Business and Pleasure (Orichalcum Devil Casters ***)
These are inspired by @theuncrucified. While Koh’s character is in 2e, I loved the story and the artifacts and asked the author if it would be ok to turn them into some neat 3e firewands. If you haven’t read it, you absolutely should.
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Found in an archeological dig turned betrayal by the Merchant Prince Ahrun Vadras, the twin weapons of ancient craft, forged of the demon-gold Orichalcum were inherited by his daughter, Kalara Vadras, the Uncrucified as she fled Nexus under false accusations with the Unconquered Sun’s protection leaving all speechless staring at the newly born Anathema.
The tale of the flame firing weapons did not tie itself to the name of the one bountiful Guild merchant however, but rather tales spread of the Bandit King, Koh, the Righteous Devil who freed the slaves of the East and spurred them towards the free city. And the free city was managed by the Pristine Guild and its head, the daughter of a merchant who would never again let the Guild hide its shame in her light.
She burned her enemies to ash and from those ashes rose Dinas Rhydd, the free city that would change the future of Creation.
Attunement: 5m
Type: Medium (+1/+5/+3/+1/-1 ACC, +12L, OVW 4)
Tag: Lethal, Archery (Short), Flame, Slow, One-handed, Mounted
Hearthstone Slots: 2
Era: Dreams of the First Age
Evocations of Business and Pleasure
Forged before the fall of the First Age, Business and Pleasure’s golden hues shine brighter in the hands of the Solars they were forged for. A Solar Exalted pays no additional motes to attune to both weapons. Exalted who are not resonant with orichalcum instead pay a 2m surcharge to attune to both weapons. Exalted who are dissonant with Orichalcum must attune to both firewands separately (10m total).
In addition, the two weapons burn brightest together, not alone. Anytime the Solar reloads one devil caster, she may reload both with the same action.
Chains Melt Away
Cost: 6m; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: Dissonant
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite: None
Like the nails that melted to slag in the palms of The Uncrucified, with a gout of heavenly fire, the Exalted condemns the bonds that bind herself or others. This charm creates a single attack that automatically destroys mundane locks, shackles, or other implements holding a target captive. In combat, if one of her opponents could somehow contest her action, she must succeed at a Gambit (Difficulty 3). Chains, locks, and bonds made from the five magical materials are never fully destroyed with this, but instead the Exalt must make a difficulty 5 (Dexterity + Archery or Martial Arts) check to cause them to open under the extreme heat. This never harms those the Exalt frees with this evocation, but the Exalt must have at least one hand free to melt her own chains.
Special Activation Rules: As long as the wielder is not dissonant with Orichalcum, this evocation awakens at no cost after attuning to both weapons.
At Essence 3+, this evocation can be repurchased by anyone not dissonant with Orichalcum. This allows the solar to make a difficulty 5 (Dexterity + Archery or Martial Arts) check to “break” magical bondage, such as a demon’s binding or a Yasal Crystal’s hold on a spirit or even the spell Corrupted Words.
Inner Hearth Bellows
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite: None
Firedust serves a firewand only so well, but the Exalt has no need when she herself is the flame that purifies enemies. Each of the Exalt’s firewands can be fired up to double her (current Anima Level) times in a round before needing to be reloaded, however after each action, she must still reload. As such, she may use multi-attack charms that the Slow tag would otherwise prevent, as long as she makes no more than that many attacks. For example, using Trance of Unhesitating Speed at the Dim level, she could make up to two attacks between her two devil casters or up to six while she was iconic.
Like the Unconquered Sun opened his heart to Kalara, the Exalt learns to open her heart and fire its flames from her weapon. This charm enhances a Decisive attack that supports one of her intimacies, adding bonus dice to the raw damage equal to the strength of that intimacy.
Resonant: A solar, while at the iconic anima stage, may let her entire soul fill Business and Pleasure. For each level of anima she reduces herself, she may choose to apply an additional intimacy to boost her raw damage, though she may use only one intimacy of each strength (for a maximum of 9 bonus damage from drawing on a Defining, Major, and Minor intimacy).
Inside each of the firewands is the story of Koh, the Bandit King. This evocation creates an immediate persona for Heart-Eclipsing Shroud that does not count against the Solar’s maximum number of personas. While players may choose to add additional intimacies, he always has the following
Defining: I will end the profits made on the scarred backs of fellow men
Defining: The slave trade of the Guild will be brought to an end
Major: The Guild is full of real monsters
Major: My heart knows the fire’s path and my enemies are purified in its flames.
Major: The people, are the perpetuators of change. Their dreams will shape the future of Creation.
Minor: I am possessed only by my own passion. I am no Anathema.
In addition, Koh lives in the legend of the Righteous Devil. The Exalt may learn Righteous Devil Style charms without a tutor, however these charms may only be used while adopting the persona of Koh. Should the Exalt find a proper tutor, she may spend the normal training times to use these charms equally across any persona she dons, including her original self.
Golden Devil Castigation
Cost: 7m, 4i, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Resonant, Dissonant
Duration: One Round
Prerequisite: Freed Heart Flames
As the Exalt takes a moment to simply stare down at her foes down the barrel of a devil caster and they freeze up. She does not enslave them, they bind themselves in the chains of their own twisted sins. The Exalt rolls (Charisma + Presence) against the Resolve of all targets out to Short range. If they defy one of her intimacies, she gains that many bonus dice to the roll. If she is successful, she may initiate an immediate grapple gambit upon all of them, rolling her full initiative and using Charisma + Presence in place of Strength + Brawl. The Exalt may act normally and is not restricted by this grapple, nor is her defense penalized. Targets who would be considered innocent by the Exalted or who the Exalt holds a positive intimacy towards are unaffected, even if they currently stand against her. While her foes still take the -2 penalty to defense, -1 (or -3 for two handed weapons) to attack, and are incapable of moving until the end of her next turn, the Exalt may not take any normal grapple actions against them.
While the Exalt’s anima is displayed at the iconic anima level, these chains become visible golden constructs binding her foes.
Resonant: Resonant wielders extend the range of the grapple effect to Medium range.
Special Activation Rules: This evocation cannot be awakened with experience points. Instead a non-dissonant Exalted must complete a Major, Defining, or Legendary Social Goal that is compatible with the intimacies of Koh, the Bandit King (see Silver-Tongued Devil Style). Dissonant Exalted cannot awaken this evocation by any means.
Golden Devil Judgement
Cost: 5m, 3a; Mins: Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Decisive-Only, Resonant
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite: Golden Devil Castigation, Silver-Tongued Devil Style
Resonant: Only wielders resonant with Orichalcum can learn this evocation.
Seeing the chains that bind those who stand against her, the Exalt aims Business and Pleasure down and burns them away. Those caught in the blaze burn only from their own wrong-doings. This charm can only be used the round after Golden Devil Castigation while the Solar is iconic. All opponents caught in the grapple are immediately consumed in a golden fire, a special savage attack made by this evocation that gains the benefit of Freed Heart Flames automatically.
This evocation can only be used once per story unless reset by completing a major, defining, or legendary social goal compatible with the intimacies of Koh, the Bandit King, though the Solar may wear any persona to perform the deed.
