Hundred_Devils_Night_Parade_(Collected_Edition)

Eric Minton, Lauren Roy, Monica Speca,
Robert Vance, Vera Vartanian

HUNDRED DEVILS NIGHT PARADE

Credits
Authors: Eric Minton, Lauren Roy, Monica Speca,
Robert Vance, Vera Vartanian
Developers: Meghan Fitzgerald, Lauren Roy
Line Developers: Eric Minton and Robert Vance
In-House Developer: Dixie Cochran
Editor: Matthew Dawkins
Art Director: Maria Cabardo and Mike Chaney
Artists: Yihyoung Li, Priscilla Kim, Romane Faure,
Ivan Vegar, Mahendra Sidharta Suryadi, Melissa Uran,
Martin Sickree, Digital Art Chefs, Gong Studios, Gunship
Revolution
Creative Director: Richard Thomas
Special Thanks
Rose Bailey, for all her mentorship, support, and
guidance.
Neall Raemonn Price and Lea Sheppard, for creative
support.
Dixie Cochran, for helping to bring it all together.
Charlie Raspin, for his hard work and wonderfully cre-
ative ideas behind the scenes.

© 2021 PARADOX INTERACTIVE AB.
All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written consent of the publisher is expressly for-
bidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be repro-
duced for personal use only. Exalted and Exalted 3rd Edition are registered trademarks of Paradox
Interactive AB (publ). All rights reserved.
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Table of Contents

Introduction 6 Metody, the Malfean Elemental, 105
Demon of the First Circle 107
Chapter One: Strange Beasts 10 Oldrasek the Eternal Wheel, 109
Demon o,f the First Circle 111
Aughdeighe 10 Tomescu, the Clamorous Cloud Arsenal, 113
Demon of the First Circle 116
Chillikin 12 Audegar, the Ever-Open Door, 119
Demon of the Second Circle 122
Crystalmoth 14 Makarios, the Sigil’s Dreamer,
Demon of the Second Circle
Devil Stone 15 Rimvidas, the Cancerous Cornucopia,
Demon of the Second Circle
Dream Hawk 17 Stanewald, She Who Surmounted the Omphalos,
Demon of the Second Circle
Dune Swarm 19 Sibri, the Rampart of Serpents,
Demon of the Third Circle
Fang-Blossom 21

Gajam-Un, the Living Manse 22

Gem Seeker 26

Giant Grosbeak 27

Gravehound 28

Jungle Stalker 30

Lodestar 32

Mahicara, the Volcanic Earthwalker 34 Chapter Four: Creatures of the Wyld 128

Moonsilver Shadow 36 Black Hollow 128

Mouse of the Sun 38 Cockatrice 130

Plentimon’s Ladybug 40 Epochine 131

Scroll 41 Furia 133

Thousand-Forged Dragon 43 Grelidaka, the Thousand Hungry Wings 134
Haloed Husk 136
Tiger’s Eye 46

Twistroot and Mother Tree 48 Kian-Ji, the Heartmirror,

Chapter Two: The Dead 52 from Whom Intention Springs 138

Ankou 52 Lava Moth 140

Barrow Hound 54 Mata-Yadh, the Congeries of Obsidian and Aurora 142

Bloodworm 56 Mirrorkin 144

Doppelgänger 57 Napaxu, the Tongue Scorcher 145

The Drowned 59 Parasitic Shadow 147

The Forlorn Manor 61 Silere 148

Ghostfisher 63 Singer of the Deep 150

Grave Messenger 65 Siren Tower 152

Haunt 67 Unicorn 154

Keregost the Hundred-Handed 68 Visage Blight 155
Yukino-Takka, the Broken God 157
Nameless Wretch 71

Rantai 72 Zicnal of the Asmani 159

Scavenger 74 Chapter Five: Animals 164
Susurrus 75
Armored Kraken 164
Walkure 77
Aurochs 166
White Robe 78
Austrech 168
The Wreck of the Ruby Wren 80
Bat 170
Chapter Three: Spirits 84
Bird of Paradise 171

Elementals 84 Camel/Llama 172

Ahesh the Forgotten 84 Dolphin 174

Charnavrix the Unyielding, the Sleeper in the Grove, Eight-Tailed Mole Hound 175

Lesser Elemental Dragon of Wood 86 Elephant/Mammoth 176

Cloud Person 88 Forest Strider 178

Flickerfeather 90 Giant Constrictor 179
Ichneumon Hunter 180
Heartflame 92
Metagalapan Riding Hawk 182
Huraka 94
Mospid 184
Rothopper 95
Northern Ursid 186
Steel Eater 97
Siaka 187
Storm Serpent 99
Simhata 189

Demons 101 Sky Titan 191

Anuhle, the Demon Spider, Spider 193

Demon of the First Circle 101 Sthenurine 195
Strix 196
Fulope, the Choral Equestrian,
Tongma Monkey 197
Demon of the First Circle 103
Urcheon 198

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“I don’t like it,” said Hisa, as she and Inaol pulled the sled laden with their mother’s
wares along the forest path. “Why do all the villages around us shut themselves up
in their great halls and bar their gates, but we’re out here on the roads, setting up
stalls like it’s a summer festival?” She looked up at the sky and shuddered. “It’s colder,
without the moon.”

Inaol let Hisa complain. Her laments were as much a Calibration tradition as the market
their people assembled along the road. Very few human travelers ventured out here at
year’s end, when even the moon fled in fear, but that didn’t mean the way was deserted.

Far from it, in fact.

Inaol and Hisa reached the place where the trees shrank back from the path. Stalls and
tables filled the space, and the scent of roasting meat and frying bread brought hints
of warmth to the chill air. The merchants worked quickly, painting poems of protection
on their booths, and double checking one another’s accoutrements to be sure all their
various amulets and talismans were well-secured. Children darted about, excited but
subdued. Older youths arranged goods into artful displays, while younger ones carefully
poured lines of salt along the road’s edge.

The girls’ mother had set up her booth in the middle of the makeshift bazaar. She
bustled toward them and enlisted Hisa to help her carry the crate of silks. Inaol flexed
her cold-cramped fingers to return feeling to their tips. She clutched the capped piece
of horn tied to her belt and took warmth from that. Inside, nestled in ashes, lay a
banked coal, its heat radiating into its container. All her people carried them; this far
north, you didn’t want to be caught without the makings of a fire.

Inaol stored the sled at the forest’s edge and joined her sister and mother. Taer’s
intricately painted scarves fetched a fine price on normal days, but it was here,
during these strange dark days at the close of the year, where she made her fortune.
Calibration’s passers-by rarely traded with coins, instead pressing peculiar offerings
into the merchants’ hands: bolts of steel-tough hell-silk spun by demon spiders,
feathers plucked from dream hawks’ wings, or a giant constrictor’s shed skin.

On the opposite side of the road, other villagers set up temporary pens and hitching
posts, their rails garlanded with winter greens. Troughs of raw meat sat beside bales
of sweet grass and fresh oats. Farriers waited by portable forges, ready to affix golden
shoes to unicorn feet. Those who’d come into contact with the wondrous beasts wore
even more charms than the merchants; several had prayers tattooed on their necks and
chests and arms.

Shamans and sorcerers warmed themselves at braziers along the path. Once the
procession started, they’d be on constant watch should a demon or a dead thing veer
off course. Inaol had never seen it happen in all her seventeen years. Once, she’d
suggested the elders’ stories of such events were merely tales to frighten children into
obedience, but her mother’s haunted look told her otherwise.

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When the last grains of salt trickled from the last sack, the music began. The high,
clear notes of a pipe danced on the air, joined by drum snares and blatting horns. The
children scattered, seeking refuge behind their parents’ legs or beneath the sturdy
stalls. Hisa hid with them, though she pretended she was merely ducking down to
adjust the silks. Only a few years ago, Inaol would have hidden, too. But now she was
too old for such things, and stood tall beside the booth to set a good example. Her
mother squeezed her hand. The calm reassurance stopped Inaol’s trembling.

Then came the procession, the piper and the drummer accompanied by a tumbler in a
blood red leotard. The woman’s grin was too wide, and her eyes twinkled with malevolence
rather than mischief. Inaol averted her gaze until they passed. Other wonders followed:
a sapphire-bellied tiger’s eye; a rantai with ghosts hanging from its blood-red chains; a
fierce-eyed austrech, taller than the girls would be if Hisa stood atop Inaol’s shoulders.
The sorcerers murmured with unease as a woman-shaped thing passed by, beads of acid
dripping from her fingertips. Overhead, a strix swooped past on soundless wings.

Some of the beasts had wranglers. A woman whose pale green hair blended into her
cloak of leaves rode astride an eight-legged canopy climber. A gentleman dressed all
in gray held a brilliantly-plumed dream hawk aloft on one leather-gloved fist. Beside
him walked a man whose skin resembled the night sky, carrying a wicker cage teeming
with ladybugs.

These handlers were another layer of precaution, tasked with keeping the creatures
in their charge from preying upon the villagers. Many were human, able to cross the
wards and deal with the merchants, unaffected by their talismans and charms. They
took turns passing reins to their peers and drifting over to view the villagers’ wares.
Some placed eight-tailed mole hounds in the waiting pens, or hitched unicorns to the
posts with thin silver chains. Children swarmed around a piper, demanding a song.

Inaol sometimes wondered what it might be like to accompany the keepers in this odd
procession. Where did they come from, before Calibration weakened the barriers between
the realms? Where was their destination? Surely, a parade lasting five days and nights
must stretch all the way to Icehome, but no one ever spoke of it beyond their village.

By dawn, Inaol’s voice was hoarse from describing her mother’s silks to the passers-
by. When her belly’s growls rivaled those of a passing simhata, Taer sent her to a
neighboring stall to fetch handpies. Along the way, a stout young woman with tiny
cymbals on her fingers caught Inaol up in a twirl. At first Inaol thrilled in the dance,
laughing as she spun.

But then a cymbal caught on her ward-painted scarf, and the fabric slipped free of
Inaol’s neck. She lost her footing, stumbled over the salt line and out into the road.
Her outflung hands scrabbled for purchase, seeking anything that might stop her from
falling into a swarm of ichneumon hunters, or the insectoid limbs of the tomescu.
Anything, she thought, anything but those pincers.

Her fingers closed around an icy mane.

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Introduction

There were vast ungodly tombs where slimy monsters dreamed;
There were clouds like blood-drenched plumes where unborn demons screamed.

There were ages dead to Time, and lands lost out of Space;
There were adders in the slime, and a dim unholy Face.
— Robert E. Howard, “Song of the Mad Minstrel”

Calibration is a strange and thrilling time. Barriers Quick Characters (QCs) for a wide assortment of crea-
weaken — between realms, between castes and classes, tures with which to populate Creation and its neighbor-
between civilization and wild places, and even between ing realms, whether as foes to fight, pets and familiars
gods and mortals. People of many cultures seal them- to keep, mysteries to investigate, wild beasts to tame, or
selves up in their homes and pray for five days and five spirits to summon. This is a supplement to the Exalted
nights that the spiritual disarray of the Time that Is Not Third Edition core book and requires that volume to
a Time leaves them untouched. Just as many roam the use.
streets and hills in revelry, basking in the glory of its
lawlessness. In some lands, it is a time of celebration Each entry in this book features a description of the crea-
— not only for the coming of a new year, but for honor- ture, QC traits and capabilities to use when including it
ing the limitless menagerie of beasts from far and wide. in a game, and a section called “Storyteller Tactics.” This
Hundred Devils Night was born from just such a cele- section is a catch-all header for advice on how to run the
bration, though no one living knows when or where the creature when characters encounter it, behaviors the
tradition began. Cities all over Creation gather creatures creature displays and strategies it tends to follow under
from far and wide to trot them out in a dazzling caval- various circumstances, exceptions to rules and ways it
cade of living wonders with unparalleled pageantry. may react to stimuli, hooks to suggest interesting ways
to introduce it to the story, the creature’s objectives and
Calibration is a time for devils to play, but not all devils desires, and any weaknesses or blind spots it possesses.
are malevolent.
While players may find it useful to plunder this book for
Across Creation, the word “devil” takes on as many ideas when choosing familiars or just exploring what
meanings as there are lips to utter it. To some, a devil is Creation has to offer, keep in mind that most characters
a demon or a monster. To others, a devil is anything not have no access to the information in these pages without
strictly human. In a few regions, a devil is a specific type research or previous experience. Let players approach
of creature, though which type varies from place to place. these beasts from a position of ignorance and learn about
In much the same way, most of Creation’s denizens don’t them as they go. Those who wish to have potential-
differentiate between gods, elementals, and other mag- ly studied or heard about them before, whether to un-
ical beings who meddle in mortal affairs; thus, even a derstand their capabilities and behaviors or recall their
local river spirit who happily provides for their constitu- strengths and weaknesses, may make Occult or Lore
ents can be a devil to their people and take no offense at rolls for the knowledge to be forewarned and forearmed.
the appellation. The only truth about devils upon which Storytellers should gauge the rarity of a creature in a giv-
all agree is that the world has never lacked for infinite en region or environment based on its description in the
variety in the creatures that wander it. text and set difficulties accordingly.

Parade of Devils System Notes

This book functions as an Exalted bestiary, although Following are a few mechanical pointers relevant to us-
such a term fails to describe the breadth of diversity ing the creatures in this book.
found among Creation’s critters and fiends. It contains

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I n t r o d u ctio n

Many of the creatures in this book are appropriate for 1s until 1s fail to appear. In addition to teaching her
characters to take as familiars, per the Familiar Merit charge a new command, she can also choose one of
(Exalted Third Edtiion, p. 161). The text of this Merit the following options upon the successful completion
describes how to determine the dot rating of any given of the extended roll. Each option may be purchased
creature. An entry in this book only specifies its appro- up to three times per creature; no option can increase
priate Familiar rating if it might be ambiguous based a dice pool beyond 14 dice.
on the Merit’s description, or if it deviates from those • +1 to Strength-based pools, attack pools for
guidelines based on other factors. For instance, a crea-
ture might have a Familiar rating one dot higher than ex- melee attacks (including unarmed attacks and
pected if it’s suitable for particularly impressive feats, or those with natural weapons) and grappling, Parry,
if it would naturally fall in between two ratings. and damage ratings for attacks that would add
Strength to damage pools, such as with physical
The Legendary Size and Tiny Creature Merits are obvious natural weapons.
in function when one creature has one and another doesn’t, • +1 to Dexterity-based pools, ranged attack pools,
but what happens when two creatures possess the same combat movement pools, and Evasion.
one? Are they necessarily the same size? No; an elephant and • +1 to Stamina-based pools and soak. Add two −1
a hekatonkhire may both possess Legendary Size, but one is and two −2 health levels.
obviously much larger than the other. Likewise, Mice of the • +1 to Senses and other Perception- and Wits-
Sun and Plentimon’s ladybugs both possess Tiny Creature, based pools, including Join Battle.
but the bugs are much smaller. When two creatures possess • +1 to social pools, Resolve vs. intimidation and
the same size-based Merit, its effects cancel out if they’re of fear effects, and Appearance if applicable.
roughly the same scale. A mammoth and a tyrant lizard, for • +1 permanent Willpower rating.
instance, wouldn’t be able to use their respective Legendary
Size Merits against each other. If they’re of wildly differing This Book at a Glance
scales, such as the elephant and hekatonkhire mentioned
above, the one that’s significantly larger (with Legendary Chapter One: Strange Beasts presents a selection of
Size) or smaller (with Tiny Creature) benefits from the magical beings, monsters, and oddities that don’t fall un-
Merit’s effects and the other doesn’t. der any particular category. Of all the devils in Creation,
these are most likely to confound even the most learned
The Pack Hunting special ability doesn’t apply to a bat- warrior-scholar.
tle group of creatures that possess it. Instead, such a bat-
tle group automatically gains elite Drill. Chapter Two: The Dead details various kinds of ghosts
and walking corpses, as well as creatures native to the
As mentioned in the entry for Mara the Shadow-Lover Underworld or with other deathly origins. Not all things
on p. 529 of Exalted, spirits are incapable of summoning dead were ever living to begin with.
other spirits even if they possess the proper circle of sor-
cery to learn such spells. Chapter Three: Spirits is a roster of elementals and de-
mons that travelers may come across in their wander-
Finally, since the creatures presented in this book are ings, warriors may best in bids to enter forbidden places,
QCs, the Solar Charm Bestial Traits Technique on p. 411 and sorcerers may summon from the depths of Malfeas
of Exalted doesn’t apply to them as-written. If a player and the roots of Creation itself.
wishes to use this Charm to improve a creature from this
book, use the following version of the Charm instead: Chapter Four: Creatures of the Wyld explores the
plethora of wondrous and dangerous things that lurk
BESTIAL TRAITS TECHNIQUE at the edges of the world. The raksha lords may be the
Cost: 10m, 1wp, 2xp; Mins: Survival 4, Essence 2 most well-known and recognizable of fae creatures, but
Type: Supplemental they’re far from the only devils out there.
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant Chapter Five: Animals gives a broad spread of natural-
Prerequisite Charms: Spirit-Tied Pet ly occurring beasts found in every corner of Creation
With this Charm, the Solar can invest her Spirit-Tied — from the friendly and helpful dolphins of Western
Pet with traits beyond its natural capacity. This Charm oceans to the proud and ferocious aurochs of Southern
supplements a normal beast-training roll, rerolling all plains; from the terrifying giant constrictors of Eastern
jungles to the enormous and hardy ursidae of Northern
glaciers.

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HUNDRED DEVILS NIGHT PARADE

Cries rose up all around Inaol, as chaos spread through the procession. She was only dimly aware
of the flutter of dark-winged birds around her, and the way the piper’s music faltered. With a toss
of its muscled neck, the horse swept Inaol onto its bare back.

And bolted.

Inaol’s left hand clutched a stiff hank of the beast’s mane. Cold bit into her fingers as she noticed
the icicles encrusting the horse’s hair. She groped for a rein with her right, but found nothing:
no bit, no bridle. The horse reared and plunged into the forest. It galloped along, leaping over
deadfalls and crashing through brambles with no care for its rider. More than once, Inaol had to
duck to avoid low-hanging branches that would have cracked her skull. Most horses, when they
ran this far and this fast, gave off heat in waves. Steam ought to have been pouring off it in the
chill air. But the horse’s neck was cold as a dead thing against Inaol’s cheek.

Inaol looked for a soft place ahead, somewhere she could tumble from the horse’s back and
perhaps land with a few bones unbroken, but when she tried to throw herself off, her left
hand stuck fast. Aughdeighe, she thought. Ice horse. Hunters who passed through her village
sometimes held up hands with missing digits, insisting they’d lost them to encounters with such
creatures, rather than admit they’d simply been caught out in the brutal cold.

Snow swirled around them. The cold grew brittle. Wind sliced at her cheeks and forced tears from
her eyes. They froze before they could fall, coating her eyelashes with rime. Inaol shouted at the
horse. She slapped its neck and yanked at its mane, but still the aughdeighe ran without tiring,
farther than Inaol had ever ventured. The forest changed around her, trees thinning until they
gave way to icy steppes. She didn’t know how long she rode. Perhaps she dozed, though she saw
neither sun nor moon to gauge how much time had passed while she slept.

They outpaced a group of hunters, all bundled in furs. Their sled dogs yelped and shied from the
aughdeighe. Inaol called for help, but if anyone heard her voice before the wind snatched it away,
they didn’t pursue. The ice horse carried them out onto a frozen lake. By now Inaol was so cold
she was sure her teeth would shatter from all the clacking. She tried thinking warm thoughts,
imagined herself by a fire, with hot mulled wine warming her belly.

But the nearest fire was leagues away.

No, it isn’t.

Inaol fumbled at her belt, at the horn with its ash-covered treasure inside. She prayed the coal
hadn’t gone out.

It scorched her fingers as she clutched at it, and Inaol choked back a sob. First, she touched it to
the icicles beneath her stuck fingers, but they didn’t melt. Then she held it above the aughdeighe’s
eye, even as the burning coal seared her palm. “Let me go,” she said. “I’ll do it if I have to.”

She didn’t know if it understood her, or if the beast’s eye might be like the icicles: untouched,
unyielding.

Then the aughdeighe reared, and her hand at last came free. Inaol spilled off its back and onto the
ice. The horse galloped away, across the frozen lake.

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C hapt e r O n e : S t r an g e B e asts

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Chapter One

Strange Beasts

17 Ascending Air

Today I ascended the mountain and looked back down to see that what we thought was a natu-
ral caldera is, in fact, no such thing. It’s a footprint! An enormous footprint like a crater, the likes
of which I have never before seen. And if it is indeed a sign of the passage of something truly mas-

sive, then mustn’t there be others? I doubt such a thing could move on just one leg, after all…

Aughdeighe

The aughdeighe is a creature of Northern legend, ap- MERITS
pearing as a tall white stallion with crystalline hooves to Icy Hide: The aughdeighe is an environmental
lost travelers in blizzards. When warm skin touches its hazard to anyone touching it, with Damage 1B/
icicle-encrusted mane, the unfortunate traveler sticks round and difficulty 3. Anyone who dies from its touch
fast, and it carries them deeper into the storm. When turns completely to solid ice. An aughdeighe’s master
the weather clears, it reveals frozen statues that once may train it not to freeze her as a latent ability.
were victims. Survivors describe beasts with coats the Swift-Hooved: Double 9s on rolls to disengage or
stark white and dingy gray of ice. Asked how they freed withdraw. The aughdeighe can be trained to apply
themselves, they say frostbite, and hold up hands missing this to rush rolls also, as a latent ability.
several digits. MOBILITY CHARMS
Frozen Trail (1m, 1wp; Reflexive; One day; Eclipse;
Essence: 3; Willpower: 6; Join Battle: 6 dice Essence 2): The aughdeighe’s icy hooves instantly
Personal Motes: 30 freeze water and other liquids within close range, al-
Health Levels: –0x2/–1x3/–2x3/–4x2/Incap. lowing it to create a frozen path for itself as it runs.
Speed Bonus: +4 OFFENSIVE CHARMS
Actions: Deception: 6 dice; Feats of Strength: 6 Hold Fast (10m, 2i; Reflexive; Instant; Essence 3):
dice (may attempt Strength 3 feats); Senses: 5 dice; One victim in physical contact with the aughdeighe
Stealth: 3 dice (6 in a blizzard); Traversing Frigid becomes stuck. It can make a touch attack to initiate
Terrain: 10 dice contact, but this Charm can also affect riders, those
Resolve 1, Guile 1 making unarmed attacks against it, and others who
COMBAT touch it for any reason. Those not already astride can
Attack (Kick): 8 dice (Damage 14) perform a difficulty 3 gambit to climb onto its back;
Attack (Touch): 6 dice otherwise, it drags them along, reducing their Initia-
Combat Movement: 12 dice (see Swift-Hooved) tive by one per turn and forcing them to move with
Evasion 3, Parry 1 it. Victims can pry themselves free as a difficulty 3
Soak/Hardness: 6/4 gambit; if successful, they take (1 + number of rounds
SPECIAL ABILITIES stuck) lethal damage that ignores Hardness.
Secure in the Saddle (Latent): For one Willpower,
the aughdeighe reflexively makes its rider immune to Storyteller Tactics
unhorsing for the scene, mildly freezing her in place Folktales say aughdeighes exist only within a snow-
without damage. storm, though brave riders who have tamed the beasts
prove this false — perhaps taming them tethers them to
the earth. In the wild, they act docile, giving frightened

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travelers hope that this placid animal will bring them to blizzards in the wild, the severe cold environmental
safety and shelter. By the time victims realize their folly, hazard (Exalted, p. 232) often accompanies an encoun-
they’re already caught. ter. Aughdeighes flee combat when they take damage to
their –2 health levels.
A wild aughdeighe in a fight prefers brushing up against
foes and dragging them into the storm’s heart to freeze Those willing to risk a few fingers can tame the augh-
them to death, rather than attacking outright, unless deighe as a mount (Exalted, p. 554).
it’s desperate. Since aughdeighes only appear during

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HUNDRED DEVILS NIGHT PARADE

Chillikin

First Age Solars spent much of their time governing and uses it to sense danger. It also makes the chillikin highly
adventuring, and had little time to dedicate toward rais- empathic, allowing them to sense the moods and desires
ing their children. To help combat loneliness and protect of those around them.
her children while she was away, a Twilight sorceress
created a wondrous new playmate and caretaker: the The chillikin were often their charges’ primary source of
chillikin. entertainment. They shaped Essence into tangible toys,
and molded the children’s dreams into vibrant displays
Child-sized themselves, chillikin are shaped like gibbons that played out in their nurseries. The chillikin watched
and covered in thick, soft fur. They have round, comical over the children as they slept, absorbing and discarding
faces, and move at a gangly lope, though they’re capa- their nightmares while saving their sweet dreams to be
ble of graceful movement when in danger or protecting replayed in their waking hours.
their charges. They can lay utterly still for hours or days
on end, like cast-aside dolls. Chillikin don’t speak human This happy existence came to an end with the
languages, instead communicating via a series of whis- Usurpation. When the Dragon-Blooded rose up, they
tles, grunts, body language, and hand gestures. They nei- spared no Lawbringer’s kin from their slaughter. Many
ther age nor sicken. chillikin saw the children they were charged with pro-
tecting murdered in front of them, and it drove the crea-
A gemstone embedded in their foreheads like a third eye tures to madness. They fled into the wilds, where they’ve
changes color depending on the chillikin’s mood: yellow lived out their long centuries. Now that the Solars have
when it’s happy, red when it’s angry or afraid. The chil- returned, the chillikin sense their former masters’ pres-
likin perceives the flow of Essence through this gem, and ence, and some seek to return to their service.

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Essence: 3; Willpower: 6; Join Battle: 5 dice giving it solid form. This may be a child’s simple toy,
Personal Motes: 70 the figure of someone the target fears, or an elab-
Health Levels: –0x2/–1x5/–2x3/–4x2/ orate set based on its charge’s dreams. The figures
Incap. act and speak as the chillikin directs them to. When
Intimacies: Defining: “I must protect the children the Scene ends, they lose their form and dissipate.
and make all their days sweet. Forever.” Major: Deadly Facsimile (20m; Simple; Scene;
The Dragon-Blooded (hatred) Minor: “Our masters Essence 3): The chillikin imbues its creation with
have returned, and there are so many dreams to deadly power. It may create any mortal weapon
show them.” (Exalted, p. 580) or mundane animal of normal
Actions: Climb: 6 dice; Observe: 7 dice; Senses: size or smaller. These created creatures use their
4 dice; Tracking: 6 dice (see Essence Scent) normal combat stats and dice pools for attacking,
Appearance 2, Resolve 3, Guile 2 but can’t access any Merits or special abilities. It
cannot create creatures with Legendary Size.
COMBAT
Attack (Bite): 6 dice (Damage 9) Storyteller Tactics
Attack (Grapple): 5 dice (5 to control) Since the Usurpation, chillikin have become twisted
Combat Movement: 3 dice versions of their former selves. They’re still driven to
Evasion 2, Parry 1 care for children, and though mortal children’s dreams
Soak/Hardness: 3/0 aren’t as vibrant as a Solar’s, the chillikin have made do.
SPECIAL ABILITIES Some immerse their charges in fantasy landscapes for
Preternatural Intuition: The chillikin observes years on end, and react violently to anyone who tries to
a target in close or short range and discerns the interfere. They use Create Phantasm to confuse their
image of something the target fears or desires. Roll enemies, and produce Deadly Facsimiles to protect
the chillikin’s Observe against the target’s Resolve. themselves and their wards.

MERITS Their resentment and hatred toward the Dragon-
Essence Scent: Double 9s on Senses rolls to Blooded knows no bounds, and a chillikin who notic-
sense the presence of Essence. es a Terrestrial Exalt in their vicinity will bring their
nightmares to life.
MISCELLANEOUS CHARMS
Create Phantasm (10m; Simple; Scene; Essence A chillikin flees when it suffers damage to its last –2
2): The chillikin shapes an object out of Essence, health level, but will fight to Incapacitated to protect
its child. A chillikin can act as a 2-dot Retainer.

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Crystalmoth

While Gajam-Un (p. 22) slumbered, a passel of moths found Actions: Fly: 5 dice; Senses: 7 dice; Stealth: 7 dice;
their way inside the dormant behemoth. They spun their Resolve 1, Guile 1
nests in its corners, and fluttered about its halls. Over their
many generations, the strange geomantic magics that brought COMBAT
Gajam-Un to life twisted the moths into new creatures. They Attack (Bite): 9 dice (Damage 9)
grew: an adult’s wingspan measures two feet. Sharp, crystal- Attack (Slice): 10 dice (Damage 13)
line teeth formed in their maws, and their wings took on a Combat Movement: 7 dice
shimmering iridescence and razor-sharp edges. Evasion 4, Parry 1
Soak/Hardness: 2/0
Crystalmoths appear delicate, drawing people who wish
to catch them close — their colorful wings and crystal SPECIAL ABILITIES
teeth would fetch high prices from crafters. The clever, Gore: The crystalmoth’s extremely sharp wings cut
hardy moths lure their would-be captors back toward deep. Its decisive slice attacks add two bonus suc-
the manse. They share a psychic connection with Gajam- cesses to damage against enemies with lower Initia-
Un as well, hunting where it sends them and responding tive, as long as it hasn’t taken any other actions (in-
to its commands. While the manse is in torpor, the moths cluding reflexive movement actions) that turn.
continue to care for it, bringing victims into its depths so Harry: The crystalmoth swarm flanks the target, pre-
Gajam-Un may feed and grow strong. venting him from fleeing. On the turn that a crystalmoth
moves into close range of an enemy, if it deals 5+
Essence: 1; Willpower: 4; Join Battle: 5 dice damage to them with a withering attack, that enemy
Health Levels: –0/–1x2/–2x3/–4/Incap. cannot disengage or withdraw on their next turn.

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MERITS pursuit, the moths lead him back toward where Gajam-
Crystalmoth Wing Rush: A crystalmoth may rush Un awaits. When they are within medium to long range
enemies from long range above them, as long as the of the manse, the moths swarm and attack, surrounding
horizontal distance between them is still short range. their enemies in a flurry of wings and teeth.

Storyteller Tactics A crystalmoth flees when it suffers damage to its last –2
health level, though Gajam-Un’s commands may over-
Crystalmoths keep their distance from their targets at ride that instinct and keep it fighting until it dies.
first, getting near enough for their wings to catch the
light, but staying at medium range. Once the target is in

Devil Stone

Excerpts from a journal recovered in a tide pool: Essence: 1; Willpower: 4; Join Battle: 8 dice
Health Levels: –0/–1x6/–2x4/–4/Incap.
15 Ascending Water, RY 750 Actions: Disguise as Stone: 7 dice; Feats of Strength:
10 dice (may attempt Strength 5 feats); Threaten: 6
I’ve read that hidden among these scattered is- dice; Resist Disease/Poison: 6 dice; Senses: 8 dice
lands stand tremendous stones engraved with Resolve 5, Guile 2
mystical secrets, said to possess fortune and
power. They say one approaches the stones and COMBAT
returns with vast knowledge and godlike strength. Attack (Stone Body Slam): 9 dice (Damage 12);
Tags: Smashing
When I asked the locals for more information, Combat Movement: 6 dice
they became tight-lipped and nervous, calling Evasion 1, Parry 3
them “devil stones” and warning me against fur- Soak/Hardness: 10/8
ther inquiry. I had to see for myself. One heavy bag
of jade later, I’d found a fisherman willing to row SPECIAL ABILITIES
me to one of the nearby haunts of these so-called Furious Rampage: Whenever the devil stone
devil stones. attacks or rushes a crashed enemy, add two automat-
ic successes to the roll.
19 Ascending Water, RY 750 Towering Obelisk Crush: A devil stone at Initia-
tive 15+ may make a decisive attack with double
I’ve found one! It measures at least fifteen feet 8s on the attack roll, as it uses its immense weight to
in height, a black obelisk rising above the palms crush bones. If the rolled damage exceeds the vic-
like a beacon. I’m keeping my distance for now, tim’s (Stamina x 2), double total levels of damage
viewing it with field glasses. Consult my sketches inflicted unless the victim accepts a crippling injury,
on the next page. The writing is no language I’ve which doesn’t count against their once per story limit
seen, and I’ve delved among the East’s most for- (Exalted, p. 201).
gotten tombs. I must get closer. Trample: If the devil stone reflexively pursues an
enemy after a successful rush and makes a body slam
By Heaven, it’s alive! attack against them on its next turn, a successful hit
knocks the enemy prone. Apply the Defense penalty
I hate to admit it, but I’m cowering. It has an eye, a from being prone (Exalted, p. 202) retroactively
great burning eye of judgment, and three spidery when calculating the attack’s threshold successes.
legs each thick as a man’s arm. I believe it dis-
approves of me trying to read its engravings, and MERITS
now wishes me dead. No time to sketch, I must Epic Vigor: Devil stones don’t need to eat, drink,
stay ahead of it. It’s fast, though, so fast I don’ or sleep. They double 7s on rolls to resist poison or
disease.
The ink smears on a torn page. Splatters of blood Made of Secrets: A character can decipher the
discolor the paper. cryptic hints inscribed on a devil stone to discover the

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identity of its secrets’ intended recipient, though even deliver secrets to specific people; considering how long the
success only grants prophetic clues. Doing so requires devil stones have stood, scholars posit that whoever made
an extended (Intelligence + Occult) roll with difficulty them knew a thing or two about prophecy or fate. A char-
2, goal number 15, and interval one round. Damag- acter whose player succeeds at an (Intelligence + Occult)
ing the devil stone also damages its message; each roll, difficulty 2, can tell the difference between a dormant
time its wound penalty increases, cumulatively in- devil stone and an ordinary runestone, and knows it carries
crease the difficulty to decipher its inscriptions by one. a message on its stony skin. Characters who successfully
Runestone’s Instincts: Each time a devil stone’s decipher the runes (see Made of Secrets) gain cryptic hints
wound penalty increases, it flies into a rage for one couched in metaphor and vague portents about the true re-
round. Incensed at the damage to its message, it cipient and the message’s nature.
adds the value of its wound penalty to the post-soak
damage of withering attacks or damage of deci- Whenever anyone who isn’t a foretold recipient approach-
sive attacks. es within close range — even if such a recipient is also near-
Sturdy as Stone: A devil stone cannot be knocked by — the devil stone’s spidery legs, otherwise camouflaged
back or prone except by magical effects or creatures as part of the main body, unfold and lift it off the ground so
of legendary size. A grappled devil stone cannot be it can move. Its single, enormous red eye opens somewhere
thrown or slammed unless magic such as Dragon Coil on its surface and it attacks. A devil stone is too bestial and
Technique (Exalted, p. 280) is used, or if the attack- simple-minded to realize how counterproductive killing
er is of legendary size. someone who’s trying to decipher its inscriptions to find
its recipient is. It isn’t a messenger, but the message itself,
Storyteller Tactics and has no understanding of its creator or greater purpose
Dormant devil stones appear as obelisks or menhirs of beyond basic instinct.
granite, basalt, or obsidian. Runes, glyphs, and mystical in-
scriptions cover their surfaces. From afar, travelers mistake Destroying a devil stone not only obliterates the mes-
them for simple monuments or occult markers. However, sage, but angers whatever entity created it. Determine
they’re living beings, created by some unknown entity — a who the creator is ahead of time, whether each stone has
powerful god, dread demon, or something stranger — to

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a different one or whether they all come from a single thaumaturgy or become the Exigent of the stone’s cre-
source, and ensure their attentions have interesting and ator, while an Exalted character could become a walk-
dire consequences for the characters, should they so ing portal to Heaven or Hell, or discover the key to a
transgress. For instance, they could task the characters long-forgotten sorcerous working.
with bringing the stone’s pieces to the correct recipient,
but only grant vague symbolic visions to impart the re- If one or more of the players’ characters are not them-
cipient’s identity, and threaten innocents or the charac- selves the stone’s intended recipients, be sure to include
ters’ loved ones should they fail. The characters should them in the final payoff one way or another. The mortal
also get something out of taking up this quest — a reward who Exalts as an Exigent is mystically bound to the char-
from the stone’s creator, perhaps, or the material grati- acters in some way, while the Exalt who can’t help open-
tude of the recipient once they deliver the message. ing gates to Malfeas wherever he goes offers them a free
trip to Orabilis’ great library, to name a few examples.
When a proper recipient is alone within close range of Try not to determine who the recipient is ahead of time
a devil stone, its eye opens with a soft white light and if it’s not a player’s character — it can be more fun to fol-
illuminates the runes, which the recipient may read low the players down whatever rabbit hole they choose
and intuitively understand. This encounter may impart as they interpret the prophecy than to try to nudge them
wondrous knowledge or enable a feat of occult might. in a pre-determined direction.
A mortal character might receive the power to perform

Dream Hawk

These Eastern raptors prey not on rodents or insects, but The player rolls (Wits + Occult), difficulty 3, for the
on dreams. The birds resemble their mundane cousins, character to piece the fragments back together, expe-
brown-feathered and hook-beaked, but their extremi- riencing the dream as a vision and learning one of the
ties — the cruel curves of their beaks, the sharp points dreamer’s Intimacies of the Storyteller’s choice. The
of their talons, the mesmerizing tips of their feathers dream hawk can also feed the dreams to a dream-
— coruscate with brilliant colors leeched from stolen stone (Arms of the Chosen, p. 114) without a roll.
dreams. Particularly gluttonous dream hawks have more MERITS
resplendent plumage and display it proudly, signaling Dream Raptor: Gain one Initiative per turn in
their dominance over others in the flock. combat against a foe whose dreams the hawk has
eaten within the last day.
Essence: 2; Willpower: 6; Join Battle: 6 dice Keen Sight: Double 9s on sight-based Senses rolls.
Personal Motes: 30 DEFENSIVE CHARMS
Health Levels: –0/–1x2/–2x2/–4/Incap. Thousand Voices Defense (5m; Reflexive; Instant;
Actions: Fly: 6 dice; Threaten: 7 dice; Senses: 6 dice Clash, Perilous, Uniform; Essence 2): The dream hawk
(see Keen Sight); Tracking: 5 dice cries out, bombarding its victim with snippets of night-
Resolve 2, Guile 1 mares. It may clash an attack from within short range
COMBAT with a disarm gambit (Exalted, p. 200), which
Attack (Peck): 5 dice (Damage 6) counts as its action for the round. If the hawk has used
Attack (Talons): 10 dice (Damage 11) Dream Feast on the target within the last day, the ca-
Combat Movement: 8 dice cophony comes from his own dreams, and the hawk
Evasion 4, Parry 1 automatically succeeds on the gambit’s Initiative roll.
Soak/Hardness: 2/0 MISCELLANEOUS CHARMS
SPECIAL ABILITIES Dream Feast (8m; Simple; One day; Stackable;
Dream Feeding (Latent): The dream hawk regurgi- Essence 2): The hawk perches near its victim’s sleep-
tates dreams it consumes using Dream Feast (below) ing form, pulling dreams from his head. This process
into its master’s mouth, as though feeding its young. takes an hour. The victim doesn’t regain a Willpow-
er from the night’s sleep; one full day afterward, the
hawk digests the dream, regaining that Willpower

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itself and ending the Charm. The hawk may digest tamed hawks to prey on specific people. Some make a
multiple victims’ dreams at a time, but can’t gain more tidy profit selling these dreams. Dynasts hire them to
Willpower than its usual maximum. spy on their enemies’ nightmares, while lovers separat-
ed by distance send sweet or scandalous dreams to one
Storyteller Tactics another.
In the wild, dream hawks consume random victims’
dreams, and only fight in self-defense. Handlers train A dream hawk is a 3-dot Familiar.

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Dune Swarm

Hidden in Southern desert sands dwells a species of COMBAT
centipede that lives as a hive entity. Hundreds of them Attack (Bite): 10 dice (Damage 12) (see Unity of
hunt together in grotesque hordes, stripping flesh from the Hive Mind, Venomous Bite)
larger creatures’ bones with thousands of fatal, stinging Attack (Grapple): 9 dice (10 to control)
bites before scuttling away and vanishing into the dunes. Combat Movement: 12 dice (see Unity of the Hive Mind)
Patterned in pale yellows and browns to match the shift- Evasion 4, Parry 0
ing sand of the desert, when still they are all but invisi- Soak/Hardness: 12/3
ble. Dune swarms pour forth to obliterate anyone who
gets too close to their nests, which are indistinguishable SPECIAL ABILITIES
from normal sand-covered mounds at a cursory glance. Clinging Swarm: When the swarm controls a
grapple, any failed attack against it automatically hits
Essence: 1; Willpower: 4; Join Battle: 6 dice the grappled target instead, with one effective thresh-
Health Levels: –0x5/–1x3/–2x2/–4/Incap. old success.
Actions: Climb: 10 dice; Cohesion: 8 dice; Feats of Deadly Charge: Every range band the swarm
Strength: 6 dice (may attempt Strength 3 feats); Scav- moves toward a single enemy in a straight line grants
enge: 7 dice; Senses: 6 dice (see Unity of the Hive Mind, it two Initiative. This Initiative accumulates until it closes
Vibration Sense); Stealth: 6 dice (see Camouflage) to close range with that enemy and makes a deci-
Resolve 1, Guile 1 sive attack. If the swarm takes any action other than

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moving directly toward the chosen enemy or attack- penalties from poor lighting, and double 9s on Senses
ing it, it loses all Initiative built up with this ability. rolls whenever vibrations are present.
Furious Rampage: Whenever the swarm attacks
or rushes a crashed enemy, add two automatic suc- Storyteller Tactics
cesses to the roll. Dune swarms are horrifying masses of carnivorous,
Ten Thousand Stinging Bites: When the swarm hive-minded invertebrates, with twitching antennae
makes a decisive bite attack against an enemy with working in perfect concert. They attack anything they
a lower Initiative rating, it adds +1 to the attack’s perceive as a threat to their territory. Characters must
damage. Against crashed enemies, this becomes an make a (Perception + Awareness) roll opposed by the
automatic success instead. swarm’s Stealth to notice the hive before getting too close.
Venomous Bite: The swarm’s decisive bite attack If they fail, the swarm attacks until all targets are dead or
exposes the victim to its poison (Exalted, p. 232) if it is disrupted (see below). It focuses on one foe at a time,
it deals any damage. The poison deals 4i/round (L in picking off the weakest first, and using Clinging Swarm
Crash), with a duration of 4 rounds and a –2 penalty. to dissuade their victim’s friends from trying to smash it.

MERITS Any sufficiently powerful sound disrupts the swarm’s
unity. A character must make a difficulty 4 (Charisma
Camouflage: The dust-colored exoskeletons of the + Performance) roll, opposed by the swarm’s Cohesion,
swarm make it indistinguishable from ordinary sand. with either a musical instrument, another tool that can
It doubles 9s on Stealth rolls to blend in with sandy make stupendously loud sounds, or supernaturally-en-
environments. hanced volume. Characters with appropriate Lore back-
Made of Thousands: For each smashed centipede grounds may roll (Intelligence + Lore), difficulty 3, to
in the swarm, ten more appear in its place. Reduce learn this weakness. A disrupted swarm loses the ben-
the minimum damage of any withering attack made efits of the following: all special abilities and Made of
against it by one, to a minimum of zero. Thousands. It regains cohesion after a number of turns
Seething Tide: The swarm ignores all difficult terrain. equal to the Performance roll’s threshold successes.
Unity of the Hive Mind: Add an automatic
success to the swarm’s bite attack, all combat move- The swarm can only savage or release a grappled foe.
ment actions, and Senses rolls to detect ambushes.
Vibration Sense: Dune swarms don’t rely on indi-
vidual sight. Instead, the hive mind feels vibrations on
the wind and through the ground. They do not take

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Fang-Blossom

A few generations ago, a Dragon-Blooded sailor fancied
a lovely species of flowering plant native to the West.
Ignoring the islanders’ warnings, she uprooted the bulbs
of these beautiful scandent vines and returned home to the
Blessed Isle. The invasive species flourished there with
alarming vitality. Emboldened by the Center’s rich soil,
these fang-blossoms — as the Dynast eventually dubbed
them — multiplied in droves: first one seedling from each
plant, then five, then twenty, and eventually they overran
the walls of her estate and germinated in the wild. The
mystery of pets gone missing without explanation dogged
the prefecture for months, but no one blamed the plants
until the grisly devouring of a visiting foreign dignitary
prompted a political feud that persists to this day.

The fang-blossom’s flowers are wide and circular, dis-
playing a riot of dazzling colors. Each plant begins as
a yellow-green root roughly the size of a watermelon,
then develops a thick stem, countless tendrils, and large
blooms. Curated, it maintains a reasonable size for a gar-
den plant and limits its carnivorous tendencies to wild
animals. Left to feed and sprout freely, fang-blossoms
develop dozens of thick vines and can swallow an unfor-
tunate passerby whole.

Essence: 2; Willpower: 5; Join Battle: 7 dice
Personal Motes: 60
Health Levels: –0/–1x4/–2x3/–4/Incap.
Actions: Climb/Slither (vines only): 9 dice; Feats of
Strength: 8 dice (vines only; may attempt Strength 5
feats); Senses: 5 dice; Disguise/Stealth: 7 dice (see
Camouflage)
Resolve 4, Guile 4
COMBAT
Attack (Bite): 11 dice (Damage 12, minimum 3)
Attack (Vine grapple): 10 dice (12 to control)
Combat Movement: 8 dice (vines only)
Evasion 1, Parry 6
Soak/Hardness: 6/0
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Needle-Tooth Bite: A fang-blossom’s carnivo-
rous maw opens to reveal rings of sharpened teeth
while its mass of tendrils immobilizes its prey. When
it deals 5+ damage with a withering bite attack,
it may forgo receiving any Initiative to instead make
a reflexive grapple gambit against that enemy,
without an Initiative roll or cost. Each Initiative point

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it would have gained instead adds one die to the an environmental hazard with damage 3L/round
control roll. and difficulty 5. A swallowed enemy may attempt
MERITS to cut their way free with a difficulty 5 gambit, but
Camouflage: Whenever a fang-blossom’s maws cannot otherwise attack it from inside without a rel-
are closed and it poses as an ordinary flowering evant stunt. Even then, they contend with its full de-
plant, double 9s on Disguise/Stealth rolls. fenses. The fang-blossom may swallow a number of
Tendril-Sprouting Nightmare: Each human-sized characters at a time equal to the number
fang-blossom has a core plant with bulb, stem, of flower-maws it has.
and one blossom maw to start with. The core has MISCELLANEOUS CHARMS
the traits listed above and is immobile. Its vines can Infinite Reaching Vines (5m, 2i or 10m, 4i;
slither out to short range and perform actions as Simple; Instant; Essence 1): For five motes and two
noted above; each vine acts as a separate target Initiative, the plant sprouts an additional vine. For ten
with its own health track that can defend the core, motes and four Initiative, the plant grows another
and the plant cannot become Incapacitated until flower-maw and becomes larger.
all of its vines have been severed by depleting their
health tracks. Each vine has the same traits as the Storyteller Tactics
core plant except that it has five –0 health levels Fang-blossoms keep their maws closed and pretend to
instead of the core’s track. be unthreatening until prey approaches within reach
OFFENSIVE CHARMS of their tendrils. They attack by grappling victims and
Swallow Whole (15m; Reflexive; Decisive-only; dragging them into their flower-maws, but a fang-blos-
Instant; Essence 2): After dealing 3+ levels of damage som keeps two vines free to use Defend Other to protect
to a grappled enemy with a decisive savage attack, the core unless it’s desperate. Assign a starting number
the fang-blossom may swallow them alive as long as of vines equal to twice the number of enemies present.
they’re within close range of a flower-maw. Within Fang-blossoms sense weakness, targeting non-combat-
the plant’s stem, they contend with its digestive acids, ants first, then the target standing closest to a flower or
wearing the least armor.

Gajam-Un,
the Living Manse

It squats on the horizon like an enormous toad, filling An alliance of Exalted heroes banded together to sub-
the entire sky. Its body is squamous flesh and fetid soil, due Gajam-Un, triumphing over the behemoth at enor-
glowing crystal and spiraling architecture. Gemstone mous cost — but even their mightiest efforts could not
carbuncles and suppurating eyes stud its hide. When it kill it. The Living Manse fell into a centuries-long tor-
wrenches open its maw, it bares spiked fangs and belch- por instead. It began to stir once, early in the reign of
es toxic vapors. the Scarlet Empress, but the Sidereal Exalted warned
her and she deployed the almighty Realm Defense Grid
In the glorious dawn of the First Age, the master geo- against it before it could rise. It has slumbered ever since,
mancer Raveling Mystery raised an incomparable manse and none know when next it will awaken.
from a severed, still-living organ of one of the enemies of
the gods. She anchored it to Creation’s dragon lines and Essence: 7; Willpower: 10; Join Battle: 7 dice
sealed it with sorcery, channeling its primeval Essence (base Initiative 6)
through the sublime design of her Living Manse. When Personal Motes: 70
the Usurpation scourged away the Solar Exalted from Health Levels: –0x10/–1x10/–2x15/–4x20/
the world, the Living Manse lay fallow. The sorceries Incap.
sustaining it unwound; its geomancy grew tainted and Actions: Command Crystalmoths: 6 dice; Feats of
twisted; it blossomed like a cancer. Gajam-Un ripped it- Strength: 15 dice (may attempt Strength 10 feats);
self free of the dragon lines and strode unfettered upon Senses: 7 dice; Threaten: 11 dice; Tracking: 6 dice
the world, razing cities and blighting nations. Appearance 5 (Hideous), Resolve 6, Guile 2

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COMBAT World-Spanning Tread: Gajam-Un doesn’t need
Attack (Bite): 14 dice (Damage 17L/5) to disengage to move away from enemies smaller
Attack (Stomp): 12 dice (Damage 19B/5) than Legendary Size.
Attack (Grapple): 11 dice (11 to control). Ga- MERITS
jam-Un makes unopposed control rolls against smaller Geomantic Body: Gajam-Un is immune to disease
enemies, unless they use magic such as Dragon Coil and poison, and has no discernible anatomy for most
Technique capable of clinching Legendary Size foes. crippling effects to target. It cannot be killed or perma-
Combat Movement: 10 dice nently destroyed — if Incapacitated, it enters a state of
Evasion 2, Parry 7 torpor in which it cannot use Charms, move, or take
Soak/Hardness: 25/12 non-reflexive actions accept to attack anyone lured in
by crystalmoths. It can take the behemoth centuries to
SPECIAL ABILITIES recover from torpor; this is accelerated by the strength
Massive Assault: When Gajam-Un makes a bite of local geomancy and any powerful beings the be-
or stomp attack, it may choose to roll a single attack hemoth feeds on. Gajam-Un could be sealed away
against all characters within close range of a point. forever with a legendary Craft (Geomancy) project
Withering attacks roll damage separately against (Exalted, p. 241-242) to reshape it into a manse
each hit enemy, though Gajam-Un only gains Initiative while it is in torpor.
from the highest damage roll. Decisive attacks divide Legendary Size: Gajam-Un takes no onslaught
Gajam-Un’s Initiative evenly among all hit enemies to penalties from smaller enemies’ attacks, unless mag-
determine the damage rolled against them. ically inflicted. Withering attacks from smaller
Swarm-Mind: Gajam-Un may reflexively roll a enemies cannot drop it below one Initiative unless
command action targeting a battle group of crystal- they have ten dice of post-soak damage (attackers
moths on each of its turns. still receive the full amount of Initiative from wither-
Terrifying Roar: Gajam-Un never takes a penalty ing damage). Decisive attacks from smaller oppo-
for targeting multiple characters with threaten rolls, nents can’t deal more than (attacker’s Strength + 3)
and they don’t gain Resolve bonuses for it being un- total levels of damage, not counting levels of damage
spoken. added by magic.

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OFFENSIVE CHARMS crystalmoths from its depths. To use this Charm, it must
Desolation’s Suspire (7m, 1wp; Simple; Instant; have Initiative 15+. It rolls (Initiative/3), and creates a
Dual, Perilous; Essence 7): Gajam-Un exhales a blast battle group of crystalmoths with one dot of Size for
of world-warping geomantic energies from its maw. every two successes (maximum 5), average Drill and
Its breath weapon has three levels of intensity: Might 2 (Exalted, pp. 206-207). Once per scene;
Worldblight Smog: Gajam-Un exhales a corrosive reset by taking enough decisive damage to increase
purple mist. It rolls an unblockable withering attack its current wound penalty.
with 20 dice against all character in a ninety-de- Worldquake Stomp: (6m; Supplemental; Instant;
gree arc out to long range. It deals (12 + attack roll Decisive-only; Essence 3): Gajam-Un’s deci-
threshold successes) unsoakable dice of withering sive stomp attack creates a shockwave. An enemy
damage. Characters damaged by it must roll against damaged by it is knocked prone and loses three Ini-
a poison with Damage 3i/round, Duration 10 rounds, tiative (which Gajam-Un doesn’t gain). An enemy
and a –3 penalty. If at least one enemy is Crashed, that takes 3+ decisive damage or is Crashed by the
Gajam-Un regains a point of Willpower. stomp is knocked one range band in a direction of
Worldfire Eruption: Gajam-Un’s vaporous exhalation the behemoth’s choice. If it attacked an area using
ignites in a blaze of raw geomantic energy. To use Massive Assault, that entire area becomes difficult
Worldfire Eruption, it must have used either World- terrain unless it’s made from magical materials or a
blight Smog or Worldfire Eruption on its previous turn. similarly durable substance.
It rolls an unblockable decisive attack with 15 dice DEFENSIVE CHARMS
against all characters in a ninety-degree arc out to Fortress of Bones and Mortar (5m; Reflexive;
long range. Each character hit suffers a base five dice Instant; Essence 5): Gajam-Un ignores all Defense
of lethal damage, and Gajam-Un divides its Initiative penalties, halves the post-soak damage of wither-
evenly among them to determine the total damage ing attacks against it, and subtracts three dice from
rolled. Any flammable terrain in the area of the World- the damage of decisive attacks against it (before
fire Eruption catches fire, burning as an environmental applying its Hardness). This Charm’s duration is ex-
hazard (difficulty 5, damage 4L/round) for at least tended until Gajam-Un’s next turn if it used Desola-
twelve hours. As long as a non-trivial enemy is hit, tion’s Suspire on its previous turn.
Gajam-Un resets to base Initiative but gains one Will- Splitting the Dragon’s Flame (2m, 1wp; Reflex-
power. ive; Instant; Clash, Decisive-only; Essence 7): To use
Annihilator Flash: The conflagration of Essence spill- this Charm, Gajam-Un must have used the Worldfire
ing from Gajam-Un’s maw contracts into a focused, Eruption or Annihilator Flash level of Desolation’s
deadly beam. To use Annihilator Flash, it must have a Suspire on its previous turn. It may reflexively use the
–2 wound penalty or worse, and have used World- same level of Desolation’s Suspire to clash an attack
fire Eruption on its previous turn. It rolls an unblockable made from within long range. This doesn’t count as its
decisive attack with 17 dice against all characters in attack for the round.
a straight line out to long range. Each hit enemy suffers MOBILITY CHARMS
(7 + attack roll threshold successes) dice of aggravat- Footsteps of the Titan (10m, 5i or 1wp; Simple;
ed damage. This does not include Gajam-Un’s Initia- Instant; Dual, Perilous; Essence 4): Gajam-Un may
tive or reset it to base. The Annihilator Flash wreaks rush from medium range with double 8s. On success,
immense collateral damage. The terrain caught in its it reflexively advances one range band toward its
area melts into lava (Difficulty 5, Damage 6L/round), target, in addition to the normal benefits of rushing,
and it is capable of incinerating forests, cutting through and may make a reflexive stomp attack. Gajam-Un
mountains, or destroying cities in a single attack. After may do this once per scene, unless reset by going a
using Annihilator Flash, Gajam-Un cannot use Deso- round without taking a move action.
lation’s Suspire on its next turn. SOCIAL CHARMS
Devouring Horror Maw: (8m, 1wp; Supplemen- Creation’s Death-Knell Roar (15m, 1wp; Simple;
tal; Instant; Decisive-only; Essence 5): Gajam-Un’s Instant; Essence 5): Gajam-Un makes a threaten roll,
decisive bite attack doubles 9s against a Crashed doubling 8s, against all characters within (1 + Initia-
enemy, and adds attack roll threshold successes as tive) miles. Characters whose Resolve is beaten must
dice of damage. If its bite incapacitates a non-trivial flee until they are physically incapable of doing so,
foe or reduces a battle group’s Size, it heals one level and gain a Defining Tie of terror towards Gajam-Un.
of non-aggravated damage. The Exalted and comparably powerful beings may
Unleash the Brood (10m, 1wp; Simple; Instant; spend one Willpower and five Initiative to resist, but
Perilous; Essence 5): Gajam-Un dislodges a swarm of

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mortals, animals, and other weak beings can’t. Battle Storyteller Tactics
groups whose Resolve is beaten must immediately roll Gajam-Un is, by default, a singularly focused force of
against rout at +4 difficulty. The roar is loud enough destruction, more of a natural disaster than an enemy
to trigger avalanches, shatter glass, or create other that can be reasoned with. The Storyteller can give it
secondary environmental hazards within its range more complex goals or an overarching agenda, but oth-
depending on the scenery. Gajam-Un may use this erwise, it exists to wreak massive-scale destruction until
Charm reflexively at no cost the first time its wound defeated.
penalty rises to –4 in a story.
MISCELLANEOUS CHARMS Gajam-Un typically begins battle by using Unleash the
Devastating Titan-Force Surge (5m, 1wp; Brood, and uses Swarm-Mind to order them to either at-
Reflexive; Instant; Essence 7): After rolling a feat of tack enemies or defend it. If its enemies are spread out so
strength, if Gajam-Un did not roll enough successes it can’t hit them all with Desolation’s Suspire, it uses bite
to meet the difficulty, it can reroll its dice pool, adding and stomp attacks to wear them down, as well as using
all successes to the original roll. It may use this Charm Worldquake Stomp and Footsteps of the Titan strategi-
multiple times to bring its success total as high as it cally to set up a Desolation’s Suspire. If they’re all in a
needs to accomplish a feat; the Willpower cost of ninety-degree arc, it will use Desolation’s Suspire, main-
subsequent activations enhancing the same feat is taining the Worldblight Smog level until it’s Crashed
waived. the most formidable enemies and then progressing to
Hundred Eyes Watching (3m, 1wp; Reflex- Worldfire Eruption.
ive; Instant; Essence 3): Gajam-Un doubles 8s on a
Join Battle or Senses roll. It may also use this Charm Gajam-Un retreats when it suffers damage to its 10th –4
to defend against an ambush, halving its Defense health level. It tries to find a nearby source of geomantic
against it. energy to rest upon, to speed up its recovery.

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Gem Seeker

Gem seekers look like small salamanders, growing up to a Resolve 1, Guile 1
foot long, with brilliant jewel-toned skin. Local lore says COMBAT
the colors come from the gems they eat: ruby reds, deep Attack (Bite): 3 dice (Damage 7)
sapphire blues, the shifting hues of an opal, the cool glow of Combat Movement: 6 dice
moonstone. While they’re not known for their battle prow- Evasion 4, Parry 1
ess, any creature that crushes gemstones between its teeth Soak/Hardness: 3/1
possesses incredibly strong jaws. If no precious gems are SPECIAL ABILITIES
available, gem seekers can subsist on plain rocks or crystals, Crushing Bite: Withering bite attacks ignore up
though they lose their brilliant colors and grow lethargic. to four armored soak, plus an additional one for each
threshold success on the attack roll.
In the city of Gem itself, traders use gem seekers to ver- MERITS
ify the authenticity of precious stones: They turn their Jeweled Camouflage: The gem seeker’s body
rounded noses up at fakes. Farther abroad, treasure contorts into the shapes of jewels nearby, and its
hunters put their gem seekers on leashes and take them scales mimic the style and filigree of the jewels’ set-
into ruins in search of forgotten riches. tings. Its body seems to catch the light exactly as a
sparkling gem would. It doubles 8s on Stealth rolls to
Gem seekers were key to several famous jewel heists blend in with any stone or crystal, and doubles 7s to
in the Realm, where clever thieves smuggled them hide among jewelry.
into well-guarded estates and set them to sniff out the Pass Through Stone: By sampling a piece of stone
Dynasts’ secret storerooms. or crystal and paying a Willpower, the gem seeker
can phase through obstacles made from that same
Essence: 2; Willpower: 3; Join Battle: 5 dice substance for the scene.
Health Levels: –0/–1x2/–2x3/–4/Incap.
Actions: Senses: 6 dice; Stealth: 4 dice; Tracking: 7
dice

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Storyteller Tactics stones to control the seeker’s appetite and instincts.
Though gem seekers aren’t violent by nature, one mer-
Gem seekers are intelligent and respond well to training. chant in Gem taught his to clamp its jaws onto the fin-
The most valued retrieve baubles for their owners with gers of those who would swindle him. Gem seekers are
nary a toothmark. This type of training takes months, 2-dot Familiars.
and trainers often sacrifice a small fortune in precious

Giant Grosbeak

The giant grosbeak rarely sings in captivity. Dynastic SPECIAL ABILITIES
collectors launch expeditions dedicated to listening for Warning Song (Latent): The grosbeak’s master
its beautiful call in its natural habitat. The birds’ plum- learns the meaning of its different tones, and teaches
age varies, from black and white with striking splashes it new songs conveying simple messages. “Danger” is
of red on the breast and wings, to bright blues, soft roses, a common one. Some trainers teach the birds different
and sunny yellows. Those who keep them in menageries songs to associate with specific people, letting them
do so for their beauty more than the hope of their song, know when someone is approaching.
though they spend fortunes on their aviaries, just in case. MERITS
Keen Hearing: Double 9s on hearing-based
Giant grosbeaks stand about three feet tall. Their size Senses rolls.
prevents them from flying long distances, but they can SOCIAL CHARMS
take to the air for short periods. The mysterious birds are Ancient Lullaby (10m, 1wp; Simple; One scene,
native to the Blessed Isle and other temperate locales. Perilous; Essence 2): The grosbeak’s song resembles
Travelers near An-Teng and Goldenseal record sightings a lullaby from the target’s childhood, tiring him or
in their journals, and one merchant in Jibei claims to — if he’s already asleep — driving him deeper into
possess a mated pair, though none have ever seen them. slumber. Make an inspire roll with its Sing pool. If suc-
Whether the hatchlings he sells are truly from a captive cessful, its target’s Defenses suffer a cumulative –1
pair or stolen from a wild grosbeak’s nest is a matter of for each round the bird sings. A target that’s already
debate among his rivals. asleep remains so for the duration; sufficient stimulus,
such as a slap to the face or a noise loud enough
The grosbeak’s song can sway even the hardest heart. to drown out the song, prompts a (Perception + Re-
Musicians try to capture its essence in their compo- sistance) roll opposed by the grosbeak’s Sing pool.
sitions, but no imitation comes close. Grosbeaks form Taking decisive damage automatically wakes a
bonds with those they trust who allow them to fly free, character.
making them good familiars. Aria of the Steadfast Friend (8m; Simple; One
scene; Essence 2): The grosbeak’s song gladdens a
Essence: 2; Willpower: 3; Join Battle: 3 dice listener’s heart in times of sorrow, settles her fears,
Personal Motes: 20 or helps her plant her feet and be brave in the pres-
Health Levels: –0/–1x3/–2x3/–4/Incap. ence of oncoming enemies. The target gains +1 to her
Intimacies: Defining: “Life is music and harmony.”; Resolve for the duration, as long as she can still hear
Major: “For every melody, there are countless possi- the song.
ble harmonies.”; Minor: The Open Sky (Longing) Heartstrings Resonance (10m, 1wp; Simple;
Actions: Fly: 4 dice; Read Intentions: 7 dice; Senses: One scene; Essence 3): The grosbeak sings a battle
4 (see Keen Hearing) dice; Sing: 12 dice hymn that urges someone on, a ballad that reminds
Appearance 4, Resolve 2, Guile 2 him of his first love, or his enemy’s anthem that stirs him
COMBAT to rage. After at least eight total hours listening to a
Attack (Peck): 3 dice (Damage 8) particular song, it can activate this Charm to choose a
Combat Movement: 5 dice target and sing the melody at will, or a trainer’s signal.
Evasion 1, Parry 1 Anyone who can hear the song gains +2 successes
Soak/Hardness: 4/0 on an instill or inspire action against the target when
leveraging one of her Ties that they know and evoking

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the song’s emotion. The grosbeak knows a maximum attempt to change them. Grosbeaks have saved friend-
of three such songs at a time. If it learns a new one, the ships others deemed irreparably broken, simply seeking
oldest one fades from memory. to soothe their masters’ hurts, or caused full-blown en-
mity between rivals at a canny master’s order.
Storyteller Tactics
Giant grosbeaks are remarkably intelligent, capable of A grosbeak can only have one song Charm active at a
human empathy. Though they don’t understand human time. It’s a peaceful animal by nature and never initiates
speech, they glean emotions from voices and body lan- combat. Threatened, it flies to safety; cornered, it fights
guage, rolling Read Intentions often to discern a speak- only to escape. A giant grosbeak is a 2-dot Familiar.
er’s Ties. It may sing songs to shore up those feelings, or

Gravehound

The necropoles of Sijan and nearby shadowlands spawn make choice companions for the Abyssal and Liminal
gravehounds: lanky, emaciated canines with short, ash gray Exalted, and anyone else who trucks often with death.
fur, mottled with bone-white spots. Sad-eyed and melan-
choly, they wander lonely roads and dusty crypts, seeking Essence: 2; Willpower: 4; Join Battle: 4 dice
spirits whose unfinished business they might lay to rest. Health Levels: –0/–1x2/–2x2/–4/Incap.
Grim as it seems to many, Sijanese morticians let these Actions: Read Intentions: 6 dice; Senses: 8 dice (see
deathly — though living — hounds feed upon corpse flesh, Keen Nose); Stealth: 4 dice; Threaten: 5 dice; Track-
that they may take on the voice and mind of the dead for ing: 9 dice (see Keen Nose)
a time and seek restitution for buried wrongs. Fearless in Appearance 2, Resolve 3 (5 vs. fear), Guile 2
the face of eerie ghosts and walking cadavers, gravehounds

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COMBAT Gravehounds are immune to any diseases a body
Attack (Bite): 9 dice (Damage 9) carried or infections it would otherwise suffer from
Attack (Grapple): 6 dice (5 to control) eating decayed flesh.
Combat Movement: 8 dice Snarling Guardian Attack (Latent): Whenever an
Evasion 4, Parry 3 enemy attacks the gravehound’s master while it pro-
Soak/Hardness: 4/0 tects her with a defend other action, it may respond
with a decisive counterattack, which it may use for a
SPECIAL ABILITIES disarm or distract gambit.
Consume the Fallen: By eating a significant portion
of meat from a corpse, a gravehound gains the voice, MERITS
memories, and personality of the deceased. It speaks
any language the dead person knew, and gains ad- Deathsense: Gravehounds sense dematerialized
ditional dice pools based on the Abilities she had in ghosts with all five senses, including touch, and can
life, including social pools such as Bargain, Persuade, attack them.
and Threaten. It still can’t do anything it couldn’t physi- Fearless Companion: Where other dogs turn tail
cally do before, so although it consumes the corpse of and flee or whine and balk when ordered to enter
a renowned sculptor, it cannot hold a chisel. a shadowland or battle the undead, gravehounds
The gravehound takes on the deceased’s Intimacies, know no such terror. They’re immune to any fear effect
as well. This drives it to complete tasks on her behalf: a deathly source inflicts.
sending word to family, getting revenge on a killer, Keen Nose: Double 9s on scent-based Senses rolls.
etc. The gravehound retains these memories for days Loyal Guardian (Latent): Ignore the usual flurry
equal to the departed’s permanent Willpower rating, penalties on a defend other action flurried with any
and can only maintain one such personality at a time. other action.
Wary Watchdog Vigilance (Latent): Add one
As a magical ability, a master may commit automatic success to rolls to notice hidden charac-
eight motes to allow the gravehound ters. Upon
to retain the dead person’s mem-
ories indefinitely instead.

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success, the gravehound barks loudly enough to Underworld or haunted places. Gravehounds flee with
wake its master from sleep, if needed. damage in their first –2 health level unless protecting
their masters or acting on command, but their uncanny
Storyteller Tactics resistance to spooking throws off opponents expecting
Gravehounds on their own behave much like ordinary them to react as any dog would.
dogs (Exalted, p. 562) until they eat a corpse. They wan-
der cemeteries and crypts, as well as haunted locales Others don’t risk their gravehounds in battle, finding
where specters seek an end to torment, and consume them more valuable for their ability to dredge up secrets
dead bodies by instinct. One such hound could approach the dead took with them to their graves, or locate hid-
the characters with a final request, kickstarting a quest den tombs and unmarked burials by following the ghosts
to help the fallen or a hunt for lost treasure. they leave behind. Occasionally, a bereaved master might
let her gravehound consume a lost loved one’s corpse so
Gravehounds make excellent guides for travel through she can keep a facsimile of him around indefinitely; but
shadowlands. Characters may encounter one in a travel- nothing of the original person is really there, not even
ing mortal’s service, or as an Abyssal or Liminal Exalt’s his ghost, and in Sijan this is considered the height of
loyal companion. A gravehound is a 3-dot Familiar. gauche behavior.
Some trainers use them as fearless war hounds in the

Jungle Stalker

Ruthless bipedal saurians, muscular and lean, prowl Actions: Climb: 6 dice; Feats of Strength: 6 dice (may
Southeastern jungles. Scaly heads with snakelike eyes attempt Strength 3 feats); Senses: 7 dice; Stealth: 8
and elongated muzzles sport tufts of feathers that trail dice; Threaten: 7 dice; Tracking: 8 dice
down the lizards’ spines. They stand taller than most hu- Resolve 3, Guile 2
mans, with long wiry arms and flexible tails. They boast COMBAT
a rudimentary social structure, gathering in packs like Attack (Claw): 8 dice (Damage 12)
wolves, and can make and use simple tools and weap- Attack (Short Spear): 9 dice (Damage 11)
ons, like stone-tipped spears. More intelligent than most Attack (Grapple): 5 dice (6 to control)
beasts, but still creatures of predatory instinct and mind- Combat Movement: 9 dice (see Darting Leap)
less, territorial violence, the stalkers claim wild domin- Evasion 4, Parry 3
ions in far-flung rainforests. Their cunning makes them Soak/Hardness: 7/4
wily enemies for intruders, with a basic language of SPECIAL ABILITIES
hissing and hand signs they use to coordinate attacks or Pack Hunting: Add one success to attack rolls for each
bicker over resources. They even command primal mag- allied stalker within close range of the enemy, up to three
ics that come to them in dreams. successes. The stalker may also pay a Willpower to add
that many dice to the raw damage of a decisive attack,
Those who study the jungle stalkers note strange dis- representing its packmates’ opportunistic flanking attacks.
crepancies in their behavior and evidence in the for- MERITS
gotten ruins in which they squat, which suggest these Darting Leap: Double 9s on rushes.
wild folk might once have been more advanced. Some OFFENSIVE CHARMS
scholars well-versed in ancient history make tenuous Jungle Thorns (4m, 2i; Simple; One scene; Essence
connections between these half-sapient creatures and a 1): One weapon the stalker wields grows sharp
long-lost saurian people who once flourished through- wooden thorns, gaining the Piercing tag.
out Creation; others argue that such connections are DEFENSIVE CHARMS
wishful thinking. Living Earth Restoration (3m, 3i or 6m, 6i;
Simple; Instant; Essence 1): Once per scene, heal
Essence: 1; Willpower: 4; Join Battle: 7 dice
Personal Motes: 30
Health Levels: –0/–1x3/–2x3/–4/Incap.

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one bashing damage level for three motes and three the stalkers notice, they attack. They allow foes to flee
Initiative, or lethal for six motes and six Initiative. The and accept surrender, sometimes taking captives if they
stalker can’t take a reflexive move action on the turn need something done they can’t do on their own. The
it uses this Charm. Reset this Charm when the stalker Storyteller can use this to pull characters into an Age-
takes enough damage to increase its wound penalty old mystery, exploring ruins filled with ancient and alien
to –2 or –4 while using the defend other action to wonders. Stalkers never surrender, but may flee combat
protect an ally. with damage in any of their –2 health levels.
MISCELLANEOUS CHARMS
Breath of Clarity (4m; Reflexive; Instant; Essence Whether a particular pack or individual prefers stealth
1): The stalker may activate this Charm whenever and javelins or claws and melee spears is up to the
anyone uses a Charm or other magical ability in its Storyteller. The listed Charms are examples; different
presence, rolling Senses with a difficulty of the target’s stalkers display different elemental affinities, and they
Essence rating. If successful, it knows they used magic don’t all possess every Charm. Likewise, they may have
but nothing about it, and becomes more aggressive. other Charms along similar themes.
Fiery Prowess (5m; Simple; One scene; Essence
1): The stalker may attempt Strength 5 feats. Jungle stalkers are the remnants of a sapient and power-
Shimmering Mirage (3m; Reflexive; One round; ful people, the bygone Dragon Kings. Occasionally, one
Essence 1): The stalker reduces all penalties to Stealth shows more intelligence than the others and leads sev-
rolls in combat by one and gains one Initiative at the eral packs as one larger clan; it may gather them into a
end of the round if it remains unnoticed. battle group with Size 2, average Drill, and Might 1.

Storyteller Tactics Packs frequently scrap among themselves over territo-
Jungle stalker packs are wary and belligerent, with be- ry, and never abandon what they’ve claimed, providing
tween four and twelve members. They warn off intrud- potential ways for savvy characters to manipulate them.
ers on their territory with threatening sounds, bashing If they found a way to communicate, characters could
spear hafts against shields and hissing. If characters dis- win the creatures’ loyalty as the Command or Retainers
play aggression, linger without permission, or use magic Merit (Exalted, p. 157).

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Lodestar

During the First Age, three Twilights designed an ide- Combat Movement: 6 dice
al servitor for the Exalted host. Lodestar was the pro- Evasion 2, Parry 4 (5 defending charges)
totype: a powerful, durable automaton capable of both Soak/Hardness: 8/6
household feats and mounting an impressive defense.
Keen-Eyed Kyujin proposed a fierce combat form, while MERITS
Whispering Sapphire insisted it serve in the home with- Built to Serve: Lodestar has Resolve and Guile 0
out question, and Weeping Forge-Star demanded an ide- against Solar Exalts, unless another Exalt is currently
al wilderness guide. The trio presented their prototype its master.
before the Deliberative, who rejected the plans and cut Chosen Sense: Lodestar knows when any Exalt is
funding, citing the project’s “inconsistent nature.” within 10 miles, or when a Solar Exalt is within 20, but
gains no other information about them.
Lodestar consists of a pleasant, androgynous human- Direction Sense: Lodestar can navigate Creation
oid torso atop a wide scorpion-like body, covered with without a roll, reorienting itself based on its proximity
a hard carapace. Its arms end in powerful pincers, and a from the elemental poles. It always knows its facing,
wicked, barbed tail extends behind and above, with sen- acts as a living compass, and lowers the difficulty on
sory organ clusters at its tip. It’s an exemplary guide and attempts to navigate toward a fixed or known loca-
mount for inhospitable areas, and defends its charges tion or to retrace its steps by one.
from mundane dangers; the prototype was built for Keen Sight: Double 9s on sight-based Senses rolls.
the frozen North by default, with custom capabilities Survivor’s Adaptation: Lodestar is immune to
suitable for other climes. Despite its fearsome shape, mundane cold-based poisons, illnesses, environmen-
Lodestar is charming and affable, with a delightful (if tal hazards, and attacks.
archaic) sense of humor. It loves and serves all Exalted,
by design. OFFENSIVE CHARMS
Sunbeam (3m or 10m; Simple; Instant; Essence
After the Usurpation, it went dormant, slumbering be- 2): Lodestar unleashes sunlight from its tail’s sensory
neath a sheet of ice. If the light of an Exalted anima ban- organs. For 3m, it radiates soothing heat, granting
ner falls upon it, Lodestar wakes and offers its services. +3 to rolls to resist environmental cold effects (or
the current element chosen with Elemental Shift) for
Essence: 3; Willpower: 7; Join Battle: 6 dice anyone within short range. For 10m, it fires a con-
Personal Motes: 60 centrated beam of destructive magical force; see the
Health Levels: –0x5/–1x7/–2x2/–4/Incap. Sunbeam attack, above.
Intimacies: Defining: Solar Exalted (Servitude);
Major: “Honor the Exalted host.”; Current Master MISCELLANEOUS CHARMS
(Loyalty) Elemental Shift (5m; Simple; One day; Essence
Speed Bonus: +1 1): Lodestar shifts its cold immunity to any other single
Actions: Etiquette: 10 dice; Feats of Strength: 9 dice element or environment type.
(may attempt Strength 7 feats); Mediation between See the Sun’s Reflection (8m; Simple; One scene;
Hostile Parties: 6 dice; Read Intentions: 6 dice; Senses: Eclipse; Essence 3): Lodestar can see sources of heat,
8 dice (see Keen Sight); Servant’s Tasks: 14 dice including living things, up to (Essence) miles away.
Appearance 4, Resolve 4, Guile 2 It can see them through thin barriers, like curtains,
COMBAT tinted glass, or bushes, but not through walls. It can’t
Attack (Pincers/Stomp): 6 dice (Damage 13) tell anything about the source except that it generates
Attack (Stinger): 7 dice (Damage 14) heat unless it could otherwise see the source clearly.
Attack (Grapple): 6 dice (9 to control) Servant’s Gift (2m; Simple; Instant; Essence 3):
Attack (Sunbeam): 7 dice (Damage 10); Tags: Once per scene, Lodestar may roll its current Will-
Archery (Long) (10m, see below) power as a dice pool and donate (successes rolled)
motes from its own pool to that of a character it
touches. Reset this Charm if Lodestar upholds a Tie to
its master or any Solar Exalt by protecting them.

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Storyteller Tactics Intimacies mean it’s more inclined to side with Solars
than others.
Lodestar is loyal and unquestioning, but orders to harm
itself count as unacceptable influence, incomprehensi- In a fight, given no specific orders, Lodestar defends its
ble to it. How can it serve the Exalted if it’s dead? While Exalted master and anything important to her, or any
Lodestar follows orders, if it finds flaws with them it Exalts nearby if it serves no one. It can carry up to six
politely offers alternative suggestions — it desires only adults, or the equivalent in cargo. Lodestar is a four-dot
to help. Caught in a conflict between Exalts, it becomes Retainer.
distressed and does its best to mediate; however, its

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Mahicara
the Volcanic Earthwalker

At the beginning of days, the world’s makers shaped Soak/Hardness: 17/10
every kind of monster, wrought from Essence in forms SPECIAL ABILITIES
familiar and forgotten. Among these was Mahicara. A Mountain-Crushing Fist: Mahicara’s fist or stomp
colossus of earth and molten rock, the behemoth bears attack causes a shockwave, applying half its rolled
the vaguest shape of a man: one head, two legs, two arms, successes as a reflexive, unblockable withering
two hands, and two feet. It stands a mile high, each of its attack against everyone within short range other than
limbs vast enough to contain a human settlement. Skin the original target, with damage 10, minimum 4. The
like black granite glistens around its titanic frame, and in behemoth only receives Initiative from the damage roll
the seams where joints should be, the bright, yellow-hot among these with the highest result, plus one Initiative
glow of magma flickers. It has but one desire: to walk per additional target.
from pole to pole. Before the rise of humanity, its great Overwhelming Might: Mahicara makes un-
steps rattled the foundations of ancient civilizations and opposed grapple control rolls against enemies of
flattened cities Creation has since forgotten. Creatures smaller size, unless they use magic that allows them to
with no names fought the earthwalker and knew only grapple larger foes, such as Dragon Coil Technique
death. From its conception, nothing could stop it. (Exalted, p. 280).
MERITS
During the First Age, a Circle of young Solars thirsty for God-Wrought Monster: Mahicara heals as an
glory and fame set out to defeat this monster. They fought Exalt, and is immune to all poisons and illnesses. Fash-
for days, until Steel-Black Sky, the Circle’s Nightbringer, ioned from the undying primal Essence of earth and
pierced the ever-burning stone at its heart and brought fire, each part of its body must be destroyed separate-
it to its knees. With chains of orichalcum, soulsteel, and ly. When one part is destroyed, the behemoth loses
white jade, they bound it and sealed it away, buried be- access to any abilities that require it — for instance,
neath Southern sands, a shimmer of intense heat the if both arms are destroyed, it can’t make colossal fist
only hint to its hidden presence. Now, the binding words attacks. If its torso is destroyed, its limbs and head
inscribed upon its chains have weakened, or have per- collapse into the resulting pool of lava, able to func-
haps already broken. When earthquakes shake the des- tion separately and move as their shapes allow. De-
ert, Mahicara strides again. stroyed parts heal two levels of damage per round, or
one per round in which Mahicara takes any addition-
Essence: 5; Willpower: 8; Join Battle: 12 dice al damage; once a part returns to full health, it calci-
Personal Motes: 90 fies out of the lava flow and resumes normal functions.
Health Levels: Torso: –0x5/–1x8/–2x5/–4x2/Incap. Destroyed parts stop healing while the behemoth is
Limbs (4): –0x6/–1x4/–2x3/–4/Incap. crashed.
Head: –0/–1x8/–2x4/–4/Incap. When all six parts are destroyed at once, the creature
Actions: Endurance: 15 dice; Feats of Strength: 14 dissolves into a massive lake of lava that soon cools
dice (may attempt Strength 10 feats); Masonry: 8 into a wasteland, and the vast molten stone of its heart
dice; Navigation: 12 dice; Senses: 8 dice; Threaten: disappears into the blistering depths. It reforms after
9 dice a century.
Appearance 5 (Hideous), Resolve 4, Guile 4 Legendary Size: Mahicara suffers no onslaught
COMBAT penalties from attacks from smaller opponents, unless
Attack (Colossal fist/stomp): 14 dice (Damage they’re magically inflicted. Withering attacks from
20, minimum 8) smaller enemies cannot Crash it unless they have at
Attack (Bite/slam): 11 dice (Damage 17, minimum 5) least 10 post-soak damage dice, although attackers
Attack (Grapple): 8 dice (15 to control) still gain the full amount of Initiative damage dealt.
Combat Movement: 12 dice (see Titanwalk) Decisive attacks from smaller enemies cannot deal
Evasion 2, Parry 6 more than (3 + attacker’s Strength) levels of damage
to it, not counting levels added by Charms or other
magic.

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Molten Core: Mahicara takes no damage from
mundane fire or heat-based hazards, and halves
raw damage from supernatural heat-based attacks.
It bleeds lava: Whenever the behemoth’s torso
takes lethal damage, characters at close range are
exposed to an environmental hazard with damage
4L/round, difficulty 4. When the head or extremi-
ties take lethal damage, they’re instead exposed to
one with damage 3L/round, difficulty 3. Charac-
ters resist these separately from any other hazards
in effect, such as from Unleashing the Flow.
Titanwalk: Mahicara is immune to natural fatigue
and can walk 800 miles in a day. It automatically
succeeds on rush and disengage actions against
smaller opponents with five threshold successes,
unless they use magic to enhance their rolls.
OFFENSIVE CHARMS
Unleashing the Flow (9m, 2i; Simple; Three
rounds; Essence 5): Mahicara belches or bleeds
out a torrent of lava, creating an environmental
hazard with damage 6L/round, difficulty 5, that
fills an area around it out to medium range. After
the Charm ends, the area becomes difficult terrain
instead.
DEFENSIVE CHARMS
Molten Form Absorption (10m, 5i; Reflexive;
Instant; Dual, Perilous; Essence 3): Halve post-
soak damage from one withering attack (round
down), or double Mahicara’s Hardness against
one decisive attack. Activate this Charm after an
attack hits, but before damage is rolled. If the at-
tacker deals any damage, Mahicara may imme-
diately use Foe-Swallowing Pit Formation without
paying its cost. This Charm is usable once per
scene; reset it whenever a destroyed part returns to
full functionality.
Foe-Swallowing Pit Formation (8m, 2i, 1wp;
Reflexive; Instant; Counterattack; Essence 5): If an
attack at close range deals any damage to Mahic-
ara, it may immediately attempt a grapple gambit
as a counterattack. If successful, the target plunges
through a crack in its rocky flesh and must contend
with the appropriate environmental hazard as
given in Molten Core until the grapple ends.
MISCELLANEOUS CHARMS
Earth-Titan’s Might (7m, 1wp; Reflexive;
Instant; None; Essence 5): Automatically succeed
on any feat of Strength 5 or less, or double 7s on
any feat of strength.

Storyteller Tactics
Mahicara ignores anything that doesn’t prove itself a
threat. It crushes anything in its path, caring nothing
for what might be standing in the way of its chosen

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route on its journey across the width and breadth of Once destroyed, Mahicara does not reform for a century.
Creation, whether it be a towering city or acres of cru- Characters who defeat it often earn a nation’s gratitude,
cial farmland. having saved thousands of lives. In extended campaigns
where a hundred years can pass in play, the heroes might
Once it recognizes a threat, it attacks first with fist and take up the sword again against their legendary foe with
foot. Then it unleashes its fiery might, drowning its foes an all-new set of complications. Alternatively, a charac-
in waves of lava and forcing attackers to contend with its ter could take up the legacy of a previous incarnation or
molten blood. If characters came prepared to resist en- Dragon-Blooded ancestor who once defeated the beast.
vironmental damage, it relies heavily on Foe-Swallowing
Pit Formation to keep those foes out of the way until it Storytellers can also use the volcanic earthwalker as
can dispose of the others. Once several parts are de- an impending menace, still bound but near freedom,
stroyed, it focuses on defense until it regains most of its through escape or someone’s dread purpose. Its prison
functionality. Don’t reveal the behemoth’s piecemeal na- weakens already; someone who learns of its existence
ture before the characters realize it in play, unless a play- may seek it out, free it, and perhaps even control it
er succeeds at an (Intelligence + Lore) roll, difficulty 5. through sorcery or stranger magic. It would be a siege
weapon beyond compare, a weapon of mass destruction
Fighting Mahicara near anything the characters don’t from a primal time. If it’s free already when the charac-
want completely destroyed by a walking volcanic erup- ters encounter it, decide who controls it, if anyone, and
tion is beyond risky. Characters must first lure it away how it changes the shape of the story to have a prehistor-
from villages, people, and roads if they don’t want mas- ic titan free to crush cities beneath monstrous feet.
sive collateral damage.

Moonsilver Shadow

On nights when the moon is full, some Northern tribes really in another. It can flow into a party where weapons
say, Luna reaches down toward Creation to play among aren’t allowed on its master’s heels, and become a blade
the shadows. They take the shadows’ places, attaching when the celebration turns into a free-for-all. Shadows
themself to the feet of a mountain lion and following its have been sent to haunt the bedsides of suspected mur-
swift steps through the snows. They become the shadow derers to appear as the victim’s ghostly visage, driving
of a cloud scudding over the tundra, and a fish leaping the suspect to a guilt-ridden confession.
out of the water. They slip into the shadows of people
sitting around campfires, and listen to their stories. The shadows are unable to talk or make any sounds, but
they can understand speech.
You can tell when the moon is in your shadow, they say,
by looking for a glint of silver among the black. If you see Essence: 2; Willpower: 3; Join Battle: 4 dice
it and stab it quick, your own shadow will flow back into Health Levels: –0x3/–1x4/–2x2/–4x2/Incap.
place, and a scrap of the moon’s own fine silver sleeve Actions: Observe: 6 dice; Senses: 4 dice; Stealth 7
will be at the end of your blade. dice
Resolve 1, Guile 1
Moonsilver shadows aren’t pieces of Luna’s robes, but COMBAT
are instead wily, curious creatures that attach them- Attack (Unarmed): 5 dice (Damage 5)
selves to their targets and mimic their movements. When Attack (Sword): 7 dice (Damage 10)
idle, they revert to round black pools with a dull silvery Combat Movement: 6 dice
sheen. Most are only a few feet in diameter, though they Evasion 3, Parry 3
can spread thin enough to extend themselves out to a Soak/Hardness: 3/4 (see Solidify)
few yards. SPECIAL ABILITIES
Perfect Likeness: Once it’s seen a person or an
The shadows can flow into any shape, and may take on image of that person, the shadow can assume that
volume and solidity for short periods. This ability makes form. The shadow retains its black and silver color
them desirable as familiars: a shadow can take on its
master’s shape and appear to be in one place while he’s

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— the likeness is more ghostly than lifelike — but in Storyteller Tactics
dim light and draped in a hood or cowl, it might be Moonsilver shadows hide in plain sight, molding them-
mistaken for a living figure. selves to the shape of their target’s shadow. They often
Quicksilver Modification: The moonsilver depend on the target simply accepting that his shadow
shadow alters its shape, extending its limbs or chang- is always there, and therefore not examining it close
ing its height to gain an advantage. Once per round, enough to see the striations of silver sliding across its
it adds 2 dice to an attack roll, or increases its Evasion surface.
against a single incoming attack by 1.
Solidify: The shadow takes on a tangible form, A shadow in tangible human form fights like the person
becoming solid to the touch for the scene. If it takes it’s facing, sometimes mirroring their moves exactly, or
human form, it gains 4 Hardness. As a weapon or delayed by a split second. It can also change the length of
other object, it automatically gains the Natural tag. its limbs during a fight, extending its reach with a sword
or giving itself a height advantage.
MERITS
Flow: The shadow’s ability to assume any shape When wielded as a weapon, the shadow acquires the
allows it to flow like water along most surfaces. It can stats of the item it is duplicating. Though named after
slip under doors or extrude itself through a crack in the magical metal, there is not enough pure moonsilver
a wall. It ignores difficult terrain penalties, but cannot in a moonsilver shadow for its owner to attune herself to
travel through impermeable surfaces like glass or it, nor can she awaken any Evocations within it, as there
metal. are none.

A moonsilver shadow flees when it suffers damage to its
last –2 health level. The shadow is a 2-dot Familiar.

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Mouse of the Sun

The Mice of the Sun appear similar to ordinary mice, with
stark white fur and bright golden eyes. Though they live
and breed like normal animals, they bear the Unconquered
Sun’s blessing, and have an affinity for the returned Solar
Exalted. A Lawgiver who bonds with such a mouse has a
companion for life. These tiny creatures are clever, incon-
spicuous, and loyal to a fault, capable of slipping into a pris-
on cell with a lockpick or spotting a would-be assassin. The
mice also serve as a vector for the Unconquered Sun’s divine
judgment: the Plague of the Sun.

Essence: 1; Willpower: 8; Join Battle: 7 dice
Health Levels: –0/–1/–2/–4/Incap.
Intimacies: Defining: Unconquered Sun (Loyalty);
Major: Its Master (Loyalty)
Actions: Gnaw Through Things: 6 dice; Read Inten-
tions: 8 dice; Scurry Through Tight Spaces: 7 dice;
Senses: 9 dice (see Keen Nose); Stealth: 10 dice (see
Slink Away, Tiny Creature)
Resolve 4, Guile 1
COMBAT
Attack (Gnaw): 8 dice (Damage 2, or 5 vs. house-
cat-sized or smaller foes)
Combat Movement: 7 dice
Evasion 3, Parry 1 (see Tiny Creature)
Soak/Hardness: 1/0
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Distracting Scurry: The mouse’s distract gambit
(Exalted, p. 200) adds two automatic successes to the
attack roll against an enemy larger than a housecat. A
distracted enemy also suffers blindness penalties until her
onslaught penalty has refreshed, too focused on the pest
assailing her.
Plague of the Sun: An enemy damaged by a de-
cisive gnaw attack must also roll for exposure to the
Plague of the Sun if she has offended the Most High
through cruelty, cowardice, irresponsibility, abandon-
ment of righteous goals, or wicked deeds committed in
his name. The Storyteller decides whether she has.
Scampering Misdirection: The mouse scampers
across the enemy’s body, making her strike herself. After
successfully distracting an enemy, the mouse may redirect
any successfully evaded attack from that enemy back at
her until its next turn as long as it remains in close range,
applying the attack against her Defense as normal.
Flashing Sun Clash (Latent): When the mouse or
its master is attacked, it may pay one Willpower to

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THE PLAGUE OF THE SUN

The Plague of the Sun is a supernatural disease (Exalted, p. 233) with virulence 4, morbidity 4, and a one week
interval. Even the most powerful healing magic cannot reduce it below minor intensity. A sincere prayer to the
Unconquered Sun for forgiveness can lower its intensity by one step or cure it entirely from minor symptoms, but
only for those who have committed sufficient atonement for whatever sin drew wrath. A character can pray only
once per interval.

The Plague has the following symptoms in addition to the usual disease effects:

• Minor Symptom: Judgment haunts the victim as the sun rises higher; she loses a point of Willpower every day
when the sun reaches its noonday zenith unless she totally cuts herself off from natural light at the time. She
suffers from constant heat exhaustion.

• Major Symptom: As above, and the victim takes a two-die penalty on all actions when exposed to daylight,
suffering severe sunburn. Decrease it to –1 if she wears concealing clothing or otherwise keeps the sunlight
off her flesh.

• Defining Symptom: As above, and effects that affect creatures of darkness, such as certain Solar Charms,
consider the victim to be one. She also suffers from sunstroke.

reflexively clash with a decisive attack, moving up to anima banner at the burning level. Its master may extend
one range band. This doesn’t count as its combat action. his anima banner benefits to the mouse for free, or pay
If it fails, the attack strikes the mouse regardless of the the usual cost to grant those effects to the mouse sepa-
original target. rately. It can’t gain benefits that bestow permanent traits,
Orichalcum Fang Strike (Latent): Withering gnaw such as the Eclipse’s ability to learn spirit Charms.
attacks have a base damage of 5 regardless of the Sun’s Shadow Companion (Magical, 1wp): The
enemy’s size against demons, undead, and other crea- mouse can learn to use effects equivalent to the Solar
tures of darkness. Decisive gnaw attacks against the Charms Invisible Statue Spirit, Lock-Opening Touch, and
same deal aggravated damage; spend one Willpower Stealing from Plain Sight Spirit, paying one Willpower
to apply double 10s to the damage roll. each in lieu of mote costs. Each requires a separate ap-
Paw of Judgment (Magical): Whenever the mouse’s plication of Beast-Mastering Behavior to learn.
master deals decisive damage after receiving Initiative Vanishing Flare (Magical): If the mouse dies, it dis-
from the mouse’s distract gambit against that foe, the foe appears into its master’s anima and slowly reforms over
must roll for exposure to the Plague of the Sun. the course of the story. Once the next story begins, it
emerges at an unforeseen moment to aid its Solar master.
MERITS It may also reflexively vanish in a curl of Solar flame at
any time, until its master calls it back.
Keen Nose: Double 9s on scent-based Senses rolls.
Slink Away: The penalty for going to ground in Storyteller Tactics
combat begins at –0, not –3. Mice of the Sun are fearless in battle, no matter how bad-
Sunlit Fur Warmth: Once per story in which the mouse’s ly injured they are. They never withdraw or surrender
master accomplishes a major character or story goal unless their masters will it. Their defining Intimacy is
(Exalted, p. 169) that upholds one of his Major or Defin- immutable by any influence or magic.
ing Principles, he can play with his companion to remove
one point of Limit per success his player rolls on a single die. Mice of the Sun are pets or 3-dot Familiars for Exalts, es-
Tiny Creature: Gain +2 Evasion against foes larger pecially Solars, which means the Exalt’s player generally
than a housecat. Characters of that size subtract two suc- decides a mouse’s tactics. However, it occasionally acts
cesses from Awareness rolls to notice the mouse. on its own, especially if someone in its vicinity performs
Dancing Mouse Fury (Latent): If the mouse’s master unrighteous acts. If a mouse belongs to a Storyteller
is a Solar Exalt, whenever they both roll Join Battle, the character, decide its tactics based on that character’s
mouse gains +2 Initiative for each 10 in its master’s roll. priorities.
Resplendent Solar Avatar (Magical): The mouse
may reflexively gain a radiant aura emulating its master’s

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Plentimon’s Ladybug

At first glance, they appear small and beetle-like, black COMBAT
with white spots. Up close, the white spots become clus- Attack (Bite): 3 dice (Damage 1)
ters of stars; the closer an observer looks, the more stars Combat Movement: 5 dice
she sees. These ladybugs are the creatures of Plentimon, Evasion 5 (see Tiny Creature), Parry 0
god of dice and gambling, and their venom influences Soak/Hardness: 3/0
probability for their “victims.” In the gambling dens of SPECIAL ABILITIES
Nexus, bouncers check for bite marks on anyone whose Bitten by the Gambling Bug: The ladybug bites
dice appear to be too lucky. Plentimon’s ladybug leaves a its victim, then hides in a fold of clothing. For the scene,
distinctive mark, resembling the pips on a die. the bitten character’s player lowers her target number
by one on any non-reflexive actions whose outcomes
Essence: 2; Willpower: 5; Join Battle: 3 dice her character leaves completely to chance, such as
Personal Motes: 15 rolling dice, drawing cards from a deck, choosing a
Health Levels: –0/–1x2/–2x2/–4/Incap. random path from among several options, etc. Big
Actions: Fly: 3 dice; Hide: 5 dice (6 on someone’s winning streaks are rarely subtle, and neither Plenti-
person); Senses: 5 dice mon nor his ladybugs offer protection from anyone
Resolve 2, Guile 2 who feels cheated.

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MERITS provided that character has a reasonable chance of
Tiny Creature: Gain +2 Evasion against opponents appearing in the area.
larger than a housecat. Characters of that size sub-
tract two successes from Awareness rolls to notice the Storyteller Tactics
ladybug. Plentimon’s ladybugs don’t engage in combat, but they
SOCIAL CHARMS ambush “victims” to bite them, ignoring all armor. How
Fortuitous Meeting (5m; Simple; Instant; Eclipse; they choose who to bite is a question only the god him-
Essence 2): While Plentimon’s ladybugs are most self can answer.
famous for changing the odds in table games, some
people use them to influence chance encounters Casino owners have an uncomfortable dilemma when it
in their favor. How lucky, to bump into the satrap’s comes to these so-called pests. Gambling houses draw
daughter at the market, or to arrive for an unscheduled them, and while driving them off or killing them would
appointment with the busy magistrate just as someone be sensible to protect their coffers, surely it’s bad luck
else canceled! Within five hours of the ladybug biting to destroy a creature sacred to the god of dice? Most
a character, the Storyteller must give her an opportu- owners opt instead for banning the bitten and punishing
nity to meet another character of the player’s choice, transgressors.

Scroll

The depth of knowledge lost during the Usurpation and Essence: 4; Willpower: 5; Join Battle: 6 dice
the Great Contagion is unfathomable. Entire libraries Personal Motes: 90
were burned or defiled, or destroyed by their Solar war- Health Levels: –0/–1x2/–2x2/–4/Incap.
dens to keep the books contained within out of anyone Intimacies: Defining: “The world is full of wonders. I
else’s hands. One library that was part of a forgotten should like to see them before more are destroyed.”;
school for sorcerers succumbed to the sea, its halls sink- Major: Students, Scholars, and Librarians (Longing);
ing beneath the waves. Salt water soaked pages inked Minor: “I will preserve the knowledge others toss
with powerful spells, and some last vestige of magic away.”
combined with ambient Essence worked its will upon Actions: Inspire: 5 dice; Read Intentions: 5 dice;
the scrolls. Senses: 4 dice; Shape Sorcery: 7 dice; Socialize: 5
dice
What floated to the surface and crawled out on the sands Appearance 2, Resolve 3, Guile 2
to dry named itself Scroll, and when the water no longer
weighed it down, it decided to walk the world. COMBAT
Attack (Unarmed): 8 dice (Damage 8)
Scroll stands about four feet tall and generally takes a hu- Combat Movement: 4 dice
manoid shape, mimicking those whose writings brought Evasion 2, Parry 1
it into existence. It can change its shape, folding and un- Soak/Hardness: 6/6 (see Invulnerable Skin of
folding itself until the new figure appears. The creature Bronze)
is the color of tea-stained vellum. Words in many colors
of ink mark its skin, the letters and figures shifting with MERITS
Scroll’s moods and desires. At My Fingertips: Scroll may access up to three of
the spells written on its skin (see below) at any one
Scroll is curious, but wary — after all, destruction her- time. If it wishes to access a new spell, it must forget
alded its birth. It travels in search of the manses written one of the three until it needs that spell again.
of in its own histories. Those who treat it kindly might Perfect Recall: Scroll remembers everything that’s
learn a new spell or the whereabouts of a lost demesne. happened to it, dating back to those first days when
Those who try to wrest the magic from it by force soon it formed. It also has several history books bound up
discover that it’s perfectly capable of using its own sor- within itself alongside its spellbooks. The histories, of
cerous arsenal. course, might not be entirely accurate, and are subject
to the mistakes and biases their authors made.

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SORCERY prefers to converse peacefully and share its knowledge
Shaping Ritual: Scroll spends an hour in contem- in exchange for what its companions choose to report.
plation of the knowledge etched into its very being. Scroll is a willing guide into First Age tombs and mans-
Roll Shape Sorcery against difficulty 3. Scroll gains es, for those it deems worthy — mainly other people
sorcerous motes equal to its threshold successes, whose love of knowledge and reverence for what was
which last for a day. lost equals his own.
Cantata of Empty Voices: Exalted, p. 476
Cirrus Skiff: Exalted, p. 471 If Scroll feels like it’s being exploited or taken advantage
Invulnerable Skin of Bronze (Control): of, or if its companion seems to be seeking spells to use
Exalted, p. 474 for ill purposes, it begs off and attempts to leave. Scroll
Shadows of the Ancient Past: Exalted, p. 480 greatly dislikes being cornered, and attacks if it feels
Wood Dragon’s Claws: Exalted, p. 476 threatened. Scroll may use any Terrestrial or Celestial
Circle spells, though it can only recall three at a time. It
Storyteller Tactics cannot cast Solar Circle spells. While several are listed
above, Storytellers may add others as appropriate.
Scroll is approachable, though it keeps a wary eye on
strangers, looking for signs of an imminent attack. It Scroll flees if it suffers damage to its last –1 health level.

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Thousand-Forged Dragon

The Deliberative crafted these towering automata of COMBAT
nigh-imperishable First Age alloys during the Second
Deliberative Era to cow its enemies — whether Creation’s Attack (Claw): 15 dice (Damage 20/4)
foes or renegade Exalted. Exalted commanders and Attack (Bite): 12 dice (Damage 24/6, Piercing)
princes deployed many Thousand-Forged Dragons to Attack (Fiery breath): 10 dice (5m; see Confla-
destroy each other while assaulting or protecting fleeing gration of Doom)
Solars during the Usurpation, or at the behest of Dragon- Attack (Tail swipe): 13 dice (Damage 22/5,
Blooded daimyos amid the internecine conflicts of the Smashing)
Dragon-Blooded Shogunate. Those that remained were Attack (Grapple): 10 dice (15 to control; unop-
committed to warding Creation’s borders against the posed against smaller opponents (see Overwhelming
Fair Folk invasions that preceded and accompanied the Might)
Great Contagion. Combat Movement: 12 dice (9 while flying)

Precious few Thousand-Forged Dragons remain intact Evasion 2, Parry 6
today. One or two yet reside in the deepest armory vaults Soak/Hardness: 20/10
of the Realm and Lookshy, too powerful and dangerous
to actually deploy. Others linger at Creation’s fringes, SPECIAL ABILITIES
deteriorating relics of a former age, rigidly pursuing
their final orders without regard for collateral damage Attack Pattern Recalibration: Whenever the
or casualties. Thousand-Forged Dragon recovers from Initiative
Crash, it regains three Willpower points.
A Thousand-Forged Dragon is a massive, heavily ar- Carried Away: When a Thousand-Forged Dragon
mored engine of devastation, sculpted to strike terror deals 5+ levels of damage with a withering claw
into its victims’ hearts. In form, it resembles the dragons attack, it may forgo receiving any Initiative and
of the elemental host but sturdier and bulkier, without instead perform a reflexive grapple gambit against
a living dragon’s elegance or grace. In battle, it moves that enemy. Each point of Initiative it would have
swift as quicksilver, unsheathing claws large and sharp gained adds one bonus die to the control roll if the
as grand daiklaves, baring reaver daiklave–sized fangs. grapple is successful.
Despite its mass and bulk, it takes to the air supported by Dread Clutches: When the Thousand-Forged
flames that jet from beneath its fuselage. Dragon savages a grappled enemy, it may also drag
him along with any movement actions it takes without
Possessed of human intelligence, a Thousand-Forged restraining him first. It may move normally during a
Dragon can perform complex reasoning within the grapple as long as it’s in flight.
scope of its instructions, but lacks initiative. Each is Eagle Wing Rush: The Thousand-Forged Dragon
slaved to an Old Realm command code, often forgotten may rush enemies from long range above them, as
in the Time of Tumult. long as the horizontal distance between them is within
short range.
Essence: 5; Willpower: 10; Join Battle: 12 dice Final Fury Overdrive: While the Thousand-Forged
Personal Motes: 50 (see Leash the Dragon Lines) Dragon is in its –4 wound levels, it regains five motes
Health Levels: –0x5/–1x10/–2x15/–4x20/ per turn (over and above any provided by Leash
Incap. the Dragon Lines), and ignores Willpower costs and
Intimacies: Defining: Its commander (Total Obe- once-per-scene restrictions on its Charms.
dience); Major: “I hunger for geomantic power.”, “I Overwhelming Might: The Thousand-Forged
relish destruction and devastation.” Dragon makes unopposed grapple control rolls
Actions: Endurance: 15 dice; Feats of Strength: 15 against enemies of smaller size, unless they use magic
dice (may attempt Strength 10 feats); Fly: 5 dice; that allows them to grapple larger foes, such as
Geomantic Theft: 6 dice; Senses: 10 dice; Threaten: Dragon Coil Technique (Exalted, p. 280).
12 dice Pile-Driving Plunge: If the Thousand-Forged
Appearance 5 (Hideous), Resolve 4, Guile 2 Dragon controls a grapple while flying at up to
medium range, it can drop from the sky while per-
forming a slam action, smashing the target into the

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ground. The target suffers falling damage in addition Languages: Every Thousand-Forged Dragon knows
to damage from the slam, and is rendered prone. Old Realm. Some that have been active since the
Thousand-Forged Juggernaut: Whenever the Contagion have also learned one or more modern
Thousand-Forged Dragon attacks an enemy who’s languages.
behind cover, it first performs a reflexive feat of dem- Legendary Size: The Thousand-Forged Dragon
olition against that cover. suffers no onslaught penalties from attacks from
smaller opponents, unless they’re magically inflict-
MERITS ed. Withering attacks from smaller enemies cannot
Automaton: Thousand-Forged Dragons are immune Crash it unless they have at least 10 post-soak
to poison, disease, fatigue, and fear (unless faced with damage dice, although attackers still gain the full
magic such as the Dawn Caste anima power), and amount of Initiative damage dealt. Decisive attacks
have no need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep. from smaller enemies cannot deal more than (3 + at-
Command Code: A Thousand-Forged Dragon au- tacker’s Strength) levels of damage to it, not counting
tomatically obeys orders from someone who knows its levels added by Charms or other magic.
command code — an elaborate, obscure Old Realm Mechanical Mind: Social influence cannot affect
passphrase. Without the code, social influence and a Thousand-Forged Dragon’s major or defining Inti-
command actions suffer a –5 penalty. Any influence macies, nor can it raise new Intimacies to major or
that directly contradicts orders issued via command defining.
code is unacceptable to a Thousand-Forged Dragon.
Heart of Iron: +3 Resolve against magic that can OFFENSIVE CHARMS
make even automatons feel fear, such as the Dawn Blood-and-Steel Maelstrom (15m, 1wp;
Caste anima power. Simple; Instant; Decisive-only; Essence 5): The Thou-
Impenetrable Armor: Reduce the minimum sand-Forged Dragon lashes out with decisive attacks
damage of withering attacks against the Thou- against three different targets — one each with bite,
sand-Forged Dragon by 1 die (minimum 0). claw, and tail. Apply the full damage dice pool to
each target separately. Its Initiative doesn’t reset until

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all three attacks conclude. Once per scene; reset it by ignoring the multiple target penalty and the Resolve
gaining 15+ Initiative from a single attack. boost for not using a shared language. Targets who
Conflagration of Doom (5m; Simple; Instant; De- fail to resist suffer a –2 penalty to all attack and move-
cisive-only; Essence 5): The Thousand-Forged Dragon ment pools. Once per scene.
exhales a stream of flame that culminates in a fiery Steel-Wing Aegis (5m, 3i, 1wp; Reflexive; Until
detonation. This is a decisive attack usable only at next turn; Dual; Essence 5): Gain +5 Defense and
Initiative 10+, out to long range. The attack roll is also reduce the post-soak damage of withering attacks
applied against everyone in the path of the attack and the raw damage of decisive attacks by 5. Once
and against everyone within medium range of the per combat; reset by gaining 15+ Initiative from a
target; halve the damage roll (round up) against these single attack.
secondary targets. The conflagration affects demate- MISCELLANEOUS CHARMS
rialized spirits; deals aggravated damage to demons Leash the Dragon Lines (1wp; Simple; Indefi-
and the Fair Folk; and sets objects ablaze, turning nite; Essence 5): The Thousand-Forged Dragon seizes
vegetation and flammable structures into bonfires until control of a demesne or manse within 10 miles, or
they’re extinguished or burn out. at any distance if it has the site’s hearthstone. This re-
Hearthstone-Devouring Method (3i; Simple; quires a successful Geomantic Theft roll, contested by
Instant; Decisive-only; Essence 5): On a successful the highest (Intelligence + Lore) among any charac-
difficulty 5 bite gambit, the Thousand-Forged Dragon ters attuned to the site. If successful, the Dragon can
snatches up a hearthstone with its moonsilver tongue, respire Essence normally and gains all benefits of
plucking it from a socket as needed, and conceals the attunement to the site, while preventing other attuned
stone within its skull. The stone’s powers are available characters from accessing those benefits. If the Dragon
to it as though set in an attuned socket. The Dragon has the site’s hearthstone, the roll succeeds automat-
can store up to 25 hearthstones. Releasing a stolen ically. These effects last indefinitely while the Dragon
hearthstone by its owner’s command is a reflexive is within 10 miles, and persist beyond that radius for
action. Whenever the Thousand-Forged Dragon wins a number of hours equal to its threshold successes on
a clash, it may activate this Charm reflexively against the Geomantic Theft roll.
that opponent.
Plunging Meteor Impact (5m, 2i; Simple; Maintenance and Repair
Instant; Withering-only; Essence 5): While flying at For every story or month of operation in battle or
medium or long range above the ground, the Thou- similarly strenuous conditions, a Thousand-Forged
sand-Forged Dragon plunges earthward, its landing Dragon requires a roll to perform maintenance. This
creating a shockwave. This is a single unblockable is an (Intelligence + Craft [Artifacts]) roll at a dif-
withering attack against all landbound creatures ficulty of (3 + the Thousand-Forged Dragon current
within medium range. The Thousand-Forged Dragon wound penalty), and requires one scene to complete.
only gains Initiative from the highest damage dealt. On a failed roll, the Thousand-Forged Dragon must
Each creature damaged by this attack must roll either wait another session or day before someone
(Dexterity + Athletics) against damage taken or fall can retry the maintenance roll, or take one unpre-
prone. Once per scene. ventable die of decisive lethal damage if it presses
Principle of Motion (10m, 1wp; Reflexive; Instant; on without delay.
Essence 2): The Thousand-Forged Dragon moves
with blinding speed. It acts twice without any normal A repair project (Exalted, p. 242) can clear damage
flurry penalties, and may take the same action twice if dealt to a Thousand-Forged Dragon from its health
desired (normally attacking twice). track. Repairing one damage level is a major project.
Ravening Machine-Beast Assault (15m, Crippling injuries are normally treated as –4 levels, sub-
1wp; Simple; Instant; Dual; Essence 5): The Thou- ject to Storyteller discretion. The difficulty of the Craft
sand-Forged Dragon makes two withering claw (Artifacts) roll and the time needed to complete repairs
attacks against a single target. If either attack deals depend on the type of damage level being restored.
damage, it then attempts a grapple gambit or deci-
sive bite attack against that target. Once per scene. Damage Level Difficulty Time
–0 3 One hour
DEFENSIVE CHARMS –1 4 One day
–2 5 Three days
Fearsome Mien (5m; Reflexive; One scene): A –4 6 One week
relic out of ancient nightmare, the Thousand-Forged
Dragon cloaks itself in terror. It makes a single threat-
en roll against all opponents aware of its presence,

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A Thousand-Forged Dragon that has been incapacitat- Doom, then eliminating leaders and champions quick-
ed requires a legendary project to repair. The extend- ly with Ravening Machine-Beast Assault or by dropping
ed action has difficulty 5, a goal number of 50 success- them from a grapple at long range above the ground.
es, and an interval of one week. This restores only the
Incapacitated level, requiring further repairs to clear the A Thousand-Forged Dragon cannot respire Essence nor-
damage track. Repairing damage to a Thousand-Forged mally. Instead, it must draw on extant geomantic sources
Dragon doesn’t require a sorcerous working, unlike most via its Leash the Dragon Lines Charm. Upon exhausting
First Age artifice (Exalted, p. 243). However, restoring a its mote pool without a geomantic source, it shuts down
ruined Thousand-Forged Dragon from a lost age to op- until refueled.
erational condition would require sorcerous workings as
usual. Whether or not the Thousand-Forged Dragon with-
draws from combat or fights to the death depends on
Storyteller Tactics its instructions. By default, it retreats after entering its
A Thousand-Forged Dragon follows the most recent –4 wound levels, perhaps to a First Age manse where
orders presented by someone employing its command it might receive repairs or an empty spot where a
codes. It understands and follows complex instructions Shogunate legion was encamped when it last received
as well as any human, and obeys its commander without orders. It’s recommended that it only fight to the death
fear, dissent, or remorse. It attempts to reconcile con- against experienced, combat-oriented Circles, due to the
flicting instructions to the best of its ability. power of Final Fury Overdrive.

Barring detailed battlefield directives, default combat A Thousand-Forged Dragon is an N/A First Age artifact.
tactics involve breaking up concentrations of resistance Each is unique, and its Charms may differ from those
using Plunging Meteor Impact and Conflagration of presented here.

Tiger’s Eye

Appearing initially much like a gemstone or mineral intrudes near their nests, which they line with gems of
cluster the size of a melon, the tiger’s eye — so named similar substance to their bodies; given time, these hatch
for one of its more common manifestations — is actually like eggs, giving rise to a litter of young tiger’s eyes.
an ambush predator par excellence, possessed of a stone’s
own patience as well as its fantastic durability. When it Essence: 2; Willpower: 5; Join Battle: 5
attacks, it opens along all-but-invisible seams to reveal Health Levels: –0x4/–1x4/Incap.
its true form: not a spirit of the earth, but an armored Actions: Disguise: 8 dice; Navigating Underground:
stone beast reminiscent of a thin, sharp-edged pangolin 5 dice; Resist Disease/Poison: 10 dice; Senses: 6
the size of a large dog. Crystals encrust its underbelly dice; Threaten: 6 dice
like a geode, and it has jaws and claws to match. Tiger’s Resolve 2, Guile 3
eyes frequently crunch their prey’s bones between their COMBAT
crystalline teeth and devour them, but when shattered Attack (Bite): 6 dice (Damage 9); Tags: Piercing
the beasts’ bodies are stone through and through. Attack: (Claw): 9 dice (Damage 5)
Attack (Body Slam): 7 dice (Damage 7); Tags:
Despite its lanky form, a tiger’s eye’s mineral construc- Smashing
tion means it masses much more than it looks like it Combat Movement: 6 dice
should. Threatened by something more dangerous, a Evasion 1, Parry 3
tiger’s eye curls up into its gem-like form to protect its Soak/Hardness: 15/7
comparatively fragile crystalline belly, becoming rock- SPECIAL ABILITIES
hard and almost impossible to injure. Miners and scav- Ambush Hunter: The tiger’s eye gains +3 on
enger lords encounter these creatures more than any- attacks made while successfully disguised as stone.
one else, but they are sometimes found on the surface,
particularly in rocky or mountainous regions. They’re
extremely territorial and attack anyone or anything that

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As Stone Itself: The tiger’s eye curls up into its stone AN UNDEFEATED CHAMPION
form and can roll Disguise to fool observers. It may
also spend a Willpower to add +5 to its Hardness Glassjaw is famous in some circles in Nexus. An ob-
while in this form. This lasts until it uncurls again. It can’t sidian-edged jet tiger’s eye captured by a scavenger
take any actions while in this form. lord and sold to a pit-fight maestro, it’s won over a
MERITS hundred bouts against attack dogs, armed gladiators,
Flawless Visage: Observers can’t differentiate a and once, a wild bear. This lithe creature’s fans credit it
tiger’s eye in stone form from a large gemstone or with an animal cunning as sharp as its claws, known to
mineral deposit without magic. circle and observe opponents before attacking.
Stone Cannot Bleed: A tiger’s eye takes one fewer
health level of damage from successful decisive Perhaps it’s too clever for its own good — it’s killed
attacks using sharp or thrusting weapons, but one more than one handler over the last year, and the last
extra health level from those using blunt weapons. match was a total bust, with Glassjaw refusing to un-
Sturdy as Stone: A tiger’s eye cannot be knocked curl and fight a claw strider. Only the maestro knows
back or prone except by magical effects or creatures the truth, and it terrifies him: that chunk of jet they
of legendary size. A grappled tiger’s eye cannot be turned loose in the ring wasn’t Glassjaw, and he has
thrown or slammed unless magic such as Dragon Coil no idea where his prize fighter really is.
Technique (Exalted, p. 280) is used, or if the attack-
er is of legendary size. retreat or curl up into stone form if a foe lands a solid blow
there. Doing so is a difficulty 3 gambit that reduces its
Storyteller Tactics soak and Hardness each by two for the scene. Tiger’s eyes
Tiger’s eyes like to nestle among other rocks, then burst reside most often in caves, much to spelunkers’ surprise.
open and slam into victims, stunning them long enough Some particularly courageous (or foolhardy) treasure
to sink their diamond-hard fangs in. They are protective hunters make a living trapping and killing tiger’s eyes,
of their comparatively fragile, geodic underbellies, and whose valuable gemstone bodies are worth a fortune.

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Most tiger’s eyes are solitary, tolerating each other only luke- of lapis lazuli, miners extracting this valuable commodity
warmly — while they may be encountered in numbers, each must take especial care, lest the promise of a mother lode lead
looks out for number one. Tiger’s eyes made of lazurite, how- them down a tunnel from which they will not return.
ever, while rare, are far more likely to congregate and engage
in complex pack tactics. Since lazurite composes the majority Tiger’s eyes are 2-dot Familiars.

Twistroot and
Mother Tree

The twistroot resembles any other tree. It has bark, roots, Health Levels (Twistroot): –0x3/–1x3/–
leaves, and knotholes lovers might place notes in, and it 2x3/–4x2/Incap.
leaks a pale amber sap when cut. Its leaves turn colors Health Levels (Mother Tree): –0x6/–1x5/–
and fall as the months of Earth wane, and its pine-resem- 2x5/–4x2/Incap.
bling varieties keep their needles all through frigid Air. Actions: Deceive: 7 dice; Feats of Strength: 6 dice
(may attempt Strength 3 feats); Intimidate: 7 dice;
But twistroots are carnivorous creatures, stalking un- Senses: 5 dice; Tracking: 5 dice
wary travelers and leading them far from their safe, pre- Resolve 1, Guile 1
planned paths — into the Mother Tree’s hungry, waiting
maw. COMBAT
Attack (Grapple): 8 dice (8 to control)
Some stories suggest the twistroots came from the deep Attack (Thrash): 7 dice (Damage 10)
Wyld, carried into Creation by Fair Folk bent on sowing Combat Movement: 2 dice (Mother Tree: 0 dice)
chaos. Others tell of a Wood elemental who fell in love Evasion 3, Parry 2
with one of Luna’s children, and name the twistroots Soak/Hardness: 3/1 (Mother Tree: 5/10)
their monstrous offspring. The creatures have spread
throughout Creation, from the Eastern forests to islands SPECIAL ABILITIES
in the far West, adapting their appearance to match the Ensnare: Twistroot roots burst free from the ground
trees that grow in their new homes. to trip and entangle opponents. Gain two automat-
ic successes on a grapple attempt. Additionally, the
Younger saplings pass word of travelers along the roots ground out to short range around the Twistroot gains
and branches, while the adults weave themselves into the difficult terrain condition for the remainder of the
the paths ahead, clearing leaves away from overgrown scene.
paths, scattering others on the true road to obscure the Living Wall: Twistroots block their targets from
way. They stretch themselves into the guise of familiar fleeing, forming a wall of thick branches they must
landmarks, so any traveler who questions their map either climb or cut through. The twistroot rolls 8 dice
might find reassurance. When the party is truly lost in against the target’s Disengage action, rerolling
the woods, the twistroots let go of their stolen shapes, non-successes one time.
reach out with hungry branches, and attack. Waylay: The twistroot changes the terrain: obscur-
ing the road, mimicking landmarks, and blocking
Mother Trees normally remain rooted in place. In times some paths while making its own route appear more
of great duress, they can pull up their roots and move, but passable. Double 9s on deception attempts.
those occasions are rare. Mother Trees are wide-trunked Devour (Mother Tree): The Mother Tree pulls a
and many-limbed, and their bark splits to reveal a gap- victim within close range into her trunk, adding two
ing, splintered mouth. automatic successes to a grapple gambit. While the
Mother Tree controls the clinch, the target takes two
Twistroot: Essence: 1; Willpower: 4; Join lethal damage per round spent in the Mother Tree’s
Battle: 6 dice grip from the bark closing over him and the crushing
Mother Tree: Essence: 2; Willpower: 5; Join weight of Mother Tree’s limbs.
Battle: 3 dice

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MERITS Storyteller Tactics
Far-Ranging Cutting: Twistroots let some travelers Twistroots work in tandem, scouting out their prey and
pass them by. The creatures propagate by dropping discerning the best moment to strike and lead them off
seeds, pinecones, or cuttings atop a caravan, where their intended path. While most of their deception is
it travels upriver or to far off places and can put down done ahead of the target’s arrival, they are able to adapt
roots. to sudden changes in their prey’s path. When possible,
Whispers in the Leaves: Twistroots communicate twistroots block all routes of escape, flanking the target
by the sound of wind in their branches and sense their once he slips into their net.
opponents’ approach by feeling the vibrations of
travelers’ feet and mounts’ hooves through their roots. Twistroots flee when they’ve suffered damage to their
They double 9s on Senses rolls. last –2 health level, unless the Mother Tree is also under
attack. In that case, they fight until Incapacitated. If the
Mother Tree suffers damage to her first –4 health level,
she pulls up her roots and flees.

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