Ragara Feria

Ragara Feria
Admiral of the Imperial Air Fleet

Background: One of the few outside of House Peleps who are trusted as leaders among their ranks, Fleet Admiral Ragara Feria is a decisive and focused leader who has earned the adoration of her crew both for her tactical know-how and her brilliant personality and wit — which both serve as contributing factors toward arousing terror in those who bring trouble to her waters. She prioritizes her career above all else, and has not made any effort to settle down and marry a man or woman as a result. Feria is committed to maintaining peaceful seas through aggressive tactics and ruthless politics, and does not shy away from pursuing reports of piracy or illicit trade even if she has only a fraction of the details. If she should hear whispers that there are plans for a strike on a local port she will do everything in her power to eliminate the problem before it has time to exist. Likewise, she has been well revered by her peers for her keen eye for stowaways and harsh punishments toward those looking to abuse fleet privileges. She regularly receives dispatches on Anathema sought by the Wyld Hunt, and often enjoys tracking them down personally — an effort that has not gone unnoticed among her superiors. Though she understands the duties of her position and willingly answers to House Peleps regarding her work, Feria has been under pressure since the Empress disappeared to use her fleet for House Ragara’s own purposes — particularly to make sure that key shipments arrive intact and on time. Feria holds great respect for the ranks and rulings of the Navy and values peace between the houses, but has found that her loyalties are being tested as she considers what the implications could be for both herself and her position if she chooses to disrupt the balance that she has maintained for so long.

Image: Ragara Feria carries herself with the confidence of a leader and is rarely seen outside of her military uniform. Her terra-cotta complexion suggests that she hails from a region far from the frigid northern seas where her fleet sails, though her soft features are often obscured by a focused expression while she is engaged in her work. Raiders who dare set course through her waters often whisper warnings of the admiral who sets ships aflame with her very step as they recount the foreboding sight of her burning anima during a dark night at sea.

Intimacies: Defining: “Fear is a necessary weapon.”; Major: House Peleps (Respect), House Ragara (Obligation), Tanoa’s Kiss (Protection); Minor: “Peace is subjective,” Raiders (Loathing)

Secrets: Feria is quick to condemn piracy and works diligently to prevent raids and scavenging, but has personal reasons for wishing to see to certain things in person — she has been amassing a small collection of souvenirs from defeated foes, including objects that may be of interest to some particular devotees of the Immaculate Order.

Equipment: Naval Admiral’s uniform, Tanoa’s Kiss, spyglass. Feria is also typically armed with a number of small blades suitable for close combat, especially if she is preparing to board a ship or break up a raid firsthand. In addition to her uniform, Feria dons a buff jacket reinforced with black jade to prepare for difficult adversaries and raids.

Roleplaying Hints: Ragara Feria is aware of her own presence and influence, but does not believe she is superior
to any members of her own fleet or her peers within the Imperial Navy. Though she is a skilled fighter, she prefers to attempt to intimidate her foes before striking them down.

Aspect: Fire
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3;
Charisma 3, Manipulation 5, Appearance 4;
Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 4;
Essence: 3
Willpower: 8
Join Battle: 7
Personal Motes: 14
Peripheral Motes: 35
Health Levels: -0/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap.
Abilities: Athletics 3, Awareness 3, Brawl 2, Bureaucracy 3, Dodge 3, Integrity 2, Investigation 2, Larceny 1, Linguistics 1, Lore 1, Melee 4, Presence 2, Resistance 2, Sail 5, Socialize 2, Thrown 1, War 3
Merits: Backing (Air Fleet) 4, Command 3, Influence 4, Language (Low Realm) 1, Language (Skytongue) 1, Martial Artist 4, Manse 3, Resources 4, Strong Lungs 1
Specialties: Athletics (Rigging), Athletics (Swimming), Lore (Northern Raiders), Melee (Sword), Sail (Boarding Actions), Sail (Fleet Tactics), Presence (Commanding)
Attack (Tanoa’s Kiss): 12 dice – Lethal, Melee, Balanced; (damage 15; min. 4)
Attack (Knife): 12 dice – Lethal, Melee, Thrown (Short); (damage 10; min. 1)
Attack (Boarding Axe): 10 dice – Lethal, Melee, Chopping; (damage 12; min. 1)
Combat: Soak 11 (Medium Armor +8); Parry: 5 (melee); Evasion: 3 (Medium Armor -1); Rush 7 dice; Disengage: 7 dice
Social: Resolve: 3; Guile: 4

Crew: While in combat, Feria may call upon her crew to assemble a battle group of Battle-Ready Troops (Exalted, pp. 496-497) with the following traits: Size 2, Elite Drill, Magnitude 7

Tanoa’s Kiss
(Red Jade Reaper Daiklaive, Artifact •••)
A blade once wielded by an ancestor of Ragara Feria, the fleet admiral set out to recover it from thieves shortly after being promoted to her position. Stories of Ragara Tanoa and the blade that granted her a mastery of the elements around her helped inspire Feria to take to the sea, and she does not intend on letting the weapon be stolen from her family again.

EVOCATIONS OF TANOA’S KISS
The wielder ignores all environmental penalties from fog, rainfall, and other watery environs.
VEILING MIST Cost: 5m, 2i; Mins: Essence 1; Type: Simple
Keywords: Perilous, Resonant
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: None
To use this Evocation, Feria must be on a ship’s deck, under rainfall, or in similarly wet conditions, sweeping Tanoa’s Kiss to draw up moisture around her into hissing steam. She and all allies within short range of her may use Take Cover actions (Exalted, pp. 198- 199) within the mist as though it were light cover.
Resonant: The wielder treats the mist as heavy cover instead.
LEAPING FLAME CUT
Cost: 5m, 1a, 1wp; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Decisive-only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Veiling Mist
Feria’s blade is consumed with burning heat as she strikes her target, revealing itself in leaping flames. To use this Evocation, she must be at Initiative 15+. She rolls a single decisive attack against two enemies, dividing her Initiative evenly between them, rounded down, to determine the damage rolled against them. One target must be in close range, but she may strike the second target from afar if he is within short range of the primary target.

Charms
OFFENSIVE CHARMS
Stoking Bonfire Style (1m per die; Supplemental; Instant; Uniform): Add up to (Melee + Specialty) bonus dice on an attack roll. If Feria uses this Charm to attack the same enemy over multiple consecutive rounds, its cost is reduced by one mote for each round (minimum 0). Attacking another enemy or going a turn without attacking resets the discount.
Smoldering Essence Attack (5m, 1a; Simple; Instant; Withering-only): Feria makes a withering attack that drains an additional Initiative for every 10 on the damage roll. She doesn’t gain this Initiative. The struck enemy loses the same amount of Initiative on his next (Essence) turns, or until he hits her with a withering attack.

DEFENSIVE CHARMS
Blinding Spark Distracting (2m per +1 Parry; Reflexive; Instant): Add up to ([Melee + Specialty] / 2) to Parry. Successfully blocking a close range attack blinds the attacker (Exalted, p. 168) until the end of his next turn.
Portentous Comet Deflection (3m, 1wp; Reflexive; Instant; Clash, Decisive-only): Feria may reflexively clash an attack against her with a decisive attack. This counts as her attack for the round, and can’t be used if she’s already made her attack.

Mobility Charms
Deck-Striding Prana (3m, 2i; Reflexive; Instant): Add (Sail) bonus dice on a movement roll. Feria can climb one range band up a ship’s rigging or similar surfaces with her reflexive move.

SOCIAL CHARMS
Glowing Coal Radiance (2m per success; Supplemental; Instant): Add up to ([Presence + Specialty] / 2) successes on a Presence roll, and roll a non-Charm die for each 10 on the roll.
Moth to the Candle (2m, 1wp; Simple; One scene): Feria’s enemies must prioritize attacking her over any other character unless they pay 1wp to resist. They can still take non-attack actions, as long as they don’t harm her allies.
Bellowing Thunder Admiral (8m, 1wp; Simple; One scene): Feria adds (Essence / 2) successes on command actions targeting battle groups made up of mortal sailors, and they gain (Essence / 2) successes on rolls to resist rout. She and all sailors under her command gain +1 Resolve. If she wins Join Battle after boarding a ship in naval combat, she may use this Charm reflexively.
Passionate Soul Incitation (5m, 1a; Supplemental; Instant): When a target enters a Decision Point to resist a Presence or Socialize roll, he can only invoke an Intimacy based on passion to resist, unless he has none.