They were facing regular soldiers, four Dragon Lords (Major/Colonel), two magistrates and most of the Dragon-Blooded Bureaucrats in Greyfalls. The Satrapy not the city. Being Dynasts they have some skill in war(For DBs), but they're first and foremost bureaucrats.
Then there's the fact that you're trying to compare apples to oranges. Here's an example of Ranma 1/2 vs Exalted. Ranma, Ryouga and Mousse generally consider throwing 5 ton boulders around to be along the lines of picking up a jug of milk. For comparison lifting that 5 ton boulder with 1 hand, which is what Ranma and Co. use for it, is a strength 13+ feat according to the Exalted 3e sourcebook. That doesn't even include throwing it. No mortal human in creation can manage more than a maximum of ten dice. Five strength, and five athletics. Unless you count some of the very strange rules in (I think?) the scroll of heroes in 2e. Dragon-Blooded are the weakest exalts, numerous enough to form an army, but not strong enough to cast down the Primordials of old. They have
limits. Those limits put their most gifted on levels that would allow them to fight against Ranma and Ryouga (As they were before exaltation) on even ground. If they burned enough essence they could probably become temporarily greater, but only for a short period.
I've inserted Ranma 1/2 into Exalted
without nerfing their accomplishments (Unlike so many authors). They are this dangerous, and only an experienced Celestial or an ancient and powerful Dragon-Blooded should attempt to fight them directly. Attempting otherwise? They just beat down just under half a Realm Legion and the entire Dragon-Blooded population of the
Satrap. Not because of those soldiers incompetence, but because post-Manga Ranma and Ryouga are that skilled, fast, and strong.
On a side note I'd like to add before anyone (And I know someone will think this) I'm not saying they are more powerful than exalts. Exaltation is a different power than what they wield. They are masters of their martial arts, but unlike Celestial Exalts they have
limits. Limits they hadn't reached, but they are there. Were there. Unlike the Solars they'd never be able to confront the Primordials and, doing the impossible, slay them. They could thrown down with Behemoths, cast down second circle (And if they got lucky third circle) demons, and fight untold legions of the wyld's horrors. But they cannot reach those absolute levels required to make the impossible
reality. That is a level of power reserved only for the Exalted.
To mistake Ranma and co. for Creation's mortals? Foolish. They are capable of, physically, so much more. I could have cut that down, like so many people have in Fanfiction before. I've seen them gunned down, stabbed by to near death by an average mugger, and million other fates in stories before. It would be a disservice to their characters, and my story, to do so. They can punch faster than a minigun can shoot bullets, take blows that would destroy boulders/cars/buildings without flinching, and do many more feats besides. The Dragon-Blooded have limits. They just happen to be lower than Ranma's.
Gem would be bad because some douche canoe by the name of Mask of Winters, in a fit school girl level pettiness wanted to tell the rest of the Deathlords that yes! He was just as pretty as First and Forsaken Lion and proceeded to conquer Gem with his Deathknights and army of undead monster ghost thing abominations.
It's very bad. Gem goes boom.
Unfortunately, enough people survive the Fall of Gem that they know Mask of Winters is a thing, the rest of the Deathlords mock him for blowing his load early, and he's in a weakened position of having to defend the newly conquered city and try to maintain status in the Underworld.
Thorns is where you mean. Gem is in the far south.... And yes landing there would have been far worse, though it would have certainly been impressive. (In a, oops we wrecked most of the city on the way out sorta way... Probably wouldn't have killed any of the Abyssals though)
But I can't.
So could you possibly explain further? I really only have the foggiest of foggy ideas of the lore of Exalted.
And apparently part of what I thought I knew seems to be incorrect?
Because I thought all the Exalted saw the Sun guy, but only Kodachi has, and Ryoga saw the Moon?
You can check out my informational posts. I've included a bunch on information on Exalted and my writing thought process. Feel free to ask any questions you still have afterwards.
