House Kain Ancestor Veneration

Kusari Kain

Era: War of the Four Houses

True Destiny: The Faithful Hound

The Akashic Order struggled to integrate House Kain, and would have rather Alexus never elevated them in the first place, but when Kusari Kain slew Shio Daijin, the Akashic Order knew they had a legend they could work with.

The Akashic Order presents Kusari Kain as the exemplary member of House Kain. He subordinates himself to the will of the Order and the other nobility. He sees his place as a knight, rather than a lord. He hunts the enemies of the Akashic Order and the Alliance with ruthless, machinelike efficiency. He knows his place, as the weapon of the Alliance.

Those who have the Destiny (Faithful Hound) can expect to hunt down the enemies of the Alliance, slay them, and to never die while in direct service to the Alliance, no matter how grievously wounded.

Legacy

Kusari Kain worked tirelessly to hunt down the enemies of the old Eternal Empire, and that drive to preserve the power of the nobility with devoted, violent service, remains in his descendants to this day.

Descendents who follow Kusari Kain must take the Obsession (Slay the enemies of the Alliance) [-10].

Milestones

The descendant is spiritually troubled. In his wandering, he meets a wise master, who assists him in overcoming his spiritual trouble. The descendant swears undying loyalty to the wise master.

A great enemy threatens the boon companion or wise master of the descendant while the descendant is away. The descendant must abandon his current quest, allies and friends to rescue his boon companion or wise master. He returns to find much of the Boon Companion or wise master’s property destroyed, but is able to rescue them.

The descendant realizes that to succeed at his quest, he will need a legendary artifact. However, none presents itself, but his wise master directs him to several places where he can collect fragments of an artifact and then he returns with them, and reforges them into a new legendary artifact, which becomes his signature item.

The wise master, having been betrayed by a traitor, sees how that treachery threatens the stability of his domain and the stability of the galaxy. He commands the descendant to hunt down and kill the traitor. The descendant agrees, and arrives at wrongfully acquired stronghold of the traitor to find a small army arrayed against them. He kill them all, and then executes the traitor.

The wise master unrighteously commands the descendant to hunt down and kill a good man. The good man, when confronted, refuses to fight back and instead offers an explanation for his actions and reveals the unrighteousness of the wise master’s request. The descendant chooses to follow his master’s command and slays the good man.

Associated Miracles

Kainian Grit

Minimum Reaction: Neutral

Learned Prerequisite: Blood Purity 1, either Communion 4 or Archetype.

Learned Prayer Cost: 3.

The Descendant pursues his prey with ruthless efficiency. He gains Tough Guy 3 for one hour or until it has assisted him at least once, which ever takes longer. This talent is cumulative with any existing talent, and may exceed +4.

Statistics: Tough Guy 3 (Divine, Path -15%) [13], Rule Exception (This talent may exceed +4) [1]

Divine Hunter

Minimum Reaction: Neutral

Learned Prerequisite: Blood Purity 1, Communion 4 or Archetype.

Learned Prayer Cost: 3 points.

This miracle grants the descendant perfect knowledge of the direction of his target. It only works with targets the character has attuned to (by meditating with something that belonged to them), and the character can only have a single target at a time.

Statistics: Super Memorization 1 (15) (Divine Path -15%, single form of Detect only -80%) [15]; Detect (Single living target only; Cosmic, no die roll required +100%; long range 2 +100%, No Analysis -10%)

Unstoppable (Enhanced)

Minimum Reaction: Good

Learned Prerequisite: Blood Purity 2, Communion 7.

Learned Prayer Cost: 6 points.

For the next 3d seconds, the descendant gains High Pain Threshold, DR 20 (hardened x3), takes no visible damage and is unkillable until he reaches -10xHP, unless he is wounded with an attack that originates from Communion. Furthermore, in addition to his High Pain Threshold, he gains +3 to resist unconsciousness. Finally, when the power wears off, the character must check for death based on his current state, but even if the roll fails, even if he’s automatically dead (-5xHP), the character merely falls unconscious and is not dead unless someone deals a death blow.

Statistics: New variant of Blessed derived from Blessed Be (Pyramid #3-78) [14] with grants the following advantages DR 20 (Hardened 5 +150%, Force Field +20%) [54], High Pain Threshold [15], No Visible Damage [1], Hard to Subdue +3 [6] and Unkillable 1 (Achilles Heel, Divine Attacks, -10%) [45]

Lothar Kain

Era: The Rise of Alexus

Dark Destiny: Bloodthirsty Warlord

The Akashic Order never liked Lothar Kain. They saw Alexus Rex as making a deal with a devil when he allowed him into the ranks of Maradonian Nobility. As such, the Akashic Order goes out of its way to present the memory of Lothar Kain in as sinister a light as it can. It portrays Lothar Kain as a ruthless conqueror and bandit who left destruction and suffering in his wake. They then emphasize to the members of House Kain that if they follow Lothar’s path, they will likely suffer a similar fate.

Unfortunately for the Akashic Order, many members of House Kain fail to see the drawback of this.

Those with the Destiny (Bloodthirsty Warlord) can expect to achieve great success on the field of battle, to crush their enemies, to drive them before the descendant and to hear the lamentations of their women. They can also expect their victories to be bloody and terrifying.

Legacy

Lothar Kain had a complicated relationship with the Maradonian aristocracy. He both despised their weakness, but craved the chance to prove himself better than them. This ideal still pulses deep within the veins of most members of House Kain.

Descendents who follow Lothar Kain must have Obsession (Be recognized as the greatest of nobles) [-10].

Milestones

The descendant faces an impossible battle. He can choose to surrender, make a great sacrifice to buy his allies some time, or he can engage in massive slaughter of innocence to achieve victory. He chooses to engage in slaughter, wins, gains access to a reward, and is honored by the moral authority.

The descendant wins a great military victory. His newly acquired spoils contain a corrupted legendary artifact. The descendant cannot unlock that power alone, however. He must seek a boon companion to sacrifice to the legendary artifact, which will give him mastery over it. He doe so, corrupting or slaying the boon companion and, in so doing, gains great power with no real consequences to himself.

The descendant faces a worthy rival, who represents the moral authority, in battle. The two fight to a standstill. Rather than finish the battle, the rival offers to allow the descendant to join forces with him and to be honored by the moral authority, in exchange for great power and prestige. The descendant agrees.

Many virtuous suitors vie for the attention of a beautiful, virtuous youth. The descendant uses underhanded tactics to tempt and seduce the beautiful, virtuous youth. He succeeds, but she is corrupted by his love. Nonetheless, she proves to be a powerful and capable Boon Companion. As a result, at least one of the suitors becomes a rival.

The moral authority requests that the descendant undertake a quest to recover a legendary artifact on their behalf, and promises riches and prestige when he succeeds. He journeys far from home, acquires the artifact and returns. He finds that the moral authority has betrayed him in the meantime and has taken his home from him. When confronted, the moral authority confesses that they thought he would betray them and agree to return his home in return for the legendary artifact. The descendant may either trade the legendary artifact for the return of his home, or he may wage war upon them, defeat them, and keep the legendary artifact for himself. Either way, the moral authority will portray him as a villain.

Associated Miracles

Dark Warlord

Minimum Reaction: Neutral

Learned Prerequisite: Blood Purity 1, either Dark Communion 4 or Archetype.

Learned Prayer Cost: 3.

The descendant excels at the pursuits of war. He gains Born Warleader 3 for one hour or until it has assisted him at least once, which ever takes longer. This talent is cumulative with any existing talent, and may exceed +4.

Statistics: Born Warleader 3 (Divine, Path -15%) [13], Rule Exception (This talent may exceed +4) [1]

Dark Prowess

Minimum Reaction: Good

Learned Prayer Prerequisite: Blood Purity 2, Dark Communion 8

Learned Prayer Cost: 9 points

As Power of the Abyss (Enhanced) (Pyramid #3-36, page 11) but with the additional Path modifier and without DR 1. This reflects the Lothar Kain’s enormous physical potential.

Statistics: Blessed 6 (Heroic Feats; Divine, Path -25%) [45]

Dark Glory

Minimum Reaction: Good

Learned Prayer Prerequisite: Blood Purity 2, Dark Communion 8

Learned Prayer Cost: 8 points

As Dark Glory (Pyramid #3-36, page 11) but with the additional Path modifier and a -2 to fright checks..

Statistics: Terror 2 (Divine, Path -25%) [38]

Kira Kain

Era: War of the Four Houses

Free Destiny: Romantic Adventurer

Kira served a Grimshaw master during the war of the Four Houses, and when he died, she set out to avenge him. On her long quest, she had wild adventures across the galaxy, uncovering treasures, defeating vile enemies, and she once ruled a planet as a living goddess for a very brief and ill-fated escapade. The whole time, she found herself just a few steps behind the increasingly intriguing and romantic assassin. Eventually, when she caught up with him, he successfully convinced her that it wasn’t her fight, and asked her to join him.

The Akashic Order used to hold Kira up as an example of what happens when a Kain abandons his duty, but this tended to have the opposite effect on members of house Kain, so they’ve just quietly discouraged her veneration, and the leader of house Kain largely agree, as stories of how great life if once you leave the service of the Alliance is counterproductive to Kainian goals.

Those who have Destiny (Romantic Adventurer) can expect to never have a boring life, to gain success at wildly improbable ventures, and to see fate conspire to keep them moving on to their next adventure.

Legacy

Kira had an obsessive goal, but abandoned it. Her legacy is less of a goal, and more of a mind-set.

Those who follow the path of Kira Kain must have Impulsiveness [-10].

Milestones

The descendant serves a master in a time of war. The enemies of the master hire an assassin to slay the master. The descendant tries to protect her master, but fails. She swears an oath of revenge. In so doing, she is able to escape any lingering duties or bonds she might have had.

While far from home, the descendant encounters a magnificent vice. The moral authority had warned her not to partake, but they are far away, so she does. While under the influence of the vice, she encounters a sworn enemy, but because of her vice, she is unable to defeat him and he escapes. She suffers no additional consequences, and gains some great insight thanks to the encounter.

While far from home, the descendant finds a map to a lost treasure, one her rival also seeks. Both pursue the treasure and arrive to acquire it at the same moment. The descendant wins the battle, but must choose between acquiring the treasure or defeating the rival. She chooses acquiring the treasure.

While far from home, the descendant discovers a beautiful youth who is destined to rule a local Moral Authority and is in great peril. The descendant rescues the beautiful youth, who instantly falls in love with her. The beautiful youth requests her assistance in restoring the moral authority, and she agrees, succeeds, and is acclaimed a hero. The beautiful youth offers to let her rule beside the beautiful youth, but seeing that she would become too tied down in the complicated politics of the world, she refuses.

While far from home, The descendant tracks down an enemy she has sworn to defeat after a very long and rewarding journey. She defeats him, but he explains that he was never her enemy, and offers to let her join him. She chooses to let him live, but refuses to join him.

Associated Miracles

Dark Courage

Minimum Reaction: Neutral

Learned Prerequisite: Blood Purity 1, either Dark Communion 4 or Archetype.

Learned Prayer Cost: 3 points.

The descendant fears nothing, except possibly for unspeakable cosmic horrors. She is immune to all fright checks. This miracle lasts for an hour or until it has helped her at least once, whichever takes longer.

Statistics: Unfazeable (Divine Path -15%) [13]

The Tao of Hyperspace

Minimum Reaction: Good

Learned Prerequisite: Blood Purity 2, Dark Communion 7.

Learned Prayer Cost: 6 points.

As Traveler's Blessing (Divine Favor page 10).

Free Movement

Minimum Reaction: Neutral

Learned Prerequisite: Blood Purity 1, Dark Communion 5

Learned Prayer Cost: 4 points.

After making a successful Meditation roll, the descendant suffers no DX penalties for unstable terrain of any sort. This lasts for the remainder of combat, or an hour, whichever is shorter.

Statistics: Terrain Adaption (Divine Path -15%, Active +300%) [20]