22nd April

    Some artefacts dating from the Primordial Age were created by the Incarnae when they walked Creation. Some more recent ones were stolen from, or smuggled out of Heaven. What of the artefacts made by the Primordials themselves like the Eye of Autochthon? Other artefacts dare back to Exalted heroes from the Primordial War.

    Some believe that Dark Messiah Style is the key to destroying Creation and releasing the Primordials from their torment into Oblivion. Only the Abssals can learn this style, it's Charms elude even the ghostly Deathlords. Some believe the very Exalted who slew them are destined to become masters of this style.

    Their power to alter what they are the deeper they go into the Wyld means the deeper in the Wyld they are the stronger their transformative power are.
   In the Deep Wyld they can use a Knack which allows them to become unshaped like one of the Fair Folk. The ability given to them by their Lunar Essence to make their forms inconstant allows them to travel the Wyld without being permanently mutated and venture into it's dimentionless depths without going mad.
   Their moonsilver 'tattoos' are gifts from Lunar, marks of their god in Old Realm that appear on their bodies when they learn a new Knack. Learning a Knack involves meditation on Luna and a popular belief is that only those who gain her favour learn a Knack. Luna's powers like the Wyld have infinite potential. She knows every Knack and shared her knowledge with those who commune with her. Learning a new Knack is for a Lunar like learning a spell is for a Solar, learning a new way to exert their will on Creation. Solars have the power of will. Lunars have the power of transformation, power over their identity. Sidereals have the power of Destiny. Why isn't destiny an element of Sidereal Martial Arts?

Beastman Transformation

    30th March Beastman Transformation doesnt have to transform into a war form. Beastman doesn't mean a crude combination of a human and animal. Becoming a beastman means transforming into a humanoid version of an animal that can speak with humans. They can learn beastman forms for other animals with additional Knacks. Beastman transformation means becoming a much more elegant combination of animal and human that is mostly animal. Like Chihiro in Little Norse Prince. Their beastman form is their natural spirit shape. They can express themselves through facial expression as well as speech, walk on two legs or move like animals and have unusual dexterity with their paws. When in their natural forms they do not use their moonsilver tattoos so these are less visible.
   Their alteration of Attributes while in animal form, possibly to the detriment of values makes them more dependent on Abilities. Should they have Ability based Charms?

Crocodile Stomach

    As crocodiles never starve during a disaster, the character can safely feed on any carcass, no matter how rotten. Although it might not be as nutritious as fresh meat they can gorge themselves on any kill available without risk of disease or inability to eat from wretching.

Knacks III

    Any Knacks the Lunar knows relating to their spirit shape are automatically in play when the Lunar assumes it without Essence or Willpower cost.

    One of the greatest advantages of Knacks is they go on until the Lunars decide to reverse them. The Lunar can simply have a Knack and live with it as a personal enhancement to their capabilities. In fact they often gain reputations and are recognised by their unique combinations of Knacks they leave in effect.
'The Tell.'

    The use of Knacks is mosst obviously being able to use the beneficial traits of an animal without having to assume it's form. Knacks allow selected traits to be used in any form whether human or animal. They can stack Knacks using a variety of them at any time and don't suffer drawbacks from the creature they're based on. For instance Man O' War Touch is very useful but a jellyfish isn't going to live long on land.

Knacks II

    Knacks draw directly from their connection with animals.

    'High and low living in caves. Eventually you can read the soil and earth like books.'
    Knacks aren't always made for a direct purpose like Charms but can be used for whatever the Lunars can think to do with them.
    Hump-backed Nomad The Lunar can use this Knack to become almost immune to thirst.
   'Lunar Hero Style' is really a collection of Knacks Lunars use in unarmed combat rather than a martial arts style. Like martial arts styles it has form weapons and cannot be used with armour instead of using Essence as a weapon to fight with, like other forms of Knacks they use it to transform themselves.
   In order to learn a Knack associated with an animal they must hunt the anial and kill it in a sacred hunt. At the culmination of the hunt they show respect for their quarry and internalise not just the animal's form but some aspect of it's nature, whether it's body, it's mind or it's spirit. The hunt is the final stage of learning the Knack, after studying the creature and interracting with it to truly understand it then they are ready to take on it's form and absorb part of it in themselves. Knacks that have diverse effects like Hundred Skins Hunter can use any animal in the Lunar's heart's blood background.
   Solar Hero Style emulates great heroes, with Lunar Hero Style they actually  become the forces of nature that made the Lunars think these Knacks were worthy of the name.
   In a sense using Knacks as martial arts powers is a more basic and fundamental extention of supernatural martial arts.They use Essence to change an aspect of themselves they then fight with. With Raging Tiger Spirit their emotions change to those of a ferocious tiger. It's the tiger's fearless nature that is now a part of them that allows them to unhesitatingly assault far greater forces, often with such a lack of trepidation it fills their enemies with dread. Add half the Lunar's Charisma (rounded down) to a morale roll for attacking a superior opponent. If the total successes exceed the opponent's valour they are so unnerved by the Lunar's singlemindedness in the face of overwhelming force that they must take a morale roll of their own at a difficulty of the Lunar's own Valour.

Knacks

    What if Knacks were the Lunars' natural powers designed to supplement their inherent shapeshifting ability. When the Silver Pact created moonsilver tattoos to protect themselves against the degenerate effects of the Great Curse they started using Charms outside of Martial Arts and Sorcery to emulate these effects. Many believe that this is when Luna turned her sight from her Children for refusing the gifts she gave them. Those who refuse tattooing believe this fervently, believing their rejection of their transformation into animal form was a clear rejection of Luna's nature of her Chosen.
   When the Primordials levelled the Great Curse on the Lunars they condemned them to be the animals they'd become. As they grew older their bodies became an amalgamation of their human form and their spirit shape until it was recognisable as neither. This was the Lunar's new and only True Form. They were the first Beastmen.
   Expand Lunar Knacks across Attributes so they are a full family of powers. Charms may be prefereable since they were invented rather than discovered but they are not the true powers of the Lunars.
   All Knack are shapeshifting effects; they might change their skin into another colour or a different type of tissue altogether in Hundred Skins Hunter or become as lithe and sensuous as a stalking cat in Silent Jaguar Steps. These powers aren't just magic effects like Charms, they actually change an aspect of the Lunar's physical form. A character using Silent Jaguar Steps doesn't just use Essence to surpress the sound of his footfalls as a Night Caste might, he walks with such stealth and gracefulness that his movements make no noise.
   Even at night in the darkest forest he makes no sound.
   But the price exacted was terrible, a Lunar with tattoos was incapable of shapeshifting.
   The Lunars feared such a condemnation of their animal nature and what consequences it might provoke from Luna. They also darkly warned about the consequences of using moonsilver for something against it's natural purpose. Craftsmen speculate that it was this perversion that caused Luna to withdraw her favour from them.
   Understanding of their new family of powers highlighted the difference between them: Charms imitate, Knacks alter. A Solar would use Charms to see and interract with dematerialised spirits. A Lunar would assume the form of something that could do that. This is the great versitility of Knacks. Lunars who use Knacks can also learn Charms, they appear to suffer no approbrium for doing so, it's unlikely Luna even knows they do, but find them unnecessary compared to Knacks. Knacks can't make a Luanr do everything a Solar can, but they're not supposed to. A Solar can't turn themselves into a Behemoth at a moment's notice.
   Physical Knacks often work obviously, changing a visible aspect of their nature. Other work by inward focus.