IkselamInfernal/InfernalExalted
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Infernal Exalted
v0.5 12/12/03
A Dark Design
In the First Age, the term "Infernal Exalted" simply meant an Exalted who, for whatever reason, chose to forsake his patron deity and worship the Yozis. These Exalted infernalists were sometimes motivated by greed for power, or disillusionment with the rule of the Celestial Gods, but much more often by simple hubris; the Princes of the Earth were all too aware that theirs had been the hands which cast the Primordials down into Malfeas, and took this as proof that they were immune to the wiles of the Yozis. This prideful assumption led to the corruption of many powerful Exalted, and while infernalism never became common, it was certainly more widespread than any member of the Deliberative was comfortable admitting.
While some Exalted came to demonic service of their own free will, most were seduced by the Yozis' concerted, active campaign of temptation. The Demon Princes wished to understand the weapons the gods had used against them, and to discern whether they could be turned against their creators. The tales of demons purchasing souls date back to this era; although the Yozis had no use whatsoever for human souls, they were keenly interested in obtaining Exaltations for study. Although they made a great show of bargaining for the souls of mortal infernalists, this was little more than a ploy to camouflage the fact that their entire program of corruption was aimed solely at acquiring the souls of Exalted.
Sidebar: The Broken-Winged Crane
Although even the most prideful Exalted infernalists were generally leery of selling their souls to the Demon Princes, the forces of Malfeas did manage to trick, entice, or coerce a handful of Exalted into travelling to Malfeas and allowing the Yozis to set a spiritual Hook in them. This procedure had no immediate effects, but when the Exalted died, the Yozis used their Hook to reel the soul, along with its Exaltation, down into Hell for study. The mortal portions of the soul were discarded, and the Exaltation was carefully dissected and experimented upon.
Although they never had more than ten Exaltations to work with, the Yozis managed to discern the mechanism behind Exaltation. However, they also discovered that it was very difficult to infuse human vessels with Yozi Essence; the Primordials were so much more powerful and infinite than the gods that mortal bodies and souls imbued with even the most infinitesimal speck of their being would quickly begin breaking down. After several centuries of unsuccessful experimentation, the Demon Princes came to the conclusion that it would be more productive to approach the problem from the opposite end, and focus on how to use properly-chosen vessels to control and subvert Exaltations, rather than vice versa. After further experimentation, they discovered that the Great Curse laid by their slain brethren made an excellent control mechanism, due to the powerful connection it created between the Exalted soul and the passions of its mortal host.
Since the Curse was strongest among the Solars, the Yozis chose to focus solely on them. This decision was also influenced by the fact that by this point, they had irreparably damaged all of their Lunar and Dragon-Blooded Essences -- they had purposefully avoided Sidereals, due to their intimate involvement with Heaven's bureaucracy, their practice of keeping close track of their brethren's cycle of reincarnation, and the fact that Sidereals just didn't die as often as other Exalted. Using their last intact Solar Exaltation and a variety of hapless mortals, the Yozis began to systematically test various approaches to Infernal Exaltation. They had just begun to enjoy some degree of success when the Usurpation occurred, and almost all Solar Essences were locked away in the Jade Prison.
This treasure-trove of Exalted souls was obviously just what the Yozis needed; with it, they could completely skip the tedious and chancy process of seducing Solars into Malfeas one-by-one, and raise up an entire army of Exalted slaves at once. Unfortunately for them, they were unable to devise a way of breaking into the Jade Prison and capturing the Essences inside; the oaths binding them to Malfeas left them unable to project enough power into Creation to make a credible assault on the Prison's defenses. For over a thousand years, all of their attempts were stymied.
The Demon Princes were on the verge of completely writing off their work on subverting Solars, when the Malfeans made contact with them. The Yozis' dead siblings had become interested in creating Exalted of their own, and claimed to have a way of opening the Jade Prison. The Demon Princes jumped at the opportunity, gladly selling their early work on corrupting Essences in return for a share of the spoils when the Malfeans' servants cracked the Prison open.
Sidebar: What This Means For Abyssal Exalted
Although the operation did not go quite as planned, the Yozis were still able to collect fifty Solar Essences. The Demon Princes worked quickly, and when the Solars began returning to the world, the first true Infernal Exalted were not far behind.
The Nature of the Beast
v0.5 12/13/03
Unlike their cousins, the Abyssal Exalted, the hearts of Infernals burn with the sparks of true Solar Exaltation. The Essence of an Infernal is identical to that of a Solar, except stripped of its past-life memories and pierced by a Hook which prevents it from fleeing back to Heaven when its vessel dies. However, the way in which that Essence is employed is much different. Both Infernal and Solar Exalted are creatures of virtue, but where the Solar gains strength by following his Virtues, the Infernal is driven to oppose hers; she draws power from the seething anger and unruly passions engendered by the Great Curse. A Solar is mightiest when he achieves harmony with himself, but an Infernal thrives on inner conflict and turmoil.
In a sense, Infernal Exaltation is more a frame of mind than an objective state of being. Nothing an Infernal Exalted can do cannot be done by a Solar, and vice versa. Nevertheless, although the difference between the two groups originates in their human souls, rather than the divine souls empowering them, it is not trivial. Not just anyone can become a Solar; likewise, candidates for Infernal Exaltation are chosen with the utmost care and discrimination. For these exceptional individuals, Infernal Exaltation is not a goal to be sought, but the next natural step in their personal development. Those who seek power can be bought, and converted zealots often make the most dangerous foes, but it is almost impossible to "turn" ones for whom Infernal Exaltation is a natural extension of their innermost selves.
For this reason, infernalists hardly ever become Infernal Exalted, as they are almost universally motivated by either personal gain or religious fervor, rendering them untrustworthy in the eyes of the Yozis. Those who are already Exalted are also eliminated from consideration; it is impossible to separate a person's Exalted and unExalted souls without killing him, and a human soul is too fragile to support two Exaltations at once -- ruling out Dragon-Blooded, Sidereals, and Lunars. Although Solars are eminently capable of learning Infernal powers, they will always be hampered by the memories of their past incarnations. An Exaltation which carries the imprint of a hundred lifetimes spent pursuing harmony and virtue will subtly resist attempts to do the opposite; as a result, "Infernal Solars" are volatile beings, looked down upon by true Infernals as being too weak to properly direct their anger. Although the Yozis will teach Infernal arts to Solars, they do it only as a way of luring such Solars into selling their souls. Once the Hook is in place, the Yozis usually arrange an Infernal Solar's death; they then collect his Exalted soul, carefully flense it of all traces of past incarnations, and place it into a more worthy vessel.
Sidebar: Infernal Abyssals?
After many centuries of experimentation with the prototype Infernal Essences they created during the First Age, the Yozis have concluded that the best way of sorting the grain from the chaff, as it were, is to limit Infernal Exaltation to those individuals who arrive in Malfeas guided by nothing but their own hatred and anger. Such people are far from common, but the handful who stumble into Cecylene each year are enough for the Demon Princes' current needs.
Reaching Malfeas is only the beginning of an Infernal candidate's trials; upon her arrival in the Demon City, she is subjected to a mind-shattering regimen of excruciating tortures. If her rage and hate are strong enough to sustain her through these diabolic torments, then she is considered suitable for Exaltation. She is tattooed with a Slave Mark, the physical representation of the Hook which now binds her soul to Malfeas, and spat back up into Creation. Later, after she has begun to master her powers and gain favor in her masters' eyes, she may receieve formal training -- for now, all she has to guide her are her instincts and whatever compulsions were set into her mind during the ordeal of her Exaltation. Some Infernals are greeted by Yozi cults or demonic familiars; others may find themselves alone in the middle of nowhere. Almost all re-enter Creation at least half-dead, their minds and bodies still bloodied and burnt from the Yozis' torture, but hardly any do not manage to survive and heal. The worst hazards Creation can offer are as nothing compared to the torments of Malfeas.
