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'''''Exalted''''' is a [[role-playing game]] published by [[White Wolf, Inc.|White Wolf Publishing]]. The game is classified as [[high fantasy]], but may be more accurately described as "mythic fantasy," as the original developer specifically avoided drawing on [[J. R. R. Tolkien]] for inspiration. A second edition of the core rule book has been published, and new supplements for this edition are being released. First Edition is no longer in development, but was originally designed by [[Geoffrey C. Grabowski]] and the original core rulebook was published in July of 2001. |
'''''Exalted''''' is a [[role-playing game]] published by [[White Wolf, Inc.|White Wolf Publishing]]. The game is classified as [[high fantasy]], but may be more accurately described as "mythic fantasy," as the original developer specifically avoided drawing on [[J. R. R. Tolkien]] for inspiration. A second edition of the core rule book has been published, and new supplements for this edition are being released. First Edition is no longer in development, but was originally designed by [[Geoffrey C. Grabowski]] and the original core rulebook was published in July of 2001. |
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== Setting == |
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For a generic review of Exalted, see RPG.net's review of Exalted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9998.phtml |title=Review of Exalted |accessdate=2008-01-06 |author=Alex deMorris |date=2004 |work= |publisher=RPGnet}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The basic premise of the game is that the [[player character]]s are chosen by a higher being (such as the ''Unconquered Sun'', ''Luna'', the ''Neverborn'', ''Autochthon'', the ''Five Maidens'', or the ''Five Elemental Dragons'') and imbued with the powers of a demigod (thus, "exalted," or "raised high."). Other player |
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During the time before anything, there was the Primordials. The Primordials took the unshaped chaos that was later to be called the Wyld, which they formed into Creation. They then created all life, and then created the gods. Chief among the gods were the Celestial Incarnae, who were charged with ruling Creation while the Primordials indulged in the mysterious Games of Divinity. |
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Peace lasted for millenia, but in time, the Gods grew jealous of the Primordials. They wanted the power that they had been denied for so long by their creators, but because of powerful oaths they had been forced to swear upon being created, they could do nothing to fight the Primordials directly. For this reason, they created the Exalted. |
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| ⚫ | In the Exalted setting, |
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Unbeknownst to the Exalted or the gods, however, the fallen primordials placed a curse upon their defeat on all of the Exalted. This Great Curse caused the Solars to grow decadent and corrupt in their great power, driving them slowly mad with power and rage. After centuries of plotting and waiting, the Solars were slaughtered to a man in a massive insurrection by the Dragon-blooded and Sidereals known as the Great Userpation by Lunars and Solars, and the Great Reclaimation by the Dragon-blooded and Sidereals. |
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During a time known as the Usurpation, the Solar Exalted were hunted to extinction by the Terrestrials, and their mates and consorts, the Lunar Exalted, Chosen of Luna, were driven to the very fringes of Creation. Since each Solar shard of exaltation moves on to a new host when the demi-god it is exalting dies, the Sidereals had to capture each Solar shard and imprison it within the Jade Prison, a massive vessel that contained the caught solar shards, stopping them from exalting more mortals. To that end, they were mostly successful, as the few random shards that they missed were swiftly hunted down and murdered throughout the ages. For hundreds of years, the Sidereals, working behind the scenes and fading from public knowledge of their very existence, promoted the divine right of the Terrestrial Exalted to rule over Creation and the role of any other Exalted as hideous, evil monsters that were nothing more than Anathema to Creation. |
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| ⚫ | The basic premise of the game is that the [[player character]]s are chosen by a higher being (such as the ''Unconquered Sun'', ''Luna'', the ''Neverborn'', ''Autochthon'', the ''Five Maidens'', or the ''Five Elemental Dragons'') and imbued with the powers of a demigod (thus, "exalted," or "raised high."). Other possible player character-types include God-Blooded, Fair Folk, Mountain Folk, Dragon Kings, and even Heroic Mortals. The main game is based around the Solar Exalted, with the Core Rulebook covering the Solars and their abilities and skills. |
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After the rule of the Solars was broken, the Terrestrials organized themselves into a Shogunate, similar to the real shogunate of 18th and 19th century Japan. During this time, they ruled over the peoples of Creation in imitation of their former Solar masters, but that rule didn't last. A virulent plague known as the Great Contagion was the beginning of the end of the Terrestrial Shogunate, wiping out ninety percent of humanity, and hot on the heels of the Great Contagion were the Fair Folk, inhabitants of chaos, who desired nothing more than the destruction of the order that is Creation in favor of the chaotic energies of the Wyld from which Creation was originally formed by the Primordials. Between the Great Contagion and the Balorian Crusade of the Fair Folk, almost all of humanity was destroyed. The only thing that saved humanity was the actions of a small group of Terrestrial Exalted who broke into the Imperial Manse of the Solar Exalted and activated the reality-generating engines and weapons of the Solars of old. Only one of the Terrestrials survived, rising to power as the savior of humanity and establishing a dynastic empire, taking the role of the Scarlet Empress with the assistance of the nearly-forgotten Sidereal Exalted. From then on, she was the most powerful force in Creation and her empire became the center of culture and stability in the world. During her reign, the hunt against the Solars continued and although the world fell into decadence and disrepair, life continued on and the world recovered. |
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According to the core sourcebooks and many of the supplementary materials, in the history of the Exalted setting, during the time before anything, there were the Primordials who were titanic, unfathomable beings similar to the [[Greek_primordial_gods|Primordial Deities]] of [[Greek mythology]] or the [[Great Old One]]s of [[H.P. Lovecraft]]'s works, even going so far as to use similar epithets. In this game setting's history, the Primordials took the unshaped chaos that was later to be called the Wyld, which they formed into Creation - a flat, elementally based world. The elements of the world of Creation are similar to the five elements of [[Wu Xing|Chinese]] and [[Five elements (Japanese philosophy)|Japanese]] philosophy. These primordial beings created all life, and then created the gods, who are similar both to the [[Titan (mythology)|Titans]] of Greek mythology and the gods of various mythological [[Pantheon (gods)|pantheons]]. Chief among the gods of the Exalted setting were the Celestial Incarnae, who were charged with ruling Creation while the Primordials indulged in the mysterious Games of Divinity. These Celestial Incarnae form the bulk of deities that "exalt" beings. |
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At the time that the setting takes place, the Scarlet Empress has disappeared five years earlier and the Scarlet Empire is on the brink of tearing itself apart. The Solar shards have escaped their imprisonment and new Solar Exalted are emerging into Creation, their numbers growing. Now it is a race to see if the newly-risen Solar Exalted will survive their enemies long enough to make their mark upon the world, for good or for ill. |
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| ⚫ | In the Exalted setting's history, peace lasted for millennia, but in time, the gods grew jealous of the Primordials. They wanted the power that they had been denied for so long by their creators, but because of powerful oaths they had been forced to swear upon being created, they could do nothing to fight the Primordials directly. For this reason, they created the Exalted. After a centuries-long war, the Exalted finally became victorious over the Primordials, either slaying them or imprisoning them into a prison forged from the body of their own general, known as Malfeas. The slain Primordials became known as the Neverborn, and those imprisoned on oaths sworn on their own names are called the Yozis. With this victory, the Gods ascended to a heavenly city, known as Yu-Shan, to oversee Creation. As a reward for their fight against the Primordials, the Exalted were given rulership over Creation. The Solars gained supreme power, with Lunars being their lieutenants and mates, the Sidereals being their advisers, and the Dragon-Blooded being their shock troops and infantry. |
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==Influences== |
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| ⚫ | The setting is strongly influenced by [[Tanith Lee]]'s [[Tales from the Flat Earth]], [[Michael Moorcock]]'s [[Hawkmoon]], [[Lord Dunsany]]'s [[The Gods of Pegana|Gods of Pegāna]] and [[Yoshiaki Kawajiri]]'s [[Ninja Scroll]]. Other influences include [[Glen Cook]]'s [[The Black Company|Black Company]]; [[Sean Steward]]'s [[Resurrection Man]], [[The Night Watch]] and [[Galveston]]; [[Homer]]'s [[Odyssey]] and [[Wu Cheng'en]]'s [[Journey to the West]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Grabowski|first=Geoff C.|coauthors=Bryan Armor, Andrew Bates, Kraig Blackwelder, Dana Habecker, Robert Hatch, Sheri M. Johnson, Steven S. Long, Alia Ogron, Ethan Skemp, Lucien Soulban, James Steward|editor=John Chambers|title=Exalted|year=2001|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=1-56504-623-4|pages=17|chapter=Introduction}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Chambers|first=John|coauthors=Alan Alexander, Rebecca Borgstrom, Carl Bowen, Zach Bush, Joseph Carricker, Genevieve Cogman, Dawn Elliot, Michael Goodwin, Conrad Hubbard, Peter Schaefer, John Snead, Andrew Watt, William Wulf|editor=Carl Bowen|title=Exalted Second Edition|year=2006|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=1-58846-684-1|pages=19|chapter=Introduction}}</ref> |
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Common to all of White-Wolf's games, the primary character archetype, the Exalted, suffer from a character flaw. In this case, this flaw is represented by a "Great Curse", placed upon them by the fallen Primordials. This Great Curse manifests itself in a variety of ways and causes the "heroes" of the setting to be flawed and thusly more realisitic. In game terminology, the Solars grew decadent and corrupt in their great power, driven slowly mad with power and rage. After centuries of plotting and waiting, the Solars were slaughtered to a man in a massive insurrection by the Dragon-blooded and Sidereals known as the Great Usurpation. |
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| ⚫ | The Exalted of Creation can be divided into two categories: Terrestrial Exalted and Celestial Exalted. Celestial Exalted are significantly more powerful than Terrestrial Exalted, and can live for millennia, however their numbers are limited by a fixed number of Exaltations. The Alchemical Exalted technically fall outside of the two categories, however their power level is comparable to that of Celestial Exalted. |
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The exalted essences of each hero who passes from life inhabits itself in a new mortal, and thusly, most Exalts are re-born. The exception to this rule lies in the Terrestrial Exalted, also known as the Dragon-Blooded, who are able to pass their Exaltation down to their children. In the game setting, the majority of the essences of the Solar Exalted were locked away in what was called the Jade Prison. During this time, the Terrestrial Exalted became the rulers of the world, ruling in a system not unlike the [[Shogun|Shogunate]] of [[History of Japan#Heian Period|classical and feudal japan]] and after plague and war with faerie-creatures known as the Fair Folk (who are sometimes similar in nature and type to the [[Fairy|faeries]] of mythology, but often more sinister) a strong leader emerged who forged an Empire to rule over Creation known as the Scarlet Empire - the leader known as the Scarlet Empress. It is after this time that the setting takes place. The Scarlet Empress has disappeared five years prior to the "present day" of the Exalted setting and the Scarlet Empire is on the brink of tearing itself apart. The Solar essences have escaped their imprisonment and new Solar Exalted are emerging into Creation, their numbers growing. Now it is a race to see if the newly-risen Solar Exalted will survive their enemies long enough to make their mark upon the world, for good or for ill.<ref>{{cite book|last=Chambers|first=John|coauthors=Alan Alexander, Rebecca Borgstrom, Carl Bowen, Zach Bush, Joseph Carricker, Genevieve Cogman, Dawn Elliot, Michael Goodwin, Conrad Hubbard, Peter Schaefer, John Snead, Andrew Watt, William Wulf|editor=Carl Bowen|title=Exalted Second Edition|year=2006|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=1-58846-684-1|pages=392|chapter=Chapter One: Setting}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | * '''Solar Exalted''': are the default protagonists of Exalted and the champions of the '''Unconquered Sun'''. There are five castes of Solar Exalted - '''Dawn''' (the warriors and generals), '''Zenith''' (the priest-kings of the Unconquered Sun), '''Twilight''' (the scholars and the sorcerers), '''Night''' (the spies and assassins) and '''Eclipse''' (the ambassadors, diplomats and negotiators). In the era that the game is set, the Second Age of Man, the Solar Exalted are returning to the world for the first time in thousands of years, and their actions and choices can shape the fate of nations. The Solar Exalted are the greatest of the Exalted and during the First Age, they were the rulers of the world. Their achievements were a beacon to humanity, and their power flows from the sun. The Dragon-Blooded murdered the Solars at the fall of the First Age. However, it was not possible to destroy their essences, so most were captured with the assistance of the Sidereals and were imprisoned, but those that were not imprisoned continued to reincarnate again and again through the ages. Each time a Solar re-emerged into the world, they were hunted down by the Wyld Hunt and killed. Considered to be [[Anathema]] to the rest of the world, the Solars are considered to be monstrous demons and are feared by anyone with the knowledge of who and what they are. While they lack the ability to specialize in the shapeshifting of the Lunars, the raw death-dealing of the Abyssals, the elemental manipulation of the Terrestrial Exalted, or the Fate-weaving of the Sidereals, their raw prowess in most skills easily exceeds any of the others, and the mightiest of sorceries are their purview alone. Their two greatest advantages are their large essence pools that give them more raw power to work with and their ability to use the highest of all forms of sorcery, that of the Solar Circle. |
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| ⚫ | * '''Abyssal Exalted''': These twisted souls are the loyal servants of the '''Deathlords''', who in turn serve the '''Neverborn''', the dead husks of what were once the ancient Primordials that were slain by the Exalted during the great war between the Primordials and the gods. Now, they sow their revenge from beyond the grave through their terrible Deathlord servants. Although no one in Creation would suspect it, each Deathlord could be one of the corrupted remnants of a fallen First Age Solar and they are easily among the most powerful beings to walk the Underworld. As their masters do, the Deathlords seek not to conquer or corrupt Creation but rather to wipe it and everything else out of existence, although conquering and corrupting Creation are among their tactics. Their agents in the world of the living are the Abyssal Exalted, also known as Deathknights; these abominations are dark reflections of the Solar Exalted and are their equal in power. Deathknights find themselves bound to their dark fate; holding onto the trappings of life inevitably spells disaster for those who rebel. Only recently have they and their Deathlord masters begun to corrupt Creation with the power of the Underworld and they field vast undead armies, bolstered by ancient knowledge and powerful necromancy. Though they only have a tentative foothold in Creation, they likely represent its gravest threat. Abyssals cannot draw essence from Creation as other Exalts do and can only replenish their essence in the underworld or with powerful artifacts. The easiest way for an Abyssal to restore their essence, away from their dark realm, is by feeding on the living. |
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| ⚫ | As a large part of the setting, there are different types of exaltation, which largely determine both background and point of view for the various protagonists and antagonists of the game. Each different type of Exalt will often have certain predispositions toward or against other Exalt types, and can be viewed differently by the various mortals of Creation, either as monsters or demigods. The Exalted of Creation can be divided into two categories: Terrestrial Exalted and Celestial Exalted. Celestial Exalted are significantly more powerful than Terrestrial Exalted, and can live for millennia, however their numbers are limited by a fixed number of Exaltations. The Alchemical Exalted technically fall outside of the two categories, however their power level is comparable to that of Celestial Exalted. A brief synopsis of each type is given here to demonstrate tone and motivation within the game of Exalted. |
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| ⚫ | * '''Solar Exalted'''<ref>{{cite book|last=Chambers|first=John|coauthors=Alan Alexander, Rebecca Borgstrom, Carl Bowen, Zach Bush, Joseph Carricker, Genevieve Cogman, Dawn Elliot, Michael Goodwin, Conrad Hubbard, Peter Schaefer, John Snead, Andrew Watt, William Wulf|editor=Carl Bowen|title=Exalted Second Edition|year=2006|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-684-1|pages=392|chapter=Chapter One: Setting}}</ref>: are the default protagonists of Exalted and the champions of the '''Unconquered Sun'''. There are five castes of Solar Exalted - '''Dawn''' (the warriors and generals), '''Zenith''' (the priest-kings of the Unconquered Sun), '''Twilight''' (the scholars and the sorcerers), '''Night''' (the spies and assassins) and '''Eclipse''' (the ambassadors, diplomats and negotiators). In the era that the game is set, the Second Age of Man, the Solar Exalted are returning to the world for the first time in thousands of years, and their actions and choices can shape the fate of nations. The Solar Exalted are the greatest of the Exalted and during the First Age, they were the rulers of the world. Their achievements were a beacon to humanity, and their power flows from the sun. The Dragon-Blooded murdered the Solars at the fall of the First Age. However, it was not possible to destroy their essences, so most were captured with the assistance of the Sidereals and were imprisoned, but those that were not imprisoned continued to reincarnate again and again through the ages. Each time a Solar re-emerged into the world, they were hunted down by the Wyld Hunt and killed. Considered to be [[Anathema]] to the rest of the world, the Solars are considered to be monstrous demons and are feared by anyone with the knowledge of who and what they are. While they lack the ability to specialize in the shapeshifting of the Lunars, the raw death-dealing of the Abyssals, the elemental manipulation of the Terrestrial Exalted, or the Fate-weaving of the Sidereals, their raw prowess in most skills easily exceeds any of the others, and the mightiest of sorceries are their purview alone. Their two greatest advantages are their large essence pools that give them more raw power to work with and their ability to use the highest of all forms of sorcery, that of the Solar Circle. |
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| ⚫ | * '''Lunar Exalted''': These Exalts are the '''Chosen of Luna''' and are the most chaotic and savage of the Exalted. In the First Age they were cunning shapeshifters, skilled fighters and capable generals. Very commonly bonded in wedlock with the First Age Solars, those that were not killed along with their Solar mates fled to the edges of Creation. There, at the borders of the order of Creation and in the chaos of the '''Wyld''', they were changed over a great many years. Shunning civilization, some of them lead and seeded sometimes anthropomorphic barbarian tribes; others went into deep seclusion in their territories; and still others, perhaps haunted by their abandonment of their Solar mates, let their shapechanging animalistic instincts overtake them for centuries until their humanity was a distant memory. Some even lost that memory in the Wyld, becoming terrible monsters beyond thought. Now with the return of the Solar Exalted, the teetering of the Scarlet Dynasty of the Dragon-Blooded, the encroaching influence of the Wyld and its Fair Folk manifestations, and the new and deadly threat of the Deathlords, the Lunar Exalted may once again return to a Creation that has changed as much as they have. It is important to note that the Lunars follow a tribal hierarchy and protect themselves from the warping effects of the Wyld with various charms and tattoos that further serve to mark them as different from the rest of humanity. In addition to their self-inflicted distinguishing marks, each Lunar has a "Tell" that manifests as an animal-like characteristic that is visible to some degree or another in their human forms, further setting them apart from mortals. In 2nd ed. they are presented less as barbaric warriors and much closer to their original First Age description. One of their most notable feats is the Thousand Streams River Project, a complicated system of social engineering designed to create self-sufficient human societies that do not require Exalted leadership to function. |
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| ⚫ | * '''Abyssal Exalted'''<ref>{{cite book|last=Dansky|first=Richard E.|coauthors=Michael Kessler, Michael Goodwin, Bryan Armor, Jim Kiley, Ellen P. Kiley, Dawn Elliot and Scott Taylor|editor=Carl Bowen|title=Exalted: The Abyssals|year=2003|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-665-5|pages=287|chapter=Chapter Two: Deathlords and Abyssals}}</ref>: These twisted souls are the loyal servants of the '''Deathlords''', who in turn serve the '''Neverborn''', the dead husks of what were once the ancient Primordials that were slain by the Exalted during the great war between the Primordials and the gods. Now, they sow their revenge from beyond the grave through their terrible Deathlord servants. Although no one in Creation would suspect it, each Deathlord could be one of the corrupted remnants of a fallen First Age Solar and they are easily among the most powerful beings to walk the Underworld. As their masters do, the Deathlords seek not to conquer or corrupt Creation but rather to wipe it and everything else out of existence, although conquering and corrupting Creation are among their tactics. Their agents in the world of the living are the Abyssal Exalted, also known as Deathknights; these abominations are dark reflections of the Solar Exalted and are their equal in power. Deathknights find themselves bound to their dark fate; holding onto the trappings of life inevitably spells disaster for those who rebel. Only recently have they and their Deathlord masters begun to corrupt Creation with the power of the Underworld and they field vast undead armies, bolstered by ancient knowledge and powerful necromancy. Though they only have a tentative foothold in Creation, they likely represent its gravest threat. Abyssals cannot draw essence from Creation as other Exalts do and can only replenish their essence in the underworld or with powerful artifacts. The easiest way for an Abyssal to restore their essence, away from their dark realm, is by feeding on the living. |
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| ⚫ | * '''Sidereal Exalted''': Celestial Exalted and '''Chosen of the Five Maidens''', are the least numerous of all the Exalted types, yet are major players in the fate of Creation, nonetheless. Sidereals, in addition to their unparalleled mastery of martial arts, excel at foreseeing and manipulating fate and were the viziers and cunning advisors of The First Age. They also work in the Celestial City of Yu-Shan, the home of the Gods, ensuring that Creation follows the path that they choose to guide it along. Toward the end of the First Age, a most fateful prophecy came to them that seemed to offer two options: either destroy the Solar Exalted or watch Creation be destroyed instead. In their pride, possibly under the effects of the Great Curse laid upon them by the Yozi, they blindly followed their predictions without taking the time to verify them and orchestrated the end of the First Age and of the rule of the Solar Exalted, known as the Great Usurpation. It was with their behind-the-scenes guidance that the Dragon-Blooded were able to completely wipe out the Solar Exalted and effectively direct the Wyld Hunt to the predicted Exaltation of new Solars. Always working behind the scenes, almost all Sidereals work for the '''Bureau of Fate''' in Yu-shan (Heaven), but because of the effect of the great curse on them they now slip from the minds of those who meet them, mortal and Exalt alike. Recent events, such as a devastating plague known as the Great Contagion which eluded their predictions, have jarred their faith, and the loss of the Scarlet Empress, their secret ally at the top of the Realm, has marginalized their influence. Now, with the emergence of the terribly powerful Deathlords (inscrutable to their power of prediction), the return of the Solars, and a growing rift within their ranks (taking the form of the '''Bronze''' and '''Gold''' Factions), the masters of fate are anything but certain of their future. The Bronze Faction of the Sidereal Exalted supported and orchestrated the purge of the Solar Exalted from Creation. The Gold Faction worked to support the Solars and lost much in the way of power and influence at the end of the First Age, but are now gathering their power and directing it into an organization known as the Cult of the Illuminated. |
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| ⚫ | * '''Lunar Exalted'''<ref>{{cite book|last=Alexander|first=Alan|coauthors=Genevieve Cogman, Conrad Hubbard and Peter Schaefer|editor=Scribendi.com|title=The Manual of Exalted Power: Lunars|year=2007|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-694-5|pages=240|chapter=Chapter One: The Silver Pact}}</ref>: These Exalts are the '''Chosen of Luna''' and are the most chaotic and savage of the Exalted. In the First Age they were cunning shapeshifters, skilled fighters and capable generals. Very commonly bonded in wedlock with the First Age Solars, those that were not killed along with their Solar mates fled to the edges of Creation. There, at the borders of the order of Creation and in the chaos of the '''Wyld''', they were changed over a great many years. Shunning civilization, some of them lead and seeded sometimes anthropomorphic barbarian tribes; others went into deep seclusion in their territories; and still others, perhaps haunted by their abandonment of their Solar mates, let their shapechanging animalistic instincts overtake them for centuries until their humanity was a distant memory. Some even lost that memory in the Wyld, becoming terrible monsters beyond thought. Now with the return of the Solar Exalted, the teetering of the Scarlet Dynasty of the Dragon-Blooded, the encroaching influence of the Wyld and its Fair Folk manifestations, and the new and deadly threat of the Deathlords, the Lunar Exalted may once again return to a Creation that has changed as much as they have. It is important to note that the Lunars follow a tribal hierarchy and protect themselves from the warping effects of the Wyld with various charms and tattoos that further serve to mark them as different from the rest of humanity. In addition to their self-inflicted distinguishing marks, each Lunar has a "Tell" that manifests as an animal-like characteristic that is visible to some degree or another in their human forms, further setting them apart from mortals. In 2nd ed. they are presented less as barbaric warriors and much closer to their original First Age description. One of their most notable feats is the Thousand Streams River Project, a complicated system of social engineering designed to create self-sufficient human societies that do not require Exalted leadership to function. |
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| ⚫ | * '''Terrestrial Exalted''': They are also known as the '''Dragon-Blooded''', as they are the '''Chosen of the Elemental Dragons'''. They were the elite infantry and servants to the rest of the Exalted in the First Age. Though less powerful than other types of Exalted, they gain their strength from inheritance - rather than being chosen by a god, the Dragon-Blooded have the potential to pass their Exaltation on to their children although some Dragon-Blooded Exalt into families that have no history of any Dragon-Blood in their genealogy. These Dragon-Blooded are commonly known as Lost Eggs. The Dragon-Blooded are not limited by a set amount of 'Exalted essences' like Celestial Exalted, although First Age accounts put their numbers at 10,000. Because of this, they are by far the most numerous of the Exalted and were able to usurp the power of the Solar Exalted at the height of their power with the help and guidance of the Sidereal Exalted, thus ending the First Age. The majority of the Dragon-Blooded in Creation make up the ruling class of the Realm, the most powerful empire in Creation. The state-sanctioned faith, known as the Immaculate Order, paints the Solar and Lunar Exalted as dangerous Anathema who will bring ruin to the world if allowed to exist. Because of this, the Realm organizes the Wyld Hunt, which actively seeks out newly Exalted Celestial Exalted (Solars and Lunars, although they also hunt Abyssals and God-Blooded) and overwhelms them before they can master their new powers. This practice, which had effectively kept the Solars from rising to power again since the end of the First Age, has faltered lately because of the recent disappearance of the Scarlet Empress, the absolute monarch of the Realm, and the stability and leadership that she was able to bring to the Dragon-Blooded. The mad rush by the great Dragon-Blooded houses to fill the resulting power vacuum has destabilized the Scarlet Empire and allowed the Solar Exalted to escape the purges of the Wyld Hunt and rise in Creation once more. The greatest advantages of the Dragon-Blooded are the considerable resources granted to them by their noble status and their ability to work cooperatively with each other to create greater effects with their Essence. There are five elemental aspects to the Dragon-Blooded: '''Air''' (also known as the Azure Children of Mela), '''Earth''' (also known as the Ivory Children of Pasiap), '''Fire''' (also known as the Scarlet Offspring of Hesiesh), '''Water''' (also known as the Ebon Offspring of Daana'd) and '''Wood''' (also known as the Verdant Children of Sextes Jylis). The ruling Dragon-Blooded of the Realm are made up of the '''Eleven Great Houses''', which in turn were formed by the scions of the '''Scarlet Empress''' herself. The houses are as follows: House V'Neef (Wood), House Ragara (Earth), House Cynis (Wood), House Cathak (Fire), House Nellens (which has no dominant Aspect), House Tepet (Air), House Mnemon (Earth), House Sesus (Fire), House Iselsi (Water), House Ledaal (Air) and House Peleps (Water). |
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| ⚫ | * '''Sidereal Exalted'''<ref>{{cite book|last=Alexander|first=Alan|coauthors=Carl Bowen, Joseph Carriker, Conrad Hubbard, Peter Schaefer, Stephen Lea Sheppard and Dean Shomshak|editor=Scribendi.com|title=The Manual of Exalted Power: Sidereals|year=2007|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-697-6|pages=230|chapter=Chapter One: The Silver Pact}}</ref>: Celestial Exalted and '''Chosen of the Five Maidens''', are the least numerous of all the Exalted types, yet are major players in the fate of Creation, nonetheless. Sidereals, in addition to their unparalleled mastery of martial arts, excel at foreseeing and manipulating fate and were the viziers and cunning advisors of The First Age. They also work in the Celestial City of Yu-Shan, the home of the Gods, ensuring that Creation follows the path that they choose to guide it along. Toward the end of the First Age, a most fateful prophecy came to them that seemed to offer two options: either destroy the Solar Exalted or watch Creation be destroyed instead. In their pride, possibly under the effects of the Great Curse laid upon them by the Yozi, they blindly followed their predictions without taking the time to verify them and orchestrated the end of the First Age and of the rule of the Solar Exalted, known as the Great Usurpation. It was with their behind-the-scenes guidance that the Dragon-Blooded were able to completely wipe out the Solar Exalted and effectively direct the Wyld Hunt to the predicted Exaltation of new Solars. Always working behind the scenes, almost all Sidereals work for the '''Bureau of Fate''' in Yu-shan (Heaven), but because of the effect of the great curse on them they now slip from the minds of those who meet them, mortal and Exalt alike. Recent events, such as a devastating plague known as the Great Contagion which eluded their predictions, have jarred their faith, and the loss of the Scarlet Empress, their secret ally at the top of the Realm, has marginalized their influence. Now, with the emergence of the terribly powerful Deathlords (inscrutable to their power of prediction), the return of the Solars, and a growing rift within their ranks (taking the form of the '''Bronze''' and '''Gold''' Factions), the masters of fate are anything but certain of their future. The Bronze Faction of the Sidereal Exalted supported and orchestrated the purge of the Solar Exalted from Creation. The Gold Faction worked to support the Solars and lost much in the way of power and influence at the end of the First Age, but are now gathering their power and directing it into an organization known as the Cult of the Illuminated. |
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| ⚫ | *'''Alchemical Exalted''': These Exalted are constructs built in the world of '''Autochthonia''' - in essence, android creations made from clay and the '''[[Five Magical Materials]]'''. They are infused with the Souls of dead Autochthonian heroes and serve Autochthon, the Great Maker, directly. Autochthon himself is one of only two primordials that was not imprisoned or killed. They serve as protectors of the inhabitants of a parallel world made up of the body of Autochthon himself, and enforce the will of the '''Tripartite''', the theocratic government of this world. They define themselves into castes according to which material was mainly used in their construction. Although Autochthon designed them before the other four original types of Exalted, they were not constructed until after the Primordials were overthrown and Autochthon retreated from Creation. Instead of wielding essence directly and using their charms in a "magical" fashion like other Exalted do, the Alchemicals have charms "installed" like peripheral parts and fuel these machine implants with essence from their own bodies, many charms also have an installation cost, requiring essence to be committed much like artifact attunement. Unlike the other the Celestial Exalted, there is no hard cap on the number of Alchemicals, the main limiting factor on their numbers is the immense resource investment required for their construction. As |
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| ⚫ | * '''Terrestrial Exalted'''<ref>{{cite book|last=Alexander|first=Alan|coauthors=Kraig Blackwelder, Peter Schaefer and Scott Taylor|editor=Carl Bowen|title=The Manual of Exalted Power: Dragon-Blooded|year=2006|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-688-4|pages=240|chapter=Chapter One: The Scarlet Dynasty}}</ref>: They are also known as the '''Dragon-Blooded''', as they are the '''Chosen of the Elemental Dragons'''. They were the elite infantry and servants to the rest of the Exalted in the First Age. Though less powerful than other types of Exalted, they gain their strength from inheritance - rather than being chosen by a god, the Dragon-Blooded have the potential to pass their Exaltation on to their children although some Dragon-Blooded Exalt into families that have no history of any Dragon-Blood in their genealogy. These Dragon-Blooded are commonly known as Lost Eggs. The Dragon-Blooded are not limited by a set amount of 'Exalted essences' like Celestial Exalted, although First Age accounts put their numbers at 10,000. Because of this, they are by far the most numerous of the Exalted and were able to usurp the power of the Solar Exalted at the height of their power with the help and guidance of the Sidereal Exalted, thus ending the First Age. The majority of the Dragon-Blooded in Creation make up the ruling class of the Realm, the most powerful empire in Creation. The state-sanctioned faith, known as the Immaculate Order, paints the Solar and Lunar Exalted as dangerous Anathema who will bring ruin to the world if allowed to exist. Because of this, the Realm organizes the Wyld Hunt, which actively seeks out newly Exalted Celestial Exalted (Solars and Lunars, although they also hunt Abyssals and God-Blooded) and overwhelms them before they can master their new powers. This practice, which had effectively kept the Solars from rising to power again since the end of the First Age, has faltered lately because of the recent disappearance of the Scarlet Empress, the absolute monarch of the Realm, and the stability and leadership that she was able to bring to the Dragon-Blooded. The mad rush by the great Dragon-Blooded houses to fill the resulting power vacuum has destabilized the Scarlet Empire and allowed the Solar Exalted to escape the purges of the Wyld Hunt and rise in Creation once more. The greatest advantages of the Dragon-Blooded are the considerable resources granted to them by their noble status and their ability to work cooperatively with each other to create greater effects with their Essence. There are five elemental aspects to the Dragon-Blooded: '''Air''' (also known as the Azure Children of Mela), '''Earth''' (also known as the Ivory Children of Pasiap), '''Fire''' (also known as the Scarlet Offspring of Hesiesh), '''Water''' (also known as the Ebon Offspring of Daana'd) and '''Wood''' (also known as the Verdant Children of Sextes Jylis). The ruling Dragon-Blooded of the Realm are made up of the '''Eleven Great Houses''', which in turn were formed by the scions of the '''Scarlet Empress''' herself. The houses are as follows: House V'Neef (Wood), House Ragara (Earth), House Cynis (Wood), House Cathak (Fire), House Nellens (which has no dominant Aspect), House Tepet (Air), House Mnemon (Earth), House Sesus (Fire), House Iselsi (Water), House Ledaal (Air) and House Peleps (Water). |
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| ⚫ | *'''Infernal Exalted''': Little is known about these Exalts. It was long believed that they where the fifty corrupted Essences of Solar Exalts that were paid to the Yozis (the living Primordials) by the Neverborn (the slain Primordials) so that the Neverborn could learn how to corrupt Solar Essences to create the Abyssals. Canonically, there are no Infernal Exalted. There is, however, the Akuma; Akuma being former Exalted of another type who have given themselves over to the cause of the Yozis and have been remade according to their desires. The only one in print is Lintha Ng Hut Dukantha |
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| ⚫ | *'''Alchemical Exalted'''<ref>{{cite book|last=Blackwelder|first=Kraig|coauthors=Michael A. Goodwin, Michael Kessler, Alejandro Melchor and John Snead|editor=John Chambers|title=Exalted: The Autochthonians|year=2005|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-681-7|pages=256|chapter=Chapter One: Autochthon and Autochthonia}}</ref>: These Exalted are constructs built in the world of '''Autochthonia''' - in essence, android creations made from clay and the '''[[Five Magical Materials]]'''. They are infused with the Souls of dead Autochthonian heroes and serve Autochthon, the Great Maker, directly. Autochthon himself is one of only two primordials that was not imprisoned or killed. They serve as protectors of the inhabitants of a parallel world made up of the body of Autochthon himself, and enforce the will of the '''Tripartite''', the theocratic government of this world. They define themselves into castes according to which material was mainly used in their construction. Although Autochthon designed them before the other four original types of Exalted, they were not constructed until after the Primordials were overthrown and Autochthon retreated from Creation. Instead of wielding essence directly and using their charms in a "magical" fashion like other Exalted do, the Alchemicals have charms "installed" like peripheral parts and fuel these machine implants with essence from their own bodies, many charms also have an installation cost, requiring essence to be committed much like artifact attunement. Unlike the other the Celestial Exalted, there is no hard cap on the number of Alchemicals, the main limiting factor on their numbers is the immense resource investment required for their construction. As Alchemical Exalted raise their Permanent Essence, they increase in size, eventually joining with Autochthon and growing into cities. The Alchemical Exalted are latecomers to the game; they are the only type of playable characters besides the Dragon Kings that were designed after the core rulebook was released. The developers of the game even wrote a brief tour of the world of Autochthonia on White-Wolf's website<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.white-wolf.com/index.php?line=news&articleid=203 |title=Welcome to the Machine God - A Tour of the Very Different World of Exalted: The Autochthonians |accessdate=2008-01-06 |author=White-Wolf, Inc. |date=2005 |work= |publisher=White Wolf, Inc.}}</ref>. |
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| ⚫ | *'''Infernal Exalted''': Little is known about these Exalts. It was long believed that they where the fifty corrupted Essences of Solar Exalts that were paid to the Yozis (the living Primordials) by the Neverborn (the slain Primordials) so that the Neverborn could learn how to corrupt Solar Essences to create the Abyssals. Canonically, there are no Infernal Exalted. There is, however, the Akuma; Akuma being former Exalted of another type who have given themselves over to the cause of the Yozis and have been remade according to their desires. The only one in print is Lintha Ng Hut Dukantha<ref>{{cite book|last=Cogman|first=Genevieve|coauthors=Ian Eller, Michael Kessler|editor=John Chambers|title=Blood & Salt|year=2004|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-672-8|pages=126|chapter=Chapter Two: The Lintha Family}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Alexander|first=Alan|coauthors=Eric Brennan, Genevieve Cogman, Conrad Hubbard and Peter Schaefer|editor=Scribendi.com|title=The Compass of Terrestrial Directions, Vol. II: The West|year=2007|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-696-9|pages=160|chapter=Chapter Five: Demon Pirates of the Western Ocean}}</ref>. Lintha was a Water-Aspected Dragon-Blood before his change into an Akuma. This detail, and the spell in the Exalted Players Guide<ref name="Player's Guide">{{cite book|last=Bolack|first=David|coauthors=Michael Goodwin, John Snead, Scott Taylor, Eric Toth, W. Van Meter|editor=John Chambers|title=Exalted Player's Guide|year=2004|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-673-6|pages=126|chapter=Chapter Two: The God-Blooded}}</ref> that is used to create Akuma from any Exalt type brings some speculation to the nature of Infernal Exalted and their connection, if any, to the fifty Solar Essences. Whether or not White Wolf plans on releasing more information or game mechanics on the Infernals is a subject of debate among Exalted enthusiasts. |
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*'''Spirits''': Spirits are divided into four broad categories: gods, elementals, demons and ghosts. |
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| ⚫ | *'''Fair Folk''': These creatures aren't really Exalted at all, but they are, in game terms, an alternative player character or non-player character race, so they are included here. Referred to in the first person as '''Raksha''', they are creatures composed of raw essence, and inhabit the Wyld, the place that exists between the ordered Creation and pure Chaos. Inhuman and beautiful beings born from chaos, they feed on the dreams and aspirations of the inhabitants of Creation in order to give them strength and form in their own intermediate realm. In essence, they are the "kissing cousins" of the Primordials, their territory having been pushed back when the Primordials formed Creation. They prey upon the dreams of mortals and do a brisk trade with The Guild (a powerful economic organization in Creation) in slaves. The most powerful of the Fair Folk are the Unshaped, unlike the Raksha, the Unshaped are unable to survive within Creation for extended periods of time. |
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Despite the various types of Exalts found in Creation, there are also other magical creatures that use the same essence that Exalts use to power their magical effects. |
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*'''Spirits'''<ref>{{cite book|last=Borgstrom|first=R. Sean|coauthors=Michael Kessler, John Snead|editor=John Chambers|title=Games of Divinity|year=2002|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-659-0|pages=127|chapter=}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Brennan|first=Eric|coauthors=Deirdre Brooks, Conrad Hubbard, Lydia Laurenson, Dustin Shampel and Stephen Lea Sheppard|editor=Scribendi.com|title=The Books of Sorcery, Vol. IV: The Roll of Glorious Divinity I - Gods & Elementals|year=2007|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-698-3|pages=176|chapter=}}</ref>: Spirits are divided into four broad categories: gods, elementals, demons and ghosts. |
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| ⚫ | *'''God-Blooded''': This term is used to refer to any number of offspring of a mortal or animal and a magical being. The resulting offspring bears traces of its mystical parentage. As a collective whole, such children are referred to as "God-Blooded". They stand somewhere between divinity and mortality, less than Exalted, but more than human. Of those categorized as being God-Blooded, there are several subtypes. God-Blooded are the children of gods or elementals, while Demon-Blooded are Half-Damned children of demons. Ghost-Blooded are the children of ghosts using powerful [[Arcanoi (Exalted)|Arcanoi]], and Half-Caste are the children of powerful Exalts (although exceedingly rare). Lastly, the Fae-Blooded are the children of a union between the Raksha and mortals. |
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| ⚫ | *'''Fair Folk'''<ref>{{cite book|last=Borgstrom|first=R. Sean|coauthors=Eric Brennan, Genevieve Cogman, Michael Goodwin, John Snead|editor=John Chambers|title=Exalted: The Fair Folk|year=2002|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-678-7|pages=328|chapter=Chapter Two: The Raksha}}</ref>: These creatures aren't really Exalted at all, but they are, in game terms, an alternative player character or non-player character race, so they are included here. Referred to in the first person as '''Raksha''', they are creatures composed of raw essence, and inhabit the Wyld, the place that exists between the ordered Creation and pure Chaos. Inhuman and beautiful beings born from chaos, they feed on the dreams and aspirations of the inhabitants of Creation in order to give them strength and form in their own intermediate realm. In essence, they are the "kissing cousins" of the Primordials, their territory having been pushed back when the Primordials formed Creation. They prey upon the dreams of mortals and do a brisk trade with The Guild (a powerful economic organization in Creation) in slaves. The most powerful of the Fair Folk are the Unshaped, unlike the Raksha, the Unshaped are unable to survive within Creation for extended periods of time. |
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| ⚫ | *'''Dragon Kings''': While like the Fair Folk the Dragon Kings are not Exalted, they are supernatural creatures offered as a player-character type. The Dragon Kings are large lizard-like beings of great power, resembling dinosaurs. The Dragon Kings are sworn in allegiance to the Unconquered Sun, their creator. Once, before the time of the Exalted, the Dragon Kings ruled Creation and the mortals who dwelt there but as the methods of Exaltation were crafted and improved they become obsolete in the God's eyes. The Unconquered Sun used them as powerful servants to his chosen whom they served faithfully, honoring their Exalted brethren. After the First Age ended in war and disease few survived. Their numbers grow slowly but steadily in the Second Age, though the once great Dragon Kings remain hidden in the furthest corner of Creation. Their most powerful stronghold would be Rathess, an ancient home filled with a variety of powerful artifacts made by the Dragon Kings in the glory days of the First Age. There are four types of Dragon Kings, each living in a quadrant of Creation. The graceful flying '''Pterok''' (North), the nimble and lithe '''Raptok''' (East), the powerful and loyal '''Anklok''' (South), and the clever amphibious '''Mosok''' (West). |
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| ⚫ | *'''God-Blooded'''<ref name="Player's Guide">{{cite book|last=Bolack|first=David|coauthors=Michael Goodwin, John Snead, Scott Taylor, Eric Toth, W. Van Meter|editor=John Chambers|title=Exalted Player's Guide|year=2004|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-673-6|pages=126|chapter=Chapter Two: The God-Blooded}}</ref>: This term is used to refer to any number of offspring of a mortal or animal and a magical being. The resulting offspring bears traces of its mystical parentage. As a collective whole, such children are referred to as "God-Blooded". They stand somewhere between divinity and mortality, less than Exalted, but more than human. Of those categorized as being God-Blooded, there are several subtypes. God-Blooded are the children of gods or elementals, while Demon-Blooded are Half-Damned children of demons. Ghost-Blooded are the children of ghosts using powerful [[Arcanoi (Exalted)|Arcanoi]], and Half-Caste are the children of powerful Exalts (although exceedingly rare). Lastly, the Fae-Blooded are the children of a union between the Raksha and mortals. |
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| ⚫ | Five Magical Materials are used to forge artifacts and weapons. Each of the materials is associated with a type of Exalted, as well as one of the castes of Alchemical Exalted, who are partially constructed from that material. These materials are all easily enchanted, and each one resonates with a particular type of Exalted<ref>{{cite book|last=Grabowski|first=Geoff C.|coauthors=Bryan Armor, Andrew Bates, Kraig Blackwelder, Dana Habecker, Robert Hatch, Sheri M. Johnson, Steven S. Long, Alia Ogron, Ethan Skemp, Lucien Soulban, James Steward|editor=John Chambers|title=Exalted|year=2001|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=1-56504-623-4|pages= |
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| ⚫ | *'''Dragon Kings'''<ref name="Player's Guide">{{cite book|last=Bolack|first=David|coauthors=Michael Goodwin, John Snead, Scott Taylor, Eric Toth, W. Van Meter|editor=John Chambers|title=Exalted Player's Guide|year=2004|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-673-6|pages=126|chapter=Chapter Four: The Dragon Kings}}</ref>: While like the Fair Folk the Dragon Kings are not Exalted, they are supernatural creatures offered as a player-character type. The Dragon Kings are large lizard-like beings of great power, resembling dinosaurs. The Dragon Kings are sworn in allegiance to the Unconquered Sun, their creator. Once, before the time of the Exalted, the Dragon Kings ruled Creation and the mortals who dwelt there but as the methods of Exaltation were crafted and improved they become obsolete in the God's eyes. The Unconquered Sun used them as powerful servants to his chosen whom they served faithfully, honoring their Exalted brethren. After the First Age ended in war and disease few survived. Their numbers grow slowly but steadily in the Second Age, though the once great Dragon Kings remain hidden in the furthest corner of Creation. Their most powerful stronghold would be Rathess, an ancient home filled with a variety of powerful artifacts made by the Dragon Kings in the glory days of the First Age. There are four types of Dragon Kings, each living in a quadrant of Creation. The graceful flying '''Pterok''' (North), the nimble and lithe '''Raptok''' (East), the powerful and loyal '''Anklok''' (South), and the clever amphibious '''Mosok''' (West). |
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| ⚫ | Five Magical Materials are used to forge artifacts and weapons. Each of the materials is associated with a type of Exalted, as well as one of the castes of Alchemical Exalted, who are partially constructed from that material. These materials are all easily enchanted, and each one resonates with a particular type of Exalted<ref>{{cite book|last=Grabowski|first=Geoff C.|coauthors=Bryan Armor, Andrew Bates, Kraig Blackwelder, Dana Habecker, Robert Hatch, Sheri M. Johnson, Steven S. Long, Alia Ogron, Ethan Skemp, Lucien Soulban, James Steward|editor=John Chambers|title=Exalted|year=2001|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-56504-623-4|pages=392|chapter=Chapter Nine: Wonders And Equipment}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Chambers|first=John|coauthors=Alan Alexander, Rebecca Borgstrom, Carl Bowen, Zach Bush, Joseph Carricker, Genevieve Cogman, Dawn Elliot, Michael Goodwin, Conrad Hubbard, Peter Schaefer, John Snead, Andrew Watt, William Wulf|editor=Carl Bowen|title=Exalted Second Edition|year=2006|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=978-1-58846-684-1|pages=392|chapter=Chapter Eight: Panoply}}</ref>. 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. |
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; '''Jade''' : is the most common material, and is associated with the most common, least powerful of the Exalted, the Terrestrial Exalted. There are five different colors of jade, each of which corresponds to one of the Elemental Dragons. Blue jade resonates with Air, white with Earth, black with Water, green with Wood, and red with Fire. Jade weapons are unnaturally fast, and jade armor doesn't tire the wearer. |
; '''Jade''' : is the most common material, and is associated with the most common, least powerful of the Exalted, the Terrestrial Exalted. There are five different colors of jade, each of which corresponds to one of the Elemental Dragons. Blue jade resonates with Air, white with Earth, black with Water, green with Wood, and red with Fire. Jade weapons are unnaturally fast, and jade armor doesn't tire the wearer. |
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; '''Orichalcum''' : is used primarily by the Solar Exalted. Orichalcum is rarely found in pure deposits; usually, it is created out of gold that has been heated by lava and sunlight reflected from mirrors of occult design. Orichalcum weapons excel at no one thing; instead of adding a large bonus to speed, damage or defense, they add a small bonus to all. |
; '''Orichalcum''' : is used primarily by the Solar Exalted. Orichalcum is rarely found in pure deposits; usually, it is created out of gold that has been heated by lava and sunlight reflected from mirrors of occult design. Orichalcum weapons excel at no one thing; instead of adding a large bonus to speed, damage or defense, they add a small bonus to all. |
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== |
==Influences== |
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| ⚫ | The setting is strongly influenced by [[Tanith Lee]]'s [[Tales from the Flat Earth]], [[Michael Moorcock]]'s [[Hawkmoon]], [[Lord Dunsany]]'s [[The Gods of Pegana|Gods of Pegāna]] and [[Yoshiaki Kawajiri]]'s [[Ninja Scroll]]. Other influences include [[Glen Cook]]'s [[The Black Company|Black Company]]; [[Sean Steward]]'s [[Resurrection Man]], [[The Night Watch]] and [[Galveston]]; [[Homer]]'s [[Odyssey]] and [[Wu Cheng'en]]'s [[Journey to the West]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Grabowski|first=Geoff C.|coauthors=Bryan Armor, Andrew Bates, Kraig Blackwelder, Dana Habecker, Robert Hatch, Sheri M. Johnson, Steven S. Long, Alia Ogron, Ethan Skemp, Lucien Soulban, James Steward|editor=John Chambers|title=Exalted|year=2001|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=1-56504-623-4|pages=17|chapter=Introduction}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Chambers|first=John|coauthors=Alan Alexander, Rebecca Borgstrom, Carl Bowen, Zach Bush, Joseph Carricker, Genevieve Cogman, Dawn Elliot, Michael Goodwin, Conrad Hubbard, Peter Schaefer, John Snead, Andrew Watt, William Wulf|editor=Carl Bowen|title=Exalted Second Edition|year=2006|publisher=White Wolf, Inc.|language=English|isbn=1-58846-684-1|pages=19|chapter=Introduction}}</ref> |
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== System == |
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{{Primarysources|date=September 2007}} |
{{Primarysources|date=September 2007}} |
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Exalted has mechanical and thematic similarities to White Wolf's previous game series, the old [[World of Darkness]], but exists in its own product line, called the '''Age of Sorrows.''' The game has an excellent sales record, on par with the company's flagship title, ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'', the second edition core rulebook achieving a sales ranking at #23,558 on Amazon.com with a 5-star user review rating based on 9 user reviews as of Friday, February 9th, 2007. Perhaps to maintain a sense of continuity, the First Edition published material initially suggested the Age of Sorrows as the pre-history of the [[World of Darkness#Old World of Darkness (oWoD)|old World of Darkness]] — however, this has not been officially confirmed outside of early promotional materials. It should be noted that White Wolf has continually inserted names and themes familiar to players of their previous World of Darkness line into the material, adding fuel to the fire of the speculation that it is a pre-history. However, the Developer has commented that the connections are tenuous, for players to grasp or let go – with the end of the old World of Darkness and the creation of the [[World of Darkness#World of Darkness (WoD) or (nWoD)|new World of Darkness]], these similarities have become even weaker. Moreover, Exalted Second Edition seems to imply that its story is the prehistory of our ''own'' world. |
Exalted has mechanical and thematic similarities to White Wolf's previous game series, the old [[World of Darkness]], but exists in its own product line, called the '''Age of Sorrows.''' The game has an excellent sales record, on par with the company's flagship title, ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'', the second edition core rulebook achieving a sales ranking at #23,558 on Amazon.com<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amazon.com/dp/1588466841/ |title=Exalted reviews on Amazon.com |accessdate=2007-02-09 |author=Amazon.com |date=2005 |work= |publisher=Amazon.com}}</ref> with a 5-star user review rating based on 9 user reviews as of Friday, February 9th, 2007. Perhaps to maintain a sense of continuity, the First Edition published material initially suggested the Age of Sorrows as the pre-history of the [[World of Darkness#Old World of Darkness (oWoD)|old World of Darkness]] — however, this has not been officially confirmed outside of early promotional materials. It should be noted that White Wolf has continually inserted names and themes familiar to players of their previous World of Darkness line into the material, adding fuel to the fire of the speculation that it is a pre-history. However, the Developer has commented that the connections are tenuous, for players to grasp or let go – with the end of the old World of Darkness and the creation of the [[World of Darkness#World of Darkness (WoD) or (nWoD)|new World of Darkness]], these similarities have become even weaker. Moreover, Exalted Second Edition seems to imply that its story is the prehistory of our ''own'' world. |
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The game uses ten-sided [[dice]] and a rules system similar to the [[Storytelling System]] to arbitrate the action, and, as with many other RPGs, requires little beyond the rulebooks themselves, dice, pencil, and paper. The ten-sided die storyteller system is one where the storyteller (or [[game master]]) is the person setting up a story and creating the adventure. The players create their characters using a pre-assigned number of points and begin to interact with the story that the storyteller presents them with, much like a "[[Choose Your Own Adventure]]" book, although the possible actions are limited only to the imagination of the players and the discretion of the storyteller. When a challenge presents itself to the characters, they roll a number of dice determined by the statistics of their character with a difficulty assigned by the storyteller. If they gain the required number of successes (7 or higher on any given die, 10's usually counting as double), they succeed in their efforts. If they do not gain the required number of successes, they fail. The storyteller describes the nature of the success or failure and the game and story continue on. Since the stories are player-created (by the storyteller, of course), there is no one way to "win" the game, except to achieve the goals set out in each individual story. |
The game uses ten-sided [[dice]] and a rules system similar to the [[Storytelling System]]<ref name="history2">{{cite web |url=http://www.rpg.net/columns/briefhistory/briefhistory12.phtml |title=A Brief History of Game #12: White Wolf, Part Two: 1993-Present |accessdate=2007-09-16 |author=Shannon Appelcline |date=2007 |work= |publisher=RPGnet}}</ref> to arbitrate the action, and, as with many other RPGs, requires little beyond the rulebooks themselves, dice, pencil, and paper. The ten-sided die storyteller system is one where the storyteller (or [[game master]]) is the person setting up a story and creating the adventure. The players create their characters using a pre-assigned number of points and begin to interact with the story that the storyteller presents them with, much like a "[[Choose Your Own Adventure]]" book, although the possible actions are limited only to the imagination of the players and the discretion of the storyteller. When a challenge presents itself to the characters, they roll a number of dice determined by the statistics of their character with a difficulty assigned by the storyteller. If they gain the required number of successes (7 or higher on any given die, 10's usually counting as double), they succeed in their efforts. If they do not gain the required number of successes, they fail. The storyteller describes the nature of the success or failure and the game and story continue on. Since the stories are player-created (by the storyteller, of course), there is no one way to "win" the game, except to achieve the goals set out in each individual story. |
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The rules system used in Exalted differs from the standard [[Storytelling System]] in several ways. Most notably, the two systems use different attributes and skills. The standard Storytelling system uses the following attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Presence, Manipulation, Composure, Intelligence, Wits, and Resolve. The Exalted system, on the other hand, uses the attributes from the old World of Darkness system. These are Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Charisma, Manipulation, Appearance, Intelligence, Wits and Perception. There are many differences in skills, in line with the difference in setting. For example, while the standard Storytelling system uses the skills, Academics, Firearms, and Politics, the Exalted system uses the skills, Lore, Archery, and Bureaucracy. For these and other reasons, the two systems are not directly compatible without adaptations. White Wolf’s [[Scion (role-playing game)| Scion]] game uses the same attributes, but not the same skills, as Exalted. |
The rules system used in Exalted differs from the standard [[Storytelling System]] in several ways. Most notably, the two systems use different attributes and skills. The standard Storytelling system uses the following attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Presence, Manipulation, Composure, Intelligence, Wits, and Resolve. The Exalted system, on the other hand, uses the attributes from the old World of Darkness system. These are Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Charisma, Manipulation, Appearance, Intelligence, Wits and Perception. There are many differences in skills, in line with the difference in setting. For example, while the standard Storytelling system uses the skills, Academics, Firearms, and Politics, the Exalted system uses the skills, Lore, Archery, and Bureaucracy. For these and other reasons, the two systems are not directly compatible without adaptations. White Wolf’s [[Scion (role-playing game)| Scion]] game uses the same attributes, but not the same skills, as Exalted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Revised_Storyteller_System |title=Revised Storyteller System |accessdate=2008-01-06 |author=Ben McKenzie |date=2005 |work= |publisher=White Wolf - A Wikia Wiki}}</ref> |
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The Storytelling System itself has been applied both to tabletop and video gaming systems, and has been a subject of note to gaming enthusiasts such as Chris Crawford, who wrote a book entitled "Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling" which details many elements similar to the Storytelling System in use in Exalted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2282/book_review_chris_crawford_on_.php |title= Book Review: Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling |accessdate=2008-01-06 |author=Brad Kane |date=2005 |work= |publisher=Gamasutra.com}}</ref> |
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''See the [[List of Exalted sourcebooks#1st Edition (2001-2006)|list of Exalted sourcebooks]] for further information. |
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''See the [[List of Exalted sourcebooks#1st Edition (2001-2006)|list of Exalted sourcebooks]] for further information.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://download.white-wolf.com/download/download.php?file_id=498 |title=Exalted First Edition Collector's Checklist |accessdate=2008-01-06 |author=White-Wolf, Inc. |date=2006 |work= |publisher=White-Wolf.com}}</ref> |
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''See the [[List of Exalted sourcebooks#2nd Edition (2006 - present)|list of Exalted sourcebooks]] for further information. |
''See the [[List of Exalted sourcebooks#2nd Edition (2006 - present)|list of Exalted sourcebooks]] for further information. |
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== See also == |
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* [[Storytelling System]]. |
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* {{cite web |
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* White-Wolf's [[World of Darkness]]. |
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| title=Exalted 1st Edition Collector's Checklist |
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* [[White Wolf, Inc.]] |
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| date=April 30th, 2006 |
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| publisher=White Wolf Publishing |
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== References == |
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| url=http://download.white-wolf.com/download/download.php?file_id=498 |
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}} |
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* {{cite web |
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| title=Exalted reviews on Amazon.com |
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| date=February 9th, 2007 |
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| publisher=White Wolf Publishing |
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| url=http://www.amazon.com/dp/1588466841/ |
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}} |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
== External links == |
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* [http://www.white-wolf.com/exalted The White Wolf Exalted page] |
* [http://www.white-wolf.com/exalted The White Wolf Exalted page] |
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* [http://wiki.white-wolf.com/exalted/index.php/Main_Page Official White Wolf Exalted Wiki] |
* [http://wiki.white-wolf.com/exalted/index.php/Main_Page Official White Wolf Exalted Wiki] |
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Revision as of 07:12, 6 January 2008
 Exalted Second Edition front cover, featuring the images of Arianna, Swan, Panther, Harmonious Jade and Dace | |
| Designers | Geoffrey C. Grabowski (Developer), John Chambers (Developer), Dean Shomshak (Developer), Stephen Lea Sheppard and John "Bax" Masterson (Developer) |
|---|---|
| Publishers | White Wolf Publishing |
| Publication | 2001 (1st edition) March 13, 2006 (2nd edition) |
| Genres | High fantasy |
| Systems | Storyteller |
Exalted is a role-playing game published by White Wolf Publishing. The game is classified as high fantasy, but may be more accurately described as "mythic fantasy," as the original developer specifically avoided drawing on J. R. R. Tolkien for inspiration. A second edition of the core rule book has been published, and new supplements for this edition are being released. First Edition is no longer in development, but was originally designed by Geoffrey C. Grabowski and the original core rulebook was published in July of 2001.
Setting
For a generic review of Exalted, see RPG.net's review of Exalted.[1]
The basic premise of the game is that the player characters are chosen by a higher being (such as the Unconquered Sun, Luna, the Neverborn, Autochthon, the Five Maidens, or the Five Elemental Dragons) and imbued with the powers of a demigod (thus, "exalted," or "raised high."). Other possible player character-types include God-Blooded, Fair Folk, Mountain Folk, Dragon Kings, and even Heroic Mortals. The main game is based around the Solar Exalted, with the Core Rulebook covering the Solars and their abilities and skills.
According to the core sourcebooks and many of the supplementary materials, in the history of the Exalted setting, during the time before anything, there were the Primordials who were titanic, unfathomable beings similar to the Primordial Deities of Greek mythology or the Great Old Ones of H.P. Lovecraft's works, even going so far as to use similar epithets. In this game setting's history, the Primordials took the unshaped chaos that was later to be called the Wyld, which they formed into Creation - a flat, elementally based world. The elements of the world of Creation are similar to the five elements of Chinese and Japanese philosophy. These primordial beings created all life, and then created the gods, who are similar both to the Titans of Greek mythology and the gods of various mythological pantheons. Chief among the gods of the Exalted setting were the Celestial Incarnae, who were charged with ruling Creation while the Primordials indulged in the mysterious Games of Divinity. These Celestial Incarnae form the bulk of deities that "exalt" beings.
In the Exalted setting's history, peace lasted for millennia, but in time, the gods grew jealous of the Primordials. They wanted the power that they had been denied for so long by their creators, but because of powerful oaths they had been forced to swear upon being created, they could do nothing to fight the Primordials directly. For this reason, they created the Exalted. After a centuries-long war, the Exalted finally became victorious over the Primordials, either slaying them or imprisoning them into a prison forged from the body of their own general, known as Malfeas. The slain Primordials became known as the Neverborn, and those imprisoned on oaths sworn on their own names are called the Yozis. With this victory, the Gods ascended to a heavenly city, known as Yu-Shan, to oversee Creation. As a reward for their fight against the Primordials, the Exalted were given rulership over Creation. The Solars gained supreme power, with Lunars being their lieutenants and mates, the Sidereals being their advisers, and the Dragon-Blooded being their shock troops and infantry.
Common to all of White-Wolf's games, the primary character archetype, the Exalted, suffer from a character flaw. In this case, this flaw is represented by a "Great Curse", placed upon them by the fallen Primordials. This Great Curse manifests itself in a variety of ways and causes the "heroes" of the setting to be flawed and thusly more realisitic. In game terminology, the Solars grew decadent and corrupt in their great power, driven slowly mad with power and rage. After centuries of plotting and waiting, the Solars were slaughtered to a man in a massive insurrection by the Dragon-blooded and Sidereals known as the Great Usurpation.
The exalted essences of each hero who passes from life inhabits itself in a new mortal, and thusly, most Exalts are re-born. The exception to this rule lies in the Terrestrial Exalted, also known as the Dragon-Blooded, who are able to pass their Exaltation down to their children. In the game setting, the majority of the essences of the Solar Exalted were locked away in what was called the Jade Prison. During this time, the Terrestrial Exalted became the rulers of the world, ruling in a system not unlike the Shogunate of classical and feudal japan and after plague and war with faerie-creatures known as the Fair Folk (who are sometimes similar in nature and type to the faeries of mythology, but often more sinister) a strong leader emerged who forged an Empire to rule over Creation known as the Scarlet Empire - the leader known as the Scarlet Empress. It is after this time that the setting takes place. The Scarlet Empress has disappeared five years prior to the "present day" of the Exalted setting and the Scarlet Empire is on the brink of tearing itself apart. The Solar essences have escaped their imprisonment and new Solar Exalted are emerging into Creation, their numbers growing. Now it is a race to see if the newly-risen Solar Exalted will survive their enemies long enough to make their mark upon the world, for good or for ill.[2]
Types of Exalts
As a large part of the setting, there are different types of exaltation, which largely determine both background and point of view for the various protagonists and antagonists of the game. Each different type of Exalt will often have certain predispositions toward or against other Exalt types, and can be viewed differently by the various mortals of Creation, either as monsters or demigods. The Exalted of Creation can be divided into two categories: Terrestrial Exalted and Celestial Exalted. Celestial Exalted are significantly more powerful than Terrestrial Exalted, and can live for millennia, however their numbers are limited by a fixed number of Exaltations. The Alchemical Exalted technically fall outside of the two categories, however their power level is comparable to that of Celestial Exalted. A brief synopsis of each type is given here to demonstrate tone and motivation within the game of Exalted.
- Solar Exalted[3]: are the default protagonists of Exalted and the champions of the Unconquered Sun. There are five castes of Solar Exalted - Dawn (the warriors and generals), Zenith (the priest-kings of the Unconquered Sun), Twilight (the scholars and the sorcerers), Night (the spies and assassins) and Eclipse (the ambassadors, diplomats and negotiators). In the era that the game is set, the Second Age of Man, the Solar Exalted are returning to the world for the first time in thousands of years, and their actions and choices can shape the fate of nations. The Solar Exalted are the greatest of the Exalted and during the First Age, they were the rulers of the world. Their achievements were a beacon to humanity, and their power flows from the sun. The Dragon-Blooded murdered the Solars at the fall of the First Age. However, it was not possible to destroy their essences, so most were captured with the assistance of the Sidereals and were imprisoned, but those that were not imprisoned continued to reincarnate again and again through the ages. Each time a Solar re-emerged into the world, they were hunted down by the Wyld Hunt and killed. Considered to be Anathema to the rest of the world, the Solars are considered to be monstrous demons and are feared by anyone with the knowledge of who and what they are. While they lack the ability to specialize in the shapeshifting of the Lunars, the raw death-dealing of the Abyssals, the elemental manipulation of the Terrestrial Exalted, or the Fate-weaving of the Sidereals, their raw prowess in most skills easily exceeds any of the others, and the mightiest of sorceries are their purview alone. Their two greatest advantages are their large essence pools that give them more raw power to work with and their ability to use the highest of all forms of sorcery, that of the Solar Circle.
- Abyssal Exalted[4]: These twisted souls are the loyal servants of the Deathlords, who in turn serve the Neverborn, the dead husks of what were once the ancient Primordials that were slain by the Exalted during the great war between the Primordials and the gods. Now, they sow their revenge from beyond the grave through their terrible Deathlord servants. Although no one in Creation would suspect it, each Deathlord could be one of the corrupted remnants of a fallen First Age Solar and they are easily among the most powerful beings to walk the Underworld. As their masters do, the Deathlords seek not to conquer or corrupt Creation but rather to wipe it and everything else out of existence, although conquering and corrupting Creation are among their tactics. Their agents in the world of the living are the Abyssal Exalted, also known as Deathknights; these abominations are dark reflections of the Solar Exalted and are their equal in power. Deathknights find themselves bound to their dark fate; holding onto the trappings of life inevitably spells disaster for those who rebel. Only recently have they and their Deathlord masters begun to corrupt Creation with the power of the Underworld and they field vast undead armies, bolstered by ancient knowledge and powerful necromancy. Though they only have a tentative foothold in Creation, they likely represent its gravest threat. Abyssals cannot draw essence from Creation as other Exalts do and can only replenish their essence in the underworld or with powerful artifacts. The easiest way for an Abyssal to restore their essence, away from their dark realm, is by feeding on the living.
- Lunar Exalted[5]: These Exalts are the Chosen of Luna and are the most chaotic and savage of the Exalted. In the First Age they were cunning shapeshifters, skilled fighters and capable generals. Very commonly bonded in wedlock with the First Age Solars, those that were not killed along with their Solar mates fled to the edges of Creation. There, at the borders of the order of Creation and in the chaos of the Wyld, they were changed over a great many years. Shunning civilization, some of them lead and seeded sometimes anthropomorphic barbarian tribes; others went into deep seclusion in their territories; and still others, perhaps haunted by their abandonment of their Solar mates, let their shapechanging animalistic instincts overtake them for centuries until their humanity was a distant memory. Some even lost that memory in the Wyld, becoming terrible monsters beyond thought. Now with the return of the Solar Exalted, the teetering of the Scarlet Dynasty of the Dragon-Blooded, the encroaching influence of the Wyld and its Fair Folk manifestations, and the new and deadly threat of the Deathlords, the Lunar Exalted may once again return to a Creation that has changed as much as they have. It is important to note that the Lunars follow a tribal hierarchy and protect themselves from the warping effects of the Wyld with various charms and tattoos that further serve to mark them as different from the rest of humanity. In addition to their self-inflicted distinguishing marks, each Lunar has a "Tell" that manifests as an animal-like characteristic that is visible to some degree or another in their human forms, further setting them apart from mortals. In 2nd ed. they are presented less as barbaric warriors and much closer to their original First Age description. One of their most notable feats is the Thousand Streams River Project, a complicated system of social engineering designed to create self-sufficient human societies that do not require Exalted leadership to function.
- Sidereal Exalted[6]: Celestial Exalted and Chosen of the Five Maidens, are the least numerous of all the Exalted types, yet are major players in the fate of Creation, nonetheless. Sidereals, in addition to their unparalleled mastery of martial arts, excel at foreseeing and manipulating fate and were the viziers and cunning advisors of The First Age. They also work in the Celestial City of Yu-Shan, the home of the Gods, ensuring that Creation follows the path that they choose to guide it along. Toward the end of the First Age, a most fateful prophecy came to them that seemed to offer two options: either destroy the Solar Exalted or watch Creation be destroyed instead. In their pride, possibly under the effects of the Great Curse laid upon them by the Yozi, they blindly followed their predictions without taking the time to verify them and orchestrated the end of the First Age and of the rule of the Solar Exalted, known as the Great Usurpation. It was with their behind-the-scenes guidance that the Dragon-Blooded were able to completely wipe out the Solar Exalted and effectively direct the Wyld Hunt to the predicted Exaltation of new Solars. Always working behind the scenes, almost all Sidereals work for the Bureau of Fate in Yu-shan (Heaven), but because of the effect of the great curse on them they now slip from the minds of those who meet them, mortal and Exalt alike. Recent events, such as a devastating plague known as the Great Contagion which eluded their predictions, have jarred their faith, and the loss of the Scarlet Empress, their secret ally at the top of the Realm, has marginalized their influence. Now, with the emergence of the terribly powerful Deathlords (inscrutable to their power of prediction), the return of the Solars, and a growing rift within their ranks (taking the form of the Bronze and Gold Factions), the masters of fate are anything but certain of their future. The Bronze Faction of the Sidereal Exalted supported and orchestrated the purge of the Solar Exalted from Creation. The Gold Faction worked to support the Solars and lost much in the way of power and influence at the end of the First Age, but are now gathering their power and directing it into an organization known as the Cult of the Illuminated.
- Terrestrial Exalted[7]: They are also known as the Dragon-Blooded, as they are the Chosen of the Elemental Dragons. They were the elite infantry and servants to the rest of the Exalted in the First Age. Though less powerful than other types of Exalted, they gain their strength from inheritance - rather than being chosen by a god, the Dragon-Blooded have the potential to pass their Exaltation on to their children although some Dragon-Blooded Exalt into families that have no history of any Dragon-Blood in their genealogy. These Dragon-Blooded are commonly known as Lost Eggs. The Dragon-Blooded are not limited by a set amount of 'Exalted essences' like Celestial Exalted, although First Age accounts put their numbers at 10,000. Because of this, they are by far the most numerous of the Exalted and were able to usurp the power of the Solar Exalted at the height of their power with the help and guidance of the Sidereal Exalted, thus ending the First Age. The majority of the Dragon-Blooded in Creation make up the ruling class of the Realm, the most powerful empire in Creation. The state-sanctioned faith, known as the Immaculate Order, paints the Solar and Lunar Exalted as dangerous Anathema who will bring ruin to the world if allowed to exist. Because of this, the Realm organizes the Wyld Hunt, which actively seeks out newly Exalted Celestial Exalted (Solars and Lunars, although they also hunt Abyssals and God-Blooded) and overwhelms them before they can master their new powers. This practice, which had effectively kept the Solars from rising to power again since the end of the First Age, has faltered lately because of the recent disappearance of the Scarlet Empress, the absolute monarch of the Realm, and the stability and leadership that she was able to bring to the Dragon-Blooded. The mad rush by the great Dragon-Blooded houses to fill the resulting power vacuum has destabilized the Scarlet Empire and allowed the Solar Exalted to escape the purges of the Wyld Hunt and rise in Creation once more. The greatest advantages of the Dragon-Blooded are the considerable resources granted to them by their noble status and their ability to work cooperatively with each other to create greater effects with their Essence. There are five elemental aspects to the Dragon-Blooded: Air (also known as the Azure Children of Mela), Earth (also known as the Ivory Children of Pasiap), Fire (also known as the Scarlet Offspring of Hesiesh), Water (also known as the Ebon Offspring of Daana'd) and Wood (also known as the Verdant Children of Sextes Jylis). The ruling Dragon-Blooded of the Realm are made up of the Eleven Great Houses, which in turn were formed by the scions of the Scarlet Empress herself. The houses are as follows: House V'Neef (Wood), House Ragara (Earth), House Cynis (Wood), House Cathak (Fire), House Nellens (which has no dominant Aspect), House Tepet (Air), House Mnemon (Earth), House Sesus (Fire), House Iselsi (Water), House Ledaal (Air) and House Peleps (Water).
- Alchemical Exalted[8]: These Exalted are constructs built in the world of Autochthonia - in essence, android creations made from clay and the Five Magical Materials. They are infused with the Souls of dead Autochthonian heroes and serve Autochthon, the Great Maker, directly. Autochthon himself is one of only two primordials that was not imprisoned or killed. They serve as protectors of the inhabitants of a parallel world made up of the body of Autochthon himself, and enforce the will of the Tripartite, the theocratic government of this world. They define themselves into castes according to which material was mainly used in their construction. Although Autochthon designed them before the other four original types of Exalted, they were not constructed until after the Primordials were overthrown and Autochthon retreated from Creation. Instead of wielding essence directly and using their charms in a "magical" fashion like other Exalted do, the Alchemicals have charms "installed" like peripheral parts and fuel these machine implants with essence from their own bodies, many charms also have an installation cost, requiring essence to be committed much like artifact attunement. Unlike the other the Celestial Exalted, there is no hard cap on the number of Alchemicals, the main limiting factor on their numbers is the immense resource investment required for their construction. As Alchemical Exalted raise their Permanent Essence, they increase in size, eventually joining with Autochthon and growing into cities. The Alchemical Exalted are latecomers to the game; they are the only type of playable characters besides the Dragon Kings that were designed after the core rulebook was released. The developers of the game even wrote a brief tour of the world of Autochthonia on White-Wolf's website[9].
- Infernal Exalted: Little is known about these Exalts. It was long believed that they where the fifty corrupted Essences of Solar Exalts that were paid to the Yozis (the living Primordials) by the Neverborn (the slain Primordials) so that the Neverborn could learn how to corrupt Solar Essences to create the Abyssals. Canonically, there are no Infernal Exalted. There is, however, the Akuma; Akuma being former Exalted of another type who have given themselves over to the cause of the Yozis and have been remade according to their desires. The only one in print is Lintha Ng Hut Dukantha[10][11]. Lintha was a Water-Aspected Dragon-Blood before his change into an Akuma. This detail, and the spell in the Exalted Players Guide[12] that is used to create Akuma from any Exalt type brings some speculation to the nature of Infernal Exalted and their connection, if any, to the fifty Solar Essences. Whether or not White Wolf plans on releasing more information or game mechanics on the Infernals is a subject of debate among Exalted enthusiasts.
Other Magical Beings
Despite the various types of Exalts found in Creation, there are also other magical creatures that use the same essence that Exalts use to power their magical effects.
- Spirits[13][14]: Spirits are divided into four broad categories: gods, elementals, demons and ghosts.
- Fair Folk[15]: These creatures aren't really Exalted at all, but they are, in game terms, an alternative player character or non-player character race, so they are included here. Referred to in the first person as Raksha, they are creatures composed of raw essence, and inhabit the Wyld, the place that exists between the ordered Creation and pure Chaos. Inhuman and beautiful beings born from chaos, they feed on the dreams and aspirations of the inhabitants of Creation in order to give them strength and form in their own intermediate realm. In essence, they are the "kissing cousins" of the Primordials, their territory having been pushed back when the Primordials formed Creation. They prey upon the dreams of mortals and do a brisk trade with The Guild (a powerful economic organization in Creation) in slaves. The most powerful of the Fair Folk are the Unshaped, unlike the Raksha, the Unshaped are unable to survive within Creation for extended periods of time.
- God-Blooded[12]: This term is used to refer to any number of offspring of a mortal or animal and a magical being. The resulting offspring bears traces of its mystical parentage. As a collective whole, such children are referred to as "God-Blooded". They stand somewhere between divinity and mortality, less than Exalted, but more than human. Of those categorized as being God-Blooded, there are several subtypes. God-Blooded are the children of gods or elementals, while Demon-Blooded are Half-Damned children of demons. Ghost-Blooded are the children of ghosts using powerful Arcanoi, and Half-Caste are the children of powerful Exalts (although exceedingly rare). Lastly, the Fae-Blooded are the children of a union between the Raksha and mortals.
- Dragon Kings[12]: While like the Fair Folk the Dragon Kings are not Exalted, they are supernatural creatures offered as a player-character type. The Dragon Kings are large lizard-like beings of great power, resembling dinosaurs. The Dragon Kings are sworn in allegiance to the Unconquered Sun, their creator. Once, before the time of the Exalted, the Dragon Kings ruled Creation and the mortals who dwelt there but as the methods of Exaltation were crafted and improved they become obsolete in the God's eyes. The Unconquered Sun used them as powerful servants to his chosen whom they served faithfully, honoring their Exalted brethren. After the First Age ended in war and disease few survived. Their numbers grow slowly but steadily in the Second Age, though the once great Dragon Kings remain hidden in the furthest corner of Creation. Their most powerful stronghold would be Rathess, an ancient home filled with a variety of powerful artifacts made by the Dragon Kings in the glory days of the First Age. There are four types of Dragon Kings, each living in a quadrant of Creation. The graceful flying Pterok (North), the nimble and lithe Raptok (East), the powerful and loyal Anklok (South), and the clever amphibious Mosok (West).
Five Magical Materials
Five Magical Materials are used to forge artifacts and weapons. Each of the materials is associated with a type of Exalted, as well as one of the castes of Alchemical Exalted, who are partially constructed from that material. These materials are all easily enchanted, and each one resonates with a particular type of Exalted[16][17]. 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.
- Jade
- is the most common material, and is associated with the most common, least powerful of the Exalted, the Terrestrial Exalted. There are five different colors of jade, each of which corresponds to one of the Elemental Dragons. Blue jade resonates with Air, white with Earth, black with Water, green with Wood, and red with Fire. Jade weapons are unnaturally fast, and jade armor doesn't tire the wearer.
- Starmetal
- is the rarest of the magical materials, forged from meteors, the husks of godlings cast out of Yu-Shan, the Heavenly City. Like its wielders, the Sidereal Exalted, starmetal re-weaves fate, causing weapons to strike especially lethal blows and armor to turn aside all but the mightiest attacks.
- Moonsilver
- is considered by the Lunar Exalted to be a gift from their patron, Luna. It must be harvested by moonlight, using no crafted tools, forged at night and cooled only with water that has never seen the sun. Swords made of moonsilver are more accurate, bows shoot farther and armor does not impede the wearer's mobility. Like the protean Lunars, moonsilver can shift into new forms easily.
- Soulsteel
- is made from ghosts and the substance of the Labyrinth of the Underworld. It is jet black, and agonized faces of the souls it contains can be seen moving and screaming in the metal. Unsurprisingly, this material is used almost exclusively by the Abyssal Exalted[who?]. Soulsteel weapons inflict heavy damage and frequently drain small quantities of Essence as well.
- Orichalcum
- is used primarily by the Solar Exalted. Orichalcum is rarely found in pure deposits; usually, it is created out of gold that has been heated by lava and sunlight reflected from mirrors of occult design. Orichalcum weapons excel at no one thing; instead of adding a large bonus to speed, damage or defense, they add a small bonus to all.
Influences
The setting is strongly influenced by Tanith Lee's Tales from the Flat Earth, Michael Moorcock's Hawkmoon, Lord Dunsany's Gods of Pegāna and Yoshiaki Kawajiri's Ninja Scroll. Other influences include Glen Cook's Black Company; Sean Steward's Resurrection Man, The Night Watch and Galveston; Homer's Odyssey and Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West.[18][19]
System
Exalted has mechanical and thematic similarities to White Wolf's previous game series, the old World of Darkness, but exists in its own product line, called the Age of Sorrows. The game has an excellent sales record, on par with the company's flagship title, Vampire: The Masquerade, the second edition core rulebook achieving a sales ranking at #23,558 on Amazon.com[20] with a 5-star user review rating based on 9 user reviews as of Friday, February 9th, 2007. Perhaps to maintain a sense of continuity, the First Edition published material initially suggested the Age of Sorrows as the pre-history of the old World of Darkness — however, this has not been officially confirmed outside of early promotional materials. It should be noted that White Wolf has continually inserted names and themes familiar to players of their previous World of Darkness line into the material, adding fuel to the fire of the speculation that it is a pre-history. However, the Developer has commented that the connections are tenuous, for players to grasp or let go – with the end of the old World of Darkness and the creation of the new World of Darkness, these similarities have become even weaker. Moreover, Exalted Second Edition seems to imply that its story is the prehistory of our own world.
The game uses ten-sided dice and a rules system similar to the Storytelling System[21] to arbitrate the action, and, as with many other RPGs, requires little beyond the rulebooks themselves, dice, pencil, and paper. The ten-sided die storyteller system is one where the storyteller (or game master) is the person setting up a story and creating the adventure. The players create their characters using a pre-assigned number of points and begin to interact with the story that the storyteller presents them with, much like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book, although the possible actions are limited only to the imagination of the players and the discretion of the storyteller. When a challenge presents itself to the characters, they roll a number of dice determined by the statistics of their character with a difficulty assigned by the storyteller. If they gain the required number of successes (7 or higher on any given die, 10's usually counting as double), they succeed in their efforts. If they do not gain the required number of successes, they fail. The storyteller describes the nature of the success or failure and the game and story continue on. Since the stories are player-created (by the storyteller, of course), there is no one way to "win" the game, except to achieve the goals set out in each individual story.
The rules system used in Exalted differs from the standard Storytelling System in several ways. Most notably, the two systems use different attributes and skills. The standard Storytelling system uses the following attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Presence, Manipulation, Composure, Intelligence, Wits, and Resolve. The Exalted system, on the other hand, uses the attributes from the old World of Darkness system. These are Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Charisma, Manipulation, Appearance, Intelligence, Wits and Perception. There are many differences in skills, in line with the difference in setting. For example, while the standard Storytelling system uses the skills, Academics, Firearms, and Politics, the Exalted system uses the skills, Lore, Archery, and Bureaucracy. For these and other reasons, the two systems are not directly compatible without adaptations. White Wolf’s Scion game uses the same attributes, but not the same skills, as Exalted.[22]
The Storytelling System itself has been applied both to tabletop and video gaming systems, and has been a subject of note to gaming enthusiasts such as Chris Crawford, who wrote a book entitled "Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling" which details many elements similar to the Storytelling System in use in Exalted.[23]
Books
1st Edition (2001-2006)
See the list of Exalted sourcebooks for further information.[24]
2nd Edition (2006 - present)
See the list of Exalted sourcebooks for further information.
See also
- Storytelling System.
- White-Wolf's World of Darkness.
- White Wolf, Inc.
References
- ^ Alex deMorris (2004). "Review of Exalted". RPGnet. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- ^ Chambers, John (2006). "Chapter One: Setting". In Carl Bowen (ed.). Exalted Second Edition. White Wolf, Inc. p. 392. ISBN 1-58846-684-1.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Chambers, John (2006). "Chapter One: Setting". In Carl Bowen (ed.). Exalted Second Edition. White Wolf, Inc. p. 392. ISBN 978-1-58846-684-1.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Dansky, Richard E. (2003). "Chapter Two: Deathlords and Abyssals". In Carl Bowen (ed.). Exalted: The Abyssals. White Wolf, Inc. p. 287. ISBN 978-1-58846-665-5.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Alexander, Alan (2007). "Chapter One: The Silver Pact". In Scribendi.com (ed.). The Manual of Exalted Power: Lunars. White Wolf, Inc. p. 240. ISBN 978-1-58846-694-5.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Alexander, Alan (2007). "Chapter One: The Silver Pact". In Scribendi.com (ed.). The Manual of Exalted Power: Sidereals. White Wolf, Inc. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-58846-697-6.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Alexander, Alan (2006). "Chapter One: The Scarlet Dynasty". In Carl Bowen (ed.). The Manual of Exalted Power: Dragon-Blooded. White Wolf, Inc. p. 240. ISBN 978-1-58846-688-4.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Blackwelder, Kraig (2005). "Chapter One: Autochthon and Autochthonia". In John Chambers (ed.). Exalted: The Autochthonians. White Wolf, Inc. p. 256. ISBN 978-1-58846-681-7.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ White-Wolf, Inc. (2005). "Welcome to the Machine God - A Tour of the Very Different World of Exalted: The Autochthonians". White Wolf, Inc. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- ^ Cogman, Genevieve (2004). "Chapter Two: The Lintha Family". In John Chambers (ed.). Blood & Salt. White Wolf, Inc. p. 126. ISBN 978-1-58846-672-8.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Alexander, Alan (2007). "Chapter Five: Demon Pirates of the Western Ocean". In Scribendi.com (ed.). The Compass of Terrestrial Directions, Vol. II: The West. White Wolf, Inc. p. 160. ISBN 978-1-58846-696-9.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Bolack, David (2004). "Chapter Two: The God-Blooded". In John Chambers (ed.). Exalted Player's Guide. White Wolf, Inc. p. 126. ISBN 978-1-58846-673-6.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Player's Guide" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ Borgstrom, R. Sean (2002). John Chambers (ed.). Games of Divinity. White Wolf, Inc. p. 127. ISBN 978-1-58846-659-0.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Brennan, Eric (2007). Scribendi.com (ed.). The Books of Sorcery, Vol. IV: The Roll of Glorious Divinity I - Gods & Elementals. White Wolf, Inc. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-58846-698-3.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Borgstrom, R. Sean (2002). "Chapter Two: The Raksha". In John Chambers (ed.). Exalted: The Fair Folk. White Wolf, Inc. p. 328. ISBN 978-1-58846-678-7.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Grabowski, Geoff C. (2001). "Chapter Nine: Wonders And Equipment". In John Chambers (ed.). Exalted. White Wolf, Inc. p. 392. ISBN 978-1-56504-623-4.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Chambers, John (2006). "Chapter Eight: Panoply". In Carl Bowen (ed.). Exalted Second Edition. White Wolf, Inc. p. 392. ISBN 978-1-58846-684-1.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Grabowski, Geoff C. (2001). "Introduction". In John Chambers (ed.). Exalted. White Wolf, Inc. p. 17. ISBN 1-56504-623-4.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Chambers, John (2006). "Introduction". In Carl Bowen (ed.). Exalted Second Edition. White Wolf, Inc. p. 19. ISBN 1-58846-684-1.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Amazon.com (2005). "Exalted reviews on Amazon.com". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
- ^ Shannon Appelcline (2007). "A Brief History of Game #12: White Wolf, Part Two: 1993-Present". RPGnet. Retrieved 2007-09-16.
- ^ Ben McKenzie (2005). "Revised Storyteller System". White Wolf - A Wikia Wiki. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- ^ Brad Kane (2005). "Book Review: Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling". Gamasutra.com. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- ^ White-Wolf, Inc. (2006). "Exalted First Edition Collector's Checklist". White-Wolf.com. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
External links
- The White Wolf Exalted page
- Official White Wolf Exalted Wiki
- Exalted Wiki, a Wiki containing fan-created material and archived quotes by the developers
- The Exalted Compendium Redux
- Conrad Hubbard (author) personal website
- A site containing fan-created character sheets and charm cards for Exalted 2e
| Exalted | ||
|---|---|---|
| Types of Exalts and other Magical Beings | Solar Exalted | Abyssal Exalted | Infernal Exalted | Lunar Exalted | Sidereal Exalted | Alchemical Exalted | Terrestrial Exalted (The Dragon-Blooded) | Raksha (The Fair Folk) | Dragon Kings | God-Blooded | |
| Major Magical Beings | The Yozis | The Neverborn | Gaia | Autochthon | The Unconquered Sun | Luna | The Five Celestial Maidens | The Five Elemental Dragons | The Deathlords | |
| Five Magical Materials | Orichalcum | Moonsilver | Jade | Soulsteel | |
| Signature Characters | Solar Exalted: Dace | Yurgen Kaneko, the Bull of the North | Panther | Samea | Arianna | Harmonious Jade | Swan Abyssal Exalted: Maiden of the Mirthless Smile | Lady of Darkness in Bloodstained Robes | Seven Degreed Physician of Black Maladies | Disciple of the Seven Forbidden Wisdoms | Prince of Shadows | Falling Tears Poet Lunar Exalted: Lilith, the Owl Woman | Strength of Many | Magnificent Jaguar | Anja Silverclaws Sidereal Exalted: Shepherd of the North Star | Iron Siaka | Crimson Banner Executioner | May Blossom | Chejop Kejak | Black Ice Shadow | Sad Ivory Terrestrial Exalted: Tepet Arada | Mnemon | Cynis Denovah Avaku | Sesus Rafara | Peleps Deled | Sesus Nagezzer, the Slug | Tepet Ejava, the Roseblack Alchemical Exalted: Stern Whip of Industry | Fair-Spoken Rishi | Excessively Righteous Blossom | Unhesitatingly Loyal Weapon (?) | Lissome Avid Engineer Infernal Exalted: Lintha Ng Hut Dukantha The Raksha: Lord Kazour | Neshi of the Double Whips | Subarto | Dilari of the Sea Foam | Nlassa of the Lion's Mane | Laughing Boy | Shikuzi the Weaver | Judge Nehemeth The Mountain Folk: Kravah | |
| Exalted Universe | Anima Banner | The Blessed Isle | Celestial Gateways | Creation | The Cult of the Illuminated | Denandsor | Elemental Poles | Essence | The Great Contagion | The Great Curse | The Heptagram | The House of Bells | The Immaculate Order | The Imperial City | The Imperial Mountain | The Lap | Lookshy | Malfeas, the Demon Realm | Nexus | Rakshastan | The Scarlet Empress | The Scavenger Lands | Shadowlands | The Skullstone Archipelago | Thorns | The Threshold | The Underworld | Whitewall | The Wyld Hunt | Yu-Shan, the Heavenly City | |
| Source Materials | Sourcebooks | Novels | Comics | |