The Brawler’s Challenge was set up as an illegal fighting tournament to see who is the best of unformalized combat, but in reality it is a deathmatch where few contests end with 2 survivors. Raging Horse, an old Dragon-Blooded boxer who retired from the navy, was the champion for a full year, a duration never before achieved in the Brawler’s Challenge. Tougher than nails, it was thought the old Fire-Aspect would reign forever. Not all rulers fall eventually.
It was a young officer, barely 60 with hair of bright orange and brilliant gauntlets of Red Jade, who walked into the ring and challenged Raging Horse to a match. Raging Horse accepted, eager to put the young pup in her place. But as the old veteran soon found out, the woman with the Jade gauntlets should not have been underestimated. The match was over in mere moments, with Raging Horse a broken heap on the floor, and blood dripped from the now burning smashfists of the young officer. As the crowd cheered, the officer raised her fist as if to claim her new title. “My name is Pai-li Burning Petal, agent of the All-Seeing Eye. You are all under arrest pending investigation of further crimes against the Empress and the Empire.”
That was the last night of Brawler’s Challenge. Many more such tournaments still exist, but they are more careful of their reputation, for fear of the uncanny power of the young officer with the Red Jade Smashfists.
Torrid Pugilism is a pair of Smashfists made of ironsilk with plates and studs of Red Jade. They extend almost halfway up to the elbow and are heavily reinforced on the knuckles. When in combat, the air around them quivers with waves of heat, but to the wielder, they feel light and cool, the ironsilk allowing the gloves to breathe. There is a hearthstone socket on the back of each Smashfist.
A Solar or Dragon-Blood who attunes to Torrid Pugilism causes the smashfists to radiate extra heat when in combat. The first Withering attack the exalt makes against any given foe each round adds an extra point of Onslaught penalty. This effect can occur throughout combat, but only against foes that the Exalt attacked first, for Torrid Pugilism favors the bold. Any foe that has made an attack roll against the exalt first is ineligible for this bonus for the rest of combat.
Cost: 2m Mins: Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Withering-Only, Stackable
Duration: Until end of next turn
Prerequisites: None
The brawler who strikes with single-minded fury is unrelenting and Torrid Pugilism is fueled by such a warrior. This evocation enhances a withering attack causing 1 point of Onslaught penalty to persist until the end of the Exalt’s next turn. This power is stackable up to a maximum of (the higher of 3 or the Exalt’s Essence), but is cancelled if an attack is directed against any other foe. This evocation is incompatible with Battlegroups as the gauntlets prefer to battle one-on-one.
Cost: 3m Mins: Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None
Torrid Pugilism seeks weakness in its foes and rushes to punish such weakness. The wielder of these smashfists may activate Nimble Blitz to add the foe’s current Onslaught penalty as a bonus to the exalt’s own Rush pool as non-charm dice. This bonus cannot exceed a maximum of (the higher of 3 or the Exalt’s Essence) and can only be used once per foe per combat, unless reset by raising a foe’s Onslaught penalty to 4 from 0.
Cost: 4m, 1wp Mins: Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Decisive-Only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Oppressive Buffet
With a backflash of fury, the exalt turns their disadvantage upon their foes. This evocation creates a difficulty 3 gambit where the exalt touches their foe and sears a brand upon them. If successful, this brand expels the exalt’s current Onslaught penalty resetting them to zero, and transfers it to their foe. This penalty lasts for (the higher of 3 or the Exalt’s Essence) rounds, though the exalt will resume accruing Onslaught penalties after activating Searing Reversal. Onslaught penalties are gained after the attack is resolved.
If the foe is currently under the effects of Oppressive Buffet, Searing Reversal may also copy the exalt’s current wound penalty for a single round. This does not remove the penalties from the exalt, and the copied penalty fades at the beginning of the foe’s next turn.
Special Activation Rules: Searing Reversal can only be unlocked by landing a Decisive attack against a foe that had an Onslaught penalty of 4 or greater.
Cost: 5m, 1wp Mins: Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Decisive-Only, Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Nimble Blitz, Searing Reversal
The relentless strikes of the brawler are a sweet melody to Torrid Pugilism, but the final act, the climax of the song, is the sweetest of all. The exalt may activate Inferno Smash to create a Decisive attack in an attempt to finish off a battered foe. This attack grants the foe’s current Onslaught penalty in bonus dice to the damage roll. Additionally, the exalt may double up to (Essence) 10’s on their damage roll should any appear.
If the foe is not incapacitated by Inferno Smash, their current Onslaught penalty after attack resolution persists for an extra round (on top of any other persistent effects), resetting at the end of the exalt’s next turn. Inferno Smash may only be used once per combat per foe.