WatchingTreesGrow

Watching Trees Grow

a Lunars game for Exalted 2nd edition by Moxiane

Following a meeting between the elders of the Silver Pack it was decided that a new experiment along the Thousand Streams River should begin. It was also decided that a newly-formed pack of Luna's Chosen, recently Exalted and selected for their potential rather than any demonstrated wisdom, should be the ones responsible for this nascent land. Now these new Exalts must take on a task normally given to those much older and wiser than they, to prove their right to stand amongst the ranks of the Stewards.

The Game

The PCs will take on the roles of a group of new Exalts, only recently come into their power and their tattoos, who have been given the task of building a nation in a largely empty stretch of Creation according to the precepts of the Thousand Streams River. This area lies outside the Realm's reach and on the edge of Lookshy's influence, and is otherwise beyond the other major players in southeastern Creation, facts which have caused its fairly sparse population to be left alone to fend for themselves.

It is the 667th year of the reign of the Scarlet Empress and the region once known as Etzaka has no idea what is going to hit it.

WTG will be played online via IRC on the magicstar server, I can be reached at the #wod and #rpgnet channels.

Structure

Watching Trees Grow is a game with a definite (albeit loose) structure. The game begins 100 years before the canonical start of Exalted with the PCs in the role of agents of the Thousand Streams River, given an out-of-the-way part of the world to reshape into a functional nation according to its precepts. The game will have three phases, each roughly 50 years apart:

Phase 1 – RY667 (Inception)

The game opens with the PCs learning about the area and making decisions regarding who and what to involve in their reshaping of the landscape (political and/or physical). Most of the challenges faced will be in the form of people/beings for whom the status quo is just fine thank you, although some interference from the forces of the Underworld and the Wyld would not be unexpected.

Phase 2 – RY 717 (Expansion)

The PCs have had a definite effect on the region by this time (whether for good or ill will depend on the events of the game), but news of the changes they have effected will have spread and investigations from interested powers will be well set. Furthermore agents of the Fair Folk and the Dead will become more restless, both sides having a view of the future that eludes the agents of Heaven.

Phase 3 – RY768 (Incursion)

The souls of the Lawgivers have been released and they are wandering Creation unchecked; the Scarlet Empress has vanished and the Realm is in disarray; the armies of the Wyld and the Underworld are stirring; the Time of Tumult has come upon the characters – how well can they, and their new nation, deal with it?

The amount of playtime that each phase will get is relatively vague, but will largely come down to the players deciding that the PCs have done pretty much all they can do as events stand. At this point the timeline will be advanced 50 years, changes to the landscape will be assessed based on the actions of the characters and experience awarded for the time away.

Etzaka

The Old Realm name for a kind of stone unique to the area, the name was soon taken up by the people to mean the entire region, a form of thanks for the prosperity this material brought. The etzaka stone itself is incredibly hard, requiring jade tools to work in any way, but it had the properties of being an extremely efficient channeler of Essence while not affecting its character in any way. This combination made it exceptional for the construction of manses, enabling those built with etzaka rather than marble to require far less material and space, enabling much smaller manses to be constructed over the larger demesnes of the area. The quarry from which all of the etzaka was once mined still exists, but half consumed by the encroaching jungle while the industrial scale jade tools that had been used to work the stone were cannibalised during the Shogunate. The once prosperous city that swept around the eastern side of the quarry has been abandoned for many year and it is known locally as the Scar, a dangerous and haunted place.

Locations

Saras

The only real city in the region, Saras is the focal point for all local trade – the expanding Guild enclave is testament to that. Ruled by a trio of elected-for-life Princes (each Prince is chosen from, and by, one segment of the populace), Saras is known as a city where politics is everything and where intrigue & corruption are ever-present, but assassination is almost unknown. This is due to a law stating that no official business can take place after the death of a Prince before his (or her) successor has been chosen – an elaborate procedure that can take up to a year to complete.

Three Rivers

The next largest town in the area after Saras, Three Rivers is a loud & brash place when compared to its older and more sedate (at least physically) cousin. Originally constructed on a large island at the point where two rivers join to make a third, it has long since filled this rocky protrusion to over-flowing and spills out into the water and over onto the surrounding banks. Large numbers of both loggers and miners (the latter due to a recent discovery of silver in the nearby hills) keep the local militia permanently overworked and give rise to the town's local reputation as a great place to get killed.

Zurin

A small town situated on what is commonly classed as the northern edge of the region, Zurin would be far more prosperous were it not for the ruins of Old Zurin on the other side of the Saras road. Destroyed during the chaos that followed the Usurpation, Old Zurin is the site of the region's largest shadowland and, unfortunately for the inhabitants of the current town of Zurin, it is also where water for the area must be fetched from. Every day water is carried from the dozen or so wells that remain usable in the ruins, for once night falls ghosts and worse wander the shattered streets.

The House of Lights

An old manse not far from the Scar, the House of Lights' current divine resident is responsible for the collection of tents and shacks that surround it. Alabaster Smile, the god of representative sculpture, moved into the large, airy building almost a century ago and has collected a small following of artists and dilettantes from all across the East and South. The exceptionally hard etzaka stone was what drew this divine artist to the area, and with his blessed jade tools Alabaster Smile has created some astonishing works.

Sankhata

The name of both a lake east of Three Rivers and of the thin silver tower that protrudes from its still waters. It's current occupant is a mysterious sorceress of some power and wealth; she has been seen riding into Saras on a fast-moving cloud and is known to have a number of puissant artefacts. The enchantress guards her privacy jealously, and the only pier on the lake is permanently guarded by a pair of demons, sufficient to ward off all but the most ardent, or desperate, petitioners.

The Green Mound

A place spoken of in whispers and stories, the Green Mound is visible on a clear day from the streets and rooftops of Saras, a large hill protruding above jungle canopy, miraculously clear of the otherwise ever-present trees. It is said to be the home of the hobgoblins that foray out of the jungle (more frequently of late), and on some nights strange lights can be seen dancing atop it while, if the wind is right, unearthly music floats down the streets of the city.

Other locations

Goldenspire – a small town named for the ancient edifice that it sprang up around, an apparently impenetrable tower that rises almost 100' into the sky, and that glows in the light of the sun.

Star Lake – a community of astrologers and fortune-tellers that live in a number of barges anchored at the centre of the lake; visitors must make their own way to the boats, the seers refuse to ferry anyone across the water.

Clash of Steel – a semi-permanent mercenary camp and way-station for groups entering the southern jungles. It home to the premier sellsword market in the area, and is also the best place for many miles to learn how to fight with has a selection of dojos that can teach many forms of martial art.

The Forest of Eyes – the site of the next largest shadowland in the area, named for the hundreds of pairs of eyes that can be seen peering out during the night, and which is utterly silent during daylight hours. No-one knows why the shadowland exists, no major battles or massacres are recorded as having happened here.

Arygos – a long-abandoned and ruined manse, the surrounding lands are filled with dangers and wonders, but the nearby villagers brave the area daily because the strange fruit that grow here are used to make unique beverages.

The Scorched Field – a strangely infertile area of land between Saras and Three Rivers, strewn with ruins and ancient oddities; it's not unusual to see scavengers searching for scraps and it's not unknown for these daring types to fall afoul of some ancient defence system buried below the surface.

Beings of Note

Eigeron

The oldest of the Princes of Saras, Eigeron the Artisan, defying all expectations by remaining hale and hearty well into his eighties, has outlived both the Merchant and Sage princes who were elected after his accession. Despite being totally bald and slightly deaf in one ear, Eigeron shows no signs of dying any time soon, has not even hinted at a preferred successor, and takes a distinct pleasure in over-working his assistants.

Sangur Blackhand

An outcaste Dragon-Blood from Three Rivers, Sangur spends most of his time ranging through the jungles, hunting for hobgoblins and other creatures that threaten the town's logging and mining operations. His methods are notoriously bloody, but attacks on workers are one-quarter what they were before he was employed, so the Three Rivers Council has learned to accept his boorish manner with grace.

The Peacock Serpent

Patron deity of the Etzaka region, back when that appellation had any meaning, the Peacock Serpent generally takes the form of a long, serpentine dragon, with feathered wings in every colour. He takes a paternal, and even somewhat patronising, view of the region, but took his duties seriously until just over a century ago. Apart from his winged serpent shape he has been known to take on human form; the details of this shape may vary but there is always something about him that is rainbow-coloured.

Falling Cloud

Most successful of the local scavenger lords, Falling Cloud has managed to find ancient artefacts in places others thought had been completely explored as well as in areas no-one else ever thought to look. A woman in her mid-forties (although she appears much younger), she bears the scars of her chosen profession lightly, and is rarely seen without its accoutrements. Her appearances in Saras or Three Rivers usually heralds a number of oddities going up for auction or the beginning of yet another expedition in search of wonders of the First Age.

Other people

Delato Ynris – a Dragon-Blooded merchant-prince who has made several fortunes trading in Saras. He has twice been nominated for the role of Prince and twice refused without explanation. The dark-skinned Terrestrial is considered Saras' most eligible bachelor by the upper crust of society.

She-Whose-Words-Are-Like-Honey – or “Honey” as she is more generally known, is the only Fair Folk noble living openly in the region, and then only after swearing an oath of non-predation. Her house is besieged every evening by a crowd wanting to hear her latest tale, but only two dozen are chosen each day and the story is told only once.

Kumitu – an itinerant albino thaumaturge who specialises in conjuring the spirits of the dead, although he refers to himself as a “ghost-caller”. Odd appearance notwithstanding, his services are in high demand amongst those who have unfinished business with deceased friends and relatives.

Local Events

• Banditry was never a real problem for the region – occasional bands of outlaws would be dealt with by the militia or, in extremis, hired mercenaries – but in the last decade a new group of raiders has emerged from the dense jungles to the south. Their attacks are random and extremely vicious, and perpetrated on traders and villages alike; the tales told by the few survivors speak of horrors perpetrated upon the victims, and of horrific spider-like creatures being used as mounts or even, so the whisper goes, acting as leader. Attempts made to track them down have resulted in nothing more than the loss of the soldiers and mercenaries sent to hunt them.

• The last Immaculate monk from the temple in Saras died at the beginning of the year, and there has been neither sign nor word of any replacement from the Realm. While the monks were appreciated by the poorer folks for their charity they were also resented for their insistence that people follow the Immaculate Way, leading many to believe that the absence of the Peacock Serpent was related to the presence of the monks. His recent appearance in the sky above Orago (a farming village west of Saras) has leant further credence to this belief.

• Once content with simple mercantilism the Guild has expanded its efforts into a near-monopoly on all trade going in or out of the region; also the number of people becoming addicted to a variety of drugs is soaring. Last season a caravan out of Nexus was attacked by masked men and its cargo of opium, marijuana and other narcotics was burned. Since then the Guild travels with hardened sellswords and it seeks to expand its influence, to the sound of grumblings from others in the corridors of power aware of its strength.

Character Generation

Characters begin play with the following:

• • 30 ABility points
  • 10 Charms/Knacks - at least four Charms must be from Favoured Attributes, and at least one Knack must be purchased.

The Characters

• Dieros - Telgar's Full Moon horse archer.
• Tolin Deneris - Kasdaye's Full Moon elk warlord.
• Moon Touched Rania - Enchantress's Tyrant Lizard Changing Moon.
• Bright Morning - Khimaera's Pine marten No Moon

The Logs

<as soon as there are any, they'll be here>

Comments

Pretty damn awesome premise, and nice location-building. I look forward to seeing how the story develops...DeathBySurfeit

Any day except Sunday! Enchantress