How Conspicious is magical travel

[LaFreeze]

I'm trying to figure out the best way for the Mastah and crew to travel across creation. I don't think they are type to horse and cart it like Misho's group. I was wondering how much attention does various forms of travel get in Exalted? Conjure the Azure Chariot is only a Terrestrial level spell that allows for some quite impressive movement across the world and one would assume their are a fair number of Terrestrial level sorcerers in the world, but does this sort of travel instantly grab people attention or it is just a little out of the ordinary in the world of Exalted?


What would you say is the best way to travel regularly about creation fast over vast lengths without getting pulled over by another Exalted or getting noticed by a spy for heaven as something odd which needs to be looked at?

 

[Virjigorm]

I would say that in the Second Age, magical and sorcerous travel are very conspicuous, but not necessarily all that dangerous in most parts of Creation. Mortals will see the glowing chariot race across the sky and be awed and cowed. They will not shoot at it, however, lest some Prince of the Earth change course to come crush them.


If the characters were being tracked by the Wyld Hunt, being seen this way would leave evidence of their passing.


If the Sidereals are using the Loom to track the characters, any significant use of Essence will draw attention. I consider any scene in which an iconic anima flares to be significant enough for this type of tracking.


You might consider spells like Cirrus Skiff, or vehicles like Haslanti Air Boats as less conspicuous options. An air boat enhanced by Solar Craft and Sail charms would be awesome.

 

[Cryoseraph]

It's also important to note what the group might want to use to travel and to where they go. Air travel can go anywhere, while horses only go on land, and regular ships on water. If they all work for Kimbery, I'd strongly support working with some kind of boat, maybe even a living one of some sort (ride in the belly of the beast!) Also, there is some sort of Infernal charm (name escapes me) that allows travel to and from Malfeas via a desert or other place of desolation (Cecelyne based), meaning a trip from one corner of creation to another may only be 10 days total (5 to Malfeas, 5 from Malfeas) if you stick to the sands. Or make up a Kimbery equivalent (why would The Sea that Marched not use the ocean?) and sail anywhere in 10 days.


On top of that, bad-ass hell-tech motorcycles (First Age knockoffs) could really kick-ass, at least for the Mastah. Way more than some piddly spell would for style. Why worry about stealth when you can kill most things out there? The world is big, so live large or go back home to hell.

 

[Captain Hesperus]

My Twilight has a pretty handy one-Terrestrial trick.


First he casts Unbreakable Bones of Stone on himself, then uses Stormwind Rider. Anyone intercepts him, he simply acts like an elder Earth-aspected Dynast, i.e. seriously pissed at getting delayed by some minor mundane irritation that would normally be beneath his notice. Works every time.


Captain Hesperus

 

[josiah42]

My Solar party had a Twilight sorcerer that knew Circus Skiff (large cloud, Celestial level spell) that could carry the whole party. She was friends with elementals and so would usually use the geographic context to cloak them as a normal cloud. Near ground and ascending Mount Meru, she'd get elementals to make large fog banks that they'd move through almost invisibly. I also started them off with the "Tomb of Five Corners" scenario so they had access to gates to Nexus, Meru, and the four elemental directions. So there are flashy forms of travel and stealthy forms of travel. Unfortunately, the Loom is kind of a trump card for all of it and so basically the Sidereals book says to ignore the Loom if it's inconvenient for your game.

 

[Teln]

Wait, the Loom can be used for rapid magical transit?

 

[LaFreeze]

Hmmm thanks for the feedback. I think I've figured out what I'll do at least for the first story arc.

 

[Revoke]

Wait, the Loom can be used for rapid magical transit?

I can't think of a way the Loom of Fate allows you to travel quickly. He might be thinking of the heavenly gates, which allow incredibly fast travel over large distances. Not only are the gates much closer together in heaven, but it's easy to cross Yu-Shan quickly.

 

[chalicier]

He means in terms of travelling stealthily. Virtually all fast travel methods could be tracked using the Loom.