Characters for possible Exalted game
Very rules-light

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

The World:

-Rule Of Cool: The weavers of fate bend reality when people try to do amazing, heroic things. If you simply try to hit someone, that's less effective than hitting them in a crazy awesome way. Describe it!
-The world, Creation, is a planet-size flat plane with a great but collapsing empire in the center. Dangerous things lurk at the fringes of reality.
-This game's set in the east, a land of rivers and forests ruled by various tribes and kingdoms. There are some beastman civilizations, but it's still mostly humans out here.
-There are geomantic places of power that can be harnessed and attuned to their owners through mystical architecture.

You:

-You're "Exalted", beings with divine power. The Empire's religion wants you dead. Other mortals admire or fear your power, if you reveal it. There are several kinds of Exalted, with the scariest supposedly being the generalist Solars.
-The Exalted and Alchemicals use a power called Essence (magic). The more you use, the more blatantly you glow.
-The Lunar Exalted are shapeshifters designed as protectors of Creation rather than rulers. Each was a mortal who did something heroic and suddenly was rewarded with superhuman power.
-The Alchemical Exalted (magitech robots) are not part of Creation. They're from another world made of the body of a dying machine god, where a human civilization's hidden for 5000 years. And now they're invading.

CHARACTERS

Aldous Chain-Runner
Type: Lunar Exalted
Appearance: A man with a squirrel's ears and tail, covered in silver tattoo lines
Background: You were a normal human shopkeeper until the goddess Luna chose you to have supernatural power. It happened one night after you snuck into the massive slave pens of a nearby city, risking your life to set others free. You got the attention of an older Lunar who approved of your actions, initiated you into Lunar society, and warned you that you're an unholy abomination in many people's eyes now. You're supposed to pledge to defend something, but haven't made that crucial decision yet.

Best Stat: Dexterity
Skills: Archery, business, tracking, wilderness survival

Weapon:
Moonsilver Bow: With a variety of trick arrows including blunt, piercing, flame, and grappling-hook. Bow (not quiver) automatically adjusts to your current shape for easy use/carrying.

Powers:

-Spirit Shape: You can turn into your first animal form, a squirrel. Clothes and small equipment vanish while you're in this form.
-Heart's Blood Technique: You can perform an hours-long ritual hunt to eat the heart of an animal and learn to turn into a copy of it. This works even on humans. You'd really rather not use it.
-Moonsilver Tattoos: Your tattoos protect you from all unwanted shapeshifting effects.
-Seven-Shadow Evasion: When focused on dodging, you're very good at it.
-Etheral Ammunition: In a pinch, you can summon arrows made of gleaming silver energy.
-Tree-Running Excellence: You can run up and down vertical surfaces, balance on an inch-wide ledge, and climb almost anything.
-Arrow of Objection: You can enchant a normal arrow to slam enemies away in a burst of silver leaves.
-Arrow of Nimble Paws: You can enchant a normal arrow to do no damage, but act like a few seconds of telekinesis to grab and manipulate what it hits.
-Fall Like Leaves: You can fall any distance without harm.

Karina Wyld-Breaker
Type: Lunar Exalted
Appearance: A strong human with orange tiger-striped skin and a tail, covered in silver tattoo lines
Background: You were a normal human farmer until the goddess Luna chose you to have supernatural power. It happened to you when bizarre fairy-creatures from the surreal Wyld, at the fringes of Creation, destroyed your beloved peasant village. You foolishly ran in to rescue a few captives, and barely escaped with your sanity. Elder Lunars tutored you and welcomed you to the loose-knit "Swords of Luna" who battle the fae. You swore to defend the border settlements and drive back the Wyld.

Best Stat: Strength
Skills: Animal-taming, hunting, first aid, wilderness survival

Weapon: Claws and teeth. Other weapons unnerve you; in the Wyld you had several transform frighteningly in your hands.

Powers:
-Spirit Shape: You can turn into your first animal form, a tiger. Clothes and small equipment vanish while you're in this form.
-Shapeshift: You can also become a hawk, wolf, deer, or monstrous dog-sized spider. You also have the "Twin-Faced Hero" power: you are whatever gender you want to be at the moment.
-Heart's Blood Technique: You can perform an hours-long ritual hunt to eat the heart of an animal and learn to turn into a copy of it. This works even on humans. You've learned a few forms already.
-Deadly Beastman Transformation: You turn into a seven-foot-tall anthro-tiger with extra-scary claws and teeth and extra durability, for up to several minutes.



Naia ("Just Naia")
Type: Lunar Exalted
Appearance: A human with a raccoon's face and tail, covered in silver tattoo lines
Background: You were a normal human student until the goddess Luna chose you to have supernatural power. It happened to you when your family, devout Immaculate Faith members, discovered your talent for Essence magic and you fled for your life rather than being "exorcised". You lost your job as a trainee priestess and fled in search of a new life, pledging to defend those who would study magic.

Best Stat: Intelligence
Skills: Lore (religion, Exalted, magic, folklore), diplomacy

Weapon: Nine-ringed staff, knife

Powers:
-Spirit Shape: You can turn into your first animal form, a raccoon. Clothes and small equipment vanish while you're in this form.
-Shapeshift: You can also become a cat, bear, seagull, or rattlesnake.
-Heart's Blood Technique: You can perform an hours-long ritual hunt to eat the heart of an animal and learn to turn into a copy of it. This works even on humans. You've learned a few forms already.
-Magic: You can cast powerful spells, but are vulnerable for at least a few seconds while standing there to prepare them.

Spells:
-Rain of Shiny Doom: You create a spray of spinning glass discs from your hands to cut foes down.
-Hedgehog's Comeback: Glittering fragile spikes appear on the body of someone you touch, making them dangerous to grab.
-Dazzling Illusion: You create a static opaque image the size of a wall. Note that this doesn't include sound or smell.
-Bright Lunar Bandage: A gleaming etherial bandage patches up someone's wounds.


Efficient Crystal Arbitrator ("Crystal")
Type: Starmetal Alchemical
Appearance: A female robot made of iridescent metal
Background: You were built in the Machine World of Autocthonia, which most people in Creation don't know exists. You were designed to be a hero of the working class. Unlike certain others you could name, you have been selected to visit the organic world of Creation as an honor. Your people need data for better long-term planning of whether to invade or trade peacefully. Are the primitive natives trustworthy?

Best stat: Perception
Skills: Diplomacy, stealth, surveillance

Weapon: Twin electric Whips (named "Logic" and "Reason")

Powers:

-Live Wire Martial Arts: You wield a pair of electrified whips you can store in your arms. You're trained in using them to disarm and tangle foes.
-Panoply: You have magitech equipment attached to your body. Unfortunately you don't have access to a proper facility to swap out Modules.
-Integral Armor: You have built-in light armor made from elemental oil and crystal.
-Elsewhere Storage: You have a basic teleportation system that stores small objects and summons them to your hand.


Modules:

-Multifunction Hypodermic Apparatus:
Injection needles appear from your fingers and can deliver a painkiller, sedative, poison, antibiotic, or clotting agent. Speeds healing from mundane wounds for organic beings. There are some minor repair tools for Alchemicals too.

-Technological Analysis Engrams:
An internal database of technology and engineering. Useful for studying local technology on the large scale, asking "what does this device say about the society it comes from?"

-Mobile Sensory Drone:
An apple-sized hovering robot emerges from your back and flies under radio control. Has visual and audio sensors.



Glorious Shield of Productivity ("Shield")
Type: Orichalcum Alchemical
Appearance: A bulky robot made of shining gold-like metal
Background: You were built in the Machine World of Autocthonia, which most people in Creation don't know exists. You were designed to be a hero of the working class. After several unfortunate incidents involving collateral damage, you were volunteered to scout out the bizarre plant-infested world of Creation. This is your chance to redeem yourself and establish a forward base for the People, or at least explode somewhere far from any important factories.

Best stat: Endurance
Skills: Combat, construction/repair

Weapon: The People's Spanner (5' long transparent aluminum wrench). You can use this thing one-handed.

Abilities:
-Great Strength: You have mechanical bones and muscles with superhuman strength.
-Integral Armor: You have built-in plate armor and can move easily in it, if not subtly.

Powers:

-Panoply:
Equip any three Modules to start.
You have magitech equipment attached to your body.

-Interactive Panoply Access Device:
Swap out any one Module. Takes one hour.
Though you don't have access to a proper refitting facility, you can teleport some of your equipment from your home city. This power auto-installs the Module. Modules are all custom-built for your body and run on your own power.

Modules:

Incendiary Ballistic Missile:
A one-shot explosive rocket with a one-mile range. Can be reloaded the same way you swap out a power.

Total Annihilation Radial Dispersal Incendiary System:
Emits a ring of fire around you, in a 30' range. Takes an hour to recharge.

Systematic Attack Denier:
Provides movement guidance to help you rapidly parry attacks aimed at others, even swatting arrows or taking hits yourself.

Manifest Infinite Tools:
A built-in toolkit emerges from your arms to perform repair or construction work. Some of the basic tools are detachable and can be used by others. Useful for repairing damage to Alchemicals.

Spontaneous Provocative Aggression Routine, Thaumaturgic Aspect:
Emits an unbearable magically-enhanced sonic attack designed to cause fear and confusion in a wide area. The effect is focused in a cone in front of you.

Vulnerability Observation/Inspection Program:
Analyze an inanimate object for flaws, judging its quality and sensing weak spots.

Observer-Baffling Allegiance Motivation Actuator:
Alters the lighting, gestures and voice synthesizers of your body to make you resemble a heroic statue or propaganda poster, with a wonderful voice. Makes you more persuasive and impressive while in use.