Sojourn
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The Blessing of Sojourn
Cassion’s marks are perhaps some of the rarest, although Sojourners can always recognize each other on sight and any object or person touched by Cassion. This is not because the Immortal has no regard for mortals and their accomplishments, but simply because he prefers to mark those he has shared time with on the road. Those who come into Cassion’s company are fortunate and often in for a perilous adventure. Provided they live and acquitted themselves with courage, cunning, and strength of character, Cassion will mark them in the way he does all his chosen. For Cassion, the mark is a vivid, worn scar that bypasses any attempt to hide or heal it. This scar may appear anywhere on the body. As the individual grows in strength in the mark, the scar darkens and becomes an intricate almost-tattoo which looks like a map of the place where the Blessing was first given.
Favored
| Ability Name | Ability Description |
|---|---|
| Ready for Adventure | Sojourners are vibrant people flowing with life and tend to be thrill seekers and adventurers. Each is gifted with enormous appetites and the ability to subsist on substandard food. So long as it is edible, they can thrive upon it. Each one heals half again as fast as another member of their race and can often push the limits of the endurance that a member of their species might have. |
| Hunger's Bane | This ability can only be used once a trial but allows the Sojourner to prepare a hearty and filling meal for themselves and up to three companions, no matter how little there was to prepare in the first place. In order to work, the Sojourner must do their best to make the meal as appetizing and filling as they have the material to provide, it must be prepared with edible ingredients only, and the Sojourner must tell a tale while preparing the meal itself. |
| Skills of the Road | The character is granted an extra three skill points which may be spent only on the following skills:Discipline, Fieldcraft, Seafaring, Storytelling, Cooking, or Navigation. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses. |
| Surrounding Area | The character is granted a map which always remains centered on them. It shows a basic, but accurate, map of the surrounding area (up to 3 miles) - even if the area in question is unseen or unknown to the Sojourner. The Sojourner can see the map on any flat (ish) surface. In order to be seen by others, the Sojourner may summon the map to any piece of paper which the character has with them |
| Journeyman | Cassion’s chosen often have a much easier journey than those who do not bear his mark. Inclement weather, obstacles and other dangers tend to be much less disastrous to the marked and travel time is reduced by 25%of what would be the usual time for that journey by that means / mount. Note that this only works against natural obstacles etc. |
| Safe Camp | By marking an entrance over the course of ten bits, the Sojourner can create a comfortable extra-dimensional space with a warm roaring fire in the hearth that will burn all eve if willed to. No object from this room can be taken from it . This space is comfortable and roomy enough for up to five people. A side effect of the ability is that it naturally draws non-aggressive travelers to the location, but repels any outsiders seeking to enter the extra-dimensional space for a hostile or aggressive purpose . |
| Heroes Meal: | When they use this ability to feed a small group (up to 10 people), the Sojourner imparts a minor healing ability to those who eat the fare. For the remainder of the trial, those who have eaten this meal will heal at double their normal speed and will regain stamina at twice the rate, etc. This ability may be used once per trial and the cooking must be RP'd. |
| Minor Plot Twist | Once a season in a small moderated thread or a calendar event, the Sojourner may contact the city mod for a "Plot Twist". This effectively allows a change in the narrative of the story. The plot twist is decided by the mod and will be either modnoted in a non-moderated thread, or will become part of a moderated thread. It allows a surprise turn of events in a story, centered on the Sojourner. This can not impact seasonal events or larger (3+ players) moderated threads. Please note that this will not 'solve' a situation - it will change one. Cassion is not prone to giving a 'deus ex machina' ending, but he loves a good story. This ability changes the narrative. |
| Tales to Tell | Part of the role of a storyteller is to have a whole wealth of stories to tell. Upon receiving this ability, the Sojourner may choose one Event (Storyteller or GST) and, with the permission of the mod (can be gained via PM) will know the tale of the event. The mod must modnote the review request, or the thread. This ability may be used once per season. |
Adored
| Ability Name | Ability Description |
|---|---|
| Hidden Tale | The Sojourner now can travel to hidden places on Idalos. If there is a rockfall, they can find a way around it, if there is an underground cave, they can locate the entrance. All the Sojourner has to do is seek to find a way through or around and they will do so. This does not allow them to enter buildings which are locked, but would impart the ability to discover ancient ruins, etc. This ability works on Idalos only and does not extend to the Beneath, Emea, or beyond the Barriers at the edge of the world. The more cut off or inaccessible the location is, the more difficult it is for the Sojourner. If trying to gain access to a completely cut off area, they must get local mod approval. |
| Shared Adventure I | Once per arc, a Sojourner may designate one person or animal as their companion. That person shares a connection with the sojourner which allows them to work together in harmony. While they are sharing an adventure (not necessarily combat, but non-mundane circumstances) the pair function together more effectively and communicate without speaking. Only the Sojourner can break this bond. |
| Skills of the Road II | The character is granted an extra six skill points which may be spent only on the following skills:Discipline, Fieldcraft, Seafaring, Storytelling, Cooking, or Navigation. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses. |
| Moderate Plot Twist | Once a season in a large moderated thread (3+ players) or a city-wide seasonal event, the Sojourner may contact the city mod for a "Plot Twist". This effectively allows a change in the narrative of the story. The plot twist is decided by the mod and will become part of the thread. It allows a surprise turn of events in a story, centered on the Sojourner. This can not impact global events. |
| Brain Food | Hunger has many forms, including the hunger to learn. If a Sojourner eats in a place, then they learn about it. Should this be the wilderness, the Sojourner will have an indepth understanding of the flora and fauna of the area, although not specifics of where individual plants / animals are. In built up areas / civilisations, the Sojourner will understand the society, social groups, hierarchy and customs of the place. By eating, they learn. |
| Waking Dream | The Sojourner can travel to Emea while awake. They enter Emea by walking through any door or arch or entranceway with the intention to enter the realm of imagination and then they travel through Emea as a physical being. They can see others dreams, but not influence them, although they can interact with dreamer but will appear ghost like and "unreal". The unique aspect of this is that it allows the Sojourner to travel from one place to another via Emea - and of course they can walk all the areas of Emea. This ability infers no speed-up in terms of travel time and must still contend with the dangers of Emea. Immortal Domains are beyond them, however, without an invitation. |
| Thrill Seeker | In order to survive the adventures which a Sojourner craves, they need to be able to defend themselves and their companions. With this ability they become fifty percent stronger and fitter (stamina, endurance, agility) than their skill level suggests. |
| Story Scry | By virtue of who they are, Sojourners tend to be in the story. This ability allows them to see an unfolding story as it is happening, even if they are part of it. They are able to sacrifice action for knowledge and may effectively "pause" themselves in the story to scry. Mechanically, this means that the Sojourner can not act for one round of posting in a thread, as they concentrate on the story. By doing this, they gain an insight into another aspect of the tale they are in - that might be the movements of an opponent, the location of a child who is hiding, etc. They see what they are scrying as though they themselves are there - and experience the ambient temperature and dangers. Any harm which befalls either their physical form or their scrying presence during this damages as it usually would. They will not be visible to those they are scrying and may only scry to find out about their current situation. |
| Heroes Feast | When they use this ability, the Sojourner chooses how to utilise it. If they feed a small group (up to 10 people), the Sojourner imparts a moderate healing ability to those who eat the fare for one full trial. If, however, they feed a large group (up to 30 people) then they impart a minor healing ability to all who eat. Either way, for the remainder of the trial, those who have eaten this meal will heal at double their normal speed. This ability may be used once per trial and the cooking must be RP'd. |
Exalted
| Ability Name | Ability Description |
|---|---|
| Ghost Walker | The Sojourner now can travel beyond Idalos, to the Beneath. They enter by walking through any door, arch or entranceway with the intention to enter the Beneath and then they are there. They travel the Beneath as a physical being with travel taking the usual amounts of time and they are visible to all the denizens there. The unique aspect of this is that it allows the Sojourner to travel from one place to another via the Beneath - and of course they can walk all the areas of the Beneath. This ability allows the Sojourner to enter the Beneath but offers no protection from its residents. |
| Shared adventure II | the Sojourner and their designated companion are now bound together completely. So long as the Sojourner lives, so too will the companion. They share a lifespan with this companion and know each others thoughts and feelings at all times. This bond is so strong that it may appear that they are two beings with one soul The Sojourner may switch this off for a time, allowing both privacy, but it is not a comfortable thing to do. |
| Skills of the Road III | The character is granted an extra nine skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Discipline, Fieldcraft, Seafaring, Storytelling, Cooking, or Navigation. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses. |
| Major Plot Twist | Once a season in a global thread, the Sojourner may contact the mod for a "Plot Twist". This effectively allows a change in the narrative of the story. The plot twist is decided by the mod and will become part of the thread. It allows a surprise turn of events in a story, centered on the Sojourner. |
| Heroes Banquet | When they use this ability, the Sojourner chooses how to utilise it. If they feed a small group (up to 10 people), the Sojourner imparts a major healing ability to those who eat the fare for one full trial, allowing a slow (over a few bits) healing of things such as broken bones and major wounds. If, however, they feed a large group (up to 30 people) then they impart a moderate healing ability (moderate wounds, broken bones will heal but take up to 30 bits) to all who eat and an enormous group (31+) will enjoy a minor healing ability (will heal minor wounds only). Either way, for the remainder of the trial, those who have eaten this meal will heal at double their normal speed. This ability may be used once per trial and the cooking must be RP'd. |
| Adaptable to Adventure | Having the ability to travel so many places means they must adapt - this ability provides that possibility. Should they be in the blistering snow, they will grow thick hair or cold resistant skin to accommodate. Should they need to swim to the bottom of the sea, fins will grow from their arms and legs, their fingers webbed, and gills will appear. In the treacherous mountains they may adapt gecko-like fingers to hold to stone or other small adaptions to assist them. A Sojourner is at home in any environment where their journey must take them. If no known being could survive in the conditions the Sojourner must travel through, then they cannot adapt to simply survive it. |
| World Walker | The Sojourner now can travel to inaccessible places on Idalos. A buried cavern, a city at the bottom of the sea, or ruins which the jungle has swallowed up. All the Sojourner has to do is seek to find a way through or around and they will do so. This does not work on buildings or structures which are whole. This ability works on Idalos only and does not extend to the Beneath, Emea, or beyond the Barriers at the edge of the world. |
Champion
| Ability Name | Ability Description |
|---|---|
| Opener of the Ways | The Champion of Cassion is the ultimate connoisseur of adventure and travel. Upon receiving this ability - spoken in the Ancient Tongue - the Sojourner is able to walk to any and all places. If it exists, they can go there. The Beneath, Emea, beyond the Barriers at the Edge of the World, into the Immortal Domains, through Grand Fractures. There is nowhere that the Sojourner can not step. If it needs something specific to get there (such as the Barriers) - the Sojourner knows what it is that is needed. This does not allow the Sojourner to "magically" step through barriers or obstacles, it means that - when they explore - they find a way through. |
| Omniscient Narrator | Hunger and Stories are the second remit of Cassion's Champion and they develop the ability to weave a tale so powerful that it becomes reality. In order to activate this ability, the Sojourner must have a real hunger to do so - they must need it at the core of their being. If they have that hunger, then Cassion's Champion may step forward in any situation and tell the tale of what they have seen. Using story elements they have personally already experienced in their current event or thread, they are able to change the tapestry of the story in front of them. The Sojourner is not making up new parts of the story, but rather utilizing what already happened in a new way. (See Cassion's Story here for an example.) This ability is potentially world-changing and could overthrow governments or end - or begin - civilisations and, as such, requires Prophet overview." |
Curse
Cassion is just as like to apply his curse as his blessing. Often, his curse at the first mark is not what he would consider a punishment but ‘motivation’ to pursue goals and higher purpose in the wider world. As such, evolutions of his curse are often considered further incentives. His curse comes in the form of a wound that will not completely heal, a blow that Cassion delivered personally.
Hated
The Hated of Cassion earn his ire, often, through no fault of their own. Seeking safety, security, and longevity, those that most often earn Cassion’s first mark are they who avoid conflict and danger at every turn. These are the rich, the sick, the unfortunate who do not believe they can weather such dangers. These are cowards he encounters along his journey. The Hated of Cassion will find that danger will often find them, but rarely be directed. Those marked in such ways often find themselves nearby in the market when a battle breaks out between a thief and the guards, or accidentally stumbles in on conspirators whispering their disasterous plans. The Hated may find themselves out at sea for fishing and unexpectedly sail straight into a nautical battle between pirates, or see someone go overboard in a heavy storm at a distance. The Hated are simply drawn to the circumstances of story. They are encouraged to engage with it, capture it, make it their own. Some of the greatest of Cassion’s Sojourners began with the first curse and often ask to maintain it, even after earning his favor. For some, being pulled by invisible strings of destiny to be involved in great adventure is no curse at all...but for those he usually marks, it is a terrifying new reality.
Despised
The Despised of Cassion are usually those who were given multiple opportunities for greatness and shied away. These are cowards resilient in their ways and scurrying to avoid every new opportunity presented. While it is rarely Cassion who finds them again, a Sojourner of the second mark could injure such an individual and incur the second level of the curse. What was once indirect will become direct. What truly happens is that a new identity is awoken within the Despised, one that craves danger, intrigue, and adventure beyond anything that the actual original would have desired. This clash then forms a battle of wills, often with the marked losing time, even days, as their alternate persona (with all their same skills) deliberately involves them in the activities they were fleeing from. The switches are random but the two personalities will never meet, in the dreaming or otherwise. The only way to escape this curse is to take the reigns. The personality will not force or manifest itself if the main ego has taken on responsibility for new adventure, quest, and life for themselves.
Condemned
It is said that Cassion does not Condemn. Although there are whispers of a curse that damns one to adventure in worlds beyond Idalos forevermore, Cassion is more likely to consider the individual a complete failure to their species and themselves, offering to end that sorrow in single combat. Should the Condemned, at any time during the fight, take it upon themselves to find their courage and try to overcome him (not based on fear or desperation), Cassion will end the duel with a permanent injury, the beginning of their own scar, and a quest for them to complete to earn his favor, after which they will have the choice to never encounter him again. Should the Condemned continue to try and find their way out of conflict and avoid the circumstance, Cassion will slay them himself. Although he has great disdain for these kinds of people, he has always taken their body back to their homeland for burial, a last respect.
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