Gunstar Autochthonia (Exalted AU)

[Trystia]

Meanwhile, Trystia.. do either of these work as picture of Beneficent Emerald Silhouette?  Or do you have something in mind for her already?

Those are nice pictures, but I was planning to draw something myself. Also, she tends to cover up quite a bit more than that when dressed. (Think female Neo from The Matrix, without the shades.)

[Terian]

Well, I was thinking on a front line commando type Full Moon, but I don't know if that would be stepping on toes or not.

[Rook Seidhr]

Well, I was thinking on a front line commando type Full Moon, but I don't know if that would be stepping on toes or not.

That is pretty close to Dracorion's char, if you mean a shapeshifting space marine type.

[Dracorion]

Maybe a little. My guy's job is to wrestle space monsters. He can also deal with Hellstars by trying to pry them open to get at the delicious Infernal center.

[Terian]

That is pretty close to Dracorion's char, if you mean a shapeshifting space marine type.

Less shapeshifting, but I get the point :(  Price I pay for being slow to the draw I guess

[Dracorion]

Well, what would you do in space combat without shapeshifting?

[Terian]

True enough

I do have a Chosen of Battles that might fit this game, you can do some pretty silly things with a Voidfighter there.

[Rook Seidhr]

As the book says, Sidereals are a little squishy in voidfighter combat. Possible but not recommended.

[Terian]

Ah well, have fun then.

[AndyZ]

Steel Orchid was fortunate enough during her childhood to see one of the few rare public artist performances of a Celestial Exalt, hinting at the beauty and majesty of the Spire.  Her childlike wonder had little difficulty in conjuring all sorts of images and glorious places.  She wanted to see it all.

Everyone has to grow up someday.  Not everyone completely loses their dreams.

Her Exaltation came relatively young, during her teenage years, when a Terrestrial was putting sexual pressure on some of her friends.  This was back when she had time for friends.  She figured that after she clubbed him on the back of the head with a pipe, she was going to have to run, but he nearly died.  She still can't stand bullying, although she understands the irony of raiding other planets for their resources.

She tends to think of herself as a weapon, a shield between the encroaching death and the many people who depend on her.  Her talents have pointed her naturally towards the Deliberative Army, where her tactical ability and close quarters prowess have ensured that she ascended rapidly through the ranks.

Her primary skills, however, are dedicated towards her warstrider Golden Fury.  The right hand of the Royal Warstrider is constantly wrapped around an orichalcum grand daiklaive, with pistons adjusting the handle so that she can adjust her grip at a moment's notice.

Even outside the warstrider, however, she has herself trained and focused for duty.  Her default assortment is a greatsword of alchemically-treated glass and a reinforced breastplate complete with gauntlets and boots, though she's been known to take other items as well as the situation requires.

Her eagerness to help has gained her a number of allies.  Both the Upright Soldier Military Academy and the Void Hunt have requested and gained her expertise in a large number of minor disputes, but such tales pale in comparison to the third Connection. 

A few years ago, she ended up lost in the Reaches, heavily wounded and alone.  One of the rats came up to her and started nibbling at her, and she grabbed it with the reflexive intent to squash it.  Something in its eyes, though, reminded her of just that look from her old friend from so long ago, being bullied by that Terrestrial.  She let it go, removing her gauntlet to squeeze out some blood into a puddle for the animal.  With a squeak of joy, it lapped at the blood, thanked her for saving his life and showed her the way back to civilization.

After that, she'd head out to the edge and bring out some food for the rats, meeting a few who knew their way around Autocthtonia very well.  Another alliance formed easily enough, and whenever she needs help within the Reaches, she knows how to call for help.

Her private life is dramatically less impressive, at least when compared to other Exalts.  She has few additions to her personal staff besides the usual cooking and cleaning: a masseuse, an elder who's exceptionally proficient at Gateway (though she's passing the point where he can even challenge her anymore) and a former trainer who keeps her appraised of the state of each soldier under her command.

When everything is done, when the Spiral is theirs and every threat is destroyed, perhaps she can attempt to have a true life for herself.

[Meliai]

Oh, I like Orchid a lot! There's some interesting parallels between her and Via, I look forward to them meeting IC

On that note I made the suggested changes to Via's sheet, but I had a question. I know artifact weapons have names, but I was looking through the Scroll of Exalts and one of the write ups seems to indicate that naming your weapon is part of the attunement process.

Jiunan Nightwarden is only minimally attuned
to his Artifact soulsteel grimcleaver, which allows him to
wield it but without the magical material bonus. Unwilling
to accept it as wholly his own, he has not given it a name.
(Before Nightwarden took it, the weapon was known as
Champion’s Dirge.)

I can't find any information on this in the main book, but I might just be overlooking it. Anyway is that a thing? Are you suppose to name other artifacts, or just weapons?

[AndyZ]

She does look like fun.

As far as naming, I think you can name all artifacts and not just weapons if you want to.  A lot of people name their weapons even RL, but I'd say only to worry about it if you want that sort of thing.

Steel Orchid named her entire warstrider Golden Fury, although its weapon is part of the device.

[Rook Seidhr]

Well, given that Steel Orchid has an intelligent warstrider, she pretty much had to name it in order to have a name by which to address it other than "Yo, warstrider!"

It is indeed traditional to name one's (artifact) weapons; to do otherwise is to dishonor the least god of an object on which you will be relying in life-threatening situations. Some particularly reverent Exalts have an extra place set at dinner for the gods of their panoply. (Yes, that is mentioned in canon, though I don't remember where.)

If you feel strongly enough about a non-weapon artifact, you might name that too. Up to you.

[Muse]

Happy thanksgiving.  Malixie and I will formalize our backgrounds tomorow.  ^ _^;; 

[Re Z L]

I can't find any information on this in the main book, but I might just be overlooking it. Anyway is that a thing? Are you suppose to name other artifacts, or just weapons?

If an Exalt of the wrong type is unwilling to commit such a large amount of Essence, he may still minimally attune to the item for the standard mote cost. In this case, the Exalt gains the attunement but none of the benefi ts of the material’s construction.

Basically, pay double the commitment cost and make a roll to get full attunement benefit of inappropriate material or pay the normal commitment cost and receive no material bonus.

Naming the weapon has nothing to do with it.

[AndyZ]

I can't wait to start with this ^_^

[Trystia]

If you feel strongly enough about a non-weapon artifact, you might name that too. Up to you.

And of course, if you own a ship, that should definitely get named too! Like Emerald's ship, The Gnosis!

[Krule]

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the setting, and eager to get started myself, but, I find that I Some thoughts and questions for the ST and others.

-------
Ku was the Divine Minister of the Reaches and Far Reaches, Seals and Thaumaturgy, God of Mystery, Fear and Death.  Chief Regulator of the Element of Smoke.  The living embodiment of Autochthon's fears, doubts and awarenesss of his own failures.  He was  also the one most active in apposing the void, The exalted host eliminated him as part of the project to shape Autochthon into the Gunstar.  Meaning that Autochthon likely has little of fear and doubt left.

I imagine that the Five Maidens and the exalted host cover a good bit of his lack of his presence, after all the Lunar's are grouped into the Void hunt, but even so, I wonder who is the Chief Regulator of Smoke, if anyone?  Perhaps there is a literal god of smoke who was given it.. or perhaps the Maiden of Endings now rules over the domain now?  Who is the god of Thaumaturgy now?  The Maiden of Secrets? 

Which brings to mind another question..  just how many different kinds of elementals can be summoned?  The Five Dragons still exist, even if they are now with Gaia, wherever she might be, is summoning elementals of 5 elements of creation, as well as the 6 elements of Autochthon still possible?  What about Demon Summoning, technically, the formerly 8, now 7 Divine Ministers are 3rd Circle Demons, can they be summoned that way?  Of course, no demon can be controlled in this setting, but you can certainly summon and force them to submit to you with other charms and magical abilities.. I can actually picture a summoning with several solars, one to do the summoning, one to use charms to command the demon and one to put it down if it goes out of control... is this the sort of thing that is actually practiced?  Not to mention, if it's possible, do Solar Circle sorcerers summon the Divine Ministers for consultation? 

Regarding the Gods.. do the maiden's have a sanctum somehow bound to the Centropolis of Hadal, or do they literally live in the city itself?  What about other gods?

It's implied that the Gates of Auspicious Passage allow instant travel between the major cities of the Realm, they sound a bit like the Yu Shan Gateways, how many of them are there.. just enough for instant travel between the 9 cities, or are there more?

The Adamant Caste appear to be publicly know of now, are there any cities of Adamant, perhaps say in the Pole of Crystal, like perhaps a city devoted to meditation location for those who seek to study essence related martial arts and other esoteric studies?

[Rook Seidhr]

Those are fascinating questions, Krule, and I'm sure your in-character research efforts will be amply repaid. Sapphire Wind doesn't have the Occult and Lore to know the answers off the bat.

In fact—(checks character sheet)—Sapphire Wind doesn't appear to have the minimum Lore and Occult for a Solar Exalt according to the character generation rules posted on the wiki. Please recheck.

EDIT TO APPEND: I haven't gone through and audited anyone's dots so far. Should I do that before we get any farther, to make sure everyone's gotten character creation right?

[Krule]

shoot.. I completely missed the basic training stuff.. well, damn it that I missed it.. but also, hurrah more ability dots... ok, will be editing it in.. which is cool, I'll move the extra dot from sail and end up with 3 dots in Occult and Lore.

EDIT: Well, oops again, reading it over I can't do that.. but I can shift dots from other areas, and starting with Sail 2 isn't a bad idea anyway with someone who's done voidfighter piloting, in fact, 3 isn't a bad idea, especially sense I have the points to fit to it, shifting things around.

[Meliai]

Aaaaaaaaah I see now, I remember thing stuff about cross-material commitment penalties but that Scroll of Exalts entry is worded so oddly that it threw me for a loop.

Anywho I named Via's Chakram (took me a while to come up with a name poetic enough for Exalted's general shtick but not so poetic that it would just be completely ridiculous when applied to what is essentially a ChainsawFrisbeeBoomerang) and her Speeder. Don't know if shaft speeders really classify as ships but Via's kind of sentimental so I figure she'd name it anyway.

EDIT TO APPEND: I haven't gone through and audited anyone's dots so far. Should I do that before we get any farther, to make sure everyone's gotten character creation right?

I've double checked my math several times but I always manage to mess something up even when I'm not super new to a system so Via could definitely use a check.

[Rook Seidhr]

starting with Sail 2 isn't a bad idea anyway with someone who's done voidfighter piloting, in fact, 3 isn't a bad idea, especially sense I have the points to fit to it, shifting things around.

Especially since Sail 2 is the minimum to operate a voidfighter without penalties.

I've double checked my math several times but I always manage to mess something up even when I'm not super new to a system so Via could definitely use a check.

OK, auditing everyone's sheets, then, sooner not later. I might not finish today; I have a cold and my concentration is not top-notch.

[Rook Seidhr]

Attention, Lunar players:

Something I think I forgot to put in the character generation instructions, that will be of interest to those of you who don't have or haven't read Shards—

Lunars in Gunstar do not, by default, have moonsilver tattoos. They don't need them. Castes are fixed at Exaltation.

It's possible for Lunars (only) to buy the tattoos as a 2-dot artifact. If they do, the tattoos have the usual effects (prevent outside Shaping and other shapeshifting that would affect the body; become obvious when anima flares).

[AndyZ]

Anything else we need before we can get this puppy dancing?  ^_^

[Rook Seidhr]

Anything else we need before we can get this puppy dancing?  ^_^

What's been posted:

• Muse: Kuroshita Mai, Serenity, char sheet posted, no bg
• Malixe: Kuroshita Kage, Zenith, char sheet posted, no bg
• avorae: working on a Night Caste
• AndyZ: Steel Orchid, Dawn, char sheet & bg posted
• Meliai: Via Li, Twilight, char sheet & bg posted
• Krule: Sapphire Wind, Eclipse, char sheet & bg posted
• Anon315: Kelen Truth's-Shield, Zenith, char sheet posted, no bg
• Dracorion: Bamulase Cathek, Full Moon, char sheet posted, no bg
• Trystia: Beneficent Emerald Silhouette, No Moon, char sheet & partial bg posted

I need avorae's character pronto. I need backgrounds from those who haven't posted them. I need to audit posted sheets and make sure they're in line with the rules.

I want to get this underway too, but the anatidae are still non-collinear ^_^