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View Full Version : [Exalted] Panopoly of The Five Cataphracts of Final Revelation (need advice)



Leliel
2011-12-22, 10:53 AM
Well, as a sequel to my "Green Sun Prince Four (+ 1) Horsemen of the Apocalypse" thread on the other board, I've decided to examine their distinctive weapons, because War without a Sword is just...dumb.

Of course, such awful weapons need to have awe-inspiring distinction, so I decided to make them Hellforged (ie, the demons in them are fully intelligent, and fully ornery). This suits the "regretful agents of the Reclamation" theme I'm going for with their masters.

Of course...I don't know how to go from the basic idea, so I decided to show what their purpose is, and get a general idea of what the board thinks I should do with them.

Basically, each one is a former Second Circle of Sachaverell's fetich (who isn't actually that important, being asleep and all), bound to the prophecy that gave the Cataphracts their mantle. They aren't heartless, but they are merciless in their enforcement of their eschatological role. Of course, they don't particularly like the Yozis, either-due to them remembering very well the vision of their ultimate progenitor, and thanks to that, they can see that the Primordials have long since past the point where they were remotely sane and freeing them would only break the world worse. They don't act against them due to their makers' and current masters' fatalism, but if they were convinced to turn against the Yozis, the Panopoly would help them.

And yes, I know the Yozis don't like allowing Sachaverell to have anything resembling a foothold, but they didn't have a choice in the matter-they weren't aware of the Cataphracts' craftsmanship until it was too late. Point is, there are five Sachaverelli weapons now, and given how they seem to keep their users in line from a Primordial-eye view, they've resentfully allowed them to exist.

They are:

Siege-Ender: The Bow of Conquest. His Urge is to see all within his master's his political grasp bow to him without question (the master, not Siege-Ender).

Trust-Cutter: The Sword of War. Her Urge is to make all who oppose her master's aims turn upon one another.

Sorrow-Keeper: The Scales of Famine. His Urge is to ensure that all within a nation suffer equally, ruler and servant (this explicitly does not conflict with say, improving the living conditions of the homeless).

Doom-Crow: The Warscythe (it's actually a different weapon then just a plain scythe, look it up) of Death. Her Urge is to instill a respect and desire for Lethe, rather than the Underworld.

Focus and Fury: The Gauntlets-Which-Are-One (as in, one demon in two weapons, respectively embodying logic and passion) of Hades/The Avatar of Wrath. Their Urge is to make their master a champion and leader of demons.

And yes-I explicitly gave them Grimdark names. It seemed like something a group of literal Heralds of the Apocalypse would do, and it's for the irony of the fact that they...aren't that malevolent.

So, what powers should I give these guys, and how do I show their influence on their masters-or better, the players, if they ever obtain them?