"Welcome, traveler, to the Inn of Thrice Forked Waters. You are weary. Come, sit and share your story. Partake of the food and drink, it will not disappoint. Doubtless you have not been here before, for I do not know your face, yet I know you."
The man at the table leans forward and squints his eyes, lowering his voice.
"You have been chosen. For one reason or another, you have been hand-picked by the Gods for a glorious purpose. Great power resides within you…"
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:15 pm
History:
In the beginning, there was nothing.
In the distant past, before the Primordials created all that is known, there was a mass of pure magic, pure Essence, chaotic and unshaped. It is not known how the first great Primordials came into being, but it was not long before they began to desire a place of their own amidst the turmoil. Thus, Creation was born – an ordered world where these great beings could find solace. It was here that these beings would begin to play great games of divinity.
Unfortunately, Creation was inherently unstable without rulers. Absorbed as the Primordials were in their games, they could not do this themselves – thus, Gods were created to sew order into the lands. But these Gods soon grew discontent. The games, you see, were a source of unutterable pleasure. Being allowed to simply touch a piece was a mind-altering event of immense ecstasy, and the Gods wanted a piece of this action. For that reason (among others), they began to plot the overthrow of their idle Primordial masters.
Yet the Primordials had been clever in their creations' designs. The Gods, by merit of what they were, were unable to simply turn on their creators. After much contemplation, they found the loophole they were looking for – mortals – and out of these they created the Exalted – the powerful Solars, champions of the Unconquered Sun and most powerful of the Exalted, the shapeshifting Lunars, champions of Luna and advisors to the Solar Exalted, the mysterious Sidereals, champions of the Five Maidens and weavers on the loom of fate, and the prolific Dragon-Blooded, champions of the Five Elemental Dragons and the footsoldiers in the coming conflict. All would be imbued with the power of their patron Gods in preparation for what they needed to do.
The war that resulted rocked the very fabric of Creation. During this time, only the Primordial Gaia sided with the Exalted, likely out of love for Creation and the life within. Autochthon, another Primordial and master of craft, invention, and artifice, avoided the conflict altogether by going into torpor and casting himself off into the chaos outside of Creation.
The war that would come to be known as the Primordial War commenced.
In the end, the various Gods triumphed. Those Primordials who were inevitably slain had their dying souls sucked into a great and terrible abyss. Too powerful to be reabsorbed into the chaos beyond, as their creations could be, they stood at the doorstep of non-existence. Trapped in the torment of their unbirth, they became known as the Neverborn, and the place where they resided became known as the Underworld. Those who were spared this fate by the insistence of Gaia eventually surrendered, were given terms, then banished to Elsewhere, where their bodies would form the living city of Malfeas, also known as Hell.
Thus began the glorious First Age of Creation.
The Gods passed responsibility of Creation to their Exalts. A democratic body known as the Solar Deliberative was created to give a voice to all Exalts in the governance of Creation. The first age was a high point for art, architecture, technology, and sorcery that will likely never be duplicated again.
Yet, unbeknownst to these powerful beings, the Great Curse laid into the Exalted as a parting gift from the fallen Primordials began to do its damage. Corruption spread, slowly, insidiously. Virtue became vice. Valor became vainglory and rivalry, honor became rigidity, compassion became corruption. As the leaders in the Primordial War, the Solars bore the brunt of the curse, yet all Exalts were afflicted to some degree. Their rule became tyrannical. Art became atrocity.
The Sidereals prophesied three possible outcomes from this. In the end, they chose the action which would result in sure success and thus survival – they conspired with the Dragon-Blooded toward the overthrow of the Solars.
This overthrow would be known as the Usurpation.
It was war, again. Many Lunars died alongside their Solar mates or fled to the edges of creation. To prevent ongoing altercations once all was said and done, the Sidereals trapped the Solars' Exaltations in the Jade Prison so that they could not return to reincarnate in a new mortal. The prison was cast into the depths of the Inner Sea. The Wyld Hunt was founded to take care of those few Solar Exaltations that escaped imprisonment. The Sidereals faded into the background, returning to their domain in Yu-Shan (also known as Heaven), while the Dragon-Blooded were left to rule over Creation from their stronghold on the Blessed Isle. History was re-written with the Solars and Lunars cast as vile, wicked anathema.
The Second Age would follow.
First came the Great Contagion. A plague released by the Deathlords, underworld servants of the Neverborn, this wiped out much of the human population and weakened Creation for a new invasion.
From the edge of Creation, the Wyld, came the threat of the Fair Folk. Emotionless, virtueless, and unyielding, the Fae tricksters sought a foothold in Creation. The Dragon-Blooded went to war. It was during this time that the Scarlet Empress rose to power, as a direct result of her heroism in the war. She ruled the realms successfully for a long time, more than seven hundred years in fact. It came as a surprise to everyone, then, when one day she simply vanished.
The resultant time would be known as the Age of Sorrows.
Some time after the disappearance of the Scarlet Empress, the Neverborn, in conjunction with the banished Primordials in Hell (also known as the Yozi), sought some long awaited revenge on Creation. With the aid of a bone Warstrider, they found broke the Jade Prison containing the trapped Solar Exaltations, intending to steal and corrupt those within to do their bidding. It was agreed that fifty of these would be given to the Yozi, and these became the dread Infernal Exalted. Some were twisted by the Neverborn with powerful charms into the Abyssal Exalted, dark mockeries of their Solar counterparts. The remainder escaped back into Creation to become a new wave of Solar Exalts.
This Time of Tumult is where Creation stands now. This is where our tale begins.
elvenlogic
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:17 pm
Disclaimer:
Everything preceding is from Exalted, which is a premade setting for tabletop RPGs (though I may have thrown in a bit of my own flair). I wrote a coherent synopsis hoping that I could get someone interested in a text RP of it. Bam! o uod
Hello! o vo/ My name is Eve and I will be the Storyteller for this campaign. The Storyteller in Exalted is much like the DM would be in Dungeons & Dragons. Since this is text-based, however, I will be taking on a protagonist character.
I'm looking for a small-ish group for this. Literacy and activity would be much appreciated.
Do feel free to PM me with anything you need!
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:26 pm
Character Sheets:
You are a Celestial Exalt. Solar or Lunar, you have just gained your power, and are now on the run from the Wyld Hunt. You are an Anathema. If you show your power, you will be feared and distrusted by the mortals around you. You know only enough about what you are to use what you have. Find each other before the Wyld Hunt finds you. Your quest will begin once this has been done.
[b]☀ Name:[/b] [b]☀ Age at time of Exaltation:[/b] (Between 20-60, 20-30 more likely) [b]☀ Appearance:[/b] (Pictures and text descriptions are both fine) [b]☀ Caste:[/b] (Dawn, Zenith, Twilight, Night, or Eclipse) [b]☀ Highest Virtue:[/b] (Compassion, Valor, Conviction, or Temperance) [b]☀ Virtue Flaw:[/b] (And short description, link if pre-existing, make sure to include condition and effect if made up. Must align with Highest Virtue.) [b]☀ Motivation:[/b] [b]☀ Personality:[/b] [b]☀ Backstory:[/b] (As short or long as you like.) [b]☀ Starting Limit:[/b](Anywhere from 0-5)
[b]☪ Name:[/b] [b]☪ Age at time of Exaltation:[/b] (Between 20–40) [b]☪ Appearance:[/b] (Pictures and text descriptions are both fine) [b]☪ Caste:[/b] (Changing Moon, Full Moon, or No Moon) [b]☪ Animal Totem:[/b] [b]☪ Highest Virtue:[/b] (Compassion, Valor, Conviction, or Temperance) [b]☪ Virtue Flaw:[/b] (And short description, link if pre-existing, make sure to include condition and effect if made up. Must align with Highest Virtue.) [b]☪ Motivation:[/b] [b]☪ Personality:[/b] [b]☪ Backstory:[/b] (As short or long as you like.) [b]☪ Starting Limit:[/b] (Anywhere from 0-5)
elvenlogic
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:38 pm
Things to Remember:
As we embark, there are many things you must keep in mind. These are just a few of them.
☄ The realm doesn't like you. Mortals will turn you in if they know what you are. Terrestrial Exalts (Dragon-Blooded) will hunt you down. These men are battle-hardened pros. Do not cross them lightly – abscond if possible until you have the experience you need.
☄ The wiki is a fantastic resource if this wall of text wasn't enough. I will run this campaign according to Second Edition canon, minus the dice. I've provided the most necessary links.
☄ Ask if you have any questions :> I know this setting well and would be happy to talk you through.
☄ The feel of the setting varies depending on where you are on the map – much of Exalted draws from Chinese lore, and clothing reflecting this can be found in Yu-Shan as well as on the Blessed Isle. The South goes from evoking feelings of Arabian Nights all the way to looking more like Africa. In the North, clothes are obviously designed for warmth, and as such incorporate a great deal of fur. The West is mostly comprised of islands, while the East is heavily forested with great cities built in the trees. Magitech is also a feature of this universe, where magic and technology are understood to be much the same thing.
☄ There are charm trees on the wiki if you want to use the actual spells available to Exalts. You won't be able to use all of them right away.
☄ I will be tracking limit a few posts down. You gain a dot of limit every time the condition of your Virtue Flaw is met. I will let you know when it's time to go into limit break (or when you reach 10 (count 'em, ten) dots of limit). This is the only time when you will be forced to do things that may be out of character. You must obey the condition of the Virtue Flaw you chose during character creation. This is the effect of the Great Curse, you cannot circumvent it, and the party will be forced to deal with it. When you limit break your limit track will go back to zero.
☄ There is also a character builder called Anathema (http://anathema.github.io/) available for free. It works on Macs and PCs. Requires a download, but it's fairly easy to use – just watch the numbers on the right side and make sure they don't go over the number allowed. If you want proper stats, that is. It's not necessary for this.
☄ I don't care if your posts are short or long. Blocks happen. A sentence or two is fine now and again. Just don't leave the rest of the party stranded, or we may leave you behind.
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:39 pm
Rules:
Oh come on, we all have common sense right? Just be nice to each other and try to stay active. Like I said above, long posts, short posts, doesn't matter, as long as the post leaves room for advancement of the plot/conversation/battle/whatever else is happening. Do follow the guild rules, also.
Oh, and please keep all out of character discussion in the OOC thread linked in the first post. This includes if you want to publicly ask me any questions about the setting.
I'll moderate or add rules as the need arises.
Regards and good luck,
Eve
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:41 pm
Limit:
Example:
Example Exalt ☀ Contempt of the Virtuous Condition: Being hindered by the self-indulgence of others. Effect: The Solar loses their respect for those around them and shows nothing but contempt for their foibles. Limit: ••••• •••••
This is where the Solar will undergo a Limit Break. During a Limit Break, you must act in accordance with your Virtue Flaw's effect. Afterwards, the Solar's track will reset to zero.
Example Exalt ☀ Contempt of the Virtuous Condition: Being hindered by the self-indulgence of others. Effect: The Solar loses their respect for those around them and shows nothing but contempt for their foibles. Limit:
You may contest the accrual of limit only if you believe the condition has not been met. When contesting, you must be able to back your assertions in the text you've written. I still have the final say on Limit.
Remember, the temporary insanity induced by a Limit Break can be really fun to play with. Try not to pick a condition that you can easily avoid.
Enjoy!
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:47 pm
elvenlogic
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:48 pm
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:49 pm
Accepted Characters:
elvenlogic:
☀ Name: Cadence of the Ten Whispering Elms ☀ Age at time of Exaltation: 34 ☀ Appearance: ☀ Caste: Twilight ☀ Highest Virtue: Compassion ☀ Virtue Flaw: Heart of Tears – http://wiki.white-wolf.com/exalted/index.php?title=Heart_of_Tears ☀ Motivation: To catalogue and cure all disease and ease the pain of those suffering from pathogens. ☀ Personality: Cadence is fairly laid back, though he has been less so of late. His highest virtue is the perfect embodiment of the way he acts toward others – with empathy and respect – and his convictions are strong. ☀ Backstory: Cadence Exalted with amnesia regarding much of his human life. In their place (for reasons unknown), Cadence has access to many of his Exaltation's memories from the First Age. At first, he was motivated to find his lost memories, but the Dragon-Blooded on his trail forced him to leave the trashed library in which he awoke, along with all clues, with haste. On his way out of his home city of Halta, he fell from the trees to the Fae infested grounds below. The treaty that forced the cities of the East into the trees made him fair game, and he would have died an early death if not for the convenient arrival of his Lunar mate. For a while, he traveled with her, seeking what was lost. When it was safe he returned to Halta. What little of his life was left, he found, and he was irrevocably changed by it. He parted ways with his mate to try to sort through what he had learned, given new purpose.
Note: Cadence is a special case on the topic of memories. Usually, when an Exaltation leaves its last mortal host, it returns to the office of Lytek, God of Exaltation, to be cleaned of most memories. Exalts retain some (very few) memories of their previous lives, and most of what they remember, their experiences, are from their mortal life. When I created Cadence (during proper character creation with actual stats), I bought Past Lives by sacrificing most of his human memories. I expect that the rest of you will not do this. It was just a good segway into the discussion about memories.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 10:50 pm
Limit Tracks:
Cadence of the Ten Whispering Elms ☀ Heart of Tears Condition: Witnessing the suffering of innocents and not being able to help them. Effect: The Solar weeps inconsolably at the horrible things they have encountered. They flee any combat. Limit: •••••
In the distant past, before the Primordials created all that is known, there was a mass of pure magic, pure Essence, chaotic and unshaped. It is not known how the first great Primordials came into being, but it was not long before they began to desire a place of their own amidst the turmoil. Thus, Creation was born – an ordered world where these great beings could find solace. It was here that these beings would begin to play great games of divinity.
The war that would come to be known as the Primordial War commenced.
This overthrow would be known as the Usurpation.
☄ The realm doesn't like you. Mortals will turn you in if they know what you are. Terrestrial Exalts (Dragon-Blooded) will hunt you down. These men are battle-hardened pros. Do not cross them lightly – abscond if possible until you have the experience you need.