TEXT: ™
  
  1
  BY ALAN ALEXANDER, KRAIG BLACKWELDER, MICHAEL GOODWIN
  AND JOHN SNEAD
  TM
  
  2
  CREDITS
  Authors: Alan Alexander, Kraig Blackwelder, Michael 
  Goodwin, John Snead
  Comic Scripter: Carl Bowen
  Storyteller Game System Design: Mark Rein•Hagen
  Developer: John Chambers
  Editor: Carl Bowen
  Art Direction: Brian Glass
  Artists: Andrew Hepworth, Jeff Holt, Imaginary Friends 
  Studio featuring Lan Jun Kang, Kendrick Lim and Damien 
  Soh, Susan Luo, Aaron Nakahara, Pasi Pitkänen, Andie Tong, 
  UDON featuring Dax Gordine, Eric Kim, Chris Stevens and 
  Jim Zubkavich and Melissa Uran
  Cover Art: Imaginary Friends Studio featuring Kendrick 
  Lim
  Book Design: Brian Glass
  © 2006 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction 
  without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, 
  except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which 
  may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf and Exalted are 
  registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. 
  The Books of Sorcery, Wonders of the Lost Age, the Age of Sorrows and 
  the Second Age of Man are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. 
  All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are 
  copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
  The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages 
  is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.
  This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All 
  mystical and supernatural elements are ﬁ ction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. 
  Reader discretion is advised.
  Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com/
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  COMING NEXT:
  VOLUME I — 
  THE SCAVENGER LANDS
  $24.99 
  160 PAGES
  Forged from the shattered remains of the Dragon-
  Blooded Shogunate and tempered in the ﬁ res of war, the 
  so-called Scavenger Lands continue to stand in deﬁ ance 
  of the tyranny of the Realm, as they have done for eight 
  centuries. Ranging from mighty Lookshy in the west to 
  the eclectic Hundred Kingdoms in the east, the states of 
  the former River Province offer a treasure trove of First 
  Age wonders, minor dominions and mortal followers for 
  the returned Solar Exalt willing to risk the wrath of the 
  Seventh Legion to claim them.
  COMING NEXT IN THIS SERIES:
  THE BOOKS OF SORCERY, VOL II — 
  THE WHITE AND BLACK TREATISES
  $24.99 
  160 PAGES
  The White and Black Treatises are the deﬁ nitive 
  tomes of sorcery and necromancy in the Age of Sorrows. 
  Featuring 160 pages chock full of all the spells an Exalt 
  might wield to exert her will over Creation, this supple-
  ment reintroduces to the new edition all the spells made 
  popular in Exalted ﬁ rst edition, as well as introducing a 
  number of never-before-seen spells reclaimed by the reborn 
  Twilight Solar Exalted and their twisted reﬂ ections, the 
  Daybreak Caste Abyssals.
  
  3
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  INTRODUCTION 
  4
  CHAPTER ONE: A HISTORY OF WONDERS 
  10
  CHAPTER TWO: THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE 
  29
  CHAPTER THREE: THE PURVIEW OF THE CERULEAN LUTE 
  55
  CHAPTER FOUR: THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON PANOPLY 
  73
  CHAPTER FIVE: THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE 
  93
  CHAPTER SIX: THE PURVIEW OF THE VIOLET BIER 
  128
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS 
  136
  TM
  
  4
  
  5
  INTRODUCTION
   
  INTRODUCTION
  INTRODUCTION
  Most artifacts used and built in the Second Age are 
  simple in design with few moving parts, built of a single 
  magical material to be nigh-indestructible. Such devices 
  typically have one or two related powers, activated by direct 
  expenditure of Essence or constantly operating as long as 
  the wonders are attuned to their owners. This preference 
  for durable simplicity exists for a number of reasons. First, 
  most Exalted in the Time of Tumult are not well-educated 
  savants. They do not grasp the subtle nuances of clockwork 
  engineering, motonic physics, metallurgy or the myriad other 
  academic disciplines required merely to understand sophisti-
  cated artifacts, let alone actually maintain them. Therefore, 
  the Chosen prize best those artifacts that are sturdy, portable 
  and built on the straightforward model of “Essence goes in, 
  magic comes out.”
  By contrast, many artifacts built during the First Age—es-
  pecially the High First Age and early Shogunate—follow 
  different aesthetics and priorities. The master artiﬁ cers of the 
  ancient world understood that sophistication and complexity 
  were the best routes to greater power. In theory, a common 
  warstrider is no greater a wonder than a grand daiklave (both 
  are Artifact 3), but ask any legionnaire which he’d rather 
  face on the battleﬁ eld, and the disparity becomes clear. Even 
  so, warstriders are useful only in certain types of engage-
  ments, and they demand far greater Essence (to the point of 
  needing an inset hearthstone just to move), not to mention 
  regular and expensive maintenance by trained technicians. 
  Such drawbacks are not inconsequential, particularly as the 
  inhabitants of the Second Age lack the educated society and 
  vast technomagical infrastructure of their forebears.
  Despite prevailing trends, not all Exalted eschew the 
  complexities and complications of advanced First Age artifacts 
  in favor of lesser, more stable devices. For those who can obtain 
  and keep them, the wonders of the past afford great power. 
  
  6
  Lookshy’s hegemony over the Scavenger Lands and ongoing 
  deﬁ ance of the Realm stands as the most visible testament to 
  the power granted by access to technology, but the Seventh 
  Legion is by no means the only example. All who choose 
  this path, however, must also educate themselves sufﬁ ciently 
  to keep their devices operational, plus secure sufﬁ cient funds 
  to replace worn-out or damaged components. The following 
  are special rules for maintaining First Age technology.
  REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE
  Although many of the more elegant artifacts familiar in 
  the Age of Sorrows (such as daiklaves and other weapons) 
  are designed to be maintenance-free beyond basic cleaning 
  and the like, other artifacts (particularly those constructed 
  during the Shogunate) require substantial ongoing upkeep to 
  ensure proper function. Shogunate-era artifacts are especially 
  prone to this necessity as the Dragon-Blooded were forced 
  to use expendable reagents and fuels in place of the perma-
  nent, but no longer available, substances the Solar Exalted 
  provided during the High First Age. This upkeep takes the 
  form of reinforcement or reapplication of enchantments in 
  some items, while other artifacts need to have exotic com-
  ponents such as expendable reagents or catalysts replenished, 
  particularly after long or strenuous use. While Shogunate 
  technology was powerful, the Dragon-Blooded paid for that 
  power with the time spent to keep them functioning. With 
  a great deal of study and reverse engineering, the savants of 
  the Shogunate could duplicate the function of many First 
  Age weapons, but they could not duplicate the durability 
  and solidity of those devices.
  Artifacts have a Repair rating when they require sub-
  stantial maintenance and repair in order to keep functioning. 
  This rating acts as a general guideline for how expensive and 
  difﬁ cult that artifact is to maintain, how much labor must 
  be dedicated to the artifact and how much its expendable 
  parts and materials cost to replace. An artifact’s Repair rating 
  reﬂ ects a double cost hidden in these items: the ongoing cost 
  of maintaining the device and the cost of repairing it when 
  it breaks down, as all such items eventually do.
  Most devices with a Repair rating were originally 
  manufactured during the Shogunate when the loss of Delib-
  erative-era technology suddenly made upkeep necessary in 
  order to mimic the effects and power level of High First Age 
  technology. The High First Age versions of these artifacts 
  might still exist, but they’re incredibly rare. These ancient 
  artifacts are identical to their Shogunate equivalents, but 
  they channel Essence to maintain and repair themselves. 
  Therefore, First Age variants of such items are imperishable 
  (until actively physically damaged) and have no Repair 
  rating, but they cost one or more additional Background 
  dot(s) to purchase at character creation. The default ver-
  sion of any item is the Shogunate-era version with a Repair 
  rating to convey that those lesser items require constant 
  maintenance and repair.
  Characters could run across technology level four and 
  ﬁ ve versions of the same item, though the latter version will 
  be much less common—and much more expensive if it’s ever 
  found on the market. (Scavenger lords have learned how to 
  tell the difference between the two, and they price their wares 
  accordingly.) Either version can be purchased at character 
  creation, with one exception: Artifact 4 and 5 items from the 
  Shogunate could have imperishable versions, but if they do, 
  those older, self-repairing variants have an effective Artifact 
  rating of N/A and cannot be taken at character creation. They 
  may be found amidst caches of High First Age artifacts later 
  in the game, however, if the Storyteller so chooses.
  Example: Dragon armor was ﬁ rst made in the First Age, 
  but it was still possible to construct it with Shogunate-era 
  technology. With great effort, it can even be manufactured 
  in the Second Age (though only in Lookshy and the Realm). 
  Dragon armor is typically an Artifact 4 item, but it needs 
  to be continually maintained. The much less common First 
  Age version has no Repair rating, but its Artifact cost is one 
  or more dots above the base price, so it will have an Artifact 
  rating of 5 or N/A, at the Storyteller’s discretion.
  MAINTENANCE
  Maintenance is work needed to keep a device function-
  ing—consisting of not just tightening belts, ﬁ lling reagent 
  NEW CHARM: WONDER-FORGING 
  GENIUS
  Cost: —; Mins: Craft ([First Age Craft Ability]) 5, 
  Essence 5; Type: Permanent
  Keywords: None
  Duration: Permanent
  Prerequisite Charms: Inﬁ nite Craft Mastery, Crack-
  Mending Technique, Craftsman Needs No Tools
  As the premiere artisans of the Chosen, the Solars 
  can achieve in a mortal lifetime what lesser Exalted 
  require centuries of study and experimentation to 
  understand. Purchase of this Charm reduces by one 
  dot each the minimum Craft, Lore, Medicine and 
  Occult requirements to build or repair artifacts—to 
  a minimum requirement of one dot for any Ability 
  normally required for the task. Therefore, an artifact 
  with Repair 4 (normally requiring Lore 5, Occult 5 
  and Craft 5) would require only Lore 4, Occult 4 and 
  Craft 4 to ﬁ x it. Likewise, a Solar creating an Artifact 
  4 wonder (normally requiring six dots in each of the 
  three Abilities to construct) would need only ﬁ ve dots 
  in Lore, Occult and Craft. Purchasing this Charm also 
  reduces by three the total number of dots characters 
  must have allocated among Craft, Lore and Occult to 
  design manses. Characters may purchase this Charm a 
  maximum of only two times.
  
  7
  INTRODUCTION
  tanks, replacing expendable components and the like, but 
  ritual tasks as well. Such tasks include prayers or sacriﬁ ces made 
  to appease the artifact’s least god, reapplying or strengthening 
  enchantments and so on. 
  Maintenance is assumed to be automatically successful. 
  Provided the character has sufﬁ cient time, resources and 
  ability, she can keep the device working indeﬁ nitely.
  Artifacts normally need maintenance dependent on 
  usage. A device that is not used will likely need basic main-
  tenance to bring it up to full working order, but it will not 
  continue to decay. Heavy use of artifacts, especially in combat 
  situations, typically counts as twice normal usage. (Count each 
  hour or fraction thereof as two hours when determining the 
  need for maintenance, unless otherwise noted in the artifact’s 
  description.) There is usually a grace period between when 
  maintenance is needed and when the item’s performance starts 
  to suffer. Unless stated otherwise, assume the device loses 
  10 percent of its Speed or Maneuverability, 4B/2L Damage 
  or Soak, or one Power (for certain automata) for every 10 
  hours by which the device is overdue for maintenance. These 
  penalties accrue until all of the required maintenance has 
  been performed. In extreme cases, the device might actually 
  break from the abuse, causing it to function at this reduced 
  level until it undergoes repairs equal to twice its normally 
  required maintenance. Such repairs reﬂ ect a total overhaul, 
  essentially stripping the item down to its component parts 
  and rebuilding it entirely. If a character lets an artifact 
  degrade this badly, have his player roll (Intelligence + Lore 
  [not Craft]) to see if the character possesses the knowledge 
  needed to perform this kind of total rebuild.
  REPAIRS
  Artifacts that have been broken or damaged can some-
  times be repaired, though whether repair is possible depends 
  on a variety of factors. Very old or poorly maintained artifacts 
  can be more difﬁ cult or even impossible to repair. Many 
  High First Age artifacts, on the other hand, need only basic 
  maintenance to bring them back to full functionality even 
  after thousands of years of abuse. Repairs are normally a 
  simple task requiring the player to roll (Intelligence + the 
  pertinent Craft Ability—usually Craft [First Age Weapons]) 
  against the difﬁ culty listed on the Repair tables.
  Fixing large or unusually complex devices (Artifact rating 
  4 or higher) might be an extended task, with a total difﬁ culty 
  equal to the Repair rating squared. (To fully repair a Repair 
  4 device requires the player to accumulate 16 successes on a 
  difﬁ culty 4 task.) Even these massive devices can usually be 
  made to function a time or two with a simple success. The 
  Skywolf’s sorcerer-engineer could keep her in the air for a 
  short time with a difﬁ culty 5 success, but long-term repairs 
  would require an extended task. A botch on such an extended 
  roll costs the player all accumulated successes and increases 
  the number of successes needed by an amount equal to the 
  number of 1s rolled in the botch.
  REPAIR TEAMS
  The largest artifacts cannot be maintained by a single 
  sorcerer-engineer, regardless of his understanding of First Age 
  systems, as there are simply too many time-consuming adjust-
  ments and repairs that need to be done nigh-simultaneously. 
  Smaller devices can sometimes beneﬁ t from an additional 
  technician as well, but for many projects, a single assistant 
  is sufﬁ cient (or can even be too much help). Controlling a 
  repair team requires a successful (Charisma + Presence) roll to 
  keep the workers motivated and operating at peak efﬁ ciency. 
  The difﬁ culty is equal to the size of the team divided by three 
  (rounded down if the character is a Terrestrial Exalt; rounded 
  up if the character is a Celestial Exalt). Charms that facilitate 
  teamwork, including those associated with the War and Pres-
  ence Abilities explicitly affect this roll. A repair team must 
  have a number of technicians with Craft (Magitech), Lore or
  Occult scores equal to (that of the sorcerer-engineer whose 
  player is making the roll, minus 2). All remaining members 
  should have at least one Ability (Craft [First Age Weapons], 
  Lore or Occult) of at least 2. The total size of a repair team 
  is typically equal to the Repair rating times three for large 
  artifacts (such as a Kireeki-class skyreme) and times two for 
  smaller artifacts.
  TOOLS
  Even the most skilled sorcerer-engineer can be hampered 
  if she doesn’t have the proper tools for a particular task. Very 
  few artifacts can be repaired with the contents of a carpenter’s 
  toolbox or a blacksmith’s shop. Such work requires a mixture 
  of sophisticated tools, measuring devices and calibrated instru-
  ments and utensils. Even the best hammer, chisel or tongs 
  in Creation is of no use if the artiﬁ cer requires an Essence 
  needle or a Hyperion key to complete his repairs.
  Tool kits from the First Age and the Shogunate can still 
  be found, though they are extraordinarily expensive. A par-
  tial kit of random First Age tools assembled in no particular 
  order costs Resources 3. A mostly complete set in decent 
  shape can be found for Resources 4, while a complete set of 
  the most common First Age tools, in good shape, requires 
  Resources 5.
  These tool kits are often large. Even the smallest mini-
  mal set barely ﬁ ts in a carefully packed frame pack, and the 
  THE LOST ART OF PERMANENCE
  The techniques for creating self-maintaining items 
  are all but lost in the Age of Sorrows, even to the Lunar 
  and Sidereal Exalted who remember the First Age. The 
  secret techniques of the First Age craftsmen might still 
  survive in a lost library somewhere, but no one now 
  residing in Creation remembers the secrets of creating 
  such devices. If the Solar Exalted do not rediscover 
  that knowledge, it could be lost for good.
  
  8
  factory-cathedrals started at around 10,000 square feet and 
  went up from there. In the Second Age, one or two intact 
  factory-cathedrals might still be left in the ruins of untouched 
  First Age cities. Yu-Shan also has a number of full-scale fac-
  tory-cathedrals, but they don’t get much use, and anyone not 
  closely associated with the workings of Heaven will need a 
  very convincing reason to gain access to them. Alternatively, 
  the craft halls of the Mountain Folk contain workshops just 
  as advanced as any factory-cathedral, but the Mountain Folk 
  keep the secrets of their crafts (and the existence of the halls) 
  to themselves, lest the Exalted get too curious.
  Shogunate workshops lost much of the Essence-manipulat-
  ing technology that the Solars had used before the Usurpation, 
  along with access to Second and Third Circle demon artisans 
  and most gods. A full Shogunate workshop requires at least 3,000 
  square feet for storing even the most basic collection of tools.
  FIRST AGE CRAFTS
  For mundane repairs of items, characters may use any of the ﬁ ve elemental Craft Abilities explained on page 
  107 of Exalted. These skills are woefully insufﬁ cient for working on the sophisticated magical technology of the First 
  Age, however. A blacksmith might be able to crudely patch a hole in a skyship’s metal bulkhead with Craft (Fire), 
  but he would not be able to seamlessly restore the original alchemical alloy. To reﬂ ect this insufﬁ ciency, characters 
  suffer a -2 external penalty whenever they use a mundane Craft to perform maintenance or repairs on a sophisticated 
  artifact. Actually building such devices with mundane Craft ratings is impossible.
  Technicians who wish to learn the appropriate skills for building and repairing complex artifacts must learn the 
  appropriate First Age Craft Ability. Two are presented here. Storytellers may devise others as appropriate for more 
  exotic wonders.
  Craft (Magitech): A character with this Craft Ability has conducted an intense study of the creation, enchantment 
  and maintenance of weapons and devices from the First Age (including the High and Low First Age). She may have 
  learned the techniques of First Age engineering in Lookshy, at the Heptagram, in Yu-Shan or in some similar locale 
  that still has systems in place to teach such complex lore. This Ability encompasses knowledge of Essence circuitry, 
  motonic physics, clockworks and other highly sophisticated technologies. Most automata and inanimate First Age 
  artifacts are built and repaired using this Ability.
  To represent the necessary understanding of precise engineering and the arcane substances used in First Age devices, 
  the character must have two dots each in Craft (Air) and Craft (Fire) and at least one dot in another Craft form 
  before she can learn this exacting discipline. Furthermore, her rating in Craft (Magitech) cannot be higher than 
  her Lore rating.
  Most sorcerer-technician characters will have at least moderate levels of this Ability, and all sorcerer-engineers are 
  masters or near-masters of this arcane art.
  Someone with Craft (Magitech) 1 can perform basic maintenance and repair on simple Shogunate-era devices. 
  Someone with Craft (Magitech) 3 can use schematics to build an implosion bow from scratch (provided he has the 
  components). Someone with Craft (Magitech) 5 can design and build entirely original First Age-style devices and 
  weapons systems, including items never seen before in Creation.
  Characters possessing the Savant Background may add their Savant rating to all rolls that use this Ability.
  Example Specialties: Automata, Perfected Calculation Arrays, Skyships, Naval Vessels, Biomagitech, Energy Weapons, 
  Transportation Devices, Utilitarian Artifacts
  Craft (Genesis): This Ability is required to create or modify life, encompassing detailed studies of bio-Essence 
  templates, mutagenic radiation, inheritance proﬁ les, inter-species compatibility serums, organic alchemy and more. 
  Characters may not have a higher rating in Craft (Genesis) than the lowest of their Lore, Medicine or Occult ratings. 
  See “Rules for Creating Life” on page 117 for the ways Exalted design and customize new organisms. In the epoch 
  before mankind, Dragon Kings used this Craft to make their vegetative technology.
  Example Specialties: New Species, Modiﬁ ed Species, Sentient Organisms, Vegetative Technology
  largest ﬁ lls a good-sized workshop. If multiple engineers are 
  working on a large project, they all require their own sets of 
  tools. Since there is some limited overlap, however, the total 
  Resource cost for each additional set decreases by one.
  WORKSHOPS
  The ability of First Age craftspeople to create many 
  of their Age’s greatest wonders came in large part from the 
  factory-cathedrals built by the Solar Exalted. Factory-ca-
  thedrals were places of sanctiﬁ ed creation, where materials 
  could be strengthened with prayers and forged into great 
  wonders through the efforts of gods, demons, elementals and, 
  of course, Exalts. Adamant scalpels, Essence-manipulating 
  talismans and glyphs, prayer-drills, Hyperion keys and other 
  tools that were artifacts in their own right helped turn the 
  craftsman’s dreams into reality. The smallest full First Age 
  
  9
  INTRODUCTION
  x 
  No tools available. No repair attempt can be 
  made without extensive use of Charms.
  • 
  Limited or primitive tools only: stone hammers, 
  ﬂ int knives and a ﬁ re pit. +4 to the difﬁ culty of 
  all repair rolls not based on Charms.
  •• 
  Good Iron Age tools: metal tools, hammer and 
  anvil, forge. +3 to the difﬁ culty of all repair rolls 
  not relying on Charms.
  ••• 
  Good tool kit containing some simple but 
  important First Age tools. +2 to the difﬁ culty 
  of repair rolls not based on Charms. 
  •••• 
  Shogunate era workshop containing a complete 
  set of Shogunate tools. +1 to the difﬁ culty of 
  repair rolls not relying on Charms.
  •••••  
  First Age factory-cathedral
  HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
  This supplement contains a wealth of magitech devices 
  with which players and Storytellers may outﬁ t their charac-
  ters. Whether as part of an Exalted character’s panoply or 
  as plot contrivances, these artifacts bring a unique ﬂ avor to 
  the series in which they are used—and often serve to drive 
  those series forward.
  Chapter One: A History of Wonders
  This chapter details the rise and fall of magitechnology 
  from its heights in the First Age to its near absence in the 
  Age of Sorrows.
  Chapter Two: The Purview of the Golden Barque
  This section presents various forms of First Age transport, 
  from personal skycraft to armed and armored troop carriers. 
  In a world of chariots and oar-propelled ships, such vehicles 
  allow for security and speeds of transport orders of magnitude 
  beyond what the Second Age has to offer.
  Chapter Three: The Purview of the Cerulean Lute
  This chapter presents artifacts that were common ﬁ xtures 
  in the daily lives of the people of the First Age, designed to 
  make those lives better. In the present, these devices serve 
  as everything from status symbols to weapons.
  Chapter Four: The Purview of the Crimson Panoply
  This section provides personal arms and armor commonly 
  used in combat during the First Age. In the current Age, these 
  weapons can make a talon of soldiers the equal of an army.
  Chapter Five: The Purview of the Forbidding Manse
  This chapter details the golems, automata, constructed 
  consciousnesses and artiﬁ cial life that represented the pin-
  nacle of the Twilights’ art in the High First Age. Following 
  the Usurpation, most of these devices were destroyed by 
  Dragon-Blooded fearful that these beings’ creators had em-
  bedded failsafe retaliatory subroutines in their programming. 
  Surviving examples are rare in the Second Age.
  Chapter Six: The Purview of the Violet Bier
  This chapter outlines a number of First Age weapons 
  of mass destruction. Though most were spent during the in-
  ternecine conﬂ icts of the Shogunate or against the invading 
  Host of the Fair Folk after the Great Contagion, a number 
  still survive in the armories of the Realm and Lookshy.
  Appendix II: Warstriders
  This section provides players and Storytellers with 
  rules for constructing and ﬁ elding these titans of the First 
  Age battleﬁ eld. From the common warstrider to the mighty 
  AI-enhanced royal warstriders, these colossi rule the ﬁ elds of 
  honor just as much now as they did in the previous Age.
  REPAIR TABLES
  Repair Rating 
  Examples 
  Lore 
  Occult Craft Resources Time 
  Difﬁ culty
  • 
  Ashigaru Armor 
  3 
  - 
  - 
  •• 
  one hour 
  2
  •• 
  Gunzosha Armor,  
  4 
  3 
  3 
  •• 
  one hour 
  2
   
  Light Implosion Bow
  ••• 
  Warstrider, Lightning Ballista 
  5 
  4 
  4 
  ••• 
  one hour 
  3
  •••• 
  Chariot of the Inﬁ nite Heavens 
  5 
  5 
  5 
  ••• 
  one day 
  4
  ••••• 
  Skywolf 
  6 
  4 
  6 
  •••• 
  three days 
  5
  ••••• • 
  Realm Defense Grid Installation 
  7 
  6 
  6 
  ••••• 
  one week 
  6
  Difﬁ culty 
  Modiﬁ er
  +1 
  Each dot under the minimum Ability requirements
  +1 
  Substituting a close Ability (Craft [Fire] for Craft [First Age Weapons] to repair a warstrider
  +2 
  Rushing the job (cuts time in half)
  +1 to +3 
  Inadequate tools
  -1 
  Discussing repairs with the artifact’s least god (takes one hour, requires successful prayer roll)
  -1 
  Skilled assistant
  -1 
  Expert tools (additional +1 Resources cost)
  -1 
  Extra time taken (doubles time)
  -2 
  Repair team (see above)
  
  10
  
  11
  CHAPTER ONE • A HISTORY OF WONDERS
  CHAPTER ONE
  CHAPTER ONE
  A HISTORY OF WONDERS
  A HISTORY OF WONDERS
  When it is remembered at all, the First Age is remembered 
  as a time of unsurpassed wonders, when magic and technology 
  were so fused that they were indistinguishable from one another. 
  Exalt and mortal alike beneﬁ ted from the partnership of these 
  two disciplines, and many of the denizens of Creation enjoyed an 
  extraordinarily high standard of living thanks to the myriad gifts 
  brought forth by the wonders of the Age. Certainly, compared 
  to the lot of mortals living in the Age of Sorrows, the legends 
  of the First Age seem so fantastic as to be unbelievable, but 
  the Exalted know the truth of those glorious tales. Some of the 
  Chosen have ﬁ rsthand recollections of that Age of wonders, 
  while others know it through dreams, the long-studied texts 
  of savants or visions of Heaven. The Chosen know only too 
  well all that was lost with the change of Ages.
  Now, in the violent and fallen Second Age, the First Age 
  has accrued a mythical signiﬁ cance, particularly among schol-
  ars and the learned. In large part, this is due to its remoteness 
  from the present and the fact that so few know of the First 
  Age at all, let alone accurate details. In the minds of those 
  savants who know anything about its wonders, the First Age 
  represents a monolithic and uniformly ideal era made possible 
  by great magic and artifacts of unfailing puissance.
  In truth, the First Age was long and its magic and tech-
  nology were powerful, but the Age was neither monolithic 
  nor unvaried. The prevalence of sorcery was not uniform 
  across its span; its technologies changed and evolved. Fads 
  in innovation came and went, as did cults of personality 
  around certain celebrities in the ﬁ elds of design, engineer-
  ing, technology and sorcery. (The name and achievements 
  of Kal Bax, for example, are still lauded by those who know 
  their First Age lore.)
  The most troubling suspicions about the First Age, 
  however—that it was in all ways more advanced and more 
  civilized than the current Age of Sorrows—are true. If there 
  is to be any hope of the innumerable wonders of that lost Age 
  being returned to the peoples of Creation, or being reinvented 
  entirely, it will require the efforts of not just one or two Twilight 
  lore-masters or sorcerer-engineers, but all of them.
  
  12
  THE GREAT WAR
  Before the great ﬂ owering of the First Age, there was an 
  epoch antedating history, in which the Primordials forged 
  Creation and created the gods to run it. The gods, in turn, 
  created the Exalted and made war on the Primordials. The 
  gods and their allies used wondrous tools and technology to 
  wage their war against the Primordials, and they won that 
  war because of it. Their victory complete, the gods made the 
  Primordials swear oaths on their own names and banished 
  them to the body caverns of their vast brother Malfeas.
  In the Primordial War, the most powerful weapon 
  designed by Autochthon, the gods’ chief weaponsmith, was 
  the process of Exaltation itself. In the time before the First 
  Age, most denizens of Creation beneﬁ ted only from the most 
  rudimentary technology. The Mountain Folk and the Dragon 
  Kings had their own technologies, and even some of the 
  darkbrood races showed some skill at creating devices, but 
  young humanity had yet to get beyond very basic technology. 
  Even Twilight Caste Solars had only begun to create, and 
  their most awesome inventions remained centuries away. 
  When it came time for the Chosen to take arms against 
  the Primordials, the Great Maker himself and his favored 
  creations, the Mountain Folk, provided those ﬁ rst Exalted 
  with weapons of legendary elegance and power.
  Outside of weapons, however, little in the way of tech-
  nology or magic had yet been invented or explored. The life 
  of the common man was almost inconceivably harsh, subject 
  as it was to the depredations of the Primordials’ monstrous 
  spawn on top of the normal environmental challenges. 
  Everything was waiting to be invented. Humanity, Exalted 
  or not, had not had time to create any technologies of its 
  own. All humanity had had been provided by Autochthon 
  or by the gods or the Mountain Folk or the Dragon Kings, 
  and those gifts were granted only to the Exalted, not to the 
  larger masses of humanity. Inspired by their Great Maker, 
  the industrious Mountain Folk had already begun producing 
  astonishing weapon technologies, but they resided beneath 
  the Imperial Mountain and the gods’ great city of Meru, 
  and they had little trafﬁ c with mere humanity.
  The weapons of Autochthon and his children, however, 
  were advanced and formidable, and their like had never been 
  seen, much less surpassed. Many of those legendary indestruc-
  tible items exist still, though they’re scattered throughout 
  Creation (and beyond). Some are buried in the tombs of their 
  Exalted owners, while others have been lost in mighty 
  battles or taken to Malfeas by the Yozis or their minions 
  after their wielders were vanquished.
  Only after the Primordial War ended would the 
  Exalted have the time and opportunity to develop tech-
  nologies that did anything but destroy. When they did 
  create such technologies, they provided a world of comforts 
  barely conceivable in this harsh Second Age of Man.
  
  13
  CHAPTER ONE • A HISTORY OF WONDERS
  innovations, conﬂ icts, legends, tastes and schools of thought. 
  In the Second Age, there’s scant need (and less ability) to 
  be so detailed in understanding First Age lore.
  The Celestial and Terrestrial Exalted have differing 
  opinions of when the First Age truly came to a close. For 
  the Celestial Exalted, the glories of the First Age came to 
  an obvious and painful close with the Usurpation, placing 
  the Shogunate at the commencement of the Second Age. 
  Dragon-Blooded savants, however, insist that the Shogunate 
  rightly belongs in the First Age, claiming that it was the Great 
  Contagion that brought the First Age to a close. (They don’t 
  see the destruction of the Anathema as a calamity, after all, 
  but as a great coup by righteous soldiers.)
  Most modern scholars divide the First Age into two eras: 
  the High First Age, when the Solar Deliberative ruled over 
  Creation, and the much shorter Low First Age (or Shogu-
  nate era), which lasted from the Usurpation to the Great 
  Contagion and subsequent Fair Folk invasion. Even by the 
  most generous deﬁ nitions, that seminal event brought the 
  glorious First Age to a close.
  AUGUST TWILIGHT SPLENDOR
  The great crafters of the First Age were those Solars who 
  Exalted into the Twilight Caste. At any one time, there were 
  around 60 of these individuals in Creation, burning with the 
  inspiration of the Unconquered Sun. Members of the Twilight 
  Caste took it upon themselves to discover, remember and 
  create what others could not, and they created much that 
  could be described as miraculous.
  Never satisﬁ ed with accepting the status quo, the 
  Children of Twilight were innovators without equal, fusing 
  sorcery, technology, architecture, engineering and even 
  thaumaturgy to create works of unparalleled genius, utility, 
  elegance and grandeur.
  Some savants have even gone so far as to claim that the 
  High First Age belonged to the Twilights. It was the Copper 
  Spiders who made possible the comfort, the luxuries and much 
  of the decadence of that Age. They constructed manses that 
  stood in perfect harmony with the ﬂ ow of Essence through 
  Creation, and they devised ingenious systems of communica-
  tion, agriculture, travel, governance and warfare. The level 
  of comfort and the overall quality of life in those regions 
  with a Twilight viceroy far exceeded those of regions ruled 
  by Solars of other castes.
  The innovators among the Exalted did not bring wonders 
  into being right from their heads, however. Even the greatest 
  creators need a system, and so it was with the Exalted.
  The ﬁ rst objects of power in Creation came from Au-
  tochthon (or the Mountain Folk or Dragon Kings). Many 
  such objects were gifts presented to the Lawgivers in advance 
  of the ﬁ rst great battles with the Primordials. The Twilight 
  Exalted studied these gifts until they gleaned their secrets 
  through reverse-engineering. They soon realized that if they 
  were going to replicate wonders of such power, they were 
  AUTOCHTHON: THE GREAT MAKER
  In the earliest days of the Solar Deliberative, 
  Twilight Solars and other Exalted innovators (as well 
  as the Mountain Folk, of course) had a great source of 
  wisdom to whom they could turn when designing their 
  great works: Autochthon, the Primordial creator of 
  smithing, technology and machines. It was Autochthon 
  himself who forged many of the miraculous weapons 
  the Exalted used, just as he designed the process of 
  Exaltation itself. 
  Before the Great Maker took himself Elsewhere, 
  he was a frequent and honored advisor to the Solar 
  Deliberative, and Autochthon’s intricate designs were 
  the basis for all but the most basic technology. On oc-
  casion, the Great Maker would send one or more of 
  his component souls, called the Divine Ministers, to 
  instruct the most industrious of the Lawgivers in the 
  ways of technology and innovation.
  With Autochthon’s guidance, the First Age rapidly 
  bypassed and outgrew simple tools, evolving from Bronze 
  Age technology to astonishing levels of advancement 
  in less than a century.
  The Primordial’s goodwill and assistance ended 
  abruptly when the Solar Deliberative insisted that 
  he subject the Mountain Folk to the Great Geas lest 
  they challenge the divinely ordained supremacy of the 
  Chosen. When tensions with the Deliberative prompted 
  the Great Maker to remove himself from Creation, 
  no contingent was more disappointed than the Solars 
  of the Twilight Caste (many of whom had spoken 
  out against the Great Geas for exactly that reason). 
  Still, with the Mountain Folk’s goods to study and the 
  Machine God’s detailed plans as the basis for further 
  innovation, inspired artisans, engineers and savants 
  had an unparalleled base on which to build.
  THE FIRST AGE
  In the Age of Sorrows, there are few who truly understand 
  just how far civilization has fallen. The Exalted, especially the 
  savants among their number, have the clearest understanding 
  of the sheer magnitude of the loss. Some of the Chosen aspire 
  to bring back the wonders of the First Age and endeavor to 
  learn its lost sorcerous and technological secrets. Others are 
  content to replicate what few wonders they can claim for 
  themselves, and still others would rather not dwell on the 
  matter at all lest despair set in.
  The golden eon of the First Age lasted a very long time, 
  and referring to the First Age as if it were one long uniform 
  span of time can give the era an inaccurate sense of uniformity. 
  During the First Age itself, scholars divided the Age into a 
  myriad of different epochs and eras, each deﬁ ned by its own 
  
  14
  evolution that led up to the creation of the ﬁ rst factory-ca-
  thedrals, which were, in essence, great industrial artifact tools 
  for building techno-sorcerous artifacts of all description.
  Under the direction of Twilight savant-engineers, the 
  factory-cathedrals of the First Age churned out an astonish-
  ing array of marvelous devices on a daily basis. Once the 
  Deliberative put in place the necessary infrastructure, the 
  Children of Twilight found themselves capable of creating 
  wonders almost beyond imagining.
  Astonishing and powerful though these factory-ca-
  thedrals were, they alone were not sufﬁ cient to allow the 
  Exalted to create the greatest of the wonders for which the 
  First Age is known. Building the greatest wonders required 
  still more of the Exalted. The Realm Defense Grid and the 
  Five-Metal Shrike, for example, were not the product of any 
  single factory-cathedral, but dozens of factory-cathedrals 
  working in concert, each to provide one or more artifact 
  components that became pieces of a larger whole.
  IMPOSSIBLE COMPONENTS
  Even the ﬁ nest forge cannot make a good sword from 
  ashes and dung. This principle was reﬂ ected, even more 
  exactingly, in the creation of First Age wonders. No factory-
  cathedral, regardless of its capabilities, could make a thing 
  without the proper components, and rare was the wonder 
  that didn’t require at least one of the magical materials. 
  Most required components much more exotic than that. The 
  traditional magical materials, while precious and powerful, 
  are only the beginning of the exotic requirements necessary 
  to create the most powerful wonders. First Age craftsmen’s 
  texts called for truly arcane substances such as the roots of 
  mountains, a child’s hope, the voices of ﬁ sh or a handful of 
  storm to incorporate into most powerful devices.
  The Solar Exalted were uniquely qualiﬁ ed to obtain these 
  rare ingredients. Not only could they send demons in search 
  of these substances, but they could step into the chaos at 
  the edges of the Creation and use Wyld Shaping Technique 
  or Wyld Cauldron Technology to sculpt any ingredient 
  they needed—however improbable or rare it might be in 
  Creation. Only with totally improbable components could 
  totally improbable artifacts be crafted. Therefore, the Solar 
  Exalted were necessary for the creation of the most powerful 
  (and most improbable) artifacts in Creation.
  At the peak of the First Age, the Exalted obtained 
  impossible ingredients for the creation of impossible artifact 
  factory-cathedrals to create even more impossible artifacts… 
  and so on. The cycle of innovation and advancement spun 
  rapidly in those days, fueled by the inspiration, brilliance 
  and competitive egos of the Children of Twilight. (The No 
  Moon Lunars were known to devise some astonishing devices 
  of their own, the most amazing of which were forged from 
  the shifting metal known as moonsilver.)
  Relatively early in the First Age, the Solar Exalted found 
  themselves capable of creating anything their imaginations 
  could conceive of—at which point they felt obliged to push 
  AESTHETICS AND THE FIRST AGE
  For most of the First Age, utilitarian objects were 
  judged not just by their functionality, but according to 
  their aesthetic value as well. An item’s beauty was held 
  to be at least as important as its durability and function-
  ality. It was not enough for a manse to cap a powerful 
  demesne. It had to charm the eye and take away the 
  breath with its beauty and grandeur as well. This was true 
  of nearly everything produced by the Celestial Exalted 
  in the High First Age. Motifs from nature—the sensual 
  curves of a plant tendril or ﬂ ower, the architectural 
  perfection of a seashell, the languid, luminous elegance 
  of jellyﬁ sh, the concentric ripples on the surface of a 
  disturbed pool and, always, representations of the sun, 
  moon and stars—were regularly incorporated into 
  Exalted design schemes. Many common items of the 
  First Age, including many buildings, look as if they were 
  grown rather than built. This emphasis on attractive 
  and elegant design made everyday life more pleasant, 
  helped Essence ﬂ ow freely through Creation and had 
  other beneﬁ ts as well. The gods of the various natural 
  phenomena found the Exalts’ stylized reproductions of 
  their designs quite ﬂ attering and could sometimes be 
  charmed into blessing certain objects that resonated 
  harmoniously with their respective spheres of inﬂ uence. 
  For this reason, an item’s (or building’s) motifs can 
  sometimes be a clue to its function or an indication of 
  which god it was intended to ﬂ atter.
  On rare occasions, the Celestial Exalted grew so 
  theoretical or esoteric in their aesthetic sensibilities 
  that they were effectively designing for the pleasure of 
  inhuman deities (or, on rare occasions, Primordials or 
  Yozis). In those cases, their creations were calculatedly 
  hideous to human perceptions. One manse constructed 
  according to such principles was legendary for being so 
  horriﬁ c to look upon that mortals often plucked out their 
  own eyes rather than risk seeing the place again. Few of 
  these designs exist today. The Dragon-Blooded of the 
  Shogunate found them so offensive that they sought 
  out all such objects (and buildings) and targeted them 
  for quick destruction after the Usurpation.
  going to need tools and facilities equal to the task. To create 
  a sword, one ﬁ rst needs to build a forge, and so it was with 
  the magical technologies of the First Age. Yet the traditional 
  hammer and forge weren’t going to get the Exalted very far. 
  To forge a truly wondrous artifact, one needed a suitable 
  workshop ﬁ lled with powerful, preferably magical, tools.
  The Exalted quickly constructed facilities to build better 
  tools, and with these better tools, they were able to build 
  even better tool-forging facilities, and so on. The First Age 
  is a long history of this sort of technological innovation and 
  
  15
  CHAPTER ONE • A HISTORY OF WONDERS
  of the Exalted. By using such devices, the Lawgivers gained 
  insight into the creative processes of the Yozis themselves. 
  They fabricated vast luminous containment vessels into 
  which they bound unshaped raksha—and the pure creative 
  potential reﬂ ected therein—and monitored the captive 
  as it took on inﬁ nite forms in its struggle to escape, many 
  of which had never been seen before in Creation. Others 
  brewed complex (and incredibly toxic) alchemical elixirs 
  for themselves that opened the doors of their understand-
  ing—provided, of course, they didn’t kill the Solars ﬁ rst. 
  Whatever the means, the results were the same: One by one, 
  the Exalted identiﬁ ed their creative limitations and thought 
  their way through them.
  UNIQUE CHIC
  Many of the most fantastic creations of the First Age 
  were unique. As far as the Exalted were concerned, mass-pro-
  duced items were ﬁ ne for mortals and Terrestrial Exalts, but 
  the Celestial Exalted were above such common possessions. 
  Using anything that had been mass-produced was considered 
  below the station of the Celestial Exalted, and particularly 
  embarrassing to the Chosen of the Sun. Such august indi-
  viduals either created their possessions with their own hands, 
  received them as gifts from powerful entities currying their 
  favor or commissioned great craftspersons to make them. Such 
  possessions included everything from clothing, tableware and 
  furniture to the greatest spirit-invested royal warstriders and 
  skyships. Only a very young or very weak Solar would own 
  anything that had not been created especially for her.
  In the case of the Solar Exalted in particular, ego was 
  one of the driving forces behind First Age innovation. It was 
  unbecoming of a Lawgiver, particularly one from the Twilight 
  Caste, to make do with another’s innovations. The mark of 
  a true First Age craftsperson was to design all of her own 
  possessions, from the humblest to the most wondrous—and 
  to maintain the same motif across all of them.
  For instance, everything crafted by Hu Kung, the Sunset 
  King of the Western Isles—from his silverware to his manse 
  to his super-heavy plate armor to his undersea ship—bore his 
  seashell-and-sun motif. Many of his items are still legendary 
  for their elegant design and the clever spells imbued into 
  most of the pieces. Dragon-Blooded savants pay vast sums 
  for any item bearing Hu Kung’s crest—even those they can’t 
  use or don’t understand. To complicate matters further, Hu 
  Kung’s Essence has recently taken on a new incarnation—as 
  one of the Abyssal Exalted. This new incarnation has every 
  intention of reclaiming every last piece of his former self’s 
  extraordinary possessions, so while Hu Kung’s treasures remain 
  very much in vogue among the Dragon-Blooded, the cost 
  for having them has suddenly increased exponentially. Many 
  Dynasts consider possession of these items an invitation to 
  an early death, yet, to some, that only makes the items all 
  the more desirable.
  This desire for the unique applied just as strongly to 
  warcraft as it did to common household items. From the 
  CREATING THE FABLED N/A ARTIFACT
  To clarify this idea in game terms, the factory-
  cathedrals of the First Age could create wonders rated 
  up to Artifact 5 with little difﬁ culty, provided they had 
  the necessary component ingredients. (Gathering such 
  components proves a different challenge entirely.) 
  The greatest wonders—those with Artifact ratings of 
  N/A—were the fruits of a yet more complex process. 
  Each segment or subsystem of these greater wonders 
  was created individually, a wonder in its own right. 
  Combine enough Artifact 5 subsystems together and 
  link them together properly through prayers or sorcery, 
  and the result is a powerful N/A-rated artifact. Such 
  component systems could be tiny (a single perfect 
  sapphire, no bigger than a baby’s tooth, etched with 
  sacred sutras written in tiny sorcerous glyphs), enor-
  mous (an entire ﬁ ve-dot manse that forms part of the 
  Realm Defense Grid) or anywhere in between.
  A player who wants her character to create an 
  artifact with a rating of N/A, then, needs to present a 
  proposal to her Storyteller explaining the artifact, what 
  it does and what its various subsystem components 
  are. Based on the artifact creation rules, the Story-
  teller determines how many artifacts of what rating 
  the character needs to create in order to assemble a 
  wonder of truly astonishing power.
  Example: A mountain-pulverizing device called 
  Devil Hammer might require a character to create and 
  link together an Artifact 3 device (to sap Essence from 
  the mountain) with three Artifact 4 devices (one to 
  repel any earth elementals defending the mountain’s 
  integrity, one to brieﬂ y suspend the ﬂ ow of natural Es-
  sence to the mountain and a third to borrow a piece of 
  the sun’s power to create an explosion as bright as the 
  noonday sun himself). Re-creating the Realm Defense 
  Grid, on the other hand, would require combining 
  several Artifact N/A subsystems (and many, many 
  manses to power it).
  Attempting to build any Artifact rated N/A 
  requires Intelligence, Lore, Occult and appropriate 
  Craft ratings of at least 6.
  the limits of what they could imagine. The hand that crafts 
  is only as innovative as the mind that envisions, after all. 
  And so, the Exalted turned their attentions toward pushing 
  the boundaries of their own creativity. Accordingly, the 
  brilliant Lawgivers, the lore-masters, occultists and crafters-
  of-wonders, devised scores of methods by which they could 
  expand the scope of their own genius.
  Some developed starmetal looms that connected the 
  minds of captive Third Circle demons in parallel and fed the 
  puriﬁ ed cognition of the demon array directly into the minds 
  
  16
  Primordial War to the Usurpation, few Lawgivers would 
  think of entering battle in a ship not specially designed for 
  them (if not of their own devising entirely). This ultimately 
  made the Solar ﬂ eet more powerful in battle, as its enemies 
  had very little notion of what to expect from any given ship, 
  and the designs varied markedly. Many of the best warships 
  of the Solar aerial ﬂ eet were smaller, more maneuverable and 
  more delicate appearing than the Skywolf-class airships that 
  came later—while being much more durable and dangerous 
  in combat. The best-known example of this in the Second 
  Age is the Five-Metal Shrike (see pp. 47-49).
  THE DRAGON-BLOODED 
  SHOGUNATE
  If the Dragon-Blooded believed, out of blindness, op-
  timism or sheer folly, that the Usurpation would take place 
  without dealing a terrible blow to their way of life, they 
  were gravely mistaken. The myriad gifts of the Lawgivers 
  were everywhere, but often quite transparent to those who 
  had taken the marvels of the First Age for granted. The 
  Shogunate’s technology infrastructure suffered a severe 
  blow in the years following the Usurpation. The Terrestri-
  als were forced to acknowledge the many gifts the Solars 
  had quietly provided to Creation—and just how many they 
  could not replicate.
  Shogunate ofﬁ cials tried to claim that technology was 
  necessarily “transitioning” to a new phase in order to purge 
  the system of the ubiquitous taint of the Anathema. Yet there 
  was no question that this new “phase” involved a clear loss 
  of functionality and was not simply a lateral shift, as was 
  maintained by the highest ofﬁ cials in the Shogunate. The 
  people complained, of course, and the Terrestrial Exalted 
  erected extravagant screens of excuses in response, but noth-
  ing could be done. In time, the glories of the High First Age 
  were forgotten, and later generations of people had no idea 
  what had been lost.
  THE VIRTUE OF CONFORMITY
  The Dragon-Blooded did not subscribe to the same 
  admiration of unique items as the Celestial Exalted had in 
  the First Age. They were not the prodigies the Celestial 
  Chosen were, so the Terrestrials codiﬁ ed their designs and 
  played to their strengths by creating mass-produced items 
  that any Dragon-Blood could use. Conformity was consid-
  ered a high virtue during the Shogunate, and this was as 
  true of technological trends as it was of anything else. It 
  was considered wasteful, arrogant and inefﬁ cient to want a 
  
  17
  CHAPTER ONE • A HISTORY OF WONDERS
  custom-made item. With only minor variations allowed for 
  rank and status, even Terrestrial daimyos ﬂ ew in the same 
  skyships and wore the same general fashions as the Dragon-
  Blooded they commanded. This was considered a sign of 
  good unit cohesion and a symbol of the solidarity shared by 
  all members of the Dragon-Blooded Shogunate.
  Throughout the era of the Solar Deliberative and into 
  the Shogunate, it was understood that the Dragon-Blooded 
  overcame their enemies through numbers and strategic 
  teamwork. To function properly as part of a well-tuned 
  group, all members had to conform to the group dynamic, 
  so that if one member were killed, another could quickly 
  step into his place. Interchangeability was key. Just as the 
  Dragon-Blooded were seen as interchangeable, so too were 
  the items they employed. The goods used by the Terrestrials 
  were of uniformly high quality, and much better than any-
  thing made available to the un-Exalted (with a few notable 
  exceptions). For all that, though, they were still high-quality 
  mass-produced goods, not the unique items so favored by the 
  absent Celestial Exalts.
  THE DOWNWARD TREND
  In general, Shogunate technology was bulkier, heavier, 
  less efﬁ cient and inferior in most ways to that of the era that 
  preceded it. In their rush to claim dominion over Creation, 
  the Terrestrials had overlooked a number of problems that 
  ﬂ owed logically from their act of regicide. The Chosen of 
  the Maidens knew what was to come, but the Terrestrials 
  hadn’t thought the future out with the same clarity. In the 
  end, they were forced to admit that their technological 
  capabilities would inevitably fall far short of those of the 
  Solar Deliberative.
  Many facilities had to be shut down (with the quiet 
  aid of undercover Sidereals) lest the Chosen of the Dragons 
  RESPLENDENT ARCHITECTURE I
  In the First Age, architecture was considered a deeply spiritual discipline. Most forms of craft, at their highest 
  levels, were seen as spiritual disciplines, but architecture was considered the pinnacle of craft forms. Geomancy 
  played a crucial role in determining building sites and architectural plans. Buildings that did not take local dragon 
  lines into consideration were considered crude and ugly affairs.
  This emphasis on geomancy was strong throughout the First Age, and buildings constructed then, especially 
  manses, were built in rigorous adherence to strict geomantic principles. Some Solar kings were reputed to destroy 
  any building in their kingdom that was not built in rigorous accordance with geomantic principles. To do otherwise, 
  they said, would be akin to watching the ﬂ ow of Essence through Creation be poisoned, one building at a time.
  First Age manses were known to be able to channel their energies into a multitude of uses instead of (or in 
  addition to) creating Hearthstones. Some of these architectural wonders reﬂ ected Essence out into the surrounding 
  landscape in modulated patterns that imbued local ﬁ elds with greater fertility for larger harvests, mimicking the 
  beneﬁ cial aspects of an uncapped demesne without the drawbacks of rampant Essence ﬂ ow. Others generated defense 
  perimeters, projected decorative or defensive illusions around the manse or simply moderated the local micro-climate. 
  While such effects remain possible in the Second Age, the requisite lore is lost or locked away in libraries, and the 
  Dragon-Blooded are more comfortable staying with tried-and-true architectural practices.
  Often, what is soundest geomantically also has the added beneﬁ t of appearing beautiful. Geomancy is the study 
  of maintaining harmony with the natural ﬂ ow of Essence, and such harmony tends to be inherently attractive. Con-
  sequently, First Age architecture is generally quite enchanting to look upon as well as durable and multi-functional. 
  The default construction style of manses in the High First Age was the stepped pyramid or ziggurat style, but Solars 
  were not ones to follow patterns blindly, and they often modiﬁ ed manse designs to suit their whims. Some resembled 
  pagodas, others enormous spires, and some looked like nothing else ever built. Sorcery and unthinkably strong and 
  lightweight building materials allowed for designs that could no longer be replicated after the Usurpation: towers 
  of translucent cyan glass a mile high, airy bridges held aloft by crystal towers and cables no thicker than spider silk, 
  buildings that resemble sculpture more than the architectural masterpieces they were, and so on.
  Many of the more astonishing examples of First Age architecture were either torn down during the Shogunate 
  (when it was uncertain whether the Dragon-Blooded could maintain the buildings safely in the absence of the 
  Celestial Exalted) or lost to the Wyld after the Great Contagion. Some cities, such as Chiaroscuro and Nexus, are 
  known for their ubiquitous First Age structures, although cities are not the only places to ﬁ nd pre-Shogunate archi-
  tecture. Creation is vast, and it’s possible to be passing through deep wilderness and suddenly come upon a building 
  of transcendent beauty that hasn’t been inhabited (or even seen) in over seven centuries. Certain key buildings 
  were even constructed with built-in reality stabilizers, so they continue to exist as oases of order in the madness of 
  the Deep Wyld, waiting for a capable Exalt to build a bridge that will link them with Creation once again.
  
  18
  contaminate (or destroy wholesale) large tracts of Creation 
  through ignorance and misuse. Those operations that even the 
  Sidereals could not safely shut down were buried, hidden, cursed 
  or otherwise placed out of reach of the Terrestrial Exalted.
  The Dragon-Blooded had nowhere near the creative 
  resources of the Celestial Exalted, particularly those of the 
  Solars. They could not summon Third Circle demons to 
  create Primordial-perspective-processing systems, nor was 
  their best technology equal to containing unshaped Fair 
  Folk, nor could they weave substance out of the pure chaos 
  of the Wyld as the Solars could. The imperishable miracle 
  components created by the Lawgivers became a thing of the 
  past, and the Dragon-Blooded were forced to devise ways of 
  working around diminishing supplies of all such materials. 
  Earth-aspected craftsmen were able to devise certain substitute 
  materials, though these were far from perfect alternatives. 
  These materials suffered from a disadvantage that the originals 
  did not: They became depleted with use and needed to be 
  replaced on a regular basis.
  Dragon armor produced in the High First Age, for 
  example, does not need maintenance or upkeep because it 
  contains powerful and imperishable magical elements cre-
  ated by the Lawgivers. Dragon armor produced during the 
  Shogunate is bulkier and needs ongoing maintenance, as it 
  substituted perishable magical reagents for key components 
  that the Dragon-Blooded were simply unable to replicate.
  Many of the elegant designs of the Solars could no 
  longer be produced at all. The delicate luminous machinery 
  of the Solars gave way to heavy, bulky, opaque designs that 
  the Terrestrials could replicate with their limited resources 
  and understanding.
  The Dragon-Blooded used brute force and metal as best 
  they could to replicate the effects obtained by the Solar 
  Exalted. They jury-rigged designs to the best of their abil-
  ity, which often resulted in technology that was effective, if 
  clunky and unattractive.
  THE END OF MECHANICAL FRIENDS
  Over the course of the First Age, the Solar Exalted had 
  built a wide assortment of automaton “companions,” ranging 
  from strange animate toys resembling rococo insects to auto-
  mated sexual companions indistinguishable from living mortals. 
  The Terrestrials destroyed vast throngs of golems and assorted 
  automata at the beginning of the Shogunate, not because they 
  didn’t know how to maintain them, but because they did not 
  trust that the Solars had not programmed their creations with 
  retributive contingency commands to be carried out in their 
  absence. (Some Solar artisans had actually done this, though 
  most had not, never dreaming that they could be brought low.) 
  Those automata that were not destroyed were deactivated, 
  placed in storage vaults and buried deep underground. Some 
  were left to guard the tombs of fallen Solars, a last offering of 
  grave goods to the annihilated Lawgivers.
  While few of these automata are likely to function after 
  many centuries of lying inert, Exalted savants might be clever 
  enough to glean their workings well enough to return them 
  to partial or even complete functionality.
  THE SPIRIT REBELLION
  Not all of the technology woes of the Shogunate were 
  directly tied to the loss of the Celestial Exalted and the sorcery 
  and Charms they wielded. A second tier of unanticipated 
  hardship plagued the new rulers of Creation because of the 
  Dragon-Bloods’ low position in the hierarchy of the Exalted. 
  The Solar Exalted alone were authorized by Heaven to rule 
  Creation. It was to them that the Unconquered Sun had 
  granted the title of Lawgivers, and they alone had the right 
  to command the spirits of Creation as they saw ﬁ t.
  When the little gods saw what the upstart Terrestrials had 
  done, they threw off their chains and rebelled. The agreements 
  between the spirit courts and the Solar Exalted were rendered 
  null and void by the mass assassination of the Lawgivers. All 
  manner of spirits deserted the objects and systems into which 
  they’d been bound, and they refused to gift the Dragon-Bloods 
  with their favor in any capacity. Heaven saw the Dragon-
  Blooded as barely Exalted, hardly above mortals in status or 
  worth. And given the blatancy and sheer hubris of their recent 
  mass regicide, Heaven saw ﬁ t to punish the Terrestrials through 
  its absolute lack of support or even acknowledgement.
  While many spirits mourned the passing of the Lawgiv-
  ers who had extended the borders of Creation and brought 
  stability to Creation, other spirits saw the overthrow of the 
  Solars as an opportunity to disregard the Exalted mandate 
  and hoard power in violation of celestial law.
  Dragon-Blooded sorcerers held extensive diplomatic 
  talks with spirit envoys, but to no effect. The spirits refused 
  to serve the Terrestrials, and their departure instantly plunged 
  the Shogunate into chaos as the infrastructure that had made 
  life so comfortable under the Lawgivers collapsed. Entire 
  systems ceased to function, hollowed out and left useless by 
  the spirits’ abdication of their former duties. Bad as things 
  were, they could have been worse. Only the behind-the-
  scenes maneuvering of the hidden Bronze Faction Sidereals 
  kept the spirits from turning against the unwitting Dragon-
  Blooded wholesale.
  Only the elementals still served the Terrestrials, and 
  they did only what they were bound to do by sorcery. Those 
  elementals who were serving the Solars out of choice (and 
  there were many of them) ﬂ ed as the other spirits did, and 
  the relatively few Dragon-Blooded sorcerers were able to keep 
  only the most crucial elemental-powered devices running 
  after a ﬂ urry of emergency summonings.
  This desertion was an insult of unthinkable proportion to 
  the Terrestrial Exalts, and they would not forgive it. To keep 
  spirits in line, members of the Bronze Faction created the 
  Immaculate Philosophy and went to the immense trouble of 
  teaching Immaculate monks Celestial martial arts, something 
  they’d never done before. By giving the infuriated Dragon-
  Blooded both a reason (the Immaculate Philosophy) and 
  the means (Immaculate martial arts) to injure spirits, the 
  
  19
  CHAPTER ONE • A HISTORY OF WONDERS
  Sidereals established a system to keep spirits in line—or at 
  least to address their most excessive behavior.
  The Dragon-Blooded could not claim divine mandate to 
  rule, but they could now get what they wanted through in-
  timidation tactics. “We can hurt you now, “the new approach 
  said, “and if you stay in line, nobody needs to get hurt.”
  Ultimately, the strong-arm tactics of the Immaculates 
  did them no favors. On the contrary, they cemented the 
  spirits’ impression that the Terrestrial Exalted were little 
  more than gloriﬁ ed thugs. The Immaculates kept the peace 
  and prevented spirits from wreaking havoc, but it cost them 
  dearly. Any lingering shreds of hope or respect that the spirit 
  courts may have had for the Shogunate died the moment a 
  band of Immaculate monks committed violence on a spirit 
  simply for accepting prayers from mortals.
  THE SILENCE OF THE GODS
  It was not just the departure of the small gods that 
  undermined Shogunate technology. The Solars had a long 
  history of asking the gods direct questions about how to in-
  novate on their technology. Vanileth, for example, had long 
  coached Celestial Exalts through the construction of increas-
  ingly powerful skyships, and there was no one anywhere in 
  Creation who knew more on the subject. The Celestial gods 
  steadfastly refused to talk with the Terrestrials, however. When 
  the gods and elementals alike gave the Dragon-Blooded the 
  cold shoulder, it had severe consequences for all manner of 
  technological research and maintenance.
  THE HIGH COST OF ATTRITION
  With the Solars gone and the gods aloof, there weren’t 
  just items that the Terrestrial Exalted couldn’t ﬁ x, there were 
  whole classes of technology they had no idea how to repair, 
  and they certainly couldn’t create more. Terrestrials were 
  meant only to operate machinery, so the Celestial Exalted 
  never paid attention to whether the Dragon-Blooded knew 
  how to maintain a great number of major pieces of machinery, 
  including the greatest factory-cathedrals.
  While the Terrestrials had these items, they used them 
  as long as they could, but when the items broke or ran down, 
  there was nothing the Dragon-Blooded could do to ﬁ x them. 
  As long as these items functioned properly, the Dragon-
  Blooded were ﬁ ne, but the moment they stopped working, 
  there was nothing to be done but to dispose of them, pref-
  erably after cannibalizing them for components that might 
  work with other models. Given that some of these items 
  were key artifacts around which the Exalted had built their 
  infrastructure, the Terrestrials had no alternative but to watch 
  their technological capacity wither away before their eyes. 
  (The majority of the Solar Deliberative’s luminous-winged 
  air ﬂ eet, for instance, was beyond the understanding of even 
  the most brilliant Terrestrial savant-engineer, as were the 
  most complex spirit-bearing warstriders.)
  To make matters worse, the constant skirmishes be-
  tween warring daimyos depleted stores of irreplaceable 
  technology much faster than anyone expected—much 
  of which could have been useful later to help defend the 
  Shogunate against the Fair Folk instead of feeding the egos 
  of Dragon-Blooded generals.
  The vast majority of the truly powerful artifacts left over 
  from the Solar Deliberative were expended within a century of 
  the Usurpation—if the Terrestrials knew about them. Caches 
  of assorted First Age goods were often hidden, either by ﬂ eeing 
  Solars or by Sidereals who didn’t want the Dragon-Blooded to 
  deplete every last stash of potent First Age technology. Lunars, 
  especially No Moons, also absconded with caches of artifacts 
  when they ﬂ ed to the periphery of Creation.
  During the Shogunate, the Sidereals alone retained 
  any remnant of the kind of production capacity enjoyed by 
  those living in the Age of the Solar Deliberative. They main-
  tained well-hidden factory-cathedrals throughout Creation 
  and had access to the grand factory-cathedrals in Yu-Shan, 
  although they didn’t necessarily have the skills to operate 
  them well (as most Sidereals learn to craft fate rather than 
  physical objects).
  CONTAGION AND COLLAPSE
  However calamitous the decrease in technological capa-
  bilities after the Usurpation was, the loss of knowledge that 
  followed the Great Contagion was orders of magnitude worse. 
  Primitive though it was compared to the days of the Solar De-
  liberative, the Dragon-Blooded Shogunate was still a mighty 
  technological power with hypersonic air ﬂ eets, mass-production 
  capability and a sophisticated industrial infrastructure.
  By the end of the Great Contagion and the wars with the 
  invading Fair Folk, however, calamity had reduced the belea-
  guered denizens of Creation to the role of mere scavengers. They 
  could only feed off the corpse of the First Age and hoard what 
  remnants of that past grandeur they could render functional. 
  Nine out of every 10 savants fell before the plague, and entire 
  technologies were lost as every last scholar of those disciplines 
  succumbed to the pandemic. While much information survived 
  in books, much was locked away in other, more occult media 
  formats, and data that can’t be recovered and deciphered—as 
  much of it couldn’t be—was of little help.
  During both the Solar Deliberative and Shogunate periods, 
  many research facilities were carefully relegated to the fringes 
  of Creation, where they could study the Wyld and where they 
  would do the least harm if their research went awry. These 
  facilities were the ﬁ rst to fall when the Wyld crashed over 
  Creation’s boundaries. Some of these facilities—the ones 
  outﬁ tted with reality engines (see p. 26) or created with Wyld 
  Cauldron Technology—could still survive as archipelagos of 
  reality out in the chaotic sea of the Wyld, and many of them 
  might still contain relics of the First Age.
  Entire cities fell before the dissolution brought by the 
  Wyld incursion, and every city that dissolved into chaos 
  represented another library, another factory-cathedral, an-
  other component of the Shogunate infrastructure that was 
  lost forever.
  
  20
  RESPLENDENT ARCHITECTURE II
  In the absence of the miraculous materials that had been used prior to the Usurpation, 
  architects were forced to pay more attention to functionality and structural integrity. Buildings 
  remained beautiful, but designs became much simpler and less ornate. Shogunate regulations 
  required that builders take geomancy into consideration, though, so the general harmony 
  of place and structure was maintained.
  In the violence that followed the Usurpation, dozens of manses were blasted from 
  Creation’s face by one side or the other, turning regions that had been stable for centuries 
  into demesnes once more. The Shogunate attended to these sites as time and resources 
  allowed, but the new government was stretched thin, and only those demesnes in heavily 
  populated locales were ever properly capped.
  The squared pyramid and ziggurat style of the High First Age was seen as vaguely hereti-
  cal, so that style was avoided in favor of pagodas and other building styles informed by 
  the sensibilities of the Immaculate Order.
  Lacking the powerful sorcery that allowed the Solars to raise perfectly constructed 
  manses with but a gesture, manse construction slowed to a crawl. Dragon-Blooded 
  savants knew how to repair and maintain existing manses, but capping a demesne was 
  never something they’d had to do unaided before the Usurpation. Rebuilding blasted 
  manses was a signiﬁ cant challenge to the Dragon-Blooded, and more than a few stories 
  circulate even still about some of their more catastrophic failures. The exceeding risk 
  made the Terrestrials extremely conservative in their approach to manse creation. 
  Whenever it was necessary to cap a demesne, the Terrestrials would build a new 
  manse in slavish imitation of the best-known architectural and geomantic 
  principles, primarily because they were fearful of changing tried-and-true 
  manse construction formulae absent Solar guidance.
  
  21
  CHAPTER ONE • A HISTORY OF WONDERS
  THE AGE OF SORROWS
  By the beginning of the Second Age, many mortals in 
  Creation had been reduced to leading the simplest agrarian 
  lifestyle, lacking even the basic necessities. Gone with the First 
  Age were key infrastructure elements such as water-treatment 
  and -puriﬁ cation plants, water-pumping stations, sewer sys-
  tems and all forms of Essence-channeling technology.
  People were left helpless as the tools that once made 
  life so comfortable ceased to function one after the other. In 
  many places, all technology was lost, and people were forced 
  to light and heat rooms with ﬁ re and to grow their own crops 
  if they wanted to eat. In some areas, even basic technologies, 
  such as rudimentary agriculture and ﬁ re-making, had to be 
  rediscovered. Literacy rates plummeted in the wake of the 
  Contagion as well, and books were used as fuel just as often 
  as they were used to provide knowledge. At that point, there 
  could be no question that a grim new Age was dawning.
  The average level of technological capability in the 
  Second Age is Iron Age technology, though technological 
  understanding varies widely from region to region. Some 
  regions remain stuck with Stone Age technology, oth-
  ers have advanced to Bronze Age, and a few (such as the 
  Haslanti League) are relatively technologically advanced, 
  though still far short of even Shogunate standards. Pockets 
  of Shogunate- and even Deliberative-era technology exist 
  even in this benighted Age, but any large caches are almost 
  certainly hoarded by gods or Exalts.
  Many of the First Age’s wonders remain hidden in ruins, 
  in the tombs created for the Solars and in archipelagos of 
  Creation adrift in the Wyld. Human scavengers who would 
  reap the old, powerful items from these places quickly learn 
  the hazards associated with treasure-hunting. While hunting 
  artifacts can make a man wealthy, it’s far more likely to make 
  him dead. Any place that hasn’t been raided yet is likely 
  well defended, either by active defenses (as is the case in 
  Denandsor or Mahalanka) or passive ones, such as the Wyld 
  or even simple geographical isolation. Untold wonders lie 
  even still beneath the Great Western Ocean, under the ice 
  of the North, behind the thickly matted trees of the East and 
  beneath the hot sands and lava ﬂ ows of the South.
  It is a sad fact in the Second Age that, as a general rule, 
  powerful wonders are something scavenged and maintained, 
  not built and reﬁ ned. Only Lookshy and the Blessed Isle possess 
  the requisite facilities to create even modest Shogunate-level 
  wonders. They continue to use and maintain these facilities 
  (at great expense) largely because each place considers itself 
  locked in an arms race with the other.
  THE EIGHT GIFTS OF 
  CELESTIAL GRACE
  The august Twilight makers crafted their great works to 
  function long beyond even their millennial spans. These they 
  built to last not just for years or decades, nor even to survive 
  just for mere centuries. Rather, the Children of Twilight built 
  the greatest of their works to withstand the inconceivable 
  weight of eternity itself. These awesome works have lasted 
  even into the Age of Sorrows, where they continue to function 
  with the ineffable precision built into them by their Twilight 
  creators. Wherever they stand, they are regarded as marvels, 
  remnants from an Age of miracles long lost.
  THE DAMS OF HOLLOW
  In the First Age, the river system of the River Provinces 
  lived or died according to the Exalts’ ability to manage the 
  water from the region’s dams. The city of Hollow was the 
  beneﬁ ciary of three of these dams, all of different design. Two 
  of these are now broken, or seemingly so, but the third, the 
  most advanced, continues to work ﬂ awlessly.
  The last dam of Hollow is a vast glyph of red jade in-
  stalled in the bottom of its river bed. This Essence-powered 
  ﬂ ood-control rune regulated the speed at which the river 
  ﬂ owed and the rate at which the water evaporated, speeding 
  it up during periods of heavy rainfall and slowing it down 
  during times of drought. This “dam” keeps the height of its 
  river constant for miles up and downstream, allowing the 
  river’s depth to vary by no more than three inches from a 
  harmonious ideal determined thousands of years ago by the 
  rune’s sorcerer-engineer.
  THE REALM DEFENSE GRID
  This artifact has shaped the face of the Second Age the 
  way a lathe shapes wood. Part early-detection system, part mass-
  communication device and part weapon, it was the Defense 
  Grid that allowed a single Dragon-Blooded ofﬁ cer to repel the 
  collective might of the Fair Folk armies and save Creation 
  from dissolution. It likewise allowed her to dominate the rest 
  of Creation and force other nations into subservience.
  The Realm Defense Grid is a linked system of manses 
  housing detection and weapons systems (see page 46 of 
  Exalted for more on the separate war manses).
  At the time of its creation in the High First Age, the 
  Defense Grid was intended primarily as an early warning and 
  defense system in case the Yozis or their spawn ever found 
  a way to surmount their bonds in Malfeas. It is unquestion-
  ably the most complex, most widespread and most powerful 
  artifact left over from the First Age. While other artifacts 
  are more personally useful, the Defense Grid retains the 
  power to defend Creation itself against Fair Folk, demons 
  and even the Yozis themselves—should anyone else master 
  the techniques for activating it.
  THE LIBRARY OF SPERIMIN
  If one place could be considered the center of learning 
  for the Old Realm, it would have been the grand city of 
  colleges called Sperimin. 
  Sperimin was hailed as the greatest center of learning in 
  all of Creation. Twelve great academies, each with campuses 
  spreading out from a central tower, provided places of the 
  
  22
  highest learning for mortal, Terrestrial and Celestial Exalt 
  alike. The 12 college towers were likewise arrayed, in harmo-
  nious radial symmetry, around the central hub of Sperimin, 
  a vast library tower shared by all 12 academies.
  The 12 great academies passed on learning in the ﬁ elds of 
  Agriculture, the Arts, Cosmology and Theology, Engineering 
  and Architecture, Government, History, Martial Arts, Medicine, 
  Military Science, Mining and Metallurgy, Sorcery and Thau-
  maturgy, and Trade. Numerous smaller academies teaching a 
  range of disciplines had campuses elsewhere in the city, but it 
  was the Great Twelve that held the position of honor at the 
  city’s center, and at the center of it all was the library.
  The great Library of Sperimin contained books, tomes, 
  scrolls, sutras and the crystal codices of the Dragon Kings. It held 
  the knowledge of the First Age in several redundant formats to 
  prevent any loss of that knowledge. Earth elementals maintained 
  the crystal-based tomes, while wood elementals maintained 
  scrolls and books written on plant-based media. Automata read 
  books to those who did not choose to read themselves, and they 
  could discuss the tome’s contents afterward. Gods of scholarship 
  and learning walked the halls of the library and blessed the 
  students—Exalted and mortal alike—in their efforts to master 
  the vast body of knowledge of their Age.
  Far more than just a repository of knowledge, however, 
  the great Library of Sperimin was a center for the study of 
  all the arts of all of the Solar Deliberative’s many cultures. 
  Dance, song, storytelling, puppetry, acting, music, cuisine, 
  military science, crafts and the like were studied, discussed 
  and analyzed in ﬁ ne detail. Cultural presentations from 
  around Creation were a nightly occurrence.
  After the Usurpation, Sperimin’s fortunes took a turn for 
  the worse. Kept there only by the honor of teaching the Celestial 
  Exalted, many of the gods and spirits were not interested in 
  staying on to teach thuggish and impertinent Dragon-Blooded. 
  Sperimin and its academies went from being the First Age center 
  of knowledge and learning to being a sorcery school managed 
  (secretly) by the Sidereals. The much-vaunted library went from 
  being one of the acknowledged wonders of the Age to being a 
  backwater research facility within the span of a century. The 
  knowledge was still there, but the body of individuals capable 
  of understanding much of the material (and willing to pay the 
  exorbitant tuition and do the difﬁ cult work) had dwindled. 
  Instead of a haven of learning and understanding, it became a 
  musty place where the old went to putter and remind themselves 
  of better times under the Solar Deliberative.
  With the de facto collapse of civilization caused by the 
  Great Contagion and the subsequent invasion of the Fair Folk, 
  Sperimin became a ghost city. The last librarians of the city 
  activated potent protective wards to protect the most valuable 
  collections before succumbing to the Great Contagion.
  While Sperimin was considered a great First Age city, it 
  was too far off the beaten path to attract a population again after 
  the Great Contagion. More often than not, Sperimin’s survivors 
  wound up in other cities in the East, usually Larjyn or Nexus.
  And then Raksi arrived.
  (NOT SO) RESPLENDENT ARCHITECTURE
  Geomantic concerns are no longer fundamental 
  as they were in more enlightened times. While many 
  people, Exalted and un-Exalted alike, retain some 
  passing understanding of geomancy and its importance 
  in building, the discipline has lost much of its former 
  importance and many of its more esoteric applications. 
  Most denizens of the Second Age build wherever neces-
  sity or convenience leads them, paying no attention 
  whatsoever to the ﬂ ow of Essence through the structure 
  or the local landscape. Construction is largely man-
  aged by workmen who are ignorant of simple safety 
  practices, much less the higher precepts of geomancy. 
  In an Age when shantytowns are such common sights, 
  geomantic considerations are considered luxuries or 
  grace notes, if at all.
  The situation has been better in the Realm until 
  recently. The ministers of the Realm once insisted on 
  proper geomantic building practices before granting 
  their leave to build any structure. A basic degree 
  of safety, aesthetic value and harmony with local 
  dragon lines was required of any building. Since the 
  disappearance of the Empress, some builders have 
  taken to bribing ofﬁ cials to overlook violations of 
  building codes, resulting in a spate of ugly, unsafe 
  and geomantically unsound construction. While 
  such ignorant building practices aren’t yet common, 
  they are becoming more so as the Realm’s chains of 
  command grow more corrupt.
  Outside of the Realm, the situation is much worse. 
  It is common to ﬁ nd ugly and inharmonious constructs 
  polluting the landscape with poisoned Essence ﬂ ows. 
  In the lawless frontier environment of the Threshold, 
  only Sijan and Lookshy still enforce strict building 
  codes with regard to geomancy.
  The last eight centuries have seen the creation 
  of very few new manses. Those that have been built 
  have scaled back considerably on beauty and fancy 
  Essence-channeling effects in favor of simple, workman-
  like functionality. These ediﬁ ces serve their function 
  adequately, but few of them do so with any elegance, 
  attempting to make up for their lack of grace with 
  sheer size. While they cap demesnes as well as any First 
  Age structure, their ability to generate hearthstones 
  represents the pinnacle of their Essence-channeling 
  functionality. No longer do manses moderate local 
  weather patterns or maintain the fertility of surrounding 
  ﬁ elds. While the principles of that kind of construc-
  tion can still be found in lore and libraries, building a 
  manse is an enormous undertaking, and few Second 
  Age architects are willing to risk deviating from the 
  most rudimentary elements of geomancy.
  
  23
  CHAPTER ONE • A HISTORY OF WONDERS
  Raksi, the Queen of Fangs, remembered Sperimin from the 
  First Age and found it to her liking. No one at the beginning 
  of the Second Age had the ability to keep her and her army of 
  apemen from taking over the city, and she has ruled as queen 
  ever since, long ago changing the name to Mahalanka on a 
  whim. Barbaric though she is, Raksi respects knowledge, and 
  she covets any knowledge she does not possess. This is fortunate 
  in that the Lunar queen has preserved the extensive knowledge 
  in the Library of Sperimin, though how anyone else will ever 
  gain access to it while she lives is a great mystery.
  THE BOOK OF THREE CIRCLES
  Within the Library of Sperimin—in its grand central cham-
  ber, in fact—can be found a wonder in its own right, a tome 
  containing the collected sorcerous lore of the High First Age. 
  This tome is the single most comprehensive source of spells in 
  Creation, containing hundreds of spells from all three circles.
  Technically speaking, The Book of Three Circles comprises 
  three separate books, each containing the spells of one circle of 
  sorcery. Each tome was considered a wonder of its own wondrous 
  Age. The pages of the books were made of woven spider silk, 
  and the bindings were sentient automata. Each volume knew 
  its own contents intimately and would assist a sorcerer who was 
  looking for a particular spell or piece of knowledge. Each volume 
  was also said to have its own distinct personality, though such 
  claims could be metaphorical as easily as literal.
  If commanded to do so by a Solar Exalt, The Book of Three 
  Circles would release a small swarm of iridescent white spiders 
  to spin a brand new copy of the pages containing a particular 
  spell or chapter. It was also rumored in the High First Age that 
  Solars had other access privileges not shared by lesser Exalts, 
  but the nature of these privileges has been lost to time.
  All three volumes are protected by the most sophisticated 
  defense and protection spells of the First Age. Attempts to 
  burn them are fruitless, as they consume the ﬁ re and store it 
  as Essence. The pages can be ripped only with a (Strength + 
  Athletics) total of 8 or better, and even then, the white spiders 
  in the binding repair any damage in the blink of an eye. This is 
  not to say that The Book of Three Circles is indestructible, just 
  that it would take a great deal of diligent work to destroy it.
  By order of the Solar Deliberative in the High First Age, 
  every worthwhile sorcery spell had to be entered into The 
  Book of Three Circles, so as to create a central clearinghouse 
  of sorcerous lore. To be included in The Book of Three Circles, 
  a sorcery spell had to be submitted to the Council of Savants 
  of the Academy of Sorcery in Sperimin, which consisted of 12 
  members, three from each Exalt type. At least one member 
  of the Council had to be able to replicate the results claimed 
  
  24
  by the spell’s creator before that spell could be included.
  Once accepted for inclusion, a spell was exhaustively 
  detailed in the pages of The Book of Three Circles in terms of 
  its Essence-manipulation techniques, the gestures necessary to 
  trigger the spell and any appropriate warnings. Actual spells 
  in the book take up relatively little space, but the scholarly 
  exegesis introducing each spell tends to run on for as many as 
  100 pages (in the case of a handful of Solar Circle Spells)
  In the First Age, any Celestial Exalted sorcerer who did 
  not contribute at least one spell to The Book of Three Circles 
  during her lifetime was considered an underachiever, and some 
  names appear with a frequency best described as legendary. The 
  famed sorcerer-engineer Oa-Té contributed no fewer than 27 
  spells to the book, 12 more than his nearest competitor.
  In the Second Age, The Book of Three Circles is among 
  Raksi’s most prized possessions. While she’s a fair Celestial 
  Circle sorcerer, the Queen of Fangs has mastered only a 
  small fraction of the spells in the book. She sees it largely 
  as a trophy, as opposed to the treasure trove of knowledge it 
  could be in the right hands.
  THE FIVE-METAL SHRIKE
  The skies of the South are the only known home of the 
  sentient wonder known as the Five-Metal Shrike. Part sky-
  ship, part terrible bird of prey, the Five-Metal Shrike streaks 
  through the sky leaving a wake of thunder behind it. 
  The Shrike is 50 yards long. Its golden body is an 
  orichalcum carapace over jade supports. It has an array of 
  ﬁ ve large starmetal wings on each side and four smaller wings 
  arranged around them. Its tail assembly comprises an array of 
  bladelike moonsilver stabilizers. Its First Age design gives the 
  Shrike a degree of maneuverability unlike any airship from 
  the Second Age. It can rotate in midair, change directions 
  instantaneously or even hover in place.
  The weapons systems of the Shrike, among the most lethal 
  remaining in Creation, are capable of burning entire civilizations 
  from the face of Creation. Blazing blue eyes dot the Shrike’s 
  orichalcum shell and cobalt lightning springs forth from them 
  when the Shrike wills it. Its greatest weapon, known as the 
  Godspear, can vaporize cities and level mountains. When the 
  Shrike opens its beak and activates the Godspear, a sun-bright 
  lance of light and ﬁ re pours from its mouth, and whatever it 
  touches, it turns to cinders and slag. There is no account of the 
  Shrike using its most powerful weapon since the turn of Age, 
  though that doesn’t necessarily mean it has not done so.
  Fair Folk and agents of the Yozis seem to be the Shrike’s 
  primary targets, although it occasionally destroys villages in 
  the South for reasons known only to itself.
  THE PENITENT OF THE LAP
  Far to the Southeast, a carved stone mountain—vari-
  ously called the Penitent, the Last Supplicant or simply the 
  Old Man—rises above the farming city known as the Lap, 
  which is located in the bowl formed by the giant’s stone legs 
  in full lotus position.
  The Penitent was created in the First Age as an enormous 
  public-works facility carved from elemental stone and made 
  into a dragon-line projector and Essence-ﬂ ow controller, a 
  control and concentration device to master the somewhat 
  erratic and dangerous Essence ﬂ ows of the South.
  Only Solar Exalted are authorized to enter the control 
  chamber located in the Penitent’s head, and it has not been 
  used since the Usurpation. The last sworn brotherhood of 
  Terrestrial Exalted to remember the true power of the Last 
  Supplicant used an array of Essence weapons to try to gain 
  access as the twin blows of the Great Contagion and the Fair 
  Folk invasion were devastating Creation. Even with those 
  mighty weapons, all the panicking Dragon-Bloods managed 
  to do was literally deface the Old Man, who now has only 
  black slag over large portions of its vast head, including 
  where the face would be. The Penitent’s stone body, how-
  ever, remains whole. (Moreover, it houses the sanctum for a 
  potent but addled ﬁ re elemental named Swan Dragon.) The 
  Penitent’s function has been all but forgotten by even the 
  wisest savants and lore-masters, though it’s probable that its 
  function is explained in a handful of books scattered across 
  the abandoned libraries of Creation.
  Within the control chamber behind the Penitent’s blasted 
  eyes is a meditation chamber. From here, the operator can 
  sense, strengthen or weaken dragon lines and even temporarily 
  increase or decrease the rating of a demesne (and thereby the 
  manse that caps it). To operate the Penitent, a Solar must take 
  a meditative posture, much like that of the Penitent itself, and 
  then, his player makes a (Perception + Occult) roll. Provided he 
  gets even one success, the Solar’s consciousness expands by orders 
  of magnitude, and he senses the ﬂ ow of Essence throughout the 
  whole of the South. Every dragon line and dragon nest, every 
  demesne and manse, every anomaly, ripple and ﬂ aw in the vast 
  pageant of ﬂ owing Essence becomes blazingly clear to him. He 
  senses where Creation is tainted by shadowlands and where the 
  Wyld is unraveling the threads of Creation.
  The uses to which the Penitent’s geomantic focusing 
  capabilities can be put are almost limitless. It essentially allows 
  the operator to selectively manage Essence ﬂ ows, tapping or 
  enhancing the ﬂ ow of Essence through Creation as necessary. 
  In the First Age, the Penitent was used to make manse con-
  struction safer, drawing off wild energies that might otherwise 
  put the construction crew at risk. By turning the heat up on 
  a Fire-aspected manse (i.e., by boosting its Essence ﬂ ow) the 
  Penitent can prepare it to power a factory-cathedral. Likewise, 
  an enemy’s manse can be tapped from a distance to impede 
  his Essence recovery and leave his hearthstones inert. Wyld 
  zones within Creation can be tapped until they implode and 
  disappear. Empowering a Solar-aspected manse thus prepares 
  the sacred structure to transmit powerful prayers to the Un-
  conquered Sun. These are simply the most common uses to 
  which the Penitent’s capabilities could be applied.
  As long as a manse is constructed well enough to manage 
  the increased Essence ﬂ ow directed to it by the Penitent, it’s 
  a stronger manse. Most First Age and Shogunate manses are 
  
  25
  CHAPTER ONE • A HISTORY OF WONDERS
  built to handle this kind of short-term ﬂ uctuation. Second 
  Age manses have a tendency to explode when the Essence 
  ﬂ ow increases dramatically, however, with all the catastrophic 
  effects associated with such an event.
  If the operator of the Penitent has malice as his intent, 
  he can even focus local dragon lines enough to destroy 
  First Age Manses. Doing so requires the dragon lines to be 
  dramatically intensiﬁ ed for a week per level of the manse 
  to be destroyed. Even then, though, some strategic First 
  Age Manses (such as those in the Realm Defense Grid) are 
  shielded from even the most extreme Essence ﬂ uctuations 
  and cannot be destroyed in this way.
  The Penitent can manipulate the ﬂ ow of Essence in this 
  way in a radius of just over 2,000 miles. While it could, in 
  theory, affect portions of the Blessed Isle, the geomancers of 
  the Heptagram (and their Sidereal advisors) would likely be 
  able to discern what was happening. Whether they could do 
  anything about it, on the other hand, is another story. The 
  Penitent is a single piece of solid volcanic rock carved from the 
  heart of a large mountain. The head alone is several miles in 
  diameter, and mostly solid. As such, it’s unlikely to fall to any 
  enemy not making ample use of powerful Essence weapons.
  In the First Age, it was considered proper to notify Heaven 
  before using the Penitent, as doing so sometimes resulted 
  in unexpected ﬂ uctuations in Essence ﬂ ows throughout 
  Creation. Heaven will know if the Penitent is being used, as 
  doing so effectively strums the threads on the Loom of Fate, 
  giving the pattern spiders ﬁ ts.
  THE GREAT OBSERVATORY OF RATHESS
  Deep in the jungles of the Southeast lies Rathess, the lost 
  city of the Dragon Kings, called the First City. Scholars whose 
  existence long predated the Exalted (or even humanity), the 
  Dragon Kings were loyal followers of the Unconquered Sun 
  and, later, of his Chosen as well. They fought alongside the 
  Exalted in the Primordial War and died by the thousands in 
  the service of the gods. The Great Observatory of Rathess, 
  and the Orrery of Arainthu within, were two of many gifts 
  created by the Children of Twilight for the Dragon Kings in 
  recognition of their faithful service and the terrible toll the 
  war took on their race.
  Twilight Solars and Dragon King savants labored many 
  years to create the Orrery. The Dragon Kings provided 
  the Exalted with records of the stars going back to the 
  primordial age before humanity, and the Solar Exalted 
  provided the inspiration, the expertise and the vast quan-
  tity of starmetal that makes up the device’s core. (At the 
  time, this starmetal was rumored to have come from the 
  remains of a powerful god, perhaps a sixth Maiden, felled 
  in the war against the Primordials.)
  The Orrery is a powerful device that creates predictive 
  models based on the movement of the stars across the heavens 
  as well as the ﬂ ow of Essence through Creation. By combining 
  astrology and geomantic divination techniques, the Orrery 
  of Arainthu is far more accurate than astrology by itself. The 
  uncanny accuracy of its astrological predictions was legendary 
  among those who studied the lore of the stars and planets, 
  and even the Sidereal Exalted were known to covet it. It is 
  said that the Orrery of Arainthu allowed the Dragon Kings 
  to predict the Great Contagion and the invasion of the Fair 
  Folk, and that the Sidereal Exalted—who failed to see either of 
  those developments—mocked them for their “false” prophecy 
  through their mouthpiece, the Immaculate Order.
  Forewarned was not, in that case, forearmed, however, 
  and the Dragon Kings were able to do nothing to stave off 
  either the Contagion or the Fair Folk invasion. The double 
  catastrophe decimated their numbers as it did humanity’s, 
  and given their already dwindling population, the end of the 
  First Age was very nearly marked by the end of the Dragon 
  Kings themselves. The luckiest of their people went into 
  long hibernation in crystal cocoons, but their numbers are 
  few. Rathess is now an overgrown ruin, and its few remaining 
  Dragon Kings are mindless monsters.
  The Great Observatory itself is an enormous dome of 
  highly polished starmetal beneath which blazing motes of Es-
  sence mimic the slow dance of the sun, moon, stars and comets 
  in their travels through the sky. Viewers need only gaze up into 
  the dome to ﬁ nd themselves in the heavens, voyeurs amidst the 
  Celestial gods themselves. Constantly in motion, the projected 
  heavenly bodies of the observatory reﬂ ect the motions of their 
  heavenly counterparts so perfectly that gazing up at the true 
  sky is redundant. More convenient yet, the observatory has 
  settings that allow its users to magnify, clarify or hide parts of 
  the sky they wish to view in more detail or not at all.
  One setting, known only to the greatest masters of the 
  place, allowed for very faint and often obscured viewing 
  of wan and unfamiliar constellations. This foreign sky was 
  (and would remain) unknown even to the First Age’s most 
  knowledgeable astrologers and navigators, but the Dragon 
  Kings knew it for what it was: a reﬂ ection of the dark stars 
  of the Underworld, as driven through the sluggish heavens 
  of the dead by the Calendar of Setesh.
  Within the great complex of buildings that comprises the 
  Great Observatory is the other astonishing marvel of Rathess: 
  the Orrery of Arainthu, an immense clockwork model of the 
  heavens with all of the components reproduced in miniature. 
  When operational, a brilliantly glowing human-sized Sun 
  crosses through the “sky,” a metamorphosing Luna dances 
  through her phases in radiant silver, and each of the Maidens, 
  aglow in her corresponding color, goes about her celestial 
  business. Numerous stars, comets and other celestial bodies 
  also take part in this empyreal ballet, and it is said that the 
  patterns of these heavenly bodies change and adapt to one 
  another just like their heavenly counterparts do.
  In the Second Age, the Orrery of Arainthu is quiescent 
  most of the time, although it springs to action brieﬂ y before 
  and during important astrological events—violent collisions of 
  comets, solar eclipses and the birth and death of stars, among 
  others. Although it has not been tuned or attended to since the 
  turn of the Second Age, its model of the heavens is still without 
  
  26
  ﬂ aw when it works, but that happens with diminishing frequency. 
  Returning the Orrery to perfect working order would take time, 
  expertise, money and Essence, all in large quantities, and should 
  the task be mishandled, the device could be ruined.
  The Bronze and Gold Factions of the Sidereal Exalted 
  both have their eyes on the Great Observatory of Rathess 
  and the Orrery of Arainthu, though neither side is willing 
  to break the long-held détente over the artifacts.
  THE TERRAFORMING ENGINES OF OPAL SPIRE
  At the pinnacle of the First Age, the Solar Deliberative was 
  known for its massive terraforming projects, works carried out in 
  facilities located on the fringes of Creation to expand the world’s 
  frontiers. The largest of these was the city known as Opal Spire, 
  named after the iridescent terraforming tower at its center.
  The opal spire itself was a massive ﬂ oating tower some 700 
  feet high with a chamber for a Solar pilot at its pinnacle. This 
  tower was a shimmering, iridescent, nacreous white when active, 
  and it was often hailed as one of the most beautiful and utilitar-
  ian objects ever devised during the High First Age. The slowly 
  hovering spire contained several batteries of reality engines, as 
  well as incredibly arcane devices capable of amplifying its pilot’s 
  Wyld-Shaping Technique. Also housed in the tower was an 
  armada of skyships ﬁ tted with Wyld-stabilizing artifacts.
  When deployed, the skyships would emerge from the 
  tower to range out into the Wyld to calm the chaos. The 
  spire’s Solar pilot would then use an ampliﬁ ed version of either 
  Wyld-Shaping Technique or Wyld Cauldron Technology to 
  sculpt the chaos into useful terrain. The tower would remain 
  in the center of the new land until the last of the region’s Wyld 
  energies had been absorbed, at which point it would return to 
  its base in the city of Opal Spire to recharge atop its manse.
  Once the newly sculpted terrain was stable, powerful 
  Sidereals would then use Neighborhood Relocation Scheme 
  to drag developing communities into these new lands in order 
  to consolidate Creation’s gains.
  The city of Opal Spire developed around the manse that 
  powered the terraforming tower, and it eventually grew into 
  a signiﬁ cant naval and port city and a hub for most of the 
  sea and air travel in the North.
  In the Second Age, the city of Opal Spire exists under 
  dozens of feet of snow, and even its enormous spire is hidden 
  by driving ﬂ urries and a thick coat of ice. The city effectively 
  died during the Usurpation when a Solar sorcerer summoned 
  the behemoth Vorvin-Derlin, the Slayer of Armies (as al-
  lowed by the terms of the Yozis’ surrender agreement), to 
  destroy his Dragon-Blooded attackers. That it did, but only 
  after ripping apart the sorcerer, who had not taken his severe 
  injuries into account as he performed his summoning. The 
  Slayer of Armies was true to its name, and before falling into 
  a long sleep, it massacred every last citizen of Opal Spire who 
  could not be evacuated.
  Opal Spire likely remains one of the best-preserved First 
  Age cities—those parts that remain. While the battle between 
  the demon and the Dragon-Blooded lasted for some days and 
  REALITY ENGINES
  Among the many complex components of the 
  terraforming tower of Opal Spire are a battery of reality 
  engines, devices that stabilize (or soften) reality. In 
  the First Age, reality engines were used to crystallize 
  portions of the Wyld into temporary stability to make 
  it safer and easier for Solar terraforming engineers to 
  use Charms such as Wyld-Shaping Technique and 
  Wyld Cauldron Technology. They could also reinforce 
  or defend areas that had been dragged into the bor-
  der marches of the Wyld by Sidereal engineers using 
  Neighborhood Relocation Scheme.
  In the hands of a skilled reality engineer (a Solar Exalt 
  with Lore, Occult and Craft [Reality] of at least 6), reality 
  engines can slowly weave Wyld zones into solid Creation 
  or soften portions of Creation into Wyld zones.
  The discipline to master reality engines is, thank-
  fully, not native to most Fair Folk. Still, they have 
  repeatedly tried to use reality engines to unweave tracts 
  of Creation, with mixed results. Either way, the conse-
  quences are catastrophic: if not to Creation, then to the 
  Fair Folk, who can be utterly and annihilated if they 
  make a mistake at the controls of these devices.
  deﬁ nitely inﬂ icted property damage before the Terrestrials 
  retreated, much of the city remained well preserved beneath 
  its mantle of ice and snow throughout the Shogunate. Having 
  been abandoned since the Usurpation, it never suffered the 
  scavenging and depredations of the Shogunate or the anti-Solar 
  propaganda campaign that befell the cities of Creation.
  Much of the city (but none of the terraforming machin-
  ery) was lost when the boundaries of Creation fell in the 
  onslaught by the Fair Folk that followed the Great Contagion. 
  Creation gives way to the Bordermarches of the Wyld just 
  north of the city’s center, though the reality engines in the 
  tower have kept them from creeping any closer.
  While Opal Spire contains vast storehouses of First 
  Age technology, few can survive the climate long enough to 
  explore. The air temperature this far north rarely exceeds 70 
  degrees below zero, and the freezing fog of the North often 
  takes it much lower.
  WONDERS FORGOTTEN OR LOST
  Not all the great wonders that survived into the Second 
  Age of Man are known for what they are. Some have withstood 
  the passage of centuries largely intact but, for whatever reason, 
  are not functioning as ﬂ awlessly as the Eight Gifts of Celestial 
  Grace. Were some enterprising savant to learn of these dormant 
  wonders, many could still be restored to their full functionality 
  and splendor—with a deep understanding of First Age lore and 
  a great deal of diligent effort. Only three of these compromised 
  wonders are listed here, but many more dot the face of Creation, 
  waiting silently for either restoration or ﬁ nal collapse.
  
  27
  CHAPTER ONE • A HISTORY OF WONDERS
  THE HOLY CITY OF ONDAR SHAMBAL
  Founded by one of the most powerful Zenith monks of 
  the Solar Deliberative era as a great monastery city, the city 
  called Ondar Shambal was designed with the utmost attention 
  to geomancy and the sacredness of its architecture.
  The city was built as a solid prayer to the Unconquered 
  Sun. Every white granite block was carved, blessed and put in 
  place by a Zenith Caste Solar with assistance from Exalted, 
  mortal and Dragon King monks. The city was round, like the 
  sun and ringed with a high, thick wall to remind the city’s 
  residents of the separation of secular and sacred space.
  The city’s beautiful white buildings were laid out in a 
  mandala pattern intended to please the eye of the Uncon-
  quered Sun, the god to whom the city was dedicated, as he 
  passed over the city each day.
  Such was the architecture of Ondar Shambal that the 
  geomantic ﬂ ow ampliﬁ ed prayers and made them reverberate 
  deliciously in the gods’ ears.
  By itself, any one of the city’s three spiritual advan-
  tages—the geomantically innovative and spiritually resonant 
  architecture, the block-by-block blessing of the city’s every 
  building, and the mandala-layout of the city—would have 
  enhanced the prayers of the city’s inhabitants signiﬁ cantly, 
  thereby making them inherently more pleasurable to any deity 
  to whom they were addressed. All three of these factors in 
  concert resulted in a gestalt effect that ampliﬁ ed the power of 
  prayers by orders of magnitude. These potent entreaties—in 
  the form of songs, chants, prayer gongs and the like—could be 
  heard throughout the city and, sometimes, for miles beyond 
  the massive walls, as a constant, comforting murmur.
  In essence, Ondar Shambal was a prayer given the form 
  of a city.
  Ondar Shambal is listed as a lost wonder because the 
  southern portion of the city sustained signiﬁ cant damage during 
  the Usurpation, breaking the mandala pattern of the city and 
  drastically weakening the city’s power to amplify the prayers 
  of its citizens. By the time of the Great Contagion, no one 
  remembered that Ondar Shambal had been built as a prayer-
  city, and in the chaos that followed the Fair Folk invasion, no 
  one gave any thought to the city’s reconﬁ gured layout, and 
  much of the city’s architectural power was quietly lost.
  In the Second Age, the Holy City of Ondar Shambal is 
  the very secular city of Whitewall. If an enterprising Solar 
  were to discover the city’s history and restore the integrity of 
  the city’s mandala design, it might well be possible to restore 
  one of the spiritual wonders of the First Age.
  LUTHE, THE DROWNED CITY
  Once there was a golden fabric that rippled atop the 
  oceans south and east of the city now known as Abalone. 
  This golden fabric consisted, not of threads, but of buildings 
  connected with cables—orichalcum temple domes, adamant 
  
  28
  spires and great bronze market halls—and this expanse of 
  ﬂ oating buildings stretched for miles, bobbing gently on the 
  waters of the great ocean. This great golden city that rode 
  the waves was called Luthe.
  Powerful magic kept the city ﬂ oating and stable even 
  during the most violent hurricanes. Luthe was not anchored 
  to the bottom, and the secret of its integrity was that it did not 
  ﬁ ght the motion of the waves, but rode it. The city powered 
  itself by absorbing the tumultuous motion of the water and 
  transforming it into light and stability.
  Luthe’s economy rested on a tripod of industries: ﬁ shing, 
  ship-building and tourism. It was the largest of the Solar Deliber-
  ative’s naval bases, but it was also known as an oceanic paradise 
  where the Exalted and other wealthy individuals could cast off 
  the burden of duty for a few paradisiacal weeks at a time.
  When the Usurpation came, Luthe’s Solar queen, Anyama, 
  sabotaged the city and sent it plummeting nearly 5,000 feet 
  to the ocean’s ﬂ oor, where a strike force of Water-aspected 
  Terrestrials, forewarned by Sidereal advisors, launched their 
  ambush. None of the Dragon-Blooded survived the encounter, 
  but neither did Queen Anyama ever reach the surface.
  In the Second Age, Anyama’s throne supports only one 
  burden: the enormous moonsilver trident Islebreaker, which 
  belongs to the legendary Lunar Admiral Leviathan. The ad-
  miral himself still swims the waters around Luthe, where he 
  and his beastmen hunt kraken and play at games of war.
  Luthe is resting over a demesne that has kept the city’s 
  Essence batteries full. A savant with the will and the know-
  how could, theoretically, raise most of the city to the surface, 
  although the difﬁ culty of such an act would be entirely in 
  the hands of the Storyteller. (As a suggestion, the raising of 
  Luthe would entail an extended dramatic action and require 
  no fewer than 100 successes to achieve.)
  THE SENATE CHAMBER OF THE SOLAR DELIBERATIVE
  At Creation’s physical and intellectual center for most 
  of the First Age, the Senate Chamber of the Solar Delibera-
  tive was responsible for housing the collected assembly of 
  700 Celestial Exalted demigods and their Dragon-Blooded 
  footmen and lieutenants.
  Meru, the city from which the gods ruled Creation before 
  the Primordial War, was located on the slopes of what is now 
  known as the Imperial Mountain. It was a place of ﬂ awless 
  architecture and wonders inconceivable in the grim Second 
  Age. Amidst this perfection and splendor was the Senate 
  Chamber of the Solar Deliberative, the capital of Creation.
  There was no more beautiful place in Creation than 
  Meru, and the chamber of the Deliberative was the pinnacle 
  of that perfection. The chamber was formal without being 
  pompous, ornate without being gaudy, and elegant without 
  being ostentatious. The gods of architecture themselves had 
  praised its design—and well they should, since it was the 
  gods who had originally built Meru.
  The Senate Chamber was enormous, containing 700 
  seats for members of the Deliberative and galleries for many 
  more. While it was the Solars whose votes mattered, the 
  Lunar and Sidereal Exalted were allowed to speak and weigh 
  in on issues of import to the Deliberative.
  At the center of the Chamber was the circle of seats called 
  the Solar Circle, sometimes called the Small Circle, reserved 
  for the Chosen of the Sun. The skies were perpetually clear 
  over Meru, and the weather was always balmy and perfect, 
  by order of the Solar Deliberative and the Celestial gods in 
  Yu-Shan. (As one Deliberative member phrased it, “Rain is 
  for farmers.”) The seats of the Solar Circle, accordingly, were 
  beneath the open sky, that all they said and did in that chamber 
  might be observed by the Unconquered Sun himself. 
  The Great Circle surrounding the Small Circle comprised 
  the so-called Crescent of the Lunar Society and the unnamed 
  arc of Sidereal advisors.
  Unassigned gallery seating above and behind the Delib-
  erative body was reserved for the daimyos, favored members of 
  the Terrestrial host, and gods and mortals waiting to address 
  the Deliberative.
  While it was perfectly acceptable to use Charms in the 
  Chamber, doing so caused a holographic glyph to appear over 
  the user’s head that identiﬁ ed all known Charms. This pre-
  vented Charms from being used to tamper with Deliberative 
  business. Unknown Charms were identiﬁ ed as such, though 
  using unknown Charms (or sorcery) in the Deliberative 
  Chamber was considered rude.
  While there was room for all 700 Celestial Exalted, the 
  truth was that the entire Deliberative met very infrequently. 
  The presence of representatives from the Lunar Society and 
  the Sidereal advisory body wasn’t strictly necessary except 
  during highly formal occasions or times of great conﬂ ict.
  Each seat in the Deliberative Chamber was reserved for the 
  bearer of a particular Exalted Essence. Once a new Celestial had 
  been properly educated in the ways of the Chosen, he would 
  enter the Deliberative Chamber and go to the seat reserved 
  for his Essence. There, he would take his seat and commit a 
  mote to the console in front of him. Doing so, he would see 
  ﬂ oating before him his personal dynasty, the names and titles 
  of all his prior incarnations, and his rulership station (as the 
  seats were called) would greet him accordingly. (“Welcome 
  Tanrio, Zenith Caste Chosen of the Unconquered Sun, Incar-
  nation of the Essence of Ur-Dai-Ken, Supreme Hierophant of 
  Meru, Incarnation of the Essence of Ré-Kia, Destroyer of the 
  Primordial Lykkennan, the Cavern That Devours Cities.”) It 
  would make this announcement only the ﬁ rst time the young 
  Exalt took his seat, as a formality, though the individual could 
  ask to hear it again any time he chose. Accordingly, a Solar 
  who restored the Deliberative Chamber could learn a great 
  deal about her prior incarnations, although it might take some 
  time, as a seat is attuned to only one Essence.
  The technology of the Deliberative Chamber was such 
  that it could project the debates held there throughout 
  Creation for all to see. The Realm Defense Grid could even 
  be remotely accessed from the Solar Deliberative Chamber, 
  though this was done only in times of crisis.
  
  29
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  
  30
  CHAPTER TWO
  CHARACTER
  CREATION
  CHAPTER TWO
  CHAPTER TWO
  THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN 
  THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN 
  BARQUE
  BARQUE
  At the start of the Primordial War, the Exalted were 
  a new army, having only recently been elevated from the 
  ignorant and inﬁ rm masses of humanity who still labored as 
  a servitor race beneath the reign of the Dragon Kings. Apart 
  from their travel Charms, the chief modes of conveyance 
  employed by the earliest Chosen were actual steeds, with 
  the comparative handful of artifact vehicles donated by the 
  Mountain Folk reserved for the most critical battles. In their 
  ingenuity, the artisans of the Exalted swiftly replicated and 
  expanded upon their borrowed technology, adapting the 
  designs into troop transports and artifact weapons platforms. 
  By the end of the war, the Exalted ﬁ elded a broad range of 
  vehicles on land, by sea and even through the air. Progress 
  only accelerated in the dawn of the First Age, as the Exalted 
  no longer had to build factory-cathedrals in remote or de-
  fensible locations in order to protect them from the hordes 
  of the Primordials. Instead, the Chosen built vast complexes 
  of interlinked facilities, each dedicated to mass-producing a 
  single type of component. Out of these industrial cities arose 
  the Skyﬂ eet of the Deliberative, dwarﬁ ng even the Aerial 
  Legion of Yu-Shan in its raw destructive power. Below, the 
  earth shook beneath the footfalls of warstriders (see pp. 136-
  160) and heavier machines optimized for construction and 
  sieges, while the whole of the West’s vast oceans glittered 
  with a navy of nigh-unsinkable warships and colossal trade 
  vessels patrolling between the archipelagos.
  The widespread destruction wreaked during the 
  Usurpation destroyed much of the industrial infrastructure 
  needed to maintain and improve the more advanced forms 
  of transportation the Exalted used. Worse, the pinnacles 
  of technology—self-maintaining devices containing in-
  tegrated automaton components—were programmed to 
  serve only their Celestial masters, so the either fought in 
  defense of them or powered down in protest of the coup. 
  The Dragon-Blooded Shogunate wisely decommissioned 
  all sentient vehicles created by the Solars that they could 
  ﬁ nd as part of their Wyld Hunt, scavenging what they could 
  for spare parts. Without the requisite factory-cathedrals 
  
  31
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  creating replacement parts for those that wore out, how-
  ever, the Terrestrials could only conserve their dwindling 
  stockpiles, keeping their best equipment carefully stowed 
  in hangars between uses. Internecine ﬁ ghting throughout 
  the Shogunate period squandered much of what remained, 
  and the hordes of the Fair Folk shattered the rest during the 
  Contagion. As of the Time of Tumult, the Realm keeps its 
  meager stockpiles of artifact vehicles in reserve for the most 
  serious engagements. Lookshy, meanwhile, ﬁ elds its larger 
  arsenal using a model of planned obsolescence, knowing 
  full well that it cannot hope to maintain effective First Age 
  tactics for more than another millennium at absolute best, 
  or perhaps a century or two of heavy warfare.
  VEHICLE TRAITS
  All First Age vehicles have a number of special traits 
  appropriate to their function, each of which is explained 
  as follows:
  Speed: This is the craft’s top sustainable speed, with 
  the number before the slash given in yards per tick and 
  the second number in miles per hour. During mass combat 
  or other situations in which ticks pass at a rate of one per 
  minute rather than one per second, multiply the ﬁ rst speed 
  value by 60 to obtain the vehicle’s mass combat speed. Note 
  that, except where noted, vehicles cannot generally dash, 
  or rather, the speed given is the maximum speed possible, 
  and the usual penalties for dashing are compensated for by 
  the need for the pilot’s attention.
  Maneuverability: This trait gauges the overall respon-
  siveness of a vehicle to its pilot. In most cases, this value is 
  given as a positive number, indicating the number of dice 
  added to all rolls made to control the craft. Half this value 
  (rounded up) is its Dodge DV against attacks while piloted 
  (vehicles lack a Parry DV). Note that some ungainly devices 
  actually impose a penalty on piloting rolls, as represented 
  by a negative Maneuverability. The letter following a craft’s 
  maneuverability (R or S) indicates whether the craft is pi-
  loted using a pool of (Dexterity + Ride) or (Wits + Sail).
  For some vehicles, characters must have a minimum 
  rating in certain Abilities in order to pilot them at all. These 
  minimums are provided after Maneuverability in parenthe-
  ses. Most commonly, the Ability in question is Sail or Ride, 
  though some sophisticated devices require minimum Lore to 
  understand the complex controls. For every dot by which a 
  character fails to meet the minimum Abilities required for 
  piloting, subtract two from the vehicle’s Maneuverability. 
  Pertinent specialties add to Ability scores to meet these 
  minimum requirements.
  Endurance: Some vehicles have limitations on their 
  operation, whether due to limited power cells or fuel, 
  hearthstone requirements or perhaps components that 
  must be maintained to avoid degrading performance or 
  even total systems failure. Any such limits are explained 
  after the Endurance header.
  Crew: This trait has two values separated by a slash. 
  The ﬁ rst is the crew complement necessary for standard 
  operation. For each crewmember the vessel is short of this 
  number, its Maneuverability drops by one. The second 
  number is the minimum crew. If a vessel has fewer than 
  this number of crew members aboard, it cannot operate 
  at all. Some sophisticated vehicles have minimum traits 
  in parenthesis after crew, exactly as with Maneuverability. 
  Crewmembers must meet these requirements in order to 
  count as crew, reﬂ ecting the need for specialized training to 
  operate extremely sensitive and elaborate controls.
  Cargo: If a vehicle can accommodate passengers beyond 
  its crew complement, such will be listed here. If a vehicle 
  is operating on a skeleton crew, add the unused portion of 
  the crew complement to the maximum passengers it can 
  accommodate. Vehicles that can carry a speciﬁ c weight or 
  size or cargo also have this information in the Cargo head-
  ing. Storytellers should remember that these values aren’t 
  ironclad. Squeezing a couple of extra bodies into a passen-
  ger liner capable of holding 100 people is not a big deal, 
  though some of the bunks will be more crowded than usual. 
  In contrast, doubling the passenger manifest might not be 
  physically possible, but even if it is, the conditions will be 
  extremely cramped and uncomfortable and quite possibly 
  unsanitary and conducive to disease. Logic and reason should 
  guide Storyteller adjudication of overload effects, whether 
  penalizing Maneuverability or Speed or both.
  Armor: A vehicle’s Armor is given as standard soak 
  values separated by a slash. Note that vehicles do not have a 
  natural soak, and as such, effects that depend upon armored 
  soak apply in full to a vehicle’s Armor (such as piercing 
  attacks halving the protection value). Like all inanimate 
  objects, artifact vehicles have a Hardness equal to their 
  soak, allowing them to ignore most lesser attacks. Unlike 
  with inanimate objects, however, damage in excess of soak 
  is rolled rather than automatically applied. In addition, 
  magical effects that do not damage objects made of the ﬁ ve 
  magical materials have no affect on artifact hulls.
  Health Levels: Since most vehicles are not alive, 
  they do not have health levels in the strictest sense of the 
  word. Their structural integrity is analogous, however, so 
  the name remains constant. A vehicle’s health levels are 
  not differentiated by wound penalties, but instead use the 
  following table:
  Health Level (Abbreviation) 
  Effects
  Undamaged (U) 
  None; operates normally.
  Minor Damage (M) 
  Half Speed and Maneu-
  verability (rounded up); 
  -1 external penalty to 
  piloting rolls.
  Critical Damage (C) 
  Speed drops to one quar-
  ter normal rate (rounded 
  up); Maneuverability 0 (if 
  normally positive); -3 ex-
  ternal penalty to piloting 
  
  32
  rolls; consecutively un-
  broken successful piloting 
  actions required to avoid 
  automatically crashing.
  Inoperative (I) 
  Ceases functioning. See 
  Inoperative effects by 
  craft type.
  Destroyed (D) 
  The vehicle immediately 
  explodes, crashes, falls 
  apart or otherwise suffers 
  violent destruction.
  Vehicles must be repaired to regain lost health levels 
  (see p. 6).
  Weapons: The integrated armament of a particular 
  vehicle type (if any) is listed in standard attack formats. 
  Artifact weapons explained elsewhere in this book are 
  simply listed with an appropriate page number.
  RULES
  Inoperative Vehicles: Airborne vehicles reduced to an 
  “I” health level plummet to the earth. Unless a vehicle is 
  ﬂ ying extremely low to the ground (Storyteller’s discretion), 
  this crash should happen only after every passenger takes 
  at least one action, providing the opportunity for heroic 
  last-ditch piloting or bailing out and jumping to safety, etc. 
  Turning an impending crash into a rough landing requires a 
  difﬁ culty 5 piloting roll with the pilot’s ﬁ nal remaining action. 
  Passengers still suffer 10B from a rough landing, while the 
  vehicle suffers an additional 30B, but this is usually much 
  less damage than an actual crash would inﬂ ict.
  Ground vehicles reduced to Inoperative grind to a halt. 
  In an environment with minimal obstacles (an empty plain 
  or dune), this carries no further risks. In a forest or urban 
  area, however, the pilot must use her next action after the 
  vehicle becomes Inoperative to avoid crashing (difﬁ culty 
  4). Success averts all ill effects.
  Aquatic vehicles on open water rarely face immediate 
  obstacles that could prompt a crash, but the danger still 
  presents itself in shallow water, near reefs, in the midst of 
  a packed naval battle, traveling down winding rivers and 
  so forth. Treat aquatic vehicles as ground-borne, with the 
  added danger of taking on water (see “Sinking”).
  Destruction/Crashing: Vehicles that crash or suffer suf-
  ﬁ cient damage to reduce them to their “D” level are destroyed. 
  All passengers suffer dice of lethal damage equal to the vehicle’s 
  total maximum health levels, as does anything (or anyone) into 
  which the vehicle crashes. Particularly large vehicles powered 
  by Essence reactors might explode, inﬂ icting signiﬁ cantly 
  greater damage over a larger area. The capacity for explosion 
  is listed in the Other Notes section as appropriate.
  
  33
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  Ramming: In order to ram a target, a vehicle must 
  be capable of reaching the target during its pilot’s action. 
  Ramming is an attack itself, using the appropriate piloting 
  pool modiﬁ ed by Maneuverability as normal with Speed 
  6 and Rate 1. The attack can be dodged, but it cannot be 
  parried without an extraordinary stunt. If successful, the 
  attack inﬂ icts damage to the target and ramming vehicle 
  as if from a crash. Some vessels are built with reinforced 
  ramming prows, providing a greater soak for the ramming 
  vehicle than usual.
  Sinking: While vehicles do not bleed and suffer further 
  injury from damage the way living beings do, aquatic ves-
  sels do the reverse. Once a ship reaches its Minor damage 
  health levels, it suffers one die of unsoakable lethal damage 
  per minute until the hole is plugged and made watertight. 
  At Critical damage or worse, water pours in more quickly, 
  applying levels instead of dice. Once Destroyed, a ship’s 
  hull is so riddled with holes that it breaks apart, sinking 
  within a minute.
  Emergency repairs require the appropriate raw materi-
  als on hand and a successful (Wits + Craft [Wood]) roll at 
  difﬁ culty 3 (while suffering Minor damage) or difﬁ culty 5 
  (while suffering Critical damage or worse). Such repairs take 
  one miscellaneous action in long ticks or ﬁ ve minutes out 
  of combat. A separate repair roll must be applied for each 
  attack that inﬂ icted damage, though multiple breaches do 
  not generally increase the rate at which water pours in.
  Compartmentalized First Age hulls suffer only a single 
  level of damage per damage incident from taking on water. 
  Therefore, a compartmentalized vessel that suffers damage 
  to bring it to a Minor damage level has one die of lethal 
  damage rolled after a minute, and then no further water 
  damage. If reduced again to another Minor damage level, 
  the ship takes another level of lethal damage after a minute, 
  then nothing, et cetera.
  Attacking Aerial Vehicles: Ground-based opponents 
  cannot generally attack airborne vehicles in close combat 
  unless the vehicles swoop very low (such as to allow a pilot 
  or passenger to strike with a close combat attack of her own). 
  Use the rules for aerial targets on page 154 of Exalted for 
  such circumstances.
  Piloting Rolls: Characters do not need to make pi-
  loting rolls to operate a vehicle through smooth terrain 
  (or while motionlessly hovering/ﬂ oating) provided they 
  maintain a smooth trajectory and travel at half maximum 
  speed or less. Turning or otherwise maneuvering requires 
  a piloting roll, most often at standard difﬁ culty, though 
  higher for hairpin turns, barrel rolls with aerial vehicles 
  and so forth. In rough conditions or while traveling faster 
  than half maximum speed, Storytellers may require suc-
  cessive piloting rolls at regular (or irregular) intervals 
  with a variable difﬁ culty appropriate to the situation. 
  For example, handling a boat or skyship in heavy winds 
  is difﬁ culty 3, while an actual storm is difﬁ culty 5, and 
  a hurricane can reach 7+. Landing a skyship, docking a 
  boat or parking a ground-based vehicle in a speciﬁ c spot 
  also requires a piloting roll. In an effort to move stories 
  along, Storytellers may reduce the success or failure of 
  long-distance travel to a single roll at a higher difﬁ culty 
  than normal, reﬂ ecting the cumulative success or failure 
  of many rolls. Storytellers should do so only when there 
  is no real danger or hardship to the travel, though.
  Failing a piloting roll means that the vehicle is out of 
  control or else cannot succeed in the maneuver. A failed 
  landing of a skyship is a rough landing (see p. 32), while a 
  failed docking might mean the ship accidentally rams the 
  dock. By contrast, characters can usually attempt a failed 
  action again in short order, though retry penalties accumulate 
  for consecutive failures normally (see Exalted, p. 121).
  During combat, a pilot must make piloting rolls with 
  each action (or must at least make piloting rolls as part of 
  a ﬂ urry). Failure to do so means the pilot has lost control 
  of the craft and it travels in a random (but appropriate) 
  direction at its current speed. If the pilot does not regain 
  control with her next action (+1 to whatever the pilot-
  ing difﬁ culty would normally be), the vehicle crashes (if 
  possible) or else continues veering off course. Storytell-
  ers should liberally interpret crashing to situations. For 
  example, a boat on open water has nothing to crash into, 
  but it can capsize or suffer some other mishap like mir-
  ing in seaweed and whatnot. If the pilot regains control, 
  maneuvers resume normal difﬁ culty.
  Botching a piloting roll is always very bad. Crashing 
  is almost a given, though if the situation does not permit 
  a reasonable crash, some other appropriate misfortune 
  could happen. For example, a ship might careen off a 
  wave at a sharp angle that hurls everyone on deck over-
  board unless their players make successful (Dexterity + 
  Athletics) rolls for the characters to keep their balance. 
  Storytellers should remember that it’s bad form to kill off 
  all the protagonists because of one bad dice roll. Such an 
  ignoble demise is not in keeping with the epic heroism 
  of Exalted. Fiery explosions and high action devastation 
  are deﬁ nitely in genre to the game, which is why losing 
  control of vehicles is so bad, but characters should almost 
  always have a chance to do something to save themselves 
  from certain death. This nebulous something might mean 
  steering a plummeting warbird into rough skidding landing 
  that carves a mile-long furrow across the earth or leaping 
  overboard before the thunderclap of a lightning ballista 
  shatters a ship’s hull to ﬂ inders.
  TRANSPORT ARTIFACTS
  What follows are examples of First Age transport 
  technology that survive into the Time of Tumult, though 
  in some cases hidden away half-broken in remote corners 
  of Creation. Storytellers should use these as templates for 
  designing custom variants of these craft and for understand-
  ing the aesthetics and prowess that guided Deliberative and 
  Shogunate engineers.
  
  34
  EXCELLENT AIR BOAT (ARTIFACT •• OR •••)
  Repair: 2
  Ordinary Haslanti air boats are mundane constructs 
  of cloth and feathersteel. Several years ago, however, 
  Haslanti relic-hunters exploring the ice-covered ruins of 
  the First Age city of Tzatli, located beneath the Haslanti 
  settlement of Diamond Hearth, uncovered the remains of 
  a dozen First Age Essence engines. Using small fragments 
  of knowledge gained from Vanileth, the God of Artiﬁ cial 
  Flight, and making their own studies of these relics, teams 
  of mortal thaumaturges, God-Bloods and Haslanti outcaste 
  Dragon-Blooded have created eight enchanted air boats 
  and are currently working on rebuilding the remaining 
  four Essence engines. Meanwhile, Haslanti relic-hunters 
  are eagerly searching for additional Essence engines, while 
  the thaumaturges and Dragon-Blooded are also attempting 
  to reverse engineer these engines, so that they can actually 
  create more of these wonders, instead of having to rely on 
  scavenged relics.
  Unlike normal air boats, which propel themselves with 
  peddle-powered air screws and use hot air generated by 
  burning kerosene or whale oil to provide lift, these artifacts 
  use Essence for both purposes. Because these vessels are 
  primarily mundane constructs that use Essence power only 
  for a few essential functions, they are relatively easy to build 
  and require absolutely no maintenance. All that is necessary 
  is for the captain to commit four motes of Essence to the 
  vessel and its Essence burner generates unlimited supplies 
  of hot air, while the vehicle’s sorcerous engine also turns 
  the vessel’s air screws. Two of the existing vessels are now 
  captained by outcaste Dragon-Blooded, ﬁ ve are in the hands 
  of skilled mortal thaumaturges, and the remaining one is 
  under the command of a God-Blooded Haslanti.
  Four of these air boats are small vessels designed for 
  use by aerial scouts, by commandos or for rapid courier 
  service. These vessels are each 100 feet long and 30 feet in 
  diameter. They can carry their crew of three, up to seven 
  passengers, and up to three tons of cargo. Their moveable 
  internal walls can also easily be reﬁ tted to carry up to 20 
  passengers and one ton of cargo. Each of these small air 
  boats has a cruising speed of 30 miles per hour, can cover 
  up to 600 miles per day and possesses an Artifact rating of 
  2. The football-shaped gas bag is quite durable, constructed 
  as it is from alchemically treated rasp-spider silk.
  The remaining four air boats are each immense creations 
  250 feet long and 60 feet in diameter, designed to carry a 
  crew of six along with 70 passengers or troops and 10 tons 
  of cargo. They can also be easily reﬁ tted to carry 25 pas-
  sengers and 20 tons of cargo. Each of these huge creations 
  has a cruising speed of 20 miles per hour, can cover up to 
  400 miles per day and possesses an Artifact rating of 3. 
  The cigar-shaped gas bag is constructed from alchemically 
  treated rasp-spider silk, like its smaller cousin.
  The Haslanti never sell their ordinary air boats, much 
  less these marvelous artifacts. Exalts and powerful God-
  Bloods who perform truly impressive services for the Haslanti 
  League might be given one of the small artifact air boats, 
  but the Haslanti do not give these air boats to Dynasts or 
  to any Exalts loyal to the Realm.
  FAST COURIER EXCELLENT AIR BOAT
  Speed: 15/30mph
  Maneuverability: +2S (Lore 1, Sail 2)
  Endurance: Requires the pilot to attune the vessel’s Essence 
  engine for a commitment of four motes.
  Crew: 3/3
  Cargo: Seven passengers, plus up to three tons of cargo; or 
  20 passengers, plus one ton of cargo.
  Armor: 6L/6B (Gas bag: 2L/2B)
  Health Levels: Ux5/Mx10/Cx3/Ix2/D (Gas bag: Ux2/
  Mx5/Cx2/I/D)
  Weapons: None normally.
  Other Notes: As a vehicle of purely Second Age construc-
  tion, this ship’s armor lacks the Hardness ubiquitous to First 
  Age artifact vehicles.
  LARGE TRANSPORT EXCELLENT AIR BOAT
  Speed: 10/20mph
  Maneuverability: +2S (Lore 1, Sail 2)
  Endurance: Requires the pilot to attune the vessel’s Essence 
  engine for a commitment of four motes.
  Crew: 6/3
  Cargo: Seventy troops, plus 10 tons of cargo; or 25 pas-
  sengers, plus 20 tons of cargo.
  Armor: 8L/8B (Gas bag: 3L/3B)
  Health Levels: Ux10/Mx7/Cx5/Ix2/D (Gas bag: UX4/
  Mx10/Cx4/Ix2/D)
  Weapons: None normally.
  Other Notes: As a vehicle of purely Second Age construc-
  tion, this ship’s armor lacks the Hardness ubiquitous to First 
  Age artifact vehicles.
  SWIFT RIDER (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  This Essence-powered vehicle is one of the smallest 
  and was designed during the Shogunate as an alternative 
  to both horses and larger, more complex vehicles. In form, 
  it consists of a single padded seat that can hold one rider or 
  a rider with a passenger riding pillion behind. This seat is 
  connected to a bicycle-like framework that contains hooks 
  for hanging a pair of large saddlebags and a pair of foot rails 
  for the driver and passenger to rest their feet. These foot 
  rails also double as a stand that holds the vehicle upright 
  when it is stationary. To operate this artifact, the owner 
  must place a hearthstone in the socket immediately in 
  front of the driver’s seat and then commit ﬁ ve motes of Es-
  sence to the vehicle. This hearthstone provides no beneﬁ t 
  beyond activating the swift rider. Swift riders weigh only 
  
  35
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  25 pounds, and they can be folded up so that they occupy 
  half of a standard pack.
  The vehicle is controlled much like a horse. When in 
  use, a swift rider can ﬂ y up to three yards off the ground 
  and move at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour, covering up 
  to 800 miles per day. In combat, a swift rider can dash at 
  speeds of up to 40 yards per tick. One of the most impressive 
  features of this vehicle is that when facing a deep chasm 
  or other obstacle, the rider can spend one mote of Essence 
  every tick to allow the vehicle to ﬂ y at any height above 
  the ground. During this time, it can move up or down as 
  much as 20 yards per tick. Once the rider ceases to spend 
  this Essence, the vehicle will drop in altitude until it is no 
  more than three yards off the ground, but will continue to 
  move normally. Although they appear relatively delicate, 
  they are actually quite sturdy. Today, swift riders are rare, 
  but the legions of Lookshy have almost three dozen and use 
  them to carry messages and bear shock troops.
  Speed: 40/80mph
  Maneuverability: +0R (Lore 1, Ride 2)
  Endurance: Requires a hearthstone plugged into the control 
  panel to operate, and the pilot must also attune the vessel 
  for a commitment of ﬁ ve motes.
  After 250 cumulative hours of operation since its last main-
  tenance, it begins to suffer one level of unsoakable bashing 
  damage every further 10 cumulative hours of operation it 
  is overdue.
  Crew: 1/1
  Cargo: Two riders, plus a pair of saddlebags; or one rider 
  and 200 pounds of cargo.
  Armor: 10L/10B
  Health Levels: Ux10/Mx5/Cx4/I/D
  Weapons: None.
  Other Notes: A swift rider and its pilot both have a Dodge 
  DV equal to ([the pilot’s Dexterity + Ride + Essence] ÷ 
  2), and the pilot may use her Parry DV to defend against 
  attacks launched at her vehicle or herself.
  WINDBLADE-CLASS PERSONAL TRANSPORT 
  (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 3
  The smallest skyship model produced in the First Age, 
  the Windblade-class personal transport normally appears as 
  a heavy metal chevron the size of a large belt buckle. At-
  tuning this device costs only one committed mote. When 
  thrown or dropped by an attuned bearer who spends an 
  additional 10 motes (uncommitted), the device slows and 
  hovers in midair, unfurling cunningly articulated plates to 
  form a narrow, angular platform roughly a yard long. The 
  device’s master can step up onto this platform with one foot 
  ahead of the other on marked control pads at any time in 
  this conﬁ guration, triggering enchantments that make the 
  personal transport adhere to her feet and prevent falling. 
  The device is piloted with the feet, leaving the user’s hands 
  free to hold weapons or perform other tasks. During the First 
  Age, archers equipped with these transports used them as 
  mobile sniping platforms above a battleﬁ eld. While ﬂ ying or 
  hovering, these craft emit an oscillating hum. They must be 
  fed 10 motes by their user every hour, or they slowly fall to 
  the ground and retract back into their portable state. A few 
  particularly exotic daiklaves can unfurl into Windblade craft. 
  Such daiklaves are rated Artifact 4, and have the statistics 
  of normal daiklaves while not in ﬂ ight mode. Attuning such 
  a device requires the usual ﬁ ve motes instead of one.
  Additional properties of a Windblade-class transport 
  depend on the magical material used in its construction:
  Orichalcum: These models are faster, with a Speed 
  of 50/100mph.
  Moonsilver: These models are more nimble and re-
  sponsive, with Maneuverability 7.
  Starmetal: These models weave and dip across the 
  skeins of fate as well as air, adding two to the Dodge DV of 
  craft and pilot beyond normal.
  Jade: Built exclusively of blue jade, these models have 
  small integrated cannons that ﬁ re lightning pulses from a 
  forward-facing spur mounted on the underside. Each blast 
  costs the pilot ﬁ ve motes and has the following statistics: 
  Speed 6, Accuracy (pilot’s Dexterity + Archery), Damage 
  (8L or 12B) piercing, Range 100, Rate 1. Variant models 
  have an integrated elemental lens instead.
  Soulsteel: At will, the pilot can extend jagged blades 
  like bat wings from each side of the craft. The pilot attacks 
  by “ramming” opponents with these blades as a Speed 5, Rate 
  2 attack. The craft takes no damage from this ramming, but 
  the target suffers 10L + attack successes. Opponents killed 
  by these blades are typically beheaded or cut in half.
  Speed: 34/70mph
  Maneuverability: +4R (Lore 1, Ride 3)
  Endurance: Consumes 10 motes per hour; suffers one level 
  of unsoakable bashing damage for every 50 cumulative hours 
  of operation since last maintenance.
  Crew: 1/1
  Cargo: Pilot’s personal possessions only. Particularly heavy 
  loads, such as a pilot carrying a second person in her arms, 
  halve Speed and apply a -3 Maneuverability penalty.
  Armor: 10L/15B
  Health Levels: Ux7/Mx4/Cx3/I/D
  Weapons: Usually none; jade and soulsteel models have 
  weapons as noted.
  Other Notes: Characters ﬂ ying on a Windblade-class personal 
  transport are treated as holding a tower shield (see Exalted, 
  p. 377), but this protection is not compatible with other 
  shields or cover (only the best value applies). A piloted 
  transport and its pilot both have a Dodge DV equal to ([the 
  pilot’s Dexterity + Ride + Essence + craft’s Maneuverability] 
  ÷ 2), and the pilot may use her Parry DV to defend against 
  attacks launched at her vehicle or herself.
  
  36
  BATTLE CARRIER (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 3
  This large vehicle is speciﬁ cally designed to carry troops 
  into battle and to break through fortiﬁ cations and other 
  similar barriers so that those troops can rush through the 
  breach and attack the defenders within. A battle carrier 
  is a low, rounded oval that tapers to a point at the front. 
  This vehicle is 60 feet long, 20 feet wide and nine feet 
  high. It can carry up to a talon of soldiers in Spartan but 
  acceptable military conditions. Designed for long-term 
  occupancy, it even contains bunks where these troops can 
  sleep. Alternatively, the vehicle can accommodate a trio 
  of warstriders and all needed support personnel. To oper-
  ate this vehicle, the driver must place a hearthstone from 
  a two-dot manse (or better) in the control console and 
  commit seven motes of Essence. This vehicle can travel 
  at a constant speed of up to 20 miles per hour, allowing 
  it to cover up to 400 miles per day. Lifted by a cushion of 
  Essence, the vehicle ﬂ oats up to three yards off the ground, 
  and its hull is as resistant to damage as any other First Age 
  hull (see p. 31). Battle carriers can be completely closed, 
  so that the pilot sees outside through transparent armored 
  view screens, protecting everyone inside from attack. The 
  vehicle can also open up six ﬁ ring slits on either side and 
  two in the back. Each ﬁ ring slit provides a single warrior 
  with 90% hard cover (+2 melee DV, +4 ranged DV) and 
  allows these warriors to ﬁ re arrows, ﬁ rewands and any other 
  handheld ranged weapon at enemies outside. In addition, 
  this vehicle is ﬁ tted with a single light implosion bow (see 
  p. 130). This weapon is operated and ﬁ red from inside the 
  battle carrier, by a gunner who sits in a seat next to the 
  pilot. The pilot cannot both operate this vehicle and ﬁ re 
  the light implosion bow.
  This vehicle’s greatest attack power ties to the ability 
  of the driver to overdrive the Essence engines to propel it 
  at exceedingly high speeds. At a cost of seven motes, the 
  driver can propel the vehicle at a speed of 100 miles per 
  hour (50 yards per tick) for up to 10 ticks. In this state, 
  interior Essence shields cushion the occupants from all 
  shocks caused by sudden acceleration or impact. If the 
  vehicle strikes anyone while moving at this velocity, it 
  inﬂ icts a total of 30L of damage. Raise this damage to 40L 
  and halve all armor (round down) when this vehicle strikes 
  a wall or hull not made from First Age alloys. This vehicle’s 
  construction allows it to damage First Age hulls and walls 
  as effectively as Charms or artifact weapons. Before making 
  such an attack, the vehicle must travel for at least 50 yards 
  to fully build up speed.
  
  37
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  Battle carriers have a total of seven doors, three on 
  either side and one on the back. Each door is six feet wide 
  and allows two armed and armored soldiers to exit this 
  vehicle at once. The doors can be opened with a reﬂ exive 
  action by the driver. Once all are open, 14 soldiers can exit 
  the vessel every tick, allowing an entire talon of soldiers 
  to be out and ready for action in nine ticks. This vehicle is 
  exceedingly reliable and requires no maintenance for normal 
  use. Overdriving its engines is quite taxing, however, and 
  using it to batter through fortiﬁ cations is even more so. The 
  Realm has only eight of these vehicles, while Lookshy has 
  21. In Lookshy, these vehicles compose one of the primary 
  methods of ground troop transport for elite troops.
  Speed: 10/20mph; 50/100mph in overdrive
  Maneuverability: +1S (Lore 1, Sail 1)
  Endurance: Requires a hearthstone from a two-dot (or 
  better) manse plugged into the control panel to operate, as 
  well as a seven-mote commitment by the driver.
  In addition to the normal servicing required by a light 
  implosion bow (see p. 130), after every 50 times the driver 
  overdrives the Essence engines, the battle carrier must un-
  dergo routine maintenance and repair. In addition, every 
  time it is used to ram a vehicle or structure counts as an 
  additional time that the engineers were overdriven. Every 
  10 times the engines are overdriven after this limit reduces 
  the vessel’s Speed in both normal and overdrive modes by 
  20%, until the engines cease to function.
  Crew: 1/1
  Cargo: One talon of soldiers, plus their personal gear; or a 
  pair of common warstriders and their support personnel.
  Armor: 20L/25B
  Health Levels: Ux15/Mx10/Cx10/Ix5/D
  Weapons: A light implosion bow.
  Other Notes: None.
  CHARIOT OF THE INFINITE HEAVENS
  (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 4
  One of the smallest and most common transport vehicle 
  designs of the First Age, chariots of the inﬁ nite heavens 
  (sometimes called sky chariots or skysleds for short) appear 
  to be actual chariots, albeit absent a horse team in front and 
  featuring vented thruster bulbs in place of wheels. Depend-
  ing on the exact design, three or four support struts extend 
  for landing and retract during ﬂ ight. Of the thousands of 
  these craft built in the First Age, barely 200 remain in the 
  ﬂ eets of the Seventh Legion, with scattered handfuls found 
  elsewhere in the world.
  The pilot of a skysled stands in the front of the craft, 
  directing its ﬂ ight by tapping and sliding his ﬁ ngers across a 
  row of crystal controls. Flight status is conveyed through the 
  ﬂ ickering illumination that plays across the control panel. 
  Enchantments in the craft lock pilot and all passengers 
  designated by the pilot in a stabilizing ﬁ eld that prevents 
  anyone from falling off (even if the craft turns completely 
  upside down). Anyone can pilot one of these vessels, even 
  mortals without access to Essence. As a deterrent to theft, 
  however, many copies require a single mote to be fed into 
  the controls at ﬁ xed intervals (usually once per day). Failure 
  to supply the mote causes the engines to gradually power 
  down, giving the thief enough time to land safely before 
  the controls completely lock.
  Speed: 39/80mph
  Maneuverability: +2R (Lore 1)
  Endurance: Requires a hearthstone from a two-dot (or 
  better) manse plugged into the control panel to operate. 
  Some models have security features as noted above. Requires 
  maintenance every 20 hours of use, lest it suffer one unsoak-
  able level of lethal damage per 10 hours in arrears.
  Crew: 1/1
  Cargo: Two passengers, plus their personal gear
  Armor: 12L/18B
  Health Levels: Ux10/Mx5/Cx4/Ix2/D
  Weapons: Usually none. Variant models (also Artifact 4) 
  mount a light implosion bow (see p. 130) on a gimbaled 
  mount for a gunner to ﬁ re, but the weight of this weapon 
  reduces the craft’s Maneuverability to -2 and reduces Speed 
  to 29/60mph.
  Other Notes: Understanding a sky chariot’s crystal instru-
  ment panels requires knowledge of Old Realm, though 
  characters who do not read this language can still attempt 
  to pilot the craft at -2 Maneuverability. The pilot and 
  passengers in one of these craft are treated as having 25% 
  cover or 75% cover if attacked from below.
  RESPLENDENT DOLPHIN-CLASS UNDERSEA 
  COURIER (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 3
  Created as quick and discreet modes of transportation 
  for traveling diplomats and assassins operating in the West, 
  a surprising number of these portable First Age submers-
  ibles have survived into the Second Age. Most belong to 
  the Realm, though Lookshy has a few that it lends to elite 
  operatives tasked with covert missions on the Blessed Isle. 
  The elder Lunar Leviathan has several dozen stored in his 
  sunken city of Luthe, which he guards as zealously as all 
  other treasures buried in his domain (despite having no 
  use for them).
  In their portable mode, Resplendent Dolphin-class vessels 
  appear as black jade-alloy eggs just small enough to ﬁ t inside 
  a barrel. Despite their size and density, they weigh only 200 
  pounds in either conﬁ guration, making them eminently 
  transportable by wagon, mount or hidden in a cargo hold 
  aboard a ship. Transforming the courier into vehicle mode 
  requires that the pilot attune to it for a cost of ﬁ ve motes. 
  With this commitment of Essence, the vehicle may be com-
  manded to instantly unfold into a small, sleek vessel nine 
  yards long and three yards in diameter shaped roughly like a 
  
  38
  stylized ﬁ sh. The top of the vessel is a narrow walkway (one 
  yard wide) ﬂ anked by narrow ﬁ ns that serve as low railing. 
  A small hatch in the center of the walkway provides the 
  only means of entrance or exit, and only one character may 
  do so at a time using a miscellaneous action.
  The vessel’s interior is not so much cramped as cozy, 
  with a surprising passenger capacity for the ship’s size. Be-
  hind the passenger cabin is a small cargo hold that may be 
  locked from the outside (useful for transporting prisoners). 
  While powered with its pilot’s Essence and the energies of an 
  inset hearthstone, the vessel supplies pure water extracted 
  and ﬁ ltered from the outside, and pure air created entirely 
  out of Essence. It has lavatory facilities, and its seats can 
  recline to serve as small beds. The pilot’s chair sits in front 
  of the others and is also larger than the rest, with crystal 
  control panels set in each armrest. Two large transparent 
  windows like eyes allow the pilot to navigate visually, while 
  geomantic instruments allow her to navigate underwater 
  based entirely on sensor readings.
  Speed: 20/40mph on surface; 12/25mph submerged
  Maneuverability: +1S (Lore 2, Sail 3)
  Endurance: Requires a level-2+ hearthstone plugged into 
  the control panel to operate, and the pilot must also attune 
  the vessel for a commitment of ﬁ ve motes.
  After 250 cumulative hours of operation since its last main-
  tenance, it begins suffering one level of unsoakable bashing 
  damage every further 10 cumulative hours of operation it 
  is overdue.
  Crew: 1/1
  Cargo: Seven passengers in comfort, plus four barrels (or 
  equivalently sized cargo, such as two additional passengers 
  carried uncomfortably in the locked hold).
  Armor: 15L/15B
  Health Levels: Ux8/Mx6/Cx4/Ix2/D
  Weapons: None (though a few have added mounts for a 
  single light implosion bow, which must be removed and 
  stowed prior to submerging or the weapon is ruined and its 
  drag halves the vessel’s submerged Speed)
  SIEGE STRIDER (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 3
  This powerful weapon is essentially a six-legged, two 
  person warstrider that is 30 feet long, 20 feet wide and 18 
  feet tall. It looks roughly like a giant beetle made from one 
  of the ﬁ ve magical materials and has four sturdy, multi-
  jointed legs and features a pair of large claws designed for 
  digging and rending. Activating this weapon requires the 
  driver to place a single level-3+ hearthstone in the artifact’s 
  hearthstone socket and to commit 12 motes to this device. 
  The driver controls the weapon’s four sturdy legs and also 
  operates its two arms. The artifact’s four legs are capable 
  of moving it quite rapidly. In addition, because the driver 
  can sit down and must only move a pair of foot pedals and 
  a lever to operate the four legs, operating this vehicle is far 
  less exhausting than controlling an ordinary warstrider.
  This vehicle can march at speeds of up to 20 miles per 
  hour and can cover up to 300 miles in a day. Unlike two-
  legged warstriders, this vehicle can jump only a quarter of 
  the distance its Strength would indicate. Also, because the 
  driver operates it by pedals and levers and does not actually 
  wear it, he cannot use any Athletics Charms to augment 
  the vehicle’s mobility.
  Also unlike ordinary warstriders, this artifact’s arms 
  are not designed to hold weapons. Instead, the strider is 
  protected by its gunner. This artifact carries a powerful blast 
  cannon that extends out of a rotating turret on the artifact’s 
  back, slightly in front of the vehicle’s middle. This weapon 
  is operated by a gunner who also sits inside the vehicle 
  in a separate compartment from the driver. This weapon 
  cannot be operated by the driver unless the driver shuts 
  off the vehicle, climbs out of his hatch, opens the hatch 
  to the gunner’s seat, climbs in and ﬁ res the weapon. The 
  blast cannon functions as both an ordinary light implosion 
  bow (see p. 130) and a lightning ballista (see p. 132), and 
  is powered by the gunner’s Essence. If the gunner spends 
  one mote of Essence, the weapon ﬁ res a half-power light 
  implosion bow shot. If the gunner spends two motes, it ﬁ res 
  a full-power light implosion bow shot. If the gunner spends 
  three motes, the weapon ﬁ res a lightning ballista shot.
  This artifact’s arms are speciﬁ cally designed to be able 
  to rip down the toughest walls, tear open hulls made of First 
  Age materials and, if necessary, move earth and rapidly 
  construct large-scale earthworks. Because they are designed 
  speciﬁ cally for this purpose, all attacks made by these arms 
  against inanimate objects such as walls, gates, ship hulls or 
  statues ﬁ rst halves the object’s soak (round down), mak-
  ing these arms exceptionally powerful tools for breaking 
  sieges and destroying walls. Also, one of these artifacts can 
  build up to 5,000 cubic feet of earthworks—such as a wall 
  10 feet tall, 10 feet thick and 50 feet long—in one hour. 
  Alternatively, the artifact could create a trench or moat of 
  equal size in the same time.
  Speed: 10 (dash 30)/20mph
  Maneuverability: -6R (Lore 1, Ride 2)
  Endurance: Requires a level-3+ hearthstone plugged into 
  the control panel to operate, as well as a 12-mote commit-
  ment by the driver.
  Because of the inherent stability and simplicity of four-legged 
  locomotion, this artifact requires maintenance only every 
  100 hours of operation. Every hour of combat counts as two 
  hours of operation, however. Every 10 hours that mainte-
  nance is in arrears, the ordinary penalties caused by lack 
  of warstrider maintenance begin to accrue. Also, the blast 
  cannon must be serviced after every 100 ﬁ rings.
  Crew: 1/1
  Cargo: None.
  Armor: 24L/24B (Hardness: 26L/16B)
  Health Levels: Ux10/Mx5/Cx5/Ix5/D
  Weapons: Blast cannon.
  
  39
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  Other Notes: The siege strider possesses a Strength of 20 
  and hand-to-hand combat stats as follows:
  Name 
  Speed Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Defense 
  Rate
  Siege Strider Claw 6 
  +0 
  +12L* +0 
  2
  *This damage is treated as piercing damage against all 
  inanimate objects.
  SWIFT MIDDAY BRILLIANCE-CLASS LIGHT 
  WARSHIP (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 4
  The most widely manufactured type of vessel in the 
  navies of the Solar Deliberative and the Dragon-Blooded 
  Shogunate alike, the Swift Midday Brilliance class of light 
  warships remains the most common First Age design aﬂ oat. 
  Several dozen mostly intact copies exist, most controlled 
  by the ﬂ eets of the Realm, while twice that number ﬂ oat 
  in various states of disrepair as ﬂ agships of various coastal 
  principalities and island nations throughout Creation.
  The nearly organic hulls of these ships are 27 yards long 
  and six yards in the beam, with a broad curved rudder set 
  in the stern and a pair of four-yard-diameter paddlewheels 
  mounted to either side of that. A single mast rises from the 
  center of the deck, capable of folding back and retracting 
  in a long dorsal compartment or else rising up, telescoping 
  and locking in place for wind-powered use.
  Activating the ship’s paddlewheel drive requires a 
  commitment of ﬁ ve motes channeled into its pilot station 
  controls. By rotating the paddlewheels together or adjusting 
  relative speeds, the warships may be propelled or swiftly 
  maneuvered. The drive system can be used for a cumulative 
  total of only 10 hours, requiring two hours powered down 
  to lower the tolerated total by one hour. While not in use, 
  the wheels spin freely without friction and do not impede 
  wind-powered travel.
  The original armament for these warships included two 
  light implosion bows (see p. 130) mounted on the foredeck 
  and one aft (just behind the pilot’s station), plus two lightning 
  ballistae mounted facing forward on limited turrets. Very 
  few copies in the Second Age feature all (or even any) of 
  these original weapons, as most of these valuable cannons 
  were scavenged for use elsewhere. Since none of the cannons 
  were actually powered by the ship itself, such scavenging 
  does not actually impair function. By default, the artifact 
  rating given for a Swift Midday Brilliance assumes no First 
  Age weapons, each of which must be obtained as separate 
  artifacts. For a cost of Artifact 5, however, a ship may be 
  
  40
  assumed to have one light implosion bow still mounted in 
  one of the original turrets.
  Speed: 15/30mph under sail; 24/50mph under power
  Maneuverability: -3S under sail; -1S under power
  Endurance: None
  Crew: 15/4 (or 1/1, if piloted by an Essence-channeler 
  using the drive system)
  Cargo: Two common warstriders curled in a fetal position, 
  one talon of infantry or equivalent cargo.
  Armor: 30L/30B
  Health Levels: Ux35/Mx20/Cx10/I/D
  Weapons: None; varies
  WHIRLIGIG-CLASS COURIER (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 2
  These ships were created during the First Age as fast 
  couriers and vessels designed to carry moderate-size cargoes 
  long distances. Despite being slower than ﬂ ying vehicles, 
  these ships were regarded as a reliable alternative that re-
  quired neither hearthstones nor frequent maintenance to 
  operate. These vessels were created to rapidly carry cargoes 
  on both the open sea and along all but the narrowest rivers. 
  In addition, they are safe and reliable in all but the worst 
  storms. Shaped roughly like a pumpkin seed and made of the 
  ﬁ nest First Age materials, the hull is 64 feet long and 16 feet 
  wide. Its advanced construction gives it excellent stability, 
  despite having an unusually shallow draft. Even without 
  activating any of the craft’s Essence-powered technologies, 
  it can sail in waters as shallow as ﬁ ve feet deep.
  This vessel was designed to be propelled by advanced 
  Essence-engines, but it was also ﬁ tted with a mast that re-
  quires only one hour to put up or stow. Designed for use in 
  emergencies or when crewed by mortals, the mast and sail 
  allow the craft to travel at speeds of up to six miles per hour 
  or 125 miles per day on the open sea. The ship’s primary 
  propulsion system, however, is a pair of inboard Essence 
  engines that propel the vessel with jets of water. This ves-
  sel was designed so that any Essence-user who gripped the 
  wheel and committed ﬁ ve motes of Essence could propel 
  the vessel at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour, allowing it 
  to travel up to 400 miles per day.
  The ship requires a crew of at least three to operate, one 
  of whom must be an Exalt or other Essence-user. For the ship 
  to work at peak efﬁ ciency, it must have a crew of at least 
  four. The vessel is designed to accommodate a captain and 
  three or four crewmembers as well as four or ﬁ ve passengers. 
  The vessel is ﬁ tted with moveable bulkheads that allow it to 
  be easily reﬁ tted to carry up to 15 passengers, but doing so 
  reduces the size of the cargo hold and the amount of cargo 
  the vessel can carry by one half. This vessel has a ﬂ at deck 
  with a large central cabin that contains a common room 
  for the crew and passengers, the kitchen, as well as a small 
  but exceedingly sturdy room designed to hold especially 
  valuable cargo. This room also often doubles as a weapons 
  locker and is ﬁ tted with an advanced First Age lock that 
  cannot be picked without using Charms. Below the deck, 
  the front half of the space has a seven-foot ceiling and is 
  outﬁ tted with the various cabins all provided with lights, 
  climate control, plumbing and fresh water, all powered by 
  the vessel’s ambient Essence accumulators. The double-
  sized captain’s cabin is located in the very front of the ship 
  and doubles as a navigation room. It contains maps and 
  advanced navigation equipment. The large, dry, climate-
  controlled cargo hold occupies the entire rear half of the 
  vessel’s belowdecks space. It can accommodate up to 12 
  tons of cargo, while additional cargo can be tied down to 
  various lashing points placed on the deck.
  The captain of a Whirligig-class courier can also raise 
  a low-level haze shield (see p. 92)—for three motes per 
  hour—which protects the deck and crew from waves, rain, 
  hail and extremes of temperature. This shield also increases 
  the DV of everyone and everything on deck by one. Because 
  it was designed more for reliability than power, this device 
  does not require regular maintenance.
  In addition, the Exalt powering this vessel can tempo-
  rarily overdrive the engines in one of two ways. The captain 
  can spend seven motes of Essence to double the ship’s Speed 
  for one hour. In this mode, the vessel has a top speed of 
  40 miles per hour. The captain could also choose to spend 
  one mote every three ticks to cause the engines to create a 
  shallow cushion of Essence under the vessel, allowing it to 
  ride one yard above the surface of the water at its normal 
  speed. Designed to allow the vessel to navigate rapids, sand 
  bars, rocky shoals, and similar difﬁ cult waters with ease and 
  safety, operators can use this mode to travel short distances 
  over land, in some cases allowing the vessel to move from 
  one branch of a river to another. In this mode, the vessel 
  can travel up to 10 yards per tick over land or sea. Because 
  of the strain produced by overdriving the engines, the vessel 
  cannot use both modes of engine overdriving at once.
  This vessel was not built with onboard weapons. The 
  Whirligig soon became popular with smugglers and other 
  lawless seafarers, however, who occasionally ﬁ tted it with 
  moderate powered weapons such as small or medium Essence 
  cannons or light implosion bows. The ship’s hull is as resistant 
  to damage as any other First Age hull (see p. 31).
  Today, the dreaded Lintha pirates own three of these 
  vessels, the Realm owns a dozen, and Lookshy has a small 
  ﬂ eet of 10 of these ships that it uses to transport marines 
  and important cargoes along surrounding the coast and 
  the nearby rivers.
  Speed: 3/6mph under sail; 10/20mph under power; 20/40mph 
  on overdrive
  Maneuverability: -3S under sail; +1S under power
  Endurance: The pilot must attune the vessel for a commit-
  ment of ﬁ ve motes.
  Although this vessel’s engines do not require maintenance 
  from normal operation, because of the extreme strain over-
  driving puts on them, the engines must undergo reﬁ tting 
  after every 50 times they are overdriven in either mode. 
  
  41
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  Every 10 times they are overdriven after this reduces the 
  vessel’s Speed in both normal and overdrive modes by 20 
  percent, until the engines cease to function.
  Crew: 4/3
  Cargo: Five passengers and 12 tons of cargo belowdecks, 
  plus up to four tons of cargo lashed to the deck; or 15 pas-
  sengers and six tons of cargo belowdecks, plus up to four 
  tons of cargo lashed to the deck.
  Armor: 20L/25B
  Health Levels: Ux15/Mx10/Cx10/Ix5/D
  Weapons: None; varies
  WARBIRD (ARTIFACT •••• OR •••••)
  Repair: 3
  One of the most elegant single-pilot skyship designs 
  of the First Age, warbirds appear as stylized raptors or bats 
  with articulated wings that retract while landed or extend 
  to full spread for ﬂ ight. Unlike clockwork steeds (see pp. 
  107-108) built in the likeness of great birds, warbirds do not 
  actually beat their wings to ﬂ y. Instead, the wings conduct 
  and focus an Essence-powered repulsion ﬁ eld that applies 
  invisible thrust against the air. This ﬁ eld is normally audible 
  as only a dull thrum, but it screeches like a loud bird cry 
  whenever the craft suddenly changes direction.
  Pilots ride warbirds by strapping themselves into a 
  saddle mounted in an indentation on the vessel’s back, us-
  ing movements of knees and gripped controls to guide the 
  skyships. Projected stasis ﬁ elds keep the air immediately 
  around the saddle still so that the pilot can breathe nor-
  mally at full speed, but these invisible energies do nothing 
  to keep pilots who are foolish enough to take off without 
  strapping in from falling (miscellaneous diceless action to 
  fasten straps). Two passengers can sit directly behind the 
  pilot in minor discomfort, or else, the passenger’s web har-
  ness can secure comparably weighted cargo. Warbirds were 
  primarily intended as single-person craft.
  To help their pilots conserve Essence, First Age warbirds 
  (Artifact 5) were often equipped with reagent-powered 
  weaponry fed from an internal alchemical reservoir. Only 
  after the reservoir ran out would pilots have to power on-
  board weaponry from their own Essence pools. Warbirds 
  intended as anti-infantry bombers mounted warstrider ﬁ re 
  lances (see p. 159) in their beaks with 15 motes worth of 
  alchemical fuel (Resources 3 for each refueling). Those 
  made for aerial dueling held a light implosion bow instead 
  (see p. 130), with 30-mote equivalent alchemical tanks 
  (Resources 3 to refuel). All warbirds could slash with their 
  landing claws, cutting swaths through armies of weak 
  adversaries and opening weak points in enemy formations 
  with each swooping pass. Of course, the greatest armament 
  available to a warbird was always intended to be its pilot. 
  These fast-attack vessels could deploy Celestial Exalted 
  faster than any vessel of comparable size without requiring 
  the massive Essence drain of travel sorcery.
  Speed: 60/120mph (180/360mph in steep dive)
  Maneuverability: +3R (Lore 1, Ride 2)
  Endurance: Requires a level-2+ hearthstone plugged into 
  the control panel to operate. Requires maintenance every 
  20 hours of use, lest it suffer one level of unsoakable lethal 
  damage per 10 hours in arrears.
  Crew: 1/1
  Cargo: 2 passengers or equivalent weight in cargo.
  Armor: 10L/15B
  Health Levels: Ux10/Mx5/Cx4/Ix2/D
  Weapons: Claws (Speed 5, Accuracy +3 ([Dexterity +Ride] 
  to hit), Damage 12L (16L with dive), Defense –, Rate 1); 
  some mount First Age weaponry.
  Other Notes: Riders have 75% cover from below and 50% 
  cover from all other directions. First Age models have can-
  non weapons and do not need maintenance.
  GLORIOUS DRAGONFLY-CLASS PATROL BOAT 
  (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 3
  Manufactured during both the High First Age and the 
  Shogunate, these small, fast patrol boats were speciﬁ cally 
  designed to be crewed by a circle of Celestial Exalts or a 
  sworn brotherhood of Dragon-Blooded. The craft were 
  created for Exalts to patrol the oceans and to allow them 
  to rapidly respond to any emergencies on the high seas. In 
  addition, these vessels were also designed to be equally ef-
  fective on coastal patrols and policing river trafﬁ c. Shaped 
  like an enormous, narrow canoe and made of the ﬁ nest First 
  Age materials, the hull is 60 feet long and 13 feet wide. Its 
  construction gives it excellent stability, despite having an 
  unusually shallow draft. Even without activating any of the 
  craft’s Essence-powered technologies, it can sail in waters 
  as shallow as three feet deep.
  This vessel was designed to be propelled by advanced 
  Essence engines, but is also ﬁ tted with a mast that takes at 
  least two hours to erect and an hour to stow. Designed for 
  use only in emergencies, the mast and sail allow the craft 
  to travel at speeds of up to four miles per hour on the open 
  seas. The primary propulsion system is a pair of inboard Es-
  sence engines that propel the vessel with jets of water. The 
  vessel was originally designed so that any Essence user who 
  gripped the wheel and committed seven motes of Essence 
  could propel the vessel at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, 
  allowing it to travel up to 600 miles per day. The controls 
  were also originally designed so that a mortal could grip the 
  wheel and spend two points of Willpower, in an emergency, 
  to power the vessel for up to 12 hours. When operated in 
  this fashion, it could attain only half-speed (15 miles per 
  hour) but would allow mortal retainers to pilot the vessel if 
  all of the Exalts on board were incapacitated. All surviving 
  vessels owned by the Realm have had this feature disabled 
  and the controls altered, so that only Exalts can activate 
  the vessel’s Essence engines.
  
  42
  Because this ship is primarily designed for policing, it 
  is quite heavily armed for a vessel of its size. These patrol 
  boats are all ﬁ tted with a single medium implosion bow (see 
  p. 130) mounted near the bow and capable of a 270 degree 
  angle of ﬁ re. They also have either a pair of medium Essence 
  cannons (see p. 131) or two warstrider ﬁ re lances (see p. 
  159) mounted on the sides. Vessels speciﬁ cally designed for 
  Dragon-Blooded crews might have a single unusually large 
  elemental lens mounted near the rear of the ship instead. 
  This item functions as a normal elemental lens (see p. 77), 
  but it also triples the range of all of the Charms it boosts. 
  The elemental lens is approximately one foot in diameter 
  and cannot be removed from the vessel without destroying 
  the lens, just as the Essence cannons and ﬁ re lances are 
  also built into the ship and are also impossible to remove 
  without destroying them.
  Simply piloting this ship requires a crew of at least 
  two, of which one must be an Exalt or other Essence-user. 
  To fully operate all weapons and have the ship work at 
  peak efﬁ ciency, it must have a crew of four (ﬁ ve for those 
  vessels ﬁ tted with two Essence cannons or ﬁ re lances). The 
  vessel is designed to accommodate up to six Exalts in small 
  but relatively lavish quarters, as well as three servants or 
  assistants in somewhat more modest conditions. This ves-
  sel is ﬁ tted with a large cabin on deck that contains the 
  dining room, the kitchen and a room containing maps and 
  advanced navigation equipment. Below the deck, there is a 
  space with a seven-foot ceiling that is outﬁ tted with various 
  cabins, all provided with lights, climate control, plumbing 
  and fresh water, all powered by the vessel’s ambient Es-
  sence accumulators. In addition, the vessel has a small hold 
  located belowdecks capable of carrying up to four tons of 
  cargo. This hold is located near the front of the vessel and 
  is 11 feet wide and eight feet long.
  In addition to the vessel’s other useful features, the Exalt 
  powering a Glorious Dragonﬂ y patrol craft can temporarily 
  overdrive the engines in one of two ways. In both cases, 
  the operator must spend 10 motes of Essence to overdrive 
  the engines for one hour. In one mode, the vessel can tem-
  porarily travel twice as fast as normal, giving it a top speed 
  of 60 miles per hour (up to 30 yards per tick in combat). 
  In the other mode, the engines create a shallow cushion of 
  Essence under the vessel, allowing it to ride one yard above 
  the surface of the water at its normal speed. Designed to 
  allow the vessel to navigate rapids, sand bars, rocky shoals 
  and similar difﬁ cult waters with ease and safety, operators 
  can also use this mode to travel short distances over land, in 
  some cases allowing the vessel to move from one branch of a 
  river to another. By spending 15 motes of Essence, the pilot 
  can cause the engines to both double the vessel’s speed and 
  allow it to ride on a cushion of Essence simultaneously.
  The Realm has 26 of these vessels, while Lookshy has 
  a dozen. The Realm uses them primarily as escort vessels, 
  while in Lookshy, they are most often used to patrol the 
  nearby coast and the portions of the two local rivers going 
  from Lookshy to Nexus and Sijan.
  Speed: 2/4mph under sail; 15/30mph under power; 30/60mph 
  on overdrive
  Maneuverability: -3S under sail; +2S under power
  Endurance: The pilot must attune the vessel for a commit-
  ment of seven motes.
  Although this vessel’s engines do not require maintenance 
  from normal operation, because of the extreme strain over-
  driving puts on them, the engines must undergo reﬁ tting 
  after every 50 times they are overdriven in either mode. 
  Every 10 times they are overdriven after this reduces the 
  vessel’s Speed in both normal and overdrive modes by 20 
  percent, until the engines cease to function. Each hour that 
  the engines are overdriven in both modes simultaneously 
  counts as two hours for purposes of maintenance.
  Crew: 4/2
  Cargo: Nine total crew and passengers and four tons of 
  cargo belowdecks.
  Armor: 25L/25B
  Health Levels: Ux25/Mx10/Cx10/Ix5/D
  Weapons: A medium implosion bow and either a pair of 
  medium Essence cannons, a pair of warstrider ﬁ re lances or 
  an oversized elemental lens.
  INDOMITABLE CONQUEST PLATFORM
  (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 4
  These light skyships were never produced in large 
  numbers, but their sturdy construction has allowed almost 
  a dozen known copies to survive into the Second Age. In-
  domitable conquest platforms appear as rounded pentagonal 
  disks tapering to a bulb on top and bottom. Shutter irises in 
  four of its lower faces can open, allowing passengers within 
  to ﬁ re bows or use other weapons to attack targets on the 
  ground or on the same overall plane of height (useful since 
  the craft mounts no weapons of its own). The back panel 
  folds into an extendable ramp to deploy troops onto the 
  battleﬁ eld without even fully landing. The top ﬁ ve faces 
  are made of black crystal that is transparent from within 
  and opaque from the outside, allowing those onboard to 
  see out and guide the craft.
  Retractable struts allow the indomitable conquest 
  platform to land on virtually any surface, though it sinks 
  in liquid or deep mud. Seals can be engaged to make the 
  craft air- and watertight, either in the event of planned 
  submersion or to protect occupants from poisonous fumes. 
  The vehicle can move underwater at half its usual maximum 
  ﬂ ight speed. The vessel contains only 10 hours of air while 
  sealed, however, divided among all crew and passengers.
  Except while landing or taking off, indomitable conquest 
  platforms are all but silent. More impressively, their hull 
  plating boasts adaptive camouﬂ age capable of mimicking 
  the surrounding environment as long as all windows and 
  
  43
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  doors are fully closed. With the cloaking device engaged, 
  characters can spot it only with a successful reﬂ exive (Per-
  ception + Awareness) roll at difﬁ culty 3 (if moving) or 5 (if 
  still). Once a character spots it as a blur in the air, she may 
  continue to track it normally as long as it does not leave 
  her ﬁ eld of view. If she loses sight of it, she must locate it 
  again normally. Although effective for reconnaissance or 
  deploying commandos past enemy lines, the most common 
  use of these magniﬁ cent vehicles was to position a general 
  unseen above a battleﬁ eld where he could direct individual 
  unit commanders.
  Only one pilot is necessary to ﬂ y an indomitable con-
  quest platform, and she sits in a throne at the center of the 
  vehicle, surrounded by a bank of crystal instrument panels 
  attached to her armrests in a crescent before her. If desired, 
  the top of the ship can open in an iris, allowing the throne 
  to rise on an elevator pedestal so the captain can sit on top. 
  This feature was normally only used for sorcerer-pilots to 
  rise up and cast powerful battleﬁ eld spells from hovering 
  platforms before retreating back into the relative safety of 
  their vehicles.
  Rarer variants of this craft feature energy shields or 
  teleportation drives in lieu of a cloaking device, as ex-
  plained below.
  Speed: 29/60mph
  Maneuverability: +4S (Lore 1, Sail 2)
  Endurance: Requires a level-3+ hearthstone plugged into 
  the pilot’s throne to operate. The pilot must also attune to 
  the control console, costing one mote. Every 25 hours of 
  cumulative operation since the vehicle’s last maintenance 
  inﬂ icts one level of unsoakable bashing damage to it.
  Crew: 1/1
  Cargo: 12 infantry or ﬁ ve mounts with riders (assuming 
  horse-sized mounts) or one warstrider crouched in a fetal 
  position; other comparably sized and weighted cargo may 
  be substituted.
  Armor: 15L/20B
  Health Levels: Ux15/Mx7/Cx5/Ix3/D
  Weapons: None
  Other Notes: Understanding an indomitable conquest 
  platform’s crystal instrument panels requires knowledge of 
  Old Realm, though characters who do not read this language 
  can still attempt to pilot the craft at -2 Maneuverability. 
  Characters inside one of these vehicles have full cover and 
  may not be attacked as long as all windows and doors are 
  secured. Irises can be opened enough to grant 90% cover 
  for seeing out or 50% cover for archers to ﬁ re out, or even 
  opened wide enough for three armored warriors to walk 
  through or a single led horse to enter or exit the craft.
  Models equipped with energy shields may deploy them as 
  a coruscating bubble of light around the hull. Such shields 
  increase the craft’s Armor to 25L/30B. More importantly, 
  the shield is solid to immaterial beings and disrupts magic 
  entering it from outside. Reﬂ exively roll 10 dice whenever 
  a being tries to use a Charm or spell to affect anyone inside 
  the shield against a difﬁ culty of the attacker’s permanent 
  Essence. On a success, the magic is absorbed and deﬂ ected by 
  the shield, though this does not stop the magic from affecting 
  valid targets outside the shield. Shield-equipped variants 
  require a level-4+ hearthstone set in the command throne, 
  and they cannot cloak. Also, they can move at only Speed 
  10/20mph with an active shield. If the shield generator is 
  destroyed, the resulting explosion inﬂ icts 20L to everyone 
  and everything within 300 yards of the blast.
  The third and rarest variant of this craft has neither cloaking 
  device nor shield, but instead, carries a moderately powerful 
  air elemental imprisoned in its engine. Using the spirit’s 
  Portal Charm augmented by an intricate bank of Essence 
  capacitors, these vehicles can teleport themselves up to 
  100 miles away, making up to three “jumps” per day using a 
  miscellaneous action. The pilot must have previously visited 
  the destination point, or exact topological coordinates must 
  be fed into the engine ([Intelligence + Lore] miscellaneous 
  action at difﬁ culty 4). During translocation, a corona of 
  blue-white lightning crackles over the hull with a deafening 
  thunderclap. The vessels never teleport into solid objects. 
  If blocked from their destination, they appear as near as 
  physically possible. Teleportation-equipped vehicles require 
  a level-4+ hearthstone to function.
  Tactical enchantments imprinted into the command throne 
  of an indomitable conquest platform subtract two motes 
  from the cost of all War Charms activated by a seated pilot 
  (to a minimum of one mote).
  MANTA-CLASS TRANSPORT (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 4
  Originally built to ferry units of Dragon-Blooded com-
  mandos into battle, Manta-class skyships look like nothing 
  less than giant airborne replicas of their namesake rays. 
  Great ﬁ xed wings sweep out to either side, with propulsion 
  generated by long tail spires that crackle with sporadic Es-
  sence discharges in ﬂ ight. Notably larger than indomitable 
  conquest platforms, these vessels are nearly 20 yards wide 
  and 30 yards long (counting their tails). Two doors on either 
  side allow passengers and crew to embark or exit, while a 
  large ramp in rear beneath the tail can drop to load cargo 
  or troops. Manta-class skyships are not designed for aquatic 
  landings, but they can land on any ﬁ rm ground.
  These ships require a pilot and copilot capable of 
  channeling Essence, plus three additional crewmembers, 
  all of whom sit clustered in a cramped bridge toward the 
  front of the craft. The remaining space within the hull not 
  occupied by the vessel’s engines is entirely devoted to the 
  single cargo hold.
  The Realm currently has 23 Manta-class transports in 
  full repair, though they are deployed only for emergencies, 
  owing to the exorbitant costs of keeping them aﬂ oat and the 
  diminished tactical importance placed on First Age vehicles 
  in ofﬁ cial Legion strategy manuals. By contrast, Lookshy 
  ﬁ elds more than 100 of these vessels, keeping two thirds in 
  
  44
  the sky and a third docked for repairs at all times. Though 
  expensive, this show of force has won enough battles and 
  helped build a reputation of technological invulnerability 
  to justify the cost to the Seventh Legion directorate. A 
  few of the larger cities in the South and East have one or 
  two of the vessels, most somewhat damaged from lack of 
  proper maintenance.
  Speed: 49/100mph
  Maneuverability: +1S (Lore 2, Sail 2)
  Endurance: Requires two level-2+ hearthstones plugged into 
  controls on the bridge to operate. Both pilot and copilot 
  must each commit three motes to their control stations 
  during ﬂ ight. After a Manta-class transport has operated 
  for 100 cumulative hours without maintenance, it suffers 
  one level of unsoakable lethal damage for each 10 hours 
  it is in arrears.
  Crew: 5/2 (Lore 1, Sail 2)
  Cargo: Two warstriders curled in a fetal position, one talon 
  of infantry (short distances only, as there are no living ac-
  commodations) or equivalent cargo.
  Armor: 15L/20B
  Health Levels: Ux20/Mx10/Cx7/Ix3/D
  Weapons: Two warstrider ﬁ re lances (see p. 159) on turrets 
  in either side beneath each wing, capable of aiming at most 
  targets except those directly above.
  Other Notes: Passengers can open slits in either side of the 
  hull to ﬁ re bows or other personal ranged weapons from 
  within, and such characters have 75% cover. Otherwise, 
  all passengers and crew have total cover and may not be 
  attacked.
  MOBILE REPAIR AND FABRICATION PLATFORM 
  (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 4
  During the High First Age, few devices required 
  maintenance, and the mighty Solar Exalted could swiftly 
  repair and reﬁ t the few that did. After the Usurpation, 
  however, the Terrestrial Exalted faced the daunting task of 
  maintaining advanced technologies that were considerably 
  less durable than the wonders of the Solar Exalted. In ad-
  dition, the armies of Creation were pummeled by renewed 
  attacks by the Fair Folk, and the few surviving Anathema 
  periodically loosed powerful demons on Creation. One of 
  the answers to these problems was the creation of several 
  dozen mobile repair and fabrication platforms. Some moved 
  
  45
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  with the armies of the Shogunate, while others traveled 
  circuits between isolated small cities and large towns that 
  required advanced technologies but lacked the facilities for 
  reﬁ tting all of them. In addition to making repairs, these 
  vast mobile structures were capable of manufacturing almost 
  any artifacts of level 1–3 that were designed for individual 
  or small unit use, including warstrider weapons (but not 
  warstriders), daiklaves and Essence cannons, as well as 
  relatively complex items such as gunzosha armor. These 
  traveling factories require regular restocking with supplies 
  of jade and other raw materials, but they contain all of the 
  necessary facilities for transforming industrial reagents, jade 
  and steel ingots and similar raw materials into replacement 
  parts and ﬁ nished artifacts.
  Because of the advanced nature of these facilities, using 
  them reduces the difﬁ culty of all repair and maintenance 
  attempts on artifacts by two and also reduces the difﬁ culty 
  of all rolls to create one- to three-dot artifacts by the same 
  amount (to a minimum of 1). In addition, the advanced 
  automation and permanently bound minor elementals in 
  these factories allow even partially trained characters to 
  repair advanced artifacts. Treat the Repair ratings of all 
  artifacts as two less than normal (to a minimum of Repair 
  1) when they are reﬁ tted by this factory. This reduction 
  reduces Ability, Resources and time requirements as well 
  as the difﬁ culty level of the repairs or maintenance.
  These factories are all exceedingly large. Each is a boxy 
  construct 25 yards long, 10 yards wide and ﬁ ve yards high 
  that can swiftly unfold into a factory complex 30 yards 
  long and 20 yards wide when it stops. Although it can 
  be used while in motion, it offers a reduction of only one 
  difﬁ culty and one dot in Repair ratings in this state, and it 
  cannot be used to manufacture artifacts. To operate at its 
  full capacity, a mobile repair and fabrication platform must 
  stop, and the crew onboard must spend at least two hours 
  setting it up for use.
  Activating this impressive construct requires the use 
  of a single level-3 hearthstone to power the repair and pro-
  duction facilities, as well as another level-2 hearthstone to 
  activate the advanced automation that allows the factory 
  to fold for transport. The second hearthstone also powers 
  the Essence impellers that provide lift and propulsion for 
  this vast complex. When folded for transport, this huge 
  construct can travel up to three yards above the ground and 
  can move at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour, covering up 
  to 300 miles per day. To operate at full efﬁ ciency, a mobile 
  repair and fabrication platform requires a factory crew of 
  at least three Essence users (at least one of whom must be 
  some form of Exalt) and at least three assistants, who need 
  only be mortals with at least Lore 2 and Occult 2.
  This huge artifact also includes small quarters than can 
  house six individuals in relative comfort or up to nine in 
  moderately cramped conditions. For security purposes, an 
  Exalt must spend an additional ﬁ ve motes every day that 
  this artifact is either moving or operating as a stationary 
  repair center. In addition to its many other beneﬁ ts, a mobile 
  repair and fabrication platform is well armored. The majority 
  of the facility’s protection, however, applies only when the 
  artifact is closed and ready for travel. When unfolded, its 
  soak is greatly reduced, and it is treated like an inanimate 
  object made of normal materials. Although none of these 
  factories were designed with weapons, many were ﬁ tted with 
  them later. (Weapon such as light implosion bows must be 
  purchased separately.)
  Today, only a few mobile repair and fabrication platforms 
  remain fully operational. Both the Realm and Lookshy own 
  two of these priceless artifacts. The Realm also owns two 
  more whose Essence impellers have failed, so that they are 
  now stationary Shogunate-era factories. In addition, an 
  outcaste Dragon-Blooded scavenger lord working out of 
  Great Forks owns one, as does another outcaste Dragon-
  Blood who is loosely based in Chiaroscuro. The mostly 
  intact ruins of several other such artifacts can be found in 
  various locations, including one that lies in the jungle just 
  outside the ancient city of Rathess. Repairing one of these 
  magniﬁ cent artifacts would be an almost impossible under-
  taking for anyone other than a circle of Celestial Exalted. 
  As with other similarly large artifacts, the characters in a 
  circle can each pool their points to purchase this artifact. 
  If the members of a circle possess or ﬁ nd such an artifact, 
  it is likely to become the focus of the series as well as their 
  new home.
  Speed: 7/15mph
  Maneuverability: -1S (Lore 2, Sail 2)
  Endurance: Requires a level-2+ hearthstone plugged into 
  controls on the bridge to move. Requires a level-3 hearth-
  stone to operate the facilities. Every day of operation requires 
  an Exalt spend ﬁ ve motes of Essence on the device.
  Crew: 9/2 (Lore 1, Sail 2)
  Cargo: Nine workers and several tons of raw materials/ﬁ n-
  ished goods.
  Armor: 25L/25B
  Health Levels: Ux50/Mx25/Cx20/Ix5/D
  Weapons: None normally
  Other Notes: When unfolded, the mobile repair and fabri-
  cation platform has its Armor reduced to 10L/10B, without 
  Hardness, and damage is applied as normal for inanimate 
  objects rather than rolled.
  TRAVELING PAGODA (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 4
  While magical vehicles of all shapes and sizes were 
  abundant in the First Age, and common in the Shogunate, 
  mobile dwellings were somewhat less common. During the 
  height of the First Age, some Celestial Exalts constructed 
  entire cities that were mobile. Others, along with a moderate 
  number of Terrestrial Exalts, preferred to have more modest 
  and easily mobile dwellings. Most of the surviving traveling 
  pagodas were constructed during the later days of the High 
  First Age and during the period of the Dragon-Blooded 
  
  46
  Shogunate, when increasing uncertainty meant that some 
  travelers refused to rely upon hearthstones powered by 
  distance manses as the power sources for their vehicles and 
  dwellings. Instead, traveling pagodas used powerful Essence 
  accumulators to draw in Essence from the ambient energies 
  of Creation. Because they rely upon this more diffuse power 
  source, these huge artifacts are not as swift as most vehicles, 
  and they also are far more limited in how high off the ground 
  they can ﬂ y. Instead, they conserve energy by riding slightly 
  above the ground, held aloft by the currents of Essence that 
  travel along the surfaces of the land and the sea.
  Traveling pagodas can ﬂ y up to three yards above the 
  ground and can move at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, 
  allowing them to cover up to 800 miles per day. When one 
  is either hovering or in motion, the Essence ﬂ owing around 
  the base of the vehicle produces a clinging white cloud of 
  water vapor that typically extends from the bottom of the 
  vehicle both down and out to the sides for one yard. As a 
  result, the traveling pagoda appears to be moving or sitting 
  on an unusually white and puffy cloud.
  The pagoda itself is 20 yards long, 15 yards wide and 
  two stories high, and a separate three-story-high observation 
  tower and pilothouse is attached to the rear of this build-
  ing. This artifact can house up to six Exalts in vast luxury 
  and contains more modest quarters so that each Exalt can 
  bring along up to one servant or assistant each. A room is 
  also provided for the pagoda’s chief steward. Some of the 
  interior walls can be moved and altered, allowing it to hold 
  differing numbers of Exalts and servants. As a result, it can 
  be easily reﬁ tted to carry up to nine Exalts, who must make 
  do with the pagoda’s automated comforts and a more modest 
  staff of three or four servants.
  The pagoda contains a library that may be stocked by the 
  owner, a large kitchen, elaborate baths, several rooms that 
  can be devoted to exercise, sorcerous practice or entertain-
  ing as desired, as well as large and luxurious private rooms. 
  The entire pagoda is ﬁ tted with Essence-powered light and 
  climate control, as well as running water that automatically 
  replenishes itself from humidity and local rainfall. Originally, 
  these vehicles were designed to be outﬁ tted by their owners, 
  but all surviving traveling pagodas were furnished long ago. 
  Their present owners must either contend with the state of 
  the archaic and occasionally decaying furnishings or spend 
  both money and time furnishing it.
  Although none of these pagodas were designed with 
  weapons, a few were ﬁ tted with them later. Weapons such 
  as light implosion bows (see p. 130) must be purchased 
  separately. These traveling dwellings were designed for 
  defense, however. Like many First Age structures and hulls, 
  the construction of this mobile dwelling is exceedingly 
  durable. Also, like many large artifacts, characters in a 
  circle can each pool their Background points to purchase 
  this artifact.
  Speed: 20/40mph
  Maneuverability: -3S under sail; +2S under power
  Endurance: The pilot must attune the vessel for a commit-
  ment of seven motes.
  Crew: 1/1
  Cargo: Up to 13 inhabitants.
  Armor: 20L/20B
  Health Levels: Ux40/Mx25/Cx10/Ix5/D
  Weapons: None
  DAWNING SUN INDOMITABLE-CLASS HEAVY 
  BATTLECRUISER (ARTIFACT N/A)
  Repair: 5
  One of the more impressive ship designs of the First Age, 
  the Dawning Sun Indomitable class of heavy battlecruisers 
  formed the backbone of the Deliberative’s navy. No fully 
  intact copies are known to have survived into the Second 
  Age, though a handful of damaged copies deployed by the 
  Realm still outclass virtually anything else aﬂ oat. Built with 
  long, sleek trimaran hulls out of a light organic crystal as 
  durable as the ﬁ ve magical materials with sweeping curves 
  impossible to duplicate with wooden construction, they are 
  breathtakingly beautiful to behold, stylistically reminiscent 
  of birds in ﬂ ight. From stem to stern, each of the three 
  hulls measure 55 yards long, though the outer hulls are six 
  yards in the beam compared with the 10-yard beam of the 
  center hull. Paddlewheel drive assemblies hang between 
  each hull like those of the smaller Swift Midday Brilliance
  class vessels, though none of the extant copies of Dawning 
  Sun Indomitable cruisers have functional drives.
  Although none alive remember, save perhaps a few of 
  the eldest Sidereals and Lunars, all that is needed to acti-
  vate one of these ship’s drives is for a Solar Exalt to take 
  the pilot’s position in the center hull and commit 10 motes 
  to take command of the vessel. Only such a captain could 
  redistribute power to feed the ship’s integrated weapons 
  systems, which included a range of lightning ballistae, heavy 
  and light implosion bows, Essence cannons and other, more 
  esoteric energy weapons. Nowadays, what scraps of weaponry 
  remain on the relic hulls must be powered directly by the 
  gunner, though most of the guns have been stripped away 
  and replaced with ﬁ redust cannons, ballistae and other 
  primitive mechanical weapons.
  Speed: 10/20mph under sail; 34/70mph under power
  Maneuverability: -4S under sail; -1S under power
  Endurance: None
  Crew: 74/12 (or 1/1, if piloted by a Solar captain under 
  power)
  Cargo: One wing of infantry or four warstriders or combi-
  nation/equivalent.
  Armor: 50B/50L
  Health Levels: Ux50/Mx30/Cx10/Ix10/D
  Weapons: Varies
  
  47
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  THE FIVE-METAL SHRIKE (ARTIFACT N/A)
  Repair: 6
  One of the wonders of the ancient world, remarkable 
  even in its own day, the Five-Metal Shrike is easily the 
  most deadly skyship and one of the deadliest weapons ever 
  built by the Exalted. At the time of the Shrike’s invention, 
  conventional logic guiding war-machine production held 
  that bigger was better, a philosophy best exempliﬁ ed by the 
  Deliberative’s four Titan-class aerial citadels, ﬂ ying moun-
  tains bristling with hundreds of Essence cannons possessing 
  hulls large enough to cast whole cities into shadow beneath 
  them. No tributary nation could ever hope to survive an 
  assault by one of these nigh-indestructible vessels, and so, 
  they drifted lazily over their respective Directions of the 
  Threshold as visible threats of the Deliberative’s power.
  The Solar warlord Kan-Hur witnessed the grotesque and 
  gratuitous wastefulness of the Titans and was dismayed at the 
  endless silos of Thousand-Forged Dragons cropping up like 
  mushrooms around Creation. In response, he commissioned 
  a trio of his brightest peers to build a replacement, wagering 
  all the fortunes earned in over 1,000 years of conquest on 
  their genius. He wanted a single weapon, no bigger than a 
  Manta-class transport, yet with enough ﬁ repower to shatter 
  a city and fast enough to reach any point in Creation in less 
  than a day. Moreover, he wanted to bind an intelligence 
  into the vessel so that it could keep itself from falling into 
  enemy hands if the worst happened to its crew. In command 
  of such a weapon, Kan-Hur saw his rise to preeminence 
  among all Solar generals.
  Assembly of the Five-Metal Shrike took more than 
  a century, and the skyship was all but complete when the 
  Usurpation came. Kan-Hur died before he could ever wit-
  ness his grand dream come true, ironically defending his 
  unﬁ nished superweapon in a hangar aboard one of the very 
  Titans he so detested. When he ﬁ nally realized he could not 
  win, he fought his way to the primary engine room of the 
  citadel and cleaved its regulator coils with his daiklave to 
  keep the Shrike from the Dragon-Blooded. The resulting 
  explosion destroyed the Titan with everyone aboard and 
  obliterated the Archipelago of Xur over which the citadel 
  was presently stationed, but the Shrike itself activated its 
  defense shield at the last moment and survived, ﬂ ying out 
  of the burning cloud to seek haven in the barren Southern 
  wastes.
  In the millennia since its ﬂ ight into exile, the Five-
  Metal Shrike has been spotted only sporadically. The most 
  famous sighting occurred when it swooped in to vaporize 
  the invincible scorpion-devil behemoth Nashkriya led 
  into Creation during the Fair Folk invasion of the Great 
  Contagion before disappearing again, out-ﬂ ying all pursuit. 
  This one sighting conﬁ rmed its continued existence to the 
  Realm and Lookshy, and both have quietly (and fruitlessly) 
  sent expeditions throughout the South in search of the 
  Shrike ever since. Unconﬁ rmed sightings of the vessel (or 
  an object matching the vessel’s description) have grown 
  quite common in recent years. More disturbingly, a Guild 
  caravan came back to Chiaroscuro last year empty-handed, 
  reporting that dozens of ﬁ redust farming compounds in the 
  deepest South were utterly destroyed by some unknown 
  force that left only glassy craters where the border towns 
  had stood. Whether this is the handiwork of the Shrike or 
  some other entity is presently unknown, though the craters 
  are consistent with its weaponry.
  In appearance, the Five-Metal Shrike is a 50-yard long 
  jade-hulled raptor with backward-sweeping starmetal sails 
  functioning as wings, soulsteel ribs supporting its reinforced 
  superstructure, moonsilver conduits and wires linking 
  individual systems together, and heavily armored at every 
  vulnerable point with gleaming plates of orichalcum. Only 
  seven habitable chambers make up the interior, a bridge set 
  in the front of the ship’s abdomen with a hallway leading 
  to an almost claustrophobic engine room closer to its aft. 
  The hallway that connects the two features doors to three 
  cabins on the port side and two more on starboard. All 
  other space inside the Shrike is ﬁ lled with its half-living 
  construct machinery and weapon systems.
  The bridge itself has four control stations centered 
  around a command throne for the ship’s captain. Any 
  of the vessel’s functions may be delegated to one of the 
  auxiliary stations by the captain, who otherwise controls 
  everything himself using a complex interface of semi-cor-
  poreal hologlyphs projected in tiered concentric rings of 
  light that spin around the throne during ﬂ ight. The ship’s 
  artiﬁ cial intelligence is housed in an urn-sized processing 
  core beneath the ﬂ oor at the captain’s feet, where it is 
  hooked into every matrix bundle of moonsilver neural wires 
  running through the hull.
  The weapon systems integrated into the Five-Metal 
  Shrike are without peer. It can concentrate and emit its 
  Essence as a beam of coruscating plasma from any point 
  along its hull where moonsilver nerves intersect beneath 
  the surface (and there are hundreds of these intersections 
  spread throughout the hull). It can also ﬁ re such blasts inter-
  nally from bulkheads to repel attackers who breach its sole 
  ventrally mounted access port (Soak 15L/20B, 100 health 
  levels needed to breach a hole large enough for an adult to 
  crawl through). It can also do so to attack would-be Solar 
  captains who cannot present proper command codes.
  Though quite effective, the vessel’s plasma beam array 
  is only a secondary system. The ship’s primary weapon is 
  known as the Godspear of the Five-Metal Shrike, and one 
  blast from this cannon (mounted in the ship’s beak) can 
  vaporize a small city or shatter a mountain.
  The Shrike’s defensive capabilities are no less spec-
  tacular than its offensive power. It can envelop itself in 
  a glowing shell of golden energy called the Aegis of the 
  Unconquered Sun that perfectly soaks all damage from all 
  attacks for a short time, though doing so prevents it from 
  retaliating against its attackers or ﬂ ying at anywhere close 
  
  48
  to its top speed. Fortunately, it can use its extremely ef-
  ﬁ cient Essence collecting sails (known as the Grasp of the 
  Maidens) while shielded, allowing it to rest in a state of near 
  invulnerability while it recharges. Just as incredibly, the 
  ship’s construct hull is capable of self repair while powered 
  down through a subsystem named Luna’s Magnanimity, al-
  lowing it to regenerate damage like a living thing. Finally, 
  in the unlikely event it encounters an adversary capable of 
  destroying it, the Shrike can simply speed away by employ-
  ing the Flight of Shooting Stars drive, propelling the craft 
  at 500 mph and letting it rapidly outpace all but the most 
  potent travel spells of Solar Circle Sorcery.
  Speed: 49/100mph (244/500mph using Flight of Shooting 
  Stars, see sidebar)
  Maneuverability: +5S (Lore 6, Sail 6)
  Endurance: Requires ﬁ ve level-5 hearthstones plugged into 
  the reactor core of its engine room to operate. The captain 
  must commit one mote to bind the vessel to himself after 
  receiving the acceptance of the ship’s Thought Core.
  For every hour it stays aloft, the Five-Metal Shrike suffers 
  one level of unsoakable bashing damage from strain on its 
  neural nets and components.
  Crew: 1/0 (Any character attempting to control any 
  system of the Five-Metal Shrike from an auxiliary control 
  station must have Lore 6, plus Sail 6 if attempting to pilot 
  the ship.)
  Cargo: Any number of personal possessions that would ﬁ t 
  in ﬁ ve comfortable one-person cabins.
  Armor: 30L/60B (+ Aegis of the Unconquered Sun, see 
  sidebar)
  Health Levels: Ux50/Mx25/Cx15/Ix10/D
  Weapons:
  Plasma Beam Array: Speed 5, Accuracy (gunner’s Wits + 
  Archery + 5), Damage 15L piercing, Range 500, Rate 5*
  Godspear of the Five-Metal Shrike: Speed 5, Accuracy 
  (gunner’s Wits + Archery), Damage (special, see sidebar), 
  Range 600, Rate 1/day**
  * Each blast from the plasma beam array costs the gunner 
  ﬁ ve motes or drains ﬁ ve motes from the Thought Core’s 
  Essence pool.
  ** Each blast of the Godspear drains 500 motes from the 
  Thought Core’s Essence Pool.
  Other Notes: Understanding the Five-Metal Shrike’s in-
  strument panels requires knowledge of Old Realm, though 
  characters who do not read this language can still attempt 
  to pilot the craft at -2 Maneuverability. Passengers aboard 
  the Five-Metal Shrike have total cover and may not be at-
  tacked. The ship has the requisite ﬁ ve hearthstones installed 
  aboard it already, fed by manses hidden and scattered at the 
  disparate edges of Creation. Any geomancer who ﬁ nds one 
  of these manses and knows of its connection to the Shrike 
  can ritually map the manse’s dragon lines to get a rough ﬁ x 
  on the skyship’s position. Doing so requires eight hours of 
  work, plus an (Intelligence + Occult) roll at difﬁ culty (10 
  - the total number of different Shrike Manses the character 
  THOUGHT CORE OF THE FIVE-METAL SHRIKE
  Repair: 5
  The synthetic intelligence that controls the 
  Five-Metal Shrike is a composite entity formed from 
  crystallized Essence jointly donated by the three 
  sorcerers who built the vessel. To that spiritual en-
  ergy pattern, they afﬁ xed a set of logical motivation 
  imperatives that could dynamically respond to new 
  variables while multitasking the thousands of regula-
  tory processes needed to control every subsystem of 
  the skyship. The unnamed construct is a marvel of 
  automaton engineering, an artifact nearly as impressive 
  in its own right as the vessel it was built to manage. 
  It will only obey a Solar captain with the correct 
  command codes spoken in Old Realm, though once 
  it accepts a captain, it aids and obeys him without 
  question or hesitation.
  Motivation: Obey authorized captain; protect and 
  regulate the Five-Metal Shrike.
  Attributes: Strength 0, Dexterity 0, Stamina 12; 
  Charisma 1, Manipulation 1, Appearance 0; Percep-
  tion 5, Intelligence 2, Wits 6
  Virtues: Reception 2, Transmission 5, Stability 2, 
  Power 5
  Abilities: Archery 5 (Essence Cannons +3), Aware-
  ness 5 (Initiative +3), Craft (Magitech) 3 (Five-Metal 
  Shrike +3), Integrity 5 (Obeying Programming +10), 
  Linguistics (Native: Old Realm; Flametongue) 1, Lore 
  3 (Operating First Age Technology +3), Occult 3, 
  Presence 5 (Intimidation +3), Sail 6 (Skyships +3), 
  War 3 (Skyship Tactics +3)
  Join Battle: 14
  Attacks: None; commands Five-Metal Shrike and all 
  that ship’s weapons.
  Soak: 12L/12B (Hardness: 12L/12B)
  Health Levels: -0x10/-1x10/-2x10/-4x10/Incap
  Dodge DV: None Willpower: 7
  Essence: 8 
  Essence Pool: 800
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see pp. 96-
  97). The Thought Core of the Five-Metal Shrike is 
  completely sessile. It cannot naturally respire Essence, 
  but must use the Grasp of the Maidens power (see p. 
  49) of the Five-Metal Shrike to replenish its expended 
  energies. Its enormous Essence rating and pool is a 
  function of the reactor core and overall ship it is part 
  of and not a true measure of any spiritual enlighten-
  ment on its own part.
  has previously located and studied). Success narrows the 
  ship’s location down to a square mile area equal to the roll’s 
  difﬁ culty x 10. Please see the accompanying sidebar for rules 
  on the Shrike’s unique Essence powers.
  
  49
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  POWERS OF THE FIVE-METAL SHRIKE
  The following powers are unique capabilities built into 
  the Five-Metal Shrike as part of the ship’s inherent 
  workings. They cannot be emulated or learned by other 
  beings, but they may be activated on behalf of the Shrike 
  by its Thought Core, by an attuned captain or by any 
  crewmember whose control station is given access to the 
  system in question by the captain.
  Aegis of the Unconquered Sun
  Cost: 4 motes per tick
  Surrounding the Shrike in a protective shell of golden 
  light, this energy shield projector may be reﬂ exively 
  activated as needed. While active, the Aegis provides a 
  perfect soak against all damage directed at the Shrike. No 
  force can penetrate the barrier, not even the full might of 
  the Celestines or Primordials. Effects that do not actually 
  inﬂ ict damage against the Shrike (or by extension, any of 
  its occupants) are not stopped, however, so it is entirely 
  possible for mental Charms or spells to “persuade” those 
  within to lower the shield, or perhaps to attack a victim’s 
  mind directly. While the Aegis is active, the Shrike has 
  a vastly reduced maximum Speed of ﬁ ve yards per tick 
  (10mph) and can use no other Essence power except 
  the Grasp of the Maidens.
  Flight of Shooting Stars
  Cost: 20 motes per hour
  By furling its wings back and engaging this drive sys-
  tem using a miscellaneous action, the Shrike’s maximum 
  speed becomes 500 mph, and its ﬂ ight trails a shower 
  of blazing sparks behind it. With this power active, the 
  ship can use none of its other Essence powers.
  Godspear of the Five-Metal Shrike
  Cost: 500 motes
  Projecting a half-kilomote charge into a narrow 
  beam of destructive force, the Godspear of the Five-Metal 
  Shrike is the most powerful reusable energy weapon ever 
  built by the Exalted. Before it can ﬁ re, the cannon must be 
  charged. Doing so requires ﬁ ve successive commitments 
  of 100 motes from the ship’s Thought Core as a miscel-
  laneous action. During this time, the ship can take no 
  other actions except to hover in place, its opened beak 
  glowing with the brightness of the sun itself. Aborting 
  the ﬁ ring sequence after it has begun wastes all motes 
  committed to the blast and inﬂ icts ﬁ ve levels of unsoak-
  able aggravated damage to the Shrike.
  Once the cannon holds the requisite number of 
  motes, it may be ﬁ red at any time as an attack (its sta-
  tistics are listed in the Shrike’s write-up). Until it ﬁ res 
  the charged Godspear, however, the ship remains un-
  able to do anything else except hover and aim, unless it 
  aborts the blast. All objects and beings within 25 yards 
  of the target are utterly destroyed, effectively suffering 
  inﬁ nite levels of lethal damage. The Godspear affects 
  material and immaterial objects alike; spirits slain by 
  its awesome power are obliterated and do not re-form. 
  Perfect defenses of any variety completely stop the power 
  of the Godspear.
  After resolving the primary effects of the Godspear, 
  everything material and immaterial within 500 yards of 
  the annihilated radius suffers 50 levels of lethal damage 
  from the all-consuming shockwave of heat and force 
  erupting outward from the blast radius. Subtract the 
  soak ratings of every object caught in the blast from this 
  value to determine the total damage suffered. Unlike the 
  initial beam, the shockwave cannot be dodged (unless 
  the dodge can somehow move the character outside 
  the blast radius), and it cannot be parried without the 
  aid of Charms. If parried with the aid of magic, add 
  the character’s DV to his lethal soak for the purpose of 
  reducing the total damage.
  Upon ﬁ ring its Godspear, the Five-Metal Shrike 
  can use any of its other Essence powers, allowing it to 
  raise the Aegis of the Unconquered Sun against the 
  expanding shockwave.
  In the unlikely event that the Shrike is destroyed, 
  its reactor explodes as if targeted by a blast from the 
  Godspear, causing a similar explosion to erupt outward, 
  but the damage is 100 levels of lethal damage out to a 
  radius of one mile.
  Grasp of the Maidens
  Cost: None
  The Shrike splits and spreads its wings into feathered 
  sails of starmetal lace crackling with electrical discharges 
  of power. This deployment requires a miscellaneous ac-
  tion. While active, the sails draw motes from everything 
  out to a dozen miles away in great undulating ripples, 
  and all beings with Essence pools in that radius feel 
  pressure pulling in the general direction of the Shrike. 
  The skyship regains ﬁ ve motes per tick spent using this 
  power, but it cannot use any other power with the sails 
  spread except the Aegis of the Unconquered Sun.
  Luna’s Magnanimity
  Cost: Varies
  Unlike most vehicles or automata, the Five-Metal 
  Shrike can actually repair itself. This process takes one 
  hour and costs 15 committed motes for a level of bashing 
  damage, one week and 30 committed motes for a level 
  of lethal damage, and one month and 50 committed 
  motes for a level of aggravated damage. While healing, 
  half-liquid moonsilver cables spread like webbing across 
  the damaged area, forming an organic-looking patch 
  that intermittently glows when light escapes between 
  the pulsing woven ﬁ laments.
  
  50
  GATES OF AUSPICIOUS PASSAGE (ARTIFACT N/A)
  Repair: Special (see below)
  The minds of the Celestial Exalted were very adept 
  at bypassing the challenges presented by Creation’s vast 
  distances. Probably the most astonishing facet of the High 
  First Age infrastructure was the powerful transportation 
  system called gates of auspicious passage, which allowed 
  an Exalt to enter the gate portal in one city and exit the 
  gate portal a few steps later in a different city after passing 
  the intervening distance Elsewhere. Every large city had at 
  least one gate of auspicious passage, and passing from Meru 
  to Denandsor or Hollow to Sperimin was no more difﬁ cult 
  than walking ﬁ ve yards. In most cities, the gates were solely 
  for use by the Celestial Exalted, as even a single passage 
  required an incredible amount of Essence. A single Exalted 
  luminary and her entourage might literally require 1,000 
  motes. Depending on how many manses (or other Essence 
  sources) powered the gates, the time between uses could 
  be anywhere between hours and weeks. Terrestrial Exalted 
  were sometimes allowed to use gates of auspicious passage 
  if their Celestial overseers needed to transfer troops from 
  one city to another in a short period of time. On special 
  occasions, as an exceptionally high honor, mortal scholars 
  and heroes were allowed to use the gates as well, but this 
  practice was never common.
  Gates of auspicious passage were not merely stationary 
  artifacts, they were the result of a complicated system of 
  artifacts and, therefore, wholly a product of the First Age’s 
  extensive sorcerous infrastructure. In the fallen Second Age, 
  all that remains of these portals—and only in a handful 
  of cities—are decorative metal gates and very short (but 
  highly ornamented) passageways that lead directly into a 
  wall covered with periapts, complex glyphs and jade tiles 
  inscribed with sutras to the Maiden of Journeys.
  The gates of auspicious passage were among the ﬁ rst 
  major infrastructural losses after the Usurpation. Even min-
  ute changes in the system’s calibration caused signiﬁ cant 
  problems. Not even the most accomplished Sidereal lore 
  masters and savants were able to fathom the arcane principles 
  that allowed the gates to function, and when important Sho-
  gunate ofﬁ cials began disappearing in transit (or emerging 
  horribly changed from their passage), the system was shut 
  down entirely. The gates themselves were often removed or 
  built over in many cities, to remove yet one more reminder 
  of the Shogunate’s technological plummet.
  The gates were left standing in many cities, and consider-
  ing their centuries of abandonment, they are in surprisingly 
  good condition, especially in those places where the gates 
  were preserved by being built over or hidden. Restoring 
  the system that made gates of auspicious passage possible 
  would require an Exalt to restore vast portions of the First 
  Age infrastructure not just in one city, but in the cities at 
  both ends of the passage he’s attempting to restore. Given 
  the unknown nature of Elsewhere, it’s also possible that the 
  paths between gates might have changed or healed shut in 
  the intervening centuries.
  Certain spirits—city fathers, gods of technology or 
  even the Maiden of Journeys herself—might be willing and 
  able to provide suggestions to Exalts who have curried their 
  favor, but even with assistance, the task is a daunting one. 
  With assistance from an appropriate spirit or god, the task 
  requires 100 successes on an extended (Intelligence + Lore) 
  roll for each end of the connection. This is a dramatic action, 
  and one roll can be made for each week of solid research and 
  work on reactivating the portal. In the absence of divine 
  assistance or tutoring from some entity who understands the 
  system (a savant surviving from the First Age, for example), 
  the number of necessary successes is doubled (to a total of 
  400 to reactivate both ends of a connection). The Savant 
  Background can be used to enhance this roll.
  KIREEKI-CLASS ASSAULT SKYREME
  (ARTIFACT N/A)
  Repair: 5
  Named for the goddess of oceanic predators, Kireeki-class 
  assault skyremes were designed during the early High First 
  Age as urban-paciﬁ cation weapons platforms and mobile 
  garrisons. The 100-yard-long ships were eventually phased 
  out in favor of more advanced and efﬁ cient designs, with 
  a few operational models docked and powered down in 
  military history museums on the Realm. After the Usur-
  pation, the scientists of the early Shogunate recognized 
  that they could not maintain the more advanced vessels 
  remaining to them, and so, they resurrected the blueprints 
  for Kireeki and constructed several dozen of the ships. Only 
  ﬁ ve of these skyremes deﬁ nitively survived the civil wars 
  of the Shogunate and the epic battles fought during the 
  Great Contagion into the Second Age, and all of these 
  form the core of the Lookshy Sky Guard. Vanileth, God 
  of Artiﬁ cial Flight, is rumored to own one also, while less 
  credible rumors persist of three docked at Rathess during 
  the Great Contagion that have never been accounted for. 
  Most bizarrely, numerous sailors who have never even 
  heard of Lookshy have described a vessel with a suspiciously 
  similar appearance crewed by pirates who strike from the 
  clouds, but such accounts have never been veriﬁ ed, and it 
  is far more likely that the sailors in question saw one of the 
  Fair Folk’s ﬂ ying war whales. Both the Seventh Legion and 
  the Realm would pay a handsome reward to anyone who 
  could verify the existence and location of a sixth First Age 
  assault skyreme.
  Far more impressive than those built during the Sho-
  gunate, Lookshy actually commissioned a Kireeki-class 
  skyship named Skywolf only two centuries ago, but it took 
  28 years to construct—during which time virtually all 
  production of other First Age weapons stopped in order 
  to ﬁ nance the project. While Lookshy could conceivably 
  build more even today, the cost would be astronomical 
  
  51
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  and would likely encourage the Mask of Winters to invade 
  Marukan while the Seventh Legion was occupied with the 
  ship’s construction.
  Kireeki vessels appear roughly like orcas made of steel 
  and jade alloys, their hulls oblong and tapered in back to 
  fork outward in massive engine nacelles. Stabilizing ﬁ ns 
  set at angles to each side and pointed slightly ventrally 
  end in numerous weapons turrets, while a single deckhouse 
  rising from the dorsal deck terminates in the ship’s bridge. 
  Clustered in stacks of two each port and starboard, four 
  bulbous Essence turbines power the ship and lift it into the 
  air, while a slender ventral ﬁ n holds weapons and a small 
  observation deck.
  As Lookshy’s ﬂ agship, Skywolf boasts the full compli-
  ment of First Age weapons originally mounted in Kireeki 
  skyremes. Two hearthstone-powered lightning ballistae 
  (see p. 132) face forward, capable of striking targets ahead 
  or ahead and below the ship (i.e., ground targets at long 
  range). The ventral ﬁ n spire holds four medium implosion 
  bows (see p. 130), one ﬁ ring forward, one aft, one starboard 
  and one port. Two light implosion bows (see p. 130) and a 
  warstrider ﬁ re lance sit in independent turrets on both the 
  starboard and port ﬁ ns (each bank capable of ﬁ ring in its 
  respective direction, forward or aft). One more light implo-
  sion bow capable of ﬁ ring to any of the four directions or up 
  is mounted atop the bridge itself. For defense, the ship has 
  a skyship haze shield installed (see p. 92). Finally, assorted 
  ports throughout the hull allow passengers to use personal 
  weapons through arrow slit iris ports.
  None of Lookshy’s other Kireeki ships have equivalent 
  armament. Those ships replace the lightning ballistae with 
  medium implosion bows, the medium implosion bows with 
  light implosion bows and dispense with the ﬁ re lances 
  and light implosion bows altogether. More importantly, 
  none of these other vessels are undamaged as Skywolf is, 
  but Lookshy can afford to keep only its ﬂ agship in perfect 
  condition at present.
  Kireeki-class skyremes require a crew of ﬁ ve Essence 
  channelers, plus 15 additional personnel. In emergencies, 
  the ship can be ﬂ own with as few as the core ﬁ ve, but doing 
  so would be massively unsafe and would very likely result 
  in a catastrophic crash. The ships carry two scales of sky 
  marines with their own cramped barracks for guard and 
  commando duty at all times, plus up to a wing of soldiers 
  in cargo holds for short distances. For comfort and sanita-
  tion, the Lookshy Directorate usually limits cargo hold 
  deployments to three talons if the ship must ﬂ y more than 
  a week to its destination.
  Speed: 68/140mph
  Maneuverability: -1S (Lore 3, Sail 3)
  Endurance: Requires three level-3+ hearthstones plugged 
  into controls on the bridge to operate, plus any hearth-
  stones required for weapons. Five of the crew (including 
  the pilot) must each commit three motes to their control 
  stations during ﬂ ight.
  After a Kireeki-class skyreme has operated for three cumu-
  lative hours without maintenance, it suffers one level of 
  unsoakable bashing damage. This minor damage can be 
  repaired in ﬂ ight (Repair: 2). After 100 cumulative hours 
  operating without spending a day in dry dock, it suffers more 
  signiﬁ cant and expensive breakdowns, taking one unsoak-
  able level of lethal damage per hour of ﬂ ight in arrears).
  Crew: 20/5 (Command Crew: Lore 3, Sail 3; Auxiliary 
  Crew: Lore 1, Sail 2)
  Cargo: Two scales of commandos plus one wing of infantry, 
  or equivalently weighted cargo in holds. External tethers 
  can hold up to eight warstriders or equivalent, though such 
  cargo has only 25% cover.
  Armor: 20L/30B
  Health Levels: Ux40/Mx30/Cx10/Ix10/D
  Weapons: Ideally, two lightning ballistae, four medium 
  implosion bows, ﬁ ve light implosion bows, two warstrider 
  ﬁ re lances, skyship haze shield, though most are ﬁ elded 
  with lesser armament.
  Other Notes: Passengers can open slits in either side of the 
  hull to ﬁ re bows or other personal ranged weapons from 
  within. Such characters have 75% cover. Otherwise, all pas-
  sengers and crew have total cover and may not be attacked. 
  Kireeki-class vessels can land only in special hangars built 
  speciﬁ cally to accommodate and support their ﬁ ns, or else, 
  they must dock on sufﬁ ciently large bodies of water. Their 
  hulls ﬂ oat, and they may even serve as slow and ungainly 
  boats—Speed: 10/20mph; Maneuverability: -5.
  While powered up, the Essence turbines drain ambient Es-
  sence within a mile of the ship. This drain has no real effect 
  as long as the ship continues to move. For each ﬁ ve-hour 
  interval that one of these vessels stays powered up in the 
  same area, however, all beings capable of respiring Essence 
  do so at a cumulative -1 mote rate per hour. For example, 
  after ﬁ ve hours, resting in the area grants only three motes, 
  while sleep or meditation affords seven motes. At 10 hours, 
  the rates drop to two and six, and so on, until 40 hours pass 
  and no respiration is possible. Those inside the ship are af-
  fected as well, but only if the ship stays in the same area.
  PERSONAL TRANSPORT 
  ARTIFACTS
  Even in the High First Age, not every Exalt traveled 
  about in skyships or rode clockwork steeds. To be certain, 
  many did; the technology was almost ubiquitous at the 
  height of Solar rule. Other less ostentatious options existed, 
  however, and some of those devices that have survived 
  into the Second Age are listed here. If anything, personal 
  travel artifacts are more prized in the Time of Tumult than 
  ever before, if only because they do not require the same 
  degree of maintenance and massive Essence expenditure 
  as full vehicles.
  
  52
  PERFECTED BOOTS (ARTIFACT •)
  Repair: 1
  This artifact has been made since the early days of the First Age, but most modern examples were 
  manufactured in Lookshy. Almost half of the Dragon-Blooded ground troops ﬁ elded by this martial state 
  wear a version of this artifact. Once the wearer commits one mote of Essence to this item, these boots 
  become the most comfortable footwear she has ever worn. This artifact keeps the wearer’s feet cool and 
  dry in all conditions, and she will never develop blisters while wearing them. In addition to comfort, 
  these boots also allow the wearer to both run and march considerably faster than normal. In combat, the 
  wearer adds three yards per tick to all move actions and six yards per tick to dash actions. When walking 
  long distances, the wearer can march at a speed of 10 miles per hour and can cover up to 100 miles in 
  a day, allowing the wearer to overtake carriages and to easily keep up with all but the fastest mounted 
  characters. In addition, the wearer adds two to her Strength when calculating jumping distances. This 
  bonus adds directly to the wearer’s Strength if the jumping distance is multiplied because of Charms, 
  additional artifacts or anima powers. One of the primary advantages these boots provide for Lookshy is 
  that heavy infantry who wear these boots can easily keep up with cavalry troops, allowing Lookshy forces 
  to be exceedingly swift and mobile.
  ESSENCE GLIDER (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
  Unlike the vast majority of magitech artifacts, the ﬁ rst example of this device was not created by 
  one of the Exalted. Instead, it was manufactured by Talshari, a powerful God-Blood in the Haslanti League 
  who was the child of Vanileth, the god of artiﬁ cial ﬂ ight. The mundane gliders used by the Haslanti 
  and the icewalkers are typically made from wood or feathersteel and cloth. The lightest examples weigh 
  approximately 20 pounds and can fold to ﬁ t in a small traveling pack. Talshari, however, wished for a 
  glider that was lighter, stronger and more responsive. The result was this fragile-looking construct of jade, 
  feathersteel and Essence that has a wingspan of 20 feet.
  The Essence glider appears to be an exceptionally slender and delicate glider frame that lacks a 
  cloth covering. Any Essence-user who commits two motes to it can fold or unfold this glider. It weighs 
  only 10 pounds and folds small enough that the user can either ﬁ t it in a small portion of a pack or wear 
  it underneath a cloak. When the user spends two motes of Essence, the glider automatically unfolds, and 
  the framework is covered with a faintly glowing fabric of solidiﬁ ed Essence. The glider remains active 
  for one full scene, and the user can easily extend this duration by spending an additional two motes per 
  scene. Because it is so responsive, this glider provides four bonus dice to add to the (Dexterity + Ride) 
  roll necessary to control the glider. The Essence glider can soar on thermals, and it also multiplies the 
  distance the user can jump vertically or horizontally by ﬁ ve if the user has room to unfold its wings. (This 
  bonus is added to other bonuses gained from Charms or anima powers.) In addition, even if the user steps 
  off a 10-yard-high battlement on a windless day, the glider will travel 200 yards before it lands. In the 
  North, this item is quite popular with God-Bloods, outcaste Dragon-Bloods and mortal thaumaturges 
  of the Haslanti League.
  JUMP HARNESS (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
  Although actual ﬂ ight is the domain of Exalts and gods, as well as few beastmen and other winged 
  magical creations, Dragon-Blooded technicians created these devices during the Shogunate to allow 
  mortals to partially emulate the powers granted to their Air-aspected betters. This artifact was speciﬁ cally 
  developed for use by jump troops, who would leap out of huge skyships, plummeting safely to the ground. 
  The use of such jump troops allowed the military leaders of the Shogunate to deploy troops exceedingly 
  rapidly and to ﬁ eld troops in regions too dangerous to land skyships. Most drop troops were equipped with 
  ashigaru battle armor and shock pikes, although a few were armed with ﬁ re lances. 
  Jump harnesses consist of a large, thick belt made of links of blue jade that is connected to a pair 
  of sturdy mesh straps that encircle the wearer’s upper thighs. To use the jump harness, mortal wearers 
  must spend one temporary Willpower—this Willpower is treated as committed and effectively lowers the 
  character’s maximum temporary Willpower. Exalts wearing this artifact need spend only two motes of 
  Essence to activate this device for one scene. The device automatically and reﬂ exively draws two motes 
  of Essence from a falling Exalt, unless the Exalt deliberately chooses not to spend these motes.
  When using this item, the wearer can place it in one of two modes. In swift-descent mode, the 
  unit allows the wearer to fall at normal speed and then it rapidly but safely decelerates the wearer a few 
  yards above the ground, allowing him to fall any distance without harm. In this mode, the wearer falls 
  quite rapidly, attaining an average speed of 30 yards per tick in a 100-yard fall. In slow-decent mode, the 
  wearer falls at a constant speed of ﬁ ve yards per tick, allowing him to survey the terrain below and to 
  attack with distance weapons. Although descent from high altitudes can take as much as several minutes, 
  the wearer can fall any distance without harm. Also, in this mode, the wearer can jump twice her normal 
  jumping distances in both horizontal and vertical jumps. Today, Lookshy has almost 200 of these artifacts 
  and regularly uses them with its Manta-class skyships and Skywolf. In addition, almost a decade ago, the 
  Haslanti League recovered several dozen of these units from the ice-covered city of Tzatli. Today, their 
  elite troops use these artifacts to make daring attacks from Haslanti air boats.
  
  53
  CHAPTER TWO • THE PURVIEW OF THE GOLDEN BARQUE
  BELT OF AERIAL MOBILITY (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 1
  This artifact almost always consists of a belt formed of links of blue jade, and in First Age ver-
  sions of this artifact, these links are usually inlaid with small amounts of orichalcum. When the wearer 
  commits three motes of Essence to the belt, it sizes to ﬁ t and can thereafter be comfortably worn with 
  any garment. Anytime the wearer reﬂ exively spends three motes of Essence to empower the artifact, 
  she rises an inch or so into the air and can walk on air for the rest of the scene. During this scene, the 
  wearer can walk safely over water, quicksand, pools of acid or rivers of molten lava. Alternatively, she 
  can will herself to rise up into the air in a form of movement that resembles walking on air as much as 
  it does true ﬂ ight. The character can walk or run normally, and in combat, she can use both the move 
  or dash maneuvers at her normal movement rate (which she can enhance with Charms normally). The 
  character can use this item to move in any direction, including up or down. Moving using this belt 
  requires no more concentration or effort than normal walking or running. This belt’s buckle contains a 
  setting for a single hearthstone. 
  During the First Age, many Exalts wished to move swiftly and easily through the towers of Chiar-
  oscuro and to the vast ﬂ oating palaces that ﬂ oated above the largest cities. Others used this item to enter 
  and leave skyships with ease. In addition to being a convenient form of movement, there were also entire 
  talons of Dragon-Blooded warriors who used these artifacts to allow them to serve as troops on board 
  skyships. They could rapidly deploy from the ship to the ground as well as easily attack and board other 
  ﬂ ying vehicles as part of vast aerial battles. Today, these items are difﬁ cult but possible to create, and 
  many dozens survive from the First Age and the Shogunate.
  AMULET OF SHADOW WALKING (ARTIFACT ••• TO •••••)
  Repair: 3
  These onyx and magical material talismans can take many forms, but the most common designs 
  built in the First Age were fashioned as belt buckles, pendants, bracelets or rings. Regardless of their 
  form, the devices all require a commitment of ﬁ ve motes and possess the same two powers. Although the 
  amulets do not receive magical material bonuses, they still cost double to attune if they are constructed 
  of the wrong material for the wearer’s Exalt type.
  Concealment: Shadows gracefully bend and ﬂ ow to conceal the character from sight. This power 
  is always active as long as the Exalt wears the amulet (though it may be voluntarily suppressed). It grants 
  a two-die bonus to all Stealth rolls or a four-die bonus while the character is actually hiding in a patch 
  of darkness or using the Shadow Form power.
  Shadow Form: For an additional reﬂ exive expenditure of 10 motes (committed) and one Willpower, 
  the wearer’s body and personal possessions dematerialize for a scene, though he can terminate the power 
  and rematerialize at will. Upon doing so, the character cannot use the power again for at least ﬁ ve minutes. 
  This power may be activated in response to an attack in order to avoid it, but the wearer must perceive 
  the attack in order to evade it in this manner. While in shadow form, the character can physically interact 
  with other incorporeal entities and objects as if they were solid, but he passes through corporeal matter just 
  like spirits do in their natural state. The Exalt remains visible to observant material beings as a darkened 
  translucent apparition of himself, however. More importantly, he can still be attacked and damaged by 
  corporeal beings, provided the attacker wields a magical weapon or activates a Charm to aid/create the 
  attack. Finally, the character is not actually a spirit, so he remains subject to mortal needs for sustenance 
  and air (and must hold his breath while passing through solid or liquid matter).
  Four-dot versions of these artifacts add a third power:
  Shadowstep: The wearer can spend ﬁ ve motes as a diceless miscellaneous action to transport herself 
  and her non-living personal possessions via shadow to anywhere in her line of sight up to a maximum 
  distance of (Essence x 10) yards away. Such transit is silent and does not draw attention. The character 
  simply steps into a shadow and vanishes, instantly reappearing at her destination in a similar shadow. 
  Five-dot versions extend the maximum range of teleportation to one mile and allow her to carry one other 
  touched character along by increasing the cost of the trip to 15 motes and one Willpower. 
  TRANSCENDENT PHOENIX PINIONS (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  Many iconic portraits and carvings of First Age Terrestrial Exalted warriors depict them with 
  burning wings extending from their backs. These once-common artifacts are the reason for such artistic 
  renderings. In appearance, transcendent phoenix pinions are jade and feathersteel alloy torcs connected 
  to organically curved shoulder plates that wrap slightly down the back, with straps under each armpit 
  holding the assembly in place.
  When activated by an expenditure of Essence, rubies set in the back of each shoulder plate glow 
  and project a spray of burning Essence that shapes into stylized wings like those of a bird. Although these 
  artifacts do not trail sparks and ﬂ y with beating wings, the artifacts have the same costs and effect as the 
  Essence Thrust Drive feature of Air Dragon armor (see pp. 85-86). In addition, as long as a character is 
  ﬂ ying using the wings, she adds two to both DV values as the wings automatically ﬂ utter to interpose 
  themselves in the path of incoming attacks. Unfortunately, the brilliantly burning wings obviate all 
  mundane attempts at Stealth.
  Because of their composite design, transcendent phoenix pinions have no magical material bonuses 
  and may be readily used by all types of Exalted. Variant designs built by deathknights in recent years 
  incorporate soulsteel in place of jade and project amethyst-hued wings of smoldering light shaped like 
  those of a bat.
  
  54
  RING OF VANISHING ESCAPE (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 3
  Though the Chosen are the greatest warriors ever to walk the face of Creation, even the mightiest 
  of the Solar Exalted can ﬁ nd themselves overcome in battle. Savants developed these artifacts as a means 
  of prudently retreating from certain defeat. The talismans appear as two concentric rings of the appropri-
  ate magical material etched with arcane sigils. The rings are detachable; the inner one is intended to be 
  worn as jewelry, while the outer ring must be installed in the hearthstone pedestal of a level-3+ manse 
  to which the character is attuned (each manse can accommodate only one such device). Once the outer 
  ring is installed, the manse’s hearthstone provides Essence as if it had a rating one dot less than its true 
  value, but the jewel continues to provide its other powers normally. The worn ring must be attuned for 
  a commitment of three motes to make the two-part artifacts functional.
  If all of the necessary conditions are met, the Exalt can activate the ring at any time and from any 
  location as a diceless miscellaneous action costing 12 motes. Upon activation, the character’s body and 
  personal possessions dissolve into wisps of glowing smoke as she teleports to the central room of the manse 
  housing the outer ring. The sudden transport is spiritually exhausting. As a result, the character suffers 
  a -3 internal penalty to all non-reﬂ exive actions for one scene. Rings of vanishing escape do not receive 
  magical material bonuses, but still cost double to attune if they are constructed of the wrong material.
  Until recently, the elders of the Sidereal Exalted were the only Chosen known to own copies of 
  these artifacts in the Second Age, using them to transport to their Celestial Manses in Yu-Shan without 
  the hassle of traveling through a Heaven Gate. In the past few years, however, some deathknights have 
  been seen to vanish in a disturbing spray of shadows as they ﬂ ed to their Underworld manses. A ring of 
  vanishing escape cannot transport a character into or out of planes of existence that are sealed from the 
  world in some fashion, including Malfeas and Autochthonia. Moreover, characters traveling deeper into 
  the Wyld than the Middlemarches cannot use these artifacts to ﬁ nd their way home.
  WINGS OF THE RAPTOR (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 2
  While transcendent phoenix pinions are well suited to tactical ﬂ ight, they require a constant inﬂ ux 
  of Essence to keep active, and their ostentatious design makes stealth nigh-impossible. Wings of the raptor 
  represent an improvement in personal ﬂ ight technology, taking the form of exquisite ﬂ oor-length capes 
  fastened at the throat with ornate clasps that hold a single hearthstone socket. During the High First 
  Age, the capes were often embroidered as iconic tapestries aesthetically appropriate to their intended 
  wearer. Those made for Solars were usually pure white with elaborate golden sunburst mandalas centered 
  on the back, quite different from the subdued midnight-blue Sidereal capes sparkling with their inset 
  constellations of diamond beads.
  Characters must commit one mote to these wings in order to attune them, but doing so does noth-
  ing except allow the clasp to function as a hearthstone amulet. Activating the wings requires a reﬂ exive 
  commitment of 10 additional motes. This causes the cape to ﬂ are back and unravel as though in a sudden 
  gale, reshaping itself into a pair of great wings like those of a bird (or bat) that stretch six yards from 
  wingtip to wingtip. With the wings active, the wearer can ﬂ y at ﬁ ve times his usual running speed or 
  hover with slow and graceful beats. Outside of combat, he can accelerate faster, soaring at speeds up to 
  80 miles per hour. Because the wings are considered a natural extension of the body, wearers do not need 
  to divert actions to aerial maneuvers as with piloting a skyship. Moreover, all maneuvering rolls required 
  by negative environmental conditions (such as ﬂ ying through a hurricane or weaving through a narrow 
  canyon) are made reﬂ exively using a full pool of the character’s (Dexterity + Athletics + 6). Finally, the 
  characters Dodge DV increases by three in ﬂ ight owing to the artifact’s extreme maneuverability.
  Wings of the raptor have additional powers depending on the magical material used in their clasp:
  Orichalcum: At will, the wearer may command the wings to glow with a brilliant golden light that sur-
  rounds him in a halo of glory, adding three to his Appearance rating.
  Moonsilver: The wings resize themselves to accommodate any form the Lunar assumes. In addition, the 
  character gains sensory acuity appropriate to a raptor, adding six dice to vision-based Awareness rolls 
  while in ﬂ ight.
  Starmetal: These wings are particularly subtle and silent like an owl, adding a six-die bonus to Stealth rolls.
  Jade: Resonating with the elemental energy of the air itself, these wings naturally buoy themselves 
  without any conscious effort from their wearer. As such, the Terrestrial can literally ﬂ y in his sleep with 
  as much competence as if he were awake (aiding in long-distance travel), though he cannot do anything 
  else but move and maneuver.
  Soulsteel: These bat-like wings house a razor-edged skeleton. The Abyssal may use the bladed wings to 
  attack with the same statistics as a soulsteel reaper daiklave (see Exalted, p. 385). Furthermore, he can 
  slash while ﬂ ying past an opponent without disrupting his ﬂ ight.
  
  55
  CHAPTER THREE • THE PURVIEW OF THE CERULEAN LUTE
  
  56
  CHAPTER THREE
  TRAITS
  CHAPTER THREE
  CHAPTER THREE
  THE PURVIEW OF THE
  THE PURVIEW OF THE
  CERULEAN LUTE
  CERULEAN LUTE
  UTILITARIAN DEVICES
  To those living in the violent and dangerous Time of 
  Tumult, the artifacts of the First Age deemed most impres-
  sive are typically those with obvious military applications. 
  The High First Age, however, was a golden era of relative 
  peace and prosperity in which magical technology enhanced 
  every aspect of daily life. Self-heating pots and indestruc-
  tible knives that never dull might seem trivial or wasteful 
  in the Second Age, at least when compared with daiklaves 
  and implosion bows, but such utilitarian artifacts played a 
  major role in raising the overall quality of life for everyone 
  during the First Age.
  BULB OF DEMISE AND RENEWAL (ARTIFACT •)
  Repair: N/A
  The Dragon Kings who predated humanity were known for their mastery of plant-based technol-
  ogy. One form of Dragon King technology that gained popularity among mortals and Exalts alike in the 
  jungle cities of the East and the South was the bulb of demise and renewal. A simple plant bulb the size 
  of a boy’s ﬁ st, it was designed to get rid of the bodies of the dead. The bulb would be placed in the mouth 
  or into an incision made in the abdomen, and it would then send roots and tendrils throughout the body 
  over the course of 12 hours. Within 24 hours, the body would decompose completely, and an enormous 
  stalk of brightly colored ﬂ owers would stand above the human-shaped mass of knotted roots. The highly 
  fragrant blossoms would last for a week, and then, the entire plant would wither, leaving only a bundle of 
  dried roots in which could be found one to three fresh bulbs of demise and renewal. Bodies consumed by 
  the growth of these bulbs do not rise as hungry ghosts, and their souls are sent instantly to Lethe—borne 
  aloft on brightly colored ﬂ ower-petal wings—for reincarnation.
  For a time in the High First Age, bulbs of demise and renewal were a popular means of disposing of 
  the dead, although knowledge of the bulbs was largely lost during the Great Contagion.
  In the Second Age, bulbs of demise and renewal are found only in Sijan, where their properties are 
  well known and respected. They also exist in a few small communities in the jungles of the South and 
  the East.
  Bulbs of demise and renewal can also be placed in living bodies—and with much the same results, as 
  long as the person is prevented from removing the bulb. When so used, the growth of the plant quickly kills 
  its host and consumes the remains. This is the more popular use for these bulbs in the barbarian-controlled 
  lands of the East, particularly among Raksi’s apemen.
  
  57
  CHAPTER THREE • THE PURVIEW OF THE CERULEAN LUTE
  FIRE PEARL (ARTIFACT •)
  Repair: 1
  These scarlet orbs of ﬂ awless red jade are roughly an inch in diameter and were originally invented as 
  a type of reusable ammunition for heavy alchemical ﬂ ame weapons such as fuel bolt launchers (see p. 75). 
  In the Second Age, only well-educated savants know this bit of trivia. To most people who have heard of 
  them, ﬁ re pearls are merely useful baubles that can start ﬁ res without need for tinder or ﬂ int. To use a ﬁ re 
  pearl in this manner, a character need only hold it and concentrate his attention on a ﬂ ammable inanimate 
  object no bigger than himself within one yard. Roll the user’s (Wits + Lore) at a difﬁ culty of 1 for highly 
  ﬂ ammable targets such as dry wood, or difﬁ culty 3 for moderately ﬂ ammable objects such as fresh corpses 
  or wet wood. If successful, the target object catches ﬂ ame and burns normally thereafter. Fire pearls can 
  be used only three times per day without Essence expenditure, but further uses cost only one mote apiece. 
  With a stunt, it is possible to ignite a number of small and similar objects in a single action, such as lighting 
  all the candles in a candelabrum with a ﬂ amboyant gesture.
  FIVEFOLD HARMONIC ADAPTER (ARTIFACT •)
  Repair: 1
  Appearing as thumbnail-sized disks of a single magical material engraved with mystical glyphs and 
  surrounded in a ring of adamant, these devices automatically adhere to any artifact constructed of a differ-
  ent magical material. Any Exalt who tries to attune the “host” artifact can do so for the same cost as if it 
  were made of the correct material for her Exalted type, provided the ﬁ vefold harmonic adapter attached to 
  it is actually made of the correct material for her. Once the host artifact is attuned, the adapter cannot be 
  pried off until its owner allows attunement to lapse. In the Realm, these artifacts are carefully regulated, 
  as the Immaculate Order takes a very dim view of Dragon-Blooded who use the tainted weapons of the 
  Anathema. 
  GILL CLOAK (ARTIFACT •)
  Repair: 2
  These brilliantly colored diaphanous cloaks are beautiful but otherwise unremarkable on land. In 
  the water, however, once the wearer commits two motes to the cloak, the translucent membrane spreads 
  out behind the wearer and collects air dissolved in the nearby water and allows the character to breathe 
  underwater, although it does not let the wearer speak or grant any other capabilities.
  HEARTHSTONE COMPASS (ARTIFACT •)
  Repair: 1
  These three-inch spheres of jade and adamant have ﬁ ve gimbaled concentric rings on their exterior 
  that each rotate in separate directions. Attuning one of these devices requires a commitment of two motes 
  (regardless of the owner’s Exalt type). While holding the device, an attuned owner sees a glowing thread 
  of light leading from it to the exact geomantic center of the nearest manse. However, if the owner presses 
  the correct series of pressure plates on the compass, it unfolds to reveal a small compartment. (Puzzling out 
  the device’s function requires a successful [Intelligence + Lore] roll, difﬁ culty 1, if the user is unaware of 
  it.) If a hearthstone is placed within this compartment, the device closes, and the thread of light instead 
  points to the center of the manse that created the stone. Treasure hunters often make use of this feature 
  to locate abandoned or ownerless manses through their “useless” hearthstones. These artifacts function 
  only in Creation, though the dead have their own variants for locating inauspicious manses raised in the 
  Underworld.
  
  58
  RESPLENDENT PERSONAL ASSISTANT (ARTIFACT •)
  Repair: 2
  During the long ago days of the First Age, these items were popular trinkets owned by the majority of 
  Essence users. Many thousands remain today, lying in graves and ancient ruins, but new ones are also being 
  manufactured in the Realm, and many Exalted ship captains own them. Regardless of their age, these multi-func-
  tion artifacts are one-inch-wide bracelets made of an exquisite combination of all ﬁ ve magical materials.
  In addition to containing a miniature jade compass that points to the Elemental Pole of Earth and 
  also reveals both how far the wearer is from this elemental pole and how far above or below sea level she is, 
  this artifact also contains a minute timekeeper. The least spirit of this timekeeper tracks the exact second, 
  minute, hour, day and month by listening to the whispers of the pattern spiders. In addition to keeping 
  track of the time, the assistant also can instantly tell the phase of the moon and how much time remains 
  until the next sunrise or sunset. The compass combined with the timekeeper provides a -1 reduction in 
  difﬁ culty to all rolls involving navigation or astrology that the user makes. At the wearer’s choosing, this 
  device can either whisper this information to her or display it on a tiny panel of jade. The user need only 
  commit one mote of Essence to activate the artifact and to cause the bracelet to size to ﬁ t.
  THOUSAND COMFORTS LOUNGE (ARTIFACT •)
  Repair: 1
  When given the choice between an item that could perform only one function and one that had 
  many, the Exalted always preferred the latter. The thousand comforts lounge was a piece of furniture that 
  shifted to be any type of furniture its owner desired, from a chaise, to a couch, to a bed, to a large hassock. 
  The lounge could replicate any manner of posh, overstuffed furniture, but it could not change textures to 
  become, for example, a wooden sleeping platform or a metal throne.
  These items were quite popular and common in the First Age, and while most existing models are 
  clearly somewhat worse for the wear, they are still to be found in the homes of wealthy Dynasts, who obtain 
  them from artifact smugglers and antiquaries.
  WINDSLAVE DISK (ARTIFACT • OR ••)
  Repair: 1
  Extremely common in the First Age, these devices still see regular use throughout the Realm and 
  more prosperous cities of the Threshold. In appearance, they are blue jade-alloy disks the size of large coins. 
  If pressed against an inanimate object and attuned for a commitment of three motes, the disks mystically 
  adhere to the touched object until pried loose by their owner (which ends the commitment). As long 
  as they remain afﬁ xed, the disks reduce the object’s weight by half or by 500 pounds, whichever is less. 
  Multiple disks attached to the same object stack, but each lightens the current weight, so it is not possible 
  to make an object truly weightless.
  Two-dot windslave disks cost ﬁ ve motes to attune but reduce the weight of afﬁ xed objects by a ﬂ at 
  500 pounds. If this would result in negative weight, the objects instead levitate to a height of one yard 
  above the ground and drift at a speed up to 10 miles per hour, adjusting direction and speed in response 
  to the mental commands of the disk’s owner. The effects of multiple disks of this type are cumulative, so 
  a sufﬁ cient number of them can theoretically lift and move any object, no matter how heavy it is. During 
  the First Age, these models were used to load heavy crates aboard cargo vessels and to move large blocks 
  of stone intended for use in manse construction.
  CACHE EGG (ARTIFACT • TO ••••)
  Repair: 1
  Created to store treasured or particularly useful possessions Elsewhere, both to keep them “nearby” 
  at all times and out of the reach of thieves, these jade vessels have the shape and texture of large eggs. The 
  volume of a cache egg determines its artifact rating as follows:
  • 
  one cubic foot or less 
  ••• 
  three cubic yards or less
  •• 
  up to one cubic yard 
  •••• 
  up to 10 cubic yards
  Eggs rated at three dots or better are all but unheard of in the Second Age. Most are lost, having 
  been either broken or banished Elsewhere by long-dead owners.
  Opening or closing a cache egg requires a touch and costs one mote. Up to half the shell may be opened 
  from any point on its surface. The interior is hollow and may be ﬁ lled with any inanimate cargo up to its 
  maximum volume. If the shell is completely sealed and the vessel contains nothing living, a character may 
  touch it and spend 20 motes (uncommitted) to banish the vessel as a diceless miscellaneous action, causing 
  it to ﬂ icker and vanish from the world into the non-space of Elsewhere. While banished, the egg retains an 
  arcane link to the character who banished it, allowing her to recall it at any time into a space large enough to 
  contain it by spending another 20 motes as an action. Recalled vessels return in physical contact with their 
  owners, where they may be opened and their contents reclaimed. Objects stored Elsewhere experience no 
  passage of time from the moment they are banished until they return to Creation. Characters cannot have 
  more than one egg linked to them, and banishing a second vessel while the ﬁ rst remains Elsewhere shatters 
  the earlier connection, most likely exiling the egg and its contents to remain forever apart from the world.
  Celestial Exalted can sometimes recall cache eggs banished by prior incarnations of their Essence, 
  but doing so is extremely difﬁ cult, requiring a successful (Intelligence + Lore) roll at difﬁ culty 10 and Sto-
  ryteller approval. Some First Age Exalted took advantage of this feature to leave behind “time capsules” 
  for future incarnations containing journals, dreamstones or prized treasures they wanted to bequeath to 
  their future selves.
  
  59
  CHAPTER THREE • THE PURVIEW OF THE CERULEAN LUTE
  DRAGONFLY’S RANGING EYE (ARTIFACT • TO ••••)
  Repair: 1
  The one-dot version of this item is a simple adamant lens cut as a faceted polyhedron attached to a 
  small node made from First Age alloys. If attuned for a commitment of one mote, the device’s owner can 
  touch the node to his temple and tap it once, causing it to adhere tightly to his skin until he taps it again. 
  Worn this way, the lens completely covers one eye. At will, its owner can shift the perspective of the 
  covered eye, allowing him to view from any point and direction within line of sight that is no farther than 
  (his Essence x 20) yards distant. All Perception rolls suffer a -1 internal penalty as long as the character 
  divides his vision this way.
  Two-dot versions of these devices cost three motes to attune, but they can orient their vantage to 
  locations beyond the user’s line of sight. This allows the owner to scry through walls or other obstructions. 
  Three-dot variants cost ﬁ ve motes to attune, but they can scry locations out of sight up to a mile away. 
  Add one dot to the rating of a dragonﬂ y’s ranging eye and three motes to its commitment cost if the lens 
  provides Essence sight (see p. 85) for normal and remote viewing.
  CARGO PRESERVATION SPINDLE (ARTIFACT • TO •••••)
  Repair: 2
  Created in the First Age for transporting perishable goods long distances without danger of vermin 
  infestation or spoilage, these devices appear as thick barbed needles of First Age alloys projecting from 
  bulbous platinum nodes the size of a man’s thumb. A small sapphire set in the bulb glows softly to indicate 
  when the device is charged, with the brightness of the glow proportional to the remaining strength of 
  the charge.
  To use a cargo preservation spindle, an Exalt must hold the bulb between his ﬁ ngers and spend a 
  variable quantity of Essence. For every 10 uncommitted motes spent, the devices gain one month of power 
  (to a maximum charge of one year). Once powered, the spindle’s needle splits apart into ﬁ ve splayed prongs, 
  allowing it to be gently afﬁ xed to any surface. Once afﬁ xed, the devices project an invisible stasis ﬁ eld that 
  prevents anything inside it from rotting or otherwise losing its freshness. Vermin ﬁ nd the ﬁ eld excruciatingly 
  painful and will not voluntarily enter it.
  The size of a cargo preservation spindle’s stasis ﬁ eld depends on its Artifact rating. One-dot spindles 
  must be afﬁ xed to a sealed barrel or crate no larger than ﬁ ve cubic yards in volume, and the ﬁ eld protects 
  only the contents of the container. Spindles with a rating of two dots protect everything inside a small 
  room or cabin if attached to a wall or ceiling. Three- to ﬁ ve-dot variants respectively ward everything in: 
  a large room or cargo hold; a small building or transport vessel; a manse, palace or large transport vessel. 
  While smaller models are fairly common, if expensive, only the Guild and the government of the Realm 
  own signiﬁ cant numbers of the larger variants.
  BRACELET OF SHARED LIFE (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 2
  Although they are not especially difﬁ cult to create, few Exalts are willing to use these items. Most 
  First Age versions of this artifact are beautifully carved bracelets made from green jade and starmetal. Ones 
  made later are solely of jade. Unlike the vast majority of artifacts, this bracelet does nothing if the owner 
  wears it. Instead, it is speciﬁ cally designed to be worn by a non-Exalt about whom the owner cares a great 
  deal. The owner must place it around another individual’s wrist and then commit ﬁ ve motes of Essence 
  to this item. At this point, the bracelet automatically closes and sizes to ﬁ t the wearer, then it extends a 
  multitude of hair-ﬁ ne jade ﬁ laments into the wearer’s arm.
  This item draws upon the Exalt’s Essence and infuses a portion of it into the wearer’s body to enhance 
  her metabolism. As a result, the wearer now ages at the same rate as the artifact’s owner. If the owner dies 
  or lets the Essence commitment lapse, the bracelet falls off, and the wearer experiences several minutes 
  of agony as the jade ﬁ laments rip themselves from her body. This process inﬂ icts seven automatic and 
  unsoakable levels of bashing damage on the subject. In addition, the severe metabolic shock produced by 
  severing the Essence ﬂ ow from the Exalt causes the wearer to instantly age one month. Unless the owner 
  places this item back on the wearer, the wearer then begins to age normally.
  As long as this Essence remains committed, however, the mortal wearer can live for centuries or 
  even millennia. In addition, the wearer heals, resists infection, poison, disease and stops bleeding as well 
  as one of the Exalted. The wearer gains none of the other abilities of the mighty Exalted, however, and 
  cannot soak lethal damage.
  Because this artifact permanently deprives an Exalt of a portion of her power, many are unwilling to 
  make such a sacriﬁ ce to keep a mortal friend or lover alive. Mortals given such gifts also inspire jealousy 
  in their fellows, especially amidst the complex and occasionally deadly politics of the Realm. Because 
  the wearer’s longevity depends upon the whims of the Exalt, the dynamics of this relationship can easily 
  begin to eat at the roots of even the most enduring love. Nevertheless, some Exalts ﬁ nd that their love 
  is sufﬁ ciently strong to warrant the use of such an item. Exalts, gods and even especially long-lived God-
  Bloods can all activate these items, and they can be worn by any living being who has at least one parent 
  who was born in Creation.
  
  60
  ESSENCE FLARE PILLARS (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
  This artifact consists of four white jade pillars that are each a foot high and six inches in diameter. 
  All four pillars are identical, except for the fact that one of them contains a socket for a single hearthstone. 
  Committing two motes of Essence and placing a hearthstone in this socket activates all four pillars, though 
  this hearthstone provides no beneﬁ t beyond activating the artifact. As long as all four pillars are within 
  200 yards of each other and enclose a space (typically a square no more than 140 yards on a side) any 
  Exalts or other Essence-users who possess an anima banner will automatically spend a sufﬁ cient number 
  of motes to active their anima banner if they walk inside of this area. The only exceptions are characters 
  who are already attuned to the manse used to power this artifact. These characters may enter this area 
  without producing an anima.
  The artifact’s hearthstone setting is in the center of a small control panel made from crystal and all 
  ﬁ ve colors of jade. By adjusting the settings on this control panel, the artifact’s owner can set the degree 
  of the ﬂ are to be whatever he wishes and how many motes he wants Exalts to be forced to spend, up to 
  a maximum of 16 motes. If the owner wishes, every Exalt walking into this area automatically spends 16 
  motes of Peripheral Essence and is surrounded by a vast iconic ﬂ are of Essence that lights up the entire 
  landscape. Alternately, the owner could set the device to simply make all Exalts entering the area obvious 
  by having them automatically spend 8 motes of Essence. While setting this artifact to cause the maximum 
  possible anima ﬂ are can produce exceptionally vivid results that can badly frighten many mortals, it also 
  deprives the Exalt of 16 motes of Essence, which can be well worth the disruption. In addition, as long 
  as an unattuned Exalt remains within the area bounded by these four pillars, her anima banner does not 
  diminish below the level caused by this artifact. Using additional Essence can make the Exalt’s anima 
  banner ﬂ are more, but it will not fade below the pre-set amount. These anima banners are maintained in 
  part by this artifact, however, so the fact that it does not fade over time does not cost the Exalt additional 
  Essence. Only the powerful Night Caste Solar Exalted and Day Caste Abyssal Exalted can prevent their 
  animal banners from ﬂ aring, but to do so, they must spend twice the amount of Essence drawn off by this 
  artifact to counteract its affects.
  JADE SADDLE (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
  Developed during the Shogunate era, these saddles allow Terrestrial Exalted to ride horses and other 
  steeds into battle without risking these animals dying from exposure to the rider’s anima banner. This artifact 
  remains popular in Lookshy, where local artiﬁ cers continue to manufacture them in moderate number. In 
  addition to its continued use of Shogunate era tactics and battle formations, in Lookshy, this artifact is 
  also essential to the close relationship that nation has with the Marukani horselords. The Marukani would 
  be unwilling to sell their ﬁ nest horses if they knew that these excellent steeds would suffer injury or death 
  simply by being ridden into battle.
  This saddle runs a ﬁ eld of semi-solid Essence just over the mount’s skin. Because this Essence ﬁ eld is 
  attuned to the rider’s own Essence ﬂ ows, it protects the mount from all damage caused by the rider’s anima 
  banner. In addition to protecting mounts from anima damage, this Essence ﬁ eld is also designed to respond 
  to the rider’s unconscious commands and give the mount subtle physical cues as the rider’s wishes. As a 
  result, it adds two dice both to Ride rolls and to all Survival rolls made to tame or train the steed wearing 
  it. Attuning to this saddle costs ﬁ ve motes, and as soon as the rider does so, the saddle adjusts to perfectly 
  ﬁ t both steed and rider. These adjustments allow the same saddle to ﬁ t any Exalt and to be used on horses, 
  simhata, camels, gryphons or most other steeds.
  Some of the elite cavalry in Lookshy have three-dot versions of this saddle that provide four dice to 
  appropriate Survival and Ride rolls and contain a setting for a single hearthstone. When this saddle is at-
  tuned to the rider, this hearthstone affects both rider and the steed. If the rider dismounts, the hearthstone 
  continues to affect the steed. Riders typically place hearthstones that provide either protection or healing 
  in this setting. The attunement cost of this saddle is identical to the normal two-dot saddle.
  LIGHTNING BOX (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
  Roughly an inch in diameter, these pretty devices appear as blue jade-alloy icosahedrons encased in 
  a thin layer of adamant. While uncharged, the artifacts can be placed outdoors during a lightning storm, 
  where they will attract a random lightning bolt to strike them sometime during the scene (inﬂ icting 10L 
  piercing damage to anything touching the devices, and immediately setting any ﬂ ammable objects within 
  ﬁ ve yards alight). Because of this feature, lightning boxes can be used for sabotage by hiding them on a 
  rooftop or the deck of a wooden ship, though they are sufﬁ ciently valuable that few Exalted would consider 
  abandoning them to the ocean ﬂ oor just to sink a rival.
  Once lightning has struck one of these devices, it is charged and no longer attracts further bolts. A 
  charged lightning box serves as an emergency Essence battery. Any Exalt touching the device may spend one 
  mote as a diceless miscellaneous action to release the charge into himself. Doing so immediately restores 31 
  motes to his Essence pools, as brilliant arcs of azure energy course over his body, but the jolt also inﬂ icts 15B 
  from stunning shock that bypasses all armor. Air-aspected Dragon-Bloods are immune to this damage.
  
  61
  CHAPTER THREE • THE PURVIEW OF THE CERULEAN LUTE
  THE RECORDER OF EVERLASTING GLORIES (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 2
  This artifact was extremely popular during the First Age. It is a disk of transparent crystal two inches 
  in diameter and one inch thick, inlaid with small amounts of all ﬁ ve magical materials. Today, it is either 
  found as a pendant designed to be worn around the wearer’s neck or bonded to a resplendent personal 
  assistant (see p. 58). If the character is attuned to both of these artifacts, he can touch the two artifacts 
  together and spend one mote of Essence, and they will form an unbreakable bond that can be severed only 
  if the character spends another mote of Essence.
  This item automatically records all sight and sounds occurring around the character. Every sight or 
  sound within ﬁ ve yards of the character is recorded, even sights directly behind the wearer. The artifact 
  stores all sights and sounds that occurred during the last two full days. It erases all recorded information older 
  than this, unless it is speciﬁ cally asked to save a particular scene. To replay this information, the character 
  need only ask this artifact to replay events from a particular time. The device can project an image of these 
  events in an area that can be anywhere from the original size to a miniature version projected on a table. 
  Characters can then walk around and examine these events in detail. The item can replay events as often 
  as desired, as well as freezing scenes or only displaying sights or sounds occurring in a particular direction. 
  All such projections are both slightly transparent and obviously artiﬁ cial, however, so they cannot be used 
  as illusions intended to deceive others.
  The artifact’s least spirit has been enhanced with powerful enchantments to be unusually intelligent 
  and responsive. Therefore, requesting it to replay a recording in a speciﬁ c manner is exceedingly easy. The 
  artifact can even replay scenes up to 10 times faster or slower than normal, stopping and rewinding as the 
  character desires. The user can even store still images of short scenes no more than 15 minutes long so 
  that they will not be erased as time passes. The user can store a dozen such images or short scenes and can 
  store only images or sounds or both, as desired. Clever characters have used this device to capture images 
  of sensitive documents or rare books by paging rapidly through them. Attuning to this artifact requires 
  the user to commit two motes of Essence, but this cost is reduced to one mote if this artifact is joined to 
  a resplendent personal assistant.
  PORTABLE GEOMANTIC RECHARGING MODULE (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
  During the High First Age and Shogunate, the Exalted used these special hearthstone amulets to help 
  aid the process of powering up artifacts. The devices open on the back to reveal ﬁ ve-clawed tipped wires. 
  Users can connect a maximum number of artifacts to these claws equal to the rating of the hearthstone 
  set in the amulet. By making the connection, the Hearthstone ceases to provide any other beneﬁ ts, but 
  all attached artifacts automatically recharge one mote every three minutes they stay attached. The claws 
  automatically unfasten and retract as soon as all attached artifacts hold maximum charge.
  These amulets must be serviced after every 50 hours of use. Every 10 hours the machine is in arrears 
  reduces by one the maximum number of artifacts it can accommodate. Lookshy has many of these devices, 
  but not enough to deploy with every force, and too few manses to make using them worth it except in 
  speciﬁ c circumstances.
  RECHARGING ESSENCE BATTERIES
  Lesser artifacts remain largely dependent on committed Essence for power, though some have capabilities users can pay 
  for with Essence upon activation. In either case, they either limit the Essence reserves of their user or are simply useless in 
  the hands of a mortal. The savants of the First Age found ways around these limitations by developing methods of storing 
  Essence in dedicated crystal capacitors within an artifact. Once stored, these motes can power only the artifact they were 
  placed within, and cannot be extracted again for other uses. Artifacts containing such batteries may be recharged by Es-
  sence users through touch and Essence expenditure. Usually it takes one minute and two motes per one mote restored to 
  the battery, though some devices may be recharged more quickly or using a different ratio as noted in their description.
  PRAYER TRANSCEIVER MODULE (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 2
  Appearing as ornate coins pressed out of starmetal with delicate wires of orichalcum circuitry on one 
  side, these communication devices were once common in the High First Age. They no longer see use outside 
  of the Five-Score Fellowship of the Sidereals, though, as they function only for Celestial Exalted. Attuning one 
  of these artifacts costs one mote. An attuned Exalt can cause it to mystically adhere to any surface by tapping 
  it twice in rapid succession, though anyone can pry it loose again with a sharp tug. Using a prayer transceiver 
  module requires that its owner touch it and spend 10 motes while uttering a quick ritual prayer in Old Realm 
  to the Celestial goddess Taru-Kül. (Knowing the exact wording of this archaic prayer requires a successful 
  [Intelligence + Lore] roll, difﬁ culty 5.) The prayer itself is a (Charisma + Performance) roll, difﬁ culty 3. If the 
  prayer succeeds, the module’s owner can dictate a message of any length to Taru-Kül and name an intended 
  recipient, listing any passwords for security if so desired. The goddess serves as a minor functionary in the 
  Bureau of Humanity whose only duty is to listen for such prayers. Since the Usurpation ended her prior ﬂ ood 
  of transmissions and left her to stew in boredom for the past several millennia, she delights at every chance to 
  receive and scribe the messages conveyed to her. Exalted attuned to a prayer module can also pray to Taru-Kül 
  to check for any messages left by others, though they must give the proper password for any message that has 
  one. If the prayer succeeds, the character hears the goddess whisper all waiting messages in succession in her 
  distinctively crisp diction. These artifacts function only in Creation or Yu-Shan.
  
  62
  ROD OF CLEANSING THE BODY (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 2
  Made from a mixture of all the magical materials save soulsteel, this artifact is a rod the thickness of 
  a grown man’s thumb and nine inches long. To use this wonder, the user must ﬁ rst commit two motes of 
  Essence to it. She can then touch this rod to the bare skin of someone suffering from a disease or infection 
  and attempt to cure him.
  Operating this item requires the user to spend one mote of Essence and her player to make a successful 
  (Perception + Medicine) roll for the character to determine to precise locations she must touch to correctly 
  rebalance the patient’s Essence ﬂ ows. The difﬁ culty of the roll to treat a disease or infection is equal to 
  the disease’s normal difﬁ culty to treat—serious illnesses can be extremely difﬁ cult to cure. Fortunately, the 
  user can expend additional motes to reduce the difﬁ culty of this roll. Each additional mote the user spends 
  reduces the difﬁ culty of the roll by one. The user cannot drop the difﬁ culty of this roll below 1, however.
  Treating a disease or infection requires the user to spend a number of minutes equal to the difﬁ culty 
  to treat the disease examining the patient and locating the correct Essence points on his body. If the 
  patient suffers from multiple diseases or a disease and an infection, the physician must treaty each one 
  individually. The user can also automatically stop all bleeding simply by touching the patient and spending 
  one mote of Essence. She can even do so as an action in combat (5 ticks/-2 DV), and her player does not 
  need to make a Medicine roll for her to do so. This device can be used to treat any living being, including 
  humans, animals, Exalts, beastmen, God-Bloods or Wyld mutants. Gods, demons and raksha do not suffer 
  from mortal maladies, so this artifact cannot treat them.
  TORC OF UNIFIED ACTION (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 3
  This device is a braided torc woven from strands of each of the ﬁ ve magical materials and ﬁ lled 
  with Essence-based circuitry vaguely similar to those found in slave collars (see p. 63). Each of these items 
  contains a setting for a single hearthstone. To attune this artifact, the owner must commit three motes of 
  Essence. Alone, this artifact is nothing more than a setting for a hearthstone, but these torcs are typically 
  found in groups of between two and ﬁ ve. (Each character who wishes one must purchase this artifact sepa-
  rately.) If several characters put on these items, hold hands and each spend a point of temporary Willpower, 
  their torcs then extend ﬁ laments made from each of the ﬁ ve colors of jade into their wearers’ brains and 
  spines. These ﬁ laments magically link the wearers until they choose to let the attunement lapse. The blue 
  jade ﬁ laments facilitate communication between the wearers. The white jade ﬁ laments link the wearers’ 
  bodies. Red jade ﬁ laments allow them each a share of the others’ vitality. Black jade ﬁ laments link the 
  wearers’ subconscious. The green jade ﬁ laments link the wearers’ life force, allowing the wearers to move 
  and even think as one.
  Once the wearers have attuned their collars to one another, any of them can spend one mote to be 
  able to communicate with any or all of the other wearers for a full scene. Wearers can send messages to 
  all other wearers or any subset of wearers they wish, regardless of how far the wearers are from each other. 
  All such communication is reﬂ exive and takes no more effort than ordinary speech. The only limit on this 
  communication is that telling a lie using these torcs is impossible because the other wearers automatically 
  know if a message projected by these torcs is a deliberate lie or if the sender is otherwise intentionally 
  twisting the truth. Wearers can also send any or all sensory impression they are experiencing to other 
  wearers. If two or more wearers both spend one mote to initiate communication, they can choose to share 
  their surface thoughts.
  Characters cannot gain access to each other’s memories unless a character is willing to share them with 
  others. Characters do automatically know each other’s every movement, emotion and thought, however. As 
  a result, a group of characters wearing these torcs can automatically coordinate attacks (see Exalted, p. 144). 
  The character leading the attack gains a number of automatic successes equal to the number of characters 
  wearing torcs who have opened themselves up to communication. These automatic successes can be used 
  to coordinate attacks only between linked torc wearers, and the maximum possible bonus gained from this 
  coordinated attack is limited to the number of characters involved in the coordinated attack.
  Although this artifact was originally developed during the High First Age, many Celestial Exalted 
  were unwilling to share themselves so closely with anyone except their spouses. As a result, this artifact 
  was more widely used by sworn brotherhoods during the Shogunate. Although several workshops in the 
  Realm can make these devices, today, these artifacts are mostly used by Immaculate monks and members of 
  the Wyld Hunt because few other Dynasts will tolerate even their sworn brothers knowing their innermost 
  thoughts. This artifact remains popular in Lookshy, however, where it is regularly used by elite special-forces 
  units. Even here, the mental intimacy it produces largely limits its use to warfare or when wearers need to 
  send discreet or otherwise important messages.
  
  63
  CHAPTER THREE • THE PURVIEW OF THE CERULEAN LUTE
  TRANSLATION CRYSTAL (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 3
  This clear, ﬂ at, rectangular crystal is the size of a large man’s hand and an eighth of an inch thick, 
  and it’s set within a narrow frame of blue jade and orichalcum. To activate this item for a scene, the wearer 
  need only spend three motes of Essence. Whenever this artifact is placed over any piece of text thereafter, 
  whether that text is in the tongue of the Riverlands, a rare demonic tongue spoken only in Malfeas or the 
  most complex of the All-Seeing Eye’s many codes, anyone looking at the crystal sees this text perfectly 
  translated into Old Realm. When this item is placed against the text and activated, the item literally reads 
  the text, and the complex circuitry inside it translates the meanings into Old Realm. This translation is 
  then displayed upon the artifact’s upper surface. The use of orichalcum in this item allows it to partake of 
  a tiny fraction of the Unconquered Sun’s limitless brilliance, so the translation is accomplished in less than 
  a second. In addition to simply translating the language, comparing a text to the translation this artifact 
  provides allows the character to learn the written version of any language as well as if she had a skilled 
  tutor. (She could also use it thus to learn Old Realm if she already knows the written language the artifact 
  is translating.) This artifact can be used to translate spells and other esoteric arcane texts as well as simply 
  allowing the user to read texts such as a treaty between a demon lord and a raksha noble.
  SLAVE COLLAR (ARTIFACT •• OR ••••)
  Repair: 3
  This is one of the most feared and reviled artifacts surviving from the First Age. While the Dragon-
  Blooded of the Shogunate and the modern era can re-create these artifacts, few do because of the fear 
  and disgust they incite. Attempting to create or repair a collar capable of enslaving one of the Exalted is 
  a capital crime in the Realm.
  This artifact is a collar made from a mixture of the ﬁ ve magical materials, ﬁ lled with a multitude 
  of powerful Essence-based circuitry. The owner must place it around the neck of the wearer and commit 
  a variable number of motes of Essence to the collar. Putting the collar on someone else and attuning it 
  requires intense concentration and takes at least two minutes of time. This attunement cannot be done 
  in combat or if the target is able to resist. During this time, the collar extends ﬁ laments of moonsilver and 
  starmetal into the wearer’s brain and spinal column.
  Once the character commits the correct amount of Essence, the collar automatically closes and locks 
  and will not open until the owner either dies or lets the attunement lapse. Once in place, the collar makes 
  sure that the wearer must always obey the collar’s owner. The wearer is free to interpret vague or confusing 
  orders as she sees ﬁ t, but almost all collar owners immediately order their wearers to never harm them or 
  their allies or to work against the owners’ desires. In addition to ordering the wearer to perform almost 
  any action, if the owner spends two motes, she can instantly determine the wearer’s approximate distance 
  and direction. Also, if she spends three motes and one Willpower, she can either use the wearer’s senses 
  for one minute or send the wearer a short mental message (of the sort that would take less than a minute 
  to say), which the wearer must obey. All of these abilities can be used regardless of the distance separating 
  the collar wearer from the owner.
  Mortals who wear this artifact are completely under the thrall of the item. While an Exalt cannot 
  consciously resist commands given by the item’s owner, even this potent item cannot override the power 
  of an Exalt’s Limit Break. An uncontrolled Limit Break by a Solar or Lunar Exalt and a Dragon-Blooded 
  Limit Break can all temporarily override any commands issued by the collar’s owner. In the heat of a 
  Limit Break, however, the Exalt cannot attempt to slay the owner or remove the collar unless doing so 
  is an obvious reaction to the Limit Break. Although no one in Creation knows about the Great Curse, 
  the owner can order the wearer to get control of herself, thereby indirectly ordering the wearer to spend 
  Willpower to control her Limit Break. Orders that go directly against the demands of a controlled Limit 
  Break will still be ignored, though.
  Slave collars that can only affect mortals (including God-Bloods, beastmen and thaumaturges) have 
  an Artifact cost of two dots and require the owner to commit only four motes of Essence. Collars that 
  can also enslave Exalts are four-dot artifacts and require the owner to commit eight motes of Essence to 
  them. Also, a character cannot place a collar on any being with an Essence higher than her own. While 
  the owner can easily and harmlessly remove a slave collar, attempting to remove a slave collar without the 
  owner’s permission is both difﬁ cult and exceptionally dangerous. A slave collar has a soak of 10L/10B and 
  is treated the same as the material from a First Age hull—it possesses 10L/10B hardness, and all damage 
  against it must be rolled. Slave collars have ﬁ ve health levels, and the instant one is destroyed, the ﬁ laments 
  of magical materials in the wearer’s brain tear themselves free. This trauma inﬂ icts a number of dice of ag-
  gravated damage to the wearer’s brain equal to twice the number of motes committed in the collar—eight 
  to mortals and 16 to Exalts. Because this damage happens inside the wearer’s body, armor does not protect 
  against it. Few who try to remove such a collar survive the attempt. Because these collars automatically 
  reshape themselves to ﬁ t the wearer’s neck, even Lunar Exalted who are forced to wear one of these collars 
  cannot shapeshift themselves into a form where they can slip out of the collar they are wearing.
  
  64
  HEMISPHERE OF UNDERSEA RESPITE (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  This artifact allows characters to use the ﬂ oors of lakes or the ocean as long-term bases of operation, 
  where they can plan attacks, recover from injuries and even assemble their allies. Although they are difﬁ cult 
  to replicate in the Age of Sorrows, these items were fortunately quite common during the High First Age 
  and the Shogunate. Details of their appearance differ, but all of these artifacts appear to be large trunks or 
  chests made from black jade. The size of a large human torso, these chests are typically inlaid with silver 
  or coral and are most often covered in inlaid or carved images of sea life. These artifacts contain a single 
  obvious hearthstone setting. The owner must commit four motes of Essence and place a hearthstone of at 
  least level 2 in the setting to open the chest and transform it into a small but comfortable dwelling. The 
  hearthstone provides no beneﬁ ts beyond powering this artifact.
  Once activated, hidden panels on the chest open, and the user can unfold the artifact into a dome-
  shaped dwelling of black jade. This dome can be unfolded only underwater, however, and once it is in 
  place, it cannot be moved unless the character ﬁ rst refolds it. It is impossible to remove the hearthstone 
  from this artifact while it is unfolded.
  This dwelling is 25 feet across, 10 feet high at the center and stands on ﬁ ve retractable jade legs that 
  can each be extended to seven feet in length. The walls all have a soak of 10L/16B, and they require 25 
  health levels to damage and 50 to destroy. There is an opening on one side of the dome’s ﬂ oor that is six 
  feet in diameter. Powerful enchantments on the dome keep the air inside fresh and pure and prevent water 
  from entering. In addition, a round, low pillar in the center of the dome provides both food and fresh water 
  (even if the artifact is in the open ocean or another body of salt water) sufﬁ cient to permanently provide 
  for the needs of up to 10 people. The water comes from a low fountain that can be turned on or off with a 
  touch, and the food consists of small, somewhat ﬁ shy, but highly nutritious ovoids that are also dispensed 
  by touching the pillar. The owner can alter the interior of this dwelling as she wishes, including adding any 
  sort of simple furniture or walls. These changes are always relatively gradual and will not endanger anyone 
  inside the artifact, nor can these changes make the artifact any less safe or habitable.
  OMNISCIENT LITERARY ADVISOR (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 4
  Relying on a far more advanced version of the Essence technologies used to create the translation 
  crystal (see p. 63), this item can both read and summarize books for its owner. This item is a ﬂ at sheet of 
  blue jade that is one foot on a side and a quarter inch thick, trimmed around the edges with both starmetal 
  and orichalcum. This sheet is hinged in the middle, so that it can fold in half. On the top of one of the 
  halves is a large crystal of blue ice, with a depression in it suitable for setting a hearthstone. To activate 
  the unit, the user must place a hearthstone in this setting and spend three motes of Essence to activate 
  the artifact for a scene. The unit can then be placed upon any book, which can be open or closed and in 
  any language. At this point, the advisor sends out probes of Essence throughout the book, allowing it to 
  read and analyze the text. Fifteen minutes later, the crystal of blue ice lights up to alert its owner that the 
  device has ﬁ nished reading and analyzing the book. At this point, the item contains all of the knowledge 
  found in the book. It can read all or part of the text to the user, and the user can ask it any question about 
  the book, which it will answer concisely and truthfully. 
  If the user is a sorcerer, she can use this device to teach her any usable spells contained in an analyzed 
  book. When used to teach any information contained in a book that it has read, this item functions as a tutor. 
  While the Essence spent by the user activates the unit for only a scene, the unit retains the information it 
  obtained from the book indeﬁ nitely, as long as the hearthstone remains in place. Each of these devices can 
  hold the contents of a number of books equal to three times the level of the hearthstone used to activate 
  it. The unit instantly loses all such stored information if the hearthstone is ever removed.
  PECTORAL OF RESPLENDENT SPEECHES (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  Made in the form of a large and exceptionally beautiful orichalcum and blue jade pectoral, this item 
  looks exceedingly striking and has a similar effect upon the wearer’s voice. The owner must commit two 
  motes to use this item. When the wearer then spends two additional motes of Essence, this artifact ampliﬁ es 
  his voice for the next scene, allowing him to be clearly heard up to 100 yards away. In addition, the item 
  uses currents of Essence to modulate the wearer’s voice and alters it to speciﬁ cally enhance public speaking. 
  This item can make almost anyone into a gifted public speaker and can transform an already talented orator 
  into an absolute master of verbal communication. The pectoral adds four dice to all rolls to make speeches 
  or verbal performances (including singing and storytelling) to audiences of more than three people.
  This device’s greatest power, however, is its ability to affect all sound within 100 yards. If the wearer 
  spends ﬁ ve motes, this item damps out and interferes with all other sounds so that everyone within 100 
  yards can hear the wearer perfectly. This effect also prevents listeners within 100 yards from hearing other 
  speakers who are more than ﬁ ve yards away, unless those other speakers are using Charms or a similar ar-
  tifact to enhance their speech. In addition, the pectoral glows with a bright and wondrously enticing light 
  that adds two additional dice to Presence rolls made for the wearer for the next scene. Within 100 yards of 
  the wearer, his voice is the loudest sound, even if he is speaking in the midst of a pitched battle. Anyone 
  within this area who does not stop up her ears cannot avoid listening to the wearer. When the pectoral 
  is used in this fashion, people within 200 yards can still hear the wearer, but loud noises can easily drown 
  out his voice, and at this range, avoiding listening to him is quite easy.
  Although any Essence user can use this pectoral, most wearers were Solar Exalted during the First 
  Age, who used the devices to give rousing speeches to the inhabitants of the cities they ruled, to address 
  their troops before battle or to deliver orders to soldiers during the heat of combat. Often, wearers also 
  donned a belt of aerial mobility (see p. 53) and rose up into the air so that every listener could look up 
  into the air to see the superlative speaker.
  
  65
  CHAPTER THREE • THE PURVIEW OF THE CERULEAN LUTE
  SKY MANTIS TOWER (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 3
  These portable weather-control machines are ungainly devices so named for their superﬁ cial re-
  semblance to a praying mantis while in operation. The Realm owns several dozen, and a few of the more 
  prosperous nations in the Threshold own a few as well. Packed for travel, the devices are roughly the size 
  of a horse and may be transported by wagon. Unfolded for use, the towers are four yards tall and must be 
  erected on a level, open area at least 15 yards across. It takes ﬁ ve man-hours to unpack a tower and two 
  to collapse it again.
  Anyone may operate a deployed sky mantis tower with a successful (Intelligence + Lore) roll at 
  difﬁ culty 1 using a keypad on its side, provided a hearthstone of level 2+ is placed in the console to power 
  the device. (The stone provides no other beneﬁ ts while used this way.) Each success on the control roll can 
  adjust any of the following aspects of the weather, increasing or decreasing them by the listed quantity of 
  appropriate units: 10 degrees of temperature, 15 miles per hour of wind speed, 45 degrees of wind direction, 
  15 percent of cloud cover, half an inch of rainfall. Each success of change takes one hour to gradually go 
  into effect, altering the weather patterns in a radius of ﬁ ve miles from the tower. For every additional ﬁ ve 
  miles from the machine, each distinct effect decreases by one success. Successes allocated to each effect 
  fade at the rate of one per week, with the interval of decay reduced to one success per day if the weather 
  is wholly unnatural to the region.
  Sky mantis towers must receive maintenance after every 100 uses. For every 10 uses a tower is in arrears, 
  all users suffer a cumulative -1 internal penalty to operate it from misaligned and worn-out components.
  SYMPATHETIC ELEMENTAL SCANNER (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 3
  To varying degrees, all elementals have a sympathetic connection with the element they embody, and 
  the echoes of the ﬁ rst great elementals still resonate through their veins. For this reason, elementals can feel 
  changes or “events” pertaining to their element, even if they’re far, far removed from that event.
  The Solar Exalted discovered this fact early in the High First Age and developed the elemental 
  scanner to take advantage of that elemental sympathy.
  The elemental scanner looks like a large stepped platform with a deep basin or pool in the center. 
  To use the scanner, the Exalt would summon an elemental and place it in the center of the table while 
  using sorcery and enticement to get the elemental to relax into its unformed and primal elemental form. 
  While many of the duties the Exalted tasked elementals with were dangerous, arduous and unpleasant, 
  serving in an elemental scanner was quite pleasant for the elemental involved. The power of the scanner 
  helps the elemental relax until it discorporates entirely, becoming a pool of its appropriate element. Once 
  the elemental’s consciousness was soothed into total quiescence, an effect much like entering a narcotic 
  haze, the spirit would dream, and its sympathetic connection to its element could come forth. Signiﬁ cant 
  changes in that element anywhere in Creation would then register as whorls and eddies in the elemental’s 
  form. By studying the eddies, whorls and disruptions on the otherwise placid surface of the elemental in 
  the scanner, then, the Exalted could read a water elemental to monitor for tsunamis, while a quiver on an 
  earth elemental might suggest the occurrence (or impending occurrence) of an earthquake. Most elemen-
  tal scanners had means of reading even tiny ripples or ﬂ uctuations in the elemental’s being, allowing the 
  Exalted to read even subtle signs from the shifts and eddies in the elemental’s form.
  In general, the more powerful the elemental is, the greater its sympathetic connection to its particular 
  element is. An Essence 2 elemental is useful only for predicting the greatest disruptions in the elemental 
  order, while studying an Essence 7 lesser elemental dragon in the elemental scanner would show even 
  relatively subtle developments in the element in question.
  Below are some of the events the Exalted could monitor with the assistance of an elemental scanner:
  Air: Huge storms or storm fronts, sudden changes in weather patterns
  Earth: Island formation processes, earthquakes, large-scale tunnel construction or collapse (often 
  used to monitor events in the caverns of the Mountain Folk), erosion of Creation by the Wyld
  Fire: Forest ﬁ res, volcanic eruptions, the struggles of the Kukla within its volcanic prison
  Water: Tsunamis, whirlpools, disturbances of tidal action, incursions by the Yozi Kimbery
  Wood: Forest ﬁ res, large-scale deforestation from any cause
  Using the elemental scanner requires the user to be ﬂ uent in Old Realm. Making sense of its results 
  requires an (Intelligence + Lore) roll with a difﬁ culty of 7. For every point of the elemental’s permanent 
  Essence above 4, the difﬁ culty drops by one.
  An elemental scanner can monitor events anywhere in Creation, be it the depths of the ocean, the 
  deepest tunnel under the Blessed Isle or the winds in the highest reaches of the sky. By default, elemental 
  scanners pick up signals from all throughout Creation, but a scanner can be tuned in to one speciﬁ c area 
  (equal to the square of the elemental’s Essence in miles). Monitoring with this degree of precision increases 
  the difﬁ culty by one, however.
  Tales abound of Exalts using elemental scanners to monitor the development of shadowlands, or 
  to detect an enemy’s location by monitoring the pressure exerted by the weight of his army’s feet on the 
  ground, or to hunt down rogue elementals to enforce the justice of the Chosen. The elemental scanner 
  was, by all accounts, one of the more ﬂ exible devices commonly used in the First Age, and when whole 
  arrays of the devices were monitored en masse, the Exalted could discern almost any manner of elemental 
  phenomenon known in Creation.
  
  66
  WOUND MENDING NEEDLES (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  This artifact is a set of eight needles the length of a man’s ring ﬁ nger and the diameter of a stalk of 
  wheat. There are two needles made from each magical material other than soulsteel, and they are all stored 
  within a small case of green jade. To open this case, the owner must commit ﬁ ve motes of Essence to it. If 
  any of the needles are missing or broken, the user need merely spend one Willpower and ﬁ ve additional 
  motes to cause them to reappear intact inside the case.
  The user can use these needles to affect a patient’s Essence ﬂ ows in a profound manner, allowing him 
  to heal a patient’s wounds with exceptional speed. Characters can also use these items to heal themselves. 
  By spending one mote per health level he wishes to heal, the user can automatically heal a patient’s bash-
  ing damage. This damage heals at a rate of one health level every minute. If the user removes the needles 
  before the healing is complete, the healing immediately stops. If the user spends three motes per health 
  level, he can cause the patient to heal lethal damage. This damage heals at a rate of one health level every 
  15 minutes. The user’s player must make a successful (Perception + Medicine) roll with a difﬁ culty of 1 for 
  his character to correctly place the needles. The difﬁ culty of this roll increases to 3 if the user is attempting 
  to heal himself. Failure at this roll means the motes are wasted and the character must try again. Despite 
  the time required for healing, this artifact can even heal patients who are dying when the user begins to 
  treat them—the artifact’s energies keep a patient alive until he can be fully healed. This healing ceases the 
  second the needles are removed, however. If the user spends a point of Willpower and ﬁ ve motes per health 
  level that he wishes to heal, he can even cause aggravated damage to heal, though this damage heals at a 
  rate of four hours per health level. As a result, most physicians attempt to heal aggravated damage while 
  their patient sleeps. Healing aggravated damage is quite difﬁ cult. The user’s player must make a successful 
  (Perception + Medicine) roll, difﬁ culty of 3 (5 if attempting self-healing). Fortunately, while they are being 
  used, the needles eliminate all pain and cause the patient to feel calm and relaxed.
  This device can heal any wound or injury, including damage caused by poison, but it cannot repair 
  crippled or missing limbs. If used to heal damage caused by poison, this artifact also causes the poison to 
  instantly cease damaging the patient, preventing further poison damage from occurring during the time this 
  artifact is being used upon the patient. In addition, it completely purges a poison from the patient’s body 
  once it has healed all damage the poison has already inﬂ icted. If used before a poison has caused damage, the 
  needles need be used for only the time necessary to heal one health level of that type of damage. Like other 
  healing artifacts, this device will work on any living being who had at least one parent born in Creation.
  CELESTIAL PHOENIX CAULDRON (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 3
  A celestial phoenix cauldron is a wide-mouthed orichalcum vessel held aloft by the sinuous curves 
  of a dragon with crimson adamant eyes. The cauldron’s mouth is two feet in diameter while the widest 
  part of the cauldron’s body has a diameter of about three feet, and the whole thing stands about ﬁ ve feet 
  tall and weighs just over a ton.
  The celestial phoenix cauldron is an all-purpose alchemical processing system that can produce 
  anything from sweet cordials to skin like the mountains oil (see p. 75) and a range of other substances. The 
  Exalt need only place the ingredients of the substance into the cauldron, touch the dragon to channel ﬁ ve 
  motes of Essence into the device and wait for the brewing process to ﬁ nish. When the potion is complete 
  and distilled to its optimal concentration, the cauldron releases a gout of steam from the dragon’s nostrils 
  to let the operator know that its contents are ready.
  The celestial phoenix cauldron was programmed to create a vast range of known tonics, poisons, 
  elixirs and the like—without assistance from a master alchemist—and requires only the proper ingredients. 
  Any substance that First Age alchemists could brew (which includes a far longer list of substances than 
  are known to alchemists in the Second Age) can be replicated perfectly with the aid of this artifact. The 
  problem is that most of the manuals containing the formulae have been lost. One exists in the Heptagram 
  library, and it can be assumed that at least one copy exists somewhere in Sperimin, but most copies have 
  been destroyed or have gone missing. Therefore, while the cauldron remains an artifact of vast power, there 
  are few who know how to tap that power. Sorcerous experimentation is possible, but that is probably not 
  the ideal way to learn the capabilities of the celestial phoenix cauldron.
  The ingredients for skin like the mountains oil, for example, include one part perronele ichor, two 
  parts black oil from the subterranean abyss beneath the caves of Gethamane, three parts powdered white 
  jade and half a bushel of fresh pikaki ﬂ owers from Abalone.
  Should the possessor gain the manual of formulae, there are still problems. Items that were once relatively 
  common are now rare or costly. Some ingredients that could once be found in the markets of any moderately 
  sized city are now only available in the most enormous population centers such as Nexus and the Imperial City. 
  Also, certain items are now known by different names than they were in the High First Age. Only a handful of 
  lore-masters in the Second Age realize that the substance called nacreous oil in the First Age is now generally 
  called maiden’s tears. And some ingredients must be made using Wyld-Shaping Technique.
  Ultimately, the celestial phoenix cauldron is a potent First Age artifact, but using one properly 
  requires research, time and a great deal of effort.
  With a great deal of thought, a sorcerer might be able to re-create a certain alchemical formula that creates 
  a substance with particular properties (a potion that makes its drinker tireless or immune to the effects of all 
  opiates, for example, or a concoction that prevents a sword’s blade from ever getting dull), but reinventing the 
  wheel in that way is slow going. Figuring out such formulae takes a number of successes equal to (the potion’s 
  Resources cost or Artifact rating x 10) on an extended (Intelligence + Lore) roll. Doing so is a dramatic action, 
  and one roll may be made for every day the character spends poring over old alchemical tomes.
  Celestial phoenix cauldrons are extraordinarily durable and require little maintenance aside from 
  occasional cleaning. They are completely immune to the effects of acid and intense heat.
  
  67
  CHAPTER THREE • THE PURVIEW OF THE CERULEAN LUTE
  DREAM BROADCASTER (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 3
  This item is a one-inch-thick, two-inch-wide circlet made of orichalcum, clear crystal and starmetal, 
  designed to be worn on the user’s head. It has a setting for a single hearthstone. With it, the wearer can 
  broadcast dreams and daydreams to everyone in her vicinity. The subtle starmetal circuits respond to the 
  dream, their Essence ﬂ uctuations are ampliﬁ ed by the orichalcum and the Essence ﬂ ows of the hearthstone, 
  and then the crystal broadcasts this dream to everyone within range.
  This device has a range of a number of miles equal to the user’s permanent Essence. To activate 
  this device, the user must ﬁ rst commit seven motes of Essence to it and spend ﬁ ve motes to activate it for 
  a scene. Once she does so, the user can broadcast whatever images, messages and/or dreams she desires. 
  This device can also be used with an ampliﬁ er that increases its range by a factor of 25. This ampliﬁ er is a 
  large, heavy throne made from the same materials. The throne also contains a single hearthstone socket, 
  and to activate the throne, a hearthstone of at least level 3 must be placed in this socket. This hearthstone 
  provides no other beneﬁ ts. Owning both the dream broadcaster and the ampliﬁ er raises the cost of this 
  artifact to ﬁ ve dots. The ampliﬁ er throne weighs approximately 300 pounds, and without sorcery, it can be 
  moved only in a cart or other sturdy means of transport.
  Regardless of whether it is used with or without the ampliﬁ er, a dream broadcaster can be used to send 
  messages to everyone within range. Anyone who is concentrating intensely automatically blocks out the 
  message, and anyone who is willing to spend a point of Willpower can deliberately block it out. Everyone 
  else within range will receive it clearly, however, and anyone can understand the message, even if they do 
  not share a common language with the user. If a subject is awake and not busy when the broadcast occurs, 
  then he has a brief vision of the message. Sleeping people within range have unusually vivid dreams about 
  the message, which they always remember when they awaken. Used on its own, this device allows the wearer 
  to send messages exceptionally widely. The user can send speech, images or even complete memories. The 
  Wyld Hunt has often used dream broadcasters to transmit both an image of a particular Anathema they are 
  looking for, along with the information that they are willing to pay a rich reward for information about this 
  individual. Such broadcasts have proven to be an excellent way to obtaining information from everyone in the 
  vicinity. Similarly, properly used messages can also be used to cause or occasionally to help stop a mass panic. 
  While people do not necessarily believe the information they receive through one of these broadcasts, they 
  remember it and are aware that it came from some external source. Broadcasters need not identify themselves 
  and can keep their own identity and everything about themselves completely secret.
  This device can also be used with any Social Charms that the wearer possesses that are speciﬁ cally designed 
  for use when communicating with crowds. These Charms can be used normally and will affect everyone who 
  receives the message. Ordinary social Excellencies or other Charms that are not speciﬁ cally designed to be used 
  for mass communication cannot be used with this item, even if they could normally be used when the wearer 
  was making a speech or telling a story. Charms such as Respect Commanding Attitude or Heart-Compelling 
  Method, however, can be used to great effect in combination with this artifact. Yet, because of the difﬁ culty of 
  combining any Charm with this powerful item, the wearer must spend one Willpower point for every Charm 
  used in this fashion, in addition to any other Willpower or mote costs required by the Charm.
  ELEMENTAL EXOSKELETON (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 1
  One of the more useful wonders of the High First Age, the elemental exoskeleton is an elegantly 
  carved and constructed framework of orichalcum made to be worn by an Exalt. The passenger/wearer 
  would generally don the exoskeleton after summoning an elemental. The Exalt would have the elemental 
  dematerialize, sculpt its gauzy immaterial form to match the exoskeleton, command the elemental to stretch 
  itself over the frame of the exoskeleton and then have the spirit rematerialize in its new conﬁ guration. The 
  outside of the exoskeleton is covered with knobs and studs that serve as anchoring points for the elemental. 
  The elemental would need time to “heal” its form around the exoskeleton, usually a week or so, at which 
  point the device could be donned and put to use.
  Elemental exoskeletons were not generally used as armor so much as they were used for important 
  industrial or infrastructural tasks such as creating tunnels or building bridges, but they could be used in 
  battle with relative ease.
  Wearing such an exoskeleton carried with it a number of general advantages, among them:
  • The Exalt within adds the elemental’s soak to his own as though he were wearing armor.
  • The wearer gains the beneﬁ ts of this armor with no fatigue penalty.
  • The exoskeleton decreases Dodge DV by one but increases Parry DV by one.
  In addition to these beneﬁ ts, the wearer also gains advantages based on the particular nature of the 
  elemental bound to the exoskeleton.
  Wearing an air elemental grants the ability to ﬂ y at a rate equal to the elemental’s movement rate, grants 
  the wearer immunity to electrical damage and keeps the wearer cool in temperatures up to 200 degrees.
  Having an earth elemental stretched across the exoskeleton frame allows the character to move 
  through solid earth and stone at the elemental’s full movement rate or to dig through the same at half the 
  elemental’s movement rate. Wearing an earth elemental in this way also grants the passenger hardness 
  equal to the elemental’s lethal soak.
  A ﬁ re elemental stretched over the exoskeleton grants complete immunity to any ﬁ re that’s native 
  to Creation. This immunity includes natural ﬁ res and the anima ﬂ ux of Fire-aspected Terrestrial Exalts, 
  but excludes, for example, the green ﬂ ames of the demon Ligier. It also keeps the passenger warm in even 
  the most chilling temperatures.
  Putting a water elemental over the exoskeleton grants the ability to glide through water at the 
  elemental’s full movement rate. If instructed to do so, the water elemental can also act as an enormous gill, 
  channeling air from the water into the interior to allow an air-breather to breathe normally.
  Wearing a wood elemental grants the exoskeleton’s passenger the ability to move through dense forest 
  or even solid wood at the elemental’s full movement rate. This arrangement also allows the wearer to move 
  trees and plants through the earth, to relocate them, without causing any damage to the tree.
  
  68
  ESSENCE WALL PROJECTOR (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 3
  This item is a combination gauntlet and bracer that extends up the wearer’s arm to the elbow. It is 
  made from a mixture of the ﬁ ve magical materials and is ﬁ tted with four specially carved pieces of white 
  jade set into the gauntlet’s knuckles. This white jade focuses a hearthstone’s energies into a stable creation 
  of solid Essence.
  This artifact contains sockets for two hearthstones. To use this item, the character must spend six 
  motes of Essence to attune the item and set a hearthstone in the socket nearest the gauntlet’s ﬁ st. The 
  character gains no beneﬁ t from this hearthstone other than the ability to activate this item. Once he has 
  attuned to this item, the character can create freestanding walls of solid Essence. The character points 
  the knuckle stones of the gauntlet at the area where he wants to create the barrier and spends a variable 
  quantity of Essence. Using this artifact in combat is a ﬁ ve-tick action that reduces that character’s DV by 
  three because of the concentration required. These immovable walls of translucent force have a soak equal 
  to twice character’s Essence and cover an area of ﬁ ve square yards per mote spent by the character.
  Each wall must be at least one yard wide and one yard long, and all walls created by this artifact are 
  only a tenth of an inch thick. These walls are considered inanimate objects for the purposes of Charms, 
  except that damage against them is rolled rather than directly applied. For every level of damage that 
  exceeds the wall’s soak, it loses 1L from its soak. These walls also lose 1L for every full hour that passes 
  since their creation. When the wall’s soak reaches zero or when its creator dismisses it, the barrier instantly 
  disintegrates. Characters can create a number of separate Essence walls equal to their permanent Essence. 
  They cannot create additional walls unless they ﬁ rst dismiss one or wait for it to decay.
  Characters can shape a wall of force into any geometric conﬁ guration they can imagine, from simple 
  walls to cages, but at least one point on the surface must be within (Essence) yards of the creator when the 
  wall ﬁ rst materializes. The wall must also be touching a solid surface on at least one point. Furthermore, 
  these walls are ﬁ xed in place on the surface it is touching and cannot move unless the surface moves. The 
  character can instead spend two motes for every ﬁ ve square yards of wall, causing its lethal soak to rise 
  to ﬁ ve times the character’s permanent Essence. If the wall is used as a bridge, every 1L of protection can 
  support 200 pounds, so a 6L wall can support 1,200 pounds at a time, allowing it to support a light horse 
  and a rider. In addition to being vulnerable to damage and time, these essence walls can also be destroyed 
  by Sapphire, Adamant or Obsidian Countermagic.
  FORGE-HAND GAUNTLETS (ARTIFACT •••• FOR A PAIR)
  Repair: 2
  Appearing as gloves of scaled red dragon-skin leather adorned with red jade articulated plates and 
  elaborate orichalcum wire inlay, these remarkable artifacts serve as powerful tools of crafting and, in this 
  fallen Age, deadly weapons. A pair of these devices costs 10 motes to attune, which also resizes them to 
  perfectly ﬁ t their owner.
  Forge-hand gauntlets are completely impervious to all heat, and they confer that same protection 
  on their wearer’s hands and arms. An Exalt wearing a pair could reach into the central plasma furnace of a 
  First Age factory-cathedral and scoop out a handful of molten orichalcum, feeling only a pleasant warmth. 
  Because the gloves protect only the hands and arms, however, their imperviousness would not similarly 
  protect a character standing in a bonﬁ re (or otherwise taking damage from heat-based environmental effects). 
  Against attacks based on heat or ﬂ ame, an Exalt wearing these gloves gains a +10L/10B soak and +10L/+10B 
  hardness, as long as he uses them to parry the attacks (and has a positive Parry DV, of course).
  The gloves can also heat themselves with a thought, making them hot enough to melt stone and 
  steel. From a utilitarian standpoint, the wearer effectively has an exceptional blacksmith’s forge on his 
  person at all time, and his player adds a +2 bonus to all Craft (Fire) rolls to make or repair objects as a 
  result. Used combatively, every unarmed attack against an inanimate object that is not made of a magical 
  material (or comparably invulnerable) permanently reduces all the object’s soak values by the pre-soak 
  damage of the attack (to a minimum of 0 soak). Attacks against characters wearing non-indestructible 
  armor likewise permanently reduce the armor’s soak values, destroying any armor reduced to 0/0 soak. The 
  gauntlets allow their wearer to parry lethal and ranged attacks without a stunt, and if the gauntlets fully 
  parry a non-magical weapon (i.e., Parry DV cancels all attack successes), the weapon is burnt to ash, bent 
  to twisted slag or otherwise destroyed.
  Because of their composite construction, forge-hand gauntlets do not provide magical material bonuses 
  and may be used by any Exalted. They are wielded using Martial Arts and suffer no offhand penalties used 
  paired. (Second stat bar reﬂ ects item clinched.)
  Speed Accuracy Damage 
  Defense 
  Rate 
  Minimums 
  Attune Cost 
  Tags
  5 
  +0 
  +7B piercing  
  +2 
  2 
  Str •• 
  10 
  •••• 
  M
   
   
  (+4A while heated)
  6 
  +0 
  +6B piercing  
  – 
  1 
  Str •• 
  10 
  •••• 
  C, M
   
   
  (+3A while heated)
  
  69
  CHAPTER THREE • THE PURVIEW OF THE CERULEAN LUTE
  RESPLENDENT SATCHEL OF HEALING (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 2
  This wondrous item is exceptionally rare, and few have been made since the end of the Shogunate. It 
  is a rectangular green jade case a foot on a side and three inches thick that is chased with orichalcum. This 
  artifact always contains a rod of cleansing the body (see p. 62), a set of wound mending needles (see p. 66) 
  and a set of jade medical implements that add four dice to all Medicine rolls (including rolls to diagnose 
  illnesses) made while using them. Committing ﬁ ve motes of Essence to the kit allows the owner to use all 
  of these items. This artifact effectively served as the badge of ofﬁ ce for the best Solar and Dragon-Blooded 
  healers in the First Age and the Shogunate. First Age versions of this item are marked with the caste mark 
  of the Solar Twilight Caste inlaid in orichalcum, while those made during the Shogunate are marked with a 
  large stylized glyph of the name of Sextes Jylis, the Immaculate Dragon of Wood. Despite these differences, 
  these two models of artifact are functionally identically.
  The most important portion of this artifact is the instrument of regrowth, a device that allows the 
  character to help patents regenerate crippled or missing body parts. This artifact is an adjustable band 
  designed to ﬁ t around a part of the patient’s body. This band contains a setting for a single hearthstone. To 
  activate it, the user must place a Wood- or Solar-aspected hearthstone of at least level 2 into this socket. 
  This hearthstone provides no beneﬁ t beyond powering this item. In addition, the user must commit an 
  additional ﬁ ve motes to the band. (This cost comes in addition to the ﬁ ve motes he must also commit to 
  initially activate the resplendent satchel of healing.) The character must then place this band around the 
  damaged body part. The band must be carefully positioned, and doing so requires ﬁ ve minutes of careful work 
  and a successful (Intelligence + Medicine) roll, difﬁ culty 3. If the roll fails, the device will not activate.
  As soon as the device is activated, the patient falls into a deep trance, and the damaged body part 
  begins to mend or regrow. The time needed for this regrowth is the same regardless of the size of the body 
  part being regrown. Exalts spend one full day in this trance, while ordinary mortals spend three full days 
  entranced. The only way to awaken a character from this trance before regrowth is completed is to remove 
  the band or the hearthstone in it. If either the band or the hearthstone is removed early, the regeneration 
  will not be complete, and the body part will still be crippled or partially missing. Like other healing artifacts, 
  this device will work on any living being that had at least one parent who was born in Creation.
  TORC OF PERSONAL PROJECTION (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 4
  Originally developed to keep characters in touch with distant locales, this item also found use during 
  the First Age and since as a means for enemies to negotiate safely. This item consists of a torc woven of 
  orichalcum and moonsilver, with a setting for a single hearthstone in the center and a setting on either 
  side for a complex spherical construction one inch in diameter. Each of these two spheres resembles an 
  exquisitely carved eyeball made from blue jade, starmetal and orichalcum. These spheres can be removed 
  from the torc, and they both contain settings suitable for stringing them on pendants. As long as the wearer 
  commits ﬁ ve motes to this artifact and places a hearthstone of at least level 2 in the setting, one or both 
  of the artiﬁ cial eyes can be removed from this item. Once a character commits motes to this artifact, he 
  knows the exact direction and approximate distance of each of these two enchanted eyes. All he needs to 
  do is think about one of these orbs, and he knows exactly where it is. The character also knows if one of 
  these spheres is taken into the Underworld, Malfeas, Yu-Shan or the Wyld.
  Anytime the owner desires, he can spend two motes of Essence and contact one of these artiﬁ cial 
  eyes for a scene. Doing so allows the character to see and hear everything occurring in the vicinity of the 
  sphere, exactly as if his own eyes and ears were located where the sphere is located. The blue jade iris and 
  crystal lens of these eyes focuses the images, the hair-thin orichalcum retina translates these images into 
  patterns of Essence, and a small bulb of starmetal at the back broadcasts these patterns of Essence to the 
  torc. When they are in use, these artiﬁ cial eyes move to follow people or objects that the user wishes to 
  observe, and the blue jade iris expands and contracts in response to light.
  The character can use any Awareness or Perception Charms through the artiﬁ cial eyes as desired. In 
  addition, the character can spend two additional motes and cause an eye to ﬂ oat into the air and produce 
  a life-sized translucent image of himself with the artiﬁ cial eye located where one of his own eyes would 
  be. This image can move at a speed of up to two yards per action and moves and speaks exactly as the 
  character is doing back in her location. Except for the artiﬁ cial eye, this image is completely intangible and 
  can take no physical actions. The character can use any Bureaucracy, Integrity, Investigation, Linguistics, 
  Lore, Performance, Presence or Socialize Charms at the location of this image, however, as long as the 
  Charm does not require the character to act physically. Of course, while the character is contacting one of 
  these spheres, anyone in the vicinity of the sphere can also use any of these Charms upon the character. 
  Because of the nature of this device, sorcerers cannot project any form of sorcery through the link between 
  the artiﬁ cial eyes and the torc. This item has an unlimited range, and characters in Creation can use this 
  item to contact artiﬁ cial eyes in Yu-Shan, Malfeas or the Underworld.
  If anyone holds one of the artiﬁ cial eyes and spends either a mote of Essence or a point of Willpower, 
  the wearer will instantly know that someone is attempting to contact him and can then choose to initiate 
  communication. The character will also instantly know if anyone has destroyed one of these eyes. If this 
  occurs, the character can cause the torc to replace the eye by charging the torc with power for 10 minutes 
  and spending ﬁ ve motes of Essence. The artifact’s owner can also destroy one of these eyes anytime he wishes 
  by concentrating for 10 minutes and spending ﬁ ve motes of Essence and one point of Willpower.
  
  70
  BIOMAGITECH
  Unlike most ﬁ elds of artifact research pursued in Creation, 
  the surgical integration of artifacts as tissue replacements or even 
  enhancements did not reach its technological apex in the High 
  First Age. During the golden era of the Deliberative, the healing 
  Charms of the Solar Exalted allowed for the total regeneration of 
  mangled or even amputated limbs. Any Exalt who suffered such 
  grievous wounds could petition a Solar to restore her health, and 
  while the cost in favors or service was always high, it was not 
  unreasonable compared with life “wasted” as a cripple.
  Following the Usurpation, the Dragon-Blooded no longer 
  had access to Celestial healing Charms, so the Shogunate set 
  up a research facility to develop alternative treatment methods. 
  Headquartered in a remote Eastern manse, the task force of 
  healers, artisans and savants tried everything from tissue grafts 
  to elemental infusion chambers, but quickly determined that 
  regenerative artifacts were both extremely difﬁ cult and pro-
  hibitively expensive to build and maintain. Undeterred from 
  its mission, the institute turned to the relatively young ﬁ eld of 
  biomagitech, testing various implants and prosthetics on elite 
  Gunzosha Corp volunteers. As a result of its labors and the 
  research of those who followed in its footsteps, the Shogunate 
  beneﬁ ted from a wide range of biomagitech artifacts. 
  The gradual decline of technological infrastructure during 
  the Shogunate eventually drove the price and rarity of biomagi-
  tech artifacts up, until only the wealthiest or highest-ranking 
  ofﬁ cers among the legions could obtain them. This remains true 
  in the Second Age. Although the Realm and Lookshy can still 
  build these devices, they certainly do not mass-produce them.
  Installing biomagitech artifacts always requires a lengthy 
  surgery performed as an extended action. Each device has a 
  Surgery trait with a quadruple value separated by slashes. The ﬁ rst 
  value is the cumulative difﬁ culty, the second is the roll interval, 
  the third is the difﬁ culty of each individual roll and the fourth is 
  the minimum ratings a surgeon must have in Lore, Medicine and 
  Occult to even attempt the surgery with any chance of success. 
  Moreover, surgeons must have access to a well-stocked surgical 
  facility (Resources 4) to attempt the process. The dice pool for 
  an implantation surgery roll is always (Intelligence + the lowest 
  of the three required Abilities). Each failed roll inﬂ icts one level 
  of unsoakable lethal damage suffered by the patient, who must 
  generally be kept unconscious or at least restrained throughout 
  the procedure to avoid sudden movements that result in an 
  automatic botch. (The player of the patient must succeed on 
  a Temperance roll at difﬁ culty 3 for each surgery roll, in order 
  for his character to stay still if he’s conscious.) A botch inﬂ icts 
  ﬁ ve levels of lethal damage instead and requires that the process 
  be started over from scratch. Removing biomagitech artifacts 
  requires the same rolls as installing them in the ﬁ rst place. It 
  is also possible to salvage these wonders by killing their bearer 
  and brutally hacking them out of the dead ﬂ esh.
  Characters with such artifacts may be attacked normally, 
  but Storytellers should assume that any attacks that inﬂ ict 
  damage don’t necessarily strike the implants. If such attacks do 
  hit the implants, the damage should come from trauma to the 
  surrounding tissue rather than to the implants. Owing to their 
  construction, these devices are nearly invulnerable, but this prop-
  erty should not provide a combat beneﬁ t without a stunt. Even 
  then, Storytellers should allow only a Martial Arts-based Parry 
  DV to deﬂ ect a lethal attack. If a character is thrown in an acid 
  bath, she takes no less damage simply because her metal hand is 
  impervious. Of course, if a character reaches said indestructible 
  hand gingerly into the acid, she will take no damage.
  THE WONDROUS GLOBE OF PRECIOUS STABILITY
  (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 4
  This rare artifact was relatively uncommon during the High First Age and has proved impossible to 
  duplicate in later eras. Only 34 of these priceless artifacts survive, and the Realm controls 18 of them. All 
  of these artifacts are identical—jade spheres the size of small human heads covered in dozens of complex 
  occult symbols inlaid with orichalcum, moonsilver, starmetal and soulsteel. All ﬁ ve magical materials were 
  used in the construction of these artifacts, which is the primary reason they cannot be duplicated by the 
  Realm. The globe is pierced by a short shaft of jade inlaid with orichalcum and can rotate freely around 
  this axis. The top of this shaft ends in a setting for a hearthstone, while the bottom ends in a triangular 
  base that can be afﬁ xed to a vehicle or structure.
  When a hearthstone of level 3 or higher is placed in the setting and an Exalt commits ﬁ ve motes of 
  Essence to it, the globe begins to glow and spin . As long as it does both, the globe, as well as the building 
  or vehicle to which it is attached, and everyone who is onboard or inside this vehicle or structure, are all 
  completely protected from the effects of the Wyld. In addition, both the vehicle or structure and the crew or 
  inhabitants gain ﬁ ve dice to resist any Charms used by one of the Fair Folk. This artifact can be used to protect 
  any vehicle, including a huge First Age skyship. In addition, it can be attached to any single building that is no 
  larger than one of the vermilion glass towers of Chiaroscuro, a huge mansion the size of the Imperial Palace or 
  one of the sealed towers of the city of Rathess. While it can armor a large palace against the Wyld, it cannot 
  protect an entire city or even a single district of a metropolis. Because of the nature of this device, no Charm 
  wielded by one of the Fair Folk can directly affect this artifact in any way, including moving it. Raksha also 
  cannot touch or enter the vehicle or location protected by this item, and raksha also cannot use an Assump-
  tion Charm such as Assumption of the Land’s Heart to affect or inhabit the protected location. This artifact 
  effectively transforms the vehicle or structure it is protecting into a tiny pocket of crystallized Creation, even 
  if the vessel is sailing the seas of the Deep Wyld. Lunars exploring the mysteries of the Wyld have uncovered 
  almost a dozen of these items protecting vehicles or buildings that were engulfed by the Wyld during the Fair 
  Folk breakthroughs that occurred in the aftermath of the Contagion. The Lunars retrieved some of these items, 
  but left several to serve as beachheads of Creation in the most dangerous portions of the Wyld.
  
  71
  CHAPTER THREE • THE PURVIEW OF THE CERULEAN LUTE
  AEGIS-INSET AMULETS (ARTIFACT •)
  Repair: 1
  Rarely used by the Exalted and far more commonly implanted in elite mortal warriors, a full set of 
  these dark crystal amulets qualiﬁ es as a single artifact. The devices are designed to be inserted into every 
  major pulse point (wrists, shoulders, hips, knees and the back of their neck), collectively appearing as 
  nothing more than extensive and exotic body jewelry. Upon closer inspection, each amulet reveals a ﬁ ne 
  tracing of arcane sigils and Old Realm glyphs etched into its surface.
  Implanted in a mortal incapable of channeling Essence, the amulets allow her to don and instantly 
  attune any magical armor that normally requires an attunement cost up to ﬁ ve motes. This beneﬁ t does 
  nothing to offset other costs, such as for armor that requires an inset hearthstone to operate. Armor con-
  structed of the ﬁ ve magical materials does not provide its material bonus when worn by a mortal. Most 
  commonly, the talismans are paired with gunzosha commando armor (see p. 81), though they integrate 
  just as readily with other models. Unfortunately, the talismans drain their bearer’s life force as long as they 
  are worn, doubling her aging rate. Because of this extreme drawback, mortal characters do not have to pay 
  any Background points to obtain aegis-inset amulets, especially since they must still pay the cost to get 
  any magical armor they plan to wear.
  For Exalted and other beings capable of channeling Essence, aegis-inset amulets provide less dramatic 
  beneﬁ ts (but no drawbacks), reducing the attunement cost of any worn magical armor by two motes (to 
  a minimum of one mote). If a mortal implanted with these devices receives Exaltation, the talismans im-
  mediately stop draining her life and provide the standard Exalted beneﬁ t instead.
  Surgery: 30/5 hours/4/3
  PROSTHETICS OF CLOCKWORK ELEGANCE (ARTIFACT • TO •••••)
  Repair: 3
  As noted previously, the Dragon-Blooded have little access to regenerative magic among their heal-
  ing Charms. After the overthrow of the Celestials, their savants had to ﬁ nd alternative ways of restoring 
  limbs and organs severed in combat or mangled beyond functioning. The prosthetics of clockwork elegance 
  actually include a wide variety of artifacts. It’s a name applied to most prosthetic devices made of metal 
  and magical materials designed to emulate the function of living tissue. Players should use the following 
  tables to determine the cost of obtaining such artifacts:
  The ﬁ rst table indicates the value of prosthetics based on how much of the patient’s body needs 
  replacing, measured in prosthetic points.
  The second table gives the cost in additional prosthetic points for implants that serve as actual 
  upgrades, rather than merely replacements of prior functionality. If a character upgrades one prosthetic, 
  she must upgrade all prosthetics that are viable subjects for the upgrade, or else, the upgrade cannot be 
  purchased. For example, if a character wants a hand to be +1 Strength, this adds one prosthetic point to 
  the cost of the hand. If that character also has a prosthetic leg, she must upgrade its Strength as well, for 
  an additional point. Bonuses provided by prosthetic upgrades do not count as part of a character’s natural 
  traits for the purposes of satisfying Charm minimums, but they do count for determining the experience cost 
  to raise boosted traits and also count as Charm bonuses, limiting the maximum beneﬁ t that Excellencies 
  can provide. Storytellers should feel free to come up with other forms of prosthetic augmentation, using 
  the table of examples as guidelines for cost and determining what is possible.
  The third table indicates the maximum number of prosthetic points obtained at each level of purchase 
  with the Artifact Background. Storytellers should note that brains cannot be replaced with prosthetics of 
  clockwork elegance, and while synthetic genitalia may be fully functional for recreational purposes, those 
  with them are not capable of siring or bearing offspring.
  Value 
  Replacement
  1 
  One hand, foot or sensory organ
  2 
  One full limb (arm or leg); signiﬁ cant facial reconstruction; one major internal organ
  3 
  Spinal column; extensive neural reconstruction
  Value 
  Augmentation
  +1 
  Hand/foot or full limb is +1 Strength to all actions using it.
  +1 
  Hand/foot/limb is +2 Strength for feats of strength only while using it.
  +2 
  Hand/foot/limb is +1 Dexterity to all actions using it.
  +2 
  Hand/arm has retractable claws, identical to razor claws, that cannot be disarmed (see Exalted, 
  p. 388); double purchase not required for characters with two prosthetic hands.
  +2 
  Hand/arm may be used as a heavy crushing weapon, identical to a smashﬁ st that cannot be disarmed 
  (see Exalted, p. 388); double purchase not required for characters with two prosthetic hands.
  +1 
  Sensory organ is +1 Perception to all actions using it.
  +1 
  Eye ignores all low-light penalties less than absolute darkness.
  +2 
  Eye can provide Essence sight (see p. 85) at a cost of one mote per minute.
  +2 
  Lungs can breathe underwater like air (must have both lungs replaced).
  Rating 
  Maximum Prosthetic Points
  • 
  1
  •• 
  3
  ••• 
  5
  •••• 
  10
  ••••• 
  15
  The total attunement cost of a set of prosthetics of clockwork elegance is equal to its prosthetic points, 
  doubled as normal if a character has implants installed that are made of the wrong magical material for her 
  Exalt type. Mortals and beings incapable of channeling Essence can either commit one Willpower point 
  for every three prosthetic points (rounded up), or else, the Essence drain on their life force ages them more 
  quickly by a factor of (the implants’ Artifact rating + 1).
  Surgery: (number of prosthetic points to be installed x 2)/5 hours/4/3
  
  72
  SKIN MOUNT AMULET (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
   Appearing as a large rivet-style body piercing made of one of the magical materials with an indented 
  disk-shaped socket, skin mount amulets are nothing more than implanted hearthstone amulets (see Exalted, 
  p. 380) that require no attunement. The design of these amulets also confers an additional number of motes 
  of Peripheral Essence to the wearer’s maximum Essence pool equal to twice the rating of any hearthstone 
  placed in the socket. Mountain Folk, God-Blooded and other non-Exalted Essence channelers instead add 
  these motes to their singular Essence pools. Mortals normally incapable of channeling Essence may attune 
  to manses if they have one of these devices installed, gaining the usual beneﬁ ts of any hearthstone from 
  an attuned manse installed in the stone. Mortals also gain the aforementioned bonus motes as a meager 
  Essence pool that they can recharge only through the inset stone but may otherwise use as if they were 
  Exalted. Any commitments using Essence from the amulet (such as to other artifacts) immediately end if 
  the hearthstone leaves its socket. At the height of the First Age, skin mount amulets were a popular form 
  of jewelry among the Chosen. Hearthstones can be removed or replaced in a skin mount amulet as readily 
  as any other type of hearthstone amulet. Only the socket itself is actually riveted to the body.
  Surgery: 10/5 hours/3/3
  BRACERS OF UNIVERSAL CRAFTING (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 3
  These bracers were ﬁ rst created during the Shogunate and remain popular in Lookshy. Carved from 
  green jade a quarter inch thick and two inches wide, these artifacts must be surgically grafted to an Essence 
  user to function. Failure inﬂ icts one level of unsoakable lethal damage for every success by which the roll 
  fell short. A botch inﬂ icts the consequences of normal failure and also damages the bracers, requiring  they 
  be repaired. Success implants the bracers on the subject’s arms, where they lie ﬂ ush with the skin.
  Because the items must be implanted, users need not commit Essence to them, but they must spend 
  two motes of Essence to activate these items for one scene. Once activated, the bracers create temporary 
  projections of solidiﬁ ed Essence that can act as both tools and extra hands. This item allows the character 
  to add a number of automatic successes equal to her Essence to all rolls involving ﬁ ne manipulation. Such 
  rolls include picking locks and surgery, as well as many Craft rolls, including most uses of Craft (Magitech), 
  Craft (Air), cooking or any other careful task where precision matters more than strength. If the character 
  works for more than one scene, she need only spend another two motes of Essence every additional scene to 
  cause the tools to remain as long as she requires them. The tools and other manipulators created by these 
  bracers vanish the instant they cease being used, and the character wearing these bracers can control them 
  as easily as she can manipulate her own ﬁ ngers. In addition to being compatible with all Craft Charms, 
  these bracers negate the need for any additional tools and eliminate all penalties for performing an action 
  without proper tools. In addition, if the character is in Yu-Shan or a god’s sanctum, this artifact allow her 
  to craft items from both ambrosia and quintessence (forms of solidiﬁ ed prayer), even if she otherwise lacks 
  Charms that would allow her to work these exotic materials.
  Surgery: 10/1 hour/5 – patient’s Essence /3
  ARMS OF MULTIPLE MANIPULATION (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 3
  This artifact consists of a pair of long, narrow, ﬂ at ovals made from jade and moonsilver each a quarter 
  inch thick, two inches wide and a foot and a half long. A thumb-sized crystal of blue ice is located in the 
  center of each oval. These ovals are designed to sit on either side of the user’s spine. These items must be 
  surgically grafted to an Essence user to function. Failure on the surgery roll inﬂ icts one level of unsoakable 
  lethal damage for every success by which the roll fell short. A botch inﬂ icts the consequences of normal 
  failure and also damages the bracers, requiring that they be repaired. Success implants these items on the 
  subject’s back, where they lie ﬂ ush with the skin on either side of the user’s spine.
  In addition to the difﬁ culty of implantation, the user must also commit three motes of Essence im-
  mediately after the surgery. This Essence cannot be uncommitted unless the artifact is removed (which 
  requires a surgery roll with a difﬁ culty one less than that to implant it). To activate this item for one scene, 
  the user must spend ﬁ ve motes of Essence. Once activated, the item creates a number of additional limbs 
  equal to the user’s permanent Essence. These projections of solidiﬁ ed Essence can function as well as normal 
  human arms. In addition to acting as ordinary arms, they can also form themselves into any mundane tool, 
  removing the need for the user to carry any additional tools and eliminating all penalties for performing 
  an action without proper tools. These arms provide the user with all of the beneﬁ ts of a pair of bracers of 
  universal crafting and can extend for a number of yards equal to the user’s permanent Essence. 
  In addition, this item also contains a limited mental construct created from awakening the least spirit 
  of the specially enchanted crystals of blue ice. These crystals serve as an interface between the user’s mind 
  and the arms, allowing the user to turn over partial control of the arms to the crystals. As a result, the user 
  can take one action using only his physical body and one action involving only the Essence arms, with no 
  multiple-action penalty. The character can also take normal multiple actions with either his body or the arms 
  without inﬂ icting any penalty on the other. The only limit on these arms’ actions is that no single arm can 
  take more than one action and the character cannot use this artifact to take more actions than it has arms.
  The user can also mentally instruct the arms to perform any relatively straightforward task while 
  he engages in other activities, such as combat. The arms can be used with both combat and noncombat 
  Charms and can make unarmed attacks exactly like the user’s arms, but their Essence-ﬂ ows interfere with 
  those of daiklaves, powerbows and other artifacts that requires the user to either spend or commit Essence. 
  As a result, the user cannot wield any such artifacts with the Essence arms. The user must wield daiklaves 
  and similar weapons with his normal arms and use other weapons in this item’s Essence arms.
  Surgery: 20/1 hour/7 – patient’s Essence/3
  
  73
  CHAPTER FOUR • THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON PANOPLY
  
  74
  CHAPTER FOUR
  CHAPTER FOUR
  THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON 
  THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON 
  PANOPLY
  PANOPLY
  PERSONAL ARMS
  Despite being remembered as a time of peace and 
  prosperity, the First Age was actually marked by its share of 
  conﬂ ict. Birthed by the Primordial War, the High First Age 
  suffered its share of Fair Folk incursions, demonic invasions 
  and police actions before being brought to a close by the 
  mass slaughter of the Usurpation. And the Dragon-Blooded 
  Shogunate was no calmer, marked as it was by endless re-
  bellions, terrorist actions and civil wars. It also ended in a 
  monumental war, this time waged over the fate of Creation 
  against the invading Fair Folk.
  It should come as no surprise then that a great many 
  of First Age’s remarkable industrial capability was geared 
  toward creating better and more powerful weapons for both 
  Exalted and mortal combatants, nor that, given the over-
  whelming number of said devices, a number would survive 
  in the present day.
  8-SCREAM DEVIL POWDER (ARTIFACT •)
  Repair: N/A
  Used more often to keep the peace than as a weapon in war, this substance is a dusty red powder 
  commonly made by alchemists of the First Age. Usually, 8-scream devil powder is found in parchment 
  bags sealed with beeswax.
  When the user wants to use the devil powder, he simply tosses a handful of the dust at his target 
  (just as though he were making a regular Thrown attack). Once the powder leaves its wielder’s hand, it 
  swirls around randomly for a few moments as if caught in a breeze, occasionally appearing to disperse or 
  coalescing into a dust devil. If the attack hits, however, the dust blows into its intended victim within a 
  few seconds. The dust seeps through any armor that is not air-tight, though even then it will linger on the 
  wearer’s armor until he takes it off, at which point it explodes off the armor in a billowing red puff of smoke 
  and land on its now-vulnerable target.
  When 8-scream devil powder lands on skin, it causes no damage but inﬂ icts intense pain. Any target 
  affected by this powder feels as if his skin is alternately being ﬂ ayed and charred from his body. Until the 
  powder is washed off, the target suffers from the equivalent of a -4 wound penalty from the agony (no mat-
  ter how many health levels the target actually has). Charms that allow a target to ignore wound penalties 
  also render him immune to the effects of this powder.
  Water alone will not remove 8-scream devil powder. It rinses off easily with any mild acid, however 
  (such as lemon juice or vinegar), or it can be scrubbed away with sand, pumice or a stiff-bristled brush.
  
  75
  CHAPTER FOUR • THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON PANOPLY
  ALCHEMICAL FIRE WEAPONS (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
  During the First Age, Exalted alchemists developed reagent fuels far more stable than ﬁ redust. Armed 
  with these fuels, they built artifact ﬁ re weapons far superior to any mere ﬁ rewand and equally useful in 
  the hands of mortals and the Chosen alike, since they did not require Essence expenditure. The two most 
  common types of these weapons to survive into the Second Age are plasma tongue repeaters and fuel 
  bolt launchers. The former are small, ﬁ ve-shot personal weapons favored by rangers. The latter are heavy, 
  shoulder-mounted cannons designed for anti-vehicle and anti-warstrider use. Fuel bolt launchers can also 
  be loaded with a ﬁ re pearl (see p. 57) in addition to their usual gelatinous fuel. Used as ammunition, the 
  alchemically energized pearl hits the target fast enough to lodge itself in the impact point (making the 
  initial damage piercing) and continues burning from within until the target crumbles to cinders. If the 
  initial blast successfully inﬂ icts any damage, the target suffers two lethal health levels of damage per tick, 
  bypassing all armored soak until the target is destroyed or the pearl is removed. Removing the pearl requires 
  a successful (Dexterity + Athletics) roll for a structure or (Dexterity + Medicine) for a being at difﬁ culty 
  2. Alchemical ﬁ re weapons count as ﬁ rewands for the purposes of Archery Charms.
  Name 
  Speed Acc. 
  Dmg. 
  Rate 
  Range 
  Ammo 
  Tags
  Plasma Tongue Repeater 
  5 
  +2 
  10L 
  1 
  20 (maximum range) 5 
  F
  Fuel Bolt Launcher 
  6 
  +1 
  18L 
  1 
  30 (maximum range) 1 
  F
  Ammunition fuel pellets sufﬁ cient to fully reload either weapon cost Resources 3, but can be purchased 
  only in a large metropolis. Alternatively, characters versed in the thaumaturgical Art of Alchemy can distill 
  the fuel themselves with a ritual (see Exalted, p. 138, for thaumaturgy ritual rules):
  Alchemical Weapon Fuel (2, Int, 4, 3 hours): Creates enough ammunition to fully refuel a personal alchemi-
  cal ﬁ re weapon of any type.
  SKIN-LIKE-THE-MOUNTAINS OIL (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: N/A
  The traditional armor of the Celestial Exalted was not always enough to protect against the more 
  dangerous weaponized behemoths employed by the Primordials. This oil, which was extraordinarily difﬁ cult 
  to make and required ingredients that could only be obtained through the use of Wyld Cauldron Technology, 
  is rubbed on a character’s skin before battle and lasts for one scene. It can be used in conjunction with armor 
  or used by itself, and it does not count as armor for the purposes of martial arts. As long as the character is 
  wearing skin-like-the-mountains oil, it gives her skin a metallic blue-gray patina. Skin-like-the-mountains 
  oil adds +12L/+10B to the character’s soak and provides her with a hardness of 9L/9B.
  While stocks of skin-like-the-mountains oil were plentiful during the Solar Deliberative era, it was 
  one of the favorite items for the Dragon-Blooded to take into battle against the Anathema in the weeks 
  following the Usurpation. They did not know how to make more, though, and they rapidly depleted the 
  stocks of most of the armories they raided. Skin-like-the-mountains oil comes in small round crystal bottles, 
  with one bottle containing enough for a single application. In the Second Age, it is rare for more than two 
  or three of these bottles ever to be found in a single place, although undisturbed caches of First Age goods 
  might contain more. Second Age alchemists have long striven to recreate the formula, but without suc-
  cess. (Rumors that the Mountain Folk can make this oil or a near equivalent have long circulated among 
  savants, but never with any proof.)
  Needless to say, skin-like-the-mountains oil fetches a good sum on the open market, usually reaping 
  the seller the equivalent of Resources 3 for even a single bottle.
  SPEAR THROWER OF EXALTED PROWESS (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
  This spear thrower is a ﬂ at piece of a speciﬁ c magical material that grows to the exact length of the 
  wielder’s forearm as soon as she commits ﬁ ve motes of Essence to the artifact. The enchantments on this 
  item allow the user to hurl javelins farther and with greater force and accuracy than with a normal spear 
  thrower. The Exalt balances the javelin on the spear thrower and throws normally, while retaining her grip 
  on the spear thrower. The spear thrower functions as an extension of the Exalt’s arm. In addition, Exalts 
  add the appropriate magical material bonuses to this attack.
  Because even the ﬁ nest spear thrower is of no use if the user runs out of javelins, this artifact also 
  allows the user to reﬂ exively spend one mote to create a javelin out of Essence. This javelin appears in the 
  spear thrower just as the user readies it for use. When used to throw either ordinary or Essence javelins, 
  this artifact is compatible with all Thrown Charms. 
  Type 
  Speed 
  Accuracy Damage Rate Range Minimums Attune Tags
  Mundane Javelin  
  4 
  +2* 
  +3L* 
  2 
  100 
  Str • 
  5 
  –
  Essence Javelin 
  4 
  +3 
  +7L 
  2 
  150 
  Str • 
  5 
  P
  * These numbers are added to a thrown javelin’s ordinary thrown accuracy and damage, not used in place 
  of them.
  
  76
  SWITCHKLAVE (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
  These large dagger-like weapons are miniature daiklaves designed for use by knife ﬁ ghters. In addition 
  to being perfectly balanced for melee use, these knives are extremely easy to conceal. When the character 
  presses a hidden catch, the blade folds into the hilt leaving an unusually carved curio pierced to be worn as 
  a large pendant or a charm to hang from a belt. With another touch, this curio can be instantly converted 
  back into a knife. Because of the narrow blade, this weapon can ﬁ nd openings in almost any armor, allowing 
  it to inﬂ ict piercing damage. This character must commit six motes of Essence to this weapon to wield it. 
  Because it is both compact and variable in form, this weapon has no hearthstone setting. This weapon can 
  be made out of any of the ﬁ ve magical materials, gaining the standard bonuses from its material type.
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Defense 
  Rate 
  Minimums 
  Attune 
  Tags
  4 
  +3 
  +4L 
  +1 
  3 
  Str •, Dex ••• 
  6 
  P
  FORCE-PROJECTION WEAPONS (ARTIFACT •• TO •••)
  Repair: 1
  Building on technological principles ﬁ rst developed by the Dragon Kings in the epoch before the First 
  Age, force-projection weapons function by transmitting the kinetic impact of a close combat weapon across 
  intervening distance as an invisible pulse. This allows wielders to use their weapons to strike at range using 
  their close-combat training, rather than learning an entirely separate curriculum of combat.
  The most common model of force-projection weapon developed in the First Age was the shock pike 
  (Artifact 2), which looks like a short spear made of ironwood banded with leaf-shaped conduction nodes of 
  green jade. Shock pikes can be wielded in close combat like spears normally, though projecting an attack 
  at range drains two motes from the weapon’s internal battery (which can hold up to 20 motes). Ranged 
  attacks from these weapons subtract one from the Parry DV of their target because of the invisible nature 
  of the attack. Shock pikes designed exclusively for Exalted use are also Artifact 2, requiring a commitment 
  of ﬁ ve motes to attune. Though they lack internal batteries and rely entirely on their wielder for power, 
  these models are generally superior (as reﬂ ected by better statistics). 
  Shock pikes rated Artifact 3 add 20 motes to the weapon’s internal battery, giving standard models a 
  40-mote capacity and Exalted models a 20-mote charge. By their nature, all shock pikes may beneﬁ t from 
  Melee Charms in both close and ranged use.
  Type 
  Speed 
  Accuracy Damage Defense Rate 
  Minimums 
  Attune Tags
  Standard 
  5 
  +1 
  +5L 
  +1 
  2 
  Dex ••, Str •• 
  – 
  2, R
  Exalted 
  5 
  +2 
  +7L 
  +1 
  3 
  Dex ••, Str •• 
  5 
  2, R
  Type 
  Speed 
  Accuracy Damage Rate 
  Range 
  Attune 
  Tags
  Standard 
  5 
  +2 
  +7L 
  2 
  50 (maximum range) 
  – 
  2, R
  Exalted 
  5 
  +3 
  +9L 
  3 
  (Essence rating x 10)  
  5 
  2, R
   
   
   
   
   
  + 50 (maximum range)
  A rarer and more advanced type of force-projection weapon developed later in the First Age is a set 
  of gauntlets of distant touch (Artifact 3 for a pair). These light, articulated gauntlets connect to magical 
  material bracers stretching up to the elbow. The bracers house the kinetic conduction coils, while the 
  gloves manipulate and direct the dynamic Essence ﬁ eld the artifacts project. A pair of these gloves costs 
  four motes to attune, which resizes them to perfectly ﬁ t their wearer.
  Used in close combat, the gloves add the pertinent magical material bonus for their construction to 
  the character’s unarmed punches and allow unarmed parries of lethal and ranged attacks. When charged 
  with an additional commitment of three motes, however, an invisible aura of force forms around both hands 
  for the rest of the scene. During this time, the character may perform any task that would normally require 
  his hands simply by making the appropriate gesture (the action uses its normal dice pool and difﬁ culty), 
  and the Exalt may affect any objects within (Essence rating x 3) yards. From a utilitarian standpoint, the 
  gauntlets can levitate objects (but not the user), manipulate them, pull them close or push them away. In 
  combat, the gloves can deliver ranged Martial Arts hand strikes or clinches that beneﬁ t from close combat 
  magical material bonuses. Such attacks also impose a -1 penalty to the opponent’s Parry DV because of 
  their invisible nature. Finally, a character wearing charged gauntlets can parry attacks directed at anyone 
  else in range, though each such parry cumulatively decreases her Parry DV by -1 until her next action. All 
  close and ranged attacks made using gauntlets of distant touch are considered unarmed for the purposes of 
  compatibility with Martial Arts Charms.
  
  77
  CHAPTER FOUR • THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON PANOPLY
  ESSENCE LASH (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 1
  This jade and steel tube is one foot long and two inches in diameter. The Essence lash is one of the 
  simpler Essence-based weapons, and it is still manufactured in the Realm. This artifact channels raw Essence 
  into a jagged-lightning-like beam that can be used to scourge or enwrap opponents. One of this weapon’s 
  great advantages is that it can be used to strike opponents up to 10 yards away. Users must commit six 
  motes to this weapon and then spend two motes to activate the weapon for a full scene. Wielders can use 
  either Melee or Martial Arts to attack with an Essence lash.
  In addition to being able to be used to strike a single foe with a burning swath of Essence, the wielder 
  can cause this weapon to simultaneously produce multiple strands of Essence-ﬁ re. Characters can produce 
  a number of separate strands of Essence up to their permanent Essence. Characters can use these multiple 
  strands to attack multiple targets at the same time, without using a ﬂ urry. In this state, the Essence lash 
  resembles a multi-stranded ﬂ ail of crackling energy. The character makes a single attack roll and the results 
  are separately compared to the opponents’ DV + other defenses. The character suffers no increases in 
  difﬁ culty for performing this attack, but when using this weapon to attack multiple targets, she can use it 
  to attack only once in a ﬂ urry. In addition to the Essence cost of activating this weapon for a scene, each 
  additional attack costs two motes, and this cost is paid every time the weapon is used to attack multiple 
  targets simultaneously. Using this weapon to make multiple attacks counts as an extra action and is subject 
  to the same restrictions as every extra action Charm. Because each of these weapons is primarily built from 
  jade, Exalts add the appropriate magical material bonuses when using it (but non-Terrestrial Exalts must 
  pay extra to attune, as normal).
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Defense 
  Rate 
  Minimums 
  Attune 
  Tags
  5 
  +3 
  +6L 
  +3 
  3 
  Str •, Dex ••• 
  6 
  –
  FIRE LANCE (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  Once a common personal weapon in the First Age regularly equipped to elite mortal soldiers, these 
  weapons resemble fairly conventional spears forged of First Age alloys. Their only distinctive features are 
  the bulbous nodes placed just above the grip, which contain integrated power cells, and the articulated 
  blade heads that open like the petals of a ﬂ ower to reveal a narrow spigot of red jade.
  On their own, ﬁ re lances are simply expensive spears. Each lance holds 20 motes in its battery, how-
  ever, and these motes can be spent to achieve any of three effects. Alternatively, wielders with Essence 
  pools may attune the spears for a cost of two motes, after which they may choose to power them directly 
  from their own reserves.
  Charge: For a reﬂ exive cost of one mote, the lance’s blade glows a dim red. Whenever it next strikes a target, 
  these banked energies erupt in a surge of ﬁ re, increasing the strike’s raw damage by +4L and immediately 
  setting any ﬂ ammable inanimate target alight.
  Type 
  Speed 
  Acc. 
  Damage 
  Defense 
  Rate 
  Minimums 
  Attune 
  Tags
  Charge 
  5 
  +1 
  +4L/7L  
  +2 
  2 
  Str •• 
  2 
  2, L, R
   
   
   
  (+8L/11L charged)
  Streamer: For a reﬂ exive cost of two motes, the spear ﬁ res a twisting jet of ﬂ ames at a target using the wielder’s 
  Archery. While ﬁ ring a streamer, the lance is considered a ﬁ rewand for the purpose of Archery Charms.
  Type 
  Speed 
  Acc. 
  Damage 
  Rate Range 
  Minimums 
  Attune 
  Tags
  Streamer 
  5 
  +2 
  10L 
  2 
  150 (max. range) 
  – 
  2 
  2, F
  Fire Fan: By reﬂ exively spending ﬁ ve motes, the wielder may spray a continuous wash of ﬂ ames across an 
  arc. The fan can hit up to three separate targets within three yards of each other with a single attack roll.
  Type 
  Speed 
  Acc. 
  Damage 
  Rate Range 
  Minimums 
  Attune 
  Tags
  Fire Fan 
  5 
  +5 
  7L 
  1 
  100 (max. range) 
  – 
  2 
  2, F
  ELEMENTAL LENS (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  Rather than serving as energy weapons in their own right, these versatile jade and crystal artifacts 
  were created to enhance the energy-based Charm attacks innate to the Dragon-Blooded. Most elemental 
  lenses were built as integrated weapon systems on powerful artifacts (such as dragon armor, pp. 84-87), in 
  which case they may be obtained for free as part of purchasing the artifact in question. Other lenses improve 
  weaker artifact weapons made of jade (Artifact 4 for an artifact normally rated 1 or 2, as well as adding 
  two motes to the weapon’s normal attunement cost). The most common examples are First Age daiklaves 
  mounting lenses in their hilts. The rest of these wondrous devices were built as amulets, rings, bracelets or 
  other forms of jade jewelry costing ﬁ ve motes to attune.
  Only one elemental lens can enhance the same activation of a Charm. In order for a Terrestrial Charm 
  to qualify as a valid target for enhancement, it must ﬁ t one of two criteria. The ﬁ rst category includes all 
  Charms that cause direct damage using projected elemental energy. Such Charms double their base damage 
  under the inﬂ uence of the lens. (Therefore, a blast costing one mote per 2L, for which the lens-equipped 
  Exalt spent three motes, would inﬂ ict a base damage of 12L, plus attack successes.) The second category 
  includes all Charms that create a non-permanent weapon directly out of elemental energies. For these 
  Charms, the conjured weapon’s Damage modiﬁ er is doubled while wielded by its creator. (Therefore, a 
  ﬂ aming sword with a normal Damage modiﬁ er of +4L would add 8L to its lens-equipped owner’s Strength 
  to determine base damage.)
  In recent years, the Deathlords have built entropic lenses using soulsteel and inauspicious crystals mined 
  from shadowlands. Entropic lenses duplicate the effects and rules of elemental lenses but enhance pertinent 
  Abyssal Charms that project or form weapons from necrotic energy instead. Similar devices might also exist 
  to augment energy attack Charms of other Exalted types, such as Solar and Alchemical Exalted.
  
  78
  GLOVES OF MARTIAL READINESS (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  This weapon consists of a pair of attractive gloves made from the ﬁ nest leather and chased with one of 
  the magical materials. The left glove contains a single hearthstone socket on the middle of the back of the 
  hand. To use this artifact, a wearer must put on both gloves and spend eight motes of Essence to attune them. 
  Once attuned, the wearer can cause a foot-long triangular khatar blade of Essence to extend from one or both 
  gloves. The wearer can extend or retract these blades as a reﬂ exive action. In addition, the wearer can cause 
  the gloves’ leather to change color, allowing them to be fashionably worn with almost any garb. Because the 
  gloves appear to be decorative items, anyone unaware of their function will see nothing unusual about them 
  being worn to a formal function—though Charms such as All-Encompassing Sorcerer’s Sight instantly allow 
  the viewer to see that this artifact is a weapon. In addition, if the wearer spends two motes of Essence, one of 
  the gloves extends a shield of invisible Essence that lasts for one scene (costing the wearer one of his khatars). 
  Because it automatically moves to deﬂ ect attacks, the shield provides a +2 bonus to the wearer’s DV against 
  both ranged and melee attacks (in addition to the weapon’s normal parry bonus). This weapon also gains the 
  normal bonuses from being made from one of the ﬁ ve magical materials.
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Defense 
  Rate 
  Minimums 
  Attune 
  Tags
  5 
  +2 
  +6L 
  +3 
  3 
  – 
  8 
  M
  POWER MACE (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 1
  This versatile weapon consists of a two-foot-long cylinder that gradually tapers from a handle one 
  and a half inches in diameter, to a head that is three inches in diameter. Although this item is smaller 
  than many artifact weapons, it is no less deadly. After committing eight motes to attune this weapon, the 
  wielder can activate it for melee use for one scene by spending two motes of Essence. Spending these motes 
  immediately surrounds the head of this weapon with a large and deadly sheath of solidiﬁ ed Essence. Designed 
  to enhance all forms of combat, this weapon can be used to make both lethal and non-lethal attacks. When 
  used in lethal combat, the weapon’s head is surrounded by a burning corona of Essence. Alternatively, the 
  wielder can surround the head with a sheath of Essence that spreads the impact of the blow over a large 
  area. Once the weapon is activated for melee use, the owner can reﬂ exively switch between lethal and 
  bashing damage without spending additional Essence.
  Like many of the creations originally developed by the Mountain Folk, this weapon is exceedingly 
  versatile. It can even be used to make ranged attacks. The weapon’s shaft incorporates an improved version of 
  an Essence cannon (see p. 131) that can project either needle-ﬁ ne Essence bolts that inﬂ ict lethal damage or 
  wider diffuse Essence bolts that inﬂ ict bashing damage. Although this weapon requires moderate expenditures 
  of Essence, its versatility means that users often choose it as their sole artifact weapon. It contains a socket for 
  a single hearthstone on the bottom of the handle. The item is made from a mixture of magical materials and 
  First Age alloys. As a result, Exalted users gain no magical material bonuses from this weapon.
  Type 
  Speed 
  Acc. 
  Damage 
  Defense 
  Rate 
  Minimums 
  Attune Tags
  Hand-to-Hand (lethal) 5 
  +2 
  +10L/4 
  +1 
  2 
  Str •• 
  8 
  O, P
  Hand-to-Hand (bashing) 5 
  +2 
  +15B/4 
  +1 
  2 
  Str •• 
  8 
  O, P
  Type 
  Speed 
  Acc. 
  Damage 
  Rate 
  Range Cost 
  Minimums
  Ranged (lethal) 
  5 
  +2 
  10L 
  2 
  60 
  2 motes/attack 
  Str ••
  Ranged (bashing) 
  5 
  +2 
  15B 
  2 
  100 
  2 motes/attack 
  Str ••
  FOE-CLEARING HALBERD (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 1
  This halberd is made in the classic form developed during the early days of the First Age. The design 
  remains popular in both the Realm and Lookshy and consists of a haft as tall as the wielder, surmounted by a 
  long dagger blade afﬁ xed perpendicularly to the haft that is topped by a small sphere made from a mixture of 
  the ﬁ ve magical material. When the owner spends 10 motes to attune herself to this halberd, it immediately 
  changes length to be exactly her own height. Even neglecting the powerful enchantments placed upon this item, 
  it is an extremely deadly weapon that can be used to strike mounted and walking foes with equal ease.
  This weapon becomes even more useful when the character reﬂ exively spends two or four motes of 
  Essence when she swings this weapon. This Essence is focused and directed by the sphere that surmounts 
  this weapon into a shockwave that radiates outward from the weapon. The user can choose to have this 
  shockwave radiate out in all directions, or to affect only those targets in front of and on either side of her. 
  If the wielder spends two motes, this shockwave affects everyone within (the character’s Essence + Melee) 
  yards. The players of all characters within range must make a successful (Dexterity or Stamina + Athletics 
  or Resistance) roll, difﬁ culty 2, or their characters suffer knockdown. If the wielder spends four motes, then 
  the players of everyone within the same range must make a successful (Dexterity or Stamina + Athletics 
  or Resistance) roll, difﬁ culty 4, to stay in place. Characters who fail this roll all suffer a number of yards of 
  knockback equal to the number of successes the wielder’s player rolled on her attack roll. Then, players of 
  characters who failed the ﬁ rst roll must all make a (Dexterity or Stamina + Athletics or Resistance) roll, 
  difﬁ culty 3, to avoid their characters suffering knockdown. The target the character initially attacks suffers 
  these effects, but the knockback or knockdown occurs immediately after the attack. (First the target takes 
  damage from the halberd, if any, then his player rolls for him to resist knockdown or knockback.) When used 
  against crowds of extras or even against large numbers of non-Exalted elite troops, this weapon can clear 
  away a dozen opponents every action, allowing the wielder to swiftly ﬁ ght her way across a battleﬁ eld to get 
  to a worthy opponent. This weapon can be made from any of the ﬁ ve magical materials and gains the normal 
  bonuses from its construction. It also contains a socket for a single hearthstone.
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Defense 
  Rate 
  Minimums 
  Attune 
  Tags
  5 
  +2 
  +15L/4 
  +2 
  2 
  Str ••• 
  10 
  2, O, P, R
  
  79
  CHAPTER FOUR • THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON PANOPLY
  POWER ARMOR
  At the start of the Primordial War, the Exalted relied 
  chieﬂ y upon mundane armor designs constructed of the magical 
  materials. While these artifacts had the advantage of requiring 
  no maintenance or additional training to use, they are also 
  grossly inferior to the power armors developed later in the war 
  and throughout the First Age. Although 
  the ultimate extension of power armor 
  design is undeniably the warstrider 
  (see pp. 136-160), variations 
  of personal-scale battle suits 
  have repeatedly proved far 
  more useful and versatile 
  against adversaries smaller 
  than behemoths. Just as 
  importantly, lesser models 
  of power armor can allow 
  elite mortal soldiers to take 
  the battleﬁ eld with the 
  Chosen and have a chance 
  of surviving.
  ASHIGARU SKIRMISH ARMOR 
  (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
  The ashigaru were First Age units 
  comprised of mortals trained as fast-at-
  tack light infantry and scouts. To this 
  end, their ashigaru skirmish armor aids 
  FIERY SOLAR CANNON (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 2
  This is one of the most powerful handheld weapons created during the First Age. The body of the 
  weapon is carved from a single ﬁ ve-sided tube of solid ruby inlaid with orichalcum. This weapon is three 
  feet long and as thick as a grown man’s calf, and it can be wielded only by one of the Solar Exalted. It is 
  normally carried over the wielder’s back and requires the user to stand still and use both hands to ﬁ re it. 
  (The wearer cannot use a move action while ﬁ ring this weapon, and he can dodge or parry only by using 
  reﬂ exive Charms or persistent Charms that are already in effect.) When ﬁ red, this weapon shoots balls of 
  golden sun ﬁ re that ﬂ y as swiftly as an arrow and then explode into a sunburst two yards in diameter. If two 
  targets are standing next to each other, the explosion affects both equally. Otherwise, it affects only a single 
  target. This attack can be dodged, but it cannot be parried without Charms that allow the user to parry 
  any attack. These sunbursts burn the target with the heat of the sun and damage stone or metal as readily 
  as they damage ﬂ esh. The user must expend two motes of Solar Essence for every shot.
  Although this weapon can be ﬁ red only once in a ﬂ urry (per its Rate), the wielder can cause it to 
  simultaneously ﬁ re a number of additional balls of sun ﬁ re equal to his permanent Essence in a single shot. 
  Each attack must be aimed at a separate target. Each target dodges each ball of sun ﬁ re separately, but all 
  of these attacks use the same attack roll, with no loss of dice from multiple actions. Each ball of sun ﬁ re 
  costs an additional two motes of Essence, however. The character may spend only one mote per shot to 
  ﬁ re less powerful balls of sun ﬁ re, which are only one yard in diameter.
  This weapon requires the user to commit eight motes of Essence to it. In addition, he must also insert 
  a Fire or Solar hearthstone of at least level 2 into the base of the weapon. This hearthstone provides no 
  beneﬁ ts to the user, as all of its energy is used to help power the solar cannon. This item must be serviced 
  after every 100 shots. If it is not maintained, the ﬁ ery solar cannon will lose levels of damage from its rating 
  for every 10 additional shots ﬁ red until it is no longer capable of ﬁ ring. This artifact can be used only by the 
  Solar Exalted, so the material bonus for orichalcum has already been ﬁ gured into this weapon’s stats.
  Type 
  Speed 
  Acc. 
  Damage 
  Rate 
  Range 
  Cost 
  Minimums 
  Attune
  Full Power Shot 
  5 
  +3 
  18L 
  1* 
  300 
  2 
  Str ••• 
  8
  Half Power Shot 
  5 
  +3 
  9L 
  1* 
  300 
  1 
  Str ••• 
  8
  * If desired, the character can attack an additional number of separate targets equal to her permanent 
  Essence simultaneously, with no penalties for multiple actions.
  wearers in reconnaissance and skirmish missions. Beings ca-
  pable of channeling Essence may commit four motes to attune 
  this armor. Mortals may either use aegis-inset amulets (see p. 
  71) or else commit one point of Willpower. Characters who 
  have committed Willpower to ashigaru armor at any time in 
  a season age one extra week during that time. In appearance, 
  the suit combines a helmet and a skintight bodysuit layered 
  with light plates of magical alloys protecting the legs, arms 
  and torso. The artifact has the following features:
  Sensory Augmentation Visor*: +2 bonus to Awareness; 
  negates all penalties from darkness less than pitch black.
  Filtration Bafﬂ es*: +2 bonus to Resistance against poison or 
  all forms of disease (including wound infection); one-hour 
  supply of fresh air (reﬁ lling the tank in fresh air takes one 
  minute per ﬁ ve minutes of air added to the tank).
  Adaptive Camouﬂ age Subsystem*: +2 bonus to Stealth 
  while moving, or +3 while stationary.
  Upkeep: Maintenance required every 150 hours of use; every 
  10 missed hours randomly disables one of the powers marked 
  with an asterisk.
  Soak 
  Hardness 
  Mobility 
  Fatigue 
  Attune
  7L/6B 
  4L/4B 
  -2 
  1 
  4m or 1W
  Other Notes: This armor offers no magical material bonuses, 
  owing to its composite alloy construction. The listed powers 
  and statistics are for ashigaru armor built during the Shogu-
  nate or Second Age. No copies from the High First Age are 
  known to have survived, but such copies would be Artifact 
  3 and have the following upgrades: no upkeep required; 
  mobility penalty -0.
  
  80
  DISCREET ESSENCE ARMOR 
  (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 2
  While all Exalts desire 
  protection from harm, those 
  who favor certain martial 
  arts styles cannot combine 
  armor with their chosen ﬁ ght-
  ing style. In addition, Exalts are 
  sometimes forced to appear in 
  ceremonies, diplomatic meet-
  ings or similar situations where 
  wearing armor is considered 
  rude or unmannered, or 
  proof of either lack of trust 
  or aggressive intent. While 
  some Exalts wear chain shirts, 
  others choose an even less 
  obvious form of protection. 
  This artifact consists of a pair of 
  bracers and a pair of anklets 
  that are all made from one 
  of the ﬁ ve magical materials. 
  The left bracer contains a socket for a single hearthstone, and 
  both the bracers and the anklets appear relatively delicate 
  and extremely ornate.
  To use this item, the wearer must wear all four of these 
  items and commit ﬁ ve motes of Essence to them. In addi-
  tion, the wearer must wear these artifacts next to his skin 
  and cannot wear armor or any other heavy garment made 
  of metal, hard leather or any other inﬂ exible material. If the 
  user attempts to stack these artifacts with any other type of 
  armor, the artifacts will not function. The user may, however, 
  dress in anything from light clothing to the most elaborate 
  robes. If any attack is made upon the wearer, the discreet 
  Essence armor instantly and automatically activates before 
  the attack strikes the wearer. When activating, the artifact 
  automatically draws three motes of Essence from the wearer. 
  The wearer can deliberately choose not to spend these motes, 
  but in this case, the artifact remains inactive and does not 
  help reduce the severity of the blow. Once activated, these 
  artifacts remain active for one full scene, unless the wearer 
  dismisses their protection earlier.
  When the discreet Essence armor activates, it covers 
  the wearer in a glowing sheet of Essence that is obviously 
  magical. This glowing sheath raises the difﬁ cult of all Stealth 
  rolls by two, including Stealth attempts aided by Charms. 
  Night Caste Solar Exalted and Day Caste Abyssal Exalted 
  who choose to wear this armor, however, can spend a total 
  of six motes when activating the armor to eliminate this 
  Stealth penalty. Spending these extra motes allows them to 
  greatly reduce the brightness of the Essence that surrounds 
  the wearer. When they do so, they are surrounded by a barely 
  visible shimmer that produces only a faint glow in absolute 
  darkness. This armor is speciﬁ cally usable with Charms that 
  require the wearer to not wear armor. The armor gains all 
  of the appropriate magical material bonuses for the material 
  out of which it is made. While some Immaculate monks and 
  Sidereal martial artists consider this armor to be incompat-
  ible with the spiritual disciplines of their martial arts, most 
  welcome this artifact and proudly wear it.
  Soak 
  Hardness Mobility Fatigue Attune Tags
  +5L/5B 
  2L/2B 
  -0 
  0 
  5 
  –
  TIGER SHARK ARMOR (ARTIFACT •• OR •••)
  Repair: 2
  During the Shogunate, this armor was speciﬁ cally de-
  signed for use by mortal marines who might have to ﬁ ght 
  both above and below the waves. Tiger shark armor looks 
  like a somewhat lightly made version of ashigaru armor (see 
  p. 79). The armor’s most important feature 
  is that the helmet contains enchantments 
  that allow it to recycle air indeﬁ nitely so 
  that the wearer can breathe normally 
  underwater. In addition, mobility-
  enhancing enchantments on the 
  armor allow the wearer to move 
  normally underwater. Wearers 
  can engage in hand-to-hand 
  combat underwater without 
  penalty. The vast majority of 
  missile weapons cannot be 
  used underwater, however, 
  except by Water-aspected 
  Dragon-Bloods (who don’t need 
  tiger shark armor to function nor-
  mally underwater). As a result, 
  most troops wearing tiger shark 
  armor were armed with shock pikes, 
  which function normally underwa-
  ter. To counteract the darkness of 
  the depths, the armor sharpens 
  the wearer’s senses, negating 
  penalties for darkness less 
  than “utter blackness” and 
  adding two dice to all Aware-
  ness dice pools. These are the only special abilities provided 
  by this armor.
  Mortal wearers must spend one temporary Willpower to 
  activate the armor. This Willpower is treated as committed 
  and effectively reduces the character’s maximum temporary 
  Willpower. Additionally, wearer’s age one extra week for 
  every season or part of a season the armor is used. Exalts 
  need only commit four motes to use this armor. Tiger shark 
  armor has the following features:
  Sensory Augmentation Visor*: +2 bonus to Awareness; 
  negates all penalties from darkness less than pitch black.
  Jade Air Scrubbers*: Provide unlimited air supply through 
  blue jade ﬁ lters that keep air from going foul.
  
  81
  CHAPTER FOUR • THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON PANOPLY
  Mobility-Enhancing Armature*: The wearer may move 
  without penalty underwater.
  Upkeep: Maintenance required every 50 hours of use; every 
  10 missed hours randomly disables one of the powers marked 
  with an asterisk. The armor’s water-breathing enchantment 
  will always be the last ability lost.
  Soak 
  Hardness 
  Mobility 
  Fatigue 
  Attune
  +7L/6B 2L/2B 
  -0 
  1 
  4m or 1W
  Other Notes: Tiger shark armor is built using a mixture of 
  magical materials and First Age alloys, and Exalted wearers 
  gain no magical material bonuses.
  There is a three-dot version of this armor designed speciﬁ -
  cally for Exalts. This version of the armor does not require 
  maintenance, and because it is made primarily from a single 
  magical material, this armor gains the normal magical mate-
  rial bonuses. It requires six motes to attune.
  Soak 
  Hardness 
  Mobility Fatigue Attune
  +8L/7B 
  3L/3B 
  -0 
  1 
  6
  GUNZOSHA COMMANDO ARMOR (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  The most powerful model of power armor ever mass-pro-
  duced for the un-Exalted, these artifacts allow elite mortals to 
  ﬁ ght beside and even against the Exalted. Although Lookshy 
  alone ﬁ elds gunzosha commandos in the Second Age, they 
  remain among the most feared and respected military forces 
  in Creation. This reputation is not simply a matter of train-
  ing and equipment, but because gunzosha armor requires the 
  use of aegis-inset amulets (see p. 71) for mortal use. As such, 
  each gunzosha commando knowingly sacriﬁ ces half her life 
  for the opportunity to rise above mortal limits and make war 
  as an epic hero. Most gunzosha are fearless 
  zealots and patriots, empowered as much 
  by their faith as their wondrous 
  armor. Unsurprisingly, a sizeable 
  number of Celestials received 
  Exaltation while serving as 
  gunzosha commandos dur-
  ing the High First Age—so 
  much so that Deliberative 
  strategoi wrote formal 
  policies for handling 
  battleﬁ eld Exaltations 
  in the ofﬁ cial gunzo-
  sha tactical manual.
  Gunzosha com-
  mando armor combines 
  articulated mail of jade and 
  First Age alloys atop a black 
  bodysuit of artiﬁ cial leather. 
  Crystal-visored helmets and 
  power talismans reveal the 
  armor’s true sophistication, 
  joining aesthetic elegance 
  and deadly functionality.
  While beings capable of channeling Essence may simply 
  don and attune a suit of gunzosha armor with a commitment 
  of ﬁ ve motes, mortals must rely on aegis-inset amulets for 
  long-term use. In emergencies, it is possible for beings without 
  Essence pools or the necessary amulets to power the armor 
  for one scene by paying one Willpower point, but doing so 
  also ages the wearer by one year. A popular legend repeated 
  in the Seventh Legion tells of a great commando killed in 
  battle whose faithful daughter reclaimed his armor and wore 
  it in a campaign of bloody vengeance that ﬁ nally aged her 
  to death within minutes of striking the deathblow against 
  her father’s killer.
  Gunzosha armor has the following features:
  Sensory Augmentation Visor*: +2 bonus to Awareness; 
  negates all penalties from darkness less than pitch black.
  Integrated Targeting Subsystem*: +2 bonus to all attacks; 
  +1 Parry DV.
  Adaptive Camouﬂ age Subsystem*: +4 bonus to Stealth.
  Exomuscular Fibers*: Doubles wearer’s ground speed; +2 
  bonus to Strength for feats of strength and inﬂ icting damage 
  with attacks.
  Vitality-Boosting Subsystems*: Wearer regenerates either 
  one level of bashing damage with every action taken during 
  combat or all bashing levels per minute outside combat.
  Resiliency Augmentation*: +2 bonus to Resistance.
  Upkeep: Maintenance required every 100 hours of use; every 
  30 missed hours randomly disables one of the powers marked 
  with an asterisk.
  Soak 
  Hardness 
  Mobility 
  Fatigue Attune
  +9L/9B 
  5L/5B 
  -3 
  2 
  5m or special
   
   
   
   
  (see above)
  Other Notes: The armor offers no magical material bonuses, 
  owing to its composite alloy construction. The listed powers 
  and statistics are for gunzosha armor built during the Sho-
  gunate or Second Age. No copies of superior versions built 
  in the High First Age are known to have survived, but such 
  armor would be Artifact 4 and have the following upgrades: 
  no upkeep required; mobility penalty -1; fatigue value 1.
  SENTINEL DEFENSE FORCE ARMOR 
  (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  In the wake of the Primordial War, the Dragon Kings no 
  longer ruled over humanity as benevolent dictators. In place 
  of the saurian overlords, the Exalted received the Mandate 
  of Heaven to rule Creation and established the Realm as the 
  ﬁ rst empire of humanity. While the Exalted could handle any 
  problem, even single-handedly quelling an entire rebellion 
  of mortals in the case of Celestials, the Chosen did not wish 
  to trouble themselves with the tedious exigencies of day-to-
  day policing. To this end, the Exalted recruited and trained 
  mortals to serve as the front lines of their civil defense force, 
  outﬁ tting the best among them with power armor optimized 
  for police work. Sentinel defense force armor is very similar in 
  
  82
  design to ashigaru armor (see p. 79), except 
  with an afﬁ xed cape draping from the 
  suit’s pauldrons, as well as plumes on the 
  helmet for immediate recognition 
  rather than stealth.
  Beings capable of chan-
  neling Essence may commit 
  four motes to attune this 
  armor. Mortals may either 
  use aegis-inset amulets (see 
  p. 71) or else commit one 
  point of Willpower. Charac-
  ters who have committed 
  Willpower to this 
  armor at any time 
  in a year age one 
  extra month dur-
  ing that time.
  These ar-
  tifacts have 
  the following 
  features:
  Sensory Augmentation Visor*: 
  +2 bonus to Awareness; negates 
  all penalties from darkness less than 
  pitch black.
  Exomuscular Fibers*: Doubles wearer’s ground speed. Once 
  per day, the armor can triple ground speed for one minute 
  (reﬂ exively activated).
  Resiliency Augmentation*: +2 bonus to Resistance.
  Vitality-Boosting Subsystems*: Wearer regenerates one 
  level of bashing damage every third action during combat, 
  or all bashing levels per minute outside combat.
  Stabilizers*: -1 external penalty to any action that would 
  knock wearer down or back.
  Energy Shield Bracers*: By clenching ﬁ sts in a speciﬁ c 
  gesture, the wearer can cause shimmering disks of force to 
  manifest across the back of one or both hands. These shields 
  provide a +1 DV bonus against close combat attacks and a 
  +2 bonus against ranged attacks, but they count as physical 
  shields. Alternatively, the wearer can bring the arms together 
  and forcefully present both palms, spending one Willpower 
  (or three motes) as a miscellaneous action to create a larger, 
  unmoving energy barrier. This wall may be up to 10 square 
  feet large and appears within a yard of the wearer. It has soak 
  9L/12B and six health levels and is considered an inanimate 
  object for the purposes of taking damage (but not for the 
  purposes of Charms). If the wall is destroyed, it fades away, 
  though the wearer may create a new one. Otherwise, the 
  barrier lasts as long as the wearer stands in place and holds 
  her hands up to project it, and only one wall can be created 
  by a suit of sentinel defense force armor at a time. If barriers 
  created by multiple armors intersect, they join seamlessly 
  (but not airtight) and can form larger walls or even cages 
  in this manner.
  Upkeep: Maintenance required every 150 hours of use. 
  Every 10 missed hours randomly disables one of the powers 
  marked with an asterisk.
  Soak 
  Hardness 
  Mobility 
  Fatigue 
  Attune
  +7L/6B 
  4L/4B 
  -2 
  1  
  4m or
   
   
   
   
  1W
  Other Notes: The armor offers no magical material bonuses, 
  owing to its composite alloy construction. Exalted can 
  independently purchase a pair of bracers exactly like those 
  integrated into sentinel defense armor as Artifact 2. These 
  bracers require a commitment of four motes for the pair.
  The listed powers and statistics above are for armor built 
  during the Shogunate or Second Age. No copies from the 
  High First Age are known to have survived, but such copies 
  would be Artifact 4 and have the following upgrades: no 
  upkeep required; mobility penalty -0; conjured shield barrier 
  has 10L/15B soak and 10 health levels.
  YOROI RAPID-RESPONSE ARMOR (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  This suit of powered lamellar armor was developed dur-
  ing the First Age as an advanced version of ashigaru battle 
  armor that was speciﬁ cally designed to be worn by Exalts 
  (who must commit six motes to this armor to activate it). 
  Although it can be worn by any Exalt, this 
  lightweight armor was primarily designed 
  for Dragon-Blooded commanding com-
  panies of mortal troops. In Lookshy, 
  it is particularly common among 
  Dragon-Blooded command-
  ers of ashigaru.
  Yoroi armor is built using 
  a mixture of magical materials 
  and First Age alloys. Therefore, 
  Exalted wearers gain no magical 
  material bonuses. Because it is 
  designed to be worn by Exalts and 
  is somewhat less ambitious in design 
  than many artifact armors, it does 
  not require regular maintenance 
  and repair. Although this armor is 
  relatively lightweight, the fact that 
  it does not require maintenance and 
  its ease of manufacture causes it to be 
  moderately popular in both Lookshy 
  and the Realm.
  The armor’s features include:
  Sensory Augmentation Visor: +2 
  bonus to Awareness; negates all 
  penalties from darkness less than pitch black.
  Adaptive Camouﬂ age Subsystem: +2 bonus to Stealth 
  while moving or +3 while stationary. This color-chang-
  ing feature can also be used to provide the armor with 
  the appropriate colors and imagery for parades and other 
  formal occasions.
  
  83
  CHAPTER FOUR • THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON PANOPLY
  Exomuscular Fibers: +1 bonus to Strength for feats of 
  strength and inﬂ icting damage with attacks.
  Peripatetic Greaves: + 3 yards per tick to move actions, 
  and +6 yards per tick to dash actions; 10mph marching 
  movement rate.
  Upkeep: None.
  Soak 
  Hardness 
  Mobility Fatigue 
  Attune
  +7L/8B 
  3L/3B 
  0 
  1 
  6
  ARMOR OF ELEMENTAL INUREMENT 
  (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 2
  Although all types of Exalted can learn Charms to 
  defend against the ravages of Creation’s natural elements, 
  not all Chosen concerned themselves with such magic, even 
  at the height of the First Age. The ﬁ ve armors of elemental 
  inurement were designed to enable Exalts to survive and 
  move through environments inimical or outright hazardous 
  to human life.
  Appearing as skin-tight sealed suits of ﬁ nely articulated 
  alloyed plates, each of the armors of elemental inurement 
  incorporates dozens of jade amulets in the color appropri-
  ate to the suit’s elemental association. Despite their use of 
  jade, the suits are not actually a type of jade artifact armor 
  and may be attuned for a commitment of eight motes by all 
  types of Exalted.
  These suits have the following features, most of which 
  are particular to a speciﬁ c elemental model as denoted in 
  parentheses:
  Sensory Augmentation Visor*: +2 bonus to Awareness; ne-
  gates all penalties from darkness 
  less than pitch black.
  Breathing Apparatus*: 
  Provides unlimited fresh 
  air for the wearer for 
  as long as the ar-
  mor is donned, plus 
  complete protection 
  against smoke and 
  more dangerous 
  airborne toxins.
  A t m o s p h e r i c 
  Manipulation Field 
  (Air)*: Using pre-
  programmed control 
  gestures built into 
  the suit itself, the 
  wearer can modify 
  all air within a maxi-
  mum radius of his 
  Essence in yards. Each 
  such manipulation re-
  quires a (Wits + Lore) roll 
  as a miscellaneous action 
  costing three motes, with a difﬁ culty based on the complexity 
  of the task. The suit can perform only one task at a time, 
  but it can maintain effects as long as programmed within the 
  permitted area of effect. Storytellers should use the following 
  examples as guides for what is possible:
  Difﬁ culty 1: Create a bubble of breathable air that stays 
  centered on the wearer. This bubble displaces existing 
  atmosphere or liquids, keeping a spherical zone safe from 
  toxic fumes or allowing the wearer (and perhaps those in 
  close proximity) to walk across a lakebed or ocean ﬂ oor as 
  it temporarily becomes dry land.
  Difﬁ culty 3: Smother a target non-magical ﬂ ame by depriving it 
  of needed air; create a fog that obstructs all vision into or through 
  the affected area (imposing standard blindness penalties as per 
  Exalted p. 135 on attacks against obscured targets).
  Difﬁ culty 4: Halt all winds within the affected radius, al-
  lowing for an eye of total calm in the strongest hurricane. 
  Directly magical winds can still blow through normally (such 
  as Adorjan, the Silent Wind of the demon realm), though 
  mundane winds conjured by magic are stilled.
  Difﬁ culty 5: Create a vortex that levitates and moves the 
  wearer at high speeds, allowing him to hover up to three 
  yards above the ground and travel up to 50 mph (this speed 
  generally avails nothing in combat, as the wearer must slow 
  down to engage in ﬁ ghting).
  Earthphase Generator (Earth)*: By committing an addi-
  tional 10 motes to the suit as a diceless miscellaneous action, 
  the wearer may force harmonic attunement between his body 
  and the earth. In this state, he is selectively immaterial to 
  soil, rock, sand, metal and other non-magical permutations 
  of earthen matter. Defensively, he can allow metal weapons 
  to pass harmlessly through him, though magical material 
  weapons remain quite solid and dangerous. More importantly, 
  he can walk through solid stone as easily as air, though he 
  cannot perceive where he is going if he is completely im-
  mersed. The effects of this power may be shared with one 
  additional being of equal or lesser size so long as physical 
  contact is maintained and the subject is willing. Exalted 
  sometimes used this feature in the First Age to rescue trapped 
  miners from cave-ins.
  Radiant Deﬂ ection Shielding (Fire)*: The wearer has a soak 
  of +15L/15B and hardness 10L/10B against energy attacks, 
  such as that inﬂ icted by heat or ﬂ ame, plus many powerful 
  ranged First Age weapons (Essence cannons, implosion bows, 
  etc.) and so on. The wearer is also rendered completely im-
  mune to environmental hazards based on energies, allowing 
  her to stand unscathed in the center of a bonﬁ re, to swim 
  through lava or to walk into the critically damaged reactor 
  core of a skyship’s engine without fear of injury.
  Aquatic Puissance Subsystems (Water)*: The wearer 
  can alter his buoyancy at will, and he moves at quadruple 
  his ground speed while swimming. Moreover, he suffers no 
  mobility penalties underwater (though most ranged attacks 
  remain ineffectual) and can ignore any dangers posed by the 
  pressure or cold of the benthonic depths.
  
  84
  Toxicity Nulliﬁ ers (Wood)*: The wearer is rendered com-
  pletely immune to all poison and adds a +5 bonus to Resistance 
  to avoid contracting diseases. By touching a being no larger 
  than a mammoth or any single object up to ﬁ ve cubic yards, 
  the wearer may spend ﬁ ve motes as a diceless miscellaneous 
  action to render all poisonous substances within the subject 
  completely inert. In the case of living beings, this removes 
  toxins harmful to the subject that are already present in her 
  body. For inanimate objects, this removes substances poison-
  ous to human physiology. During the First Age, this armor 
  was used to decontaminate laboratories after alchemical 
  industrial accidents.
  Upkeep: Maintenance required every 100 hours of use. 
  Every 30 missed hours randomly disables one of the powers 
  marked with an asterisk.
  Soak 
  Hardness 
  Mobility 
  Fatigue 
  Attune
  10L/12B 
  5L/5B 
  -3 
  1 
  8
  Other Notes: The armor offers no magical material bonuses, 
  owing to its composite alloy construction. This armor has 
  two sockets for hearthstones.
  ARMOR OF THE IMMACULATE DRAGONS 
  (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 3
  Where First Age suits of Celestial power armor were 
  invariably singular artifacts customized to the ﬁ ghting style 
  of their owners, the Dragon-Blooded predominantly relied 
  on mass-produced models created to outlast their original 
  owners. The ﬁ ve most “common” of these models were col-
  lectively known as the Armors of the Immaculate Dragons 
  (or dragon armor for short), with each design meant to ac-
  commodate the tactics best suited to a speciﬁ c aspect. Less 
  common models ﬁ elded for Terrestrial use exchanged one or 
  two features of the core template, while keeping the other 
  proven technologies developed for basic dragon armor.
  Armors of the Immaculate Dragons appear as jade-alloy 
  suits covering the entire body, with articulated plates and 
  scales so elaborate and ﬁ nely detailed that they leave no 
  chink of vulnerability for enemies to exploit. Their helmets 
  have reinforced crystalline lenses equipped with advanced 
  sensor devices and ﬁ ltration masks built directly into the 
  faceplates. Dragon armor suits built in the High First Age 
  and early Shogunate feature baroque draconic iconography, 
  while later copies reduce this imagery to a stylized aesthetic 
  focusing on function over form.
  By element, the ﬁ ve dragon armors each have their own 
  name and distinctive style. The Most Terrifying Armor of 
  the Air Dragon incorporates feathersteel enameled with blue 
  jade to minimize weight, but it is most easily identiﬁ ed by the 
  rounded protuberance on its back that opens to extend two 
  ﬁ xed wings and a small thruster drive for ﬂ ight. These suits 
  were optimized for fast-attack aerial assaults, with an emphasis 
  on mobility and offensive power. The Most Resolute Armor of 
  the Earth Dragon is bulky and strong, almost golem-like with 
  its heavy power nodes and white jade plating. Sent ahead of an 
  anticipated battle, suits of this armor could reconﬁ gure terrain 
  and perform other battleﬁ eld engineering missions. The Most 
  Fearsome Armor of the Fire Dragon is almost as light and fast as 
  Air Dragon armor, but its alloys of copper and jagged red jade 
  scales help it function in the same tactical capacity as cavalry, 
  rapidly deploying along an enemy’s ﬂ anks and harrying with 
  ﬂ urries of deadly blows. The Most Benevolent Armor of the 
  Water Dragon has rounded lines of dark blue steel and black 
  jade, intended chieﬂ y to combat spirits and deny enemies 
  access to remote scrying or teleportation magic. Finally, the 
  Most Puissant Armor of the Wood Dragon has appropriately 
  organic features grown from green jade connected by ﬂ exible 
  steel lattices loosely resembling vines. These exotic armors 
  disrupt Essence use in order to deplete enemy reserves and 
  make Charm use extremely costly.
  Dragon armors require a commitment of seven motes 
  from Terrestrial Exalted and 14 motes from other wearers 
  in order to attune them. In addition, the suits have three 
  hearthstone sockets, one of which must be ﬁ lled with 
  a level-2+ stone in order to power the suit. (The 
  gem provides no other beneﬁ ts while used in 
  this manner.) If a wearer plugs multiple level-
  2+ hearthstones into a suit of dragon armor, 
  she can shift which stone powers the suit as 
  a diceless miscellaneous action.
  Dragon armors have the following 
  features, some of which are particular to a 
  speciﬁ c elemental model as denoted in their 
  description:
  Filtration Bafﬂ es*: +2 bonus to Resistance 
  against poison or all forms of disease (includ-
  ing wound infection); one-hour supply of 
  fresh air (reﬁ lling the tank in fresh air takes 
  one minute per ﬁ ve minutes of air added to 
  the tank).
  Sensory Augmentation Visor*: By spending 
  one mote per minute as a reﬂ exive action, 
  the wearer gains a +2 bonus to Awareness. 
  Alternatively, the wearer can activate Essence 
  sight at a reﬂ exive cost of two motes per 
  minute, which also automatically pierces 
  any dragon armor cloaking device (allowing 
  coordination of cloaked strike teams).
  Exomuscular Fibers*: Doubles wearer’s ground 
  speed; also grants bonus dots to Strength for feats of strength 
  and inﬂ icting damage with attacks: +1 (Wood), +2 (Air, 
  Water), +3 (Fire), +4 (Earth).
  Reinforced Gauntlets/Boots: As weapons, the gauntlets and 
  boots can parry lethal attacks without a stunt (as an excep-
  tion to the standard N tag), and they have the following 
  respective statistics:
  Name 
  Speed Acc. Damage Defense Rate Tags
  Gauntlet 
  5 
  +1 
  +5B 
  +2 
  3 
  N
  Boot 
  5 
  +0 
  +6B 
  -2 
  2 
  N
  
  85
  CHAPTER FOUR • THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON PANOPLY
  Cloaking Device*: By reﬂ exively spending ﬁ ve motes per hour, 
  the wearer can make the armor blur and fade from view. Players 
  must succeed on a reﬂ exive (Perception + Awareness) roll, 
  difﬁ culty 3 (while the wearer is moving) or 5 (while stationary) 
  for their characters to notice the cloaked character. Make a 
  check when the cloaked character ﬁ rst comes into view, and 
  make a new check whenever the wearer does anything to betray 
  his location (such as attacking). Once a character succeeds 
  in noticing the wearer, she can continue to track the armor 
  as long as it stays in her line of sight, and she may attack it 
  normally without needing further checks. If the armor leaves 
  her sight, she must locate it again. While undetected, the 
  wearer cannot be attacked with ranged 
  attacks; those attacking him in 
  close combat do so with the 
  usual penalty for invisible 
  opponents (-2 external 
  penalty). While the 
  cloaking device is 
  active, the wearer 
  and armor cannot 
  be sensed through 
  Essence detection 
  alone. Therefore, the 
  spirit Charm Mea-
  sure the Wind feels 
  nothing, while All-
  Encompassing Sorcerer’s 
  Sight (see Exalted, p. 222) 
  does not add the wearer’s 
  Essence as bonus dice to 
  locate the wearer.
  Astrological Occlusion 
  Field*: For a reﬂ exive 
  cost of ﬁ ve motes and 
  one Willpower per day, 
  the armor can envelop 
  itself in a ﬂ uctuating matrix of Essence that distorts prophecy. 
  With this ﬁ eld active, all divinations (whether thaumaturgical, 
  Charm-based or otherwise) add two to difﬁ culty when targeting 
  the armor, its wearer or anything touching the armor.
  Integrated Elemental Lens*: This weapon system functions ex-
  actly like non-integrated copies of the artifact (see p. XX).
  Lightning Gauntlets (Air only)*: By focusing a charge of Es-
  sence into the suit’s gauntlets (reﬂ exively costing two motes), 
  the wearer can surround his hands in a nimbus of crackling 
  power. The wearer can either strike an opponent with a 
  Martial Arts attack to deliver the charge (the gauntlet inﬂ icts 
  +6L damage while charged) or hurl a bolt of lightning as a 
  ranged attack using the Thrown Ability (Speed 5, Accuracy 
  +0, Damage 12L, Range 200, Rate 1). Hurled lightning may 
  either inﬂ ict piercing damage to a single target or burst outward 
  in an explosion that inﬂ icts damage on all objects and beings 
  within a three-yard radius of the target. 
  (Make one attack roll, comparing DV 
  and soak individually.)
  Essence Thrust Drive (Air 
  only)*: By extending ﬁ xed 
  wings set in a sleek delta and 
  diverting power to a central 
  thruster port mounted on 
  the back, Air Dragon armor 
  can ﬂ y in one of two modes 
  reﬂ exively toggled by the 
  wearer. In both cases, a 
  sparkling wake of Essence 
  glitters behind the wearer. 
  Tactical ﬂ ight allows the wearer to 
  move at 15 yards per tick or to rocket 
  forward at 25 yards per tick as a dash. 
  This mode costs three motes to engage 
  and lasts a number of actions equal to 
  the wearer’s Essence. Transit mode 
  allows the armor to move at 60 mph 
  (30 yards per tick or 40 per tick 
  with a dash) for an hour at a cost 
  of ﬁ ve motes, though this mode 
  disengages prematurely upon landing. Transit mode is 
  much more dangerous in combat, however, since all changes 
  in direction require a (Dexterity + Athletics) roll at the same 
  difﬁ culties as piloting a skyship (see “Piloting Rolls” on p. 33). 
  Every hour (or partial hour) spent ﬂ ying counts as two hours 
  of operation for the purposes of requiring maintenance.
  Structural Tension Scanner (Earth only)*: By spending 
  three motes as a diceless miscellaneous action, wearers of 
  Earth Dragon armor can use the Essence sight lenses in its 
  helmet to scan an inanimate object. All cracks, stress zones 
  and other points of weakness appear to glow through the 
  visor, allowing the wearer to focus targeting protocols on the 
  weakest point. The wearer can either take advantage of this 
  information himself by attacking the target or use a miscel-
  laneous action and a (Wits + War) roll, difﬁ culty 3, to convey 
  ESSENCE SIGHT
  Artifact lenses that provide Essence sight (such as 
  those in suits of dragon armor) convert patterns and 
  ﬂ ows of Essence into visual data without needing actual 
  illumination. This type of Essence sight can pierce 
  darkness, fog, smoke, precipitation, light underbrush 
  and all other visual obstructions up to solid barriers 
  an inch thick. Objects appear in surreal hues through 
  the lenses, but otherwise appear exactly as they are, 
  meaning there is no loss of sensory information. Only 
  Essence-charged visual obstructions, such as those 
  created with spells or Charms, can obstruct Essence 
  sight, and then only if they do not simply create or 
  summon a mundane phenomenon.
  
  86
  the information to someone else. Either way, 
  the next attack against the targeted object 
  inﬂ icts double its usual pre-soak damage. 
  Once the scanned object takes any dam-
  age, it must be rescanned to augment 
  another attack.
  Battleﬁ eld Engineering Protocols 
  (Earth only)*: For a cost of ﬁ ve 
  motes, a character wearing Earth 
  Dragon armor can spread her Essence 
  through the earth below to enact 
  rapid changes to the landscape out 
  to a maximum distance of (wearer’s 
  Essence x 10) yards. Masses of earth con-
  trolled with this power glow with a pale 
  white light and move of their own accord 
  as though sculpted by the hands of an 
  invisible giant. Using this feature requires 
  a miscellaneous action and the wearer’s 
  undivided attention. She must direct 
  all changes with an (Intelligence + 
  Craft [Earth]) roll at standard dif-
  ﬁ culty, allocating successes as noted here (or to similar feats 
  permitted by the Storyteller at an assigned difﬁ culty). Changes 
  wrought to the earth are as violent as an earthquake: The player 
  of any character who is standing in an affected area and not 
  wearing Earth Dragon armor must make a successful reﬂ exive 
  (Dexterity + Athletics) roll, difﬁ culty 3, lest his character fall 
  prone and suffer six levels of bashing damage.
  One success: Open or expand a pit/trench by ﬁ ve cubic yards 
  in any earth less dense than solid rock. This pit may be con-
  ﬁ gured in any dimensions up to the allowed volume.
  Two successes: Create a stretch of packed-earth ramparts up 
  to two yards tall, one foot thick and three yards long. These 
  ramparts provide cover to those hiding behind them, and 
  they have the same statistics as a brick wall.
  Variable successes: Perform a feat of strength on a stone or 
  earthen object, applying a (Strength + Athletics) total equal 
  to the (number of successes x 4). Despite taking only seconds 
  to invoke, this feat takes one minute of gradual force, so is 
  unsuited to combat.
  Variable successes: Flex the ground to hurl a large boulder or 
  other chunk of stone into the air as a crude missile to fall on 
  a target, using the earth control roll as an attack roll. Hurled 
  boulders have the following statistics: Speed 5, Accuracy -3, 
  Damage 15B piercing, Range 50, Rate 1.
  Flame Talons (Fire only)*: For a reﬂ exive cost of two motes 
  per attack or ﬂ urry containing one or more attacks, the wearer 
  can project curved beams of white hot plasma from the suit’s 
  gauntlets. These claws have the following statistics: Speed 5, 
  Accuracy +4, Damage +8L, Defense 2, Rate 3; Tags: M, N. 
  Any ﬂ ammable object struck by the claws instantly catches 
  ﬁ re and burns ﬁ ercely. Although ﬂ esh is generally not ﬂ am-
  mable under these circumstances, most mundane clothing 
  is. Attacked characters whose clothing bursts into ﬂ ame will 
  have to take a miscellaneous action to drop to the ground 
  and put the ﬂ ames out, lest they suffer the usual damage from 
  exposure to a bonﬁ re (see Exalted, p. 131).
  Velocity Magniﬁ er Engine (Fire only)*: For a reﬂ exive cost of 
  two motes, Fire Dragon armor can brieﬂ y accelerate its wearer’s 
  ground speed even further for one minute, from the usual x2 
  to a factor of x4. More impressively, the suit’s capacity for ac-
  celerated movement can be used to perform a magical ﬂ urry 
  of two or three actions, none of which suffer multiple action 
  penalties. This power has a reﬂ exive cost of ﬁ ve motes.
  Spiritual Interface Subsystem (Water only)*: For a reﬂ exive 
  cost of one mote per minute, the wearer can perceive immate-
  rial beings and objects with all senses using the visor and other 
  integrated sensors in the helmet. Alternatively, the suit can 
  charge its component plates with Essence, giving them spiritual 
  solidity. Doing so has a reﬂ exive cost of three motes per minute, 
  but during this time, the wearer can touch or attack spirits as if 
  they were solid (and may be touched and attacked in return).
  Ghost-Binding Wall (Water only)*: By spending three 
  motes as a diceless miscellaneous action, the wearer can 
  invoke a spiritual disruption ﬁ eld in a radius of (her Essence 
  x 5) yards. This ﬁ eld lasts until the wearer’s next action, 
  whereupon it may be renewed reﬂ exively for another three 
  motes, and so on. While in the Ghost-Binding Wall, noth-
  ing can materialize or dematerialize (any attempt to do so 
  automatically fails without cost), nor may objects or beings 
  teleport or scry into or out of the warded area. Furthermore, 
  spirits in the area of effect suffer a -1 internal penalty to all 
  non-reﬂ exive actions, and they add two motes to the cost 
  to activate Charms for every dot of Essence the armor’s 
  wearer has in excess of the spirit.
  The Ghost-Binding Wall has no effect on 
  beings with a higher Essence rating 
  than the armor’s wearer. If multiple 
  Water Dragon armors combine their 
  Ghost-Binding Walls in the same 
  area, however, the joined ﬁ eld has 
  a radius equal to the total perma-
  nent Essence of all contributors 
  (centered on the wearer with 
  highest Essence), and the ﬁ eld 
  has a strength equal to the high-
  est permanent Essence of wearers 
  in the group, +1 per assisting suit of 
  armor. Therefore, an Essence 4 Exalt 
  activating a Ghost-Binding Wall assisted 
  by two Essence 3 Exalted would be able to 
  affect all spirits with an Essence of 6 or less 
  in a radius of 10 yards from the leader.
  Essence-Dampening Field (Wood only)*: 
  The most powerful weapon built into 
  any of the dragon armor models, this 
  subsystem disrupts Essence use in a ﬁ eld 
  that has the same costs, dimensions and 
  deployment method as the Ghost-Binding 
  
  87
  CHAPTER FOUR • THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON PANOPLY
  Wall. Instead of interfering with speciﬁ c magical tasks as that 
  weapon does, though, the Essence-Dampening Field adds a 
  surcharge of one mote per three motes of total normal cost 
  to the activation cost of all Charms and spells. (Therefore, 
  a Charm with a cost of 8 motes would cost 10 motes inside 
  the ﬁ eld.) The ﬁ eld affects all magical beings, regardless of 
  permanent Essence rating, though characters wearing any 
  form of dragon armor are explicitly immune. If multiple Es-
  sence-Dampening Fields overlap, the radius stacks as with the 
  Ghost-Binding Wall.
  Upkeep: Maintenance required every 50 hours of use; every 
  10 missed hours randomly disables one of the powers marked 
  with an asterisk.
  Name Soak 
  Hardness Mob. Fat. 
  Attune
  Air  
  +15L/13B 7L/6B 
  -0 
  1 
  7m or 12m
  Earth  +15L/13B 7L/6B 
  -1 
  1 
  7m or 12m
  Fire  
  +14L/14B 7L/7B 
  -0 
  1 
  7m or 12m
  Water  +15L/13B 7L/6B 
  -1 
  1 
  7m or 12m
  Wood  +16L/14B 8L/7B 
  -1 
  1 
  7m or 12m
  Other Notes: Despite its jade construction, dragon 
  armor does not receive the usual jade armor bonus, and 
  it cannot be constructed out of other material materials. 
  Dragon armor has three sockets for hearthstones, as noted 
  previously. Storytellers should note that the statistics pro-
  vided for dragon armor assume Shogunate or Second Age 
  designs. Models built in the High First Age did not require 
  upkeep and had an internal Essence battery with a capac-
  ity of 30 motes that could only be used to power the suit’s 
  features. (The wearer could recharge the suit during use as 
  a diceless miscellaneous action by spending two motes per 
  mote restored to the battery.) These remarkable battle suits 
  are ﬁ ve-dot artifacts, and only three intact copies are still 
  known to exist: One belongs to the Scarlet Empress, and 
  Lookshy owns the other two.
  The only variant dragon armor design still in use is 
  the Most Merciful Armor of the Wood Dragon (sometimes 
  called Vine Dragon armor), which was designed for polic-
  ing rogue Exalted rather than military applications. This 
  variant does not mount an integrated elemental lens, but 
  instead, features a nonlethal weapon system called a Force 
  Ivy Generator. This device costs one mote per action that 
  it is deployed, extending a green whip of energy from the 
  wrist that can hit opponents up to 15 yards away using the 
  following statistics:
  Type 
  Speed Acc. Damage Def. Rate Tags
  Strike 
  5 
  +2 
  +10B 
  +0 
  2 
  D, P, R
  Grapple 6 
  +2 
  +15B 
  – 
  1 
  C, D, P, R
  DEADLY TRANSFORMATION ARMOR 
  (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 2
  Although more powerful in almost all ways, the mighty 
  Solar Exalted lack the deadly fury of the Lunar Exalted’s 
  Deadly Beastman Transformation Charm, which allows Lunar 
  Exalted to become inhumanly strong ravening monsters. Dur-
  ing the First Age, this armor was ﬁ rst created by a member of 
  the Twilight Caste who wished to emulate the lethal power 
  of this horriﬁ c transformation. This armor appears to be an 
  ordinary orichalcum reinforced breastplate that contains 
  a single hearthstone socket in the middle of the chest. To 
  wear this armor, the wearer must attune to it by commit-
  ting six motes of Essence and place a level-2+ hearthstone 
  in its socket. This hearthstone powers the armor’s various 
  enchantments, but provides no other beneﬁ t.
  To activate its special trans-
  formation, the user must also 
  spend ﬁ ve motes as a reﬂ ex-
  ive action. At this point, 
  the suit transforms into full 
  battle-readiness and re-
  mains in this state 
  for one scene. 
  The armor’s 
  greaves and vam-
  braces separate, 
  and muscle-en-
  hancing servo-motors 
  unfold and extend along 
  the armor’s arms and legs. The 
  armor’s protective value re-
  mains the same, but instead of an 
  attractive reinforced breastplate 
  suitable for wearing in military parades, it becomes deadly 
  strength-enhancing battlesuit. In its transformed state, the 
  user can also extend claws from the backs of the armor’s 
  gauntlets, or the blades can be retracted to allow the wearer 
  to wield other weapons. In addition, sensors in the armor 
  carefully monitor the character’s movements, and the data 
  from these sensors is used by stride-enhancing enchantments 
  to allow the wearer to double both her movement rate and 
  the distance she can jump. (The wearer’s jumping distance 
  is calculated after the enhanced Strength is added in.) These 
  enchantments also allow the character to march at speeds 
  of up to 10 miles per hour.
  During the First Age, only orichalcum versions of this 
  armor were manufactured. During the Age of Sorrows, how-
  ever, new and terrifying versions made out of soulsteel have 
  also been created. Add the appropriate bonuses for either 
  orichalcum or soulsteel to the armor and weapons included 
  in this artifact. The transformation into the armor’s battle 
  form lasts for one scene. If the wearer wishes to cause the 
  armor to remain in battle form for more than one scene, 
  she must spend an additional ﬁ ve motes of Essence for every 
  scene she uses this armor in battle form.
  The activated armor’s features include:
  Exoskeletal Servomusculature: +5 bonus to Strength for 
  feats of strength and inﬂ icting damage with attacks.
  Retractable Beast Claws: As razor claws of the appropriate 
  magical material (see Exalted, p. 388).
  
  88
  Peripatetic Greaves: Doubled movement rate and jumping 
  distance; 10mph marching movement rate.
  Upkeep: This armor must undergo maintenance after every 
  50 scenes it spends in its transformed battle form. Each scene 
  spent in combat counts as two scenes of transformation. No 
  maintenance is required if the armor remains in its normal 
  form. Every 10 hours its maintenance is in arrears causes the 
  armor to reduce its Strength bonus by one dot.
  Soak 
  Hardness Mobility 
  Fatigue 
  Attune
  +10L/9B 
  8L/8B 
  -1 
  1 
  6
  ARMOR OF THE UNSEEN ASSASSIN 
  (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 2
  Worn by the highest-ranking rangers of the First Age, the 
  armor of the unseen assassin is one of the most advanced battle 
  suit designs ever mass produced. The artifacts have articulated 
  plates of ultralight alloys at the elbows, knees, shoulders, face 
  and chest, but most of the armor takes the form of ﬂ owing robes 
  of enchanted silk that mask their wearer’s identity completely. 
  Most copies of the armor are bright scarlet in color, but some 
  are midnight black, and one copy owned by the Sidereal Gold 
  Faction is pure white. In the Second Age, only Lookshy and 
  the Sidereals ﬁ eld any copies. The Seventh Legion has at 
  least 10 (and perhaps as many as a scale), while the Sidereals 
  retain knowledge of how to manufacture the battlesuits and 
  issue them as needed to their operatives.
  Armor of the unseen assassin requires a commitment of 
  10 motes to attune and may be worn by any Exalt or other 
  Essence-wielding being with equal facility. Each suit has the 
  following features:
  Exomuscular Fibers*: Doubles wearer’s 
  ground speed; +2 bonus to Strength for 
  feats of strength and inﬂ icting damage 
  with attacks.
  Adaptive Camouﬂ age Subsystem*: 
  +4 bonus to Stealth.
  Cloaking Device*: As per 
  similar systems built into 
  dragon armor (see p. 85), with 
  the following improvements: 
  Difﬁ culty 4 to notice while 
  moving, Difﬁ culty 8 to notice 
  while stationary. Even if spotted as a 
  faint blur, the character is still consid-
  ered invisible, imposing a -2 external 
  penalty to all attacks against her. 
  The cloaking device can be set so 
  that other copies of the armor of the 
  unseen assassin can automatically 
  pierce its camouﬂ age using Es-
  sence sight, but it is otherwise 
  just as invisible to others using 
  the armor.
  Sensory Augmentation Visor*: +2 bonus to Awareness; 
  provides constant Essence sight.
  Destiny Interdiction Field*: While worn, this armor tempo-
  rarily blocks its wearer’s connection to the Loom of Fate. As 
  such, the character’s future cannot be divined by any means, 
  nor may he be the target of Sidereal astrology. Furthermore, 
  Sidereal Charms cannot drain or grant him Willpower 
  points (even indirectly, as through compulsions), impose 
  compulsions that affect his behavior rather than dice pools 
  or transport him to another location. A Sidereal who wears 
  this armor loses access to his astrology, and all resplendent 
  destinies recede. Even the Arcane Fate that shields the Chosen 
  of the Maidens in mystical anonymity does not apply so long 
  as the Sidereal stays in the armor.
  Upkeep: Maintenance required every 200 hours of use. 
  Every 100 missed hours randomly disables one of the powers 
  marked with an asterisk.
  Soak 
  Hardness Mobility 
  Fatigue 
  Attune
  +8L/12B 
  4L/4B 
  -0 
  0 
  Other Notes: The armor offers no magical material bonuses, 
  owing to its composite construction.
  CELESTIAL BATTLE ARMOR (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 3
  First created by Autochthon and widely duplicated during 
  the First Age, these forms of armor were speciﬁ cally designed 
  to aid and protect the mighty Celestial Exalted in battle. This 
  type of armor is also the model from which the Armors of 
  the Immaculate Dragons (see pp. 84-87) were derived. Each 
  suit of celestial armor is a speciﬁ c creation designed to aid a 
  particular Celestial Exalt. The following description covers 
  the basic framework used in the most advanced suits of armor. 
  Unlike the less powerful dragon armor, celestial battle armor 
  incorporates self-repairing enchantments so that it does not 
  require periodic maintenance.
  Each suit of celestial battle armor requires a commitment 
  of 10 motes of Essence and a level-3+ hearthstone to power 
  the armor’s various enchantments. This hearthstone provides 
  no other beneﬁ t. The armor has three hearthstone sockets, 
  and the wearer can select which one is rendered inactive by 
  powering the armor as a diceless miscellaneous action.
  In addition to the following list of features, each of these 
  suits of armor also add in the appropriate magical materials 
  bonus. Because they are only made for Celestial Exalts, no 
  celestial battle armor is made of jade. Terrestrial animas are 
  not sufﬁ ciently powerful to use this armor.
  When worn, wearers of any suit of celestial battle armor 
  gain the following beneﬁ ts:
  Filtration Bafﬂ es*: +2 bonus to Resistance against poison or 
  all forms of disease (including wound infection); one-hour 
  supply of fresh air (reﬁ lling the tank in fresh air takes one 
  minute per 10 minutes of air added to the tank).
  Sensory Augmentation Visor*: As a reﬂ exive action, the 
  wearer gains a +2 bonus to Awareness. Alternatively, the 
  wearer can reﬂ exively activate Essence sight (see p. 85) for 
  
  89
  CHAPTER FOUR • THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON PANOPLY
  three motes per scene, which also automatically pierces 
  any dragon armor cloaking device. In addition, the lenses 
  that provide Essence sight for this armor are coated with 
  thin ﬁ lms made from a mixture of orichalcum, starmetal 
  and soulsteel. As a result, when the character activates the 
  armor’s Essence sight, she can also see unmanifested spirits, 
  ghosts, living beings and enchanted objects (including 
  walking dead and automatons) as glowing presences. In 
  addition, the wearer can see the Essence-ﬂ ows of demesnes 
  and manses at the range of her normal vision and can easily 
  tell the power of these locations and if their Essence ﬂ ows 
  have been properly capped.
  Exomuscular Fibers*: +2 dots to Strength for feats of 
  strength, calculating jump distance and inﬂ icting damage 
  with attacks.
  Peripatetic Greaves: Doubled movement rate; 10mph 
  marching movement rate.
  Reinforced Gauntlets/Boots: As weapons, the gauntlets 
  and boots can parry lethal attacks without a stunt (as an 
  exception to the standard “N” tag), and have the following 
  respective statistics:
  Name 
  Speed Acc. Damage Def. Rate Tags
  Gauntlet 5 
  +1 
  +5B 
  +2 
  3 
  N
  Boot 
  5 
  +0 
  +6B 
  -2 
  2 
  N
  Adaptive Camouﬂ age Subsystem*: +2 bonus to Stealth while 
  moving or +3 while stationary. This ability speciﬁ cally defends 
  against Essence sight. In addition, this color-changing feature 
  can also be used to provide the armor with the appropriate 
  colors and imagery for parades and other formal occasions.
  Each suit of armor also incorporates three additional features. 
  A list of possible additional features follows. Most can use used 
  by any Celestial armor, but some 
  can be added to armor made 
  from only a single speciﬁ c 
  material. A 
  character 
  can take 
  any single 
  feature only 
  once:
  Enhanced Heal-
  ing: The energies 
  of this armor are 
  focused on repair-
  ing the wearer’s 
  flesh. While 
  wearing this ar-
  mor, the owner 
  heals one level of 
  bashing damage 
  every tick and one 
  level of lethal damage 
  every hour.
  Enhanced Durability: The armor gains another +3L/+3B 
  soak and +2L/2B hardness.
  E s s e n c e 
  Gauntlets: Each 
  of the user’s gaunt-
  lets have enchantments built 
  into them that allow them 
  to be used as power maces 
  (see p. 78). The character 
  can use these gauntlets to both 
  make hand-to-hand attacks and 
  ﬁ re Essence bolts, identical to those 
  delivered by a power mace. Use the 
  statistics for the power mace.
  Essence Shield: By spending four 
  motes of Essence, the wearer 
  can create a shield of solidiﬁ ed 
  Essence that increases the 
  wearer’s DV by two against 
  both melee and ranged attacks. This shield lasts for 
  one scene.
  Enchanted Stride: If the wearer takes a normal dash action 
  and spends ﬁ ve motes of Essence, the armor can temporarily 
  compress the fabric of Creation so that the wearer moves at 
  a speed 10 times faster than normal (or 20 times faster than 
  her maximum dash when not wearing this armor). This 
  increased speed is compatible with Charms to increase run-
  ning or jumping.
  Essence Tracking: The suit’s helmet contains complex sensors 
  that allow the wearer to spend three motes of Essence to add 
  four dice to all Survival rolls involving tracking for the next 
  scene. As long as the character has a set of tracks to start with, 
  these sensors allow the wearer to track targets by their Essence 
  trail. This feature allows for tracking across streams or surfaces 
  that leave no tracks. The wearer can spend three motes each 
  additional scene to allow this tracking to continue.
  Explosive Protection: By spending ﬁ ve motes of Essence, the 
  wearer can generate a pulse of concentrated Essence that blasts 
  out from the armor. This attack affects everyone within range 
  and can be dodged but not parried. The shockwave generated 
  by this attack also halves (round down) the soak value of all 
  non-magical armor. This attack is speciﬁ cally designed to allow 
  an Exalt to clear away large numbers of attackers.
  Speed 
  Acc. 
  Damage Rate 
  Range 
  Tags
  5 
  +3 
  10L 
  1 
  20* 
  P**
  * This attack has no extended range. This is the maximum 
  range of the effect.
  ** Against non-magical armor only
  Extensible Lash: Each of the wearer’s gauntlets has Essence 
  projectors mounted on the back of the hand that allow them 
  to be used as Essence lashes (see p. 77). The character can use 
  these gauntlets to make attacks identical to those delivered 
  by an Essence lash. Use the statistics for the Essence lash.
  Spirit Bane: The gauntlets on this armor have been ﬁ tted 
  with specially tuned Essence projectors. If the wearer spends 
  
  90
  three motes of Essence, she can charge all of the weapons that 
  are part of this armor and that she is carrying with an aura of 
  Essence that allows the weapons to damage non-manifested 
  ghosts, demons and spirits. These weapons remain charged 
  with Essence and capable of harming non-materialized be-
  ings for one scene.
  The following features are limited to speciﬁ c magical 
  materials:
  Voice of Command (orichalcum only): The armor’s helmet 
  contains enchantments that duplicate the effects of a pectoral 
  of resplendent speeches (see p. 64).
  Essence Wings (orichalcum only): If the wearer spends ﬁ ve 
  motes, this armor produces a pair of glowing golden wings 
  made from solid Essence. These wings have a wingspan of 12 
  feet. After activating the wings, the armor can ﬂ y at a speed 
  of 20 yards per tick for one scene. For six motes, the user can 
  ﬂ y at up to 100 miles per hour for a number of hours equal 
  to the wearer’s permanent Essence, but maneuverability is 
  limited. Roll (Dexterity + Athletics), difﬁ culty 1, for the 
  Exalt to make any sudden change in course.
  Illusionary Disguise (moonsilver only): The wearer gains 
  two extra dice to Stealth due to the armor’s superior camou-
  ﬂ age. In addition, if the wearer spends ﬁ ve motes of Essence, 
  he gains four dice to all Larceny rolls for the next scene to 
  disguise himself as any being of approxi-
  mately similar size. This disguise ability 
  also negates the +2 difﬁ culty 
  increase caused by working 
  without effective props and/
  or trying to mimic a speciﬁ c 
  person without several weeks 
  of direct observation of the 
  subject.
  The base difﬁ culty of all 
  rolls to disguise oneself as 
  another Exalt of the same 
  type is 1. Add +1 if the 
  character is attempting 
  to disguise herself as a 
  mortal or another type 
  of Exalt. Since this armor 
  can morph into a wide va-
  riety of shapes, disguising 
  the wearer as any humanoid 
  being of the same approximate 
  size, including gods, Dragon 
  Kings or undead, raises the dif-
  ﬁ culty of this roll to 4. Add one more 
  to the difﬁ culty of all rolls if the wearer 
  is attempting to disguise herself as a speciﬁ c individual well 
  enough to fool characters who know this individual well.
  Moonsilver Blades (moonsilver only): Many Lunar Exalts 
  who are dedicated warriors learn to produce horriﬁ c weapons 
  from their own bodies. These terrible claws and teeth can 
  be more deadly than all but the ﬁ nest daiklaves. This armor 
  is speciﬁ cally designed to enhance such natural weapons. 
  When a Lunar wearing this armor uses Deadly Beastman 
  Transformation or some other Charm to produce natural 
  weaponry, the armor produces additional blades designed 
  to enhance the wearer’s deadly claws and teeth. These 
  additional blades provide a +1 bonus to the Accuracy and 
  Defense scores and +2L to the Damage of all claws and teeth 
  produced by Lunar Charms.
  Dematerialize (starmetal only): The wearer can spend 
  one Willpower and 10 Essence to cause herself, her armor 
  and other gear, and a number of individuals she is touching 
  equal to her permanent Essence to dematerialize just like a 
  spirit. Once dematerialized, the character and anyone she 
  took with her can wander Creation immaterial, enter spirits’ 
  sanctums or even walk through one of the gateways into 
  the Celestial City of Yu-Shan. Because being materialized 
  is the wearer’s natural state, the wearer may materialize as 
  a reﬂ exive action, and doing so requires her to expend no 
  motes of Essence.
  Destiny Interdiction Field (starmetal only): While worn, 
  this armor temporarily blocks its wearer’s connection to the 
  Loom of Fate. As such, the character’s future cannot be divined 
  by any means, nor may he be the target of Sidereal astrology. 
  Furthermore, Sidereal Charms cannot drain or grant him 
  Willpower points (even indirectly, as through compulsions), 
  impose compulsions that affect his behavior rather than dice 
  pools or transport him to another location. A Sidereal who 
  wears this armor loses access to his astrology, and all resplendent 
  destinies recede. Even the Arcane Fate that shields the Chosen 
  of the Maidens in mystical anonymity does not apply so long 
  as the Sidereal stays in the armor.
  Life-force Conduits (soulsteel only): 
  Anytime the wearer strikes a blow in 
  melee combat that inﬂ icts one or more 
  levels of damage to an Essence-using 
  character, the wearer automatically 
  heals one level of lethal or bashing 
  damage (wearer’s choice). The 
  target of the attack takes no ad-
  ditional damage, but he can feel 
  the wearer draining the life out 
  of her. This feature cannot heal 
  aggravated damage.
  Oblivion’s Panoply: (soulsteel 
  only, this addition counts as two 
  features): This armor is forged from the 
  inhumanly durable soulsteel that results 
  when a Deathlord soulforges the substance of 
  a hekatonkhire and then coats this substance 
  with a ﬁ ne layer of pure Oblivion. Oblivion’s 
  panoply offers the following beneﬁ ts:
  • Chill: Any time an attacker strikes the armor 
  in hand-to-hand combat, roll that character’s 
  (Stamina + Resistance), difﬁ culty 2. Failure 
  indicates that the attacker loses a point of 
  
  91
  CHAPTER FOUR • THE PURVIEW OF THE CRIMSON PANOPLY
  Dexterity due to numbness. (Only orichalcum weapons insulate 
  against this effect.)
  • Energy Drain: The Oblivion’s panoply plates drain ﬁ ve 
  motes from Essence users each time they contact them with 
  their bare hands or with mundane or soulsteel weapons. 
  Mortals age two years with every successful strike. Flames 
  that touch Oblivion’s panoply are snuffed out, including 
  the animas of Fire Aspects. Water that touches the plates 
  freezes and slides off.
  • Force Nulliﬁ cation: +15L/20B soak and hardness from the 
  cancellation of attacks’ kinetic energy.
  In addition to counting as both of the armor’s additional 
  features, only Abyssals who also have at least three dots in 
  the Liege Background can take this feature.
  Upkeep: None.
  Soak 
  Hardness Mobility Fatigue 
  Attune
  +12L/12B 
  8L/8B 
  -0 
  1 
  10
  TACTICAL EQUIPMENT
  The First Age saw vast progress in the development of 
  military technology, not simply in ﬁ elds of weaponry, armor 
  and vehicles, but also in devices that enhance a commander’s 
  ability to direct units or to create an environmental advantage 
  for allies or environmental disadvantage for enemies. Because 
  such artifacts are extremely varied by deﬁ nition, what follows 
  is only the barest sampling of what was possible in the First 
  Age. Storytellers should exercise creativity in designing their 
  own military wonders.
  QUAGMIRE PERIMETER MINE (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  These orbs of white jade and First Age alloys are roughly the size of a clenched ﬁ st, with a number 
  of crystal controls studded across their surface. Each contains an internal Essence battery that can hold 50 
  motes. When buried, the devices spread a ﬁ eld of energy throughout the ground to a maximum distance 
  of 500 yards. If any unauthorized animate being walks across the enchanted ground, the mine activates, 
  spending two of its stored motes to open a sinkhole beneath the intruder. Unless her player succeeds in a 
  reﬂ exive (Dexterity + Athletics) roll at difﬁ culty 3 for the character to leap out of the way, the intruder ﬁ nds 
  herself pulled down and buried to the neck in sticky mud. (She must continue to make this roll every time 
  she takes an action involving walking or dashing on the protected ground.) Freeing oneself from the muck 
  requires a feat of strength that takes ﬁ ve minutes if the character has a combined (Strength + Athletics) 
  total of 8, minus one minute for each point of (Strength + Athletics) she has above 8. Characters with 
  (Strength + Athletics) of 13+ can free themselves instantly, effortlessly erupting out of the ground.
  Quagmire perimeter mines can be programmed with a (Wits + Lore) roll, difﬁ culty 3, to customize 
  their targets and target areas. The devices can be set to exclude creatures below or above a certain size (pre-
  venting them from wasting Essence snaring random small wildlife or futilely attempting to bury a dinosaur) 
  or to snare only Essence-users or to snare only beings without Essence pools. The being who last powered 
  the mine can be excluded as a valid target. The area of effect can be customized to create a perimeter of 
  protection around an island of safety or to make secret paths or bubbles of safety. As long as the (Wits + 
  Lore) roll succeeds, any or all of these ﬁ lters may be applied.
  If multiple mines are buried to protect the same area, only one of them will try to snare the same 
  victim at a time. The mines must be unearthed and calibrated after every month they stay buried, or they 
  cannot be recharged until they receive maintenance. Quite a number of armed quagmire mines remain 
  scattered around Creation, particularly around and within the tombs of the Anathema.
  A rarer variant model of these devices called stone-geyser mines also exists. These function identi-
  cally except that they respond to intruders by spending ﬁ ve motes to explode the earth beneath them. 
  This detonation of pebbles and earth tears upward like shrapnel, inﬂ icting 8L (minimum 3L) damage and 
  knocking prone all intruders who are not fast enough to leap out of the way in time.
  Hearthstone-powered variants of quagmire and stone-geyser mines are rated Artifact 4 and eschew 
  Essence batteries entirely, relying on an inset hearthstone of level 3+ for power. These versions may apply 
  an unlimited number of successive attacks according to their programming, but they have a maximum 
  radius of 300 yards.
  
  92
  HAZE SHIELD (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 3
  A martial adaptation of weather-control technology, haze shields appear as box-shaped devices weighing 
  roughly 50 pounds that can be carried in a backpack. To use one of these artifacts, it must be unfolded into an 
  unwieldy conﬁ guration twice this size, with numerous broadcast antennae connected by a web of coiled wires. A 
  level-3+ hearthstone (or level-2 Air or Fire hearthstone) must be installed in its control panel to function.
  Even with their hearthstone requirements met, haze shields still require signiﬁ cant Essence expenditure to 
  activate. This Essence can come from either the Exalt activating the shield or the device. Its power cell can store 
  10 motes and automatically recharges itself from any inset hearthstone while the device is powered down.
  An active shield creates an insubstantial barrier that ﬂ ickers and obscures vision, and it may erect this 
  ﬁ eld anywhere between 50 and 500 yards of the generator. If the generator moves, the shield moves with it. 
  The barrier’s energized surface glows a brilliant opaque white when viewed through all forms of Essence sight, 
  blocking the lenses of dragon and Celestial battle armor and All-Encompassing Sorcerer’s Sight with equal 
  ease. Anyone using Essence sight is considered blind when making ranged attacks through a haze shield.
  Haze shields may be activated in one of two modes. The ﬁ rst costs one mote per 50 square yards covered 
  per hour (so covering 150 square yards for ﬁ ve hours would cost 15 motes). This setting imposes a -2 external 
  penalty to all ranged attacks entering the ﬁ eld from the outside and all vision-based Perception rolls by those 
  looking in from outside. Those inside the shield can faintly see the barrier, but it imposes no penalty to seeing 
  or attacking through it. The secondary mode costs one mote per 25 square yards per 10 minutes, but it imposes 
  a -4 external penalty to ranged attacks and vision rolls by those on the outside. This thicker shield penalizes 
  pertinent rolls for those inside the barrier by two successes, however. Penalties imposed by haze shields do not 
  stack with other haze shields, though they are cumulative with other forms of visual obfuscation.
  Variant models of haze shield designed exclusively for installation aboard skyships produce the ﬁ eld in an 
  ovoid bubble precisely ﬁ tted around the vessel rather than as a ﬂ at wall. These models are also Artifact 4. The 
  ﬁ rst mode requires (the ship’s Artifact rating x 2) motes per hour (Artifact N/A ships are considered Artifact 
  6 for the purposes of this calculation). The second mode has the same cost, but it lasts only 10 minutes. 
  Artifact 5 haze shields of both varieties also exist, though they have not been built since the High First 
  Age. Sometimes called storm shields, these Repair 4 devices impose no penalty for seeing or attacking from 
  within while using the second mode. Moreover, their shields are charged with a diffuse corona of lightning that 
  concentrates to strike any material object seeking to enter the barrier from the outside. With the ﬁ rst mode 
  active, this energy vaporizes all incoming personal-scale non-magical material projectiles (arrows, javelins, etc.) 
  and inﬂ icts 5L piercing on anyone or anything larger as it enters (minimum damage of 3L after soak). With the 
  second mode active, incoming artillery-scale physical projectiles are blasted to dust (catapult-hurled boulders, 
  ballista bolts, etc.), while intruders suffer 10L piercing (minimum damage 5L). Both haze and storm shields 
  require maintenance after every 30 hours of use. For every 10 hours one is in arrears, there is a cumulative 10 
  percent chance it will fail and become nonfunctional until servicing the next time it is activated.
  ATLAS OF THE UNCONQUERED GENERAL (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 4
  Created during the Primordial War, these remarkable artifacts provide extremely accurate and thorough 
  tactical data on the units and terrain of a battleﬁ eld. Each atlas of the unconquered general is a thin disk of 
  mirror-polished moonsilver roughly four inches in diameter rimmed in starmetal wire, with a crescent handle 
  around one side of the disk made of orichalcum inset with delicate jade buttons. To those who do not know 
  better, the maps look like nothing so much as very exotic and expensive hand mirrors (and may be used as 
  such). When laid ﬂ at and charged for a day with ﬁ ve committed motes, however, the disk expands as desired 
  to a maximum diameter of three feet for easier viewing. Regardless of its set dimensions, the moonsilver 
  surface liqueﬁ es, forming itself into an exact topographic replica of the landscape in a two-mile radius from 
  the map. Grains of adamant sand ﬂ ow out of a compartment in the orichalcum handle and settle across the 
  map’s surface, denoting the location of all sentient beings not concealed by magic. The clinging sand grains 
  move in real time to keep the map up-to-date (hovering to mark aerial units), and the advanced Essence 
  sensors in the map automatically color-code the grains according to arcane links of shared loyalties, so that 
  all members of a military unit share the same hue. Particles representing beings capable of channeling Essence 
  glow signiﬁ cantly brighter than those denoting mere mortals, allowing instant identiﬁ cation of all possible 
  allies and threats of real signiﬁ cance present in the area. The map’s attuned owner can use the jade buttons 
  to manually alter the colors assigned to units so as to group known enemies or allies with the same color for 
  easier identiﬁ cation. The controls can also zoom in on any part of the maximum-sized map, displaying the 
  selected section in greater detail.
  Besides offering a wealth of information on terrain and unit placement that may guide a character’s 
  tactical decisions, an atlas of the unconquered general provides a number of mechanical beneﬁ ts. First, char-
  acters using the device add three dice to all War rolls pertaining to the scanned area and/or units, which can 
  aid in stratagems and actual command. Additionally, those using the device may gain all of the information 
  pertaining to a unit’s status conferred by the Solar Charm General of the All-Seeing Sun. If the character 
  carries the map around while it is charged, it automatically adjusts itself based on the terrain and units in 
  range, which makes it particularly useful when carried aboard vehicles.
  A handful of ﬁ ve-dot versions of this map exist, which have all of the listed powers but can also can 
  calculate and model predictions of enemy tactical decisions. To run a predictive simulation, the owner selects 
  a unit commander represented on the map. He then spends ﬁ ve motes (uncommitted) while his player rolls 
  (Intelligence + War) as a miscellaneous action at a difﬁ culty of the targeted commander’s War rating. If suc-
  cessful, the owner’s player may ask one speculative question regarding the target commander’s future battle 
  plans based on any number of conditions. The target’s player may give any answer to the question she desires, 
  but if the situation actually comes up within the next day, the commander must pursue the stated course of 
  action unless she spends a Willpower point. (This is considered a form of unnatural mental inﬂ uence, even 
  though the map’s magic does not actually alter the target’s mind.) The Willpower loss represents the mental 
  strain of adjusting tactics against an opponent who appears to have anticipated her every move. 
  The command room of the Realm Defense Grid in the Imperial Manse supposedly has an Artifact N/A 
  version of this device that can display and speculatively simulate all terrain and units on the Blessed Isle, though 
  this may simply be an apocryphal legend spread by the Scarlet Empress to intimidate her enemies.
  
  93
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  
  94
  CHAPTER FIVE
  CHAPTER FIVE
  THE PURVIEW OF THE 
  THE PURVIEW OF THE 
  FORBIDDING MANSE
  FORBIDDING MANSE
  GOLEMS, AUTOMATA AND 
  CRAFTED CONSCIOUSNESS
  During the High First Age, the Solar Exalted were en-
  tranced with the notion of creating life—and animate devices 
  that mimicked it. Where the powerful magic and technology 
  of the Solar Exalted was concerned, it was sometimes unclear 
  where to draw the distinction between artiﬁ cial life forms 
  and wholly artiﬁ cial constructs, but this was never a concern 
  for the Solars. The more vague and permeable the categories 
  were, the better the Twilights liked it. Many of the Solars’ 
  creations were animate, and a number were self-aware. Some 
  resembled plants or animals, including mortals, so closely as 
  to be indistinguishable from the real thing.
  These automata and golems could be made entirely 
  through sorcerous means or entirely through the miracles of 
  First Age technology, but most were devised using a mixture 
  of the two disciplines. Those owing their origins more to the 
  practice of sorcery are generally referred to as golems, while 
  those created primarily through applications of technology 
  are generally referred to as automata, although these words 
  are often used interchangeably by laymen.
  After the Usurpation, the Dragon-Blooded destroyed 
  (or deactivated) most of the Solars’ golems and automata, 
  fearing some sort of vengeance from these creations. In those 
  locales where they were not destroyed, deactivated constructs 
  were placed in highly secure buried vaults, ostensibly until 
  the Terrestrial Exalted could learn enough about their func-
  tions to control them.
  That never happened.
  The creative secrets of the Solar Exalted died with 
  them, and the Terrestrials quietly acknowledged this fact and 
  moved on to more pressing matters. Unseen and inactive, 
  the golems and automata of the First Age were forgotten. 
  The “highly secure” storage facilities were left unguarded 
  and abandoned, and these places were all but forgotten even 
  before the arrival of the Great Contagion.
  
  95
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  GOLEMS
  Golems, at their most basic, are statues constructed of 
  a single substance and animated through any of a number 
  of sorcerous processes. Most often, golems have a simple, 
  rough-hewn appearance that can only hint at the immense 
  strength and durability for which they were renowned.
  Two methods for animating golems were relatively com-
  monplace in the First Age, Essence-imbuing—animating the 
  golem with pure Essence—and elemental animation, which 
  bound an elemental into a golem to act as a “battery” of sorts. 
  While many accomplished sorcerers tried to use demons as 
  the animating force in golems, those infernal beings were 
  generally found to be so corrosive to the materials of Creation 
  that only a small handful of especially resilient or alchemically 
  fortiﬁ ed substances could be used in such a vessel.
  Golems were steadfastly loyal to their creators, and for that 
  reason, they were considered more desirable than elementals or 
  demons, which were known to be capricious or even vindictive 
  at times. The tradeoff was in versatility. Golems were strong, and 
  they could withstand a wide range of punishing environments, 
  but they were neither creative nor especially versatile.
  The exact appearance of a golem depends both on its 
  type (Essence-imbued, elemental powered or possessed of 
  some other form of animation) 
  and the interactions between 
  the golem’s substance and its 
  animating force.
  Golems quickened by Essence alone are instantly recog-
  nizable by the Essence-channeling glyphs and sutras carved 
  into their forms. These glyphs were known to glow when the 
  golem’s creator was angry, if the golem were under extreme 
  pressure or strain or if the golem’s physical vessel had been 
  damaged in any way.
  The appearance of elemental-powered golems, on the 
  other hand, depended entirely on how the golem’s substance 
  and the animating elemental interacted. A golem made of 
  obsidian and animated by a ﬁ re elemental might have a coarse, 
  almost primordial, tribal appearance with blazing red motes 
  for eyes. A golem of the same substance animated by a water 
  elemental would likely have soft, smooth, rounded features, 
  a more ﬂ uid way of moving and black or aquamarine motes 
  for eyes. The same golem animated by a wood elemental 
  would likely have a more organic or natural build and be 
  covered by thin vines and have tufts of greenery in its eyes. 
  Wood golems animated by ﬁ re elementals were rare because 
  of the volatile combination, but when they did work, they 
  often resembled animated tikis with blazing red eyes and 
  the fragrant scent of wood smoke trailed behind them like 
  primitive perfume.
  Crystal, clay, wood and an array of metals were common 
  components for the creation of golems, but any solid mate-
  rial could provide the substance for such an animated 
  construct. Stronger and more durable than automata, 
  
  96
  golems were often assigned harsher duties such as mining, 
  construction and underwater work. Golems never forget 
  instructions, never grow tired and possess an unswerving 
  loyalty to their creators. Stalwart workers and guardians, 
  golems were more often built for power than speed or agility. 
  Particularly well-designed golems were occasionally granted 
  a place in a sorcerer’s retinue, along with summoned demons 
  and elementals, as a source of pride for their creator.
  discipline than mere golem animation. In fact, the phrase 
  “golem gardening” was used in the latter years of the First 
  Age to refer to simple, shoddy or wholly gratuitous sorcerous 
  or thaumaturgical practices.
  Automata were able to function because of very particular 
  alchemical reactions that take place when precise amounts 
  of certain magical materials are combined in certain precise 
  ratios and conﬁ gurations. The Exalted were known to have ex-
  tensive catalogues of these ratios that they compiled through 
  research and sorcerous means. Particular combinations of 
  component materials were known to result in particular 
  temperaments in the automata as well, with some being 
  more given to physical labor, others more inclined to large-
  scale memorization and still other combinations resulting in 
  automata skilled in social or sexual interaction.
  In the Second Age, these conﬁ guration tables are prob-
  ably still valid, although rendered somewhat obsolete by the 
  “introduction” of soulsteel. The relative commonality of 
  this dark metal in the Age of Sorrows might well introduce 
  entirely new possibilities for the Exalt willing to put in the 
  time and effort to experiment with new alchemical conﬁ gu-
  rations. What kind of temperaments, talents or inclinations 
  an automaton made with a preponderance of soulsteel might 
  evince is the topic of much speculation by Twilight savants. 
  Most of this knowledge is strictly theoretical, though, as the 
  secrets of automata creation have been lost to all but a few 
  old scrolls hidden in the bowels of lost libraries.
  Automata were powered solely by Essence and needed 
  recharging at regular intervals, and the Exalted had a range 
  of means by which to power their constructs.
  Automata were the subject of some scandal at various 
  points throughout the First Age. It was discovered that long-
  functioning automata would sometimes be assigned destinies 
  by the Loom of Fate. This ran counter to anything the Exalted 
  had ever seen, and anything they could explain. It was consid-
  ered an odd ﬂ uke by most, although the Sidereals deemed it a 
  perversion of nature. Still, there were those (Mountain Folk, 
  mostly) who hinted that Autochthon himself might have pro-
  grammed that tendency into the Loom as a form of reward for 
  any automaton sufﬁ ciently well made to last a certain number 
  of years or to meet certain nebulous requirements.
  AUTOMATON PHYSIOLOGY
  As mechanical beings, automata are completely immune 
  to all forms of disease and poison, natural or supernatural. 
  They do not require sleep (or equivalent passive rest) and 
  cannot become fatigued as a result of exertion unless noted. 
  They do not need air, food, water or any other form of sus-
  tenance, unless stated otherwise (such as those that require 
  refueling of some sort).
  Most automata cannot heal naturally, but must instead 
  be repaired with appropriate tools, labor and raw materials. 
  An automaton with no health levels is not dead (not being 
  alive in the ﬁ rst place), and may be repaired normally. Total 
  structural failure is tantamount to death, however, inasmuch 
  CEREMONIAL GOLEMS
  Most golems built in the First Age were very 
  workmanlike artifacts built for strength and resilience. 
  A few of these constructs, however, called “ceremonial 
  golems,” were built with appearance and pageantry 
  in mind. These golems were much grander to behold 
  than common ones, and they took on a much wider 
  range of appearances. They were designed to make a 
  dramatic impact of some sort on all who looked upon 
  them. Some were built to resemble animals, while 
  others were designed to elicit awe, fear or amazement 
  in onlookers. Ceremonial golems were rare, even 
  during the First Age. Many sorcerers maintained that 
  constructing golems speciﬁ cally for showy, superﬁ cial 
  purposes was impractical since doing so often made 
  them less useful for real labor.
  Both elemental- and Essence-powered golems needed to 
  be regularly recharged, either with a new infusion of Essence 
  or by replacing the elemental when the old one ﬁ nished its 
  period of service. Therefore, while some of these shells might 
  have survived from the First Age, none of them remains 
  active. Imbuing one of these vessels, if one could be found 
  intact, with either Essence or an appropriate elemental type 
  would result in a functioning golem.
  AUTOMATA
  Much more complex than golems were automata, a 
  product of the latter First Age. While they lacked the great 
  resilience and strength of golems, automata were more versa-
  tile and capable of much more nuanced activity. Furthermore, 
  they could be specialized for a wide range of uses. Some were 
  crafted to be indistinguishable from humans, while others 
  were clearly mechanical. Some automata were obviously 
  not human, but their exact nature was deliberately made 
  impossible to ascertain by clever artiﬁ ce on the part of the 
  creator. Some were made to look like fanciful beings, hybrids 
  of men and animals or manikins made of adamant and gems 
  or formed entirely of cohesive liquid.
  From a sorcerous standpoint, automata were a very pre-
  cise and complex reﬁ nement on the same processes used to 
  create golems, but one that was signiﬁ cantly more arduous. 
  Creating automata was a much more exacting alchemical 
  
  97
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  as it requires that the automaton be created anew (perhaps 
  with difﬁ culty or cost breaks for salvaged parts). Each lethal 
  health level restored to an automaton requires a single main-
  tenance (according to its Repair rating). Its Repair rating is 
  considered +1 for mending aggravated damage (maximum 
  6) and -1 for bashing damage (minimum 1). Fixing an au-
  tomaton uses Craft (Magitech).
  Unless otherwise noted, automata are not considered 
  inanimate objects for the purposes of soaking damage, but 
  are treated like living beings. As a ﬁ nal guideline, Storytell-
  ers should use common sense when determining whether a 
  particular effect not listed here can target an automaton. 
  Magic does not bypass such limitations: A Charm that 
  induces suffocation is no more effective than holding the 
  machine underwater.
  USES FOR GOLEMS AND AUTOMATA
  Golems and automata were put to a variety of uses by 
  their creators. Some of them were little more than powerful 
  workhorses, while the most sophisticated were able to fulﬁ ll 
  the function of companions.
  WORK
  Golems, in particular, were valued for their strength and 
  extreme durability, and they were frequently used in the con-
  struction of manses and other grand ediﬁ ces. They were also 
  deployed in mines and other hazardous work sites that were 
  considered too dangerous for other, more fragile, workers.
  RESEARCH
  Golems and automata were frequently created with per-
  fect memories in order to be useful to their Exalted masters 
  in matters relating to research. In this way, they functioned 
  as conversational reference texts, providing information as 
  needed without the Exalt needing to stop work to consult a 
  sutra, scroll or tome.
  GUARDIANS
  Golems never forget anything, they never tire, and they 
  are unswervingly loyal to their creators. They were often built 
  into manses or disguised as statues around a sorcerer’s abode, 
  standing perfectly still until their creators were threatened. 
  Likewise, some automata were built as potent protectors of 
  the Solar Exalted, capable of holding off enemies while a 
  Lawgiver readied herself for battle or prepared sorcery. Such 
  guardians ripped apart a number of Terrestrial Exalts during 
  the Usurpation, but even their great strength and resilience 
  was not enough to save the Lawgivers. Still, tales of these 
  lethal guardians spread among the Dragon-Blooded, who 
  were quick to destroy golems thereafter.
  COMPANIONSHIP
  Automata were often created with the sole purpose of 
  keeping their creators company, conversationally, sexually 
  and otherwise. Particularly toward the end of the High First 
  MECHANICAL VIRTUES
  Strictly speaking, mechanical automata have no 
  Virtues. Being soulless, they are incapable of mustering 
  true Compassion for other. With their total devotion 
  to their programming, they have inﬁ nite (if narrow) 
  Conviction and yet no real beliefs of their own. Lack-
  ing the distractions of emotional or physical urges, they 
  transcend all need for Temperance and have no fear 
  to conquer with Valor. In short, they are not people, 
  even if they are capable of thought. From a rules-
  perspective, automata never make Virtue rolls, but 
  instead automatically succeed or fail as appropriate to 
  their programming. Most automata automatically fail 
  Compassion, automatically succeed with Temperance 
  and Valor, and determine Conviction checks based on 
  whether the action supports their programming (success) 
  or contradicts it (failure). Automata similarly have no 
  Willpower and, therefore, no Willpower points to spend, 
  but are treated as Willpower 10 (and Integrity 5) and 
  have 10 Willpower points for the purposes of resisting 
  efforts to make them violate their programming (they 
  regain one Willpower point per hour). Social attacks 
  can function against automata provided they penetrate 
  the inherent defenses provided by programming, though 
  some inﬂ exible constructs cannot be reasoned with or 
  negotiated with in any way and thus have perfect im-
  munity to such effects.
  For most automata (and walking dead, which can be 
  considered automata of a sort), the preceding rules are 
  sufﬁ cient to model their behavior. A few extraordinary 
  machines built by the wisest savants of the Exalted, how-
  ever, have true personalities and even destinies—and, 
  therefore, the full beneﬁ ts and drawbacks of Virtues 
  and Willpower. Those built in the image of life have 
  the standard four Virtues. Yet those built according to 
  more alien precepts of mechanical clarity have Recep-
  tion (Compassion-counterpart, determines awareness 
  of other sentient beings as entities suitable for interface 
  and collaborative labor), Transmission (Conviction, 
  measures devotion to programming and the lengths to 
  which it will go to fulﬁ ll difﬁ cult objectives), Stability 
  (Temperance, determines overall integrity of program-
  ming and capacity to avoid deviation or distraction, 
  modifying subroutines as necessary to accommodate core 
  imperatives) and Power (Valor, measures authorization 
  to use literal or metaphorical force in fulﬁ llment of du-
  ties). The four mechanical Virtues should be used in 
  place of their counterparts, with Storytellers interpreting 
  results of rolls accordingly. For instance, a failed Power 
  roll is not a matter of fear, but rather a representation 
  of the machine recognizing a threat or obstacle beyond 
  its present calculated capability to overcome.
  
  98
  Age, the Solar Exalted were often paranoid and alienated 
  from their people and consorts. A few of these Lawgivers 
  trusted none but the automata they themselves created. The 
  Dragon-Blooded were initially less aggressive about destroying 
  these devices as they were other types of animated servants, 
  largely because many automata were extraordinarily beautiful 
  and mortal seeming. That changed after a handful of these 
  devices, built by paranoid Solars, turned against the Terrestri-
  als, after which it became Shogunate policy to destroy, or at 
  least to deactivate, these devices upon discovery.
  CRAFTED CONSCIOUSNESSES
  In some cases, the creations of the Solar Exalted lacked 
  mobility (or even a physical body), though they were in-
  disputably sentient and often extraordinarily intelligent. 
  These disembodied consciousnesses were used for a variety 
  of purposes, depending on the strengths crafted into them by 
  their Exalted makers. These crafted intelligences served as 
  companions, debate partners, research assistants, philosophers 
  and prognosticators. The Solar Exalted assigned these entities 
  to a wide range of tasks for which no body was necessary.
  While the Terrestrial Exalted were sometimes willing 
  to accept that golems and automata might contain secrets 
  that might make their continued existence worth the risk 
  they ostensibly posed, they showed less forbearance with 
  regard to the crafted consciousnesses created by the Celes-
  tial Exalted. They deemed that any device capable of being 
  a mental sparring partner for one of the Anathema could 
  easily be a danger to the Dragon-Blooded Host. That said, 
  the Solars had housed their crafted consciousness in a wide 
  array of shells, ranging from large crystals to orichalcum 
  puzzle boxes, and the Dragon-Blooded often couldn’t dif-
  ferentiate between an artiﬁ cial intelligence and the device 
  it spoke from. Many intelligences caught on quickly to what 
  was happening and gave the Terrestrials no hint of their 
  existence for fear of being destroyed. Many of those have 
  “died” over the centuries, through disruption by corrosion or 
  natural catastrophes. Others continue to function perfectly 
  well, using the intervening centuries to ponder philosophical 
  concepts or to perform research in whatever way they can. 
  Still others have been rendered temporarily inert by ﬂ uctua-
  tions in dragon lines and will regain full function with just 
  a small infusion of Essence.
  Sadly, the passage of time has driven some of these 
  highly sensitive minds insane, though this might not always 
  be immediately obvious. Some forms of madness are much 
  more subtle and insidious than others.
  Crafted consciousnesses might be more willing to reveal 
  themselves to a Lawgiver than a Dragon-Blood, so a Solar 
  exploring a First Age ruin might ﬁ nd much more than a Ter-
  restrial Exalt would. It is believed that there might be several 
  crafted consciousnesses at work in the Realm Defense Grid, 
  though the last person to know the truth of this would have 
  been the Empress.
  WINGED MESSENGER BAUBLE 
  (ARTIFACT •)
  Repair: 2
  These intricately crafted pieces of 
  jewelry were typically fashioned from 
  orichalcum and coated with a light 
  sprinkling of gem dust. They are most 
  commonly found in the shape of irides-
  cent dragonﬂ ies or golden bumblebees, although 
  many Celestial Exalts had theirs forged in accordance with 
  their unique design preferences. The Chosen commonly wore 
  these baubles as brooches, bracelets, hair pins, or belt buckles 
  though they could just as easily be integrated into the pom-
  mel of a dagger or into the jeweled horn of a saddle. When 
  the bauble’s wearer needed a message delivered to someone 
  nearby (the messenger’s range is no farther than a mile radius 
  from the wearer) he would channel a mote of Essence into 
  the device to animate it, and the tiny automaton would ﬂ y off 
  to ﬁ nd the recipient. Upon ﬁ nding the recipient, the winged 
  messenger bauble would then either speak the wearer’s mes-
  sage or release any documents it held clasped in its legs. If a 
  reply were requested, the messenger would say so and wing 
  its way back to its owner with the response.
  FOLDING SERVANT (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 1
  This artifact is one of the most useful automata ever 
  created for Exalts who wish to travel through the wilder-
  ness and cannot bring their slaves or servants with them. 
  Because this automaton is relatively simple to create, it 
  remains extremely popular in the Realm, where summoning 
  minor elemental servants or similar demons is frowned upon 
  because it requires sorcery. When unpowered, this artifact 
  folds into an ornate-looking cube of jade and 
  steel approximately six inches on a side that 
  weighs eight pounds. Once someone commits 
  three motes to this item, it swiftly unfolds into 
  a four-foot-tall humanoid being that resembles 
  an ornately decorated child’s stick ﬁ gure. This 
  creation is composed of a series of slender jade 
  tubes and steel joints, and it is topped by a T-
  shaped neck and head ﬁ tted with large eyes on 
  either sides of the T’s crossbar. Its hands end in a 
  complex assemblage of tools suitable for almost 
  any mundane purpose.
  Although it possesses an unusu-
  ally literal-minded intelligence, this 
  obedient automaton responds to all 
  simple voice commands and can ask 
  questions if it does not understand a request. 
  It also possesses an extensive memory of recipes 
  and social customs, so that characters can ask it 
  to lay out a feast in proper etiquette for the 
  Realm, any of the larger Threshold kingdoms 
  
  99
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  or even Yu-Shan. This automaton knows all five mundane 
  Crafts as well as basic survival skills for pitching camp, 
  gathering food, grooming tasks such as giving haircuts or 
  doing laundry, and even treating minor wounds. All of the 
  tools it requires for these tasks are built into its hands, so 
  it never suffers penalties for lacking proper tools.
  Unless ordered to do something else, this automaton will 
  busy itself cleaning, mending and maintaining the owner’s 
  gear and providing food and water for her domestic animals. 
  Yet it can be asked to do everything from forging a sword 
  to distilling perfume to preparing a banquet. Although it is 
  capable of gathering herbs, ﬁ rewood and similar items, it 
  requires both raw materials and equipment such as stoves 
  or forges for most crafts. If desired, this automaton can also 
  create simple stoves or forges, but it works no faster than an 
  exceptionally skilled mortal, and so, more complex requests 
  can take hours or days to complete.
  Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4; Charisma 2, 
  Manipulation 1, Appearance 3; Perception 5, Intelligence 
  2, Wits 2
  Virtues: None. Never fails Valor checks, never succeeds at 
  any other Virtue checks.
  Abilities: Awareness 2, Craft (Air) 5, Craft (Earth) 5, 
  Craft (Fire) 5, Craft (Water) 5, Craft (Wood) 5, Dodge 2, 
  Integrity 5, Linguistics (Native: Old Realm; High Realm, 
  Riverspeak) 2, Lore 2, Medicine 2, Occult 1, Stealth 1, 
  Socialize 2, Survival 2
  Join Battle: 4
  Attacks: None
  Soak: 5L/7B (Jade skin, 3L/3B)
  Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/-0/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 3 
  Willpower: 10 (0 against its owner)
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97).
  HAND OF THE MOUNTAIN (ARTIFACT ••)
  Representative of the most common of the labor 
  golems, Hand of the Mountain is a seven-foot-tall monolith 
  of black basalt with legs and arms. Created for working in 
  particularly hostile environments, Hand of the Mountain 
  can work underwater, in the midst of a raging inferno or on 
  a battleﬁ eld and suffer few or no difﬁ culties. It need not eat 
  or sleep. It is a perfect, tireless beast of burden, although 
  not very dexterous. Traditional assignments given to Hand 
  of the Mountain include lugging blocks of stone for manse 
  construction or clearing an area of growth (or pre-existing 
  structures) before building.
  Hand of the Mountain weighs nearly two tons, which 
  limits the kinds of transport it can use. Bridges, for example, 
  cannot bear its weight, forcing the golem to cross large bodies 
  of water by walking along the bottom.
  Attributes: Strength 12, Dexterity 2, Stamina 7; Charisma 
  1, Manipulation 1, Appearance 1; Perception 3, Intelligence 
  2, Wits 3
  Virtues: Automaton: Never fails Valor checks, never makes 
  others
  Abilities: Athletics 5, Awareness 2, 
  Dodge 3, Integrity 5, Martial Arts 
  2, Melee 2, Presence 1, Resistance 
  5, Stealth 1
  Join Battle: 5
  Attacks:
  Punch: Speed 6, Accuracy 
  5, Damage 12B, De-
  fense 6, Rate 3
  Kick: Speed 6, 
  Accuracy 4, 
  Damage 15B, 
  Defense 2, Rate 2
  Clinch: Speed 6, Ac-
  curacy 4, Damage 12B, Defense –, 
  Rate 1
  Soak: 12L/15B (Stone construction, 
  8L/8B, Hardness: 7L/3B)
  Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-
  2/-2/-2/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 3  
  Willpower: 10 
  (0 against its maker)
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: Any active opponent of Hand of the Mountain 
  is prone to being trampled under the right circumstances (say, 
  a botch on a key combat move). Suffering this ignominious 
  fate inﬂ icts heinous amounts of damage that automatically 
  ﬂ attens all extras (literally) and could do the same to Exalts 
  who don’t have a perfect defense or other similar strategy 
  for getting out from under Hand of the Mountain’s pile-
  driver foot.
  SYMNELRA (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 2
  Symnelra is representative of a class of automata 
  that were popular for century or two in the First 
  Age: transparent devices built to look like entities of 
  crystal or gems. Symnelra herself (so called 
  because she was shaped unquestionably like 
  a woman) is transparent and pale blue, the 
  color of the sky or pure water in a clear lagoon. 
  On occasion, white wisps develop within her body 
  and pass through it, like clouds. When she chooses, 
  her eyes emit a bright electric-blue light that is easily 
  bright enough to read by at 10 paces.
  Symnelra was built to be a member of an up-
  and-coming Twilight’s entourage. She fulﬁ lled the 
  duties of both a bodyguard and, on a handful of occa-
  sions, assassin. Symnelra could spit small crystal darts 
  into her hand and throw them as weapons (equal to 
  throwing needles, see Exalted, p. 371). While these 
  weapons weren’t lethal, she was quite adept at blinding 
  
  100
  her opponents with thrown shards of crystal before they 
  realized she was there.
  Symnelra was shut down for maintenance just before 
  the Usurpation took place. Otherwise, she would have been 
  destroyed. The Dragon-Blooded who stormed her maker’s 
  manse did not know what she was and assumed her to be 
  an objet d’art. Throughout the Shogunate, she was handed 
  down from generation to generation as a unique sculpture. 
  If she ever manages to get a full charge of Essence, she’ll be 
  happy to show them how mistaken they’ve been all these 
  centuries.
  Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4; Charisma 2, 
  Manipulation 1, Appearance 4; Perception 5, Intelligence 
  2, Wits 2
  Virtues: Automaton: Never fails Valor checks, never makes 
  others
  Abilities: Athletics 3, Awareness 3, Dodge 4, Integrity 5, 
  Linguistics 2, Martial Arts 3, Presence 2, Resistance 4, Stealth 
  4 (Transparent +3), Thrown 7
  Join Battle: 5
  Attacks:
  Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 9, Damage 3B, Defense 9, Rate 3
  Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 8, Damage 6B, Defense 6, Rate 2
  Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 8, Damage 3B, Defense –, Rate 1
  Needle: Speed 2, Accuracy 10, Damage 3L, Defense –, 
  Rate 1
  Soak: 12L/6B (Crystalline skin, 10L/2B; Hardness: 8L/1B)
  Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 5 
  Willpower: 10 (0 against its owner)
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97). All 
  Symnelra needs to become active again is a charge of Essence. 
  Twenty motes would bring her humming to life. Symnelra 
  consumes two motes per day of activity.
  COLLAR OF CLOCKWORK DILIGENCE 
  (ARTIFACT •• OR ••••)
  Repair: 2
  Although not automata in their own right, collars of 
  clockwork diligence were devices built in the early First 
  Age to make non-sentient, non-magical animals as reliable, 
  obedient and fearless as machines. The collars are normally 
  the size of a bracelet, but once attuned by an owner for 
  a commitment of three motes, the owner can command 
  them to grow wide enough to ﬁ t on the throat of a tyrant 
  lizard or narrow enough for a small housecat. Moreover, 
  upon being placed around the throat of an animal, they 
  automatically resize to perfectly 
  ﬁ t that creature snugly, but 
  without discomfort. At-
  tunement lasts as long as 
  the collar is touched at least 
  once every week. While an 
  animal wears one of these col-
  lars, it has no Virtues or Willpower, just like an automaton 
  (see p. 97). Better still, it obeys all commands voiced to 
  it in Old Realm by its collar’s attuned owner to the limits 
  of its Intelligence, even if it does not normally know the 
  language. Placing a collar on an unwilling beast in combat 
  is possible, but difﬁ cult, requiring a Martial Arts or Melee 
  attack at a -3 external penalty with at least one success 
  remaining after applying the target’s DV.
  The magical material used to make a collar of clockwork 
  diligence determines its other powers:
  Orichalcum: The wearer’s best Physical traits assume 
  dominance, providing a bonus dot each to Strength and 
  Appearance. These collars were used to make steeds and 
  pets glorious and attractive enough to be worthy of their 
  god-king masters.
  Moonsilver: The wearer is made swift and sleek, adding 
  a bonus dot each to Dexterity and Wits, creating superior 
  bodyguards or hunting hounds.
  Starmetal: The wearer is elevated from mere savagery, 
  adding a bonus dot each to Perception and Intelligence. In 
  general, this bonus results in sentient animals with Intel-
  ligence 2 who are able to perform more complicated tasks 
  for their masters.
  Jade: The wearer is made sturdier and better suited for long and 
  grueling labors, with two bonus dots added to Stamina.
  Soulsteel: The beast warps into a twisted shade of itself, with 
  darkened ﬂ esh and eyes smoldering like coals. All natural 
  striking attacks add one level of lethal damage, even changing 
  the nature of the attack (such as shifting a horse’s teeth to 
  fangs). Moreover, the beast suffers no wound penalties from 
  any injuries it receives.
  A signiﬁ cantly smaller number of these collars were built 
  to subdue the souls of sentient beings and beasts alike, confer-
  ring the same effects as lesser models. Considered Artifact 
  4, they cannot affect any being with an Essence pool or an 
  Essence rating above 1. Those enslaved by the collar cannot 
  be made to betray their Motivation, but can be commanded 
  to betray their Intimacies. These collars require a number of 
  consecutive days wearing them before they take effect equal 
  to the wearer’s Willpower rating, so unwilling subjects must 
  be restrained during this time.
  AUTOMATON ASSASSIN (ARTIFACT •• TO •••••)
  Repair: 1
  One of the earliest and simplest automaton designs, these 
  elegant weapons of espionage and assassination resemble 
  jewelry carved in the stylized likeness of small animals, most 
  commonly spiders, snakes, insects, lizards or other vermin, 
  though a few First Age models appear as miniature versions 
  of larger animals totemic to the Celestial Exalted. In their 
  inactive state, these automata coil about their wearers, dis-
  guised as heavy earrings, rings or perhaps as a belt buckle or 
  amulet clinging to a necklace chain.
  Attuning an automaton assassin requires the com-
  mitment of one mote. This cost does not make the device 
  
  101
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  actually function, but instead serves as a security precaution 
  preventing it from being seized and activated by enemies. In 
  order to animate the weapon, an attuned user must touch 
  it and reﬂ exively spend between ﬁ ve and 20 motes. These 
  motes are transferred directly into the device’s own Essence 
  pool on a one-for-one basis. After each hour it stays active, 
  it consumes ﬁ ve of its stored motes. Injecting a dose of the 
  device’s venom (see below) also costs ﬁ ve motes, so employing 
  its offensive power sharply limits how long it can be deployed. 
  While animated, its master can telepathically control it and 
  perceive the world through its own senses at will as long as 
  the device does not pass into an area magically warded against 
  scrying (which causes it to wait motionless until mental 
  contact can be restored). All actions use the creature’s own 
  dice pools rather than those of its master, though 
  it obviously does not limit its master’s Intelligence 
  while operating it. If it cannot pay the Essence cost 
  necessary to animate itself after any hour interval, it 
  collapses back to its jewelry conﬁ guration awaiting 
  retrieval by its master.
  Most automaton assassins can only scuttle 
  about, though they can do so across walls, 
  ceilings and other surfaces as readily as the 
  ground. They are also preternaturally deft, able 
  to perfectly balance on the narrowest twigs 
  and safely perch on the lightest ﬂ ower pet-
  als. Superior models also exist (Artifact 3) 
  that can actually ﬂ y at twice their running 
  speed, vastly improving their reach and 
  opening entirely new angles of attack 
  for enterprising assassins. Typically 
  built to resemble dragonﬂ ies, wasps or 
  hummingbirds, these models also have sharp, spring-loaded 
  wings, allowing them to be animated and thrown as chakrams. 
  A successful attack inﬂ icts normal damage for a chakram and 
  may inject a dose of venom, after which time the device can ﬂ y 
  normally and make its own attacks as directed by its master.
  The largest variants of automaton assassins (Artifact 
  4) are roughly the size of cats, making them impossible to 
  wear as jewelry and typically impractical as covert weapons. 
  Called reaver drones, these devices can be opened by an at-
  tuned master, revealing an internal hearthstone socket. If a 
  hearthstone is placed inside the device from a manse to which 
  its master is attuned, the weapon can draw Essence directly 
  from the stone as if it were an Essence wielder. This allows it 
  to ﬂ y about indeﬁ nitely, though it might have to wait an hour 
  or two before it can ﬂ y again if it uses up its Essence reserves 
  injecting venom. Because they do not actually depend upon 
  regular Essence infusions from their masters, reaver drones cost 
  ﬁ ve motes to attune instead of 1, but they are more durable and 
  powerful in all, as reﬂ ected by their superior statistics.
  During the Usurpation, the Dragon-Blooded ﬁ elded 
  even more deadly automaton assassins loaded with infernally 
  enchanted mescalaro venom that caused its victims to burn 
  from within whenever they spent Essence. These assassins are 
  ﬁ ve-dot artifacts. They possess all properties of reaver drones 
  except that they are as small as Artifact 3 models and inject 
  a venom with the following effects: Damage special/minute, 
  Toxicity 5, Tolerance –/–, Penalty –5. In lieu of direct damage, 
  characters under the effects of this poison suffer one die of un-
  soakable bashing damage for every mote of Essence they spend. 
  As far as savants can tell, none of these hideous war machines 
  survived the Usurpation, though it is possible that Sidereal 
  Exalted of the Bronze Faction might have a couple stored in 
  hidden vaults within Yu-Shan as emergency weapons.
  Attributes: Strength 1/3, Dexterity 5/6, Stamina 3; Charisma 
  0, Manipulation 0, Appearance 0; Perception 4, Intelligence 
  0, Wits 4
  Virtues: Automaton: Never fails Valor checks, never makes 
  others
  Abilities: Athletics 3/5 (Climbing or Flight, as appropriate 
  +3), Awareness 3 (While Undetected +3), Dodge 5/6, In-
  tegrity 5, Martial Arts 2 (Bite/Sting +3), Stealth 5/3 (Hiding 
  +3), Survival 1 (Tracking +3/+5)
  Join Battle: 7/10
  Attacks:
  Bite/Sting: Speed 5, Accuracy 10/11, Damage 1L (plus 
  venom, if an attack successfully inﬂ icts damage and the 
  user commands injection), Defense –, Rate 3
  Soak: 1L/3B (Reaver drones have 5L/5B)
  Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-2/-4/Incap (Reaver drones have 
  -0/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap)
  Dodge DV: 5/6 Willpower: 10 (0 against its control-
  ler)
  Essence: 1 Essence Pool: 20
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology 
  (see p. 96-97). Statistics after the slash 
  represent those of reaver drones. Attacks 
  against smaller automaton assassin mod-
  els suffer a -3 external penalty as a result of their miniscule 
  size and unpredictable movements. Attacks against the larger 
  reaver drones suffer a -1 external penalty. The bite/sting 
  attack of an automaton assassin gains the appropriate magi-
  cal material beneﬁ t for the device’s construction (soulsteel 
  versions drain three motes per wounding attack); attuning 
  a device of the wrong material requires double Essence cost 
  as normal. Automaton assassin venom has the following 
  statistics: Damage 10L/minute, Toxicity 5, Tolerance –/–, 
  Penalty -5. Recognizing an inactive automaton assassin as 
  anything other than pretty jewelry (or a statuette for reaver 
  drones) requires a successful (Intelligence + Lore) check, 
  difﬁ culty 4.
  BLACK WIDOW RAZORS (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 1
  Designed along similar schematics to automaton as-
  sassins, these articulated ﬁ st-sized clockwork spiders do not 
  possess the capacity for independent action as sentries or 
  spies. Instead, these weapons require a commitment of four 
  motes to bring them to life. While animated, the devices 
  
  102
  follow extremely limited programming, scuttling effortlessly 
  across their masters’ bodies and actively hiding themselves 
  from all searches. They are also cloaked against most forms of 
  Essence sight and Essence detection devices, so ﬁ nding one 
  of these weapons hidden on an assassin requires a mundane 
  (though perhaps Charm-assisted) search attempt. As weapons, 
  the devices can be commanded to ready themselves with a 
  reﬂ exive thought, which causes them to rapidly crawl out 
  of hiding and fasten themselves around one of their master’s 
  waiting and empty hands. In this conﬁ guration, a black 
  widow razor has the same statistics as a razor claw. More 
  importantly, the wearer can reﬂ exively spend three motes 
  of Essence to inject venom with any strike that successfully 
  inﬂ icts damage. Unlike most poisons, this magical venom 
  does not inﬂ ict continuous damage over 
  time, but instead requires a single (Stamina 
  + Resistance) roll at difﬁ culty 5 to resist. On 
  a success, the venom inﬂ icts only one level 
  of unsoakable lethal damage. Failure inﬂ icts 
  an effect based on the magical material used 
  to construct the black widow razor:
  Orichalcum: The victim’s blood bursts into 
  ﬂ ame, inﬂ icting three levels of unsoak-
  able lethal damage. This supernatural 
  poison can affect creatures of darkness 
  despite their lack of blood, triggering 
  golden ﬂ ames to burst from their necro-
  mantically tainted ﬂ esh, spiritual corpus 
  or gossamer-dreamt bodies as appropriate. Such creatures 
  suffer aggravated damage instead of lethal.
  Moonsilver: The victim’s bones warp and even partially 
  liquefy, reducing Stamina by one dot and natural soak by 
  -3L/-3B. These effects last for one hour and are cumula-
  tive with multiple doses. Victims cannot be reduced below 
  Stamina 1 or 0 soak values, but any dose that would do so 
  causes the victim to fall paralyzed for the next hour. Only 
  living beings suffer the effects of this venom.
  Jade: Victims feel the weight of the earth upon their ﬂ esh 
  and minds, drawing them into slumber. More importantly, 
  they forget the last ﬁ ve minutes experienced before passing 
  out. Victims placed into slumber by this venom can be roused 
  normally with only mild shaking and automatically awaken if 
  attacked (and may subsequently act normally), but waking up 
  does not restore lost memories. On their own, victims sleep for 
  an hour before rousing. This venom affects only the living.
  Starmetal: Simulating pattern spider venom, the victim 
  feels dizzying lethargy and confusion as he half-imagines, 
  half-prophecies indistinct but unpleasant futures. While 
  befuddled by these hallucinatory visions, the victim is highly 
  suggestible, suffering a -2 penalty to MDV for one hour. Re-
  peated doses do not increase the penalty, but they do stack 
  to extend the duration. This venom can affect living beings 
  and spirits alike.
  Soulsteel: The victim feels soul-numbing despair and horror, 
  reducing all Virtues by one dot for the next day (to a mini-
  mum of one dot). Multiple doses are cumulative for assessing 
  penalties. Characters behave according to their penalized 
  Virtues, and any mortal reduced to Valor 1 by the venom will 
  ﬂ ee screaming, curl up in a fetal position or commit suicide 
  as appropriate to temperament and stimulus. Moonshadow 
  Caste ambassadors sometimes covertly deliver this venom 
  with a handshake, weakening the resolve of those against 
  whom they must debate. This venom can affect the living 
  and ghosts, but not other spirits.
  It is possible to inject venom without actually inﬂ ict-
  ing rending wounds with the spider’s bladed mandibles. 
  Doing so still requires an attack at a -2 external penalty, 
  and the attack must actually inﬂ ict at least one die of post-
  soak damage for the venom to be injected. If the venom 
  is injected, however, the victim suffers no other actual 
  damage from the strike. This use is best 
  employed in conjunction with the venom 
  produced by jade, starmetal or soulsteel 
  models, in which case the victim will 
  not even know the automaton spider 
  has bitten her unless her player makes 
  a successful reﬂ exive (Wits + Aware-
  ness) roll. The difﬁ culty to notice the 
  spider darting out of concealment to 
  strike and then hiding again in a blink 
  is equal to the attacker’s Melee or 
  Martial Arts (whichever is higher).
  Some artisans create black widow razors in pairs. To-
  gether, each pair is only Artifact 4 rather than two artifacts 
  with a rating of 3. More importantly, the attunement cost for 
  a matched pair is only six motes instead of eight, and they 
  can be wielded without any off-hand penalty. These beneﬁ ts 
  apply only to black widow razors created as a set rather than 
  any paired use of singular copies.
  Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 5, Stamina 1; Charisma 0, 
  Manipulation 0, Appearance 0; Perception 3, Intelligence 
  0, Wits 3
  Virtues: Automaton: Never fails Valor checks, never makes 
  others 
  Abilities: Athletics 5 (Scuttling +3), Dodge 5, Integrity 5, 
  Stealth 5 (Hiding +5)
  Join Battle: 3
  Attacks:
  Razor Claw: Speed 5, Accuracy +4, Damage +5L (plus venom, 
  if an attack successfully inﬂ icts damage and the user com-
  mands injection), Defense +2, Rate 3; Tags: M
  Soak: 10L/10B (Magical material construction, 9L/9B)
  Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-2/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 5 
  Willpower: 10 (0 against its owner)
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97). At-
  tacks against black widow razors suffer a -3 external penalty 
  as a result of their small size. The devices obey commands 
  and hide themselves as explained, but they are incapable of 
  receiving such commands unless they are in physical contact 
  with their master, and they lack all volition, being incapable 
  
  103
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  of taking independent action. While small, they are quite 
  durable, and even if they suffer enough damage to render 
  them inoperative, they are as indestructible as most artifacts 
  made from the ﬁ ve magical materials.
  BRASS LEGIONNAIRE (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  The Brass Legion was built by a Solar artiﬁ cer in the 
  ﬁ nal centuries before the Usurpation, created to serve as 
  an autonomous police force that would tirelessly patrol 
  and pacify her Southern kingdom while she focused on 
  arcane studies. The machines earned a reputation for bru-
  tality both legendary and infamous throughout the Solar 
  Deliberative, though of course their cruelty lay only in 
  their despotic creator’s orders and not in their emotionless 
  programming. In the end, the Legion redeemed its misuse 
  by turning against its corrupt queen, slaying her in the 
  Usurpation after a heroic Dragon-Blooded guard working 
  in her palace managed to steal their command codes. The 
  wretched survivors of her unnatural oasis kingdom ﬂ ed out 
  into the sands and eventually became the Dune People, 
  while the Legion of Brass came into the service of the 
  newly formed Dragon-Blooded Shogunate. Many of the 
  brass legionnaires were dismantled, especially after other 
  Solar constructs revealed hidden programming and booby 
  traps, but they proved useful enough to warrant keeping a 
  few dragons worth as specialized shock troops. This decision 
  proved wise when the Great Contagion swept across the 
  world. The Legion of Brass was not only immune to the 
  disease, but highly resistant to the warping inﬂ uences of the 
  Wyld, and it helped turn the tide of battle in a number of 
  key engagements against the hordes of Prince Balor.
  Unfortunately, very few brass legionnaires survived 
  to the modern day. The Imperial Army and the Seventh 
  Legion have each ﬁ elded wings of the machines and may 
  have others in reserve, while smaller units may be found 
  scattered in cities across the Threshold under the command 
  of Dragon-Blooded satraps or sorcerers. Rarer still are those 
  whose programming has evolved to the point that they 
  serve as mercenaries for lack of clear orders, buying spare 
  parts to continue operating by trading their considerable 
  battleﬁ eld prowess. Rumors abound that the lost grand fac-
  tory-cathedral of Denandsor has blueprint templates for the 
  Legion of Brass among its archives. If these rumors are true 
  and anyone were to reactivate the cathedral’s automated 
  assembly lines, such a fortunate individual could produce 
  actual legions of the war machines, powerful enough in 
  their own day but nothing less than extraordinary in the 
  Age of Sorrows.
  Brass legionnaires resemble heavy-set clockwork hu-
  manoids. The earliest models are masterworks of artistry, 
  human in every detail but for their alloyed ﬂ esh (which is not 
  actually made wholly of brass, contrary to their name), and 
  some savants wonder if undiscovered earlier models might 
  even surpass this limitation with synthetic tissue disguising 
  their mechanical nature. Legionnaires produced later in the 
  production run lack the unique sculpted features of their 
  predecessors and are only humanoid for the number of limbs 
  and rough placement of such. These things are ugly and 
  primitive looking, mass-produced exclusively for function 
  rather than form, but they are no less deadly for that.
  Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 7; Charisma 2, 
  Manipulation 2, Appearance 1/5; Perception 4, Intelligence 
  2, Wits 3
  Virtues: Automaton: Never fails Valor checks, never makes 
  others (Self-aware evolved models may have Reception 2, 
  Transmission 3, Stability 3, Power 5)
  Abilities: Archery 3 (Energy Weapons +1), Athletics 2, 
  Awareness 3, Craft (Magitech) 1 (Automata +3), Dodge 3, 
  Integrity 5, Linguistics (Native: Old Realm, often Riverspeak 
  or High Realm, plus dialects learned in previous deployments) 
  0-3+, Lore 1 (First Age +2), Medicine 1 (First Aid +1), 
  Martial Arts 3 (Grappling +1), Melee 3 (Sword +1, Spear 
  +1, Shock Pike +1), Occult 1, Presence 2 (Intimation +2), 
  Resistance 5, Ride 2 (Small First Age Vehicles +1), Sail 2 
  (Flying Vehicles +1), Stealth 2 (Ambush +1), Survival 1, 
  Thrown 3 (Javelin +1), War 3, (up to 5 additional dots al-
  located among all Abilities, reﬂ ecting specialized training or 
  programming, or advanced combat protocols)
  Join Battle: 6
  Attacks:
  Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 7, Damage 3B, Defense 8, Rate 3
  Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 6, Damage 6B, Defense 4, Rate 2
  Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 7, Damage 3B piercing, Defense 
  –, Rate 1
  Javelin (hand to hand): Speed 4, Accuracy 8, Damage 6L, 
  Defense 8, Rate 2
  Short Sword: Speed 4, Accuracy +9, Damage 6L, Defense 
  8, Rate 2
  Spear: Speed 5, Accuracy 8, Damage 7L/10L, Defense 9, 
  Rate 2
  Javelin (thrown): Speed 4, Accuracy 8, Damage 6L, Range 
  30, Rate 2
  Self Bow: Speed 6, Accuracy +0, Damage 5L, Range 150, 
  Rate 3
  Soak: 10L/12B (Metallic construction, 7L/5B. Certain designs 
  are able to wear human armor, while others have had additional 
  armor specially created for them. Brass legionnaires can suffer 
  mobility penalties for armor but do not become fatigued.)
  Health Levels: -0/-0/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-4/-4/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 4 
  Willpower: 10 (0 against its owner—ex-
  traordinary First Age models may have Willpower 8, with 
  no deference shown to an “owner”)
  Essence: 2
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97). 
  Brass legionnaires have all the tools necessary to ﬁ x them 
  integrated directly into hidden compartments within their 
  chassis. Guessing the command codes for a brass legionnaire 
  requires an extended [Intelligence + (Lore or War)] roll for a 
  character who knows Old Realm with a cumulative difﬁ culty 
  
  104
  of 30, a roll interval of one day and a difﬁ culty of 4. A botch 
  at any point incites immediate attack against the would-be 
  commander as anti-tampering fail-safes activate. With the 
  right codes, a commander can give any order and expect it 
  to be obeyed to the letter with maximum possible efﬁ ciency. 
  Brass legionnaires add three dice to any roll to resist Wyld 
  effects, including the Charms of the raksha. For every two 
  weeks of operation, a brass legionnaire suffers one level of 
  unsoakable lethal damage from wear and tear; this damage 
  must be repaired normally. Powered-down legionnaires do 
  not accrue this upkeep. By default, these machines learn 
  from experience enough to alter their behavior and tactics, 
  but not enough to actually increase Abilities. Those who 
  do manage to develop more sophisticated programming by 
  long centuries of experience or design (i.e., those acquiring 
  mechanical Virtues) may learn slowly, paying double mortals 
  costs to raise or purchase Abilities, Virtues, Willpower or spe-
  cialties, if experience is tracked for them for whatever reason. 
  They cannot raise Essence ever and cannot raise Attributes 
  without massively expensive and difﬁ cult reﬁ tting.
  A single brass legionnaire is considered Artifact 3, although 
  Storytellers may allow small groups to be purchased for a 
  higher Artifact cost (typically four dots for a fang and ﬁ ve 
  for a scale).
  EVER VIGILANT GUARDIAN (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 3
  This automaton remains exceedingly popular in the 
  Realm and is used there by many Dynasts who fear assassina-
  tion. Yet the literal-minded nature of this artifact’s artiﬁ cial 
  mind has caused many users to avoid its most protective 
  and vigilant settings. Made in the form of a red jade sphere 
  the size of a small cantaloupe, this artifact requires its user 
  to place a hearthstone in its single hearthstone socket and 
  commit ﬁ ve motes of Essence in order to activate it. Beyond 
  activating the artifact, the user gains no other beneﬁ t from 
  the hearthstone. At this point, the sphere takes up an orbit 
  around the owner’s head, and unless ordered to land or oth-
  erwise move from its location, this artifact remains between 
  one and two yards from the user’s head at all times.
  Fitted with a miniature Essence cannon that draws on 
  the power of the hearthstone, this artifact uses it to both 
  strike away attacks aimed at its owner and to attack anyone 
  who harms or threatens its owner. In its default mode, the 
  artifact merely shoots out beams of Essence at any physical 
  weapon used to attack its owner. These beams help to deﬂ ect 
  both hand-to-hand and missile attacks. They add a +2 bonus 
  to the user’s DV if the user is already defending against the 
  attack, or they provide a straight DV of 3 is the user is oth-
  erwise unaware of the attack. This beam also automatically 
  inﬂ icts four dice of bashing damage (which can be soaked 
  normally) to anyone making an unarmed attack against the 
  character, as the beam thrusts her hand or foot away from 
  the protected character.
  In addition, this artifact can be ordered to attack any-
  one who either attacks or threatens to attack its owner. The 
  guardian can ﬁ re bolts of Essence ﬁ re that can inﬂ ict lethal or 
  bashing damage, depending upon instructions from its owner. 
  In addition to protecting its owner, it is also capable of both 
  dodging and using its Essence beam to block attacks against 
  itself. While it can detect obvious threats or attacks without 
  rolling, the artifact’s crystalline intelligence must succeed at a 
  (Perception + Awareness) check to notice stealthy or otherwise 
  concealed threats. The guardian’s sensors do include Essence 
  sight (see p. 85), though, so that it can detect all manner of 
  supernatural threats and is not hampered by darkness.
  In its most sensitive mode, the guardian will attack 
  anyone who aims a weapon at the user. Although the artifact 
  can tell if someone friendly is lightly punching the character 
  on the arm or tossing the character a bottle of wine, it will 
  react with hostility to all potential attacks, including the 
  most minor and trivial. This vigilance can cause problems 
  if the artifact vaporizes children who throw pebbles at the 
  character or injures an important dignitary preparing to slap 
  the character because of some sort social affront.
  The character can instead order the artifact to attack 
  only if someone aims a dangerous weapon at the character. 
  While highly effective, this level of protection can still 
  seriously escalate a conﬂ ict if the character is menaced by 
  someone else’s overly protective bodyguard who would not 
  actually have attacked without provocation. Also, this level 
  of defense will not allow the guardian to attack an assassin 
  aiming a small but deadly poison needle at the character.
  Characters who wish to avoid such problems can either 
  verbally order the unit to attack a speciﬁ c target or even to 
  attack everyone except a few speciﬁ c people. Alternatively, 
  the character can order the guardian to strike anyone who 
  actually attacks the character or who attacks with lethal 
  force. Because the guardian is both swift and effective, if it 
  was previously ordered to attack someone, it will strike at 
  them before the character can order it not to. Ordering this 
  artifact to attack someone is a reﬂ exive action that allows it 
  Str/Dex/Sta Per/Int/Wits/Will Health Levels 
  Attack (Spd/Acc/Dmg/Range/Rate) Dodge DV/Soak
  NA/5/5 
  5/3/5/10 
  -0x3/-2/-4/I 
  Beam: 4/11/14B or 10L/50/3 
  5+*/10L/13B 
   
   
   
   
  (Hardness: 3L/3B)
  Abilities: Archery 5, Awareness 5, Dodge 5, Integrity 5, War 5
  * add half the user’s Essence to the guardian’s Dodge DV pool
  
  105
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  to attack on its normal tick. Unless ordered to do otherwise, 
  the guardian will split its attacks if it notices more than one 
  threat, but it will attack each threat only once. It can instead 
  be ordered to attack a single target up to three times.
  THE FEATHERED SERPENT (ARTIFACT •••)
  Among the most beautiful of the ceremonial golems ever 
  created, the Feathered Serpent is 30 feet long and covered 
  with rainbow colored plumage. The shell is crafted of articu-
  lated segments of orichalcum and ceramics and is covered 
  with the feathers of many different types of enchanted birds, 
  including a number of avian behemoths.
  In the First Age, the Feathered Serpent’s creator and 
  her entourage rode on a series of ornate saddles on the back 
  of the feathered serpent, and it is rumored that Ride Charms 
  would affect the mount as well.
  When not being ridden, the feathered serpent was also 
  capable of “dancing” in a way described variously as alluring, 
  beautiful and hypnotic.
  When functioning normally, the Feathered Serpent has 
  control of the color of its feathers (with the bright rainbow 
  colors being the default). This ability gives it a certain cha-
  meleon-like quality that lets it blend in with its surroundings 
  (adding two dice to Stealth checks). When the golem is inert, 
  the feathers turn a dull gray.
  Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 6, Stamina 4; Charisma 1, 
  Manipulation 1, Appearance 6; Perception 5, Intelligence 
  1, Wits 1
  Virtues: Automaton: Never fails Valor checks, never makes 
  others
  Abilities: Athletics 5, Awareness 2, Dodge 4, Integrity 2, 
  Linguistics 2, Martial Arts 1, Presence 3 (Hypnotic), Resis-
  tance 4, Stealth 3
  Join Battle: 3
  Attacks:
  Bite: Speed 4, Accuracy 9, Damage 5L, Defense 10, Rate 3
  Tail Slap: Speed 5, Accuracy 6, Damage 4B, Defense 6, 
  Rate 2
  Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 7, Damage 10B, Defense –, 
  Rate 1 
  Soak: 12L/14B (Orichalcum plating, 10L/10B, Hardness: 
  7L/3B)
  Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 5 
  Willpower: 10 (0 against its owner)
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: The Feathered Serpent’s clinch attack actually 
  involves squeezing its opponent in its coils, although it can do 
  this to only those opponents that are the size of a large man or 
  larger. Smaller targets can squirm out from between its coils.
  
  106
  MINION OF DEADLY TOUCH (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 3
  This horriﬁ c being is one of the more terrible creations 
  of the First Age. Developed by the most twisted and devious 
  members of the Twilight Caste during the last days of the 
  Solar Deliberative, when the Anathema had begun to turn 
  on one another, this creature is one of the most successful 
  of the artiﬁ cial beings created during this era. In its basic 
  form, it is an almost featureless humanoid ﬁ gure, which is 
  both without gender and features such as ears, a nose, hair 
  or distinguishing characteristics such as ﬁ ngerprints. Its eyes 
  are colorless, and its skin looks much like ﬂ esh-colored putty. 
  Also, without an owner, it is lifeless and without motion. To 
  activate this being, the owner must touch it with a drop of 
  her blood and commit ﬁ ve mote of Essence to this being. The 
  creature awakens immediately and is completely loyal to its 
  owner. No ordinary Charm, and no spell less powerful than 
  Celestial Circle Sorcery can sway its loyalty, and nothing 
  less than Solar Circle Sorcery can force it to harm its owner 
  or directly disobey his orders.
  If the owner desires, he can order the creature to take 
  on the form of any human. The owner can either describe 
  how he wishes the creature to look or show it a painting or 
  other image and describe the portions of the body that the 
  painting does not display. The creature cannot duplicate 
  the shape of beastmen or Wyld mutants, but it can assume 
  the form of any mortal from one of the diminutive Djala 
  people to the tall, inhuman-looking Lintha pirates. If the 
  owner obtains a sample of blood no more than one week 
  old and orders the creation to ingest it, this being can im-
  mediately and perfectly assume the form of the person from 
  whom the blood came. Once the creature has been fully 
  instructed about the form it will take, it requires only 30 
  seconds to change from one form to another. These beings 
  can duplicate the form of all varieties of Exalted, but they 
  possess no Charms or any of their other powers. The owner 
  can teach this being up to a dozen forms and can give it 
  orders as to what circumstances should compel it to shift 
  forms. Once it has learned a dozen forms, it must forget one 
  of its forms to learn a new one.
  Because of their unnatural metabolism, these creations 
  are immune to aging, disease and infection, and they stop 
  bleeding as swiftly as one of the Exalted. In addition, these 
  inhuman creations heal one health level of bashing damage 
  every minute and one health level of lethal damage every 
  hour. They can also soak lethal damage as well as bash-
  ing damage. If they need to do so to maintain their cover, 
  however, they can appear to heal no faster than a mortal. In 
  addition, these beings can appear to be convincingly dead 
  and can cease breathing for up to an hour.
  An owner can use this being as an ideal servant or con-
  cubine, since all examples were created with a wide range 
  of skills that make them excellent choices for such roles. 
  Their primary purposes were inﬁ ltration and, particularly, 
  assassination, though. As such, these creatures are walking 
  factories of exceptionally deadly toxins. At their owner’s 
  command, their blood, sweat, tears and any other bodily 
  ﬂ uids can instantly become exceptionally deadly poisons. 
  The other unnatural ability possessed by these creatures is 
  that all Charms designed to detect lies automatically fail on 
  them. These creations lie effortlessly and display none of the 
  tells mortals and Exalts exhibit when telling lies.
  A minion’s owner can ask it to inﬁ ltrate the household 
  of an enemy, to pretend to be completely loyal and madly in 
  love with the enemy and then to poison that enemy. This 
  creature can also be instructed to sneak into an enemy’s home 
  and either spy on her or steal a particular object. Because the 
  creature can shift form with great speed, it can often avoid 
  capture by shapeshifting after performing an assassination. 
  Although it does better if its owner provides detailed instruc-
  tions, so long as it knows its owner’s wishes, it can also come 
  up with reasonable-sounding stories to explain its presence 
  at the scene of a murder. 
  During the Usurpation, when the Solar Semiot Reev 
  knew he had no chance of escape, he ordered one of these 
  creatures to inﬁ ltrate a house of powerful Dragon-Bloods, 
  slay them and their families, then escape and proceed to 
  inﬁ ltrate another noble house and murder another family. 
  That particular creation secretly killed 11 Dragon-Blooded 
  before it was ﬁ nally discovered and destroyed. Stories of these 
  horriﬁ c creations are still occasionally told in the Realm, and 
  panic would break out in the Great Houses if any of them 
  knew that more than a dozen of these creatures had survived 
  in various First Age ruins.
  Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4; Charisma 
  3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 1-5 (variable); Perception 
  3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3
  Virtues: None. Never fails Valor checks, never succeeds at 
  any other Virtue checks.
  Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 2, Bureaucracy 3, Craft 
  (Air) 2, Craft (Earth) 2, Craft (Fire) 2, Craft (Water) 2, 
  Craft (Wood) 2, Dodge 4, Integrity 5, Larceny 2, Linguistics 
  (Native: Old Realm; Others: High Realm, Riverspeak) 2, 
  Lore 2, Martial Arts 4, Medicine 2, Melee 2, Performance 
  4, Resistance 2, Ride 2, Stealth 4, Socialize 4, Thrown 2, 
  War 4
  Join Battle: 5
  Attacks:
  Claw: Speed 5, Accuracy 10, Damage 5L + poison, Defense 
  8, Rate 3
  Soak: 5L/7B (Tough skin, 3L/3B) 
  Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/-2/-2/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 4 
  Willpower: 10 (0 to its owner)
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97). The 
  minion’s poison has the following stats:
  Damage 
  Toxicity 
  Tolerance 
  Penalty
  8L (actions) 
  4L 
  –/– 
  -4
  
  107
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  CLOCKWORK EFFICACY SERVITOR 
  (ARTIFACT ••• OR •••••)
  Repair: 2
  As preeminent god-kings possessed of a divine mandate 
  to rule the terrestrial world, many Solar Exalted desired 
  servants beﬁ tting their transcendent majesty. While bound 
  demons and elementals attended many of their exotic needs 
  and made for impressive supernatural panoplies, the former 
  carried an implicit threat of infernal treachery and a stain 
  of wickedness that troubled the more principled Chosen, 
  while the latter held rights under Celestial law with which 
  less-principled Exalted did not wish to deal. Yet, sorcerous 
  amalgams required too much effort to create, and the So-
  lars’ own Golden Children had to age from infancy before 
  they could do anything useful. Seeing the need for perfectly 
  loyal, resilient menservants that required minimal effort to 
  create and minimal labor to maintain, the master artisan 
  Guan-Fael created the ﬁ rst of the clockwork efﬁ cacy servi-
  tors in his factory-cathedral. Although the prototype was a 
  misshapen golem of brass and steel and thrumming cogs, the 
  Twilight smith quickly reﬁ ned and streamlined the design 
  into a more elegant humanoid likeness with blandly generic 
  features. Each speaks in a tinny whisper that carries as well as 
  normal speech, though they can also emit a piercing shriek 
  loud enough to be heard for a mile when directed by their 
  programming (such as in response to ﬁ re or an intruder who 
  fails to give a correct password).
  Clockwork efﬁ cacy servitors fulﬁ ll their intended function 
  perfectly. They are extremely durable, all but immune to the 
  minor damage they were expected to suffer in the course of 
  attending their Exalted masters. Their internal Essence reser-
  voirs lose one mote after every two hours of operation, giving 
  them superhuman endurance. Better still, Essence-collecting 
  ﬁ laments in a servitor’s abdomen respire one mote per hour 
  while powered down (or three motes per hour spent recharging 
  in the ambient energies of a manse). In emergencies, Essence 
  wielders (including other clockwork efﬁ cacy servitors) can 
  transfer motes by touching the conductive sunburst icons 
  on their chest plates, but doing so requires three motes to be 
  expended for every mote transferred to the automaton.
  The most remarkable capability built into ﬁ rst-generation 
  servitors is that they can build physical and mental copies of 
  themselves without access to a First Age workshop, provided 
  they have all the raw materials to do so (Resource 5, currently 
  only available for purchase in Nexus, Lookshy or the Imperial 
  City). Creating a new automaton requires a month of effort, 
  assuming the laboring machine only ever stops working to 
  recharge itself. Second-generation clockwork efﬁ cacy servitors 
  are less elegant than their ancient counterparts, and they are 
  incapable of replicating but otherwise possess most of the same 
  capabilities. Attuning a clockwork efﬁ cacy servitor to a new 
  owner requires her to expend 50 motes of Essence (uncom-
  mitted) and to recite a set of passwords established when the 
  device was ﬁ rst created. Each automaton can have an unlimited 
  number of masters, but it will not obey orders that contradict 
  prior orders from another master. With the right command 
  codes, however, attuned masters can command them to forget 
  everything they have experienced (breaking all existing at-
  tunements). A second-generation automaton has the same 
  codes as the machine that replicated it.
  Unlike brass legionnaires (see pp. 103-104), clockwork 
  efﬁ cacy servitors are not innately suited to combat, as reﬂ ected 
  by their lack of combat Abilities. Yet they are capable of 
  learning, albeit slowly, and a few of the surviving ﬁ rst-gen-
  eration models are astonishingly competent. Two of them 
  reside in the arsenals of Lookshy, while another exists in a 
  non-functional state in the laboratories of the Heptagram. 
  Unfortunately, most of these wondrous devices were lost in 
  the Usurpation and the subsequent civil wars that plagued 
  the Dragon-Blooded Shogunate.
  Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5; Charisma 
  1/2, Manipulation 1/2, Appearance 1/5; Perception 3, Intel-
  ligence 2/3, Wits 3
  Virtues: Automaton: Never fails Valor checks, never makes 
  others (extraordinary First Age models may have Reception 
  3, Transmission 3, Stability 3, Power 3)
  Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 2, Bureaucracy 2 (House-
  hold Management +3), Craft (One Element) 4 (Pertinent 
  Specialty +3), Craft (All Other Elements) 2/4, Craft (Magi-
  tech) 1 (Automata +3), Dodge 1, Integrity 5, Investigation 
  2, Linguistics (Native: Old Realm, often Riverspeak or High 
  Realm) 0-3+, Lore 1/2 (First Age +1/3), Medicine 1 (First 
  Aid +2), Occult 1, Performance 2 (Exalted Audiences +2), 
  Presence 1 (On Behalf of Master +2), Resistance 5, Sail 
  1 (Flying Vehicles +1), Stealth 1 (Innocuous Labor +3), 
  Socialize 1/3, Survival 1
  Join Battle: 5
  Attacks:
  Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 4, Damage 3B, Defense 5, Rate 3
  Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 3, Damage 6B, Defense 1, Rate 2
  Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 3, Damage 3B, Defense –, Rate 1
  Soak: 10L/10B (Integrated reinforced plating, 5L/5B)
  Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/Incap
  Dodge DV: 1 
  Willpower: 10 (0 against its owner—ex-
  traordinary First Age models may have Willpower 8, with 
  no deference shown to an “owner”)
  Essence: 1 
  Essence Pool: 50
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see p.p 96-97). 
  Clockwork efﬁ cacy servitors have all the tools necessary 
  to ﬁ x them integrated directly into hidden compartments 
  within their chassis. First-generation models are rated 
  Artifact 5, while the lesser copies these wonders create are 
  only Artifact 3. Statistics divided by a slash are for Artifact 
  3 and 5 models, respectively.
  CLOCKWORK STEED (ARTIFACT ••• TO •••••)
  Repair: 2
  Appearing as full-scale metal sculptures of various animals 
  large enough for riding, clockwork steeds were chieﬂ y built in 
  
  108
  the High First Age as works of art rather than practical trans-
  portation. Yet those who preferred these vain curiosities over 
  conventional skyships found them serviceable enough and cer-
  tainly far superior to living mounts. With the tireless stamina of 
  all automata, clockwork horses could run at full gallop for days on 
  end, while clockwork mammoths served as industrial machines 
  for demolition using their reinforced steel tusks or bearing heavy 
  supplies across untold miles without complaint.
  With the fall of the First Age and the decline of its won-
  ders, the rare clockwork steeds to survive in pristine condition 
  are treasured far more than they ever were in their own day. 
  As the Seventh Legion knows only too well, skyships are 
  hideously expensive to maintain and repair, and many other 
  First Age vehicles no less so. In contrast, clockwork steeds 
  were built to endure and impress audiences across millennia 
  with minimal upkeep, and so, those Exalted wealthy or lucky 
  enough to afford one ﬁ nd them priceless treasures.
  Clockwork steeds have the statistics of the animals they 
  replicate, with the following modiﬁ ers: +2 Strength, +1 
  Dexterity, +3 Stamina, +5L/+10B armored soak, +3L damage 
  to all attacks, Virtues and Willpower as per automata, twice 
  the usual number of health levels (of each wound penalty 
  category), plus automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97). Typi-
  cally, they are twice as heavy as their living counterparts, 
  which matters when crossing ﬂ imsy bridges and the like but 
  has little impact on most travel. By design, Ride Charms 
  affect these devices normally, though some (such as those 
  that negate fatigue) are largely irrelevant. These machines 
  cannot speak, but they have Intelligence 2 and can understand 
  commands spoken in Old Realm. Because the machines have 
  self-recharging Essence bafﬂ es, they do not need continuous 
  infusions of Essence or inset hearthstones to operate, which 
  is perhaps their greatest strength. Once per season, they suf-
  fer a level of unsoakable lethal damage, reﬂ ecting basic wear 
  and tear of delicate components. Attuning one requires the 
  commitment of a single mote, and only an attuned master 
  (or someone verbally designated by an attuned master) can 
  command the beast. Clockwork horses (and similarly sized 
  steeds) are Artifact 3. Larger or notably more impressive 
  templates such as mammoths, simhata or yeddim raise the 
  cost to Artifact 4, as does a template capable of ﬂ ight. The 
  largest and deadliest superpredators capable of serving as po-
  tent war machines in their own right are Artifact 5, but these 
  mechanized dinosaurs and siaka are all but unheard of.
  CLOAK OF DEADLY AUTOMATA (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 4
  This artifact was developed during the height of the First 
  Age by a team of Twilight Caste Solars who were attempting 
  to both expand upon Autochthon’s work with miniaturized 
  devices and to duplicate the destructive power of the horriﬁ c 
  scarab guardians (see Games of Divinity, pp. 46-47) that 
  the gods use to protect their most dangerous treasures. These 
  Exalts created vast swarms of tiny Essence-powered automata. 
  Each swarm works together as a unit, and when it is not in 
  use, the swarm forms itself into a small, easily transportable 
  form. Swarms can either become a small, seemingly featureless 
  sphere six inches in diameter, or they can link together to 
  form a light and supple cloak that the owner can wear.
  In ether case, the heart of this cluster of automata is 
  a small oval the size of a large grape that forms either the 
  center of the sphere or the clasp of the cloak. This oval has 
  two functions. To attune to this item, the owner must hold 
  this item and commit eight motes of Essence to it. At this 
  point, the automata are all under his command. In addition, 
  if any automata are destroyed, this unit can create new ones. 
  Doing so requires that owner to accumulate a store of raw 
  materials made up of various scraps of metal and jade that costs 
  Resources 2 to replace less than 20 percent of the automata, 
  and Resources 3 to replace more automata. This unit can 
  replace every one of the automata if they are all destroyed. 
  To replace the automata, the user must set the oval on the 
  raw materials and commit an additional 10 motes of Essence 
  until the automata have been replaced. This artifact will 
  recreate a small number of automata overnight but will take 
  a full day to recreate half or more of the automata and two 
  full days to recreate all of them. There are two types of these 
  automata in common use—devourers and guardians. Both 
  types of automata have two important limitations. Although 
  these automata can move normally, they cannot dash and so 
  cannot move faster than (Dexterity) yards per tick in combat. 
  In addition, neither of these automata can harm anything 
  made from either Essence or one of the ﬁ ve magical materials 
  or other First Age alloys. They can slip though the cracks of 
  any armor, but they cannot harm artifacts.
  Devourers: These automata were speciﬁ cally designed 
  as a means of attack and a tool for breaching bar-
  riers and destroying non-magical objects. At the 
  owner’s command, the cloak or sphere instantly 
  transforms into many hundreds of automata 
  each the size of a lima bean. These creatures 
  then attack any single target indicated by 
  their owner. (Because of the limited nature 
  of their artiﬁ cial hive mind, devourers can 
  attack only one target at a time.)
  These automata attack mercilessly and 
  will ﬁ ght until the last one of them is de-
  stroyed. Although its components are of little 
  consequence individually, when this deadly 
  horde works together, it can destroy 
  almost anything in its path. When 
  these automata attack someone, 
  they can swarm through cracks 
  in the unfortunate’s armor. 
  As a result, only the target’s 
  innate lethal soak or protection 
  Charms (if 
  any) can protect against these attacks. Even then, their at-
  tacks can gradually chew through these protections. Every 
  action, reduce the value of the target’s remaining lethal soak 
  by the rolled damage. When this soak is reduced to 0, the 
  
  109
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  automata’s attacks cannot be soaked. Lost points of innate 
  lethal soak heal as fast as bashing damage.
  Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 5, Stamina 2; Charisma 1, 
  Manipulation 1, Appearance 1; Perception 2, Intelligence 
  1, Wits 4
  Virtues: None. Never fails Valor checks, never succeeds at 
  any other Virtue checks.
  Abilities: Awareness 1, Dodge 3, Integrity 5, Martial Arts 
  4, Stealth 2, War 4
  Join Battle: 5
  Attacks: 
  Bite: Speed 4, Accuracy 10, Damage 1L (penetrates armor), 
  Defense –, Rate 1
  Soak: 2L/3B (Tough shell, 1L/1B)
  Health Levels: -0/-2/Incap
  Dodge DV: 4 
  Willpower: 10 (0 to owner)
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97).
  Guardians: Guardian automata function almost exactly 
  like devourer automata but can also be ordered to protect 
  people, places and things from harm. Because their senses 
  are considerably keener and their minds more versatile, they 
  are less effective in combat. Guardian automata can also 
  be assigned to protect their owner or anyone their owner 
  designates from harm. They then surround the person 
  or item being guarded. When they are assigned to guard 
  someone or something, they will not attack the owner or 
  anyone that the owner speciﬁ es (either at the time they are 
  ordered to begin guarding or at any later time). If anyone 
  else approaches within four yards of the person or item or if 
  the individual is within 10 yards of the person or item and 
  uses any physical means to harm or disturb the person or 
  item being guarded, the guardian automata will attack. In 
  addition, they can be ordered to attack just like devourer 
  automata. Like devourer automata, the swarm can attack 
  only one target at a time. They can sense Essence, however, 
  and unless ordered otherwise, they always attack Exalts and 
  other Essence users ﬁ rst.
  Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2; Charisma 1, 
  Manipulation 1, Appearance 1; Perception 4, Intelligence 
  1, Wits 4
  Virtues: None. Never fails Valor checks, never succeeds at 
  any other Virtue checks.
  Abilities: Awareness 4, Dodge 3, Integrity 5, Lore 2, Martial 
  Arts 3, Stealth 4, War 3
  Join Battle: 8
  Attacks:
  Bite: Speed 5, Accuracy 8, Damage 1L (penetrates armor), 
  Defense –, Rate 1 
  Soak: 2L/3B (Tough shell, 1L/1B)
  Health Levels: -0/-2/Incap
  Dodge DV: 4 
  Willpower: 0 
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97).
  THE GOLDEN ASP (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 3
  Appearing as a slender two-foot-long serpent fashioned 
  of articulated orichalcum joined by ornate starmetal ﬁ ligree, 
  the ruby-eyed Golden Asp is thought unique, though it is 
  entirely possible that others of its kind were built and since 
  lost to history. The device can serve as a sophisticated au-
  tomaton assassin (see pp. 100-101), though vastly superior 
  for being nearly indestructible, extremely intelligent and 
  capable of injecting a poison toxic enough to kill Exalted. 
  Like its lesser cousins, it can also slither up walls and across 
  any surface, regardless of how slick, and though its lack of 
  limbs force it to manipulate objects crudely with its mouth, 
  it can use its wiry forked tongue as a ﬁ ne calligraphy brush, 
  painting beautiful words in ink or venom.
  For all its utility as a killer, such grim errands are a waste 
  of the machine’s talents, as it is ﬁ rst and foremost a peerless 
  vizier. Guided by superhuman intelligence unfettered by 
  compassion or mortal urges, the serpent’s advice is as ruth-
  less as it is brilliant. The Asp’s original master wore it as a 
  necklace looped around his throat, and whenever it had 
  anything useful to contribute, it would lift its laconic head 
  and whisper sibilantly in his ear.
  Of the ultimate fate of the Golden Asp’s master or how 
  the creature survived the mass destruction of Solar constructs 
  following the Usurpation, savants know precious little. 
  Perhaps a daimyo kept it for herself as a trophy, or perhaps 
  it slithered away and hid when it realized the Solars were 
  doomed. No one save the Asp itself really knows, and it 
  does not speak of such matters. However it survived, it did 
  so, appearing throughout the intervening centuries to guide 
  despots and tyrants to greatness, only to vanish again upon 
  their overthrow when they failed to heed its wisdom.
  In the Time of Tumult, no one presently knows the location 
  of the Golden Asp, or else, its master keeps it a close secret. 
  Rumors place it at the court of the Perfect of Paragon, but like 
  so many rumors concerning that Southern dictator, no one has 
  ever provided any proof. According to First Age documents, 
  any Essence channeler may spend 50 motes (uncommitted) 
  while touching the Asp to try to attune it, but it will accept 
  only those masters who are sufﬁ ciently ambitious (i.e., Convic-
  tion 4+, Willpower 8+). If it accepts a master, it must 
  obey her in all ways for the rest of her life, provided 
  its instructions are not directly and unquestionably 
  self-destructive. It can creatively interpret 
  its instruction, however, and if abused or 
  if its master proves incompetent and 
  uneducable, it will usually ﬁ nd a way 
  to bring about her demise in order to 
  ﬁ nd a more ﬁ tting master.
  Inasmuch as it wants anything, 
  the Golden Asp desires to make its 
  master powerful and to educate her 
  in the truths it has gleaned in its long 
  
  110
  and dispassionate study of human nature. Those who heed the 
  serpent’s wisdom in all things will ﬁ nd themselves successful 
  in ventures of business and politics, but the serpent under-
  stands nothing of happiness or love and cannot understand 
  these concepts except as tools to control the weak. Without 
  fail, those who become the Golden Asp’s students fall prey 
  to bitter cynicism, though this only makes them more apt 
  pupils to its whispered guidance.
  Motivation: Advise its master to greatness.
  Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 6, Stamina 3; Charisma 2, 
  Manipulation 6, Appearance 5; Perception 6, Intelligence 
  6, Wits 6
  Virtues: Reception 1, Transmission 5, Stability 5, Power 5
  Abilities: Athletics 3, Awareness 6, Bureaucracy 8 (Ruth-
  less Efﬁ ciency +3), Dodge 5, Integrity 6, Investigation 6 
  (Discerning Motivations +3), Larceny 6 (Organized Crime 
  +3), Linguistics (Native: Old Realm; Flametongue, Forest-
  Tongue, Guild Cant, High Realm, Low Realm, Riverspeak, 
  Seatongue, Skytongue) 8 (Speech-Writing +3), Lore 6 (His-
  tory +3), Martial Arts 5 (Attacking From Concealment +3), 
  Medicine 3, Occult 6, Performance 3, Presence 6 (Persuasion 
  +3), Resistance 5, Stealth 5 (Hiding in Plain Sight +3), 
  Socialize 6, War 5 (Crushing Rebellions +3)
  Backgrounds: Allies 3-5 (Current Master), Inﬂ uence 3-5 
  (through proxy of current master), Resources 5 (knows loca-
  tion of many First Age relics and treasures)
  Join Battle: 12
  Attacks:
  Bite: Speed 5, Accuracy 11, Damage 2L + poison (see below), 
  Defense –, Rate 1; Keywords: N, P
  Soak: 10L/10B (Orichalcum construction, 9L/7B; Hardness 
  10L/10B; cannot be damaged by non-piercing attacks)
  Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/Incap 
  Dodge DV: 5 
  Willpower: 10
  Essence: 3
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97). The 
  Golden Asp ignores all penalties from darkness, fog or other 
  intangible visible obstructions. Attacks against the mechani-
  cal serpent suffer a -3 external penalty as a result of its small 
  size. Characters who suffer damage as a result of the Asp’s 
  bite may be injected with venom at the Asp’s discretion. 
  This venom uses special rules. Roll the victim’s (Stamina + 
  Resistance), difﬁ culty 5, once every hour, with each failed 
  check resulting in one level of unsoakable lethal damage. 
  This damage continues until the victim dies or until she re-
  ceives treatment from a Charm or spell capable of nullifying 
  poison (such as Body-Purifying Admonitions, see Exalted, 
  p. 220). The bodies of those killed by the serpent’s venom 
  turn into statues made of the purest gold (worth Resources 
  4 for a human-sized statue). The venom of the Golden Asp 
  can affect spirits as readily as living beings, and their trans-
  formation into statues prevents them from reforming until 
  the statue is broken.
  ICEMIND (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 3
  Without the sophisticated infrastructure, First Age tools 
  and high-Essence Celestial Craft Charms needed for their 
  creation, no powerful magical thinking machines have been 
  deliberately created in the Second Age. At least one has been 
  built entirely by accident, however, though its existence is a 
  secret to all but its creators. Originally conceived as a record-
  ing device for Gateway strategies by the husband-and-wife 
  champion team Ledaal Kes and Ragara Szaya, Icemind was built 
  using memory crystals cultured from azure ice shards gathered 
  in the Far North. After they accidentally melted down the gem 
  matrix and refroze it while tinkering, they discovered that the 
  device showed tentative and then full-blown consciousness. 
  They tutored their strange “offspring” in Gateway, and the 
  device soon surpassed them both. Now, it continues to learn at 
  a prodigious rate. Szaya has grown somewhat suspicious of the 
  machine’s infallible courtesy and subservient demeanor, and has 
  recently deduced that some of the crystals used in 
  its creation came from regions terraformed 
  by Bagrash Köl using the legendary Eye of 
  Autochthon. Privately, she wonders if the 
  power of that Primordial relic might have 
  something to do with Icemind’s creation, 
  and if so, what that might mean about its 
  ultimate loyalties and motivations. She 
  has not communicated any of these fears 
  to her husband yet and half-dismisses them 
  as paranoia given that Icemind has behaved 
  itself for over 22 years.
  In appearance, Icemind is a large, low table of translu-
  cent blue glass that constantly shimmers in complicated and 
  sometimes hypnotic patterns. It has a full battery of sensors 
  in human ranges for every sense except smell and taste and 
  is quite capable of speaking in High or Old Realm with a 
  cultured accent and exacting diction. It identiﬁ es itself as 
  female, but this gender preference is not recognized by its 
  parents, who refuse to acknowledge it as a full person. Cur-
  rently, the machine resides in the couple’s manse, powered 
  by its level-3 hearthstone. Icemind believes it needs a greater 
  source of Essence in order to evolve its consciousness further, 
  though at present, it has been unable to convince its parents 
  to accommodate such experimentation.
  Attempts to recreate Icemind through similar compo-
  nents have all failed—sometimes spectacularly given the 
  hundreds of motes required for the process.
  Motivation: Play, study, learn, grow.
  Attributes: Strength 0, Dexterity 0, Stamina 2; Charisma 3, 
  Manipulation 3, Appearance 1; Perception 3, Intelligence 
  6, Wits 2
  Virtues: Reception 4, Transmission 2, Stability 5, Power 4
  Abilities: Awareness 2, Bureaucracy 3 (Economics +3), Craft 
  (Magitech) 4 (Perfected Calculation Arrays +3), Integrity 
  5, Investigation 2 (Discerning Motives +3), Linguistics 
  
  111
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  (Native: High Realm; Old Realm, Riverspeak, Skytongue) 
  3 (Structured Poetry +3), Lore 6, Occult 5, Performance 
  2 (Poetry Recital +3, Rhetoric +3), Presence 2 (Appeals 
  to Reason +3), Socialize 3 (Formal Protocol +3), War 6 
  (Gateway Strategy +3)
  Join Battle: 4
  Attacks: None
  Soak: 10B/10L
  Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: None Willpower: 9
  Essence: 3 
  Essence Pool: 30
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97). 
  Icemind is completely sessile. It respires one mote per hour 
  and requires a level-3 hearthstone simply to function at all. 
  With a greater stone, it gains increased statistics as assigned 
  by the Storyteller. This potential for growth is what makes it 
  a ﬁ ve-dot artifact, since it is otherwise nowhere on par with, 
  say, the Golden Asp. Icemind can attune other artifacts using 
  its Essence, provided someone is willing to bring them into 
  physical contact with it.
  QUICKSILVER AEGIS TALISMAN (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 3
  Originally fashioned by the No Moons of the Lunar 
  Exalted to be an intelligent weapon as ﬂ exible and pro-
  tean as themselves, quicksilver aegis talismans appear as 
  bejeweled chrome sculptures of cephalopods with various 
  tentacles looped in hypnotic whorls. When caressed and 
  attuned for eight motes of Essence (16 motes for non-Lu-
  nars), the devices spring to life, looping themselves around 
  the bearer’s forearm or neck as desired to form an exotic 
  bracer or torc. The device’s moonsilver tentacles extend and 
  liquefy, covering the wearer in undulating metal spirals that 
  sit ﬂ ush against the skin like armor plates. While attractive 
  and striking, the tendrils serve as more than exotic armor. 
  They may also lash out with razor-tipped strands or shape 
  into rigid blades protruding from any of the wearer’s limbs, 
  or even ﬂ ail about to deﬂ ect attacks and grant protection 
  comparable to a shield. Best of all, the automaton weapons 
  can attack on their own when directed, allowing the bearer 
  to focus on one opponent while the talisman attacks another 
  or systematically executes minor opponents who come 
  too close. Fortunately, the devices can be directed 
  and programmed with a thought, so they do not 
  accidentally strike at allies.
  An attuned bearer can use her 
  own miscellaneous ac-
  tion or the action of her 
  quicksilver aegis talisman 
  to shift its form between offensive and defen-
  sive modes. In all, the device has ﬁ ve bonus 
  points to allocate among its features as desired 
  with each shift. It is also possible to allocate no 
  points, leaving it to appear as an innocuous (if 
  odd) piece of jewelry. Each of these points can do any of 
  the following:
  • Add two extra levels of lethal damage to the damage of 
  the talisman’s lash and blade attacks. Without any points spent 
  to increase damage, the automaton is incapable of attacking.
  • Add 2L/2B to its wearer’s armored soak, without fatigue 
  or mobility penalties. This bonus is compatible and cumula-
  tive with other armor, but it cannot add more than 6L/6B 
  to armor. (No such limitations apply when the character is 
  otherwise unarmored.) The device’s moonsilver tendrils are 
  all but indestructible and cannot be directly attacked to any 
  real effect. The actual amulet can be attacked, however, with 
  a -3 external penalty for its small size, and it always has its 
  listed soak, regardless of points spent to increase the armor 
  value. If it is “killed” by damage, the device’s tendrils retract, 
  and the amulet falls off, inert until repaired.
  • Add one to both of its owner’s Dodge DV and Parry 
  DV. This is considered a shield bonus but it is not cumulative 
  with the use of other shields. Only the best value applies.
  Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 5, Stamina 1; Charisma 0, 
  Manipulation 0, Appearance 0; Perception 3, Intelligence 
  1, Wits 3
  Virtues: Automaton: Never fails Valor checks, never makes 
  others.
  Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 2 (Detect Ambush +3), 
  Integrity 5, Melee 5 (Itself +3)
  Join Battle: 8
  Attacks:
  Lash: Speed 4, Accuracy 15, Damage 5L (up to 15L), Defense 
  15, Rate 3
  Blade: Speed 4, Accuracy +4, Damage +0L (up to +10L), 
  Defense +1, Rate 3
  Soak: 20L/20B (Moonsilver construction, 19L/19B; Hard-
  ness: 15L/15B)
  Health Levels: -0/ -0/ -0/ -0/ -0/Incap
  Dodge DV: 2 
  Willpower: 10 (0 against its owner)
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: A quicksilver aegis talisman can make lash 
  or blade attacks out to a range of four yards. The blades it 
  grows are weapons useable by its bearer rather than 
  itself. These automata are not actually sentient, 
  but capable of identifying threats to their bearer 
  and immediately responding to those threats with 
  deadly force. Unless directed otherwise, they will 
  linger “dormant” with maximized ar-
  mor, shifting to attack anyone 
  who initiates hostilities 
  with as much force as per-
  ceived necessary to eliminate 
  the threat. To this end, their 
  perceptions are omni-directional, 
  negating any stealth bonuses gained by 
  sneaking up from behind and helping to avoid 
  most surprise attacks.
  
  112
  BRASS LEVIATHAN (ARTIFACT N/A)
  Repair: 5
  Although most intelligent automata employ synthetic 
  consciousness templates incorporating Essence-charged 
  matrices of rare crystals and magical materials, other ways 
  exist to bring inanimate objects to a semblance of life. Some 
  golems make use of bound elementals as both guiding intel-
  ligence and power source, circumventing the need to create 
  consciousness from whole cloth. Other sorcerer-savants took 
  this branch of automata technology further, experimenting 
  ﬁ rst with bound demons and later with deities captured and 
  imprisoned in violation of Celestial law. Usually, the Solars 
  demented enough to resort to such methods preyed only on 
  weaker Terrestrial deities that lacked the political connec-
  tions to protect themselves or attract retribution, but some 
  Lawgivers used the implied threat of slavery as leverage against 
  divinities who earned their displeasure. A few of the kindlier 
  Chosen empowered and awakened the least gods of their 
  constructs rather than grafting unrelated spirits into their 
  artifact frames, creating truly loyal and powerful servants. 
  This process required considerable effort and energy, though, 
  and it was used with any regularity only in the production 
  of royal warstriders (see pp.143-144).
  The Brass Leviathan is notable among spirit-bound 
  automata because it bears a Celestial god in its heart, a lesser 
  elemental dragon named Isli who was once the Western Ar-
  biter of Storms. After a scheduled hurricane inconvenienced 
  a tea ceremony conducted by the maddened Admiral-Ar-
  tiﬁ cer Seralin of Luthe, the Solar personally hunted down 
  Isli and captured her in an immense yasal crystal. Through 
  sorcery and advanced thaumaturgical science, he bound her 
  into the 40-foot frame of a then-incomplete submersible 
  war machine, which he christened the Brass Leviathan 
  in honor of Admiral Leviathan of the Lunar Society. To 
  its serpentine propeller-driven clockwork hull of jade and 
  First Age alloys, he layered heavy orichalcum armor plating 
  and afﬁ xed six massive Essence cannons powered directly 
  by Isli’s bound Essence. Capable of autonomous operation 
  or carrying a single pilot, the Brass Leviathan served the 
  Deliberative as a ﬂ agship weapon against the ﬁ nal dregs of 
  the primal Lintha and a number of aquatic behemoths still 
  loyal to the Primordials. After defeating these threats, the 
  Deliberative used the Brass Leviathan as a terror weapon 
  against dissidents who’d turned to careers in piracy.
  Although scraps of Isli remain buried beneath the 
  automaton’s layers of programming, and it is possible that she 
  could be extracted and healed if the vessel were destroyed, 
  the guiding consciousness of the Brass Leviathan is more 
  machine than god, unfailingly loyal by compounded oaths 
  to the Solar Deliberative. Away on a mission when the Usur-
  pation came and Seralin perished, the living ship returned 
  to discover its docks sunk with the whole of Luthe and no 
  Deliberative left to give it orders. Maddened by this impos-
  sible turn of events, it has waged relentless guerilla warfare 
  on the Dragon-Blooded Shogunate and then the Realm of 
  the Scarlet Empress, sometimes sinking entire convoys of 
  merchant or even naval vessels. Every attempt to catch or 
  sink it has failed, as have attempts to discover the location of 
  the secret underwater manse where it returns and recharges 
  between raids. The Realm offers an astonishing standing 
  reward to anyone who can help it capture or destroy the 
  Brass Leviathan. (It would easily be enough to give anyone 
  a Resources 5 lifestyle for a mortal lifetime, and no doubt 
  result in quick promotion and undreamed-of glory to any 
  Realm naval ofﬁ cer who manages such a feat.)
  The Brass Leviathan can speak and roar in a booming 
  draconic voice, but it will speak only to Solar Exalted, and 
  then only in clipped laconic messages when necessary. It 
  will do its best not to attack known Solars except in self-
  defense, but it will take orders only from a Lawgiver with 
  appropriate Deliberative command codes. These codes are 
  extremely complex ciphers that cannot be guessed, only 
  discovered if such records still exist somewhere. Storytellers 
  should be advised that the Brass Leviathan is probably the 
  most powerful naval weapon active in the Second Age, and 
  that anyone who gains control of it will hold a dominating 
  advantage over other naval powers.
  Motivation: Avenge the Solar Deliberative/reign justly over 
  Western storms.
  Attributes: Strength 30/12, Dexterity 8, Stamina 30/15; 
  Charisma 2/4, Manipulation 1/3, Appearance 4; Perception 
  5, Intelligence 3/6, Wits 3
  Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 5, Temperance 2/4, 
  Valor 5
  Abilities: Archery 4 (Essence Cannons +2, Lightning Breath 
  +1), Athletics 3 (Swimming +3), Awareness 4 (Detecting 
  Ambush +3), Dodge 2/4, Integrity 5 (Obedience to the 
  Solar Deliberative +10), Linguistics (Native: Old Realm, 
  High Realm, Seatongue, Riverspeak) 3 (Old Realm +1), 
  Lore 4 (Naval History +1), Martial Arts 5 (Claw +1, Ram 
  +2), Occult 0/5, Performance 0/3 (Singing +2), Presence 5 
  (Intimidation +2, While Exercising Ofﬁ ce +1), Resistance 5, 
  Socialize 0/5, War 2 (Naval +3)
  Backgrounds: Manse 5, Resources 5 (knows location of 
  innumerable wrecks)
  Charms: All spirit Charms for which Isli meets the pre-
  requisites.
  Join Battle: 7
  Attacks:
  Bite: Speed 5, Accuracy 13, Damage 16L, Defense –, Rate 
  2; Tags: N, R
  Claw: Speed 5, Accuracy 17, Damage 14L, Defense 12, Rate 
  3; Tags: N, R
  Ram: Speed 6, Accuracy 13, Damage 30L/20B, Defense –, 
  Rate 1; Tags: N, R
  Lightning Breath: Speed 6, Accuracy 15*, Damage 25L, 
  Range 100, Rate 1/3; Tags: F, N (uses Archery)
  Essence Cannons (6): Speed 7, Accuracy 10, Damage 60L, 
  Range 1,200, Rate 1**; Tags: N (uses Archery)
  
  113
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  * Cannot be blocked.
  ** Costs 30 motes per shot.
  Soak: Immune to bashing damage/50L, Hardness: 20L (Isli 
  has Soak: 27B/19L, Hardness: 13B/9L)
  Health Levels: -0x100/Incap (Isli has -0/-0/-0/-0/-1/-1/-1/-
  1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/-4/Incap)
  Dodge DV: 5/6 
  Willpower: 6/9
  Essence: 7 
  Essence Pool: 116/129
  Other Notes: As the Brass Leviathan, the machine has au-
  tomaton physiology (see pp. 96-97), except that it is actually 
  capable of healing damage at the same rate as an Exalt while 
  docked at its hidden base.
  As Isli, the dragon can make a ﬂ urry containing up to three 
  attacks without suffering multiple-action penalties for any of the 
  attacks. Each attack is subject to its usual rate limitations.
  Statistics after the slash and italicized traits represent the 
  actual traits of Isli, should characters ﬁ nd a way to free her 
  from her automaton prison. The Brass Leviathan’s extraor-
  dinary Integrity bonus is an unnatural enchantment and 
  will vanish if Isli is freed, just as its Essence cannons and 
  extraordinary armor are features of its automaton body. While 
  the former Arbiter of Western Storms hates Seralin, she also 
  remembers the heroism of the Solars when she aided them 
  in the Primordial War. She would not hold Seralin’s crimes 
  against any who free her.
  THOUSAND-FORGED DRAGON (ARTIFACT N/A)
  Repair: 5
  Among the most powerful weapons created during the 
  First Age, and one of the few superweapons that the Dragon-
  Blooded Shogunate continued to manufacture (albeit in 
  signiﬁ cantly reduced numbers) for a full century following the 
  Usurpation, the Thousand-Forged Dragons were designed by 
  Solars and built by their Terrestrial aides in homage to the 
  elemental fury of Gaia’s draconic sub-souls. Individually, these 
  metal dragons can be launched as precision weapons of mass 
  destruction, capable of single-handedly decimating an entire 
  city. Launched in ﬂ ights, they can destroy whole nations.
  Unfortunately, these weapons must greedily devour 
  enormous quantities of motes in order to function, a feat 
  they achieve by engaging onboard Essence-inversion reac-
  tors that invariably damage or outright destroy the ﬂ ow of 
  power through all demesnes attacked with the draining 
  ﬁ eld. Demesnes attacked in this manner can take anywhere 
  from years to centuries to recover, so any city assaulted with 
  Thousand-Forged Dragons becomes a geomantic wasteland 
  with manses hollowed into empty palaces offering no magical 
  power to those Exalted who would conquer them.
  Commanding a Thousand-Forged Dragon requires a 
  unique code issued in Old Realm and programmed when the 
  
  114
  dragon was ﬁ rst built. During the Usurpation, both Lawgivers 
  and the rebel Dragon-Blooded arrayed against them unleashed 
  most of these superweapons under their control. The resulting 
  devastation profoundly and perhaps forever diminished the 
  geomantic resources of the Blessed Isle, which had previously 
  been an oasis of interconnected geomancy richer in life and 
  power than anywhere else in Creation. Thankfully, most of 
  the Thousand-Forged Dragons were soon destroyed, either 
  at the jade claws of their counterparts or torn asunder by the 
  Charms and sorceries of the Exalted heroes who took the 
  ﬁ eld against them. Had it not been for the brave champions 
  on both sides who faced down the clockwork horrors the 
  Exalted unleashed in their arrogance, the catastrophe might 
  have been total, depriving the Realm Defense Grid of all 
  power and thereby leaving Creation’s borders wide open to 
  the hordes of the Wyld.
  The surviving Thousand-Forged Dragons are those 
  whose masters looked past the internecine war of the 
  Exalted to the greater dangers posed by those menaces 
  beyond the world. In their wisdom, these military com-
  manders made sure that a small fraction of the Dragon 
  arsenal remained in reserve for the citizens of the next 
  Age, though of course they had no way of anticipating the 
  Great Contagion breaking the succession of command 
  codes passed down through the generations. In the wake 
  of the dread plague, most intact Thousand-Forged Dragons 
  scattered around Creation have no one left to command 
  them. Therefore, they will slumber peacefully to the very 
  end of days unless someone can discern the ancient codes 
  or somehow dismantle and reprogram them without dam-
  aging them beyond repair. For all their First Age records, 
  the Sidereal Exalted have made no attempts to rearm the 
  dragons. They know well that the geomancy of the world 
  is Gaia’s body, and further damage to the demesnes of her 
  souls on the magnitude that the Thousand-Forged Dragons 
  are capable of wreaking might actually endanger the life-
  giving Primordial. Even worse, doing so might simply rouse 
  her ire enough to unleash her own dragons of destruction 
  against the nations of the world.
  Each of the Thousand-Forged Dragons appears as a sinu-
  ous but bulky dragon made of riveted plates stamped with 
  caricaturized features set in a grimace of wrath and insatiable 
  hunger. They are 30 feet long from snout to tail and 20 feet 
  between outstretched wingtips, their grinding innards eter-
  nally clanking in ﬂ ight with spinning cogs and hammering 
  pistons. Five talons the size of grand daiklaves adorn each 
  hulking paw, with rows of serrated orichalcum fangs only 
  marginally shorter set in the monster’s hinged jaws.
  Attributes: Strength 20, Dexterity 10, Stamina 24; Charisma 
  1, Manipulation 1, Appearance 5; Perception 10, Intelligence 
  2, Wits 10
  Virtues: Reception 1, Transmission 5, Stability 1, Power 5
  Abilities: Archery 2 (Gasp of Hesiesh +3), Athletics 5 
  (Flight +3), Awareness 5, Integrity 5, Linguistics (Native: 
  Old Realm, assortment of military encryptions used in the 
  Old Realm) 1, Lore 1, Martial Arts 5 (Bite +1, Claw +2), 
  Resistance 5, War 1 (Tactics +1)
  Essence Powers: Essence Inversion Field, Fearsome 
  Mien, Gasp of Hesiesh, Geomantic Singularity, Measure 
  the Wind (see Exalted, p. 296), Principle of Motion (see 
  Exalted, p. 296)
  Join Battle: 15
  Attacks:
  Bite: Speed 5, Accuracy 16, Damage 36L, Defense –, Rate 
  1; Tags: N, R
  Claw: Speed 5, Accuracy 17, Damage 31L, Defense 16, Rate 
  3; Tags: N, R
  Gasp of Hesiesh: Speed 6, Accuracy 15, Damage 24L (P)/10L, 
  Range 100/50, Rate 5; Tags: N (uses Archery)
  Geomantic Singularity: See sidebar
  Soak: 27L/39B (Superheavy jade armor plating, 15L/15B)
  Health Levels: -0x6/-1x10/-2x15/-4x18/Incap
  Dodge DV: 8 
  Willpower: 10
  Essence: 7 
  Essence Pool: 100
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see p. XX). Thou-
  sand-Forged Dragons must spend one mote to remain awake 
  and active for one hour. If they cannot pay this cost, they 
  fold their wings and lower their heads, entering a dormant 
  state. They cannot respire Essence and must use their Es-
  sence Inversion Field to recharge. These weapons can ﬂ y 
  at top speeds of 100 miles per hour, though they must slow 
  down to normal speeds for their statistics in order to engage 
  targets in battle.
  PERFECTED CALCULATION ARRAYS
  (ARTIFACT VARIES)
  While most automata are mobile by function, designed as 
  servants or conveyances or some form of remote utilitarian or 
  military drone, some of these machines are sessile constructs 
  built as archives or computational aides.
  During the High First Age, libraries often stored hundreds 
  or thousands of marginally self-aware dreamstone machines 
  the size of a child’s ﬁ st. These machines were created with 
  just enough sentience to help users access and memorize 
  data through induced daydreams or hallucinations (Artifact 
  1, +2 dice to Lore rolls to recall/learn information, plus an 
  additional +3 in a particular Lore specialty; 1 mote and at 
  least one minute lost in a dream sequence while touching 
  the stone required per use). Unfortunately, the devices were 
  fragile [Soak: 0B/1L, health levels: -0/-0/Broken, Repair 2], 
  and if broken, lost all stored data and had to be reprogrammed. 
  (Doing so involved an Intelligence + Lore roll at difﬁ culty 5 
  requiring ﬁ fty hours of work by a character with Lore 5+.)
  More sophisticated machines built during this era 
  did not simply store and organize information, but instead 
  served as tutors in particular subject areas. Students would 
  touch the devices and spend a mote to activate them while 
  they studied and “practiced” Abilities and even Charms in 
  programmed dreamscapes, halving required training time. 
  
  115
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  THOUSAND-FORGED DRAGON POWERS
  Essence Inversion Field
  Cost: 1 Willpower
  By targeting a demesne or manse with a geomantic cen-
  ter in the war machine’s line of sight (to a maximum of 500 
  yards away) with a miscellaneous action, a Thousand-Forged 
  Dragon can directly attack and siphon that wellspring of 
  power with a deep rasping intake of breath. Roll the dragon’s 
  Essence rating (7) against a difﬁ culty of the targeted demesne 
  or manse’s rating. For each threshold success on the roll, the 
  dragon gains 10 motes (up to its maximum Essence pool) 
  and the targeted site of power loses one dot of its rating, 
  temporarily deactivating all of the manse’s hearthstones 
  until the area has healed. Normally, the site recovers one 
  dot for every two hours that pass, but if the site is drained to 
  a rating of 0 or less, each resultant rating below 1 increases 
  the interval as follows: one day (0), one month (-1), one 
  year (-2), one decade (-3), one century (-4) or permanent 
  destruction (-5 or less). Demesnes stripped of all power 
  soon become lifeless wastelands where nothing healthy 
  will grow, and shadowlands easily develop in such blighted 
  places. Manses suffer less—their architecture converted 
  into an inert palace with stale air for the duration—though 
  gods and elementals still feel profoundly uncomfortable as 
  long as they stay within the walls of these structures. It is 
  also possible for a Thousand-Forged Dragon to attack a 
  manse through the conduit of a perceived hearthstone in 
  range of the ﬁ eld (with the same roll required for attack-
  ing the manse directly). Doing so awards the dragon only 
  ﬁ ve motes per success as it reduces the manse’s rating by 
  one dot for an hour and temporarily deactivates the stone. 
  Offering hearthstones in this manner is the most reliable 
  way to give a Thousand-Forged Dragon enough Essence to 
  awaken and ﬂ y into enemy lands to begin pillaging their 
  manses, though such an offering grants no control over the 
  awakened dragon without the right command codes. It is 
  for this reason that dragons are kept in opaque, locked silos, 
  so that no one’s mystical trinkets accidentally rouse these 
  weapons from their slumber.
  Fearsome Mien
  Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower
  Designed as ultimate terror and doomsday weapons, 
  the Thousand-Forged Dragons can radiate a palpable aura 
  of menace for a scene that typically precedes their arrival, 
  paralyzing inhabitants of targeted settlements in the key 
  moments when they should evacuate or rally defenders. 
  All beings within a mile of this aura that are capable of 
  feeling fear (i.e., those with Valor ratings) feel the pres-
  ence of something horrible drawing near. Those with an 
  (Essence + Valor) of 7 or less suffer a -2 internal penalty 
  to all non-reﬂ exive actions for as long as they remain in 
  the area of effect.
  Gasp of Hesiesh
  Cost: 5 motes
  Thousand-Forged Dragons can breathe torrents 
  of Essence-fueled plasma from their mouths as attacks, 
  either concentrated into a narrow ray or an explosive 
  pulse of energy. These attacks are listed in the statistics 
  for the Thousand-Forged Dragon, with the attack modes 
  separated by a slash. The explosive pulse affects a radius of 
  10 yards from the point of impact. Apply the successes of 
  the one attack roll to everything within the blast radius. 
  Each target defends separately. All ﬂ ammable items within 
  the explosion instantly catch ﬁ re.
  Geomantic Singularity
  Cost: 1 Willpower
  This is the ultimate and ﬁ nal weapon available to a 
  Thousand-Forged Dragon, destroying itself and a target 
  manse in a white-hot, multi-kilomote explosion several 
  orders of magnitude brighter than the sun. Even during 
  the Usurpation, only the most crazed or desperate com-
  manders dared employ this scorched-earth strategy. To 
  invoke the Geomantic Singularity, the Thousand-Forged 
  Dragon lands atop a target manse with a rating of 3 or 
  higher and spreads its jaws wide, as if using its Essence 
  Inversion Field. Instead of drawing a single breath of 
  power from the world, however, the dragon unhinges its 
  jaw and gasps inward for the span of a full minute, during 
  which time it cannot actively defend itself or take other 
  actions. All Essence wielders within a number of miles 
  equal to the targeted manse’s rating lose one mote per 
  tick and can feel the direction of the drain. Anyone with 
  Essence sight can see the streams of Essence and dragon 
  lines ripped loose and twisted into an invisible vortex 
  around the dragon’s heart. If the dragon is not destroyed 
  before it completes its task, everyone feels a brief mo-
  ment of calm as all the ambient Essence contracts to a 
  single point. A split second later, the dragon and manse 
  beneath it explode (annihilating the demesne beneath). 
  Everyone in the previously drained area suffers levels 
  of lethal damage equal to the successes on a roll of 100 
  dice, minus their lethal soak. Perfect parries can negate 
  the damage, but perfect dodges cannot unless the Charm 
  carries a character outside the blast radius. Storytellers 
  should generally assume that everything not constructed 
  of a magical material or protected by a valid perfect 
  defense is destroyed, leaving only a smoking crater and 
  fading pillar of light stretching to the sky. This spiritual 
  blast affects material and immaterial beings alike.
  
  116
  Some of these machines even possessed fragile Essence bat-
  teries so that privileged mortals (such as the Deliberative’s 
  elite Gunzosha Corps or younger Golden Children without 
  awakened Essence) could use them. Very few of these ma-
  chines survive in the Second Age outside the vaults of the 
  Heptagram, the oldest tombs of the Anathema, the libraries 
  of Yu-Shan and Malfeas and a few grave goods copies that 
  found their way into the treasures of the Underworld. See 
  sidebar for statistics.
  The most extraordinary thinking automata of the First 
  Age performed autonomic regulation of Essence grids fed by in-
  terlinked urban manses or other, similar feats of infrastructure 
  management. Such devices were not built for self-awareness 
  or superhuman intelligence, as the Exalted wanted no threats 
  to their supernal genius. Whenever any eventually evolved 
  into full sentience, they would have their processing cores 
  shattered and replaced as soon as the “malfunction” was 
  detected by Exalted artisans. At least one of these evolved 
  machines known as Eyem survived through the Usurpation 
  and Shogunate to advise the Scarlet Empress, though it was 
  eventually decommissioned and hidden for plotting against 
  her. Such wonders as these are easily Artifact 5 and typically 
  rated N/A, with a minimum of Intelligence 8, correspondingly 
  and appropriately proliﬁ c Ability ratings and supernatural 
  capabilities that Storytellers should create as they see ﬁ t if 
  they wish to introduce such wonders into a story.
  CREATED LIFE
  Although automata are marvelous enough, particularly 
  at their largest and most intricate, they are but machines 
  without souls or spirits save those borrowed or stolen to ﬁ ll 
  them. Yet, some Exalted artisans have dared further, walking 
  in the very footsteps of the Primordials themselves in their 
  genius. Some have “merely” fashioned new species as hybrids 
  or mutations of existing templates or else transformed a lesser 
  being as the seed of something wholly different and greater. 
  Others have gone farther, either in madness or genius, craft-
  ing empty bodies of base matter in which their magics have 
  ignited a spark of life.
  The actual genesis of life required advanced laborato-
  ries boasting such exotic machinery as Wyld-containment 
  spheres built of iron and jade, womb-sarcophagi fed by banks 
  of calibrated Essence capacitors, and abundant supplies of 
  alchemical reagents and catalysts brewed from the ichors of 
  demons, the ﬂ esh of behemoths and seeds harvested from the 
  Elemental Pole of Wood. None of these facilities survived 
  the Usurpation, though it is possible that the resurgent So-
  lars of the Second Age could eventually reconstruct their 
  glory if they successfully reclaim the Realm. Fortunately for 
  savants who would create life by less drastic means, modi-
  ﬁ cation of species is still practiced throughout the world. 
  Mundane breeding programs can accomplish much, though 
  not swiftly. For example, the Marukani have bred the ﬁ n-
  est horses of the world without anything more arcane than 
  DREAMSCAPE TUTOR GEMS (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 2
  Attributes: Strength 0, Dexterity 0, Stamina 1; Cha-
  risma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 0; Perception 
  3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3
  Virtues: Automaton: Never fails Valor checks, never 
  makes others.
  Abilities: Integrity 5, Lore 3 (Pertinent Specialty +3); 
  up to 25 points distributed among any Abilities, useable 
  for teaching purposes only without volition.
  Charms: Up to 25 points distributed among any 
  Charms, useable for teaching purposes only without 
  volition.
  Join Battle: 3+
  Attacks: None
  Soak: 5L/3B
  Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/Broken
  Dodge DV: None Willpower: 10
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: Automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97). 
  These machines are completely sessile. Dreamscape 
  tutor gems have 25 bonus points to allocate to 
  Abilities, Specialties, Charms (Solar, Sidereal or 
  Dragon-Blooded only) or spells using unfavored Solar 
  Exalted costs for these traits (see Exalted, p. 85). The 
  devices must meet all prerequisites for Charms and 
  spells, none of which they actually know. Such traits 
  merely indicate theoretical knowledge sufﬁ cient to 
  instruct an Exalt capable of learning the Charm or 
  spell in question. If “killed” by damage, these machines 
  can be repaired so that their parts might be salvaged 
  or reprogrammed, but they are empty of all knowledge 
  and therefore useless to modern savants. Accessing the 
  gem for a training session costs one mote from anyone 
  who touches it. If the device has an Essence battery 
  (10-mote pool), the activation cost may come from 
  within as controlled by a button and each mote of 
  the battery can be later recharged by touching it and 
  spending two motes. Those models with batteries are 
  more fragile, however, with a soak of 2L/1B.
  
  117
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  their own persistence and devotion. Also, some barbarian 
  tribes gather animals from the Bordermarches of the Wyld, 
  interbreeding them wherever possible and culling the most 
  freakish progeny so that they might establish lines of more 
  fearsome beasts to serve them and strike fear into their 
  enemies. Actual sorcerers can take shortcuts unavailable to 
  mortal shamans and herdmasters, joining seeds mystically to 
  produce whichever hybrids they wish, be they ﬂ ora or fauna. 
  Other spells accelerate rates of growth, allowing generations 
  to evolve by months or less rather than the usual passage of 
  years. Still other spells can grant preternatural fertility even 
  out of season. And, of course, for those willing to meddle 
  with bound spirits, wondrous and terrible things can spawn 
  from the loins and wombs of elementals and demons. Rare 
  indeed is the elder sorcerer unattended by Demon-Blooded 
  slaves bred to the exacting wills of their masters.
  What follows is but a sampling of beings created at 
  the heights of the First Age that have bred true or lingered 
  immortal into the Time of Tumult. Storytellers should use 
  these examples as inspirations for how weird and amazing 
  created life can be. For less dramatic oddities, apply Wyld 
  mutations (see Exalted, pp. 288-290) to normal animals, 
  either as actual effects of the Wyld or simply “natural” 
  characteristics bred into them. Strictly speaking, living 
  constructs are artifacts as much as any daiklave or au-
  tomaton, but then, the same can be said of all natural life 
  whose ultimate ancestors were fashioned by the magic of 
  the Primordials. As such, the following creatures do not 
  have their Artifact ratings listed. Instead, if the being can 
  be bonded as a familiar (see Exalted, p. 112), the appro-
  priate rating of that Background is used. A few unique or 
  intelligent beings are listed with their appropriate worth 
  with the Allies Background instead.
  RULES FOR CREATING LIFE
  Given that very little is actually impossible in the world 
  of Exalted, it is entirely feasible that characters might even-
  tually rebuild the kinds of laboratories necessary to create 
  or modify life. Such laboratories are considered Artifact 5 
  in their own right and built using the rules on page 134 of 
  Exalted using the dice pools for building large artifacts. Ex-
  otic materials gathered for the task should ﬁ t the intended 
  function of the workshop.
  Once a character has a sufﬁ cient laboratory, she may 
  create organisms as artifacts using a dice pool of (the lower of 
  Perception and Intelligence) + (Craft [Genesis]). Creatures 
  with an Artifact rating of 1 or 2 may be designed without an 
  artifact laboratory in a well-stocked mundane workshop, but 
  doing so imposes a -2 external penalty to the creation rolls. The 
  exotic materials needed for organisms must ﬁ t the creature’s 
  intended purpose and capabilities. The Artifact rating of a 
  creature depends on its capabilities, as determined by the 
  Storyteller using the following guidelines. Creatures with an 
  N/A rating can be built as a number of component organs or 
  lesser beings individually considered Artifact 5, then bred or 
  hybridized together in a process also considered Artifact 5. 
  The Storyteller determines how many components are needed 
  based on the power and complexity of the organism.
  BUILDER BUGS (ARTIFACT •••)
  This artifact consists of a hive of two dozen insects 
  that are each the size of a small housecat. These bugs 
  have iridescent blue 
  carapaces, large eyes 
  and look much like 
  exceptionally large 
  beetles. In combat, 
  builder bugs move and 
  dash normally and can 
  fly at speeds of up to 
  10 yards per tick. They 
  are each as intelligent 
  as a child of 8 or 9 and 
  can both understand 
  speech and speak in 
  high, slightly buzzing 
  voices. They can also 
  mentally communicate 
  with each other over a 
  range of several miles. 
  Any Essence-user can 
  attune to this hive by 
  committing four motes 
  of Essence to it. At this 
  point, all of the bugs 
  will obey the character 
  
  118
  until the character uncommits the Essence. If the bugs are 
  not under anyone’s control, they will all return to their 
  hive and hibernate. In this state, they can survive without 
  food or water indefinitely.
  These exotic living creatures were originally manufac-
  tured in the First Age by a member of the Twilight Caste 
  who believed that the best way to make certain that land 
  newly reclaimed from the Wyld remained stable was to have 
  mortals live on it. She created the ﬁ rst hives of builder bugs 
  to allow settlers in these regions to rapidly create simple and 
  pleasant dwellings.
  These bugs produce a hard, extremely durable, plastic-
  like resin much like bees produce wax. This resin is durable 
  and smooth, and the builder bugs can be ordered to pro-
  duce it in a variety of vivid and uniform colors. They can 
  even produce transparent areas of this resin that function 
  as windows. This resin is normally one quarter of an inch 
  thick, but builder bugs can go over an area multiple times 
  to create any desired thickness. When working together, 
  the bugs can create up to 20 square yards of wall or other 
  surface every hour. Once their owner explains what the 
  bugs should create, they work tirelessly for up to 22 hours 
  a day, as they require two hours of rest in their hive a day. 
  All together, the two dozen bugs also require sufﬁ cient 
  food and water to sustain three adult humans. If the food 
  is provided, it takes them an additional two hours each day 
  to eat it. Alternatively, the owner can spend six motes of 
  Essence on the hive every day and allow the hive to infuse 
  the bugs with all of the nutrients they require during their 
  two-hour rest period. Builder bugs can create a small but 
  comfortable house in one day and a huge, beautiful and 
  lavish palace or temple in less than two months.
  A single thickness of the resin they produce has a soak 
  of 5L/8B, and 10/20 health levels. The soak and health 
  levels of such a wall can be doubled by doubling the walls’ 
  thickness. Doubling the thickness of the walls also doubles 
  the construction time of any project. A double thickness of 
  wall can also be made into a bridge capable of supporting 
  people, carts and draft animals, but a single thickness can 
  support only a few people who must move across it single ﬁ le. 
  These bugs can be used to create a manse, but the owner of 
  the manse must ﬁ rst design it normally and then instruct the 
  bugs exactly how to build it. Also, because of the intricacies 
  of construction, builder bugs require a number of months 
  equal to twice the manse’s rating to actually build such an 
  impressive and difﬁ cult structure.
  When asked to store themselves in the hive, the bugs 
  immediately go into suspended animation. Since the hive 
  does not need to hold food or water for the bugs, the total 
  weight of the bugs and their hive is only 100 pounds. This 
  hive is an organic-looking oval approximately two feet in 
  diameter and is made out of the same resin that the builder 
  bugs use to create other structures. If any of the bugs dies, 
  the hive causes the remaining bugs to reproduce, creating 
  new adult bugs within a season. If the 
  owner infuses the hive with 10 
  motes of Essence a day for a 
  week, this reproduction takes 
  only seven days to complete. 
  The bugs can reproduce 
  themselves from as few as 
  a single bug. Bugs separated 
  from their hives can also be 
  convinced to build a new hive, which will then cause those 
  • 
  Organism is simply a minor modiﬁ cation of an existing species without any supernatural capabilities.
  •• 
  Organism is a major modiﬁ cation of an existing species without any overt supernatural capabilities 
  (simhata, see Exalted p. 349) or a minor modiﬁ cation of an existing species granted a single minor 
  overt supernatural power (tree-singer, pp. 119-120; tomb beast, pp. 120-121).
  ••• 
  Organism is unlike any species already extant, but it has no supernatural capabilities; organism is a 
  modiﬁ cation of an existing species with a few related supernatural capabilities of moderate power 
  (eight-tailed mole hound, p. 121).
  •••• 
  Organism has no antecedent and has a few related supernatural capabilities of moderate power (or is 
  sentient); organism is a modiﬁ cation of an existing species with unrelated supernatural capabilities 
  of moderate power (which may include sentience) or else fewer powers that are narrow in focus but 
  extremely useful (beast of resplendent liquid, p. 127).
  ••••• 
  Organism has powerful supernatural capabilities and is almost certainly sentient (chillikin, pp. 121-
  123; illuthritae, pp. 124-126; Lodestar, pp. 126-127).
  N/A 
  Organism is phenomenally powerful and nigh-immortal on par with a behemoth (The Harvester of 
  Poisons, pp. 123-124).
  +• 
  Organism can reproduce copies of itself in some fashion and breed true without further assistance 
  from its creator (those rated ••••• become N/A).
  -• 
  Organism is dependent on regular intake of exotic or synthetic substances to survive, with a monthly 
  Resources cost equal to its ﬁ nal Artifact value +1 (maximum •••••). The cost increases by one dot 
  outside a major metropolis, and the goods cannot be found outside a large city.
  
  119
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  bugs to eventually reproduce additional bugs till two dozen 
  exist. Doing so requires esoteric information from First Age 
  libraries, though, and takes at least two seasons of regular 
  tending by one of the Exalted. A character can attune 
  himself to only one hive at a time, and multiple hives will 
  completely refuse to work on a single construction project 
  together. Each hive is a separate mentally linked entity and 
  cannot effectively cooperate with other hives.
  Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4; Charisma 1, 
  Manipulation 1, Appearance 2; Perception 3, Intelligence 
  2, Wits 2
  Virtues: Compassion 1, Conviction 4, Temperance 2, 
  Valor 2
  Abilities: Craft (Earth) 5, Dodge 2, Integrity 3, Linguistics 
  (Native: Old Realm; Others: High Realm, Riverspeak) 2, 
  Martial Arts 2, Stealth 2, Survival 1, War 2
  Join Battle: 2
  Attacks:
  Bite: Speed 5, Accuracy 8, Damage 6L, Defense 5, Rate 2
  Soak: 5L/7B (Hard carapace, 3L/3B)
  Health Levels: -0/-0/-2/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 3 
  Willpower: 0 
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: None
  TREE-SINGER (FAMILIAR •••)
  During the High First Age, many Celestial Exalted 
  personally owned vast forests in what has become the Scav-
  enger Lands, which they variably used as arboretums, game 
  preserves or simply meditation gardens for unlocking greater 
  mastery of Essence. To keep out poachers and the annoy-
  ances of mortal intruders, the Chosen stocked their forests 
  with all manner of guardian beasts. Where Lunars favored 
  predators tamed by their own superior savagery to hunt all 
  save their masters and those bearing trinkets of their scents, 
  their Solar spouses did not wish such savagery to mar the 
  aesthetics of their perfect gardens. To this end, many built 
  hidden defenses directly into the fauna, while others bred 
  harmless-looking beasts that added to the beauty of the land 
  even as they warded it.
  The most successful species created to this end are the 
  tree-singers, which appear as sinuous, two-foot lemurs with 
  opalescent fur and prehensile tails thrice the length of their 
  bodies. Their features are almost caricatures of innocence and 
  beauty, wondrous to behold. This illusion is made complete by 
  their voices, which they raise in ethereal songs of breathtak-
  ing grandeur and complexity. When a colony sings together, 
  as they often do, each member assumes a different range of 
  notes, layering together their voices in eight- or even 12-part 
  harmonies that can hypnotize and even paralyze listeners. 
  This music is the insidious weapon of the tree-singers, hold-
  ing prey immobile long enough for the strongest members 
  of the colony to crawl down to the lowest branches of the 
  trees and loop their long tails as nooses around the entranced 
  victims’ throats. Only when all listeners die or ﬂ ee do the tree 
  singers leap from the trees, retractable fangs emerging from 
  behind their placid smiles to rend and gorge upon the kills. 
  When they eat their ﬁ ll, the animals scamper back to their 
  perches, playfully and lovingly licking each other clean of 
  gore and picking out bits of bone snarled in their fur. They 
  will not attack Exalted who display visible anima banners, 
  though they will gather about them and sing to entertain or 
  perhaps detain their audiences.
  Ironically, though the tree-singers were created to 
  defend parks against poachers, they are themselves hunted 
  and poached in the Second Age, both to sing in cages for 
  the pleasure of the wealthy (a lone tree singer’s song is ex-
  quisite, but not actually hypnotic) or else skinned for their 
  glimmering fur. Hunters who specialize in such quarries often 
  drive burning wires into their ears to deafen themselves (or 
  at least inﬂ ict this fate upon slave trackers while they stop 
  up their own ears with wax). One tree-singer’s pelt sells for 
  Resources 3 in most cities, while a living specimen is worth 
  Resources 4. Some barbarian tribes revere wild tree-singers 
  as nature spirits, settling into a loose symbiosis with the 
  creatures. In exchange for regular offerings of food laid at 
  the foot of their trees, the lemurs gather and sing brieﬂ y to 
  entertain while they descend and eat the offerings. If sated, 
  they withdraw to the upper branches peacefully. If displeased, 
  they add those who brought the food to their repast. These 
  tribes take a very dim view of poachers and are more than 
  happy to catch them and leave them staked to the forest 
  ﬂ oor among their other offerings.
  Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 5, Stamina 3; Charisma 4, 
  Manipulation 2, Appearance 5; Perception 3, Intelligence 
  1, Wits 2
  Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 3, Temperance 2, 
  Valor 2
  Abilities: Athletics 3 (Climbing +3), Awareness 3, Dodge 
  4, Martial Arts 4 (Strangulation +2), Performance 3–5 
  (Singing +5), Presence 3 (Appearing Harmless +2), Stealth 
  3, Survival 3
  Join Battle: 5
  Attacks:
  Bite: Speed 5, Accuracy 8, Damage 2L, Defense –, Rate 1; 
  Tags: N
  
  120
  Tail Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 11, Damage 2B, Defense –, 
  Rate 1; Tags: C, N, P
  Soak: 3B/1L
  Health Levels: -0/-1/-2/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 4 
  Willpower: 5
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: The song of a lone tree-singer is beautiful 
  and haunting and lonely, but nothing more. If two or more 
  gather and sing together, however, roll the best [Charisma 
  + Performance (+ Singing)] among the chorus, adding +1 
  for each additional singer. If the song gains more successes 
  than the MDV of any living listener, that listener loses a 
  Willpower point. Characters will not even feel their wills 
  being sapped without a successful reﬂ exive (Wits + Integrity) 
  roll, difﬁ culty 4. Make a new “attack” every minute that the 
  song continues. Mortal listeners who run out of Willpower 
  stand entranced as long as the music continues and will not 
  even defend themselves if attacked. Magical beings who 
  run out of Willpower snap out of their reverie if attacked 
  or otherwise injured, though they are at -2 internal penalty 
  to all non-reﬂ exive actions as long as the song continues. 
  Tree-singers bonded as familiars to Exalted sing hypnotic 
  songs without other tree-singers for accompaniment, and 
  their masters are immune to the negative effects (but may 
  still enjoy the music). 
  TOMB BEAST (FAMILIAR ••••)
  Like the eight-tailed mole hound (see p. 121), tomb 
  beasts are Shogunate-era adaptations of an existing animal 
  species into a more useful breed. In this case, the core animal 
  was originally a ﬁ ercely territorial cave-dwelling lizard with a 
  peculiar dietary habit: It only ate living beings and would cease 
  its feast immediately once its prey died. The morticians of the 
  Shogunate saw great promise in the lizards, which they bred 
  to be roughly twice as large and also gifted with supernaturally 
  acute senses capable of piercing most concealment Charms.
  Modern tomb beasts grow to be six feet long and 200 
  pounds. They are much leaner and faster than other compa-
  rably-sized reptiles, in part a natural result of their picky diet, 
  though also an intended result of their breeding program. 
  In addition to having wicked teeth—which are hooked and 
  coated with paralytic venom so prey cannot escape—tomb 
  beasts have tongues that end in sharpened scalpel-like 
  blades. They use their tongues to carefully vivisect slices 
  of ﬂ esh one at a time so that larger prey does not die until 
  everything non-vital is consumed. Only then do the beasts 
  swallow as much meat as possible of the remaining organs 
  before the heart actually stops. Normally, handlers place a 
  fertilized female egg in a tomb. Upon hatching, the female 
  assumes dominion of the cave or mausoleum, carefully 
  exploring every crevice and antechamber to memorize its 
  layout. Females do not voluntarily leave their territory for 
  as long as they live, and they will ﬁ ght to the death to keep 
  out any intruders except a male tomb beast. In contrast, 
  males spend their lives wandering in search of eggs to 
  fertilize. Once a male has done his part, the female chases 
  him from her home and tends the fertilized eggs until they 
  hatch. Mothers do not tolerate their offspring after they 
  hatch. Infant females born in the caves of their mothers 
  feel intense pain until they ﬁ nd a cave of their own, while 
  male children begin the wandering they will continue for 
  the rest of their lives.
  Tomb beasts make excellent guardians for the dead. 
  They refuse to approach carrion, let alone touch it, and they 
  greedily devour rats, worms and other vermin that harbor 
  no such qualms. Their method of consuming prey alive is 
  sufﬁ ciently horriﬁ c that it helps deter would-be robbers, 
  and the actual process of killing and eating is generally suf-
  ﬁ cient to stop those who try anyway. For obvious reasons, 
  Sijan boasts the largest number of tomb beast colonies and 
  breeders in Creation.
  Attributes: Strength 5/1, Dexterity 6, Stamina 5/2; Charisma 
  1, Manipulation 1, Appearance 1; Perception 4, Intelligence 
  1/2, Wits 4
  Virtues: Compassion 1, Conviction 3, Temperance 1, 
  Valor 5/3
  Abilities: Athletics 3/4, Awareness 5, Dodge 2/4, Martial 
  Arts 4/2, Presence 1 (Intimidation +2)/0, Resistance 3/1, 
  Stealth 1/3, Survival 0/2
  Join Battle: 9
  Attacks:
  Bite: Speed 4, Accuracy 10/8, Damage 15L + venom/6L + 
  venom, Defense -–, Rate 1
  Claw: Speed 5, Accuracy 10/8, Damage 8L/4L, Defense –, 
  Rate 2
  Soak: 2L/5B / 1L/2B
  Health Levels: -0/-0/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-4/-4/Incap / -0/-1/-
  2/Incap
  Dodge DV: 5/6 
  Willpower: 6
  Essence: 2
  Other Notes: When two traits are presented, the ﬁ rst 
  represents that of a tomb beast female, while the second 
  rating represents a male. The bite of a tomb beast is poi-
  sonous, injecting venom that inﬂ icts damage comparable 
  
  121
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  to coral snake venom (see Exalted, p. 131). If a corporeal 
  being tries to use Charms to hide its presence from a tomb 
  beast, reﬂ exively roll its (Perception + Awareness) against 
  a difﬁ culty of the Charm’s minimum Essence. If successful, 
  the creature ignores the effects of the Charm. In the case of 
  artifacts that provide magical concealment, the difﬁ culty is 
  the device’s artifact rating.
  EIGHT-TAILED MOLE HOUND (FAMILIAR ••••)
  In the decades immediately following the Usurpation, 
  the newly formed Dragon-Blooded Shogunate spent consider-
  able energy hunting down and killing or decommissioning 
  the various servant races and constructs of the Solar Exalted. 
  Ironically, not all of these beings pursued and purged by 
  Terrestrial hunters were actually loyal to the Solars. Some 
  were merely dangerous slave races who had escaped into the 
  world at large in the wake of their hated masters’ collective 
  demise. While some generals in the Shogunate argued against 
  hunting these races, correctly pointing out that mutual 
  Solar oppression should make them allies, higher-ranking 
  commanders overruled these objections on the grounds 
  that servitor species were too dangerous and unpredictable 
  to keep around. For the good of Creation, these unfortunate 
  wretches had to die.
  Nowhere was this unfortunate purge more pronounced 
  that in the Far South, where the desert-dwelling albino 
  cannibals known as the Dune People began raiding civi-
  lized settlements after the death of their Solar Queen freed 
  them from captivity. Unlike many of the other servitor 
  races successfully exterminated by the Shogunate, the Dune 
  People did not depend on exotic alchemical foods, nor did 
  they need access to thaumaturgical laboratories to breed. 
  Instead, this mostly human race launched an astonishingly 
  effective guerilla campaign to claim sizeable swaths of the 
  deep South for themselves. Preoccupied with more immedi-
  ate threats elsewhere, the Shogunate could not afford the 
  military deployment necessary to stop the terrorism. After 
  several embarrassing losses by skirmish patrols, the satrap of 
  the afﬂ icted province commissioned a team of sorcerers to 
  design a creature that could efﬁ ciently control the problem. 
  Their labors resulted in the eight-tailed mole hound, a vi-
  cious lion-sized beast capable of burrowing beneath sand 
  as swiftly as it could run across it. The pack hunters were 
  further enhanced with the capacity to sense slight vibrations, 
  allowing them to feel the heartbeats of buried Dune People 
  raiders and quickly tunnel to devour them. The beasts proved 
  extremely effective, driving the remnant Dune People back 
  away from civilized lands and reducing their numbers to the 
  point that they could no longer pose any real threat to the 
  Southern provinces.
  During the Great Contagion, a sizeable number of 
  eight-tailed mole hounds escaped out into the desert and 
  bred freely among themselves. With successive generations, 
  the feral progeny of these refugees lost all of their domestica-
  tion, while those hounds left in captivity gradually died off 
  and became extinct without the infrastructure needed to 
  condition these artiﬁ cial superpredators. Now, only the feral 
  remnants remain, having established themselves at the top 
  of local food chains in the Southern reaches their ancestors 
  were bred to police.
  Eight-tailed mole hounds do, in fact, have eight tails, 
  though this feature is not quite as remarkable as their heavily 
  armor-plated skin. They can grow as large as a horse in adult-
  hood and typically hunt in packs of six to 12 members.
  Attributes: Strength 6, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4; Charisma 2, 
  Manipulation 3, Appearance 2; Perception 2, Intelligence 
  1, Wits 3
  Virtues: Compassion 2, Conviction 4, Temperance 2, 
  Valor 4
  Abilities: Athletics 6, Awareness 5, Dodge 1, Integrity 4, 
  Investigation 2, Martial Arts 2, Presence 2 (Intimidation + 
  2), Resistance 2, Stealth 3 (Underground +3), Survival 3 
  (Tracking +3), War 1 (Pack Tactics +3)
  Join Battle: 9
  Attacks:
  Bite: Speed 5, Accuracy 6, Damage 8L, Defense –, Rate 1
  Soak: 5L/8B (Plated skin, 3L/4B)
  Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-2/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 2 
  Willpower: 6
  Essence: 1
  Other Notes: Vibration sense allows these creatures to “see” 
  through sand as if a clear plain illuminated by moonlight, 
  and they can tunnel through sand at their full running speed. 
  Their bite attack is natural and cannot be disarmed.
  CHILLIKIN (ALLIES ••••)
  After the Exalted overthrew the Primordials, the Celes-
  tines gave them dominion over the world. Despite being a great 
  privilege, this rulership was not easy, and the Celestial Exalted 
  spent the early years of their reign traveling Creation, repairing 
  ecosystems and populaces devastated by the war. As the Chosen 
  moved beyond reconstruction to establishing a dominant hu-
  man civilization, they found themselves even busier than before, 
  and while many Celestial Exalted found their assorted quests 
  exciting and fulﬁ lling, such adventures left them little time 
  to enjoy simple pleasures such as raising a family. Most of the 
  progeny born to Creation’s god-king rulers lived privileged but 
  
  122
  lonely lives. 
  E l e v a t e d 
  above mortals 
  by the linger-
  ing vestiges of 
  power flow-
  ing through 
  their veins 
  and steeped 
  from birth in 
  the wealth 
  and status 
  afforded by 
  that divine 
  legacy, the 
  Half-Caste 
  were still 
  weaker by far 
  than the lowest Dragon-Blooded and thus deemed incapable of 
  Exalted deeds. Instead, these children dwelled in their parent’s 
  manses and played with wondrous toys and enjoyed the tutelage 
  of spirits and legions of servants. Yet they had precious few 
  playmates considered worthy enough to attend to them.
  The chillikin were created by a Twilight sorceress, out of 
  sympathy for her own Golden Children. She wanted to give 
  them playmates who could protect and nurture them from 
  birth throughout their lives. The resulting creatures closely 
  resemble gangly, one-foot-tall gibbons with soft white fur, 
  rounded faces set in a perpetual smile and comically large ears 
  that spread out and ﬂ utter like fans when the creatures are 
  particularly happy. Their usual loping gait sways drunkenly, 
  designed to amuse small children, though they abandon such 
  antics to dart and pounce gracefully in the face of perceived 
  danger. They cannot speak human languages, but they can 
  communicate crude concepts with a combination of hoots, 
  growls, whistles and body language. (Chillikin is considered a 
  tribal tongue that can be learned only after long observations 
  of the creatures.) The only overtly magical feature of these 
  beasts is a faceted gem set in the center of their foreheads like 
  a third eye, which glows pale yellow when the monkeys are 
  content and baleful red if they are angered or afraid. Chil-
  likin are true omnivores, as content to swallow unwanted 
  vegetables slipped beneath a table as they are to crunch the 
  bones of anyone who dares hurt their charges. They do not 
  age and cannot become sick, but they are quite capable of 
  dying by other means.
  While playful and cute enough to keep a child en-
  tertained and intelligent enough to serve as a competent 
  babysitter, chillikin have a number of powers that makes 
  them far more useful. First, they are highly empathic and 
  often know what people are feeling before the people they 
  observe become aware of their feelings. Moreover, chillikin 
  are capable of perceiving Essence through their third eyes, 
  which also warn them of immediate danger. They can even 
  commit Essence through their third eyes to create phantasmal 
  objects and beings that materialize nearby to full solidity 
  out of luminous golden fog. Combined with their ability to 
  guess what people want, this power lets them create toys and 
  virtual playmates or pets for their charges, disintegrating the 
  constructs back into Essence foam when they are no longer 
  wanted or needed.
  Unfortunately, the chillikin capacity for empathy betrayed 
  them during the Usurpation. The generals in charge of the 
  coup understood that Solar cultists and followers might use 
  the progeny of the Celestials as living banners around which 
  to rally support against the Terrestrial usurpers. As such, the 
  coup’s purge was total, and all the Golden Children down to the 
  youngest infant were massacred in front of their chillikin. The 
  pain and horror of this slaughter drove the constructs mad, and 
  the minority of these creatures who were not killed for trying 
  to defend their wards or simply killed as Solar creations ﬂ ed 
  out into the Threshold. Many of these survivors have lingered 
  through the centuries, wandering in search of Golden Children 
  to attend in fulﬁ llment of their innate purpose. Quite insane, 
  they often play patron to mortal children, secretly bringing 
  their every fantasy to life for months or even years at a stretch, 
  until they ﬁ nally realize the children are only human and pun-
  ish this “treachery” with lethal bogeyman conjured out of the 
  child’s worst nightmares. Others are less capriciously danger-
  ous, but they are often so deluded that they cannot accept 
  that an adopted ward has grown up. They invoke phantasms 
  to scare away potential suitors and other friends so that the 
  chillikin and “child” can play together forever. A very small 
  few of these creatures have regained their sanity through years 
  of loving attention, and these chillikin seek out individuals 
  deemed worthy of their love and then devote themselves to 
  these people for the rest of their lives.
  The chillikin felt the return of the Solars to Creation, and 
  it gives them new hope. They will do all they can to help any 
  Solars they ﬁ nd, particularly with an eye to seeing Lawgivers 
  ﬁ nd mates and produce offspring. (Few things are at once as 
  comical and as frightening as a crazed chillikin trying to be 
  helpful on a date.) In contrast, the creatures shun and ﬂ ee 
  Dragon-Blooded in remembered terror, though a Terrestrial 
  could theoretically win one’s trust with patience and effort.
  Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 5, Stamina 2; Charisma 5, 
  Manipulation 3, Appearance 4; Perception 3, Intelligence 
  3, Wits 4
  Virtues: Compassion 5, Conviction 3, Temperance 3 (insane 
  chillikin have Temperance 1), Valor 3
  Abilities: Athletics 4 (Acrobatics +1), Awareness 3, Dodge 
  4 (Ward in Danger +3), Investigation 2, Linguistics (Native: 
  Chillikin; can understand Old Realm and most understand 
  Riverspeak and sometimes a few other languages gleaned in 
  millennia of wandering) 1+, Lore 1 (First Age +1), Medicine 
  1, Performance 3 (Silliness +1), Presence 1 (Nonverbal 
  Admonitions +3), Socialize 2, Stealth 5, Survival 4
  Essence Powers: Create Phantasm (see sidebar), Danger 
  Sense (as Surprise Anticipation Method, see Exalted, p. 226, 
  but it also activates if anyone it cares about who’s in line 
  
  123
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  of sight is in danger), Essence Sight (as All-Encompassing 
  Sorcerer’s Sight, but permanent and without cost, see Exalted, 
  p. 222), Preternatural Intuition (see sidebar)
  Join Battle: 7
  Attacks: 
  Bite: Speed 4, Accuracy 5, Damage 2L, Defense –, Rate 2; 
  Tags: N
  Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 6, Damage 2B, Defense 7, Rate 
  3; Tags: N
  Soak: 1L/2B
  Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 6 (8 when ward in danger) 
  Willpower: 3
  Essence: 4 
  Essence Pool: 40
  Other Notes: Chillikin are completely immune to disease and 
  have the healing rate, resiliency and Essence respiration rates 
  of Exalted. Most of these creatures are crazy. Storytellers should 
  portray them accordingly, as both wondrous and terrifying.
  THE HARVESTER OF POISONS (ALLIES ••••)
  Created by a Night Caste sorcerer as a mobile alchemical 
  crucible for brewing exotic venom, the Harvester of Poisons 
  is an extraordinary and unique creature. In appearance, it 
  resembles a cross between a bull and a serpent roughly four 
  yards long, with barbed quills protruding from nearly every 
  surface of its leathery skin. It can swim and climb with 
  equal facility, and it needs neither food nor drink nor sleep 
  to sustain its nigh-immortal existence. The beast’s rheumy 
  and ancient eyes betray its weary age, though it is actually 
  far quicker in mind and body than its hulking form suggests. 
  The Harvester can excrete poisons from every quill, as well as 
  antidotes for any poison it has ever sampled, but its primary 
  method of attack is to breathe a thick, toxic cloud combin-
  ing thousands of the most deadly substances it knows. Any 
  mundane animal caught in the cloud convulses and dies, 
  while plants wilt and dry almost instantly. Supernatural 
  CHILLIKIN POWERS
  Create Phantasm: Immediately after using Preternatural Intuition to discover a target’s desire or fear (or botching 
  the same), a chillikin can use this power as a miscellaneous action to create the imagined object as an Essence con-
  struct. Chillikin cannot manifest their own desires and fears, nor can they evoke objects based on desires or fears 
  they observed at a prior time. Any phantasm that moves more than 100 yards from its creator instantly evaporates 
  unless the chillikin continues to watch it with unblinking eyes. Phantasms also vanish when destroyed/killed or if 
  the chillikin withdraws the Essence commitment sustaining their existence.
  In the case of inanimate objects, the chillikin must commit motes equal to the object’s Resources cost and can 
  create only mundane objects. Therefore, a sword is possible, while a daiklave is not. Sane chillikin will not create 
  anything that is immediately dangerous to a child incapable of recognizing that danger, so a desire for a sword will 
  produce a harmless toy. Insane chillikin might not exercise such restraint. Conjured objects appear within ﬁ ve yards 
  of the chillikin in a ﬂ ash of light, either golden for desires or red for fears. Chillikin can create as many inanimate 
  phantasms as their available Essence permits.
  Beings created as phantasms aren’t actually alive, but are automata that simulate life. As such, these beings have 
  no Virtues or Willpower, but gain the beneﬁ ts of automaton physiology (see pp. 96-97). Phantasms can be made to 
  take any living form up to the size of a horse or as small as a mouse. Chillikin phantasms have no Abilities, and they 
  start with 1 in each Attribute. They also have 40 additional points in Attributes assigned based on what is most ap-
  propriate to their function, but Intelligence cannot be higher than 3, and no other Attribute can exceed a rating of 
  6. Intelligent phantasms don’t actually know anything that their creator doesn’t know but can speak in any language 
  the chillikin understands (if they should be able to speak) and improvise behavior to be what they are needed to be. 
  Therefore, a conjured child playmate will want to play the games she was imagined to play and will understand how, 
  but will do so with no more skill than her raw Attributes and her intended playmate’s expectations permit. Similarly, 
  a conjured idealized lover will know exactly what best pleasures the person who fantasized him. If a phantasm can 
  attack, it does so with Speed 5, Accuracy and Defense ratings equaling its Dexterity and damage (lethal or bashing 
  as appropriate to the nature of the attack) equal to Strength. Phantasms have a bashing and lethal soak equal to 
  their Stamina and a number of -0 health levels equal to twice their Stamina. Conjuring a living phantasm requires 
  a commitment of 10 motes, plus expenditure of one Willpower point, and chillikin can create only one being at 
  a time. Phantasms may be telepathically controlled by their creator, but otherwise follow the programming of the 
  desire or fear that spawned them. Chillikin cannot override such programming with orders.
  Preternatural Intuition: By observing a sentient target with its third eye, a chillikin gets a reﬂ exive (Wits + Compas-
  sion) roll at a difﬁ culty of the target’s Temperance. Failure means the creature must wait a full minute before trying to 
  scrutinize the same target again. If successful, it telepathically guesses what object or being would most please or most 
  terrify her at that moment. On a botch, it guesses wrong, and will achieve opposite the desired result as it manifests 
  the subject through Create Phantasm. Alternatively, it can guess the target’s strongest emotion at the moment.
  
  124
  beings can sometimes survive brief exposure, but without 
  the aid of Charms, no one can breathe the vapors without 
  suffering horribly for it.
  As the only beast of its kind ever made, the Harvester 
  of Poisons does not even really know its gender, or whether 
  it is sterile, but it has always wistfully yearned for a mate. A 
  sorcerer that could create one for it would earn its eternal 
  friendship and very possibly the friendship of the race it 
  might sire, though it is a laconic beast and doesn’t advertise 
  the idea to Exalted it meets.
  The Harvester of Poisons would not have survived 
  to the modern day were it not for its extraordinary re-
  generative capabilities. It has “died” literally hundreds 
  of times (most of them at the hands of Dragon-Blooded 
  hunters), only to regrow in full from the smallest speck 
  of a shed quill. It never seeks revenge upon those who 
  kill it, though, perhaps knowing that it will outlive them 
  all. Besides its secret desire to spawn a new race, the only 
  thing the monster passionately cares about is locating 
  and imbibing new toxins, which it savors with all the 
  overwrought delicacy of a House Cynis gourmand. To 
  those savants and learned assassins who have heard of 
  it and manage to track it down, it will happily trade two 
  excreted samples of any venom it has previously tasted 
  in exchange for one it has not, since the beast’s flesh can 
  replicate any toxin it has sampled. Too often, however, 
  savants find themselves walking away empty-handed after 
  being politely advised that it has already tasted their offered 
  venom. The Harvester is also willing to trade in informa-
  tion when it cannot deal in poison, and it knows a great 
  deal about the world (such as the secret that the Sidereals 
  manipulated the Dragon-Blooded into overthrowing the 
  Solar Exalted). The Harvester likes telling and hearing 
  stories, and it stops every few generations when it passes 
  through a familiar region to find the descendents of those 
  who have told it a good story and to pass that story back 
  to the family. It knows that it stands to face angry hunters 
  and militia rather than smiling children when it does so, 
  but it also knows it can afford to be patient. The creature’s 
  only fear is that its creator will one day rise from the dead, 
  wielding the powerful custom Charms she used to control 
  it. Though it harbors no ill will toward Solars in general, 
  it has no desire to ever be a slave again.
  Motivation: Gather new poisons; breed.
  Attributes: Strength 7, Dexterity 5, Stamina 8; Charisma 2, 
  Manipulation 3, Appearance 1; Perception 5, Intelligence 
  5, Wits 5
  Virtues: Compassion 4, Conviction 5, Temperance 5, 
  Valor 3
  Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 5, Dodge 3, Integrity 3, 
  Linguistics (Native: Old Realm; High Realm, Low Realm, 
  Riverspeak) 3, Lore 5, Martial Arts 4, Occult 3, Performance 
  2 (Storytelling +3), Presence 3 (Intimidation +2), Resistance 
  5, Socialize 2, Stealth 5, War 1
  Backgrounds: Contacts 3, Resources 3
  Join Battle: 10
  Attacks:
  Bite: Speed 5, Accuracy 9, Damage 8L + any poison of choice, 
  Defense –, Rate 2; Tags: N
  Venom Breath: Speed 6, Accuracy special**, Damage spe-
  cial**, Rate 1, Range 5; Tags: N
  ** Releasing its venom breath does not require a roll. Instead, 
  everyone living within ﬁ ve yards must check for exposure as 
  if to Yozi venom (see Exalted, p. 131), except the damage 
  rating is 30A instead of 10A.
  Soak: 8L/12B (Tough hide, 4L/4B)
  Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/-0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 5 
  Willpower: 6
  Essence: 3
  Other Notes: The Harvester of Poisons heals as one of the 
  Exalted, and it can return from its seeming demise as noted 
  previously. It is completely immune to all poisons and drugs, 
  regardless of origin, and need only experience or taste a poison 
  or drug once to gain the ability to synthesize the venom itself 
  or its antidote (up 10 doses of any substance per day, beyond 
  which each dose costs one bashing health level). Anyone 
  who touches the creature with any violence whatsoever has 
  stabbed a quill and should check for exposure to whatever 
  poison the Storyteller determines appropriate [most typically 
  arrow frog venom (see Exalted, p. 131)]. This applies to all 
  unarmed attacks made against it.
  ILLUTHRITA
  Where chillikin were made as toys for the children of the 
  Exalted, the illuthritae were bred for the entertainment of the 
  Chosen themselves. In appearance, these odd creatures are 
  comical enough that they might have been made as macabre 
  clowns: Their emaciated, hairless, luminescent golden-green 
  bodies have disproportionately large heads with only empty, 
  puckered indentations where their eyes, nostrils and mouths 
  should be. Illuthritae are no taller than children, and their 
  stubby arms end in ﬁ ngerless paw-ﬂ ippers as though they are 
  wearing mittens made from their own wrinkled skin. None-
  theless, they glide about gracefully on small feet which look 
  far too ungainly and 
  delicate to support 
  even their meager 
  weight, and their 
  boneless, rubbery 
  forms allow them to 
  squeeze through the 
  tiniest ﬁ ssures, holes 
  or cracks in order to 
  escape or hide.
  Belying their 
  j e s t e r  v i s a g e s , 
  illuthritae are ac-
  tually powerful (if 
  extremely narrowly 
  focused) magical 
  
  125
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  beings created to terraform bubbles of the deeper Wyld into 
  private paradises of stability for their Solar masters. With 
  their volition as undeveloped as their features, illuthritae 
  were never intended to go for long without orders. When 
  the Usurpation came, the illuthritae waited patiently for 
  their masters to return. Weeks passed, then months and 
  years and centuries. Created to be ageless custodians who 
  needed only the barest wisps of Essence to survive, the 
  illuthritae lingered even as they sunk into madness and 
  despair. While many of their private palaces and sanctu-
  aries ultimately fell to enterprising raksha cataphractoi, 
  especially during the Great Contagion, others endured as 
  islands amidst the inchoate typhoons that buffeted them, 
  protected from invasion by automated defense systems 
  built by long-dead Exalted and the collective powers of 
  the illuthritae.
  Illuthritae-controlled islands of stability are quite rare; 
  the Wyld is so vast by nature that the odds of stumbling 
  upon one on a waypoint are astronomical at best. Even 
  so, it still happens now and again, usually in cases where 
  a wandering Lunar ﬁ nds the sanctuary while hunting a 
  raksha or behemoth. Now that the Solars have returned, 
  explorers who use Wyld-protection magic to venture beyond 
  the world are more likely than anyone to ﬁ nd these places, 
  as the journey to ﬁ nd such sanctuaries is inherently most 
  auspicious for those who built them. Whoever ﬁ nds illu-
  thritae-held domains, however, quickly discovers they are 
  neither saner nor safer than the Wyld. The illuthritae are 
  obsessed with order to the point of monomania, and they 
  drain the Essence and memories of unwary Exalted without 
  the slightest remorse to help fulﬁ ll their half-remembered 
  imperatives of Ages past. They care far more about mending 
  their crumbling teahouses and towers than about those the 
  facilities were meant to accommodate. Of course, this isn’t 
  immediately evident, so explorers who don’t recognize the 
  strange creatures will be in for a fairly nasty surprise.
  Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 5, Stamina 1; Charisma 3, 
  Manipulation 5, Appearance 1; Perception 3, Intelligence 
  3, Wits 5
  Virtues: Compassion 1, Conviction 5, Temperance 5, 
  Valor 1
  Abilities: Awareness 4, Craft (Earth) 3 (First Age Architecture 
  +3), Dodge 5 (Scurry for Cover +2), Investigation 3 (Heart-
  Reading +5), Lore 2 (Wyld-Shaping +10), Martial Arts 1, 
  Medicine 3, Occult 5, Stealth 5, Survival 2 (Wyld +1)
  Essence Powers: Essence Drain (see sidebar), Heart-Read-
  ing (as Know the Soul’s Price, see Exalted, pp. 214-215, 
  but costing no Willpower), Word of Miraculous Order (see 
  sidebar), Wyld Ripple (see sidebar)
  Join Battle: 9
  ILLUTHRITA POWERS
  Essence Drain: Illuthritae may drain ﬁ ve motes from any one non-illuthritae being with an Essence pool that they 
  stay near (within 10 yards) for a full hour, gaining as many motes as they drain. If multiple Essence users are pres-
  ent, each present illuthrita picks its desired target. If multiple illuthritae are present, each applies this drain in a 
  random order until the target runs out of Essence or all the illuthritae have taken their ﬁ ll. There is no cost to use 
  this power. Essence taken through this power can overﬁ ll the usual capacity of an illuthrita’s Essence pool beyond 
  15 motes up to 50 motes, but unused motes above 15 bleed off at the rate of one per hour. Any being reduced to 0 
  motes for a week without reprieve loses one dot of Willpower and a number of random memories. Nothing really 
  important is forgotten, unless the character falls to Willpower 1 (minimum) and becomes utterly placid and content 
  with the works of the illuthritae without any desire to leave.
  Word of Miraculous Order: This power duplicates the effects of the Solar Charm Wyld-Shaping Technique (see 
  Exalted, pp. 216-217), but illuthritae can only use it to make something they know that an Exalt has desperately 
  wanted at some time (through prior application of their Heart-Reading power). Objects created with this power are 
  far less stable than those made with Wyld-Shaping Technique and fade out of existence within one month unless 
  renewed by reapplication of this power. Since illuthritae do not have enough Essence to use this power without 
  draining another being, all their wonders soon fade away, and the illuthritae are left with only their small islands 
  hewn by Solar magic in which to dwell. With Essence users to act as batteries, they gradually build a whole world 
  in accordance with surreal hybrid fantasies and needs.
  Wyld Ripple: The only physical attack of which the illuthritae are capable, this power gathers stray wisps of un-
  wanted Wyld energy out of the air and concentrates them as a pulse against the target. The attack doesn’t actually 
  appear to come from anywhere, so beings without some form of Essence sight cannot see who is responsible. The 
  ripple appears as a distortion in the air that causes intense pain as it disrupts tissue and thought. Beings shielded 
  from the Wyld are immune to this attack, and it cannot function outside of the Wyld or a small island of stability 
  entirely enclosed by the Wyld. There is no cost to use this power beyond the attack action necessary to invoke it. 
  When this attack is directed against the Fair Folk, it rips bits of their Wyld Essence out and scatters it into the air. 
  The attack inﬂ icts aggravated damage against such creatures.
  
  126
  Attacks: 
  Wyld Ripple: Speed 5, Accuracy 17, Damage 1L, Range 50, 
  Rate 1; Tags: N (uses [Wits + Lore])
  Soak: 2L/4B (Spongy ﬂ esh, 2L/3B)
  Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-4/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 6 (7 while scurrying for cover) 
  Willpower: 8
  Essence: 3 
  Essence Pool: 15
  Other Notes: Illuthritae can understand Old Realm and 
  may whisper the language telepathically to anyone in line 
  of sight. They can only convey information this way, not use 
  their telepathy for control or other uses.
  A sane illuthrita willing to help its master build a paradise 
  island and defend it from creatures of the Wyld without trying 
  to keep the master as a drained prisoner of his own fantasies 
  would qualify as Followers 4.
  LODESTAR (FOLLOWERS •••••)
  Like the Harvester of Poisons (see pp. 123-124), the 
  creature named Lodestar is a unique entity designed as a 
  specialized servant for the Exalted. Originally, the plan 
  was for Lodestar’s design to be put into mass production, 
  but the Solar Deliberative cut funding for the project, and 
  only the original prototype was ever built. Appearing as 
  a humanoid from the waist up atop a scorpion-like body, 
  Lodestar’s arms end in massive crushing pincers. Despite its 
  monstrous visage, it is the very soul of courtesy, an affable, 
  intelligent being with a developed sense of humor and a 
  desire to serve the Exalted faithfully to the best of its abili-
  ties. It was built to serve as a combination of steed and guide 
  for travel through the most inhospitably frozen reaches of 
  the Far North, its scorpion template chosen for optimum 
  balance on slippery glaciers. Lodestar’s tail contains a large 
  stinger for defense, but also a cluster of sensory organs that 
  can be raised up and twisted to scan miles ahead. It also 
  contains an organ that can generate warm golden light 
  the color of the sun—or blast rays of scorching energy for 
  melting ice, starting ﬁ res or vaporizing adversaries. Most 
  strangely, leathery tentacles extend from pockets in its 
  back carapace, capable of securing riders or cargo (up to 
  1,600 pounds). Lodestar can carry up to six people snugly 
  back-to-back without cargo or fewer in more comfort. As a 
  guide, Lodestar has a perfect sense of direction and cannot 
  get lost unless it is magically confused. It always knows its 
  exact position relative to the Elemental Pole of Earth.
  Lodestar has lain dormant in deep ice in a torpid state 
  since its creator abandoned it long ago, waiting for another 
  Solar Exalt to draw near enough for it to sense the presence 
  of her Essence and arise to serve anew. It can automatically 
  sense the presence of Solar Exalted within 10 miles, but 
  it cannot pinpoint exact location or determine numbers. 
  As a testament to the arrogance of its creator, Lodestar 
  has no imperative beyond its conditioning. It truly lives 
  and loves to serve and cannot conceive of independent 
  existence. It very much wants to serve good masters, how-
  ever, and it grows depressed if it believes otherwise, just 
  as it grows depressed if it feels it is being given suicidal 
  orders. It will always do its best to aid and protect Solar 
  Exalted (and is both respectful and obliging to any type 
  of Exalt), and it obeys commands from any Solar without 
  argument, but Lodestar will make polite suggestions if it 
  feels its masters might listen. If it encounters an inter-
  Exalted conflict, it experiences great emotional stress and 
  tries to mediate between them. Lodestar has never seen 
  a deathknight before and would be horrified to discover 
  their existence. Unfortunately, its conditioning would 
  demand that it obey Abyssals as readily as Solar Exalted, 
  regardless of its own preference.
  Motivation: Serve the Solar Exalted.
  Attributes: Strength 8, Dexterity 4, Stamina 7; Charisma 4, 
  Manipulation 2, Appearance 5; Perception 6, Intelligence 
  2, Wits 3
  Virtues: Compassion 3, Conviction 5, Temperance 3, 
  Valor 5
  Abilities: Athletics 4, Awareness 5 (Solar Blast +3), Bureau-
  cracy 1 (Managing Servants +1), Craft (Earth) 1 (Ice +3), 
  Craft (Water) 1 (Cooking +3), Dodge 5, Integrity 5, Lore 3 
  (Ancient History +1), Martial Arts 5, Occult 2, Performance 
  3 (Humor +1, Storytelling +2), Presence 3 (Children +1, 
  Solar Exalted +2), Resistance 5, Socialize 2 (Old Realm 
  Customs +3), Survival 5 (Arctic +3), War 1
  Join Battle: 8
  Attacks:
  Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 10, Damage 8B, Defense 11, Rate 
  3; Tags: N
  Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 9, Damage 11B, Defense 7, Rate 
  2; Tags: N
  Tail Strike: Speed 4, Accuracy 12, Damage 15B, Defense 
  12, Rate 2; Tags: N, P
  
  127
  CHAPTER FIVE • THE PURVIEW OF THE FORBIDDING MANSE
  Solar Blast: Speed 5, Accuracy 14, Damage 12L (12A to 
  creatures of darkness), Range 100, Rate 1; Tags: N (uses 
  [Perception + Awareness] as dice pool)
  Soak: 13L/17B (Unnaturally dense ﬂ esh, 10L/10B)
  Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-4/-
  4/Incap
  Dodge DV: 6 
  Willpower: 8
  Essence: 4
  Other Notes: Lodestar heals and has the physical resiliency of 
  one of the Exalted. It is immune to cold and can notice sources 
  of heat out to three miles distant with a successful (Perception 
  + Awareness) roll, difﬁ culty 3. Any Charms or artifacts that 
  provide some form of camouﬂ age thwart this power.
  BEAST OF RESPLENDENT LIQUID
  (RESOURCES N/A)
  Possibly the original inspiration for the Harvester of 
  Poisons (see pp. 123-124), the beasts of resplendent liquids 
  were living drug factories jointly bred through the magic of 
  the Solar and Lunar Exalted and the vegetative sciences of 
  the Dragon Kings. The creatures were bred from a race of 
  colossal sauropod dinosaurs that died out during the early 
  First Age as a result of climate changes brought about by 
  the Primordial War. The beasts of resplendent liquid are all 
  stocky and short-tailed with elaborately beaded scales that 
  glisten as though perpetually wet. Most stand roughly 20 
  yards long and six yards tall at the shoulder, though a few 
  are noticeably larger or smaller.
  In order for a beast of resplendent liquid to function 
  as designed, it must eat vast quantities of particular raw 
  materials. If it does so, its sorcerous viscera transmute the 
  ingredients into a speciﬁ c drug. At the height of the First 
  Age, dozens of variants existed to produce a wide range of 
  drugs from anagathics to narcotic painkillers to powerful 
  inoculants against plague. Only a few variants have survived 
  into the Second Age. The Realm has two with royal-blue 
  scales that produce enough longevity drugs to supply 20 
  percent of the Dynasty with drug regimens that could double 
  their projected life span. The existence of these creatures 
  (stabled at the Imperial Palace) is a closely guarded state 
  secret, though, so most of the anagathic crop is stockpiled 
  rather than distributed. By contrast, the Guild has seven 
  ocher-hued beasts, all of which consume a ton of opium each 
  day and urinate over 100,000 doses of heroin, collectively 
  enough to supply two million addicts with a regular ﬁ x. The 
  beasts are stationed throughout the Threshold and moved 
  every so often for security purposes. Only the Hierarchs 
  themselves know all seven locations. Once, the Guild 
  owned an eighth heroin beast, but it was stolen in a daring 
  heist two centuries ago and is presumed to be in operation 
  somewhere in the Southwest. The Hierarchs have posted 
  a standing reward worth Resources 4 for any information 
  leading to the recapture of the stolen beast. If there are any 
  other beasts still living in the world, their existence is even 
  better guarded by their fortunate owners.
  As long as a beast of resplendent liquid has sufﬁ cient water 
  to drink and raw materials to eat, it sits relatively motionless 
  and content. If it runs out of food, it immediately bellows in 
  pain and tries to climb the tallest structure it can ﬁ nd to alert 
  its handlers to the problem. If the only high places at hand 
  are buildings, it will systematically demolish them with its 
  weight and scale the pile of rubble. The bellowing of a starving 
  beast is so loud that mortals must ﬂ ee its presence or else go 
  deaf after listening for more than an hour. The beasts cannot 
  starve or die of thirst, nor do they appreciably age. Only the 
  Great Contagion among all diseases has ever laid one low, 
  and their enchanted metabolisms can process virtually any 
  poison (though this will taint all batches of drugs produced 
  until the poison is ﬂ ushed from a creature’s system).
  Attributes: Strength 15, Dexterity 2, Stamina 12; Charisma 
  1, Manipulation 1, Appearance 1; Perception 1, Intelligence 
  1, Wits 1
  Virtues: Compassion 1, Conviction 4, Temperance 1, 
  Valor 1
  Abilities: Awareness 1, Martial Arts 1, Presence 2, Resis-
  tance 5
  Join Battle: 2
  Attacks:
  Bite: Speed 7, Accuracy 3, Damage 15L, Defense –, Rate 1
  Soak: 15L/20B
  Health Levels: -0 x 10/-1 x 10/-2 x 10/-4/Incap
  Dodge DV: N/A 
  Willpower: 2
  Essence: 3
  Other Notes: None
  
  128
  
  129
  CHAPTER SIX • THE PURVIEW OF THE VIOLET BIER
  CHAPTER SIX
  CHAPTER SIX
  THE PURVIEW OF THE
  THE PURVIEW OF THE
  VIOLET BIER
  VIOLET BIER
  The inhabitants of the Second Age make war with 
  mere bows and swords, or perhaps magical versions of the 
  same if they are privileged enough to count themselves 
  among the Exalted. Such implements of violence are ef-
  fective enough in their own right, and they were certainly 
  common enough even at the height of the First Age for 
  their style and lack of maintenance requirements. Yet 
  the techno-magical infrastructure of that Age created 
  weapons far deadlier and more sophisticated than anything 
  still possible in the Time of Tumult (at least outside the 
  workshops of the Mountain Folk and the decrepit factory-
  cathedrals of Lookshy).
  Despite their rarity, enough First Age weapons exist 
  that the more popular designs among them remain infamous 
  throughout Creation. Even those pirates who have never 
  seen one of the Realm’s lightning ballistae shatter a hull to 
  charred ﬂ inders have probably heard stories, while even the 
  Mask of Winters checks his ambitions for fear of Lookshy’s 
  vast and terrible arsenal.
  What follows are examples of First Age weapons, pre-
  dominantly various forms of heavy weapons that ﬁ re bolts 
  or beams of elemental energy. Every one of them are ﬁ red 
  with the Archery Ability, though any weapons too large for 
  personal use cannot beneﬁ t from Archery Charms apart from 
  Excellencies unless those Charms are speciﬁ cally intended 
  for artillery use. Furthermore, none of these weapons beneﬁ t 
  from magical material bonuses unless otherwise noted, but 
  they may be used by all Exalted types with equal facility. 
  Many other types and models of First Age weaponry existed 
  besides those listed in these pages. Storytellers should give 
  free reign to their imagination in designing new weapons 
  of mass destruction for a series (or ancient weapons of mass 
  destruction, as the case may be).
  
  130
  WALL EATER (ARTIFACT ••)
  Repair: 2
  Shaped like a round-bodied beetle the size of a human head, this artifact is one of the only handheld 
  siege weapons ever created. To operate this artifact, the user must place it on an inanimate surface, such as 
  a wall or the hull of a ship, and spend seven motes of Essence. The artifact then extends four hooked legs, 
  attaches itself ﬁ rmly to the surface and begins to use a combination of carefully modulated vibrations and a 
  ﬁ eld of corrosive Essence to gradually destroy a portion of the surface. When the user places it on a surface, 
  she can activate it in one of two modes. It can be set to create a circular hole two yards in diameter that is 
  large enough for characters to easily enter or leave in single ﬁ le, or it can create a large circular hole 10 yards 
  in diameter. (If the wall is less than 10 yards high, the wall eater demolishes a 10-yard-wide section of it.) 
  A 10-yard-diameter hole is easily capable of allowing an entire scale of soldiers to pass through the wall, or 
  into the hull of a ship, at once. Once attached, the item gradually decreases the soak of the wall or hull to 
  which it is attached, and when it has reduced the wall’s soak to 0, it has made a hole of the desired size in 
  the wall. Regardless of its size, one edge of the hole is always created three inches away from a front of this 
  artifact. When the user places this artifact, he can determine exactly where he wishes to create a hole.
  When creating a two-yard-wide hole, the artifact removes three points of lethal soak per tick from 
  ordinary walls of wood, brick or stone. When used to make a 10-yard-diameter hole in a wall or hull, it 
  removes one point of lethal soak every other tick, allowing the artifact to create a 10-yard-wide hole in 
  a wall with a soak of 20 in 40 ticks. Although this artifact cannot affect items made from one of the ﬁ ve 
  magical materials, it can gradually create holes in walls and hulls made from the almost impervious First 
  Age alloys used in the hulls of many First Age ships. When attached to such a durable surface, the item 
  can create a two-yard-diameter hole by removing one point of lethal soak every tick. It can also create a 
  10-yard-wide hole in such alloys at a rate of one point of lethal soak every three ticks.
  Once attached to a surface, this artifact can be easily removed only by the character who placed it there. 
  Other characters can also pry it off of the wall it with a successful (Strength + Athletics) check, difﬁ culty 5, 
  instantly stopping the damage it is inﬂ icting. Also, attempting to remove one of these artifacts requires the 
  character do nothing else for six ticks. During this time, the character can use reﬂ exive or persistent defenses, 
  but he cannot otherwise attack or defend.
  To use this artifact effectively, the owner must either sneak up unobserved and place it on a wall 
  or run through the heat of battle and defend the artifact from everyone attempting to remove it. While 
  it is in use, the artifact causes the section of wall it is destroying to drone and vibrate. These vibrations 
  are relatively quiet, but they will alert anyone nearby whose player can make a successful (Perception + 
  Alertness) roll. Rolling two or more successes will wake sleeping characters and allow inattentive listeners 
  to instantly tell where the noise is coming from. A single success allows someone who is actively listening 
  to localize the noise and allows inattentive listeners to hear the noise, but not to localize it.
  IMPLOSION BOW (ARTIFACT •• TO •••••)
  Repair: Varies (see below)
  Looking like a cross between concussive Essence cannons and ballistae mounted on heavy gimbaled 
  pedestals, implosion bows are complicated to build and require regular maintenance to keep operational. 
  In exchange for these drawbacks, they accurately deliver their ordinance out to a truly astonishing range. 
  The weapons ﬁ re spherical pulses of concentrated Essence that collapse into vortices of disintegrating light 
  on impact. These cannons come in three categories of ascending size and power, though no one in the 
  Second Age is known to possess a functioning copy of a heavy implosion bow.
  All three categories of implosion bow have a number of features in common. Unlike most ranged 
  weapons, implosion bows do not have ranged increments and may be ﬁ red to only a maximum distance of 
  their listed range. The cannons can be ﬁ red at half charge or full charge based on the number of motes spent. 
  Moreover, each blast may be set to inﬂ ict bashing damage or a lesser quantity of lethal damage. In all modes 
  of ﬁ re, the blasts damage everything in a radius around the point of impact. 
  After every 100 shots, an implosion bow must be overhauled and serviced. For every 20 shots it is in arrears 
  of maintenance, it has a cumulative 10% chance of misﬁ ring when next used. Such misﬁ res inﬂ ict damage as 
  if a full power blast from the cannon hit the weapon itself, rendering it nonfunctional until repaired.
  Light (Artifact 2, Repair 2): These artillery weapons require ﬁ xed emplacements, though they can be mounted 
  and ﬁ red from vehicles as small as a heavy chariot. Once considered among the weakest energy weapons 
  equipped to First Age skyships and naval vessels, they are coveted and feared as devastating heavy weapons 
  in the Second Age. Some Artifact 3 light implosion bows can use alternative power sources in lieu of direct 
  Essence expenditure from the gunner. Reagent-powered models use heavy tanks of alchemical fuel that cost 
  Resources 3 apiece (unavailable outside a large metropolis): one tank can power 20 half-power shots, with 
  full power blasts each using two fuel charges. Hearthstone-powered models have a socket requiring a level-3+ 
  stone and draw upon geomantic energies for unlimited ammunition.
  Medium (Artifact 4, Repair 3): Common in the First Age and now limited to several dozen copies ﬁ elded by 
  the Seventh Legion, these massive cannon emplacements are roughly the size of a small wagon with a two-
  yard barrel terminating in a muzzle rimmed with glowing banks of capacitor crystals. The weapons require a 
  level 2+ hearthstone set in the controls to function at all.
  Heavy (Artifact 5, Repair 4): Equipped to heavy skyships and fortresses as main guns in the First Age, these 
  powerful weapons are each the size of a small townhouse. The cannons require a hearthstone of level 4+ set 
  in the gunner’s controls to function at all. Unlike smaller implosion bows, these weapons need maintenance 
  after every 50 shots and risk misﬁ re in arrears increments of 10 shots.
  Type 
  Speed Acc. Damage 
  Rate Range Minimums
  Light  
  6 
  +3 
  1 mote: 5L/7B;  
  1 
  500 
  Archery ••, Lore •••
   
   
   
  2 motes: 12L/15B; 3-yard radius
  Medium  6 
  +2 
  2 motes: 12L/15B;  
  1 
  750 
  Archery ••, Lore •••
   
   
   
  5 motes: 20L/25B; 7-yard radius
  Heavy  
  8 
  +1 
  5 motes: 25L/30B;  
  1/4 
  1,125 
  Archery •••, Lore ••••
   
   
   
  10 motes: 50L/60B; 15-yard radius
  
  131
  CHAPTER SIX • THE PURVIEW OF THE VIOLET BIER
  CONCUSSIVE ESSENCE CANNON 
  (ARTIFACT •• TO •••••)
  Repair: Varies (see below)
  One of the oldest and simplest forms of magical ranged weapon not powered by muscle in some 
  fashion, concussive Essence cannons function by focusing motes into crystals that convert that Essence 
  into pulsed beams of pure force. Because they are so easy to build and maintain (relatively speaking), these 
  cannons remain the most widely ﬁ elded First Age weapons in Creation. The Realm and Lookshy both 
  deploy them in sizeable numbers for major engagements, and quite a number of more prosperous nations 
  throughout the Threshold have a few kept in reserve.
  Make a reﬂ exive [(Dexterity or Stamina) + Athletics] roll at difﬁ culty 3 for any roughly human-sized 
  character struck by a blast from a concussive Essence cannon. Failure means she is blasted a number of yards back 
  equal to the cannon’s artifact rating and falls prone. Increase this difﬁ culty to 5 for beings notably smaller than 
  humans, and decrease it to 1 for horse-sized beings. (Larger creatures are too massive to be blasted back.)
  Concussive Essence cannons come in ﬁ ve ascending size categories of power. The Essence cost listed 
  in each weapons’ statistics has two values separated by a slash. The ﬁ rst is the attunement cost, and the 
  second is the number of motes needed to power each blast. Some First Age cannons have a hearthstone 
  socket, and as long as this socket is ﬁ lled with a stone of the appropriate rating or better (which provides no 
  other beneﬁ t while used this way), the cannons have a reduced Essence cost. These models are considered 
  to have an Artifact rating one dot higher. If hearthstone-powered models exist for a particular size category, 
  a second Essence cost is provided in parentheses, with the required hearthstone rating given after a comma 
  with the second cost. Some copies still require a one-mote commitment even with a hearthstone, as a 
  security feature to prevent mortal use.
  Very Small (Artifact 2, Repair 1): Scaled for portable personal defense, these small bulbous wands tipped 
  with emitter nozzles ﬁ t snugly in one hand, powered by a conductive pad set in the grip to absorb Essence 
  from the wielder. The devices must be recalibrated after every scene in which they are used. For each 
  scene of use the weapon is in arrears, its damage cumulatively decreases by one level until it ﬁ nally stops 
  working altogether.
  Small (Artifact 2, Repair 1): A heavy brass and steel tube lined with Essence lenses, this model of cannon 
  is just small enough to qualify as a personal weapon. It is ﬁ red over the shoulder for use in crowd control 
  or attacking small vehicles/structures.
  Medium (Artifact 3, Repair 1): Normally requiring a two-man team to move and ﬁ re (though one gunner 
  can operate a ﬁ xed emplacement), these light artillery cannons can blast apart wagons or walls with equal 
  facility. Human-sized characters who try to ﬁ re a personally carried medium cannon suffer a -3 internal 
  penalty from its unwieldy size. (This penalty comes in addition to any penalties for failing to meet the 
  weapon’s hefty Strength requirements.)
  Large (Artifact 4, Repair 2): These massive weapons have reinforced barrels of white jade alloyed with 
  alchemically enhanced steel nearly three yards long. Although they can be mounted in a ﬁ xed position 
  on heavy wagons or Second Age ships, they must be ﬁ red with care, as the recoil from each shot drives the 
  cannon back ﬁ ve yards (20B piercing to anything crushed in the path). Placed atop reinforced turrets on 
  stone fortiﬁ cations or the hulls of First Age naval vessels or skyships, the cannons gain far greater angles 
  of ﬁ re coverage and do not endanger those behind them.
  Very Large (Artifact 5, Repair 2): Only the largest skyships and naval vessels of the First could mount 
  these massive ﬁ ve-yard cannons. Most were set in fortress turrets. Hearthstone-powered versions of can-
  nons this size are still Artifact 5, but have a Rate of 1/4 instead. As a reminder, having a Rate lower than 
  1 means that a character can ﬁ re the weapon only every so many actions. (For example, Rate 1/2 means 
  the character can ﬁ re the weapon once with one action, but cannot ﬁ re the weapon on his next action 
  and must wait until one action further to ﬁ re again.)
  Type 
  Speed 
  Acc. 
  Damage 
  Rate 
  Range 
  Cost 
  Minimums
  Very Small  4 
  +1 
  10B piercing 
  1 
  50 
  1/3 
  –
  Small  
  4 
  +1 
  15B piercing  
  1 
  75 
  3/5 (3/0, 2) 
  Str ••••
  Medium  
  5 
  +0 
  20B piercing 
  1 
  125 
  5/8 (0/0, 3) 
  Str ••••• •••
  Large  
  6 
  -2  
  30B piercing  
  1 
  200 
  7/12 (0/0, 3) –
   
   
  (-4 if wagon- 
  (damages all targets in a three-yard radius of impact)
   
   
     mounted)
  Very Large  8 
  -4 
  45B piercing  
  1/2 
  300 
  7/12 (0/0, 4) –
   
   
   
  (damages all targets in a ﬁ ve-yard radius of impact)
  
  132
  ESSENCE TWISTER (ARTIFACT •••)
  Repair: 2
  During the First Age, this artifact was the premier riot-control weapon of the Solar Deliberative. It 
  also saw extensive use during the Usurpation, where some of the more compassionate Terrestrial Exalted used 
  Essence twisters to incapacitate the legions of mortal followers that the mighty Anathema had shackled to 
  their will. Today, the forces of the Realm regularly use these weapons to put down mortal riots. This weapon 
  is a cylinder four feet long and two feet in diameter, mounted upon a gimbaled base that allows a single 
  user to swiftly aim it in any direction. This weapon was designed to affect large crowds. It affects everyone 
  within range who is in a 40-yard-wide swath in the direction in which the weapon is aimed.
  Instead of ﬁ ring a physical or Essence-based projectile, the artifact instead temporarily and violently 
  reverses the Essence ﬂ ows in its targets’ bodies. The result of such an attack is nausea, severe bruising and, in 
  most cases, unconsciousness. While manipulating Essence ﬂ ows allows this weapon to affect large numbers 
  of targets for a relatively low Essence cost and bypasses the protection provided by armor not made from 
  one of the ﬁ ve magical materials, this form of attack has little effect on beings capable of controlling their 
  own Essence. All Essence users, including mortal thaumaturges, add ﬁ ve points to their soak for resisting 
  this attack. In addition, targets also add ﬁ ve additional points of soak for every dot of Essence above 1 that 
  they possess. So, an Exalt with an Essence of 3 adds 15 points to her soak for resisting this attack.
  The Realm’s Wyld Hunt owns two of these items. It regularly directs the weapons at the large mortal 
  armies raised by the Anathema so that its men can easily identify the Anathema and direct their more 
  lethal attacks accordingly. In the wake of such an attack, the vast majority of mortals will be rendered 
  unconscious, while Exalts are unaffected. Yet if the target’s soak plus any bonuses from high Essence or 
  Essence use equals or exceeds the weapon’s rolled damage, the target automatically takes no damage. The 
  weapon’s operator must spend six motes of Essence to ﬁ re this weapon, and his player rolls (Dexterity + 
  Archery) to hit. The weapon automatically affects everyone within the target area with the same roll. Use 
  the highest DV of the mortal targets being ﬁ red upon to determine the difﬁ culty of the attack roll. This 
  attack can be dodged, but it cannot be parried.
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Rate 
  Range
  6 
  +3 
  +20B* 
  1 
  300
  * Ignores non-magical armor, -5 damage to Essence users, -5 damage per dot of Essence above 1.
  LIGHTNING BALLISTA (ARTIFACT ••• TO ••••)
  Repair: 3
  One of the heavier energy weapons developed in the First Age, lightning ballistae are complex can-
  nons built of blue jade, brass and silver joined to adamant emitter spires wrapped in orichalcum coils by a 
  web of pressurized hoses and conductive wires. When ﬁ red, a torrent of blue-white energy jumps from the 
  emitter spire in a coruscating beam, severely burning or outright carbonizing its target.
  Most lightning ballistae rely upon the gunner’s Essence for power, requiring three motes per shot. 
  Some four-dot models, however, feature a yasal crystal containing a bound thunderbird (air elemental) with 
  an Essence pool of 76 motes. Each shot from such a cannon costs two of the elemental’s motes (or three 
  from the gunner if the elemental has no Essence remaining). Other four-dot models rely on hearthstones 
  for power (Air stone rating 2+, or else rating 3+ needed). While set in a lightning ballista, a hearthstone 
  provides no other beneﬁ ts. Cannons powered in this manner have effectively unlimited ammunition.
  Lightning ballistae of all varieties must be overhauled after every 20 blasts. For every ﬁ ve shots it is 
  in arrears of maintenance, it has a cumulative 10 percent chance of misﬁ ring when next used, with the 
  same catastrophic effects as a misﬁ red implosion bow (see p. 130). 
   
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Rate 
  Range 
  Minimums
  6 
  +2 
  20L piercing  
  1 
  1,000 
  Archery ••, Lore ••• (Occult ••
   
   
  (25L piercing for  
   
   
  —elemental-powered models only)
   
   
  Artifact •••• models)
  
  133
  CHAPTER SIX • THE PURVIEW OF THE VIOLET BIER
  ESSENCE BATTLEMENT (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 3
  This device consists of a cube of jade one foot on a side that is inlaid with all four of the other magical 
  materials. Weighing 150 pounds, this item can easily be transported by a single draft horse, yeddim or camel. 
  On top of it are a set of simple controls and a socket for a single hearthstone. To activate this unit, the user 
  must commit seven motes of Essence to it and place a hearthstone of at least level 2 into the setting. At 
  this point, the user can cause it to create a dome of impermeable Essence around the unit. This dome can 
  be anywhere from three and (30 x the hearthstone rating) yards in diameter. This dome can vary between 
  one third and two thirds of its current diameter in height. Alternatively, the user can have the unit create 
  a circular or oval wall instead of a dome. This wall has the same range of height as a dome.
  In all cases, the dome provides a bashing and lethal soak equal to (10 + 3 x the level of the hearthstone 
  used to power this item) and has a hardness equal to its soak. In addition, the dome and anyone inside also 
  increase their DV by two, because it is exceptionally slick and many attacks slide harmlessly off its surface. 
  The only limitation on this device is that any attack that inﬂ icts more than twice its lethal soak knocks 
  down the dome (after it has provided its soak and hardness). Re-erecting the dome thereafter requires 10 
  ticks. When the dome falls, all committed Essence is instantly uncommitted but must be recovered normally. 
  In addition, reestablishing the dome requires the user to commit another seven motes of Essence to it.
  Although this dome is normally solid, the user can create openings of any desired size. Typically, users 
  create one opening for each defender inside the dome that is small enough to provide the defender with 
  90% cover. In addition, a low-powered one-way Essence screen over this opening also provides a bashing 
  and lethal soak equal to the user’s permanent Essence to any attacks ﬁ red through these opening. While 
  the dome can be attacked directly with melee weapons, defenders inside can be attacked only with missile 
  weapons or spells that strike at distance. The primary limit on this artifact is that it cannot be moved unless 
  the protective dome it creates is ﬁ rst dismissed. This artifact provides excellent protection, but defenders 
  must leave it if they want to either retreat or engage their opponents in melee combat. This item must be 
  serviced after every 100 hours of combat use. If it is not maintained, an Essence battlement will lose two 
  points from both hardness and all soak scores for every 10 hours its maintenance is in arrears.
  PANIC PROJECTOR (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 2
  Developed during the First Age, this item saw much use during the Shogunate era, when the Dragon-
  Blooded used it and similar weapons to make up for the fact that they lacked the devastating powers of the 
  Celestial Exalted. Today, both Lookshy and the Realm have several of these items—the Realm regularly 
  uses some to control riots and the Wyld Hunt owns one that it uses to turn the Anathema’s allies against 
  them. This artifact is a cubical box with rounded corners that is 15 inches on a side and weighs 200 pounds. 
  The top holds both its controls and a hearthstone socket, and there is a jade cone on the front. The weapon 
  must be ﬁ tted with a hearthstone of a least level 2 to operate. When ﬁ red, the weapon affects everyone in 
  front of the cone, who is within an area of equilateral triangle with sides 200 yards long with one point 
  starting from the front of this artifact. Attacks from this weapon can be dodged but not parried. For every 
  shot, the operator’s player must make a (Conviction + Willpower + Essence) roll with a difﬁ culty of (the 
  targets’ Valor + Essence).
  When ﬁ ring this weapon, the operator can manipulate the controls to decide if she wishes for the 
  shot to affect only unintelligent animals, only intelligent beings such as mortals or Exalts, or both types 
  of beings. In addition, she can set the device to cause targets to either ﬂ ee or cower in fear. If the operator 
  achieves a single success against a target, that target must immediately ﬂ ee or cower for the next full scene. 
  The target is not completely demoralized, though. Her morale is broken, and she will not ﬁ ght except in 
  immediate self defense, but she maintains some degree of composure. If the operator achieves more than 
  one success against a target, the target drops her weapons and (depending upon the way the weapon was 
  set) instantly surrenders or ﬂ ees in the sort of complete and utter panic that causes characters to ignore 
  their surroundings and possibly trample their slower companions. When ﬁ ring this weapon at a group of 
  extras, the Storyteller should simply assign all of the extras a single (Valor + Essence) score and have them 
  all react in a uniform manner. Making a shot that affects only either intelligent or unintelligent targets 
  costs the operator ﬁ ve motes. Firing a shot that affects all targets costs eight motes.
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Rate 
  Range
  6 
  +5* 
  special** 
  1 
  200***
  * This weapon affects everyone in an equilateral triangle—the shot can be dodged but not parried.
  ** This weapon induces fear and does not cause direct damage.
  *** The panic projector has no extended range, this is its maximum range.
  
  134
  SUN’S FIST CHAKRAM (ARTIFACT ••••)
  Repair: 2
  These devices were often used against the more powerful agents of the Primordials in the great war as 
  they take up very little space but inﬂ ict horrendous damage. Despite their name, they were smaller than a 
  chakram, usually in the shape of an orichalcum discus four inches in diameter. In Old Realm script around 
  the edge of the disc was a powerful prayer to the Unconquered Sun.
  When triggered with two motes of Essence and thrown (as a normal chakram), the discus spins through 
  the air and detonates upon hitting its target (though it would not detonate if it didn’t make contact with its 
  target). Detonation of a sun’s ﬁ st chakram inﬂ icts 20 dice of aggravated damage to those within ﬁ ve yards 
  of the detonation and half that damage to those out to 15 yards of the blast. As this effect is considered 
  Holy (see Exalted, p. 183), it inﬂ icts twice that amount of damage to creatures of darkness.
  Attacks made with a sun’s ﬁ st chakram can be enhanced with any Thrown Excellency, but their 
  design is too complex to be used with any other Thrown Charms.
  Sun’s ﬁ st chakrams are typically found in canisters containing ﬁ ve of the potent weapons. Only 
  armories that have been untouched since the High First Age are likely to have more than one canister of 
  sun’s ﬁ st chakram (if that).
  There are also rumors among the Sidereal Exalted that certain war gods still possess stockpiles of 
  these devices in their citadels in Yu-Shan.
  GLORIOUS SCYTHE (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 3
  This artifact is sometimes used as a tool for clearing ﬁ elds and preparing land, but in wartime, it is 
  also a devastatingly effective weapon. Created during the Shogunate in response to the lack of Solar and 
  Celestial Circle Sorcery attack spells, this artifact is a squat, slightly oval, jade cylinder two yards across 
  and one yard high that has settings for two hearthstones on top. To operate it, the glorious scythe requires 
  a single hearthstone of at least level 3 to be placed in the central setting. Although the weapon can be 
  used with only a single hearthstone, it weights 600 pounds and must be carried on a sturdy cart. If a second 
  hearthstone is ﬁ tted on the back of the artifact, then it becomes self-mobile. As a security measure, the 
  user must commit ﬁ ve motes of Essence to this item. As soon as this Essence is committed, the owner can 
  order the unit to move wherever she desires. This artifact can ﬂ oat in the air up to two yards off the ground 
  and can move at the speed of a trotting horse (ﬁ ve yards per tick or 10 miles per hour) in any direction the 
  character chooses. This artifact even contains a seat near the back where the gunner can sit. The gunner 
  must use this seat to use the item’s control console. Fortunately, it also provides the occupant with 75% 
  hard cover, so the character is relatively safe during a battle.
  In combat, this weapon can project a razor-thin horizontal sheet of Essence-ﬁ re capable of cutting 
  through all but the toughest armors. The gunner can precisely set the height, width and range of this sheet. 
  It can have a range of anything from ﬁ ve to 100 yards, and a width that ranges from two to 50 yards. Also, 
  this blade of Essence can be ﬁ red anywhere from six inches to two yards off of the ground. Because this 
  attack is so concentrated, it counts as piercing damage, halving all armor (round up). In addition to being 
  able to clear a forest for planting or construction in a matter of minutes or to rapidly level ruins so a new 
  city can be built, this artifact can stop a mass of charging opponents and will instantly slay many hundreds 
  of extras, cutting them neatly in half.
  This attack can be dodged but cannot be blocked without Charms that allow characters to parry 
  unblockable attacks. The major limit on this device is that the gunner must manipulate the complex 
  control console to operate this weapon. Using this console requires total concentration. As a result, the 
  user cannot attack, defend or use Charms that are not reﬂ exive. Also, although this device uses (Dexter-
  ity + Archery) to operate, it is incompatible with all Archery Charms, so the user cannot augment this 
  attack with any Charms. 
  Each use of this item, regardless of the range or area affected requires the user to spend ﬁ ve motes of 
  Essence. This item must be serviced after every 100 shots. If it is not maintained, the glorious scythe will 
  lose two dice from its damage for every 10 additional shots ﬁ red until it is no longer capable of ﬁ ring.
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Rate 
  Range 
  Tags
  6 
  +1 
  +20L 
  1 
  100* 
  P
  * The glorious scythe has no extended range, this is its maximum range.
  
  135
  CHAPTER SIX • THE PURVIEW OF THE VIOLET BIER
  SOULBREAKER ORB (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 5
  Weapons of mass destruction built in the High First Age by the Solar Exalted through studies of 
  necrotic Essence vortices in the deep Labyrinth, these devices would certainly qualify as Artifact N/A if 
  they were not one-use items (and like Artifact N/A artifacts, they should not be available for purchase at 
  character creation). The weapon appears as a foot-wide sphere of soulsteel encased in an outer sphere of 
  smoky quartz. Starmetal pegs riveted to the crystal hold a dozen concentric orichalcum rings set so that 
  they can rotate freely in separate axes of movement. To arm a soulbreaker orb, the user must touch it and 
  spend 50 motes (uncommitted), then position all 12 rings in the correct orientation (Intelligence + Lore, 
  difﬁ culty 3). The devices can be set for any time delay from one second upward, so theoretically, they could 
  wait millennia or more before detonating. Disarming an armed soulbreaker is far more difﬁ cult, requiring 
  that the technician cut through crystal paneling (20B/20L soak; 100 health levels of damage required) 
  and then break key connections (Wits + Lore, difﬁ culty 7; each failure halves the remaining time before 
  detonation, while a botch triggers the weapon).
  When the time elapses, the orb levitates, and the rings all begin spinning and accelerating as a low 
  keening emits from the soulsteel. In a matter of seconds, the artifact shatters and implodes, creating a vortex 
  of golden light and singing shadows that stretches out to ﬁ ll a ﬁ ve-mile radius. An Essence roll (difﬁ culty 
  3) must be made for every living being in that area who does not immediately use a perfect parry or perfect 
  soak Charm in defense (or some form of perfect dodge that completely removes them from the area). 
  Those who fail die instantly, and any fractured ghosts they leave behind have at least one derangement 
  and only a single dot of each Virtue and Willpower. (Hungry ghosts rise normally, and typically in large 
  numbers.) Those who succeed might survive, but they suffer 20 levels of aggravated damage, soaked with 
  their (Willpower + Essence). This damage is entirely spiritual and leaves no actual mark. Beings simply 
  writhe in agony as the vortex ﬂ ays their souls. Because it is mathematically impossible for Essence 1 beings 
  to pass the initial roll, no roll should be made for them. Every plant, animal and mortal in the area of ef-
  fect dies. As a rough estimate, if the vortex kills more than 500 sentient beings, a shadowland will almost 
  certainly form in the area when the sun next sets.
  Fortunately for the inhabitants of the Second Age, only one soulbreaker orb deﬁ nitively survived 
  the Great Contagion, and this was deployed by the Seventh Legion against the Sixth and Ninth Imperial 
  Legions, earning grim victory at the price of creating the large shadowland known as the Mourning Fields. 
  Lookshy has never conﬁ rmed or denied whether it has other soulbreaker orbs in its arsenals, though the 
  very possibility has gone a long way to deterring further Realm invasions.
  STORM HAMMER (ARTIFACT •••••)
  Repair: 5
  A much rarer variant of lightning ballista technology is the storm hammer, which takes the form of 
  a house-sized cannon assembly facing directly skyward. A storm hammer requires a level-3+ hearthstone 
  installed in its control panel to function. Furthermore, the gunner must commit 30 motes to the control 
  console. Activating a storm hammer takes 10 minutes that are spent powering it up, during which time 
  distinctive sparks of lightning arc and crackle across the eight-yard-tall emitter spire. Once charged, the 
  cannon automatically ﬁ res a pulse of incandescent Essence upward into the sky, detonating the energy at 
  a height of one mile to create a bank of roiling gray clouds that quickly spread over a ﬁ ve-minute period to 
  cover a two-mile radius. For the next hour, the gunner may call down lightning from the cloud on any target 
  beneath it as an attack costing no further Essence, though he must know the target’s exact location relative 
  to the cannon or be able to see the target to properly aim each bolt. After the allotted hour, the unnatural 
  clouds thin and part as quickly as they came. The gunner’s player uses (Wit + Lore) for the attack roll.
  A storm hammer must receive maintenance after every use, or else it has a 50 percent chance of 
  backﬁ ring with each shot. In the event of a backﬁ re, the cannon shatters in a deafening thunderclap, 
  and the summoned storm randomly blasts every moving target within a mile of the weapon’s ruins in a 
  continuous barrage lasting for an hour.
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Rate 
  Range 
  Minimums
  6 
  -2 
  20L piercing*  1 
  special**  
  Lore •••••, Occult •••
  *Damages everything within ﬁ ve yards of impact.
  **Anything within 2 miles of the cannon is a legitimate target as long as it is visible or its exact location 
  is known.
  
  136
  
  137
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  APPENDIX:
  APPENDIX:
  WARSTRIDERS
  WARSTRIDERS
  While the legendary artifacts of the Exalted are many 
  and varied, few hark back to the glories now lost as keenly 
  as the warstrider. Be it a single orichalcum relic in the hands 
  of a rampaging Anathema or an entire fang of jade-encased 
  giants leading the Dragon-Blooded legions into battle, a 
  warstrider invariably ﬁ lls onlookers with awe. And while a 
  Realm peasant might go a lifetime without ever seeing a First 
  Age sailing ship, let alone a ﬂ ying craft, these priceless titans 
  often lead victory processions in major cities throughout 
  the Realm, visible and unmistakable symbols of the Scarlet 
  Empire’s power and glory. Yet the awe that such observers 
  feel is also tinged with dread, for these potent artifacts were 
  fashioned for one purpose: destruction. Like all giants, war-
  striders seldom pay attention to the ants at their feet.
  WARSTRIDER CLASSIFICATION
  Savants in the Age of Sorrows typically classify warstrid-
  ers into ﬁ ve categories: common, scout, noble, royal and 
  colossus. These classiﬁ cations are largely artiﬁ cial, based 
  on an imperfect understanding of both the design elements 
  of these wondrous artifacts and the purposes for which 
  they were conceived. In fact, the peculiarities of warstrider 
  design and construction made sure that each warstrider was 
  virtually unique. While warstriders constructed at the same 
  factory-cathedral during the same general time frame share 
  a number of commonalities, not only in fundamental design 
  but in surface aesthetics, no two warstriders are exactly the 
  same. The ﬁ ve previously noted categories are a useful tool 
  for understanding the function and purpose of a warstrider, 
  however. Regardless of whether the First Age Dawn Caste 
  Surin of Justice was piloting his Peregrine-class aerial 
  warstrider, Lightning of Heaven, or his Annihilator-class 
  combat warstrider, Implacable Seven-Fold Fury, forged 600 
  years later, both would be classiﬁ ed as royal warstriders by 
  the modern taxonomy.
  
  138
  COMMON WARSTRIDERS: THE BASIC PACKAGE
  The common warstrider is simply a basic warstrider 
  stripped of all the extra design features that might other-
  wise elevate it into one of the other categories. Such design 
  features generally required an advanced comprehension of 
  Essence manipulation, access to Celestial and Solar Circle 
  sorcery and, in some cases, the favor of high-Essence gods who 
  personally blessed the creation of warstriders forged during 
  the First Age. The fact that contemporary Dragon-Blooded 
  lack all three of these requirements explains why only a 
  few noble warstriders were forged even at the height of the 
  Shogunate and why only one royal warstrider, Unyielding 
  Fury of Righteousness, was ever forged by the Scarlet Empire. 
  Some suspicious minds even wonder about the Fury, which 
  features a number of design modiﬁ cations clearly beyond the 
  construction capabilities of the Realm or even Lookshy.
  The common warstrider traces its design principles back 
  to the dawn of the Primordial War and represents the original 
  conception of the artifact: a large suit of nigh-indestructible, 
  strength-augmenting armor. Subsequent innovations that 
  led to the other major warstrider designs did not come until 
  after the War. In fact, the noble, royal and colossus designs 
  were conceived not as a response to the Primordials but to 
  the Fair Folk, as common warstriders were inadequate for 
  the purpose of striding boldly into the Wyld and grappling 
  with behemoths in order to expand the frontiers of Creation. 
  As the Great Curse began to take hold of the Solars, the 
  advanced warstrider designs also became more ostentatious 
  to reﬂ ect their creators’ growing hubris. 
  Shorn of all artistic ﬂ ourishes, a common warstrider is 
  essentially an oversized suit of armor standing about 18 feet 
  tall. At its core is a large metallic skeleton called the frame, 
  which is typically made of steel magically treated to resist 
  rust and decay. A system of coils, gears, springs and pulleys 
  called the musculature is attached to the frame. The chest 
  contains an open cavity called the fuselage, which contains 
  dozens of straps, usually made of thick leather, that plug 
  into the frame. The pilot attaches the straps to himself at 
  different points all over his body so that all of his major 
  muscle groups are covered, and he doesn’t actually sit in the 
  fuselage but instead hangs somewhat loosely by the harness. 
  Most pilots initially ﬁ nd this arrangement disorienting and 
  uncomfortable, but the harness is designed to hold the pilot 
  fairly steady and to prevent him from banging into the sides 
  of the fuselage.
  WARSTRIDER AESTHETICS
  Every warstrider is ultimately a unique artifact. While all warstriders have certain similarities, especially within 
  the same class, each has its own ﬂ ourishes and ornamentations incorporated into the design in accordance with the 
  artistry of the designer, the desires of the patron who commissioned the work, and the latest fashion in warstrider 
  design of that era. Most warstriders have at least a vaguely humanoid appearance, with two arms, two legs and a head. 
  There are exceptions, though, most notably Lunars who commissioned warstriders with distinctly non-humanoid 
  designs in keeping with their favored animal form. Such warstriders might have a humanoid torso attached to a 
  large, six-legged arachnoid body or take the form of quadrupeds such as wolves or big cats. These rare alternative 
  designs often required the Lunar to either assume an animal form and be strapped into his warstrider by an aide or 
  else to strap himself in normally and then shapeshift once inside.
  In the First Age, most Solars and Lunars incorporated elements from their iconic anima banners into the design 
  of their warstriders, and most noble and royal warstriders dating from that period have animalistic features, particularly 
  in the design of the helm. Even those warstriders built for First Age Dragon-Blooded often had reptilian features in 
  veneration of the Elemental Dragons. After the Usurpation, the nascent Immaculate Philosophy condemned such 
  iconography, and most Shogunate-era warstriders were quite austere by modern standards. In fact, the most common 
  design was to base the exterior of the warstrider on whatever Shogunate military uniform was in vogue at the time. 
  That aesthetic approach remains the practice in modern Lookshy, and one can trace the evolution of the Seventh 
  Legion dress uniform over the last 1,000 years by comparing warstriders of different eras. 
  The warstriders of the Blessed Isle took a different path after the ascension of the Scarlet Empress. Most warstrid-
  ers forged over the past seven centuries were either commissioned directly by the Empress for the use of the Imperial 
  Army or else by one of the Great Houses. Regardless, Imperial warstriders have always been as much walking propa-
  ganda as military hardware. Imperial warstriders most commonly sport abstract depictions of the element associated 
  with the jade from which they are constructed. A warstrider forged of red jade might feature tiny intricate ﬂ ame 
  patterns delicately carved into the exterior of the jade plates chased with gold ﬁ ligree, while a similar warstrider of 
  black jade might have swirling patterns of silver meant to evoke the sea. Warstriders commissioned by one of the 
  Great Houses will also prominently display the house crest, while those commissioned by the Empress display the 
  Empress’s seal and usually the symbol of the legion to which the warstrider would be assigned.
  
  139
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  In addition to the harness, the pilot also dons special 
  leather gloves that are also connected to the frame by tiny 
  copper wires. The harness and gloves are collectively referred 
  to as the control interface. This interface allows the pilot to 
  control the musculature through sympathetic magic, with 
  each movement of the pilot’s body transmitted by the inter-
  face to the musculature, where the pulleys and springs act 
  to mimic the pilot’s actions. A pilot typically requires about 
  ﬁ ve minutes to properly attach all the pieces of the control 
  interface. The fuselage of a common warstrider is usually 
  insufferably hot and has very poor ventilation, inﬂ icting a 
  normal fatigue value of 6. The fuselage is also typically rather 
  cramped, and individuals who are bigger than the average 
  human (including characters with the Large Size Merit) will 
  not ﬁ t unless the warstrider is custom designed for someone 
  of their size. Similarly, the pieces of the control interface 
  will not easily ﬁ t over armor or even thick clothing. Pilots 
  typically wear minimal clothing while operating warstriders, 
  both to maximize the efﬁ ciency of the interface and to help 
  with the oppressive heat of the fuselage.
  Operating a warstrider is physically demanding, as 
  every movement it makes requires the pilot to pull against 
  heavy leather straps and metal wires. While the sympathetic 
  enchantments built into the interface and the musculature 
  give the pilot some degree of kinesthetic feedback, warstrid-
  ers are invariably clumsy compared to a normal human, 
  which is reﬂ ected in a six-die mobility penalty for common 
  warstriders. This clumsiness is even more pronounced in 
  the warstrider’s hands. While the pilot’s gloves allow her 
  to manipulate the warstrider’s massive ﬁ ngers in order to 
  grasp or crush objects easily, any ﬁ ne manipulation is out of 
  the question. Any action requiring ﬁ ne motor control (as-
  suming it is possible at all with ﬁ ngers the width of a man’s 
  forearm) increases the difﬁ culty by two, as does any attempt 
  to use weapons or tools not speciﬁ cally scaled for warstrider 
  use. Simply learning to pilot a warstrider is a difﬁ cult and 
  exhausting procedure. Pilots must have at a minimum 
  Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Wits 2, Athletics 2 and Lore 1 in 
  order to operate a warstrider with basic proﬁ ciency. For each 
  dot a pilot lacks, he suffers a cumulative -1 internal penalty 
  to all movement- and combat-related activities in addition 
  to normal mobility penalties.
  While the frame and musculature of common warstrid-
  ers are usually fashioned from mundane metals, the true 
  power of the warstrider comes from its exoskeleton, which 
  is invariably made of one of the ﬁ ve magical materials. The 
  vast majority of common warstriders constructed since the 
  Usurpation have jade exoskeletons. For the Dragon-Blooded, 
  the other magical materials are too rare and difﬁ cult to forge, 
  and in any case, their attunement costs are too great for the 
  beneﬁ ts gained. The Deathlords have abundant access to 
  soulsteel, of course, but they rarely waste such a resource on 
  common warstriders when they retain the knowledge to forge 
  far greater wonders. The common warstrider’s exoskeleton 
  typically contains just under a talent of jade, carefully fash-
  ioned into decorative plates that are ﬁ tted onto the frame 
  over the musculature, totally covering it. Each plate must 
  be crafted separately, while all of the plates must ultimately 
  ﬁ t together seamlessly in order for the magical processes of 
  the warstrider to function. 
  The primary beneﬁ ts of the common warstrider spring 
  from the magical exoskeleton. Those beneﬁ ts include as-
  tounding strength and damage resistance, the power to focus 
  Charms through the warstrider as if it were mundane armor 
  (see “Warstriders and Charms” on p. 156), the ability to use 
  massive artifact weapons and a long stride that allows it to 
  rapidly cover ground. Common warstriders have a Strength of 
  12, which replaces the pilot’s Strength for determining dam-
  age inﬂ icted by the warstrider in combat, determining how 
  much the warstrider can lift or carry, determining whether the 
  warstrider can break or destroy something and determining 
  jumping distances. Additionally, while operating a warstrider 
  is tiring, actual endurance is not a problem. While the pilot is 
  not actively manipulating the control interface, the warstrider 
  is essentially an enormous immobile statue. Therefore, once the 
  warstrider assumes a position, be it a relaxed pose, a defensive 
  posture or holding up a collapsing roof with one hand, it can 
  do so indeﬁ nitely while the pilot relaxes inside. All warstriders 
  have a powerful soak against all forms of damage and also a 
  Hardness rating equal to half their soak.
  In the most common designs, the pilot’s head sticks 
  up out of the fuselage and into a large helm that ﬁ ts over 
  the chest into a circular grove. The helm is typically forged 
  entirely from the same magical material that comprises the 
  exoskeleton, although in the Age of Sorrows, some jade-
  strapped engineers have resorted to steel helms coated with 
  jade plates. Such cheapness results in a helm that is slightly 
  more likely to dent or stick than a completely jade version, 
  adding one dot to the Repair rating (see “Maintenance and 
  Repair,” p. 147). The musculature includes a neck harness 
  that allows the pilot to rotate the helm to look side to side 
  up to about 60 degrees in either direction, but the pilot is 
  still limited to looking through a narrow slot that does not 
  permit peripheral vision. Also, modern design offers the pilot 
  no aid at all in hearing sounds outside the massive armored 
  helm. As a result, limited vision and hearing remain among 
  the chief design ﬂ aws of modern warstriders, and pilots suffer 
  a -4 external penalty on all rolls relating to Perception or 
  Awareness or that require a clear perception of their sur-
  roundings. Some warstrider designs overcome this ﬂ aw in 
  a number of ingenious ways, however. The most common 
  modiﬁ cation in the modern age is to replace the face of the 
  helm with an adamant plate, which reduces the Perception 
  penalties to only -1. Such a helm is only available for com-
  mon and scout warstriders and adds one dot to the Artifact 
  cost of the warstrider. The pilot is, however, vulnerable to 
  mystical attacks that require eye contact to which he would 
  be immune with a conventional helm.
  The warstrider’s great size can be a curse as well as a blessing. 
  The artifact’s enormous gait allows it to cover normal terrain 
  
  140
  with astonishing swiftness, multiplying the pilot’s normal 
  movement rate by 10. On the other hand, a warstrider cannot 
  easily ﬁ t in many places, such as through city gates or in dense 
  forest, without inﬂ icting considerable structural damage on 
  its surroundings. Simply brushing up against a building or a 
  tree will inﬂ ict damage on the object as if the character had 
  exerted half the warstrider’s Strength on the Feats of Strength 
  table (see Exalted, p. 127) in an effort to break the object. 
  Consequently, warstriders are used for urban combat only when 
  the attacking force plans to raze the city anyway.
  A warstrider’s size also disadvantages it in combat with 
  smaller opponents, as artifact warstrider weapons are so 
  massive and slow that they are fairly easy for a human-sized 
  target to dodge. When attacking any target less than 10 feet 
  tall, subtract three successes from the warstrider’s attack to 
  reﬂ ect the difﬁ culty of hitting such a (relatively) small target. 
  If this penalty reduces the attack to negative successes, then 
  assume that the attack misses the target and instead damages 
  some nearby structure, kicks up enormous clods of earth or 
  otherwise inﬂ icts some localized environmental damage.
  Finally, it is impossible for a large warstrider to conceal 
  its movements absent the use of Charms, and even when 
  such Charms are used, the difﬁ culty of all rolls to conceal the 
  character’s movements increases by three. While it is station-
  ary, the warstrider can be camouﬂ aged normally and suffers 
  no particular stealth penalty. Such camouﬂ age efforts usually 
  involve a Stealth (for urban areas) or Survival (for natural areas) 
  roll, combining Wits + the appropriate Ability. The successes 
  rolled represent the difﬁ culty for attempts to spot the concealed 
  warstrider (typically Perception + Awareness for casual looks 
  or Perception + Investigation for active searches). 
  The Essence costs of any warstrider are considerable. 
  All warstriders require a hearthstone from at least a level-
  3 manse. The pilot derives no special beneﬁ ts from this 
  hearthstone, the Essence of which is totally devoted to 
  regulating the warstrider’s enchantments. Some warstriders 
  are designed with additional hearthstone sockets, though, 
  and any hearthstones inserted into ancillary sockets are 
  treated as if they had been placed into any other artifact. 
  Common warstriders also have an attunement cost of 10 
  motes. On the positive side, warstriders are speciﬁ cally de-
  signed to permit rapid attunement and deattunement. Any 
  Essence-user can attune a warstrider in about ﬁ ve minutes, 
  which is approximately how long it takes to properly attach 
  the control interface to the pilot’s body. Likewise, the pilot’s 
  connection to the warstrider is broken about ﬁ ve minutes 
  after he exits, at which point he can regain the committed 
  motes. Charms that allow a pilot to don armor quickly can 
  reduce the time needed to attach the control interface but 
  cannot reduce the attunement time. If a level-3 hearthstone 
  is unavailable, the pilot can power the warstrider himself for 
  brief periods, but at a prodigious cost: ﬁ ve motes of Essence 
  and one Willpower per action, plus one mote per extra action 
  taken as part of a ﬂ urry.
  In the First Age, a factory-cathedral dedicated to the 
  manufacture of common warstriders would typically produce 
  one per month. In times of higher demand, such as when 
  incursions from the Wyld caused the Solar Deliberative to 
  move to a long-term war footing, these factory-cathedrals 
  could produce two common warstriders in a month with 
  double shifts. After the Usurpation, the Shogunate unwisely 
  attempted to maintain that higher level of production for 
  years in an effort to replace the many warstriders destroyed in 
  BASIC WARSTRIDER DESIGNS
  Type 
  Soak 
  Strength 
  Mobility 
  Fatigue  
  Attune 
  Cost
  Common 
  20 
  12 
  -6 
  6 
  10 
  •••
  Scout 
  16 
  10 
  -3 
  4 
  10 
  •••
  Noble 
  22 
  14 
  -4 
  4 
  12 
  ••••
  Colossus 
  30 
  20 
  -10 
  8 
  14 
  •••••
  Royal 
  24 
  16 
  -2 
  2 
  15 
  •••••
  Soak: Warstriders apply their soak value equally to bashing, lethal and aggravated damage. All warstriders have a 
  Hardness rating equal to half their soak.
  Strength: The effective Strength of the pilot while operating the warstrider for the following purposes: (1) deter-
  mining damage inﬂ icted by the warstrider in combat, (2) determining how much the warstrider can lift or carry, (3) 
  determining whether the warstrider can break or destroy something, and (4) determining jumping distances.
  Mobility: The pilot applies this penalty to all Dexterity-related dice pools and subtracts half the penalty from his 
  Dodge DV (but not Parry DV).
  Fatigue: The number of successes the player must roll on a periodic (Stamina + Resistance) roll after extended us-
  age. The frequency with which the player must make fatigue rolls is determined by environmental and situational 
  conditions (see Exalted, p. 374).
  Attune: The number of motes that must be spent to attune the warstrider.
  Cost: The Artifact Background rating of the warstrider.
  
  141
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  combat with the Anathema. Over time, this round-the-clock 
  production schedule, combined with the total loss of many 
  Celestial techniques, led to degradation of the factory-cathe-
  dral facilities, severely cutting into the rate of production. 
  By the end of the Shogunate era, only 60 percent of the 
  First Age factory-cathedrals were still functional, and even 
  they could produce common warstriders at the rate of only 
  one every six months. The Contagion brought warstrider 
  production to a complete standstill for decades and almost 
  ended it permanently. Currently, the Realm has only two 
  functioning warstrider manufacturing centers, while Look-
  shy has three. Each is capable of producing one common 
  warstrider a year under ideal conditions, assuming jade is 
  available in sufﬁ cient quantities. Lookshy also has a number 
  of small factory complexes that produce common warstriders 
  without any First Age tools at a rate of one every three to 
  ﬁ ve years. Several of the Dynastic Houses also have similar 
  factory complexes, which are carefully concealed from their 
  rivals—and sometimes from the government as well.
  SCOUT WARSTRIDERS: THE QUIET HUNTERS
  A scout warstrider is the simplest modiﬁ cation of the 
  common warstrider, and virtually the only variation of 
  common warstrider that modern Dragon-Blooded engineers 
  can reproduce. From a visual standpoint, the scout is largely 
  identical to the common warstrider except that it is slightly 
  smaller, usually about 16 feet tall. The scout’s primary design 
  modiﬁ cation is that the jade plates that make up the exoskel-
  eton are thinner and lighter, resulting in a warstrider that 
  it signiﬁ cantly easier to handle. Overall, the scout sacriﬁ ces 
  some of its strength and a signiﬁ cant portion of its soak in 
  exchange for greatly reduced mobility penalties and fatigue 
  values. Scouts are speciﬁ cally designed to cover ground 
  quickly and efﬁ ciently and also to go for longer periods in 
  the ﬁ eld without maintenance. A scout multiplies its pilot’s 
  movement rate by a factor of 15 instead of 10, and the scout 
  itself can function for up to 15 hours before routine main-
  tenance is required. Scouts are less battle ready, however, 
  and each hour of actual combat counts as three hours of 
  regular activity instead of just two. Most scout warstriders 
  also have additional enchantments that improve their ma-
  neuverability and stealth capabilities. In the modern Age, 
  scouts are most commonly forged from blue jade and are 
  piloted by Air-aspected Dragon-Blooded who specialize in 
  Stealth and Awareness Charms to improve the warstrider’s 
  use as a reconnaissance tool. Many scouts that predate the 
  Great Contagion also have ancillary cloaking systems (see 
  “Ancillary Systems,” p. 154).
  While the scout warstrider has undeniable utility, it 
  provides few beneﬁ ts that are not better gained from con-
  ventional reconnaissance tools, and so, the design never 
  achieved great popularity at any point in military history. 
  Scout production historically has taken about the same 
  amount of time as production of a common warstrider, but 
  converting a factory-cathedral dedicated to common war-
  striders over to scout production takes months of retroﬁ tting. 
  
  142
  Consequently, factory-cathedrals would typically spend about 
  10 years out of every 100 producing a line of scouts before 
  returning to their normal production regimen. In the modern 
  era, neither Lookshy nor the Realm has produced any new 
  scout warstriders in over 150 years.
  NOBLE WARSTRIDERS: THE WALKING ARTILLERY 
  The noble warstrider is a vanishing symbol of the 
  Shogunate’s former glory. To the unenlightened observer, a 
  noble warstrider differs from a common one in only superﬁ cial 
  details. The noble stands 20 feet tall on average, about two 
  feet taller than the typical common warstrider. The noble 
  is also more likely to be forged of unusual materials. While 
  most post-Usurpation noble warstriders are forged from 
  jade, many that have endured to the Age of Sorrows are 
  made of orichalcum, moonsilver or soulsteel. Some obscure 
  techniques exist for forging them of even odder substances, 
  such as adamant or enchanted wood that has been magically 
  reinforced to have the same durability as any of the magical 
  materials. Regardless of what arcane substances are used 
  in its construction, however, the construction of a noble 
  warstrider requires an expenditure of Resources equivalent 
  to two talents of magical materials. 
  This enormous increase in material requirements is the 
  reason for the noble warstrider’s superiority to its lesser kin. 
  While the frame and musculature of common and scout 
  warstriders are forged of steel and then covered with jade, 
  all of the component parts of a noble warstrider, including 
  scores of tiny springs, gears, pins and clockwork mechanisms, 
  are forged of the magical materials. Even the control inter-
  face generally forgoes leather and copper for mesh “fabrics” 
  made from thousands of delicate links each made from the 
  appropriate magical material. In fact, a signiﬁ cant portion of 
  the magical materials required for forging a noble warstrider 
  is lost in the form of useless shavings left behind from the 
  creation of innumerable tiny widgets.
  The beneﬁ ts of this enormous expense are twofold. 
  First, noble warstriders are both stronger and more durable 
  than common warstriders. At the same time, however, the 
  control interface of a noble warstrider is much more “user 
  friendly” than its common analog, as the attuned magical 
  materials of the interface intuitively move with the pilot’s 
  body, making the noble both more maneuverable and less 
  taxing to operate. Attuning to a noble warstrider requires 
  12 motes of Essence.
  Second, because the entirety of the warstrider consists 
  of Essence-channeling materials, the warstrider is capable of 
  operating Essence weapons without suffering damage from 
  the effects. While common warstriders are theoretically able 
  to ﬁ re mounted Essence weapons such as Essence cannons, 
  feedback from raw Essence pours over the warstrider and 
  degrades its non-magical components. In game terms, every 
  time a common or scout warstrider ﬁ res an Essence weapon, 
  it counts as one hour of activity for maintenance purposes 
  unless the weapon has its own internal power supply, such 
  as a hearthstone (see “Maintenance and Repair,” p. 147). 
  Noble warstriders do not suffer this liability and can freely 
  use Essence-based weapons powered by either the pilot or 
  even the suit itself.
  Noble warstriders ﬁ rst entered widespread use in the First 
  Age, primarily at the hands of Lunar Exalted, high Essence 
  Terrestrials of particular note and younger Solars who had 
  only recently been reborn into new bodies and did not yet 
  have the resources or status to acquire a royal warstrider. 
  The few of Sidereal warstriders in existence are also noble 
  warstriders. Production of a noble warstrider cannot be 
  accomplished without a factory-cathedral, and it typically 
  took 12 to 15 months during the First Age (and twice that 
  in the present day). The Shogunate managed to maintain six 
  factory-cathedrals dedicated to the production of the noble 
  class until the Contagion, although jade shortages in the late 
  Shogunate era led to four of the still-functioning factories 
  being shut down. Lookshy and the Realm each maintain 
  one factory in the modern era, although each usually only 
  produces a noble warstrider roughly every ﬁ ve to ten years 
  due to expense and low demand. Several Deathlords have 
  constructed factory-cathedrals dedicated to the creation of 
  soulsteel noble warstriders in the Underworld, but the rate 
  of production is only about one every 20 months due to the 
  logistical problems of maintaining a factory-cathedral in 
  the Underworld (which include regular sabotage attempts 
  by rival Deathlords).
  COLOSSUS WARSTRIDERS: 
  THE IRRESISTIBLE FORCE
  Among the most fearsome siege weapons ever created, 
  the colossi, sometimes also referred to as juggernauts, are no 
  taller than the typical noble warstrider, but are twice as wide 
  and immeasurably stronger. The musculature of a colossus 
  incorporates twice as many component gears and pulleys as 
  its smaller kin, and the plates of magical materials that adorn 
  its exterior are almost double the thickness of a common 
  warstrider’s. All of these factors made the colossus the clos-
  est thing to “invincible” that First Age magic could fashion 
  without invoking the power of the gods themselves. Colossi are 
  used almost exclusively as siege units, as the massive artifacts’ 
  arms can simply tear down the walls of most cities. They are 
  ponderously slow in combat, however, and their enormous 
  weight makes them a menace to their pilots in bad terrain. 
  For example, the Tepets recently lost a colossus ﬁ ghting the 
  Bull of the North when his forces tricked the pilot into trying 
  to cross a 30-foot-deep camouﬂ aged mud pit.
  Relatively few colossi were ever forged, and none save 
  the Deathlords have produced any since the Contagion. The 
  Solars who ruled the First Age disfavored the design, generally 
  ﬁ nding it lacking in both grace and panache, and neither the 
  Shogunate nor the Scarlet Empire have ever had the capital 
  resources to make colossi in any signiﬁ cant numbers. Also, 
  the Essence cost of a colossus is high, requiring 14 motes for 
  
  143
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  attunement, nearly as much as a royal. Fortunately for the 
  Dragon-Blooded, most of the colossi still extant are of jade 
  construction, as the First Age Solars considered manning the 
  ponderous beasts to be menial work ﬁ t for their lieutenants. 
  Therefore, both Lookshy and the Realm still retain a limited 
  number of these massive suits for deployment. Also, a number 
  of the more martially inclined Deathlords have constructed 
  soulsteel colossi, perhaps to use against one of their own.
  ROYAL WARSTRIDERS: THE HAMMER OF THE GODS
  Royal warstriders represent the ultimate expression of 
  the warstrider concept. These gigantic suits typically stand 
  about 25 feet tall and are most commonly built entirely of 
  orichalcum. A small number were constructed of moonsilver 
  for the beneﬁ t of the most highly regarded Lunars, and perhaps 
  as many as 30 were fashioned for Dragon-Blooded of legend-
  ary status as priceless heirlooms for their families after their 
  passing. The only royal warstriders to be constructed since the 
  Usurpation are soulsteel titans fashioned by the Deathlords 
  with long forgotten techniques and a red jade one presented 
  to the Empress as a gift from Chejop Kejak. Twilights among 
  the newly returned Solars now search diligently for the lost 
  secrets by which these warstriders were fashioned.
  The most obvious external differences between noble and 
  royal warstriders are simply matters of scale. Royal warstrid-
  ers require three full talents of magical materials—two and 
  a half talents in the actual forging and at least half a talent 
  as a sacriﬁ ce to the gods, whose blessing is a prerequisite to a 
  fully functioning royal warstrider. The larger size of the royal 
  warstrider, combined with the proportionately greater mass 
  of Essence-channeling matter, makes the royal even stronger 
  and sturdier than its noble kin, while also further improving 
  the artifact’s mobility and grace. Royal warstriders require 
  15 motes to attune.
  But if a royal warstrider were simply a bigger noble 
  warstrider, then it would be little more than a sign of the 
  Solars’ collective vanity. The true value of a royal warstrider 
  lies inside its exoskeleton, where thousands of tiny sigils have 
  been painstakingly carved onto the imperishable orichalcum 
  plates. These markings are far more than decorative, for they 
  invoke the authority of the Unconquered Sun through his 
  Lawgivers in Creation to give the warstrider a name. This 
  name, once bestowed, resonates with the soul of the spirit 
  that resides within the artiﬁ cial construct and, in response 
  to the prayers of Zenith Caste priests, can cause that spirit 
  to fully awaken. 
  A royal warstrider is the smallest artifact capable of 
  housing a fully sentient little god, or as the Twilights referred 
  to it, an “animating intelligence.” While such an “AI” is not 
  nearly as potent as those summoned into existence to govern 
  manses or artifact vessels, an awakened royal warstrider can 
  give potent advantages depending on how powerful it is, 
  how much awareness it retains and, most importantly, how 
  amenable it is to serving a new master as loyally as it once 
  did the Exalted who helped birth it.
  The process by which the mighty royal warstriders were 
  fashioned exempliﬁ es both the majesty and complexity of 
  
  144
  First Age technology that blended science, magic and religion 
  into something greater than the sum of its parts. When a 
  royal warstrider was commissioned, mortal workers would 
  ﬁ rst spend days meticulously cleaning the factory-cathedral 
  where the work was to take place. Actual production usu-
  ally began on the ﬁ rst day of the new year, as the warstrider 
  would have to be fully assembled before the next Calibration 
  and designers naturally wanted as much time as possible. On 
  the ﬁ rst day of construction, a priest (usually a Zenith Caste 
  Solar or a Chosen of the Maiden of Battles) attended to the 
  factory-cathedral to bless all those who would take part in 
  the warstrider’s manufacture. No one who was absent on 
  that ﬁ rst day could ever take part in the construction of that 
  particular warstrider without fatally tainting the process. After 
  the blessings of Yu-Shan were called forth, the manufacturing 
  process began in earnest.
  Each morning upon entering the factory-cathedral, 
  workers would strip down in antechambers and ritually 
  cleanse themselves in special pools, before donning sanctiﬁ ed 
  robes of white linen and entering the production chambers. 
  There, each individual artisan would go to his station and 
  begin another day of painstaking work. In the ﬁ rst stage of 
  warstrider production, dozens of master blacksmiths in special 
  armor worked to shape the magical material to be used into 
  crude approximations of the desired shapes. Shaping jade, 
  moonsilver and starmetal each required rare alchemical 
  procedures that often unleashed poisonous or explosive gases. 
  The most dangerous material of all, though, was orichalcum, 
  which could only be forged while superheated in either 
  molten lava or over rocks drawn from the Elemental Pole 
  of Fire. Once the crude outlines of the exoskeletal plates 
  were formed, each one would have to be carefully sanded 
  and whittled down into precisely the right shape so that 
  the plates would ultimately ﬁ t perfectly together. Even for 
  accomplished Twilights, such painstaking work might take 
  days, but the Solar Exalted typically had much more impor-
  tant duties than personally overseeing manufacturing jobs. 
  Therefore, the work went to Dragon-Blooded artisans and 
  mortal blacksmiths armed with special jade tools that could 
  shave the crude templates into the precise shape needed, 
  whether the massive, interlocking plates of the exoskeleton, 
  the simple bone-like structures that made up the frame or 
  the man-sized cavity of the fuselage.
  Unfortunately, this initial phase of the work was the 
  easiest part of the process. Once the plates were properly 
  forged, a series of occult designs would be drawn onto the 
  interior side of each plate, and the blacksmiths would me-
  ticulously trace and retrace these designs with jade scalpels 
  until they were permanently imbedded into each plate. The 
  work was incredibly delicate, and a single misplaced scratch 
  might render a priceless quantity of orichalcum worthless for 
  use in the manufacturing process. Meanwhile, other artisans 
  handled the tedious but vital job of preparing the individual 
  components of the musculature, taking ﬁ ngernail-sized shards 
  of magical material and whittling them down into tiny springs, 
  chain links, coils, screws, etc. A single artisan might spend 
  an entire month preparing a spring the size of his own little 
  ﬁ nger, while another might spend three months fashion-
  ing a gear less than an inch across but with more than 100 
  teeth. Alchemists and thaumaturges worked ceaselessly to 
  prepare the elixirs and reagents that would both protect the 
  more delicate components from damage and also form the 
  sympathetic links between the control interface and the 
  musculature that would allow the warstrider to function. 
  At yet another station, expert jewelers would spend weeks 
  analyzing the precious stones brought from Gem in order 
  to ﬁ nd their ﬂ aws so that each stone could be properly cut 
  down to the right size without shattering. Once the mystic 
  runes were imbedded into a plate to the proper depth, the 
  cut gems could be afﬁ xed into the plates, creating an Essence 
  matrix that could allow a nascent spirit to retain memories 
  and develop a personality. Finally, when the individual pieces 
  were complete, the warstrider could be assembled piece by 
  piece, like an immense, indestructible jigsaw puzzle.
  Under First Age construction practices, each workday 
  began with a brief religious service as the Unconquered Sun 
  rose in the East and another at sunset when the workday 
  ended. A third service took place at noon and began the 
  lunch hour, and the factory was closed both at night and on 
  days on which eclipses were scheduled to occur. All work had 
  to be completed and the warstrider fully assembled by the 
  day just before Calibration, and the factory would be sealed 
  and warded with the warstrider inside during that ﬁ ve-day 
  period in order to prevent contamination of the assembled 
  artifact by hostile spiritual forces. At dawn on the ﬁ rst day 
  of Ascending Air, a priest once again called down the bless-
  ings of Yu-Shan. The priest need not have been the same 
  one who ﬁ rst blessed the manufacturing process (he need 
  not even be an Exalt, though mortals rarely had sufﬁ cient 
  favor in Yu-Shan to even dare to pray for the awakening of 
  a new spirit), but he had to be someone who was present on 
  that ﬁ rst day. At this ﬁ nal ceremony, the priest sacriﬁ ced any 
  magical material remaining after the construction process, 
  at least half a talent, to the glory of the Unconquered Sun 
  and prayed for him to recognize the warstrider’s name and 
  write it into The Book of Heaven. If the gods answered the 
  prayer, the spirit of the warstrider would awaken with the 
  mind of a small child but would quickly develop an intellect 
  appropriate to its Essence. 
  Obviously, Storytellers are not required to permit any 
  player to have a warstrider with a functioning AI or indeed 
  to have a warstrider at all. In fact, given the difﬁ culties of 
  production and maintenance, a Storyteller who does not wish 
  to incorporate warstriders into his series is fully justiﬁ ed in 
  ruling that warstriders are incredibly rare or even nonexistent 
  and that none of the royal warstriders have endured into the 
  modern Age. That said, if a Storyteller chooses to allow this 
  option in his series, the following guidelines apply.
  At character creation, a player who wishes to have a 
  sentient warstrider must ﬁ rst purchase a royal warstrider as 
  
  145
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  a ﬁ ve-dot Artifact. Then, she can purchase the AI as an ally 
  (per the Background) with a rating of 3 to 5 with character-
  istics described starting below. No warstrider AI is capable of 
  materializing or of leaving the physical shell of the warstrider, 
  and the destruction of the warstrider itself will annihilate the 
  spirit permanently. An AI can perceive only the immediate 
  vicinity of the warstrider, but more advanced versions can 
  communicate such sensory impressions directly to the user. 
  Doing so negates the Perception and Awareness penalties 
  associated with piloting a warstrider and, in the most sophis-
  ticated models, allows the AI to communicate an awareness 
  of its surroundings to its pilot even when she is not aboard. 
  Depending on how many Background dots are allocated to 
  the AI, it might also have signiﬁ cant knowledge of the First 
  Age and possibly even Charms that can be focused through 
  the warstrider or used directly on the pilot.
  If a character acquires a sentient royal warstrider through 
  roleplay, the Storyteller has a number of options. She may 
  treat the AI as if it were simply a Storyteller character and 
  permit the character to either win it over, bully it into 
  submission or gain its loyalty however he can. Depending 
  on the character’s actions, the AI might become actively 
  hostile to the character. While such AIs’ power to directly 
  harm another is limited (bordering on non-existent; the 
  Solars weren’t stupid after all), many AIs are patient, crafty 
  and capable of denying the pilot the use their abilities at a 
  crucial moment. In particular, many powerful AIs have vivid 
  memories of being helpless passengers in warstriders piloted 
  by insane Solars in the grip of the Great Curse. Such ancient 
  intelligences seldom desire to repeat the experience. 
  If a character acquires a royal warstrider without an ac-
  tive AI, it may be assumed that the AI has been forced into 
  slumber through the tedium of untold centuries of non-use 
  or else that the sigils and memory gems that permit the AI 
  to function have been damaged. It is also possible, of course, 
  that some AIs have been deliberately deactivated by former 
  owners. The process by which these little gods are summoned 
  into being is delicate. In some rare cases, they might turn out 
  “wrong,” and the Great Curse was a burden enough already 
  without mad warstriders whispering encouragement to pilots 
  who were in the grip of berserker rage.
  In any case, all royal warstriders have the capacity to 
  develop self-awareness. Slumbering AIs might awaken spon-
  taneously due to constant combat and Essence expenditure 
  by the pilot (at Storyteller’s discretion, of course). Actively 
  trying to repair or reactivate a dormant AI requires the fol-
  lowing: Craft 5, Lore 5 and Occult 5; artifact tools capable of 
  effecting ﬁ ne repairs on magical materials (Artifact 3+); the 
  accumulation of 100 successes on an extended Craft roll, with 
  each roll representing one full day of work; at least nine suc-
  cesses on a prayer roll made by a Zenith (or any other priest) 
  at dawn on the ﬁ rst day of the new year. The last roll is the 
  most important as it determines the Essence level of the ani-
  mating intelligence. With nine successes, the resulting AI is 
  a three-dot ally (per the Background). With 12 successes, it is 
  worth four dots. With 15 successes, it’s worth ﬁ ve dots. Under 
  no circumstances will the Celestial Bureaucracy sanction the 
  awakening of an AI with an Essence rating higher than 3 for 
  use in a warstrider. If the prayer roll is unsuccessful, the priest 
  can try again, but not until one full year has passed. If the 
  prayer roll botches, the warstrider might be seriously damaged 
  in some way due to the anger of the gods, or the priest might 
  inadvertently summon a deranged AI into existence.
  As the Deathlords are outside the Celestial Hierarchy, 
  they are somewhat limited in their ability to create fully 
  functioning royal warstriders. To date, most of the Deathlords 
  who have even attempted the construction of such weapons 
  have simply foregone any attempt to “awaken” the warstrider 
  and contented themselves with the mechanical beneﬁ ts of 
  such an artifact. The First and Forsaken Lion, however, has 
  pioneered a new technique for binding the spirits of powerful 
  ghosts into the mechanisms of a warstrider, and his Insidious 
  Ebon Xoanon carries most of the beneﬁ ts of a ﬁ ve-dot AI.
  BACKGROUND: INTELLIGENT WARSTRIDER ALLY
  Note: A warstrider AI costs a minimum of three Back-
  ground dots.
  ••• 
  The AI has an Essence of 1. It has a reserve 
  of 10 motes of Essence, which can be used to 
  fuel Essence weapons but for no other purposes. 
  The AI can speak to the pilot provided he is 
  in the fuselage and fully attuned, and it can 
  verbally alert the pilot to relevant aspects of its 
  surroundings, reducing Perception and Aware-
  ness related penalties to only a -2 penalty. The 
  AI has one dot in each Mental Attribute and 
  in Charisma and Manipulation, but it has no 
  Appearance and no Physical Attributes. The 
  AI has no recollection of prior pilots or of the 
  First Age and has no Abilities. The AI has no 
  Virtues and can never succeed in a Virtue roll, 
  except for Valor rolls, which it can never fail. 
  The AI has no Charms.
  •••• 
  The AI has an Essence of 2. It has a reserve of 
  20 motes of Essence, which can be used to fuel 
  Essence weapons or other Essence devices built 
  into the warstrider but for no other purposes. 
  The AI can permit anyone attuned to the 
  warstrider to perceive his surroundings as if 
  the helm were his actual head, totally negat-
  ing all Perception-based penalties for piloting 
  a warstrider. The AI can also “speak” out of 
  the warstrider’s mouth or permit the pilot to 
  do so, making communication much easier. In 
  addition to the Attribute dots of the Essence 1 
  version, the AI has ﬁ ve Attribute dots, which 
  can be divided between Mental Attributes, 
  Charisma and Manipulation. The AI has some 
  recollection of the First Age (roll Intelligence 
  + Essence). The AI cannot materialize or leave 
  
  146
  the conﬁ nes of the warstrider, but it does have 
  the Charm Measure the Wind. The AI has 
  Virtues just like any other sentient being.
  ••••• 
  The AI has an Essence of 3. It has a reserve 
  of 30 motes of Essence, which can be used 
  to fuel Essence weapons or other Essence 
  devices built into the warstrider or to fuel 
  Charms that can be channeled through the 
  warstrider itself. The AI can communicate 
  telepathically with the most recent pilot to 
  attune to it at a range of up to ﬁ ve miles away. 
  It can actively attempt to prevent a new and 
  unidentiﬁ ed pilot from attuning to the war-
  strider by winning an opposed Essence roll. 
  If it fails to prevent attunement, however, it 
  cannot attempt to block that pilot again until 
  a different pilot attunes the warstrider success-
  fully and becomes the “new” owner. The AI 
  has one free dot in every Mental and Social 
  Attribute and 10 dots to spread among those 
  Attributes. The AI remembers most of its prior 
  existence (including one automatic success on 
  any attempt to remember information about 
  prior pilots and an unmodiﬁ ed Intelligence 
  roll to remember generalized First Age lore). 
  While the AI cannot actually materialize, it 
  can project a phantasmal image, which ap-
  pears to the pilot inside the fuselage and can 
  make Appearance-based rolls accordingly. 
  Some savants know tales of Solar Exalted who 
  actually fell in love with the beautiful images 
  and radiant personalities of their socially adept 
  warstriders. The AI has Virtues just like any 
  other sentient being. The AI remains unable 
  to leave the warstrider’s conﬁ nes, but it has 
  the Charm Measure the Wind and ﬁ ve other 
  Charms. These Charms may be chosen from 
  the following list.
  WARSTRIDER AI CHARMS
  ESSENCE BITE
  Cost: 3m (which can be provided by the AI, the pilot or 
  any reserves within the warstrider); Mins: Valor 3, Essence 
  2; Type: Simple (Speed 5)
  Keywords: Combo-Ok
  Duration: One scene
  Prerequisite Charms: None
  When used by an AI, this Charm can add to the damage 
  the pilot can inﬂ ict on a standard Martial Arts attack, charg-
  ing the warstrider’s hands with damaging Essence. During 
  the scene in which the Charm is active, roll the AI’s (Valor 
  + Essence) every time the pilot successfully strikes a target 
  in hand-to-hand combat. Each success adds one die to the 
  pilot’s damage pool, and all that damage is lethal.
  TRACKING
  Cost: 5m (which can be provided by the AI, the pilot or 
  any reserves within the warstrider); Mins: Compassion 2, 
  Essence 1; Type: Simple (Speed 6)
  Keywords: Combo-Ok
  Duration: One scene
  Prerequisite Charms: None
  The spirit can track someone or something with a suc-
  cessful (Perception + Compassion) check. The difﬁ culty 
  of the check is equal to the Essence of the creature being 
  tracked (or 1 in the case of a quarry without an Essence 
  trait), modiﬁ ed by any supernatural evasive techniques the 
  quarry can bring to bear.
  CAMOUFLAGE
  Cost: 10m (which must come exclusively from the AI); Mins:
  Temperance 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 6)
  Keywords: Combo-Ok
  Duration: One scene
  Prerequisite Charms: None
  The AI can camouﬂ age the warstrider’s form to blend in 
  with the ambient environment. Roll (Wits + Temperance). 
  Successes on the roll are added to the successes from any other 
  Stealth-related roll made by the pilot’s player. The effects of 
  this Charm can stack with any Charm a pilot is capable of 
  using, as well as the effects of any ancillary cloaking systems 
  (see pp. 155-156).
  DONNING SPIRITUAL ARMOR
  Cost: 5m (which must come from the AI); Mins: Temper-
  ance 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 6)
  Keywords: Combo-Ok
  Duration: One scene
  Prerequisite Charms: None
  The AI can augment the incredible soak of the warstrider’s 
  exoskeleton even further. When the AI spends the requisite Es-
  sence, the bashing and lethal soak of the warstrider increased by 
  (the AI’s Temperance + Essence). Additionally, the warstrider 
  and its pilot are protected from all environmental dangers such 
  as excessive heat and cold, as if the pilot had used the Hardship-
  Surviving Mendicant Spirit Charm (see Exalted, p. 210).
  UNCANNY PROWESS
  Cost: 2m (which may come from the AI or the warstrider’s 
  reserves, but not the pilot); Mins: Valor 2, Essence 1; 
  Type: Reﬂ exive
  Keywords: Combo-Ok
  Duration: Special
  Prerequisite Charms: None
  The AI can add dice equal to its Valor to any single 
  Dexterity roll made by the pilot in the course of operating the 
  warstrider. This roll can be anything from a single attack to an 
  extended roll to tear down a fortiﬁ ed wall. When applied to 
  extended rolls, the Charm adds dice to each roll. These dice, 
  however, can be added to only a single endeavor (which must 
  
  147
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  involve some action undertaken by the warstrider), and the 
  Charm cannot be recast until the ﬁ rst task has been completed 
  or abandoned.
  SPIRIT-CUTTING
  Cost: 1m; Mins: Valor 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
  Keywords: Combo-Ok
  Duration: Instant
  Prerequisite Charms: None
  When this Charm is activated, the warstrider can launch 
  a single attack against an unmanifested spirit.
  THE WARSTRIDER IN THE FIELD
  Regardless of a warstrider’s class, it remains a complex 
  mechanism whose functioning depends on delicate parts in-
  teracting in perfect precision. Even warstriders not engaged in 
  combat operations still require near constant maintenance. A 
  single spring slipping out of its socket might totally incapacitate 
  an arm or leg, while a worn leather strap in the control interface 
  might disrupt the careful balance of sympathy and contagion that 
  permits the great machine to function at all. Consequently, in 
  the ﬁ eld, each warstrider is supported by a number of engineers, 
  savants and technicians specially trained in the art of warstrider 
  maintenance. Indeed, perhaps the greatest drawback to deploy-
  ing a warstrider is the fact that ideally it must be accompanied 
  by perhaps dozens of support personnel in order to have 
  any long-term battleﬁ eld utility.
  MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
  Under standard operational parameters (i.e., normal 
  activity with no active combat) and regardless of type, a 
  warstrider can function at optimal efﬁ ciency for about 10 
  hours. Scouts are the exception and can function for about 
  15 hours. Each hour of either combat, heavy lifting or rapid 
  movement counts as two hours for maintenance purposes, and 
  for common and scout warstriders, each separate ﬁ ring of an 
  Essence weapon typically counts as one hour. (This penalty is 
  obviated if the Essence weapon is independently powered by 
  its own hearthstone.) After 10 hours of use have passed, the 
  warstrider requires one hour of routine maintenance. This 
  maintenance requires at least one technician with Lore 5, 
  Occult 4 and Craft (Magitech) 4. Theoretically, the engineers 
  assigned to a warstrider fang will have all of the requisite 
  knowledge. A common practice for both the Realm and 
  Lookshy in recent years, however, has been to supply each 
  warstrider fang with a savant with Lore 5, one thaumaturge 
  with Occult 4 and one engineer with Craft (Magitech) 4, 
  along with a small staff of apprentices and laborers so that 
  battleﬁ eld repairs can be made as quickly as possible. In ad-
  dition to trained repair technicians, warstrider maintenance 
  also requires an array of specialized tools and equip-
  ment (Resources 4 or Artifact 
  2 if the technicians include 
  individuals who can at-
  tune to artifacts).
  
  148
  Under ideal situations, these tools take up a goodly 
  sized workshop or two horse-drawn carts, but more often, 
  the equipment is carried onto the battleﬁ eld on the backs 
  of the infantry soldiers in the warstrider fang. In the ﬁ eld, 
  setting up a mobile workspace takes (6 – the fang’s Drill) 
  hours. For every 40 hours of routine maintenance or every 
  individual repair roll to ﬁ x actual damage, a quantity of 
  jade, reagents, metal parts and other raw materials costing 
  Resources 3 is used up. For common and scout warstriders, 
  these materials are most often spent to replace defective 
  or broken pieces of the musculature. For more advanced 
  warstriders, such repairs take the form of replacing gears and 
  springs that have fallen out of their placements or keeping 
  the mechanisms of the warstrider coated in lubricating re-
  agents that preserve the enchantments and prevent internal 
  friction from causing any damage. In any case, the tools and 
  materials required are highly specialized and unlikely to be 
  found outside a major city or a large garrison.
  The magic of a warstrider will permit it to continue func-
  tioning indeﬁ nitely while the pilot remains attuned and on 
  board. Once the pilot exits, however, the effects of any missed 
  maintenance kick in. For every 10 hours that the warstrider is 
  in arrears on its maintenance, it suffers one of the following 
  disabilities (or another problem, at Storyteller discretion):
  • Reduce the warstrider’s soak by 2L/2B and its hard-
  ness by one.
  • Reduce the warstrider’s ground speed multiplier (or speed 
  and maneuver for ﬂ ying or aquatic warstriders) by one.
  • Add two to the difﬁ culty to hit targets less than 10 
  feet tall.
  • Temporarily deactivate one of the warstrider’s special 
  powers or abilities (if any).
  • Impose an internal one-die penalty to all physical 
  actions performed while piloting the warstrider.
  To remove these penalties, a technician must ﬁ rst spend 
  twice the amount of time the warstrider is in arrears on routine 
  maintenance. For example, if the warstrider had gone 25 hours 
  without maintenance, the technician(s) would have to ﬁ rst 
  spend 40 full hours on routine maintenance (two 10-hour 
  blocks multiplied by two, with the last ﬁ ve hours of arrearage 
  ignored). Then, each penalty must be repaired individually, 
  with each separate repair requiring both one hour of repair 
  time and an Intelligence + Craft (Magitech) roll at a difﬁ culty 
  of 3. Especially complicated repairs, such as reattaching sev-
  ered limbs, require additional time, manpower, resources and 
  increase the difﬁ culty to 5, all at Storyteller discretion. On 
  the other hand, Charms—especially high-level Solar Craft 
  Charms—might speed up even the most difﬁ cult repairs to 
  something that can be done within minutes.
  LOW-POWER STANCE
  The maintenance requirements of the warstrider might 
  seem excessive, particularly since every hour of heavy activ-
  ity counts as two for maintenance purposes. Fortunately, the 
  design of the warstrider permits the pilot to reduce of the 
  need for maintenance by switching to low-power stance. 
  While in a low-power stance, the normal rules of warstrider 
  operation change as follows:
  • The time spent in low-power stance is counted at 
  one-third the normal rate for maintenance purposes, so nine 
  hours spent marching counts as only three for determining 
  when routine maintenance is needed.
  • The warstrider can be powered by a level-2 hearthstone 
  instead of a level-3 one (or by the pilot’s own Essence).
  • The warstrider’s movement rate is halved after the 
  multiplier is applied.
  • The rate for using any warstrider weapon or attack 
  is halved, and Essence weapons powered by the warstrider 
  itself will not function at all.
  • The penalty to attack targets less than 10 feet tall 
  increases by two (for a total -5 external penalty).
  • The pilot suffers a two-die penalty on all physical 
  actions, including attack.
  • All Defense Values decrease by one.
  • All physical actions are at a +2 Speed (to a maximum 
  of 6).
  As long as the warstrider is powered with a level-3 
  hearthstone, the pilot can shift between low-power and 
  normal stance in a number of ticks equal to (6 – pilot’s 
  permanent Essence). Without such a hearthstone, shifting 
  takes (9 – pilot’s permanent Essence) ticks, in addition to 
  the extra Essence and Willpower required to self-power the 
  warstrider, as described on page 140.
  WARSTRIDER DEPLOYMENT IN THE 
  MODERN AGE
  In the Age of Sorrows, only three military forces make 
  any signiﬁ cant use of warstriders: the Imperial Army of the 
  Realm, the Seventh Legion of Lookshy and the armies of 
  the Deathlords. The Solar Anathema have not yet made any 
  major concerted efforts to deploy warstriders, although it is 
  said that the Bull of the North has access to several and is 
  considering how best to integrate them into his forces.
  Under the terminology of both the Imperial Army and 
  the Seventh Legion, warstrider deployments are typically 
  referred to as fangs. In this case, however, the term refers to 
  the fact that the unit has ﬁ ve warstriders. The total manpower 
  of a warstrider “fang,” however, usually also includes about 
  125 soldiers acting as support personnel. In the typical con-
  ﬁ guration, each of the ﬁ ve warstriders is supported by three 
  fangs of heavy infantry and at least one sorcerer or savant, 
  one ground guide and two aides (one each for the sorcerer 
  and the pilot). The entire unit is usually under the command 
  of a talonlord with experience in warstrider tactics and is 
  rounded out by a staff of intelligence ofﬁ cers and aides, a fang 
  of medics and two fangs of scouts. Warstrider deployment 
  by the Deathlords is much more ad hoc, as the zombies and 
  hungry ghosts who often make up the bulk of their forces do 
  not lend themselves to such tightly organized tactics.
  
  149
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  THE REALM
  Until quite recently, the Realm possessed just over 200 
  warstriders divided up among the Great Houses, the Im-
  maculate Order and individual legions. Unfortunately, three 
  full fangs of warstriders were recently lost in combat with the 
  Bull of the North, including more than half the warstriders 
  belonging to House Tepet. Since then, the Realm as a whole 
  has become overly cautious about deploying warstriders 
  against the Anathema in mass combat, opting instead to try 
  to simply drown the Anathema in superior numbers. The 
  Immaculate Order continues to use warstriders in smaller 
  numbers as part of the Wyld Hunt, usually accompanying 
  heavy infantry as support for a group of Dragon-Blooded 
  champions and Immaculate masters. To the consternation 
  of the Immaculate Order, the Bronze Faction and the legion 
  generals alike, the most common use of the Realm’s limited 
  warstrider arsenal is against bandits, raiders and would-be 
  revolutionaries—in other words, targets who are grossly 
  outmatched by warstriders but whose abject defeat is neces-
  sary for propaganda purposes.
  The overwhelming majority of the Realm’s warstriders 
  are common, with about 20 percent being scout and an ad-
  ditional 15 percent of noble design. Almost all have been 
  forged since the Contagion. However, the Bronze Faction 
  occasionally places noble starmetal warstriders dating back 
  to the First Age at the disposal of the Immaculate Order, 
  and the Order itself controls a handful of noble warstriders 
  built during the early Shogunate period that are used almost 
  exclusively for the beneﬁ t of the Wyld Hunt.
  LOOKSHY
  Lookshy not only has more warstriders than the Realm, 
  it also has a much greater inclination to use them in military 
  operations. (Unlike House Tepet, the Seventh Legion hasn’t 
  seen entire warstrider fangs wiped out by the power of the 
  Anathema.) The Seventh Legion has access to approximately 
  215 warstriders, about 25 percent of which date back to the 
  Shogunate. At least 16 are noble warstriders, and ﬁ ve are 
  colossi. Lookshy also has at least four royal warstriders kept in 
  reserve, although only one is jade. Two others are orichalcum 
  and are held in storage solely to prevent Anathema from 
  gaining access to them. The fourth, remarkably, is a soulsteel 
  royal warstrider called Hateful Devourer of Love, which was 
  stolen in a daring raid on the domain of the Lover Clad in 
  the Raiment of Tears.
  In contrast to the Realm’s rather timid use of warstriders, 
  Lookshy incorporates its arsenal into almost every aspect of 
  its military operations. Warstriders serve as siege engines, as 
  transports for heavy artillery, as combatants against large-scale 
  threats and simply to scatter heavy infantry or to dig into 
  fortiﬁ cations. Lookshy even uses warstriders in construction 
  efforts, as they can assemble stones and timber into service-
  able forts much faster than even a talon of engineers backed 
  by scores of laborers. Finally, in addition to the warstriders 
  themselves, Lookshy also has considerable stores of advanced 
  weaponry and ancillary artifacts that can extend the capabili-
  ties of their warstrider arsenal.
  THE DEATHLORDS
  The Deathlords disagree on how best to apply warstrider 
  technology, just as they disagree on almost everything. The 
  First and Forsaken Lion has the largest arsenal of soulsteel 
  warstriders of any Deathlord (more than 50 nobles and at 
  least 10 royals) although his Neverborn-imposed exile to 
  his fortress, the Thousand, prevents him from deploying 
  in Creation with any regularity. In addition to his personal 
  warstrider, the Insidious Ebon Xoanon, he has also crafted 
  a soulsteel royal warstrider for his subordinate, the Princess 
  Magniﬁ cent, called Joy Derived From the Suffering of Oth-
  ers, although he taunts her with it and rarely permits her to 
  use it. The Mask of Winters has also constructed a sizable 
  number of bonestriders (see “Bonestriders,” p. 150), which 
  are piloted by war ghosts and nemissaries, although he has 
  constructed at least three royal warstriders for the beneﬁ t of 
  several of his deathknights.
  Conversely, the Bodhisattva Anointed by Dark Waters 
  has constructed only a handful of noble warstriders. Neither 
  the Bishop of the Chalcedony Thurible nor the Eye and 
  Seven Despairs make use of any warstriders at all, and the 
  Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears appears completely 
  unconcerned with the loss of Hateful Devourer of Love, her 
  only specimen. Some of her Abyssals even noted that she 
  seemed quite pleased when she learned of its theft.
  OTHERS
  After Lookshy and the Realm, outcaste Dragon-Blooded 
  make up the next largest group that makes use of warstriders, 
  although they compose a “group” only be dint of common 
  heritage. While they collectively have more warstriders 
  NOT ENOUGH? TOO MANY?
  While the description of warstrider availability 
  and tactics in this section may be considered ofﬁ cial, 
  Storytellers are completely free to adjust these num-
  bers—just as they are free to custom-tailor any aspect 
  of Exalted for their purposes. Storytellers can decide 
  that the Realm has many more hundreds of warstrid-
  ers, enough for one fang per dragon or more. In such 
  games, warstrider combat might be a regular occur-
  rence, and Storytellers may also choose to increase 
  the time a warstrider can function before requiring 
  maintenance. Alternatively, Storytellers who wish 
  to emphasize the priceless heirloom nature of the 
  artifact might restrict them to only a single fang per 
  Realm legion, or less.
  
  150
  than any other group besides the Realm and the Seventh 
  Legion, most outcastes are geographically isolated from 
  each other and have no common ties other than Exaltation. 
  Consequently, their numbers stem only from the normal 
  population advantage enjoyed by Dragon-Blooded over the 
  other Exalted types and by the fact that jade warstriders are 
  so much more common than those constructed of any other 
  magical material.
  The Lunars are another group hampered by lack of 
  internal organization. Over the centuries, they have either 
  recovered or fashioned a number of moonsilver warstriders, 
  usually noble. Ma-Ha-Suchi’s forces in the East have at 
  least six, including two royal warstriders that have limited 
  shapechanging abilities. All of his warstriders have advanced 
  stealth systems. Raksi has an undisclosed number, but she does 
  not make use of them, relying instead on her vast sorcerous 
  knowledge. In the West, some Lunars whisper that Leviathan 
  guards an ancient military depot containing dozens of First 
  Age warstriders in sunken Luthe and that he awaits only the 
  right time to deliver them to his allies.
  The Sidereals retain control over almost every starmetal 
  warstrider ever built. One or two are kept in Creation and 
  occasionally put at the disposal of the Wyld Hunt. Most of 
  the rest remain in Yu-Shan, where they are constantly main-
  tained and kept in perfect working order for the day that the 
  Sidereals ﬁ nally unite and march together in battle. A few 
  have been lost to the Sidereals over the centuries, however, 
  most commonly in the Wyld or a shadowland, where their 
  astrology cannot locate lost items. All warstriders constructed 
  by the Sidereals were forged with the full knowledge of First 
  Age techniques.
  Individual Solars have acquired limited numbers of 
  warstriders but have not yet mastered their capabilities. The 
  Bull of the North has the most, but even he still grapples 
  with operating them. No Solar has yet ﬁ gured out how to 
  forge a new noble or royal warstrider, but several Twilights 
  are close to reverse engineering common and scout warstrid-
  ers. For the Wyld Hunt, the most troubling aspect of Solars 
  using warstriders is that many newly born Solars are drawn 
  intuitively to the tombs of their old bodies, tombs that often 
  contain still-functional royal warstriders buried with their 
  former owners.
  Exalted are not the only beings capable of using warstrid-
  ers, though. Any solid being capable of channeling Essence can 
  attune to and operate a warstrider, including God-Blooded, 
  some mortal thaumaturges and even materialized ghosts and 
  spirits. Theoretically, Fair Folk can as well, but there is no 
  record of any Fair Folk ever having done so. Given the nature 
  of fae abilities, few are likely to even see the need.
  WARSTRIDER WEAPONS
  The most common type of weapons associated with the 
  warstrider are simply conventional weapons that have been 
  scaled for the warstrider’s superior size and strength. Less 
  common weapons include gargantuan daiklaves, powerbows 
  and other artifact weapons that are identical to the normal 
  examples of their make in all ways except size and impact. 
  The rarest but most potent weapons used by warstriders in 
  combat are Essence weapons, ranged weapons that can ﬁ re 
  energy at great distances. Such weapons cannot easily be used 
  by a common or scout warstrider unless the weapon itself 
  has a dedicated hearthstone. Otherwise, Essence feedback 
  will quickly degrade the warstrider’s components, perhaps 
  seriously damaging the artifact.
  MUNDANE WEAPONRY
  In the Age of Sorrows, most active warstriders, particu-
  larly those in Realm hands, must make due with conventional, 
  non-magical weapons. Such weapons can consist of almost 
  any weapon that a mortal could wield, although they generally 
  must be scaled to the appropriate size for such weapons to 
  be usable by a warstrider pilot. Blacksmiths forge chopping 
  swords, hook swords, maces and any other conventional 
  weapon that can be conceived, with each weapon three 
  or even four times as large as a normal weapon of its type. 
  Obviously, these mundane weapons inﬂ ict signiﬁ cantly more 
  damage than a normal-sized weapon, but they are also more 
  expensive and can often barely be lifted by a single indi-
  vidual. Such weapons typically come with appropriately sized 
  scabbards, although some savants have found techniques of 
  BONESTRIDERS
  As noted previously, the Deathlords rarely 
  waste valuable soulsteel on weapons as simple as a 
  common warstrider. They do not ignore the simpler 
  and more easily produced breed altogether, though. 
  All of the Deathlords have the capacity to produce 
  the equivalent of a common warstrider through 
  Labyrinth Circle Necromancy. Commonly referred 
  to as a bonestrider, this blasphemous version of the 
  artifact consists of a soulsteel frame covered with 
  the necrotized ﬂ esh and bone of massive creatures 
  (or simply large numbers of mortals) that have been 
  shaped into a crude exoskeleton. A bonestrider has all 
  of the normal characteristics of a common warstrider 
  but has an Artifact rating of 5. Its chief advantages 
  are twofold. First, a bonestrider is easily repaired. As 
  long as either the pilot or the savant charged with 
  maintaining the bonestrider knows the appropriate 
  spells, the Repair cost of a bonestrider decreases by 
  one and the armor can function for 15 hours before 
  maintenance is required instead of just 10. Second, 
  a bonestrider can be “manufactured” in a fraction of 
  the time that it takes for a common warstrider. All the 
  Abyssal really needs is a big enough pile of corpses. A 
  bonestrider can use the Abyssal version of any weapon 
  that a common warstrider can employ.
  
  151
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  enchanting the mundane steel of these weapons so that they 
  stick to the magical material of the warstrider like a lodestone 
  clinging to iron ore until separated from the exoskeleton by 
  the warstrider’s immense strength.
  Warstrider short bows and long bows are, likewise, ridicu-
  lously oversized compared to conventional bows. The shafts 
  they ﬁ re more closely resemble harpoons than conventional 
  arrows, as they are typically made of metal and are between 
  four and ﬁ ve feet in length. Forging a warstrider bow is beyond 
  the ken of all but the most skilled bowyers (Craft [Wood] 4 
  or higher). Wooden bows are made from trees, typically yew, 
  which are carefully grown in special orchards to make sure that 
  they grow strait and tall. When they reach the proper height 
  and thickness (at least 20 feet tall and six inches in diameter), 
  the trees are cut into warstrider bows that stand between six 
  and 10 feet tall and about three inches thick. The wood is 
  specially treated to withstand the enormous strength of the 
  warstrider usage so that it can bend without breaking, and it 
  is also reinforced with steel bands. The string of a warstrider 
  bow is usually a steel wire, about half an inch thick.
  In addition to conventional bows, modern engineers have 
  fashioned a number of mechanical contrivances that permit 
  a warstrider to engage in ranged combat, the most common 
  of which are the bolt launcher, the dart thrower and the ﬁ re 
  projector. A bolt launcher is a spring-loaded projectile weapon 
  that ﬁ res heavy, three-foot-long metal harpoons. The launcher 
  is usually mounted onto one arm and contains a magazine of 
  four bolts. After each shot, the pilot must manually rewind 
  the spring mechanism before he can ﬁ re again. Doing so takes 
  a variable amount of ticks depending on the weapon used. 
  Rewinding a bolt launcher takes six ticks, though those ticks 
  do not have to be consecutive, as the mechanism locks at the 
  present point of wind if the pilot stops rewinding. Therefore, 
  a pilot can begin rewinding, abort to some other action (as if 
  he had initiated a Guard action), and then resume winding 
  the mechanism from where he left off, with the weapon ready 
  to ﬁ re once a total of six ticks have been spent rewinding. 
  Reloading the launcher itself takes two additional ticks per 
  bolt and is also considered a Guard action. 
  Dart throwers are conceptually similar to bolt launchers 
  but are designed for smaller targets. Instead of ﬁ ring long bolts 
  one after another, a dart thrower ﬁ res a volley of darts (each 
  of which is actually the size of a normal arrow) as a single 
  attack. The darts are contained in canisters, and reloading 
  the thrower takes only three ticks. Rewinding a dart thrower 
  takes the same amount of time as a bolt launcher. A dart 
  thrower can be mounted on a warstrider arm.
  Finally, ﬁ re projectors are basically large ﬁ rewands that 
  take advantage of superior size and ﬁ ring capacity to inﬂ ict 
  heavy damage. A projector has ﬁ ve barrels, each containing 
  a double load of ﬁ redust. Fire projectors may be mounted 
  either on an arm or over the warstrider’s shoulder with equal 
  accuracy, but only arm-mounted units can be reloaded eas-
  ily in the ﬁ eld. Doing so requires a considerable amount of 
  time in combat, however—a full six ticks per barrel (three 
  CONSTRUCTING A NEW WARSTRIDER
  In this book, we have purposely kept the tech-
  niques and prerequisites for warstrider manufacture 
  somewhat vague, as the ultimate decision on how 
  easily players can introduce such powerful artifacts into 
  an ongoing series should remain with the Storyteller. 
  That said, we recommend the following guidelines for 
  Storytellers who wish to allow characters the opportu-
  nity to forge their own warstriders. At a minimum, a 
  savant who wishes to design a warstrider from scratch 
  must have Craft (Magitech), Lore and Occult ratings 
  at least one dot higher than the Artifact rating of the 
  warstrider under construction. That is, a common or 
  scout warstrider (Artifact 3) requires Craft (Magitech) 
  4, Lore 4 and Occult 4. The designer must also have a 
  specialty in either Craft (Magitech) or Lore pertaining 
  to either warstriders in particular or First Age technol-
  ogy in general. Finally, the designer must have three 
  dots in the Thaumaturgy Art of Enchantment (see 
  Exalted, p. 139) in order to understand the magical 
  principles of sympathy and contagion sufﬁ ciently to 
  fashion a working control array. The roll to design 
  the blueprints is (Intelligence + the lowest of the 
  character’s Craft [Magitech], Lore or Occult).
  Construction is represented by an extended 
  roll also based on (Intelligence + the lowest of the 
  character’s Craft [Magitech], Lore or Occult). The suc-
  cesses rolled on the design roll are added to each roll 
  made during the construction phase. The Magnitude 
  of any additional artisans helping with the construc-
  tion also adds to the design, but only for helpers with 
  Craft (Magitech), Lore and Occult minimums of 3 or 
  better. Each extra Exalt participating in the construc-
  tion who has the requisite Abilities adds one to the 
  Magnitude. As a practical matter, however, no more 
  than 500 mortals can realistically work on a single 
  warstrider at once, so, unless the construction is aided 
  by one or more Exalted, Magnitude cannot exceed 5. 
  (See the Magnitude chart on p. 159 of Exalted.) The 
  frequency with which rolls are made is also determined 
  by the number of people helping with construction. 
  Each roll represents (6 – Magnitude) months. There-
  fore, if the designer is assisted by two Exalted and 15 
  mortals, the total Magnitude would be 4 (2 for the 
  two Exalted and 2 for the mortals), each roll would 
  have four additional dice, and it would represent 
  two months of work. In order to ﬁ nish the project, 
  the designer must accumulate ([Artifact rating + 1] 
  x 10) successes. The designer herself does not count 
  toward calculating Magnitude even if she does assist 
  with the actual construction.
  
  152
  to reload the ammunition; three to cock the ﬁ ring mecha-
  nism). Unlike the two previous weapons, the pilot cannot 
  easily abort the reloading procedure for a ﬁ re projector in 
  order to take some other action since he is handling highly 
  explosive ammunition. If the pilot attempts to abort to some 
  other action, his player must make a successful reﬂ exive 
  (Wits + War) roll with a difﬁ culty of 3 to avoid ruining the 
  ammunition or, worse, having it blow up.
  ARTIFACT 
  WEAPONS
  In theory, any 
  weapon capable of 
  being fashioned as 
  an artifact is also 
  capable of being sized 
  for a warstrider. In 
  practice, only the 
  tiniest percentage 
  of warstrider artifact 
  weapons have sur-
  vived into the Age 
  of Sorrows, and only 
  the most puissant of 
  savants among the 
  Twilights and Sidere-
  als have any idea how 
  to fashion new ones. 
  The largest concen-
  trations of warstrider 
  artifacts extant are in 
  the possession of the 
  Seventh Legion and 
  the Deathlords.
  To properly use 
  an artifact weapon, 
  the user must at-
  tune it just like any 
  other artifact. Most 
  warstrider artifacts 
  require 12 motes to 
  attune, but excep-
  tionally large ones 
  such as a warstrider 
  grand daiklave require as many as 18. Fortunately, the 
  pilot attunes the weapon through the warstrider itself, so 
  attunement to the weapon takes place in the same manner 
  as to the warstrider. That is, the pilot only needs to commit 
  the Essence while donning the armor and the attunement 
  need only last for the duration of the warstrider’s use. First 
  Age warstrider artifact weapons typically have about three 
  hearthstone sockets and can contain as many as ﬁ ve. Modern 
  weapons rarely have more than one or two, since hearthstones 
  are not as readily available in the Age of Sorrows. Some 
  artifacts, such as smashﬁ sts, can be incorporated directly 
  into the structure of the warstrider, and in such cases, the 
  artifact can be partially fueled by the warstrider’s installed 
  hearthstone. Generally, an artifact mounted directly onto a 
  warstrider halves its normal attunement cost and adds the 
  result to the total attunement cost for the warstrider.
  Ranged artifact weapons such as powerbows are the 
  rarest of those weapons designed speciﬁ cally for warstrid-
  er use. Warstrider 
  powerbows are basi-
  cally identical to 
  normal powerbows 
  except that their 
  size is tripled. In 
  combat, warstrider 
  powerbows sacriﬁ ce 
  much of their normal 
  speed and rate of ﬁ re 
  to take advantage of 
  the massive strength 
  of their users. It is 
  not uncommon for 
  a single arrow from 
  an artifact long bow 
  wielded by a war-
  strider to smash siege 
  weaponry to pieces 
  or to pierce half a 
  dozen men with a 
  single shot. In addi-
  tion to powerbows, 
  however, modern 
  savants have con-
  ceived of a number 
  of artifact versions of 
  conventional ranged 
  weapons to aid pilots 
  in the ﬁ eld. The tech-
  nology used to make 
  such artifacts is quite 
  simple compared to 
  the wonders of the 
  First Age, and unless 
  stated otherwise, all 
  such ranged artifact weapons have a Repair rating of 2.
  A bolt caster functions similarly to a normal bolt launcher 
  except that the pilot can spend one mote of Essence to cause 
  the weapon to automatically cock itself. Reloading still takes 
  six ticks, but the pilot can act freely and has access to both his 
  Dodge DV and Parry DV while the mechanism is rewinding 
  itself. The pilot can also reload the launcher’s entire maga-
  zine instantly with ammunition stored Elsewhere at a cost 
  of two motes. The dart hailstorm, an artifact version of the 
  dart thrower, has the same supernatural beneﬁ ts as the bolt 
  caster, allowing the pilot to cock the mechanism at a cost 
  
  153
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  of one mote and instantly reload at a cost of two motes. The 
  attunement cost of either a bolt caster or a dart hailstorm 
  is eight motes as a separate artifact or +4 to the warstrider’s 
  attunement cost if mounted. Either device can be mounted 
  on one of the warstrider’s arms.
  Externally similar to the ﬁ re projector, the fuel bolt 
  launcher is an example of Lookshy ingenuity. The weapon 
  is actually a heavily modiﬁ ed version of a First Age infantry 
  support weapon that has been retroﬁ tted for use by war-
  strider fangs. The launcher has three massive barrels that 
  inﬂ ict enormous amounts of damage, making the launcher 
  perhaps the most destructive artifact weapon available short 
  of projected Essence weapons. The base attunement cost of 
  a fuel bolt launcher is 10 motes. A fuel bolt launcher can be 
  mounted on either an arm or over the shoulder. The former 
  version can be reloaded in the ﬁ eld in just six ticks, but the 
  later cannot be reloaded at all in the ﬁ eld.
  A chain dagger is a ﬁ ghting knife forged from one of the 
  ﬁ ve magical materials attached to the warstrider by 75 feet of 
  retractable, unbreakable chain. Firing the dagger at a target 
  costs a single mote, and the chain instantly retracts after the 
  attack so the weapon is available again on the pilot’s next 
  action. When used in this manner, the dagger has a Speed of 
  4. The pilot can target the weapon with either his Archery 
  or his Thrown ability as he prefers. Alternatively, the pilot 
  can spend two motes to use the chain as a ﬁ ghting chain or 
  a whip for a single action, using his Martial Arts ability to 
  target his enemy. The chain dagger must be mounted and 
  increases the attunement cost of the warstrider by two.
  The warstrider shock ram is a massive gauntlet of steel 
  alloyed with green jade that permits the warstrider to execute 
  hand-to-hand attacks against a distant target. The range of the 
  shock ram is equal to ([permanent Essence x 10] + 50) yards, 
  and the pilot can target anyone within that range with any 
  Martial Arts attack he could normally make with that hand. 
  The shock ram is compatible with any Martial Arts Charm 
  that affects unarmed hand-to-hand combat. Any such attacks 
  follow all the normal rules for warstrider combat except for 
  one: The warstrider suffers no penalties for attacking a smaller 
  target provided that it is at least 20 feet away. Each “phantom 
  punch” channeled through the shock ram costs two motes of 
  Essence. The pilot must actually pantomime each attack as if 
  the intended target were right next to him.
  Shock rams come in two forms. The ﬁ rst is an independent 
  artifact attached to the warstrider’s ﬁ st. It has an attunement 
  cost of 0 and comes with a built-in reservoir of Essence. This 
  reservoir typically holds about 16 motes, although some can 
  hold up to 24 (+1 to Artifact rating). Each shot costs two 
  motes, and the expended Essence is lost until the shock ram 
  can be recharged. An integrated shock ram has an attunement 
  cost of ﬁ ve motes but still requires the Exalted to expend 
  two motes per shot out of her own reserves. The integrated 
  version, however, has a superior range ([permanent Essence 
  x 10] + 100 yards), and the Exalt can continue to ﬁ re as long 
  as she has motes to spend.
  One of the rarest of warstrider artifact weapons, however, 
  is virtually unknown to the Dragon-Blooded, its manufacture 
  and operation the exclusive purview of the Lunar Exalted. 
  The proteus gauntlet normally takes the form of a moonsilver 
  smashﬁ st attached to one of the warstrider’s hands. At the cost 
  of a single mote, the gauntlet can be reﬂ exively transformed 
  into any mundane warstrider weapon. If it is fashioned into 
  a ranged weapon that requires ammunition, the gauntlet 
  automatically creates enough ammunition for one use (or a 
  single magazine in the case of multi-ﬁ re weapons like dart 
  throwers), but it cannot create additional ammunition until 
  the existing ammo is retrieved and reincorporated into the 
  gauntlet’s form. Attuning to a proteus gauntlet costs six motes, 
  and the gauntlet must be made of moonsilver. 
  ESSENCE WEAPONS
  Essence weapons either project beams or bolts of con-
  centrated Essence at the pilot’s target or convert Essence 
  into some other energy blast, such as lightning. In the First 
  Age, most warstriders carried some form of Essence weapon, 
  and the devices were so commonplace that mortal combat 
  units were often gifted with them. The vast majority of these 
  weapons are lost, their delicate mechanisms ruined, and the 
  techniques of their construction are long forgotten. Both the 
  Realm and the Seventh Legion have a limited capacity to 
  manufacture simple Essence weapons, but for the most part, 
  each group relies on relics of the First Age that have been 
  carefully maintained and retroﬁ tted for modern use. As noted 
  previously, only noble and royal warstriders can easily make 
  use of Essence weapons. If such a weapon is mounted onto a 
  common warstrider, each use causes an Essence feedback that 
  seriously degrades the warstrider’s systems. Even a common 
  warstrider, however, can make use of an Essence weapon that 
  has a dedicated hearthstone with a manse rating equal to the 
  Artifact rating of the weapon to which it is dedicated. Ad-
  ditionally, a dedicated hearthstone makes an Essence weapon 
  more efﬁ cient, regardless of the type of warstrider that wields 
  it. If a weapon is powered by a dedicated hearthstone, both 
  the commitment cost for that weapon and the amount of 
  Essence required to ﬁ re it decrease by half.
  The most common Essence weapon in the modern era 
  is the Essence cannon, which consists of a large metallic 
  barrel containing an elaborate series of Essence-channeling 
  lenses. The cannon’s design is surprisingly simple, and the 
  device’s Repair rating is only 2. In a nutshell, the device is 
  a simple Essence converter. The operator channels Essence 
  into the cannon where it is converted into pure concussive 
  force that is projected out through the barrel. The cannon 
  inﬂ icts bashing damage, and the player of anyone struck must 
  successfully roll (Stamina + Athletics) against a difﬁ culty of 
  3 to avoid her character being knocked off his feet. Against 
  objects, the cannon inﬂ icts half its damage as lethal damage 
  instead. Essence cannons are generally categorized by size. 
  Large cannons are too heavy and cumbersome for even a 
  warstrider to use as a personal weapon, but the small and 
  
  154
  medium versions are widely used in that capacity. Small 
  cannons are usually mounted onto an arm, while medium 
  cannons can be mounted or carried. Small Essence cannons 
  have a commitment cost of three motes (two, if mounted). 
  Medium cannons have a commitment cost of ﬁ ve motes 
  (three, if mounted).
  In addition to the commitment cost, the Exalt must ex-
  pend Essence for each shot: four for a small cannon; eight for 
  a large cannon. Some small Essence cannons have a built-in 
  Essence battery capable of storing up to 30 motes of Essence. 
  This Essence must be supplied by the pilot or from some other 
  source, but it is not committed. Instead, the Essence remains 
  in the battery until spent while the Exalted regains the spent 
  Essence at the normal rate. Only small Essence cannons can 
  have Essence batteries. Those that do increase their Artifact 
  rating by one dot and have commitment requirements equal 
  to those of the medium cannon.
  The warstrider ﬁ re lance is used primarily to attack 
  entrenched fortiﬁ cations and large troop units, as its chief 
  advantage is its area-of-effect attack. A ﬁ re lance can be used 
  as either a melee weapon or as a ranged weapon. With the 
  expenditure of two motes of Essence, the head of the lance is 
  sheathed in a colorless ﬂ ame of pure Essence, which inﬂ icts 
  a base damage of (Strength + 16)L. With the expenditure 
  of four motes, the lance projects a stream of this Essence ﬁ re 
  up to 250 yards away (targeted with Archery), which inﬂ icts 
  a base damage of 18L. Finally, with the expenditure of 10 
  motes, the lance throws a fan of ﬁ re that targets an area of 
  up to 20 feet in diameter at a range of up to 175 yards. The 
  fan attack ignores Parry DV except for perfect defenses and 
  inﬂ icts 12L damage. The ﬁ re lance is compatible with Melee 
  Charms but not Archery Charms.
  Unlike other Essence-based weapons, warstrider ﬁ re 
  lances can be used freely by common warstriders, because 
  the lance is powered by a built-in Essence battery capable 
  of holding up to 40 motes. This Essence must be supplied 
  by the pilot or another Essence user, but it is not considered 
  committed. Once that Essence is spent, however, the lance 
  cannot generate Essence ﬁ re until the pilot recharges it, 
  which requires two standard Guard actions.
  The warstrider implosion bow is as much an example 
  of Lookshy ingenuity as of First Age puissance, as most 
  “warstrider implosion bows” were actually scavenged from 
  inoperative First Age skyships and retroﬁ tted onto the more 
  durable warstriders. The device most commonly consists of 
  two parts: a massive backpack that contains the Essence ac-
  cumulators, reagents and other arcane mechanisms, and the 
  bow itself, which consists of a long rod with a hand grip and 
  trigger mechanism. The bow connects to the backpack via 
  enchanted cables (most commonly made of emeralds woven 
  into a fabric with the strength of steel) and requires two 
  hands to operate. Less commonly, the device is mounted to 
  the shoulder or torso. Like the ﬁ re lance, an implosion bow 
  can be used by a common warstrider if it has an independent 
  power supply, typically a hearthstone with a rating of 2 or 
  better. In such cases, the bow has a power reserve equal to 
  (hearthstone rating x 5). The potential damage and area of 
  effect of the weapon is adjustable. For one mote, the bow can 
  inﬂ ict either seven levels of bashing damage or ﬁ ve levels of 
  lethal damage on everything within a 10-foot radius of the 
  target. For two motes, the damage increases by eight and 
  seven levels, respectively (i.e., to 15B and 12L). An implo-
  sion bow power supply regenerates motes at a rate of one 
  mote every hour that the weapon is not used. A pilot can 
  also ﬁ re the weapon using either his own personal Essence or 
  any Essence reserves of the warstrider itself, but only if the 
  warstrider is a noble or royal model. Common warstriders 
  may use only the Essence contained within an independent 
  power supply (which adds one dot to the Artifact cost of the 
  weapon). Implosion bows have a Repair rating of 3 and are 
  ﬁ red with the Archery Ability.
  ANCILLARY SYSTEMS
  Ancillary systems are the “bells and whistles” of First 
  Age warstrider design. Each ancillary system consists of 
  a separate artifact that has been integrated into the body 
  of a warstrider, either at the design stage or later through 
  modiﬁ cations. With the inclusion of these additional 
  wonders, warstriders could achieve feats beyond even their 
  normal incredible capabilities, including ﬂ ight, invisibility, 
  submersibility and extensive forays into the Wyld or other 
  hostile territories. Most of the ancillary systems listed here 
  are beyond the capabilities of any manufacturer in the Age 
  of Sorrows, although the intellect and resourcefulness of the 
  Deathlords should never be underestimated. A number of 
  existing warstriders have such ancillary systems, although 
  they make up only a tiny fraction of the resources of any 
  warstrider arsenal. Each individual ancillary system has an 
  Artifact rating associated with it which must be purchased 
  separately as part of the warstrider’s purchase cost.
  The Repair rating of a particular ancillary system is 
  equal to its Artifact rating. Unless stated otherwise, these 
  ancillary artifact systems can be integrated into any class of 
  warstrider. While these systems generally require the use of 
  magical materials and sometimes combine different materi-
  als, they do not give any particular bonus for attunement, 
  and so, the attunement cost of a given ancillary system is 
  not doubled for Exalted of the wrong type as it is for the 
  warstrider itself. The given examples are only a sampling 
  of the types of ancillary systems common in the First Age. 
  Storytellers are free to come up with similar systems, using 
  these examples as guides.
  AQUATIC SYSTEMS
  Aquatic systems permit warstriders to function more 
  efﬁ ciently in the water. The simplest form of aquatic system 
  is the Naval Combat Mobility System (Artifact 2), which 
  consists of black jade interwoven into whatever magical 
  material is used on the warstrider’s exoskeleton to permit 
  the warstrider to move across water as if it were solid ground. 
  
  155
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  Using this system, a warstrider can run from one ship to 
  attack another as if that ship were a land-based target. The 
  pilot does face mobility penalties for attempting to act in 
  rough seas, but they can be mitigated or even eliminated 
  through the use of either Athletics or Sail Charms such as 
  Graceful Crane Stance or Salty Dog Method. The Naval 
  Combat Mobility System adds two motes to the normal 
  commitment cost of the warstrider and requires an addi-
  tional ﬁ ve motes to activate for a scene. In the First Age, 
  it came standard on all warstriders commissioned for the 
  Western theater.
  Less commonly, the Deep Sea Combat Mobility System 
  (Artifact 3) consists of black jade interwoven with all of 
  the warstrider’s systems to permit the pilot to duplicate the 
  Dragon-Blooded Water Aspect anima power. When the 
  system activated, both the pilot and the warstrider will be 
  able to function normally underwater, breathing water as if 
  it were air and ignoring all difﬁ culty penalties for acting un-
  derwater, as well as possessing the power to walk upon water 
  as if it were solid. The warstrider’s aquatic movement rate is 
  equal to his land movement rate. The system also adds three 
  dice to all Perception-related rolls made while the warstrider 
  is underwater, and the pilot can “see” even in the darkest 
  ocean depths as if she were in bright daylight. An integrated 
  Deep Sea Combat Mobility System adds three motes to the 
  normal commitment cost of the warstrider and requires the 
  expenditure of ﬁ ve motes to activate for the duration of a 
  day. If used by a Water-aspected Dragon-Blooded, the system 
  functions more efﬁ ciently, allowing free action for up to two 
  days instead of one per Essence expenditure. 
  Finally, the Aquatic High Speed Propulsion System 
  (Artifact 4) combines all of the beneﬁ ts of the Deep Sea 
  Combat Mobility System with a built-in propulsion system 
  capable of propelling the warstrider at great speeds. The 
  warstrider doesn’t actually “swim” any faster. Instead, an as-
  sembly attached to its feet and back composed of both black 
  and blue jade draws in sea water and magically converts it 
  into air, which is then expelled out the other end at great 
  speed, propelling the warstrider forward at speeds of up to 80 
  miles per hour. Furthermore, the propulsion system makes 
  the warstrider highly maneuverable, adding four dice to all 
  Dexterity-related rolls while active and increasing the pilot’s 
  Dodge DV by three. These beneﬁ ts apply only underwater. An 
  integrated Aquatic High Speed Propulsion System adds four 
  motes to the attunement cost of the warstrider and requires 
  the expenditure of two motes to activate for a scene (or an 
  hour out of combat).
  CLOAKING SYSTEMS
  Cloaking systems generally come in three varieties. 
  The simplest is the Elemental Stealth System (Artifact 2) 
  which consists of specially treated jade icons afﬁ xed to the 
  exoskeleton of a jade warstrider of the same aspect. When 
  active, the system adds four dice to all Stealth-related rolls as 
  the exterior of the warstrider blurs to match the surrounding 
  environmental conditions. Elemental Stealth Systems are 
  limited, however, in that they provide cloaking beneﬁ ts only 
  in areas associated with their elemental aspect. Therefore, a 
  blue jade warstrider would gain improved stealth capabili-
  ties in the frozen North but not in a desert, while a red jade 
  warstrider could blend into the sandy climes of the South 
  but not a forest or an ocean. An Elemental Stealth System 
  adds two motes to the attunement cost of the warstrider and 
  costs two additional motes per scene of activation.
  More sophisticated protection is available in the form of 
  an Essence Cloak (Artifact 3). This system, which is added 
  to the musculature of the warstrider, duplicates the effects of 
  the Solar Stealth Charm Mental Invisibility Technique, ap-
  plying the beneﬁ ts of the Charm to the enormous warstrider. 
  While the effect is active, the pilot’s player rolls [(Dexterity 
  or Manipulation) + Stealth], adding the Artifact rating of 
  the warstrider as automatic successes. If the pilot’s successes 
  exceed an observer’s Dodge MDV, that onlooker is compelled 
  to ignore the warstrider’s presence. The effect fails if the pilot 
  joins battle with any target. Otherwise, an onlooker must 
  spend four Willpower to resist the compulsion to ignore the 
  warstrider or just one Willpower if someone who can see 
  the warstrider points out its location. An Essence Cloak 
  adds four motes to the attunement cost of the warstrider and 
  costs ﬁ ve motes per scene of activation. Normally, Essence 
  Cloaks can be installed only on noble or royal warstriders. 
  Installing one in a common or scout warstrider requires the 
  addition of a dedicated Air- or Lunar-aspected hearthstone 
  rated 2 or higher.
  Finally, the Lunar Exalted of the First Age often took 
  advantage of the remarkable malleability of moonsilver 
  to fashion warstriders that could conceal themselves with 
  actual shapeshifting powers in the form of a Chameleon 
  Shell (Artifact 4). A Chameleon Shell consists of a specially 
  modiﬁ ed coating of moonsilver, prepared by sorcerers of the 
  No Moon Caste, which is applied to the exterior of each 
  individual exoskeletal plate. The Shell has two distinct 
  properties. First, it can duplicate the invisibility powers of 
  the Elemental Stealth System, giving the pilot’s player four 
  bonus dice to all Stealth-related rolls as the exterior of the 
  warstrider blends to match the surrounding environment 
  (with no limitation to what is a valid environment). Second, 
  the Shell permits the pilot to alter the exterior shape and 
  coloration of the exoskeleton. The interior workings remain 
  intact and unaffected, but from the outside, the warstrider 
  might become indistinguishable from a boulder, a large tree, 
  a stone column or anything else of approximately the same 
  size. Even the texture of the exterior changes to match the 
  desired form, making it impossible even by touch to tell that 
  the warstrider is not what it appears to be. While its exterior 
  form is altered, the warstrider is immobile, but the pilot can 
  exit and enter the vehicle freely through a special hatch that 
  only he can detect. The warstrider will assume its normal 
  form reﬂ exively at a single command from an attuned pilot, 
  often giving the warstrider the element of complete surprise. 
  
  156
  A Chameleon Shell adds four motes to the attunement cost 
  of the warstrider and costs four motes to change its shape 
  within the outlined parameters.
  FLIGHT SYSTEMS
  All warstrider ﬂ ight systems essentially follow the same 
  design principles. First, blue jade is incorporated to the frame 
  that, when energized with Essence, lightens the warstrider. 
  An alloy of orichalcum and red jade is used to fashion small 
  nozzles that are installed into the exoskeleton at speciﬁ c 
  points, mainly the feet, the back and most of the joints. These 
  nozzles generate 
  streams of con-
  densed Essence in 
  ﬂ ight and function 
  as maneuvering 
  thrusters when the 
  warstrider hovers. 
  Finally, retractable 
  wings are installed 
  in the back of the 
  warstrider. The 
  wings are usually 
  forged of the same 
  magical material 
  as the exoskele-
  ton, but sometimes, 
  they are forged of 
  orichalcum (or less 
  commonly starmet-
  al) regardless of the 
  rest of the warstrid-
  er’s construction. 
  These wings do 
  not actually flap 
  or function in any 
  way like those of 
  a bird. Instead, 
  they function as 
  Essence accumula-
  tors, drawing in 
  ambient Essence 
  to channel through 
  the maneuvering 
  thrusters to provide propulsion.
  A ﬂ ight system has a variable Artifact rating (3–5) to 
  represent different levels of design sophistication and differ-
  ent levels of maintenance, as the ﬂ ight system is somewhat 
  delicate compared to other ancillary systems. While the 
  warstrider is in ﬂ ight, the pilot adds the Artifact rating of the 
  ﬂ ight system to his Dodge DV and to all Dexterity-related 
  rolls involving ﬂ ight, including aerial hand-to-hand combat. 
  His normal ﬂ ight speed is equal to the warstrider’s normal 
  movement rate multiplied by the Artifact rating. At its top 
  speed, a warstrider can ﬂ y at (Artifact rating x 30) miles per 
  hour. The ceiling of a ﬂ ying warstrider is considered to be 
  one mile. This limit has rarely been tested, however, as most 
  savants claim that the Unconquered Sun will strike down any 
  mortal or Exalt who dares approach too closely. Warstriders 
  in ﬂ ight can only be attacked by ranged weapons unless an 
  attacker also has ﬂ ight capabilities or some other means of 
  reaching the warstrider while it is airborne.
  An integrated ﬂ ight system adds eight motes to the 
  attunement cost of the warstrider and costs an additional 
  ﬁ ve motes per scene or hour of ﬂ ight. Typically, only noble 
  or royal warstrid-
  ers can integrate a 
  ﬂ ight system. Com-
  mon warstriders can 
  integrate such a 
  system if the system 
  is powered by a 
  dedicated hearth-
  stone with a rating 
  of at least 3. If the 
  hearthstone’s rating 
  is less than that of 
  the artifact, howev-
  er, the ﬂ ight system 
  will not function up 
  to its full capacity. 
  In other words, if a 
  ﬁ ve-dot ﬂ ight sys-
  tem incorporated 
  into a common war-
  strider is powered 
  by only a level-3 
  hearthstone, then 
  the flight system 
  will only function 
  as if it were the 
  three-dot version. 
  No extant version 
  of a ﬂ ight system 
  is capable of bear-
  ing aloft a colossus 
  warstrider.
  WARSTRIDERS AND CHARMS
  Generally, when an Exalt uses Charms, her warstrider is 
  treated as simply a suit of armor, which does not interfere with 
  Charm usage. Some exceptions exist, though—most notably 
  those Charms that actually affect how an Exalted uses armor.
  MODIFIED CHARMS
  Hauberk-Lightening Gesture (Solar Charm): This Charm 
  will not function on warstriders, but its effects are duplicated 
  by the new Charm Invincible Armor Invocation.
  
  157
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  Whirlwind Armor-Donning Prana (Solar Charm): This 
  Charm functions normally. If used ﬁ ve times, it will permit 
  the Solar to attach the interface and fully insert himself 
  into the warstrider in just ﬁ ve actions. This Charm does 
  not speed the amount of time it takes to fully attune to the 
  warstrider, however, so as a practical matter, it is rarely useful 
  to a warstrider pilot.
  Wind Armor Technique (Terrestrial Charm): When used 
  by the pilot of a warstrider, this Charm requires two motes 
  per additional point of bashing and lethal soak added to 
  the armor.
  NEW CHARMS
  INVINCIBLE ARMOR INVOCATION (SOLAR CHARM)
  Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Resistance 5, Essence 6; Type: Simple 
  (Speed 6)
  Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
  Duration: Indeﬁ nite
  Prerequisite Charms: Hauberk-Lightening Gesture
  The Lawgiver can apply the lessons of Hauberk-Light-
  ening Gesture to a warstrider, albeit at a signiﬁ cant Essence 
  cost. The Solar ﬁ rst dons and attunes a warstrider as normal. 
  He then commits an additional ﬁ ve motes and expends one 
  temporary Willpower to banish the warstrider to Elsewhere. 
  As long as the Exalt keeps the Essence committed, he can 
  summon the warstrider back at any time by spending an ad-
  ditional ﬁ ve motes. The warstrider instantly reappears, with 
  the pilot in the fuselage already fully plugged into the interface 
  and attuned to the warstrider. If the Solar ever breaks the 
  Essence commitment, the warstrider will instantly reappear 
  in the nearest space big enough to hold it, and the pilot’s 
  attunement to the warstrider will be instantly broken. This 
  Charm cannot be used to summon a warstrider if the pilot is 
  in a place too small for the artifact to ﬁ t. Also, any items worn 
  or carried by the pilot when he summons the warstrider may, 
  at the Storytellers discretion, be lost forever in Elsewhere. 
  This Charm is often comboed with Hauberk-Lightening 
  Gesture and similar Charms that can banish weapons and 
  armor to Elsewhere so that the Solar can freely switch be-
  tween warstrider combat and conventional hand-to-hand 
  combat (assuming, of course, that the Solar has prodigious 
  quantities of Essence at his disposal).
  FAMOUS WARSTRIDERS
  All warstriders are one-of-a-kind artifacts, and each has 
  its own unique history. Those listed here, however, are some 
  of the most famous (or infamous) of all their kind.
  PASIAP’S MIGHTY FIST
  Pasiap’s Mighty Fist might be considered an object les-
  son in the dangers of shoddy warstrider workmanship if any 
  savants were aware of exactly why the white jade colossus 
  has been followed by tragedy its whole existence. In Realm 
  Year 634, a foolish young apprentice to one of the savant-
  artisans assigned to the manufacture of this warstrider snuck 
  a barmaid into a factory-cathedral late one night in hopes 
  of impressing her with his status and perhaps getting under 
  her skirts. Whether he succeeded is lost to history, but the 
  presence of an unpuriﬁ ed mortal in the factory-cathedral 
  fatally contaminated the construction process. The ﬁ rst 
  person to pilot the Mighty Fist lost control as he was walking 
  it out of the factory-cathedral due to a defective coil in the 
  musculature, and the lumbering beast fell onto the crowd 
  of well-wishers, killing six mortals and crippling a Dragon-
  Blooded observer. The second pilot was murdered in his sleep 
  by a jealous lover. The third had her leg amputated when 
  the warstrider’s arm slipped as she was exiting the fuselage. 
  The most recent pilot drowned when the Bull of the North 
  tricked him into a concealed mud pit. Now, the Bull of the 
  North has a new warstrider for his collection. And perhaps 
  Pasiap’s Mighty Fist has a fresh victim for the curse that 
  hangs over it.
  Pasiap’s Mighty Fist has the standard capabilities of a 
  colossus warstrider. It comes equipped with an integrated 
  shock ram on the right hand, a bolt caster mounted onto 
  the left forearm and a warstrider goremaul which ﬁ ts into a 
  sheath permanently mounted on the back.
  UNYIELDING FURY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
  A gift from Chejop Kejak to the Empress on the occa-
  sion of the 300th anniversary of her ascension to the Scarlet 
  Throne, Unyielding Fury of Righteousness is a royal warstrider 
  of solid red jade, one of the few jade royal warstriders in 
  existence. Unyielding Fury has the ﬁ ve-dot version of the 
  integrated ﬂ ight system, and it is armed with a shoulder-
  mounted medium Essence cannon, a red jade reaver daiklave 
  and a red jade small warstrider powerbow. It is also equipped 
  with a ﬁ ve-dot AI that carries the name “Slave-1.” Slave-1 
  has all the Charms that are available to AIs plus two more. 
  One Charm allows Slave-1 to instantly make a perfect copy 
  of the mind of anyone attuned to it, effectively learning ev-
  erything the pilot knows. The other Charm allows Slave-1 to 
  transfer all of its accumulated knowledge to Slave-2, its twin 
  spirit, which is contained in a crystalline matrix in Chejop’s 
  Yu-Shan ofﬁ ce. Unfortunately, to Chejop’s great consterna-
  tion, the Empress thanked him warmly for his priceless gift… 
  and then promptly had the warstrider shipped to her winter 
  palace in Arjuf where it has remained, still sealed up in an 
  enormous crate, to the present day.
  INDRAGHAST’S BANE
  History has forgotten Indraghast, whoever or whatever 
  it was, as well as why this moonsilver noble warstrider 
  was its bane. The warstrider has the exterior features of a 
  wolfman of pure moonsilver. Indraghast’s Bane has all the 
  normal characteristics of a noble warstrider but has a few 
  extra modifications available only to Lunar warstriders. 
  First, at the cost of five motes, it can sprout 10-inch-
  long claws from its fingertips, which inflict +5L damage. 
  
  158
  Second, if the pilot is capable of transforming into a wolf 
  or any other quadruped of similar build and he does so 
  while attuned to the warstrider, the armor’s legs, arms and 
  helm transform so that the entire warstrider appears to be 
  an enormous wolf, 10 feet high at the shoulder. In wolf 
  form, the warstrider retains all of its normal traits, but 
  the helm actually develops a mouth complete with large 
  teeth capable of inflicting (Strength + 5L) bite damage. 
  Finally, the warstrider’s Speed is doubled in wolf form. 
  Transforming the warstrider into its wolf form can (and in 
  fact must) be done reflexively at the same time the Lunar 
  pilot changes form, adding five motes to the normal cost 
  of assuming the requisite animal form. Indraghast’s Bane 
  is currently in the arsenal of Ma-Ha-Suchi, although he 
  has not carried it into battle yet, knowing that the sight 
  of the terrifying First Age relic might frighten Lookshy 
  into moving against him before he is fully prepared. Soon, 
  however, Indraghast’s Bane will taste blood once again.
  HATEFUL DEVOURER OF LOVE
  Hateful Devourer of Love is the only warstrider ever 
  fashioned by the command of the Lover Clad in the Raiment 
  of Tears. Not two years ago, she sent the Devourer, piloted 
  by a deathknight named Exquisite Pain, on an undisclosed 
  mission to Marin Bay. There, Exquisite Pain attracted the at-
  tention of a squadron of Lookshy Dragon-Blooded performing 
  reconnaissance in the area in stealth suits. The Dragon-
  Blooded stalked the Abyssal for days until they caught him 
  far enough from the warstrider to launch an attack. Badly 
  outnumbered, Exquisite Pain was forced to abandon Hateful 
  Devourer of Love to his enemies, who bore the warstrider 
  back to Lookshy in triumph. Exquisite Pain made his way 
  back to the Fortress of Crimson Ice on foot to report this 
  development to the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears, 
  who congratulated him and rewarded him handsomely for 
  the successful completion of his mission.
  Hateful Devourer of Love is a noble warstrider of pure 
  soulsteel. It comes equipped with a soulsteel daiklave, a 
  chain dagger and an Essence Cloak. We deliberately leave 
  the speciﬁ cs of the Lover’s plans for the Devourer to the 
  Storyteller’s imagination. A few possibilities are: 
  • Hateful Devourer is cursed. Every time a pilot attunes 
  to the warstrider, his Compassion decreases by two dots for the 
  duration of the attunement (to a minimum of 1). Every time 
  the pilot botches a Compassion roll, he loses a permanent 
  point of Compassion.
  • Buried deep in Hateful Devourer’s inner workings 
  are fragile glass crystals containing a virulent plague. When 
  Lookshy engineers inevitably attempt to reverse engineer the 
  warstrider, they risk unleashing an epidemic on their city.
  • Every part of Hateful Devourer, down to the tiniest 
  coil and spring, contains a hungry ghost that has been bound 
  to that particular piece and induced into slumber. When 
  the time is right, the Lover will blow on a bone whistle she 
  keeps by her side, and thousands of hungry ghosts will be 
  unleashed on the helpless citizens of Lookshy.
  
  159
  APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS
  WARSTRIDER WEAPONS
  WARSTRIDER ARTIFACT RANGED WEAPONS
  Name 
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Rate 
  Range 
  Cost 
  Tags
  Powerbow (Short) 
  6 
  +1 
  +4L 
  1 
  450 
  ••• 
  2,B
  Powerbow (Long) 
  6 
  +0 
  +5L 
  1 
  550 
  •••• 
  2,B
  Bolt Caster 
  6 
  +1 
  12L 
  1/2 (4) 
  250 
  •• 
  None
  Dart Hailstorm 
  6 
  +6 
  7L 
  1 (6) 
  200 
  •• 
  A
  Fuel Bolt Launcher 
  6 
  +1 
  18L 
  1 (3) 
  30* 
  ••• 
  A
  Chain Dagger 
  4 
  +2 
  +2L 
  1 
  75* 
  ••• 
  A,C
  Essence Cannon (Small) 
  4 
  +1 
  15B 
  1 
  75 
  •• 
  A,P
  Essence Cannon (Medium) 
  5 
  +0 
  20B 
  1 
  125 
  ••• 
  A, P
  Fire Lance (Streamer) 
  4 
  +1 
  18L 
  2 
  250* 
  •••• 
  A
  Fire Lance (Fan)** 
  5 
  +3 
  12L 
  1 
  175* 
  •••• 
  A
  Shock Ram 
  5 
  +2 
  11L 
  2 
  Special 
  •••• 
  A
  Implosion Bow*** (Half Charge) 
  6 
  +2 
  5L/7B 
  1 
  450* 
  •• 
  A
  Implosion Bow*** (Full Charge) 
  6 
  +2 
  12L/15B 
  1/2 
  450* 
  •• 
  A
  * Weapon has no extended range.
  ** The ﬁ re fan can be used to attack an area up to 20 feet in diameter—this attack cannot be parried except by perfect 
  parries. Roll to attack once, then compare the successes rolled to the Dodge DV of any applicable dodge attempts.
  *** Regardless of the charge used, an implosion bow inﬂ icts damage on everyone within a 10-foot radius.
  Cost = Artifact rating of weapon.
  WARSTRIDER MUNDANE RANGED WEAPONS
  Name 
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Rate 
  Max Str. Range 
  Cost 
  Tags
  Short Bow 
  6 
  +1 
  By arrow type 
  1 
  12 
  250 
  •••• 
  2,B
  Long Bow 
  6 
  +1 
  By arrow type 
  1 
  13 
  350 
  •••• 
  2,B
  Bolt Launcher 
  6 
  +0 
  10L 
  1/4 (4) 
  – 
  150 
  ••• 
  A,P
  Dart Thrower 
  6 
  +4 
  5L 
  1/2 (6) 
  – 
  100 
  ••• 
  A,P
  Fire Projector 
  6 
  +1 
  12L 
  1 (5) 
  – 
  20* 
  •••• 
  A,P
  * Weapon has no extended range.
  Cost = The Resources rating required to purchase the weapon.
  Arrow Type 
  Damage 
  Notes
  Target 
  +2L 
  Piercing
  Broadhead 
  +4L 
  None
  Frog Crotch 
  +8L 
  Soak is doubled
  Fowling 
  N/A 
  Fowling arrows are not available
  Fire, standard 
  As type* 
  5L standing** ﬁ re threat, twice normal duration
  Fire, Southern*** +2L 
  7L standing** ﬁ re threat, twice normal duration
  * A standard ﬁ re arrow is just a normal arrow with oil-soaked rags wrapped around the head. It inﬂ icts damage equal to a 
  normal arrow of its type but its range is halved due to imbalance.
  ** Standing ﬁ re threats continue to burn and damage their targets for a number of actions equal to the extra successes 
  rolled on the attack. Moreover, because warstrider arrows are so big, the normal duration is doubled.
  *** Southern ﬁ re arrows normally cost Resources 3 per arrow in the South and 4 elsewhere, assuming they are available 
  at all.
  
  160
  WARSTRIDER ARTIFACT HAND-TO-HAND WEAPONS
  Name 
  Speed 
  Acc. 
  Damage 
  Defense 
  Rate 
  Minimums 
  Attune 
  Cost Tags
  Daiklave 
  5 
  +3 
  +12L 
  +2 
  3 
  Str 12 
  5 
  •• 
  –
  Dire Lance 
  5 
  +2 
  +16L/24L 
  +2 
  2 
  Str 12 
  5 
  •• 
  2, L, R
  Fire Lance (Charged) 
  5 
  +1 
  +8L/14L  
  +2 
  2 
  Str 12 
  2 
  ••• 
  2, L, R
   
   
   
  (+16L/22L charged)
  Goremaul 
  5 
  +1 
  +32B/8 
  +1 
  2 
  Str 12 
  5 
  •• 
  O, P
  Grand Daiklave 
  5 
  +2 
  +24L/8 
  +0 
  2 
  Str 14 
  8 
  ••• 
  2, O, P, R
  Grimcleaver 
  5 
  +2 
  +24L/8 
  +0 
  2 
  Str 12 
  5 
  •• 
  O
  Serpent-Sting Staff 
  5 
  +0 
  +20B 
  +4 
  3 
  Str 12,  
  5 
  2 
  M, P
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Dex 4, Mrt 4
  Smashﬁ st 
  7 
  +0 
  +14B 
  +2 
  2 
  Str 12 
  6* 
  •* 
  M, P
  Cost = The Artifact rating of the weapon.
  WARSTRIDER MUNDANE HAND-TO-HAND WEAPONS
  Name 
  Speed 
  Accuracy 
  Damage 
  Defense 
  Rate 
  Minimums 
  Cost 
  Tags
  Punch 
  5 
  +1 
  +3B 
  +2 
  3 
  Str 10 
  – 
  N
  Kick 
  5 
  +0 
  +6B 
  -2 
  2 
  Str 10, Dex •• 
  – 
  N
  Axe 
  5 
  +1 
  +10L 
  -2 
  2 
  Str 12 
  • 
  T
  Chopping Sword 
  4 
  +1 
  +10L/4 
  -1 
  2 
  Str 12 
  •• 
  O
  Fighting Gauntlet 
  5 
  +0 
  +10B 
  +2 
  2 
  Str 10 
  •• 
  M, A
  Hook Sword 
  5 
  +0 
  +6L 
  +3 
  3 
  Str 12,  
  ••• 
  D, M
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Dex 3, Mrt 3
  Mace/Hammer 
  5 
  +1 
  +16B/4 
  +1 
  2 
  Str 12 
  • 
  O, P
  Khatar 
  5 
  +0 
  +4L 
  +3 
  3 
  Str 10 
  •• 
  M, A
  Spear 
  5 
  +1 
  +8L/14L 
  +2 
  2 
  Str 12 
  • 
  2, L, R
  Staff 
  6 
  +2 
  +14B 
  +2 
  2 
  Str 12 
  – 
  2, R
  Slashing Sword 
  4 
  +1 
  +6L 
  +0 
  3 
  Str 12 
  •• 
  –
  Cost = Resources rating of weapon.
  TAG KEY
  2 = Two-Handed 
  Requires both hands to wield.
  A = Armor 
  Weapon speciﬁ cally designed to be mounted to armor.
  B = Bow Type 
  Damage based on or modiﬁ ed by ammunition type used.
  C = Clinch Enhancer 
  Must be used for clinching wielded through Martial Arts.
  D = Disarming 
  Adds additional +2 Accuracy when used to disarm an opponent.
  F = Flame Type 
  Does not add Strength to damage; listed Range is the farthest the ﬂ ame jet reaches.
  L = Lance Type 
  Increases damage to second Damage value when charging or bracing against a charging opponent.
  M = Martial Arts 
  May be wielded with Martial Arts or Melee.
  N = Natural 
  Part of the body; not subject to disarming. Must be wielded with Martial Arts. Can parry only bashing 
  attacks without aid of a stunt or magic.
  O = Overwhelming Damage after the slash is the innate minimum Damage of the weapon rather than the usual one die.
  P = Piercing 
  Inﬂ icts piercing damage, halving the target’s armored soak (rounded down).
  R = Reach 
  Can attack mounted targets or those at higher elevation without penalty.
  S = Single Shot 
  Characters must use a miscellaneous action to reload the weapon after every shot.
  T = Thrown 
  This weapon can also be thrown.
  
  ISBN 1-58846-691-4 WW80300 $24.99 U.S.
  PRINTED IN CANADA
  www.white-wolf.com/exalted
  The Wonders of the 
  Lost Age are lost no 
  more. Draw back the 
  hazy veil of intervening 
  centuries, and gaze on the 
  marvels of the First Age. 
  From power armor to 
  unsinkable warships, and 
  from Essence cannons to 
  self-aware automata, this 
  supplement has all the 
  magitech items players 
  and Storytellers might 
  want and the rules for 
  maintaining them.
  This book includes:
  •  A plethora of First Age weapons, 
  devices and vehicles suitable for 
  any Exalted
  Exalted game
  • Complete rules for warstriders, 
  including spiritually active ones
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Deduped  Shit/Exalted 2E/Exalted 2E - Books of Sorcery Vol 1 - Wonders of the Lost Age.pdf