Uluiru has fallen. It's queen and heir long since dead, its impenetrable borders broken through, only a remnant of the nation remains in a world not their own. How will you survive?
Gems in the Wastes (Exalted/Warhammer Fantasy/CK2)
- Thread starter Critian Caceorte
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Character Creation Part 1: You
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
The year is 773 since the Scarlet Realm's founding. And Uluiru has fallen.
The northwestern kingdom was once a bastion of safety amongst the cold tundra, its sea borders and sorcery providing enough fertile farmland for a nation to survive off of. Its mineral wealth assisted greatly in its prosperity, as trade flourished with southern nations. Its people were happy not just with their living situation, but the rulers who reigned over them: The Sovereign Exalted.
The Sovereigns were a form of Exigent, a custom-made Exalt created from the sacrifice of a minor gem god and the remains of a Celestial Incarna. Unlike most of their cousins of the Flame of Exigence, they were a reproducible phenomena, their divine Fount of Glories empowering multiple individuals over the centuries with the blessing of Exaltation. Members of the royal family, dozens in number, attempted a bath in its rainbow flames in the hopes of achieving divine strength, and several succeeded. These shining Exalted were led by their family's founder, Queen Ulu, under whom Uluiru was established and expanded. And for five hundred years, things were great.
The Queen is dead. Her designated heir is dead. And now, five years after the Queen's passing, Uluiru as Creation knows it is dead.
While the nation was known for its endurance, it eventually was surrounded by enemies. The Fae, long-time adversaries (and sometimes partners) had harassed the people since before the nation was even founded, held back only by the wall of cold iron spears that marked the one land-based outlet for the kingdom. The Hearteaters, exiled Exalted from the First Age, plotted and assassinated key figures, perhaps even the Queen's heir, all in pursuit of obtaining the Font for themselves. Mist, the Eternal Revolutionary, continually returned from death to see the monarchy brought low. And finally, a recently raised Infernal Exalt saw opportunity in the chaos, summoning demons from Malfeas to tear down the iron palisade and allowing the Raksha to charge on through.
Perhaps, if the Queen, the heir or another accepted strong leader were at the helm, Uluiru might have survived. But the quick dissolution of the chain of command ensured that no one could try to take the throne without challenges from other claimants. Head of Ministries clashed against each other while farms and towns burned, the inherent desire to prove their superiority distracting them from compromise. Even after one person DID finally take hold of the throne, it was too late to save the entire nation. They would need to evacuate, just as their Queen and her tribe once evacuated centuries before.
Eventually, they would leave on gleaming ships, transporting as much as they could without weighing down the boats. Pursued by seaborn Raksha, they headed further northwest, hoping to find empty territory to colonize and defend themselves. A sudden encounter with a portal surrounded by eight black-and-blue spikes saw that effort wasted, its magic dragging them inside...
...And out into another world of cold.
Uluiru has fallen. But it may rise again, in these Northern Wastes. And maybe, just maybe, it will be reforged as something stronger than what came before.
Welcome to character creation! You will be playing as a member of Uluiru's royal family, either stationed at the nation's head or supporting the current ruler as one of their Chief Ministers. Character Creation will be divided into 3 parts: You (which covers your character), Us (which goes over what parts of Uluiru were recovered and kept safe) and Them (which establishes how the inhabitants of Warhammer Fantasy view and treat your fledgling nation.) You will be given 3 points to spend on various traits. Points carry over from each part, and you CAN (and probably should at some point) go into debt with expenditures, so long as you have 0 or more points at the end of character creation overall.
But before we go into all of that, first: How do you see yourself?
[] Male
[] Female
[] Write-In
And what is your name? (If you are looking for real world inspiration, I would suggest West African names, I think it fits Uluiru well enough.)
[] Write-in for Name
What position have you landed yourself in New Uluiru's ruling council? This will determine your number 1 stat. Due to combat prowess's importance to Uluiru (and if we're being honest, Exalted as a whole), your Combat stat will always be your 2nd-highest stat.
[] The Monarch (Overall Leader)
[] Mortal (+2 Points)
[] Crafter
[] Virtue
[] Desire
[] Insanity? I'm not insane, I knew someone who was insane once...
[] Passion
[] Beauty
Please place your votes in a plan format for ease of use. And finally:
Author's Note: Hello all to my other active quest on this site, Gems in the Waste! This fic was inspired by the recent (and much-awaited) release of Across the Eight Directions, the location resourcebook for Exalted 3rd Edition. That book gave more details regarding Uluiru, the pseudo-African nation in the chilly north whose unique Exigent royalty really drew me in when the Exigents book released. And with my recent dive into Warhammer Fantasy thanks to all of the great quests on this site as well as Total War, I wondered how you might be able to take Exalted elements and place them within the world of Fantasy.
New Uluiru (or whatever name it might develop later on) will be located within the Chaos Wastes, both because of how thin reality is there (thus more easily justifying why all of these people were suddenly transported across dimensions to here) and because there isn't a ton of history that I need to catch up on in order to use the setting. That isn't to say that I'm not brushing up on things, just that I don't want to memorize the Empire's entire history if I want to use them.
Also, if you're wondering what the "Drive" vote for, its for personality and (if applicable) Sovereign Aspect.
If you have any questions, let me know! This quest will likely update somewhat infrequently as I have something else I'm also working on at the moment, hence why I've set such a long voting period. I do have everything prepared for Part 2 of character creation, and most of Part 3, so that will be finalized at least.
EDIT: Forgot one of the Solar drawbacks, added it in at the bottom of the description.
The northwestern kingdom was once a bastion of safety amongst the cold tundra, its sea borders and sorcery providing enough fertile farmland for a nation to survive off of. Its mineral wealth assisted greatly in its prosperity, as trade flourished with southern nations. Its people were happy not just with their living situation, but the rulers who reigned over them: The Sovereign Exalted.
The Sovereigns were a form of Exigent, a custom-made Exalt created from the sacrifice of a minor gem god and the remains of a Celestial Incarna. Unlike most of their cousins of the Flame of Exigence, they were a reproducible phenomena, their divine Fount of Glories empowering multiple individuals over the centuries with the blessing of Exaltation. Members of the royal family, dozens in number, attempted a bath in its rainbow flames in the hopes of achieving divine strength, and several succeeded. These shining Exalted were led by their family's founder, Queen Ulu, under whom Uluiru was established and expanded. And for five hundred years, things were great.
The Queen is dead. Her designated heir is dead. And now, five years after the Queen's passing, Uluiru as Creation knows it is dead.
While the nation was known for its endurance, it eventually was surrounded by enemies. The Fae, long-time adversaries (and sometimes partners) had harassed the people since before the nation was even founded, held back only by the wall of cold iron spears that marked the one land-based outlet for the kingdom. The Hearteaters, exiled Exalted from the First Age, plotted and assassinated key figures, perhaps even the Queen's heir, all in pursuit of obtaining the Font for themselves. Mist, the Eternal Revolutionary, continually returned from death to see the monarchy brought low. And finally, a recently raised Infernal Exalt saw opportunity in the chaos, summoning demons from Malfeas to tear down the iron palisade and allowing the Raksha to charge on through.
Perhaps, if the Queen, the heir or another accepted strong leader were at the helm, Uluiru might have survived. But the quick dissolution of the chain of command ensured that no one could try to take the throne without challenges from other claimants. Head of Ministries clashed against each other while farms and towns burned, the inherent desire to prove their superiority distracting them from compromise. Even after one person DID finally take hold of the throne, it was too late to save the entire nation. They would need to evacuate, just as their Queen and her tribe once evacuated centuries before.
Eventually, they would leave on gleaming ships, transporting as much as they could without weighing down the boats. Pursued by seaborn Raksha, they headed further northwest, hoping to find empty territory to colonize and defend themselves. A sudden encounter with a portal surrounded by eight black-and-blue spikes saw that effort wasted, its magic dragging them inside...
...And out into another world of cold.
Uluiru has fallen. But it may rise again, in these Northern Wastes. And maybe, just maybe, it will be reforged as something stronger than what came before.
Welcome to character creation! You will be playing as a member of Uluiru's royal family, either stationed at the nation's head or supporting the current ruler as one of their Chief Ministers. Character Creation will be divided into 3 parts: You (which covers your character), Us (which goes over what parts of Uluiru were recovered and kept safe) and Them (which establishes how the inhabitants of Warhammer Fantasy view and treat your fledgling nation.) You will be given 3 points to spend on various traits. Points carry over from each part, and you CAN (and probably should at some point) go into debt with expenditures, so long as you have 0 or more points at the end of character creation overall.
But before we go into all of that, first: How do you see yourself?
[] Male
[] Female
[] Write-In
And what is your name? (If you are looking for real world inspiration, I would suggest West African names, I think it fits Uluiru well enough.)
[] Write-in for Name
What position have you landed yourself in New Uluiru's ruling council? This will determine your number 1 stat. Due to combat prowess's importance to Uluiru (and if we're being honest, Exalted as a whole), your Combat stat will always be your 2nd-highest stat.
[] The Monarch (Overall Leader)
- Selecting this option will turn this quest into a nation-building quest, with you taking overall command of New Uluiru.
- You will become the King/Queen of the land, dictating what happens at the cost of not being able to lend your expertise often: Only Personal Actions will gain your stat bonuses, with every category's chief minister providing their bonus instead.
- If you choose this option, then the second-highest vote will determine your highest stat.
- Solar and Sovereign Exalted will fit right in here.
- THIS OPTION CANNOT BE TAKEN WITH THE SIDEREAL EXALTED.
- You will become the General of the armies, organizing what few troops there are and training them.
- All Exalted will be well-suited to this choice.
- You will work to develop New Uluiru's culture both inside of the territory as well as outside its borders.
- Sovereign and Sidereal Exalted will be great for this option.
- You will oversee the treasury, what little remains, and dictate the division of food supplies.
- Solar and Sidereal Exalted will do well in this role.
- Formerly the Invigilators Royal, it's position has been raised to the level of the six great ministries.
- You will watch your people carefully for corruption and insurrection, dowsing the sparks that could break out as infernos of conflict.
- Solar and Sidereal Exalted are more than adequate here.
- You work to create not just homes and structures, but shrines to the various divinities (hence why its Piety).
- All Exalted can excel here.
- You maintain the written word from today all the way to centuries past. You are also in charge of education, as literacy is the cornerstone of scholarship.
- Solar and Sidereal Exalted can decipher the remaining stacks of paper with ease.
- Why is the Ministry of Mining the Combat option? One Word: Underway. Actually, two: Skaven.
- While all Exalted will do well fighting-wise here, the Sovereigns are particularly well-suited being underground.
[] Mortal (+2 Points)
- You have not been blessed by any deity with power, leaving you as disappointingly mortal.
- Your stats provide a bonus to relevant rolls equal to (X - 10), where X is the stat.
- You do not have any particular resistance to disease or mutation.
- You heal slowly and with issue like all mortals do.
- You CANNOT critically fail actions. Fortune favors the underdog, at least a tiny bit.
- Your weak puissance offends the remaining nobility, who all believe that they could do your job better than you can (Noble Opinion begins at 3/10 instead of 5/10).
- Just as many other members of the royal family have done, you took a dip into the Fount of Glories and were blessed with its power.
- Your Aspect has little bearing on your abilities, and will be determined by your personality.
- Your stats provide a bonus to relevant rolls equal to (X - 5), where X is the stat.
- You gain a +20 bonus to resist disease and mutation, which you can improve over time.
- You heal quickly and without issue as all Exalted do.
- You critically fail actions which directly involve you on a Natural 1. These critical fails will take the form of overwhelming pain or inhuman stoicism. Actions which do not involve you cannot critically fail.
- You were endowed with the Sun's glory, granting you prowess above all others.
- Your Caste will be determined by your choice of role (or secondary choice if Monarch is taken):
- Dawn: War
- Zenith: Public Works, Mining
- Twilight: Records
- Night: Vigilance
- Eclipse: Culture, Finance
- Your stats provide a bonus to relevant rolls equal to (X), where X is the stat.
- You gain a +20 bonus to resist disease and mutation, which you can improve over time.
- You heal quickly and without issue as all Exalted do.
- The Great Curse burdens you greater than any other. You critically fail on ALL actions that roll a Natural 1, and all actions which involve you on 1-3s. These critical fails involve you losing control of yourself, your virtues either inverting or taking a firm hold of your mind.
- It was the Sovereign Exalted who protected and led the commonfolk of Uluiru for centuries. Having a gleaming golden Exalt (especially as tales of Anathema, though not trusted, have still made their way to these shores) on the throne is something that they are a bit... wary of. (Peasant Opinion begins at 3/10 instead of 5/10).
- You were discretely enhanced with the subtle blessing of the Maidens, allowing you control over destiny.
- Your Caste will be determined by your choice of role:
- Journeys: Mining
- Serenity: Culture, Public Works
- Battles: War
- Secrets: Vigilance, Records
- Endings: Finance
- Your stats provide a bonus to relevant rolls equal to (X - 5), where X is the stat. In addition, you may designate 1 action per turn for free, which reduces its Difficulty by 10.
- You gain a +20 bonus to resist disease and mutation, which you can improve over time.
- You heal quickly and without issue as all Exalted do.
- You critically fail on ALL actions that roll a Natural 1, as luck turns to ill fortune, and your own superiority blinds you to other paths.
- YOU CANNOT CHOOSE THE MONARCH POSITION IF YOU SELECT THIS OPTION.
[] Crafter
- Synergizes well with Sovereigns
- Allows the character craft Artifacts (magical equipment and items) // Eidolons (Mechanical servants/soldiers made from Fireglass). Eidolons can serve as a substitute for soldiers and craftsmen with no resource drain.
- Synergizes well with Mortals
- Allows for 1 // 2 rerolls per turn. Rerolls cannot be used on critical fails.
- Synergizes well with Solars and Sidereals.
- Allows the character to master // Truly Master 1 MA style before the quest begins. This greatly enhances the character's combat prowess.
- Synergizes well with Solars and Sidereals.
- Allows the character access to 1st Circle // 2nd Circle Sorcery. This can be used to cast spells and long-lasting enchantments.
- Synergizes well with Mortals and Sovereigns.
- Allows the character to access a Size 2 // 4 elite army, regardless of any future choices. Gaining troops outside of this option will be costly.
[] Virtue
[] Desire
[] Insanity? I'm not insane, I knew someone who was insane once...
[] Passion
[] Beauty
Please place your votes in a plan format for ease of use. And finally:
The Vote will conclude on May 17th, at 7:00 AM PST.
Author's Note: Hello all to my other active quest on this site, Gems in the Waste! This fic was inspired by the recent (and much-awaited) release of Across the Eight Directions, the location resourcebook for Exalted 3rd Edition. That book gave more details regarding Uluiru, the pseudo-African nation in the chilly north whose unique Exigent royalty really drew me in when the Exigents book released. And with my recent dive into Warhammer Fantasy thanks to all of the great quests on this site as well as Total War, I wondered how you might be able to take Exalted elements and place them within the world of Fantasy.
New Uluiru (or whatever name it might develop later on) will be located within the Chaos Wastes, both because of how thin reality is there (thus more easily justifying why all of these people were suddenly transported across dimensions to here) and because there isn't a ton of history that I need to catch up on in order to use the setting. That isn't to say that I'm not brushing up on things, just that I don't want to memorize the Empire's entire history if I want to use them.
Also, if you're wondering what the "Drive" vote for, its for personality and (if applicable) Sovereign Aspect.
If you have any questions, let me know! This quest will likely update somewhat infrequently as I have something else I'm also working on at the moment, hence why I've set such a long voting period. I do have everything prepared for Part 2 of character creation, and most of Part 3, so that will be finalized at least.
EDIT: Forgot one of the Solar drawbacks, added it in at the bottom of the description.
Last edited:
General "What can these Exalts do?"
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
Currently, we've got God-King of Destruction in first place with 4 5 votes (Just got that new vote in), and the other plans close behind. All Solars, all Warlords, so I guess right now we're competing for smaller details.
To better help explain what a particular type of Exalt can do, here are some basic summaries of their abilities. This does not go into particular charms (so I'm not talking about Duck-Punches here), just a general sense of what any Exalt type could achieve.
Solars:
To better help explain what a particular type of Exalt can do, here are some basic summaries of their abilities. This does not go into particular charms (so I'm not talking about Duck-Punches here), just a general sense of what any Exalt type could achieve.
Solars:
- Generally the most powerful in their specialty, not as great outside of it.
- Greatest potential for sorcery.
- Great (but not greatest) at martial arts.
- Can use any type of magical item with equal proficiency.
- Has 5 "Castes" which dictate the Solar's specialty (Dawn = Combat, Zenith = Social + Durability, Twilight = Big Brain Stuff, Night = Sneaky Stuff, Eclipse = Social + Travel)
- Their natural abilities generally revolve around Being The Very Absolute Best at anything a normal human can do. This includes Sorcery, because normal humans can learn to do that. There are, of course, a few notable exceptions to this principle, but its the general mindset for Solar ability.
- Affected the most by the Great Curse, worse than any other Exalt type save other Solar(oid)s. They have brief eruptions, or long-term bursts, of emotions and twistings of their principles. These twists generally (but not always) either take the form of one of their virtuous qualities getting taken to an unreasonable excess, or being ignore entirely.
- Greatest at martial arts.
- Decent at sorcery.
- Awful with most magical items.
- Has 5 "Castes" which determine what destinies the Sidereal is best at creating/interacting with (Journeys = Travel + Wilderness, Serenity = Peace + Love, Battles = Combat, Secrets = Knowledge + Sneaky Stuff, Endings = Death + Ending Conditions)
- Has the smallest and quietest "Anima Banners," their bright battle auras.
- Can wear disguises crafted from destiny that trick people into thinking the Sidereal is a particular archetype of person.
- When not disguised, most people forget the Sidereal's identity and presence in the situation.
- Can alter probabilities both in the short and long-term.
- Their natural abilities are really really weird, enabling them to have odd solutions to common problems.
- Great Curse can blind them to other possibilities as well as making them more arrogant at times.
- Low-degree of Sorcery, but can cheat their way into a higher level.
- Bad at martial arts.
- Not great at wielding magical items, but pretty good at making them.
- In fact, specializes in three areas: Crafting, War and Socializing.
- Has 5 "Aspects" which do not actually dictate the Sovereign's overall abilities based on their response to Fount exposure (Diamond = Stoically, Emerald = Ambition/Greed, Opal = Went Insane, Ruby = Instincts, Sapphire = Loved what they became).
- Has the biggest and brightest "Anima Banners," and gain additional power at full brightness.
- Abilities revolve around, besides the 3 above-mentioned areas, in commanding subordinates and creating Fireglass, a very strong glass-like material they can create easily.
- Great Curse afflicts them whenever they refuse a challenge or submit to someone else's authority (except people they like and other Sovereigns) with short-term pain or long-term stoicism.
Basic Rules & Play
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
Just a word of warning, all of these mechanics are subject to change, this is just the typical CK2 quest that I'm working off of an adapting.
Turns
Turns at the start will encompass 3 months of time each, and will eventually transition to 1 year after a certain period of time. This is to accommodate the rapid changes required for a newborn Civilization in an otherwise inhospitable place to survive.
Every turn, a number of actions become available and can be taken. For overall rulers, 2 actions of each category can be taken (Military, Diplomacy, Stewardship, Intrigue, Piety, Learning and Personal). Each category uses the bonus of the Chief Minister in charge of that area rather than the ruler's, except for Personal Actions. Rulers can choose to sacrifice a Personal Action in order to perform another action in another category, using their own stats to perform it. For Chief Ministers, they can instead take up to 5 actions per turn, all of which uses their own stats, but at least 2 of which must be related to their job (after all, why do you have that position if you aren't doing your job?).
Actions, unless otherwise specified, have a Difficulty that must be rolled against and beaten. A d100 is used, with the relevant stat modifier added, and compared to the Difficulty. If it equals or beats it, it succeeds. If the result is at least 50 above the Difficulty, than it is a Notable Success, not really exceptional but a better result than you might have otherwise gained. If the result is 100 or more above the Difficulty, then the result is an Artificial Crit, producing a greater result than it otherwise would have. If the die roll itself is a Natural 100, then an even better result is gained, and a Trait as well for the person enacting the action.
For anyone except mortals, there is a risk of Critical Failures. By default, this only triggers for actions performed by the character in question which roll a Natural 1. Certain conditions, such as Exalt type or overwork, can increase this threshold further either permanently or temporarily.
Charms
[TO BE ADDED LATER]
Overwork
All Exalted characters can choose to "overwork" on a turn, essentially committing enough Essence to push themselves for more results. They gain an additional Action of any type which uses their stat bonus for every time they overwork. An Exalt has 3 "Anima" Slots, one of which is filled every time they overwork, and they can use as many slots as they'd like in a single turn up to their available amount. Sovereign Exalted, being focused around their Anima Banners, have 4 Slots instead.
Besides fueling their Anima Banners and making the Exalt shiny and sparkly, this overwork has consequences for future turn. After all, your character is pushing themselves both physically and magically to the point of exhaustion in order to fit more time onto their schedule, leaving them more vulnerable to the temptations of the Great Curse. On the turn that overwork is performed, no penalty is gained. On the subsequent turn however, all actions which can Critically Fail have their threshold increased by 2 per Anima slot filled. At the end of the penalized turn, if no further overwork was done, then 1 slot empties, reducing the Critical Fail threshold by 2. This continues for every turn without overwork being done until all slots are emptied.
For Example: Say you are a Sidereal Exalt. You Critically Fail on all actions which roll a Natural 1. You have 3 Anima Slots available to use. You decide to overwork twice this turn, filling up 2 slots, and you gain 2 additional actions to use. There is no penalty this turn for doing this. Next turn, you can only choose to overwork once, since you have only 1 available slot left. In addition, your threshold for Critical Fails increases from 1 to 1-5 for that turn. If you do not overwork again that turn, then at the turn's end, 1 slot will be opened up, and the Critical Fail Threshold will decrease to 1-3.
[MORE TO BE ADDED LATER]
Turns
Turns at the start will encompass 3 months of time each, and will eventually transition to 1 year after a certain period of time. This is to accommodate the rapid changes required for a newborn Civilization in an otherwise inhospitable place to survive.
Every turn, a number of actions become available and can be taken. For overall rulers, 2 actions of each category can be taken (Military, Diplomacy, Stewardship, Intrigue, Piety, Learning and Personal). Each category uses the bonus of the Chief Minister in charge of that area rather than the ruler's, except for Personal Actions. Rulers can choose to sacrifice a Personal Action in order to perform another action in another category, using their own stats to perform it. For Chief Ministers, they can instead take up to 5 actions per turn, all of which uses their own stats, but at least 2 of which must be related to their job (after all, why do you have that position if you aren't doing your job?).
Actions, unless otherwise specified, have a Difficulty that must be rolled against and beaten. A d100 is used, with the relevant stat modifier added, and compared to the Difficulty. If it equals or beats it, it succeeds. If the result is at least 50 above the Difficulty, than it is a Notable Success, not really exceptional but a better result than you might have otherwise gained. If the result is 100 or more above the Difficulty, then the result is an Artificial Crit, producing a greater result than it otherwise would have. If the die roll itself is a Natural 100, then an even better result is gained, and a Trait as well for the person enacting the action.
For anyone except mortals, there is a risk of Critical Failures. By default, this only triggers for actions performed by the character in question which roll a Natural 1. Certain conditions, such as Exalt type or overwork, can increase this threshold further either permanently or temporarily.
Charms
[TO BE ADDED LATER]
Overwork
All Exalted characters can choose to "overwork" on a turn, essentially committing enough Essence to push themselves for more results. They gain an additional Action of any type which uses their stat bonus for every time they overwork. An Exalt has 3 "Anima" Slots, one of which is filled every time they overwork, and they can use as many slots as they'd like in a single turn up to their available amount. Sovereign Exalted, being focused around their Anima Banners, have 4 Slots instead.
Besides fueling their Anima Banners and making the Exalt shiny and sparkly, this overwork has consequences for future turn. After all, your character is pushing themselves both physically and magically to the point of exhaustion in order to fit more time onto their schedule, leaving them more vulnerable to the temptations of the Great Curse. On the turn that overwork is performed, no penalty is gained. On the subsequent turn however, all actions which can Critically Fail have their threshold increased by 2 per Anima slot filled. At the end of the penalized turn, if no further overwork was done, then 1 slot empties, reducing the Critical Fail threshold by 2. This continues for every turn without overwork being done until all slots are emptied.
For Example: Say you are a Sidereal Exalt. You Critically Fail on all actions which roll a Natural 1. You have 3 Anima Slots available to use. You decide to overwork twice this turn, filling up 2 slots, and you gain 2 additional actions to use. There is no penalty this turn for doing this. Next turn, you can only choose to overwork once, since you have only 1 available slot left. In addition, your threshold for Critical Fails increases from 1 to 1-5 for that turn. If you do not overwork again that turn, then at the turn's end, 1 slot will be opened up, and the Critical Fail Threshold will decrease to 1-3.
[MORE TO BE ADDED LATER]
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CC Part 1 Vote Reminder
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
Apparently sleep is determined to stay away from me, so might as well do this now.
In about 26 hours from now, I will be closing the vote. By my reckoning, God King is narrowly in the lead, with Science just a bit behind it. If any of you have not voted for either of these two options, I would suggest changing or making your vote now, since I'm not sure anything else at this point can win.
I was hoping to get Part 2 out on the day that the vote ended, but I was informed last night that I had some extra mandatory training for my job that I needed to do then, so it might be coming out on the 18th instead. Can't say for certain at this point.
In about 26 hours from now, I will be closing the vote. By my reckoning, God King is narrowly in the lead, with Science just a bit behind it. If any of you have not voted for either of these two options, I would suggest changing or making your vote now, since I'm not sure anything else at this point can win.
I was hoping to get Part 2 out on the day that the vote ended, but I was informed last night that I had some extra mandatory training for my job that I needed to do then, so it might be coming out on the 18th instead. Can't say for certain at this point.
Next Update's Vote (CC Part 2)
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
Alright, today's been a bit of a slow day at work, so while I'm waiting for the results of this update, I've gone ahead and filled out the first half of the next update. Second half has been long since it's finished, so I might have everything ready.
HOWEVER, one thing I'm realizing looking at it all is there's a lot of different things you're going to have vote for if the whole package is used. So, just getting your opinions (not like an actual vote or anything), how would you feel about splitting it up into two different parts? Keep in mind this is still just Part 2 of character creation, there's another part 3 after all of this that I haven't written yet.
Current Total Word Count: 3.4k, can definitely go up later.
First Half Word Count: 1.4k
Second Half Word Count: 2k
Current Total Voting Items (Does not include every possible option, just the number of items you will need to vote on total): 12 items
First Half Voting: 7 items
Second Half Voting: 5 items
So, do you want to split it up, or just get it over with?
HOWEVER, one thing I'm realizing looking at it all is there's a lot of different things you're going to have vote for if the whole package is used. So, just getting your opinions (not like an actual vote or anything), how would you feel about splitting it up into two different parts? Keep in mind this is still just Part 2 of character creation, there's another part 3 after all of this that I haven't written yet.
Current Total Word Count: 3.4k, can definitely go up later.
First Half Word Count: 1.4k
Second Half Word Count: 2k
Current Total Voting Items (Does not include every possible option, just the number of items you will need to vote on total): 12 items
First Half Voting: 7 items
Second Half Voting: 5 items
So, do you want to split it up, or just get it over with?
CC Part 1 Vote Closes
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
It's an hour early, but I wanted to get everything done and finished before I have to head into work today.
God-King of Destruction has finished, meaning that we will be playing as Sango, the newly-crowned King of New Uluiru! A man of great scholarly insight as well as a fair amount of military experience, hopefully he will be enough to secure his people's future.
God-King of Destruction has finished, meaning that we will be playing as Sango, the newly-crowned King of New Uluiru! A man of great scholarly insight as well as a fair amount of military experience, hopefully he will be enough to secure his people's future.
Scheduled vote count started by Critian Caceorte on May 10, 2024 at 9:46 PM, finished with 63 posts and 28 votes.
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[X] Plan: God-King of Destruction
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-
[X] Glorious Golden !!SCIENCE!!
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[X] Plan Let's Be A Queen
-[X] Female
-[X] The Monarch (Overall Leader)
-[X] Solar (-1 Point)
-[X] Warlord
-[X] Martial Artist
-[X] Passion
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[X] Plan: Tiny Logistics Gremlin
-[X] Female
-[X] Ruby Quill
--[X]
-[X] Chief Minister of War (Military)
-[X] Sidereal (-1 Point)
-[X] Martial Artist
-[X] Virtue
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[X] Plan: Bright Queen
-[X] Female
-[X] The Monarch (Overall Leader)
-[X] Sovereign (0 Points)
-[X] Crafter
-[X] Warlord
-[X] Beauty
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[X] Plan Lady of the Maker
-[X] Female
-[X] The Monarch (Overall Leader)
-[X] Solar (-1 Point)
-[X] Sorcerer
-[X] Crafter (-1 Point)
-[X] Martial Artist (-1 Point)
-[X] Virtue
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[X] Plan: Cold Tzu
-[X] Male
-[X] Chief Minister of War (Military)
-[X] Solar (-1 Point)
-[X] Warlord
-[X] Martial Artist
-[X] Passion
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[X] Glorious Golden !!SCIENCE!!
-[X] Female
-[X] Chief Minister of Records (Learning)
-[X] Solar (-1 Point)
-[X] Sorcerer
-[X] Martial Artist (-1 Point)
-[X] Crafter (-1 Point)
-[X] Insanity? I'm not insane, I knew someone who was insane once...
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[X] Plan: Recording Fate
-[X] Male
-[X] Chief Minister of Records (Learning)
-[X] Sidereal (-1 Point)
-[X] Martial Artist
-[X] Sorcerer
-[X] Virtue
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Character Creation Part 2: You (Again!)
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
Winning Plan: God-King of Destruction
You are Sango, first of your name. You are the youngest direct descendant (otherwise known as a child) of Queen Ulu, having been born as her son 30 years ago from the present day. Your father was the Queen's third husband, her first having died before her Exaltation (which he was responsible for, because as Cantata-of-the-Depths it was his death which fueled the Fount of Glories) and her second dying centuries before your birth. None begrudged the Queen for taking yet another spouse, considering she had spent several decades in effective grief for her previous lover, instead it was considered a miracle that she was still able to have children at all. Sovereign Exalted, while long-lived, reach middle and older-age quicker than most Exalted of similar lifespans. In light of that, her continued fertility was a welcome surprise.
[] Write-in for character's appearance, or provide an image. As with the name, an appearance that calls back to West Africa or Africa in general, while not required, is preferred due to Uluiru's inspiration. THIS VOTE DOES NOT NEED TO BE PART OF THE PLAN.
Of course, your direct relation to the Queen had little to do with her choice of heir. Uluiru was a strictly meritocratic nation, with many citizens taking up the challenge of the 44 Distinctions. These Distinctions were certificates of skill and prowess, with certain government and military positions requiring high scores in several areas. The royal family had another privilege that required high qualifications: Should they prove sufficiently well-rounded in most, if not all areas of challenge, they would earn the honor of bathing in the Fount of Glories and possibly become a Sovereign Exalt.
You, however, did not earn this honor, and you know why. While you always excelled in the sciences and in all manner of warfare, there was a glaring weakness in your skill set. There were several tests in one particular area or another that you absolutely bombed at, and because of your poor results, you were denied Exaltation by your mother. Of course, that wouldn't matter in the future, but you're getting ahead of yourself. What was the area that you did so awfully in?
The following selection will determine your WORST stat, with runner-up votes determining the rest of the order. Currently, your three highest stats, in order, are Learning, Combat and Martial.
-[] You were slow of tongue and poor at listening to what was being said (Diplomacy)
-[] Your ability to manage and keep track of resources was foolish at best (Stewardship)
-[] Secrets and hidden meanings slipped past you like water around rocks (Intrigue)
-[] If you had any respect for the gods, you certainly didn't demonstrate it (Piety)
As disappointing as it was, at least you weren't a total failure. You became one of the best academic minds even in your youth, and an accomplished Sorcerer by the age of 20, which was even more rare. And unlike most Sorcerers, you weren't content to just exercise your mind. You demonstrated great skill with weaponry of all kinds, and led several squadrons of men and women to combat the fae. Ultimately, there was one particular area of warfare that you really excelled in, which was it?
-[] Bow (Archery)
-[] Fists (Brawl)
-[] Sword (Melee)
-[] Javelin (Thrown)
In point of fact, your lack of Exaltation would soon resolve it one evening as you worked on your masterwork, your greatest achievement yet. You always strove to be a virtuous person, yet in this instance, you were following one of the following virtues most closely. This would leave its mark on you, as you subtly embraced that virtue above all others:
-[] Compassion
In the end and with a bolt of inspiration, your masterpiece, your life's work was complete. And with its completion a golden aura overtook you. You felt divine power rushing through your veins, as if you were the object of worship for every living thing in Creation. You felt unstoppable, invincible, ALMIGHTY. And when the aura eventually faded, the sensation did not leave, only diminish slightly as comprehension came into your mind. You knew what just happened, even if you didn't know precisely what you became. You had just Exalted, specifically as you later found out, as one of the Solar Exalted.
In the nights following this miracle, one that thankfully no one else was witness to, you witnessed memories which were not your own. They gave hints as to what precisely you had become, a "Twilight" or a "Copper Spider" who was destined to master the world and bend it to your will. Eventually, though, these memories would-
-[] -become overwhelming (+1)
And what of your masterpiece? What was the astounding accomplishment which earned you your glory?
-[] You wrote up a treatise perfectly predicting the enemy's next movement. Despite the lack of information available, it turned out to be completely correct! (Lore)
As a sorcerer, you learned a great number of spells from your peers, and one from your past life. The latter would leave a strong mark on you, as would the first spell you ever learned, showing just how important they were to your development as a spellcaster. Which of these spells were the two that you learned first?
Select 1 Terrestrial Circle and 1 Celestial Circle Spell. These will become your Control spells, providing a beneficial Arcane Mark on your body to show how much you use them. You will still learn the other Terrestrial spells, but ONLY the 1 Celestial spell for now without tutors or past life memories.
Terrestrial Circle Spell:
-[] Death of Obsidian Butterflies
Celestial Circle Spell:
-[] Magma Kraken
Author's Note: So, uh, I apparently forgot that Military is actually called Martial in CK Quests? Whoops? Oh well, it's not like it's a major failure. What IS an issue is that I accidentally called Sango "Sambo" more than once, which I had to correct before posting this.
So yes, we are a Sorcerer, and I'm going to need to do a post on how that works soon enough. Generally speaking, Sorcery provides two things: Spells and Sorcerous Workings. Spells are specific powers that typically only last a short amount of time, and thus are more useful in combat (Summoning spells aren't as temporary, but I'm getting ahead of myself). Workings on the other hand are permanent alterations to the location or people, and are presented as [Sorcerous] Actions in any of the normal categories which require you or an existing group of Sorcerers to deal with. ALTERNATIVELY, there is a Personal Action you can take which allows you to "research" potential Workings for the turn after that. It's an excuse I'm giving you guys to come up with whatever you want, so long as you're willing to have me grade how difficult of a venture that thing will be and what it will require. Celestial Sorcerers like Sango, while not as powerful as Solar Sorcerers, can still do quite a lot with their power.
Go head and vote, and let me know if you have any questions. I'm going to be going to work soon, so my capacity to answer questions might not be as helpful for now, but I WILL get to answering them sooner rather than later.
EDIT: Forgot that Queen Ulu actually married Cantata for a short time before he gave up his life to fuel the Fount. Added it to the beginning of the character intro.
[x] Plan: God-King of Destruction
-Male
-Ṣàngó
-The Monarch (Overall Leader)
-Solar (-1 Point)
-Warlord
-Sorcerer
-Virtue
Runner-Up Stat: Learning (Will be Number 1)
Current Stat Priority: Learning (From SCIENCE!!), Combat and Martial (from other Plans)
Points Used: 2
Points Remaining: 1
-Male
-Ṣàngó
-The Monarch (Overall Leader)
-Solar (-1 Point)
-Warlord
-Sorcerer
-Virtue
Runner-Up Stat: Learning (Will be Number 1)
Current Stat Priority: Learning (From SCIENCE!!), Combat and Martial (from other Plans)
Points Used: 2
Points Remaining: 1
You are Sango, first of your name. You are the youngest direct descendant (otherwise known as a child) of Queen Ulu, having been born as her son 30 years ago from the present day. Your father was the Queen's third husband, her first having died before her Exaltation (which he was responsible for, because as Cantata-of-the-Depths it was his death which fueled the Fount of Glories) and her second dying centuries before your birth. None begrudged the Queen for taking yet another spouse, considering she had spent several decades in effective grief for her previous lover, instead it was considered a miracle that she was still able to have children at all. Sovereign Exalted, while long-lived, reach middle and older-age quicker than most Exalted of similar lifespans. In light of that, her continued fertility was a welcome surprise.
[] Write-in for character's appearance, or provide an image. As with the name, an appearance that calls back to West Africa or Africa in general, while not required, is preferred due to Uluiru's inspiration. THIS VOTE DOES NOT NEED TO BE PART OF THE PLAN.
Of course, your direct relation to the Queen had little to do with her choice of heir. Uluiru was a strictly meritocratic nation, with many citizens taking up the challenge of the 44 Distinctions. These Distinctions were certificates of skill and prowess, with certain government and military positions requiring high scores in several areas. The royal family had another privilege that required high qualifications: Should they prove sufficiently well-rounded in most, if not all areas of challenge, they would earn the honor of bathing in the Fount of Glories and possibly become a Sovereign Exalt.
You, however, did not earn this honor, and you know why. While you always excelled in the sciences and in all manner of warfare, there was a glaring weakness in your skill set. There were several tests in one particular area or another that you absolutely bombed at, and because of your poor results, you were denied Exaltation by your mother. Of course, that wouldn't matter in the future, but you're getting ahead of yourself. What was the area that you did so awfully in?
The following selection will determine your WORST stat, with runner-up votes determining the rest of the order. Currently, your three highest stats, in order, are Learning, Combat and Martial.
-[] You were slow of tongue and poor at listening to what was being said (Diplomacy)
-[] Your ability to manage and keep track of resources was foolish at best (Stewardship)
-[] Secrets and hidden meanings slipped past you like water around rocks (Intrigue)
-[] If you had any respect for the gods, you certainly didn't demonstrate it (Piety)
As disappointing as it was, at least you weren't a total failure. You became one of the best academic minds even in your youth, and an accomplished Sorcerer by the age of 20, which was even more rare. And unlike most Sorcerers, you weren't content to just exercise your mind. You demonstrated great skill with weaponry of all kinds, and led several squadrons of men and women to combat the fae. Ultimately, there was one particular area of warfare that you really excelled in, which was it?
-[] Bow (Archery)
-[] Fists (Brawl)
-[] Sword (Melee)
-[] Javelin (Thrown)
In point of fact, your lack of Exaltation would soon resolve it one evening as you worked on your masterwork, your greatest achievement yet. You always strove to be a virtuous person, yet in this instance, you were following one of the following virtues most closely. This would leave its mark on you, as you subtly embraced that virtue above all others:
-[] Compassion
- The Virtue of Kindness and Forgiveness
- The Virtue of Resolve and Duty
- The Virtue of Restraint and Stoicism
- The Virtue of Courage and Defiance
- The Virtue of Curiosity and Wanderlust
In the end and with a bolt of inspiration, your masterpiece, your life's work was complete. And with its completion a golden aura overtook you. You felt divine power rushing through your veins, as if you were the object of worship for every living thing in Creation. You felt unstoppable, invincible, ALMIGHTY. And when the aura eventually faded, the sensation did not leave, only diminish slightly as comprehension came into your mind. You knew what just happened, even if you didn't know precisely what you became. You had just Exalted, specifically as you later found out, as one of the Solar Exalted.
In the nights following this miracle, one that thankfully no one else was witness to, you witnessed memories which were not your own. They gave hints as to what precisely you had become, a "Twilight" or a "Copper Spider" who was destined to master the world and bend it to your will. Eventually, though, these memories would-
-[] -become overwhelming (+1)
- Whenever you critically fail or overwork, there is a risk of your past life taking over. They do NOT have good decision-making skills, having been a First Age Solar and all that, but they might give you inspiration on rare occasions.
- You learn nothing more from your past life.
- Your past life will provide more memories over time, giving a random insight every so often that could prove useful.
And what of your masterpiece? What was the astounding accomplishment which earned you your glory?
-[] You wrote up a treatise perfectly predicting the enemy's next movement. Despite the lack of information available, it turned out to be completely correct! (Lore)
- Charm Gained: Dogstar Ruminations: Once per year, can take a Personal Action using Learning to declare a Doom onto a target city or province (NOT an empire or nation). Doom must correlate with a subject the Solar knows about. If successful, the Doom WILL happen.
- Trait Gained: Odd General: +1 Martial; Unlocks strange strategies to be used in combat.
- Charm Gained: Immaculate Solar Physician: Double the results of ALL rolls to treat wounds, poisons and diseases; permanently. Only applies once per day in mini-turns.
- Trait Gained: Panacea Maker: +1 Stewardship; Unlocks actions related to antibiotics and other cures.
- Charm Gained: Spirit-Drawing Oculus:When all Anima Slots are filled, once per turn can choose to either:
- Cast a Terrestrial Circle spell for free and with no roll required.
- Open up 1 Slot, reducing the Critical Fail Threshold, but it cannot be used for overwork this turn.
- Trait Gained: Teacher of Magic: +1 Diplomacy; Unlocks actions related to teaching magic to people.
As a sorcerer, you learned a great number of spells from your peers, and one from your past life. The latter would leave a strong mark on you, as would the first spell you ever learned, showing just how important they were to your development as a spellcaster. Which of these spells were the two that you learned first?
Select 1 Terrestrial Circle and 1 Celestial Circle Spell. These will become your Control spells, providing a beneficial Arcane Mark on your body to show how much you use them. You will still learn the other Terrestrial spells, but ONLY the 1 Celestial spell for now without tutors or past life memories.
Terrestrial Circle Spell:
-[] Death of Obsidian Butterflies
- Creates a cloud of large obsidian-winged insects which splatter themselves onto the ground, creating a hailstorm of supernaturally sharp glass.
- Arcane Mark: Obsidian Fingernails, allowing you to potentially kill others even when unarmed.
- Allows you to summon a Demon of the First Circle at night. Restricted use during mini-turns.
- Arcane Mark: Chain Tattoos around hands, provides +10 to grappling targets.
- Conjures a bird from blue flame which travels a far distance before exploding.
- Arcane Mark: A shock of blue hair, provides +10 to personal social actions while Anima Banner is active (at least 1 slot filled).
- Transmutes your skin into bronze, heavily improving your durability at the cost of increased weight.
- Arcane Mark: More copper-like skin, provides -10 to enemy melee attack rolls in personal combat.
- Creates a boundary which protects those inside and pushes foes back via earth tremors.
- Arcane Mark: Earth smooths and compacts itself underneath every step you take, transforming difficult terrain into normal terrain for you.
Celestial Circle Spell:
-[] Magma Kraken
- You conjure up a cephalopod made of molten lava. Quite effective in battle.
- Arcane Mark: Fire constantly circles and embraces you, allowing you to conjure flame whenever.
- You summon a Demon of the Second Circle on the night shrouded by the New Moon. Unavailable during mini-turns.
- Arcane Mark: Malfeas hates you slightly less, providing +10 to talk with demons not bound by you (but not daemons).
- You throw a javelin of ice which explodes, dealing damage and freezing over every available surface.
- Arcane Mark: Spirits of wood and water alike cow before you, reducing the difficulty of rolls to persuade them by 10.
The Vote will end on May 20th, at 7:00 AM PST
Author's Note: So, uh, I apparently forgot that Military is actually called Martial in CK Quests? Whoops? Oh well, it's not like it's a major failure. What IS an issue is that I accidentally called Sango "Sambo" more than once, which I had to correct before posting this.
So yes, we are a Sorcerer, and I'm going to need to do a post on how that works soon enough. Generally speaking, Sorcery provides two things: Spells and Sorcerous Workings. Spells are specific powers that typically only last a short amount of time, and thus are more useful in combat (Summoning spells aren't as temporary, but I'm getting ahead of myself). Workings on the other hand are permanent alterations to the location or people, and are presented as [Sorcerous] Actions in any of the normal categories which require you or an existing group of Sorcerers to deal with. ALTERNATIVELY, there is a Personal Action you can take which allows you to "research" potential Workings for the turn after that. It's an excuse I'm giving you guys to come up with whatever you want, so long as you're willing to have me grade how difficult of a venture that thing will be and what it will require. Celestial Sorcerers like Sango, while not as powerful as Solar Sorcerers, can still do quite a lot with their power.
Go head and vote, and let me know if you have any questions. I'm going to be going to work soon, so my capacity to answer questions might not be as helpful for now, but I WILL get to answering them sooner rather than later.
EDIT: Forgot that Queen Ulu actually married Cantata for a short time before he gave up his life to fuel the Fount. Added it to the beginning of the character intro.
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Making the Case for DBs
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
Well, yes, these are all okay points, but I think you're missing something: All of the stuff you listed can easily be done by Sovereigns (who specialize in Craft, Integrity, Performance, Socialize and War). What you really should be asking is, "What do DBs have the Sovereigns don't, or are better at?" In my eyes, though I'd need to double check when I'm not away from my PC to make sure:
- Healing. Sovereigns are decent at curing illnesses, but without notes I don't think they have any method of quickly healing injuries. (EDIT: 6/22/24; Having double checked, there is ONE wound healing charm, but it is high in charm requirements and only applies to characters currently working under her orders.)
- Animal handling, don't have any of that to my knowledge either. (EDIT: 6/22/24; There is a charm to attract animals that live underground, that's about it.)
- Stealth: Sovereigns are brightly shining rainbow demigods, they are NOT subtle in anything save for their words.
- Speed in/out of combat except when crafting. (EDIT: 6/22/24; I meant movement speed here, not in terms of attacks which Sovereigns actually have good charms for.)
- Martial Arts, so long as one DB is Immaculately trained, they are likely better than any Sovereign monk.
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CC Part 2 Vote Closes + DICE ROLLING
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
Alright folks, I'm closing things earlier here so that we can get something important done soon enough. Our winner is the Magic Revolution plan, putting our stat priority as follows:
Learning
Combat
Martial
Diplomacy
Stewardship
Intrigue
Piety
What I would like those in the thread to do is roll 4d5 using the dice feature here, one set per person. I need 7 sets of 4d5 total in order to determine our character's stats. Once this is done, I will post the next update. If we can get this done in the next hour and a half or so, then I can publish part 3 immediately, otherwise I'll need to wait to do that until I get off of work.
Learning
Combat
Martial
Diplomacy
Stewardship
Intrigue
Piety
What I would like those in the thread to do is roll 4d5 using the dice feature here, one set per person. I need 7 sets of 4d5 total in order to determine our character's stats. Once this is done, I will post the next update. If we can get this done in the next hour and a half or so, then I can publish part 3 immediately, otherwise I'll need to wait to do that until I get off of work.
Character Creation Part 3: Us
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
Winning Plan: Magic Revolution
You were, sadly, quite the impious sort, a fact which bothered your family members to no end. Well, your mother never cared that you never worshiped her, she allowed the mortals you oversaw to do so but refused to have family do the same. Yet your refusal to do the same for her beloved Cantata, the same god who died centuries ago, made her furious. It wasn't just because she loved and married the god while he was still alive, though that certainly played a part. It was the fact that the power your family had dangled in front of their noses came from his sacrifice. Without gratitude for that sacrifice, you proved unworthy to reap the benefits of it.
Of course, you weren't great at dealing with the gods that were still around either. Slumbering Star, the local goddess of jewelry (an important position when collaborating with the Sovereign Exalted), still brought up that one time that you refused her a dance in order to help your little grand-niece find her lost sabertooth cub every time you met once more. The other minor gods, petty as they were, just proved too annoying for you to really interact well with them.
And while your lack of piety was your major weakness, it wasn't the only thing you struggled with, at least at first. You never were the best in subtle manners, and while it would be a lie to say that, well, you couldn't lie, you didn't have an amazing track record there either. You weren't hopeless, just… not spymaster material.
Of course, all of this was before your Exaltation. While your memories of other lives faded soon after they began, they did imply that maybe, just maybe, things that were once a weakness for you could easily change and become a strength. Even now, your capacity to discern lies was better than it had ever been, and even days after your Second Breath, Gods gave you just a touch more respect than they did before. But any major improvements would be something for the distant future. Now, you worked to protect your people, sword in hand, defending them against the wickedness that surrounded them on all sides.
But more than simply leading them and fighting to protect them, you sought to teach them. Introduce the youth to new vistas, new ways of thinking, just as you did one fateful season years ago. It had been… not a work of pity. Certainly not at first. Rather, a distant family member had asked if you could instruct their daughter in the realm of sorcery.
It was an odd request, especially as determining whether someone could learn in the first place, in particular a child, was quite difficult. Gods had a better sense for that sort of thing, but you decided to help regardless. Then, someone in the Ministry of Records asked if you could instruct their child as well. Then a general, then a desperate farmer, and finally after a chance encounter with a strange orphan on the dirty streets you had yourself a class of apprentices.
Your apprentices had their challenges. All of them were odd in the ways that Sorcerers tend to be even before they were initiated into those mysteries. Some had issues with authority, an attitude which conflicted with Uluiru's hierarchy. Others still had issues with words or numbers. The aforementioned orphan, Mobolaji, couldn't read at all, which created issues for your initial book-based curriculum.
In the end, you had to toss away the same books you used to initiate yourself and worked on something more freeform, more based in tangible feats than concepts. Your new curriculum found much greater success, and in the span of a single year, you no longer had 5 mere apprentices. You now had under your wing 5 newly initiated Sorcerers, keenly devoted to each new spell you showed them.
It was one late night, as you pondered on how else you could help them advance in their studies, that you received your golden blessing. No one was around to witness it, but you didn't trust your chances of keeping it hidden forever. You put your trust in your apprentices and the next morning showed them the golden sunset which now marked your forehead. And they repaid it by swearing to secrecy, not revealing anything about the matter to anyone.
Even after they eventually went back to their individual families, Mobolaji stayed, for he had nowhere else to go. You and him got along quite well, and his first and most proficient spell was Invulnerable Skin of Bronze, the same as yours. Even now, the both of you had a copper gleam to your skin, brightening an otherwise dark canvas. He stuck with you as a "long-term apprentice," a term which you and him maintained for years. Even after he moved into your home, after you set aside a room just for him, commissioned clothes just for him…
It was a point of amusement for your mother to slyly ask when exactly she could call the boy her grandson, but you didn't take that last step. Not until she had been in her tomb for years more. You should have just torn away your hesitation and embraced the truth before her death. Before Nuwa's death ruined everything. But you couldn't blame your grand-niece for being assassinated, not really. Not when your mother suffered the same fate six months later. There was a long period of mourning, as the nation wept for the death of the Queen and her heir, but the demands of succession could not be held off for long. And the resulting family dispute was bloody.
Every Sovereign Exalt (and some mortal members of the royal family) contended with each other for their place on the throne. At first, most simply relied on contests reminiscent of the 44 Distinctions. Later, as the throne remained empty, these contests became dangerous as those involved tried to prove that they could survive anything as the head of the nation. Only two refused to participate in this worsening game of Chicken: Yourself, who was content to keep your divine status hidden, and your eldest brother, Thousand-Hours Gwai.
Gwai was thought by many to be the presumed heir, both before and after Nuwa's death. After all, he was the Queen's oldest child, and the second-oldest (later oldest) Sovereign Exalt still alive. While no one questioned or even really had issues with the Queen's choice of her great-granddaughter as her true heir, it did cause some confusion to develop. Rumors about what Gwai had done, or not done, to be denied this inheritance. But nobody asked for the truth, and thus nothing was revealed.
Nothing revealed until one night a few months ago, when he requested a midnight meeting with you and you alone at the last minute. Your servants had scrambled to put together an outfit worthy of your requestors status before you shuffled off to his private villa. When you met with him inside, you were shocked to see how… tired he looked. Normally, Gwai was a statue embodied: Untiring, Constantly Harsh Expression, A Sculpted yet deeply aged body that made some swoon and others envious. Now, a hint of vulnerability was being shown to you.
He said nothing at first after leading you inside his private home office. Then he pulled out a scroll, unfurled it, and laid the parchment out onto a table. "Read," he declared. It wasn't a demand, because there was no chance that you would ever disobey that order.
And read you did. Initially it was just the typical loquaciousness common to the royal family, some rhetoric in the middle justifying whatever point he was trying to make, until you got to the very end. In your shock, you read the last part out loud.
"'Thus I, Thousand-Hours Gwai, Eldest Son of Queen Ulu, so request that Soul-Gardener Sango be allowed the opportunity to bathe in the waters and flame of the Fount of Glori-' What is this?!" You cried out, quite rudely in tone.
"The first part of my solution to secure this nation's future," he said coldly as ever. "A solution that requires your compliance." His words drew your attention, once that was secured, he continued. "You and I can both see where this nation is headed. Our siblings, our nieces and nephews and their children and two generations more are all fighting to secure the throne for themselves. Khedaja is banging her drums to start a war we are ill-prepared for, Cilu is stirring up an uprising against the royal family almost absent-mindedly, and the less said about 'Luck-of-Seven,' the better." You couldn't resist a grimace at that. Yes, one of your more unpleasant relatives, that one.
He looked down to focus on the scroll which had given you. "In the end, only one Sovereign has remained outside of this race to Malfeas, and he stands before you. And of the royal family in full, we two are part of a very small minority of bystanders. Tell me, Sango, why have you not pledged a claim to the throne? Why have you not declared for someone else? Why do you, among so few others, refuse to take any side in this dispute?"
It took you a minute to collect your thoughts. A minute that Gwai spent patiently waiting for your response. After all, better for you to give an eloquent speech after some time than a pathetic attempt at communication. Eventually, you gave your answer. "Because it helps no one. If I were to proclaim my stake for the throne, or put my support behind someone else unworthy of it, all it would do is harm the very people we are supposed to protect. I'm not blinded by Mother's mistakes when she had them, few as they were. But overall, she was an exemplary ruler, one which any newcomer to the throne would be hard-pressed to match. I know that I do not have the skills needed to take her place, just as I know that no one else clamoring for the seat is deserving of it either."
There is silence for a time. You allow your elder brother his time to contemplate just as he did for you. And soon enough, he responds. "And in that recognition of your shortcomings, you may prove worthy of the role." What? He… he didn't mean- "Listen well, Sango. Brother. Many have attempted to court me so that I might lend my support to their claim for the throne. None have drawn my interest, not because of the skills they hold, but because of their intentions with the seat of power."
He walks over to a small cabinet nestled away in the corner, fingers twisting little parts here and there, before a click announces the reveal of its contents. You do not see it at first, as his back is to you, but when he turns around, it is to reveal in his hands a crown made of purest Adamant, glistening like a diamond just as Oriachalcum glistens like gold. It is a crown you are very familiar with. After all, your mother used to wear it all the time, before it disappeared shortly after her death.
It seems you know now where it went.
"When Nuwa was first declared to be Mother's heir, I was upset. I felt insulted, like my centuries assisting Mother during her reign were for naught. Who else had the experience needed to lead this nation? Who else was strong in Essence, proficient in War, able to navigate the Ministries as a spider does its own web? So, in private, I demanded that she tell me why, why was I not the one destined for the throne? She rebuked me, of course, far angrier than you have likely ever seen her. We fought, for quite a while, but during that fight she never told me why I had been set aside.
"It was only after Nuwa died, and Mother began to grieve, that she eventually told me her reasoning. 'Gwai, you are powerful, more powerful than anyone in our family save for myself. You could exert total political control in my absence, you could command all of our legions, and in doing so you would be led astray. Because, you have no one in our nation, no one close to you, who can truly tell you: No. If I were to die, who could tell Thousand-Hours Gwai that he should not do something? For nearly my entire reign, you have stood by my side, yet you also had no qualms of telling me when I was doing something wrong. You were almost as powerful as I was, I could not overpower you, not for long. So I needed to understand you, and understand your viewpoint, and from there I could see beyond my own limited sight.
"'If you were to take the throne after my death, you would soon become a tyrant, not just from a lure of power as the stories say, but from a lack of denial from your subjects. I have had so many children and grandchildren, and from that experience I have learned that telling your child "No" when it is needed can help foster their development as kind and understanding people. A queen… or a king, is similar. It is hard to tell a king "No," but it will happen someday. And better that king be told such by a friend than by his greatest enemy.'"
He took in a deep breath, pausing his story to let you absorb that information. "Thus, Mother made me take an oath. That I would never seize the throne for myself, but instead serve as an advisor and a counterbalance to whoever did. That I would be the one who would inform the ruler that their plan was as sound as sand," He paused, before the rarest expression of all briefly shone on his face: A smile. It vanished even before his anecdote continued. "Or, to put it more accurately, that their decision was as manure: Awful, toxic and attracting pests."
Well, that told you why he didn't take the throne, but then, "Why me? Why not anyone else?"
"Because, to be blunt Sango, you hold the odious honor of being the least stupid member of this family right now, exempting the infants of course. Not the wisest, for at this point I think such might be impossible for our dynasty," Well, you wouldn't go that far. The Scarlet Realm was notorious for far worse displays of nepotism and incompetence. "But still the least stupid. Your prudence to avoid this silly cavalcade of contests in any form has shown that you will not draw our nation into unnecessary conflict should you rest at its helm. With your little class, which yes, I did pay attention to, you have shown acceptance not just of the common people, nor just the nobility, but both simultaneously. You are a better compromise candidate than many of those actively campaigning, and I would rather serve as a counterbalance for you than for any other member of this family."
Again, silence descends, and is broken by the old man looking into your eyes, his diamond-white irises glowing in the dim light. "There is a five fold oath which our Mother made when she first announced Nuwa as the heir, to be said on the day of her coronation. I have long since memorized its words. If you think that this plan of mine, little that you know of it, is foolish, then please, walk away and speak nothing of this to anyone. But if you can trust my word that you can do this, then recite this oath with me."
In the end, he managed to persuade you that you were fit for his plans, and for the throne itself. And with that confirmation, he gave you the oath that you would swear to ensure that you never go astray.
"I, Sango, heir to the nation of Uluiru, do declare:
That I will protect the nation's people as if they were my own blood;
That I will secure my own blood and protect them as I do with all others;
That I will not let our fields lie fallow, nor allow our mines to run dry, without exhausting all options I possess;
That I will eliminate all foreign threats to the nation, either by force or by peace;
That I will defend the Fount of Glories and our people's future as if it were my own life;
This I solemnly swear, as King of Uluiru."
With the private ceremony done, Gwai nodded with that same stern expression of his, a miniscule relaxing of his shoulders telling you that a burden had been lifted from him. He rolled up the scroll he had provided you, saying, "Good. Now, I just need to have copies of this scroll made-"
"Actually," you interrupted him, "that will not be necessary." At this point, the secret could not be maintained, not in the way things were going. You had no need to become a Sovereign Exalt... not when you had something far greater in store. With a flash, you revealed your true majesty to him, a golden aura overtaking your body.
He blinked at the interruption. He blinked some more when he saw your face, your forehead, your Caste Mark shining bright in the night. For Thousand-Hours Gwai, a statue embodied and given flesh, that was the equivalent of deep shock. And in the end, all he could say was "...Well, that's one step we can skip."
In the end, you ascended to the throne too late to make the changes needed to truly secure your nation from the numerous threats that surrounded it. BUT, you did manage enough to prevent the loss of several precious things. Not everything, not with the time you had, but enough.
There are five key pieces which made up the body that was Uluiru. Each piece on its own is nothing, but with the cooperation of the other five, great things were accomplished with ease. Sadly, not everything from the nation could be preserved, not without risking overburdened ships and complete annihilation. You must determine what was preserved, and what was discarded in the escape from destruction.
Your oath held five parts to it. Which one did you prioritize?
You have 1 point remaining from the last round. You may and, if I might be presumptuous, probably should go into debt this round with your points and then take drawbacks in the next round to pay it off. The benefits you gained from the last round mostly benefited you alone, these however will benefit your nation in its entirety.
There are restrictions on what you can take, however. You may only take ONE 4-point option and ONE 3-point option from the following list. After all, the ships which your character and everything one else took weren't that big, some things had to be left behind. Generally speaking, every higher costing option automatically includes the cheaper stuff as well into its total.
3-point options might have smaller sidequests associated with them. 4-point options have that, as well as their own major questline. The other options will just provide benefits, but no questlines. I'm only going to give hints as to what each quest might entail.
Citizens:
The citizens are the limbs and fingers of Uluiru. It is thanks to their hard work that food is placed on the table of every home, that the precious mineral wealth of the nation is brought up from the depths. It is thanks to them that the armies of fae and demon alike did not succeed for as long as they did. Who would work the farms, the mines, the battle stations? Who would pray for the success of the gods, or keep the culture and the people alive? The Sovereigns might be powerful, but it is the people who keep the nation running.
[] Retainers (+1)
Sovereigns:
The Sovereigns are the Brain of Uluiru. It is from their guidance and decisions that the rest of the nation followed suit. It is their orders which were, and are, obeyed. Without the current Sovereign Exalted, Uluiru would have never survived as long as it did. Who else could provide the sorcerers able to magically rejuvenate the frozen soil? Who else could provide the various wonders of the nation? Who else could provide the wisdom and insight needed to lead an entire kingdom in the harsh North? Every Sovereign still alive is one who remembers the traditions, and has cultivated a degree of puissance in their Essence. The mortals may be more numerous, but each Sovereign is a demigod. They are powerful, and with that power they are useful to solving the current situation.
[] One (+1)
Wealth:
The wealth and providence of Uluiru are its lifeblood. Without the trade provided by its gold mines, it wouldn't have enough food to feed the entire population. Without the blue jade and adamant recovered from beneath the surface, its greatest Artifacts could not be constructed. And without the wise guidance of Queen Ulu, the great grain houses of food would not have been built, and the long-term storing of food would not have occurred. It is thanks to this long-term planning that the current remnants of the nation have as much food for the coming months ahead as they do.
[] Penniless (+1)
Supernatural Aid:
The supernatural entities native to (and around) Uluiru are its feet. It is thanks to them that the nation was able to cement itself in solid ground, without being driven even further astray. Praise be to Cantata-of-the-Depths, whose guidance helped Queen Ulu discover the valley where Uluiru would be founded! Praise be to the God of Gems, whose sacrifice ignited the Fount of Glories in the first place! Even centuries after his death, other gods and earth elementals try to honor his memory by assisting his chosen people with their day-to-day lives. And unlike the Scarlet Realm, Uluiru is no stranger to asking for assistance from other Exalted.
[] Pride (+1)
Glory:
The Fount of Glories is Uluiru's beating heart. Queen Ulu might have been led to the nation's eventual resting place by Cantata-of-the-Depths, but it is his sacrifice, and her bathing in the pool of fire and blood therein, which truly founded the nation. When she took her Second Breath as the first Sovereign Exalt, the people could be secure in the fact that they had divine guidance leading them on. Without the Fount of Glories, no new Sovereigns could be made. Without the Fount of Glories, the royal dynasty would have never formed, nor gained the strength it needed to survive the constant predations of the Wyld. Wealth can be extracted, people can be born, but this is a miracle that can never be replicated or reproduced. Without it, the line of Sovereignhood will eventually run dry.
[] Vials of, (+1)
Author's Note: So, fun fact: Gwai was the individual intended to be your ruler should one of the Advisor votes win. We really only have a paragraph about him in Across the Eight Directions to go off of, and I may have taken some liberties with his character. Namely, that while he IS the Eldest living Sovereign after the Queen died, nothing about his biography says anything about him being the Queen's son. There are mentions of him regarding his "Royal Cousins" with disdain, but Uluiru has a special relationship with the word "Cousin" that makes that statement less definitive than you'd think.
My goal with this update was to really make you think about what exactly is worth more to you: Having a large nation at the start? Having plenty of Exalted (Sovereign or Foreign) to help you at the start? Tons of resources? One of the most powerful corpses which ever existed? Which one do you prioritize?
Also, when I said above that you likely should go into debt, I really meant it. Some of these benefits are more than worth the tons of drawbacks that you will need to pay them off. So, feel free to create plans and discuss amongst yourselves what you should do, because this is likely the turning point of the entire quest, at least for the beginning.
[X] Plan Magic Revolution
-[X] If you had any respect for the gods, you certainly didn't demonstrate it (Piety)
-[X] Sword (Melee)
-[X] Compassion
-[X] -fade (0)
-[X] You were able to instruct a class of five random children from all walks of life, with all of them becoming Sorcerers in their own right. (Occult)
-[X] Invulnerable Skin of Bronze
-[X] Second Circle Demon
-[X] If you had any respect for the gods, you certainly didn't demonstrate it (Piety)
-[X] Sword (Melee)
-[X] Compassion
-[X] -fade (0)
-[X] You were able to instruct a class of five random children from all walks of life, with all of them becoming Sorcerers in their own right. (Occult)
-[X] Invulnerable Skin of Bronze
-[X] Second Circle Demon
You were, sadly, quite the impious sort, a fact which bothered your family members to no end. Well, your mother never cared that you never worshiped her, she allowed the mortals you oversaw to do so but refused to have family do the same. Yet your refusal to do the same for her beloved Cantata, the same god who died centuries ago, made her furious. It wasn't just because she loved and married the god while he was still alive, though that certainly played a part. It was the fact that the power your family had dangled in front of their noses came from his sacrifice. Without gratitude for that sacrifice, you proved unworthy to reap the benefits of it.
Of course, you weren't great at dealing with the gods that were still around either. Slumbering Star, the local goddess of jewelry (an important position when collaborating with the Sovereign Exalted), still brought up that one time that you refused her a dance in order to help your little grand-niece find her lost sabertooth cub every time you met once more. The other minor gods, petty as they were, just proved too annoying for you to really interact well with them.
And while your lack of piety was your major weakness, it wasn't the only thing you struggled with, at least at first. You never were the best in subtle manners, and while it would be a lie to say that, well, you couldn't lie, you didn't have an amazing track record there either. You weren't hopeless, just… not spymaster material.
Of course, all of this was before your Exaltation. While your memories of other lives faded soon after they began, they did imply that maybe, just maybe, things that were once a weakness for you could easily change and become a strength. Even now, your capacity to discern lies was better than it had ever been, and even days after your Second Breath, Gods gave you just a touch more respect than they did before. But any major improvements would be something for the distant future. Now, you worked to protect your people, sword in hand, defending them against the wickedness that surrounded them on all sides.
But more than simply leading them and fighting to protect them, you sought to teach them. Introduce the youth to new vistas, new ways of thinking, just as you did one fateful season years ago. It had been… not a work of pity. Certainly not at first. Rather, a distant family member had asked if you could instruct their daughter in the realm of sorcery.
It was an odd request, especially as determining whether someone could learn in the first place, in particular a child, was quite difficult. Gods had a better sense for that sort of thing, but you decided to help regardless. Then, someone in the Ministry of Records asked if you could instruct their child as well. Then a general, then a desperate farmer, and finally after a chance encounter with a strange orphan on the dirty streets you had yourself a class of apprentices.
Your apprentices had their challenges. All of them were odd in the ways that Sorcerers tend to be even before they were initiated into those mysteries. Some had issues with authority, an attitude which conflicted with Uluiru's hierarchy. Others still had issues with words or numbers. The aforementioned orphan, Mobolaji, couldn't read at all, which created issues for your initial book-based curriculum.
In the end, you had to toss away the same books you used to initiate yourself and worked on something more freeform, more based in tangible feats than concepts. Your new curriculum found much greater success, and in the span of a single year, you no longer had 5 mere apprentices. You now had under your wing 5 newly initiated Sorcerers, keenly devoted to each new spell you showed them.
It was one late night, as you pondered on how else you could help them advance in their studies, that you received your golden blessing. No one was around to witness it, but you didn't trust your chances of keeping it hidden forever. You put your trust in your apprentices and the next morning showed them the golden sunset which now marked your forehead. And they repaid it by swearing to secrecy, not revealing anything about the matter to anyone.
Even after they eventually went back to their individual families, Mobolaji stayed, for he had nowhere else to go. You and him got along quite well, and his first and most proficient spell was Invulnerable Skin of Bronze, the same as yours. Even now, the both of you had a copper gleam to your skin, brightening an otherwise dark canvas. He stuck with you as a "long-term apprentice," a term which you and him maintained for years. Even after he moved into your home, after you set aside a room just for him, commissioned clothes just for him…
It was a point of amusement for your mother to slyly ask when exactly she could call the boy her grandson, but you didn't take that last step. Not until she had been in her tomb for years more. You should have just torn away your hesitation and embraced the truth before her death. Before Nuwa's death ruined everything. But you couldn't blame your grand-niece for being assassinated, not really. Not when your mother suffered the same fate six months later. There was a long period of mourning, as the nation wept for the death of the Queen and her heir, but the demands of succession could not be held off for long. And the resulting family dispute was bloody.
Every Sovereign Exalt (and some mortal members of the royal family) contended with each other for their place on the throne. At first, most simply relied on contests reminiscent of the 44 Distinctions. Later, as the throne remained empty, these contests became dangerous as those involved tried to prove that they could survive anything as the head of the nation. Only two refused to participate in this worsening game of Chicken: Yourself, who was content to keep your divine status hidden, and your eldest brother, Thousand-Hours Gwai.
Gwai was thought by many to be the presumed heir, both before and after Nuwa's death. After all, he was the Queen's oldest child, and the second-oldest (later oldest) Sovereign Exalt still alive. While no one questioned or even really had issues with the Queen's choice of her great-granddaughter as her true heir, it did cause some confusion to develop. Rumors about what Gwai had done, or not done, to be denied this inheritance. But nobody asked for the truth, and thus nothing was revealed.
Nothing revealed until one night a few months ago, when he requested a midnight meeting with you and you alone at the last minute. Your servants had scrambled to put together an outfit worthy of your requestors status before you shuffled off to his private villa. When you met with him inside, you were shocked to see how… tired he looked. Normally, Gwai was a statue embodied: Untiring, Constantly Harsh Expression, A Sculpted yet deeply aged body that made some swoon and others envious. Now, a hint of vulnerability was being shown to you.
He said nothing at first after leading you inside his private home office. Then he pulled out a scroll, unfurled it, and laid the parchment out onto a table. "Read," he declared. It wasn't a demand, because there was no chance that you would ever disobey that order.
And read you did. Initially it was just the typical loquaciousness common to the royal family, some rhetoric in the middle justifying whatever point he was trying to make, until you got to the very end. In your shock, you read the last part out loud.
"'Thus I, Thousand-Hours Gwai, Eldest Son of Queen Ulu, so request that Soul-Gardener Sango be allowed the opportunity to bathe in the waters and flame of the Fount of Glori-' What is this?!" You cried out, quite rudely in tone.
"The first part of my solution to secure this nation's future," he said coldly as ever. "A solution that requires your compliance." His words drew your attention, once that was secured, he continued. "You and I can both see where this nation is headed. Our siblings, our nieces and nephews and their children and two generations more are all fighting to secure the throne for themselves. Khedaja is banging her drums to start a war we are ill-prepared for, Cilu is stirring up an uprising against the royal family almost absent-mindedly, and the less said about 'Luck-of-Seven,' the better." You couldn't resist a grimace at that. Yes, one of your more unpleasant relatives, that one.
He looked down to focus on the scroll which had given you. "In the end, only one Sovereign has remained outside of this race to Malfeas, and he stands before you. And of the royal family in full, we two are part of a very small minority of bystanders. Tell me, Sango, why have you not pledged a claim to the throne? Why have you not declared for someone else? Why do you, among so few others, refuse to take any side in this dispute?"
It took you a minute to collect your thoughts. A minute that Gwai spent patiently waiting for your response. After all, better for you to give an eloquent speech after some time than a pathetic attempt at communication. Eventually, you gave your answer. "Because it helps no one. If I were to proclaim my stake for the throne, or put my support behind someone else unworthy of it, all it would do is harm the very people we are supposed to protect. I'm not blinded by Mother's mistakes when she had them, few as they were. But overall, she was an exemplary ruler, one which any newcomer to the throne would be hard-pressed to match. I know that I do not have the skills needed to take her place, just as I know that no one else clamoring for the seat is deserving of it either."
There is silence for a time. You allow your elder brother his time to contemplate just as he did for you. And soon enough, he responds. "And in that recognition of your shortcomings, you may prove worthy of the role." What? He… he didn't mean- "Listen well, Sango. Brother. Many have attempted to court me so that I might lend my support to their claim for the throne. None have drawn my interest, not because of the skills they hold, but because of their intentions with the seat of power."
He walks over to a small cabinet nestled away in the corner, fingers twisting little parts here and there, before a click announces the reveal of its contents. You do not see it at first, as his back is to you, but when he turns around, it is to reveal in his hands a crown made of purest Adamant, glistening like a diamond just as Oriachalcum glistens like gold. It is a crown you are very familiar with. After all, your mother used to wear it all the time, before it disappeared shortly after her death.
It seems you know now where it went.
"When Nuwa was first declared to be Mother's heir, I was upset. I felt insulted, like my centuries assisting Mother during her reign were for naught. Who else had the experience needed to lead this nation? Who else was strong in Essence, proficient in War, able to navigate the Ministries as a spider does its own web? So, in private, I demanded that she tell me why, why was I not the one destined for the throne? She rebuked me, of course, far angrier than you have likely ever seen her. We fought, for quite a while, but during that fight she never told me why I had been set aside.
"It was only after Nuwa died, and Mother began to grieve, that she eventually told me her reasoning. 'Gwai, you are powerful, more powerful than anyone in our family save for myself. You could exert total political control in my absence, you could command all of our legions, and in doing so you would be led astray. Because, you have no one in our nation, no one close to you, who can truly tell you: No. If I were to die, who could tell Thousand-Hours Gwai that he should not do something? For nearly my entire reign, you have stood by my side, yet you also had no qualms of telling me when I was doing something wrong. You were almost as powerful as I was, I could not overpower you, not for long. So I needed to understand you, and understand your viewpoint, and from there I could see beyond my own limited sight.
"'If you were to take the throne after my death, you would soon become a tyrant, not just from a lure of power as the stories say, but from a lack of denial from your subjects. I have had so many children and grandchildren, and from that experience I have learned that telling your child "No" when it is needed can help foster their development as kind and understanding people. A queen… or a king, is similar. It is hard to tell a king "No," but it will happen someday. And better that king be told such by a friend than by his greatest enemy.'"
He took in a deep breath, pausing his story to let you absorb that information. "Thus, Mother made me take an oath. That I would never seize the throne for myself, but instead serve as an advisor and a counterbalance to whoever did. That I would be the one who would inform the ruler that their plan was as sound as sand," He paused, before the rarest expression of all briefly shone on his face: A smile. It vanished even before his anecdote continued. "Or, to put it more accurately, that their decision was as manure: Awful, toxic and attracting pests."
Well, that told you why he didn't take the throne, but then, "Why me? Why not anyone else?"
"Because, to be blunt Sango, you hold the odious honor of being the least stupid member of this family right now, exempting the infants of course. Not the wisest, for at this point I think such might be impossible for our dynasty," Well, you wouldn't go that far. The Scarlet Realm was notorious for far worse displays of nepotism and incompetence. "But still the least stupid. Your prudence to avoid this silly cavalcade of contests in any form has shown that you will not draw our nation into unnecessary conflict should you rest at its helm. With your little class, which yes, I did pay attention to, you have shown acceptance not just of the common people, nor just the nobility, but both simultaneously. You are a better compromise candidate than many of those actively campaigning, and I would rather serve as a counterbalance for you than for any other member of this family."
Again, silence descends, and is broken by the old man looking into your eyes, his diamond-white irises glowing in the dim light. "There is a five fold oath which our Mother made when she first announced Nuwa as the heir, to be said on the day of her coronation. I have long since memorized its words. If you think that this plan of mine, little that you know of it, is foolish, then please, walk away and speak nothing of this to anyone. But if you can trust my word that you can do this, then recite this oath with me."
In the end, he managed to persuade you that you were fit for his plans, and for the throne itself. And with that confirmation, he gave you the oath that you would swear to ensure that you never go astray.
"I, Sango, heir to the nation of Uluiru, do declare:
That I will protect the nation's people as if they were my own blood;
That I will secure my own blood and protect them as I do with all others;
That I will not let our fields lie fallow, nor allow our mines to run dry, without exhausting all options I possess;
That I will eliminate all foreign threats to the nation, either by force or by peace;
That I will defend the Fount of Glories and our people's future as if it were my own life;
This I solemnly swear, as King of Uluiru."
With the private ceremony done, Gwai nodded with that same stern expression of his, a miniscule relaxing of his shoulders telling you that a burden had been lifted from him. He rolled up the scroll he had provided you, saying, "Good. Now, I just need to have copies of this scroll made-"
"Actually," you interrupted him, "that will not be necessary." At this point, the secret could not be maintained, not in the way things were going. You had no need to become a Sovereign Exalt... not when you had something far greater in store. With a flash, you revealed your true majesty to him, a golden aura overtaking your body.
He blinked at the interruption. He blinked some more when he saw your face, your forehead, your Caste Mark shining bright in the night. For Thousand-Hours Gwai, a statue embodied and given flesh, that was the equivalent of deep shock. And in the end, all he could say was "...Well, that's one step we can skip."
In the end, you ascended to the throne too late to make the changes needed to truly secure your nation from the numerous threats that surrounded it. BUT, you did manage enough to prevent the loss of several precious things. Not everything, not with the time you had, but enough.
There are five key pieces which made up the body that was Uluiru. Each piece on its own is nothing, but with the cooperation of the other five, great things were accomplished with ease. Sadly, not everything from the nation could be preserved, not without risking overburdened ships and complete annihilation. You must determine what was preserved, and what was discarded in the escape from destruction.
Your oath held five parts to it. Which one did you prioritize?
You have 1 point remaining from the last round. You may and, if I might be presumptuous, probably should go into debt this round with your points and then take drawbacks in the next round to pay it off. The benefits you gained from the last round mostly benefited you alone, these however will benefit your nation in its entirety.
There are restrictions on what you can take, however. You may only take ONE 4-point option and ONE 3-point option from the following list. After all, the ships which your character and everything one else took weren't that big, some things had to be left behind. Generally speaking, every higher costing option automatically includes the cheaper stuff as well into its total.
3-point options might have smaller sidequests associated with them. 4-point options have that, as well as their own major questline. The other options will just provide benefits, but no questlines. I'm only going to give hints as to what each quest might entail.
Citizens:
The citizens are the limbs and fingers of Uluiru. It is thanks to their hard work that food is placed on the table of every home, that the precious mineral wealth of the nation is brought up from the depths. It is thanks to them that the armies of fae and demon alike did not succeed for as long as they did. Who would work the farms, the mines, the battle stations? Who would pray for the success of the gods, or keep the culture and the people alive? The Sovereigns might be powerful, but it is the people who keep the nation running.
[] Retainers (+1)
- Around a dozen mortals to help with tasks. Certain options will be restricted until you have a higher population.
- Provides no military levies. Cannot take ANY Military actions each turn except by using Heroes or your own warband.
- Will have 1 of your Sorcerous students available.
- Around several dozen mortals to assist and provide farming. Certain options will be restricted until you have a higher population.
- Provides around a dozen unremarkable soldiers for protection. Cannot take ANY Military actions each turn except by using Heroes or your own warband.
- Will have 2 of your Sorcerous students available.
- Over 100 mortals to assist and provide farming.
- Provides around a couple dozen unremarkable soldiers for protection. Can only take ONE Military action each turn without a Hero or your warband.
- Will have 3 of your Sorcerous students available.
- Around several hundred mortals to assist and provide farming.
- Provides over 100 unremarkable soldiers for protection.
- Will have all 5 of your Sorcerous students available.
- Around 1000 mortals to assist and provide farming. Reduces the DC of certain actions by 10.
- Provides several hundred unremarkable soldiers for protection, along with a squad of elite soldiers.
- All 5 of your students are available, another Sorcerer is found, and 10 more have potential.
- Quest: A Place To Learn
- Around 10,000 mortals to assist and provide farming. Reduces the DC of certain actions by 20.
- Provides around 1000 unremarkable soldiers for protection, along with several squads of elite soldiers. Increases the number of military actions that can be taken each turn to 3.
- All 5 of your students are available, 10 more Sorcerers are found, and 100 more have potential.
- Quest: A Working Like No Other
Sovereigns:
The Sovereigns are the Brain of Uluiru. It is from their guidance and decisions that the rest of the nation followed suit. It is their orders which were, and are, obeyed. Without the current Sovereign Exalted, Uluiru would have never survived as long as it did. Who else could provide the sorcerers able to magically rejuvenate the frozen soil? Who else could provide the various wonders of the nation? Who else could provide the wisdom and insight needed to lead an entire kingdom in the harsh North? Every Sovereign still alive is one who remembers the traditions, and has cultivated a degree of puissance in their Essence. The mortals may be more numerous, but each Sovereign is a demigod. They are powerful, and with that power they are useful to solving the current situation.
[] One (+1)
- Thousand-Hours Gwai will be one of your Councilors, greatly enhancing the chance of success for his area of expertise.
- Gwai comes with his own retinue, slightly increasing your overall population.
- At least two Councilors can be Sovereigns, having a greater chance of success in their efforts.
- They will have their own retinues, slightly increasing your overall population.
- At least three Councilors can be Sovereigns, having a greater chance of success in their efforts.
- They will have their own retinues, slightly increasing your overall population.
- At least five Councilors can be Sovereigns, having a greater chance of success in their efforts.
- With their retinues and armed forces, they will increase your overall population, as well as your soldier population, by 10%
- All of the Council can be Sovereigns, with 1 significant Sovereign serving as a Hero. A few army units might have Sovereign officers.
- With their retinues and armed forces, they will increase your overall population, as well as your soldier population, by 20%
- Quest: Resolving a Split
- All of the Council can be Sovereigns, with 3 significant Sovereigns serving as Heroes. Many army units might have Sovereign officers.
- With their retinues and armed forces, they will increase your overall population, as well as your soldier population, by 40%
- Quest: Under the Cover of Glass
Wealth:
The wealth and providence of Uluiru are its lifeblood. Without the trade provided by its gold mines, it wouldn't have enough food to feed the entire population. Without the blue jade and adamant recovered from beneath the surface, its greatest Artifacts could not be constructed. And without the wise guidance of Queen Ulu, the great grain houses of food would not have been built, and the long-term storing of food would not have occurred. It is thanks to this long-term planning that the current remnants of the nation have as much food for the coming months ahead as they do.
[] Penniless (+1)
- Will provide no material wealth outside of supplies.
- Will provide enough food for 1 turn, 2 if rationed.
- Silver can be exchanged for goods and services.
- The Bauble is equivalent to a 2-dot Artifact.
- Will provide enough food for 2 turns, 3 if rationed.
- You hold the ruined remains of your boats, whose wood can be repurposed for buildings.
- Gems can be used for trade OR for item crafting.
- The Heirloom is equivalent to a 3-dot Artifact.
- Will provide enough food for 3 turns, 5 if rationed.
- Your boats are totalled, but with enough intact to provide for a number of buildings.
- Plenty of gems that can be used for many purposes.
- Blue Jade is available to be used for Artifact Creation.
- The Storied Item is equivalent to a 4-dot Artifact.
- Will provide enough food for 5 turns, or 2 years if rationed.
- One of your larger boats remains intact, albeit stuck on land. The others can be repurposed.
- A wide variety of precious items.
- Blue Jade and Adamant available for Artifact Creation.
- One Artifact will be 5 dots, and several more of 3-dot rank will be available to the Exalted.
- Will provide enough food for 2 years, 4 if rationed.
- Several of your boats remain intact.
- Quest: An Impersonal History
- As much money and materials as could be transported from Uluiru's vaults, which is more than any one person could ever own.
- One Artifact will be 5 dots, and many more will be 3-4 dots.
- Will provide enough food for 4 years, 8 if rationed.
- All of your boats, including their armor and sails, remain pristine despite making landfall from the portal.
- Quest: Refining the Refining
Supernatural Aid:
The supernatural entities native to (and around) Uluiru are its feet. It is thanks to them that the nation was able to cement itself in solid ground, without being driven even further astray. Praise be to Cantata-of-the-Depths, whose guidance helped Queen Ulu discover the valley where Uluiru would be founded! Praise be to the God of Gems, whose sacrifice ignited the Fount of Glories in the first place! Even centuries after his death, other gods and earth elementals try to honor his memory by assisting his chosen people with their day-to-day lives. And unlike the Scarlet Realm, Uluiru is no stranger to asking for assistance from other Exalted.
[] Pride (+1)
- No supernatural entities, outside of the Sovereign Exalted, will assist.
- Earth elementals and minor gods are available to assist with mining efforts, reducing all DCs related to it by 10.
- Goddess of Jewelry, can assist in the acquisition of Wealth.
- Comes with a retinue of minor Gods and God-Blooded.
- Might be looking at the council seat of Culture or Mining, but will understand if you place an Exalt in her stead for both. "Mandate of Heaven" and all that.
- Can live without a shrine for a while under the circumstances, but WILL demand one if it doesn't come eventually (especially if she doesn't have a council seat).
- A Hearth of Dragon-Blooded, 1 of each Aspect.
- One of them comes with a retinue of mortal assistants or soldiers.
- Whether they are Dynasts, Lookshyan or whatever will be randomly rolled.
- Can potentially pass down their Exaltation to their children.
- Will insist on at least 1 of their number having a place on the council, if not more.
- A single, experienced Lunar Exalt of a random Caste. Might be the other half of your Solar-Lunar bond?
- Comes with a retinue of Beastmen assistants or soldiers.
- Very good in combat, regardless of skillset. Can reduce the change Chaos creates on the land.
- Can potentially transform other mortals into Beastmen, use 2nd Circle Sorcery or Necromancy, etc.
- Will aim to become the ruler of the nation, and will demand a council seat at minimum. Might have their own agenda.
- Quest: Ancient Ties
- A Circle of 5 Exalted, which consist of a Lunar (from the previous option), a Dragon-Blood (NOT from the prior option), a Solaroid of some kind, and 2 randomly rolled Exalted.
- At least three of them will have mortal retinues, increasing your overall population by at least 10%.
- Will have a wide array of skillsets to draw from.
- At least two, if not all of them will aim to become members of the council/the ruler of the nation. They definitely have their own agenda.
- Quest: An Impossible Purpose
Glory:
The Fount of Glories is Uluiru's beating heart. Queen Ulu might have been led to the nation's eventual resting place by Cantata-of-the-Depths, but it is his sacrifice, and her bathing in the pool of fire and blood therein, which truly founded the nation. When she took her Second Breath as the first Sovereign Exalt, the people could be secure in the fact that they had divine guidance leading them on. Without the Fount of Glories, no new Sovereigns could be made. Without the Fount of Glories, the royal dynasty would have never formed, nor gained the strength it needed to survive the constant predations of the Wyld. Wealth can be extracted, people can be born, but this is a miracle that can never be replicated or reproduced. Without it, the line of Sovereignhood will eventually run dry.
[] Vials of, (+1)
- The minimal amount of liquid able to be stored, the remaining Exalted available will have small crystal vials which contain a thimble's worth of Glory each.
- Provides enough blood to test 1 mortal for Sovereign Exaltation.
- Every remaining Exalt will carry a sealed bladder on their person filled with Glory.
- Provides enough blood to test 3 mortals for Sovereign Exaltation.
- Every cart available will have a barrel on-board filled with Glory.
- Provides enough blood to test 5 mortals for Sovereign Exaltation.
- Can instead be used up for sorcerous purposes.
- There will be an entire cart dedicated to containing a great crystal bath filled with Glory.
- Provides enough blood to test 10 mortals for Sovereign Exaltation.
- Can instead be used up for sorcerous purposes.
- After an emergency carving session, the entire pool, interior AND exterior, was removed from the crystal-strewn ground and brought up to the surface to be carried away in one of the ships.
- Provides enough blood to test an unknown number of mortals for Sovereign Exaltation. The number will be AT LEAST 30.
- Can be used a number of times for sorcerous purposes. Each use will consume a number of tests.
- Quest: Finding Some Results
- With a thousand delicate hands and an outrageous degree of luck (the Maidens may or may not have gotten directly involved here), not only was the pool excavated, but Aurora's divine corpse as well. This is the dead body of one of the most powerful Gods in existence, and his blood even in death provides enormous power. While Cantata was the spark, Aurora was the fuel for the pyre that became the Fount of Glories.
- Provides a seemingly endless amount of blood to test mortals for Sovereign Exaltation with.
- Can be used a number of times for sorcerous purposes.
- It's the body of one of the most powerful entities in either setting. Surely you can find some use for it?
- Quest: The Fallen Rainbow
The Vote Will End on May 24th at 7:00 AM PST
Author's Note: So, fun fact: Gwai was the individual intended to be your ruler should one of the Advisor votes win. We really only have a paragraph about him in Across the Eight Directions to go off of, and I may have taken some liberties with his character. Namely, that while he IS the Eldest living Sovereign after the Queen died, nothing about his biography says anything about him being the Queen's son. There are mentions of him regarding his "Royal Cousins" with disdain, but Uluiru has a special relationship with the word "Cousin" that makes that statement less definitive than you'd think.
My goal with this update was to really make you think about what exactly is worth more to you: Having a large nation at the start? Having plenty of Exalted (Sovereign or Foreign) to help you at the start? Tons of resources? One of the most powerful corpses which ever existed? Which one do you prioritize?
Also, when I said above that you likely should go into debt, I really meant it. Some of these benefits are more than worth the tons of drawbacks that you will need to pay them off. So, feel free to create plans and discuss amongst yourselves what you should do, because this is likely the turning point of the entire quest, at least for the beginning.
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