Exalted Secret Santa 2020
So I’m shaking this up a lil’ bit--I have had some really lovely art of my characters in the last...however long I’ve been doing these?? But I’ve got a whole coven who I adore and who I make art for but, like, I think it’d be neat to give them a shot in the dark. So I’ve put ‘em all onto the list this year. :3
(I still need to finish Thanatos’ art reference, but it will be up within the week!)
Onward!
1) Stazio, the Fiend
Stazio is of one of the hundreds of kingdoms in, well, The Hundred Kingdoms. Previously the royal advisor, he failed to protect his liege and attempting to collapse the one who overthrew him. His failure attracted the attention of The Ebon Dragon--and more specifically, Mara the Shadow Lover--and he was granted a Fiend exaltation.
He still carries a lot of distrust towards other, and lies as easily as he breathes, but past all of that he is the most mature of his coven and worries for them (even if he would stay saner longer if he didn’t).
Stazio is 5′10″, with olive-toned skin and auburn hair that reaches almost to his waist. His eyes are Infernal green, as is the cloak and emeralds he wears. He wields a Green Sun Wand but does prefer to strike up close, being a near master of Black Claw Style. The only reason he hasn’t mastered it is his teacher is Mara herself, and...well, it’s complicated. He also has a belt of aerial mobility, and sewn into his mouth is a Tongue of the Serpent Prince which aids in his manipulative methods.
2) Chishio / Chirurgeon Shod in Obscurity, the Defiler
Chishio was once the son of a village medicine woman, who also happened to practice necromancy. Along with his younger sister, he was taught medicine and to not fear death until he grew into a medic in his own right. However, an attack on his village left his mother and father dead and his sister missing--presumed dead as well--and Chishio abandoned his work to pursue vengeance. His elaborate revenge attempt failed when they were mistaken for an attack from another village, sparking a war which caused countless more deaths and left him ripe for She Who Lives in Her Name to take as one of her own.
He’s cold, calculating, and always the smartest in the room--and those closer to him may catch snippets of actual anger, sadness, and joy, despite his cool exterior.
Chishio is 5′6″ and pale as death, with black hair that goes just past his shoulders, and his eyes are blue and sharp. He dresses in dark colors, mostly grays and black and dark browns, to aid him in stealth. In combat he’ll either manipulate the dead to his own devices (which includes Necrotech as well as straight Necromancy), take shots from the shadows with Mind-Hand Manipulation, or simply out-smarts his opponents...though like any necromancer worth his salt he has a weakness for being dramatic, in combat and out.
[ART TO COME STAY FUCKIN’ TUNED]
3) Thanatos, the Slayer
Thanatos grew up in an orphanage until he grew old enough to help to run it, taking a great deal of pride in raising children until they were adopted or until they could strike out on their own. But one day when he was out of his village for trading purposes, a Fae calling himself the Erlking attacked and burned the majority of it to the ground, including the orphanage, killing nearly all of the children inside, and all the other caretakers. Thanatos returned to little more than ash and charcoal. Whether or not he could have actually stopped this tragedy mattered little compared to how much he felt like a failure for not being there to try, and his fury and broken heart appealed very much to Malfeas.
But past the lingering anger and strict moral code, Thanatos is the heart of the party. He doesn’t lie, doesn’t cheat, and won’t harm those he doesn’t believe deserve it. He wants to make the world better and protect the children of the world. Despite all of this, he is still an Infernal, which...makes that difficult.
Thanatos is a brick of a man, standing 6′0″ and about half as broad. He has ashy brown skin, hailing from the Scavenger Lands, and his shaved head and serious expression give him the appearance of a monk--but his dark brown eyes are ringed with horrible shadows from Nightmare Fueled Vigilance. He lost his right arm during his final battle with the Erlking, but has shunned the thought of finding a replacement. He keeps his clothing choices simple, again much like a monk, and wears bandages over his knuckles for fighting. His preferred method of combat is hitting his foe with himself as ruthlessly as possible, though when things get rough he’ll go into proper Devil Tyrant Avatar Shintai and wail away with four additional arms (five arms are better than one?).
