The Animating Energies of Life

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* *Vitalities* are reserves that can be called upon or lost in times of hardship
* There are four main *Vitalities*, and one additional one
* *Breath*: Stamina, energy, and exertion
* *Fire*: Spirit, ferocity, and passion
* *Nerve*: Fortitude, courage, and mental hardiness
* *Blood*: Health, life, and vigor
* And optionally, *Steel*: Destiny, fortune, and divine intervention
* Some Races have different sets of *Vitalities*

# Vitalities

A soldier is animated by four essential Vitalities that work together to enable him to fight and strive against adversity, plus an additional Vitality that exceptional warriors may seize.

## The **Breath** in his lungs

> *"In such moments, it was of the utmost importance to stay silent, but our Breath rasped loudly through our throats due to our exertion."*
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Breath is a measure of a character's stamina and physical energy, expended during strenuous exercise or long-term efforts. Some common ways to lose Breath are Dash Maneuvers and Barrage or Frantic Close Attacks.

### Restoring Breath

Breath is regained through resting, dependent upon current Nourishment:

#### Breather and Short Break

A Breather is a brief Rest taken in the middle of extremely strenuous exertion like combat, while a Short Break is a pause from difficult and continuous effort such as manual labor. Both Breathers and Short Breaks allow a character the chance to regain some Breath that has been expended recently. A Breather can restore Breath spent earlier in the same combat, while a Short Break can return Breath lost by exertion within the past couple hours.

In both cases, the character cannot push himself or do physically demanding things during the Rest. And Rests cannot be taken two in a row, with additional Breath needing to be spent before another Rest can be taken.

#### Quick Nap and Full Sleep

When a character is asleep, he is unaware of his surroundings, though he may make an Awareness Test with a Difficulty set by the Game Master depending on the magnitude of external stimuli and level of exhaustion in order to wake up early.

Characters can only benefit from the full Breath replenishment of one Quick Nap and one Full Sleep per day. Additional Quick Naps only grant the benefits of a Breather despite otherwise taking the same amount of time and otherwise requiring the conditions for a Quick Nap. Additional Full Sleeps are not an option.

#### Resilience Test

Upon taking any Rest, a character can make a Fitness (Resilience) Test with a standard Difficulty of 4. A Success result allows him to regain +1 additional Breath from the Rest, while achieving 2 Victory Points increases this to +2 additional Breath.

## The **Fire** in his heart

> *"With Fire shining in our eyes, we jumped screaming over the edge of the trench. Not a man hesitated, and we swooped upon the enemy’s position like birds of prey."*
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## The **Nerve** in his spine

> *"When I laid down on the bed boards in the dugout, I realized that my Nerves were shot. My teeth were chattering, and exhausted though I was, I could not sleep."*
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## The **Blood** in his veins

> *"The tattered cloth pulled away to show a ragged hole from which his Blood dripped out to satisfy the thirsty dust. The bright red rivulets contrasted with his pale, gaunt face."*
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## The **Steel** in his soul

> *"The soldier cowering in the crater disappeared in a cloud of dirt and smoke, while the officer dragging a wounded man right next to him went unharmed. The shrapnel appeared to bounce off him as if he were made of Steel."*
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Steel is the ephemeral fierceness that distinguishes the thread of the great man from the easily severed masses within the weave of destiny. Steel is the supernatural protection bestowed upon the extraordinary warriors who face and overcome impossible odds. Steel is the patronage of the tides of war to ensure that the favored sons of battle do not falter before their greatness has been achieved.

Steel is the twist of fate that sees a dead man walk away from his scheduled demise without a scratch.

### Gaining Steel

Steel is rewarded at the end of the session to the character who actions were undeniably the bravest, the boldest, and the most daring. The players must discuss and decide upon the single character who sprang to the aid of others or the call of battle with the most selfless abandon.

If the Gamemaster agrees that Steel was rightfully earned, the chosen character is granted Steel.

A character can have Steel, or not. There is no storing of Steel to save up several uses of it.

### Spending Steel

* Whenever Steel strikes forth, a Skill Test becomes an automatic Victory of the highest degree.
* Whenever Steel lashes out, a Skill Test becomes a total Disaster of the worst caliber.
* Whenever Steel protects, all incoming Damage is miraculously negated.
* Whenever Steel demands, the immediate situation acquiesces to fulfill the needs of the character.

Whenever Steel intervenes, it is depleted, though it can be earned again.

# Unique Vitalities

Some Races possess Vitalities due to their specific natures. **Burrowers**, **Flame Maidens**, and **Living Dolls** all have a different set of Vitalities to the usual five.

# Burrowers

Burrowers are not beings of flesh and blood but rather their bodies are composed of imprinted Essence given shape to interact with the world. Their true Spirit resides within their Jewel Heart, and destruction of their bodies will not kill them. Likewise, they do not have to worry about physical stamina or mental resolve. They have two unique Vitalities, Clarity and Gleam:

## The **Clarity** of her Jewel Heart

> *"Unlike a mundane gemstone, the Soul Stone of a Burrower is in a constant state of flux. But just like a normal jewel, the condition of a Burrower can be assessed by the fractures, inclusions, and blemishes affecting her Jewel Heart which all serve to reduce its Clarity."*
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Clarity is the measure of a Burrower's spiritual health as observed by the stresses inflicted upon her Jewel Heart. Whenever a Burrower's physical body takes damage or spiritual pollution affects her wellbeing, the resultant loss of Clarity brings her one step closer to shattering. Clarity can be restored through a period of recuperation within a healthy natural environment.

## The **Gleam** in her eyes

> *"Peer into the eyes of a lively Rock Sprite and you might see a flash of bright apprehension, a glitter of shifting mischief, or a sheen of sharp suspicion. No matter the exact lustre, the Gleam of reflected light can awaken a dazzled fascination."*
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The energy that powers a Burrower's abilities is called Gleam. This energy is poorly understood by Humans, but accumulates from excess Essence radiated by nature.

# Flame Maidens

Fire elementals are also spirits who lack an organic body, and their needs and capabilities are quite different from those of a Human. They have three unique Vitalities, Char, Fuel, and Flame:

## The **Char** of her vessel

> *"Near a heat so intense, nothing remains but the chalky white remnants of combustion. But when cooled enough, it is this very Char which enables a Flame Maiden to touch the world without igniting everything around them."*
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A Flame Maiden's body is mostly made up of dense ash known as Char, which enables their fiery spirit to exist without raging out of control. If this Char is ever ruptured or lost in great enough quantities, it can cause a Flame Maiden to erupt into a holocaust of destruction, and if not replenished in time, to eventually burn out.

## The **Fuel** for her fires

> *"At the center of every fire is some sort of combustible, and Flame Maidens are no different. Though they burn like any mundane fire, the wise ones store away this Fuel for later so they may continue to smolder without falling victim to their ravenous appetites."*
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In order to maintain their lives, Flame Maidens require Fuel. They do not burn it all at once however, and often compress burnable material within their cores so that it can be ignited and consumed as needed. Without Fuel, a Flame Maiden may be driven out of desperation into a state of uncontrolled burning in search for anything to keep herself kindled.

## The **Flame** of her essence

> *"At their hearts, Flame Maidens are just that: a being of pure fire. Everything around them is but a vessel for that Flame, and it is only through maintaining that release of energy which they cling on to life."*
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Fire can be as destructive as it is transformative, and the degree to which a Flame Maiden can raise her temperatures or unleash her fires upon the world is measured by her Flame. Should her Flames ever be extinguished, she will die.

# Living Dolls

Living Dolls are spirits who inhabit the bodies of puppets, though their true nature resides within a spirit chalice they keep on them at all times, which takes the form of a Lantern. They can survive even complete destruction of their doll bodies, and so have only one Vitality to manage: Light.

## The **Light** of her Lantern

> *"It is a curious, swirling thing which resides within a Living Doll's Lantern. No mere flickering candle, but a being of pure Light which reflects the world around it as much as it casts its own illumination."*
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Much like a Burrower's **Gleam**, a Living Doll's life force and ability to alter the world with her own Essence can be measured by the amount of Light that her Lantern emits.