Book of Bone and Ebony
Book of Bone and Ebony
Book of Bone and Ebony
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13<br />
BANKS OF ESSENCE<br />
While the banks <strong>of</strong> Stygia were originally formed<br />
to house surplus Essence generated by the worship <strong>of</strong><br />
Stygia <strong>and</strong> the Dual Monarchy, over time, they<br />
became the financial backbone <strong>of</strong> the necropolis.<br />
Heaps <strong>of</strong> thous<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> soulfire crystals lie within their<br />
vaults, accumulated during the long history <strong>of</strong> Stygia,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the clerics constantly seek new types <strong>of</strong> Essence<br />
storage technology. Whenever a ghost needs great<br />
sums <strong>of</strong> Essence for some project or undertaking, the<br />
banks can <strong>of</strong>fer loans <strong>and</strong> investments, whether in the<br />
form <strong>of</strong> soulfire crystals or Essence directly infused<br />
into the ghost. Nations from all over the Underworld<br />
come to Stygia to trade for Essence, <strong>of</strong>fering material<br />
goods in exchange for crates <strong>of</strong> soulfire crystals. Indeed,<br />
this is one <strong>of</strong> Stygia’s greatest sources <strong>of</strong> revenue,<br />
<strong>and</strong> over the passing centuries, the banks have acquired<br />
vast treasures <strong>of</strong> material wealth <strong>and</strong> grave<br />
goods. This allows them to aid Stygians financially,<br />
<strong>and</strong> a ghost can seek monetary loans as well as loans<br />
<strong>of</strong> Essence or seek to exchange one for the other.<br />
The exchange rate between Essence <strong>and</strong> Resources<br />
is roughly comparable to the ratio for<br />
sacrificial Essence, as found on page 33 <strong>of</strong> Exalted:<br />
The Abyssals. For example, 10 motes would cost a<br />
ghost Resources •••. However, because draining<br />
motes is less efficient than <strong>of</strong>fering them, unless the<br />
ghost depositing the Essence has an appropriate<br />
Charm, a ghost must <strong>of</strong>fer twice as much Essence as<br />
the equivalent Resources is worth. For example, a<br />
ghost would lose 20 motes to gain a single Resources<br />
••• purchase. In addition to exchanges, ghosts can<br />
take loans in either Essence or wealth, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
system is the same for both. For each dot <strong>of</strong> temporary<br />
Resources gained, or its equivalent in motes, the<br />
ghost gains a point <strong>of</strong> the Debt Flaw, as found on<br />
pages 38-39 <strong>of</strong> the Exalted Players Guide, for which<br />
the ghost gains no experience. Exchanges <strong>and</strong> loans<br />
both require a great deal <strong>of</strong> paperwork. Gaining<br />
approval requires a Manipulation + Bureaucracy roll<br />
at a difficulty <strong>of</strong> the Resource value <strong>of</strong> the transaction<br />
(thus, a ghost <strong>of</strong>fering Resources ••• for 10<br />
motes rolls at a difficulty <strong>of</strong> 3). Processing the<br />
application takes several days for most transactions,<br />
<strong>and</strong> can take weeks for transactions involving Resources<br />
•••• or higher. This time is reduced by<br />
additional successes at a rate <strong>of</strong> one day per success,<br />
but the time involved can never take less than a day.<br />
CHAPTER ONE • STYGIA