Tranquil Peak

Basics

Name: Tranquil Peak, or Ledaal Huaga
Concept: A swordsman with the heart of a scientist.
Caste/Aspect: Earth
Motivation: Uncover the secrets of lost Magitech, and master them.
Intimacies: Obscure first-age knowledge, self-identified scholars.
Anima Banner: The sensation of dust settling on observer's bodies, a gentle rumbling of the earth beneath.
Anima Effect: Durability of the earth
Experience: 4/50

Background

Born to two well-bred, influential, air-aspect parents, Huaga was a recipient of all the finer things in life. He was to be the culmination of centuries of selective breeding, the ideal air-caste, as it were, from two flitty socialites.

One small issue: He exalted as an earth-aspect, washing half a millennium of arranged marriages down the drain.

After finishing primary school, Huaga was sent to the Cloister, for lack of a better option. He excelled in the martial arts though all his years there, but was largely indifferent to the prospect of fighting, or becoming a monk.

A fresh graduate from "Cloister Community College", Huaga took up the name "Tranquil Peak", and went to train in the Even Blade dojo of Master Deep Stone, a former student of Master Azure Crane. The dojo's proximity to the manse of a favored uncle (Ledaal Fuso, also known as Playful Branch) was just a coincidence; That uncle's prodigious library, a joyous one. These were likely the happiest days of Huaga's life.

Pre-Exaltation: An insufferable spoiled arrogant brat, Huaga is sure that he'll live up to every expectation of his parents and family. So he's exalting a little slow. No big deal. He's still better than you. Mortals with no chance of exalting aren't even worth learning the names of.

Present: Still detached and disdainful, Huaga has lost most, if not all, of his respect for those who rely on breeding and unfocused socializing. He tends to look at his martial training with regret, seeing so many other possibilities for that time now that he's spent it. He has a profound respect for knowledge, but little for life, family, or natural talent.

Plot Hooks: Uncle, Master Deep Stone or one of his students, the engagement arranged by his Uncle that Huaga has never seen, cache of first-age crap, especially instructions or a chance at learning more.

Appearance

- Tall (6'1"), with wide shoulders.
- Slate-gray skin, offset by dark, almost black hair that's pulled into a loose ponytail in the midst of his neck.
- Clean-shaven face.
- A tendency to wear glasses, despite the sharp senses of the Exalted.
- Casual wear typically involves a simple dull-green buff coat, tied with a white sash, over a well-fit brown top, and loose brown pants.
- Formal wear varies, but typically involves a white-over-brown color scheme, usually with a snow-capped mountain motif.
- His Perfected Kata Bracers are usually hidden by the sleeves of his buff coat.
- His sword, in scabbard, is tucked into his sash. A small cord symbolically holds it shut.

Attributes

Strength  ●●●         Charisma     ●        Perception   ●●●
Dexterity ●●●●        Manipulation ●●●      Intelligence ●●●
Stamina   ●●●         Appearance   ●●●      Wits         ●●●

Abilities

Linguistics ●●     Awareness  ●●     Athletics ●      Bureaucracy           Archery     ●
Lore        ●●●    Craft      ●●●    Dodge            Investigation         Medicine    ●●●
Occult      ●      Integrity  ●●     Melee     ●●     Larceny               Performance ●
Stealth            Resistance ●●●    Presence  ●      Martial Arts  ●●●●●   Ride        ●●
Thrown             War        ●      Socialize ●●     Sail                  Survival    

Crafts

Air and fire, both ●●●

Linguistics

High, Low, and Old Realm

Specialties

Martial arts: Sword ●●●

Backgrounds

Artifact: ●●●●●
Resources: ●●●
Manse: ●●●
Breeding: ●●●

Charms

Martial Arts

• Death between heartbeats: 2m, reflexive (1), Instant. When the character performs a non-flurry attack action, on the same tick as another character: You act first. Use the post-action DV of the target, if it's lower. Use the pre-action DV of you, if it's higher.

• Breath and Essence control: 3m, supplemental, Instant. Instead of rolling to join battle, get automatic successes equal to Martial Arts. Weapon must be sheathed. If using weapon, can be readied as a reflexive action.

• Close your eyes and look: 4m, reflexive (1), Instant. Can be used to abort Aim action. Doubles target's current DV penalties. Can ask ST one question about target's essence effects.

• Even Blade form: 5m, simple, One Scene. Cannot be distracted from battle. DV recovers one tick sooner.

• Flashing Zephyr Speed Stance: 4m, supplemental, One action. If all martial arts flurry: speed -1, rate +1, each attack's acc+1.

Resistance

• Ox body HURDEBLURF

• 1st Resistance Excellency: 1m per 2 die, reflexive, instant. Hurf blurf up to 3 dice added to any roll. Can increase DV's for successes on 1 die per mote, max 3 die.

• Strength of Stone: 2m per person, simple, One scene. +1 to str and sta. Can affect others that HOLD YUR HANDS.

Medicine

• 1st Medicine Excellency: (1 per 2 die)+1m, reflexive, instant. Hurf blurf up to 3 dice added to any roll. Can increase DV's for successes on 1 die per mote, max 3 die.

Combos

The Swift Blade cuts the Contemplative: 6m + 1wp

• Death between heartbeats: 2m, reflexive (1), Instant. When the character performs a non-flurry attack action, on the same tick as another character: You act first. Use the post-action DV of the target, if it's lower. Use the pre-action DV of you, if it's higher.

• Close your eyes and look: 4m, reflexive (1), Instant. Can be used to abort Aim action. Doubles target's current DV penalties. Can ask ST one question about target's essence effects.

Essence

Essence: ●●●
Regeneration: 16 m/h (18 with both amulets attuned), +4 resting
Personal Essence Pool: 1/13
Peripheral Essence Pool: 31/31
Committed Essence: 12

Willpower

Willpower: ●●●●● ●●
Temporary: □□□□□ □□
("cross out" □ boxes by substituting them with Xs)

Virtues

• Compassion ●●
  
• Conviction ●●●
  
• Temperance ●●●●
  
• Valor ●
  

Flawed Virtue: Temperance
Limit: □□□□□ □□□□□
Limit Break: Despise the other
Do you have the same hobbies, background, interests, and knowledge base as me? No? Then you're useless, and I hate you on general principle.
Even if I know, overwhelming, that your ideas or skills are more useful in the current situation, I'll cut you down to your face or behind your back, and oppose your plans for no other reason than our differences. And god help you if you're in a bad situation. I will find a way to prove it was your own fault, and punish you for it, acting "in your best interests."
Typically, it takes several overwhelmingly successful plans that I had derided to snap me out of this bitter, lashing cycle.
As for getting into it? Having to clean up after someone else's failures, real or imagined, tends to set me off. But then, only a fool wouldn't be bothered by such things.

Inventory

Jade Perfected Kata Bracers [Artifact ●●●●] [Attune: 8]

• When in Martial arts form: +Ess to acc, dam, and def. Unarmed deals bashing or lethal. Parry Lethal unarmed.
• Dragonblooded get +ess to soak, and +2 rate.

Rumbling Soul of the Imperial Mountain [Artifact ●●●] [Attune: 6]

• Speed 4-1, Acc +4, Dam +5L+1, Def +1, Rate 3.
• 2m: On a successful melee attack, tremor below opponent. (Dex + Ath, diff 4, to not fall)

2 Jade Hearthstone amulets [Artifact ●, ●] [Attune: 1 each, neither attuned]

Silver brush [Artifact ●] [Attune: 1, not attuned]

• Requires no ink.

Reinforced Buff Jacket [Resources]

• +7L/10B, Mobility -2, Fatigue 2.

Clothes lol. [Buhhhhh]

Manses and Heartstones

●●● Windhands Gemstone (Rumbling Soul)

• Apply DV without penalties to ranged attacks.
• Begrudgingly handed over by Huaga's parents after they admitted they had no need for such a thing in their lives. Its source, Thundering Shelf, is an expansive open-walled multi-tiered series of 'shelves' stuck into the side of a mountain. 6 of it's 8 shelves are dedicated entirely to entertaining.

●● Savant's Icy Eye (Amulet)

• Know numbers from looking. +5 dice to estimates and calculations
• The lower practice arena of Deep Stone's dojo, named Attending Pond for the body of water it's constructed around, is actually an extremely efficient manse. This secret was revealed by the schoolmaster shortly before Huaga left to hunt the Anathema, and its hearthstone was entrusted to him.

● Stone of Healing (Amulet)

• +3 dice to medicine
• Given to him by his uncle Branch, after Peak was called to the Wyld hunt. The manse it stems from, Little Tree, is not terribly powerful, but is beautifully furnished and well-stocked with scholarly materials, including a few rare books dating from before the contagion.

Combat

Dodge DV: 4(4+0+3)/2 round up
Dodge MDV: 6(7+2+3)/2 round down
Soak: 10A/11L/16B; with 4m and feet on ground, 10A/16L/19B *If not in form, subtract 3*
Pierced: 6A/7L/11B; with 4m and feet on ground, 6A/12L/14B *If not in form, subtract 3*
Hardness: 0A/0L/0B

Attacks

In form: Rumbling Soul (Speed 3, Accuracy 19, Damage 12L, Parry DV 8, Rate 5, Tremor effect)
Unarmed Kick {punch} (Speed 5, Accuracy 12{13}, Damage 9L/B{6L/B}, Parry DV 5{7}, Rate 4{5})

Out of form: Rumbling Soul (Speed 3, Accuracy 16, Damage 9L, Parry DV 7, Rate 3, Tremor effect)
Unarmed Kick {punch} (Speed 5, Accuracy 9{10}, Damage 6B{3B}, Parry DV 5{7}, Rate 2{3})

Health

□ -0
□□□ -1
□□□ -2
□ -4
□ Incapacitated

Advancement

Bonus Points

Martial arts: 1
Artifact: 4
Essence: 10

Experience Points

• Chargen:

Martial arts Specialization +1: 3
Craft (Air) (2 -> 3): 3
Temperance +1: 9
Charms (2): 20
Combo: 5

• 1/11/09:

Martial arts Specialization +2: 6

Character Development

• Rinku