<strong>Ryan</strong> <strong>Bailey</strong> (<strong>order</strong> <strong>#2639004</strong>) 1THE LIVES OF THE CHOSENagents then speak to the leaders of each society and attemptto negotiate some venue in which the societies can fight inprivate, usually in isolated areas where any devastation ofthe landscape won’t be a concern.The Black Bandana cannot afford to compromise itsneutrality, so its members must never move overtly against anymartial arts society, not even those whose methods or goalsdisgust them. Black Bandana agents often turn a blind eye (oreven cover up) the worst crimes of such societies. Even in theirpositions as agents of the Bureau of Destiny, they cannot <strong>br</strong>ingthe wrath of Heaven down on criminals without demonstratinga fundamental conflict of interest. Most Black Bandana agentsrationalize these acts, but a few have grown so disillusionedthey now seek to eliminate the Black Bandana society to makeroom for a more just alternative. It remains to be seen whatsort of chaos conflicts between martial arts societies wouldcause without the Black Bandana mediating.The Eighth Severance is a society of Dragon-Bloodedassassins. Small, and currently small-time, the Eight Severanceis available on the cheap but cannot hope to accomplish themore impressive assassinations of peer societies such as theRed Pupil. Its members hire themselves out to even smallersocieties and private operators, and have seen some successas a weapon in various short shadow wars. Their one advantageis Kai Winter, their Sidereal patron, who manipulatesHeaven’s records to keep the group hidden. When Kai meetswith the Severance leadership, he claims to have a granddestined purpose in mind for the society. In truth, though,he’s just in it because he enjoys the illicit feel of getting awaywith something.PURSUITSAlong with and aside from their assigned roles, theExalted pursue whatever topics interest them. The Chosenof the Gods have shaped Creation into their playground,where anything that catches their attention is theirs for thetaking, be it knowledge, self-perfection or rivalry.WYLD-SHAPINGSince the time of the Unfurling Horizon Era, the Exaltedhave worked to expand the b<strong>order</strong>s of Creation. Early attemptswere limited by the need for the Solars’ direct involvement,but with advances in magitechnology, that is no longer true.Now ships fitted with great shaping engines journey intothe Wyld from the edges of Creation, crystallizing the stuffof chaos into new lands custom built for new habitation.Solars can raise whole communities, people and all, fromthe Wyld, but it is more common to import folk from otherpoints in Creation to populate such areas, as their connectionsto people elsewhere in the world help to cement thenew lands’ reality. In fact, it’s a fairly common practice forSidereals to use Neighborhood Relocation Scheme to dragentire prefa<strong>br</strong>icated communities into newly created lands,which serves to bulwark their stability until the effects ofthe Order Conferring Trade Pattern permanently tie theminto the fa<strong>br</strong>ic of Creation. Such Wyld-shaped communitiesoften offer the chance for young Exalts to grow into theirpower by birthing new principalities for them to rule, protectand administrate.SORCERYThe Era of Dreams is the time when the art of sorceryreached its apex. Whether it is the use of sorcery properor the application of sorcerous principles toward otherendeavors, such as manse construction or the manufactureof art<strong>if</strong>acts, the practice of the magical arts is a part of thefa<strong>br</strong>ic of everyday l<strong>if</strong>e for the Chosen. During this period,nearly all Celestial Exalts more than a century or two oldhave mastered Emerald Circle Sorcery, and many that agehave at least dabbled with Sapphire Circle Sorcery. Evenamong the Dragon-Blooded, sorcery is a commonly taughtskill, with the elders of the various Gentes teaching thebasics to those younger Terrestrials who show an aptitudein <strong>order</strong> to better their prospects for advancement in theDeliberative government.The ubiquity of sorcery has a great deal to do with thenumber of sorcerous schools operating throughout Creation,from the Academy of Divine Enlightenment in the WhiteCity to the Divine School Devonian in Sperimin to Hollow’sFertile Ground Academy to any of the myriad academiesthat dot Scholars’ Court Principality. Also, a number ofelder Exalts privately tutor younger favorites in the ways ofEssence mastery.Sorcery is solely the domain of the Exalted in the Age ofSplendor. Others may have the ability to learn its techniques,but the Deliberative has made it a capital offense to do so.Sorcery is too dangerous a discipline for the un-Exalted towield, it’s argued, capable as it is of great destruction. It wasa g<strong>if</strong>t given to the Exalted themselves, and only they arecapable of using it with the necessary wisdom.NECROMANCYThe magic of death is a young art, <strong>br</strong>ought outof the Underworld less than two centuries ago bya circle of Exalts still anonymous. Yet already, theDeliberative knows of the art of necromancy, andalready, the instructors at Sperimin teach it to selectstudents. Many Exalted savants are excited at theprospect of a new field of endeavor, but others worryabout its source and the continued secrecy of thosebehind its discovery.Learning necromancy is arduous labor. Would-bestudents must journey to the restricted Darkmist Isleshadowland and, from there, through the Underworldto a Labyrinth entrance to expose themselves to theWhispers of the Void.39
<strong>Ryan</strong> <strong>Bailey</strong> (<strong>order</strong> <strong>#2639004</strong>) 1CHAPTER ONE: LIFE IN THE HIGH FIRST AGETHE MARTIAL ARTS WORLDA subculture of sorts, the Martial Arts World is a circuitof gatherings and tournaments where supernatural martialartists practice and display their abilities. Savants havelong been aware of the oddity of martial arts magic, one ofthose few areas where the Solars can compete but are notthe undisputed masters. Many martial arts devotees insistsupernatural martial arts are the purest expression of disciplinedEssence use, open to all—even enlightened mortals.Many devote their whole lives to perfecting themselvesthrough its pursuit.WARThe Exalted were forged for war, and they are its undisputedmasters. Although the Era of Dreams is a time ofpeace, the Chosen of the Gods maintain their fighting prowessonly through battle. Laying aside their arms nearly lost theExalted Creation to its enemies in the Dissolution Invasionand the Aftershock War, and the Thousand Struggles Eraproved why preparation for battle remains important to theExalted even lacking outside enemies.The current time of peace would seem to limit theoptions for armed conflict, but there are foes aplentyfor Exalts looking for a fight. Most often, such foes areother Exalted. Although the Accord of Broken Ribbonsguarantees that any assault on a prefecture of one SolarPrince will be answered by the might of the Army of theDeliberative, in point of fact, shadow wars are constantlyfought via intermediaries with the Exalted instigatorshidden behind layers of plausible deniability. And theBroken Ribbons Accord in no way prevents wars beingwaged against Realm tributaries. Of course, since manyof the tributaries are ruled by ancient Exalts of extremepower, some of them Golden Hero Vassals, it behoovesany Exalt to fully consider the ram<strong>if</strong>ications of instigatingsuch a conflict. It’s also important for the Solar Exaltedto remember they are required to spend two out of everyfive years in Meru—time during which one’s enemies canoften move unanswered. As a result, conflicts between thePrinces of the Earth tend to be short, <strong>br</strong>utal affairs.One external foe that does concern the Exalted is theFair Folk. Ever since the Dissolution Invasion, the Fair Folkhave been the most constant threat to Exalted hegemonyover Creation. In fact, Operation Wyldhand, conducted amere 25 years gone, was conducted to simulate the effectsof a widespread Fair Folk <strong>br</strong>eakthrough and subsequentstatic reality failure. It was also the largest armed conflictof Exalted since the Thousand Struggles Era, an exhilaratingexercise of the Army of the Deliberative’s unfetteredmight that left millions dead and the landscape scarred.Considered a rousing success by some of the most powerfuland belligerent Exalts in the Deliberative, it may wellprove to have only whetted the appetite for conflict for40
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