The Creation equivalent would be them getting crushed by a Yeddim
General Exalted Thread
HamSandLich
MEAT WIZARD
- Location
- Somewhere in NOVA, possibly, maybe, presumably
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The Imperial Classics
The Realm is the single most literate civilization in modern Creation, both producing and consuming a volume of writing that dwarfs that of all other extant mortal cultures. As such, its seven century literary tradition is widely known throughout the empire and its periphery. There is a staggering variety of genres and publications, from dry ministerial paperwork to romantic mass produced novels to beautifully calligraphed scripture. Everyone from peasants to monks to the Scarlet Dynasty samples from this collection of works, but among the Realm's elite and the Patriciate, one is only truly considered educated if they are familiar with the Imperial Classics.An informal grouping of texts both secular and religious, the Imperial Classics are a record of the civilization of the Realm, at least, a record of that civilization as defined by the imperial elite Truly staggering in size, their contents are taught from early childhood to all Dynastic children and any patrician children whose families can afford to do so. Rarely are these exhaustive readings, instead taught in abridged forms and summaries to provide students with what is considered a basic education fit for Creation's "rightful" ruling class. In-depth study is typically vocational, the remit of monks, scholars, ministers, and occultists. Quoting from the classics is considered a sign of intelligence and sophistication in the Dynasty, especially if one can apply the contents of the works to current situations.
The reputation of the Classics has spread far beyond the Blessed Isle, greatly influencing the literati of the Threshold, especially in satrapies of the Realm. Knowing the Classics is typically considered an "in" for Threshold natives attempting to ingratiate themselves to elites from the Realm, a display that they are more than mere barbarians. Some threshold savants scorn the Classics, citing numerous rhetorical flaws and obvious examples of bad scholarship and propaganda within the works (a criticism shared by more progressive Dynasts). Still, reciting from the Classics, sincerely or otherwise, is often enough to make someone from the Threshold stand out to Dynasts, either due to appealing to a respect for learning or from exploiting the Realm's cultural solipsism.
There's no comprehensive and universally accepted list of the classics, but most savants agree that the core body of works consists of The Five Holy Classics and Seven Worldly Classics:
The Five Holy Classics
The Five Holy Classics are taken from the immense corpus of the Immaculate Texts. While not a comprehensive overview of Immaculacy, they form a foundational body of works. Most have roots in scripture that predates the Scarlet Realm proper, though the current editions have been substantially edited and changed to suit the agendas of the modern Immaculate Order.Didactics
An overview of the core ethos and concepts of the Perfected Hierarchy, Didactics is typically the first holy classic learned. Alternating between essays addressing the reader and a series of dialogues between Pasiap and his students, Didactics serves to explain and justify the Perfected Hierarchy through allegories, logic, and moral arguments. Didactics is one of the most widely circulated classics and is used heavily by Immaculate missionaries.The Fivefold Almanac
The Fivefold Almanac is a manual on the concepts of elemental essence, geomancy, and the broad cosmology endorsed by Immaculacy. The majority of the text is given over to explanations of the five elements and their interactions, but sections on the nature of the exalted, gods, and elementals are also present, as are short passages on more obscure arcana such as demons and anathema. Sections on the basics of farming and meteorology are also present.The Latter Tale of the Immaculate Dragons
Each of the Immaculate Dragons has an expansive corpus of works focusing on them, far too massive to be contained to a single work. The Latter Tale of the Immaculate Dragons (or simply The Latter Tale) is a collected and abridged version of the various epics of the Immaculate Dragons, with the apocrypha, contradictions, inconsistencies, and superfluous details of the source documents edited out. Created by an ecclesiastical council in RY 108, The Latter Tale was intended to provide an accessible, relatable, and relatively concise narrative of the works of the Immaculate Dragons, and is currently the most popular of the Five Holy Classics.Exercises
Alternating between the perspective of Mela and Hesiesh, Exercises covers various basic physical training regimens and breathing techniques. Intended to provide a foundation for later physical and martial training, Exercises also covers introductory medical theory, the basics of progenitive essence, and tantric sexual techniques.Contemplations
A volume of koans, poems, and approved meditations upon the Immaculate Dragons, Contemplations is intended to provide a collection of aphorisms to live by. Most people on the Blessed Isle have learned a handful of sayings from the text, though they may not necessarily realize that they come from Contemplations or interpret them in a way that conforms to the "official" meaning.The Seven Worldly Classics
A collection of secular works, most of the Seven Worldly Classics were written after the Scarlet Realm's rise. Though produced primarily for the consumption of Realm elites, these works are also studied by threshold nobility and savants, even those who resist both the Realm's imperial hegemony and the Immaculate Order.The Thousand Correct Actions of the Upright Soldier
The famous Shogunate era military treatise, The Thousand Correct Actions is the most widely circulated of the Seven Worldly Classics, owing to its origins predating the Scarlet Realm. A foundational text on military theory throughout Creation, its lessons are so widely known that many military traditions treat it as the bare basics of tactics and strategy, relying on more recent works to expound upon contemporary military doctrine.The Logogram Doctrine
A work covering formal High Realm and Old Realm, The Logogram Doctrine is the traditionally first of the secular classics to be learned, taught alongside Didactics to serve as the foundation for later learning. Written in RY 121, The Logogram Doctrine formally codified the official language and writing of the Realm's elite. Extremely dry and formal, most dynasts deviate from its strictures in casual speech and writing, though some ceremonies and government functions legally require any communication to be rendered in patterns conforming to its rules.On Harmony
On Harmony is a manifesto on ethical government, authority, social responsibility, and filial piety. Required reading for entry into the Thousand Scales, On Harmony was written in RY 38 by the Imperial Spymaster Araka Jeresh as a set of essays and reflections on the then-nascent imperial ministries. The text was collected and released as a single volume in RY 44 after his mysterious death. It is speculated in some social circles that the final version of the work was heavily edited by The All Seeing Eye.The Manual of Robes and Teas
Penned by Cynis herself, The Manual of Robes and Teas is a manual on etiquette, fashion, romance, art, and social graces. Initially intended to simply record contemporary practices at the time of its writing, the work has become so popular that it has inadvertently caused the Realm's high culture to somewhat calcify around it, with later cultural trends and developments usually being seen as transient fads in relation to its enduring archetype. It is said by some that Cynis regretted that her work spawned unthinking imitation and stifling ubiquity.The Illustrious Succession
Compiled from official genealogies and histories dating back to the Shogunate, The Illustrious Succession is divided into two parts. The first part, written in RY 87, is a list of the reigns of historical shoguns, daimyos, and other sovereigns that the Realm considers legitimate, a lineage concluding with the Scarlet Empress, whom the work presents as the living culmination of a long legacy of righteous rulership, by deed if not necessarily by birth. The second, updated as recently as RY 754, is an official telling of the lives of various Great House founders and how they relate to the Scarlet Empress.The Record of the Scarlet Age
The official history of the Scarlet Realm, The Record of the Scarlet Age actually sets the start of its covered history roughly 100 years before the Empress' rise. The text's early chapters serve to set the stage for a narrative that legitimizes the Scarlet Empress as Creation's savior not only from the Fair Folk, but also from the unrighteous tyrants and warlords of the late Shogunate. Originally published in RY 200, The Record is continuously updated and promulgated by Thousand Scales ministers under the collective pen name of "Quatan Samas", with additions, revisions, and redactions being made every generation or so. The most popular edition is the one that terminates in RY 500, with numerous copies printed in order to commemorate the five hundredth anniversary of the Scarlet Empress' ascension.The Classic of Borders and Wilds
A travel guide of the Blessed Isle and Threshold, The Classic of Borders and Wilds was written in the early third century by an anonymous imperial general. The work covers various geography, peoples, and wildlife present across Creation. While the sections on the Blessed Isle were mostly accurate when they were written, the sections on the Threshold are full of exaggeration, embellishment, and outright fabrication; traits that have become more pronounced in the centuries since its original publication. It is considered presumptuous for foreigners to point out inaccuracies in the work, even if they happen to hail from a land that the classic covers. A profitable industry has sprung up in the satrapies around recreating the more fanciful passages of the classic for the entertainment of young dynasts touring the Threshold.Other Classics
Though the Five Holy and Seven Worldly Classics are the definitive core of the Imperial Classics, many scholars include other works among their number. The following are some other texts that are counted among the classics:The Melaiad
A narrative originally passed down by House Tepet, The Melaiad is the house's version of Mela's wars against the Anathema, full of esoteric allegory and mystical contemplations. It is not usually included among the official Holy Classics due to the fact that the work implicitly regards Mela as spiritually superior to the rest of the Immaculate Dragons, though most people in Lord's Crossing Dominion and formerly Tepet-held satrapies consider it a Classic.The Collected Gardener's Songs
An anonymous compilation of various poems and folk-tales about Sextes Jylis, The Collected Gardener's Songs are more folklore than scripture, full of fables that contradict one another and a section of mostly secular erotic poetry. Popular regardless of its perceived common origins, the Songs has a notable literary society based in Pangu Prefecture dedicated to finding more folkales of Sextes Jylis to add to its contents.The Catalog of Fiends
The Catalog of Fiends is a bestiary of unhale beings that Immaculacy regards as impure or hostile. Sections on the Anathema feature prominently, with various signifiers of their presence and methods for resisting them recorded in its pages. Other topics covered include ghosts, demons, forbidden gods, and fae. Two editions of The Catalog are of particular note: the first is a series of volumes heavily annotated by Ledaal herself, intended for use by Shikari; the second is a scandalous printing full of almost heretically rendered illustrations and controversial commentary, circulated among the Realm's occultists, libertines, and social radicals.The Siege At Plum Mountain Pass
A work of historical fiction, this work is set during the yearlong siege of a fortress city at the eponymous Plum Mountain Pass. The narrative switches between perspectives on both sides of the conflict, from the dynasts in the splendor of the central keep to the barbarian warlords who seek to take the city. Featuring unforgettable characters such as General Hundred Harrier, Lady Celadon, The Great Bear of Canshan, and The Perfected Footpad, its various retellings and adaptations have come to define the Realm's "Siege Narrative" genre. Widely beloved by peasants and dynasts alike, the prosaic and mostly secular nature of The Siege At Plum Mountain Pass have prevented it from being unanimously counted as a classic by the Realm's literati.The Voyage to the Horizon
Another work of prose, The Voyage to the Horizon is the story of a young monk venturing to the far West to spread Immaculacy to the barbarian sunset lands, eventually ending when she reaches the Elemental Pole of Water and meets with Danaa'd herself in a palace beneath the sea. Though the themes of immaculacy are discussed throughout the work, it is technically not official scripture, currently considered to be too recent and too vulgate for inclusion in the Immaculate Texts. Full of both deep allegory and relatable down-to-earth themes, with a wide cast of memorable and likable characters, The Voyage to the Horizon is very popular among young dynasts and patricians.From The Mouth of Dragons
Written by scions of House Mnemon, this document covers the vocabulary, grammar, and philosophy behind the constructed language of Dragontongue, though its authors assert that it is a re-constructed language. Usually billed as an addendum to The Logogram Doctrine, the work is gaining popularity among both secular and clerical audiences, not least because it is far less cumbersome than The Doctrine.
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- Pronouns
- she/her
So for Ex3 right now there's only mechanical support for god blooded who are also Exalts. Essentially there's a Merit called Divine Inheritance that grants you limited ability to learn appropriate Eclipse keyworded spirit charms.
A popular stopgap solution I've seen for non-exalted god blooded is that taking Divine Inheritance for a mortal gives a mote pool of (essence x10) and the ability to learn martial arts (with the limitations of the terrestrial keyword) and evocations (by default, dissonant with all materials). The problem with this approach is that Eclipse charms are generally a bit on the weak and flavourful side to avoid a repeat of the bullshit Eclipse Castes could do with spirit charms. I've had ideas for something more detailed but my creative energy's not in that direction right now.
Not seen the developer comments, but I suspect the problem is less with reptile people and more the fact that there's such overt Aztec inspiration which is going to impact how people perceive and use them.
HamSandLich
MEAT WIZARD
- Location
- Somewhere in NOVA, possibly, maybe, presumably
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yeah, coding reptile people as mesoamerican has the effect of saying mesoamerican cultures are inherently less human unless it's done very very carefully. And the Ixcoatli we got in core is very very clumsy, especially with that godawful illustration.
Chloe Sullivan
Subdefective
- Location
- 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale CA
So is it more Journey to the West or Pilgrim's Progress?
It was there another similar work I am not thinking of?
grommile
nasty-minded old cynic
- Location
- NERV-Mercia
- Pronouns
- Traditional/Animate
I love this entire post.
I have a small sad that I can't have sturdy, innocent peasant farmer and travelling hero Tenth-Born Aurochs explain, when introducing himself, that his birth name should not lead one to mistake him for the author of this
- Pronouns
- she/her
There's two related issues at play, the potential demonisation of a colonised people and people's immediate recognition of the aesthetic and naming convention which leads people to make other conclusions about Ixcoatli.
For example, this sentence reads differently in light of the mesoamerican coding.Exalted 3rd edition core said:
asdx
Superior Sword Fairy
- Location
- Texas.
Hey at least it's not a walking mountain.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Do you have a Patreon or something? I have this vague feeling I should be paying you for this much great content.
- Location
- United States
@HamSandLich, do you think you could put a category on your homebrew hub for your Exigent/Apocryphal Exalted seeds?
HamSandLich
MEAT WIZARD
- Location
- Somewhere in NOVA, possibly, maybe, presumably
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'm waiting until I get the final drafts out
Ever wanted to send a storm of flying daiklaves your enemy's way? Here's Thousand Blades Style, a preview from the forthcoming Lunar companion Many-Faced Strangers:
Thousand Blades Style: A Many-Faced Strangers Sneak Peek – Onyx Path Publishing
Thousand Blades Style: A Many-Faced Strangers Sneak Peek – Onyx Path Publishing
Me and my fellow anathema tracking down what we expect to be a tome of forbidden power, occluded by the Realm, only to instead find an ancient copy of The Record censored for containing footnotes the Scarlet Dynasty of 400 years ago found inconvenient but which is meaningless in contemporary politics.
The
SpiritualSlacker
Nurse God of Mischief
- Location
- Grandma's attic
If the Night knows their stuff then you can always smuggle it into a political rival's handbag and trip him up when he passes the Magister on the street. It might not get him declared a heretic, but you can definitely bring it up at the next gala party and catch him try and hide the tears of rage ...
HamSandLich
MEAT WIZARD
- Location
- Somewhere in NOVA, possibly, maybe, presumably
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Formerly the Glutton-Crowned, I present to you
docs.google.com
Exigent Seed: The Tyrantspawn v1
Exigent Seed: The Tyrantspawn
The Tyrantspawn The Tyrantspawn are a family of patchwork Exigents, cursed and blessed with aberrant powers by their clan’s patron goddess. Siura-Al, The Sterling Tyranness Siura-Al remembers when she was once a mere Hound of the Endless Hunt, one of the claw-striders spirits who serve the easter...
docs.google.com
HamSandLich
MEAT WIZARD
- Location
- Somewhere in NOVA, possibly, maybe, presumably
- Pronouns
- He/Him
SPIRALSPIRALSPIRALSPIRALSPIRALSPIRALSPIRALS
docs.google.com
Exigent Seed: The Spiral-Eaten v1
Exigent Seed: The Spiral-Eaten v1
Exigent Seed: The Spiral-Eaten The Spiral-Eaten is the exigent of a forbidden god corrupted by the underworld. Helekotritos, The Whorl of Black Waves The whelk spirit Helekotritos was once a minor god of oceanic detritus, unknown to the surface world and only rarely worshiped by communities of oc...
docs.google.com
HamSandLich
MEAT WIZARD
- Location
- Somewhere in NOVA, possibly, maybe, presumably
- Pronouns
- He/Him
They're Patchwork Exigents, so the theme is that they get Celestial level powers in exchange for some pretty serious drawbacks
Like i imagine their equivalent of Deadly Beastman Transformation having like withdrawal effects when they exit it.
You may notice that most of their Limit Breaks are pretty debilitating too.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
So opinions, should a minor ghost possessing animals be a valid target for the Familiar trait? I have a character idea for a Lunar character that is... what would be called in 2e a thaumaturge but in 3e is just a person with Occult dots/specialties I guess? Basically a wandering witch type character, who Exalted in middle age. Not a sorcerer (or at least, not a strong one), when mortal their lover died and because this is Exalted and they are a protagonist, Died, they stuck them in the nearest animal and they've spent the last 20 years periodically switching from animal to animal (ox, donkey, dog, monkey, etc). I want access to the Lunar Familiar charms, but don't know if that's a valid Familiar.
They are also a bitter spiteful old They-Them who swore a bunch of 'oh you're the only one for me' promises (and they KEEP promises) and is now stuck in a pretty shitty relationship with a ghost who keeps sneaking off to ghost brothels and side-eyeing passing livestock, because that dynamic of a middle-aged haggard harridan going off at an animal like it's a person (and unfaithful husband) while everyone studiously ignores them is funny as fuck to me.
They are also a bitter spiteful old They-Them who swore a bunch of 'oh you're the only one for me' promises (and they KEEP promises) and is now stuck in a pretty shitty relationship with a ghost who keeps sneaking off to ghost brothels and side-eyeing passing livestock, because that dynamic of a middle-aged haggard harridan going off at an animal like it's a person (and unfaithful husband) while everyone studiously ignores them is funny as fuck to me.
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- Pronouns
- she/her
Okay. I just personally think their narrative feels very Terrestrial in a similar way to how Sovereigns of Uluiru explore family in a different way to Dragon-Blooded and have found that it's generally harder to do "power at a price" at Celestial level.
HamSandLich
MEAT WIZARD
- Location
- Somewhere in NOVA, possibly, maybe, presumably
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So, one of their themes is ruthless ambition and the terrible costs it can inflict upon those who have it or benefit from its legacy. And that to me felt far easier to do with a Celestial tier exigent. The Sovereigns are Patchwork Exigents but they're pretty atypical for a number of reasons because Cantata of the Depths bootstrapped their exaltation to the Incarna Aurora's blood. I recall that Elliot was kind of unhappy with how the backer draft of the Sovereigns didn't emphasize how their Patchwork nature had some legitimately harmful effects on them in exchange for that.
This was my attempt at sorta representing a more "typical" set of Patchwork Exigents, like Braze the Accursed in Adversaries. Factor Ishikar wanted to propel the legacy of the Saigao family to greater heights, and he got exactly that. Problem his, neither he nor Siura-Al stopped to consider just what the legacy of the Saigao Family was: generations of theft, exploitation, and ruthless avarice. Siura-Al didn't get most of her purviews legitimately or normally, she stole them from the victims of the Saigao Family's business ventures. And the Tyrantspawn are stuck with the consequences of that legacy, as their chimerical essence burns them from the inside out. Some might rise above it, others might fall into the same mistakes that their ancestors made.
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HamSandLich
MEAT WIZARD
- Location
- Somewhere in NOVA, possibly, maybe, presumably
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hmmm, upon a second examination, sovereigns are Terrestrial not Celestial....
I might actually change the Tyrantspawn to terrestrial in that case
I might actually change the Tyrantspawn to terrestrial in that case