Exalted (Mostly an Interest Check)

[AlexStone]

So, I've been wanting to run a good Exalted game for a while, though time has been a problem.  I think I might be able to make time, but before I do, I think it best to gauge interest in the forum and see if this is the right place to run it.  I'd like to lay out some principles I would like to see from players and characters in the course of the game, then some of the framing ideas I have for making the game work. 

First, principles:

1) Even though this is being advertised as an adult game, it's still Exalted, not Sexxxalted.  Not that I'm opposed to some sexual content, or the exploration of more adult matters.  Let's be honest, sex is supposed to be a noticeable part of the world of Exalted, but it's not likely to really get in too many games- such things can make people uncomfortable.  I think we can duck this a bit here,  but, it's still not an Essence fueled orgy.

2) Let's plan for everyone to post a couple to three times a week, and with a certain level of content.  I'm not saying you'll need to write with the goal of being as over the top, in length or grandiloquence, as the Exalted themselves, but just a quick dash of a few words won't help all that much, so be prepared to put at least a little something in there.  Also, proofread a bit, know how to put together words into sentences, etc., etc..

3) This is really a big one, for me.  I need players to be creative, and characters to be proactive.  Exalted is a big, strange world.  I can't keep everything straight all the time, so I need to rely on you.  If you need something, put it in there, preferably with a good hook to start a story.  Need an artifact that isn't already out there?  Feel free to just insert it into the story, with a problem or two on how to get it.  There's no need to always rely on me.  The same with NPCs- please make them up, interact with them, write some dialogue and actions for them and what all else needs doing to move the story forward.  Characters should be out doing things, not the sort who wait for the world to come to them.  If you're worried that you're taking things too far, send a PM or post in OOC.

4)  I'd like it if players could take on an NPC from time to time.  One of my weaknesses is keeping NPCs fresh, and having some help in this department will make the story and game work better.

Still around?  Plot ideas, then.  These are generally in order of preference, but I'd be happy to do what the people want.

1) Nothing Ever Happens in the Lap.  The PCs would be Dragon-Bloods in the Lap, the most boring Satrapy in Creation.  But, this won't last long, with the Scarlett Empress missing, civil war in the offing, and the Anathema stalking the South in increasing numbers.  Will you pursue power, protect the people, serve your House, or just stay alive.

2) The Standard Game:    The PCs would be a Circle of Solars (Or as near to it as possible) who take over a chunk of Creation, and then face off against a major existential threat to Creation.  Place and major threat to be determined by the players in consultation with the storyteller.

3) The Broken Circle:  This is last because it's the hardest, really.  It would require a good deal of buy-in and work by the players and ST to make it work, and would need a good level of commitment.  The game would center around a Circle of Solars whose souls have been, for the most part, split up by the forces that engineered the destruction of the Jade Prison.  Thus, some are Solars, some Abyssals and some Infernals.  PCs could be any of these, Lunar mates or Sidereals drawn into the Circle's business.  Each PC would essentially follow their own plot thread, which would slowly but surely weave more and more tightly into the others as it moved to a (Probably predetermined) climax.  Potentially the best, definitely the hardest. 

So, anyone else interested?  Which game would work the best, do you think?



                                                                                                     

[HairyHeretic]

Number 2 could tie in to the Return of the Scarlett Empress, if you have that book.

Given the speed that forum based games tend to move, do you see the players already controlling territory, or would that be handled in game?

[Muse]

*POUNCE!!!!!!* 

Interested! 

Insert fiifteen minutes of inane babble here that amounts too, "How can I possibly persuade you to Please, Please, Please do exactly what you're offering to do?" here. 

And the first two stories you suggest are more interesting to me than the third, but any exalted I don't have to run is a gift from heaven!!!

[Lady Elena]

If you are able to get a group together I'm more than willing and able to put in a creative voice!  I have a lot of the course material, as well, so will have the ability to fall back on it if need be.  Please keep me updated!

My input:

With a new group of people working together, and with your self-announced NPC weakness (Please don't take that as an insult) I think it best to stay with a standard story until all the players know how the others work and you have a good handle on what each likes/dislikes.  You may find yourself suddenly very confortable and confident, perhaps even inspired to create new NPCs that will go to places you never dreamed they would before.  The great thing about writing with a partner, or multiple partners, is that you can work together to keep the NPCs fresh and exciting as long as you are on the same page about who/what the NPC is.  I'd say stick with the Circle of Solars.  There are ample possibilities for fun and excitement through the Solars, and they are hardly boring.  There is also possibility to interact with the Dragon Blooded, which ties in to Scenario 1.  You can also bring in the other Exalted types if you want later down the line, once we are all comfortable with one another.  I hesitate with Scenario 3 only because it might lose drive halfway through if the plots do not weave together properly.  One person stops posting, someone loses interest, momentum is lost, and the SL unravels to nothing.  Each individual thread would be as important as the other, versus the Circle working together and able to interact amongst each other while still interacting outside the circle.  A way we worked it in a Campaign I was in was the five Solars were actually reborn from the First Age, and brought together again.  They'd worked together then, and the Sidereals wanted them to work together now that the Empress was missing.  I'm not saying to do that, but there are so many ways to go about making it different than just having five people in a group. 

Good luck.

[Cold Heritage]

I'm interested. I would prefer a standard game.

With principle number 3, I'm kind of wary. I think the thing that keeps me from being proactive a lot of the time is - and take this for what it is, I don't know if we'd be starting characters or not - that I'm worried about getting into a situation where my posts writes a cheque that my character sheet cannot cash. My preference lies with playing warrior types, and even with what one gets in the errata'd character creation I find myself ill-inclined to pass over something that makes my character a doughty warrior in favour of something that allows him to be a better speaker or leader of men. It's all well and good for me to try and make a rousing, impassioned speech . . . but with no social charms and 5 dice it's not likely I'd be staring at enough successes to get someone to agree with him that the sky's blue. You know what I mean?

The other thing is that I'd like some sort of intervention as to why the players are together. And I'd like them to be together. It's grand, I suppose, to have everyone tooling around in their own corner of Creation, but at that point it's really just five solo games with the same guy in charge of all of them, if you ask me. I'm down with the Cult of the Illuminated and the Sidereals trying to push us around like tykes in short pants.

I'm also somewhat unsure about facing an existential threat. I'd rather knock down someone more manageable first, especially since existential threats probably have 6+ Essence and since Essence is age capped it'll be too much unless you handwave that away.

[AlexStone]

Number 2 could tie in to the Return of the Scarlett Empress, if you have that book.

Given the speed that forum based games tend to move, do you see the players already controlling territory, or would that be handled in game?

I'm honestly willing to roll either way on it.  I think you may have a point, though, that getting into the more meaty part of the plot would be a good idea.  (Unless people are really dying to exercise the ability of Solars to take over mortal societies.  I'm not dying to do that, other than as, basically, a warmup.)  This would require the following:
1) A little more background work on the characters.
2) Some pre-game plotting to figure out just what they've put together.
3) A decision about just what direction we're in.

The Yozi Reclamation is definitely on the short list of disasters to fight.  Depending on Direction, too, a Deathlord may make the best antagonist.  Or all of it at once, if we like complicated stuff.

If you are able to get a group together I'm more than willing and able to put in a creative voice!  I have a lot of the course material, as well, so will have the ability to fall back on it if need be.  Please keep me updated!

My input:

With a new group of people working together, and with your self-announced NPC weakness (Please don't take that as an insult) I think it best to stay with a standard story until all the players know how the others work and you have a good handle on what each likes/dislikes.  You may find yourself suddenly very confortable and confident, perhaps even inspired to create new NPCs that will go to places you never dreamed they would before.  The great thing about writing with a partner, or multiple partners, is that you can work together to keep the NPCs fresh and exciting as long as you are on the same page about who/what the NPC is.  I'd say stick with the Circle of Solars.  There are ample possibilities for fun and excitement through the Solars, and they are hardly boring. 
Good luck.

This is fine advice, and I appreciate it- you're talking about being a creative voice.  Would you like that voice to be through a character in the game, or in another role?

With principle number 3, I'm kind of wary. I think the thing that keeps me from being proactive a lot of the time is - and take this for what it is, I don't know if we'd be starting characters or not - that I'm worried about getting into a situation where my posts writes a cheque that my character sheet cannot cash. My preference lies with playing warrior types, and even with what one gets in the errata'd character creation I find myself ill-inclined to pass over something that makes my character a doughty warrior in favour of something that allows him to be a better speaker or leader of men. It's all well and good for me to try and make a rousing, impassioned speech . . . but with no social charms and 5 dice it's not likely I'd be staring at enough successes to get someone to agree with him that the sky's blue. You know what I mean?

The other thing is that I'd like some sort of intervention as to why the players are together. And I'd like them to be together. It's grand, I suppose, to have everyone tooling around in their own corner of Creation, but at that point it's really just five solo games with the same guy in charge of all of them, if you ask me. I'm down with the Cult of the Illuminated and the Sidereals trying to push us around like tykes in short pants.

I'm also somewhat unsure about facing an existential threat. I'd rather knock down someone more manageable first, especially since existential threats probably have 6+ Essence and since Essence is age capped it'll be too much unless you handwave that away.

As to your first concern, if we follow HairyHeretic's notion and start of a little into the plot, there would be some XP already down on the table in character creation.  Also, stunt dice like candy for awesome speechifying.  Third, I don't roll unless the outcome is in doubt.  If you remove the doubt with good RP, why roll?  If you're still nervous about the principle, let's work on finding a solution.

I like your idea about the group being together from the get go- this is a little unusual, so there should be a reason.  Do we want that known and settled, or do we prefer making that a mystery to explore?

As to the third, I don't see the big bad showing up on your doorstep in the first act.  There would be some building, some hints and harrying long before that.  You're not going to go mano-a-mano with the First and Forsaken Lion right out of the box.  And, that said, being suggestive as players, like an OOC statement that "Wow, we really need a story to get an artifact of power that can handle some of this!" helps me help you. 

Also, since you're Solars who run a kingdom in creation, an intermediate story of "The Empire would like to try to wipe you out" is useful- would people be opposed to that?

(My own bather follows)

So, listening to the feedback so far, it sounds like we're leaning towards the Circle Game concept.  Unless someone swoops in with a major objection, I propose to move forward on that basis.  I don't think we need to have a full circle of Solars, meaning A) We don't need to sit around to start for the game to fill, and B) The other circlemates would just be great antagonists. 

The next question is which direction to base ourselves in.  I feel pretty comfortable with the South and West, though the Scavenger Lands is not a bad place, either.  I don't feel as comfortable with the North, and even lest with the East.  An interesting kingdom might just be unifying the Neck.  If we start with the work basically done- the Neck unified, but not consolidated- we have a lot of neat fiddling we can do all around, a couple of easy plots to start on, and then move to other things. 

Third question I have, right now at least, is do you want to settle on the big bad now, in the open, or just let me settle it and keep it a big hairy secret?

I'm getting a lot of ideas from this discussion, so thanks!

[Muse]

Personally, I have my share of Western games right now.  I'd enjoy the South.  (Not sure how you distinguish the Scavenger Lands from the rest of the East.) 

A group of dragon blooded adversaries trying to take us down sounds like a nice solid start. 

I'm also just fine facing off against a Deathlord.  Some of my favorites, regionally: 

South:  First and Forsaken Lion.  Princess Magnificent with Coral Lips and Robes of Black Feathers. 
Scavenger Lands:  Walker in Darkness.  (He doesn't get half the screen time he deserves.) 
West:  The Silver Prince/Bhodsitava Anointed by Dark Waters is an excellent choice as well as the 'only' choice.  I also like the Bishop of the Chalcedony Thurble for a Neck area antagonist. 

[Cold Heritage]

I'm honestly willing to roll either way on it.  I think you may have a point, though, that getting into the more meaty part of the plot would be a good idea.  (Unless people are really dying to exercise the ability of Solars to take over mortal societies.  I'm not dying to do that, other than as, basically, a warmup.)  This would require the following:
1) A little more background work on the characters.
2) Some pre-game plotting to figure out just what they've put together.
3) A decision about just what direction we're in.

The Yozi Reclamation is definitely on the short list of disasters to fight.  Depending on Direction, too, a Deathlord may make the best antagonist.  Or all of it at once, if we like complicated stuff.

For my part, I would enjoy making at least the attempt to hash out all of those things. I think it would be great, for example, if a politically oriented character with ambitions for power heard of my character's martial exploits and came to recruit him. There's a lot of fodder in something like that, I think, and it's a good tie-in and relationship builder. I wouldn't mind being, say, Zhang Fei to someone else's Liu Bei - or something along those lines. It could go the other way, too, with my character being a grand warrior seeking a worthwhile lord to serve - not some petty Hundred Kingdoms lord with scarcely a dozen fighting men to his name or a fat merchant who plays at nobility.

And then figuring out the sort of kingdom they went on to make would be fun too. I guess as long as we don't end up playing Exalted: SimCity Edition.

As to your first concern, if we follow HairyHeretic's notion and start of a little into the plot, there would be some XP already down on the table in character creation.  Also, stunt dice like candy for awesome speechifying.  Third, I don't roll unless the outcome is in doubt.  If you remove the doubt with good RP, why roll?  If you're still nervous about the principle, let's work on finding a solution.

I think really the best way to put me at ease would be to just try to relax, breathe, and play it out. It's just a worry about not having dice, either, but about whether I can earn that delicious, delicious candy. The bar seems to be - understandably - higher for this kind of thing given the medium. I suppose I can always ask to move some points around after the fact if need be, or just try to be better at maneuvering my character into a position where someone else covers his weak flanks.

I like your idea about the group being together from the get go- this is a little unusual, so there should be a reason.  Do we want that known and settled, or do we prefer making that a mystery to explore?

Personally, I'm not sure I could role play well without knowing the reason the group's together if the group is in fact together.

As to the third, I don't see the big bad showing up on your doorstep in the first act.  There would be some building, some hints and harrying long before that.  You're not going to go mano-a-mano with the First and Forsaken Lion right out of the box.  And, that said, being suggestive as players, like an OOC statement that "Wow, we really need a story to get an artifact of power that can handle some of this!" helps me help you. 

Lots of experience and ignoring that "you must be this old" rule for Essence advancement would be helpful too. Otherwise we will hit a power ceiling and when guys who have more Essence than us are laughing as they curbstomp us with Newb-Pwning Prana and their 'It's 1000 Years Too Early For You To Even Think of Challenging Me!' combo.

Also, since you're Solars who run a kingdom in creation, an intermediate story of "The Empire would like to try to wipe you out" is useful- would people be opposed to that?

The Realm's kind of a tricky thing. After that one House got wrecked by the Bull, it certainly feels like it could be done to go up against a Great House and come out on top, but I'm not sure that we'd get a straight fight after the way that one House got wrecked by the Bull. And unless the Empress does come back and start throwing her weight around to crush our Super Happy Fun Time Just Magnificent Co-Prosperity Solar Monarchy Union Republic Go! country, I'm not sure we'd get the whole Realm on us. If it's the whole Realm against us, I'd have to go with fairly firm opposition, because that kind of contest we'd either be at forever, or we'd just eventually lose. Even though the Realm's being torn in a thousand different directions, a fraction of their united war machine - even rife with corruption and deliberate inefficiencies - is still something a Circle backed kingdom can't really fight against for any significant time.

If we're fighting one of the Great Houses, I'm tentatively unopposed.

If I'm way off base and the Empire is another faction entirely . . . well, I dunno.

So, listening to the feedback so far, it sounds like we're leaning towards the Circle Game concept.  Unless someone swoops in with a major objection, I propose to move forward on that basis.  I don't think we need to have a full circle of Solars, meaning A) We don't need to sit around to start for the game to fill, and B) The other circlemates would just be great antagonists. 

I'm okay without there being a full circle (or is it a perfect circle when you have one of each Caste?). Though I'd really rather not antagonize or be antagonized by other player characters.

The next question is which direction to base ourselves in.  I feel pretty comfortable with the South and West, though the Scavenger Lands is not a bad place, either.  I don't feel as comfortable with the North, and even lest with the East.  An interesting kingdom might just be unifying the Neck.  If we start with the work basically done- the Neck unified, but not consolidated- we have a lot of neat fiddling we can do all around, a couple of easy plots to start on, and then move to other things. 

I'm not really interested at all in the West proper; anything past Ang-Teng and my eyes glaze over and all I can think about is that there is an island that produces zombie sex slaves for export to other islands and the mainland of Creation (information so crucial that they cut rules for ship to ship combat to fit it in!).

Anywhere in the South would probably be okay. As long as it's not like, Somewhere Always On Fire And You Take 5L Fire Damage Per Tick, Unrolled, No I'm Being Totally Serious Here Land.

Third question I have, right now at least, is do you want to settle on the big bad now, in the open, or just let me settle it and keep it a big hairy secret?

I think if we knew now we could be more better proactive and our contributions/requests for direction could be better focused. It's really cool and all to try and get all the stuff to make a sword to kill a Deathlord (or something suitably overwrought and pretentious like WW wants us to have), but then when the big bad if Ketchup Carjack hopped up on celestial cocaine using every Sidereal martial art there is while riding on the back of the Kukla, it's not really ideal (though I would guess if you saw us building towards means to mess up a Deathlord you'd bait and switch as best you could to accommodate, but I'm hopeful you can take my meaning).

(Not sure how you distinguish the Scavenger Lands from the rest of the East.) 

Well, they gave the Scavenger Lands its own book in both editions, and the Compass of Terrestrial Directions series has a separate book for the East.

[HairyHeretic]

If we're going up against the Realm I'd want to be taking over Lookshy and making a start on reclaiming Denandsor :)

[meikle]

Lots of experience and ignoring that "you must be this old" rule for Essence advancement would be helpful too. Otherwise we will hit a power ceiling and when guys who have more Essence than us are laughing as they curbstomp us with Newb-Pwning Prana and their 'It's 1000 Years Too Early For You To Even Think of Challenging Me!' combo.

Solars can use Essence 7 magic by Essence 5, and their core 'kill things without getting killed' magic is all below that.


Also I think I counted five people posting in this thread but I really love Exalted and so I could not stop myself from reading everything and saying that I have an interest in playing Exalted.  I mean, you might be full up on interested parties by now, but if you're not ... !

[AlexStone]

So, I think I will reply generally, rather than to specific cases.  Some of this will be summary, some of this proposal, some of this requests for inputs.

1) I'm not playing a character here, so we have had five people express interest in playing.  Assuming everyone who expressed an interest will come through, I think we have our five solars.  I leave it to the five who have jumped in here to say if we want to let more people in- if there are others who want to come in, they could easily play a Sidereal adviser, a Lunar mate (Or just an interested party) or, if they didn't mind the power difference, a major Dragon-Blooded who works for the Solars.  So, question for those who have expressed an interest: 1) Still in so far? 2) Close it with the Circle, or leave recruitment open as long as the others are willing to take non-Solar roles. 

2) I think that starting after the nation building makes sense.  To that end, I think it would be good to have a little prologue thread.  I think that we could write this collaboratively, as if it were a chapter from a history written after the fact.  This would tell the story of how the group got together and conquered their kingdom.  That leaves open the question as to the real reason why they got together- it seemed like a good idea at the time?  Lytek left just enough sense of each other from the First Age to bring them together?  The machinations of the Bronze Faction, and, if so, do the Solars know about it?  Or is this a mystery best left explored in the game, and I should define this aspect of it myself?

3) As to characters, I would ask for, in addition to the usual character stuff, a little bit more from you in terms of relationships: I'd like for each of you to define three major relationships: A Rival, An Ally, and A Friend/Lover. A rival is someone you compete with- for prestige, for victory, to see who can sleep with the most interesting thing, whatever.  NB: It can be a friendly or deadly rivalry!  An Ally is a person who has their own agenda, but you have good reasons to work together for now.  A Friend/Lover is someone whom you trust, and will work with you more from loyalty and interest, so long as the nature of the relationship is respected.  One of these can (Perhaps should?) come from the Circle.  The others don't need to be defined too heavily- a few sentences about what sort of Exalt they are, (They probably are one, honestly) and the nature of your relationship. 

I'd like to have one from each Caste, personally.  If people wouldn't mind posting a little about what character they want to play- doesn't need to be a sheet, but a little bit about the Caste, concept, etc.  That way people can see if they want this character as one of their major relationships.  As to Caste preferences overlapping, it'll be first come, first served if there isn't some way to create mutual agreement. 

4) I have three campaign frames- this is mostly brainstorming, so things can be tweaked or ditched as needed.  I'm interested as to which people like.  I'm not saying "You must choose one of these!" but I am trying to get us moving towards a game.

A) The Solar Kingdom of Nexus. 
Guess what?  It turns out the Emissary of Nexus was just some jumped up mortal with a cool artifact.  It was enough to cow the mortals and impress the Dragon-Blooded, but with a Circle- or a near circle- of Solars on the case, it turned out to be less of an issue.  Sure, the artifact was destroyed in the fighting, but, with him out of the way, the Solars could reorganize the city to their needs, and turned it into a much more effectively run- and rich!- kingdom.  Needless to say, this was becoming an issue for the rest of the Scavenger Lands. 
Immediate Threat: Dragon-Bloods from the Realm trying to rally the River Confederacy against Nexus.
Big Bad: The Mask of Winters.
Complicating Factor: The machinations of the Guild.

B) The Solar Kingdom of Gem.
Gem has wealth beyond the dreams of avarice.  It probably isn't wealth beyond the dreams of the Solars:  They can dream really, really big.  Considering the mineral wealth and it's proximity to the Wyld, this was a good place to begin the process of establishing a serious manufacturing base, since the internal problems had been solved.  This means dreaming big, and when you dream big next to the Wyld...
Immediate Threat: The Fair Folk think you're interesting, and close to their home territory.
Big Bad: The First and Forsaken Lion.
Complicating Factor: The Yozis have plans for Gem.

C) The Solar Kingdom of Chiaroscuro. 
The Next age rises, like the Phoenix, from the ruins of the First.  Drawn by great memories of the past, a circle of Solars descended on the place and, in an alliance with Grandmother, made the city into a mighty Empire, uniting the nomads and the city-folk.  The speed of it all stunned all of the South, and their power made them a major player all over Creation.
Immediate Threat: A Great House has decided that eliminating you will make them look powerful in their struggle for the Jade Throne.  Your wealth won't hurt much either! 
Big Bad: The Yozi Reclamation.
Complicating Factor: Lunars allied with Ahlat. 

I have some things to say about XP, but we can wait on that.

Action List:
(You don't have to do it all in one post, but please try to complete these steps with a little speed.)

1. Declare Interest, Roll Join Game.
2. Express any opinion you have on game size, Solars only, if any.  (If no opinion, please so state.)
3. Consider  your character.  Post Caste, description of strengths and weaknesses, some personality notes.  A paragraph or two will work.  Consider Rival, Ally and Friend options, but consider leaving a slot open for a circlemate.
4.  Express an opinion on their being a bigger reason as to why the Circle came together so quickly and easily.  Should this be a factor in the game?  A mystery to the players? (If no opinion, please so state.)
5.  Give input into the story frames: Which do you like?  Would you like one if something changed?  Would you like to add some elements to a particular, or any story?  Would you like to end all of this prattle, have me pick something, and go?

Looking forward to hearing what people think.

[Lady Elena]

I can't do my whole long bio now, but I'm leading toward Zenith or Eclipse.  If others really, really want those, I can certainly switch over to Night.  More to come on that....

[HairyHeretic]

I have played Night and Eclipse a fair bit, and would be happy with those. I'd also be ok with trying my hand at a Lunar, if we have more people want to play Solars than a circle should have.

Bouncing off of idea A, what if the Solar circle were the ones whose famous tombs form so much of a part of Nexus, and Fate has woven them back together here?

[AlexStone]

[quote author=HairyHeretic link=topic=110782.msg4822906#msg4822906 date=1308768526

Bouncing off of idea A, what if the Solar circle were the ones whose famous tombs form so much of a part of Nexus, and Fate has woven them back together here?
[/quote]

It certainly would make quite a lot of sense- and explain a lot of dots of artifacts. <G>

[meikle]

2. Express any opinion you have on game size, Solars only, if any.  (If no opinion, please so state.)

I am curious how you would feel about one of the Solars in this Circle being one of the transformed varieties (ie, abyssal or infernal) as appropriate to the path of the game, like a rogue Abyssal working to help bring down their Deathlord or an Infernal with an interest in making sure that the Reclamation never has a chance to happen?

It could be tied in to the rest of the Circle by maybe saying (depending on other past lives) that they had been Circle Mates with one or more of the others in the First Age, and could still fill into a Perfect Circle by matching whichever space is open (ie, Dusk for Dawn, or Fiend for Eclipse, or whatever) ?

[Zaer Darkwail]

I express my interest for this exalted game :). I know we got five players already but I have concept for a female fire aspected (ex-Dynast) dragon-blood sorceress.

At 2011-06-22 18:34:38, Zaer Darkwail (uid: 14) rolls: 5d10 tn2: 10 Result: 1

My opinion game should be based on circle of Solars (not necessary perfect but better if it could be). Along with one to three random exalts of other types.

Now idea for my char is; Cathak Shizune. A female fire aspect dragon-blood sorceress who looks like this. Behavior wise she could be from house Cynis; hedonistic and pleasure and sensualist. But that is actually her mask what she throws on people to mislead them to think her as less of a threat. She is actually very valorous and compassionate person with symphaties towards commoners and mortals with sharp intelligence and wit. Also she has low temperance and have tendency to be flashy personality (more than often done hadoken spell to drive her point just because she can). So she can be easily smoking hot seductive or make people crap on their pants (expect celestials altough some of them should be scared for her potential).

Background wise she was born for Nexus courtesan from one night fling, her Cathak father got sidereal stargazing prophecy about her being becoming one most powerful dragon-blood sorcerers in existence. So using some social fu with lots of jade thrown her mother's hands she was kidnapped from Nexus legally at age of five. She was rebellious youth but she learned behave. She was sended to Pentagram to study where she undervent all tests of sorcery under guidance of her master who was headmaster of the place. Her sacrifice was; all memories of her mother and life with her. All bribed to be done by her father who hoped loss of said memories make her less a rebel.....he was wrong. Altough no memories she retained most of her old self and personality; the rebel self has became already part of her nature.

She became part of solar circle activities because she was raised whole life with the doctrine that Anathema were demon possessed corrupters and so forth. But she herself who has summoned demons who had said otherwise....had kept her doubting. As she has studied history she knows history is written by winners. But she could not base her theories for what chatty demon said. So along going after one solars because Pentagram send her to talk with a famed scholar.....she was shocked find man was anathema but she then learned first hand what anathema really are and after bit education by someone in circle she became convinced by the ancient facts; Dragon-bloods had performed a coup. So her part she feels responsible for said thing and so she joined circle as perhaps first this era a willing dragon-blood follower of new solars. Her house found about it and naturally she was exiled and is top in wanted list to be arrested or assassinated by her house.

Her strength is her magic really; she can summon demons to perform varied tasks and she can blast some her charms at-will and she has all training and grace of a dynast seductive sorceress in her disposal. Her only weakness is when she is without magic really and altough she received basic combat training she has no real methods protect herself from direct close up melee attacks. She is more ranged combatant and needs also preparation time before she can fight. So if caught off guard in bedroom unarmed and unarmored she is screwed. Also all disadvantages what comes being dragon-blood (low essence pool) and no support of her house.

My preference would go to A or C storylines. Neither need change in my part at least.

Rival: A fellow dragon-blood sorceress from Pentagram who has been jealous of her received tutelage from headmaster itself. Rivalry had been intense but nonlethal, but since revelation of her treachery the rival could seek opportunity to slay Cathak Shizune to settle down rivalry, outdo her in death and receive even praise for doing so.

Ally: One member of the circle, or a peculiar unique Ifrit companion she had summoned once before but he choose willingly stay with her as her adviser, general and as a friend and protector.

Lover: A Lookshy general who once had strong hatred to Dynasts but she succeed seduce him and burn away his hatred to ash with burning passionate sex with him. After that they have met occasions and few times during the years, have not met since she became declared as traitor of Dynasts.

[AlexStone]

I am curious how you would feel about one of the Solars in this Circle being one of the transformed varieties (ie, abyssal or infernal) as appropriate to the path of the game, like a rogue Abyssal working to help bring down their Deathlord or an Infernal with an interest in making sure that the Reclamation never has a chance to happen?

It could be tied in to the rest of the Circle by maybe saying (depending on other past lives) that they had been Circle Mates with one or more of the others in the First Age, and could still fill into a Perfect Circle by matching whichever space is open (ie, Dusk for Dawn, or Fiend for Eclipse, or whatever) ?

I don't mind, so long as the character is working with the Circle and is fundamentally heroic.

I express my interest for this exalted game :). I know we got five players already but I have concept for a female fire aspected (ex-Dynast) dragon-blood sorceress.

 

You're down with being a Dragon-Blood in a Solar game?  So long as you're okay with the power level, I don't mind.

[Muse]

Zaer's girl sounds like fun to me, and an Efrit ally would be awesome. 

Meikle, the originaly posted concpets included one that was a mixed group of tainted and normal, and one that was a normal solar circle.  Are you encouraging the mixed group plot? 

[meikle]

Zaer's girl sounds like fun to me, and an Efrit ally would be awesome. 

Meikle, the originaly posted concpets included one that was a mixed group of tainted and normal, and one that was a normal solar circle.  Are you encouraging the mixed group plot?

I don't feel that the plot has to change fundamentally based on the color of one character's anima banner.

I don't mind, so long as the character is working with the Circle and is fundamentally heroic.

Absolutely.  I don't particularly want to play an antihero or anything like that, just someone who is using a different tool box to achieve the same sorts of goals as the others.

[Muse]

  Maybe.  But having a rogue abyssal running with solars can be somewhat limiting.  I would want to know ahead of time if I my character getting a soft spot for another character and kissed her could result in resonance backlashes tearing holes too the underworld.  Of course, I feel the same way about the nastier limit breaks. 

Sorry, this goes against my usual, "support exalted Storyteller's at all costs" rules and I'm going to stop it now. 

  Just please let me know ahead of time about things like this.  *sweat drop* 

[AlexStone]

  Maybe.  But having a rogue abyssal running with solars can be somewhat limiting.  I would want to know ahead of time if I my character getting a soft spot for another character and kissed her could result in resonance backlashes tearing holes too the underworld.  Of course, I feel the same way about the nastier limit breaks. 

Well, we'd all know everything about each other's character ahead of time.  You'd know if one of the others in the Circle is an Abyssal, and have a good idea about the limitations.  Then, balancing those sorts of feelings becomes an interesting RP experience/story.

Also, if Meikle were to play an Abyssal, the group has a major side goal: Return her Exaltation to Solar.  '

Also, Meikle, if the objections are notable, are you absolutely fixed on the idea?

[meikle]

Everything is more fun with challenges.

Not kissing Abyssals is a perfectly fine approach, though.

Should we tell Zaer not to play a DB because of their anima flux?  That's more likely to kill you than any Abyssal's resonance.

I mean, the ST is free to veto if he does not approve, but "you shouldn't play that character because it has drawbacks" isn't advice I'm really, uh, swayed by.

Also, if Meikle were to play an Abyssal, the group has a major side goal: Return her Exaltation to Solar.  '

Also, Meikle, if the objections are notable, are you absolutely fixed on the idea?

Well, I didn't say 'abyssal', I said 'abyssal or infernal', probably related to whichever Major Threat is featured in the story.  I find Abyssal and Infernal themes and mechanics about a million times more interesting than Solar ones, so if I'm not ... fixed on it, I am willing to argue for why it is not a destructive concept. :p

I will put this out there, too, before I get the "we kill dark animas on sight" response that I have seen people run with before: Holden Shearer on Lawful Stupidity

[Muse]

  Sorry, Alex, don't mind me.  :) 

  Not my game.  If she fits in your story as such, I'm good. 

  (Meikle, my usual knee jerk reaction is based on how hard I find it to get Exalted storytellers.  Especially in table top.  Whenever my tabletop group asks for tainted PCs it always feels like they're trying to get out of running a game.) 

[ReijiTabibito]

I'd be interested. I'm getting back into Exalted through a solo game, and being able to participate in a group game would help me out a lot.

To the GM:

I have 3 primary character concepts I'd like to play.  In no particular order.

A - A No Moon caste Lunar, inspired by Indiana Jones.

B - A Chosen of Secrets Sidereal, a character I built for a game that never got off the ground.

C - A Lookshyan Dragonblood, probably Water Caste for awesome Martial Arts action.

[AlexStone]

  Sorry, Alex, don't mind me.  :) 

  Not my game.  If she fits in your story as such, I'm good. 

I'm going to file this under: "Problem Solved," then. <G>

I have 3 primary character concepts I'd like to play.  In no particular order.

Any of those might fit, depending on the exact game we play.  Mind waiting a bit to see what direction people want to go, and then we'll see what fits?

(NB, you pretty much get a vote on that, too.)

Note that a Sidereal *would* probably need to be in the Gold Faction.