dice from Charms, but neither do they add to the Attribute for the purposes of determining its value for Excellencies or other Charms. The Exalt may purchase this Charm up to (Essence -3) times, with each additional purchase providing three more Attribute specialties to expand upon his adopted identity. Additional purchases take effect immediately rather than waiting until the Exalt’s next Renewal.
Perception
Crafting and Planning Charms Measure Once, Cut Twice
Cost: 5m; Mins: Perception 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Stackable, Touch Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: None 10: Any combination of the previous options. The Harlequin wastes nothing. Touching the raw maAlpha and Omega Epithet terials prepared for a crafting project, the Exalt commits five Cost: —; Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 4; motes for every (Essence) pounds of material she wishes to Type: Permanent protect. Should the project fail at any point before compleKeywords: Training tion, the Exalt may release the commitment and restore the Duration: Permanent raw materials to their original state. Additionally, should Prerequisite Charms: Broken Soul Reborn the project succeed, releasing the commitment causes any of Bit by bit, year by year, the Nocturnal changes. Once unused portions of the material to reform into the largest poshe was a mortal, now he walks among the mighty Exalted. sible cohesive unit. For example, if the Exalt used this charm That was only his first transformation. His passions come and on a block of marble, after finishing her carving, the various go with fickle ease. His motives are changed as easily as his
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chips and dust would form into single block of marble, ready for additional work.
6-7:
Having seen her finished work, completing it becomes a simple matter of following a path she hasn’t yet trod. Though it is not truly Repeat Business, the Exalt may treat it as though it were, including benefiting from Parallel Mirrors Repetition (p. 143) for the project if she possesses that Charm.
8-9:
The Herald’s insight accelerates her efforts. The interval of all the Exalt’s dramatic Craft-based actions to complete this project is reduced by one level period, typically reducing it from one season per roll to one month per roll.
10:
The Nocturnal completes her meditation and her design in the same moment. The Exalt may not select this option by spending willpower unless the she possesses Essence 6+ and purchases this Charm a second time. This option retroactively adds (+1wp) to the cost of the Charm and if the Nocturnal does not pay this additional cost she is instead treated as though she rolled a 1. Artifacts crafted in this way become Paradox variants.
Preemptive Prototype Designs
Cost: 10m; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK, Flux, Obvious Duration: One crafting project Prerequisite Charms: Measure Once, Cut Twice One function of the Herald is to reveal new possibilities. This often requires the Exalt to invent new technologies from whole cloth in order to properly execute his vision. In order to use this Charm, the Exalt must first design the plans for a new object (plans are considered complete once the Exalt as accumulated a quarter of the required successes) and gather the require materials to finish his invention. She arranges the plans and materials before her and mediates upon her intended invention for one hour. During her meditation, the component parts appear to skitter across the workshop and self-assemble into the finished product. At the end of the hour, the Exalt’s player rolls one die. 1:
A fatal flaw is revealed in the fundamentals of the design. The Exalt loses all progress, but if she begins again, she may distribute the accumulated dice as bonus dice throughout the subsequent attempt whenever she wishes, adding up to (Perception) dice per roll. These dice may be added one at a time after a roll has already been made. The object shatters spectacularly and the amassed resources are lost unless protected by Measure Once, Cut Twice. The plans remain to be altered according to the revelation.
2-3:
The flaws of the design can be corrected. The object reverts back to its original materials, and the Exalt must continue her work as normal, gaining a pool of (Perception + Essence) bonus dice to be used on any subsequent rolls, which may be added one at a time after the initial roll, up to a maximum of (Perception.)
4-5:
The Herald’s design is flawless. She continues her work the enhanced insight on the final product. The object reverts into partial completed elements. The Exalt gains a poll of (Perception + Essence) bonus successes which may be used in the same manner as bonus dice provided by previous options of this Charm.
Everything Old Is New Again
The Herald’s Charms often demand that he design each item he crafts anew. But in terms of game mechanics, there are only so many ways one might craft a daiklave. In order to get around this restriction, the Exalt must explore new aesthetics rather than new functions or employ new materials and methods in the creation of the item. If the player wishes to craft a second version of an item that he has previously made, a valid two-dice stunt describing the new elements of its construction will suffice to differentiate it from the previous model, allowing him to benefit from Charms that demand he make new items. He must still go through the full crafting process, beginning with the earliest design phase.
Motes spent on this Charm remain committed until the project is complete. This Charm can only be used on set of plans once, and cannot be used at all on plans made by another being.
Vision and Innovation Primacy
Cost: —; Mins: Perception 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Preemptive Prototype Designs The Nocturnal Exalted has always held a special place in Autochthon’s mind. They, like the Great Maker, are constantly driven to new and more elaborate inventions. This Charm permanently enhances the Exalt’s potential for crafting new objects or structures, those for which the Exalt must design new plans. The interval for each roll is reduced once for each purchase of this Charm. Years become seasons; seasons, months; months, weeks; weeks, days; and days, hours. This Charm may be repurchased once for each dot of Essence the Exalt possesses over four. Once the Exalt has completed his initial plans, he may employ Preemptive Prototype Designs as normal. The benefits of this Charm stack with the relevant effects of its prerequisite. For example, if the Exalt is inventing a new artifact, the interval for the roll is automatically reduced from one Season to one Month; if he also gains the benefit of the 8-9 option of Preemptive Prototype Designs, this is again reduced from one Month to One Week. The Exalt may never make more than one roll per hour.
Awaiting Ruins Glance
Cost: 4m; Mins: Perception 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Any Perception Charm Despite the excellence of all Exalted, the Harlequin sees the potential for failure wherever she looks. While examining the plans for a crafting project, whether it be a manse, an artifact, or something more mundane, the Exalt may activate this Charm and roll (Perception + [relevant Craft]), with a difficulty of the Background rating needed to acquire the object.
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If successful, the Exalt learns all possible means by which the project could fail. So long as the Exalt keeps his motes committed and continues to advise the project leader, any botched roll made on behalf of the project may be re-rolled. A second purchase at Perception 4+, Essence 4+ allows roll that failed to advance the project to be rerolled. This Charm only allows one re-roll per action, but is compatible with Third Excellencies, which may be used after this Charm’s effects. If the Exalt knows the Third Perception Excellency, the cost of this Charm is reduced to two motes.
The Folly of Kings
Cost: — (+3m); Mins: Perception 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Social, Mandate, War Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Awaiting Ruins Glance The invisible hand of the social engineer is as likely to slip as that of any artificer, and even the wisest general may err if provided with incorrect information. This Charm upgrades its prerequisite. Fault Predicting Examination may be used on behalf of any group project which the Exalt is participates in. The Exalt rolls (Perception + [relevant Ability]), which may be War for military endeavors, Socialize for festivals, Bureaucracy for business deals, etc., with a difficulty of the Magnitude of the unit or Dominion that undertakes the action. For the duration of this Charm, whenever the group fails an action which would advance the goals of the project chosen when the Charm was activated, the project leader’s player may reroll the action.
Detection Charms
Now My Watch Begins
Cost: —; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration-OK Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None The Nocturnals have a keen eye and ear for trouble, knowing that anything could lurk in a shadow or that the faintest whisper might carry hints of murder. This Charm may be purchased (Perception) times. Each time it is purchased, the Harlequin’s player defines a set of circumstances in which the character’s skills of observation would prove useful at preventing some harm to others. Examples include detecting assassination attempts on another’s life, guarding a post from intruders, and making medical diagnoses. Thereafter, he always gains (Essence) automatic successes in the appropriate situation, and may allows roll Perception if not otherwise applicable. During Calibration, the Exalt gains the benefits of this Charm for all scenarios that could be covered by a hypothetical purchase of this Charm.
Whence You Came
Cost: 3m; Mins: Perception 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Touch Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Perception Charm This Charm allows the Herald to observe the series of events that lead up to a being or object’s current moment. The Exalt touches the target and rolls (Perception + [Awareness or Investigation]), with a difficulty of half the target or target’s owner’s [Manipulation + Socialize]. For each success, the Exalt perceives one important step in the sequence of events that led up to the present. He receives only sensory
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flashes as though he stood near enough the target to touch it while those important events occurred. For example, if the Nocturnal grabs hold of a man running through a crowded market, he may perceive the events that have caused the man to run. With a single success, the Exalt hears the local authorities shouting at the man to stop. With two successes, the Exalt he watches the man steal a necklace from a vendor. With three successes, the Exalt sees children begging for food. The information received is objective. The Nocturnal must make his own value judgments. If he did not roll well enough to learn of the man’s hungry children, he would have no clues to separate a petty thief from a desperate father. At Essence 4+ this Charm upgrades automatically, adding the Exalt’s Essence in automatic successes to the roll.
Whither You Go
Cost: —; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Whence You Came Knowing where one has come from is the key to knowing where they are going. This Charm permanently upgrades its prerequisite. The Exalt gains an additional option when employing Whence You Came. Instead of perceiving past events, he may glimpse the future. He sees the most likely circumstances extending from the current moment. Will this clandestine meeting go badly? If there’s a fight, who will win? If he leaves survivors, will they send more men after him? And so on. As an additional option, if the target has a Destiny, the Nocturnal may instead learn the steps to help that being accomplish his task under current circumstances. This Charm works beyond Fate as well as within it, but does not account for the actions of beings from realms other than the one in which the Nocturnal currently finds himself.
Needle Among Straw
Cost: 3m; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Calibration-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Perception Charm Anything that is not hidden can be detected with enough time and searching. This Charm grants the Exalt such time. Any action to locate a known person, object, or location that is not actively hidden may be supplemented by this Charm and automatically succeeds. For example, the Nocturnal may find a particularly book in even the vastest library, provided that she knows it’s there at all. During Calibration, this Charm may also work to find something that is actively hidden. Mundane attempts to hide the being, object, or location automatically fail, while the Exalt adds her Essence in automatic successes to detect hidden targets.
Known Unknowns
Cost: — (+2m); Mins: Perception 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Chance Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Needle Among Straw The Herald does not risk becoming so single-minded on a hunt that he neglects more promising opportunities when they arise. This Charm upgrades its prerequisite, allowing the Exalt to pay two additional motes to roll one die and determine precisely what the Charm might find instead of what he was original looking for.
1:
This Charm functions as though it were Calibration, allowing the Exalt to find her target even if it is deliberately hidden.
2-3:
If more than one of the target exists, she finds all examples.
4-5:
If her target is not the best example for the Exalt’s purpose currently available, she finds one that is better suited to her needs (for example, finding The Book of Three Circles while searching for The White Treatise). What is found is determined by the Storyteller, though the Exalt’s player should clearly define the Exalt’s purpose.
6-7:
The Exalt finds the most valuable thing present, based on what the Exalt most values and what the Storyteller deems appropriate for discovery.
8-9:
The Exalt finds the most dangerous thing present, based on what poses the greatest threat to the Exalt, her possessions or companions as determined by the Storyteller.
10:
The Exalt finds something that may or may not qualify for any of the previous categories of the Charm. If it does not fit in one of the other categories, the being, object, or location appears otherwise irrelevant yet still holds the Exalt’s interest. Its purpose or value is not immediately recognizable, but in due time, whatever the Exalt discovered will be of the utmost importance to solving a major obstacle of which he is currently unaware. This option cannot be selected unless the Exalt possesses Perception 6+.
Holistic Detective Agency
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Perception 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Merged, Obvious, Suspicious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Needle Among Straw When time is of the essence, the Herald cannot delay in inspecting all aspects under his charge. This Charm allows the Exalt to apply a single Perception-based action to all valid targets of the same class. For example, he may inspect all his troops simultaneously, as quickly and as thoroughly as he could inspect a single soldier. Alternatively, he may read ever page of a book in the same time as it would take him to read one. Doing so, however, causes his Fate to vibrate rapidly in order to account for the Nocturnal’s simultaneous actions. This disturbs the Loom and generates Paradox. The Exalt gains one die of Paradox for every dot of Magnitude that would be necessary to for a unit comprised of all the hypothetical copies of himself needed to undertake all the actions he should have performed. In the above examples, the Nocturnal would gain Paradox dice equal to the Magnitude of the inspected army, or if the book was 75 pages long the Exalt would gain two dice of Paradox, as he would require 75 copies of himself (a Magnitude 2 unit) to read all those pages in the allotted time. During Calibration, this Charm generates no Paradox. Merged: Holistic Detective Agency (Wits, prerequisites: Night Prepares At Dawn, Any other Wits Charm).
Medical and Psychological Charms If Scars Could Speak
Cost: 4m; Mins: Perception 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK. Merged Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Perception Charm In the violent, rugged world of Creation, every encounter leaves its mark. This Charm is a Perception-based roll to examine a wound, a disease or poison’s symptom or damage to an object. The Exalt rolls (Perception + [relevant Ability]). A single success identifies the nature of the injury, the disease, or poison; mechanically this provides the player with the Traits of the poison or disease and knowledge of how many wounded and unwounded health levels the target possesses. Additionally, with three successes, the Exalt reveals the origins of the harm; he learns the diseases or poisons by name, distinguishes accidental injuries from intentional attacks or expected wear from sabotage. Finally, with five successes, the cause of the harm flashes before the Exalt’s eyes; he sees a would-be assassin strike a near-fatal blow or slip poison into a drink, watches a fight between a foolhardy mortal and a rapid beast, understands the full length of time it took a small plant to shatter a sidewalk. Merged: If Scars Could Speak (Intelligence)
Tattle-Tale Scar Attunement
Cost: 1m, (1wp); Mins: Perception 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping, Stackable Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: If Scars Could Speak Invincible though they may seem to mortals, rare is the Chosen who does not come to harm at some point in their lives. In order to defend against such unfortunate possibilities, the Harlequin paints his body with scars of future injuries and may do for others as well. Tattle-Tale Scar Attunement creates a remnant of some nearly fatal wound that has yet to be inflicted but is imminent in the character’s future as determined by the Storyteller. This could be a small scar from an arrow to the chest, a smiling scar on the throat from a garrote, a horrible skin disfiguration from poison or fire. Any physical manifestation of the injury will suffice. Whenever conditions are right for the injury to occur (such as when the Exalt is near an enemy armed with the appropriate weapon, even if he is otherwise unaware of the enemy), the Exalt rolls Willpower, difficulty 2. On a failure he suffers a -1 internal penalty due to the pain emanating from the scar. On a success, the target senses the impending danger and is immune from unexpected attacks in such situations for the rest of the scene. The Exalt may create no more than (Essence) such scars on his body. At Essence 3+, this Charm gains the Touchkeyword and allows the Exalt to place scars on other beings as well. No being can gain more scars than their own Essence.
These Walls Would Crack
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Merged, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: If Scars Could Speak Once the full extent of damage is determined, it often better to bring things to swift end rather than let them linger. This Charm supplements a damage roll of a physical attack against a being or object previously observed with If Scars Could Speak. If the target currently has any wounded health levels, the Exalt’s raw damage is multiplied by the severity of
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the damage. Therefore, the Nocturnal doubles his raw damage if the target currently has a -2 Health Level damaged, and quadruples raw damage if the target has a -4 Health Level, Incapacitated Health Level, or Dying Health Level damaged. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ adds the Calibration-OK keyword. This allows the Exalt to convert (Perception) dice of post-soak damage into levels of damage, to a maximum of current severity of the target’s wounds. During Calibration, the Exalt convert more dice, up to a total maximum of (Perception + Essence), into levels of damage by spending 3 motes per die. Merged: These Walls Would Crack (Intelligence)
Lover’s Attentive Ear
Cost: 3m; Mins: Perception 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Until next attack Prerequisite Charms: None The Harlequin attunes herself to subtle body language and to the pitch of another’s voice. With calm reserve, she listens and observes others, then turns her insight into a precise rebuttal. This Charm enhances the Exalt’s Study/Monologue Action for its duration. She gains an additional die each tick and doubles the total number of dice which may benefit her next Social attack.
Open Book Interaction
Cost: 5m; Mins: Perception 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Social Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Perception Charm The Harlequin sees the many masks a person might wear to hide their emotions or motives, and thus sees beyond those changing veils to the constant truth beneath and the chain of causality that created it. This Charm supplements a Read Motivation action. If successful, the Exalt learns, at least vaguely, the immediate cause behind the motive or emotion. If, for example, the target’s motive is to acquire a large supply of weapons, the Exalt knows if he wishes to use them offensively or defensively; or if the target is sorrowful, the Exalt learns if this is caused by a recent loss or a long-standing depression. With 5+ successes, the Exalt learns this information in greater detail. She knows, for example, that the man wishes to purchase the weapons so that he might overthrow the local government and which rebel group he represents, or she realizes that the sorrowful woman’s husband was killed in a barbarian raid yesterday. With Perception 5+, the Exalt also learns whether the character’s current motive adheres to or contradicts the character’s Motivation, 3+ Virtues, or Intimacies.
Art Betrays Artists
Cost: — (+2m); Mins: Perception 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Open Book Interaction The craftsman pours his heart and soul into his work— or leaves his work hollow without such passions. The Herald may examine something created by another being, carefully inspecting it to perceive the motives or emotions that fueled its production. This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite, allowing it to be used on an object or action (such as a dance or a ritual prayer) created by the target. The difficulty for the Read Motivation action is based on the creator’s Traits,
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and if successful, the Exalt learns information about the creator at the time the target created the object or prescribed the course of action.
The Mind Behind the Myth
Cost: — (+1wp); Mins: Perception 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration-OK Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Open Book Interaction Neither hero nor villain exists in a vacuum. Their exploits are told and spread by the mortals they have protected or horrified. But what drives men and women to such acts of heroism and villainy? The Herald knows. This upgrades its prerequisite allowing the Exalt to discern a being’s motive from the accounts of witnesses rather than direct observations. The base difficulty of this Read Motivation action is still the half the target’s (Manipulation + Socialize) as usual. Additionally, the difficulty is increased by +1 if the target’s actions are related by eye-witnesses or by +3 for anyone else. Finally, if the narrator of the tale embellishes the target’s actions, the Nocturnal suffers an external penalty on his roll equal to the higher of the narrator’s Manipulation or Performance. If there is no truth at all to the story, the action fails automatically. During Calibration, even fictions provide insight in to the target’s character as the Nocturnal learns what the target would have really been like in such a situation. If successful, the Exalt learns the target’s motive or emotional condition at the time she performed the actions in the story.
Heart-Halting Accusation
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Perception 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Social Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Open Book Interaction The right question will grind war machines to a halt and give even the Primordials pause. In order to use this Charm the Harlequin must first discover that the target’s current motive is in conflict with his Motivation, 3+ Virtues, or Intimacies. Having learned this information, she makes a written or spoken social attack against the target, calling them out for their hypocrisy or faulty logic. The attack cannot be dodged, and the penalty imposed on the target’s MDV by his own Motivation, Virtues, or Intimacies is doubled. If the attack is successful, the target suffers a compulsion to halt his current course of action in favor of a motive that better agrees with his Motivation, Virtues, or Intimacies. This Compulsion costs four willpower to resist.
Military Unit Charms
Captain’s Insightful Command
Cost: 3m; Mins: Perception 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, War Duration: Until Next Attack Prerequisite Charms: None The Herald’s path to victory is not always through raw courage and fierce attacks. Such things are blunt instruments, useful in their way, but not sufficient on their own. No, the Herald prefers well-ordered and well structured units, poised to make an attack that will be remembered as much for its poetry as its strategic brilliance. For the duration of this Charm, the Exalt doubles the number of dice his unit receives each
tick from Position Troop actions, as well as the maximum dice ordinators, and overseers. They see the greatest strengths in his unit’s attacks may add from such actions. others and ensure that those strengths are put to their greatest use. With this Charm, the Exalt serves as a linchpin of coordiBreaking the Dragon’s Fangs nation across the whole Exalted Host. When purchasing this Cost: 4m (+1wp); Mins: Perception 4, Essence 3; Charm, the Exalt chooses one of the effects listed below. For Type: Supplemental the purposes of this Charm, the benefits provided are based Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK, War on the Magnitude of a hypothetical unit comprised solely of Duration: Instant the type of being mentioned it is effects that currently serve in Prerequisite Charms: Any Perception Charm the Exalt’s own unit. After thoughtful consideration, the Herald determine Conquering Hero Triumphant: For each dot of Magnitude every possible position from which the enemy’s leadership provided by Solar Exalted, the unit gains +1 Might and the might command their forces. Which is the true location? It unit’s Commander gains +1 dice to all Dawn Caste Abilities. does not matter. The Herald guides his unit’s attack to all pos- Driven Before the Storm: For each dot of Magnitude sible locations, leaving their enemies no place to hide. This provided by Lunar Exalted, the unit gains +1 Magnitude Charm supplements a Call Shot against a special character in whenever the commander wishes, and the unit’s Heroes gains an opposing unit, allowing the attack to ignore the opposing +1 dice to all Full Moon Caste Attributes. unit’s Magnitude and Drill for this attack. The blow lands as Preordained Declaration of Victory: For each dot of Magnian unassuming lucky shot tude provided by Sidereal Exalted, the unit reduces damage With a second purchase at Perception 5+, Essence 4+, successes against it by one and the unit’s Commander reduces the Exalt may spend one Willpower for this attack to strike up the target number of all Chosen of Battle Abilities by one, to to (Essence) special characters in the opposing unit simultane- a minimum of four. ously. Doing so makes this Charm Suspicious. Fate trembles Shadow of War Concealment: For each dot of Magnitude to account for some many coincidences and lucky shots. provided by Nocturnal Exalted, the unit may reduce its MagDuring Calibration, this effect may be applied against all the nitude by one whenever the Commander wishes, and all of unit’s special characters. the unit’s special character’s gain +1 DV against Called Shots. Swing the Sword: For each dot of Magnitude provided by Weighing the Scales Abyssal Exalted, the unit’s minimum damage is increased by Cost: 5m; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 2; one and individuals in opposing units which lose Magnitude Type: Supplemental from the attack’s of the enhanced unit add +1 to the difficulty Keywords: Combo-OK, War of the (Wits + Willpower) roll to remain alive. Duration: Instant Dragon-Soldier Solidarity: For each dot of Magnitude Prerequisite Charms: Any Perception Charm Through careful observation, the Herald discerns all provided by Terrestrial Exalted, the unit gains two additional possible strategies his opponent may adopt and prepares for health levels (both -1, should it matter), and the unit’s Comall accordingly. This Charm enhances a Read Strategy action. mander gains one temporary War Specialty, chosen when the If successful, in addition to the usual information provided, commander rolls Join War. This may cause him to exceed the Nocturnal learns (extra successes) alternative strategy the three Specialties, though only three may be applied to a single opposing commander may attempt if his current strategy fails. roll. These were the original six modes of this Charm. It it curious that the Heralds had an option that interacts with Talons Strike as One Abyssal Exalted even in ancient days, long before the DeathCost: 6m; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 3; lords claimed Solar Exaltations for their own purposes. UnType: Reflexive fortunately, none of the surviving Heralds can recall what sort Keywords: Combo-OK, War of beings this effect might have originally applied to. Other Duration: Instant modes may be developed for fighting alongside other beings Prerequisite Charms: Any Perception Charm When commanded, the Herald obeys and echoes his including gods, demons, Mountain Folk, Dragon Kings, or commanders orders throughout the ranks. This Charm Tiger Warriors. Each additional technique after the first costs supplements a Coordinate Attack action performed by the Exalt two experience points to learn. The Exalt himself cannot serve as the unit’s Comanother being which would include the Exalt in the attack, or a Coordinate Units action performed by another being so mander while enjoying these benefits, but if the Commander long as the Exalt’s unit would be included in the attack. If all is an Exalt (or another appropriate being, if the Herald knows participates are Nocturnals, or if all units have at least one more exotic techniques) the Commander counts as at least a Nocturnal serving in their ranks, the coordination succeeds Magnitude 1 unit of his type, ensuring that his unit gains at least the basic bonus this Charm provides. automatically. Additionally, if the coordination is successful, the Exalt erception nhancing harms or his unit doubles the penalty to the target’s DV for their own attacks. Unhindered (Sense) Acuity Cost: 3m or 6m, 1wp; Mins: Perception 3, Essence 1; Legion of Heaven and Earth Type: Reflexive Cost: —; Mins: Perception 5, Essence 4; Keywords: Combo-OK Type: Permanent Duration: One Scene Keywords: War Prerequisite Charms: Any Perception Charm Duration: Permanent As beings of the night, the Harlequins come into their Prerequisite Charms: Breaking the Dragon’s Fangs, Weigh- own when senses of others would be dulled. This is a set of ing the Scales, Talons Strike as One Though they do not lack in personal heroics, the proper three Charms, divided as the Solar Charm Keen (Sense) Techplace of the Nocturnal Exalted is to serve as messengers, co- nique (Exalted, p. 225). When active each Charm removes
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any External penalty imposed on the chosen sense and any Perception-based rolls based on that sense convert External penalties into bonus successes. If there are multiple sources of External Penalties, only the greatest grants bonus successes, which may be received even if the Exalt is otherwise immune to that particular penalty. With Perception 5+, the bonuses granted by this Charm are doubled. These Charms typically cost three motes to activate individually, but if the Exalt knows all three versions, she may instead pay six motes and a willpower to activate all three simultaneously.
Shadow Spirit Hallucination
Cost: —; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Any Unhindered (Sense) Acuity As children drift to sleep in the dark of night, the monsters come out. They hear the beasts under their beds, feel them clawing at their blankets. The creatures can only been seen in the dark and disappear whenever the light of a lamp’s flame reaches them. Parents calm their children and tell them it was only a trick of the night, but the Harlequin knows the truth. This Charm enhances all variants of Unhindered (Sense) Acuity that the Exalt knows. While that Charm is active, the Exalt can detect dematerialized spirits through the appropriate senses. With Unhindered Hearing and Touch Acuity, the Exalt may pay one mote to enhance her physical attacks so that it may harm a dematerialized spirit, but the attack suffers a -2 External Penalty unless the Harlequin can also see the target.
This Charm supplements a physical attack and allows the Exalt to disrupt sorcery, necromancy and Sorcerouskeyworded Charms, hereafter refered to as spells. The spell or Charm must be obvious to the Exalt’s senses to be a valid target of this attack. The attack must strike the caster or incoming spell (for offensive spells) or the beneficiary of the spell (for enhancing spells). If the spell creates or summons an automaton or spirit, the Herald’s attack must target that being. If the spell is a free-standing effect, such as Rain of Doom, then the attack must be generally aimed at the center of the spell’s area of effect. Incoming spells and free-standing spells are considered to have a DV of (Circle x 3) or (Charm’s minimum Essence +2), as appropriate. During Calibration, this Charm may be activated reflexively and creates a single reflexive attack against a sorcerous target. If the attack is successfully, the infusion of Nocturnal essence randomly warps the spell. The Exalt’s player rolls one die to determine the effect. 1:
The spell is not destroyed, despite the Nocturnal’s best efforts. Instead, its effects are merely lessened. A damage-enhancing spell’s damage is reduced to half; a beneficial spell’s effects are likewise halved, or if not quantifiable, its duration is halved instead. The Nocturnal faces the backlash from the disrupted spell, receiving (spell’s Circle) x 3 or (charm’s minimum Essence) dice of lethal damage, which ignores armor. Additionally, the Nocturnal recovers (spell’s Circle +1) or (Charm’s minimum Essence/2) motes, rounding up.
2-3:
The Nocturnal does not destroy the spell, but instead disrupts the pathways of Fate and Shinmaic law alike to re-target it, the spell’s new target is determined randomly by the Storyteller. The spell is redirected to a new target within (spell’s range x 100) yards. Large area of effect spells, such as Rain of Doom, are redirected to somewhere within (caster’s Essence x 10) miles.
4-5:
The spell is dirupted, but its energy explosively dissipates into the surrounding area. Disrupting a spell in this manner follows the rules for shattering spells (Exalted, p. 253 and 256). The effect of the shattering is at the Storyteller’s discretion, but should always inflict less overall damage or mayhem than a hostile spell of the appropriate Circle (or Charm of the appropriate minimum Essence).
6-7:
The spell is destroyed completely, but its energy drains away in a controlled decay, reabsorbed into the ambient Essence flows of the area. The Nocturnal reaps the benefits of thisinfusion of essence, gaining (spell’s Circle x 3 or Charm’s minimum Essence) motes.
Sorcerer’s Eye and Alchemist’s Tongue
Cost: — (+3m, 1wp); Mins: Perception 5, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Shadow Spirit Hallucination The things that go bump in the night are but childish echoes of the horrors unleashed by the Exalted and the Primordials. This Charm further enhances the Exalt’s Unhindered (Sense) Acuity. By paying the increased cost, the Harlequin can discern the influence of Charms, Sorcery and other magical effects. This is identical to the Solar Charm All-Encompassing Sorcerer’s Sight (Exalted, p. 222), but Nocturnal receives this information through the enhanced sense, rather than sight alone.
Witchery-Withering Waveform
Cost: 15m; Mins: Perception 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Calibration-OK, Chance, Combo-OK, Obvious, Merged Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Unhindered Sight Acuity, Unhindered Hearing and Touch Acuity, Sorcerer’s Eye and Alchemist’s Tongue The Nocturnal Exalted never knew sorcery before their betrayal and those Heralds returning to Creation after many thousands of years in isolation may be surprised to see the Exalted wielding the weapons of their great enemies. Nevertheless, the Heralds learned to abhor the foul taste and blasphemous icons of Primordial power. They, like their Exalted compatriots, were designed with the power to destroy the handiwork of the Primordials.
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8-9:
The spell explodes into destructive energy, focused back onto the beneficiary or caster. This backlash creates all encompassing environmental hazard (caster’s Essence) x 5 yards in diameter, centered on the beneficiary or caster as appropriate. This effect lasts for the remainder of the scene before dissipatin, dealing lethal damage equal to the spell’s (Circle +3) or (minimum Essence), as appropriate, every action, with Trauma equal to the (caster’s Essence). If neither the caster nor beneficiary is present, the damage is centered upon the center point of the spell’s effective area.
10:
The Nocturnal may redirect the spell as with the 2-3 option, except that his player, rather than the Storyteller, decides the new target. If the Exalt prefers, he may simply discard the spell in a manner identical to the 6-7 option. This Option can only be selected with Essence 5+. Merged: Spiralling Pathways Collision (Strength, prerequisites: Defenses Fractured and Warped, Quantum Assassin Tunnel)
Blindfolded Gateway Mastery
Cost: 1wp; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Nox Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Lover’s Attentive Ear or Captain’s Insightful Command, Any Unhindered (Sense) Acuity In the absence of information, they Harlequin must improvise. Contemplating her enemy’s motives and strategies, she does not strike upon their own thoughts, but onto a brilliant counter to whatever mysterious plans her opponent has in mind. This Charm may be activated upon failing a Read Motivation or Read Strategy action. Each success the Exalt received on the roll is converted into a Study/Monologue or Position Troop die for her next attack against that opponent. Any dice gained in excess of the maximum allowed for such actions are wasted.These dice do no count as dice from Charms. If the opponent is within Fate and Nox is in the Loom, the enhanced attacks are always considered to occur at night for the purposes of other Charms.
Assassin’s Fatal Stare
prerequisites the Nocturnal knows, but the effects are broadly similar. Those who know Assassin’s Fatal Stare convert Aim dice gained at night or during Calibration into automatic successes. Those who know Captain’s Insightful Command likewise convert dice gained from the Position Troops Action into automatic successes; such commanders typically call this Charm Rebel’s Dishonorable Strategem. They have no stigma against employing dirty tricks and nighttime ambushes. Those who know Lover’s Attentive Ear similiarly convert dice gained from the Study/Monlogue Action into successes and call this Charm Courtesan’s Pillow Talk Revelations. If the Nocturnal knows more than one of the prerequisite Charms, he benefits from all possible variations of this Charm.
Ever-Wary Bandit’s Premonition
Cost: 2m or 4m; Mins: Perception 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Calibration-OK, Merged Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Perception Charm The Nocturnal’s own killer instincts prepare him for the inevitable ambush. Every shadow seems to shelter his enemies; behind ever tree lurks an assassin with bow drawn. While others might cower in fear from such prospects, the Herald steels himself against such possibilities. He may activate this Charm to remove the unexpected quality from an attack and defend himself as otherwise applicable. Outside of combat this Charm costs four motes, otherwise it costs only two. During Calibration, this Charm’s duration is One Action, protecting the Exalt from all unexpected attacks for that time. Merged: Ever-Wary Bandit’s Premonition (Wits)
Standing In Harm’s Way
Cost: 5m; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Ever-Wary Bandit’s Premonition His ability to discern all possible attacks allows the Nocturnal to place himself precisely in path of an attack. The Herald activates this Charm in response to a physical attack as part of a parry. In an instant, the Exalt shatters into a number of defensive positions—sometimes only a few, sometimes seemingly an infinite number. In that same instant, the attacker’s blow connects with one possible defensive, resolving it into reality and discarding those what would have failed to block her attack. This perfectly defends against the attack and carries with it one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability.
Cost: 3m; Mins: Perception 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Until Next Attack Prerequisite Charms: None The quick draw might win some fights by dumb luck, but a single well-aimed strike is worth a dozen wild blows. Moth to the Lamp This Charm enhances the Harlequin’s Aim actions. He gains Cost: — (+1wp); Mins: Perception 5, Essence 4; an additional die each Tick, and doubles the maximum num- Type: Permanent Keywords: None ber of dice he may gain from such actions. Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Standing in Harm’s Way Owl-Eyed Hunter Technique The Herald is drawn to adventure and the thrill of danCost: —; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 2; ger. Standing in the thick of a brawl, he is untouchable. He Type: Permanent may pay one additional willpower when activating Standing Keywords: Calibration-OK in Harm’s Way. Until his next action, he enjoys a -1 mote Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Assassin’s Fatal Stare, Captain’s In- discount, to a minimum of zero motes, for every two opponents whose Essence is at least equal to his own and in whose sightful Command or Lover’s Attentive Ear While others stumble in darkness, the Chosen of Nox engagement range he currently stands. Additionally, until his are superbly adapted to their element. The effects of this next Action, he ignores Onslaught and Coordinated Attack Charm vary depending upon which of the Charm’s possible penalties to his Parry DV.
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The Sword in the Darkness
Cost: —; Mins: Perception 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration-OK, Overdrive Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Standing in Harm’s Way, Watchful Ally Intercession Perfecting his own defensives and knowing how to keep his eye on others’ safety, the Harlequin knows how best to defend another. This Charm creates an Overdrive pool capable of holding ten motes. While performing a Defend Other Action, the Exalt may add one mote to this pool each time he successfully defends his ward, for each of the following conditions: it is Calibration, it is night, conditions related to a known version of Now My Watch Begins apply. As an example of this last condition, the Harlequin may gain offensive motes while defending a patient if he knows a diagnostic version of Now My Watch Begins. If all three apply, ignoring the usual Calibration benefit of Now My Watch Begins, the Exalt gains one additional offensive mote.
Quantum Entanglement Detection
Cost: 6m; Mins: Perception 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Ever-Wary Bandit’s Premonition or Open Book Interaction The skillful servant knows when he is needed before he is summoned. The effective supervisor is always on hand to advise her charges. Their fates are intertwined long before the Exalt hears the call. However, it remains the Exalt’s choice whether to heed the call or avoid it. With this Charm the Harlequin finds those who need her services, or allows them to find her. Upon activating this Charm, the Exalt’s player rolls a Chance die, gaining (or transmitting) the following information if appropriate: 1:
One being within (Essence x 10) yards of the Harlequin who is seeking her in any subsequent context knows that she is within that range. The Harlequin learns nothing.
2-3:
The Harlequin learns of any being within (Essence x 10) yards who is looking for someone—anyone—including her if she passes his way, such as a highwayman waiting in ambush or his most recent victim hoping for rescue.
4-5:
The Exalt learns of anyone within (Essence x 10) yards who is in need of someone with her particular skill set. She must possess a relevant Ability to learn of this need, and higher ratings inform her of more specialized work. For example, possessing Performance 1 might alert her to a cheap tavern’s need for nightly entertainment, while Performance 5 might indicate that local satrap’s state orchestra is in need of a new conductor. The Exalt always knows which of her talents is being called upon, but not precisely in what faculty.
6-7:
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The Exalt learns of anyone within (Essence x 10) yards who is searching for her without knowing her true identity or location. Perhaps she committed some crime and the local law enforcement is seeking the culprit, or a hopeful admirer spotted her in a crowd yesterday and wishes to find her again.
8-9:
The Exalt learns of anyone within (Essence x 10) yards who is seeking her either by name or with full knowledge of her current location.
10:
The Exalt learns that someone with (Essence x 10) yards who is seeking something or someone that the Exalt is also seeking, or that something she seeks is equally close by. She also knows when the two potential pieces of information coincide.
This Charm may also be used on behalf of the Exalt’s companion if he is within (combined Companion) yards of the Harlequin. This Charm upgrades automatically at Essence 3 to inform the precise distance and location, as applicable. At Essence 4+, this Charm may be purchased again to increase the radius to (Essence x 100) yards with a subsequent upgrade to (Essence) miles at Essence 6.
Unified Vision of Time and Space
Cost: — (1m); Mins: Perception 2, Essence 1; Type: Permanent Keywords: Touch, Nox Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None From the first moment of its creation, the Firmament has spun at a steady pace. It keeps no specific time, but by its restless motion it provides a framework for more precise measurements. Learning this Charm, the Exalt harmonizes his essence with the crystal resonance of the Firmament. Permanently enhancing his senses, he accurately counts the seconds between any two events. Though he does not know the time of day, he knows precisely how many hours have passed since he woke, since he last ate, or such other event. Likewise, as time is marked out by the distance the Firmament spins, he knows how far he has traveled, in whatever units he prefers, down to individual footsteps. Additionally, he may spend this mote while touching something to glean information related to time and distance from it. For example, he may touch a corpse and learn when the person died, or he may hold an arrow and discover from how far away it had been fired. While Nox is in the Loom, he may also spend a mote and learn how many additional hours must pass before some other known impending event will occur should he remain on his current path at his current speed. For example, while sailing down river from Nexus, he knows how precisely how long it will be before he arrives in Lookshy or if the Exalt learns she has become pregnant, she knows the exact day to expect the birth. If used to determine the time until the Exalt reaches a specific destination, this Charm also reveals in what direction the destination lies if the Exalt has been there before. If his current path is not the most direct route, he learns this information but not which route would be quicker. This function works only in relation to events and locations within Fate and does not account for the interference from beings who can deviate from Fate or are entirely outside of Fate.
Sensory Deprivation Charms Another Face in the Crowd
Cost: 1m; Mins: Perception 3, Essence 1; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: None
The Chosen of Nox are heroes ascended from anonymity, but a few find need to maintain their own obscure identities. While this Charm is active, the Exalt severs his identity from proper flow of information. He is seen, as normal, but nothing about his appearance registers to the eye as information worth remembering. His effective Appearance is two, after all other modifiers. Nothing distinguishes him from any other being; any attempt to pick him specifically from a crowd is impossible. Finally, while his words and actions are remembered, he himself is not; attempts to recall his specific presence automatically fail.
Someone Else’s Problem
the Exalt completely outside of Fate, even to beings who would typically regard him as otherwise, such as other Nocturnals and his Sidereal companion. If used in conjunction with A Crowd of Faces or Made Without Purpose, this Charm becomes Suspicious.
A Crowd of Faces
Cost: — (+2m); Mins: Perception 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Touch Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Another Face in the Crowd The Harlequin can hardly disappear into a crowd if there is no crowd; yet even the anonymous stands out among the notable. With this Charm, the Exalt may extend his aura of anonymity to others—the better to hide himself. By paying two additional motes, the Exalt may apply the benefits of Another Face in the Crowd to another willing being. A second purchase of this Charm at Perception 5+, Essence 4+, allows the Exalt to apply this to a unit to which he belongs, paying two motes per dot of Magnitude, to a maximum Magnitude of his Essence. All members of the unit gain the benefits of its prerequisite. Additionally, armies composed of such anonymous units are immune to called shots against individual members and opposing leaders and individuals never need to suppress Compassion to resist granting mercy or to restrain the brutality of war while facing them.
Cost: — (+2m or +4m); Mins: Perception 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Another Face In the Crowd The Herald breaks the connections between the senses and reason even further. This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite. By spending an additional two mote, the Exalt fades from concern. He may speak, but is not heard; he may be seen, but not perceived. So long as he does not perform any action to draw undo attention to himself, all Awareness and Investigation checks to perceive him automatically fail. Should the Exalt perform any action that offers another character at least a +3 situational bonus to detect him, as described in Easily Overlooked Presence Method (Exalted, p. 230), this Made Without Purpose Charm deactivates immediately. This Charm may be repurchased at Essence 4+, increas- Cost: — (+1m); Mins: Perception 3, Essence 2; ing the required situational bonus needed to detect the Exalt Type: Permanent Keywords: Touch to +(Essence) for an additional two mote surcharge. Duration: Permanent Invisible As Shadows Prerequisite Charms: Another Face in the Crowd Cost: — (+7m); Mins: Perception 5, Essence 3; All Creation was built by the Primordials for their own Type: Permanent inscrutable purposes; during the war against them, their Keywords: Obvious reasoning was lost and the teleology of Creation unwittingly Duration: Permanent hidden by the victorious Exalted. With this Charm, the Exalt Prerequisite Charms: Someone Else’s Problem obscures the intent behind an object. This Charm upgrades When night falls, only shadows remain. When the Exalt its prerequisite allowing the Exalt to use it on an object. In activates Someone Else’s Problem, she may pay an additional this case, the object appears to be nothing of use or value. Its seven motes, she becomes completely invisible while in dark- Resource value drops to zero, and if it is somehow noticed, no ness. When any light falls on her, she remains invisible, but potential function or purpose of the object can be discerned. still casts a shadow. Indeed, only her shadow truly exists while Initially this may be used on any object the Exalt can this Charm is active. She may pass through any space through hold in his hands, but a second purchase at Perception 4+, which light could pass, slipping through keyholes and panes Essence 3+, allows him to apply this to any non-stationary of glass. Additionally, she may interact with the shadows of object up to (Essence) yards in any one direction. A third other objects. If her shadow picks up an object’s shadow, the purchase at Essence 5+ allows this Charm to be used on any object floats along as though she were carrying it in her hands non-stationary object, regardless of size. until her next action, at which point it vanishes—its shadow remains just as hers does. Should sunlight touch her shadow, Built Without Witness Cost: — (+3m or +5m); Mins: Perception 4, Essence 3; Another Face in the Crowd terminates automatically. Type: Permanent Better Off Without You Keywords: Touch Cost: — (+1wp); Mins: Perception 5, Essence 4; Duration: Permanent Type: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Made Without Purpose Keywords: Nox The Harlequin often has need for unseen hide-outs Duration: Permanent and secret saferooms. This Charm further enhaces Another Prerequisite Charms: Someone Else’s Problem Face in the Crowd. The Exalt may now touch a doorway In one possible world, the Harlequin is a man. In an- and apply its affects to the room or building beyond. If the other she is a woman. In some worlds, she is a wealthy doctor; Exalt obscures a door to a single room in this way, it costs in another, a broken and discarded slave. But for all those pos- an additional three motes; obscuring a whole building costs sibilities, one possibility looms: the Harlequin never existed. five additional motes. If the door has at least one other door This Charm permanently enhances Another Face in the within (Essence) yards, or if the building is within (Essence x Crowd. When that Charm is active, the Exalt is outside of 10) yards of another building of similar quality, the room or Fate. Currently, Nox’s presence in the Loom nearly obsoletes structure goes unnoticed as per Another Face in the Crowd. personal use of this Charm. However, it does fully rendered More conspicuous structures require Someone Else’s Problem
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Prerequisite Charms: Any Intelligence Charm Slapping together whatever meager resources she possesses, the Harlequin can repair almost anything—for a time. It might not look pretty, but at least it’ll work. This Charm allows the Exalt to instantly repair a broken object, which must be small enough to carry, even if she does not possess all ntelligence the tools or materials necessary for such repairs. Instead she rafting and epairing harms employs cheap alternatives to get by. For example, she may mend a sword with twine or replace the shattered focusing Basic Necessities Provisions crystal of a First Age weapon with a bit of broken glass. Her Cost: 8m; Mins: Intelligence 2, Essence 2; impromptu repairs are short lived, however, and fall apart Type: Simple after one scene. Keywords: Chance, Combo-Basic, Merged, Obvious With a second purchase at Essence 4+, the Exalt may Duration: Indefinite spend an additional willpower to repair larger objects such Prerequisite Charms: None as vehicles or structures. Such repairs last a scene or until the No matter where the Herald finds himself, he never vehicle or structure suffers new damage. fears being without the proper supplies. The Nocturnal must possess a container of some sort, be it a bag, a box, or even Clepsydra Flows Uphill a closet in a building. Anything intended to store things will Cost: 10m, (1wp); Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 3; suffice for the purposes of this Charm. Opening the container Type: Supplemental the Exalt may pull all manner of useful items, even those too Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK, Flux big to fit inside the container so long as they can fit through Duration: Indefinite its opening. Prerequisite Charms: Frugal Tinkerer Method This Charm functions similarly to the Strength Charm Day by day, entropy triumphs over creation. Glories Infinite Prismatic Arsenal, with a few alterations. First, it of old crumble and the majesty of the world dims slightly. requires a container in order to function as described above. The Herald recalls better days and turns back the clock to Second, rather than generating weapons, it generates miscel- relive them. This Charm supplements any action to repair an laneous tools equal to the resource value determined by the object. He adds (Essence) dice to the roll, and gains (IntelChance die. Third, the tools its summons must be useful for a ligence) automatic successes. If he used the object before it particular scenario which the Exalt defines when purchasing was damaged or if he possesses the original designs, he adds this Charm, usually defined by the sort of location where the (Intelligence x 3) successes instead. During Calibration he is items would be the most useful or found. An artifact suit- always considered to have had seen the object before it sufable for such situations is chosen as the final option of the fered damage. Objects repaired in this way must be whole Chance die; though the artifact may take the form of any util- enough to be repaired through mundane means. ity artifact with a rating of 3 or lower, it will always appear as By spending an additional Willpower, the Nocturnal though made completely from adamant. Finally its duration may active the optional Flux effect. When the repairs are is extended, but the Charm becomes Suspicious if the Exalt completed, the object reverts to its younger state. It functions maintains the commitment for longer than a scene. and appears as though brand new. For example, a long forgot Repurchasing this Charm also works differently than In- ten weapon crafted by Autochthon himself, lost and broken finite Prismatic Arsenal. Rather than granting an additional beyond repair, could be restored to its former glory and even artifact option, each repurchase counts as a separate Charm, under magical observation it would appear as though it had allowing the Exalt to choose a new scenario and an artifact just cooled from the Great Maker’s forge. Used in this way, appropriate for that scenario. For example, the first purchase this Charm does not require the Exalt to use tools or be able of this Charm might provide items that would be useful in to repair the item in a more mundane fashion. survival or travel situations, such as compasses, camping This Charm upgrades automatically at Essence 6 to gear, and harnesses for riding animals. Additional purchase provide (Intelligence x 3) successes in all circumstances and provides objects for equally broad scenarios, as the Nocturnal (Intelligence x 5) successes if he has used the undamaged chooses. The most common being crafting (see sidebar), object or possesses its original designs. social situations (providing, for example, all the tables, chairs, and utensils needed for a feast), and medical needs Adamant Mirror Technology (providing surgical tools, bandages, a steady supply of clean Cost: 5m; Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 2; sheets, etc). Warfare is a valid scenario for this Charm, but it Type: Supplemental cannot produce weaponry or armor which is the purview of Keywords: Combo-OK Infinite Prismatic Arsenal and Armor-Summoning Methodol- Duration: Instant ogy, respectively. Instead, the Warfare version of this Charm Prerequisite Charms: Any Intelligence Charm A keen mind understands the purpose and mechanism produces items such as tents for soldiers, shovels for sappers, tools for engineers to maintain siege weaponry, signal flares, of any device. With understanding comes the ability to reand the like. Only one version of this Charm may be active at engineer that device. Thus, the Herald recreates wonders from the past. This Charm supplements any action to craft a copy a time. or a forgery of any object the Exalt has previously observed, Merged: Basic Necessities Provisions (Stamina) halving the difficulty of the action. Frugal Tinkerer Method Ideal Luxuries Requisition Cost: 5m, (1wp); Mins: Intelligence 3, Essence 2; Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Type: Permanent Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping Keywords: None Duration: One Scene Duration: Permanent to fully obscure but count their Resource value as bonus to detect them. Additionally, with Essence 4+, all items within the obscured building or room automatically benefit from Made Without Purpose.
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Workshops
Many charms of the Exalted replicate the effects of various workshops as described in The Books of Sorcery, vol. III—Oadenol’s Codex, p. 27-28. For the Nocturnal Exalted, however, Basic Necessities Provision does not provide a constant workshop equivalent as it is dependent on Resource ratings of the objects it produces. The ability to create 1-3 Resources dots of crafting objects allows the Exalt to function as though she had a Rudimentary Workshop. A Basic Workshop can be replicated with the ability to generate 4-5 Resources items. Instead of selecting a specific artifact toaid in crafting, the Exalt may choose a generic set of tools and materials to qualify for a Master Workshop. Prerequisite Charms: Basic Necessities Provision, Adamant Mirror Technology The simple things in life have their purpose, but at times the Exalt demands great wonders. This Charm enhances all purchases of Basic Necessities Provisions and it can be purchased up (Essence-2) times. Each purchase grants one version of Basic Necessities Provisions an additional Artifact option, suitable for its particular scenario. When the final option is rolled or chosen, the Exalt may choose which of the available artifacts she receives. Additionally, as universal enhancement of all versions of Basic Necessities Provisions, if she also knows Currency Calucating Conversions and has any Resources stored in Elsewhere, she may sacrifice her Resources as though purchasing a mundane item created with Basic Necessities Provisions, enhancing that items reality. It does not vanish at the end of the Charm.
Parallel Mirrors Repetition
Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Frugal Tinkerer Method, Adamant Mirror Technology Anything that has been done once, can be done again and again. Consistency is the mark of the Harlequin’s brilliance. She recalls with ease the feel of the hammer in her hand, the delicate placement of chisel on stone, the rush of air against her arm. No matter how much time has separated her from her previous toils, every sensation and every movement is indelible remembered. This Charm lowers the required number of successes for Repeat Business (Book of Sorcery II: Oadonal’s Codex, p. 29) by an additional amount equal to the Exalt’s Essence, and this benefit is never lost, regardless of how many seasons the Exalt spends away from her craft.
Tangled Skeins Production
Cost: 20m; Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Calibration, Chance, Flux, Nox, Touch Duration: One Day Prerequisite Charms: Parallel Mirrors Repetition The philosophers say that Time is an illusion. In fact, Time is a law, imposed on Creation by the Loom and by Shimna beyond. Such laws, the Harlequin is not obligated to obey, nor are her possessions. With this Charm, the Nocturnal touches an object within Fate that she owns and attempts to collapse its future into a day. She rolls (Perception + Willpower) with a difficulty of the object’s Resource or Artifact rating, plus the Magnitude of the number of copies she wishes
to produce. If successful, she gains the desired number of copies and a number of Paradox dice equal to the difficulty of the roll. If she failed the roll, she has lost nothing but motes and the opportunity—she cannot try again for 25 hours. If she botches, the object exhausts itself in an instant. Even artifacts are destroyed by the infinity of time. While Nox is in the Loom, he safeguards the Exalt’s possessions by carefully rationing their usefulness. At the end of Charm, roll one die. If this number is at least equal to the difficulty of the roll, the object remains useful and the Exalt continues to own it. All other copies dissolve into Essence. Otherwise, if this number less than the difficulty or if Nox is no longer in the Loom, it is completely destroyed when this Charm’s duration expires. If at any point during the duration of this Charm, any copy of the object is destroyed, the Exalt does not get to employ this Chance-effect. At the end of the Charm, all copies dissolve into Essence, save the ruins of the most thoroughly destroyed version. During Calibration, this Charm’s duration is extended; the Exalt gains no Paradox dice for activating the Charm. However, she may gain one Paradox for each condition that would result in the object’s destruction during the duration of this Charm in order to preserve her own copy at the end of this Charm.
Collapsing Potential Invention
Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Parallel Mirrors Repetition, Preemptive Prototype Designs Through insight and attention to detail, the Nocturnal artisan excels beyond any mortal craftsman in her chosen medium. This Charm lowers by one the minimum Craft, Lore, and Occult requirements to craft any artifact made chiefly of Adamant or to build a Nocturnal-aspected manse once those techniques are rediscovered. If the Exalt also knows Willful (Intelligence or Perception) Bolstering, she may purchase this Charm a second time to reduce the minimum Ability requirements by two rather than one. During the Primordial War, the Sidereal Exalted also knew a Charm called Immanent Arcanum, which required Craft 5, Essence 5 and had World-Shaping Artistic Vision, Mending Warped Designs, and the Fateful Craft Excellency as its prerequisites. It functioned nearly identically to Collapsing Potential Invention, except that it improved the Vizier’s ability to build Starmetal artifacts, Sidereal manses, and the Destiny Background. If the Vizier also knew Implicit Construction Metholodogy, he could repurchase Immanent Arcanum to double its benefits. After the War, the Maidens actively discouraged their Exalts from learning this Charm as the specialization in Starmetal increased demand for the material, and therefore fatalities among the gods.
Insight Charms
Mind of the Mad Genius
Cost: — (1wp); Mins: Intelligence 2, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Merged Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None Only a fool tries the same thing over and over without success, and the Harlequin certainly knows how to play the fool. This Charm permanently enhances the Exalt. He no longer suffers from retry penalties (Exalted, p. 121). He accom-
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plishes this by approaching a problem from every conceivable (and some inconceivable) angle, until, at last, one succeeds. Additionally, the Exalt may spend one willpower to convert the penalty he normally would receive from retrying the same task into bonus successes as his previous failed attempts guide him closer to the correct answer. Alternatively, if he has witnessed another being perform the same task and fail, he may spend one willpower to enhance his action by adding a number of automatic successes, to a maximum of his Intelligence, for each such person he has witnessed. Merged: Mind of the Mad Genius (Wits)
Strategic Unexpected Brilliance
Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Intelligence 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Merged Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Mind of the Mad Genius In a burst of insight verging on madness, the Harlequin stumbles across a plan so implausible, so dangerous, so inefficient, that no one would have dared propose it otherwise. Upon activating this Charm, the Exalt determines a goal and an unlikely means of achieving that goal. The more his plan seems sure to fail, the better. He rolls (Intelligence + Essence), with a difficulty described below. If successful, the Exalt announces his apparently insane strategy to up to (Intelligence + Essence) beings, including himself if he desires to gain the benefits of this Charm as well. If they agree to follow his strategy, they gain the following benefits. Difficulty
Strategy
1:
The Exalt’s plan is only mildly inconvenient, requiring that he and his followers take a brief detour or make do with only slightly suboptimal equipment. Those who participate in this plan gain one extra die, which counts as a Specialty rather than a die from Charms, on all rolls which help overcome the extra hindrance of plan.
3:
The Exalt’s plan requires notable sacrifice, but nothing that cannot be replaced eventually. Alternatively, it may require achieving a goal while significantly underequipped. For example, he may attempt to rescue villagers at the expense of their fields, or he may concoct a plan to survive in cold forests of the North with minimal supplies. Those who adhere to this plan gain two automatic successes on any action needed to overcome the extra hindrance of the plan.
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The Exalt’s plan risks substantial sacrifices which, if lost, cannot be replaced or his plan begins with the assumption that he has none of the required supplies. For example, he may propose a frontal assault on a well defended citadel, or organize the survival of a shipwrecked crew who has lost all but the clothes on their backs. Those who adhere to the plan gain three automatic successes on any action which overcomes its extra hindrance and once per scene, when he succeeds on such an action, the benefactor may regain one Temporary Willpower.
However, if a being agrees to the plan, and later deviates from it, she suffers a -1 External Penalty on all her actions until the end of the scene. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 3+ extends its duration to Indefinite, but does not extend duration of the imposed External Penalty. Merged: Strategic Unexpected Brilliance (Wits)
Accidental Discoveries
Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: None Duration: One Task Prerequisite Charms: Any Intelligence Charm The Harlequin’s mind is constantly wandering, making connections between seemingly random and disparate facts to form a cohesive, if seemingly haphazard, theory. Something the Exalt sees might inspire her inventions; something she reads might provide the final clue needed to solve an impenetrable mystery. Upon activating this Charm, the Exalt choose a single task that is performed with a Mental Attribute-based roll, such as research, investigation, or crafting. For the duration of this Charm, the Nocturnal may sacrifice any successes gained on Mental Attribute-rolls, except Join Battle or similar actions, and apply them instead to the other task. He may not sacrifice more than the lower of either his Intelligence or the rolled Attribute and must sacrifice the successes before the success of the action is determined.
Ingenious Singularity Advancement
Cost: 7m, 1wp; Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 4, DV -2) Keywords: Calibration, Combo-Basic, Obvious Duration: (Intelligence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Accidental Discoveries Collapsing all her wisdom and insight into a few moments, the Harlequin becomes a singular genius. Filled with knowledge beyond compare, her mind is capable of twisting and rending Fate with the sheer volume of her understanding. She becomes the Herald of new discoveries and monumental scientific advancements. For the duration of this Charm, the Exalt treats the difficulty of all Mental tasks and the minimum Traits necessary to perform such tasks as being one lower. She may gain one Paradox rather than spend the willpower cost of any First, Second, or Third Excellency. During Calibration, she adds one success to all Mental rolls, one to her mental DVs, and gains one Paradox die instead of one Paradox. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ makes this Charm Calibration-OK.
Solutions of Deep Thought
Cost: 10m; Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: Calibration, Combo-Basic Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Mind of the Mad Genius, Accidental Discoveries Mysteries abound, and every question answered is another asked. It is to duty of the Harlequin to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. Along the way, she soon discovers that the answer to any riddle is only as good as question asked. Spending at least eight hours a day in contemplation about a subject, to a maximum number of days equal to her (Willpower + Highest Virtue), the Nocturnal activates this Charm at the end of her explorations. Her player asks one question and rolls (Intelligence + number of days spent in contemplation) dice. The specificity and scope of the question determines the difficulty of the roll. For example, “What did I do last night?”
or “How can I get to Nexus by tomorrow night?” would only 8-9: As an Illusion effect, whenever the target makes an require one success. “Why did this merchant die?” or “How attempt to discover the truth about the subject and can I eliminate slavery in Great Forks?” would require three fails, she instead believes that she has uncovered the successes. “Where is the Scarlet Empress?” or “How do I truth. She gains a number of automatic successes eliminate the Mask of Winters?” require at least five successes, equal the Nocturnal’s Essence on any attempt to if not more, depending on what information the character convince others of her “truth.” Actually discovering already knows. conflicting information allows the target to spend Success on the roll does not actually answer the Nocturtwo willpower to overcome this Illusion. nal’s question. Instead, if the roll is successful, the Nocturnal gains a single vital clue that will ultimately lead to the answer 10: The Harlequin presents superficial details regarding he seeks. Every additional success provides one additional the subject and the target finds it either too trivial clue. For example, attempting to discover why the merchant to consider or thinks the matter is already in good died, might first cause the Exalt to think of an angry wife. hands, as the Exalt chooses. Regardless, since they Is it the merchant’s wife? Did she commit the murder? The think they already know about the subject, the target Nocturnal cannot say yet, but finding the angry wife will be will not investigate further as a Servitude effect costthe first step, ultimately, in unraveling the secret. Additional ing 3 willpower to resist. successes might reveal “an issue of money,” “a broken-hearted Theories Vast and Intricate mistress,” and “a knife in the sewer.” If the Exalt performs her entire contemplation during Cost: — (+2m); Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 3; any night of Calibration, she automatically gains (Willpower Type: Permanent Keywords: None + Highest Virtue) dice. Duration: Permanent Black Veil Conspiracy Prerequisite Charms: Black Veil Conspiracy Cost: 8m; Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 3; A single voice in the darkness may distract a few from Type: Supplemental the truth, but to truly hide the truth, the Harlequin must sway Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK, Social, Stackable, Suspicious the minds of many to his conspiracy. This Charm enhances Duration: Instant its prerequisite, allowing the Exalt to spend two additional Prerequisite Charms: Any Intelligence Charm motes to target a large group of mortals. Leaders of Social For mortals Creation is a vast and terrifying place, and units replace the Charm’s willpower costs to resist with the it’s usually best for them to forget their troubles and let the unit’s Loyalty. With a second purchase of this Charm at EsExalted handle the truly frightening matters. This Charm is sence 5+, this Charm gains the Mandate-keyword and may afsupplements a social attack against a mortal, allowing the Har- fect Dominions with a Magnitude no greater than the Exalt’s lequin to obscure information about a chosen subject. The Essence. Leaders of Dominions replace the willpower cost to social attack must make some reference to the chosen topic, at resist this Charm’s effects with the Dominion’s Limit. least in passing, and if successful, the Exalt’s player rolls one Blinding Heaven’s Eye die. Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 3; 1: The target of this Charm gains a powerful interest in Type: Permanent the topic. This adds the Compulsion-keyword to the Keywords: None Charm and forces the target to investigate the matter Duration: Permanent more closely, investing at least (Nocturnal’s Essence) Prerequisite Charms: Black Veil Conspiracy hours a day to his investigations. He may spend one Even before the War, the oracles and the sophists were willpower to resist this Compulsion for a day, and hiding the true potential of the Exalted from the Primordials’ is completely immune after spending (Nocturnal’s more attentive servants. This Charm permanently upgrades Essence) willpower in this way. However, should he its prerequisite, allowing it to affect spirits with Essence no give in to the Compulsion, all rolls to learn more greater than the Nocturnal’s. Untethered as they are from an about the subject gain one automatic success. external reference to reality, beings Outside of Fate must pay one additional willpower to resist its effects. With a second 2-3: As a Shaping effect, whenever the target of this purchase at Essence 4+, this Charm may be used against any Charm attempts to uncover the truth regarding the being whose Essence does not exceed the Exalt’s. chosen subject suffer an internal penalty equal to the Nocturnal’s Intelligence. Parting the Veil Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 3; 4-5: As a Shaping effect, those targets who already know Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) the truth suffer an external penalty equal to the Keywords: Calibration, Combo-Basic Exalt’s Essence when attempting to convince others Duration: Varies of that truth. Prerequisite Charms: Any Intelligence Charm History leaves its mark on the world. Anyone insightful 6-7: As a Shaping effect, all records and evidence of the subject are lost, stolen, or destroyed, causing enough to perceive the significance of events may trace the the target’s mundane attempts using Lore, Occult, chain of cause and effect into the past or the future. The Exalt or Investigation to discover further information to marks a path around a region no greater in diameter than (Essence x 10) yards, studying it intently as he goes. Upon automatically fail. completing his circuit, his player rolls (Intelligence + [Lore or Investigation]) and divides his successes as he pleases. This Charm recreates an important scene from the past which occurred within the boundaries of the Exalt’s path, or
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a portentous scene yet to occur in the area, within one year of the current date. The base duration is (Willpower) minutes, but the Exalt may expend any number of successes to add (Essence) minutes to its duration; other successes may be spent to increase radius of the effect by (Essence) yards each. So long as the Nocturnal remains within this zone of influence, he may observe events unfold from outside the zone, or participate in those events if he remains inside the zone. Though the echoes of the beings previously in the scene respond to his actions, the Nocturnal does not actually alter the past. He merely learns how those beings would react to his presence and actions. Despite this, beings who “encounter” the Exalt through use of this Charm often experience an odd sense of déjà vu whenever they meet again. In the present moment, only the Nocturnal sees and may interact with the vision being played out before him. Beings outside of Fate do not properly manifest with use of this Charm. They appear as ambiguous, hazy silhouettes, which can only be observed when they interact strongly with beings within Fate. When modeling the future, this Charm does not account for beings outside of Fate at all. This Charm may be repurchased at Essence 5+ to allow the Exalt to examine up to (Essence) years in either direction. A third repurchase at Essence 6+ allows for (Essence x 10) years; a fourth repurchase at Essence 8+ allows for the Exalt to examine up to (Essence x 100) years, and a final purchase at Essence 10+ allows up to (Essence x 1000) years. If activated during Calibration, this Charm lasts until the end of that period, regardless of the Exalt’s successes and permits the Exalt to examine the events of any previous or future Calibration, though the days of Calibration remain synced across time, so if this Charm is activated on the third day of Calibration, the Nocturnal cannot interact with the first or second days of other Calibrations.
The Veil Sundered
Cost: — (+10m); Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Supsicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Parting the Veil The Herald folds time in half so that the present intersects with the echo of the past, or the vision of the future. This Charm upgrades its prerequisite. By spending ten additional motes, the Exalt allows all beings within the designated area to perceive the extemporal reality he has created and to interact with it as he does. As always, the events that occur in this zone have real and lasting meaning to those who share the Herald’s present, but has no influence on the future or past beings conjured by the Exalt.
Walking the Skeins
Cost: 20m, 1wp; Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: Calibration, Flux, Kalpa, Nox Duration: Until the end of Calibration Prerequisite Charms: The Veil Sundered The Realm of Might Have Been is the purview of the Nocturnal Exalted. This Charm is perhaps the greatest, if somewhat unreliable, expression of that dominion. Communing with the Bound God (for Nox’s presence in the Loom is required for this Charm to function at all), the Harlequin begins a lengthy meditation as the sun sets on the first night of Calibration. Until the sun rises on the first day of the new year, the Exalt remains oblivious of her surroundings as her body enters a deep turpor and her mind into a time of her
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I Can’t Believe It’s Not Time Travel
What a Nocturnal does when performing Walking the Skeins is not, technically, time travel. The Charm creates a replica of Creation’s past rather than actually transporting the character into the past. That said, it’s still effectively time travel. The differences are purely academic and exist mainly to justify the various safeguards that prevent this Charm from completely undermining the setting. Time travel is, traditionally, one of the few impossible feats in Exalted, but time travel provides excellent fodder for adventures. How you handle it in your game is entirely up to you. In a game with minimal allowance for time travel, all this Charm might do is grant the character access to information and experiences he would have missed otherwise with no chance to alter history. Learn what really became of Bagrash Köl’s empire by witnessing its final days, or put Ma-Ha-Suchi to shame and bed every Celestial Exalt, ever. At the end of Calibration, Creation remains unchanged by the character’s trip into the past, but the character is wiser or worldlier for it. Alternatively, you may wish to run wild with time travel. In which case, see Chapter VII for more suggestions. Either way, be sure Storytellers and players know what they’re getting into from the beginning. If your game exists in a Manvantara which allows for the characters to alter the past, potential is opened up for Charms which further enhance the Exalt’s time travel capabilities. As an example:
My Own Worst Enemy
Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 6, Essence 6; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Walking the Skeins As the centuries roll on, the Herald may one day come to regret the choices he made in his life. How many wrongs has he inflicted upon the world? How many chances to make it better did he pass up? If only there were a way to set things right. Mastering this Charm, the Nocturnal may at least attempt to correct some of his past errors. This Charm removes the restriction on its prerequisite which forbids the Exalt from attempting to alter the indirect results of his actions. However, he may not do so without difficulty. He stands in his own, blocking his path. Whenever he attempts to intervene in the results of his indirect actions, a manifestation of his current self is generated to oppose him. If, for example, he tried to stop the assassin he hired to kill the Perfect, the assassin gains all the traits of the Nocturnal as he currently is. In order to have any hope of altering his own past, he must first defeat a number of these manifestations equal to his Essence at the time he made the decision he seeks to unmake. choosing. Inflicting a level of damage will rouse her from her meditation and immediately end this Charm. At the beginning of her meditation, however, the Exalt names a point in the past and rolls (Willpower + Essence), with a difficulty determined by how far into the past the Harlequin has chosen, rounding up:
Difficulty
Time
0:
one month
1:
one season
2:
one year
3:
ten years
4:
twenty years
5+:
(X +Y) years, where X and Y are the two previous difficulties. For example, Difficulty 5 itself would be thirty years, that is (ten years + twenty years).
Having successfully rolled the appropriate number of successes to reach the time period desired, the Exalt bids the Bound God to access the Loom’s records and create a replica of Creation at the time in question. This version of Creation is obviously flawed, as it neglects to include beings outside of Fate, save for notable interactions with beings within Fate, and any connection to a Realm outside of Fate is sealed by invisible walls which prevent passage. If the Exalt rolled no extra successes, the replica lasts for one scene. One extra success allows it to persist for one day; two extra successes allow it to persist for a week. With three or more extra successes it persists for an amount of time following the same progression as the original Difficulty table for the Charm (meaning that three extra successes allows it to persist for one month, and so on). The Nocturnal may explore and interact with this replica of the past as she chooses for as long as it lasts. No matter how much time she experiences within her replica of Creation, only five days actually pass for the purposes of training. This Charm is useful for gathering information and experiencing a world of opportunities lost to time, but in the end it is nothing but an artificial world crafted for her amusement. Any alterations she made in the past have no influence on the present. Up to four other Nocturnals may join her in this crafted past, if they know Parting the Veil and meditate along with her. If they also know this Charm, each adds his Essence to her roll, if they activate the Charm in communion with her. Her Companion, meditating in her company, can likewise join her without needing any Charms of his own. The events, however, are real enough to affect her on a personal level, and for the purposes of Charms that require her to have participated in some past event, such as Shipwrecked Corsair Memento. Kalpa: One of the simplest and most common variants of this Charm is one that causes the bodies of those meditating to vanish for the duration of this Charm, preventing others from interrupting the Nocturnal’s exploration of the past. In such cases, the usual safety features of this Charm are occasionally deactivated. If the Exalt dies within the past, instead of being returned in an Incapacitated state to the present, she is truly dead. A more dramatic variant exists in a few Manvantaras, which allows the Bound God to attempt to weave the Nocturnal’s altered Creation into the Loom of Fate while the Pattern Spiders complete the annual Calibration. Depending on the Manvantara, this attempted upload fails if one or more of the following conditions occur. These restrictions apply to her traveling companions as well as herself. While in the past, the Exalt publicly revealed herself as a Nocturnal, including a display of peripheral essence at the 8m+ level. In Manvantara where Nox is deliberately hiding
evidence of himself and his Chosen, such actions will result in the immediate rejection of the altered past. If Nox permits the alterations, it must be subtle enough to avoid the immediate notice of the overworked Pattern Spiders. For each success used to determine either how far into the past she travels or how long she remains there, the Exalt gains one Paradox die. She also gains one Paradox die for ever dot of Dominion Magnitude affected by her alterations. If she gains more Paradox dice than her (Essence + highest Domain), her alterations are blatantly obvious to the Pattern Spiders and they reject it out of hand. In which case, she need not roll her accumulated Paradox Dice. The Exalt may not cross paths with the version of herself contemporaneous with the visited time period. She may hide in the background as a passive observer, watching her younger self from afar, but she cannot actively interact or intervene in her own affairs. This includes rolling Join Battle or Join Debate against herself, or trying to alter an event she is directly or indirectly responsible for. This likewise includes any previous use of this Charm. The force of history itself rejects the Exalt’s alterations. This may take the form of actions of Exalts and other magical beings between the time the Nocturnal made her changes and the present setting the course of history back on track after she diverted it or a future version of herself or another Nocturnal going back again to undo whatever it is she did. In the guise of one of these forces, the Storyteller may veto an altered past, though he should do so only after careful consideration. Few other beings will care if the Nocturnal went back to save her poor fisherman father, but a great many would contest an attempted assassination of the Scarlet Empress. Once an altered past is uploaded into the Loom, it may affect the present in one of two ways. First, in some Manvantara, it may completely alter the reality of Creation, progressing naturally from the Nocturnal’s engineered point of divergence. More commonly, however, are the Manvantaras where the Nocturnal’s alterations affect only mortal beings, mundane objects and structures, and landscapes directly. Mortals may appear or disappear in droves, as they did at the end of the Cascading Years, but magical beings are carried along by their own ontological inertia. An Exalt may be very upset to discover his grandfather never existed, but he suffers no direct harm from the loss. While mortals may escape death through the use of this Charm, the deaths of magical beings are allow no reprieve. Unsurprisingly, in no Manvantara which contains the Well of Oblivion does this Charm allow the Exalt to rescue anything that has been cast into it—what the Void has claimed, it never relinquishes.
Mental Defense Charms Fickle Leopard Defense
Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 3, Essence 1; Type: Permanent Keywords: Chance, Native Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None When the Herald dedicates himself to a cause, that cause comes to define his nature even as the Herald changes around it. This Charm is analogous to the Solar Charm Righteous Lion Defense but functions in a considerably different manner. First, instead of protecting an Intimacy to an ideal, it protects an intimacy to an objective. The Herald might wish to secure safe passage for a train of refugees, liberate the slaves of Great Forks, solve a murder, or topple the Realm. Second, unlike Righteous Lion Defense, this Charm may only
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be purchased once. Third, the Intimacy does not preserve the Intimacy wholly. Instead, any erosion of the Intimacy is undone at sunset and the Intimacy is restored, and no further erosion can occur until the sunrise. Also, if the Exalt also knows Cheaters Never Prosper, any effect which would cause the immediate alteration or removal of the Intimacy, except the Nocturnal’s own magic, automatically fails against the protected Intimacy. If an Intimacy is completely ruined during the day, the Exalt’s player rolls one die at sunset to determine what becomes of the Intimacy. 1:
The Intimacy is reestablished as an inversion of itself. The Exalt who wishes to end slavery in Great Forks would, for example, become a great proponent of the practice and assume a new cause of promoting and expanding the slave trade.
2-3:
The protection of this Charm fails for the chosen Intimacy. It is not restored and the Exalt may assign this Charm’s effects to another appropriate Intimacy if any exist. If not, its effects lie dormant until such an Intimacy is developed.
4-5:
The Intimacy is restored with a slightly different emotional context. For example, a Exalt who possessed an Intimacy to unraveling a mysterious murder might have begun his investigation out of sense of justice, but that intimacy may shift to desire for vengeance.
6-7:
The scope of the intimacy is diminished. For example, a Nocturnal who wished to bring down the Realm might be satisfied with blinding the AllSeeing Eye or ruining a particular great house.
8-9:
The scope of the Intimacy is inflated. For example, the Exalt who wishes to ensure safe passages for refugees may expand his Intimacy to ensuring the safety of all refugees or to stopping whatever problem is causing the refugees to flee.
10:
The Intimacy is restored in its original form with no alterations. Additionally, if this option was determined by the roll of a die rather than the expenditure of Temporary Willpower and the Exalt possesses at least one other Intimacy that would qualify for this Charm’s protection, that protection is extended to one such Intimacy of the player’s choosing.
Inevitable Bandit Betrayal
Cost: 3m+; Mins: Intelligence 3, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Social Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Fickle Leopard Defense The loyalties of the Heralds and Harlequins are hard won and rarely long maintained. Though they are bound to obey their betters, those that abuse that privilege will earn more enemies among the Nocturnal Exalted than allies. This Charm may be activated whenever the Exalt wishes to spend Temporary Willpower to resist an unnatural mental influence. She may instead replace one or more points of Willpower with three motes each. However, as a side effect, the Exalt’s Motivation shifts as well. The degree to which it changes depends on how many points of willpower the Exalt exchanged for motes. Converting one willpower is a minor change to the Nocturnal’s Motivation. If the Exalt’s Motivation was “Assist Anja Silverclaws in the liberation of Thorns,”
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his intent might shift to helping Anja to destroy the Mask of Winters or offer his assistance to the Outcaste revolutionary Jaded Chrysanthemum. Ultimately, the final result will tend to be very similar. Converting two willpower results in the Motivation increasing in scope—the Exalt may seek to turn his and Anja’s attention to all the Deathlord holdings in Creation rather than just Thorns. Converting three willpower results in a wholly new Motivation, bearing no resemblance to his previous one. Converting four willpower results in a new Motivation that is counterproductive but not completely antagonistic to the original Motivation, such aiding Ma-HaSuchi’s dismantling of civilizations throughout the Scavenger Lands. Finally, converting five willpower, results in a Motivation truly antagonistic to the original, such as assisting the Mask of Winters in crushing all manner of dissent and rebellion in his dominion. Even if the Exalt converts the full willpower cost of this Charm, he still gains one Subservience if it is the first unnatural mental influence he resists in the scene. Any change to the Exalt’s Motivation through use of this Charm is, of course, free; no expenditure of experience is required. A second purchase of this Charm at Intelligence 5+, Essence 5+ allows the Exalt to activate this effect as an innate power rather than a Charm use, but also makes it obligatory so long as the Exalt has at least 3 motes. In any case, the Exalt is under no obligation to convert the full Willpower cost.
Soldier of Fortune Loyalty
Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration-OK Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Inevitable Bandit Betrayal There comes a time when even the Nocturnal Exalted must chose sides and declare their allegiances, if only for momentary convenience. This Charm enhances its prerequisite, preventing that Charm from forcing the Exalt to betray her allies. Upon learning this Charm, she selects a category of being, which may be as narrow as her own Troupe or as broad as Creatures of Darkness. Social attacks originating from the chosen category do not force her to change her Motivation when activating Inevitable Bandit Betrayal. Additionally, if Fickle Leopard Defense or Inevitable Bandit Betrayal would cause an Intimacy or Motivation to shift in such a way to betray this group, the alteration occurs at the next nearest degree that would not cause this betrayal. For example, if a conversion of 4+ Willpower would have otherwise shifted her Motivation in a manner opposing the group, she is instead treated as though she converted only three Willpower. Once per scene, during Calibration, the Exalt may redefine her chosen group. As an optional Holy effect, the Exalt may select all beings who are not Creatures of Darkness.
Interrogation Halting Simpleton
Cost: 4m; Mins: Intelligence 1, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion Duration: (Essence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Any Intelligence Charm When enemies have seized the citadel, Stewards and Viziers are tortured until they reveal their secrets. But who questions the fool? The Harlequin plays her part so well, she convinces others that she knows nothing worth knowing. The Exalt rolls (Essence + Willpower); any being who wishes to question the Harlequin whose mental defense is less than
the Exalt’s successes suffers an Illusion which convinces the would-be interrogator that the Exalt is not worth questioning. Even if the victim of this Illusion does question the Exalt, her reply will sound ignorant or inane, even if the Exalt answered correctly. Exalts with Intelligence 3+ may have their words sound so pompously academic or arcanely esoteric as to be equally obscured. Overcoming this Illusion costs the interrogator 2 willpower. A second purchase of this Charm at Intelligence 2+, Essence 3+, allows the Exalt to extend the Charm’s duration to One Scene by paying an additional Temporary Willpower. Additionally, overcoming the Illusion now costs 4 willpower.
Beautiful Mind Savant
Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Intelligence 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Social Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Intelligence Charm People recognize when they were in the presence of a great mind, and only a well-reasoned argument will sway such a mind. The Herald demonstrates his mental superiority and bows before the brilliance of others. While this Charm is active, the Exalt employs Intelligence in place of Appearance for the purpose of determining bonuses and penalties applied to his own mental defenses in social combat, comparing his Intelligence to that of his opponent. Any Charms that influence or are determined by his Appearance-based defense bonus or penalty are instead derived from his Intelligence-based values. With Intelligence 5+, this Charm no longer costs a willpower.
True wisdom comes only from experience, and the Harlequin ensures that no one gains wisdom they are not prepared for. This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite. Instead of choosing and rolling various Traits as described, the Exalt may instead select a task. The task may be as arbitrary and unrelated as the Exalt likes, but it must be something that would require a mortal at least one scene of continuous activity to complete. Once the task is complete, the being who completed it immediately becomes aware of the Nocturnal’s message. As with the riddles before, revealing the information in any other fashion once the task has been set becomes an Unacceptable Order.
Sorcery and Thaumaturgy Charms Terrestrial Circle Sorcery
Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None After appropriate initiation, this Charm allows the character to perform Shape Terrestrial Circle Sorcery actions. See Exalted, p. 220 and 252. This Charm may not be used to satisfy the “Any Intelligence Charm” prerequisite for other Charms.
Celestial Circle Sorcery
Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent The Riddle Responds Prerequisite Charms: Terrestrial Circle Sorcery Cost: 5m; Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 3; After appropriate initiation, this Charm allows the Type: Supplemental character to perform Shape Celestial Circle Sorcery actions. Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Social See Exalted, p. 220 and 252. This Charm may not be used Duration: Instant to satisfy the “Any Intelligence Charm” prerequisite for other Prerequisite Charms: Beautiful Mind Savant The Harlequin is clever and she does not part with her Charms. secrets easily. When she wishes to conceal her true purpose, Shadowland Circle Necromancy but either cannot or will not lie or feign ignorance, she instead Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent speaks only in obscure koans and riddles so that only the wise Keywords: None may appreciate her wisdom. This Charm supplements any Duration: Permanent form of communication by burying her message in what is ob- Prerequisite Charms: None viously a code or riddle. She selects an Ability and a Speciality After appropriate initiation, this Charm allows the (neither of which she actually needs to possess) which will aid character to perform Shape Shadowland Circle Necromancy in deciphering her message. Her player then rolls (Intelligence actions. These are identical to Shape Terrestrial Circle Sorcery + Ability + Speciality). Whenever someone else encounters actions, except that they allow the Exalt to cast necromantic the message, they may roll the same Traits; only if they match rather than sorcerous spells. See Exalted, p. 220 and 252. or exceed the Nocturnal’s successes do they perceive her true This Charm may not be used to satisfy the “Any Intelligence message. Each attempt to decipher the message is a Dramatic Charm” prerequisite for other Charms. Action lasting one scene for beings with Intelligence less than the Exalt’s, or a Miscellaneous Action otherwise. Until the Conjurer’s Cheap Tricks riddle is solved or the code broken, revealing the information Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 3, Essence 2; in any other fashion becomes an Unacceptable Order. Type: Permanent A second purchase of this Charm at Intelligence 5+ Keywords: None extends its duration to One Scene, obscuring all attempts Duration: Permanent at communication the Exalt makes during that time. The Prerequisite Charms: None Nocturnal may reselect the (Ability + Specialty) combination While mortals struggle to perform the arts of thaumaup to (Essence) times per scene freely, but must reactivate the turgy, wringing every ounce of power from ritual and sacrifice, Charm to make any additional changes. such magic comes easy to the Exalted. The Harlequin‘s insight reveals the motonic mechanics behind each thaumaturgical Puzzle Box Courier Technique procedure, allowing her to perform such feats as an expression Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 4; of her wisdom and mental acumen. When performing a thauType: Permanent maturgical procedure, she may substitute her Intelligence for Keywords: None any other Attribute and may always enhance such actions with Duration: Permanent her Intelligence Excellencies. Additionally, if she converts the Prerequisite Charms: The Riddle Responds
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entire cost of a ritual into motes, she reduces the final cost by (Intelligence) motes. The Lunar Exalted possesses an identical Charm called Crone’s Hidden Wisdom, which is popular among the Crossroad Society.
8-9:
The Exalt knows many things, some useful, some not. He may distribute (Intelligence) additional dots among any number of Abilities, though at least one dot must go to the chosen Ability. This bonus remains until the end of the scene, but the Exalt’s Intelligence drops to 0 for any action not also involving one of those Abilities.
10:
The chosen Ability is immediately raised to its maximum value. If the Exalt did not spend willpower to select this option, he also converts (Intelligence) dice into automatic successes.
Momentary Miracle Evocation
Cost: — (+1wp); Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration-OK, Suspicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Conjurer’s Cheap Tricks While alchemists labor away in arcane laboratories and demonologists enslave themselves to chanting and scrawling of sigils, the Harlequin understands the chaotic, improbable world of motes. On that quivering microscopic level of reality, there is a chance, however, slim that a mote of lead will spontaneously become a mote of gold or that, for just an instant, a crack will appear in the walls between Creation and the Demon City. But for a whole bar of lead to transform into gold, or for a particular demon to step through that crack—what a coincidence that would be! Such miracles are possible only if the Exalt wills them to be so. This Charm enhances the Exalt’s thaumaturgical procedures. By expending an additional willpower and converting the entire cost of the procedure into motes (see Exalted, p. 138), she may perform any procedure that would normally take no longer than (Essence) hours as a Miscellaneous Action. During Calibration, she need not spend an additional willpower to gain this benefit.
Training Charms
Man of Many Talents
Cost: 1m; Mins: Intelligence 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Intelligence Charm The Herald is experienced and versatile. He knows how to apply his knowledge over a wide range of topics. With this Charm the Exalt infuses his actions with his brilliance. Before the Exalt’s player is required to roll any Ability, he may instead activate this Charm and roll one die.
150
1:
The Exalt’s knowledge fails to extend to the chosen Ability. The Ability’s rating drops to zero for the remainder of the scene. But when the Exalt lacks knowledge in one area, he compensates with knowledge in others. All dots lost in the Ability may be distributed among the Exalt’s other Abilities.
2-3:
Precise knowledge guides his every action. The Exalt may use the higher of either the chosen Ability or his Intelligence.
4-5:
The Exalt is an expert in convenient trivia, gaining his (Intelligence) as artificial specialties for the action. He may still not apply more than three specialties to the action.
6-7:
The Exalt’s training in the subject is exceptional. He gains one automatic success, and an additional automatic success for each applicable Specialty.
Once the effect has been determined, the roll proceeds as normal.
By Darkness Inspired
Cost: — (+4m); Mins: Intelligence 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Touch, Shaping, Suspicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Man of Many Talents When life is at its bleakest even a lowly mortal finds the skill to overcome adversity. With this Charm, the Herald ensures that others find insight they need to accomplish the task ahead—or snatch the very knowledge from their minds to ensure failure. The Exalt touches another being and commits the required motes. At the moment of his choosing, he may roll one die to alter one of that being’s Ability-based rolls that he can perceive. If the scene elapses before the Exalt exploits this advantage, the opportunity passes and the motes are decommited. At Essence 4+, the Exalt may evoke this effect up to one day after he touches the being. Additionally he may assign a specific scenario to automatically trigger the effect even if he is not aware of the specific action. At Essence 6+, he may maintain the commitment indefinitely.
Glorified Child of Night
Cost: 8m+, 1wp; Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: Shaping, Suspicious, Touch Duration: Until sunrise Prerequisite Charms: Any Intelligence Charm The Harlequin cares little for the distinctions between the Lords of Creation and the teeming multitudes that live in service of them. Though he is mighty, the Exalt is yet a servant himself. If he must taste servitude, why then should not the serfs taste glory? With this Charm, the Exalt grants a mortal brief time among the mighty. Spending a scene instructing the mortal in the ways of the Exalted, he raises the mortal’s Essence by one, to a maximum of 3, granting the mortal a mote pool of (Essence x 10). The first (Essence x 3) motes may be accessed freely; anything beyond that amount requires the expenditure of one willpower. Additionally, the Exalt may invest the mortal with up to (Eseence) of his own Charm by spending motes equal to the minimum Essence of the Charm. If the Nocturnal’s companion also touches the subject and willingly consents, the Harlequin may invest the mortal with the Sidereal’s Charms as well. The mortal must meet the minimum requirements for any Charm bestowed upon him and may never learn Native Charms. A second purchase of this Charm at Intelligence 5+, Essence 4+, grants this Charm the Calibration keyword. Its duration is extended for the full length of Calibration.
Night Shift Initiation
Cost: 10m, 2wp; Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: Calibration, Obvious, Social, Touch, Training Duration: One Week Prerequisite Charms: By Darkness Inspired, Glorified Child of Night The duties of the mighty never end. While his betters rest, the Herald tirelessly labors to ensure their affairs continue on pace to greet the dawn. The Exalt often employs a wide range of assistants to ease her burden. This Charm allows the Exalt to train a unit in order to better prepare them for the thankless duty of toiling while the world sleeps. The Exalt selects one of the following Traits: Perception, Intelligence, Bureaucracy, Investigation, Linguistics, Lore, or Resistance. This Training time requires five or more hours a day for one week and adds one to the selected Trait, to a maximum of the Exalt’s own rating or four, whichever is lower. During Calibration, this training requires only five days, and may use the higher of the Exalt’s rating or four to determine the maximum the training allows. The Exalt may use this Charm to train himself. In Mandate of Heaven rules, this Charm adds the Exalt’s Intelligence to the Dominion’s Government for the season and causes the Dominion to gain one Limit. With a second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+, the Exalt may also train Specialties in any Ability, so long as those Specialties assist in living and working at night or in the maintenance of social infrastructure.
Alternative Curriculum
Cost: — (+5m); Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Merged, Shaping, Suspicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Night Shift Initiation Despite their power, the Heralds are all too often looked down upon by their peers. While the Stewards attract the fiercest warriors, the Viziers gain the savviest bureaucrats, and the Lawgivers gain the best savants society can offer, the Herald must manage with whatever riff-raff his fellows have discarded. This Charm upgrades all of its potential prerequisites. When using one of those Charms, the Exalt twists and contorts the target’s knowledge and, thereby, may cannibalize any portion of one Trait that he could have trained with a known Charm, even if it is not the Charm he is currently using. The cannibalized Trait is immediately converted to experience and used to raise the Trait he is currently training. Any excess experience remaining is immediately lost, so the Exalt would be wise not to cannibalize more experience than can be used. Merged: Alternative Curriculum (Strength, prerequisite: Falling Star Endowment; Appearance, prerequisite: Statesman and Courtesan Lessons)
Instruction of Self
Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Calibration Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Man of Many Talents The Harlequin is a strange creature. What others perceive as a singular entity is merely the most immediate presence of a being which stretches far into the past and future. When she comes to understand her own extemporal nature, her growth is greatly accelerated, but at the risk of succumbing
to the even stranger being that awaits her in the future. When the Exalt learns this Charm, her player should determine a Storyteller-approved Motivation appropriate for an elder Nocturnal, one seasoned by many Renewals and centuries accustomed to a life of quantum paradoxes, philosophical contradictions, and alternative realties, as well as a number of associated Intimacies equal to her own Essence. These represent the future echo of herself as she might be, and whenever the Exalt undergoes a Renewal, so too does her future self, though only her Motivation and Intimacies may be changed. More importantly, the future self serves as a Mentor to her younger self. She is always regarded as having a mentor for any Trait she wishes to train and gains a Sifu rating equal to the higher of her own current Martial Arts or Face. As with other Mentors, as the Storyteller permits, the Exalt’s future might provide advice or material support (by informing Exalt where a useful item might be acquired, rather than directly providing them). Whenever the Harlequin seeks to benefit from her future self, she gains one Paradox die. Of course, her future self, like other mentors, is often demanding. The future self may issue automatically successful social attacks against the Exalt during Calibration, though no more frequently than once a day. Such demands cause the Harlequin to gain one point of Subservience if she refuses, and she may never immunize herself from such demands except by achieving Essence 10. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ allows the Exalt to halve all training times for all Traits. This strengthens the connection between the Exalt and her future, causing her to gain two Subservience for denying the orders of her future self.
WITS
Anachronism Charms Night Prepares At Dawn
Cost: —; Mins: Wits 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None After many repetitions, certain activities become second nature to the Harlequin, easily performed without hesitation. When learning this Charm, the Exalt selects one type of activity with a Speed measured in Ticks, including Long Ticks. This might be a specific variety of attack specified with an (Attribute + Ability + Specialty) combination—the Exalt need not possess the specific Specialty to select a combination—or a particular variety of action, such as a Dash, Coordinate Attack, or Change Formation. The Exalt is so well practiced in the chosen activity, that she is ever-ready to perform it. The Speed of the chosen action is reduced by one. No combination of effects including Night Prepares at Dawn may reduce the Speed of an action to less than three. The Exalt may purchase this Charm (Essence) times, but only once per action.
Coiling Möbius Counterstrike
Cost: 5m (1wp); Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack, Merged, Suspicious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Night Prepares At Dawn Though her enemies may sneak up on her, the Harlequin is never defenseless. Her future coils around to defend
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her present. As an enemy prepares to attack her, somewhere within (Wits) yards her future self steps out from hiding and intervenes before the weapon strikes. The Exalt makes a physical attack of her own, adding her Wits in automatic succeses and subtracting her total successes from the attacker’s impending successes. If this reduces the attacker’s successes enough so that the attack does not succeed, the present version of the Nocturnal flickers out of present to arrive in the past half a second earlier to make the attack. If the attack still succeeds despite her intervention, she remains where she is and the future version flickers out of existence, as the Nocturnal failed to appear as scheduled and gains one Paradox die. If the Nocturnal’s preemptive counterattack reduces the attack to zero successes, any remaining successes are applied as a normal counterattack in Step 9. With Essence 4+, the Nocturnal adds her Temporary Willpower in automatic successes to this potential counterattack. This Charm usually costs five motes, but if the attack is unexpected it costs an additional willpower. Spending this willpower does not remove the unexpected quality from the attack. Merged: Coiling Möbius Counterstrike (Dexterity, prerequisites: Blade Cuts the Past)
Blades Drawn In Peace
Cost: 3m, (+3m, 1wp); Mins: Wits 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Wits Charm A bared weapon in peacetime arouses suspicion, but the Herald stays near his weapon even through the most tranquil nights. Upon activating this Charm, the Herald finds his weapon in his hand, though he apparently took no action to ready his weapon, so long as his weapon is on his person. If not, this Charm causes the Exalt to flash up to (Essence x 5) yards toward a weapon he owns in an instant, readying the weapon reflexively as soon as he arrives at its location. This Charm may be used no more than (Essence) times per Tick. A second purchase of this Charm at Wits 4+, Essence 3+ allows the Exalt to spend an additional three motes and a willpower to cause any number of other beings within (Essence x 5) yards to reflexively ready a weapon they own and currently carry. Doing so makes this Charm Suspicious.
Spears From Quivers Pulled
Cost: 0-5m, (1wp); Mins: Wits 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1 or Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Merged, Obvious, Touch Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Blades Drawn in Peace The Herald walks the fractured paths of her own manifold lives. Here she is an elegant duelist, there she is a knivejuggling entertainer, yonder she is a precise archer, beyond she is a testubo-swinging monk. Everywhere she is a warrior without compare. Upon activating this Charm, she alters the traits of her weapon (which cannot be her natural attacks) into that of another weapon. Mundane weapons can become any sort of mundane weapon for the cost of (Resources -1) motes; an artifact weapon may be turned into a mundane weapon for the same cost but also can take on the traits of another artifact for the cost of (Artifact) motes, so long as the Artifact rating of the imitated weapon does not exceed its own. This Charm imitates only broad classes of weapons, not specific and unique ones. She can emulate the traits of a generic grimcleaver, but not unique weapons such as Death at the Root
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or specialized types such as the Singing Staff. Only adamant artifacts can be emulated in this way. Though others will notice something mystical has occurred, her weapon does not change appearance (unless viewed through All-Encompassing Sorcerer’s Sight or similar Charms). Its nature, however, is so mangled that Fate responds to it as thought it were whatever weapon the Nocturnal decreed it to be. She may cleave through her foes with a crossbow as though it were a scythe, or bat arrows far afield with a sword as though it were bow. If she gives her weapon the traits of a Form Weapon for a Martial Arts Style she knows, she may employ it as an unarmed attack for that Style. The nature of the original weapon is completely overwritten. At Essence 3, this Charm automatically upgrades. The Exalt may spend a point of willpower to extend its Duration to One Scene. Merged: Spears From Quivers Pulled (Strength, prerequisites: A Cut In Time, Infinite Prismatic Arsenal; Dexterity, prerequisites: Blade Cuts the Past, Unhesitating Duelist’s Parturition)
Armory of One
Cost: — (1m); Mins: Wits 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Merged, Stackable, Suspicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Spears From Quivers Pulled A needle might function as well as a knife in skillful hands. But as a sledge or bow? Only the Harlequin is so adept at sleight of hand to achieve all at once. This Charm permanently upgrades its prerequisite. First, the original nature of the weapon is not completely overwritten if she desires it to remain. Additionally, the Nocturnal may now activate Spears From Quivers Pulled as a Stackable Charm. So long as the most expensive weapon is accounted for, all additional activations only cost one additional mote. While all these weapons are considered Readied, only one applies at any one moment. She may freely rotate among them once per action, or pay one mote to switch between them in either Step 1 or Step 2 of Combat resolution. She may have no more than (Essence) weapons, including the original, Readied through this Charm. Whenever a single physical weapon takes on the nature of more than one weapon, this Charm becomes Suspicious. Merged: Armory of One (Strength, Dexterity)
Teacup Assassin’s Arsenal
Cost: — (+3m or +6m); Mins: Wits 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Merged, Suspicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Spears From Quivers Pulled A porcelain saucer, a silver spoon, a paper parasol. In such innocuous items, the Harlequin invests deadly importance. This Charm enhances its prerequisite. The Nocturnal may now give mundane tools and other miscellanea the nature of weaponry. This imposes a three mote surcharge and the limitation that the weapon the item emulates must be of roughly equivalent size. The saucer may become a throwing star, the spoon may cut like a knife, or a parasol pierce flesh like a sword. Transforming such innocent items into lethal instruments makes this Charm Suspicious. At Essence 4, this Charm upgrades automatically. The Exalt is no longer obligated to adhere to the size restriction when converting items into mundane weapons, but if she does so she may double the surcharge to transform it into
the artifact equivalent. She must, of course, pay the cost of creating the artifact with Spears From Quivers Pulled. Merged: Teacup Assassin’s Arsenal (Strength, Dexterity)
8-9:
The Exalt selects a weapon with (Essence x 5) yards that is not currently owned by another being. Until the end of the scene, that weapon is sent to Elsewhere.
10:
The Exalt’s player selects one of the above options and applies it to all viable targets within range. This option may not be deliberately selected without a second purchase of this Charm at Essence 5+.
Toys to Alloys Mimicry
Cost: — (+2m); Mins: Wits 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Merged, Suspicious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Spears From Quivers Pulled The jealous Herald is not content merely to wield the weapons of his own station. Breaking through reality, he steals the weapons of others. This Charm upgrades its prerequisite. The Exalt may emulate an artifact that exceeds the rating of his own, so long as the rating of the new artifact does not exceed 3. Additionally, if the Exalt knows Devil Reigning Hypothesis and has that Charm active, artifact weapons he emulates take on his own altered nature, thereby gaining the traits of a soulsteel weapon if he has the Underworld variant of that Charm active. If he has the variant of the Demon City active, he may freely choose among the more exotic types of weapons available in that infernal realm, but not merely vitriol-tainted variants of other magical materials. If he knows Legion of Heaven and Earth, he may adopt the weaponry of any basic magical material. That Charm need not be active for him to gain this benefit, but he must immediately pay any additional attunement cost required of him for wielding a foreign material. All applications of this upgrade impose a two-mote surcharge and render the Charm Suspicious. Merged: Toys to Alloys Mimicry (Strength, Dexterity)
Swords Sheathed In War
Cost: 8m; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 5) Keywords: Chance, Combo-OK, Obvious, Suspicious, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Blades Drawn in Peace As foolish as it is to draw a weapon during a peaceful negotiation, it is even more foolhardly to sheath one’s weapon in the midst of battle. Yet the Harlequin makes fools of many. Upon activating this Charm, the Exalt rolls one die. 1:
Until the end of the scene, at least one of the Exalt’s or her allys’ weapons (within [Essence x 5] yards) is sent to Elsewhere, as the Nocturnal’s player chooses.
2-3:
Any weapon without the N-tag wielded by an otherwise rendered not ready, as appropriate for the weapon.
4-5:
The Exalt selects an opponent within (Essence x 5) yards, who must roll to contest disarming with a difficult equal to the Exalt’s Wits. If the opponent does not have a weapon readied, he must still check for disarming and if he fails to roll, the distance the weapon is thrown is measured in yards rather than feet.
6-7:
The Exalt selects a weapon own by another being within (Essence x 5) yards and makes a contested willpower roll with the owner. If the Exalt wins, until the end of the scene, the owner of the weapon loses all benefits of ownership.
Coals From Diamond Enclosure
Cost: 6m; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Suspicious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Wits Charm Donning armor is time a time consuming process. Rather than putting armor on a person, the Herald has an easier time putting a person in the armor. Aiding another being in donning their armor, the Exalt activates this Charm, accomplishing the task in a flash, as the being is teleported into her armor. Typically only personal armor is permitted with this Charm, but at Essence 6+, the Exalt may teleport allies even into Warstriders and other atypical armor variants. This Charm may also remove a willing being from her armor just as quickly. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 3 allows the Herald to employ this Charm on himself.
The Dragon Flies Tail First
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Wits 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple Keywords: Flux, Mandate, Obvious, War Duration: (Essence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Coiling Möbius Counterstrike, Swords Sheathed in War Making war against the Exalted host is a foolhardy endeavor. Only a well-prepared enemy has any hope against them, and who can prepare for the Heralds? The Exalt targets a military unit she can perceive and rolls (Wits + Willpower) with a difficulty of (target’s Magnitude + leader’s Essence). If the Herald is part of a mass combat unit herself, she adds one automatic success for each additional Celestial Exalt or Essence 5+ Dragon-blooded accompanying her, to a maximum bonus of the highest Essence among them. If successful, the Herald alters the reality of combat. The opposing unit finds it is missing weapons, that its armor is motley and haphazardly worn, that its formations are eschew, and a various other effects as suitable for current conditions. The Exalt may impose a total penalty equal to her Essence on any of the opposing unit’s traits except Magnitude. For the duration of this Charm, during his action, the opposing leader may roll Wits with a difficult equal to penalty imposed to restore one affected trait for the remainder of the action. Alternatively, the leader may immediately sacrifice a dot of Magnitude to ignore all penalties. In Mandate of Heaven rules, the Exalt makes the same roll against an opposing Dominion, adding successes for each appropriate Exalt with legitimacy within her own Dominion. If successful, the opposing Dominion’s Military rating drops to 1 for a number of Military-based actions that season equal to the Herald’s Essence. The opposing leadership may either accept this penalty, allow their Dominion to gain four Limit, or function at an effective -1 Magnitude for the season.
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Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack, Merged, Social, Suspicious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Night Prepares at Dawn Even as her opponent opens his mouth to speak, the echo of the Herald’s rebuttal resounds through the hall. Granting herself time to properly consider a rebuttal, the Nocturnal’s own counter-arguments ripple backward through time to aid her now. This Charm functions nearly identically to Coiling Möbius Counterstrike, save that it is activated in response to a social attack to make a social counterattack and the Exalt is not transported to make the counterattack. Only her words are bent backwards through time. Merged: Words Outpaced by Echoes (Charisma, prerequisite: Confident Debate Initiation)
Stone Follows Ripples
Cost: 5m; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Social, Suspicious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Words Outpaced by Echoes The Harlequin is so swift in debate, that his opponents hardly have time to notice his trickery before he has moved on. This Charm supplements a social attack. If successful, the effects of the attack are delayed until the target spends willpower to resist a different mental influences. Once the Exalt’s delayed mental influence takes effect, the target may resist it as normal. The Suspicious-keyword is not triggered until the effects of the social attack are. Any being who current has a delayed social attack waiting to be triggered cannot be a valid target for further applications of this Charm or similar effects. At Essence 4+ the Exalt may further delay this mental influence, allowing up to (Essence) other mental influences to be resisted first as the Exalt declares when employing this Charm.
Thunder Precedes Lightning
Cost: 1-5wp; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Words Outpaced By Echoes The arguments of fools are rejected before they are heard. The Harlequin has refuted every point a thousand times before it is even spoken. With this Charm, the Exalt commits up to his Essence or 5 Willpower, whichever is lower. Each point of willpower committed adds one to his Parry MDV. Additionally he does not need to spend willpower to resist any mental influence that costs less than the committed willpower. Any effect which costs an equal amount of willpower to resist as the Exalt currently has committed reduces the commitment by one, but is otherwise resisted as though he had spent willpower to ignore it. Effects with greater costs to resist affect the Exalt normally.
sky—and it allowed the Onyx Youth to expand this purview and grow in power. The Harlequin, too, knows the value of an easy sell and draws strength from convincing others of their own position. This Charm creates a pool of ten peripheral motes, initially empty, which may only be used on Social attacks. Whenever the Exalt performs a successful Social attack and the target does not immediately spend willpower to resist it, he gains a number of motes equal to the penalty the target’s MDV suffered based on the attack aligning with her Intimacies, Virtues, Motivation, or similar Trait. He also regains one additional mote for each of the following that apply: the Exalt is employing Following the Heart’s Desire against the target, the target is a Celestial Exalt (including Solars and derivatives), the target is Essence 6+, or the target is Essence 10. With a second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+, the Exalt learns to give as much as he demands. He retains up to (10 – Subservience) motes in this pool at the end of the scene rather than losing the Overdrive pool completely.
Regression of Epicycles
Cost: 4m; Mins: Wits 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Wits Charm As the Herald moves forward, her opponents appear to fall behind. This Charm supplements a physical or social attack. If successful, the target’s next action is delayed by a number of ticks equal to the Exalt’s extra successes, to a maximum delay equal to the Exalt’s Essence. This maximum delay includes any caused by the Comet Caste’s anima power. A target that is currently delayed by Regression of Epicycle cannot be further delayed by additional applications of this or other Charms.
Tomorrow’s Feats Today
Cost: 3m, +2m per ally, 1wp; Mins: Wits 3, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 3) Keywords: Combo-OK, Suspicious Duration: (Essence) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Regression of Epicycles The Herald’s speed pulls others along with her. The Exalt selects up to (Essence) allies within (Essence x 5) yards. The Speed of her own and her chosen allies actions—excluding Simple Charms and Sorcery—are reduced by one, to a minimum of three, for the duration of the Charm. At Wits 5+ this Charm may be used on military and social units, treating each dot of Magnitude as one ally. At Essence 4+ this Charm extends its duration to One Scene.
A Thousand Moments Now
Cost: 2m per action; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; Type: Extra-Action Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Tomorrow’s Feats Today The Harlequin is never lacking in choices. All possibilities are laid bare before her, she chooses as many as she Tides Of Moonless Nights desires. This Charm creates a magical flurry of up to (Essence) Cost: —; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; actions, so long as no two actions are the same. In the case of Type: Permanent attacks, switching weapons or topics qualifies as a different Keywords: Overdrive, Social action, but a 2+ dice stunt is also enough to distinguish one Duration: Permanent action from another if they would otherwise be the same. No Prerequisite Charms: Words Outpaced By Echoes action in the flurry suffers from multiple action penalties and Long ago, Nox convinced Luna to relinquish her the Exalt suffers only from the highest DV penalty of any one position as the goddess of night. It was an easy argument to action. win—the Fickle Lady already desired to wander free in the
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A second purchase of this Charm at Wits 5+ allows the Exalt to activate this Charm as a Reflexive action to create a flurry for an ally currently benefiting from Tomorrow’s Feats Today during their action tick. The ally’s player decides the nature of the actions granted to him by this Charm, but he must follow the same restrictions as the Nocturnal.
Weaving Yesterday Throughout
Cost: 10m; Mins: Wits 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Chance, Combo-Basic, Flux Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Regression of Epicycles The past influences the present; the present, the future. That is, usually. Let the Viziers worry about causality—the Herald has more important issues to attend to, and who is he to turn down good fortune simply because it is ill-timed? While it is active, before a being within (Essence x 5) yards performs a rolled action, that being’s player rolls one die. 1:
If that being had been injured in the last 25 hours from a source other than this Charm, that being suffers one level of damage of the same type, beginning with bashing damage and increasing in severity as available. No being may suffer more damage from this Charm than they have received in the previous 25 hours or (Exalt’s Essence), whichever is lower.
2-3:
For each non-Permanent Charm the being has active, he loses one mote of Essence, beginning with Peripheral motes.
4-5:
If that being had suffered any Compulsion or Servitude effect in the last 25 hours, one of those effects is restored, beginning with the least recent.
6-7:
If that being had suffered from any Illusion or Emotion effects in the last 25 hours, one of those effects is restored, beginning with the least recent.
8-9:
If that being had been injured in the last 25 hours, he heals one level of damage.
10:
If that being has acquired a mental influence in the last 25 hours, he may freely remove one. The Exalt may only spend Willpower to determine the outcome of the die when it applies to him. A second purchase at Essence 5+ allows him to spend Willpower when activating this Charm to determine a single effect which applies to everyone for the duration of the Charm, oblivating the need for anyone to roll a Chance die.
Tomorrow Never Comes
Cost: 3m+, (1wp); Mins: Wits 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Regression of Epicycles None can compare with the Harlequin’s ability to control the arena and deprive her foes of their advantages. This Charm may be activated in response to an attack in which the attacker has declared a flurry. She rolls her Willpower with a difficulty equal to the number of actions in the flurry, maximum 5, (if she knows Cheaters Never Prosper, she automatically succeeds if the flurry contains an arbitrary or otherwise unspecified number of actions, such as one created with Time-Looping Tempest). During Calibration, she adds
her Essence to this roll. If successful, the attacker is prevented from making the flurry and his player may select only a single action from the declared flurry to be performed. If the flurry was created magically, the Exalt must pay an additional surcharge equal to the minimum Essence of the Charm or the rating of the Artifact that created it. The Storyteller may adjudicate other such surcharges as necessary. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ allows the Exalt to spend an additional willpower to similarly cancel any flurry he can perceive while it is Calibration.
Calendar-Cracking Pugilist
Cost: 5m, 1wp Mins: Wits 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Merged, Native, Obvious, Shaping, Suspicious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Regression of Epicycles Those who cannot act might as well not exist at all. The Exalt’s attacks dislodge his foe from the flow of time. If a physical attack inflicts at least one level of damage against the target, she is ejected from the normal progression of seconds. She vanishes immediately. For all intents and purposes, she is no longer in the scene. She cannot be targeted, nor is she affected by all-encompassing events. She reappears on her next action tick, perceiving no time to have passed and suffering any knockdown, knockback, or other effects that may have resulted from the attack. At Essence 4, this Charm automatically upgrades. If the attack would have inflicted more damage than the target’s Essence in Step 10, the Exalt may instead elect to launch her to the end of the scene. Mortals and spirits with Essence less than his own may instead be launched one full day into the future, plus one additional day for each level of damage over the minimum needed for this effect. If used in this way, the target arrives at the end of the scene or in a few days time in whatever state she was in before the Nocturnal attacked her and, again, perceiving no time to have passed. Merged: Calendar-Cracking Pugilist (Strength, prerequisites: Recollection of Pain; Dexterity, prerequisites: Diamond Fist Atemi).
Concealment Charms
Shadow Leaping Surprise
Cost: 2m (1wp); Mins: Wits 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Nox Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Wits Charm The Harlequin exploits the night to her advantage, laying ambushes in darkness and taking her foes without warning. This Charm supplements an attempt to establish surprise. During the day, she doubles her successes, or adds (Essence) successes, whichever is lower; at night, whichever is higher. Additionally, at night, she may use this Charm to make such an attempt, mid-conflict, even when she would otherwise be unable to do so. While Nox is in the Loom, the Harlequin may expend one willpower to further enhance her ambush. For the briefest moment she is unwoven from the logical progression of cause and effect and vanishes. This is Obvious to anyone who can perceive her at that moment, but they cannot continue to track her movements once she has vanished unless they are beings Outside of Fate or can directly perceive the strands of Fate—in which case the Exalt is seen as a noticeably blank in reality. Against such beings her attempt automatically fails;
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against all others it automatically succeeds. She may remain hidden in this way until she takes a non-reflexive action or until sunlight touches her.
2-3:
All members of the unit gain innate awareness of another being’s membership within the group so that there may be no question regarding who belongs and who is a spy—unless one of their own is seduced to their enemy’s camp.
4-5:
The unit adds the Exalt’s Wits to its Loyalty or Endurance as appropriate; each individual in the unit adds one to their Conviction and Integrity so long as their actions are beneficial to the unit as a whole, as determined by the Storyteller.
6-7:
Each individual in the unit gains a positive Intimacy toward maintaining the group’s secrecy and such secrecy is integrated into the group’s Policy as appropriate. Military units gain +1 to their Morale, if failing the Morale check would cause them to reveal themselves.
8-9:
Even if one member of the organization is captured and interrogated by the enemy, they will learn nothing of value. Any attempt to connect one member of the organization to any other, or to the organization as a whole, suffers an external penalty equal to the Exalt’s Wits.
10:
The unit itself becomes Outside of Fate. The collective activities and movements of the unit cannot be discerned through investigation of the Loom of Fate, nor can it be affected by any sort of Astrology or Fluctuation. Individual members remain within Fate, but any gathering appears as a random accumulation of people, such as one might expect to see gathered on a market day, rather than as a cohesive body with unified intent.
Lost and Found Encounter
Cost: 4m (1wp); Mins: Wits 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Shadow Leaping Surprise The dark forest, the nighttime alleyways, the deepest caverns—what could hide more mysteries? The Harlequin knows all possible hiding places. This Charm supplements an attempt to hide an object or being. Regardless of where she hid the object or being, so long as it remains hidden, its true location is in constant flux, switching randomly between possible hiding places within (Essence x 10) yards of its original position. Anything hidden with this Charm is immune to mundane detection as it is never where the investigator searches. The Exalt adds her Wits to any contested roll to avoid detection by supernatural perception. If the Exalt possess Wits 4+, she may also use this Charm to gain (Wits) automatic successes on any attempt to discover something hidden within the designated vicinity, so long as she actually knows what she’s looking for. If the object or being was hidden with a previous use of this Charm by any being, the attempt to discover it is automatically successful.
Sunlight Shunning Avoidance
Cost: 1m or 5m; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Lost and Found Encounter While others search in vain for whatever the Harlequin has hidden in the realm of chance, for the Exalt, it is always exactly where she looks. If the Exalt has hidden something with Lost and Found Encounter, she may spend one mote to retrieve it from any potential hiding spot within (Essence x 10) yards of the original hiding spot. Additionally, by spending 5 motes, the Exalt may do the same to any object within (Essence) yards which is not currently in use by another being or currently exposed to sunlight. She may then either retrieve that item or immediately make an attempt to hide it somewhere within (Essence) yards. If the Exalt has unwoven herself from reality using Shadow Leaping Surprise, she may do this to herself for five motes as well.
Forty Thieves Gambit
Cost: 6m; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Chance, Shaping, Stackable Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Lost and Found Encounter As a conspiracy grows larger, greater effort is required to hide it. This Charm provides the Herald with several tools to maintain even the largest secret society, or peel back the veil of secrecy such organizations enjoy. The Exalt designates a unit with a Magnitude no greater than his Essence to which he has belonged for at least (Magnitude) days. His player then rolls a Chance die. 1:
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Any attempt to discover the unit gains a number of bonus dice equal to its Magnitude. These do not count as dice from Charms.
The effects of this Charm last as long as the Exalt remains a member of the unit or until the unit is reduced to Magnitude 0 for any reason. Splinter units do not gain the benefits of this Charm. A second purchase of this Charm at Wits 5+ allows its effects to continue even after the Exalt has left the ranks of the organization.
Historical Revisionism Charms All Your Piety And Wit
Cost: 1m, (1wp); Mins: Wits 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Suspicious Duration: (Wits) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Any Third Excellency While others may be forced to live with the consequences of their actions, the Harlequin has dispensed with consequences. She knows how to pen new causes and rewrite effects. This Charm may supplement any specific action the Nocturnal undertakes. Until the Charm’s duration expires, the Exalt may reflexively spend one willpower to retroactively cancel most consequences of the action. All lingering effects of the action immediately cease and all damage from an attack is immediately healed. Having drunk poisoned wine, the glass is full once again and the poison has left her body. There are limitations to this Charm, however. Only her own action is undone. The cell may be locked again, but if the prisoner has already escaped, this Charm will not reincarcerate him. While it can instantly heal damage the Exalt inflicts on another being, this will only leave a pristine corpse if the
How many archers have once wished they could take being has died. Finally, all costs of the action, such as motes, back a single arrow? How many assassins long to undo the willpower or virtue channels, remained paid. stroke of knife? The Harlequin, too, comes to know such reOf Alternate Nights and Days grets. Unlike others, however, she may make amends to those Cost: —; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 2; she slays. Until the end of the scene, this Charm supplements Type: Permanent all the Exalt’s physical attacks. If she does not kill an opponent Keywords: Chance before the scene ends, the Charm terminates immediately. Duration: Permanent Otherwise, when she slays an opponent, she may extend this Prerequisite Charms: All Your Piety and Wit Charm’s protection to that opponent. Only one opponent The Harlequins revel in the twisting quirks of life. Ran- per scene can be protected in this way, but the Charm may dom happenstance is their domain. But when such chance be activated again in a later scene to protect additional opevents do not go in the Nocturnal’s favor, she cunningly ponents. changes her wager and trades one random act for another. By all accounts the opponent is dead. Despite this, no When a rolled Chance die turns up a result the Exalt does ghost moves on, nor does the Exaltation flee the body if the not desire, her player may roll one additional Chance die. The opponent was a Celestial Exalt. If the opponent were the cost of the initial Charm is refunded and its effects cancelled. Fetich soul of a Primordial, the Primordial remains unaltered, The Nocturnal, however, suffers some other outcome. Will- but knows precisely how close to death it came. Those who power may never be spent to select this outcome. can perceive Essence will note the Nocturnal’s magic permeat1: The Nocturnal gains Paradox dice equal to the mini- ing the corpse. Each day the Exalt retains the opponent in this condimum Essence of the Charm canceled. tion, she increases the commitment of this Charm by one mote (excepting Calibration). While she maintains this 2-3: The Nocturnal gains one Paradox. commitment, she may spend five willpower at anytime to 4-5: The Nocturnal loses one Temporary Willpower. revive the fallen opponent restore him to life. Dropping the 6-7: The Nocturnal loses one Intimacy of her choice, commitment at anytime before reviving the opponent results in his death without hope of recovery. Spirits slain in this which cannot be one protected by her Charms. way recover as normal unless they were permanently slain by 8-9: The Nocturnal suffers one unsoakable bashing dam- another effect. An opponent revived by this Charm is restored to full age. health, motes and willpower. Any decay or damage that 10: The Nocturnal suffers no immediate consequences, occurred to his corpse is undone. If his body were dismembut the reversion is considered Suspicious if it oc- bered or burned, those fragments of him that remain lose curred within Fate. any metaphysical connection to the opponent. The Charm weaves a new body for him, either from the largest portion of Thither Moves and Slays his remains or wholly new at the location he was slain, as his Cost: 3m; Mins: Wits 3, Essence 2; player chooses. Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion, Merged As the Sea Heeds Pebbles Cast Duration: Instant Cost: 6m+, 1wp; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; Prerequisite Charms: All Your Piety and Wit Type: Supplemental The foolish opponent waits for the Herald to make the Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-OK, Nox, Shaping first move, failing to see that she already has. This Charm Duration: Instant supplements an unexpected attack with an Illusion effect that Prerequisite Charms: All Your Peity and Wit influences all who could potentially witness the attack. This Commanded by Autochthon to obscure his own exisIllusion renders usual mental DVs inapplicable. All witnesses tence, Nox extends this protection to his Chosen who have roll to perceive the unexpected attack. If they are successful, mastered this technique. Despite what witnesses may recall, they do not suffer from the Illusion’s effects. If they fail, they they can find no evidence of the Harlequin’s presence upon perceive nothing at all. The Herald never moved. The victim closer inspection. It is swallowed up by the endless depths was never attacked—he merely began bleeding for no discern- of Time,restoring order as though the Exalt had never been able reason. Resisting this unnatural mental influence cost a there. This Charm supplements any action to remove evidence number of willpower equal to the number of additional suc- of one’s actions, such as getting away with a crime, escaping cesses those affected would have required to detect the attack, through the wilderness, or simply erasing a name from an to a maximum of five. However, if the Nocturnal’s bloody inn’s guest book. The attempt automatically succeeds and all blade or drawn bow is the only visible readied weapon, resist- subsequent attempts to uncover the information automatiing this Illusion costs only one willpower. This Illusion usually cally fail. All relevant information is wiped from the Loom lasts for one scene, but if the Exalt has Essence 5+ it affects its of Fate, and Creation provides not a single shred of proof of victims indefinitely. the Nocturnal’s existence. During Calibration, this Charm’s Merged: History-Defying Assault (Dexterity, prerequi- benefits may be extended to up to (Essence) other individuals; sites: Blade Cuts the Past, Any Other Dexterity Charm) otherwise the Nocturnal must spend an additional 1 mote per individual. Evidence outside the Empyrean’s anima is not All Your Tears Shall Wash Away eliminated. Cost: 5m+, (5wp); Mins: Wits 5, Essence 4; If Nox is free from the Loom, this Charm no longer Type: Supplemental allows the attempt to automatically succeed except during Keywords: Calibration, Combo-OK, Flux, Stackable Calibration. At any other point in the year, the Nocturnal Duration: Indefinite adds half her Permanent Willpower, rounding up, to the Prerequisite Charms: Thither Moves and Slays attempt. A second purchase at Essence 5+ grants her full Per-
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manent Willpower as automatic successes during the day and (Nocturnal’s Essence [x2, during Calibration] – enemy’s Esallows the Charm to automatically succeed at night as well as sence, minimum one) miles, determined by the Storyteller. Calibration. The inferior arrives prepared for the encounter with the Nocturnal as appropriate for the character’s backgrounds. If, This Day’s Madness for example, the Nocturnal employed this Charm successfully Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Wits 5, Essence 3; against a Deathlord (who, for its own inscrutable reasons deType: Reflexive clined to resist its effects—perhaps the Deathlord has more Keywords: Combo-OK, Flux, Merged important business elsewhere), and the attacker is replaced Duration: Until sunrise with a Abyssal with the Abyssal Command background, the Prerequisite Charms: All Your Peity and Wit deathknight may arrive, if he chooses, with a contingent of No matter her crimes in the name of a greater cause, war ghosts. the Harlequin is never without excuse to mask her blame. As an Illusion effect, anyone with a Mental Dodge DV When the Exalt activates this Charm she names an action less than the Nocturnal’s Willpower (plus Essence, during she committed which she does not wish others to discover, Calibration) recalls the scene as though the inferior had be it a social faux pas, a heinous crime, or an anonymous always been present and the original enemy had been absent. act of charity. Until the next sunrise, evidence is generated to This includes the enemy and his inferior. This Illusion effect demonstrate that the Exalt could not have possibly done the may be resisted at the cost of 4 willpower. act, as she was clearly doing something else at the time. This If the enemy is transported away, the attack ends immeCharm alters physical evidence and memories according to diately. As a Counterattack this Charm imposes a DV penalty the needs of the Exalt as a Shaping effect, but only as much as equal to the enemy’s Essence. needed to create the alibi. For example, she might escape the allegations of theft by claiming to have spent the night with reachery harms innkeeper’s daughter. While the daughter will recall their night together (assuming she does not possess the ability to Smiling Traitor Opportunity resist Shaping effects), her sexuality is not altered to suit the Cost: 6m; Mins: Wits 3, Essence 2; Exalt’s needs, which might raise more problems for the Exalt Type: Supplemental than it solves. A second purchase of this Charm at Essence Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion 4+ extends its Duration to One Week; a third purchase at Duration: Instant Essence 5+ reduces the cost to 5m, 1wp and extends the Dura- Prerequisite Charms: None What drives a hero to betray his friends? What causes tion to Indefinite. Merged: Midnight Taboo Alibi (Manipulation, prereq- him to join the ranks of his enemies? Some might say cowardice; others that the Exalt is no hero at all. The Herald, uisite: Relativistic Truth Discovery). however, recognizes that some loyalties must be sacrificed to Tomorrow’s Triumph or Despair achieve a greater goal and to set a foe up for a greater fall. This Cost: 15m, 1wp; Mins: Wits 5, Essence 5; Charm supplements any action the Exalt takes in the presType: Reflexive (Step 2) ence of an enemy and which causes him to betray his allies. Keywords: Calibration-OK, Combo-Basic, Counterattack, His previous loyalties must be known to those involved, but Flux, Illusion, Obvious the action may take nearly any form. He might divulge the loDuration: Instant cation of his Solar ally to the Wyld Hunt, publicly denounce Prerequisite Charms: This Day’s Madness his political allies within earshot of a rival faction, attack his There is a time for heroism and a time for prudent general in sight of the opposing army, or any similar action. consideration of one’s circumstances. In the case of the latter, In addition to whatever roll might be necessary for the the Herald discerns when a foe is too powerful to confront action, the Exalt may make a reflexive (Manipulation or Wits)directly. The Nocturnal may employ this Charm in response based social attack against all enemies who witness the action, to an attack from an enemy. For the purposes of this Charm adding his Wits in automatic successes. If successful, the opan enemy is another sentient being who is actively and inten- ponent gains a positive Intimacy toward the Exalt, recognizing tionally causing harm to the Nocturnal and toward whom the him as a useful ally. As such, those affected by this Charm Nocturnal does not possess a positive Intimacy. The Noctur- suffer a -3 internal penalty on any action which continues to nal’s player rolls Willpower, adding her Essence in automatic treat the Exalt as an enemy or a -1internal penalty on actions successes during Calibration, with a difficulty of the enemy’s which fail to regard him at least on friendly terms until the Essence. If successful, the enemy is dismissed from his cur- end of the scene. This unnatural emotion costs two willpower rent location as a Shaping effect and another being whom to resist, but may be resisted freely if the Exalt takes any action that enemy regards as his inferior yet is also bound to the which would inflict harm on those affected. enemy by Ally, Henchmen, Patron, Liege, Backing, or similar backgrounds is teleported into the situation in his stead, so Loyal Mercenary Infiltration Cost: —; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; long as that inferior is within the same realm of existence. The enemy’s player may select the appropriate inferior Type: Permanent or resist this effect with appropriate defenses. If the inferior Keywords: None can defend against shaping effects and does so, the enemy’s Duration: Permanent player may continue to reselect inferiors until one is found Prerequisite Charms: Smiling Traitor Opportunity Having won the favor of his enemies, the Herald has that either does not or cannot resist. Demons descended from prepared the way for fatal blow. This Charm allows the Exalt the enemy may never resist the enemy’s call, such an enemy may choose to banish himself back to Malfeas to call an un- to commit the cost of its prerequisite, making its duration derling from there. If all resist, this Charm has no effect. The Indefinite. Resisting the unnatural mental influence now enemy is transported to some place distant and safe, within costs willpower equal to the Exalt’s Wits, to a maximum of five. Additionally, the Exalts first attack against any being who possesses a positive Intimacy toward him due to Smiling Trai-
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tor Opportunity is automatically considered unexpected but this Charm protects the Exalt from any harm that might result causes the immediate termination of that Intimacy as well. from a being native to the same realm of existence, so long as that action is not enhanced with magic. Additionally, against Devil Reigning Hypothesis such attacks, the Exalt adds his Wits to the appropriate DV. Cost: 10m; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; A second purchase of this Charm at Essence 4+ allows Type: Simple the Exalt to spend an additional willpower to extend this benKeywords: Combo-Basic, Kalpa, Shaping, efit to (Essence) allies. A third purchase at Essence 5+ allows Duration: Indefinite the Exalt to provide this defense to an entire complimentary Prerequisite Charms: Smiling Traitor Opportunity unit with a magnitude no greater than his Essence for a total During the Great War, the Incarnae suspected Nox of eight motes and a willpower. would turn traitor and side with the Primordial host and they acted accordingly to prevent that risk. The Chosen of Possibili- Inquisitor’s Vain Questions ties, however, remain free to choose their alliances and betray Cost: 4m; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 2; them as they please, precisely as the Maidens feared. Some Type: Reflexive use this Charm to spy on the enemies of Creation; others to Keywords: Combo-OK better conspire with dark allies. In either case, this Charm Duration: Instant warps the Exalt’s own internal essence pattern, aligning him- Prerequisite Charms: Smiling Traitor Opportunity self to an alternate reality where he serves other masters. This Once entrenched in his new position, the Herald is Charm may be purchased multiple times, with each purchase adept at maintaining the ruse. If questioned concerning his providing one of the following effects. In all three cases, the loyalties, this Charm may be used to either impose an external Exalt is considered fully Outside of Fate while in his new “na- penalty on a social attack to force him to reveal the truth of tive” Realm. He reintegrates with Fate (remaining obscured if a particular subject, or to impose an external penalty on anNox is in the Loom) while visiting Creation unless he achieves other being’s MDV when the Herald lies concerning his true Essence 6+. loyalties. In either case, the penalty is equal to his Wits. The Exalt is considered a native of Malfeas and a Creature of Darkness. If scrutinized by spirits, he will appear as an Friendship of Heretics akuma, though one of uncertain patronage, and all demons Cost: 1m; Mins: Wits 3, Essence 2; of lower Essence ratings will defer to him as though he were Type: Reflexive in their superior in accordance to the law of Cecelyne. He Keywords: Combo-OK, Stackable must pay double motes to commit to adamant artifacts, but Duration: Indefinite all vitriol-tainted artifacts may be attuned for their base cost. Prerequisite Charms: Smiling Traitor Opportunity Though he lives among them, shares their meals, feigns The Exalt is considered a native of the Underworld and a crea- ture of Death as well as Darkness. He may only respire motes love and passion, the Herald never truly forms any attachment in the Underworld or in shadowlands. He must pay double to those he prepares to betray. Upon activating this Charm, the motes to commit to adamant artifacts, but all soulsteel the Exalt names a being, object, ideal, etc., toward which he does not currently possess an Intimacy. So long as the mote artifacts may be attuned for their base cost. The Exalt is considered a native and creature of the remains committed, the Exalt is incapable of obtaining any Wyld. He may perform Fluctuations in the Wyld, but they are Intimacy directed at the designated target. no more substantial than the fantasies of the Raksha. For the purposes of resisting Wyld mutations and addiction, he treats Unlike other heroes, the Nocturnal Exalt need not regret any area of the Wyld as one step closer to Creation than they that they have only one life to give in the service of Creation. would otherwise be. Kalpa: In some Manvantara, Nox and the Nocturnals Indeed, to live only a single life would be far too limiting for truly did side with the foes of Creation. In some of those re- the Chosen of Possibilities. Through the esoteric Charms of alities, one of the previous options becomes the base state of the Alter-Ego, the Harlequins can become more than single the Nocturnals. An altered Nocturnal may learn a Creation- person and begin their own unique path toward the grand oriented version of this Charm which allows him to be con- transhumant experiment all Exalted pursue. Obtaining this level of enlightenment requires extensive sidered a native of Creation within Fate (though he may still be obscured from Fate, if Nox is in the Loom) and attune to study and a wide pool of natural talent. The core of this path adamant normally. If he were considered a creature of Death, is detailed here, containing one Charm for each of the nine that classification is suspended for the duration of this Charm Attributes. Additional Charms may be created by individual and he may respire motes as normal. If he were a Creature Nocturnals, but only after he has mastered all nine of these of Darkness, that condition still applies if an appropriately Charms. These Charms are unique to the Nocturnal Exalted and holy authority exists to enforce that designation. Additional variants of this Charm for more exotic realms may also exist under no circumstances can they be acquired by any other being. Even Black Mirror Shintai treats the Nocturnal and with Storyteller approval. his alter-ego as two separate entities and does not acquire this Iron and Salt Excommunication overlapping Charm set if the Infernal copies either of the pair. Cost: 5m (+1wp or +3m, 1wp); Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; Alliance of the Alter-Ego Type: Simple Cost: —; Mins: Appearance 1, Essence 2; Keywords: Flux, Obvious Type: Permanent Duration: One Scene Keywords: Native, Nox, Training Prerequisite Charms: Devil Reigning Hypothesis The Herald is at peace with those to whom he appears Duration: Permanent loyal. Should his allies seek to harm him, he simply revokes Prerequisite Charms: None their status in the chain of cause and effect. When activated
ALTER-EGO
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Nox presents the gift of Exaltation to liberate his Chosen from the rigid dictates of their prior destinies. The Heralds are empowered to explore alternate realities and turn counterfactuals into fact. With this Charm, the Exalt turns this power upon himself, shattering his Fate into fragments and forging a fresh start from its remains. Upon learning this Charm, the Exalt’s player creates a secondary character, known as the alter-ego, following standard character creation rules for a Nocturnal Exalted. The alter-ego gains additional experience equal to half the Exalt’s current total, to be spent however the player chooses. Since the caste of the Nocturnal Exaltation is determined by the personality of its bearer, the alter-ego’s caste may be different from the Exalt’s. For the rest of the game, the alter-ego gains experience at half the rate of the original, and the player may transfer up to a quarter, rounding down, of the experience earned by the Exalt each session to the alter-ego. The alter-ego possesses its own Traits, except Willpower and Essence, which must be equal to the Exalt’s. Likewise, the alter-ego’s (highest Virtue + lowest Virtue) must equal that of Exalt. Should any of these Traits be changed by either the Exalt or the alter-ego, the Trait is altered as a Training effect for the other as well. The two share Temporary Willpower and both personal and peripheral Essence pools, except for Temporary Willpower or motes gained by Charms and other effects unique to either the Exalt or his alter-ego. The alter-ego begins with a positive Intimacy corresponding to the Nocturnal’s Motivation, and its own Motivation cannot conflict with that. The alter-ego may purchase its own Charms, as any Nocturnal could—though it automatically gains the benefits of all charms ultimately derived from Alliance of the Alter-Ego as though it also knew them. It may never learn Alliance of the Alter-Ego itself. While the alter-ego is active, it generates a phantom strand of Fate, wholly separate from the Exalt’s and it ignores any lingering effects placed upon the Exalt which do not directly work upon the Exaltation itself. The flickering stand of Fate attracts the attention of the Pattern Spiders in a way that not even Nox may hide. Both the Exalt and the alter-ego permanently gain one Paradox that cannot be removed while the Exalt knows this Charm. Upon first learning this Charm, the Exalt is unaware of the alter-ego. The two cross paths only through the consequences of their actions. Whenever the Exalt fails a Conviction roll to recover Willpower while sleeping, the alter-ego awakens in his place, subtly, but thoroughly, changing shape into a new person. During such transformations, Ownership of all the Exalt’s items pass to the alter-ego. The Exalt’s player may choose to play the alter-ego at this time, or turn control over to the Storyteller, but in either case it is important to remember that the alter-ego is explicitly a new character with its own desires and objectives and should be played as such. At this point in mastery of these techniques, the alter-ego exists solely to explore possibilities and take actions that the Exalt couldn’t have done himself, not to further the Exalt’s own agenda. This is not to say that the alter-ego’s objectives cannot have significant overlap with the Exalt’s—just that they must have distinct motives. The Exalt returns once the alter-ego falls asleep, but not if the alter-ego is rendered unconscious by other means. The alter-ego possesses his own health levels and if he dies by any means, the Exalt immediately manifests wherever she last fell asleep, jolted suddenly awake as if experience the death in a dream. He loses this Charm and fills up to his last -2 health level with bashing damage. If he relearns this Charm later, his player must create a new alter-ego rather than reviving the previous one.
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Only Heralds with the necessary Whispers background may intentionally learn this Charm as a Nox effect. In all other cases, and occasionally even among those who could learn this Charm intentionally, Charm imposes itself on the unwitting Exalt’s sleep as a Training effect (with the player’s approval, of course). This occurs infrequently and only to those who appear particularly dissatisfied or frustrated by their current position.
Imaginary Friend Dialogue
Cost: —; Mins: Perception 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Illusion Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Alliance of the Alter-Ego As the Exalt develops this Charm, he catches glimpses of his alter-ego. Sometimes the alter-ego flashes into existence too quickly to be noticed; sometimes it passes through a crowd, sometimes it can be seen in a mirror out of the corner of the Exalt’s eye, and so on. Once the Exalt has mastered this Charm, he is fully aware of his alter-ego as another being. Even if informed by another source he still has not yet grasped the concept that the alter-ego is an extension of himself. Though the Nocturnal can see and speak with his alter-ego, it exists only in his mind. Others will hear their conversations only if they are capable of skimming the surface thoughts whichever of the two beings is currently dominant, or if the dominant personality becomes emotional during interaction with his counterpart—in which case he may accidentally vocalize some portion of their conversation. The dominant personality always perceives the other within (Essence x 5) yards or closer, unless that being is currently asleep. The switch between the two now occurs whenever one fails a Conviction roll, most often manifesting from the perspective of the Exalt and his alter-ego as one stepping forward to take the reins of the current scene while the other steps back and becomes quiescent. From the point of view of other beings, the switch between personalities is difficult to detect, as the Charm exerts an automatically successful unnatural mental influence to rationalize the disappearance of the previous persona and the sudden appearance of the alternate. Resisting this Illusion costs five willpower. Additionally, once this Charm has been learned, the Exalt and his alter-ego may be influenced by each other’s social attacks, but only the dominant personality is subject to social attacks originating from other sources.
Uncanny Recognition Stance
Cost: — (1wp); Mins: Charisma 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Compulsion, Social, War Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Imaginary Friend Dialogue The presence of an alter-ego subtly shifts the Exalt’s own personality in response. Others, particularly, those who have interacted with the alter-ego, may recognize these changes. Likewise, the alter-ego never fully deviates from the Herald and a bit of the Exalt lingers even while the alter-ego dominates. With this Charm, the dominant personality may spend a Temporary Willpower to gain the benefits of any social background the other personality possesses, such as Backing, Influence, Resources, etc., for the remainder of the scene. This Charm takes the form of an unnatural Compulsion to recognize the legitimacy of the personality’ social connections, rated at one less than that of the other personality. Other beings may spend two willpower to ignore this compulsion.
Should the personalities switch in the midst of mass combat, whether military or social, this allows the new dominant personality to maintain control of the unit, despite other requirements, though at an effective -1 Magnitude.
What’s Yours Is Mine Alteration
Cost: — (3m, 1wp); Mins: Manipulation 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Uncanny Recognition Stance Until learning this Charm, the submissive personality has had to remain silent while the dominant personality interacts with the world. Although the submissive personality had found nothing odd about his silence, he now has the opportunity to speak. The dominant personality allows the other to come, momentarily, to the forefront of their shared mind. Though the physical form doesn’t change, for the next (Essence) actions, everything else does. From the point of view of the Exalt and his alter-ego, the other person merely injects. From the perspective of everyone else, character’s personality shifts, often dramatically, and the person they had been interacting with suddenly manifests a new selection of Traits. While this remains in effect, the submissive personality takes over, using all of his Traits, until the dominant personality assumes control again.
Helping Hand Assistance
Cost: — (1wp); Mins: Strength 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Obvious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Imaginary Friend Dialogue The Exalt and his alter-ego are rarely alone. Together, they may perform actions that no one could perform alone. Supported by the other personality, the dominant personality has the power to overcome any obstacle. By spending a willpower, the dominant personality may interact with the other as if he were physically present for (Essence) actions. For example, if the dominant personality is about to fall off a cliff, the other personality could pull him to safety. Anyone capable of seeing dematerialized spirits can see the hazy figure of the other personality while the effects of this Charm are employed. This is as close to physically coexisting as the two personalities will ever achieve. Others would just see the dominant personality hanging precariously from a cliff as if supported by an invisible hand. Whenever this Charm is used, the dominant personality receives one point of Paradox.
Two Are Better Than One
Cost: — (5m, 1wp); Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Helping Hand Assistance The Exalt and his alter-ego soon develop a close bond and learn how to best work together. Anything one of the personalities does is readily supported by the other. As an innate power, the dominant personality may spend five motes and one willpower to gain the benefits of this Charm. First, for (Essence) actions, if he gains any successes on an action, he automatically gains an additional success as though he were being supported by another character. Additionally, once per Action, he may duplicate any action he took, using the other personality’s Traits and Charms on the second attempt. Upon activating this power, the dominant personality gains two Paradox.
Me, Myself, and My Friends
With Two Are Better Than One, Improbable Response, and her own allies, a Nocturnal has the the potential to sent up multiple layers of Defend Other actions for herself. Hypothetically, if a Nocturnal would set up multiple layers of Defend Other in this fashion, her attacker need not break through each separately. Only the source which provides the greatest benefit applies its full DV to the attack. Each additional source provides an additional +1DV to the primary defender. If the Exalt also knows What’s Mine is Yours Sacrifice (below), a second purchase of this Charm at Essence 5+ allows the dominant personality the benefits of a Defend Other action, using the other personality’s DV to protect himself. Whenever an attacker overcomes the other personality’s DV, the attacker cannot chose to attack the other personality. Instead the attack passes to the dominant personality, who must defend accordingly and who gains one Paradox in the process.
One Mind Monologue
Cost: —; Mins: Wits 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Imaginary Friend Dialogue Though appearing separate even to themselves, the Exalt and his alter-ego share one mind. They can have no secrets from one another. No matter how far apart they appear to be, their distance is only an illusion created by the Nocturnal’s mind. Information travels between them as quickly as the mind commands the body. This Charm permits the dominant personality to gain information learned by the other personality, so long as an appropriate trigger exists for the personality to think of the required information. For example, if the Exalt reads a bulletin about the magistrate’s upcoming birthday, he suddenly recalls overhearing a conspiracy to assassinate the magistrate, despite the fact that the alter-ego, not the Exalt, actually overheard the conversation.
Schismatic Unity Awareness
Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent Keywords: Flux, Obvious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Uncanny Recognition Stance, Helping Hand Assistance, One Mind Monologue In time, the Exalt accepts the reality of his unique situation—or, more precisely, their unique situation. He recognizes the alter-ego as an extension of himself, and himself as an extension of the alter-ego. It hardly matters now which was the original and which the alternative. The Exalt’s player now has full control over the both characters if she did not already. The Exalt may transition fluidly between both personalities as his Fluctuation. Both remain separate entities, though allied to a common mind. Nocturnals who have achieved this level of enlightenment draw parallels to the gestalt souls of the Primordials in order to explain their condition. Additionally, the dominant personality draws on the potential of his alternate self. He permanently receives a full Independent Action in addition to his own, following the normal rules of Independent Actions (Scroll of the Monk, p. 121-122), by gaining one Paradox per Action. During such Independent Actions, he may use any Charm the other personality possesses, but doing so requires that he spend additional motes
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equal to the minimum Essence required for the Charm. The alter-ego’s strand of the Fate solidifies, intertwined with the Nocturnal’s. Not even Nox’s influence can mask their presence in the Loom of Fate from the frustrated Pattern Spiders. They both gain an additional Paradox which cannot be lost while both personalities remain.
well, including Orgiastic Fugitive Style, Swaying Grass Style, and Mystifying Legerdemain Style. However, like the Lunar Exalted, they are incapable of learning Sidereal Martial Arts under any circumstances.
What’s Mine Is Yours Sacrifice
from the face of Creation, their native martial arts style is still practiced. Known as the Flawless Jewel Style in Creation and Autochthonia, Nocturnal Hero Style condenses the precision and expert timing of the Heralds and the Harlequins. The movements of the Flawless Jewel are sharp and sudden. It is a minimalist style that derives increasing complexity from building upon and combining relatively simple katas. Nocturnal Exalted may learn this style as natural Charms, and may create and learn new Charms to expand upon the basic principles of the core style presented here (see p. 98). Others who can learn Celestial Martial Arts may learn this style as well, substituting the Dexterity requirement for an equivalent Martial Arts requirement. As an exception to this general rule, the Lunar Exalted may learn this style using only their natural Dexterity and the Nocturnals may learn Lunar Hero Style in the same fashion. However, neither may learn the expansion Charms of the other, except in situation mimicking the Eclipse anima power. Weapons and Armor: Nocturnal Hero Style requires unhindered movement, and may only be practiced in armor with a Mobility Penalty of -0. As form weapons it employs the cestus, the iron boot, knives, and their artifact equivalents. Complimentary Abilities: The precision necessary to practice this style demands expert hand-eye coordination. Beings who do not learn this style with a Dexterity requirement also require at least Awareness 2 in addition the Martial Arts minimum.
Cost: — (1wp); Mins: Stamina 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Obvious Duration: Duration Prerequisite Charms: Imaginary Friend Dialogue Though each has its own Fate, the Exalt and his alter-ego share one body, transformed though it may be. This Charm allows the dominant personality to pass physical harm onto the other personality by spending a willpower during Step 10 of combat resolution. Depending on how the two personalities feel about one another this may be perceived as the other jumping into the way of the attack, the dominant personality dodging so that the attack strikes the alternate behind him, apathetic happenstance causing harm to a bystander the dominant personality barely knew, and so on. From the perspective of others, the dominant personality absorbs the damage as though there were none. If the submissive personality possesses Charms that could perfectly defend against such attacks, mitigate levels of damage, or stop other harmful effects such as poisons or diseases, he may use them; otherwise he accepts whatever effects the dominant personality would have suffered in Step 10. Though alter-egos may use this Charm they do so sparingly and only when they know the Exalt is unlikely to die. The alter-ego intrinsically knows that if the Exalt dies, so will he. Additionally, during a Renewal, the player may elect to transfer primary agency to the alter-ego, destroying the original character completely. The alter-ego assumes the role of the Exalt with Alliance of the Alter-Ego and all subsequent known Charms passing to him, immediately gains the difference between his experience and that of the original, and generates a new alter-ego.
Swallowing the Lotus Root, Redux
The Nocturnal Exalted may also learn the Charm Swallowing the Lotus Root, as per the description of the Charm in Scroll of Errata. Among the Nocturnals, it is called Faceted-Lotus Enlightenment. This Charm requires Martial Arts 5, Essence 2 and permanently reduces the cost of Terrestrial Martial Arts Charms to 5xp (4xp if Martial Arts if favored). It has no prerequisite Charms.
SUPERNATURAL MARTIAL ARTS The Nocturnal Exalted does not possess any Martial
Arts Style unknown to rest of Creation. Their Hero Style has lingered in the memories of the Sidereal cousins, and they have not invested time into the creation of new styles since their return. They are Celestial Exalted, and thus may learn any Celestial Martial Arts, provided they have a sifu willing to instruct them in the techniques. There are several Terrestrial Martial Arts Styles that appeal to the Harlequins as
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N octurnal Hero Style Though the Nocturnal Exalted have long been banished
Crystallize Kata Insights
Cost: 4m; Mins: Dexterity 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1 or Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Enhanced Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: None Sizing up his foe, the Nocturnal’s movements become finely tuned to defeat any maneuver. When activating this Charm, the Exalt selects an opponent he can perceive. Against that foe’s attacks he adds +1 to his unarmed Parry DV and, when his DV refreshes, he gains three dice as though he had taken an Aim action against that foe. She may use these immediately or hold them in reserve as she sees fit, but any remaining dice are lost when her DV refreshes and replaced with new dice. She may not exceed 3 Aim dice unless permitted by some other effect. Enhancement: The Nocturnal may reflexively reassign the target of this Charm once when her DV refreshes but before she gains Aim dice.
Diamond Fist Atemi
Cost: 2m; Mins: Dexterity 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1) Keywords: Combo-OK, Enhanced Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Crystallize Kata Insights As the jeweler refines the stone into a lavish gem, the strikes of a Nocturnal chip away at her foe’s exterior to reveal what hides beneath. An unarmed attack supplemented by this Charm is considered Piercing and may allow the Exalt to perform a coup de grace (Exalted, p. 152) as though they were bladed weapons without incurring a -1 External Penalty.
Hero Styles Redux
Among some players, a popular alternative to learning native Martial Arts Charms in lengthy trees is to allow Exalts of the appropriate type to learn them in short clusters. With Storyteller approval the following Charms possess different prerequisite Charms as an Enhanced effect. If Storyteller’s allow for this option, they should be sure to permit similar Hero Style restructuring for all Exalts. Even if the Exalt possesses Fivefold Faceted Strike through these altered prerequisites, she is still required to learn all nine Charms of Nocturnal Hero Style before she is considered to have mastered it as a Celestial Martial Arts style. Jeweler’s Expert Defense: Prerequisite Charms: Crystallized Kata Insights Diamond Cuts Topaz: Prerequisite Charms: Diamond Fist Atemi Chisel Removes Flaws: Prerequisite Charms: Crystallized Kata Insights Tumbling Gemstone Counter: Prerequisite Charms: Jeweler’s Expert Defense Fivefold Faceted Strike: Prerequisite Charms: Diamond Cuts Topaz Enhancement: The Nocturnal increases the duration of this Charm to One Action and allows her to parry lethal damage barehanded for its duration. This Charm may also be activated defensively in Step 2.
Falling Hammer Mastery
Cost: 1m; Mins: Dexterity 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Enhanced Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Crystallize Kata Insights As surely as night falls at the end of the day, the Herald’s foe will be laid out before her. This Charm supplements an unarmed Sweeping Attack (Exalted, p. 153) and removes the associated -2 Accuracy penalty. The difficulty to resist knockdown is increased the difficulty to resists knockdown by the Exalt’s Essence. Enhancement: This Charm is a Permanent upgrade of the Exalt’s capabilities becoming Cost: —, Type: Permanent, Keywords: Enhanced; Duration: Permanent.
Nocturnal Hero Form
Cost: 6m; Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic, Enhanced, Form-Type, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Diamond Fist Atemi, Falling Hammer Mastery The Nocturnal’s every kata is expertly guided to maximize its lethal potential. Her staccato movements occur so swiftly she appears to run and strike in a series of distinct poses rather with natural fluidity. Her unnatural movements increase the speed her own actions and prevents others from properly gauging where she will be next. This reduces the speed of her unarmed attacks by one, to a minimum of 3, and imposes a -1 External Penalty on all incoming attacks against her and on the Parry DVs of those she attacks. Additionally, when she activates this Charm and whenever her DV refreshes, she gains one Aim die against all opponents, following the same rules as Crystallize Kata Insights. Dynamic Form Transition: The martial artist may reflexively assume Nocturnal Hero Form whenever he successfully strikes a target with an unarmed attack which benefited from at least three Aim dice. This is in addition to standard Dynamic Form Transitions common to all styles. Enhancement: This Charm gains the Calibration-OK keyword, which adds an additional Dynamic Form Transition opportunity. The Harlequin may reflexively assume Nocturnal Hero Style whenever he successfully parries an attack unarmed during Calibration.
Jeweler’s Expert Defense
Cost: 4m; Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Nocturnal Hero Form The Exalt’s fine aim may be translated into a skillful defense. Knowing the precise movements of a select opponent, she positions her own body precisely to shield herself from the attack. This Charm grants +(2 + Aim dice accumulated against the attacker) to her unarmed Parry DV as though it were a bonus from a shield. If this defense is insufficient to block the attack, she loses one Aim die accumulated against her attacker. Enhancement: While this Charm is active and provides a bonus of 3+ to her DV, she may declare a perfect parry in Step 2 of combat resolution, completely negating the attack. Doing so deactivates this Charm and causes her to lose all accumulated Aim dice as a unique Flaw of Invulnerability. Used in this fashion, Jeweler’s Expert Defense cannot be activated again during this scene.
Diamond Cuts Topaz
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3, DV -0) Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling, Enhanced Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Nocturnal Hero Form Faster than the eye can blink, the Nocturnal strikes at her target’s vital organs. Her fists cut like knives and her kicks crack bone like hammers. Her foe is left broken and disfigured by the critical blow. This Charm is an unarmed attack which inflicts Lethal damage. Additionally, the Exalt effectively reduce one of her target’s Attributes by one, to a minimum of one, as a Crippling effect if she inflicts any damage. While this does not remove access to Charm’s her target might otherwise qualify for via that Attribute, it does lower the Attribute for all other purposes. She must declare which Attribute she wishes to damage in Step 1 and strike accordingly. For example, while fighting another Nocturnal Hero Stylist with this Charm, she might attempt to crippler her opponent’s Dexterity by striking pressure points and numbing the opponent’s body. The opponent’s Dexterity effectively drops to 3, limiting the number of dice he can add to his martial arts attacks without spending willpower, but does not prevent him attempting to us this Charm on her as well. Enhancement: If this attack is supplemented by Diamond Fist Atemi, it ignores armor completely rather than becoming Piercing.
Chisel Removes Flaws
Cost: 5m; Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 10)
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Keywords: Combo-OK, Enhanced Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Nocturnal Hero Form The Nocturnal is a flawless gem. With each strike her foes land against her, her skills only improves. The Exalt may activate this Charm whenever damage is inflicted on her by another being. When she attacks another being that has inflicted damage on her this scene, she ignores Wound Penalties and adds the penalty she would have received as Aim dice on the first attack she makes against the character each Action. Enhancement: The Nocturnal applies these Aim dice to all attacks made against any being who has inflicted damage on her this scene.
opposes the teaching of unapproved styles in the Realm and beyond, the monks tend turn a blind eye to this style, seeing it little more than cheap parlor tricks meant to amuse the crowd rather than a rival path to enlightenment or a serious threat in battle. The techniques of Mystifying Legerdemain Style are a closely guarded trade secret. Only those within the profession, or those deeply familiar with esoteric martial arts, will even recognize these techniques as a coherent martial art style. Though an Air-aspected Style, it is rarely practiced by the Dragon-blooded, except for an odd Outcaste who has picked it up running cons in back alleys or to amaze his audience. Weapons and Armor: The weapons of the magician are his wide assortment of props, with which he may make Tumbling Gemstone Counter unarmed attacks. These are most often treated as improvised Cost: 5m; Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 3; weapons, but some of the most common props may use the Type: Reflexive (Step 9) traits of Sticks, Batons, Chakrams, or Windfire Wheels. ArtiKeywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack, Enhanced fact equivalents are also permitted. Duration: One Scene Complimentary Abilities: The magician must be able Prerequisite Charms: Jeweler’s Expert Defense, Diamond to feign mystical knowledge while performing his sleight of Cuts Topaz, Chisel Removes Flaw hand. This Style requires Occult 1 and Larceny 2, in addition The Nocturnal never troubles herself between choosing to martial arts training. to fight or choosing to flee. With this Charm she strikes a perfect balance. After defending herself with a dodge or an Magician’s Charming Feint unarmed parry, the Harlequin recoils away from her attacker Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1; and slashes or kicks as final departing gesture. She may make Type: Reflexive (Step 1) a single unarmed attack her attacker, while simultaneously Keywords: Combo-OK moving (Dexterity + Martial Arts) yards in any direction. This Duration: Instant may break a flurry if her attacker is unable to keep pace. Prerequisite Charms: None Enhancement: The Nocturnal’s movement becomes With a smile and a flourish, the magician knows how increasingly attuned to her foe’s attacks. Until the end of the to distract her audience. How much easier, in the midst of Tick, she gains a cumulative -1m discount for each previous battle, to distract her foe. The martial artist performs a feat time she activated this Charm in response to the same op- intended to catch the eye of her opponent with one hand, ponent. With Essence 4+, all participants in a Coordinated at- while making an unarmed attack with the other. This adds tack against her count as the same opponent for the purposes two dice to such an attempt at a surprise attack. Alternatively, of this Charm. the martial artist may activate this Charm to distract from another being’s attack, granting that being the two dice bonus Fivefold Faceted Strike instead. Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Dexterity 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 4, DV -1) Empty Palm Deception Keywords: Combo-OK, Enhanced, Obvious Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1; Duration: Instant Type: Simple Prerequisite Charms: Tumbling Gemstone Counter Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion, Touch The jeweler does not create his masterpiece with a single Duration: (Martial Arts) Actions stroke of his hammer and chisel. It is a delicate procedure Prerequisite Charms: Magician’s Charming Feint requiring concentration, calculated precision, and time. The magician’s empty hand hides many things. Her For the Exalt, two of the three will suffice. This Charm is audience marvels as she makes items disappear and reappear an unarmed attack against an opponent against whom she before their very eyes. Her enemies will be somewhat less has accumulated at least one die from an Aim Action. She amused by her tricks. Holding a form weapon no larger than appears to split into a fractured image surrounding her foe, her forearm in at least one dimension, the martial artist actieach version of herself tinted with a slightly different color vates this Charm and causes the item to disappear. Anyone as though she were light refracted by a prism and each posed whose Dodge Mental Defense Value is less than the magician’s for a unique strike. To this attack she adds a number of au- (Martial Arts + Essence) sees the object disappear, though it is tomatic successes equal to the combined Rate of her readied still held by the magician. Anyone under the influence of this weapons. For the purposes of this Charm, her Punch and Illusion suffers a -1 external penalty to his attempt to discern Kick attacks are always considered readied, even if she holds the magician’s surprise attack while the weapon is hidden. At another weapon. If the attack is successful, the Exalt multiples the very instant of the attack, the weapon is finally revealed, the levels of damage inflicted in Step 10 by (1 + Aim dice ending the Charm. enhancing the attack). Enhancement: Upon activating this Charm, the Exalt Shattered Expectations may sacrifice any number of Aim dice, to a minimum of one, Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1; to reduce the cost of this Charm by two motes for every die Type: Reflexive (Step 10) Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion, Obvious forfeited. Duration: (Martial Arts) Actions ystifying egerdemain tyle Prerequisite Charms: Magician’s Charming Feint This style is popular among the entertainers of the more When parchment is burned, it must surely turn to ash. civilized areas of the Threshold. While the Immaculate Order When the mirror is struck, it must surely shatter. Not so when
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the magician performs such a feat! To play with her audience’s expectations and defy them is the magician’s greatest art. When she damages an object, the martial artist may activate this Charm and choose which Illusion will enhance the act. She may either obscure the damage, making the object appear whole; or she may negate all the damage she just inflicted while maintaining the expected appearance of destruction. In either case, the Illusion affects all observers with Dodge MDVs less than the magician’s (Martial Arts + Essence).
Mystifying Legerdemain Form
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-Type, Illusion, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Empty Palm Deception, Shattered Expectations Adopting this form, the magician takes a single step forward and bows impressively. When the magician wishes, she may obscure her movement with an Illusion, affecting those with Dodge MDVs less than her (Martial Arts + Essence). To those affected, the magician moves in an Obvious puff of colored smoke—preventing affected beings from detecting any other Obvious effect influencing her movement or targeting her with a Blockade Movement action. Additionally, the magician may now treat playing cards as shurikens. Finally, the magician’s unarmed Parry Defense Value is increased by one for the each dot of Magnitude that would be possessed by a unit comprised solely of beings currently under the influences of at least one of her Illusions.
Unwilling Volunteer Levitation
Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Knockdown, Obvious Duration: (Martial Arts) Actions Prerequisite Charms: Mystifying Legerdemain Form A favored trick of the magician is to cause an assistant or a volunteer from the audience to appear to levitate. With this Charm, the martial artist may perform a similar trick, even with unwilling participants. This Charm enhances an unarmed attack. The victim must always check for Knockdown if the attack is successful, with an increased difficulty for each in-Style Illusion the target currently suffers. If the target fails the roll, he falls back but never strikes the ground. Instead he is suspended in mid-air, one yard off the ground. Each subsequent action until he rises from prone, the martial artist
may cause the target to rise up to (Martial Arts) additional yards. If the target rises from prone before the Charm ends, he arrives safely on the ground. Otherwise, the magician may choose whether he plummets dangerously or lands safely.
Vivid Escapism
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Mystifying Legerdemain Form The audience loves a thrill and few tricks are more exciting than a death-defying escape. With this Charm the magician may use the higher of her Martial Arts or Larceny to escape restraints or a clinch. Additionally, the more elaborate the trap the more spectacular the escape. The martial artist gains an automatic success on her attempt to escape restraint for each layer of restraint currently placed upon her. For example, if she is shackled, bound with rope, and locked in a chest, she gains three automatic successes on attempting to escape whichever layer of restrain she chooses first, two successes for the second, and one on the final. In the case of clinches, she gains an automatic success for each dot of Strength her opponent has in excess of her own. In either case, this bonus cannot exceed her Essence.
Smoke and Mirrors Mastery
Cost: — (+1m); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Form-Enhancing Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Unwilling Volunteer Levitation, Vivid Escapism The magician knows how to manipulate the crowd to reinforce her Illusions. The audience believes what they wish to believe, and they wish to believe whatever the magicians tells them they should. This Charm permanently enhances Mystifying Legerdemain Form. While active, all in-Style Illusions increase the willpower required to resist them from one to either the current bonus the magician is receiving to her unarmed Parry DV from the Form or the number of concurrent in-Style Illusions influencing the target, whichever is higher. Additionally, the duration of all in-Style Illusions is extended to the duration of the Mystifying Legerdemain Form. Finally, Shattered Expectations may be applied to beings and Unwilling Volunteer Levitation may be applied to objects.
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Chapter Six
The Miracles of Night
As they return from their long absence, the Harlequins quickly make a name for themselves as twisters of reality. Those in Creation marvel at these Nocturnal miracles, while the Bureau of Destiny is shaken by the dramatic nature of the Harlequins’ art. What unknown magic could possibly cause such tangles in Fate?
FLUCTUATIONS What Fluctuations Are
Nox and the Great Maker granted the Nocturnal Exalted the power to enact Fluctuations on reality. This power resembles that formerly possessed by the Onyx Youth to reveal the will of the Primordials, but differs in the particulars of its application. The methods by which this is accomplished is the manipulation of Loom of Fate through nine metaphysical Domains underlying the nature of reality. Just as the twentyfive Colleges of Astrology are tied to specific areas of study, the nine Domains are associated with the nine primal skills possessed by all beings. As such they are divided into Physical, Social, and Mental Domains. To Nocturnal scholars, these divisions are known as the Three Columns. These scholars also refer to three Tiers, which contain one Domain from each Column. These are known as the Tiers of Material, Method, and Product. While Columns determine in which medium of the Fluctuation may be worked, the Tiers govern the particular manner in which the Fluctuation takes shape. The precise nature of each Domain will be discussed shortly.
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How They Work
Fluctuations tamper with and overwrite the usual functionality of Fate and the record of causality it keeps. As such they only work where the Loom of Fate governs the nature of reality. Performing a Fluctuation is a simple process compared to Astrology. The Harlequin need not plot or plan, pray or petition. She simply wills reality to be other than it is. She determines what manner of the Fluctuation she wishes to achieve, spends a temporary Willpower, and rolls (Willpower + Domain) as a Simple Action (Speed 6, DV -1). During Calibration, the Nocturnal adds her Essence to the roll. All Fluctuations are Shaping effects and may be defended against as such. They are also Suspicious if successful. However, they are always noticeable. When the Storyteller rolls a die for the Suspicious effect, treat all 10s as 1s. Fluctuations may only target a Nocturnal or mundane beings, objects, and locations within Fate (though it can produce loyalty to a god, plans for artifacts, maps to manses, etc.), and have a base difficulty of three. Additional levels of difficulty are determined by the nature of the desired Fluctuation. The effects of a Fluctuation lasts until the end of the scene, and the Harlequin may perform only one successful Fluctuation or Flux-keyword Charm per scene, excluding the use of specialized Charms to perform others. When the Fluctuation succeeds, it exerts an Illusion upon all witnesses whose Dodge MDV is less than the Harlequin’s (Temporary Willpower + Domain). This Illusion causes affected beings to accept the new reality as though it had always been so, filling
in details in their memories as needed. Mortals may not resist this unnatural mental influence, but magical beings may do so by spending three willpower. They need only do so once per scene, regardless of the number of Fluctuations created. To those unaffected by the Illusion, and to everyone once the scene has resolved, the Fluctuation itself is Obvious. The Harlequin, her peers, and her Sidereal companion are automatically immune to the Fluctuation’s Illusion. The Fluctuation itself is not an Illusion; it is the new state of reality. When the Fluctuation ends, the Harlequin gains a number of Paradox dice equal to the difficulty of the Fluctuation. Reality reverts to its previous condition, except for any changes wrought by the consequences of the Fluctuation while not being part of the Fluctuation itself. The sword vanishes, but the wound remains; the insult still stings even after hatred has turned back to love.
What They Do
Each Domain belongs to both a Column and Tier, which together determine the nature of the Domain itself and what manipulation of that Domain can accomplish. Physical Domains alter the physical elements of a scene, such as the scenery, the bodies of beings, or the tools and weapons they carry.Social Domains alter the social paradigms governing the scene, frequently imitating Emotion effects by altering Intimacies. Mental Domains alter the information causing or caused by the scene, often resembling Illusion effects by altering how a being perceives reality or by effectively adding or subtracting dice from rolls to represent new or lost knowledge. The Material Domains add and subtract whatever the Domain alters; the Method Domains vary the subject by degrees without creating or eliminating it; the Product Domains explore the long-term consequences of such alterations, extrapolating futures and speculating upon alternate pasts and presents. The Exalt manipulates only one Domain at a time, but often multiple Domains actually participate in the results of the Fluctuation. For example, if the Exalt wishes to use a Fluctuation to add a book to a particular scene, he may determine its physical characteristics using the Stone or its informational content using the Clay as his primary focus, which determines the difficulty of the action. Whichever is not the focus of the action is left to the Storyteller to determine, though the Exalt may influence that decision with a 2+ die stunt defining the remaining qualities.
What They Look Like
To those affected by the Illusion side-effect, a Fluctuation simply is and always has been. Those who see through the initial Illusion recognize the Fluctuation as an artificial imposition upon reality and can observe it taking shape. Reality appears to flicker as the Nocturnal performs the Fluctuation, successful or not. Threads of Fate become visible for an instant the Nocturnal attempts to weave them into a new shape. Should he fail, this momentary error is all anyone will see. However, if the Nocturnal succeeds, the reality of the scene unravels. From the perspective of each observer, Creation fades away beginning with distant objects and sweeping rapidly toward the witness. After an instant in a blank void, the observer beholds the Nocturnal’s new reality sweep out from them. Building seems to unfold from their lower floors, trees sprout fully formed from intertwining Fate, and rivers seem to race along their newly woven banks toward the horizon. Though it may appear to take several seconds, the actual transformation occurs instantly.
Meanwhile, in the Loom of Fate…
To those tending the Loom of Fate, a Fluctuation appears quite differently than it does to those on the ground. Potentially, an observer in the Loom could see any Fluctuation occurring anywhere in Creation, not just ones occurring in a particular scene. However, for practical purposes, the sheer size of the Loom makes this unlikely. Trivial Fluctuations manifest as slight tremors in the Loom. They might shake a Pattern Spider who happens to be standing near it, but a disruption of Fate on that magnitude can barely be detected above the background noise. An Average Fluctuation shakes the Loom with such force that it might knock numerous Pattern Spiders off their feet. Such an event does not go without notice, but by the time they figure out exactly what has happened, the Fluctuation usually have ended and reality has conducted the necessary self-repairs. Anyone in contact with the Loom of Fate will feel the powerful tremors and aftershocks of a Dominant Fluctuation. The boundary of such an event will almost certainly be a tangled mass of Paradox. During a Total Fluctuation, the Threads of Fate convulse and twist. The entire Most Perfect Lotus of Heavenly Design trembles with enough force to topple bookcases and bureaucrats alike. Events of this magnitude always leave the Bureau of Destiny with a considerable mess. This dramatic display occurs only with the first successful Fluctuation in a given scene. Each subsequent Fluctuation builds off the false reality already created. A single sword flickers, unravels, and is rewoven into a hammer. A mortal does likewise as her memories are twisted to the Nocturnal’s desires. While the Fluctuation itself is Obvious to those who see through its initial Illusion, its nature is not necessary apparent. Creating a city were once stood a small forest village will be immediately detected by all but the least observant. Making a loving husband hate his wife, however, will not be detected until the husband acts upon his new emotions. At the end of the scene, all Fluctuations simultaneously unravel and the true nature of reality reascerts itself. All observers witness this event in the same manner as the original Fluctuation took shape.
Difficulty and Impossibility
The Difficulty of Fluctuations ranges on a scale from Trivial to Total. Numerically, this begins at Difficulty 3 for a Trivial Fluctuation and increases by three each step until Difficulty 21 for a Total Fluctuation. What can be performed at each level of difficulty varies depending upon the dominant Domain being used. For examples of each Domain, see the associated sidebars. If the Nocturnal attempts to directly affect a heroic character, replace the difficulty of the Fluctuation with the character’s dodge MDV if higher than the normal difficulty of the action. Repeating a Fluctuation also increases its Difficulty by +3, cumulatively, until the beginning of the next Calibration. For example, the Harlequin may create a simple knife as a Trivial Fluctuation, but recreating that same knife in a later scene would increase the difficulty to a Minor Fluctuation. Creating it for a third scene would increase it again to an Average Fluctuation, and so on. A 2-dice stunt describing the differences between the knives would bypass this increased difficulty.
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Of course, there are some things that Fluctuations simply cannot do. The Nocturnal cannot create what currently exists, nor can he create what could never exist by the basic laws of Creation. He can create a city in wilderness, but he cannot create a duplicate of Nexus. He can, however, turn Nexus into an alternate version of itself, if he performs his Fluctuation within the city, or recreate a lost city from its ruins. Anything lost to Oblivion is forever beyond the reach of the Nocturnals. Likewise, the Harlequin must obey the fundamental laws of physics. He can create rivers, but he cannot make them fly. He can give insight into the construction of a mystical artifact, but he cannot bottle the laughter of the innocent or freeze heartache. Such whimsical things are the dominion of the Fair Folk. Finally, Fluctuations are never immediately fatal. The Harlequin can make a sword and slay his enemy with it, but he cannot make swords sprout instantly from his enemy’s chest. He can swell a puddle into an ocean, but any prominent feature of the landscape, such as a city or manse will appear as islands in that ocean rather than risk drowning their inhabitants. He may reveal heartbreaking information, but he can never compel someone to suicide. There is a strange loophole to this rule. The Harlequin can shape life from death and death from life, but since this is the Fluctuation itself, whatever he “resurrected” or “killed” in this manner returns to its original state at the end of the scene.
The Stone
The Stone is the Physical, Material Domain. Manipulation of the Stone allows the Harlequin to create and eliminate aspects of the scene determined purely by the qualities of their physical existence. With this Domain, the Exalt may carve canyons, erect buildings, generate bodies, and create objects. She may create villages in the wilderness complete with villagers, and though she can eat their food for sustenance, if she were to sell items to those people their money vanishes along with them at the end of the scene and items sold to them are left behind. Conversely, the wounds and infection caused by a rabid dog created with the Stone remain even after the dog has vanished as those are consequences rather than an aspect of what was created by the Fluctuation.
Dominant (18):
A minor city, an ancient forest full of wild beasts, a large harbor, a tornado, a vast herd of bison, a 100-cart caravan and guards, an earthquake.
Total (21):
A major city, a seemingly endless forest teeming with life, an ocean, a powerful hurricane, a well armed and fully complimented legion.
The Chisel
The Chisel is the Physical, Method Domain. Manipulation of the Chisel allows the Harlequin to delicately or dramatically alter the characteristics of physical elements already present in the scene. A light drizzle might become a heavy downpour, a mountain could be shrunk to a hill, a tankard of beer could be transformed into a goblet of wine. Additionally, this Domain may grant or remove physical mutations at a minimum difficulty of three times the required mutation points.
Chisel Difficulty Trivial (3):
Salt water to fresh water, wheat to oats, sandstone to limestone, cotton to linen, remove scars, knife to stick, moving a door a yard to the right.
Minor (6):
Water to cheap beer, hay to wheat, sandstone to sand, oak timber to balsa wood, mare to stallion, cotton to hardened leather, knife to sword, rain to snow, unlocking a chest.
Average (9):
Water to wine, rocks to bread, streams to rivers, raft to yacht, vendor’s cart to market square, mare to cow, branch to spear, a woman to a man, rearranging an encampments’ defenses.
Major (12):
Rain puddle to lake, gentle rain to thunderstorm, a pony to warhorse, a club to battering ram, a watchtower to citadel, a man to a pig, a sparrow to a strix, moving a city a few miles.
Stone Difficulty Trivial (3):
A knife, a cup of water, a subtle breeze, a crumbling stone wall, a hedge, an insect or small rodent.
Minor (6):
A bow or sword, personal armor, a well, a strong wind, a peasant’s hovel, a stand of trees, a dog.
Average (9):
A small village, a summer shower, fertile pastureland, a small fishing boat, a great cat, a horse.
Major (12):
A country estate, a large village, a heavy snow storm, a well-stocked granary, a tyrant lizard, crew for an average vessel, a small pond.
Prominent (15): A grand palace, a thunderstorm, a fine ship, a forest, an extravagant harem of beautiful concubines, Armor and weapons for a personal guard, a rushing river.
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Prominent (15): Water to potent medicine, a hobby horse to a warhorse, a floating log to a trireme, a statue to a real woman, a breeze to a tornado, a hedge row to a cliff face, redirecting the flow of a river. Dominant (18):
A hornet’s nest to arboreal village, a corpse to a living body, a monsoon to morning dew, small village to walled city, all the spoons in a city to swords for a legion, gently lapping waves into tsunami.
Total (21):
Sand dunes to mountain ranges, a brook to a glacier, an irrigation ditch to canyon, a minor cold to a sweeping epidemic, raising or lowering sea levels, moving a volcano to the horizon.
The Statue
The Statue is the Physical, Product Domain. Manipulation of the Statue allows the Harlequin to explore the consequences of altering physical elements of the scene. She could reveal a ruined fortress in its prime, demonstrate how the
building of a dam will affect a riverside kingdom in 100 years, or grant a battle favorable conditions by altering yesterday’s thunderstorm. By hypothetically altering the nature of a beings birth, this Domain may also great physical mutations, just like the Chisel.
Statue Difficulty Trivial (3):
How would I feel in an hour if I drank that? What would have happened to me today if I had worn my red shirt instead of my blue shirt? What did this vase look like before I dropped it a moment ago?
Minor (6):
What if we leave tomorrow morning rather than tonight? What if it had rained yesterday? Was this smoldering ruin once a home?
Average (9):
What if there had been a month-long drought? How will my crops fare in a few weeks if I plant them now? What if these two desiccated corpses had found an oasis?
Major (12):
What if there had not been an outbreak of cholera in the city last year? How will this new irrigation system affect next year’s harvest? Instead of dying in childbirth, what if this woman had never become pregnant?
Prominent (15): What if an earthquake had not damaged the city’s wall ten years ago? Will this mine still be producing ore in a decade? How will these seedlings look as trees in a few years? Dominant (18):
Total (21):
The Silk
What if our ancestors had built this city in the hill country instead of along the river? How will this dam affect citizens in seven generations? How would this centuries-old road look if it had been continuously maintained? What if the Haltan forests had burned in the First Age? How will a thousand years of rain reshape this desert landscape? What would this city look like had the glaciers not rolled over it?
The Silk is the Social, Material Domain. Manipulation of the Silk allows the Harlequin to add favorable social conditions and excise unwanted elements of society. Strangers might become friends or enemies, laws may disappear, or cities might spring up in the wilderness.
Silk Difficulty Trivial (3):
Passing familiarity with another person, a silly law everyone disregards if they know about it at all, a style of pottery .
Minor (6):
Professional kindness, mild annoyance, a known law that is rarely enforced, a friendly hand gesture.
Average (9):
Friendship, rivalry, a law that rarely impacts most people and low severity for not adhering to it, a gossipy association of weavers.
Major (12):
Infatuation, personal disgust, a law that impacts many people but with low severity for failing to adhere to it, a small village.
Prominent (15): Romance, hatred, a law that most people will not normally break but which carries severe punishment, a large village. Dominant (18):
Abject loyalty, irrational fear, a law that few can escape and which carries a severe penalty for breaking, a small city.
Total (21):
National adoration, a prejudice throughout society, a core social value, a large city.
The Needle
The Needle is the Social, Method Domain. Manipulation of the Needle allows the Harlequin to refine society to her vision. She might alter the punishment for breaking laws— enforcing draconian measures or offering clemency as suits her needs—or might shift the balance of power by promoting the prefect’s council to prominence.
Needle Difficulty Trivial (3):
Fear to hatred, “Bow to the magistrate” to “Wave to the magistrate,” tavern to tea house.
Minor (6):
Fear to annoyance, “Under penalty of death by immolation” to “Under penalty of death by hanging,” tavern to inn, nomads to villagers.
Average (9):
Fear to derision, “The eldest son shall inherit…” to “the eldest daughter shall inherit…,” a tavern to a brothel, refugees to citizens
Major (12):
Fear to friendship, “Bow to the magistrate” to “The magistrate bows to all citizens,” tavern to shrine, slave to free man.
Prominent (15): Personal fear to society’s prejudice, “Under penalty of death” to “Under penalty of a small fine,” tavern to local seat of government, unsung hero to national icon. Dominant (18):
Personal fear to national panic, midnight curfew to martial law, tavern to national capitol, roving barbarians to major city
Total (21):
Personal fear to national pastime, “Under penalty of death” to “Reward with a large bounty,” lonely tavern to major city, national icon to most hated man in the country.
The Cloak
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The Cloak is the Social, Product Domain. Manipulation of the Cloak allows the Harlequin to demonstrate the consequences of social change. She may show what society would be like today if the governor had freed the slaves two generations ago, or how the nation would fare in three years if it went to war today.
Cloak Difficulty Trivial (3):
Minor (6):
Would she have gone home with me if I had said…? What would happen if I disobeyed that sign? What if we had had that party last night after all? How would the crowd react if I came back tomorrow and punched this guy?
Average (9):
How will this social faux pas affect next week’s election? What if different elders had been chosen for last month’s council?
Major (12):
Will this marriage last a year? Was last year’s Sun Festival worth the investment?
A memory of a dream, a minor detail easily overlooked, experiences from an uneventful day during childhood, the orphaned punchline to a bad joke, the answer to a common riddle
Minor (6):
A copy of a daily newsletter, a memory from a drunken night, a common recipe, the plotline of a popular tale.
Average (9):
A common book for the layman, the memory of an average day, a casual observation, a petty personal secret, a well-known and lengthy story.
Major (12):
The knowledge of a tradesman’s apprentice, the memory of a notable event, an unusual observation, the answers to an important exam, a severe personal secret, the chemical formula for firedust, granting a person a new sense equivalent to mutations such as Shark Sight or Sonar.
Prominent (15): How far would society have fallen if the barbarians had successfully invaded in the last decade? Will this treaty benefit the next generation?
Prominent (15): The knowledge of a well-educated tradesman, the memory of a traumatic event, an observation of immediate danger, the solution to a scientific or mathematical problem as yet unsolved by anyone.
Dominant (18):
What if we had abolished slavery when our ancestors first settled this land after the Balorian Crusades? How will this law affect the next seven generations?
Dominant (18):
Total (21):
Will my kingdom last a thousand years? What if the Cult of Isbarnul chosen a single successor after the fall of the Deliberative?
Complete mastery of a field of study, someone’s personal history, a closely guarded national secret, a revolutionary and sweeping theory, a lost text of which only one copy was ever known.
Total (21):
A branch of mathematics, a fundamental fact of nature, a basic mode of expression such as Language or Music.
The Clay
The Clay is the Mental, Material Domain. Manipulation of the Clay allows the Harlequin to grant wisdom or ignorance as she pleases. She may rob a mind of its memories or inspire another with brilliance. Like all Mental Domains, this affects only knowledge of subjects—not the subjects themselves. The Exalt may cause a being to forget that there are differences between men and women, but men and women are still physically different. Fluctuations of this Domain almost always affect minds directly, but can also be used to create manifestations of information, such as books. Finally, it is important to note that information known to one person is consider different from information known to another person, even if the information is otherwise the same, for the purposes of determining whether the Exalt is creating something that ‘already exists.’ In other words, a Harlequin can cause a new apprentice to gain knowledge equivalent to his master, even though his master already has that knowledge as well. The Harlequin may add or remove such knowledge by adding or removing one Specialty as an Average Fluctuation—each additional dot of Specialty added or removed increases the difficulty by +3.
Clay Difficulty
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Trivial (3):
The Stylus
The Stylus is the Mental, Method Domain. Manipulation of the Stylus allows the Harlequin to confound her enemies and nudge her allies on the appropriate path. She might alter the details of a memory or refine elements of a theory.
Stylus Difficulty Trivial (3):
Confusing details of hazily remembered events, switching addresses of nearby locations, mixing up names of recent acquaintances, misidentifying very similar things, tweaking the headline of a local pamphlet, making small corrections to a mathematical proof, changing the way information is stored such as turning scrolls into folded codices.
Minor (6):
Average (9):
Major (12):
Confusing details of mundane but otherwise easily remembered events, switching the names of small towns or city districts, mixing up the names of friends and family members, misidentifying related but dissimilar things such as a strix and a sparrow, rewriting a chapter of a history text so that events occurred in different places or with different people involved, mildly impairing* a single sense. Confusing details of prominent events in a being’s life such as a wedding or the birth of a child, changing the name of a city, mixing up the name of friend and enemies, misidentifying things that are only trivially related such as a shrike for the Five Metal Shrike, turning a zoology text into a botany text, mildly impairing all senses or severely impairing** one. Confusing details of prominent motivating memories in a being’s life such as the name of her father’s murderer, changing the name of nation, augmenting a sense to a superhuman version of it such as hearing to Sonar, changing the language a person speaks, causing warnings to be misheard as welcomed news such as “Bear loose in the menagerie!” to “Free beer in the menagerie!”
Prominent (15): Altering the details of widely taught history within a nation, rewriting all the books in a library or all the pamphlets distributed in a city, improving the techniques of single professional class such as craftsmen or doctors, changing the plans for fireworks into plans for a Soul Breaker Orb. Dominant (18):
Total (21):
Altering every memory a person has while still retaining their core identity, rewriting information about a nation’s history until it is no longer recognizable by its citizens, changing the language a nation speaks, turning schematics for a Directional Titan into a recipe for chocolate desserts. Effectively swapping minds between individuals, making a population relate information in an inhuman way such as dancing rather than speaking, overturning demonstrable theories such as the Daystar circling Creation, adjusting the perceptive capabilities of a species so that it is blind to mundane reality.
The Tablet is the Mental, Product Domain. Manipulation of the Tablet allows the Harlequin to make the consequences of information manifest. She may reveal the path of the future if a young inventor’s discovery is made public, what the present might be like if the wisdom of the ancients had not be lost, or show a king precisely what his actions had been had he known then what he knows now.
Tablet Difficulty Trivial (3):
What if he had known the actual odds before making this bet? Could I make it across this courtyard if the guards were looking away right now?
Minor (6):
How would the general fare in tomorrow’s battle if he studies this chapter from The Thousand Correct Actions tonight? Would the patient have been saved if she were correctly diagnosed yesterday?
Average (9):
If the people had known what their prefect was up to last month, would he still be power? How much will we learn from a month-long census of the city?
Major (12):
Would the council have declared war last year if they had known the truth? What will happen to the tribe next winter if the shaman fails to pass on his secrets to his apprentice?
Prominent (15): What if the founders of this town had known about the devastating flooding every generation? If this baby is taught his father’s trade, will he be successful as an adult? Dominant (18):
What if this historic manor had been built with modern techniques? How will this scholar’s works be remembered in a hundred years?
Total (21):
While if the mortal inspectors of Hollow had solved their final murder case before the Usurpation? Will reading this cursed text help me protect Creation for the entirety of my Exalted lifespan?
F luctuation Charms The Nocturnals have developed various Charms to aug-
ment their Fluctuations or circumvent its basic limitations. These Charms are typically generalized and ultimately all derived from (Attribute) and (Domain) Unity (p. 85). A few basic Fluctuation Charms are presented here. As always, players and Storytellers can cooperate to create more Charms as their game requires. These Charms may be placed in Combos as though they were Attribute Charms.
*Imposing a -1 Internal Penalty, may be increased by one Infinite Rejuvenating Possibilities Cost: —; Mins: (Any Domain) 4, Essence 3; for each +3 difficulty increase **Imposing a -1 External Penalty, may be increased by Type: Permanent Keywords: Native, Overdrive one for each +3 difficulty increase Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Any (Attribute) and (Domain) Unity he ablet
T
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The Harlequin revels in possibility and delights in seeing the old cast aside for new realities. This Charm grants the Exalt an Overdrive pool capable of holding ten motes. When the Nocturnal performs a successful Fluctuation, she gains a number of motes equal to base difficulty of the Fluctuation. She may now also employ her offensive motes to fuel Charms which enhance her Fluctuations. With a second purchase at (any Domain) 5+, Essence 4+, the Harlequin also gains offensive motes equal to her own rating in the relevant Domain whenever she witnesses another Nocturnal perform a successful Fluctuation.
Fluctuation is relevant (even if the Nocturnal herself is not present) she must make a Difficulty 6 (Domain + Willpower) roll to maintain the Fluctuation, gaining three dice of Paradox if successful. Such long term Fluctuations are inherently unstable. If the target is sapient and realizes that an alteration has been made (an Intelligence + Integrity roll with a Difficulty of (8 – [base Fluctuation Difficulty/3] when presented with conflicting evidence), the effect immediately terminates. Overcoming the initial Illusion of the Fluctuation automatically terminates extended Fluctuation if it has gone on longer than one Scene. In other cases, the Fluctuation collapses when the majority of Unflinching Will of the (Domain) sapient witnesses overcome the initial Illusion. Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Domain 3, Essence 2; This Charm may be repurchased at Essence 6+ to extend Type: Reflexive the Duration to One Month for an additiontal (+6m) and Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack again at Essence 8+ to extend the Duration to One Season Duration: Instant for (+12m, 1wp). A final purchase at Essence 10+ extends the Prerequisite Charms: (Attribute) and (Domain) Unity duration to one year at the same cost as the Essence 8+ up Having recreated the world as she prefers, the Nocturnal grade. In any case, no Fluctuation survives past the last day of does not wish to see it end prematurely. If another Nocturnal Calibration, automatically terminating this Charm at sunrise performs a Fluctuation which alters one already created by the on the first day of the year. Exalt, she may activate this Charm in response. She subtracts her (Domain) rating, which must be the one initially used Essential Mastery of The (Domain) to create the Fluctuation, from her antagonist’s successes. A Cost: —; Mins: Domain 4, Essence 3; second purchase of this Charm at (Domain) 5+, Essence 3+ Type: Permanent increases the minimum difficulty needed for the alteration Keywords: None of her Fluctuation to the difficulty on her own. For example, Duration: Permanent if the Nocturnal first makes an Average Fluctuation, and an- Prerequisite Charms: Playthings of the (Domain) other wishes to alter it with a Trivial Fluctuation, the difficulty The Nocturnals were made to fight along side their felon the Trivial Fluctuation increases to 9. This occurs before low Exalted, to inspire them to greatest and to reveal their any other modification of the difficulty. weaknesses before tragedy falls.Upon learning this Charm, the Exalt may affect magical beings, objects, and locations Playthings of The (Domain) with Fluctuations of this Domain—though such Fluctuations Cost: — (1wp); Mins: Domain 4, Essence 3; do not gain the benefits of this Charm’s prerequisite. AfType: Permanent fected Exalts must have Essence less than the Nocturnal’s and Keywords: None the Harlequin can never “create” Exaltations (though she Duration: Permanent could create a new temporary host for a roaming Exaltation Prerequisite Charms: (Attribute) and (Domain) Unity as a Dominant Fluctuation). As a few examples, a Nocturnal The Harlequin masters the creation alteration of her with this Charm could add a least god as a Trivial Fluctuaenvironment. Mundane reality bends easily to her will. This tion, transform a mundane sword into a Grand Daiklave as Charm reduces the base difficulty of a Fluctuation by three an Average Fluctuation, or see what Creation would be like if to a minimum of three, effectively making a Minor Fluctua- the Solars had learned of the Usurpation in advance as a Total tion into a Trivial one, and so on. A second purchase of this Fluctuation. Charm at Essence 5+ allows the Exalt to spend an additional Magical beings without Shaping Defenses can resist the willpower on her Fluctuation to add a number of automatic Nocturnal’s Fluctuation by spending willpower equal to half successes equal to half her Domain, rounded up. her Essence if they have seen through the initial Illusion. Also, in the case of Fluctuation which mimic Emotion or Illusion The (Domain) Imitates Reality effects, magical beings can resist such actions as though they Cost: 3m+, 1wp; Mins: Domain 5, Essence 5; were those effects.Various other defenses may be applied as Type: Simple appropriate. Keywords: Combo-OK, Flux Duration: One Day Undeniable Reality of The (Domain) Prerequisite Charms: Unflinching Will of the (Domain), Cost: 4m, (1wp); Mins: Domain 3, Essence 2; Playthings of The (Domain) Type: Supplemental Who would not be heartbroken to see her hard won Keywords: Combo-OK alternate reality pass away, never to return. With this Charm, Duration: Instant the Nocturnal desperately clings to her Fluctuation. Upon Prerequisite Charms: (Attribute) and (Unity) Domain activating this Charm, she performs a Fluctuation as normal Weaving a compelling reality, the Harlequin does not and commits a number of motes equal to its difficulty for wish anyone to remember how things once were. In order to the duration of the Charm. While the motes remained com- see through the initial Illusion of a Fluctuation crafted with mitted, the Fluctuation does not terminate at the end of the this Domain and supplemented by this Charm, witnesses Scene as usual but persists. The Exalt must commit a number require an MDV greater than the Nocturnal’s (Temporary of motes equal to the difficulty of that Fluctuation itself Willpower + Domain + Essence). A second purchase of this (three motes of a Trivial Fluctuation, six motes of a Minor Charm at Domain 4+, Essence 4+ allows the Nocturnal to Fluctuation, etc.). However, she is considered to have already spend a willpower to increase by two (to a maximum of 5) the performed a successful Fluctuation each scene this Charm willpower victims of the Illusion need to spend to overcome it. remains active and at the beginning of any Scene in which the
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Cascading (Domain) Completion
Cost: 9m; Mins: Domain 4, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 6+) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: (Attribute) and (Unity) Domain The Harlequin is not content to leave her vision half finished. Having performed at least one successful Fluctuation earlier this scene, she may activate this Charm to perform an additional Fluctuation with this Domain, so long as the Fluctuation builds upon her current vision, such as building a bridge over the river she just manifested into the Scene. The Speed of this Charm increases by one tick for each previous time the Exalt activated any version of Cascading (Domain) Completion this Scene.
Fluctuations and the Fair Folk
As an exception to the general rule about not affecting magical beings, the Nocturnals can use their Fluctuations in Bordermarches and Middlemarches to engage the Raksha in Shaping Combat. These Fluctuations must still interact with beings, objects, and locations within Fate, and uses those elements of Creation against the Wyld narrative of the Raksha. The Nocturnal’s Shaping attack is equal to (Domain + Temporary Willpower + [Essence/2]). Any Domain might be used for any type of Shaping combat, so long as the Nocturnal employs it within the theme of the combat’s dominant Grace. For example, when engaging in Cup combat, she might use the Needle to alter the emotional context of scene or the Clay to grant answers to the Fair Folk’s riddles. She treats her MDV as her Shaping Defense, adding +4 to her DV as her Celestial birthright. For damage, she employs (Domain + associated Attribute) to calculate the raw damage of her attacks, and she soaks with her (Domain + Willpower). However, she does not have Shaping Health Levels like the Raksha unless she has acquired them through Charms. If she is defeated she suffers the same fate as any Creationborn (see Graceful Wicked Masques, p. 126) However, if she inflicts Shaping damage on the Fair Folk she may chose to afflict damage to his Shaping Health Levels or to his physical Health Levels. Filling all the Fair Folk’s Shaping Health Levels allows the Harlequin to ravish, incumber, snare, or vex the Fair Folk as appropriate for the style of Shaping Combat. Physically killing a Fair Folk with Shaping Combat causes it to immediately calcify. The Nocturnal decides which to affect in Step 1 of the attack.
NOCTURNAL GEOMANCY Demesnes
Nocturnal demesnes are inherently unstable. The Bound God’s essence does not permeate Creation as strong as that of the other Incarnae. It pools into sunless regions to form weak, temporary demesnes where the slightest geomantic alteration causes it to transform into a more stable form. Most frequently, Nocturnal demesnes form in deep caverns, beneath dense forest canopies, at the bottom of the sea or on the ever-shadowed slopes of the extreme North and South. In all these locations, elemental influences soon become dominant. Only in the Firmament will Nocturnal demesnes remain stable for more than year. Additionally, if a being attunes to the demesne without possessing a Nocturnal aspect, his own essence trumps that of the Bound God, transforming it accordingly. Should the Chosen of Nox rediscover their
birthright and claim one of these demesnes, the influence of their essence is strong enough to stabilize the area once attuned. First Age geomancers knew of these demesnes. They were a curiosity, considered to be rare aspect-less regions waiting to be flavored by another type of Essence. The Sidereal Exalted in particular took interest in these areas when they could be discovered. Nocturnal demesnes have been blotted out of the Loom of Fate by Nox’s influence, and so to the Sidereal’s eye they appear as errors to be corrected. Fortunately for the Viziers, Nocturnal demesnes shift into Sidereal ones with ease. In addition to obscuring the area from Fate, a Nocturnal demesne can be recognized by several characteristics. These features might be naturally occurring, causing the demesne to form around them, or they might be imposed by the magic of demesne’s essence permeating the region. The following associations may influence the appearance and contents of any Nocturnal demesne and manse built on them. Nocturnal: night, darkness, dreams, sleep, possibility, chance, choice, free will, independence, rebellion, lust, romance, memory, hindsight, anachronism, paradox, mystery, surprises, vigilance, irreverence, youth, gambling, entertainment, nocturnal animals, simple geometric patterns, crystals, onyx, crossroads, wishing wells, clear skies, indigo and sky blue
Manses
The techniques necessary to cap Nocturnal demesnes has been lost to Creation. Other architectural principles may be applied to accelerate the transformation of these “wild card” demesnes into an aspect appropriate for the manse. Few Nocturnal manses managed to survive the Primordial War.
Manse Powers
Nocturnal Manses favor the following powers from Oadenal’s Codex—Outside of Fate (4), Wyld Revocation (4), Alternative Locations (5)—and Dynamic Architecture (3) from Dreams of the First Age: Lords of Creation. Even without acquiring the Outside of Fate power, Nocturnal manses are obscured from Fate so long as Nox is in the Loom. This protection does not necessarily extend to the contents and occupants of such manses. Additionally, Nocturnal manses can also acquire new four-point power.
Principality of Uncertainty
(Nocturnal Only) Infused with Nocturnal essence, the manse banishes predestination. To live within its walls is a calculated risk, for the geomancy of chance reigns. As a Shaping effect, beings within the manse cannot employ Charms and other powers that ensure automatic success or cause automatic failures, unless there is an element of chance to that power—for example, a Chance-keyword Charm when the player chooses to roll the Chance die). If a character is able to use such powers within the manse (by having Shaping Immunity), the power is rendered Obvious as the rejected magic recoils. Only defensive powers, such as Charms with a Flaw of Invulnerability, are immune to this influence. If the manse is also Outside of Fate, the influences of Sidereal Astrology and the Destiny background are temporarily suspended inside the manse.
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Most were destroyed by overzealous Exalts who believed them to be Primordial shrines. Those that survived these early purges remain far beyond the reach of humanity. The Darkbrood infest the Nocturnal manses beneath the surface of Creation. The Pelagials have recently rediscovered a badly damaged Nocturnal manse built around a deep-sea vent. The majority of the remaining Nocturnal manses can be found in the Caelian City itself with a handful of others providing hearthstones for the Infinite Reliquary’s war against the Amber Legion. Even the most unstable of Nocturnal demesnes can be protected by capping it with a Nocturnal manse. A shadow manse (Books of Sorcery, Volume III: Oadenal’s Codex, p. 59) will suffice to postpone the complete conversion of the demesne for several years. Like other manses, the style of architecture of a Nocturnal manse reflects its aspect. Nocturnal architecture tends toward eclecticism; it would not be the Nocturnal way to stifle creativity with rigid paradigms. There are, however, a few aesthetic choices, common themes, and pragmatic functions particularly well-suited to Nocturnal manses. Nocturnal: Towers, ziggurats, fountains, observation decks, vaulted ceilings, skylights, crystal decorations, colored lights, chevrons, polished metal, sharp angles, sweeping curves, ballrooms, museums, theaters, casinos. Hearthstones Tarsier’s Eye (Manse •) This translucent brown sphere surrounds a smaller black sphere at its center. It is an unsettling stone, for it always appears to be watching whoever looks at it. When set into a weapon, the wielder of that weapon may employ Perception in place of Dexterity to determine the weapon’s attack pool and DV. Such attacks and DVs never suffer penalties due to low or absent lighting. Lover’s Lure (Manse •) This is a fist-size irregular crimson stone crisscrossed by blue veins. It functions like a Road of Hatred Stone (Oadenal’s Codex, p. 101) except that it empowers an Intimacy of romantic interest rather than hatred. Once the romance has been consummated, the Intimacy is no long enforced and the magic of this stone switches to a new interest. A Sidereal version of this hearthstone also exists. Paradox Chrysalis (Manse •- •••••) These clear crystals have increasing levels of complexity within their interiors as their powers improve. The hearthstone absorbs one to five points of Paradox, equal to the point value of the hearthsone, which would otherwise pass to the owner. Once the crystal has absorbed its maximum allowed Paradox, it shatters and reforms in its manse, following the normal rules for hearthstone regeneration. Insurrectionist’s Jewel (Manse ••) The bearer of this elliptical sardonyx stone raises the common people against their rulers. Any social attack made by the owner that undermines the legitimacy of the current rulers gains one automatic success. If the bearer successfully inspires a mob against the local authorities, he regains willpower equal to the magnitude of the mob. Such stones may also be produced by Isidoros manses. Bat Echo Gem (Manse ••) A high-pitched, barely audible hum emits from this many-tined star-shaped amethyst whenever bats fly nearby. The bearer may flick any of crystal tines to produce a single clear note, like a tuning fork, for one scene. While this note resonates, the bearer may control and communicate with any bats within a hundred yards. A large swarm of bats may form an environmental hazard with Damage 1L/minute and
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Trauma 1, but only on one person at a time. If the swarm inflicts lethal damage, the target must roll to resist contracting rabies, though they are only infected on a botch. Extemporal Craftsman’s Turquoise (Manse •••) This small, polished octahedron is typically a placid sky blue but ignites with the color of the setting sun when used. When the bearer touches a broken mundane object, the stone suffuses it with Nocturnal essence and turns back the clock. Over the next twenty-five hours, the object slowly regenerates damage and reassembles itself from scattered parts. Manse aligned with She Who Lives in Her Name and Autochthon may produce similar hearthstones, but they operate by speeding restoring proper function and speeding repairs, rather than turning back entropy. Mazarin of the Watched Watchman (Manse •••) By caring this cut, blue topaz, the bearer is aware of the position of any being within one hundred yards that serves as a watchman, sentry, or other dedicated observer and may spend one willpower to observe through the senses of any such extra. Additionally, if the bearer is spotted by such a being, he immediately becomes aware of that fact and knows which has seen him. Knave’s Diamond (Manse ••••) This brilliant cut diamond can inspire men to wager their souls for a chance to possess it. If the bearer wishes to make a bet with another character, she adds a number of automatic successes to her attempt to convince the other to accept the bet equal to the highest resource item being offered as her portion of the prize, as well as increasing the willpower needed to resist the social attack if successful to the highest resource wagered. If the Knave’s Diamond itself is wagered, the attack is automatically successful and cannot be resisted by mortals. This automatic success is immune to the powers of Principality of Uncertainty if the stone came from that manse. If the Knave’s Diamond is lost in such a wager, however, ownership and attunement of it and its manse immediately pass to the winner. Manses aligned with Hegra occasionally produce a very similar hearthstone, though it tends to take for form an iridescent pearl. Chrysocolla of the Self Made Man (Manse •••••) Flecked with black and white, this deep blue polished stone exists to defy the will of the Maidens and Fate. As such, the Chrysocolla of the Self Made Man forms only in manses that are Outside of Fate. It crystallizes around the destinies of others, seeking out a total of five points of the Destiny Background—usually a related set or ones relevant to the environs surrounding the manse. The bearer of the hearthstone gains an effective Destiny 5 dedicated to opposing these. If the bearer herself possesses the Destiny background normally, opposing that Destiny becomes her effective Destiny 5 and she cannot benefit from her natural Destiny background while she bears the stone. When all the Destinies the hearthstone opposes have been thwarted, it selects a new set to continue the cycle. Isidoros manse can also produce this hearthstone.
T reasures of the Heralds The young Nocturnals in the last days of the Time
of Glory possessed many wonders. Some they crafted for themselves. Some were gifts from the gods or the People of Adamant. But the Heralds fell at the razor edge of Saturn’s mercy. Their wonders were scattered and lost, some flung into the future to aid the next incarnation, some collected by the Maiden of Secrets. Many of these remain in the vaults of the Forbidding Manse of Ivy, while others have been distributed under the authorization of Jupiter herself. She does so rarely
and reluctantly, fretting that someone might somehow use them to learn of their previous owner. She keeps these concerns to herself however, never betraying that there is anything special about these artifacts beyond the powers they possess.
Morning Readiness Basin
(Artifact •) These ornate crystal wash basins were common accessories in the tents of Exalted generals and their officers during the Primordial War. So long as the basin had a supply of clean water and was attuned for two motes, any being could splash a handful of water on his or her face. Doing so met all the being’s hygienic needs for the day. Hair and skin would be freshly bathed and clothes well washed. A day’s worth of hair growth was also removed, keeping beards well-trimmed or cheeks smoothly shaved, if desired. Additionally, those who used this basin ignored any penalties imposed by lack of sleep for twenty-five hours. The water in basin would need to be replaced each morning or once all the water has been splashed out by careless users.
Precise Dancer’s Bauble
(Artifact •) Usually taking the form of a beautiful belt buckle, a decorative hair pin, or an ornate broach, these adamant trinkets are always highly complex pieces of jewelry. Their purpose is more than just ornamentation. When the wearer performs any feat of physical dexterity requiring a complex series of precise motions, she gains two extra dice. Examples include a lenthy dance, cracking a well-built safe, or cutting a fine jewel. Attuning to a Precise Dancer’s Bauble costs three motes.
Illusionist’s Baton
(Artifact •) Whether a short baton or a long staff, the Illusionist’s Baton is among the favored tools of stage conjurers and street magicians even today. Crafted from one of the Magical Materials, they serve as modest weapons, gaining the traits of a mundane baton or staff with the appropriate material bonus when attuned for four motes. However, they are far more useful in augmenting the performer’s sleight of hand. How an Illusionist’s Baton does this varies depending upon the Magical Material that went into its construction. Gaining the benefits of these effects costs one willpower. The effects produced by these batons may be prematurely terminated by the performer. Orichalcum: The performer waves the baton as a salute to his audience and makes a Performance-based Social attack against them. Anyone whose MDV is insufficient to overcome the attack suffers an Illusion effect which causes everything he sees to be more impressive and spectacular than it truly is. Puffs of smoke become towering infernos, a tame beast becomes a fierce man-eater, and performer’s assistances are among the most attractive women the audience has ever seen. Though this Illusion might give them a thrill, it never causes the audience to be truly terrified or slavishly awestruck. It will, however, hold their attention as well as Respect Commanding Attitude (Exalted, p. 202) and remember the experience appropriately. This Illusion costs one willpower to resists and lasts for up to (Essence) actions in Long Ticks and cannot be used in normal combat time. Moonsilver: The performer taps an object or being with the baton and makes a Performance-based Social attack against his audience. Anyone whose MDV is insufficient to overcome the attack sees the object or being transform into another object as the performer desires. This is an Illusion-
effect costing one willpower to resist. This effect lasts up to (Essence) actions in Long Ticks and cannot be used in normal combat time. Jade: The performer flourishes the baton and produces a sudden obscuring screen. This cloud of smoke or debris may be just enough to distract from audience from the performer’s hands or enough to completely obscure the performer. Either way, it adds three dice to any Larceny or Stealth attempt as appropriate. Illusionist’s Batons may be made of any color of Jade. Each is effectively the same, but each produces a slightly different manifestation of the basic power depending upon the element that most reasonates with the particular Jade that went into making the baton. For example, a Black Jade baton might send out a fine sea mist, or a Green Jade baton might produce a shower of flower petals that dissolve back into essence. Starmetal: The performer directs a being’s attention to the baton and makes a Presence-based Social attack. If he overcomes the target’s MDV, the target is entranced and highly susceptible to suggestions. The target suffers a Compulsion of the performer’s choice, which cannot place the target or his loved ones in danger and the target must be able to act upon it immediately. The target may pay one willpower to resist this Compulsion. This lasts for up to (Essence) actions in Long Ticks and cannot be used in normal combat time. Soulsteel: The performer strikes an object or being with the baton and makes a Performance-based Social attack against his audience. Anyone whose MDV is insufficient to overcome the attack sees the object or being damaged in some fashion, as the performer desires. This is an Illusion-effect costing one willpower to resist. If the performer wishes, the Illusion may be delayed one action to allow him to set up some other possible means of damaging the object or being, such as feigning incineration or sawing a person in half. This effect lasts up to (Essence) actions in Long Ticks and cannot be used in normal combat time. Adamant: The performer taps something that obscures an object or being from view and makes a Performance-based Social attack against his audience. Anyone whose MDV is insuffiecent to overcome the attack will not see the hidden object or being when it is later revealed. This effect lasts up to (Essence) actions in Long Ticks and cannot be used in normal combat time.
Exalted Finery
(Artifact •-••) Though primitive by artifact standards, these magical outfits are as varied and stately as any courtly attire worn today. They were made in a host of styles, each interwoven with threads of a single magical material. With such as a suit or dress, the earliest Exalted impressed the courts of mortal nations and the alien empires of the various Primordial Races. Once attuned from two motes, Exalted Finery adjusts itself to fit perfectly (for the Moonsilver variant, this includes shifting to fit a Lunar’s Beastman form) and is as durable as any artifact. In all cases, these outfits add two dice to Socialize rolls. Additionally, each outfit adds one automatic success to Presence and Performance rolls in specific circumstances, based on the Magical Material woven into it: Orichalcum: When negotiating treaties and debating or announcing laws. Moonsilver: When speaking in defense of a person or a people. Jade: When speaking to a lower-ranked member of the same command or other organization.
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Starmetal: When advising a person in a position of authority on a particular course of action. Soulsteel: When decrying another person or a people as foolish or dangerous. Adamant: When attempting to attract the attention of others. A two-dot artifact version also exists, which incorporate more Magical Material threads into their weave. These add +1L/+1B Soak, which does not count as armor and can be worn under most other armor. Attuning to these costs an additional mote, for a total of three. Exalted Finery fell out of fashion during the First Age once more elaborate magical clothing was developed, such as the Infinite Resplendence Amulets.
Healer’s Scalpel
(Artifact ••) Attuned, this appears as little more than an expertly chiseled diamond knife and it may be wielded as a mundane knife even without attunement. Once attuned for four motes, however, it reveals its true value in the hands of a skilled surgeon. It may be wielded as a weapon using Medicine as its associated ability, though it does not gain the usual Adamant bonus. It excels against flesh, not metal. Any wound caused by this artifact heals at the end of the scene. If the target is dead, all wounds sustained from this weapon neatly close, leaving no trace. Though intended for medical use and often found in Resplendent Satchels of Healing (Book Sorcery, vol. I: Wonders of the Lost Age, p. 69), these blades were also popular among morticians and assassins.
Dutiful Messenger’s Fife
(Artifact ••) A small and easily carried instrument, a Dutiful Messenger’s Fife is favored by relays in times of war. Crafted from a tube of ebony and adorned with keys of a Magical Material, the fife can be heard over the cacophony of battle and its piercing notes carry great distances. A relay playing such an instrument, requiring a (Charisma + Performance) roll with a Difficulty equal to the unit’s Magnitude, provides his unit with a certain bonus depending on the materials used in its construction. Bonuses from the same material do no stack. Instead, for each additional relay in the same unit playing a Dutiful Messenger’s Fife of the same material, the bonus is extend to all allied units within half a mile if the relays are stationed in the largest of the allied units. Attuning to a Dutiful Messenger’s Fife requires four motes. Orichalcum: Affected units increase their Morale by one. Moonsilver: Affected units increase their Close Combat Damage by one. Jade: Affected units gain one automatic success to avoid losing Endurance. Starmetal: Affected units increase their Close Combat Accuracy by one. Soulsteel: Enemy units engaged with an affected unit suffer a +1 Difficulty on all Route checks. Adamant: Affected units increase their Drill by one.
Micromegas Spyglass
(Artifact ••) Micromegas Spyglasses are made of expertly polished Adamant lenses contained within collapsible, modular brass tubes.Once attuned for five motes, a single set may be configured either to serve as a microscope or telescope as a Miscellaneous Action. The spyglass replicates the effects of the Solar Charms Keen Sight Technique and Unsurpassed
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Sight Discipline, either for viewing extreme distances or for viewing extremely small objects, depending on its current configuration. However, it never compensates for other visual hinderances, such as poor lighting or fog.
Efficient Magisterial Encyclopedia
(Artifact ••) A hefty tome with exquisite leather binding, an Adamant latch, and a thousand blank pages, the Efficient Magisterial Encyclopedia is required reading for anyone moving into unfamiliar nations. When attuned for four motes, the latch opens and the reader finds its pages filled with all the laws and customs of region in which he currently resides, complete with highly precise index for easy referencing. As he moves about the world, the tome updates accordingly. This grants the character two extra dice for rolls involving knowledge of laws or customs, usually Bureaucracy or Socialize, respectively, but Lore might also be enhanced when appropriate. Additionally, when the reader is about to perform some action that violates a listed law or custom, the book attempts to alert the character of his potential wrong doing. With a (Wits + [Bureaucracy or Socialize, as appropriate]) roll, Difficulty 3, the character may stop himself before he commits a social faux pas or criminal act.
Remora’s Broken Shackles
(Artifact •••) Prior the the creation of the first Solars, one of the greatest mortal thieves preyed upon the great cosmopolitian city of Amphion, the crown jewel of the ancient West. Surely Lady Remora—for she was known only by that alias—would have joined the ranks of the Night Caste had Fate been kinder to her. She was captured by the Mosok and imprisoned, and there languished in a cell awaiting the festival season and the human sacrifices that came with it. But when the day finally arrived and the Dragon Kings came for her, they found her cell empty. Nox had arrived first. Accepting the gift of the Nocturnal Exaltation, Remora received new shackles as a reminder of those she left behind. Functioning as a pair of adamant Hearthstone Bracers (providing +1 Accuracy, +2 Rate in addition to the usual Hearthstone Bracer effects), Remora’s Broken Shackles gain an additional benefit as a Paradoxed artifact. By gaining a point of Paradox, the wearer may unlock any mundane locks she touches for the rest of the scene. Locks sealed by magical means may be unlocked as well if the lock was sealed by a beings whose Essence is less than the wearer’s. Locks sealed by beings with greater or equal Essence must be unlocked individually, at the price of one paradox per lock.
Procrastinating Huitzil’s Atlalt
(Artifact •••) This Paradoxed weapon resembles a Spear Thrower of Exalted Prowess (Book of Sorcery, vol 1: Wonders of the Lost Age, p. 75) and is functionally identically except the usual effects associated with its paradoxical existence and its lack of a repair rating. It was owned by Procrastinating Huitzil, who once served the Raptok until he Exalted as an Aurora and joined the nascent rebellion against the Primordials. His Atlalt is a powerful weapon, capable of hurtling javelins with tremendous armor-peircing force. Additionally, by gaining a point of Paradox, this arfifact may throw a javelin with such force that it pierces the veil of time and space itself. It emerges a few seconds earlier to strike one foe with an unblockable, undodgeable attack as a Shaping effect (in combat resolution, treat as though it occurred on the wielder’s action-tick). Even
if this attack kills the target before he would have taken some who speaks or performs in an official capacity, including a recother action, the target’s actions remain unchanged. ognized member of the audience who might have a question of the lecturer, gains the benefits of Stentorian Amplification Baying Hound Horn Practice (p. 114). (Artifact •••) A delicate twisting horn carved from a single piece of Roaring Comet Banner Adamant, the Baying Hound Horn resonates with a single (Artifact ••••) sonorous tone when blown. A blast from his horn calls the This Adamant Direlance trails two streaming pennants, attention of all beings within (Essence x 10) yards of the user, like the twin tails of a comet. In combat, they always blow directing them to one object or being which the user can away from the most likely victor (as determined by the Storyperceive. All mundane attempts by the target to hide from teller). This may change mid-combat as fortunes shift. If the the group’s attention automatically fail as long as it remains bearer coordinates an attack against the combatant indicated within the horn’s radius of effect. The user rolls (Perception by the banners, the coordinated attack penalty is increased + Performance) when blowing the horn. All being’s whose at- by two. Additionally, if the bearer participates in the attack tention has been called by this horn add his successes in extra and successfully inflicts damage on the target, he may regain dice to attempts to detect or follow the target for the next five one Valor channel. If the banners ever indicate that the minutes, even after it has left the initial range of the horn. bearer himself is most likely victor, he also regains a Valor Attuning to the Baying Hound Horn costs six motes. channel whenever he successfully fends off an entire wave of a Coordinated Attack. In mass combat, if the Roaring Comet Shears of Yazhan Banner is wielded by a relay, the unit’s effective Magnitude is (Artifact •••) increased by one for all purposes the commander desires and This pair of glittering interlocking Adamant blades was the maximum bonus and penality the unit inflicts upon units crafted by the Nebula Yazhan, later known as the Weaver of with lesser Magnitude is likewise increased by one, usually to Gold Threads. Once an old tailor of seemingly little impor- four. Attuning to the Roaring Comet Banner costs ten motes. tance, the Maiden of Endings had place on Yazhan a great destiny. He was to weave from golden takin wool a cloak for Victorious Mythos Quill the youngest son of his chief, a gift so impressive it would (Artifact ••••) stir his older brothers to fratricide and ultimately tear the Despite its name, this artifact is not an actual writing tribe apart. But before he could, the takin caught the eyes of implement. It pens its legend, true enough, but its ink is the the Primordial Qaf. The Titan transformed it into a majestic blood of fools and its scrawls is glory upon the pages of the behemoth with wool spun of true gold. For Qaf, this was an battlefield. This Paradoxed Grand Daiklave came to the Nova, act of meditation, but ultimately trivial, like a monk raking known only as Mirror of the Horizon, from that place the designs into his rock garden. For Yazhan, it was moment of Sidereals fear. She had long since discarded her true name, utter transformation. The gift of Nox came upon him and even before Nox presented his gift to her. What her original he set out to find a new path in life. He chiseled his famous destiny was no one seems to know. She had gone off her sheers and with them slew the behemoth, carrying its metallic fated path many years before, and fell into disgrace—though wool as a trophy to his last Cereus Festival. whether one caused the other is equally mysterious. All that is The Shears of Yazhan may appear large and cumber- really known is that Mirror of the Horizon was not in the right some for a pair of scissors, but once attuned for eight motes, place at the right time when destiny demanded her presence. they are surprisingly nimble and exceedingly sharp. They cut Disgraced, she shed her name to protect the honor of her through mundane metals as easily as the thinnest fabric. In family. combat, the two halves of the shears may be separated to Victorious Mythos Quill has the appearance of an enorserve as Adamant Short Daiklaves, which ignore soak from mous stylized crystal feather, and once attuned for ten motes, mundane armor completely. Outside of combat, they serve is just as light as one, too. The weilder may gain one Paradox as a Master’s Workshop for all attempts to craft or repair at anytime. Sometime over the next twenty-five hours, she mundane armor or clothing. In addition to cutting fabrics finds her self engaged with a fearsome foe worthy of the conand metals, the Shears continuously produce small fragments tinuing legend Victorious Mythos Quill wishes to write. She that serve as needles, which in turn extrude a golden thread arrives at her destination driven by an assortment of bizarre spun from the wool of the behemoth it first slew. The needle coincidences and contrived encounters, but ultimately the and thread can stitch together metals as well as fabrics. encounter only serves to further her renown—if she can defeat the foe the blade as chosen. In mass combat, the wielder can Chautauqau Pavillion gain one Paradox to intercept all attempts to duel a special (Artifact •••) character in her unit, provide she is not the leader of the unit Properly folded and binded, a Chautauqua Pavillion herself. resembles a large, closed parasol about as tall as a person. Unfolding the Pavillion reveals it to be much larger than it Hark’s Ranging Bow first appeared. Adamant poles extend to great heights and the (Artifact ••••) cloth stretches and expands to for an immense billowing tent. Born in the primeval forest, Hark grew up in a small These portable structures are always exactly as large as they tribe under the protection of the Raptok. Receiving the gift of need to be, allowing the owner to entertain as many guests as Exaltation from Nox, he gained another from across time and he can attract, while always ensuring the venue looks properly space. His ranging bow (he knew it was his, for his name was well-attended. Those who enter the tent are captivated by the chiseled into its adamant along with a cryptic note: Enjoy it performances within, even if they are just lectures or debates while it lasts) is a Paradoxed Long Powerbow. A deadly weapon instead of the music or dance. Any being who enters the in its own right, it earned fame for the trickery the Herald pavilion as part of the audience are automatically under the could perform with it. If the bow would inflict damage on a influence the Charms Maintaining Manners and Herald De- target in Step 10, Hark could instead negate the damage and mands Respect (p. 125) as though they were mortals. Anyone gain one Paradox. Doing so allowed him to swap places with
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Other Notes: Dancing Sky Shields ignore the spatial distortions of the sky, causing them to appear to accelerate at increasingly bewildering speeds at higher altitudes. These vessels are capable of exceptional maneuverability—the pilot’s reaction speed, rather than the vessels, becomes the limiting Oathbound factor. These are relatively fragile vessels and typically rely on (Artifact •••••) speed, agility, and stealth to avoid and evade conflict rather Once owned by the armiger Chalcedony Pauraque, than engage a foe directly. Their small size and nearly silent Oathbound is a glittering set of Paradoxed Articulated Plate, operations grants them a +3 situational bonus to avoid deteccomplete with matching helm. Encased entirely in Adamant, tion. Chalcedony Pauraque was a fearsome warrior, but his greatest strength was his compassion and loyalty to his allies. By gain- Mothuo ‘Uowo, The Prodigal Twin ing a Paradox, he could extend the protection of Oathbound (Artifact •••••) to one willing character within (Essence) yards to whom Under Mosok patronage, the tribe of islanders known as he had a positive Intimacy. Oathbound would materialize the Than Muono rose into a great merchant nation before the around the protected ally, functionally being in two places at outbreak of the Primordial War. Their trading vessels plied the same time. While the other person enjoyed the Soak and the dangerous waters of the Western Ocean. The wealth of Hardness of the armor, she was unhindered by its Mobility the region flowed through their ports and into the coffers of Penalty, Fatigue value or attunement cost. She did, however, their noble houses—minus the tribute due to their reptilian count as wearing the armor for the purposes of her Charms. patrons, of course. Greatest of these houses was Dou Galu, Oathbound could sustain its dual location for one scene. whose mighty warship Ewo Uralo, or The Heir of Uralo, comOathbound’s protection does not stack with armor the benefi- manded the respect and fear of all other maritime powers, ciary may be wearing; if the beneficiary accepts Oathbound’s except the Lintha. Fortunately the sea god Uralo approved of protection, she forfeits the benefits of any armor she is cur- Dou Galu’s dedication of their warship in his honor and used rently wearing until the end of the scene. his position of as a yomi loyal to Kimbery to calm the Lintha. For centuries the Ewo Uralo sailed the waters of the The Dancing Sky Shield Than Muono. Year after year, pieces were replaced. A mast (Artifact •••••) here, new sails there. Plank by plank the Ewo Uralo was slowly Before the Great Maker devoured their race, the rebuilt again and again. In time, not a single peg remained Ereta’een built fleets of these sleek discoid vessels from unchanged, yet the venerable Ewo Uralo remained a national starmetal and adamant. Exceptionally fast and nimble, the icon to the Than Mouno and brought house Dou Galu much world would not see their like again until the Twilights of prestige. the First Age built their own flying craft. What the Ereta’een That is, until the young Ola Tharu exalted with the called them in their native language, no one remembers. Hu- indigo banner of the night’s sky. Fated to undermine the mans called them Dancing Sky Shields, for that is how they authority of Dou Galu, his destiny was thwarted when the appeared from the ground in those remote and ignorant days. Unconquered Sun chose the rising scion of the house to be The small cockpit sits motionlessly in the center of a spinning among his Eclipses. Instead, gifted the improbable power that disk, which emits a faint eerie whir that can only be heard on comes with the Nocturnal Exaltation, Tharu set out to undera close approach. Within the cockpit, the pilot, co-pilot and mine the icon of merchant empire. He scoured the islands of up to four passengers can barely feel the movement of the the Than Muono for the scattered pieces of the Ewo Uralo, for vessel as it accelerates or changes direction instantaneously. it was his people’s practice not to waste a scarce resource like When landing three narrow legs extrude from the base of the wood on their small islands. He capablized door frames, floorvessel, leaving behind small patches of irradiated soil upon its boards, barstools, festival poles, and the many other items that departure. the pieces of the Ewo Uralo had been recycled into. Only a few of these vessels survived the destruction of their Bit by bit, the vessel took shape again. Soon, Tharu had builders. The remains of one came into the possession of an exact replica of the Ewo Oralu… or was his the original and Ikida Shau, a Nova inventor and explorer. He repaired the the other the copy? It is a riddle that shook the confidence vessel and launched the first Exalted expedition to the Firma- of the Than Muono and resonated well with the essence of ment, for vessels such as these are one of the few that could the Nocturnal Exaltation. Through his labor Tharu created make the long journey skyward. something more than a mere warship. He crafted a vessel Repair: 4 worth to bear an Exalt: the Muthuo ‘Uowo, The Prodigal Twin. Speed: 50/100mph Speed: 7(15)/15(30) mph Maneuverability: +(pilot’s Wits)S Maneuverability: -4(+0)S Endurance: Requires a 2+ dot hearthstone plugged Endurance: Wind and current into the control panel to operate. A 3+ Sidereal or Nocturnal Crew: 22/6 heartstone is required to fly higher than six miles above the Cargo: 2,000 tons, or room for 125 passengers and their supsurface of Creation. plies Crew: 2/1 (Wits 3, Sail 2) Armor: 6(12)L/12(24)B Cargo: 500 pounds and room for four passengers. Health Levels: Ux12/Mx6(12)/Cx5/I/D Armor: 10L/20B Weapons: None permanently equipped Health Levels: Ux5/Mx10/Cx5/I/D Other Notes: The Prodigal Twin is 35 yards long and 8 yards Weapons: None standard. May integrate various wide. While still a large vessel by mortal standards, it was magitech weaponry, such as fire lances and implosion bows, much more impressive in ancient times when ships of this size that can then be fired from the cockpit by the co-pilot. Such were a rare sight. It may be sailed without attuning, but once weaponry must be acquired separately. it has been attuned for 10 motes it gains the Traits listed in parentheses. Additionally once attuned, the ship self-repairs one his target, regardless of distance. For example, firing upon a bird high above, he might launch himself skyward; turning rapidly, he fires upon an enemy on the ground, swapping places with her and letting her fall rather than him.
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level of damage every hour; it has been broken and scattered once before and will not allow itself to be again. However the vessel does change as its captain does. Whenever the owner completes his Motivation, the parenthetical values increase by one (by +2 in the chase of its speed in miles per hour).
For Nocturnals, going through a Renewal also triggers this bonus. The vessel may gain this bonus up to (Essence) times. The Prodigal Twin has survived millennia of abuse and current resides at the bottom of the sea, playing host to a family of Peligial squatters who are unaware of its capabilities.
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Chapter Seven
Storytelling
Just as the Exalted storytelling chapter provides guidance for running a game with the recently returned Solar Exalted, this chapter offers the same for games involving the returning Nocturnal Exalted. The Chosen of Nox are a different breed of hero. Arising from servants, they transcend their former mortal superiors. Taking their rightful place alongside the other Celestial Exalted, the Harlequins will soon learn their liberation is not all it appeared. They have merely traded one master for another more splendid one. But Heralds and Harlequins alike are never likely to accept the burden of fate in silence. How they respond to such obstacles—whether they will themselves through it or shatter themselves sideways to go around it—will demonstrate to all that they are more than glorified serfs. They are heroes worthy of the name Exalted.
Players, Too
Though written with the storyteller in mind, the information contained in this chapter is suitable for players as well. There are secrets here, of course, and many of them, but which apply to the Manvantara of your game and which apply to another universe completely is matter best left to the cunning plans of a Storyteller and the adventurous discoveries of players. In the meantime, these secrets are presented here to guide you down the many paths of game involving the Nocturnal Exalted—or to inspire the Storyteller to invent yet more secrets of her own.
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G etting Started As always, the first step is to decide exactly what sort of game you want to run now that you have this manual. The newborn Harlequins have many options to explore before the shackles of Subservience begin to tighten—which, in turn, opens up the possibility for a different sort of story. Or perhaps your game will center on the last coterie of Heralds, refugees from ancient days thrust into unfamiliar modern times. Either way, once you have struck upon an option that interests both you and the players, you’ll be able to begin.
Heralds or Harlequins
Deciding whether the players will be portraying Heralds or Harlequins is an important early step. Harlequins are the default option. The Nocturnal Exaltations have only recently begun choosing heroic mortals of the appropriate qualities to become Harlequins, and there are a great deal more of them than Heralds. They are mortal heroes suddenly invested with great Celestial power and set free upon the world to explore their new-found gifts. In this way, they are much like the reborn Solars—unfettered and unguided. This has its advantages. The Harlequins may set their own course and use their power to advance their own desires without concern for other obligations. This has its disadvantages as well. The Harlequins have no support structure and no access to mentors. They will be targeted by the Wyld Hunt
Herald Character Creation
To better represent their increased power, you may wish to use this alternative character creation method for Heralds. Heralds begin with 11/9/8 Attributes, plus two dots to spend in Caste or Favored Attributes. They gain one dot in Bureaucracy, Presence, or Socialize; two dots in Lore; two dots in Occult; a dot in Ride or Sail; and two dots to send in Archery, Martial Arts, Melee or Thrown. Additionally, each Herald gains dots based on specialized training each Caste received. Nova: (Awarness or Investigation) 2, Presence 1, War 1 Comet: Athletics 1, (Archery, Martial Arts, Melee, or Thrown) 2, Dodge 1 Aurora: Linguistics 1, (Performance or Presence) 2, Socialize 1 Empyrean: Bureaucracy 1, Resistance 1, (Ride, Sail, or Survival) 2 Nebula: Larceny 1, (Lore or Occult) 2, Stealth 1 Beyond standard training, the Heralds also gain 38 additional Ability dots, 15 Background dots, 30 Charms, 5 dots of Vitures, Essence 4, and 35 bonus points. This makes them roughly equivalent to an Established Celestial Exalt of the First Age (see Dreams of the First Age: Lords of Creation, Chapter One) and such a Herald would count as Mentor 2 for a new Harlequin. and, worse still, the agents of Destiny. Fortunate, indeed, is the Harlequin whose own companion is the one sent to slay him—he will find no mercy elsewhere. The days of such dangerous freedom may be short-lived. As the Harlequin grows in power and prestige, he will inevitably encounter other types of Celestial Exalted. It is only a matter of time before the Harlequin feels the Curse of Subservience eroding his free will. Then his story shifts. First, he make seek a lonely life, but one free of obligation. Second, he may seek to coexist with his Celestial peers, finding subtle ways to skirt around direct conflict. Third, he may seek to resist, steeling his will against the constant erosion of Subservience and bracing himself for the 699 tasks that will free him of his curse completely. Heralds are better suited for experienced players or as storyteller-controlled characters. They were trained to fight in the Primordial War and had the skills necessary to escape the Cereus Blossom Massacre. Since then, they have passed through time as a stone skips across the surface of a flowing river. When they have appeared, the distinct trail of paradox any Nocturnal create has attracted the eyes of the Maidens upon them. These fugitives have fled from one Age to the next, never lingering long and disappearing for centuries at a time, always trying to stay one step ahead of the Maidens and their assassins. Now the Maidens have grown complacent, and their greatest tools have been dulled by overuse. The Bureau of Destiny is overworked and the sudden appearance of Solars, Abyssals, and the Green Sun Princes provides plenty of distractions to keep the Sidereals busy while the Heralds move about the world. The Heralds are now free to explore the Age of Sorrows they find themselves in. Indeed, some have been doing so clandestinely for several years now. For some this might be a grim adventure, for others it is a woeful exile. The Heralds are not at home in Creation today. Their true home existed thousands of years ago, long since destroyed by the Three Spheres Cataclysm, the Usurpation, or the Balorian Crusade. History has not been kind to Creation. When the Herald walks the world, she sees only diminished unfamiliar ruins.
Why did the characters Exalt as Nocturnals? If the players are portraying Harlequins, what was their great altruistic callings? How were they thwarted by the powers that disrupt Fate? Are they even aware that the Bureau of Destiny once had plans for them that are now moot? If the players are portraying surviving Heralds, why were they chosen by Nox? What obsolete act of heroism did the Lord of Possibilities offer the Herald a second chance to claim? How does the character feel about her thwarted Destiny? Does she even care? Does she seek to set her life back on its ‘proper’ path or does she strike out into unfamiliar territory? In general, how much does the character know about the machinations of Fate and Destiny? Does she recognize them as necessary for the function of Creation or are they merely impositions placed on the world by the Powers That Be? What are the characters’ current altruistic motivations? The Nocturnals are agents of revolutionary change—not of their own glory but because they believe they making a better world for everyone. Do the player’s characters share a common goal? Who or what will oppose their revolution? If they do not share a goal, why are they working or traveling together? How much do the characters really know about their Exaltations? While all Exalts know intuitively what they are, on a basic level, many mysteries surround the Nocturnal Exalts, even to themselves. The Harlequins will know they are Chosen of a powerful Incarna and they they possess the power to warp reality. But do they know the ultimate source of their power? Do they know whose mad voice whispers in their minds? Do they know what mysterious beings call to them by the bonds of their Exaltations? If they have encountered their Sidereal companions, how strong is their relationship? How large a role will the Chosen of the Maidens play in the series? How much time do the characters spend with other Celestials? Are they already serving a Solar general or a Lunar’s shadow government? Do they only know what Immaculate propaganda has taught them about their peers? If they are not already in contact with other Celestials, are they likely to encounter some early in the game? Are they more likely to gain Celestial allies than enemies?
Before being a series involving the Nocturnals it’s best to get a few questions out of the way. Exalted, p. 260, has a few questions that are are important to address for any series. For the Nocturnals, there are a few other questions that will help guide the initial preparations of the game. Your players don’t need to have answers for all them immediately, but the more detailed the response the stronger the player’s characterization will be.
The Nocturnals are a new superpower in the world of Creation, but a superpower nonetheless. They wield power equal to the other Celestial Exalted and warp reality with a whim. There is little they cannot do if they apply themselves toward a certain goal. Yet there are still limits to their cosmic power. Perhaps those limits are not to your liking. In Exalted, the first rule is “Have Fun.” If there is something ill-suited to the series you wish to run, feel free to
Intial Questions
Changing the Rules
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talk it over with your players and make the necessary changes. The Chosen of Nox are particularly predisposed to such rule alternations. After all, it is simply a matter of discovering the right Manvantara where the Nocturnals are precisely as you desire them to be. Example One: Raphael is a Storyteller who dislikes that Fluctuations increase in Difficulty when duplicating a previous Fluctuation. Instead, he changes the rules so that Trivial Fluctuations may be related as often as Nocturnal desires; Minor Fluctuations may be repeated once a day; Average Fluctuations may be repeated once a week, and so on. This allows his players to make basic Fluctuations readily, while still making more extravagant Fluctuations unique. Example Two: Brandon is a Storyteller who dislikes that the Charm Walking the Skeins only creates a simulation of the past. He tweaks the Charm’s mechanics and fluff to allow his players to literally travel backwards through time—bracing himself for the temporal shenanigans his players will no doubt get up to. Keeping Characters Unique It is occasionally challenging to keep characters of the same caste distinct, especially starting out. Exalted (p. 261) discusses this issue as well, but here are some particular suggestions for Chosen of Possibilities. The key, as always, is to aim for a clear characterization and to allow the personality and preferences of that character to guide early (and later, of course) development. Example: Brian’s character Meticulous Surgeon is a Nova Caste who has begun to master the Art of Victorious Concession. As a mortal, he earned a living as a physician in the city of Cherak and has learned the grim realities of war firsthand from tending the wounds of the Realm’s legionnaires. A pacifist to the core, he seeks peaceful resolution to conflicts and appeals to the better natures of those he encounters. Kaleen’s character Lightning Rhapsody is also member of the Nova Caste. She excels in both the mundane art of music and the magical art of Weather Working—occasionally mixing the two in impressive meteorological symphonies. These extravagant entertainments are more than mere shows, however, as they are also her primary tools adjust the economic fortunes of region as she sees fit.
How Am I Not Myself?
This is a tale of personal paradox and will likely crop up in any Nocturnal series that goes on long enough. What makes a person someone and not someone else? The Nocturnal is forced to confront this philosophical riddle head on. Over time, all identifying features of the Exalt may be replaced and altered. Motivations and Intimacy shift on their own, but for the Nocturnals this may occur at a much more rapid and fickle pace. Some Charms allow them cannabilize other Traits to learn new ones. Renewals may transform a Nocturnal body and soul. At what point does the character stop being who he once was and start being a new character entirely? Is the transformation ever that complete? Possessing an Alter-Ego exaggerates this identity crisis. Like the Narrator and Tyler Durden from Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club, are the Nocturnal and the Alter-Ego the same character or two characters who happen to share a body? That’s a question Nocturnal philosophers (and your players) will have to decide on their own.
Using the Nocturnal E xalted in Your Series Revolution is the name of the game for the Nocturnals.
are heroes. While the Nocturnals were intended to be champions of change and progress, they can also be harbingers of chaos. Which way the Harlequins are perceived is largely up to the direction you choose for your series and the actions the players take to achieve their goals.
Fate Crash
Nocturnals as Antagonists
Now and then, the Loom convulses and reweaves itself. Yes, it restores itself shortly thereafter, but not without a cascade of Paradox following it its wake. Worst still, one by one, the strands of Fate that comprise the Loom are vanishing. The pattern spiders never notice the exact moment the strand disappears, nor do they know precisely how many have already vanished. The Bureau of Destiny grows increasingly concerned. While Sidereal agents have been dispatched, sudden cryptic reassignemnts from the Convention of Oversight frequently stymie their investigations. Left unchecked, the Nocturnal Exalted pose a major threat to the Bureau of Destiny. Fluctuations cause all manner of Paradoxes. When a desert nomad drowns in flash flood that should not have existed, when next week overlaps with today, when the dead feign life, the Bureau is left to clean up the Harlequin’s mess. Then there is the matter of the Nocturnal’s own Tangled Fate. Twisting through the Loom without the attention of its caretakers, it ensares others and drags those strands into its own obscured nature. A Tangled Fate spreads like a virus, potentially infecting the Loom at an alarming pace. While not immediately dangerous, as more fall through the cracks of Fate, the Bureau’s ability to maintain the continued existence of Creation is made increasingly difficult. If not dealt with swiftly, the nature of reality itself is threatened, torn apart not by the ravenous Neverborn or the maddening Raksha but by a disease from within. On more mundane level, the Harlequins are well-suited to be seeds around which a rebellion or revolution crystallizes (though they do not necessarily lead the rebellion themselves). A Dragon-blooded satrap or a Solar conquerer may find his realm undermined by the sedition of the Nocturnals. A sufficiently subtle Harlequin may even avoid her Curse long enough to allow her revolution to succeed. Alternatively, perhaps the Nocturnal’s revolution is not as beneficial as she believes. Perhaps the ‘better world’ she seeks to craft must be opposed by more sensible heroes. Finally, should the Heralds and Harlequins decipher the final fate of Nox, the internecine conflict that the Incarnae feared may indeed come to pass. Will the players rally to the aid of their patron? How far will they go to pull him from his prison—the very machine that stabilizes reality? The Sidereals, certainly, will resist any attempt to undermine the Loom of Fate. The Solars and Lunars, too, are not likely to support such an action if it threatens all of Creation. For allies, the Nocturnals may be forced to join known enemies of the world—the Abyssal Exalted or the Fair Folk.
Viva la Revolución
Nocturnals as Protagonists
The people cry out. They live beneath the bootheel of a tyrant. They suffer from merciless, amoral plague.They are threatened by barbarians or by the intrusion of those who vainly call themselves civilized. They need a hero. Some heros This may be a welcomed change around which the Harlequins are golden, some silver. Still others are diamonds in the rough, will gather many allies—or the might attract the ire of the most glittering beacons of hope hidden behind a dark exterior. powerful beings in the land. All Exalts are heroic, but not all
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The heroic journey of the Nocturnal Exalt differs from that of their Solar and Lunar equivalents. In fact, it has more in common with that of the Alchemical Exalted. Their tale is bound up in their service to others. This may be overt—such as tending to the sick a disease-ravaged land. It may be more abstract—such as becoming a paragon of glory to serve as an example to others. It may be sweeping—such as leading a rebellion so that a better ruler may claim legitimate rule over an oppressed nation. It may be personal—such as helping a single person find the courage to follow his ambitions. However, while the Champions of Autochthonia exist mainly to preserve the ideals of their society and maintain stability of their nation, the Harlequins rarely support the status quo. Even the Empyrean Caste, who most closely approach the concepts of order and stability, are better suited to empower new order and shift society into a more stable form than they are to maintain established trends indefinitely. As radicals and revolutionaries, the Harlequins may indeed be the harbingers of a new glorious age. Even if they must defer to the leadership of a Lawgiver or Steward, the Nocturnals will certainly be a powerful motivating force behind any major improvement to Creation to come. Through their powers, the Harlequins expose the folly of Creation’s current trajectory and sound the warning. Free from the baggage of history, the Harlequins are uniquely positioned to guide their fellow Exalts onto a new path. The Usurpation never drove them to betrayal. They remained innocent of the brutalities of the Primordial War, being among that conflict’s first victims themselves. As a neutral party, the Harlequins may seek to mend these ancient and bitter rivalries. With so many threats circling around Creation today, the world will need such arbiters to pull its heroes together toward a common goal. Perhaps when the dust has settled and the coalition bound by the Harlequins has saved the world, the Nocturnals will even find time to reconcile the gods and earn Nox a pardon.
Game Styles
Exalted presents a number of play styles already (p. 262-263), but some of these are more appropriate for the Solar Exalted than they are for the Nocturnals. This sections provides a few adjustments to the basic play styles as well as some new ones specifically for the Chosen of Nox. Styles Remix “Vanilla Exalted”, for the Harlequins, is quite similar the basic tale of the Solars. They are independent heroes, establishing their own legend while avoiding the wrath of the Bureau of Destiny. This is a tale of grand adventure and epic conflict. However, unlike a reborn Lawgiver seeking to restore the ancient Solar Deliberative, the Harlequins have little interest in rebuilding the past. Their eyes are firmly set on the future and the creation of something new. “A Land Once Divided Must Unite” is close to the revolutionary heart of the Nocturnals. Though they can assume positions of leadership, in the presence of other Celestials they rarely assume the role George Washington. Instead the Nocturnals fill the role of Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, or occasionally Benedict Arnold. The Comet and Aurora Castes, in particular, would prove useful in such a scenario. “And I’ll Form the Head” is a difficult style to pull off for the Nocturnals given their initial starting conditions. They could reclaim lost wonders of the First Age, but unlike the Solars or Lunars they have no ancient tombs to provide them with the treasures of their previous Incarnations. To achieve this style you may wish to alter the setting slightly. Perhaps
the Harlequins have already contacted their mates and been integrated into the Bureau of Destiny. When the Bureau has need to flex its muscle, the Nocturnals are dispatched rather than the Sidereals. Alternatively, perhaps Heralds fled the last days of the Time of Glory with vast collection of machinery befitting the greatest war Creation would ever see. “Outlander” is also a challenge for the Nocturnals. While they can survive in the exotic realms beyond Creation, they require many specialized Charms and cut themselves off from Fluctuations. Instead of exploring the alien realms of Malfeas, the Wyld or Autochthonia, the Nocturnals may seek adventures in alternate realities, as described later. “Project: Exalted” allows the Harlequins to live up to their name.They might find themselves in the service of mad Celestial who frequently demands humorous tasks of them, or their constant meddling with the nature of reality may cause absurd and amusing paradoxes to manifest around them. Alternatively, they may inhabit a quirky Manvantara, such as one where the Incarnae chose various species of primates to host their Exaltations, with Sol taking the gorillas; Luna, the chimpanzee and bonobo; the Maidens, the orang-utan; Nox , the the gibbons and siamangs; and the Elemental Dragons, the baboon. “Invasion,” like Outlander before it, has a new option available with the Nocturnals. Instead of nigh-infinite hordes of Raksha or demons, Creation may find itself threatened by another Manvantara, such as one in which the Usurpation never occurred and powerful Solars seek to expand their dominion across the entire Kalpa. “The (Nocturnal) Who Came in From the Cold” can by played with any Nocturnal Caste, especially if the focus of their intrigue and espionage is the Bureau of Destiny itself. Obscured from Fate as they are but with a vested interest in the machination of fate, the Nocturnals may engage their Sidereal cousins in a shadow war of sabotage and deception. In particular, the Nebula Caste was specifically designed to engage in this sort of activity—the Nova Caste, too, will prove useful in such scenarios. “Sorcery & Sorcery” works as well for the Nocturnals as it does for any Celestial. Additionally, the Nocturnals retain many Charms that enhance thaumaturgy, allowing them a more low-key variant of this style “Walk the Earth” is the Empyrean’s wheelhouse. Other Nocturnals may, of course, join them in their travels. Be sure to consult the Travel rules in Exalted (p. 263-268). Additionally with Charms such as Shadow Out of Time and Walking the Skeins, the Nocturnals’ journeys need not be limited to merely spatial dimensions.
Star-Crossed Lovers
The bond between the Harlequins and the Viziers is as strong as that between the Stewards and the Lawgivers. But a tale that centers around such a connection will have more in common with Romeo and Juliet than the romance of Rama and Sita in the Ramayana. This applies to platonic relationships as well as romantic ones. In such a tale, the Harlequin and the Vizier must contend with their undeniable bond. Opposing their happy ending is the conflict between the Nocturnals and the Bureau of Destiny. The Sidereal may seek to shelter his companion from the inevitable purge while advocating for the less drastic course of action, or he may run off with her and go ronin. Either option is unlikely to go well for the pair. Ghosts of Calibration Future This game style focuses on the Nocturnal’s abilty to perform Fluctuations in order to reveal the possible course of
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a person’s life. The Nocturnals take on the role of the three Christmas Ghosts from Charles Dickens’ famous A Christmas Carol. This works well in association with their Sidereal companions. For example, the Sidereal may make a dire prediction regarding the future of a Solar’s realm if the Solar remains on his presence course. The Nocturnal approaches the Solar and delivers a vivid warning, shaping a scene from the Solar’s doomed future in hopes of avoiding that calamity.
An Exalt Out of Temporal Water
This game style is designed for the exiled Heralds. Like Rip Van Winkle or H.G. Wells’ anonymousTime Traveller, the Heralds find themselves in an unfamiliar time after a long absence. The world has changed much since the Primordial War and the Heralds are largely ignorant of the intervening 5,000 years of history. In that time empires have risen and collapsed. Great wonders have been built up and torn down. Creation has shrunk and grown and shrunk again. Adjusting to this unfamiliar setting will be challenging for the Heralds. Coming to terms with the fact that they can never go home again, that all they knew and all they loved is now an irrelevant footnote in a dusty history book, will be even harder. Once that angst has been cleared up, the real work of the Herald begins. Creation is broken. Someone has to fix it. Might as well be them. Set Right What Once Went Wrong This game style embraces the Nocturnal’s ability to dabble in “time travel.” Instead of merely manipulating a simulation of the past and hoping the Loom uploads some slight modifications to mundane reality, the Nocturnals may actually travel freely into the past. This is not a tale without consequences. True, the Nocturnals may seek to correct an event they perceive as a tragedy, but those “corrections” will themselves have consequences. The Nocturnal manages to save her husand, but at what cost? Her personal journey will continue to affect her and she will bear the memories of all her attempts, both successful and failed. Not only does the past exist for today’s Nocturnals to journey to, the present may be visited by Nocturnals from the future as well.They may come to deliver a warning of a doomed universe, giving today’s Nocturnals and other Exalts just enough information to attempt to steer Creation away from such a dire fate. Or they might come back to cut down some foe before he becomes a true threat—only later to come back again to stop himself from creating an even worse enemy. If the Nocturnals are permited to travel through time in this fashion, perhaps they are not alone. Of the many Primordials, one might have possessed a similar power. Like the Heralds, it also sought refugee in the future. Now it turns its power to altering the past. Your players must pursue it and its demons across time and space; thwarting its every move before (or after, depending on your point of view) it can free its fellow Primordials from their prison.
The Paradox Liberation
You probably notice that up until now, the exact means by which the Nocturnals returned to Creation have not been discussed. Where were the Nocturnal Exaltations stored? Who released them and how? These are questions for you to decide, and your players may play a role in the liberation of their kind. As a first option, perhaps the Paradox Liberation is a cooperative effort of the remaining Heralds organized by the Madame. The Heralds certainly have the motivation to free the other Nocturnals.This may even have been a conspiracy
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stretching over millennia as the Heralds skipped through time. Or it may have been a recent development, something permitted for the first time by the convergence of Heralds and a distraction large enough to keep the Bureau of Destiny from interfering as they performed their work. As a second alternative, perhaps the Harlequins themselves may one day be responsible for their own liberation. Perhaps by employing Walking the Skeins, the Harlequins have subtly tampered with the past, poking and prodding it until their Exaltations fly free for the first time in thousands of years, generating a stable causal loop and making the Paradox Liberation true to its name—see Set Right What Once Went Wrong, above. Or perhaps Harlequins from other Manvantaras have discovered the means to travel from one universe to another, and your players are on a crusade to liberate Nocturnals throughout the Kalpa—see Other Yesterdays, below. As a third option, perhaps the Paradox Liberation is not the main force behind the Nocturnals’ escape. In this version of things, Nox has more freedom to command the Sidereals through the Division of Oversight than the Maidens had thought possible. Through perplexing orders over long centuries, the Bound God has played a slow game. Here, your players would be Sidereals rather than Nocturnals, either following the strange orders of Oversight to their logical conclusions or