Lytek was, like most work days, sitting behind his desk. The God of Exalted stroked his white beard after penning a recommendation for a Lunar Exaltation, reviewing his work. Satisfied, the grandfatherly god smiled, and put the letter in his filing cabinet, where a copy would be instantly made and transmitted to Luna. A knock came on his door, and Lytek looked up. “Come in,” he called, raising his hand to both open the door and ready the chair, all without standing. He moved his piles of papers to the sides of his desk, ready to meet this visitor. But it was not a visitor, but his assistant and daughter, Lysidore. “Father!” She said, rushing into the room. “We have an emergency! A whole circle of Sidereals were killed!” Lytek's eyes bulged. He stopped himself from asking details - he could learn them after his work was done. On cue, he heard five thumps in his locked cabinet. The Exaltations had arrived. “Here,” he said to Lysidore, reaching under his desk and offering his cleaning implements to her. “Help me prepare them.” The graveness of the situation pulled down her excitement. Father had never asked her to help him in his duties. Not like this. She grabbed the tools and pulled a few files from the top of his short stack, labeled “Sidereal Exaltation Candidates.” Lytek unlocked his cabinet and five small will-o'-the-wisps floated above his hand. Amber, cerulean, crimson, emerald, ans violet - one for each of the Castes. Pure Essence, empowered by the Five Maidens of Destiny. “Quickly,” he said, “there should be some Dragon-Blooded ready to be lifted to the stars.” In a frenzy, Lysidore spread out and looked down at the files she pulled. All were dynasts of the Scarlet Empire. “The Bronze Faction will have something to say-” “Not when it's this many at once,” Lytek grinned, his white beard moving with his cheeks. Grudges from the Solar Purge still persisted among the gods, especially he who was held back from his duties. The blades of Sidereals held Lytek in check as the Solars extracted and imprisoned his charges. It was a gamble for Lytek, but potentially denying one Dragon-Blooded for the Bronze Faction to steer was worth it. Even better if this Sidereal-to-be did not join the Bronze. Besides, four more Sidereals would join. It will be noted one was a dynast, but it will not be an outrage. Lysidore strained to recall the last Sidereal pulled from the Dynasty. It was quite a few centuries ago now… She shook her head. Time to review. She took one of the Exaltations in her hands and began to inspect it, scrubbing away abnormalities that came from beyond Creation. She read the candidate profiles…
>A descendant of the Scarlet Empress will take her first breath today, as both a mortal and a Sidereal. Her power will not awaken until she has come of age but it will be there, growing along with her.>Which of these dynasts will become part of the Fivescore Fellowship?>1. Cynis Marija >2. Sesus Kunika >3. Peleps Cordela >4. Nellens Odessa >5. Mnemon Rika >6. Write-in or name swap>Which Caste will she be? >1. Journeys. -Life is a journey. Chosen of the Maiden of Journeys are marked by an insatiable wanderlust, a burning need to go and see. They are Heaven’s foremost couriers and messengers. Their Caste Abilities are: Resistance, Ride, Sail, Survival, Thrown.>2. Serenity. -Life is pleasure. Chosen of the Maiden of Serenity see the potential in the world to be a good and joyful place. They are Heaven’s foremost priests and celebrants. Caste Abilities: Craft, Dodge, Linguistics, Performance, Socialize. >3. Battles. -Life is a battle. Chosen of the Maiden of Battles are always at home on or near the battlefield, or in those places where war is planned or prepared for. They are Heaven’s foremost strategists and tacticians. Abilities: Archery, Brawl, Melee, Presence, War. >4. Secrets. -Life is a mystery. Chosen of the Maiden of Secrets are drawn to knowledge, particularly knowledge that nobody else has or that nobody wants them to have. They are Heaven’s foremost spies and oracles. Abilities: Investigation, Larceny, Lore, Occult, Stealth.>5. Endings. -Life is a series of endings. Chosen of the Maiden of Endings possess a keen understanding of the finite nature of things, and often an appreciation of the fragile beauty of all that is temporary. They are Heaven’s foremost assassins and funerists. Abilities: Athletics, Awareness, Bureaucracy, Integrity, Medicine. >Keep in mind: Martial Arts is considered a Caste Abilities for all Castes.
>>6355291>5. Mnemon Rika>4. Secrets.Neat an Exalted quest. There was one a little while ago where it became a GSP quest, it was pretty fun.
>5. Mnemon Rika>4. Secrets.
>>6355291>4. Nellens Odessa>2. Serenity.
>>6355291>5. Mnemon Rika >5. Endings.
>>6355291>Mnemon Rika>Secrets
>>6355314I was influenced by Dragon Rising, hence the inspiration for my start to this quest! >>6355325>>6355372>>6355378>>6355439The winners are: Mnemon Rika, and Secrets Caste. We gonna be sneaky and occulty!
>>6355291It is Realm Year 744. The Blessed Isle is at peace, for the home of the Scarlet Dynasty has never been invaded. Not while the Empress rules from the center of the world, and not while her Great Houses. For they have all seen war and intrigue. The shouts of battle are not heard, but screams echo through a Mnemon mansion tonight. A small battalion of wet nurses and aides move frantically about the estate, gathering items and readying for the delivery of the babe. House Mnemon estates are usually places of peace and contemplation, whether in pursuit of sorcery or religious understanding. No such serenity can be found here at the foot of the Imperial Mountain. The mother’s screams reach a crescendo. A new dynast is born, joining House Mnemon with cries. Healthy and hardy, say the doctors, as the mother holds her daughter. No one notices the pale green star fly above in the night sky. ~~~ You are raised as a Dragon-Blooded, and as such, expected to take your Second Breath. As a child of five years, you don’t fully grasp the idea, but can feel the importance of it. The adults become serious when you talk about it. Your nanny and tutor become grim, especially when your mother comes by to see how you’re progressing. You tell her of all the things you do: reading, writing, playing, running, jumping. Learning was your favorite, and sneaking up on the servants or house cats was always fun. Then, one day, your nanny introduces you to someone. Someone who is also a child - your whole life you’ve been around adults, taught by adults, served by adults. But here was someone your age. “My name is Scarlet Cricket,” she said, bowing to you formally. “I am honored to serve you.” That was odd. Friends don’t serve… But maybe it’s different because you’re Dragon-Blooded.You don’t dwell on it. You bow back to her like she is your equal or of higher status. The nanny and Cricket both look at you in surprise. “My name is Mnemon Rika! Would you like to play together?” Her answer is yes.You spend the days together, growing up. Your predilections become more apparent, your raw talent more obvious.>Which Attribute category is your Primary? Your secondary? Arrange the following three in the way you want to vote, with the top being primary, followed by secondary: >Physical>Mental>Social
>Also please vote for Rika's appearance once she's a Sidereal and in Yu-Shan.
>>6355588
>>6355589
>>6355585>Mental>Physical>SocialI presume magic path is best with mental first
>>6355585Support >>6355593 for the stat arrangement.I'll go with >>6355588 for the appearance.
>>6355585The last Mnmon that I knew was Jet, so lets avoid the socialmancer>MentalPhysicalSocial>>6355589This is dope
>>6355627I miss Jet every day, but yeah I think a different path will be nice. I'm pretty torn on the appearance. On the one hand redhead, on the other hand brown with white hair is so hot right now.
>>6355630Ya ever get one bit of media that convinces you "THIS" is the cool guy of the setting?It was jet with the green sun princes for me. Fuck the solars.anyway, there is elf or mutated dragon horns, which way modern man?
>>6355634How can a man choose between his left eye or his right? Meditation will bring the answer.
>>6355593Not only is Mental good for it, but us being Chosen of Secrets is also stereotyped as the sorcerer type. >>6355634Oh yeah. I should've said that the horns would be left out, my bad :(
>>6355640Meditation just got a whole lot easier.Now. . spy or oracle. . or oracle-spy, a spying psy Oracle
>>6355589Its a hard choice but I'll support this look>>6355640I figured it was with occult but good to know for sure. No worries on the horns lol.
>>6355585Since she likes learning>Mental>Social>Physical
>>6355585>Mental>Physical>SocialNeet chudette that is better at beating people up than talking. High wis, standard strength, shitty Cha >>6355589I like this one>>6355630Bro I fucking loved the quest and where it was going... Literally making a whole state from the ground up, away from everyone and that crazy trip to Hell was crazy as fuck, I just didn't know shit about Exalted lore and every but of demon lore was awesome.
>>6355589It's brown elf for me king
>>6355844Me too man. It was really memorable and my first good look at Exalted stuff. I still recall putting in the write in for a letter to that family out in the boonies and we got a crit on that. Managed to get Jet's sister a sweet spot working for them. The write in to ask the demon bug for secrets and then the vote for his destiny. The developing romance in his arranged marriage, unless his sister was bound to win by virtue of oath to never abandon him lol.The demons were really neat. The blood drinking apes, the trash eating stick bug thing, our headmate. The bouncing betty construction demon was very funny. That trip to Hell was wild. Probably should have just killed that Elf Fae w.e rather than cripple it lol.
>>6355585>Social>Physical>Mental>>6355590This one
>>6355855I was hoping that we maybe would go far enough to get into some war or conflict with another noble, and have Jet personally bringing a whole as band and a bunch of Demons to fightMan... Such a shame
>>6355933If I had to guess it would have been that noble we met in the city where Jet danced in front of everyone. Indeed, I hope that QM regains his strength so we can continue. I wonder how that deal with Lilith was going to go after that whole arena fight. At first I thought Jet was just gonna get his ass kicked lol.
>>6355933>>6355934Gentlemen, while I think we have all expressed a mutual admiration of a fine piece of media, It really should be said that glazing someone elses qst inside a different one is rather tactless.Especially when generally unrelated to the vote at hand. So lets focus on the Mnemon Rika
>>6355951Yeah thats a fair point lol. Well then I have no idea how Sidereal magic/charms will be different. Presumably we'll grow up in the Realm and attend all the fanciest dragon-blooded institutions for a while with a focus on sorcery and the occult. Also sneaking around to find even more occult knowledge. Blast people we don't like with some kind of elemental magic though I'm not sure which if any we'd be inclined to.
>>6355958I know that sidereals get weird and wacky martial arts.Like stuff you can only learn asleep or something, that might be cool to spec into.The question does become, do we double down on spy or sorcerer?
>>6355960Weird and wacky martial arts huh. That does sound neat but doesn't exactly inspire confidence. At the same time maybe thats really fitting for whatever destiny a Sidereal actually has.I'd probably wanna focus on sorcerer. This Maiden of Secrets stuff seems to be the stereotypical sorcerer branch of Sidereals. Mental should be our highest stat, and a Mnemon should have pretty good access to the knowledge we'd want I think.That said theres no reason our magic can't also buff our spying. Having funny little demons to snoop around. If we can't win an argument do we wanna punch them or prank them with demons and magic to get even.
The winning array is…! >Mental>Physical>Social And our appearance is the brown skin kunoichi. Also found this art with an alternate outfit on her as well! Honestly, I’m happy to see you guys discussing anything Exalted, even another’s quest. I suppose this is a good a time as any to throw up the rules, which I stole from yet another Exalted quest. We’re using a modified version of the Lady Blackbird system. It's a dice-pool-based, (x)d6, roll 4 to get success, X number of successes met by difficulty means passing the check.The variant revolves around three features: Traits, Virtues, and Powers. Traits refer to raw ability, learned skills, and passive, innate powers. They form the base of your dice-pool. Each [tag] that applies to your action with a relevant Trait adds 1d6 to your pool. Most tags fall under the Attribute and Ability categories of vanilla Exalted. Virtues are your defining characteristics. If Traits determine what you can do, your Virtues determine who you are. Channeling a Virtue does a couple of things: it adds 1d6 per point for any dice-pool related to that Virtue for the rest of the scene, and it restores a mote of Essence. There is a downside to channeling a Virtue: you can only have one operating Virtue in any scene, and once invoked, you’re locked into that ‘mode’ until the scene lapses. Furthermore, your Virtues can be used against you: if you behave in a manner inconsistent with any of your Virtues while that Virtue is active, you gain a point of Limit. At 5/5 Limit, bad things happen. Powers are just that: cool things you can do. You begin with two main powers of your choosing, and can learn more. In vanilla Exalted, these are Charms or Artifacts. Limit represents your psychological well-being. Your body heals quickly; your mind, less-so. When you hit 5/5 Limit, you’ve reached a psychological breaking-point as stress and trauma take their toll. Your behaviour becomes erratic and excessive, and you are not in control of yourself. You become fixated on the last Virtue that triggered the condition.Limit Breaking is not entirely bad, however. When you Limit Break, your Essence regenerates to full (5/5), and you lose any Conditions you might have hampering you.Limit can be purged only by Limit Breaking, or by behaving in a manner exemplary of the invoked Virtue of a scene.Essence is the measure of your stored magical might. It regenerates naturally at the rate of 1m/day, but this can be hastened by invoking Virtues, restricting yourself to light labour, or performing a number of rituals. Outside of being spent on activating your powers, Essence may also be spent at the rate of 1m/+1d6, or 2m/automatic success. This is probably much less efficient than using the relevant power.
>>6355585You and Scarlet Cricket grow into a curious duo. While always willing to help you, Cricket being a slave was different for you. You treated her more like a companion. You always took the lead and she only rarely left your side.”Why do you always follow me, Cricket?” You asked her one day. She took a moment to think. “I am your slave, my lady. I was instructed to.””But why?” You dug further, your curiosity blinding you to Cricket’s discomfort. “Fear of punishment. Working somewhere else, far away from you.” You leveled your gaze at her, green eyes searching. “I want you to find an answer that truly resonates with you. I don’t like all the etiquette and ‘talk to people these certain ways’ lessons.” You stick out your tongue in mock disgust. “I enjoy studying and history lessons. Climbing trees and hiding frogs in Gardener Jiao’s basket.” Both girls chuckled at this - it was one of their favorite pranks for the reaction Jiao would give. “I want you to do things because you like them.” At the time you didn’t know, but the question would haunt the young slave girl throughout her life. ~-~After the morning lessons and practices in self-defense in the yard, Nanny Atsu called you and Scarlet Cricket in for lessons on the Immaculate Faith. She gave a more broad overview, leaving out the nursery rhymes and childhood versions. Atsu knew you were a year away from going into primary school. “What are the Five Elemental Poles?” She asked, unfurling a large scroll depicting the Creation. She placed down pins for you both to use.”Earth is easy, we’re right next to it!” Cricket took one of the pins and placed it over the Imperial Mountain. “Wood is the East, past the Scavenger Lands,” you speak, placing the pin to hold down the old scroll. “South is where Fire lies. It sounds pretty there.” You put down another marker. “Air is in the North! It’s cold and windy and snowy… Air aspects can use lightning too, right, nanny?” “That’s correct, Cricket. But all Dragon-Blooded can use every element, just each one has a favored element.” You grin. “Lightning is cool! Fast and free and no one sees it until it wants to be seen!” You place down the last pin. “Water is in the West. Being able to walk on water or breathe in it would be so cool…” “Very good, girls,” Nanny Atsu smiles. “The Five Dragons placed those poles to hold back the Wyld. All of Creation would be nothing without them, their work, or their bloodlines.” “The Great Houses!””That’s right, Lady Rika. The Dragon-Blooded are the most enlightened on earth, and so must guide Creation. That is the purpose of the Scarlet Empire and its Dynasty. We are the spiritually pure and righteous of the world.”
>>6355992“Are you a patrician, nanny?” You look up at her curiously. “Oh, no, my child. I meant ‘we’ as in the Empire overall. Spirits do not control our territories nor do the Anathema prey upon the mortals. This is the duty of the Dragon-Blooded.””Dragon-Blooded,” you whisper to yourself. Your older brother, Setod, had already taken his Second Breath, becoming like the lightning you aspire to. “So it’s my duty to protect the Realm and the satrapies?” The nanny smiled. “Yes, my lady. That is why you do everything you do everyday. The lessons, the practices. All in preparation for adulthood. You will play your part in the empire, whether as a warrior, a sorcerer, or a dignitary.”This was not news to you. These were expected of you, and for you to take your Second Breath. But the gravity of duty fell upon your shoulders. You understood it, truly comprehended it. >A Virtue stirs within you, Mnemon Rika. Which of the four resonates with you? The choice will be given 2d6 for when Virtues are used for rolls.>1. Valor.You are brave and courageous. You may be afraid, but you steel yourself regardless. You will face the horrors of the world. You are the lone mortal wanderer in the Underworld, unafraid of the dead that try to lead you astray. >2. Compassion.You are empathetic and forgiving. You think of the mortals outside of the sphere of the Realm’s strength and feel for them. The suffering of the people cannot be ignored. You are as tireless and boundless as the sea in your care for the fellow man.>3. Conviction. You are true to yourself and stubborn in your beliefs. You are iron-willed to the outside world, wanting to forge it to your ideal rather than what it is. Your will is the rock that withstands the typhoon. >4. Temperance. You are clear-headed and in control. You are easily able to look at situations objectively and take the most rational course of action. You are the soaring eagle navigating the world of turmoil.
>>6355994>4. Temperance.
>>6355994>>3. Conviction.
>>6355994>ConvictionI will always support conviction. Doubt is healthy, but must be battled. A weather vane for a guide is. . displeasing.>>6355963So I went looking and found this example for sidereal martial arts, reserved for themSidereal Martial ArtsAll Sidereal Martial Arts require the Sidereal to have mastered a full Celestial Martial Arts style.General Sidereal Martial Arts CharmsMartial Arts StylesBorder of Kaleidoscopic Logic Style attacks identity and perception of reality.Charcoal March of Spiders Style enables practitioners to ensnare, transform and devour their foes.Citrine Poxes of Contagion Style grants mastery of disease: of the body, of the spirit and of Essence itself.Obsidian Shards of Infinity Style holds a mirror to Creation and breaks it.Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Style controls the flows of Essence itself for attack and defense.Quicksilver Hand of Dreams Style turns battles into nightmares.Sapphire Veil of Passion Style controls passion and desireScarlet-Patterned Battlefield Style grants command of motion and conflict.I got it from this site but here's specifically the link on Sapphire Veilhttp://exalted275e.wikidot.com/sapphire-veil-of-passion-style
>>6355994>3. Conviction.>You are true to yourself and stubborn in your beliefs. You are iron-willed to the outside world, wanting to forge it to your ideal rather than what it is. Your will is the rock that withstands the typhoon.
>>6355994>3. Conviction.We are right. Others are wrong.>>6356022Dang those do sound pretty great, or just crazy like if Quicksilver just pulls their nightmares straight into reality lolt. Good thing our physical stats should be decent. Sapphire Veil does look cool, and fit with the big scarf of the art.
>>6355994>2. Compassion
>>6356022Kaleifoscopic Logic and Charcoal March are easily the nuttiest ones out of the bunch.The first lets you punch someone so they start perceiving time backwards until they are unborn mentally. The other lets you punch niggas in the reality so they turn into whatever you want
>>6356115Wack, I don't know what I would pick lol
Voting is still open but I'll be busy with work til mid afternoon tomorrow, due to work. Have a good day, guys!
>>6356022>Border of Kaleidoscopic Logic Style attacks identity and perception of reality.
>>6356060+1
>>6356206this isn't a vote my dude.it's just the sidereal specs.
