Alchemical Exalted
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The Alchemical Exalted are a sub-category of semi-divine heroes from the high fantasy role-playing game Exalted published by White Wolf Game Studio. Unlike the other five types of Exalted, they were invented after the game's core rulebook was published. They first appeared in "Crusaders of the Machine God," a 40-page adventure from the softcover book Time of Tumult (ISBN 1-58846-655-8). They were later given their own "fatsplat" (hard-cover sourcebook) entitled Exalted: The Autochthonians (ISBN 1-58846-681-7).
[edit] Overview
Autochthonia (pronounced "aw-toh-THO-nee-ah") is actually the gigantic body of the Primordial known as Autochthon. Millions of his worshippers, divided among the Eight Nations, live symbiotically inside his biomechanical body, which is located Elsewhere, outside of Creation.
Within a week of birth, every citizen is fitted with a soulgem, a crystal that is implanted in the forehead to facilitate the recycling of the wearer's soul upon his death. There are a finite number of souls in Autochthonia, which has kept the population stable throughout the millennia. Recently, however, the mechanisms used to recycle souls began to malfunction. Now, the Autochthonians must prepare to wage a Locust Crusade against Creation to harvest souls and stocks of the Five Magical Materials.
The citizens of Autochthonia are grouped into three rigidly hierarchical categories. The lowest class is the Lumpen. The Lumpen are divided into three subcategories:
- Slaves: the most vicious of offenders, who have their soulgems and most of their souls removed, as well, leaving them barely sentient;
- Exiles: violent criminals who have their soulgems removed;
- Social outcasts: free-thinkers who have three circles tattooed around their soulgem.
The middle class is the Populat; all members of this class have round onyx soulgems. Its subdivisions include:
- Aides: elderly, injured or pregnant workers assigned to light duty;
- Laborers: the mass of the Populat;
- Shift Chiefs, Foremen, Supervisors and Sub-Directors: progressively skilled managers;
- the Director: the most important member of the Populat in any given city.
The upper class is known as the Tripartite, and is split into three branches. The first branch is the Olgotary, or government. All members of this branch have a rectangular, orange topaz soulgem. Sub-castes include:
- Plutarchs: city planners;
- Regulators: police;
- Adjudicators: judges;
- the Autocrat: the temporal ruler of a city.
The second branch is the Theomachracy, or state religion; they have square, blue sapphire soulgems. Their ranks contain:
- Lectors: preachers;
- Preceptors: heretic-hunters;
- Clerics: theologians;
- the Celebrant: the spiritual ruler or bishop of a city.
The third branch of the Tripartite are the Sodalities, who oversee all technical knowledge. They have diamond-shaped purple amethyst soulgems. The five subdivisions are considered equally important, as they work together to maintain Autochthon's body; every city has a Council composed of the highest ranking members of each of the five Sodalities:
- The Glorious Luminors of the Brilliant Rapture: lighting technicians, associated with orichalcum;
- The Illustrious Conductors of the Consecrated Veins: oversee the delivery of air, water, food and raw materials; associated with starmetal;
- The Pious Harvesters of the Hallowed Flesh: recyclers; associated with jade;
- The Prolific Scholars of the Furnace Transcendent: blacksmiths and repairmen; associated with soulsteel;
- The Meticulous Surgeons of the Body Electric: trouble-shooters and healers; associated with moonsilver.
[edit] Gameplay
The five Sodalities, working together, create the Alchemical Exalted, the champions (but not rulers) of Autochthonia. These Exalted are built from scratch, with the soul of a hero implanted in a many-faceted diamond soulgem. Alchemicals range in size from six feet tall to thirty feet tall; the most powerful of them may be mistaken as warstriders, giant magical suits of armor. There are five castes, each of which is loosely associated with a character trait:
- Orichalcum Caste favors strength;
- Soulsteel Caste favors stamina;
- Starmetal Caste favors wisdom;
- Moonsilver Caste favors cunning;
- Jade Caste favors versatility.
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| Types of Exalts and other Magical Beings | Solar Exalted | Abyssal Exalted | Infernal Exalted | Lunar Exalted | Sidereal Exalted | Alchemical Exalted | Terrestrial Exalted (The Dragon-Blooded) | Raksha (The Fair Folk) | Dragon Kings | God-Blooded | |
| Major Magical Beings | The Primordials | The Yozis | The Neverborn | Gaia | Autochthon | The Unconquered Sun | Luna | The Five Celestial Maidens | The Five Elemental Dragons | The Deathlords | |
| Five Magical Materials | Orichalcum | Moonsilver | Jade | Starmetal | Soulsteel | |
| Signature Characters | Solar Exalted: Dace | Yurgen Kaneko, the Bull of the North | Panther | Samea | Arianna | Harmonious Jade | Swan Abyssal Exalted: Maiden of the Mirthless Smile | Lady of Darkness in Bloodstained Robes | Seven Degreed Physician of Black Maladies | Disciple of the Seven Forbidden Wisdoms | Prince of Shadows | Falling Tears Poet Lunar Exalted: Lilith, the Owl Woman | Strength of Many | Magnificent Jaguar | Anja Silverclaws Sidereal Exalted: Shepherd of the North Star | Iron Siaka | Crimson Banner Executioner | May Blossom | Chejop Kejak | Black Ice Shadow | Sad Ivory Terrestrial Exalted: Tepet Arada | Mnemon | Cynis Denovah Avaku | Sesus Rafara | Peleps Deled | Sesus Nagezzer, the Slug | Tepet Ejava, the Roseblack Alchemical Exalted: Stern Whip of Industry | Fair-Spoken Rishi | Excessively Righteous Blossom | Unhesitatingly Loyal Weapon (?) | Lissome Avid Engineer Infernal Exalted: Lintha Ng Hut Dukantha The Raksha: Lord Kazour | Neshi of the Double Whips | Subarto | Dilari of the Sea Foam | Nlassa of the Lion's Mane | Laughing Boy | Shikuzi the Weaver | Judge Nehemeth The Mountain Folk: Kravah |
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| Exalted Universe | The Scarlet Empress | The Blessed Isle | Creation | The Threshold | The Scavenger Lands | The Underworld | Yu-Shan, the Heavenly City | Malfeas, the Demon Realm | The Imperial City | Denandsor | Lookshy | Nexus | Thorns | Shadowlands | Whitewall | The Lap | The Imperial Mountain | The Skullstone Archipelago | Celestial Gateways | The Heptagram | The House of Bells | Elemental Poles | Rakshastan | Anima Banner | |
| Source Materials | Sourcebooks | Novels | Comics | |
