
Potential Capstones:
Pain Mapping: Woe has achieved such proficiency and experience in torture, that he can intuit a person's pain centers and weaknesses just by time spent observing them. Each trill spent with a subject provides Woe insight into their pain centers. Small tells such as how they carry themselves, which leg or arm they tend to favor, all of these clue Woe into what would hurt them most. It would take around a trial to completely familiarize himself with the pain map of a subject, through which he'd have to be observing them the entire time. This learning process can be stalled by a subject's skill in deception, or through glamours or other means of hiding ones true nature.
Sorellian Nels - Woe can bribe a combatant to stand down from a fight, so long as he himself engages in no offensive action toward them or anyone nearby. When paying off an attacker, or bribing an otherwise hostile party, Woe can ensure that he isn't attacked, so long as he is holding up the nels that are on offer. This is not coercive, and should negotiations break down, taking the money off the 'table' so to speak, will nullify whatever protection Woe was afforded from the attempted bribe.
It's an Argument, not a Fight - In Woe's time, he's talked his way through many thorny and difficult conversations, often enough while brandishing a weapon. So long as he holds a weapon he's proficient in, he can maintain a dialogue with any mortal, that persists so long as he trades words rather than blows. Once either party launches into an attack, the effect is null. This is not coercive, and any PC that has a point of contention with Woe (retribution for a recent violent or harmful act) may attack him without giving him a chance to speak more than once.
Golden Tongue - Woe's words are as good as gold. When completing a seasonal wage thread he's able to command a greater wage, whether by negotiating a higher salary or convincing people to pay more for his services, or just doing a better job to command better rates, he can gain more wealth from his career than he otherwise might. This results in a +5 modifier to Wealth Points earned per seasonal wealth thread ONLY. He cannot use it to increase the value of bounties or extra wealth from threads that aren't his seasonal wealth thread. This Capstone isn't cumulative with other capstones that increase seasonal wage but may be used regardless of the wealth skill employed.
Silver Compact - Woe has a sublime command of the art of negotiation, especially when it comes to the exchange of wealth. So long as he can understand and discover what motivates a person, and what they want, he can pay them weatlh in order to ensure that a negotiation is successful. Negotiations conducted that involve paying nels (or WP) up front will be far more successful and compelling to those who are subject to them.
Diamond Clarity - Woe can make himself understood in short phrases. Using no uncertain terms, He can convey exactly what he means to a selected person with whom he's familiar, using familiar code words and social cues, and be understood by that person alone. Another person may be able to discern that there is more to what Woe said to the other, but they only begin to get an accurate read at master and grandmaster/revealed/exalted levels.
Last Word - When in the middle of a debate, an argument, or a tense negotiation, Woe will always be able to get the last word in.
Truth-Sayer - Woe can compel a person to believe a thing beyond the shadow of a doubt if it happens to be true. Additionally, every truth Woe tells them solidifies his credibility, and allows him to persuade the other party with greater ease the more he tells the truth.
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: As a solitary, private person, Woe is often given to bouts of cutting himself off from those he cares about, and those who care about him in turn. Thus, he's adapted to this circumstance by becoming greatly skilled at smoothing over his disappearances and absences. He can rebuild his trust with a given party for his absence with just a meeting. This capstone serves as a potential refresher for their relationship, allowing them to pick up where they left off, as if no time away had passed at all.
Mechanically this will only tend to affect NPC relationships and relationships with Non-player parties. Players can opt to consent to it, but are not compelled to, otherwise.
Shadow Persuasion: Woe is so accustomed to dealing with hidden subtext and concealed motives, that he's picked up a few habits of his own when it comes to hiding his influence. When he influences another to a way of thinking or action, he's able to hide his role in convincing them to that act or belief. However they act on his persuasion attempt, the motive will not trace back to Woe.
For Just Five Nels More: Woe is so accustomed to making use of wealth as a resource, a distraction, a means to acquire what he wants, that he's able to apply that principle to nearly anything. If he's willing to sacrifice a measure of wealth, he can open up the opportunity to make an exceptional acquisition. By paying 5 nels more, he can guarantee the acquisition of a non-magical item or material from most anywhere in the world, which he can then convince a craftsman to turn into whatever he desires, after paying the proper sum in addition, of course.
Sorellian Nels - Woe can bribe a combatant to stand down from a fight, so long as he himself engages in no offensive action toward them or anyone nearby. When paying off an attacker, or bribing or convincing an otherwise hostile party, Woe can ensure that he isn't attacked, so long as he is holding up the nels that are on offer. This is not coercive, and should negotiations break down, taking the money off the 'table' so to speak, will nullify whatever protection Woe was afforded from the attempted bribe. The effect will also be null if he should attack anyone within the vicinity.
Silver Compact - Woe has a sublime command of the art of negotiation, especially when it comes to the exchange of wealth. So much so, that he often discovers what a person wants before it becomes clear, giving him a headstart in negotiations This gives him an edge in most negotiation scenarios, but also makes his offers that much more appealing.
Golden Tongue - Woe's word is as good as gold. When using Socialization skill as a wealth skill in a seasonal job thread, whether by negotiating a higher salary, or convincing people to pay more for his services, or just doing a better job to command better rates, he can gain more wealth from his career than he otherwise might. This results in an additional +5 modifier to Wealth Points earned per seasonal wealth thread ONLY, regardless of the wealth skill used. He can apply this bonus to wealth threads completed with skills other than Socialization, but it is not cumulative with any other capstone-based increases in wealth gain. He cannot use it to increase the value of bounties or extra wealth from threads that aren't his seasonal wealth thread.
Éminence grise: As someone reluctant to involve himself in direct leadership positions, Woe has become adept at influencing the levers of power when they are in another's hands. As such, once per season, while interacting with a government agent or agency, he can manage to float a policy idea or argue against a single, current proposal without it being known that it was his idea or inclination to do so. In this way, he can influence government operations anonymously from inside or outside of it.
Political Proxy - While some politicians stand behind their ideas steadfast in their conviction, Woe does just the opposite. By various forms of artifice, deception, and fraud, he can arrange a false flag, making it seem as if one selected individual or party is responsible for a given political action or decision.
Reap what you Sow: When Woe acts as a patron to another, whether granting a gift or doing a favor, later on, the recipient of said favor will not be considered even with him until they reciprocate two-fold.
Armistice - Woe can stop a fight as it is underway, putting himself in the middle of a situation with a few words, and can buy time to resolve the issue between two warring sides as long as he's not aligned with either side.
Anonymous Activism - When engaging in activism that involves the undermining of an established faction or order, Woe can conceal his involvement entirely, acting by proxy if necessary or misdirecting toward a patsy.
Bloodless Agony: While a subject is under his 'care', Woe can perform any forms of torture and produce any kind of pain at any point on their body without causing actual injury to them.
Scopaesthesia: Woe can sense whenever he's being watched by any means, whether arcane or mundane, and can generally tell which direction he's being watched from.
Ace of Hearts: Woe has always been excessively led by his emotions. He's done the dance so long, that he's mastered the tug of various emotional highs and lows. He'll find that emotional extremes, whatever form they come in, give him a rush of focus and adrenaline, increasing one skill he's using by one level for several bits, or until the source of the disturbance to his mood has passed. This can be done once a trial, before he begins to suffer psychological stain.
Heart of Stone: In his time, Woe has been subject to the errant pulls of Empathy magic, to bring him astray into temptation, to losing control, and giving in to terror. No more. With this capstone, he's able to resist most form or method to induce terror (short of Tier 2 abilities, Revealed Mages, Champion Marked, or similarly powered abilities). He can function at full capacity in the face of sources of terror or fear. This certainty and resolution in the face of terror can be extended to those around him when in a similar situation, making them effectively more able to deal with a fearful situation so long as Woe is with them. In the midst of terror, any companions with him will increase their discipline by one level while dealing with a source of terror.
Dissociation: Woe's meditative trances are potent enough to dislodge his consciousness from his ego for breaks at a time. With such dissociation, he can then enact changes and alterations on his identity without the usual emotional, mental, or physical resistance. During these breaks of dissociation, he cannot be swayed or compelled to act in pain, fear, or any other deleterious effects that are visited upon his physical body or mind. He will have reached peak compartmentalization.
Divine Focus: As a former Empath and mage, Woe has honed his focus when employing supernatural abilities. He can thus learn to employ multiple abilities within a short time-frame, without straining his calm or focus. Mechanically this means he can learn to use several Divine-based abilities in close succession, or simultaneously with the appropriate meditation knowledges. Generally, his use of such abilities will tend to go easier on him than one who lacks his level of focus.
Tales of Anguish: (Support Skill: Torture, Interrogation) Having experienced a wide range of personalities, who've been under his mercy for torture, Woe has a keen sense of what motivates a person, and hence can use this against them to deprive them of morale, hope, and instill a sense of anguish in them. Discipline and meditation can mitigate the effects, or flat out negate them in the case of certain capstones.
Hypnotic Easing: Woe can lull another person into a sense of security, which may be false or not. The main effect of which is to render them more susceptible to deception, persuasion, and other social skills. This can be mitigated or made more challenging by high levels of meditation.
Deception
One of those Faces - No significant changes need be made to the appearance of this grand master of disguise when they wish not to be identified. They just seem to have 'one of those faces' that blend in with everyone else who meets a basic description of hair color, eye color, height, build, and skin tone. People will be able to identify those basic characteristics, but when presented with a specific appearance such as through sketches or seeing the person again, they're unable to make a positive identification. Depending on the detection skill or abilities of those observing, they may be able to mitigate against their non-recognition.
Paragon of Ignorance - The process of omitting information from those seeking answers to whatever questions they may have has become automatic to this grandmaster of deception. Through an amalgam of putting on an air of ignorance and twisted psychology, Woe is able to plead ignorance to any piece of information that he may have access to. Omitting a piece of information becomes automatic, and it's as if he really doesn't know the answer to what someone is asking him.
A Break in the Fog -Woe's deceptions can create a cloud of doubt and confusion, turning lies and fake identities into a false reality that fools most people. However, he can choose one person to whom none of his deceptions will work, and the reality of the situation will become clear. Whether he does this for mischievous reasons, like gaslighting, or for cooperative reasons because he's working with them, he can make certain that one person alone is able to see through everyone of his deceptions.
Paragon of Ignorance - The process of omitting information from those seeking answers to whatever questions they may have has become automatic to this grandmaster of deception. Through an amalgam of putting on an air of ignorance and twisted psychology, Woe is able to plead ignorance to any piece of information that he may have access to. Omitting a piece of information becomes automatic, and it's as if he really doesn't know the answer to what someone is asking him.
A Break in the Fog -Woe's deceptions can create a cloud of doubt and confusion, turning lies and fake identities into a false reality that fools most people. However, he can choose one person to whom none of his deceptions will work, and the reality of the situation will become clear. Whether he does this for mischievous reasons, like gaslighting, or for cooperative reasons because he's working with them, he can make certain that one person alone is able to see through everyone of his deceptions.
Detection
Pain Mapping: Woe has achieved such proficiency and experience in torture, that he can intuit a person's pain centers and weaknesses just by time spent observing them. Each trill spent with a subject provides Woe insight into their pain centers. Small tells such as how they carry themselves, which leg or arm they tend to favor, all of these clue Woe into what would hurt them most. It would take around a trial to completely familiarize himself with the pain map of a subject, through which he'd have to be observing them the entire time. This learning process can be stalled by a subject's skill in deception, or through glamours or other means of hiding ones true nature.
Discipline
King of Pain
As a former professional torturer, Woe has experienced first-hand some of the worst agonies that can be inflicted upon mortals, to the point where he understands them well.
In his development of self-discipline, he’s built up a defiant resistance and even disregard toward emotional extremes and intimidation or fear tactics. His resolve has now grown even further by encompassing the realm of physical pain.
Although not immune to pain or unfeeling toward it, he can function at ordinary efficiency even as he’s experiencing physical agony, so long as he’s on task. This only applies when he’s on any given task, which can be a fight, a crafting session, or just being subject to interrogation by someone using pain as a coercive tactic (the task in that case being not to break).
This is not an always on ability. Situations where this doesn’t apply would be social functions, general non-dangerous exercise, and just idling.
As a former professional torturer, Woe has experienced first-hand some of the worst agonies that can be inflicted upon mortals, to the point where he understands them well.
In his development of self-discipline, he’s built up a defiant resistance and even disregard toward emotional extremes and intimidation or fear tactics. His resolve has now grown even further by encompassing the realm of physical pain.
Although not immune to pain or unfeeling toward it, he can function at ordinary efficiency even as he’s experiencing physical agony, so long as he’s on task. This only applies when he’s on any given task, which can be a fight, a crafting session, or just being subject to interrogation by someone using pain as a coercive tactic (the task in that case being not to break).
This is not an always on ability. Situations where this doesn’t apply would be social functions, general non-dangerous exercise, and just idling.
Dreamwalking
Dream Logic The world of Dreams is illogical at times, labyrinthine in the way a dreamer interacts with it. By its very nature, it defies the laws of Idalos and the way one approaches it. As such, the dreamwalker can swap the skill level he has in one skill for another, while interacting with the dreamworld. This manifests as using the specific skill in a way that mimics the swapped in skill.
Liberation of Aspect: At grandmastery of Dreamwalking, the dreamwalker can detach parts of their dream manifestation which then grow to full size, with respect to the size of the original dreamer. The dreamwalker can produce a construct that is equal in size to themselves, that has all the abilities and dream walking skills thereof that is under their loose control.
Lucid Conservation: The dreamwalker can regenerate parts of their manifestation within the dream in order to preserve the manifestation's original size and mass. In this way, they can control more of their dreamworld without sacrificing parts of their manifestation. Given enough time, they can make sweeping changes to their Dreamscape world, although this still comes with its share of hazards.
Fractured Dreams: The Dreamwalker at this stage has such a fluid connection to Emea, that when they drift off into the chaotic expanse of that plane of existence, their slumbering body acts as a minor fracture, producing one raw well of a kind appropriate to the place where they are sleeping. Their body only acts as a minor fracture when they slip through the Veil and into Emea. Ordinary Dreams where they do not enter Emea do not qualify.
Liberation of Aspect: At grandmastery of Dreamwalking, the dreamwalker can detach parts of their dream manifestation which then grow to full size, with respect to the size of the original dreamer. The dreamwalker can produce a construct that is equal in size to themselves, that has all the abilities and dream walking skills thereof that is under their loose control.
Lucid Conservation: The dreamwalker can regenerate parts of their manifestation within the dream in order to preserve the manifestation's original size and mass. In this way, they can control more of their dreamworld without sacrificing parts of their manifestation. Given enough time, they can make sweeping changes to their Dreamscape world, although this still comes with its share of hazards.
Fractured Dreams: The Dreamwalker at this stage has such a fluid connection to Emea, that when they drift off into the chaotic expanse of that plane of existence, their slumbering body acts as a minor fracture, producing one raw well of a kind appropriate to the place where they are sleeping. Their body only acts as a minor fracture when they slip through the Veil and into Emea. Ordinary Dreams where they do not enter Emea do not qualify.
Socialization
Sorellian Nels - Woe can bribe a combatant to stand down from a fight, so long as he himself engages in no offensive action toward them or anyone nearby. When paying off an attacker, or bribing an otherwise hostile party, Woe can ensure that he isn't attacked, so long as he is holding up the nels that are on offer. This is not coercive, and should negotiations break down, taking the money off the 'table' so to speak, will nullify whatever protection Woe was afforded from the attempted bribe.
It's an Argument, not a Fight - In Woe's time, he's talked his way through many thorny and difficult conversations, often enough while brandishing a weapon. So long as he holds a weapon he's proficient in, he can maintain a dialogue with any mortal, that persists so long as he trades words rather than blows. Once either party launches into an attack, the effect is null. This is not coercive, and any PC that has a point of contention with Woe (retribution for a recent violent or harmful act) may attack him without giving him a chance to speak more than once.
Golden Tongue - Woe's words are as good as gold. When completing a seasonal wage thread he's able to command a greater wage, whether by negotiating a higher salary or convincing people to pay more for his services, or just doing a better job to command better rates, he can gain more wealth from his career than he otherwise might. This results in a +5 modifier to Wealth Points earned per seasonal wealth thread ONLY. He cannot use it to increase the value of bounties or extra wealth from threads that aren't his seasonal wealth thread. This Capstone isn't cumulative with other capstones that increase seasonal wage but may be used regardless of the wealth skill employed.
Silver Compact - Woe has a sublime command of the art of negotiation, especially when it comes to the exchange of wealth. So long as he can understand and discover what motivates a person, and what they want, he can pay them weatlh in order to ensure that a negotiation is successful. Negotiations conducted that involve paying nels (or WP) up front will be far more successful and compelling to those who are subject to them.
Diamond Clarity - Woe can make himself understood in short phrases. Using no uncertain terms, He can convey exactly what he means to a selected person with whom he's familiar, using familiar code words and social cues, and be understood by that person alone. Another person may be able to discern that there is more to what Woe said to the other, but they only begin to get an accurate read at master and grandmaster/revealed/exalted levels.
Last Word - When in the middle of a debate, an argument, or a tense negotiation, Woe will always be able to get the last word in.
Truth-Sayer - Woe can compel a person to believe a thing beyond the shadow of a doubt if it happens to be true. Additionally, every truth Woe tells them solidifies his credibility, and allows him to persuade the other party with greater ease the more he tells the truth.
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: As a solitary, private person, Woe is often given to bouts of cutting himself off from those he cares about, and those who care about him in turn. Thus, he's adapted to this circumstance by becoming greatly skilled at smoothing over his disappearances and absences. He can rebuild his trust with a given party for his absence with just a meeting. This capstone serves as a potential refresher for their relationship, allowing them to pick up where they left off, as if no time away had passed at all.
Mechanically this will only tend to affect NPC relationships and relationships with Non-player parties. Players can opt to consent to it, but are not compelled to, otherwise.
Shadow Persuasion: Woe is so accustomed to dealing with hidden subtext and concealed motives, that he's picked up a few habits of his own when it comes to hiding his influence. When he influences another to a way of thinking or action, he's able to hide his role in convincing them to that act or belief. However they act on his persuasion attempt, the motive will not trace back to Woe.
For Just Five Nels More: Woe is so accustomed to making use of wealth as a resource, a distraction, a means to acquire what he wants, that he's able to apply that principle to nearly anything. If he's willing to sacrifice a measure of wealth, he can open up the opportunity to make an exceptional acquisition. By paying 5 nels more, he can guarantee the acquisition of a non-magical item or material from most anywhere in the world, which he can then convince a craftsman to turn into whatever he desires, after paying the proper sum in addition, of course.
Sorellian Nels - Woe can bribe a combatant to stand down from a fight, so long as he himself engages in no offensive action toward them or anyone nearby. When paying off an attacker, or bribing or convincing an otherwise hostile party, Woe can ensure that he isn't attacked, so long as he is holding up the nels that are on offer. This is not coercive, and should negotiations break down, taking the money off the 'table' so to speak, will nullify whatever protection Woe was afforded from the attempted bribe. The effect will also be null if he should attack anyone within the vicinity.
Silver Compact - Woe has a sublime command of the art of negotiation, especially when it comes to the exchange of wealth. So much so, that he often discovers what a person wants before it becomes clear, giving him a headstart in negotiations This gives him an edge in most negotiation scenarios, but also makes his offers that much more appealing.
Golden Tongue - Woe's word is as good as gold. When using Socialization skill as a wealth skill in a seasonal job thread, whether by negotiating a higher salary, or convincing people to pay more for his services, or just doing a better job to command better rates, he can gain more wealth from his career than he otherwise might. This results in an additional +5 modifier to Wealth Points earned per seasonal wealth thread ONLY, regardless of the wealth skill used. He can apply this bonus to wealth threads completed with skills other than Socialization, but it is not cumulative with any other capstone-based increases in wealth gain. He cannot use it to increase the value of bounties or extra wealth from threads that aren't his seasonal wealth thread.
Politics
Éminence grise: As someone reluctant to involve himself in direct leadership positions, Woe has become adept at influencing the levers of power when they are in another's hands. As such, once per season, while interacting with a government agent or agency, he can manage to float a policy idea or argue against a single, current proposal without it being known that it was his idea or inclination to do so. In this way, he can influence government operations anonymously from inside or outside of it.
Political Proxy - While some politicians stand behind their ideas steadfast in their conviction, Woe does just the opposite. By various forms of artifice, deception, and fraud, he can arrange a false flag, making it seem as if one selected individual or party is responsible for a given political action or decision.
Reap what you Sow: When Woe acts as a patron to another, whether granting a gift or doing a favor, later on, the recipient of said favor will not be considered even with him until they reciprocate two-fold.
Armistice - Woe can stop a fight as it is underway, putting himself in the middle of a situation with a few words, and can buy time to resolve the issue between two warring sides as long as he's not aligned with either side.
Anonymous Activism - When engaging in activism that involves the undermining of an established faction or order, Woe can conceal his involvement entirely, acting by proxy if necessary or misdirecting toward a patsy.
Intelligence
For My Eyes Only - Woe displays such ease at interpreting the views and perspective of his agents, that he's able to interpret their findings as if he'd witnessed what they experienced himself, first-hand. This is effective to the point where his own skill in detection, appraisal, psychology and other skills can apply to whatever they were witness to. This works even if the agents weren't able to comprehend what they witnessed.
Word of Mouth - With a mix of coded language, particularly syntaxed rumors, and somatic clues, Woe's agents can get their intelligence from the place they're based back to him without his having to travel to their location or receive a written missive. Word travels the distance to him. This capstone is limited only by the time it takes for word to travel from one place to another, typical travel times apply for these spoken clues and messages unless they have ways of facilitating swifter communications.
The Devil Speaks - The flip side of Woe's capstone 'Word of Mouth', when Woe wants a message to be delivered to any individual with whom he's acquainted or aware of, it will arrive and they will become aware of the message without anyone else being the wiser to it. The message travels by the way of traded comments, somatic clues, and sometimes coded language, to the point where the person receiving the message is absolutely aware of the message's origin. The message cannot travel any faster than people are able themselves to travel. Base travel speeds and times apply to the timing of these messages.
Word of Mouth - With a mix of coded language, particularly syntaxed rumors, and somatic clues, Woe's agents can get their intelligence from the place they're based back to him without his having to travel to their location or receive a written missive. Word travels the distance to him. This capstone is limited only by the time it takes for word to travel from one place to another, typical travel times apply for these spoken clues and messages unless they have ways of facilitating swifter communications.
The Devil Speaks - The flip side of Woe's capstone 'Word of Mouth', when Woe wants a message to be delivered to any individual with whom he's acquainted or aware of, it will arrive and they will become aware of the message without anyone else being the wiser to it. The message travels by the way of traded comments, somatic clues, and sometimes coded language, to the point where the person receiving the message is absolutely aware of the message's origin. The message cannot travel any faster than people are able themselves to travel. Base travel speeds and times apply to the timing of these messages.
Endurance
All or Nothing - Through grit and determination, Woe has seen himself through some harrowing conditions in order to meet his ends. As such, this has extended to his constitution and stamina. He is able to perform at peak effect and efficiency, performing activities as if he were fresh and rested from onset to outset. He can go on, until he is physically incapable of doing so.
Restless - Woe never needs to sleep, and cannot be rendered unconscious by any means short of death or serious injury.
Restless - Woe never needs to sleep, and cannot be rendered unconscious by any means short of death or serious injury.
Whips
Whips:
Whispering Strike: When Woe uses a flexible weapon at all times he is capable of suppressing the noise it makes. Whether the clinking of the movement of a chain whip or flail, or the sonic crack of a bullwhip's strike. He can use it in such a way that the noise it makes doesn't carry. At the same time, while using whispering strikes, abilities and capstones that key in on the crack of whips will still do so even when they are silent.
Omnilash: As a grandmaster of the bullwhip in particular, and longer whips such as chains and other forms of flexible weapons, Woe has such a degree of control that his weapon can make secondary hits upon a single or multiple opponents along the line of attack range. Each subsequent hit that branches off from the primary will inflict less damage or a wound of lesser severity than the first. From a mortal wound to a serious wound, from a serious wound to a moderate wound, from a moderate wound to a light wound, and so on.
Debilitating Strikes: Woe is a master of inflicting pain and suffering. As such, he has honed his craft to extend fights via incapacitating foes, forcing them to submit rather than die. Strikes landing on opponents' hands and arms can disarm opponents below X strength/endurance. Similarly, strikes landing on opponents legs and feet can knock them prone or cause them to lose footing, preventing them from advancing or escaping.
King of Pain: When Woe uses a whip, hits made and even near misses may cause the opponent to fumble their fighting techniques, if they have Discipline lower than the average level of his psychology and torture skill.
Everything is a Whip: Well, not everything. But any object that is even remotely flexible and durable, such as a leather strap, a piece of rope, or a springy tree-branch, can be used by Woe as a whip, to the point where it's capable of performing all of his capstones.
Groping Coils: Woe can use a whip to ensnare objects and individuals at a range. Wrapping the coils around a part of the person or item in question allow Woe to pull them toward him. Stationary objects can be retrieved without fail. When used against a conscious opponent, this capstone is checked against their acrobatics or weapon skill, whichever is higher. At expert and above the effectiveness and reliability of the ensnarement begin to reduce.
Shattering Coils: Cracking the cords of a whip requires that the loop and bend in the coil of the whip follow through to the last couple of feet of its cord, where it can break the speed of sound. Woe has such a command of the flow of this loop mechanic, that at any point along the length of the whip, he can cause that segment to crack at a moment's notice, breaking the sound barrier at that chosen point. This allows a whip wielded to be more effective at closer range and indeed all along the length of the whip's cords.
Give the Past a Slip: Woe, when gripping his whip from either end, cannot be disarmed or lose his grip on a Bullwhip.
No One Gets Away: Using a whip, Woe can trap an opponent with a successful wrap-around hit which will keep them stationary for at least a few trills, leaving them exposed and open to attack.
The Dance of Blind King John: There's a legend, that an old king of Rynmeran origin who was blind due to a genetic defect, still yearned to become a warrior. He developed a method with the flail that allowed him to hit opponents without seeing them, as long as they are in range of his whip. Just by swinging his flail left, right, up and down, relying on his adequate endurance and armor and shield to protect his body from any counterattacks.
While employing this capstone, Woe can attack opponents without seeing them, and depending on their levels in meditation. While using the dance, they may be too mesmerized by his maneuvers to attack him directly.
Whispering Strike: When Woe uses a flexible weapon at all times he is capable of suppressing the noise it makes. Whether the clinking of the movement of a chain whip or flail, or the sonic crack of a bullwhip's strike. He can use it in such a way that the noise it makes doesn't carry. At the same time, while using whispering strikes, abilities and capstones that key in on the crack of whips will still do so even when they are silent.
Omnilash: As a grandmaster of the bullwhip in particular, and longer whips such as chains and other forms of flexible weapons, Woe has such a degree of control that his weapon can make secondary hits upon a single or multiple opponents along the line of attack range. Each subsequent hit that branches off from the primary will inflict less damage or a wound of lesser severity than the first. From a mortal wound to a serious wound, from a serious wound to a moderate wound, from a moderate wound to a light wound, and so on.
Debilitating Strikes: Woe is a master of inflicting pain and suffering. As such, he has honed his craft to extend fights via incapacitating foes, forcing them to submit rather than die. Strikes landing on opponents' hands and arms can disarm opponents below X strength/endurance. Similarly, strikes landing on opponents legs and feet can knock them prone or cause them to lose footing, preventing them from advancing or escaping.
King of Pain: When Woe uses a whip, hits made and even near misses may cause the opponent to fumble their fighting techniques, if they have Discipline lower than the average level of his psychology and torture skill.
Everything is a Whip: Well, not everything. But any object that is even remotely flexible and durable, such as a leather strap, a piece of rope, or a springy tree-branch, can be used by Woe as a whip, to the point where it's capable of performing all of his capstones.
Groping Coils: Woe can use a whip to ensnare objects and individuals at a range. Wrapping the coils around a part of the person or item in question allow Woe to pull them toward him. Stationary objects can be retrieved without fail. When used against a conscious opponent, this capstone is checked against their acrobatics or weapon skill, whichever is higher. At expert and above the effectiveness and reliability of the ensnarement begin to reduce.
Shattering Coils: Cracking the cords of a whip requires that the loop and bend in the coil of the whip follow through to the last couple of feet of its cord, where it can break the speed of sound. Woe has such a command of the flow of this loop mechanic, that at any point along the length of the whip, he can cause that segment to crack at a moment's notice, breaking the sound barrier at that chosen point. This allows a whip wielded to be more effective at closer range and indeed all along the length of the whip's cords.
Give the Past a Slip: Woe, when gripping his whip from either end, cannot be disarmed or lose his grip on a Bullwhip.
No One Gets Away: Using a whip, Woe can trap an opponent with a successful wrap-around hit which will keep them stationary for at least a few trills, leaving them exposed and open to attack.
The Dance of Blind King John: There's a legend, that an old king of Rynmeran origin who was blind due to a genetic defect, still yearned to become a warrior. He developed a method with the flail that allowed him to hit opponents without seeing them, as long as they are in range of his whip. Just by swinging his flail left, right, up and down, relying on his adequate endurance and armor and shield to protect his body from any counterattacks.
While employing this capstone, Woe can attack opponents without seeing them, and depending on their levels in meditation. While using the dance, they may be too mesmerized by his maneuvers to attack him directly.
Torture
Bloodless Agony: While a subject is under his 'care', Woe can perform any forms of torture and produce any kind of pain at any point on their body without causing actual injury to them.
Tactics
Tactics: Rout to Victory - When falling back and feinting a rout from an opposing force, Woeis able to pull off stragglers to give relentless pursuit. In the opposing forces eagerness to pursue him, they often will ignore dangers and obstacles that might otherwise give them pause. Traps will become more effective at catching them, and flanking maneuvers of surrounding troops will break them far more easily.
Tactics: The Upper Hand - Woehas mastered the flow of a battlefield to such a degree that when fighting alone, he is able to increase the odds of his victory by only allowing one enemy at a time to engage him. Thus he creates a sort of mathematical bottleneck, against the enemy, to where they cannot gang up on him, so long as he himself only engages with one of their number at a time.
Tactics: The Fallacy of Numbers - Woehas mastered the art of taking on numbers far greater than his own, and uses this to his advantage by turning multiple opponents against one-another through a combination of body-blocking, exploiting a lack of coordination, guerrilla tactics and careful positioning to draw out fights and gradually wear down numbers. As long as Woeholds reasonable information on his surroundings and opponents, he is often capable of emerging from fights where he is vastly outnumbered, or the odds are heavily weighed against him. ~ Capstone idea by Squirrel
Tactics: Stall for Time - Woe has dealt with many situations where they have limited time to accomplish the results they wish to. Thus now when they are dealing with a time-sensitive objective, they are able to stall the critical moment in attaining that objective, to the point where they have twice as much time to accomplish what they need to.
Tactics: The Upper Hand - Woehas mastered the flow of a battlefield to such a degree that when fighting alone, he is able to increase the odds of his victory by only allowing one enemy at a time to engage him. Thus he creates a sort of mathematical bottleneck, against the enemy, to where they cannot gang up on him, so long as he himself only engages with one of their number at a time.
Tactics: The Fallacy of Numbers - Woehas mastered the art of taking on numbers far greater than his own, and uses this to his advantage by turning multiple opponents against one-another through a combination of body-blocking, exploiting a lack of coordination, guerrilla tactics and careful positioning to draw out fights and gradually wear down numbers. As long as Woeholds reasonable information on his surroundings and opponents, he is often capable of emerging from fights where he is vastly outnumbered, or the odds are heavily weighed against him. ~ Capstone idea by Squirrel
Tactics: Stall for Time - Woe has dealt with many situations where they have limited time to accomplish the results they wish to. Thus now when they are dealing with a time-sensitive objective, they are able to stall the critical moment in attaining that objective, to the point where they have twice as much time to accomplish what they need to.
Detection
Scopaesthesia: Woe can sense whenever he's being watched by any means, whether arcane or mundane, and can generally tell which direction he's being watched from.
Discipline
Ace of Hearts: Woe has always been excessively led by his emotions. He's done the dance so long, that he's mastered the tug of various emotional highs and lows. He'll find that emotional extremes, whatever form they come in, give him a rush of focus and adrenaline, increasing one skill he's using by one level for several bits, or until the source of the disturbance to his mood has passed. This can be done once a trial, before he begins to suffer psychological stain.
Heart of Stone: In his time, Woe has been subject to the errant pulls of Empathy magic, to bring him astray into temptation, to losing control, and giving in to terror. No more. With this capstone, he's able to resist most form or method to induce terror (short of Tier 2 abilities, Revealed Mages, Champion Marked, or similarly powered abilities). He can function at full capacity in the face of sources of terror or fear. This certainty and resolution in the face of terror can be extended to those around him when in a similar situation, making them effectively more able to deal with a fearful situation so long as Woe is with them. In the midst of terror, any companions with him will increase their discipline by one level while dealing with a source of terror.
Meditation
Dissociation: Woe's meditative trances are potent enough to dislodge his consciousness from his ego for breaks at a time. With such dissociation, he can then enact changes and alterations on his identity without the usual emotional, mental, or physical resistance. During these breaks of dissociation, he cannot be swayed or compelled to act in pain, fear, or any other deleterious effects that are visited upon his physical body or mind. He will have reached peak compartmentalization.
Divine Focus: As a former Empath and mage, Woe has honed his focus when employing supernatural abilities. He can thus learn to employ multiple abilities within a short time-frame, without straining his calm or focus. Mechanically this means he can learn to use several Divine-based abilities in close succession, or simultaneously with the appropriate meditation knowledges. Generally, his use of such abilities will tend to go easier on him than one who lacks his level of focus.
Psychology
Tales of Anguish: (Support Skill: Torture, Interrogation) Having experienced a wide range of personalities, who've been under his mercy for torture, Woe has a keen sense of what motivates a person, and hence can use this against them to deprive them of morale, hope, and instill a sense of anguish in them. Discipline and meditation can mitigate the effects, or flat out negate them in the case of certain capstones.
Hypnotic Easing: Woe can lull another person into a sense of security, which may be false or not. The main effect of which is to render them more susceptible to deception, persuasion, and other social skills. This can be mitigated or made more challenging by high levels of meditation.
Seduction
Diamond in the Rough: Although Woe has acquired mutations, scars, and even some supernatural effects which might render him less attractive to most, to most people he interacts with his flaws shine as a part of his allure and mystery. With every subsequent contact, his flaws seem that much more like a good quality, something to be desired or admired than shunned. PC reactions of course may vary but one would hope they'd consider this capstone when interacting with Woe, and having it manifest in some minor way.
Cherished Service: Woe often expresses a generous streak, seeing wealth, treasure, and positive reinforcement as a means to reward good behavior in others, just as a bargaining chip. Woe has a way of instilling in others an addiction to service, toward him, by offering favors of various kinds depending on the individual. Most people who interact with him will thus go out of their way to please him, knowing that he's good at giving rewards. Mechanically this tends to mean that NPCs and perhaps PCs will not be disappointed should his reciprocation not measure up to the service or gift they provided.
Cherished Service: Woe often expresses a generous streak, seeing wealth, treasure, and positive reinforcement as a means to reward good behavior in others, just as a bargaining chip. Woe has a way of instilling in others an addiction to service, toward him, by offering favors of various kinds depending on the individual. Most people who interact with him will thus go out of their way to please him, knowing that he's good at giving rewards. Mechanically this tends to mean that NPCs and perhaps PCs will not be disappointed should his reciprocation not measure up to the service or gift they provided.