Ebon Shadow Style
Bulb of the Perfected Lotus, Heretical
This style, long forgotten in Creation, is of particular use to assassins and can be learnt by a Night Case Solar without a teacher. It’s Charms can only be used with unarmed attacks, fighting chains or sai.
The Exalt moves with the speed and ease of a flickering shadow. Taking an action at a cost the Exalt enters this Form (which is incompatible with armour).
While in the Form add Essence to Initiative and Stealth, and gains the Aspect “Flickering away from attacks” with free invokes equal to their Scale. If they die in this form their body dissipates into acrid black smoke leaving behind neither ghost nor clues to their identity.
The character uses her Essence to guide her hand, foot or weapon so that it strikes the weakest point in her target’s armour. Against style attacks, enemy Armour rating is reduced by the Exalts Martial Arts level (or the Approach used for the attack) to a minimum of 0.
A character trained in the Ebon Shadow Style learns all of the weak points found in living bodies. With a slight touch, the martial artist can immobilise one of her target’s limbs. In combat this requires an “attack” (Create an Advantage) that the defender gains a +1 against. It creates an immobilised Aspect against that limb that lasts for the Scene. Cannot be used against undead, automata or other beings with no vital functions.
This Charm allows the character to stun or incapacitate a target with a mere touch to one of the five vital centres. At a Cost the character makes an attack with Weapon:Essence that ignores Armour. If the attack is not enough to take the target out (by paralysing them) it does no damage and the roll is instead treated as a Create an Advantage for the Aspect “Vital Centre Impeded” that can be invoked against any physical action or defence.
At a Cost, until her next action all Dodge rolls the Exalt makes gain a bonus of her permanent Essence level. This is incompatible with Armour.
The character can make an Essence-enhanced gesture that renders his opponent unable to notice or react to an attack the character makes. At a Cost the character can enhance a style attack so that the defender can make no non-magical defence against it (treat the roll as 0), but can use any Charms that work against attacks they are unaware of.
With this Charm, the character takes on the true form of a shadow. The character becomes tenebrous and indistinct, a form of tangible darkness. His flattened body slides through any space wide enough for him to fit his fingers through. Identifying the character while he uses this Charm is extremely difficult. His physical features and clothing give no clues, but the outlines of distinctive gear might give him away. If his anima banner activates, only his caste mark shines. Even his fully iconic anima banner seems shapeless and dark. At a cost, for the rest of the Scene the character becomes a shadow, increasing their Armour by their permanent Essence level, able to fit through narrow gaps and capable of seeing in complete darkness. This Charm cannot be used while the character is wearing armour.
In ancient times, Exalted assassins circumvented the protections of their enemies by stepping directly through them. By using this Charm, the Exalt steps into a shadow and steps out of another shadow far away, near his destination.
At a Cost the Exalt steps into a shadow and targets a location within Essence level miles, that they must have previously seen. If there is an unobserved shadow within 100 yards of that location the Exalt steps out of it, otherwise the Essence is wasted (if used during Calibration this failure leaves the Exalt in the Labyrinth instead). Cannot be used to enter a Manse, a god’s sanctum, any similar forbidden place or any location warded against teleportation.
This style, long forgotten in Creation, is of particular use to assassins and can be learnt by a Night Case Solar without a teacher. It’s Charms can only be used with unarmed attacks, fighting chains or sai.
Image of Death Technique
Inverting their Essence, the character takes an action to drop to the ground and appear dead. Only an exacting examination by a skilled physician has a chance of piercing this “ruse”. For up to 25 hours she requires no air, water nor food but can (obviously) not move or take any action. She remains aware and her senses are unaffected (though if someone closes the Exalts eyes out of respect she cannot see), and can take an action to cancel the Charm early. The Charm can only be triggered while the Exalt can breathe normally.Wall Climbing Technique
The character can climb walls, ropes, chains and other solid surfaces as fast as he can walk, and stay in place as long as they are awake. Requires one hand free to touch the surface (as well as both feet).Distracting Finger-Gesture Attack
The character makes a complex sign with her fingers and charges it with Essence to distract and slow a single opponent. At the beginning of an Exchange, at a cost the character reduces the Initiative score of one character by her Essence level.Ebon Shadow Form
Prerequisite: 2 Ebon Shadow CharmsThe Exalt moves with the speed and ease of a flickering shadow. Taking an action at a cost the Exalt enters this Form (which is incompatible with armour).
While in the Form add Essence to Initiative and Stealth, and gains the Aspect “Flickering away from attacks” with free invokes equal to their Scale. If they die in this form their body dissipates into acrid black smoke leaving behind neither ghost nor clues to their identity.
Seven Points of Weakness Strike
Prerequisite: Ebon Shadow FormThe character uses her Essence to guide her hand, foot or weapon so that it strikes the weakest point in her target’s armour. Against style attacks, enemy Armour rating is reduced by the Exalts Martial Arts level (or the Approach used for the attack) to a minimum of 0.
Limb-Immobilising Method
Prerequisite: Ebon Shadow FormA character trained in the Ebon Shadow Style learns all of the weak points found in living bodies. With a slight touch, the martial artist can immobilise one of her target’s limbs. In combat this requires an “attack” (Create an Advantage) that the defender gains a +1 against. It creates an immobilised Aspect against that limb that lasts for the Scene. Cannot be used against undead, automata or other beings with no vital functions.
Paralysing Touch Attack
Prerequisite: Ebon Shadow FormThis Charm allows the character to stun or incapacitate a target with a mere touch to one of the five vital centres. At a Cost the character makes an attack with Weapon:Essence that ignores Armour. If the attack is not enough to take the target out (by paralysing them) it does no damage and the roll is instead treated as a Create an Advantage for the Aspect “Vital Centre Impeded” that can be invoked against any physical action or defence.
Elusive Flicker Evasion
Prerequisite: Ebon Shadow FormAt a Cost, until her next action all Dodge rolls the Exalt makes gain a bonus of her permanent Essence level. This is incompatible with Armour.
Blow-Concealing Gesture Technique
Prerequisite: Ebon Shadow FormThe character can make an Essence-enhanced gesture that renders his opponent unable to notice or react to an attack the character makes. At a Cost the character can enhance a style attack so that the defender can make no non-magical defence against it (treat the roll as 0), but can use any Charms that work against attacks they are unaware of.
Shadow-Body Style
Prerequisite: Ebon Shadow FormWith this Charm, the character takes on the true form of a shadow. The character becomes tenebrous and indistinct, a form of tangible darkness. His flattened body slides through any space wide enough for him to fit his fingers through. Identifying the character while he uses this Charm is extremely difficult. His physical features and clothing give no clues, but the outlines of distinctive gear might give him away. If his anima banner activates, only his caste mark shines. Even his fully iconic anima banner seems shapeless and dark. At a cost, for the rest of the Scene the character becomes a shadow, increasing their Armour by their permanent Essence level, able to fit through narrow gaps and capable of seeing in complete darkness. This Charm cannot be used while the character is wearing armour.
Shadow-Stepping Method
Prerequisite: Ebon Shadow FormIn ancient times, Exalted assassins circumvented the protections of their enemies by stepping directly through them. By using this Charm, the Exalt steps into a shadow and steps out of another shadow far away, near his destination.
At a Cost the Exalt steps into a shadow and targets a location within Essence level miles, that they must have previously seen. If there is an unobserved shadow within 100 yards of that location the Exalt steps out of it, otherwise the Essence is wasted (if used during Calibration this failure leaves the Exalt in the Labyrinth instead). Cannot be used to enter a Manse, a god’s sanctum, any similar forbidden place or any location warded against teleportation.