Fear the Light: Hearteaters for Exalted Essence

[Syz]

This is the story of how a weaver-woman became a spider and conquered the whole world.

This is the story of how Creation lost its innocence. 

This is the story of the fall of the warrior-poets, of how gods become monsters. 

You can see it in the sky. You can hear it in the whispers. You can taste it in the air. You can feel it in your bones. 

Listen.

Listen, and I will teach you to fear the light.
 

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Hello! This is my first post on the Sword of Creation forums, and I come bearing an offering: Fear the Light (updated with 0.2 version), a complete write-up and playable Charm set for the Hearteater apocryphal Exalted from Exigents. Included in this is:

• The mind-eating Hearteaters, fully playable for Exalted Essence
  
• A write-up of their history and the process of becoming a Hearteater
  
• Notes on their relationships with other Exalt types, including plot hooks
  
• A complete version of the Mutation Merit for Essence
  
• 50 modes for universal Charms
  
• 35 Charms, adapting from Exigents and adding unique Charms, including...
  
  • Love Conquers All: "Grant me the power to bring this world revolution!" Pull an intimacy out of your pawn and wield it as a weapon.
    
  • Worship Poisoning Congregation-Self: Offer your pawns' prayers as twisted opal ambrosia which addicts spirits and turns them into their darkest selves.
    
  • Mind Inversion Technique: Exchange the bodies of two pawns which, with other Charms, can implant spirits in physical vessels or even imprison pawns in the shapes of animals.
    
  • Inescapable Cicada Arrival: Teleport by gorily emerging from the body of a pawn.
    
  • Soul-Deadening Embrace: Make your hapless victims physically dependent on your affection.
    

Formatting is provisional; I had fun writing the fluff and mechanics but everything needs a big heaping dose of polish. Consider this the playtest draft. It's readable on mobile, but all the fancy formatting looks pretty ugly if you don't use print view.

I am very much looking for feedback - anything from gut reactions, Charms you like, things you think are missing, grammar errors, or anything is appreciated! If you want to use this in your game, I'd be honored, just please tell me how it goes! And if you want to create your own homebrew that's compatible with this, go ahead!

Thanks to @KymmetheSeventh, who I went to asking for advice basically whenever I made any combat Charm, and @Zaleramancer, whose writing helped inspire the tenor I tried to strike with this. 

[Lioness]

Okay, right out of the gate I like how you've included the mutation merit without overcomplicating matters or interfering with dice caps.

[Syz]

Okay, right out of the gate I like how you've included the mutation merit without overcomplicating matters or interfering with dice caps.

Thank you! I actually wrote that for a cannibal Exalt type that's still being workshopped; but I really like Beautiful Monster Transformation and that was the best way to include it. I actually currently am wondering if Rainbow Chrysalis Rebirth is the best way to approach an upgrade to that Charm, if it would be better to have some kind of "opalescent warform" upgrade instead, or if both are good.

There are secret 4th and 5th dots of Mutations, but those were intended to be only accessible via Charms, which probably would be available to the God-Eaters or the Gnostics (the two mutation-heavy apocryphal Exalt types I have vaguely drifting around in my head to be created at a later date). 

...but the 4th and 5th dots reference my version of Divine Heritage for Essence as well. So I'll just post both here, neither are relevant to Hearteaters but I figure they may be fun to look at.

Divine Heritage

Merit: Divine Heritage (••• or •••••)
Your character traces their lineage to a potent supernatural being — be it a god, demon, or something stranger still — and derives power from it. Divine Heritage grants access to Heritage Charms, special charms thematic to the being the character descends from.

•••    —    Secondary 
The character begins play with one Heritage Charm at no cost, and may refine that Charm at higher Essence levels through repurchases. At Storyteller discretion, they may also gain access to special modes of Charms normally available to them.
This level is intended to add theming to a character’s already-existing powers outside their Exalt type’s traditional purview. 

•••••    —    Primary 
The character begins play with one Heritage Charm at no cost, which may be awakened into a small Charm tree. At Storyteller discretion, they may also gain access to special modes of Charms normally available to them.
    This level is intended to make the powers granted by a character’s ancestor a major factor in their abilities. 
 

Mutations Dots 4 & 5

Wonder-Grafting Initiation
Mode: Wonder-Crafting Initiation
The God-Eater may craft mutations as well as artifacts; a creature’s body can support a number of mutations so crafted with a total dot rating equal or less than their [Fortitude + Essence]. Mutations rated 3 or below follow the rules for crafting mundane items.
By following the rules for creating artifacts, a God-Eater may create special mutations in excess of the normal maximum rating; these follow the same rules as normal mutations save they are a Primary merit, any weapons or armor they grant has the Artifact tag, and they can awaken [Evocation] Charms and modes following the rules for [Heritage] Charms which would be granted by 3 (for a 4-dot mutation) or 5 (for a 5-dot mutation) dots in Divine Heritage.
    The recipient must be present and either helpless or willing throughout the crafting process.

I haven't finished the example Heritage Charms I'd use for Divine Heritage though. 

[KymmetheSeventh]

Absolutely excellent brew. Hearteaters are here, fully realized.

[Syz]

Version 0.2 is out!