Youkai
Aug 12, 2018 19:15:55 GMT -6
Post by nob on Aug 12, 2018 19:15:55 GMT -6
Nightmares are a universal constant in children across the Wheel. Since time began and the first parent comforted their terrified child and shown that there was no monster under the bed, nightmares and unknowable dread have been with sentients since the Wheel began turning. While irrational terrors do exist, one must wonder why every single race has such awful and unspeakable dreams on occasion. The answer is surprisingly simple if unsettling. The moment the first creature capable of fear drew breath, the first of these creatures, the first 'youkai' was born from the Warp into the Dreamlands to feast upon the terror generated. This happened long before the gods were spat out of the warp (though they would likely smite you if you said that) and indeed many of these horrifying aberrations take pride in this fact. They are vile and twisted parodies of each race, spat out fully formed from the not-land of nightmares to torment children and remind adults of how very, very small they are to the universe.
Each Youkai revels in the terror they inflict, the primal horror they can drag from an innocent's brain. Whether in shadows or in light they are fear made manifest, the dark dreams of all that live brought to horrifying life. Most are content to simply slip through the thoughts of the sleeping or daydreaming and feast on their fear, and it is likely that every single individual on the Wheel has suffered the attentions of a Youkai at one point. They have little effect on the world but as truly ancient entities they often simply do not care. But sometimes, a Youkai figures out that it can inflict terror on a grand scale if it were to simply have a body... After all, with their powers, shaping flesh is simply a matter of willpower, and a visceral horror chasing you is so much more frightening than a-half remembered dream.
Making a body is hard and takes time, but is not impossible. While rare, Youkai now walk the Wheel in flesh as dissonant and terrifying members of every race, the flesh a garment to a warp entity older than history and more wicked than a thousand demons. It would be best to be careful about what you dream, because your nightmares are coming to you.
Tell: A Youkai who has spent Dread may not have obviously shifted their appearance, but somehow they become unnerving to look at. Blackness flickers at the edge of viewer’s visions and whispers of promised agonies and terrors sound in an observer's ears.
Powers:
It Will Not Die: Youkai are not creatures of blood and flesh. They do not suffer aging, and their effective Resilience is treated as one higher against attacks not magical or silver. They still need to breathe and most eat and drink in a semblance of a normal person in order to upkeep their meat-puppet body.
Magical Being: A Youkai chooses one Magic School, Sword School, or Gun Kata at character creation and may always advance it as if it was on their class progression.
Revel in Terror: Youkai feed on fear - often literally. They have Fear equal to their Horror, which can allow them to reach Fear (5) with a TN of 35 to resist Shock. A Youkai can suppress their Fear for a scene in exchange for one Dread. This suppression can be dropped as a half action, and is automatically dropped upon any Dread being spent or overt acts of violence or intimidation.
Hidden Face: Youkai revel in mystery and thrive on being unpredictable. As a Full Action, a Youkai may shapeshift to look like a different individual of their race, granting a +2k1 bonus to Disguise tests. For a Dread, this can be the shape of a specific person rather than a random individual.
Power Stat: Horror
Youkai thrive on mystery and a lack of a complete definition as to what they properly are to scare others. As they increase in their ability to draw on the essence of fear itself from the Dreamlands they grow in power. This is reflected on their person, and a high-Horror Youkai can look like almost whatever they see fit, though most choose to make their ‘interaction’ form a truly beautiful member of their race -- until you get too close.
Resource Stat: Dread
A Youkai has Dread equal to their Fellowship + Charisma + Horror. A Youkai regains one Dread every time night falls. Whenever a creature suffers Shock as result of their Fear, the Youkai regains one spent Dread. A Youkai cannot gain more than one Dread from the same individual in 24 hours, no matter from what source of Dread gain or how clever your logic.
Horror 1: Fear Incarnate: The Youkai gains a free raise on rolls to resist any mind-affecting abilities. Additionally, they gain the Fearless feat. They are not removed from play at 100 Insanity, though they keep gaining Disorders as usual.
Horror 2: Irrational Terror: The Youkai gains Armor and hit points equal to their Horror. The Armor stacks with other sources of Armor.
Horror 3: Immaterial and Missing Power: The Youkai can now go up to six dots in its Power Characteristics, and gains a free dot in one of them.
Horror 4: Walking Nightmare: The Youkai may spend a Dread and a Half Action to force someone that can see or hear them to roll on the Shock table. If a non-Mindless target has Fearless, Nerves of Steel, or any similar effect, they roll 1d5 on the Shock table instead. A target can only be affected by Walking Nightmare once per scene.
Horror 5: Stalk the Prey: As a Half Action, you may mark a creature within line of sight. You can track a creature marked this way as if they were under the effects of an Arcane Mark. Instead of the normal effects of an Arcane Mark, a marked creature takes a check on all tests against you and doubles Insanity gained from your Fear effects. You can spend two Dread to instantly warp to a target you have marked, appearing anywhere within 5 meters of them.
Youkai Presence Assets:
Murderous Presence: Ah, what a rush! When performing a melee attack, you increase your weapon's damage by a flat amount equal to your Horror. When you kill an opponent by Critical Damage, you gain 1 Dread for every mortal witness, to a maximum of 5 Dread per kill. Additionally, all your critical kills are now extra-brutal in description.
Mysterious Presence: You hide your hands in works. By spending two points of Dread, you can make a target individual forget your presence in a scene, though Exalted or sufficiently willful mortals may roll Willpower versus TN 10 + (5* your Horror) to avoid having this affect them. Anyone with Eidetic Memory gains a free raise on this test. Using Mysterious Presence does not drop your fear suppression.
Sadistic Presence: It’s an everyday thing. You regain one point of Dread by loudly and publically mentally, physically, or emotionally abusing another person, who may derive no satisfaction from the event.
Uncanny Presence: You are more patient than some of your brethren. When you suppress your Fear with Revel in Terror, the suppression lasts until you decide to drop it as a free action, regardless of any actions you take or Dread you spend.
Hidden Presence: You can be any one. Any thing. By spending a Dread when you change your shape, you can take on the form of any playable race instead of just your own, though you keep all your original characteristics and powers which may still give you away. Moreover, when you kill someone who has not noticed your presence, you may instantly and stealthily take their shape, requiring a Perception + Wisdom test with a TN of 10 + (5* your Horror) for others not immediately watching either of you to notice. Using Hidden Presence does not drop your fear suppression.