Unrepentant Harvester of the Forsaken Bounty

Basic Information

Name: Harvester
Title: Unrepentant Harvester of the Forsaken Bounty
Birth Name: Yushoto Tezuka
Type: Dragon-Blooded Exalt
Player: Tony K
Aspect: Wood Aspect
Concept: Former Lookshy Ranger, now Ronin Warrior
Political Affiliation: It's complicated, but he is still loyal to Lookshy and The Scavenger Lands at heart.
Anima: Green vines swell in the earth beneath his feet, churning the soil before sprouting forth into a shimmering green bramble that grows taller and denser with his anima, small iridescent leaves break off once they reach their peak and flutter to the ground all around him.
Age of Exultation: 14
Actual Age: 30
Languages Spoken: Riverspeak (N)
Primary Virtue: Courage
Secondary Virtue: Wonder
Likes: Alcohol of all varieties, especially sake. Wild Animals, especially birds. Art, especially paintings.
Dislikes: Cruelty towards animals, livestock or completely domesticated animals. Does not eat meat that wasn't hunted from the wild. Creatures of Darkness, especially the undead. Over mundane and repetitive tasks, gets bored easily.
Harvester: Character Sheet

Background

Early Life

Yushoto Tezuka, who would later take up the mantle of The Unrepentant Harvester of the Forsaken Bounty, was born and raised in Lookshy. Born to two Dragon-Blooded parents and a member of The Major Gentes Yushoto, he lived a life of immense privilege but also of regimen and expectation. His mother, a Wood Aspected member of Gens Yushoto, has a highly successful military career that has led to a long service among the elite Lookshy Rangers. She is a pragmatic matriarch of the family with a political ideology that most closely aligns with the Mercenaries, and is a source of strength and courage in Harvester’s life. Her first marriage was one of love, and produced two Dragon-Blooded children before it was cut short by the untimely, and tragic death of her husband on a Wyld Hunt. His father, an Air Aspect from Gens Nefvarin, is her second husband and several decades her junior. He is a Sorcerer-Engineer of The Sky Guard, a title that he wears proudly, as if it still carried the prestige it would have centuries ago. His personal idealogy leans towards Interventionist, but he publicly defers to his wife’s political ideals; he is a source of adventure and wonder in Harvester’s life. The marriage is political, as Nefvarin relies on the sponsorship of Yushoto to retain its status, but shares fondness. It has produced three children so far, the first two have Exalted, of which he is the oldest. His older half siblings have always been distant, but he and his younger siblings were raised as closely as custom would allow. The older of the two has graduated from academy and joined the ranks of The Seventh Legion in what will surely be a prominent and successful military career. His youngest sibling is technically not too old to Exalt, but her opportunity to attend The Valkhawsen Academy of Sorcery and follow in her father’s footsteps appears to be a dream destined to go unrealized. As the first of her mother’s children that looks unlikely to Exalt, she is a source of great disappointment to the family, though that outcaste status is likely the reason she is the sole member of his family still in contact with him during his self imposed exile.

As for his own young career he often followed in his mother’s footsteps as he believed that is what was expected of him. He worked diligently to meet every expectation and exceed it through academy and his initial enrollment into The Seventh Legion. Upon his graduation and entrance into The Legion his father attempted to gift him a rare heirloom artifact of his historic Gens, a flying Wind Blade. Instead, he chose a relic of a reaper daiklave dubbed Splinter, as he believed a more traditional weapon would serve him in The Legions. His daiklave served him well in The Legion’s infantry, and when he re-enlisted he was honored to accept an invitation to join The Rangers as his mother had and many Yushoto before him.

The Fall of Thorns

The Lookshy Rangers were not protecting an ally when they watched darkness descend upon the city of Thorns, and the dead rise up out of the earth to envelop it. The war between Thorns and its Dynastic allies against The Scavenger Lands had ended in a stalemate years before and tensions receded from heightened levels, however The Seventh Legion was not one to forgive and forget. A small and covert Ranger outpost was manned by a score of The Seventh Legion’s elite Rangers on the outskirts of Thorns territory to observe and report. Yushoto Tezuka was second in command of the outpost, with a seasoned Ranger veteran who’d fought extensively in the war against Thorns in command. Tezuka had been at the post for three months when Thorns fell and The Scavenger Lands changed forever.

For two nights and a day the Rangers had noticed something amiss in and around Thorns and the Ranger in command had taken 5 of their best closer to the city to get more intel. Before the sun could rise on the second day a carrier falcon delivered an urgent message to Tezuka, warning him that an army of the dead are rising against Thorns and to send urgent news back to Seventh Legion command. Tezuka dispatched his two fastest riders and sent another falcon to the nearest Redoubt to pass the message along before leading what remained of his forces to reinforce his commander.

When Tezuka and the reinforcements arrived at their rally point there was no sign of their commander and a battle was erupting between the forces of Thorns and the Dead. Tezuka made the call to go in and attempt to get his commander out of the chaos. In the years of self reflection since that decision he has re-lived it many times. Was it compassion for his commander and fellow troops? Pride in his abilities to lead and fight? Naivety of the horrors that would be unleashed upon Creation? No matter the reason, none of them survived.

Of the score of Seventh Legion Rangers stationed at that outpost, none survived. The man now known as The Unrepentant Harvester of the Forsaken Bounty was there, but he would tell you that it was a different man that made the decision to lead his troops into battle that fateful morning. Some would say his survival was Fate or Luck. It wasn’t some profound display of talent and power. Though badly wounded he survived and escaped the battlefield, but he could not go back to Lookshy.

A New Home

Coming Soon...

Virtues Major Virtue: Courage - When he became a solider it was because Courage drove him, not fame, loyalty, glory, or a higher purpose. It was for the thrill that only comes from adversity and danger, a desire to prove to himself that he could do more. Do feel the adrenaline of a new experience course through his veins. For a time, after The Mask of Winters destroyed his unit, his courage was shattered along with it. Courage is not stupidity, though they sometimes go hand in hand. Slowly, his courage crept back inside of him and drove him to new answers, it is courage that allowed him to set aside the Immaculate Faith and give what he knew as Anathema a chance to prove that they can stand by the side of his fellow Dragon Blooded scions once more to drive the darkness back from whence it came. Secondary Virtue: Wonder - When his courage was shaken it was his sense of wonder that kept him going. He drifted through life, seemingly aimless, but it was not purely without cause and purpose. It was exploration of the unknown, new experiences, and curiosity. This wandering helped him rediscover his courage.

Intimacies Major principle: Creation is descending into darkness, but I will hold that darkness at bay. (Courage) Major tie: Odessa, my Great Roc familar. (Friendship) (Wonder) Minor tie: Lookshy (Fondness of Home) (Wonder) Minor tie: The Kingdom of Vitalis and it's people. (Respect) (Courage) Minor principle: I have seen what the enemies of Creation are capable of and we need more allies to stand against them. (Courage) Minor tie: The Sacred Topology & Simon (Alliance) (Wonder) Minor tie: Romael Rangor (Respect) (Courage)

Merits

Artifact - Primary

Splinter - Reaper Daiklave - His reaper daiklave is forged primarily of Ironwood from a great Ironwood Tree that was felled to make fortifications and hold back the Fair Folk during the Balorian Crusade. Of course those fortifications were shattered by the rampaging Fair Folk army. A shard of these fortifications was recovered during the early years of The Scarlet Dynasty and imbued with flecks of jade before being forged into a reaper daiklave for The Seventh Legion. Jade of all colors is scattered in tiny flecks throughout the Ironwood giving the weapon an iridescent sheen. The cutting edge of the sword is imbued with a razors edge of green jade that never dulls and makes the sword glow with vivid green life as it's wielder's anima grows. The Ironwood that makes up the bulk of the sword still lives and is infused with essence which gives the weapon its powers and allowing the sword to teem with life.

The sword is alive with essence which allows the wooden sword to grow and bend unlike a weapon of metal. The weapon gains the reaching and flexible tags representing the swords ability to grow in length or twist and bend around defenses.

Resonate: If the user is resonate with green jade the Ironwood seems to ooze a metaphysical plant based toxin. After a successful decisive attack the victim is poisoned by the plant based neurotoxin, dealing 2L/Round, for 3 + Essence Rounds, Difficulty 3 + Essence. (Contact Poison on page 136 of the manuscript as basis.)

Artifact - Tertiary

Vikram's Goggles - After their encounter with Vikram in the caves of Nod, Harvester picked his magical goggles off his dead body while searching him for any clues. These goggles allowed Vikram to see through Veil's magical fake gem.

• The Exalt perceives the presence of Essence, including dematerialized spirits and borders between worlds such as the Wyld or shadowlands as gauzy distortions. Attuned artifacts appear as though lit from within, and hearthstones burn like embers. Whenever a character uses Essence to power Charms or any other effects, these are always visible to the user as though the character had an active anima. They may make Force + Sagacity rolls to try to understand spirit magics, sorcerous workings and other strange phenomena like those produced by demesnes, the Wyld and the Underworld or to identify the use of a Charm. Such effects may have variable difficulty — typically three plus the creator’s Essence or a difficulty modified by the effect’s nature and complexity. (All Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight)
  • 1 Evocation Level Power Pending - TBD?

Familiar - Secondary

Odessa - Metagalapan Riding Hawk Odessa is a Metagalapan Riding Hawk that Harvester rescued as a fledgling from the shadow of Mount Metagalapa. Though now grown Odessa is a loyal companion to Harvester who treats her as an equal companion and friend. Odessa is large enough to be ridden as a mount by a single rider, and could carry another human in her talons without being encumbered. As his familiar, the essence bond between them allows them to understand one another and share her senses. Touching the familiar restores motes equal to this Merit’s rating. The familiar ages as your character does, and cannot die of natural causes until they do.

Odessa has the ability to transform into a normal sized hawk (small) and back to full size riding hawk(large). This is a simple action and takes a round. Odessa must spend a mote of essence from her pool each time she transforms. This removes a mote from the pool that can replenish Harvester.

Odessa posses human level intelligence and is capable of human speech. (Beast-Uplifting Harmony)

Harvester always knows Odessa's location, condition, and surface thoughts. (Beast-Uplifting Harmony)

• Hawk Form (Small)
• Metagalopian Riding Hawk (Large)
  • Primary Pool:* Flying & Diving & Senses 8
  • Secondary Pool:* Hunting, Tracking, Grapple 5
  • Tertiary Pool:* Stealth & Feats of Strength 3
  • Health Levels:* 7
  • Defense:* 4
  • Hardness:* 5
  • Soak:* 4
  • Essence Pool: 3 Motes
    • Essence pool refills at the beginning of each session of play. As a Familiar may transfer motes to owner (Harvester).
  • Dive: Accuracy 8 Dice + 2 Successes; Damage +0/+1 (Large); Overwhelm 1; Defense +1 (Double 9's on Acc)
  • Grapple: Accuracy 5 Dice + 2 Successes; Damage +0/+1 (Large); Overwhelm 1; Defense +1
• Special:
  • In large form can be used as a mount for a single rider.
  • Among the fastest of birds, hawks double 9s on diving attacks and rushes.

Contacts - Tertiary

Scavenger Lands Intelligence Groups - When he was a Lookshy Ranger his contacts spread across the Scavenger Lands because he had the The Seventh Legion at his back. However, over time those connections become personal, and some of them have remained, even if some believe him to be dead. He knows where to find informants, safe houses, and the like throughout the Scavenger Lands and many are still willing to help him, either because his connections grew beyond only business or because they still assume he serves The Seventh Legion.

He is a Factor of The Sacred Topology, and has been for some time, dating back to his days a a Ranger for Lookshy. Though he is in The Sacred Topology's sphere of influence often in The Hundred Kingdoms, he is fairly inactive as it can be a more political endeavor than he cares to involve himself in these days. When he does visit he is careful to keep his ledger in the black.

Influence - Tertiary

The Kingdom of Nod - During the events of Sultan Pepper Harvester helped to eliminate the existing power structure in Nod's Criminal Underworld, and maneuvered to empower Amon Vesh as the new leader of the criminal empire vacated by Vikram The Serpent and Nikita. Amon Vesh is loyal to Harvester for fear of sharing the fate of Vikram and Nikita as well as being fiercely loyal only to himself and his best interests, which is not crossing Harvester and his friends by turning a Criminal Underworld into an ally of the power of Darkness. Harvester has arranged for Amon Vesh to have tabs kept on him by Simon and The Sacred Topology and The Green Fingers Tea Shop.