Character Creation

Here we will outline the basic statistics that define your character at start of play.

Player characters always start at the first step of Circle 2.

Creating your character

Your starting statistics:

  • Aura: 5
  • Health: 2
  • Armor: 0
  • Speed: 1
  • Chakra: 1 per element
  • Charge: 1 per element
  • Begin play at Circle 2, Step 1

First, consider your place in the world.

Background

Who are you?

  • Choose Lineage
  • Choose Clan
  • Describe history
  • Physical appearance and age

What languages do you speak?

  • Defaults
    • Spoken tongues: Lineage tongue, Aloran
    • Written tongues: Symbol Script

As a cultivator aspiring to lofty heights such as godhood and immortality, consider your titles well. A good starting point:

  • Path + Grace + Lineage + Home + Deeds
  • Example: Ishikawa, Scholar of the Ashen Scale, Nomad of the Stars, Breaker of the Horde

Beyond these, you should give thought to your personal history.

  • How did you decide to cultivate?
  • Have you had formal training?
  • How did you land on your Path?
  • Where have you traveled in Seln?

Lineage, Path, Grace

Next, assign your Lineage and gain any benefits

  • For Florans, choose your Auspice now

Next, you must decide your Path and Grace

  • For the beginning of a new campaign, you should have both Path and Grace
    • Later, you may create additional characters that have only a Grace to add to your Stable of characters
  • Your Path grants a Primary element, Secondary element, and Bane element

Next, pick your Grace

  • Your Grace may not be in your Bane element

Now that you have those decided, you need to pick your strongest element.

  • Pick one element from: Path Primary; Path secondary; Grace element
  • Boost that element to Ki strength d10

Set your Bane element to Ki strength d6

Then all other elements have Ki strength d8

Finally, any other tracking powers such as Reputation or Eloquence begin at strength d6.

You begin play with a C1 weapon of your choice, enough money for a day or two of basic expenses, and no other equipment.

Campaign benefits

Now that you have a basic character, you add benefits from your Hearth or Teachers such as

  • Extra Essence
  • Extra languages
  • Starting equipment

You may not stock more than 10 Essence during this process. Any excess must be spent before you enter play or it is forfeit.

Stats in detail

Attributes

You have four Attributes; one for each concrete element.

Always add this numerical bonus to Challenges in the matching element.

These values also add to your Standard Value for each element and thus your defenses.

  • Air: Insight
  • Water: Charm
  • Earth: Prowess
  • Fire: Drive

Initial value before cultivation: 0

Value at start of play: 1

  • This comes from the +1 Attribute at Step C2.1

Expressing attributes

You should decide how your character expresses each attribute.

Insight might represent:

  • Formal training in academia
  • A patient, attentive mindset that requires no book learning
  • An instinctive sense of spatial and mental relations

Charm might represent:

  • Overwhelming beauty and poise
  • Fine manners and impeccable tastes
  • A keen sense of humor that sets all at ease

Prowess might represent:

  • A dedicated bodybuilder who pushes his limits every day
  • A reclusive hunter strengthened by the wilderness
  • Being so incredibly dumb that nothing can stop you (dattebayo)

Drive might represent:

  • An indomitable spirit against all odds
  • Brash, confident intellectual rigor
  • Contemplation and a quiet strength

Chakra

Chakra are reservoirs of spiritual power spread throughout the body. While all folk have latent chakra, you unlock the power inherent in each one through cultivation to empower your weapons and arts.

Each Chakra is a slot in which you equip items, Arts, or Conditions.

  • Start with one Chakra in every element

Some examples of potential uses:

  • Empower a weapon or accessory
  • Override default rules with a Boon
    • Such as using Fire for social engagements by dispensing lavish works of art
  • Provide a flat bonus to a set of tasks
    • Such as +5 to chases
    • If multiple bonuses would apply, take the highest
  • Provide new abilities or techniques
    • Such as Spiritsight or Ki Reading

Chakra effects are mandatory while synced. If you have the Chakra equipped, you must use the effect when applicable, even if doing so would disadvantage you.

Charge

Charge is the latent elemental energy that you draw and store in your body. Think of it as equivalent to MP in your favorite JRPG.

  • You have 1 Charge in each element that you have access to by default
  • Each element stores Charge separately
  • One element’s Charge may only be used for that element

When exhausted, you require a few minutes to recover.

  • Charge recovers in between Scenes

Each non-Bane element starts with one Charge; your Bane starts with no Charge. You will gain further Charge as you advance in cultivation.

Boons

Boons are your permanent, global effects. Boons are always active and do not require Chakra.

When you accept a Boon, you alter your spirit. You may not deactivate a Boon once taken, even if it would prove detrimental.

  • For example, if a Boon grants you spirit sight and a foe has an ability that injures those who see it, you may not choose to ignore the Boon and thus the effect.