Make the World your Bitch or make your own!

Published settings are the worst thing for your creativity, at least when taken at face value. This may seem hypocritical at first coming from a guy who run Exalted using Godbound and has posted at length about other settings and how worthwhile their ideas are. Hell I've ran quite a few games based off established intellectual properties/franchises.

Here's the thing: is the setting a tool for you, or are you the tool of the setting? Do you use the established setting and idea as a foundation to build upon, either by reworking a flawed setting to something more usable or perhaps to have wealth of material to draw upon and create your own locales, characters and stories within that world...or are you being a slave to metaplot, established characters and not allowing things to change because of some supposedly sacrosanct 'canon' probably written either by a hack or another fanboy.

Make the world your bitch or make your own campaign world: Its a hard lesson I learned trying to run games using established settings. The constant worry of 'breaking canon' or of being corrected by a player and feeling the need to correct myself. To hell with that!

Lessons from Hirohiko Araki and Akira Toriyama's work

This is more a post about 'style' and I suppose won't be of use to anyone. Oh well, whatever.

Growing up, the first manga (nay, comic even) I ever read was Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama. There's not really any need to introduce this one given how famous it is, both for good and for ill? Who can forget all the jokes and ridicule thrown at it, after all? Still, I do think the manga itself hold up way better today than it's critics say it does however this isn't as important as the key lessons in creating a world and, yes, a story (I know the 's-word' is taboo on those kind of blogs!). The thing to keep in mind here is that Akira Toriyama is a very unpretentious and simple man and Dragon Ball reflect this: it combine high action, comedy and a lot of weird things which when even loosely analyzed reveal a world and story that both know it is completely silly but also, at the very same time, does not treat itself as a complete joke. The things inside that universe, be it the coexistence of magic and science fiction elements or even talking shape shifting pigs are treated as completely normal and in no way unusual. There is very little of this hipstery 'self aware' mindset of stopping and pointing out "Isn't this silly? Look at how ridiculous this is!".

Son Goku goes from being a super strong monkey boy who does martial arts collecting mystical artifacts to fighting an army to a demon lord (who is revealed later to be an alien slug-man) to the alien emperor of the known universe to a biomechanical monster partially made from his DNA and that of his former foes/rivals to a pink man child blob monster. That's gonzo as all hell but it (mostly) accept it. The disturbing thing, in all this, is that at no point do any of these elements really feel tacked on...but neither do they really seem all that explained by complex and serious world building.

Our heroes. Well, initially anyway.

However, as crazy as Dragon Ball could get at times it remained (and still is) a very predictable and stable manga. It has certain patterns you learn to expect. Even the author, at times, felt almost like a slave to the serie's own pattern and popularity of the main character. On the opposite end of the spectrum yet very similar Jojo's Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki. Up until the popularity boom via the 2012 anime, it was one of those highly influential works which had never really managed to catch on outside of Japan for the most part and had remained stuck as a cult classic in spite of being one of the most unique manga out there.

Both Dragon Ball and Jojo are very similar but also complete opposites in many regards. These two works are primarily known for a certain focus on over the top action, both are in the same manga demographic (shonen), both are highly influential and important to the overall history of the medium and both are really freaking weird to the point where even trying to explain or recap Jojo as a whole would make it sound like I've just had a really bad fever dream. So instead, Jojo will only get expanded upon when needed.

JJBA: One of the greatest manga of all time. Also known as
'internet cancer' nowadays.

Lesson One: Let Yourself Be Inspired By Passions

Both these series would hardly be as unique as they are (or were, anyway) without their respective authors allowing themselves to be shaped by their own passions and personal tastes often in complete and utter defiance of trends. What's important here is that these men both allowed their personal tastes and passions color their works and paint a rich tapestry of crazy ideas with a near-endless font of inspiration, especially for Araki. His love of American movies, classic rock, greek art and travel. Akira Toriyama's dislike of land sharks (and maybe his then-current editor) combined with all his childhood fears manifested and coalesced into Freeza, the most enduring and famous villain of Dragon Ball.

Lesson Two: Keep Shaking Things Up

Dragon Ball can be pretty repetitive (more on that in a bit) but each chunk of the story is defined by it's villain (hence why we tend to call arcs after the villain of said arc) and each villain bring a new personality to the table to some extent, not to mention in setting. King Piccolo is a monster out of the myths of the Dragon Ball Earth and also, in retrospect, bring with him the end of Goku's childhood in more ways than one as he sets up the reveal of the existence of aliens, we just don't know it yet. The Saiyans and Freeza expand the setting and world while the Androids and Cell return the action to Earth while also bringing in science fiction concepts like cyborgs and time travel. Buu (and later Beerus) return the serie to a mixture of humour and mysticism. No villain and his arc is ever quite the same, either building on a previous arc or radically shifting things.

When Araki killed his protagonist, Johnathan Joestar, people were apparently shocked. Shonen heroes aren't supposed to die. However, in killing his protagonist and moving the story further in time, switching the focus to the now-dead protagonist's grandson he created one of the key elements of the Jojo serie and what makes it so unique. Every new 'part' has it's own main character, it's own cast (with some returning characters, sometimes) and it's own style. In doing so Araki keep trying out new styles, new ideas, new genres all the while refining what works in his style while learning what does not.

Lesson Three: Power Escalation Is Bad

Dragon Ball and Jojo are radically different, however, in how they handle power and scaling the scope of the story. With Dragon Ball, things are ALWAYS bigger: the villain is always stronger, always a bigger threat and the heroes simply need to power up more than him, either through training or plot contrivance. In a way it is no different than a bad game of D&D where everyone munchkin and min max to no end and the DM always has to compensate by bloating the numbers even more. There isn't much variety, only bigger numbers.

On the other hand, Jojo's strongest villain appears in Part 2. Out of a staggering EIGHT PARTS! Early on, Araki realized that he had already peaked (and peak way too early!) when it come to the physical power of his villain, not to mention how much the villain was a threat. The final villain of Part 2, the big final boss at the end, is simply put the most powerful one of the entire aerie barring maybe some situations or exceptions and this is where the genius of Araki come in and how he designed the power set which would dominate from Part 3 onward: Stands. While I'm not going to go too much into the form and function of Stands the important thing here is that each Stand has a certain level of strength/speed/durability/range as well as a single and unique power. Thus, it become less about who can power-grind to get a stronger Stand and rather about the creativity in using one's Stand and the interactions between their powers. In doing so, raw power remain dangerous but its hardly the be all end all of action sequences. Yes, obviously in an RPG you'd want players to become stronger (and that is fun) but raw overall power should not be the pure benchmark of utility compared to creativity and the ability to use the tools at one's disposal.

Godbound: Various Smite Descriptions

In Godbound, every character can purchase the two 'default' Smite powers which allow to inflict direct damage through the exertion of the power of their Word. While a big blast of energy is the expected result and suitable to more 'elemental' Words what about other Words? Here are some random ideas.

• Alacrity: You move so fast that you unleash an uncountable amount of attacks. Alternatively, the vibrating shock waves of your super-fast movement tear your foes apart. If you're feeling evil you could just accelerate their bodies and make them vibrate until they catch on fire or something.
• Artifice: You temporarily create an ephemeral cannon of divine essence which blast everything with some suitably fancy light show.
• Command: You order someone to stop living. And they do: either by somehow stopping their own hearts or by committing suicide, with stronger foes still ravaged by the sudden outburst of self-destruction.
• Desert: Aside from wind and sand so deadly it scorch and flay their flesh off, you could cause the inside of their bodies to be instantly filled with enough hot sand to fill a whole house. That's not a fun way to die.
• Fate: A localized catastrophe kills your foes. Alternatively, their Fate is rewritten that they should have already died from some random thing the day before meaning you retroactively harm/kill them.
• Might: You punch the air and the sheer force destroy everything in the path of the shockwave. Such is the physical power you have that just punching the air (or flexing!) can create enough force to destroy things.
• Shapeshifting: You either somehow grow hundred of clawed limbs/tentacles which lash out at your foes and then vanish into the ether or you forcibly reshape your foes in some suitably horrific fashion, forcing their bones and muscles to move out of their skin.
• Theft: With a burst of divine power, you steal away their health. Or their lives.
• Vengeance: Accumulated karma of past transgressions are unleashed and amplified and suitably karmic wounds appear on the bodies of your foes.

Exalted/Godbound: The Vastness of the Yozis, Part 3

The journey into the bowels of Hell continue with the third part in the exploration of demons and the hell dimension (and body of the fallen Titan Malfeas they inhabit).

Demon of the Abyss by MrZarono

Defining Demons

Much like their progenitors/greater whole, the Demons (or Deva as they were known before their defeat) are near-limitless in size, scope and variation. Two Demons who descend/compose the same Yozis are vastly different creature, even if their core Essence is fundamentally the same. Their body shape, size, mind and purpose can be utterly alien or even outright antithetical to each other: the madness and broken nature of the Yozis make this possible, like how a cancer is made of abnormal cells. Malfeas, in particular, has had a bad habit of spawning imperious and powerful Demons who often seek to subdue or destroy others as he lash out in self-loathing and grasp in vain at some semblance of His past glory.

Statting Demons

When it come to game stats, Demons can generally be broken down into categories which give a convenient power level. While there's the obvious separation of 'soul tier' (First, Second and Third) this isn't the only way to stat demons. For one thing, Godbound generally tend to generally ascribe only a certain amount of HD to non-combatant and while such demons are hardier than ordinary mortals they would still easily be routed even by a Terrestrial Exalted.

• The weakest of the demons (the idea is taken from here, by the way) are sometimes called 0th Circle Demons or 'Imps'. While technically First Circle Demons, in practice they are the weakest of this category. These creatures are minor servants, chew toys or something equally degrading. The name 'Imp' may imply a small creature but this is positively untrue as some of these creatures are hulking brutes. What make a so-called 0th Circle Demon is that it lacks one or more attribute which even the most basic of demons have: they are either physically or mentally pathetic in addition to their weak Essence. Even the most physically potent of these creatures isn't worth more than being manual labor or cannon fodder as it lack the Essence-granted power and durability of other demons. These creatures are modeled as Mortal Foes in Godbound safe for their ability to Materialize as all spirits do.
• The core of the First Circle Demons are, much like the Imps, entire species of Demons. Each is a unique individual but ultimately they are limited by their shape and purpose. Aside from the Materialize power, Demons usually have a single gift or power appropriate to their purpose and ancestry (the powers of the Uncreated found in the Ancalia book are a good place to look) and their statline is usually easily replicated with the Minor Spirit stat line.
• Some more bestial or powerful spawns of the Yozis which are nonetheless First Circle Demons could be statted as Stalking Horrors, with Materialize replacing The Cold Breath. Not every Demon is a humanoid being, after all and some are monstrous...things...best left undescribed which stalk the wilderness or the slowly-flooding lower levels of the Demon City himself.
• There are some First Circle Demons which are 'ascended' Demon-Blooded who have become full demons. These beings are always unique and some may further ascend in the hierarchy of Malfeas but the more powerful they become the less of their individuality they have as they become more and more a part of their respective Yozis. Use the stats of Mortal Heroes with those, except they need to Materialize like all demons do.
• The Second Circle Demons are always unique individuals rather than species, even if some may share certain traits with demons born as 'siblings' (somehow, don't ask me, demons are weird!). These are statted as Weak or Established Parasite Gods and are bound to Words and these beings function under the same rule as other demons.
• The most powerful of the Demons are the Third Circle Demons and these are anywhere between 30-40 HD and a quick Third Circle Demon would be a Dread Parasite God. These otherwise work as all other Demons do.

Titanic Pantheon

As expected, each time there is a post related to Hell at least more Yozis get described. In this case, the presented Yozi is the one and only (fortunately) perennial dickhead of the Yozis, the Ebon Dragon. The Ebon Dragon is very much one of those Exalted NPC (if such term even applies to such a creature) which late editions utterly changed. Originally a creature of darkness, taboo and 'otherness' he increasingly became pure evil as the game progressed to the point the fanbase has called him the 'embodiment of dickishness'....a quite accurate description for what he got increasingly pigeonholed as. Granted, such a characterization is often too funny not to use.

The Ebon Dragon, the Shadow of All Things

All things cast a shadow, even the seemingly-perfect Unconquered Sun. Some myths say that shadow is the Ebon Dragon: of course anyone who knows of the Titans and their role in shaping Creation know this is impossible and so, disturbingly it must be the other way around, that the Titan who would become the Yozis known as the Ebon Dragon was the creator of the Unconquered Sun. This could be truth or it could be myth and ultimately does not matter. The association of the Ebon Dragon with vice and an absence of Virtues is not unfounded, however, even if that is not the beginning nor end of what He embodies. Darkness is, after all, the absence of light. The Ebon Dragon is invariably always 'the other' or the counter-force to something. Some say the Ebon Dragon has one foot into the grave and has connection to the powers of death, which would explain why his Demons often consort with the forces of the Underworld. In truth these mysteries to his nature are part of his being, for the opposite of truth is uncertainty or even outright lies.

Associations of the Ebon Dragon

The Ebon Dragon represent many things (or rather, the absence of certain things if you really think about it) and some say he's a brother to Oramus. Both are, after all, depicted as dragons and both tend to deal into the impossible. Oramus cannot be truly defined and falls under the purview of the impossible while the Ebon Dragon is an absence of things.

• Animals: Draconic beasts as well as all creatures which dwell in the darkness away from the light, from bats to worms.
• Locations: Caves, mines, graveyards and dark alleys. Alternatively, everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Places which others know not of. A memory of your worst nightmare or failure.
• Materials: Black stones, obsidian, tarnished gold, corroded copper and tears.
• Positive(?) Emotions: A strong absence of an emotion once felt deeply. Trepidation before committing a taboo act.
• Negative Emotions: Fear, loss and confusion in the face of the unknown or depraved. Cowardice. Spitefulness.
• Objects: Cracked mirrors, broken swords and bumped armors. The discarded bones of the dead. A chalice filled with poisonous wine. Tomes of forbidden lore.

Exalted/Godbound: The Vastness of the Yozis, Part 2

Last post two in the ranks were fleshed out: one which is a 'core' (or major) Yozis, their prison and general Malfeas, the Demon City and beating sun-heart itself and the unbridled and unchallenged Isidoros, the black boar, who bend and break the world.

In addition, the previous post (Part 1) has been updated/corrected.

An Incomplete D20 of Yozis

The 'canonical' number of Yozis is estimated at around twenty-something, which is a rather convenient number since it mean when generating demons I can roll a d20 and decide to which Yozis the demon descend from (and by extension, compose said Yozis). As such Yozis are hereby split into 'active' Yozis and 'inactive', with the latter having very little or no Demons/souls active in Hell. The current lineup of active Yozis consist of:

1. Malfeas, the Demon City: Proud, powerful, excessive demon-lord but deeply flawed and broken by his defeat. Take the form of the demon city itself.
2. Cecelyne, the Endless Desert: Capricious, hypocritical and scheming 'law'maker of Hell. Her body is an endless desert as the name implies.
3. She Who Lives In Her Name: The principle of hierarchy, a creature of mad order and logic. Really likes spherical forms.
4. Adorjan the Silent Wind: A manic, restless and unsatisfied wind of destruction, violence and sometimes whimsy.
5. The Ebon Dragon. the Shadow Of All Things: A creature of darkness and taboo which is always an outsider. Lives in all the dark corners of Malfeas, which he himself created.
6. Kimbery, the Sea That Marched Against The Flame: An acid sea and smothering, twisted mother to uncounted demons and her children upon creation, the Lintha clan.
7. Isidoros, the Black Boar Which Twist The Sky: Unbridled power, desire and self-assertion. Associated with gravity and black holes but mostly manifest as damage upon Malfeas.
8. Szoreny, the Mirror Forest: An upside-down forest of mirrored roots. Szoreny loves and hate. Szoreny knows all there is to know about you.
9. "Hello, Amateur Dungeoneers readers (all three of them!), I can see you! Oramus, the Dragon Beyond the World is all which is impossible. Nothing can bind him safe for himself. No fourth wall will stop the mad artist on his quest to give (glorious) input!"
10. Metagaos, the All-Hunger Blossom: An all-consuming swamp which will eat things down to consuming concepts such as light, color or distance.
11. Elloge, the Sphere of Speech: Elloge spends most of her time in the empty spaces between Malfean layers. A truly alien Yozi, whose entire associations are related to words, associations and wordplay.
12. Hegra, the Typhoon of Nightmare: An ephemeral force of destruction and nightmares. She's a creature of giving and taking, both the good and the bad. Not that Hegra differentiate.
13. Qaf, the Heaven-Violating Spear: Folded away beyond the 'core' of Malfeas, Qaf is a twisted hermit of endless maddening lessons of enlightenment not meant for mortal minds. His shape is that of a mountain with no mountain or summit.

Yozi number fourteen to twenty are open to my own additions to the roster. "Being outside of what is deemed 'canon' does it not make them part of me?"

Another Glimpse Into Hell

Only two of the Yozis have been described so far and so our journey continues in the fleshing out the fallen and imprisoned Titans, starting with the Endless Desert herself, Cecelyne.

Dark Desert Night by ExistenceSD.

Cecelyne, the Endless Desert

Even among Yozis, the Endless Desert is a capital-t Tyrant which is saying a lot in a pantheon of once-rulers of the universe, principles of absolute order and hierarchy and a 'guy' who can basically see all that which is ever to come, at which point everything is entirely set in stone...or so the legend goes, anyway. She's a creature of hypocritical law. The form of Cecelyne exist as a 'border' to Malfeas and some say she exist to maintain their prison since she encircle all that exist inside Malfeas, even the endless mountain of Qaf, the dark depths of Kimbery and the outer spheres of the 'space' of Malfeas where the most alien of their kind supposedly dwell.

Associations of Cecelyne

Given her name, it's unsurprising that Cecelyne is heavily associated with the desert and the elements associated with it, be it thematic and abstract elements or simply the fauna of the desert. All are part of her, grains of salt and sand in the desert her body is.

• Elements: Sand, obviously. A lot of sand.
• Materials: Hardened sand, glass, leather and tin.
• Architecture: Foreboding, domineering and isolated libraries, prisons and temples. Walls which close away the path without notice.
• Animals: Serpents, scorpions, mice, vultures and all manners of creatures which could be found in any desert in Creation.
• Locations: The endless desert itself. Locations of Cecelyne tend to bring a sense of loneliness, anxiety and isolation...all the more to assert domination and instill fear.
• Positive Emotions: A rapturous sense of worship and reverence. A feeling of 'endlessness' and agelessness.
• Negative Emotions: The feeling of being dominated and living in fear of said master.
• Objects: Scrolls, whips, torture instruments, religious paraphernalia of all kind.
• Desire and Motivations: To dominate/to be dominated. Religious experience.

Blighted Fen by Jonas de Ro.

Kimbery, the Sea That Marched Against The Flame

Of all the Yozis, Kimbery may be one of the more infamous among mortals as one (or more) of her demons, long ago, sired a race of half-demons known as the Lintha Clan. Such is the importance of this ancient (but now degraded) to the history of Yozis that they cannot be mentioned without bringing up their 'mother' just as their 'mother' cannot be discussed without her progeny. An obsessive, smothering mother who loves, corrupt and herself suffer in equal amount and then demand payment for her 'gifts'. She is a mother of monsters, creating and twisting life.

Associations of Kimbery

The 'body' of Kimbery is a foul, vitriolic sea which rises from the lower depths of the Demon City to drown it and eat at the edges of Cecelyne's desert, burn away the silvery forest of Szoreny and Metagaos' blossoming swamp, intertwining with them in love and hate to create a morass of foulness.

• Elements: Ostensibly 'water', if you're willing to call acid and poison water.
• Materials: Salt, acid, poison, flesh and more acid. To a lesser extent, coral, blue ice and pearls.
• Animals: All manner of sea life (especially predators), but especially the squirming type such as worms and cephalopods. Very 'Lovecraftian' creatures.
• Locations: The ocean and everything around and within it. Torture chambers.
• Positive Emotions: Desire to procreate and nurture life. Misplaced joy.
• Negative Emotions: Suffering. Obsession. A desire to 'mold' others to one's desire and specifications.
• Desire and Motivations: To support one's own progeny. To broker deals. To be martyred. To make other suffer.

Sulphur Falls by Cliff Childs.

Qaf, the Heaven-Violating Spear

The great Qaf has no beginning nor end. While active, he is a reclusive and ill-understood Yozis: once a paragon of strength and endlessness, he was the might axis mundi before Creation that all other Yozis gathered around, even his leader Malfeas. Where the young Qaf was young and peerless, perfect and beautiful the old Qaf is (metaphorically) an old man who has turned inward to seek peace and renew his perfection. His form is that of a mountain with no beginning nor end and all around said mountain.

Associations of Qaf

The mountain association with Qaf isn't just physical: he is isolated in body, mind and wisdom, proud but lonely and disconnected from the outside world. He is the quintessential hermit and guru living all alone on top of that mountain. He also is The Cave in the platonic sense.

• Elements: Everything related to the element of Earth.
• Animals: All creatures which live upon mountains.
• Architecture: Road, paths and bridges leading uphill. Unmarked altars and abandoned temples or shrines. Chipped, ancient walls. Abandoned gardens. Mandala decorations.
• Locations: Beside the mountains and caves themselves, there are beautiful (yet abandonned and somewhat falling in disrepair) terraces scattered all over Qaf. These places are vestige of the young Qaf, when he was unmarred and the strong pillar of the Yozis (and not a forgotten hermit).
• Positive Emotions: Wisdom. Maturity. Serenity.
• Negative Emotions: Aloofness. Isolation. Ignorance.
• Objects: Pillars. Spears. Arrows. Calendars. Road signs.

Exalted/Godbound: The Vastness of the Yozis, Part 1

The Yozis are perhaps among the most interesting yet misused elements of the Exalted setting: impossibly vast and powerful beings who created and shaped the world only to be defeated and imprisoned by their upstart children. They are the Titans of the Exalted universe, the 'Old Gods' and makers of all that exist now bound within their own bodies (themselves bound inside the body of their general, Malfeas).

Unfortunately as the Editions went on, the Yozi became less and less this backstory detail and origin story to the countless unique and exotic demons of Exalted which could be allies, enemies and patron alike and were increasingly portrayed as a coherent entity, almost singular. People spoke of 'Malfeas' and 'The Ebon Dragon' as if they were actual NPC and not the sum of their parts, relegating the more interesting and nuanced Demons which composed them into mere minions rather than key elements forming the greater whole which is the Yozi. This culminated into Manual of the Exalted Powers: Infernals, which had the Infernals as the Chosen of Hell and ready (and arguably fated) to retake Creation in a massive endgame where the Yozis free themselves: The Reclamation.

The second worst thing to come out of Exalted 2nd edition,
beside the Infernals themselves of course.

These Yozis as depicted by the end of 2nd Edition are gone. Erased! They do not belong in my vision for the game, even if there's still a wealth of material to be mined from the Yozis fluff written during that era. It's less an issue of disliking the flavor (although much of the flavor is questionable at times) so much as the creeping vision and idea that the Yozis would be the endgame bosses of Exalted. An interesting idea, to be sure, but one which should have been left optional rather than having crept all over the fluff as default as the fanbase fell in love with those damn Infernals.

There will be no collective freedom for the Yozis in my game. No mean of escape. However that doesn't mean they can't play a role: Yozis can and do influence Creation when their demons are summoned into the mortal world but the influence spread is that of the demon itself, not necessarily the collective sum which is the Yozis. These demons may very well have personal goals and motivations which do NOT require initiating the Reclamation which does not and cannot exist and neither do Infernals or Akuma in my game.

The Vastness of the Yozis

Ancient and vast beyond measures as they may be, the common people of Creation generally do not know much of the Yozis as a whole, as their folklore is more commonly referring to the individual actions of specific (often lesser) demons. Only those who study demonology know and understand what the Yozis are: the broken and defeated, once-proud Primordials now bound inside Malfeas, each a collection of theme, concepts and ideas embodied by it's sub-Souls with each soul being a fully-formed (albeit incredibly alien) individual spirit who in turn spawned lesser sub-souls.

Both glorious and hideous. How fitting.

The relationship between these souls, or Demons as they are known today, is a complicated and strained one: while each being form a greater, collectively whole they nonetheless retain a level of individuality. They may embody certain shared themes but they may very well embody them in particularly bizarre and often clashing ways. Harmony and sanity are not exactly common themes in Malfeas, after all, since the Yozis these Demons compose are all to some extent broken and vengeful individuals filled with resentment and festering hate for their upstart creations. While many Demons may be more than willing to work with summoners there will always be an undercurrent of rage and self loathing which fester at the very core of the Malfean dimension as one need to remind themselves it exist purely within the confines of Malfeas himself and He is quite, quite angry at his imprisonment.

Souls and Avatars

The collective Yozis would not exist without the entire combined concepts they represent and embody and these manifests in their descending hierarchy of Demons. The first born of any Yozis are the Third Circle Demons, which are the closest to the purest concepts which form each Yozi: each a vastly powerful spirit. Some are great arch demons of equal might and cunning, demon lords who command legions and are impossibly gifted in certain things while others are mere war-juggernauts, Avatars of the Yozis. Such creatures would include the form of the Ebon Dragon which pass over the green sun of Malfeas, bringing night or the unbridled boar-shaped black hole of Isidoros. In turn these have sub-souls, the Second Circle Demons and finally the Third Circle demons are born: most being entire species of Demons rather than individuals for the most part.

You could see Yozis are some sort of recursive unholy Trinity.
Except it's not a triangle but you get the point.

Building the Demons

The range of size, shape, power and purpose displayed by the residents/components of the Malfean reality is simply mind-boggling. These are creatures (well, spirits, as they are not made of flesh but essence) who can display any form imaginable as well as forms which cannot be imagined by mortal or even immortal minds. Their level of power is as wide-ranging. One thing they share in common, however, is that they need commit effort for the scene to Materialize when summoned outside of Malfeas.

A Glimpse of Hell

Generally, Exalted 'canon' put the number of imprisoned Yozis somewhere around twenty-something. While I am fine with playing loose with canon and rewriting entire chunks of the setting this seems like a rather suitable number of gaming purposes, allowing to create random tables which works off a d20. Therefore, from here on, this project will assume a number of Yozis above twenty with a few who are too reclusive or unknown to bother showing up in table and/or remain a mystery to this very day.

Malfeas, the Demon City

Once, he was Theion, the Empyreal Chaos: mightiest of the Primordials and crowned ruler of all which was and could ever be. His dominion encompassed all which existed since he was the ruler of the Primordials and reality consisted simply of Heaven and Creation and both he ruled. Defeated, broken and mutilated he was turned into a prison for his brethren. Now he is Malfeas, the demon city of brass. He is still mighty and imperious, proud and terrible to behold yet also inherently marred and denied perfection. The impossibly beautiful yet alien constructions which sprout from his flesh all suffer from some minor incorrigible imperfection and whenever His resentment and anger grows He lash out, entire district crashing into one another. His beating heart is a glowing green sun. Exotic, baroque, proud and forever broken and twisted: this is Malfeas.

Associations of Malfeas

The demon city is one built of bronze, bones, flesh, verdigris and black stones. It's crammed and alien architecture suggest pride and power, baroque decadence of the city built in the honor of the greatest sovereign which could have ever lived. The imperfections, the incoherence of the street planning and the jagged and spiky edges which grow as the districts clash into one another suggest deep resentment, anger and self-loathing.

• Elements: Mortal and Exalted scholars sometimes associate Malfeas with the Earth element, as he is the base upon which the demon Realm grow yet this is pure fabrication. His true element is the glowing green Vitriol.
• Materials: Bronze, brass, iron, black stone and verdigris. To a lesser extent, the green light of his sun-heart.
• Architecture: Impossibly large, baroque and imposing. Armories and other military aperture.
• Animals: Anything which looks powerful and proud, such as eagle, lions, apes or elephants.
• Positive Emotions: Pride, power, self-assurance and zeal.
• Negative Emotions: Anger, self-loathing, arrogance.
• Associated Arts: Dancing and music.
• Desires and Motivations: To conquer and to grow, to expand and rule only to invariably see it fall and collapse from one's own failings.

"SKREE-HOINK!"
Hogzilla by Kaijuverse.

Isidoros, the Black Boar That Twist The Sky

Unbridled power, a zeal for life and an utter lack of shame or self-explanation define Isidoros. Even chained inside the body of his general and brother Malfeas, he remain unbridled in his zeal and desire to both experience and to be life. The demons spawned from Isidoros exemplify the 'larger than life' expression and not just in size (even if many are enormous). To be somewhat crude, one could say Isidoros' very presence is a 'fuck you'. He is the loud, often obnoxious guest and the big fat party animal (who is also shaped like a big fat animal, go figure) of the family. Of all the Yozi he is perhaps one of the least prone to melancholic depression or antediluvian fury. Diminished as he may be in his current state he is still very much a force of nature and nothing has curbed all his desires and self-expression of pure, loud, self-affirming presence.

Associations of Isidoros

Unlike many of his brethren, Isidoros is not particularly associated with locations or environment: rather, the environments of Isidoros reflect not his body itself but rather the aftereffects of the presenc of the Black Boar That Twist The Sky.

• Elements: Arguably the 'open air' could be seen as being loosely related to Isidoros as his unbridled presence is antithetical to enclosed and confined spaces. Sometimes he is associated with inky black, all-consuming darkness and/or gravity.
• Materials: Bronze, lead and molten metal. Flesh and blood.
• Architecture: Displaced objects, broken columns, holes in roads and toppled buildings. 
• Animals: Boars, obviously, but any animal known for being particularly large and ferocious can be associated to Isidoros.
• Locations: Mountains, icebergs and wild places covered in gore.
• Positive Emotions: Self-reliance, self-appreciation, defiance and a 'I-Don't-Give-A-Shit' attitude.
• Negative Emotions: Uncaring hedonism, rage and a strong dislike of the mundane/boring.
• Associated 'Arts': Loud drumming, power metal, improvised dancing, frat parties.
• Desire and Motivations: To explore the world, to live, to enjoy oneself, to express one's presence to the world no matter what.

Sandbox Tool: Random Exotic Barbarian Tribes

The barbarian and the exotic foreigner have a long history in fantasy. Fantasy world, just as much (if in my opinion not as often as they should) are filled with all manners of people and when one travel far away from the centers of civilization they might come across all manner of people which could be called 'barbarian' or 'savages', often in a pejorative manner. These tables certainly draw upon the imagery and tend to generate somewhat isolated and unusual people who exist at the tribal level: while it is very likely any character from a more sprawling civilization would see them as backward savages due to their less developed technology these people are by no mean stupid. They are simple unusual cultures which have naturally been shaped by their environments and would likely find the player characters to be the backward stupid ones for not knowing how to navigate the perils of their lands.

In fantasy settings, these tribes may be ancient keepers of long-lost sacred sites, have powerful supernatural patrons or have ancient and unique magical traditions which could very well explain why they never experienced the need to develop along the path one would expect from the rest of the setting. A few others are noticeably more advanced than one expect once they get past the initial prejudice and misunderstanding. Some are peaceful people who only turn to bloodshed when feeling threatened while others are vile, flesh-eating cannibals. Or maybe some are peaceful cannibals who only practice the consumption of their own dead. Hey you never know!

In general, 'fantasy barbarians' tend imply and be defined as:

• Living in tribal or semi-tribal society.
• Generally less technologically advanced from the rest of the world.
• Odd, strange and somewhat apart from the main cultures of the setting.
• Connected to (admittedly sometimes silly and misunderstood) concepts related to nature. Many of them are often vaguely shamanistic and pagan-ish in nature. When they worship a single god it's usually a war god of some kind.

These tables aren't exactly setting-specific but I do plan to use them for my Godbound Exalted game and as such does tend toward ideas and concepts which would work best in that game.

Goblin's business by Istvan Straban.

What is their culture like?

D4	Tribal Culture
1	Isolationist: These people are less advanced than their neighbors because of centuries of isolation from neighboring people for a variety of cultural reasons. They don’t like to show themselves to outsiders.
2	Warrior Culture: These people have waged wars (of any possible scale) on outsiders and their own kind for centuries. Their entire culture is built around fighting in some capacity.
3	Spiritual People: These people have a long and complex history of interaction with spiritual and arcane matters. There is a certain other-worldliness to them.
4	Degenerate Savages: Unfortunately, these people aren’t misunderstood, they really are closer to monster than people. Even their neighbors don’t like them but their history may hide tragedy which led them down this path.

D4	Isolationist
1	Fear of Assimilation: In ages past, these people encountered another culture group and saw their kind adopt the ways of the outsiders for good and for ill. Fearing to lose their identity, they isolated themselves and are now seen as backward savages by their neighbors.
2	Isolated Locale: These people simply live in an area most other people would not dare live and are not isolated by choice, or at least weren’t initially. They lay claim to dangerous and exotic locales, like top of jagged mountains or fetid monster-infested swamps.
3	Tribal Remnants: These people were once part of a larger culture but it has been destroyed by outsiders and the survivors only exist as isolated tribes which fear outsiders. Their history is sad.
4	Sacred Duties: These people believe themselves to have some sacred duty or purpose and their isolationist way of life is built around preserving the rites related to this purpose.

D6	Warrior Culture
1	Paranoid and Vicious: They don’t like outsiders and not only assume the worst from them but also themselves treat neighbors rather poorly, frequently attacking them (and outsiders) at the slightest provocation.
2	Ritual Combat: These people’s way of waging war is one of complex rituals of combat and their warriors spend years mastering the intricate fighting style of using their ancestral arms and armors. Roll on the Ritual Combat style table.
3	Tribal Warfare: These people constantly wage wars on each others and nearby cultures and these raids and battles are seen as an honorable way of life where one’s worth is judged by their skill with weapons.
4	Conquerors: These people have begun to expand and conquer other, weaker cultures around them including possibly a more ‘advanced’ civilization which had grown weak and decadent. They are a culture on the rise but changes are on the horizon.
5	Sacrificial Rites: This tribe is more known for capturing their foes and sacrificing them rather than simply killing them. There are complex religious motivations and meanings behind such acts.
6	Tranquil Warriors: These are a people more than willing to fight, with a proud history of combat yet they do not desire to start any hostility. They are currently in a peaceful moment of their history but will viciously defend this peace if threatened.

D4	Spiritual People
1	Spirit-Chosen: In ages past, some spirit/god/whatever chose these people as his favored people. They have not changed their way of life out of fear or respect for this otherworldly patron.
2	Inhuman Blood: There is something in the lineage of these people which account for their disconnect of nearby cultures, be it fae-blood, demon-blood or something along those lines. In some cases this has made them unfairly disliked. Roll on the Unusual Appearance table.
3	Arcane Traditions: In defiance to the stereotype that magic is a tool of the so-called ‘civilized folks’ these people have well-established, centuries-long traditions of sorcery. This is a powerful advantage for them. Roll on the Arcane Tradition table.
4	Guardians of the Sacred Site: These people established themselves to guard a place which is held to be sacred/magical in some way. They have long dedicated themselves to guarding it.

D6	Degenerate Savages
1	Fall from Grace: In the past these people belonged to a highly advanced (by setting standard) civilization which has since fallen from it’s own hubris. The survivors are a twisted, inbred lot.
2	Demonic Patron: These people worship a demon of some kind and their culture is twisted, alien and most likely violent. They dislike outsiders and in turn are disliked for their wicked ways. Roll on the Unusual Appearance table.
3	Ancestral Cults Gone Wrong: Worship of tribal ancestors is normal and expected. What is less expected is being ruled from beyond the grave by wicked ancestors who have become twisted and evil spirits. Roll on the Ghost-Touched table.
4	Cursed: A powerful curse has been laid on the ancestor of these people, which number and clouded their memory and destroyed their sanity. Unless the curse is broken they cannot act as normal people would.
5	Diseased: These people are afflicted by a mundane or not-so-mundane plague which has driven them into increasingly desperate measures to stave off the effects of the disease, such as eating brains or drinking blood. If it is not cured they’ll remain vile and twisted...or go extinct.
6	Enslaved: A powerful being, maybe a demon or sorcerer has enslaved these people for a generation or more. Their entire culture is being changed into something more suitable for his evil minions and the young people have only known violence and bloodshed.

D4	Ritual Combat
1	Wrestling: These people prefer (usually) non-lethal forms of ritual combat, specifically wrestling. While the intent isn’t to kill, their matches are vicious and brutal affairs and outsiders who wish to engage with them should know this in advance.
2	Specific Weapon: These people have ritual combats with a specific weapon, which is seen as sacred. There are entire ‘schools’ and ways to dedicate to using the weapon in a specific way against a specific fighting style.
3	Blood Hunt: Ritualistic seek-and-destroy rituals where individuals must hunt each others down in the wilds, sometimes naked with just a knife. They must bring back the head or skin of the defeated.
4	Duel to Death: A staple which need no explanation. Surprisingly less common than one may expect.

D4	Arcane Tradition
1	Skin-Writing: These people lack books and sorcerers amongst their kind will write down spells, formulas and whatnot on their very skin so that initiates which have been taught how to read these can read it on their master’s flesh.
2	Elemental Powers: These people have a limited form of elemental magic or rituals which allow them to either imbue their weapons or call minor disasters such as earthquakes or forest fires by appealing to elemental spirits.
3	Infusion: By imbibing certain plants or the blood of animals, these people are able to gain a measure of temporary preternatural strength, agility or endurance or enter a berserk fury.
4	Sorcerer-Tribes: In spite of being seen as savages, these people maintain centuries-long and complex traditions of magic which rival that of any so-called civilized folks.

D6	Unusual Appearance
1	Supernatural Albinism: These people are extremely prone to a condition similar albinism, which they see as both a curse and blessing. They have pure white hair, skin and in some cases even empty white eyes. Many of their champions bear such a condition.
2	Clawed Hands: While human, these people are prone to having long and hardened fingernails which they can use to claw opponents if disarmed. Their fingers are, likewise, longer than average to not affect dexterity.
3	Animalistic Markings: These people have tiger stripes, jaguar spots or maybe some scale-like patterns on their skin. Alternatively they could have facial features which vaguely suggest animals, such as hawk-people with long and pointy faces.
4	Fearsome: These people have a naturally intimidating appearance, be it a striking and terrifying gaze or just looking generally intimidating and scary, which is a very useful advantage in combat.
5	Poisonous: These people naturally emit a poison from their skin and/or mouth, which they are immune to. This often give them an odd skin tone or greenish-blue lips and tongues. They can coat their weapons in poison.
6	Piercing Gaze: These people have an unsettling, almost glowing gaze, possibly having golden or red eyes. They don’t quite have night vision but their eyesight is always sharp and never decline with age.

D4	Ghost Touched
1	Wasting: Many members of this tribe are sickly and pale, seemingly one foot already in the grave. They feel less pain and are less emotional, more detached and able to fight without any fear nor feeling injuries too much.
2	Reanimated Warriors: This tribe is not above raising the corpses of their own warriors as undead creature. This is sanctioned, approved and seen as culturally significant rather than horrifying.
3	Pain Craft: These people practice some dark craft which involves pain, bloodshed and turning angry ancestor-ghosts against their enemies. They bring fear wherever they go.
4	Necrocracy: Rather than being manipulated by their ancestral spirits, these people are flat out ruled by an undead chief who openly display his undead nature and is worshiped almost as an unliving god.

What do they look like?

D10	Appearance	Tribal Markings
1	Muscular: These people do in fact live up to the stereotype of ‘barbarians’ being muscular or brutish, being on average rather strong and/or stout looking, even the women.	Impossibly Long Braids: Men have long, elaborate braids in their beards while the women have long braided hair. Their hair is never cut and the shape and decoration of the braid indicate social status.
2	Beautiful: In spite of their possibly odd way of life, these people tend to be rather healthy and beautiful individuals, proud and well-formed. While they may have battle scars, horribly disfigured individuals are seen as bringing bad luck and are shunned, seeking honorable death.	Bald: These people shave all body hair, even eyebrows (and down there), be it for health or religious reasons. Thus their culture associate physical cleanliness with spiritual cleansing. They will not attack a bald individual in a party unless he or she attack first.
3	Skinny: These people, while perhaps quite fearsome, are known for their wiry builds. Any muscles they have are lean and hard muscles, not bulky.	Vivid Hair Color: These people are known for having wildly colored hair, which could be natural but is most likely some natural dye.
4	Impossibly Tall: These people tend toward a height noticeably higher than the average for the region but within human limits. This increased height is an advantage in combat, both for the purpose of intimidation and for added reach.	Colorful Robes: These people’s robes, while simple, are decorated in a very impressive and colorful fashion and they are easily spotted. These robes are worth quite a bit.
5	Amazonian: In this tribe, it is the women which tend to be larger and stronger than the men. This could have a more mundane explanation or have ties to something more supernatural.	Piercings: These people are known for their extensive use of piercings and body modifications, often decorated with precious gemstones or metals.
6	Hideous: These people are naturally rather unsightly, having natural and non-deformed but otherwise unsightly features as the norm such as googly eyes, large noses and ears or a tendency toward warty skin.	Mutilated: Through some bizarre practice, these people willingly undergo some form of ritual mutilation that won’t impair their daily lives but will no doubt unsettle outsiders which they could very well end up using to their advantage in combat.
7	Filed Teeth: These people all file their teeth, giving them a menacing grin and making them look like wild animals. This also allow them to bite opponents.	War Masks: In battle, these people wear terrifying masks depicting savage beasts and demons, which are decorated with precious jewels and other fineries. Steal at your own risk.
8	Ritual Scarring: Intense ritual scars adorn the entire bodies of their warriors. These have complex symbolic meanings no outsider can hope to decipher. Alternatively, this scarring could indicate successful kills.	Ancestral Arms: These people are known for their beautifully crafted weapons and armors, colorful and unique. These are passed from father to son and may or may not be magical.
9	Long-Lived: The members of this tribe are known for a life span above the average of the area. They have many older warriors who fight with the ferocity of men decades younger.	Body Art: These people love to cover themselves with impressively detailed paint, either for war and/or religious events. This paint may or may not have magical powers.
10	Roll on Inhuman Appearance.	Soot-Covered: These people cover themselves in soot, giving them grayish-white skin. This is part of religious rituals.