Relentless Lunar Fury
Cost: 1m, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1 or 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: (Essence × 2) actions
Prerequisite Charms: None
After activating this Charm, the character enters a devastating battle fury. She may slaughter her foes as dispassionately as the most cold-blooded assassin, show her rage with shouts and grimaces, or act any other way she desires. This short-lived Charm is the exemplar of Lunar—indeed, some say Exalted—combat. Shielded by their fury, the character becomes a truly frightening foe.
The Charm's initial benefits are modest. The character adds one automatic success to all combat actions, from attacking and resisting knockdown to keeping balance during the fight, but her Defense Values remain unaffected. She does not suffer wound penalties until they are worse than -1 and completely ignores fatigue for the duration. Finally, the maximum benefit the character may obtain from her physical Attribute Excellencies increases to (Attribute + Essence).
Relentless Lunar Fury's real power lies in other Charms. Certain Charms have the Fury-OK keyword. These Charms describe special (but related) effects that they have when activated simultaneously with the Relentless Lunar Fury. Any Fury Charm's special benefit may be activated as a part of Relentless Lunar Fury without a Combo by adding two motes to the cost of Relentless Lunar Fury. These Charms' fury effects always end with Relentless Lunar Fury. Characters may have the normal version of a Charm active at the same time the Fury-OK version of a Charm is active. A character may not activate more than (Essence) additional fury Charms at once.
Example: The Count's wax soldiers surround Kajeha Lef, a Dexterity 4, Essence 3 Lunar. Activating Relentless Lunar Fury as a preface to tearing them apart, Lef also activates the fury effects of Painless Warrior Meditation and Wasp Sting Blur, bringing the total cost of Relentless Lunar Fury up to five motes and one Willpower. She could add one more fury effect (since she has Essence 3) but not more than that until she gains Essence 4.
Normally, Kajeha Lef's player may use Dexterity Excellencies to purchase four dice or two successes. While channeling her character's rage, her player may purchase up to seven dice or three successes.
A Lunar's fury comes with one drawback: The Lunar becomes so very focused that she cannot perform non-combat actions. The Lunar must continue to hunt and kill enemies until the Charm ends. With a successful reflexive Willpower roll, the character can perform a non-combat action (at -2 dice) or come off the offensive for a single action. She can only stop the fury early by forcefully calming her anger and cooling her blood; to do so, her player rolls (Willpower) at a difficulty of the character's Valor.
When a character activates more than three additional Charms in tandem with Relentless Lunar Fury (which requires Essence 4 or higher), the Charm becomes Obvious. Silver and white light flows around the character's weapon and forms contrails to emphasize her prowess.