True Name: Jacob Foster
True age: 22
True gender: Male
True appearance:
Bit of a WeebTrue personality: Jacob is socially awkward extrovert. He tries to make friends, he really really does but he is a text book definition of a 'dork' and a 'spaz'. A psychologist suggested a type of ADD or high functioning autism. He's very knowledgeable of seemingly unimportant things, like sci fi, comic books, movies, games, professional wrestling, internet videos and can go on and on about them, getting louder as he gets more passionate about. But while he's open and wants to be a part, it would be only a single word or angry stare that will have him scuttling back into the corner and remaining quiet. From that point on, his neurotic tendencies will further widen the gap of social interaction as he dwells way too much on how people think of him. He knows that 'not caring' and just 'doing your thing' and 'relaxing' is something he has difficulty doing.
Those that take the time to know Jacob find out that he's harmless. He wants a girlfriend, but is too afraid of being creepy that he will probably never make the first move. He'll give you the shirt off his back, go through hoops, do you favors, and while people do take advantage of him, it seems to come from a place of genuine sincerity. It might be motivated by the fact that he might need to buy friends through service, but he relies on those relationships. He is never happier as when he's part of a crowd and occasionally the center of attention. This makes him a reliable, if obnoxious team player.
In the moments where he's alone, Jacob reads about people that are larger than life doing great and heroic things and reaping the benefits of their heroism. Its a common fantasy for him, to be big and strong and beign the center of attention, loved by all. Being a superhero or a great noble warrior. It why table top gaming is such a joy to him, it lets him put his knowledge to use and make a great heroic character. He even on occasion cracks a really good joke or impress the group. Those moments are like heaven to him.
Reason for having attended the game: Jacob is genuinely a friend of the GM, even if he is an asshole, mostly because he and the GM have been gaming with different groups for a couple years now. During the high times of the session, it was their every friday night week to week, like a ritual. The guys an jerk outside the game, but eventually it was just something everyone kind of lived with, making sure his character would get the worst end just to stick it to the player. Jacob on occasion joined in on the jokes. But in any case, he joined up mostly because he was invited.
Character´s name:
Character´s age: 21
Character´s gender: Male
Character´s appearance:
The Dawn Caste Solar Hero!Character´s background and lore:
Pheonix was forged in battle, and tempered in blood. He doesn't remember his parents. Whether he was sold, or kidnapped, or just forgotten, it just never really mattered to him. All he remembers is the brutal world of the arena. He and other children his age were only taught the barest of education before the rest of their day was intended for hellish combat exercises and bone breaking sparring drills. Phoenix was a natural. He took to the adrenaline and the thirst for battle like it was his true calling. He would charge in, sometimes casting aside his blade and turn even a proper sparring duel into a bloody brawl, the fire in his eyes and hair igniting like a bonfire to enhance and entrance the experience. He did it for his sponsors and trainers, his fellow gladiators, all of whom he thought of as family. Mostly though, he did it for glory. For the fame and accolades of an appeased crowd. It was in their eyes that he felt alive, that he felt like something the world needed to acknowledge. Maybe it was a bit of defiance for his lot in life.
By his teens, he was an arena name and would commonly be pitted against heroes seeking to get some of the prizes the arena offered. Sometimes he won, sometimes he lost, but whenever he was on a line up, it always drew a crowd. Phoenix hated to lose, and would often go into dangerous sulks, destroying training equipment in the process. His keepers tried to placate him as best they could. Girls, Alcohol, Drugs... even to a teen these things were tempting and there was no such thing as law in the arena. However it was a simple set of comic books that would change Phoenix life.
Almost like he found a hero, a father figure, it was a character, Phoenix Light, hero who had unmatched strength and fighting spirit. He struck out and challenged monsters and villains and made the world a better place one punch at a time. Dawn was awe-inspired. It completely changed his goals, his personality, his outlook on life.
His hands, his weapons, they could make things better for people. The books showed him rather idealistic world outside the arena walls and also made him aware of how 'evil' his keepers were. Phoenix began his training, using the comic books as training aides in an attempt to develop the style the book had shown. It should have been impossible, but as he trained, he emulated a style of the Solars of the Old Realm, copying their forms and their moves, epitomizing their heroic image. He exalted into a Dawn Caste Solar while taking on another champion from another city. His golden light flashed over the crowd, bringing them to tears. He won the fight, changed, the mark of a Demon of the Sun on his brow, for Solars were considered nothing less in this age. He was immediately freed, fear from his handlers that he'd attract the attention of the world controlling empire that hunted the Solars.
He's been a mercenary vigilante ever since. Hero for hire.
Character´s abilities:
Phoenix's abilities come in the form of Essence, Charms, and Martial Arts Charms. His character is pre-created to be super strong, covered in rolling muscle and lifting and hurling an full grown ox. He also has almost supernatural charisma and looks, granting him a larger than life superhero build and presence. In terms of mental acuity, he's pretty much average, maybe with slightly above average perception and wits.
His magical abilities stem from a number of physical
charms aka, magical effects that he uses essence to power. Turning his skin as hard as armor, surviving in environmental extremes, recovering from grevious injury, and leaping from the street to a roof are counted among them. At this stage, he is also a practitioner of an in game martial art called the Solar Hero Style which emphasizes bombastic over the top manuevers that make the user appear hero, while smashing the opposition. Some of the styles special techniques include throwing someone really far, punching something so hard it makes a shockwave, and using pro wrestling moves that would be considered impossible to stun and smash an opponents. (Examples, He once did an elbow drop onto a giant shark from the top of a mast, and gave a german-suplex to a Triceratops)
What makes Phoenix so powerful is that the Solars could be made specialized but given enough time, can become masters of pretty much anything. In their universe, Solars beaten and imprisoned the cuthulu like entities that made the universe in the first place. Every ability, talent, skill, or attribute can be pushed to god like levels provided the Exalt is old enough and trains enough, and each one of those can be skills has a multitude of charms that grant him access to powerful magical effects.
The weakness comes entirely within the system that Exalted (tm) has. You are supposed to be beyond human demi gods in terms of Strength, Skill, Charm, and Intellect. Phoenix has a body capable of tearing down the heavens themselves but with none of the actual preparation, intuition, or knowledge of how. He is a walking tank with power at his finger tips but not a clue of how to use it. Essence is like a new limb that those that have it has, and they have to practice to refine it through study, meditation, or practice, nothing that Phoenix has done. It is also dynamic and reactive. When Phoenix tries to use one of his charms or martial arts attacks, what ends up happening is alot of collateral damage and random accidents as the essence is completely disrupted in ridiculous ways, including hurting himself as essence flares, damaging tissues. Like superman without any control, hes just as much a danger to himself, his friends as he is to everything else.
The DM was terrible at his job and let everyone toss their own ideas into this mess. What poorly thought out ideas did you contribute?:
Phoenix Dawn is literally a carbon copy of a character from another table top game, so with him, he brings the magic system...
The Essence System:
Essence in Exalted (tm) is a kind of nebulous magical power thing that allows everything to happen. Its like mana in Magic the Gathering, the Force in Star Wars. Its the force that powers all of the characters magical affects 'aka' charms, artifacts, and sorcery and is the excuse for all the magical nonsense that the EXALTED (tm) is allowed to implement. Jacob was allowed to bring the Essence system with him, which might have disasterous consequences. Demons, Gods, Spirits, Fair Folk, other Exalted types and other terrible and stranger things are composed of Essence and can manifest their essence in reality warping ways, and they are supposed to be superheroes in a fantasy environment - but, it also brings with it a system in which others can learn and use magical effects as special moves or spells, particularly when it comes to magical races, martial arts, and sorcery. However, theres a limit to how much you have and can use, like MP in a video game.
