Difference between revisions of "NPCNWO/RiseOfTheAirKingdoms"

Latest revision as of 15:44, 4 February 2012

Rise of the Air Kingdoms

Welcome, players, to what I expect to be a long campaign. I'm going to start by asking a few favors of all of you - first, stay in the North. There are great heroes and foul villains, world ending calamaties to be stopped, and kingdoms to be forged all right here. There are byzantine politics enough in the upper echelons of Cherak and the Haslanti League, I'd prefer to stay out of the Thousand Scales of the Realm. There's adventure enough to be had, and world of different settings and climates - all that's missing are the deserts of the South. Second, I don't really think I need to say this, but don't bask too much in the evil. It's a brutal time, with systematic oppression being the back upon which society is built. It's a world where you can be a slave owner and be considered a pillar of the community. Embrace the differences between Exalted culture and the real world, but I'd really rather not roleplay out your character's child skinning fetish, you know?

While the start of the campaign, three years in the Colleges of the Fivefold Path and the North Wind, will have alot of times when events are dictated (when your Rector says its time to go on a field trip, it's pretty much time to go) upon graduation the world of the North will be open to you. Sure, there's going to be plenty of NPCs who are going to want to fit you somehow into their plans, with offers of Artifacts and Manses to which you can bond, so there will definately be some obvious paths you can follow. But give a thought to what your characters might want for their lives. You're Dragonblooded, the Immaculate Princes of the Earth, and Proper Rulers of All Creation (tm). You generally aren't the type of heroes who will take being given a fedex quest lying down. I can see you becoming the grand heroes of the North, or possibly, as suggested by the campaign's title, rulers of a powerful new faction of Creation.

Welcome to Cherak

Cherak is a major port city of the North, a thronging metropolis through which much trade between the Realm and the North flows. Cherak is aligned with the Realm and currently overseen by House Ferem, whose rule is subtly challenged by mercantile concerns, some of which can be traced back to House V'Neef and others to the minor House Margard, which bases its operations in the city. Several major houses of the Realm have holdings in the city, but the largest obvious presence is from House Ragara who often represent the Realm in negotiations.

Cherak is a walled city with a good harbor, but it has been a victim of it's own success. Growth has meant the city has sprawled beyond it's old walls twice so far and a large population lives beyond even the current walls. The town itself is divided into sections separated by the inner walls, with movement between the different sections somewhat restricted. With the growing threat of the Bull of the North, House Ferem has begun a major new fortification project to build yet another set of defensive walls around the new city boundaries, using both free and slave labor. It is difficult to say which group is treated worse: free laborers work alongside slaves from as far away as Harborhead, suffering the same dangerous, back-breaking conditions. Though the slaves are locked back in their pens at night while the free laborers can stagger home, their life expectancy is about the same.

The stresses of urban life in Cherak are relieved by a thriving drug trade. The Guild finds Cherak a profitable location, and acts both openly (bringing in slaves for work on the walls) and in secret, supplementing locally grown crops of qat with small amounts of opium and other hard drugs. Cherak is home to some powerful practitioners of First Pulse Style martial arts, who favor it's brutality in the gang wars that rage through the poorer quarters of the town. Gang related killings are almost a daily event in some quarters, and some areas are dangerous even for exalts to enter.

(Note: The above is from the Exalted Wiki)

The Colleges of the Fivefold Path and the North Wind

The Colleges of the Fivefold Path and the North Wind have tens of thousands of mortal students, and usually around a score of Dragonblooded in attendance at any given time. The Five Enlightenments of the Path are Athletics, Academics, Civics, Diplomacy, and Warfare; and the Colleges strive to challenge the four prediminant secondary schools of the Realm, and it is generally thought of to be among the best educations that one can receive in the Threshold.

The campus has dozens of buildings - classrooms, libraries, laboratories, dormatories, and dining halls, and the Dragonblooded are encouraged to interact with the children of patrician and wealthy merchant families in attendance, and to observe classes that interest them. Each class year of Dragonblooded are assigned a Rector, an adult Dragonblood who is responsible for overseeing their education. These Rectors are usually personages of some imporance in Cherak, and have vast powers over their Dragonblooded students. Some Rectors offer their students a gentle guiding hand, and others dominate the student's academic lives.

Dragonblooded students reside in The Palace of Len Occam, where they each have a suite of rooms where they live and may entertain guests. The furnishings of the suites of room are lavish, but represent the sensibilities of House Ferem. Often, Dynastic students usually redecorate their suites in the tastes currently popular in the Realm, and the suites of Outcastes often end up reflecting their varied pasts. The Palace has its own staff of servants, headed by Auspicious Dusk - a man to whom major domos everywhere may aspire.

NPCs of Note

NPCs were updated after Game 14

In Cherak

• The Roseblack - In Cherak with two legions, planning for the seige of the Bull of the North
• Ferem Amosa - Head of House Ferem, Satrap of Cherak, fire aspect
• Ragara Takar - Senior Trade Legate (one of the Four Advisors to Ferem Amosa), water aspect (water, p 87)
• Peleps Danic Damanchina - Former Rector, Now Wise and Knowledgable Advisor to the Satrap, fire aspect (fire, p 83)
• Ragara Jasir - Humble and Honest Assessor of the Imperial Tax, (one of the Four Advisors to Ferem Amosa) earth aspect (earth, p 87)
• Margard Nastani - Prime Legate of Cherak, (one of the Four Advisors to Ferem Amosa) air aspect
• Ferem Helkar - Admiral of Cherak Navy, fire aspect
• Ferem Malkator Yesihau - Commander of Cheraki Guard, earth aspect
• Ferem Modina Wiso - Commander of the Cherak Watchers, earth aspect
• Losayu Funidone Peocho - Quartermaster General, fire aspect
• Hunting Spider - Ferem Amosa's Spymaster, air aspect
• Ferem Havelock - Master Sorcerer, air aspect
• Margard Merta - Head of House Margard
• Margard Trevail - House Margard Minister of Warfare, fire aspect
• Cynis Denovah Avaku - Dragonlord of Imperial Legionaires in Cherak, fire aspect (fire, p 87)
• Cathak Meladus - Winglord in the Cherak Legion, Artificer in Avaku's headquarters, air aspect (air, p 83)
• Tepet Elana - Imperial Magistrate, air aspect (air, p 89)
• Cynis Takgana - Immaculate Monk, Sublime Abbot of the Fifth Coil, earth aspect (earth, p 83)
• Peleps Japhen - Ship Captain, water aspect (water, p 83)
• Deadly Rose Lord - Guild Ambassador, Wood aspect
• Servant of Jade and Iron - Bodyguard to Deadly Rose Lord, wood aspect
• Cynis Yorake - Crimelord of Cherak, Water aspect
• Tevaned - Lieutenant to Yorake, Water Aspect
• Gitato Faneluyo - Merchant Prince specializing in occult, taipan of Golden Firefly Association, water aspect
• Unrepentant Jade - Former Student, Cheraki Magistrate, Water Aspect
• Ferem Quintero - Former Student, Subaltern Minister of the Interior, Wood Aspect
• Tiger of the Heavens - Former Student, Captain in Cheraki Guard, Air Aspect
• Virtuous Cloud - Travelling researcher who is assisting in sorcery intruction
• Margard Saiki - Monster Hunter, water aspect
• Reflection of Chaos - Outcaste Adventuress, Earth Aspect
• Ferem Esley - Provincial Member of the Lesser Deliberative, Air aspect
• Margard Mier - Arrogant Adventuress, Earth aspect
• Ragara Fallows - Bloodthirsty Member of Ragara Jasir's staff, Water Aspect
• Cynis Soosilus - Goofball Student in Post Graduate Year, Wood Aspect
• Kuk - Outcaste Mercenary in the employ of the Roseblack, Fire Aspect
• Tanika - Tanika the Golden Whisper, enhanced essence mortal
• Sad Sapphire Lance - Legate of the Artisan's Collective, god-blooded
• Margard Pinchard - Cheraki Deliberator and Moro's father, mortal
• Ferem Arrain - Cheraki Deliberator and trade magnate, mortal
• Brilliant Tooth - Merchant Prince, mortal
• Rotigohi Retichu - Master Engineer of the New Babylon project, mortal
• Margard Rikayt - Minister of Education, mortal
• Amethyst Scholar of the Golden Sky - Heretical Revolutionary
• Glorious Serpent - Title given to a mortal servant of an Deadly Veiled Forge

In the Colleges of the Fivefold Path and the North Wind

• Crow - Chancellor, earth aspect (earth, p. 85)
• Ferem Lasha - University Sorcerer, Fire Aspect
• Cynis Belar Norrin - Rector to Current Freshman Dragonblooded class, wood aspect (wood, p 85)
• Nellens Malaki - Rector for current senior class, fire aspect (fire, p 85)
• Jolsen - Current Senior playboy from Glittering Smoke District, Fire Aspect
• Margard Rika - Current Senior aloof martial artist, Saiki's sister, Water Aspect
• Soaring Wolf - Current Senior daredevil, Wood Aspect
• Ferem Zulla - Current Senior bookwork sorceress, Air Aspect
• Peleps Wannik - Current Senior, Latecomer expelled from Realm school, now a local hero too, Earth Aspect
• Ferem Derson - Meddling regent, retired heroic mortal
• Sagacious Garnet - Head Librarian, ghost blooded
• Undefeated Raven of the Ice Forests - captain of university black helms, mortal
• Chef Huey - Chef de'Cuisine of the Palace of Len Occam, mortal
• Auspicious Dusk - Major Domo of the Palace of Len Occam, mortal

In The North

• V'Neef Chead - Former Student, Location Unknown, Earth Aspect
• Margard Miyako - Envoy to House Ragara, Air Aspect
• Kasif - Missionary to Gethemane, air aspect (air, p 85)
• Margard Moro - Margard representative Gethemane, Wood Aspect
• Ferem Haining - Bishounen Sorcerer, location unknown, Air Aspect
• Cynis Elin - Senior Trade Legate to Whitewall, Fire Aspect
• Yurgen Kaneko - The one, the only Bull of the North
• Peleps Deled - Shaolin Torquemada
• Peleps Aramida - Admiral of the Realm
• Ranya Petris - Haslanti airship captain, water aspect
• Rutanjali - Bride of the Forest, wood aspect
• Sleeves of War - Lunar exalt
• Lumizent - Fairy Queen of the Winter People
• Greyna Thold - Oligarch of the Haslanti League
• Margard Kriez - Imperial Magistrate in Wallport
• Morning Frost Willow - Former assassin known as Mother of Ash, ghost

Deceased

• Master Cran - Sensei of the First Pulse Style, necromancer servant of the Bishop of the Chalcedony Thurible
• Incomprable Ebony Comet - University Thaumaturge
• Ragara Sai Yiimon - Preceptor Fell - The High Preceptor
• Ragara Kollus - Preceptor Dark - Chancellor Dark
• Ragara Delina - The Ivory Preceptor - Member of Deliberative from the Blessed Isle
• Regara Tacy - The Jade Preceptor - Chief of staff to Ragara Delina
• Ragara Jos - Preceptor Iron - Master of the Five Dragon Style
• Cacaphony at Dusk - Preceptor Cemo - Ghost Blooded Allumni of The Institute
• Distant Vulture - Wild Blooded Allumni of The Institute
• Tsunami Sky - God Blooded Student of Preceptor Iron
• Deadly Treasure - Wild Blooded Student of The Jade Perceptor
• Tepet Martelli - Traitor to the house - Member of the Ragara Chantry
• Deadly Veiled Forge - Abyssal exalted slain in Cherak by Peleps Deled's Wyld Hunt
• Red Fist Hayoo - Dragonblooded, then ghost servant of Deadly Veiled Forge. Slain by Deled's Wyld Hunt
• V'neef Tegraat - Wise and Knowledgable Advisor to the Foreign Tributary (one of the Four Advisors to Ferem Amosa), wood aspect. Assassinated by Lucien, summoned second circle demon
• Steel Hand - First Age Automaton, destroyed by Nea (Virtuous Cloud's Superior)
• Guardian of the White Forge - Alchemical Boosted Mortal

Campaign Events

• Session One - Welcome to Secondary School! What!? A Haunted Dorm?

Kazuki's OOC Synopsis

• Kazuki's OOC Session One Synopsis - A mostly impartial summary of the events that occurred in game.
• Kazuki's OOC Session Two Synopsis
• Kazuki's OOC Session Three Synopsis
• Kazuki's OOC Session Four Synopsis
• Kazuki's OOC Session Five Synopsis
• Kazuki's OOC Session Six Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Seven Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Eight Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Nine Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Ten Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Eleven Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Twelve Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Thirteen Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Fourteen Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Fifteen Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Sixteen Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Seventeen Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Eighteen Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Nineteen Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Twenty Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Twenty One Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Twenty Two Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Twenty Three Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Twenty Four Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Twenty Five Synopsis (Unedited)
• Kazuki's OOC Session Twenty Six Synopsis (Unedited)

Mizugami's Journal

• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session One
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Two
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Three
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Four
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Five
• Letter Home ( Between Sessions 5-6 )
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Six
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Seven
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Eight
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Nine
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Ten
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Eleven
• How to Commit Treason in 9 Easy Steps
• How to Avoid Treason in 9 Easy Steps
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Twelve
• Letter Home ( End of Session 12 )
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Thirteen
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Fourteen
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Fifteen
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Sixteen
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal, Session Seventeen
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal,Session Eighteen
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal,Session Nineteen
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal,Session Twenty
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal,Session Twenty-One
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal,Session Twenty-Two
• Tepet Mizugami's Journal,Session Twenty-Four

• Mizugami's Page - Additional character info can be found here.

Kazuki's Sister's Diary

• Kazuki's Sister's Diary - Session One - An in-character diary written by Kazuki's sister, Mahiro. Read everything else before reading these.
• Kazuki's Sister's Diary - Session Two
• Kazuki's Sister's Diary - Session Three
• Kazuki's Sister's Student Festival Committee proposal report - Supplemental to the Session 3 journal.
• Kazuki's Sister's Diary - Session Four
• Kazuki's Sister's Diary - Session Five

• Kazuki's Page - Additional character notes can be found here, including information on the 4 Idiots.

House Rules

NPCNWO/WushuHouseRules

Credit Where Credit Is Due

In addition to quite a bit of the Exalted first edition material and stuff from this and the White Wolf Exalted Wiki, I'm pulling inspirations for this campaign from the animes Naruto, Ruroni Kenshin, Bleach and Twelve Kingdoms, as well as the Champions New Millennium, Alliances, and Teen Champions sourcebooks. Finally, I'd like to give a nod to Voidstate's Exalted Name Generator - coming up with NPC names is a weak point of mine, and that generator became an invaluable tool.

Comments

The huge battle in Session Fourteen wasn't Fast, Furious, and Fun. It was just long. Epic things happened, and I think that I as GM was more disappointed in the way that things went than the players were - but it became clear to me at the powerlevels that I was wanting for this game, Savage Worlds wasn't the system we should be using. Up until this point, I'd resisted buying much for Exalted second edition - I had the main book and the Dragonblooded book, and wasn't enamored with much of what I saw. But, the timing of the big errata release for the Dragonblooded book couldn't have been better for our group. By Session Seventeen, we had completely transitioned the campaign to Exalted 2nd Edition, even though there are some NPCs still languishing with only a Savage Worlds write up.