Exalted/Godbound: The Age of Brass

Oh, Exalted: my eternal love-hate relationship of liking more the ideas of a game than any execution and certainly disliking the mechanical end of it all. Every few months my mind is inevitably drawn back to it either by something or by someone mentioning or discussing the game, reigniting my endless love-to-hate/hate to love feeling for the game. That's just the way it is for me, it seems.

Exalted: The Third Age

Artist unknown.

The best way to use Exalted, in my eyes, is to reuse the setting but at the same time wipe the slate clean. This may appear a bit counterproductive, but my primary issue with Exalted (okay well, to be fair I have so many issues its hard to list them all, let alone put them in order!) is that its interesting concepts are invariably screwed over by having too much lore written for it. I get that said lore is obviously the appeal but the issue of a setting being too written about is that it never seem to leave much room for a Game Master to interpret and use things in a way beneficial to his game. There need to be space to make shit up.

The name 'Age of Brass' come from the final comic in Return of the Scarlet Empress, which I've discussed before and called the second worst thing to happen to Exalted. It might seem strange to create a hypothetical take on Exalted which follows the events of the Second Edition metaplot I so often malign but the possible list of events described and outlined in that book are designed to utterly shake Creation and break it. As a result it makes a rather good starting point. The main ideas are as follow:

• The Yozi attempted the Reclamation with their Infernal Exalted. While it did temporarily 'work' in a manner of speaking and did immense damage to Creation, this 'second Primordial War' ultimately still ended in a victory for Heaven. At a price.
• Most of the powerful NPC are long dead and/or missing in some shape or form. All 100 Sidereals ended up dead either before, during or after the Reclamation. This mean there is not a single Sidereal alive in the Third Age who wasn't born after it.
• The same applies to all other Celestial Exalted. All Solars died during the second Primordial War or they became one of the few survivors, who then were killed by some other threat in the era of reconstruction that followed. No Solar or Lunar exist today that wasn't Exalted in at the very least the aftermath of it.
• A sizable portion of the already low in number Infernal Exalted are now lost, their Exaltations having been captured during or after the war and returned to their original Solar parameters. The remaining few (less than ten) Infernals are the 'neutral' Devil-Tigers, which are Primordials 2.0.
• The map has changed quite a bit from the ensuing damage, changes and then repair made to Creation. However the five Elemental poles remain.
• The original Realm has been dissolved and the Scarlet Empress is dead, having been turned into the new Earth Pole as eternal penance. There are competing forces of Terrestrials who would want to return either the Realm or Shogunate or something similar.
• Heaven is a mess with most Gods dead and thus replaced by their successors, some of them former mortals or even dead Exalt (previously Ghosts, now elevated to proper Spirit status). Heaven is ever-busy, messy and generally unlikely to ever assemble. Basically, beside calling personal favor if they can, PC cannot count on Yu-Shan and the Incarnae to fix any mess.
• Creation is not ruled by any singular force: there are scattered domains ruled by Exalted, some by Gods eager to retake their role now that the Immaculate Faith is fading, some places are Shadowlands ruled by ancient Ghosts and others are 'garden', invaded by the Fae/Raksha.

This new Creation is an even more broken and diminished one compared to the Second Age but that doesn't mean hope cannot spring eternal. With the few surviving Yozis locked back in their prison and the Ebon Dragon gone (but is he really dead?), this new era of Creation is more open to sandboxing.

The Missing Exaltations

In Second Edition, the total and exact number of each Exalted type was given. In order to return a sense of mystery, such knowledge is lost in the Third Age. When the Solar, Lunar and even rogue Abyssals went to war against the rising threat of the Reclamation, most of them perished in the conflict. While their Exaltations did return to Heaven in some capacity, many more have become missing. Exaltations are believed to be indestructible but it is known they can be contained. Some have speculated that the dying Primordials could have uttered a second Great Curse while others believe these Exaltations are simply 'trapped' in the death throes of dying Yozis, especially the Ebon Dragon's black hole-like corpse which at one point covered the land in such metaphysical darkness and deceit that no one can even remember who it was that struck the blow which finally killed him. Or perhaps cowards fled into the Wyld rather than fight and simply never returned. Who can say?

The Sidereals are the only ones fully accounted for in numbers, being fated and all that stuff. However even their ranks are diminished as the loss of old factions and mentors have scattered them, with many younger Sidereals now pursuing their own agenda, often in defiance to a lot of other factors. Meanwhile most Infernals are gone, having been destroyed and their Exaltations taken back by Heaven to return to their Solar selves, safe for the remaining Devil-Tigers which will be detailed in a bit. To recap:

• Nobody knows how many Solar, Abyssal and Lunars are left. There might be one or two original Infernals around but that is unlikely.
• Sidereals aren't remotely united, many of them having gone rogue.

The Devil-Tigers and Asura

Art by Peter Mohrbacher

The Devil-Tigers were heretical Infernals, who came to resent their hellish masters and sought to transcend. Heretical Infernal Charms allowed them to reshape their own nature, powers and even Exaltation while also allowing them to create sub-souls like a Yozi. Befitting a slightly more optimistic take on Exalted, the Devil-Tigers are a neutral force in Creation, allowed to exist with the somewhat reluctant agreement of Heaven, even if the two clash just about every single day. Across Creation are pocket empire, cults or other organization and structures centered around the Devil-Tigers, the transcendent ones and the great Asuras. The name is taken from the pre-imprisonment name of Demons, which was Devas, as a nod to Hindu mythology. These beings are the New Titans, quite limited in power and scope compared to their predecessors but still dangerous to face. They are a new power in Creation, one which no one is really sure what exactly it will create in the long run.

The Devil-Tigers are the reincarnated Infernal Exalted whose Exaltation has become redefined by their own nature. They are exultant beings, newborn embodiment of Human will, desire and thoughts ascended to cosmic heights. Wherever their influence spread, the world is slowly reshaped either by their own hand or that of their Asuran sub-souls. The best way to explain them would be to see them as the Neutral or Chaotic Neutral alignment, in a way. They are capable of great feat of rage and destruction as much as grandiose feat of love and passion, creating wars as much as they destroy empires to usher in new peace in a region. Their purpose is to be a 'wild card' distinct from Heaven, the Underworld or the Wyld. Each of them is very much their own Faction and they can be allies just as much as they can become a major antagonist. Some of them work (with great difficulty) with Heaven an other Exalted to help push back ever growing tides of the Wyld, while others seek only material gain and to expand their would-be Empire because that is the nature they have chosen. Yet, fortunately for all, Devil-Tigers being born of once-human beings mean they are tied to Creation and human nature. Which, perhaps, is their only weakness?

The Dumbest Game Ever: Dungeons: The Dragoning 40 000 7th Edition

Yep. I'm doing this.

I'm aware this post is going to be really weird and likely seen as extremely stupid. Its okay, it is. If you've never been around 4chan's tabletop board, or /tg/ as it is called you'll likely not get the significance of this absolute monstrosity. If somehow you are aware of it then skip ahead, this post assume you don't know what this nightmare of a game is.

Context: The /tg/ that was

Once upon a time, 4chan's /tg/ board was seen as something of a 'model prisoner' if one like to see 4chan (and derivative) as the insane asylum of the internet. The board, from what I understand of its early history came into being after too many people were posting on /m/ (the giant robot and tokusatsu board) too much Warhammer 40 000 under the excuse that it had mecha, power armors and giant monsters. This led to the birth of /tg/ which englobed not only Tabletop Wargames (like Warhammer) but also Tabletop RPG (such as obviously D&D) and trading card games (mainly Magic: The Gathering and for a time Android Netrunner).

For a time, it was good. At its peak (pre 2013-ish, I'd say from experience) /tg/ was a relatively beloved board. It would frequently discuss topics utterly unrelated to the actual board focus with far more intelligence and civility than the place you should be posting it on. Wanted to talk history without the loonies of the political board coming to stir up some really politically incorrect shit or the anime without the /a/ssholes degenerating into a war over whose waifu is better? Well, /tg/ was there and in many cases these threads devolved (or rather, evolved) into discussions of homebrew or game hack to run games inspired by whatever topic was being discussed.

Of course, nowadays /tg/ is a fallen board. Time, the accessibility of the internet, younger people getting into Tabletop via Critical Role (or other shows of that type, rather than being introduced into the game by friends with a common hobby or fandom*) and draconian moderators with a stake in a million culture wars has neutered the board. The greybeards of yore have left for the most part.. Things aren't as civil or as creative as they used to be. Or maybe its just me being a sourpuss about imaginary 'good old days'. Who knows?
*Which result in vastly different taste being my point here....

But there is one game which in my mind define the peak of /tg/ self-referential stupidity and unbridled insanity. A game which, in fact, is the byproduct of one loony who 'did it on a dare'. A game so stupid and so utterly ridiculous it surely deserve to live in infamy forever.

That game...is Dungeons: The Dragoning 40 000 7th Edition. Yes, you read that right. No there are no previous editions. The 7th is a visual pun because it come form the 7th Sea logo. This game is a work of art. Demented, stupid, childish, self-referential degenerate art! And it is glorious.

The embodiment of early 2010 internet neckbeard in-jokes.
Gone horribly wrong. Or right, you decide.

The Game In a Nutshell

This whole game is a joke. No, really, every single thing in it is a big in-joke and/or a meme of the time. It is essentially a time capsule of the early 2010 and all the dumb things which had shaped the game table of the people who tend to hang around /tg/. It is a giant in-joke, homage and unholy conglomerate of Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer 40 000, the World of Darkness, Exalted and other things with a serious heaping of the likes of Mass Effect. The latter of which, at the time, wasn't seen as a shameful child which has long since been buried and left to rot due to a squandered potential.

The setting is an insane mashup, with Warhammer 40 000 and its baroque space fantasy as its core alongside D&D-derived material, namely Planescape and Spelljammer. You have the 'Crystal Spheres' model of Spelljammer with Sigil acting as its usual 'hub' purpose. You have D&D outer Planes as planets alongside familiar Warhammer 40 000 locations. The typical D&D races are there mixed with their Warhammer counterparts with each race taking more or less from each version on a case-by-case basis. Then you have more insane crossover mashup. For example, the progenitor of Vampires is Khaine. Not Caine. No no, Khaine.

Yeah. This guy.

Mechanically this game is a monster. Its stupidly crunchy in all the worst possible ways. Its system is a bloated mess drawing inspiration from all these aforementioned games (with Warhammer 40 000 being represent by its then-current RPG incarnation, Dark Heresy). Its a clusterfuck of a system which can only be best described in bullet points as to dive right into it would give anyone sane a headache asking themselves what in the name of Hastur's scrotum they were thinking in making an RPG this messy. Except being a mess is part of the joke. That's the whole point. Especially if you remember how D&D 3e onward and White Wolf games are at time unbearably complex games compared to the slickness and simplicity of OSR games. In any case, it work like this:

You have a Race, which give you some bonus, some skills and a racial power. This range from the classical human of modern D&D with their flexible bonus to fairly recognizable D&D staples like Elves, Gnomes and Dwarves Squats alongside the Warhammer 40 000 race of the Tau. However the stranger races added to D&D as core races can be found here, such as Eldarin (not Eladrin but Eldarin. As in Warhammer 40 000 Eldars), Tieflings (here they are servants of Chaos with a capital C) and the Aasimar who rather than being part-Celestials are re imagined as a different kind of Angel. And by that I mean Angels of Death.

Space Marines. They're Space Marines, okay?

Then you have your Exaltation. Now the name here obviously evoke the Exalted of the eponymous RPG but here it mean any kind of particularly impressive 'supernatural splat', such as Vampire, Werewolves or the utterly-badass-yet-perfectly-mortal-Paragon. It also include the Atlanteans which are an homage to both version of the Mage RPG combined with the Solar Exalted as well as the Promethean which combine ideas from the game of the same name with evert cyborg cliche under the sun. There's also the Chosen, which combine Cleric and Favored Souls-type classes with the Daemon Princes of Chaos albeit extended to all other Gods, meaning you become a demigod essentially. There's also Daemonhost (which again, isn't tied to Chaos as 'Daemon' here mean any kind of Warp entity) who take cues just as much from the OWOD Demon as they do with Abyssal Exalted. Its really bonkers.

Then you have Classes which are the least insane part in the core book as they cover all you'd expect and a few more. These work somewhat like the Dark Heresy classes meaning you need to spend your XP on options offered by your class and the more you spend on it the more you unlock higher tiers which offer better options. When you finish a tree you can start a new one and get bonus.

There's also Feats/Assets/Hinderances as well as Magic. You also have Sword Schools taking cues from the infamous Book of Nine Swords as well as its ranged counterpart in a supplement, which is called Gun Kata and lets you build special attacks.

The whole thing mix something which I've been told is apparently a mixture of the Storyteller System with the 'Roll and Keep' of Legend of the Five Rings with elements of Dark Heresy. Trying to even remember how this game plays gives me a headache and leave my head full of fucks.

So why should we even care about this mess, then? Why post this on an OSR blog?

In many ways, DTD is arguably a poster child for the insane labors of love we put into our homebrew. The entire thing is half of an in-joke but also a genuine love letter to the sheer insanity of tabletop and the pure fun of doing something utterly stupid and gonzo. It may not be an OSR-related system by any stretch of the imagination but what I see in it is a similar spirit to all the homebrewing which went on and still does here.

And lastly...

I kind of want to try to bring this abomination to either Machinations of the Space Princess or Stars Without Numbers. Just because I'm insane like that. Is it nothing but dumb, derivative in-jokes? Oh yes absolutely. But there is no denying the absolute madness of this game was an important step in me discovering the insanity of home brewing and the passion project of people.

Edit: The post has had some typo fixed and some profanities removed since the original post.

Exalted/Godbound: The Vastness of the Yozis, Part 4

The legend of the fallen Titans is a long, ongoing tale.

Lesser Key of Solomon by Davey Baker.

It's Not Actually About The Yozis

The thing that is easy to forget (even for me!) is that it's not about the Yozis as individuals because Yozis are not individuals. This was the major mistake which crept into Exalted especially over the course of second edition: treating the Yozis as if they were a singular epic-tier NPC. The Yozis are more important as a series of themes for their demons to embody, as outlined here.

As such it is important for Second and Third Circle demons to have their own mindset, agenda and personalities even if they are themselves part of a greater whole. These agendas and motivations can be as simple as being power-hungry villains who care not for the greater unity of the demon realm and who wish to drag down and debase Creation. These are hardly the majority (and arguably the most boring) but the classical all-evil Demon Lord is a viable archetype for Yozi component souls especially if those souls express a more destructive and selfish aspect of a certain Yozi. Malfeas and Isidoros in particular are prime origins for such openly destructive demons, with Malfeas representing this vainglorious aspect (mixed with his own self-loathing and thus self-destruction) befitting a 'dark lord' while Isidoros doesn't like to be bound and is likely to produce a singular, extremely powerful demon whose only reason to exist to break things, destroy, corrupt and self-indulge in his own grand design of self-expression, wanton destruction and hedonism.

Other Demons are much more team players: their goals, while possibly selfish (demons aren't know for their empathy and generosity, after all) tend to at least be more constructive. These aren't uncommon for demons whose purpose is one within the greater demon society. In a way, these are the merchant, politicians and priests of the demon race. What drives them is what make demonic society work because demons, as creatures of Essence, have very little of the need and desire which fuel human society.

Demonic Design and Appearance

When it come to the appearance of demons, it should always be weird first and foremost. The Yozis are the progenitor and architect of Creation and their design predate and inspired the various life form which are part of mundane reality. Take for example the most famous and basic Exalted demon, the Bood Ape. On one hand it's 'just' a monstrous blood-furred intelligent ape with some spikes. That's boring.

Meh. Not exotic enough.

To me, the name and description of 'Blood Ape' is mostly just a shorthand and moniker to describe these creatures. They shouldn't be and aren't just red furred apes with spikes. The name of 'ape' come from their general shape and basic design: big, hulking furry humanoids who walk on their knuckles. That should be the starting point to describe these horrors. Their fur is a constantly blood-soaked mess, in shades of red, copper or even black. Their faces are like a cross between men, lizards and a bulldog stretched in a vaguely simian shape with protruding, jagged tusks. They have spiky, almost Klingon-esque ridges on foreheads, shoulders, knuckles and forearms. Their bony spikes are a bizarre fusion of brass and bone. Something alone those lines. Something more like this:

Orangutan Creature by dongjunlu.

Of course, the rank of the demons are very much endless. However this redesign of the Blood Ape is a good starting point on what demons should look like: alien and more than just chimeric mishmash of animals and people (that is more of a Wyld mutation thing). They are beings of wild dream, untapped possibilities and paths of world design not taken mixed with the expression of each Yozi's nature. Their inorganic (or vaguely elemental) design elements also tie these defeated Primordials in design to both Gaia and Autochton, the two Primordials who were not imprisoned.

Shiny.

She Who Lives In Her Name, The Principle of Hierarchy

The first description ever of 'SWLIHN' is: "She Who Lives in Her Name is a fire surrounded by a crystal sphere. That fire whispers its name to the 100 fires that surround it, each in their own sphere. Each of those fires whispers its name to the 99,997 fires that whirl around the whole." SWLIHN is the creepy obsessive neat-freak of the Yozis, there's just no way around it. This comedic description belies just how terrifying it's theme (and thus progeny demons) are. She is a being of absolute order, hierarchy and stratification. If SWLIHN (or rather her demons) were in charge, reality would be an insanely orderly micromanaged hell. Fortunately, SWLIHN is not in charge.

SWLIHN and her demons are complicated (in spite of arguably trying to make the world more simple, in a way) and can be both the most useful of servants to summoners, eager to create something or participate in a project which would help foster order in Creation just as much as they could be terrifying enemies or diabolical masterminds attempting to engineer something which would make Orwell shit his pants. Order and hierarchy are, after all, neither inherently good or evil...not that Yozis even care or understand these concepts.

Associations of SWLIN

SWLIHN is perhaps second only to Autochton in terms of being seen as 'artificial': the demons which compose her act and think more like machines than any other demons, beings of alien logic and cold emotional voids. The intellect and attention to detail of these beings is staggering but also near impossible to grasp, with multi-layered thought process and a complex system of priorities when it come to enacting or enforcing order.

• Element: Flames, crystal, glass and any translucent substance.
• Materials: Glass, metal, crystalline substances and any rainbow-hued material.
• Architecture: Straight line and cubic rooms or round circular rooms. Geometric patterns. Symmetry.
• Crafts and Skills: Architecture, engineering and mathematics.
• Objects: Timepieces, hourglass, glass work, harps and sitar.
• Positive 'Emotions': A sense of perfection, order and knowledge of one's place in existence.
• Negative 'Emotions': In a sense, an absence of emotion to the point of being like a machine.

"..."

Adorjan, the Silent Wind

There is constant noise in the Demon City and for good reason: silence is the herald of Adorjan. Her body (beside her demons, of course) is that of silent and destructive winds which destroy all in their path whatever Adorjan feel like destroying on a whim. Of all the Yozis she's among the most eccentric and whimsical: qualities not one would like to associate with a living wind of destruction. In the end she'll destroy everything, leaving nothing but silence.

Associations of Adorjan

Madness, whimsy, movement and violence are the hallmarks of Adorjan and her progeny. These creatures are often among the most mobile and destructive of warriors in the ranks of hell's armies and a threat to both their enemies and allies alike. Slightly less destructive demons of Adorjan are still likely to be quite something to handle if they share even a portion of their mother's mad energy as most have a rather anarchic bent.

• Element: Wind.
• Materials: Ivory and dust.
• Architecture: Open spaces, roads and large plaza. Ruins. Constantly fluctuating temperatures.
• Locations: Large, wide and empty plains where the wind course freely.
• Crafts and Skills: Assassination, athleticism, archery and anything requiring frantic motions.
• Animals: Anything lithe and agile, such as insects, cheetah or hummingbirds.

Exalted/Godbound: Unscrewing The Lunars

Lunar Exalted are among the worst things in Exalted lore. They're an incoherent mess at best or a travesty of writing at worst and it doesn't help that, unlike the other Exalted type, they never had a solid foundation. They started off ported wholesale from Werewolf: The Apocalypse. Further writers just muddled their already muddy and poorly thought-out themes.

I get that theriantropy has deep-rooted symbolism
in our myths but Lunars rely too much on being 'Furry Exalted'

Contextualizing The Lunars

From what I understand, the loose genesis of the Lunar Exalted came from the story of Gilgamesh and the wild man Enkidu. One can easily see the core parallels of the civilized (yet decadently vile at times) heroic God-King that is Gilgamesh and the creature of the wild that is Enkidu, more beast than man. Now one myth isn't exactly solid ground enough to base an entire 'splat' but in this we see the duality of these two archetype and the strong bond they share, which would later evolve into the Solar-Lunar bond. That said, I've given it some thought and managed to find other mythological figures which would suit well the Lunar to some extent:

• Sun Wukong: Aside from the whole monkey thing, he's both a trickster who can change shape just as much as he is an unbridled force. Wild, yet wise. Well eventually anyway.
• Cú Chulainn: There's a wild side to this hero and that wild side is the utterly terrifying Ríastrad or 'Warp Spasm'. The theme of primal and physical power I wish to re instill in Lunars is embodied by this terrifying form he has. You thought anime had crazy power ups? Think again because the description of this thing is insane.
• Artemis: This one is a no-brainer. Female goddess of the hunt, wild, associated with the moon.
• Hecate: Pretty much the benchmark for Lunar sorcerer and necromancers. Being associated with Wiccan and witchcraft add a certain layer of 'meta' to her being one of the inspirations for the renewed Lunar concept given the origins of Exalted as a White Wolf game.
• The Morrigan: Another deity often associated with the 'triple goddess' idea (which is more modern than people think). As a deity whose role and purpose is somewhat ambiguous she fit well into the inspiration of Lunars, especially if one plays off more the bloody aspects of the Morrigan.
• Any Deity with an 'alternate form': Be it Hindu deities or the overlap of Aztec deities, any deity whose myth include having an alternate self or equivalent being can be an inspiration to Lunars.

Moon And Sun

The duality of the Lunar and Solar Exalted is clear: their very name and imagery is drawn from two powerful and very universal symbols found in all human cultures, that of the Moon and the Sun. Both are parallels to each others but each represent/rule a very different domain.

Lunar Exalted	Solar Exalted
The Moon	The Sun
Female Energy	Male Energy
Cycle and Changes	Punctuality and Permanence
Physical Fluidity	Physical Perfection
Beast and Inhumanity	Humanity
The External	The Internal
Concealment	Revelation
Emotions and Madness	Thoughts and Logic

Given how simpler Godbound is compared to Exalted and given how many of the Gifts in the core book are re fluffed and shared among Exalt type, much of what makes the Lunars unique lies in how their Gifts manifest. When a Solar display it's essence-fueled excellence, even in raw physical effects, it never ceased to be just a human being. Solars are, in a way, a lot like Captain America at lower XP and much like Superman at higher XP. Sticking to superhero analogies, by contrast the Lunars are Beast Boy, the Martian Manhunter, the Hulk and other heroes whose form is altered by exertion of their powers.

The Lunars were always defined by their changeability and this is no different here, just without the mandatory beast theme (It's still very much an option for them, however). The vessel of the Solar's Essence remain human in shape and function: it merely expand the powers and abilities to the point far beyond human limits. A Solar can harden his skin, bones and muscles through infusion of Essence, for example. All Exalted can do so, as a matter of fact but Lunars can choose to do it differently. Their flesh, their vessel, is an ever-changing canvas. Lunars can grow in size to become hulking behemoth or impossibly beautiful beings of radiant beauty. They can manifest their powers as claws, scales or they can assume a fluid form which always shift, more light-and-liquid than pure flesh. They can even, to some extent, duplicate themselves. Yes, the Solars are obviously more powerful in the long run but the Lunars are being who express the changing power of Luna, just as the Solars express the perfection of the Unconquered.

The fact Lunars can be so difficult to 'pin down' is just as much part of their fundamental nature. This is what makes them opposites (or, to some extent, a complement) to the Solars. There is a certain purity of purpose and nature to the Solar and their excellence.

Facets And Shapes

There is a lot (and I do mean A LOT!) of contradictions in what the Lunars are supposed to be within the lore to the point that trying to find a solid, central identity is somewhat difficult. Rather, this lack of a central identity could very much be seen as inherent part of what they are, going with the moon being associated with cycles and changes. If one goes by this reasoning, the whole idea that Lunars can be one or more 'things' at the same time make some sense...if you basically accept that they are the empowered champions of a deity whose entire shtick is being many things at once.

Thus it is not impossible to imagine Lunars who not only cultivate (and learn to master) several shapes but also have them learn to cultivate different personalities and mindset, almost like some mystical version of the pop culture version of Multiple Personality Disorder. Thus does the Lunar become almost like a shaman, donning the 'mask' and 'purpose' of any number of beings and archetypes when it suit their needs. To the Lunars, changing aspect/personality/form is a part of what they are and while their mindset may be a tad alien over time there is a certain method to the Lunar's madness which can be somewhat difficult to grasp for the Solar (and other Exalted) who tend to be more static and retain a human mindset. One could argue that the changes undergone from Lunar Exaltation makes a being far less human than other Exalted type (safe perhaps Abyssals, who lose much more mentally of their humanity).

Rage And Madness

Lunars aren't all combatants, obviously, but one image come to mind when it come to Lunar warfare: their ability to assume a terrifying and inhuman 'war form'. While not an ability all choose to refine, the Lunar War Form is a pure expression of Luna's maddened wrath. Some War Forms include animal traits (as they do in canon) but others are more abstract transformations where the Lunar's skin turns an unnatural color, their hair stand up or writhe, muscles bulges and tear the skin apart or they grow extra arms and their skin harden into bony spikes. Some breathe 'wyld fire' while others spit acid and others still create flowing ever-changing giant weapons of shifting essence to cut down whole armies.

Because of their connection to Luna who, in turn, is connected to the Wyld (the maddening chaos of infinity possibilities beyond all reality) the Lunar Exalted can learn to tap into madness and wild passions. Not every Lunar is disheveled, crazy eyed publicly-defecating mad sage or a raging army-destroying thousand-armed berserker (since the idea of trying to define Lunars as a whole is pointless) but most of them learn to tap into the inherent crazyness that come with their powers and the wild rush of emotions. Those who learn to tap into 'the crazy' without losing themselves to emotions can be ruthlessly dangerous since their madness is more that of a mad genius who can foresee every possibility (and also a few impossibilities, given we're dealing with Exalted).

But what do they DO?

So are Lunars crazy luddite, barbarian heroes or social engineers fighting against the Realm? The answer to all these is both yes and no and entirely dependent on the Lunar. In my game, Lunars aren't any more tied to so-called 'barbarian' cultures any more than the Solars are tied to the 'civilized' folks. There are Lunars who emerge in high society and become ever-shifting social predators who wield dread illusions, change shape and alter the mind of their rivals just as much as there are mighty-thewed Solars born to bloodthirsty barbaric societies.

There's no established central Lunar society in my games and as with any other Exalt type they are limited, at best, to a local network. Trying to herd Lunar together on a common cause is the kind of act only a truly legendary Lunar could ever manage as otherwise it's basically like herding cats (and in some cases it may involve herding people who turned into cats). Each Lunar share the same level of drive toward their personal goals that the Solars have which make leading them difficult. While the whole 'social engineers against the Realm' angle is dumb on a massive setting-wide scale it is one I do plan to use for my game but only because it make sense within the context of the locale. Should the players travel elsewhere they would find Lunars much, much less united under a common banner.

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.