War of Despair (Exalted 3e)

[WlfSamurai]

War of Despair: An Exalted 3e Game​

They came. Thousands upon thousands. Maybe millions. Maybe more. Already dead and clutching decaying weapons. They gushed from the Underworld like blood from Gaia's wounds. Dead in villages rise from their graves to join their ranks. Our fallen soldiers stand back up and aide them. And with their Champions at their van they're unstoppable.

They swept through the Scavenger Lands like a wave of despair. There is no mercy here. Only death. And then eternal servitude. They don't tire. They don't need to eat. They don't take breaks. They harvest the living.

So I ask you: where is your precious Empress now? And where are her Gods-forsaken Legions? I will answer for you. Dead. They're all dead. And they're coming.

Heroes? Guardians of light? Nay. I'll not pin hope on fairytales. Wake up. This is the end. No one's coming.

---------------------------------------------------------

In War of Despair the undead invasion is in full swing. You are a Solar. And you must save Creation from the armies of the Deathlords. Can you raise and rally your own hosts? Can you lead them to victory? Can you protect the living?

Draft your battle plans and sharpen your Daiklaves. They're coming.

 

[Raparth]

This certainly seems interesting (and Ex3 is always nice to see!). I'm curious as to how much devastation has occurred when the game starts. Is the entire Scavenger Lands one big shadowland now? Is the Realm already broken? (I also wonder how much Creation might be weakened by the end of the Guild, the network has crumbled... No more Order-

Also, are you wanting this to be a 100% martial story, or is there still room for supporting the fighting in other ways? A logistically-minded Eclipse comes to mind, who's from the Saltspire League. Surely the salt market has to be booming now, after all. :-D

 

[Crocodile]

I am interested as well and admittedly have the same question on if this is purely martial focus or broader. I've a few concepts I can throw together depending on that.

 

[Lord-Leafar]

I am tempted, though I must say I never quite did the transition from 2e to 3e, so if you're open to newbs I'll consider putting a character together.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Great questions.

I'm curious as to how much devastation has occurred when the game starts. Is the entire Scavenger Lands one big shadowland now? Is the Realm already broken? (I also wonder how much Creation might be weakened by the end of the Guild, the network has crumbled... No more Order-

We will have to find out. This will be a discussion point among the players and myself and will be determined by that discussion.

Also, are you wanting this to be a 100% martial story, or is there still room for supporting the fighting in other ways? A logistically-minded Eclipse comes to mind, who's from the Saltspire League. Surely the salt market has to be booming now, after all. :-D

I am interested as well and admittedly have the same question on if this is purely martial focus or broader. I've a few concepts I can throw together depending on that.

No! I wasn't clear. Sorry! This could be martial or not. All concepts are welcome. You could be the Night Caste assassin stalking through the enemy camps to kill the enemy commander. You could be The sharp-tongued Eclipse Caste rallying more kingdoms to the cause or convincing mortals to throw down the Deathlord banners. You could be the Twighlight building warstriders or forging weapons and armor.

Or you could be the Zenith dancing in the Inn for small coin ignoring the issue.

Anything goes.

 

[Crocodile]

I'm looking at doing sort of a grand mercenary captain, huge private army, etc with Dawn Caste.

Or a would-be sorcerer-king Twilight intending to use sorcerous works to turn the tide against the Undead and carve out his own empire.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Sounds good. I think I'd like 4-5 for this game. So we'll give it a bit more time.

 

[UnassumingBoxCat]

This sounds pretty interesting, and I'd love to take part in it. Just a warning, I'm entirely unfamiliar with Exalted 3e (though not the system itself), so if you're fine with having a newbie on the team, I'm happy to learn as I go. When do you plan on running this game?

 

[Raparth]

I am considering an Eclipse that would be working to turn the resources of Creation towards the campaign against the Deathlord(s). Get all those logistical (and diplomatic/political) things behind the rest of the Circle! Someone has to make sure the troops have food, weapons, armor, medical supplies...

 

[Crocodile]

I dunno why, but I really enjoy sorcerous works so I think I'll work on my Twilight sorcerer-king. Someone determined to save people but also obviously seeking to fill the void created by the undead with his own ambitions of empire. Obviously the war must be won first, so he'll likely use those supplies provided to enhance weapons, soldiers and holdings aside from creating some lovely machines and monsters to help purge the battlefield of the dead.

 

[UnassumingBoxCat]

I'm thinking about playing an Immaculate monk turned Zenith Solar who fights to protect the living with his fists and his mind. In terms of mechanics, he'd probably favor Medicine and Martial Arts with some Dodge and Integrity sprinkled in there.

 

[Blackadder]

I think I will be a Dawn master strategist whom commands the armies to drive the dead back.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Newbies are fine. I personally have run a lot of 2e and 1e games. I have very little 3e experience as of yet.

 

[UnassumingBoxCat]

Cool. I've actually got a character concept down and I'm working on the mechanical stuff. He's a knight-errant from a distant land turned warrior-priest of the Unconquered Sun, and he speaks a foreign tongue unheard of in the Scavenger Lands. I'd most likely translate for the rest of the Circle so as to prevent undue confusion.

Edit:
CURRENT CONCEPT:
True name: Lumen Magna
Title: Knight of Solerus

Lumen Magna, the Knight of Solerus, is a knight-errant from the very edges of the Scavenger Lands. His village, whose name has been lost to the annals of history, was always protected by a renegade Exalted knight who the villagers worshipped as a local deity and named the Knight of Solerus, which means 'knight of the sun' in their native tongue. On the day his village was destroyed, the previous Knight, known only as Solaire, stood alone facing a horde of the undead. Lumen alone moved to join him, and the Knight welcomed the help. He turned to Lumen, slammed his daiklaive into the earth, and shouted "We will crush the hungry dead with martial skill and jolly cooperation! NOW CHARGE!" With that final deafening roar, Lumen and the Knight charged headlong into the ranks of the foe, smashing aside the undead with blow after blow. The battle raged and raged, but in the end Solaire was mortally wounded. As Solaire lay bleeding on the ground, he looked to Lumen and gasped out "I...i-i pass the light unt-to you." With that, Solaire died, and Lumen was suddenly struck with a vision of the Unconquered Sun. In his mind, he heard a voice: "This is just the beginning of the terror. Your duty is no longer only to the people of your village, but to all of Creation. You have been given your duty, and it is your life now to see that duty to the end."

Ever since that day, Lumen, now the Knight of Solerus, has led his people from place to place, never settling, but always rescuing the survivors of the undead attacks. And day after day, battle after battle, Lumen seeks the voice and light he saw within himself, so that he may become one with his own Unconquerable Sun, and fulfill his duty to Creation.

 

[Crocodile]

Current concept
Ozric Vold
Silver-tongued sorcerer from the North who came to the Scavenger Lands to carve out his own kingdom. Immensely wealthy from his studies and recovering artifacts to sell. Could be he's just a Scavenger Lord for now, but he's intent on using his wealth and knowledge to pursue the war against the undead along with his ambitions. The lands emptied by the dead offer new hope and claims he intends to stake even if originally simply to build a bulwark against the undead.

He can fight a little with brawl, just due to a need to survive but he's way more about his sorcerous works and crafts. Knowledge is his power when not trying to draw followers to himself to help support his projects and bigger ambitions.

 

[Raparth]

Current Concept:

Name: Hadria Salar
An ambitious heiress to the ruling house of one of the lesser members of the Saltspire League, Hadria long schemed to overtake Plenilune as the greatest of the Saltspire city-states, largely by ordering the other members into a harmonious whole. The Bull of the North's conquest and further entrenchment of Plenilune's primacy did not sit well with her, and so she began to look beyond the region to other opportunities or allies. An attack on her caravan by the undead caused her to take the Second Breath, and she has since tried to find others of her kind (that have not fallen in with the Bull) to aid in her homeland's liberation. The collapse of the Scavenger Lands in the face of the Deathlord(s) has pulled her in yet another direction. Surely the support of a properly restored Saltspire League would be essential to any lasting victories against the undead; under her guidance, of course. How she balances her desires for her home and the threat of the Underworld remains to be seen. Whether tomorrow or in years to come, all accounts will be settled.

Managing resources and people are her greatest talents, but she's practiced enough to hold her own (since outside support could vanish at any moment).

 

[WlfSamurai]

I think we have enough interest. I'll start working on the threads.

 

[Sherwood]

I may have to try and get into this. I just have a need to play more Exalted. Any more openings?

 

[WlfSamurai]

For you? Of course.

 

[Sherwood]

Thank you, sir! I just need to come up with a new concept that I'm not currently running.

 

[Sherwood]

Any changes planned for character creation?

 

[WlfSamurai]

None yet. If there's something you'd like, we can discuss.

 

[Sherwood]

Well, as a player, anytime I can get some extra goodies for my character, its a good thing.

 

[Blackadder]

So just to be clear, this is taking place within the Scavenger Lands?

 

[Crocodile]

So just to be clear, this is taking place within the Scavenger Lands?

I just assumed when I started making Ozric, haven't been told otherwise so far.