Name      : Rubin  [The name he chose.  It means "See, a son!"  If he has a last name, it's something the bureaucrats made up and stuck on his file]<br/>Calling   : Paladin [Please do not think in D&D terms]<br/>Nature    : Fanatic<br/>Pantheon  : Atzlanti<br/>God       : Tezcatlipoca<br/>----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>BACKGROUND<br/>Visitation:<br/>Underneath a bench in an out-of-the-way corner of Puerto Vallarta lay the sleeping, emaciated body of a male Mexican teenager.  While he slept, he dreamed.<br/>In his dream, a sun hotter than any he'd ever felt beat down on his back as he climbed a series of stone steps.  It was a real struggle, because the steps were so steep and shallow.  There was something else, too...  Each time one of his bare feet landed, there was a squelch and a smell.  The steps were slick.  As he climbed, he slowly realized why.  They were covered, caked, with layers of partly-dried blood.  He hadn't realized it at first because there was so much of the stuff, but that was definitely what it was.  The smell suddenly seemed sickening.<br/>Up to this point he'd kept his eyes on his feet because of the treacherous footing, but now he lifted them and cast about for something else to look at.  Up ahead was a long line of steps with the blood growing ever deeper.  To either side was endless jungle-- thick and green, the kind of jungle where you met man-eating snakes and spiders that ate cats and dogs.  Directly overhead was the sun, blisteringly hot and unforgettable even for a moment.  Down below was the base of the temple, which seemed to sprout out of the forest.  The steps ended in a trembling mass of black and orange and yellow.  Trying to decide what it exactly it was occupied him for some time, and before he knew it the top of the pyramid came into view.<br/>It was unassuming in the extreme.  Three figures stood on a flat stone platform about the size of two kitchen tables.  In the exact middle of the platform was a stone block about the size of a hospital bed.  The two figures nearest the top of the stairs were dark-skinned and faceless.  Each held a crude wooden scoop, and they took it in turns to try to clean blood off of the platform, flinging it into the jungle below.  At the rate they were going, it would take them days just to clear the entire platform, let alone any of the steps.  The climber almost felt sorry for them.<br/>There was a bright, flickering, darkening light radiating from the stone block-- slowly it resolved into a burning mass of pulpy flesh.<br/>And behind the stone block stood god.  As soon as his eyes fell fully on him, the climber knew.  It was the same blind, absolute realization that early men felt when they looked at the sun.  This was god.<br/>God had an oversized knife made from black, glinting stone.  He looked like a great jungle cat, crouching even when he stood fully erect.  God's eyes locked with the climber's.  He did not beckon; the climber would arrive soon enough.<br/>Finally he stood at the top of the pyramid, facing god.  He leaned forward, feeling the heat of the burning pile.  The two faceless shovel-bearers paused in their work and he felt their hands on his back.  God swung the obsidian knife into his chest, opening a massive wound and shearing through rips as if they were dried spaghetti.  Rich tomato paste erupted out of the wound, and god's other hand reached into his chest to pull out his heart.  Hearts.  That was what was at the highest point of the pyramid.  As his heart dropped onto the pile and his vision darkened, the Scion smiled and relaxed back into the arms of the men behind him.<br/>As flames rose around his heart, god gestured with a bloodstained hand and his fading consciousness lingered.<br/>The flames struggled to ignite the warm, damp heart.  His smile lingered.  God spoke, his eyes like those of a cat toying with a mouse.  "Do you know who I am?"<br/>"God."<br/>A deep laugh seemed to echo from the jungle.  "Of a quarter of the entire world, which I made and fought for with my own hands!  But there are few enough who know it."  He made an angry slashing gesture with the knife.  The new heart sizzled, adding its aroma to the heavy air at the pyramid's peak.  "Few enough..."  God seemed to shrink inwards.  Then he looked at the boy's body, suspended on the edge of death.  "Do you know who you are?"<br/>Still smiling, "No."<br/>God picked the still-burning heart up off the altar and shoved it back into its owner's chest.  "You are my son."<br/>As the climber woke up, banging his head against the bench, it felt like every vein in his body was on fire.  But his screams were suppressed by the blood that filled his mouth.<br/><br/>So, he was living on the streets in Mexico (quite an achievement, by the way) before his divine father found him (mother unknown).  Now he worships his father, believes a quarter of the world is his by right (the old legend of the Four Tezcatlipocas), that sort of thing.  The exact reasons for this are touched on in the visitation, but the basic premise is that he thinks about his parent exponentially more than his parent thinks about him.<br/>He's not deranged, and he doesn't even have "fanatical lights in his eyes."  In fact, he can be quite charismatic.  And since a large portion of the world belongs to his father, he dutifully tries to preserve it.  But he views the world in terms of "Tezcatlipoca first, everything else second."  So basically the kind of person who would leap in front of a bus to save a kitten, but then rip that kitten's heart out with his bare hands and burn it on an altar if he felt his father wanted it.<br/><br/>Now we come to the tricky part.  For whatever reason (lots of rationalizing here) his father has not seen fit to provide much guidance or training.  So he decided to learn by experimenting.  Since his powers involve manipulating the very threads of Fate, these were some colorful experiments.  After a great deal of drama, celestial authorities eventually gave him the choice of leaving the country or a fate that would make traditionalist Aztec priests recoil in horror.<br/>It was lifetime imprisonment in Mexico.  What did you THINK I meant?  Regardless, he chose to travel to America.  He needed to learn, to become more useful, you know the drill.  And he'd done about as much as he could Puerto Vallarata...<br/><br/>Rule #1 of being a Scion:  Don't antagonize destiny.<br/><br/>--------------------------------------------------------------<br/>ATTRIBUTES<br/>[X] = favored<br/><br/>[ ]Strength : 4 (2)      [X]Charisma    : 5 (1)      [ ]Perception  : 3 (-)<br/>[X]Dexterity: 5 (2)      [X]Manipulation: 1 (-)      [ ]Intelligence: 2 (-)<br/>[ ]Stamina  : 2 (2)      [X]Appearance  : 1 (-)      [X]Wits        : 4 (1)<br/>----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>ABILITIES<br/>[X] = favored<br/><br/>[ ]Academics     : -<br/>[ ]Animal Ken    : -<br/>[ ]Art<br/>: -<br/>: -<br/>[X]Athletics     : 3<br/>[ ]Awareness     : 3<br/>[X]Brawl         : 1<br/>[ ]Command       : -<br/>[ ]Control<br/>: -<br/>: -<br/>[ ]Craft<br/>: -<br/>: -<br/>[ ]Empathy       : 3<br/>[X]Fortitude     : 1<br/>[ ]Integrity     : 3<br/>[ ]Investigation : 1<br/>[ ]Larceny       : 1<br/>[ ]Marksmanship  : -<br/>[ ]Medicine      : 1<br/>[ ]Melee         : 3<br/>[X]Occult        : 3<br/>[ ]Politics      : -<br/>[X]Presence      : 3<br/>[ ]Science<br/>: -<br/>: -<br/>[X]Stealth       : 3<br/>[ ]Survival      : 1<br/>[ ]Thrown        : -<br/><br/>----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>ADVANTAGES<br/><br/>Virtues                  Willpower: 7/7            Legend: 3<br/>Name: Conviction 4                                 Legend Points: 9/9<br/>Name: Courage 3<br/>Name: Duty 1<br/>Name: Loyalty 1<br/><br/>---------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>WEAPONS<br/>(melee)<br/>Speed: -   Accuracy: +   Damage: +L   Defense: +<br/>Tags<br/><br/>(ranged)<br/>Speed: -   Accuracy: +   Damage: +L   Range: -    Clip: -<br/>Tags<br/><br/>"Modern Macana" (melee)<br/>Speed: 4   Accuracy: +1   Damage: +4L   Defence: +1<br/>Tags [THS: +9, day 1/5]<br/><br/>Clinch (melee)<br/>Speed: 6   Accuracy: +0   Damage: +0B   Defence: +0<br/>Tags [Unarmed, Brawl-based, Piercing]<br/><br/><br/><br/>ARMOUR<br/>Bulletproof Vest<br/>Soak: +2B/+2L/+2A   Mobility: -0   Fatigue: 1<br/><br/><br/>Dodge DV: 8<br/>([Dexterity + Athletics + Legend] ÷ 2 + Epic Dex bonus)<br/>Parry DV: 7<br/>([Dexterity + Brawl or Melee + weapon’s Defense] ÷ 2 + Epic Dex bonus).<br/>Join Battle: 7 + 1 auto (Epic Wits)<br/>Soak: 6B/5L/4A (4/3 natural, 2/2 armor)<br/><br/>----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>HEALTH LEVELS<br/><br/>-0 (Bruised) : [ ]<br/>-1 (Hurt)    : [ ]<br/>[ ]<br/>-2 (Wounded) : [ ]<br/>[ ]<br/>-4 (Crippled): [ ]<br/>Incapacitated: [ ]<br/><br/>----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>KNACKS<br/>Ability<br/>-<br/>Cost: -L, -Wp    Pool: +     Duration:<br/>Details<br/><br/>Holy Rampage (str)<br/>The Scion is especially good at breaking inanimate objects. When he spends a point of Legend and applies his full might to breaking something, whether he’s punching it, kicking it or throwing his shoulder against it, the item’s Hardness is halved against the attack. This bonus applies only when the character attempts to break an inanimate object that is either freestanding or under his control. If someone else has control of the object in question, the Scion must take it from him first.<br/><br/>Armor Crusher (str)<br/>Prerequisite Knack: Holy Rampage (Scion: Hero, p. 126)<br/>The raw power of the Scion’s attacks now allows him not only to break through obstacles and walls, but to slam right through armor. The Scion simply channels his legendary might, then uses brute force to shatter enemy defenses and tear through shields, armored plates and vests with ease. While this Knack is active, the Scion’s melee attacks all gain the Piercing quality. Activating this Knack costs five points of Legend. Its effects last for one scene.<br/><br/>Lightning Sprinter (dex)<br/>The Scion is a lightning bolt on two legs, zooming past in a blur, trailing leaves or grit or loose debris from the ground he’s already covered. This Knack doubles<br/>the amount of distance he can cover in a Dash action, after calculating the new Dash distance based on his Epic Dexterity. What’s more, it negates the movement penalties a character should accrue for dashing through water or mud that is from between ankle- to shoulder-height in depth as long as A.) the character began his Dash action on terrain with no such penalty, and B.) the character continues to perform consecutive Dash actions. As long as he keeps dashing, his feet skim the surface of the water or muck like a skipping stone. If he should slow down or stop, however, he sinks into the sucking terrain to suffer the normal penalties.<br/>Activating this Knack costs one point of Legend.<br/><br/>Untouchable Opponent (dex)<br/>The Scion might as well be a ghost for all her enemies can lay a hand or a weapon on her. The Scion doubles the benefit that her Epic Dexterity dots add to her Dodge DV. She also ignores an amount of DV penalties due to unstable terrain equal to her Epic Dexterity dots. Only the normal Epic Dexterity bonus applies to the character’s Parry DV, though, and this Knack’s bonus to Dodge DV doesn’t apply if the character is merely hiding behind cover or tucked in behind a scutum like a lowly turtle. Only if the character is physically dodging the attacks that are coming her way does this Knack help her out.<br/>Activating this Knack costs one point of Legend. Its effects last for one scene.<br/><br/>Self Healing (sta)<br/>The Scion’s player spends a point of Legend to repair a single level of damage. That damage can be bashing or lethal, and the healing takes place in an instant without leaving a scar. (Aggravated damage is beyond the power of this Knack to heal.) Scions who are interested in building their reputation and spreading their legends quickly find this Knack to be one of the more effective tools of doing so, as bruises, lacerations and bullet holes vanish before astonished onlookers’ eyes.<br/><br/>Regeneration (sta)<br/>Prerequisite Knack: Self-Healing (Scion: Hero, p. 129)<br/>Regeneration repairs the severe damage that’s too serious for its prerequisite Knack to heal. For a point of Legend, the Scion can automatically heal a single<br/>level of aggravated damage. With this Knack, he can also perform such miraculous feats as regenerating a destroyed limb, extremity or eye. Doing so costs one Legend point per body part so restored.<br/><br/>Charmer (cha)<br/>With the sheer, raw charm this Knack represents, the Scion can smother an upwelling of panic, suspicion or utter hatred directed at her for one scene. The player need only spend a point of Legend. One scene is usually long enough to convince a person that it would be in his best interest to help the character, but it’s up to the Scion (and the player’s roleplaying) to actually say the right words. During the scene in which this Knack is in effect, the suppressed emotion doesn’t go away. It merely remains beneath the surface. If the Scion can’t set the person’s mind at ease by scene’s end, the suppressed<br/>emotion returns in full force the next time the Scion leaves the affected person’s presence.<br/><br/>Psychic Profiler (wit)<br/>Within seconds, the character with this Knack can size up a character with a lesser Legend rating than his own. Just by looking at the person, he can tell<br/>her weight, height, age, sex (if it’s unclear to casual inspection) and whether she has a divine heritage or not. With just a few lines of conversation, he can also<br/>tell the subject’s Nature, calling and primary Virtue (if any). Finally, if the subject is Fatebound to someone and is acting out a Fatebound Role, he can figure out what that role is. He might not know to whom it applies, but he can probably figure it out from context if he watches the person long enough.<br/><br/>----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>BOONS/SPELLS<br/>Purview<br/>-<br/>Cost: -L, -Wp    Pool: +     Duration:<br/>Details<br/><br/>Darkness<br/>Night Eyes (*)<br/>Cost: None    Pool: None     Duration: Permanent<br/>Details: Darkness no longer inflicts visibility penalties on the character. He can see in pitch-blackness almost as well as he can see in bright sunlight, losing only the ability to perceive colors. (Objects he sees in darkness are black-on-black yet perfectly distinguishable in a way that’s conveniently impossible to describe to someone who doesn't have this Boon.) The Scion cannot see through physical impediments, however.<br/><br/>Itztli (*)<br/>Maguey Sting<br/>Cost: 1 Lethal Health level    Pool: None     Duration: Instant<br/>By piercing her flesh with a maguey thorn, an obsidian blade, a surgical scalpel or even just a rusty straight pin, the Scion sheds a portion of her blood.  This blood serves as a token offering to her divine parent, who rewards her with a single point of Legend. The Scion may perform this sacrifice only once per day.<br/><br/>Blessing--<br/>POCO A POCO<br/>(ITZTLI ••••• •)<br/>Dice Pool: None<br/>Cost: 1 aggravated health level per 5 (or 6) Legend<br/>The Scion performs a substantial sacrifice and receives a greater reward of Legend points for it. To do so, she removes an irreplaceable part of a victim’s body<br/>and burns it in a ritual dedicated to her divine parent or the Atzlánti in general. Each part she removes inflicts one level of aggravated damage and earns for the Scion five Legend points. As a general guideline, each hand and foot is worth one aggravated health level. Each arm from shoulder to wrist and each leg from hip to ankle is worth another aggravated health level. Each eye is worth an aggravated health level, as is the tongue. The male genitalia are worth an aggravated health level, as is the removal of a female’s ovaries and uterus (in toto, not individually).<br/>The pitiful body that’s left over after all those parts are removed is no longer suitable for sacrifices in the name of this Boon. It can still be killed and sacrificed in the name of Obsidian Excruciation, though.<br/>The Scion may take the body part that is to be sacrificed from a mortal, titanspawn or Scion victim, or she may remove the part from her own body. (Sacrificing from one’s own body nets six Legend points per aggravated health level. It also becomes increasingly difficult the more you do it.) The catch is that the Scion must remove and burn the body part herself, and the subject from whom she removes it must be alive at the time. The Scion can remove and store the body parts she wishes to sacrifice, but if the victim should die before she manages to go through with the act, burning the body parts does nothing for her beyond making room in the freezer.<br/><br/>Magic (**)<br/>ARIADNE'S THREAD<br/>Cost: 1 Legend per use<br/>Dice Pool: Perception + Survival<br/>The caster declares a target (a person, place or thing) and can thenceforth unerringly track where that target has gone by following the perturbations he leaves in the threads of Fate. If the target is a place, the caster can always find his way back there, no matter how disoriented or lost he has become. This spell’s effect lasts for one day per success rolled, but it can be increased on a daily basis by spending one Legend point.<br/><br/>LEGENDARY SURGE<br/>Cost: 1+ Legend per use<br/>Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy<br/>By using a thread of Fate as a conduit, the magician gifts a target with some of his own Legendary energy. For each success scored on the activation roll, the caster can transfer one point of his Legend to the subject. Casting the spell consumes 1 Legend point, and the caster can then send over any amount of Legend, up to the limit of his own remaining pool. The subject doesn’t have to be willing, but excess Legend points (any that would go over the subject’s maximum) are lost.<br/><br/>Favored:<br/>Animal (Jaguar)<br/>Darkness<br/>Itztli<br/>Magic<br/>Moon<br/>Mystery<br/>Prophecy<br/>Sun<br/>War<br/><br/>----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>EXPERIENCE<br/>Total: 10                                        Total Spent: 0<br/><br/>----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>BIRTHRIGHTS<br/>Name (**)<br/>Description<br/>[in-game effect]<br/><br/>Altar Flame (****)<br/>When Tezcatlipoca first came, it was in a dream that was not a dream.  The god stood before a bloodstained sacrifical altar with a pile of burning hearts on it.  He added Rubin's heart to the pile.  But then the capricious god returned the heart to its proper place, still aflame, and Rubin woke up screaming.<br/>[Emulates Blazing Weapon]<br/><br/>Burning Blood (***)<br/>Ever since his encounter with Tezcatlipoca, Rubin has experienced periodic bouts of severe pain, "as if his blood were on fire."  While the blood in his veins appears quite normal to New Scion physicians (or at least normal for a Scion), it is a fact that Rubin's apparently A positive blood can accept a transfusion from any source, and is violently rejected by anyone it is administered to.  The seizures began at roughly the same time as some of his divine powers manifested.<br/>[Accesses Darkness and Moon purviews, emulates Fire Immunity]<br/><br/>Sharpening Stone (***)<br/>A tattoo in his right palm that looks like a childish drawing of a whetstone with an ancient Aztec character meaning "sharp."<br/>[Emulates The Helpful Spirit]<br/><br/>Magic Amulet (*)<br/>A cliche, yes.  It was mailed to him in a wooden box with no return address.  It's a small silver disk on a strange chain, hand-etched with the image of a jaguar eating a woman at her loom.  In graphic detail.  Apparently Yaotl felt confrontational, what a shock.  His Scion wears it under his clothes, next to his skin.<br/>[Accesses Magic purview]<br/><br/>----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>EQUIPMENT OF NOTE<br/>Bulletproof Vest [standard-issue]<br/>Box of Matches [big wooden ones that can be lit even if you've just hiked through a downpour]<br/>"Modern Macana" [It appears to be chipped from obsidian, but is made from an experimental material that shares properties with both glass and plastic.  Uses the Spathi template]<br/><br/>VEHICLE<br/>Type<br/>Armour: -   Mass: -   Man.: -   Health Levels: -<br/><br/>