Plot forming

What, or probably who, is the Brass Legion?  I haven't come across it in Exalted (1st or 2nd), Dragon-Bloods or Autochtonians yet, and those are all I've read so far.


Any idea what caste Aurelias would have been?  I ask because earlier I had an idea for a story that saw the PCs going to Denandsor and being captured by an automaton and delivered to some spirits, or gods or Solars or something that were in charge of the weirdness going on.  They would ask the PCs to do something for them in exchange for some artifacts, and bind them so they could never speak of their trip to Denandsor, I was thinking of having and Eclipse caste bind them all in agreement.  I was trying to think of ways to work that basic idea into this larger Denandsor plotline.
 
The Brass Legion are part of the Creatures of the Wyld or in the Second Edition Wonders of the Lost Age. They are simply automaton soldiers, very much the superior of mortal man, plus they have a chance to evolve if left on their own.


Well, Aurelias would have been a Twilight, maybe an Eclipse (I like thinking outside the box). Either way, it's a sound idea.
 
So how exactly does the Brass Legion figure in?  I assume their an existing force, one that is likely marching around the south of Creation doing their thing?
 
Well they were the creation of a Solar Twilight in the waning days of the First Age. She used them as a police force. Well the DBs killed her and what not, and dismantleda lot of the Legion, because so many other automata had safeguards and vengeance protocols. Well they saved a few Dragons, which saved their ass during the Contagion, seeing as the Brass are resistant to Wyld effects.


So the Realm and Lookshy now field several wings of Brass Legionnaires. And there are moderate sized units in the hands of merc companies and city-states in the south. No larger than scale sized. Some have become 'awakened' with their own drives and goals, shelling out their services for spare parts and what not.


It even says in Wonders that Deandsor has teh plans for Legionnaires and the capacity to make true Legions of them. I'm thinking First Age size legions, anywhere from 6250 to 10,000 apiece.


Think on that...
 
I think I'll use this plot in conjunction with my Mountain Folk plot actually. Perhaps I will, anyway. I have some ideas to link both events and perhaps even a few of the devices inside the Wonders book...
 
Little plot kernel, with massive intent, starting small and going epic.


A mortal king in the region north of Great Forks is allied with Greyfalls, the king is old and aged terribly. The local aristocracy and even the Dynast garrison has been dividing the lands between themselves for months now. When in later Ascending Water, and attack is struck at the region by an small Fae incursion.


The people rally to a young man fighting in royal regalia, this may be on of the local princes? A son long gone on business to the Realm? The people find something familiar and ultimately follow this man to fight, the incursion is fought off with bravery and iron alike.


Soon an inquiry is made and a number of the aristocracy demand this man's name. He reveals himself to be the king. Many laugh but soon realize he speaks the truth, revealing things of his youth that only the King would know. He reveals what has revitalized his body. A peach...one of three he had come into the holding over. He ate a single one and it restored his body and mind to the days of youth.


In the Loom of Fate an snag is hit, a massive one. The Bureau of Heaven goes on alert as several of the Peaches of Immortality have been stolen, the snags in the Loom happening in the Great Forks region. Meanwhile, the local aristocracy and neighboring kingdoms, including Greyfalls eye the Peaches greedily.


Our humble adventurers (of any playable character from mortal to any Exalt type) stumble upon a riot incensed by one of the factions? Perhaps they save one of the King's entourage from attack by the Guild/Realm/Lookshy/agents of Heaven or so on. Perhaps even, they too look upon the Peaches and covet them for their own...
 
I have had an interesting idea for a campaign, based on Cuthulu_Wakes's Deandsor plot...


What if Aurelius had anticipated the usurpation, and had created the AI to act as a mentor to him after he exalts again.


So, just after Aurelius dies during the usurpation, the AI sends out tiny automatons, that scour creation for centuries looking for Aurelius.


So eventually his found and brought back to Deandsor, and trained in the crafts and sorcerery.


Aurelius, learning from the AI about the first age, wishes to recreate this epic and grand age... not too dissimilar to The Bull of the North.


So now the Realm has two major enemies, the bull of the north and his solar allies, and Aurelius with his legions of automata...


This would be cool for a dragon-blooded game based in the realm :)
 
I'm glad I've created something people enjoy ^_^ I'd use Aurelias as a hidden threat. Not known just yet until the Tepet defeat at the North. Have Aurelias strike, suddenly at a local Realm garrison while keeping hte Seventh Legion stationed athte Marukan at bay. Massive intent and a revealing of only some of your power would be enough to galvanize the Houses. But if he were smart, he'd wait until they were weaker, closer to war.
 
Or Aurelius re-exalts as an abyssal, still loyal to his deathlord with that army of automata, just waiting for his DL's orders to launch a joint attack against creation, from both the undwerworld and deandsor...
 
Hmm, maybe. I still personally like the idea of a Solar, sitting on his throne near the center of Deandsor, consorting with his long lost ally in plans to make a move on the rest of the Scavenger Lands. Not too rule, but to defeat the Dragon Blooded at any cost for what had happened.
 
Besides a lot of DBs would be running for the Imperial Manse to stop two grand armies as such. Besides it's a balancing act to think which is the more dangerous? The army led by the Circle of Solar Exalted and their barbarian horde, plus their demonic servants. Or the entire First Age automata army sallying forth from a long unknown and silent part of Creation.


Either way, it's an asskicking the Realm will recieve.
 
Kernel for a Realm military campaign. Inspired by the Star Wars: Empire comic book series. Designed as a few sessions of combat and daring action while able to lead into rivalry and political entanglements afterward.


Honorable War


A Realm infantry detatchment, along with their baggage train and two warstriders and a siege strider are on a mission of routine patrol. Stationed inside of Harborhead, they travel deep into the territory, approaching the extreme borders of the satrapy. They are to check in on a pair of settlements, one a rather lucrative silver and diamond mine, the other a trading post set up in a joint venture of the Imperial Bank and the Guild.


This Realm patrol is a mix of men who have been garrisoned in Harborhead for a tour of duty or more and fresh men from the Isle. They are lead by five Terrestrial officers. Two of the officers are fresh from the House of Bells with strong family ties and bought commisions, the others are dedicated military men who fought their ways up the ranks.


Along patrol they encounter a known peaceful breed of Wyld barbarian, the snake like and bipedal Aman, who are peaceful with the occupiers of the state, but are known for ritual combat amongst themselves. This time however something has triggered their attack on the Scarlet Empire's finest. They cross oddly marked and runed stones and find themselves deep in what they now consider enemy territory.


Finding the mining outpost ransacked with no survivors, the Imperials are horrified to find that the primitive Aman have taken and used the outposts Implosion bows for themselves along with their typical weapons. The patrol wis well armed enough and the more...laid back of the officers believe it to be nothing that isn't beyond their power, despite the obvious signs of the barbarians adapting...
 
Hmm, with the War Stories thread in this Forum, I find it compelling to write a few kernels that can lead into minor warfare between small groups or epic Creation spanning war stories.


Trade War (low scale, regional conflict)


Several city states in the Hundred Kingdoms have banned together to form a larger power, tightening the hold on the rivers and their taxing power. Now, no longer can boats simply skirt by and avoid taxes. The heavy handed taxing effects all who wish to travel the river toward Greyfalls and the rest of the Hundred Kingdoms.


The Guild has had several skirimishes with the wanna be taxers and the Realm garrison at Greyfalls is rumored to be taking action against the three states trying to subdue Her Majesty's ships.


A good plot for a 'local' game involving plenty of political, national and war time issues. Has the potential to blow into a international conflict.


Packs in War (Low to Mid scale regional conflict)


A Lunar pack has wandered into a until then, unknown area of the Eastern hinterlands, the jungles ranging South. There they find a lost group of goblins and great goblins, lorded over by a Commoner or Noble left over from the Contagion wars.


The new pack of Luna's Favored are determined to prove their strength and resolve and oust this rival from their new lands.


Another spin on this could be that they find a colony of civilized or semi-civilized Dragon Kings, Raptok and Anklok living together in a 'backwater' version of their First Age glory. Now the two groups of rivals will commit to war to oust the aggressors and claim the land for themself.


Warfare in the Shogunate Period (Mid to Epic level, national conflict)


A terror cell, dedicated to offsetting and overthrowing the Shogunate government in the name of their Solar martyr, Shining Blade of Glory, wage a brutal and all encompasing war against the Shogunate. Bombings, sabotage and guerilla ambushes are the tactics of the day.


With the struggles of the daimyos and their proxies still raging, none will realize that the current Shogun, a man of considerable might and calling for peace is the leader of this terror organization. Leading it through coded speeches and commands given over the HelioNet.


He hopes to destabilize the remaining daimyo's and holding to his master's ideals of reunifying Creation and bringing it back to the lost Solars and his reincarnation, which guides him through subtle words as his closest advisor. Many suspect something afoul but can prove nothing.


The characters can be members of the terror cells, the Shogunate Mice and Hounds (magistrates and deep cover agents), or whatever they may in this surely epic conflict. If the Solar and Shogun are found out, it will break the Shogunate into another long and costly civil conflict.


The Fourth Invasion (Epic National, Creation Spanning conflict)


It has happened again, Imperial ambition has caught in the heart of the new Emperor/Empress (installed by your own means). A full dozen legions are assembled and twice as many auxillaries are pulled in from allied states to march to war on the Scavenger Lands.


That's all I need to say, RUN WITH IT!


Drawing the Line (Epic level regional, city state conflict)


In the Hundred Kingdoms, a band of well armed and motivated mercenaries have taken over a number of towns and even a few castle towns in the area. They are a large force of Dragon equivalent and have even taken down two Dragon Blooded proxies from the two states conquered in mass ambushes.


Declaring loyalty to the Realm, they hire themselves out as a freelance Wyld Hunt and have begun to prep the states to recieve Realm rule. Not too far from these towns, amidst the social strife, small budding shadowlands are forming and the Loom of Fate predicts the Exaltation of a number of Exalts in the next few weeks time, not two days in between each one.


A full Bronze Circle from the Convention of Wood is dispatched along with agents of the Gold Faction. In this simmering region, the already tense climate shall explode as Exaltations occur all throughout the region, setting off a fueled war between this so called Wyld Hunt/occupation force and those they have pushed under their thumb who attained the power of the gods...
 
Hmm, hit by a rather large plot idea tonight. No MoW. You heard me, yeah I broke your canon. Think about this though. It's right after the Thorns war. No MoW. The Empress is gone yes, but they is no true Deathlord presence in the entirety of the world at large.


Thorns is a thoroughly thrashed and substantially broken city-state. It's ruler dead, war weary son on the throne being looked after by Dragon Blooded, 'adivsors.' The city is paying ridiculous reparations to the Coalition that thorough beat Thorns as Deren's Ford, but itself was mauled in the bloody, bloody war.


Think of what you have. A region frought with political scheming, and backed by a puppet ruler, not to mention about twenty or so towns and lesser cities hailing to Thorns. You've got a Realm puppet state now going through the throes of the greedy Realm locked in consolidation for war. People are hungry, they are desperate, they know their ruler is a sham. You've got the Solar Exalted returning in droves and people are fed up. Perhaps something similar to pre-WW2 or something of the like.


I simply was hit with this idea tonight and I really like it. Thoughts?
 
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