Campaign:Golby's Beautiful Placeholder/Lu Shao of 10,000 Shrines

Basics

• Campaign: Golby's
  
• Name: Lu Shao of 10,000 Shrines
• Concept: Wandering Hunter of the Dead
• Caste/Aspect: Zenith Caste Solar
• Anima Banner: "Sorrowful Sword Maiden", a willowy, ivory-skinned woman in white robes surrounded by the light of the sun at midday, whose face is turned down in grief. A sword is one hand, and a scroll is in the other.
• Motivation: Teach the Sublime Way to all.
• Intimacies: Hatred of the deathknights, Brave Rose Thorn's legacy, Daisho.
• Special: Lu Shao's attacks are Holy, and always deal aggravated damage to Creatures of Darkness.
• Experience: 480/596

Background

Lu Shao, in his mortal life, was a student of the sword living at the Sublime Way School of Swordsmanship in (Name of City Here). He was a brilliant student, taking to the lessons of the blade with remarkable ease, but he was also arrogant. He often crowed about his skill, stating that he could almost take on the Master of Sublime Way, Brave Rose Thorn, singlehandedly. Almost. He greatly admired the woman who ran the school, and was proud to call her a friend, even if he didn't entirely agree with some of her teachings. For her part, Brave Rose Thorn saw him as a loud-mouthed but dear younger brother. The two often joked; he would make a mock-challenge, and she would tease him with joking hints about almost-hidden secret knowledge that she alone knew.

Of course, she did have knowledge that she alone knew. Brave Rose Thorn was a Solar Exalt, and had been for over a year. She'd inherited the school from her father, and the knowledge of an ancient style of swordsmanship from her Exalted shard, knowledge which she'd managed to keep secret, letting out only dribs and drabs of the style's tenets to her students. It was her goal to bring about a renaissance of swordsmanship as an art form, and to temper the souls of fighters with the beautiful simplicity of a well-placed stroke.

Then Lu Shao met the man in skull-faced armour. Coming home drunk after a night of partying on the edge of town, he saw the man and a large band of the dead, which he mistook for other partygoers through the haze of drink. He fought through the haze when the deathknight attacked him. He only barely managed to draw his sword in time to parry the warrior's blade, and only just managed to survive long enough for Brave Rose Thorn to throw herself into the attack, shearing through the warrior's retinue of hungry dead. Lu Shao applied himself to attacking the creatures around her, trying to keep them from slaughtering the townsfolk.

Brave Rose Thorn and the knight, calling himself Gore-Slick Hand of The Unrighteous, fought a brief but fierce battle, until Gore-Slick Hand dealt the woman a mortal blow. Brave Rose Thorn fell with a shriek, and her Exaltation fled her in a blast of blinding light. It hovered as the deathknight stepped over her and leveled his sword at Lu Shao. He turned, gripping his own sword in both fists, teeth gritted and a tear running down his cheek. Rose Thorn's Exaltation flew into his body as he lunged for the deathknight, shouting at the top of his lungs. The Unconquered Sun reached down as he struck, propelling him through the deathknight in a flash of golden light.

Gore-Slick Hand fell, cut in half at the waist. Lu Shao spared him little thought as he ran to Rose Thorn's side, pressing his hands to her wound. She smiled up at him and handed him her swords. Everything of hers was now his, she told him, on the condition that he continue in his lessons, and pass what he learns to others. She told him of a scroll she'd written and hidden in her room which detailed an ancient and powerful style. Lu Shao promised that he'd do as she asked as the light faded from her eyes.

Gore-Slick Hand let out a bloody laugh and spat at his killer. He promised that others would follow, deathknights like him, and that he would return at their head to kill him. He died, then, leaving Lu Shao alone in corpse-littered street.

Lu Shao dissolved the Sublime Way School (not hard, as most of them had fallen in the deathknight's attack) and took to the road, vowing to pray for his friend's soul at every shrine he encountered. He would teach her style to all who came to him, but first he would have to find the deathknights and put a stop to them, so that there would be a world there to teach them in.

Appearance

There is iron in the man's spine, his back straight and his eyes placed firmly ahead. His steps are even and measured, almost a march. His shoulders are slumped under the heavy weight of his own guilt, despite this. His pace is measured to keep him moving long after he's exhausted himself. The pain of his friend's death shows in the dark circles around his faded green eye and the unsmiling line of his mouth. He is in a constant state of semi-dishevelment, covered in rough stubble and the dust of the road.

Attributes

• Physical: Strength 3 - Dexterity 6 - Stamina 3
• Social: Charisma 5 - Manipulation 2 - Appearance 4
• Mental: Perception 4 - Intelligence 2 - Wits 3

Abilities

 [ ]Archery:    	0   [C]Integrity:    	5   [ ]Craft:		0
 [F]Martial Arts:	5   [C]Performance:     3   [ ]Investigation:	5
 [F]Melee:         	6   [C]Presence:    	5   [ ]Lore:          	4
 [ ]Thrown:        	0   [C]Resistance:	2   [ ]Medicine:	0
 [ ]War:           	0   [C]Survival:     	0   [F]Occult:        	2

 [F]Athletics:    	2   [ ]Bureacracy:	0
 [F]Awareness:     	5   [ ]Linguistics:  	1
 [ ]Dodge:         	3   [ ]Ride:         	0
 [ ]Larceny:       	0   [ ]Sail:         	0
 [ ]Stealth:		0   [ ]Socialize:    	0

• Specialties: Melee (Reaper Daiklave +3), Martial Arts (Baneclaw +3), Presence (Unflappable +3), Integrity (Creatures of Darkness +1, Unflappable +2), Occult 2 (The Dead)
• Languages: Riverspeak (Native: Port Calin), Firetongue

Physical Combat

Join Battle: 8

Parry DV: 10 (12 w/Bending Willow)

Dodge DV: 7

Soak: 9A/10L/14B (Hardness 6L/6B)

Health Levels: 011122224IDD

Wounds: 0

Move: 4, Dash: 10, Jump: 4

Weapon                     Spd  Acc   Dam     PDV  Rate  Range  
Punchan                 -   5    12   +(3)B    2(2)  3      -  
Kickan                  -   5    10   +(6)B    2(2)  3      -
Lightning Flash         -   4    23   +(13)L   4(4)  5      -
Bending Willow          -   4    19   +(8)L    8(8)  5      -

Social Combat

Join Debate: 8

Presence Attack - Speed 4, Dice Pool 13, Rate 2

Investigation Attack - Speed 5, Dice Pool 7, Rate 2

Performance Attack - Speed 6, Dice Pool 8, Rate 1

Parry MDV: 5 (7 w/Unflappable)

Dodge MDV: 9 (10 w/Unflappable)

Essence

• Essence: 5
• Regeneration: 4/hr at ease, 8/hr sleeping
• Personal Essence Pool: 25/25
• Peripheral Essence Pool: 48/60
• Committed Essence: 6+4+2=12

Willpower

• Willpower: 7
• Temporary: 7

Virtues

Virtues:

• Compassion: 3
• Conviction: 2
• Temperance: 4
• Valor: 2
• Flawed Virtue: Vow of Silence
• Limit Break: 0/10

Lu Shao's guilt over Brave Rose Thorn's death manifests itself in his Limit Break. Whenever speaking out about something important to him would put him in a bad situation, his guilt increases, until it grows into a choking mass that stifles any speech. For one day, Lu Shao cannot say a single word, or voluntarily make a single noise for any reason. Partial Control: Lu Shao may cry out in emergencies and at important junctures.

Backgrounds

• Artifact 3 (Daisho: Lightning Flash)
• Artifact 3 (Daisho: Bending Willow)
• Resources 2 (Exorcism Implements and Such)
• Artifact 2 (Many-Layered Warrior's Gi)

Charms and Combos

Charms

• Ox-Body Technique - Gain 1 -1 Health Level and 2 -2 Health Levels.
• 2nd Melee Excellency - 1m+, Reflexive, Instant: Lu Shao may add one automatic success to one Melee roll per 1m spent on this charm, and may spend up to (Melee+Dexterity) motes.
• Call the Blade - 1m, Reflexive, Instant: Lu Shao may call his swords from up to (Essence x 10) yards away, so long as he owns them and there is a clear path from him to his swords.
• Iron Raptor Techique - 2m or 4m, Simple (Speed 5), Instant: Lu Shao may fling his sword up to (Essence x8) yards away and have it return to his hand. He may also spend an additional 2m to send an arc of concussive force at his enemies, which is unblockable without a stunt or a charm.
• Noonday Shimmer Draw - 3m, 1wp, Simple (Speed 4), Instant: See description below.
• Master of All Swords - --m, Permanent: Lu Shao may attune to a weapon made out of any material as if it were orichalcum, and all weapons he attunes to gain the advantages of orichalcum, even if they already are. All orichalcum weapons cose 1 mote less to attune.
• Hungry Tiger Technique - 1m, Supplemental, Instant: Extra successes on a Melee attack roll count twice for damage.
• Dipping Swallow Defence - 2m, Reflexive, Instant: Lu Shao ignores all penalties to his Parry DV for one attack.
• Bulwark Stance - 5m, Reflexive, Until Next Action: Lu Shao ignores all penalties to his Parry DV until his next action.
• Heavenly Guardian Defence - 4m, Reflexive, Instant: Lu Shao perfectly blocks one attack, so long as his Parry DV is applicable. (Valour Flaw) Lu Shao must move toward the foe he sees as most dangerous until his DV refreshes twice.
• Solar Counterattack - 3m, Reflexive, Instant: Lu Shao may make one counterattack in Step 9 after using his Parry DV.
• Fivefold Bulwark Stance - 5m, 1wp, One Scene, Simple: Lu Shao removes the onslaught penalty other characters impose on his DVs, and reduces the DV penalty of his actions by one.
• One Weapon, Two Blows - 1m, Reflexive, One Action: Lu Shao adds one to the Rate and Accuracy of his weapons until his next action.
• Peony Blossom Attack - 2m per attack, Extra Action, Instant: Lu Shao may buy up to (Essence+3) attacks with his weapon, and may make them regardless of Rate, with a DV penalty equal to the highest in the flurry.
• Iron Whirlwind Attack - 5m, 1wp, Extra Action, Instant: Lu Shao may make a number of attacks equal to his (Dexterity+3), ignoring Rate and with a DV penalty equal to the highest penalty in the flurry.
• Invincible Fury of the Dawn - --m, Permanent: Lu Shao increases the number attacks allowed by Peony Blossom Attack and Iron Whirlwind Attack by two.
• War and Peace Preparation - --m, Permanent: Lu Shao may fight with his sheathed sword without using a Draw/Ready action, and takes no penalty for fighting this way. Sheathed weapons function normally, but inflict only Bashing damage. Charms of Wind-Cutting Blade Style cannot cause a sheathed weapon to deal lethal damage.
• Mountain Strikes the Breeze - 3m or 6m, Reflexive, Instant or Until Next Action: Lu Shao makes an Essence-enhanced parry, raising his Parry DV by (Martial Arts) or (Melee), whichever is lower. If this successfully stops an opponent's strike, then he inflicts a -1 DV penalty on the attacker. He may pay 3m to extend this Charm's duration to 'Until Next Action'.
• Wind-Cutting Blade Form - 5m, Simple (Speed 5), One Scene: Lu Shao may reflexively draw or sheathe his blade as a reflexive action while this charm is active, though any further drawing or sheathing is a miscellaneous action as normal. Further, all attacks with his in-style weapon receive a -1 Speed bonus, which cannot reduce the speed below 3.
• Wind Through Walls Attack - 3m, Simple (Speed 4), Instant: Lu Shao makes a standard attack with his full dice pool. This attack gains the Piercing tag and ignores Hardness. If the raw damage of this attack exceeds his enemy's full soak, then he may pay 1m more to ignore soak altogether. This charm may only be used if his weapon is sheathed and leaves the weapon unsheathed afterward.
• Steel-Shattering Gale Technique - 4m, 1wp, Reflexive, Instant: Lu Shao defends himself by attacking his opponent's weapon, making a standard attack in Step 5. He applies successes on the roll as an external penalty against his opponent's attack roll, stopping it if it reduces successes to 0, breaking mundane weapons if he rolls 1 more success than they do, and breaking even artifact weapons if he exceeds their roll by 5 successes. This inflicts a -1 DV penalty on him, -0 if he can draw his weapon reflexively. This Charm can only be used while his weapon is sheathed, and leaves his weapon unsheathed.
• Surprise Anticipation Method - 1m, Reflexive, Instant: Lu Shao removes the unexpected quality from an attack.
• Spirit-Detecting Glance - 3m, Reflexive, One Scene: Lu Shao may see dematerialized creatures within the normal range of sight, making them valid targets for his Awareness actions.
• Spirit-Cutting Attack - 1m, Supplemental, Instant: Lu Shao may attack dematerialized creatures normally, and deals aggravated damage to spirits, materialized or otherwise.
• Integrity-Protecting Prana - 5m, 1wp, Reflexive, One Day: Lu Shao is protected from Shaping effects that alter his mind, body, spirit, or traits. He is also protected from undodgeable, unblockable Shaping attacks. This charm doesn't protect him from miscellaneous danger of the Wyld or Wyld-use.
• 1st Presence Excellency - 1m+, Reflexive, Instant: Lu Shao may add up to (Charisma/Manipulation+Presence) dice to one Presence roll, at the cost of 1m per die.
• Hypnotic Tongue Technique -
• You Can Be More -
• Enemy-Castigating Solar Judgement -
• Essence-Lending Method - 3m, Simple (Speed 4), Instant: Lu Shao gives one Essence user up to (Essence x3) motes, losing as many as he gave. Motes gained in this way cannot push mote pools past their maximum.
• Soul-Enlightening Beneficence -
• 2nd Integrity Excellency - 2m+, Reflexive, Instant: Lu Shao may add up to half of (Charisma/Manipulation+Integrity) successes to one Integrity roll, at the cost of 2m per success.
• 2nd War Excellency - 2m+, Reflexive, Instant: Lu Shao may add one automatic success to one Melee roll per 2m spent on this charm, and may spend up to (War+Dexterity) motes.
• One Against the Tide - 5m, 1wp, Supplemental, Instant: If Lu Shao fights as a Solo Unit against a unit with Magnitude 3+, he ignores the DV bonus for Magnitude and doubles the raw damage of the attack (triple damage against units in close formation). Units composed of mortals lose Magnitude normally, though he may opt to have Magnitude loss be from killing everyone. Against Creatures of Darkness, Magnitude loss stems from him having killed them.
• (Lytek) Spirit of the Hero - Allows user to skip training times for a sixth dot of Essence.
• (Lytek) Spirit of the Demonslayer - Permanently enhances user's melee attacks, granting the Holy tag and always dealing Aggrivated damage to Creatures of Darkness.

Combos

• Forest-Felling Stroke - (2nd Melee Excellency, Hungry Tiger Technique, Wind Through Walls Attack)

Lu Shao fixes his opponent with a steely glare and tightens his grip on his sheathed sword. The world is silent except for the wind tousling his hair and blowing dust and several autumnal gingko leaves between him and his opponent. Suddenly, his foot shifts, and swift drum music plays as he dashes toward his enemy, feet blurring to the time of the drums. The camera pans to Lu Shao's iron gaze, then to his opponent's stricken face, each superimposed over the picture of Lu Shao running and his enemy standing there agog respectively. The tempo increases as he closes the gap, rising to a feverish roll of drums as he reaches the enemy. Then, silence once more as Lu Shao strikes, sword blurring. He ends on the other side of the enemy, his sword drawn and clean, while behind him his enemy stands for a moment, bewildered, then falls over in two neat, bloodless pieces.

Cost: 4m or 6m+, 1wp

• Devil-Cutting Hurricane Stance - (2nd Melee Excellency, Hungry Tiger Technique, Solar Counterattack, Steel-Shattering Gale Technique, Iron Whirlwind Attack)

The Devil-Cutting Hurricane Stance is a testament to the level of devotion he has paid to the lessons of Wind-Cutting Blade, as well as to his own innate understanding of Solar melee. It turns him into a golden tornado of death, his already swift swords blurring into a single sheet of light.

Cost: 14m+(4m or 6m+), 2wp

Inventory

• Daisho - This set of golden swords once belonged to Brave Rose Thorn, which she handed Lu Shao as she laying dying in the aftermath of the Death Knight's attack. Each is a simple, unadorned orichalcum blade with a handle wrapped in black cloth. Their true beauty is only realized when swung.

Lightning Flash (Orichalcum Reaper Daiklave)

Spd: 4, Acc: +8, Dam: +10L, Def: +4, Rate: 5;

Bending Willow (Refluffed Orichalcum Baneclaw)

Spd: 4, Acc: +4, Dam: +5L, Def: +8, Rate: 5; M

• Many-Layered Warrior's Gi - This heavy set of robes has several cunningly hidden sheets of flexible orichalcum stitched into the dark, simple fabric. It consists of heavy black fighting pants that tie at the ankles and waist and a dark blue coat with a chrysanthemum flower stitched in gold thread on the left breast, under which are several layers of thin white underclothing. Lu Shao normally wears only one sleeve, the other dangling at his side, since, while practical and tough, it's also hot.

Soak: 9L/12B, Hardness: 6L/6B, Mobility: -1, Fatigue: 0

• Scroll of the Wind-Cutting Blade - This scroll contains the secrets of Wind-Cutting Blade Style, which was bequeathed to him by the dying master of the Sublime Way School on her deathbed.

Advancement

Specialties (4 BP)
Combo (3 BP)
Melee 5 (2 BP)
Martial Arts 2 (2 BP)
Presence 5 (2 BP)
Awareness 5 (2 BP)

Conviction 2 (3 XP)
Valor 2 (3 XP)
Integrity 4 (8 XP)
Heavenly Guardian Defence (8 XP)
Spirit-Detecting Glance (8 XP)
Spirit-Cutting Attack (8 XP)
2nd Integrity Excellency (8 XP)
Dipping Swallow Defence (8 XP)
Bulwark Stance (8 XP)
Essence 3 (16 XP)
Specialties (6 XP)

Call the Blade (8 XP)
Master of All Swords (8 XP)
Steel-Shattering Gale Technique (8 XP)
Five-Fold Bulwark Stance (8 XP)

Solar Counterattack (8 XP)
Iron Raptor Technique (8 XP)
Combo (12 XP)

Essence 4 (24 XP)

War 3 (9 XP)
2nd War Excellency (8 XP)
One Against the Tide (8 XP)

Strength 3 (8 XP)
Stamina 3 (8 XP)
Lore 2 (2 XP)
Lightning Flash to Level 3 (3 XP)
Bending Willow to Level 3 (6 XP)
Noonday Shimmer Draw (8 XP)
Hypnotic Tongue Technique (8 XP)
You Can Be More (8 XP)
Essence Lending Method (10 XP)

Lore 4 (10 XP)
Soul-Enlightening Beneficence (10 XP)
Enemy-Castigating Solar Judgement (8 XP)

Investigation 2 (5 XP)
Combo Addition (5 XP)
One Weapon, Two Blows (8 XP)
Peony Blossom Attack (8 XP)
Iron Whirlwind Attack (8 XP)
Invincible Fury of the Dawn (8 XP)
Irresistible Salesman Spirit (8 XP)
Specialties (12 XP)
Essence 5 (32 XP)

Investigation 3 (4 XP)

Melee 6 (9 XP)
Integrity 5 (7 XP)
Perception 4 (20 XP)
Dexterity 6 (20 XP)
Investigation 5 (14 XP)
Essence 6 (40 XP)

Custom Charms

Noonday Shimmer Draw

Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Melee 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 4)

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite Charms: Iron Raptor Technique

The Solar lunges toward and past her opponent in a single perfect motion, striking so quickly that her opponent’s corpse still stands when she glances back over her shoulder to watch him fall in half. Noonday Shimmer Draw enables the lawgiver to close the distance to any one target within (Essence x 10) yards and strike them with one Melee attack using a pool of (Dexterity + Melee + Essence). The attack is always unexpected and deals piercing damage.
What’s more, the Solar does not need to have a weapon in hand to use this Charm, provided she has a weapon available to draw as a reflexive action. If combat has not yet begun, the Solar adds her Essence in automatic successes to her Join Battle roll.
A character cannot use Noonday Shimmer Draw simply as an easy way to move a long way quickly. The Solar must strike at a foe, though she can continue moving past him.