Like? Maybe its just my mindset, but I can't of any Holy-like effects that aren't Holy besides maybe "trying to appear Holy."
I mean, when you get right down to it Hakushin's barrier is just a powerful Ward Against (Bad Juju) and also magic to conceal Naraku's Essence, but aesthetics matter to my inspiration, y'know?
I'm trying to come up with some Anima-imagery for an Infernal, and I'm having trouble. He's a Defiler with an Agata for a coadjutor - Lucent Wing from CoCD: Malfeas - and Isidoros favoured so white/green fire and black-tinted gravitational warping are the hues of choice, but I'm not sure about the actual imagery of his totemic anima banner. The section in MoEP: Infernals on the Defilers' anima banner states that they tend to depict either Pyrian demons or imitate SWLiHN with crystalline spheres.
I'm using a fair bit of Aleph and EarthScorpion's homebrew with regards to how the Infernal Exaltations work and how they came about (particularly the sections on the Coadjutor and on the Conventicle Malfeasant). Additionally, the previous holder of his Infernal Exaltation managed to learn (a variant version of, see below) Swallowing the Scorpion, so he exalted under... irregular circumstances for an Infernal.
The best idea I've got so far is a kind of circular, geometrical mandala from which extend of dozens of overlapping insectile wings and legs, as a kind of mockery of hindu-style many-armed gods or some of the powered-up forms of, say, Asura of Asura's Wrath. Set like jewels or planets within the mandala are a number of black, light-bending spheres as a reflection of the Black Boar's influence, and at the centre is the largest one.
Does that sound workable or no?
Swallowing the Scorpion
Cost:—; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: Blasphemy, Heretical Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: I-Am-Here Declaration or any two of the following: All Things Betray, Cracked Cell Circumvention, Freedom Lets Go, Solipsistic Rejection of Impossibilities, Sublimation of Ordained Purpose, Incorrect Value Rejection, Boundary of the Possible, Feckless Giant Wanderings
This complex trick requires an understanding of defiance and escape culled from not one, but two of the Yozis, or else wholesale severance from the crippled titans' mythoi. For those who would develop this heretical technique, its extravagant cost is a small concern.
The act of learning this Charm is a Blasphemy. In addition to causing the usual chaos in Heaven, the Yozis are immediately alerted that something is wrong by the screams of Lilinu, the Conventicle Malfeasant. Concentrating his Exaltation into a savage cutting edge, the Infernal severs the metaphysical umbilicus connecting it to the phylactery of the Yozis. In the process, the indestructible Essence core of the Exaltation reconfigures itself for independent survival. Upon the Green Sun Prince's death, his Exaltation will fly away rather than returning to Malfeas, seeking out an unbound heroic First Circle demon somewhere in Creation.
Embedding itself in the unsuspecting creature, the Exaltation overrides the demon's mind as an irresistible Total Control effect. The demon is forced to carry the Exaltation to a host, where it, carries out the usual bargain; acceptance triggers the beginning of the Chrysalis Grotesque, as normal. However, the Exaltation, unchained from the Yozis and twisted from its once-Solar nature, is a beast all its own and with unique preferences. It is itself an embryonic thing, a seed of something that could become far greater, and seeks out those like itself - individuals who have the potential to be great but are not yet, or who lack the tools or opportunities to achieve that greatness. Note that the Exaltation cares little for morality, though. 'Greatness' and 'goodness' are far from synonymous, and such exaltations seem to have an affinity for the ambitious and determined.
The Yozis are incapable of observing or influencing the process, or even of exercising their normal prerogative to possess the hijacked demon. The task of locating and recapturing the Exaltation and re-attaching its umbilicus is left as an exercise in ingenuity for the enraged lords of Hell.
This newfound freedom has another benefit: though the Infernal still experiences Torment as usual, their Torment no longer affects their Intimacies. The Yozis have no link to the Infernal with which to observe their passions, loves and hates, and so cannot judge them. Torment, Urge and Acts of Villainy otherwise function as per usual, as functions encoded into the exaltation during its twisting by the lords of Hell and regulated by the Coadjutor.
It does have its downside, too, as unlike most Infernal exalts the user does not gain access to any charm that an Infernal invents and then teaches to another Infernal - they must learn from one who already knows it, or else imitate the technique themselves. Similarly, should the souls of a new Yozi open up its charms for the Infernal exalted to learn by linking their greater self to the Conventicle Malfeascent, an unchained warlock must learn a charm of that Yozi themselves (most likely from a still-bound Green Sun Prince) before the charm tree opens up for them. They do, however, sense such a linkage - like all Green Sun Princes - as a parade of maddening visions and nightmares five days after the melding, as the metaphysical shockwaves ripple invisibly across the wastes of Cecelyne to Creation, or instantly if they should be residing in Malfeas. These visions contain certain signs which may be interpreted to divine which Yozi's souls chose to thus open themselves, if the Infernal (or a consultant) has sufficient knowledge fo teh occult.
This Charm's effect persists permanently, transcending the cycle of reincarnation. Until the Yozis manage to reclaim it, that Exaltation is free from their control and surveillance.
The section in MoEP: Infernals on the Defilers' anima banner states that they tend to depict either Pyrian demons or imitate SWLiHN with crystalline spheres.
They can also mimic the appearance of demons that the coadjuter descends from.
What about a dozen or so spheres slowly orbiting the Infernal, gradually increasing in speed and getting closer, until just vanishing into them and leaving the Infernal with a colorless-fire back-lighting in the shape of something so large that it's hard to understand what you are looking at?
They can also mimic the appearance of demons that the coadjuter descends from.
What about a dozen or so spheres slowly orbiting the Infernal, gradually increasing in speed and getting closer, until just vanishing into them and leaving the Infernal with a colorless-fire back-lighting in the shape of something large that it's hard to understand what you are looking at?
That's a nice idea. Perhaps his orbs orbit somewhat chaotically, like planets on irregular orbits caught in his gravity, and at their hearts is a singularity-black mote of light-warping darkness?
I'm currently working on a (very basic) sketch of the idea I mentioned in the original post. I'll add it here when it's done.
Here's the sketch. Apologies for both the shitty sketching - I'm no artist - and the picture quality. The Old Realm in the circle is just gibberish - mostly names of Naruto characters, because they have neat consonant-vowel structures that work nicely with the Old Realm translator
So, had a random bit of inspiration strike, tried putting something together as an idea based off growth as a theme, although it's my first time trying to put an idea into exalted terms and I'm unfamiliar with some of the finer points of the setting, but figured I might as well post it.
Deathlord- Ebony roots clutch at the sun
Hailing from lands near the pole of wood, in life Ebony roots dedicated her life to the growth and cultivation of all kinds of rare and beautiful plants, saving many lives with the medical herbs she cultivated, while nobles across the region bid for the honour of having an arrangement crafted by her as a decoration for a ceremony. In the age of the deliberative, she continued her passion, spreading acres of towering forests and enchanting glades across the land, awakening the spirits within the plants so that any who travelled upon her paths would have their every need provided for, and that they would always have someone to talk to. By the time of the usurpation, she had become obsessed with the beauty of her plants, seeking to cultivate more and more exotic strains, no matter the cost; trees which trapped the dead within their bark, flowers who's jade blossoms only bloomed when watered with blood, fruits who's juice burned with the vitirol of demons, with their spirits calling wanderers to them to feast on their poison flesh. Plants none but her could have dreamed of flourished across her lands, with the bones of those sacrificed scattered among the roots, the price paid for beauty and growth.
She died at the centre of her forest, impaled with jade at the centre of the firestorm the dragon-blooded had made of her glove of horrors, accompanied into death by the hundreds of tree-spirits of her forest and the thousands of dead trapped within bark, root, fruit and flower. And her last thoughts were that there was so much more to craft, so much more space to cover in green, so much more to grow.
In death, Ebony roots takes the form of a humanoid figure, midnight-black bark for skin and snow-pale leaves for hair, trapped in the centre of a vast tangle of thorns, vines, branches and roots that spread throughout the netherworld, constantly growing. The dead that stray too close find themselves snared by the growth, and their essence drained dry to fuel the spread of Ebony roots further and further into the world. For everything is food for her growth, and in her maddened state, she would never be satisfied until all of creation is under her canopy, the canals of Yu-shan are choked by her roots, and Sol Invictus himself is trapped in a cage of branches. For she believes that oblivion is but another place where she can grow, and that the trapped light of the sun would be all the fuel that she needs to grow into that final emptiness, even if that is nothing more than a maddened fantasy.
Ebony roots has no allies among the underworld, her pathological need for growth meaning that she has never tried to seek alliance with other deathlords, and any envoys the others sent to her were consumed by her. The others see her as nothing more than a plague, and those with domains that border hers fight a constant battle to cut away her continuous attempts to spread into their lands and consume all the dead that reside there.
In creation, she is associated with ash-pale corpse-trees that grow among battlefields and shadowlands, manifestations of the tree-spirits that burned with her, who's voice lures unwary scavengers or travellers to them, where they become nothing more than food to fuel the trees growth, their soul being drawn into the bark. While the other deathlords treat Ebony roots with contempt in the underworld, these lesser dead spawned from her are treated as a valuable tool by them and their servants in creation, as their bark can be worked with like a pale imitation of soulsteel, while seeds from her dead-trees can be implanted into mortal followers or the dead to grow, giving their host the slow crushing strength of the forests roots, and the durability of an ancient trees bark. This "blessing" is not one typically given to servants held in high regard, however, as in time, the growing corpse-tree will grow to the extent that its host will find themselves trapped within a cage of bark. Shortly after, there will be nothing left of the host but a vague humanoid shape at the centre of another corpse-tree, its pale roots draining the life from the land it has found itself in. And in time, if left alone for long enough, it will grow more and more, and there will no trace left at all.
So that's the idea at least, the description sorta got away from me a bit there, but I hope the idea manages to fit in-setting.
Hey, these homebrew posts both have a 'starting letter' thing going on, are they part of a greater collection or unrelated? E-Elementals M-Martial Artists
Hey, these homebrew posts both have a 'starting letter' thing going on, are they part of a greater collection or unrelated? E-Elementals M-Martial Artists
I realized that the various "AOE" hearthstones (i.e. the ones that apply some kind of effect within X miles) are a great, ready-made list of effects for a geomancy system to provide. Exalted has never really had a satisfying mechanical depiction of geomancy, despite it (and related concepts like "sacred geometry") being a key part of the aesthetic.
Constraints
These mechanics are designed to be compatible with the craft rules-as-written. However, if you are using alternate rules, they should be straightforward to apply here.
Doing Geomancy
Creation is full of naturally-occurring demesnes — wellsprings of geomantic power — but through careful manipulation of the flow of energy, men can also raise them and fine-tune their effects. Geomantic projects are divided mechanically into four categories of increasing scope, power, and sophistication:
Applying geomantic effects to a small structure, such as a home.
Applying geomantic effects to a large structure, such as a palace, or the creation of a lesser demesne.
Applying geomantic effects to an entire settlement, up to the size of a small town or a district of a large city, or the creation of a greater demesne.
Erecting a manse on top of ("capping") a demesne.
The last already has rules (Exalted, p. 243) which I will not replace here.
Anchors
You affect the geomancy of a structure or region through the creation or modification of geomantic anchors, which are sources of energy or features that direct its flow. Projects can be made significantly easier by harnessing one or more local, preexisting features as anchors.
Creating an anchor is a craft project; the type of project depends on the scale of geomancy being done. The project requires a relevant Craft ability. Architecture is common, but anything from Gardening to Painting may be appropriate. The project also requires the Occult ability, and uses your rating in that if lower than your Craft.
An anchor should have some thematic connection to the aspect of the resulting demesne or geomantic effect, but this requirement holds more over all the anchors combined than any individual one. Your fire-aspected geomancy built around a hot spring can get away with "architecture to channel and distribute the fire energy" as an anchor. But it would be cooler if you mentioned that you used red marble or recurving walls.
For ideas for anchors, see the First Edition Book of Three Circles, p. 104 and the Second Edition Oadenol's Codex, p. 48.
Small structures
Small structures require a single anchor. This can be constructed as a difficulty 3 major project, and usually requires properly-aspected materials (e.g. gold for a Solar geomantic effect) that cost Resources •••. You can waive the expensive materials requirement with access to a natural source of appropriately-aspected energy or by increasing the difficulty to 6.
Large structures / lesser demesnes
Large structures or lesser demesnes (which may cover a region equivalent to a small neighborhood) also require a single anchor, which is a large-scale project (Exalted, p. 243). Materials and labor costs for these are almost always at least Resources •••, and often more. You can reduce the difficulty of the extended roll by 2 with access to a natural source of appropriately-aspected energy.
Settlements / greater demesnes
Settlements or greater demesnes require at least three anchors, which are each large-scale projects like for lesser demesnes. The total cost of geomancy on this scale almost always runs to Resources •••••. Because of this, a preexisting lesser demesne is often used as one of the anchors if possible.
Modifying natural demesnes
Modifying a natural demesne is also possible, although it's usually impossible to shift it to a different aspect. This requires the addition of one anchor for lesser demesnes or two for greater.
Really these should be thought of as regions of a continuum, rather than precisely delineated natural categories. General differences include:
Naturally-occuring demesnes are often somewhat more resilient than artificial ones, or geomantically-engineered structures, because geomantic architects often try to "do more with less" through careful and precise use of energy.
By the same token, it's much more difficult to raise proper manses atop artificial demesnes, and often impossible to simply "upgrade" a geomantically-engineered structure to a manse.
A manse almost always requires some of the magical materials and a dedicated hearthroom.
A manse is capable of much more dramatic and overt effects, often reaching outside of itself and subject to direct control by the manse's owner.
Geomantic Effects
Here is a list of hearthstones with appropriate effects that can be used for geomancy, with brief summaries of their effect.
Air
Cool Breezes: Soft, cool breezes grace this demesne. These make hot days more comfortable and take the chill out of winter. (Orb of Cool Breezes, Exalted p. 604)
Pure Air: The air in this demesne is clean and pure, despite any nearby pollutants. Foul odors are also warded away. (Purifying Mercy Stone, Arms p. 132)
Fair Winds: The winds in this demesne always blow in a single direction when they blow at all. Changing this direction requires modifying one of the demesne's anchors as an appropriate repair project. (Gem of Fair Winds, Exalted p. 605)
Earth
Stability: All structures within the demesne are unusually sturdy and stable. (Stone of Stability, Exalted p. 605)
Wyld Resistance: The demesne and everything in it are immune to the passive transformative power of the Wyld. Fae dislike this effect as a Minor Tie. (Iron Soul Stone, Exalted p. 605)
Mental Comfort: Characters within this demesne gain two bonus dice on Willpower rolls to resist derangements. (Stone of Comfort, Arms p. 133)
Pliant Earth: The earth in this demesne can be easily worked; with a touch, it can be rendered soft as clay or hard as stone. (Earth Shaping Jewel, Exalted p. 605)
Spirit-Grounding: Spirits that enter this demesne are forced into their material form. (Spirit-Grounding Stone, Arms p. 133)
Fire
Firestop: Within this demesne fires are unusually difficult to start and rarely spread far before sputtering out. (Firestop Stone, Exalted p. 606)
Inflamed Passions: People within this demesne struggle to control their passions; inspire rolls gain an automatic success, and attempts to conceal emotions take a -1 penalty. (Passion-Unbinding Stone, Arms p. 133)
Energizing: This demesne burns away lethargy, granting +2 Resolve against sleep-inducing effects or +2 successes on fatigue rolls from lack of sleep. (Trance-Scorching Sardonyx, Arms p. 133)
Endless Summer: This demesne experiences a constant summer regardless of the surrounding climate or weather. (Gem of Endless Summer, Exalted p. 606)
Water
Pure Water: All sources of water originating in this demesne are clean and pure. Water brought in from the outside is heavily filtered, and any toxins or diseases are neutralized. (Purity Gem, Exalted p. 607)
Fountain: This geomantic effect calls forth a spring of clear water. (Fountain-Summoning Stone, Exalted p. 607)
Seacalm: (Greater only) Bodies of water in and abutting this demesne are always calm out to the horizon. (Orb of Calm, Exalted p. 607)
Wood
Good Health: Rot and disease are suppressed within this demesne. Food keeps twice as long and people gain two bonus dice to resist disease. (Health Stone, Exalted p. 608)
Bountiful Harvest: The fields of this demesne are exceptionally fertile, potentially doubling the land's yield and insuring against bad years. (Harvest Gem, Exalted p. 609)
Solar
Innocent's Protection: Within this demesne, no creature of darkness can enter any dwelling containing either a child under the age of ten or someone currently asleep. (Stone of Innocent's Protection, Exalted p. 609)
Daylight: The Sun never turns His face from this demesne; it experiences perpetual daytime. (Gem of Day's Light, Exalted p. 609)
Abyssal
Nightly Reunion: During the night, people can visit any grave within this demesne and speak with the dead buried there. (Stone of the Nightly Reunion, Exalted p. 610)
Ghostly Protection: Ghosts guard the night of this demesne, harassing anyone who enters and assaults or robs a resident. (Gem of Ghostly Protection, Exalted p. 610)
Lunar
Bountiful Nature: Anyone who sleeps within this demesne is graced with the knowledge of how to forage from it, gaining two bonus dice to foraging rolls. (Stone of Nature's Bounty, Exalted p. 610)
Dream Palace: Everyone who sleeps within this demesne shares a collective dream which they recall lucidly. The features of the dream are determined when the demesne is created and changing them requires an appropriate repair project. (Key to the Dream Palace, Arms p. 136)
Great Beasts: Animals in this demesne are unusually healthy, fertile, and strong, and trained animals are obedient, good-tempered, and intelligent. Those born and trained here retain these features if they leave. (Beast Gem, Exalted p. 611)
Sidereal
Luck: Everyone within this demesne is resistant to bad luck. (Gem of Luck, Exalted p. 611)
Hidden Safety: This demesne is sheltered from would-be assailants, forcing them to succeed at a difficulty 5 navigation roll to locate it. (Stone of Hidden Safety, Exalted p. 611)
One Voice: Everyone within this demesne can speak and understand Old Realm. (Stone of One Voice, Arms p. 137)
The Solar's mere presence in a home or community promotes harmonious order. Every act flows along invisible social lines until they are strong enough to channel Creation's geomantic power. When she comes to reside in a home, she may activate this Charm. While she continues to interact with its other inhabitants at least once per day, it gains the benefit of one geomantic effect. She may change this effect once per story.
A Presence 5, Essence 3+ repurchase extends these effects to a large structure or small neighborhood, and a third Presence 5, Essence 5+ repurchase extends them to a settlement or a district of a large city.
A Footnote re: Manses
Given the rich mechanics this system provides to demesnes, manses may feel a little lackluster in comparison. I recommend polishing manses up by representing them as artifacts; that is, provide them with an attunement bonus (often, some kind of discretionary control over or enhancement to the underlying geomantic effect) and Evocations. For an example, see "The Teahouse at Blossom Sea" on page 4 of Kestral's Project Tracks homebrew.
An idea I saw on onyxpath. How about being able to shorten duration for workings? You reduce the time between each terminus, in exchange for having fewer in total. That way, you can do things like brew potions that turn people into frogs in less than a week.
An idea I saw on onyxpath. How about being able to shorten duration for workings? You reduce the time between each terminus, in exchange for having fewer in total. That way, you can do things like brew potions that turn people into frogs in less than a week.
The problem is that this will only happen when you have a PC who has
A) Enough dice to throw at the Working to guarantee that it succeeds
B) Enough spare XP to spend on minor Workings (since all Workings cost the same amount of baseline XP)
C) Nothing better to do
The problem is that this will only happen when you have a PC who has
A) Enough dice to throw at the Working to guarantee that it succeeds
B) Enough spare XP to spend on minor Workings (since all Workings cost the same amount of baseline XP)
C) Nothing better to do
Maybe you can frame it as a sorcerer who adventures about, village to village, and once in a while, casts down a blessing to a village like a spring of cleansing water or a field of blessed fertility?
An idea I saw on onyxpath. How about being able to shorten duration for workings? You reduce the time between each terminus, in exchange for having fewer in total. That way, you can do things like brew potions that turn people into frogs in less than a week.
I'm using just such a house rule in my own game, as I mentioned in one of my session write ups a while back. The full rule I'm using is:
Workings: You will be allowed to use negative Means, if desired, for your project if you think you can complete the roll early. The normal terminus is 5 rolls for a working, and the normal interval is one week. Two fewer roll reduces the interval to four days, four fewer gives a daily interval, six fewer gives you an hourly interval. Yes, this means that at the hourly interval you are required to have additional Means to get any rolls at all. Some restrictions will apply to what sorts of Means you can claim while taking advantage of this rule (i.e. Extra time is obviously not an option).
The problem is that this will only happen when you have a PC who has
A) Enough dice to throw at the Working to guarantee that it succeeds
B) Enough spare XP to spend on minor Workings (since all Workings cost the same amount of baseline XP)
C) Nothing better to do
I don't really see this as a problem. At least, with the values I'm using. I don't think it's really a problem if a Solar sorcerer with an extensive magical infrastructure is able to spin up minor (terrestrial circle is about as high as I think is practical with -6 Means) blessings in an hour or two.
Maybe you can frame it as a sorcerer who adventures about, village to village, and once in a while, casts down a blessing to a village like a spring of cleansing water or a field of blessed fertility?
Not necessarily. There are times you just need a specific custom effect on the quick. In the session write up I referenced in my last post, the players needed to clean up the misfortune residue ASAP because it was holding up repairs on their ship, and writing up a whole spell just to take care of a one-off problem would be a hilarious amount of overkill.
The one thing that strikes me as weird about this is the default time scale of (stamina) weeks to find medical attention. A high stamina character having over a month to do something about a supposedly 'mortal' wound doesn't really seem to fit narratively. Days seems like it'd be more appropriate? Five days to find a doctor seems like a short enough time to make the deadline actually relevant while still having enough time to make a story out of finding a healer if one isn't handy.
Not necessarily. There are times you just need a specific custom effect on the quick. In the session write up I referenced in my last post, the players needed to clean up the misfortune residue ASAP because it was holding up repairs on their ship, and writing up a whole spell just to take care of a one-off problem would be a hilarious amount of overkill.
Edit:
The one thing that strikes me as weird about this is the default time scale of (stamina) weeks to find medical attention. A high stamina character having over a month to do something about a supposedly 'mortal' wound doesn't really seem to fit narratively. Days seems like it'd be more appropriate? Five days to find a doctor seems like a short enough time to make the deadline actually relevant while still having enough time to make a story out of finding a healer if one isn't handy.
Honestly I disagree. I can totally see someone like Whitebeard from One Piece or Hercules from Greek myth getting a hole blown in their stomach and simply bandaging it up and not worrying about it. Having a month before real medical treatment is needed feels in theme.
Honestly I disagree. I can totally see someone like Whitebeard from One Piece or Hercules from Greek myth getting a hole blown in their stomach and simply bandaging it up and not worrying about it. Having a month before real medical treatment is needed feels in theme.
