The Demented One
2009-05-02, 04:20 PM
Cobalt Wedding of Bliss Style
Once, there was a Sidereal foolish enough to fall in love with Venus. The errant Joybringer was convinced that no other woman was worth wooing–all fell short of the radiant beauty the Maiden of Serenity possessed. And thus he began what may be the greatest seduction ever undertaken in Creation. He tried to win her affection through loyal service, tenaciously enforcing the will of the Bureau of Destiny; but alas, Venus was to caught up in the Games of Divinity to even notice. He endeavored on, hoping to catch her attention by slaying those who walked outside of destiny; but no matter how high he heaped the skulls of demons and rakshas, Venus cared not. He thought he might make legendary his amorous skills, but even when he came bearing the signed testimony of twice ten thousand mortal women and every female in the Five-Score Fellowship, the Maiden rebuffed him. Despairing of ever knowing the infinite pleasure of a night with Venus, he sought out his sifu, and begged him for guidance.
Her words were simple. If he was to bed Venus, he would have to master the arts of love in a way no mortal ever could. He must perfect them, transcending reality through his ecstatic prowess. And so he set about perfecting the Cobalt Wedding of Bliss style, a blending of martial and marital arts. It is said, by those who have trained in the amorous and sometimes embarrassingly erotic style, that he finally found his prize. Few today still know the style–its creator is said to have died of exhaustion in the bed of Venus, although a few elder Chosen of Serenity have knowledge of it. Desus, an Eclipse Caste Solar of the First Age, is said to have known at least a few of the style’s Charms, and the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears knows it up to the form. It is one of the few Sidereal Martial Arts that Chejop Kejak has not mastered, more out of embarrassment than anything else, although certain erotic haiku composed by Sad Ivory portray him as a master of the style.
Weapons and Armor
The Cobalt Wedding of Bliss style, though honed for the seduction of Venus, honors all of the Five Maidens equally. Each one has a weapon dedicated to their honor that is mastered by students of the style. Charms of this style treat attacks made with knives (for Mercury), wind and fire wheels (for Venus), spears (for Mars), seven-section staves (for Jupiter), and swords (for Saturn) as unarmed attacks, as well as attacks made with artifact versions of those weapons. Characters cannot use Charms of this style while wearing armor, and many forsake even clothing while practicing it.
The Student’s Sutra of Passion: Once there was a maiden–and a boy
Seeking Out the Perfect Mate
Cost: 5m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4
Type: Reflexive (Step 1)
Keywords: Emotion
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: None
who saw her, from worlds away.
What quest could be more noble than the search for a perfect lover? An enamored suitor must search through all Creation, guided only by his heart, as he searches for a woman to wed. So it is that the martial artist lets his Compassion guide him, each blow as gentle and intimate as a lover’s caress. The martial artist adds his Compassion in dice to all Martial Arts dice pools that he rolls, or to his dice pool to calculate Parry DV, without having to actually channel that virtue. If he actually does channel his Compassion, then he may convert all extra dice from this Charm to automatic successes (or, when calculating DV, double the number of dice added to the pool).
In addition, whenever you make a Martial Attack that would inflict post-soak damage on an enemy, you may choose to not deal any damage and instead instill the target with an intimacy of respect towards you. This unnatural mental influence cannot be resisted. A second use will convert the intimacy to one based on love, causing the enemy to become passionately enamored of you (though this will not necessarily cause them to stop fighting you). Each subsequent use strengthens the intimacy, adding an additional point to it, to a maximum of your Compassion. The enemy can remove this intimacy normally, but they must spend a point of willpower for every scene they spend eroding the intimacy.
Awkward First Meeting Approach
Cost: 10m or 10m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Seeking Out the Perfect Mate
”I’m going to find you!” he vowed,
O, how Venus delights in the first meeting of destined lovers! How silly and awkward they are, stammering nervously, looking away, flushing red! Martial artists who have known such awkward meetings often can touch the strands of their opponent’s fate, causing them to re-live such a meeting. This Charm supplements a Join Battle roll, causing the martial artist to automatically succeed, going on the first tick of combat. The reaction count is set to his (Compassion+Martial Arts). Any character whose rolled successes exceed this act on the tick immediately after the martial artist. If multiple characters use Charms that allow them to automatically succeed on a Join Battle roll and act before all others, then they all act together on the first tick. Enemies outside of fate are not affected by this Charm–if their rolled successes exceed the martial artist’s (Compassion+Martial Arts), they act on the same tick as him. If the martial artist spends an additional willpower, then this Charm can negate surprise. It can also apply to Join Debate and Join War rolls if sufficiently stunted, at the Storyteller’s discretion.
Embrace of Comforting Warmth
Cost: 15m
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Compassion, Emotion, Touch
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Awkward First Meeting Approach
But he knew happiness only in his dreams,
How happy it is to know the solace of a lover’s arms! Within their warm embrace, the rest of the world falls away, leaving the two alone. The martial artist can cultivate this solace as a boon for his foes, granting them respite from battle. Attacking with this Charm requires a (Dexterity+Martial Arts) roll to make an unarmed attack, which only needs to hit the enemy–it need not deal damage. The martial artist wraps his enemy in a hug, filling him with inner peace. The enemy can take no actions but to guard for the next (Compassion) actions, overcome with happiness. They can resist this unnatural influence for an action by spending one willpower. In addition, if the attack also beat the enemy’s MDV, then they take an internal penalty on all aggressive actions equal to the martial artist’s Compassion for the rest of the scene, unable to bring themselves to commit violence (indirect acts of violence, such as ordering an underling to attack, are not affected). They can spend a point of willpower to ignore the penalty for a single action. Once the total amount of Willpower they have spent equals twice the martial artist’s Compassion, the unnatural mental influence subsides.
Worry-Dispelling Backrub Methodology
Cost: 10m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
Type: Simple
Keywords: Emotion
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Awkward First Meeting Approach
Where she appeared, and eased his sorrows
Oh, how skilled a lover’s hands can be! See how they are both firm and gentle, massaging their true love’s back with the utmost skill! So it is for a martial artist using this Charm, as his deft hands convince fate itself that his every deathblow is nothing more than an intimate backrub. Fate complies to his persuasion, informing any armor that the foe might wear that it is not there. All unarmed attacks the martial artist makes ignore soak and hardness from armor. In addition, whenever they channel their Compassion on a Martial Arts roll, it compels the opponent to leap into the way of their blow, expecting great pleasure. The attack becomes undodgeable, although it can still be parried, and the enemy can spend willpower equal to half the martial artist’s Compassion to overcome the unnatural mental influence.
More-Than-Friends Understanding
Cost: 15m
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
Type: Reflexive (Step 10)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Awkward First Meeting Approach
”Come find me!” she pleaded..
What could be more precious than the moment when two friends first realize that they are in love? Such moments can reshape the nature of both, blessing them with the nobility of pure love, or corrupting them with the tyranny of manipulation. Martial artists who have come to understand the perfection of such a sublime moment can embody it through their blows, allowing them to reshape the nature of their foes. Whenever the martial artist would deal post-soak damage to an enemy, he may use this Charm to convert levels of damage into willpower loss instead. The attack deals no damage, but the enemy loses points of temporary willpower equal to either the levels of damage that would have been dealt, or the martial artist’s Compassion, whichever is lower.
Chaste Kiss of Pure Love
Cost: – (+10m, 1wp)
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
Type: Permanent
Keyword: Compulsion
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: More-Than-Friends Understanding
He obeyed,
For the sake of a single kiss, men have waged wars, slain brothers, sacrificed all they ever knew. Such is the power the martial artist wields, the irresistible allure that shatters men’s nature and bids them obey. This Charm enhances More-Than-Friends Understanding. Whenever the martial artist uses it, they may spend 10 additional motes and one willpower. If they do so, they may inflict a Compulsion on the enemy in addition to draining their willpower. The nature of the Compulsion is chosen by the martial artist, but it must relate to himself–”protect me,” “bring me your greatest treasure,” “kill all those who speak ill of me.” They may spend a point of willpower to ignore this Compulsion for one action. Once the amount of willpower they have spent equals twice your Compassion, they are freed of the unnatural mental influence.
Cobalt Wedding of Bliss Form
Cost: 20m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
Type: Simple
Keyword: Emotion, Form-type, Obvious
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Chaste Kiss of Pure Love, Embrace of Comforting Warmth, Worry-Dispelling Backrub Methodology
And they were wed.
O, wedded bliss! It touches all hearts, binding them in love. Such is the spirit of a martial artist who invokes the Venus-Bedding Asana of this form, reaching out and suffusing the destinies of all who gaze upon him with love. The martial artist adds his Essence to his Appearance attribute. This Charm removes the limit on the maximum Mental Defense Value bonus or penalty she can benefit from or inflict based on difference in Appearance. In addition, the martial artist may change his gender as he wills as a reflexive action, assuming his choice of male, female, androgyne, or hermaphroditic forms.
None can bear to harm him, lest they break their own heart. No enemy can hit the martial artist with an attack unless they successfully suppress their Compassion. If an enemy has an Intimacy toward the martial artist, they gain two bonus dice on their Compassion roll. However, an enemy who closes his eyes or puts on a blindfold cannot witness the infinite beauty of the martial artist, taking a -2 internal penalty on the Compassion roll. In addition, any enemy who successfully harms the martial artist loses one Willpower, weeping to see him harmed.
In addition, this Form allows the martial artist to perfect the skills of the lover. Whenever he invokes it, he may also reflexively invoke any of Seeking the Perfect Mate, Worry-Dispelling Backrub Method, or Cunning Tongue Speaks of Marriage, paying their costs as normal. This is not counted as separate Charm activation.
Hands Roam Beneath the Blouse
Cost: 20m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6
Type: Simple
Keyword: Combo-OK, Compassion, Compulsion, Obvious, Servitude
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Cobalt Wedding of Bliss Form
The Elder Sutra of Passion: On the night of their wedding,
Oh, watch the lover, overcome with passion! See him roaming his beloved’s flesh, as if he seeks to find her heart and hold it in his hand. Infused with such burning passion, a martial artist can strike his foe’s heart, drawing it out. The martial artist makes an unnarmed attack, and draws out the enemy’s heart if he inflicts any damage (or willpower drain, though More-Than-Friends Understanding). If the attack also beats the enemy’s MDV, the martial artist chooses one of his enemy’s Virtues, and draws out a physical manifestation of that Virtue from them, in the form of a still-beating heart. As long as they hold it, they gain a special influence over the enemy, although the enemy can resist it by spending willpower–if they spend willpower equal to twice the martial artist’s Compassion, they end the servitude and reclaim their stolen virtue-heart. In addition, the martial artist can crush the virtue-heart in his hands, permanently stunting that virtue. Spending willpower equal to half the martial artist’s compassion negates the effects of crushing the virtue-heart. The martial artist may only use this Charm to steal one victim’s heart at a time, and they can only steal a single virtue-heart from a victim at a time. When used against the Exalted, this Charm cannot target the Virtue tied to their Virtue Flaw. The exact nature of the servitude imposed by this Charm depends on the Virtue targeted:
Compassion: The Compassion-heart is a bright scarlet, pumping with hot blood. As long as the martial artist holds a victim’s Compassion-heart, that victim’s Motivation becomes pleasing the martial artist, and they cannot regain willpower except in his presence. They may spend two points of willpower to ignore this new Motivation for one scene. Crushing the victim’s Compassion-heart reduces their Compassion by two dots, to a minimum of one, and strips them of their ability to maintain positive intimacies–they may only keep those based on fear or hatred.
Conviction: The Conviction-heart is icy cold, and hard as diamond to all hands save the martial artist’s. As long as the martial artist holds a victim’s Conviction-heart, the victim cannot make any decisions whatsoever: they stand perfectly still, paralyzed by the horrific panoply of choices open to them. They may spend one point of willpower to take a single action, ignoring this compulsion. Crushing the victim’s Conviction-heart reduces their Conviction by two dots, to a minimum of one, and strips them of their Motivation, causing them to become listless, dull, and apathetic. They cannot gain a new Motivation save through Charms, spells, or similar supernatural means. However, once they have regained a Motivation, they can then change it normally (assuming that the Charm that granted the new Motivation allows them to change it).
Temperance: The Temperance-heart is brazen, gleaming with scintillating light. As long as the martial artist holds a victim’s Temperance-heart, they become mindlessly hedonistic, taking no actions save to seek physical pleasure through overindulgence. They may spend two points of willpower to ignore this compulsion for one scene. Crushing the victim’s Temperance-heart reduces their Temperance by two dots, to a minimum of one, and causes them to become addicted to a single physical substance or sexual fetish of the martial artist’s choice. Whenever they witness the object of their addiction, they must succeed on a Temperance check, at a difficulty of half the martial artist’s Essence, or begin indulging in it unless they spend a point of willpower.
Valor: The Valor-heart burns with many-colored flames, pulsing vigorously. As long as the martial artist holds a victim’s Valor-heart, they become frightful and cowardly, and can take no action but to flee from the martial artist for as long as they can see or otherwise perceive him. They may spend one point of willpower to take a single action, ignoring this compulsion. Crushing the victim’s Valor-heart reduces their Valor by two dots, to a minimum of one, and causes them to develop a phobia of a specific person or event of the martial artist’s choice. Whenever they witness the trigger for their phobia, they must succeed on a Valor check, at a difficulty of half the martial artist’s Essence, or begin fleeing from it unless they spend a point of willpower.
Gentle Fingers Slip Past the Garter
Cost: 20m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6
Type: Simple
Keyword: Combo-OK, Compassion, Emotion, Enlightening
Duration:
Prerequisite Charms: Cobalt Wedding of Bliss Form
He tore away her dress and scarlet veil,
Oh, watch the eager maiden’s dance! See her writhe and moan at her lover’s lightest touch, entranced by his elegant fingers! What passion overcomes her as she screams in delight! Such is the pleasure a martial artist can inflict with this technique that it enlightens the lowly, granting them ultimate understanding of the world through irresistible pleasure. Attacking with this Charm requires a (Dexterity+Martial Arts) roll to make an unarmed attack, which only needs to hit the enemy–it need not deal damage. The enemy feels no pain from the blow, only overwhelming pleasure. They immediately gain a magical intimacy of love and desire for the martial artist. They immediately regain any spent channels of Compassion, and there Compassion automatically rises to 5. All other Virtues fall to 1, except for the Virtue tied to an Exalt’s Virtue Flaw. If the victim was mortal, then their pleasure enlightens them, raising their Essence to 2. Their physical body falls comatose for the scene, but such is their joy that their awareness spills out of their physical form. They project a dematerialized version of their self, that can act as normal for the scene (although it cannot materialize or interact with the material unless it has Charms to do so). Their dematerialized self can spend a point of Willpower to cause their body to take a single action, and may return to their body once they have spent willpower equal to twice the martial artist’s Compassion. If the victim is capable of dematerializing naturally, they are instead force into their dematerialized state. They can materialize for one action by spending a point of willpower, but cannot materialize through Charms for the scene, or unless they spend a total amount of willpower equal to twice the martial artist’s Compassion. If the victim’s physical body is killed while they exist in a dematerialized state, they automatically lose all willpower, but are not destroyed. They simply exist as a dematerialized spirit for the rest of their days, unless they find a way to materialize.
Kissing the Lustful Dragon
Cost: 25m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6
Type: Simple
Keyword: Emotion, Shaping
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Gentle Fingers Slip Past the Garter, Hands Roam Beneath the Blouse
And she gazed up at him, with starry eyes.
See how blessed the man is whose wife knows well the ways of pleasure! Just as he kneeled in prayer to Venus, asking for such a blessing, so to does she kneel before him. Experiencing the pleasure that so fortunate a man enjoys, the martial artist unleashes a torrent of pure white light, a powerful surge of essence. All within (Compassion x 10) yards are caught in the blast of essence, the white light coalescing into deliquescent strands of essence that wrap around them. The blast is undodgeable and unblockable, although Charms that can perfectly defend against such attacks can still be used to avoid it. All caught in the blast roll their Willpower, and lose all of their temporary willpower, except for an amount equal to the successes they rolled. They immediately develop a magical intimacy of love towards the martial artist, and are transformed into members of whatever gender the martial artist is sexually attracted to, as a shaping effect, although they may spend two willpower each to negate either effect, if they have any left.
Cunning Tongue Speaks of Marriage
Cost: 20m, 2wp
Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6
Type: Simple
Keyword: Emotion
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Gentle Fingers Slip Past the Garter, Hands Roam Beneath the Blouse
”I love you.” he said.
How mysterious and erotic are the sacred rites of husband and wife! Witness as his lips brush hers, and her heart flutters for a moment, overcome with words of inconceivable ecstasy! See him smile as he drinks in her happiness! In such a way can a martial artist drink the essence of his foes to cultivate his own prowess. On each action, the martial artist may lock eyes with a foe and attempt to drain their essence as a reflexive action. The opponent loses motes of essence equal to (Compassion x 5), although he may spend a point of willpower to avoid being drained. For every 5 motes drained, the martial artist recovers a point of temporary willpower and a Compassion channel. Motes are drained first from peripheral essence, and then from personal essence. If the enemy drained has no motes left, they begin losing temporary willpower, losing one point in place of every 5 motes (if they spend a point of willpower to negate this drain, that point is not counted as being drained). If they have no motes of essence or temporary willpower left, then each use drains a dot of permanent Essence, and causes the martial artist to regain willpower and virtue channels as if he had drained 25 motes. A victim reduced to Essence 0 by this Charm falls into a catatonic stupor in which they dream of being passionately ravished by the martial artist. Only if their Essence can be raised to 1 or above before they die of dehydration or starvation do they awake.
Two-Hearts-Are-One Consummation
Cost: 25m, 3wp
Mins: Martial Arts 7, Essence 7
Type: Simple
Keyword: Obvious, Servitude, Shaping, Touch
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Cunning Tongue Speaks of Marriage, Kissing the Dragon
And then she was no more a maiden,
No, look not upon the final bliss of the wedding night! Such happiness belongs to the bride and groom alone. The martial artist touches another character, friend or foe, and enters into a sublime union with them, becoming of one flesh. In a flash of cerulean light, they combine to form a composite being, a beautiful hermaphrodite with features of both members.
The unified form’s Abilities, Attributes, Virtues, Permanent Essence, and Willpower are equal to the highest possessed by either the martial artist or his partner. The sole exception is Appearance, which is automatically 10. He has personal and peripheral essence pools equal to the combined sum of the martial artist’s and his partner’s, and temporary willpower equal to the total possessed by both, which may exceed the unified form’s permanent Willpower. The unified being may use any Charm, Combo or anima ability known by either the martial artist or his partner, and may spend a point of willpower to use a dynamic combo of Charms known by either, allowing him to instantaneously use up to (Compassion) Charms as if he knew them as a normal combo. The unified being has health levels equal to the highest number possessed by either the martial artist or his partner, and always forms undamaged.
The unified form possesses all intimacies possessed by either member of the union, and has the Motivations of both (which may cause problems if they are contradictory). The unified being takes two independent actions at a time, and may split those actions normally. A Servitude effect compels the partner to obey, allowing the martial artist to control both of the independent actions. The unnatural mental influence cannot be resisted, but if the martial artist chooses not to impose it on his partner, or if the partner is inherently immune to Servitude effects or unnatural mental influence, then they control one of the independent actions. However, even then they cannot force the union to end. At the end of the scene, or when the unified being’s Incapacitated health level is filled with lethal or aggravated damage, the union ends. The being splits back into the martial artist and his partner in a burst of sapphire light. Both are as healthy as they were when they entered the union (unless the unified being was “killed,” in which case they each have only one undamaged health level remaining). Spent essence is taken equally from both the martial artist and his partner’s mote pools.
Blissful Rose Bloom Pregnancy
Cost: 20m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 7, Essence 7
Type: Simple
Keyword: Combo-OK, Compassion, Obvious, Servitude, Shaping, Touch
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Two-Hearts-Are-One Consummation
But a mother.
No words can describe the miracle of life, the union of loves that brings forth a new birth! Who can understand the pride of a new father, the joy of a new mother, without having experienced such bliss themselves? A martial artist who has mastered the Cobalt Wedding of Bliss Style understands this miracle, and his mastery of essence allows him to perform it. He touches a character, and twists the flow of their essence to impregnate them with his child, if they are female (although men transformed to women via Kissing the Lustful Dragon can still be impregnated). Their Motivation immediately changes to protecting their unborn child. They can resist this new Motivation for a scene by spending two willpower, and are freed of the Servitude effect once they spend a total of 20 willpower. However, if they wish to remain truly free, they must kill their unborn child–for once it is born, the new Motivation is re-instated and becomes permanent. Fate watches over the pregnancy, ensuring that no mundane means can harm or kill the unborn child–only with Charm use or similar essence manipulation can it be killed. The pregnancy is miraculously short, taking only a single week to run its course. Once the child is born, it begins aging at ten times the normal speed, though this accelerated aging ends once it reaches adulthood.
The child is always a heroic mortal with an Essence of 2. They automatically gain the Destiny background with 5 dots. They have a Motivation determined by the Storyteller, but have a magical intimacy of love and respect to the martial artist which cannot be broken. Because this Charm can impregnate any being, the martial artist can easily father God-Blooded, Fae-Blooded, Demon-Blooded, Ghost-Blooded, or similar offspring. If the mother is a Terrestrial Exalt, then the child automatically exalts as a Dragonblooded as soon as it is born. The children of this Charm are no more like to receive the Celestial Exaltation than any other heroic mortal, although they still have a significant chance.
If the martial artist ever dies, he may choose to transfer his consciousness to the body of any of his children sired by this Charm or any of their descendants, by making a successful Willpower roll. He retains all of his memories, his mental and social Attributes, his Abilities, his Virtues, and his Willpower. He is able to transplant much of his supernatural power, retaining knowledge of all of his Charms and Combos, but he uses the Permanent Essence of his child–which may mean that he cannot use many of the Charms he knows until he raises his Essence high enough to meet their minimums. However, the shard of his exaltation passes on, and he is no longer Exalted–merely a mortal who has had the mind and Charms of an Exalted supernaturally grafted onto his soul (and he therefore cannot raise his Essence above 3 by any means). The martial artist can also transfer his consciousness into any children of his who has Exalted. However, the difficulty of the Willpower roll becomes equal to the Exalted child's own Essence. The transplanted consciousness cannot use any of its Exalt Charms while possessing an Exalted child, unless the child is of the same Exaltation as it was, although it retains the ability to use Martial Arts Charms up to the Sidereal level. It still retains knowledge of its native Exalt Charms, allowing him to use it if he transfers to another body after his current host's death. As long as one child sired by this Charm, or any of their descendants, remains living, the Exalt can always transfer his consciousness when his current body dies.
This Charm can also be used in two other ways. Whenever the martial artist uses Two-Hearts-Are-One Consummation, he may invoke this Charm reflexively when the union ends to impregnate his partner if she is female. In addition, a female martial artist (or one who has used the Cobalt Wedding of Bliss Form to become female) may choose to impregnate herself as an alternative to impregnating her target, using their subject as the “father” (although they need not actually be male). Doing so does not impose any Servitude effect on their partner, although the rest of the Charm functions normally.
Once, there was a Sidereal foolish enough to fall in love with Venus. The errant Joybringer was convinced that no other woman was worth wooing–all fell short of the radiant beauty the Maiden of Serenity possessed. And thus he began what may be the greatest seduction ever undertaken in Creation. He tried to win her affection through loyal service, tenaciously enforcing the will of the Bureau of Destiny; but alas, Venus was to caught up in the Games of Divinity to even notice. He endeavored on, hoping to catch her attention by slaying those who walked outside of destiny; but no matter how high he heaped the skulls of demons and rakshas, Venus cared not. He thought he might make legendary his amorous skills, but even when he came bearing the signed testimony of twice ten thousand mortal women and every female in the Five-Score Fellowship, the Maiden rebuffed him. Despairing of ever knowing the infinite pleasure of a night with Venus, he sought out his sifu, and begged him for guidance.
Her words were simple. If he was to bed Venus, he would have to master the arts of love in a way no mortal ever could. He must perfect them, transcending reality through his ecstatic prowess. And so he set about perfecting the Cobalt Wedding of Bliss style, a blending of martial and marital arts. It is said, by those who have trained in the amorous and sometimes embarrassingly erotic style, that he finally found his prize. Few today still know the style–its creator is said to have died of exhaustion in the bed of Venus, although a few elder Chosen of Serenity have knowledge of it. Desus, an Eclipse Caste Solar of the First Age, is said to have known at least a few of the style’s Charms, and the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears knows it up to the form. It is one of the few Sidereal Martial Arts that Chejop Kejak has not mastered, more out of embarrassment than anything else, although certain erotic haiku composed by Sad Ivory portray him as a master of the style.
Weapons and Armor
The Cobalt Wedding of Bliss style, though honed for the seduction of Venus, honors all of the Five Maidens equally. Each one has a weapon dedicated to their honor that is mastered by students of the style. Charms of this style treat attacks made with knives (for Mercury), wind and fire wheels (for Venus), spears (for Mars), seven-section staves (for Jupiter), and swords (for Saturn) as unarmed attacks, as well as attacks made with artifact versions of those weapons. Characters cannot use Charms of this style while wearing armor, and many forsake even clothing while practicing it.
The Student’s Sutra of Passion: Once there was a maiden–and a boy
Seeking Out the Perfect Mate
Cost: 5m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4
Type: Reflexive (Step 1)
Keywords: Emotion
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: None
who saw her, from worlds away.
What quest could be more noble than the search for a perfect lover? An enamored suitor must search through all Creation, guided only by his heart, as he searches for a woman to wed. So it is that the martial artist lets his Compassion guide him, each blow as gentle and intimate as a lover’s caress. The martial artist adds his Compassion in dice to all Martial Arts dice pools that he rolls, or to his dice pool to calculate Parry DV, without having to actually channel that virtue. If he actually does channel his Compassion, then he may convert all extra dice from this Charm to automatic successes (or, when calculating DV, double the number of dice added to the pool).
In addition, whenever you make a Martial Attack that would inflict post-soak damage on an enemy, you may choose to not deal any damage and instead instill the target with an intimacy of respect towards you. This unnatural mental influence cannot be resisted. A second use will convert the intimacy to one based on love, causing the enemy to become passionately enamored of you (though this will not necessarily cause them to stop fighting you). Each subsequent use strengthens the intimacy, adding an additional point to it, to a maximum of your Compassion. The enemy can remove this intimacy normally, but they must spend a point of willpower for every scene they spend eroding the intimacy.
Awkward First Meeting Approach
Cost: 10m or 10m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Seeking Out the Perfect Mate
”I’m going to find you!” he vowed,
O, how Venus delights in the first meeting of destined lovers! How silly and awkward they are, stammering nervously, looking away, flushing red! Martial artists who have known such awkward meetings often can touch the strands of their opponent’s fate, causing them to re-live such a meeting. This Charm supplements a Join Battle roll, causing the martial artist to automatically succeed, going on the first tick of combat. The reaction count is set to his (Compassion+Martial Arts). Any character whose rolled successes exceed this act on the tick immediately after the martial artist. If multiple characters use Charms that allow them to automatically succeed on a Join Battle roll and act before all others, then they all act together on the first tick. Enemies outside of fate are not affected by this Charm–if their rolled successes exceed the martial artist’s (Compassion+Martial Arts), they act on the same tick as him. If the martial artist spends an additional willpower, then this Charm can negate surprise. It can also apply to Join Debate and Join War rolls if sufficiently stunted, at the Storyteller’s discretion.
Embrace of Comforting Warmth
Cost: 15m
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Compassion, Emotion, Touch
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Awkward First Meeting Approach
But he knew happiness only in his dreams,
How happy it is to know the solace of a lover’s arms! Within their warm embrace, the rest of the world falls away, leaving the two alone. The martial artist can cultivate this solace as a boon for his foes, granting them respite from battle. Attacking with this Charm requires a (Dexterity+Martial Arts) roll to make an unarmed attack, which only needs to hit the enemy–it need not deal damage. The martial artist wraps his enemy in a hug, filling him with inner peace. The enemy can take no actions but to guard for the next (Compassion) actions, overcome with happiness. They can resist this unnatural influence for an action by spending one willpower. In addition, if the attack also beat the enemy’s MDV, then they take an internal penalty on all aggressive actions equal to the martial artist’s Compassion for the rest of the scene, unable to bring themselves to commit violence (indirect acts of violence, such as ordering an underling to attack, are not affected). They can spend a point of willpower to ignore the penalty for a single action. Once the total amount of Willpower they have spent equals twice the martial artist’s Compassion, the unnatural mental influence subsides.
Worry-Dispelling Backrub Methodology
Cost: 10m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
Type: Simple
Keywords: Emotion
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Awkward First Meeting Approach
Where she appeared, and eased his sorrows
Oh, how skilled a lover’s hands can be! See how they are both firm and gentle, massaging their true love’s back with the utmost skill! So it is for a martial artist using this Charm, as his deft hands convince fate itself that his every deathblow is nothing more than an intimate backrub. Fate complies to his persuasion, informing any armor that the foe might wear that it is not there. All unarmed attacks the martial artist makes ignore soak and hardness from armor. In addition, whenever they channel their Compassion on a Martial Arts roll, it compels the opponent to leap into the way of their blow, expecting great pleasure. The attack becomes undodgeable, although it can still be parried, and the enemy can spend willpower equal to half the martial artist’s Compassion to overcome the unnatural mental influence.
More-Than-Friends Understanding
Cost: 15m
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
Type: Reflexive (Step 10)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Awkward First Meeting Approach
”Come find me!” she pleaded..
What could be more precious than the moment when two friends first realize that they are in love? Such moments can reshape the nature of both, blessing them with the nobility of pure love, or corrupting them with the tyranny of manipulation. Martial artists who have come to understand the perfection of such a sublime moment can embody it through their blows, allowing them to reshape the nature of their foes. Whenever the martial artist would deal post-soak damage to an enemy, he may use this Charm to convert levels of damage into willpower loss instead. The attack deals no damage, but the enemy loses points of temporary willpower equal to either the levels of damage that would have been dealt, or the martial artist’s Compassion, whichever is lower.
Chaste Kiss of Pure Love
Cost: – (+10m, 1wp)
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
Type: Permanent
Keyword: Compulsion
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: More-Than-Friends Understanding
He obeyed,
For the sake of a single kiss, men have waged wars, slain brothers, sacrificed all they ever knew. Such is the power the martial artist wields, the irresistible allure that shatters men’s nature and bids them obey. This Charm enhances More-Than-Friends Understanding. Whenever the martial artist uses it, they may spend 10 additional motes and one willpower. If they do so, they may inflict a Compulsion on the enemy in addition to draining their willpower. The nature of the Compulsion is chosen by the martial artist, but it must relate to himself–”protect me,” “bring me your greatest treasure,” “kill all those who speak ill of me.” They may spend a point of willpower to ignore this Compulsion for one action. Once the amount of willpower they have spent equals twice your Compassion, they are freed of the unnatural mental influence.
Cobalt Wedding of Bliss Form
Cost: 20m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5
Type: Simple
Keyword: Emotion, Form-type, Obvious
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Chaste Kiss of Pure Love, Embrace of Comforting Warmth, Worry-Dispelling Backrub Methodology
And they were wed.
O, wedded bliss! It touches all hearts, binding them in love. Such is the spirit of a martial artist who invokes the Venus-Bedding Asana of this form, reaching out and suffusing the destinies of all who gaze upon him with love. The martial artist adds his Essence to his Appearance attribute. This Charm removes the limit on the maximum Mental Defense Value bonus or penalty she can benefit from or inflict based on difference in Appearance. In addition, the martial artist may change his gender as he wills as a reflexive action, assuming his choice of male, female, androgyne, or hermaphroditic forms.
None can bear to harm him, lest they break their own heart. No enemy can hit the martial artist with an attack unless they successfully suppress their Compassion. If an enemy has an Intimacy toward the martial artist, they gain two bonus dice on their Compassion roll. However, an enemy who closes his eyes or puts on a blindfold cannot witness the infinite beauty of the martial artist, taking a -2 internal penalty on the Compassion roll. In addition, any enemy who successfully harms the martial artist loses one Willpower, weeping to see him harmed.
In addition, this Form allows the martial artist to perfect the skills of the lover. Whenever he invokes it, he may also reflexively invoke any of Seeking the Perfect Mate, Worry-Dispelling Backrub Method, or Cunning Tongue Speaks of Marriage, paying their costs as normal. This is not counted as separate Charm activation.
Hands Roam Beneath the Blouse
Cost: 20m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6
Type: Simple
Keyword: Combo-OK, Compassion, Compulsion, Obvious, Servitude
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Cobalt Wedding of Bliss Form
The Elder Sutra of Passion: On the night of their wedding,
Oh, watch the lover, overcome with passion! See him roaming his beloved’s flesh, as if he seeks to find her heart and hold it in his hand. Infused with such burning passion, a martial artist can strike his foe’s heart, drawing it out. The martial artist makes an unnarmed attack, and draws out the enemy’s heart if he inflicts any damage (or willpower drain, though More-Than-Friends Understanding). If the attack also beats the enemy’s MDV, the martial artist chooses one of his enemy’s Virtues, and draws out a physical manifestation of that Virtue from them, in the form of a still-beating heart. As long as they hold it, they gain a special influence over the enemy, although the enemy can resist it by spending willpower–if they spend willpower equal to twice the martial artist’s Compassion, they end the servitude and reclaim their stolen virtue-heart. In addition, the martial artist can crush the virtue-heart in his hands, permanently stunting that virtue. Spending willpower equal to half the martial artist’s compassion negates the effects of crushing the virtue-heart. The martial artist may only use this Charm to steal one victim’s heart at a time, and they can only steal a single virtue-heart from a victim at a time. When used against the Exalted, this Charm cannot target the Virtue tied to their Virtue Flaw. The exact nature of the servitude imposed by this Charm depends on the Virtue targeted:
Compassion: The Compassion-heart is a bright scarlet, pumping with hot blood. As long as the martial artist holds a victim’s Compassion-heart, that victim’s Motivation becomes pleasing the martial artist, and they cannot regain willpower except in his presence. They may spend two points of willpower to ignore this new Motivation for one scene. Crushing the victim’s Compassion-heart reduces their Compassion by two dots, to a minimum of one, and strips them of their ability to maintain positive intimacies–they may only keep those based on fear or hatred.
Conviction: The Conviction-heart is icy cold, and hard as diamond to all hands save the martial artist’s. As long as the martial artist holds a victim’s Conviction-heart, the victim cannot make any decisions whatsoever: they stand perfectly still, paralyzed by the horrific panoply of choices open to them. They may spend one point of willpower to take a single action, ignoring this compulsion. Crushing the victim’s Conviction-heart reduces their Conviction by two dots, to a minimum of one, and strips them of their Motivation, causing them to become listless, dull, and apathetic. They cannot gain a new Motivation save through Charms, spells, or similar supernatural means. However, once they have regained a Motivation, they can then change it normally (assuming that the Charm that granted the new Motivation allows them to change it).
Temperance: The Temperance-heart is brazen, gleaming with scintillating light. As long as the martial artist holds a victim’s Temperance-heart, they become mindlessly hedonistic, taking no actions save to seek physical pleasure through overindulgence. They may spend two points of willpower to ignore this compulsion for one scene. Crushing the victim’s Temperance-heart reduces their Temperance by two dots, to a minimum of one, and causes them to become addicted to a single physical substance or sexual fetish of the martial artist’s choice. Whenever they witness the object of their addiction, they must succeed on a Temperance check, at a difficulty of half the martial artist’s Essence, or begin indulging in it unless they spend a point of willpower.
Valor: The Valor-heart burns with many-colored flames, pulsing vigorously. As long as the martial artist holds a victim’s Valor-heart, they become frightful and cowardly, and can take no action but to flee from the martial artist for as long as they can see or otherwise perceive him. They may spend one point of willpower to take a single action, ignoring this compulsion. Crushing the victim’s Valor-heart reduces their Valor by two dots, to a minimum of one, and causes them to develop a phobia of a specific person or event of the martial artist’s choice. Whenever they witness the trigger for their phobia, they must succeed on a Valor check, at a difficulty of half the martial artist’s Essence, or begin fleeing from it unless they spend a point of willpower.
Gentle Fingers Slip Past the Garter
Cost: 20m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6
Type: Simple
Keyword: Combo-OK, Compassion, Emotion, Enlightening
Duration:
Prerequisite Charms: Cobalt Wedding of Bliss Form
He tore away her dress and scarlet veil,
Oh, watch the eager maiden’s dance! See her writhe and moan at her lover’s lightest touch, entranced by his elegant fingers! What passion overcomes her as she screams in delight! Such is the pleasure a martial artist can inflict with this technique that it enlightens the lowly, granting them ultimate understanding of the world through irresistible pleasure. Attacking with this Charm requires a (Dexterity+Martial Arts) roll to make an unarmed attack, which only needs to hit the enemy–it need not deal damage. The enemy feels no pain from the blow, only overwhelming pleasure. They immediately gain a magical intimacy of love and desire for the martial artist. They immediately regain any spent channels of Compassion, and there Compassion automatically rises to 5. All other Virtues fall to 1, except for the Virtue tied to an Exalt’s Virtue Flaw. If the victim was mortal, then their pleasure enlightens them, raising their Essence to 2. Their physical body falls comatose for the scene, but such is their joy that their awareness spills out of their physical form. They project a dematerialized version of their self, that can act as normal for the scene (although it cannot materialize or interact with the material unless it has Charms to do so). Their dematerialized self can spend a point of Willpower to cause their body to take a single action, and may return to their body once they have spent willpower equal to twice the martial artist’s Compassion. If the victim is capable of dematerializing naturally, they are instead force into their dematerialized state. They can materialize for one action by spending a point of willpower, but cannot materialize through Charms for the scene, or unless they spend a total amount of willpower equal to twice the martial artist’s Compassion. If the victim’s physical body is killed while they exist in a dematerialized state, they automatically lose all willpower, but are not destroyed. They simply exist as a dematerialized spirit for the rest of their days, unless they find a way to materialize.
Kissing the Lustful Dragon
Cost: 25m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6
Type: Simple
Keyword: Emotion, Shaping
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Gentle Fingers Slip Past the Garter, Hands Roam Beneath the Blouse
And she gazed up at him, with starry eyes.
See how blessed the man is whose wife knows well the ways of pleasure! Just as he kneeled in prayer to Venus, asking for such a blessing, so to does she kneel before him. Experiencing the pleasure that so fortunate a man enjoys, the martial artist unleashes a torrent of pure white light, a powerful surge of essence. All within (Compassion x 10) yards are caught in the blast of essence, the white light coalescing into deliquescent strands of essence that wrap around them. The blast is undodgeable and unblockable, although Charms that can perfectly defend against such attacks can still be used to avoid it. All caught in the blast roll their Willpower, and lose all of their temporary willpower, except for an amount equal to the successes they rolled. They immediately develop a magical intimacy of love towards the martial artist, and are transformed into members of whatever gender the martial artist is sexually attracted to, as a shaping effect, although they may spend two willpower each to negate either effect, if they have any left.
Cunning Tongue Speaks of Marriage
Cost: 20m, 2wp
Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6
Type: Simple
Keyword: Emotion
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Gentle Fingers Slip Past the Garter, Hands Roam Beneath the Blouse
”I love you.” he said.
How mysterious and erotic are the sacred rites of husband and wife! Witness as his lips brush hers, and her heart flutters for a moment, overcome with words of inconceivable ecstasy! See him smile as he drinks in her happiness! In such a way can a martial artist drink the essence of his foes to cultivate his own prowess. On each action, the martial artist may lock eyes with a foe and attempt to drain their essence as a reflexive action. The opponent loses motes of essence equal to (Compassion x 5), although he may spend a point of willpower to avoid being drained. For every 5 motes drained, the martial artist recovers a point of temporary willpower and a Compassion channel. Motes are drained first from peripheral essence, and then from personal essence. If the enemy drained has no motes left, they begin losing temporary willpower, losing one point in place of every 5 motes (if they spend a point of willpower to negate this drain, that point is not counted as being drained). If they have no motes of essence or temporary willpower left, then each use drains a dot of permanent Essence, and causes the martial artist to regain willpower and virtue channels as if he had drained 25 motes. A victim reduced to Essence 0 by this Charm falls into a catatonic stupor in which they dream of being passionately ravished by the martial artist. Only if their Essence can be raised to 1 or above before they die of dehydration or starvation do they awake.
Two-Hearts-Are-One Consummation
Cost: 25m, 3wp
Mins: Martial Arts 7, Essence 7
Type: Simple
Keyword: Obvious, Servitude, Shaping, Touch
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Cunning Tongue Speaks of Marriage, Kissing the Dragon
And then she was no more a maiden,
No, look not upon the final bliss of the wedding night! Such happiness belongs to the bride and groom alone. The martial artist touches another character, friend or foe, and enters into a sublime union with them, becoming of one flesh. In a flash of cerulean light, they combine to form a composite being, a beautiful hermaphrodite with features of both members.
The unified form’s Abilities, Attributes, Virtues, Permanent Essence, and Willpower are equal to the highest possessed by either the martial artist or his partner. The sole exception is Appearance, which is automatically 10. He has personal and peripheral essence pools equal to the combined sum of the martial artist’s and his partner’s, and temporary willpower equal to the total possessed by both, which may exceed the unified form’s permanent Willpower. The unified being may use any Charm, Combo or anima ability known by either the martial artist or his partner, and may spend a point of willpower to use a dynamic combo of Charms known by either, allowing him to instantaneously use up to (Compassion) Charms as if he knew them as a normal combo. The unified being has health levels equal to the highest number possessed by either the martial artist or his partner, and always forms undamaged.
The unified form possesses all intimacies possessed by either member of the union, and has the Motivations of both (which may cause problems if they are contradictory). The unified being takes two independent actions at a time, and may split those actions normally. A Servitude effect compels the partner to obey, allowing the martial artist to control both of the independent actions. The unnatural mental influence cannot be resisted, but if the martial artist chooses not to impose it on his partner, or if the partner is inherently immune to Servitude effects or unnatural mental influence, then they control one of the independent actions. However, even then they cannot force the union to end. At the end of the scene, or when the unified being’s Incapacitated health level is filled with lethal or aggravated damage, the union ends. The being splits back into the martial artist and his partner in a burst of sapphire light. Both are as healthy as they were when they entered the union (unless the unified being was “killed,” in which case they each have only one undamaged health level remaining). Spent essence is taken equally from both the martial artist and his partner’s mote pools.
Blissful Rose Bloom Pregnancy
Cost: 20m, 1wp
Mins: Martial Arts 7, Essence 7
Type: Simple
Keyword: Combo-OK, Compassion, Obvious, Servitude, Shaping, Touch
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Two-Hearts-Are-One Consummation
But a mother.
No words can describe the miracle of life, the union of loves that brings forth a new birth! Who can understand the pride of a new father, the joy of a new mother, without having experienced such bliss themselves? A martial artist who has mastered the Cobalt Wedding of Bliss Style understands this miracle, and his mastery of essence allows him to perform it. He touches a character, and twists the flow of their essence to impregnate them with his child, if they are female (although men transformed to women via Kissing the Lustful Dragon can still be impregnated). Their Motivation immediately changes to protecting their unborn child. They can resist this new Motivation for a scene by spending two willpower, and are freed of the Servitude effect once they spend a total of 20 willpower. However, if they wish to remain truly free, they must kill their unborn child–for once it is born, the new Motivation is re-instated and becomes permanent. Fate watches over the pregnancy, ensuring that no mundane means can harm or kill the unborn child–only with Charm use or similar essence manipulation can it be killed. The pregnancy is miraculously short, taking only a single week to run its course. Once the child is born, it begins aging at ten times the normal speed, though this accelerated aging ends once it reaches adulthood.
The child is always a heroic mortal with an Essence of 2. They automatically gain the Destiny background with 5 dots. They have a Motivation determined by the Storyteller, but have a magical intimacy of love and respect to the martial artist which cannot be broken. Because this Charm can impregnate any being, the martial artist can easily father God-Blooded, Fae-Blooded, Demon-Blooded, Ghost-Blooded, or similar offspring. If the mother is a Terrestrial Exalt, then the child automatically exalts as a Dragonblooded as soon as it is born. The children of this Charm are no more like to receive the Celestial Exaltation than any other heroic mortal, although they still have a significant chance.
If the martial artist ever dies, he may choose to transfer his consciousness to the body of any of his children sired by this Charm or any of their descendants, by making a successful Willpower roll. He retains all of his memories, his mental and social Attributes, his Abilities, his Virtues, and his Willpower. He is able to transplant much of his supernatural power, retaining knowledge of all of his Charms and Combos, but he uses the Permanent Essence of his child–which may mean that he cannot use many of the Charms he knows until he raises his Essence high enough to meet their minimums. However, the shard of his exaltation passes on, and he is no longer Exalted–merely a mortal who has had the mind and Charms of an Exalted supernaturally grafted onto his soul (and he therefore cannot raise his Essence above 3 by any means). The martial artist can also transfer his consciousness into any children of his who has Exalted. However, the difficulty of the Willpower roll becomes equal to the Exalted child's own Essence. The transplanted consciousness cannot use any of its Exalt Charms while possessing an Exalted child, unless the child is of the same Exaltation as it was, although it retains the ability to use Martial Arts Charms up to the Sidereal level. It still retains knowledge of its native Exalt Charms, allowing him to use it if he transfers to another body after his current host's death. As long as one child sired by this Charm, or any of their descendants, remains living, the Exalt can always transfer his consciousness when his current body dies.
This Charm can also be used in two other ways. Whenever the martial artist uses Two-Hearts-Are-One Consummation, he may invoke this Charm reflexively when the union ends to impregnate his partner if she is female. In addition, a female martial artist (or one who has used the Cobalt Wedding of Bliss Form to become female) may choose to impregnate herself as an alternative to impregnating her target, using their subject as the “father” (although they need not actually be male). Doing so does not impose any Servitude effect on their partner, although the rest of the Charm functions normally.