Exalted

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For other meanings, refer to exalt.

{{Infobox RPG |title= Exalted |image= Image:ExaltedCover.jpg |caption= Exalted First Edition front cover, featuring the image of Harmonious Jade |publisher= White Wolf Publishing |genre= High fantasy |designer= Geoffrey C. Grabowski |date= October 2001 |system=Storyteller }}

Exalted is a role-playing game published by White Wolf Publishing. The game is classified as high fantasy, but may be more accurately described as "mythic fantasy," as the original developer specifically avoided drawing on J. R. R. Tolkien for inspiration. It is strongly influenced by pulp fantasy such as Tanith Lee's Tales from the Flat Earth; Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun; Robert Howard's Conan; Michael Moorcock's Elric, Corum, and Hawkmoon; Glen Cook's Black Company; and Lord Dunsany's Gods of Pegāna; as well as ancient epics such as Three Kingdoms, Outlaws of the Marsh, Journey to the West, the Iliad, the Odyssey, Beowulf, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Bible; and finally Chinese and Hong Kong Wuxia movies such as Hero, The Storm Riders, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Japanese anime and manga, as well as video games and specifically console role-playing games such as Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, are the primary visual influences and have some degree of influence on the content and themes of the game as well.

1 Overview
2 Types of Exalted
3 Gameplay
4 Exalted Second Edition
5 Exalted castes
6 Books
7 External links

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Overview

The basic premise of the game is that the player characters are chosen by one of the gods (such as the Unconquered Sun, Luna, the Five Maidens, and the five Elemental Dragons) and imbued with the powers of a demigod (thus, "exalted," or "raised high."). Image:Smallexaltedlogo.jpg Originally, the Exalted were created by Autochthon (the Great Maker, one of the Primordials) and set as servants to the gods in order to overthrow the other Primordials and to rule Creation. However, the surviving Primordials (now known as the Yozi), as they were imprisoned beyond Creation, laid a curse upon the Exalted; the Solar Exalted worst of all. The rulers of the First Age grew decadent and corrupt in their great power before they were usurped by their Dragon-Blooded servants. After hundreds of years of persecution, they are beginning to re-emerge and grow in numbers in a Creation that may not survive its enemies long enough for the Exalted to once again make their mark on the world, for good or ill.

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Types of Exalted

Solar Exalted: are the most basic of the Exalted and the champions of the Unconquered Sun. There are five castes of Solar Exalted - Dawn (the warriors and generals), Zenith (the priest-kings of the Unconquered Sun), Twilight (the scholars and the occultists), Night (the spies and assassins) and Eclipse (the ambassadors, diplomats and negotiators). In the era that the game is set, the Second Age of Man, the Solar Exalted are returning to the world for the first time in thousands of years, and their actions and choices can shape the fate of nations. The Solar Exalted are the greatest of the Exalted and during the First Age, they were the rulers of the world. Their achievements were a beacon to humanity, and their power flows from the sun. The Dragon-Blooded murdered the Solars at the fall of the First Age. However, it was not possible to destroy their essences and they continued to reincarnate again and again through the ages. Each time a Solar re-emerged into the world, they were hunted down by the Wyld Hunt and killed. Considered to be Anathema to the rest of the world, the Solars are considered to be monstrous demons and are feared by anyone with the knowledge of who and what they are. While they lack the ability to specialize in the shapeshifting of the Lunars, the raw death-dealing of the Abyssals, the elemental manipulation of the Terrestrial Exalted, or the Fate-weaving of the Sidereals, their raw prowess in most skills easily exceeds any of the others, and the mightiest of sorceries are their purview alone. Their two greatest advantages are their large essence pools that give them more raw power to work with and their ability to use the highest of all forms of sorcery, that of the Solar Circle.

Abyssal Exalted: These twisted souls are the loyal servants of the Deathlords, who in turn serve the Neverborn, the dead husks of what were once the ancient Primordials that were slain by the Exalted during the great war between the Primoridals and the gods. Now, they sow their revenge from beyond the grave through their terrible Deathlord servants. Although no one in Creation would suspect it, each Deathlord is one of the corrupted remnants of a fallen First Age Solar and are easily among the most powerful beings to walk creation. As their masters do, they seek not to conquer or corrupt creation but rather to wipe it and everything else out of existence. Their agents in the world of the living are the Abyssal Exalted, also known as Deathknights; these abominations are dark reflections of the Solar Exalted and are their equal in power. Deathknights find themselves bound to their dark fate and holding onto the trappings of life inevitably spells disaster for those who rebel. Only recently have they and their Deathlord masters begun to corrupt Creation with the power of the Underworld and they field vast undead armies, bolstered by ancient knowledge and powerful necromancy. Though they only have a collective foothold in Creation, they likely represent its gravest threat. Abyssals cannot draw essence from creation as other Exalts do and can only replenish their essence in the underworld or with powerful artifacts. The only way for an Abyssal to restore their essence away from their dark realm is by feeding on the living.

Lunar Exalted: These Exalts are the Chosen of Luna and are the most chaotic and savage of the Exalted. In the First Age they were cunning shapeshifters, skilled fighters and capable generals. Very commonly bonded in wedlock with the First Age Solars, those that were not killed along with their Solar mates fled to the edges of Creation. There, at the borders of the order of Creation and in the chaos of the Wyld, they were changed over a great many years. Shunning civilization, some of them lead and seeded sometimes anthropomorphic barbarian tribes; others went into deep seclusion in their territories; and still others, perhaps haunted by their abandonment of their Solar mates, let their shapechanging animalistic instincts overtake them for centuries until their humanity was a distant memory. Some even lost that memory in the Wyld, becoming terrible monsters beyond thought. Now with the return of the Solar Exalted, the teetering of the Scarlet Dynasty of the Dragon-Blooded, the encroaching influence of the Wyld and its Fair Folk manifestations, and the new and deadly threat of the Deathlords, the Lunar Exalted may once again return to a creation that has changed as much as they have. It is important to note the Lunars follow a tribal hierarchy and protect themselves from the warping effects of the Wyld with various charms and tattoos that further serve to mark them as different from the rest of humanity. In addition to their self-inflicted distinguishing marks, each Lunar has a "Tell" that manifests as an animal-like characteristic that is visible to some degree or another in their human forms, further setting them apart from mortals.

Sidereal Exalted: Celestial Exalted and Chosen of the Five Maidens, they are the least numerous of all the Exalted types, yet are major players in the fate of Creation, nonetheless. Sidereals, in addition to their unparalleled mastery of martial arts, excel at foreseeing and manipulating fate and were the viziers and cunning advisors of The First Age. They also work in the Celestial City of Yu-Shan, the home of the Gods, ensuring that Creation follows the path that they choose to guide it along. Toward the end of the First Age, a most fateful prophecy came to them that seemed to offer two options: either destroy the Solar Exalted or watch Creation be destroyed instead. In their pride, possibly under the effects of the Great Curse laid upon them by the Yozi, they blindly followed their prediction without taking the time to verify it and orchestrated the end of the First Age and of the rule of the Solar Exalted. It was with their behind-the-scenes guidance that the Dragon-Blooded were able to completely wipe out the Solar Exalted and effectively direct the Wyld Hunt to the predicted exaltation of new Solars. Always working behind the scenes, almost all Sidereals work for the Bureau of Fate in Yu-shan (Heaven), and as part of their nature now slip from the minds of those who meet them, mortal and Exalt alike. Recent events, such as a devastating plague known as the Great Contagion which eluded their predictions, have jarred their faith, and the loss of the Scarlet Emperess, their secret ally at the top of the Realm, has marginalized their influence. Now, with the emergence of the terribly powerful Deathlords (inscrutable to their power of prediction), the return of the Solars, and a growing rift within their ranks (taking the form of the Bronze and Gold Factions), the masters of fate are anything but certain of their future. The Bronze Faction of the Sidereal Exalted supported and orchestrated the purge of the Solar Exalted from Creation. The Gold Faction worked to support the Solars and lost much in the way of power and influence at the end of the First Age, but are now gathering their power and directing it into an organization known as the Cult of the Illuminated.

Terrestrial Exalted: They are also known as the Dragon-Blooded, as they are the Chosen of the Elemental Dragons. They were the elite infantry and servants to the rest of the Exalted in the First Age. Though less powerful than other types of exalted, they gain their strength from inheritance - rather than being chosen by a god, the Dragon-Blooded have the potential to pass their Exaltation on to their children although some Dragon-Blooded exalt into families that have no history of any Dragon-Blood in their genealogy. These Dragon-Blooded are commonly known as Lost Eggs. The Dragon-Blooded are not limited by a set amount of 'Exalted essences' like Celestial Exalted, although First Age accounts put their numbers at 10,000. Because of this, they are by far the most numerous of the Exalted and were able to usurp the Solar Exalted at the height of their power with the help and guidance of the Sidereal Exalted, thus ending the First Age. The majority of the Dragon-Blooded in Creation make up the ruling class of the Realm, the most powerful empire in Creation.The state-sanctioned faith, known as the Immaculate Order, paints the Solar and Lunar Exalted as dangerous Anathema who will bring ruin to the world if allowed to exist. Because of this, the Realm organizes the Wyld Hunt, which actively seeks out newly exalted Celestial Exalted (Solars and Lunars, although they also hunt Abyssals and God-Blooded) and overwhelms them before they can master their new powers. This practice, which had effectively kept the Solars from rising to power again since the end of the First Age, has faltered lately because of the recent disappearance of the Scarlet Empress, the absolute monarch of the Realm, and the stability and leadership that she was able to bring to the Dragon-Blooded. The mad rush by the great Dragon-Blooded houses to fill the resulting power vacuum has destabilized the Scarlet Empire and allowed the Solar Exalted to escape the purges of the Wyld Hunt and rise in Creation once more. The greatest advantages of the Dragon-Blooded are the considerable resources granted to them by their noble status and their ability to work cooperatively with each other to create greater effects with their Essence.There are five elemental aspects to the Dragon-Blooded: Air (also known as the Azure Children of Mela), Earth (also known as the Ivory Children of Pasiap), Fire (also known as the Scarlet Offspring of Hesiesh), Water (also known as the Ebon Offspring of Daana'd) and Wood (also known as the Verdant Children of Sextes Jylis). The ruling Dragon-Blooded of the Realm are made up of the Eleven Great Houses, which in turn were formed by the scions of the Scarlet Empress herself. The houses are as follows: House V'Neef (Wood), House Ragara (Earth), House Cynis (Wood), House Cathak (Fire), House Nellens (House Nellens has no dominant Aspect), House Tepet (Air), House Mnemon (Earth), House Sesus (Fire), House Iselsi (Water), House Ledaal (Air) and House Peleps (Water).

Alchemical Exalted: These Exalted are constructs built in the world of Autochthonia - in essence, android creations made from clay and the Five Magical Materials. They are infused with the Souls of dead Autochthonian heroes and serve Autochthon, the Great Maker, directly. They serve as protectors of the inhabitants of a parallel world made up of the body of Autochthon himself, and enforce the will of the Tripartite, the theocratic government of this world. They define themselves into castes according to which material was mainly used in their construction. The Alchemical Exalted are a newer breed of Exalted, possibly an improvement over the other types, as Autochthon created them after he had left Creation. Instead of wielding essence directly and using their charms in a "magical" fashion like other Exalted do, the Alchemicals have charms "installed" like peripheral parts and fuel these machine implants with essence from their own bodies. The Alchemical Exalted are latecomers to the game; they are the only type of playable characters besides the Dragon Kings that were invented after the core rulebook was released.

Infernal Exalted: Little is known about these Exalts, except that they are the corrupted Essences of Solar Exalts that were paid to the Yozis (the living Primordials) by the Neverborn (the slain Primordials) so that the Neverborn could learn how to corrupt Solar Essences to create the Abyssals. Canonically, there are very few Infernal Exalted, also known as Akumas - the only known one being Lintha Ng Hut Dukantha (detailed on pages 91 and 92 of the Exalted supplement, Blood and Salt [WW8827]). Whether or not White Wolf plans on releasing more information or game mechanics on the Infernals is a subject of debate among Exalted enthusiasts.

Fair Folk: These creatures aren't really Exalted at all, but they are, in game terms, an alternative player character or non-player character race, so they are included here. Referred to in the first person as Raksha, they are creatures composed of raw essence, and inhabit the Wyld, the place that exists between the ordered Creation and pure Chaos. Inhuman and beautiful beings born from chaos, they feed on the dreams and aspirations of the inhabitants of Creation in order to give them strength and form in their own intermediate realm. In essence, they are the "kissing cousins" of the Primordials, their territory having been pushed back when the Primordials formed Creation. They prey upon the dreams of mortals and do a brisk trade with The Guild (a powerful economic organization in Creation) in slaves.

God-Blooded: This term is used to refer to any number of offspring of a mortal or animal and a magical being. The resulting offspring bears traces of its mystical parentage. As a collective whole, such children are referred to as "God-Blooded". They stand somewhere between divinity and mortality, less than Exalted, but more than human. Of those categorized as being God-Blooded, there are several subtypes. God-Blooded are the children of gods or elementals, while Demon-Blooded are Half-Damned children of demons. Ghost-Blooded are the children of ghosts using powerful Arcanoi, and Half-Caste are the children of powerful Exalts (although exceedingly rare). Lastly, the Fae-Blooded are the children of a union between the Raksha and mortals.

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Gameplay

Exalted has mechanical and thematic similarities to White Wolf's previous game series, the old World of Darkness, but exists in its own product line, called the Age of Sorrows. The game has an excellent sales record, on par with the company's flagship title, Vampire: The Masquerade. Perhaps to maintain a sense of continuity, the published material suggests that the Age of Sorrows is the pre-history of the World of Darkness -- however, this has not been officially confirmed outside of early promotional materials. It should be noted that White Wolf has continually inserted names and themes familiar to players of their previous World of Darkness line into the material, adding fuel to the fire of the speculation that it is a pre-history. However, the Developer has commented that the connections are tenuous, for players to grasp or let go – with the reboot of the World of Darkness, the similarities have become markedly more tenuous.

The game uses ten-sided dice and a rules mechanism called the Storyteller System to arbitrate the action, and, as with many other RPGs, requires little beyond the rules books themselves, dice, pencil and paper.

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Exalted Second Edition

Image:ExaltedSecondEditionCoverLarge.jpg A Second Edition of the game was released in March 2006. It updated and streamlined the game's rules system. It did so without invalidating existing setting material, although first edition game mechanic material was superceded..

The new full-colour core rulebook includes, amongst other things:

Revised charm trees for the Solar Exalted.
A faster, more fluid combat system.
A comprehensive set of rules for handling social confrontations.
An improved version of the mass combat rules.
A couple of Abilities being replaced by new, more relevant ones.
A colour manga introduction instead of the First Edition's written fiction.

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Exalted castes

The following table illustrates how each type of Exalted is subdivided into five castes, except for the Lunars, which only have three castes. Each caste is exemplified by a single broad character trait.

	Strength	Stamina	Wisdom	Cunning	Versatility
Solar	Dawn	Zenith	Twilight	Night	Eclipse
Lunar	Full Moon	n/a	No Moon	Changing Moon	n/a
Sidereal	Chosen of Mars	Chosen of Venus	Chosen of Jupiter	Chosen of Saturn	Chosen of Mercury
Terrestrial	Fire	Earth	Air	Water	Wood
Abyssal	Dusk	Midnight	Daybreak	Day	Moonshadow
Alchemical	Orichalcum	Soulsteel	Starmetal	Moonsilver	Jade

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Books

Exalted: The core rulebook, detailing the setting and history of the world, and presenting rules for playing Solar Exalted. [WW8800, Released June, 2001]
Exalted Storyteller's Companion: one of the early supplements detailing the Scarlet Empire, (early versions of) Celestial Exalted, Spirits and Spirit Courts, and other wonders. [WW8801, Released July, 2001]
The Book of Three Circles: The first version of a book detailing sorcery in the world of Exalted. The book contains sorcerous spells for Terrestrial, Celestial and Solar Circle spells, as well as other works of wonder, details on demesnes, manses and hearthstones, and an appendix on Warstriders. [WW8802, Released September, 2001]
Creatures of the Wyld: a bestiary for Exalted, covering a number of creatures from each of the elemental directions (North, East, South and West) and the Scavenger Lands. [WW8803, Released January, 2003]
Exalted Player's Guide: Primarily a sourcebook for creatures of lesser power than the Exalted and another supplement that fleshes out the world of Exalted, this book covers merits and flaws, the God-Blooded, mortal thaumaturgy, the Dragon Kings, Exalted power combat and details a writing system in the Age of Sorrows. [WW8804, Released April, 2004]
Savant and Sorcerer: The latest version of material covering sorcery in the world of Exalted. This book explains magical theory, artifice and enchantment, puts further detail into demesnes and manses, outlines practical summonings and expands upon and revises spells, in addition to having an appendix covering Warstriders in greater detail. [WW8805, Released July, 2004]
The Book of Bone and Ebony: This is a compendium of knowledge for those skilled in the art of Necromancy. This supplement contains information on the capital of the Underworld - the City of Stygia, arts of the dead, wonders of the dead, creations of bone, the three Circles of Necromancy (Shadowlands, Labyrinth and Void), and creatures of the Underworld. [WW8806, Released March, 2005]
Bastions of the North: This supplement details the cities of Whitewall and Gethamane, as well as detailing the Haslanti League and contains an appendix on Swar - a First Age city under the loose control of the Raksha. [WW8807, Released November, 2005]
Exalted: The Dragon-Blooded: The first hard-cover sourcebook (or "fatsplat"), detailing the Terrestrial Exalted (or Dragon-Blooded); the weakest of the Exalted, and the Realm they govern. [WW8811, Released April, 2002]
Exalted: The Lunars: a sourcebook detailing the culture and game mechanics of the bestial and savage Lunar characters and the barbarian tribes they associate with, as well as information on the Wyld, a zone of chaos that rings the world. [WW8812, Released November, 2002]
Exalted: The Abyssals: a sourcebook for Abyssal Exalted, ghost characters, the Underworld and a brief history of the Deathlords. [WW8813, Released April, 2003]
Exalted: The Sidereals: a sourcebook for Sidereal Exalted characters, including details on the Heavenly city of Yu-Shan. [WW8814, Released October, 2003]
Exalted: The Fair Folk: a sourcebook for the Raksha, also called the Fair Folk, beings born of passion and myth amidst the Wyld. [WW8815, Released November, 2004]
Exalted: The Autochthonians: a sourcebook detailing the parallel world of Autochthonia, and its artificially created champions, the Alchemical Exalted. [WW8816, Released May, 2005]
Scavenger Sons: This supplement gives a general description of the different areas of the Threshold, specifically the North, the East, the South, the West, the Scavenger Lands, Nexus and has appendixes on groups and organizations in the Threshold, and the Fair Folk. [WW8820, Released August, 2001]
Time of Tumult: This supplement contains four adventures for the world of Exalted, as well as further artefacts, charms and initial details on the Alchemical Exalted. [WW8821, Released January, 2002]
Savage Seas: This book details seafaring in the world of Exalted, outlining the day-to-day on the tides, sailing technology and maritime trades, plus creatures, gods, charms and artefacts all related to seafaring. [WW8822, Released June, 2002]
Games of Divinity: An important sourcebook for material on gods, elementals, demons and spirit charms. [WW8823, Released August, 2002]
Ruins of Rathess: A sourcebook for the city of Rathess, once the pinnacle of the Dragon Kings' civilization. This book outlines the history of the Dragon Kings, the city of Rathess and its vicinity, stalkers, gods and other foes, and rewards to be found in Rathess. [WW8824, Released May, 2003]
Manacle and Coin: This book on the economy of the world of Exalted gives specific information on The Guild, its history and structure, drugs - the soft trade, slaves - the hard trade, plus money and finance in Creation. [WW8825, Released July, 2003]
Kingdom of Halta: This book details the Kingdom of Halta, magical beings of Halta, plus beasts, manses and sundry wonders. [WW8826, Released December, 2003]
Blood & Salt: Blood & Salt fills in the gaps that Savage Seas did not cover, mainly An-Teng, the Lintha Family and more gods and monsters. [WW8827, Released March, 2004]
Houses of the Bull God: This supplement fleshes out the land of Harborhead, the Imperial Garrison in Harborhead, gods, monsters and manses in the area, and contains an appendix on the Court of the Orderly Flame. [WW8828, Released October, 2004]
Cult of the Illuminated: This book details the workings of the Gold Faction Sidereal organization known as the Cult of the Illuminated, explaining the workings of the outer circle, the inner circle, the training camps and giving more details on the Wyld Hunt. [WW8829, Released May, 2005]
Caste Book: Dawn: A book outlining the Dawn Caste for Solar Exalted. It contains the personal stories of five Dawn Caste Solars, plus new charms, artefacts and signature characters. It also includes information on the Exalted signature character, Dace. [WW8830, Released November, 2001]
Caste Book: Zenith: A book outlining the Zenith Caste for Solar Exalted. It contains the personal stories of five Zenith Caste Solars, plus new charms, artefacts and signature characters. It also includes information on the Exalted signature character, Panther. [WW8831, Released February, 2002]
Caste Book: Twilight: A book outlining the Twilight Caste for Solar Exalted. It contains the personal stories of five Twilight Caste Solars, plus new charms, artefacts and signature characters. It also includes information on the Exalted signature character, Arianna. [WW8832, Released July, 2002]
Caste Book: Night: A book outlining the Night Caste for Solar Exalted. It contains the personal stories of five Night Caste Solars, plus new charms, artefacts and signature characters. It also includes information on the Exalted signature character, Harmonious Jade. [WW8833, Released October, 2002]
Caste Book: Eclipse: A book outlining the Eclipse Caste for Solar Exalted. It contains the personal stories of five Eclipse Caste Solars, plus new charms, artefacts and signature characters. It also includes information on the Exalted signature character, Swan. [WW8834, Released February, 2003]
Aspect Book: Air: A book outlining the Air Aspected Terrestrial Exalted. It contains the personal stories of five Air Aspected Dragon-Bloods, plus new charms, artefacts and signature characters. It also includes information on the Exalted signature character, Tepet Arada. [WW8840, Released August, 2003]
Aspect Book: Earth: A book outlining the Earth Aspected Terrestrial Exalted. It contains the personal stories of five Earth Aspected Dragon-Bloods, plus new charms, artefacts and signature characters. It also includes information on the Exalted signature character, Mnemon, one of the daughters of the Scarlet Empress. [WW8841, Released June, 2004]
Aspect Book: Fire: A book outlining the Fire Aspected Terrestrial Exalted. It contains the personal stories of five Fire Aspected Dragon-Bloods, plus new charms, artefacts and signature characters. It also includes information on the Exalted signature characters, Cynis Denovah Avaku and Sesus Rafara. [WW8842, Released September, 2004]
Aspect Book: Water: A book outlining the Water Aspected Terrestrial Exalted. It contains the personal stories of five Water Aspected Dragon-Bloods, plus new charms, artefacts and signature characters. It also includes information on the Exalted signature character, Peleps Deled. [WW8843, Released April, 2005]
Aspect Book: Wood: A book outlining the Wood Aspected Terrestrial Exalted. It contains the personal stories of five Wood Aspected Dragon-Bloods, plus new charms, artefacts and signature characters. It also includes information on the Exalted signature characters Sesus Nagezzer and Tepet Ejava "The Roseblack". [WW8844, Released August, 2005]
Exalted: The Outcaste: This book contains valuable information on those Dragon-Blooded who are not born to the scions of the Realm, but serve other powers or none at all. This book outlines Lookshy and the Seventh Legion, Eos and Ossia, the Forest Witches and Lost Eggs. [WW8850, Released January, 2004]
A series of novels set in the Exalted universe.
A comic series written and drawn by UDON Studios, who also produce some of the art for the game's books.