It’s a credit to the Terrestrials that they’ve come close to the truth on their own. A majority of their scholars consider magic and science two complementary sets of natural law, each with benefits and drawbacks. Both can require highly specialized equipment and many years of training and research, but work on established and tested principles. Mundane scientific disciplines shine for making equipment for and creating scientific advancements usable by unenlightened mortals. Magical disciplines, such as thaumaturgy and artifice, are most effective for accomplishing what mundane science can’t. Mortal science is definitely cheaper than, and less of a bother than, magic in the contemporary era. All but the most arrogant Terrestrials respect unenlightened mortal scientists for their accomplishments. After all, they make their discoveries with no magic whatsoever. They grant occultists similar respect. Most also Terrestrials blend both fields’ products with no difficulty. Their Aspected and mortal relatives are welcome to do the same as long as they can afford it.

Sorcery and supernatural martial arts are more problematic. Since even enlightened humans can learn Emerald Circle spells, the Terrestrials want to ensure training methods don’t fall into the wrong hands. They can’t be everywhere at once. Still, they have a strong lock on Terrestrial Circle Sorcery training in nearly all developed nations and many developing ones. With that control comes dominance over what spells most mortal sorcerers learn. Terrestrials prefer to teach their mortal relatives and followers warding and enhancement spells. Conversely, most clans punish Terrestrials who teach non-Exalts offensive magic and Demon of the First Circle. The most trusted Aspected are an exception. Terrestrial martial arts are much less restricted. Since most styles are strictly melee-only, the only criteria for training are usually loyalty, good physical health, and oaths of discretion. Even ranged styles tend not to be terribly restricted. Any Terrestrial worth his or her Exaltation can outfight even a mortal martial artist. Outright magical stunts in public are still discouraged.

Terrestrial Charms, as well as those of other Exalted, defy categorization.  Their scholars correctly believe they are an inherent part of the Exaltation. They also know that their power ultimately arises from Gaia and her five Third Circle devas, the Elemental Dragons. (Most will not admit this is thanks to early Sidereal interactions.) No mortal, not even an Aspected, can hope to wield it as an innate power. Thus, many Terrestrials consider their Charms privileges over reality as much as magic. The Elemental Dragons have granted them the ability to do magic beyond mortal comprehension. While an Exalt can certainly use those powers to terrorize others and destroy the land, it would be irresponsible. Only a few Terrestrials have ever been that bad. Still, all too often, they use their Charms to hoodwink mortals, benefit themselves, and hide indiscretions. Most do play at least lip service to the ideal of cooperation their abilities exemplify. Those Terrestrials who frequently put it in action are often vanguards in Charm development . . . and in self-righteousness.

While the Terrestrial Exalted happily blend magic with technology in their private lives, many are leery of open magic use. Their Autochthonian allies are a major factor. While not every clan has direct ties to the Alchemicals, those that do are powerful and influential. They have a monopoly on the Terrestrials’ magitech and atelier-chapels. They’re also the most notable backers of the Starbreaking. Most importantly, the Alchemicals told the Terrestrials to conceal their influence over the mortal world. Few Exalts want to risk their ire. There are also more theoretical matters. Going public is bound to cause disarray in the mortal world. Most of contemporary Creation’s major religions treat magic with suspicion. The elders would rather not chance a second round of persecution, liberalization notwithstanding. Even after that, the Terrestrials would still have to supervise the integration of magic into mortal society. They expect that the process will involve extensive social and political reorganization and considerable financial expenditures. It’s bound to cause headaches. Lastly, most Terrestrials are content with their current status. They’re the secret masters of the world. Selfish as it is, why would they want to change that?

In the Fourth Age, carting a daiklave around in most places will quickly attract the attention of authorities. Most contemporary versions are no bigger than normal swords. When subtlety is of utmost importance or preference, though, many Exalted favor these weapons. An Elsewhere-touched sword cane appears to be nothing more than an elaborate walking stick to mundane senses. The stick-sheathe transports Elsewhere at the user’s mental command.

These weapons are particular favorites of the Sidereal Exalted. Many ancient starmetal daiklaves-especially “buster sword” models-have been converted to Elsewhere-touched sword canes through Charms or favors. Terrestrial Exalted are also fond of these weapons, as they go nicely with many varieties of formal wear.

• This artifact’s base is any type of sword. If using the Alternate Damage System, it grants +1 to Damage Rank against all Soak Ranks.
• Daiklave in a Cane: Regardless of the base weapon, the cane has an additional +2 to Accuracy (Class B) and Defense (Class B).
• Dualistic Elsewhere Attunement: Both parts of the cane, sheathe and daiklave alike, are linked to Elsewhere. The user can dismiss one or both as desired for the cost of one mote each (Class B). Dismissal is a reflexive, non-Charm action. It can be done quickly enough to switch from lethal to bashing damage and vice versa at will (Class A).
• Energies of a Million Artifacts: This artifact’s link to Elsewhere goes beyond channeling and summoning: it was enchanted to draw power from long-forgotten items in that dimension. The enchantment is intelligent enough to transfer motes as linked artifacts return to reality. It functions as a form of self-powering, reducing attunement cost to one mote (Class D).
• Just A Walking Stick Deception: The cane is personalized to its attuned user: to anyone else, it’s just a normal cane. Unattuned individuals can’t even remove the sheathe (Class B).

Power 6 (Class Dx1, Class Bx4, Class Ax1), Usefulness 3, Plot Impact 1, Script Immunity 1. If using the standard damage system, this item also has +2 Damage (Class B). This increases Power to 8.
Components: A scrap of the relevant magical material and steel that has never seen sunlight for the daiklave alloy, and wood that has been Elsewhere for the sheathe (-2)
Total: 11 (-2 to create)/4= 3 to purchase, 2 to create (3 to purchase and create in standard damage system)

Like standard transformative armor, this artifact’s default form is a black leather tunic. It can take the form of any clothing the user wants (nice suits, formal wear, and military dress uniforms are quite common). Terrestrial transformative armor differs from standard transformative armor in its channeling of the elements. It enhances its wearer’s aspect skills, increases durability and speed, and mends minor wounds. If all else fails, the armor can preserve the wearer’s body for retrieval.

Terrestrial transformative armor represents the height of the atelier-chapels’ capabilities. It requires “only” mortal mastery of the necessary skills to create, but that level of mastery is quite rare. Only the eldest and most honored members of a clan are likely to receive a set. Most family members and independents have to make do with standard transformative armor.

• This item is artifact armor; it protects against attacks of all Damage Ranks.
• A Cabalist Must Always Look Dignified: Keeps the wearer neat and clean. When combined with Jade Egg Repose, this power protects the character’s mundane items from damage and decay (Class A).
• Celerity of Flame: Double ground speed (Class B).
• Durability of the Earth: +2 bonus to Stamina (Class B).
• (Element) Adept Circuitry: A +2 bonus to six Abilities, usually the Aspect Abilities matching the color of the jade used (Class Ax6):
• Air: Linguistics, Lore, Occult, Pilot, Stealth, Thrown
• Earth: Awareness, Craft, Integrity, Resistance, Technology, War
• Fire: Athletics, Dodge, Firearms, Melee, Presence, Socialize
• Water: Bureaucracy, Computer, Investigation, Larceny, Martial Arts, Sail
• Wood: Archery, Drive, Medicine, Performance, Ride, Survival
• Essence of the Sea: Self-powered, costing only 5 motes to attune (Class C).
• Hearthstone Socket: Most manufacturers of Terrestrial transformative armor place the Hearthstone socket in the lapel (Free)
• Jade Egg Repose: If the owner dies while wearing this artifact, it will automatically encase the body in an ovoid sphere of Essence. This sphere’s coloration matches the armor’s jade. It will then sink into the earth and make it harder for mortals to find the body, subtracting four dice from any necessary rolls. Supernatural beings are unaffected. This effect lasts until the owner somehow revives or someone dispels the sphere; using the Art of Countermagic will suffice. Dispelling the sphere never harms the artifact (Class A).
• Thaumaturgical Receptacle: Terrestrial transformative armor can store a single thaumaturgical effect for later use (Class A)
• Transformative Cloth: May resemble any desired variety of clothing or armor on demand. For full compatibility with official transformative armor, this can optionally require a Miscellaneous action and a (Wits+Craft/Wood) roll; difficulty 1 for outfits the character has seen before, difficulty 3 for spontaneous creations (Class A).
• Vitality of Wood: Regenerate one level of bashing damage every three actions in combat and all levels of bashing damage within a minute outside of combat (Class B).

Power 8 (Class Ax10, Class Bx3, Class Cx1), Usefulness 4, Plot Impact 1, Script Immunity 1

Components: Jade matching the intended wearer’s aspect and moonsilver (-1)

Total: 14 (-1 to create)/4=4, 3 to create. As Rank 4 artifact armor, Terrestrial transformative armor caps damage from single attacks and flurries at three levels and grants two levels of Ox-Body Technique.

The standard damage system version of this artifact uses a reinforced buff jacket as the base (+5L/8B); even Terrestrial transformative armor simply isn’t as protective as full-fledged commando armor. It removes the A Cabalist Must Always Look Dignified, Durability of the Earth, Jade Egg Repose, and Thaumaturgical Receptacle powers in favor of -2 Mobility (Class B), -2 Fatigue (Class B), and Hardness equal to Soak/2 (Class A). This changes the armor’s power distribution to (Class Ax8, Class Bx4, Class Cx1). Its final statistics are +6L/9B Soak, Hardness 3L/5B, Mobility 0, and Fatigue 0, allowing it to be used with all supernatural martial arts styles.

Baselines

• Unarmed and unarmored mortals are always Rank 0 unless boosted through magic.
• Unarmed and unarmored supernatural beings, including mortals with awakened Essence, are Rank 1 thanks to the magic fortifying their bodies. Unarmed and unarmored Exalted have a stronger command of Essence still, and are Rank 2. Elder Exalted and spirits with Essence 6+ are some of the toughest entities in Creation even without their panoplies, and have Rank 3.
• Mundane equipment, available to anyone with the necessary Resources, adds +1 to Rank, but does not apply to opponents beyond Rank 3. It’s no help against cosmic blasting beams and armor tougher than most contemporary vehicles.

Damage and Soak Ranks
Rank 0:

• Damage: Unarmed Mortal
• Soak: Unarmored Mortal

Rank 1:

• Damage: Armed Mortal, Unarmed God-Blooded, Mundane Environmental Effect, Minor Monster, Noncombatant Spirit
• Soak: Armored Mortal, Unarmored God-Blooded, Minor Monster, Noncombatant Spirit

Rank 2:

• Damage: First Circle Demon Combatant, Typical Spirit with Panoply, Unarmed Young Exalted, Supernatural Environmental Effect
• Soak: First Circle Demon Combatant, Typical Spirit with Panoply, Unarmored Young Exalted

Rank 3:

• Damage: Second Circle Demon, Powerful Spirit, Armed Young Exalted, Elder Exalted
• Soak: Second Circle Demon, Powerful Spirit, Armored Young Exalted, Elder Exalted

Rank 4:

• Damage: Third Circle Demon, Behemoth, Senior Spirit with Panoply, Elder Exalted with Artifact Weapon, Potent Supernatural Environmental Effect
• Soak: Third Circle Demon, Behemoth, Senior Spirit with Panoply, Elder Exalted in Artifact Armor

Rank 5+:

• Damage: Incarna, Primordial, Armed Exalted Exerting Full Offensive Power
• Soak: Incarna, Primordial, Armored Exalted Exerting Full Defensive Power

Determining Damage
Combat functions normally until it’s time to determine damage. In that case, subtract the defender’s Soak Rank from the attacker’s Damage Rank. If the total is zero or less, no health levels are inflicted (though cosmetic damage is encouraged). Otherwise, refer to the list below.

Damage Dice

• 0 or less: 0
• 1: 3d
• 2: 5d
• 3: 7d
• 4: 10d
• 5: 14d
• 6: 18d
• 7: 24d
• 8 and up: 30d

The net result of this is that most combatants will inflict either 3d or 7d worth of damage when they surpass a worthy opponent’s Soak Rank. The results average between one and four health levels per attack. It’s still better not to get hit, but at least dying in a single blow are less likely.

Standard Modifiers (each +1)

• Cooperative efforts, usually through coordinated attacks and Terrestrial Charms.
• Incredible description of the character’s attack (3 die stunt)
• Overwhelming Essence poured into the attack (motes equal to five times the character’s Permanent Essence). Sorcery automatically gets this bonus.
• Unexpected attacks.

Rule Alterations

These rules do change how certain Charms work, notably ones that enhance raw (not rolled) damage and grant soak and Hardness. Advanced combat Charms tend to focus less on damage and soak and more on special effects.

• The highest Rank bonus overwhelms all others, though characters may stack if they want to gain the “Overwhelming Essence” bonus. Charms that would add dice under the standard rules may be used to gain the “Overwhelming Essence” bonus by spending motes at the listed rate.
• Other than damage and soak, Charms function as written, including durations. There are some exceptions, which appear below.

Damaging Effects

• If a damage-boosting Charm takes effect on Step 7 (calculate raw damage) and provides a static amount of enhancement, such as (Permanent Essence) or (Strength), it grants non-elder Exalted +1 Damage Rank and elder Exalted +2 Damage Ranks. The same applies to Charms that double extra successes on attack rolls or raw damage. Some Charms, usually ones meant to damage inanimate objects, apply +3 Damage Ranks.
• If a damage-boosting Charm takes effect on Step 7 and provides a non-static amount of enhancement, such as a Strength Excellency, it grants a base of +1 Damage Rank for the cost of one die, but can be used to gain the “Overwhelming Essence” bonus on attacks.
• If a damage-boosting Charm takes effect on Step 8 (roll damage), it functions normally.
• Unless noted otherwise, damaging Charms count as artifact weapons. Those which inflict non-static damage can be used to gain the “Overwhelming Essence” bonus on attacks. They are an exception to the stacking rule if they summon actual weapons.
• Charms that would normally make damage piercing or ignore Hardness reduce an armored opponent’s Soak Rank by 1. They are an exception to the rules on stacking, as they do not directly affect Damage Rank.
• Mundane poisons and diseases that inflict damage are Damage Rank 1 effects. Poisons and diseases potent enough to affect the Exalted are Damage Rank 2 effects. Those potent enough to affect elder Exalted are Damage Rank 4. In all cases, armor and soak-based bonuses to Defense Rank do not apply once the poison or disease is in the target’s system. Only innate resistance and Charms for resisting poison help.
• Charms with effects based on raw or pre-soak damage, such as those involving knockback or knockdown, use the amount of damage dice rolled to determine their effects.
• Charms that allow attack successes to apply twice to raw or pre-soak damage, such as Solar Hero Form, instead allow 10s to count as two successes on damage dice.

Damage-Reducing Charms

• Soak-boosting Charms that last longer than an instant apply +1 Soak Rank unless they are specialized, such as against specific elements or weapons. Most do not protect against aggravated damage.
• Soak-boosting Charms that add a non-static amount of soak add +1 Soak Rank for the cost of a single “unit” of soak and +2 Soak Ranks for the full amount. (Custom Charms should simply apply a single Soak Rank and save +2 Soak Ranks for specialized effects.)
• Soak-boosting Charms that summon armor generally count as Rank 2 artifact armor for Terrestrial-tier effects and Rank 4 artifact armor for Celestial-tier effects.

Mutations

• Damage-boosting mutations below abomination level, such as claws, add +1 Damage Rank to relevant forms of attacks. Abominations count as artifact weapons that grant +1 Damage Rank. Poison mutations count as Damage Rank 1 unless they are abominations, in which case they are Damage Rank 2 effects.
• Soak-boosting mutations add +1 Soak Rank against lethal and bashing damage. If using the mutations from the Healing and Durability article, +1 Soak Rank against lethal and bashing damage costs 2 points, and the same against aggravated damage costs an additional 2 points. For double cost, these Soak Ranks apply against attacks by Rank 3+ beings.

Artifact Armor and Weapons

Under these rules, combat artifacts’ damage and soak does not scale with their levels. They generally become prized tools instead of overpowering advantages.

• Basic Artifact Weapons: The average artifact weapon is Rank 2. Rank 3 items represent enhanced versions of particularly large or deadly mortal weapons. Weapons of higher Rank favor special powers over increased deadliness. Exalted can perform the latter more effectively with their Essence. All artifact weapons grant +1 Damage Rank for appropriate attack forms. Others are always available as powers.
• Basic Artifact Armor: Artifact armor’s appearance is purely cosmetic. The fancy clothing of an elder Exalt is often as protective as his younger peer’s thick breastplate, and neither contends with Fatigue and Mobility. All artifact armor grants +1 Defense Rank against all attacks. Additionally, it grants other benefits based on its artifact Rank. These benefits are described in the Enhanced Artifact Armor article.
• It’s important to note that artifact armor must actually have abilities relevant to combat to receive full Rank benefits. Enhancements to relevant attributes and abilities definitely count. So do powers like enhanced movement. Otherwise, the artifact halves its effective Rank for determining its armor benefits.
• Magical Material Bonuses: These aren’t untouched by the alternate damage system. Like Charms, stats not relevant to damage or soak are unaffected. All bonuses that add to damage dice will allow weapons to inflict (minor) damage on results of 0 or less. It’s just that the majority of them are circumstantial.
• Orichalcum: Orichalcum ranged weapons add an additional die of damage to all attacks. Orichalcum armor adds a die to Integrity checks.
• Moonsilver: Moonsilver armor is comfortable to wear in all environments, regardless of construction. It adds a die to Survival checks.
• Starmetal: Starmetal equipment of all varieties cannot be detected by mundane sensors, though such items still need to be hidden from prying hands and eyes. Weapons add an additional die of damage when used in surprise attacks. Armor grants only its external penalty to damage rolls, which is powerful enough as is.
• Jade: Regardless of color, all jade weapons add an additional die of damage to all attacks. Jade armor adds a die to Resistance checks.
• Soulsteel: Soulsteel ranged weapons add an additional die of damage against living beings. Soulsteel armor adds a die to intimidation-based social checks.
• Adamant: Adamant weapons add an additional die of damage against armored opponents. Adamant armor adds a die to Stealth checks.

Much like their Second Age ancestors, many Terrestrials are members of clans. None approach the size of even the smallest Great House. Even the largest would be dwarfed by a Lookshy gens. No clan has direct influence over a single nation; even the ones who participate in Freemasonry and other secret societies do so in coalitions with other clans. They are strongly influenced by the mortal cultures surrounding them, not the other way around. Still, some universal characteristics have appeared.

The majority of Terrestrial clans are wealthy and well-connected, regardless of size. Even ignoring Exalted business and political prowess, the elders have had centuries to build up investments and bank accounts. Some live more modestly than others. Indeed, the default lifestyle is elegant but understated. That doesn’t mean each household lacks money in the bank. Mortals who cross them are often shocked by the amount of resources a Terrestrial clan can bring to bear. Like wealthy mortal families, they can also call on other influential members of their communities. Their elders are often in incredible positions to forge decades-old bonds between families and organizations. In particular, their occult connections are often superb.

Nearly all clan Terrestrials have the need for subtlety drilled into them before they even Exalt. Their animas would expose their status easily enough even before considering their destructive effects. So would the fine jade of their panoplies. Therefore, contemporary Terrestrial clan members favor artifacts that are easy to conceal, let them store Personal Essence, or, as a last resort, erase memories. Many use a compound that hides the coloration of their jade weapons from mundane senses. Manses are hidden urban outposts or wilderness retreats; only the most concealed ones are homes. Most importantly, they use and wield active Essence judiciously. They typically save Obvious Charms for emergencies.

Occluded Dragon Oil is made using the thaumaturgic Science of Alchemy, requiring elementally-neutral chemicals and natural earths worth Resources 3. When applied to jade-steel alloy items, it dulls their color to a steel gray. Matte and chrome formulas exist. The oil lasts for three days, and nothing short of magical means will remove it before then.

Terrestrial clans still value military training. They might not directly control armed forces like they did in previous eras, and their tendencies toward subtlety mean they can’t unleash their offensive Charms without forethought. Still, Gaia intended for them to be soldiers. The Sidereals had to do surprisingly little to convince the Terrestrials of this. Physical fitness is paramount among nearly all clans. Most clans teach their children how to shoot a gun, throw a punch, use a knife, coordinate a team, and drive defensively. Many, even Terrestrials, don’t go too far beyond the basics, but they aren’t completely clueless if they’re in the relevant situations. Those clan members who do pursue military careers have little trouble entering special forces or other elite units. Their families almost always honor their service.

Clans are still highly social. Even the most far-flung ones try to gather at least once every four or five years, and these parties equal or surpass those of the Second Age. Considerable social jockeying still occurs at them. Everyone wants to impress the clan head and seniors, since those individuals often support promising relatives’ projects. Other social occasions are usually more relaxed. With the Terrestrial Exalted out of direct rulership of Creation, they have fewer direct enemies and less reason to worry. There are also enough of them that they have others to pick up the slack and let them relax.

Finally, most clans have similar organizational structures. Their rigor and formality might change based on culture, but the following hierarchy generally holds true:

• Clan Head: The heads of most Terrestrial clans are at least 150 years old, and at least two or three of the first-generation clan heads have found ways of surviving to the present. Most are expert manipulators at this point. Nearly all have broad proficiency in thaumaturgy and know at least one or two Terrestrial Circle spells. They play politics against other clan heads, research Dynasty Charms, and pursue personal hobbies. When they must act beyond those interests, it’s almost always through descendants and agents. Clan heads forced to act personally do so as decisively and subtly as possible.
• Clan Senior: A clan’s seniors are its most respected members, usually somewhere between seventy-five and one hundred years old. One of them will be the current heir. They supervise the clan’s businesses, holdings, and secret society interests. Many have died at least once and have multiple identities to ensure that they can reestablish themselves if it happens again. Most know at least several thaumaturgical Arts and a Science or two. Their discretion often equals the clan head’s. Thanks to their stronger connections to unExalted society, they’re at more risk of exposure.
• Exalted Clan Member: Most clan Terrestrials’ lives are similar to those of wealthy mortals. Their jobs are often high-powered, they regularly travel to exciting and scenic places, and they consider social contacts paramount. As the clan’s mid-tier operatives, they usually have a lot to prove. Many have mastered at least one or two thaumaturgical Arts. Additionally, thanks to Fellowship of Moonsilver and Jade influence, knowledge of at least one or two Celestial Martial Arts Charms isn’t rare among them. These Terrestrials are the ones most likely to risk exposure.
• Aspected: While clans rarely place their Aspected in combat roles, most otherwise treat them like actual Terrestrials. They often have vital roles educating and training newly Exalted teenagers. Many are accomplished thaumaturges and Terrestrial martial artists. As a result, many younger Terrestrials have great respect for their Aspected relatives and compete to train under them. Aspected are also popular aides for covert missions, where their ability to hide their animas is invaluable. They generally live as well as their Terrestrial relatives.
• Mundane Clan Member: Ironically, a completely unenlightened member of a Terrestrial clan is more likely to be in harm’s way than an Aspected. Many clans treat their adult unExalted relatives as pre-Aspected. This doesn’t necessarily mean they use them as cannon fodder. Still, every clan member knows that a dead mortal relative might revive years later, and many mortals will volunteer for risky missions in hopes of Aspecting. Mortals who do not take that risk are normal, if wealthy, humans. Depending on their distance from their Terrestrial relatives, they might not even know their family’s true nature. Aspecting or Exalting is usually a shock in those cases.

Mortal Relations

In the Second Age, the Terrestrial Exalted generally considered themselves morally and physically superior to mortals. Their frequent involvement with the Scarlet Empire, the teachings of the Immaculate Order, and the lack of sudden enlightenment in adult mortals facilitated this position. Mortals also tended to rely on them. Thus, they became playthings at best and pawns or tools at the worst. Even the Terrestrials’ relatives weren’t immune to this treatment.

When the Terrestrial bloodlines faded, though, mortals largely inherited the earth. This state lasted for thousands of years-and mundane technology advanced with it. The knowledge of the Elemental Dragons died out, and the supernatural became something to fear. Thus, when the Terrestrial Exalted reemerged, they faced witch hunts, angry mobs, and gunpowder. Many of the first generation died to these phenomena. When they revived, they had great respect for mortals’ capabilities to work in groups and wield technology. Their experiences have influenced Terrestrial attitudes toward mortals to the present day.

While many Terrestrial Exalted consider individual mortals weaker than them, most understand that four or five mortals can make a lot of trouble for a single Exalt. This is doubly true if those mortals have strong leadership, firearms, or thaumaurgical talents. Thus, the Terrestrials of the Third and Fourth Ages have joined their Sidereal rivals as Hidden Masters instead of becoming Dynasts. To avoid massive social upheaval and angry mobs, they limit their use of Peripheral Essence, act through proxies, and-most importantly of all-treat mortals as the humans they are. Many have numerous mortal friends, the better to make connections. Still, slip-ups can happen. An aide might see something she shouldn’t, or a thaumaturge could learn hidden information from a disgruntled elemental. A Terrestrial might get angry and fry a mortal with her anima. Even then, contemporary Terrestrials favor bribery or blackmail, not Charms or killing, as solutions. It helps that many of them still consider themselves members of their mortal cultures and would rather not be on the run.

The presence of the Aspected has also been a major motive for respecting mortals. When a mortal relative doesn’t Exalt, it doesn’t mean she can be treated like a lesser being. She could Aspect after an apparent death. Since the Terrestrial Exalted know the Aspected have longer natural lifespans than them and share their nigh-immunity to death by violence, they would rather not have to live with an unhappy enlightened relative. They might send mortal relatives into deadly situations with an ease that seems cold to non-relatives. They do this only when necessary, though, and many Terrestrials feel guilty when they die for good.

As for mortal relatives unwilling to attempt Aspecting, Terrestrials tend to treat them as younger siblings regardless of age. They rarely intend to harm or dominate them. Many display friendliness and intimacy toward them that would sicken their Second Age ancestors. Still, there is always some distance and superiority there. It just has a more pleasant face.

• A contemporary Terrestrial Exalted does not have obvious aspect markings unless she has reached the third level of anima display (see the next bullet point). At most, her build, skin tone, hair color, or any combination of the above might reflect her elemental attunement. The exception is any Terrestrial with Legendary Breeding, which includes most of the first generation. Many of them quickly developed Charms to mute their markings.
• A contemporary Terrestrial Exalted builds her anima more slowly than her Second Age ancestors. At the first level of anima display (0-3 Peripheral motes), her eyes glow in the color of jade associated with her aspect. This display is easy to hide with sunglasses and does not interfere with the Stealth Ability or Stealth Charms. At the second level of anima display (4-7 Peripheral motes), the glow extends to her skin. Stealth Charms no longer work, and the Stealth Ability requires natural cover to use. Even then, it suffers a -2 external penalty. The third and subsequent levels of anima display function as written.
• A contemporary Terrestrial Exalted will not die from violence unless her body is completely destroyed. After (6-Stamina) years (minimum one month), she will return to life. If somebody immerses her remains in a manifestation of her aspect for the entire period (a fireplace, a freezer, or even a compost heap), she gains a +1 bonus to her Stamina for determining the time necessary to regenerate. She will still die after around three or four hundred years without extraordinary training or external forms of life extension.

Aspected

Sometimes exceptional mortals die of violence, disease, or disaster. Such tragedies aren’t unusual in Creation, which has been dangerous for most of its existence. These mortals’ lives aren’t necessarily over if they have Terrestrial bloodlines. A few rise from the grave years later, attuned to a specific element. Their Terrestrial cousins go to great lengths to retrieve and, in the case of non-relatives, recruit them.

Often called “Lazaruses,” “Methuselahs,” or similar, culturally-appropriate terms, the Aspected are a safety measure encoded into the Terrestrial Exaltation by Gaia and Autochthon. They were the best combination of fertility and stability the two Primordials could agree to create. While they aren’t Exalts, their long lifespans give them time to (hopefully) produce plenty of descendants to preserve Earth’s Terrestrial bloodline. They have just enough affinity with the elements to be tougher than the average human. Finally, as unExalted individuals, they are free of the Great Curse.

In the present day, most clans treat their Aspected with only slightly less respect than their Terrestrial members. All know that an Aspected is unlikely to hold her own against a Terrestrial, much less a Celestial Exalted. Instead, they usually perform support roles. Many guard Manses, run front businesses, and-especially-perform thaumaturgy and serve as secret society liaisons. Aspected who are not associated with a clan are quite rare. They tend to be stubborn, disciplined, and almost entirely without fear thanks to their unexpected resurrections.

• Elemental Awakening (7): Every Aspected has a Personal Essence pool of (Essencex5 + Willpowerx2 + sum of all Virtues) motes and a Peripheral Essence pool of (Essencex5) motes. Using Peripheral Essence produces an anima display reminiscent of a Terrestrial Exalt’s. Unlike a Terrestrial’s anima, though, it’s harmless. The Aspected may spend a point of Willpower to suppress it for a scene if desired. All Aspected can learn Terrestrial martial arts (which they do have aspects for) and Terrestrial Circle Sorcery. Actual Terrestrial Charms are beyond their capabilities.
• Elemental Durability (6): Aspected heal wounds, recover from disabling and crippling effects, and resist disease, infection, bleeding, and poison as Exalted. They also soak lethal damage with half their Stamina.
• Elemental Longevity (3): The nearly silent elemental Essence in their bodies grants the Aspected a lifespan of around a millennium. Combined with their regeneration, this long lifespan is part of the reason why their Exalted relatives treat them with respect. An angry Aspected cannot be killed by violence and will be an annoyance for a long time.
• Quasi-Immortal (4): Aspected share the Terrestrials’ nigh-perfect regeneration. Sadly, they do not get to add +1 to their Stamina to determine duration if their remains are immersed in a manifestation of their aspect.
• Terrestrial Bloodline (1): An Aspected is not a Terrestrial Exalt, but his children are much more likely to be among them.

Independents

Not all of the first-generation Terrestrials chose to pursue secret power. Several, almost exclusively those who Exalted away from prying eyes, hid their powers and led relatively normal lives. This included having families. Some of their children also Exalted. They often had to flee persecution or the authorities afterwards, but they would still become romantically involved with mortals. It inevitably became a cycle. Thus, while influential Terrestrials organized their clans, their less ambitious cousins increased the potential of Exaltation, or at least of becoming Aspected.

Without the supposed holiness and overarching political power their ancestors possessed in the Second Age, the emerging clans had to resort to other means of recruitment when they discovered independent Terrestrials. Many offered marriages to increase their children’s chances of Exaltation. Others promised to give recruits scavenged artifacts and training in thaumaturgy and sorcery. Still others simply asked independents what they wanted and gave it to them, within reason. Their methods were often successful. After all, many independents had no idea what had granted them power and wanted an explanation. When they refused, attitudes varied. Clans that conscripted new Exalted regardless of their answers were as common as those that simply wanted to maintain contact. Many independent Terrestrials soon became wary of their more organized peers.

The agreement between the Terrestrials and the Alchemicals helped somewhat. While independent Terrestrials could certainly make minor artifacts without outside assistance, they had few ways to acquire plans for, much less manufacture, magitech without clan backing. There was also the matter of the Insidious hunts. Many independents joined clans to avoid accusations of supporting the enemy. Others made exclusive contracts with them, assisted by their new need for soldiers, technicians, and other personnel. Sometimes they encouraged their Exalted children to continue the contract if they were treated well. The oldest of these contracts have lasted to the present day, often to the point where the only thing separating the independent family from the clan is the right spouse.

Nowadays, many independents contract with the clans. Forcing unaffiliated Terrestrials to do what they want is far too risky with contemporary media and surveillance, and many clan members disagree with conscription or enslavement anyway. They still offer matchmaking, training, and the other traditional benefits, of course. Many independent elders transition to providing clan members discreet instruction in fields and techniques their elders don’t know or forbid. They often ask for favors or services in return. Since they don’t have direct authority over their students, though, they have to be careful and creative when they refuse to fulfill their obligations.

The resulting guerrilla war involved the most spectacular amount of Essence use since the Usurpation. It might have destroyed the world had the Righteous Orphans not tried a risky geomantic effort. It took years, suffered many setbacks, and resulted in the deaths of many of the most powerful Terrestrials involved, including Mnemon. Fortunately, it succeeded. The Imperial Manse’s Essence flows were completely cut off from Creation proper. With her greatest weapon disabled, the Scarlet Empress fled deep into its interior. A sworn brotherhood consisting of the most powerful remaining elder Terrestrials pursued her. Their juniors concentrated on fixing the Blessed Isle’s shattered defenses-and, for once in Creation’s history, fighting alongside their outcaste cousins.

The outcastes desperately needed the assistance. The Fair Folk had taken advantage of Creation’s political chaos. Led by the noble Oberon, their massive military force was rapidly devouring the Threshold in waves of chaos. With the Imperial Manse deactivated and the only person who understood its secrets compromised, the Dynasts had no choice but to help the outcastes hold back the tide. Many fought alongside beings formerly considered Anathema. They were too desperate to care at that point.

And then, when the fey had claimed the shores of the Blessed Isle and the few hundred remaining Terrestrials were planning a last stand at the Imperial Manse, a massive red-haired woman appeared at the pinnacle of the Imperial Mountain. Every Terrestrial Exalted who saw her recognized her as Gaia. Knowing their patron was about to perform a last-ditch miracle, their greatest remaining savants gathered their peers in the Blessed Isle’s remaining, and still countless, Manses. Only when her Exalted were all safe and secure did Gaia initiate the Reshaping. Creation broke into countless pieces floating in a void, each with Manses. Habitable worlds had Terrestrials. What would become Earth wound up with the most: around ten. Other planets received one or two at most.

The Terrestrials did what they always did after disasters. They gathered what mortals they could find and picked up the pieces. Unfortunately, there was little hope of them maintaining their numbers, and they knew it. The Terrestrial savants were still hopeful. They knew that their power was part of Creation itself. Wherever they were, they convinced their peers not to lose hope. They needed to ensure that the mortals they arose from would survive without them and preserve their artifacts for future champions.  Many new mortal settlements had a Terrestrial to thank for assistance, and their tomb-Manses’ demonic guards, traps, and treasure hordes entered legend. New champions would arise, perhaps to claim them. They still had little chance of reestablishing their society.

Meanwhile, Gaia and Autochthon watched from their world-bodies. Much of her attention had been directed outside of the universe until recently, and he had been completely absent. When they returned their focus to Creation, they noticed that the Terrestrials had done an admirable job of holding things together-but their bloodlines were fading fast. The dire situation didn’t dishearten the two free Primordials, though. Both saw it as an opportunity to fine tune the Terrestrial Exaltation.

That work began shortly after the first human civilizations reappeared. Gaia slowly charged Creation with her Essence, focusing on Earth in particular. Autochthon consulted with the Elemental Dragons and performed subtle but wide-ranging alterations to those mortals with Terrestrial bloodlines. These modifications were punctuated by arguments and disputes between the two about their nature. Gaia wanted to make the Terrestrials more fertile, all the better to spread across Creation. Meanwhile, Autochthon wished to make their animas less destructive and extend their lifespans. They took millennia to come up with a workable solution. When he finished his part of the project, Autochthon told Gaia, and the final phase began. She let the Essence she had stored in the interstellar ley lines flow freely.

At this time, Earth was in the middle of its Age of Discovery. European explorers had just discovered the American continents and peoples long separated were reuniting. Amidst the resulting turmoil, the first generation of Terrestrial Exalts appeared. Witch hunts inevitably came for them, and some died at the stake or from more obscure punishments. They were quite surprised when they returned to life years later. Some, particularly nobles or thaumaturges, went to ground in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia after their resurrections. The rest fled to the emerging colonies. Regardless of where they fled, they quickly learned how to handle their animas and subtly wield their Essence.

Some encountered other beings able to channel Essence. Most of them were other Terrestrials. Suspicion and personality clashes were inevitable, but the occultists among them quickly realized their mysterious powers worked more effectively when they cooperated. They began consulting with each other and using local secret societies as covers for their activities and meetings. Others met starry-eyed individuals who called themselves Sidereals. Most Terrestrial occultists were of two minds about them. They knew a good deal about elemental Essence, sorcery, and martial arts, all of which were useful. Their understanding of how the Terrestrials could give their children Exaltation was also vital. On the other hand, many Sidereals had a bizarre fixation on beings called (depending on the individual) Anathema or Solars. Eventually, most Terrestrials decided to maintain contact with these useful but eccentric figures and see what they offered. A handful of Terrestrials encountered odder creatures, such as silver-tattooed shapeshifters, free demons, and the fey. The most eccentric and isolated among them established arrangements with the equally eccentric Lunars. Most Terrestrials gave the demons and the fey a wide berth.

Their dealings with mundane society were much subtler than in the past. Outright rulership of the New World colonies didn’t appeal to many Terrestrials. While most violence couldn’t kill them, it could certainly hamper their plans, and their mortal friends weren’t immune to it. Some also remained devoted to monarch and country. Therefore, most Terrestrials favored gaining control of mercantile and bureaucratic interests rather than overt political and military conquest. Those with a gift for thaumaturgy infiltrated mortal occult and secret societies. Their effortless ability to channel Essence and wield sorcery quickly earned them respect. One society, the Freemasons, became of particular importance to many Terrestrials. Its lack of a unified structure, charitable interests, and thaumaturgic focus on artifice made it an appealing front. By the time of the Revolutionary War, Terrestrials headed most of its Grand Lodges and filled many positions in the upper ranks. They, and their families, would become known in the occult community as Cabalists.

Even those Terrestrials who weren’t Cabalists built considerable financial and political dynasties over the centuries. They simply designated their heirs as figureheads after their “deaths” and ran things from seclusion. Many of their relatives were also Terrestrials, and they viewed being an “heir” as an apprenticeship. Many more were what the occultists called “Aspected”: unable to use Terrestrial Charms, but able to conceal their animas and otherwise as tough as the Exalted. Their existence troubled the Sidereals, who knew that the Dragon-Blooded of the Second Age had never produced Half-Castes. The emerging Terrestrial clans had a more varied perspective. For every family that lumped its Aspected in with the mortals, there was at least one that treated them as actual Exalted. Nearly all clans agreed they were far less likely to attract mortal attention than “full” Terrestrials.

The American Revolution, and other colonial independence struggles, greatly divided Terrestrials and Aspected alike. Many Western Hemisphere clans supported the revolutionaries, for they were as affected by governmental excesses as mortals. Likewise, the Terrestrial families of Europe supported the governments they had often delicately influenced. Infighting was inevitable. Both sides shied from spectacularly obvious displays of Essence, though, and when many of the wars ended in liberation, the European Terrestrials cut their losses. They simply negotiated trading privileges with their American equivalents and played both sides in any ensuing conflicts. Only in the American Civil War did they fall firmly on the Union side, and then only because a Confederate thaumaturge had found a way to pacify Terrestrials. He was taken out of commission with covert Sidereal help.

The next decade was filled with polite but cutthroat power struggles among Terrestrial clans in the background. They shared Exaltation and elemental affinities, but not culture, and the non-European clans weren’t going to let their European equivalents dominate them without a fight. Unfortunately, the Terrestrial clans of Africa and Asia were even more fragmented than them. There was talk of some taking over their governments directly, as the mortal rulers were likely to fold to foreign pressure.

Then the heads of Terrestrial clans from different regions and of varying prominence began receiving mysterious messages in their dreams. When traced, they seemed to be coming from the moon. Separately, the clan heads asked who wanted to speak with them and requested more information. They all received the same answer: “I am an envoy from Autochthonia, and my assembly and I would like to discuss our worlds’ future with you.” Most of the elder Terrestrials knew who the Great Maker was. They each arranged to meet the envoy at the Redoubt of Tined Crystal, a Manse famed among all of Earth’s Terrestrials. If it was a prank, some reasoned, it would be a good one. If it was an assassination attempt, as others reasoned, their bodyguards would be there to protect them. Few considered that it might be real.

It was. Not only were many of the clan heads surprised to see each other, they found themselves faced with humanoids composed of the magical materials and whirring with clockwork Charms. The actual envoy was the orichalcum-plated Efficient Smith of Accords, and he introduced himself and his associates as Alchemical Exalted. The alien Exalted happily answered questions about Autochthon and their nature. When one of the elders asked to spar with their best fighter, they gladly did, and displayed their considerable technological advantages. Once the Terrestrials were confident that the Alchemicals genuinely meant them no harm, they sat down to negotiate.

By all accounts, the Terrestrials got an excellent deal. The clan heads refused to discuss the specifics of their agreement, and those who are alive today continue to do so. Even fewer individuals know the Autochthonian side of things. A few details were too obvious for anyone to hide. First, the Alchemicals gave the Terrestrials plans for magitech and other artifacts not produced on Earth for millennia. These included blueprints for what would become known as atelier-chapels, and the Alchemicals helped their new allies construct these wondrous facilities in remote regions. They also sent generous supplies of all six Magical Materials to the Terrestrial elders. Second, the elders agreed to forget their cultural differences (at least officially) and let the mortals of their nations decide what their wanted. They were free to manipulate and lobby as much as they wanted. Ultimately, though, they would have to let the mortals make the final decisions or face corrective measures.

The third part of the deal was also the least pleasant. For reasons only the Terrestrial clan heads who attended, their most trusted descendants, and the Alchemicals know, they turned on the Sidereals. The clan heads who agreed to the deal pressured their peers to join their crusade. Clan heads who refused to participate came under attack: usually social, but violent for the most dedicated dissenters. Alchemical involvement in this betrayal was apparently limited to identifying and tracking the Chosen of the Maidens and hiding Terrestrials from their divinations. The ensuing skirmishes still thinned Sidereal numbers to levels not seen since the Satries Incursion* of the early sixteenth century. They also decimated at least five small Terrestrial clans.

Emboldened at the ease of taking down surprised, exhausted, and frequently under-equipped younger Sidereals, the Terrestrial operatives got overconfident. They soon learned that the Sidereal elders could reshape reality with their martial arts. A dozen young Terrestrials got reshaped into footstools and topiaries before the elders called off the rest of them. They decided to shift tactics and hunt down what they now called “Insidious” before they could get that powerful. The loose fraternity called the Starbreaking formed to do so. Its membership would never exceed that of Freemasonry, but its zeal would more than make up for it.

The Alchemicals left the Terrestrials to their own devices, though they visited their allies frequently over the next few decades. Most took advantage of the imperialism of the ensuing era to acquire demesnes, amass fortunes, and develop connections with their foreign peers. Only when the Great Depression began did they begin to worry. Alien forces seemed to be targeting their economic and political interests. They didn’t seem to affect causality like Insidious manipulations did; the occultists and thaumaturges felt the entropic chill of death when they attempted to analyze affected individuals. Then, in the late 1930s, Europe’s Cabalists began fleeing to the Americas, claiming that the dead themselves were hunting them.

These were the Terrestrials’ first encounters with the Abyssal Exalted since the end of the Second Age. Many, galled by the Abyssals’ insolence, began hunting them in return. They died in droves. Most had no idea those they called Insidious were helping them against the avatars of Oblivion. The Lunar Exalted were far more open with their assistance than the Sidereals. Impressed by their ferocity and dedication against the Abyssal threat, several Terrestrials took them up on their offer to create a Fellowship of Moonsilver and Jade, which swore never to let the Abyssal Exalted wreak so much havoc on Creation again. Those Terrestrials might not have been so eager had they known about the Sidereal Silver Faction. Still, they managed to prevent the Abyssals from using the Second World War to build large-scale shadowlands on Earth.

In the ensuing Cold War period, Terrestrials engaged in warfare, diplomacy, and espionage on both sides. The elders still (mostly) maintained political neutrality among themselves, caring about the conflict only as much as it affected their holdings and plans. Their children and descendants were often much more politically involved. Some defied their elders’ dictates of neutrality and took sides. A few defected to enemy nations and their clans. Many Terrestrials were so enmeshed in politics that they barely noticed the Infernal incursion.

Those that did, including a few members of the Fellowship of Moonsilver and Jade and two or three Starbreaking operatives, immediately went to investigate the sightings. That particular group came upon a team of Sidereals about to engage several Infernals. Chaos ensued. The Sidereals came under attack from the Starbreakers, while the Fellowship members attempted to restrain their fellow Terrestrials. Meanwhile, the Infernals laughed and took advantage of the infighting, at least until the Fellowship Terrestrials succeeded in convincing the Starbreakers to turn on them. (Their ambushing and killing a mote-drained elder Sidereal was a major point in that favor.) Realizing they were now outnumbered, the Infernals retreated back to Malfeas. All sides took casualties and suffered deaths. While most of the surviving Terrestrials were distracted, the Sidereals retreated.

The incident caused one elder involved, the Earth Aspect Ofelia Flores, to consider her doubts about the true nature of the “Insidious.” She reasoned that beings with ill intent toward Creation would not have fought off the demonic invaders. While there had always been Terrestrials who had disagreed with official policy on the Sidereals, they usually kept quiet out of fear or lack of concern. Flores was too powerful to silence easily. Quietly, she began to search for others who were curious about the truth.

After the Cold War ended, the Terrestrials continued their usual activities, taking advantage of the resulting political fragmentation. Many warlike clans were not sure what to do and often engaged in aggressive, but still covert, schemes to maintain their nations’ armed forces. The diplomatically and economically-oriented clans adapted more easily to the atmosphere. All watched for Abyssal, Infernal, and Insidious influence as best they could. The burgeoning environmental movement served as a side activity for more idealistic Terrestrials. Wherever its recruiters were, so was the Society of Moonsilver and Jade, who found the movement compatible with its tenets. Meanwhile, the Starbreaking’s operatives held their ground against questions about the Insidious. The times remained tense, but there were no more alien incursions onto Earth.

The peace couldn’t last. Five years ago, people began glowing with the light of the sun and besting entire brotherhoods of Terrestrials. At least two or three of them were clan members. The elders remembered what the Insidious had told them about the Solars. When they asked their Alchemical liaisons, they confirmed it. Those Terrestrials involved with the Fellowship of Moonsilver and Jade questioned the Lunars. They suspected a connection between themselves and the new Exalts. Conclusive answers were and remain hard to find.

Thus, the Terrestrials have contented themselves with suppressing knowledge of the most spectacular Solar Exaltations, aiding Solars who cooperate with them, and discussing their possible purpose. The general consensus is that they were meant to assist against the Insidious. Dissenters suspect they might be their reinforcements. Many clans still have an interest in recruiting them. If they knew that their distant ancestors had died by the thousands to kill the Solar Exalted, and why, they might not be so eager. Hopefully the Solars of this Age will not give them reason for a second Usurpation.

*Satries is a confederation of planets with the dubious honor of being the biggest civilization on the border of the Wyld. In the early sixteenth century, around the time the Terrestrial Exalted reappeared, the first fey army since Oberon’s invasion charged into the Satries star system. It was massive enough, and had enough behemoths in it, to be a problem. The Lunars in charge of the Satries Confederation took exception. When fate planning revealed that the star system had countless Wyld zones suitable for forming freehold components, so did several Sidereal Exalted. The resulting conflict lasted a century and resulted in the deaths of thirteen Sidereals and five of Satries’ Lunars, but the system barely managed to remain stable.

Some Terrestrial factory cathedral workers also took advantage of the artifact’s capabilities. They purchased, claimed, or confiscated any copies they could after the Usurpation. For a time, Terrestrials and Sidereals were able to preserve the Solars’ wonders using robes of the master smith-technician. They had trouble preserving the factory-cathedrals, though, and as the Shogunate wore on, stocks of robes of the master smith-technician dwindled alongside the facilities that manufactured them.

Nowadays, robes of the master smith-technician are scattered throughout Creation and Yu Shan. Terrestrials and Lunars have found them in First Age bunkers deep in planets’ surfaces. The Celestial City’s deiphage-haunted subterranean passages also have hidden and forgotten vaults open to salvaging.

• Base is an exceptional chain shirt (+4L/2B, Mobility -0, Fatigue 0). As noted above, this item’s primary purpose is not combat, but the Solars of the First Age valued the best mortal artisans enough to provide them some protection.
  
• Integral Wonderworker’s Mantle (Class Ax2, Class Bx2): This item possesses all the powers of a Wonderworker’s Mantle.
• Keen Eyes, Fingers, and Mind (Class Bx3): +2 to Dexterity, Perception, and Intelligence.
• Magitech Savant (Class Ax2): +2 to Craft/Fire and Craft/Magitech.
• Optimized Essence Embroidery (Class C): This item is self-powered, costing only five motes to attune.
• Purity of the Sun (Class A): The wearer always counts as purified for work in a factory-cathedral, with no need to undergo the necessary cleansing and rituals.
• Tireless Artisan’s Dedication (Class A): Time spent crafting counts as sleep for the artifact’s wearer.

Power 8 (Class Ax6, Class Bx5, Class Cx1), Usefulness 4, Plot Impact 1, Script Immunity 1

Components: Ambrosia; small quantities of orichalcum, moonsilver, starmetal, and white, green, red, black, and blue Jade; and a factory-cathedral (-4)

Cost: 14 (-4 to create)/4=4

Thanks to its primarily non-combat function, a robe of the master smith-technician counts as only Rank 2 artifact armor. It caps damage from single attacks and flurries at five health levels and grants a level of Ox-Body Technique.

Once the Usurpation occurred, Shadow-Gliding Leaf fled to her Manse. She ran her territory as best she could until the Balorian Crusade. The raksha had no trouble taking the Contagion-ravaged land, but Thornhaven itself was more problematic. The resulting siege and battle was ferocious. Shadow-Gliding Leaf eventually forced herself to turn the Manse’s elemental attunement itself against the Fair Folk. If she couldn’t have it, no one would. Her fate after that is unknown.

Ever since then, Thornhaven has weathered the ages better than many other Manses. Its original location in the far Southwestern jungles concealed it from all but the most determined explorers. Most who did find it considered the elemental flux too much bother to handle, though they did note its location. The Oberonian Conquest failed to touch it. Its members were more interested in taking the Blessed Isle than the Threshold. As a result, Thornhaven wound up untouched and deep within Earth’s Amazon rain forest, where it has remained ever since. Heaven knows of its existence. So do several Wood Aspect Terrestrial clans. There are many more unclaimed Manses throughout Creation, though, and most of them are less overtly dangerous.

Hearthstone: Thornhaven’s Hearthstone is a gem of wood shaping. This brown oval, speckled with green bits, can shape up to (Manse’s rating) cubic yards of wood, living or dead, at once. It can’t break the wood (such as for making weapons) or destroy it. Beyond that limitation, though, the stone’s control over its element is supreme.

• Blessed by the Woodlands/Wood Dragon’s Nest (3): This Manse would make an ideal home for Wood Aspect Terrestrials. It is immune to their animas, reduces the cost of their elemental magic (as well as those of elementals and thaumaturges), and encourages the Exaltation of their children. Its Hearthroom is filled with thorns and deadly pollen. These phenomena are environmental hazards that inflict 3L per action and have Trauma 5. In its current damaged state, Thornhaven as a whole experiences the elemental flux.
• Eternal Plant/Self-Sustaining (2): If it suffers Power Failure, Thornhaven can stabilize itself to stave off explosion. It does so at a rate of one dot per minute (or one dot per hour if this power is damaged). Sadly, the Manse cannot repair itself.
• Fruit of All Creation/Provider (2, Favored): Many varieties of fruit adorn Thornhaven’s walls, including those no longer seen on Earth since the Reshaping. They can feed a Magnitude 4 unit-about four hundred people.
• Giant Bush/Living Manse (1): Even damaged, Thornhaven is a giant thorny bush. Its undamaged structure had shorter thorns, fruits, and flowers of many different varieties.
• Organic Laboratories/Master’s Workshop Manse (2): Thornhaven has chambers dedicated to Craft/Earth, Craft/Water, and Craft/Wood. These are not conventional workshops in the slightest. Everything is made of wood and plant material, and maintenance is as much a matter of watering and pruning as it is cleaning.
• Pollen Sweet and Toxic/Subtle Breath of Sextes Jylis (1, Favored): The Hearthstone bearer has complete control over the internal climate of the Manse. By default, Thornhaven is comfortable and dry in tropical conditions. This power is fairly easy to turn against attackers by manipulating environmental conditions.

Maintenance (-5): As a giant bush, Thornhaven must be meticulously pruned, weeded, and watered every day. Rain from the forest won’t do, either. The water must be purified, though thaumaturgy will suffice. Other than that, maintenance requires only gardening tools and two hours’ worth of work. Individuals other than the Hearthstone bearer need either Craft/Genesis 1 or Craft/Wood 3.

There were always Sidereals who paid special attention to the Lunar Exalted. Only three or four existed at a time. That didn’t stop them from monitoring the Lunar borderland colonies of the First Age. The Solars had given these territories to their mates after creating them with the Wyld-Shaping Technique. Within their borders, the Sidereals of the proto-Silver Faction saw many admirable qualities: versatility, independence, and endurance. They found these societies intriguing and often discussed them in private meetings and at parties.

When their peers decided to overthrow the Solars, these Sidereals realized that those who escaped the banquet at Meru might retreat to their mates’ territories. They couldn’t allow the Lunar holdings to burn in the Usurpation’s fires. Therefore, regardless of whether they supported the Vision of Gold or the Vision of Bronze, the proto-Silver Sidereals did whatever they could to prevent that. The three who supported the Usurpation ensured that most Solars could not escape and harried those who did. The dissenter concentrated on helping Lunars flee to the borderlands. Both sides tried to minimize damage to the Lunar holdings as much as possible. As a result of their work, the Threshold colonies weathered the Usurpation with only moderate damage. The Terrestrial Shogunate still hunted Lunars who dared to avenge their mates. It considered actually rooting the Lunars out of their territories too dangerous thanks to proto-Silver Sidereals’ covert assistance.

Sadly, the Contagion and the Balorian Crusade were immune to social engineering. The Lunars’ holdings and followers suffered as horribly from the Contagion as the rest of Creation. When the tides of raksha started flooding in, even the Exalted were hard-pressed to hold them back. The proto-Silver Sidereals risked their lives to aid the Lunars. At least one died doing so. That assistance might have given the Scarlet Empress enough time to figure out the Imperial Manse and drive back the raksha. Afterwards, the proto-Silver Sidereals were no less busy. Their Bronze Faction peers made deals with the Scarlet Empress and the Immaculate Order. Their Gold Faction equivalents were wooing sympathetic allies in Heaven. The proto-Silver Sidereals didn’t even consider themselves a faction. That didn’t stop them from negotiating with the saner Lunar elders. In return for assistance against the Wyld, they would provide information on the raksha and try to protect Lunars whose destinies bought them into civilization. These Sidereals were even somewhat successful on the second part. At least one newly-Exalted Lunar made it off the Blessed Isle thanks to their intervention.

The Oberonian Conquest that prompted Gaia’s Reshaping nearly exterminated the proto-Silver Sidereals as they fought at the Lunars’ sides. Still, the survivor, a Chosen of Endings named Laughing Brand, was fairly content. What was the Threshold had become the depths of space. The Lunar nations were safe on their own worlds. No other Exalted-not her rapidly-incarnating peers of other factions, not the all-but-extinct Terrestrials, not the dispersed Abyssals and mysterious Green Sun Princes-would trouble them again without going through a lot of trouble. The return of the long-extinct Solars didn’t even enter her mind. As far as Laughing Brand was concerned, the Lunars were free to work without outside interference for the first time in history. She did wish the Threshold had not become so massive. Unfortunately, she had more pressing concerns. Technically an Independent, the middle-aged Exalt threw herself back into the Bureau of Destiny’s far-flung work.

That didn’t mean Laughing Brand abandoned her ideals. She knew the Lunar Exalted had survived, and she still believed they could foster qualities Earth’s societies often lacked with Sidereal aid. The trouble was finding Lunars willing to reveal themselves. With the repair of the Mask, many of the Lunar elders remembered the Sidereals’ role in the Usurpation. They didn’t want to talk. Many of their subordinates felt the same way, and all kept as low a profile as they could. They also cut ties to nearly all their allies in the Bureau of Nature. Neither of these obstacles dissuaded Laughing Brand. Staying under the radar of the Gold Faction, and ignoring the Bronze remnant, she spent the rest of her life searching. Fortunately, while she was as hubristic as any Sidereal, she had enough sense to find and befriend colleagues sympathetic to her goals. A mortal could still count the proto-Silver Sidereals on one hand. They were all quite dedicated to finding the ever-elusive Lunars, though, and when Laughing Brand died, her colleagues continued her work.

Finally, after several millennia and the deaths of all the Second Age Lunar and Sidereal elders, a young proto-Silver Chosen of Journeys, Aditi of the Clouds, established contact with the equally inexperienced No Moon Warped Talon. Her philosophical sympathizers celebrated. Then she bought Warped Talon to Yu Shan. It was official Celestial business (Amoth City-Smiter, God of Ruins, was looking for Lunars as well), but a trio of other Sidereals learned of his presence. Luckily for Aditi, they were Independents seeking allies for interstellar missions. She was no fool about how Yu Shan politics worked. The young Chosen of Journeys persuaded Warped Talon to share the locations of some of his allies and convinced the Sidereals asking questions to support her cause. None of the involved parties realized what this meant until much later. The proto-Silver Sidereals’ numbers could no longer fit on one hand. They were on their way to becoming an actual faction.

There was still much work to do before that. Most of the Silver Faction Sidereals maintained apparent Independent status. The last thing they wanted was to be forced to the margins of Celestial society like their Bronze Faction colleagues. To prevent that, the Silver Faction concentrated on building slow but solid support. Its members worked in secret to gather divine allies. Acting as middlemen between the Bureau of Nature and the Lunars, they rebuilt the lost Celestial connections. They watched newly-Exalted Sidereals for an interest in other Celestial Exalted and recruited particularly receptive members. When the Terrestrials returned to Earth, they avoided direct interaction in favor of telling the Lunars. Of course, they also continued sharing intelligence with their allies.

That was how the Silver Faction was the first to learn of the Alchemical invasion. The ships that came out of his body attacked the Lunars’ extraterrestrial territories first. Its Sidereals provided what assistance they could between their Celestial tasks, but they did so at a highly inopportune time. Many of them were out in space when the incursions on Earth began. Their peers badly needed their assistance. Feeling suspicious, the Gold Faction wondered if those few Sidereals were hiding something.

For its part, the Silver Faction was as blindsided by the Alchemical attacks as everyone else. The Terrestrials’ sudden alignment with the Alchemicals was nearly as surprising. Still, its members knew they had to act or risk auditing or worse. During that year’s Calibration festivities, the Silver Faction leaders secretly met with their Lunar equivalents. Their discussion was as heated as the Gold Faction’s Council of Elders meeting. When it ended, the elders had devised a risky plan. They would reveal their Lunar alliances to the Gold Faction. More arguing ensued at that meeting.

Luckily for the Silver Faction Sidereals, the realities of the invasion overcame pride. The Gold Faction elders demanded some concessions. Any Lunar Celestial officials would be monitored. They also put the Silver Faction in charge of finding a solution to the Terrestrials’ sudden shift in loyalties. In return, those Sidereals who were in the Threshold during the Alchemical attacks got cleared of all suspicions. The Lunars also got to demand concessions: reforms in the treatment of the Celestial City’s mortals and promises that the Sidereals would not harm them in Heaven. Rumors were inevitable after the agreements became public. The Silver Faction used the political upheaval as cover for recruitment.

Having become a proper faction at last, the Silver Faction uneasily stood beside its political opponents. It helped fight off the Alchemical invasion. Afterwards, its members continued what they had done for millennia: assisting the Lunars. The new operatives made that task easier. Thanks to not having to stretch its membership quite so far, the Silver Faction was able to field teams on Earth and in space during World War II. The combined efforts of its Sidereals and their Lunar allies kept at least one Deathlord’s forces from providing reinforcements. It returned to space afterwards. Leaving the Cold War to the Bronze and Gold Factions, its members concentrated on preparing the Lunar nations for possible extraterrestrial encounters. They, and their Lunar allies, did return to Earth during the Infernal incursion. Other than that, the Silver Faction stuck to space.

At present, the Silver Faction’s position in Yu Shan remains uncertain. The Gold Faction still doesn’t entirely trust its operatives. The Bronze Faction worries that its operatives are spying on the reclaimed territories and Project Stanewald. Meanwhile, the Silver Faction Sidereals would prefer to stay out of the other factions’ politics altogether. The return of the Solars is another concern. Some Lunar elders have become interested in them for no apparent reason. At least one Silver Faction member’s plans have experienced complications from this phenomenon. Finally, the emergence of the Nocturnal Exalted has this faction’s Sidereals as confused as everyone else. They see similarities between them and the Lunars. Yet the differences are confusing. For now, the faction as a whole is taking a wait-and-see approach.

The Willingness to Cooperate

In Yu Shan, the Silver Faction is notable (notorious in some quarters) for its willingness to work with all of Creation’s native Exalted. It still concentrates on its original Lunar allies. If a Solar or a Terrestrial appears promising, though, the faction’s operatives won’t hesitate to provide covert assistance. This stance occasionally causes friction with the rest of the Fivescore Fellowship. It’s also led to breakthroughs in recent centuries.

The Silver Faction has neither the prominence of the Gold nor the notoriety of the Bronze. Most natives of Yu Shan assume that the Moon and Maidens Accords and the addition of Lunar Celestial officials to the Celestial Bureaucracy were edicts from the bureau heads or the Incarnae. Many still treat the Silver Faction as a social club. These misconceptions suit its Sidereals just fine. They can perform factional operations without getting as embroiled in Heavenly politics as their Gold equivalents. Since their leaders were careful in revealing the extent of their influence to the Gold, they also don’t work under the obstacles their Bronze colleagues face. Silver Faction Sidereals still can’t escape the pull of their peers’ rivalry. One or two monitor the Gold Faction’s efforts to recruit Solars. They want to ensure that encounters with their mates are peaceful and that the Solars are permitted their independence. Another two or three want to stop the Bronze Faction’s suspected plans to flee Yu Shan. They either feel sorry for the Bronzers or think it’s a bad idea for the deiphage control people to leave. Most just try to stay out the mess altogether.

The Silver Faction’s greatest Earth-based success has been the Fellowship of Moonsilver and Jade. Ostensibly a secret society for Terrestrial environmental activists, the organization is a joint Lunar-Silver Faction front. Its members lobby for better industrial standards and wildlife preservation and encourage self-reliance. They also join the Lunar Exalted in their never-ending skirmishes against the Fair Folk. Many senior Terrestrial members suspect some of their instructors are the dreaded Insidious (the contemporary Terrestrial term for Sidereals). Since the Insidious teach them the Five Dragon Paths that resonate with their elemental aspects, though, many are willing to keep quiet. A few are even beginning to wonder if the Insidious are so bad. Thus, in its own subtle way, the Silver Faction provides a cover to hide Celestial operations on Earth and a way to alter Terrestrials’ opinions about the Sidereals. The Fellowship of Moonsilver and Jade might have also affected the Terrestrials’ reactions to Solar Exaltations. Far from panicking, a minority have decided to take in the newly emerging Exalts. This is as the Silver Faction wants; a Creation with all its heroes working together is easier to defend.

Still, the faction has experienced the most success cooperating with the Lunar Exalted. Silver Faction Sidereals serve as advisors, intelligence analysts, and consultants for Threshold nations. In many ways, this is no different than what they have done for centuries. The main difference is that contemporary aid is much more open than in previous eras. While few Silver Faction Sidereals would openly say they are Sidereals or use their salaries to boost Lunar nations, they will happily take on identities as minor officials. They also don’t hesitate to provide sorcerous or Charm-based support. Few Lunars refuse. Indeed, a growing group of modern Lunars consider the Silver Sidereals atoners. Their willingness to trust the Chosen of the Maidens has bolstered Creation’s defenses against the Wyld and eased conflicts between their nations. This is what the Silver Faction wants. It just hopes that the tides of fey do not increase. Like all the factions, it has too few people and too much Creation to cover.

Silver Faction Castes

In addition to their Bureaucracy-mandated duties . . .

• Chosen of Journeys watch over the transport networks of Threshold planets and interstellar states, chauffeur Lunar Celestial officials between home and work, and coordinate factional communications. Even for Sidereals, their abilities are valued. The factional elders often give them more leeway than members of the other castes.
• Chosen of Serenity who work for the Silver Faction are its frontmen and spokeswomen in Heaven. They also soothe the nerves of Lunars working as Celestial officials, ensure the health of Threshold worlds and nations, and construct artifacts used against the Fair Folk. Thanks to their background social operations, their faction’s revelation went smoothly and with less tension than it might have otherwise.
• Silver Faction Chosen of Battles monitor the edges of the universe, where the Fair Folk harry the fortress-outposts of the Lunars. They usually play consultant roles, advising Threshold governments on defense policy and providing “lost caches” of anti-Wyld weapons. When all else fails, they’re not afraid of fighting as adjuncts to their allies’ command staff.
• The Chosen of Secrets gather information on the Wyld, assist Lunar leaders with intelligence and counterintelligence efforts, and protect factional secrets. Their activities kept the existence of an organized Silver Faction secret for several millennia. Nowadays, some engage in friendly competitions with No Moon Lunars to see who can hide information more effectively.
• The Chosen of Endings focus more on Earth than their colleagues do. They supervise the Fellowship of Moonsilver and Jade’s martial arts training program, fight Fair Folk incursions from Wyld pockets, and ensure that the Celestial Bureaucracy does not turn on Silver Faction interests. Off planet, these Sidereals have a special interest in protecting their allies’ nations from the Deathlords.

Silver Faction Characters

• Silver Faction Sidereals have a reputation for openness (though many are playfully circumspect at times). Many of their colleagues take this as a desire for acceptance. In reality, it comes from these Sidereals wanting to be honest with their allies. Lunars can often outfight them. There’s also the matter of the Usurpation, which some Lunars still remember. Silver Faction operatives can and have become Heart’s Blood fodder when someone thought they were being dishonest.
• Of all the factions, the Silver Faction has the most liberal attitudes toward marriage. It doesn’t care how Sidereal members handle their families as long as they have children. Some Silver Faction Sidereals have multiple spouses. Others don’t marry at all. Most still take only one spouse.
• Silver Faction mortal, God-Blooded, and Half-Caste agents are no better or worse equipped than most un-Exalted agents. They do tend to be somewhat esoteric. Silver Faction Sidereals have accepted the services of beastmen, hired Lunar Half-Castes, and even converted Fair Folk to gods (though they don’t talk about that last one).
• Silver Faction Sidereals are the standard when it comes to acquiring Backgrounds. Their average Salary rating is 2, and most younger operatives don’t have Arsenal, Backing, Celestial Manse, or Salary higher than 3. They do have an easier time getting Connections/Lunar Exalted than their peers. Nearly all Silver Faction Sidereals will have at least one dot in that Background.