REQUISITOS ACADÉMICOS

The first thing Otso wants to do is bump up Isthus’s Stealth score, to qualify for those Charms he took. While he’s at it, he also decides there are two more Charms he really wants. He spends one bonus point to increase Isthus’s Stealth to 4, four bonus points on the Charm Blinding Battle Feint, and four bonus points on Stalking Wolf Attitude. Now Isthus is an effective stealth-based fighter—an unusual approach, but one that looks like a lot of fun, and more in-line with how Otso envisions the character than just binging on Melee Charms right away.

With that done, Otso spends one bonus point to increase Isthus’s Melee to 4, and four bonus points to increase his Dexterity to 5. Isthus is now a properly terrifying Exalted assassin. Finally, he decides that Isthus still has a few people from his home city’s underbelly that are willing to talk to him, and spends his last bonus point on Contacts • (Street People of Nexus).

Otso then marks down a few remaining statistics—Isthus has an Essence rating of one dot, a Willpower rating of five dots, and seven Health Levels. Since Otso bought one Ox-Body

Technique, Isthus has three extra Health Levels, and he marks those down too, for a total Health Track of -0/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incapacitated. Isthus’s Personal Essence pool contains 13 motes, and his Peripheral Essence pool contains 33 motes. Isthus Fithi is now ready to play.

Prince Diamond glided across the churning surface of the river, his footfalls meeting the water as though it were smooth, solid stone. The chieftain of the Cloud Wolf Tribe lagged behind him on the winding course of the river’s banks, creeping warily for fear of the cursed ground he walked upon. “Move a little faster, Six-Fangs. Otherwise, you’ll more likely die of old age than anything else.” The wolfman responded with a grudging snarl of assent and hastened his pace, though he still couldn’t keep up with the straight path the Eclipse Caste walked down the face of the river. Diamond sighed. He would have found better conversation with his horse Ember, but the steed was no more able to walk on water than Six-Fangs. Still, if long silences were the worst they faced on this journey, he would count it as lucky.

By the time the sun had moved halfway towards setting on the western horizon, Prince Diamond and Six-Fangs had reached the river’s once-hallowed origin, a waterfall cascading down from a small mountain peak. The wolfman eyed the falls warily, but there would be no need to make that climb. The gods did not live in the sky, as the superstitious chieftain presumed, nor would Prince Diamond be so rude as to intrude upon the river spirit’s sanctum. Instead, he would call the god to him. He drew a sheet of colorful paper out of his robes and folded it into the shape of a crude boat, then began to speak into it—strange words, in a tongue the wolfman knew not. Then, the Eclipse Caste laid the boat upon the water, where the raging turmoil dragged it under in mere seconds. A faint glimmer of blue, like sapphires on the riverbed, told him that his call had been heard.

The river spirit emerged from the water with slow grandeur, towering over them both in a form of bracken and black water that wore a porcelain mask for its face. “Who would have words with Yanamo? Who intrudes upon my peace?”

Six-Fangs raised his hackles at this manifestation, stumbling backwards in fear, but the Eclipse Caste remained composed. “I am Prince Diamond, an envoy on behalf of the Cloud Wolf Tribe. It seems that the bridges across your river have somehow been swept away in the past few months, and its waters become entirely impassable. They would ask, humbly, that you calm the river, and let them cross over to the hunting grounds on the other side of the shore, as they have for years before now. Certainly, that can be arranged.”

The god spat in contempt, hacking up a glob of sludge onto the riverbanks. “What does Yanamo care for such trifles? Let them starve, let them eat—they will all die in the end. All of them, just like White Eyes. My river rages with my grief, envoy, and you have not the words to quell either. Begone.” Prince Diamond had no idea who White Eyes was, but the way the wolfman’s ears had perked up when he heard the name told him all he needed to know. The god had taken a

priestess-wife from the Cloud Wolf Tribe—hardly an unusual arrangement—and forgotten his bride’s mortality, until she died.

“My condolences. I suppose there is nothing to be done, then. I will leave you—the Immaculate Order is nigh, and I must keep far afield of their hunt.” He turned to leave, waiting for the river- spirit to break the silence.

“Wait,” said the god, his voice quavering just enough to betray his fears. “The Immaculates—are they truly coming?”

The Eclipse Caste grinned, but composed his face into a mask of calm before turning back to face the god. “As we speak, I assure you. Their reach has spread even to these hinterlands, it seems. But you are mighty enough to contend with the Dragon-Blooded, no?”

The river-god hung his head in silent resignation.

“Well then, perhaps we could strike a bargain. The Cloud Wolf Tribe has worshipped you for years. With your blessings, and your river at their back, perhaps they could stand against the Immaculate Order. But of course, it is hard to fight on an empty stomach—”

“Very well,” said the god. At Prince Diamond’s beckoning, Six-Fangs came forth, placing his clawed hand within the immensity of the god’s own outstretched hand. “So long as the Cloud Wolf Tribe stands in my defense, they will have safe passage across my river, and my blessings in war.” As the god spoke, the words of his pledge scribed themselves into the air, burning with the white-gold fire of Prince Diamond’s anima as the Solar willed it to sanctify the oath, shining like reflected stars on the water’s face.