[Exalted] Premises/scenarios for a short God-Blooded game

[Kiero]

NB: Just to be absolutely clear, this is a premise/setting/scenario thread. Storyteller mechanics are largely irrelevant, I'll be using Qwixalted.

Alright, I've got the next "break game" slot with my group, when our current run of Mass Effect goes on hiatus once more, I'm up. I've pretty much sold them on using this for a trial run of Qwixalted as a possible replacement system for a later Exalted game. They're also tentatively interested in Heaven's Rejects (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?573432-Exalted-God-Blooded-Heaven-s-Rejects), a heist/caper that bounces around Creation and Heaven.

However, I'd like to have a collection of different premises/scenarios to offer them when the time comes. I like to play around in Creation's history*, especially if those are times that predate the return of the various Solaroids - less superbeings who might overshadow these non-Exalt characters. It goes without saying that any premise must be built around God-Blooded and challenges on their level. Part of the trial is to use less powerful characters so we can get familiar with the system easily. I don't, however, want this to be a game where we just showcase how pathetic non-Exalts are.

Lastly, this is not a full-length campaign that will go on and on. It's going to be constrained to something like 6-10 sessions, depending on how long it takes the group to complete the agreed win conditions of the scenario. There'll be a character-and-premise generation session to start things off where we'll tailor the original pitch to the PCs we have and do things like build a relationship map (if relevant) and set the various win conditions. If it matters, there are 5 PCs.

On to the premises. Here's one tickling the back of my head, it doesn't currently have a name. This might be one for meschlum to comment on, being the resient Fae-expert.

Name: Goblins in the Mist (provisional title)

Where/when: RY -2, The Balorian Crusade, a small town somewhere in the River Province

Who are the PCs: A mixture of natives of the town, travellers and refugees.

Scenario: Three years ago the sickness began. It struck everywhere and no one was immune, no matter how high or low they were born. Not even the Glorious Dragons of the Shogunate were spared. The survivors clung to what little they had and tried to carry on, no end in sight.

As if that weren't enough, recently there have been stories of things come from the Wyld, tales carried by refugees who claim there is an invasion going on, not merely the straying of a creature or two. Three weeks ago, the taimyo's army marched past the town to deal with a large force of the Fair Folk massing near a rift into the Wyld. They never came back, and nothing was heard of them again.

A week ago, farmers fleeing their lands nearby said an army of horrors was heading this way. Two days ago, the magistrate mustered what was left of the local militia and went out to meet a detachment of Fae raiding nearby. The surviving militia who made it back said she died covering the retreat of those who got away, slaying one of their leaders and wounding another before being overwhelmed.

Yesterday the town's god vanished. Most believe he fled to Yu-Shan rather than face the oncoming horde. They're coming, and there's no one left to stop them. A lot of frightened people have barricaded themselves up in the town, thinking these are their final days. But there are heroes yet who might avert disaster...

So if you have any ideas to either add to those raised so far, or those of your own, please share them.

*For clarity, this doesn't mean all pitches must be set during the Shogunate, just at least 5 years before the canonical start of the game. In other words the Solar Exaltations are still locked within the Jade Prison and the Scarlet Empress is ensconced on her throne. No Solars, Abyssals or Infernals are around, anywhere.

[Hopeless]

They're unaware that there was actually a few fey who had descendants who live in this town and a few of them have chosen to help the locals but couldn't as long as the local god was around to reveal their identities.

Now he's fled they're trying to help by using their resources to provide those willing to fight a means of protecting themselves knowing full well one of them will have to sacrifice themselves to cover for the presence of the others when the fey army arrives.

It could even have each player have their own patron who is in on this scheme and they don't realise it until they find themselves in this village with no choice but to help defend the village to survive the impending invasion or goaded to do something perhaps by the sacrifice of a mentor who is the fey scapegoat?

[Xefas]

Alright! Time to roll on the In A Wicked Age random situation generator! (By which I mean draw cards for the Oracles.)

(edit: From the "God-Kings of War" Oracle.)

10 of Clubs - A youth or maiden, the reincarnation of a great hero, whose soul remembers glory.
2 of Diamonds - A cask of honey wine, tribute to a fierce bandit queen.
Ace of Spades - The very first time that a certain young soldier, impressed against his choice and wanting nothing more than to return home, has killed.
King of Hearts - The ghost of a tyrant-king, strangled by his own daughter.

Alright, here's my interpretation. A relatively small and out-of-the-way Shadowland in the Scavenger Lands is ruled by a tyrannical and powerful ghost. At the same time, a renegade Dragonblooded has abandoned the Realm and become a roaming bandit-queen, extorting not only the mortal populace of the many small villages in the area, but going so far as to threaten the undead inhabitants of the Shadowland. Unable to stand against an established Exalt, the ghost lord has sent a Ghostblooded disciple, along with a contingent of ghostly bodyguards, with a cask of alchemically magical wine to gift to the bandit-queen in exchange for peace.

Somewhere along the way, the emissaries from the Shadowland are ambushed by several mortals without obvious affiliation to either side and, in self defense, the Ghostblooded kills one, and Exalts himself, reincarnating with a highly vivid and active Past Life. The rest of the attacking party flee, but not before pilfering the cask of wine.

This is where the player characters are drawn by sounds of battle and appear on the scene. (Conveniently with a few NPCs who might be interested in telling them the situation already there.)

Possible reasons they should care-
-If they're the kind of people who like to help the weak and downtrodden, the innocent villagers around these parts are caught in a deadly struggle between an Exalt and a powerful Ghost. Resolving the conflict would mean a lot for their safety and prosperity.

-For the more selfish, the mystical wine is something of great value, even to one of the Exalted. Surely it would make a grand prize if one were to discover its whereabouts and recover it. The identity of the ambushers, and what they have to gain from prolonging this territorial conflict will naturally become important plot details.

-There are clearly allies to be made here. A Dragonblooded Bandit Queen could be a valuable asset to someone, or to someone's organization/benefactor. Recovering the wine and gifting it to her yourself, or some other means of gaining her loyalty, could be a worthy trial. On the other side, there is a newly Exalted being of some description, with political ties to the Underworld. Also a valuable ally.

-There could very well be an important third faction at play here, manipulating events to their designs in secret. This could be the very reason the player characters were here in the first place - a demonic cult, a cabal of raksha, or some ornery terrestrial gods. Gaining favor from one or both of the other factions here may be necessary to put down the real threat.

(Also, In A Wicked Age is pretty good for playing Exalted.)

[Kiero]

They're unaware that there was actually a few fey who had descendants who live in this town and a few of them have chosen to help the locals but couldn't as long as the local god was around to reveal their identities.

Now he's fled they're trying to help by using their resources to provide those willing to fight a means of protecting themselves knowing full well one of them will have to sacrifice themselves to cover for the presence of the others when the fey army arrives.

It could even have each player have their own patron who is in on this scheme and they don't realise it until they find themselves in this village with no choice but to help defend the village to survive the impending invasion or goaded to do something perhaps by the sacrifice of a mentor who is the fey scapegoat?

That's a nice nuance to place an appropriately-useful Fae-Blooded character in the mix.

Having the PC's parent/patron involved in maneuvering them into the situation could be a nice sting in the tail for some of them.


Alright! Time to roll on the In A Wicked Age random situation generator! (By which I mean draw cards for the Oracles.)

(edit: From the "God-Kings of War" Oracle.)

10 of Clubs - A youth or maiden, the reincarnation of a great hero, whose soul remembers glory.
2 of Diamonds - A cask of honey wine, tribute to a fierce bandit queen.
Ace of Spades - The very first time that a certain young soldier, impressed against his choice and wanting nothing more than to return home, has killed.
King of Hearts - The ghost of a tyrant-king, strangled by his own daughter.

I suddenly understand that feeling my daughter gets when she sees something surprisingly cool, and immediately says "again!".

That's a pretty neat situation-generator, I'll have to think about whether or not we might want the option of generating one randomly on the day.


Alright, here's my interpretation. A relatively small and out-of-the-way Shadowland in the Scavenger Lands is ruled by a tyrannical and powerful ghost. At the same time, a renegade Dragonblooded has abandoned the Realm and become a roaming bandit-queen, extorting not only the mortal populace of the many small villages in the area, but going so far as to threaten the undead inhabitants of the Shadowland. Unable to stand against an established Exalt, the ghost lord has sent a Ghostblooded disciple, along with a contingent of ghostly bodyguards, with a cask of alchemically magical wine to gift to the bandit-queen in exchange for peace.

Somewhere along the way, the emissaries from the Shadowland are ambushed by several mortals without obvious affiliation to either side and, in self defense, the Ghostblooded kills one, and Exalts himself, reincarnating with a highly vivid and active Past Life. The rest of the attacking party flee, but not before pilfering the cask of wine.

This is where the player characters are drawn by sounds of battle and appear on the scene. (Conveniently with a few NPCs who might be interested in telling them the situation already there.)

Possible reasons they should care-
-If they're the kind of people who like to help the weak and downtrodden, the innocent villagers around these parts are caught in a deadly struggle between an Exalt and a powerful Ghost. Resolving the conflict would mean a lot for their safety and prosperity.

-For the more selfish, the mystical wine is something of great value, even to one of the Exalted. Surely it would make a grand prize if one were to discover its whereabouts and recover it. The identity of the ambushers, and what they have to gain from prolonging this territorial conflict will naturally become important plot details.

-There are clearly allies to be made here. A Dragonblooded Bandit Queen could be a valuable asset to someone, or to someone's organization/benefactor. Recovering the wine and gifting it to her yourself, or some other means of gaining her loyalty, could be a worthy trial. On the other side, there is a newly Exalted being of some description, with political ties to the Underworld. Also a valuable ally.

-There could very well be an important third faction at play here, manipulating events to their designs in secret. This could be the very reason the player characters were here in the first place - a demonic cult, a cabal of raksha, or some ornery terrestrial gods. Gaining favor from one or both of the other factions here may be necessary to put down the real threat.

(Also, In A Wicked Age is pretty good for playing Exalted.)

That's a cool scenario barring one thing - the novice Abyssal. I don't want any Solar-grade actors involved in any part of the game, too easy for them to be something that could stomp the PCs without breaking a sweat. The game will always be set some time before the escape from the Jade Prison to prevent any Solar Exaltations going to anyone, in any form.

Is there an alternative interpretation of the 10 of Cups that would still work?

[Hopeless]

Alright! Time to roll on the In A Wicked Age random situation generator! (By which I mean draw cards for the Oracles.)

(edit: From the "God-Kings of War" Oracle.)

10 of Clubs - A youth or maiden, the reincarnation of a great hero, whose soul remembers glory.
(Also, In A Wicked Age is pretty good for playing Exalted.)

What if the battles already fought resulted in the awakening of a long forgotten spirit whose links to the world particularly include that village so say when that magistrate was killed allowing survivors' to flee the battle one such spirit awoke and made a deal so it could intervene but as it was formerly prevented from returning as a solar it has taken the bait and become an abyssal but doesn't retain enough memories to realise yet the deal its made to return to the land of the living only a deep and unabiding urge to fight against some foe which the village can redirect at the oncoming fae army since they'll assume he's an injued survivor from one of the other forces sent to fight the fae who survived but had suffered a head injury so don't remember all they should...

Well would those in the village know what an abyssal is?

[Kiero]

What if the battles already fought resulted in the awakening of a long forgotten spirit whose links to the world particularly include that village so say when that magistrate was killed allowing survivors' to flee the battle one such spirit awoke and made a deal so it could intervene but as it was formerly prevented from returning as a solar it has taken the bait and become an abyssal but doesn't retain enough memories to realise yet the deal its made to return to the land of the living only a deep and unabiding urge to fight against some foe which the village can redirect at the oncoming fae army since they'll assume he's an injued survivor from one of the other forces sent to fight the fae who survived but had suffered a head injury so don't remember all they should...

Well would those in the village know what an abyssal is?

I don't want a Solar, Abyssal or Infernal in any of the pitches. The whole point is not to put something well out of the PCs league anywhere near them.

And as before, the game will be set before the mass escape from the Jade Prison, so they don't currently exist.

[Xefas]

I never stated that the Ghostblooded who Exalted would be an Abyssal. You can be, say, a Ghostblooded Terrestrial, or a Ghostblooded Lunar.

Now, in the Exalted Storyteller System, there's a clause about, when you Exalt, you can wipe away any -bloodedness, or mutations, or extraneous demihuman what-have-yous, but that's primarily a balancing act for the system. In the standard Exalted system, all of your Ghostblooded powers become useless in the face of much more powerful Exalted charms. So, they become something like "dead-weight" - just wasted XP you could've saved to buy more Exalted charms. If you're using a different system, there's no reason you couldn't have a Terrestrial who retains some ghostly power.

Should I try to draw up another adventure? The four Oracles are "God Kings of War" (skews to scenarios involving violence), "Blood and Sex" (skews to scenarios involving familial and personal drama), "The Unquiet Past" (skews to dealings with spirits, ancient knowledge, and so on), and "A Nest of Vipers" (skews to political and urban settings).

Now, while each Oracle skews to certain themes, it isn't a full 100% focus, and the way you interpret the drawn cards can vary wildly.

[Kiero]

I never stated that the Ghostblooded who Exalted would be an Abyssal. You can be, say, a Ghostblooded Terrestrial, or a Ghostblooded Lunar.

Now, in the Exalted Storyteller System, there's a clause about, when you Exalt, you can wipe away any -bloodedness, or mutations, or extraneous demihuman what-have-yous, but that's primarily a balancing act for the system. In the standard Exalted system, all of your Ghostblooded powers become useless in the face of much more powerful Exalted charms. So, they become something like "dead-weight" - just wasted XP you could've saved to buy more Exalted charms. If you're using a different system, there's no reason you couldn't have a Terrestrial who retains some ghostly power.

Now that is a very good point. Exalting as a Dragonblood would be very appropriate without them being un-challenge-able by the PCs. And yes, keeping some ghostly themes to it would be nice.

What Aspect? I'm thinking perhaps Air would go well with ghost-themed stuff - cold and stealth, occult knowledge and so on. I think I'd leave them with their heritage power regardless (ie immunity to the deleterious effects of Shadowlands).


Should I try to draw up another adventure? The four Oracles are "God Kings of War" (skews to scenarios involving violence), "Blood and Sex" (skews to scenarios involving familial and personal drama), "The Unquiet Past" (skews to dealings with spirits, ancient knowledge, and so on), and "A Nest of Vipers" (skews to political and urban settings).

Now, while each Oracle skews to certain themes, it isn't a full 100% focus, and the way you interpret the drawn cards can vary wildly.

Yes, please!

[Hopeless]

Apologies I misunderstood what you were asking about.

[Kiero]

What sort of premises might work around Whitewall? It's a place with a noted God-Blooded concentration due to the Syndics, and it's in the North. I don't really know as much about the North, and we have just come out of one of our break games set in wintry locales (Icewind Dale).

I was also thinking about something around Great Forks, though that does suffer a little from all my ideas seemingly focused on the East. Certainly provides us with a simple excuse for a collection of God-Bloods doing stuff together.


Apologies I misunderstood what you were asking about.

No worries, it's probably a strange request that someone wants an Exalted game without the top tier of Exalts in it.

[Tavar]

The time you set it in also makes it a bit difficult. Great Forks was not even settled until centuries after the crusade. Many other potenisl areas suffer from similar problems.

[Kiero]

The time you set it in also makes it a bit difficult. Great Forks was not even settled until centuries after the crusade. Many other potenisl areas suffer from similar problems.

The only thing fixed about the time I'm choosing to set the game is "before the re-appearance of the Solar Exaltations". Ie any time before roughly 5 years before the canonical start. As in "there will be no Solars, Abyssals or Infernals anywhere in Creation in this game".

It doesn't have to be set in the Shogunate at all, that was just the idea in the OP.

[meschlum]

I would have posted this on the main thread, but that request for plots has gone into Eclipse Phase. So it's time to adapt a few things.


An issue in Godblood vs. Raksha conflicts is that Faebloods tend to grab the spotlight and not let go if the Wyld is near. As the only beings capable of Shaping combat, they'll claim a lot of screen time while the rest of the party serves as bystanders. If using Exalted per se, noble Raksha have impressive dice pools, so direct conflict between Godbloods and nobles in the noble's area of specialty will not go well.


The Goblins scenario is plausible, but the sheer amount of overwhelming force that can be brought on by a full fledged Raksha invasion is... not fun for the bystanders. Plus, the setup looks like it's going to be a straight fight, and sustaining a siege of a single small place over 6+ sessions is not exactly easy to get OOC support for.

If you want to do it, I'd suggest increasing the scale of the area threatened, so the Godbloods have time to assess the threat and look for allies. Each session, less and less of the map is available as the Wyld spreads... Or more, if they are brave and lucky enough to trick some of the invaders into working for them (at a price). The quality of the outcome can be impacted by how quickly the invading force is stopped (or slowed enough to allow the locals to flee), which forces are brought in (making a deal with the local god of murder will disorganize the invaders, but...), and personal goals (arranging for your rival to have an 'accident' is always a plus).


Other bits and pieces that can serve as well, as inspiration for a short campaign or add ons to a longer one. Spoilered due to length (and to hide plot twists, perhaps).


The Merchant's Lovely Daughter

An itinerant merchant is traveling through the land, accompanied by his lovely daughter and a few assistants - as well as a not inconsiderable amount of exotic trade goods. He has a major problem, however: his daughter, in addition to being quite lovely, well educated, and otherwise desireable company, is terribly prone to being kidnapped, imprisoned, threatened into marrying local thugs, offered as a sacrifice, and other such annoyances.

Fortunately, the merchant has grown quite skilled at finding helpful heroes who are willing to rescue his daughter, for honor, coin, or minor baubles. He makes it a matter of principle to reward her rescuers handsomely, and a few have come to his aid more than once. This has created a new risk, as one of the more successful heroes has fallen for the merchant's daughter, and plans to kidnap her for himself. Who can the merchant call upon then?


Mechanically, the merchant (and his daughter and retinue) are Raksha Entertainers for the most part. The daughter has Imposition of Law (or Abiding Gift) for "Being kidnapped", or some such - ensuring that every half baked cult, mildly villianous bandit, and greedy god will want to capture her. If none are available, the merchant has a pocket Temple of Evil, complete with extras, to provide a suitable scene.

The merchant will be very happy to run into Godbloods (or Terrestrial Exalts), and try to hire them to protect his daughter in the long term. He has a few minor Wyld treasures if the heroes are very demanding, and can use Ordinary Object Conjuration to create mundane money and goods. The more time the merchant and his servants spend with the heroes, the more Raksha resources (gossamer, mostly) they can gain - and it's even better if their guards get caught up in fights and the like. Naturally, a Terrestrial opting to kidnap the daughter is even more fun.

Optionally, the merchant or his daughter could be ordinary (if rather addled) mortals, and the daughter will in any case most enthusiasticaly fall in love with any (or all) heroes who show interest. It makes for more drama and excitment, which the Fair Folk feed upon.

Danger level: low. The merchant and his daughter are not combat focused, though they may possess a few tricks for escaping real threats, and low to medium Exalt level social skills. They have more or less unlimited minor resources, and are very proficient at fast talking and fitting in. Disguises are also a possibility.

The short campaign's conclusion will depend on who (if anyone) ends up with the daughter, what deals the merchants has made, and which enemies and rivals remain. Having the daughter held by a minor bandit gang is rather negative, while keeping her with the party or turning her in to the Wyld Hunt are better options (depending on the player's perspective). Having a baron determined to get revenge for the party interfering with his matrimonial plans is probably a minus, while boons from local gods can help. And if the party ends up hooked on the merchant's very high quality booze, that's a whole new source of adventures and mayhem.


The Fane and the Plague

A weird wind is blowing across the land, bringing nightmares and uncertainty in its wake. An unearthly plague follows close behind it, preventing those afflicted from finding any kind of rest. Local wisewomen, foreign apothecaries, and thaumaturges of dubious origin have all suggested remedies, but even the most potent of these only work a few times before the wind wakes the infected once more.

Appeals to the gods have not worked thus far, for the land isn't overly rich and the divine seems uninterested in what offerings have been made. In dark corners, some murmur tales of blood sacrifice, but none has taken place yet. A gathering of priests and seers has had a revelation that offers some hope: somewhere in the wild wood, an ancient and most holy hermit lives who will be able to banish the disease.

The wood is dangerous, but when the plague begins to afflict even the highest of nobility, with the blood of dragons in their veins, great prizes are offered to anyone who'll bring the hermit back. Or, better yet, find a cure. With their unique skills and some inherent resistance to the disease, the godbloods are likely to discover the hermit and learn the truth.

A new and powerful god of dreams has been assigned ot the land, the hermit says - and is angered that no suitable temple has been raised. If the plague is to be stopped, there is only one solution: to build a great fane to this new god, in the astrologically correct place.

Indeed, those who dedicate themselves to building the Fane find that they can sleep normally so long as they continue to work towards this goal, but many dangers await. The main threat is that the chosen site for the Fane is a deep fissure in the earth, overflowing with cold, sharp winds. The elementals living within will have to be dealt with, for they do not welcome intruders. What's more, supplies and skilled architects need to be found, and some means of speeding up construction - if everyone where to work on the Fane, no food would be raised, but those who remain behind to cultivate the crops will go mad from endless wakefulness.


Mechanically, an Oneiromancy with Curse of Definition (making sleep impossible) has been cast on the land. While stunts allow sleep, they only work as long as they are stunts - so remedies stop working after a while. The Fane itself will be built on a large demesne, and is meant to be the site of an outbreak, consuming the land and turning it into a Wyld zone. Yes, the hermit is responsible (and a Raksha, or servant of the same).

A longer campaign can have any number of side quests for suitable materials, gathering resources for construction, investigating the hermit's claims, and so on. A shorter one can gloss over a lot of those steps - a few sessions of discovering the amplitude of the threat, a session or two to get the hermit, some sessions involved in clearing the Fane site and getting resources (ideally, while growing more suspicious), and a final battle just before the Fane is completed and the land is consumed.

The merchant's daughter would probably object to the Fane being built, since it makes the land inhospitable to her favored methods of feeding, but she makes for an excellent (staged and possibly not necessary) final sacrifice to activate the Fane, if the party has come to care for her... Do they let her die and cure the plague, or try to rescue her? The hermit has lots of social-fu but probably limited combat potential. Even if he dies, he'll leave plans for the Fane behind, to encourage having it built anyway...

Naturally, it's also possible that building the Fane would stop the plague, if it were built correctly (making a Manse rather than an outbreak). Perhaps there are two hermits in the wood, and one of them is genuine... Actually stopping the plague can work by building the Fane correctly (though it remains a threat), or destroying the 'heart' of the plague, which is concealed somewhere in the Fane's site (probably in a Freehold).

Danger level: medium. Direct conflict with the Raksha is unlikely to take place, and they're not all that competent at combat anyway. On the other hand, there are elementals, strange beasts in the woods, and desperate mobs out to avenge / protect / burn the hermit to deal with. Once the Fane is active, danger goes up to overwhelming, but so it goes.

Quality of success will depend on whether the heart of the plague is destroyed, the amount of damage caused while the Fane is being built, and the compromises made to get there. In all, it's a scenario that is likely to appeal to players who think things through more than those who just accept fetch quests and charge.


The Knight on the Hill

On the night of the new moon, the hill above the town of Dormaine is filled with a terrible storm, lightning blasting a large circle in the ground. When the last bolt has fallen, a knight appears, wearing rainbow colored plate and wielding a sword whose blade is made of frost and flame entwined.

If the folk of Dormaine do not make a suitable offering to the knight, he shimmers and becomes seven copies of himself, each wielding the same terrible blade, each armor one of the colors of the rainbow. Followed by a troop of silent, grey skinned warriors, the knights descend upon the village and pillage it until they have claimed what they desire - taking three lives as further price for the insolence of Dormaine's folk.

Should a band of heroes challenge the knight, they are consumed by the storm and vanish along with him. Dormaine then knows peace for far longer, until one night the lightnings strike again. The knight returns, and leaves behind him the remains of the heroes who dared to face him - horribly wounded, bearing the marks of months of constant battle.


Mechanically, the knight uses a minor Chancel (or Freehold) with an entrance set on the hill. Surpisingly, he's not liable to kidnap the merchant's daughter if she comes through Dormaine, since he's interested in the Creation-born. On the other hand, if the good folk of Dormaine seek to make her an offering to the knight, neither he nor the merchant will complain.

The lesser knights are behemoths, and can recover from being killed, given time (one month, for instance). When challenged, the knight will lead his attackers into the Chancel (or Freehold), indulge in a few scenes of Shaping Combat (invincible warriors attack - anyone who is defeated manages to avoid the killing blow, but loses an artifact in the process). The final battle takes place somewhere interesting - a collapsing bridge (the knight and his mount can fly, but they'll keep that hidden), a terrible storm (the knight is immune to its effects), or some such. Defeated mortals will be transformed into more servants for the knight, while essence users prove more resilient and can look forward to dire captivity.

Astute intruders will notice that the moon moves very quickly inside the Chancel (or Freehold), and can seek to interfere with its workings. If they don't, a month will pass in Creation for each scene that occurs during the battle, which can be surprising when they emerge and allow the lesser knights to respawn. If the merchant's daughter is a 'captive', she can find an escape route for the party, allowing them the get away if they are in trouble. Or she might offer herself to the knight in return for their freedom, encouraging them to return next month when they're ready.

Danger level: high. By the core, the knight has impressive dice pools for combat, rather high soak, and a few magical tricks. Preliminary Sword Shaping attacks allow him to steal artifacts from the party, making them less effective. Shaping defenses are rare among god-bloods, and even with them, they'll find the knight is still a fairly good fighter, if limited to mostly mundane combat. A Feyblood who works to resist the knight's more supernatural attacks (risking his free will in the process) while the others attack with mundane methods makes for a possible attack plan. Being a single opponent, the knight is vulnerable to swarm attacks and ranged combat makes things easier - as long as the lesser knights are out of the picture (which can be done by killing them (hard) or shaping them away (not easy either). In all, the knight is not out to kill heroes (having them be mad at him is far more fun), so it's a survivable encounter.

And once the God-bloods get away, planning and tricks can help them win the next time around. Since the knight is not leaving the vicinity of Dormaine, the entire situation can be ignored with relatively minor consequences to the rest of the land.

[Kiero]

I would have posted this on the main thread, but that request for plots has gone into Eclipse Phase. So it's time to adapt a few things.

An issue in Godblood vs. Raksha conflicts is that Faebloods tend to grab the spotlight and not let go if the Wyld is near. As the only beings capable of Shaping combat, they'll claim a lot of screen time while the rest of the party serves as bystanders. If using Exalted per se, noble Raksha have impressive dice pools, so direct conflict between Godbloods and nobles in the noble's area of specialty will not go well.

I'll have to have a look at how Qwixalted handles Shaping Combat, I can't remember right now. Same goes Fair Folk Nobles - there's lots on them as antagonists, I just can't remember the details right now. :smallredface:


The Goblins scenario is plausible, but the sheer amount of overwhelming force that can be brought on by a full fledged Raksha invasion is... not fun for the bystanders. Plus, the setup looks like it's going to be a straight fight, and sustaining a siege of a single small place over 6+ sessions is not exactly easy to get OOC support for.

If you want to do it, I'd suggest increasing the scale of the area threatened, so the Godbloods have time to assess the threat and look for allies. Each session, less and less of the map is available as the Wyld spreads... Or more, if they are brave and lucky enough to trick some of the invaders into working for them (at a price). The quality of the outcome can be impacted by how quickly the invading force is stopped (or slowed enough to allow the locals to flee), which forces are brought in (making a deal with the local god of murder will disorganize the invaders, but...), and personal goals (arranging for your rival to have an 'accident' is always a plus).

I'm thinking the Fae force won't be huge - the daimyo and his army blunted their advance, then the magistrate and militia will have staved off a smaller group headed their way. The PCs are left as the last line of defense against a smaller element roving around their area, rather than a literal horde.

But having them protect a larger area is a good idea for a game with a broader focus than what is essentially a siege. The notion of showing their advances/setbacks in the way the land develops is a neat one.


Other bits and pieces that can serve as well, as inspiration for a short campaign or add ons to a longer one. Spoilered due to length (and to hide plot twists, perhaps).
[snipped awesomness]

Those are awesome, I especially like the notion of starting with the Merchant's Daughter, then rolling into one or more of the others. I don't know if I should sell that as one package all as one, rather than trying to carve them up into individual premises.

[meschlum]

I'll have to have a look at how Qwixalted handles Shaping Combat, I can't remember right now. Same goes Fair Folk Nobles - there's lots on them as antagonists, I just can't remember the details right now. :smallredface:

Can't help you there. It isn't useful that that core (with or without errata) Shaping Combat mechanics Do Not Work on the meta-game front when more than one Fair Folk is involved - ironically, they work better (i.e. still calling for houserules) when applied to Creation-born. So here's my take on things when Shaping is applied to the Creation-born.

If Creation-born suffer a Shaping attack and lack appropriate defenses (against mind warping stuff and theft), the current rules allow for two scenarios. Weak Raksha (lacking Grace Magic) will be largely ineffectual. Powerful Raksha (possessing Grace Magic) will automatically succeed. Thus, the recommended houserule is to encourage a happy medium, whereby Grace Magic is not an auto-win, and player agency exists.

In any case, there are (post-errata) five types of Shaping combat. It's important to note that none of them are directly lethal when used against Creation-born - all they do is tamper with the minds / souls of the victims. Of course, the Shaping attack itself can have a lethal form (being attacked by an army, say), but that's indepenent of the attack itself.

- Staff Shaping is the simplest. It does exactly nothing at all, since being Snared is completely meaningless. The alternate interpretation is that it can be used to inflict any (and all) of the other Shaping consequences, after a scene has been spent on Snaring the victim.

- Cup Shaping inflicts a very flexible phobia - including things like "Be terrified of the Raksha being hurt". It also generates lots of essence for the Fair Folk.

- Ring Shaping creates obligations - "Bring three more people to the Knight", for instance.

- Way Shaping gets people lost - preventing your victims from finding their way home (and thus allowing you to bargain for their souls in exchange for a guide to the exit).

- Sword Shaping perfectly steals a single item, including attuned artifacts. One classic approach is to use a Sword (Presence) based attack in the form of a hot spring filled with exquisite beauties of whatever gender(s) appeals. Intruders (the victims of the Shaping attack) will discover that they have somehow managed to misplace their armor (and other clothing) in the confusion.

Ahem.

Practically speaking, a Raksha deploying Shaping attacks gets to set the scene and objectives. If the players go along with it, they will succeed but also be affected by the Shaping attack. If they oppose it, they may avoid the consequences of the Shaping attack but will find it difficult to make progress. Note that depicting the typical D&D party as a band of bloodthirsty maniacs means that Raksha have a chance when meeting munchkins.

If the godbloods have a faeblooded with them, the faeblood can resist the shaping effect - meaning that a goodly portion of the opposing army can't hurt them, and the penalties for opposing the Shaping effect are reduced. Or even counter attack, creating more favorable circumstances, though it's quite difficult to pull off.

Thus, a Sword shaping scene without a faeblood could involve trying to assault a tower while being pelted by lightning bolts and swarmed by undead hordes. A faeblood could manifest a protective shield and bring in some sunlight, making it easier for the party to advance - but would also risk madness in the process.



I'm thinking the Fae force won't be huge - the daimyo and his army blunted their advance, then the magistrate and militia will have staved off a smaller group headed their way. The PCs are left as the last line of defense against a smaller element roving around their area, rather than a literal horde.

But having them protect a larger area is a good idea for a game with a broader focus than what is essentially a siege. The notion of showing their advances/setbacks in the way the land develops is a neat one.

I tend to feel a siege works for only a few sessions before getting tedious for the players - though that may just be my playing / GMing style, of course.



Those are awesome, I especially like the notion of starting with the Merchant's Daughter, then rolling into one or more of the others. I don't know if I should sell that as one package all as one, rather than trying to carve them up into individual premises.

Thanks!

I was initially thinking more along sandbox lines, so they're all suitable to fit into an existing larger campaign, or be adjusted as needed.

For extra meta fun, it's entirely possible that the Merchant (and his daughter) are both ordinary mortals under Raksha curses. Or sidereals. Or gods of trickery and wealth on vacation. Or a combination of the above...

A possible campaign outline below, in spoilers just in case.

Early sessions: the merchant hires the PCs to guard his daughter and his possessions, the PCs have run ins with minor foes. Bandits, martimonially inclined mayors, and the like.

Curious PCs will note that the merchant has a chest or two that he keeps under particular guard, with strict instructions that they not be opened or jostled. Bandits will try to steal his possessions, and he'll be quite thankful to the PCs if they prevent it (though he'd prefer his daughter be rescued, of course).

Around session 3 or 4, once the routine is well established, the merchant reaches Dormaine. That night, the villagers not only kidnap his daughter, but also steal the contents of his cart - better that outsiders pay the knight's tribute than they do, after all.

Spend a session or so running in terror from the knight and just barely managing to rescue the daughter, while failing to recover the merchant's chest.

Get back on the road with the merchant very thankful but worried about his next stop - in the lands of the Fane. By now, the PCs should pre-emptively stop a kidnapping attempt or two, to prove they're learning (and possibly wondering what makes the daughter so interesting...). They also find out that they can't sleep anymore!

The merchant stops near the site of the Fane and sells his goods to the hermit while the PCs stand guard. Unfortunately, the critical supplies for completing the Fane (and allowing the PCs to sleep) are missing - so the hermit has his many fanatical followers grab the daughter as a substitute. Bring in as many Extras as you need - they went without sleep for months before the hermit came, and they're not going to risk their rest again!

Do the PCs try and steal back the daughter, or offer to get the merchant's chest back from the knight? Either way, this should take a session or two of tense bargaining and planning. If some of the PCs express doubt as to the hermit's virtue, don't disabuse them - sacrificing the daughter is not what you'd expect of the 'kind, good, generous' man the locals describe.

And then we hit the endgame.

- Fight the knight, reclaim the treasure, hand it over. The merchant moves on, the Fane is built, the land vanishes into Chaos. Possibly while the party is at the border, so they can have a last panicked attempt to escape before things go bad. Rather negative end on the large scale, but the daughter is fine!

- Allow the daughter to be sacrificed, don't be suspicious. The merchant is outraged, the Fane takes longer to be built, the party is welcome to stay at ground zero for the event. Very negative end (except possibly for rather depraved faeblooded). The daughter probably survives, albeit she and the merchant need to change faces.

- Fight the knight, hold on to the treasure, rescue the daughter. Very difficult and deadly, but will give any lore focused godblood (or one with suitable heredity) the opportunity to figure out that the Fane isn't quite properly set up. Using the treasure and getting into another dangerous conflict, they can ensure that the Fane is correctly aligned and even discover the 'heart' of the plague! The plague is cured, the daughter lives, happy ending all around! Except maybe for the hermit, if he's a Raksha and not simply addled.

- Rescue the daughter, forget about the knight. Easier, the PCs find out that the Fane isn't built right. A dangerous fight or so, and they can have the fane built properly. The plague is contained (for now), the daughter lives, the party is not welcome in the land. The merchant is very happy, as his story is predominant, rewards the PCs with a few neat treasures. Fairly good ending, though the plague will surface elsewhere eventually.

[Xefas]

Yes, please!

Alright, draw #2, using the Blood And Sex Oracle this time.

5 of Spades - A famous traveling exorcist and his entourage, with as canny an eye for a village's wealth as for its demons.
9 of Spades - The deathbed curse of a betrayed queen.
5 of Diamonds - A chattel slave who has broken both his bonds and his master's skull.
Jack of Clubs - The death of the primary heir of a local noblewoman.

I did stuff with ghosts before, so I'm thinking demons this time! So, you know how every demon has a 'catch', that allows it to slip the shackles of the Demon Realm and appear in Creation without a summoning? A Neomah's catch involves a mother weeping on their stillborn child. Florivet can appear in a patch of desert that has felt no wind for ~5 weeks.

Well, I'm thinking there's a Second Circle Demon who has a catch involving the death curses of slain female nobility. Something in Cecelyne's hierarchy, perhaps.

Anyway, so, a relatively prosperous and important satrapy in the Threshold is ruled by a young (by Terrestrial standards) Dragonblooded woman. One night, she throws a big party for a few visiting Realm dignitaries, and throws around a lot of her Essence on social charms showing them a good time (did you know that Terrestrials have social charms that makes booze boozier? I guess Solars don't necessarily get everything afterall).

Having had a little too much to drink, the satrap slinks away with one of the dignitaries to have a literal roll in the hay behind the stables. Curious, one of the slaves that have been put to work in the kitchens tonight, follows. He sees what's going on and a mad thought slips into his mind. He glances over at a sledgehammer, still bloodied from the slaughtering of the cattle done that morning for the night's festivities, leaning against a wall. The satrap isn't wearing her jade armor, she isn't paying attention, she's tired and drunk and preoccupied. It would mean the end of his life here, and all-too-likely the end of his life entirely. But the Realm made slaves of him and his kin, and if he can shout his defiance at them, this big uncaring monolithic monster, and make them notice even in just some tiny way, maybe it's worth a slave's life.

Picking up the hammer, he sneaks up and brains the satrap with a single mighty swing. The mortal dignitary under her screams before getting the business end of the sledge himself. The slave stands for a moment, the gravity of his actions sinking in, before he makes to bolt away into the night. A figure comes around the corner - the satrap's (unExalted) daughter heard the commotion and came to see. She stares in horror, her legs cemented into place in fear. She begins to scream.

One more. Why not? She falls over dead. It's messy. Finally, he drops his weapon, and the slave runs into the night.

It doesn't take long for the scene to be discovered. The next morning, political turmoil grips the satrapy's court. There's no heir, so who should stand in until the Realm can appoint a new one? Given the recent decline in bureaucratic efficiency since the Empress' disappearance, it might be a while.

A few days later, the soul of the satrap arises to depart unto Lethe, but halts. Her daughter is passing on as well. She considers what must have happened, and is consumed with vengeance. As her soul passes away, she is powerless to do anything to effect Creation, but merely spits a final curse before disappearing. A curse so quiet and ephemeral, no mortal hears it.

But there is another creature altogether whose ears it does find. Niyama, the Shattered Throne of Glass, catches this curse, and follows it through a rift between worlds, escaping the green light of Malfeas into the dark of Creation's night.

As she tours the satrapy, she sees the political strife that must follow the death of a ruler and, as is her nature, capitalizes on it. The next day, she appears in the court as an effigy of the dead satrap, though near-translucently white, and clearly inhuman. Through powerful demonic magic, she ensnares the minds of the courtiers utterly.

Slowly, over several weeks, demonic corruption spreads throughout the satrapy. Yozi cults arise. Thaumaturgical rituals bring in First Circle servants of Niyama. To the common man, stability has been reinstated. But demon-sightings rise in frequency steadily to the point where the rumors begin to concern the-powers-that-be. The Immaculate Order dispatches a notorious monk to survey and, if necessary, deal with the situation. Notorious for his prowess, his discipline, his cruelty, and his greed.

When the Immaculate Monk and his entourage arrive, the taint is so epidemic that his prescribed solution involves a smoldering crater where the city used to be. More Terrestrial Monks are on their way...

...and this is where the PCs wander in.

Some reasons why they should care...

-A lot of innocent people are likely to get caught in the crossfire between the demons and the Immaculate Order. Including some people that the PCs might be looking for independently of this situation. Maybe this satrapy is important to them in some way. Maybe the city god called them in directly, asking for help? Regardless, diffusing the situation before mass bloodshed erupts is probably best for everyone.

-This infamous Immaculate Monk has dealt with a lot of Gods before, bringing the iron jackboot of the Realm down on their throats to maintain Terrestrial supremacy in Creation. Caught up in a demonic extermination might be just the place one such God or Godblooded could orchestrate their revenge. You might even need the demons' help - this one has quite the few Immaculate Martial Arts under his belt.

-Yozi cults are bad for business. Why pray to harvest gods when you can summon up a demon, pray to them, get your magical harvest and a free orgy thrown in just for kicks? A lot of Gods have a vested interest in seeing Niyama and her summoned henchmen hit the road (several times, if the road is particularly soft). Unfortunately, she's a powerful Second Circle Demon. You might be able to do it, but that Immaculate Monk over there would be a very potent ally indeed.

-There's still a fugitive out there. Somewhere. If you're into that whole 'justice' thing, it might be worth finding out what happened to him. Did I mention that if you satisfy the death-curse that summoned Niyama, it will banish her back to the Demon Realm? Hopefully, throwing off the shackles of oppression and killing one of the Exalted in a fit of revolutionary anger hasn't given him any unfortuitous additions to his soul. It might not have! We don't know. Still, there's no doubt he could be an interesting piece to this puzzle if found.

[Kiero]

This thread keeps on getting better. Proper responses when I get up tomorrow.

[Kiero]

Late again, but I have one question about the demon-oriented story. Why are demons bad for the people? I get why the gods don't like it, and why the Immaculates would be opposed. But is there something intrinsically wrong about Yozi cults appearing all over the place? Will they eventually hasten some great doom on the city and it's people?

[Hiro Protagonest]

Late again, but I have one question about the demon-oriented story. Why are demons bad for the people? I get why the gods don't like it, and why the Immaculates would be opposed. But is there something intrinsically wrong about Yozi cults appearing all over the place? Will they eventually hasten some great doom on the city and it's people?

Um... demons are pretty much the immortal enemies of humanity.

[Xefas]

There's nothing inherently bad about demonic rule. It just comes down to the individual oddities of whatever demon is involved.

A demon of Cecelyne like Niyama might impose strange nonsensical laws on the populace, for instance. Everyone has to wear green on sundays (to mock the sun, obviously). Your firstborn child has to be raised to become a priestess of Cecelyne (even if they're a boy). Eating poultry is punishable by death. That sort of thing.

Some Neomah might fiddle with peoples' genes and make them have demon-tainted children. There might not be anything wrong with such a child, but they might have some extraneous tentacles, and things with extraneous tentacles are automatically on the Unconquered Sun's bad-guy list, because he's such a magnanimous person, and so the universe is going to hate them regardless.

Some other demons might steal your shadow (not that you were using it), or cause random riotous orgies in the town square, or make it rain LSD, or whatever. A demonic stand-in for a harvest god might give you, y'know, that weird gem-corn (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/05/15/come-for-the-beautiful-gem-glass-corn-stay-for-a-dose-of-genetics/).

You can make the circumstances better or worse (or decide on the fly / let your players decide on the fly), depending on what tone you/they want to set.

[meschlum]

From the official perspective, demon cults are bad for a number of reasons. Demons themselves are often viewed as extremely useful servants, if occasionally eccentric. Cults, however, want to summon lots of demons and let the demons do whatever they want.

1) The vast majority of summonable demons require fairly unpleasant processes to do so. This typically reflects their mindset and the uses they are put to.

1.a) Proponents of the Reclamation will (correctly) reply that the demons don't have much choice, as they reflect the Yozi, and the Yozi have had 'inimical to humanity' hammered into their natures. However right it is for most demons to be bloodthirsty killing devices, it still makes them poor neighbors.

1.b) Where a demon or two on its own isn't too much of a problem (there are a finite (and low) number of nobles to toss death curses around, after all), an infestation means more, and more variety - some of them messy.

2) Worship going towards demons is prayer not going towards the gods. This upsets them, which generally means significant trouble for afflicted areas.

2.a) Its conceivable that sufficient numbers of demon worshippers could ensure that the seasons continue to turn, crops grow, and so forth - by calling on their Yozi patrons to make it happen. This is a) blasphemous and b) likely to warp the area so it's closer to the nature of Malfeas (i.e. not somewhere you want to live).

2.b) Properly processed prayer is (to gods) a truly phenomenal high. You do not want large portions of Yu Shan waking up with a few millennia worth of deferred hangover hitting all at once and a big sign saying: "Here live the unbelievers responsible for your mouth tasting like the totality of Autochton's waste plants just ran through it".

2.c) If you're not a god or Sidereal, this is largely irrelevant anyway, but it's a long term issue which explains why the residents of Yu Shan find it problematic.

3) When summoned by cultists, demons tend to be free to do whatever they want (within the limitations of their mindsets). When they're not busy raping the houses, burning the livestock and stealing the women, this means summoning their bosses.

3.a) Adorjan wandering about Creation is not happy fun times for all.

3.b) Nor is Kimberry.

3.c) TED is actually fairly harmless, because the Villian Idiot Ball that he uses for a brain is also a portable Plot Hole and he's been in Creation all along.

4) Some demons actually have power, and can threaten Exalts.

4.a) Even if you're a pro-human anti-Exalt fanatic, keep in mind the fact that the demons don't care about humans either (except, in some cases, as snacks). Plus, fights between Exalts and demons tend to create lots of dead bystanders, even when one side wins.

4.b) Exalts take... poorly... to competition. Just look at the massive fourth wall mind warping assault they've used to demonise the Raksha and discourage playing them.


So from the perspective of the Realm, a demon cult is a danger to its rule, a threat to its power (there are always more demons), and a festering hellhole in the making. Plus, their (Gold faction) sifus are ranting about how horrible it is, because insufficient prayers mean that they are forced to sleep on only five feet of goose down and their emerald cups are less than a foot high.

For Exalts, it's competition to get the resources of the afflicted place, the risk of more and meaner demons turning up, and (for those territorially inclined) wrecking perfectly good landscape.

Other demons (and infernals) are usually fine with cults, as long as they get their share. Politics can mess this up, of course.

God-bloods (except demon-bloods, and even then politics exist) tend to suffer from cranky parents once the cult get big, so keeping it down makes for better sleep. Having every cow within ten miles moo in unison to form the voice of Ahlat at four am and berate you for not ensuring a regular supply of prayer isn't an experience you want to repeat twice.

Mortals are generally unaware of anything bad going on until their wells begin to ooze blood rather than water, tidal waves swamp the land (500+ miles from the ocean, of course), and so on. Then they're (briefly) unhappy.

The dead care somewhat less, besides the fact that demon cults don't offer prayers to their ancestors, so it's another resource problem. Or you could side with the ghosts who are nice and comfortable in their bit of the Underworld and do not want to have half the local population turn up as unwanted immigrants over the course of a few months.

The Fair Folk look at it as a terrible waste of tasty mortal souls, and at some level have issues with demons anyway. One can negotiate with humans, after all (and get trapped by Eclipse anima treachery, but so it goes) - the Primordials just killed them instead.

[Tavar]

Um... demons are pretty much the immortal enemies of humanity.
No. The Yozi generally fall in that category, but it's not entirely clear how much each one fits into that category. I feel the most positive thing you could say about any one of them is that they are merely dangerous by proxy, in that their presence is dangerous to humanity, even if their intentions are not.

Third circle demons fall into the same category, though on a slightly smaller scale usually, and there are those that are essentially totally benign.

Second Circles and Heroic First Circles are a bit different, and to understand them you first need to realize that demons aren't Demonic in the judeo-Christian sense of the word. What they are is alien, from an alien world with an alien culture, and an alien mindset.

Living under the power of a demon might not be bad, or it could be hellish(kind of like living under anyone's power, really). Second Circles are really similar to Exalts in many ways, in that they're more powerful than most other beings they will encounter, and can (somewhat) easily set themselves up as rulers over mortal men.

First Circles are a bit more difficult, because you must first realize the difference between Heroic First Circles(or Citizens) and Normal First circles. First Circle Demons are different in that they are not connected intimately with the Yozi. By this, I mean that no amount of killing first circles will change a yozi, any more than cutting one's fingernails or hair fundamentally changes a human. They are also usually created for a task, and most of their number simply accomplish that task. A few, however, desire more, as these few are true individuals, unlike most of their brethren. They may try to become Citizens(denoting that they are not serf, and thus may hold temporal power, a position that is automatically conferred upon second circles).

Even so, while First Circle Demons are dangerous to normal mortals, they are more manageable. A group of mortals can take down a first circle demon, especially if they come prepared. Thus, if they do rule, they are more likely to rule in a way similar to mortal man: they might be a tyrant, but they would be wise to rely not simply on their own strength but on that of trusted henchmen.


Late again, but I have one question about the demon-oriented story. Why are demons bad for the people? I get why the gods don't like it, and why the Immaculates would be opposed. But is there something intrinsically wrong about Yozi cults appearing all over the place? Will they eventually hasten some great doom on the city and it's people?
There's a difference between Demons and Yozi cults. The latter are groups devoted to the cause of the Yozi themselves(most often through demonic proxies, and almost certainly run by second or third circles at most, but they are used for the purposes of forwarding a Yozi's agenda). These tend to be more of the always bad news type, if only because while some Yozi aren't actively hostile to Humans, these Yozi are also largely the ones who aren't as invested in freedom or Humanity, thus the actively malicious ones are the ones who rule.

A demon, taken on their own, might not be any part of that, though.

[The_Snark]

Second Circles and Heroic First Circles are a bit different, and to understand them you first need to realize that demons aren't Demonic in the judeo-Christian sense of the word. What they are is alien, from an alien world with an alien culture, and an alien mindset.

Indeed. The issue is that demons are fundamentally inhuman beings, descended from mad crippled demiurges who despise humanity. They live in a place where cannibalism and torture are more or less socially acceptable, where love means pain and silence means death. They're not necessarily malicious, but a number of them are, and even the benign ones are strange and (often) a little dangerous. Demons have their own morality, and it often doesn't match up well with human ideas about right and wrong.

In theory, a demon cult could be perfectly benign, but between the nature of demons and the social taboo against demonology in most of Creation's societies, they're usually not. The more demons you have involved, the more likely you'll run into some that are Bad News.

Niyama's cult could fall anywhere along the spectrum, depending on how you want the story to run. She could be a brutal tyrant who demands daily human sacrifices, or she could be a harsh but fair ruler who just so happens to be at odds with the established powers in Creation.

[Kiero]

Contrasting perspectives, I like it.

Something that appeals is making Niyama not quite so bad, but opening the door for increasingly numbers of First Circle demons being summoned up and treating the place like home. As well as the imminent threat of the Immaculate leaving the entire city a smoking crater in the ground rather than risk the taint spreading further. And the PCs divine parents hassling them about the breaking of the natural order.

So we have a demon trying to rule the place in defiance of natural order and some potentially challenging fights with First Circle demons and cultists to liven things up.

[Kiero]

Game on! My group are sold on a God-Blooded Qwixalted game. Might not happen til the New Year, depending on our schedule and the current game. Consensus is largely that Heaven's Rejects is too high-concept to try at this point. So it's on to other possibilities.

One of the players has In A Wicked Age, so I might get her to bring it to the premise-gen and see what we can come up with in addition to the ideas here.