Exalted: Dynasts and Dragon-Blooded (Interest Check)

[Rishon Tam]

In the world of Exalted, the Dragon-Blooded are the only exalts whose power is passed on through bloodlines, parent to child, and it's no coincidence that they have a somewhat... salacious reputation. Sexuality might not be the Dragon-Blooded's defining characteristic, but the reputation is pretty well-earned.

Even leaving House Cynis out of things (and why would anyone do that?), I think there's a wealth of steamy stories lurking under the fine, silken bedsheets of the Scarlet Empire's chosen of the elemental dragons, and I think I'd like to see -- or run, if need be -- a game that actually goes there, delving into the illicit activities of the Dragon-Blooded and the obscenely wealthy and entitled mortal dynasts that never actually drew the second breath.

So. Let's test the waters a bit, and if it looks at all promising, we can start putting some thought into what we'd like out of the particulars.
Who thinks they might be interested in something along these admittedly rough lines?

[Kolbrandr]

If it actually stays about the dragon blooded/the Realm/the dynasty and such, sure, I'd be interested. So, tentative interest in playing if it doesn't turn into what often happens where people end up playing solar or lunar or sidereal dynasts or what have you, which I've found as a problem in these sorts of things.

edit: I mean I'd also prefer there also be things like plot/ability to pursue agendas, what have you, in the midst of the seamier sort of side of the Realm, that said besides.

[Teo Torriatte]

I would definitely be interested in a game that focuses on Dragon-Blooded and even more interested in something that pays some attention(even a lot of attention >_< ) to the sexual aspects and their desire to breed and keep their bloodlines going.

[Zeth]

I am interested in this.

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Count me as interested.

[AribethAmkiir]

Interested in a Dynastic Dragon-Blooded game.  :)

[Muse]

Oooh!  Oooh!  Me too!  Me too! 

And all the more so with this group! 

[Zaer Darkwail]

I voice interest as well :).

[ShadowFox89]

 Eh, why not. Perhaps a nerdy air-aspect girl.

[Dracorion]

Yeah, I'm noting my interest too.

[AndyZ]

How would you feel about a summoned elemental as part of the group?

[HairyHeretic]

I'd tentatively interested, though curious to know what sort of game you have in mind.

[Black Howling]

I'm throwing down some interest as well.

[Yandros]

Tentatively interested myself, would of course like to see more information and how large the group might get.

[Synecdoche17]

Tentative interest here too.  :-)

[Rishon Tam]

Okay, well. At this point, it certainly looks like there's enough interest to justify giving some thought to exactly how this might be done.
My inclination would be to aim for something that is (by Exalted ways of reckoning, at least) rather small-scale, focused more on the people and their relationships than the town-stomping and whatever else they might get up to because Exalted are absolutely terrifying.
As for group size, if this is something I'm going to be running this -- and I don't feel any overwhelming need to run, though I'm willing to -- I'd be most comfortable with a relatively small group of PCs making a fairly standard party of maybe five or six, all brought together by pre-existing ties and/or circumstance in that way that tends to happen to player characters.

The specific circumstance, however, could be any of several things, and the choice would impact viable options. I'll go through what I've got off the top of my head. The first four will revolve around the four schools the Terrestrials use for higher education just because they're such an incredibly convenient way of gathering together a batch of PCs, but there are a few others after them.
If any of these have some particular appeal for you, shout out; likewise if you've got any compelling options I missed.

The Heptagram
The Heptagram would lean almost everyone in a sorcerous direction and allow for maybe one or two exceptionally gifted and wealthy mortal dynasts among the Exalted. This is also the only option presenting a particularly strong opening for elementals or demonic servitors, though they could crop up elsewhere.
As with all of the Terrestrial secondary schools, I'd probably suggest a cohort of students, since that would put everybody together in the same boat.

The House of Bells
Like the Heptagram, but with students of war rather than sorcery. The House of Bells gives us strong ties to the Legions, which have some of the Realm's strongest flavor.

The Spiral Academy
Who doesn't like playing bureaucrats-in-training? But seriously, it's one of the better schools for intrigue. It's also the only one of the four set in the Imperial City, opening doors for access to estates and business outside the school while still giving us the convenient structure the school would provide.

Cloister of Wisdom
Immaculates (probably in training) opens a lot of doors for... well, the kinds of intrigue that only the Immaculate Order gets to deal with. Facing down grumpy or rebellious gods, training in supernatural Fu, and practicing a kind of pseudo-asceticism that conspicuously doesn't seem to forbid having tons of sex? It's an interesting choice, if nothing else.

The Legions
Okay, the House of Bells doesn't have all the Legion-flavor. We could run with a group that's actually one of the Legions, and while Terrestrials are rare enough that they're usually spread out over the Legions as high-ranking officers, there could be a special, elite task force or something. Going that route would pretty much preclude anything but combat-oriented Dragon-Blooded, though.

The Wyld Hunt
On the subject of special, combat-oriented Terrestrial task forces, having a Wyld Hunt party traipsing about the East chasing after loathesome anathema opens the doors for a wider array of adventurous Dragon-Blooded, since Sorcerers and Immaculates would be welcome on the team. Like the Legions, though, mortals probably needn't apply.

The Thousand Scales
It's like the Spiral Academy, only everybody's graduated. We'd have to work a little harder to give everyone reasons to be involved with one another, but that's not an insurmountable obstacle.

The Immaculate Order
Likewise: it's like the Cloister of Wisdom, only everybody's all grown up. The same surmountable obstacle applies as with the Thousand Scales.

Intra-House Business
What goes on behind a given dynastic house's closed doors? Well, sex, obviously, but could explore the specifics for ourselves, if we wanted.

Pasiap's Stair
There's room to drop a Lost Egg or two into the Cloister of Wisdom, but the Stair would give us a game full of them, allowing us to center in on the school and the Realm while still letting people come from all walks of life from all over Creation. Of course, that's limiting in its own ways: no mortals, probably, and likely nobody properly raised in the Realm.

Lookshy
We don't need to center on the Realm, after all. This would probably have a lot in common with the Legions option, above, but... Lookshy! A lot of people like them better.

So. What are your thoughts and preferences, everybody?

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Well, I know you had talked about an interest in the "under side" of the Realm and the politics of the bedroom sort of layout.  So why not focus on our characters perhaps coming together to establish our own political movement/party ?  Maybe do so under the guise of a brothel or some sort ?  Perhaps disguising our little rebellion/investigation/whatever behind the dealings of a House Cynis operation into slavery and sex ?

[Teo Torriatte]

That sounds like fun to me!

[Muse]

I quite like Pumpkin's idea. 

Lookshy and the Wyld Hunt also sound like fun. 

[Kolbrandr]

I'm not really into secondary school dramas, they feel a bit too conceptually narrowing, and Lookshy would mean ditching the entire idea of playing in the dynasty (so would Paisap's stair, to a certain extent).

The Legions and Intra house politics of the listed options have the most appeal thereby.

[Zaer Darkwail]

I like also Pumpkin Seeds idea, naturally only graduated DB's would have resources and skills to manage in running a Cynis brothel with slaves, summoned elementals/demons and seduction/sex trained dragon-bloods who may milk information via pillow talking. Plus have their own agenda.

Naturally would limit it to Cynis house members but it's a wide branched house; in theory it could go 'one my parents is Cynis' while other parent is from other house and had been raised in that house but they share the ideals what for they have some extra agenda (have met during pre-school, the schools before secondary schools and formed bonds there and then continued those bonds during studies in secondary and went back together after graduation).

It can also include mortals who were expected to exalt but they did not....but are highly trained/skilled in some art (mortals can learn sorcery and thaumaturgy and supernatural martial arts to extend).

Besides that; Hepthagram, House of Bells, Wyld Hunt and Spiral Academy would sound interesting top options from above.

[AribethAmkiir]

I too like Pumpkin's idea.  I don't think everyone would have to work there.  The brothel would work more like a front for the group's activities.  While not all Dynasts frequent a brothel, it happens often enough for it not to raise an eyebrow.

I'd also be interested in The Heptagram, House of Bells, Cloister of Wisdom, Legions, Wyld Hunt, Immaculate Order, and Intra-House Business.

[Black Howling]

Withdrawing interest due to timing. I really can't afford to be involved in more then one system game at present time until I figure out more of how much free time I'll have.

[Pumpkin Seeds]

I wanna be the madam!

[Synecdoche17]

What about a game set in one of the Realm's satrapies? It gives the characters a bit more importance, since their elders and mentors and parents aren't nearby, and it opens up a lot of options re: interacting with the native population as well as the large community of Realm expatriates.

It can still be a brothel *in* a satrapy.  :P

Potential site candidate?