The Scarlet Empress is a woman like no other. She is the Mother of Dragons, the Saviour of Creation, the Jade Boot on the Throat of the World. Her hand has shaped the course of history, her words have heralded the doom of nations, her loins have given life to an entire Dynasty of imperial demigods.
You knew who she was, of course. You heard all the stories, all the whispered tales and half-real parables, saw how she stamped her name on every mile of Creation and every soul within its borders, but the same could be said of every peasant from here to the edge of the world. Every child born in the last seven hundred years has grown up in the world your mother made, known the shape of her face and the strength of her arm as keenly as their own name, but you always supposed on some primal level that being her own blood should entitle you to... more, somehow.
Not that you're the Empress' only child, of course. You have brothers and sisters aplenty, born of a score or more of marriages, consortships and affairs across several centuries. Extend the family tree another generation or three and it blossoms into a multitude, an entire Dynasty fit to rule the world born from the mingling of your mother's blood with that of princes and warlords from scorching deserts to the arctic tundra. Most of the first generation is dead, those who still live are nightmares or legends in the flesh, and you'd drown in their collective shadow had you ever known the taste of free air that you were missing.
It feels churlish to complain, somehow. By any measure your upbringing has been privileged beyond measure, a childhood spent in the very lap of luxury surrounded by the wealth of nations. As the youngest child of the Scarlet Empress you are a prince in the making, expected by all to one day assume some position of grand importance in your mother's empire, and you have been prepared appropriately. The finest tutors, the most sumptuous meals, the attention of princes and the affection of divinities, all you could ever want and more. Everything, that is, save your mother's love. The Empress expects much of you, watches you at a distance with a keen and inquiring mind, but she doesn't love you. You're not even convinced she even sees you, save as another servant in her court, another prince to bend to her will.
Well, so be it. She doesn't see you yet, doesn't recognise your worth, but she will. You will turn potential into fact, surpass all expectations and exceed all that has gone before, burn your deeds into the fabric of the world and shout your name until it echoes throughout history. You will be your own person, free of your mother's shadow, however impossible that seems. And perhaps, one day, when she can no longer escape the grasp of death that has been waiting for seven hundred years or more… Perhaps then you will take her place upon the Five Dragon Throne, and it will be your banner that Creation trembles to behold.
They will tell such tales of your deeds.
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As a Dynast of the Scarlet Realm, the first thing that determines your path through life is your gender. The Realm is a cultural matriarchy, shaped by your mother's example and guiding hand through all the long centuries of existence - women are expected to model themselves in her image, as stern but dignified matriarchs born to lead and rule over their lessers with a hand both firm and fair. Female dynasts are accorded easier access to the halls of power and greater legal rights, particularly in matters of inheritance and management of their own affairs, but are expected to be composed and dependable. A woman will be more harshly punished for any violation of law or social custom when compared to a man, as most believe that she should 'know better'.
Male dynasts are granted a freer hand, permitted and even expected to be headstrong, reckless and emotional, but this is a blade that cuts both ways. Few expect a man to be capable of self-control or able to properly plan for events beyond the short term, and they are often sidelined for senior positions or expected to prove themselves over and over again before being permitted to assume leadership and financial responsibility.
Transgender Dynasts exist, and via the Precedence of Rawar are permitted the use of sorcery to change their bodies and bear children, but once that transition is performed are expected to conform in every way to their adopted binary gender. Nonbinary Dynasts exist, but are placed in a very uncomfortable position, demanded to conform to one or other gender roles and punished harshly for any deviation.
Article:
What is your gender?
[ ] [Gender] Male
[ ] [Gender] Female
[ ] [Gender] Prince of the Earth (other)
As a child of the Empress, your eventual Exaltation was never really in doubt. The blood of the dragons flows thick in your veins, and as the most powerful woman in the world your mother was hardly short of options when it came to ensuring that her children lived up to their potential. She chose your father for his breeding - the merely handsome being consorts and bedmates but never permitted to sire children - and made sure you were attended by monks and chirurgeons from an early age, to encourage the spiritual and physical development that would see the dragons bestow their blessings upon you. In this case, at least, she was successful.
All Dynasts of the Realm are held to be descended from both the Empress and the Five Elemental Dragons, in law and spirit if not necessarily in fact. Those Exalted by the Dragons are blessed with long lives, strong bodies and the innate ability to manipulate the elemental essence of the world. They are demigods and champions, each capable of deeds beyond the imagination of ordinary mortals, and expected to do just that in pursuit of their grand ambitions.
The Immaculate Faith, state religion of the Realm, preaches that those blessed with the Dragon's Blood are divinely appointed to lead, rule and protect those without it, acting as champions and intercessory figures who stand between the ranks of mankind and the many threats that might assail it. Mortals are expected to serve and obey their Exalted betters, and the Dragon-Blooded in turn are expected to rule kindly and with wisdom, an obligation that is observed with varying degrees of faithfulness depending on the Exalt in question but never truly discarded.
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Each of the below options comes with a brief blurb and three powers: the Passive power is a permanent upgrade, the Active ability comes into play whenever you use essence in any significant quantity, and the Iconic power is reserved for when you are going all out.
Air Aspects are idealists, visionaries, scholars, and innovators. They see the potential inherent in everyone, and view the world as it could be. Their blue and white anima banners whirl and billow like storm clouds. At the iconic level, lightning flashes, and birds and dragons glide within.
Buoyed by the Wind (Passive) - May freely jump a range band vertically or horizontally with every movement, and cannot take falling damage.
Mela's Breath (Active) - Add (essence) automatic successes on rolls to pursue a long-term goal, such as Embassy rolls to secure funding or Craft rolls to oversee construction, or to persuade or inspire others to pursue such things in turn.
Eye of the Hurricane (Iconic) - Raise defence by (essence) against ranged attacks, add (essence) dice on all movement rolls.
Earth Aspects are implacable foes on the battlefield, standing firm to defend their allies. Stoic and resilient, they believe in strong foundations and sturdy structures, whether they're building a community, an architectural marvel, or an imperial legion. What an Earth Aspect builds endures. Their yellow and white animas smell of loam and rumble like the shifting earth. At the iconic level, mountains loom behind them and oxen and rocky dragons plod along in their glow.
Fury of the Earth (Passive) - Knockback and knockdown gambits are free against non-heroic foes, and are automatic without a roll outside of combat.
Pasiap Still Stands (Active) - Grapple, knockback and knockdown gambits suffer (essence) additional difficulty when targeting the Exalt.
Unyielding as Stone (Iconic) - Soak is increased by (essence), and the Exalt cannot be moved against her will by any amount of force.
Fire Aspects sear their marks across the world as warriors, politicians, and iconoclasts, their emotions dynamic and passionate. Their fiery red, orange, and gold animas smell of smoke or hot metal. At the iconic level, volcanoes erupt within, and dragons and phoenixes cavort in the flames.
Where there's Smoke (Passive) - May automatically detect the presence of strong emotions or grudges held by other characters in the scene, and gains a bonus dice to rolls made to uncover the details of or leverage such feelings.
Hesiesh's Passion (Active) - Gain (essence) automatic successes on rolls to inspire or persuade others to act on their emotions and/or ambitions.
Wildfire Dance (Iconic) - Reduce enemy soak by (essence), and any enemies struck by a decisive attack are automatically set aflame. The difficulty to resist such damage is increased by (essence).
Water Aspects adapt to obstacles and wear down stubborn foes, calm and relentless in all things. As diplomats, investigators, and naval commanders, they see many paths to a satisfying solution. Their dark blue and sea green animas smell like brine and babble like brooks. At the iconic level, whirlpools churn within, and fish, siakas, and water dragons swim in their depths.
Surface Skimmer (Passive): The Water Aspect moves along any liquid surface like it's solid ground — though this doesn't afford her protection from acid or demon-tar — and breathes water as easily as air. She suffers no penalty to move or attack while underwater.
Flow of Daana'd (Active): Add Essence automatic successes to gambits where the Water Aspect attempts to Disarm an opponent or Pilfer an item. When an opponent targets her with a grapple or attempts to Ensnare her, athe Exalt adds her Essence to Defense.
Flow Like Water (Iconic): Once per turn, the Water Aspect may roll an attack twice on Step 3 and choose to keep the better result.
Wood Aspects are healers and poisoners, thrill seekers, and beast-tamers, deeply attuned to the cycle of life and death. New experiences exhilarate them. Vibrant greens color their animas, which smell of fresh-mown grass and blooming flowers. At the iconic level riotous vines surround them, and forest animals and wood dragons stalk their branches.
Natural Immunity (Passive): The Wood Aspect is immune to plant-based poisons, and applies a two-success bonus on rolls to resist other poisons or disease.
Spring of Sextes Jylis (Active): Spend 1 anima on Step 2. Add the Exalt's Essence to Defense against one attack.
Sap of Life (Iconic): Spend 3 Anima to heal one Health level, either that the Wood Aspect's taken, or an ally within short range has suffered, starting with the most severe.
Article:
Which of the Elemental Dragons chose you?
[ ] [Aspect] Air
[ ] [Aspect] Earth
[ ] [Aspect] Fire
[ ] [Aspect] Water
[ ] [Aspect] Wood
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Dynasts are not free to enjoy ordinary childhoods, nor are they permitted close emotional relationships with their parents, and the child of the Empress must be exemplary in this regard as in all others. For as long as you can remember your life has been one of preparation and anticipation, every waking moment dedicated to shaping you into the finest of the next generation of political leaders and military champions. Even the pleasures you were permitted, the indulgences you grew to crave, were structured to motivate your studies and provide context for the life you sought to claim.
As soon as you could talk you were being taught mathematics, geography and philosophy, alongside more practical lessons in swordplay and how to identify the taste of poison in your food. At the age of nine you were sent off to primary school, there to learn social skills and cultural appreciation for the nation of your birth, as well as the core skills and mindset that binds you as part of the Dynasty in thought and deed. Your Exaltation came early, marking you out among your peers and helping you to pick up your first friends and sycophants, and when at last you graduated you were allowed to meet with your mother at last - a single heartfelt meeting spent largely discussing your future and the role you might yet play in her grand design, after which you were packed off to one of the Realm's great secondary schools for "finishing".
There are dozens of such institutions across the Blessed Isle and beyond, but to the truly discerning only four are worth considering, and as the Empress child your admission was all but assured. So assured, in fact, that your first years were spent largely struggling to prove yourself according to the most demanding of standards, to confirm for even the most cynical that your presence among their ranks owed as much to talent and motivation as your parentage.
Article:
Which school did you attend?
[ ] [School] The Cloister of Wisdom.
Clarity, tranquility, and purpose. Master yourself, master your Essence — from this, all else flows. Under the guidance of monks and holy men you learned theology, rhetoric and an appreciation for the world around you, along with the paired discipline of meditation and the martial arts. Though you did not take vows as a monk, you remain on good terms with many among the Immaculate Order, and have a sense of serenity and insight that will serve you well in years to come.
[ ] [School] The Heptagram.
Wisdom, fortitude, and drive. All these are necessary to become a sorcerer, for the way of pure Essence isn't easily trod, nor is it for the faint of heart. For seven years you studied arcane geometry, engineering and occultic architecture, the summoning of spirits and the formation of spellcraft. Your path was your own, each student pursuing mastery in their own unique way, and while the art of sorcery is unmatched in utility and puissance it also sets you apart from wider society in ways that your high birth can only partially overcome.
[ ] [School] The House of Bells.
Courage, strength, and discipline. These are the watchwords of the legions, and so too are they the watchwords of the House of Bells, the premier military academy in the Realm. The curriculum isn't easy, touching on everything from infantry tactics to naval warfare, and students are graded collectively in teams of five. The end product is a well-rounded commander who'll earn the respect of soldiers beneath her even as she obeys her superiors' dictates, typically graduating with a ready-made kinship of loyal seconds and friends.
[ ] [School] The Spiral Academy.
Knowledge, subtlety, and precision. The Realm is as complex as any living entity — flows of commerce, information, and power stand in for blood and Essence, and the myriad ministries of the Thousand Scales form its heart and mind. You were trained to understand the Realm on a fundamental level, for one can only rule what one understands, a lesson that will see most of your classmates go on to position as satraps, governors or other prominent administrative roles… or, if they were particularly observant, as spies, magistrates and inspectors.
Knowledge, subtlety and precision. It is the right and privilege of the Dragon's Blood to rule over their fellow men, but it is in the hallowed halls of the Spiral Academy that young scions like you are taught precisely how. One must understand the world in order to command it, after all, possess an intimate familiarity with all its strengths and foibles before they can press here or let out the slack there, and so in your pursuit of geography and anthropology and the political considerations of economic systems there was always a foundation of purpose. You were studying these things that you might one day serve your mother well as a minister or ambassador or colonial governor, and if you ever desired to be anything more then it would be those same skills that saw you succeed.
Of course, the Realm can hardly be expected to wait until your graduation before making proper use of you. You spent much of your time at the Spiral Academy working on one 'apprenticeship' or another, poring over the tax records of different houses and the accounting books of various mercantile firms, an element of your training that was as much about the basics of espionage as it was making yourself useful to your betters. More than once you carried innocuous letters or messages from one branch of the Thousand Scales to another, fending off ambushes and attempted bribes along the way, all in the name of keeping the machinery of Empire ticking over.
And then, of course, there were the secret societies. Every secondary school of note in the Realm boasts at least a few, if only as a training ground or sorority set up by students still learning the basics of the socialising that will dictate their life for years to come, but the Spiral Academy is notorious for both the number and elaborate depth of its private worlds hidden in plain sight. You joined one, of course, determined to uphold the honour of your name and show your future subjects and allies your quality, rising swiftly to a position of prominence on merit and connections both… but the choice of which is at least as important in the eyes of those who know of such things as the nature of what you did as part of one.
Article:
Which secret society did you join? This decision will also help to dictate your primary Attribute, the way in which you pursue your goals when given the choice.
[ ] [Society] The Sorority of Dutiful Beheaders. Bound together by shared convictions, you and your sisters worked relentlessly to identify and expose corrupt officials of every stripe. Your favoured attribute is Force - the charisma, intellect and conviction to overcome all obstacles that would stop a lesser woman in her tracks.
[ ] [Society] The Garden of Unheard Whispers. Open only to those who discover it exists with their own skills, this society forms a black market of favour trading and information brokerage to grease the wheel of the grand Imperial Bureaucracy. Your favoured attribute is Finesse - the use of grace, wits and subtle manipulation to achieve your aims with none being any the wiser.
[ ] [Society] The Jewel-Strung Web. Friends and allies are a treasure more precious than jade, and this network of mutually-supporting contacts and investors exemplifies that truth, each strand covering for its peer and benefiting from their support in turn. Your favoured attribute is Fortitude, allowing you to approach all challenges with calm, thoughtful consideration and sheer perseverance.
You have just recently graduated, taking your leave of the Spiral Academy for the last time. Well, such is the theory, though in truth you know that the wealth of coin and connections that your old school has to offer will almost certainly lure you back sooner or later, either as a guest lecturer or a short-term professor. Certainly you'd never be so rude as to refuse an invitation to some salon or gala being held by your old peers or teachers, and the Academy's presence in the heart of the Imperial City makes avoiding such invitations almost impossible.
Regardless, your graduation was something of a formality, a fact that everyone involved was well aware of. No one would be so foolish as to put themselves in a position to explain to the Empress why her daughter had been held back from her chosen path, and if you privately suspect your mother would be rather less supportive than your teachers assumed, at least you can content yourself that such a theory never needed to be put to the test. Indeed, you made a name for yourself long before your graduation, one of the finest talents to pass through the Academy in generations - the earliest foundations of the legend you yet seek to build.
Article:
Which of the following areas are you most famed for? Abilities in this system are rated from 1 to 5, with an experienced professional having a rating of about two or three. You will begin play with a rating of five in your chosen ability, and the beginnings of a reputation based on your peerless skill.
[ ] Embassy. You are a seasoned diplomat and accomplished politician, easily able to adapt to any given social group or formalised organisation and make it dance to your tune in record time.
[ ] Performance. You are a masterful orator, with a prodigal gift for dance, music and artistic expression that makes you a hit at every gala and the apple in everyone's eye.
[ ] Sagacity. Your knowledge and technical aptitude is without peer, the near-equal of a seasoned professor in everything from legal history to occult geometry to applied medical theory.
The majority of Dynasts have their lives mapped out for them years in advance, their parents and matriarchs shaping the child to fit the plan rather than the inverse, but in this one area your mother's distant judgemental indifference works to your advantage. You intend to travel the world for a time of course, as is traditional for virtually every graduate who didn't disgrace themself, but when you return you can reasonably expect the doors that open before you to be legion in number.
You have a choice, something rare and precious in this world, and that in turn means that you need to decide what it is you want… no, that's too vague, too open-ended. The real question is what you value, what priorities and beliefs drive you from one day to the other, what it is that makes you who you are on the most fundamental level.
Article:
Social influence in this system is built off of intimacies, which are specific ties you form to other people or beliefs, but it also depends on your Virtues. Social influence rolls face a difficulty modified by Virtues as their initial obstacle - a Compassionate character is weak to pleas for mercy, while a Loyal character is far harder to sway into acts of treachery or self-interest.
Every character has a Major and a Minor virtue, with the former taking precedence and the latter adding context and nuance. Virtues might support each other (Courage giving you the willingness to act on your convictions in pursuit of Justice) or come into conflict (Loyalty to the Realm being tested by your compassion for those it harms), and may end up changing as a result of plot events.
Choose one Major virtue:
[ ] [Major] Ambition. You are driven by a single overriding goal, and all else you do is in service to this end.
- [ ] Define your goal. This should be a grand design, a desired end goal, not any specific step on the path. (Write in)
[ ] [Major] Compassion. You genuinely care about the plight of the less fortunate, and everything you do is with the ultimate intent of making things better for others.
[ ] [Major] Courage. You thrive in adversity and relish a challenge, seeking to climb the mountain just because it is there. Danger comes in many forms, and the courageous will face them all.
[ ] [Major] Discipline. You are principled and restrained, seeking self-mastery as the first and most fundamental of truths. To have others rely on you is the greatest honour you can imagine.
[ ] [Major] Justice. Should the heavens fall and all the world rise up to oppose you, you will do the right thing. The guilty shall be punished, the innocent protected, the righteous law upheld and the tools of tyranny brought low.
[ ] [Major] Loyalty. You are dedicated to something larger than yourself, and measure the worth of others by their loyalties in turn. You would die rather than betray this loyalty, and conduct yourself appropriately.
- [ ] Specify what you are loyal to. This must be a tangible person, nation or group, not an abstract ideal. (Write in)
[ ] [Major] Wonder. You are driven by a love of learning, adventure, exploration and novelty. The world is a fantastic place, and you will never grow bored of seeing as much of it as you can.
Choose one Minor virtue
[ ] [Minor] Ambition.
- [ ] Specify your ambition and how the pursuit of it furthers your major virtue (Write in)
[ ] [Minor] Compassion.
[ ] [Minor] Courage
[ ] [Minor] Discipline
[ ] [Minor] Justice
[ ] [Minor] Loyalty
- [ ] Specify who or what you are loyal to, and how this loyalty serves your major virtue. (Write in)
[ ] [Minor] Wonder
Note - These votes will be counted per line for the sake of simplicity.
