Peleps Yuruka

OCEAN FATHER Lord of the West, Lord of the West, Daimyo of the Seas The Ocean Fa- The Ocean Fa- ther, also known as ther, also known as the Daimyo of the the Daimyo of the Seas and the Lord of Seas and the Lord of the West, is a power- the West, is a power- ful god in the Bureau ful god in the Bureau of Nature’s Hierarchy of Nature’s Hierarchy of Type. Despite his of Type. Despite his celestial position, with celestial position, with responsibility for all responsibility for all the seas of Creation the seas of Creation and the accompany- and the accompany- ing quarters in Yu-Shan, the Ocean Father spends much of his time in the Great Western Ocean. In ages past, he was almost always found in Heav- en—even arguing on behalf of Valor in the Sonorous Discussion of Virtue at the annual Carnival of Meeting— but now he focuses on preserving and strengthening the remnants of his once-neglected dominion. What time the turbulent Western spirit courts and the depredations of the Wyld do not consume, the Lord of the West spends forming various human relationships Celestial Censors might deem inappropriate. He is worshipped through- out the Coral Archipelago and a surprising number of God-Blooded from the Neck claim his blood. The Ocean Father is a mercurial creature, quick to anger and to forgive, given to unbridled lust and sullen brooding. If there is anything the Ocean Father fears, it is the jade dagger named Black Depths Foretold (see Books of Sorcery, Vol. 3—Oadenol’s Codex, p. 36), which the stars have long declared is fated to slay the Lord of the West. Before the Usurpation, reclusive Solars carried the blade to the East, where the dagger was lost. The Daimyo of the Seas fondly remembers the days when the Solar Deliberative expanded the Western Ocean far beyond its current bounds, but he is torn in regards to their return. The Ocean Father might parley with any Solar Exalts whose purposes seem to include the restoration of the West, but he is always careful to confi rm they do not bear his bane. The Ocean Father appears as a tall, handsome, middle-aged man with mid-length black hair and curls, tipped in white, that tumble about his head like 100 waves in motion. Dark skin with a blue-green sheen stretches over his taut swimmer’s muscles, his teeth are burnished coral and his eyes glow like the setting sun. At home in the open sea, the Ocean Father’s only ornaments are a large gleaming white shell codpiece and a bejeweled black jade cephalopod whose undulating form hangs across one shoulder and his powerful chest. He bears a pearl as large as a human head in one hand, and within the pearl’s depths, he scries upon his dominions in the sea. Sanctum: For eight centuries, the Ocean Father’s pri- mary manse in Creation has been hidden beneath the waves 800 miles to the south of the Coral Archipelago’s capital Azure. The gods of the ocean courts pay their respects within the manse’s carven halls of basalt and precious shells, and a pearl gateway within leads to his sanctum, but there is still a sense that the Lord of the West has not permanently settled into his “new” quarters. The Daimyo of the Seas visits his Yu-Shan estate and offi ces when occasion demands it, and he often waxes nostalgic for the opulent manse he lost to the Wyld during the Great Contagion. 134 Motivation: To preserve his precious seas from dissolu- tion by the Wyld, shadowlands or divine politics, and to continuously enhance their size, prestige and quality. Attributes: Strength 8, Dexterity 8, Stamina 8; Charisma 8, Manipulation 8, Appearance 8; Perception 8, Intelligence 8, Wits 8 Virtues: Compassion 4, Conviction 4, Temperance 2, Valor 5 Abilities: Archery 1, Athletics 5 (Swim +3), Awareness 6 (Underwater +3), Bureaucracy 6 (Ocean Courts +3), Craft (Air) 2, Craft (Fire) 2, Craft (Magitech) 4 (Repairing Aegis Talisman +3), Craft (Water) 5, Dodge 6 (Underwater +3), Integrity 6 (Against Sea Creatures +3), Investigation 5 (Relat- ing to the Sea +3), Larceny 5, Linguistics (Native: Old Realm; Others: Seatongue, Flametongue, Skytongue, Pelagial) 4, Lore 6 (Oceanic Knowledge +3), Martial Arts 6 (Terrestrial Hero Style +2, Art of Forceful Declaration +1), Medicine 1, Melee 8 (Aegis Talisman +3), Occult 6, Performance 5, Presence 6, Resistance 6, Ride 1 (Sea Creatures +3), Sail 5, Stealth 5, Socialize 5 (Ocean Courts +3), Survival 5 (Underwater +3), Thrown 1, War 5 Backgrounds: Allies 3, Artifact 5, Backing 4, Celestial Manse 3, Contacts 4, Cult 5, Followers 4, Infl uence 5, Manse 5, Resources 5, Sanctum 4 Spirit Charms: The Ocean Father has all appropriately themed spirit Charms for which he qualifi es. Some important ones are specifi ed below. Black Depths Foretold—Though there is terror in knowing the cause of your death, there is also great freedom in it. Unless someone manages to convince the Maidens (or perhaps a sizeable majority of the pattern spiders) to change his fate, no being currently affected by destiny or fate can slay the Ocean Father without using the artifact weapon named Black Depths Foretold. Instead, any other attack that would kill the Ocean Father merely reduces him to Incapacitated. Unfortunately for the Ocean Fa- ther, every attack made with the fated dagger causes the wielder to instinctively realize that she can refl exively spend four motes of Essence and one Willpower point to make every die in the attack’s dice pool a success. Such an attack roll operates as though the wielder possessed the relevant Essence Auspicious Excellency even if she does not. This “Charm” is a blessing (and curse) unique to the Ocean Father and cannot be learned by any other being. Beings outside of Fate are immune to this effect, but cannot benefi t from it either.