Maiden of the Mirthless Smile
The Master Strategist, Chief General to Mask of Winters
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Favorite Skills: Archery, Martial Arts, Melee, Thrown, War, Resistance, Integrity, Presence, Performance, and Social

An alabaster master piece made flesh is what comes to most people’s minds when they first gaze upon Maiden of the Mirthless Smile. Her sublime features forever molded into an enigmatic smile that does not touch her eyes. It is a badge gained for a failure no one save her and her master knows. Since that soul numbing day in the flesh forges of Mask of Winter’s laboratory, Maiden of the Mirthless Smile has never failed again.

  • Mask of Winter's Chief General and Toy
    • Oldest Death Knight under the Command of the Mask of Winters
    • A Death Knight marked by The Green Lady as worthy – a true (e.g. Tier 1) Solar Quality Recipient.
    • Commander in Chief of Mask of Winter’s Armies and strangely enough has her master’s full confidence
  • Lead the Vanguard against the force of Thorn and personally executed all the Supernatural Defenders and the City God
  • She fought Dace when she invaded a city-state in the Scavenger Lands. Dace only managed to pin her unit, and Mask of Winter recalled her before she can show the fledging Solars a Death Knight’s true might.
  • All this almost came to naught with Golden Tyrant’s rebellion but thankfully only the War Captain’s Circle realize their true damager. All encounter the other Solar had with the Death Knights showed them as formidable but hardly on the same level. This is mainly because so few Abyssals are the stuff of legends. Instead many are whatever tickles the Death Lord’s fancy.
  • Of first batch of Death Knights Mask of Winters made in preparation for the conquest of Creation only her, Adamant Sadness, Apostate in Tatters, and character:mistressofpactssealedinblood remain
    • The other 6 Death Knights were all killed by Solars when they invaded the Underworld in search of the kidnapped Gladrien Vanja.
    • Though 2 of those 6 are again exalted after Golden Tyrant slaughtered their predecessors. They have had 3 hosts now
  • Uses an Abyssal Supernatural Martial Arts Style “New Shadow School (新阴流),”
    • School Motto: “One who strike first, if strike hard enough, need not strike again.”
    • Focuses on Speed and Damage
    • A SMA Style using Melee skill
    • Style Weapon is blades of all kind - including all variations of Daiklaves
  • Has the Combo “Wolf Catching the Snake’s Tail”
  • Has 7 Hearthstone Socketed that combined with her equipment and arsenal at her disposal makes her an adversary not to be taken lightly.
    • 3 from Sword, 2 from Armor, 1 from Hearthstone Bracer, 1 from Hearthstone Amulet
  • She has Whisper Background at 3
  • As Essence 6 Abyssal, Mindless Undead will not dare attack her unless Compelled
    • Oblivion Tainted Undead will sense her affinity and not attack her unless Compelled
    • Her party's travel through the Labyrinth is nearly always uneventful


The Maiden’s Essence 6 Charms

War: Tomb Constructed of False Securities

Modified version of the Solar War Charm "Immunity to Armies Approach", Lords of Creation (1st Ed), Pg. 64

Cost: 12m, 1wp
Min: War 5, Essence 6
Type: Reflexive
Keyword: Combo-Ok, Obvious, Spectral, War
Duration: One Battle
Prerequisites: Glorious Carnage Typhoon

A Fool may think himself safe, arrayed behind the layer shields of the Heavenly Host, but all the armies of existence could not protect them against the inevitable doom of Oblivion. This charm will only function if the Abyssal is a solo unit. She becomes like the evening mist or a dashing phantom. Moving across the battlefield with impossible speed, appearing and disappearing, and seemingly everywhere at once. All those arrayed against her receives no bonuses whatsoever from their troops - effectively fighting without the complementary unit's bonuses and stats. The charm also allow the Abyssal to attack the commander or any other special character she chooses directly, bypassing the enemy unit entirely. Or should she feel like a good old tradition slaughter, attack the mass combat unit normally and slaughter thousands at a time.

War: Army Enslaving Slaughter

A Charm to quickly replenish troops or create an army from defeated enemies

Cost: 15m, 1wp
Min: War 5, Essence 6
Type: Reflexive
Keyword: Combo-Ok, Avatar (3), Obvious, Servitude, Spectral, War
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisites: All-Consuming Encirclement, Omnipresent Overlord Technique

Mysterious winded whispers of unintelligent chants flows through the battlefield sending chill through the spines of the bravest soldiers. There is no doubt that something unholy is occurring on this battlefield and the wise will flee. Those who are brave enough to overcome their wiser base instincts will have to content with an Abyssal War Master who as breached the limitation of (un/im)mortality and achieved Essence 6.

This charm breaks and shatters the will of mortals via the horrors of war1. Any magnitude loss (be it from fear save or combat damage) can be rallied by the Abyssal and her allies for they are too fearful to resist the harbinger of death. Due to this unnatural mental influence (Servitude) effect all opposition suffers a external penalty equal to Abyssal's Essence to all actions to control their troops (such as formation change, preventing route, coordinated attacks, etc.)

The true horror of this charm is that anyone killed during battle is tainted by the foul infection of Oblivion and will gleefully join the battle on the commander's next action; Either as a War Ghost or Hungry Ghost, already materialized and ready for slaughter. The magic of the charm imbue these newly formed soldiers with the cursed knowledge that Neverborns grants to all who are willing to listen. This effectively grants these troops equivalent to a number of weeks of Hardened Killer Training Style (count as Mortals) equal to the Abyssal's Whisper Rating. Also if they do not already have the Whisper background, they now have it at 1 Dot. The loyalty enforced by the Neverborns' instruction means they are automatically loyal to the causes of Oblivion and can be quickly incorporated by any of oblivion's powerful servants - such as Abyssals, Deathlords, Nephwracks, etc.

GM would be the arbiter of how many are killed in any combat situation. Though most of the Abyssal War Charms make this quite easy - because they kill everyone.



The Maiden’s Panoply

Ironic Jest

5 Dot Soulsteel Grand Daiklave

Like all Soulsteel weapons this Grand Daiklave is Jet Black with tormented souls that fade and reappears as if it’s a trick of the light. When drawn a constant swirling gloom of Red and Black surrounds it.

Type Speed Accuracy Damage Rate Defense Cost Minimums Attune Tags
Attuned 5 +3 +16L/4 3 +2 ••••• Str•• 10 2, O, P, R
Attuned for MM Bonus 5 +5 +16L/4 3 +2 ••••• Str•• 10 2, O, P, R
  • Cost 10 Motes to Attune
  • 3 Hearthstone Sockets (one on each side of the blade where the guard joins the hilt, and 1 at the tip of the blade)
  • The weapon releases a desolating and soul numbing chuckle when its attacks fail to do damage - including just flat out missed. All living things within hearing range (except those with the Whisper Background), be they friend or foe, regardless if they can physically hear sounds or not – since it is a supernatural effect and not actual sound waves, whose Dodge MDV is lower than the Essence of the Wielder +3 (9 in the Maiden's case) will be at -4 internal penalty for the rest of the scene2 as the chuckle wreck their souls and send their bodies into random spasms. This is an unnatural mental influence and requires 2 Willpower point commitment to resist this effect that expires at the end of the scene.
  • The blade is no better when its attack succeeds however. When an attack manages to do damage, it screams a desperate laughter of suffering. As if hot lead is being pour into their eye sockets, and instead of screaming, the poor saps can only laugh. The ghosts whose soul was used to make the material for the blade all rush to its surface, distorting its mirror like surface as blood trickles out of their orifices and drips down the blade. This is not all for show - the blade is literally drinking the life essences of the target and venting it out as blood. It adds levels of lethal damage equal to the wielder’s Essence (after damage is rolled, thus post Soak) to the attack but only to living targets.
    • This is real blood and can be used as such
  • Being such an conduit of life essence, the blade effectively doubles the Essence gain by Abyssal Life Draining abilities and Charms - such as Ravenous Mouth of (Ability) Charms
  • All this is in addition to the intrinsic essence draining property of Soulsteel

Pale Pain’s Mirror

Unique "Super Heavy Artifact Plate"

This set of Abyssal Battle Armor is completely made of Soulsteel forged from the ghosts of violated maidens. The rumor circulating in Thorns is that the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile was made to gather these ghosts personally and in the depth of the Labyrinth forged them into the armor under the unholy tutelage of Mask of Winters.

This is all half-truths. Since the actual Pale Pain’s Mirror is a part of Maiden’s Life Essence. In its making her soul was no less violated than the final violation she was forced to commit on the armor’s material ghosts. The necromancy Mask of Winters wielded crystallized all their suffering into a monument to innocence lost to tyranny – a perfect face of suffering contorted into a forced smile, the very face of Maiden of the Mirthless Smile.

What people believe is the “Armor” is actually nothing more than a memento. True the actual armor grants fantastic protection but no more than any quality suit of same caliber. The true horror, the truly foul artifact, is hers for all time

Power
In this artifact the Mask of Winter had outdone himself. A simple act of “diabolique” turned out to be more successful than even he realizes. The Pale Pain’s Mirror increase the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile permanent Essence by 1, and connects her to the corruption of the Labyrinth and cements her to the causes of Oblivion. Her caste mark is no longer a bleeding brand but of solid darkness that dims her surrounding in opposition magnitude of Solar animas.

This connection effectively negates her need to spent Willpower to activate Charms with “Spectral” keywords, for she is ever choking in the taint of the Underworld. It also means she regains Essence always as if she is in the Labyrinth.

Unknown to even the Neverborns, whilst she “wears” this artifact she can never be redeemed. The potent link to the Neverborns (hence the +1 to Essence) will forever unmake any progress towards that goal. As a side effect, her Dissonance Discharges are at double potency. This doubles radius and targets and such, it does not mean her 2 dot discharge has the same sweeping scale as a 4 dot discharge.

The Byproduct Armor

Type Soak Hardness Mobility Fatigue Cost Attune Tags
Attuned +15L/15B 10L/10B 0 0 N/A -
Attuned with MM Bonus +17L/17B 11L/11B 0 0
  • 2 Hearthstone Sockets (Collar, Waist)
  • The armor is rarely used and is stored in Elsewhere via Charms.

Tears of Incomparable Misery

5 Dot Soulsteel Punishment Implant

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This is a cape of interwoven strands of soulsteel that trails a murky vapor as fire does smoke. Each strand is finer than spider silk and is stronger than anchor chains. The cape is regal and fit for a queen, with gold trimmings and a high collar. Its opulent appearance however disguises its ruthless nature. The strands do not merely form a tapestry of darkness. It reaches deep within her body and integrates into every organ and every bone. The crude necrosurgery leaves an ever open wound between the shoulder blades where it enters the body. The wound is horrifying to look at but otherwise inflicts neither pain nor penalties upon Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles.

It is because of this that the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile is never seen not "wearing" it. It is also the same reason she does allow any but her honor guards to attend her when she is undressed.

For all its apparent horrors the cape is far far worse.

  • The Cape essentially makes Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles a puppet on strings. Regardless of the distance, the Mask of Winter can, should he wish it, play with her as a puppeteer does a marionette. He if he so chooses he can see what she sees, hear what she hears, smell what she smells, feel what she touches, etc. Fortunately this arcane link only links the physical and does not extend to the mind. So he does not know what she thinks or feels.
    • He can also communicate with her (as if he is whispering to her ear) over the same link.
  • While she would never have chosen it herself, the cape can reweave itself into a dozen razor sharp bundles 30 feet long. These cords functions the same as (Essence-2) permanent Charm of Withering Blood Chain Technique3
    • Being Razor Sharp Soulsteel, the attacks of these cords have the same Essence draining properties as Soul Steel and inflict Lethal Damage.
    • While the artifact have similar function as the Permanent Charm, it is not actually the Charm. Thus it does not count against the permanent Charm’s normal limit. Should she ever wish to do so, she can purchase the normal limit for the permanent version of the charm.
    • Like the Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles herself, these malignant appendages’ controls are shared between the Maiden and her master.
  • All these control are merely Damocles Sword. For the Mask of Winter never used it. He does not even use the communication function. Instead he resorts to Necromancy or more mundane ways. The Maiden of Mirthless Smile knows they exist however, since Mask of Winter told her personally when the surgery was performed.
  • In addition the darkness that extrudes from the cape (and the deadly cords it forms) are poisonous to all living things and takes effect when anything it coats inflicts lethal damage. It goes without saying the source of the corruption (the cords) are always thus coated, but one can sweep their weapon through the murkiness and it will gain enough coating for 1 attack. The Maiden buff her daiklave with the cape before every battle and its poisonous property last the whole scene.
    • The poison is magical corruption and cannot be prevented by mundane means. Though magical effects that stops poison and crippling effects does work.
    • The Poison drops Extras to the ground in terrifying screams as their mind is overwhelmed. Mercy is granted to them at the end of the scene as their hearts finally gives out.
    • Mortals fair slightly better, since they at least get a save of Stamina + Resistance over difficulty equal to the controller’s Essence. Should they make it, and it is very unlikely against Maiden of the Mirthless Smile's Essence score, they suffer the same effect as Enlightened Beings; Otherwise they perish just the same as Extras.
    • Enlightened Beings are sturdy enough to resist the poison’s deadlier effects. It however is still deliberating and causes mild hallucinations accompanied by high fever. It imposes a –1 Wound Penalty for a number of days equal to the controller’s Essence score. A successful poison RR vs. the controller’s Essence halves that duration.
    • While Maiden of the Mirthless Smile is inundated by her constant exposure, the poison works readily on abyssal as it does other Exalts. Of course it does not function on beings who has no wound penalties – such as the dead or constructs.
  • The last function is that the cape can be used to whisk the Maiden back to Her Abyssal Manse in an explosion of blood and gore. If one did not already know, it would only be natural to assume it was her that exploded. This is a means of last ditch effort to escape, and functions the same as a Perfect Dodge, though Mask of Winter can also use it as a form of Recall. The active use of this power is a reflexive action that takes 12 motes from the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile. However, it will automatically activate, at no cost, should the Maiden reach incapacitated or below.

Battlelusting Lightless Shadow

4 Dot Noble Soulsteel Warstrider

Mask of Winter does not wish to provoke the Warstrider Legion of Lookshy and thus far have kept all his true Warstriders in the Underworld. He made a great show of “field testing a prototype trying to even out the playing field against Lookshy.” This prototype is of course the too large construct made of bone that Adamant Sadness ended up running off with.

Power
A Standard Soulsteel Noble Warstrider built for her at the Command of the Mask of Winters. The only addition is the prehensile tail.

Nemissary Honor Guards

Hand picked Nemissaries to keep an eye on and to aid the Abyssals
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Like Adamant Sadness, Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles is always escorted by her personal nemissary guards.

These guards are all experienced veterans of the Stygian Wars with centuries of Arcanoi experience hand chosen by Mask of Winters to carry the honor of his chosen. Each of these ancients are granted a construct bodies that is the peak of necro-tech perfection and are both frightening in power and form and molded to emulate the icy beauty of their charge.

Commanding Officer: Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles
Armor Color: Black and Silver, tinged with iridescent Blue
Motto: “Accept this blessing [of death] from your betters”
General Makeup: 50 Ancient Nemissary, in Soulsteel Super-Heavy Plate, wielding Soulsteel Grand Grimscythe
Overall Quality: Ultra-Elite
Magnitude: 2 (Effectively 4)
Drill: 5
Morale: Perfect (Undead and Her are both effectively fearless)
Close Combat Attack: 8
Close Combat Damage: 7 (Piercing)
Shield: Soulsteel Wings (+2 DV)
Ranged Attack: –
Ranged Damage: –
Endurance: Tireless
Might: 5
Armor: 8 with a Hardness of 11 (-2 mobility)
Formation: Nemissaries of this caliber are never extras. The 50 angelic figures move between formations as needed, and support each other in battle. When not in mass combat they often coordinate attacks or move to surround an individual foe.

Note: These Nemissaries have 12 Heath Levels per Magnitude
Note: Soulsteel Wings are not flight capable, but are for defensive purposes. They can be used as shield against incoming attacks adding +2 to DV.
Note: Due to Mask of Winter hiding his true might, these nemissaries often just possess recently killed soldiers’ bodies. Thus they are not using the above stats. These stats are them in their necrosurgery-ed battle bodies.

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