Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

[DragonParadox]

A Way with Words ​

15th of July 2006 A.D.

"Soo..." you look between Daniel and Lydia as the girl sips her milkshake and he does his best to pretend he is more interested in his soda than in staring dopely at her. "What got you interested in my dorky younger brother Lydia?" At the inevitable dirty look you raise your hands in mock surrender. "I'm asking so I know which of your many sterling qualities she missed the better to point them out."

Lost 1 Essence

Lydia giggles at his long-suffering sigh before threading her fingers through his on the table.

"First off you have to understand my dad and me, we move around a lot. It's rare for me to have more than one term in a school so I'm always the new girl wherever go and it doesn't help that he used to be really protective of me. 'We don't know who the girl's parents are Lydia, you can't go to her sleepover'. Nevermind that it would be easier to get to know people if we stuck around longer than a turn of the season. I mean honestly it's 2005 not 1905, he can just talk to people over the internet, they have video conferences and everything." She looks around a little tentatively. "I'm not boring you am I?"

"Of course not, go on, " you assure her and Izzy nods along, though with less enthusiasm

"But we've been in Chicago since November of last year and he said he doesn't know how long it will take for him to close the last deal in town so I decided to take another tack to meeting people, go someplace here you don't really expect people to stick around for four years like a club or a gym or something. Dad thinks pottery classes are silly..." She smiles at the memory. "'Most humans haven't had to make their own pots for a long time Lyda' he said to me so I went with something he has been serious about ever since I can remember, self defense. Well alright not self-defense, he hired people for that..."

The pizza arrives, pausing her story, though not for long with your prompting. "I bet the looming bodyguards didn't help with the whole making friends thing huh?"

"Eh... it's not so bad, part of the job is knowing when not to loom, it's not like I'm a movie star who needs to scare off paparazzi..."

"You're certainly pretty enough to be in movies," Daniel blurts out the compliment, blushing as Izzy and you turn to look at him.

"I was a goat in the Nativity Play in Palermo in second grade and I messed up the lines," Lydia cuts his off with a shake of the head and the slice of pizza in her hand as well.

"Froze up?" Izzy asks halfway between sympathy and amusement.

"Worse, tried to improvise, I told the kids playing the wisemen to pretty please not cut up my entrails for divination."

Heroically you manage not to spit out your drink in sudden laughter. "No... How on earth did you know what haruspicy was in primary school?"

"Dad has a really big library in French, Sicilian, Italian, Latin... Old Welsh too but I was never able to read that." Lydia makes a face, making it clear she had tried at least.

"Oh no, it's a nerd-off. Run while you still can," Izzy 'whispers' to Daniel loud enough they probably heard her two tables over. To his credit he really does try to keep a smile off his face.

"But you can read French and Italian and Latin," you continue, too caught up in the story to pay much mind to the byplay. Sicilian is a dialect you are pretty sure.

"Well yeah, I think Sicilian or French might technically be my native languages, I learned them more or less from the cradle as it was. I started learning English at... three I think. "

"Wow, you don't have an accent or anything," you note impressed. You are still not sure what to think of Lydia's father the banker with a multilingual library, but she sure is interesting.

"I talk English or French most places and I have an ear for accents, you know so I don't sound extra weird," the younger girl explains. "I also don't usually explain I can read Latin on first meeting someone. You're very easy to talk to Molly."

I cheat, you think just a little guiltily, she seems like a nice enough girl and not any kind of threat to Daniel. "You did not compel her to speak my princess, merely found the right words to make her feel at ease," Usum reminds you. "If skill is cheating than all in the world should strive for mediocrity."

"So where'd you fit the martial arts?" you reel things back on track.

"In the gaping void where my social life should be," she deadpans. "Have you ever been to a fancy cocktail party? Cure for insomnia for sure, the only good part is the food and you can never take as much as you like if you want to be polite. So I just dropped all of those in favor of martial arts and didn't miss anything."

"And she is really good at it for someone just starting out," Daniel cuts in.

"Eh... I'm light on my feet and not scared of getting hit," Lydia says modestly. "Fact is I wished people would hit me already, that's how I met Daniel more or less. See I'm pretty tall for a girl so sensei would usually pair me off with boys, but most boys were scared to actually follow the forms all the way, or they were trying to go easy with me to flirt... urgh. Daniel was the only one who would act normal."

"That's me normal as they come," your brother says self-deprecatingly as he takes another bite of Pizza.

"Hey! Don't sell yourself short." Lydia turns to look at him "You were also the one who walked me though how public transport worked, clueless foreigner that I am and you didn't laugh when I told you I didn't have a phone until last year and I barely knew what a video game was."

"Er... what?" Izzy has many fine qualities but she is not the most tactful of souls.

"Dad says playing a game against a machine is like eating cardboard and probably about as unhealthy for you." Lydia shrugs helplessly.

"Multiplayer exists you know," Izzy points out.

"I know that now, Mario is cool," the younger girl says.

"Wait you are from Italy and you don't know what Mario is?" Izzy asks confounded.

"If you could not know what the Lucky Charms leprechaun was wouldn't you choose not to to?" Daniel says in defense of his girlfriend.

Izzy stops to think for a moment. "Point."

All of you laugh, but you keep coming back to the reason Lydia's father dislikes video games. Wanting to play against people with something to gain and something to lose... that sounds like something one of the fey would say. Is Lydia a changeling, one of the mortal scions of faerie? Many of them have gifts beyond what mortals can boast, in wit, in charm in grace... If she is what is her father doing traveling around the mortal world with her in mortal guise? Does she even know what she is?

Lost 1 Essence

"If she is of fey blood it is likely of the Winter Court," Usum notes clinically. "Else knowing or unknowing she would have been repelled by the chill of your presence Crown of the World's Wisdom."

Crown... that reminds you. I could look, know for certain what she is hiding, what is being hidden from her even, but should I? This is the first time you have considered turning the power of the Crown on someone who is not an enemy like Gorfel, who might even be a friend. On the other hand she is close to Daniel... what if she does know, what if she has some plan for him? Even if she is unknowing a changeling might put your brother in danger just being that she is, involved in that world.

What do you do?

[] Ask a question of your Crown
-[] Write in

[] Just go out and have fun
-[] Write in suggestion

[] Write in

OOC: Excellency comes through again. Now comes the hard part, what do you do about it?

 

[DragonParadox]

Arcade Adventures ​

16th of July 2006 A.D.

As midnight comes and goes written in red neon in the clock above the door you struggle with temptation, with curiosity. It would be so easy to ask one of a dozen questions to pull on those nagging loose ends: 'What is Lydia;s heritage?' 'What secrets are being kept from her?' even 'What are her intentions towards your brother?' That last one sounds like you should be asking it with a shotgun propped up against the door and worse still what if her intentions are... amorous as Usum would put it. You definitely do not need to see that.

There is definitely something weird going on with the girl who seems to know at once too little and too much, but weird isn't enough to turn your sight on her you decide, not unless you have some sign that she is dangerous. "But what if her father has enemies, might they not endanger your brother?"

"That goes the other way as well," you counter. "Dad has some really bad enemies and God alone knows what enemies I've got."

For a moment the demon is silent then. "Can you be certain she would not take the chance were she is your place and you in hers?"

"No," you admit. "But if I were to only be principled to those who I know live up to some standard of purity, then that would not be very principled after all."

"Then principles seem to me to be an indulgence of those very mighty indeed," he replies at length.

You think to argue, but soon realize that you can't really argue someone into greater faith in mankind, not to mention that it is probably harder to do when the person in question is not part of mankind. Except maybe by proxy Usum is, he is a part of you and you're still human after all...

"Earth to Molly," Izzy's hand waving in front of your face starts you from your contemplation.

"We were talking about where to go now."

"The arcade, we can go to the Dancing Dragon, they are open all night," you answer instantly, much to your friend's shock. "Come on," you wheedle. "You heard Lydia, she barely knew what a video game was last year. I'm pretty sure that is some kind of heresy for a fifteen year old not to know..." You glance at the girl in question to see if you guessed the age right. It looks like you have.

Izzy gives a startled laugh. "Isn't that breaking a Commandment or something?" she asks after a moment.

"It's not the Lord's name," you shrug. "The last time we took every little concept about doctrine as seriously as that the Reformation happened."

Even though you are pretty sure dad would have smiled at that one and not even mom would have said anything Daniel looks a little ill at ease. It's not even that you crossed a line, he doesn't like to be in sight of the line. How's he gonna take that his girlfriend is probably related to dark fey?

"So... Dancing Dragon?" you ask again.

"Not the kind of dancing I had in mind," Izzy grumbles as she looks around in her purse for the cash.

You would cover the whole tab yourself, but you know from experience than unless you have an actual reason to treat people Izzy doesn't take 'handouts' well. Being 'the kid from the Projects' all her life left scars where you couldn't see.

Fortunately Lydia seems to notice the byplay and just hands over the money for her pizza and shake.

Whether it is Izzy noticing her noticing or just your friend being a big softie at heard she finally gives in.

***​

The Dancing Dragon is old, if someone told you the myopically blinking neon sign of the eponymous winged lizard was actually from the eighties you would believe them. Some of the stains on the off-off-green carpeting look older. The hall smells as much of cigarettes and booze as cheap candy. You never could tell if the old man at the door can't see teens sneaking said contraband or if he really doesn't care, What you do know for certain is that his son over by the jar of quarters really doesn't. Once on a dare you had tried exchanging a cigarette for quarters and he had taken it with an only slightly less bored expression than he did dollar bills.

So it is with marked lack of worry that you add a dash of vodka into the various no-longer-soft drinks you had gotten on the way. Daniel looks like he really wants to ask where you had it from. Truth be told you can't remember... Nelson might have given you the last refill two weeks ago, but you don't want to think about what Nelson had done and what you had done to him tonight.

Much more enjoyable to look at Daniel and Lydia having a stare-off over the flask. As a matter of fact you know your brother isn't quite so much of a boy-scout that he never drank and if Miss Cocktail Party Aficionado doesn't drink socially you'll eat the flask, but each of them is trying to look 'respectable' to the other and it's hilarious.

Finally it's her that breaks the stare, giving the flask a quick sniff before pouring a little into her... purple juice. You are not sure what that is. Pomegranate? Mildly weird.

Daniel does the same without the sniff to add a bit of zing to his coke.

You end up crushing everyone at Street Fighter, turns out actually hitting people with swords has a startling amout of crossover with fighting games where you have to manage wierd button presses. Supposedly back in the old days you had to memorize this stuff, but you all just googled it. Then you all end up playing Turkey Shoot just because of his silly it sounds. The real challenge of that game in your opinion is not collapsing laughing when the words 'Turkey Terminator' flash on screen. After that the high score for Speed Racer goes to Daniel prompting jokes about how he is ready for a car.

Through it all you watch Lydia to see how good she does... and the answer is pretty good, really good for someone who has never played an arcade game before, but nothing that even gets close to impossible

"That car is just slow, the red one is faster," Lydia insists as she comes out second again.

"It's just cosmetics... they aren't different," Daniel says.

"Red one's faster," she insists and then she takes red and wins.

After spending an indeterminately large pile of quarters and about four hours on the arcade you part ways in good cheer. Daniel helps Lydia into a cab and you head back towards home in another.

"Bye Lydia, see you around!" you say sincerely. The girl is strange and maybe tangled up in the supernatural, but she is also interesting with her reading old books in four languages.

From the looks she gives you as you exchange numbers you guess she feels much the same.

It occurs to you about halfway there that while you may have magic on your side getting out of there, you have none of it getting back in.. This is usually the part of the Disney Channel Original where the protagonist gets caught and learns a valuable lesson about honesty or something, you think confusing the heck out of Usum. Thankfully real life isn't directed by Disney just yet. You make it up the tree and through the house with no one the wiser through skill and luck and aten minutes after that you are back in bed with not a sign of any illicit outings in sight.

---

Arc One Complete​

Triumphs

1. Helped with the Red Court Ambush 3 XP
2. Swayed Ebeneezar 1 XP
3. Dealt with Gorfel and Company 4 XP
4. Sniper Encounter 2 XP
5. Gorfel Social Fu and investigation 2 XP
6. Saved Tim Andrews 1 XP
7. Duel with Michael 3 XP
8. Night on the Town 2 XP

Banked XP: 2
Total XP: 20
You sleep and dream of secrets unraveled, secrets kept, the battles of blades and those of words. Whispers in a nameless tongue follow you into dreaming, the voice of the forgotten.

How does your power grow?
Plan Vote

[] +1 Appearance, with practice and with will you take on a guise less strange, less eerie 4 XP

[] Lessen Touch of Frost, rather than the killing frost your touch is merely cold, instead of killing plants your prorogued ministrations can at most wilt them 5XP

[] +1 Essence Gives two more motes to cap; May spent 2 Essence in one round; unlocks Shintai form 8 XP

[] Lanka Charm: By Rage Recast (••): Gives you access to another Shintai Aspect in your human form 6 XP

[] Kakuri Charm: Bloodless Murk Evasion (•••): Allows Shadow teleportation including to reflexively avoid all but holy attacks 9 XP

[] Kakuri Charm: False Springs Beckckon (•••) Allows you to suspect the torments of those who serve you, including the derangement caused the use of by Black Magic 9 XP

[] Wicked City Charm: Hollow Mind Possession (••): Invest a dark spirit in a into a smart device within line of sight, awakening it into an AI subject of your power within the limits of the device. Can be permanent with enough successes 4 XP

[] The Hell of Boiling Oil Charms Charm: Charred Sinner Renewal (•) : Regain Essence and Heal much faster when immersed in toxic liquids; Immunity to the harmful effects of such liquids when immersed 4 XP

[] The Hell of Burrowing Maggots Charm: Demonic Primacy of Essence (•): Lesser Creatures of Darkness recognize your dread majesty making it easier to sway them. All social rolls with such beings reduced by 2. 4 XP

[] The Hell of Burrowing Maggots Charm: Verdant Emptiness Endowment (•••••): Grant the prayers of any who would cast their wishes in the wind and in exchange if you should wish demand obediance

[] Ancient Sorcery Spell [Will be Gained when next you sleep] Calling the Calibration Gate: Opens a gate to the Nevernever, be it to the realms of the fey, the underworld or the Hells at the infernal command. Alternatively can be used to open a gate from any of these realms to the mortal world. No lesser power may bar the gate, though they can of course send their hosts to try and hold it more conventionally 10 XP

[] Ancient Sorcery Spell [Will be Gained when next you sleep] Disguise of the New Face: Perfectly transform the subject (which can be the caster) into the likeness of another used during the spell. This is not glamor that can be disbelieved or broken, but physical transformation including such elements as fingerprints, retinas and even DNA as long as the spell lasts 10 XP

[] Ancient Sorcery Spell [Will be Gained when next you sleep] Emerald Spirit Binding: Bind a spirit to your service for a year and a day, if a spirit has been recently defeated in battle it may not resist. A sorcerer may have spirits bound equal to her essence rating. 10 XP

[] Ancient Sorcery Spell [Will be Gained when next you sleep] Mists of Eventide: Conjure fog that brings forth enchanted slumber. Willpower difficulty 9 to resist 10 XP

[] Ancient Sorcery Spell [Will be Gained when next you sleep] Sapphire Ritual of Exorcism: Over the course of ten minutes banish any possessing spirit or power from its victim/host. Not even the Fallen may resist the mandala of absolute reality 10 XP

[] Write in (Rules for XP spending can be found on the character sheet)

OOC:The reason night on the town got you 2 XP was one for not getting caught, stealth is really not your strong suit and one for making a new friend.

 

[DragonParadox]

A Deeper Dreaming ​

16th of July 2006 A.D.

It is always cold in your dreams, sometimes it is dark as well, but the darkness is different this time, heavier and more aware. You move as a swimmer in deep water who morns the sun far, far away... but then you sense the water in your tongue. Bitter, foul and impure if seems at first, hateful and cruel.

The light of your anima flares around you, a ghostly green, not like fire, but like the luring light of an angler fish and all around you see white sand that billows into clouds at the merest step. Picking a direction at random you start walking. A hundred steps, two... a thousand, then at the thousandth and first you reveal something under the veil of dust an arc of bone so large it takes you the moment to realize you are looking at the orbit of a single titanic eye, but it is not the grandeur of death that most ensnares you, it's the tiny pale things that crawls along it, like worms and crabs, and millipedes, though twisted into shapes that not even the most intrepid submersible had yet seen, for you know that there are not the seas of Earth you know, but something older, stranger. Even from these bitter waters life might spring, even here you might find succor. Poison and remedy, like love and hate two sides of the same thing...

You wake up suddenly still in the grey predawn hours, reaching out instinctively for your phone. A subtle buzz of static hits your still grogy mind as you touch it, not from it... from beyond it.

There are more than mechanisms of gross matter in the Wicked City, there are hosts and legions of electronic devils, the fears and nightmares of those who browse the internet, the shadows to its web of light. Now some of them, the least of them, but numberless hosts are yours to summon and they are eager to come forth from the hell in which they dwell. They promise leal service, without end without condition for the change at freedom at the distinction of a Name from among he from among the jagged alpha-numerical storm.

"Huh, I can heal in toxic sludge and summon cyber-devils " you say aloud laying in bed, the sound of your voice makes it more real. "Cool."

"Not just toxic sludge Glorious Lady of the Dark to Come," Usum interjects. "All that flows and in impure, all that promises death or ruin to mortal life by its voraciousness. By it your Essence, like your flesh might be restored."

"Wait how does that work? Where does it come from?" You remember all too well the feeling of magic being ripped from your 'hands' and falling into the ever churning whirlpool of your soul.

"Magicians and priests, seers and shamans, by whatever name you call them all who reached for the powers beyond sought purity of form, of mind, of purpose, they washed away that which they counted distraction, illusion, sin." The demon pauses on the last word as if tasting it. "But there is power also in that which they have cast off through the long years. From that power you may now drink freely and even if you were glut yourself for a thousand times a thousand years you would not drain it dry."

So tapping the platonic ideal of corruption for power, probably not going to reveal that anytime soon, you think. A laugh bubbles to your lips, a shadow od Usum's own joy at your growing power. Just as long as it;s not a cackle you should be good.

As the sun comes over the horizon to refill your reserves you also realize they are deeper then they had been yesterday as though your power had prepared itself for the glut of Essence.

You regain 5 Essence Now at 12/12

***​

The face that greets you in the mirror looks unchanged by inner transformation and the glass still freezes over at your breath. You throw on a pair of fades shorts and a rumbled Metallica shirt and head down to breakfast, distracted by thinking of what would be the least bad lethal contaminant to use as a focus Hank runs right into you.

As you grab him by his Mickey Mouse PJ collar to steady him the little fellow looks up at you. "You're difwent," he says lisping a little.

"How?" you ask confused as you set him gingerly down.

"Not as cweepy. Oops not s'posed to say that," he adds quickly. "Don't tell mommy, OK?"

"You are not supposed to say I'm less creepy?" Normally you are fluent in toddler logic by dint of sheer experience, but you were out late last night and you haven't had your coffee yet.

"Not s'posed to say you're cweepy. Mommy said it'd make you sad," your baby brother explains.

"That is OK Hank, less creepy is good," you say ruffling his hair.

That is such a mom thing to think about. You resolve to do something nice for her. Would she like a phone AI? you wonder. I'd have to be vague about where it comes from, but it's not like I go around explaining the details of my powers to mom.

Coming down for breakfast you find that most of the family is already there, including your dad looking over some papers as he balances Leech one one knee. She's getting a little big for that, you note, but know from experience that she probably won't give it up for another year or two. Mom's making hash-browns, Daniel is busying himself helping Hope cut up her food she he doesn't have to talk and accidentally blurt out something about last night and Matthew is looking surreptitiously at something on his phone.

What do you do?

[] Bring up your new powers and supplies you need for them
-[] Write in suggestion for healing poison

[] Offer to make everyone really smart phones

[] Just head to church

OOC: I hope you guys like the fluff for CSR. It would have worked with just 'you tap hell for power', but this felt more in theme for 'I have a dragon nest in a jar of bleach'

 

[Yzarc]

Alright, so here is my Shintai Idea.

The Glorious Apocalypse Princess​

Spoiler: Inspiration Pic

Shintai: Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai
Strength +1, Dexterity +4, Stamina +1

Demonic Aspect:
-Demon Armor (x2): +4 Soak
-Hardened Devil Body (x4): +12 Bruised Health levels
-Swift Stride: Movement speed and jumping distances are doubled.

Appearance:
A terror born from the Nuclear Radiance of the Long Night and the fear born from the Nightmare of Atomic Armageddon, she walks forth clad in the armor seemingly carved from Brass and Basalt, yet paradoxly Finely-crafted and customized exactly to task. In all appearance, the armor appears to be made with exceptional craftsmanship with its own unique flourishes and decorations.

The core of the Armor is made from Basalt drawn seemingly from the depths of Lanka, the Demon City of the Rakshas. Yet savants of the occult, if allowed to study the material, will realize that this Basalt has no origins in Lanka, instead hinting at a far more ancient and forgotten origin. Indeed, for the Basalt that makes up the core of the armor is far older then even the most ancient of the Bedrocks of Lanka.

The Brass that highlights the Basalt is no less impressive. If observed under eyes that can see beyond the mundane, Green writing, glowing faintly, can be seen. If one can read the arcane and forgotten language then they would understand that the writings are wards made from litanies praising the rise of the Glorious Apocalypse Princess.

She wears the Horned helm of Ruin and Glory, marking her as a Demon Royal. On her shoulders sits the heraldry of the Demon Empress to be, the badge of Glory that strikes fear in the hearts of those who understand the magnitude of the terror to come for the same represent the Creation Ruling mandate that the Empress wields, taken from the hands of the cold dead corpses of her opponents.

But not all is lost, for the Heavens are not blind to the terror the Princess represents and saw fit to send forth their finest Knight, who tempered indifference with Compassion, doubt with conviction, indulgence with temperance and fear with Valor. Thus, the Empress to be wears the Mantle of Sunlight, that shines not with the balefire of Nuclear Annihilation but with the light of the resplendent dawn, representing strength, superiority, order, glory and striving for the absolute. For all things must end, even the Long Night and there must always be hope for tomorrow.

But whether the gambit of Heaven awoke the Spark of Solar Glory......only time shall tell.

Transformation:
The Empress to be stands unmoving and unflinching under her foe's onslaught, hardening her body to break her foes against her immortal flesh. She waits until the light of hope begins to shine in her foe's eyes before she utters one and only one word.

"No"

The shock of the absolute act of defiance spreads at an ever expanding rate, the word travelling through the filaments of her World, calling forth its very foundations to aid her. She flares her Anima and immediately collapses the same into her flesh, producing a brief, blinding cataclysm of emerald flame even as Dark Essence flows into her, beginning her transformation.

Her heart begins to palpitate and her blood gleams with the green light of Armageddon. The same tainted essence flows through her veins like blood, transforming her flesh with the materials of a Demon City for older then Lanka. Her form is clad in armor grown from her own body, even as her hair takes on a brassy sheen and hardens into a helm fit for a Empress. Material flows within her body, forming replacements limbs and organs and so that the same may be made of hardier material and not pathetic flesh.

When the light clears, the Empress to be stands transformed, her demonic nature stamped unmistakably into her flesh as her anima roars once more.​

Notes:
The Transformation pings off the legend of the Infernals in ExWoD, where Shintai are the shadow of the Demon Emperor they might become should they ascend to a throne above the Earth with the dawning of the Sixth Age. They are heralds of the new age and by definition, do not belong in this one. For within their hearts ticks the doomsday clock, a promise, a world engine, a reflection of what should be. Thus they can't help but rejects what is for what could be and set forth to make their world a reality and it is minutes from midnight.

It referenced both the origins of the Infernal's power being derived from the Yozis power, what they become and the Horror of Nuclear War. The same also includes the fact that the Heavens have reached out to Molly and keeps the hope for tomorrow which also references the fact that they were once Solars who were changed.

The form and theme of both the appearance and transformation represents Great and Terrible power but also one that is tempered by Hope and Faith which references Molly's upbringing as well as her character. There is no redemption for Infernals but even the darkest of days and the Blackest of Nights must end and a new Dawn always rises, representing the death of an age and the birth of a new one. Though if the Dawn is Green or Gold, if not in form then in spirit, is yet to be decided.

Reasons:

Size and ease:

Devil Tyrant Avatar is human sized. What this means is that any place that Molly can enter into, she can transform in with no ill effects. So, we do not have to worry about being underground, in a building or even being in a car. We can transform with no extra difficulties due to location, size, and other such restrictions. We can also do all the things Molly can and are not penalized for it nor is her appearance reduced to 0 like in ALL the other Shintai options.

By comparison, we have Demon -Emperor which is at the minimum 12 ft tall and has stated difficulties going through a door. It's huge size also makes fine manipulation extremely difficult if not outright impossible, due to the gigantic size and what form we take.

Incarnate Apotheosis Shintai is a natural disaster such as a living sandstorm, inferno, pool of living acid studded with eyes, amorphous shadow, or swarm of demonic locusts etc. It also operates on the swarm rules found on page 391 of V20, which…..yeah. It does soak damage so there is that but still.

Then there is Devil-Beast Shintai, which is an animal form but suffers a –3 penalty to all attempts to perform fine manipulation due to its lack of proper human hands.

Stat Spread:

Then there is the Stat Spread. Devil-Tyrant Avatar is the only Shintai that offers +4 Dex.

Strength +1, Dexterity +4, Stamina +1

Dexterity is the absolute key to both avoiding getting hit and hitting enemies. You can make up strength with the Venomous Demon Aspect +3 Lethal Dice and charms like GSNF and augment stamina with Demon armor Aspect for +2 Soak and charms like VLE, but if dexterity is low, we are not going to be doing much in combat except bleeding out.

To put it simply, if we do not take max dex now, we will never be getting another Dex booster as there is no other dex booster at all.

You can also justify rolling it for just about any physical task. It encompasses gross agility, fine dexterity, general flexibility, hand-eye coordination, and running and movement, being prone etc. This especially combos well with Devil-Tyrant as the shintai can do all the things Molly Can do, so we do not loose out on any ability and instead get a flat boost on what we can do in combat.

What this means is that we roll like this.

Dex 4 + Melee 5 + Shintai 4 + Stunt 2. So 15 Dice without a Excellency in combat without needing to spend any essence and 24 dice with an Excellency. This is immediately out of the gate at E2 and will only increase once we get to Dex 5 for a max of 26 dice.

Demon Aspects:

Devil-Tyrant Avatar grants us 7 Demonic Aspects and builds off our Human form. What that means is that we can customize it as we see fit. However, it should be noted that if added to a shintai- Demon Aspects are forever locked behind the shintai. So what that in mind….

Aspects Already Gained:

Demon Weapons – Melee Sword from our Head demon.

Transcendent Anathema – By Rage Recast.

Aspects to take for the Shintai:

Demon Armor (x2)– Adds +4 Soak.
Swift Stride – Doubles Moment Speed and Jumping distance. Applies to Flight when we take it, so it is not rendered redundant.
Hardened Devil Body (x4) – 12 (3 x4) Bruised (–0) health levels.

We can purchase Essence Ox-Body charms in our base form but does not apply to our Shintai and if we do not take at least 4 HDB then our base form will have more health levels than our shintai. So, by taking it HDB 4 times, this makes our Shintai competitive in High Essence fights as it has the Equivalent of taking x4 Ox-Body technique and can keep up with High Essence enemies that do boatloads of damage in single attacks.

With this our health levels look like this….

-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-1/-1/-4/Na.

As you can see, this allows us to get hit, a LOT and fight high level opponents with a reasonable degree of failure. The point of the shintia is to act as a buffer against dying and having a ton of health levels would aide in that. Anything more then 4 is a waste as we will be getting other charms to heal/mitigate damage. But similarly, anything less then 4 makes us much more squishy then we really should be in a super mode.

In addition, we have greatly reduced wound penalties, thanks to the -0s and can put off taking Ox-body charms for our base body as they would not be that much of a Priority.

 

[DragonParadox]

Small Boons and Banes Abound ​

16th of July 2006 A.D.

'Mom I'm going to need a few bottles of bleach or a few kilos of salt to make a healing bath...' yeah, no real way to bring that up without cutting off breakfast conversation like you'd used a guillotine. So you keep to smalltalk, you learn that Leech will have a game next week that mom and dad insist she 'is sure to win' which translating for parental encouragement means she has about a fifty fifty chance at winning. You are just happy to see your sister smiling about it, it looks to you like softball has a much better chance to stick around that the flute or the piano or even the guitar.

You also figure out what Matthew was checking his phone for. Apparently one of his friends had gotten their hands on the newest season of Bleech subbed and he wanted to trade, but it was up in the air who they would trade them to and for what.

"Honestly," you sigh. "Give that here, I'll handle it..."

"You barely know who Frank is," he protests over the sound of Hope arguing about which shoes to take to church.

"Don't need to know who Frank is, magic powers remember, just tell me what you've got to trade."

"For real?" he asks wide eyed. "I mean... I mean he won't notice or anything will he?"

"He won't know a girl's using your account." You roll your eyes. "Come on I wanna watch too."

Hesitantly he hands the phone over and you start to type.

Lost 1 Essence

Pretending to be your brother, talking over messages with a boy you barely know the name of is an odd experience, usually you can't really tell what's the nudge of essence and what is just you, this time you sure do. More than once over the course of the next five minutes you find your way halfway through typing something before the message even registers. You reference people you know as well or even less than Frank with scorn or with goodwill, but in the end...

/Alright, you can have them tomorrow,/ comes the last message as you toss Matthew the phone on the way to the car, having gotten dad's OK to drive him and Leech to Church this time around

"Thanks." He gives you a long look like he'is not sure if he should say what's on his mind. "Aren't you not supposed to use your powers for personal gain? "

"No, that's Charmed," you laugh

"Eww... that is for girls," he responds reflexively. To be fair Charmed deserved the 'eww' though not for being 'for girls'. By the end you are not sure who the show was for other than people with an attention span too limited to notice the plotholes and enough moral myopia to not realize the main characters had devolved into villains. Great premise that had caught you right when you were finding your magic, terrible execution.

"What's Charmed?" Leech asks from his other side, halfway between scolding Matthew and curiosity.

"Something you should spare your brain-cells and just watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I have a boxed set," you say. "Just don't let mom see you watching them."

"Because it's too violent," she rolls her eyes.

Because mom had a really bad experience with magic, you think but can't say. "Look do you want to watch the show or not? I don't want mom on my case."

"Sure, sounds cool."

That is how when you came out of the car in front of the church Matthew were talking about Buffy. Alas it was also in front of Mrs Evans, who must have had a particularly bad week yelling at kids to stay off the grass and making hats out of the neighborhood dogs, or whatever she was she did in her spare time, because she zeroes right in.

"That show is demonic you know, how tour parents let you watch something so dangerous I'll never know? Maybe if you were more careful about what you're exposed to you wouldn't be so violent."

Leech opens her mouth and from her expression you are one hundred percent sure it's not going to be polite.

"Should she be?" the literal demon in your head whispers in your mind like honey and poison

Mom and dad are already inside so you are unlikely to find any help there unless this gets really loud.

How do you reply?

[] Diplomatically (Charisma+Empathy)
-[] Write in stunt

[] With subtle threats (Manipulation+Intimidation)
-[] Write in stunt

[] Write in

OOC: I'm going to be traveling most of the day tomorrow so I won't be available to answer any questions on a big vote like the Shintai one, so here have someone who insulted both Molly's taste in television and her siblings. I'm sure she'll be fine.

 

[DragonParadox]

The Weight of Words ​

16th of July 2006 A.D.

You place a hand on Leech's shoulder in silent assurance. 'I'll handle this,' the gesture says and your sister trusts it. The question now is how you ponder as you contemplate Mrs. Evens proudly out-thrust jaw. like she is about to fight the supposed 'satanism' of a TV show here and now.

There is a part of you that really really wants to go off on her and you cannot even blame it on Usum, you've wanted to do it for at least a year and half... but... but... it's not the right thing to do, it's not the Christian thing to do for all she is a bad one herself, maybe especially because she is a bad one. People already wandering off the path do not need more shoves, they need a helping hand.

Lost 1 Essence

"Has this ever helped?" you ask, keeping your tone conversational, like you are asking about the weather. As you hoped she would that puts her off whatever spiel she was planning to say from simple confusion. Still that will only get you so many words out before she inevitably cuts you off so you had best make them count.

"If the goal is to convince people of something snide barbs aren't the way to go about it. If the goal is simply to make yourself feel better then you have more important business to deal with than ours." Alright so maybe you are feeling a bit vindictive after all, but you are not trying to scare her, more...

"Who do you think you are?" Mrs Evens raises her voice so much she is starting to get an audience. Out of the corner of your eye you see Mrs Brown approaching with the save... you don't really need saving, but you do want the audience. If she just turns and stomps off before your 'garishly dyed' self as you heard she once put it she would lose face. So let Mrs Brown come and Mr Thomson the nice old man who used to drive an ice cream truck, but you do not wait for them to speak.

"I'm just a girl, going to church same as everyone here." you shrug. "I'd like to say that I want nothing more than to stand up for my little brother and have nothing but love in my heart, but that would be a lie under the eye of man and God. To be honest, you annoy me." You sigh, the feeling behind it honest, so no reason not to use it. "Maybe this is a lesson for both of us. 'For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God' specifically."

"I didn't curse anyone!" she snaps, but you can see the uncertainty in her faded blue eyes. "I was trying to instruct the young." You can practically hear the follow-up, the snide remark about Matthew not ending up like you or some such

"How about..." the advantage of actually being tired from being out late last night is that it is really easy to sound tired. "We both try to judge a little less instead of sniping at each other in front of a church?" And in front of everyone in the congregation to boot, you don't add, but know Mrs Evens is keenly aware of.

"I never judge children Miss Carpenter." That is patently a lie, it is also not another veiled attack, which is really the best you can hope for as she turns her back and heads back towards the church.

Throwing quick grateful smiles at the parishioners who were about to step in you follow her in, feeling a bit more lighthearted for taking the high road.

***​

"...Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." The verse and its message of humility was probably part of the sermon before your talk outside, still it is odd to hear it, odder still to realize the whole thing is about the value of humility and understanding. From the look she gives the priest it seems to strike Mrs Evens as a little more than odd, but that is between her and God.

Coincidences do happen, you remember your dad telling you when you were a kid. if we try to see a direct sign from the divine in everything that happens pretty soon we will be trying to read the future in the flights of birds and if we have our necks craned up to look at the birds we might trip on the road we are walking. God is in all things, but He isn't a puzzle maker for your benefit specifically.

***​

Usum is quiet throughout the sermon, but at the end he asks. "Was that conceptual goodwill towards those who would be your foes or circumstantial?"

You know yourself too well to lie inside your own head. "Circumstantial, but I would like for the circumstances to be more common not less, where I can afford it."

But it isn't the argument with Mrs Evens itself or the talk with your inner demon that is the most surprising conversation that comes about on the steps of the church that Sunday.

"Molly," your mom sounds almost hesitant, which in your experience is like a fire burning cold, it just doesn't happen... or maybe you have never had the ear to hear it before.

"Yeah mom," you say casually like nothing odd had happened before service.

"You handled Clarisse better than I would have," she says simply. Then after a long moment. "You really are growing up aren't you?"

You don't know what to say that isn't glib and so you say nothing at all.

"You are not grounded anymore, but I expect you to follow all the other terms we talked about that night," she adds looking equal parts worried and proud.

What do you reply?

[] Agree, you can bend the 'no rushing into danger' clause if or realistically when you get there

[] Make the point about how wrong it would be not to help someone just because you are not with dad again (Charisma+Empathy)
-[] Write in Stunt (Optional)

[] Write in

OOC: No Shintai vote yet because this fit in too well here not to put in, it will be the next vote and then the next turn vote.

 

[DragonParadox]

Comfort in Clorox ​

16th of July 2006 A.D.

"OK mom," you say instantly, though you still have every intention of bending that 'no rushing into danger' rule into a pretzel if someone is in danger where you can help them, but if it gives her more peace of mind what's the harm?

"OK..." she looks at you closely, suspicious of the quick agreement.

Crap, you need to give her something. Power burns unseen again, insight that turns the world to flowing glass in which the intentions and perceptions of all seem as clear as the noonday sun.

Lost 1 Essence

"I know your always going to worry about me, I know your always going to worry about all of us. Same with dad," you begin.

Her gaze gets softer less searching, then with the faintest shadow of a smile a smile: "I worry a lot more about you than about your dad. Do you want the list of why that is by order of concern or alphabetized?"

You snort in laughter at the unexpected joke as you get into the car "Point made mom, point made." More seriously you add. "Can we talk, like really talk when we get home about this stuff?"

She nods and heads over to dad, from the look of concern and curiosity on Amanda's face they are going to have to field a lot of questions on the way back.

***​

"Mom, dad I know both of you worry..." if not quite as much nor show it the same way, you don't add. "I've made armor and a shield to be safe and I'm willing to take any other reasonable precautions. It's not like I want to get hurt."

"You didn't want to sprain your wrist when you were nine either, you just really wanted those cherries," mom points out. In your not so humble opinion it is really unfair that parents know all the silly things you did as a kid but you don't know theirs. It's not like you can ask mom's parents. At that you suddenly recall what dad had said about mom's family and the good-natured grousing drains out of your thoughts like water from a broken cup.

"I'm getting stronger, I have a way to heal even faster if it helps," you say quickly.

"What way?" dad asks, probably wondering if he is going to have to ask Harry for magic supplies.

Lost 1 Essence

"There really isn't a way to say this that isn't alarming so I'm just gonna say it OK?" Judging from the looks of trepidation on your parents' faces the lead up wasn't that reassuring.

"I heal really fast when I am immersed in impure and toxic liquids, they don't hurt of of course and I can even breathe in them safely," you explain quickly. "My power has an affinity to that which was cast off and impure, which kind of makes sense when you consider that one of the reasons I was able to take it up is because I failed, because I was imperfect."

"You didn't fail sweetie, that's not..." your mom starts, but you cut her off.

"Sure I did mom, I failed to get proper training for my magic, I failed to own up to even having it, I failed to consider the consequences of using magic to change how someone thinks and I failed to keep my mouth shut in Arctis Tor which distracted you," you rattle off. "I don't know much about the precise hows of the power I hold, but I am really sure the failure is important... it makes you sympathetic."

To what though, a part of you wonders, you are pretty sure it isn't the imperfections of your fellow man, even though you are fine with implying that to mom and dad if if makes them worry less.

Your mom gives a long heartfelt sigh and then glances up as if asking God for help, maybe for patience. "How toxic is toxic?" she asks at last.

"Lethal to an unprotected human, I'm pretty sure that less than that won't hurt me, but it won't heal and it won't recharge my reserves either," you shrug helplessly. "Look it's not my fault this works by Bizarro Logic..."

"Uriel called it an 'old treasure' Charity," your dad speaks before your mom can say anything. "I think it is fair to say that anything an angel would call old is more likely than not to work in ways we don't find intuitive."

"So what?" mom snaps. "I'm just supposed to have faith in this..." she waves your hand to a point generally above your head. "Whatever it is?"

The answer comes to you in a flash. "Mom do you have faith in the stove? Like the methane gas and the steel in the pipes and the principles that go into making it stove shaped? You don't right? That would be silly, but you trust that the company we got it from and the person who installed it know what they were doing. I would offer that an Archangel is a lot more likely to know what they are talking about than the stove makers and installers. He said it was my power to use for good or for ill, so it's not going to hurt me or lie to me."

"You should really think about going into law school," mom says at last.

And that is how you end up in the bath in your old bathing suit with a bath drawn and your mom holding a bottle of Clorox in a white-knuckled grip.

You go through all the ways to signal if if hurts three times then finally gets in and she starts to pour. At first you feel nothing, then an odd but not unpleasant tingle starting at your toes. A moment later the water starts to glimmer faintly green, the color of your anima. "I think it's ready," you say and before your mom can object you take a deep breath and slip under the surface of the poisoned water.

You don't need to breathe, you realize after a moment, there is no urge to let the air out and your eyes don't sting. It feels warm and safe under the water, like lying under a blankket on a lazy morning. You smile and wave at your mom.

She lets out the breath she had been holding. "Don't forget to clean the tub," she says on the way out.

About an hour through you lie in the embrace of tainted water and for a moment there you fall asleep, you dream of things that were and things that are and things that might be, you dream of yourself, real and potential joined like an ouroboros across time. On waking you do not recall the dream, but you are left with the faint niggling feeling that you have grown in ways even you do not yet know.

Gain 4 Essence

[] Write in shintai form

OOC: To be clear the shintai is based on Molly's subconscious and the nature and history of her Exaltation, you are not bound by what she would think of as reasonable consciously and once she actually takes the form in a moment of trial is will feel natural to her. She can still be upset by the reactions of others, but not by the form of the shintai itself as it is her innermost self.

 

[Valkhir]

Endless Light Casts Infinite Shadows
​

[X] Shadow and Calamity Incarnation

"I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things."
Isaiah 45:7

Shintai: Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai
-Strength +1, Dexterity +4, Stamina +1

Demonic Aspect:
-Demon Armor: +2 Soak
-Hardened Devil Body x 4: +12 Bruised Health levels
-Hardiness (Heat): Immunity to heat of any kind (Environmental effects).
-Swift-stride


Transformation:


The Infernal appears to steel herself as if in determination, appearing vaguely saddened that it has come to this.

Searing, brilliant green light appears to break through from beneath her skin, from the direction of her heart, specifically from behind it.


At the precipice of where the Demon-Empress would become pure light and destruction, her remaining flesh and body suddenly flash freezes from the direction of her physical heart outwards, as the organ begins pumping liquid darkness, the appearance of which casts a sudden darkness over the world momentarily, as a holy, infernal light casts a deeper shadow still by shining through the substance of darkness.


The obscurement lasts a barely perceptible moment after which the changes are complete and the god-body of the Demon Empress stands in the world complete, her future fate grasped in the present world by will and mastery of Essence.


Appearance:


The god-body of the Demon Empress appears at first glance as an ice-sculpture of otherworldly, impossible beauty, with an intricate facsimile of a human body carrying liquid darkness in place of blood.

Until the Demon Empress opens her eyes, not ones on her once face, as her physical body is merely a vehicle of her will and a vessel of her transcendent soul which casts the shadow of her physical expression into the fallen world through it, but the ones in her blood which serves as her true physical vessel.

Whenever the Infernal would use her eyes as normal, eyes blazing with pupils of searing green open in random spots in the liquid darkness her current body uses as blood, peering out from her veins through the perfect, crystalline ice that serves as her flesh.


Whenever she speaks, her voice sounds like the symphony of glaciers cracking and moving combined with the rushing of an open flame or continuous nuclear explosion, which somehow assembles into a voice vaguely similar to her normal one, issued forth from no point in particular from her body.

If she is wounded more than skin deep (more than -0 Bruiser), which otherwise merely results in chips of ice flying off, the liquid darkness of her body bleeds profusely, and in seemingly illogical amounts her body should not be able to contain, but it always evaporates before it can touch any surface as if without the direct support of her existence it fades away like a dream.


When she attacks with her sword, the liquid darkness constantly dripping from the edge of it, as if it were a part of herself, ignites into a nuclear conflagration which burns with the world-destroying, soul-scouring dreams of Lanka tamed to the will of the Demon Empress, which leaves wounds charred to ruin but swelling with a vile black fluid, as if even the fires were merely vehicles for the will-carrying blood of the Demon Empress which further seeks the destruction of her Enemies.


(If she has Flight from By Rage Recast) Her back cracks open horizontally around her shoulders, and a sheet of her blood flows down in a single shape. After it reaches sufficient length what appears to be a mantle made of a night sky of green stars, which are in truth distant eyes, lifts itself up and flexes into two great wings, ready to carry her aloft.

(If she has Shadow Spite Curse Signature) Whenever her eyes focus on something for too long, shadows cast by seeming emptiness begin to appear in her field of vision. In truth, the light cast by the inquisition of the Demon Empress' regard wounds the Essence of the fallen and diminished world, causing it to bleed and weaken from her presence.

(If using Bloodless Murk Evasion) The Infernal steps into a shadow and her ice-body completely shatters and evaporates into water, which quickly fade to nothingness. Meanwhile her blood falls as a deluge into the shadow and emerges from her destination already having donned a new body.

If she is wounded to incapacitation, her ice-body in chunks, her true center and core becomes visible. It appears to be an orb of swirling shadowy substance, which occasionally becomes more see-through, coinciding with flashes of extremely pale green radiance from within it, as if it were a looking glass or mirror through which something on the other side is peering into the world.

---

I'll just post mine too just in case.

And to keep voting for the other one too.

[X] Yzarc

Edit: Thematic wise, other than incorporating the Hells that are Key ones, Kakuri and Lanka, is as shown by the quote to show a potential use or evolution of an Infernal who still follows ot at least is allied in the future with the White God.

He also creates and inflicts calamities, disasters and harsh discipline, so I imagine those themes would naturally resonate more with Yozi and Hell influenced Infernal Exaltation.

Ice is due to cold and night of Kakuri + Arctis Tor.

The heart is of Lanka because nuclear power is...pretty symbolic of power, and the spiritual nuclear reactor that is an Exaltation, hidden by shadows so it is modulated and not world-scouring indiscriminately.

Lanka's dream harnessed.

 

[ThatGazzer]

[X] Shintai: The Queen In Rags
-[x] Devil-Tyrant Avatar: Strength +2, Dexterity +2, Stamina +2
--[x] Aspect: Demon Armor [The Patchwork Regalia] – Increase Soak by 2
--[x] Aspect: Camouflage– Reduce Difficulty of Stealth by 2
--[x] Aspect: Stealthy– Add 2 dice to all Stealth rolls.
--[x] Aspect: Swift Stride– Movement and Jumping Distance are doubled
--[x] Aspect: Venomous– May Envenom Attacks, +3 dice of Lethal Damage
--[x] Aspect: Keen Sight– Lower Difficulty of all Perception Checks Using Sight by 2
--[x] Aspect: Extra Limbs– When the Infernal takes multiple actions, each subsequent action raises its difficulty as normal but doesn't suffer a penalty to its dice pool.

---

The Queen In Rags Can See You,
On Her Panoptic Throne,
She Knows You Lack All Virtue,
So She Waits 'til Your Alone.

The Queen In Rags is Shadow,
She Is The Thing You Fear,
She Is No Simple Scarecrow,
She'll Make You Disappear.

The Queen In Rags Has Killed You,
But Worst Is Coming Next,
Your Soul is Cut To Patches,
A̰̲͡n͏͉̝d͍̬͟͝ ̴̼͙͉͓A̛͙̻̦dd̗̘̯̻̣ḛ̀͝d̗̘̠̦̀͟ t̛̘͍͈͢͡o̴͜͠ ̫̪T̘̹̳h̪́͡͞e̙̦͘ ̵̤̺Res̵̷̲͕t.

-The Queen In Rags, A nursery rhyme popular in Sheol [or whatever Hell we end up making.]

Activating the Shintai, Molly's Burning Crown Of Eyes Alights casting impossible shadows all about her. She plants her sword before herself as her body transforms— A Crown of Brass and Vantablack Ice grows itself out of the Emerald and Obsidian Gem that lays inset upon the The Infernal's Brow, Her Third Eye manifested in the Mundane, a Portent of Her Power— The Unblinking Infernal Gem glows gently with a strange fel-light, her hair grows long, color fading away into a snowstorm white, before coming to life under the will of The Empress To Be— all the while, The Shintai grows powerful digitigrade legs ending in panther like paws with vantablack fur, the rest of Her body stretching and twisting painlessly to match The Infernal's new proportions in a unreal fashion, leaving Her long-limbed and gaunt in a way that perhaps reminds one of a certain wizard.

Then with a sound like tearing fabric, the Awaited Infernal Empresses own Shadow rips Itself free from Her body using the cutting edge of Her Demonic Blade, which starts to drip, imbibed with venomous darkness, Her Shadow tears Itself to shreds in the process, only to float about The Thousand Eyed Queen shoulders like a mantle, whereupon It coalesces into The Patchwork Regalia. Consequently— because of The Nature of The Shintai while it is active, Molly casts no visible shadow, though objects or persons she might carry will.
The Regalia appears to be a long jacket with attached hood and a full suit in whatever cut or fashion most pleases Her, all perfectly tailored for The Queen In Rags. It seems made out of a motley of collection of rags, the color of The Regalia seeming to shift and move at the Infernal's whim. leather, cloth and occult patches held together with brass thread, safety pins and studded with dully shining fixtures made of the metal-hard Ice Of Kakuri, The Regalia is best thought of as a Battle Jacket from Hell, which Molly wears To War with all that Offends The Fated Infernal Empress. Indeed, after every killed enemy, defeated foe, or challenge overcome of personal significance to Molly, a patch or scrap of fabric that symbolizes her Victory is added to the Regalia, though this has no actual effect besides Proclaiming To All the Glory of The Queen In Rags.

---

Crustpunk Stealth Build, with merit badges

 

[uju32]

THE CARPENTER CROWNED IN IRON​

[X]Plan The Carpenter In Iron and Brass.

Click to shrink...

I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.
-William Ernest Henley

Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice.
-Robert Frost​

DEVIL-TYRANT SHINTAI: THE CARPENTER CROWNED IN IRON AND BRASS
Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai: +1 Strength, + 4 Dex, +1 Stamina
7x Demonic Aspects

• 2x Demon Armor: +4 Soak dice
• 3x Hardened Devil Body: +9 (-0) HLs
• 1x Extra Limbs: Telekinesis. Removes multiple action penalties.
• 1x Swift Stride: x2 Movement Speed

Pre-Shintai Statline
Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3
4 Soak dice with Ebon Scales
7HLs
Running speed 32 yards/turn

Final Shintai Statline
Strength 5, Dexterity 8, Stamina 4
8 soak dice with Ebon Scales + 2x Demon Armor (13 soak dice with VLE, 18 soak dice if we add Invulnerable Skin of Bronze)
16 HLs(7 base HLs + 3x Hardened Devil Bodies)
No multiaction penalties to dice pool
Running speed 88 yards/turn

HIGH CONCEPT
Ethniu meets Captain Atom meets AC Odyssey!Kassandra

Minor influences
Charlize Theron's Ravana
Cate Blanchett's Galadriel
DC Starfire
LoL Senna, Samara and Illaoi
Asura's Wrath Generals


DESCRIPTION
In height the Empress-In-Waiting stands a hair below six feet. Green, glowing eyes gaze out of a face the color and composition of infernal brass, illuminated by glowing green studs in her left nostril and in her ears. Hair the color and temperature of the frozen wastes of Enma-O's fief, or Arctis Tor's heartspring, adorn her head.

Her temples are cradled by a circlet of black iron, both a mark of Royalty and a technomagical interface for any appropriate technological gear subordinated with Hollow Mind Curse, like an earpiece radio or handheld GPS that she might have had on hand at the time of transformation.

The bonds of her imprisonment in Arctis Tor have been kept but repurposed, with the cuffs as bracelets cum bracers, and the neck collar as the ornamental collar of a haltertop faeriesteel dress falling midway to her knees, and exposing shoulders that could seemingly carry the world.

Black gossamer threads weave an additional layer of breeches around her legs, extending downwards until they terminate in brass-shod boots. The pale marks of tattoos trace across her shoulders and visible portions upper body, the ink burned away by her transformation and its place filled by the viridian light of Primordial hellfire.


=============
TRANSFORMATION
"Pree Ashma. Yis-Asram, the Blooded One. Yis-Prama, Hansa and Prat Pavam, who temper my heart. Yisun Atru Vyam. Forgive me for this violence I am about to inflict."
— 82 White Chain Born in Emptiness Returns to Subdue Evil, Kill Six Billion Demons

When the Infernal is pressed, or decides that the situation at hand demands a full display of her displeasure, an effort of will, with or without a vocal component, is all it takes to triggers the change.

A containment/summoning circle appears below her feet as her anima roars to life, followed by a rush of hell butterflies emerging from within it, obscuring the details of her form to external observers as they spin layered protections on the surface of the Infernal's skin and rework her attire to incorporate her existing gear's abilities into her warform.

As the rush of butterflies lessens, her hair color bleaches out in the storm of power, and her demon sword appears in her right hand, its surface aflame with litanies of prayer in a language long dead when dinosaurs walked the earth.
And then her eyes burn bright green.

Behold! The awesome fires of God. The limitless power of pure creation itself. Look carefully. Observe how it is used for the same purpose a man might use an especially sharp rock."
— Meti ten Ryo, Kill Six Billion Demons


REASONS
Devil-Tyrant Shintai is the only human sized option, and gives the most Aspect points.
Also the option that gives the largest mechanical bonus to Dexterity, which is your god stat for combat and movement.
So picking the highest Dexterity package gives us the most movement speed and the highest combat dice pool.

7 Aspect points for picks.

Extra Limbs removes the dice penalty that our combat or action pool suffers whenever we attempt to execute two or more simultaneous actions. There are Infernal extra attack charms, but no extra action charms, or charm that negates that penalty.
So this is a must-purchase.

Swift Stride doubles movement speed and jumping distance.
This synergizes with the +4 Dexterity from going Shintai, taking her from 32 yards/turn to 88 yards/turn.
In V20, a combat turn is 3 seconds. When we buy the Windborn Stride charm, this speed will go up even further.

Demon Armor stacks with existing armor, and can be bought with Rage Recast if we want, so while we must take some, we dont have to prioritize it as much. At 13 soak dice, we can reasonably expect to eat damage from every personal scale weapon with minimal, if any damage.

Hardened Devil Body otoh is exclusive to shintai, and does not stack with Ox Body.
So if we want some, we must buy it here, since the next canon opportunity is at E4.
3x buys gives us 9x HLs, essentially doubling our base HL pool.

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The Rage Recast charm can give Flight, so we dont have to include that in our shintai; we can buy it at our next XP spend.

Hardened is redundant since the 1 dot charm Transcendent Lord of Flies gives immunity to environmental damage.
Aquatic's benefits are redundant when Boiling Oil Mastery is a 1 dot charm, and does everything it does, but better.
Nightvision is redundant when we can make goggles or contact lenses that do the same thing.

I wanted Energy Projection, but a careful reading says that you can only use it (Essence) times per shintai manifestation.
Which would seem rather disappointing, and not worth the buy.


DESIGN NOTES
Molly Carpenter is still a teenager.
She is neither body shy, nor afraid of (physical)attention. Hence her first shintai is meant to reflect this: loud, bright and brassy.

Because Molly is also Strength 4, which is Exceptional, and only 1 dot from Strength 5, which is peak human.
At five foot eleven, she is the physical lookalike of her mother, who is Michael's regular sparring partner, and wields a warhammer as her preferred melee weapon.

She has the physical build. Her shintai should look like it.

I also wanted to make a callback to the Soulgaze with Dresden, where Harry saw her with broken chains.
Having those manacles repurposed as part of her outfit is deliberate.
And is a referemce to the charms Cracked Cell Circumvention and Tool Constructs.


Two thematic color palette options:
1)Ice white skin/armor layer from Lanka and Arctis Tor. Blood red hair, representing what was spilled on the tree. .
Brass/gold eyes that can turn red. Brass colored tattoos that light up with combat charm use.
Spectral black-green crown of fire. Black/green outfit.

2) Brass skin as brass is thematic for infernals.
Icewhite hair for Enma'O's Hell and Arctis Tor. Radioactive green glowing eyes for the ruins of Ravana's fief. Glowing Jade sunbursts in both ears, glowing jade stud on left nostril. Black interface circlet a la Galadriel for any technological doodads.


I went with metal over ice. Felt more rock and roll for an Infernal.

The crown/circlet is for any thematic technology or gear that Molly had on her when she triggered the transformation, which has Hollow Mind Curse on it. Like a communication earbud, or cellphone or nightvision goggles or handheld GPS.
It integrates into the crown for the duration of the transformation to keep offering its benefits.