Arianna, a Feiticeira Implacável

Arianna (Exalted 1e) 

    Quote: This power is a tool that the Unconquered Sun has given us—and I intend to use it.

    Prelude: Before, you were the shy assistant in a large library in a Northern kingdom. Timid as a mouse, you did as you were told—cleaning and rearranging books, working all day, always hoping to break through the glass ceiling imposed by your gender. At night, you read and read. You were proud and open in your knowledge, though you hid your fragile beauty, wanting to be accepted for your skill. But no matter how much you knew, you were still a woman, and it was never enough. Until your Exaltation. The Unconquered Sun and the souls of its Exalted know and care not for gender. You were transfigured, and the forgotten texts in the library became your treasure. The tomes of sorcery, books the Dragon-Blooded had not bothered to take and whose magic was useless to the un-Exalted, became your tutors and guides, and you discovered realms of knowledge that surpassed any scholar. Those who once mocked you as a mere assistant could never imagine the spells you now command.

    Though you tried to hide, your power grew until it became a beacon that attracted the Wyld Hunt to you. You barely escaped it, and to this day, your face carries a scar from the encounter. Now you travel the countryside, never staying too long in one place, seeking knowledge and power. While you have many acquaintances, you have few close friends and have been forced to flee more than one court or city with enemies in pursuit.

    Roleplaying Hints: You finally have the power and recognition you always wanted—the catch is that it involves hordes of deluded fools trying to hunt you down and kill you. You are sensitive about the scar on your face, a reminder of the Wyld Hunt (though it is only a small scar and not disfiguring), and you use a scarf to cover it from casual glances. Your brush with death has left you cold and determined, resolved never to be so weak and helpless again. You do not have a great thirst for universal justice: When you take revenge, it is for personal reasons, and you savor every drop of blood.

    Image: Arianna is a tall, fine-boned woman who appears to be in her early 30s. She wears her pure white hair in a thick braid and often covers her face with a scarf to conceal the fine scar running across it. Her eyes are large and dark, and her lips red and tempting. She wears multiple layers of robes and a wide sash at her waist that holds a surprising number of throwing knives but bears no ostentatious jewelry or Hearthstones.

    Equipment: Fine silk and cotton robes, various scrolls and books with her own annotations, throwing knives, several maps, and letters of introduction to various nobles.

Arianna, the Implacable Sorceress (Exalted 2e)

Quote: "You'll stay out of my way if you know what's good for you."

Arianna was never a nice little girl. A life of quiet marital servitude to some piggish oaf and his snotty, demanding brat was not for her. At age 14, when her parents announced that they'd chosen her a husband, she ran away, haring north out of the Hundred Kingdoms in search of a more enlightened society. She thought she'd found it in the Northern city of Rylea, which claimed to have the grandest library of ancient lore in the entire region. Arianna made her way there and did her best to insinuate herself into the society of the scholar in residence. In trying to do so, she found that Rylea was a chauvinist kingdom no more enlightened than her own home, despite the treasure trove of knowledge its library offered. The scholars were too proud to accept her as one of their own but plenty willing to let her try as a serving girl. One even tried to make a biddable mistress of her. She told the scholar's wife, who—it turned out—had a notorious temper and a father connected to Rylea's criminal underground. That scholar was never seen again, and none of the others approached Arianna with similar intentions thereafter.

That settled, Arianna proved herself a quick study with as sharp a mind as any man at the library had. She read and studied in the hours not devoted to cooking and cleaning, always assuming her intellect would eventually win the scholars over and earn her a place among them. In all the years she spent there, that never happened. Fortunately, her cleverness did manage something remarkable, a path to another of Rylea's most respected men, a higher authority elevated far above the petty squabbles the scholars achieved. It came over her not in a bonfire of Essence or in the heat of battle, but in a subtle moment as she puzzled out the subtext in an innocuous-seeming book that none of the other Rylean scholars had deemed important. She knew from earlier readings exactly what she had become and that the Immaculate Order's "Anathema" label was a self-aggrandizing sham.

Despite her awful experiences thus far, Arianna intended to stay at the library for a while. Dozens of "untranslateable" volumes were gathering dust in storage there, and if she could keep her new nature a secret, she could glean a wealth of secret from them. Her charade seemed to be going smoothly at first, but that calm was just a lull before a storm. In a few short months—before she'd had time to learn more than the rudiment of Exalted sorcery—the Wyld Hunt tracked her down in spite of all her caution and discretion.

The shikari attacked in the night, one of them marring Arianna with a slash from forehead to cheek that would leave a fine-but-indelible scar. She overcame two of her Dragon-Blooded attackers, nearly destroying the library in the process, but the last one's arrowhead flushed her out into the countryside. She might have died by the roadside that night if not for the timely arrival of a Coral Archipelago junior diplomat named Swan who, it turned out, was also a Solar Exalt. He protected her and took care of her after the fact.

Her wounds were quick to heal, and as they did, Arianna's resolve strengthened. She'd been thinking small at Rylea's library, she realized. There were bigger cities, older libraries and more magnificent wonders out there. In them, she could find the knowledge to unlock the power she knew to be rightly hers. That day, she determined to visit them all and do just that. Swan traveled with her for a while, which was alternately comfortable and taxing. She also traveled alone, crossing paths with the likes of Yurgen Kaneko, Grendis Lam, the Shoat of the Mire and a host of luminaries, criminals, kings and gods. She eventually found her way back to Swan, who brought her into the circle of Solars with which he had fallen in himself. Since then, they’ve been able to accomplish great things, with even greater achievements just around every corner.

Arianna is a self-absorbed woman, driven to retake every right and advantage to which she feels her Exaltation entitle her. In her pursuit of that goal, she will stop at nothing short of betraying those of her associates who can best help her achieve it. Those associates currently include her circlemates—Dace, Panther, Harmonious Jade and Swan. Of them, she most appreciates the Eclipse Caste, Swan, who saved her life, has proven himself a competent sidekick and seems the least inclined to argue with her when she’s trying to get things done. Her feelings for her circlemates are based more on respect than honest affection, however. 

Estatísticas de Jogo:

Name: Arianna

Goal: To restore the Solar Exalted to their rightful station as rulers of Creation.

Level: 1
Effort: 2 (1 subtle)
XP:

Influence: 2
Dominion:

Strength: 10 (0) [11]
Dexterity: 16 (+2) [5]
Constitution: 12 (0) [9]
Intelligence: 18 (+3) [3]
Wisdom: 15 (+1) [6]
Charisma: 13 (+1) [9]

Max HP: 8
Current HP: 8
Armor Class: 7
Attack Bonus: +1
Fray Die: 1d8

Hardiness 15
Evasion 12
Spirit 14

Facts

• Runaway noble girl with aspirations to sagehood.
• Seeker (and finder) of hidden secrets and forbidden knowledge.
• The respect (if not love) of her circle.​

Caste: Twilight (Dispel a theugic incantation or low magic spell instantly or instantly cast a theurgic incantation once per scene. Sense magic or magic items by concentrating for one round.)

Anima Banner: Tall, broad lapis-lazuli wings of Essence with golden tips unfurl behind her, seeming to transform Arianna into a terrible angelic figure.

Words

• Athletics: Set Dexterity to 16. Cannot be surprised.
• Investigation
• The Unveiled Truth (Action): Commit Effort for the scene to learn the answer to any one question to which the truth is not concealed by all who know it.​
• Lore: Set Intelligence to 18.
• Vital Furnace (On Turn): Commit Effort for the scene. Instantly heal lost hit points from one injury received last round.​
• Occult: Commit Essence for the scene to instantly negate any low magic or banish or destroy log magic constructs or entities
• Adept of the Gate: Learn four invocations of the Gate.
• Ruler of the Lesser Paths (Constant): Commit Effort. Meditate for an hour to learn at archmage level any one path of low magic you have studied. Cast spells as an archmage of that path until the Effort is reclaimed.​
• Navigation
• Dust At Your Heels (On Turn): Commit Effort. You and those traveling with you cannot be caught by pursuers.​

Spells

• Demon of the First Circle: Summon a lesser demon, no greater than caster’s level x 2HD, bound to a single Word, with no Gifts. Must be cast slowly. Roll a Spirit save to control the summoned demon once it arrives.
• Invulnerable Skin of Bronze: AC 3 until the sun next crosses the horizon. The sorcerer becomes 100 pounds heavier.
• Sunder the Lesser Spell: Destroy a single invocation of the Gate along with all low magic enchantments within thirty feet. The sorcerer takes 1d10 damage each time.
• Wood Dragon’s Claw: Transform hands into twisted claws of wood, only useful for fighting, doing 1d10 damage. The sorcerer may choose which attribute to use for attack and damage.

Arianna was the most difficult so far, given that I had to translate her spells. I have a poor sense of balance when it comes to game mechanics, so I have no idea how this would fly until I actually play it. I expect I may end up giving the First Circle Demon a lesser gift of the caster's choice. The other two Exalted spells are both hampering and extremely obvious, so I figure that was drawback enough for their benefits. Emerald Counterspell, of course, is pretty much the same as Sunder the Lesser Spell, so I just went with that.

For all her knowledge, Arianna had no Lore charms, so I didn't give her any Lore Gifts. I did give her the supernatural ability to suss out knowledge at need. It seemed like it would fit.

The main focus was on Occult. Since she is a sorcery-focused character, half her Gift allocation was devoted to that.

I gave her a Navigation charm for her Ride skills. Though she doesn't need a horse, she can definitely miracle one up if necessary (and it will outpace any pursuers). Finally, since I incorporated Medicine into Lore, that's where I put her healing meditation charm. Here, it's more of an emergency rapid regeneration. I'd say it's useful for surprise attacks, but thanks to her superior dexterity, she can't be surprised. (I gave her the Alacrity special ability to substitute for Graceful Crane stance. And with Athletics as a skill, she can also run up walls and do other crazy tricks if she's willing to spend the Effort.)

Overall, she still seems more powerful and dangerous than her Exalted counterpart -- if she has time to get her defensive spell off and then invoke Wood Dragon's Claws.

Tepet Ejava, A Rosa Negra, A General Que Aspirava a Ser Shogun

Tepet Ejava (Exalted 1e)

    Quote: It isn’t how you talk that sets your place in history. It’s what you accomplish. Show me how you’ll earn your page in the books.

    Prelude: You were, quite literally, born into battle. You are the product of a military household in a military house. Your mother was a storied commander, your grandfather one of the most famous generals in recent memory. Your course was set long before you had any inkling of it. War is as mother’s milk to you, and nothing brings back fond memories of childhood like the smell of blood on the air and the crackle and boom of warworked Essence.

    The House of Bells was home to you, and though your lack of tact in the face of wrongheaded mentors brought more grief upon you than most, none could deny your talent or the fact that, when you corrected your teachers, they needed correcting. You went directly to the legions and distinguished yourself at every turn. You did not win every battle, but you never lost to the same enemy twice. And yet, when your Great House faced its greatest fight, you were not there. The “what ifs” haunt you day and night. Could you have turned the tide and prevented the cataclysmic defeat that came to your family, or would you have been just another grave tale of gallantry?

    In the aftermath of the Battle of Five Fangs and the death of so many of your elders, you were given command of the Vermilion Legion, an ironic turn of events if ever there was one. In the years since, you have taken that band of cutthroats, rightly reviled by the rest of the empire, and turned it into a fighting force to be feared. Your house keeps you in reserve, waiting for the right moment. You keep your men from being idle by hunting brigands and pirates, knowing that when the time comes to act, you and your soldiers will be ready.

    Roleplaying Hints: Some may be better at certain aspects of war, but none surpass you in the all-around. You are direct (some would say intemperate) and honest. You have little time for the subtleties of Dynastic politics, though you can rise to the occasion given no other choice. Everyone knows you can kill as easily as breathing, including you. You feel no need to prove yourself. Your loyalty to your men , your house and your empire is nigh unshakeable, but the last few years have tried even your patience. You long for the chance to take actions that mean something rather than biding your time hunting smugglers and sea rats in order to “build political capital.” There are things you could do, and if your elders do not put you in the field to do them, you may very well take it upon yourself to do so.

    Image: Beautiful and terrible. Ejava goes armed and armored nearly every moment of the day, as is just for a general of the legions. Her features are stern, sharp some have said, and her fi gure lush. She takes few pains to sweeten her seeming, but little is needed. Her one vanity is a head of luxurious red hair that falls about her face and strikes an alluring contrast with the emerald tint of her skin.

    Equipment: The freedom stone, salt-gem of the spirit’s eye, stone of healing, jade mask (see Savant & Sorcerer, p. 41), green jade daiklave, green jade articulated plate, army of elite troops

Tepet Ejava, The Roseblack, The General Who Would be Shogun (Exalted 2e)

Quote: Well, I hadn’t planned on committing treason today, but here we are.

    The granddaughter of the legendary general Tepet Arada, Tepet Ejava was conceived of two high-ranking officers serving on the frontlines of one of the Realm’s campaigns. Her mother refused to surrender command just because of the inconvenience of nursing an infant while on maneuvers, and clever smiths jury-rigged Tepet Ellora’s breastplate to accommodate a tiny suckling infant. Upon Ellora’s return to the Blessed Isle, she was castigated by her father, Arada, for being so cavalier with a Dynastic newborn, but after getting over his anger, the Wind Dancer was immediately taken by his new grandchild. While he never publicly doted on her, Ejava benefited greatly from her grandfather’s patronage, and her admission to the House of Bells awaited only the seeming formality of Exaltation.

    That formality was satisfied when Ejava Exalted during her 11th year, a relatively young age for a Terrestrial Exaltation. But she never rested on her laurels or relied on her connections. Diligent, patient and driven, Ejava strove for excellence even beyond the standards of excellence set for her by her Dragon-Blooded peers. After graduating from the House of Bells with the highest marks, Ejava had her choice of assignments. Early success in putting down a peasant uprising in Chanos Prefecture brought her a measure of fame as well as valuable battlefield experience. From there, she used the Imperial Army to see the world like few inhabitants of the Age of Sorrows ever could.

    Ejava’s most famous success was the Battle of Tamrin Plain, the tactics of which are still taught at the House of Bells. Initially assigned to assist a Nellens ranching concern against bandits in the Northern Threshold, the Roseblack suddenly found herself vastly outnumbered and caught between 500 beastmen led by a powerful Lunar Anathema on one side and an equivalent force of Fair Folk hobgoblins on the other. In a brilliant tactical display, Ejava managed to divert the beastmen force into the ranks of the hobgoblins, forcing them to fight one another. The Lunar escaped, but his minions were wiped out, as were the Fair Folk forces and the bandits. 

    The Battle of Tamrin Plain led to her assignment as a dragonlord to the Third Legion in the Northeastern Threshold. Regrettably for all concerned, that posting was brief. Jealous rivals stymied her efforts to devise an effective strategy for dealing with the opposing barbarian armies, and eventually, her superior reassigned her to the Blessed Isle where she was to lobby the Deliberative for reinforcements. Ejava arrived in the Imperial City just in time to learn of the disastrous Battle of Futile Blood and the destruction of her family’s fortunes.

    While the Tepet legions were no more, other opportunities remained, but the Roseblack realized that if such opportunities were to be realized, she would need a force she could mold to her own needs without having to answer to some superior officer likely to be her inferior in acumen. Although she received offers to join the command staffs of many of the Realm’s leading generals, Ejava spurned them all for the one position attainable that would give her total control over an entire legion. Unfortunately, it was the Red-Piss Legion, and Ejava’s family was mortified when she accepted command over it. But Ejava saw a value in the Vermillion Legion that others did not: total loyalty. To Ejava, the soldiers of the Red-Piss Legion were the castoffs of the Realm, a massive fighting force whose officer corps consisted almost entirely of Dragon-Blooded cut off from their own Houses. It has taken her years of persistent training and drilling (and the quiet removal of those officers who were incompetent rather than simply bull-headed), but today, the Vermillion is a crack fighting force whose degenerate reputation is a mask for its brutal efficiency and its dedication to the first truly great commander it has ever had.

    Of course, a sword that is never unsheathed is a poor weapon, indeed. Though not a pious woman, Tepet Ejava is intensely patriotic. If the Scarlet Empress were to return tomorrow, she would be the first to swear fealty. However, there are no signs the Empress will return tomorrow, the next day or any day thereafter, and in the meantime, the Realm and Creation both slide toward oblivion. Seeing no one else who could possibly seize control of the Realm and maintain it, the Roseblack has come to an awful realization: that she is most likely the best person to sit on the Scarlet Throne. Having accepted that truth, Ejava has become surprisingly calm about the prospect of treason, coup d’etat and bloody civil war against her own kinsmen. She has quietly purged her inner circle of anyone who would not follow her path, and under her leadership, the Red-Piss Legion has become more than a match for any other legion. For now, Ejava waits. Tepet Arada has sent word that he is coming to the Southeast to meet with her. Whether it is to join her cause or to take her head remains to be seen.

Tepet Ejava, the Roseblack (Exalted 3e)

Disgraced and dishonored after losing its legions, House Tepet desperately searches for a means to regain its lost favor. Its greatest hope may lie with a woman who has disdained house politics and dedicated her life to the defense of the Realm.

Tepet Ejava was born while her mother was in the field. War was the first thing she knew, and for good or ill, it set the tone for the rest of her life. As a child, she excelled at strategy and war-games, and her Exaltation attuned her to the violent struggles underlying the natural world. As she matured, Ejava found herself ill at ease in the well-manicured garden of Dynastic society — something that became less metaphorical when she inadvertently devastated the dominie’s beloved rose garden. Her classmates nicknamed her “Roseblack” after the incident, but rather than seethe, Ejava embraced the nickname as a symbol of humility. It stayed with her through her training at the House of Bells, and through her engagements as a newly commissioned officer of the Imperial Legions, from putting down bandits and peasant revolts to vicious battles against Anathema and the Fair Folk. By the time Ejava made winglord, the name “Roseblack” was spoken with pride.

Then came the Battle of Futile Blood. Ejava wasn’t with the Tepet legions when it happened, and still regrets that she wasn’t there to fight alongside them. When word of the Tepet legions’ fate arrived, Ejava found her world upended. Not only had she lost friends, comrades, and loyal soldiers, but the Realm she loved had been dealt a devastating defeat.

Even those Tepets jealous of Ejava’s rising star now acknowledged her value as one of the house’s most capable surviving officers. Promoting her to general, they placed her in charge of the one legion that had been foisted on the house in the partition of the Imperial legions — the infamous Vermilion, or “Red-Piss,” Legion. While many officers might quail at the thought of managing such a disgraceful mob, the Roseblack saw it as an opportunity. Over the past three years, she’s rebuilt the Vermilion into a competent and disciplined fighting force, equal to any legion fielded by the other Great Houses.

Ejava is the consummate Dragon-Blooded officer — disciplined, resolute, and professional. While other members of her house might chide her for putting off marriage, Ejava feels that she’s exactly where the Realm needs her, and that her own career is fulfillment enough. Her closest confidant is the Chanos prefect, Ragara Nova, a socialite who once tried to win her hand. Other than Nova, there are few who’ve really gotten to know her. Her true home is the battlefield, and her soldiers are her true family. She has little time for anything else.

Ejava is a tall, imposing woman with the same long red hair as the Empress. When in the field, she’s rarely seen without her armor and sidearm — a full suit of green jade articulated plate, and Thorn, her daiklave.

Estatísticas de Jogo

Name: Tepet Ejava

Exaltation: Dragon-Blooded

Aspect: Wood

Goal: To save the Realm by any means necessary

Level: 4

Effort: 5

XP:

Influence: 7
Dominion:

Strength: 14 (+1)
Dexterity: 18 (+3)
Constitution: 16 (+2)
Intelligence: 15 (+1)
Wisdom: 16 (+2)
Charisma: 16 (+2)

Max HP: 24

Current HP: 24
Armor Class: 1
Attack Bonus: +4
Fray Die: 1d8

Hardiness 10
Evasion 9
Spirit 10

Facts

• Granddaughter of the legendary Tepet Arada, daughter of Legion officers.
• Honor graduate of the School of Bells.
• Quelled the peasant uprising of Chanos Prefecture.
• Tactical genius famous for her victory at Tamrin Plain.
• Commander of the Vermilion Legion.
• A patriot of the Realm, with its welfare foremost in her mind.​

Words

• Command: Set Charisma to 16. Communicate with any intelligent creature.
• Guards! Seize Him! (Action): Summon up to a Small Mob of minions or half-dozen retainers to appear, if they are within ten miles. Only formally-pledged can be summoned, and they must be able to reach the place on their own.
• Influence of Command (Constant): Raise Influence by 2.
• The Lieutenant’s Wisdom (Action): Commit Effort before giving an order to a person or group in your service. Spend an action to borrow their senses or communicate telepathically and they can respond. A subject can break a bond, but you are aware of it. Ends when Effort is reclaimed or the order is fulfilled.
• The Lines of Rule (On Turn): Spot the true leader of a group. Commit Effort to cause a group of lesser NPCs to obey your orders. Spirit save if someone points out the implausibility of this.
• The Soldier’s Faithful Heart (Constant): Lesser foes who freely pledge to you can never betray you or disobey orders until you dismiss them from service. Only magical coercion can force them to disobey or betray.
• A Thousand Loyal Troops (Action): Commit Effort. A visible NPC regards you as a superior. Worthy foes can save vs. Spirit. Lasts after Effort is reclaimed, unless abused.​
• Fertility: Set Constitution to 16. Invincible to wooden weapons or objects, vegetation and plant-based toxins. Perfect control over her reproduction.
• A Second Spring (Action): Commit Effort for the day. All allies in sight are well-fed and rested, regaining 1d6 hp plus your level. Recipients do not need to commit Effort.
• Excellence of Fertility (Constant): Raise Dexterity to 18.
• Seeds of Death (On Turn): Commit Effort. Gain 1d10 magical weapon with a 200-foot range. Lesser foes may die 1d6 months later, unless magically healed, even if the hit does no damage.​
• Passion: Set Wisdom to 16.
• Banner of Passion (Action): Commit Effort. All lesser NPCs in earshot or sight are suffused with a powerful emotion. Worthy foes save vs. Spirit each round to throw it off. Lasts a day after it Effort is reclaimed.
• Heart of the Lion (Constant): Invincible defense against fear and unwanted emotion-affecting effects. Commit Effort to share immunity with all allies within 100 yards.
• Terrifying Mien (Action): Commit Effort to the end of scene. All foes who can see or hear you must make a Morale check. Lesser foes roll at -2.​

Weapons

Thorn (Green Jade daiklave): +7 to hit, 1d8+3 damage

Other Gear

Green Jade Plate: AC 5

Shield: -1 AC

I was actually looking forward to making this one, but when I got to her, it was difficult to decide what Words to give her. I finally decided to focus on what really makes Ejava Ejava -- her presence and charisma. She's another Dragon-Blood who recognizes that her kind are first and foremost heroes and that's all she wants to be, really. Besides, she has a huge pile of Presence and War charms, which translate pretty well to Command and Passion.

As a Wood Aspect, I felt I should give her some abilities there, so I made her as supple and light as a willow branch (Excellence gift), and the ability to refresh her troops for those forced march occasions. The Seeds of Death gift is more a poison thorn thing, rather than a cancer thing, though it has the same effect. Much like her picture in the Scroll of Exalts, the Roseblack can jab people with vines, or can imbue her sword with deadly poison.

The rest of her gifts all involve leading, commanding, and inspiring. Her fellow Terrestrials may never count as lesser NPCs, but I imagine she can inspire her mortal troops into an utterly loyal fervor quite easily.

Dace, Cavaleiro Rejuvenecido

Dace (Exalted 1e)

    Citação: "Se deixarmos aqueles Feéricos nos flanquearem, estamos mortos. Risa, leve seus homens para o sul agora! As tropas lá embaixo precisam de reforço antes que aqueles desgraçados atravessem nossas linhas."

    Prelúdio: Crescendo entre a companhia mercenária dos Lobos Vorazes, você sonhava em se tornar um capitão mercenário rico e famoso. Sua habilidade marcial e brilhantismo tático permitiram que você realizasse esse sonho. Você avançou nas fileiras, de infantaria para cavalaria, e eventualmente se tornou o tenente de confiança do comandante. Quando as tropas sob seu comando salvaram toda a companhia, o capitão anterior decidiu que havia encontrado um substituto adequado e entregou-lhe o comando dos Lobos Vorazes. Você teve uma longa e bem-sucedida vida como capitão dos Lobos por quinze anos. Você os levou a muitas vitórias e os transformou em uma das principais companhias mercenárias da Terra dos Rios. No entanto, à medida que começou a envelhecer, você não suportava a ideia de se aposentar e deixar as batalhas para soldados mais jovens. Você se tornou Exaltado pouco antes de a idade avançada o levar à morte em batalha ou a uma aposentadoria indesejada.

    A Exaltação veio com um preço; forçou você a desistir do comando dos Lobos. Percebendo que muitos de seus soldados agora o consideravam um monstro perigoso, você passou o comando para um de seus segundos e levou duas dúzias dos melhores e mais confiáveis soldados com você. Esperando transformá-los no núcleo de uma nova e ainda maior companhia, você os levou a Nexus, onde ofereceu serviços ao Conselho de Entidades em troca da promessa de abrigo contra a Caçada Selvagem.

    Dicas de Interpretação: Salvo da prisão em um corpo envelhecido pelo toque do poder divino, você conta cada dia de sua saúde e vigor renovados como uma vitória. Você está determinado a fazer o melhor de sua nova vida e planeja usar sua habilidade e força para mudar o mundo. No entanto, suas tropas sempre vêm em primeiro lugar, e qualquer plano que não veja o bem-estar delas é inaceitável. Elas sabem disso, e é por isso que o seguem quase a qualquer lugar.

    Imagem: Dace é um homem alto e robusto que aparenta ter por volta de 40 anos. Sua cabeça é raspada e ele usa um cavanhaque curto e grisalho. Ele tem olhos azuis penetrantes e um rosto robusto e marcado pelo tempo. Quando não está em batalha, ele usa calças e a camisa acolchoada normalmente usada por baixo da armadura. Suas únicas concessões ao seu status de Exaltado são algumas peças de joias pesadas de ouro.

    Equipamento: Daiklave de oricalco, armadura lamelar bem-feita, algumas peças de joias pesadas de ouro, um cavalo preto fino com arreios requintados e um uniforme de gala raramente usado para ocasiões especiais.

Dace, Cavaleiro Rejuvenecido (Exalted 2e)

Citação: Aqui é onde traçamos a linha! Daqui em diante, só avançamos!

    O que deveria ter sido a última batalha de um veterano marcado pela guerra transformou-se no primeiro dia da gloriosa carreira de um general Exaltado. Órfão da Era das Perturbações, Dace foi acolhido pela companhia mercenária Lobos Vorazes, crescendo entre os auxiliares. Ele limpava, consertava armaduras, cuidava dos cavalos e afiava armas, aprendendo brincando os fundamentos do combate com espada, escudo e corpo a corpo.

    Quando atingiu a idade certa, ingressou no campo de batalha como piqueteiro, mantendo-se firme apesar do medo avassalador. Sobreviveu à primeira batalha, depois à segunda e a muitas mais, crescendo em força e subindo gradualmente pelas fileiras. Na meia-idade avançada, havia se tornado o capitão mais respeitado da companhia, e foi a ele que o comando passou quando o comandante dos Lobos Vorazes se aposentou.

    No dia em que Dace Exaltou, a aposentadoria era a última coisa em sua mente. Empregado por Great Forks, ele e seus soldados estavam em desvantagem numérica diante de um exército de arqueiros, cavalaria e infantaria pesada de Lookshy. Os Lookshyanos haviam flanqueado suas forças, dividindo seus homens em pequenos grupos para serem eliminados pelos arqueiros. No entanto, a esperança não estava perdida. Dace percebeu que, se conseguisse romper um ponto específico da cavalaria, poderia desestabilizar a linha inimiga e dar aos seus soldados uma chance de se reagrupar.

    Os outros lutadores na única presa que ele conseguiu poupar para essa tentativa desesperada caíram mortos ou feridos, mas Dace permaneceu em pé e ileso. A rigidez em seu joelho desapareceu, sua visão à distância clareou pela primeira vez em anos, e a dor em seu ombro e cotovelo parecia nunca tê-lo incomodado. Ele rompeu a cavalaria de Lookshy, dispersou a linha inteira sozinho e avançou em direção aos arqueiros confusos mais adiante. Com coragem renovada, seus soldados se formaram atrás dele e expulsaram o restante dos Lookshyanos do campo. Não foi até que a força oposta estivesse em plena retirada que Dace percebeu que seu corpo estava no centro de uma coroa de Essência flamejante e que alguns de seus homens olhavam assustados para o símbolo ardendo em sua testa.

    No dia seguinte, Dace deixou os Lobos para trás, pedindo um núcleo de voluntários corajosos ao redor do qual fundaria uma nova companhia mercenária. Deste começo nasceu o exército mercenário Tigres de Bronze, que Dace baseou no Distrito Cinnabar de Nexus. Desde então, ele viajou extensivamente pelas Terras dos Catadores, perdendo batalhas raramente e conquistando vitórias aparentemente impossíveis contra raksha, mutantes do Wyld, homens-fera, mortos e até mesmo legionários do Reino de Greyfalls. Alguns dos feitos mais notáveis de seu exército incluem a restauração sem derramamento de sangue da família real da nação de Chask nos Cem Reinos ("A Batalha que Não Existiu") e sua vitória contra uma força imperial muito superior, mesmo encurralados contra o Rio Amarelo ("A Tragédia de Fucian"). Também participou da defesa de Nexus contra uma praga de demônios ("O Dia Escuro como a Noite").

    Dace respeita profundamente seus soldados e não tolera desrespeito à sua reputação. Ele jamais deixa soldados feridos para trás, se puder evitá-lo, nem permite que companheiros capturados apodreçam por muito tempo nas mãos inimigas. Seus soldados, por sua vez, honram Dace e o seguem com fé inabalável. Até mesmo aqueles mais perturbados e inseguros com relação ao seu novo status Exaltado estão dispostos a dar-lhe o benefício da dúvida.

    Dace também é amplamente conhecido por enfrentar em combate singular adversários que a maioria hesitaria em desafiar. Ele já enfrentou o Lunar Ma-Ha-Suchi, o cavaleiro da morte conhecido como a Donzela do Sorriso Sem Alegria, o inigualável cataphract raksha Lan-Shoki Hahna, a demonesa Zsofika e até mesmo o Emissário de Nexus. Embora ele não possa reivindicar vitória total em todos esses encontros, o fato de ter enfrentado tais inimigos formidáveis e sobrevivido já é notável por si só. Que ele vença mais dessas lutas do que perca é um testemunho de sua habilidade Celestial.

Estatísticas de Jogo

Name: Dace

Goal: Unify the armies of the Scavenger Lands under his command

Level: 2
Effort: 3 (1 subtle)
XP:

Influence: 3
Dominion: 0

Strength: 16 (+2) [5]
Dexterity: 13 (+1) [8]
Constitution: 16 (+2) [5]
Intelligence: 13 (+1) [8]
Wisdom: 13 (+1) [8]
Charisma: 16 (+2) [5]

Max HP: 15
Current HP: 10
Armor Class 4 (medium armor)
Attack Bonus: +2
Fray Die: 1d8

Hardiness 12
Evasion 13 (-4 to saves)
Spirit 12

Caste: Dawn (attacks automatically hit lesser foes)

Facts

• Battlefield orphan, raised in a mercenary company.
• Exalted from encroaching old age into a general of the Unconquered Sun.
• Captain of the famed Bronze Tigers.​
• ??????

Words (2 unspent points)

• Martial Arts
• Melee: All weapon attacks are magical, cannot be disarmed, summon any weapon ever used immediately to hand.
• Nine Iron Walls (Instant): Commit Effort for the scene to gain an invincible defense against all physical attacks until the start of your next round.
• Shattering Hand (On Turn): Commit Effort. Melee rolls and fray dice are always the maximum possible. Destroy barriers as thick as five feet of stonework in one round, as an attack or as part of a movement action.​
• Navigate: Always know where you are, never lose your way to a known destination, treat travel as it if it were as restful and nourishing as a sound sleep and a good meal.
• Swift Progress (On Turn): Commit Effort. You and all traveling companions move at double the daily rate, across any terrain, including mountains or seas. Impervious to natural climate problems.​
• Presence: Set Charisma to 16. Communicate with any intelligent creature.
• War
• Invincible Iron General (Constant): All NPC soldiers under you gain +1 hit die, hit bonus equal to your level and Morale 11. All lieutenants know your orders, and you know the location, condition, and general activity of all units under your command.​

Weapons

Daiklaive: +4 to hit, 1d10+2 magical damage

Other Gear

Lamellar Armor (Medium): AC 5, Reflex -4

Well, as I suspected, starting characters in Godbound are quite a bit more powerful than starting Exalted characters. Dace has far more abilities than his Scroll of Heroes depiction, from the Command ability to speak and understand all languages, to the Navigate ability to travel swiftly (though he can't take his army with him yet). Since he had Ride 5, however, and all he had to show for it was charms for being really good with horses, I decided that deserved attention. Frankly, his Ride Charms can easily be covered by just being an Exemplar of War and Navigate. Of course his horse will always perform at its best and never get spooked in battle. It's all just part of who he is.