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[OOC] Exalted: Solar Rising
adventfalls
Why would you wish to know?Registered User regular
Why would you wish to know?Registered User regular
Exalted 2nd Edition Handbook wrote:The history of Creation is a great sprawling tapestry, embroidered in blood and jade and gold, stretching from the furthest past to the current hour. Immortal demigods once shaped Creation to their will and made it a place of miraculous splendor. Today, men fight with sword and mail in the ruins of ancient glory. The immortal Scarlet Empress has vanished, and the Realm she founded shudders as the Great Houses of the Scarlet Dynasty turn against each other. The forces of the Wyld make war on the bordermarches of reality, and newly reborn heroes from the ancient past return to save the world—or doom it.
Gentlemen, welcome to Exalted. I will be your rambling, bat-shit insane Storyteller, AdventFalls. I like this game, and I like it enough to try and make a PbP. That's how bat-shit insane I am.
Let's get this out of the way. Exalted's a game where everything gets turned up to eleven. And then you rip the knob off. That's exactly what I want to see out of all of you.
So what am I allowing? Well, the only thing you absolutely MUST have is the Second Edition Handbook.
- Solar or Lunar Exalted only. Sorry guys, but if I'm going insane, I want an insane I have the materials for. This makes access to the Exalted 2e book a must.
- Addendum: Wyld mutations are OK, but must be cleared with me. (Pages 288-290, 2e Handbook)
- Errata from Glories of the Most High will be used. Specifically the 'Blockade Movement' and 'Defend Other' actions. These will be explained at the start of your first combat scene.
- Merits and Flaws from Scrolls of the Heroes are A-OK. Access to Scrolls of the Heroes will not be necessary, since I will list campaign rules for Merits and Flaws.
- I am willing to add in the charms and additional Backgrounds from the Scrolls of the Monk. Not having access will bar you from use of the Charms, but I will list the backgrounds for you. Access to Sidereal and Celestial MA charms is locked at character creation.
- All material from White and Black Treaties is in.
- Everything else can be negotiated.
Be prepared for blood, violence, and off-screen Bow-Chicka-Bow-Wow, so if you don't like it then oh well.
As for the story... Exalted's more of a 'be-awesome-and-it-goes-from-there' sort of deal. We'll be starting in the East, unless there are other ideas. So I expect lots of stunt dice, people. We'll be using Invisible Castle for dice rolls.
Judging from the interest from INNS's game, I'm thinking there's room for another game. Don't try making characters just yet- because creating an Exalted character takes a hella fucking long time, I just want to hear character concepts. Once I have a suitable number that I like (aka the five or six people who can bribe me), submissions will be closed and we'll talk Charm choices, Motives, and all that jazz.
The Cast:
INeedNoSalt is Ai-Ren the Crimson Peony Blossom, Dawn Caste Solar (deceased?)
Plutonium is Rydlee Von Nadir, Twilight Caste Solar
Erich Zahn is Bright Owl, ??? Lunar
Rainfall is Alira the Serpent, Full Moon Lunar
simonwolf TBD
Horseshoe is Hon Shan, Dawn Caste Solar
NintendoID: AdventFalls 3DS Code: 3454-0237-6080
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Merits and Flaws can be considered the bells and whistles to your background. These are special benefits or handicaps. Merits are boons to your power, and cost bonus points. Flaws are penalties, but GIVE you additional bonus points to divvy however you wish. You may not gain more than 10 bonus points from flaws, and I have banned any Flaws that cost you the use of your limbs.
Usually, you can only gain either during character creation. However, you can gain these during the course of play. Gaining new Merits via the course of play will cost you double XP, and gaining Flaws will give you double XP. We will discuss details of this if and when this comes up in play.
Bonus Points can be used to acquire Wyld mutations at character creation. Should you wish to have a Wyld mutation, we will discuss the costs.
I reserve the right to veto any and all of your Merit/Flaw picks.
Merits
When participating in Dexterity-related activities, you may use a weapon or tool without any penalties. When in close-combat, you may switch a melee or one-handed martial arts weapon to your other hand with a single success on a [Dexterity + (Martial Arts or Melee)] roll. This counts as an action, but reduces the Parry DV of your target for your next attack.
Double-Jointed- 1 or 3 BP
You are remarkably supple and can flex into odd positions. With one BP, you gain a one-die bonus on all grapple rolls and to all rolls that your flexibility may benefit (such as Dexterity, Athletics, or Larceny). With three BP, you become a master contortionist and gain a three-die bonus on all Dexterity, Athletics, and/or Larceny rolls, and the difficulty of escaping any non-magical bonds decreases by 2 (to a minimum difficulty of 1). Anyone attempting to grapple you will suffer a -1 external penalty.
Fleet of Foot- 1 or 3 BP
You are damned fast when you're sprinting. Normally, a Dash action lets you move (Dexterity + 6 - wound penalties - mobility penalty) yards per tick. You may take this benefit up to three times. Each instance adds two yards to the distance you may move as a Dash action with no DV penalty. This Merit has no benefit on normal move actions.
Improved Resistance- 1 BP or 1-5 BP
You are better at resisting the effects of poison, drunkenness, or disease. There are two versions of this merit. The 1 BP version can be totally immune to one specific disease or to one specific poison, and will automatically succeed on any (Stamina + Resistance) roll to resist. Alcohol counts as a poison you may become immune to, and immunity ensures you will never be drunk.
The 1-5 BP version applies to all toxins and diseases. You may acquire up to five dots in this version of the Merit, each dot adding a one-die bonus to all (Stamina + Resistance) rolls to resist disease, poison, or intoxication. You may have both versions of this Merit.
Legendary [Attribute]- 3 BP
Normally, you cannot raise your attributes above 5 until your permanent Essence is above 5. This Merit increases the normal Attribute cap by one for a single Attribute. This Merit does not GIVE you any extra dots, merely the potential to attain a superhuman level within it. Taking this at character creation allows you to acquire a 6 dot rating with BP.
Omnidexterity- 3 BP, 2 BP for Haltans
Your feet are specially adapted to grasp objects, including tools and weapons, without penalties. This benefits gives the benefits of Ambidexterous for free- let's face it, once you wield a sword with your foot, your off hand is nothing.
Pain Tolerance- 3 BP, 5 BP, or 7 BP
You become remarkably resistant to the effects of injury. You still suffer from their existence, but in terms of dice penalties that come with the, you won't have any of it. At 3 BP, treat your -1 health levels as being -0 health levels, ignoring all wound penalties before the -2 level. At 5 BP, you also treat your -2 levels as being -0. At 7 BP, ignore all wound penalties until your last Dying level is filled in.
There are drawbacks, however. At 3 BP, the difficulty of all touch-based Perception rolls increases by one. At 5, increases by two. At 7, you fail all Perception rolls based on touch because you feel nothing through your sense of touch. This does not stack with any Charms that negate wound penalties.
Selective Conception- 1 BP
You control your own fertility. A female with this Merit can have sex however much she wants without getting pregnant, or get pregnant with a sterile man's child at the cost of one Willpower point. A male cannot ensure pregnancy, merely prevent it. Males with this benefit who do not exercise this benefit during a sexual encounter may sire offspring and not know it.
Strong Back- 3 BP
You are exceptionally strong at heavy lifting. Add one dot to your Strength when determining how much you can lift or carry. This Strength does not apply for any other purpose.
Strong Lungs- 3 BP (2 BP if your character is from the West)
You can hold your breath for (Stamina * 60) seconds, plus an additional 60 seconds for every success on a (Stamina + Resistance) roll.
You are accustomed to giving commands and expecting them to be followed without question. You gain a one-die bonus to all social rolls made against an acknowledged inferior. I will be the final arbiter of when this bonus applies.
Carouser- 2 BP
You know how to party. You gain a two-die bonus made to influence, charm, or seduce others in the context of any non-formal party. You also gain a two-die bonus to all (Stamina + Resistance) rolls made for you to resist the effects of consuming too much alcohol or other recreational drugs at the party. At my discretion, this bonus may also apply to any rolls relevant to sexual performance in the context of the party.
Enchanting Features- 2 BP or 4 BP
You aren't necessarily good-looking, but you have a certain irresistible charm. At 2 BP, you gain a two-die bonus on all social rolls to seduce a person capable of becoming sexually attracted to you. Also, the limit on the maximum die bonus you gain from having a higher Appearance increases by one. If the target has a higher Appearance, the Merit reduces by one any penalty inflicted upon you.
At 4 BP, you are damned alluring! You gain a four-die bonus on all social rolls against those normally capable of being attracted to you. Against those who are not able to be attracted to you, you gain no bonus but ignore any penalties. Also, the limit on the maximum die bonus you gain from having a higher Appearance increases by three. If the target has a higher Appearance, the Merit reduces by three any penalty inflicted upon you.
Innocuous- 2 BP or 4 BP
Availability: Appearance 2 (and ONLY 2)
You are not beautiful or ugly, but just... plain. Everything about how you look is plain. So it's more difficult for people to remember you. At 2 BP, you gain a one-die bonus on all Larceny and Stealth rolls meant to make you blend into a crowd. The difficulty of any casual pursuit or investigation increases by one.
At 4 BP, you're almost a fucking ghost. Remembering even superficial details requires a successful (Wits + Essence) roll. The base difficulty is a 6, reduced by one for every significant encounter the observer had with you over the past week. If successful, the observer remembers you clearly for a week. At the end of that time (and all weeks that the observer had no contact with you), the observer must again roll (Wits + Essence) against a difficulty equal to the number of weeks since the last you two interacted. Failure indicates the observer forgot all about you.
The 4 BP version has serious difficulties establishing long-term difficulties in mortal society. You may never have more than two dots in Allies, Contacts, or Mentor unless those backgrounds represent magical beings (who are immune from this Merit). You may never have any dots in Command, Cult, Followers, Henchman, or any other Background that requires you be widely known in mortal society.
Silver Tongue: 3 BP
Availability: Manipulation 2+
You are a skilled con artist and liar. You gain a two-die bonus on all Manipulation rolls based on deliberate deception.
One of your senses are especially perceptive. This Merit functions as a sense-specific specialty for the Perception Attribute. Each time you purchase this benefit, you gain a one-die bonus to Perception-based rolls involving a specific sense of your choosing. You can buy this Merit up to three times, either giving you a three-die bonus to one sense or lesser bonuses to different senses.
Common Sense- 1 BP
You have an inner voice warning you when you're doing something remarkably stupid... and it sounds just like ME! When you're about to prepare to do something that's a VERY BAD idea, I will warn you of the danger you have apparently missed.
Eidetic Memory- 3 BP
You have a remarkable memory and are able to recall anything you've observed with picture-perfect clarity. There is no roll to recall anything you have ever experienced. When under stress or trying to remember something you saw in a stressful situation, you must roll (Intelligence + Awareness), with a difficulty assigned by me based on the amount of stress involved. If you have a low Intelligence, I may allow you to use your Wits instead. Dumbass.
Esoteric Craft- 1 BP
You may purchase dots in one of the Craft Abilities you are not normally permitted. You have somehow gained a measure of knowledge in such forbidden lore and may begin play with dots in these crafts. You may take his Merit multiple times, with each Merit applying to a different Esoteric Craft.
This merit only allows you to START play with a rating in that chosen Craft. This does not allow you to increase the rating in it without having the appropriate traits.
Internal Compass- 1 BP
You have an intuitive sense of direction. You can automatically orient yourself according to the cardinal directions without effort, and gain a one-die bonus on all navigation rolls made for you.
Linguistic Genius- 1-5 BP
Availability: Linguistics 1+
You have a knack for picking up languages, more so than your Linguistics rating may indicate. For each dot in this Merit, you are familiar with one additional language. You may not purchase more dots in this Merit than the lesser of your Intelligence or your Linguistics. By default, you cannot read or write in any of the languages you acquire though this merit. For each dot of Lore you have however, you can choose to be literate in one extra language.
Prodigy- 5 BP
You have a supernatural aptitude in a particular Ability. You may improve your competence in any of your Favored Abilities or your Caste Abilities. This increased aptitude reduced the XP cost for increasing the Ability to (Ability * 1). You gain a one-die bonus on all uses of the Ability. This Merit may be purchased more than once, each purchase applying to a different Ability. You may not purchase this Merit more times than the lesser of your Intelligence or Wits.
Availability: Conviction 3+
You posses a Motivation that defines your goal in life. With this Merit, the intensity to which you drive towards this Motive aids you in fulfilling it. When you take any action directly furthering your Motive requiring a dice roll, you gain a two-die bonus to the roll. Once you fulfill your Motive, this Merit ceases to exist.
Paragon of [Virtue]- 3 BP
Availability: [Virtue] 3+
You are a tower of the Virtue of your choosing. There are four Paragon of [Virtue] Merits, one for each Virtue. A character with these Merits has the potential to raise the Virtue one dot higher than normal, whether at character creation or with experience. This effect stacks with any other Virtue cap raising effects. This does not actually raise your Virtue rating. You can never have a Willpower rating higher than 10, no matter how high your Virtues are. You have the option of rolling the Virtue this Merit is associated with instead of Conviction to recover Willpower every morning.
True Love- 4 BP
Availability: Compassion 3+
You have a deep and abiding romantic relationship with someone, whether they are another player character or someone of my choosing. The object of your affection must be someone for which you have an Intimacy, but it need not be reciprocated. This Merit effectively raises your Intimacy to the level of a secondary Motivation. In social combat, you gain a +3 bonus to MDV against social attacks seeking to turn you against your Intimacy. You suffer a -3 MDV penalty against attacks that play on your emotional attachments. When performing any action that reaffirms your lover, you regain Willpower as if you performed an action in furtherance of his Motivation. Finally, as long as you are in the presence of your lover, you can roll Compassion instead of Conviction to recover Willpower.
Virtue Specialty- 2 BP, 4 BP, or 6 BP
Availability: [Virtue] 3+
This Merit functions like a normal specialty, but for a Virtue instead of an Ability. You must define a specific situation in which your moral fiber is made of sterner stuff. When this situation applies and you channel the appropriate Virtue, you gain a die bonus. At 2 BP, this is one-die, at 4 BP, this is two-die, 6 BP is three-die. You cannot acquire more than three Virtue specialties per Virtue. You may take one three-dice bonus in one situation, or three one-dice situations in three situations.
There is a downside. The bonus applies to all Virtue rolls appropriate to it, even ones you wish to fail. Successes gained from rolling bonus dice on Virtue rolls have all normal effects, including Limit gain. I reserve the right to veto any specialty I deem as too broad.
Availability: Resources 4+ or Salary 2+
Generally, the Resources background presumes your income is tied to a specific location and that going too far from it prevents you from accessing it all. This Merit removes that restriction, and may access the full benefits from any location. This money may not be immediately available, however. But unless you are lose on the Great Ice or in the Southern Wastes, you can usually get whatever funds you need within a few weeks at most. The range this Merit covers varies on its cost:
*- Can access your full Resources or Salary within 500 miles of your home.
**, ***, or ****- For each additional point, you name one major city in a cardinal direction (the Blessed Isle count as a direction) in which you reside. You can access your full Resources and Salary if you are within 500 miles of each of those cities.
*****+- Starting at the five-point level, you can access your full Resources and Salary anywhere in the cardinal direction where you reside. With each additional point, you may add an additional direction. At the nine-point level, you may access your full Resources or Salary anywhere in Creation.
Favor- Variable Cost
You are owed a debt from some powerful or influential personage, and can use said debt to gain benefits. This functions as a short-term version of the Mentor or the Allies Background. Once the favor is called in, you lose this Merit. The value of the Merit depends on the type of favor.
*- Your debtor owes you some minor task that may occupy a few days, but no real risk.
**- Your debtor owes you a task that is a serious inconvenience, but is not life-threatening.
***- Your debtor owes you a major boon, and completing it has a great chance of injury.
****- Your debtor owes you his/her life. The debt can only be canceled by saving your life or by performing any major request of the character's choice, no matter how time-consuming or dangerous.
The default assumption is that your debtor is the equivalent of a *** Mentor or Ally. Add one dot if the debtor is the equivalent of a **** Mentor/Ally. Add two dots if the debtor is the equal of a ***** Mentor/Ally. Terrestrial Gods count as **** for the purposes of this Merit, and Celestial Gods always count as *****.
You may not call in the debt for its full value and instead ask for minor favors over an extended period of time. If you are owed a favor, you may ask for the benefits of a favor costing two or more points less once per session, and may call upon the benefits of a favor costing one point less once per story. Since this is a PbP, we'll talk shop if this ever comes up.
This Merit is not enforced magically, and a debtor could refuse his obligations.
Heir Apparent: 1-5 BP
You hold a place of importance in someone's will. For each point put into this Merit, you will receive two Background points at some time in the future to be applied as you wish. No Background can be raised above *****. I must consent to precisely what benefits you will receive. I will also determine when the person whose will you are in dies, unless you take action to facilitate the person's end more quickly.
In addition to the Background points conferred directly by this Merit, you may gain one additional Background point for each major condition you must fulfill to stay in your benefactor's good grace. Examples include graduating from the House of Bells or being married at the time the will is read or spending a night in a haunted house.
You also owe the benefactor an Obligation (similar to the Flaw listed in this post) equal to (this Merit's rating - 2). Failure to fulfill the obligation could result in disinheritance.
You are most likely to receive tangible requests, such as land, artifacts, manses, and slaves. However, you could be creative, based on who's will it is.
Heirloom- 1 BP
You have a single expensive item that your Resources rating cannot justify. Regardless of the Resources cost, this Merit is only 1 BP. It need not be inherited, but it is imported. The item cannot be magical, since that falls under Artifacts. You may sell the item, by doing so will not raise your Resources more than * without my approval. Selling the heirloom is likely a turning point in the story, since people would likely kill to possess them.
Hidden Manse- 1 or 2 BP
Availability: Manse 1+
Any Essence-wielding character can intuitively sense the presence of a manse or demense. But some manses or demenses can be hidden. At 1 BP, you have control over a demense that naturally hides itself from others. With 2 BP you can have a manse that does the same. You must be discreet, as a display of power near the manse could expose its location.
Availability: Strength 3+
You specialize in brutal crushing attacks in close combat. When making a Melee or Martial Arts attack, you have the option of replacing your Dexterity with your Strength in calculating your attack pool. You can use this on mundane Martial Arts attacks, but not on any attack augmented by a Charm (Excellencies are the exception). At 4 BP, you can make such an attack with any style custom built for blunt attacks, such as the 'Hero Styles'.
Danger Sense- 3 or 5 BP
You have a knack for sensing danger. At 3 BP you gain a two-die bonus on all Perception-based rolls to detect ambushes, traps, hidden dangers, and Join Battle rolls. At 5 BP you never lose your Dodge DV as a result of surprise, though you may still lose your Parry DV. You may add three dice to all rolls to evade hidden dangers.
Favored Weapon- 2 BP
Availability: Anyone with a specialty in the relevant combat Ability
You have trained so long with one weapon that it has become a part of you. A favored weapon adds one to its Accuracy and Defense. Whenever you use another weapon that calls upon the same Ability, it just feels wrong in your hands, and you suffer a -1 penalty to the Accuracy and Defense of your new weapon. You may have only one favored weapon, and if it is lost/destroyed permanently, this becomes a two-point Flaw until you rid yourself of the penalty.
Improved Join Battle- 1-3 BP
Each point invested in this Merit adds a one-die bonus to your Join Battle rolls.
Quick Draw- 2 or 4 BP
Availability: Melee 3+
At the first sign of danger, your hand moves to the hilt of your blade. At 2 BP, your character reduces the flurry penalty for drawing the weapon and attacks with it on the same tick by one per attack. For four point, you can draw the weapon reflexively and suffer no flurry penalty on your attacks after doing so.
Tactical Instincts- 3 BP
Availability: War 2+
Your character has an intuitive grasp for the ebb and flow of combat. In mass combat, after you observe the enemy's actions for a single long tick, you may roll (Wits + War) as a simple action. Each success goes into a pool of bonus dice you can add to the attacks of any unit of which your character is commander of or is a special character in (provided she can communicate with the commander). No more than three dice may be added to a single attack. When the pool is expended, you may roll (Wits + War) again, but this is a full action that could leave your unit exposed if you are commander.
This Merit also gives you a damned good eye at games of strategy. As a reflexive action, you may review the board and roll (Wits + War). Any successes go into a pool that can be used on subsequent rolls.
Availability: Occult 1+
If you want to use other forms of divination besides astrology (ex: crystallomancy, haruspicy, oneiromancy, palmistry, or sorilege), talk to me.
Lucid Dreamer- 3 BP
When you dream, you're aware of it and can influence your dreams. You are immune to any supernatural effects that may attempt to influence your dreams or harm you, including gods, demons, and the Fae Folk. You also gain the Alternative Divination (Oneiromancy) Merit, the base difficulty for you to interpret your dreams is reduced to 3.
Luck- 1-5 BP
You are damned lucky. For each level of this merit, you have a luck pool. You may spend a luck point to reroll any failed or botched roll save for one botched through an Eclipse Caste oath or a powerful curse. You may apply multiple points to the same roll. Points return at a rate of one per week that the pool has not been used.
You may use luck points to influence any game of chance or completely random event. Each luck point used increases a favorable result's occurence by 10%.
Past Lives- 1-5 BP
You have memories of a past life.
*- Hazy memories of a First Age event, maybe enough to grant clues for your current situation.
**- Your memories are clearer, and you have a one-die bonus on all rolls to use First Age technology.
***- You recall day-to-day life of being a First Age citizen. Your one-die bonus now applies to all rolls pertaining to First Age society, customs, and history.
****- You remember much of the First Age, and are displeased that Creation has fallen so far. Your one-die bonus is upgraded to a three-die bonus.
*****- You remember almost everything from the First Age, and your three-die bonus is now a five-die bonus. You are now at risk of suffering the effects of the Throwback Flaw.
I am the final arbiter on the nature and circumstances of your flashbacks. We may discuss your previous life if you take this Merit.
Priest- 1 or 7 BP (Free or 6 BP with Holy Mien)
You are a priest of a particular deity. Zeniths and No Moon Caste Lunars get the benefits of the one-point version for free. When making prayer rolls, reduce the difficulty by one. I may send you dreams from your patron deity.
The 7 BP version means you are a favored priest. You regularly receive prophetic dreams or even visions. You can call upon your deity for miracles in response to prayer. The roll is a standard prayer roll (Charisma + Performance), but you must spend a Willpower point or channel a Virtue.
Common miracles include Divine Guidance, Essence Recovery, Exorcism, Healing, Warding, and Willpower Recovery.
When you pray for a miracle, your caste mark shines brightly.
Holy Mien- 7 BP
Availability: Compassion 3+ and Conviction 3+
Your enlightened soul gives you a four-die bonus on all rolls to affect creatures of darkness by magical means. These include Abyssal and Infernal Exalted, as well as many demons. Second and Third Circle Demons, Deathlords, and any Abyssal or Infernal Exalted that has an Essence of *** greater than you is immune.
Taking this Merit automatically gives you the one-point version of Priest.
Sorcery Focus- 5 BP (4 for Twilight Caste Exalted)
Availability: Any Exalt capable of learning Terrestrial Circle Sorcery
This Merit denotes a singular focus on the part of the sorcerer on your study of the magical arts. All bonus/experience point costs and training times are halved for learning new spells. However, the bonus/experience point costs and training times for all Charms except Ox-Body Technique or any whose pre-reqs include Terrestrial Circle Sorcery or Celestial Circle Sorcery doubles.
Terrestrial Circle Sorcery- 10 BP
Availability: Essence 3+ and Occult 5+
You have been initiated into sorcery and can learn and cast spells associated with the First Circle. You can now learn any spells associated with the circle at teh cost of 15 XP (12 if Occult is Favored) or 8 BP (6 if Occult is Favored), just as if you used the proper initiation Charm. Any spell cast by you follows the normal rules for casting actions, and you must spend a Willpower point to cast any spell.
Fortune favors the bold! You are good at defying the odds. By spending one Willpower, you can double the stunt die awarded for any physical action with a difficulty of 3 or higher. You can spend Willpower to gain the benefits of this Merit as well as gaining an automatic success or channeling a Virtue, and you need not declare the use of the Merit until I have declared its final difficulty. This Merit does not affect the number of motes or Willpower recovered if successful, and does not double the extra stunt die from Signature Style.
Signature Style- 2 BP
You have a certain flair for doing something. This is a specialty for stunts. If the stunt is appropriate to your Signature Style, you gain a one-die bonus. This Merit can be taken three times, but a single stunt can never gain more than the one-die bonus. This does not affect the number of motes or Willpower recovered for a stunt.
Examples of styles: 'Doing the Impossible', 'Effortless Grace', 'Peerless Skill', 'Shocking Brutality'
I am the final arbiter on whether or not your Style is OK.
Extra Background- Monk
Face: This background represents how well you are recognized and respected by other Martial Artists. Like most Backgrounds, you can earn this over the course of play, or you can start play with some points in this Background. When you go up against another martial artist, your Face values are compared, and the lower score is subtracted from the higher. The person with the greater Face gets that many bonus dice on all social rolls against the opponent. This only applies when both characters see themselves as martial artists. The usual rules for buying a Background at character creation apply.
*- Noticed: Other martial artists have seen you claim a few victories, or you have a revered teacher.
**- Known: You have a strong reputation in the Martial Arts world, at least locally. Locals martial artists know you are a capable martial artist and that you are not to be taken lightly. You sifu is probably proud of you.
***- Famous: You have become well-known outside of the local area. Other artists are probably coming to challenge you to see if the stories about you are true. Others might seek instruction. Hell, you could open up your own dojo.
****- Revered: Your technique and your record have made you known throughout Creation... at least among those who are connoisseurs of combat. Other artists claim you are one of the best martial artists alive.
****- Legendary: Only the greatest or the most hot-headed dare to test your might. Students crave your teachings, and you have trained several students as it is. You are definitely known as one of the all-time greatest practitioners of your fighting style- perhaps you've created your own! Even the Sidereal Exalted speak of you with respect. Anyone studying under you receives a +1 to their Face because of you.
Edit: alternatively, I want to play
That's less forceful
I'm thinking about Twilight or Eclipse.
Dawn makes the most sense, but I like Night mechanically best
I will post character background/concept in a bit.
She learned to disdain those less educated, less skilled than herself, and considered herself to be high society, a righteous aristocrat. Unfortunately, she never truly learned to appreciate that she lived so comfortably on the backs and labor of the people of her kingdom. When the peasantry rose up, the downtrodden military of the kingdom at their side, Princess Ai-Ren was at a loss for their reasoning. Still...
When the peasants and serfs of the kingdom came to her palace home, Princess Ai-Ren ignored her mother's orders that she flee the palace. "No," she said. "I will show them that they do not deserve what they seek to take." She took her weapons master and those few guards who remained loyal to royal family and marched to the gates of the palace, where they threw the doors open to meet the masses that had come to kill the princess and her family.
"Come then, you wretches, all of you!" She shouted, and with just a handful of guards and her tutors by her side, she marched down to prove her superiority.
That is when the Golden Exaltation claimed her.
I'm going to look through my 2e and black and white treatise for a bit. Twilight's my first choice, just to give everyone a heads-up so we can go for a perfect circle.
You are starting in the East, as stated in the OP, unless there are any objections.
As for overarching themes? Well, there's one real theme off the top of my head.
YOU ARE A BADASS!
But seriously. Define 'overarching themes'.
A more sandbox-type Solar game seems great. It allows for the wide range of awesome stuff that can go down.
The point about being a badass stands though.
I'm thinking a character who is more than a bit feral. Mother was a crazy forest lady who hung out with the King of Endless Branches, but when she slew one of Arilak's pets, Arilak demanded her life and her only daughter(three sons, woo Rutanjali,) as tribute.
Arilak raised the child as her own, and so she has a very, very deep knowledge of the Eastern forests. Probably Arilak as a Mentor, with a familiar being one of Arilak's beasts. Night Caste would work best, but Lunar would also be a lot of fun, some kind of serpent/reptile totem.
But, y'know, a bit feral. Not used to having to interact with people besides Arilak, and Gods are certainly not stable. Probably Archery-focus for combat, mostly used to hunting Fae in the forests, high survival, stealth, but low Larceny.
This is what I mean by negotiation, guys. I'm pretty easy.
only if I can just play Malfeas
How do you feel about Allies?
Whereabouts in the East are we starting? Scavenger lands, hundred kingdoms, way out theres in the forest?
Also, are you including Solar Hero style in your MA ban?
Solar Hero style is not included in the ban. The ban primarily deals with the MA styles found in the Scrolls of the Monk, and those only apply at character creation.
Flaws
You are acclimated to a certain region and suffer penalties in other climates. When the sensitivity is triggered, you suffer a -1 penalty on all actions, and the difficulty of all Survival and Resistance rolls increases by 1.
The Flaw's cost pends on your sensitivity. At 2 BP, you suffer only in an extreme climate the opposite of your own. At 3 BP, you are uncomfortable in any environment other than your preferred one, even in temperate areas. At 4 BP, you are limited to one geographical region and cannot endure areas that are similar but not identical.
I am the final arbiter if your choice is too out of the way.
Diminished Attributes- 3 BP per Attribute dot
Your character is weaker for some reason or other, whether it be a Physical, Mental, or Social Attibute.
Mute- 1 or 4 BP
You cannot speak normally. At 1 BP, you cannot speak but a whisper, and fail all Performance or Presence checks requiring public speaking. You do not face any penalty on social attacks as long as your target can hear you. Your target must succeed on a difficulty 2 (Perception + Awareness) roll.
At 4 BP, you are totally mute. In addition to failing Performance and Presence checks on verbal communication, you suffer a -5 penalty on all your social attacks unless the attack is non-verbal.
There is not universal sign language, but you and your allies can communicate in an informal sign language if everyone commits one point in Linguistics.
Sickly- 3 or 6 BP
Availability- < Stamina 3
You have a weak constitution. At 3 BP, either double all healing times or double the difficulty of all (Stamina + Resistance) rolls to resist infection. At 6 BP, take both weaknesses. If your Stamina rises above 3, you lose this Flaw.
Sun-Seared- 2, 3, or 6 BP
You are vulnerable to sunburn; you may be an albino or an Abyssal. Exposure to direct sunlight is a damaging environmental effect. At 2 BP, direct sunlight inflicts 1B/hour damage with a trauma of 3, and you suffer a one-die penalty on all rolls. at 4 BP, the damage is 1B/30 minutes, and the penalty is now two-die. At 6 BP (Abyssals or some Wyld mutants), sunlight is 1B/minute and a three-die penalty. Heavy clothing doubles the time interval.
Sterile- 1 BP
You can't have kids. Either you had your balls cut off or you're shooting blanks.
Availability: Lore 0
You never learned how to function in civilized society. You have no dots in Lore and can never gain any. You have a four-die penalty on all rolls involving interacting civilly with others in situations requiring breeding or education.
I have the final say on whenever this penalty applies, but it generally applies in formal settings.
Dark Secret- 1-5 BP
You harbor a secret that would be horrible if anyone discovered it. The BP gained from this Flaw reflects the seriousness of the secret. * likely means some public humiliation, *** has serious social consequences, and ***** would probably get you killed.
You gain an Intimacy towards keeping the secret. If the secret gets out, you lose the Flaw and the Intimacy. You will then gain a number of Flaws chosen by me that are appropriate for the revelation or you lose Background/Merit dots of my choosing or a combination of both. The number of dots lost will be equal to the number of dots received by this Flaw.
Disfigured- 3 or 5 BP
You have a face not even your mother would love. At 3 BP, you have an Appearance of 1 that cannot be raised with BP or XP. At 5 BP, your Appearance is 0, and you have one less dot to place in Social Attributes. Most will look upon you with contempt, but at the 5 BP level, your Appearance counts as 5 for intimidation purposes.
Enemy- 1-5 BP
You are troubled by some enemy that seeks to humble you, defeat you, or kill you. The enemy may/may not be hostile. This is the antithesis of the Allies background. For every point in this Flaw, the power of your Enemy is increased. Use the Allies Background as your guideline. You cannot outright kill or dissuade your foe from haunting you for some reason unless this Flaw has been bought off with experience.
At my discretion, I will roll a die. If the result is less than or equal to the rating of this Flaw, your enemy takes some action to interfere with your long-term goals. It might not even be apparent at first. The enemy might kidnap someone and you only find out later.
Obligation- Variable
You owe a debt to someone who plans to use you. This is the antithesis of the Favor Merit mentioned earlier. Just imagine you're the one who owes the debt and you're there. You can gain up to 4 BP with this Flaw.
Unlike you, the patron can call for several minor favors over a period of time. Like the Favor Merit, you can refuse your patron. To do so, you must roll Conviction and gain no successes. Add one additional die to the roll for each level by which the requested favor is less than the debt owed.
Example: If you have a life debt and they ask a minor boon, add three dice to the roll.
If the debt holder appeals to your sense of honor, the successes on the social attack can be added to the Conviction roll. At my discretion, I may also add even more dice if I feel your character would face social scorn for reneging on the debt or if you are from a culture that emphasizes paying your debts.
Lunars in particular find it unacceptable to deny their obligations. ESPECIALLY life debts.
The dreaded story hook of most bad Hollywood movies. And some good ones. At 3 BP, you are missing chunks of your life prior to the start of the game. The past several years, everything up to the start...
There is a 7 BP version, but since that takes away your short-term memory I don't think you want that.
Derangement- 1-3 BP (1st gives 3, subsequent gives 1)
You have mental issues, and suffer a -3 internal penalty on all social interaction rolls against those who don't have your derangement. Derangements can be suppressed for a scene for 1 Willpower.
-Depression: Exactly what it sounds like. You constantly suffer the partial control effects of the Heart of Tears Virtue Flaw.
-Glossolaia: When stressed, roll Temperance, difficulty 3. Failing means you begin to 'speak in tongues' and can no longer verbally communicate with others for the rest of the scene. You will be highly agitated and difficult to comprehend or to communicate even non-verbally.
-Megalomania: You are the best thing since the Unconquered Sun. If defeated or outwitted, you rationalize your failure by being the fault of your allies or the cheating of your enemies. You must roll Conviction and have no successes to willingly follow someone else's instructions without subverting orders or taking credit for the success.
-Multiple Personalities: Jekyll and Hyde, anyone? Each personality has a different Motive and Intimacies, though they may overlap. One personality is the 'true' one. Each additional personality is keyed to a Virtue. When you fail the associated Virtue roll or channel the Virtue and fail the roll, the alternative personality takes over for the rest of the scene. You may communicate with your alternate personality (which at that time will be controlled by me). First personality is 3 BP, all others cost 1 BP.
-Sadism: You are cruel, and enjoy inflicting cruelty. You constantly suffer from the partial control effects of the Deliberate Cruelty Virtue Flaw.
-Short Fuse: You are easily provoked into a blind rage. You constantly suffer the partial control effects of the Berserk Anger Virtue Flaw.
You may not choose a derangement duplicating the effects of your Virtue Flaw.
Diminished Sense- Variable.
One of your senses is diminished, possibly non-existent.
-Hearing: At 2 BP, you are hard of hearing. You suffer a two-die penalty on all auditory Perception rolls and add 1 to the difficulty of all social rolls in loud social situations (ex: parties). At 5 BP, you are deaf. You fail all auditory Perception rolls and suffer a -3 internal penalty on all Perception rolls trying to detect someone using Stealth. You can read lips if you roll (Perception + Linguistics), difficulty 3 (difficulty 1 if you have acquired 'Lip Reading' as a language with a Linguistics dot). Speaking clearly is now difficult for you, and you suffer a -2 internal penalty on all rolls involving oral communication.
-Taste: 1 BP, 2 BP for Lunars
You have no sense of taste, failing all taste-based Perception rolls. By most counts, this is frustrating but not debilitating. This is worse for Lunars, since taste is needed to learn new shapes by drinking one's Heart's Blood. There is not normally a roll for Heart's Blood, but a Lunar with this Flaw must roll (Perception + Occult), difficulty 3 to do so.
-Touch: 4 BP
You are insensitive and fail all touch-based Perception rolls. You do not feel pain, and halve all wound penalties. But then you cannot recognize the extent of your wounds unless someone succeeds on a (Wits + Medicine) roll. You are incapable of detecting temperature rolls, and the difficulty of Survival rolls to avoid frostbite or heat stroke increases by 2. You cannot feel physical pleasure.... meaning it sucks to be you when you're in the 'act'.
-Vision- 2, 3, or 4 BP
At 3 BP, you have poor vision. If far-sighted, you suffer a two-die penalty to manipulate small objects or read small characters. If near-sighted, you suffer a two-die penalty on all Perception rolls made to spot anything more than (Perception + Awareness) yards away, and a two-die penalty on all ranged attacks. If you can get glasses, this is only worth 2 BP. Glasses are **** Resources in the Threshold or in rural areas, *** in Nexus or any metropolis, or ** in Chiaroscuro, glass capital of Creation.
Alternatively, you could be blind in/missing an eye. In that case, you suffer a two-die penalty on vision-based rolls and a three-die penalty on ranged attack rolls. An attack in close quarters can choose to attack from your blind side. The attack must roll (Wits + MA/Melee) versus your (Wits + MA/Melee) roll. Any successes on the attacker's part subtract from your DV against the next attack.
At 6 BP, you are completely blind and fail all visual Perception checks. You can attempt a ranged attack on anyone in 100 yards, but suffer a three-die external penalty on the attack (higher, if the enemy is using Stealth or using cover). You are incapable of reading without some magical or technomagical means of doing so. This means you are likely incapable of learning sorcery or necromancy without a highly dedicated tutor, or some magical auditory instruction device.
Unskilled- Variable
You are uneducated or untrained in something. For each point gained from this flaw, reduce the number of starting Ability dots by one.
Availability: Conviction 3+
You have a highly developed code of honor. At 1 BP, you cannot lie to anyone you have an Intimacy towards or betray an Intimacy in any way unless you first fail a Conviction roll. At 2 BP, you feel this way about anyone you consider an ally. At 3 BP, you are honest to a fault and cannot lie to anyone you do not actively consider an enemy. At 5 BP, you cannot lie to anyone without failing a Conviction check. At 6 BP, you are a pussy/pacifist and cannot attack another living being without failing a Conviction check. For each additional point, add a two-die bonus to all appropriate Conviction rolls.
Additionally, if you owe an Obligation, add this Flaw's ratings to all Conviction rolls made to renege on the debt. If you roll success but wish to renege regardless, you must spend Willpower equal to the cost of this Flaw to do so.
Intolerance- Variable
You have an irrational dislike for some group of people. At 3 BP, this is a common trigger. At 1 BP, this trigger is not that common. When the trigger is encountered, you must successfully roll Compassion, difficulty 3 to not immediately become hostile. When active, you suffer a three-die penalty on all social actions against the other person except intimidation.
You may spend a Willpower point to ignore the failed Compassion roll for the scene. For each additional point gained from this Flaw, the difficulty of the Compassion roll increases by one, as does the Willpower cost to ignore the failed Conviction roll.
I reserve the right to veto any trigger I deem too rare.
Nightmares- 1-5 BP
You suffer from crippling nightmares that deprive you of sleep and leave you emotionally exhausted during the day. When you sleep, I roll a die. At 1 BP, you wake up screaming in the night and regain no Willpower in the morning if the roll is a 1 or 2. For each additional BP, the range of the roll creating the Nightmare increases by 2.
If subjected to dream-manipulating Charms or the powers of the gods.demons/Fair Folk, you suffer an internal penalty equal to this Flaw's rating on any roll to resist, and a similar penalty to any applicable DV.
Phobia- Variable
You have an irrational fear for something. At 3 BP, this is a common trigger. At 1 BP, this trigger is not that common. When the trigger is encountered, you must successfully roll Valor, difficulty 3 to not immediately be forced to flee the scene or panic. When forced to stay near the object of your fears, you suffer a die penalty on all relevant rolls equal to the cost of the Flaw.
You may negate the effect by spending one Willpower. For each additional BP, the Valor roll's difficulty increases by 1, as does the Willpower cost to negate a failed roll.
I reserve the right to veto any trigger I deem too rare.
Vice- Variable
You are addicted to some vice, such as sex or drugs. At 3 BP, this is a common trigger. At 1 BP, this trigger is not that common, such as sex with demons. When the trigger is encountered, you must successfully roll Conviction, difficulty 3 lest you give in to the vice.
You may negate the effect by spending one Willpower. For each additional BP, the Conviction roll's difficulty increases by 1, as does the Willpower cost to negate a failed roll.
I reserve the right to veto any trigger I deem too rare.
Weak-Willed- 2+ BP
Your will is weaker than others. For every 2 BP, reduce your permanent Willpower by one.
Availability: Anyone except Night Caste Solars
You find it difficult to hide your Exalted nature. You have only one Essence pool equal to the sum of your normal Personal and Peripheral pools. Your essence is considered peripheral for the purposes of anima displays.
Greater Curse- 1-5 BP
You are more prone to Limit Break. For each BP, your Limit pool decreases by 1.
Oathbound- Variable
You have sworn some oath or taboo in exchange for power. The severity of the oath determines BP gained.
-Minor Oath- 1 BP
Barely restricts you. Never accept food from red-heads, never used blades, pray to your god once a day, etc.
-Moderate Oath- 3 BP
Impedes you, but not in a life-threatening way. No sex outside marriage, no pork, never start a fight, etc.
-Major Oath- 5 BP
Interferes with life in some major way. Never cut your hair, celibacy, no weapons, vegetarianism, an hour per day in meditation.
-Legendary Oath- 8 BP
Severely limits your lifestyle. Never bathe, be a total pacifist, never consume food or drink besides rice and water, reject all physical pleasure, etc.
You must specifically note what traits the BP from this Flaw were used to acquire. If you violate the oath, you lose those traits until atonement. Atonement generally takes a number of months of penitence equal to the rating of this Flaw or some alternative repentance picked by me. Violations of major or legendary oaths may result in divine punishment, such as a Flaw or curse you must suffer under until obtaining forgiveness.
You may have more than 1 Oath. If two oaths overlap in the same general area of life, each oath after the first suffers a cumulative -1 in value. You cannot have oaths that stack on top of each other (never start a fight AND pacifism).
Permanent Caste Mark- 2 BP
Your caste mark is permanently visible, but does not glow unless you use Peripheral Essence. Unless if glows, it can be concealed with a thick headband or some sort of headgear. Your caste marks are well known from Immaculate teachings and appear at best to be blasphemous tattoos.
Throwback- 1-5 BP
One of your past lives exerts a powerful and unhealthy influence over you. Between you and I, we will define your past life's Motivation and Intimacies. If you end up in a situation where you would evoke the past life's Motivation or Intimacies, roll Willpower against a difficulty equal to your Essence. If it fails, you are overwhelmed by your past life and must act according to its Motive and Intimacies instead of your own. This is a form of unnatural mental influence lasting a number of hours equal to your Flaw's rating.
You can act against the Motivation and Intimacies by spending a Willpower point. You can overcome it completely by spending Willpower equal to the Flaw's rating.
I am free to veto concepts that are not sufficiently opposed to your normal goals.
Unlucky- 1-5 BP, +2 BP if your luck is contagious
You are unlucky. For each level of this Flaw, you have a 'bad luck pool' that is usable against you. When you succeed on a roll, I can choose to spend a point of bad luck and force you to reroll. I can continue to force reroll until you fail or run out of points. Dice pools, target numbers, and difficulties are the same as the original roll, even modifiers such as Excellencies.
I can spend points to adversely influence the outcome of a completely random event. Such events are resolved by a die with a roll of 5 or less being bad for you, with every point reducing the result by 1. The pool refreshes at the rate of 1 point per week the pool has not been exercised.
If you add an additional two BP, you are a jinx to those around you, and the pool can be used to reroll on any character who is an ally.
You are known to be an Anathema. The Wyld Hunt knows you're out there and has likely tried to kill you. Worse, the Bronze Faction of the Sidereal Exalted considers you a threat to their agenda and searches the Loom of Fate for you. When you spend enough Essence to trigger your anima banner. Roll a die. If the result is equal to your Essence or less, the Hunt will begin pursuit in a month's time. On a roll of one, the Hunt will be active in the area and will pursuit within the day.
Your Exalted status makes it hard to acquire certain backgrounds. You must pay double for Allies, Backing, Contacts, Followers, and Resources. This penalty does not apply to Lunars due to their ability to acquire said Backgrounds via shapeshifting. As such, Lunars gain only 4 BP from the flaw.
I do not recommend taking this at character creation, but it's your call. Play your cards bad and you will gain this Flaw in play.
Wanted- 1-5 BP
You are a fugitive of the law. At certain intervals, I will roll a die. If the result is equal or less to (Flaw rating + 2), your wanted status will interfere with your activities somehow. This affects your abilities to gain certain Backgrounds. You must pay double for Backing, Cult, Patron, Resources, and Sifu. You may never have Command.
Ward- 1-5 BP
You are charged with the welfare of another person. You have an Intimacy for your ward, and cannot be removed until the Flaw is bought off. The ward often gets in trouble and complicates your life. At intervals, I will roll a die. If the result is equal or less than (Flaw rating + 2), your ward is in trouble and you will be distracted or in danger. The ward may insult a dignitary, go solo to impress you, or be kidnapped.
Shade Crest, The Warden of Righteous Judgment.
Eclipse caste Solar.
Born to a lower class family but had a decent-enough childhood. Thinking father was a soldier and mother a tradesperson of some kind, Shade was training to become/had become a merchant when he committed some minor crime(meeting the gaze of the ruler, wearing leather on a day sacred to the local cow-god, ect.) and was sentenced to death. Before he could be executed(probably right before) his exaltation claimed him and he fled.
He now travels around acting as an arbiter for conflicts as well as trying to change/destroy corrupt justice systems.
And I like what I see thus far. Still taking concepts!
Twilight Caste Solar
Politics in the Council of the Concordant is a curious sort of business. Decisions weren't actually made by the Counselors, who lived lives of indulgent luxury and relative security. The true power was concentrated below them, in each of their collections of various Advisors, Clerks, Savants, Aids, and Sycophants whose responsibility it was to actually make the backroom deals in shady smoke-filled dens, and this is was Savant Von Nadir's calling in life.
But with the friends, contacts, and bribes one accumulates by obsessively poring over documents and having a knack for understanding the complex interactions of millennia of often contradictory regulations also comes great risks. Enemies are made, and assassination is an all-too-frequent end for someone in this line of work. It seems Rydlee made one too many enemies, for when his historical research produced ancient documents fuzzily detailing the distant location of a great cache of first-age artifacts, the negotiations for dividing the potential spoils of an joint expedition got quite tense, and assassins were dispatched to put an end to him. This would have been Rydlee's end, had it not been for his timely exaltation.
Escaping death at the hands of his enemies, the blessings of his exaltation have given him the final pieces of many puzzles he encountered in his years of research, along with a sudden grasp on many of the rituals and secrets written between the lines of dozens of the ancient documents he's had the chance to examine, and a tenuous understanding of hundreds of others. Now, he seeks more allies to mount an expedition to recover the artifacts he knows are the Solars' birthrights, before his foes can put the pieces together from his stolen notes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLsJyfN0ICU
You asked for it.
Aeos Icareon
Zenith Caste Solar (though works just as well as Twilight or Eclipse)
For much of his life Aeos accepted this truth. He studied the ancient texts and grew wiser than many of the priests. He gave sermons and held debates, and impressed even a Dragon-Blooded envoy of the Realm with his wit. The esteemed nature of his position as the golden child of sacrifice allowed him to communicate with the royal family and advise them on matters of state, such that numerous improvements introduced to the countries laws and bureaucracy were based in part of discussions he had with the princes.
It was in the months before his sacrifice that the first seeds of doubt began to enter his mind. First he put this off as mere cowardice and self-interest, but on the calibration prior to the final ceremony, on a night of supreme darkness the demon Alveua visited him and, claiming she was discharging a sorcerous binding worked many centuries ago, gifted him with an Orichalcum tarot deck. While Aeos suspected trickery, the deck proved to be an astrological tool of surpassing value that increased predictive power a hundredfold. In particular it revealed the flaws of prophecies, the flexibility of the fates woven by the gods and the existence of something more, a fate beyond fate, a larger pattern of continual diminishment made manifest in great prophecies of destruction.
Aeos vowed to set himself against this force and in that moment, in the Darkness of Calibration, he was surrounded by sunlight. The voice of the Unconquered Sun told him that he had been chosen, and that he was to ensure that fates transpired as was righteous, not as was foretold.
Imbued with the power of the Sun Aeos led a coup, seizing control of his kingdom and attempting to take destiny by the reigns. Unfortunately the arrogant Solar triggered civil war, crippling his power base and bringing the Wyld Hunt to his doorstep. The Dragon-Bloods fury was great, far greater than one Solar, and they laid waste to his kingdom the very day after he should have been sacrificed, bringing about the prophecy of doom that his sacrifice was meant to delay. Aeos managed to escape the vengeful terrestrials, for the moment at least, and has resolved to travel North to the Scavenger lands, seeking one who can enlighten him in further in the workings of fate, and how to defeat them.
Prophecies are a Sidereal thing, which we won't be playing as. Destiny has no place in Solar Exaltation.
Solars are by and large exalted for being badasses/awesome.
Which is rather the point. My zenith hates the idea of pre-destination and wants to smash it with righteous light.
Now THAT is badass.
What're you tryin'a say
INeedNoSalt
Rainfall
Erich Zahn
Last Son
Plutonium
Paranoia833
Congratulations! You are IN. Start work on those character builds! Charms, Attributes, go for it!
Now is the time to talk shop. If you're not sure whether or not you can have a certain Charm, or want to use something not listed in the OP, it's time to negotiate. Don't worry, because I am very flexible.
Well it would be difficult having a game with two Solars ruling two kingdoms hundreds of miles apart.
Welp, I'll get to statting.
In any case: Is anyone planning to cover war? Salt you're the most likely candidate but if you want to push your princess in the direction of personal combat off the mark I'm happy to act as stratego, if not I'll go the awareness/investigation or bureacracy/socialise route with my zenith.
Look at the bright side. You might die a horrible death before we get to that point.
EDIT: If you want to speak to Gods non-native to the East, Old Realm.