Germain carries a vial of his own blood, sanctified by the same church that granted him his wings, affixed to the inner forearm by a small injector device. The needle pierces the brachial vein; the sanctified blood mixes with the angelic essence in his body and floods the musculature of whichever arm currently holds the weapon (or, lacking one, the closed fist).
Any strike landed with that augmented arm sends a kinetic reverberation through the target's body. The wave passes through metallic armor (and ONLY metallic armor; composite, hide, or arcane plating attenuates it) and rings through muscle and skull, leaving the target stunned for one turn and afflicted with a one-rank speed debuff for three turns from involuntary muscular contraction.
Rather than piercing the brachial vein, Germain redirects the injector to the carotid. The sanctified blood enters circulation directly; its divine constituent binds with the angelic blood already in his veins and triggers a connection with his patron, cleansing every adverse effect currently afflicting his body the moment the substance dissolves.
A switch on the rear face of the vial reverses the needle into a small funnel. The sanctified blood can be poured directly along the blade of whatever weapon Germain wields (his own body cannot be the target). The weapon receives a +2 strength bonus against entities marked Anathema; any strike landed with the anointed blade leaves a holy burn on the target's flesh, which continues to sear for two turns after first contact.
Germain unfurls his wings in the direction of two enemy targets, imbuing them with divine essence, then beats them with such force that a single gale lifts both targets off the ground for one full turn. Any target whose endurance falls below Germain's strength rank is overwhelmed by the wind itself, bones dislocating and tissue tearing under the pressure of the violent passage of air.
If both targets lose the endurance contest, they collide mid-air. Whatever weapon, armor, or hard object either carries becomes a hazard to the other. The damage from this collision is assigned to whichever of the two has the lower endurance rank.
Germain's wings beat in a charging cycle for one full turn (preparation), then on the following turn open into a sustained gale that extends in a 10-meter radius around him for three consecutive turns. The winds blow behind up to two allies (Germain himself counts among them); after four turns spent inside the gust those allies receive a one-rank speed buff. Up to two enemies entering the zone once the buff is active are pushed against their own motion, suffering a one-rank speed debuff for as long as they remain.
Placing his hand against his sternum for one full turn, Germain unleashes his angelic aura across a seven-meter radius. A circle of yellow light remains burned into the ground where he stood. Across four turns of dispersal, the aura reaches its peak.
At peak, up to two allies inside the circle receive a one-rank strength buff (raised to two ranks if used against an entity classified Anathema). Up to two Anathema entities (allies included, if they qualify) inside the aura suffer the reverse: a one-rank strength reduction for as long as they remain.
Any Anathema entity still inside the circle when the aura collapses receives the burst of divine essence released as the aura returns to the heavens. Holy damage on impact; and a residual holy burn carried for two turns after the burst.
Though Germain is more often deployed alongside his elder partner, there was a stretch, a long one, when he carried his faith entirely alone. No community. No protector. Only the Order, which he had not chosen, and a cause that had cost him everyone he had known. No matter how many came against him, he held the ground.
Whenever Germain finds himself outnumbered (more than two enemies in active engagement against him), he enters a four-turn reflective cycle. After the cycle closes he commits the entirety of his force to the cause: a one-rank strength buff is applied, and a fresh rank is added every five turns of continued engagement against numerical superiority.
Each additional enemy past two reduces the recurrence interval by one turn, bringing it down to every three turns at four enemies, every two at five, down to a floor of one turn between increments.
Despite their monstrous strength, Germain's wings are unusually sensitive to direct attacks, and exceptionally so to water. A successful water-class attack soaks the pinions; any wing-based skill is rendered inoperative for the remainder of the engagement, and a two-rank speed debuff is applied to Germain himself while the wings remain wet.
Germain cannot dislodge frost from his wings or body once it has set. Ice damages the feathers' articulation; the slowing accumulates audibly across his frame. Strikes carried by ice or its derivatives land against a Germain whose strength is two ranks below its rated value.
- †Spirits — qualification depends on the entity's prior life
- †Demons · Archdemons
- †Vampire spawn · Vampires (Nosferatu, Sanguisuga, Dhampir, Vetala, Wampyri)
- †The Undead — all subclassifications