Exp Record: Story 05 - “A New Beginning”

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Player Characters

	Alabaster	Flawless
Total	12	12
Story 01	0	0
Story 02	0	0
Story 03	0	0
Story 04	0	0
Session 24	12	12
Session 25	5	5
Session 26	6	6
Session 27	6	6

 

Session 24

---

• While we started late the session is still 7 hours long.  So a Exp reward of 6 is in order.
• A one time bonus of “First Session Adjustment Bonus” of 6 exp is applied.   This allows the player to make any immediate tweaks to their characters as they realize the weakness and strengths of their characters after their first use.

Alabaster Hand of the Heaven 

• 8/8 (8) Archery Charm: Essence Arrow (Righteous Judgment Arrow)
• 4/8 (4) Archery Charm: Phantom Arrow Technique

Flawless Oak

• 5/5 (5) Resistance from 3 to 4
• 7/8 (7) Resistance from 4 to 5

 

Session 25

---

• The Session is a bit shorter than my normal sessions, it still warrants a Exp Reward of 4 Exp.
• Gain 1 additional exp for completely story achievement of “Saving Twilight” of 1 is

Alabaster Hand of the Heaven 

• 8/8 (4) Archery Charm: Phantom Arrow Technique
• 1/5 (1) Archery from 3 to 4

Flawless Oak

• 8/8 (1) Resistance from 4 to 5
• 1/1 (1) Resistance from 1 to 2
• 1/1 (1) Occult from 1 to 2
• Banked 2 Exp

 

Session 26

---

• The Session is fairly standard Session of around 7-8 hours.  Warranting an exp session reward of 6 Exp

Alabaster Hand of the Heaven 

• 5/5 (4) Archery from 3 to 4
• 1/1 (1) Raise Awareness from 1 to 2
• 1/1 (1) Raise Athletics from 1 to 2

Flawless Oak

• 3/3 (3) Raise Occult from 2 to 3
• 5/5 (5) Spirit Strng Skill??? (No idea what that is)

 

Session 27

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• The Session is fairly standard Session thus warranting an exp session reward of 6 Exp

Alabaster Hand of the Heaven 

• 6/8 (6) Charm: Graceful Crane Stance

Flawless Oak

• 3/3 (3) Acquire Sail at 1 (5/21 Training day)
• 3/5 (3) Integrity from 3 to 4

Beam-klaves

The rules presented in the Alchemical Book regarding Beam Weapons seems to be directly lifted from the First Edition Rulebook, therefore it needs to be adopted to 2nd Edition Rules.

Here are the rules regarding Beam-klaves in my game

• All Slash and Piercing Artifact Melee/Martial Arts weapons have beam-klave equivalents – and the have identical stats except for the modifications below
• Beam-klaves have artifact ratings 2 dots higher than their standard counter part.
• Beam-klaves have a minimum repair rating of 2 for small to medium weapons.  Larger weapons will have repair rating of 3, Warstrider size weapons will have repair rating that are much higher.
• Commitment Cost is 1/2 their counter part, to a min of 3 Motes
• Commitment Cost of Warstrider Versions are 1 more than standard cost, but cost no motes to activate.
• When inactive Beam-klaves consist only of the “Handle”.  Attune user can reflexively activate the weapon by expending 5 motes (not committed).  An beam blade of appropriate color shape and size instantly springs into being.  This blade will last for the rest of the scene or when dispelled by its attuned user.  (See Manual of Exalted Powers: Alchemicals Pg. 213 for Beam Color based on Material Descriptions).
• When Active it Ignites Flammable Objects by Touch
• Beam-klaves have the same Magical Material Bonus as any other Artifact Weapon.
• Beam-klaves half the parry DV if the defender blocks with non-magical material.  Unless defense is appropriately stunted the defending weapon is assume to be destroyed should the attack succeed.  This includes natural weapons as well – though in the case of vastly supernatural beings Storyteller would have to use common sense.
• Beam-klaves have the “Pierce” trait.  Should the standard weapon already have Piercing then the Armor Soak is reduced to 1/3rd as oppose to half.  Adamant Beam-klaves reduces opponent Armor Soak by 1/3rd before applying the –4 Armor Soak material bonus.
• Beam-klaves loses its special traits and is treated as standard artifact weapon against things that are highly resistant/immune to heat.

 

 

BEAM WEAPONS (ARTIFACT ••• TO •••••)

Original Text (Manual of Exalted Powers – Alchemicals pg 211)

Repair: 2
The signature weapons of the Alchemical Exalted, these intricate cylinders are constructed from magical materials encased in a foot-long shell of reinforced alloys and tipped with a concave crystal disc. Variations on the straight cylinder do exist, but are uncommon and do not affect their function. Slightly curved versions are the most popular variation. Attuning to a beam weapon requires a commitment of three motes, whereupon these devices become light, nimble and easy to wield. Thereafter, when the Exalt pays five motes into his attuned beam weapon, the weapon extrudes a blade of glowing Essence that averages three feet in length. (It lasts for an entire scene.) These blades combine tremendous heat and pure force and are able to set flammable objects alight with but a touch. The color of the blade depends on the magical material used in the artifact’s construction. Orichalcum blades emanate golden-white light that pulses as the blade moves, while moonsilver blades flicker with a pale, silver-blue radiance. Jade blades glow softly in the color of their jade-type, although black jade generates a midnight blue brilliance. Starmetal beam weapons are crimson-hued at rest, and smoothly arc through the spectrum to deep violet as they slash through the air. Soulsteel beam weapons are the deep red-black of dried blood and leave behind curtains of ash in their wake. Adamant beam weapons are the most spectacular. They are barely visible at rest as pale-blue prisms of energy that refract and scatter all other light. But as they cut through the air, they flash intermittently like bolts of lightning and trail azure sparks behind them.

Active beam weapons carry the same traits as their magical material counterparts, and artifact melee and martial arts weapons have beam weapon equivalents. Slayer khatars, fate rings, baneclaws and razor claws always come in pairs, and all beam weapons have an Artifact rating two dots higher than their normal counterparts, including warstrider-sized beam weapons—which cost an extra mote to attune.

In addition to their normal traits, all beam weapons destroy non-magical weapons with which they come into contact, provided there are any successes on a parry on Step Ten of attack events, even if the successes are not sufficient to deflect the attack. Furthermore, all parry successes against beam weapons are halved (rounded down). If natural weapons are used to parry a beam weapon, the character using them suffers two lethal levels of damage and extras have those fists, claws or feet amputated. Also, if a beam weapon successfully strikes a being wearing non-magical armor, the raw damage of the attack is permanently subtracted from both the armor’s bashing and lethal soak values, to a minimum of zero. If both soak values are reduced to zero, the armor is destroyed and provides no further protection. Inanimate targets of roughly the user’s size or smaller also suffer a permanent soak reduction from attacks made against them. If an object’s soak is reduced to zero, it is left appropriately scorched and fractured, but is otherwise damaged normally. Larger objects, such as walls, apply the soak reduction to only the small area that is being attacked rather than to the entire structure. Magical weapons suffer no damage from contact with a beam weapon and may parry them without penalty.
While the most common form of beam weapon is the beamklave, other weapon models are referred to by the same prefaces as beamklaves, so reaper beamklave, reaver beamklave, grand beamcleavers, beamlances, et cetera.

Domnica’s Mantle (Legendary Artifact)

Scroll of Exalts (Pg. 85), Classified as N/A Artifact

This gauzy, iridescent cloak flutters without regard for wind and bears an ornate silver clasp emblazoned with emeralds and arcane glyphs. Upon its wearer’s death, he may reflexively spend one Willpower point as his last action to fray the garment into an abstract paradox that snarls itself into the weave of existence.  The cloak then reforms at a new location determined by unknowable principles. If the wearer’s next life looks hard and long enough, circumstances inevitably arrange for him to find Domnica’s Mantle again, though it is up to him to do what is necessary to reclaim it.

The death of a Celestial Exalt releases her Exaltation, but it ignores the pull of Lytek’s cabinet (or Monstrance or Lillun’s womb) to seek out a suitable host on its own in accordance with Autochthon’s design. Upon the Second Breath of a new Celestial, the personality and memories of the Mantle’s wearer utterly subsume the new incarnation, bypassing the unnecessary formality of Lytek sanctifying the union of Exaltation and soul. The new Celestial fully remembers her last life, restoring her Motivation and Intimacies, but otherwise possesses the traits of her newly Exalted body in addition to a permanent Mentor 5 reflecting the core of her memory. She can draw upon this memory to teach herself any traits she used to possess in any prior incarnation given to Domnica’s Mantle.  The Storyteller may waive experience costs to allow a character who dies mid-series to restore herself and catch up to other protagonists. She still remembers her new body’s life prior to Exaltation and retains that life’s Intimacies, but the experiences seem hazy, like a vivid dream.

For a wearer lacking a Celestial Exaltation, the mantle carries her soul through Lethe to be reborn into a new life that fits whatever criteria the wearer desires, subject to Storyteller approval. This can include location, gender, social status and even supernatural heritage, such as divine blood or an infant destined to be a Dragon-Blood. It is not possible to pick a life that will receive Celestial Exaltation. The new life begins no sooner than a year from the death of the wearer.  At some point in the reincarnation’s adolescence, the personality of the former life reasserts itself with the same mechanical effects as possession by a Celestial Exaltation explained above.

New Charms from Scroll of Exalts

Solar

Resistance

Heroes Never Die

Prerequisite Charms: Durability of Oak Meditation (Exalted, p. 206)

See “Wound-Eating Invulnerability” below.

 

Sail

Omnipresent Admiral of Light

Prerequisite Charms: Salty Dog Method (Exalted, p. 236)

See “Voiceless Admiralty Dread” below.

 

Abyssal

Resistance

Wound-Eating Invulnerability

Cost: —
Mins: Resistance 5, Essence 3;
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Mirror (see below)
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Spirit-Hardened Frame

The prerequisite’s conferred Hardness raises to (Essence + 5), and it may be extended to a duration of one scene by raising the cost to (6m, 1wp). Injuries prevented this way occur and instantly heal as per Wounds Mean Nothing. The Solar Mirror “Heroes Never Die” correspondingly expands Durability of Oak Meditation.

 

Sail

Shambling Crew Enlightenment

Cost: —;
Mins: Sail 3, Essence 3
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Avatar (1)
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Deck-Striding Phantom

Whenever an Abyssal with this Charm is aboard a vessel he owns, all the walking dead onboard who are obedient to the deathknight have Intelligence 2 and a Sail rating equal to the deathknight’s own.

Voiceless Admiralty Dread

Cost: 3m
Mins: Sail 5, Essence 4
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Mirror (see below)
Duration: Indefinite
Prererequisite Charms: Unhallowed Ghost Ship

While active, the Abyssal intuitively knows the location of all ships he’s personally claimed with Unhallowed Ghost Ship within (Essence rating) miles and can issue reflexive telepathic orders to any or all of them, though this communication is still language dependent. All onboard the vessel hear the words in their mind as if the Abyssal were speaking from just behind them, allowing the ship to carry out orders from afar without distracting the captain from other tasks. Additionally, no relays are needed to prevent communication failure for units composed of crewmembers listening to these orders, leaving room for additional special characters.  The Solar Mirror “Omnipresent Admiral of Light” correspondingly targets ships owned via Ship-Claiming Stance.

 

Thrown

Smoldering Devastation Technique

Cost: —
Mins: Thrown 5, Essence 3
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Crypt Bolt Attack

A deathknight with this Charm can invoke Crypt Bolt Attack without it counting as a Charm activation, and it costs only one mote if the Exalt used the Charm earlier in the scene. All unexpected attacks made with crypt bolts double their raw damage.

 

Alchemical

Charisma

Hardened Argument Patterning

Cost: — [1m]
Mins: Charisma 5, Essence 3
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Internal, Social
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Programmed Catechism Rebuttal

When the Alchemical pays one or more points of Willpower to resist mental influence, any attempt to impose the same end result via any further mental influence (or a closely similar result as defined by the Storyteller) suffers a -3 external penalty.

 

Dragon-Blooded

Awareness

Atsiluth’s Omniscience

Cost: 5m, 1wp
Mins: Awareness 5, Essence 4
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Feeling the Dragon’s Bones

This unique Charm allows Vitali Proseria to project all of her senses to observe a single target attuned to the Sea of Mind as though he is beside her. This is a scrying effect that functions over any distance.

Sun King Vestment

Cost: 15m, 1wp
Mins: Lore 4, Essence 4
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Touch, Holy
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Power-Awarding Prana

[This is a brand new charm]

Not all Lawgiver are content with their mastery over incalculable mortals.  Many have tried to covert the children of greater beings into their service.  This Charm is one such tool.

While Power-Awarding Prana can affect only Beings with Essence of 1, Lawgiver Vestment bestows the glory of the Sun Kings onto beings whose ability to mold reality transcends mortal coil.  It affects beings who do not already have access to Natural Charm Sets and whose Essence is Greater than 1.  Those whose Essence is less than the Solars will also gain a bonus dot

The Solar activates this Charm and commits 15 motes to the Blessed Subject.  This investment of power increasing the subject’s Essence Pool by 15.  The Charm also increases the target’s Effective Essence Attribute by 1, to the max of the Solar’s own Essence Score – 1.  Being a temporary this boost in Essence Attribute does not count towards any possible apotheosis.  This investment of Solar’s innate light also grants the subject access to the Solar Charm Set.  Just like Power-Awarding Prana these new powers are only active for as long as the Solar’s Essence is Committed.

The effect of this Charm is cumulative with that of Power-Awarding Prana, though it is far more effective when combined with Soul-Enlightening Beneficence or Glorious Celestial Invigoration Meditation.

 

Power-Awarding Prana

Cost: 15m, 1wp
Mins: Lore 4, Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Touch
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Essence-Lending Method

The Lawgivers share great secrets with their disciples. This
Charm targets an Essence 1 character who cannot channel Essence.

This Charm increases the target’s effective Essence to 2,
allows him an (initially empty) 15-mote pool and the ability
to regain Essence as a Solar Exalt, and it permits him to learn
Solar Charms with the normal training time for 10 experience
points each. The target has access to this increased Essence,
pool and Charms only when actively under the influence of
Power-Awarding Prana (i.e., for only as long as the awarding
Solar’s Essence motes remain committed).

 

Soul-Enlightening Beneficence

Cost: 15m, 1 wp
Min: Lore 4, Essence 3
Type: Simple (Dramatic Action)
Keywords: Enlightening, Obvious, Touch
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Essence-Lending Method

This Charm is a variation on the better known Power-Awarding Prana (see page 568) immediately and permanently blasts open a willing mortal’s doors of perception, opening him to the world’s currents of Essence.  Soul-Enlightening Beneficence requires a short ceremony to steel both donor and recipient for the awesome forces they shall unleash.  The ceremony takes whatever form the participants feel is appropriate to solemnize the event.  Then the mortal and the Exalt simply touch – and the cataract of Essence flooding through the recipient’s soul knocks him out for (5 – his Stamina) hours.  The recipient also trades one permanent dot of Willpower for another point of permanent Essence.  After the character recovers, however, he possesses his own Essence pool.

Like Touch of Divinity, this Charm offers no benefit to beings who already channel Essence.  The donor merely transfers 15 motes of his own Essence.

All types of Celestial (and Abyssal and Infernal) Exalts possess a variation of Soul-Enlightening Beneficence.  The recipient gains an affinity for the source of the Exalt’s power, like that granted by Touch of Divinity, which other Essence-sensing creatures can perceive.

Zero and Negative Dice Pools and Success Adders

If we follow standard rules then 2nd Excellency (and other success adders) will trump 0 or negative dice pools.

Even if your dice pool is 0 or negative your action will resolve with 0 success from unable to roll + success from dice adders.

This is unacceptable to me.

So for my game

You must qualify to attempt the action (e.g. higher than 0 dice pool) before your success adders kick in.  If you are unable to even roll then your action automatically fails and you cannot even attempt to use success adders.

Virtue and MDV

I found it strange that one’s virtue has no direct relationship to defend against Mental Attacks.

If Children is not a person’s Intimacy or part of his Motivation.

The Mental Influence to murder children has the same difficulty between Person with Compassion 5 and a Person with Compassion 0.

So I am adding the rule to modify MDV treating defining virtues (3+) akin to Intimacies.

Any action that goes along with actions you must suceed Virtue Rolls on will be –1 MDV.

Any action that goes along with actions you must fail Virtue Rolls on will be +1 MDV.

Unlike Intimacy and Motivation, this Modifier is cumulitive with the Intimacy and Motivation Modifier.

So the total modifier to MDV of Virtue + Motivation/Intimacy is now +/-3.  2 from Motivation, 1 from Virtue.

And the total modifier to MDV of Virtue + Intimacy is now +/- 2.  1 from Virtue and 1 from Intimacy.

This uses the same threshold as defining virtues (e.g. Virtue of 3+). 

Those whose virtue are too low do not gain this effect.  The point of having no virtue is you have no strong personal values to violate.  Having 0 Virtue means you can be commanded to do anything – since the act does in no way strain your morality.

[Exalted Past] Session Rewards

Player Characters

	Balan	Aata	Nejimaru
Total	161	161	149
Story 01	28	27	22
Story 02	58	59	52
Story 03	62	62	62
Story 04	13	13	13

 

	Alabaster	Flawless
Total	12	12
Story 05	29	29
Story 06	12	12

Current Story: Story 06 – Edge of Dawn

Current Story Virtue Record

[Exalted Past] Rule Changes

Additions

• Benefits of a Circle
• Character Generation: Unwanted Dots
• Getting Rid of Specialties
• Hardness and Touch Attacks
• Naval Combat Ability Ceiling
• Virtue and MDV

Changes

• Armor Soak and Hardness Changes
• Charm Activation and Patterning
• Dangers of Virtues Higher than 3
• Defensive Charm Updates
• Exp and Training Time
• Charm: Hauberk-Lightening Gesture
• Intimacy vs. Motivation
• Stunts: Essence Regain

Clarification

• Charm: Hauberk-Lightening Gesture
• Charm: Whirlwind Armor-Donning Prana
• Dice Pools, Dice Adders, and Automatic Successes
• Stunts: and Perfection

Reprints and Summaries

• Fate of Solar and Dragon-Blooded Unions

Dice Pools, Dice Adders, and Automatic Successes

According to the Writers for Exalted 2nd Edition.

• Dice Pool are capped by whatever Exalted’s Excellency says.  Solar = Attribute + Ability, Lunar = Attribute (or Attribute + Essence during Fury), Dragon-Blooded = Ability + Specialty, etc.
• Max DV with Charm added is its max dice pool / 2 round up.  E.g. for Solar’s Dodge DV is RoundUp[(Dex + Dodge + Essence + Dex + Dodge) / 2].  Which is the max DV regardless from any combination of Charms. 
• 2nd Excellency is the only automatic success adder that is capped by dice pool.
• All other automatic success adders are only capped by the specific charm’s description.  There is no cap on the number of successes combinations of charms (other than second success) can add. 
• Successes added via other charms, unless specific noted in the Charms, do not count towards the dice cap for 2nd Excellency.

So in another words DV has max cap.  Dice Pool have max cap.  2nd Excellency Successes have Max Cap.  Other Charms adding Automatic Successes have no max cap.

It makes the Martial Arts Charm slightly more useful but not nearly as much.

It is also mentioned that the last 2 points are the reason why Automatic Successes adding Charms are so rare.

So lets use that system for now?  Unless you guys have different opinion on the subject.

Hardness and Touch Attacks

In combat Hardness will guard against touch attacks.

If the attacker’s potential damage (Strength + Weapon Damage) is insufficient to pierce Hardness they would do not be allowed to use touch attacks upon the target.

However, an ineffective touch attack may still go through if the attacker comes up with a 2 dice stunt.  He however gains no bonus dice nor regain any essence/willpower for such an stunt but is now allowed to make the touch attack normally.

This is effect is applicable as long as the defender has the behavior that dictates he avoid being touched – which is the automatic assumption when in combat.

Touch attacks most of time will just be Strength.  However weapons with “M” or “N” tags can add their damage to the calculation for Touch vs. Hardness. 

The “M” tag weapons are only counted when the wielder is using Martial Arts to attack (and not melee).  This exception is not to be confused with Form Weapons, since not all Form Weapons have the “M” tag – namely Swords.

Example

Tyr decides to use a Dire Chain to make his attack.  Dire Chain has the “M” tag, as long as he is using Martial Arts ability to make his touch attack roll he can add the weapon damage to his Strength to decide if he punctured Hardness.  This will be true if he is using Smash Fist, or Armored Cestus, or even Spike Harness.

So his Strength (2) + Dire Chain (+8B) = 10B worth of Damage.  This means he is only 1 die damage short of puncturing through Super-Heavy Artifact Plate.

Keep in mind the assumption is not that the Martial Arts weapon is the touch attack.  It means the character uses the Martial Arts weapon to puncture through Hardness and follows through with his Touch. 

E.g. Tyr strapped the chain to the defender’s arms and pulled him off balance enough to be able to go through the invisible barrier given by the artifact armor and inject his essence into the target.

As with all Rules, it is a frame work that needs to be combined with common sense.  If the target is on the other side of a chasm, even if Tyr did wrap his chains around the target he obviously cannot make a touch attack because he can’t reach over and touch him.

Defensive Charm Updates

To metigate the “Everyone hold charm use till someone use a non-defensive charm” problem, I am going to make the following update.

You are now allowed to use Reflexive Defensive Charms (in the appropriate steps) even after you already activated another Charm for that turn.

However, doing so will carry a surcharge of 2 Willpower and additional mote cost equal to the minimum Essence Requirement of the Charm.

Once the charm is activated it is then considered “in combo” and subsequent activate of the charm falls under combo rules.

This should allow people to use non-defensive charms more freely and is harsh enough as to not take away the value of Combo.

Obviously this does not really apply to Dragon-Blooded because they can already use Reflexive Charms.  But since this form of Defensive Charm use has 2 WP surcharge each time its used, I see no balancing problems.

Example

Solar A, decided to activate his Form Charm.  That is his Charm use for the round.

Abyssal B, decides to use magical flurry against the Solar. 

Solar A, figures he cannot survive against the onslaught decides to use Perfect Dodge against the Flurry.  He would spent 2 WP and 5 Motes to Use the perfect dodge charm against the first attack of the flurry.  Then every subsequent dodge will cost him 3 motes for the rest of the action.

Adaptation in Regards to Patterning

To adopt this system to patterning, subsequent use of a these charms will not cost 1 mote.  Instead it will cost 2 motes. 

So in the above example, the subsequent use of the dodge charm against the other attacks in the flurry will cost 2 motes and not 1.

Background: Hoard

The Resources background as it stands right now is too broad.  Mainly because it makes no distinction between liquid resources and revenue stream.  To accurately represent the two I am splitting it into two.

Resources will be as it always is, meaning Cash Flow.

While the new background “Hoard” will be static worth.  Where is Resources of 4 means you can buy within reason any number of Resource 3 purchases and regenerates back to 4 given time, Hoard will only decrease without injection of capital.

So a person a plantation that produces income will have resource.

A person with a mountain of gold but otherwise didn’t invest the money, will have Hoard.

Hoard use the same system as Resources when it comes to purchasing things.  The difference is if you buy a 4 dot purchase with 4 dot Horde you are left with 0 Dot Horde, where is for Resources you are reduced to 3 till you regenerate the wealth.

For lower dot purchases consider reach lower dot to be 1/10th the worth of a higher dot.  So 4 dot Horde can make 10 3 dot purchases before running out.

It is probably best to keep track of Horde as a decimal.

5.	0	0	0	0
Current Rank	Purchase of –1 rank	Purchase of –2 rank	Purchase of –3 rank	Purchase of –4 rank

As with most rule modifications, we’ll adjust it if it proves too unwieldy.

Ysabel Hayfa

The enlightened mortal mercenary woman who pilots her own Scout Warstrider.  She was mentioned in the Scroll of Kings in the section about Gem.

Tachi-Kun, Central God of War

The god of war for the center direction, Tachi-Kun is also the god of Exalted warfare, the patron of the tumultuous clash between those imbued with the power of the gods. In ancient days, when the Exalted marched to war, Tachi-Kun was there, overseeing the clash of battle-Essence, savoring every shake of the earth and mountain toppled by these heroes.

To say that Tachi-Kun has been disappointed with the warriors of the Blessed Isle since the Usurpation is something of an understatement. He finds the Dragon-Blooded focus on unit tactics and dog-packing to lack the honor and glory of the ancient wars, when Solars took to the field against their foes, each a hero in his own right.

This isn’t to say that Tachi-Kun doesn’t support the Bronze Faction, of course. He is too wise to see the suspicious disappearance of Darunla, the wolf-goddess of the East who supported the Solars, shortly after the Usurpation as chance—especially given that Sunipa, who favors the Dragon-Blooded, was soon after elevated to the position of war-goddess of the East. Tachi-Kun acknowledges that the Dragon-Blooded are mighty warriors; they are simply not heroes, in his mind. But then, foot soldiers rarely are.

Tachi-Kun maintains a strong rivalry with Voharun, the crow-god of Northern war. Once, in the time of the Solars, Voharun and Tachi-Kun were strong allies, but they have not gotten along since the Usurpation. Neither, however, will reveal the reason.
The central god of war is nearly eight feet tall and powerfully built. He wears an incredible suit of starmetal and jade superheavy plate, with an impressive dragon-face helm. He wields Terrible Mountain Cutter, an impressive divine grand grimcleaver. He is a superb martial artist and soldier, excelling at the use of Charms to their best effects in combat.

Sunipa, Eastern God of War Constrained By Law

Sunipa, the East’s supreme god of war, governs all aspects of war in which soldiers follow rules.  She is the patron of soldiers who follow orders, from grunts in the field to generals who start and end their battles as their heads of state direct.  Her purview also covers truces and surrenders, exchanges of prisoners, battlefield challenges, military training, supply contracts, military police and indeed every military activity in which warriors act according to agreed-upon rules.  Sunipa works closely with her colleague (and reputed relative) Shield of a Different Day (see The Compass of Terrestrial Directions, Vol. I—The Scavenger Lands, pp. 142-144).  She also directs a staff of gods who oversee other aspects of professionalized warfare, such as military intelligence, logistics and chains of command.

The goddess herself looks like a fit middle-aged woman, handsome rather than beautiful, with short, black hair and jet-black eyes.  She wears a suit of green and silver magitech armor; a minor illusion makes it look like lightweight, plain gray breast-plate strapped over simple brown leather armor.  Sunipa carries a fire lance called Delicate Scarlet Blossom and a slashing sword called Neverfrost whose blade is carved from steel-hard, unmelting ice.  Thus does Sunipa balance pomp and practicality, heat and cold, the magitech of the Exalted and the blades of common mortal soldiers.

As Eastern God of War, Sunipa answers to E-Naluna, Queen of Warfare in the Bureau of Heaven, and Hu Dai Liang, Shogun of the Crimson of Battles in the Bureau of Destiny’s Division of Battles.  Sunipa enjoys extensive worship throughout the East.  Her cult is particularly strong among mercenaries, who fight according to the terms of contracts.  Somewhat ironically, the East’s large contingent of guerillas, partisans and insurgents also pray to Sunipa… to keep the regular armies they fight slow and hidebound.  In the planning sessions at the Division of Battles, though, Sunipa only backs rebels who feel they have just cause and follow rules about legitimate and illegitimate targets for attack.  Sunipa despises rebels who try to tear down a society without building something new in its place, and sees them as no more than bandits with slogans.

For all the power and prestige of her office, Sunipa does not consider herself safe.  In the First Age, Sunipa held a lower position in the Division of Warfare as patron of the concept of soldiers under orders.  As such, the soldiers of the Dragon-Blooded Host fell in her purview.  The wolf-goddess Darunla held the office of Eastern War God. When the Usurpation came, Darunla sided with the Celestial Exalted.  Sunipa felt immensely conflicted: she could not countenance mutiny, but wanted to help her Dragon-Blooded soldiers.  Eventually, she sided with the Dragon-Blooded, reasoning that most of the Dragon-Blooded who actually attacked and slew the Solar and Lunar Exalted were just following orders from their own commanders.

After the Usurpation, Darunla disappeared and Sunipa took her place.  Sunipa believes the Bronze Faction destroyed Darunla, and could destroy her too if they ever suspect her of working against them.  Sunipa does not work directly against Solars in the East (for she fears what the resurgent Gold Faction could do to her, too) but tries to prevent any of the gods under her command from assisting the new Lawgivers.

Dance’s Daiklave of Conquest

Dance’s Daiklave of Conquest was given to him as a gift from Arianna, who retrieved it from a Solar Tomb she excavated in the Deep South.  All Daiklave of Conquest are forged for the greatest generals of the Old Realm and thus designed exclusively for use by the Dawn Caste. No other Exalted can attune themselves to this weapon, nor wield its fantastic powers.

When used in battle, the daiklave glows with a bright, unearthly light. As long as this daiklave is unsheathed, all opponents and other hostile individuals within 10 yards of the bearer must make a Valor roll at +1 difficulty or flee in fear.

Those who hold their ground lose a number of dice from all attacks (even those not targeting the wielder) equal to the bearer’s Valor score.

So long as the bearer is using this weapon in combat, friendly troops fight with improved morale that gives them one bonus die to all combat-related dice pools. They also automatically gain one success on all Valor rolls.

In addition, all opponents suffer a –1 internal penalty to all combat-related dice pools and receive a +1 penalty to the difficulty of their Valor rolls.

Both of these powers affect combatants within one mile of the Exalt wielding the daiklave. These bonuses and penalties do not apply to civilians or neutral soldiers.

A Dawn Caste Exalt must commit 10 motes of Essence to attune to this blade.  Both known examples of this rare and deadly treasure act as standard orichalcum daiklaves in hand-to-hand battle, though each has a setting for three hearthstones.

Dance’s Daiklave has a Hearthstone setting on each side of the blade, and the last one is the jewel setting for the pommel.

Perfection of the Ascending Sun

This fantastic blade is also known as the Fomenter of the Ever Victorious Legion. It was forged for the greatest general of the Solar Deliberative “Solomon of Teir” by his Twilight Caste lover “Vicar of Origination Sublime” and is an awe inspiring symbol of power on the battlefield. This Daiklave is wide and single edged almost resembling a reaver daiklave, but is slightly longer and elegant in its plainness. It has 4 sockets for Hearthstones, lining the back of the blade from the Guard to a quarter the way up the blade.

This weapon can only be attuned by a Dawn Caste Solar costing 8 motes. No other castes can wield this weapon or utilize its fantastic powers.

The sword comes with an exquisite case like sheath that negates the entirety of the weapon’s weight and inertia. This effect is constant and does not require attunement, making the weapon easy to transport and carry. The sheath can be worn fashionably on the hip or strapped to the back. The Sheath also has an additional function as noted below.

The weapon is currently socketed with Gem of Acclimation (••), see page 230.

	Speed	Accuracy	Damage	Defense	Rate	Attune	Minimum	Tags
When Attuned	5	+3	+10L/2	+3	4	5	Str ••	O, P

• Indestructible: The weapon is night-indestructible; nothing in creation can end its existence.
• Piercing: The weapon is so sharp that it halves any armor’s soak value rounded down.
• The weapon doubles the wielder’s raw damage against inanimate objects of Earth and Fire. This includes Warstriders, Fortifications, Ships, Siege Engines, Mountains, Bridges, etc. It doesn’t include Undead or things built of once living things such as wooden structures and soulsteel. It also doesn’t include objects worn by living things, such as armor and weapons. Should another effect also double damage, this just adds 1 more factor to it and not doubles. So if a charm doubles damage, combined with this weapon the total raw damage is now 3x not 4x.
• As long as this daiklave is released from its Moonsilver sheath/case, all opponents and other hostile individuals within a radius from the bearer equal to 10 yards per dot of the wielder’s permanent essence must make a Valor Check at +1 difficulty or flee in terror. Those that hold their ground suffer an internal penalty on all “attack” actions equal to the bearer’s Valor score.
• As long as the daiklave is attuned and sheathed in its Moonsilver sheath/case the wearer can “ready” the blade as a Reflexive action up to number of miles equal to his Essence + Valor Score. Returning the sword back to the scabbard has to be done via mundane means, however, and the sheath/case is not teleported along with the blade.
• When the wielder of this weapon leads in mass combat he becomes a force of nature.
  • The weapon becomes the focal point of immense amount of Divine Essence blessing and strengthening the wielder’s troops. This effectively adds 2 to the army’s might rating, regardless of any maximums.
  • The focus of holy essence transforms the daiklave into a fragment of the Unconquered Sun. It becomes a blaze of sunlight. It will light the battlefield as if it was daytime dispelling even magical darkness from horizon to horizon. This divine glow is the true aspect of the Unconquered Sun, and should be treated as such.
  • As long as the bearer is engaged, all friendly troops fight with heightened spirits that gives them an additional bonus die to all combat-related dice pools.
  • These soldiers also automatically succeed any Morale checks (Perfect Morale) and cannot be placed under any fear effect.
  • In addition, all opponents shake with dread losing one die from all combat-related dice pools and receive a -1 external penalty to their Morale checks and Valor rolls.
  • All the Mass Combat bonuses only affect combatants within a mile of the Exalted wielding the daiklave. The relevant bonuses and penalties do not apply to civilians or neutral soldiers.
• The weapon cannot be placed in Elsewhere via Charms or sorcery. Any attempts to do so will automatically fail.

Mecca, The Lissome Halo of Golden Annihilation

This breathtakingly beautiful orichalcum great daiklave is decorated with Moonsilver and all 5 colors of Jade. Just the quality of the decoration is worth entire nations, the overall value of this artifact is beyond mortal imagination. Plus not only is this blade sentient, she (yes, she) is a survivor of the First Age and is none other than the proud weapon of the Solar Deliberative Proctor – the Guiding Hand that Smite of the Zenith Caste.

During the First Age, Mecca is perhaps the most famous weapon in Creation. Not only because her illustrious partner but also because they were the pairing that struck the final blow in the Primordial Wars. The Guiding Hand that Smite with his Circle ventured deep into the chaotic foulness that is the miasma of the dying Primordials and with their bravery made the binding of Malfeas possible. Of these heroes and their belongings, only this Grand Daiklave survived. Forever scarred by the intensity of that struggle – both on her surface and, more deviously, internally as well. The holiest of all blades became the symbol of Solar Victory – tragically a symbolism truer than anyone suspects.

Unknown to even the wisest Savants the indestructible weapon was damaged beyond the constraints of possibility when it plunged into the fetich soul of the Demon King and scourged the Primordial Masters into submission. The holy blade’s spirit was fissured when she contended against the reality defying power of the Fetish Soul before his diminishment into Ligier. As Malfeas’ soul’s suffering echoed across all existence, its intensity crept in to the invisible fissure. Overtime the echo of that suffering amalgamated with Mecca and the sword became inwardly twisted and corrupt.

It was she, and not the great curse, that was the main cause of the atrocities The Guiding Hand that Smite was attributed and ultimately the Deliberative used Mecca to carry out his execution. Thus this blade passed from Solar to Solar marking each with her infallible touch of corruption. Mecca is now a twisted sentience that delights in misery and subtly influences her owners into completely suffering and despair – a sentience with powerful on par to any third circle demon.

Speed	Accuracy	Damage	Defense	Rate	Minimums	Tags
5	+3	+13L/4	+2	2	S···	2, O, P, R
4	+4	+13L/4	+3	3	S··	O, P, R

• This weapon is sentient and has P/I/W of 8/6/7 and C/M/A of 6/10/9, though it can communicate via speech, telepathy, or empathy, it never does so. Instead it uses its empathy to subtly influence the emotional state of the bearer to entertain itself.
• The blade is in completely control of her powers and can grant all or none of the abilities listed to the bearer (attuned or not) – this control even extends to the material bonuses for attunement. Should the sword wish it, it can be as heavy as a mountain regardless of how much essence the bearer pumps into it. Thus all mention of “attuned” should read as “should Mecca allow it” though she normally masquerade as a non-sentient weapon and thus pretend to follow the normal rules governing artifacts.
• The Weapon has its own collection of charms subjected to the Storyteller’s decision, and has an Essence stat of 9 and has an Essence pool of 100, plus 10 for each dot of Hearthstone socketed. This pool of essence can be committed as personal essence to the bearer at a transfer rate of 2 sword essence for 1 personal. This Essence Allowance cannot be used as commitment Essence. The Sword regenerates Essence at the rate of 10 motes an hour in direct sunlight plus the combined socketed Hearthstone’s regeneration capacity. When not in sunlight the daiklave only regenerates 1 point an hour.
• In addition to her personal Charms the scars left by the titanic battle upon her body can be used to learn the following Perfect Charms. These charms can only be used in conjunction with her and can be mastered by any Solar with Essence 5 and Melee 7 with Swords. While she cannot prevent anyone from reading the charms, she can adjust her own weight and balance. Since the Charms only work with her, this in effect stops the wielder from training with, and should the charm already be learnt, the use of the charms.

Eight Direction Orichalcum Palisade

Cost: 8m, 1wp
Min: Melee 7 with this Sword, Essence 5
Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Combo-Ok, Obvious, Perfect
Duration: 2 ticks
Prerequisites: Solar only, no prerequisite Charms

This is the perfect defense form that allows the user to achieve a sublime unity with the blade and allow the wielder to defend without thought. The attacks must not be unexpected, and the character must have Mecca in hand. This Charm is a perfect parry that defends against any/all attack for the rest of the tick and the tick after.

This Charm has one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability common to all solar perfect defenses. The flaw is unique to each person and is picked when the Charm is learned.

The Inevitability of Victory

Cost: 1m, 1wp
Min: Melee 7 with this Sword, Essence 5
Type: Supplemental Combo-Ok, Obvious, Perfect
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Solar only, Eight Direction Orichalcum Palisade

The Solar focuses and releases a single slash that materializes the Certainty of Inevitability, while just a plain slash from a third person point of view, the actual target(s)being assaulted sees infinite attacks from every direction and regardless of how he defends he cannot break the perfection of certainty - the inevitable slash will strike its mark without error.

This Charm supplements the player’s melee roll with Mecca and guarantees that the attack hits. The Charm can be used to argument attacks including trick shots and stunts. The attack is resolved normally, but if the attack would have missed without this Charm, then it hits, calculating its raw damage based on an assumption of 2 extra attack successes. This Charm does not change the normal rules for valid targets – stabbing the blade through “the gap in his armor” does not allow the Exalted to bypass armor soak, nor does this Charm allow the Exalt to perform impossible deeds.

Any perfect defense used against this charm will result in a Essence contest between the attacker and defender.  The result will determine which charm took effect.

• The weapon, regardless of attunement, does additional levels of aggravated and unsoakable holy damage equal to the wielder’s Conviction on Creatures not native to creation, being such as Creatures from the Wyld, Malfeas, Underworld, and even that of Oblivion. These damage levels are inflicted as long as the wielder hit and are separate from normal damage (e.g. need another invocation of any perfect soak charms).
• Requires 10 motes of Personal Essence to attune with the weapon. Orichalcum weapons when attuned are +1 to Accuracy, Defense and Rate. This specific weapon when attuned by a Solar becomes incredibly light, becoming naturally speed 4, and needing only 1 hand to wield and a strength requirement of only 2 dots.
• When attuned, the weapon hardens any flared anima with protective properties that provides a +2 DV Cover bonus against all attempts to penetrate it, be it material, immaterial, or essence/unnaturally powered mental effects. Being a cover bonus it is not cumulative with other cover bonuses – such as shields.
• The weapon for as long as it is attuned will perfectly shield the owner from Wyld Contamination, Possession, Shapping, Unnatural Mental Influences, and even the virtue draining abilities of the Fair Folks.
• Unlike most great daiklaves Mecca only have 2 Hearthstone sockets, one at the center of the blade, and one near the tip.

Peach of Immortality, The

Found a reasonably good image for the Peach of Immortality Aata ate.