Essence Fever

You are entering the Climbing Vines Sect, in order to become one of its disciples and use your powers to support the Empire in its battle against demons, invaders, rebels, and hungry ghosts. Your future power, that is, for while you may have the ability to touch the Essence of the world, you haven't yet done so. Indeed, you are a peasant child, born to ordinary parents, who know nothing of the secrets of the universe.

Of course, that isn't true. In fact…

[ ] None of it is true! The blood of the dragons runs through your veins! Sure, it may runner thinner than some, but you are hardly a peasant's child! You are grateful to Beautiful Dawn and Steadfast Grain, who took you into their home, but they aren't your parents. You haven't seen your parents…for a long time. A friend dared you to come with her when she snuck out during Calibration…and you didn't return to school the next morning.

[ ] It's entirely unrelated to the truth. The only thing that rings true is the bit about your parents. If you couldn't shapeshift, this "imperial tester" might have gotten a bit suspicious. When you got caught up in this "imperial test", you thought that you could hide your power from this artifact they used, and decide what to do next on your own terms after getting a read on the situation. Instead, you had to pretend to be one of the divine scions they're drafting, or make a scene. And this village may be welcoming, but it doesn't have any leads about getting you home. You'll need to find some other way to slip back into the Ways of unreality.

You are a young scion of the Realm, 14 years when Calibration last passed, when you last saw your family. Well, you wouldn't have seen them for a while anyway. Mother had been busy this year, so you had to stay at school, and Ledaal Keruna decided to sneak out with you to cheer you up….you hope she's alright.

As a young scion of the Realm, the most notable thing about is that you are a Prince of the Earth, one of the Terrestrial Exalted. But even amongst your peers you were notable for your….



[] Quickness of mind
[] Physical ability
[] Social connections


And your peers, if not your teachers, certainly noted your


[] Courage in the face of danger.
[] Kindness, even to those beneath you
[] Unshakable certainty
[] Untemptable spirit


Of course, you are of the Dragon-Blooded,

[] And so your virtue is unremarkable for one virtuous enough that this incarnation was graced with the Dragon's blood.
[] Remarkable, even for those of the deepest moral character.


Yet perhaps even this is not so remarkable, as compared to

Choose Up To 1 Boon


[] The undeniable purity of your blood. No, only the Empress has blood purer than yours. Your peers have whispered of infidelity, or that your blood will not run true, but your power is certainly truer than theirs, and the grace of the dragons is undeniable.

[] Your incredible diligence. While your peers are certainly not lazy, you might make them feel so. It isn't that you don't have fun. It's just that you don't have it often.

[] The brilliance of your mind. When your peers struggle to learn, you understand it in moments. If you can't remember something, it's because you didn't bother to learn it.


Yet for all of such a gift, you….

If a Boon if Chosen, so must be a Bane


[] Your blood runs thinner than any of your peers. Not so thin as an Outcaste's, certainly….but even you have wondered if your mother was truly faithful. Or if your father convinced your mother to hide an…..inconvenient dalliance.

[] You are simply lazy. At least, that is what your parents say. And your teachers. You won't argue. When your peers labor, you relax. Surely there's nothing wrong with taking life at a slower pace?

[] You've always struggled with learning. Reading, katas, etiquette. It all came slow and with great effort. When your peers understand something, you need to go over it again. And again. It's not that you're stupid. You always understand eventually. It just takes a while.