WYRDYSM GAMES

A cold winter's night. An important time for many, and this one is of particular importance to a 5'4" silver-haired, headstrong village girl out hunting deer for her elder's feast.

Unfortunately, the village is (relatively) close to the Wyld. Whilst it itself is safe, it's hunters are much less so as they travel towards the edge. And so it was that Erin Marias found herself fleeing from a mutant creature from the Wyld, uninjured but terrified to say the least. During the chase, she stumbled into a small clearing, illuminated by the moon as is the way of Fate and Destiny.

As she knelt to drink from a stream passing through the clearing, she was approached by Luna, and Exalted. Told of a greater purpose and armed with only her wits and will to survive, Erin took some time to piece things together. This delicate mental process would be rudely interrupted, however, as the mutant crashed into the clearing. For Erin, the fight lasted as long as a blink. When she came to, she found herself in her Warform, with the mutant torn to pieces at her feet, and an odd sensation growing.

It manifested as a smirk, then a chuckle, then grew to a deep laughter that startled birds and animal alike. In a mad rush of power, she practically rampaged through the forest, and several tribal villages observed this, believing her to be some kind of god - no mutant would be so imposing, yet so unblemished. The Wyld left it's traces on those it deformed, and there were none of those here. To the superstitious villagers, this was clearly a sign. Some worshipped her as a being of war, others of hunting. Some feared her, others respected her. After finding out about this cult, Erin went some way to cultivate it, appearing to the villages from time to time, particularly when they made great offerings. A small cult is a beneficial thing for any Exalted to have, after all, and the relative isolation of the tribes and nature made it relatively safe from the Wyld Hunt.

Some time later, she was picked up by the Pact, and willingly went with them. Having spent much of her life threatened by the all too occasional Wyld-spawned mutants, she understood the dangers all too well, and was more than willing to accept the moonsilver tattoos. As fitting her heritage and role before, she joined the Full Moon caste. It was there that she would become a truly fearsome warrior, though her elders believed her short temper, hot-headedness and refusal to back down in many situations to be detrimental.

In any case, she spent many months, perhaps even years perhaps training with her peers, never backing down from a challenge, and excelling in her chosen areas of expertise - taking and dishing out pain, and mastering the use of her warform. . Wanderlust, however, soon grew too great for her to contain. Gathering some equipment, resources and artifacts given to her by generous members higher in the caste, she set forth. Or more precisely, south. On her way she hunted and took the Heart's Blood of other animals, specifically other felines. She was too familiar with them to easily adjust to other species, she reasoned, and staying with what she knew was many times safer than the unknown.

But now, it was time to see what Luna meant by that greater purpose...

Erin usually wears a heavy brown cloak that hides her lamellar armour and helps physically hide her Tell from sight, though only the sharpest-minded of mortals could hope to have a chance of seeing through it, even in her true form. Skilled diplomats who can see through the veils of deception, and battle-hardened warriors who can resist mental attack, however, have a very good chance of spotting it, and are practically guaranteed if they are physically searching for Lunars or shapeshifters, especially if they have seen it before, unless they are observing a false form, where the Tell becomes considerably more effective. Exalts observing a true form are also especially likely to notice it, unless particularly weak-willed and with little essence to draw upon. To spot her Tell in her True Forms requires a Dodge Mental Defense Value of 6, and 12 in her 'false' forms. Observing a true form (barring the warform) doubles the observer's DMDV before adding the following modifiers;

• Looking for shapeshifters adds 1.
• Specifically looking for Lunars adds 2, but does not stack with the above.
• Having seen the Tell before adds another 2 to the observer's MDV.

The cloak has a hood that can be drawn up or down, though it is usually worn down. Her Goremaul and greatsword are worn across her back, the former's head wrapped in cloth to hide it's nature, looking to the casual observer as nothing more than a cloth-wrapped hammer or sledge. The latter is sometimes hidden under the cloak (if possible) and her straight sword is always hidden at her side.

Her armour itself shimmers faintly under moonlight, an effect of the moonsilver it is alloyed with, but otherwise looks like fairly mundane steel lamellar armour, consisting of several pieces to protect her chest, arms and legs. It's unusual properties stem from the moonsilver it is alloyed with, however, and it offers superb protection whilst weighing practically nothing, and it can actually expand in size to protect Erin's warform - and any of her other forms for that matter - when she shifts into it, apparently drawing extra segments from Elsewhere and increasing the size of the segments to ensure that the overall protection is not compromised. The entire suit offers considerable protection, capable of significantly reducing damage all by itself, and that's even before one takes into account Erin's own Essence-augmented resilience, her charms and the incredibly thick fur possessed by her Warform, which further increases her resistance to harm.

Additionally, each segment is inscribed with various Lunar-related symbols, imagery and runes. The entire collection recalls a series of short stories from the later First Age and Usurpation, readable to any versed in Claw-Speak, though the nature of the segment storage and sizing can make the recollections somewhat broken, occasionally lacking in important details, or often jumbled up with one another. The maker and age of the armour remains unknown, but it is suggested by some to have been an artifact from the armoury of her First Age incarnation.

Moving on, Erin's warform is a massive predatory hybrid of a human and her spirit form, a snow leopard. Standing between eight and nine feet tall, with sharp claws, a thick and long tail that aids in balance and a heavy fur coat that dulls incoming blows, it is imposing and durable enough before one takes into account that it is armed with a Moonsilver Goremaul and is well-armoured with the Moonsilver Lamellar, as well as other resilience-enhancing charms. It is not something one tangles with lightly to say the least.

Recently, she has also used her own shapeshifting abilities and command thereof to permanently enhance the power and resilience of her spirit form*. Previously of little use due to blatant moonsilver tattoos and inferiority in most regards to her other true forms, it has since been 'upgraded' into a veritable powerhouse the size of a horse, easily stronger than either of her other true forms, slightly tougher, and armed with deadly natural weapons. This form sacrifices the ability to use tools and weapons - lacking thumbs and the manual dexterity to use them - for sheer animalistic brute force and durability. Other perks include use as heavy-lifting and transportation, though the ride is far from pleasant without a saddle, even for an experienced rider.

With an experienced rider and a suitable harness, it could easily be ridden into battle, though it would take quite the Exalt to persuade her to allow this to happen, and control is not something one can expect from an already hot-headed Lunar suddenly subject to powerful animal instincts. On the plus side, at least there's no worry of her turning to run, unless the situation truly calls for it.

Name: Mifoh Chulichu

Concept: Scholar/Medic/Archer

Characterization: Mifoh has a strong aversion to causing others to suffer, which is part of why he apprenticed himself to a healer. He is an admitted coward, and doesn't consider the term as much of an insult as some would; he sees it as the only way he'd survive. He dislikes fighting, preferring the more intellectual side of things. However, when backed into a corner, he is a fairly adequate archer (although if he's backed into a corner that'll be about as much use as a wet paper bag). Mifoh can fluently speak 6 languages, plus his native tongue, and is an accomplished medic as well.

Physical Description: Mifoh is about 5' 7", and in fairly good shape for someone of his profession. He has dark brown hair, almost black, that he wears short. His casual clothes consist of a light brown monk-like robe and a matching satchel, in which he carries things he needs in his line of work, such as herbs.

Backstory: Born the son of two well-off scholars, Mifoh grew up amongst intelligent people, and naturally chose to follow that same pathway. He was also apprenticed to the village healer in the arts of medicine, so that he would be able to take up the position when the healer was no longer able to. However, when he was 16, a small group of bandits raided their village. They were easily fended off, but in the confusion his mother was captured by the bandits, who later were lured into the Wyld by Fair Folk, taking Mifoh's mother with them. Mifoh rapidly changed his focus in life from general studies to discovering a way to survive in the Wyld, so that no one else had to suffer his loss. After exhausting the resources his hometown had to offer, he chose to travel to other places that had knowledge he wouldn't find there. On a whim, he chose <wherever> as the first stop on his journey.

Character Name: Steit Achar

Characterization:

Steit is an incredibly determined individual. He is in all aspects relentless. He is utterly convinced that what he is doing is right, and he rarely backs down in an argument or a fight. Naturally, this bravery often crosses the line into foolishness.

Subtlety is hardly Steit's forte. It's debateable whether or not he's capable of it, but he neglects it on a basis that would certainly displease the more sneaky of his circle. While clever and easily capable of talking his way out of most things, his first response to most threats, physical or otherwise, is aggression. However, keeping his identity as an Exalt secret has taught him to be more patient and level headed recently.

Steit is not naturally inclined towards sneaking or anything of the sort, as he considers his atheltic prowess enough to get him in and out of most tight spots.

Backstory:

Steit Achar was born on the slums of a Northern city.. He lived with his mother and younger brother until the age of 9, when his mother was killed by infection and his brother was separated from him. Steit was forced unpleasantly into a life on the street before being recruited by a large crime organization for his athletic abilities. For several years he served them as a courier before being promoted through several jobs and ranks. At the age of 23, he had become a hitman for a major crime boss, killing those who caused the organization grief. Despite his displeasure with the job, he relied on the organization for protection from rival gangs and authorities and as such could not easily leave. Steit began to develop an intense hatred for the workings of the criminal underworld and desperately searched for a way out.

After one of his more difficult hits, he went about searching the residence of the man he had just killed. In a unlocked chest he found two Orichalcum blades and a variety of miscellaneous goods. As he picked up one of the blades, he experiened a surreal vision of the Unconquered Sun. While there was no clear message, Steit knew beyond a doubt it was a sign of selection for Exaltation. Returning to his boss, he revealed to him the two blades. Much to the crime boss's surprise, however, Steit immediately sunk a blade into his gut. Withdrawing the weapon, he proceeded to kill all of the witnesses. Realizing that much of the city, as well as a potential Wyld Hunt, would soon be after him for what he had done, he fled the city. Concealing his identity as an Exalt, he traveled from city to city, keeping his head down and building his resources until he could make a decent strike at the organized crime he had grown to hate.

Description:
Steit has a reasonable amount of muscle on a slight build. His build is fairly inconspicuous. He is slightly on the shorter side. Steit sports a few scars here and there, but nothing of significance. He has short cropped brown hair, and blue eyes. His skin tone is naturally light, but in the summer months he appears darker due to the great amount of sun he recieves. He tends to dress in light, functional clothing, only using thicker cloaks for horrific weather.

Things of Note:
In his various journeys throughout the land, Steit has acquired a pet dog. It is of very little value combat wise, but it acts as a companion to him and as entertainment. Steit also manifests a loving memory of his brother in his love of children. (No, not like that.)

Tahran Charuulo was the oldest son of the great merchant king Aram Charuulo, whose riches were boundless. A handsome boy and an even handsomer young man when he grew up, tall and slender with stunning blue eyes.

Tahran grew up learning the art of war from the best teachers his father could afford and he had a nack for leading people. Easily likeable and good looking to boot, he was the king of first impressions.

Naturally he attracted the attention of the lands noble young ladies, and he fell desperately in love with one of them. Her name was Kaleen and she was a lady of lesser nobility and stature which Tahran sought to marry. However Tahran's father forbid the marriage since he had already found a 'suitable' wife for his son.

Outraged by his fathers tyranny, Tahran married Kaleen in secrecy and they were happy for some time. Shortly thereafter, though, Aram Charuulo stormed into his sons bedroom as the morning sun rose, and scolded him for his insolence. With him were two guards, carrying the head and headless body of Kaleen, Tahran's beloved wife.

In a spell of utter rage, Tahran rushed to his fathers armoury and grabbed the first weapon he could find. It was a beautifully crafted, ornate lance and it was at that very moment that the Unconquered Sun made him Exalted with all the power and responsibilities that meant.

Tahran impaled his father on the lance in the middle of the throneroom, cursing him and his name. He demanded the obedience of his fathers former servants, and his new powers swayed them.

With his father's trade empire as his financial backing and exalted at the age of 24, Tahran took the name Tahran Bloodcrowned to be his own and set out into the world on a quest for more power. Power with which he could protect those that he might come to love.

Simply put, Rhey grew up on a ship. Well, more of a large boat, honestly. Her parents ran a courier business, like a tiny maritime medieval FedEx, and since they were both needed on-board they brought their daughter along. Everything was all hunky-dory for most of Rhey's life, and she even started exploring the potential of romance. She had to abandon it fairly quickly though, since they were usually in port no more than a few days at a time and communication satellites hadn't been invented yet. Not that she abandoned it entirely. Far from it. She was always one of the most outgoing and friendly girls at the marketplace, regardless of the temporary nature of her acquaintances.

Things continue in this direction for a few more years, and then disaster strikes. The ship is caught in a storm and runs into a spire of rock, smashing the hull into thousands of pieces. Rhey awakens to find the spire and accompanying shoreline receding into the distance, with herself floating on a mass of half-snapped wood barely held together by some rope and the remains of a sail, completely and utterly alone.

Later that night during her grieving, Luna drops by for a chat, tells her things will be all right for the most part from then on out (although he/she/it gives a distinct impression of trying to hide unpleasantness) and that she would have the power to prevent her new family from meeting most horrible ends whenever she decided to settle down. She falls asleep, and when she wakes up she feels an odd mixture of invigoration, sadness, shock, and something like a large blanket.

That night she is “rescued” by pirates, who, upon seeing the wings Rhey still hasn't figured out she has, decide that she's too dangerous to keep around, and immediately set out for the nearest uncivilized port. Halfway there she becomes clear-headed enough to realize her abnormality, and also that it's the reason the pirates have been avoiding her like the plague. This just sends her further into depression, until she gets sold to a primitive tribe with about Aztec-level tech, when the depression made a little bit of room for terror.

It wasn't a terribly bad thing, though, since the Neo-Aztecs decided to give her to their gods, who turned out to be a group of birdmen created by a Lunar inter-species breeding program. The birdmen weren't quite sure what to do with her either, so they turned her over to their creators who had come looking for the newly-exalted Rhey. She decided to stay with Athor, the one directly responsible for observing the birdmen. After she received the moonsilver tattoos, of course. Fairly quickly she decided to move into the region and make herself at home, although it didn't feel quite right. That was probably due to her grief and depression over losing her family and being uprooted. What she needed was something which would require her full attention, so she started to spend inordinate amounts of time developing and refining her combat abilities. Athor noticed this, and decided she needed something to exercise her mind as well, so he started teaching her Clawspeak, which she picked up quickly.

One time while training Rhey observed a group of would-be heroes chasing a birdman with obvious intent to kill, and snapped. By the time she finished, the targets had been thoroughly sliced and diced. This was only the first of many such encounters, and as time progressed she kept finding more stuff, the most notable being a daiklave made from a moonsilver alloy.

Name: Helel Dodola Aun

Concept: Sorceror/Cult Leader/Monk

Characterization: At first glance, Helel appears to be incredibly vain and self-centered, but in truth she harbors deep a love for life and a desire to help those in need. Though she will fight valiantly for justice and the rights of the beleagured, she is loath to kill those who her ideals do not concern. Though of course, she responds to any challege to her ego with vitriol. Helel seems pragmatic and intelligent when speaking to many, but can come off as rather reserved in one-to-one conversation (and when she forgets to switch from Leader Mode to Intimate Mode, she can come off as a complete dumbass).

Physical descruption: Lightly tanned skin, and shoulder-length blonde hair that has possibly artificial cyan and magenta highlights. Around 5' 10" tall with a slender build, considered about average among her tribe. She is often considered to be fairly attractive-looking, if far too vigorous in decorating herself. She normally wears a simple white robe and has two red feather charms adorning her hair. Two red tribal face markings are present below her dark green eyes. An inconsequential jade pendant hangs around her neck.

Helel Dodola Aun was born to a barbarian tribe somewhere fairly deep within the Eastern Threshold. She was an only child, and thus was as dotingly pampered as one could get in the depths of the Eastern jungle. For most of her early days, she was a social young girl who spent much of her time dilly-dallying about the village, with little of note presuming to pierce the bubble of her carefree existence. It was common practice for the youth of her village to carve small totems and present them to their lovers, analogous to a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates. Her talents first manifested themselves as an immaculate ability to carve some of the village's most elaborate and detailed totems, which she often sold off to prospective lovers for a good buck.

As she became older, her parents initiated her into the tribe's priestess caste. Even so, she was never able to fully dedicate herself to her tasks, instead preferring still to hang back and enjoy herself. Regardless, she loved basking in the attention of her tribe members and would often don the priestess' garment simply to show off. Her own attention was eventually gained by a handsome young tribesman who was training to become a beast hunter. Helel's parents approved of her relationship and arranged for an engagement ceremony with the huntsman's family.

Unfortunately, their unity was not to be, as a Haltan tribe raided the village on the day of the ceremony. Helel's village was grossly unprepared, and as a result, many lives were lost, including that of Helel's suitor, who was slain before her eyes while battling a powerful warrior. Her parents were reported missing and assumed to have been killed. The village mourned their losses to some extent, but the strong-spirited village chief was more intent on preparing for war with the tribe that had the audacity to trample their territory. Helel, however, was filled only with grief. Her daily routine changed from fooling around with her colleagues to the more pressing task of weeping incessantly at the cruelty of the world and her own previous ignorance of the of the world's grim state.

Word of the weeping maiden soon spread, and the village chief eventually found it fitting to prepare for battle by having her sacrificed to their goddess of war, Dodola. Her blood was to be shed on the night of a full moon, whence the goddess's power was believed to be at its zenith. Helel wept before she was restrained, wept after she was restrained, and wept as she was placed on the ritual altar. Showered in the gazes of men and women not only from her own tribe, but from those neighbouring it, she came to realize that her she was not simply weeping tears of sadness-- her cries served the twofold purpose of attracting the attention of others even in her grief-stricken state. She was driven into even deeper depression at the knowledge of her own vanity.

As the executioner's ceremonial claw was raised to her throat, the Unconquered Sun appeared before her and told her of her destiny; she was destined to bring peace to the world and unify scattered peoples under a single banner. The events that followed were unclear, even to her, but it is reported that the executioner's claw gauntlet suddenly disappeared from his arm, reappearing from Elsewhere with its blades jutting deep inside his shattered skull. Helel's restraints disintegrated in an explosive fashion, and the guards who immediately charged towards her are reported to have blindly overshot her-- well, their upper bodies at least. Everything below their waists just stood there for a while before falling over like severed torsos usually do. The tribals immediately associated the girl with the war goddess Dodola herself, and a cult was formed around her more or less immediately. Many simply bowed before her and praised her, the weeping maiden who wept no longer.

Though now she is surrounded in worshipers, including many from the tribe that attacked her village and killed her suitor, she forgets not her initial goal and wishes to spread peace further throughout the eastern threshold; with extreme prejudice and by any means necessary. After a lavish feast, she left for <wherever the fuck we are> with a loyal band of spear-armed tribesmen, she herself armed with the very same razor claws that once presumed to kill her. She knew that her destiny was out there, and that whatever she would find there would assist her greatly in unifying the people of the East.

[Mon 20] [03:45:52] <Latooni> http://wiki.white-wolf.com/exalted/inde ... Conception
[Mon 20] [03:45:52] <Latooni> lol
[Mon 20] [03:46:14] <PickYerPoison> I shudder to think what kind of player would need that Merit.
[Mon 20] [03:46:21] * +Latooni raises hand
[Mon 20] [03:46:22] * PickYerPoison glances at Melui
[Mon 20] [03:46:24] * +Arcalane snerk
[Mon 20] [03:46:38] <Latooni> Luckily the game provides birth control tea

Breltia Riel Morbach was born on her 0th birthday. She became a scholar and librarian, but her home in the hills allowed her the vantage point of observing outwards into the lands around her city, with such a yearn to travel that was unmet. Nevertheless, she lived a life of calm balance and order, living and studying and keeping herself fit enough for her work. It was idyllic, calm, and quiet, yet boring.

That was shattered one night, when thieves assaulted the library she was studying in. These thieves began to ruin the works of the library - defacing texts, destroying archaeological artifacts. Breltia ran out of her quiet workspace to try and stop them with anything she could. The spirit of the Unconquered Sun appeared to her as she reached for a candelabra, telling her of the wonders and powers granted to the Exalted. The rest is obvious, as the work of an Exalted against a mortal foe means a short end for the mortals.

She found her goal. To catalogue everything. So she began. During her initial bursts of energy, she read everything she could - with the waves of power rushing through her veins, she could assimilate all the knowledge she wanted in her favourite fields. Of course, she knew who she was - now a Solar Exalted of the Twilight Caste, one of the hated Anathema hated by the Immaculate Order, she would have to begin running.

So, with the newfound power of an Exalted, she did just that. She ran, and didn't stop. Not out of fear, but out of self preservation, for the knowledge of the Wyld Hunt was freshly imprinted on her mind as a result of her reading. First, she traveled to a manse, hidden away under a river. Here, she retrieved two items - a slightly dusted powerbow, still glistening with the hue only orichalum can give off, and a single hearthstone, still new and gleaming with power.

Her second destination was <wherever the fuck we are>.

<+AirHippo> Funnily enough, folks who abide by the law and try to make something of their lives don't appreciate the rich kids of rich parents getting away with murder and skimming through life.