Okay, I'm admittadly getting a bit frustrated at people's interpretation of what I'm doing here, and the weird accusations that I hate religion or whatever.
So let me be precisely clear exactly what is going on so there can be no miscommunication.
1. My methodology for balance between tiers is a *soft* boundary, rather than a hard one, and to rely on more of xp balancing rather that "tier classes" of exalts. I understand this ruffles feathers, but it is my preference. I have seen too many times people go "Oh, I want to play a DB, but I don't want to be useless." I understand if you don't like my solution to that particular problem. That's fine. But I'm doing it regardless.
Practically speaking, almost nothing changes. The barrier is still there. It's just not completely impenetrable.
2. Player Characters can reach whatever circle they want. They are allowed to. They're the one in a million. The point is they don't feel like they can't play a Sorceror if they aren't a Solar. Yes. I've seen this happen.
3. Non-Player Characters are subject to that soft cap. But by statistics, there still should be a decent chunk of DB Sapphire sorcerors due to everything I've outlined. So, I wanted to make it consistent and made a reason why they aren't as prevelant.
4. You guys were talking about Raksi, so I went "Oh hey, that's neat. Here's something I'm using in my campaign involving her, based on the restrictions I've placed on myself."
5. The story is that Raksi has managed--against all odds, and even against the true might of the vast empire that is the Realm and the Immaculate Order--to manipulate a small part for her own gain. She put a little...word virus into the interpretations of text. A collective idea of "it is known" that has become....a weed. An impossible, vast spreading weed of an idea that keeps popping up. A lie that outpaces the truth, one that frustrates those who fight against it to no end because no matter what they do, it seems to resurface. The texts say one thing, and those who study deeply and thourghly know it, but the public perception, and those that skim the passages will see another. This perception that the public has is...almost impossible to control.
It's an allegory for the power of a lie. For groupthink. And someone *weaponized* it.
All this just means that the number of Sapphire DB's is lowered. And they have to be secretive. Rather than being celebrated and adored, they are feared and secretive, only adding to this horrible lie that surrounds them.
Almost certainly there are those that use this as political advantage. A way to control their opponents. Nobody wants to fight the "High level sorcerory isn't actually evil" fight because their political enemies would absolutely tear them to shreds if they do. Probably the only ones that got away with it was the Empress herself and Mnemon, who are both self-serving and conniving enough to make sure that *they* are the exception. That their souls are more pure and resistant than even other Dragonbloods.
Now, I didn't exactly want to type all that out because I typically post here on my phone, and honestly was just throwing out a summary on an offhanded subject.
That's all. If you don't like it, that's fine. But at least try to not take perhaps the least charitable interpretation and extrapolate it out to some weird bizzare conculsions about me personally. That's not cool.
