Tale of Solar Exalts

[Jkensuke]

Well as you can tell I do enjoy a spot of RP a bit here and there. In fact the old RP Arena is somewhat where a select few people rekindled my interest in storytelling overall. However this form of RP Dueling is not the only RP that I do. I also have a group of friends that I hang out with weekly and we tabletop RP White Wolf’s Solar Exalted. For those who might not be familiar with this term Table Top RP is when a bunch of people come together, they have characters that they create, go on adventures and use random generators (usually dice) as their way of determining if you can do what you need to do.

This whole thread that I’m going to start here is going to be dedicated to one such campaign of ours. We’re going to be playing our games and then I’m going to be doing little write ups here to document our adventure. This will be a story I’m writing with the others from my circle. However this doesn’t mean that I don’t want anyone else to post here, on the contrary, I’d welcome feedback. Questions are also welcome here. Heck maybe you yourself have an Exalt character that you play and want to simply talk about them. It’s all good and welcome here.

The main reason I’m doing this though is to try and encourage my own writing ability so I’m going to be in essence (solar pun there) scratching out my thoughts and polishing them here in order to have a better overall story. Hopefully I’ll have something for you soon. In order for you to understand though a bit about the world of Exalted I have prepared for you a few resource links. Feel free to browse them (and of course if you need clarification don’t be shy, ask away) and familiarize yourself with a lot of the terminology etc.

Resource Links:

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exalted
RPGNet Solar Wiki: http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Solar_Exalted
White Wolf Wiki: http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Solar_Exalted
White Wolf Main Site: http://www.white-wolf.com/exalted/index.php

[.mangoseed]

I'm excited for the next update. I've always loved your writing, and it's truly wonderful that you're able to collaborate with friends to make a creative piece(s) like this.

[dissonance]

I've always wanted to do this with our Table Top RPs, they just never end properly. They're always abandoned after a while; not enough time on our hands, things come up in our lives, jobs, school, weird schedules...

[Jkensuke]

A small critique on the artifact construction process:

Written by Martel keeper of the Twilight Garden, chief construct of Deansador.

It is in my hopes that through the process by which I put these words to script that I can offer guidance to my fellow savants. The topic for this short is the ideas and the making of my weapon “The Tears of the Ashen Lion”. If you are unaware of this artifact this does not concern me. What does concern me though is that it is well known and that I am receiving many different inquiries into it. As such in order to both alleviate the curiosity of anyone so interested and to grant myself a hopeful moment’s presence I will guide you through some of the process behind this weapon.

The Tears of the Ashen Lion is based off of a story that my lunar mate told me one night. This took place to her back when she was young and before she became a blessed of Luna. I will not bore you with the specific details of this event, no all you need to understand is this. She and her family were caught unprepared in a snow furry in the northern mountains ranges. The thrashing of snow’s blizzard cut at them from all sides and as I was told it was a terrifying experience for those people. My blade seeks to mimic that harsh brutality. However anyone who has traveled the frozen wastes knows that there is also an elegant beauty inherent in these snows as well. I strived to capture both of these elements when creating this weapon.

Being of the twilight caste I will not hide the fact that the art of war is tedious to me. I would just as soon leave the fighting of such conflicts to my Dawn and Night caste brethren. However, this is both negligent and profanation towards the Unconquered Sun. We do not get to chose if we have to defend this creation, only the means in which we do this. As such my sword is better suited towards my own talents. Unlike the weapon of my Dawn circle mate which is immensely powerful I chose a more adaptive approach. The sword is more useful in its agility and forces it’s user to employ more poise then strength. As such it does not bear the overbearing gargantuan size that some equally rated artifacts can appear. In fact most who desire to see it usually think I trick them when I show them this weapon.

The true strength of my artifact comes from its intrinsic additives. With a simple command from me my sword will transform into its true form. Upon my will it becomes like that storm that tore at the family causing the same blind panic. In its unleashed form it is a flurry of hundreds of ashen blades adherent to my willpower. This sallow blizzard will engulf whomever I chose and rip them without pity. It is practically impossible to block because of each elements small size combined with their vast numbers of attacking bits. Again it has a cruel simplistic beauty to it much akin that blizzard from those nights ago.

However this is not why you are here, no you are most likely one of the many twilights who desire knowledge of how this was created. Here I will have to stop you however. No it is not an unspoken inherent cruelty deep within me that makes me want to see you squirm and pleads for my secrets. It is actually akin to my desire to see you blossom. After all we are the true savants and as such seekers of knowledge. Give us a problem and we will tear through it using the very wits that were bestowed upon us by the gods. So why continue reading you ask? Why did I not tell you this at the beginning and make you read through that first dibble? Just because I won’t reveal to you my secrets doesn’t mean I won’t guide you through the process I used to create it. I will converse with you some of the creation of the artifact in the credence that you will draw your own conclusions and fashion such marvels yourselves by your own sweat and essence.

There are five fundamental ingredients that made up this potent artifact. I will reveal to you the actual ingredients and why they were chosen. The process by which I gathered these and the quantities necessary will have to be left to your own thoughts.

Snow from the Elemental Pole of Air: If I have to explain why I used this as a constituent then I question your wits. As this artifact is in homage to the fury and power of this element and to best exemplify it I gathered it from the purest source in this world.

Seed from a tree that spawned 1000 generation of plants: Though this is indeed a sword made of metal and such is necessary that it be alive. It comes to life on my command and moves with my guidance but it does so much more than this. It moves of its own and talks back to me telling me everything it encounters. A tree that has spawned this much life has a powerful essence and when combined in the correct faction can impart that same living quintessence to this once inanimate object

Star Metal: Yes I had to forsake the innate tie I share with Orcalcium. The reason is of course how the inherent nature of each material and how it reacts however. Orcalcium is grand in how it gives us power and strength from our patron The Unconquered Sun. However I would remind you this weapon is more about thought and will instead of strength and power. As such I used the customary metal of my trusted Sidereals instead. Its properties granted me the requisite control I desired for the special abilities.

One eye from each full grown Septuplets who are at least 25 years old: The presence to see through this cloud of attack is necessary to circumvent my enemy’s attacks and defense. As I myself will be unable to see through this I must rely on this artifact to show me what I need. The bond of family shared between these seven people creates the same bond between each element of my sword and with myself. If it just as natural for me to see and strive with this sword as it is was for these seven brothers to see and toil with each other.

Sword that has taken 50 heads: In order for this sword to be able to do what it does it must have the knowledge of how to do this. If you do something enough times it can become muscle memory. The same is true for a weapon as well. By knowing the touch of blade to flesh and the power it can wield it helps the sword know its pure purpose better when it descended upon its victim.

<OOC>
I’ve been struggling with starting this for a while now. I have several key events that I need to hit but as always getting started seems to stump me. This isn’t really cannon for the story, just kind of an introspective look into the world. Hopefully it sets the mood decently enough.

.mangoseed: As always thanks for your support, it does mean a lot to me that you say such kind encouragements.

dissonance: I know exactly what you mean. For a group of people to be able to get together on a regular basis is a difficult thing nowadays. I’m reminded of a Dilbert comic that had Dilbert saying that in order to schedule a meeting with 4 people was statistically impossible until 277 years into the future. The person responds that they will be dead then. Then Dilbert comes back with “So that means you’ll be free all day then?” It’s funnier when you read it trust me. However I can offer you a suggestion. Try to meet every week on the same day. Do it enough times and it will become habit to not schedule conflicts. Also make it not necessarily about the game. My group we do a big food night where we plan out a meal and everyone contributes to the meal. It is a fun and a relaxing change of pace. And a few brews help too. Now there will be times when someone can’t make it for one reason or another. Don’t chastise them, have fun. When one of us can’t make it our character is usually reduced to sitting in the corner drooling. However there have been a few times where we used them for some unorthodox method that got ourselves out of a predicament. “Quick we need to break down the door but the dawn caste is drooling too much to attack” “Quick, use his drool to make a slip and slide and we’ll build up momentum and ram him through the door.” We made the GM laugh so much it worked.

Oh and yes, I do reuse the name Martel a lot, it's a good name and I like it.

[Jkensuke]

Excerpts from the notes of Dr Etoh Chief Physician:

Found by the Lookshy recovery team


I have slowly come to grip with the reality of my life. This thought has compelled me to start this soliloquy. I wish not for glory or fame for I have neither. No instead I bear the ill will of these miserable miscreants whose lives I have sworn to upkeep. However I do not share this will of theirs back with them. I am bound by my honor and oath to continue to serve these brainless sheep even if they will not show me gratitude for my services.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this I should say. I went into the field of medical partitioning to help this world. With so much death and disease especially after the great contagion that nearly wiped us out I began to realize we can not depend on the dragon blooded to protect us. No we must forge our own path though this world and I intended to be the one who brought back the light of hope to our world. At least that was the idealized idiocracy that I was thinking when I joined the Medical training schools. Of course I thought in my naïve youth, “Any medical disease can be overcome and conquered by constant diligent work.” That was my mantra and I stuck to it. It played well for me and I excelled in my classes. I even graduated head of class amongst my fellow peers. Of course those were the human peers. Those of dragon blooded who also studied the medical arts continued to look down upon me and my fellow humans with disdain. Almost like how a parent would act if their children were disturbing them while they were trying to work.

Still despite these setbacks I continued my research embracing any medical text I could find regarding cures and such both normal and sorcerous. And in that stead though I could not practice the essence arts I was able to devise new theories that seemed to catch the ire of others higher-up. As such I was slated as a threat and taken care of appropriately. I remember my hatred when they called me into the head doctor’s office. All I care to remember about that meeting was that he believed my “special” interest was being wasted here in the academy. Instead I was being moved to the field to practice my theories in live exercises.

It was a slap on the wrist. Both he knew it and I knew it. I was being moved to a small rural town on the border of a shadow land. There were hardly any facilities out there and no support from the dragon blooded was to be coming my way. They left me out there to rot or be taken care of by whatever ire came from that accursed place. Oh of course it was hyped up to make me look impressive. One man single handedly fighting to keep this settlement alive and help the world fight off the shadow lands. Of course one surgeon in such a place is as effective as trying to stop a flood by putting a toothpick in front of it as a dam. If that is too much for you to understand simply know that it just doesn’t work.

But I was not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me hate them. No I came to this little town and I worked hard and diligently as a good doctor should. The problem is one man using mundane techniques can not hope to stop the power of a shadowland. With all the might of the underworld just outside our city it was all I could do to keep the people alive. And even in that own regard it was difficult. I found myself constantly loosing patients to disease or injuries. Worse yet much of what came out of that accursed place would corrupt the men and women it attacked.

Now given proper practices and resources this could be overcome, I know it. Much of my research through ancient texts talked of the first age. During those times the tales of the Solar Exalts showed them to be much more capable of these situations. However there is no way to verify this. As you know the Dragon Blooded overthrew the Solar Exalted claiming they were a danger to us all. A danger they say, it makes me laugh. I think the greater danger is these idiots parading around trying to mimic their master’s former greatness. All the wonders that made our world so great have fallen into disrepair. Those left in charge bother more now with fighting over the reaming scraps then they do caring for us. From what I have been able to gleam, even the poorest people in the first age lived comfortably. Nowadays those who live poorly either wishes for death or a scapegoat to crucify.

I laugh as I have become that scapegoat.

This life I committed too, it was too much even for one full of dreams as I. So now I take you back a year or two. There was a fang of troops that were given leave. They chose to come here to go seek glory and fight the evil to give us peace. Oh how they failed. They fought bravely till their captain was taken ill. They brought him to me and I tried to save him. After several days he looked to his second in command and told him to take care of him.

I was insulted at the discourtesy of the captain. To replace me a medical doctor with a soldier was madness. I figured the diseases in his body were starting to make him hallucinate. He probably thought he was on the battle field still instead of the care of a doctor. However what the man, Gabriel was his name by the way, did next awakened me. This large mad simply went over and killed the captain. He turned to me still wearing the blood of his captain as it had splattered on him and told me I was done and that I should continue on my work.

I was furious to say the least. I had just spent several days without sleep working to preserve this life only to have it taken from me by some ignorant butcher of a man. I followed Gabriel outside into the street and demanded to know why he did that. His response stuck with me at me more then if he had swung that battle axe of his at me.

“There was no way to save him. You were just prolonging the inevitable. Not only that but the medicine and time you spent on him, an outsider, could be better used on this town. Our captain realized it was time to cut the losses and keep your town better by surrender himself.”

The fact that a captain that was more important to this world than the scum called people that inhabit this town would sacrifice him in the name of efficiency awakened me. All this time I’d always tried to save each and every person to the fullest of my extent. No longer did I continue my research for the preservation of the world as a whole because I’d become too focused on what was before me. The town around me seemed to cease to be as important as it once was. Instead of people I saw them now as small parts of the whole. Now I saw the truth, the world around us was the patient and the people living in her were nothing more than the cells that made her up. Like blood that runs through the veins you couldn’t fix them all. In fact it would be beneficial to clean out the weaker amongst them and purify this world to make it stronger.

I inquired to Gabriel what he and the handful of men that had survived were going to be doing. He replied they were going to go back and report the loss of their unit. They would most likely be either absorbed into another unit or more likely tried for negligence that cost them their unit. Upon hearing this I was pleased beyond belief. With no incentive to go back to Lookshy I could easily convince the small group to stay and work with me and my new thesis. It would only inconvenience me a week or two to go back and report in my official offices that the entire fang had been wiped out. That way they could start a new life as my assistants. As I thought this plan out a delightful grin crept over my face. I take pride looking back that this action caused the normally stoic giant Gabriel to actually show apprehension on his face.

And so began my new ideology, no longer would I devote resources to wasted cases. I would cut cleanly now like a surgeon should, separate the healthy from the unhealthy. It was a success as my patient losses started to dwindle while my work time greatly shortened. Now I was free to continue my research of the bigger picture. I quickly tapped back into my old contacts and continued my research of the first age and how they dealt with such problems. My appetite for knowledge was rekindled and ravenous to make up for the lost time I had spent on these people.

But the ungrateful lowlifes that they were soon took displeasure at my new mantra. It seems they didn’t like how I would cut first and ask questions later. They couldn’t see the big picture as I could. How much better it was to be alive minus an arm or a leg then having their body and soul eaten from the inside out as they metamorphose into some dark machination of the unknown. So now I start to hate them more and more. These insufferable things keep intruding into my work with their puny little bleats of how it, “might be better for them if I’m not here at all.” But I will not yield, I swore an oath to help them and I will not be swayed against that. My willpower is much stronger than their ignorance and I shall continue my work to find a way to end this worlds suffering.

<ooc>
August 2nd, AUGUST 2ND! That is when I was here last. Geez it's happened again.

So um yeah, allow me to introduce my second character for this RP. Our GM had us create a 1st age and 2nd age character so we could do a story kinda like how in ff8 you had two different story lines that you cut from one back to the other in and what happened in one could affect the other.