Exalted: Fall of Creation - OOC

[Salroka]

Check out our IC THREAD as well!

"If you are ever at the mercy of another, pray to whatever deity you believe in, that he is a bad person. A bad person will want to take it slowly, enjoy his power over you, which would give you at least a chance for comeback. A good person will simply kill you without any mercy. Because he would not enjoy what he is about to do, he will do it as quickly as possible." - Unknown

Please click below if you encounter any terms you are unfamiliar with in the RP Information.

Spoiler: Exalted Lexicon/Reference 

Interested in Exalted as more than just this RP? Click HERE for a bunch of information on Exalted castes, artifacts, and more!

Anathema: The term used by adherents of the Immaculate Order to demonize the Celestial Exalted. According to Immaculate teaching, the Solar, Lunar and Abyssal Exalted are individuals who have become conduits for the power of evil spirits. Their souls forever tainted by dark power, they must be destroyed before they can use that power to destroy Creation. This doctrine is believed almost without question on the Blessed Isle. Although the people under Imperial domination in the Threshold are forced to pay lip service to the Immaculates, few Thresholders accept Immaculate doctrine without question. An individual’s deeds are more likely to determine the reaction there. Were any known to still exist, Sidereal Exalted would also be deemed Anathema.

anima: A normally invisible aura that surrounds all living things. When an Exalted uses Essence, that Essence often spills into his anima, making it visible. Therefore, Exalted who expend a great deal of Essence are often surrounded by a brilliant display of power that can be visible miles distant.

caste: The predisposition toward a certain role or certain duties, shaped by the Unconquered Sun at the moment a mortal is Exalted and becomes a Solar. The five Solar castes are as follows:

Dawn Caste: The leaders and champions of the armies of the Unconquered Sun.
Zenith Caste: The priest-kings, prophets and mystics of the Unconquered Sun.
Twilight Caste: The scholars, sorcerers and craftsmen of the Unconquered Sun.
Night Caste: The spies, assassins and thieves of the Unconquered Sun.
Eclipse Caste: The diplomats and bureaucrats of the Unconquered Sun.

caste mark: All Celestial Exalted are branded on their foreheads with a sign of their status. This caste mark, like the anima, is usually invisible, but can be seen when an Exalt spends Essence. No two types of Exalted share a caste mark, so they may be used to distinguish one type of Exalt from another. Example: A Dawn Caste Solar and a Twilight Caste Solar will never have the same caste mark

Celestial Exalted: A catch-all term for the Solar, Lunar and Sidereal Exalted—so called because of their patron gods’ celestial nature. Though it’s a bit of a misnomer to group them as such, the Abyssal Exalted are also often referred to as Celestial Exalted as well.

Charm: A form of Essence manipulation that focuses Essence through a character’s Abilities. Charms allow Exalts to perform superhuman feats and are the most basic form of magic the Exalted wield.

Creation: The world of Exalted and everything in it. Beyond its borders lies only the formless Wyld.

Cult of the Illuminated, the: A cult devoted to the worship of the Shining Ones, mystical saviors who are prophesied to lead mankind into a new golden age. The Gold Faction of the Sidereal Exalted has subverted the Cult in order to use it to find, shelter and train newly Exalted Solars.

Deathlord: One of 13 mighty ghost-kings of the Underworld. Their power springs from their Neverborn masters and from their own great age and unmatched knowledge. The Deathlords are quite possibly the greatest threats to Creation in the Second Age

demon: One of a myriad of terrible offspring born of the Yozis since their banishment to Malfeas.

Demon Prince: Any demon of the Third Circle. These beings are the subsidiary souls of the Yozis and each one represents some aspect of one of those dread beings.

Dragon-Blooded: The more common name for the Terrestrial Exalted.

elemental: An elemental is a naturally materialized spirit of one of the five elements: air, earth, fire, water, or wood. Elemental personalities tend to reflect some facet of the element whence they spring. Although many elementals are quite powerful, they are looked down upon by many gods as rustic and provincial.

Elemental Dragons: The offspring of Gaia, the Elemental Dragons are the lords of the Terrestrial Bureaucracy, responsible for overseeing its hierarchy of spirits. Like most gods, the Dragons have become decadent and self-absorbed in the time since the end of the First Age. The Elemental Dragons seldom inquire into the state of their subjects, and the Terrestrial spirits ignore their duties more and become more independent with each year that passes. The Immaculate Order venerates the Elemental Dragons as the Immaculate Dragons, the apotheosis of spiritual development and the lords of Creation.

Essence: The most basic building block of Creation, Essence is the energy that unites all things and from which all magic springs. To channel Essence is to work miracles, and the might of the Exalted comes from their ability to do so.

Exalted: (Also called the Chosen.) The champions of the gods, who were given power to stand up to the Primordials at the beginning of time. The victorious Exalted were given custody of Creation at the end of the Primordial War. The prominent types of Exalted include:

Abyssal Exalted
Also called deathknights, these Exalts are the champions of the Deathlords and their Neverborn masters. The Abyssal Exalted have only recently appeared, but they appear to be dark reflections of the returned Solar Exalted, with dark mockeries of the Solars’ caste marks, animas and even Charms.

Lunar Exalted
These mighty savages are the champions of Luna. The Lunars were once the mates of the Solar Exalted, as well as their bodyguards and commanders of their armies. The Lunar Exalts either fled to the hinterlands of the Threshold after the murder of the Solars or died alongside their mates in futile battle. Today, most of these shapeshifting warriors live as barbarians, blaming the downfall of the Solars (and even their inability to save them) on civilization’s softening effects.

Sidereal Exalted
The Sidereals are the champions of the Five Maidens. The Chosen of the Maidens are the savants and astrologers of the Exalted, as well as matchless martial artists. It was the Great Prophecy of the Sidereals that led to the murder and usurpation of the Solar Exalted, and the Sidereals have lurked in the shadows since then, manipulating the course of not only the Realm, but Creation as a whole. The Sidereals have been split into two factions, Bronze and Gold, since a disagreement over the fate of the Solar Exalted 1,500 years ago, and the Solars’ return has led to a renewal of outright hostility between the two groups.

Solar Exalted
Known also as the Lawgivers, these Exalted are the champions of the Unconquered Sun. Once the masters of Creation, the Solars were betrayed and usurped by their trusted advisers and soldiers. Most Solars were unable to be reborn until recently, and the Wyld Hunt was organized to slay those few who did find a way to reincarnate.

Terrestrial Exalted
Also called the Dragon-Blooded, these are the champions of the five Elemental Dragons. For the last millennium and a half, they were the unquestioned rulers of Creation itself. Despite being the weakest Exalted in terms of raw power, the Terrestrial Exalts are the most numerous by far. Once the soldiers of the Exalted armies that fought the Primordials, the Terrestrials murdered the Solar Exalted at the behest of the Sidereals and took over the reins of Creation

Fair Folk: A term used to describe the beings who dwell beyond the elemental poles in the Wyld. The unshaped Fair Folk who remain beyond the edges of Creation are hostile to all things of constant shape and form. A great number of Fair Folk, however, have entered the world and taken on shape. The vast majority of these beings are inimical to the beings of Creation—hunting down humans and feeding on their hopes and dreams—but a few do live among men as either lords or simple citizens. During the Great Contagion, the Host of Faerie rode out in a great crusade to bring an end to the blasphemy of shaped existence. It might well have even won had the Scarlet Empress not succeeded in bringing the Realm’s magical defenses to bear against them.

First Age: This was the Golden Age after the Exalted defeated the Primordials, when wonders and magic undreamed of in the Second Age were commonplace. The First Age is commonly considered to stretch from the end of the Primordial War to the time of the Great Contagion, nearly eight centuries ago. Most learned savants place the fall of the First Age some 600 years earlier, however, with the murder of the Solar Exalted.

Five Maidens: These five deities are second in power only to the Unconquered Sun, though Luna is rightly considered an equal. The Maidens are Mercury, the Maiden of Journeys; Venus, the Maiden of Serenity; Mars, the Maiden of Battles; Jupiter, the Maiden of Secrets; and Saturn, the Maiden of Endings.

Gaia: She is the spirit of Creation, the mother of the Elemental Dragons, and godmother of all living things born of Creation. Gaia is, in fact, one of the Primordials, but she sided with the gods out of love for her consort Luna.

Ghost: This is the soul of a human being that lingers on after death because of some attachment it has to its prior existence rather than reentering the natural cycle of reincarnation. Ghosts are aberrations to the proper course of existence, and they have existed only since the deaths of the Neverborn.

god: A god is a naturally dematerialized spirit of some facet of Creation. As many gods exists as there are things and concepts, though few are of significant might to challenge the Exalted. Those gods who represent universal concepts dwell in the Celestial City of Yu-Shan, where they look down in scorn or pity upon their Terrestrial brethren. Since the end of the First Age, the gods have become increasingly decadent and remiss in their duties, often extorting worship, and the Essence it brings, to perform their rightful duties. The Immaculate Order has striven with some success to impose order onto these rogue gods, but truly, it is the recent return of the Lawgivers that worries many of these spirits.

Great Contagion: This supernatural plague was engineered by the Deathlords in the hopes of ending all life. Although the world survived, much of the glory of the previous Age was lost, as well as 90 percent of Creation’s population. In its wake, the Fair Folk invaded the world en mass and would have destroyed it had not the woman who would become the Scarlet Empress dared enter the Imperial Manse and gained control of the Realm’s First Age defenses. The Great Contagion is popularly considered to mark the fall of the First Age.

Great Curse: As the Primordials fell to the Chosen of the various gods, they cursed their Exalted killers. The Curse was elaborate and vast, but its core was that the Exalted would forever be cursed with the hate, immoderation and treachery they’d shown in the Primordials’ murder. The Great Curse has dogged all the Exalted since that day, but it settled most squarely on the shoulders of the Solar Exalted. Ever since, the Solars have been subject to terrible melancholy and violent emotional outbursts.

Great Prophecy: It was this prediction made by a conclave of all the Sidereal Exalted that set the course of the Solar Exalted’s murder at the hands of the Dragon-Blooded. Concerned with the Solars’ increasingly erratic behavior, the Sidereals prophesied three possible futures.

In the first, they did nothing, and the world was destroyed.

In the second, they tried to guide the Solar Exalted back onto the path of righteousness and had a small chance of success, though the world would become a place of darkness and misery if they failed.

In the third, they eliminated the Solars and the world continued on, diminished but whole.

It was decided by the Sidereals that this last future was the safest bet to ensure Creation’s survival, so they conspired with the Terrestrial Exalted to bring it about.

Guild: This organization is a vast network of merchants, trading in goods of all form, from foodstuffs, textiles and metalwork to addictive drugs and human slaves. The Guild is unconcerned with good and evil. Its only concern is profit. If it is profitable to do something, you can bet the Guild is doing it, has done it, or will do it as soon as it is brought to the merchant princes’ attention. Though based in the city of Nexus, the Guild operates Creation-wide.

Immaculate Order, the: This is the state religion of the Scarlet Empire. The Immaculate faith preaches that the soul is reincarnated again and again over successive lives until it reaches perfection and joins with the Five Elemental Dragons. The final incarnation before joining with the Dragons is as one of the Terrestrial Exalted, making the Dragon-Blooded the pinnacle of the Order’s Perfected Hierarchy and the natural rulers of Creation. The Immaculate Order frowns upon the popular worship of spirits of any sort, because it is believed they are merely celestial functionaries rather than true gods. Instead, the Order itself propitiates these spirits at predetermined times. It is the Immaculate Order that branded the Celestial Exalted as Anathema during the period of the early Dragon-Blooded Shogunate. Immaculate monks are known for their martial-arts skill, and Dragon-Blooded monks are rightly feared for their mastery of elemental style martial arts.

The Immaculate Order also serves as a front organization for the Bronze Faction Sidereal Exalted, allowing these Exalts to continue shaping the destiny of the Realm. The existence of the Order has let these shadowy Exalts manipulate the course of the Realm for nearly 800 years.

Luna: Luna is a many-faced trickster god, appearing equally male and female. Luna is the consort of Gaia, is a ferocious warrior nearly the equal of the Unconquered Sun, and is the mother and patron of the Lunar Exalted.

magical materials: Orichalcum, moonsilver, jade, starmetal and soulsteel comprise the five known magical materials. These materials are all easily enchanted, and each one resonates with a particular type of Exalted. This resonance makes any item that is both constructed from one of the magical materials and attuned to an Exalt’s anima preternaturally deft and sure in that Exalt’s hands. It also gives the Exalt access to the powers of any hearthstone mounted on the item.

Malfeas: Malfeas is the demon realm in which the Yozis are imprisoned. This realm is constructed from the body of the mightiest Demon Prince, Malfeas himself

mote: The smallest divisible unit of Essence in the parlance of savants and sorcerers.

Neverborn: Cousins to the Yozis, the Neverborn were those Primordials slain by the Exalted in the time before history. In dying, they created the Underworld. They sleep forever in their enormous sepulchers overlooking the Void, dreaming of the day when all that exists will join them in death.

Primordial: This is the term applied to those who came before the gods and first wrenched Creation from the chaotic stuff of the Wyld. Only two Primordials survive intact, Gaia and the Great Maker Autochthon. The rest were either slain, becoming the Neverborn, or imprisoned, becoming the Yozis.

Realm: The empire that, until quite recently, controlled the whole of civilized Creation. Called also the Scarlet Empire, the Realm never officially “ruled” more than the Blessed Isle directly, but it exacted tribute from countless local governments, which paid it homage. Those governments were independent in theory, but they were actually little more than puppet states.

Since the Scarlet Empress has disappeared, the Realm has been paralyzed by indecision. There is a weak regent on the Scarlet Throne, and the various Houses of the Scarlet Dynasty plot endlessly, each attempting to gain enough power to place its own candidate on the Throne.

In this Time of Tumult, many of the Realm’s tributaries have had their garrisons recalled and been left to their own devices. While some remain loyal vassal states, a few have openly declared their independence. Many more have effectively done so quietly, withholding their tribute under flimsy excuses. Whoever takes the Throne will be faced with the monumental task of re-conquering a majority of the Realm’s old territory.

savant: A scholar and sage who devotes his life to the study of a particular subject, or simply to study in general.

Scarlet Dynasty, the: A collective term for the scions of the 11 Great Houses that rule the Realm. Each House may trace its lineage back to the Scarlet Empress herself

Scarlet Empress, the: During the Great Contagion, it was she who braved the Imperial Manse and used its control of the Realm’s ancient magical defenses to save Creation from the invading Fair Folk. She then crowned herself Empress of the Realm—using her control of the Realm defenses to crush all opposition—and proceeded to rule the world for the next 750+ years. Her disappearance has upset the status quo of Creation, and the return of the Solar Exalted has only complicated the situation.

Scavenger Lands, the: The Scavenger Lands is a disparaging term the Realm coined for an alliance of petty kingdoms and city-states in the Eastern Threshold more properly named the Confederation of Rivers. Located in the First Age River Province, these nations have never bent knee or offered tribute to the Scarlet Empress or her Realm, despite repeated attempts by the Realm to subjugate them. The most powerful of these states are the enormous trading metropolis of Nexus, home to the Guild, and Lookshy, home of the surviving Dragon-Blooded Shogunate Era Seventh Legion and its enormous cache of First Age armaments.

Second Age: This is the current Age of Creation, having begun either with the murder of the Solar Exalted or the end of the Great Contagion, depending on whom one asks.

shadowland: A shadowland is an area where constant or massive amounts of death, possibly augmented by negative geomancy, have brought the lands of the living and the dead into close proximity. Such places are invariably dismal, haunted places plagued by hungry ghosts and the evil spirits of Creation, both of which are drawn to such places by the areas’ negative energy.

sorcery: Sorcery is a more sophisticated and demanding form of Essence manipulation than Charms. With Charms, the Exalt focuses Essence through her Abilities, while, with sorcery, she focuses it through sheer will alone. Sorcery features three levels of initiation: Terrestrial Circle, Celestial Circle and Solar Circle. Sorcerers may also practice necromancy, but advancement in one art inhibits development in the other.

Threshold: Savants referring to the Threshold typically mean all that lies between the shores of the Blessed Isle and the elemental poles that mark the boundary of Creation. More commonly, it is the term applied to the ring of kingdoms, principalities, satrapies and city-states that abut the Inland Sea.

Unconquered Sun, the: Greatest of the gods, the Unconquered Sun inspired the gods to revolt against the Primordials. His champions, the Solar Exalted, led the charge in the war that followed. After the war’s end, the Unconquered Sun continued to advise his Chosen in their rule of Creation until their pride grew so great he turned his back on them. After the murder of the Solars, his temples were pulled down and his worship banned.

Underworld: This is the land of the dead, a dark mirror of the sunlit world dominated by the 13 Deathlords. The Underworld is a land of long shadows and vast, still seas—a dark wonderland full of dangers foreign to the world of the living.

Wyld: The term “the Wyld” is used to describe both the formless chaos that exists beyond the elemental poles and the places where that chaos has intruded upon Creation, most notably in the wake of the Fair Folk invasion that followed the Great Contagion.

Wyld Hunt: The Hunt is a group of battle-hardened Dragon-Blooded gathered both from the Immaculate Order and the Realm military for the express purpose of hunting down Anathema. With the disappearance of the Scarlet Empress, the Wyld Hunt’s effectiveness has begun to suffer, as those Dragon-Bloods who would be most effective in the Hunt now choose to stay at home to lend their support to their Great Houses in the contest for the Scarlet Throne.

Yozis: Cousins to the Neverborn, the Yozis are forever imprisoned outside Creation in their twisted kingdom of iron and black marble beneath a mad green sun. The Yozis constantly plot to escape the demon realm Malfeas and to overthrow the gods.

Yu-Shan: Also called Heaven or the Celestial City, this continent-sized metropolis is the dwelling place of the gods and home to the Loom of Fate, from which all Creation springs.

Many years ago, the woman who would become Scarlet Empress united the entire world of Creation under her banner. The incursion of the Fair Folk and the threat of the Contagion were as nothing before the might of the Realm Defense Grid, a weapon array of unparalleled destructive power. With such a weapon at her command, she was hailed as a hero to all the land, and declared the master of the fledgling Dragon-Blooded empire. For nearly eight centuries, few dared to oppose her, for fear of the Realm Defense Grid.

Eventually, things began to settle and the Realm went on as normal. However, soon after the relative peace had begun, there were rumors that the Empress was missing or dead... and power struggles erupted between the various regions. Merchant Princes turned Warlords, Tribal Chiefs turned Conquerers, Slavers turned Politicians. The world was on its way to ruin. That is, until the return of the Scarlet Empress.

A mighty demon known as the Ebon Dragon had kidnapped her and twisted her very soul to fit his malicious ends. At the head of a mighty army, the Empress returned to the world... seemingly bent on destroying all that she had fought for so long ago. But this was not the worst of things. Seeing the realm's weakness and the return of the Empress causing such disarray, the undead monstrosities known as the Deathlords mounted a coordinated assault on Creation. At the head of their armies was the mighty Juggernaut, an ancient creature that was slain by the Deathlord known as Mask of Winters and now controlled through immensely powerful necromantic magic.

Lastly, the realm turned to its once mortal enemy for assistance. The Fair Folk. Creatures of the ever-changing Wyld Lands, they were offered all the lands of Creation outside the Blessed Isle if they were to fight the Empress, Yozis, and Deathlords. All too happy to accept, it was they who finally turned the tide. Fighting alongside the Solar, Lunar, Sidereal, and Dragon-Blooded Exalted, the war was finally on more even terms... but that just meant more destruction and chaos for those less fortunate.

The tales of the ensuing war vary wildly and grow more outlandish with each telling. All that is known for sure is that the Scarlet Empress, her Yozi allies, AND the Deathlords were all defeated... but at immense cost. All the armies of Creation, from former Realm legions to ragtag militias... all were devastated. It is said by lore-keepers and scholars that nearly ninety percent of people in Creation were slain by the time all the fighting had stopped. Those who remained had saved the world, but how much of that world was left?

That was only a scant fifteen years ago. Since that time, very few Exalted have come to being. Most think the strain of the war on their normally-immortal souls was too much, and their essences literally unraveled. Those few who remain or do become Exalted, are in positions of power or quickly elevated to them. However at last count, there are only twenty Exalted left on the Blessed Isle. Four Solars, four Lunars, three Sidereals, and nine Dragon-Blooded. Among them are the late Empress' daughter, Mnemon. Now Empress herself, Mnemon is defended by her another Dragon-Blooded Exalt: her son, Asaio.

Unfortunately, the last bastion of Creation is now under threat once more. The Fair Folk now covet the Blessed Isle above all else, as it is the only thing they haven't returned to the Wyld. Fishing vessels in the oceans that surround the isle have reported sightings of mutated creatures and semi-human beastmen attacking their fellows... a sure sign that the Wyld taint is beginning to approach the isle. While this goes against the Scarlet War Concordat, the few remaining Exalted can do little against the near-limitless forces of the Faerie.

This is the end of times... but the Blessed Isle will not go quietly.

For the Cartographer in all of us!

Spoiler: Map of the Blessed Isle 

Each square equals 500 miles (800 kilometers) on each side

Click image to enlarge.

All about the Money!

Spoiler: Money in Creation 

This is more for fun rather than any distinct gameplay reasons. Once things really get going, money will be somewhat pointless. But still, I like making more work for myself sometimes.

Scrip Table
one koku = 8 quian
one quian = 2 siu
one siu = 8 yen
one yen is a day's wages for an unskilled laborer

Jade Table
one talent = 8 bars
one bar = 8 minae
one mina = 2 shekels
one shekel = 8 obols
one obol = 4 bits

Conversion Table
one talent = 1024 obols = 8192 koku
one mina = 16 obols = 128 koku
one obol = 4 bits = 8 koku
one bit = 2 koku

Rules

1. Don't be a jerk. A bit of arguing is alright, as is friendly debate. But if things start getting heated, take it to PMs.

2. Don't argue with GMs too much. If you disagree with a ruling, say so and say why. I will re-evaluate my opinion and may reconsider my stance. If I say something is final, however... do not continue to debate it.

3. This is not a place for short posters. The accepted MINIMUM is two paragraphs per post, with three to five paragraphs being the expected normal. If something is particularly tough to respond to... let people know in the OOC that you need something more to reply to.

4. Godmodding. Do it, and I swear to God your character will die the next time I post. “Autokilling” or “Autohitting” of PCs defines Godmodding without prior agreement with the player, as does making up attacks on the fly, dodging every attack even when it is not realistic, nuking cities in one shot, and being Superman.

5. Please try to remain active. Give notice if you'll be gone. Extended periods of absence will result in characters being moved along and/or killed off. If you can not make a post within ten ( 10 ) days of a GM post, please alert me as to why. I am willing to work with my players if they cannot get something up in the IC thread, but I won't stall indefinitely.

5b: This rule is far more lax on or around holidays such as Christmas/New Year, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and so on. Please enjoy your holidays and your time with friends and family.

6. Collabs are encouraged. They're fun. :3 Don't know what a collab is or how to do one? Just ask.

7. No OOC chatting in the IC Thread. That is why THIS thread is here.

8. Have fun. Don't spam GIFs. No Lemon Party. Thor is best Avenger.

9. This RP WILL involve characters dying. If you do not want to risk a character dying, don't join.

10. Put "I will not bow" at the end of your CS so I know you read the rules.

11. There will be mature themes in this RP. That said, any intimate situations must either fade-to-black or be taken to PMs. Blood, gore, violence, blasphemy, torture, and other unsavory subjects will come up in this RP as well, so if you are easily triggered or quick to report people... this may not be the RP for you.

11b. In accordance with United States Law, no characters listed under the age of 18 may be depicted engaging in explicit sexual acts. Failure to abide by this rule will result in an immediate and non-negotiable ban.

12. For those familiar with Exalted: We will be starting the RP as Heroic Mortals, not Exalts. The potential for Exaltation later in the RP does exist, however. ... for those not familiar with Exalted: We're just normal people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Down the road we might become a lot more awesome and powerful, but not for a while.

Spoiler: Character Sheet Template 

[character image] - Fantasy Art or Anime-esque preferred
Name: Namey McNamerson
Age: 15-40
Gender: Please don't get crazy or super-SJW here. Male or Female, please.
Equipment/Possessions: Within reason, please.

Personality: At least one paragraph

Backstory/History: At least three paragraphs

Other: Odds and ends and interesting bits go here.

Arc 1: Where are your Gods?

They call them the "Imperial Ruins". They act like the city is gone. The people in the capital city of Lord's Crossing prefer to ignore the ghosts of the past and act like nothing is wrong. However, those not blinding themselves to the truth know that the 'ruins' of the Imperial City still house a large number of people. Nearly fifty-thousand call the damaged city their home, rebuilding what was lost in the war and trying to salvage their way of life. They are a strong people, united by adversity and a strong sense of community. However... that is all about to change.

They fey are growing tired of the Blessed Isle. They were given all the rest of creation, and some of them feel as though they should simply take what is left. Occasional raiding groups attack fishing vessels and coastal villages... but they are not the only threat. A resurgence of Lintha pirates signals the rise of something far darker: The Yozis. Still others claim that the dead have begun to walk once more within the few wilderness areas remaining on the Blessed Isle. If this is true, then a Deathlord likely survived the Scarlet War as well.

As a mortal human living in the Imperial Ruins, you hear the dark whispers and rumors... you listen to the murmurs and fearful stories of those who claim to have seen this and that and the other thing... you might even tell others a personal accounting of one of these tales. All that you know for sure is that people are scared. Do you share their fear? Are you made of sterner stuff? Do you not care either way? Do you embrace the end like others who have become doomsayers? This is where your tale begins... only you will determine how it ends.

Notable NPCs

Spoiler: Cackling Harlot's Retribution 

Cackling Harlot's Retribution

Not much is known for certain about the Abyssal Exalted calling herself Cackling Harlot's Retribution, save for she serves the Mask of Winters and is of the Dusk caste. At a glance, she is a beautiful young woman with pale skin and silken white hair. On closer inspection, however... her skin has an almost translucent quality to it, making Cackling Harlot seem almost ghostly. She believes wholeheartedly in the righteousness of her master's cause, and will do whatever she can to further his campaign.

Some say she is from Lookshy, which was one of many cities lost to the Fair Folk as per the Concordat. Others say she is a survivor of Gethamane, the city under the mountain in the far north... also consumed by the Wyld. And a few even say she is a native of the Blessed Isle. Regardless of her origins, she seems to have survived the war AND the Fair Folk by pledging herself to the service of a Deathlord that everyone thought eradicated.

In combat, she wields a soulsteel daiklave. This weapon not only cuts down foes more quickly than any normal steel weapon, but can carve the very essence of whomever it cuts. Mortals killed have their souls drawn into the weapon, and Exalted suffer essence drain whenever wounded by its blade. Worse yet, the weapon is slotted with a hearthstone known as the Flame-Blade Gem. This causes the weapon to radiate tremendously hot fire around its blade, further harming anyone not resistant or immune to magical flames. The gem also grants her rudamentary control over any flames within ten meters of her, if she chooses to use her essence to do so. Truly a daunting weapon fit to be wielded by an Abyssal.

Active Character Roster

Castin Taylor, played by Kortaga
David Louis Emory, played by Salroka
Yonah Masif, played by Dawscombine
Axley Crawford, played by Iwazuma
Rusty Rudderson, played by Breggo13

[Yggdrasil_Hugger]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&sour...53256357060544
Name: Cassie Phandelver
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Equipment/Possessions: A shortsword, two daggers with intricately inlaid handles, a bag of scrip and other trinkets, including a few interesting rocks, a few rings and bracelets, a couple small bottles, a candle, and a mask

Personality: Cassie like to have fun. She is lighthearted and joking, with a spirit for adventure and a mind full of wit. She is a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none, but she still relies heavily on her main skills, which are pick-pocketing, hiding, and swordsmanship, (though she uses a shortsword). She keeps her weapons hidden, so as not to draw unwanted attention. She is usually unserious, but can prove to be a dangerous force.

Backstory/History:
Cassie was born to Bruce and Annie Phandelver, in a semi-rich part of town in Dimshore. Her parents were not rich, but they were by no means poor. She had a dangerous life, constantly running from the war, until her father was killed. When he passed away, her mother grew dispondant and cold. She treated Cassie like shit, and in turn, turned Cassie away from her. So she ran. She ran from home, and ended up in the streets of a large fishing town. She can't remember the name of the town.

She learned the tools of the trade there, learning to steal and fight. She lived in the streets until she was 16, when she procured a job at spinner's named Calypso. Her quick fingers and attention to detail served her well there, and soon, made enough to get out of her alleyway. Calypso was cold and judgmental, but payed good. Her street tricks haven't been used in a while, but they're still there. Like riding a bike, they never really went away.

She lived working under Calypso until she grew restless, longing for other things. She quit her job, and completely moved to another part of the Isle. She makes coin by doing odd jobs, and her current home is a small tent made in a back alley of the Ruins. She's heard the rumors of undead and demons, and she's grown uneasy, as they remind her of her home in Dimshore, during the Scarlet War. Horrible nightmares plague her, images of burrning homes, mangled corpses, blackened skies and the cries of the innocent. Horrible, really.

Other: She's pansexual.

I will not bow. (Sorry, I forgot.)

[Breggo13]

~ Rusty Rudderson ~

Name: Rusty Rudderson

Age: 19 years old

Gender: Male

Equipment/Possessions: Let's be real - what can a young kid from a tiny fishing village have? All of Rusty's possessions can be summed up in the following list:

• The clothes on his back (a rough white shirt - or what used to be white - with drawstrings at his chest, dark and worn breeches made from course wool, a pair of sturdy boots that have seen better days, a tunic that he had found on one of his 'treasure hunts', taken off a skeleton)
  
• A knife that he inherited from his father before he left home. It's more dull than sharp with the handle wiggling and steel that had adopted quite an artistic layer of rust. This knife had been in the family for a few years and was used mostly to skin and slice fish - something Rusty is truly good at.
  
• A battered, weathered sea-salt crusted bag that Rusty never departs from. It contains most of the relics and trinkets that he finds and later on sells to passing merchants on their way to the capital and other places more suited to life. The kid wears it with the strap across his chest.
  
• A few basic things to survive - more specifically a coil of rope, some flint stones, a fishing line and some hooks, a scarf for cooler weather and a pair of dark leather gloves. When he is scavenging for a few days away from his current dwelling, he has a couple blankets and a kettle.
  
• A ring with some black stone - the one thing he ever kept out of all the pretty, shinny trinkets. He's not really sure why but he is attached to the way the light plays on the stone and it fit perfectly onto his pinkie finger. So....if it fits, it sits?

Personality: Rusty has always been extremely mature for his age - blame that on being the eldest of nine children and witnessing two of them die before they were two. Another one - the eldest girl in the family - passed when he was seven. He has witnessed death and thus loves life. He hates being stuck inside and prefers to be outdoors in all weather, regardless if it's stormy or boiling hot. If he's indoors for too long, he gets cabin fever.

Hailing from a small town, Rusty is sometimes a little too trusting and with his love of live, can get into situations where others can - through subtle means - take advantage of him. He doesn't stand for insults about his upbringing or lack of literate education. Instead of reading non-sense, he prefers to listen to ballads and tales of bards, travelers and the elder people who survived the war.

Having been too young to remember much aside from his parents constantly keeping him indoors, out of sight and on a tight leash, he looks at the stories in a bit of a romantic way, thinking of those who survived and moved to the Blessed Isle as heroes. Not that he ever wants to be one, not when there are enough of his own problems. Like finding a way to help his family now that the fishing industry is in a bit of a bind.

Backstory/History: Rusty's family has lived by the ocean for the past 4 generations, starting with his great-great grandfather Rudy. Rudeous Rudderson tended to be a rather good fisherman and earned enough to build a rather decent house for his wife and their offspring. Out of the 14 kids that the couple had, a few left to become soldiers, a few married into different parts of the Mainland and only three remained nearby, working off the boats as old man Rudy did.

Quintus Rudderson - the fifth son - continued his father's craft, meeting another fisherman's daughter and falling in love. They were married three months later. He continued to thrive with his family and grow the family business. Known in their small part of Creation as some of the best seamen, the Rudderson fortune grew and grew. Quintus and his wife, Rosalinna, had 5 children.

Rusty's father Cem (pronounced Gem) was the youngest child that Quintus and Rosalinna had, born when the couple thought that they hit infertility. Thus, Cem was always treated very differently, more of a grandson than a son - perhaps it was the reason why Quintus did not allow his youngest son to join the war that had, at the end of the day, claimed almost all of the family aside from Cem's older sister Freya. Packing up all that they could into the last of their small fishing vessels, the family made it to the Blessed Isle, weathered, beaten and lost. Using most of their money, they started rebuilding the Rudderson dynasty in the little village of Phlem.

Rusty was about 4 when his family - stuck on the tiny fishing boat named "Sweet Caroline" - made its way to their new home. His first real memories were of the stuffiness of the boat, the constant crying of his siblings and cousins, the stench of people, sweat and fear. It was only when he snuck out onto the deck that he was able to truly breathe. His mother, not being a fisherman's daughter but rather the baker's niece, nearly had a heart attack when she saw her four year old son happily leaning over the edge of the boat, reaching out to touch a dolphin. Perhaps that scandal was the only highlight of the Rudderson's trip to the Isle - realizing that the youngest generation still had seawater in their blood.

As his family established itself on the shores of their new home, Rusty was stuck at home watching his younger siblings. When his brother Samuel was finally old enough to take over, Rusty spent all his time by the water, following his father, uncle and grandfather, helping with small tasks and constantly trying to get on a boat and go fishing. While his father was away, he often fished to provide his mother with fresh fish and clams for dinner. With many people trying to rebuild, the poorest often went hungry. The rare pirate raids caused a few nearby villages to starve and disappear.

When Rusty was ten years old, he was finally allowed to sail his own fishing boat to check on lobster and clam traps, keeping to the shorelines. This was his first taste of the ocean alone and he loved every moment of it. As he proved himself, he was allowed more and more, slowly taking out his own fishing boat by the time he was sixteen. Rusty always remembered that day fondly - it was cloudy, thunder rumbling in the background, the dark clouds low and menancing - there was no fish to be caught and the few birds that flew practically on the water's surface. The youth, however, felt in his own element.

His ideallic (to him) live ended about a year ago when his grandfather died. A few weeks later, his uncle lost his arm in a freak accident. With the Lintha pirates now making it dangerous to remain solely dependent on fishing, Rusty left for the Imperial Ruins in hopes of making some sort of income to help his family. He has taken to scavanging for treasures and "pretty shinny garbage" that others hold as memoribilia or whatnot. That is where he is now - living in the ruins and missing the ocean's breeze.

Other: He has a soft spot for animals that have any relation to the see (fish exempted). Rusty will go out of his way to free a wild sea animal and has done that in the past. For a while, he had a very tentative friendship with one of the ospreys that lived near his house, rescuing the bird from an old net. While out on the water, he cut loose a few dolphins from the fishing nets.

~ I will not bow - I am the wind and I am the sea. I gain power from the night and the fury of the sky makes me alive. ~

[Dawscombine]

Name: Yonah Masif

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Equipment/Possessions: Hunting bow, 15 arrows, shortsword, flint and steel, 30ft coiled rope, game bag

Personality: Yonah is, at her heart, young. She never learned the ways of the world like some did and it never bothered her. Her lifelong need to provide for herself makes accepting help hard for her, as she is used to relying on nobody but herself.

Backstory/History: Nobody is sure exactly where Yonah came from, not even her. The hunter who took care of her when she was a child said he found her in the woods, wrapped in a the bloody pelt of a wolf skinned not two feet away. He couldnt find any tracks to trace back. Not so much as a rustled leaf.

Her early years were spent learning archery and some minor swordsmanship skills. She took to it all quickly and efficiently, killing her first deer at age 9 and countless small game before that. Her caretaker passed away when she was 11, leaving her to learn the rest of yer skills alone.

She spent five years carving out her niche as a hunter, selling what meat she doesn't keep and hide she doesnt use to the markets for scrip. Scrip that is usually spent on new arrows or repairs to her sword and bow. Now she lives in her caretaker's old home, a small place with just enough land to support her.

Other: She cannot read or write and isnt actually totally sure what an Exalt or a Fair Folk is

I will not bow

[Salroka]

Alrighty. First review goes to SaltyIrishman.

First thing... you didn't read the rules. There is something missing from your CS.

Next up, the backstory. It meets the bare bones criteria, sure. But it looks (at least to me) like you barely read any of the information and instead just went with the knowledge that it is a typical fantasy setting. I mean, it works on a very basic level... but I like to push my players to do their best work. For example, her "bag of coin" could instead note the actual currency used on the Blessed Isle. Or, seeing as she is 23, she could have been born on the mainland during the Scarlet War and have memories of her childhood there. Stuff like that, you know?

Use the setting and established information, my guy. It can add a lot of depth to a character. Feel free to message me on Discord if you need help.

[Yggdrasil_Hugger]

1.) Yep, I understand. I just put it up there.
2.) Okie Doke. I'll make the other changes accordingly.

[Salroka]

You don't have to make the exact changes I listed, Salty. I am giving suggestions. I just want to push you to make the best character you can for the setting, is all. Use the information at hand to make something passable into something spectacular.

[Yggdrasil_Hugger]

Yup.

[Dawscombine]

Right. A few things, Mr. Salty.

One, you know the Blessed Isle is the size of the United States, right? Saying "the streets of the isle" is like saying "the streets of the USA". Its hardly spesific.

Two, you mention the War in one sentence and allude to bad memories, but never say what those bad memories are. That seems like a very important detail that's being almost ignored.

Three, who was the Spinner? How did they treat Cassie? Were they nice, or otherwise? All good questions, none really answered.

Thats my hot take. Improving those things would really improve the sheet in general and make play easier, as you have more of a root in the world already.

[Yggdrasil_Hugger]

Okay. Makes sense. I was a little fuzzy as to the size of the Isle, thanks for clearing that up.