Abyssal Exalted
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| Abyssal Exalted | |
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 Exalted: The Abyssals front cover, featuring the image of the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile |
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| Designer(s) | Richard E. Dansky (Author), Michael Kessler (Author), Michael Goodwin (Author), Bryan Armor (Author), Jim Kiley (Author), Ellen P. Kiley (Author), Dawn Elliot (Author), Scott Taylor (Author), and Geoffrey C. Grabowski (Developer) |
| Publisher(s) | White Wolf Publishing |
| Publication date | April, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | High fantasy |
| System | Storyteller |
The Abyssal Exalted are a sub-category of semi-divine heroes from the role-playing game Exalted published by White Wolf Game Studio. Their powers and cultural outlook are detailed in the "fatsplat" (hard-cover sourcebook) Exalted: The Abyssals (ISBN 1-58846-665-5). The book draws heavily on another White Wolf game, Wraith: The Oblivion.
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[edit] Overview
To understand the Abyssal Exalted, one must first understand their enemies, the Solar Exalted. The central premise of Exalted is that gods have the ability to infuse ordinary mortals with a shard of their divine soul, exalting the individual into a demigod. The Solar Exalted derive their powers from the strongest of the gods, the Unconquered Sun. In terms of raw power, the Solars clearly outrank the Lunar Exalted, Sidereal Exalted and Terrestrial Exalted, or Dragon-Blooded.
Before even the gods existed, there were creatures called Primordials, who created Creation itself. There was a war – accounts differ as to why and how – and many Primordials were slain. Trapped in the Underworld, on the far side of death, they became the Neverborn, creatures of slumbering darkness. Not all of the names of the Neverborn are known, but one of the known Neverborn is He Who Holds in Thrall, the slain Primordial that holds the leashes on The First and Forsaken Lion and Princess Magnificent with Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers.
The Solars, affected by the curse of the dying Primordials, eventually became corrupt and were overthrown by the Sidereals and Dragon-Blooded. Their souls were imprisoned in a Jade cage under the sea, and for many years they almost disappeared from creations surface. However, the prison was somehow broken, and many of the Solars' souls were trapped by one (or several) minion of the Neverborn. These souls were tortured horribly for a long period of time. They were promised the ceasing of the tortures and overwhelming power if they accepted serving the Neverborn.
Integral to the rise of these fallen heroes, thirteen powerful ghosts had cast their names into the Abyss to become the Deathlords (see below), the most powerful dead beings in existence. Later, the Deathlords captured disembodied sparks of Exaltation of slain Solars and fused them into dying mortals, creating the rank-and-file of the Abyssal Exalted. Half-alive and half-dead, the Abyssals must feed on blood, raw flesh, breath or other "living" sources to survive in the land of the living.
Most servants of the Neverborn strive for the eradication of all life, whether out of a twisted sense of mercy ("Oblivion will ease the pain of living.") or hatred ("Damn them all!") or simple nihilism ("I never had this much fun when I was still breathing!"). Only a few rebel, horrified by what they've become.
The Abyssal Exalted are the exact opposites and arch-enemies of the Solars. They are the only sub-type of Exalted that can match and even best the Solars--at least in combat. The Abyssal Exalted aren't nearly as versatile as their enemies, especially in less martial areas.
[edit] Gameplay
There are five castes of Abyssal Exalted, each directly opposing a Solar caste.
- Dusk Caste. Opposes the Solar Dawn Caste. Mighty warriors who gather at the fall of night to drive back the forces of living.
- Midnight Caste. Opposes the Solar Zenith Caste. Prophets and heralds of the Neverborn.
- Daybreak Caste. Opposes the Solar Twilight Caste. Vivisectionists and necromancers who see the rising sun as a challenge to their cleverness and ingenuity.
- Day Caste. Opposes the Solar Night Caste. Spies and assassins who butcher those foolish enough to believe a sunny day will keep pure evil at bay.
- Moonshadow Caste. Opposes the Solar Eclipse Caste. Diplomats who offer devil's bargains.
All Exalted have the ability to manipulate Essence, the building-block of creation, through the use of Charms. Abyssal Charms are notoriously destructive, with ominous names such as Ebon Lightning Prana, Unfurling Iron Lotus and Artful Maiming Technique. The ghosts of the Underworld also have Charms, known as Arcanoi. In general, Abyssal Charms hinder the efforts of their opponents, as opposed to the Charms of Solar Exalted which increase their own abilities. Abyssal Exalted can learn the Terrestrial and Celestial circles of Sorcery, but the Abyssals may also master the magic of necromancy.
The Abyssal Exalted have a natural affinity for the terrifying substance soulsteel, one of the Five Magical Materials, which is actually forged from unproductive ghosts.
[edit] The 13 Deathlords
Finally, since the existence of an Abyssal is greatly influenced by the Deathlord he calls his liege, the nine of the thirteen that the writers detailed (the other four are left for the Storyteller to create) are listed here:
- The Bishop of the Chalcedony Thurible (also known as "The Shining One" and "The Great Diaconate of Silent Vespers") - Lord of the Hidden Tabernacle, a black tomb-citadel hundreds of miles to the northwest of Whitewall in a shadowland known as the Silent Meadow of Dust. He also wields the Bishop's Crozier. He plans on conquering Creation through a comprehensive worship of death. He desires to abolish Creation and destroy the Underworld, believing that Oblivion, nothingness and the silent warmth of the Void are the only true perfections. His servants include the Daybreak Caste Abyssal, The Celebrant of Blood and an ancient Sidereal Exalted who sided with the Neverborn cause following the Usurpation. His name is Ten Thousand Virtues.
- The Bodhisattva Anointed By Dark Water (also known as "The Silver Prince") - The master of the Skullstone Archipelago and the most political of the Deathlords in Creation. He also wields the grand daiklave Howler in Darkness. He is also the lord of the realm of Skullstone on the island of Darkmist, in the far northwest of the sea. His realm is unique in Creation, for the living denizens of this realm live and work side by side with the dead. The seat of his power is the necropolis of Onyx. The Silver Prince chooses to subvert Creation's forces by guile, cunning and wealth, turning regimes upon themselves and expanding his influence. His favored servants include Ebon Siaka, a Dusk Caste Abyssal who is the admiral of the Bodhisattva Anointed by Dark Water's fleets. The Knight of Ghosts and Shadows, another favored servant, was once a personal guard to the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears. In addition to his Abyssal servants, Morray Darktide, a Dawn Caste Solar serves in his fleet.
- The Dowager of the Irreverent Vulgate in Unrent Veils (also known as "Untamed Kethet of the Swarm") - She is the mistress of the Noss Fens, hundreds of leagues northeast of Greyfalls, and the Mound of Forsaken Seeds. At the foot of the Dowager's throne lies the Well of Udr. She wields a soulsteel powerbow known as the Root of Scorn. She seeks power through sorceries and has amassed an army of tens of thousands. Her favored servants include the child-like Dusk Caste Abyssal, Shoat of the Mire.
- Eye and Seven Despairs - The most reclusive of the Deathlords, Eye and Seven Despairs was betrayed by three of his most trusted Deathknights, Blood Scavenger, Chorus and Midnight (A Day Caste Abyssal) and Scar of Uproar (A Day Caste Abyssal), along with the help of his concubine, Star of Dirt and Doubt. Star of Dirt and Doubt's betrayal was a farce, however, as she warned her master and he watched from the shadows as his favored servants seemingly poisoned his body, bound him in soulsteel chains and cast him into the Void. Eye and Seven Despairs even now wears the form of Star of Dirt and Doubt and sets the three conspirators against each other. His mansion is known as Cold House and is located far to the east of Kirighast. He also wears the Fatal Arbalest of Quietus and Eclipses, a soulsteel gauntlet that encases his entire arm. As of Second Edition, two of the three treacherous Deathknights have been killed, likely, but not yet confirmed as such, by Eye and Seven Despairs.
- The First and Forsaken Lion - Lord of The Thousand, leader of the Legion Sanguinary and commander of the largest undead force in the Underworld, the First and Forsaken Lion wishes for the destruction of Gem in the Southern mountains, creating a shadowland with The Thousand large enough to lead his troops into Creation to conquer the entire South. He also holds the Princess Magnificent with Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers in thrall as his defeated servant. He also wields the grand daiklave Varan's Ruin, once the legendary blade of Varan Pen, an Exalted hero of the First Age. The First and Forsaken Lion also has two Deathknight servants, Walking on Laughter, a Dusk Caste Abyssal who commands his armies and Meticulous Owl, a Day Caste Abyssal.
- The Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears - Wielder of the soulsteel daiklave, Siren in Avern, and mistress of the Fortress of Crimson Ice in the shadowland of Gradafes in the north. She also owns the Mirror of Darkness and Lightning, a terrible artifact that can recharge Essence, but also carries a terrible price. She plans to destroy Creation by taking control of key members of the ruling houses of the Realm and inciting a violent clash among their forces. Her favored servants include the Day Caste Abyssal "Melkin Fool in Red" who is Ringmaster of the Circus Moribund.
- The Mask of Winters - The most well-known Deathlord in Creation, he has agents in the courts of many other Deathlords - particularly the courts of the Bodhisattva Anointed by Dark Waters and Walker In Darkness. He has a servant closer to Walker In Darkness closer than anyone would ever suspect, and he is waiting for the right time for that servant to set in motion events that will bring Walker In Darkness under the Mask of Winters' power. Mask of Winters seeks to solidify his power over the recently conquered city of Thorns and destroy the other Deathlords. He is the Deathlord who commands Juggernaut, a gigantic moving corpse-fortress that was instrumental in the taking of Thorns. His most trusted servants include the Midnight Caste Abyssal, Apostate in Tatters. In his previous life, he betrayed and killed Walker in Darkness. Walker in Darkness does not remember this, but The Mask of Winters does.
- Princess Magnificent with Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers (also known as "The Black Heron") - Servant to both the Neverborn He Who Holds In Thrall and the Deathlord the First and Forsaken Lion. She acts mainly as a diplomat for the First and Forsaken Lion and seeks only her freedom from his service. She also wields the Umbrella of Discord. Unknown to the First and Forsaken Lion, Princess Magnificent has recruited a Deathknight of her own, Son of Crows, but as he has not been presented to the Labyrinth and the Neverborn, he is slowly losing his grip on both sanity and his great power. Unless Son of Crows is a second attempt or just a different attempt, it's likely that "Son of Crows" is also "Water the Fields With Blood," a Deathknight chosen by Princess Magnificent with Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers that was rescued by members of the Cult of the Illuminated before servants of the Mask of Winters could destroy him. Rather or not they are one in the same has gone unsaid, but in all likelihood they are one and the same, and the information in the release "Cult of the Illuminated" is the most current regarding the whereabouts of her Deathknight.
- Walker in Darkness (also known as "The Black Psychopomp" and "Promulgate of the Cromlech Cinerary") - A young and opportunitstic warrior-priest Deathlord and the only one who will directly challenge the Mask of Winters' scheming. He wields the soulsteel great axe known as Arm of Shades Below in combat. He is the only one of the Deathlords that commonly travels throughout the shadowlands and beyond, alongside his Deathknights on important missions. He rules over his forces from the Ebon Spires of Pyrron on the barren plains of Walker's Realm. The Ebon Spires of Pyrron were built on the same spot where the House of Bitter Reflections once sat - the fortress of the Princess Magnificent with Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers. The site is cursed, however, by Princess Magnificent herself and Walker in Darkness cannot entertain living guests within his own citadel because of it. His favored servants include the Dusk Caste Abyssal Shards of Basalt to Her Army, who is a militar commander in Walker In Darkness' army. He also employs the services of the Green Lady, a First Age Sidereal Exalted who is also his wife.
[edit] External links
| Exalted | ||
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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 | Anima Banner | The Blessed Isle | Celestial Gateways | Creation | The Cult of the Illuminated | Denandsor | Elemental Poles | Essence | The Great Contagion | The Great Curse | The Heptagram | The House of Bells | The Immaculate Order | The Imperial City | The Imperial Mountain | The Lap | Lookshy | Malfeas, the Demon Realm | Nexus | Rakshastan | The Scarlet Empress | The Scavenger Lands | Shadowlands | The Skullstone Archipelago | Thorns | The Threshold | The Underworld | Whitewall | The Wyld Hunt | Yu-Shan, the Heavenly City | |
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