Questions, Double Time

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dgiannantonio

New Member
A pair of questions/ideas for ya'll.


First is simple. Is Solar on Solar love the equivalent of Incest? I know that the Lunars were the mates of the Solars, but did the US's kiddies get it on with each other? Was it frowned upon, or no big deal? Has anyone done anything with this in their game?


Second, I was contemplating running a Solar, of undetermined caste but with a martial bent (maybe Dawn or Night) who has some, through an artifact or some such, been bonded to a Dragonblooded. It seems the artifact ties the two together, so that they can seldom be far apart from each other, and if "unnatural" death strikes one, it strikes the other. Of course the two don't like each other, but are now forced to work together. Any ideas on how this would work in game, what kind of artifact, and how any of you ST's would feel about it?
 
dgiannantonio said:
A pair of questions/ideas for ya'll.
First is simple. Is Solar on Solar love the equivalent of Incest? I know that the Lunars were the mates of the Solars, but did the US's kiddies get it on with each other? Was it frowned upon, or no big deal? Has anyone done anything with this in their game?
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Umm, were the Solars siblings in normal life? If not...then no...
 
There is a Siderial Charm similar to what you propose, but it does not do the death part, unless you want to tweak it so.  I can't remember the name at the moment, but I had a Solar with a Gold faction lover who cast it on the two of them.  It lets you draw on the other's essence and willpower at will (the DB will love that) and damage is spread out between the two.
 
I've always viewed Lunars as the 'proper spouses' of the Solars; some Solars may actually decide to marry each other (or a Siddie, or even a DB), but it would certainly raise a few eyebrows.


 Now, bed partners? Anything goes, from elemental dragons to purple sheep. Then again, with a Lunar, that's not always an issue...
 
Lunar and Solar isn't reallly the right way; it's just a better way. It balances the two exalt types so that they don't get antagonistic. Solars don't have to marry Lunars, in any way shape or form. It's just seen as somewhat more blessed a union.
 
I think FA Solars and Lunars probably had formal marriages to each other, almost universally, but also probably fucked anyone and everyone they wanted.


-S
 
I still don't see how Lunars were counterparts to Solars, unless they were dramatically different in the First Age.  They have the shape-shifting stuff, but is that enough for a counterpart?  It seems like it was just thrown in because it sounded good, but otherwise it makes no sence.


Not that it matters in the current age, and I don't think it was ever given the force of a binding oath or anything even in the FA.
 
uteck said:
I still don't see how Lunars were counterparts to Solars, unless they were dramatically different in the First Age.
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They were dramatically different. They had five Castes, no tattoos, and the Silver Pact and its ideology did not exist.


-S
 
Stillborn said:
uteck said:
I still don't see how Lunars were counterparts to Solars, unless they were dramatically different in the First Age.
Click to expand...
They were dramatically different. They had five Castes, no tattoos, and the Silver Pact and its ideology did not exist.


-S
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But has any of that been explained?  Or it buried in a sidebar in some book I have not read?
 
uteck said:
But has any of that been explained?  Or it buried in a sidebar in some book I have not read?
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The Lunars book covers the losing of Castes, the tattoo rituals, and the formation of the Pact. Since that all happened after the Ususrpation, one can infer it was quite different before that.


-S
 
I don't have any real basis for this, but I've always thought that the Solar/Lunar pairing was designed to create someone for the Solar who's (theoretically) always in her corner, and is competent enough to be of real help.


 Another Solar? Potential competition. A Siddie? A bit too busy...plus there aren't enough of them. A DB? Pssh...get thee behind me, slummer.
 
If you want to come up with a rationale for the pairing, this is what I've come up with on the fly.


Solars are bright and big, grand and glorious.  They dominate everything they do.  They can't help but be the best at what they do, and the best is what they're known for.  This gives to the Solars a sense of self-importance that could be called arrogance if it wasn't deserved.


The Lunars, on the other hand, are more subtle.  They change and adapt to the needs of the moment rather than trying to bend things to their will.  They stop and wait and consider things because they'd have to more than the Solars would because they have a lot more to lose since they don't have the sheer power of a Solar.  Even an experience Full Moon would realize this as even the most ferocious wolf would have to stalk carefully and quietly to get his prey.


The bright blinding light of the Unconquered Sun can't help but being anything but that, even if it's for the worst.  The ever-changing face of Luna, on the other hand, can find as many solutions to a problem as they have shapes.  Together, they balance each other out.


You want a simpler explanation?  Solars are Superman and Lunars are Batman.  Together, they balance each others' weaknesses and foibles and become a force that can't be beat.
 
What failing of Superman's does Batman compensate for? That rare instance when kryptonite's around?


-S
 
They fought together, they died together. Both are in one way or another the brightest and best. No surprise they were attracted to each other. The US and luna surely supported this as these bonds made their army stronger.


Superman? Batman? Generally I'd just avoid superman like the plague for a roleplaying game... getting out kryptonite in every story gets old very very fast.
 
Thanks for all the replies and info, as well as Batman/Superman references. I'd like to redirect everyone back to the second question, since it will be getting some play soon.


  As I mentioned it will be an artifact that binds the two  Exalts in life and death. When unnatural death (murder, combat, poison, disease) takes on of the Exalts, it will take the other. Composed of Starmetal, Orichalcum and Jade, it resembles a pair of rings connected through a starmetal chord. When it is activated though, the cord vanishes, connecting the duo by fate. I have had some ideas for first age use (for rehabilitating and transporting criminals, as well as a way to bring DB's and Solars closer) but nothing concrete.


  It will have no attunement cost, and will be a plot point more than anything, but beyond the death penalty aspect, I was thinking of the following abilities.


- The bonded pair cannot be farther than 400 yards apart, or they will literally run into a brick wall.


- One can always tell the location and general area of the other when they are apart, as well as the general health (fine, sick, hurt, dying)


- Their wilpower pools are cobmined to form a single one that they both can draw from


- Though physical damage does not harm each other, they do feel the effects.


Does anyone have any other suggestions? Comments? Ideas on Artifact rating? Additionally, should it count towards the flaw "Dying"?
 
I wouldn't make the range be a hard thing.  Past 400 yards, they start piling on difficulty from the pain, the longing, whatever you want to flavor their bond with.  


Every five minutes to a half an hour, they spend further apart, they take one level of Bashing damage, unsoakable.  Hours apart and that might convince them to make nice with each other--or you could just pile on difficulty to all actions until they are returned.  This way, a rival could incapacitate both by removing one from the other--yes, they can borrow from one another, but of course, it has a cost.


Which is perhaps less than the potential for damage that you get when they start hitting bricks walls, and wind up getting either pulled or pushed to death by an enterprising enemy.


If it's used to transport prisoners, that means one of the two can remove the bond.  Who gets the "good" end?
 
No, if it's used to transport prisoners, it would be more secure if the handler didn't have the ability to remove it. These are, after all, Exalted prisoners. Someone else entirely has the prison warden's key, if the characters are very resourceful and lucky they might find a lead on where it's gone.
 
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