Aspects Of Wood
Wood lives. In stark contrast to
the other four elements, wood lives, grows and dies, making way for new ood. This is the natural way of things, and the Exalted of
Wood understand this cycle of life, death and rebirth
like no other. The Children of Sextes Jylis are intimately familiar with the fleeting nature of
life and the sacrifices that must sometimes be made to ensure continued growth.
To stop growing ― be it in power, enlightement
or in number of experiences ― is to stop living.
A Wood-aspected
Dragon-Blooded is sensuality writ large. What she does, she does so that she
may experience life to the fullest. Life is an endless banquet of pleasures to
be sampled. The contentment of having flavorful food, fine
wine and excellent sex. The joy of spiritual enlightenment, the
exhilaration of feeling the blood of your enemy stain your hands, while his
children lay enchained at your feet. These are what is best in life and should
be enjoyed as often as possible. Some Dragon-Blooded seek the sensuality of an
annual flower, attempting to squeeze as many experiences into the shortest time
possible. Others are like trees, stretching their pleasures out over years, decades
or even centuries.
A Child of Sextes
Jylis takes nothing for granted. Every moment of life
is a learning experience; every person, place or thing is something that can
offer a new sensation. Each glass of wine offers her the chance to further
refine her pallet. Each love affair teaches new lessons about her heart. Each
conflict teaches harsh truths about her own strengths
and limitations. Each death grants greater understanding of life’s cycle. Those
fools who blunder blindly through existence miss life’s true wisdom.
The Exalted of Wood are the
Realm’s gardeners, with their fine appreciation for what the world has to offer
reminding others to stop and enjoy the pleasures of life. Wood-aspected Dragon-Blooded tend to the tasks that help the
empire grow strong, nurturing those people or places that need it. The Aspects
of Wood support the generals, politicians and priests they feel will help the
Realm grow in the pattern they finds most pleasing and weed out those who might
corrupt their design.
An Aspect of Wood takes on
similar roles in bonded circles. She works to shape the circle into a thing of beauty, nurturing those of her circlemates’
traits she finds pleasing and pruning those that might threaten the healthy
growth of her circle.
The Immaculate Dragons: Those Wood-aspected Dragon-Bloods who
follow Sextes Jylis are
among the greatest nurturers within the Realm, famous as healers and
protectors. Emulators of Pasiap work to guide their
charges roward deeper spiritual enlightenment and
often become relentless pruners of heresy. Followers
of Hesiesh are conservative when choosing sensations
to experience, often attempting to extend each event as long as possible.
Aspects of Wood who walk Daana’d’s path often seek
out extreme experiences, endeavoring to spiritually test both themselves and
others. Those who follow the way of Mela strive to
become perfect poison flowers, beautiful in appearance and deadly in the arts
of war.
Aspect Markings:
Aspects of Wood are marked with a slight greenish tint to their skin. Among
those with high Breeding, this tint becomes almost emerald in color. As they
age, Wood-aspected Dragon-Blooded often grow a light
layer of bark on their skin, typically along the back and shoulders. Well-bred
elders sometimes sprout flowers in their hair. Many produce a natural musk
reminiscent of flowers, pine, fresh fruit or other forms of plant life.
Aspect Anima: When
a Wood-aspected Dragon-Blooded spends Peripheral
Essence, her anima blossoms into a bright green glow, waving like a field of
grass or the leaves of a tree. Large expenditures of Essence result in
phantasmal representations of trees, tangles of thorns, giant flowers or wood
dragons. The sound produced is like that of a strong wind moaning through a
dense forest of towering trees.
A Wood-aspected
Dragon-Blooded may spend 5 motes to attune her anima to the local flora,
becoming as flexible as a sapling in the wind. For the rest of the scene, she
may add her Essence in dice to a single Dodge or Athletics action once per
turn. This power is reflexive, not supplementary, and so, the character can
either add to a dice action or gain a free Dodge or Athletics action with a
dice pool equal to her Essence.
Aspect Abilities:
Aspects of Wood are intimately tied to the cycle of life. In addition to their
desire to live life to it’s fullest, they have a
natural connection with living things ― both animal and plant ― and
those objects crafted from them. They possess an affinity for the Abilities of
Archery, Medicine, Performance, Ride and Survival.
Common Natures: Architect, Caregiver, Conniver, Critic, Explorer,
Gallant, Hedonist, Jester, Leader, Paragon, Rebel, Thrillseeker,
Visionary
The Great Curse: A
Wood Exalted whose curse derives from her Compassion will often be one who
focuses on the nuturing aspect of life. When she is
elementally possessed, she will attempt to protect the things she guides and
nurtures. In contrast, one whose curse derives from her Conviction will likely
focus on “pruning” and become more cold-hearted and cruel as she carries out
her grim tasks. A Temperate Aspect of Wood is likely given to bouts of hedonism
and will either go on wild binges or feel remorse and regret at her lack of
control. If the Wood-aspected Exalt’s
curse derives from her Valor, she may be in the habit of seeking out extreme
and even dangerous experiences, heedless of whatever jeopardy she places her
life in.
Associations: The
color green, the Maiden of Endings, the season of Wood and the eastern
direction
Sobriquets:
Children of Sextes Jylis,
Ashen Bows, Emerald Dragons
Concepts: Cunning
courtier, professional assassin, Immaculate
inquisitor, master healer, meticulous merchant prince
There is nowhere life’s cycle is
not obeyed, nowhere that living
things do not find a foothold.
From adaptability and perseverance
spring strength.