Ask yourselves if you think that House Cathak would have been your ally in your ascension going by Zao's plan, or if they would be your opponent. Now consider that you just killed one of their most powerful asset, and your family is also their greatest rival that can match them in military power. Groveling for forgiveness and being remorseful here would do nothing but playing pretend feel good, the die is already cast, all I think we should do now is to capitalize on whatever opportunity these series of event has opened.
[Exalted, ?] Most High
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
-
- Tags
- exalted (white wolf)
Yeah establishing Zao as ruler while good for the short term while only last until he dies in a hundred years then we'll be in the same situation as we are now.
Sure Moon could inherit the throne but I'd rather not force her into it.
But there's another problem. In order for Zao to be emperor he has to be alive admins last I checked Zao died in the last two quest so we aren't assured he will live no matter what. Zao along with ourselves will be priority targets to take out and if Zao's gone who the hell do we make ruler of the realm?
Ourself? With the potential fallout being outed as Anathema could cause? are you crazy? Moon isn't ready for that and Nilul would never paint that big
of a target on herself.
Well we could just use the Sword to oh wait we don't fucking remember the controls yet.
Yeah I really do not want to start the war just yet.
If we kick off the war by showing no remorse, we are going to alienate more people than if we kick off the war later on, as Polemgaos allies, friends and acquaintances are unlikely to side with us. However, by showing remorse, we can try and bring those people to our side. Furthermore, at this juncture, we do not know what resources and allies we would have on our side if we kick off the war, so it might be optimistic to think that we are going to be at an advantage when the war starts now, especially since we are making a lot of enemies. Furthermore, Anys is still working in the background, so by not showing remorse, it would give us much more ammunition to unite our enemies into one bloc against us.
Woah who the fuck said anything about groveling or pretending to have remorse?
Rihaku has said it wouldn't be like that. That kind of thing is out of character and Ulyssian knows he sucks too much at social to put on a performance. Rihaku has asking said that even Odyissial would've regretted accidentally killing someone in this kind of setting and that Ulyssian's feelings of remorse would be real.
Yeah saying we killed a hero of the Realm on purpose would kind of support the Immaculate's claims about us for why else would we do such a thing but to weaken the realm. The fact it would spark the Civil War and make the realm even weaker and potentially
under our control makes us look real suspicious.
Also the whole damn reason we stayed in the realm was to gather allies and resources. Why are we throwing away a chance to potentially gain more allies and negotiate with others so that we can make sure we have the advantage for when the civil war actually begins?
Seriously we give up 50,000 XP to let someone who tried to kill us and still tried to kill is even after we stomped her perfected brotherhood go because we wanted a reputation of mercy and a potential ally but we won't show the remorse that Ulyssian feels for accidentally killing someone in a setting no one really expected to die in and thus get a better reputation?
Rihaku
The Internet
Now that you are E4, there might be some Charms that you can flash-buy to help you in this situation, depending on what your goals are. It'd be expensive, but you do have the XP to buy 2 unfavored / possibly 3 favored Charms. Some Presence Charms could go a long way, or even Bureaucracy, if it comes to an official trial. Then there's the ever-useful Flashing Ruse Prana and Master Plan Meditation, which let you modify forensic evidence!
Which does nothing to change the fact that we have to make the decision ourselves now, because Zao as you so correctly observed is not here.
Either we take a serious blow to our hopes for advancement in the Realm and try to do damage control or we seize this moment to gain Zao's faction a lot of momentum for the price of kicking the war off early.
Both is a major decision with heavy impact on the future of their plans that Uly has to make on his own.
Choosing to show remorse is not any less Uly acting independantly just because it doesn't cause the Realm Civil War. Showing remorse could just as easily doom all of Zao's plans because it creates a really powerful enemy with nothing to show for it but achieving E4.
The fact that we shouldn't be making these decisions ourselves plays absolutely no role whatsoever in the face uf having no choice but making this decision on our own.
But that's not a realistic expectation to have when your enemy is not incompetent.
In a situation where our allies are prepared any non-trivial opponents are also going to be prepared.
To hope that we can somehow hope to catch an entire Great House full of Exalted supported by the entire Bronze Faction off guard if we prepare for a bit longer is hilariously unrealistic.
Our enemies are just as caught off guard by this as we are, which is pretty much the best we can hope for in this regard.
The key advantage here is how much momentum gets put on Zao's side by this stunt, which is not really something we can be remotely sure to replicate, especially not now that we are on the absolute shitlist of the Great House with the most armed forces in the entire Realm.
Your side is the one insisting that months or even years of tenuous peace will definitely benefit us more than it will them, even though we have no political talents to speak of, the navy is constantly being eroded and the Bronze Faction is constantly working on new plans to diminish Zao's political capital enough to move against him.
They'll obviously be on their side.
Every single House will be on their own side because every single House wants to secure the throne for themselves.
After the first strong power blocs centered around Zao and Cathak/the Immaculate Order form the rest will be very likely to from their own power blocs that will be only as big as they think they need to be to win.
The fewer other Houses they ally with the fewer ones they have to placate or share the gains with after all and that's before mores specific issues like Mnemon accepting nothing but subordination and noone really wanting to serve Mnemon come into play.
It's only over the course of the war itself that factions will consolidate enough to actually start incorparating something approaching a majority of Houses.
Personal growth is massively slowed down due to XP issues, political growth isn't promising without a show of force like exactly this one due to our inapplicable skillset and powerful enemies and a plan of action for the civila war already exists.
It's called "Use this momentum to secure more allies than we could otherwise hope to gain, intimidate potential enemies with this stunt and follow all the contingency plans prepared for the outbreak of the civil war."
Guile
Having a really great time right now
Rihaku was suggesting that our plans for the satrapy just went up in flames (heh) anyway.
What contingencies planned for a civil war?
Pretty sure Zao didn't expect shit to go pear shaped this early. No one did. Hence why it's was noted to be a surprise to every ducking one and why you keep advocating we do it now as people aren't ready for the civil war and this made no plans for it.
Also how is showing remorse making us look weaker?
Again it's scarier we killed one of the dragonblooded by sheer accident then it is that we did it on purpose. People are still going to be in fear and awe of us. Moreso I'd even say. "If he can do this on accidnent. Imagine what he could do when he's actually trying". That's what everyone will be thinking.
Showing remorse also paints us in a better light then saying we intentionally killed Polemgaos which offers us more allies. It's easier to gain allies when less people are pissed at you and your enemies can't use this against you to make yourself look worse. Hell showing remorse helps us work against the Immaculate's word against us because why would an Anathema show remorse for killing one of the Realm's strongest defenders.
I thought people wanted to play Realm Dynasty games well this is our chance for that. We have Nilul and Zao to help us with social and political stuff. Part of the reason we brought Nilul with us is because she's good at that sort kf stuff. That fact she's even said to be able to possibly get House Tepet to support us shows she would do well in the political arena. Given we are her first friend that she actually trusts and one of the people keeping her safe from the Infernals, she would put her all into helping us. Zao sent us to this tournament to get prestige that we could late use. Remember Odyissial left this kind of stuff to suited to it like Lea and we've been doing the same as Ulyssian. We can continue to do the same.
Oh and the other houses not being on our side means they are our enemies which is a a thing. I would like to decease the amount of enemies we have to face not increase them. Showing remorse could give us an opportunity to recruit people who would otherwise fight us.
Pretty sure Zao didn't expect shit to go pear shaped this early. No one did. Hence why it's was noted to be a surprise to every ducking one and why you keep advocating we do it now as people aren't ready for the civil war and this made no plans for it.
Also how is showing remorse making us look weaker?
Again it's scarier we killed one of the dragonblooded by sheer accident then it is that we did it on purpose. People are still going to be in fear and awe of us. Moreso I'd even say. "If he can do this on accidnent. Imagine what he could do when he's actually trying". That's what everyone will be thinking.
Showing remorse also paints us in a better light then saying we intentionally killed Polemgaos which offers us more allies. It's easier to gain allies when less people are pissed at you and your enemies can't use this against you to make yourself look worse. Hell showing remorse helps us work against the Immaculate's word against us because why would an Anathema show remorse for killing one of the Realm's strongest defenders.
I thought people wanted to play Realm Dynasty games well this is our chance for that. We have Nilul and Zao to help us with social and political stuff. Part of the reason we brought Nilul with us is because she's good at that sort kf stuff. That fact she's even said to be able to possibly get House Tepet to support us shows she would do well in the political arena. Given we are her first friend that she actually trusts and one of the people keeping her safe from the Infernals, she would put her all into helping us. Zao sent us to this tournament to get prestige that we could late use. Remember Odyissial left this kind of stuff to suited to it like Lea and we've been doing the same as Ulyssian. We can continue to do the same.
Oh and the other houses not being on our side means they are our enemies which is a a thing. I would like to decease the amount of enemies we have to face not increase them. Showing remorse could give us an opportunity to recruit people who would otherwise fight us.
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Rihaku
The Internet
You're not her first friend, just a friend she can trust. Or a friend she trusts, whatever.
Thought I put that in there. Must've accidentally erased it as I was editing.
- Location
- Southern Virginia
I'm amused people seem to think the characters who loved and respected Polemgaos will not hate Ulyssian if he simply killed him in a meaningless accident rather than took him out as part of some brilliant long-range plan to make Zao the Shogun. And for every Dragonblooded we placate with a show of remorse there's probably two Dragonblooded who would be impressed or intimidated with a show of strength. The costs of killing Polemgaos are going to borne by Ulyssian regardless; we might as well try to grab what advantages we can from it, and incidentally give that death some meaning.
And Rihaku has made it clear that the show of strength does have advantages that Zao could see and exploit. You don't get to be Shogun without having some contingencies in place for readily foreseeable political and military upheavals.
[X] "I meant to do that"
Let's start this bitch. Trust me, it'll be awesome.
And Rihaku has made it clear that the show of strength does have advantages that Zao could see and exploit. You don't get to be Shogun without having some contingencies in place for readily foreseeable political and military upheavals.
[X] "I meant to do that"
Let's start this bitch. Trust me, it'll be awesome.
Rihaku
The Internet
What's the current vote for Forbearance / Drop Out vs. Counter-Infiltration? It looks like Remorse is still very, very ahead on votes, though I'm not sure about arguments. People who voted for Guile's write-in, was it more for the characterization or was it to avoid combat with the Realm?
Currently, we have an in with House Sesus, Nellens and Tepet. However, none of those ties are very strong, nor can be close to certain that they would throw in with us when the war starts. At this state, we have no one we can be certain will work with us if the war starts. It would be better to delay the war and bring more houses and allies into the fold beforehand. We'd basically been making enemies and isolating others this entire time. As a whole, delaying the war is more beneficial for us than the opposing parties. Anys is only going to get weaker in time, with the Wracking, while we still have a long way to go before we reach a cap in our personal prowess.
Also, for all of Zao's personal and political power, he still cannot match the resources that can be commandeered by one of the Great House. His main advantage over the great houses is his own personal power and knowledge, not his strategic level resources. His greatest strategic reach is his influence in the navy, which while gives us some power over the seas, has relatively little reach in land battles. Furthermore, while his influence might suffice in peacetime, house loyalty amongst the Admiralty leading them to join their houses instead of us is quite possible.
Also, for all of Zao's personal and political power, he still cannot match the resources that can be commandeered by one of the Great House. His main advantage over the great houses is his own personal power and knowledge, not his strategic level resources. His greatest strategic reach is his influence in the navy, which while gives us some power over the seas, has relatively little reach in land battles. Furthermore, while his influence might suffice in peacetime, house loyalty amongst the Admiralty leading them to join their houses instead of us is quite possible.
Vote tally:
##### 3.18
[X] Demonstrate Massive and Total Remorse.
No. of votes: 37
Alectai, Deadly Snark, vali, Brekouh, SirLagginton, Mannan, CharlBaal, Candesce, LastChronicler, Gaudy Guise, Diller, LordOfMurder, TMIoverload, Reckless_Sun, a11behringer, kinglugia, meianmaru, dragon, Yzarc, Grimmair, aja318, Daniel14541, veekie, Serous, Panther, BSRK Aditya, Ridiculously Average Guy, afterthought53, Random Asian Person, Aloysius, SometimesMaybe, inventive alias, DOOMPOTATO, Khaos, Vitaris, Gerrou, Jinnt
[X] Withdraw from the Tournament.
No. of votes: 14
Alectai, Brekouh, Mannan, a11behringer, Yzarc, aja318, veekie, Serous, Panther, Aloysius, inventive alias, DOOMPOTATO, Khaos, Gerrou
[X] I meant to do that
No. of votes: 8
Usernames, Robotninja, Thomasfoolery, Anasurimbor, Pipeman, Dark Lord Bob, vel10, Cavalier
[X] Counter-intelligence
No. of votes: 1
Usernames
[X] Forbearance
No. of votes: 14
SirLagginton, Van Ropen, Candesce, Gaudy Guise, Diller, Robotninja, sithmor, Emerald Oracle, meianmaru, dragon, Pipeman, Dark Lord Bob, Random Asian Person, SometimesMaybe
[x] counter infiltration
No. of votes: 11
CharlBaal, LordOfMurder, Reckless_Sun, Guile, me.me.here, CrossyCross, BSRK Aditya, Ridiculously Average Guy, afterthought53, Fumbles, Gerrou
[x] don't withdraw without massive demand.
No. of votes: 1
CharlBaal
[X] I meant to do that - Of course. Perhaps this was why Zao sent you in the first place; he is making his play, and the opening hand is all aces. What faction would dare defy Lung Feng Zao, who wields not only his formidable self, and the Admiralty, but a prodigy of such incalculable power as this!? May spark the Realm Civil War, but that was probably going to happen anyway, and at least this way it is from a position of strength, and on your own terms - sort of?
No. of votes: 2
Da Boyz, longmasher
[X] Don't worry, I struck you with the flat side of the- hm. Hmm.
No. of votes: 10
Van Ropen, Guile, sithmor, Kurowari, Orm Embar, me.me.here, Savonarola, CrossyCross, useofstrike32, Fumbles
[x] Ulyssian is Zao's long lost son.
No. of votes: 1
Reckless_Sun
[x] Guile's Write-in
No. of votes: 1
Emerald Oracle
[X] Continue the plan
No. of votes: 1
Thomasfoolery
[X] Withdraw from the Tournament.​
No. of votes: 1
Daniel14541
[X] Cavalier's write-in.
No. of votes: 5
CrawlingChaos74, Dream Logic, inawarminister, Algalon, 1986ctcel
##### 3.18
[X] Demonstrate Massive and Total Remorse.
No. of votes: 37
Alectai, Deadly Snark, vali, Brekouh, SirLagginton, Mannan, CharlBaal, Candesce, LastChronicler, Gaudy Guise, Diller, LordOfMurder, TMIoverload, Reckless_Sun, a11behringer, kinglugia, meianmaru, dragon, Yzarc, Grimmair, aja318, Daniel14541, veekie, Serous, Panther, BSRK Aditya, Ridiculously Average Guy, afterthought53, Random Asian Person, Aloysius, SometimesMaybe, inventive alias, DOOMPOTATO, Khaos, Vitaris, Gerrou, Jinnt
[X] Withdraw from the Tournament.
No. of votes: 14
Alectai, Brekouh, Mannan, a11behringer, Yzarc, aja318, veekie, Serous, Panther, Aloysius, inventive alias, DOOMPOTATO, Khaos, Gerrou
[X] I meant to do that
No. of votes: 8
Usernames, Robotninja, Thomasfoolery, Anasurimbor, Pipeman, Dark Lord Bob, vel10, Cavalier
[X] Counter-intelligence
No. of votes: 1
Usernames
[X] Forbearance
No. of votes: 14
SirLagginton, Van Ropen, Candesce, Gaudy Guise, Diller, Robotninja, sithmor, Emerald Oracle, meianmaru, dragon, Pipeman, Dark Lord Bob, Random Asian Person, SometimesMaybe
[x] counter infiltration
No. of votes: 11
CharlBaal, LordOfMurder, Reckless_Sun, Guile, me.me.here, CrossyCross, BSRK Aditya, Ridiculously Average Guy, afterthought53, Fumbles, Gerrou
[x] don't withdraw without massive demand.
No. of votes: 1
CharlBaal
[X] I meant to do that - Of course. Perhaps this was why Zao sent you in the first place; he is making his play, and the opening hand is all aces. What faction would dare defy Lung Feng Zao, who wields not only his formidable self, and the Admiralty, but a prodigy of such incalculable power as this!? May spark the Realm Civil War, but that was probably going to happen anyway, and at least this way it is from a position of strength, and on your own terms - sort of?
No. of votes: 2
Da Boyz, longmasher
[X] Don't worry, I struck you with the flat side of the- hm. Hmm.
No. of votes: 10
Van Ropen, Guile, sithmor, Kurowari, Orm Embar, me.me.here, Savonarola, CrossyCross, useofstrike32, Fumbles
[x] Ulyssian is Zao's long lost son.
No. of votes: 1
Reckless_Sun
[x] Guile's Write-in
No. of votes: 1
Emerald Oracle
[X] Continue the plan
No. of votes: 1
Thomasfoolery
[X] Withdraw from the Tournament.​
No. of votes: 1
Daniel14541
[X] Cavalier's write-in.
No. of votes: 5
CrawlingChaos74, Dream Logic, inawarminister, Algalon, 1986ctcel
For the people who haven't read the leaked 3E book could you write up the possible options in the same manner you did for the previous titles.
I have a good idea of sorcery from a fluff perspective but I'm not certain what the lore build would let us do as 2E lore charms weren't that good outside of training mortal in academics but based off your comments 3E lore charms seems much better.
Well maybe we can marry her. She is Moons best friend and has Solar level social charms. She could totally seduce both us and Moon into a three way marriage if Uly wasn't completely against it. It would also make her the wife of both Zao's blood and declared heir making her very strongly in line for the throne if we put Zao on it. This idea started out as a complete joke but it actually might be the kind of possible depending on Nilul's longterm goals and priorities if the idea of attaching herself for Uly (both as someone who knows what she is and accepts her and as a human shield) as strongly as possible while gaining political power are a priority for her. It would be in theme for her charms and she is social focused.
- Location
- Southern Virginia
More time means other alliances will firm up, other Houses will move closer to implementing plans, and other Houses will increase their military assets. The situation will be less fluid, less chaotic, more predictable to less bold leaders, and thus on the whole will favor established powers with established resources. Nor can we rule out Anys Syn making a move to kill Zao first, or the Bull of the North throwing together a navy to threaten the Blessed Isle, or any number of unpredictable events that are just as likely to go against us as for us. Caesar was the weaker party by far when he crossed the Rubicon, too, and look what good that did for Pompey; whereas had he stuck around and waited and tried to find alliances against the established powers, he'd have been removed from his Proconsular position and lost the element of surprise.
On the whole Ulyssian and Zao are simply more capable of dealing with the chaos this will unleash than any other group of contenders. That's a decisive enough advantage to justify seizing the initiative now. And if Houses are pressured to join a side because of the chaos, they'll go with the side that looks like it has momentum; if we strike now, that will be Zao's side.
Highlights of the Sleeper/Prophet build:
Free evocations,
Non charm bonus die to War, Survival, Sorcery, maths based Lore rolls, speculative bureaucracy rolls, craft and wyld shaping rolls.
Making a prediction about an ongoing project, like say a war. Those who follow it get benefits, those who go against it get penalties.
Free evocations,
Non charm bonus die to War, Survival, Sorcery, maths based Lore rolls, speculative bureaucracy rolls, craft and wyld shaping rolls.
Making a prediction about an ongoing project, like say a war. Those who follow it get benefits, those who go against it get penalties.
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Honestly I think people are letting the perfect become the enemy of the good here, there will always be some hypothetically more ideal scenario to wait for. Right up until the whole thing comes crashing down on us when we least expect it. What we have here is a very serviceable opportunity that shouldn't be squandered. Come on, we're a Solar and we don't even know how to seize the day?
As for xp expenditure, I'd favor combat power, and maybe that bodyguard suite, probably regardless of what wins, as even if we leave immediately and with remorse I imagine we'll be seeing a higher uptick in assassinations attempts on us and our friends.
As for xp expenditure, I'd favor combat power, and maybe that bodyguard suite, probably regardless of what wins, as even if we leave immediately and with remorse I imagine we'll be seeing a higher uptick in assassinations attempts on us and our friends.
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Updated Character Sheet and Vote
Rihaku
The Internet
Okay, given your XP total it looks like you won't be training for more than 1-2 more months. Let's establish which capability you're going to open up next, since that will very much influence the relevant courses of action going forward. While you will endeavor to train whichever option you end up deciding on, a won vote also represents authorization to flash-buy a useful Charm from its package if it would be beneficial during an update. This gives you power and flexibility.
[ ] The Sorcerer - The raw power of Sorcerous Might is not to be underestimated. Versatile and exotic, it wields effects often disbarred to simple Solar Charms. Though in his time Odyssial-that-was performed feats far surpassing even the wildest heights of Sorcery, you do not have time to develop those powers again. Let all the myriad reality-shaping ways of the Titans bend now to the will of Ulyssian, as you scar your legend across the face of reality.
*Raises Occult to 4 with 30,000 Solar XP
*Buys Terrestrial and Celestial Circle Sorcery with 100,000 Normal XP
*Two flex spots worth of XP, allowing you to fill holes in your capabilities where needed. You could simply buy two more Sorcerous spells, or enter another field if you prefer.
*You will have to choose your control spells, techniques you have mastered which have warped your being. One Terrestrial and One Celestial Circle spell will be chosen. Spells chosen as controls will be easier to cast and often more powerful. You also learn your control spells for free, with the Sorcerous Initiation Charm.
*Most summoning spells, like Demon of the First Circle and Summon Elemental, are not more powerful as control spells.
*Some good control spells: Mists of Eventide - summons poison mist that knocks people out, (control) mind controls them when they are knocked out; Infalliable Messenger - homing spirit seeks its target anywhere in Creation, delivering a message, (control) Awareness and Investigation Charms may be used through the spirit's senses; Invulnerable Skin of Bronze - increases your Soak and Hardness; (control) dramatically increases your Soak and Hardness; Cirrus Skiff - Summons an agile, comfortable flying nimbus to carry you at fairly rapid travel pace; (control) nimbus persists indefinitely and can follow child-level instructions
*Some good Celestial circle control spells: Magma Kraken - tentacles of molten rock smash armies, fortifications, (control) you may replicate the Fire Aspect anima power; Shadows of the Ancient Past - Supreme forensic investigation, (control) perfectly recalled; Travel Without Distance - Teleportation, (control) with friends.
*For your flex slots I recommend something like the bodyguard Charm and Flashing Ruse Prana, or Master Plan Meditation and Flashing Ruse Prana
[ ] The Strategos - A focus on Lore Charms, dramatically increasing your knowledge of history, literature, geography, mathematics, and other fields of academia. Allows you to be a versatile and powerful polymath-general, with the ability to unleash a hurricane of countermeasures and favorable circumstances if given time to set the battlefield and prepare.
*Straight line for Prophet of Seventeen Cycles, with the remaining 40,000 spent on the Solar XP side to get either Ordering the Constellations or The King Stands Alone; the timing does not favor the long cast time and cooldown of God-King's Shrike.
*Prophet of Seventeen Cycles interfaces with the project system, a mechanical artifact that describes the actions of large organizations. What it essentially does is allow you to create incentives and penalties from thin air; of course, you will stack advantages for yourself and your allies, and stack penalties on your enemies. Because it can be used every day, over time it can be even more powerful than God-King's Shrike; a realm ruled or advised by such a Solar will almost invariably prosper, under even the harshest conditions, as the Solar's strategic prescience manifests as a seemingly endless stream of serendipitous acts. You can use it to benefit yourself on a personal scale to some degree, though, when interacting with large organizations; you just have to do it a bit creatively. For example, if you're trying to infiltrate Mnemon's forces, you might create a Prophecy that "Mnemon's army will be especially vulnerable to infiltration on the night of the 17th, due to the alignment of the stars and the oncoming full lunar eclipse." You do also need an authoritative / definitive source about the thing you're studying to make a prediction, and it must be at least tangentially associated to the thing you want to affect - the canonical example of altering war plans by studying the weapon in a region is a good benchmark.
*Combined with Fate-Shifting Solar Arete, you will have both the improvisational ability of a tactical genius, as well as the redoubtable prep-time prowess of a master strategist.
*The Evocation purchased will also greatly extend your combat ability.
*Leads into Wake the Sleeper, which gives you a massive number of free Evocations, down the line
*Leads into God-King's Shrike, which lets you inflict apocalyptic damage on a nation-sized area, once per season
*Leads into Heaven-Turning Calculations, which makes you more generally competent at anything mathematics assists in (not combat)
Below, find an updated character sheet. Current as of 4/8/2015.
Sesus Ulyssian, who was Odyssial
STR 5
DEX 5
STA 5
CHA 2
MAN 2
APP 3
INT 5
WIT 5
PER 5
Brawl 5 (+1 Disciplined)
**Melee 5 (+1 Swords)
*Thrown 5 (+1 Small Objects)
*War 5 (+1 Inventive Strategies)
*Integrity 5 (+1 Sheer Will)
Performance 1
Presence 4 (+1 Intimidating)
*Resistance 5 (+1 Indomitable)
Survival 5 (+1 Ingenuity)
Investigation 5 (+1 Careful Analysis)
*Lore 5 (+1 Dynastic Scion, +1 Prediction)
Medicine 4 (+1 First Aid)
Occult 3
*Athletics 5 (+1 Agility)
*Awareness 5 (+1 Battle)
Dodge 5 (+1 Against Exalts)
*Larceny 5 (+1 Cunning)
*Stealth 5 (+1 Assassin)
Bureaucracy 3 (+1 The Realm)
Linguistics 4
Ride 1
Sail 3 (+1 Realm Ships)
Socialize 3 (+1 Realm Culture)
Merits - All combat-ready merits that can be achieved with training rather than talent, except for those that are essentially unnecessary for an Exalt.
Solar Excellence - By expending effort beyond mortal limits (a finite resource), Ulyssian can temporarily achieve superhuman levels of skill in all Favored / Caste Abilities (Marked with a *), as well as the following abilities:
Brawl
Presence
Investigation
Titles
Who Was Odyssial (Special) - A measure of remembered power, granted at the moment of Exaltation, gives Ulyssian a suite of abilities far surpassing a newly-Exalted Dawn.
*His individual combat prowess is somewhere between a Second Circle and Third Circle Daeva. He may strike with unerring accuracy, punch through the thickest armor, cut down a thousand men like a killing wind, and deflect a comet falling. Even groups of the Exalted, he can often dispatch with alacrity. His blade is as a shining maelstorm; though a hundred foes may strike at him in a single moment, his defense will not flag until he himself keels over from exhaustion.
*Given a few minutes of time to prepare, he may perfectly disguise himself as any humanoid being, replicating even supernatural displays such as the anima banner, within reason. This disguise is virtually impenetrable to all but the very greatest magics of perception, but it cannot exert physical effects; his anima will not damage others like a Dragon-Blood's, though they may feel its fire.
*His senses are precisely attuned, active even when unconscious or sleeping. When he focuses, they are much sharper than an ordinary man's, heightening his readiness for battle to a supernatural degree.
*He has perfect balance and lightfooted skill, to the degree where he can execute a full running battle across a clothesline, or fend off eightfold attackers while standing on a willow tree in strong winds. He can achieve short bursts of preternatural speed.
*In battle, he may occasionally strike with such alarming swiftness that no merely physical force can attack before him.
*No curse or transformation, no matter how potent, may strip from him his flawless skill with a blade, or the ability to properly wield it.
*His body exudes an impression of dangerous poise and controlled violence, like that of a stalking tiger. This does not implicitly threaten any onlooker; they simply understand that this is a being whose capacity for destruction is natural and effortless, and though it is not currently directed at them, neither is it to be trifled with.
*So attuned is he to the subtle movements of the world, that he instinctively knows when to investigate a scene, or when a person is not who they appear to be. He may fail to find or prove anything, but he will still know to be wary, for his instincts are never wrong.
*All these particular abilities, refinements of skill into the level of the nearly impossible, are in addition to the natural overwhelming excellence of the Solar Exalted.
Immortal Bladesmaster (Martial) - An affinity with his blades that transcends space and age.
*Ulyssian may summon forth the Blade of Odyssial, Most High of Swords, Ambition (Artifact N/A).
*He may call his blade to hand at the speed of thought, traversing the intervening distance even if knocked away or disarmed.
*He may banish a weapon to Elsewhere for a modest expenditure of effort, and release that banishment to summon his weapon to hand.
*Assuming a martial stance, he may focus his anima into his blade itself, making it impossible to destroy or disarm, and magnifying its damage.
War-Saint's Ferocious Vigor (Martial) - Power unyielding and unbound, striking down all in its path. Efficiency, rejuvenation, and sheer might: all are the domain of the War-Saint.
*The Solar may perform a devastating physical strike, crossing significant distances in an instant to utterly seize control of an engagement
*When struck by glancing blows, his power is only renewed, greatly extending his stamina in combat
*When fully committing to a strike, likewise his power is renewed, commensurate to the upwelling excellence of the strike itself
*His precise, yet energetic power allows him to deflect, repel, and overcome even the most skilled of attacks, frequently turning sure hits into narrow misses with very modest effort.
*This Title multiplicatively expands the Solar's overall combat strength.
Fortune-Stealing Palms (Utility) - The ultimate thief learns to acquire not merely material possessions, but the flow of the world itself! Somehow, he always finds a way. Useful inside the casino, and out!
*Ulyssian can manifest supernatural excellence without effort, several times per day, in the field of surreptitious activities. This is extremely useful when one is attempting to avoid flaring anima.
*Ulyssian improves his powers of perception, allowing him to cold-heartedly evaluate his enemies. He can learn whether they believe their chances to be good, great, or poor. Works for games of chance as well as strategy.
*Ulyssian can cheat effortlessly at cards or dice, so swift are his hands. Put it all on red, and make sure it spins to red! Only the very most powerful of supernatural detection can catch him, the first few times in a scene he does this. Also allows him to slip poison into any food or beverage undetected.
*Ulyssian's plans are so comprehensive and cunning that it appears he steals fate itself. Once per day, he may dramatically improve his odds at any one action, as he finds a way.
*This may be re-purchased at Essence 4 to grant truly ludicrous competence, once per day. [Repurchase Acquired]
[ ] Better Listener (Utility, Martial) - I think you guys know what this does already. Very useful for avoiding assassination, gathering information, and in starting out combats on the right foot. If you have a friend with the same Charms, the two of you can have super secret subvocal conversations! Unless, of course, someone else is listening in... but how would you know?
*The keenness of his hearing and touch increase dramatically, allowing him to feel the vibrations from a insect's tread, or listen to conversations insulated by solid stone.
*His powers of sight are improved as well, giving him superlative vision under all circumstances. He can make out details through a blindfold, or read a letter through a window from three rooftops away.
*His heightened senses allow him supreme readiness for battle. With a modest exertion of power and will, he can leap into the fray with uncanny speed, seizing the momentum of the fight and significantly increasing his ability to spot hidden enemies.
*At Essence 3, his comprehension of physical vibrations is unmatched; he can feel the movements of individual formations through the ground of the battlefield, comprehend the utmost whispered discussions of enemy generals leagues away in their tents, or stalk a trackless foe by the miniscule vibrations of steps left hours ago. A one-man intelligence operation, he can ferret out secrets from a room hours after they were spoken, or monitor the entire guard detail of a fortress by crawling along its walls.
*All effects occur in a manner that avoids overwhelming Odyssial.
Artifacts
Ambition, white orichalcum longsword
The Storm Armor of Shogun Feng, blue jade, black jade, and soulsteel heavy armor.
Evocations known:
Killing Perfection Technique
Flash of Steel
Flawless Mirror Shield
Saber Mirror Shield
Sunbeam Pierces Mist
The King Stands Against
Beyond Perfection Ascendancy x2
Flawless Killing Instrument
Annihilating Stroke
Peerless Skill
Storm Armor Evocations known:
Southern Wind Deflection
Attribute Costs and Training Times
*Attributes cost (Current Rating x 20000) XP to raise.
*They take several months of casual training, or weeks of focused training, to improve. Casual training can be fit in during the spare moments of running a kingdom or adventuring.
*If Ulyssian has access to a mentor and a full range of appropriate resources, and does nothing other than train the Attribute, he may improve it in days.
Ability Costs
*Abilities cost (Current Rating x 10000) XP to raise.
*They take several weeks of casual training, or days of focused training, to improve.
[ ] The Sorcerer - The raw power of Sorcerous Might is not to be underestimated. Versatile and exotic, it wields effects often disbarred to simple Solar Charms. Though in his time Odyssial-that-was performed feats far surpassing even the wildest heights of Sorcery, you do not have time to develop those powers again. Let all the myriad reality-shaping ways of the Titans bend now to the will of Ulyssian, as you scar your legend across the face of reality.
*Raises Occult to 4 with 30,000 Solar XP
*Buys Terrestrial and Celestial Circle Sorcery with 100,000 Normal XP
*Two flex spots worth of XP, allowing you to fill holes in your capabilities where needed. You could simply buy two more Sorcerous spells, or enter another field if you prefer.
*You will have to choose your control spells, techniques you have mastered which have warped your being. One Terrestrial and One Celestial Circle spell will be chosen. Spells chosen as controls will be easier to cast and often more powerful. You also learn your control spells for free, with the Sorcerous Initiation Charm.
*Most summoning spells, like Demon of the First Circle and Summon Elemental, are not more powerful as control spells.
*Some good control spells: Mists of Eventide - summons poison mist that knocks people out, (control) mind controls them when they are knocked out; Infalliable Messenger - homing spirit seeks its target anywhere in Creation, delivering a message, (control) Awareness and Investigation Charms may be used through the spirit's senses; Invulnerable Skin of Bronze - increases your Soak and Hardness; (control) dramatically increases your Soak and Hardness; Cirrus Skiff - Summons an agile, comfortable flying nimbus to carry you at fairly rapid travel pace; (control) nimbus persists indefinitely and can follow child-level instructions
*Some good Celestial circle control spells: Magma Kraken - tentacles of molten rock smash armies, fortifications, (control) you may replicate the Fire Aspect anima power; Shadows of the Ancient Past - Supreme forensic investigation, (control) perfectly recalled; Travel Without Distance - Teleportation, (control) with friends.
*For your flex slots I recommend something like the bodyguard Charm and Flashing Ruse Prana, or Master Plan Meditation and Flashing Ruse Prana
[ ] The Strategos - A focus on Lore Charms, dramatically increasing your knowledge of history, literature, geography, mathematics, and other fields of academia. Allows you to be a versatile and powerful polymath-general, with the ability to unleash a hurricane of countermeasures and favorable circumstances if given time to set the battlefield and prepare.
*Straight line for Prophet of Seventeen Cycles, with the remaining 40,000 spent on the Solar XP side to get either Ordering the Constellations or The King Stands Alone; the timing does not favor the long cast time and cooldown of God-King's Shrike.
*Prophet of Seventeen Cycles interfaces with the project system, a mechanical artifact that describes the actions of large organizations. What it essentially does is allow you to create incentives and penalties from thin air; of course, you will stack advantages for yourself and your allies, and stack penalties on your enemies. Because it can be used every day, over time it can be even more powerful than God-King's Shrike; a realm ruled or advised by such a Solar will almost invariably prosper, under even the harshest conditions, as the Solar's strategic prescience manifests as a seemingly endless stream of serendipitous acts. You can use it to benefit yourself on a personal scale to some degree, though, when interacting with large organizations; you just have to do it a bit creatively. For example, if you're trying to infiltrate Mnemon's forces, you might create a Prophecy that "Mnemon's army will be especially vulnerable to infiltration on the night of the 17th, due to the alignment of the stars and the oncoming full lunar eclipse." You do also need an authoritative / definitive source about the thing you're studying to make a prediction, and it must be at least tangentially associated to the thing you want to affect - the canonical example of altering war plans by studying the weapon in a region is a good benchmark.
*Combined with Fate-Shifting Solar Arete, you will have both the improvisational ability of a tactical genius, as well as the redoubtable prep-time prowess of a master strategist.
*The Evocation purchased will also greatly extend your combat ability.
*Leads into Wake the Sleeper, which gives you a massive number of free Evocations, down the line
*Leads into God-King's Shrike, which lets you inflict apocalyptic damage on a nation-sized area, once per season
*Leads into Heaven-Turning Calculations, which makes you more generally competent at anything mathematics assists in (not combat)
Below, find an updated character sheet. Current as of 4/8/2015.
Sesus Ulyssian, who was Odyssial
STR 5
DEX 5
STA 5
CHA 2
MAN 2
APP 3
INT 5
WIT 5
PER 5
Brawl 5 (+1 Disciplined)
**Melee 5 (+1 Swords)
*Thrown 5 (+1 Small Objects)
*War 5 (+1 Inventive Strategies)
*Integrity 5 (+1 Sheer Will)
Performance 1
Presence 4 (+1 Intimidating)
*Resistance 5 (+1 Indomitable)
Survival 5 (+1 Ingenuity)
Investigation 5 (+1 Careful Analysis)
*Lore 5 (+1 Dynastic Scion, +1 Prediction)
Medicine 4 (+1 First Aid)
Occult 3
*Athletics 5 (+1 Agility)
*Awareness 5 (+1 Battle)
Dodge 5 (+1 Against Exalts)
*Larceny 5 (+1 Cunning)
*Stealth 5 (+1 Assassin)
Bureaucracy 3 (+1 The Realm)
Linguistics 4
Ride 1
Sail 3 (+1 Realm Ships)
Socialize 3 (+1 Realm Culture)
Merits - All combat-ready merits that can be achieved with training rather than talent, except for those that are essentially unnecessary for an Exalt.
Solar Excellence - By expending effort beyond mortal limits (a finite resource), Ulyssian can temporarily achieve superhuman levels of skill in all Favored / Caste Abilities (Marked with a *), as well as the following abilities:
Brawl
Presence
Investigation
Titles
Who Was Odyssial (Special) - A measure of remembered power, granted at the moment of Exaltation, gives Ulyssian a suite of abilities far surpassing a newly-Exalted Dawn.
*His individual combat prowess is somewhere between a Second Circle and Third Circle Daeva. He may strike with unerring accuracy, punch through the thickest armor, cut down a thousand men like a killing wind, and deflect a comet falling. Even groups of the Exalted, he can often dispatch with alacrity. His blade is as a shining maelstorm; though a hundred foes may strike at him in a single moment, his defense will not flag until he himself keels over from exhaustion.
*Given a few minutes of time to prepare, he may perfectly disguise himself as any humanoid being, replicating even supernatural displays such as the anima banner, within reason. This disguise is virtually impenetrable to all but the very greatest magics of perception, but it cannot exert physical effects; his anima will not damage others like a Dragon-Blood's, though they may feel its fire.
*His senses are precisely attuned, active even when unconscious or sleeping. When he focuses, they are much sharper than an ordinary man's, heightening his readiness for battle to a supernatural degree.
*He has perfect balance and lightfooted skill, to the degree where he can execute a full running battle across a clothesline, or fend off eightfold attackers while standing on a willow tree in strong winds. He can achieve short bursts of preternatural speed.
*In battle, he may occasionally strike with such alarming swiftness that no merely physical force can attack before him.
*No curse or transformation, no matter how potent, may strip from him his flawless skill with a blade, or the ability to properly wield it.
*His body exudes an impression of dangerous poise and controlled violence, like that of a stalking tiger. This does not implicitly threaten any onlooker; they simply understand that this is a being whose capacity for destruction is natural and effortless, and though it is not currently directed at them, neither is it to be trifled with.
*So attuned is he to the subtle movements of the world, that he instinctively knows when to investigate a scene, or when a person is not who they appear to be. He may fail to find or prove anything, but he will still know to be wary, for his instincts are never wrong.
*All these particular abilities, refinements of skill into the level of the nearly impossible, are in addition to the natural overwhelming excellence of the Solar Exalted.
Immortal Bladesmaster (Martial) - An affinity with his blades that transcends space and age.
*Ulyssian may summon forth the Blade of Odyssial, Most High of Swords, Ambition (Artifact N/A).
*He may call his blade to hand at the speed of thought, traversing the intervening distance even if knocked away or disarmed.
*He may banish a weapon to Elsewhere for a modest expenditure of effort, and release that banishment to summon his weapon to hand.
*Assuming a martial stance, he may focus his anima into his blade itself, making it impossible to destroy or disarm, and magnifying its damage.
War-Saint's Ferocious Vigor (Martial) - Power unyielding and unbound, striking down all in its path. Efficiency, rejuvenation, and sheer might: all are the domain of the War-Saint.
*The Solar may perform a devastating physical strike, crossing significant distances in an instant to utterly seize control of an engagement
*When struck by glancing blows, his power is only renewed, greatly extending his stamina in combat
*When fully committing to a strike, likewise his power is renewed, commensurate to the upwelling excellence of the strike itself
*His precise, yet energetic power allows him to deflect, repel, and overcome even the most skilled of attacks, frequently turning sure hits into narrow misses with very modest effort.
*This Title multiplicatively expands the Solar's overall combat strength.
Fortune-Stealing Palms (Utility) - The ultimate thief learns to acquire not merely material possessions, but the flow of the world itself! Somehow, he always finds a way. Useful inside the casino, and out!
*Ulyssian can manifest supernatural excellence without effort, several times per day, in the field of surreptitious activities. This is extremely useful when one is attempting to avoid flaring anima.
*Ulyssian improves his powers of perception, allowing him to cold-heartedly evaluate his enemies. He can learn whether they believe their chances to be good, great, or poor. Works for games of chance as well as strategy.
*Ulyssian can cheat effortlessly at cards or dice, so swift are his hands. Put it all on red, and make sure it spins to red! Only the very most powerful of supernatural detection can catch him, the first few times in a scene he does this. Also allows him to slip poison into any food or beverage undetected.
*Ulyssian's plans are so comprehensive and cunning that it appears he steals fate itself. Once per day, he may dramatically improve his odds at any one action, as he finds a way.
*This may be re-purchased at Essence 4 to grant truly ludicrous competence, once per day. [Repurchase Acquired]
[ ] Better Listener (Utility, Martial) - I think you guys know what this does already. Very useful for avoiding assassination, gathering information, and in starting out combats on the right foot. If you have a friend with the same Charms, the two of you can have super secret subvocal conversations! Unless, of course, someone else is listening in... but how would you know?
*The keenness of his hearing and touch increase dramatically, allowing him to feel the vibrations from a insect's tread, or listen to conversations insulated by solid stone.
*His powers of sight are improved as well, giving him superlative vision under all circumstances. He can make out details through a blindfold, or read a letter through a window from three rooftops away.
*His heightened senses allow him supreme readiness for battle. With a modest exertion of power and will, he can leap into the fray with uncanny speed, seizing the momentum of the fight and significantly increasing his ability to spot hidden enemies.
*At Essence 3, his comprehension of physical vibrations is unmatched; he can feel the movements of individual formations through the ground of the battlefield, comprehend the utmost whispered discussions of enemy generals leagues away in their tents, or stalk a trackless foe by the miniscule vibrations of steps left hours ago. A one-man intelligence operation, he can ferret out secrets from a room hours after they were spoken, or monitor the entire guard detail of a fortress by crawling along its walls.
*All effects occur in a manner that avoids overwhelming Odyssial.
Artifacts
Ambition, white orichalcum longsword
The Storm Armor of Shogun Feng, blue jade, black jade, and soulsteel heavy armor.
Evocations known:
Killing Perfection Technique
Flash of Steel
Flawless Mirror Shield
Saber Mirror Shield
Sunbeam Pierces Mist
The King Stands Against
Beyond Perfection Ascendancy x2
Flawless Killing Instrument
Annihilating Stroke
Peerless Skill
Storm Armor Evocations known:
Southern Wind Deflection
Attribute Costs and Training Times
*Attributes cost (Current Rating x 20000) XP to raise.
*They take several months of casual training, or weeks of focused training, to improve. Casual training can be fit in during the spare moments of running a kingdom or adventuring.
*If Ulyssian has access to a mentor and a full range of appropriate resources, and does nothing other than train the Attribute, he may improve it in days.
Ability Costs
*Abilities cost (Current Rating x 10000) XP to raise.
*They take several weeks of casual training, or days of focused training, to improve.
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I think a lot of people are mistaking being aware of our options but largely unaware of our potential enemies' options for being in a better position. Because all the supposed Alliances people are talking about being in our favor? Most of them are just options at this point, as we've haven't moved to secure them at all. They can be contested, and could potentially go to other groups if they've been working on that front.