Sleeping Wolf

Written by @sly-works and Electro

(Moonsilver Reaper Daiklave, Artifact ●●●●)

Insert backstory here….

Attunement:5m
Type: Medium (+3 ACC, +12 DMG, +1 DEF, OVW 5)
Tags: Lethal, Melee, Balanced
Hearthstone slot(s):3
Era: Dreams of the First Age

Evocations of Sleeping Wolf

Looking upon its wielder none could imagine the horrors she could wreak on her foes. Even as another ventures beyond her facade, he only finds in her a depth of kindness uncommon in even the most philanthropic of folks. If anyone suspicious of her motives fails to overcome the wielder’s Guile on a read intentions action, he finds only her benevolence. This is equivalent to a Minor Tie of trust towards the wielder. An affected character may pay one point of Willpower to shake off the effect and become immune to it for the rest of the scene. However, if his Resolve is lower than the wielder’s Guile, he does not notice or remember his exertion.

The Evocations of this weapon cause foes deeply intimidated by the wielder to become daunted. Daunted enemies suffer a -1 penalty to Defense against attacks made by the wielder, as well as a -1 dice penalty on attack rolls against her.

Such Big Teeth We Have

Cost:6m;Mins: Essence 1
Type:Supplemental
Keywords:None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisites:None

The demure curve of the Exalt’s smile turns wolfish as she is beset by foes, and by inaction she brings to the fore her greatest weapon: confidence. Instead of drawing her weapon, the wielder may roll (Appearance + Presence). This is treated both as her Join Battle roll and as an inspire roll against all enemies who can see her. Those whose Resolve is overcome are inspired with fear and become daunted.

Special activation: Unless the wielder is dissonant with moonsilver, this Evocation awakens at no cost the first time she is about to Join Battle against an enemy who has a Major or Defining positive Tie towards her.

Howling Blade Strike

Cost: 2m, 2i; Mins: Essence 1
Type:Supplemental
Keywords: Withering-only, Perilous
Duration:Instant
Prerequisites:None

Lunging towards its quarry, the Wolf rings out with an eldritch keening as wind moves through the punctures along its spine. A successful withering attack applies the attack roll’s threshold successes against the target’s Resolve as an attempt to create a Tie of fear towards the wielder, or if he already has one, to make him daunted. A daunted enemy instead suffers a -2 penalty to movement, command and social actions until the end of his next turn.

Baying Hounds Chase

Cost: 4m, 1i; Mins: Essence 2
Type:Reflexive
Keywords: Withering-only, Perilous
Duration:Instant
Prerequisite: Howling Blade Strike

The only thing more thrilling than the kill is the chase. Should her quarry turn heel, the Wolf fills his wielder with a sublime thirst allowing her to lash out at the coward with unnatural speed. If the Exalt successfully contests an opponent’s disengage action, she may activate this Evocation to reflexively roll a withering attack against him. The wielder gains no Initiative from this attack. If this attack deals at least one point of damage, he is inspired with fear and becomes daunted. An opponent who was already daunted instead immediately falls prone from sheer terror.

Beware the Dog

Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3
Type:Simple
Keywords: Psyche, Perilous, Dissonant, Resonant
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Such Big Teeth We Have, Baying Hounds Chase

As the wielder of the Wolf finally reaches for her weapon, a sense of doom overwhelms the battleground. Those who catch the glint of Sleeping Wolf’s steel cannot help but feel that a grievous misstep has been made. This Evocation can only be activated if the wielder has not yet drawn Sleeping Wolf in this scene, and it ends should the wielder sheath or lose grip of her weapon.

From the moment she draws her weapon, daunted enemies treat the Wolf as the subject of any negative Ties they may have toward the wielder. All enemies with a Tie of fear towards the Wolf suffer a penalty of (Intimacy + 2) dice to rolls to disengage from the wielder or to contest a rush by the wielder.

Dissonant: The wielder loses one point of Initiative at the beginning of each turn that this Evocation is active.

Resonant: The first time the wielder succeeds at a rush against a daunted opponent, she regains a point of Willpower.

Bloodthirsty Canine Vigor

Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3
Type:Simple
Keywords:None
Duration:Instant
Prerequisites: Beware the Dog, Majestic Radiant Presence

Whetted with blood, the wielder turns on those who remain as the Wolf becomes her. Once per scene, after incapacitating or forcing a non-trivial opponent to surrender using His Master’s Dog, the Solar may activate this Evocation to roll Join Battle. If used in conjunction with Such Big Teeth We Have, enemies suffer a -2 penalty to their Resolve to resist the inspire roll as their will is shattered by the wielder’s ferocity.

Fetch!

Cost: 3m, 1a; Mins: Essence 3
Type:Simple
Keywords: Decisive-only, Dissonant, Perilous
Duration:Instant
Prerequisites: Baying Hounds Chase

The Wolf’s bloodlust reaches even those outside of his master’s grasp, and she need only loosen his leash. The blade leaps from the wielder’s hand as moonsilver and anima join to become a body of a great wolf that leaps to obey his master’s command. This Evocation is a difficulty 4 gambit against a daunted target at short range, sending the Wolf to hamstring her quarry before it faithfully returns to her hand. If successful, her foe suffers a -3 penalty to all movement actions and treats all ground as difficult terrain.

This crippling lasts for (Essence) days unless treated by magic such as Wound-Banishing Strike (Exalted, p. 342). Mortals may require special treatment to heal the injury. Botching the attack roll causes the Wolf to instead become embedded in scenery at short range. Using this gambit does not end Beware the Dog unless the wielder botches.

Dissonant: Characters dissonant with moonsilver cannot awaken this Evocation.

Let Sleeping Wolves Lie

Cost:—(1wp);Mins: Essence 4
Type:Permanent
Keywords: Psyche, Resonant
Duration:Permanent
Prerequisites: Beware the Dog

The child cried thrice, but there was no Wolf. As the fight ends and the blade is returned to its scabbard, the bloody horror of the Wolf fades like a hazy dream and an eerie calm surrounds the wielder. This Evocation permanently upgrades its prerequisite. If any daunted enemies remain when she ends Beware the Dog by sheathing her weapon, the wielder may pay one point of Willpower to make a special (Presence + Manipulation) instill roll to permanently shift any negative Ties they hold towards her onto the Wolf. Enemies may resist this effect by paying one point of Willpower.

Resonant: Enemies must pay three Willpower to resist unless they hold a Principle offended by the wielder.

His Master’s Dog

Cost: 5m, 4i, 1wp; Mins: Essence 4
Type:Simple
Keywords: Aggravated, Decisive-only, Perilous
Duration:Instant
Prerequisites:Fetch!

As the Wolf lunges forward for the killing blow, the wielder presents her prey with a choice: the Wolf’s mercy, or her own. The target suffers a Defense penalty against this attack equal (his strongest Tie of fear towards the wielder or the Wolf). If the target is daunted, he subtracts a further two points from his Defense.

If the enemy chooses the Wolf’s mercy, the sword snarls as monstrous fangs sprout from its edge and tear into its prey. The damage roll gains double 9s, or double 8s if the target is daunted or holds a Major or Defining Tie of fear towards the wielder. If both are true, the damage roll doubles 7s.

If he instead chooses the wielder’s mercy, he is forced to accept a crippling injury (Exalted, p. 201) as the Wolf gores his flesh. He must mitigate as much of the damage as possible with this injury. This does not count against the once per story limitation on taking crippling injuries. With this choice, the target surrenders the fight and accepts a Defining Tie of fear towards the wielder and the Wolf as every waking moment reminds him of what he lost.

This Evocation can only be used once per scene, unless reset by using Howling Blade Strike to land 4 withering attacks against daunted non-trivial enemies and building to Initiative 15+.