When I first read the original Exalted core book, it was love at first sight.
    I ran a game lasting a year and a half starting just after White Wolf produced this most holy of games. Of course, this meant that I was forced to improvise much of my story-line, as my sources of canon were few and far between. I’m sure many of you sympathize.
I say this because it’s been years since the campaign ended, but lately I’ve been bitten by the Exalted bug again and plan on starting the ball rolling once again. That’s where you wonderful people come in. I need help in evolving the world 30 years past where my last campaign ended, which is 5 years after the start of the canon world. So, with no further ado, and much compression, here is a brief description of what has gone before.
The circle of Solars began in the Nexus as a hodgepodge and motley band of heroes trying to get by on the mean streets and carve a name for themselves. In my world the Emissary, was (you’ll see why the past tense shortly) an Eclipse caste Solar himself who was young and abroad when the rebellion occurred in the First Age. As a testament to his skill he remained on the fringes of the world and the Underworld where the eyes of the Sidereal could not see. As he watched and gathered resources and allies he grew bitter, particularly at the Unconquered Sun who had sat by and done nothing when his Chosen were slaughtered.
In any case he had been waiting in the Nexus for centuries using its resources and connections to secretly prepare to take back the Island. When the Solars re-emerged he knew that his time had come, and began gathering the young to be his generals and spies in the War that was to come.
The group had MANY adventures along this arc, but it was in Gem that they came across a small girl who changed everything. It was written in the stars (said the Sidereal) that the child, a street urchin, was fated to become the recipient of the greatest Solar essence, the First Solar, the One who forced the Yozi to swear on their own names to dwell in Malfeas prisoners in their own bodies. More than that, the stars claimed, the girl would save the world or damn it. The party took it upon themselves to take the girl into their care, teaching and guiding her in the hope that the girl’s fate would not coincide with the destruction of all Creation.
The girl took to the blade like she was born to it, and accompanied the group on a journey to Rathess, where the first step in her destiny became manifest. During a battle against the Goblin King, she Exalted just at the moment that the fiend was struck down. Unfortunately, (and unknown by the party) Han tha Eater of the Dead took the opportunity to take her as his new disciple, quietly molding himself with her soul at this most critical moment in her destiny.
At this point the Emissary had been slowly starting to realize that the characters in the party would receive visions sent to them by the Unconquered Sun in respect to the girl, who was also blessed with the God’s favor, taking as he would scant moments from His Games to guide them. He was never spoken to.
When an unprotected Gate to Heaven was discovered in Rathess, the Emissary deemed it time to face the Gods themselves and seek their assistance, or at least an explanation for their behavior. So traveling to Heaven and smiting all that came across his path, he forced his way into the Jade Palace itself (leaving a long trail of bodies in his wake), and proceeded to have his say with the impassive Incarna. Eventually their mute disregard of him caused his Curse to flare and in mounting anger he dared to raise his hand against the Sun Himself. After drawing a single drop of the God’s blood, the Unconquered One destroyed him with a word and sent a vision of the events as a warning to all his Chosen, so that they could see the folly of the Emissary’s hubris. Â
At this point the party, shaken but still sure of their path took over the war where the Emissary left off, even going so far as to gain Mask of Winter as an ally. The Deathlord’s only stipulation being that, all who would fall in the coming battle against the Realm would join his ranks (innocent enough at the time when they were desperate for help).
In any case the war was still on, but events shifted again when they received news that the Empress had returned, and she had brought a son with her. Although his mother was never seen in public, the boy quickly took the reins of power, a child of twelve easily besting men twenty times his age in combat one or ten at a time. He was possessed of dark power, able to command the very shadows themselves to suffocate his enemies and rip them asunder. As events reached fruition the auguries of the Sidereal proved more accurate, and they foresaw that the Girl would face the Boy in a great battle that would decide the world’s fate.
So the combined forces of the party led an assault on the Blessed Isle that was already throne into chaos by the coming of the Ebon Childe. The marched all the way to the Imperial City and ready themselves to face the last of the Empire’s forces during the first day’s of Calibration.
In a horrible turn of events, during a great council of war of the leaders of the Great Houses of the Dragonblooded, the Ebon Son killed them all using the power of their souls to through open a huge rift in the fabric of reality to Malfeas where his Father lay in wait. Thousands of demons of all circles flooded through the hole meeting the assembled forces on the plain of battle, and in an apocalyptically epic fight the forces of the party joined with the remaining Dragonblooded to defeat this otherworldly foe.
On this field of battle destiny came to fruition and the Ebon Childe met the Girl knowing that one of them was destined to perish. After a long battle the Girl proved victorious, but Han tha choose that moment to make his gamble, having the Girl devour the child of the Ebon Dragon and take his power into their combined spirit.
The party then had no choice but to destroy the Girl that they in many ways had raised themselves, and couldn’t rescue from her destiny. They were successful, but at a dear cost, the new Kings of the realm of ruins that surrounded them.
And that’s where my last campaign ended.
I know plan to run an Abyssal game set thirty years after the above events. They will be under the thrall of Mask of Winters, playing the corrupted souls of the Solars who fell in the Battle for the Realm, that Mask of Winters has kept hidden from the other Deathlords as an ace in the hole. He wants nothing more than to take advantage of the world’s present state of division to take it all for himself.
But I need help flushing it out, or just brainstorming things.
This is vaguely what I would like to work out.
-The Autocoththonians have taken Gem and Chirascuro in their Locust Crusade, but have been unable to push farther after having been beat back by the Solar led realm.
-The Dragonkings led by the no longer sleeping Elders, have just started to get their civilization back on track.
-The Blessed Isle is under firm control, but there are still scattered pockets of Dragonblooded resistance, particularly Lookshy, and the other Dragonblooded sit uneasily under the control of “Anathemaâ€
    I ran a game lasting a year and a half starting just after White Wolf produced this most holy of games. Of course, this meant that I was forced to improvise much of my story-line, as my sources of canon were few and far between. I’m sure many of you sympathize.
I say this because it’s been years since the campaign ended, but lately I’ve been bitten by the Exalted bug again and plan on starting the ball rolling once again. That’s where you wonderful people come in. I need help in evolving the world 30 years past where my last campaign ended, which is 5 years after the start of the canon world. So, with no further ado, and much compression, here is a brief description of what has gone before.
The circle of Solars began in the Nexus as a hodgepodge and motley band of heroes trying to get by on the mean streets and carve a name for themselves. In my world the Emissary, was (you’ll see why the past tense shortly) an Eclipse caste Solar himself who was young and abroad when the rebellion occurred in the First Age. As a testament to his skill he remained on the fringes of the world and the Underworld where the eyes of the Sidereal could not see. As he watched and gathered resources and allies he grew bitter, particularly at the Unconquered Sun who had sat by and done nothing when his Chosen were slaughtered.
In any case he had been waiting in the Nexus for centuries using its resources and connections to secretly prepare to take back the Island. When the Solars re-emerged he knew that his time had come, and began gathering the young to be his generals and spies in the War that was to come.
The group had MANY adventures along this arc, but it was in Gem that they came across a small girl who changed everything. It was written in the stars (said the Sidereal) that the child, a street urchin, was fated to become the recipient of the greatest Solar essence, the First Solar, the One who forced the Yozi to swear on their own names to dwell in Malfeas prisoners in their own bodies. More than that, the stars claimed, the girl would save the world or damn it. The party took it upon themselves to take the girl into their care, teaching and guiding her in the hope that the girl’s fate would not coincide with the destruction of all Creation.
The girl took to the blade like she was born to it, and accompanied the group on a journey to Rathess, where the first step in her destiny became manifest. During a battle against the Goblin King, she Exalted just at the moment that the fiend was struck down. Unfortunately, (and unknown by the party) Han tha Eater of the Dead took the opportunity to take her as his new disciple, quietly molding himself with her soul at this most critical moment in her destiny.
At this point the Emissary had been slowly starting to realize that the characters in the party would receive visions sent to them by the Unconquered Sun in respect to the girl, who was also blessed with the God’s favor, taking as he would scant moments from His Games to guide them. He was never spoken to.
When an unprotected Gate to Heaven was discovered in Rathess, the Emissary deemed it time to face the Gods themselves and seek their assistance, or at least an explanation for their behavior. So traveling to Heaven and smiting all that came across his path, he forced his way into the Jade Palace itself (leaving a long trail of bodies in his wake), and proceeded to have his say with the impassive Incarna. Eventually their mute disregard of him caused his Curse to flare and in mounting anger he dared to raise his hand against the Sun Himself. After drawing a single drop of the God’s blood, the Unconquered One destroyed him with a word and sent a vision of the events as a warning to all his Chosen, so that they could see the folly of the Emissary’s hubris. Â
At this point the party, shaken but still sure of their path took over the war where the Emissary left off, even going so far as to gain Mask of Winter as an ally. The Deathlord’s only stipulation being that, all who would fall in the coming battle against the Realm would join his ranks (innocent enough at the time when they were desperate for help).
In any case the war was still on, but events shifted again when they received news that the Empress had returned, and she had brought a son with her. Although his mother was never seen in public, the boy quickly took the reins of power, a child of twelve easily besting men twenty times his age in combat one or ten at a time. He was possessed of dark power, able to command the very shadows themselves to suffocate his enemies and rip them asunder. As events reached fruition the auguries of the Sidereal proved more accurate, and they foresaw that the Girl would face the Boy in a great battle that would decide the world’s fate.
So the combined forces of the party led an assault on the Blessed Isle that was already throne into chaos by the coming of the Ebon Childe. The marched all the way to the Imperial City and ready themselves to face the last of the Empire’s forces during the first day’s of Calibration.
In a horrible turn of events, during a great council of war of the leaders of the Great Houses of the Dragonblooded, the Ebon Son killed them all using the power of their souls to through open a huge rift in the fabric of reality to Malfeas where his Father lay in wait. Thousands of demons of all circles flooded through the hole meeting the assembled forces on the plain of battle, and in an apocalyptically epic fight the forces of the party joined with the remaining Dragonblooded to defeat this otherworldly foe.
On this field of battle destiny came to fruition and the Ebon Childe met the Girl knowing that one of them was destined to perish. After a long battle the Girl proved victorious, but Han tha choose that moment to make his gamble, having the Girl devour the child of the Ebon Dragon and take his power into their combined spirit.
The party then had no choice but to destroy the Girl that they in many ways had raised themselves, and couldn’t rescue from her destiny. They were successful, but at a dear cost, the new Kings of the realm of ruins that surrounded them.
And that’s where my last campaign ended.
I know plan to run an Abyssal game set thirty years after the above events. They will be under the thrall of Mask of Winters, playing the corrupted souls of the Solars who fell in the Battle for the Realm, that Mask of Winters has kept hidden from the other Deathlords as an ace in the hole. He wants nothing more than to take advantage of the world’s present state of division to take it all for himself.
But I need help flushing it out, or just brainstorming things.
This is vaguely what I would like to work out.
-The Autocoththonians have taken Gem and Chirascuro in their Locust Crusade, but have been unable to push farther after having been beat back by the Solar led realm.
-The Dragonkings led by the no longer sleeping Elders, have just started to get their civilization back on track.
-The Blessed Isle is under firm control, but there are still scattered pockets of Dragonblooded resistance, particularly Lookshy, and the other Dragonblooded sit uneasily under the control of “Anathemaâ€
