Exalted 3e: Shadows of the Setting Sun (Closed)

[Rykon]

Just wish it had retained the anime vibe in art, but can't have everything, I guess.

Couldn't agree more. I wish they kept the comics and art style with a few quality or consistency improvements. My only experience with the line outside 3E was 2E. I have 1E supplements but no play experience with it.

Do take note, I added the character background section. Let me know if you have any questions.

Esbilon , @Epiphany, Rykon , Sherwood , D. Rex

Here's what I had for Toun's background prior.

Toun was born the youngest of two in a family tucked away in the frigid lands of the north. With a greenfield unfit for farming, there were very few paths the tribe could take to feed themselves. Toun chose to be a hunter. With a crafty trap, he managed to bring down a moose alone by the age of 12. Since then, he had been scouted by tribal elders for his potential as a scout in ongoing raids. His unit was to stalk herds wandering away from rivals tribes. Find their tracks, follow them, and bring the kills back to feed the tribe. In certain seasons, they also turned upon their neighbors, pillaging for supplies and offered tribute.

For a time, Toun took to his job with immense satisfaction. By adolescence, he was well versed in Icewalker scouting. hunting, and survival tactics for protecting their hunting grounds and feeding his tribe. However, the Stag tribe would not soon relinquish their herds, prey, and plunder. In retaliation for pillaging trade to the satrapies, they bunkered down for an ambush. One by one Toun's unit caught blades in their bellies or arrows to the chest. So he dug into the snow, burrowing a foxhole for himself as the last means to lure his prey. His hands were numb, clothing flaked with snow, his hunting spear broken. All he had left were tooth and claw. One by one the ambushers were dragged in silence into the foxhole, throats bitten or clawed open till none remained.

He emerged from his hole, jaw dripping red with bloody slush, and thrashed the snow off his coat, settling on all fours. He felt a gentle hand sift through the layers of his now whitened hair, then his white coat. There a lady in white combed the blood from his dense fur and sang him to sleep.

So tldr; last survivor of a now dead Icewalker tribe. His goal was to form a new community as its living deity.

I see him as a brutal pragmatist when tackling obstacles and someone that highly values teamwork, loyalty, and general cohesion in his companions. Survival in the harsh reaches of the north requires everyone work hard to do their part after all.

In the campaign I played him in prior we had a mentor based in the south so I had him fairly detached. I'll have to give some thought on connections to places or people.

 

[D. Rex]

Sweet! That closes us, then!

I should have the threads up today or tonight sometime.

Excited! Glad to be getting back to Exalted. I really miss it.

Also for all of you: if you don’t mind taking a look at what D. Rex was asking for his second build idea. I’m okay with the cleansing (details to be worked out with it like I’m thinking it’s a process that can’t be repeated easily, etc.), but I want you opinions on the fact that it would bring the Mask of Winters directly into play. AND more importantly, it might put a child in danger. The child would need protecting quite a bit.

I want to call that out to make sure no one had an issue with that both in and out of game. There’s a lot of cool story and drama that can come out of that, but I don’t want any to be uncomfortable and it would bring the MoW hot on your heels.

Let me know you thoughts here while I’m working to get the threads up.

Tagging: Esbilon , @Epiphany, Rykon , Sherwood , Funnier President

To give you some backstory!

This character idea is a spin off from a previous character i had. The Doctor.

The Doctor was in Thorns and was enslaved by the Mask of Winters to work on his knights and fiends as punishment for trying to aid the people of Thorns.

Not only did he spend years in their dark employ, but abyssal in question, a prodigal Death knight of Winters, was one that he frequently put back together.

It was over time that he reached the heart of the abyssal with his stoic, helpful. And unbreakable spirit. When it came to her cleansing, it was a miracle. Filled with the surge of power from exaltation, and with her plea of redemption to the Unconquered Sun being heard, the Doctor turned her to Ash and freed her.

The Doctor knew not how he did it, and does not know how he would replicate it. But what he did know was that it was possible. Learning how to do so again would probably have been considered a "legendary goal" of his that he worked to through course of play when getting into higher levels.

In this case, I would say that it would not be something that could be repeated easily, as it could be argued that the Unconquered Sun worked through him in that instance as two of his children pushed themselves beyond of what should be.

I didn't really put any specifics into how since it was more of narrative moment than a mechanical one.

You can find the whole background here if you want to pick it apart: Doctor Zedradon


To address some potential issues. It is probably more likely the MoW is far angrier at the Doctor. Though that isn't to say he wouldn't want his soul back. It could, however, be an excuse of why the Mask of Winters is not a major antagonist. His sights are set on a more offensive matter he wants to handle personally. But could send some of his goons to bring her back instead, so the MoW wouldn't be directly dictating the story or anyone else's enjoyment.

Other options for things to draw upon, would be the Lord who betrayed her human self and wants the child, or former abyssal circle coming to rectify her betrayal, or those seeking to hunt her for the reputation she has as being a monster.



The child in the other hand, is negotiable. I don't have to have one with her. And saw it as a way to add a bit of challenge to the way she goes about things, and a catalyst to what helps her change her ways.

Caring and protecting the child would be her personal responsibility, and not something that would need to be foisted onto others (barring helpful NPCs should things get dire)



And most certainly, if it does affect others enjoyment of the change, i'd be more than happy to do something else.

 

[Esbilon]

2. The second is much more narrative heavy with more backstory to draw upon. And probably a bit of a stretch of what you may allow so would require you permission.

An exalted soul redeemed from the grasp of the Mask of Winters by the miracle of Solar Doctor.

With the help of solar Doctor, it was a miracle of the Unconquered Sun that redeemed an Abyssals soul, returning it to the light from the Mask of Winters inescapable grasp.

Given a second chance, the shard finds a wayward soul on the brink of death who has give up on life. A fiendish warrior betrayed by their Lord, regrets the villainous and brutal life she once lead. And swears to protect an innocent life that their former Lord seeks to destroy.

And thus it becomes a tale of redemption for two souls. A la vibes of Lone Wolf and Cub and Rouroni Kenshin, a seasoned killer must protect a small child. Fighting their devilish instincts to kill that they once so strongly relied on, instead tries to not let this child be baptized by blood.

A dawn of the White Reaper Style and MA excellence thingy, not only must they take care of the child, but must also try to not kill. All the while trying to deal with the consequences of their monstrous legacy and reputation.

Since WlfSamurai asked, let me say a few things about this. I don't meant to tell others how to have their fun, so I hope you don't take offense, D. Rex , but I do have some issues with this pitch.

1) While redeeming an Abyssal Exaltation is quite specifically not an impossible task in the lore, it is something that should come at the end of a long quest and take the effort of several powerful beings (Exalts, gods, demons, stranger things), powerful artifacts, etc.
2) I'm not entirely sure what you're proposing with this child. Is this a side-kick for your character?
3) Thorns is far away. It is really far away. While I admit that magic makes things easier, this is like a character from Ming dynasty China showing up in the Hanseatic league. I realise that magic does make things possible that otherwise wouldn't, but Creation is a mean to feel like a big place and incorporating plots from across it right at the get go makes it feel smaller to me.
4) I played with Doctor Zedradon before and I honestly found the experience to repeatedly break my suspension of disbelief. That's not necessarily a strike against a character who simply interacted with him in the past, but it makes me nervous.

 

[D. Rex]

Since WlfSamurai asked, let me say a few things about this. I don't meant to tell others how to have their fun, so I hope you don't take offense, D. Rex , but I do have some issues with this pitch.

1) While redeeming an Abyssal Exaltation is quite specifically not an impossible task in the lore, it is something that should come at the end of a long quest and take the effort of several powerful beings (Exalts, gods, demons, stranger things), powerful artifacts, etc.
2) I'm not entirely sure what you're proposing with this child. Is this a side-kick for your character?
3) Thorns is far away. It is really far away. While I admit that magic makes things easier, this is like a character from Ming dynasty China showing up in the Hanseatic league. I realise that magic does make things possible that otherwise wouldn't, but Creation is a mean to feel like a big place and incorporating plots from across it right at the get go makes it feel smaller to me.
4) I played with Doctor Zedradon before and I honestly found the experience to repeatedly break my suspension of disbelief. That's not necessarily a strike against a character who simply interacted with him in the past, but it makes me nervous.

No offense taken.


To address those personally.


1. That was the idea of what I wanted it to come to later on. With that first instance as something to set him in the path of discovery. Having to find a way to recreate a miracle a different way.


2. Not a sidekick. A charge. An actual child to care for and protect, and not one that would have any mechanic use or skills. I suppose you could look it as having the Flaw of a Dependent.



3. Distance wouldn't really factor much into the character, here. As there was no transport of bodies happening.



4. I can't say I really agree with you in this one, I felt I did rather well with him. And I don't really recall you interacting with him very much to get such an impression. Though I do admit my writing can be pretty slapdash.

What about him do you feel broke suspension of disbelief or could have been done better, or in general terms made things unpleasant for you? I am not playing Zedradon here, but I am not above fixing things to make things for a better experience. Constructive criticism is a valuable tool.

 

[Esbilon]

1. That was the idea of what I wanted it to come to later on. With that first instance as something to set him in the path of discovery. Having to find a way to recreate a miracle a different way.

It still happened. Something like that should be a high point of a campaign, and it should be achieved by the main characters (or at least characters the main characters have come to care about through the story).

3. Distance wouldn't really factor much into the character, here. As there was no transport of bodies happening.

Mmmm, then is there any reason for it to be the Mask of Winters? There are plenty of Northern Deathlords from whom an Exaltation could break free.

4. I can't say I really agree with you in this one, I felt I did rather well with him. And I don't really recall you interacting with him very much to get such an impression. Though I do admit my writing can be pretty slapdash.

What about him do you feel broke suspension of disbelief or could have been done better, or in general terms made things unpleasant for you? I am not playing Zedradon here, but I am not above fixing things to make things for a better experience. Constructive criticism is a valuable tool.

While our characters were not the ones who interacted the most, I still read all of your posts. He felt very much like a moden doctor who had been transplanted into Exalted. I don't want to dig through the entire backlog to point out where exactly it happened, but that was the impression I was left with.

 

[D. Rex]

It still happened. Something like that should be a high point of a campaign, and it should be achieved by the main characters (or at least characters the main characters have come to care about through the story).

Mmmm, then is there any reason for it to be the Mask of Winters? There are plenty of Northern Deathlords from whom an Exaltation could break free.

While our characters were not the ones who interacted the most, I still read all of your posts. He felt very much like a moden doctor who had been transplanted into Exalted. I don't want to dig through the entire backlog to point out where exactly it happened, but that was the impression I was left with.

1. That was mostly by design. Setting an impossible standard for him live up to. A great feat that he knows is possible but can't do again. And has to figure out how while performing under the pressure that he should be better. As well as tying in the somewhat ambitious feats the newly exalt perform that aren't always replicated mechanically at essence level 1.


2. There is no reason it has to be Mask of Winters. The reason I chose him was because Throrns was a canonical city under Abyssal control. I needed a human, so Zed was one of its citizens. So I just went with that to save the GM of any consequences of there being a second Abyssal controlled area in Creation. It could be easily retconned if need be.


3. I can see myself doing that. I can only draw upon what I know, so most inconsistencies are along those lines. I won't be playing Zedradon here. And playing a time period accurate warrior is much easier than attempting a time period accurate doctor.

 

[WlfSamurai]

I do want to address one thing. We are focusing on “The North” (which even saying that is talking about a pretty damn big area). But, let’s not worry too much about distances. What I mean is, going from Thorns to Whitewall would take time, it’s not impossible. It’s a matter of time. Spending 6-8 months traveling is a very fantasy trope and one we will use here too.

So please don’t feel that everything about your character HAS to tie into this area. Just that they probably made the trek here for a reason.

As a group of Exalts. I plan on having you decide what you’re all after together. That could be the reason you’re all in the area, too. We’ll see.

This is our little story. Let’s make it what we want.

 

[D. Rex]

I do want to address one thing. We are focusing on “The North” (which even saying that is talking about a pretty damn big area). But, let’s not worry too much about distances. What I mean is, going from Thorns to Whitewall would take time, it’s not impossible. It’s a matter of time. Spending 6-8 months traveling is a very fantasy trope and one we will use here too.

So please don’t feel that everything about your character HAS to tie into this area. Just that they probably made the trek here for a reason.

As a group of Exalts. I plan on having you decide what you’re all after together. That could be the reason you’re all in the area, too. We’ll see.

This is our little story. Let’s make it what we want.

In this case what traveled was the soul. And while I am saying that reincarnation happened soon after the soul was freed, I can't really calculate the max flight velocity of a solar soul.

But more importantly this Exalt is not from Thorns. Or anywhere specific yet. Probably the Scavenger Lands? She worked for an exalted warlord, of any really while only a mortal, still stood out as a brutal and effective tool and racked up a fearful reputation and heinous war crimes.

Do you know of anywhere that she might be a good fit for that?


Also! I can might scratch the idea of a Dependent, since I can see that being a hassle to the others.

I can also scratch the whole former Abyssal thing if you think it would rather not deal with that or think it would interfere with others.


Aside from Rykon and the ferocious Tuon, i haven't really seen others ideas yet so I'm more or less spitting in the wind.

 

[Sherwood]

In the 2e books, there were a total of 13 Deathlords mentioned, but only a handful had any details on them at all. I would have to say that it was to be able to give the Storyteller some freedom to make their own bad guys (or good guys, depending on your point of view).

 

[Funnier President]

Agreed-

 

[D. Rex]

So you all got any ideas that you are mulling over?

 

[Funnier President]

Yeah- its an extreme WIP though

 

[Sherwood]

Well, other than my background which I have percolating in the back of my head, I have a character done and ready to go. What I'd like to know is a few things about everyone else's character. What kinds of Exalted are you bringing to the table? How long have we known one another? Are we all from the north, or did some or all of us just get here?

 

[D. Rex]

Yeah- its an extreme WIP though

Wanna share? Can't be in much more of a draft state than mine. Always love hearing what sort of ideas people got.

 

[Sherwood]

I've gone the brute strength and heavy soak route with my sheet.

 

[D. Rex]

Well, other than my background which I have percolating in the back of my head, I have a character done and ready to go. What I'd like to know is a few things about everyone else's character. What kinds of Exalted are you bringing to the table? How long have we known one another? Are we all from the north, or did some or all of us just get here?

Well some of that might come once we decide on that unifying thing that binds us together. Be it a cause, a person, or a place.

That might have to wait until everybody as an idea of what they want from a character so we can determine what might best unite them.

 

[D. Rex]

I've gone the brute strength and heavy soak route with my sheet.

Woo! Get to hulk out and stuff! Are you going with a Lunar or Solar or Terrestrial?

 

[Sherwood]

Lunar, bear totem.

 

[D. Rex]

Lunar, bear totem.

Grizzly, black, panda, polar, teddy, or gummy?

 

[Sherwood]

Polar. Definitely not gummy.

 

[Funnier President]

I thinking of doing someone more assassin, if that makes sense-

 

[D. Rex]

Polar. Definitely not gummy.

I like gummy bears. Polars are a close second i suppose. Does he plan on using his fists or like a big ole foreman?

I thinking of doing someone more assassin, if that makes sense-

A pretty broad description. What sort of assassin? Long range?

 

[Funnier President]

More of a person-for-hire, and short range, most likely

 

[D. Rex]

More of a person-for-hire, and short range, most likely

I think my character could relate to being a blade for hire.

What sort of exalt are they?

 

[Sherwood]

I like gummy bears. Polars are a close second i suppose. Does he plan on using his fists or like a big ole foreman?




A pretty broad description. What sort of assassin? Long range?

She's got a nasty spear.