Campaign:Enfolding Ice/Giselle Vonflamme

Basics

• Name: Giselle Vonflamme
• Concept: Benevolent Mad Scientist
• Caste/Aspect: Twilight Solar
• Anima Banner: A smiling woman with wings of radiant light and hands of gold against the backdrop of a twilit sky, surrounded by glorious golden clockwork.
• Motivation: Make Creation into a Golden Clockwork Paradise
• Intimacies: Science!, First Age Technology, Improving Things, Building the Solar Empire.
• Experience: 334/327

Background

Giselle is a native Lookshyan, born of a family of well-known citizen engineers; the Gens Vonflamme. She was the family's prodigy, their brightest star. As a girl, she was encouraged to follow in the family trade of maintaining the various powered armours of the Seventh Legion, given every piece of literature on the subject her family could get a hold of. However, her natural brilliance and inborn talent saw her on her way to better things than simple maintenance. She wanted to build the future.

Giselle was accepted into a machinist's salon at the tender age of 13, and proceeded to astound her instructors with her keen mind and incisive observations on the nature and manufacture of magitech. She was soon transferred to another salon, each time absorbing all she could before being sent to another salon or school, until she ended up in the most prestigious of all Lookshy's machinist schools.

She spent several years there, with much of her time spent in the libraries of the school, and thoroughly impressed her teachers with her ability to absorb and comprehend the material put in front of her. Her social life suffered, not that she minded overly much. She was friendly with many people, if not actually friends, preferring the company of her books and projects to loud, noisy people who got in the way of things and blocked her light or tried not to snicker at her ideas.

This attitude didn't change much, except to grow a slight caustic edge, when she graduated and went into service with the Lookshy military, maintaining and inspecting the suits of gunzosha armour. It did change when she met a young gunzosha named Cretul Pratka, who was quiet, likeable, and listened eagerly to her rambling theories, even if he didn't understand them. She enjoyed explaining things to him, especially when she took on a research project or built small wonders, or needed Lookshy custom explained to him. She still preferred it when he was gone, just, not as much as when other people were absent.

An accident during one of her side projects cost her both hands and much of her forearms. She had taken apart a damaged Essence engine left in her care by a Dragon-Blooded officer and was about to open the core when it exploded violently, shredding her arms up to the elbow. It would have killed her if she hadn't been wearing her mask and other protective gear, but she ended up in the infirmary for weeks while she recovered. Her supervisor fought to keep her on staff, along with the young Pratka until he was called away on a mission, and personally crafted her a set of replacement hands.

During her convalescence, she saw visions of a set of golden hands, beautiful and practical at once. The designs unfolded in her mind as she slept, the images bathed in the gentle glow of the setting sun. In the last week of her recovery, she began begging for paper and ink so she could put her designs down. Every assistant sent to her, though, wasn't up to the task of drawing what she saw in her mind, and she brusquely dismissed them. She was left to simmer in frustration until her supervisor came with her new hands.

Disappointed was an understatement, but she allowed them to be put on her. The moment the last piece was in place, she bolted from the infirmary and ran to the workshops. She shouldered past everyone until she came to her workbench and began feverishly putting together the golden hands she saw in her dreams. Her iron fingers blurred, the leather pulleys creaked, and the gears whined in protest at her pace. She paid them no mind, instead pulling off each piece and replacing it with a new piece of the hands of gold.

As the last gear fell into place, the rays of the setting sun bathed her in their warmth. The voice of the Unconquered Sun spoke in her mind; "WELL DONE," he said, and filled her with the spark of Exaltation. Smiling, she collapsed on her workbench, exhausted. As she slept, she dreamed of thousands of clockwork things, all working for the benefit of mortals everywhere. War was eliminated, as want had been done away with, and she was sitting at the top of a glorious golden clockwork tower, smiling radiantly on the peaceful land. "THIS I CHARGE YOU WITH," said the voice of the Unconquered Sun as the dreams ended.

She woke up in the infirmary again, the smiling face of her supervisor hovering over her, telling her she'd been out for nearly a month. Shocked, she looked down at her hands, and was relieved to find the beautiful things were real. Then, she remembered her vision, and leapt out of bed, grabbing whatever she could, draining her savings, and all but sprinting for the North. She knew that there were things hidden in the north, things that would help her build the future.

Appearance

Giselle Vonflamme is a petite little brat with an infectious grin. Her vivid green hair is often kept swept back out of her face (mostly due to her habit of running her hands through her hair in frustration, and her habit of standing too close to things that explode), and otherwise left to its own whims. Her red eyes gleam fetchingly when she's actively engaged in a project or explaining her current pet theory. She has an almost manic energy that has seen her through rough times by making the young woman almost impossible to keep depressed. She is utterly guileless, however, and almost brutally honest, nearly incapable of telling lies. She's also more than a little naive (though she pretends not to be), and tends to take everyone at their literal word.

She's discarded her fire-retardant robes in favour of something a bit more eye-catching, shown above. Both hands, and her forearms up to the elbow, are golden clockwork reconstructions of her old hands, which she designed after losing both of her hands to a maintenance accident. The experience humbled her somewhat, but hasn't kept the young woman down.

Attributes

• Physical: Strength 2(4) Dexterity 5 Stamina 2
• Social: Charisma 3 Manipulation 1 Appearance 3
• Mental: Perception 4 Intelligence 5 Wits 2

Abilities

 [F]Archery:    	5   [ ]Integrity:    	2   [C]Craft:	    5/5/3/3
 [ ]Martial Arts:	0   [ ]Performance:	0   [C]Investigation:	2
 [ ]Melee:         	0   [ ]Presence:    	0   [C]Lore:          	5
 [ ]Thrown:        	0   [F]Resistance:	2   [C]Medicine:	4
 [ ]War:           	0   [ ]Survival:     	0   [C]Occult:        	5

 [ ]Athletics:    	0   [ ]Bureacracy:	0
 [F]Awareness:     	4   [ ]Linguistics:  	2
 [F]Dodge:         	5   [ ]Ride:         	0
 [ ]Larceny:       	0   [F]Sail:         	0
 [ ]Stealth:	        0   [ ]Socialize:    	0

• Specialties: Archery (Essence-Based Weaponry+3), Craft (Magitech [Archery Weapons +1], Fire [Orichalcum Items +1], Air [Clockworks +1])
• Languages: Riverspeak (Native), Old Realm, Skytongue
• Crafts: Magitech 5, Earth 5, Fire 3, Air 3

Physical Combat

Join Battle: 6

Parry DV: 3

Dodge DV: 7

Soak: 6A/7L/6B (Hardness 0L/0B)

Health Levels: 011122224ID

Wounds: 0

Move: 5, Dash: 11, Jump: 2

Weapon                     Spd  Acc   Dam     PDV  Rate  Range  
Punchan                 -   5    5   +(4)B    2(2)  3      -  
Kickan                  -   5    5   +(7)B    2(2)  3      -
Essence Cannon          -   4   15    16 B    -(-)  1     125

Social Combat

Join Debate: 6

Presence Attack - Speed 4, Dice Pool 3, Rate 2

Investigation Attack - Speed 5, Dice Pool 5, Rate 2

Performance Attack - Speed 6, Dice Pool 3, Rate 1

Parry MDV: 2

Dodge MDV: 7

Essence

• Essence: 5
• Regeneration: 6/hr at ease, 9/hr sleeping
• Personal Essence Pool: 21/21
• Peripheral Essence Pool: 43/53
• Committed Essence: 3+3+3+1=10

Willpower

• Willpower: 6
• Temporary: 6

Virtues

Virtues:

• Compassion: 3
• Conviction: 2
• Temperance: 1
• Valor: 3
• Flawed Virtue: Compassionate Martyrdom
• Limit Break: 0/10

Giselle can't abide a bully or a tyrant, and when her Limit breaks, the scrappy little Twilight stands in between those she sees as less fortunate, taking blows meant for them and (hopefully) shaming those around her into action.

Backgrounds

• Artifact 2 (Prosthetic Left Hand of Clockwork Elegance)
• Artifact 2 (Prosthetic Right Hand of Clockwork Elegance)
• Artifact 3 (Bracers of Universal Crafting)
• Artifact 2 (Small Concussive Essence Cannon)
• Artifact 1 (Goggles of Essence Sight)
• Resources 5
• Followers 5 (Ondar Shambal Engineer Corps and Department of Public Works)
• Manse 2 (:V)

Charms

• Ox-Body Technique - --m, Permanent: Giselle gains one -1 Health Level, and two -2 Health Levels.
• Integrity Protecting Prana - 5m, 1wp, Reflexive, One Day: Giselle becomes immune to any Shaping effect that targets her mind, body, spirit or traits, or other attempts to change her with any sort of Shaping attack.
• 1st Craft Excellency - 1m+, Reflexive, Instant: Giselle may buy up to (Dexterity+Craft) extra dice on one Craft roll for 1m each.
• Wonder-Forging Genius - --m, Permanent: Giselle reduces the minimum ability requirements to build and repair artifacts by 1, and reduces the number of total ability dots needed to design a manse by three.
• Wonder-Forging Genius - --m, Permanent: Giselle reduces the minimum ability requirements to build and repair artifacts by 1, and reduces the number of total ability dots needed to design a manse by three.
• Shattering Grasp - 5m, Simple (Dramatic Action), One Scene: Giselle may disassemble or destroy anything she could normally as a Feat of Strength, adding twice her Craft to her (Strength+Athletics) pool, in a matter of minutes. (8-Essence) minutes for a single object, with a minimum of 3 minutes. She may target larger objects such as buildings as well, taking (8-Essence) hours per target. She cannot stop until she finishes, or unexpected events interrupt her.
• Craftsman Needs No Tools - 7m, 1wp, Supplemental, Instant: Giselle removes the need for tools and penalties for crafting without them. As well, Giselle can finish (Essence x3) hours of work for each hour invested.
• Crack-Mending Technique - 10m, 1wp, Supplemental, Instant: Giselle may accomplish (Essence x3) hours of repair work for each hour invested, and allows her to mend cracks and broken pieces without need for glue or welding.
• Shadow Over Water - 1m, Reflexive, Instant: Giselle removes all penalties to her Dodge DV for one attack.
• Seven-Shadow Evasion - 3m, Reflexive, Instant: Giselle perfectly dodges one attack. Giselle must
• Reflex Sidestep Technique - 1m, Reflexive, Instant: Giselle removes the unexpected tag from an attack, allowing her to use her Dodge DV and appropriate charms.
• 1st Archery Excellency - 1m+, Reflexive, Instant: Giselle may buy up to (Dexterity+Archery) extra dice on one Archery roll for 1m each.
• Archery Essence Flow - --m, Permanent: The first three Archery Excellencies no longer count as charm use.
• Trance of Unhesitating Speed - 2-4m, Extra Action, Instant: Giselle may make up to (Essence +1) Archery-based attacks at a cost of 2m each, including the first, with DV penalties equal to the highest penalty for one attack.
• Arrow-Storm Technique - 8m, 1wp, Supplemental, Instant: Giselle makes one attack and applies it up to (Essence x3) valid, human-sized targets, or up to (Essence x3) times on a larger target. Giselle must have the ammunition for each attack.
• Blossoming Bolt Prana - --m, Permanent: See charm description below.
• Essence Arrow Technique - 2-3m, Supplemental, Instant: Any Archery attack supplemented by this charm adds Giselle's Essence to damage and becomes Holy, dealing Aggravated damage to creatures of darkness. Giselle's attacks can be seen up to (Essence x10) miles away, OR, she may pay a third mote to add four damage to the attack
• Lambent Bolt of Annihilation - 8m, Supplemental, Instant: Giselle's Archery-based attacks detonate in a massive fireball, dealing (Essence x5, twice vs. objects) dice of lethal damage to everything within (Essence x5) yards. The target must dodge the arrow, though the explosion cannot be dodged or parried, relying only on Resistance-based defenses. Creatures other than the target reduce the damage by double their Dodge DVs.
• Flashing Vengeance Draw - 3m, Supplemental, Instant: Giselle adds a number of bonus successes to a Join Battle roll equal to her Essence, and may reflexively draw and ready any available Archery weapon.
• 1st Lore Excellency - 1m+, Reflexive, Instant: Giselle may buy up to (Intelligence+Lore) extra dice on one Lore roll for 1m each.
• Chaos-Repelling Pattern - 8m, Simple, One Hour: Giselle forces an area (Essence) yards wide to conform to the laws of Creation, no matter where she is.
• Immanent Solar Glory - --, Permanent: Giselle's Peripheral Essence pool grows by 10m, which can only be recovered by attending to the affairs of the Whitewall Engineer Corps, or through Essence recovery charms or stunts. This extra Essence cannot be used to attune to artifacts.
• Second Medicine Excellency - 1m+, Reflexive, Instant: Giselle may buy up to extra successes on one Medicine roll for 2m each, and may spend up to (Intelligence+Medicine) motes.
• Wound-Mending Care Technique - 10m, Supplemental, Until the Day Ends: Giselle spends at least one our with a patient, and rolls (Intelligence+Medicine). The target of this charm recovers a number of bashing or lethal health levels equal to the successes rolled, or an additional (Essence) levels if they spend the day resting. No patient can benefit from this charm more than once per day.
• Flawless Diagnosis Technique -

Combos

• Perfect Prediction of Peril Calculation Mnemonic (Reflex Sidestep Technique, Seven-Shadow Evasion, Integrity-Protecting Prana)

Giselle's mind is always thinking of something. She set up this little thing in her mind long ago to make her aware of danger before it happened, and allow her to calculate the best possible means of avoiding said danger.

Cost: 4-9m, 1-2wp

• Blossoming Barrage of Explosive Essence Beam Cascade Array, a.k.a "Death Blossom" (1st Archery Excellency, Lambent Bolt of Annihilation, Arrow Storm Technique)

This is the be-all end-all of Archery-based destruction. With this upgrade, which can be added on to any Archery-based weapon, not just her cannon, she can lay waste to entire cities and level whole swathes of countryside.

Cost: 16m, 2 wp

Sorcery

• Terrestrial Circle Sorcery - Allows Giselle to perform Shape Sorcery actions. Shape Terrestrial Circle Sorcery actions are Speed 5, DV -2, and cost 1wp to perform. The Cast Sorcery action is when the spell actually happens.
• Celestial Circle Sorcery - Allows Giselle to perform Shape Sorcery actions. Shape Celestial Circle Sorcery actions are Speed 5, DV -3, cost 2wp to perform, and require two such actions per spell. The Cast Sorcery action is when the spell actually happens.

Spells

Terrestrial Circle

• Summon Elemental - 10+m, One Elemental: This is a dramatic action lasting four hours. Giselle and the summoned elemental each roll (Essence+Willpower), with a -1 internal penalty to the elemental's pool for every 5m Giselle pays beyond the spell's cost. The winner is the one who gets 3 more successes than the other. If Giselle wins, the elemental is loyal to her for one lunar month, or to one task until it's completed. If the elemental wins, Giselle can roll (Wits+Occult, Diff 1) to banish it, otherwise it is free.
• Ritual of Elemental Empowerment - 30m+, Inanimate Object: Giselle imbues one object of up to (Essence x5) pounds, +5 pounds per 5m spent, with an elemental benediction (pg. 57, White and Black Treatises). The ritual begins at dawn and continues until noon. Any one object can only have one benediction; further enchantments replace existing ones. Up to (Essence) elementals can aid in the rite, adding their own personal Essence scores to Giselle's for purposes of figuring out the weight of objects she may enchant, and fulfill the requirement for large amounts of the element needed for the spell. Giselle must pay 1wp per elemental aide beyond the first.
• Emerald Countermagic - 10-20m, Sorceror or one spell: This spell's Shape Sorcery action is Speed 0, and is reflexive. If she spends 10m, she is proof against the effects of a Terrestrial Circle spell until the end of her next action. If she spends 20m, then she may shatter one Emerald Circle spell within (Essence x 50) feet, automatically interrupting any Shape Sorcery actions or ending any effects.
• Stormwind Rider - 15m, Summoned tornado: Giselle summons a small tornado from the sky. It can jump obstacles 30 feet high or 50 feet across, but cannot fly. It can survive falls of up to 30 feet, and protects the sorceror and the contents of the stormwind from damage. It dissipates if the fall is from any higher, but occupants treat all falls as 60 feet less. Giselle can carry up to (Essence x 200) lbs. of equipment and passengers at 45 feet per tick, or up to 100mph. It dissipates if Giselle steps on the ground. While manuevering the stormwind, Giselle is at -2 to all actions and DVs, and a -2 external penalty to all ranged attacks against the occupants, -3 external penalty to verbal communication while within 15 feet, and -2 external penalty to Awareness checks to determine the identity of the occupants.
• Thunder Wolf's Howl - 10m, area 20 yards across within 100 yards of Sorceror: Giselle unleashes a terrible sonic eruption with the Howling Word. This attack cannot be dodged or parried. Giselle rolls (Intelligence+Occult) to inflict a number of bashing levels equal to (Essence+Successes). The attack ignores worn armour. Undead and inanimate objects receive half their normal soak against the howl. Living creatures in the area of the spell are deafened and disoriented, taking a -2 internal penalty to all actions for 5 ticks per success on the casting roll. Exalted and other Essence-wielders may make a reflexive (Stamina+Resistance) roll, each success reducing the period by five ticks.
• Unconquerable Self - 1m, Self: Giselle dies. This is a silly spell.

Celestial Circle

• Sapphire Countermagic - 15-20m, Sorceror or one spell: This spell's Shape Sorcery action is Speed 0, and is reflexive. If she spends 10m, she is proof against the effects of a Terrestrial or Celestial Circle spell until the end of her next action. If she spends 20m, then she may shatter one Emerald or Sapphire Circle spell within (Essence x 50) feet, automatically interrupting any Shape Sorcery actions or ending any effects.
• Raise the Puissant Sanctum - 30m, Demesne: Giselle, armed with plans for a manse, attunes to a demesne and studies the plans for the manse to be raised for one week per level of the manse (no higher than Essence-2), and must interact with no one else during this time except for the manse's designer. Once cast, the land shapes itself into the desired shape of the manse, which takes six hours per dot of the manse, and during which no intruders can step into the demesne or risk losing all her effort. She may cast the spell without a set of plans, but the limit on the level of the manse is (Essence-3), and it lacks the amenities of a designed manse.

Inventory

• Marvelous Multi-Purpose Prosthetic Limb Replacement System - These are a pair of orichalcum hands and forearms built by the young Vonflamme after the accident which cost her her natural ones. They are elegant and well-crafted, if a little whimsical looking. Their appearance changes frequently, due to the Universal Crafting Matrix she installed into the forearms, but when in their normal shape as a pair of hands, they look like lovingly curved plates of orichalcum covering cunningly shaped gears. The Universal Crafting Matrix allows her to sprout new tools from the clockworks of her hands and fingers, rearranging the gears and springs into whatever tool is needed at the time.

Replaces both forearms and hands up to the elbow.

Gives +2 Strength to all actions using them.

For 2m a scene, negates all penalties to Craft rolls for lack of tools and add (Essence) successes to any roll involving fine manipulation. Giselle can also make Craft rolls using ambrosia and quintessence.

• Glorious Golden Clockwork Wing Assembly - When not activated, this is a little box that sits on her back just above her shoulderblades. It raises up through the skin and sits in a fur-lined hole in her coat. When activated for a commitment of 10m, the box opens in a shower of golden light and two huge wings made of orichalcum gears and feathers unfold, stretching past the tips of her fingers in either direction. All maneuvering rolls due to negative environmental conditions are made with (Dex+Ath+6).

Giselle may fly five times her running speed (55 yards/tick) or hover, and accelerate to 80 mph.

Giselle adds three to her Dodge DV while in flight.

Giselle may command the wings to glow softly and add three to her Appearance.

• Awesome Essence Sight Apparatus - A set of goggles with broad lenses held in a ring of white jade kept on a leather band that are almost always pushed up onto Giselle's forehead. She built them a short time after her recovery to test her abilities and her new hands, and to take her mind off her friend's conspicuous absence.

For 1m, Giselle negates all penalties for low light. For 3m, Giselle gains Essence Sight for one scene, and granting her a +3 to Awareness rolls for finding unmanifested spirits and things not magically hidden or disguised.

• Spiffy Small Concussive Essence Cannon - This is a weapon that she had been refurbishing before her accident, which she rebuilt before leaving for the North. This thing is her baby, her pride and joy among all of her creations. She's built in several modes since first building it, making it into a glorious weapon. She has even made it able to connect to her wing assembly, opening several ports on the joints and feathers to enhance its already fearsome destructive power.

Spd: 4; Acc: +2; Damage: 16B; Rate: 1; Range 125; P

• Perfect Breastplate - This is a finely made breastplate trimmed in gold, with the Twilight caste mark laid in gold on the front, with gearspokes poking out of it like rays of light. Giselle normally wears it underneath her clothes.

Soak: +6L/+4B, Mobility: -0, Fatigue: 0, may be worn under heavy clothing.

Advancement

Artifact 2 (Small Concussive Essence Cannon) (2 BP)
Manse 2 (2 BP)
Specialties (3 BP)
Craft (Magitech) 5 (2 BP)
Archery 5 (2 BP)
Dodge 5 (2 BP)
Resources 3 (2 BP+1 Bonus BP)

Essence 3 (16 XP)
Artifact 4 (12 XP)
Crack-Mending Technique (8 XP)
1st Lore Excellency (8 XP)
Arrow-Storm Technique (8 XP)
Terrestrial Circle Sorcery (8 XP)
Awareness 4 (8 XP)
Combo (7 XP)
Artifact 1 (Goggles of Essence Sight) (3 XP)
Resources 4 (3 XP)
Occult 4 (5 XP)
Medicine 2 (1 XP)
Investigation 2 (1 XP)

Essence 4 (24 XP)

Essence Arrow Technique (8 XP)
Lambent Bolt of Annihilation (8 XP)
Combo (11 XP)

Celestial Circle Sorcery (8 XP)
2nd Medicine Excellency (8 XP)
Blossoming Bolt Prana (8 XP)
Immanent Solar Glory (8 XP)
Medicine 4 (8 XP)
Lore 5 (12 XP)

Thunder Wolf's Howl (8 XP)
Ritual of Elemental Empowerment (8 XP)
Archery Essence Flow (8 XP)

Wound-Mending Care Technique (8 XP)
Wonder-Forging Genius (8 XP)

Essence Arrow Sub-Ability (1 XP)
Occult 5 (7 XP)
Flashing Vengeance Draw (8 XP)
Chaos-Repelling Pattern (8 XP)
Flawless Diagnosis Technique (8 XP)
Combo Addition (1 XP)

Resources 5 (3 XP)
Wonder-Forging Genius (8 XP)
Followers 5 (15 XP)
Craft (Earth) (19 XP)
Essence 5 (32 XP)

Custom Charms

• Blossoming Bolt Prana
• Cost: --; Mins: Archery 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent
• Keywords: None
• Duration: Permanent
• Prerequisite Charms: Arrow-Storm Technique

The Lawgiver's arrows fall like rain on the enemies of Creation, blackening the skies with their shafts.

This charm enhances its prerequisite. For an additional 4m when activating Arrow-Storm Technique, the Exalt raises the number of shots fired from (Essence x3) to (Essence x4). For an additional 8m when activating the charm, the limit is raised to (Essence x5). It also removes the 'Combo-Basic' keyword from Arrow-Storm Technique and replaces it with 'Combo-OK'.