[Exalted: Actual Play] The Garden of Jade Roses

[Kasumi]

Actually, it's not actual play yet, but it will be soon, and I figure since I've started to prepare, I figured I'd begin an Actual Play thread to impel me to add content to it.

So, this is the Actual Play thread for the sequel to my Sidereals game, wherein amazingly prodigious Dragon Blooded children will attend a bizzare and esoteric school while engaging in ritualised duelling societies for the Destiny of the Shogun. Obviously inspired by Revolutionary Girl Utena ^_^



To start things off, I'll post some of the notes I'm compiling, which is really a draft of advice/social contract for my players, but if you're looking for Real Actual Play, come back in a month or two ^_^

[Kasumi]

The Garden of Jade Roses - Notes.



1. The assertions of NPCs and organisations are just that. Nobody will be telling you the unblemished objective truth because nobody comes equipped with it. Everyone has an agenda. Everyone is subject to making misinterpretations, and everybody is getting misinformation to some degree. The degree to which this pushes you towards paranoid mistrust of everyone around is entirely your own affair - certainly many in the Realm and Yu-Shan alike take such an approach!

As a political game, there are no absolute truths at stake or discoverable here. The school itself gives a very Sidereal impression of the reality of Creation, but one need look no further than the agenda of Azure Blossom for an explanation. The Sidereals themselves, while inarguably people of extraordinary ability, have proven themselves to be driven by short-term political agendas in the past, and willfully resistant to the suggestion that their analysis of a situation might be incorrect. While the Sidereal members of the Garden's Faculty are (necessarily) few, they are absolutely affected by the Great Curse.

So when someone tells you they're better than you or know far much more than you, remember they're pushing their own ego or agenda, not revealing some grand truth.

As a particular note, for those of you very familiar with the Exalted setting, I'll be making a particular effort not to make any statements about the setting in this game - if something is happening contrary to your expectations or desires, it should be because you're having a disagreement with how an NPC is shaping matters, rather than disagreeing with me. While I may or may not agree with the NPC in question, you should be able to do something about it, or at the very least have an appropriate target for smouldering resentment. Where possible, everything happening will be the result of tools extant in the setting - though given custom charms and the powerful allies many NPCs are able to call on, that still leaves me with a lot of slack :) For instance, you might find a lot of what goes on at the school contrary to your normal expectations of how the Dynasty functions - rest assured it will be contrary to the expectations of many of the students and their parents, and the fact that it's happening at all is due to the investment of certain resources by the Faculty - whether those investments are wise or necessary remains to be seen.

2. Heroes. This word will likely get thrown about quite a bit. By default (OOC more or less), we're talking a "classical" definition of Hero, which has no particular moral component, referring instead to pivotal, exceptional individuals who are larger than life. This status carries with it a well-known mechanical benefit (stunts, 10s as two successes and a full compliment of Health Levels). This is a real state in the setting, and most people are aware of it - it's likely the Faculty has a definitive list of the students that are Heroic from the appropriate Celestial office. However, the term "Hero" will also be slung about for a variety of purposes not matching this definition - such as by the Faculty to refer to the Dragon Blooded children of particularly spectacular destiny who become Duelists, or by virtually anyone to enhance the reputation of someone they find politically convenient. While your characters will absolutely match both the definition and the Faculty's usage, remember point #1 when people use this potentially loaded word, even about you.

In general, I'll be avoiding morality - I'll be presenting many heroic characters, with their virtues and failings open to interpretation. Make common cause with Mnemon and bitter enmity with House Nellens if that is what you feel best - you're opinion on who is virtuous and who is corrupt is as worthwhile as anyone elses'.

3. Combat and other character abilities. While it's by no means unusual for my games, this is a game in which combat will play a pivotal role. Assuming the plans of the Faculty to have you engage in ritualised duels for the Destiny of the Shogun aren't derailed early, you can expect any investment in combat ability to be worthwhile, and at least *some* investment to be necessary. However, your opponents will be young Dragon Blooded, some less powerful, some prodigies of considerable ability, but no veterans. Nobody is planning to have you fight Celestials (even if you make enemies who scheme to ship you off to the Wyld Hunt, they'll let you graduate rather than yanking you out of the classroom and tossing you into hand-to-hand combat with Miyako). There will be no Deathlords, Second Circle Demons, Fae (unless something really cool pops up in the relevant book, but even then we're talking cameo) or other staples of Celestial combat. Even if you end up being ambushed outside the duelling fields, find yourselves fighting monsters or an out-of-control demon, or some other unforseen scenario, these fights will not have the same stakes - they will not affect your quest to become Shogun.

This is, of course, subject to the survival of the Faculty's plan. While my plan for the progress of the campaign is nearly identical to Azure Blossom's, I have vastly less confidence in its success than she.

Given the game's setting, social prowess and other tools of intrigue (investigation, bureacracy and larcency spring to mind) should also be very worthwhile. They should be useful in both their own contexts, and also in materially affecting the duels themselves. However, you will need to be more proactive with these abilities than combat ones - that is to say the opportunities to use them will not be signalled so clearly, though I promise to support them. They may even be more potent than combat abilities, though they're not quite as "safe" in terms of guaranteed payoffs.

Other abilities I will not promise to support, but I will be receptive to proactive use. If you want to invest in Ride and Sail, make sure you have ideas about how to get value out of them, because I won't guarantee opportunities. You will need to make opportunities for yourselves - I will do my best to be receptive, but some (like Survival) are going to be tall orders.

As for character creation, you're pretty much normal Dragon Blooded - don't use the rules for child characters, you are spectacular prodigies with exceptional destinies. Don't feel burdened by the idea of making a "well rounded character" - specialists are easier for me to GM, and you're supposed to become rounded at school, not start that way! Try not to step on each others' niches.

4. Motivation. Everybody else has an agenda - you should have one, or be on the way to getting one! Having an interest in the power of the Shogun is important (but you don't necessarily need to want it for yourself), and it should be believeable for you to work with the other characters rather than NPC cliques - while I could just have Azure bundle you together and mutter something about auspiciousness, I promise that the other cliques will most certainly try to take advantage of any disunity. That being said, there's no necessity for it to be all happiness and light - your bond only need last until the other cliques are defeated (if anybody is uncomfortable with the idea of other PCs possibly stabbing them in the back in the final session and making off with the Shogunate, now would be the time to speak up).

Of course, it's not necessary for you to be entirely sympathetic to the Faculty's plan, though admittedly there's a lot in it for you.

5. Current Events - I haven't absolutely decided how long after the defeat of Pherenike the game begins, but I'm thinking five years. In many respects it'd be helpful for me to have a fair bit of time between the games, but I'd prefer for events to be still shaping, the great forces of the world still gathering, so that your characters can rise to meet them in time. The Realm's grip on the world has been greatly weakened, but not shattered - the rise of Cathak Cainan to the throne under the auspices of the Gold Faction was, in the short term, an excellent move, a powerful stabilising force, and while he went about the process of stabilisation, he reluctantly put aside any expansionist ideas - as a result, the other powers of the world turned their attention to other matters, like the long process of recovering from the final months of the Tourney of Gossamer and Brass (it's also likely the Electrum Faction has been a stabilising influence on Creation, but I can't really speak for them). However, as clever as enthroning Cainan was in the short term, his star is in Saturn's House now, and there is a growing feeling in Yu-Shan that Lucita and Azure elevated him mostly because Kejak wouldn't. In the Realm, the mighty see that behind his iron-hard facade, the Emperor is fading, and they begin to mobilise. Mnemon and the Roseblack are among the most probable leading figures in the race for the soon-to-be-empty throne, though Cainan's elevation was a shock to many, so no-one can be discounted.

The Realm is most assuredly riddled with corruption and decadence, and stands on the brink of civil war. The Scavenger Lands, the Near South, Halta and the lands controlled by the Bull of the North are resurgent, growing mighty under Solar leadership, but those who say the Realm is fundamentally rotten and the Solar governance virtuous are generally the Solars themselves or their adherents. Both circumstances could be easily seen to be a result of the Empresses' leaving the throne and the unhibited exercise of Celestial power. Some in Yu-Shan feel that the Gold are compounding the mistakes of the Bronze rather than repairing them - Lucita is demonstrably allowing the Immaculate Order to decay, but shows no evidence of having taken the extremely widespread and often intense faith of the peasents into account.

Much of this is unknown to your characters, of course. In general, children and young adults are expected to be more attentive to the task of making themselves into model servants of the Realm than to the vicissitudes of current affairs, and as such are kept somewhat sheltered, at home or school (and the Garden is *very* isolated). Furthermore, it is all subject to point #1 at the top of this document, and hence news reports are not always reliable, and frequently conflict. Cathak Cainan is considered to be an honest man, but the seat at the head of the Thousand Mazy Paths does not permit absolute honesty - and who knows what sorcerous influences prey on whom? At the beginning of the game, you will have at best a sheltered knowledge of the world plus whatever conflicting threads of information you've gathered yourself - but if you're serious about becoming Shogun, you may want to give thought to learning more.

6. Altered Backgrounds:

Command becomes Groupies - you've attracted a permanent following from the hordes of fickle hero-worshippers at the school. Generally they're not spectacuarly useful in a physical sense, but arranging for them to be present gives you a guaranteed social bonus in appropriate circumstances (great for ridiculing people or stirring oration, not so great for intimate seduction), usually dice equal to the rating of Groupies you can get to show up.

Connections generally goes to school societies/clubs etc rather than elements of the Realm - these will generally be more useful.

Backing is generally not available.

7. Classes. There are two types of classes - conventional classes for the aquisition of mortal mastery in an area of endeavour, and special classes for the Dragon Blooded to attain Charms in that domain. You will find yourself already enrolled in mortal classes relating to your Aspect and Favoured Abilities, and you may choose which charm classes to attend (generally you can enrol in as many classes as you like, since Duelists do not face the same educational restrictions as everyone else). The Treasure Trove class is compulsory.

There are 25 seperate classes, curiously named after archaic astrological designations, as are the specialised classrooms in which they are taught:

The Ordeal of the Mast - The Mast - Endurance
Stables of the Fleet Messenger - The Messenger - Ride
Flagship of the Victorious Captain - The Captain - Sail
The Inescapable Hardship Rendered as Ship's Wheel - The Ship's Wheel - Survival

The Resplendent Peacock Gallery - The Peacock - Craft
The Oubliette of the Ewer - The Ewer - Dodge
The Thrice-Mazed Pillar - The Pillar - Linguistics
The Musician's Podium - The Musician - Performance
Teahouse of the Indiscreet Lovers - The Lovers - Socialise

Magnificent Hall of the Banner - The Banner - Presence
Menangerie of the Thrice-Forged Shield - The Shield - Resistance

Key Ensnarled in Meticulous Webs - The Key - Investigation
The Lair of the Unsleeping Guardians - The Guardians - Larcency
The Winding Shelves Holding the Treasure Trove - The Treasure Trove - Lore
The Three-Tiered Garden of the Sorcerer - The Sorcerer - Occult
The Hidden Tabernacle of the Mask - The Mask - Stealth

The Fields of the Rising Smoke - The Rising Smoke - Athletics
The Inauspicious Eyrie of the Crow - The Crow - Awareness
The Haywain Entombed - The Haywain - Bureacracy
The Hopeful Pyre of the Corpse - the Corpse - Medicine

The Fivefold Petal-and-Thorn Dojo:
The Gull - Thrown
The Quiver - Archery
The Gauntlet - Brawl
The Spear - Melee
The Sword - Martial Arts.


This school is more than a little odd.


More later (tomorrow, hopefully), including the all-important duelling rules. Just to note, each of the above classrooms doubles as a Duelling Field.

[four willows]

Dude.

[braincraft]

The incest and powermongering are already built in. It's like the two were made for each other!

[Inquisitive_Englishman]

2. Heroes. This word will likely get thrown about quite a bit. By default (OOC more or less), we're talking a "classical" definition of Hero, which has no particular moral component, referring instead to pivotal, exceptional individuals who are larger than life. This status carries with it a well-known mechanical benefit (stunts, 10s as two successes and a full compliment of Health Levels). This is a real state in the setting, and most people are aware of it - it's likely the Faculty has a definitive list of the students that are Heroic from the appropriate Celestial office. However, the term "Hero" will also be slung about for a variety of purposes not matching this definition - such as by the Faculty to refer to the Dragon Blooded children of particularly spectacular destiny who become Duelists, or by virtually anyone to enhance the reputation of someone they find politically convenient. While your characters will absolutely match both the definition and the Faculty's usage, remember point #1 when people use this potentially loaded word, even about you.

*frantically scribbles down notes*

...


What? Some people consider blatent plaguerism a form of flattery. ;)

Anyway, it sounds positively inspired. I'm looking forward to hearing how it went in a few months.

[Kasumi]

The incest and powermongering are already built in. It's like the two were made for each other!


I'm thinking a randomised relationship table would be appropriate, though weighted towards incest, same-sex and nasty neomah habits* rather than away ^_^




*No moral judgement passed on any of these activities. Neomah love is nothing to be ashamed of!

[Kasumi]

Anyway, it sounds positively inspired.


It is - inspired by a better understanding of Exalted. It may look like I'm working on the 101 very slowly, but reaserching what I've done so far has developed my understanding of the game enormously, and hopefully this game will benefit as a result.

[Ubermonkey]

This sounds extremely cool. I look forward to more.

[some guy]

Hmmm... Kasumi is again presenting us with glorious Exalted coolness.

*looks at clock* Well waddya know, it is Tuesday! ;)

I'm thinking a randomised relationship table would be appropriate, though weighted towards incest, same-sex and nasty neomah habits* rather than away ^_^

*yoink* (though I wonder what my potential players will think if I start giving their character's offspring such traits as incestuous or demonphile)

[Kasumi]

Duelling Societies:


These are relatively common throughout Dynastic society and the schooling system - nobles who congregate for the purposes of duelling, to a variety of levels of organisation from close relatives to dockside brawling rings to highly ritualised, heavily political secret fencing societies. However, at the Garden of Jade Roses, they are particularly prominent (due to the tacit approval and clandestine promotion of the Faculty), and at their highest level, a bit special.

The numerous informal arrangements about the school rate little mention - they have an extremely high rate of participation, but beside the settling of grudges and issues of honour, they function primarily as an arena in which students can distinguish themselves in the hope of impressing the patrons of the Seven-Tiered Heavenly Road Society (widely thought to be the Student Council members) enough to earn an invitation to join its ranks.

The Seven-Tiered Heavenly Road is the main event - all other duelling societies pale in comparison. Its matches (between cliques of prodigious Dragon-Blooded youths) are highly ritualised, as are all its practices, and the stakes are very great indeed - not only the prestige involved, the luxuries enjoyed by the top-ranked cliques, the humiliating conditions often riding upon the matches, but the final prize is rumoured to be the power of the Shogunate itself.

Each member of the Heavenly Road society wears a distinctive duelist's ring, representing the rank of their clique. Cliques can have no more than five members, though particular prestige is accorded to the rare few who are successful with less than five. There are seven ranks of clique, from the seventh (lowest) tier to the first tier, the reigning champions (currently the Student Council). The duelist's ring bears an image of a number of celestial bodies proporianate with their rank, so a seventh tier duelist will have a single body upon their ring, while the Student Council's rings bear the image of an eclipse surrounded by the five planets. There are a number of cliques on each tier equal to the tier's number - so there are seven cliques upon the seventh tier, six upon the sixth, etc, for a total of 28 cliques.

If a clique defeats a higher-ranked clique, the duelists exchange rings. If they defeat a lower-or-equal-ranked clique, they may impose a deleterious condition upon the losers, as nominated before the duel in the negotiation phase. Duels may only occur between cliques within one tier of each other.


[Bah, lunchbreak over already? Later - the challenge rules, which are super-important]

[2trick]

Well, it's not Exalted: Maria-sama ga Miteru, like I was expecting.
But as it stands, it's quite good. Kudos.

[Kasumi]

Well, it's not Exalted: Maria-sama ga Miteru, like I was expecting.
But as it stands, it's quite good. Kudos.


What's Maria-sama ga Miteru? More inspiration is always good.

[RedFox]

Gah, I'd love to be in this game. *whimper* Awesomely cool.

[Kasumi]

Gah, I'd love to be in this game. *whimper* Awesomely cool.


You can play...but first you must defeat....THE PACIFIC OCEAN!

[RedFox]

You can play...but first you must defeat....THE PACIFIC OCEAN!

But I'm a Fire Aspect! GAH! *FWOOOSH* *fizzle*

[2trick]

What's Maria-sama ga Miteru? More inspiration is always good.

It's only the greatest shoujo-ai story of all time!

http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=667
(a full review)
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3150
(a briefer synopsis)

I thought you were making a MariMite reference because of your story title, what with the emphasis on flower imagery and complex politics. The number of seeders is a little low, but if you use BitTorrent then you should still be able to find some episodes of the show on AnimeSuki (or take the shortcut and buy VCDs on Ebay, I guess). There's also currently a sequel series running called "Maria-sama ga Miteru~Spring~."

I know far too much about this for my own good. But there you go.

[Kasumi]

I thought you were making a MariMite reference because of your story title, what with the emphasis on flower imagery and complex politics.


Sorry, Utena all the way! The power to revolutionise the world! Or, you know, stand up to the Celestials :)

That being said, I'll check the series out. Thanks for the links.

[Thunder_God]

This has both given me more ideas for a Naruto style campaign and how to format social contracts, especially the non-generic.
Thank you Kasumi :)

[Kasumi]

The Challenge:

Duels are never rostered or compelled - they occur only when one clique challenges another and is accepted. A clique may only challenge a clique within one tier of its own rank.

The challenge has a number of distinct phases:


1. Pretext

This is considered by many the most critical part of the challenge - because the Society is not a sport, and because the stakes involved are so great, duels very rarely occur without a specific reason. High-tier cliques have no interest in friviously giving up their rings, and those on an equal level generally will not face the potentially humiliating consequences of a loss lightly. However, cliques routinely enter tactically inadviseable duels, for the simple reason that their opponents go to significant lengths to motivate them to duel. If you wish to face another clique upon the duelling field, creating a pretext is essential. Particularly cunning cliques go out of their way to create pretexts between rival cliques to provoke a duel between them (those upon the First Tier often have little choice in the matter, since their only possible opponents are the two Second Tier cliques, and thus if they want to get something done through duelling, they will almost certainly have to do it by proxy).

Provoking a challenge or acceptance of challenge is vastly helped by the fact that, where possible, the Faculty want the cliques to settle their differences on the field rather than through appeal to school rules. While, owing to the favourable treatment all duelists get from the Faculty, it is almost impossible for a non-duelist to get a duelist reprimanded for their behaviour, duelists attempting to have the Faculty correct the behaviour of other duelists have even slimmer chances. This means that cliques can use almost any tactic to incite their prospective opponents with impunity - the other cliques' sole recourse is to meet them upon the field and either take their rings or inflict a crippling deleterious condition upon them (this also means the First Tier duelists can make life a misery for anyone but the Second Tier duelists without fear of recourse).

Common tactics include the interference with or theft of possessions or lovers, the use of one's social prowess to create embarrasing rumours (which, given they're Dynasts, aren't always false) which can be traced to you or your proxy, political assaults on the clubs or societies of your opponents, bureacratic finangling with the dormatory system to have their quarters reassigned and not replaced, or the ever popular seduce-then-break-heart. These tactics are also used extensively before, during and after the challenge phase by particularly cunning cliques to emotionally damage rivals for the purpose of impairing their performance in the actual duel. Some caution is to be advised, however, since intense provocation invites particularly unpleasent loss conditions, and many cliques show a public facade that could be damaged by being seen to use given tactics.


2. Challenge

The Challenge takes the form of "The [X clique] challenges [Y clique] to a duel of honour upon the field of [dueling field] under the auspices of the Seven-Tiered Heavenly Road!" It may be delivered by any means, though public ones are considered best to maximise the chance of shame for the challenged if they refuse. The dueling field is not up for negotiation. A challenge or acceptance of challenge from any member of a clique is binding upon the entire clique. If the challenge is refused (see refusing a challenge, below), the matter ends. If not, it passes onto the negotiation phase, whether or not it has been accepted (sensibly, one should not accept until the terms of the duel are finalised, but the pretext phase frequently causes duelists to accept early in an...emotional state.

[Kasumi]

3. Negotiation Phase

The purpose of this phase is to establish the conditions of the duel, of which there can be many. The Garden of Jade Roses responds perfectly to the diplomacy of the duelists, so if they agree the duel shall take place in the rain, it will indeed rain upon the chosen field at the appointed time. How much time each side has to fortify the field before the duel, lighting conditions, the presence of an audience - many conditions can be negotiated. These have defined ranges and parameters - skillful negotiation can offer a serious advangtage, but one can't simply create frivilous or crippling conditions upon a whim.

Each duelling field has its own default and mandatory conditions. Default conditions can be changed, while mandatory conditions cannot - these are largely practical matters, as for instance the Oubliette of the Ewer has the condition "No Audience" as mandatory simply because there is nowhere within the Oubliette for an audience to safely gather.

There are two methods of negotiation, and the challenged party chooses which will be used.

The first and simplest is for the cliques to simply take turns naming conditions, with the challenged party beginning. As soon as one party relinquishes their turn (including, if desired, the very first turn), the negotiation is over. If either party names a condition that contravenes a mandatory condition of the field (for instance, requesting an audience for a duel in the Oubliette of the Ewer), their turn is wasted, and their opponents may continue normally. This method is most frequently conducted in person, though the Garden seems to honour any means that both parties are able to access and understand, including letters, proxies and charms.

The second method is a ritualised poetry condition, where each party describes the duel to come in verse. These verses are publicly read to Bright Morning Purity, a female student who wears a jade rose ring, who judges the victor (she claims impartially, certainly, the Garden itself respects her judgements), and awards them a number of blue roses according to their degree of victory. Each rose may be ritually burned to name a condition for the duel. This method is potentially the most rewarding, but is extremely risky - Bright Morning Purity seems to be impartial (and enjoys the protection of the Faculty), so guaranteeing a favourable judgement is exceptionally difficult. Mechanically, a chosen member of each clique makes an opposed Intelligence + Linguistics roll. If there is a winner, Bright Morning Purity awards them a number of roses equal to their extra successes. If there is a draw, Bright Morning Purity asks each to spontaneously compose for her, an opposed Wits + Linguistics roll - if that is also a draw, default field conditions apply unchanged. If any of these rolls botch, Bright Morning Purity invites the opposing side to her blue rose garden, where they may simply tell her what the conditions for the duel will be. If both sides botch, the duel is cancelled and both sides lose a permanent point of Reputation for their involvement in the debacle.

During this phase, one side (if lower in rank) or both (if equal) name the deleterious condition to be imposed upon the losers. This is always a single condition or tightly related group, such as "Yushoto Haruka must accompany Cathak Cainan Lysander to the Calibration Ball" or "Mnemon Venemous Rose must publicly retract her vile slander against Nellens Tsukasa while confessing that he is in fact the most desireable man in the Garden."


To be continued....

[Morsla]

It's quite lucky that all the duelests are Dragon Blooded. I can think of a few existing characters who would wreak unholy hell in a system that favoured combat and poetry... Faceless Scholar of Ash and Dust (from the Grand Bazaar game) would love the system :)

I have some very nifty character art on its way - I'll post a picture here when it arrives, if the forum allows images to be posted.

[Kasumi]

It's quite lucky that all the duelests are Dragon Blooded. I can think of a few existing characters who would wreak unholy hell in a system that favoured combat and poetry... Faceless Scholar of Ash and Dust (from the Grand Bazaar game) would love the system :)


Heh. Much of the point of the game is to dabble in the areas of the system that Celestials normally blow away with sheer might. The Society would collapse were a Celestial to join it, for their acension to the First Tier would be unstoppable.



I have some very nifty character art on its way - I'll post a picture here when it arrives, if the forum allows images to be posted.


It does indeed! There's a picture button next to the link button on the posting window.

[Kasumi]

The limitations to which the Garden will enforce these stipulations are loose but fairly well known. Reversal (and commesurate compensation) of deeds that provoked the duel is always acceptable, as is humilition, periods of servitude of up to a week (not to impose upon schooling), asking the losers to bear false witness to authorities, surrender non-artifact items or to forbear from opposing a given course of action of the victors. Anything which causes direct or highly probable harm to the losers is not acceptable, nor is sexual coersion or direct compromising of the losers' ability to contest their next duel. So "The Irrepresible Disobedience Society must act as valets to the Resplendent Lordship Coterie for one week" is fine, while "The Irrepresible Disobedience Society will allow the beasts of the Menangerie of the Thrice-Forged Shield to gnaw upon them that they may contract a variety of entertaining diseases" is not. Note, however, that the Garden gives no sign of an unacceptable stipulation other than the failure to enforce it, so particularly cunning victors might fool more gullible losers into undertaking tasks they are not required to. The enforcement is particularly vicious when it occurs, however - at the end of a day where a clique member was bound to fulfil a stipulation and did not, they lose one temporary willpower and take one unsoakable aggravated health level of damage (this fate also befalls duellists refusing to surrender their rings if required to give them up).

{Insert complete list of conditions and fields sometime soon}


4. The Duel

At the appointed time, both cliques arrive at the designated fields, and activate it by inserting their rings into the five niches on either side of the field while reciting the Society's Invocation to Valour and Honour. This activates the field, imposing any conditions not already in place.

Then the cliques fight to surrender or all opponents being rendered Incapacitated. It is a special property of the fields that while activated, none can be slain by a single blow upon them - only coup-de-gras blows against an Incapacitated opponent are lethal (and grounds for expulsion from the Garden, and hence the Seven-Tiered Heavenly Road). It is rumoured that some of the hidden fields have Conditions that change the requirements for victory, but on all currently known fields, Incapacitating the enemy or forcing surrender is the objective.

Failure to commence a duel results in the same consequences as failing to fulfil a stipulation above - the loss of one temporary willpower and the suffering of one aggravated health level of damage per full day for all members of both cliques until the duel is held. The only way to avoid this penalty is to fight the duel, or surrender your ring to your clique, relinquishing the title of duelist forever.


Notes:


Refusing a Duel

Refusing a duel requires a Manipulation + Socialise roll at a difficulty equal to the number of heavenly bodies on your opponent's rings, plus one per duel your clique has refused since your last duel. Failure results in the loss of a permanent dot of Reputation for all members of the clique, and a -1 (cumulative) penalty to all social rolls for all members of the clique if any member has no Reputation dots left to lose. This social penalty is lifted after the clique's next victory, but the Reputation dots are not returned other than through normal means of gaining Reputation.

Example: The Irrepresible Disobedience Society (third tier) challenges the Five Pillars Lordship Faction (second tier). The Five Pillars have recently refused duels from the other two third tier cliques without social sanction, and wish to refuse this one too. Since there are five Heavenly Bodies upon the Disobedience Society's rings, and the Five Pillars have refused two duels since their last, the difficulty to avoid damage to their Reputation is seven.


Hidden Fields

Many duellists search for the hidden fields rumoured to be concealed upon the grounds of the Garden - they would be a great advantage to any who discovered them, as their parameters would be unknown to any but their discoverers, hence allowing them to take decided advantage over their next opponents in the negotiation phase.

[Kasumi]

Example:

The Lance of Unconquered Deheleshen clique, one of the two cliques upon the second tier, naturally wishes to challenge and defeat the Student Council, the sole clique of the First Tier, to capture their rings and prestige. However, the Student Council does not risk its position lightly, and hence the Lance must create a pretext if they wish to attract the Council to a duel.

Hence, Yushoto Haruka gives a pointed speech on the military and political failings of the Emperor, Cathak Cainan, which as a duelist and citizen of Lookshy she is relatively safe in doing. The Student Council President, Cathak Cainan Lysander, is the youngest son of the Emperor, and Haruka knows full well that he will lose significant face if he fails to support his father against such slander. Lysander has no choice but to challenge Haruka and her clique, and does so (without consulting his clique, but they are nonetheless bound by the challenge), nominating the Teahouse of the Indiscreet Lovers as the duelling field and the time being noon the following day. He stipulates that if the Lance loses, Haruka must retract her slander and give a public lecture on the Emperor's glory. Unsurprisingly, having provoked the duel, Haruka accepts.

Knowing the reputation of Student Council Vice President Mnemon Venemous Rose as a poet, Haruka carefully avoids a poetry contest for the negotiation phase, instead chosing the safer turn-taking method. She chooses "pitch darkness" as the first condition (her clique's Dragon Armour making that condition harmless to them). Lysander chooses "Audience Present" on his turn. Satisfied, Haruka passes her turn, ending the negotiation.

Lysander, unhappy at being trapped in the duel, seduces a particularly talkative mortal girl for the purposes of spreading a rumour that not only did he sleep with Haruka, but that she pursued him, and the experience was rather dissapointing and tedious for him. This angers Haruka, but she keeps a lid on her emotions for the time being.

The cliques meet at the appointed time, and use their rings to activate the field. As the battle begins, Lysander taunts Haruka over the rumour, with his Manipulation + Socialise roll boosted not only by the positive effects of the crowd (Lysander's Groupie rating is very high), but by the Field Bonus offered by the Teahouse doubling the bonus of his Socialise stunt. Enraged, Haruka launches a vicious attack against the cunning Cathak, exposing herself to the counterattack of Ledaal Shinta, the strongest warrior upon the Student Council. She swiftly falls, and having seized the early advantage, the Student Council goes on to win.

The next day, Haruka has no choice but to recant her slander against the Emperor and give him long and detailed praise.

[Kasumi]

The Privileges of Rank


Being a Seven-Tiered Heavenly Road duellist at all largely though not totally indemnified from censure from the Faculty. The Faculty sees to it that murder, maiming, sexual assault and other extremely serious crimes against fellow students are punished by Magistrates, but other than that Duellists can and do act with impunity, checked only by other duellists.

Why, then, do the lower tiers struggle so fiercely to unseat those above? Simply put, besides the tantalising prospect of the final victory, significant benefits accrue as one climbs the ranks. This is why even cliques that would realistically acknowledge that they are unlikely to ever defeat the amazingly puissant Student Council or the Dragon-Armoured Lance of Deheleshen will nonetheless bitterly contest a fourth-tier ranking.

* A duellist always adds the number of heavenly bodies upon their ring as a dice bonus to all rolls to attract or control Groupies.

*Upon attaining a new tier, a duellist’s Reputation is raised to a certain minimum:
Tier 7: 1
Tier 5/6: 2
Tier 3/4: 3
Tier 2: 4
Tier 1: 5

This is, incidentally, the surest way to regain Reputation lost to refusing Duels.

* The Duellists of Tiers 3 and 4 share the Lodge of the Ennobled Traveller, where they have individual rooms and luxuries equivalent to Resources 4 living.

* The Cliques of Tier 2 occupy, one each, the Towers of Starlit Anticipation, which are Level 4 Manses whose Hearthstone they have the use of. They are assigned personal servants, and live with luxury equivalent to Resources 5.

* The First Tier Clique occupies the Resplendent Throne of Sixfold Victory, a Manse of Level 5 whose Hearthstone they have access to, a small army of personal servants (who are in fact Gods), and they are served Heavenly food and drink, forever after spoiling their enjoyment of mortal delicacies.

* It is rumoured that higher-ranked Duellists receive secret tuition from the Faculty using Shogunate teaching methods, that they may devote themselves wholeheartedly to the business of the Seven-Tiered Heavenly Road without becoming ignorant or shaming the Garden of Jade Roses after their graduation.

[Kasumi]

General Duelling Conditions:

Note that the default is what occurs if the condition is not specified during negotiation or by the field. It is still worth setting that condition during negotiation, even if it is to the default value, to prevent your opponents from doing so.


Lighting: (Daylight, Moonlight, None) - generally, outdoors fields can be lit, but not made darker than the time of day. Note that anima at the 8-10 level is as a torch, while 11-15 provides clear vision to 30 yars and murky to 60. Default as per hour (outside), daylight (inside).

Audience: (Present, Not Present) Default Not Present.

Wind: (None, Fog (force 1), Sandstorm (Force 9), Ice Storm (Force 19), Force 1-12 as per page 26, Savage Seas) Note that Archery attacks and balance rolls take a penalty of (Force - 5) while thrown attacks take a penalty of (Force - 6), both minimum 0. At force 9 and above, balance rolls are required on even ground - these balance rolls may use Strength rather than dexterity and take a (Force - 9) penalty. Default as weather (outside) or None (inside).

Rain: (None, Light, Heavy, Torrential) Default as weather (outside) or None (inside).

Flood: (None, Ankle, Knee, Waist) Default None.

Elemental Aspect: (None, Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Wood) Charms of the appropriate element a reduced in cost by 1 mote (minimum 1). This will pay for the elemental surcharge on a 0 or 1 mote cost charm of a different element to the user. Default None.

Virtue Aspect: (None, Compassion, Conviction, Temperance, Valour) +1 bonus to all rolls with the appropriate virtue. Default None.

Field Access: (Any amount of time from negotiation up to the duel) Access to the field before the duel. Seperate condition for each side. Default 0.

Familiars: (Allowed, Forbidden) Default Forbidden.

Summoned Beings (None, Type: Demons, Elementals, Demons and Elementals, Number: One, Two, Five) Note that Type and Number are seperately negotiatied, but both must be set if either is (turn-taking cannot finish until both are set), and neither can be set if None is. Default None.


Other Conditions tend to be field specific (like the Classrooms' property of doubling stunt bonuses for their respective abilities), and are detailed with the fields.

[Kasumi]

Social Combat in the Fields:


Social combat in the Fields is critical to the outcome of any duel. It is a property of every field that in each turn, every duellist has two full actions in a turn, their normal action (which cannot be used for social actions while on the Field), and a Social action.

This Social action does not change the charm use rules, though it does allow you to use a Simple charm with one action without losing access to the other (many silver-tongued duellists find it useful to full dodge while using Simple social charms).

The social action normally has two uses: control of the audience, and appeals to the Virtues of opponents.

Control of the Audience is handled as normal, but while in a duel, members of the Controller's clique gain half the dice bonus (rounded down) that the Controller receives.

Appeals to virtues are used to manipulate the actions of an opponent - an appeal to Valour to entice an opponent into attacking you, an appeal to Compassion to prevent an opponent from attacking you, an appeal to Conviction to manipulate them into gunning for victory rather than rescuing a beleagured comrade, and an appeal to Temperance to convince an outmatched fighter to surrender when your cliques have both fallen.

An appeal is an appropriate Social roll (appropriate to the stunt - Appearance + Presence is perfectly appropriate for wordlessly preventing a boy you've seduced from attacking you) against a difficulty of a virtue chosen by the defender (not the virtue targeted) - the defender may stunt, and the dice bonus is added to the virtue, but only essence rewards may be derived from the stunt. If the roll is a success, the defender must fail a roll of the virtue targeted, or spend a willpower, to avoid performing the action enticed towards (choose before rolling). This roll is treated as an extended action if performed on subsequent turns, and if successes equal to a target's Willpower are accumulated, the virtue roll is skipped, and they must spend a willpower or perform the action on that and each subsequent successful appeal by the attacking character. If the attacking character gets extra successes on a single roll equal or above the target's willpower, they must perform the action. If the attacking character uses their Social action for anything else, and then returns on later turns to the appeal, they must start again with no accumulated successes.

Characters who are Limit Breaking (which, as you can imagine, happens frequently) can be directed somewhat by appeals to virtues other than the one ruling their Break. They must defend with the virtue ruling their Break, and if the attacker is successful, the ruling virtue is changed.

Defence against Appeals other than by virtue is done with Retorts - an opposing social roll that adds its successes to the virtue used for defence. Retorts can be stunted, but if they are, the defence virtue cannot be stunted. A duellist cannot split their social pool to make multiple appeals, but can do so to make a single appeal and still Retort or attempt to control the audience. Otherwise, a Full Retort functions as a cascading parry. Retorts can also be used pro-actively, in which case they reduce accumulated successes on extended Appeals. No more Retorts can be made in a turn than a character's Wits. A character privy to an appeal against an ally may defend them with a Retort at +1 difficulty, but only one Retort action can benefit a single defence.

Appealing to multiple duellists via the Performance Ability or an appropriate stunt is done at the highest Virtue and Willpower of the opposition, and +1 difficulty per duellist after the first. A defender may Retort using the Performance ability or appropriate stunt, but suffers the same difficulty penalty.


In general actions induced by an Appeal should be unwise but not completely unreasonable, tactically unsound but not inexplicable. Blatantly suicidal actions are not appropriate, but extremely dangerous is fine (charging all five opposing duellists alone is out, charging one while ignoring another is perfectly appropriate).



Pre-duel Actions:

Future opponents may be targeted with schemes in order to reduce the difficulty of an Appeal targetting that issue in a duel. For instance, in the example above Cathak Cainan Lysander spreads a rumour that not only did he sleep with Yushoto Haruka, but that it was at her insistance and was awfully tedious. The storyteller ruled that this was a difficulty five rumour to spread, as Haruka is famously contemptuous of the Emperor's son, but Lysander's social prowess still resulted in five extra successes. The Storyteller ruled that these successes (the rumour's strength) would recede by one per day unless the matter became an extended social contest between rumourmongers and quashers, which given the proximity of the duel, it did not. Hence, when taunting Haruka about the rumour during the duel the next day (appealing to her Valour, resisted by her Temperance of 3), the difficulty of his roll was reduced by 4 (five successes - 1 for one day passing), eliminating her Temperance, her one-dice stunt and leaving her with only her Retort, which she fails. Scoring an amazing nine extra successes on the roll, Lysander equals Haruka's Willpower and forces her to attack him.

Generally the issue must be more recent than the opponent's last Duel (though an older issue specifically refreshed within this timeframe is appropriate), and this reduced difficulty only benefits the first relevant appeal made against a duellist. Humiliating stipulations caused by losing a duel are not valid targets, generally, though they make good stunt fodder (as do older issues, the performance of their parents in the race for the throne etc).

[Kasumi]

Audience Control:


The Heroic characters of the Gardens have an immense following amongst the mortal students, who seem to instinctively realise they are in the presence of the heroes that will shape the Realm in the years to come and hang off their every action. They are, however, extraordinarly fickle, and are frequently swayed back and forth by the charismatic students. The school population is large - hence, most public confrontations between students have an audience.

Attempting to control the audience is an Appearance + Performance + Groupies Background + {Reputation or number of heavenly bodies on Duellist Ring] roll, at the difficulty of the number of successes on the last successful Audience Control roll this scene (yours or otherwise). Each extra success counts as a bonus to applicable social rolls in this scene (including Appeals during duelling), to a maximum of five, until control of the Audience changes. Needless to say, the bonus does not apply to audience control rolls.

Generally during social scenes, these rolls will often happen simultaneously, in which case they are normal contested rolls if conducted against a neutral audience, or if the currently controlling character is also rolling.

Any number of levels of Groupie background can be converted to automatic successes by actively rounding up the appropriate number of groupies and driving them to the scene.

At the beginning of a duel, a contested Audience Control roll is made by a nominated member of each side to determine the initial dispositon of the crowd.

Example: At the beginning of the duel between the Lance of Deheleshen and the Student Council, Teresu Saito pits his (Appearance 4 + Performance 5 (Swaying Crowds 1) + ring 6 + stunt 2) 18 dice against Cathak Cainan Lysander's (Appearance 5 + Performance 5 (Swaying Crowds 3) + ring 7 + stunt 2) 22 dice. Both sides have rounded up their Groupies 5 backgrounds, cancelling each other out. Saito rolls an unlucky 7 successes while Lysander rolls 11, giving Lysander a +4 bonus to social rolls (and his clique +2) until the balance changes. Luckily, most Audience Control battles don't take place between such titans!

[Coyote's Own]

So killing blow are illigal this we know. But I have a little question.
Are maiming blow during duals legal? Severing an arm or maiming your opponents
clique memebers seems tampting, since it not only takes them out of the fight for the current dual, but could elimante them for a realy long tome (if not forever)

[Kasumi]

So killing blow are illigal this we know. But I have a little question.
Are maiming blow during duals legal? Severing an arm or maiming your opponents
clique memebers seems tampting, since it not only takes them out of the fight for the current dual, but could elimante them for a realy long tome (if not forever)


It's legal, but chances are the faculty will arrange for healing, with a time frame dependent on how important you are (since they would probably have to arrange for Gods or Solars to do the healing, which is a pain). It's also hard to write off as accidental!

[Nightingale]

Where in Australia are you Kasumi? Melbourne?
*whimpers about the likelihood of Kasumi and his coolness being so far away*
I think I'm suffering from Exalt Envy...
Curse you Kasumi!!! :p

[Kasumi]

Where in Australia are you Kasumi? Melbourne?
*whimpers about the likelihood of Kasumi and his coolness being so far away*
I think I'm suffering from Exalt Envy...
Curse you Kasumi!!! :p


Yeah, I'm in Melbourne, Exalted capital of Australia (what, you've got something to say about that, Sydney? Huh?)

[Kasumi]

In a luxurious, seldom used tower office of the Serene Retreat of the Resplendent Faculty of Jade Gardeners, a clear adamant-glass bowl sits perfectly positioned upon the desk of Sifu Flute-Given-Life-By-Wind so that it is bathed by sunlight at most hours of the day. Within this bowl swims a large black koi fish, for whom the bowl is too small.

It hates you.

Do not be alarmed - the fish hates everything, most especially the Exalted.

Its stare is chilling, the sheer malice it conveys with its tiny, beady eyes harrowing any who look upon it. Once cannot behold the fish without comprehending the sheer scale of its ire, how it lusts for agony and misfortune to befall you with the impotent fury that only a koi can bring to bear.

It does not hate you because the sunlight burns it, leaving it with a long and painful night of healing. It does not hate you because it swims not in water, but in a potent potato-derived alcohol that sears its light-inflicted wounds. It does not suffer these agonies lightly, yet these are not motivations, merely symptoms.

Around its bowl in a neat circle, inscribed in a tongue older than time, and replicated in Old Realm for the benfit of the students, is the phrase "All things have an ending".

No one knows when the war will be - in ten years, one hundred, five hundred - but it will come. When it does, however, there can only be two outcomes - all things will be swallowed by darkness, or, amidst victory, Alveua of the Violet Bier of Sorrows will carry her little fishbowl to the Well of Oblivion and cast it in.

The Vodak hates you because its ending has already come, and it can do nothing but wait for it in the form of a koi.

When Azure asks Alveua why she keeps the koi, she answers "To remember how dangerous we are."

This is but a little mystery of the Garden of Jade Roses.

[Coyote's Own]

I've got only one word for you: Cool :D

[MorpheousXO]

Oi? :eek:

[Kasumi]

Character Creation today, and I'm woefully underprepared.

So, much more typing! There's lot's of setting material on my LJ, but here's some rules, in concious imitation of Weapons of the Gods:



Tactics, Social and Combat actions.


In the fields of the Seven Tiered Heavenly Road, numerous measures exist to prevent the duelling existing merely as a test of combat charms, and instead actually encourage the aptitudes required of a Shogun.

Foremost amongst these is the ability granted by the fields to do two very different things at once - allowing, for instance, a Simple social charm to be used while full dodging. Mechanically, each duellist has two actions each turn, similar to the additional action granted by the Perfect Mobility hearthstone - these actions are quite independent, may be split normally (and those actions interwoven), one held while the other is used etc. However, the Exalt may still only use one charm per turn (as well as Reflexives in the case of Dragon Blooded). The difference lies in the actions having types - Combat, Social and Tactics.

You may not perform two of the same type of action, so you must choose between Combat and Social, Combat and Tactics, and Social and Tactics. Furthermore, you may only use a charm if one of your two actions is of the appropriate type - hence, if you chose Social and Tactics, you could not use Flickering Candle to respond to an attack. The type of action is not chosen until it is used, but if you use a Reflexive charm before action types are chosen, you must choose one action to be of that type (for instance if you were attacked before your inititative and used Safety Amongst Enemies, you would then need to choose Combat as one of your action types).

Social actions are dealt with above, but include all social charms, appeals to virtues etc

Tactics actions are:

1. Medicine
2. Non-reflexive Perception, Awareness or Investigation rolls.
3. Sail, Ride or any piloting
4. Craft
5. Non-Sorcery Occult (inc Thaumaturgy etc).
6. Terrain Control: As a Simple action, you may roll Int + Lore (Strategy) to impose or change 1 condition on the field, or force balance rolls. Each success affects 1 foe, and any adjacent allies or terrain. You may defend against this - a full Tactics action (may be aborted do) rolling Int + Lore (Strategy) becomes the difficulty for any foe to attempt Terrain Control (only the highest defensive roll each turn counts, they are not added). Terrain Control has many specialised applications unique to given fields - for instance on the Thrice-Forged Menangerie of the Shield, it can be used to make venemous things bite enemies.
7. Anything else that seems appropriate, such as spot Lore (Tactics) rolls for various purposes.

Combat actions cover most normal combat deeds, such as attacking, defending and moving under your own power.

[four willows]

Dude, you need to make like a netbook of this, with field writeups and so forth.

I'll like, mail you baked goods if you do.

[Kasumi]

The first piece of actual play, as part of Cathak Tepet Burning Orchid's prelude:


They stood upon the Fields of the Rising Smoke, that awful forest of swords and smouldering earth, its constant smoke died red by the sunrise. Hundreds of them, everyone who was anyone at the school. Cathak Cainan Lysander watched impasively. Peleps Undine's face could not hide her worry. Ragara Sien smoked a ciggarette with practiced elegance, sipping her own poison tea.

"She cannot succeed." Sien declared with an almost regretful bite to her voice. "No-one can beat five duellists."

The crowd grew hush as the challenger approached the circle, escorted by the utterly disciplined figure of Ledaal Shinta - the challenger, Cathak Tepet Burning Orchid, walked in serene calm with her twin red jade daiklaives resting easily in her hands.

Her foes, the Ragara Braves, approached from the opposite direction, fierce young duellists of the Seventh Tier, eager to prove their worth by defeating the star pupil of Sifu Flute in this unsanctioned duel. They were young and inexperienced, but their weapons were of jade, easily capable of tearing through Orchid's unarmoured flesh.

Shinta bowed once, left the field, and it began.

The "Ragara Twins", Tsui and Cho, charged, daiklaive and goremaul striking out to destroy the Fire Dragon practitioner. Stunned by their speed and ferocity, Orchid fell back, parrying desperately...and then her wings ignited.

Eighteen seconds later, four Ragara Braves lay unconcious from blood loss, and the fifth's head rested at the end of a long trail of blood flowing from her body. Orchid was unharmed.

Stunned silence fell over the crowd. Deaths happened from time to time, but not like this. Not a swift and murderous strike in a combat outside the auspices of the Seven Tiered Heavenly Road, in front of the Faculty in their disguises only just on the polite side of inadequate.

"What did I tell you useless bastards?" roared Sifu Falcon's voice unexpectedly as he barrelled through the crowd. "With your pathetic, childish excuse for tactics, an Anathema would rip you apart in an instant, I said. I also said a Fire Dragon can fight like an Anathema for nine to fifteen seconds. Idiots!"

He levelled a long, hard look at Orchid. "Go on, take their rings. That was the deal, wasn't it? Lysander, she's in your little bloody club now, Mistress Azure will handle punishment. Now get out of here, all of you!"

And that was how Cathak Tepet Burning Orchid joined the Seven Tiered Heavenly Road with four spare rings in her hands. Since that day, it has been made clear that the Seven Tiered Heavenly Road will not accept membership by this method ever again.

[miss-rynn]

Orchid didn't *mean* to kill anyone.....

[Kasumi]

Orchid didn't *mean* to kill anyone.....


This was poor miss-ryyn learning about combat for the first time after years of playing social, stealth or sorcery types. The important lesson being that sometimes you roll a hell of a lot of successes and people die.

miss-rynn's a little sad about it, but damn if that combat didn't feel so right with the dice, and the rare exceptional roll just changed the whole scene, the whole way the PCs will be entering the 7THR (under a shroud, essentially, of murder, at least in some eyes - a lot of NPCs think it was justified). Very cool.

Incidentally, Tiger and Bear Unity freaking rocks.

[Morsla]

Two (player) characters from the game... Whisper is my primary PC, and Avalanche is his sidekick (bought as an Ally).

Whispering Crystal
Concept: Socially inept genius, Sorcerer. Aspect: Water

+++ Background +++
Whispering Crystal’s exaltation came as a surprise to his family. His parents are poor, although still minor nobility, and their son never appeared to be marked for greatness. He is slightly built, and often painfully awkward when talking to others – not admirable qualities for a Prince of the Earth. His greatest strength, however, has gone unnoticed by all his family.

Whisper is a genius, but intellect is not rated highly by his parents. They would have preferred a son who was loud enough to stand before the merchant councils, or a stronger child who could help with the family’s fishing fleet. They did not expect their child to become a sorcerer, fascinated with high-level Lore.

Naturally, the child was bullied in the academy – among the proud and noble Princes of the Earth, he was always destined to be overshadowed. Some of the smarter Dynasts appreciate his use at solving problems, and they manipulate him into doing their homework – something that he actually enjoys, and does not complain about.

He has always struggled with even the most basic Charms, to the disgust of his teachers. When he began to learn the arts of Sorcery, however, everything changed. Suddenly, he realised that he was far better suited to this path, and turned all his intention on pursuing it at all costs. He regularly steals spellbooks from the libraries, carefully memorising their content – and learns far faster than his teachers would allow him to.

In his second week at the academy, something happened that would change his life at the school. Chased down by a pack of older children, led by one who had failed his exams despite extorting Whisper’s aid, a large figure stepped in the path of Whisper's assailants. This was Ferocious Avalanche; a gentle giant, and Whisper’s first true friend in the school. The two have been firm friends ever since, and will remain so for life. Ferocious Avalanche
Concept: Gentle giant. Aspect: Earth

+++ Background +++
Ferocious Avalanche was optimistically named by his Dynast parents, in the hope that their child would become a mighty warrior. The child was born large, and grew at a prodigious rate – eventually exalting as an aspect of Earth, to the delight of his family.

However, the child showed no interest in the martial disciplines – deliberately shying away from battle. As his strength increased, Avalanche became terribly afraid of hurting things by accident. His martial progress suffered, and his parents despaired – for what use is a giant who dares not touch the world around him?

Avalanche discovered his true calling early, although it shames his family. While his parents and siblings enlisted in the Imperial Legions, Avalanche would build things when no-one watched. One day, his sculptures were seen by a teacher visiting his house, and he was swiftly taken into the local artisan’s workshops. He would never be the warrior his parents wanted, but as a craftsman he will one day match the best in the Realm.

Avalanche is outwardly an optimist, but at times he is desperately unhappy with his life. He is clumsy, and strong enough for this to be a real problem. Other Dynast children have laughed at his size, assuming he is a simple fool, but the gentle giant simply hides behind his bulk.

The giant’s life changed in his second week at the academy, when he met another of the school’s outcasts – Whispering Crystal. Physically, Whisper is his opposite – small and slight where Avalanche is huge. His friend possesses a formidable intellect, however. Avalanche has stood up to bullies for his companion, but it has been Whisper’s manipulations that have caused no end of trouble for the bullies in later months. The two are firm friends, and will be for life.

And nifty character-art commissioned from Jem (http://midnight.kaonashi.org/ - gallery, etc)
http://www.pbase.com/image/39361620.jpg

[Kasumi]

Dude, Whisper is a bit bishi!

[Morsla]

A little, yeah... but when is that a bad thing? ;)

[Kasumi]

A little, yeah... but when is that a bad thing? ;)


It's not, I just didn't expect it.

There's some cute girls in the Sorcerer class, you know ^_^

[Knight of Roses]

If you need part of a cadre to build NPCs and plot behind the PCs backs, you have a volunteer in me (and several others on this thread from what I can see).

It looks fantastic Kasumi, I look forward to reading more.

[Kasumi]

If you need part of a cadre to build NPCs and plot behind the PCs backs, you have a volunteer in me (and several others on this thread from what I can see).

It looks fantastic Kasumi, I look forward to reading more.


I'd more than welcome anyone posting up NPC ideas or cool schoolyard mysteries that I could steal :)

There will be more very shortly - first session is on Saturday!

[kaoticrequiem]

I am so totally diggin' on this entire concept... o_o

I wanna steal it! ^^;;;;;;;

Hope your first game goes well!

kaoticrequiem

[Kasumi]

The Ordeal of the Mast - The Mast - Endurance

The Ordeal of the Mast is an ampitheatre of basalt and black jade, in the centre of which stands a tall ship's mast with saffron sails - the wind obeys the mast and always blows with great force to fill the sails, though it is a wind of terrible fatigue rather than any conventional force of air. This wind fills precisely half the arena, but the mast can be rotated by sufficiently hardy duelists.

Mandatory:

Wind: By Mast
Special: Mast starting direction by clique (default random)
Special: Diff 3 Stam + Endurance roll each turn in wind, or suffer 3 unsoakable dice of bashing damage. +3 difficulty to be hit while in wind.
Special: The Mast: dice bonuses for Endurance stunts doubled.

Optional:

Audience: Present
Field Access: 0
Virtue Aspect: Temperance
Familiars: Forbidden
Summoned Beings: None
Elemental Aspect: Air
Lighting, Rain, Flood: as per weather.




Stables of the Fleet Messenger - The Messenger - Ride

A cirucular arena ringed with large and well appointed stables, filled with all varieties of strange creatures. Oftentimes, a creature's stable-gate will open, and it will charge across the field to the opposing stable. Sweet words and empathy can sometimes tempt forth a beast to act as a mount.

Mandatory

Familiars: Allowed
Summoned Beings: Both, Five
Special: A random animal may charge the field in any given turn.
Special: Charisma + Ride with a difficulty equal an animal's control rating will bring it out of its stable to act as a mount. This is a Simple Tactics action.
Special: The Messenger: dice bonuses for Ride stunts doubled.

Optional:

Audience: Present
Field Access: 1 hour
Virtue Aspect: Compassion
Elemental Aspect: None
Wind, Lighting, Rain, Flood: as per weather.



Flagship of the Victorious Captain - The Captain - Sail

A light First Age warship of exquisite construction, the Flagship sails the school's lagoon during battles, maintaining a swift circular course if left to its own devices. The ship respects only a mighty captain, and will turn against the foes of any who can tame it with a terrible fury, seeking to tip them into the waters! The name of the field is something of a misnomer, however, for the lagoon is the field itself, and the ship but its most prominent feature.


Mandatory

Special: Balance roll threshold for wind is Force 5
Special: Anyone at the wheel may take a Simple Tactics action to take control of the ship, with a Wits + Sail dice pool. This roll is resisted if multiple attempts are made in the turn. Extra successes become the difficulty of a mandatory balance roll for all foes at the beginning of the next turn.
Special: The Captain: dice bonuses for Sail stunts doubled.

Optional:

Familiars: Forbidden
Summoned Beings: none
Audience: Not Present
Field Access: 0 hour
Virtue Aspect: None
Elemental Aspect: Water
Lighting, Rain, Flood: as per weather.
Wind: Force 7





The Inescapable Hardship Rendered as Ship's Wheel - The Ship's Wheel - Survival

The Inescapable Hardship Rendered as Ship's Wheel is a spherical pagoda surrounded by a veritable orrery of vast wooden ships' wheels, driven in arythmic and wild patterns by demons lashed to their handles. It has but one entrace, usuable only when the wheels align correctly - and who can know when that shall be? Thus, those trapped within on its spiralling and crashing pathways cannot know when they will be released. Each wheel inflicts a hardship as it turns, and none within the pagoda can know where they are or when a wheel's hardship - blizzard, fire, thirst, hunger, fatigue, quicksand, thin air or flood - will pass them over. Hence, only those who have sharpened the ability to survive under any circumstance will be victorious there.

Mandatory:

Audience: Not Present
Familiars: Allowed
Lighting, Wind, Rain, Flood: Randomly determined each turn (can be set by Tactics)
Field Access: 0
Special: Diff 3 Stamina + Survival roll each turn, or suffer -3 to all rolls for rest of turn.
Special: The Ship's Wheel: dice bonuses for Survival stunts doubled.

Optional:

Virtue Aspect: Temperance
Summoned Beings: None
Elemental Aspect: None

[Kasumi]

The Resplendent Peacock Gallery - The Peacock - Craft


The Resplendent Peacock Gallery is an exquisite structure of crystal, flowing water and tinted glass (or are they sheets of gemstone?), where workshops of every kind of craft, and maginificent specimens of every cultured art are on full display. The Peacocks are the most fashionable and urbane of noble youth, who watch each battle and creative work with equal measure of enthusiasm and criticism. Fortune smiles on those who please the Peacocks, but woe to those who shame themselves before them, or who break any of the precious art in their battles.


Mandatory:

Audience: Present
Familiars: Forbidden
Summoned Beings: Forbidden
Wind, Rain, Flood: None
Lighting: Daylight
Special: Breaking any art on display causes the next roll made by the breaker to automatically fail.
Special: After making any attack, defence, social or Craft roll with 10 or more successes, you may add your Craft in successes to your next roll.
Special: The Peacock: dice bonuses for Craft stunts doubled.

Optional:

Virtue Aspect: None
Elemental Aspect: None
Field Access: 6 hours


The Oubliette of the Ewer - The Ewer - Dodge

A maze-like tangle of glass dungeon corridors, through which a constant ankle-deep stream of wine runs, the Oubliette is filled with every dastardly trap and torture device imagineable. It is literally impossible to move through it without coming under assault!

Mandatory:

Audience: Not Present
Field Access: 0
Special: Each turn, the Oubliette makes an unparryable three-success attack against every being within it, doing 3 unsoakable lethal damage.
Special: The Ewer: dice bonuses for Dodge stunts are doubled.

Optional:

Virtue Aspect: None
Elemental Aspect: None
Lighting: Torch
Wind, Rain: None
Flood: Ankle-deep
Familiars: None
Summoned Beings: None


The Thrice-Mazed Pillar - The Pillar - Linguistics


The Thrice-Mazed Pillar is an enormous tower of white jade, with a coiling double-helix staircase wrapping about its exterior. It constantly draws the clouds at its top into silvery writing that spirals down the column, and if a battle takes place there, it warns each warrior of her opponent's next move in a tongue she does not understand.

Mandatory:

Special: By making a Diff 3 Int + Linguistics tactics action, you may add 3 successes to your next defence.
Special: The Pillar: dice bonuses for Linguistics stunts are doubled.

Optional:

Audience: Present
Field Access: 0
Virtue Aspect: None
Elemental Aspect: None
Lighting: As Weather
Wind, Rain, Flood: As Weather
Familiars: None
Summoned Beings: None




The Musician's Podium - The Musician - Performance

A grand temple-like pavillion of three free-floating tiers, the Podium is a magnificent stage with exquisite acoustics, and a concealed orchestra-pit where unseen musicians provide the perfect accompaniment to any battle. A duel here without fail draws anyone who admires or loathes the participants - it will have nothing but an audience who are emotionally invested in the outcome!


Mandatory:

Audience: Present
Special: Audience control bonuses benefit all rolls.
Special: The Podium: dice bonuses for Performance stunts doubled.

Optional:

Familiars: Forbidden
Summoned Beings: Forbidden
Wind, Rain, Flood: None
Lighting: Daylight
Virtue Aspect: None
Elemental Aspect: None
Field Access: 1 day


Teahouse of the Indiscreet Lovers - The Lovers - Socialise

The very definition of elegance, this delightful floating teahouse is hung with silks, scented with the most delicate of incense, staffed by the most discreet of servants, and enjoys the finest view of the Podium in all the Garden. It is considered a mark of the greatest refinement to duel here, though it is dangerous - the slightest misstep in duelling ettiquette, or causing the teahouse to rock upon its tiny lake shames a warrior. Furthermore, the heady aroma of young love that fills the establishment moves even the hardest heart, bringing one closer to one's enemies in spite of oneself.

Mandatory:

Audience: Present
Wind, Rain, Flood: None
Lighting: Candle
Familiars: Forbidden
Summoned Beings: Forbidden
Virtue Aspect: Compassion
Special: May only choose Social + Combat or Social + Tactics for actions.
Special: Any failed Athletics roll, attack causing 15 or more raw damage, or other means of rocking the teahouse causes the clique to lose a point of Reputation until their next duel.
Special: Must make a reflexive diff 3 Manipulation + Socialise social action each turn or suffer a two dice shame penalty to all rolls for the remainder of the turn.
Special: The Lovers: dice bonuses for Socialise stunts doubled.

Optional:

Elemental Aspect: None
Field Access: 0

[Kasumi]

I should add that it's a lot easier coming up with cool names by riffing on the constellations than it is to make cool fighting arenas based on those names.

I mean, what am I going to do with the Key Ensnarled in Meticulous Webs?




OK, obviously that's going to be an array of crystal spiderwebs over an abyss where gemstone spider-automatons present the duellists with enigmas whose solution leads to a key which can be used to destroy the webs. But you get my point.

[Kasumi]

Magnificent Hall of the Banner - The Banner - Presence

A long hall of rivetted iron, in which hangs a banner from every battle fought between the Dragon-Blooded as a nation and another force since the birth of the Shogunate. These banners are impervious to all damage, and billow majestically when a duellist sharing an allegiance with them is nearby.

Mandatory:

Audience: Not Present
Virtue Aspect: Valour
Special: Audience Control rolls made despite lack of audience, however Presence is used in place of Performance, and Connections or Backing in any military-related field (including Great Houses or House of Bells) in place of Groupies.
Special: The Banner: dice bonuses for Presence stunts doubled.

Optional:

Lighting: Torch
Wind, Rain, Flood: None
Elemental Aspect: None
Field Access: 0
Familiars: Allowed.
Summoned Creatures: Both, Five (must be in Mail & Steel units)
Special: Magnitude of followers per duelist 0 (up to 2)



Menangerie of the Thrice-Forged Shield - The Shield - Resistance

A triangular jungle surrounded by vast walls, the Menangerie is a place of savage beauty and unmatched peril, where the most viciously poisonous species of plants, the most horribly venemous beasts and the most terrible contagions thrive. When fighting through its fierce twisting vines, only the hardiest can hope to survive with their blood running pure!

Mandatory:

Elemental Aspect: Wood
Special: Must make a reflexive Diff 3 Stamina + Resistance roll or suffer Poison Snake Venom (Diff 2, 1L/4L, -2, 4 hours) each turn and each time wounded.
Special: The Shield: dice bonuses for Resistance stunts doubled.


Optional:

Audience: Not Present
Lighting: Torch
Wind, Rain, Flood: As weather
Virtue Aspect: None
Field Access: 0
Familiars: Not Allowed.
Summoned Creatures: None

[Kasumi]

Key Ensnarled in Meticulous Webs - The Key - Investigation

A tapestry of thick crystal spider webs, which cause riddles to shimmer in the air when light is shone through them, stretched over a seemingly bottomless abyss. Automaton spiders of various gemstones scuttle about posing enigmas, the solving of which unlocks the true paths through the seemingly chaotic array of webs, leading to a key. The key, when touched to the edge of an area of web, causes that web to unravel and vanish, dooming any standing upon it.

Mandatory:

Field Access: 0
Special: You may take a Simple Tactics action to roll Intelligence + Investigation as an extended action. The first to 20 successes finds the key. The key may be used as a Simple Tactics action to cause someone to fall from the web by removing the web on which they stand.
Special: Falling from the web removes you from the battle - you appear, Incapacitated with bashing damage, outside the building.
Special: The Key: dice bonuses for Investigation stunts are doubled.

Optional:

Audience: Not Present
Lighting: Torch
Wind, Rain, Flood: As weather
Virtue Aspect: None
Elemental Aspect: None
Familiars: Not Allowed.
Summoned Creatures: None





The Lair of the Unsleeping Guardians - The Guardians - Larcency

A dank and wet bluestone and diamond cave whose roof is obscured by an intense silver light, the Laid has five tiny emerald beetles at its centre. Anyone in possession of one of these beetles who does not know they have it is attacked from on high by one of the Guardians, as is any who attempts to steal one of the diamonds from the walls.

Mandatory:

Field Access: 0
Special: A diff 7 Dex + Larcency tactics action allows a duellist to steal one of the diamonds. Failing this roll incurs an attack from the Guardians.
Special: If you have one of the beetles, you may make a Dex + Larcency tactics action to place it upon a target, resisted by their Perception + Awareness. If they fail, they are attacked by a Guardian at the start of the next turn.
Special: The Guardians: dice bonuses for Larcency stunts are doubled.

Optional:

Audience: Present
Lighting: Daylight
Wind, Rain, Flood: None
Virtue Aspect: None
Elemental Aspect: None
Familiars: Not Allowed.
Summoned Creatures: None



The Winding Shelves Holding the Treasure Trove - The Treasure Trove - Lore

The Winding Shelves Holding the Treasure Trove is a dimly lit library whose shelves form an intricate maze, with long banners hanging from the roof stained with perfect calligraphy forming a rough catalogue. Those who spare a moment in battle to pluck forth a book and read a passage is usually granted a helpful piece of wisdom (usually a tale of their opponent's ancestors or teachers), but the attention demanded by the exceedingly fine script of the books leaves one vulnerable!

Mandatory:

Lighting: Torch
Wind, Rain, Flood: None
Special: By taking a combined Combat and Tactics Simple action (ie it consumes both dice actions), rolling an Intelligence + Lore pool, you gain a dice bonus equal to the successes rolled on all pools opposing a single foe next turn.
Special: The Treasure Trove: dice bonuses for Lore stunts are doubled.

Optional:

Familiars: None
Summoned Creatures: None
Audience: Present
Virtue Aspect: Temperance
Elemental Aspect: None
Field Access: 0


The Three-Tiered Garden of the Sorcerer - The Sorcerer - Occult

This magnificently cultured garden is indeed three-tiered, but none other than the Faculty know what is upon the second tier, and it is rumoured even they know nothing of the third. The garden has many open spaces for the practice of sorcery, and each plant is the home of a God who knows a secret of Sorcery. The gardeners are all First Circle Demons, who exist happily when there is sound, and go into beserk rages of absolute terror if there is ever silence.

Mandatory:

Summoned Creatures: Both, Five
Special: If a turn passes in silence for any reason, the demon-gardeners will instantly attack the closest object in the hopes of creating sufficient sound to keep away Adjoran (who mercifully will not arrive in any circumstance).
Special: Sorcery takes one less turn to cast.
Special: The Sorcerer: dice bonuses on Occult stunts are doubled.

Optional:

Familiars: Not Allowed
Audience: Present
Virtue Aspect: Conviction
Elemental Aspect: None
Field Access: 0
Lighting, Wind, Rain, Flood: As weather.




*NB: The Hidden Tabernacle of the Mask is technically a hidden field - while its existance is well known, nobody except the students and teacher(s?) of the Mask actually know where it is, and they seem reluctant to reveal its location, even for a duel in which they would have the advantage.

[medivh]

It wasn't entirely obvious from the lil' Actual Play post, so what the devil happened? Socially, I mean? The "combat" part was obvious.

[Kasumi]

It wasn't entirely obvious from the lil' Actual Play post, so what the devil happened? Socially, I mean? The "combat" part was obvious.


Heh, sorry, I'll try to be clear.


Burning Orchid is the only one of the characters who will not be a first-year student at the start of the game, having attended the school the year before. While a Fire Dragon Form practitioner, and the favoured student of Sifu Flute of the Sword Dojo, she did not join a clique. She spent most of her year watching the cliques clash in the dueling fields. Some assumed she did not wish to fight, while the more insightful deduced she was merely awaiting her time.

At the very end of the year, having learned all she could, Orchid decided to enter the Seven Tiered Heavenly Road as dramatically as possible. To that end, she challenged the Ragara Braves (a tier 7 clique) to a duel for their rings, with the proviso that if she lost she would serve them as they wished. They agreed without hesitation - initially intending to swap in the Immaculate-trained Orchid for one of their weaker fighters and begin climbing the ranks. This duel was outside the auspices of the Heavenly Road, and could not take place upon an activated field (hence no protection from death, extra social actions or any of the normal trappings of a Garden duel), but the temptation of gaining a Fire Dragon practitioner was too much for them.

Word quickly spread (amidst the normal teenage dramatics of who would be taking who to the ball), but unbeknownst to Orchid, matters changed dramatically after the Grand Banquet, where the students' parents or guardians gathered together to celebrate their children's success. This year, the event was highly political, as the Emperor was of course in attendance, along with the Chumyo of the Seventh Legion, and more distantly related worthies such as the Roseblack and Mnemon arrived to confront the Emperor in "neutral" territory. During the banquet, the Roseblack showed obvious favour towards Orchid (possibly attempting to sway her allegiance from the Emperor - as a child of House Tepet and House Cathak alike, this would be a powerful symbol). This enraged Tepet Arada Kusai of the Righteous Promoters of Imperial Destiny clique, since it undermined his attempt to build credibility by claiming to be the heir to Arada's position.

Kusai took a very direct approach - with a combination of seduction, pressure tactics and bribery, he convinced the Ragara Braves to attempt to kill Orchid on the day of the duel.

Hence, the duel, witnessed by everyone of any importance in the school (including the Faculty in polite disguise), began more savagely than Orchid expected (partly, I suspect, as miss-rynn realised that daiklaves swinging at unarmoured flesh was a bad, bad thing!). The Fire Dragon's training kicked in, and in a blaze of essence, Orchid defeated the Braves, killing Ragara Van in the process.

There was a stunned silence - deaths had happened at the school before, but this death occured in front of hundreds of witnesses, and by decapitation (traditionally difficult to cover up). Sifu Falcon swiftly took control of matters, scattering the crowd, and leaving Orchid at the Faculty's mercy.

Strangely, Orchid wasn't expelled or handed over to the magistrates. She collected the five rings of her defeated foes, but it is known she is undergoing some sort of punishment for her deed. Presumeably Mistress Azure, the dominie, is aware of Kusai's interference, but has not acted against him either. No doubt she does not want trivialities such as the death of a relatively unimportant Ragara to interfere with the Seven Tiered Heavenly Road, but it remains to be seen what sort of precedent has been set.

Most of the students at the school were shocked by Orchid's raw power (few realising they had just seen a demonstration of the Tiger And Bear Unity charm), but actual social problems did not catch up to her until her return to the school for the start of the new year. Orchid has picked up a new enemy - Ragara Sien, the beautiful and manipulative leader of the Poisoned Teakettle Society, who has decided that she must have Ledaal Shinta, the famed sword prodigy and protege of the Emperor, who has been loosely romantically linked with Orchid. Sien has decided that it is necessary to retard Orchid's progress through the Seven Tiers, and hence is doing her best to make the Sixth Tier cliques unwilling to duel Orchid and her hand-picked clique of promising First Years. Not only has she convinced them that they would lose in humiliating fashion, she has also attached a social stigma to the wearing of Ragara Van's duelling ring, currently upon Orchid's finger. No-one wants a guaranteed trip to the Seventh Tier wearing a murder victim's ring.


And that was Orchid's prelude, and pretty much where the game will be beginning in about four hours' time for the first session - convincing someone, anyone, to fight the PCs!


...four hours! I'm so not ready...

[Kasumi]

The Fields of the Rising Smoke - The Rising Smoke - Athletics

The Fields of the Rising Smoke is a battlefield bristling with sword blades, whose soil smokes constantly with the heat of every battlefield pyre in the world - thus, you must dance from blade to blade or your feet will burn!

Mandatory:

Elemental Aspect: Fire
Special: Anyone whose feet touch the soil of the Field is affected as if by a bonfire (Diff 3/2L/6L). This damage may only be soaked by Stamina and fire-resistance effects.
Special: You must make a balance roll each turn to stand upon the blades. If you roll only 1 success, you do not fall but take 1L combat damage from the blade. Throwing someone against a blade does 4L combat damage + extra successes on clinch or throw roll + 1 damage per remaining yard of throw distance.
Special: The Risking Smoke: dice bonuses on Athletics stunts are doubled.

Optional:

Familiars: Not Allowed
Summoned Creatures: None
Audience: Present
Virtue Aspect: None
Field Access: 0
Lighting, Wind, Rain, Flood: As weather.



The Inauspicious Eyrie of the Crow - The Crow - Awareness

Atop a tower of dark amethyst, a murder of crows sits in judgement of the school and its battles. Those that sense the malicious intent of the crows may gain their approval by attacking the fighter that has earned their ire.

Mandatory:

Audience: Not Present
Special: By making a Diff 3 Perception + Awareness tactics roll, you may identify one of the two targets of the crows' ire this turn (determined randomly, one on each clique). The first damage dice rolled against that target in any attack by an attacker who has succeeded the Awareness roll is considered an automatic success. Anyone who has succeeded the Awareness roll may freely parry for such a target, adding their essence in successes to the parry roll.
Special: The Crow: dice bonuses on Awareness stunts are doubled.

Optional:

Familiars: Not Allowed
Summoned Creatures: None
Virtue Aspect: Conviction
Elemental Aspect: None
Field Access: 0
Lighting, Wind, Rain, Flood: As weather.

[Arbane the Terrible]

So, how did it go?

[Kasumi]

It went well - ended up being a six hour session with all the school touring and social scheming, and it was very funny.

I'll AP it tomorrow.

[Arbane the Terrible]

I'll AP it tomorrow.


Yay!

One question: Since the Gold Faction were the last ones standing, I presume they've got _some_ short-range* plan to get the Realm out of "KIll Solars On Sight" mode within the next 100 years or so. Any hints on how they plan to do this?

(*For Sidereals, 100 years _IS_ short-term. :D)

[Morsla]

The gold aren't the only remnants... the newly formed faction comprised of the Sidereal PCs is actually a major force in Heaven now :)

[Kasumi]

Yay!

One question: Since the Gold Faction were the last ones standing, I presume they've got _some_ short-range* plan to get the Realm out of "KIll Solars On Sight" mode within the next 100 years or so. Any hints on how they plan to do this?

(*For Sidereals, 100 years _IS_ short-term. :D)



They plan to educate the next leader of the Dragon Blooded ^_^

[Kasumi]

Fairly low-key session to begin with (what with the enrolling in subject, tour of the school, finding out who your roommate is etc), but everyone seemed to have a lot of fun, and there was a lot of laughter.

Mnemon Corba's player was absent, so I won't go from my hazy character-creation memories to describe her, but we had:


Cathak Precious Burning Glory: an innocent Fire-Aspected girl of a mere fourteen years, Precious is the last hope of an obscure branch of the Cathak family that was cursed not to breed Exalted children. When the curse finally passed, however, it seemed the debt of Exalted essence was paid in full in a single child - Precious' breeding is the strongest in living memory, stronger even than that of her distant cousin Lysander. Precious desperately wants to do well at the Garden and make friends, but it seems Lysander has already identified her as a threat...

Iselsi Whispering Crystal: Whisper is the bishi sorcerer above :)

Tepet Salix: A boisterous and cheerful Wood-Aspected young man, Salix is amazingly theatrical in everything he does, drawing eyes wherever he goes through dint of good looks and effort. While his first love is the stage, he is also an expert archer.

Cathak Tepet Burning Orchid: A returning student from last year, Orchid is a prodigious Fire Dragon practitioner who entered the Seven Tiered Heavenly road by single handedly defeating an entire clique for their rings, killing one of their number in the process. She is attracting a legend about the school as a dnagerous girl, allegedly having spent the summer fighting alongside the Vermillion Legion, though how much of this is rumour spread by Ragara Sien, her rival for the affections of Ledaal Shinta, is unknown. At eighteen, Orchid is the oldest of the clique.




The game began in a puff of grass and rosebush leaves as a young woman in white robes rushed across the Rose Garden to launch the Six-Arm Spider Strike at Precious, her arms blurring until it seemed there were six of them. Shrieking from this unexpected assault, Precious shimmered and flickered out of the way like a candle flame. Another white-clad figure leapt over this battle, vaulting along a rose hedge (carefully avoiding the flowers) to slash out with the Simhata Hoof Attack at the slender form of Whispering Crystal, who flicked his cloak out in alarm and rolled between his attacker's legs. A third assailant briefly eclipsed the sun before hurtling down towards Salix, who gleefully cried "Ha-hah! A fellow actor!" drawing forth a slashing sword from a tattoo about his arm. Salix's charms allowed him to easily pass off his less-than-perfect defence as play acting for the benefit of the growing crowd of mortals, but he was fortunate that his armour saved him the worst of the blow (we later found out that the player had forgotten to add his Dexterity to his defence, but didn't twig because he expected DBs to have low pools ;)).

Then the two leaders of the Young Style Tigers, Raiton and Clawstrider, charged at Orchid, who stood beside the fountain, Raiton dashing down the structure with his lance set, Clawstrider sending up a gout of water as she hurtled through it with her daiklave. Orchid spun effortlessly behind the girl, slipping her short daiklaves under her arms to send her attacker's blade hurtling past Salix's ear and into the garden, before pushing her onto Raiton. As Clawstrider picked herself up and dashed after her blade, Orchid followed up with a daiklaive-hilt to Raiton's jaw, slamming him up into the inside curve of the fountain.

"Why are you doing this?" shouted Precious, swinging her daiklave in practiced, if not malicious, fashion. "Why can't we be friends?"

"We are friends!" insisted her attacker before thumping unconcious to the ground.

"We're just helping Orch.." added Whisper's assailant before Precious' follow-up claimed him too.

Unaware that he'd been rescued, Whisper decided movement was his best defence, and spied an opportunity for mischief - Clawstrider's daiklave in the garden. Seizing it, he grinned at her and vanished...at least from her sight. Everyone else could see him tucked behind the barest scrap of foliage, but he utterly eluded her gaze. Seeing Precious grapple Salix's attacker seconds later, Clawstrider sighed.

"That's a damn good clique you've got there, Orchid. We're glad we could help you test them out, but could we never, ever duel you again?"

Orchid smiled, as the thousands of students of the Garden began streaming in for the start of year assembly.





Uncharacteristically for one of my games, that little vignette was the only combat all session - they socialised and learned about the school for the rest of the time! What's the world coming to? I'll quickly describe their efforts below.

[Kasumi]

- Once everyone assembled, before the Faculty could arrive, the Irrepressible Disobedience Society and the Young Rascals stormed the freshly-erected stage to announce The Impossibly Reckless Orienteering and Spelunking Club (http://www.livejournal.com/users/bishi_wannabe/16468.html)

- The Dominie, Azure Blossom, announced that somehow the institution had attracted an unfortunate reputation as a hotbed of duelling societies, and that the Faculty would not be hearing any such stories again. She went on to name several more "forbidden" activities and areas, all of which are of course sacrificial anodes for the school's actual mysteries. The Faculty then administered the School Oath, a modified version of the Heptagram's, and even more necessary given the nature of the Garden.

- The Student Council President, Cathak Cainan Lysander, got up to talk about the role of the Student Council and the upcoming elections. He got more heckling from prominent duelists like Nellens Tsukasa, Tept Midday Storm and Mnemon Voruk than he expected, a sign of student politics heating up (http://www.livejournal.com/users/bishi_wannabe/16167.html)

- The students were divided into houses, and taken by the Faculty to their rooms. Orchid retained her old House Ivy room, empty as always - her roommate, Yushoto Haruka, lodges in one of the Towers of Starlit Anticipation as a tier 2 duellist. Whisper also was slated for House Ivy, and discovered that his roommate was a powerful sorcerer and keen demonologist by the name of Iselsi Tian (the Neomah maid and Erymanthus butler being luxuries few students had). Precious was allotted to House Cerulean, and made good friends with her roommate, Ragara San - the sister of the girl Orchid killed the year before. Finally, Salix, also in Cerulean, was overjoyed at his roomie, the dashing Sesus Syrkun Panache of the Threshing Floor Lordlings, a patron of the arts who delights in Salix's thespian antics!

- There was much discussing of classes (including explanations of the wierd classrooms), but eventually we got back to actual gaming. Orchid and Salix manipulated a somewhat shy Precious into accepting the position of clique Captain, and after a lot of joking around the name Harmonious Choir of Triumph was decided upon! With that out of the way, they had only to find a 6th Tier clique to duel them, and they'd be away! The trouble being, of course, that given Orchid's fearsome reputation, and Ragara Sien's poisoning of the waters against the clique, no-one wished to face them.

- Having decided to challenge the melee-heavy Threshing Floor Lordlings (http://www.livejournal.com/users/bishi_wannabe/17055.html), the Choir set about manipulating them into accepting. Being fairly well disposed to the gentlemanly clique (especially with Salix living with their captain!), they decided to use a roundabout route, attempting to get Tepet Midday Storm, whom the Lordlings looked up to as a shining example of heroic values, to order them to do it. Orchid and Storm had served together with the Vermillion legion over the holiday period (the Roseblack's idea of making sure the Tepet girls at this suddenly crucial school were worth a damn), and so Orchid hoped to influence her. They found her, with several hundred other students, at a rally in the "forbidden" Hunting Reserve forest, organised by The Tireless Youth-Against-Establishment Crusaders (Tsukasa, Bob and their dissident cronies) to raise awareness of issues facing the school and the Realm. Storm and her fierce rivals in the Scarlet Succession Restoration Society were both attempting to hijack the rally to push their own anti-Imperial/anti-Lysander political agendas. With some quick talking, Orchid managed to have the rally break up, but was not terribly successful in persuading Storm to order the duel - Storm declared she'd only do so if they promised to attempt to stop Lysander getting to the upcoming election debates.

- It all looked hopeless - protected by Ledaal Shinta and Cynis Ravanna, Lysander is virtually invincible. But Salix had a plan! Orchid had explained how obsessed with Yushoto Haruka the Council President was, and so Salix determined to stage a highly romantic play during the debate, with Haruka as the lead actress and himself as the star - Lysander wouldn't be able to resist storming it out of sheer jealousy. Not only was Haruka keen to do it (despite her profound lack of acting talent) just to annoy Lysander, but seemingly the theatrical young Wood Aspect made a bit of an impression on her (much to the delight of the player, doing a fist pumping "yeah!" after a great App + Presence roll!). Precious and Orchid teamed up to spread the word of the upcoming play, and soon the plan was in motion.

- Storm was sufficiently impressed as to instruct the Threshing Floor Lordlings to accept the duel. The negotiations were completed in the elegant surrounds of the Teahouse of the Indiscreet Lovers, with the duel set for the Fields of the Rising Smoke in seven days' time. The negotiations were swift and friendly, with the Lordlings stipulating the field would be aspected to Valour, and the Choir passing. It seems a grand opportunity for the Choir, but if they lose, they must spend seven days campaigning for the Young Heroes Righteousness front!

- Finally, the session closed with the mysterious, flute-like voice that served as the school's new announcement system declaring a one-off curfew from dusk to dawn...



I left out a lot of clique posturing, but they're busily manipulating already...looks like my tortured efforts to set up the conditions under which I could actually run a social/intrigue game are working!

[Ubermonkey]

Yep Kasumi, you rock.

Oddly, this game reminds me of Enders Game and Unreal Tournament! :eek:

[Kasumi]

Yep Kasumi, you rock.

Oddly, this game reminds me of Enders Game and Unreal Tournament! :eek:



Two of my players slammed Ender's Game into my hands when they heard the premise of this game ^_^

[MorpheousXO]

Inspiration from Ender's Game? DAMN IT!!! I WANT TO PLAY I LOVE THAT BOOK OMGWTFBBQ!!! Heehee, seriously, though, I do love that book, and most Exalted fans want to play with Kasumi as ST, so... yeah... :(

[harkon]

Inspiration from Ender's Game? DAMN IT!!! I WANT TO PLAY I LOVE THAT BOOK OMGWTFBBQ!!! Heehee, seriously, though, I do love that book, and most Exalted fans want to play with Kasumi as ST, so... yeah... :(

I think Kasumi was a fellow PC is fairly good too. Now if Morsla was the ST as well...

[Kasumi]

Inspiration from Ender's Game? DAMN IT!!! I WANT TO PLAY I LOVE THAT BOOK OMGWTFBBQ!!! Heehee, seriously, though, I do love that book, and most Exalted fans want to play with Kasumi as ST, so... yeah... :(


Technically it's more Utena than Ender, but there is an influence there...


...a *lot* more sex than Ender's Game, though. Infinitely more, I think :)

[Knight of Roses]

My attempt to provide someone useful for your game. Does this look usable?


Five Furious Winds of Imperial Retribution

Fifth Circle Duelling Society

Founded by a militant, in all meanings of the word, group all of whom are the sons of career military officers. The Winds advocate an expansion of the Empires military and a national crusade to force the parts of the Empire that have slipped from Imperial control back within the Empire. As well as campaign to crush pirates and a general movement of the military to the primary sphere of the Empire. They see the failing of the Empire in a failure to embrace what must be done and that what must be done is to take fire and sword to all those who oppose the Empire’s will.
The Winds exemplify their militarism both in their choice of uniform cut and in activities. They actively promote martial training at all levels and encourage all of their fellow students (often loudly) to take up military careers. They have all had at least a short term of service in the Imperial military between terms.
The Winds are loosely aligned with the other traditionalist blocs in the school and oppose any who (in their view) aim to weaken or diminish the Empire.
[Real world equivalents would be a mix between Japanese right-wing militants and overzealous ROTC members.]


Captain Sharnal Spear of Fire (Fire)

Unusually calm and controlled by a fire aspect, Sharnal must constantly reign in his tendency to be a martinet as he knows that it drive off those who “have not yet disciplined their souls”. Obsessively correct in act and speech, his precision with his weapon is feared.

He is tall and slender, with ash coloured hair and bright blue eyes. He has already acquired quite a few scars from combats and accidents.


Vice Captain Rolash Vann (Water)

Rolash keeps the Winds records and schedules, he know where each member is at all times. While one of nature’s bureaucrats, his martial skills should not be underestimated. He is also a superb fixer, able to get needed items or information through official or unofficial channels as needed. Rolash is very soft-spoken but he is a keen observer and can make cutting observations when needed.

Rolash is of average height with dark blond hair and green eyes. He alway carries a writing slate and a copybook with him.


Standard Bearer Holami Tandrou (Earth)

Holami is the combat lead of the Winds, when not in class he will inevitably be found practising. His father was a great hero who died famously, if tragically, covering the retreat of his legion. Holami has his father’s enchanted sword, “Sunkiller”, but would not use if in combat against another dragon blooded unless his honour was on the line. Holami is quiet and stoic at all times.

Holami is a massive slab of muscle, his black hair is close cropped and he dark brown eyes are guarded. He moves slowly almost ponderously, except in combat.


Messenger Kom Shindari (Air)

Kom is the youngest and most playful of the Winds, he enjoys running about delivering messages and exploring the school grounds. He is one of the more knowledgeable people when it comes to the physical layout of the school (a talent the rest of the Winds are happy to exploit). He is the most likely of the Winds to exchange banter and gossip.

Kom is willowy and swift, with blond hair so pale it is almost white and eyes the colour of the sky. Between classes he often goes barefooted.


Healer Modori Shavaland (Wood)

Modori prefers persuasion to combat, but that does not mean he believes in the goals of the Winds less than any of the other members, he just thinks that their aggression would be better directed outward. A good listener and skilled healer, his is often sought out bu those who have had ‘accidents’, he generally asks for attendance at one of the Winds training/ propaganda sessions in payment for such aid though he will occasionally ask for other favors.

Modori is of average height or a little below and stocky, he keeps his head shaved and his eyes are a dark brown. He always wears a satchel containing basic healing supplies and a book or two.

[Kasumi]

Awesome! Do these kids have any Great House affiliations?

[Knight of Roses]

Well, I will have to leave to you to detail as:

1) I have never played Exalted, so my grasp of the background is limited.

2) I cannot get to my Exalted books that I do have, as I am recovering from having broken my leg in three places last week.

But my initial thoughts would be yes.

[Kasumi]

Well, I will have to leave to you to detail as:

1) I have never played Exalted, so my grasp of the background is limited.

2) I cannot get to my Exalted books that I do have, as I am recovering from having broken my leg in three places last week.

But my initial thoughts would be yes.


Heh, NP, I'll slot them into Great Houses, and make the surnames you've chosen Households (so like Ragara Vann Rolash)

[Knight of Roses]

Heh, NP, I'll slot them into Great Houses, and make the surnames you've chosen Households (so like Ragara Vann Rolash)
Sounds great. I look forward to the next game update.

As I have more ideas, I will post them up here.

[Kasumi]

The Irrepressible Mischievous Messenger
Volume 2, Issue 2



ROSE OF VENUS - VICTORY FOR FIRST-YEAR IN A STUNNING DEBUT!

The Calligraphy In Snow Sisterhood under Ledaal Xiaoyu, along with the Poison Teakettle Society under Ragara Sien, have begun holding a regular contest of romantic prowess, known as the ROSE OF VENUS! Two contestants of the same gender vie to impress three judges (two of the opposite gender, one of the same) with romantic approaches based on a theme chosen by the competition compare, the dashing Sesus Syrkun Panache of the Threshing Floor Lordlings! The winner selects one of the judges for an intimate date, and wins the assistance of that judge in one future matter.

In the very first contest, two young women of the same clique faced each other in romantic battle! Mnemon Korba and Cathak Tepet Burning Orchid (both of the Harmonious Chorus of Triumph) vied for the hearts of judges Ledaal Xiaoyu, Sesus Alakai of the Four Peony and One Lily Brotherhood, and the surprise mystery judge - Ledaal Shinta of the Student Council! Orchid contested bravely, but could not quite overcome Korba's undeniable natural beauty. In a surprise move, Korba chose Sesus Alakai - the one judge who voted for Orchid over her - for her date!

This contest really worries me - sure, it's a bit of fun, but look the judges - they're all high-ranking duellists. What are they getting out of this? And look at who's backing it - the Calligraphy in Snow Sisterhood is relatively benign, but Ragara Sien is a viper. What she standing to gain, and how did she persuade luminaries like Shinta to dance like monkeys to her tune?

I got to be a judge - it was great!



HOUSE SPORTS - NEW GAMES DESIGNED TO GIVE OTHER SCHOOLS A FIGHTING CHANCE

Tryouts for House Sports were held yesterday, and three options were presented for aspiring competitors - Hesiesh's Dance, a ball game, Urban Hunt, a monster hunting competition, and D'annad's Gateway, a speed-Gateway variant based largely on cheating. Master Carolus, who designed all three games, judges that they are more likely to give lesser schools, like the House of Bells and the Spiral Academy, something of a chance when competing against our astonishingly talented student body. Most expect us to win handily anyway.

The first competition was a game of Hesiesh's Dance held between members of the Harmonious Chorus of Triumph clique, with Mnemon Korba (attacker) and Cathak Precious Burning Glory (goalkeeper) of House Cerulean against Burning Orchid (attacker) and Iselsi Whispering Crystal (goalkeeper) of House Ivy. The object is for the attacker to strike a jade ball into a goal, and for the goalkeeper of the opposing team to prevent them. Where possible, a goalkeeper will pass the ball to their attacker, but usually it's a competition of athletic prowess between the attackers to win the strike! The game was furious and fast-paced, but the two sides were evenly matched - in the end, only Orchid's martial arts skills, and Whisper's trickery managed to seal them the win with the requisite three goals.

Horrendous injuries from the use of the Devil-Tiger of Larjyn in the Urban Hunt try-outs were limited to mortals.

Hey! Mortal students are people too! They bleed just like any of us!

Actually, they bleed MORE. It's just their parents don't complain as much about injuries and fatalities.


GROUNDSKEEPER'S MONSTER LARGER THAN ANTICIPATED - MYSTERY SOLVED WITH DISCOVERY OF GIANT ROCK KRAKEN

An important victory for the Harmonious Chorus of Triumph in the first round of the Impossibly Reckless Orienteering and Spelunking Society's season! Where other cliques failed, they managed to sneak into the Groundskeeper's shed, pass by his magically sealed doors, and fire themselves through some sort of magical catapult straight down through miles of solid rock, all in search of the Groundskeeper's pet monster! Reportedly, they happened on a group of beasts - tentacled, rubbery black creatures identified as Cephalids - and having attacked them in hopes of securing trophies (or possibly to avoid being eaten), seemed well on their way to collecting the 4 Pranking Points a