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100 years after the return of the Solar exalted, creation is a pale mockery of its former glory. The Solars, along with their celestial exalt allies, have defeated the greatest threats to creation. They have thwarted the reclamation, de-throned the Scarlet Empress, driven back the deathlords, and defended creation against the raksha... but the victories have been pyrrhic, leaving ruin in their wake. The gods shudder at the exalted, and realize that they will soon be replaced. The yozi rage against the bars of their cage and heap misery onto creation where they can. And worst of all, in the ashes the exalts battle one another for supremacy. Conflict is the only constant, and the exalted that survive realize that the cycle of usurpation is never-ending. In these harrowing times, a small groups of exalts engages in yet another creation-shattering battle for the sake of reality... only to have the massive powers unleashed shatter the very fabric of time, thrusting them back in time. Riding the thread of their own exaltation, their essence patterns merge with those of their former selves, giving them the chance to right what once went wrong... or to forge a different path entirely.

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Characters start in the "present" of the exalted setting, but with ~100 years of future plot knowledge, and a significant amount of their future power. The following creation guidelines apply:
-2.5ed rules are assumed unless otherwise stated.
-All Solar-derivative exalt types are allowed, as a are Lunars. Sidereals by approval only.
-Dreams of the First Age "established" solar character creation rules apply to all celestial exalt types (sidereals are slightly modified, lunars count Knacks as charms for character creation purposes and switch attribute/ability spreads for those of lunars). Remember that favored cast abilities/charms are not a concern, as per 2.5 errata. Also note that you can, if you choose to play an infernal, work with the benefits of a fully realized devil-tiger (e.g. your own charm tree, caste anima and abilities, etc.)
-Expanded caste abilities: see 3rd ed list?
-50xp spent as desired, after completing character creation
-Designing custom charms to fill in holes in charm sets or to explore new game space is encouraged (e.g. finishing the "magical materials" charms of Prismatic Arrangement of Creation sidereal martial art style, creating heretical charms or devil-tiger charm set for infernals, etc.)
-"hobby" charms or charm trees that are otherwise too extensive for purchase in a normal game, are heavily encouraged. Part of the point of this is to see a devil-tiger, fully developed martial artist, etc. rather than the perfect melee god.
-Background choices represent potential backgrounds, rather than things you have on hand at character creation. You still have to go and get your artifacts, make your contacts, etc. But you know how and where to go about doing so.

Two additional topics bear emphasis: Motivations and Identity
-Motivations: Primary motivation should be sweeping in its scope. You have seen the major challenges to Creation brought low, yet found that the troubles did not cease. What do you still live for? How will you fix everything (note that "fix" could mean starting over from scratch)? Or will you simply strive to protect what is yours against all threats? Your motivation should take into account your 100 years of experience, and provide an interesting, engaging story. ALSO, I would like to see some intimacies to pet projects. Perhaps you want to create your own martial art, avenge the death of a loved one, or become the greatest breeder of beastmen that Creation has ever known. Note that stuff, it makes the game more entertaining.
-Identity: TLDR tell me what you did before you exalted, what you did in the future, and make good intimacies!
I want to know who you were before you exalted. This influences everything you do, from how you view the relationship between the weak and the strong, to your profession and life goals. Who were you? A bard, a soldier, a simple farmer? Why did you exalt? It's easy to miss this step when faced with cosmic power, but it defines everything that comes after.
I also want to know who you became in the future. What scarred you, why do you keep living, what brings you joy to counterbalance the horrors you have seen? This stuff would be nice to see in the form of intimacies on your sheets...
Finally, who do you care about? Is it the rest of the party? Your lost love who you have a second chance at saving? I anticipate mortal connections losing their importance quickly (as they tend to do when throwing around cosmic power), but you should have SOME connections with others.


Key Plot Knowledge:
-The scarlet empress is the bride of the Ebon Dragon, and the Yozi is going to try and take over all creation at the expense of pretty much everyone else.
-The deathlords are dead solars in service to the neverborn. The neverborn intend to plunge creation into oblivion. You know the terrible secret of skullstone, the FAFL's plan for invasion, the MoW's timeline for spreading his shadowland across creation.
-Autocthon is going to return, and seem like a bad guy at first, but DON'T KILL HIM! No one needs another neverborn, and he has some valuable info.
-There is something WRONG with exalts. Comparing info from the various exalted types, some words from Autocthon right before you kill him, and the general course of history, it seems like things are weird, but you aren't sure of the cause. Maybe its something to do with the corruption of weak mortal souls by immense power, maybe its the corruption of original sin, maybe it's some sort of outside influence (but what would be powerful enough to do that?), but you know there is SOMETHING that makes exalts ultimately destroy whatever they build. Or... maybe entropy is just more powerful than everything else?
-You know about the general nature and origins of the various exalt types.
-You know about the reclamation, and at least a few key plots.
-You know the games of divinity are bad for creation.
-You know the tactics the guild uses to control exalts.
-?

Reserved for list of Characters and their motivations/key traits

The list so far...

Steven
Unnamed Sidereal - Endings/Secrets caste Sidereal
Mortal Occupation: Unknown
Motivation: Fix bronze faction mistakes? Definitely don't kill autochthon?
Key Intimacies: Unknown
Skill/Charm Focus: Martial Arts...

Jason
Unnamed Abyssal - Day caste Abyssal
Mortal Occupation: Bard?
Motivation: Unknown
Key Intimacies: Wood aspected DB mentor
Skill/Charm Focus: Archery/MA/Integrity/Larceny/Dodge/Stealth/Performance?

Zach
Unnamed Lunar - Full Moon
Mortal Occupation: Unknown
Motivation: Save his village from the ravages of the future
Key Intimacies: Unknown
Skill/Charm Focus: Shapeshifting...

Jeremy
Unnamed Solar - eclipse caste? Solar
Mortal Occupation: Pirate
Motivation: Give Creation back to the mortals?
Key Intimacies: Unknown
Skill/Charm Focus: Sail/?

Cheyne
Unnamed Solar - Zenith Caste Solar
Mortal Occupation: Scholar
Motivation: Fight the cycle of destruction by instilling virtue and power into others
Key Intimacies: Unknown
Skill/Charm Focus: Martial arts, Integrity, Virtues, Lore

Adam?
Unnamed Solar - Night Caste Solar
Mortal Occupation: unknown
Motivation: Unknown
Key Intimacies: Unknown
Skill/Charm Focus: Stealth, Larceny

Reserved for list of "agenda items" (i.e. plot hooks)

CENTER
-Lookshy - 1st age weapons cache, airships
-Nexus - solar tombs, solve the unrest in nexus (daughter of nexus)
-marukani - cure the "contagion" (disease of an evil conscience)
-Grayfalls - address the budding "Wonderfalls Republic"
-Thorns - Monstrance of PC, free the city, stop the spread of the shadowland

EAST
-Lost Western War Manse
-Black Casinos of Coral
-Sunken Amphion in the skullstone archipelago
-The Soul Foundry in skullstone
-Thwart the lintha before their invasion

NORTH

WEST

SOUTH

WYLD
-find Gaia or other primordials
-find autochthon
-find other realities
-understand
-create
-find the first cause
-fight fae and free prisoners
-recover wonders and lost terrain

Primary Motivation: End the cycle of Exalted wars to control Creation.
From Primordials to Gods, to Solars to Dragon Blooded. We can’t seem to stop fighting each other for control. We either need to remove the Gods and Exalts or find a way to separate them from Mortals.

Secondary Motivation: Decrease the gap between the West and the rest of Creation.
I spent most of the future wars in the West, mostly oblivious to what was going on in the other Thresholds in their battle with the Realms. Perhaps is we had been able to travel between better or even just communicate better, we could have worked together to overcome these obstacles without all the strife.

Life before exaltation:
Before, and probably even after, Exaltation my life was pretty carefree. Like most men in the West, I was trained at sea from an early age and learned to love the freedom it provided. Bounced around from ship to ship with a group of friends. We did a little of everything, from fishing to trading and even piracy. We enjoyed the piracy more than we probably should, but it gave us a chance to fight back on our terms, at least until we tried to pirate the wrong ship. We hit a Guild ship, like we have done before, but this one was carrying some Dragon Blooded that quickly put us in our place. They then had us put in prison.

Exaltation:
We weren’t in prison for very long when the Volcano Gods started throwing tantrums and me and the other crew were hauled off to be a sacrifice. I was to be one of the first tossed in, but I exalted and was able to save myself and the rest of the crew, by both fighting off our captors, and striking a deal with the Volcano God. Then we stole another ship and sailed off to get revenge.

Previous Timeline:
I mostly stuck to the West. I had a lot of fights with the Coral Archipelago and their Guild friends in the beginning, ignoring the growing threats of the Silver Prince in Skullstone Archipelago and the increasing Fair Folk raids. It wasn’t until my mortal allies started getting caught up with the other Exalted plans (usually by dying) and meeting renegades of these factions that I finally started to see the real threats, and that came awfully late.
The worst happened after the Realm sent a fleet our way after finding our island of operation and killed everyone that wasn’t out at sea with me at the time. That turned my attention eastward and led to many battles against the Imperial Navy.

Intimacy: Fallen Wolf of the Cutting Sea – Abyssal Exalted and Exile of Skullstone (Abyssal)
Intimacy: To be named Fair Folk ally
Intimacy: Peleps Aramida, Admiral of the Imperial Navy (Dragon Blooded)
Intimacy: The Righteous Devil (Solar)? Guessing on this one, but it’s the name of one of my martial arts
Intimacy: Friends and Family that lived on my island (Cult)
Intimacy towards my crew (Ship of Theseus thought experiment) – I always think of them as “my crew” but none have survived all the way through and were replaced multiple times over, so is it still my crew?

Watching everyone he knew die to this war made it all feel pointless.
The new faces of his ever replenishing crew give him something to protect and care about at least

Edge of Life and Death
Cost: -
Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Form-Enhancing, Native
Pre-requisite Charms: Dark Messiah Form, Wood Dragon Form
An Abyssal who masters death, yet embraces life, may walk a knife edge between the two. Such an Abyssal may activate the form-type charm of both Dark Messiah and Wood Dragon styles simultaneously, paying the full cost of both charms, and the one mote surcharge for the Form-Enhancing keyword. The joint activation uses the highest Speed and DV penalty for both Charms and allows them to co-exist. While maintaining both form-type charms, all form weapons of either style are considered form weapons for both styles. Such power does not come without cost, however; an abyssal who dares to blend the opposing energies of life and death must endure both the pain of antithetical energies clashing inside her, and the disapproval of the neverborn. At the end of a scene in which this style is used, the Abyssal loses one willpower, takes a point of aggravated damage, and gains a point of resonance.
This charm may not be combined with other charms that allow for multiple celestial or sidereal form-type charms to be simultaneously active.

Deathbloom (Artifact 00000)
This exquisite long powerbow is made from green jade fused with soulsteel. The jade is covered in intricate carvings of flowering vines. The soulsteel pieces blend with the vines, adding thorns to the vines, and skeletal remains hidden amongst the verdant plant life. An exalt may gain the attunement benefit of whichever magical material is appropriate to their nature (e.g. jade for Dragonblooded, soulsteel for Abyssals), while a rare practitioner of both the Immaculate Wood Dragon and Dark Messiah martial arts styles who has mastered the form-type charm of each style may gain the attunement benefits of both materials.

Deathbloom’s bearer adds a non-Charm success on all Stealth rolls she makes while moving through plant-based terrain or graveyards. The bearer may also spend 3 essence to activate the ability Lotus of Death reflexively when holding the bow. Lotus of Death allows the bearer to fire bolts of essence laced with wood and death energy for the scene, obviating the need for ammunition, and poisoning targets of attacks that successfully deal damage. Other ammunition fired from the bow while Lotus of Death is active gain +1 damage, and gain the poison benefits listed above. The poison is supernatural, and uses the stats for coral snake venom. Those affected by the poison are wreathed in vinelike tendrils of essence covered in thorns and small crimson flower buds.

Razor Bloom Barrier
Cost: 3m (+1m); Mins: Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Resonant
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: none
Essence pours out of the bearer and into an arrow knocked in the bow, which sprouts with small grasping vines along its length. She may use this Evocation once on her turn to fire the arrow at any area within range of the bow, where it grows into a bush or shrub in seconds. This counts as light cover. Once this Evocation ends, the razor blooms wither into nothingness. The bearer may reflexively roll to take cover behind her Razor Bloom Barrier with (higher of Stealth or Survival) bonus dice.
At Essence 4, the effect may be upgraded to briar walls at the cost of an extra 1m, providing heavy cover. An enemy that attempts to take cover behind it or use it as concealment for a Stealth roll suffers (Essence) dice of lethal damage, ignoring Hardness, from the thorns. Those damaged by the thorns are poisoned, as per Lotus of Death.

Venom-Intensifying Shot
Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Stackable, Uniform
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: none
A rippling haze of emerald-and-black Essence roils around Deathbloom’s length, pooling around a readied arrow. On a successful attack, this nimbus of power intensifies the effects of any poison currently afflicting its target: the poison increases both its damage and duration by +1 until the toxin has run its course. Multiple uses of this Evocation stack—thus, three attacks with Venom Intensifying Stroke would extend the duration of a poison by 3 rounds, and increase its damage by +3.

Flower of Death
Cost: 2m Mins: Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Stackable
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Venom-Intensifying Shot
This Evocation must be used on the wielder’s turn, and may only be used once per round. The Exalt feeds her Essence into Deathbloom, causing beautiful crimson flowers to begin to bud across the surface of the bow and any knocked ammunition. After one activation, the poison from Lotus of Death cannot be reduced to less than one round of duration. After two activations (for a total commitment of 4m), Deathbloom’s attacks may affect incorporeal targets. After three activations (for a total commitment of 6m), these Essence-wrought buds come into full and deadly bloom, intensifying the poison that lives deep within the weapon’s Essence. While the flowers are in full bloom, the poison delivered by Lotus of Death increases its damage and duration by one each.

Ghost-flower Consumption
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords:
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Flower of Death
After being successfully struck with this attack, ephemeral gray-white glowing flowers begin to slowly appear and blossom across the target’s body. At the beginning of each of the target’s turns, the duration of all poisons afflicting the target are reduced to zero (including those from Death Lotus Strike), and the target may take actions as normal; at the end of their turn, the flowers unfurl and flood the victim’s system with concentrated, Essence-enriched toxins, immediately inflicting poison damage equal to twice the damage they prevented by consuming intervals of active poisons. If the victim has no poison intervals in his system for the flowers to consume, their growth stalls. In either case, they sublimate into Essence at the end of the scene. This Evocation can’t be directed against the same target twice in a scene.

Nelens Kari, Scholar of Virtue

Appearance: Initially a bookish but robust young woman with long, fiery red hair pulled back in a braid, and red streaks on pale white skin. Soon will transform into a bald monk dressed in a combination of peasant's garb and priceless artifacts.

Primary Motivation: End the cycle of usurpation and destruction. This can only be done through shifting the culture of creation to one of virtue, and giving power to the masses so that a single evil leader cannot overturn the world.

Secondary Motivation: Significantly reduce the gap between the powerful and the powerless. There will always be those with greater power, but when a few wield power of a god, and many have no power at all, injustice will be common place. Mortals need education and power in equal measure, while gods and exalts must be reined in.

Life before exaltation: Born to dragonblooded parents tasked with traveling to distant corners of creation on archeological missions, Kari spent her first 5 years being raised by her loving parents (uncommon for dynasts) while exploring exotic lands. When her parents were killed on a mission in the East, however, she was sent to live with her father's house Sesus, to the objection of her late mother's family in House Nelens. Aside from visits from her Aunt Nelens Siviri, the rest of her childhood was painful. Her appearance, fiery hair and reddish birthmarks streaked across pale skin (likely the result of her mother's mission to the far South while pregnant) convinced several in the family that she was likely to exalt as a particularly powerful fire aspect, which made her training even harder than customary for dynasts. Worse, without close family and judged harshly by other children for her looks and background, life was crushingly lonely. Only secondary school provided a modicum of pleasure, with its access to new ideas and complex scholarly pursuits, but even there she was something of an outcast, asking inappropriate questions and exploring knowledge not meant for mere students. Two incidents in particular would haunt her in later years. First, while investigating artifacts brought in from a recent dig site in the threshold, she found a mirror made of untarnished, polished bronze. In it she saw the face of a beautiful man that glowed with viridian power. He looked at her and nodded before her teachers beat her senseless for tampering with artifacts. The second incident began when she overheard a plot by teachers from house Cathak and Cynis to have Asu, a prominent child of house Cathak murdered as part of a greater scheme. Realizing she hated her life and that this was a moment that would define her future, she spoke to Asu and they escaped into the night, fleeing for Nexus.

Previous timeline: Hunted and with few options, Kari and Asu fled to the village of Three Ponds after barely escaping Cathak and Sesus agents in Nexus. She exalted at the Battle of Three Ponds, which helped her successfully escape along with Asu and covered their trail sufficiently to throw off pursuit. They spent the following years running and attempting to find a place in the world, to no real success. Eventually Asu was killed horribly a young solar with a grudge against the realm, and she was powerless to stop it. She realized then that she was weak, and vowed to gain the strength necessary to change the world. Kari spent time with gold faction sifus, traveled the wilds alone, worked with circles of varied celestial exalts, studied the lost lore in dozens of lost cities, and gained power as the world burned around her. For a hundred years she set herself against the forces intent on crushing the weak, and for a hundred years it was not enough to change the course of a Creation intent on consuming itself. The Ligier, the man in the mirror from so many years ago, came to her and made her an offer to be his champion. No others were worthy, he said. She refused, and beat him in combat. He smiled, and offered her a treasure, and lost lore. She went to malfeas with him, and they spoke for long days as they traveled, hearing the tale of the Primordial War from the yozi's. In her 5 days of contemplation on the return trip, contemplated all she had learned in the previous century, and realized that only breaking the cycle of usurpation and power would set creation on a new path. But she also realized that only virtuous acts could build that path. She entered the next great battle with a renewed plan, and a hope of reclaiming what was left of creation.

Intimacies (primary emotions/defining characteristics)
Cathak Asu (love, guilt) - protect her from permanent harm (she is also my ward)
Nelens Sivari (love, lost childhood) - Mothers sister, was a kind memory of early years and died a heroic death in first timeline
Ligier's Gift (caution) - got to keep the origin safe (dark secret) because it could be misinterpreted as corrupting
Self-Perfection (hope/obsession) - a driving goal at this point, it defines everything. Imperfect craftsmen create imperfect works.
Sticky Honey Rice (pleasure, happy memories) - a favorite food, seldom enjoyed
Book character slot
Kata Bracers (Hope) - forged to exacting standards by a solar craftsman ally, these are meant to be her legacy
Party slot
Party slot
Party slot
Party slot
Hobby slot
More slots
Too many slots because my virtues are so high
Still more slots
…
Last slot!

Originally born to a large patrician family with ties to two of the Great Houses, Haoka Aru was thought to be destined from birth for Exaltation by her family. She was quick and clever, curious and attentive, and she was always thrilled by stories about distant relatives that had Exalted and been welcomed into one of the Great Houses. Especially the stories they tried not to tell – stories about relatives that had gone off on the Hunt and died to the Anathema. Really, she just loved the endings of stories in general – it felt like the reason to tell a story in the first place. That she was also fascinated by killing bugs and, once, a household pet, was somewhat disturbing, though. Still, she was just so darn cute. She’d just wanted to watch the process – it wasn’t cruelty, but a need to understand.

By age 12 expectations were growing. It was a prime time to become Dragon Blooded, though no one from her distant family had before about age 15 – still, surely Aru could do it if anyone could. She was mastering musical instruments left and right, she could recite more about history than some of the elders, and was talented at calligraphy and sculpting. She had the perfect foundation to become the next Dragon-blooded scion of the house. That was when sifu came. Everyone was right. She was destined to Exalt, but not as a Princess of the Earth. Instead, after some negotiations, an exchange of money, promises, and, she later learned, the leveraging of some Charms, she left with sifu to finish out her adolescence in Yu-Shan, the city of the gods.

What followed was a whirlwind of Sidereal indoctrination, supplemental education, and martial arts theory and practice. She's pretty sure there were a succession of different Sidereals teaching her, but it might also be just one using different Resplindent Destinys. She isn't sure - before her Exaltation, she was just as subject to Arcane Fate as any mortal. This caused her late adolescence to be confusing, though not lonely, due to a number of divine and dragon king tutors (who should could remember). She continued to work on skills she’d been learning under patrician tutelage, but now added formal classes on bureaucratic procedures, formalized systematic prayer (particularly to pattern spiders), and designing and crafting Fate itself. She also developed a fondness for all of the various exotic means of transport in Yu-Shan. Despite the foreknowledge of her impending exaltation, it was 15 long years before it finally came to her and she was officially Chosen by the Maiden of Endings. She was ready when it happened and slipped quickly into her new role after officially inheriting her predecessor’s estate, artifacts, and name. Haoka Aru became Aru Vax, a name held by all her predecessors going back to the first Vax, who had fallen in the Primordial War.

Brought somewhat more formally into the Bronze Faction fold, she joined Wyld Hunt after Hunt to slay renegade Anathema until the return of the Solars made such a pogram all but impossible. Early efforts to keep tabs on her mortal family proved unsatisfying - they'd all but forgotten her after 15 years of absence and the workings of her Arcane Fate. Still, these inquiries revealed workings by other Exalts on the Blessed Isle. Careful inquiries, infiltrations, and spy-work revealed the presence of an Infernal Exalt in the Lower House of the Deliberative. Manosque Cyan would prove to be a persistent adversary throughout the Reclamation era.

Still, she believed in the Vision of Bronze and the destiny it wove for Creation. The return of Autochthon, the emergence of the Infernal Exalted, and a few short-lived Fair Folk incursions began to bring some questions. How sure could they be in the Vision if it relied entirely on the Loom for its predictions and so many existential threats to Creation were outside of Fate’s providence? The Return of the Empress and the subsequent battles against hoards of demons and even the Yozis themselves, followed by the loss of Autochthon and retribution from his strange mechanical Exalts provided the nails with which to seal the coffin on her faith in the plan.

Then there was the Final Battle – details are hazy. Certainly something dire, as she’s been brought back around a hundred years. Did something cause a reset of the Loom? Was that even possible? Aru would say it didn’t matter now, except that she knows what’s coming, and can’t be sure whether she’d get a third chance. This time, they had to get it right. She’ll do everything in her power to avert the disasters she witnessed and the horrors she saw, even if it means defying the Laws of Heaven and the Bureau of Destiny to do it.

Aru, when not utilizing a disguise or Resplendent Destiny, is a staggeringly beautiful woman in her mid-20s with very long, straight black hair and deep violet eyes that sparkle with starlight. She often prefers formal clothing even for everyday use and keeps up with current fashion among well-to-do ladies on the Blessing Isle. Her inherited Infinite Resplendence Amulet allows her to switch her clothing at will or at need, and so impractical but elaborate kimonos can be rapidly swapped for utilitarian hakama, rigid military attire, or simple peasant garb as the situation demands.

Her Familiar is an uplifted fox. Akiko (lit. red moon fox) began life as a very typical red fox in the Scavenger Lands before Aru claimed her as a familiar and later enhanced her into a minor god. Now she acts as something of a secretary and frequently countersigns destiny petitions for Aru.

Her Ally is a lesser elemental dragon of Air that she named Kumokumaneko (lit. cloud panda), or just Kuma for short. Kuma started life as a panda bear that Aru kept around as a familiar and somewhat unconventional mount until she used her Ride charms to transform the bear into a lesser elemental dragon. Now the dragon’s scales have vaguely panda-like patterning to them, like white clouds in a blue sky.


Intimacies
-Akiko (treasured servant)
-Kumokumaneko (possessiveness, pride)
-Manosque Cyan (odium)
-Lissome Avid Engineer (distant familiarity)
-Autochton (regret)
-riding exotic beasts (simple joy)
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