Bottomless Library sounds like a Third Circle of Elloge, for obvious reasons. A Defining Soul... We know little about Emerenzia's progenitor, but Mara and Octavian both have Third Circles detailed in the second Roll of Glorious Divinities. If the two data points form a pattern, I suspect that Yoxien directly embodies the end result of the Bottomless Library's influence, without regard for the process by which that end result is achieved, which I believe to be the domain of Expressive Souls.
Sounds like the Bottomless Library must be quite the gourmand.
 
To be clear, this isn't a "who we make friends with" vote, but a "who we pay attention to" vote, right?
 
To be clear, this isn't a "who we make friends with" vote, but a "who we pay attention to" vote, right?
Most immediately, it will get you a scene with the top two characters from this vote in the next update that will let Ambraea get to know them better and like, develop them further. This is not explicitly friendship right out of the gate, but it tells me that people want to see more of this particular person going forward.
 
I'm compelled to bring up another potential elephant in the room, or at least something that's making me look real hard at Maia. I just don't know if it'd lead to accidental metagaming.
 
I'm deeply curious about what you're thinking, honestly.

Just in case, I want to keep this in spoilers.

My suspicion is that Maia is an Iselsi, though I'm unsure if she's a trainee or on a mission of some sorts. There's her being a Water Aspect which is a House Staple, but Yoxien notes that Maia didn't give her true name, which begs the question why. We also seem taken by surprise with her movements, with her producing a knife out of nowhere with the botched summoning, and the scurrying from Keric. The two instances aren't really strong, but Maia being an alias is making me reevaluate her character and actions.

I don't know what's gonna happen if Maia is an Iselsi. I don't know if Ambraea knows of the Iselsi in-universe, which makes discussing possible actions a touchy subject in case Maia isn't one, or Ambraea doesn't know.
 
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Just in case, I want to keep this in spoilers.

My suspicion is that Maia is an Iselsi, though I'm unsure if she's a trainee or on a mission of some sorts. There's her being a Water Aspect which is a House Staple, but Yoxien notes that Maia didn't give her true name, which begs the question why. We also seem taken by surprise with her movements, with her producing a knife out of nowhere with the botched summoning, and the scurrying from Keric. The two instances aren't really strong, but Maia being an alias is making me reevaluate her character and actions.

I don't know what's gonna happen if Maia is an Iselsi. I don't know if Ambraea knows of the Iselsi in-universe, which makes discussing possible actions a touchy subject in case Maia isn't one, or Ambraea doesn't know.
He hasn't been freely fed true names this good in a long time. His disappointment with Maia is due to her name being unremarkable, I suspect.
 
List of Characters; Houses of the Realm Great and small
This information is presented to reflect Ambraea's understanding of the setting and the people in it who she meets. It is current as of year 7, update 03, Realm Year 765. You may note, this quest began ten years earlier than the standard beginning date for official Exalted content, and I have adjusted canon character ages and events accordingly.

Characters

Students of the Heptagram

Ambraea — Earth Aspect Dragon-Blood. The protagonist. A young daughter of the Scarlet Empress. Twenty-two years old.

Erona Maia — Water Aspect Dragon-Blood. Ambraea's Hearthmate and lover. A patrician from a family well-connected in the Thousand Scales, but without much status beyond this. Shy in most social situations. Twenty-two years old.

V'neef L'nessa — Wood Aspect Dragon-Blood. Ambraea's roommate. The daughter of V'neef, the youngest matriarch in the Realm. Friendly and socially adept. Twenty-two years old.

Cathak Garel Hylo — Fire Aspect Dragon-Blood. A boy in his fifth year at the Heptagram. Studious and self important. Twenty years old.

Ledaal Anay Idelle — Fire Aspect Dragon-Blood. A girl in Ambraea's year. The daughter of two famous Wyld Hunt shikari, who wanted to be a monk before coming to the Heptagram instead. Serious about her studies and a very devout Immaculate. Twenty-two years old.

Mnemon Keric — Earth Aspect Dragon-Blood. A boy in Ambraea's year. The son of a well-regarded architect and geomancer. Friendly to those he likes. Can be elitist, but not to the point of cruelty. Twenty-twoyears old.

Nellens Garan — Water Aspect Dragon-Blood. A boy in Ambraea's year. The only Exalted child of two mortals. Intelligent but often awkward, particularly around girls.

Peleps Nalri — Water Aspect Dragon-Blood. A girl two years ahead of Ambraea at the Heptagram. Bears a grudge against House V'neef. Deceased, twenty-two years old.

Sesus Amiti — Air Aspect Dragon-Blood. A girl in Ambraea's year. The daughter of a respected officer in the Sesus House Legions. Intelligent and extremely hardworking at academic pursuits, but lacking any visible talent at applied sorcery. Socially awkward with morbid tendencies. Twenty-two years old.

Simendor Deizil — Earth Aspect Dragon-Blood. A boy in Ambraea's year. The nephew of the matriarch of House Simendor, an ancient Cadet House from the Southern Threshold. Extremely advanced in his studies compared to the other students in his year. Overly proud, and offends others easily. Twenty-two years old.

Tepet Usala Sola — Air Aspect Dragon-Blood. Ambraea's friend and Hearthmate. The youngest daughter of Matriarch Tepet Usala, a famed general and war hero. Brave and loyal, with an interest in martial pursuits. Twenty-twoyears old.

V'neef Darting Fish — Water Aspect Dragon-Blood. A boy who was three years ahead of Ambraea at the Heptagram, now a recent graduate. The son of one of V'neef's adoptive daughters, a former patrician. Twenty-five years old.

Instructors of the Heptagram

Ragara Bhagwei — Wood Aspect Dragon-Blood. The founder and dominie of the Heptagram. Brilliant and stubbornly apolitical, but a difficult teacher.

Brother Lichen — Wood Aspect Dragon-Blood. A sorcerer-monk, and retired Immaculate spirit breaker. An outcaste and a former slave.

Cynis Bashura — Fire Aspect Dragon-Blood. A famed traveller and adventurer in her youth.

First Light — Water Aspect Dragon-Blood. An outcaste veteran of the Imperial Legions. An expert on war sorcery.

Nellens Ovo — Wood Aspect Dragon-Blood. An expert on demonology. Irritable and particularly hard on students of his own House. Deceased.

Instructor SaiThere's always an ending.

Zadaki Twelve-Feathers — Air Aspect Dragon-Blood. A foreign-born outcaste from the Northern Threshold.

The Empress, her living consorts and surviving children

The Scarlet Empress — Fire Aspect Dragon-Blood. Ambraea's mother, the founder and ruler of the Scarlet Realm, and the mother of the Scarlet Dynasty. Seemingly ageless and immortal, the greatest Dragon-Blooded sorcerer alive. Disappeared.

Burano Maharan Nazat — Earth Aspect Dragon-Blood. Ambraea's father. A native of Prasad and an Imperial consort.

Berit — Water Aspect Dragon-Blood. Ambraea's elder half-sister. A former general and war hero in self-imposed exile after a falling out with the Empress.

Mnemon — Earth Aspect Dragon-Blood. Ambraea's eldest living half-sister, founder and matriarch of House Mnemon. A great sorcerer. Nearly 400 years old through the use of life-extending magic.

Mnemon Rulinsei — Water Aspect Dragon-Blood. An aged daughter of the Scarlet Empress who was adopted into Mnemon's household centuries ago to gain protection from Ragara's assassination attempts.

Oban — Fire Aspect Dragon-Blood. Ambraea's elder half-brother. Married to Matirach Sesus Raenyah.

Ragara — Earth Aspect Dragon-Blood. Ambraea's eldest living half-brother, founder and former matriarch of House Ragara. Living in retirement in the Northern Threshold. Over 600 years old through the use of life-extending magic.

V'neef — Wood Aspect Dragon-Blood. Ambraea's elder half-sister, founder and matriarch of House V'neef. The youngest Great House matriarch. Fifty-five years old.

Other human characters

Beacon of Truth — Zenith Caste Solar. An Anathema and former prisoner in the Imperial Manse, killed by Ambraea and Maia as part of a Wyld Hunt in 764. Wounded Hound's lover.

Briar — Wood Aspect Dragon-Blood. An outcaste itinerant monk of the Immaculate Order who travels a circuit. Caring and humorous, but decisive at need.

Demure Peony/Singular GraceLove is hard.

Erona Vermillion Shore — Water Aspect Dragon-Blood. Officially a former foreign outcaste who married into the young matriarch of an ailing patrician family. In reality, she was born Iselsi Velera, a former officer in the Imperial Legions believed to have died on campaign many decades ago. Maia's grandmother.

Hope For Rain — No Moon Caste Lunar. An Anathema necromancer and sorcerer sent by the dread Face-Stealer, Amatha Kinslayer, to rescue Wounded Hound from the Blessed Isle. Killed by the combined forces of a Wyld Hunt in 764.

Lohna Prince's Scribe — Mortal. A slave of the Imperial household, was Ambraea's wet nurse, later one of her nannies. Peony's mother. Practical but caring.

Ophris Maharan Teran — Fire Aspect Dragon-Blood. A distant cousin of Ambraea's from Prasad, daring and cheerful, but confused by the Realm's culture.

Ophris Maharan Yavis — Mortal. A distant cousin of Ambraea's from Prasad, Teran's Sage Caste personal attendant.

Sesus Cerec — Fire Aspect Dragon-Blood. Mother to Amiti and Kasi. A dragonlord, later quartermaster, with the Sesus House Legions. More than she appears.

Sesus Kasi — Fire Aspect Dragon-Blood. Amiti's twin sister, who Exalted years before her. Currently attending the Spiral Academy.

Sesus Vahelo Mortal. Cousin to Amiti, a young legionary officer. Shared a memorable evening with Ambraea.

Stinging NettleI cannot help who drives me.

V'neef S'thera — Wood Aspect Dragon-Blood. One of V'neef's daughters, a blind swordmaster.

Teng Evening Garnet — Mortal. A freedwoman and former Dynastic slave, originally from the satrapy of Zhaojun. Ambraea's handmaiden.

Tepet Igan — Air Aspect Dragon-Blood. V'neef's husband, the father of L'nessa and S'thera.

Tepet Kedas — Fire Aspect Dragon-Blood. Engaged to V'neef S'thera.

Tepet Usala — Air Aspect Dragon-Blood. Matriarch of House Tepet, Sola's mother.

Tepet Usala Numara — Air Aspect Dragon-Blood. Sola's eldest sister, a general commanding one of the Tepet House Legions.

Tranquil Depths Drown Deceit — Water Aspect Dragon-Blood. An Immaculate monk originally of House Erona. Maia's elder brother.

Wounded Hound — Full Moon Caste Lunar. An Anathema and former prisoner in the Imperial Manse killed by Singular Grace and Stinging Nettle as part of a Wyld Hunt in 764. Beacon of Truth's lover.

Yula CerenyeLove endures.

Spirits

Diamond-Cut Perfection — Lesser elemental dragon of Earth. A newly-fledged dragon and powerful elemental, Ambraea's unorthodox tutor. Friendly, but erratic and greedy.

Yoxien, the Directory Bound in Crimson, Defining Soul of the Bottomless Library — Demon of the Second Circle. A powerful demon in the shape of a miniature raiton, bound by ancient and powerful magics. Seemingly friendly.

Verdigris — Minor elemental. A bronze serpent permanently summoned at Ambraea's side. Ambraea's familiar, highly attuned to her emotional state.

The Great Houses

House Cathak — Fire That Marches Against the Tide. One of the three Great Military Houses of the Realm. Famed for its Legions' iron discipline.

House Cynis — Wood Nourished on the Tears of the Fallen. A mercantile House with a monopoly on importing slaves and narcotics into the Blessed Isle.

House Ledaal — Air that Raised the Bones of Giants. Famed for its deep stores of arcane knowledge and single-minded dedication to safeguarding the Realm from dark forces.

House Mnemon — Earth Carved in the Image of One. Renowned architects, builders and geomancers. Responsible for much of the Blessed Isle's roads and other great works of infrastructure.

House Nellens — Dragons of the Blood Ressurgent. A mercantile House with diverse investments. The youngest House, besides V'neef.

House Peleps — Water That Wreaths the Crown of Centuries. A particularly old House that controls the Imperial Navy.

House Ragara — Earth Slaked on the Blood of Dragons. Controls most of the banking interests for the Dynasty.

House Sesus — Fire that Makes the Shadows Strong. One of the three Great Military Houses of the Realm. Has an unsavoury reputation, and is known to rely on underhanded tactics in both military and political matters.

House Tepet — Air Stained by the Blood of Legions. One of the three Great Military Houses of the Realm. A very old House famed for heroism, brilliance in command, and martial excellence.

House V'neef — Wood That Tenders the Garden's Grace. The youngest Great House by far, only elevated in RY 754. Apart from V'neef's own household, still predominantly made up of former outcaste households formally adopted by V'neef. Controls the Realm's merchant fleet.

Other Houses of the Realm

Clan Burano — Stone That Towers Toward the Sky. One of the two ruling Dragon Clans of Prasad. Officially a Realm cadet house. Based in Prasad, in the South-Eastern Threshold.

Erona — A patrician family, predominantly made up of bureaucrats working in the Thousand Scales.

House Ferem — Air Cradled in the Jaws of the Sea. The former rulers of Grand Cherak, now the largest Realm cadet house. Based in Cherak, in the Northern Threshold.

Clan Ophris — Fire That Renews the Forest. One of the two ruling Dragon Clans of Prasad. Officially a Realm cadet house. Based in Prasad, in the South-Eastern Threshold.

House Simendor — Dark Wings Enfolding the Agate Throne. An ancient bloodline of sorcerer princes. Now a Realm cadet house, named for the Shogunate daimyo, Simendor the Hellblade. Based in Chalan, in the Southern Threshold.

Former Great Houses

House Akiyo — A fallen Great House.

House Burano — A former Great House. Struck from the rolls for co-founding the Empire of Prasad.

House Chanos — A fallen Great House.

House Iselsi — Water That Hides the Deepest Dark. A fallen Great House. Struck from the rolls thirty years ago, after nearly a century of humiliation and slow dismantlement by the other Houses for a failed assassination attempt against the Empress.

House Jerah — A fallen Great House.

House Jurul — A fallen Great House. Destroyed for consorting with Lunar Anathema and plotting against the Empress.

House Manosque — A fallen Great House. Anihilated down to the last scion after a failed coup.

House Ophris — A former Great House. Struck from the rolls for co-founding the Empire of Prasad.
 
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Ragara — Earth Aspect Dragon-Blood. Ambraea's eldest living half-brother, founder and former matriarch of House Ragara. Living in retirement in the Northern Threshold. Over 600 years old through the use of life-extending magic.
So is he a trans man? Since he's her brother and a former matriarch. Would the retirement have anything to do with him not being allowed to rule a house after coming out as male?
 
So is he a trans man? Since he's her brother and a former matriarch. Would the retirement have anything to do with him not being allowed to rule a house after coming out as male?
No, the Realm is just a matriarchy, and as of Third Edition material, this is what the head of a Great House is called, even when the position is occassionally filled by a man. Cathak Cainan is definitely a dude, and he is currently billed as Matriarch Cathak Cainan.
 
Keric needs a bit of throat punching. Of course yelling at the jumpy, shy girl is going to make her jump. Which means he's either an idiot or did it on purpose.
 
I'd wondered what attracted people to vote Sesus Amiti when she hasn't had much of a showing in story so far. I'd actually gotten mixed up and thought Erona was the spooky ghost girl but she's the mysteriously talented one instead. This does make what looks to be a burgeoning friendship between Amiti and Idelle a fun thing to look out for, both such loyal friends but theologically opposed.
 
This point, we might just be trying to suss out who's gonna kick off the big dramatic subplot on our journey to be a Sorcerer... maybe... That's just me.
 
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