"I always used to think there was something wrong with me. I was a model student, polite and respectful... But the wrong thoughts were always floating around in my head. Now, however, I realize that I was right. There's nothing wrong with me, it's the rest of our world doesn't work right. It's like a clock, but all the gears are wearing down and no one knows what to replace them with. They could be a beautiful creation; a world of wonders, but instead they're just struggling to keep the minute hand of society ticking forward."

 

-- An excerpt from Giovanna's very secret journal.

 

â–º APPEARANCE

She's the very epitome of androgyny, and could very easily pass as being of either gender so long as no one looks too far into it. She's of an average height and an oddly boyish build; fairly flat-chested, with sturdy shoulders and mechanic's hands that don't appear delicate in the least. She's got earthy-green hair that's vaguely cut at the shoulders, and her bangs fall in her face a lot, further obscuring any facial features that might give her true gender away. Her skin's pale, but not abnormally so, and she has bright green eyes. Her clothing palette seems to stick mostly to browns, greens, and the occasional bit of orange. She prefers to dress up in simple and practical clothing: pants, shirts, boots, and a long coat. More often then not she's got several belts around her waist, thighs, and wrists that hold various handy tools, and she has goggles on hand. When she's finds a reason to make a good impression, she'll dress up in much fancier and well-fitting clothing, clip her hair back, and apply makeup, making it much easier to tell she's a woman. She can often be seen smoking a cigarette, and usually has a pack on her somewhere no matter what she's wearing.

 

â–º PERSONALITY

Because of the way she was raised, she puts up every appearance of being a good girl who loyally serves the higher powers. She's polite and courteous, and generally tries to keep out of trouble. Around her friends, though, she's a lot more laid back, open with her opinions, and shows a keen sarcastic streak. She enjoys peace and quiet, and is much happier to remain unnoticed and unobtrusive instead of flaunting her lavish status as an enlightened being. Her life seems to revolve almost entirely around machinery in some way, shape, or form, and she prides herself in her skills as a mechanic. While usually law-abiding, she's been known to bend the rules and look for loopholes when it gives her an opportunity to learn more about any technology unfamiliar to her. Her emotions aren't very vibrant, and it's rare to see her smile. She's got a knack for remaining calm and collected in even the most tense situations, and thinks in a very logical way, but she occasionally takes this trait too far and forgets to include abstract factors like others' feelings. She's got a few odd quirks, like being more comfortable around the dead than the living, or her habit of talking to machines, but she truly has good intentions despite her rather unique mindset. She claims to be a pacifist, but it's unknown whether this is a truthful claim or if it's just something she says to get out of fights. However, may the gods have mercy on your soul if you ever catch her when she can't seem to get a hold of any cigarettes...

 

â–º BACKSTORY

Giovanna grew up in house Cynis, and was generally quiet and a little spooky. She mostly just took apart clocks and avoided Uncle Kagdar. Her childhood was mostly unremarkable, though she did form an almost sisterly bond with her cousin, Avrian. He looked out for her because she was kind of a pushover, and she showed him all the neat, sneaky ways around the castle. At one point, she accidentally got tangled up in some machinery, landed on a conveyer belt, and would have been smashed if Avrian hadn't seen in time and pulled her out of it. In return, she helped him sneak into the music room at night a few times a week.

 

When she went to boarding school, she opened up a little, started talking more, that sort of thing. She was a straight-A kind of student and, again, generally kept out of trouble. It was through proper experience and education that she developed her interest in machinery, and her tech skills were quickly uncovered. She formed a bit of a friendship with Desdamona, since they were both socially awkward and picked last for metaphorical soccer. There was a slight accident involving Desdemona's Exaltation that caused a student to freak out and almost shoot Giovanna in the head with an arrow, but she thankfully Exalted just in time, disassembling the arrow in midair with her mind. Most other things in the area were disassembled as well, and they were both treated a bit better after that.

 

She decided to go to secondary school with the Heptagram, which she found fitting. She didn't study sorcery, though, instead trying more for tech and the theories behind all those First Age marvels. She jumped on the foreign exchange program, which allowed her to travel to Lookshy and study with all the other mech specialists over there. She found the experience rather eye-opening, and realized that, perhaps, the Blessed Isle's little world wasn't quite as grand as she'd always been raised to believe. In a bout of random happenstance, she was spending vacation back on the Isle when she got caught in some sort of robbery or terrorist event in which the guy'd planted a bomb and was threatening everyone's death. Saiorse was there as well, and they managed to work together without instruction. Saiorse took care of the guy, while Giovanna sought out and diffused the bomb. They got a bit of rep in the area, as well as thanks, and then eventually went their separate ways.

 

When she graduated from the Heptagram, she was still curious about all the machines of the First Age. Along with another student she'd met at the academy, Caoihme (who, she noted, looked very much like that one girl from the bomb incident), she went on a bit of an adventure in the Scavenger Lands. In Sijan, they spent a great deal of time talking to the ghosts about the First Age. Giovanna was particularly interested in magitech, and found the ghosts to be generally agreeable. She picked up a hearthstone that allowed her to speak with the dead elsewhere, and a nechrotech monkey took to following her around. She wasn't terribly fond of the thing--she'd always been more of a dog person--but it didn't seem to take no for an answer. It was eventually given to Svetlana.

 

Svetlana eventually came to her for help, since she wanted to steal an airship. Giovanna was needed due to her mechanical prowess, and Svetlana already had all the needed pieces and information. One way or another she agreed to it, and the two of them set off to steal a ship from one of Lookshy's launch towers. Things turned out not as planned, and they found themselves running away from a bunch of Dragon-Blooded soldiers, but in the process they wound up meeting a likewise fleeing character, the Golden Mongoose. He helped them get away, and eventually they managed to get a hold of a ship. The takeoff was fairly rough, seeing as neither of them had actually done this before, and the thing nearly didn't make it. Thankfully she got lucky and just happened to kick something into gear at the last minute, ending with a successful, if not sloppily executed, escape. Svetlana lost an eye in the process, which Giovanna still carries a bit of guilt for, but she nonetheless enjoys the freedoms and challenges of being associated with pirates--she hopes that with the new twist in events, she'll be a step closer to unlocking the secrets of the First Age.

 

â–º TRAITS

Nicknames: Tosses around "Geo" as a sort of moniker.

Date of Birth: Jupiterday, 12th Day of Decending Earth, RY 737

Age: 36, though she looks a bit younger.

Height: 5'4" (162 cm)

Weight: 120 lbs

Mass Index: 20.6 kilograms/meters²

Sexuality: Mechasexual. She's not interested.

Aspect: Earth, known for being great creators, however belligerent.

House: Cynis, famous for being decadent hedonists and slave traders.

Occupation: Commander of all things sciency and mechanical on the Blessed Isle.

Hobbies: Inventing things, making chalk drawings, watching sunsets.

Favorite Color: Orange

Favorite Flower: White Frangipani

Favorite Food: Seafood

Least Favorite Food: Pumpkin

Favorite Animal: Wolves

Least Favorite Animal: Large spiders

Lucky Number: Nine

Concept: Wallflower Mechanic

Motivation: She wants to return the world to the former glory of the First Age.

Theme: "The Order That Must Be Protected" by Takeharu Ishimoto

 

Anima: At its lowest levels, her anima banner appears as a swirling yellow mantle, tinged with orange and white. As it becomes stronger, the flecks of white begin to mesh together and move in meticulous patterns, bringing about the sharp smell of iron and steel. At its highest levels, the phantom of a large, predatory wolf will be formed out of the patterns, prowling around her in circles. Earth and stone are torn up under its paws, and its growls sound and feel like an earthquake. Heaven help anyone who gets in range of its massive claws or it's deadly teeth.

 

Intamacies:

• Her machines. Anything from her creations to the things she's picked up in her travels; she finds them all precious in their own ways.
• Her people. While they may kind of suck as individuals, she believes in the potential of the Dragon-Blooded and wants to see them succeed.
• Her freedom of thought. She likes being able to keep secrets and think whatever she wants, even if she can't speak her mind all the time.

 

â–º LEGACIES

• "Wrong place at the wrong time."

  She just has this bad stroke of luck that usually plants her right where she'll get into trouble. Maybe she can make the situation better while she's there, but nine times out of ten, she didn't want to be there in the first place. Conveyers kind of suck, you know?

• "Trusty monkey wrench."

  There's that tool she always carries with her. Even if she's got the magic that removes the need for tools in question, it's always nearby or on her person. And hey, it makes a really great bludgeoning weapon in a pinch! 

• "It's a trap!"

  She just gets this feeling when she's close to danger. That sinking sensation, a shiver up her spine... The feeling that she's been set up... Or, perhaps, the instinct that got her to turn around just in time to catch that stray arrow accidentally shot at her head by another panicked student. 

• "Dude looks like a lady."

  When dressed casually, she's often mistaken for a guy. It leads to wacky mishaps and embarrassing moments. There is also the occasional man who'll approach her, get a look at her, and then say, "Oh, sorry. I thought you were a girl." On the bright side, cross-dressing is a breeze.

• "Seeker of knowledge."

  She's drawn to libraries like a moth to a flame. She likes dead people because they know things she doesn't. If she hears hints of unknown technology, she'll seek it out. She wants to know everything about mechanics, though some people might find this slightly eccentric... 

• "Nicotine addict."

  It keeps her calm, right? So take it away for a day, and she gets jittery and irritated. Keep her off longer, and she swears up a storm, starts throwing things, and will do almost anything for a smoke. She'll calm down eventually, but wouldn't you rather avoid the problem entirely? 

• "C'mon baby, don't give out on me now!"

  Just when all hope seems lost for a piece of machinery, she finds a last-minute way to miraculously solve the problem. Maybe she's hit with a sudden realization, or maybe she's able to stabilize it just enough for a safe landing, or maybe all it really needed was a good kick.

• "Custom upgrades."

  To her, mechanics isn't just a science. It's an art. That's why she pours everything into her creations--not just her mind, but her heart as well. Everything she makes is made with just a little bit of love, with a few custom tweaks here and there to make it better than the original model.

• "What's the worst that could happen?"

Sure, she thinks about how dangerous a situation is... And then she jumps right into it anyway. When the worst does end up happening as a result of her poor decision, she usually deserves the half-dozen "I told you so!"s that come her way.

• "For science!"

 She's willing to do almost anything at this point in order to advance civilization back to the ways of the First Age, and believes strongly that her brain is the key. Even if she has to sacrifice part of her identity, she'll do it fo the good of the whole, and for the sake of scientific advancement.

 

â–º SCORECARD

• Went through four near-death experiences before the game even began.
• Reverse-engineered a cure for a deadly plague with only a First Age bacta tank and a pissy cat demon.
• Assisted in the death of the General of Greyfalls. Morals are for losers.
• Made out with Uncle Bad Touch in a last attempt to lure him into the trap to murder him.
• Cured cancer. Twice.
• Got all the knowledge of the First Age downloaded into her brain.
• Created a baby from scratch in a test-tube instead of having one the traditional way.

 

â–º ATTRIBUTES

 

Strength ••	Charisma •••	Perception ••••
Dexterity  ••••	Manipulation •	Intelligence •••••
Stamina •••	Appearance •••	Wits •••••

 

â–º ABILITIES

 

AIR	EARTH	FIRE
[_] Linguistics* ••	[x] Awareness ••••	[_] Athletics ••••
[x] Lore •••••	[x] Craft	[x] Dodge ••••
[_] Occult •••••	[x] Integrity ••••	[_] Melee •••
[_] Stealth •	[x] Resistance ••••	[_] Presence •
[_] Thrown •	[x] War ••	[_] Socialize ••
WATER	WOOD	SPECIALTIES
[_] Bureaucracy	[_] Archery •••••	[x] Craft (Air) ••••
[_] Investigation •	[_] Medicine ••••	[x] Craft (Earth) ••••
[_] Larceny	[x] Performance •••	[x] Craft (Fire) ••••
[_] Martial Arts •••	[_] Ride •••	[x] Craft (Magitech) •••••
[_] Sail •••	[_] Survival •	[x] Craft (Genesis) ••••
		[_] Magitech: Skyships ••

* Languages:

• High Realm
• Low Realm
• Old Realm 

 

â–º ADVANTAGES

 

Weapon	Speed	Acuracy	Damage	Defense	Range	Rate
Monkey Wrench	5	+0	+3B	--	10	2
Forge-Hand Gauntlets*	5	+0	+7B piercing (+4A if heated)	+2	--	2
Concussive Essence Cannon	4	+1	+15B piercing	--	75	1

 

 

* Stats change if item is clinched.

 

Armor:

Type: Lamellar (Artifact)

Soak: 9B/8L

Fatigue: 0

Mobility: -1

Misc: Concealable if worn under a cloak or heavy jacket. 

 

Anima:

• May soak lethal damage with full Stamina and add Essence trait to rolls to resist grappling attacks or to avoid knockback.
• May add Essence to Stamina for all rolls when standing on earth or stone. 

 

Willpower: 6

[_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_]

 

Health:

B Soak: 12

L Soak: 10

A Soak: 08

 

- 0	[_]	[+]	[+]	[+]	[+]
- 1	[_]	[_]	[_]	[_]	[_]
- 2	[_]	[_]	[_]	[_]	[_]
	[+]	[+]	[+]	[+]	[+]
- 4					[_]
Incapacitated					[_]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join Battle: 8

Dodge DV: 6

Parry DV: 3

Dodge MDV: 6

Parry MDV: 3

 

Virtues:

Compassion: • • •

[_] [_] [_]

 

Conviction: • •

[_] [_]

 

Temperance: • • •

[_] [_] [_]

 

Valor: • •

[_] [_]

 

Limit Break:

[X] [X] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_]

 

Essence: • • • •

Personal: 12 | 12

Peripheral: 34 | 13

Committed: 21

 

Experience: 148

 

â–º BACKGROUNDS

 

Manse (•••) & (••••)

• The Death Speech Gemstone •••

  An abysmal hearthstone, cobalt blue and perfectly egg-shaped. The bearer may concentrate (as a miscellaneous action) to initiate a conversation with any corpse, so long as there's still some flesh left on the bones. The corpse would have no knowledge it didn't already have when it died.

• Jewel of Swift Comprehension ••

  A colorless, ovoid crystal, this hearthstone allows the user to increase the speed at which they comprehend visual cues. Actions such as reading and searching take considerably less time.

• Stone of Comfort •

  An oval of white jade that allows the bearer to ease a person's trauma for a time, once a day.

• Greater Stone of Crafting (Focused Stone) ••••

This small, rectangular green stone grants a +4 dice bonus to crafting and +1 bonus to items made by the crafter when used by the crafter.

• Stone of Dust •••

This gray stone seems covered in dust. With a touch and essence, the bearer can turn anything made out of dead organic tissue into dust, provided it's no bigger than a specific weight.

• Gem of Holiness •

This hemisphere of silver-flecked blue gives the bearer an aura that makes people consider her trustworthy and devout.

 

Artifact (••••) & (••)

• Forge Hand Gauntlets ••••

  Commit: 10

  When activated, they shrink to perfectly fit the wearer and make their hands and arms completely invulnerable to heat. They can also heat themselves to such a degree that the wearer's hands can melt steel or stone, allowing someone to have a portable forge of high quality with them. +2 bonus to Craft: Fire rolls, and they can seriously do a number on an opponent's soak rating if used in combat.

• Clockwork Steed •••

  Commit: 1

  These automata functioned as steeds for Exalted in the First Age, and are now considered valuable for the ease of upkeep. Giovanna's looks like a horse, likely white, and lives in a stable area somewhere in the ship. He's been named Gregory. It's a great name for a horse, right?

• Hearthstone Amulet •

  Commit: 1

  Allows for the easy carrying of one hearthstone. Normally allows the user to regain Essance more quickly as usual, but the hearthstone's power will only be activated if the user commits a mode of Essence to it. 

• Lamellar ••

  Commit: 3

  Lamellar armor is a breastplate composed of a series of interlocking horizontal bands. It's lighter and more flexible than standard breastplate, allowing for more air circulation. It's assumed to include greaves to cover the user's lower legs, a skirt to protect their upper legs, and bracers to protect their wrists and arms. Made of white jade and very pretty, even though Giovanna usually hides it under her coat.

• Hearthstone Compass •

  Commit: 2

These three-inch spheres of jade and adamant have five gimbaled concentric rings on their exterior that each rotate in separate directions. While holding the device, an attuned owner sees a glowing thread of light leading from it to the exact geomantic center of the nearest manse. However, if the owner presses the correct series of pressure plates on the compass, it unfolds to reveal a small compartment. If a hearthstone is placed within this compartment, the device closes, and the thread of light instead points to the center of the manse that created the stone.

•  Winged Messenger Bauble •

          Commit: 1

An intricately crafted piece of jewelry in the shape of a dragonfly, fashioned from orichalcum and coated with a light sprinkling of gem dust. While Giovanna typically keeps it up her sleeve, it can also be worn on a bracelet, as a hairclip, or attached to just about anything with a place where it could be fastened. When the mote of Essence is committed, the tiny automaton flies off to find the recipient (which can be any intended target within a mile radius). Upon finding the recipient, the winged messenger bauble will then either speak the wearer’s message or release any documents that's clasped in its legs. If a reply is requested, the messenger will say so and wing its way back to its owner with the response.

 

Breeding â€¢â€¢

• +2 to Personal Essence
• +3 to Peripheral Essence

 

Connections •

• The Heptagram

 

Resources •••

• She can live pretty comfortably, if she so chooses.

 

â–º CHARMS

 

Name	Keywords	Duration	Cost
First Craft Excellence	Combo-OK	Insant	1m per 2d
She can invoke this Charm when making a roll based on the Craft ability. The Charm adds two dice to the roll for each mote spent. The maximum number of dice that can be added to any one roll, however, is equal to her Craft rating plus any applicable specialty. The Exalt can also use this Charm to enhance unrolled uses of the relevant Ability.
Shaping Hand Style	Combo-OK	One Hour	2m
She can enchant one of her hands so that it will perform the functions of a tool, though the hand does not alter its appearance. Instead, invisible Essence flows around the hand to solidify in the shape of the desired tool, disappearing whenever she wants to use her hand for any normal purpose. The Charm must be used twice to affect both hands, and if she wants to change tools, she must use the Charm again. The Charm can be used to transform her hand into a weapon like a hammer or a pickaxe, adding a maximum of +2 bashing or +1 lethal to her unarmed attacks.
Flaw-Finding Examination	Combo-OK	One Min	1m for touch, 3m for sight, 1wp to fix
She may attempt to find the weak spot in an object. To eliminate the flaws in an object, roll (Intelligence + Craft) and spend one Willpower point. With a single success, damaged items are repaired instantly, although some things might be so damaged that this Charm must be used multiple times. If she wants to strike at the item’s weak point, any damage inflicted on her next successful physical attack against the object is doubled. If used against armor or a weapon, treat this as a disarming attempt, with a success destroying the item. Using this Charm requires her to spend at least one minute examining the item for it to be affected.
Charm of Lesser Unmaking	None	Instant	5m
Permits her to reduce any crafted item to its component parts, all arranged neatly in a pile as if ready for initial construction. Items that consist of a single component are unaffected. Enchanted items are neutralized while their component parts are separated, but the magic will be restored if it's put back together. Must roll (Craft + Essence) to use this Charm. This Charm cannot be used to unmake an artifact with a rating of 3 or higher, nor can it be used against any artifacts made entirely of the magical materials. The maximum volume that can be affected with this Charm is equal to her Essence in cubic yards. Using this Charm requires her to handle or remain in contact with the item for a number of actions equal to the difficulty of the roll. Cannot be used in combat.
Charm of Greater Unmaking	Combo-Basic	Instant	10m, 1wp
A lot like the Charm of Lesser Unmaking, except that instead of simply disassembling an item into its component parts, items affected are reduced into their original raw materials. A heavy wooden door bound in steel bands will be reduced to a pile of uncut logs and hunks of raw iron. Fine jewelry is reduced to uncut gems and unprocessed gold ore. Fine pottery melts into clay. She must roll (Craft + Essence). The difficulty is 1 for most items, 3 for exceptionally crafted or constructed things and 5 for artifacts, including anything forged from the magical materials. She cannot disassemble an artifact with a rating above her Essence. She must remain in contact with the item for a number of actions equal to the difficulty, and the maximum size of material that can be affected is a number of cubic yards equal to the Exalt’s Essence.
Fivefold Resonance Sense	None	One Scene	2m
For the duration of the Charm, she can detect the presence of jade within a radius of (Essence x 200) yards. If the jade to be detected is of the Earth element, no roll is required. If the jade is of a different aspect, roll (Perception + Occult) at a difficulty of 3. She can also detect other magical materials at a difficulty of 3, but only at a range of (Essence x 50) yards. Cannot be used to perceive magical materials that are already attuned to someone else, and it can't be detected if it's concieled by higher magic. If Terrestrial magic is being used to conceal the material, must garner more successes on the (Perception + Occult) roll than successes on the roll made to conceal the material or the Essence of the character using the magic (whichever is higher).
Seeing the Maker's Hand	None	Instant	4m
When confronted with an unidentified artifact, she may handle the item in question as if she were attempting to attune it before spending the required Essence. Then roll (Perception + Occult), with a difficulty rating equal to the item’s Artifact rating. Success on this roll immediately gives the character a rough idea of the item’s power level, as indicated by its Artifact rating, with additional successes giving greater insights into the item’s capabilities. Large, powerful or exceptionally complex artifacts might require multiple uses of this Charm in order to fully understand their workings. This Charm is ineffective on artifacts that are already attuned to other people.
Unsleeping Earth Meditation	Combo-OK	One Day	1m
By using this charm she can go without sleep for 24 hours without any ill effect. She suffers no penalties for lack of sleep or fatigue and is fully alert at all times. She must still rest due to exertion, however. She can use this for a maximum number of sequential days equal to her (Integrity + Essence) without ill effect. Thereafter, every additional day the Charm is used causes her to lose one temporary Willpower per day, and Willpower lost cannot be regained until after she has slept for 24 uninterrupted hours.
Ox Body Technique (x3)	Stackable	Permanant	--
This Charm grants her additional health levels. Each time this Charm is taken (up to the maximum of her Resistance Ability), she gains one -1 health level and one -2 health level.

 

â–º RANDOM NOTES

• Credit for the image goes to the fabulous and talented Eva Soulu, and the original image can be found here.
• The nicotine problem was borrowed from Badou of DOGS, who goes into a homicidal rage if he runs out of smokes.

 

 

---

 

Any dolt with half a brain,

Can see that humankind has gone insane,

To the point where I don’t know if I’ll upset the status quo,

If I throw poison in the water main.

 

Listen close to everybody’s heart,

And hear that breaking sound,

Hopes and dreams are shattering apart,

And crashing to the ground.

 

I cannot believe my eyes,

How the world’s filled with filth and lies,

But it’s plain to see evil inside of me,

Is on the rise. 

 

â™