Divided We Stand: Exalted 2E Dynastic Dragon-Blooded [MUL]

[Rhapsody]

Having seen the interest in this thread for a Dragon-Blooded themed game, I’ve decided to go ahead and throw together a setting, plot and theme. 

SETTING
It is Realm Year 768.  The Scarlet Empress has been gone for five years, and still no one is certain whether she is alive or dead, or planning to return to her throne any time soon.  The Houses still pay homage to the Regent established in her absence, though the quality and honesty of this homage varies wildly from House to House and Terrestrial to Terrestrial.  Privately, many are seriously considering it to be open season on the Throne. Though no state funeral has yet been held for the missing Empress, it is generally assumed that an official announcement is only a matter of time, and so every Dynast is quietly arranging matters that will potentially make or break his claim for the throne.

You will make alliances and backalley deals, create enemies mortal and otherwise as you go, seek to topple your foes from their lofty perches and perhaps be toppled yourself in turn.  If this sort of roleplay interests you, then this is the game for you.


HOW THIS WILL WORK
In the way of characters, I’d like to see relatively young Dynasts (no more than 70 or 80 years) climbing their way over the bodies of others on their way up the social ladder in the cutthroat race for the throne.  Whether or not they believe they personally believe they have a chance, these characters will have been selected as among the best candidates by influential forces within the ranks of their own House. 

I’m placing no restrictions on any of the Great Houses, except for one: House Iselsi.  If you’d like to play a member of the fallen House, this is what I want you to do: Respond here with a brief character sketch and House that would be your second option, and send me a private message explaining why your character is hiding within the halls of this House and what his goals in doing so are.  If I like it, you can have it, but I will ask that you not reveal your true House allegiance to any other players while the story is going on.

Make no mistake, this will be a political game, and there will be private messages sent back and forth between myself and various players containing in-game information in order to facilitate tension and intrigue within the storyline. 

I will not be using the optional experience-by-age rules for Dynasts that are older than teens or twenties.  If you choose to play a Dragon-Blooded that’s been around for a couple of decades, be aware that you will still be a starting character, at the same level as those who have only newly Exalted.  While this might make for interesting roleplaying, keep in mind that you are effectively gimping yourself in the eyes of your peers, and this will affect your social standing within the game setting.

When choosing Backgrounds , please keep moderation and common sense in mind.  I do reserve the right to veto any ratings choices. With that said, however, this is something I rarely do.  I’m fairly laid back and as long as you have a good reason to have it, I’ll generally allow it. 
Other than the above, please take a free hand when creating your character.  While I prefer freeform as much as possible, I do think it’s prudent to have character sheets as well for the times when dice rolls may become crucial, especially in political games.   I don’t need the sheets right now, or even at the very beginning of the game, but I will eventually need them. 

Experience will be handed out on a weekly basis, with an extra point here and there for exceptional roleplaying, heroism, cunning and other things that impress not only me but your fellow players. 

If you’ve read this far, thanks. :)  I know it got a little long.  If you’re interested in playing “Divided We Stand”, please respond below this post with a brief character concept.  I’d prefer a small group, but I will run for as little players as one or two.  I will likely not be playing a character myself, but will be the multitude of NPCs the players interact with. Your contacts and allies, family and friends, retainers and slaves.  That will occupy a good portion of my attention, so I don't feel I can play in this game myself frequently.  And that's fine by me. :)

You can find an online editable Dragon-Blooded sheet here, at Mr. Gone’s website.  This is a two-page sheet; he also has a single page interactive character sheet here.  Please be aware that if you don’t have a paid version or Adobe Acrobat (or similar PDF reader), you won’t be able to save your sheet to your computer.

[Kolbrandr]

I was kinda hoping for something beyond starting characters as far as it goes, but I'd still be interested.

Notional concepts:

A young martial arts prodigy of house Tepet fresh out of the Cloister of Wisdom, who had been expected and expected himself to go on to great things within the Immaculate Order ("the next Myrrun!" went the talk), only to find his house could no longer spare his exceptionally potent blood, denying him further advancement to the Order and pushing him into house duties (and on an unfortunate note, actively encouraging and trying to arrange for the siring of bastard children, given his blood, they'd still have an excellent chance of exalting some day. He embodies a singularly horrible long term plan for house replenishment). Duty being unfortunately one of the virtues he adheres to, he tries to adjust as best he can, consoling himself in manging ocassional forays of the hunt, and training the outcastes that the house adopts in the theology they should be adopting and combat.

[Rhapsody]

I was kinda hoping for something beyond starting characters as far as it goes, but I'd still be interested.

Actually, you have a point.  I tell you what: I'll reconsider giving out a set number of experience points after characters have been created, to reflect that they've been around a little while, long enough to gain some hands-on with the dynamics of the Dynasty.   If enough people express interest in playing beyond the starting level, that will cement it for me.  For now, I'll keep it in mind as an option. 

[Requiem]

My concept!  House Cathak is the amazing position of having every Great House want their support.  With the Tepet legions destroyed, only the Cathak and the Sesus have unmatched legion strength, and House Cathak is above them by more than a little.

However, there are some that disagree that the Cathak shouldn't seize the throne themselves...  Cathak Gaiden is the grandson of the Houses de-facto leader, Cathak Cainan.  A graduate of the House of Bells, he was just begining to make his name in the Legions before most of the Realm's forces were recalled to the Island.  Gaiden thinks that the security of the Realm should fall in the hands of those most suited to defend it, and if Cainen doesn't have the ambition than he certainly does.  Still to young to be jaded, Gaiden is a idealistic youth with dreams far greater than his skill... for now.

I would prefer starting characters honestly, but can go either way.

[Videospirit]

I haven't read over the dragonblooded rules very clearly, and it's been almost a year since I read what I did, but I'm definately interested in this. If I don't get a concept done soon though, don't hold up for me. I seem to be good at getting distracted.

[Brandon]

Call me crazy but I think Ild prefer to have starting characters and will play one regardless. I can make an up and comer pretty easily This is of course a rough draft at the moment but it should help get a look into the character

Name: Liara V'Neef
Sex: Female
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 140
Aspect: Wood

Description: Liara stands a full six feet tall with a flexible build for a woman of her size. She has long deep brown hair that flows down to her butt and brilliant blue eyes that shine like sapphires. Being an upcoming military commander she tends to wear a suit of ornate armor with a bow and quiver on her back and a daiklaive at her hip. At more formal events she prefers to wear long flowing gowns that match her natural body colors

Background: Liara was born only about 20 years ago as a daughter of Aliset V'neef and her husband from House Cynis. Just like her mother Liara appeared as a charismatic girl from the time she could speak and learn. While house V'neef already had many charismatic and intelligent Exalted in it Liara was groomed to become a soldier so they could benefit from a strong military leader in their family. Liara became that and much more.

Her mother sent her to be educated earlier then most children and she quickly showed an interest in medicine and agriculture, using what time she had between battle training and drills to soak up as much information as she could on those subjects, before her graduation she was considered an expert in both fields. When she finished her education as an officer she was given command of a scale of troops and immediatly paired up with a few other more experienced dragon blooded from various houses and sent on a wyld hunt. Liara spent a year on her hunt and in that time she out performed even the most experienced Exalts in the group. Using her natural charm, soldiers, and brutally effective tactics to catch anathema off guard she managed to kill four of them, three lunar's and a famous solar, in that short time and without helps from her "allies" during the hunt.

Even more interesting is the fact that as Liara traveled she spread her knowlege and expertise about medicine and agriculture. Starting up hospital's, improving fields, and improving life for everyone that encountered her and her soldiers. Some have questioned if this combination of events is a sign of her cleverness or cruelty to the other houses and anathema but whatever the case in one short year Liara has made a ton of allies for house V'neef and with the peoples support and the favors from the other V'neef exalts has become the one shot the house has to the title of empress. Some houses even fear that when the time comes to choose the empress if she is not the one to be crowned it could lead to riots and civil upheavel across the blessed isles and beyond.

[Requiem]

I went ahead and threw together a sheet, using the same block system NPC's in the book have:

Name: Cathak Gaiden
Aspect: Fire
Motivation: In the absence of the Empress, establish military control of the Realm with him on the General Staff.
Anima Flux: Two twisters of fire, wrapping around him in loops with magma-like bursts arcing between them.

Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 1, Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 4, Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 2
Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 4, Temperance 2, Valor 3
Abilities: Archery 2, *Athletics 3, Awareness 2, Bureaucracy 1, *Dodge 3, *Integrity 2, Lore 3, Martial Arts 2, *Melee 4, Performance 2, *Presence 3, Resistance 1, Ride 1, *Socialize 4, Survival 1, *War 3
Backgrounds: Artifact 2 (Red Jed Reaper Daiklave, Red Jade Hearthstone Bracers), Backing (House Cathak) 2, Backing (Legions) 2, Breeding 4, Command 3 (Winglord, 3rd Legion), Connections 1 (Thousand Scales), Resources 3, Reputation 1
Charms: Elemental Bolt Attack (133), Ox Body Technique (147), Sweeten-the-Tap Method (159), Jade Defense (159), Dragon Graced Weapon (155)
Gaiden possesses the first Excellencies in Melee and Presence.

Join Battle: 4
Attacks:

• Punch: Speed 4, Accuracy 6, Damage 3B, Defense 7, Rate 3
• Kick: Speed 4, Accuracy 5, Damage 6B, Defense 3, Rate 2
• Clinch: Speed 5, Accuracy 5, Damage 3B, Defense n/a, Rate 1
• Reaping Tail: Speed 2, Accuracy 11, Damage Damage 8L, Defense 8, Rate 3

Soak: 7L, 11B, 6A (Lamellar, -2 Mob, 1 Fatigue)
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -1, -2, -2, -2, -4, Inc
Dodge Dv:4     Willpower: 7
Essence: 2
Personal Essence:13 Peripheral Essence: 29
Committed Essence: 9

Gaiden stand a hair over six feet, with straight black hair falling down to his mid back, streaked with crimson.  His eyes are a soft orange color, and his skin looks like it has a very slight sunburn.  He is often dressed in crimsons and blacks, preferring light open garments when not in the field.  He has a warm smile that too easily falls into place, and he walks with a brisk, dedicated pace.  His prized possession is a red jade reaper daiklave named Reaping Tail, the blade of which is designed to mimic the tail of one of the lesser dragons.

[Kolbrandr]

I suppose as far as it goes, I'm just.. not really envisioning characters basically not that far out of schooling as contenders for the throne, I've been in games like and it ends up requiring some vast and irksome wide sweeping national massacre, or some such.

If it is going to be starting characters, I'd like to at least put in a plot request of avoiding things like.. the Sidereals/Bull of the North/Kukla turning over in his sleep massacre every dragon blooded with over 100 xp (I've played through the first two occuring) one month.

[Rhapsody]

I suppose as far as it goes, I'm just.. not really envisioning characters basically not that far out of schooling as contenders for the throne, I've been in games like and it ends up requiring some vast and irksome wide sweeping national massacre, or some such.

If it is going to be starting characters, I'd like to at least put in a plot request of avoiding things like.. the Sidereals/Bull of the North/Kukla turning over in his sleep massacre every dragon blooded with over 100 xp (I've played through the first two occuring) one month.

I'd never kill off most of the Dragon-Blooded of the Realm.  Without them, the throne is meaningless.  No one in Creation is going to care if you call yourself the King, Daimyo, Empress, or Grand Poobah of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes if you ain't got the strength to back it up, and if there's one thing that gives Terrestrials their strength, it's their numbers.  Besides, what's the fun in trying to rule the world if there's no one to lord it over?

Why your character has been selected to be a front runner for the throne is something he may or may not be aware of.  He may think he knows why he's been put forth as a candidate by House members higher up, but that may not have anything to actually do with the real reason why he's been chosen.  I enjoy political intrigue and all the cloak-and-dagger stuff that goes along with running a Dragon-Blooded game.  I'm not just taking young Exalts and throwing them willy-nilly into the fray for little to no reason.

Trust me, I have my plots within plots. :)