Break Glass in Case of Emergency (Exalted Exigent-Creation Quest)

And with that, Plan War and Peace has won! We're going to try and make ourselves a general here. Let's see how it goes!

On one of the rare days that You left the Jade Pleasure Dome, intending to travel to the Most Excellent Designers of Destiny and Sidereal Conjunctions (more simply known as the Bureau of Destiny) in order to inquire with Mars as to her request. That meant, of course, leaving the Pleasure Dome itself. Stepping outside of its many-jade exterior, You gazed upon the mercury sea in which it was situated on top of, and in the distance You could easily spy the twenty-five gates which fed into the quicksilver sea itself, and the exterior walls they were connected to. Atop each of these walls were Celestial Lions and other protector deities aplenty, dedicated to preventing anyone who was not invited from reaching the sea and through there the Pleasure Dome itself. That permission list, of course, NEVER included the Exalted. They had their right to rule all of Creation, THIS was something they could never have.

Now, if You were a more minor god, You could have made use of the numerous ferries which transported guests from one side of the mercury sea to the other, but You were the Unconquered Sun. You had no need to rely on other's skill to transport yourself. It took only a minor spell of the Terrestrial Circle to conjure up a fogbank from the quicksilver sea. Emerging from the mists, four golden horses rose together as one, neighing loudly in excitement. Their frigid saffron hooves touched the liquid mercury and turned it solid where they stood. Pulled out of the mist behind them by their bridles was a coach bearing Your colors, a place where You could relax and allow yourself to be transported to your destination. Sure, You had the ability to fly under your own power, and this was slightly hypocritical considering You had just dismissed taking one of the existing boats for your transportation, but this was Sorcery. It was still technically "under your own power."

Once You had climbed inside the perfectly comfortable coach, You gave a mental crack of the whip and the horses took off into the sky, heading towards your destination. More specifically to the Division of Battles' headquarters, the Crimson Panoply of Victory. From a distance, a mortal or minor spirit might assume that the Panoply resembled a collection of large tents made of blood-stained cloth. In reality, each of these massive tents, bigger on the inside than the outside of course, were crafted entirely from red jade, carved in such a delicate way that they seemed to blow in the wind despite being made of magical stone. Behind every stone flap, one could potentially find a war room, a gymnasium, a barracks, a lounge or some other type of building, but it was the largest tent in the center of the formation which held your interest. This place was technically Mars' office, even if she herself almost never used it, leaving it to her Division Head Hu Dai Liang, the Butterfly God of Decisive Strategems. For now, it would be a place where the two of you could meet.

Except when You arrived there, ignoring the prostrating deities and Sidereals near by, there were actually four of you, Dai Liang having been admitted to this meeting as well alongside a much more minor war deity. No matter, if Mars felt comfortable having her subordinates there, it was no problem for You. Stepping inside, You once again ignored the bows of the two comparatively smaller deities present and gave your fellow Incarna your full attention.

"I have come to tell you that I have accepted your request." At that, Mars gave a rare smile, though it was the smile of a general whose strategem had been successful. "Though, might I ask, how exactly you wanted to utilize this Exigent? You wouldn't go to this degree without some idea in mind, correct?"

The smile vanished, though not because the question displeased Her. Rather, it was an important consideration for Her to give her full undivided attention to. "Correct. To be more specific, I had several plans in place depending on where the Exigent was naturally located, as it made no sense to relocate a potential asset when they could be used for operations in the area. For now, the Scarlet Realm maintains a decent enough hold on the Blessed Isle that sending further operatives there is unneeded. So long as the next Exigent to be created lives within Creation's periphery, and they are suitably prepared for their role, I will consider this request fulfilled."

Fair enough, You could see the logic in that, but Mars wasn't done. "In addition, to help with your request for one of my soldiers to assist this Exigent," You narrow your eyes but do not interrupt Her. You had yet to even make that request, but it seems the Maiden has once again looked to the future for what You might do next. Annoying, but after so millennia working together one got used to it. "-I have ordered Sergeant Scoff-Sling here to help."

Gazing upon the much younger deity with your full attention, only iron discipline preventing her from squirming, You couldn't help but ask, "And... what were Sergeant Scoff-Sling's thoughts on the matter?" After all, ordering someone who might not wish to undertake this task as an Exigent's adjunctant for centuries, potentially millennia, was a foolish idea. The deity in question took the shape of a shorter human with dark grey skin and short red hair. She wore the familiar crimson armor of her division well, and you could see the sling from which she got her name on her hip.

It took the poor girl a few seconds to realize that your question gave her permission to speak. Doing her best to reply with military exactness and courage, she gave her answer. "Sir, I am prepared to serve as my Division requires. If that means assisting someone else on the field of battle down in Creation, then so be it." 'Then so be it...' interesting turn of phrase there. But alright, let's see how she does.

"Very well then. I will call for the Sergeant when an appropriate Exigent has been created." And that ended the meeting there, as You left the three war deities to discuss more Division-related material in the massive tent.

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Some time later, You heard a request for Exigence once again. This time, there was a clear recipient for the god's power, a military strategist of some type. But who exactly was the god in question again?

Who was the god who received the precious spark?

[] Arduinna, a Goddess of Ice Boar Hunting in the frozen North, flees on foot from her pursuer with all-due haste. Currently, an older Lunar Exalt is on her trail, intending to devour her and steal her powers for their own use. Though she begs primarily for her own safety, she is willing to sacrifice part of her strength in order to empower her mortal paramour, as two minor powers (or at least 1 young Celestial) should prove enough to convince the Lunar that this hunt is more trouble than its worth. (North, Minor)

[] Descending from the skies, Hail-Scourge gnashes her teeth as yet another ship successfully avoids her wrath. One of the weakest of the Storm Mothers, she does not have the natural strength to pay evil to evil for those sailors who avoid sacrificing to her, which in turn limits how quickly she can grow in strength. In frustration, she screams at the heavens that if she cannot make her mark on the world, than surely her Chosen could do so in her stead. (West, Minor)

[] Cloaked from sight, Pleasant Forgery of Light sighs as yet another prayer goes unanswered. For many months, the minor God of Hazy Mirages has tired of their long life, and looked for a way to end it without breaking their promise of protection to a remote settlement. The only solution, as they see it, is to obtain a Spark of Exigence, and from there create a protector they can leave behind for those downtrodden mortals, freeing them up to say goodbye to this world as all illusions must do. (South, Minor)

[] Migog, a deity of Root-Cracked Rocks, seeks enlightenment just as mortals do. He has tried aestheticism, philosophy, drugs and several other paths which all came to a dead end. At this point, he figures, the risk of dooming himself is nothing compared to the chance of communion with the greatest God of All. Besides, if he survives with no enlightenment in tow, at least he'll have a student to listen to his ramblings. (East, Minor)

[] Ysyr has been a land of sorcerers for millennia, and the gods have been forced out because of it. One among the dispossessed deities, Kishetra, Goddess of Unnatural Lights, seeks a Chosen to infiltrate this magical city-state to find out what happens behind closed doors. After all, Ysyr's sorcerer-princes are as famous for their extravagance as they are their cruelty. (Southeast, Minor)

[] Though renowned for its beauty, An-Teng is a living painting propagated by cruelty, as dissent from the peaceful facade is punished with hand and whip. One god in particular, Viersla, God of Hidden Tensions, hates their job because of how much they work they have to do and recieve no thanks for. At this point, they figure that an Exigent with their power could blow this popsicle stand wide open and stop this suffocating atmosphere of false pleasantries! (Southwest, Minor)

[] Centuries prior, a foolish sorceress used the Eye of Autocthon to create an everpresent Spiral to protect her people. After her death, it rages unhindered, twisting the landscape with its power. Its people worship it in place of any deity, and that just won't do for some gods. Proud Blubber, a God of Northwestern Walruses, is annoyed that the Walrusfolk that live in the area don't direct their worship to him instead! He thinks that with a Chosen of his own, he can send this would-be missionary to preach in his name. (Northwest, Minor)

[] In the chilly north, Sevje the God of Exploding Trees has observed what they believe to be an Underworld plot, as one of the Shadowlands nearby grows slightly larger every year and ghosts leave the area frequently. A champion will be needed to fix this problem, and soon. After all, the God themselves can only do so much to halt any advance of the undead which occurs. (North, Minor)(NEW!)

[] One of your Grandchild Masinghala's subordinates, a cat deity of more terrestrial origin (as opposed to the more common Lion Dogs and Celestial Lions) seeks to make her name known throughout the South. As one of Origin's myriad feline deities, she is but one of dozens of gods in the region, but with an Exigent of her own, she believes that she can rise to a higher station in life. Yet... she doesn't seem to realize the very real risk of death for her here, unless she also has a cat's legendary 9 lives. (South, Minor)(NEW!)

[] The Tya are an outcast minority group in the West, comprising of those who fled sexist local traditions and embraced a unique gender identity outside of the norm. The Tya gather in Lodges which worship patron gods called "Compeer," and one of these deities, the God of Artistic Piercings, is now asking for help. He fears that a local crackdown of his people by the government of the region they live in is nigh, and wishes for a Chosen who could protect his flock in his stead. (West, Minor)(NEW!)

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Author's Note: Part 2 is here, as always feel free to ask questions if you have any. I could have made the segment with Mars a bit longer, but even I get tired of color-coordinating the text every time. Let me know if you think it's too annoying, I still personally like it aesthetically, but I understand if others might be put off.

Alright, it's close enough to call it for this vote. I'm going to quickly get through the rolls in the post below, so let's see what we're working with here.

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Every Exigent that You had ever allowed to be created was unique, even Wun Ja's get still had a fair amount of variance between them. Still, You had to say that this particular Exigent would be very special indeed, and not just because of Mars' interference in the matter.

The god receiving this spark in question, Naettu, God of Artistic Piercings was a largely unknown deity. Nominally he was part of the Celestial Bureaucracy, but his domain proved to be rather small in comparison to anything else. So, feeling thankless for the work he put in, he decided to head down to Creation to earn worshipers the old fashioned way. Normally, such dereliction of duty would have angered You, but over time Naettu grew to care for the flock he had taken on. As a Compeer, he was in charge of providing blessings for a Lodge of people known as "Tya," a name that was both gender identity and religious role. His specific cult settled on the island of Kumul within the Wavecrest Archipelago, a collection of outsiders residing on the island most compliant to Dynastic rule. And that's where the problems began.

The Tya as a rule stand apart from everyone else thanks to their dual nature. Each holds two names, one used in public and the other in private. Each wears two styles: Plain and androgynous in public, ostentatious and colorful in private. Often, they have two kinds of pronouns as well: Masculine in public, and something else in private. This dual natures in turn engenders a sort of secrecy among members, where they only reveal who they truly are behind closed doors. And secrecy is, sadly, often considered suspicious by some, particularly a paranoid oppressor.

House Peleps, the Dynastic House responsible for dominating the sea in the Empress' name, have had tight control over Kumul for centuries now, taking control of the archipelago away from House Sesus around 2 centuries prior. These days, it is the center of their power base, and with the growing instability on the Blessed Isle, they see Wavecrest as a resource to be exploited. Where once they held a light touch (in their eyes), now they seek to apply pressure to the region in order to secure their rule. And the first thing to go must be those "strange mysterious criminals." Thus, things have come to this point, where Naettu begs You for a spark of Exigence in order to protect his lodge from House Peleps' increasingly tight grip.


He already has an intended recipient in mind: One of the younger Tya, freshly freed as a slave from the grasp of the other tyrannical government in the West, the Azurites. He (the Tya) is well-spoken and charismatic, having already once freed themselves and their fellow slaves in a small revolt. Fighting against the might of House Peleps then is just the same thing writ large. All they need is the power to put thought into action. And that is where You come in.

You are already providing the spark, and with Mars' request in mind You have a few more gifts lined up. Still, was there anything else You would like to give this child?

The Exigent, per the request, will start out with Lead as his Main Focus, providing a +20 Bonus to it as a Terrestrial Exigent. In addition, the following Gifts have been automatically locked in:

[X][Gift] You had quite a collection of artifact weapons from millennia of gifts just lying around, they could be better used to help someone else. (+10 Bonus to Fight)
[X][Gift] While you could not assign a Celestial Lion to assist this Exigent, you do know of a minor god who can serve as an assistant. (+10 Bonus to Lead)

Choose which of the following you would also like to give this Exigent. Please write your choices in the form of a plan.

[][Gift] By your will, you shall grant this Exigent a personal ray of light, invisible to all but spirits who will look upon them with your favor. (+10 Bonus to Talk)

[][Gift] In this dire situation, perhaps more direct action could be taken. You shall allow this Exigent a singular use of your most divine panoply, to help them get on their feet. (Instead provides a +50 bonus to the FIRST event roll, bonus counts as part of natural die roll, will reduce the Enthusiasm gain for this Exigent.)

And finally, what would be this child's name?

[] Exigent's Name
[] Exigent's Appearance
[] Exigent's Anima Banner (Should have some relation to piercings, revolution or both)

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Author's Note: I mean to get this out earlier, than I took a nap (which I probably needed) so here it is now! I had to go slightly more in-depth with the Tya's situation in order to convey what's going on with them. Technically speaking in canon its the Azurites that cause them the most trouble, but I'm a bit more familiar with Wavecrest as an Exalted fan so that's what I'm going with here. I'll probably go even more in depth once we get to the Exigent's life story, but for now I think it suffices as an explanation.

I'm also going to make an info post sometime in the future explaining how you can unlock ways to improve your initial rolls, like Lifespan and Legacy. I figured it should get its own post rather than me just going over it here in the author's notes.

That reminds me, quick little tidbit: While Material Affinity generally won't matter for this quest in terms of mechanics, you might have noticed that rather than an actual material, this Exigent has an Affinity for Piercings, an item. This is a thing that Exigents can have, the canonical "Puppeteer" Exigent has Material Affinity for artifact puppets, and little for anything else.

...Actually, taking a look at her example, maybe I should buff up this Exigent's material affinity a bit... In addition to having a whole skillset dedicated to a crafted item, this Exigent is what is known as an "Essence-type" Exigent. That is to say, rather than having favored Attributes (Body Traits) or Abilities (Skills and Expertise) like most Exalted, they instead have an easier time learning artifact Evocations and sorcery. Again, not a mechanic that should be relevant here, just a clarification on how an Exigent can be wildly different from the norm.