Abyssals

Sobriquets: Deathknights Dark Lawgivers

Number: 100+

The cult heroes and champions of the Underworld. Solars cast down by the knives of the Usurpation. Heralds, champions, poets, philosophers and lovers of death, the dark Lawgivers have been raised by the Deathlords, so that they might venture forth into Creation and conquer what is theirs by Deathright.

Now they have risen from the abyss, where they heard the Whispers of the Neverborn and gained insight into occult mysteries and ancient secrets of the grave. But only through a taxonomy of death’s strange and alien laws may Creation enlighten enough to be worthy of what life it has left.

Abyssal Charms

Abyssal Charms build toward apex Charms that reflect the Deathlords. Some Deathlord influence even extends to base and body Charms.

Why continue to base them on Solars?

The dark Solar concept captivated the imagination of the audience from day one. The thematic weight the Abyssals get from being deathly Solars impels them toward being the setting’s most iconic villains and anti-heroes. Something about the idea of the hero’s dark half that is uncanny, almost ineffable…and the inverted Solar castes are just too amazing to throw away.

However, many would agree that the Abyssal’s mechanical design has been troubled since day one. What Abyssals are has sadly fallen short of the promise of what Abyssals might be. Through second edition in particular, they felt superfluous due to sharing too many Charms with the Solars, or downright inferior due to the limitations of their Charms. The overbearing Resonance mechanic and monofocused Charm set didn’t help either; these elements pigeonholed Abyssals into being one kind of character (a raving murderer) expressed in all 25 abilities, and then stepped in and overruled the character for being anything else. This attempt to differentiate Abyssals from Solars only led to the Abyssals falling in the estimation of the audience. Further, it led many to believe it would be better to just erase the connection between Solars and Abyssals and start over.

However, I want to follow the intentions that went behind the making of the Abyssals and fully realize those intentions, making good on the unspoken promise of long ago. I want to give the players their dark Solars: glorious and deathly champions rocking Solar arete and wielding all the powers of the grave.

To do that, I need to preserve continuity between Abyssal and Solar Charms. Ergo, the Abyssals are built on a base of Charms identical to many in the Solar set. This establishes them as Solars. The harder part has always been establishing them as something else.The solution involved looking at the Solar Charm set and comparing it to the Abyssal Charm set. Rather than just looking at any one Charm mechanic or flawed Mirror, the investigation required that I look at the whole design. I then realized that the expectation that Abyssals would be a good idea because the Solars were a good idea was flawed. This is because of how the Charms in the Solar trees apex, and moreover, what the entire Solar set is depicting.

The Solar Charm set is a depiction of the Unconquered Sun. Solars do not use his Charms, but the epic heroism the Charms describe are a metaphor for the Sun in all his greatness.

The Solars are likened to the avatars of his might and glory. The Charm set expresses clues about the greatest, most powerful god in the setting. By advancing through this Charm set, the players have the experience of claiming some part of the Unconquered Sun’s might and legend for themselves, making his power their own. This is the essential truth of Exalted, especially the Solar Exalted. What does it feel like to be awarded a sliver of the Unconquered Sun’s power, which then grows and enables your own epic greatness? It feels exactly like moving through the Solar Charm set.

But this did not work for the Abyssals, because they do not pursue the same paths of arete that Solars do. Essentially, by imbuing them with death, the original writing substituted the real, valid experience of the Solar Charm set and its exploration of the mystery of the character of the Unconquered Sun, with a far more mysterious, inexpressible exploration of death that ultimately left Abyssals without an icon to approach, or a summit to climb. Without a source to make them equal to an Exalt who was approaching an Unconquered Sun-like state, the Abyssals languished. When they were pushed in spite of this, and Oblivion was made ascendant over all, the implications were dire. In a game where myth and legend supersede the inevitability of death, players rejected the heavy-handed injection of Oblivion as a major player, to the reduction of the Unconquered Sun, the Incarnae, their Chosen, et al.

In EX3, the Charms of the Abyssals apex with the Deathlords. The “ultimate apex of death” and “Oblivion” were not equal in the design to Solars and the Unconquered Sun. Nobody believed it. But everyone can believe in the Deathlords.

Making the Deathlords New

If Solars are Sun incarnate, the Deathlords are death incarnate, aspects and avatars of death driven by their once-connection to the Most High, endowed by the Neverborn with new purpose. And while no single Deathlord could stand equal to the Unconquered Sun, what about all thirteen of them? The Deathlords collectively provide a much more appealing trajectory for the Abyssals to follow, essentially forming a body of gothic horror iconicism.

this required reworking the Deathlords to be more interesting, inviting, exciting characters without overwhelming the Abyssals with their very presence.

Similarly, the Deathlord/Abyssal relationship changed to master/apprentice, rather than master/ slave. The Deathlords have created the Abyssals in their own image. As fallen Solars, these superghosts have quite a bit to say on the subject of building Realms… and watching them die.

Abyssals can be allies of the Deathlords, or solo acts who turn their back on the offers of tutelage, lands and titles in the Underworld, and of artifacts of legendary power. They can even be renegades, fighting against the goals of the Deathlords or even the ancient dreaming Neverborn.

Notes: The Bishop of the Chalcedo ny Thurible

His cult follows a doctrine of escape from the cycle, the idea of letting go to escape the suffering of existence. His cults lie to people, tricking them into leaping into Oblivion.

He is a vile, perverse creature who hates the condition of his own existence. He flays himself but he cannot die. He tortures himself but cannot lessen the wicked blasphemy of what he is. Once, he tried to use martial arts to temper himself and repress his monstrosity, but it didn’t work and it made the obscenity he finds intolerable that much worse. Yet he believes none can reach the spiritual perfection only he can embody, so they can only hope to aspire to join with him. Once he has eaten all of their souls, he will become a vessel, carrying them all into Oblivion. It is this vanity—that he is their savior— that keeps him from just leaping into Oblivion himself.

The Charms he lends to the Abyssals might include:

• dark evangelism

• infecting people’s Intimacies and Virtues

• cultforming Leadership actions

• magically binding suicide pacts

• brainwashing torture

• blood-drinking/soul-eating/cannibalism.

Charm Paradigm of the Abyssal Exalted

Months ago, I posted an example of an Abyssal Charm cascade based on the First and Forsaken Lion, demonstrating the way Solar-based Charms intertwine with all new Deathlordbased apexes to make the EX3 Abyssal Charm set:

Ghost Armor Prana

a wraith of smoke and iron forms into a suit of haunted armor. This can form over mundane armor, subsuming it. It can also possess mystical armor, so long it is made of soulsteel or is deathly in nature. Armor provides defensive bonus and fanged faces in the armor can attempt to disarm weapons that strike the armor or damage unarmed attackers.

→ Shadow Torment Chains

The deathknight’s anima flares into multiple bands of pyreflame, resolving into phantom chains that orbit the Abyssal and react to her commands. Chains increase attack range and allow for several actions at range, such as grappling, lifting, pulling, and retrieving fallen weaponry.

→ Dark Headsman’s Guillotine

Death’s champion summons a soulsteel guillotine to behead a victim caught in his Shadow Torment Chains.

→ Iron Maiden’s Kiss

The deathknight wrenches his chains of torment, ripping two halves of a terrible suit of armor across the Shroud. This wicked, phantasmal armor is lined with heavy spikes, and attempts to slam shut around a victim. The grisly armored corpses created by this Charm can be knighted by the Abyssal and welcomed into battle at her side.

Howling Armor Horror (Upgrades Ghost Armor Prana):

The armor’s faces bubble and emerge, howling and glowing with ghostflame, increasing the power of her Threaten actions. Armor whispers warnings to the deathknight, reducing the effectiveness of surprise attacks. A 2xp upgrade allows her armor’s howl to unseat earthly forces and send cracks through the Shroud. When she is in or near shadowlands or places of death, her armor’s howling causes earthquakes that terrify wildlife, send military units into rout, and cause movement penalties to her opponents.

→ Ravenous Blood Mist:

When the Abyssal is injured, her Ghost Armor exults, feeding on her pain and drinking her blood. With a single violent thought, the Abyssal can expel her blood in a fine mist from the faces in her haunted armor. Doing this when uninjured costs her lethal health levels. Her blood is full of razors, attacking on its own turn.

For 2xp, death’s Lawgiver may purchase an upgrade; when her attack falls on the same instant as her blood mist, she may pay 2 motes to enhance her attack with a blood razor burst. Doing so cancels her blood mist effect.

“succubus arts” inspired by the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears:

Addictive Kiss: The Exalt creates an Intimacy on her target

through intimate contact. The victim forms an addiction

that forces him to maintain the Intimacy. Lowers the target’s

Resolve against the Abyssal or her spectral agents by 1, increasing

by 1 every time (victim’s Willpower) days pass without

him making contact with the deathknight. This cannot

reduce his Resolve by more than -3.

Possessive Heart Vigil: The Abyssal can block intimacies

which contradict the one created by Addictive Kiss.

Soul-Feeding Fascination: The Lover’s apprentice can

drain her victims through sexual intercourse. The deathknight

may choose a resource to sap from her victim: draining

willpower also prevents the target from using willpower at his

next Decision Point; sapping health boxes temporarily adds to

the Abyssal’s health track, while reducing her victim’s—victim

also suffers a penalty on rolls to resist illness or derangement.

The Abyssal can also tap her target’s motes, temporarily

lowering their permanent Essence by 1.

Breath of Possession: The Exalt breathes Essence into a

lover she has eaten with Soul-Feeding Fascination, placing

(Essence) social triggers into her victim. Triggers make the

victim behave in a predefined way, when encountered. The

first time in a scene this happens, the Abyssal may ride her

victim’s senses for the rest of the scene.

Frozen Watchfire Embrace: Sometimes the Lover’s apprentice

has nothing but time on her hands. Other times, she

is simply tired of playing with her toys. This Charm allows

the Abyssal to conjure lascivious specters from the echoes of

the void, to set upon a paramour she has inflicted with Soul-

Feeding Fascination. These wraiths will attempt to ravish her

target while taking the form of the Abyssal or past acquaintances

of the target, sapping the victim as per the rules of

Soul-Feeding Fascination.

Carnal Shadow Resurrection: When the Exalt has completely

drained a target’s health by use of Soul-Feeding Fascination,

she can trigger this Charm to turn her victim into a

creature of darkness that must pursue sexual gratification in

order to survive.

Lover’s Sigh: The Abyssal can make a long-distance seduction

roll against a target she has infected with Addictive

Kiss. If successful, her target can intuit her location and will

pursue her.

Heart Enslaving Whispers: The Lover’s apprentice can

use Lover’s Sigh to cast a wide net over an area. Instead of

targeting a paramour, however, this Charm targets any suitable

character, dictated by the Abyssal’s needs. This can include

animals.

Irresistible Seduction Style: The Abyssal may attempt seduction

without an Intimacy; she is treated as if the target has

an Intimacy one level greater than he actually does.

Incorruptible Beauty: The Exalt is pristine even when

covered in webs and corpse mold. The Exalt can suffer no

Appearance penalties that are not the result of Charms or

magic that directly affect her Appearance.

Elegant Corpse Conciliation: The Abyssal’s appearance

may be marred by grave dirt and fresh blood, but so long as

she is applying Charisma or Appearance to charm her subjects,

such details cannot negatively impact her present interaction.

Black Rose Blooming: The Lover’s apprentice may temporarily

increase her Appearance by 1, even if this increases

her rating past 5. However, doing so causes lustful phantoms

to coalesce in the nearest darkness surrounding her premises

and attempt to gain entrance.

• Maiden of the Mirthless Smile, Master Strategist -
• Fallen Wolf of the Cutting Sea, Exile of Skullstone -
• Lady of Darkness in Bloodstained Robes, High Priestess - a mad whore who preaches sadistic sermons
• Seven-Degreed Physician of Black Maladies, Necrotech Artificer -
• Disciple of the Seven Forbidden Wisdoms, Cold-Blooded Killer -
• Typhon, The Wink of the Storm’s Eye, Ambassador to the Confederation of Rivers -
• Falling Tears Poet, The Unrequited Lover -
• Apostate in Tatters, The Mad Preacher - Mask of Winters first created Abyssal; considered a failure
• Crumbling Pillar - The chief warrior of the Mask of Winters
• Son of Crows -
• Shards of Basalt - Suffering a split-personality
• Shoat of the Mire - a girl of less than 10 years old; the Dowager's only Deathknight
• White Bone Sinner -
• Martyr to the Last Rest - the chief emissary of The Lover to the Tear Eater tribes.
• Melkin, Fool in Red - The Lover's most beloved servant
• Prince of Shadows, Consort-Champion - disguised as mortal savant in Kirighast, seducing Solars to serve The Lover
• Exquisite Pain -
• Meticulous Owl, Endless-Faced Spite - the Foresaken Lion's Left Hand
• Walking on Laughter - leader of First and Foresaken Lion's Legion Sanguinary despite his inexperience.
• Shatterer of the Way - the only Moonshadow to serve the First and Foresaken Lion;
• Chorus at Midnight -
• Scar of Uproar -
• Red Famine -
• Knight of Ghosts and Shadows - a refugee of The Lover, his fealty sworn to The Bodhisattva
• Ebon Siaka, Hammer of Skullstone - Admiral of the Bodhisattva's Black Fleet;
• Celebrant of Blood -
• Harbinger of the Ghost-Cold Wind, White Walker of the North -
• Weeping Raiton Cast Aside, Enigmatic Arbiter of Underworld Disputes - An Abyssal who works for no Deathlord; seemingly a direct voice of the Neverborn themselves!