Doe

About

Public Knowledge

Every year, hunters return from the wilds with far-fetched claims of the Doe. According to the woodlore, she is the first spirit of Seln, first to ever step hoof upon its ground; she who brings the Spring and new life. She cannot be caught; cannot be tamed. Only the luckiest and the craftiest of woodsmen might one glimpse her passage.

Though this story is prevalent in the wild settlements, it meets with scorn in the cities. Most that espouse to have seen the Doe are disheveled and quite possibly drunk huntsmen in town to sell their harvest and buy more beer. Such fools mistake spirits for gods!

Tales of the Doe vary across the Kingdom.

In Seln Alora: Please? The Doe? My nanny told me stories of her stalking the quiet trails of the Scalewood to put me to bed! She might make for a pleasing story, but there is no need to exaggerate one’s encounters with a particularly svelte fawn.

In Seln Florana: The Doe, beloved of Liliana, heralds change. She is an ancient creature, fey and whimsical, going where she pleases. If she has a role to play in our grand Garden, Liliana keeps that secret to herself.

In Kawazu: She is not numbered among the seven Great Spirits, though we know of her in the annals. If she still lives, then she wanders a territory outside the Kingdom. Such spirits are not part of the grand design.

In Rin: The what now?

Scholars that bother to investigate sometimes hear that the Centauri revere a similar spirit by the name of Fawn. The superstitious Centauri honor her like a god, but what else can be expected of barbarians?

Application

The Doe does not take applications. She takes you.

The Doe can be encountered anywhere verdant – from a secluded park in Seln Alora to the deepest wilds beyond the wards. She might linger in an area for months or years, bringing a powerful verdancy to the land, or skip from one end of Seln to the other in an hour. Free beyond all reproach, she goes where she will.

For those marked by the Doe, the story is the same: to lay eyes upon the Doe is to suffer her beauty and be changed.

Path History

Your Kingdom has grown complacent in its knowing. You have trapped your wisdom in scrolls and tablets; frozen it in stone; bound its caper to your wards.

How vaunted your learning! If you have decreed that the Doe is a legend, then who am I to contradict you? If you have declared the wilds a wasteland for your claiming, then who am I to contradict you? Surely you have learned every secret under heaven and earth, little dragon!

Indeed, when all is known and the very stars shall dance to your Queen’s designs, then I must wonder…what could you possibly require from the kin of hoof and claw? Do you doubt the shining vision of your Kingdom?

Why, little dragon, are you here?

Seraphina, Doe-daughter

The Shifting Way

To Cultivate is to take control of one’s flesh and spirit. It is a transformation, step by step, in ascent towards godhood. While many Cultivators experience changes, these changes are evocations of the Path and of the self.

When a Bull grows horns, he knows that he draws down the strength of his totems. When a Halo first conjures Light-woven wings, she feels the warmth of the heavens upon her brow. Both know that they grow stronger in the Path they have chosen to walk.

The Doe is something altogether different. Hers is not a Path that you walk but a transfiguration of the self from the inside out.

Like a seed planted in one’s soul. You might refrain from Cultivation and starve that seed of water, but you will always hear its lure.

Should you Cultivate, you can delude yourself for a time that there is no price to the Doe’s call. For a time. In the end, her influence will reshape your lineage, your identity, and your very spirit.

All that walk this Path become daughters of the Doe.

Power

As a mercurial Doe, you must be clever, quick, and compassionate. Cherish your allies and chart the wild ways!

• Primary element: Earth
• Secondary: Water
• Bane: Fire

Verdant Touch

All the tenderness of nature is yours to pluck

• Spend your Action and 1 Water Charge
• Target an ally within your current zone
• The target ally regains 1d4 + 1 Aura immediately

Additionally, at C3:

• The restorative effect increases to 1d4 + C
• Spend 1 Air Charge. You may restore Aura to 1 ally in an Adjacent zone

At C4:

• If the ally has 0 Aura, this Action does not require a Charge and may automatically be used in your current or Adjacent Zones

Blessings of Loam

Your spirit overflows with generosity to be shared

• Spend 1 Earth Charge to generate a Bonus Ki for one ally in your Scene
• Your ally must choose what element to apply the Bonus Ki immediately
• Ignore line of sight requirements
• This does not require an Action; however, you must grant the Bonus Ki before the ally rolls

At C3:

• The ally may choose to keep the Bonus Ki as a Reserve Ki for up to C rounds
  • The ally chooses which element to add the Bonus Ki to at the time of application
• The Bonus Ki expires at end of Scene if unused

Channel Charge

The living conduit of life and leaf

You may channel Charge between allies in your current zone

• All relevant allies must be in the same zone
• One ally spends the relevant Charge; the other ally uses it as fuel for their effect
• Both must consent to the transfer
• You do not have to spend an Action to facilitate the transfer

Once you channel Charge for two allies, you may not channel again until the start of your next turn

At C3, gain:

• You may Channel Charge twice per turn

Aura of the Glades

Hear our call and take heart

At Circle 3, gain the following

• You grant +1 to all allies within your current zone
• You do not gain this bonus

The tongue of Eden

You speak the tongue of all wild creatures; you may speak to any animal

At Circle 4, this expands:

• You speak the language of all living creatures
• You speak the Spirit tongue

The Path of Flowers

Silent and still as the first dew atop the meadow.

Your Stealth Defense does not degrade when:

• You Challenge
• Time passes during a Scene

Attempts to read your Ki Signature or Assess your state take a Penalty equal to your Charm

At Circle 3, gain:

• You may interact with your allies without forfeitng your Stealth score while you are shapechanged

At Circle 4, gain:

• Subtract 20 from Alertness at the start of a Scene (minimum 0)

Fluid Form

Its kind of scary how easy this is now that I know the trick of it!

You may change your shape into that of an animal

• At start of play, choose one animal each for Air, Water, and Earth
• You do not need to have met or seen the animal; you receive a dream providing you the relevant experience as necessary
• During play, you may only change this animal at Equilibrium

The basics:

• To change form, spend your Action and 1 Earth Charge
• You may return to your normal form for one Action
• You may shift directly between beast forms; this costs your Action and 1 Earth Charge as usual
• This altered form seems natural to you, and you are familiar with its capabilities and limitations.
• You may remain shapechanged indefinitely
• Your mental processes remain intact, though slightly influenced by your form’s nature
• Your life span remains unchanged

The forms vary in their effects

• Air:
  • You may fly (assuming your form can plausibly do so; emu need not apply)
  • Break all Ki except Air while changed
• Water:
  • Ignore the range penalty for using Arts in water
  • This form may include water-breathing animals
  • Break all Ki except Water while changed
• Earth:
  • Gain a bonus of C to Stealth Challenges
  • Use your normal Ki (no Breaks applied)

Suggestions:

• Air: Hawk, falcon, songbird
• Water: sea serpent, otter, dog, snake
• Earth: Jackalope, fox, squirrel, bear

At Circle 4, you may grant this benefit to your allies.

• Spend 1 Earth Charge for each affected ally
• They use the same form as you in that element
• They may choose to turn back of their own volition at any time
• They understand you and each other while in this form, but no other members of the species

Restrictions:

• The animal must exist in Seln; if it goes extinct or vanishes, you must choose a new form at next Equilibrium
• The smallest form you may take is about the size of a mouse; the largest is about the size of a bear
• You communicate in the beast’s native manner
• You breathe in the beast’s native manner. Amphibious forms are recommend for dealing with water
• You may not select a draconic form
• You are not capable of procreation in these forms

Odd notes:

• If you pick a mouse or rat form, mousefolk automatically Succeed to recognize your shapechanged nature
• No one is quite sure how an uncultivated Mousefolk nanny can instantly spot a Doe Path master like this
• Being a friendly sort, most Mousefolk don’t mind the visitor

You may use this effect to evade Restraints.

• When you change shape, Challenge Earth against the Restraint’s Severity.
• Success, Flourish: You escape the Restraint

Fooling adversaries

While shapechanged, you are assumed to mimic the normal behavior of your animal unless you dictate otherwise.

Foes may Challenge Water to penetrate your ruse.

• Disaster: The interrogator is convinced you are a normal animal
• Failure: The interrogator may have suspicions but has no proof or confirmation
• Success: The interrogator recognizes that you are a Cultivated animal. For example, the servant of a Path warrior. They may use further Challenges to attempt to identify you or your master
• Flourish: The interrogator recognizes you as a Cultivator in disguise. Further Challenges for Identity gain a Bonus Ki

Equipment and shapechanging

When you shapechange, your equipment does not change with you!

• Change into a smaller form? Your clothes drop in a lump!
• Change into a larger form? Your clothes shred!

You may invest in Weapon and Armor Cores for your equipment that allow them to shift with you

• Hoofboots natively have this property
• Equipment attuned in that manner shift to appropriately match your form
  • For example, a cloak may change to a scarf around your neck
• The equipment must make sense for your current form. Sorry, no battle axes for bunnies

Shapechanging Shenanigans

Your shapechanging is mystical in nature and cannot exert meaningful change on the external world

• You may not change into a shape larger than your current confines; your body prevents this with instinctive self-preservation
• You may not use your change as an Attack
  • For example, landing on a man as a mouse and turning into a bear to crush him
  • While you change shape swiftly, the effect is not instantaneous, and foes have ample time to reposition
• Your change does not result in changes in pressure, air volume, heat, or whatever other crazy crap a physics student comes up with

Wood-woven Soul

• You may never be afflicted with a transformation against your will. Attempts to do so are expended and fail
• You are immune to the Claim. or perhaps you have already been Claimed…

Curses of the Doe

What you gain in peace, you must surrender in glory

Lost identity

Your ever-shifting identity undermines attempts at fame

• Your Reputation caps lower as you gain in power
  • C2: max d10
  • C3: max d6
  • C4: max d4
• This severely inhibits your ability to purchase materials. Find a charming friend or go without!

Lost lineage

Surrender your former Lineage. Though you physically appear to belong to that Lineage (at least at the start), your true Lineage is forevermore bound to the Doe.

Lineage of the Doe

Can you truly claim to belong to the Folk any longer?

You proceed along the Lineage of the Doe automatically as you cultivate.

• At level 1 pick a subtle shift to embody
• At level 2 pick a subtle shift; also gain Silent Steps
• And so forth until you finish at step 10

Lineage Boons

Unlike other Lineages, you gain these Lineage Boons automatically. No Essence cost required. You may no longer purchase or benefit from any boons purchased from your former Lineage.

Silent Steps

• Chakra (Earth)
• Requires: None
• Cultivate: N/A
• Effect: Your footsteps and passage make no sound, regardless of surface. Boost your Ki for any Stealth Challenge

Sylvan Touch

• Boon
• Requires: None
• Cultivate: N/A
• Effect:
  • You may rejuvinate or even revive plants of your Circle or lower.
  • Example uses: Regenerate vines to climb a cliff or wall; restore a recently destroyed Leaf reagent; fix a Floran’s hair

Blessed Repose

• Boon
• Requires: None
• Cultivate: N/A
• Effect:
  • You may spend your Downtime to aid a character under a Condition. When they Challenge against that Condition, they add a Bonus Ki
  • This is in addition to any other healing effects

Harvest Protection

• Boon
• Requires: None
• Cultivate: N/A
• Effect: You are immune to Disasters during Harvesting Challenges; treat Disasters as Failures

Lineage changes

In addition, each step along this Path changes your body, mind, and spirit. Tables are provided to spur your creativity. You may roll on the chart, choose, or dictate another change.

Subtle shifts

The first steps can be explained away

Strong Shifts

But what comes after? Baggy clothing can only go so far…

Final Shifts

Once you were folk. Now you have embraced the world itself

Distaff Changes

Here are a few changes you can use during the Subtle Shifts when playing a man touched by the Doe.

By the end of Strong Shifts, the Doe only has daughters.

Customizing your Doe

As with everything in this book, the narrative suggestions are meant to nudge your decisions. They are not iron-clad rules!

The default progression here is: folk => fawn => cervitaur (deer-centaur).

If you want to play a Doe but not a girl, then be the first son of the Doe in all Seln!

If you would prefer not to play a cervitaur, then dictate a different form!

The Self-Deception of the Path

Unlike other Paths, the Path of the Doe is not quite strictly…voluntary. Yet cultivation itself is an intentional process of self-refinement. How do these two things clash?

While some Doe are perfectly willing to embrace the changes for power, others convince themselves that they cultivate another latent source of power. Your Doe may profess another Path, at least at the beginning, and may even dream that you cultivate to overcome the Doe! In time, however, the changes become insurmountable, and you face the choice: to cease cultivating altogether or to surrender to the Doe’s influence.

Arts

Most of the Doe’s power is inherent to her transfigured nature. The Arts here encourage those talents higher.

Circle 2

Snappy Dresser

• Boon
• Requires: None
• Effect:
  • You may don or doff your clothing in a single Action, including all equipment and armor
  • Use this to regain your dignity after a shapechange!

Leaves in the forest

• Chakra (Water)
• Requires: None
• Effect:
  • When you shapechange and thus shed equipment, that equipment automatically benefits from natural camoflague
  • Foes and opportunists must Challenge against your Water Defense to recognize the potential for theft
  • You may spend an Action further hiding your equipment to raise your Stealth Defense for this effect by +C

Silencing aura

• Boon
• Requires: None
• Effect: When an ally within your current zone would raise Alertness, raise that Alertness by -5 less than normal (minimum 0)

Gentle touch

• Boon
• Requires: None
• Effect: When you use animals as proxies, you may use them C times before they exhaust

Circle 3

Ki of the Waning Moon

• Boon
• Requires: None
• Effect:
  • Your Ki signature resets with every Equilibrium
  • Any investigations or Mysteries related to your identity immediately go cold and must be restarted from scratch
  • This effect is mandatory once taken and may complicate attempts to prove your past deeds

Silence of the Deepwood

• Chakra (Water)
• Requires: Silencing aura
• Effect:
  • When you Challenge for Stealth, you may share your score with all allies
  • Allies must choose to either Challenge on their own or use your Stealth.
  • Any allies that roll prior to your effect must use that Result

Gentle Camper

• Boon
• Requires: None
• Effect:
  • When you roll Camp, take the higher of your Earth standard value or your Challenge
  • Foes that attempt to degrade your Camp take a Penalty equal to your Charm

Very Convincing Nature Noises

See? Just a squirrel fighting a woodpecker!

• Boon
• Requires: None
• Effect: You may Challenge Water against foes to reduce Alertness; for Difficulty, pick the highest Water Defense of all foes present in the Scene
  • Disaster, Failure: No effect
  • Success: Reduce Alertness by 10
  • Flourish: Reset Alertness to 0
• Special: You may attempt this challenge no more than C times per Scene

Rush of Leaves

• Boon
• Requires: Silence of the Deepwood
• Effect:
  • Spend an Action and a Water Charge to vanish in a swirl of leaves
  • Trace a Path up to your Speed through Adjacent zones
  • Teleport to the end of this path
  • Choose one zone that you enter or exit on this movement; you then Attack every foe in that zone as you pass

Healing Blossoms

• Chakra (Water)
• Requires: None
• Effect: While equipped, treat this Chakra as a Light Harmony in LightWater; this stacks with any existing Light Harmonies
  • If you are incapable of adding a Light Harmony because no elements are available, this Chakra has no effect

Circle 4

Harmony of Sky and Soil

• Chakra (Earth)
• Requires: Gentle Camper
• Effect: When you draw power from a ley line, the first C Charge drawn do not decrease the ley line’s charge

Ki of the Quicksilver Moon

• Boon
• Requires: Ki of the Waning Moon
• Effect:
  • You may reset your Ki signature at any time for one Action
  • Anyone with Ki Sight and line of sight to you sees you exchange the old signature for the new and thus can cannot the new signature to you

Form of the Folk

• Boon
• Requires: None
• Effect: Gain an additional shapechange
  • You may now shapechange into any of the Kingdom lineages or even the mousefolk!
  • You must choose this form at Equilibrium; you may change it only on Equilibrium
  • You have wide leeway on age, anywhere between a school-age child to an elder
  • When you select the form, craft its every detail to suit your preferences
  • You can even choose to shape it to match your own old form…but it never feels natural again

Cultivation

With each advancement, you must proceed along the Doe Lineage (above). This is mandatory.