Jukashi
Four Thousand Club
Tossed by the furious explosion of his foe’s Essence, Red Thunder was hurled back through the forest, snapping branches as his body roughly arced over and fell towards the ground. He tried to catch himself, but his heavy Jade armour slowed him and he impacted heavily against the mossy ground, where the swirling wind of his anima instantly tossed a screen of fallen leaves into the air.
He knew such cover would not shield him from his opponent’s predatory gaze.
The sound of her anima was as the roar of the wild ocean, it’s light the shimmering curtains of the sun through the waves. Entire trees were cracked and struck down by its indiscriminate fury, for the thrashings of the elemental essence’s draconic form bore the weight of the flood, of the undertow, of the tsunami itself.
And despite this incredible cacophony, it was mere moments before he felt her eyes on him.
Desperately, Red Thunder drove Essence into his body, allowing him to spring to his feet faster than any mere mortal could manage, and with a nigh-invisible blurring as his arm was thrown out, he threw two razor-edged chakram at the creature with all the skill and Essence he could muster. But though they drove straight for her, it was not enough. She simply gestured with her hands, and the dragon of water that swirled around her leapt before his attack; the deadly weapons were tossed away as if the living essence truly bore the steely scales of the creature whose form it wore. His attack had done nothing.
And his troubles were not done with him yet.
Her open hands swung down and around, up and over her head in swift, smooth passes, and the dragon of essence followed, flowing through the air with serpentine grace. Her entire body shifted, gathering, and then leapt forward; her arms swung forward with the certainty of the blacksmith’s hammer. So too did the water coil itself about her, compressing its long body for the power to follow her gesture… to pounce.
Heedless of the wood blasted to splinters by its passage, the great beast of essence leap for him, its claws outstretched and its foamy fangs bared, and Red Thunder knew those teeth and talons would rend his flesh as easily as the sea split sail and shattered ship. Only the grace of Mela saved him, as he gathered the winds about him and leapt; bursting out through the canopy sundered by its passage and up into the open air. Focusing his essence once more, his feet alighted upon the treetops, bearing him up on naught but leaves and the smallest branches.
This time it was his experience which saved him; he leapt again as soon as he touched down, and it was just in time to avoid the claws of the furious dragon that roared up from beneath him, breaking the crown of the tree he had briefly touched; small pieces of wood and leaves were deflected and tossed aside by his anima as they were scattered over the area.
The great aquatic dragon continued to rise up; he realised that it was not solely an attack, but his opponent: following him. As easily as mist floating above the waterfall, the creature of essence flowed up and over the expanse of green below. And his opponent stood atop it, lifted into the air by the beast formed of her own elemental anima.
Up here, above the eternal twilight of the forest floor, he could see her clearly. She was basically human in shape, but in her features was blended forms both elemental and reptilian: her skin was the reflective blue of the lagoon, glimmering like the scales of a serpent, dry despite the shine of moisture; her hair the deep blue-black of the ocean depths, cascading down in dark waves; her face, potentially attractive save for the fearsome features mingled within, piercing sapphire eyes with pupils narrowed above a nose and mouth that jutted forward into the blunt snout of some powerful, predatory thing. The simplicity of her clothes seemed almost incongruous, simple garments that any martial artist might wear, save of course that they were modified to accommodate the long and heavy tail that coiled and lashed behind her; only a set of black Jade bracers seemed to match the raw power that Red Thunder now faced.
His face set, grim and focused, as his gaze locked to hers; both stood still, save only that the human Exalt wiped from his face a trickle of blood from the crimson scratch that ran beneath his eye.
“Your power wanes, little dragon,” the other said, shifting her stance on the anima dragon’s back. “You cannot defeat me; your essence is but the fading shadow of my own. Submit.”
Her new posture was that of an attack; beneath her, the dragon of water growled and bared its fangs, as the curl of waves pulling back from atop the rocky shore.
“My next strike will destroy you.”
The Celestial martial art known simply as Dragon Style could, by some people, be described as the progenitor of the Immaculate Styles that see use in the Age of Sorrows. Like them, it was designed for use by the Terrestrial Exalted, and like them, it provides certain advantages to them that it does not provide to other types of Exalted. There are, however, considerable differences.
Created before even the primordial war, Dragon Style was designed to fill a deficit in the first Terrestrials, the Dragon-Born. Their native Charms were designed with efficiency in mind; though less effective than Celestial Charms, they were also less costly… indeed, perhaps it was because the Celestial Exalted existed that their Charms were so, for the Terrestrial’s Charms allowed them to last longer, covering for their superiors while they recuperated enough to return and unleash their more massive powers. Still, in that war, the Exalted expected to face mighty demons and Behemoths; creatures that needed enormous attacks to defeat. So, in order to give the Terrestrials the power they sometimes needed to face a truly mighty opponent, Dragon Style was created.
Dragon Style, unlike normal Terrestrial Charms, is characterised by enormous essence expenditure, for the basis of the style’s power is the achievement of a higher level of anima release and control. A Dragon-Style practitioner learns to do battle using their anima as a weapon and tool, manifesting it into a more solid form and wielding it through force of will. With their essence already linked to the elements that make up creation, the Terrestrial Exalted are naturally skilled at such, though the Style is certainly worthy of a different Exalt’s time.
Unfortunately, it is because of this huge essence manipulation that the style eventually died out among the descendants of the first Terrestrials, the Dragon-Blooded. As their blood mingled with that of ordinary humans, their potency also dwindled, until, in the Age of Sorrows, the vast majority of Dragon-Blooded simply do not have the sheer essence capacity to effectively employ the style. For now, the Sidereals of the Bronze Faction hold it in reserve; the Immaculate Styles are much more useful for their current purposes. Perhaps if there was a pressing need, they might consider releasing it to one who had already mastered all five of the Immaculate styles…
Obviously, there are those among both the Sidereal and Lunar Exalted who remember the style, and there may even be those among the Solar and Abyssal Exalted who can draw its knowledge out from the memories of their past lives. For one in whom the blood of the Terrestrial Exalted ran pure, the release of the Dragon could prove a powerful tool.
Dragon Style is a Celestial Martial Art created for the Terrestrial Exalted. Its structure is somewhat unusual.
Although all practitioners learn the same Charms, each of those Charms have five variants, each of one of the elements, which must be bought separately. In fact, in order to learn a particular variant, one must learn that element’s version of the prerequisite Charm; so, it can be considered that Dragon Style is actually five styles which each follow the same pattern and general effects.
An Exalt must learn their own element’s variant first; there is no “begging the dragons” as there is with the Immaculate Styles. However, once you have done that, the other variants can be learned, and indeed the experience costs and training times to learn a variant is halved from what it takes to learn the original. Like the Immaculate Styles, mastering an element that is not your own grants a Dragon-Blooded the capacity to forego the elemental surcharge for that element (or in the case of Dragon-Born, they may apply their 1-mote discount to that element’s Charms). Until they master the variant, though, they must pay the increased essence cost for its Charms (Even if they are Water Aspect). Unlike the Immaculate Styles, other Exalted are not exempt from the elemental limitations; Solars and Infernals must learn the Fire variants first, Sidereals must learn Air, Lunars must learn Wood, Abyssals must learn Water and Alchemicals must learn Earth.
Dragon Style considers Jade weapons of the appropriate type to be “unarmed attacks” for the purposes of using its Charms with them, and only function with armour when that armour is also made from the appropriate type of Jade; that is, the Earth variant Charms can be employed with White Jade weapons and armour, while Fire variant Charms can be used in conjunction with Red, and so on.
Note on description: The Charms below all assume a Terrestrial user, and so describes the anima manifesting as a dragon. However, even though they still manifest some elemental or draconic flavour, the other kinds of Exalted are not required to modify their anima display completely; only the mechanics need be enforced. So, a Twilight Caste whose anima manifests as strings of runic symbols, for example, might find that those runes burst into flame and twist themselves into a draconic shape; A Lunar with a Tiger-like anima, on the other hand, could see their totem’s claws shifting to become deadly-looking thorns and its hide forming thick, bark-like scales.
((This Style is currently incomplete. I still have to add four more Charms.))
He knew such cover would not shield him from his opponent’s predatory gaze.
The sound of her anima was as the roar of the wild ocean, it’s light the shimmering curtains of the sun through the waves. Entire trees were cracked and struck down by its indiscriminate fury, for the thrashings of the elemental essence’s draconic form bore the weight of the flood, of the undertow, of the tsunami itself.
And despite this incredible cacophony, it was mere moments before he felt her eyes on him.
Desperately, Red Thunder drove Essence into his body, allowing him to spring to his feet faster than any mere mortal could manage, and with a nigh-invisible blurring as his arm was thrown out, he threw two razor-edged chakram at the creature with all the skill and Essence he could muster. But though they drove straight for her, it was not enough. She simply gestured with her hands, and the dragon of water that swirled around her leapt before his attack; the deadly weapons were tossed away as if the living essence truly bore the steely scales of the creature whose form it wore. His attack had done nothing.
And his troubles were not done with him yet.
Her open hands swung down and around, up and over her head in swift, smooth passes, and the dragon of essence followed, flowing through the air with serpentine grace. Her entire body shifted, gathering, and then leapt forward; her arms swung forward with the certainty of the blacksmith’s hammer. So too did the water coil itself about her, compressing its long body for the power to follow her gesture… to pounce.
Heedless of the wood blasted to splinters by its passage, the great beast of essence leap for him, its claws outstretched and its foamy fangs bared, and Red Thunder knew those teeth and talons would rend his flesh as easily as the sea split sail and shattered ship. Only the grace of Mela saved him, as he gathered the winds about him and leapt; bursting out through the canopy sundered by its passage and up into the open air. Focusing his essence once more, his feet alighted upon the treetops, bearing him up on naught but leaves and the smallest branches.
This time it was his experience which saved him; he leapt again as soon as he touched down, and it was just in time to avoid the claws of the furious dragon that roared up from beneath him, breaking the crown of the tree he had briefly touched; small pieces of wood and leaves were deflected and tossed aside by his anima as they were scattered over the area.
The great aquatic dragon continued to rise up; he realised that it was not solely an attack, but his opponent: following him. As easily as mist floating above the waterfall, the creature of essence flowed up and over the expanse of green below. And his opponent stood atop it, lifted into the air by the beast formed of her own elemental anima.
Up here, above the eternal twilight of the forest floor, he could see her clearly. She was basically human in shape, but in her features was blended forms both elemental and reptilian: her skin was the reflective blue of the lagoon, glimmering like the scales of a serpent, dry despite the shine of moisture; her hair the deep blue-black of the ocean depths, cascading down in dark waves; her face, potentially attractive save for the fearsome features mingled within, piercing sapphire eyes with pupils narrowed above a nose and mouth that jutted forward into the blunt snout of some powerful, predatory thing. The simplicity of her clothes seemed almost incongruous, simple garments that any martial artist might wear, save of course that they were modified to accommodate the long and heavy tail that coiled and lashed behind her; only a set of black Jade bracers seemed to match the raw power that Red Thunder now faced.
His face set, grim and focused, as his gaze locked to hers; both stood still, save only that the human Exalt wiped from his face a trickle of blood from the crimson scratch that ran beneath his eye.
“Your power wanes, little dragon,” the other said, shifting her stance on the anima dragon’s back. “You cannot defeat me; your essence is but the fading shadow of my own. Submit.”
Her new posture was that of an attack; beneath her, the dragon of water growled and bared its fangs, as the curl of waves pulling back from atop the rocky shore.
“My next strike will destroy you.”
The Celestial martial art known simply as Dragon Style could, by some people, be described as the progenitor of the Immaculate Styles that see use in the Age of Sorrows. Like them, it was designed for use by the Terrestrial Exalted, and like them, it provides certain advantages to them that it does not provide to other types of Exalted. There are, however, considerable differences.
Created before even the primordial war, Dragon Style was designed to fill a deficit in the first Terrestrials, the Dragon-Born. Their native Charms were designed with efficiency in mind; though less effective than Celestial Charms, they were also less costly… indeed, perhaps it was because the Celestial Exalted existed that their Charms were so, for the Terrestrial’s Charms allowed them to last longer, covering for their superiors while they recuperated enough to return and unleash their more massive powers. Still, in that war, the Exalted expected to face mighty demons and Behemoths; creatures that needed enormous attacks to defeat. So, in order to give the Terrestrials the power they sometimes needed to face a truly mighty opponent, Dragon Style was created.
Dragon Style, unlike normal Terrestrial Charms, is characterised by enormous essence expenditure, for the basis of the style’s power is the achievement of a higher level of anima release and control. A Dragon-Style practitioner learns to do battle using their anima as a weapon and tool, manifesting it into a more solid form and wielding it through force of will. With their essence already linked to the elements that make up creation, the Terrestrial Exalted are naturally skilled at such, though the Style is certainly worthy of a different Exalt’s time.
Unfortunately, it is because of this huge essence manipulation that the style eventually died out among the descendants of the first Terrestrials, the Dragon-Blooded. As their blood mingled with that of ordinary humans, their potency also dwindled, until, in the Age of Sorrows, the vast majority of Dragon-Blooded simply do not have the sheer essence capacity to effectively employ the style. For now, the Sidereals of the Bronze Faction hold it in reserve; the Immaculate Styles are much more useful for their current purposes. Perhaps if there was a pressing need, they might consider releasing it to one who had already mastered all five of the Immaculate styles…
Obviously, there are those among both the Sidereal and Lunar Exalted who remember the style, and there may even be those among the Solar and Abyssal Exalted who can draw its knowledge out from the memories of their past lives. For one in whom the blood of the Terrestrial Exalted ran pure, the release of the Dragon could prove a powerful tool.
Dragon Style is a Celestial Martial Art created for the Terrestrial Exalted. Its structure is somewhat unusual.
Although all practitioners learn the same Charms, each of those Charms have five variants, each of one of the elements, which must be bought separately. In fact, in order to learn a particular variant, one must learn that element’s version of the prerequisite Charm; so, it can be considered that Dragon Style is actually five styles which each follow the same pattern and general effects.
An Exalt must learn their own element’s variant first; there is no “begging the dragons” as there is with the Immaculate Styles. However, once you have done that, the other variants can be learned, and indeed the experience costs and training times to learn a variant is halved from what it takes to learn the original. Like the Immaculate Styles, mastering an element that is not your own grants a Dragon-Blooded the capacity to forego the elemental surcharge for that element (or in the case of Dragon-Born, they may apply their 1-mote discount to that element’s Charms). Until they master the variant, though, they must pay the increased essence cost for its Charms (Even if they are Water Aspect). Unlike the Immaculate Styles, other Exalted are not exempt from the elemental limitations; Solars and Infernals must learn the Fire variants first, Sidereals must learn Air, Lunars must learn Wood, Abyssals must learn Water and Alchemicals must learn Earth.
Dragon Style considers Jade weapons of the appropriate type to be “unarmed attacks” for the purposes of using its Charms with them, and only function with armour when that armour is also made from the appropriate type of Jade; that is, the Earth variant Charms can be employed with White Jade weapons and armour, while Fire variant Charms can be used in conjunction with Red, and so on.
Note on description: The Charms below all assume a Terrestrial user, and so describes the anima manifesting as a dragon. However, even though they still manifest some elemental or draconic flavour, the other kinds of Exalted are not required to modify their anima display completely; only the mechanics need be enforced. So, a Twilight Caste whose anima manifests as strings of runic symbols, for example, might find that those runes burst into flame and twist themselves into a draconic shape; A Lunar with a Tiger-like anima, on the other hand, could see their totem’s claws shifting to become deadly-looking thorns and its hide forming thick, bark-like scales.
((This Style is currently incomplete. I still have to add four more Charms.))