HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
Well that is the next step. Right now he was just using the Infinite Blasphemy Glossolalia charm.Zefferen said:
Murder; an Exalted SI
- Thread starter HioH
- Start date
You could always use Language-Absorbing Method, I mean you've got your own murderer conveniently present. Presumably he speaks the local language. Might also give you a clue if you're in first or second edition.HioH said:
ryuan
From Zero to Hero!
Wrong Exalt, if it where an Infernal he sure as hell would do it, specially if he were a Slayer.windlich said:
HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
They're also mine but I choose not two for two reasons,Harish said:
One: There are a lot of Infernal stories floating around.
Two: the same reason I didn't get a Solar Exaltation. I don't think I qualify.
ryuan
From Zero to Hero!
You just need to fail really hard to get an Infernal exaltation.HioH said:
... now I'm feeling depressed.
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
1. Fair enough. But Most have stalled and Logic's Infernal Taylor makes me wince with how her charms are all over the place.HioH said:
2. All you need to qualify is fail bad enough. Hell just wake up smashing your way out of the Chrysalis Grotesque. "What the hell did I do last night." Would be a great line to say in this situation.
BTW what caste are you?
Edit- Or alternatively you could just get lost and almost starve to death. That would work too.
HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
No, you need to fail in something that WOULD have gotten you a Solar Exaltation.ryuan said:
As for Caste? You will find out next chapter/Snipp. Which should go up today/tommorow.
You have to have the potential for a solar exaltatoin and botch it due to personal failure. Infernal exalted are those that could have been solars if an exaltation had arrived sooner or had they not faltered at the last moment.ryuan said:
EDIT: Ninja'd by op
HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
Manslaughter (1)
It was cold, as if every centimeter of my body was engulfed in icy water. It was hot, every nerve screaming that it was aflame. But most of all it was darkness, a screaming void of nothingness filling me from within. Perhaps it was my imagination expressing what I knew of the process, but I could feel myself be twisted by its influence. My vision faded, and a choking oblivion threatened to consume me.
Then there was the tiniest spark of light. A tiny thing that said "Live" even as I died, and as it did the impossible came into grasp. With a choking gasp my lungs expanded as I drew my first true breath. I could feel the energy all around me and I could feel it within me: Essence, the true form of reality itself.
My eyes snapped open, and as they did I could feel my caste mark unfold upon my brow. Blood began to run down my forehead as the dark mark manifested itself. The man that had killed me, still pinning me to the ground transfixed by my Exaltation, screamed in terror. I still couldn't understand the language, but I could guess his words.
"ANATHEMA!"
Cold power flooded my veins, carefully drawn only from the power within me, and I could feel my tendons protest as inhuman strength filled my body. With a growl I rose, one hand grabbing his throat the other locking around the knife bearing hand, pulling him into the air with ease. My grip tightened around his hand and I felt the bones break like brittle sticks. A wrenching twist snapped both his Ulna and Radius, and a slight motion caught the knife that fell from his now powerless hands.
In the moment before the blade reached my hand I knew something was different. I caught the descending weapon with an instinctive and effortless grace, settling it in a comfortable grip that positioned it perfectly for a series of rapid stabs into my immobilized foe.
I knew my way around a knife; I had gutted fish, I had carved wood, I cooked, but this was something else. It was so far beyond simple use as one could come. The knife was an extension of my will, another limb that I was as aware of as any other part of myself. In an entirely unpracticed yet perfect move I twirled the knife in my hand, and watched entranced as it became a quicksilver flash dancing according to my will.
Renewed struggles from my captive tore me away from my momentary distraction. A cruel smile danced across my face, and I drank the fear-filled expression of my victim with glee. I was going to enjoy this.
Guided once more by skills that were mine-yet-not-mine the knife slipped between his third and fourth ribs with a whisper. That whisper became a shout when the crossguard impacted with terrible force, shattering the two into pieces.
The blow had been carefully calculated, it avoided the heart, nicked the Gallbladder, and perforated one lung. In itself it was a lethal wound, the shrapnel of bone simply added to the agony that was his existence now. I pulled the blade from his body, negligently wiping it on his ragged clothes while half-formed whispers of what I should do next slithered through my mind. I let go and watched him fall to the ground in an delicious reversal of our previous struggle.
As I watched the pitiful creature struggle to breathe, rationality slowly began to creep back in. I needed to leave the city, and quickly, this was probably the worst place for a new celestial Exalt to be and I could only be thankful that my Anima hadn't flared when I exalted. But first I needed to finish of this man and regain my expended power. I ran a thoughtful tongue over my new fangs. Something that was easily combinable.
I descended.
-
The process of feeding was strange in some ways; there was no need to make any new, and distinctive, wounds. Instead I simply used where the blade had impacted to disguise the pinprick of my sharpened canines. Objectively the blood that washed through mouth should have disgusted me, made me gag or vomit, but instead it was soothing in a way I barely understood. But the blood was nothing, a mere veil over the true consumption, with every pull of blood I drew upon the Essence of his soul to empower myself.
"Already enjoying your new existence?"
I jolted back, mouth tearing away from my "meal", at the sudden intrusion of the Deathlord's voice. It echoed in my mind, each sound seemingly whispering damning secrets and promises of power if I simply accepted them into myself. Resisting their call, I spoke into the night air, flexing my free hand slightly.
"Yes. It is..." Terrifying? Exciting? Enlightening? It was all that and more. "...an experience unlike any other."
"You have been Exalted." He said as if it explained everything, and it did. "You have been given a Purpose. Now it is time to prove yourself worthy of it. Seven days from now one of my servants will retrieve you for your… Education. Survive until then, and you will have proven yourself competent enough to use."
Well… That was annoying. Yet it was also welcome safety net, keeping quiet seven days should not be an issue. I decided to bite the bullet and ask.
"My lady, may I ask one boon from you."
There was silence for a while, then my new liege (master?) spoke with a voice that was laden with threat if this was frivolous.
"Ask."
I almost sighed in relief, then forged ahead.
"I do not speak or read the language of this land, I ask that you grant me this knowledge so that I might better prove myself. If I lack my ability to communicate how can I show you all the skills at my disposal?" however meagre they may be…
"Ahh yes, She mentioned that this might be an Issue." Wait, what? "Very well. Be thankful, for I will grant you this boon. Am I not a gracious mistress?"
Whatever response I might have mustered and my train of thought was obliterated by pain in the moment she stopped speaking. A howling wind of cold and dark tore through my mind as my request was granted. As the understanding of Low realm began to percolate in my mind, I could remember short snippets of memories from hundreds of individuals that had been used to provide the knowledge. Thousands of snapshot moments constructing the language in my mind in the most painful way possible.
Then it was over, and I found myself on my knees and panting. Pulling myself to my feet I gasped out a ragged "Thank you Mistress." before leaning against the wall, exhausted from the experience. I stared at the moon above, wondering if I would ever meet her. It was a ridiculous thought, but here? With what I was now? One day I might; it was a heady thought. My introspection was broken by Eye and Seven Despairs' voice once more, still disguised as that of an old womans.
"Your old life is over. No matter what happens next, this is absolute. Your old name is dead, and so is your connection with it. From now on you shall be known as the Obsidian Tender of the Rotting Garden and, if you survive the coming days, your deeds will shape this world into a monument to Oblivion."
It was cold, as if every centimeter of my body was engulfed in icy water. It was hot, every nerve screaming that it was aflame. But most of all it was darkness, a screaming void of nothingness filling me from within. Perhaps it was my imagination expressing what I knew of the process, but I could feel myself be twisted by its influence. My vision faded, and a choking oblivion threatened to consume me.
Then there was the tiniest spark of light. A tiny thing that said "Live" even as I died, and as it did the impossible came into grasp. With a choking gasp my lungs expanded as I drew my first true breath. I could feel the energy all around me and I could feel it within me: Essence, the true form of reality itself.
My eyes snapped open, and as they did I could feel my caste mark unfold upon my brow. Blood began to run down my forehead as the dark mark manifested itself. The man that had killed me, still pinning me to the ground transfixed by my Exaltation, screamed in terror. I still couldn't understand the language, but I could guess his words.
"ANATHEMA!"
Cold power flooded my veins, carefully drawn only from the power within me, and I could feel my tendons protest as inhuman strength filled my body. With a growl I rose, one hand grabbing his throat the other locking around the knife bearing hand, pulling him into the air with ease. My grip tightened around his hand and I felt the bones break like brittle sticks. A wrenching twist snapped both his Ulna and Radius, and a slight motion caught the knife that fell from his now powerless hands.
In the moment before the blade reached my hand I knew something was different. I caught the descending weapon with an instinctive and effortless grace, settling it in a comfortable grip that positioned it perfectly for a series of rapid stabs into my immobilized foe.
I knew my way around a knife; I had gutted fish, I had carved wood, I cooked, but this was something else. It was so far beyond simple use as one could come. The knife was an extension of my will, another limb that I was as aware of as any other part of myself. In an entirely unpracticed yet perfect move I twirled the knife in my hand, and watched entranced as it became a quicksilver flash dancing according to my will.
Renewed struggles from my captive tore me away from my momentary distraction. A cruel smile danced across my face, and I drank the fear-filled expression of my victim with glee. I was going to enjoy this.
Guided once more by skills that were mine-yet-not-mine the knife slipped between his third and fourth ribs with a whisper. That whisper became a shout when the crossguard impacted with terrible force, shattering the two into pieces.
The blow had been carefully calculated, it avoided the heart, nicked the Gallbladder, and perforated one lung. In itself it was a lethal wound, the shrapnel of bone simply added to the agony that was his existence now. I pulled the blade from his body, negligently wiping it on his ragged clothes while half-formed whispers of what I should do next slithered through my mind. I let go and watched him fall to the ground in an delicious reversal of our previous struggle.
As I watched the pitiful creature struggle to breathe, rationality slowly began to creep back in. I needed to leave the city, and quickly, this was probably the worst place for a new celestial Exalt to be and I could only be thankful that my Anima hadn't flared when I exalted. But first I needed to finish of this man and regain my expended power. I ran a thoughtful tongue over my new fangs. Something that was easily combinable.
I descended.
-
The process of feeding was strange in some ways; there was no need to make any new, and distinctive, wounds. Instead I simply used where the blade had impacted to disguise the pinprick of my sharpened canines. Objectively the blood that washed through mouth should have disgusted me, made me gag or vomit, but instead it was soothing in a way I barely understood. But the blood was nothing, a mere veil over the true consumption, with every pull of blood I drew upon the Essence of his soul to empower myself.
"Already enjoying your new existence?"
I jolted back, mouth tearing away from my "meal", at the sudden intrusion of the Deathlord's voice. It echoed in my mind, each sound seemingly whispering damning secrets and promises of power if I simply accepted them into myself. Resisting their call, I spoke into the night air, flexing my free hand slightly.
"Yes. It is..." Terrifying? Exciting? Enlightening? It was all that and more. "...an experience unlike any other."
"You have been Exalted." He said as if it explained everything, and it did. "You have been given a Purpose. Now it is time to prove yourself worthy of it. Seven days from now one of my servants will retrieve you for your… Education. Survive until then, and you will have proven yourself competent enough to use."
Well… That was annoying. Yet it was also welcome safety net, keeping quiet seven days should not be an issue. I decided to bite the bullet and ask.
"My lady, may I ask one boon from you."
There was silence for a while, then my new liege (master?) spoke with a voice that was laden with threat if this was frivolous.
"Ask."
I almost sighed in relief, then forged ahead.
"I do not speak or read the language of this land, I ask that you grant me this knowledge so that I might better prove myself. If I lack my ability to communicate how can I show you all the skills at my disposal?" however meagre they may be…
"Ahh yes, She mentioned that this might be an Issue." Wait, what? "Very well. Be thankful, for I will grant you this boon. Am I not a gracious mistress?"
Whatever response I might have mustered and my train of thought was obliterated by pain in the moment she stopped speaking. A howling wind of cold and dark tore through my mind as my request was granted. As the understanding of Low realm began to percolate in my mind, I could remember short snippets of memories from hundreds of individuals that had been used to provide the knowledge. Thousands of snapshot moments constructing the language in my mind in the most painful way possible.
Then it was over, and I found myself on my knees and panting. Pulling myself to my feet I gasped out a ragged "Thank you Mistress." before leaning against the wall, exhausted from the experience. I stared at the moon above, wondering if I would ever meet her. It was a ridiculous thought, but here? With what I was now? One day I might; it was a heady thought. My introspection was broken by Eye and Seven Despairs' voice once more, still disguised as that of an old womans.
"Your old life is over. No matter what happens next, this is absolute. Your old name is dead, and so is your connection with it. From now on you shall be known as the Obsidian Tender of the Rotting Garden and, if you survive the coming days, your deeds will shape this world into a monument to Oblivion."
Chloe Sullivan
Subdefective
- Location
- 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale CA
Welp, I hope that's personality distortion from mindwhammy. Otherwise, I need to like, make sure never to meet you ever.
HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
Well something like 70% Abyssal exaltation high and mindfuck 30% repressed anger/hatred at the guy who just killed me. But yea, Abyssal Exaltation does mess with your mind to make you a better killer for the neverborn. It also does stuff to your body that will be explored more next snippet.Satori said:
Also Character Info is up on page 1.
HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
Thank you. To answer your questions:rkbinder said:
The willpower thing is one I was unsure about but finally choose to go ahead with. All the stats are based on ME as a person (some of which *larceny* might be a bit revealing
) the willpower comes from my tendency to obsses. If I become intrested in something I often pursue that with intense focus. Sometimes to the exclussion of other important things, its something I hope to show and explore in the fic at some point.Perhaps. And yes, the favored abilites are slightly munchkind... I couldn't resist and they were things I found intresting anyways.
It's because I know of the solar spark still inside me and can pull upon that for mental fortitude to aid me doing things that resonate with the UCS. Basicly gives me an incentive (beyond the obvious) to be heroic.
It is rank four, means I only need to raise it once more to Max it out for the next 100 or so years. But my combat style is probably going to be melee/ Parry heavy.
Willpower 10 is extremely high. In exalted having a willpower over 8 generally makes you intense even by the standards of celestial exalts who are by their very nature not ones to give up.
What you described sounds more like conviction 3 than anything involving willpower anyway.
I would recommend dropping it to willpower 7
and later on
Your not just giving yourself really high stats you are breaking character creation rules.
What you described sounds more like conviction 3 than anything involving willpower anyway.
I would recommend dropping it to willpower 7
I second what cyberswordsman said; 10 willpower is way too much if you're anywhere near normal, and a higher temperance or conviction would represent it better.HioH said:Thank you. To answer your questions:
The willpower thing is one I was unsure about but finally choose to go ahead with. All the stats are based on ME as a person (some of which *larceny* might be a bit revealing
I think you went a little too far in munchkining your abilities. If you're trying to make this realistic I would parr down on a lot of the various things, and try to avoid doing things like having Melee be at 5, plan to use it a lot, and yet it being unfavored.
This isn't a game. You don't have to cleave exactly to mechanics, but if you're going to give mechanics at all you should really have them make sense. For example, why do you have Larceny 3/Stealth 3? Those aren't explainable unless you are a criminal mastermind, neither of them are favored, and they are both higher than all but 1 of your favored/caste abilities. In fact, you have 6 abilities that are all higher than all your caste/favored except Athletics, which totally leaves me scratching my head wondering why those aren't the favored ones.
A modern human probably would have a decent number of skill points, more than a Creation farmer at least, but you've spread your capabilities out so broadly that I can't really find myself justifying it even with a post-exaltation knowledge hike. You have to remember that 3 doesn't represent someone average. It represents an expert in the field. A person with 3 in medicine is a trained doctor. When I look at your character sheet I mostly see numbers that someone built to achieve an end; though I will say it's better than some, if only because you did try for diversity.
Well yes, but he's stated several times he wants to make this believable and there is also the fact that this is a self insert. I don't so much object the number of skill points as the distribution, which basically doesn't make sense even if you just say it is the Exaltation turning everything up to 11.ryuan said:
In isolation none of the various things are a problem, it's just overall it comes out as very odd.
ryuan
From Zero to Hero!
He could have just started with a moderate willpower rating between 6~7 and the Exaltation went "lolnope" and gave ramped it up. The point you need to realize is that his stats will reflect his 'real' self only tangentially.Cytokinesis said:
An above average willpower might become unbreakable will, a familiarity with knives might become instant Mastery of all martial weapons, and so on and so forth.
He has 36 bp spent on his sheet right now.ryuan said:
That's not just "a little hike" that's a huge difference, especially when you consider that a starting Exalt is supposed to represent someone who has had a year to get used to their powers since they Exalted. Basically? Any one of the things I mentioned would be fine in isolation, it's the combination of all of them that is a problem.
How are you getting 36 I think its 40 bpCytokinesis said:
29 points skills.
5 points wp.
7 points on essence three.
With errata and letting every point of favored skill be bought with bp for the price break.
Lets see hes short 6 charms, and 4 back grounds, that would be 34 to 29 points, so hes weaker than most starting charterers on points, and more so as wide and odd skills is not all that powerful. But that is a lot of skills. Like almost all of them, and any thing at two or better is good enough that he can find a job just using that.
Xomniac
Clockwork Purveyor of Prose and Originality
Problem with that is that there's a chance it could screw with some of the plans in the Loom, at which point either A. the Sidereals sick their attack dogs (Dragon-Blooded) on you, or B. they come after you themselves.Doomsought said: