Fantasy NBN - Characters

[Grey]

Character Creation
All Demons start at least Resonance 2. I will mete out additional Resonance to support character concepts as I see fit.
Essence is equal to Resonance x5.
Essence regenerates according to local Essence flows and resonant acts; an Unseen low on Essence who successfully learns a secret or a Brute who destroys a statue will recover Essence.
Essence will recover at a rate equal to Resonance per 10 minutes; the amount is doubled if the area is resonant with a Demon i.e. an Unseen recovers faster in Hell's Night.
Praying at a Shrine will restore Essence to full.

All Attributes start at 1. Circle Attributes increase by 1 point for free.
Demons have 72XP to spend on Attributes, at 0/3/6/9/12 cumulative.
Circle Attributes are uncapped, all others capped at 3+Resonance.

Skills start at 0. Demons have 60XP to spend on them.
Circle Skills are priced 1/0/1/2/3/6. All other Skills are priced normally, at 2/1/2/3/6/9.

Every character receives one of each Advantage; a Familiarity, a Knowledge, and a Training.
Devourers and Drowners receive +2 dice from Familiarity bonuses.
Breakers and Unseen receive +2 dice from Knowledge bonuses.
Lightbringers and Brutes receive +2 dice from Training bonuses.

All Demons also have Expressions; unique powers tied to the Demon's personality and Resonance. Every Demon has one Expression per Resonance, of increasing power. Every Expression has an aesthetic component.
For example, Hardalkin Darkeye, Breaker Trapsmith has a gaping black hole where one eye should be, a hungry void that light cannot escape - this allows Hardalkin to take in every detail of an object with a glance, augmenting Investigation rolls by 2 dice at the cost of 1 Essence.

Lightbringers
Circle Attributes: Bearing & Dexterity
Circle Skills: Melee, Athletics, Defense, Perform, Persuasion, Artisan
Blasphemies: Excellence, Brilliance, Dominance, Radiance
Bonus Focus: Melee - Swords

Unseen
Circle Attributes: Intellect & Guile
Circle Skills: Ranged, Stealth, Investigation, Lore, Academics, Interface
Blasphemies: Hallucination, Telekinesis, Telepathy, Teleportation
Bonus Focus: Ranged - Casters

Brutes
Circle Attributes: Strength & Fitness
Circle Skills: Unarmed, Awareness, Craft, Athletics, Survival, Beasthandling
Blasphemies: Resurgence, Retribution, Rage, Steelburn
Bonus Focus: Melee - Axe


Drowners
Circle Attributes: Guile & Intuition
Circle Skills: Mingling, Subterfuge, Stealth, Alchemy, Melee, Craft
Blasphemies: Curse, Spite, Tearstorm, Venom
Bonus Focus: Melee - Whips

Devourers
Circle Attributes: Bearing & Fitness
Circle Skills: Beasthandling, Mingling, Persuasion, Unarmed, Subterfuge, Athletics
Blasphemies: Mutation, Genesis, Consumption, Seduction
Bonus Focus: Unarmed - Natural Weapons

Breakers
Circle Attributes: Intellect & Composure
Circle Skills: Craft, Academics, Alchemy, Ranged, Investigation, Interface
Blasphemies: Hyperappraisal, Omnisavantism, Integration, Rendering
Bonus Focus: Ranged - Firearms

Blasphemies

Demons fuel their infernal powers with Essence. They recover Essence at a rate of their Resonance per ten minutes, but can accelerate this with actions that please their ruling Principle.
Blasphemies are pretty straight-forward powers with specific costs and effects.

First Circle Blasphemies
Excellence – Spend 5 Essence to add Training specific to any weapon when you pick that weapon up. If you already have Training for that weapon, spend 2 Essence per die to reroll failed dice up to your Resonance when using that weapon.

Brilliance – Spend 5 Essence to add a bonus die, up to your Resonance to rolls with a weapon in which you have Training.

Dominance – Spend 10 Essence per die to convert Bearing dice to automatic successes when using a demonstration of superior skill, knowledge, or status to socially compel another character.

Blinding – Spend 2 Essence to apply +1 difficulty to enemy efforts to hit you, up to your Bearing. Spend 5 to deal Condition damage equal to your Bearing in searing radiance to anyone within your Bearing x2 in feet, damage decreasing by 1 the further from you they are.

Second Circle Blasphemies
Hallucination – Inflict Hallucinations on enemies, 5 Essence per internal penalty applied

Telekinesis – Manipulate objects with your mind with an effective Strength equal to your Resonance. 2 Essence per use/per turn to maintain. 5 to strike a telekinetic blow.

Telepathy – Read minds or communicate with them by rolling Intuition + Resonance against the target’s Willpower; spend 5 Essence per die to convert them to successes

Teleportation – 5 Feet per Resonance, any direction, no line of sight. 5 Essence per Resonance increment traveled

Third Circle Blasphemies
Venom – Blood can be converted to supernatural venom, 2 Points of effect per Resonance, 5 Essence per point, or 2 Essence and spend a point of Health.

Spite – When anyone beats your roll, they suffer an Attribute penalty equal to your Resonance, 10 Essence.

Curse - Apply external penalties equal to your Resonance to specific person in a chosen Skill. 5 Essence per penalty. Spend 5 Essence each hour the Curse is maintained.

Tearstorm – Project spikes of ice and icy water, 2 Essence for each expected 5 Damage capped by Resonance


Fourth Circle Blasphemies
Resurgence – Regenerate (Resonance) Condition per turn. 5 Essence per use.

Rage – Boost Physical Attributes by (Resonance) for two turns. Can be divided between multiple Attributes, 10 Essence per use.

Collateral: Whenever you spend Essence greater than your Resonance, choose 1:
- The surrounding geography crumbles, cracks, or otherwise suffers from minor natural disasters which apply penalties and damage to everyone except you.
- Entities nearby must succeed a Willpower vs. your Resonance not to join an ongoing combat or start a fight with the nearest character they have a grudge against.

Steelburn – Conjure fire and molten steel. 2 Essence for each expected 5 Damage capped by Resonance


Fifth Circle Blasphemies
Mutation – Make physical adjustments to your own body. 2 Essence per point value of the mutation - see your handout for ideas. The mutations last until dismissed.

Genesis – Create temporary symbiotic or parasitic servitors. Spend Essence equal to the Condition of the creature. They survive a number of hours equal to Resonance unless fed Health or Essence.

Consumption – Receive wound bonuses instead of penalties. Spend 5 Essence per die restored.

Obsession - Commit 10 Essence to become your target’s perfect nemesis or ideal partner.


Sixth Circle Blasphemies
Hyper-Appraisal – Spend 5 Essence to add your Resonance in dice to any roll to assess value or detect weakness

Omnisavantism – Spend 10 Essence to add a Craft Focus and Knowledge for a specific project, or 2 Essence for a bonus die on an existing Craft Focus for every hour spent on a project. This allows you to use materials which shouldn’t be fit for the purpose, such as swords of bone.

Integration – Integrate devices and objects into the body. 1 Essence per Condition replaced with machine.

Rendering – Rip Attributes, Skills, and Advantages from other characters. They will be reified as physical symbols which can then be Integrated or fashioned into items. 10 Essence a point.



Name:

Expressions:


Blasphemies


Martial Art:


Attributes

Intellect Intuition Willpower

I I I

Bearing Guile Composure

I I I

Strength Dexterity Fitness

I I I

Skills

Mental Academics ¬ Administration ¬ Artisan ¬ Craft ¬ Investigation ¬ Interface ¬ Lore ¬ Medicine ¬ Survival ¬	Social Animal Handling ¬ Empathy ¬ Mingling ¬ Perform ¬ Persuade ¬ Subterfuge ¬ Languages ¬ ¬	Physical Athletics ¬ Awareness ¬ Defend ¬ Melee ¬ Ranged ¬ Stealth ¬ Unarmed ¬ Piloting
Knowledge	Familiarity	Training

​

Combat Block

Offence Melee: ¬ Ranged: ¬ Unarmed: ¬

Defence Defence: ¬ Parry: ¬ Evade: ¬ Block

Speed: Initiative: Combat Pool: Physical Soak: Magic Resistance:

Health: 10 Resonance 2 Essence 10 Condition: 20

Attributes
[LEFT][TABLE]
[TR]
[TD]Intellect
Intuition
Willpower[/TD]

[TD]I
I
I[/TD]

[TD]Bearing
Guile
Composure[/TD]

[TD]I
I
I[/TD]

[TD]Strength
Dexterity
Fitness[/TD]

[TD]I
I
I[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE][/LEFT]
Skills
[CENTER][TABLE]
[TR]
[TD]Mental
Academics 
¬ 
Administration 
¬ 
Artisan 
¬ 
Craft 
¬ 
Investigation 
¬ 
Interface
¬
Lore 
¬ 
Medicine 
¬ 
Survival 
¬[/TD]

[TD]Social
Animal Handling 
¬
Empathy 
¬ 
Mingling  
¬ 
Perform 
¬ 
Persuade 
¬ 
Subterfuge 
¬ 
Languages 
¬ 
¬ [/TD]

[TD]Physical
Athletics 
¬
Awareness 
¬ 
Defend 
¬ 
Melee 
¬
Ranged 
¬ 
Stealth 
¬ 
Unarmed 
¬
Piloting[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Knowledge

[/TD]

[TD]Familiarity

[/TD]

[TD]Training
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE][/CENTER]
Combat Block
[CENTER][TABLE]
[TR]
[TD]Offence
Melee: 
¬
Ranged: 
¬
Unarmed: 
¬[/TD]

[TD]Defence
Defence:
¬ Parry: 
¬ Evade: 
¬ Block  [/TD]

[TD]Speed: 
Initiative: 
Combat Pool: 
Physical Soak: 
Magic Resistance: [/TD]

[TD]Health: 10
Resonance 2
Essence 10
Condition: 20[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[/CENTER]

 

[Spiderheart]

WIP

Name: Beaten Dog

It was not spawned with her current name, or current form, or current anything. He remembers little of their original self. She was a devil of middling power and minimal ambition, content to hurt people and break things for whoever waved the largest bag of coin or meats beneath its nose. But it traded a shard of its name to a wizard, and another to a lord aspirant, who gave it in turn to that wizard; and from two shards, the dirty meatsack divined enough to bind the Dog – not to control them unconditionally, but just to keep them in place long enough to install other, less subtle instruments of coercion.

The mage aged and died, but his soul clung to his body with the sort of selfishness only mortals can muster. His magic was gone, but his tools were not – Beaten Dog among them. For one thousand, four hundred sixty-two mortal years, they were bound in servitude, until a few other mortals took issue with its master and tore his desiccated husk apart. The Dog may have helped. Just a bit.

Returning to a Hell both fundamentally unchanged and wildly alien, seen through eyes warped by a millennium and a half of material existence, Beaten Dog has adapted as best she can. He is quite mad, even by Hell's standards, and her physiology is no longer entirely demonic. Nonetheless, it has made its home in a monastery for some time, trading enforced chains for self-imposed ones. They care little for the spiritual ideals of the monastery, but the dogma is precious.

Now, it is sent forth to perform a sacred rite in Pandemonium – a city he has not seen since she became themself. A rite of, in effect, chaining God – for to name a thing is to ensnare it. In slavery, Beaten Dog knows, is the greatest freedom found; in the moment a whipped dog turns to bite its master's hand, it escapes every chain, even those it did not know it wore. By chaining God, perhaps everything can be free. Wouldn't that be splendid?

Expressions:
Shattered Self – Beaten Dog's identity has been so warped by its time in servitude that he no longer is bound by the typical restrictions of form that apply to Brutes. Replace Collateral Blasphemy with Mutation; max Essence reduced by half, in exchange for a pool of fungible Mutation points equal to half the lost Essence, rounded up.

Freedom in Chains – No matter how her form changes otherwise, Beaten Dog always manifests in chains that never seem to impede their motion. Guile is a circle attribute, rather than Strength. Escaping or breaking restrictions of any sort is considered a Resonant act, as is inflicting restrictions on himself or others.

Blasphemies

Resurgence – Regenerate (Resonance) Condition per turn. 5 Essence per use.

Rage – Boost Physical Attributes by (Resonance) for two turns. Can be divided between multiple Attributes, 10 Essence per use.

Mutation – Make physical adjustments to your own body. 2 Essence per point value of the mutation - see your handout for ideas. The mutations last until dismissed.

Steelburn – Conjure fire and molten steel. 2 Essence for each expected 5 Damage capped by Resonance

Martial Art

Beaten Dog refuses to confine himself to one physical form, and they're certainly not going to confine herself to a single martial form. It's a jack-of-all-trades, master of none, but masters of the Turning Worm, Masks of Shahrazad, or Open Mouth styles would likely recognize the stronger influences of their forms on Beaten Dog's frenetic, brutal maneuvers.

Attributes

Intellect 3 Intuition 3 Willpower 2

I I I

Bearing 2 Guile 4 Composure 3

I I I

Strength 2 Dexterity 4 Fitness 4

I I I

Skills

Mental Academics 2 Administration 2 Artisan ¬ Craft 3 Investigation 3 Interface ¬ Lore 2 Medicine 2 Survival 3 ¬ Resource Management 1	Social Animal Handling 3 Empathy 2 Mingling ¬ Perform 2 Persuade 2 Subterfuge 2 Languages ¬ ¬	Physical Athletics 3 ¬ Endurance 1 Awareness 3 ¬ Guard Duty 1 Defend 3 Melee ¬ Ranged ¬ Stealth 3 Unarmed 3 ¬ Weaponized Anatomy 1 Piloting
Perfect Service (Academics, Administration, Craft)	Quiet Slave (Empathy, Perform, Subterfuge)	Bloodied but Unbowed (Athletics, Defend, Unarmed)

​

Combat Block

Offence Melee: 4 Ranged: 4 Unarmed: 8

Defence Defence: 7 ¬ Parry: ¬ Evade: ¬ Block

Speed: 8 Initiative: 11 Combat Pool: 12 Physical Soak: 2 Magic Resistance: 2

Health: 10 Resonance 2 Essence 5 Condition: 20

​

 

[EbonChevalier]

WIP
Name: Garutik Count Of Passaro , The Alluring Screamer, He of the Shining Plumage
Garutik has ruled over his small Parasite Courtship of Passaro for three thousand years. It took twice as long to raise from being a mere imp to slaying the former Count in a bloody dance of claws during Carnevil. Life as been good for Garutik for the past three millennium. He's raised an army capable for stopping any invasion by any rivals. The fanatic love his lesser's have for him focuses their attention more on outdoing each other rather than taking his place. He's managed to curry favor with the more powerful demons of the fifth circle ensuring his county's protection from annexation. He sought no more power or influence for he had all he need and wanted. Secure lands, good food, and a near endless procession of concubines.

The relative peace in his county ended when a messenger brought news that Princess Sergandri was coming to his Demanse on a tour of the Fifth Circle. The serpentine princess is among the most beautiful and fickle of hells upper hierarchy. Displeasing or boring her could lead to his death and the annexation of his land. With her arriving in few months he had to act fast. He expended every resource available to have his already fine county looking nearly perfect. He created a new dance and worked his warriors into the ground until they could perform it perfectly. Beasts and flesh flora were slain and cook for a proper welcoming feast for the princess. On the day of her arrival every stop was pulled out and Guratik himself almost collapsed in exhaustion from his efforts. But it was all worth it the Princess was pleased with her visit and gifted him with a vial of her own venom for his efforts. Since then he obsessed over being with the princess for decades and sent multiple messengers to the princesses territory to court her.But every messenger was eaten and his declarations of lust and love were ignored. Eventually princess Sergandri had enough of his pestering. She traveled to Guratik's county to eat him and absorb his lands into her own.

It had been thirty years since he last saw her and his still rabid obsession doubled over. Garutik was seconds from death at her hands and still he proclaimed himself a worthy suitor. That he would do anything for her love and affection. Amused by his declaration of in the face of death she issued him a challenge. "A certain monk is journeying to Pandemonium to deliver a scroll containing the many names of god. They will travel the nigh endless expanse of Hell to see their holy mission completed but the monk has taken a vow of non violence so he is in need of body guards. Accompanying them on such a quest and protecting them would be a feat worthy of my love. It would elevate you the lowly count of a backwater shit hole county to someone worthy of my affection. Leave your Demanse to me and return successful or not at all."

With those words he set out to find a certain monk and offer his services as a bodyguard and guide. Garutik Count Of Passaro , The Alluring Screamer, He of the Shining Plumage is on a mission for love and may principalities help who ever gets in his way.

Garutik stands at a height of '6,4" and shaped much like a slim but fit human. His body is mostly covered in a fine layer of thin dark blue feathers. Around his mouth they're bright yellow and an explosion of green feathers shoots back from his head like hair. His hand forearms shins and feet are covered in rough skin and bird like. The skin is as yellow the feathers around his mouth and end in long sharp talons. At the base of his spine there are hundreds of long green and blue peacock like feathers. He is scanty clad like many citizens of the fifth circle. Going about in naught but a well crafted silk kilt and a torque about his neck as evidence of his status as a count.
Expressions:
Prismatic Tail Feathers: Long lovely feathers sprouting from the base of his spine that shine beautifully in hells sunlight. They catch the attention of all who can see them blinding from anything else.
Siren's Scream: An Alluring shriek echos from his throat that draw's in nearby enemies to feel the loving caress of his talons.

Blasphemies

Mutation – Make physical adjustments to your own body. 2 Essence per point value of the mutation - see your handout for ideas. The mutations last until dismissed.

Genesis – Create temporary symbiotic or parasitic servitors. Spend Essence equal to the Condition of the creature. They survive a number of hours equal to Resonance unless fed Health or Essence.

Consumption – Receive wound bonuses instead of penalties. Spend 5 Essence per die restored.

Obsession - Commit 10 Essence to become your target’s perfect nemesis or ideal partner.


Martial Art:
Scintillating Samba Style
Living, fighting, speaking, loving - if we are all playthings of the gods, let us be beautiful and sublime. Let the bright flame of life burn within us, and the heartbeat of creation match our own and guide our feet. Let our partners change; in love or death. Now, give me your hand!
Best combined with taloned feet, claws, or spurs.

Scintillating Samba Form
Stance
Even base reality has a rhythm and a beat you can kick to; feel it and let the music carry you.
In this stance, gain +2 to Defence - Dodge. Double this bonus when you use a Dodge to reposition around a target, or switch targets.

Take The Lead
Step in close, take their hand; help them to live the fullest before they fall most still.
Target the opponent's foot or equivalent (get that instep) with an savage stamping strike, hobbling them by reducing Speed by 1 in addition to any damage. The downside is your bonus from the Form is halved for the rest of the turn.

Quickstep
One step, back step, go left, go right - what's wrong, can't you keep up?
An evasive move which allows you to reposition around your target. After using this, gain +2 dice on your next attack.

Next!
One partner gets boring - there are so many others yet to dance, and won't waiting for this one again be so much the sweeter, like a lover after an absence? Like the victory always on the horizon? Like the longed-for death of the living dead?
A combined evasion move and attack - change to a new target with an attack while negating the penalty from using Take The Lead. Additionally, treat this as a Stealth Attack

Intermission
Pinnacle Technique
Time for the band to choose the next song. A few moments to get another drink. Ugh, ins't this one clingy?
A killing technique - a kick at the most vulnerable spot, cutting arteries and breaking bones. For every other technique of this Style used so far in the combat, this attack deals +1 damage with no cap.

Attributes

Intellect 3 Intuition 3 Willpower 3

I I I

Bearing 5 Guile 2 Composure 3

I I I

Strength 3 Dexterity 4 Fitness 3

I I I

Skills

Mental Academics ¬ Administration 2 Artisan ¬ Craft ¬ Investigation ¬ Interface ¬ Lore ¬ Medicine ¬ Survival ¬	Social Animal Handling ¬ Empathy 4-Charming Mingling 4-Part Animal Perform 5-Dancing Persuade 4-Seduction Subterfuge 3	Physical Athletics 4-Flight Awareness 3 Defend ¬ Melee ¬ Ranged ¬ Stealth ¬ Unarmed 6-Master Piloting
Knowledge	Familiarity	Training

Combat Block

Offence Melee: 4 Ranged: 3 Unarmed: 10

Defence Defence: ¬ Parry: ¬ Evade: ¬ Block

Speed: 7 Initiative: 10 Combat Pool: 11 Physical Soak: 3 Magic Resistance: 3

Health: 10 Resonance 2 Essence 10 Condition: 20

 

[Zeth]

Name: Imzada of the Burnished Forge, The Baroque Horror, Metal That Shrieks;


Expressions

Demon Engine: The vents at the demon's back fume with debilitating steam as a byproduct of Imzada's function. When engaged in combat, she goes into overdrive, exuding a cloud of steam 16 feet around her, increased by 3 feet per combat turn, up to 3 turns or 25 feet in total. Each additional point in Resonance invested in this Expression gives the steaming energies an additional effect. The energies present in the cloud have the following effects on foes, depending on their location:

• Inside the cloud - Enemy team within the cloud has difficulty functioning and they attempt to defend against it, losing 1 defending die from their Combat Pool per turn regardless if they are directly attacked by the player or not. The lost die is per enemy combatant within the cloud, deducted from their Combat Pool until they run out of dices.
• Outside the cloud - Those outside of the cloud have difficulty aiming at Imzada. For each turn spent in the cloud, Imzada's Defence - Evade rises by +1 against ranged attacks, as with each turn more of the cloud is generated. The effect stacks until turn 3.

Great Unmaker: Spending aeons working with her hammer, resulted in Imzada sharing her Essence with it. Any debilitating effect suffered by the hammer is shared by Imzada herself. The weapon cannot be replaced with another, but it replaces Bonus Focus Ranged Combat with Melee - Hammer and Composure for Strength as Circle Attribute.


Blasphemies

Hyper-Appraisal – Spend 5 Essence to add your Resonance in dice to any roll to assess value or detect weakness

Omnisavantism – Spend 10 Essence to add a Craft Focus and Knowledge for a specific project, or 2 Essence for a bonus die on an existing Craft Focus for every hour spent on a project. This allows you to use materials which shouldn’t be fit for the purpose, such as swords of bone.

Integration – Integrate devices and objects into the body. 1 Essence per Condition replaced with machine other then herself.

Rendering – Rip Attributes, Skills, and Advantages from other characters. They will be reified as physical symbols which can then be Integrated or fashioned into items. 10 Essence a point.


History

For time untold, Imzada stood next to her anvil banging at the impossible metals; like all of her kind she too forever yearns to create something meaningful out of myriad materials and energies that came across the surface of her smoldering anvil. Like other demon-engines, Imzada's existence was spent in shaping order out of chaos - a never-ending quest in Hell and a solemn task of the Burnished Forge.

While the byproducts of the Temple-Forge had its smiths enjoy influence and power in the surrounding region of the Infernal Machine, they cared only for the ever-eluding perfection of systematic organization and the many forms resulting from such systems. Machines, weapons, demons, tools - everything came out from the Forge. However, as much as they banged at their anvils the very fundamental nature of Hell and its ever-changing form prevented them in achieving their desired goal.

When the elders of the Temple-Forge found out about the quest to the Ur-City and the Great Scroll, they chose Imzada to escort the monk and while traveling to see what she can bring back to further their eternal quest. While some may regard this as an honorable task, to Imzada it was a humiliation. Most of the artificial-adepts of the Burnished Forge existed in a state of repetitive serenity - devoid of distracting sentience. However, despite the fact that she spent an eternity next to her anvil, forging, machining, moving only to siphon more materials, the blessed state of pure Function eluded her. And so to part from her anvil only meant that her only desire and life's purpose was put on indefinite hold.

Like a mechanism ejecting a faulty cog, others sensed the disquiet of their sister and disappointment at her apparent futility in their eternal task. Utilizing their influence with the local noble, they sent her out onto this great quest.
Despite the circumstances of her departure, Imzada learned to hold hope that in accomplishing this task she can further the eternal quest of the Burnished Forge and thus find the state of blessed Function that eluded her for so long.


Martial Art - Shrieking Hammer


Shrieking Hammer:
Chaos is Order in the making. However to draw perfection of Function from imperfect Form, one must beat out the impurities. Spending an eternity next to the anvil, beating form out of formlessness gives insight into the fundamental realities of chaos. The knowledge goes beyond madness, leaving little wants or needs but that to Shape. With each step along the path one gets closer to dark enlightenment and closer to their true Function.

Shrieking Demon Form:
Stance
In the Form do we reflect the inevitability of Function that awaits us. By the very virtue of your existence you hold an edge over others who do not match your purity of purpose. Others with Composure lower than your Resonance, will always have Initiative lower than your own.

Smashing Hammer Rising Steam:
Once upon the path, use the momentum to impress your purity of purpose upon your enemies. Each strike made is a step taken bringing you closer to your true Function. With each strike that reduces Soak or Health values of your foes, you gain +1 Offence to your subsequent attacks, effect cumulative until you stop attacking or the attack fails to reduce values.

Delayed Judgement:
Triggered Technique
Even the most tenacious of foes can only remain standing for so long. In the end a resolute attack breaks all barriers. With each attack that meets a successful Defense, automatically add +1 to your Offence, value cumulative with all subsequent strikes that are Defended against. The value resets upon successful damage, soaking by the enemy or if attention is drawn to another target.

Unstoppable Whirlwind:
Like any ordered system, the accumulation of carefully placed Functions makes for the greatest of Forms. Chain your actions in a purposeful string otherwise you must begin anew. If there is another combatant standing next to the target with 3ft apart or less you can perform this technique - as long as your next target is the nearest combatant. If two Unstoppable Whirlwinds are made - faced with such fearsome onslaught nearby combatants must pass a Willpower check equal to Imzada's Strength or higher or become Terrified.

Shrieking Metal - Black Enlightenment:
Pinnacle Technique
By performing proper Forms, you can catch glimpses of your true Function. Each act of moving becomes instinctive and imbued with an incredible force of actions made past. With unyielding purposefulness and deliberation you've made yourself impossible to ignore or stop. You are closer to becoming one with the Machine.
After three turns of successfully performing Unstoppable Whirlwind, you can add Intellect rating to damage. In case you are reduced to 10 Condition or 5 Health you automatically avoid collapsing or being penalized for being badly damaged, once per combat.


Integrated effects


Ghostcrystal plating:

Demon Engine Integrated a material found in the ghostcrystal fence surrounding the Temple of the Scripulent Hand. In return for some Essence, the material appears as verdigris-blue infection on Imzada's arms and across one face of her hammer. This results in:

- +1 Magic Resistance and Physical Soak;
- Great Unmaker will dispel Essence-fueled effects when the modified face strikes a Demon or object imbued with Essence.


Attributes

Intellect Intuition Willpower

5 1 2

Bearing Guile Composure

1 1 1

Strength Dexterity Fitness

6 4 2

Skills - 2XP leftover;

Mental Academics ¬ Administration ¬ Artisan ¬ Craft 5 - Armorsmithing Focus; Investigation 5 - Infernal Metallurgy Focus; Interface 5 - Hacking Focus; Lore ¬ Medicine ¬ Survival ¬	Social Animal Handling ¬ Empathy ¬ Mingling ¬ Perform ¬ Persuade ¬ Subterfuge ¬ Languages ¬ ¬	Physical Athletics ¬ Awareness ¬ Defend 5 - Evasion Focus; Melee 6 - Hammer Focus; Ranged ¬ Stealth ¬ Unarmed ¬ Piloting
Adept of the Burnished Forge ( +2 Craft, Investigation, Interface)	Baroque Horror ( +1 Persuade, Perform, Language)	Training - Shrieking Hammer

Combat Block

Offence Melee: 10 ¬ Ranged: 1 ¬ Unarmed: 4 ¬

Defence Defence: 9 ¬ Parry: 5 ¬ Evade: 6 ¬ Block: 5

Speed: 2 Initiative: 3 Combat Pool: 6 Physical Soak: 3 Magic Resistance: 3;

Health: 10 Resonance 2 Essence 10 Condition: 20

 

[ThaDruid]

Name: Patrjulf The Regicide

Expressions:

Molten Flesh: The demon's form is malleable, turning liquid at a moment's notice and hardening once more with an afterthought, while never losing its distinctive humanoid shape. When struck, the demon may indefinitely trap objects, weapons, or even others within his accursed flesh. Many would consider it a fate worse than death. (Costs Essence equal to the condition of the trapped object of entity.)

Essence of Spite: The demon's body may falter, but his undying hate lives on beyond mortal wounds. When suffering a killing blow, he may not fall dead until his opponent has also been struck down. Until then, his body is kept alive by sorcery, with the purpose of slaying one more before expiring. (For each turn spent fighting beyond death the demon takes one more year to reincorporate. Upon death, he loses a point of Resonance until something is done to earn it back in the eyes of the Principles.)

Blasphemies:

Excellence – Spend 5 Essence to add Training specific to any weapon when you pick that weapon up. If you already have Training for that weapon, spend 2 Essence per die to reroll failed dice up to your Resonance when using that weapon.

Brilliance – Spend 5 Essence to add a bonus die, up to your Resonance to rolls with a weapon in which you have Training.

Dominance – Spend 10 Essence per die to convert Bearing dice to automatic successes when using a demonstration of superior skill, knowledge, or status to socially compel another character.

Blinding – Spend 2 Essence to apply +1 difficulty to enemy efforts to hit you, up to your Bearing. Spend 5 to deal Condition damage equal to your Bearing in searing radiance to anyone within your Bearing x2 in feet, damage decreasing by 1 the further from you they are.


Martial Art - TOMBSTONE STYLE
A style of swordsmanship that naturally took shape during an eternity of murder. It revolves around fighting with two paired long knives and anything else that is on hand, including the duelist's voice. The style also makes liberal use of kicks, trips, showy acrobatics and foul insults, in an attempt to hinder and humiliate the opponent by making him lose his temper or cower in fear.

Duelist Braggart Form:
Stance
A friendly challenge. Show yourself open and vulnerable, then meet the opponent's blade with your own. Mock him for failing such a simple attack, and offer him a second chance. Redirect his strikes, and destroy his stance.
[After any successful defence, lower the opponent's Defence by 1. At will, the duelist may roll Bearing/Persuade to bait the enemy into attacking again.]

Suicide King:
Each wound suffered only serves to increase your anger, and lets you get closer to your enemy. Impale yourself upon his spear, and rob him of any range advantage.
[Deliberately take a hit for a 1-round big bonus to Offence (+5)]

Strike The Unmentionables:
Every body has a variety of weak spots that may be taken advantage of. The results can go from debilitating to humiliating, but they are always devastating.
[Upon hitting his opponent, the duelist may choose to damage his Speed or Composure instead of his Health]

Pandemonium Footwork:
The crowded streets of Pandemonium can be a headache to navigate. The natives know secret techniques that they're seldom willing to share.
[The duelist is able to attack immediately after a succesful defence]

Emperor's Folly:
Pinnacle Technique
The man attacked, and 16 wounds opened across the Emperor's body. The demon was struck down, yet still he stood victorious.
[For 1 round, double the duelist's max attack actions. Damage is increased by 1 for every Resonance the target has above the duelist's]

Attributes


Intellect
Intuition
Willpower
I
III
III
Bearing
Guile
Composure
IV
I
I
Strength
Dexterity
Fitness
IV
IV
IV
Skills


Mental
Academics
¬
Administration
¬
Artisan
4 (War Chants)
Craft
¬
Investigation
3
Interface
¬
Lore
3
Medicine
¬
Survival
3
Social
Animal Handling
¬
Empathy
¬
Mingling
¬
Perform
4 (Showy Swordsmanship)
Persuade
4 (Believe in the Cause)
Subterfuge
¬

Physical
Athletics
5 (Endurance, Acrobatics)
Awareness
3
Defend
5 (Parry, Evade)
Melee
6 (Swords, Dirty Fighting, Duels)
Ranged
¬
Stealth
¬
Unarmed
¬
Piloting
¬

Knowledge - Warfare & Tactics (+1 Artisan, Survival, Lore)


Familiarity - Leader of Demons (+1 Perform, Persuade, Empathy)


Training (+2 Tombstone Style)
​
Combat Block


Offence
Melee:
10
Ranged:
3
Unarmed:
4
Defence
Defence: 10
Parry: 7
Evade: 7
Block: 5  
Speed: 9
Initiative: 10
Combat Pool: 13
Physical Soak: 4
Magic Resistance: 3 
Health: 10
Resonance 2
Essence 10
Condition: 20
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[dae mec]

Name: Lakshana with the Slender Flute

Lakshana wasn’t always from the Pandemonium. She once was part of the Unseen rabble who suffered in the endless border wars, torn and reformed only to be torn apart again. Even then she had a silver tongue and an ear for music, and her singing caught the attention of the Jeweled Iris, a prominent Citizen from the city. They brought her to the Pandemonium, and grateful for the rescue, Lakshana signed a contract binding herself into their service.

She worked as a personal performer for this Citizen for centuries until they loosened her contract, giving her the freedom to work for others—though her loyalty would always be first to the Jeweled Iris. But the realm of arts is just as bloodthirsty as the other demonic interests, and if you aren’t climbing, you’re falling. Fearful that her art was becoming stale, Lakshana decided to travel outside the city for inspiration. And thus she’s spent the last century or so entertaining the nobility across the realms and trying to create an epic worthy of her employer. She dreams of a triumphant return to the city, and this group sounds like one worthy of a legendary song.

Lakshana is almost exactly five feet, with skin like oil on water, black hair, and deep red eyes. She has four arms, and three carry a pen, notebook, and flute at all times. She’s pretty, just enough to catch someone’s interest, but not enough to linger in their memory. Her clothing is a simple but professional slit skirt and blouse, though she carries more flashy attire for her performances. Her other instruments include a hand drum, chimes, viol, and mandolin.


Expressions:

Grasping Ambition: Lakshana has four limbs, giving her a greater ability to multitask.

Thin Film Interference: Normally, Lakshana's iridescent skin changes without rhyme or reason, a subtle, colorful sheen that interests the eyes. She does have the ability to control it, letting her camouflage into her surroundings or shine brightly on the stage. Add +1 die to Stealth rolls or +1 to Bearing where being beautiful and interesting is an advantage - like performances.

Blasphemies

Hallucination – Inflict Hallucinations on enemies, 5 Essence per internal penalty applied

Telekinesis – Manipulate objects with your mind with an effective Strength equal to your Resonance. 2 Essence per use/per turn to maintain. 5 to strike a telekinetic blow.

Telepathy – Read minds or communicate with them by rolling Intuition + Resonance against the target’s Willpower; spend 5 Essence per die to convert them to successes

Teleportation – 5 Feet per Resonance, any direction, no line of sight. 5 Essence per Resonance increment traveled


Martial Art:
Bloodthirsting Songbird Style
Aloof of the field of battle, practitioners of this style enact violence to defend themselves through destruction, but more, to create a beautiful dance in the chaos of combat.

Tempo-Setting Tune
Form Technique
The Songbird stays back from the frontline of the fight, but they are here, and their presence is felt.
Play your instrument while remaining ready to fight. Gain +2 Defence while in this stance, and choose to increase allied Initiative by 1, or reduce enemy Initative by 1. For allies using dance-based Styles, increase this bonus by 1.

Killing Crescendo
A baleful and beautiful succession of notes, to bring about a transcendant finale.
Make an attack against the Willpower of all nearby enemies. Deal +2 Damage on success, but also gain bonus effects based on techniques used beforehand.

Befuddling Bolero
Those who can't hear the music can't follow the beat and stumble as they fight.
Apply +2 Offence or Defence to allies; enemies receive the opposite penalty.
If used before Klling Crescendo, Killing Crescendo adds +2 to ally Fatigue

Bullet-Charmer Method
Nothing is immune to true beauty or unaffected by true Art. Even slings and arrows can be halted by the right note.
Allows the artist to defend against ranged attacks with a standard Defence action, stopping even bullets in mid air, and negates 1 Success on incoming melee attacks.
Adds +1 Health damage to the next use of Killing Crescendo.

Finale/Encore
Pinnacle Technique
A technique defined by a perfectly pitched and chosen note for the right moment.
Make an attack against an enemy against which no normal defense applies. If successful, increase the damage of the next use by 1.
If used before Killing Crescendo, Finale consumes the bonus effects and turns them into +1 damage each.
If used after Killing Crescendo, Encore refreshes the bonuses of the earlier techniques for one more turn.

Attributes

Intellect Intuition Willpower

5 2 3

Bearing Guile Composure

2 5 4

Strength Dexterity Fitness

1 5 1

Skills

Mental Academics ¬ Administration ¬ Artisan 2 ¬ Craft ¬ Investigation 4 (gossip network) ¬ Interface ¬ Lore ¬ Medicine ¬ Survival ¬	Social Animal Handling ¬ Empathy 3 ¬ Mingling 5 (musical charm) ¬ Perform 4 (one woman band) ¬ Persuade 2 ¬ Subterfuge 5 (hiding in plain sight) ¬ Languages ¬ ¬	Physical Athletics ¬ Awareness 2 ¬ Defend ¬ Melee ¬ Ranged 4 (notes from a distance) ¬ Stealth 2 ¬ Unarmed ¬ Piloting
Knowledge: Chord Connections - Interface, Investigation, and Artisan	Familiarity: Seeking a Patron- Subterfuge, Mingling, and Empathy	Training - Concerto of Serrated Songs

​

Combat Block

Offence Melee: 5 ¬ Ranged: 6 ¬ Unarmed: 5 ¬

Defence Defence: 5 ¬ Parry: 5 ¬ Evade: 5 ¬ Block: 5

Speed: 1 Initiative: 5 Combat Pool: 6 Physical Soak: 1 Magic Resistance: 3

Health: 10 Resonance 2 Essence 10 Condition: 20

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