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Harken! Anathema, or the Solar Exalted as you used to be known. Listen unto me.

[OC stuff]

Hi guys. I just want to clarify each of the major divisions within the Solar Exalted in basic so that I can draft basic characters for next weeks tabletop which can then be fleshed out during the night and hopefully I can start the story rolling before the end of session!

There are Five Castes within the Solar (Anathema) Exalted:
Dawn : Tanks - Physical & Combat
Zenith: Priests & Leaders - Faith, perseverance, inspiring & converting others
Twilight: Scholars - Practical application of knowledge & learning (magic)
Night: Underhand ones - Precision, subterfuge & covert activities
Eclipse: Diplomats - Organisers, communication & social interaction

So far I have Dave as a Dawn; Gary as a Twilight; Paul probably as a Zenith; Kim as a Night; Chris as a Dawn; Wayne as a Twilight;

Martin I havn't got listed as yet - would you like to play an Eclipse to round out the group?

If anyone wants to switch around or more information please post here, email, phone or whatever. Or we can work it out next week.

I have to go to work now so if there are questions, or I think of more, I will post later.

TTFN
Sam

• Dave, playing Dawn (The Forsaken) Caste Follower "Kavod" [male]
• Kim, playing Twilight (The Unclean) Caste Singer "Dazzel" [female]
• Chris, playing Zenith (The Blasphemous) Caste Warrior Priest "Shalpeng" [male]
• Wayne, playing Eclipse (The Deceivers) Caste Shamanic Defender "An Mo" [female]
• Martin, playing Twilight (The Unclean) Caste Blacksmith "Master Vulcan" [male]
• Paul, playing Night (The Wretched) Caste Noble Rogue "Kane" [female]
  

I shall make sure those without their charms completed have them done for next week. If any of you want any changes to your character now is the time to let me know before we get too far into this!!!

I shall also make sure I have a few extra characters gen'ed in case the group gains anyone on a temporary or permanent basis.

Next post will be a recap.

Sam.

We started our Exalted game with three main areas:

- Kavod (Dave) alone in the Scavenger Lands somewhere between Great Forks and Denandsor, battling whatever evil and nasties got in his way.
- An Mo (Wayne) and Vulcan (Martin) travelling away from The Hundred Kingdoms westwards in search of the dark-skinned one of their visions.
- Shalpeng (Chris), Dazzel (Kim) and Kane (Paul) all in the Mule Stop bar in the Hexagon district of Lookshy. Dazzel was entertaining, Shalpeng was being vain and Kane was being, well, shifty and arrogant.

---

Kavod defeated a Wood Spider easily enough and is now looking for a new place to rest for the night. We'll assume you find somewhere safe.

An Mo and Vulcan have made camp around their fire having crossed a hefty river and then dried themselves and their gear.

Kane caused a ruccus in the Mule Stop then succeeded in passing the buck.

Dazzel did her stint singing and then watching, listening with interest. We'll assume she (and the rest of the performers) retire to the bar's rooms until the next day.

and Shalpeng drew attention to his being an Anathema in the bar but luckily Lookshy can be a forgiving place to an extent. Shalpeng stays till late, then wanders back to his lodgings.

---

So we still have separate groups, but that's fine by me

Until next week..!

Little side note: Have checked out the combat system, which is quite different from 1st edition and OWoD. While the system may take a while for DnD’ers to get their heads round, as it is slightly more tactical which affects both your attacks and defence, looks like it could work quite nicely.

(08-09-2009 10:58 AM)Jon Peacemaker Wrote: [ -> ]Little side note: Have checked out the combat system, which is quite different from 1st edition and OWoD. While the system may take a while for DnD’ers to get their heads round, as it is slightly more tactical which affects both your attacks and defence, looks like it could work quite nicely.

I personally find the system for multiple attacks and ticks quite good. Along with the 'penalty' for two-weapon fighting. Though I can't compare to old editions, compared to New WoD it's quite frankly crap (WoD that is, not Exalted)

Second edition Exalted combat emphasises more on cinematics and stunting over just simply hitting something. White Wolf added a nice little mechanic that rewards descriptive combat which translates into recovering essence or, if the description is really good, willpower.

The combat system in general works like a well oiled machine. Each action has a number of ticks which determines when a character can act again. This interval is typically 5 for most actions however there are circumstances where the delay is more or, in the case of Dragonbloods, less.

Can i just say , normaly im against men playing female characters . But in this case i choose the name An Mo which translates from chinese as dark spirit and it was only afterwards it was pointed out it sounds like a womans name . I couldnt be arsed to think of another name or put up with the piss taking for the next couple of weeks so i decided to make the charatcer female .

Wayne

Week two.

Well, this week saw much hilarity ensuing between An Mo and Vulcan but also some rather nice roleplay from them! Well done Vulcan for keeping your calm when all about you was a storm. Are you sure you are not the spiritual one and An Mo the Blacksmith!??

An Mo and Vulcan met up with Kavod and tentatively joined forces. They know there is supposed to be more people in their group, but they don't know who or how many, just that they need to head west, and by heading north they can catch a river barge to make that journey easier and quicker.

Meanwhile, in Lookshy, Kane sits and watches then runs off to the docks to go to the next town despite the fact she's pretty damned sure this is the correct place to be.

Elsewhere in town Dazzel intercedes into the affairs of Shalpeng (rightly so) and strikes up conversation, only to discover a joint purpose in finding a baby and some more of the travelling party they dreamed of. Where to next? and who are they looking for? Well, Dazzel is fairly sure about that last one but all she knows is the woman in question headed down the road in a rickshaw....

Week three.

Shalpeng was played by the GM for the evening as his character needed to be included in plot - in future any single player missing becomes the archetypal cardboard waste-of-space! lol

Shalpeng and Dazzel sleuthed their way to the ship with Kane on board and booked passage. The ship headed up the main west-east river through the Scavenger lands and docked at Nexus.

Meanwhile An Mo; Vulcan and Kavod got passage from their area down river and also pulled into Nexus at, by some weird old twist of fate exactly the same time and pretty much next to the other ship.

Realisation dawned. The two groups merged into one and they hired a conference room and sleeping rooms from a nearby tavern.

The roleplay night ended near the bedtime hour with the players hoping for more dreams of lucidity and insight.......

Week Four.

Shalpeng was a cardboard cut-out for the most part, except for one instant of near-pulpification when he mentioned you-know-who but also jogged the rest of the groups memories to the dream....

It wouldn't have mattered if they had not gone after the suggested person.... it just would have taken a hell of a lot more time and that to get where they were going..!

After some nice roleplay - I especially praise Kane and Vulcan for holding back against their natures - they made their way to the home of Chouko Mui an honoured citizen of Nexus.

Chouko Mui, which translates to "Butterfly Child with No Fear" is a traveller and Sidereal. One of the Chosen of the Five Maidens (in this case Mercury, the Maiden of Journeys) he keeps this closely guarded and I think only Kavod realised the full meaning of this although Kane may grasp the basic meaning and importance inherent to this information.

[attachment=39]
(That is the actual way to write No Fear Butterfly Child in Japanese Calligraphy and how it was written above his door.)

The group are now about to board Chouko Mui's Excellent Air Boat and head North.

woohoo! I have 20 10-sided dice at last!

huzzah. heheh
Sam

Week Five.

Having taken off in Chouko Mui's Sky Ship he brought them all into the master quarter to see a map and ask again where they were headed. The group re-told about Ice Caves, presumably up North. The odd thing about the map was that it was from the First Age and showed places and cities no longer around...

Chouko Mui then explained that as payment for this passage there would be a few things he would want them to do along the way. Also they would soon be stopping for supplies at a small tribe where he had traded before. This group was very set in its traditions and he would expect no one to speak out of hand.

Each member of the party was greeted, and returned the greeting. A trade medallion was given to Kane, and Kavod acted foolishly but stubbornly.

Further into the trip Chouko Mui stopped the Air Ship over the vast and sprawling city of Sijan and pulled up slightly above and to one side of an enormous Crypt. He explained that his dead sister lay inside and he required the group to recover a Circlet from around her neck. This Starmetal 12-band item changes in size, so if it around the skeletons neck still might be fairly small.

The group huddled and talked about whether to take on this mission - in a way a blackmail by Chouko Mui for passage. Some willingly chose to go in, some did not want to but would for the group and others were not too bothered.

Kane went to talk to Chouko Mui in her usual fashion. They both then went back to the group to talk. Chouko Mui led them on deck of the ship where they discovered the city of Sijan fading into the distance. Chouko Mui pronounced he was well happy with the group, the way they act and think together and would do things, if needed, that they did not like.

The group groaned, swore and weeped.




The GM laughed.
mawhawhaw. ahem.

Hope you enjoyed that guys!! I certainly did. hehe.
Sam / Bifford

Week six.

The boat flew onwards. The group approached a Mesa on top of which was a First Age Industrial City, known for it's Jade and Iron mining. Also know for the mines having been turned into underground caverns for concerts and the like.

The circlet that Chouko Mui described previously he sad is real enough, and somewhere in one of the music hall areas. There were two possible entrances that he had found.

The group went into the one near the ship and encountered a large bear and defeated it rather easily. They then went to the other which was a large structure that some of the group mistook for a temple. It was actually a Entrance hall for the underground concert area.

Brains were needed rather than brawn to enter unto these underground passageways.

They proceeded down, and through caverns and came across a hall with personal chambers off it. One of which belonged to Chouko Mui's sister during her last performance there. They eventually gained entrance and found the circlet.

The group managed to leave with one item of value each and the ship flies onwards toward Icehome.

Week Seven (this was last week as of this post)

Minus Martin, Wayne and effectively Kim (though she turned up she was shattered)

The group landed in Icehome. Chouko Mui said there was a physic they should go see called Tanala'Ce.

Mistress Li, Kavod & Shalpeng went first to one of the two Guard/Message towers whereby Mistress Li used her feminine wiles to entire and allure Sub-sergeant Vishnor for information and future knowledge of any new information. She left her coat behind as a hook.

The three then made their way towards the area where Tanala'Ce abides. They asked an old Crone where she was and got nowhere, except that Kavod got eyed up. Using the threesomes "abilities" they stopped a young girl and Shalpeng flirted, got the information they needed as well as a date with the young lady, Saleese, at their pub at 8pm.

Shalpeng and Kavod entered Tanala'Ce's house while Li stayed outside. They were bid to sit and drink. Meanwhile Li was coaxed into entering through a different entrance and joined them. Once inside Tanala'Ce "analysed" their dreams, bringing them into cohesion and explaining that in each dream a flame-figure could be seen in the background of each. She further analysed Kavod's dream in regards to the foggy part of his dream.

The three went back to the Cold Snap (pub) and Shalpeng made himself ready for his date. The group waited the young lady and she entered with the the Crone at her heels who turned out to be her mother. Shalpeng chatted to Saleese and the crone tried chatting to Kavod. Master Vulcan then entered and joined the group (ref action) and the crone proceeded to switch her amorous behaviour from kavod to Vulcan. The men and the girl and her mum retired to one room, and the groups women to another. Vulcan made out with the crone while Shalpeng explained to the disheartened Saleese that he could not possibly partake in any physical action with her while her mother was in the room. This "talk" lasted some while. Meanwhile Kavod sat on his bed grimacing, or is that grinning, at Vulcan's actions with the Crone.

Week Eight.

Minus Martin. Introducing Sam as a new character (whose name most of the group still do not know) Pang Lo.

The next morning the "ladies" have left shortly after waking up. Vulcan and Shalpeng wash (the others may have also). After much discussion, and after bringing the members of the party who did not visit the psychic up to date the party head downstairs.

There is a crotchety bent-backed old man sitting uncomfortably at the bar perpetually drinking hot water. As the group come down they see a tall dark haired lady finish talking to the man and then leaving (along with her man-servant). Mistriss Li is fairly certain it was their psychic contact from the day before. The group decide that they should go sell some of their "items" that they gained recently and then buy provisions for their trip. Master Vulcan and An Mo stay to order breakfast for all and to eat their own.

The rest of the group (Li; Shalpeng; Dazzel; Kavod) head to the guard tower previously visited and are told by one of the watchmen where to head to sell their items. Across town they go into the Emperor's Emporium and sell three items for one hell of a fecking lot of Jade.

Kavod has a thought!!!!!!!!!!!!! (gasp) Airship!

After a slight inconvenience with a door and someones face, Kavod gets pointed "upstairs and over that way!" for to find Airships.

The group decide to go back to the Cold Snap, eat and decide what to do next.

Back at the Cold Snap tavern some hilarity ensues. The old man at the bar mutters a few replies to the overheard conversation and claps also at some of the brilliant deductions (sarcasm) certain group members come to. For some reason he is invited to join the group for breakfast!!

Most of the food has been eaten by An-Mo in their absence, so more is ordered and An-Mo and Vulcan are told to eat! eat! eat it or else! An-Mo has no problems with this but master Vulcan does and refuses. Kavod picks up the plate of food and hurls it at Vulcan who ducks and barely misses getting covered in food. The old man, who is sitting next to Vulcan and in the line of fire expertly ducks, easilly avoiding the food.

The group decide they want to buy an Airship. Preferably metal.
At that moment Sub-sergeant Vishnor turns up with a package and asks Mistress Li to take a short walk with him. She agrees and it turns out he has had her coat (that she left behind) dry-cleaned and mended. She flirts a bit and is thankful and then asks if he knows where they could buy an Airship from. He tells her at Madame Akiyuoyou's, that she should say Vishnor sends his greetings, and that she likes Turkish Delight.

The group set off for Akiyouyou's, buying some expensive Turkish Delight en route. After an interesting start they get to see holographic displays of the Airships and discover nothing really suits their needs. At then end Li passes over the Turkish Delights and Akiyouyou suddenly remembers she has a ship just out from repair that they could hire. The group decline.

The group then heads towards the docks to hopefully hire the ship Li has previously gained information on. We leave them en route to the docks. Old man in tow.

Week Nine.

(Full compliment of players and welcome Emma as replacement to Wayne playing An-Mo)

The group head towards the docks but find themselves down an unfamiliar street with the end of their road blocked by crowds of people cheering half-heartedly. An Mo and Pang Lo peel away from the group to look at the distraction. An Mo sees a parade of soldiers then gets fireman's lifted back to the group by Kavod. Kavod returns for Pang Lo and does the same and on his way into an elevated position he too sees the soldiers.

They go up stairs to the top level and enter a tea-room. Shortly after soldiers enter and demand to know why the group isn't by the road-side cheering and clapping. Mistress Li does her usual social thang and Kavod does his usual threatening thang and soon all hell breaks loose culminating in all bar four of the soldiers being dead. (Two were outside and ran off to inform their superiors. Two were escorting Pang Lo to the crowd, then got called back by Mistress Li, then got told their boss told them to go do their usual thing. This confused them, but they left. Though they may wish they had died once their superior finds out the full story.....)

The group scarper and head to the docks where Master Vulcan makes enquiries about ships for sale or use. Mistress Li does similar in a more casual manner. They eventually find a ship going East to Iron Fall that can take them for payment in coin and repair work by Master Vulcan.

The group board ship and that's where we leave them.

Week Ten.

(Full compliment)

On board ship to Iron Fall the group are all (bar Master Vulcan who is down in the hold doing repairs) in a group playing cards, watching or similar. They have a group vision, which is quite fuzzy and indistinct and a lot of what is gained is through sound rather than sight. The general gist of it is thus: a room in a hospital with a woman giving birth then the door being smashed open and everyone being killed and a man standing over the mother and baby, killing her then trying to kill the baby and failing. Twice. He then leaves with baby and they hear the voice of the Flame Lady saying "He survived and has been taken."

Once the ship docks and the group disembarks they stand chatting, but Dazzel slips off and sits on a bench. She re-creates the original vision she had of her in the Ice-Cave with the baby and the group. This vision is in ethereal matter around her for all to see like ghosts in daylight. It draws attention.

The group find a hotel and purchase a room and rope and wine and tea (all at Kavod's behest). The group then tie Kavod up and pour a wineskin worth of wine down his throat which he hopes will induce visions of his own. It partially works but mainly just makes him feel the worse for wear for quite a while after. While Kavod is unconscious Dazzel once more performs this time re-creating the most recent vision in the hospital. Through skill it comes through clearer than the original vision and Pang Lo (Sam) is clever enough to pick out details no one else can.

They hire a new boat to travel North and head towards Shield. However the weather is against them and while the ship will make it through the ice it wont have the speed needed to do so efficiently. The sailors start praying to their Goddesses of Water and Wind to aid them but the whisperings on the wind seem somehow unimpressed..... An Mo joins them and talks to the Water Goddess persuading her to aid them. She also tells the sailors how to better appease their Goddess of the Water. The waters calm a little.

Week Eleven.

(Full compliment)

We resume where we left off with An Mo starting a conversation with the Goddess of the wind. She had been totally forgotten by the sailors and was narked. An Mo sorted that problem and soon the ship was sailing fast and on course for Shields.

After being put ashore by boat they entered Shields, a small village comprising a series of Yurts and went to talk to the local shaman who also had the maps to these parts. Kavod and Shalpeng did not come over at all well but Li, Dazzel and An Mo made up for their lack of respect and won the map they needed as well as travel further up the coat with Seth and his huskies on four sledges.

They started the 4 day journey with ease, had a few misgivings on the way with Kavod and Shalpeng getting covered in huskie shit and pee.

Vulcan looked for tracks on the 2nd night after the camp had been set up and found some reindeer which he tried to take down with an arrow or two. The first one went totally wide, startling the deer who then started to flee. His second shot ripped through a fleshy part on its hind quarters making a nice blood trail out from its position.

Later that night, near to day-break the group are woken by a very loud noise that turns out to be a special warning call made by Seth. On investigation some rather large polar bear tracks are found which Vulcan and Kavod track. They find a family of three and set about killing them. They then try to pick one of the dead beasts up, fail, and so drag it back to camp where Kavod skins the beast and Vulcan cuts off chunks of meat for the huskies and for drying and curing.

Later that day they make it to Shields and ask for somewhere to stay and wash, and a place to sell the hide. While Li and Dazzel wash Kavod goes to the tanners and bargains for a coat made of the polar bear hide in exchange for the tanner keeing the left-overs. This will take two days.

Kavod and Vulcan also find out that there is a water-barge always ready to take them across the river to the ice-sheets so they plan to provision themselves with whatever is needed for the journey to the Plains of Pictures.

Here endeth the session.

Well, it looks as though (like all good stories) this is going to be a tale of the journey, rather than the destination...

Plains of pictures? Ya wha?? I thought we were going to the mountains