The Hidden Scroll of the Lotus

Credits Author: HLS He is the sole author of all the martial art styles that you will find in this book. If you want to thank someone for this pdf, thank him for all of these beautiful style. PDF Editor: Anauel

Table of Contents Chapter One: Terrestrial Martial Arts ......................................................................................................02 Chapter Two: Celestial Martial Arts.........................................................................................................18 Chapter Three: Sidereal Martial Arts.......................................................................................................42

Chapter One: Terrestrial Martial Arts

Table of Content

Swaying Grass Dance Style....................................................................................................................03 Hurricane Fist Style.................................................................................................................................05 Ruthless Avalanche Style .......................................................................................................................07 Blazing Corona Style ..............................................................................................................................10 Falling Rain Style ....................................................................................................................................12 Arrow Frog Style .................................................................................................................................... 15

2

This curious martial art is actually reputed to have arisen among slave pens in the far East. According to the story, slaves working on a Guild plantation, harvesting drugs that assisted in achieving Essence sight, began to plan a rebellion. They were forbidden tools of any sort, and any fighting within the pens was punished severely, but it seemed normal to their keepers when the hallucinogen-addled slaves took to spending their evenings in wild and exhausting dance. This dance was a cover for a developing form of unarmed combat... and when one of their number was unexpectedly blessed with Exaltation by the Wood Dragon, he extended its precepts into a supernatural martial arts form, using it to tear the plantation apart. Now the Swaying Grass Dance Style has spread into all corners of Creation, in both its limited form as a surreptitious slave style, and its true form as an Exalted combat art. Aspects of Wood find the flexibility and rhythm demanded by the style comes to them naturally, and they, along with Aspects of Water, pay no elemental surcharge when using Charms of this style. Weapons and Armor: Swaying Grass Dance style exclusively employs kicks; its Charms will not function with unarmed punches. As such, iron boots and God-Kicking Boots are considered in-style weapons, and are treated as unarmed for the purpose of its Charms. This style is not compatible with armor. Complementary Abilities: Understanding the precepts of the Swaying Grass Dance Style requires two dots of Performance. Jubilant Battle Proposition Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None By masking his aggressive intent in joyous dance, the character catches his opponents off-guard. The character must already be engaging in dance to invoke this Charm. When he does so, he adds a number of successes equal to his Performance to his Join Battle roll. Sweeping Meadow Awareness Practice Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Jubilant Battle Proposition The fighter sways and weaves as he fights, shifting his body and maintaining his awareness of his surroundings. When surrounded by opponents, this Charm prevents one of those attackers from making an undefended attack against the character's back; the Grass Dancer applies his DV normally to this attack. Swaying Grass Dance Form Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 4) Keywords: Form-type Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Sweeping Meadow Awareness Proposition The character begins to sway and dance, shuffling in and out of combat-ready stances unpredictably. His kicks slash up from dead angles, and any glimpsed openings are gone before opponents can act on them. The character's unarmed kick attacks gain -1 Speed, +1 Accuracy, +2 Defense, and +1 Rate. He takes no penalties for fighting prone, and may rise from prone reflexively. These benefits may not lower the character's Speed below 3. Teeth in the Grass Strike Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 5) Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Swaying Grass Dance Style The character feints high, then scythes his leg up from below with no warning. So convincing is his feint that the opponent is absolutely convinced the next strike will come in from above. The character makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack. If the character's successes on the attack roll exceed the target's Dodge MDV, the attack is unexpected. If the character is standing in tall grass or shallow water, or the terrain otherwise obscures his legs and feet from view, add two bonus successes to the attack.

3

Rolling with the Wind Method Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 9) Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Swaying Grass Dance Style The harsh upbringing of practitioners of this style makes them fast to react to danger. Those who land one blow upon a Grass Dancer rarely manage a second. When the character is struck and this Charm is activated, the character goes cartwheeling (attacker's Strength x 5) yards away, exactly as though he suffered from knockback, save that the character controls which direction he tumbles in and whether or not he strikes any objects. Inescapable Tumbleweed Prana Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-basic Duration: Until next action Prerequisite Charms: Teeth in the Grass Strike, Rolling with the Wind Method Those who would oppose a practitioner of the Grass Dance Style may reap the whirlwind. Shuffling along with a dizzying series of quick-steps and cartwheels, the character pursues an adversary inescapably. This Charm must be targeted against another character when invoked, and the target of the Charm must be within striking range, and have already attacked the character within the current scene. For the duration of the Charm, the character gains whatever mobility is necessary to follow his target. His Move speed matches that of his target, even if Charms such as Leaping Dodge Method or Rolling With the Wind Method are employed. This explicitly includes whatever acrobatic prowess is necessary to pursue a flying opponent, so long as there are trees to climb through in order to reach him. Whirling Rhythm Revolution Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Extra Action Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Inescapable Tumbleweed Prana The character listens to the music pounding in his heart, and then whirls to the attack. He launches an unarmed martial arts attack, and, if it inflicts any damage, immediately launches another. These attacks utilize the character's full dice pool, ignore Rate, and levy a DV penalty equal to the highest penalty incurred by any one attack. The character may launch a total number of attacks equal to his Performance, or until he fails to inflict damage, whichever comes first. Grass Reaping Posture Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 5) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Until broken Prerequisite Charms: Inescapable Tumbleweed Prana The character imposes his rhythm upon another, taking control of the battle. This Charm begins with a low, sudden leg sweep. The character makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack. Resolve this attack normally; if the raw damage exceeds the target's Stamina + Athletics, they suffer knockdown. Thereafter the character shuffles about his downed foe, confusing him and buffeting him to the ground with his legs should he try to escape. So long as the character remains within attacking range of his prone target, all the target's attempts to rise from prone provoke a contested Dexterity + Martial Arts (for the character) vs Dexterity + Athletics (for the target) roll. If the target wins, he rises from prone successfully. If the character wins or ties, the target remains prone. This roll is reflexive for the Grass Dancer, with no Speed or DV penalty, but requires a Miscellaneous Speed 5, DV -1 action for the target. The Charm lasts until the character moves out of range or until the target successfully rises from prone. Serenading the Reed Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 2) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Whirling Rhythm Revolution, Grass Reaping Posture The martial artist draws strength from dance, and his dance is empowered by music. This Charm may only be invoked in the presence of music or song with rhythm, and this music cannot originate with the character. So long as the music plays on, the character's DV is raised by the number of successes on the musician or singer's initial Performance roll.

4

HURRICANE FIST STYLE In the chaotic days after the Great Contagion, Creation found itself beset by every kind of wickedness and iniquity. The fields had no crops, the merchants had no money, and the hills were full of bandits scraping at the bone. And yet, it was also a time of heroes; the Martial Arts World had emptied out as surely as every other facet of Creation, and was ripe for the rise of new legends. The Five-Point Compass Brotherhood was one such band of heroes. After challenging and being defeated by the Demon Tiger General, the brothers dispersed in shame to every corner of Creation to refine their martial arts. In the north, Brother White Frost Li-Yu meditated in the heart of blizzards. He fought hungry ghosts and hungry raiders. He protected settlements from monsters out of the Wyld, and studied with the zephyrs and other elementals of the wind. Finally, after seven years had passed, he reunited with the rest of his brothers and challenged the Demon Tiger General, unveiling the lessons he had learned as the Hurricane Fist Style. The Demon Tiger General's retinue of Malfean bodyguards was blown away, opening the way for Li-Yu's brothers to attack. Now the Hurricane Fist Style has spread across the martial arts world, practiced by outcaste masters, unruly Lookshyan youths, and a few fashionably rebellious Dynasts. Air elementals sometimes teach its rudiments in return for service or prayer. Aspects of Air find that the breath control and mastery of wind involved in this style comes naturally to them, and they, along with Aspects of Water, pay no surcharge when using Charms of this style. Weapons and Armor: Hurricane Fist Style teaches its practitioners to recognize only their own body as a suitable weapon, but may also be practiced with war fans and their artifact equivalents. This style is compatible with only light armor. Auspicious Respiration Practice Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Obvious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None Before mastering the world, a martial artist must master his own body. The first lesson of the Hurricane Fist is proper breathing. By regulating the flow of Essence and breath through his body in a matter pleasing to the winds of Creation, the martial artist inclines them toward his aid. The cost of the Third Martial Arts Excellency, when applied to attacks and Charms of this style, is reduced by 2 motes. The martial artist smoothly adjusts to compensate for his errors, and the wind buoys him up to assist in these corrections. When the character enjoys this cost discount, the Third Excellency becomes Obvious. Cloud-Shrouded Strike Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Auspicious Respiration Practice The martial artist advances to the attack, stomping just before he strikes. A great burst of wind erupts up from beneath his feet, throwing obscuring debris into the air: leaves, snow, mud, dirt, the trash of city streets, or whatever else might seem appropriate. The martial artist strikes through this obscuring cloud, making it difficult to discern the precise angle of his attack. Re-calculate the target's applicable Defense Value using the lower of the normally-used Ability, or Awareness. Hurricane Fist Form Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Cloud-Shrouded Strike The character assumes a powerful stance, fists up and knees bent, ready to attack or defend at a moment's notice. By squeezing his fingers together or flicking his war fans at the moment of a strike or block, the practitioner becomes capable of sending forth powerful blasts of wind. His unarmed attacks gain +2 Accuracy, +2B damage, and +2 Defense. Additionally, he may block ranged attacks with his bare hands without a stunt.

5

Anabatic Parry Method Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Knockback Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Hurricane Fist Form The martial artist steps into an attack, pushing his Essence out to meet it as he raises his arms to block. This manifests as a great burst of wind that buffets the attacker. If a parry enhanced by this Charm manages to completely block an attack, then the attacker is immediately knocked back 2 yards for every success by which he fell short of the martial artist's Parry DV. Zephyr-Chasing Attitude Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Anabatic Parry Method Taking a deep breath, the martial artist draws Essence from his lungs and forces it down and out through his legs. This Charm adds 5 yards to a Move, Jump or Dash action. Storm Fist Technique Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 4) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Knockback Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Hurricane Fist Form The martial artist combines breath and fist into a powerful weapon. The character focuses his Essence in his lungs, then blows into a clenched fist and hurls the condensed Essence at an opponent as a whirling ball of blue-white wind. This attack is targeted with Dexterity + Martial Arts, has a Range of (Essence x 10) yards, and inflicts a base damage of the attacker's Essence. If it strikes, regardless of whether it inflicts any damage, the Storm Fist explodes into a fury of lashing winds, inflicting automatic knockback. This sends the target flying a number of yards equal to the attack's raw damage, with effects as outlined in Heaven Thunder Hammer (see Exalted, p. 242). Heaving Sirocco Strike Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Stackable Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Storm Fist Technique His attacks wreathed with screaming winds, the martial artist strikes at his foes and sets raging gales loose upon them, leaving them vulnerable to his allies and to further attacks of his own. If an attack supplemented by this Charm strikes a target, regardless of whether it inflicts any damage, the target's DVs are all lowered by 1 until they next refresh. Gale-Raising Stance Cost: 4m, 1wp (+1hl); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Zephyr-Chasing Attitude, Heaving Sirocco Strike The martial artist inverts his breath. It erupts out of his body, flooding his anima and turning it into a riotous tumult of cloud and violent wind. The character's anima returns to normal in moments, but the gale he has raised remains, following him as he moves. While this Charm's effects persist, the character is considered to possess 75% hard cover, and enjoys all the benefits thereof (see Exalted, pp.146-147). This Charm's activation inflicts one level of bashing damage on characters who are not harmonized to the element of Air, as their body and anima violently channel forces not intended for them.

6

RUTHLESS AVALANCHE STYLE In the chaotic days after the Great Contagion, Creation found itself beset by every kind of wickedness and iniquity. The fields had no crops, the merchants had no money, and the hills were full of bandits scraping at the bone. And yet, it was also a time of heroes; the Martial Arts World had emptied out as surely as every other facet of Creation, and was ripe for the rise of new legends. The Five-Point Compass Brotherhood was one such band of heroes. After challenging and being defeated by the Demon Tiger General, the brothers dispersed in shame to every corner of Creation to refine their martial arts. Traveling to the Blessed Isle, Brother Quaking Mountain Ban-Ji discovered a once-idyllic landscape still rocked by aftershocks and tremors. He evaded new-formed militias that demanded his allegiance and climbed the Imperial Mountain! Its slopes were loose and treacherous. Elementals challenged his right of ascent; avalanches thundered down upon him, seeking to sweep him from the mountain! He learned the ways of each obstacle, and turned them upon themselves. Finally, after seven years had passed, he reunited with the rest of his brothers and challenged the Demon Tiger General, unveiling the lessons he had learned as the Ruthless Avalanche Style. He blocked the Demon Tiger General's greatest attacks, and battered down his defenses. Now the Ruthless Avalanche Style has spread across the Martial Arts World, practiced by wandering heroes, pious Lookshyan monks, and a number of Dynastic brawlers. Earth elementals seeking to cultivate favor with Heaven occasionally practice the style, for its motions are holy to Flashing Peak, Goddess of the Imperial Mountain. Aspects of Earth find it easy to root themselves and draw power from Creation itself as this style demands, and they, along with Aspects of Water, pay no surcharge when using Charms of this style. Weapons and Armor: Ruthless Avalanche Style teaches its practitioners that the strength of the earth is their greatest weapon, but may also be practiced with fighting gauntlets and their artifact equivalents. This style is compatible with up to medium armor. Stone Pulse Procedure Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Until next action Prerequisite Charms: None The earth is the greatest ally of the practitoner of this style, and his first lesson is to learn to heed its wisdom. A martial artist invoking this Charm can feel the truth of things treading upon the ground nearby; it becomes difficult to gain advantage over him. The character is automatically aware of unexpected attacks launched from within (Essence) yards of him, and raises his DV by 2 against them. For this Charm to function, the character must be standing upon bare stone or dirt; a wooden floor will hamper the function of this Charm, as will a rug laid over a marble one. Pasiap's Darting Tongue Technique Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Stone Pulse Procedure The earth leaps to assist the martial artist's strikes. He launches an attack from low to high, be it a kick slashing up from the ground, or an uppercut that drags along the earth; chunks of stone and debris tear themselves from the ground, following in the wake of the character's striking limb. An unarmed attack enhanced by this Charm adds (3 plus the character's Essence) to its raw, pre-soak damage. This Charm may normally only be invoked if the character is standing on bare earth or a stone floor, though with a stunt the character might utilize other nearby stone, such as kicking through a marble pillar. Ruthless Avalanche Form Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Pasiap's Darting Tongue Technique Releasing a mighty cry, the character punches his fists into the ground. They come up coated in jagged-edged stone gauntlets, adding +4 damage to his unarmed attacks and turning those attacks lethal. He is

7

able to parry lethal and ranged attacks without a stunt. Assuming a rigid, aggressive stance, feet planted firmly, the character becomes an immovable object. So long as he is standing on bare earth or stone, he is immune to knockback and knockdown. This Form only yields its damage bonus if initiated when the character is sufficiently close to the earth; he might plunge his fists through a wooden floor to feel the earth's embrace, but could not do so if on the second floor of a building, or aboard a ship at sea. Foe-Disrupting Tremors Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Until next action Prerequisite Charms: Ruthless Avalanche Form The martial artist sends a pulse of Essence into the earth, pivoting on his heels as he does so. The twisting burst of power subtly reshapes the ground to his advantage; while up to five opponents may still crowd in around him at once, their attacks are subtly delayed and disrupted so that none of them enjoys an unexpected attack against the martial artist's back. Additionally, no character may enjoy an environmental bonus due to terrain such as attacking from high ground, nor will the martial artist experience penalties due to such sources. The martial artist must, of course, be fighting on bare earth or stone to enjoy such advantages. Avalanche Fist Technique Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 4) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Ruthless Avalanche Form The martial artist concentrates his Essence and stomps powerfully. A ball of stone erupts from the earth to hang before him for a moment; he strikes it with a mighty palm heel thrust, sending it flying at an opponent. This attack is aimed with Dexterity + Martial Arts, has a base damage of (Martial Arts x 2)B, and a Range of (Essence x 10) yards. This Charm can summon stone as long as the ground is relatively near; it can be used on the first floor of most buildings, so long as there is no basement below. Leaping Earth Defense Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Ruthless Avalanche Form The martial artist stomps the ground, throwing a jagged wedge of Essence into the earth. Displaced by this mighty strike, a jagged spur of stone erupts from the ground next to the character. Invoked in response to an attack, this provides 90% hard cover (see Exalted, pp.146-147). The sheet of stone persists after being summoned until it is destroyed; repeated invocations could theoretically grant a fighter hard cover from all sides. This Charm may be invoked only when the character is standing on bare earth or stone. Phantom Earth Attack Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Foe-Disrupting Tremors, Avalanche Fist Technique, Leaping Earth Defense Standing on bare earth or stone, the character roots himself and infuses his body with the pure Essence of the earth. For the rest of the scene, he is as a brother to stone; he may make attacks through stone as though it were not present at all, punching through pillars and walls to no ill effect. This explicitly works with the defensive sheets of stone summoned by Leaping Earth Defense. The character may not, however, move his entire body through earthen obstacles; only striking limbs count. This Charm may only be invoked when the character stands on bare earth or stone. This Charm may afford opportunities for impossible attacks, or very creative unexpected attacks, as well as negating many forms of cover bonuses. Stone Sheath Technique Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive (step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Phantom Earth Attack The earth endures, accepting everything. The martial artist emulates this passive triumph, enduring the greatest of punishment to find victory. Invoking this Charm causes the martial artist to voluntarily forfeit his DVs; they are set to 0 against an incoming attack. His natural Lethal and Bashing soak totals rise by

8

(Essence x 3) each. If the opponent's attack connects and inflicts any damage, the martial artist accepts the weapon into his body, trapping it between two stone-hard bones. He makes a Stamina + Martial Arts roll; on a success, with a wrenching snap, he breaks the weapon in half, letting its shattered remains fall easily out of his wounds. This roll is difficulty 1 for mundane weapons, but is at a difficulty of twice the rating of Artifact weapons, and only capable of breaking artifacts if the Martial Artist's Essence is double or better the weapon's Artifact rating. Otherwise he simply forces instant de-attunement.

9

BLAZING CORONA STYLE In the chaotic days after the Great Contagion, Creation found itself beset by every kind of wickedness and iniquity. The fields had no crops, the merchants had no money, and the hills were full of bandits scraping at the bone. And yet, it was also a time of heroes; the Martial Arts World had emptied out as surely as every other facet of Creation, and was ripe for the rise of new legends. The Five-Point Compass Brotherhood was one such band of heroes. After challenging and being defeated by the Demon Tiger General, the brothers dispersed in shame to every corner of Creation to refine their martial arts. In the South, Brother Crimson Flame Chou-Han wandered the baking sands. He fought lion folk and the very elements! He saved refugees from the unmapped wastes, and was honored at the table of Lusa Seragon. Finally, after seven years had passed, he reunited with the rest of his brothers and challenged the Demon Tiger General, unveiling the lessons he had learned as the Blazing Corona Style. His ferocious attacks heated the Demon Tiger General's armor white-hot, so that he had to tear it off or risk cooking inside of it. Now the Blazing Corona Style has spread across the Martial Arts World, practiced by virtuous mercenaries, passionate Lookshyan soldiers, and a number of self-indulgent Dynasts. It is much practiced among the fire elementals of the Court of Orderly Flame. Aspects of Fire find it easy to agitate their Essence up into the blazing conflagrations this style demands, and they, along with Aspects of Water, pay no surcharge when using Charms of this style. Weapons and Armor: Blazing Corona Style teaches its practitioners that their own Essence is the only worthy weapon, and as such, it has no in-style weapons other than the practitioner's own body. This style is compatible with only light armor. Wildfire Aggression Posture Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One action Prerequisite Charms: None It is the nature of flame to destroy, and likewise the nature of fighters. The first lesson learned by students of this style is the lesson of victory—the one who puts himself into battle without reservation is the one who wins. While this Charm is active, the character suffers no penalty from fierce blows (see Exalted, p.158). Dancing Flame Kata Cost: 1m per penalty negated; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Wildfire Aggression Posture Subjected to ferocious assault, the character nimbly shifts his defense from moment to moment. Guided by supreme martial instinct, he frustrates his foe without losing ground himself. For each mote spent, the character may negate a single point of Onslaught penalty. Blazing Corona Form Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Dancing Flame Kata Striking key chakras in his arms and legs, the character excites his Essence into a frenzy. His stance, by contrast, is rigid and forceful, channeling this wild energy with iron determination and purpose. The character's unarmed attacks lower their Speed by 1, to a minimum of 3, and add 2 to their Rate. Dragon Sigh Strike Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Blazing Corona Form The martial artist learns to exhale Essence through his striking limbs. An unarmed martial arts attack enhanced by this Charm is wreathed in Essence-born flames, adding +3 to the attack's raw damage and making it lethal.

10

Volcanic Halo Onslaught Cost: 7m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Extra Action Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Blazing Corona Form The martial artist condenses his Essence to a single point within his heart, then lets it erupt out into the world. He whirls about, dragging his fists or feet through the air, and spreads a ring of flame around himself. The characer makes a single unarmed martial arts attack, and applies its effects to every character close enough to strike at him (normally, a maximum of five targets). This attack's damage is lethal. Inferno Fist Technique Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 4) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Dragon Sigh Strike The martial artist concentrates his Essence into his fist, creating a painfully bright corona of flame arond it. He selects a target and strikes, sending a searing fireball across the battlefield. This attack is aimed with Dexterity + Martial Arts, has a base damage of (Martial Arts)L, and a Range of (Essence x 10) yards. Victory-Claiming Block Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Volcanic Halo Onslaught The character raises a hand to block, a flame smoldering in his palm. This Charm permits a character to block lethal attacks without a stunt. If a character successfully blocks an attack with his bare hand, a rush of flame erupts from his palm into the offending weapon. Arrows are burned to a crisp. Bare limbs or fighting aids attached to limbs (such as iron boots or fighting gauntlets) are seared, their owner suffering (martial artist's Essence)L damage dice. Weapons are superheated, glowing red-hot; unless their wielder is immune to damage from heat, he must choose to either cast aside his weapon (treated as a standard disarm) or take an automatic 1L damage from holding onto it. Discarded weapons cool down enough to be safely handled after 1 tick has passed. Note that weapons made of red jade or orichalcum cannot be heated with this Charm. Searing Coils of Hesiesh Method Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Inferno Fist Technique, Victory-Claiming Block Practitioners of this style do not hide behind anything other than their own skill, and they know how to punish those who do. This Charm enhances a Crush action during a clinch. The martial artist transfers all the baking power of his Essence into his target's armor, cooking the target alive. A Crush attack enhanced by this Charm ignores soak from the target's armor, and inflicts raw damage equal to the Lethal soak value of the target's armor. This damage is lethal. This Charm cannot superheat armor made of orichalcum or red jade, and in order to heat artifact armor, the martial artist must pay an additional 2 motes per Artifact dot value of the armor.

11

FALLING RAIN STYLE In the chaotic days after the Great Contagion, Creation found itself beset by every kind of wickedness and iniquity. The fields had no crops, the merchants had no money, and the hills were full of bandits scraping at the bone. And yet, it was also a time of heroes; the Martial Arts World had emptied out as surely as every other facet of Creation, and was ripe for the rise of new legends. The Five-Point Compass Brotherhood was one such band of heroes. After challenging and being defeated by the Demon Tiger General, the brothers dispersed in shame to every corner of Creation to refine their martial arts. In the West, Brother Floating Petal Jan-Ei sailed from isle to isle. He walked the shores, driving off the hungry Fair Folk. He challenged Storm Mothers to let ships pass. He stood in the water, and first broke the coming waves with his fist, then learned to make their strength his own. Finally, after seven years had passed, he reunited with the rest of his brothers and challenged the Demon Tiger General, unveiling the lessons he had learned as the Falling Rain Style. The great terror's renowned toughness was as nothing before the master's invasive strikes, and soon the Demon Tiger General was bowed in agony. Now the Falling Rain Style has spread across the Martial Arts World, practiced by outcaste sailors, Gens Teresu captains, and a number of cruel Dynasts. It is sometimes propagated among water elementals whose nature does not force them to actually live beneath the waves, where the style would find little use. Aspects of Water find it easy to let their Essence flow into the mercurial and shifting channels this Style demands, and they pay no surcharge when using Charms of this style. Weapons and Armor: Falling Rain Style focuses on internal cultivation through which the outer world is mastered, and as such, it has no in-style weapons other than the practitioner's own body. This style is compatible with only light armor. Ten Thousand Mirrors Alertness Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None The first lesson of the Falling Rain Style is the omnipresence of water. It invisibly softens the air, it saturates the blood of the practitioner, and it can be found in any number of places if one only learns to look. By being constantly aware of water and constantly like water, the practitioner becomes better able to survive life's unpleasant surprises. If the character is within (Essence x 10) yards of visible water, he gains a constant +2 situational bonus dice on Awareness rolls opposing stealth attempts. As situational bonus dice, these do not count as dice added by Charms (see Exalted, p.131)—so rigorous is the training demanded by this style that the martial artist may even check the flickering sheet of reflections in raindrops! Additionally, should he be subjected to an unexpected attack, he subtracts 1 from the final damage inflicted as he instinctively rolls with the blow. Tidal Rejection Dance Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Ten Thousand Mirrors Alertness Hard-pressed by relentless assault, the character reacts as water does—he splashes back. This Charm may only be activated when the character is suffering from an onslaught penalty, and is subjected to a non-ranged attack. The character yields to the blow, defending and taking damage as normal, but in step 9 he snaps back and makes a Martial Arts attack of his own at his full dice pool. Should this attack succeed it inflicts no damage, but does cause automatic knockdown on the part of the defender, and also immediately cancels all subsequent actions he might have planned as part of a flurry. If the martial artist is standing in water when he invokes this Charm he may choose to make it Obvious and accept a number of situational bonus dice equal to the standard penalty for fighting in water of that depth (see Exalted, p.155). Falling Rain Form Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Tidal Rejection Dance

12

The character's motions become sinuous and ever-flowing, never standing completely still. The martial artist becomes immune to penalties for fighting while standing in water or upon the deck of a ship (see Exalted, p.155), though he still suffers penalties for fighting completely submerged and is not immune to drowning. Additionally, if there is an appropriately substantial (subject to Storyteller approval) source of water within (Essence x 10) yards, the character may reflexively animate it into 'water whips' which lash out to strike at his opponents. The character pantomimes a strike with his own body, and the water flows to follow; as such, these attacks are made with the character's Dexterity + Martial Arts pool, and the water whips are treated as an equipment bonus. They are identical to standard whips (see Exalted, p.368) save that they also have the P tag. These attacks can be made at any target within 30 yards. Attacks with water whips replace standard attack actions, rather than supplementing them or occurring in addition to them. These whips may also be used to parry, including ranged and lethal attacks. Bone-Soaking Strike Cost: 2m per soak; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Falling Rain Form As water can seep into any place that is not sealed perfectly against it, so do the martial artist's blows injure even the toughest of opponents. For every 2 motes the character spends, he ignores a point of his target's relevant soak value. The character may spend up to twice his Martial Arts rating on this Charm, and its effects work equally well against living and inanimate targets. Liquid Haze Shield Cost: 3m, 1wp or 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Falling Rain Form The West is a place that can afford few heroes, the sea is a cruel landscape, and the falling rain is more often a cover for the crimes of the unrighteous than the labor of the just. As such, practitioners of the Falling Rain Style are often alone, beset by many enemies. This does not deter them. Faced with many attacks at once, the character stomps his feet and swings his arms protectively, creating a mighty splash that obscures him from all sides and throws his enemies into confusion. This immunizes the character to Coordinated Attack penalties for the rest of the tick, though the character must still deal with all incoming attacks individually. This costs 3m, 1wp if the character is standing in water; if the character is not standing in water, he produces the requisite splash from his own Essence, making the Charm Obvious and raising its cost to 5m, 1wp. Agony Affliction Practice Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Bone-Soaking Strike, Liquid Haze Shield The martial artist learns to manipulate the water in an opponent's body, making it flow sluggishly and bind up in the joints. An attack supplemented by this Charm which successfully causes damage also inflicts a Crippling effect on the target, in the form of a minor case of the bends. This excruciating pain inflicts a -2 internal wound penalty, cumulative with other wound penalties. Crimson Tide Method Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Agony Affliction Practice The martial artist's understanding of the ties between water and the living body reach maturity. So long as it has already been spilled forth from the body, he may now treat blood as water for the purpose of all previous Charms in the style. He may wound his body (generally his palms), accepting a cost of 1 level of lethal damage, to gain scene-long access to water whips. Additionally, should an opponent spill his blood into any body of water within (Essence x 10) yards of the martial artist, the character may at any time make a Speed 5, DV -2 Miscellaneous action to read the secrets of the blood in the water. The character may glean one piece of information each time this is done. Examples include the target's Essence rating, what sort of supernatural being he is, or the details of a Martial Arts Charm or Combo he knows but has not yet used in the scene.

13

Crimson Palm Mastery Cost: 3m per damage; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Crimson Tide Method The ultimate technique of the Falling Rain Style exercises mastery over an opponent's blood, forcing it to answer the summons of its true master—the martial artist. The character makes a standard unarmed Dexterity + Martial Arts attack, which must be performed with his bare hand, striking at the opponent's heart. This inflicts normal damage; additionally, if the attack connects, then each time the target takes an action afterward he suffers an additional level of unsoakable lethal damage as blood seeps out of his heart and blood vessels to emerge through the skin of his chest. This occurs a number of times equal to the damage the martial artist purchased when activating the Charm (and the character may buy up to his Essence in damage). Characters who survive being struck by this Charm are marked with a livid red palm-print scar over their heart; though Exalts heal this as easily as any other scarring, the mark is permanent for mortals.

14

ARROW FROG STYLE In the chaotic days after the Great Contagion, Creation found itself beset by every kind of wickedness and iniquity. The fields had no crops, the merchants had no money, and the hills were full of bandits scraping at the bone. And yet, it was also a time of heroes; the Martial Arts World had emptied out as surely as every other facet of Creation, and was ripe for the rise of new legends. The Five-Point Compass Brotherhood was one such band of heroes. After challenging and being defeated by the Demon Tiger General, the brothers dispersed in shame to every corner of Creation to refine their martial arts. In the East, Brother Swaying Blade Sima-Li faded away into the depths of the forest. He crept along branches, dropping down to tear apart Fair Folk bivouacs. He studied the medical lore of lost tribes. He fought disease gods, and sparred with vipers. Finally, after seven years had passed, he reunited with the rest of his brothers and challenged the Demon Tiger General, unveiling the lessons he had learned as the Arrow Frog Style. After his brothers weakened and bowed their opponent, Sima-Li's fists churned up the Demon Tiger General's Essence until it ate the monster from within, and healthy plants sprung up from its corpse. Now Arrow Frog Style has spread across the Martial Arts World, practiced by outcaste tribesmen, Lookshy rangers, and some few scions of House Cynis. It is occasionally practiced by Wood Elementals to discourage intrusion into their territory. Aspects of Wood find it easy to provoke the maladies and balance of forces this style focuses on, and they, along with Aspects of Water, pay no surcharge when using Charms of this style. Weapons and Armor: Arrow Frog Style focuses on finding and disrupting points of natural balance so subtle they can only be reliably adjusted by the body itself, and as such, it has no in-style weapons other than those practitioners are born with. This style is compatible with only light armor. Opportunity in Adversity Approach Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None The first thing a student of Arrow Frog Style learns is balance—how to maintain it and disrupt it. This is distilled into the lesson of the tree which bends before the wind—yielding and resisting at once. In time, the wind will exhaust itself, but the tree still stands. The character may use this Charm at any time he is in a clinch as a losing participant. While the Charm does not break the character out of the clinch, it does disastrously shift the balance of the struggling pair, immediately knocking both characters prone. Alternatively, the Charm may be used at any time when the martial artist resists knockdown successfully; this restores a number of motes equal to his Essence as his body feeds off the rightness of its own equilibrium. Swaying Bough Venom Infusion Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Poison Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Opportunity in Adversity Approach The martial artist distills his Essence into a hallucinogenic venom, poisoning a target with a successful strike, which inflicts damage as normal. An afflicted target immediately loses his sense of balance; the world seems to sway like a branch shaken in the wind, and leaf-dappled shadows appear and disappear without rhyme or reason, making it difficult to judge distance or details. This Charm's effects are a poison with Damage 5/1 action, Toxicity 3, Tolerance —/—, and Penalty -4. The poison inflicts no actual damage of its own. Arrow Frog Form Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Swaying Bough Venom Infusion The martial artist assumes a pose of ageless patience, knees bent and fingers arched. Though he does nothing overtly menacing, the martial artist's passive determination is as intimidating as the poisonous plants and animals he emulates. A character employing this Form instinctively sees the imbalance in opponents,

15

and capitalizes; his attacks enjoy a number of automatic successes equal to the Poison and Disease-based internal penalties a target currently suffers from. Additionally, any attempt to re-establish surprise when foliage or heavy shadow from foliage are available as cover enjoys a bonus of +3 dice. This includes the hallucinations induced by the Swaying Bough Venom. Insidious Weakness Atemi Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Sickness Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Arrow Frog Form Having studied plants that wither and die despite abundant sun and water, the martial artist comes to understand the source of unbalance that blocks the possibility of health and heartiness. In addition to normal damage, an attack enhanced by this Charm infects a target with the Wilted Blossom Sickness, a First Circle spiritual infection (see Scroll of the Monk, pp.153-154). Afflicted victims feel the strength drain out of them, and have great difficulty rallying to resist hardship or fight off fits of poor health, suffering a -3 internal penalty to Resistance rolls against disease, poison or fatigue. Additionally, the target suffers a -1 internal penalty to all rolls due to general weakness. This disease persists until cured or shaken off; of itself, it has no power to kill, even against mortals. Virulence: (Essence); Incubation: Immediate Diagnosis: 2; Difficulty to Treat (Mundane/Magical): 2/1 Morbidity: 3; Treated Morbidity: 1 Predator Warding Posture Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack, Obvious, Poison Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Falling Rain Form Steeling himself against an incoming attack, the martial artist erupts in a swirling leaf-pattern display of colorful Essence, making his opponent instinctively aware that he faces supernaturally potent and dangerous defenses. The opponent then gains the option to cancel his attack action, accepting his DV penalty but no other ill effects. Should the aggressor press on with the attack, then in step 9 the martial artist launches a counterattack at his full dice pool. Should it hit, this inflicts no damage but doses the opponent with an Essence toxin equal to arrow frog venom (see Exalted, p.131). Emerald Mother's Disdain Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Sickness Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Insidious Weakness Atemi Those who would threaten an Arrow Frog stylist trifle with one who is in tune with the natural world. An attack supplemented by this Charm inflicts the Universal Outsider Affliction if it successfully strikes its target. This First Circle spiritual illness is offensive to Gaia and to all living aspects of her Creation. Plants, simultaneously empowered and repulsed by the disease, will twist to impede and harass its carrier: vines droop in his face, thorns snag at his clothes, roots trip him, branches drop leaves and twigs upon him. The victim suffers a -1 external penalty when in an area of light foliage, such as a savannah with high grass and a few small trees, -2 for areas of medium foliage, such as most parks or forests, and -3 for regions of the most extreme growth, such as tropical rainforests. Virulence: (Essence); Incubation: Immediate Diagnosis: 3; Difficulty to Treat (Mundane/Magical): 2/1 Morbidity: 3; Treated Morbidity: 1 Internal Intent Venom Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Poison Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Predator Warding Posture It would be wisest for the martial artist's opponents to give up and leave him be; through this Charm, the martial artist enhances a strike with a poison calculated to teach this lesson to his enemies. Regardless of whether the character does damage, enemies successfully struck by an attack enhanced by this Charm are dosed with a mystic poison. It has a damage of 10B/Special, Toxicity 4, Tolerance —/—, and Penalty -0. The poison's interval is "whenever the victim attacks the martial artist who poisoned him."

16

Nature's Judgment Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Sickness Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Emerald Mother's Disdain, Internal Intent Venom The martial artist decides the world does not need an opponent, and repurposes him. This Charm attaches a Second Circle spiritual disease to a strike, which infects the target upon a successful hit. Emerald Integration Sickness has no outward symptoms at first, if inflicted at night; it first manifests when the target is exposed to sunlight or water. At this point the victim feels a painful stiffness in his joints, inflicting a -1 internal penalty, and takes one level of bashing damage, which cannot be healed as long as the sickness persists. Every day afterward the character must make a Morbidity roll; upon failure, he suffers another level of bashing damage, and every two failures the penalty worstens by another point as the character's muscles turn to ropy vegetable fibers and his skin hardens. As an incidental benefit, the character gains 2 natural bashing and 1 lethal soak every time his internal penalty worstens. Characters killed by the Emerald Integration Sickness are transformed entirely into living trees, which take root at the spot where the character died. It takes two successful Morbidity rolls to shake the disease; internal penalties and their associated soak benefits fade at a rate of one point per day after recovery. Virulence: (Essence); Incubation: Until contact with water or sunlight Diagnosis: 4; Difficulty to Treat (Mundane/Magical): 3/1 Morbidity: 5; Treated Morbidity: 2

17

Chapter Two: Celestial Martial Arts

Table of Content

Coils of Typhon Style ..............................................................................................................................19 God Slayer Style .....................................................................................................................................22 Five Arms of the Unconquered Sun Style ...............................................................................................25 Elegant Blood-Dancer Style ...................................................................................................................29 Wind-Cutting Blade Style ........................................................................................................................32 Graceful Hummingbird Style .................................................................................................................. 37

18

COILS OF TYPHON STYLE Coils of Typhon is an obscure, 'lost' Martial Art of the early High First Age. Among those few Exalted scholars of martial history with enough knowledge to have ever heard of it, its origins are in dispute. Coils of Typhon is said to have been developed in emulation of one of the fiercest and most terrible of behemoths: the Typhon Serpent, a beast many miles long, that coiled invisibly in the shadow of the Imperial Mountain, swimming the waters of the West and slithering between the great cathedral-trees of the East, eternally seeking to catch the Unconquered Sun as he rose or fell from the sky, and hiding from his cleansing rays as he took ascendency. One tale speaks of a Solar of the Night caste, who sought to turn darkness's own strength against it, and developed the Coils of Typhon in emulation of the greatest foe of the Unconquered Sun; another describes the Lunar who slew the beast and ate its beating heart, then developed the Coils as a desperate outlet for the darkness thrumming within her soul. Whichever, the style was generally considered lost during the Usurpation, though some scrolls may remain in ancient ruins, and an elder Sidereal or Lunar or two may remain who studied the Coils of Typhon in their youth. Weapons and Armor: The Charms of this style treat attacks made with whips and fighting chains and their artifact equivalents as unarmed. This style is compatible with armor. Striking at Dawn Approach Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None A student of the Coils is capable of readying himself in the razored moment between the sun's appearance and the spreading of its first rays of light, and will never be caught unprepared for battle. This Charm supplements a Join Battle roll, adding a number of dice equal to the character's Martial Arts score. Additionally, he may ready his weapons reflexively, without need of a Draw/Ready Weapon Miscellaneous Action. One Against the Legion Technique Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Until next action Prerequisite Charms: Striking at Dawn Approach Whirling about his limbs or the weapons of the style, a student of the Coils may fend off the attacks of a multitude. The character's Parry DV becomes immune to Coordinated Attack penalties and he may not be 'blind attacked' from behind. Midday Darkness Kata Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Striking at Dawn Approach Laying about with his fists or weapons, the martial artist spreads an Essence-born darkness into the air. This Charm supplements a Miscellaneous Action to reestablish surprise, adding the character's Essence in dice to the attempt. It also produces a viable environment for the attempt to take place for (Essence x 10) yards around the character, in case such does not already exist (i.e. if used in the middle of an open courtyard on a sunny day). Further, the lingering patches of darkness impose a -1 external penalty against all ranged attacks occuring within or targeting a space within the darkened area. The darkness lingers until the character's DV has refreshed three times. Coils of Typhon Form Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: One Against the Legion Technique, Midday Darkness Kata The character pulls in on himself, ever-moving, limbs and weapons weaving intricate and disturbing patterns in the air. Motes and coils of darkness may appear briefly in the anima banners of Celestial Exalts using this Form. When used by Abyssal Exalted, tiny serpents seem to writhe in the corners of a room illuminated by their anima, only to disappear if gazed upon directly. Upon first sighting this Form in a scene, opponents must succeed on a Valor roll or suffer a -1 external penalty to all attempts to attack the character. This Charm adds the character's Essence in dice to all attempts to inflict, maintain, and control a clinch. It also

19

adds the character's Essence to the damage of clinch crush attacks. Lashing Coil Technique Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Coils of Typhon Form The character lashes out at a distant opponent. Inky Essence builds new links or length to his weapon, allowing him to strike or ensnare his target. The character may make a Martial Arts attack or clinch out to (Essence x 10) yards away. By paying an extra mote upon successfully striking the target or initiating a clinch, the character may draw the target in to their position. This Charm may only be used with Coils of Typhon in-style weapons. It cannot be used unarmed. Nimble Serpent Dance Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Until next action Prerequisite Charms: Coils of Typhon Form A serpent's weakest moment is when it is already engaged with its prey; this was not true of Typhon, however, nor is it the case with its students. The martial artist rolls and lashes about, joints and free segments of his weapons darting through the air while grappling his foes. The character is permitted to apply his DV normally while in control of a clinch. Human Shield Exchange Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 5) Keywords: Combo-Basic, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Nimble Serpent Dance It is the way of the Coils of Typhon to fell one's opponents by any means necessary; if that means the blades of their own comrades, then so be it. A moment's vulnerability is turned to terrible tragedy with this Charm. Human Shield Exchange may be invoked when the character is targeted by an attack while involved in a clinch (this includes while the character is Inactive as the losing participant in a clinch). The character rolls his (Dexterity or Strength) + Martial Arts. If successful, the character substitutes his victim (if he is in control of a clinch) or the character grappling him (if he is the loser in an ongoing clinch; in the event of a teamwork clinch, the leader is substituted) as the target of the attack. A character may not invoke Human Shield Exchange to defend against any character already engaged in a clinch with him. Uncoiling Assault Method Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Lashing Coil Technique The character snaps an opponent free of his deadly embrace, hurling him into his allies and using him to break their lines. This Charm may be invoked when the character ends a clinch by throwing an opponent. The character makes a Dexterity + Martial Arts attack against a target within (Essence x 5) yards. This attack is unblockable. The thrown character is treated as a weapon with -3 Accuracy and +(projectile's total Health Levels)B damage. If any damage is inflicted, the target of this attack automatically suffers knockback or knockdown. Should the attack miss, the thrown character will continue to travel the full (Essence x 5) yards, with effects as noted in Heaven Thunder Hammer. If the attack strikes a target within 10 yards and the character is wielding an in-style weapon, he may pay 3 motes to reflexively 'reel' the thrown character back in and throw him again at a different target. This may only be done once per invocation of Uncoiling Assault Method. Essence Toxin Blow Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Poison Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Uncoiling Assault Method, Human Shield Exchange The character's limbs or weapons are wreathed in virulent black and white Essence as he delivers a savage blow, poisoning his target's Essence pool. This attack does lethal damage. If any levels of damage are inflicted, the target's Essence becomes briefly poisoned. Whenever the target spends Essence, he suffers

20

one die of unsoakable bashing damage for each mote spent. This effect persists until the target's DV has refreshed 3 times, at which point the poison loses its potency.

21

GOD SLAYER STYLE Many are the techniques lost to time and strife and the turning of the Ages. The origins of some are gone forever, though the styles themselves may resurface. As the pillars of Heaven crack, the gates of Malfeas groan, the underworld shudders, and deathknights, Lawgivers, and Exalted of the demon realm stride forth onto the face of Creation, a potent style thought sealed away in the final years of the First Age once again rises. Weapons and Armor: God Slayer Charms treat attacks made with the spear and the scythe, as well as their artifact equivalents, as unarmed attacks. It is fully compatible with armor. Merciless Onslaught Approach Cost:: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Until next action Prerequisite Charms: None Essence surges from the martial artist toward his target, drawing his blows onward with irresistable force. This Charm enhances a flurry. The onslaught penalty inflicted by the character's unarmed Martial Arts attacks is increased by one for the duration of the flurry. Inescapable Judgment Declaration Cost:: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: None Those marked for destruction by the martial artist may run from righteous justice, but they may never hide, not even in the places beyond Creation. The character names a target spirit, and the word rings in the still air. No matter how far away the spirit is, it experiences a sudden, inexplicable chill. So long as the character commits Essence to Inescapable Judgment Declaration, he may freely perceive and make unarmed martial arts attacks against the spirit while it is dematerialized. In addition, should the spirit flee into a Sanctum, the character will be able to see and enter the sanctum. This Charm is not mighty enough to force the gates of Yu-Shan or Malfeas, but any lesser spirit's Sanctum is fair game. The character must know at least one name by which, if spoken, the spirit would know it was being addressed to enact the Charm. With the Strength of my Enemies Methodology Cost:: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping, Stackable Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Merciless Onslaught Approach, Inescapable Judgment Declaration Often called upon to stand alone against mighty foes from the dawn of time, the God Slayer must learn to make his opponents' strength his own. This Charm is invoked as the character makes an unarmed martial arts attack. If the attack strikes its target (it needs not inflict damage), the character reduces one of the target's Virtues, of his choice, by 1 point, and adds that point to his own appropriate Virtue. This Charm may not reduce a Virtue below the minimums required for the Great Curse to operate, nor may it reduce a Virtue to 0. It may raise a character's Virtues temporarily above 5. The character may keep stolen Virtues as long as he is willing to commit Essence to them. The character may 'store' a number of dots of Virtues in total equal to his Essence. Held Virtues automatically disappear if their original 'donor' dies. At the moment the character strikes, an afterimage of himself and his foe are printed upon the air, lingering for three heartbeats. God Slayer Form Cost:: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: With the Strength of my Enemies Methodology The character assumes the posture of an executioner of heaven, come to enact judgment upon the unrighteous. His eyes smoulder with unseen fires, his aspect is grim and terrible, his shadow burns quietly with a nimbus in the color of his anima, and his blows rend apart his enemies. The character adds his Conviction to the raw, pre-soak damage of unarmed martial arts attacks. Finally, the light of his anima, should it flare, reveals all dematerialized spirits present. Valor-Wounding Mudra Cost:: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 3, DV-1)

22

Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Emotion Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: God Slayer Form Inescapable justice lies at the heart of the God Slayer Style. The character draws a burning mark in the air, announcing his intent and chilling the blood of those he has passed judgment upon. The glyph burns with a lambent orange-white radiance, illuminating an (Essence x 30 yards) radius around the point where it is set. Any hostile targets struck by the light treat it as a social attack against their Dodge MDV with a number of successes equal to the martial artist's Essence + Conviction. A target whose MDV is overcome by the glyph reduces their Valor by 1 so long as the light of the glyph touches them. This cannot reduce Valor below the minimums required for the Great Curse, nor may it reduce it to 0. This is a form of unnatural mental influence, costing 3 Willpower to resist. Wheel of Justice Cost:: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Extra Action Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: God Slayer Form The martial artist whirls his weapons high overhead, gathering Essence, or engages in a series of powerful overhand blows. His strikes are drawn toward and fueled by the convictions of his foe— the stronger his opponent, the more heavily Heaven's judgment shall fall upon him. This Charm causes the character to perform a flurry of extra action attacks against a single target. The number of unarmed martial arts attacks in the flurry is equal to the target's highest Virtue at the time Wheel of Justice is invoked. These attacks are made regardless of the weapon's Rate, and with a DV penalty equal to the highest penalty for any one attack. Unbowed Executioner Technique Cost:: 3m, 1 Willpower; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: God Slayer Form Justice is a difficult path to follow; Creation is filled with countless temptations to distract a martial artist from the path of righteousness. Those with the focus to still their minds and spirits, however, may stand against any opposition, unbowed and unbroken. This Charm adds twice the character's Temperance to his natural lethal and bashing soak. Sin-Finding Scrutiny Cost:: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: God Slayer Style By experiencing his target's convictions and passions, the martial artist comes to know the weaknesses of their owner. For each dot of Virtues the character steals from a target through the use of With the Strength of my Enemies Methodology, he gains an "Against (Virtue's original owner)" artificial specialty. This specialty only endures so long as Sin-Finding Scrutiny is active and the character holds Virtues from the target. The character cannot under any circumstance gain more than three dice from specialties on any single roll. As artificial specialties, these dice are not considered bonus dice added by a Charm. Essence Eruption Blow Cost:: 5m, 1 Willpower; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 4) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: God Slayer Style The martial artist, knowing he will often face foes far more mighty than he, learns to turn an opponent's strength against him. He injects a white-hot mote of explosive Essence into the target's Essence flows, igniting the target's own enlightened power in a devastating attack from within. The character makes an unarmed martial arts attack. If it is successful, the character adds (target's own Essence) dice of damage, after soak has been resolved. Double the number of dice added against spirits. This Charm is ineffective if hardness stops the attack altogether. Wrath of Heaven Mantle Cost:: — Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None

23

Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Valor-Wounding Mudra, Wheel of Justice, Unbowed Executioner Technique, Sin-Finding Scrutiny, Essence Eruption Blow The character reaches a plateau of enlightened revelation, folding together his understanding of the myriad techniques of the God Slayer Style into a greater, synthesized whole. Creation bows down before the martial artist, recognizing him as an agent of divine retribution. This Charm permanently enhances the Charms of God Slayer Style in the following ways: Merciless Onslaught Approach: The character's Strength is increased by one during the flurry. Inescapable Judgment Declaration: The character gains an instinctive knowledge of which direction he must travel in to locate his target, unless the target uses supernatural means to hide or confuse tracking efforts. With the Strength of my Enemies Methodology: The character may pay 1 experience point to consume a held virtue, immediately regaining 10 motes of Essence or 1 Willpower. The target does not immediately regain a Virtue so destroyed, but must instead pay 1 experience point to restore it, or wait a year and a day for it to restore itself from scraps and memories of Essence wafting through Creation. God Slayer Form: All spirits revealed by the light of the character's anima may, for a reflexive cost of 1 mote, be made tangible only to the practitioner for one action. Valor-Wounding Mudra: The character may draw the burning glyph over his own caste mark, permitting the mark to move with him. Wheel of Justice: The character may guide his blow against either a target's convictions or the might of its soul. He may make a number of attacks equal to the target's highest virtue or its Essence rating, whichever is higher. Unbowed Executioner Technique: This Charm also adds natural aggravated soak equal to the character's Temperance. Sin-Finding Scrutiny: The character may retain all artificial specialties for the duration of the Charm, even if he has released or destroyed the Virtues those specialties originated in. Essence Eruption Blow: This Charm will now function even through hardness.

24

FIVE ARMS OF THE UNCONQUERED SUN STYLE The unusual Five Arms of the Unconquered Sun Style was developed in the High First Age, some time after the Primordial War but before the fall of the Solar Realm into decadence and corruption. Originally intended as much as a meditative commentary on unity as it was a fighting art, it became popular as a training style for newly reborn Solar Exalted. For those seeking ultimate mastery in the Sidereal Martial Arts, it provided a useful bridge to those allegorical fighting styles, while the pious enjoyed the unity of meditation, prayer, and battle-readiness it provided. Five Arms of the Unconquered Sun Style is virtually unknown in the Age of Sorrows. Records, scrolls, and heretical practioners have been systematically burned out by the Immaculate Order. The handful of Lunar Exalted who once learned the style at the behest of their Solar spouses are for the most part dead or disinclined to teach it to its inventors. A few scrolls of the style remain among the Sidereal Exalted, however, who feared to insult the Unconquered Sun by destroying them, and one of these has recently been stolen. It is possible the style may begin appearing among the training camps of the Cult of the Illuminated, or the dreams of the resurgent Solars. Weapons and Armor: This Martial Art is an unarmed style only, although it does permit practitioners to wear up to medium armor. Light and Dark Kata Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Social Duration: Until next action Prerequisite Charms: None The first lesson of unity is the indivisibility of strength. The might of the Sun is that of mastery in all situations. The first teaching of the Five Arms of the Unconquered Sun deals in the substitution of strength; a fighter's intuition may guide him to the weaknesses in an opponent's argument, and an orator may see the concluding intent in a swordsman's eyes. By way of a circular kata that cycles the martial artist's own Essence, this Charm permits a character to substitute his MDVs for his physical Defense Values, and vice-versa. Additionally, the character may parry attacks which inflict Lethal damage without a stunt. Spirit Over Clouds Approach Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1 or 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Until next action Prerequisite Charms: Light and Dark Kata The second lesson of unity is the primacy of spirit above methodology. The root of victory lies in the intent to win. Drawing a deep breath and focusing his battle Essence through key chakras, the martial artist becomes briefly capable of an unpredictable array of feats. Spirit Over Clouds Approach allows a character to add his Essence rating to Join Battle, his DVs, and the raw damage of any attacks he makes. If the character's anima is not displayed, his eyes will pulse briefly in a color appropriate to his anima when this Charm is invoked. Rising Dawn Form Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Over Clouds Approach The martial artist leans forward on the balls of his feet to move and attack in any direction. His arms are bent at the elbows, held rigid for defense. He tightens his muscles and curls his fists. The end result is a compact engine of violence. While using this Charm the character adds his Martial Arts score to his Move and Dash rates, and to his Strength for the purpose of determining jumping distance. Further, he adds his Essence to his natural bashing and lethal soak totals, and his unarmed attacks are considered to gain +1 to Damage, Accuracy and Defense. Shining Zenith Form Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 3) Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Over Clouds Approach The character draws himself up straight, tall and stern, palms out and ready to strike or grapple. He cuts an

25

imposing figure, unmovable by will or muscle. While under the effects of this Charm the character is immune to knockback and knockdown, though he may be thrown to the ground during a clinch. He adds his Martial Arts to all rolls to control or inflict crush attacks during a clinch, and his mighty open-handed strikes inflict piercing damage. Fading Twilight Form Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Over Clouds Approach The character bends his knees and settles into a rhythmless and confusing motion, weaving to and fro, back and forth. He bends his wrists and strikes with his bunched fingertips, targeting nerve bundles and pressure points. His attitude is wary and observant, melting away from strikes and returning to launch unpredictable flurries of stinging attacks of his own. A martial artist employing this Charm doubles his DVs while using Guard actions, and increases the severity of all Onslaught penalties he inflicts by 1. He is immune to onslaught penalties himself. Further, it is impossible to re-establish surprise during battle against the character without the use of Charms. Sleeping Sun Form Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Over Clouds Approach The character draws into a tight crouch and grows perfectly still. He presents the rigid knife edges of his hands. Should movement be necessary he scuttles in quick bursts from place to place before becoming still and watchful again. Minute adjustments in posture are used to catch or avoid attacks from any angle. When the character attacks, his strikes crush windpipes, break joints, and tear soft tissue. A martial artist utilizing this Charm is immune to Coordinated Attack penalties. He adds his Martial Arts score to his Dodge for the purpose of calculating Dodge DV. His attacks inflict Lethal damage. Meditation Upon the Spear Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Extra Action Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Rising Dawn Form In one hand the Unconquered Sun bears aloft a spear to strike down his foes. The spear's purpose is simple, serving only one goal, but it may be deftly wielded from a variety of angles to achieve that end. So it is with the martial artist: he leaps to the attack, unleashing a flurry of strikes from many different vectors and angles, each connecting one after another with the same point on his target, until victory has been achieved. The character makes an attack. Should it inflict any damage, he immediately follows it up with another attack, and should that inflict any damage, he repeats the sequence. The character may make up to his Martial Arts + Essence in attacks total. Each of these attacks must strike the same target as the original attack. Each attack in the sequence after the first ignores a cumulative 1 point of the target's soak. Meditation Upon the Horn Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 5) Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion, Holy, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Shining Zenith Form One arm of the Unconquered Sun holds aloft a horn, with which to rally his armies in battle... and warn his foes whom they oppose. The character stamps his foot, firmly rooting himself. Drawing power from Heaven and Earth into his lungs, he unleashes a righteous and frightening kiai. The character rolls Charisma + Martial Arts, with a number of bonus successes added equal to his Essence. Compare the number of successes to the MDVs of opponents within earshot; if it should meet or exceed a target's MDVs, apply the following effects: Characters who hear this mighty war-cry suffer a fear-driven internal penalty equal to the martial artist's Essence for the rest of the scene. The expenditure of 1 point of Willpower will allow a character to ignore this unnatural mental influence for one action, and spending 3 points of Willpower within a single scene negates the effect entirely, also rendering the character immune to future kiais within the scene. Materialized demons and other creatures of darkness who are naturally immaterial will be forced to dematerialize if their Essence is lower than the martial artist's, in addition to the normal effects of the Charm. This effect may be resisted for a cost of 1 Willpower.

26

Meditation Upon the Shield Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 9) Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Fading Twilight Form The Unconquered Sun bears a shield in defense of himself and his allies. Used both to catch blows and to batter his enemies, it teaches martial artists to be active even in their passive defenses. A character uses this Charm when he has been subjected to an attack, whether it strikes or not. The martial artist steps into the blow, reaching out to remove his foe's ability to fight. The character is given the choice of countering either by launching a disarm attempt with his Martial Arts added in bonus dice, or initiating a clinch with his Essence added in bonus dice. Meditation Upon the Laurel Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Sleeping Sun Form The fourth arm of the Unconquered Sun clutches a laurel branch, symbolizing peace and prosperity. The laurel does not, however, explain its own methodology; it is the prize for which the other arms of the Sun strive. Mindful of this lesson, the martial artist imposes peace through any means necessary. Concentrating for a moment and then launching a precise, forceful strike to his opponent's solar plexus, the character disrupts Essence flow through that key meridian, obstructing his opponent's use of Essence. The character launches an attack at full dice pool. Should it inflict any damage, the target suffers a Crippling effect. For the rest of the scene, when the target spends Essence, he is forced to add his own current wound penalty to the cost of any Essence expenditures he makes. This blockage may be corrected without waiting for a full scene to elapse, but the method is painful: the character must dedicate an unrolled Miscellaneous Action to spending his own Essence Rating in motes to force Essence through the blockage, forcefully disrupting it. This inflicts his Essence in unavoidable levels of bashing damage. Heaven-and-Earth Stairway Cost: 1m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-Basic Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Meditation Upon the Spear, Meditation Upon the Horn, Meditation Upon the Shield, Meditation Upon the Laurel As the Unconquered Sun moves naturally from station to station and shifts effortlessly between the faces he shows the world, so too does the Martial Artist. This is the hidden arm of the Unconquered Sun and the secret that drives the other four to victory: the indomitable will that seizes the means to overcome any obstacle. The martial artist learns the 32 steps to unity, a series of movements and postures that allow transitioning between the various Sun Forms of the style with only the most minimal effort or expenditure of Essence. The Heaven-and-Earth Stairway may only be invoked when the character is using one of the style's Form-type Charms. It allows him to exchange it for another in-style Form-type Charm he knows for no additional cost. Using the Heaven-and-Earth Stairway imposes an additional +1 to the sum total of the character's Speed for the action in which it is invoked. If invoked on a tick when the character does not act, it retroactively adds 1 to the Speed of the actions he took, effectively 'pushing back' his next action one tick. The character continues committing the motes for whichever Form-type Charm he had invoked and does not have to add to this cost, even if the new Form-type Charm is more expensive. Dropping this commitment will drop whatever Form-type Charm he has active. Crowned Sun Form Cost: 7m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Emotion, Obvious, Social Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Heaven-and-Earth Stairway The character relaxes into an easy stance, ready for anything. His hands are open, his attitude leonine in both its regality and vigilance. If forced to fight, he attacks with snap-kicks and open-hand slaps. It is more likely, however, that opponents will think twice about opposing the obvious prowess of such a warrior. The character adds his Essence in dice to Join Debate rolls, as well as all social attacks utilizing the Charisma Attribute. Opponents must succeed at a Willpower roll to initiate physical hostilities against the character, though they are free to retaliate should he attack first. Additionally, the character's watchful attitude and quick adaptation permit him to use the Sun Burning Upon the Mirror technique. After observing an opponent taking at least three actions under the effects of a Form-type Charm, the character may reflexively spend 1

27

mote to emulate all benefits of that Form, including the ability to use in-style weapons with the Martial Arts Ability (though they do not become compatible with other Five Arms of the Unconquered Sun Charms). The character may only emulate one Form-type Charm at a time. All emulated Form benefits cease to apply should he change to another in-style Form by way of the Heaven-and-Earth Stairway, though they will resume should he return to this Form later in the scene. Characters cannot emulate Form-type Charms from Styles at stations of the Perfected Lotus they could not be initiated into.

28

ELEGANT BLOOD-DANCER STYLE Several tales once circulated about this very old style. One has it that the Elegant Blood-Dancer Style was invented by an Eclipse Caste adventurer, in memory of his slain Lunar wife. Another holds that it was one of the Lunar Exalted who innovated the style in an attempt to explain his joy in battle to his increasingly detatched Solar wife. Another claims that a Sidereal invented the style after making extensive study of the dances of the Yozis. Now most of these tales have faded into the mists of time, lost with the turning of the Ages. Though it has fallen out of favor with the Sidereals, a few Lunar Exalted still study the Elegant Blood-Dancer Style, and inscriptions of its Charm forms remain etched on some of the oldest trees in the far East. Weapons and Armor: Practitioners of this Martial Art treat tiger claws and razor claws as unarmed for the purpose of its Charms. This style is compatible with light armor. Dancing Within the Bonfire Technique Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 9) Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None The martial artist, narrowly avoiding disaster, rides the exhilaration of his success. He lets it draw him closer to his adversary, the better to strike. The character may only activate this Charm after successfully stopping an attack by applying his Parry or Dodge DV. He may then subtract 1 from the total Speed of his next action, so long as that action is in some way directed at the character he applied his DV against. This may not take his Speed below 3. Aggressor Chastisement Retreat Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 9) Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Dancing Within the Bonfire Technique Combat is like poetry, like dance, like death: it is all about wisely choosing your moment. This lesson is well understood by the student of the Elegant Blood-Dancer Style. Pressed hard by the attacks of a foe, he selects his moment and springs to action, grabbing and retreating all at once. When activated during an onslaught attack, this Charm allows the character to make a disarm attempt against his opponent, with a number of automatic successes equal to the onslaught penalty currently leveled against him. If successful, this attack leaves the character with possession of the opponent's weapon. Additionally, even should this disarm attempt fail, the character is carried backwards (current onslaught penalty leveled x 3) yards. Crimson Veil Method Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Dancing Within the Bonfire Technique The character twists in low, making a vicious but graceful attack. He whirls as he withdraws, splashing his opponent's eyes with his own blood to disorient him. This Charm may only be used to supplement an unarmed Martial Arts attack that inflicts lethal damage. If the blow lands, even if it does no damage, the character imposes a delay upon the target's next action (effectively raising his last action's Speed retroactively) equal to the wound penalty the target suffers after the attack. Effects which negate the impact of wound penalties upon the character do not negate this Charm. Only Charms which completely prevent bleeding will stop Crimson Veil Method. This Charm cannot be used on targets with no vital fluids, such as most automatons. This Charm does not function if the character's damage does not bypass the target's Hardness. Elegant Blood-Dancer Form Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Aggressor Chastisement Retreat, Crimson Veil Method The character assumes a capricious, shifting stance: one moment balanced on his toes, the next crouched like a spider. If unarmed, his attacks inflict lethal damage. The character gains his current wound penalties in automatic successes to all Martial Arts actions. His Dodge and Parry DVs, as well as all Martial Arts attack and damage pools become immune to wound penalties; all other sorts of actions suffer from them normally.

29

Blood of the Hero Sacrifice Cost: 6m, 1lhl; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Elegant Blood-Dancer Form Many martial arts exist which draw strength from emulation of some facet of Creation. Eschewing such methods, the Blood-Dancer draws from his own heroism, making a sacrifice of himself to himself. The Martial Artist slashes light wounds across key chakras at his chest and biceps, anointing his claws or fingertips with his heroic blood. The character then adds his Essence to the raw damage of his Martial Arts attacks. Blood Armor Prana Cost: 4m, 1lhl; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Elegant Blood-Dancer Style The martial artist draws upon the Essence carried in his blood, scoring light wounds across his forearms and smearing the blood across his chest. For the rest of the scene the character adds his Martial Arts to his natural Lethal and Bashing soak, and gains natural aggravated soak equal to his Essence. Rejected by Battle Technique Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Blood of the Hero Sacrifice, Blood Armor Prana The martial artist weaves through a flickering succession of mudras, then strikes. If he inflicts any damage, the character inserts slivers of Essence into his opponent, affecting his Essence as a rock does a full pan of water. The very battlefield falls into accord with the state of the target's health, reinforcing it. Until the target's DV has refreshed five times, all internal penalties he suffers, for whatever reason, become external penalties. This includes wound penalties. Blood Spiral Technique Cost: 3m, 1lhl; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 3) Keywords: Combo-basic, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Rejected by Battle Technique The martial artist pierces chakras in his legs, then sprays his blood about in a widdershins pattern. Opponents are confused by the patterns, and so long as the martial artist allows his steps to trace the patterns of the blood spiral maze, he will never find himself with his back exposed. So long as the martial artist does not venture more than (Essence x 5) yards from the point where he invokes the Charm, he cannot be subjected to an unanticipated attack from within the Charm's area of effect. Characters may conceal themselves within the area, but their concealment automatically fails as soon as they choose to target the martial artist with an attack. Additionally, the character may be attacked by one opponent less than would normally be possible given the circumstances (so, in an open area where up to five attackers could normally assault the character at once, only four would be able to find their way to do so). No character may target his back or otherwise render his DV inapplicable through positioning unless assisted by a stunt or Charm. Blood Runs On Methodology Cost: 6m, 1lhl; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 3) Keywords: Obvious Duration: Five actions Prerequisite Charms: Rejected by Battle Technique The martial artist carefully opens Essence-lines in his wrists, anointing his face with the blood in swirling patterns. He adds his Essence rating to all Join Battle rolls, and until his DV has refreshed five times, may reflexively spend one lethal health level in response to an attack (during Step 2) to automatically raise his Dodge DV high enough to avoid the attack. The character fades out of the way of the attack at the last moment in a flash of blood. This Charm does not function in situations where Dodge DV is inapplicable. Blood Answers for Blood Approach Cost: 8m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 5) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious

30

Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Blood Spiral Technique, Blood Runs On Methodology The character's veins burn with a light characteristic of his Exaltation, along with any of his blood upon him, and any open wounds. He lunges through the radiance to drive a powerful attack into an opponent, drawing upon the very ebb and flow of battle to sustain him. The character makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack. Should it inflict any damage, the character recovers a number of health levels based on the wound penalties suffered by his target after the attack. One point of wound penalties heals one bashing health level; two points heals one lethal. This Charm is unable to repair aggravated damage. Should the attack kill the target, treat them as having possessed the highest possible wound penalty at the moment of death (-3 for extras, -4 for most other characters).

31

WIND-CUTTING BLADE STYLE Long ago, in the lost epochs of the First Age, Creation was pacified to such a degree that its rulers could contemplate martial endeavors not only as a means of survival, but also of art and spiritual expression. And as they quickly discovered, power rests in both art and enlightenment, waiting to be drawn out. One such Exalt, enraptured by the possibilities of the blade, sought to advance mastery of the sword beyond anything yet known in Creation. In the keening of wind over steel, he beheld a language comprehensible to any, regardless of spiritual station or divine patron. However, the raw expressions of power derived from Exalted mastery of armed battle did not hold the refinements he desired, and the structured lessons of the martial arts were too self-contained, refusing to cohabit with the mastery of technique that is the foundation of all swordsmanship. This long-gone Dawn Caste used his martial genius and the power of his Essence to forge an experimental style that fused the benefits of both melee and martial arts, and named it the Wind-Cutting Blade style. It explored the potential of controlled force and the warrior that ends a fight in one swing. A school of study grew up around the style, and as the First Age rolled on, it proved the first of many. In the Second Age this sublime wisdom is long lost. The Shogunate condemned the sword schools as Anathema work, and emphasized the role of mortal warriors as foot soldiers, serving below Terrestrial heroes. After the Contagion the schools were largely forgotten, the sword rarely looked to for anything other than its utility as a tool. But somewhere in Creation, that Dawn Caste has been reborn, and his passion for the blade has been rekindled. Is it time for Creation to witness a renaissance of swordsmanship? Charms of the Wind-Cutting Blade Style are unusual in that they may be used to augment attacks made with either the Martial Arts or Melee Ability, so long as the style's signature weapon is used. All Wind-Cutting Blade Charms may be placed in Combos with Charms of either the Martial Arts or Melee Abilities; however, if used in conjunction with Melee Charms, they are considered Melee Charms for the purpose of the Combo. Thus, under most circumstances, they cannot be placed in Combos containing both Melee Charms and Martial Arts Charms of other styles. Weapons and Armor: The Charms of this style can be used only with the slashing sword and its artifact equivalent, the reaper daiklave. This martial art is compatible with up to medium armor. Complementary Abilities: Practitioners of this style must possess at least three dots of Melee, and most find it advantageous to keep their Melee rating at least as high as their Martial Arts.

Quote:

NEW KEYWORD: ADAPTIVE Charms which are tagged as Adaptive may experience altered performance if learned by a character who knows certain other Charms. The keyword is backwards-adaptable as

well: if a character learns an Adaptive Charm and then later learns the Charm it is linked to, the Adaptive Charm gains its enhanced performance as surely as if the character had

always known that Charm.

War and Peace Preparation Cost: — Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Adaptive Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None Preparedness defines the excellent warrior. The way of the swordsman is to regard all of Creation as a battlefield. The first lesson of the Wind-Cutting school is to keep one's sword to hand at all times; the second is that even a sheathed blade is a weapon. Characters who learn this Charm need not fear being caught without their weapon at the ready. They may fight with their sheathed slashing swords without using a Draw/Ready Weapon Miscellaneous action, or taking any penalty for doing so. Sheathed style weapons function as normal, save that they inflict bashing rather than lethal damage. Charms of the Wind-Cutting Blade Style cannot cause a sheathed weapon to inflict non-bashing damage. Adaptations: • Characters who know Summoning the Loyal Steel (Exalted, p.192) enjoy two bonus successes on all Join Battle rolls while carrying a slashing blade or storing one Elsewhere through the auspices of that Charm.

32

• Characters who know Terrestrial Melee Reinforcement (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, pp.128-129) enjoy a +1 bonus to their Parry DV while fighting with a sheathed weapon, and in the presence of other members of this sword school. • Characters who know Impressions of Strength (MoEP: Lunars, p.144) add an additional 1B to the damage rating of their sheathed weapon. • A character who knows the Fateful Melee Excellency (MoEP: Sidereals, p.127) finds wisdom in restraint; he can bank up to five additional dice with an Aim action undertaken with a sheathed weapon, instead of the normal three. The weapon does not have to remain sheathed when the Aimed attack is eventually unleashed. • Characters who know Void Sheath Technique (MoEP: Abyssals, p.129) impose a -1 external penalty on the Join Battle rolls of all opponents while carrying a slashing blade or storing one Elsewhere through the auspices of that Charm. Mountain Strikes the Breeze Technique Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: War and Peace Preparation A Wind-Cutter will not be drawn out before he is ready. The attacks of his opponents are distractions, attempts to mar the perfection of the coming strike. The student learns to discourage such attempts. This Charm is an Essence-enhanced parry, made with the character's sheathed slashing blade. By moving into the coming blow and striking it with his sheathed weapon, the character sends a jarring jolt of Essence into his opponent, leaving that enemy open for a strike. The character raises his DV by his Martial Arts or Melee, whichever is lowest. If this successfully stops an opponent's attack, that aggressor suffers an additional -1 DV penalty to the blocked attack. This Charm cannot be used against ranged attacks. Adaptations: • Characters who know Bulwark Stance (Exalted, p.193) may pay an extra 3 motes upon activation of this Charm to treat its Duration as "Until Next Action." • Characters who know Blinding Spark Distraction (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, pp.155-156) infuse their parry with elemental Essence, causing the attacker's weapon to become difficult to wield (uncomfortably warm, wet and slick, icy-cold to the touch, etc). Their next action suffers a -1 external penalty. This only applies to attacks made with non-natural weapons. • Characters who know Tearing Claw Atemi (MoEP: Lunars, p.145) force opponents to roll Stamina + Resistance to avoid knockdown upon a successful parry. • Characters who have learned Impeding the Flow (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) reduce the Rate of the offending weapon by 1 upon a successful parry, potentially cutting intended flurries short. • Characters who know Broken Toys Riposte (MoEP: Abyssals, p.130) raise the DV penalty imposed by this Charm to -2. Wind-Cutting Blade Form Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5) Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Mountain Strikes the Breeze Technique The swordsman crouches down, one hand holding his sheathed blade at his hip, the other ready to draw. His entire body is tensed, ready for the single, perfect strike that is this style's hallmark. While this Form is active, the character may draw or sheathe his blade as a reflexive action, once per action. Any further drawing or sheathing of the blade requires a Miscellaneous action as normal. The character's constant state of hair-trigger readiness permits him to be lightning-fast on reaction; all of his attack actions with proper in-style weapons enjoy a Speed bonus of -1. This cannot reduce the Speed of an attack below 3. Steel-Shattering Gale Technique Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-basic, Adaptive, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Wind-Cutting Blade Form The swordsman fortifies his blade with his spirit. Together, they may act to destroy an enemy's means of victory as a prelude to destroying the enemy himself. Faced with an attack, the character responds with a strike of his own-- against the incoming weapon. This Charm may only be invoked if the character's weapon is sheathed. He draws it and makes a standard attack roll in Step 5. Apply successes on the roll as an external penalty against his opponent's attack roll. If the opponent's attack is reduced to 0 successes, it is stopped. If the character's roll exceeds his opponent's by 1 or more successes, the opponent's weapon

33

breaks if it is mundane. If the character's roll exceeds his opponent's by 5 or more successes, and the character is using an Artifact weapon, then the opponent's weapon can be broken even if it is an Artifact. This counterattack imposes a -2 DV penalty on the user, reduced to -1 if the character can draw his weapon reflexively. Invoking this Charm leaves the weapon unsheathed. This Charm may only be invoked against attacks made with hand-to-hand weapons. Adaptations: • Characters who know Dipping Swallow Defense (Exalted, pp.192-193) reduce the DV penalty imposed by invocation of the Charm by 1. • Characters who know Ringing Anvil Onslaught (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.156) may opt to pay only 3m upon invocation of this Charm. This variant will disarm rather than breaking the target weapon, sending it flying (Martial Arts x 2) yards away. • Characters who know Wasp Sting Blur (MoEP: Lunars, p.154) may reflexively sheath their weapon after invocation of this Charm. • A character who knows Perfection of the Visionary Warrior (MoEP: Sidereals, p.127) does not simply break weapons—they explode under the fateful stroke of his blade. The resultant shower of sharp-edged fragments inflicts (Essence) dice of lethal damage on the attacker, which may be soaked normally. • Characters who know Elegant Flowing Deflection (MoEP: Abyssals, p.130) may add their current wound penalties in extra dice to the Charm's attack roll. Wind Through Walls Attack Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 4) Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Wind-Cutting Blade Form The character's blade flies from its sheath faster than the eye can see, there and gone almost before it can register any impediments to its flight. The character launches a standard attack at full dice pool with an in-style weapon. This attack enjoys the Piercing tag and ignores hardness. The character's weapon must be sheathed to invoke this Charm, and invoking it leaves the weapon unsheathed. Adaptations: • If the raw damage of a character who knows Hungry Tiger Technique (Exalted, p.190) exceeds the full soak of his target, then he may pay one additional mote to ignore soak altogether with this Charm. • Characters who know Threshing Floor Technique (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.156) knock the target's armor askew on a successful use of this Charm, lowering its soak and hardness values by 2 until the target uses a Miscellaneous action to readjust his armor. This benefit only applies if the target is wearing armor. • Characters who know Shell-Crushing Atemi (MoEP: Lunars, p.145) tear ragged rents into their opponent's armor with their strike, pushing shredded bits of metal or cured leather into the wound. They add half their Martial arts or Melee, whichever is lower, to their attack's raw damage. This benefit only applies if the target is wearing armor. • A character who knows Harmony of Blows (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) adds his (Essence + Martial Arts or Melee, whichever is lower) to his raw, pre-soak damage against targets who are not wearing any armor at all. • A swordsman who knows Savage Shade Style (MoEP: Abyssals, p.127) may pay 2 extra motes to lower a target's DVs by the swordsman's Essence when he strikes. The Wind Screams Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 3, DV -0) Keywords: Combo-basic, Obvious, Adaptive Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Steel-Shattering Gale Technique The character's weapon flashes out, screaming through the air to strike before any response is possible. Such is the speed of the blade that it produces a sonic keening. This Charm has a lower Speed and DV penalty than normal. It can only be invoked if the character's weapon is sheathed, and it is left unsheathed at the end of the Charm. Adaptations: • Characters who know Iron Raptor Technique (Exalted, p.192) can focus the sword's sonic wail into a cutting blade, blurring out to strike targets up to (the lower of Melee or Martial Arts x 3) yards away. This attack is unblockable. • Characters who know Dragon-Graced Weapon (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.155) convert their sword's sonic wail into an element appropriate to their Exaltation, creating an explosive burst of wind, flame, toxic pollen, etc. This inflicts (Essence) dice of additional lethal damage on a successful hit, which must be soaked separately. • Characters who know Lightning Stroke Attack (MoEP: Lunars, p.154) strike so quickly, and from such an

34

unexpected angle that the target is forced to make a reflexive Perception + Awareness roll against a difficulty of half the attacking character's Essence. If they fail this roll, the attack is considered unexpected. • Characters who know Meditation on War (MoEP: Sidereals, p.156) strike with unerring accuracy, not at where their target is, but where he will be. While this attack may be stopped, it cannot be avoided; it becomes undodgeable. • Characters who know Ravening Mouth of Melee (MoEP: Abyssals, p.122) produce a terrible, ghostly wail when they strike. Compare the attack roll to both physical DVs and Dodge MDV. If the attack exceeds the target's Dodge MDV, it strikes terrible fear into him, imposing a -1 external penalty to all actions for the rest of the scene and rendering the attack unblockable. This effect has the Emotion keyword, and is a form of unnatural mental influence that takes 1 Willpower to resist. Tempered Victory Proposition Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 9) Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Wind Through Walls Attack The swordsman moves into an attack, deflecting it along his sheath at the same moment he makes a killing draw. This is a counterattack Charm that can only be invoked if the character has his weapon sheathed, and it leaves the weapon unsheathed. It imposes a -2 DV penalty, or a -1 DV penalty if the character can draw his weapon reflexively. This Charm may be invoked if the character uses his sheath to parry an attack, regardless of the attempt's success. It launches an attack at the character's full dice pool, plus the attacking dice pool leveraged against him. This does not permit the character to exceed normal dice-adding limits. This Charm may only be invoked against attacks made with hand-to-hand weapons. Adaptations: • Characters who know Solar Counterattack (Exalted, p.194) may, if the initial counterattack succeeds, pay 2 motes and incur an additional -1 DV penalty to make an immediate second counterattack with their sheath. This counterattack does not enjoy any special dice-pool boosts; it does, however, inflict onslaught penalty. • Characters who know Portentous Comet Deflecting Mode (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.129) learn to trap their opponent's weapon with their sheath, lowering their DVs by 1 against the resultant counterattack. • Characters who know Frenzied Bear Fortification (MoEP: Lunars, p.160) reduce any damage taken from an attack this Charm is invoked in response to by 1L or 2B. • Characters who know Orchestration of Mirrored Fates (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) are able to transcend space with their reprisals. The character may invoke Tempered Victory Proposition even against ranged attacks, the sympathetic Essence of his attack splitting open opponents though the steel of his blade touches them not. Using the Charm in such a manner renders its effects Obvious. • Characters who know Vengeful Riposte (MoEP: Abyssals, p.130) target the opponent's striking limb with their counterattack. If the counterattack inflicts any damage, the target suffers a Crippling effect that imposes a -1 external penalty to all attacks made with that limb for the rest of the scene. The Blade Breathes Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 4) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Adaptive Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: The Wind Screams, Tempered Victory Proposition The swordsman focuses his will upon his blade, then draws and unleashes a potent strike. Such is the power concentrated into his weapon that the blade sublimates into Essence at the moment of the strike. This attack is capable of striking dematerialized targets; against material targets, it destroys motes of Essence rather than health levels. Material targets with no Essence pool (or which run out of motes and take damage from this charm) take scene-long internal penalties in lieu of damage. The character's weapon must be sheathed to invoke this Charm, and is unsheathed after its use. Adaptations: • Characters who know Fire and Stones Strike (Exalted, p.190) ignore armor when invoking this Charm. • Characters who know Ghost-Fire Blade (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.156) may inflict damage or take Essence from elementally-aspected, dematerialized opponents, as the character desires. • Characters who know Might-Bolstering Blow (MoEP: Lunars, p.158) may dissolve an immaterial target slain with this Charm into a number of motes of Essence equal to the target's total health levels, which are then added to the character's pool. • Characters who know Serenity in Blood (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) may drain Essence in addition to doing damage when attacking immaterial targets. • Characters who know Artful Maiming Onslaught (MoEP: Abyssals, p.129) cripple their target's soul when they strike. The target gains no Essence or Willpower back from the next (attacker's Essence) stunts he successfully performs.

35

Truth Drives the Hurricane Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 4) Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: The Blade Breathes As the swordsman nears mastery, he learns to use the blade to express his soul. The character draws and strikes, his blade burning with a corona in a color appropriate to his Exaltation. This attack's damage is aggravated. The character's weapon must be sheathed to invoke this Charm, and his weapon is left unsheathed afterward. Adaptations: • Characters who know Blazing Solar Bolt (Exalted, p.192) add the Holy keyword to this Charm when facing creatures of darkness. They may reflexively spend additional motes to convert post-soak damage dice into automatic successes, at a rate of 2 motes per die against such creatures. The character may only convert a maximum of his Essence in dice in this manner. • Characters who know Refining the Inner Blade (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, pp.128-129) enjoy the Elemental Keyword, with a manifestation appropriate to the character's Aspect. Air produces a potent gust that induces automatic knockback, sending the target flying (damage inflicted x 2) yards. Earth sends a shock of elemental Essence through the target, rooting his feet into the ground until his DV has refreshed twice. Fire injects the target with searing Essence, imposing an internal penalty equal to the damage inflicted on the target's next action. Water finds weaknesses in the target's armor, lowering the armor's effective Soak by 3. Wood finds revitalization in destruction, and regains one mote of Essence for every level of damage inflicted. • Characters who know Ferocious Biting Tooth (MoEP: Lunars, p.142) enjoy a free reroll on this Charm's damage when employing it against the Fair Folk; they may use the better of two results. • A character who knows Smiling at the Damned (MoEP: Sidereals, p.156) who attacks a creature outside Fate and inflicts more damage in one strike than his target's Stamina may opt not to inflict damage at all, instead banishing his target back to a random point in Malfeas, the Underworld, the Wyld, or whatever other native domain is appropriate. If the target meets the above criteria but is actually native to Creation and simply using some artificial means to appear outside of Fate (such as Charms or artifacts), the Charm simply inflicts damage as normal. • Characters who know Ebon Lightning Prana (MoEP: Abyssals, p.129) tear away bits of a target's soul with their strike. If their attack inflicts a number of levels of damage greater than the target's Essence, the target loses one dot of permanent Essence. Targets reduced to 0 Essence die instantly.

36

GRACEFUL HUMMINGBIRD STYLE Long ago, in the lost epochs of the First Age, Creation was pacified to such a degree that its rulers could contemplate martial endeavors not only as a means of survival, but also of art and spiritual expression. And as they quickly discovered, power rests in both art and enlightenment, waiting to be drawn out. One such Exalt, enraptured by the possibilities of the blade, sought to advance mastery of the sword beyond anything yet known in Creation. In the keening of wind over steel, he beheld a language comprehensible to any, regardless of spiritual station or divine patron. However, the raw expressions of power derived from Exalted mastery of armed battle did not hold the refinements he desired, and the structured lessons of the martial arts were too self-contained, refusing to cohabit with the mastery of technique that is the foundation of all swordsmanship. This long-gone Dawn Caste used his martial genius and the power of his Essence to forge a number of experimental styles that fused the benefits of both melee and martial arts. One of these was the Graceful Hummingbird style. It explored the potential of the agile fighter, who skewers an opponent upon his own power. It proved popular with diplomats, governors, elegant courtiers and seafaring roughnecks. In the Second Age this sublime wisdom is long lost. The Shogunate condemned the sword schools as Anathema work, and emphasized the role of mortal warriors as foot soldiers, serving below Terrestrial heroes. After the Contagion the schools were largely forgotten, the sword rarely looked to for anything other than its utility as a tool. Even at the height of the Shogunate, however, the Graceful Hummingbird was favored by outlaws and scoundrels, many of whom cared little for official proscriptions. It survived in the far West in a few famous pirate dens, and now, as the Age prepares to turn, may be ready for a resurgence. Charms of the Graceful Hummingbird style are unusual in that they may be used to augment attacks made with either the Martial Arts or Melee Ability, so long as the style's signature weapon is used. All Graceful Hummingbird Charms may be placed in Combos with Charms of either the Martial Arts or Melee Abilities; however, if used in conjunction with Melee Charms, they are considered Melee Charms for the purpose of the Combo. Thus, under most circumstances, they cannot be placed in Combos containing both Melee Charms and Martial Arts Charms of other styles. Weapons and Armor: The Charms of this style can be used only with the foil or rapier and their artifact equivalent, the needle daiklave. This martial art is incompatible with armor. Complementary Abilities: Practitioners of this style must possess at least three dots of Melee, and most find it advantageous to keep their Melee rating at least as high as their Martial Arts.

Quote:

NEW KEYWORD: ADAPTIVE Charms which are tagged as Adaptive may experience altered performance if learned by a character who knows certain other Charms. The keyword is backwards-adaptable as well: if a character learns an Adaptive Charm and then later learns a Charm that it is

linked to, the Adaptive Charm gains its enhanced performance as surely as if the character had always known that Charm.

Quote:

New weapons: Rapier/Foil: Speed 4, Accuracy +2, Damage +1L, Defense +2, Rate 3. Minimums: Dex

••, Cost: ••, Tags: P Needle Daiklave: Speed 5, Accuracy +3, Damage +3L, Defense +3, Rate 3. Minimums:

Dex ••, Attune 5, Cost ••, Tags: P

Rooster Greets the Dawn Cost: 2m Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive

37

Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None Thousands fight and die every day, all across Creation. In victory or defeat, they pass nameless and unremembered. To a Graceful Hummingbird, such anonymity is a fate worse than death, and so he makes every fight memorable. The character begins a match by drawing his weapon and tipping it in salute to astonished opponents, before leaping to the attack. This Charm enhances a Join Battle roll, adding 3 dice to the effort and allowing the character a free, reflexive Draw Weapon action. Adaptations: • Characters who know Call the Blade (Exalted, p.191) dazzle opponents with their unexpected chivalry. They enjoy a +2 bonus to their DV until their next action should their Join Battle roll place them behind another character's action, or +2 successes on their first attack if they end up acting before any opponents. • Characters who know Terrestrial Melee Reinforcement (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, pp.128-129) enjoy an additional +1 die bonus to their Join Battle roll for each additional character present who invokes Rooster Greets the Dawn at the same time they do. • Characters who know Subduing the Honored Foe (MoEP: Lunars, p.147) project a disconcerting, feral majesty with their salute, causing opponents to suffer a -2 internal penalty to any simultaneous Join Battle rolls. • A character who knows Meditation on War (MoEP: Sidereals, p.156) informs both his opponents and destiny of his intention to triumph. His Join Battle roll's target number is lowered by 1, usually to 6. • Characters who know Blade-Summoning Gesture (MoEP: Abyssals, p.129) terrify opponents with the violence implicit in their mocking salutes. The Abyssal enjoys +3 successes on his next attack. Cloud-Chasing Advance Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1) Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Rooster Greets the Dawn Fate favors the bold and abhors a coward. Making haste, the fighter advances to close with a foe. He scrambles nimbly over any obstacles or barriers, leaping crates and swinging across dangling rigging to close with an opponent in a heartbeat. This Charm allows a character to move (Essence x 5) yards, if doing so would place him within melee range of a selected opponent. Any 'leftover' movement after reaching this adversary is wasted. The character must actually be able to reach his target through normal movement (he could not, for example, pass through the bars of a jail cell to attack a jailor on the far side). Adaptations: • Characters who know Iron Raptor Technique (Exalted, p.192) transfer all their momentum into their first cut upon reaching an opponent. This first attack is unblockable. • Characters who know Dragon-Graced Weapon (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, pp.155) extend the range of their movement to (Essence x 8) yards if moving through an environment resonant with their element (across the deck of a heaving ship for Water, through a burning building for Fire, a forest for Wood, etc). • Characters who know Furious Hound Pursuit (MoEP: Lunars, p.152) may continue moving past a target after attacking, using any 'leftover' movement that would have been otherwise wasted. • Characters who have learned Smiling at the Damned (MoEP: Sidereals, p.156) may pay an additional 2 motes to become dematerialized during their sprint at their chosen target, allowing them to pass through any intervening obstacles. They must still be able to actually perceive their target when they activate the Charm. • Characters who know Ebon Lightning Prana (MoEP: Abyssals, p.130) rush at their opponents like a black wind, unexpectedly landing inside their defenses. The first attack the Abyssal launches ignores 2 points of the target's DVs. Graceful Hummingbird Form Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5) Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Cloud-Chasing Advance The swordsman goes en garde, legs tensed, blade up and ready for any attack. His nimble footwork allows him to easily cross blades with his foes on any sort of terrain; the swashbuckler suffers no situational penalties to his attacks or defenses due to terrain (such as having or lacking high ground, fighting aboard the deck of a pitching ship, or conducting a fight aboard a massive water-wheel that has broken loose and is rolling downhill through the middle of Nexus). Note that this does not assist in any actual rolls the fencer may need to make to keep his balance in the first place, or any movement penalties for crossing harsh terrain. Additionally, the fencer's well-trained and nimble stance makes his guard nearly impervious, raising his Parry DV by 3.

38

Dipping Heron Riposte Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Graceful Hummingbird Form The wise swordsman lets his opponent's haste undo him. Stepping back before a thrust, the fencer uses the tip of his blade to guide his enemy's weapon astray, lodging it in a bit of nearby scenery—a wooden beam, a gap between two cobblestones, a nearby crate or windowsill, or whatever else presents itself. This Charm may be invoked in response to an attack capable of inflicting lethal damage that the fencer defends against with his Parry DV. If the swordsman successfully defends against the attack, then the opponent's weapon is trapped. The opponent cannot attack with the weapon until he has freed it with a diceless miscellaneous action (Speed 4, DV -1), nor can he move from that spot unless the weapon has been pulled free or he decides to voluntarily abandon it. This Charm cannot be used in conjunction with any Charm which provides an automatically successful parry—only an imperfect defense allows the flexibility to deploy this technique. The Charm also may not be invoked on the odd occasions when there is nothing nearby to bury the opponent's weapon in, such as when two flying characters are dueling in midair high above the ground. Adaptations: • Characters who know Solar Counterattack (Exalted, pp.194) may pay 1 willpower to ensure that their opponent's weapon is successfully buried, even if their parry fails. • Characters who know Portentous Comet Deflecting Mode (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.156) cause the miscellaneous retrieval action to become (Speed 4, DV -2) if they bury the weapon in a surface resonant with their elemental aspect (a block of ice for Air Aspects, any part of a ship at sea for Water aspects, etc). • Characters who know Burrowing Devil Strike (MoEP: Lunars, p.145) drive an opponent's weapon especially deep into a nearby surface. The retrieval action becomes Speed 6. • A character who knows the Fateful Melee Excellency (MoEP: Sidereals, p.127) may trap an opponent's weapon between the strands of fate, allowing this Charm to be used even if there is no appropriate surface nearby to permit it. • Characters who know Vengeful Riposte (MoEP: Abyssals, p.130) knock aside weapons with terrible force, setting up a wailing vibration in the trapped weapon that bites at the nerves and quivers in the hand. Retrieval actions become (Speed 4, DV -3). Rose Without Thorns Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Dipping Heron Riposte The best fights are those remembered, embellished, told and re-told in taverns across Creation. Having more than one surviving witness at the end of things facilitates this. For less philosophical souls, it suffices that disarmed opponents are easier to defeat. This Charm enhances a disarming attempt (see Exalted, p. 158). The character's net attack successes are counted twice for the purpose of the opponent's (Wits + appropriate wielding Ability) resistance roll. Adaptations: • If a character knows Hungry Tiger Technique (Exalted, p.190), he may ignore the external penalty on the disarm attempt, and hurls the weapon away one yard for each success by which the victim fails to meet his resistance difficulty, rather than one foot. • Characters who know Blinding Spark Distraction (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.155) generate a flash of heat within the target weapon when they strike, imposing a -1 external penalty on the resistance roll. • Characters who know Wasp Sting Blur (MoEP: Lunars, p.154) hurl targeted weapons through the air with awesome force. Rather than traveling one foot for each success by which the victim fails to meet his resistance difficulty, the weapon travels two yards. • A character who knows Serenity in Blood (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) knocks the offending weapon on a course that travels momentarily through Elsewhere. Without appropriate Charms such as Summoning the Loyal Steel, it becomes impossible to retrieve the weapon for 3 ticks. • A swordsman who knows Savage Shade Style (MoEP: Abyssals, p.127) ignores the external penalty on the disarm attempt, and may choose to let a weapon simply drop at an opponent's feet without traveling any distance away, converting the successes that would have sent it flying into dice of piercing lethal damage instead, which are subject to soak as normal. Haughty Gull Display Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -1) Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive, Emotion Duration: Instant

39

Prerequisite Charms: Graceful Hummingbird Form The fencer's weapon dances in the air, flashing about the opponent in a bewildering pattern, seeming not to actually touch him. A moment later his clothing or perhaps bare skin reveals the true measure of the swordsman's skill, revealing that he has carved a message or perhaps personal insignia into his target. Shaken by the realization of the fencer's skill, most opponents have their nerves broken for the rest of the fight. Many surrender on the spot. The swordsman makes a standard attack roll, with his weapon's Accuracy converted into successes rather than rolled as dice. Should this attack strike, it inflicts no damage, but does present the opportunity to carve some superficially light message, symbol, or other such mark into the target. Opponents so marked suffer a -2 external penalty to all rolls to attack the swordsman for the rest of the scene as an Emotion effect. This may be ignored for one action by spending 1 Willpower, and once a character has spent 3 Willpower in this way he overcomes the effects of this Charm for the rest of the scene. Adaptations: • Characters who know Peony Blossom Attack (Exalted, p.191) add the Holy tag to the attack. Creatures of darkness must spend an aggregate total of 5 Willpower to ignore the effects of the Charm for the rest of the scene, rather than 3. • Characters who know Threshing Floor Technique (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.156) carve in their mark as a searing brand, adding a -1 internal wound penalty to the other effects of the attack until the target's DV has refreshed three times. • A character who knows Foe-Marking Style (MoEP: Lunars, p.142) sears the experience into his target's mind. Henceforth, whenever the character can see the mark the fencer placed upon him (on a wall, a playbill, marked into the chest of another opponent, etc) he suffers a -1 internal penalty to all actions as an Emotion effect, which can be resisted for a scene for 1 Willpower. These aftereffects end once the character has spent 10 Willpower fighting off the effects and aftereffects of this Charm in total. As an additional benefit, should Haughty Gull Display be placed in a Combo with Foe-Marking Style, the swordsman's mark is permanently branded into his target. So long as the target wears the mark, he suffers the full effects of this Charm in any scene where he attempts to oppose the swordsman, but this effect can be overcome for the rest of the scene for only 1 Willpower. • Characters who know Orchestration of Mirrored Fates (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) carve inauspicious symbols into the target's chest, which guide their blades toward the unfortunate so marked. All attacks made at such a target with a proper in-style weapon until he shakes off the Emotion effect weapon have their target number reduced by 1 (typically to 6). • Characters who know Unfurling Iron Lotus (MoEP: Abyssals, p.128) deeply scar their targets, body mind and soul. Mortals (including ghosts) and natural animals struck by this Charm cannot spend Willpower to resist its effects. Thousand Angry Beaks Cost: 1m + 1m per attack; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Extra Action Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive Duration: Until next action Prerequisite Charms: Haughty Gull Display The fencer leaps to the attack, pressing his advantage with a relentless barrage of cuts and thrusts. The swordsman makes a number of attacks at his full dice pool against one opponent equal to the number of motes spent activating the Charm -1. This magical flurry's total number of attacks cannot exceed the weapon's Rate, and it suffers a DV penalty equal to the combined total of all DV penalties accumulated within the flurry. However, all onslaught penalties leveled by this flurry are doubled in severity (-1 becomes -2, -3 is -6, etc). Adaptations: • Characters who know Fivefold Bulwark Stance (Exalted, p.194) enjoy one bonus attack above and beyond what they paid for during activation, even if this would exceed their weapon's Rate. • Characters who know Ghost-Fire Blade (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.156) trail a haze of smoke behind the tip of their blade as an Obvious effect. This obscuring haze raises their DV by 1 after the total DV penalty of the flurry has otherwise been assessed. • Characters who know Octopus and Spider Barrage (MoEP: Lunars, p.154) suffer a DV penalty equal to the highest penalty of any attack in the flurry. • Characters who know Harmony of Blows (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) tangle fate with the weaving path of their blade. If any attacks in the flurry land, then when the target's DV next refreshes, it refreshes to a value 1 less than its normal total. • Characters who know Eye of the Tempest (MoEP: Abyssals, p.130) add one automatic success all subsequent attacks in the flurry whenever one of its attacks strikes the target. Woodpecker Striking Steel

40

Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Graceful Hummingbird Form Stepping into an opponent's attack, the fencer executes a perfect "stop-cut" to the middle of his foe's weapon. While this does nothing to stop an attack already underway, it sets blades vibrating or knocks blunt weapons off-course enough to foul any subsequent blows. Unless the opponent dedicates an unrolled, miscellaneous Speed 5, DV -1 action to bringing his weapon back under control first, its next attack suffers a -3 internal penalty. This Charm's application is unrolled, but takes place in Step 9 as normal, and may be defended against by appropriate automatically successful defenses. Woodpecker Striking Steel's effects are even usable against bare-handed targets, who must shake out the stinging in their striking limb before it will answer their commands properly. Adaptations: • Characters who know Fire and Stones Strike (Exalted, p.190) may pay an extra 3m to 'skip' their weapon off of their opponent's, generating a standard counterattack at full dice pool in addition to the normal effects of this Charm. • Characters who know Refining the Inner Blade (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, p.156) inflict a -4 internal penalty when they use this Charm against bare-handed opponents. • Characters who know Ferocious Biting Tooth (MoEP: Lunars, p.142) strengthen this Charm's tremors so that they cannot be brought under control if applied during an opponent's flurry. Additionally, the Charm's effects apply to all remaining attacks in the flurry. • Characters who know Impeding the Flow (MoEP: Sidereals, p.155) imbue their stop cut with the force of inevitability. A weapon so struck cannot be brought under control; whether swung again in a moment or a millennium, its next strike will bear the Charm's penalty. • Characters who know Artful Maiming Onslaught (MoEP: Abyssals, p.127) cause mundane weapons to shatter after being used to attack while imbued with this Charm's tremor. Only bringing the weapon under control first can save it. Jeweled Hummingbird Dance Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Extra Action Keywords: Combo-OK, Adaptive, Counterattack Duration: Until next action Prerequisite Charms: Rose Without Thorns, Thousand Angry Beaks, Woodpecker Striking Steel In this, the final technique of the Graceful Hummingbird style, the swordsman expresses his flamboyant soul in a storm of ringing steel and felled opponents. He seems everywhere, rushing to and fro, the clash of his blade filling the air. The swashbuckler makes five attacks at his full dice pool, distributed as he sees fit against any opponents within Dashing range of his position when he invokes the Charm. This magical flurry has a DV penalty equal to the highest penalty of any attack within it. Additionally, if attacked during the invocation of the Jeweled Hummingbird Dance, the fencer may pay 2m to launch a counterattack at his full dice pool against his aggressor. This last benefit may be enjoyed only once during the course of the Charm, however. Adaptations: • Characters who know Invincible Fury of the Dawn (Exalted, p.191) pay only 1m per counterattack, and may make up to three. • Characters who know Ringing Anvil Onslaught (MoEP: Dragon-Blooded, pp.156) may invoke up to two counterattacks, if fighting in an environment resonant with their elemental Aspect. • Characters who know Spreading the Wyld Roots (MoEP: Lunars, p.154) double the range at which they may engage targets with this Charm. • Characters who knows Perfection of the Visionary Warrior (MoEP: Sidereals, p.156) drive the Essence of the vanquished before them. Regardless of which opponent they are attacking, they apply onslaught penalties as though they had been striking that opponent with every previous attack in the flurry. • Characters who know Thousand Wounds Feinting (MoEP: Abyssals, p.129) pay only 1m for their counterattack, and make six attacks rather than five.

41

Chapter Three: Sidereal Martial Arts

Table of Content

Ivory Dice of Fortune Style1 ....................................................................................................................43 Aureate Glory of Heaven Style............................................................................................................... 48

1 “While a lot of people seemed to like it, it's showing its age now, and it isn't compliant with some of the 2e Sidereal rules on account of predating them.” - HLS

42

IVORY DICE OF FORTUNE STYLE This fighting style concerns itself with chance and probablistics. The checkered history of this martial art dates back to the High First Age, when it was very much in vogue among the Sidereal Exalted to discount the existence of chance at all. All things were fated, the Chosen of the Maidens argued, and luck was simply an ignorant man's word for fate. And yet, not all members of the Fivescore Fellowship agreed. One Chosen of Secrets in particular, an inveterate gambler named Shuffling Skies, became obsessed with the notions of fate, fortune, luck, the points where the three connected, and the influence of both the Loom of Fate and those things that transcended the Loom upon these primal forces. He spent many hours in consulation with Plentimon, God of Gambling. He made extensive sojourns into the Wyld, and interrogated captive demons. And when the Usurpation came, he decided his affiliation with the toss of a coin, and unleashed a martial arts form never before seen in the world against the Solar Exalted. Sidereal Exalted use this style to explore and explain the forces that drive events in Creation and beyond. A practitioner of the style becomes both the master and vessel of chance, and so destiny is served... perhaps. Since most of its Charms do not have stringent Essence requirements, and because it is useful for fighting opponents mightier than the practitioner, in the Second Age it is considered a useful training tool for young Sidereals, helping to introduce them to large, important, but intangible concepts; often it is taught as a companion piece alongside Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Style, which concerns itself with the concrete elements of Creation itself. Weapons and Armor: Characters may use any weapon of opportunity as an unarmed attack for the purposes of this style. Weapons of opportunity cannot belong to the practitioner, nor may they belong to a frequent traveling companion or otherwise be routinely available. The weapon must be improvised, or something the character simply found laying about or stole during the current scene. This style is not compatible with armor. Student's Sutra of Luck: Once, there was a reckless maiden... Lucky Shot Technique Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None ...who loved to gamble. Heroism is a mighty force, but at times the odds are insurmountable. Heroes strive and fail. But where skill cannot triumph, at times dumb luck may succeed. Foolishly attempting an impossible, or at least very implausible action, the martial artist channels his Essence through the cracks in fate and likelihood and, through sheer luck, triumphs. The character may attempt any Martial Arts action, including an attack. If circumstances render the action impossible or at least highly unlikely to succeed, then this Charm smooths the character's way, removing all internal and external penalties save for the target's DV. For example, the character could attack, without penalty, a target behind 100% cover, an invisible opponent, or a dematerialized spirit. The only restriction is that the target must be within the effective range of the character's available weaponry. This effect also negates Charms that reduce a character's dice pool to 0, and Abyssal Entropic Charms. Additionally, should a stunt be used to describe how the character's unlikely or impossible action succeeds, the dice awarded by the stunt are converted into automatic successes. Beginner's Luck Demonstration Cost: 12m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Lucky Shot Technique She would play any game: It is a curious but undeniable truth of Creation that things do not always proceed as they should. Sometimes the most puissant master swordsman fumbles his blade; sometimes the rankest amateur defeats the greatest expert. Sometimes a newcomer will display a flash of savant genius, never to be seen again. While many would argue these are minor errors (or deliberate sabotages) in the Loom of Fate, the practitioner of this style knows better. He is aware of the deep well of infinite potential that some tap unknowingly now and again, and has learned to draw on it. This Charm may be used to briefly increase a character's competence during a contested action (this includes opposed rolls, as well as actions that are inherently adversarial, such

43

as attacking someone in combat). The character's Ability rating (and Specialties, if applicable) rise to become one dot higher than the rating they are opposing. These additional dots do not count as dice added by a Charm. They may break the normal rules on Trait limits for a character's Essence rating, and may permit the character to apply more than 3 specialty dice. These are normal dice for all purposes save those of meeting the prerequisites to learn Charms, including acting as a dice-adding limit in the case of certain forms of Exalted. By default, the martial artist may only use this Charm to enhance his Martial Arts Ability, but he may also use it to enhance any Ability that acts as a complementary prerequisite for another Martial Arts style he has learned at least one Charm in (for example, a Righteous Devil Style practitioner could also use this Charm to enhance his Archery rating). Beginner's Luck Demonstration may only ever be used once against any given opponent or source of opposition, and may be invoked no more than once in a scene. Cat Chases Dog Gambit Cost: 7m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 5) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Illusion Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: None cards, It is a sad truth of Creation that many fights are for all purposes over before they begin. A farmer who chooses to take up a pitchfork and oppose the Dragon-Blood demanding taxes has chosen a noble form of suicide. A rat cornered by a cat fights in vain. And yet, sometimes the farmer triumphs, or the rat drives its feline tormentor away, against all odds and sense. At the very least, sudden defiance may make an impression all out of weight to the force backing it up. So it is that Ivory Gamblers have learned a very effective form of bluff: the character leaps forward, as though to the attack, while unleashing a mighty Essence-laden kiai. He seems vastly imposing, both threatening and undefeatable. The martial artist targets a single opponent and rolls Charisma + Martial Arts against that target's MDV, with a number of successes added equal to half his Essence. Should the roll succeed, the target suffers an Illusion effect: he believes the target has invoked a Combo including both a perfect defense and a number of shockingly potent scene-duration combat buffs. The target is rendered Inactive by shock for 5 ticks, and the Illusion persists until the end of the scene or until the character spends 3 Willpower to shake it off. Prince to Pauper Transition Strike Cost: 17m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-basic, Shaping Duration: Until used Prerequisite Charms: Cat Chases Dog Gambit dice, Philosophers ponder power and meaning when they speak of fortune; those most intimately acquainted with lady luck, however, associate the word with financial gain. The martial artist knows both are right, that luck can be granted, and that a shift of fortunes may destroy a man. The martial artist invokes this Charm by leading another character through a series of meditative exercises and katas, lightly striking key chakras at certain points to help properly align the subject's Essence. This takes one full scene. The Essence for this Charm is then committed until the martial artist discharges it. This discharge is accomplished by taking a coin in his fist, and landing a mighty blow to a target that shatters his alignment with those segments of the Loom of Fate that govern financial fortune. Those loose strands of destiny lash about, attaching to the ritually prepared subject the martial artist initiated the Charm with. The martial artist cannot make himself the recipient of the Charm's benefits. The actual strike itself counts as a Charm usage, as well as the ritual that begins the Charm. For every level of damage the character's strike inflicts, the target will lose one dot of Resources over the next season, and the target will gain a subsequent dot. This may not drive a target into 'negative' Resources dots, or elevate a recipient above five dots. Both the martial artist and the recipient gain a point of Paradox, and frequent use of this Charm is likely to trigger an inquiry by the Bureau of Destiny. Prince to Pauper Transition Strike will not function on creatures outside of fate. Windflower Survival Practice Cost: 10m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: None skilled It has been observed that some individuals learn to live on the affection of Dame Fortuna, and can be said to be skilled at doing so. Gamblers, vagabonds, scavenger lords and other disreputable individuals may master

44

a force that is inherently uncontrollable and unknowable; the martial artist emulates this wisdom, concentrating it into the thousand inherent unpredictabilities of battle, all of which bend the fighter's way. The martial artist goes through a quick kata, aligning himself with the positive flows of Essence through Creation and in the worlds beyond. For the rest of the scene all of his combat-related dice rolls are considered to show a result one number higher than they actually do. That is, a result of 6 would be considered a 7, and so on. "Natural" 9s are considered 10s for all purposes, and as such, yield two successes. "Natural" 10s yield three successes. Luck is fickle, even with her favorites, however. While this Charm makes it impossible for a character to botch normally (as his 1s are converted into 2s), if a roll comes up with no successes save for natural 10s, it becomes a botch instead. Winners and Losers Imposition Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Windflower Survival Practice or unskilled. No contest exists without chance. Lady luck plays at every table, but some learn to woo her to support them, spiting others in the process. If luck is a possession, then the martial artist learns to steal it. Delivering a quick blow, he samples the flavor of the target's luck, and claims it for his own. This Charm supplements an unarmed martial arts attack. If it connects, then for the rest of the scene the character may reflexively cancel successes on his target's rolls at a cost of 2 motes per success cancelled, up to a number of successes per roll equal to his Essence. These successes are added to the martial artist's next action. The martial artist may employ this Charm against multiple targets simultaneously, and the success-theft cap is per target, not universal. Potential-Annihilating Strike Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Shaping, Social Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None Sometimes she cheated, In response to a given effort, many things might happen. The martial artist rapidly winnows through these potentialities as he leverages the force of his personality or moves to strike, until only one remains. This Charm may be used to supplement either a social attack, or an unarmed Martial Arts attack. The character selects which DV or MDV his target defends against the attack with, and in the case of Parry M/DV, what available pool is used to calculate it. Causality-Avoiding Technique Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Five actions Prerequisite Charms: Potential-Annihilating Strike but never got caught, No gambit exists without risk, but one willing to make extensive study of tactics-- or simply to cheat brazenly-- may avoid many of these dangers. Moving with utter disregard for the likelihood of failure and death, the martial artist acts in such a way that he slips between the possibilities of certain dire fates Creation offers. Upon invoking Causality-Avoiding Technique, the Martial Artist names one combat Ability (Archery, Martial Arts, Melee, or Thrown). For the duration of the Charm, the character is completely immune to all attacks utilizing that Ability, and all Charms derived from the named Ability. No such attempts find purchase upon him. Causality-Avoiding Technique may not be used to avoid sorcery, even in the event that a spell utilizes the banned Ability. Ivory Dice of Fortune Form Cost: 15m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: One complete Celestial Martial Art (all Charms), Beginner's Luck Demonstration, Prince to Pauper Transition Strike, Winners and Losers Imposition, Causality-Avoiding Technique until the day it all came crashing down. The character assumes a paradoxical stance, both carefree and glorious with manifest power. He is clearly

45

blessed. This Form causes Creation to regard the martial artist as preeminent among heroes, a "main character" in the vast and sweeping tale of history, and it acts to promote and preserve him as such. Each of the character's stunt dice are converted into three automatic successes. He regains double the normal Essence or Willpower bonus on successful stunts. All actions intended to oppose him suffer an external penalty equal to the difference between the character's Essence and his assailant's. This applies in either direction; fortune shields the martial artist from the meager and the mighty alike, but leaves him to prove his own glory against his peers. While in the Wyld, the character may reflexively gain or dismiss any mutation at will by spending a number of motes equal to the mutation's point value. Fortuitous Exception Preparation Cost: 20m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple Keywords: Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Ivory Dice of Fortune Form Elder's Sutra of Luck: The maiden, faced with ruin... Sometimes in a person's darkest hour, luck will intervene to place exactly the thing they need in their path. The martial artist performs an extended kata, then casts away one of his possessions. He then leaves, abandoning the object to the world. At some point in the future, at the time of the martial artist's most dire need, that object will, through sheer serendipity, return to his possession, and for the duration of the story in which it does, it is fully compatible with the Ivory Dice of Fortune Style. This may be the character's favored direlance, his royal warstrider, or any other such combat aid normally forbidden by the tenets of the style. A Life Less Interesting Cost: 20m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Ivory Dice of Fortune Style ...smiled at her misfortune. Though many might cry out to be spared from the slings and arrows of outrageous fate, those subjected to this technique find the reality of the matter less than optimal. The martial artist delivers a terrible blow, shattering the target's Essence profile in such a way that the currents of fortune and chance can no longer find or touch her. She becomes anathematic to the very principles of uncertainty, and unless reversed somehow, this change is permanent. This Charm supplements an unarmed martial arts attack. If it succeeds, the target no longer rolls dice in order to attempt actions. Every action recieves a number of successes equal to half the dice pool the character should have rolled. No more, and no less. Charms which allow the target to gain automatic successes no longer function, nor do Charms which alter the target number of the character's rolls. Any attempts to draw up auguries or horoscopes for the target gain a number of bonus successes equal to the target's Essence, as his future is unusually bland and predictable. The Shinma Speak Cost: 25m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 7; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: A Life Less Interesting "I make my own luck," she declared, Chance is chaos tamed by the slightest dash of predictability, and beyond Creation howls the primal font of all chaos. The great savants and enlightened madmen of the Fair Folk speak of supernal forces within the depths of the Wyld, which they call the Shinma. These enigmatic concepts are the fonts of what fragile threads of meaning, identity, and location exist within Pure Chaos, permitting the raksha to exist in a context that is, if not comprehensible, then at least recognizable to themselves. These, then, are the ultimate architects of chance. The martial artist learns to strike them. This Charm may be invoked in the form of an unarmed Martial Arts attack against any raksha, shaped or unshaped. Unshaped raksha are considered to possess DVs equal to twice their Essence. Should this attack connect, the fragments of causality that bind the raksha's Heart Grace are released, causing it to dissolve back into the raw chaos from which it was forged. The raksha is consequently destroyed instantly. This Charm may be invoked to strike the very fabric of Creation in a region created through the aegis of Wyld Shaping Technique (but not Wyld Cauldron Technology). This constitutes an unarmed Martial Arts

46

attack, and if it accumulates successes equal to the successes on the Wyld-Shaping Technique roll that created the region, then the area is unmade over the course of the next scene, returned to the chaos from which it was birthed. This creates a zone of Pure Chaos if the region is at the border of Creation, or of Deep Wyld if it is comfortably 'inland.' This Wyld pocket is likely to spread outward over the course of the next season, infecting the surrounding lands with Middlemarches and Bordermarches. This Charm may also be used against objects created through Wyld-Shaping Technique, using the same rules. Success destroys the object as is denatures into pure Essence over the course of the next scene. This Charm may be invoked to strike the very fabric of the Wyld in a Waypoint within the Bordermarches or Middlemarches. This constitutes an unarmed Martial Arts attack with a difficulty of the controlling raksha's Essence, or, if no raksha controls the Waypoint, difficulty 3. Success will crystalize the waypoint over the course of the next scene, driving out its Wyld energies and making it a part of Creation in all regards. Wyld prodigies trapped in this suddenly converted region may continue to exist or cease to function, depending on their relative compatibility with Creation's laws; those things too mutated to survive in Creation will begin withering appropriately. This region is functionally identical to a region created via Wyld-Shaping Technique, in terms of persistence and upkeep. Left unattended, it will slip back into the Wyld. Destiny-Stealing Technique Cost: 23m, 3xp; Mins: Martial Arts 7, Essence 7; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Fortuitous Exception Preparation, the Shinma Speak and cast the dice. Though strange winds blow in from the chaos beyond Creation, and the denizens of the Underworld and Malfeas introduce instability, the final arbiter of events in Creation is the mighty Loom of Fate and the Bureau of Destiny that maintains it. The Ivory Dice of Fortune Style's ultimate technique strikes directly at that authority. The martial artist makes an unarmed martial arts attack, body wreathed in a burning corona of Essence. If the attack lands, the fabric of the world trembles, and the burning aura of power rushes through the martial artist's fist, into the target, and then erupts high into the sky. The target's star shines brightly, then falls from the sky, torn asunder from Heaven's embrace. The target becomes a creature outside of fate. The target's star plummets to Creation as a hunk of starmetal with the target's features vaguely visible on its surface. Whoever commits Essence to this hunk of starmetal, either in its raw form or once crafted into an Artifact, may reflexively take control over the target's destiny at will. For a cost of 5 motes per scene he can remotely spy on the target with all five senses. For a cost of 1 mote per success, he may cancel successes on any of a target's actions, without limit. The starmetal acts as a sorcerous link. Touching the fallen star also counts as touching the target for the purposes of inflicting Sidereal astrological effects, and in fact this is the only way to inflict such effects on the target. The owner of the starmetal hunk, and only the owner, considers the target to be a creature within fate for all purposes. For 3 motes, the owner may know the target's location anywhere within Creation. Destroying the hunk of starmetal entirely will result in the target's star's slow reattunement to the Loom of Fate over the course of the next Calibration, and a new star will be crafted for him. This Charm does not grant the martial artist any special advantage in discerning where the falling star will land. The martial artist gains two points of Paradox with each invocation of this Charm, and its unauthorized use upon important persons will surely result in serious inquiries by the Bureau of Destiny.

47

AUREATE GLORY OF HEAVEN STYLE This fighting style is a remnant of the middle span of the High First Age, when the Chosen of the Gods worked together to harmoniously govern and defend Creation. While it is not the only Sidereal Martial Arts style created for the use of the Solar Exalted, it is one of the earliest, and to the minds of the Sidereal Exalted, the purest. Aureate Glory of Heaven style was originally designed by a Chosen of Serenity named Nisi Nirvana as an anniversary present for her Solar husband. He competed in and won the next Heaven-and-Earth Invitational tournament, and it was observed that the Unconquered Sun smiled whenever the techniques of the style were on display. In addition to granting her husband the usual victory prizes, the Lord of Heaven bestowed a single kiss upon Nisi's forehead. The style has endured ever since. Its practice continued unabated through the Usurpation and up to the modern day; every Heaven-and-Earth Invitational has featured at least one Sidereal displaying at least one Charm of the style. The only exception, shortly after the Great Contagion, resulted in the Unconquered Sun sending a letter to the Bureau of Destiny inquiring after Nisi Nirvana's health and offering his wishes for a speedy recovery from whatever had left her indisposed during the last tournament. She was present at its next inception, where she fought almost exclusively using Aureate Glory of Heaven. She lost in the second round of the tournament, but the Unconquered Sun was observed to smile throughout the fight regardless. In the modern day, some younger Sidereals look upon this archaic sop to the Sun's pride and see promise. Three times now, Sidereals involved in the Cult of the Illuminated have petitioned Ayesha Ura for permission to teach this style to the most promising of their Solar protégés. Three times the Chosen of Journeys has denied the request, but her forbiddance grows less emphatic and her expression more thoughtful with each repetition. Aureate Glory of Heaven was designed specifically for practice by the Solar Exalted in much the same way the Arguments of Virtue were later calibrated for gods, and the Immaculate Dragon styles for use by the Dragon-Blooded. As such, whenever a Lawgiver builds a Combo including one or more Charms of this style, she treats the minimum Martial Arts rating of those Charms as though they were 2 lower than they actually are. As always, although the Student and Elder sutras are used to help Solar students learn the Charms of this style, Lawgivers remain unable to actually utilize them to obtain cost discounts. Weapons and Armor: The cestus, fighting gauntlet, khatar, tiger claws, pankrator's cestus, improvised weapons and their Artifact equivalents are treated as unarmed attacks by the Charms of this style. This style is not compatible with the use of armor. Student's Sutra of Authority: Once, there were five maidens... Righteous Fervor-Calling Horn Cost: 8m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion, Obvious, War Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None ...who bowed to five suns. In one hand the Unconquered Sun grasps a horn, which calls the faithful to prayer and the courageous to battle. Heaven rallies to its clarion cry, and the wicked tremble. This Charm enhances an unarmed attack. Should it inflict damage on an opponent, the blow booms and resounds like mighty thunder, striking terror in the hearts of the target's allies and lackeys. Should any extras who fit one of the above two criteria be present, a number equal to (attacker's Martial Arts + levels of damage inflicted) flee automatically without opportunity to resist, generally starting with the weakest present at the Storyteller's discretion. All allies of the target who hear the attack compare the levels of damage inflicted to their Valor. If the damage is greater, they suffer an Emotion effect which causes all of their attacks against the martial artist to be made at a -3 internal penalty. This Charm may be resisted for the rest of the scene by spending 2 Willpower. If used in mass combat, the Emotional penalty is inflicted only on the leaders and special characters of other nearby enemy units. Rather than causing a certain number of extras to flee, simply compare the levels of damage inflicted to the Might of the unit whose leader or special character was attacked. If the damage exceeds Might, the unit loses one level of Magnitude as soldiers break and flee. Earth Bows to Heaven Cost: 6m, 2wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping

48

Duration: Instant (One scene) Prerequisite Charms: Righteous Fervor-Calling Horn One sun despaired Peasants kneel to kings. Kings kneel to Heaven. Heaven kneels to the Sun. The weak supplicate themselves before the mighty, and those who do not bow to this universal wisdom will be knelt. This Charm enhances an unarmed attack. Should this attack strike, it automatically knocks the target prone without opportunity to resist. Further, the indomitable force of the martial artist's blow resounds in both his foe and the ground below, bonding one to the other. The target may not rise from prone until the end of the scene. Further, she and may not move from that spot, even at a crawl, until her DV has refreshed five times. Terrible Spear of Light Cost: 10m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 5) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Illusion Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: None and extinguished herself with her tears. The Unconquered Sun carries a sharp and nimble spear with which to strike down his enemies. The dread skill of its owner is more feared, however, than the weapon itself. The weapon is held in rumored awe because it is the channel through which the Lord of Heaven's destructive might flows, and many fights end unfought simply because he chooses to brandish it. So it is with this technique. The martial artist concentrates the sum totality of his martial prowess into a momentary surge of killing intent and flashes it at an opponent. The target witnesses a golden, Essence-sculpted double leap out of the martial artist's body and rush forward to strike him down with terrible force. Make a standard unarmed Martial Arts attack against a single target within (Essence x 5) yards. This attack is unblockable, undodgeable, and counts Strength, weapon's damage modifier, and leftover successes on the attack roll three times for the purpose of inflicting damage. The target feels his organs rupture and his blood splash out—and then blinks to find himself untouched, whole and healthy. If the illusory attack 'kills' the target, he finds himself instilled with an unshakable certainty that the martial artist can slay him. This unnatural Illusion effect imposes an external penalty equal to the martial artist's Essence rating upon all attempts by the target to attack the martial artist. Should the 'attack' inflict damage, but not enough to kill the target, then the external Illusion penalty is only half the martial artist's Essence. If the attack fails to inflict any damage at all, it has no effect on the target. Each point of Willpower spent by the target removes one point of external penalty, and this Charm may only be invoked against a given target once in a scene. Battlefield Magnanimity Offering Cost: 14m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Emotion, Shaping Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Terrible Spear of Light Another dripped ashy light on the dead. The righteous warfare of Heaven is undertaken to restore balance and order to the ten thousand things of the cosmos. It is not genocide, nor senseless butchery. Still, sometimes, examples must be made. And yet, even Heaven's cruelty may be merciful. This Charm enhances an unarmed martial arts attack, causing it to surge with vivid arcs of golden lightning and pulses of superheated radiance. The attack counts the martial artist's Strength and successes twice for the purpose of calculating raw damage, and this damage is Lethal and enjoys the Piercing tag. Should a blow enhanced by this attack fail to slay a target, there is little reason to sustain the magic, and the Charm's Duration becomes effectively Instant. If the damage is sufficient to kill, however, then the martial artist's attacking limb pierces completely through the torso of his opponent. When he withdraws it, that foe falls to the ground, forced Inactive, but not dead. A core of crackling golden Essence abides in his wound, sustaining his life for so long as the martial artist commits Essence to the Charm. Medical attention may start a felled opponent on the road to healing and recovery, and once he regains his -4 wound level, the beauteous and terrible light crackling in his wound goes out and the Charm ends. All who look upon a character whose life is sustained by this Charm gain an Intimacy toward the martial artist who inflicted it. This may be an Intimacy of awe or terror, depending on the individual and the circumstances. Formation of the Intimacy may be resisted for 1 Willpower, and once in place, it may be eroded normally. Reliable Steadfast Shield

49

Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: None A third has yet to be born. Is a shield necessary for one who is unconquerable, or merely symbolic? None may say. Those who have faced the Unconquered Sun in battle and lived merely speak of its dreadful omnipresence, casting aside their every effort until they threw down their arms and bowed in surrender. The martial artist, likewise, judges his opponent's techniques and finds them wanting. This Charm may be activated in response to any Charm-enhanced attack. It matters not whether the attack is enhanced by an instant Supplemental Charm, the ongoing benefit of a Form-type Charm, or any other sort of magic. So long as the attack (as opposed to the attacker) itself is enhanced in some way by a Charm, it represents a valid opportunity to utilize Reliable Steadfast Shield. The martial artist finishes resolving the attack as normal, suffering any standard ill effects should he fail to avoid or negate the assault. Afterward, however, he becomes unconditionally immune to all attacks enhanced by that Charm for the rest of the scene. A martial artist may only have one invocation of this Charm active at any given time, and if he wishes to change immunities, he must cancel his standing invocation first. If faced with a multiple attack Charms enhancing a single attack, the martial artist must choose a single Charm to immunize himself to. He may not immunize himself to Excellencies, but all other varieties of Charm are fair game. His immunity applies itself to attacks themselves, not simply the effects of a Charm. So, for example, if he immunized himself to Fists of Iron Technique, and was attacked by an opponent using a Combo of the First Martial Arts Excellency, Fists of Iron Technique and Essence Venom Strike, the entire attack would automatically fail. Heaven Defends the Earth Cost: 15m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Reflexive (Step 1) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Reliable Steadfast Shield The fourth, mad and green, Men are frail, and so Heaven has raised up champions to defend them. An army of gods and Exalted trouble themselves that humanity might live in peaceable ignorance; to call this smothering would be the height of ingratitude. The martial artist applies this principle to defend a valued but fragile companion. This Charm may be invoked when the fighter attempts to initiate or maintain control of a clinch, allowing him to add his Essence in automatic successes. If he finds himself in control of the clinch, this effect re-asserts itself every time he must roll to maintain control henceforth until he withdraws commitment, loses control of the clinch, or voluntarily ends the clinch. However, this clinch may only be used to perform Hold actions, not to crush or throw. The held target is forced Inactive, as usual. More importantly, however, the martial artist uses his own body to shield the target, perfectly interposing himself in the path of every attack or other damaging effect aimed at the one he holds. This includes even curses and spells aimed through arcane links, attacks such as Accuracy Without Distance, and area of effect damage such as Death of Obsidian Butterflies or full submersion in molten lava. In the event of effect conflict, this Charm is considered a defense. Peace-Celebrating Laurel Branch Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping Duration: Until next action Prerequisite Charms: None was locked away. The Unconquered Sun holds aloft a laurel branch, symbolizing peace. However, the Sun is no shrinking pacifist. He forges his own peace through excellence and dominance leavened by mercy, where opponents permit him such luxuries. The martial artist follows suit. This Charm enhances a clinch, raising its raw damage by the martial artist's Essence. This increase carries over into each consecutive action on which the martial artist invokes this Charm again, along with the Charm's fresh damage boost. So, a character with Essence 5 who invoked this Charm would enjoy a +5 damage bonus; if he invoked it again on his next action, a +10 bonus; after that +15, +20, etc, until he failed to invoke it or lost control of the clinch. Targets held in a clinch enhanced by this Charm may plead for mercy, voluntarily giving up. This forfeit can be spoken verbally, indicated by tapping out, or any other obvious means. If this occurs and the martial artist chooses to release his opponent, that opponent is bound against initiating hostilities against the martial artist as a Shaping effect. The first time he attacks the martial artist henceforth without first being attacked himself,

50

the strength runs from his limbs. All attacks he makes at the martial artist in that scene begin at 0 dice before the effects of Charms. Suffering to the Conquered Cost: 18m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Crippling, Shaping, Touch Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Peace-Celebrating Laurel Branch Now one sun shines in glory Heaven is just to those who are content with its justice. It is only the discontent who must be sorrowfully oppressed in the name of greater harmony. This Charm enhances a bare-handed punch attack, delivered in the form of an open palm strike. Should it hit, the character's palm-print is seared into the opponent's body in a brilliant flash of golden light, leaving a slightly visible red scar (considered a Crippling effect). This need not be delivered skin-to-skin—the magic may sear a handprint through even the heaviest armor to mark an opponent's chest, if desired. For so long as the target bears the scar, every Charm she invokes while fighting the martial artist has a +2m surcharge applied to it as a Shaping effect. The surcharge is accompanied by the scar flashing brilliant gold, disrupting stealth like a Solar anima banner at the 4-7m level. While anti-Shaping magics will block this surcharge and flash as normal, they do not permanently disrupt the curse levied by this Charm; that requires removing the scar itself, which is impossible through Medicine not enhanced by magic. Aureate Glory of Heaven Form Cost: 15m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: One complete Celestial Martial Art (all Charms), Earth Bows to Heaven, Battlefield Magnanimity Offering, Heaven Defends the Earth, Suffering to the Conquered and all Creation kneels. The character assumes a fearsome and indomitable stance, impassive and overwhelming. Those who would face him find that they face a multitude, and are overwhelmed by the martial artist's assault. When he goes on the offensive, extra attacking limbs solidify out of his anima and strike from all directions. His attacks add his Essence to their Rate, and offset multiple action penalties by 3 dice. Like any government, army, gang or bureaucracy, it becomes nigh-impossible to defeat the martial artist through a clean and precise strike; he sacrifices less important elements of the whole to maintain himself. The character may nullify damage by ablative Essence expenditure; every 1m spent negates a level of bashing damage, while 2m blocks lethal. Aggravated damage may not be negated in this manner. Ablative expenditures produce sizzling bursts or sprays of golden Essence from the point of impact, which may arc or splash like blood before dissipating. Stern Denial Approach Cost: 20m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple Keywords: Crippling, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Aureate Glory of Heaven Form Elder's Sutra of Authority: The maidens looked upon Creation... The simplest and yet most profound form of authority is the ability to say 'no.' The resolute ruler may cut off programs, settlements, peoples and limbs, declaring: "This is complete, because it ends here." The martial artist imposes completion upon an opponent. He makes a standard clinch attempt, and should it succeed, inflicts crushing damage. If damage is successfully applied, ignore that total and inflict only one lethal health level instead. The opponent is promptly released, one of his hands ruinously broken at each and every joint and the mystic resonance of one of his Abilities (chosen by the martial artist) tangled into the fractures, bound up and lost. The hand is utterly useless; until corrected through painful and difficult medical procedures (difficulty 5), it is good for nothing. More alarmingly, so long as the Crippling effect persists, it also imposes a Shaping effect that caps the fractured Ability. No force may directly improve the character's efforts to apply the Ability, i.e. no dice may be added to its rolls. This includes Excellencies, stunts, attempts to raise the Ability's rating through experience, etc. Attribute-based experience spending remains unaffected, but even Attribute-based Excellencies may not provide a benefit to a roll using the damaged Ability. While anti-Shaping magic may send the curse into abeyance, it reinstates itself once such protections lapse as long as the Crippling damage remains. Luckily for the Exalted, their superhuman healing repairs this damage when they heal the health level that it was inflicted on. Friends and Enemies Appropriation

51

Cost: (10m) or (20m, 1wp); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple Keywords: Shaping, Touch Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Aureate Glory of Heaven Style ...and the heavens above. The primary benefit of authority is the ability to reward one's friends and punish one's enemies. Of course, an absolute ruler may change such distinctions arbitrarily. The martial artist targets another character and delivers an array of precise, measured strikes to her chakras and Essence meridians, reconfiguring the way her nature shines out to the universe. If the target resists, this takes the form of a barehanded Martial Arts attack that inflicts no damage. For a cost of 10m, this Charm makes the target into a creature of darkness until the first time she is affected by a Holy effect, at which point the cosmos recognizes its error and restores her rightful status. For 20m, 1wp it removes creature of darkness status from the target. This is permanent if the target is not naturally a creature of darkness (such as a mortal who has suffered the Creature of Darkness mutation due to Wyld exposure). If the target is naturally a creature of darkness (such as a ghost or Abyssal) then that status is restored at the next sunrise, when the Unconquered Sun renews his vigil over Creation. Sun Shines Down Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 6; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Aureate Glory of Heaven Form All were illumined by the sky, Hierarchy is an embedded element of Creation, and it is through this mechanism that justice and injustice alike are perpetrated. This Charm supplements an unarmed attack. This attack is made unblockable, undodgeable, and if its attack roll fails, it strikes with a threshold of 0 successes. This Charm may only be validly deployed against the martial artist's cosmological inferiors. If the martial artist is one of the Solar Exalted, then in addition to obvious potential targets such as mortals and animals, this explicitly includes all lesser Exalted, the gods, all elementals, ghosts, Fair Folk, and most everything else. Even the Abyssal and Infernal Exalted are fair targets; despite their equal might, their power derives from the subjugated losers of the Primordial War. Deathlords, living Primordials and the Incarnae are not valid targets. In the unlikely event that one of the Abyssal Exalted gains this Charm, all mortals, lesser Exalted, ghosts, hekatonkhires, and other lesser creatures of death are valid targets. Sidereals utilize the same targets as Solars, with the following exceptions: Solar, Abyssal, Infernal, Lunar and Alchemical Exalted; Celestial gods of higher Essence; and superiors within the Bureau of Destiny. Interestingly, ronin and lower-ranking Sidereals within the same division of the Bureau are valid targets. Hundredfold Mastery Mantle Cost: 20m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; Type: Simple Keywords: Obvious, Compulsion Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Stern Denial Approach, Friends and Enemies Appropriation defined by the passage of the sun. The character goes through a brief but perfect kata, then returns his attention to the battlefield. His anima blooms into a wheel composed of a hundred arms, each clasping some symbol of rulership: the Perfect of Paragon's staff; a daiklave; the Feathered One's cloak; the hearthstone of the Imperial Manse; many more. The display vanishes, but the impression remains, automatically striking all who witness the display: none hold the right to challenge such a puissant master. Characters so Compelled may defend themselves, but cannot attack the martial artist. Overcoming this Compulsion for one action costs 2 Willpower. Only effects which perfectly negate mental influence or Compulsion effects may shake the effect off for the rest of the scene. Unquestionable Majesty Pinnacle Cost: 10m, 4wp; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; Type: Reflexive (Step 1 or 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Servitude Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Sun Shines Down, Hundredfold Mastery Mantle The maidens cried out: "What glory

52

Ultimately, might derives from might. The Unconquered Sun stands unconquerable. What mortal army might seek to breach Heaven's gates? The great are vast in their resources, and they use these advantages to crush disagreement; fights are decided before they begin. The martial artist reinforces his mastery, using this Charm to enhance a Martial Arts roll by not making it. Instead, for every die the fighter would have rolled, he accumulates one success. The martial artist's movements are wreathed in crackling golden lightning and traced by sizzling arcs of power. Any opponent knocked unconscious by this strike awakens under a Servitude effect, compelled to obey any requests or commands the martial artist makes that are not unacceptable commands. It costs 3 Willpower to resist one request. This cost drops by 1 if it violates a Virtue the servant has at 3+, and again by 1 if it violates an Intimacy. These discounts stack. The Servitude effect disappears once the servant has spent a total of (the Martial Artist's Essence x 5) Willpower resisting it. This is the last Charm of the style that has ever been taught to one of the Solar Exalted. All Lawgiver students were informed that the Elder Sutra ended with a cry of "What glory!" from the maidens. This is untrue, but given their inability to wield prayer strips, the Solars never realized they were practicing an incomplete style. It was deemed likely that the implications of the final Charm of this style would strike the Unconquered Sun and his Chosen as... unflattering. Glory to the Usurper Cost: 30m, 16xp; Mins: Martial Arts 7, Essence 7; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Shaping, Training Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Unquestionable Majesty Pinnacle is reflected here?" The ultimate truth of Heaven is that it was not built for the gods. Authority is not a mantle, but a prize that falls from hand to hand in an endless cycle of usurpation. The mighty rule in splendor, until their power falls into the grasp of others. Power is not a monolith; it is a wheel. This Charm may be invoked at any point within one hour after the martial artist has killed an opponent. Folding his hands together, he closes his eyes in remembrance of the fallen warrior's skill and claims one of her techniques as his own. The martial artist may learn one of his dead opponent's Charms for which he meets all prerequisites and minimums as though he were an Eclipse. If he lacks the experience points to activate this Charm, he may waive its experience requirement and go into debt as a Training effect. The martial artist may only be under one Training debt from this Charm at any given time.

53