Mage/Theme/Legacies/Wasukei no Seirei

Wasukei no Seirei (Planet Spirits)

And so you're back from outer space.

Fighting Evil by Moonlight

The annals of the Chrysanthemum Throne in Kyoto do not record when Amaterasu first gifted the ten relics of the Arcana to the Planet Spirit Defenders. The legend of their origin is said to date to what westerners called Atlantis. But they did not rise to the status of anything more than folk heroes until the late Edo period, and into the early Meiji restoration.

The Taloned Shogunate of the Learned Masters was giving way to progress and civic order, championed by the rising fortunes of the Hideki line of Proximi and the Silver Ladder. The Ladder made a point of formally adopting the Spirit Defenders into their Caucus. The Legacy which had belonged to the unnamed folk wizards of Japan, now had a place in history and a cryptopoly feeding it candidates as one or more drop out.

When there are not five, they are seeking to become five again. They are never more than five.

Origins

Parentage: Mastigos, Silver Ladder

Background: Young Japanese women with other things on their mind than saving the solar system, usually school or dating.

Appearances: Typically, the legacy's members enter young and leave feet first. Also rather young. There are numerous instances of women aging out and passing the weapons on to pursue other legacies and pursuits. Since thusfar all of the members of the legacy have been born in Japan and are of Japanese ancestry, that remains the status quo at the moment. Modes of dress therefore are whatever the kids are wearing in Tokyo these days.

Doctrine

Prerequisites: Life 1, Weaponry 2, Expression 1, Athletics 1

Initiation: Numerous Cryptopolies exist filtering candidates into the Silver Ladder's program. Often, the candidate is selected for the program prior to their awakening, but more often the decision is made once a candidate has reached their full potential. So far, awakenings within the program take place most often surrounding the time a member has died or is about to die. Retirements tend to happen most around the time of an early awakening, as one of the girls learns their clock is about to get punched. There is no recorded instance of a girl selected for the responsibility having ever refused it. The Supernal seems to know what it wants in these young women, and while their spirits may fail from time to time, their determination doesn't.

These women are often above the curve in most respects. Clever, physically fit, personable, and highly talented. Over time they learn self-confidence and courage until they're almost character flaws. Earlier, doubts are more prevalent. But with no one there to guide the women but the women themselves and the fate of the solar system resting on their shoulders, they constantly find themselves rising to meet most every obstacle.

Organization: The five planet spirits have a home base, a shrine to Amaterasu in Kyoto which has a sanctum within. In it, the girls practice the art of the sword, the spear, the bow, the hammer, and the whip. And also rock and roll music and sapphic romance.

Theory: Empowered with potent shadow names and mystical cadre theme that empowers their shadow selves, the Planet Spirits work both in the fallen world and within the Astral Realms to preserve the stellar order and safeguard the dreams of mankind. Pledged to use the power of understanding to unlock new mysteries deep in the slumbering planets and defeat the wretched and evil incursions of the abyss, for countless centuries the Spirits have fought their way through Martian temples and lunar ruins, casting Acamoth back into the eternal night with steely resolve and at least a few good one liners. All to defend the dreams of humanity and the hope of ascension.

Magic

Ruling Arcanum: Life

Yantras: Extralunar matter that has fallen to earth +2, their Supernal Watcher +1/+2, displayed path symbols +1 per 3 up to +3.

Oblations: Meditation on the spheres +1, Music, Poetry, Art, study of the Lex Magica, pro social public debate

Attunement: Each Spirit knows how to operate the artifacts of the Arcana entrusted to them. An initial attunement may be achieved after meditating with the artifact for four hours a day for a chapter. Once attuned, the weapon will remain attuned until voluntarily surrendered to a *worthy successor*.

Attainments

First: Heightened Awareness

Prerequisites: Initiation
As part of her morning rituals, the Planet Spirit calls upon the power of her celestial body. It makes the Spirit more aware of her surroundings, harder to surprise, and far more likely to spot an ambush before she walks right into it. Similar to the Life 1 effect Heightened Senses, enjoy a bonus on perception rolls based on the attainment's potency.
Optional: Mind 1
Planet Spirits experience more, sense more, feel more. With this optional effect, they are able to commit to memory those experiences they wish to be able to recount later. This sensory recall is perfect, and similar to that afforded by the Mind 1 effect Perfect Recall.

Second: Dashing Solar Strike

Prerequisites: Life 2, Weaponry 3, Expression 2
The Planet Spirit is one with her weapon and her armor. Able to leap vast distances in every direction, this power is often used to engage or disengage with an enemy. At the cost of 1 potentia, the Spirit may move her full speed plus this attainment's potency as movement in any direction so long as at the end of that distance, she is able to strike an enemy. This power counts as using the character's full movement for the round, and cannot be done while dodging or otherwise committing defense to another action.
Optional: Mind 2
Being charged at by an armor clad battle maiden wielding an axe that is also a guitar while said battle maiden is running on a cushion of light through the air and screaming at you is, to put it mildly, a heck of a thing. The Spirits are able to strike terror into the hearts of their opponents. Targeted enemies cannot attempt to move away or use ranged weaponry. They must stand their ground and either fight in close combat, dodge, or surrender. This power is withstood by resolve, and its primary factor is potency. It costs 1 potentia to activate and maintain per opponent.

Third: Spirit Sister Bond

Prerequisites: Life 3, Empathy 2
With a touch, the Spirit may impart strength and confidence to her battle sisters. As an instant action, the Spirit may place a number of conditions up to this effect's potency split between any other Spirits in contact with her at the time. These conditions are physical and instinctual, rather than considered mental conditions. Resolute could work, but informed could not. The bond must be renewed on the new moon in a ritual taking roughly an hour.
Optional: Mind 3
While within sensory range of one another, the sisters share a telepathic link with one another at all times, more or less. While thoughts and feelings they do not wish to share will not be, it is an otherwise unfiltered look into the minds and experiences of one's battle sisters. It tends to bring about a level of intimacy that transcends the physical, as once you've shared your darkest secrets with someone, there's really no reason not to kick back in kigurumi and play nintendo about it. This link often comes with the application of conditions stated above. It's always good to know you're not alone when you need it most.
Optional: Space 2
The above effects may be used at sympathetic range.

Fourth: Reshaping Way

Prerequisites: Life 4, Expression 3, Athletics 3
The Spirit is able to reshape her form into that of an animal aligned with her Path. When the Spirit learns this attainment, they bond with a goetic spirit of their planet's choir and in the process are given access to a single animal form pertaining to their Path. Typically, these animals are rather run of the mill examples of their Path's possible fauna. A moth, a songbird, or similar. And given this power's use in infiltration and evasion, that anonymity in ubiquity is a bit of a blessing in disguise. With Matter 4, items carried by the Spirit transform along with her.
Optional: Mind 4
The Planet Spirit's espionage benefits from the effects of Universal Language. While the animal form of the Spirit may not be able to speak, it can understand comprehensively all that it hears an all that it sees where semiotics are concerned. Spirits often employ this power to puzzle out the riddles within the Atlantean ruins that dot the planetary landscapes.

Fifth: Battle Phase

Prerequisites: Life 5, Weaponry 5
Power surges through the legendary warrior. Her strength, dexterity, and stamina all increase according to this effect's potency, even if this pushes them above 5. This effect may only be initiated after initiative has been rolled. While it may be done reflexively, it counts as your movement for that turn. This extraordinary power burns through potentia reserves at a rate of two per turn, plus one per turn activated without putting an enemy into a downed state. This power ends when the last enemy known to be in the fight has fallen, surrendered, or fled.
Optional: Mind 5
That power now extends to increasing the warrior's skills beyond the limits of human ability. When this attainment is learned, choose a single combat skill. When this attainment is activated, that skill is increased by this effect's potency, even if this pushes that skill over your gnosis maximum.