TEXT: Free
  Introductory
  Kit
  TM
  
  OPEN YOUR EYES.
  THE REALM IS IN CHAOS.
  THE DRAGON-BLOODED’S
  WYLD HUNT IS IN SHAMBLES.
  THEY CAN HOLD US BACK
  NO LONGER.
  A THOUSAND YEARS AGO, WE RULED THIS WORLD TOGETHER.
  OUR MIGHT WAS SUCH THAT WE SLEW THE FOES OF THE GODS
  WITH OUR BARE HANDS. AND FOR OUR SERVICE, THE HIGHEST
  AMONG THE GODS, THE UNCONQUERED SUN, GRANTED US
  EXALTATION.
  WE ARE THE EXALTED.
  WE CHANNEL ESSENCE, THE POWER OF THE COSMOS, THROUGH
  OUR FINGERTIPS, OUR FISTS, OUR FEET. OUR BLADES ARE CAST
  OF ORICHALCUM AND SET WITH HEARTHSTONES, AND THEY
  NEVER DULL.
  YET OUR ENEMIES ARE MANY. ALTHOUGH THE EMPIRE OF THE
  DRAGON-BLOODED IS DISTRACTED BY INTERNAL CONFLICT, ITS
  SOLDIERS ARE STILL POTENT FOES. AND THE OTHERS ARE
  WORSE. DEATHKNIGHTS RISE FROM THE UNDERWORLD FOR
  GODS KNOW WHAT PURPOSE. THE FAIR FOLK SEE THAT THE
  REALM IS IN TURMOIL AND WAIT WITH COVETOUS HEARTS TO
  UNDO CREATION ON THEIR MERCURIAL WHIM.
  JUST THE WAY WE LIKE IT.
  OUR TIME HAS COME AGAIN.
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  1
  Exalted
  Introductory
  Kit
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  INTRODUCTION — WHAT IS EXALTED?
     2
  SETTING — THE WORLD OF EXALTED
     2
  THE SOLAR EXALTED
     3
  OTHER EXALTED: THE LUNARS, SIDIREALS, AND TERRESTRIALS
     4
  THE THRESHOLD AND ITS DANGERS
     8
  CHARACTER CREATION— EXALTATION OF A SOLAR
  14
  TRADITIONS — THE CASTES
  15
  TRAITS  — POWERS OF THE EXALTED
  18
  HEALTH AND ESSENCE  — POWER BEHIND THE POWERS
  19
  RULES — PLAYING THE GAME
  19
  COMBAT — PHYSICAL AND MAGICAL CONFRONTATION
  21
  STORY IDEAS — EXALTED ADVENTURE SEEDS
  23
  Because of the mature themes involved, reader discretion is advised.
  Based on the Exalted game created by Robert Hatch, with Justin Achilli, Andrew Bates, Dana Habecker,
  Based on the Exalted game created by Robert Hatch, with Justin Achilli, Andrew Bates, Dana Habecker,
  Based on the Exalted game created by Robert Hatch, with Justin Achilli, Andrew Bates, Dana Habecker,
  Based on the Exalted game created by Robert Hatch, with Justin Achilli, Andrew Bates, Dana Habecker,
  Based on the Exalted game created by Robert Hatch, with Justin Achilli, Andrew Bates, Dana Habecker,
  Sheri M. Johnson, Chris McDonough, Richard Thomas, Stephan Wieck. Phase 2 design by Geoffrey C. Grabowski,
  Sheri M. Johnson, Chris McDonough, Richard Thomas, Stephan Wieck. Phase 2 design by Geoffrey C. Grabowski,
  Sheri M. Johnson, Chris McDonough, Richard Thomas, Stephan Wieck. Phase 2 design by Geoffrey C. Grabowski,
  Sheri M. Johnson, Chris McDonough, Richard Thomas, Stephan Wieck. Phase 2 design by Geoffrey C. Grabowski,
  Sheri M. Johnson, Chris McDonough, Richard Thomas, Stephan Wieck. Phase 2 design by Geoffrey C. Grabowski,
  with Ken Cliffe, Richard Thomas, Stephan Wieck. Developed by Geoffrey C. Grabowski.
  with Ken Cliffe, Richard Thomas, Stephan Wieck. Developed by Geoffrey C. Grabowski.
  with Ken Cliffe, Richard Thomas, Stephan Wieck. Developed by Geoffrey C. Grabowski.
  with Ken Cliffe, Richard Thomas, Stephan Wieck. Developed by Geoffrey C. Grabowski.
  with Ken Cliffe, Richard Thomas, Stephan Wieck. Developed by Geoffrey C. Grabowski.
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  ALT.GAMES.WHITEWOLF AND REC.GAMES.FRP.STORYTELLER.
  ©2001 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of review. White Wolf
  is a registered trademark of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Exalted is a trademark of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All characters, names,
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  trademark or copyright concerned. PRINTED IN CANADA
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  2
  Within the Realm, this is the stuff of myth and legend.
  Even the tales of the Celestials’ greatest feats have been lost
  to the common folk. The majority of the Realm’s inhabit-
  ants believe only in what they see — the semi-mythical
  Anathema, who lurk at the edges of Creation, the Terres-
  trial Exalted, called the Dragon-Blooded, who rule, and the
  mortal men, who are born to strive and die.
  But the Celestial Exalted were real, and they had the
  power to make the world tremble at their passing. And
  now, they are returning. In the mad scramble for their
  empire’s vacant throne, the Dragon-Blooded have failed
  to maintain their age-old purge of the Celestial Exalted.
  Now, the children of sky are surviving long enough to
  realize their vast powers.
  POWERS OF THE EXALTED
  The primary difference between human and Exalted
  — Terrestrial or Celestial — consists of the ability of the
  Chosen to channel the fundamental force of the universe,
  called Essence. The power of the Exalted depends on both
  their skill at manipulating Essence and having adequate
  Essence to work with. Although humans are composed of
  Essence and are ruled by its ebb, flow and vicissitudes,
  they are unable to command its nature or direction
  consciously. The power an Exalted has corresponds di-
  rectly to the strength of her connection to the Essence
  around her. A young and inexperienced Exalted may
  seem like a moderately talented magician, capable of only
  a few practical tricks or simple feats of sorcery. Older,
  more experienced Exalted who have a greater under-
  standing or command of Essence are like unto the Incarna
  in their ability to shape the world.
  The abilities of the Exalted are constrained, how-
  ever, by the amount of Essence available to them. Without
  Essence to command, even the greatest of the Exalted is
  little more than human. Essence exists within all facets of
  the natural world and flows through all healthy living
  beings. Exalted typically breathe in the ambient Essence
  that flows through the world, storing it up until they need
  it. The amount of Essence an Exalted can hold within her
  body at any one time is determined both by her magical
  ability and her force of personality, and it is an important
  measure of her strength.
  The Essence powers of the Exalted take three forms:
  innate abilities, Charms and sorcerous spells. The innate
  abilities are talents that the Exalted exercise simply by
  flooding their animas with Essence. For example, a Solar
  Exalted of the Dawn Caste can use her anima to appear to
  be a fearsome warrior, so terrifying that enemies literally
  cannot bear to look directly at her.
  Charms refer to the ways in which Exalted can
  imbue their own actions with Essence. With the aid of
  Charms, the Exalted uses Essence to empower her oth-
  erwise normal skills or talents, thereby making them
  Do not believe what the scientists tell you. The
  natural history we know is a lie, a falsehood sold to us by
  wicked old men who would make the world a dull gray
  prison and protect us from the dangers inherent to free-
  dom. They would have you believe our planet to be a
  lonely starship, hurtling through the void of space, barren
  of magic and in need of a stern hand upon the rudder.
  Close your eyes to their deception. The time before
  our time was not a time of senseless natural struggle and
  reptilian rage, but a time of myth and sorcery. It was a time
  of legend, when heroes walked Creation and wielded the
  very power of the gods. It was a time before the world was
  bent, a time before the magic of Creation lessened, a time
  before the souls of men became the stunted, withered
  things that they are today.
  This is the story of that time.
  This is the story of the Exalted.
  WHAT IS A STORYTELLING GAME?
  Storytelling is a sophisticated way for adults to play
  make-believe. Rather than playing soldier or house and
  running around in your backyard or the alley behind
  your apartment, you and your friends sit in a comfortable
  room and describe the heroic feats that your characters
  accomplish. To help make sure that you all share the
  same vision of what’s going on, a mediator and narrator
  (the “Storyteller”) describes events and keeps the story
  moving. In order to prevent arguments of who did what
  first and whether an action is possible, there are rules
  that describe what your character can and can’t do. In
  order to prevent bitterness over someone beating some-
  one else in a fight, the characters are usually allies against
  imaginary opposition that the Storyteller tries to portray
  as even-handedly as possible. In order to prevent jaded
  adult imaginations from being bored quickly, the setting
  is much more intricate and complex than most people’s
  childhood fantasies.
  THE EXALTED
  The Exalted command the fundamental forces of the
  Tellurian. Additionally, their life spans are greatly length-
  ened; the Dragon-Blooded live hundreds of years, while
  the life spans of the Celestials are orders of magnitude
  longer than those of humans. Some Celestial Exalted
  even retain memories of the First Age.
  The time when the Exalted embodied virtue was
  called the First Age, and it was a golden age of peace and
  wonder. But the virtue of the Celestial Exalted — those
  Exalted who had been taught to harness the power of the
  heavens — waned. It was eaten away by their decadence
  and powers and, some whisper, by a terrible curse laid on
  them by the enemies of the Five Elemental Dragons. They
  became twisted, mad things — the Anathema — and they
  were destroyed or exiled for the good of the world.
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  3
  extraordinarily powerful. For example, an Exalted who
  was a blacksmith can forge amazing weapons, an Exalted
  warrior can perform mighty feats in battle, and an
  Exalted leader can command anyone and expect to be
  obeyed.
  Spells are the most difficult and powerful means of
  channeling Essence, and they can be devastating. When
  an Exalted casts a spell, he manipulates Essence with his
  words and gestures, according to the laws and principles
  of magic, and in so doing, he reweaves reality itself.
  SOLAR EXALTED
  The Solar Exalted are the mightiest of the Exalted,
  and during the First Age, they were the rulers of the world
  and the leaders of the Exalted. Their great enlightenment
  was intended to be a beacon and inspiration to all of
  humanity — they shine brightest who are meant to be
  seen by all. Their power flows from the sun, and the day
  belongs to them. Logic, heroism, inspiration and nobility
  are their spheres of influence.
  The Dragon-Blooded murdered the Solars at the
  fall of the First Age. Although a few continued to
  reincarnate again and again, they were always dispatched
  quickly by the forces of the Realm. Only since a year or
  two after the disappearance of the Empress have the
  Solars been reappearing in significant numbers. With
  newfound numbers and the Realm beset by foes and
  instability, the emerging Solars have an opportunity to
  make their power known.
  DAWN
  Dawn Solars are fierce warriors, yet their ferocity
  does not make them bloodthirsty or stupid. Of those who
  have been recently Exalted to this caste, there have been
  bloody-handed killers, but none who were without re-
  deeming characteristics. Others are scholar-generals,
  hard-bitten militiamen who fought to protect their homes,
  monks who practiced the martial arts for spiritual reasons,
  pit fighters, street warriors who led gangs rather than
  armies, even heroic city guards who carried out their own
  war on the corrupt officials and criminal parasites who
  infest the cities of the world.
  Dawn Castes are universally skilled in all forms of
  fighting. They are natural masters of the bow, the sword
  and unarmed combat. When they channel Essence to
  manifest their anima, they seem to become terrifying
  giants — harbingers of destruction with eyes like molten
  gold, whom only the bravest of warriors can bear to
  regard directly.
  ZENITH
  The Zenith Castes are the priests and mystics of the
  Exalted, and in terms of personality, they are the most
  varied of the castes. Many were once shamans or priests of
  the Immaculate Order, while others were simply passionate
  individuals with a thirst for righteousness. Although they
  are priests, Exalted of the Zenith Caste are more mission-
  aries, evangelists and rough-jawed crusaders for justice
  than self-righteous scholars or pretentious theologians.
  Zenith Caste Solars excel in public speaking and
  persuasion, but that is not their only forte. They are also
  incredibly durable, able to resist immense hardship and
  pain and to survive in the wilds as they pursue their
  missions. By channeling Essence through their animas,
  Exalted of this caste can cause fire to consume the bodies
  of dead foes, so that those foes’ souls can reach the afterlife
  rather than rising as hungry ghosts or walking dead. Also,
  the Zenith Castes are fierce enemies of demons and the
  undead, and they may channel Essence through their
  auras to scorch and repel these horrors.
  TWILIGHT
  The Twilight Exalted are learners and doers, adven-
  turer-scholars, warrior-mages and meddlesome cunning
  men. Most Twilight Caste Exalted were learned before
  their Exaltation, yet they are by no means all scholars.
  Storytellers, architects, merchants and engineers have all
  been Exalted to this caste. While there are a certain
  number of bookworms in this caste, most of them are
  durable enough to endure the hardships of campaigning
  and the stress of life as powerful public figures.
  The Twilights excel at sorcery, but they are more
  than simple scholars. They are learners, meddlers, doctors
  and tinkers. They not only work magic with Essence, but
  with tools, needles and thread and with their wit and
  insight. By channeling Essence through their animas,
  they may protect themselves from attack, an important
  power given their active and dangerous lifestyles.
  NIGHT
  Night Caste Solars are the spies, scouts and assassins
  of the Solar Exalted. Night Caste Exalted are often
  tricksters and vagabonds, but they are not necessarily
  thieves and killers. They are often peddlers, hunters,
  guides, police officers and the like — anyone partaking in
  an active life for whom stealth and ingenuity are more
  important than raw strength. Note that there are a fair
  number of cutpurses and assassins among those who are
  Exalted to this caste, but they are by no means the sole
  members of the caste.
  Night Caste Exalted are unparalleled in stealth,
  acrobatics and getting where and what they shouldn’t.
  These Exalted also possess a preternatural awareness of
  their surroundings. By channeling Essence through
  their auras, Night Caste Exalted may conceal their
  presence, making them difficult to sense. Night Caste
  Solars may also mute their animas, allowing them to
  more easily use Charms without revealing their true
  nature as Exalted.
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  4
  ECLIPSE
  The Eclipse Caste is made up of the ambassadors and
  negotiators among the Exalted. Eclipse Caste Exalted are
  typically chosen from among those who make their living
  with words and negotiations. Merchants, diplomats, bu-
  reaucrats, confidence men, beggars, peddlers, teachers —
  any of these can be Exalted into the Eclipse Caste.
  The Eclipses are as masterful at governance, business
  and politics as the Zenith Caste is at persuasion and
  leadership. Although they are not charismatic, they are
  intuitively able to sense and exploit the flows of power
  and influence in an organization. These Solars also dem-
  onstrate amazing language skills and are master horsemen
  and sailors. (After all, in order to negotiate a treaty or
  make a deal, the negotiator must first arrive at her desti-
  nation.) By channeling Essence through her anima, an
  Eclipse may swear or witness oaths that neither party can
  break without incurring a terrible curse. Members of this
  caste may also walk among spirits and demons without
  fear, protected by ancient and inviolable treaties of safe
  passage sworn during the height of the Old Realm. Eclipses
  may even learn the Charms and powers of other Exalted,
  and even of spirits, to aid their dealings with these beings.
  Although this learning is not as easy as mastering the
  tricks of their own kind, it allows the Eclipse Caste
  unparalleled flexibility.
  LUNAR EXALTED
  Lunars are master shapeshifters capable of taking the
  form or partial form of any animal whose blood they have
  tasted. This ability alone makes Lunars dangerous en-
  emies, but in conjunction with their dominion over
  beasts and their familiarity with the night and the wilder-
  ness, they are among the most dangerous opponents in the
  world. Those Lunars who retain their sentience also have
  a deep connection with the unconscious mind, and they
  can use it to create complex and deadly illusions or to
  evoke primal emotions — love, rage, despair and the like
  — in the minds of those around them.
  Many Lunars have been deeply warped by the Wyld’s
  odd energy. While Lunars are often bestial, mad or both
  (and they may not even remember that they are Exalted),
  all remain dangerously cunning. Of all the Exalted, Lunars
  have the worst reputation for being monsters and stalkers
  of the night, for many of them are. The worst of them stalk
  men like beasts and think of humans as prey.
  SIDEREAL
  Among the Exalted, the Sidereals are the prophets,
  warlocks, rogues and spirit-binders. While they maintain
  relatively close communication among themselves, they
  remain silent to most other Exalted, unless circumstances
  dictate otherwise.
  The Sidereals have a great understanding of magic,
  and they use it frequently and competently. They are
  capable of affecting the powers of fate directly, or alterna-
  tively, they can have spirits do their work for them. Of all
  the Exalted, the Sidereals have the greatest connection to
  spirits, and they utilize it very carefully. Each Sidereal
  must forge a relationship with the spirits or courts of
  spirits that she wants to deal with.
  DRAGON-BLOODED
  The most common of all the Exalted, the Dragon-
  Blooded are at once despised and feared. They are
  significantly more powerful than any mortal, and they
  have used that power to establish a mighty Realm of their
  own. They hold most civilized nations as tributary, and
  they wield tremendous political and economic influence.
  A family squabble among the most powerful Dragon-
  Blooded can result in nations warring in the Threshold.
  There are five kinds of Dragon-Blooded, each with an
  affinity for one of the five elements. Each type of Dragon-
  Blooded has power over the earthly elements and certain of
  the elemental spirits as well. While they aren’t as proficient
  at spirit-mastery as the Sidereals, many of the higher-tier
  aristocrats are capable of calling on ages-old pacts and
  agreements made with the elemental lords in the First Age.
  With the disappearance of the Empress, the Dragon-
  Blooded are being forced to enter into actual combat with
  the forces that threaten the Blessed Isle. While their
  magic is notably weaker than that of many of their new
  enemies, particularly the deathknights and many of the
  invaders from the Wyld, the Dragon-Blooded have main-
  tained a rigorous regimen of martial training that, when
  combined with their elemental talents, makes them for-
  midable opponents on the field of battle.
  ABYSSAL EXALTED
  It is unknown how these Exalted were created, but
  they have appeared only recently. Indeed, it is not clear
  whether they are Exalted at all. Dragon-Blooded soldiers
  have had a number of encounters with the Abyssals, and
  they tell of the dark ones manipulating Essence to speak
  with ghosts and to control the bodies of those who are
  already dead. While such information makes it seem highly
  likely that the Abyssals are Exalted of some variety, no such
  creatures are mentioned in any of the books that have
  survived from the First Age. Where such a twisted Exalted
  would come from is an enigma, and a disturbing one.
  The Abyssal Exalted are the antithesis of what the
  Exalted are in every particular. Where the Celestial
  Exalted channel radiance and foster life and growth,
  deathknights are masters of darkness and necromancy.
  They are capable of manipulating shadows for diverse
  purposes, and their command of the dead is like a night-
  mare version of the Celestial rule. Most terrifyingly, the
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  5
  Abyssals do not appear overly inclined to use the natural
  flow of Essence through the world, even in Manses and
  Demesnes. While they are capable of pulling Essence
  from the Underworld to replenish their reserves, they
  gain Essence fastest when drawing it from living beings,
  and they appear to prefer, even enjoy, it. They feed in a
  variety of ways, including drinking blood from living
  creatures, stealing souls and eating the flesh of men.
  THE EXALTATION
  While anyone can manifest as one of the Celestial
  Exalted, the weaker Terrestrial Exalted are born only to
  Dragon-Blooded parents. However, normally not all of a
  Dragon-Blooded family’s children will be Exalted. Both
  Celestial and Terrestrial Exalted rarely manifest before
  early adolescence. The rules of Terrestrial heredity are
  complex and poorly understood, and the only rule of
  Celestial Exaltation is that the Exalted individual is
  already far above average — always in terms of potential,
  and usually in terms of life-accomplishment as well.
  When the Empress reigned, newly born Celestial
  Exalted were almost assuredly doomed to destruction at the
  hands of the Wyld Hunt of the Dragon-Blooded. For at that
  time, the Dragon-Blooded watched closely for signs of
  recently Exalted Celestials and hunted the Celestials wher-
  ever they were found. These Celestial Exalted were either
  killed or captured and taken to the Empress. It is whispered
  among the Dragon-Blooded that the Empress devoured
  their souls, for her understanding of Essence was such that
  she was able to strengthen herself and lengthen her exist-
  ence with each such meal. Only the Sidereals could hide
  from the scourge, due largely to the central role those
  Sidereals had in the imposition of the Wyld Hunt.
  Since the disappearance of the Empress, the feuding
  houses of the Realm have begun to divert all the empire’s
  resources to fuel their internecine squabbles and their
  jockeying for the throne. The once-ubiquitous network of
  spies and informants with which the Empress searched for
  the Celestials has begun to unravel, subverted by the
  intelligence apparatuses of the various houses or reassigned
  to deal with the nobles’ growing disloyalty. And at this dark
  moment, the one moment when the Dragon-Blooded are
  no longer in a position to do anything about it, it seems as
  if more Solars than have ever been seen before has entered
  the world. Today, the Wyld Hunt must often rely on mortal
  assassins and outcaste bounty hunters, rather than the
  massive and well-armed hunting parties of the past.
  CAUSES OF EXALTATION
  The powers of an Exalted frequently manifest after a
  period of stress, such as severe injury, terrible illness,
  terror. The trigger events vary greatly from Exalted to
  Exalted. At his hour of greatest need, it is as if the
  character is given the strength to triumph and endure.
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  6
  Some Celestials also manifest when they are exposed to a
  large amount of magic or when a great deal of Essence is
  moved or channeled near them. Finally, some seem to
  manifest due to vast exposure to their element — many
  Solars are Exalted during a period of overexposure to
  sunlight for example.
  ESSENCE
  The world is not still; it flows, expanding and contract-
  ing with the interaction of a thousand tiny cycles. Essence
  is the power behind those eternal cycles. Every storm, every
  birth, every wave in the ocean is nudged by the flow of
  Essence through the universe. The Exalted, unlike most
  humans, are gifted with the ability to perceive and manipu-
  late the flow of Essence, and it is this ability that distinguishes
  them from the dull chaff of humanity.
  THE SIGNS OF POWER
  The power of the Exalted does not hide. On the
  contrary, it seeks to shine forth and mark the user.
  Although an Exalted can use some power and remain
  hidden, those Exalted who exert themselves must neces-
  sarily give themselves away. Citizens of the Realm are
  taught to be on guard for any child exhibiting these traits
  or markings, particularly those of the Solar Exalted, who
  are to be destroyed wherever they are detected.
  SOLAR CASTE MARKS
  Of the Celestials, the Solar Exalted are perhaps the
  most easily discovered. All of them bear a so-called “Caste
  Mark” on their forehead, as if it were a burning third eye.
  This mark manifests whenever the Exalted channels
  Essence, and it can sometimes be seen during the time of
  day to which the Exalted’s caste is affiliated. Similarly,
  each Solar burns with a brilliant aura, his “anima,” which
  increases in intensity as the amount of Essence he chan-
  nels grows. When an Exalted burns large quantities of
  Essence, it may even take the shape of a great fire or of the
  animal that the Solar most closely resembles.
  Dawn Caste Solars are marked by a brilliant golden
  sunburst that adorns the center of their brow. Their
  anima tends to be bright white and pale gold, sometimes
  tinged with red or light violet.
  Zenith Caste Solars are known by their large, bright-
  gold circular Caste Marks. Their animas are a brilliant
  burning white or a thick, majestic gold.
  Twilight Caste Solars have a golden circle, filled in
  with gold on the top, but having only an empty ring on the
  bottom half. Their animas tend to the most spectacular
  colors, containing bright golds as well as bright and dark
  reds, purples and even blues.
  Night Caste Solars have an empty golden circle as
  their Caste Mark. The animas of these Exalted are ghostly
  whites and golds, tinged with purple and purple-gray.
  Eclipse Caste Solars have a golden disc within a
  circle for their Caste Mark. Their animas are brilliant
  whites and golds, almost sparkling, but filmy and fluctu-
  ating, like the corona of the sun during an eclipse.
  LUNAR CASTE MARKS
  All older Lunars are marked with extensive tattoo-
  ing, scars and brandings, which are believed to be of ritual
  significance in their savage religion of moon-veneration.
  SIDEREAL CASTE MARKS
  The Sidereal Exalted may be known by their star-
  filled eyes or, occasionally, by the faraway, distracted look
  that frequently washes over their faces as visions assail
  them. When they channel Essence, Sidereals are marked
  by a Caste Mark the color of their patron Maiden. Chosen
  of Mercury radiate yellow, those of Venus blue and those
  of Mars red. Chosen of Jupiter burn green, while those of
  Saturn glow with the orange of a banked fire.
  ABYSSAL CASTE MARKS
  The Abyssal Exalted bear marks that give them away
  clearly to anyone bothering to look. Some Abyssals have
  an appearance that suggests a rotting corpse. Ironically,
  however, as they grow older and more powerful, Abyssal
  Exalted appear less decayed and develop a cold allure.
  The most powerful Abyssals are stunning creatures of
  dangerous beauty, with skin like alabaster, hair the color
  of onyx and lips like fallen rose petals. They bear black,
  eternally visible versions of the Solar’s caste markings,
  and it is believed the Deathlords do so to mock the former
  rulers of the world or to terrify the Dragon-Blooded.
  TERRESTRIAL CASTE MARKS
  Like the Celestials, the Dragon-Blooded have clear
  marks that distinguish them from one another and from
  mere mortals. The features of the Dragon-Blooded have a
  certain coarseness not seen in those of the Celestial
  Exalted, and their appearance directly reflects their affin-
  ity for their element.
  Aspects of Air are surrounded by gusting winds.
  While they can calm these gusts for short periods with
  concentration, they find it difficult to do so while per-
  forming any other activity.
  Aspects of Earth have the coarsest features of all the
  Terrestrial Exalted. Their bodies are frequently compact
  or stocky, and they smell of freshly turned soil.
  Aspects of Fire are marked by a clear reddish tint to
  their skin. It is not uncommon for older Dragon-Blooded
  of this aspect to emit puffs of smoke from their mouths as
  they speak.
  Aspects of Water are characterized by hypnotic grace
  and beautiful iridescent skin. Their skin often takes on a
  slight blue-green tint as they get older.
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  7
  Aspects of Wood sometimes have a light layer of bark
  on their skin, especially on the back and the shoulders.
  The young or less powerful among them may have a
  greenish tint to their skin.
  MANSES AND DEMESNES
  Throughout most of the world, Essence flows across,
  beneath and through all things, clear and quiet as a spring.
  Essence is in the tides of the sea, the light of the sun and
  the solidity of the earth. Moreover, it is the source of spirit
  that animates all living things. All life, dreams and
  emotion arise from the ebb and flow of Essence. Essence
  is the rhythm the world moves to, the mad and vital dance
  that holds the void at bay.
  While Essence is usually invisible to all but powerful
  Exalted, there are places where the stream becomes a river
  and the raw power of Creation is manifest for all to see.
  Where Essence roars through Creation, it creates places
  of power. These sites are sacred and full of magic. In the
  First Age, they were often the sites of the mansions of the
  Exalted, and today, they are frequently the sites of temples
  and shrines. Exalted can sense such places at a distance,
  and even the dullest humans feel something akin to awe
  in these places. When edifices have been built to channel
  and focus the flow of Essence, they are called Manses.
  When the power is untamed by architecture, these holy
  places are called Demesnes.
  ARTIFACTS
  The Old Realm lasted for millennia and spanned vast
  leagues — more land, it is said, than currently comprises
  the world. In that time, the Celestials and their servants
  manufactured objects of astonishing power. Weapons, jew-
  elry, books and any other sort of item could have been
  enchanted in such a way as to channel Essence for myriad
  purposes. That was another Age, and the products of that
  era have become exceedingly rare and valuable. Time, the
  warring of the Dragon-Blooded and the encroachment of
  the Wyld have seen to it that most of the powerful artifacts
  have been used up, hidden or destroyed. Fair Folk have
  seized many of them, while others lie deep within Wyld
  regions, worshiped or hoarded by warped creatures that
  have no comprehension of the devices’ true value or power.
  THE REALM
  A majestic and decadent empire, the Realm is noth-
  ing less than the hub of reality itself. A hallowed consensus
  governs the heart of the empire, keeping the unreal, the
  uncertain and the unholy to the lands of the periphery.
  The Realm is also the hub of political reality. From the
  labyrinthine streets and towering spires of the Imperial
  City to the vast standing legions sent to secure tribute
  from the Threshold, the Realm is the undisputed center
  of power in Creation.
  Or at least, it used to be. Since the disappearance of
  the Empress five years ago, usurping nobles, petty con-
  querors and unruly tribes have picked apart the
  once-unified hierarchy of the empire. For the Dynasty,
  things have never been worse; for ambitious patricians
  waiting to seize power for themselves, the current insta-
  bility gives them the perfect opportunity.
  The average citizen of the Realm has white skin,
  black hair and brown eyes. Full lips and strong noses are
  typical, and most men and women stand nearly six feet
  tall when full-grown. Builds are generally slim, but men
  tend to develop a paunch later in life. Bear in mind,
  however, that the Realm is a conquering empire. Many of
  its inhabitants — even members of the Scarlet Dynasty —
  show signs of alien blood from foreign concubines.
  THE EMPIRE IN DECLINE
  A coalition of Exalted despots that ruled the Realm
  in its infancy, the Dynasts quickly rose to rank their power
  according to the size and prosperity of their estates or the
  magnitude of their Charms. These noble families were as
  querulous as their modern counterparts in the Dynasty —
  the authority of the Empress was all that kept their
  ambitions in check.
  Since the Empress’ disappearance, the Dynasty has
  increased tributes from the outlying provinces to outra-
  geous levels through the decrees of its figurehead regent.
  Barbarian and bandit raids, along with the tributary lords’
  faltering confidence in the empire, sapped the imperial
  treasury. Even with the heavier tributes paid by the lords
  that remain loyal, seven of the Realm’s legions have been
  decommissioned to compensate for the disruption of
  trade and tax revenues. Why pay the Realm’s tribute
  when it offers no stability? Far better, think some tributar-
  ies, to cultivate their own power and grow stronger (and
  richer) without the interference of the Realm.
  In theory, the Realm still controls the Blessed Isle
  and the surrounding lands. In reality, it has as much
  influence outside the isle as its legions allow it. A hierar-
  chical system of leadership governs the Realm, from the
  smallest village to the Imperial City itself. Imperial influ-
  ence remains absolute on the isle, but it grows less sure
  farther away from this center.
  THE PERFECTED HIERARCHY
  The Immaculate Philosophy, the state-mandated
  religion of the Realm, holds that the Dragon-Blooded are
  superior beings who have traveled farther down
  enlightenment’s road. The law forbids citizens, peasants,
  slaves and the disenfranchised from looking them directly
  in the eye. Even today, while no one worships Dynasts as
  deities, their advanced spirituality and frightening pow-
  ers inspire awe among the peoples of the Realm. Some
  citizens flock to any public ceremony that promises a
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  8
  glimpse of one of the Dragon-Blooded, while others will
  go to any lengths to avoid their Exalted presence. Many
  peasants rationalize the fact that they could never afford
  to travel to the Imperial City by declaring that they’d
  never visit a place so full of the terrifying Dragon-Blooded.
  THE DYNASTY
  During her centuries-long reign, the Scarlet Empress
  had four husbands and dozens of lovers. The 11 houses of
  the modern Dynasty descend from the Empress’s brood.
  Aside from House Nellens, each house associates itself
  with an elemental aspect of one of the Five Dragons.
  These houses constitute the aristocracy that governs the
  Realm. Once these Dragon-Blooded lineages lorded over
  their growing empire like enthroned gods.
  Although all the houses are rather decadent and
  given to back-stabbing and dirty deals, each has its own
  distinct character. Houses are made up of individuals with
  their own priorities, and the houses are more alike than
  their members want to believe. Also, some Dynasts are
  products of marriages between members of two houses.
  From these unions, children can side with one house or
  another, remain aloof or play them both off one another
  for the Dynasts’ own gain.
  THE THOUSAND SCALES
  The Dynasty’s Thousand Scales bureaucracy is one of
  the foundations of its rule. Each level of government is
  responsible for the one immediately below it. In theory,
  this chain of command keeps everyone looking out for
  corruption on the level below them. The Thousand
  Scales consists of the tax collectors, judges, surveyors,
  wardens, rangers and other functionaries who execute the
  decrees of the Deliberative.
  THE ORDER OF THE
  IMMACULATE DRAGONS
  The Order of the Immaculate Dragons — the state
  religion of the Realm — is arguably the most important
  political faction in the Realm, more important than the
  Dynasty and all the patricians. A simple accusation from
  the Mouth of Peace is enough to topple even the most
  powerful official or disgrace one of the Dragon-Blooded.
  The order does not use this power lightly, making it all the
  more formidable when it is deployed.
  Even if many peasants pay homage to spirits outside
  the strictures of the Realm’s only legal faith, the Immaculates
  can still put the fear of oblivion into the hearts of the weak.
  Immaculates are regarded as deadly warriors and wise men
  beyond all conventional limits of learning. Even less super-
  stitious folk hesitate when their actions might attract the
  attention of the order. When facing a Dragon-Blooded
  Immaculate, one faces a near-perfect warrior, a foremost
  scholar of the Realm and one of the most powerful Exalted
  to have ever existed, all in one.
  THE THRESHOLD
  There is a great deal of world between the roiling
  chaos of the Wyld and the urbane sophistication of the
  Realm. Although the scions of the Dynasty condemn the
  outlying lands as barbaric and keep them as tributaries,
  these lands are, in truth, vibrant and dynamic. Unfettered
  from the convoluted politics and the corruption of the
  Dynasty, the Threshold embodies possibilities and new
  solutions, innovation and a vibrant determination to
  succeed against the odds.
  In the past, this meant imperial rule in everything but
  name. The Dragon-Blooded and their legions made the
  Empress’ word law in almost all lands bordering the Inner
  Sea. All paid homage to the Immaculates and acknowl-
  edged the spiritual superiority of the Dragon-Blooded,
  even though doing so was purely a matter of honoring the
  imperial cult in many places. But recently, the power of
  the Realm has crumbled, and more and more of the states
  that border the Inner Sea are reducing their tribute or
  eliminating it altogether.
  THE EAST
  To the farthest east lies the Elemental Pole of Wood.
  As one proceeds further east, the forests become gradually
  thicker and stiller and more hostile. The trees grow taller,
  THE FIRST AGE
  What was the First Age like? All that mortal and
  Dragon-Blooded scholars have to go on are the ruins
  left standing and the texts that survived the turning of
  the Age. The Cult of the Illuminated sees it as a golden
  age when the Solar Exalted brought the land enlight-
  enment and harmony. The Dragon-Blooded see it
  merely as an older civilization than the one that has
  succeeded it, a civilization that had time to mature
  and prosper. Most individuals, particularly those who
  follow the teachings of the Immaculate Order, vener-
  ate it as a long-lost paradise that will be reclaimed
  when the world is set aright.
  Certainly, many of the Celestial Exalted who
  survived through the calamities remember the First
  Age, but few of them are willing to share their memo-
  ries. Some argue that the wisdom of the First Age is not
  gone, but merely, that the complex civilization that
  made the Age possible has passed away. Others con-
  tend that the world changed irrevocably when the
  Great Contagion struck and that, even if the lore of
  lost First Age were reclaimed and put to use, it would
  mean little. So far, neither group is organized or
  determined enough to put its theories to the test.
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  9
  the beasts of the wood larger and fiercer, and the almost-
  sentient, almost-malicious air one sometimes feels in an
  unfamiliar forest grows ever stronger. Finally, progress is
  blocked by a seemingly unending wall of deadfalls,
  widowmakers and harsh terrain. It is said that if one goes
  far enough east, the ground gives way, and the traveler
  sees only an endless cathedral of trees, stretching up and
  down, from zenith to nadir, a holy green perfection of
  leaves and still air.
  The Near East was always the heartland of the Old
  Realm, with fertile soil, regular rains and abundant re-
  sources. It was heavily settled and the source of much of
  the Old Realm’s prosperity. Consequently, when the
  Great Contagion and the subsequent incursions of the
  Wyld and the Underworld occurred, it was one of the
  areas hardest hit. In a way, this was a blessing, at least for
  the survivors. Even with much of it reduced to chaos-
  scarred ruins, the survivors had a vast trove of resources to
  scavenge from as they rebuilt their shattered world.
  Today, the East consists of city-states of various sorts,
  largely autocratic or democratic, with a fair handful of
  bizarre governments in the mix. Most are built around the
  area’s numerous rivers, and they serve as manufacturing
  centers and redistribution points for local produce. As one
  goes farther east, the cities give way to towns, and the towns
  give way to logging camps and steadings. Despite the
  hospitable nature of the Near East, the Far East can be quite
  dangerous. There are a rather large number of shadowlands
  in the area, and the woods often crawl with barbarians.
  The average inhabitant of the East has a brownish
  skin tone, ranging from light tan to an almost bark-like
  brown in the Far East. Blond, red and brown are all
  common hair colors, and even red hair is typically straight
  and without body. The typical Easterner is tall, with even
  women standing nearly six feet. Eastern families tend to
  be matriarchies, centered around a female and successive
  generations of female offspring. Male children are raised
  by their mother’s brothers, and marriage is uncommon
  but not unheard of.
  THE SCAVENGER LANDS
  At the heart of the Near East is the River Province,
  the military and administrative center for the eastern
  sections of the Old Realm. The population here was
  devastated during the Contagion, but the area’s repu-
  tation for prosperity drew displaced persons from all
  over the plague-blasted lands. This influx of new blood
  created an open, cosmopolitan society of immigrants
  eager to make their lives anew and create something for
  their children. It also attracted a large number of
  entrepreneurs, would-be conquerors, spirits, embit-
  tered dissidents from the Realm, hermits and renegade
  theoreticians. Together, this strange rabble created a
  new society over the top of, in the ruins of and built
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  10
  from the scraps of the Old Realm. Although these
  “Scavenger Lands” don’t approach even the tawdry,
  remanufactured splendor of the modern Realm, their
  inhabitants are lively and eager, willing to take risks
  and plot their own course. The more advanced and
  warlike inhabitants, many of whom are wise in the ways
  of First Age artifacts, have consistently provided a
  major resource in the restoration of the region to
  habitability and in defense against the Realm. Accord-
  ingly, tinkers and wise men are held in high regard, and
  to have a son or daughter involved with scavenging is
  much the same as having a child take holy orders of
  some sort.
  Most of the Scavenger Lands consist of walled towns
  and cities and the farm lands immediately around them,
  surrounded by sparsely populated wilderness, connected by
  trade routes and a common heritage of immigration and
  restoration of the ruins that surround them. Inhabitants of
  the region value individual initiative and self-reliance, and
  it’s well they do, because powerful Essence flows make the
  region attractive to the Deathlords and Fair Folk alike.
  Ironically, while most of the Threshold is extremely super-
  stitious, the Scavenger Lands verge on atheism. This doesn’t
  mean that they don’t acknowledge the existence of the
  supernatural, but that there is much practicality and little
  reverence in their interactions with the world. You cannot
  live at the crossroads of Creation without becoming jaded.
  Exalted, Fair Folk, spirits and other supernatural beings are
  treated with the respect that such dangerous creatures
  deserve but, generally, not with an obsequious air.
  Inhabitants of the Scavenger Lands come in all
  shapes and colors, but many are of mixed stock, coffee-
  and-cream complexioned, with wavy peach or black
  hair. Strong, aquiline noses are common in the Scaven-
  ger lands, as are relatively sharp features in general —
  probably the result of a heritage of interaction with the
  Fair Folk, much of it sexual. Marriage and family cus-
  toms vary wildly from household to household, and the
  matter is complex and routine enough that it is cultur-
  ally acceptable to find it funny.
  NEXUS
  At the center of the River Province lies Nexus. With
  three-quarters of a million inhabitants, Nexus is one of
  the largest cities outside the Realm. Like most other
  major cities of the province, Nexus is built on the ruins of
  a city of the Old Realm. Once the provincial capital, the
  city of Hollow was decimated by the Contagion and
  devastated by the Wyld incursions that followed. The
  streets were filled with bones and wreckage, and the city’s
  three great rivers choked with the masonry of countless
  fallen towers. Because of its excellent location (and
  strong possibilities for salvage), Hollow was one of the
  first cities of the area that people moved back into after
  the chaos of the Contagion.
  THE SOUTH
  To the south is the Elemental Pole of Fire. As one
  travels farther south, the weather becomes hotter and
  hotter. Near the sea, it blends slowly into tropical forest
  in the east. Rain is frequent, and while rugged, the land is
  not brutal or water-scoured. As one travels farther south,
  the rain becomes less frequent, and the olive trees and
  grass give way to scrub and tumbleweeds. It is a land of
  cacti, ice plants and yucca trees, where arroyos and wadis
  cut the landscape into a classic badland. The narrow
  canyons are full of fallen trees piled up like jackstraws and
  boulders chocked snugly into place, a tribute to the force
  of the flash floods that race through these narrow spaces.
  Still further south, rain ceases to fall at all. Mesas give
  way to sand and stone outcroppings, and oases become
  increasingly infrequent. The cloudless sky does nothing
  to hold the sun’s heat in, and blasting hot daytime
  temperatures plummet to subfreezing lows until one ar-
  rives at the True South, where the sun provides only light
  and the heat continues unabated day and night. None can
  reliably claim to have traveled to the uttermost south and
  returned, and reports conflict as to what lies there. Some
  say that it is a field of black glass with a never-setting sun,
  and others claim that it ends in a field of glowing red
  magma beneath a black and starless expanse, while still a
  third school says that in the True South, there is nothing
  but colorless fire.
  INHABITANTS
  Along the northern coast, the inhabitants of the
  South gather in great cities, supported by a brutally op-
  pressed agricultural underclass. Although they are not as
  large and certainly not as splendid as the great cities of the
  Realm, at least three Southern cities (Gem, Paragon and
  Chiaroscuro) have a million or more inhabitants. They,
  like almost all the cities of the South, are hereditary
  autocracies, and they crawl with palace intrigues and secret
  police. As one travels farther to the south, the cities and
  towns end abruptly at the edge of the badlands. Go further
  south, and there are only nomadic tribes feuding and
  stealing from one another to subsist. What keeps these
  nomads active is the harvest of the sands to the south. Just
  beyond where the heat becomes constant, the sands give up
  a bounty of gems — rubies and garnets, opals and topaz.
  Southerners are extremely superstitious, as a rule.
  They take great stock in portents and signs, and everyone
  can read their own basic horoscope. Those who can afford
  to do so employ one or several astrologers to supplement
  their own efforts, but no Southerner in his right mind
  wouldn’t draw up his own basic horoscope to work from
  before consulting an outsider’s predictions. Likewise, most
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  11
  Southerners sacrifice daily to their familial patron spirit,
  the patron of the task they’re about to undertake, one or
  several spirits of good fortune, the spirit of their city and the
  ghosts of their ancestors. The cities of the South are seen as
  debased and decadent by those outside it, displaying all the
  corruption, greed and lascivious behavior of Nexus without
  the brutal opportunism and vibrancy that makes Nexus so
  different. Those from the South simply see themselves as
  civilized and enjoy the benefits thereof.
  The average Southerner is dark-skinned, with blond,
  black or red hair. Unlike Easterners, however, most South-
  erners’ hair has a great deal of body, though the blondes
  tend toward less kink and more curl. People from the
  South typically dress in silk, if the wearers can afford it, or
  else cotton. Only the poorest nomad wears wool, and it is
  considered an invitation to awful luck to wear leather —
  most armor is metal and canvas. Silk, cotton and large
  quantities of tobacco and marijuana are produced do-
  mestically on the same latifundia that feed the cities, and
  the export of these goods is the source of much of the
  cities’ prosperity.
  THE WEST
  To the west lies the Elemental Pole of Water. As one
  travels outward, the islands are, at first, large and com-
  mon, then smaller and less frequent. Past a certain point,
  there are no more islands, only a horizon where the sea
  and sky come together. This horizon can be distinguished
  only at sunrise and sunset. During the day, it is as if one
  sails in a surfaceless ocean of blue and green, and at night,
  it is as if the sea is absent and the boat rocks gently as it
  sails among the stars. The ocean has no scent here because
  the “smell of the sea” is the smell of dead things rotting in
  seaside swamps, and it has no sound because the winds are
  gentle and the swells low. Even experienced seamen find
  it maddening to sail too far out past the far islands, and it
  is rarely done. After all, what is there to find, save more
  ocean, stretching out until the end of time?
  INHABITANTS
  The West is the least populous of the directions.
  There is simply less space for human beings to live. Those
  men who do dwell here on the Western Ocean’s countless
  islands and archipelagos are seafarers and shipbuilders.
  There is little arable land, making vegetables other than
  cultivated kelp a luxury. Subsistence food consists of
  clams, lobster, small fry — anything that lives close to
  shore. Those who are not merchants or pirates or sailors
  of some sort are fishermen or shipwrights. A child who
  cannot sail a boat by the age of six is a child misraised.
  Fair Folk and water spirits are forever a menace to the
  cities of the West, picking and choosing where and when
  to land. On some islands, the problem with siren blan-
  dishments is so severe that it is traditional to artificially
  deafen unwanted children placed into the public trust by
  puncturing their eardrums repeatedly. These orphans are
  set to patrolling the shore when they come of age, to hunt
  mermaids who creep close to shore. Most eventually
  succumb to the seductions of the ladies of the deep or are
  killed by vengeful husbands, but it’s better than drowning
  at birth.
  The average Westerner is bronze-skinned, with those
  who dwell in the Far West or Southwest having an almost
  golden skin tone. Those from the Central West tend
  toward hair colors in sea shades — green, blue, dark gray.
  Those in the Southwest tend toward darker shades, pri-
  marily purple and black. Westerners dress in sturdy clothes,
  ankle-length dresses, jerkins and shawls for the women
  and canvas pants, thick jerkins and waterproof ankle-
  length canvas jackets for the men. Both sexes wear wool
  pullover caps when the weather is up, and boots from
  ankle to knee length are the standard footgear.
  THE NORTH
  To the north is the Elemental Pole of Air. Near the
  shores of the Inner Sea, the climate is chilly grasslands and
  pine scrub. But as one goes farther north, the cold becomes
  increasingly bitter, and the wind grows in strength, until
  the taiga stops and the tundra begins. Winters here are long
  and cruel, and the short summer barely gives the surface of
  the tundra time to thaw before the ice closes in again. Even
  in the summer, this is a frigid and windy land, and pelting,
  freezing rain lashes the herds of elk, mammoth and reindeer
  than eke out a marginal existence from the bleak land-
  scape. Feeding on the herd animals are omen dog packs,
  and at times, it seems as if the natural sound of the northern
  winter night is the low, endless sound of lupine baying.
  The tundra eventually turns to a permanently frozen
  waste that runs to the foothills of the northern moun-
  tains. It is said that in the farthest north, past the
  mountains’ divide, there is naught but a great gray ex-
  panse of snow and frigid winds. Certainly, this is a hard
  land, by far the most brutal of the four directions.
  INHABITANTS
  The North is populated, yet not so densely as the
  South or East. A large number of petty kingdoms and city-
  states fringe the coastlines of the Inner Sea and the more
  northerly White Sea. In the south, most are tributaries or
  puppets of the Realm, with the cities becoming progres-
  sively more independent as one travels northward.
  Northerners primarily make offerings to the ances-
  tor cult and to the dark spirits of snow and frost and
  hunger. Herders and hunters typically offer sacrifices to
  the herd animal spirits and to the spirits of the hunt,
  respectively, but the vast majority of devotions go to the
  ghosts of the departed. This ancestor worship, combined
  with the miserable conditions of Northern existence
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  12
  and the extreme weakness of the Shroud between the
  living and the dead in this place where life barely exists
  at all, makes the natives easy prey for the Deathlords.
  There are many shadowlands in the North, particularly
  in the steppes and bogs where the Wyld tribesmen dwell.
  At least two Deathlords — the Bishop of the Chalce-
  dony Thurible and the Lover Clad in the Raiment of
  Tears — dwell in that region with their deathknights,
  and both enjoy large followings among the living.
  Northerners dress in sturdy clothes, usually leather
  with the fur left on it and turned inward for insulation.
  Footgear usually consists of wool or felt puttees and sandals
  worn under a fur-lined, waterproof overboot. Mittens are
  common, as are large poncho-like parkas woven loosely out
  of thick yarn and covered with a windproof leather layer.
  Long wool caps, turbans and even longer scarves are worn,
  and skis are common as well.
  THE WYLD
  The primal energies of creation still run strong and
  deep during the current age. In most places, the static
  fabric of reality is only a thin film atop the endless
  potential of unformed chaos. During the Old Realm, the
  world was stable, but after the Great Contagion, it began
  to fray at the edges and in the thin spots. Tiny clusters
  of survivors were not enough to remember the shape of
  the world, and the Fair Folk opened the gates at the edge
  of Creation and caused great spirit-storms of mischance
  and unchained possibility to enter the world through
  them. The effect was devastating. Vast swaths of Cre-
  ation simply disappeared, and in the places where the
  barbarians and Fair Folk rode were sewn madness and
  discord, devastating not only the inhabitants, but twist-
  ing the nature of reality itself.
  WYLD PLACES
  For centuries, there have been places where the sky
  swims with ever-changing colors and the ground crawls
  with snow, with ash, with writhing flesh or with carnivo-
  rous steel ants. Some occur naturally, but most are the
  remains of places where the Wyld claimed an ancient
  Manse or Demesne. These places shrink with the passage
  of centuries, but there are still large areas of the Threshold
  where the rules of Creation are enforced loosely, if they
  have any jurisdiction at all. The border marches of such
  places tend to resemble the areas in which they occur,
  save that they are rife with prodigies — crystal flowers,
  birds of many colors, briars that bleed wine instead of sap.
  As one travels deeper, the landscape quavers and shifts as
  if it were hallucinatory, and the prodigies grow more
  marvelous and fell. One might find dandelions whose
  seeds are small warriors in mail, carnivorous shadows and
  oak trees whose galls are full of diamonds so poisonous
  that a single whiff from them will kill a man.
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  13
  hatred has allowed them to master the power of the
  Underworld itself.
  Deathlords vary wildly in appearance, having re-
  shaped themselves to match their self-images and the
  images that they wish to project. Some are alabaster
  angels, wrapped in wings of sobbing knife-edged steel,
  with diadems of pale white fire and glittering ruby orbs
  and scepters of hungry yellow gold upon their belts.
  Others are no longer anything resembling human, having
  made the descent into the dark hallways under the land of
  the dead. These Deathlords are among the more person-
  ally powerful of their kind. Although they command the
  very elements of the Underworld and walk between life
  and death as if it were a simple doorway, these creatures
  no longer think as men think or feel as men feel. Their
  eyes behold an infinity of darkness, and their hearts know
  only the leaping exaltation of silence.
  The Deathlords fight amongst themselves incessantly,
  constantly warring to advance themselves and their plans
  or for the sake of ego or simply for the love of strife.
  Although they command great forces, they have no com-
  mon center. Each wishes to lash out at the world around her
  in her own personal fashion to recompense it for her death.
  The result is 100 little kingdoms of bone and steel and not
  a military juggernaut whose sole purpose is to crush the
  living and reunite all things across the Shroud.
  THE FAIR FOLK
  These malevolent creatures spring from the Wyld,
  where chaos mixes and gives rise to something that might
  generously be described as life. Although they are similar
  in appearance to mortals, their appearance is their only
  similarity. The faerie are made half from the mad passion
  of dreams and half from the primal energies of the Wyld,
  and they know neither morals nor fear. They hurl them-
  selves into their timeless existences without hesitation or
  regret, and there is nothing in Creation that can deter one
  from its wrath or love.
  The most powerful of the Fair Folk dwell beyond the
  edges of Creation, eschewing shape and form to dwell in
  the primal chaos that is their natural home. Only the
  outcasts, refugees and weak among them put on shape and
  enter the world of men.
  Most Fair Folk who dwell in our world live in Wyld
  regions or else on the very edges of Creation. The natural
  alchemy that permits their existence is unstable without
  a high level of ambient Essence, and if deprived of it, they
  will soon fade into dust and scraps of memory. But Essence
  is not the only requirement for their survival. Just as
  natural predators must eat other creatures to survive, so
  the Fair Folk must consume dreams to continue their
  existence. Some are adept at snatching dreams from
  sleeping mortals or at feeding from the ambient imagina-
  tion released during the creative process.
  WYLD BARBARIANS
  At the borders of Creation, where the line between
  reality and chaos shifts with the cycles of the moon,
  there dwell strange and twisted men. These inhabitants
  of the fringes of Creation are warped by the power of the
  Wyld. Some tribes exhibit shocking deformities — gi-
  gantism, dwarfism, more or fewer limbs or sense organs
  than normal for the human form and other similarly
  radical mutations.
  Like most inhabitants of the Threshold, the tribes of
  the Wyld worship spirits. Most barbarian communities
  have shamans who use a combination of folk magic,
  ecstatic meditations in Wyld areas and offerings of blood
  and edible plants to converse with the spirits. As a rule,
  Wyld barbarians hold spirits in extreme reverence. In
  many of the areas that the barbarians inhabit, spirits may
  enter the material world at will. Indeed, many barbarian
  tribes are led by spirits of some sort.
  Although each barbarian tribe is unique, some are
  exemplary of their type or particularly numerous. These
  are described later, but it should be kept in mind that the
  list provided is by no means exhaustive.
  SHADOWLANDS
  The land of the dead lies perilously near that of the
  living, and in places where the boundaries have been crossed
  and recrossed, the dividing line often frays into nonexist-
  ence. In these places, known as shadowlands, the Underworld
  thrusts through, and the dead walk among the living. During
  the daylight hours, those who cross the borders of these
  places traveling outward find themselves in the lands of the
  living. Those who leave them during the night find them-
  selves traveling farther into the Underworld.
  There is no place that the Underworld does not go,
  nowhere that death cannot touch. But despite their
  endless variety, there are certain common traits to the
  places where the dead walk among the living. The ab-
  sence of animal life, the terrible nightmares, the tendency
  of those who live on the edges of such places to die early
  — all are common to every shadowland. But there are
  other, less obvious signs as well. Storms in these areas are
  often of unusual strength, the raindrops sometimes mixed
  with blood or ash or bone or, sometimes, quicksilver.
  This, the Deathlords say, is the rotting flesh of dead gods,
  shed from their bodies as they lie unquiet in their tombs.
  DEATHLORDS
  Most shadowlands are the products of little more
  than happenstance. The wall between life and death is
  new and fragile, and too many sudden deaths or a spate of
  hauntings is all that it takes to rend the Shroud deeply
  enough that event follows on event and tears a true
  opening. Yet, at the heart of the greatest shadowlands lie
  the Manses of the Deathlords, ancient ghosts whose
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  14
  More commonly, the faerie feed on captive prey.
  Through their sorceries and their vast beauty, they ravish
  the souls of their victims, shearing away love and dreams
  and hope with a surgeon’s skill and taking it all into
  themselves. The shells that survive this treatment are
  forever devoid of dreams and desires, and they know
  neither grief nor hope. The faerie often trade these husks
  to the Guild in exchange for fresh slaves. The Guild, in
  turn, sells the husks for use in mining or construction,
  where the work is hard and risky but simple.
  The Fair Folk are vulnerable to the bite of unalloyed
  iron, and they fear and hate those who wield it. Although
  they are adept liars, they are unable to break their sworn
  word, and a promise given is a promise kept. Similarly,
  although they are often master shapeshifters, the faerie do
  have a true form, which they must assume when someone
  speaks their true and secret name. To know a Fair One’s
  name is to be proof against her magic, and she will plot
  and scheme endlessly to destroy those who can use her
  name against her and to obliterate the name from memory.
  CHARACTER CREATION
  Now that you’ve learned the basics of the world of
  Exalted, it’s time to generate your own Exalted character.
  Creating a character is easy, and it involves just a few
  simple choices. It is a good idea to have a general concept
  of what you want your character to be like (Was he a farm
  boy who always wanted to grow up to be a hero, or a
  spoiled child of the middle class? Is she a hard-bitten
  vagabond or an introspective scholar?). You can also
  choose to create a concept as you go.
  The next step is selecting your character’s caste —
  the role he fulfills in Exalted society. All characters in the
  main Exalted book are Solar Exalted, but there are five
  subgroups of which you can be part. Your character’s caste
  helps define what she is best at, and can also help you get
  a grasp on your character’s personality. For example, if you
  want to create a veteran mercenary who spent much of his
  life drifting from war to war, a Dawn Caste character
  would be a logical choice.
  Once you’ve selected a caste, write down the listed
  Anima Effect for the caste and mark your in-caste Trait by
  putting an “x” in the checkbox beside it. Then, look at the
  character sheet and decide another Trait that suits your
  character. Mark that one with an “x” too. Those are your
  Favored Traits.
  Next, you get to decide your character’s Trait levels.
  Characters have five Traits in all, each of which repre-
  sents one general area of endeavor. Those areas include
  Fighting, Magnetism, Scholarship, Stealth and Embassy.
  Each represents your ability in that field.
  To determine your Traits, rank them from 1 to 5; 5 is
  the best, 1 is the worst. (Each number may only be
  assigned to one Trait — you can’t give your character a 4
  in everything!) So, if you assign Fighting 5, Magnetism 3,
  Scholarship 4, Stealth 1 and Embassy 2, your character is
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  15
  an excellent warrior and scholar, fairly enjoyable to be
  around, not very well traveled and very loud and clumsy.
  After you’re done assigning the numbers, add one to
  each of your Favored Traits. This represents the preter-
  natural skill you’ve developed in those areas as an Exalt. It’s
  tempting to assign your 4 and 5 to your Favored Traits, but
  you should think twice. Your magical powers will make you
  very good at your Favored Trait, unless it’s a 1. It can pay to
  have a high value in a Trait that isn’t Favored, in order to
  make your character better at different things.
  Finally, every character starts with 10 Essence. This
  rating represents your reserve of magical power, which
  you expend to perform superhuman feats with your
  Favored Traits.
  With that, you’re ready for the finishing touches.
  What is your character’s name? How does she dress? What
  was his Exaltation like — was he pursued by the Wyld
  Hunt? Does she still have mortal friends? Does he have a
  cult of mortals who venerate him as a godling? What
  notable personality traits does he have? Once you’ve come
  up with these details, your character is ready for play.
  Details about Traits and your character’s magical
  abilities can be found on the following pages.
  CASTE
  In the long-vanished First Age, the different Solar
  Exalted fulfilled differing roles in the government. Some
  were mighty generals, while others were spies and assas-
  sins, sorcerers, diplomats or leaders. Although that
  government is long gone, the divine energy within each
  Solar still remains predisposed toward certain deeds.
  DAWN CASTE
  As the Unconquered Sun rises in the morning sky, its
  light flares forth, burning away the darkness and turning the
  sky red — as if the horizon was soaked with the blood of
  light’s enemies. Thus do the warriors of the Dawn Caste
  strike against the minions of darkness, staining the ground
  crimson with the blood of all who dare to stand against them.
  Members of the Dawn Caste are chosen from among
  those who have struggled to master the arts of war and
  combat. Master swordsmen and archers only scratch the
  surface of this caste. Gang leaders who excel at urban
  warfare, hulking brutes who dominate gladiator arenas,
  philosopher-monks who seek enlightenment through
  the martial arts, swordsmiths of legendary skill, hot-
  headed youths with the courage to fight for what they
  believe in; all these and more are found among the
  Children of the Dawn.
  Anima Effects: By spending 1 point of Essence, the
  character can appear huge and terrifying for the remain-
  der of the scene. Creatures attempting to face the Exalted
  are unable to look directly at the character or strongly
  oppose him, subtracting 1 die from all attempts to attack
  the character. Golems and automata, demons and the
  undead and other creatures that do not know fear cannot
  be affected by this power.
  Caste Trait: Members of the Dawn Caste excel in all
  forms of combat, armed and otherwise, and they are
  Favored in the Fighting Trait.
  Concepts: Mercenary prince, city guardsman, warrior-
  scholar, grizzled veteran, daring young farm boy, famous pit
  fighter, heroic bandit, barbarian raider, swordsmith
  Quote: I am not a wise man, but I am a strong one, and
  I know right from wrong. Surrender, and I will see that you
  are judged fairly. Resist, and I will end your tyranny with
  your life.
  CHARACTER CREATION QUICK CHART
  • Choose Caste: Write down the character’s anima power and mark his in-caste Trait as Favored.
  • Choose Favored Trait: Mark another Trait as Favored.
  • Choose Traits: Rank the character’s Fighting, Magnetism, Scholarship, Stealth and Embassy from 1 to 5;
  5 is the best, 1 is the worst.
  • Increase Favored Traits: Add one to both of your character’s Favored Traits, even if this raises the Trait to 6.
  • Give your character a name, and make up some details about her appearance, personality, mannerisms and
  other features that will help you roleplay her.
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  16
  ZENITH CASTE
  As the Unconquered Sun reaches its height amid the
  noonday sky, its light shines down, banishing shadows,
  blazing with power and revealing the Sun’s immeasurable
  might for all to see. And so do the Zenith Caste crusade to
  banish the shadows of doubt and confusion, infusing the
  masses with faith and revealing its power — the channeled
  strength of the Unconquered Sun — to all those around it.
  Exalted of the Zenith Caste are chosen from those
  who thirst for righteousness and justice, as well as from
  among those who are natural leaders of men or who are
  willing to endure great hardship in the name of what they
  believe in. All members of this caste have been granted a
  vision of the Unconquered Sun, and this vision helps fire
  their passion and faith to new heights. No matter what
  the Zenith Solar fights for, he fights for it with every fiber
  of his being, never quitting — no matter what.
  Anima Effects: The Zenith Caste is empowered with
  the touch of the Sun himself. With but a touch, they can
  burn the bodies of the fallen, sending the smoke (and
  soul) to Heaven and preventing the body from rising after
  death as a zombie or hungry ghost.
  They can also strike down demons, the undead and
  other creatures of darkness. As her action for a turn, a
  Zenith Exalted may spend a point of Essence. The player
  then rolls her character’s Magnetism. For every success,
  the character does one health level of damage, which
  cannot be soaked.
  As fierce enemies of darkness, the Zenith Exalted
  may spend a point of Essence and cause their anima to
  flare. The effect is the same as the anima flare of the Dawn
  Exalted, but it only applies to demons, ghosts and other
  such unclean creatures.
  Caste Abilities: Members of the Zenith Caste excel
  at surviving great hardships, both physical and mental.
  They also possess amazing skills of persuasion and inspi-
  ration. They are favored in the Magnetism Trait.
  Concepts: Former priest or shaman of another god,
  brilliant astrologer, two-fisted laborer, wandering tinker,
  desert hermit, physician, peasant rebel, tax collector,
  pirate, old man on the mountain, runaway slave
  Quote: The stars and the prophets have long foretold
  a day when the forces of righteousness would come van-
  quish that which is wicked. I have come in from the
  wilderness to tell you — that time is now at hand.
  TWILIGHT CASTE
  As the Unconquered Sun slips below the horizon, its
  light retreats. The shadows grow long as dedicated schol-
  ars and craftsmen light their candles and lanterns, seeking
  to continue their work into the night. And so, the
  Twilight Caste seek to hold back the night by bringing
  forth the light of learning and knowledge and banishing
  the darkness of ignorance.
  Members of the Twilight Caste are chosen from
  among those who apply their skills and knowledge to
  create solid, lasting results. Few are found among their
  numbers who were naught but withered scholars, pouring
  the years of their life into the pages of dusty tomes. The
  way of the Arrows of Heaven is the way of the scavenger,
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  17
  the engineer, the healer, the detective, the craftsman and
  the warrior-wizard. Each possesses not just a thirst for
  knowledge, but a burning desire to use it. When knowl-
  edge is needed, the Twilight Caste leads the way.
  Anima Effects: Solar Exalted of the Twilight Caste
  may channel Essence through their anima as a last-ditch
  protective act. If a Twilight Exalted will lose health levels
  to an attack, then she may spend a point of her Essence to
  strengthen her Anima. The character may spend one
  point of Essence to reduce the damage she suffers from an
  attack by two health levels. This is done after soak is
  applied, and it can totally negate damage from an attack.
  Caste Abilities: Members of the Twilight Caste excel
  in the search for knowledge and in the application of that
  knowledge. They are Favored in the Scholarship Trait.
  Concepts: Elderly scholar, warrior-sage, cunning
  courtier, slave on the run, destitute student, child prodigy,
  ambitious courtesan, educated merchant, village wise
  woman, cunning tailor, traveling healer, town constable,
  optimistic young scavenger, blacksmith
  Quote: You would enslave these people with igno-
  rance and keep their minds small and their lives miserable
  in order to fatten your own belly. I cannot abide such
  wickedness. I come bearing the light of learning for all
  who wish to see.
  NIGHT CASTE
  When the Unconquered Sun descends below the
  horizon to slumber until the next dawn, the world is
  shrouded in darkness and secrecy. It is the time of those
  beings — conspirators, criminals and wicked spirits —
  that cannot survive the bright light of truth. The Night
  Caste fights these enemies on their own turf and walks in
  a world of secrecy and lies.
  Members of the Night Caste are chosen from those who
  excel in stealth and guile, and they can formulate clever
  solutions to difficult problems. Thieves and assassins are
  chosen but also secretive scholars, clever city constables,
  master woodsmen, sly courtesans, fast-talking merchants
  and devious nobles. Any who favor the use of cunning, wit
  and skill over raw power may be Exalted into this caste.
  Anima Effects: The Hidden Suns may mute their
  animas, allowing them to exert their powers without the
  display of power. When a Night Caste Solar expends
  Essence, she may spend another point of Essence to prevent
  the expenditure from causing her anima banner to flare.
  The character may also extend her muted anima like an
  imperceptible veil around her. Doing so costs 1 point of
  Essence to evoke, and it mutes the senses of those attempting
  to perceive the Night Caste. Shadows are darker, sounds
  muffled, and scent and footprints are both much lighter than
  normal. In game-mechanic terms, subtract one success from
  all Stealth rolls attempting to spot or follow a character, or
  from Magnetism rolls to track him in the wilderness.
  Caste Abilities: Members of the Night Caste excel at
  noticing what others miss and in going places where they
  are not wanted. They are Favored in the Stealth Trait.
  Concepts: Troubleshooter for hire, bounty
  hunter, neglected youngest sister, escaped fugitive,
  king of thieves, nobleman’s mistress, gang leader,
  crafty merchant, highwayman
  Quote: Hide your wickedness behind closed doors,
  skulk beneath the earth, even conspire in the land of dead
  if you wish — it will avail you not. You may conceal your
  evil from the light of the Unconquered Sun, but you
  cannot evade his eyes.
  ECLIPSE CASTE
  When the sun and the moon are in perfect align-
  ment, the result is a spectacular solar eclipse. Visible from
  every corner of the world, it is a most auspicious event.
  The Golden Lord and the Silver Lady become one — a
  crown of light flares out, and the day dims enough that the
  Five Maidens are visible. All of Heaven can be seen,
  displaying the unity and harmony of the natural order. So
  the Eclipse Caste brings unity and order to the people of
  the world. It members touch all corners of society, cross-
  ing boundaries and bringing people together.
  When the Solars returned, the world witnessed the
  first solar eclipse since the Terrestrial Exalted took power.
  Now, the Eclipse Caste has begun the difficult process of
  reunifying the world. With diplomacy and trade routes,
  the Crowned Suns forge links between distant people and
  places, binding groups together into something greater
  than the sum of the parts.
  Members of the Eclipse Caste are chosen from those
  who excel at social interaction. Unlike the Zenith Caste,
  which is a shining beacon for all to see, the Crowned Suns
  work quietly. They are socialites who move with effortless
  grace, influencing the opinions of others. They are the
  shamans who make pacts between men and spirits and the
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  18
  censors who keep governments functioning honestly. They
  are the true masters of communication and organization.
  Anima Effects: When an Eclipse Caste Solar is party or
  witness to an oath, he may use his anima to sanctify it.  The
  Exalted spends a point of Essence to sanctify the oath, and
  thereafter those who break it will never profit from the
  oathbreaking. The Exalted need not be alive when the curse
  takes effect — he sanctifies the oath, but Heaven enforces it.
  Also, Eclipses are protected by ancient pacts with the
  spirit world, the demon princes and the Fair Folk. Eclipses and
  their companions who are on legitimate business with those
  beings may not be attacked without just cause (although they
  may be goaded into attacking and nullifying the oaths), and
  such creatures must honor the rules of hospitality.
  Caste Abilities: Members of the Eclipse Caste excel
  in all forms of communication, organization and travel.
  They are Favored in the Embassy Trait.
  Concepts: Elderly society matron, ambitious young
  noble, professional diplomat, trade intermediary, village
  shaman, careful spy, ambitious courtier, professional mes-
  senger, adventurous sailor, army quartermaster
  Quote: I negotiate in good faith, yet you respond with
  treachery. Sadly for you, I have learned to anticipate such
  duplicity. Even if you survive the wrath of my Circlemates,
  you must answer to Heaven as well.
  TRAITS
  The power and skill of an Exalted (or of any charac-
  ter) are measured by her Traits. An Exalted has fiveTraits
  that represent Abilities possessed by all humans to some
  extent. These fiveTraits are:
  Fighting: This Trait measures an Exalted’s ability in
  all forms of combat — armed and unarmed hand-to-hand
  combat, thrown weapons and archery. This Trait is used
  to resolve all tasks involving fighting.
  Magnetism: This Trait measures an Exalted’s per-
  sonal appeal and ability to lead. It is used to resolve all
  tasks involving leading people or impressing single indi-
  viduals. It also includes inner strength, and governs the
  character’s resistance to poison, disease and fatigue, as
  well as her ability to survive in the wilderness.
  Scholarship: This Trait measures an Exalted’s degree of
  learning, her ability to make and build things, her command
  of languages and also her occult knowledge. Scholarship is
  used to resolve all tasks concerned with trying to figure
  something out, speak another language or perform magic.
  Stealth: This Trait measures an Exalted’s innate crimi-
  nal instincts. It is used to resolve all tasks involving stealing
  things, sneaking, picking locks and so forth. It is also a
  measure of the character’s alertness, and if you must check
  to see if a character noticed something or someone, roll her
  Stealth. Stealth also governs the character’s innate ath-
  letic potential, and it is used when the character is attempting
  to perform an acrobatic feat or dodge an attack.
  Embassy: This Trait represents the Exalted’s ability
  to understand and manipulate social situations. Use it to
  resolve any task in which the character is attempting to
  manipulate or understand a group or society. Embassy also
  represents a character’s ability to travel safely, and it is
  used to resolve any attempts to ride horses or sail ships.
  Finally, all Exalted have a trait they share called
  Essence. All Exalted start with 10 points of Essence.
  Essence: Command of Essence is the ability of an
  Exalted to change reality. Most Exalted channel their
  Essence through their other Traits to enhance their abili-
  ties to superhuman levels. By spending a point of Essence,
  an Exalted may double her Trait rating for a single action.
  If an Exalted spends Essence, it returns slowly, as her
  natural reserves of strength return. An Exalted regains
  one point of Essence for every hour spent working, march-
  ing or otherwise engaged in strenuous activity. She regains
  two points of Essence for every hour spent walking casu-
  ally, engaged in enjoyable conversation or otherwise
  relaxing. She regains four points of Essence for every hour
  spent sleeping, relaxing in a sauna or bath, receiving a
  massage or otherwise recovering her power.
  THE ANIMA BANNER
  All Exalted have an “anima,” an aura of power that
  surrounds them. Normally, this aura is so faint that it is
  imperceptible to normal human senses, but when the Ex-
  alted spends points of Essence, the anima intensifies to form
  a so-called banner.  With the exceptions of the “1” and “5”
  entries, the anima banner fades at the rate of one table entry
  per scene, or per 10 to 15 minutes if the scenes are very long.
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  19
  Points of Essence   Spent Effect
  1
       The character’s Caste Mark glitters and is
  visible from certain angles. Anyone seeing the Exalted may make a
  Stealth roll to notice the Caste Mark. The character can use the
  Stealth Trait normally to hide. This effect can persist for as long as
  an hour after the character has ceased to burn Essence.
  2
      The character’s Caste Mark burns and will
  shine through anything placed over it. It is impossible to mistake the
  character for anything but what she is. All Stealth rolls are at +2
  difficulty, above and beyond any other modifiers.
  3
        The character is surrounded by a coruscant
  aura bright enough to read by, and his Caste Mark is a burning
  golden brand on his forehead. Stealth is impossible.
  4
      The character is engulfed in a brilliant bon-
  fire of Essence, which burns from his feet to at least a foot above
  the character’s head. Objects that come in contact with the aura
  may be left bleached or faded, as if they had been exposed to the sun
  for many days. The character is visible for miles. The light is bright
  and steady enough to read by out to a spearcast’s distance. The
  character’s Caste Mark will remain etched in the vision of anyone
  who sees it for minutes afterward.
  5+
       The character is surmounted or surrounded
  by a burning image totemic to his person — a warrior might be
  surrounded by a great golden bull, a Twilight Caste magician by an
  incredibly elaborate mandala, and so on. This effect fades during
  any turn the character does not spend Essence, but it leaps back
  into existence from the solar bonfire of the character’s anima if the
  character again spends a point of Essence.
  TRAIT RATINGS
  Traits are rated from 1 to 4; a rating of 1 indicates a
  mediocre level of ability, while a rating of 4 indicates a Trait
  at the absolute peak level of human ability (an Olympic
  athlete, a genius, a great statesman, or so forth). It is possible
  to have a zero in a Trait, reflecting a crippled or decrepit
  character, but players’ characters never start out with zeros in
  any Trait. It is also possible for Exalted to attain superhuman
  scores — all Exalted characters start out with a 5 in one Trait,
  and that can be raised to 6 if it is in a Favored Trait.
  Most humans possess ratings of 1 or 2 in all Traits.
  However, beginning Exalted are operating at the pin-
  nacle of human ability and beyond it. Various monsters
  and enemies, created by the Storyteller, can also have
  very high traits. A pack of mutated barbarians might have
  Traits ranging from 1 to 3, whereas a huge 12-legged
  demonic monstrosity with serpent-heads for legs might
  have Traits of 5 or even more.
    Trait
  Ratings
  0
  Enfeebled
  1
  Mediocre
  2
  Pretty good
  3
  Really good
  4
  Human perfection
  5+
  Superhuman (supernatural beings only)
  HEALTH AND INJURY
  Exalted characters have seven health levels, repre-
  senting various stages of wounding. They are “-0, -0, -0,
  -1, -1, -3 and Incapacitated.” The minus signs followed by
  a number indicate the degree of impairment from pain
  and injury that the injury causes the character, and it is a
  penalty applied to all Trait rolls.
  As wounds accumulate, check off the wound boxes
  on the character sheet, starting with the first -0 box and
  going down from there. When all health levels are gone,
  the character falls unconscious and begins to die. A
  character takes the largest penalty listed beside any health
  level he has suffered, so a character who had suffered three
  -0 health levels in damage and two -1 health levels in
  damage would have a penalty of -1 to all Traits.
  DEATH AND HEALING
  A character who has suffered health levels of damage
  heals them back slowly. For every day of relaxation and rest,
  an Exalt heals back one health level. This is not true for
  normal mortals — for the average mortal in the world of
  Exalted, a blow from a sword is a crippling injury that will take
  weeks or months to heal, and which may well lead to a lethal
  infection. However, the Exalted were created for war, and
  their bodies heal quickly, and are all but immune to infection.
  When a character takes a health level of damage
  beyond Incapacitated, she falls unconscious and dies. A
  slain character is out of the game forever. The player must
  create a new character.
  RULES
  Most of the action in Exalted is determined by the
  players and Storyteller, but we provide a few rules to help
  arbitrate complex situations.
  This system uses six-sided dice, which are available
  in supermarkets and toy stores. You might already have
  some from a board game like Risk. When a player decides
  that his character is going to attempt an action for which
  the outcome is in doubt (trying to impress a prince,
  swinging her sword at an enemy, etc.), the Storyteller
  decides which Trait is most relevant.
  Storyteller assigns a difficulty. This is usually 1, but it
  can go as high as five for all but impossible tasks (like
  running across several hundred yards of water on sheer
  speed). The player then rolls a number of dice equal to the
  character’s rating in the Trait. Every one of the dice that
  rolls a 4 or 5 is called a success. If a die comes up 6, it counts
  as two successes. If the character rolls a number of suc-
  cesses equal to or greater than the difficulty of the task,
  the action succeeds. If not, the action fails.
  AUTOMATIC TASKS VERSUS DICE ROLLS
  Most tasks are automatic. If Alia says, “My character
  Turquoise Nova runs up the steps and through the door!”
  no roll is necessary. It happens automatically. Even though
  there’s a chance of botching routine actions (like slipping
  on wet stone steps or being thrown from a horse that panics
  for no reason), you don’t have to roll for everyday events.
  Nobody wants to play a game about a hero who can’t get out
  of the house without worrying about breaking his neck.
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  20
  However, if Turquoise Nova were trying to run up
  the stairway with a leg on the wall to either side so she
  didn’t touch the individual steps, or if she were ducking
  behind a door as protection from a hail of arrows, then
  dice rolling would be necessary. Dice rolling only begins
  when the action becomes dramatic.
  Mask runs. The Storyteller describes the street scene
  that’s flashing by as Black Mask runs, and he decides to
  throw an obstacle at Will. He tells him that the street
  Black Mask is running up to is blocked by a parade of the
  Church of Dace warrior-cult.
  Will decides that Black Mask will try to leap over the
  parade so that the assassins will have to try to plow
  through a bunch of militant cultists to follow him. The
  Storyteller decides that since this is athletics, it’s a Stealth
  feat — Black Mask is already running, but the cultists are
  carrying banners and waving placards in support of the
  demigod they worship. Black Mask has a Stealth score of
  6, and Will decides to spend Essence, because he wants it
  to work, and because leaping into the middle of a bunch
  of well-armed fanatics is probably a bad idea. Therefore,
  he has a total of 12 dice to roll. He rolls a 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3,
  4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, for a total of 9 successes!
  This is an incredible, godlike result. The Storyteller
  decides that Black Mask sails over the procession in a flash
  of golden light, and is taken as a divine potent by the cultists.
  When the assassins arrive and attempt to plow through the
  procession, they’ll find the members of the Church to be
  quite eager to strike out against anything they perceive as evil
  — like a pair of obvious toughs with poisoned knives.
  CONTESTS
  Sometimes, a character will be in conflict with an-
  other person, Exalted or other rival, not simply a situation.
  Such events are known as contests. To resolve a contest,
  each player rolls, and the character with the most successes
  wins. The Traits rolled by the players may be the same, or
  they may be different, depending on the situation. The
  contestant who scores the most successes wins. Ties reroll.
  Example: Simon Whitecrown (Magnetism 4) is at-
  tempting to stare down a rebellious courtier (Magnetism
  2). Simon’s player rolls four dice and scores 1, 2, 4, and 5
  — two successes. The Storyteller rolls two dice for the
  courtier and scores 2 and 5 — one success. Simon wins —
  the courtier grudgingly does his job.
  DRAMA
  The life of an Exalt is fraught with danger and
  suspense. The following section looks at some situations
  that will likely arise over the course of an evening’s play,
  as well as some rules to handle them.
  TIME
  Exalted uses a fairly loose system of keeping track of
  time. Although the Storyteller can certainly keep track of
  the hours and days as they pass, game time is usually
  measured in terms of turns, scenes and stories.
  Turn: A turn lasts about three seconds. It is used
  when adjudicating dramatic situations involving split-
  second decisions and actions, such as combat. In one turn,
  each character can take one action.
  DIFFICULTIES
  Difficulties range between 1 and 5. When in doubt,
  a difficulty is always 1.
  Difficulty    Task
  1
  Normal (climbing a fieldstone wall, racing through
  the woods on horseback)
  2
  Hard (climbing a sheer stone wall, racing through
  the woods on horseback at night)
  3
  Extremely Hard (Walking silently when covered in
  bells, racing through the woods on horseback
  blindfolded)
  4
  Almost Impossible (lifting a millstone, persuading
  a horse to run through a field full of screaming ghosts)
  5
  Impossible (running across a ceiling, pulling a ship
  over land with a hawser)
  EXTRA SUCCESSES
  If a character rolls more successes than the difficulty
  of an action, he has succeeded exceptionally well. In
  combat, the effects of exceptional success are easy to
  determine — very successful attacks do extra damage.
  However, in other actions, it is up to the Storyteller to
  determine the effects of extra successes.
  STUNTS
  Exalted is a game of exciting, cinematic action. The
  point is for every player to enjoy himself as much as
  possible, and to have fun while playing. Part of what makes
  a game fun for everyone is when you give a cool description
  of what you’re doing, rather than droning out “I hit him
  with my mace” or something equally uninspired.
  To encourage such artistic flair, Exalted uses stunts.
  A stunt is whenever a player describes an action her
  character is undertaking in a really cool fashion. When-
  ever a player describes what her character is doing in an
  interesting way, the Storyteller should award her an extra
  die to roll to determine if the character succeeds or not. In
  addition, if the character succeeds in the action he used
  the stunt to attempt, and he has less than 10 Essence, the
  character immediately gains back a point of Essence.
  EXAMPLE OF PLAY
  Will’s character, Black Mask, is being pursued through
  Nexus by a pair of hired assassins working for the Wyld
  Hunt. Knowing that two-on-one isn’t good odds, Black
  SPENDING ESSENCE
  Remember, if a character Favors a Trait, he may
  spend a point of Essence to double the value of the
  Trait for a single roll.
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  21
  Scene: A scene is a sequence of events in roughly the
  same time and place. So, a brutal fight with a gang or an
  hours-long discussion of battle strategy both constitute a
  scene, even though the meeting lasts longer than the fight.
  Story: A story is an entire sequence of events in
  which the characters take part. It has a plot, a climax and
  a resolution.
  Example: In the movie Star Wars, each swing of Obi-
  Wan’s and Darth Vader’s lightsabers took a turn. The
  time the heroes spent trapped in the Death Star’s garbage
  masher took a scene. The entire movie was a story.
  INITIATIVE
  Sometimes it’s important to know who acts first. A
  character who gets the jump on her opponent is said to
  have the initiative.
  Characters act in the following order:
  Highest Fighting goes first, followed by the next
  highest, and so on.
  If there are ties, the character with the highest
  Stealth wins the tie.
  If there are still ties, then the character with the
  Highest Magnetism wins the tie.
  If there are still ties, roll one die. The highest roll
  wins. Keep rolling until the tie is resolved.
  Example: Turquoise Nova is cornered by an Abyssal
  Exalted who means to kill her in order to prove himself to
  his Deathlord master. Both have a Fighting of 5, as they’re
  both skilled warriors. Since neither has the advantage, the
  Storyteller compares Turquoise’s and the Abyssal’s Stealth
  Traits. Both have Stealth Traits of 3. Comparing their
  Magnetism ratings, the Storyteller sees that Turquoise has
  a Magnetism of 4, while the Abyssal has a Magnetism of 2.
  Turquoise attacks first. If the Abyssal had had a Magnetism
  of 3, the Storyteller and Turquoise’s player would have
  simply rolled a die, with the highest roll acting first.
  COMBAT
  The Exalted are warriors, born into a time of tumult.
  Those who expect to survive must not turn their faces
  aside from battle.
  Combat is conducted in three-second turns. It uses
  the task system already established. Initiative is deter-
  mined normally, and most combat actions are considered
  Fighting tasks. There are two basic types of combat: hand-
  to-hand and ranged.
  HAND-TO-HAND
  Hand-to-hand combat is conducted with fists, natu-
  ral weaponry (such as claws or fangs) or weapons. Initiative
  is determined normally. Attacks are resolved in order of
  initiative. Each turn, a combatant can strike a single
  target. Remember that a fighting character can spend a
  point of Essence to double his dice pool on an attack or
  defense roll, if the Trait he’s rolling is Favored.
  • Strike: The attacker rolls Fighting. The character
  being attacked defends automatically, rolling his Fighting
  or Stealth (defender’s choice) to evade the attack. If the
  attacker scores a number of successes equal to or exceed-
  ing the defender’s roll, he has struck the defender.
  • Dodge: A character may go fully evasive for a turn,
  and attempt to do nothing but dodge. The evasive char-
  acter may not do anything else, even attack, this turn.
  However, the dodging character automatically adds two
  successes to her Stealth or Fighting roll to avoid all
  attacks. In addition, if the dodging character evades an
  attacker and beats the attacker’s successes, she gains the
  initiative on the attacking character next turn!
  SOAK AND DAMAGE
  Damage: If the attacker hits, he inflicts a number of
  health levels of damage equal to his Fighting Trait. If he
  is using a small weapon like a knife, the damage is equal
  to the attacker’s Fighting Trait +1. If he is using a large
  weapon like a sword or mace, the damage is equal to the
  attacker’s Fighting Trait +2.
  Armor: A character wearing light armor, like a long
  leather battle-jacket, may subtract 1 health level from the
  damage of an attack. A character in heavy armor may
  subtract 2 from the damage of an attack. However, heavy
  armor says, “I’m about to fight a battle,” and it causes the
  character to suffer a -1 die penalty on all defense rolls and
  Stealth rolls to sneak or perform athletic feats. Armor can
  never reduce an attack’s damage below 1.
  Soak: Because Exalted are supernaturally resilient to
  injury, they may attempt to absorb some of the damage just as
  a trained boxer can ignore some punches. An Exalted may
  make a Magnetism roll. For every success she rolls, she negates
  one health level of damage. This negation applies after the
  subtraction of armor, and (unlike armor) soak can reduce an
  attack’s damage to zero. If you roll a 6 on a soak roll, it only
  counts as one success. Normal mortals cannot soak, and they
  must trust in their skill and the limited protection offered by
  their armor in combat. A character can spend a point of
  Essence to double her Magnetism for a single soak roll.
  Shields: A character using a shield gets to roll an
  extra die when defending against attacks, but even more
  than heavy armor, carrying a shield advertises the fact
  that you’re expecting a fight. Wandering around with one
  will get you into trouble with the local authorities.
  Extras: Often, it isn’t worth keeping track of wounds for
  nuisance opposition. You never see the villain’s henchmen
  staggering away with a flesh wound — they either go down
  and stay down, or they’re unhurt. To reflect this, Exalted has
  rules for extras. If you are fighting an extra and succeed in
  hitting them, don’t worry about damage; he just dies.
  RANGED COMBAT
  To conduct ranged combat, the character must have
  a thrown weapon or a bow and arrow. Each turn, the
  Exalted may throw a weapon or fire one accurate arrow,
  provided she has objects to throw or ammunition to fire.
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  22
  • Strikes: As usual, the attacker rolls Fighting to
  attack, and the defender rolls Fighting or Stealth to
  evade. Strikes take place at long, medium or short range.
  Strikes made at long range subtract 2 successes from the
  attacker’s roll. Attacks at medium range subtract one
  success from the attacker’s roll. Attacks at short range are
  made normally, but the defender can attack the archer in
  hand-to-hand combat. Shields give their one-die bonus
  to defense against arrows and thrown weapons, as usual.
  • Dodge: A defender may dodge normally, but dodg-
  ing does not give the defender the initiative on the
  attacker automatically in the next turn.
  A defender may also execute a running dodge. A
  running dodge takes an entire action, and the defender
  does not gain any bonuses to her Trait; however, she
  automatically closes the gap between herself and the
  attacker by one range level (i.e., if she was at long range,
  she is now at medium range).
  • Straight Run: A defender may decide to simply
  charge at the attacker. Doing so takes an entire action, and
  the defender may not defend against the attacker’s shot.
  However, at the end of the turn, the defender is automati-
  cally in hand-to-hand range, and he may attack next turn.
  Damage: Damage from thrown weapons and arrows is
  determined a little differently from hand-to-hand dam-
  age. A thrown object inflicts a number of health levels
  equal to the attacker’s successes on the strike roll. An
  arrow inflicts a number of health levels equal to the
  attacker’s successes on the strike roll +3.
  Soak: Arrows and thrown weapons can be soaked
  normally, and armor applies as usual.
  SORCERY
  Characters who Favor the Scholarship Trait are sor-
  cerers, and they can perform magic. In Exalted, magic is a
  diverse and powerful force, but we’ve simplified it consid-
  erably for this quickstart. Sorcery takes time, and in order
  to practice magic, a character must give up his action for a
  turn. Such a character cannot attempt to defend against
  incoming attack. If he is hit, the character must make a
  Scholarship roll (difficulty 1) or lose the Essence invested
  in casting the spell, but without generating an effect.
  In the Exalted quickstart, a sorcerer can perform one
  of four spells:
  • Flying Guillotine — This spell costs two Essence.
  The character hurls a disc covered in hundreds of spin-
  ning blades and knives. He makes a ranged attack using
  his Scholarship instead of his Fighting, which does an
  amount of damage equal to the unblocked successes on
  the attack + 6. A character using Flying Guillotine can
  double his Scholarship with Essence as usual.
  • Invulnerable Skin of Bronze — This spell costs
  three Essence. Until the end of the scene, the character
  can add her Scholarship and her Magnetism together. If
  a character Favors both Magnetism and Scholarship and
  wishes to double them both for the purposes of increasing
  his soak, he must spend a point of Essence on each.
  • Incantation of Transport —The spell costs a variable
  number of points of Essence. When it is cast, the character
  is instantly transported a number of miles away equal to the
  number of points of Essence spent casting the spell.
  • Infallible Messenger — This spell costs one point
  of Essence. The character sends a magically conjured
  sprite to relay a message to someone. The message can be
  up to 10 words in length per point of the sorcerer’s
  Scholarship. The messenger will infallibly follow the
  shortest route to the target, and it travels at a hundred
  miles an hour.
  Sorcery in Exalted is very spectacular, beyond even
  the regular displays of anima banners. It is impossible to
  miss someone using sorcery — the display is visible for
  miles if there is no obstruction to line-of-sight.
  PURSUIT AND CHASES
  Sometimes, characters will want to chase other char-
  acters. Chases are resolved as is initiative, based on the
  following chart:
  Highest Stealth Trait wins.
  If tied, then highest Magnetism.
  If tied, then highest Embassy.
  If still ties, then use a die roll, as per initiative.
  Example: Black Mask has turned the tables on the
  assassins that are pursuing him, and now they are running
  from him. He has a Stealth Trait of 6, while the assassins have
  only 3. The next time they see Black Mask is when he’s
  standing at the mouth of the alley they’re running down.
  SOCIAL INTERACTION
  Only a fool tries to resolve everything with bloodshed,
  and to reclaim their place in Creation, the Exalted must use
  guile as well as force of arms. There are a number of social
  challenges that might arise in a game; a few, along with
  suggestions for handling them, are listed below.
  • Intimidation: The character may try to intimidate
  her target through physical threats (use the Fighting Trait)
  or social condescension (use the Embassy Trait). When
  dealing with other Exalted, the most common form of
  challenge and intimidation is the stare down, which uses
  the Magnetism trait. The victim may resist with her Mag-
  netism Trait. The highest number of successes wins.
  • Leadership: The character may issue commands,
  but the player must make a Magnetism roll to convince a
  hesitant target. If the target is inclined to disobey, he may
  make a Magnetism roll to resist. The highest number of
  successes wins.
  • Fast-Talk: The Exalted rolls Embassy; the party being
  conned uses her Magnetism to resist. The highest roll wins.
  STEALTH
  A the player of a character trying to evade notice
  makes a Stealth roll. People trying to spot the character also
  roll Stealth (since Stealth also governs alertness) and
  compare the number of successes to the sneaking character’s
  total. If the observer doesn’t equal the sneaking character’s
  
  CHAPTER ONE • SETTING
  23
  total, the evading character remains undetected. If the
  observer wins, she detects the character. If the observing
  character ties with the sneaking character, she “thinks she
  hears something” or “sees something out of the corner of
  her eye”. Any future rolls to spot the sneaking character are
  at an automatic +1 success. If a character is trying to sneak
  under difficult conditions (like broad daylight or without
  cover), the Storyteller should subtract successes from his
  Stealth total to reflect the difficulty of hiding.
  TRACKING
  Often, in Exalted, one character will trail another
  through the wilderness. The character being pursued
  makes a Stealth roll, just as if he were sneaking under
  more conventional circumstances. However, rather than
  making Stealth rolls to spot the character, the pursuers
  make Magnetism rolls (since Magnetism governs wilder-
  ness survival and tracking).
  SAMPLE ADVENTURES
  The possibilities for adventure in the world of Ex-
  alted are limitless. However, the following three
  mini-adventures are provided to help novice Storytellers
  get a feel for what kinds of adventures work well in the
  world of Exalted.
  RAIDERS OF THE FORBIDDEN TOMB
  When they were destroyed near the end of the First
  Age, the Solar Exalted were buried with their grave goods
  in great fortress-tombs. The hope was that the fine burial
  would lull their ghosts into quiescence, and that the
  powerful magical wards would protect the tombs from
  looting. Also, if the Solars were somehow reincarnated,
  they would be unable to reach their grave goods. Today,
  the reborn Solars are often drawn to these tombs by a
  desire to regain their grave goods or by a need that many
  feel to see the remains of their previous selves.
  Originally, the tombs were impregnable, but 1500
  years since the murder of the Solars have not been kind to
  many of the tombs. The tomb that one or more of the
  player’s characters’ previous incarnations were buried in is
  an excellent example. Located in the midst of the poison-
  ous Southeastern jungles, the pyrimid-shaped tomb has
  become the lair of a feral Lunar Exalted, Magnificent
  Jaguar, and a tribal army of his beastman offspring. Within
  it lie the enchanted weapons and armor of the characters’
  previous incarnations, but the characters must fight, sneak
  or bluff their way past Magnificent Jaguar and his offspring.
  To reach the tomb, the characters must traverse hun-
  dreds of miles of sweltering jungle, avoiding predators,
  natural hazards and the barbaric human tribesmen who
  swarm throughout the area. Once there, they must find a way
  into the tomb, and then evade the traps that lie within it.
  Human tribesmen have all traits at 2 except Survival,
  which they have at 3. Cat-man warriors have Fighting
  and Survival 3 and all other Traits at 2. Both sorts of
  opponents are extras.
  Magnificent Jaguar has Fighting 6*, Survival 5*, Schol-
  arship 4, Stealth 4 and Embassy 2. He can spend a point of
  Essence to shapeshift into a giant cat (add 1 to Survival and
  Stealth, subtract 1 from Embassy) or a cat-man war form (add
  2 to Fighting), and he can shift back to his human shape
  without effort. Also, rather than doubling his Favored Traits
  (Fighting and Survival), he can also spend a point of Essence
  to add 1 die worth of automatic successes to a roll involving
  them. Mark off the point of Essence, roll one die and add that
  many successes to the next action he makes. Magnificent
  Jaguar has five -0 health levels, three -1 health levels, a -2
  health level an Incapacitated health level.
  BESIEGED!
  The characters are in an isolated Threshold city that
  has been besieged by the forces of one the Deathlords.
  Although they are safe within the walls, the siege lines
  manned by legions of hungry ghosts and walking dead
  outside the walls make escape difficult. Worse, the
  Deathlord’s deathknight servants have arrived, and it will
  be very hard for even the most daring heroes to defeat the
  siege. Although the city has plenty of stores put aside in
  case of siege, the dead need no sustenance, and their
  necromantic siege artillery specializes in the spreading of
  foulness and disease. The city is strong for now, but it
  won’t be long until the first outbreaks of cholera and
  typhus begin. Messengers were sent to neighboring king-
  doms asking for aid, but it is unknown if they escaped the
  Deathlord’s troops, or if the neighboring states will send
  enough troops to help — or any aid at all. Will the
  characters attempt to escape the city, lead the citizens in
  a defense until help arrives or sally forth to defeat the
  leaders of the Deathlord’s army and break the siege?
  Walking dead and hungry ghosts both have Fighting
  Traits of 3 and all other Traits at 2, and they are extras.
  The deathknights are clad in black armor and the finery
  of the grave, but treat them as mirror images of the players’
  characters for statistical purposes, with the same Traits,
  spells, anima powers and general types of equipment.
  CARAVAN OF DEATH
  The characters are traveling between the great cities
  of the South with a large trading caravan. Unfortunately,
  the land crawls with bandits who have multiplied in the
  years since the disappearance of the Empress. The charac-
  ters may be part of the caravan’s guard force, or they may
  simply be traveling along with it. The caravan will be
  threatened for nearly the entire time it is on the road. Will
  the characters be able to protect it without betraying their
  identities as Solars and causing a public outcry at their
  destination? Bandits have 2 in all their Traits. As extras,
  they are no challenge for a Solar to defeat, but can the
  outnumbered player’s characters succeed without resort-
  ing to the use of Essence?
  The mighty Exalted face many challenges, and the
  fate of the world is in your hands!
  
  EXALTED INTRODUCTORY KIT
  24
  PLAYER NAME: _______________________
  CHARACTER NAME:____________________
  CASTE: _____________________________
  FIGHTING____________OOOOO
  MAGNETISM __________OOOOO
  SCHOLARSHIP_________OOOOO
  ATTRIBUTES
      ABILITY
  _________________________________________________
  _________________________________________________
  _________________________________________________
  DESCRIPTION
  _________________________________________________
  _________________________________________________
  _________________________________________________
  WEAPONS
  HEALTH
  STEALTH ____________OOOOO
  EMBASSY ____________OOOOO
  ESSENCE
  _______________________________
  _______________________________
  _______________________________
  _______________________________
  SMALL WEAPONS (KNIVES, SLINGS) +1 DAMAGE.
  LARGE WEAPONS (SWORDS, MACES, BOWS) +2 DAMAGE
  _______________________________
  _______________________________
  _______________________________
  ARMOR
  -0
  -0
  -0
  -1
  -1
  -3
  LIGHT ARMOR, -1 DAMAGE FROM ATTACKS
  HEAVY ARMOR, -2 DAMAGE FROM ATTACKS, -1 ON ALL ATTACK
  ROLLS AND ALL STEALTH ROLLS FOR SNEAKING AND ATHLETICS.
  SHIELD, ADD 1 TO DEFENSE ROLLS.
  _______________________________
  _______________________________
  _______________________________
  POSSESSIONS
  ANIMA
  
  THE WORLD OF DARKNESS GAMES
  THE GREAT FLOOD, THE MYTHIC AGES, THE IMPERGIUM,
  THE SUNDERING AND THE SHATTERING. THESE EVENTS
  FOLLOWED THE AGE OF SORROWS AND WARPED REALITY
  INTO A WORLD OF DARKNESS. VAMPIRES WAR AMONGST
  THEMSELVES FOR DOMINATION OVER MORTALS.
  WEREWOLVES BATTLE FOR THE LIFE OF THEIR MOTHER
  EARTH. MAGES WORK WONDERS IN AN EFFORT TO RESTORE
  THE GOLDEN AGE. BUT IS THE FATE OF THE WORLD WRITTEN
  IN REVELATIONS OF CATACLYSM? YOU WILL DECIDE.
  Vampire the Masquerade and Mage the Ascension are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. Werewolf the Apocalypse and Hunter the Reckoning are trademarks
  of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
  HUNTER: THE RECKONING
  For centuries, supernatural powers have reigned, warring
  among themselves, culling the human herds and lashing out from
  the shadows. The creatures of the night have held court since
  before the dawn of history… but nothing lasts forever. We have
  been called from among the throngs of humanity. We know the
  monsters are real, and we have the power to stop them!
  MAGE: THE ASCENSION
  Reality is a lie invented by a technocratic enemy that has
  written history to its liking. The truth is magic æ the universe
  can be crafted with a simple working of your will. Mages have
  taught this truth throughout the ages, but the proponents of
  technology have crushed the mystic masters. Join the last stand
  in the war for reality.
  WEREWOLF: THE APOCALYPSE
   You are Garou — a werewolf of legend. Throughout history,
  your brothers and sisters have fought with fang, claw and spirit to
  protect Gaia — the Earth Mother. Many are Gaia’s enemies, from
  the planet-despoiling subsidiaries of the many-headed Pentex
  Corporation to metaphysical threats in the Umbra, or spirit world.
  You are the last generation of warriors.
  VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE
  What does death mean for those who live forever? Vampires
  have walked alongside their human herds since time began,
  fighting their Jyhad against each other and vying for dominance
  over the World of Darkness. Sustaining themselves on the blood
  of mortals, these undead masters are fearful creatures of legend and
  postmodern monsters. Do you dare walk among them?
  
  Exalted is an elegantly simple game,
   but you can explore the Age of Sorrows and delve into
   its vastly detailed setting with the books below.
  Exalted
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  Exalted Storytellers Companion
  Packed with Additional information on
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  the spirit courts and wondrous weapons
  and magical items, this companion is a
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  Scavenger Sons
  Coveted by the Dragon-Blooded and con-
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  Castebooks
  Castebooks reveal the variety among the
  Chosen of the Unconquered Sun, as well
  as the incredible power they bring to the
  Second Age.
  TM
  For more information on Exalted, visit www.white-wolf.com/exalted
  Trilogy of the Second Age
  Reborn into a time of chaos, the Solar Exalted
  face perils from the Dragon-Blooded, the
  inscrutable Fair Folk, the mysterious
  Deathlords, and even their former allies, the
  Lunar Exalted. Discover new legends in this
  trilogy of novels.
  WW9643
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Storyteller [multi]/Exalted/Exalted 1st Edition/Core Books/ExaltedQuickstart.pdf