Deus Pater (Exalted/40k)

[ ] The Soldier - The Astra Militarum is the largest organized fighting force in the galaxy, drawing its recruits from every world and pitting them against every possible foe. You are one amid uncounted billions, a humble soldier fighting on the frontlines of one of the Imperium's innumerable wars, and though you served with skill and pride you always knew you were nothing particularly special. The Emperor, it seems, disagrees. (Dawn)

[ ] The Rebel - The Imperium has always proclaimed itself protector and steward of the million worlds beneath its heel, but you know better. You have seen what the servants of the Aquila have done to your world, heard what they intend if left unchecked, and you have decided; enough. You are a faithful man, but loyalty to a God does not demand loyalty to those who pervert his name, and in the glory of your Exaltation your words are proven right at last. (Dawn)

[ ] The Shepherd - You have served the Church all your life, bringing the light of faith to the downtrodden and those unfairly deprived. You have advised them, comforted them, given them the strength to go on in the face of the galaxy's cruelty and indifference. And now, just when it appeared that the stars would see your flock scattered and your words made a lie, the hand of god has come down and anointed you as one of His chosen. Your flock, it seems, has just grown significantly. (Zenith)

[ ] The Firebrand - The Ecclesiarchy is a putrid corpse, rotted from within by the venal corruption of those who should know better. They have gathered wealth and power and proclaimed their politics sanctioned by the Emperor himself… as though the Saviour of Man would ever debase himself with such base corruption. You spoke out against it, fully expecting to be struck down for your words, only to find that the oldest saying is true indeed; the Emperor protects the virtuous. (Zenith)

[ ] The Healer - You only ever wanted to help people. That's why you trained as a medicus, why you studied the secrets of plague and the mysteries of the gene. You dreamt of a world where humanity need not fear the ravages of mortality, and in the now you focused on healing those who did. As contagion broke out across the world and you struggled desperately to stem the tide, your Emperor chose to share with you some small measure of his miraculous insight, and your dream became the hope of reality (Twilight).

[ ] The Visionary - Humanity has lost so much, and what little remains is guarded jealously by those who enjoy the power it brings. You would see the birthright of mankind restored, and to this end set yourself to studying the dark secrets of history in defiance of the Mechanicus and their enforcers. Such hubris would have been the end of you, but for the benevolence of one who once dreamed as you did, and who saw fit to bless your insane mission with His divine favour. (Twilight)

[ ] The Judge - Those with power often feel themselves entitled to disregard the law, to see the enforcers of His Word as their servants instead of their watchdogs. You were determined to prove them wrong, and to that end pursued the corrupt and the venal through a labyrinth of conspiracy and judgement until it led to the very highest of halls. There you would have died, but for His benevolent intervention, and in payment of that debt you will continue your quest until all are held as equals before the law. (Night)

[ ] The Mutant - Your genetics are impure, your body twisted away from the divine template of mankind's heritage, but in your chest rests a human soul and a human heart. You sought only to prove this to those who deemed themselves your betters, to bring succor and relief to your twisted brethren, and for this they tied you to a stake and set spark to the fuel. You would have burned then, but for the intervention of your god, and the comfort of knowing that you are as worthy of His blessings as any pureblood is a heady thing indeed. (Night)

[ ] The Officer - You are master of a ship, a Captain of the Imperial Navy, oftentimes the only contact the far-flung worlds of humanity will have with the wider Imperium for years at a time. You have served as their protector and their voice, and when the darkness came for those in your charge you stood and fought... and, blazing with the light of the divine, found victory in the face of terrible odds. Now, you have a new mission, a higher duty, and you will see it fulfilled. (Eclipse)

[ ] The Envoy - Mankind is not alone in the universe, much as some might wish it so, and while the Ecclesiarchy preaches total intolerance of that which is alien you have always known such a stance to be dangerously shortsighted. The xenos must be studied, must be understood, must even at times be treated with as something approaching a peer, and it is in this capacity that you serve the Emperor Above All. To have your service rewarded is an unexpected honour, but one you will strive to repay. (Eclipse)

Article:

This first stage of character generation is being conducted on the basis of approval voting. You may each vote for a maximum of four options out of the above ten - the one that achieves the highest number of votes overall will be the one I take forwards into the next part of character generation.

[ ] Choose Four

This Quest was originally being run on a stripped-down version of the actual Exalted mechanics. As it turned out, this was something of a mistake - Exalted is rather notorious for having a deeply fiddly mechanical underlayer, and all the work I was putting into trying to work out how to represent the hitting power of a bolter versus a multi-melta in terms of dice is effort that could have been better spent in any number of other ways. Hence, it will now be operating on a narrative system similar to the one that I used in my Bleach quests, and which @TenfoldShields adapted to the Exalted setting for use in his own quest, Out of the Eater.

You are heir to the Emperor of Mankind, with some small sliver of his divine essence bonded to your own soul, and you have at your disposal the potential to master a staggering breadth of powers and abilities. This isn't intended to articulate the full complexity of Exalted 2e or 3e but rather to provide a clear, concise inventory of the PC's capabilities; particularly as they compare to other characters within the setting. The Skills, Charms, and Items detailed below are best understood as tools for description rather than absolute statements.


Skills

Skills are graded on a nine-tier scale. Primary Skills encompass your core proficiencies and broadest level of ability and, as such, take the longest to raise. Skills tagged "Favored" are costed at 75% of the normal value, while your "Unfavored" is costed at 150%. Secondary Skills represent more specific or otherwise niche areas of development and thus are costed at half the expense of a Primary Skill. The narrowing of focus allowing for quicker progress for relatively less overall gain. Advanced Skills are compound abilities that draw from multiple Primary and/or Secondary Skills and are commensurately more powerful. Their progression is plot-locked, with opportunities for advancement presented throughout the arcs.

• Novice (N/A) - A character's individual baseline in a Skill. Absent training, formal or otherwise, they can't necessarily expect to amount to much (particularly against dedicated scholars of the appropriate arts) but there's something to be said for enthusiasm and beginner's luck.
  
• Proficient (250xp) - Through study and diligent practice a character masters the fundamentals of a Skill and can be relied upon to perform at an acceptable level. This is the combat skill of a Guardsman out of training and the bureaucratic competency of an Administratum scribe.
  
• Adept (500xp) - Study and practice are augmented by practical experience and personal preferences. A character at this level can be relied on to not merely execute a task, but to do it well.
  
• Veteran (750xp) - Time and a myriad of trials, or simply extreme and exceptional circumstances, push a character to this Rank. They are true professionals; familiar with anomalies and edge-cases and better able to counter not only the unexpected, but the utterly unforeseen. This is the rank of the Stormtrooper, the Astartes Initiate or the city priest.
  
• Distinguished (1000xp) - The supremely talented, the deeply dedicated, the survivors or the simple freaks of nature. The exceptional few, committing themselves wholeheartedly to their chosen ideal, often benefitting from some kind of superhuman capacity or assistance. This is the combat skill of the Tactical Marine, the calculation of the Magos, the seductive wiles of the daemon.
  
• Elite (1750xp) - Through the blessings of the divine or the genius of long-lost artifice, you have transcended the limits that restrain most of humanity. Your mastery makes your every display of skill a veritable work of art, something that most others can only witness in silent awe. This is the defining skill of a famous enemy; the bladesong of an Exarch, the techno-sorcery of a Cryptek, the strategic skill of the warmaster.
  
• Master (2500xp) - You have a near-complete understanding of the Skill, cognizant of its many intricacies, opaque-to-the-outsider complexities, and the cutting edge of its boundaries. Where others seek to attain your prowess you are concerned with innovation, experimentation, and refinement. Those who attain this level are known by name on a hundred worlds; the theo-militant prowess of a Grey Knight Master, the genius of an Arch-Magos, the calculating guile of a Greater Daemon.
  
• Champion (3500xp) - You are an unquestioned paragon of this Skill and the man (or woman, or other) that masters turn to you for enlightenment. Indeed it can be said, not inaccurately, that you embody this Skill in its fullness. Intimately familiar with its many virtues and inherent dangers. Secondary Skills cannot be raised to Champion. You may only elevate one Primary Skill to Champion. This is the skill of the Primarch, the demigod, the deity-made-flesh.
  
• Legendary (N/A) - The realm of the mythic and the supernal, inaccessible without decades-if-not-centuries of labor and craft. Defined more by the way it exceeds the intended bounds of the scale rather than a ranking in and of itself. Any with a Skill at this Rank are a force of nature, and taken lightly at your own peril. The combat prowess of Angron, the sorceries of Magnus, and the oratory of Lorgar all lie at this level.

Charms:
The personal array of supernatural abilities afforded to Ignatius, or another being of similar supernatural pussience, these powers are filtered through the Cardinal's own perspective, his own understanding of others and himself. Each one is associated with a given Primary Skill, can be advanced independently of said skill, and are graded on a simple three-tiered ranking.

• Basic (75xp) - The most simple, straightforward incarnation of the Charm. Able to be employed reliably even in the heat of battle.
  
• Evolved (250xp) - The Charm's central concept elevated, matured or otherwise raised to new heights.
  
• Ultimate (500xp) - The Charm perfected, completely integrated into not just the Exalted's repertoire but their very being.

Primary Skills

Dawn: Proficient (0/500)
Behold, the Sword of Morning, by which God cut the world into a more pleasing form. The skill of the warlord, by which the Emperor conquered the galaxy in crusade. Charms associated with this skill enhance personal combat and the innate lethality of a man blessed by god, and will also lend themselves to strategic command.
Ignatius has spent a hundred years behind a pulpit, and while he has begun to exercise more of late, studying with the Sororitas and intensifying his exercise routine, he is fundamentally still a man of the cloth, not the blade.

[Favored] Zenith: Distinguished (0/1300)
Witness, the glory of god, the light of the galaxy. The skill of the orator, the prophet, the demagogue who dreamed of a unified galaxy and convinced the myriad worlds of mankind to die in pursuit of this vision. Charms of this ability are associated with social prowess, with the organisation of the faithful, and with the endurance required to speak truth to power in a galaxy profoundly hostile to such things.
Faith alone can overturn the universe. This is the credo of the Ecclesiarchy, and it is the strength that propels a man like Ignatius to the heights he has attained. He was a dangerously persuasive orator even before the Emperor placed a spark of godfire in his soul, and now his words can bring even the fanatic to tears.

Twilight: Adept (0/750)
The vision of a god, the supreme intellect of a man believed to be the embodiment of all knowledge, the raw unfettered genius of a being that would bind the immaterium itself to his unshakeable will. Charms of this ability have to do with insight, understanding and the application therefore, be it as a sage, a sorcerer or a craftsman.
Ignatius is an intelligent man, one who has pursued a theological and scholarly career for over a century, but his academic understanding is focused on a handful of relevant fields. Within the realms of theology he has few equals; outside them, he is an educated layman at best.

[Unfavoured] Night: Proficient (0/750)
The guile of the masked, the cunning of a puppeteer, the discretion of a man who balanced a thousand threats against one another without ever once setting foot onto a battlefield. Charms of this ability concern espionage, subterfuge and stealth, as well as the associated physical abilities necessary for one who employs such skills to succeed in their missions.
Cardinal Ignatius, Lord of Sanguis, Scourge of the False Church, is not a subtle man. He has spent all his life forced to moderate and disguise his intent and desires; no more. Now is not the time for good deeds hidden from view by a mask of indifference - it is the time of virtuous action, performed before the gaze of millions.

[Favoured] Eclipse: Veteran (0/750)
The might of the quill, the sanctity of the pact, the solemn weight of the sworn word that binds an empire together. The Emperor did not merely conquer the galaxy, but bound it together into a unified nation-state that endured ten millennia after his effective death. Charms of this ability concern all feats of diplomacy, organisation and negotiation, along with the skills necessary to navigate from one capital to another.
Ignatius is a Cardinal of the Ecclesiarchy, and that is an office as political in nature as it is theological. He has a gift for diplomacy, for bringing together the divergent strands of faith and policy and forging common cause from all of them.

Secondary Skills

Anima Banner: Veteran (0/500)
The light of god, given form in mortal flesh. See? The earth trembles at its coming.
The core component of the Emperor's gift to his favoured scion; the shard of god-fire that burns in Ignatius' soul. It empowers and sustains him, grants him an authority that all things of the spiritual realm are forced to recognise, and scorches the very essence of the unholy with searing flame.

Cult: Proficient (0/250)
The breath of the faithful, given to the uncaring void, the fuel by which an empire prospers.
Ignatius has only begun to suspect that the faithful prayers of his flock have a more direct effect on his personal being than they previously did; the hymns of the devout bolster his will.

Past Life (The Emperor of Mankind): Novice (Locked)
The grief of a hero found wanting
Ignatius is the heir of the Emperor in a very literal sense, and in the depths of his soul now reside the memories of a man so much older and grander than he could imagine. They are tainted by misery and desperation, but potentially the source of new knowledge and power...

Charms

Dawn Charms

Heaven Thunder Hammer Basic (0/250xp)
The force of a whirlwind, wrapped tight in the fists of a demigod
When Ignatius strikes a solid blow, his opponents are propelled away with concussive force, flying many metres through the air. This does not directly increase the damage of the blow, but being thrown into an inconveniently placed feature of the environment might…

Devil-Strangling Attitude Basic (0/250)
Judgement, like violence, is inescapable
If a foe is so unwise as to allow Ignatius to latch on, then he simply cannot lose his grip, no matter how violent the motions of his victim. Nor does that which he grasps harm himself by its own nature, even should it lack flesh entirely.

General of the All-Seeing One - Evolved (0/500)
From humble materials, I shall craft wonders uncounted
When Ignatius is in a position of command, his instincts furnish him with a perfect understanding of both his own forces and those of his foe. He can tell instantly whether a given unit is capable of achieving a specific task, and he has an intuitive sense of what options the enemy commander has at their disposal.

Zenith Charms

Transcendent Hero's Meditation Evolved (0/500)
I am that I am, and the world shall not dispute…
Ignatius is automatically aware of any exposure to psychic energy or the corrosive influence of the warp, and is passively immune to such corruption of soul and body. Moreover, any active application of such power cannot slay or incapacitate him outright; a plague god's curse may bring Ignatius to his knees, but it will not rot his body or taint his soul.

Respect Commanding Attitude Basic (0/250)
When a prophet speaks, the world listens
Should Ignatius address someone or otherwise employ his fearsome powers of oratory, they are compelled to stay and listen respectfully. It takes a deliberate effort of will to raise a hand against him or interrupt in any fashion, though the effect does not persist in the face of hostility by Ignatius or his allies.

Infectious Zealotry Approach Basic (0/250)
Faith is not a word, or even a concept. It is a fire that burns within the soul, and must be spread…
Ignatius' words can inspire heights of emotion in their listeners that no amount of dialogue would normally create, driving a crowd to murderous rage or weeping sorrow in but a handful of minutes.

Ruin Abasing Shrug Evolved (0/500)
A Saint is not so easily cast down
Ignatius' skin is infused with divine essence, and can fairly be compared to armour in its own right. A chainsword might dull its teeth upon his arm, and a shot-cannon to the gut do little more than knock the breath from his lungs.

Twilight Charms

Burning Gaze of the Deliverer - Evolved (0/500)
The world lays bare its secrets.
Ignatius can perceive the boundaries between real space and the immaterium, and has insight into all things therein. He can see immaterial spirits, trace the form of psychic power employed in his presence, and feel the thinning boundaries that hold back the madness beyond. Extended study of such phenomena may allow him to understand them in more detail.

All Soul's Benediction Basic (0/250)
Angels come at their master's call
Making his body a bridge between the realms of the spiritual and material, Ignatius permits immaterial entities to adopt a material form without expending any of their own power in the process, even if such would otherwise not be possible.

Harmonious Academic Methodology Basic (0/250)
An enlightened mind is without flaw
When operating in his areas of academic speciality, Ignatius' knowledge is without flaw. There may be gaps in his understanding, but he is never simply wrong. He also soaks up knowledge at a vastly accelerated rate and from indirect sources; studying the records of a Chapter's military victories may give him a comprehensive knowledge of Codex battle tactics.

Night Charms

Eclipse Charms

Enigmatic Bureau Understanding Basic (0/250)
It's not what you know, but about who you know it…
Ignatius is preternaturally skilled at navigating bureaucracies. He can naturally sense who to talk to in order to obtain results, assess the skill and corruption of any given official he encounters, and instantly parse the full meaning of any technical jargon or legalese placed in his path.

Strange Tongue Understanding Basic (0/250)
What is language, but communication restricted to a single medium?
By observing the words and gestures of a given being, Ignatius can understand what it is attempting to convey, and can make himself understood in turn. Such universal comprehension is less precise than an actual language, and suffers somewhat from a lack of nuance, but is always applicable.