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Yeah where's the "ART IS A BANG/BLAST!" (Deidara!Cytherea you know you want it
)
Green Sun, Black Shadows (CG/Exalted)
- Thread starter Alexander89
- Start date
- Crossover
Yeah where's the "ART IS A BANG/BLAST!" (Deidara!Cytherea you know you want it
)
Yeah where's the "ART IS A BANG/BLAST!" (Deidara!Cytherea you know you want it
One important thing of note - the Big Bang is expansion, not explosion. Plants are in theme for her, to some degree. That said, the set could definitely use some work. I'll take a closer look in a while and see what I can think of.
One of the authors of the Infernals stuff on Cytherea, by the way: Cytherea - Chancel Aleph
Basically we'd need to define Cytherea a little more if we're going to use her here.
An interesting examination of the setting, followed by a tasteless sex joke. Yup, that's WW for you.
Anyways: That quote makes me think that Cytherea should have a lot of charms dealing with boosting allies, multiplying essence, being a huge explosion, etc.
Here's a shot:
Combustible Essence Conflagration
Cost: - (5m)
Mins: Essence 4
Type: Permanent
Duration: Permanent
Keywords: None
Prerequisite Charms: Effortless (Cytherea) Dominance
Cytherea is ever-expanding, a cataclysm of devastation that somehow results in creation. Whenever Effortless (Cytherea) Dominance reduces the cost of the First (Cytherea) Excellency, double the reduction. When the Infernal reaches the maximum discount for the First (Cytherea) Excellency, he may pay 5 motes to detonate all the essence he has leaked into the environment, creating a pyroclastic explosion that deals (Infernal's Essence X 2) lethal levels of damage to everything within (Infernal's Essence X 10) yards as a one-time environmental hazard. The Infernal himself is immune, but this reset the discount on the Excellency.
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And here is her primary offensive charm:
Burn Away Infinite Possibilities
Cost: 3m
Mins: Essence 2
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Keywords: Combo-OK
Prerequisite Charms: Picking Out the Gems
In the beginning, mighty Oramus separated the possible from the impossible but it was Cytherea who burned away the infinite possibilities of the Wyld to a handful of desirable realities. This charm adds dice to the post-soak damage roll equaling the total number of discrete charms, items or things that the target has committed essence to, to a maximum of (Infernal's Essence). A Essence 3 repurchase, allows the flames of Cytherea to burn away all other possible paths to the target as the attack travels to it's mark - reducing the opponents applicable DV by 1.
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That's absurdly powerful for an Essence 2 charm in my opinion.
This is cool. Thematic and has that unusual-mechanic hallmark of Infernals. Phrasing is a bit awkward though. However, Landcollector is right that's its overpowered. You can easily have 10+ motes committed, which is fatal. Instead of the total motes committed, how about the number of charms, artifacts and things motes are committed to? That way you're likely to deal 1-4 levels of damage, which is comparable to GSNF.
I also think that it should have a prerequisite sight charm to see committed essence though, so that you don't waste an attack only to find out there's nothing to burn with.
Picking Out the Gems
Cost: 2m
Mins: Essence 2
Type: Simple
Duration: Indefinite
Keywords: None
Prerequisite Charms: None
Cytherea is the Divine Ignition, the First Creator who gave rise to all others (save Oramus, who existed before existence). She was the first to see the eddies of power that would become her siblings. In a similar way, the Infernal sees those who use power like him. This charm allows the Infernal to see another character's committed essence as tightly-wound whorls of power, judging how much they have committed and where, but not what they have committed it to. Repurchase at Essence 3 allows the Infernal to discern, in general, whether the essence is committed to charms, artifacts, or other things.
Er, if we keep writing charms, we should probably do it in the General Exalted thread so we don't clutter up the quest.
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
My first time writing original Charms. Went for the themes by the article that @Enjou provided. I don't have that good understanding of the rules, so I just tried to make something vaguely mechanically workable and focused on the fluff. Constructive critical feedback is welcome.
The First Breath of Creation
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 1; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: None
While Gaia shaped the Wyld into Creation, its was Cyntherea who provided the power necessary to for such miracle to be feasible in the first place, as well as the very concept of Essence in the rapidly cooling aftermath of her birth. The Infernal's Personal Essence Pool is expanded by Essence x 2 motes, while their Peripheral Essence Pool is expanded by their Essence x 4 motes.
However, their body becomes so accustomed to the abundance of Essence, that should their Personal mote pool drop to lower than their Essence x 3, the vacuum of power leaves them suffering an internal penalty half of their Essence (round down) to all their rolls until the pool fills up past that point. A second worse internal penalty occurs if one of their mote pools drops lower than their Essence rating, which will be equal to their Essence. These penalties can be ignored for one scene by spending a point of willpower.
From Nothing, Everything
Cost: -, +1wp; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: The First Breath of Creation
How can something be born if there is nothing preceeding it? Cyntherea just smiles gently, but unintentionally patronizingly to children who ask her this question. By paying one willpower surcharge to any single Charm, the Prince can ignore its mote cost. This doesn't work for Sorcery, unless the Infernal repurchases this Charm at Essence 5.
Awakening the Dreamers
Cost: 0m +?m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious.
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: The First Breath of Creation
Cyntherea's birth was what woke up the sleeping Primordials, the spreading Essence workings as a catalyst and raw material for their forms. By spending one willpower, the Infernal can channel up to her Essence x Willpower motes in an stream of Essence visible to mortal eyes to an another character's mote pools, if they have them. The Infernal also becomes aware of how much these pools have motes after spending willpower, and can allocate how much and where the motes go. Mother knows the best.
Resisting this Charm costs 0 willpower.
The First Breath of Creation
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 1; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: None
While Gaia shaped the Wyld into Creation, its was Cyntherea who provided the power necessary to for such miracle to be feasible in the first place, as well as the very concept of Essence in the rapidly cooling aftermath of her birth. The Infernal's Personal Essence Pool is expanded by Essence x 2 motes, while their Peripheral Essence Pool is expanded by their Essence x 4 motes.
However, their body becomes so accustomed to the abundance of Essence, that should their Personal mote pool drop to lower than their Essence x 3, the vacuum of power leaves them suffering an internal penalty half of their Essence (round down) to all their rolls until the pool fills up past that point. A second worse internal penalty occurs if one of their mote pools drops lower than their Essence rating, which will be equal to their Essence. These penalties can be ignored for one scene by spending a point of willpower.
From Nothing, Everything
Cost: -, +1wp; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: The First Breath of Creation
How can something be born if there is nothing preceeding it? Cyntherea just smiles gently, but unintentionally patronizingly to children who ask her this question. By paying one willpower surcharge to any single Charm, the Prince can ignore its mote cost. This doesn't work for Sorcery, unless the Infernal repurchases this Charm at Essence 5.
Awakening the Dreamers
Cost: 0m +?m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious.
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: The First Breath of Creation
Cyntherea's birth was what woke up the sleeping Primordials, the spreading Essence workings as a catalyst and raw material for their forms. By spending one willpower, the Infernal can channel up to her Essence x Willpower motes in an stream of Essence visible to mortal eyes to an another character's mote pools, if they have them. The Infernal also becomes aware of how much these pools have motes after spending willpower, and can allocate how much and where the motes go. Mother knows the best.
Resisting this Charm costs 0 willpower.
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Ok, I think before anything else, we need to work on the first stuff - Urge, Act of Villainy, and Excellency. We also might want to define her a bit, like determining what exactly her world body is like, and all that.
I think this works. It's suitably in theme for a mother/force of creation. Some spelling issues, but those can be fixed.
This is shit. It's way too punitive - botches for violating one of those oaths happen at the worst possible time, and as such this Torment could very well be deadly at multiple points. I would agree that it's in theme for her not to punish Intimacies, but the actual Torment needs to change.
As an alternative, the Infernal punishing themselves in some manner might work. They have disappointed their mother, so their Torment is actually self inflicted out of feelings of extreme guilt. They might voluntarily go sit in a corner for a day and mope, uttering apologies all the while. They might deny themselves all pleasures for a time. On the extreme end they might voluntarily inflict pain on themselves. Whatever they do, the underlying Torment is actually the extreme guilt they feel,
This works, I think.
I think we're going to need to write our own First Excellency here. The first one is a good foundation, but it overemphasizes plant themes - even if Cytherea is represented by a tree as her primary world body, keywords like 'tree' and 'roots' aren't really part of the themes that define her actions - and doesn't emphasize her other aspects enough. Expansion and growth would be more key to her nature as the Big Bang. I've underlined some of the things that I don't think work as keywords, need work, or are too long.
So, first I think we're going to need to better define Cytherea's a bit. Here's an idea:
Her fetich/primary world body being a massive tree works, I think. It would be a fair representation of her as a mother, especially if she bears some kind of fruit or gives birth to things in some fashion. Fitting her role as a loving mother, I think she might also accept some kind of voluntary restraints, because if she didn't she would expand endlessly and leave nothing for her children - this would be represented with some kind of voluntary restriction, or one built into her form, that would either restrict her by destroying her growth before it goes too far or by expanding only downwards rather than expanding outwards. She would have been this way even before being imprisoned, so as not to overrun Creation, and the Exalted merely got her to swear to continue this as part of her surrender oaths as otherwise she'd just expand out of Malfeas and into Cecelyne, and after five days of expansion would reach Creation.
The tree whose roots grow down endlessly would work, but it's kind of boring. Another idea is to have her somewhat at war with herself - her tree body is in the middle of a lake, though her branches extend past that. Seeds fall from the tree, and from them sprout giant vines akin to kudzu (though much larger) that grow outward and would expand endlessly. However, a long ways out there is a ring of fiery essence that surrounds this ever growing jungle of vines like a moat. This is one of Cytherea's Third Circle Demons (possibly her fetich or even a second fetich) representing her nature as the Divine Ignition. Before Creation was made, this primeval Essence could expand outward, but she voluntarily made it so that it would only expand inwards so that she wouldn't overgrow creation. When the vines reach it, it provides a catalyst and the Essence burns inwards towards the tree, destroying the vines and anything unfortunate enough to get caught up in the blaze. (Cytherea's First Circle Demons know her rules, and those living in this area have methods by which they seek shelter) Once the fire reaches the lake, it can go no further and runs out of fuel, but the land is made fertile once more by the ash and provides for the next generation of vines.
In this vein of action, Cytherea can only perform a destructive act if it is aimed at providing a catalyst for something else. Destruction for the sake of destruction is anathema to her.
Thoughts, @Alexander89?
I think this works. It's suitably in theme for a mother/force of creation. Some spelling issues, but those can be fixed.
This is shit. It's way too punitive - botches for violating one of those oaths happen at the worst possible time, and as such this Torment could very well be deadly at multiple points. I would agree that it's in theme for her not to punish Intimacies, but the actual Torment needs to change.
As an alternative, the Infernal punishing themselves in some manner might work. They have disappointed their mother, so their Torment is actually self inflicted out of feelings of extreme guilt. They might voluntarily go sit in a corner for a day and mope, uttering apologies all the while. They might deny themselves all pleasures for a time. On the extreme end they might voluntarily inflict pain on themselves. Whatever they do, the underlying Torment is actually the extreme guilt they feel,
This works, I think.
I think we're going to need to write our own First Excellency here. The first one is a good foundation, but it overemphasizes plant themes - even if Cytherea is represented by a tree as her primary world body, keywords like 'tree' and 'roots' aren't really part of the themes that define her actions - and doesn't emphasize her other aspects enough. Expansion and growth would be more key to her nature as the Big Bang. I've underlined some of the things that I don't think work as keywords, need work, or are too long.
So, first I think we're going to need to better define Cytherea's a bit. Here's an idea:
Her fetich/primary world body being a massive tree works, I think. It would be a fair representation of her as a mother, especially if she bears some kind of fruit or gives birth to things in some fashion. Fitting her role as a loving mother, I think she might also accept some kind of voluntary restraints, because if she didn't she would expand endlessly and leave nothing for her children - this would be represented with some kind of voluntary restriction, or one built into her form, that would either restrict her by destroying her growth before it goes too far or by expanding only downwards rather than expanding outwards. She would have been this way even before being imprisoned, so as not to overrun Creation, and the Exalted merely got her to swear to continue this as part of her surrender oaths as otherwise she'd just expand out of Malfeas and into Cecelyne, and after five days of expansion would reach Creation.
The tree whose roots grow down endlessly would work, but it's kind of boring. Another idea is to have her somewhat at war with herself - her tree body is in the middle of a lake, though her branches extend past that. Seeds fall from the tree, and from them sprout giant vines akin to kudzu (though much larger) that grow outward and would expand endlessly. However, a long ways out there is a ring of fiery essence that surrounds this ever growing jungle of vines like a moat. This is one of Cytherea's Third Circle Demons (possibly her fetich or even a second fetich) representing her nature as the Divine Ignition. Before Creation was made, this primeval Essence could expand outward, but she voluntarily made it so that it would only expand inwards so that she wouldn't overgrow creation. When the vines reach it, it provides a catalyst and the Essence burns inwards towards the tree, destroying the vines and anything unfortunate enough to get caught up in the blaze. (Cytherea's First Circle Demons know her rules, and those living in this area have methods by which they seek shelter) Once the fire reaches the lake, it can go no further and runs out of fuel, but the land is made fertile once more by the ash and provides for the next generation of vines.
In this vein of action, Cytherea can only perform a destructive act if it is aimed at providing a catalyst for something else. Destruction for the sake of destruction is anathema to her.
Thoughts, @Alexander89?
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This is absurdly broken. Mote pool expanders are OP in general, and this is a Essence 1 charm that multiplies your pool.
Well I'm just throwing around concepts, so balancing it around the number of committed is also good.
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
Hmm. I was afraid it would be that. Would Essence x 2 / Essence x 3 motes be more reasonable if the penalties stay the same, or would it still be too broken? Would even Essence x 1 / Essence x 2 motes work?
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ryuan
From Zero to Hero!
Essence pool expanders usually give a flat number and ways to specially replenish it or ways to use the pool, like overdrive pool which is used for offensive charms only, or Immanent Solar Glory which requires you to perform specific actions to replenish it.
NSMS
Probably evil, unfortunately.
- Location
- A rapidly widening tear in the fabric of reality
I can't think of a single essence-pool increasing power in the game (aside from a certain mutation from one of the scrolls that-shall-not-be-mentioned, and that's because it's variable with mutation cost) that doesn't grant you a fixed number of motes per purchase. For Solaroid Exalts, it's always 10 per Charm purchase (with some variants being stackable). Having it as an E1 charm with no prerequisites is definitely pushing things too.
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meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
Hmm. Maybe an Overdrive pool that works only when creating new things?
Yeah, you are probably right. Even if it fits the thematics of the Yozi, if its too broken its no good. Maybe a normal Overdrive pool of 10 m at Essence 1, followed only later on with something that truly Expands the mote pools or gives per turn mote regeneration with severe penalties while the Charm is on, possibly only starting from Essence 5.
Like others have said, mote expanders can rapidly become OP. You could make this the start of Cytherea's crafting tree, maybe letting you buy extra dice in excess of normal maximums, at a cost of one mote per die? Fits her themes as creation and being energy.
Instead of ignoring a mote cost, make it a cost reduction. Some charms (and especially spells) can be very expensive as a balancing measure. Shintais can run between 20-40 motes, for examples. Maybe 1 point of willpower per 10 motes ignored? That supplies most charms in the 3-5 area that aren't mass-destruction or shintais.
This is great.
I dislike the plant motif entirely. I'd instead go with a giant gas-cloud like you see after a supernova, perhaps with planetoids and other structures floating within. Things constantly form within her, some of which die out in a flash of light, some go on to become people, places or things. Constantly creating, constantly expanding, shifting. Dynamic and never stagnant. She constantly creates new things from her own flesh, hoping to make the perfect child to dote upon.
Third Circles could be stars within her nebula, strange rays (from outer space!), and other cosmic phenomena.
First Excellency... I decided to step away from the "growing, motherly" type and make her more of an explosive creator who likes to be the girl behind the throne. It also fits into the whole "mustache-twirling villain" trope by leaving the Infernal at a loss when the heroes break into her lair and confront her. I figured the only way the Exalted could defeat a walking supernova is if she didn't want a straight-up fight in the first place.
---
Cytherea is explosive and dynamic, an ever-growing force of unbound creation and splendor. A pyroclastic inferno, she burns away the dross to leave perfection behind, producing in mass and reducing the result. Cytherea prefers to act behind the scenes, being the hidden benefactor to those she loves, guiding others to her own goals. Cythera is possessed of ethereal beauty, and seeks to ingratiate others to her largesse, though she never demands repayment for her gifts. When moved to violence, Cytherea is an overwhelming explosion, destroying her enemies in a single cataclysmic blow.
Characters may apply this excellency to any action in which they encourage or support others, especially in pursuit of their own goals. This charm can help remain hidden even when signs of your work are obvious, ensuring that others do your bidding unknowingly. Those who choose to personally intervene attack in shocking violence before withdrawing from further conflict. Cytherea is strongest when she is unknown; this charm cannot be used in any situation where people expected the Infernal before his arrival, or where pursuers catch up to him.
- Location
- Spain
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- Location
- That light in the sky with a decaying orbit.
Yea, what Alexander posted definitely looks like its edging into Autochthon's territory.
Metagaos, stop infesting cytherea excellency!
Unfortunately I don't think this fits what Holden had to say - destroying an enemy in a single cataclysmic blow doesn't fit a being that has a lot of raw energy but not a lot of actual power. Her Charms would be more about creating stuff out of nothing, catalyzing things, and working well with others in creative efforts. (I'm also not really sure that really fits Rakshata)
This bears repeating: the Big Bang was not a destructive event. It was a birthing. She then worked with the other Primordials to make Creation. If Cytherea uses destruction, I can only imagine it as being a tool for the purpose of making something else or protecting what she's already made.
Here's an altered version of the other Excellency that I think works better, removing the plant motifs but keeping the motherhood stuff and changes a few other things:
Needs some more work, I think, but this suits at least some of the actual Charms already present.
It's fine for there to be overlap, so long as there isn't too much overlap. Oramus can usually create unique things better than Autobot can, but once he's made something once he can't really make it again because then it wouldn't be unique. In my version of the First Excellency above, Cytherea is an excellent creator in the sense that she's got a lot of potential and energy to do stuff, but she's got to work with a team to get her best work done as she's not necessarily got a lot of imagination, though if she's already got the blueprints for something she may or may not be able to make it again but she could at least repair it. Autobot wouldn't be able to make super-unique stuff at the level of Oramus, but he can repeat his work all he wants, and he still does have the creativity to do his new projects by himself.
It may help if we had a better idea of how @Alexander89 views Cytherea, and why she decided on Rakshata, to figure this stuff out.
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I don't think the part about working well with others is really a problem with Rakshata at all. One of the things that's shown a couple of times in Code Geass is that Rakshata does have a team of people she works with. None of them are ever named, or really memorable in any sense other than that they existed, but if my memory is correct it's actually more or less the same people the whole time.
Which actually would well with Cytherea I think, because that's her team, they belong to her, work under her, she looks out for them, and while she is simply better than them, Rakshata being a genius even before Exalting and them being forgettable extras, they work together, under Rakshata's leadership; after all, mother knows best.
Which actually would well with Cytherea I think, because that's her team, they belong to her, work under her, she looks out for them, and while she is simply better than them, Rakshata being a genius even before Exalting and them being forgettable extras, they work together, under Rakshata's leadership; after all, mother knows best.
It's nice, and you've got a point about the non-destructiveness. Nitpick though: Kimbery is the "Great Mother." Gaia is the "Emerald Mother." Don't know Cytherea's epithet.
Could we fuse our two excellency designs somehow? I like your focus on creativeness, but I think the "hidden manipulator" is also an important part of her character.
Fused excellencies said:
I disagree. The big bang "ended" the era of dreams by bringing forth certainty. It destroyed everything that is not real or in some cases things that the Primordials did not desire save for those that were too numerous (unshaped Raksha).
"The Divine Ignition".
I never said it was a problem. If anything it's a point in her favor regarding why Cytherea would choose her. Lloyd on the other hand has Cecile, but I don't remember him ever working with anyone else at any point. He's more rivals with Rakshata than anything, even if they have worked together in the past.
There are too many epithets to keep track of. The one I was thinking of is "The Mother of All".
Maybe, but I'm not sure "hidden manipulator" is really what Cytherea is. She is remaining hidden, but I'm not sure how much of a manipulator she actually is. It's not like the Primordials didn't know they were working with her when they made Creation, and it's not like her component souls don't know they're working towards her goals either. Her preference for working behind the scenes probably has to do with not actually being all that strong in direct confrontation to begin with, having a massive pool of Essence but with whatever combat Charms she has being relatively underwhelming. She's not intrinsically stronger when not in the open, just less vulnerable. If she's got protectors she's perfectly willing to act in the open, like when she probably did when working to make Creation.
Maybe replace this part...
"This charm can help remain hidden even when signs of your work are obvious, ensuring that others do your bidding unknowingly. Those who choose to personally intervene chastise their foes before withdrawing from further conflict. Cytherea is strongest when she is unknown; this charm cannot be used in any situation where people expected the Infernal before his arrival, or where pursuers catch up to him."
...with this part...
"Cytherea considers success more important than her own wellbeing, thus this Charm cannot be used to support any action in which the Infernal abandons their plans for whatever reason, nor may be applied to any purely destructive effort. Cytherea abhors violence for the sake of violence, seeing destruction as a suitable tool only to further or defend her goals or protect her creations."
EDIT - Look at the Sorcerous Enlightenment posted. At least the latter part would match that.
Also, I think there needs to be some more emphasis on her as a mother. She is The Mother of All, and one of the aspects of Rakshata that likely appealed to her is how "She affectionately refers to her technological creations as her "children" and treats them with such care, she also becomes enraged when others carelessly mishandle or tamper with them without her permission." Doesn't have to be a lot, but a few more keywords would do it, and the Excellency there isn't all that long so it should work.
I don't really think so. The Pure Chaos of the Wyld is infinite, and it still exists and not-exists infinitely. Creation is a tiny dot in an infinite sea of madness and dreams, and it's perfectly possible for other worlds where what is not possible in Creation is possible in them. And really, even if something was destroyed, it's arguable that far, far more was created as a result.
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