The Dream that is Dying
An Exalted: Sidereals quest
WE are the music-makers,
And we are the...
An Exalted: Sidereals quest
WE are the music-makers,
And we are the...
The Dream that is Dying (Exalted)
- Thread starter Maugan Ra
- Start date
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
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- Threadmarks
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Statistics (3 threadmarks, 710 words)
User Total Maugan Ra 3
Basic Mechanics
- Location
- London, England
Mechanics
This quest is being run on a stripped down, simplified version of the general storyteller rules and the Exalted 3rd edition ruleset. Anything I think won't work very well in a quest format has been pruned -perhaps most notably the idea of 'motes' of essence that need to be tracked - and generally the majority of challenges faced by the protagonist will be resolved by a single dice roll.
Your dice are d10s, and you will have between one and ten of them for most challenges depending on how skilled your character is. Any dice that rolls a 7 or higher generates a 'success', with 10s by default generating two 'successes'. You need a certain number of successes to pass a test, as determined by circumstance and opposition (generally active opponents will roll their own dice pool, and whoever gets the most successes wins).
Combat
In the Age of Sorrows, the wise man prepares for the possibility of sudden onset hyper-violence. In this quest such conflicts will be resolved over a number of rounds - in each round the attacker rolls a dice pool (generally dexterity + weapon skill) and the defender rolls their defense (generally dexterity or stamina + dodge/weapon/resistance). If the attacker wins, he removes a number of health levels from the opposition equal to the net successes on the roll.
Certain weapons can modify this, either generating bonus dice on the attack, adding automatic levels of damage on a hit (there is no such thing as a 'flesh wound' when struck by the thirsting lance of a war god) or applying various secondary effects. Likewise armour can add successes to the defense test or subtract a number of net successes from damage done as appropriate. These qualities will be defined in more depth as you encounter the equipment in question.
Most mortal humans have seven health levels by default. Damage can be in the form of Bashing (marked as [/] and easily healed), lethal (marked as [X] and prone to additional complications like bleeding out) or aggravated (marked as [*] and extremely difficult to heal).
Social Influence
Attempts at persuasion and other social efforts are largely handled like a combat round, only with willpower in place of health levels. There is also the additional complication of Intimacies - broadly, things you care about or believe. Attempts to make someone do something absolutely must play off an intimacy, and the scope of the action dictates the strength of the intimacy required - someone with a minor principle of 'My elders must be obeyed' isn't going to uproot their life and go on lifelong pilgrimage just because an older relative asked them to, while someone with a defining principle of the same very well might.
Intimacies come in Minor, major and defining levels, and provide a +1/+2/+3 success bonus to either the offense or defense test when invoked or opposed by relevant social influence. If the offense succeeds and the target has a different intimacy that might oppose the influence in question (of the same level or higher) the target may opt to lose willpower equal to the net successes rather than comply.
This quest is being run on a stripped down, simplified version of the general storyteller rules and the Exalted 3rd edition ruleset. Anything I think won't work very well in a quest format has been pruned -perhaps most notably the idea of 'motes' of essence that need to be tracked - and generally the majority of challenges faced by the protagonist will be resolved by a single dice roll.
Your dice are d10s, and you will have between one and ten of them for most challenges depending on how skilled your character is. Any dice that rolls a 7 or higher generates a 'success', with 10s by default generating two 'successes'. You need a certain number of successes to pass a test, as determined by circumstance and opposition (generally active opponents will roll their own dice pool, and whoever gets the most successes wins).
Combat
In the Age of Sorrows, the wise man prepares for the possibility of sudden onset hyper-violence. In this quest such conflicts will be resolved over a number of rounds - in each round the attacker rolls a dice pool (generally dexterity + weapon skill) and the defender rolls their defense (generally dexterity or stamina + dodge/weapon/resistance). If the attacker wins, he removes a number of health levels from the opposition equal to the net successes on the roll.
Certain weapons can modify this, either generating bonus dice on the attack, adding automatic levels of damage on a hit (there is no such thing as a 'flesh wound' when struck by the thirsting lance of a war god) or applying various secondary effects. Likewise armour can add successes to the defense test or subtract a number of net successes from damage done as appropriate. These qualities will be defined in more depth as you encounter the equipment in question.
Most mortal humans have seven health levels by default. Damage can be in the form of Bashing (marked as [/] and easily healed), lethal (marked as [X] and prone to additional complications like bleeding out) or aggravated (marked as [*] and extremely difficult to heal).
Social Influence
Attempts at persuasion and other social efforts are largely handled like a combat round, only with willpower in place of health levels. There is also the additional complication of Intimacies - broadly, things you care about or believe. Attempts to make someone do something absolutely must play off an intimacy, and the scope of the action dictates the strength of the intimacy required - someone with a minor principle of 'My elders must be obeyed' isn't going to uproot their life and go on lifelong pilgrimage just because an older relative asked them to, while someone with a defining principle of the same very well might.
Intimacies come in Minor, major and defining levels, and provide a +1/+2/+3 success bonus to either the offense or defense test when invoked or opposed by relevant social influence. If the offense succeeds and the target has a different intimacy that might oppose the influence in question (of the same level or higher) the target may opt to lose willpower equal to the net successes rather than comply.
Constellations and Sidereal Charms
- Location
- London, England
Mortal Astrologers have charted the forms and natures of twenty five distinct constellations in the skies above Creation. Each holds a special significance, governing a particular element or aspect of fate, and it is from these constellations that the charms of the Sidereal Exalted are drawn.
Below you will find a description of each Constellation, including its House (which Maiden holds dominion over it), thematic associations and general charms. Use this guide when it comes time to weave destinies or decide the supernatural charms that you want Farah to attempt to train.
Below you will find a description of each Constellation, including its House (which Maiden holds dominion over it), thematic associations and general charms. Use this guide when it comes time to weave destinies or decide the supernatural charms that you want Farah to attempt to train.
The Mast
(Favoured by Secrets)
The Mast is raw physical exertion and pure muscular strength, the force required to set something in motion and the act of traveling at its most basic and fundamental. The Mast is unconcerned with 'why', and can be found in honest labour and unthinking obedience alike. It is the constellation of the soldier, the ditch-digger, the scribe, the house servant and the insect.
Correlations: Stoicism, tools, architecture, manual labor, silence, ignorance, phallus
Charms: The powers of the Mast enhance your strength, stamina and craftsmanship. They allow Farah to absorb additional punishment, leverage brute strength and undertake tasks of manual labour and craftsmanship unhindered.
The Messenger
(Favoured by Journeys)
The Messenger is the courier, the diplomat and the agent. It is the sign of Journeys taken at the behest of another or in service to a cause. It is the sign of skilled professionals who believe in their cause and monsters who abdicate moral responsibility in favour of obedience.
Correlations: Duty, bravery, arrogance, journeys, communication, selflessness, news, independent merchants
Charms: The abilities of the Messenger allow Farah to know the route to any destination, assist them in overcoming obstacles en route, and upon arriving allow them to communicate across linguistic barriers and without fear of disbelief.
The Captain
(Favoured by Battles)
The Captain leads with strength, determination and order. With his firm hand and disciplined crew, he leads his ship to safety. She is the leader, who dictates the path that others will follow. This constellation governs authority in all its forms, and of groups working together to undertake journeys they could never accomplish alone.
Correlations: Military command, fatherhood, tyranny, bureaucracy, discipline, people working together to travel
Charms: By studying the Captain, Farah can learn how to claim authority in any circumstance, to bolster or cripple the actions of an organization and compel obedience to their commands.
The Ship's Wheel
(Favoured by Serenity)
The Ship's Wheel (also named the Steersman) is perseverance in the face of hardship, the acts of will and stamina required to complete a journey even when beset by challenge and opposition. This is the constellation of dedication and hope, but also of obsession and the fanatic.
Correlations: Underdogs, cult beliefs, Solars, obsessive love, martyrdom, burdensome debt, wild animals as a group
Charms: The Steersman allows Farah to draw strength from their obsessions, to read and manipulate the beliefs of others, and to command the beasts and spirits of Creation.
The Gull
(Favoured by Endings)
The Gull wanders without regard for the destination, seeking only what the journey itself may bring. This is the sign of freedom, be it the liberation gained by throwing off chains or the indulgence of shirked responsibility. It is enlightenment through toil and the wisdom of the outsider.
Correlations: Wandering, wind, irresponsibility, rakish charisma, unexamined life, smugglers
Charms: The Gull enhances Farah's ranged attacks, afflicts their enemies with a variety of curses and permits her to live easily on the move among her fellow travelers.
(Favoured by Secrets)
The Mast is raw physical exertion and pure muscular strength, the force required to set something in motion and the act of traveling at its most basic and fundamental. The Mast is unconcerned with 'why', and can be found in honest labour and unthinking obedience alike. It is the constellation of the soldier, the ditch-digger, the scribe, the house servant and the insect.
Correlations: Stoicism, tools, architecture, manual labor, silence, ignorance, phallus
Charms: The powers of the Mast enhance your strength, stamina and craftsmanship. They allow Farah to absorb additional punishment, leverage brute strength and undertake tasks of manual labour and craftsmanship unhindered.
The Messenger
(Favoured by Journeys)
The Messenger is the courier, the diplomat and the agent. It is the sign of Journeys taken at the behest of another or in service to a cause. It is the sign of skilled professionals who believe in their cause and monsters who abdicate moral responsibility in favour of obedience.
Correlations: Duty, bravery, arrogance, journeys, communication, selflessness, news, independent merchants
Charms: The abilities of the Messenger allow Farah to know the route to any destination, assist them in overcoming obstacles en route, and upon arriving allow them to communicate across linguistic barriers and without fear of disbelief.
The Captain
(Favoured by Battles)
The Captain leads with strength, determination and order. With his firm hand and disciplined crew, he leads his ship to safety. She is the leader, who dictates the path that others will follow. This constellation governs authority in all its forms, and of groups working together to undertake journeys they could never accomplish alone.
Correlations: Military command, fatherhood, tyranny, bureaucracy, discipline, people working together to travel
Charms: By studying the Captain, Farah can learn how to claim authority in any circumstance, to bolster or cripple the actions of an organization and compel obedience to their commands.
The Ship's Wheel
(Favoured by Serenity)
The Ship's Wheel (also named the Steersman) is perseverance in the face of hardship, the acts of will and stamina required to complete a journey even when beset by challenge and opposition. This is the constellation of dedication and hope, but also of obsession and the fanatic.
Correlations: Underdogs, cult beliefs, Solars, obsessive love, martyrdom, burdensome debt, wild animals as a group
Charms: The Steersman allows Farah to draw strength from their obsessions, to read and manipulate the beliefs of others, and to command the beasts and spirits of Creation.
The Gull
(Favoured by Endings)
The Gull wanders without regard for the destination, seeking only what the journey itself may bring. This is the sign of freedom, be it the liberation gained by throwing off chains or the indulgence of shirked responsibility. It is enlightenment through toil and the wisdom of the outsider.
Correlations: Wandering, wind, irresponsibility, rakish charisma, unexamined life, smugglers
Charms: The Gull enhances Farah's ranged attacks, afflicts their enemies with a variety of curses and permits her to live easily on the move among her fellow travelers.
The Peacock
(Favoured by Endings)
The Peacock governs practical alliance, thoughtful breeding and considered partnership; this is the signs of all relationships based on pragmatic grounds, be it a pack of wolves working together to bring down prey or a man staying in a loveless marriage because it benefits his children.
Correlations: Greed, love for wealth's sake, procreation, dualities, alliances, bright colors, necessity, traps, distraction
Charms: Studying the Peacock will allow Farah to claim unusual familiars, perform increasingly advanced astrological projections and sorcerous workings, and bind or bless others in a variety of ways.
The Ewer
(Favoured by Journeys)
The Ewer is the sign of partnerships based in affection, of romantic pursuit or for the love of some other dream; it is idealism and principle, but also willing ignorance of another's flaws. It is the sign of the marriage-seeker, the idealist, the revolutionary and the good monk.
Correlations: Love, motherhood, righteousness, idealism, monastic duty, obsession, seduction, dreams and fantasies, courtship and romantic chases
Charms: The arts of the Ewer are primarily concerned with avoiding harm, and will permit Farah to evade danger that they otherwise could not, while also reading and manipulating the desires of those around them.
The Pillar
(Favoured by Battles)
The Pillar represents partnership tested and found stable; it is the sign of the virtuous ruler and the loving family. The Pillar is the constellation of the asexual partner (the mother, business partner or drinking buddy), service in a broader organization and of herd animals such as mammoth and elk.
Correlations: Family, friendship, stability, civil society, unjust authority, stagnation, queens and princes
Charms: The Pillar permits Farah to forge bonds of blood and camaraderie between themselves and others, and to draw strength, wisdom and power from those bonds. It also permits them to understand and manipulate the bonds of others.
The Musician
(Favoured by Serenity)
The Musician is the sign of contentment in the act of living, of enjoying what you have and pursuing what you want. It is the sign of gourmets, gluttons and poets, but also of hollow avarice and blind materialism.
Correlations: Excess, laughter, hedonism, music, homosexuality, drug use, finery, greed, extramarital pairings, contentment in living, theater, serenity
Charms: The Musician permits Farah to adopt any role required, through knowledge or disguise, and having done so enhances their abilities to discern and exploit the vices and desires of those around them.
The Lovers
(Favoured by Secrets)
The Lovers represent physical lust, carnal indulgence and uneven relationships of all kinds, from debt and servitude to slavery and possession. Sidereals generally take this constellation to explain a great deal about the outlook of the Maidens.
Correlations: Domination, service, submission, slaves, lust, the sex act, rape, abuse, uneven relationships
Charms: Pursuing the wisdom of the Lovers will permit Farah to seduce virtually any target, and having done so control and manipulate them to an otherwise impossible degree.
(Favoured by Endings)
The Peacock governs practical alliance, thoughtful breeding and considered partnership; this is the signs of all relationships based on pragmatic grounds, be it a pack of wolves working together to bring down prey or a man staying in a loveless marriage because it benefits his children.
Correlations: Greed, love for wealth's sake, procreation, dualities, alliances, bright colors, necessity, traps, distraction
Charms: Studying the Peacock will allow Farah to claim unusual familiars, perform increasingly advanced astrological projections and sorcerous workings, and bind or bless others in a variety of ways.
The Ewer
(Favoured by Journeys)
The Ewer is the sign of partnerships based in affection, of romantic pursuit or for the love of some other dream; it is idealism and principle, but also willing ignorance of another's flaws. It is the sign of the marriage-seeker, the idealist, the revolutionary and the good monk.
Correlations: Love, motherhood, righteousness, idealism, monastic duty, obsession, seduction, dreams and fantasies, courtship and romantic chases
Charms: The arts of the Ewer are primarily concerned with avoiding harm, and will permit Farah to evade danger that they otherwise could not, while also reading and manipulating the desires of those around them.
The Pillar
(Favoured by Battles)
The Pillar represents partnership tested and found stable; it is the sign of the virtuous ruler and the loving family. The Pillar is the constellation of the asexual partner (the mother, business partner or drinking buddy), service in a broader organization and of herd animals such as mammoth and elk.
Correlations: Family, friendship, stability, civil society, unjust authority, stagnation, queens and princes
Charms: The Pillar permits Farah to forge bonds of blood and camaraderie between themselves and others, and to draw strength, wisdom and power from those bonds. It also permits them to understand and manipulate the bonds of others.
The Musician
(Favoured by Serenity)
The Musician is the sign of contentment in the act of living, of enjoying what you have and pursuing what you want. It is the sign of gourmets, gluttons and poets, but also of hollow avarice and blind materialism.
Correlations: Excess, laughter, hedonism, music, homosexuality, drug use, finery, greed, extramarital pairings, contentment in living, theater, serenity
Charms: The Musician permits Farah to adopt any role required, through knowledge or disguise, and having done so enhances their abilities to discern and exploit the vices and desires of those around them.
The Lovers
(Favoured by Secrets)
The Lovers represent physical lust, carnal indulgence and uneven relationships of all kinds, from debt and servitude to slavery and possession. Sidereals generally take this constellation to explain a great deal about the outlook of the Maidens.
Correlations: Domination, service, submission, slaves, lust, the sex act, rape, abuse, uneven relationships
Charms: Pursuing the wisdom of the Lovers will permit Farah to seduce virtually any target, and having done so control and manipulate them to an otherwise impossible degree.
The Quiver
(Favoured by Journeys)
This is the college of flexibility and fleetness of thought, of conflict and competition as an intellectual pursuit. It is adaptation and improvisation, but also overconfidence and hubris.
Correlations: Strategy, choices, haste, pride, archery, boorishness, self-absorption, clever ideas.
Charms: The Quiver enhances Farah's ranged attacks, while also bolstering their intellect and self-confidence. This is where Charms to enhance generalship and strategy can be found.
The Gauntlet
(Favoured by Endings)
The Gauntlet is the college of the choice between bad and worse, of ruthless expediency and battlefield logic. It is the courage required to undertake unpleasant necessities, but also callous ruthlessness and a self-justification.
Correlations: Sergeants, confrontation, callousness, sacrifice of others, necessity, livestock management, pragmatism, surgery, the greater good
Charms: The wisdom of the Gauntlet allows Farah to bully, intimidate and hurt others for the greater good. It also contains a number of charms that rely on sacrifice to grant potent boons.
The Spear
(Favoured by Secrets)
The Spear is skill and discipline in armed conflict, governing all who pit themselves against others as a profession. It is arete and loyalty, but also myopia and a tendency to apply one solution to every problem.
Correlations: Bravery, professionalism, training, taking initiative, lack of vision, tactics, skillfulness, competition.
Charms: The Spear enhances Farah's melee capabilities and makes her an excellent leader of men, able to bolster others and enact battlefield stratagems of supernatural potency.
The Shield
(Favoured by Serenity)
The Shield is the house of the ecstatic warrior, who seeks battle for its own sake and draws strength from the bonds forged in the fires of battle. It governs courage and heroism, but also sadism and mindless slaughter.
Correlations: Barbarians and the barbarian code, fearlessness, protection, bragging, pain, heroism, heroic suicide, wrath, Lunars
Charms: The Shield bolsters Farah's fighting prowess and that of their comrades, allowing her to resist harm, make pacts with fire and water or inspire a terrifying berserker-rage.
The Banner
(Favoured by Battles)
The Banner deals with reputation, story and awe. Those under its domain might gain glory, leadership and heroic renown, or be cursed with infamy and a terrifying name. This is the sign of individual legends and those who subsume their own identities into that of a larger body.
Correlations: Reputation, pageantry, leadership, epics, infamy, reigns of terror, philanthropy, tidings, symbols, heraldry, battles
Charms: The lessons of the Banner permit Farah to know the reputation of others, create their own legend in the moment and manipulate how others see their target for good or ill.
(Favoured by Journeys)
This is the college of flexibility and fleetness of thought, of conflict and competition as an intellectual pursuit. It is adaptation and improvisation, but also overconfidence and hubris.
Correlations: Strategy, choices, haste, pride, archery, boorishness, self-absorption, clever ideas.
Charms: The Quiver enhances Farah's ranged attacks, while also bolstering their intellect and self-confidence. This is where Charms to enhance generalship and strategy can be found.
The Gauntlet
(Favoured by Endings)
The Gauntlet is the college of the choice between bad and worse, of ruthless expediency and battlefield logic. It is the courage required to undertake unpleasant necessities, but also callous ruthlessness and a self-justification.
Correlations: Sergeants, confrontation, callousness, sacrifice of others, necessity, livestock management, pragmatism, surgery, the greater good
Charms: The wisdom of the Gauntlet allows Farah to bully, intimidate and hurt others for the greater good. It also contains a number of charms that rely on sacrifice to grant potent boons.
The Spear
(Favoured by Secrets)
The Spear is skill and discipline in armed conflict, governing all who pit themselves against others as a profession. It is arete and loyalty, but also myopia and a tendency to apply one solution to every problem.
Correlations: Bravery, professionalism, training, taking initiative, lack of vision, tactics, skillfulness, competition.
Charms: The Spear enhances Farah's melee capabilities and makes her an excellent leader of men, able to bolster others and enact battlefield stratagems of supernatural potency.
The Shield
(Favoured by Serenity)
The Shield is the house of the ecstatic warrior, who seeks battle for its own sake and draws strength from the bonds forged in the fires of battle. It governs courage and heroism, but also sadism and mindless slaughter.
Correlations: Barbarians and the barbarian code, fearlessness, protection, bragging, pain, heroism, heroic suicide, wrath, Lunars
Charms: The Shield bolsters Farah's fighting prowess and that of their comrades, allowing her to resist harm, make pacts with fire and water or inspire a terrifying berserker-rage.
The Banner
(Favoured by Battles)
The Banner deals with reputation, story and awe. Those under its domain might gain glory, leadership and heroic renown, or be cursed with infamy and a terrifying name. This is the sign of individual legends and those who subsume their own identities into that of a larger body.
Correlations: Reputation, pageantry, leadership, epics, infamy, reigns of terror, philanthropy, tidings, symbols, heraldry, battles
Charms: The lessons of the Banner permit Farah to know the reputation of others, create their own legend in the moment and manipulate how others see their target for good or ill.
The Key
(Favoured by Serenity)
The Key represents wisdom and knowledge obtained through scholarly study and intellectual understanding. It governs experimentation and improvisation, but also pointless obsession and foolhardy investigation.
Correlations: Innovation, hubris, automata and mechanical devices, books, libraries, medicine, curiosity
Charms: The secrets of the Key make Farah an expert in all manner of mechanical systems, and enable them to derive knowledge about the world with a speed and accuracy others cannot match, consulting the records of Heaven for answers.
The Guardians
(Favoured by Journeys)
The Guardians personify practical knowledge and wisdom gained through personal experience. Those under its domain exhibit a fundamental understanding of Creation from long observation or inbred wisdom, but are also prone to meaningless superstition and quackery.
Correlations: Hearth wisdom, respect for the elderly, age, superstition, charlatans and mountebanks, tradition, patience, observation, inevitability
Charms: Studying the Guardians will make Farah vastly better at knowing and exploiting omens, superstitions and taboos; it will also make them a trickster and conman without peer.
The Treasure Trove
(Favoured by Battles)
The Treasure Trove governs revealed wisdom and knowledge provided by another. Those under its domain become erudite, educated and enlightened; or else degenerate into intellectual elitists, pointless celebrants, bookworms and know-it-alls.
Correlations: Horoscopes, schools, scholarships, blight, blindness, inflexibility, secret societies, prophecies
Charms: The Treasure Trove is concerned with learning, and it's charms permit Farah to be both exceptional teacher and attentive student. They may educate others in a wide variety of skills, and obtain knowledge from sources others cannot even perceive.
The Sorcerer
(Favoured by Endings)
The Sorcerer is the Exalt, the god, the geomancer and the talisman maker. It is the constellation of all tasks accomplished through use of Essence, from the study of geomancy to the summoning of demons.
Correlations: Humanity, geomancy, artifice, demon summoning and infernalism, talismans, Essence use, egotism, Yozi-slaves
Charms: The Sorcerer makes you a worker of miracles, enhancing your mundane and magical craftsmanship and allowing you to interact with various kind of spiritual beings in ways both friendly and murderous.
The Mask
(Favoured by Secrets)
The Mask is secret wisdom and things known but concealed. It is the constellation of the spy, the priest and the librarian, who possess knowledge that sets them apart from others. The Mask is damaged, and Sidereals cannot create Resplendent Destinies of the Mask.
Correlations: Secrets, lies, security services, guarded individuals, religious worship, extortion, trickery
Charms: Invest in the Mask to learn the secrets of others and better hide your own, to go unnoticed in the background of the world and to whisper lies that target believes to be their own thoughts.
(Favoured by Serenity)
The Key represents wisdom and knowledge obtained through scholarly study and intellectual understanding. It governs experimentation and improvisation, but also pointless obsession and foolhardy investigation.
Correlations: Innovation, hubris, automata and mechanical devices, books, libraries, medicine, curiosity
Charms: The secrets of the Key make Farah an expert in all manner of mechanical systems, and enable them to derive knowledge about the world with a speed and accuracy others cannot match, consulting the records of Heaven for answers.
The Guardians
(Favoured by Journeys)
The Guardians personify practical knowledge and wisdom gained through personal experience. Those under its domain exhibit a fundamental understanding of Creation from long observation or inbred wisdom, but are also prone to meaningless superstition and quackery.
Correlations: Hearth wisdom, respect for the elderly, age, superstition, charlatans and mountebanks, tradition, patience, observation, inevitability
Charms: Studying the Guardians will make Farah vastly better at knowing and exploiting omens, superstitions and taboos; it will also make them a trickster and conman without peer.
The Treasure Trove
(Favoured by Battles)
The Treasure Trove governs revealed wisdom and knowledge provided by another. Those under its domain become erudite, educated and enlightened; or else degenerate into intellectual elitists, pointless celebrants, bookworms and know-it-alls.
Correlations: Horoscopes, schools, scholarships, blight, blindness, inflexibility, secret societies, prophecies
Charms: The Treasure Trove is concerned with learning, and it's charms permit Farah to be both exceptional teacher and attentive student. They may educate others in a wide variety of skills, and obtain knowledge from sources others cannot even perceive.
The Sorcerer
(Favoured by Endings)
The Sorcerer is the Exalt, the god, the geomancer and the talisman maker. It is the constellation of all tasks accomplished through use of Essence, from the study of geomancy to the summoning of demons.
Correlations: Humanity, geomancy, artifice, demon summoning and infernalism, talismans, Essence use, egotism, Yozi-slaves
Charms: The Sorcerer makes you a worker of miracles, enhancing your mundane and magical craftsmanship and allowing you to interact with various kind of spiritual beings in ways both friendly and murderous.
The Mask
(Favoured by Secrets)
The Mask is secret wisdom and things known but concealed. It is the constellation of the spy, the priest and the librarian, who possess knowledge that sets them apart from others. The Mask is damaged, and Sidereals cannot create Resplendent Destinies of the Mask.
Correlations: Secrets, lies, security services, guarded individuals, religious worship, extortion, trickery
Charms: Invest in the Mask to learn the secrets of others and better hide your own, to go unnoticed in the background of the world and to whisper lies that target believes to be their own thoughts.
The Rising Smoke
(Favoured by Journeys)
The Rising Smoke represents the end of journeys on both literal and metaphorical paths such as initiation, puberty and apprenticeship; those who travelled upon them are either transformed or see their efforts rendered futile.
Correlations: Quick and painless deaths, rest, stagnation, growth, new employment, fresh prospects, murder
Charms: Investing in this sign will increase your movement capabilities, improve your affinity for blood both spilled and in the vein, and permit you to induce surrender in even the most stubborn of peers.
The Crow
(Favoured by Serenity)
The Crow represents the end of illusions and dreams. It is inevitability and the recognition thereof; greeted by some with morbid humor and by others with utmost despair.
Correlations: Slow but painless deaths, inevitability, orphans, acceptance of death, dark humor, depression, waking, indifference.
Charms: The Crow grants awareness of impending harm in a multitude of ways, permits you to consult the omens about a possible course of action, and allows you to curse your enemies with despair.
The Haywain
(Favoured by Secrets)
The Haywain is endings that cannot be easily described; it is gradual decline and the failure of systems brought down by a hundred tiny wounds. This is the constellation of death by sorcery, divinity and senescent senility, the faltering alliance, the deteriorating government and the troubled family.
Correlations: Muddled and difficult to categorize deaths, mystery, cover-ups, treachery, comebacks, aging and decrepitude
Charms: The Haywain will enable you to bless and curse organizations as you desire. It also allows you to blur certain kinds of lines; between truth and lie, success and failure, up and down...
The Sword
(Favoured by Endings)
The Sword brings the end of hope and the death of dreams, either through accomplishment and success or the most painful kind of loss. It governs the End in its most absolute and pitiless form.
Correlations: Slow and painful deaths, perseverance, failure, illness, tribulation, inheritance, resignation, the vanquished, Sijan, all other endings
Charms: Study the sword if you wish mastery of disease, the ability to cut away feelings as well as flesh, or the capacity to become truly merciless and unstoppable.
The Corpse
(Favoured by Battles)
The Corpses is the end of lives and modes of existence. Those under its domain may pass with planning, dignity and grace, or they might end in wailing agony; either way, the result is the same.
Correlations: Quick and painless deaths, exits, sudden change, transformation, unfinished business, shapechangers, the Second Breath
Charms: The corpse is dead, and so studying it grants power over the deceased; you might turn a zombie to dust with a touch, cross the borders of the underworld with an offering of blood, or prevent a foe from dying no matter how badly mutilated their body becomes.
(Favoured by Journeys)
The Rising Smoke represents the end of journeys on both literal and metaphorical paths such as initiation, puberty and apprenticeship; those who travelled upon them are either transformed or see their efforts rendered futile.
Correlations: Quick and painless deaths, rest, stagnation, growth, new employment, fresh prospects, murder
Charms: Investing in this sign will increase your movement capabilities, improve your affinity for blood both spilled and in the vein, and permit you to induce surrender in even the most stubborn of peers.
The Crow
(Favoured by Serenity)
The Crow represents the end of illusions and dreams. It is inevitability and the recognition thereof; greeted by some with morbid humor and by others with utmost despair.
Correlations: Slow but painless deaths, inevitability, orphans, acceptance of death, dark humor, depression, waking, indifference.
Charms: The Crow grants awareness of impending harm in a multitude of ways, permits you to consult the omens about a possible course of action, and allows you to curse your enemies with despair.
The Haywain
(Favoured by Secrets)
The Haywain is endings that cannot be easily described; it is gradual decline and the failure of systems brought down by a hundred tiny wounds. This is the constellation of death by sorcery, divinity and senescent senility, the faltering alliance, the deteriorating government and the troubled family.
Correlations: Muddled and difficult to categorize deaths, mystery, cover-ups, treachery, comebacks, aging and decrepitude
Charms: The Haywain will enable you to bless and curse organizations as you desire. It also allows you to blur certain kinds of lines; between truth and lie, success and failure, up and down...
The Sword
(Favoured by Endings)
The Sword brings the end of hope and the death of dreams, either through accomplishment and success or the most painful kind of loss. It governs the End in its most absolute and pitiless form.
Correlations: Slow and painful deaths, perseverance, failure, illness, tribulation, inheritance, resignation, the vanquished, Sijan, all other endings
Charms: Study the sword if you wish mastery of disease, the ability to cut away feelings as well as flesh, or the capacity to become truly merciless and unstoppable.
The Corpse
(Favoured by Battles)
The Corpses is the end of lives and modes of existence. Those under its domain may pass with planning, dignity and grace, or they might end in wailing agony; either way, the result is the same.
Correlations: Quick and painless deaths, exits, sudden change, transformation, unfinished business, shapechangers, the Second Breath
Charms: The corpse is dead, and so studying it grants power over the deceased; you might turn a zombie to dust with a touch, cross the borders of the underworld with an offering of blood, or prevent a foe from dying no matter how badly mutilated their body becomes.
Character Sheet
- Location
- London, England
Farah Esther Amestris
Sehzade of Taira, Shieldbearer of Mars
Intimacies
Defining (+4/-3 resolve)
Treachery is the greatest sin
The price of glory is measured in blood
Major (+3/-2 resolve)
I revel in battle
Loyalty is the highest virtue
My Family (Grief)
Sabah (Protective Love)
Yozi Cults (Hatred)
Minor (+2/-1 resolve)
I am a failure
No one is above suspicion
Iron Siaka (Instinctive trust)
Taira (Regret)
Charms
House of Battles
House of Journeys
House of Endings
Martial Arts
Sehzade of Taira, Shieldbearer of Mars
Attributes
Strength: ooo
Dexterity: oooo
Stamina: ooo
Charisma: oooo
Manipulation: oo
Composure: ooo
Intelligence: oo
Wits: ooo
Resolve: oo
Abilities
Archery oo (Mounted o)
Athletics oo
Awareness oo
Brawl oo
Bureaucracy o
Craft
Dodge oo
Integrity o
Investigation o
Larceny
Linguistics o
Lore oo
Medicine
Melee ooo (Scimitar o)
Occult
Performance
Presence oo (Inspiring o)
Resistance o (Carousing o)
Ride ooo
Sail
Socialise o
Stealth
Survival
Thrown
War oo
Strength: ooo
Dexterity: oooo
Stamina: ooo
Charisma: oooo
Manipulation: oo
Composure: ooo
Intelligence: oo
Wits: ooo
Resolve: oo
Abilities
Archery oo (Mounted o)
Athletics oo
Awareness oo
Brawl oo
Bureaucracy o
Craft
Dodge oo
Integrity o
Investigation o
Larceny
Linguistics o
Lore oo
Medicine
Melee ooo (Scimitar o)
Occult
Performance
Presence oo (Inspiring o)
Resistance o (Carousing o)
Ride ooo
Sail
Socialise o
Stealth
Survival
Thrown
War oo
Essence: o
Willpower: ooooo
Health: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Willpower: ooooo
Health: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Intimacies
Defining (+4/-3 resolve)
Treachery is the greatest sin
The price of glory is measured in blood
Major (+3/-2 resolve)
I revel in battle
Loyalty is the highest virtue
My Family (Grief)
Sabah (Protective Love)
Yozi Cults (Hatred)
Minor (+2/-1 resolve)
I am a failure
No one is above suspicion
Iron Siaka (Instinctive trust)
Taira (Regret)
Charms
House of Battles
Tolerant Strife - Those struck by the Gauntlet are rarely able to forget the experience. In a close range fight, 1s on an enemy's defense roll are subtracted from their overall successes.
Slow Blade Penetrates - When possessing control, exploit it. When lacking control, regain it. Onslaught penalties that Farah suffers provide an equal number of automatic successes on her attack rolls.
House of Journeys
Ordained Bridle of Mercury - A rider must have a mount. By tracing the sign of the Messenger on the flank of a potential steed, the Sidereal May claim it for their own. Animals marked as such become instantly loyal and obedient to their ordained rider, and gain all the knowledge and benefits of being fully trained as a potential mount. A Sidereal may have up to (Ride) mounts bound to themselves at any one time, and can summon them with a whistle.
House of Endings
Inexorable AdvanceNo matter how fast you run, you cannot escape the end. Farah disregards all wound and mobility penalties on her movement rolls, whether they come from internal sources (such as manacles or restrictive clothing) or external ones (such as a crowded road).
Forgotten Earth - Adopting the destiny of a burnt offering, the Sidereal leaps into the sky. They forget to fall, and the world is too rude to remind them. Farah gains perfect balance and exerts as much weight on any surface as smoke; additionally, they can leap one range band in any direction without the need for a test.
Forgotten Earth - Adopting the destiny of a burnt offering, the Sidereal leaps into the sky. They forget to fall, and the world is too rude to remind them. Farah gains perfect balance and exerts as much weight on any surface as smoke; additionally, they can leap one range band in any direction without the need for a test.
Martial Arts
Water Dragon teaches that all things are flow — the rhythm of a fight, the blood of a living body, the Essence of Creation. Practitioners of this style train in techniques that block, redirect, or impede these flows, subtly manipulating the conditions of battle to seize victory. Its defense emphasizes fluid motions and outmaneuvering enemies with footwork, while its offense relies on repeated strikes, exploiting the lightest wound to unleash a cascading torrent of death.
Water Dragon Style focuses on unarmed combat techniques, chaining together a swift series of punches, kicks and raking claw-strikes. Practitioners can wield Tiger Claw gauntlets as a form weapon (which still use the brawl ability), and the style is compatible with both light and medium armour.
Flowing Water Defense - The martial artist flows seamlessly between attack and defense, each benefitting the other. Farah possesses a pool of (essence +1) automatic success that they may either apply to Water Dragon attack rolls or their defense rolls on any given turn - successes may not be split between the two, but may be reallocated at the end of the turn.
Rippling Water Strike - Farah's blows break the enemy's guard like a pebble thrown into a still lake. They increase the minimum damage of their successful attack rolls by two, and may substitute their dexterity for their strength when calculating damage. Should they successfully strike a foe, all other targets within close range suffer a -1 onslaught penalty to their defense.
Drowning in Blood Technique - With a clean strike to her opponent's torso, Farah seizes control of their blood, turning it against them. Upon delivering a hit that generates at least three net successes, Farah may increase the opponent's wound penalty by one for the scene; against spirits this technique can stack up to a maximum penalty of -(essence).
Shrugging Water Dragon Escape - Farah's stance is as fluid and formless as water itself. They may double 9s on any roll made to escape a grapple, disengage from combat or avoid an enemy pursuit.
Water Dragon Form - Farah adopts a fighting stance where attack and defense are all part of the same graceful whole. She gains bonus dice on his attack rolls equal to the target's wound penalty, and doubles stamina for the purposes of soak.
Water Dragon Style focuses on unarmed combat techniques, chaining together a swift series of punches, kicks and raking claw-strikes. Practitioners can wield Tiger Claw gauntlets as a form weapon (which still use the brawl ability), and the style is compatible with both light and medium armour.
Flowing Water Defense - The martial artist flows seamlessly between attack and defense, each benefitting the other. Farah possesses a pool of (essence +1) automatic success that they may either apply to Water Dragon attack rolls or their defense rolls on any given turn - successes may not be split between the two, but may be reallocated at the end of the turn.
Rippling Water Strike - Farah's blows break the enemy's guard like a pebble thrown into a still lake. They increase the minimum damage of their successful attack rolls by two, and may substitute their dexterity for their strength when calculating damage. Should they successfully strike a foe, all other targets within close range suffer a -1 onslaught penalty to their defense.
Drowning in Blood Technique - With a clean strike to her opponent's torso, Farah seizes control of their blood, turning it against them. Upon delivering a hit that generates at least three net successes, Farah may increase the opponent's wound penalty by one for the scene; against spirits this technique can stack up to a maximum penalty of -(essence).
Shrugging Water Dragon Escape - Farah's stance is as fluid and formless as water itself. They may double 9s on any roll made to escape a grapple, disengage from combat or avoid an enemy pursuit.
Water Dragon Form - Farah adopts a fighting stance where attack and defense are all part of the same graceful whole. She gains bonus dice on his attack rolls equal to the target's wound penalty, and doubles stamina for the purposes of soak.
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