Exalted: Shadow of Progess

Two travelers chosen by the Sun walk the desert sands, looking toward their destiny

Players

Righteous Starfall

• Exaltation: Zenith Caste Solar
• Profession: Monster Hunter
• Backstory: Several years ago, a tribal woman gave birth on the holy road of Whitewall as a star streaked across the heavens. Her shaman husband named the boy Righteous Starfall for that favorable omen from the heavens. He did this sadly, knowing the boy would need to be gifted to the monks of the nearby Triumphant Phoenix school. Such is the price of Heaven's blessing.

The monks of the Triumphant Phoenix school, led by a group of Dragon-Bloods practicing Golden Janissary style, were monster hunters. Much in demand by Whitewall, they also traveled widely, fighting the Fae, the Demons, and the Dead. Acolyte Starfall took to his training well, and he was judged qualified to receive the highest honor of the mortal members. Upon coming of age, he went through several trials, and finally participated in an thaumaturgical ritual that allowed him to use Essence. As an Adept and Enlightened Mortal, he participated in several defenses of the city, and slew a nemissary warrior in a duel. He also excelled in the study of the occult, and he was even being schooled in the rudiments of sorcery - thought his terrestrial tutor though it merely an experiment. Despite his bravery, he became cold and detached, fighting more out of duty than any concern for Creation or even hatred of monsters. He killed them because that was what he did.

Everything changed when he was assigned to Gethamane. The creatures came forth from the underways, and he was half thinking of abandoning his post. That was when he saw them - a group of children, caught out in the open, all terrified. They seemed to be frozen with fear, until they saw him. They believed in him, and it dawned on him why he was there. The area was filled with sunlight, and he heard a voice of unparalleled majesty, wisdom, and power. "Behold! For I am the Unconquered Sun, and I call on you, Righteous Starfall, to join the ranks of my Chosen. Look upon my people, all those in Creation, for it is for them I have Exalted you. Defend them and guide them in my name!" The voice faded, but the light blazed yet stronger. The horrors cowered from his light, and ran futilely from his searing blade. He drove them all the way into their underway hive, and destroyed in the name of the Sun. He strode out of the underways to cheers, carrying the treasures he liberated from the monsters and a new purpose in his heart.

He returned to Whitewall in uncertain spirits. He was honor-bound to return to his school, but he feared the reaction of his dragon-blooded masters. To his surprise, they silently took him deep into the school, to a sealed vault. The door opened for him like nothing, despite having never moved for a millennium. There lay a dire lance wrought in orichalcum, with calligraphy lining the blade. This was Eternal Remembrance of Victory, a weapon forged in the wake of the Primordial War to commemorate the victory of the Exalted. He attuned to the weapon easily and slung it within a jet black enclosing sheath. He was escorted out just as silently, but they gave him the medallion of the Righteous Phoenix Masters. He knew that he could not return, but the world lay open before him...

Gemstone Spear Sage

• Exaltation: Twilight Caste Solar
• Profession: Scavenger Lord
• Backstory:

Locations

Emirate of Chaldea

Once upon a time the Chaldea was known by the local as the city of caravans

now its the city of skyships as the Guild has been mass producing them in recent years using northern techniques to move goods far and wide better to deal with beastman arrows then beastmen on the ground though there is still are ground caravans, one is getting ready to head down towards Gem, carrying wagons full of preserved food and other items valuable but not worthy enough to fly

Fort Direvan

North of Chaldea, home to the Chaldean Army - mostly sellswords. Kept away from the capital.

Sandheim

Small town with its own garrison

Josvein

Home away from home for the Solars. Town located around an ancient water purifier, in old First Age worker housing. There is a large series of maintenance and water tunnels.

House is a tower like structure with storage and tunnel access on the first floor, bedrooms on the second floor, kitchen on the third floor, bath on the fourth floor, fifth floor has a glass skylight and windows for observing the stars. The basement is home to a shrine to the Sun in a former shadowland.

Old Legion Outpost

Small fortress that was abandoned recurring zombie attacks and a continually expanding shadowland. An overgrown fortress - nobody not even the bandits like to use it.

Legionaries would report seeing red eyes staring at them at night on the south walls. Then one particularly nasty night, a super powerful ghost (Nephwrack?) just appeared and killed the legionaries and damn near killed the dragonbloods. Was owned by the Heptagram and House Cathak.

Cathedral of the Sun

Solar Megastructure, off-limits and supposedly guarded by demons and worse.

Ruins of Progress

Solar-era ruins, now a shadowland. Progress was once a First Age City with massive urban sprawl. Local legends go it was destroyed because the other Anathema thought the Solar lord there was too evil. Surrounding villages are linked to this city by ancient water tunnels. Nearby is the Silberwind base.

Underground

Archive Hub

Underground Solar built city, Has an over-population problem, as it is out of contact with the outside. Run by magical AI spirits.

Manufactorum Zios

Cyberpunk noir city run by ghosts, with several houses. Has a warstrider coliseum.

NPCs

Emirate of Chaldea

The Emir has been ill, in a somewhat surprising young age for a DB his 8 remaining children in the city are currently vying to be the next heir, as by law he declare whose it is

• Azlain II: Fire Aspect - General
• Azly: Wood Aspect - Layabout Socialite
• Azman: Earth Aspect - Merchant Prince
• Azid: Fire Aspect - Scavenger Lord
• Azlyn: Fire Aspect - Sorceress, court occultist
• Azdal: Air Aspect - Air Boat Captain Merchant
• Azrael: Sorcer - Earth Aspect/ Scavenger Lord
• Azzel: Wood Aspect Local High Priest to the Regional Wargod Thal

• Gouf Gyan: Guild Factor of the City
• Ramba Az: General of the Bronze Swords, the Sell-sword Company at the Guild
• Glorious Fire: General of the Army
• The Briarback: Unknown master of the underworld of Chaldea

Guild

Inspector Brilliant Daochen - former employer, Loss Control Specialist

Silberwind

• Captain Silver Lynx - Lunar exalt commands the Gloriana, the advanced warship using unknown technology Leading a crusade against the Guild and slavery. Has a base near Progress.
• Unnamed Ally - Developer of the new technology

Eternal Glory of the Sun - First-Age warship, possibly owned by pirates.

Technodome

• House Liao - our current allies
• House Jiang
• House Liu - Rival
• House Liang - Grow hypnotic Benzobar
• Order of the Nine Sparrows - Assassin Ninja Maids
• Vermillion Fireball - Rebel strider pilot

Deathknight & Deathlord

Other

Vaonis - local God of Sandstorms. Greedy but fair dealing