STRENGTH (1) DEXTERITY (4) STAMINA (2)

CHARISMA (3) MANIPULATION (3) APPEARANCE (3)

PERCEPTION (3) INTELLIGENCE (4) WITS (4)

WISDOM
BUREAUCRACY
INVESTIGATION
LORE----------- 5
MEDICINE------ 4
OCCULT-------- 5

SPECIALTIES
Necrotech (Craft)
Soulforging (Craft)
Geomancy (Craft)
Spirit Courts (Lore/Occult)
Magitech (Craft)

PERSONALITY

Despicable and lacking of morals would be a compliment to Artisan, as in truth he is actually much worse. Were it not for his nature as a Deathknight, he may have been hunted down and executed long ago. As a conniving sculptor of flesh, Artisan prefers to keep quiet, allowing his creations to speak for themselves. When pursuing things he wants or needs, he can be quite amiable, tending to bend words to suit him so that he may glean information from everyone. Little material things in this world mean anything to him, only ensuring everyone knows death as he does. Though loathe to admit it, he still thinks about his love, Lea, and is envious of anyone else who still has love in this world.

Motivation(s)

Create Ghosts
Death
Creating new War Machines

VIRTUES
COMPASSION: 5
TEMPERANCE: 3
CONVICTION: 1
VALOR: 1

RESONANCE
Unlike other Exalted, Abyssals do not have a Limit Trait. Instead, their corrupted destiny manifests in an aura of unease known as Resonance. As Resonance increases, an Abyssal’s spectral nature seeps to the surface and discomfits those around her. Living beings sense this aura as unnatural and unclean, while the dead and other Abyssals feel the palpable doom of the Neverborn’s displeasure. Even if the character does not actively interact with others, her aura makes those around her subtly uncomfortable. More dire still, the atavistic taint of Resonance opposes Virtues.

MERITS
Night Sight: Maybe you have some Fae blood, maybe you’re particularly blessed by the Unconquered Sun, but you can see well in the dark. You take no penalties for darkness unless there is absolutely no light at all–the Labyrinth, a locked room in a dungeon, and the like. Even then you are at only a maximum of +2 difficulty. Bright lights can shock you, but that is up the Storyteller.
Underworld Ties: You know where the bodies are buried. Literally. You know the major families and gangs who run the Underworld, and while they might not like you, they respect you enough to let you live. You can call in these markers to find or buy items, identity papers, hideouts, even get smuggled out of a city, but the more you use these ties, the more tenuous they get, unless you can strengthen them somehow.
Spirit Magnet: Spirits find you irresistible. They congregate near you, and often compete for your attention. If taken as a Merit, they will seek to protect you, and will advise your character if they can manifest.
FLAWS
Jealousy: You deserve at least as good as anyone else! When your character's Jealousy rears its ugly head you suffer -3 dice to all social rolls for the remainder of the scene. (Jealous of Lovers)
Shades in the Sun: Your supernatural nature is apparent even if your Anima isn’t flaring: Animals sometimes pay you obeisance, Horses often sweat in your presence, your shadow sometimes moves on its own, your reflection sometimes shows your anima, and your eyes may glow when angry.
Past Contract: In a past life the character made a bargain with a spirit or a group of spirits, a bargain that would reach beyond the grave. The oath was sanctified by a powerful member of the Eclipse Caste or someone of similar authority. Even though the character is merely a reincarnation the spirits will still fully recognize her as the oath partner and will act accordingly.

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PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Pale, with skin that looks like it was stretched over bone. His gorgeous raven hair turned deathly pale after being Exalted, and all color drained from his skin, leaving him looking like a vampire. Due to living in Creation, he dresses himself in the trappings of death, mostly black and drab colors that were taken from places associated with death.

BACKGROUND

Artisan's birth name was Dresden Ragnarsson, born to a Nobleman scholar and a medicine-woman. He was brought up as a God-fearing child, and taught the trades of both his parents so that he may choose either that suited him. As the only child, he was doted on, and grew up being shielded from all the world's problems. Thanks to his parents being very successful in their careers, he was able to lived a very affluent life-style.

Servants waited on Dresden hand and foot, ensuring that he never wanted to anything. He spent his early life playing with the townsfolk and studying all that he could. Often his parents wouldn't allow him to leave unless he expressed knowledge on certain topics. It's no embellishment to say he was popular with the ladies, and growing up he had many off and on flings. His first real hardship was the death of his mother, who succumbed to an unidentified sickness.

Before long, Dresden was a fine young man, and though he made no real friends, he was soon betrothed to a scholar named Lea. Madly in love, the two moved away and built a life together. Dresden plied his trades, becoming the local medicine-man and the one people came to for advice on many matters. Together they had three children, a girl named Cleo, the eldest, and two boys named Lyle and Cyrille.

It was Cleo's eighth birthday, a celebration that most of the town came to attend, even if only due to the feast that was prepared. Lyle and Cyrille were playing outside, which is why their screams alerted Dresden to what was happening. Assassins had made their way into the city, they wanted to kidnap Dresden and ransom him back to his father.

As Dresden and Lea ran outside to help their worried children, they found their kids being held hostage. Lea's gasp brought Cleo running, and Dresden gave himself up willingly. However the Assassins were thoroughly sadistic, slaughtering his children and wife. Bereft with grief, they transported him to where the exchange was to take place.

His father had brought the money, but the Assassins demanded "Money first, hostage second." Dresden tried to scream, to warn his father not to listen, but a swift punch to the gut knocked the wind from him. Powerless, watching death creep closer and closer to him, knowing they'd kill him once they had the ransom. When the father was close enough to strike, the assassins did him in also, laughing and lauding it over Dresden. "You're next," they taunted him, as Dresden watched the life drain from his father's eyes. Then a voice contacted him, The Bodhisattva Anointed By Dark Waters, offering to save him.

"I'll do anything!" The terrified man screamed, and in a moment the Bodhisattva burst from the ground in a pillar of black flame, crushing the first assassins head with a lethal blow. Though trained, they were no match for the manifested Deathlord and in moments they all lay dead. Dresden stared with confusion at the creature before him, and the contract he promised it, before being spirited away to the Neverborn.

From there, he underwent training in the Labyrinth, learning the philosophy of the Void. It was there that he gave up his old name and his destiny to the Void. After judgement before the Neverborn and being deemed worthy, the Bodhisattva Anointed By Dark Waters took him back to his citadel of Skullstone to perform the Black Pact. After which, he was let loose to wander Underworld, and learn its ways.

A Neverborn Lord claimed the stars held great things for Artisan, and thanks to this fact, he was set free in Creation to proselytize death. Eager to ensure people knew the loss that he experienced, he began to actively building an army to set loose on Creation. Setting up a workshop in a nearby shadowland, utilizing mostly slaves and indentured servants, he began turning out ingenious and twisted Necrotech, before long Artisan found himself the owner of a profitable business; a business that's livelihood depended on things dying. There was nothing left in Creation for him, and as such he was doomed to walk the world eternally, destroying everything in Creation until Creation itself knew death's loving embrace.

MAGIC, GEAR AND TALENTS
Essence score: 3
Health: 5/5
Willpower pool: 8/8

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Essence motes

Personal: 9
Peripheral: 23


CHARMS

1. Crypt Bolt: (Lore 2 1M per Tick Duration: Instant) The character reaches out his hand, and a bolt of crackling darkness leaps from his outstretched palm, rolling Dexterity+Athletics/Thrown) doing two lethal damage per mote spent. Damage inflicted by this Charm is lethal and manifests as sudden decay: Metal corrodes or rusts, while wood and flesh wither away as though blighted by disease and aging. The range of this charm is (Essence Score*30) feet, and does aggravated damage to creatures of the Wyld. (Stamina+Lore) is the maximum number of motes able to be spent on this charm.
2. Essence Scattering Blast: (Lore 3 1+M/1WP Duration: Instant) The character extends his arm, and a bolt of coruscating energy flies from his fingertips. If this bolt strikes a being with an Essence pool, it envelops her in ribbons of black lightning and drains her energy. Although it inflicts no damage, Essence-Scattering Blast otherwise follows the same rules as Crypt Bolt with regards to its Range, Accuracy and roll to hit. Victims struck by this attack lose 1 mote of Essence for every mote spent activating this Charm, plus a number of additional motes equal to the Exalt’s permanent Essence. If applicable, victims always lose Peripheral Essence before Personal Essence. This Charm dissipates harmlessly if it hits anything besides a magical being, including unExalted mortals. A character cannot spend more motes on this Charm than his Stamina + Lore.
3. Breath-Draining Prana: (Lore 5 1M Duration: Instant) With this Charm, an Abyssal may feed on a target’s life force directly without even touching her. The Abyssal rolls Willpower, this does lethal damage. For every level of damage actually inflicted, the Abyssal regains 1 mote of Essence. This Charm can also target the Essence pool of a magical being, with successes draining motes directly on a one-for-one basis. So long as the Exalt drains fewer motes than a target’s Stamina, she may not even notice the loss — attributing the sudden weakness to some other cause. However, Essence drained from another magical being’s pool glimmers in the air as it flows out of the victim’s mouth and into the Abyssal’s own. This Charm can target any being in the deathknight’s line of sight.
4. First Craft Excellency: Essence Overwhelming (Craft 1 1M/die) Abyssals with this charm are known for their terrible brilliance, The Exalt invokes this charm when making a roll with the relevant ability, this Charm then adds one dice per mote spent to that roll. The max motes you may spend on this excellency is (Ability+Attribute)
5. Enhanced Dexterity Discipline (Athletics 4 Essence 2 2M/tick Duration: One Scene) Suffusing his flesh and bones with Essence, the Abyssal briefly elevates his physical prowess to superhuman levels. For every 2 motes spent, the character increases his Dexterity by one dot. The character cannot increase an Attribute by more that his permanent Essence rating.
6. Shadowlands Circle Necromancy (Occult 3 Essence 3 1WP) Spells always cost 1WP to activate and have additional Mote cost.
7. Shadowlands Circle Necromancy

COMBOS


SORCERY/NECROMANCY

Walking War Machine (Varies): Few weapons sow as much terror among living armies as the undead siege engines employed by the Deathlords. With this spell, a necromancer can use Essence to animate such devices. The Exalt must first build or oversee the building of the monstrosity with his player making an extended Intelligence + Craft (Necrosurgery) roll to represent this. Bodies most be cut and stitched together and any grafts of metal inserted where appropriate. The Storyteller decides the difficulty based on the size and complexity of the weapon. For example, a spine chain needs one success for every two segments. Once the creature is complete, the necromancer simply touches it and invests 2 motes for every success needed to assemble it. Monsters created with this Charm serve their master to the best of their limited Intelligence. Statistics for spine chains can be found on page 300 of Exalted. Other devices are left to players’ imagination and Storyteller approval but should be of a similar power level.

Summon Ghost: (4+M) This spell calls one of the Restless Dead and binds her to the service of the necromancer. This spell can only be cast at night or in the Underworld itself, and it involves an hour-long ritual requiring an unbroken circle of blood or bone-dust. The character must also know the name of the ghost he wishes to summon or have a piece of her corpse in his possession. The actual spell itself costs 4 motes to tear a portal to the Underworld and call forth the target. Once a ghost is summoned, the necromancer must overpower her soul with an opposed Willpower + Essence test. For every 2 additional motes the Exalt spends during casting, the ghost’s pool decreases by one die. This struggle continues with rolls made each turn, until one character accumulates three more successes than the other. If the ghost wins, she immediately escapes through the portal and cannot be recalled by the necromancer for a full year. If the Exalt wins, the ghost must obey him for one year or fulfill a single task that can have infinite duration. This binding only forces the ghost to obey the letter of the necromancer’s commands, rather than their intent, but most ghosts will fully comply rather than risk the wrath of an Exalted. Once the ghost fulfills its obligation, it vanishes back to its original location in the Underworld. Although ghosts make excellent servants, their usefulness in the living world is limited by their difficulty in regaining Essence. Necromancers employing such vassals must be sure to feed them motes of Essence, either their own or from libations of human blood. Though they resent servitude, few ghosts will plot revenge when their terms of service end, if only out of fear.

PREFERRED FIGHTING STYLE

Necrotech
Necromancy

LANGUAGES KNOWN

High Realm

EQUIPMENT AND POSSESSIONS

The loathsome osseous shell is the Mask of Winters’ answer to the gunzosha soldier of Lookshy’s Seventh Legion. It is the weakest and most common of the bleak frames used by the Mask of Winters to empower his followers. In addition to the normal processes involved in building magitech, creating a loathsome osseous shell requires use of Walking War Machine. The shell is a terrifying, seven-foot-tall exoskeleton of bone and metal that opens at the approach of the living, inviting them in. A built-in Artifact • attunement spike (which drains 1/M on activation and every hour therafter) stabs into a wearer’s neck, animating the shell and giving control. The osseous shell grants the following benefits:
• Integration Ports*: Various spikes and slots permit the attachment of other necrotech to augment the wearer’s senses, weapons and the like - currently attached Necrotech: Bone Skewer Autonomous Ranged Attack: Speed 7, Dmg +2L, 3 Accuracy, Rate 1, Range 10 (Dexterity+Thrown:4+4=8)
• Armor: The shell grants +9L/9B soak and 5L/5B Hardness, with a -2 mobility penalty and no fatigue.
• Unholy Might*: Doubles wearer’s ground speed; +2 bonus to Strength for feats of strength and inflicting damage with attacks.
• Unholy Prowess*: +2 bonus to all attacks; +1 Parry DV.
• Unholy Resilience*: +2 bonus to Resistance.
• Terrifying: As the default for necrotech.(Necrotech creations are inherently terrifying. Untrained animals flee their presence or otherwise react as in distress. Against living people, these creatures receive a +2 bonus to all rolls made to frighten) This feature does not affect the wearer.
The loathsome osseous shell needs maintenance every 100 hours of use. Every 30 hours missed after that randomly disables one of the functions marked with an asterisk, until the armor falls apart at last.

Clothes taken from a corpse

Three funeral veils

A dead man's saber

Armor exhumed from a crypt

A locket with Lea's portrait

Intricate pendant depicting spiders feasting on a man's flesh

Three Statuettes of skeletons

Hat stolen from a dying man

Eight Black Candles taken from a funeral

Seven flasks of embalming fluids

Six sprigs of nightshade

Four yards of Black Ivy

Three empty glass bottles with cork stoppers

Six large bottles of ground bone

Small journal

Ink and Inkwell

A bow and Quiver

Ninety Arrows

A human Slave

Three pairs of Manacles

Three pairs of Shackles

A steel flask

Surgical Knives

Hammer

Drill

Surgical Saw

Siphon

300 ft of Rope