Five Maidens (Exalted)

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The Five Maidens are characters in the world of the role-playing game Exalted. They are powerful Incarna.

[edit] Overview

In the beginning, there was nothing but chaos and the Primordials, from whom all Creation sprang. They created the world and all things in it. When they had created everything that they had intended to create of the natural world, they created the Incarna and hosts of lesser spirits to serve them and maintain Creation while they played their Games of Divinity. Chief among the Incarna that was created was the Unconquered Sun. After a time, the gods grew discontent with their servitude and they rose up against the Primordials to take their place and play the Games of Divinity for themselves. Unfortunately, the gods could not lift a hand against the Primordials, and so the Unconquered Sun said to the rest of the gods, "Let us take men and give them the favor of the gods and use them as our champions against the Primordials, that we might overthrow them and play for ourselves the Games of Divinity." The other gods agreed and so the Unconquered Sun, along with Luna, the Five Maidens and the Five Elemental Dragons created heroes to fight against the Primordials, those touched by the Unconquered Sun being chief among them, then Luna, and then the Five Maidens.

These five deities are second in power only to the Unconquered Sun, though Luna is rightly considered an equal. It is rumored, that each Age is ended by the death of one of the maidens, who will be replaced by a new one as required by the new Age.

[edit] The Maidens

First of the Five Maidens, Mercury, the Maiden of Journeys is associated with activity and travel. She is a patron to merchants and travelers, those who are curious and those who are easily distracted. She herself is known to be fickle, but of all the Maidens she is the most involved with Creation and its constant goings-on. Her astrological house is the Golden Barque of the Heavens, which includes the Captain, the Gull, the Mast, the Messenger and the Ship's Wheel. Her color is yellow-gold.

The second of the Five Maidens, Venus, is the Maiden of Serenity and is the goddess of happiness and joy in life. She is known to carry on trysts with other gods and even some mortals, and it is often a subject of debate whether she loves mortals or simply loves to use them. Her astrological house is the Cerulean Lute of Harmony, which includes the Ewer, the Lovers, the Musician, the Peacock and the Pillar. Her color is sapphire blue.

The third of the Five Maidens, Mars is the mistress of war and strife and the Maiden of Battles, and though the Unconquered Sun is the greatest warrior among the Gods, Mars may be the greatest general. Her Astrological House is the Crimson Panoply of Victory, consisting of the Constellations of the Banner, the Gauntlet, the Quiver, the Shield and the Spear. Her symbol, a stylized sword and shield, is the universal sign of an armory or weapon smithy and her color is crimson. She is often depicted as an armed woman with short red hair, wearing red lacquered armor.

The fourth of the Five Maidens and the Maiden of Secrets, Jupiter is the eldest and most mysterious of Five Maidens. She is said to know the allotted span of every mortal thing, of even the Gods and Creation itself. Indeed she spends much of her time studying the Loom of Fate, measuring its threads and working with her sister Saturn to bring release to those threads that have run their course. She is associated with wisdom and learning, but also with spying, stealth and secrecy. Her Astrological House is the Forbidding Manse of Ivy, consisting of the Constellations of the Guardians, the Key, the Mask, the Sorcerer and the Treasure Trove. Her color is green, and she is depicted as handsome rather than beautiful, with a measuring rod in her hand that is used for measuring the length of threads on the Loom of Fate.

The fifth and final of the Five Maidens, Saturn is the Maiden of Endings and she works with her sister Jupiter to snip the threads of the Loom of Fate when their appointed time has come. Perhaps the most feared of the Maidens, she is not only a god of death but of renewal and change, and sweet, final release. Her astrological house is the Violet Bier of Sorrows, which includes the Corpse, the Crow, the Haywain, the Rising Smoke and the Sword. Her color is deep violet.

Exalted
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
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
Source Materials	Sourcebooks | Novels | Comics