[Exalted] The Dragon's Spite

Reader mode
[X] Idolatory
[X] Contracts

E-GO. E-GO. E-GO. E-GO. E-GO.

More seriously it feels on-brand.

Still haven't quite grokked what might work for the second one though. I haven't done a big enough thonk to decide yet.

EDIT: now that I think about it, contracts is perfect and I don't know why I considered anything else.
 
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Hm. So, we're a fan of making pacts (our familiar is a raksha) and we're an egotistical alcoholic brat.

The choice seems fairly obvious.

[X] Contracts
[X] Idolatory

Praise us, praise us, sing high our songs! Croon to the world of our exalted glories!

also have a phonebook of exes that's a literal grimoire
 
... aww. If I'd had my character I'd have gone for Artifice and Astrology; made up a sweet orrery-observatory.

But for Rena, I think...
[X] Contracts - Oh, many arts make use of the beings outside the world, but you have specialised in directly making oaths with them - and their trickeries. Such oaths often have a great cost and fearful punishments if not upheld, but you can personally vow to the advantages of such a personal arrangement with such beings.
[X] Idolatory - There is no greater power than faith. Cults are one of your favourite tools. There's nothing quite like being worshipped, darling. And from the chaos-things, you learned darker secrets of the soul - how to take it, and what might be done with a stolen soul. A shame your cultists are all dead.
 
[ x] Alchemy - You leave the ways of hedge-witches far behind you. With your knowledge you can do such wonderful things with wyldstone, the trapped essence of possibility - not to mention the rendered down flesh of creatures from outside the world. Lead becomes gold, life becomes death, the fairest perfumes and the foulest poisons… but you need your workshop!

Mad Alchemy! Let us chain our rivals above vats of maddness and slowly lower them in, laughing all the while, as we add yet another mutant horror to our armies.

[X] Contracts - Oh, many arts make use of the beings outside the world, but you have specialised in directly making oaths with them - and their trickeries. Such oaths often have a great cost and fearful punishments if not upheld, but you can personally vow to the advantages of such a personal arrangement with such beings.
 
[X] Contracts
[X] Idolatory

Yeah given the personality we just saw this makes the most sense. It also has the benefit that it requires less start up resources to get the ball rolling than most of the alternatives (only astrology and hierarchy seem comparable in this regard).
 
[X] Contracts - Oh, many arts make use of the beings outside the world, but you have specialised in directly making oaths with them - and their trickeries. Such oaths often have a great cost and fearful punishments if not upheld, but you can personally vow to the advantages of such a personal arrangement with such beings.
[X] Idolatory - There is no greater power than faith. Cults are one of your favourite tools. There's nothing quite like being worshipped, darling. And from the chaos-things, you learned darker secrets of the soul - how to take it, and what might be done with a stolen soul. A shame your cultists are all dead.
 
[X] Geomancy - You draw power from the land. You tap the dragon lines of Creation's lifeblood, and turn that fuel into raw power whether from demenses or manses. You know how to destabilise the fabric of the world to take advantage of chaos in ways great and small.
[X] Alchemy - You leave the ways of hedge-witches far behind you. With your knowledge you can do such wonderful things with wyldstone, the trapped essence of possibility - not to mention the rendered down flesh of creatures from outside the world. Lead becomes gold, life becomes death, the fairest perfumes and the foulest poisons… but you need your workshop!

Look, I'm not saying we have to be a Captain Planet villain! But the possibility exists. It is an option. Just saying.
 
[X] Hierarchy - True power lies in organisations. You wield your command of power structures like a cloak, turning that authority to a blade in your hands. It matters not whether it is yours or leant (though of course it is best to rule in your own name, you know). And to rule over a court of chaos beasts has even more power in it.

[X] Idolatory - There is no greater power than faith. Cults are one of your favourite tools. There's nothing quite like being worshipped, darling. And from the chaos-things, you learned darker secrets of the soul - how to take it, and what might be done with a stolen soul. A shame your cultists are all dead.
 
EarthScorpion said:
Pah. Those fools. There is no such creature, at least not within the realms of sanity and shape - and that is not his true form. The collar he wears is lined with white jade, and you tricked him into wearing it sixty years ago. Your brilliance, your genius chains him, limits him, keeps him trapped in this minuscule form where the mainstay of his power is confined and he must obey your orders.
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Hello there, Mogget. Fancy seeing you this far from the Old Kingdom.

[X] Hierarchy - True power lies in organisations. You wield your command of power structures like a cloak, turning that authority to a blade in your hands. It matters not whether it is yours or leant (though of course it is best to rule in your own name, you know). And to rule over a court of chaos beasts has even more power in it.

[X] Idolatory - There is no greater power than faith. Cults are one of your favourite tools. There's nothing quite like being worshipped, darling. And from the chaos-things, you learned darker secrets of the soul - how to take it, and what might be done with a stolen soul. A shame your cultists are all dead.
 
Contracts and hierarchy work so well together. Get people to join your organization, and then ensure they never leave. Plus, it's less blatant than cults. It's hard to get specific people to join cults, but convincing someone skilled in a specific area to join a business is easy. Cultists tend to be desperate, and people are desperate for a reason, normally because they don't have any resources or valuable skills. However, hiring a chef and then getting them to sign a contract with some malice slipped in us much easier than getting one to worship you. And cults and contracts don't really synergies anyways. Being a cult leader tends to alienate others, especially an aloof cult leader who treats their own cultists like scum. However, having the ability to pressure others with our authority and overbearing attitude is a great way to intimidate people into agreeing to things they might regret later.
 
[X] Hierarchy - True power lies in organisations. You wield your command of power structures like a cloak, turning that authority to a blade in your hands. It matters not whether it is yours or leant (though of course it is best to rule in your own name, you know). And to rule over a court of chaos beasts has even more power in it.

[X] Idolatory - There is no greater power than faith. Cults are one of your favourite tools. There's nothing quite like being worshipped, darling. And from the chaos-things, you learned darker secrets of the soul - how to take it, and what might be done with a stolen soul. A shame your cultists are all dead.
 
What Sorcerous Arts do your books describe? Pick Two.


[X] Artifice - Cunning mechanisms of crystals, jade, and even stranger things can do peculiar things. You are a mistress of making such devices, especially ones which draw upon the impossibilities from outside the world, and with a proper workshop you can assemble them.

[X] Surgery - Oh, such things that can be done with living flesh with the right tools! Automata of meat, beings reborn from fertile mud, beasts that only exist to serve your will. And then there is what one can do to mortals, too! Such art! Such cost to replace what they took from you!


As a crafter of wonders and healer of renown acquiring resources, minions and even more importantly a relatively easy in to the local power structure.

+Minions will be enhanced with surgical and artifice
+ Building up sorcerous infrastructure is within our grasp
+ Plays off of Woods core abilities (medicine)
 
Smartphone said:
[X] Contracts
[X] Idolatory

Yeah given the personality we just saw this makes the most sense. It also has the benefit that it requires less start up resources to get the ball rolling than most of the alternatives (only astrology and hierarchy seem comparable in this regard).
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Eh, astrology will require the co-opting of a city's infrastructure and work force, or a rather large town. Basically an eff-load of people and building material and glass.

Because a single telescope is pretty eh, and also expensive as shit most likely.

Young Pyromancer said:
Contracts and hierarchy work so well together. Get people to join your organization, and then ensure they never leave. Plus, it's less blatant than cults. It's hard to get specific people to join cults, but convincing someone skilled in a specific area to join a business is easy. Cultists tend to be desperate, and people are desperate for a reason, normally because they don't have any resources or valuable skills. However, hiring a chef and then getting them to sign a contract with some malice slipped in us much easier than getting one to worship you. And cults and contracts don't really synergies anyways. Being a cult leader tends to alienate others, especially an aloof cult leader who treats their own cultists like scum. However, having the ability to pressure others with our authority and overbearing attitude is a great way to intimidate people into agreeing to things they might regret later.
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So, a thing to know about Creation. Gods exist everywhere as a part of everyday life, if they expend a modicum of effort for example most person equivalent gods can manifest and actually hold a conversation with you like a normal person-ish. Then there's all the smallest gods who are attached to every item and thing in existence, and the small gods which are sapient and represent like a building or a single tree or whathaveyou but generally can't manifest because of their weakness.

Cults are thus rather different. You still get the whole deal with people getting sucked into something and then dropping off the map, but most gods support some small group or shrine or whatever to themselves.

Cults is thus a very not blatant option, since they're a dime a three dozen or more and most people going into cults in Creation have functioning lives. They wouldn't after a while worshiping Rena, but that's how it goes when she's a drunken disaster babu.

Young Pyromancer said:
-No way to actually get minions
-No way to get the materials needed to start working
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Okay sorry, but that's just... wrong, on so many levels its kinda funny. Minions can be as simple as animals, and that is in fact the general start. Take an animal and start modifying with basic tools. Plus Rena is going to a city.

As a surgeon.

And Exalted physicians in Creation are rather rare, being Exalted and all on top of the fact most people are living subsistence lifestyles and don't have the free time or free resources to spend on educating themselves in surgery or medicine.

So yeah, materials and an open niche abound.
 
You've convinced me.


[X] Artifice - Cunning mechanisms of crystals, jade, and even stranger things can do peculiar things. You are a mistress of making such devices, especially ones which draw upon the impossibilities from outside the world, and with a proper workshop you can assemble them.

[X] Surgery - Oh, such things that can be done with living flesh with the right tools! Automata of meat, beings reborn from fertile mud, beasts that only exist to serve your will. And then there is what one can do to mortals, too! Such art! Such cost to replace what they took from you!
 
[X] Idolatory - There is no greater power than faith. Cults are one of your favourite tools. There's nothing quite like being worshipped, darling. And from the chaos-things, you learned darker secrets of the soul - how to take it, and what might be done with a stolen soul. A shame your cultists are all dead.
[X] Surgery - Oh, such things that can be done with living flesh with the right tools! Automata of meat, beings reborn from fertile mud, beasts that only exist to serve your will. And then there is what one can do to mortals, too! Such art! Such cost to replace what they took from you!

First you recruit 'em, then you take their souls out, and then you stuff them into your latest bio-monstrosity so you can be worshipped from a dozen mouths at once. It's only failed you once so far!
 
[X] Contracts
[X] Hierarchy

Contracts go so well with this disaster of a person. I'm still on the fence between Hierarchy and Idolatry, though.
 
[X] Contracts - Oh, many arts make use of the beings outside the world, but you have specialised in directly making oaths with them - and their trickeries. Such oaths often have a great cost and fearful punishments if not upheld, but you can personally vow to the advantages of such a personal arrangement with such beings.
[X] Idolatory - There is no greater power than faith. Cults are one of your favourite tools. There's nothing quite like being worshipped, darling. And from the chaos-things, you learned darker secrets of the soul - how to take it, and what might be done with a stolen soul. A shame your cultists are all dead.

For going full Thulsa Doom, as a person shaped catastrophe.
 
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