The Ink Monkeys Collected Exalted material from

Michael A. Goodwin, John Mørke and Holden Shearer

Compilation and layout by Plague of Hats

Visit http://www.white-wolf.com/exalted/ for more Exalted

and http://forums.white-wolf.com/cs/blogs/ for more Ink Monkeys

This is a fan compilation of freely available material. It is not associated with White Wolf Studios in any official way.

1
 Introduction
Welcome to a Fan Compilation Native: Powers like the Eclipse, Moonshadow and Fiend
This is a fan compilation of official material for Exalted. This anima do not allow acquisition of Native Charms. Only natural
material is freely available on the weberbutts and you should wielders can learn Native charms. Exalted Charms and hero-
not have paid any money for it. It’s just out there thanks to the style expansions are natural to the appropriate type of Chosen.
generosity of White Wolf and the authors. Spirit Charms are natural to gods, elementals, demons and
I didn’t do anything particularly cool when I made this PDF. akuma. Arcanoi are natural to ghosts. Raksha Charms are nat-
Copy-and-paste and search-and-replace formatting, mostly. I ural to Fair Folk. Primordial Charms are natural to Primordi-
made the templates for this stuff long before the Ink Monkeys als, Green Sun Princes and Exalted akuma. The God-Blooded
ever existed. If you want to tell them how cool they are, be sure children of natural wielders cannot learn their parents’ Native
to visit http://forums.white-wolf.com/cs/blogs/. Charms. Martial Arts Charms that are not Hero Style expan-
—Plague of Hats sions cannot have the Native keyword.
Rage: Charms with this keyword impose a state of enchanted
New Keywords fury duplicating all effects of the Charm Retribution Will Fol-
Form-Enhancing: These Permanent Charms add additional low (i.e. berserk rampage, immunity to pain, mental defense
powers to a Form-type Charm they build upon. Unless stated and Limit reduction). Inducing Rage is a form of unnatural
otherwise, each Form-Enhancing Charm adds one mote to the mental influence with the Compulsion and Emotion keywords.
cost of activating the appropriate Form. The surcharge only ap- Characters attacked with a Rage effect instantly succumb to the
plies once per Charm, regardless of how many times the Infer- berserk fury unless they pay one Willpower to remain calm.
nal purchased that Charm. Exceptions to these rules note their Victims in the grip of Rage cannot abort their rampage by
surcharge in parentheses beside the keyword. Once-learned, a spending Willpower to calm down, but their madness does
Form-Enhancing Charm always improves all activations of its make them invalid targets for all other Rage effects for as long
Form by forcing the surcharge. This is not optional. as it lasts. Characters who pay Willpower to resist Rage also
Monstrous: This keyword serves as a referent tag on some become immune to all Rage effects for one day. Since victims
Infernal Monster Style Charms and Primordial Charms that of Rage aren’t valid targets for other Rage effects, they can’t
inflict fear through unnatural mental influence. Whenever a abort their madness by deliberately exposing themselves to
victim pays one or more Willpower points to resist a Monstrous other Rage magic for a new chance to resist. Retribution Will
effect, she deducts this total from the number of Willpower Follow retroactively gains the Rage keyword. In the spirit of
points required to resist any Monstrous effect within the next this keyword, that Charm also adds the line “The martial artist
day. Discounts from separate resistance expenditures stack, can’t voluntarily terminate or reactivate this Charm before its
resetting the clock to 25 hours whenever Willpower is spent. Duration.”
Only after the character has gone a full day without spending Reactor: No combination of effects including any Charm
Willpower to resist a Monstrous effect does the discount drop carrying this Keyword may cause the character to gain more
back to zero. Even if resistance costs no Willpower, the victim than 20 motes during the course of a single action. Stunt re-
can only resist when the Charm permits Willpower to be spent wards explicitly do not count toward this limit.
resisting it. The total number of “windows of opportunity” in
which resistance is possible does not increase. All Monstrous
Charms also have the Emotion keyword.

2 Introduction
 Chapter One

Solars
Zenith Caste Night Caste
Presence Athletics
Listener-Swaying Argument Glorious Temple Body
Cost: 5m; Mins: Presence 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Cost: —; Mins: Athletics 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion, Social Keywords: Mirror (Superior Weapon Body)
Duration: One scene Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Any Presence Excellency Prerequisite Charms: Increasing Strength Exercise, Monkey
Locked in debate, the Solar’s words fall so sweetly upon the Leap Technique, Lightning Speed
ears of listeners that those of her opponent become harsh and The power of her Essence speaks through the medium of her
discordant in comparison; such tonal inflections render the body as the Lawgiver’s majesty is made manifest in her every
content of the conversation irrelevant. While this Charm is motion. This Charm confers the following permanent benefits,
active, third-party observers to any debate the Solar engages none of which are considered to be dice added by a Charm:
in believe the Lawgiver to have decisively won the argument, • The character adds (Essence) to her Strength + Athletics
regardless of the merit of her words (or lack thereof). Where total for the purpose of feats of strength.
possible, this is achieved by subtle introduction of bias. The • The character adds (Essence) in yards to her base move-
observer glosses over the Solar’s flaws and strictly judges his op- ment and dash distances.
ponent’s words and delivery. Against more rational opponents • The character adds (Essence) in yards to the distance she
or those using objective criteria, Listener-Swaying Argument may jump vertically, and (Essence x 2) to the distance she may
induces outright hallucinations—whatever is necessary for the jump horizontally.
witness to believe in the Solar’s victory. New Abyssal Charm: Superior Weapon Body (Prerequisites:
The unnatural mental influence imposed by Listener- Corpse-Might Surge, Shadow Races the Light, Spider Pounce
Swaying Argument affects all observers with a Dodge MDV Technique). The Abyssal Mirror to Glorious Temple Body is
lower than the Solar’s ([higher of Charisma or Appearance] identical to its Solar counterpart.
+ Essence), and costs 2wp to resist at the time of activation.
Characters can also correct memories clouded by this Charm, Awareness
but only with external prompting to remember the debate or a
personally compelling reason approved by the Storyteller. The Panoptic Fusion Discipline
victim must pay three Willpower to fix each scene of damaged Cost: 4m; Mins: Awareness 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
memory. Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One scene
Resistance Prerequisite Charms: Any Awareness Excellency
The Solar’s supernal senses expand and his mind speeds up
Invincible Essence Reinforcement to process a thousand myriad details in a split second. Oppo-
Cost: —; Mins: Resistance 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent nents attempting to strike a Lawgiver using this Charm appear
Keywords: Stackable to be moving in slow motion. All of the character’s attacks are
Duration: Permanent enhanced as though he had just spent three ticks accumulat-
Prerequisite Charms: None ing dice with an Aim action (as a result, the character may not
Undertaking a grueling regimen of endurance training, the normally benefit from a true Aim action while this Charm is ac-
Solar folds Essence into his body until his skin becomes hard tive), and his DVs are raised by 1 against all physical attacks of
enough to turn aside blades. The Lawgiver’s natural lethal and which he is aware. None of these bonuses count as dice added
bashing soak calculations become (Stamina + 3). This Charm by a Charm.
may be purchased up to a total of (Resistance) times; each pur- With Essence 3+, each tick the lawgiver spends Aiming
chase after the first adds 3 to the character’s natural lethal and while Panoptic Fusion Method is active converts one die pro-
bashing soak. vided by this Charm into an automatic success; his opponents
With Essence 4+, the Solar also gains natural lethal and seem to slow even more, until their anticipated actions are out-
bashing hardness equal to the number of times he has pur- lined in golden contrails before the eyes of the Lawgiver.
chased this Charm.

Chapter One • Solars 3

 Dodge Solar must leave a Magnitude 3+ social unit that he has helped
in the past day, and must do so by making a dramatic exit on
Reed in the Wind his mount, blazing his unforgettable image into their minds as
Cost: —; Mins: Dodge 2, Essence 2; Type: Permanent he departs. Examples of a dramatic exit include riding off into
Keywords: None the sunset, pausing to cut an iconic figure on the horizon, rear-
Duration: Permanent ing one’s steed so it can churn the air before galloping away, or
Prerequisite Charms: None departing at the height of a raging thunderstorm.
The Solar Exalted understand the humble wisdom of the This help must be intrinsically heroic and known to all mem-
reed and the willow. The greater the force directed against bers of the social unit, the sort of deeds that draw Solar Es-
them, the more nimble they become to avoid harm. Whenever sences to Exalt mortals. Examples include driving off a ruthless
the Lawgiver uses his Dodge DV to avoid a physical attack, he band of brigands, killing a monster, curing a plague, feeding the
adds a bonus equal to half the attacker’s Essence, rounded up. hungry in a time of famine, improving the local infrastructure,
This bonus counts as dice added by a Charm. healing the lame, etc. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of what
constitutes acceptable help. Barring something unusually awe-
Lightspeed Body Dynamics inspiring, such help must have taken at least one full scene to
Cost: —; Mins: Dodge 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent provide.
Keywords: Native, Reactor If the Solar ends a story with such a departure, he loses a
Duration: Permanent point of Limit, and all members of the community gain a posi-
Prerequisite Charms: Shadow Over Water tive Intimacy toward the Solar with an emotional context de-
The body and soul of the Solar Exalted are as one, tran- fined by the Lawgiver (generally respect, love, gratitude or rev-
scending all limits in emulation of the light from which they erence). Resisting this unnatural Emotion effect costs (Solar’s
were born. A Lawgiver who has purchased this Charm has Essence, max 5) Willpower. Similarly, the unit’s leader must
perfected his body at the motonic level through a mastery of spend (Solar’s Essence, max 5) Loyalty or the Intimacy becomes
Dodge techniques, allowing him to accrue ambient motes as part of the unit’s Policy. For example, if the Solar saves a small
a matter of course. Whenever the Solar successfully avoids an town from hobgoblins and chooses an Intimacy of gratitude, all
attack by applying his Dodge DV, he gains (attacker’s Essence citizens feel thankful to him and incorporate that appreciation
÷ 2, round up) motes in step 10. This Charm is subject to the into their local culture. As a result, the people as a whole won’t
following limitations: betray the Solar when the Wyld Hunt comes looking and only
• The attack must be made with intent to injure the Lawgiv- the most determinedly ungrateful individuals can bring them-
er, and must also be capable of harming him. For example, this selves to such heinous treachery.
Charm would offer no benefit if the character were attacked
with a firewand while carrying a hearthstone which rendered
him immune to fire.
• The Charm offers no benefit if the Solar defends himself
with a Charm carrying a Flaw of Invulnerability.
• Lightspeed Body Dynamics is incompatible with any other
Charm which grants the character motes of Essence.

Eclipse Caste
Ride
Hero Rides Away
Cost: —; Mins: Ride 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Emotion
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Master Horseman’s Techniques
In ancient times, Solars chasing sundown represented some-
thing both tragic and awe-inspiring; their efforts redoubled at
the fading of the day as a nod to their patron, his symbolic
death leaving them to fill the void. This Charm captures a Law-
giver’s breathtaking iconicity and his otherworldly there-and-
gone nature, turning it into a renewed intent to bring the story
to its conclusion.
When this Charm takes effect, the Solar’s player chooses a
Virtue and rolls the Lawgiver’s Conviction. The Exalt regains
one spent channel for the chosen Virtue and Willpower points
equal to (number of successes + 1). To gain this benefit, the

4 Chapter One • Solars

 Chapter Two

Infernals
Malfeas Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai
Cost: 12m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
By Rage Recast Keywords: Desecration, Form-type, Obvious, Shaping
Cost: —; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent Duration: One scene
Keywords: Desecration, Obvious, Shaping Prerequisite Charms: By Rage Recast
Duration: Permanent When the gods turned Malfeas inside-out and gave him
Prerequisite Charms: By Pain Reforged form, they exposed his inner monstrosity for all to see. Denied
Once Malfeas was the Primordial King, his power and glory Creation, the Demon City must satisfy himself with dominion
unconstrained by the crude limits of a body. Now, mutilated over his hateful flesh. If he must suffer the humiliation of physi-
and caged in the prison of form, his cosmic might and bound- cal existence, then the parameters of that body will be defined
less fury can only twist him toward more harmful expressions of by the raging whim of the onetime Primordial King—and none
his majesty. An Infernal who learns this Charm selects a pack- other.
age of (Essence x 10) points of temporary positive mutations as The Infernal spreads his arms and collapses his anima banner
a “library” of options. She must allocate all of these points at into his flesh, producing a brief, blinding cataclysm of emerald
the time of purchase, even if that means choosing mutations flame. This explosion acts as a one-time environmental dam-
she doesn’t really want as filler. age effect (Damage 3L, Trauma 1) to everything within three
Once allocated, the library remains fixed. However, raising yards. When the smoke clears, the Exalt stands transformed,
Essence allows the Infernal to re-allocate all (Essence x 10) his demonic nature stamped unmistakably into his flesh.
mutation points from scratch as though she just acquired the Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai has the following effects:
Charm. At Essence 10, the warlock may reallocate her muta- • The warlock simultaneously manifests all (Essence x 10)
tions by spending one full day in either isolated meditation or a points of mutations provided by this Charm’s prerequisite.
series of ancient, ecstatic dances. Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai explicitly ignores the normal re-
Whenever the warlock’s anima banner reaches the 11+ strictions on the number of positive mutations a Desecration
mote level of expression, she reflexively gains eight points of effect may provide and does not count toward the mutation
mutations selected from her library as a temporary Desecration. limit of other such effects. If By Rage Recast supplies mutations
Horns may curl from the warlock’s forehead, leathery wings that are mutually exclusive to one another, he chooses which to
unfold from her back, or fanged maws open upon her body— manifest and which to keep inert within him. Mutual exclusiv-
whatever demonic features best express the Chosen’s fury. She ity is the only basis for a mutation not manifesting.
may not gain mutually-exclusive mutations at the same time. • All Shaping effects which would transform the warlock’s
This transformation is not optional. In the unlikely event the body become Obvious to his senses. He may reflexively reject
Infernal cannot express a full eight points without going over any unwanted changes, even while unconscious or otherwise
(such as by only purchasing Abominations at Essence 3), she inactive.
must get as close as possible. Once her anima subsides below • The concentrated force of the Infernal’s empyrean fury
the 11+ level, the mutations fade back into her body. hardens his skin, adding (Essence) to his natural lethal and
By Rage Recast explicitly ignores the normal limit on how bashing soak.
many positive temporary mutations a Desecration effect may • The warlock adds (Essence) yards to his base movement
bestow (see The Manual of Exalted Power—The Infernals, p. and dashing distances.
103). Mutation points gained from the Charm do count toward • Finally, the demonic power thrumming through his body
the usual mutation point limit other temporary Desecration ef- increases the warlock’s Strength by (Essence) for the purpose of
fects can bestow. feats of strength and attacking inanimate objects.
If the character knows the Charm Fealty-Acknowledging
Audience (The Manual of Exalted Power—The Infernals, p.
116), then she may pay a surcharge of +5m when invoking
Cecelyne
that Charm to gift those who swear fealty to her with up to Dust Devil Feint
eight points of mutations she is capable of manifesting with By Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)
Rage Recast. This gift is a permanent Desecration. Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack, Obvious, Shaping
With Essence 3+, the Infernal may choose to retain her cur- Duration: Instant
rent mutations when her anima banner recedes. She may dis- Prerequisite Charms: Transcendent Desert Creature
miss these mutations at any time her anima is below the 11-15 For all that Cecelyne is an all-pervasive prisoner of Hell, she
mote level of display with a diceless miscellaneous action, but flatters herself that she may not be captured or detained if such
must flare her anima anew to restore her mutations or change treatment does not suit her. This Charm may be activated in
them out for a new suite of grotesqueries. response to any attack directed at the Infernal, regardless of

Chapter Two • Infernal Charms 5

 whether it strikes the character. The Infernal dissolves into a Orbital Impact Storm
whirling eddy of dust and sand, which is carried away from the Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3, DV -0)
attacker on the prayers of her followers, reforming within ([Cult Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Sorcerous
x 5] + Essence) yards. This Charm cannot move through any Duration: One scene
barrier which would prove impermeable to a trickle of sand. Prerequisite Charms: Mind-Hand Manipulation
Dust Devil Feint may relocate the warlock to places she could Creation was built to reflect the glorious order embodied
not otherwise reach, such as to a higher perch. by She Who Lives In Her Name, from the movement of the
constellations to the closed circle of life and death. Taking up
False Idols Cast Down the least expression of the Pyrian Flame’s perfect motion, the
Cost: —; Mins: Cult 2, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Infernal becomes a reflection of this truth.
Keywords: Knockback, Messianic, Obvious
Upon activating Orbital Impact Storm, the warlock seizes a
Duration: Permanent
clattering maelstrom of loose objects from the surrounding en-
Prerequisite Charms: Dust Devil Feint
vironment—stones and chairs, dinner plates, hammers, broken
The Endless Desert especially loathes opponents with pre-
fence-posts, and any other nearby bric-a-brac (objects carried
tensions toward their own divinity. Her scorn transforms the
by individuals and all attuned artifacts are exempt from being
Essence of their unworthy prayers into a vessel for her outrage.
appropriated in this manner, as are objects too large or heavy
This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite, so that the
for the average adult mortal to lift with one hand). If necessary,
Infernal erupts into a massive, shrieking dust cloud when it is
the Infernal may even rip cobblestones loose from streets or
activated in a place of desolation. In addition to its usual ef-
bricks from walls, inflicting (Essence) levels of unsoakable dam-
fects, the sandblast knocks her attacker back (5 + [attacker’s
age in the process; objects and structures with a soak greater
Cult x 3]) yards if he fails a reflexive (Stamina + Resistance)
than 8L are immune to such vandalism. This Charm cannot be
roll at a difficulty of the Infernal’s Cult rating. This is effective
activated if the Storyteller decrees that the environment lacks
even against bowmen and other long-range attackers, hurling
appropriate objects to work with, though players are reminded
them with extruded wisps of grinding particulate force.
that two-point stunts allow dramatic editing of the scenery.
Swallowed in Eternity The seized objects hang in midair for a moment. Then the
Cost: 1m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Reflexive newly-formed constellation of debris begins to orbit the Infer-
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Shaping nal at ever-increasing speeds, pulverizing those foolish enough
Duration: One action to attempt to close with the warlock. This constitutes an en-
Prerequisite Charms: Sand-Slip Trick vironmental hazard (Damage 4L/action, Trauma 2) covering a
Though savants marvel that Cecelyne’s vast expanse may be sphere with a radius of (Essence) yards around the character.
crossed in only five days, the truth is that if the Endless Desert Even blunt objects inflict lethal damage at the speed generated
wills it, she may stretch her roads out to infinity. Expressing this by Orbital Impact Storm. Opponents may safely navigate the
principle, the Infernal holds her hand out, palm-first, toward a storm if their Dodge DV is higher than the Infernal’s (Will-
single opponent. This is treated as a Blockade Movement ac- power x 2). Additionally, it becomes difficult to target the In-
tion, though the Infernal rolls (Willpower + Cult) in place of fernal through the whirling maelstrom, as blades are knocked
([Strength or Dexterity] + Athletics). Should the Infernal win askew and arrows snapped in half before they can reach her
this contest, her target is rendered unable to approach her for flesh; attacks suffer an external penalty of (Infernal’s Essence
the duration of the Charm. The landscape between warlock ÷ 2, round up).
and pursuer stretches out infinitely, and although the target Normally, action-interval environmental hazard exposure
perceives himself to be moving, no amount of exertion on his resolves after the victim’s DV refreshes but before anyone acts
part can close the distance between the two. To observers, the on the tick. However, the storm created by this Charm dam-
area around the target seems to confusingly sprawl outward ages victims after resolving all actions taken during the tick,
without limit, but does not actually move him away from any meaning that characters agile enough to avoid the debris must
other individuals or objects. This Charm cannot be used on a take care not to penalize their Dodge DV to the point that they
single opponent more than once per action. get hit.
This Charm only functions in places of desolation. It does Unlike most Sorcerous Charms, the warlock may deactivate
not count as a Charm use if deployed upon the sands of Cece- Orbital Impact Storm voluntarily. This may be done peacefully
lyne herself, including areas blighted by Holy Land Infliction with a diceless miscellaneous action, freezing the suspended
(see The Manual of Exalted Power—The Infernals, p. 125). objects in place a split second before dropping them. Alter-
Swallowed in Eternity adds (Essence) dice to the roll-off nately, she can reflexively pay 5 motes to hurl shrapnel in all
against conflicting effects such as Eternal Infatuation Dance directions as a one-time environmental hazard (Damage 5L,
(see Glories of the Most High—The Maidens of Destiny, Trauma 3) with a radius of (Willpower x 5) yards. This termi-
p. 28). nates the Charm and does not count as a Charm activation.
Opponents may avoid the debris outright if their Dodge DV is
She Who Lives higher than the Infernal’s (Willpower + Essence).
Essence 3+ Infernals can purchase this Charm a second
time, extending its duration to one day (or indefinite with Es-
In Her Name sence 5+).

6 Chapter Two • Infernal Charms

Precision Thought-Force Exercise Those who have earned Adorjan’s deepest regard may be
Cost: —; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent graced with her most sacred gift—silence. This Charm may be
Keywords: Obvious invoked to supplement a kiss; if the target is an unwilling recip-
Duration: Permanent ient of the Infernal’s affections, this requires a clinch attempt
Prerequisite Charms: First She Who Lives In Her Name (the kiss itself may be treated as a hold action if desired, though
Excellency, Mind-Hand Manipulation a crush attack is just as effective; so long as the Infernal draws
She Who Lives In Her Name feels something like pity for in her victim’s breath, the state of the rest of his body is of little
humans. They are crippled amputees, incapable of reaching consequence). With a quick inhalation of breath, the Infernal
beyond their physical forms. It isn’t really pity, of course, but steals her victim’s voice. Though not actually damaging, the
rather an acute and targeted awareness of her superiority and process is momentarily but excruciatingly painful; coughing up
the necessity of upgrading lesser beings to her specifications. a few drops of blood is a common aftereffect.
The Green Sun Princes who learn this Charm perform a great For as long as the Infernal commits Essence to maintain the
service, serving as honored prototypes of humaniform trans- Charm, she may speak in the voice she has stolen. Releasing
mogrification even as they civilize themselves. the commitment of Essence returns the stolen voice to its prop-
This Charm permanently upgrades Mind-Hand Manipula- er owner. At Essence 4+, she gains the ability terminate the
tion in the following ways: Charm by swallowing a stolen voice entirely, which nourishes
• The Charm may be used to protect others with Defend her as if it were a corpse inhaled with Sacred Kamilla’s Inhala-
Other actions out to its maximum range rather than the usual tion (or, optionally, as though it were the death of an extra,
(Dexterity rating) yards. if the Infernal knows Murder is Meat). If the voice belonged
• The Charm can be used to deliver Touch effects as though to a mortal, that mortal is rendered permanently mute. If it
the emanated force is part of the Infernal’s body. belonged to a supernatural being, that being is rendered mute
• The Infernal adds +2 to his Parry DV using Mind-Hand for one week per dot of the Infernal’s Essence before finally
Method while taking a Guard action. With Essence 4+, this regaining his voice.
benefit also applies while using Defend Other to protect some- A second purchase of this Charm, at Essence 4+, gives the
one. Infernal the option to let a stolen voice’s owner telepathically
hear the words she speaks with it regardless of the distance
Adorjan between them (provided they are in the same realm of exis-
tence). This may even be used to make social attacks against
Unbound Freedom Infiltration the voice’s original owner. Shutting the stolen voice out for a
Cost: 1ahl; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Reflexive day costs one Willpower. This can be done as soon as commu-
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious nication begins to minimize the victim’s risk. If a victim doesn’t
Duration: Instant shut out words that turn out to be a social attack, it is too late
Prerequisite Charms: Gravity-Rebuking Grace to block that attack via immunity. The victim must first resolve
Bored with racing across the surface of walls, the Silent Wind the social attack before spending an extra Willpower to shut
may blow through them. Sometimes she leaves, finding free- out the stolen voice.
dom; at other times she enters, finding victims. To activate this
Charm, the Infernal must be dashing at her maximum speed,
and must have maintained this velocity throughout her entire
The Ebon Dragon
previous action. Upon invocation, it allows her to body to shred Our Little Secret
apart into a crimson wind which blows through the cracks and Cost: 4m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
gaps in a barrier, to reform on the other side. Smears and stains Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Emotion, Sorcerous,
of blood are left behind in the Infernal’s wake. This Charm can- Stackable, Touch
not bypass obstacles more than (Essence) yards thick, or which Duration: Indefinite
are airtight (so, a door with a keyhole or a space beneath it, or Prerequisite Charms: Witness to Darkness
a wooden wall with gaps between the boards would be valid The surest way for Creation to fall into the state of wicked
targets, while a solid wall sheathed in marble would not). This depravity that is most pleasing to the Ebon Dragon is for good
Charm automatically allows the Infernal to bypass anyone at- men to do nothing, and the Shadow of All Things is more than
tempting to physically impede her with a Blockade Movement ready to promote such inaction. To use this Charm, the warlock
action (see Glories of the Most High—Luna, p. 22) must touch a witness to an act of depravity, or to evidence of
At Essence 4+, Unbound Freedom Infiltration may be in- such an act. Henceforth, the target’s mind is filled with paralyz-
voked as an innate power rather than a Charm activation by ing shame and horror when she considers relating what she has
paying an extra aggravated health level upon activation. seen to any other character, either through speech or writing,
forcing her to ultimately remain silent. This unnatural men-
Voice-Drinking Kiss tal influence costs 3 Willpower to resist. The warlock must be
Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Reflexive
aware that the witness has beheld a specific depravity, and may
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Crippling, Shaping
not blindly ‘guess’ when activating Our Little Secret. Multiple
Duration: Indefinite
activations of this Charm may be placed on the same witness,
Prerequisite Charms: Sacred Kamilla’s Inhalation, Eloquence
to force silence on the subject of multiple valid acts.
in Unspoken Words

Chapter Two • Infernal Charms 7

 An act of depravity is defined as any act which would cause den and deliberate force. These are not the ways of the Infer-
shock, outrage, or scandal according to the common mores of nal Monster. Its only trick is the trick of mastering terrain and
Creation’s dominant culture (currently the Realm) or the dom- launching devastating ambushes. It does not control the terms
inant culture in which the act occurs. Murder, adultery, rape, of battle in all places; if it must rely upon the environment,
incest, theft, violent assault and disrespect toward the Terres- then it does so by luring enemies into the dark holes where it
trial Exalted on the part of mortals are all examples of acts of can tilt the playing field sharply in its favor. The defining qual-
depravity within the Realm, and are thus applicable wherever ity of the Infernal Monster’s wrath is power, not speed.
the Charm is used. More specific acts of depravity might in- Yet there is something reminiscent of Lunars in the Infernal
clude rudeness to an Essence 6+ divinity (if the Charm were Monster’s territorial fury. Parts of the style explore the con-
used in Yu-Shan), enslavement of citizens of Nexus (if used in cept of the Old Thing In the Cave, the archetypal menace of
Nexus), or disobeying a superior officer (if used in Lookshy). humanity that emerges from its hellish lair to hunt and slay
At Essence 3+, the Infernal may touch a piece of evidence everything that crosses its path. Some Stewards take this ogre-
related to an act of depravity rather than a witness, for a cost like approach, drawing power from the lands they prowl and
of 8m rather than 4m. This causes all individuals who subse- the caves in which they lair. Accordingly, some of the Infernal
quently witness the evidence so marked to be forced into si- Monster Style expansion Charms below include information on
lence as though they had been targeted with the 4m activation Lunar Charms that function very similarly. These Charms are
of Our Little Secret, as a Sorcerous effect. scattered among Lunar Charm trees. They can be monsters or
With Essence 4+, the Charm’s Compulsion is enhanced to savage kings, but they have no consolidated path to follow.
also include a prohibition against moving or disturbing evi-
dence of an act of depravity. For example, a character who Enlightening Madness Charms
found a mutilated body deep in the woods would not only be These expansions of Infernal Monster Style explore the
powerless to speak of his discovery, but also could not bring style’s propensity for violent fury. Learning them changes how
himself to give the corpse a proper burial or even to drag it back the character thinks and reacts to the world, invariably making
to town to be anonymously discovered and properly disposed the Exalt crazier and more dangerous to be around.
of by others.
Smoldering Rage Beast
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Infernal Monster Charms Keywords: Compulsion, Emotion, Rage
The Infernal Monster is a force of unwavering, all-consuming Duration: Permanent
rage, fueled by a hunger for violence beyond human compre- Prerequisite Charms: Retribution Will Follow
hension of the word. The style’s expansions fulfill this threat, Provoking the Infernal Monster is unwise. This Charm per-
offering an arsenal of blasphemies to Infernal Exalted brutal manently improves its prerequisite in two ways. First, the In-
enough to explore them. fernal can activate that Charm in response to any threat, bad
The Infernal Monster is not Malfeas. Slayers automatically news, insult, unwanted touch or physical attack directed at her
favor Martial Arts and therefore Infernal Monster Style, so it as though these stimuli had inflicted levels of damage. Second,
is easy to forget that they are separate Charm sets. The the- the Infernal can invoke Retribution Will Follow as an innate
matic similarities between Malfeas Charms and Infernal Mon- power rather than a Charm activation.
ster Charms only further clouds the issue. Both sets emphasize Smoldering Rage Beast carries a steep price. The Exalt must
overkill and force and rage. Yet there are differences, too. Mal- activate Retribution Will Follow whenever confronted with an
feas cannot restrain himself. He exists only at full volume and opportunity to do so unless he pays one Willpower to resist (im-
full power, unable to conceive of any other state of being. The munizing him against other Rage effects for a day as normal).
Infernal Monster is more cunning. It watches and waits for the
right moment to unleash its fury. When that moment comes, All-Consuming Rampage Release
the monster explodes into a frenzy of hateful ultraviolence ex- Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Permanent
pressing pure physical force and visceral horror. There is nothing Keywords: None
sophisticated or esoteric about the Infernal Monster’s violence. Duration: Permanent
The style does not sear enemies with the cold flames of a mad Prerequisite Charms: Retribution Will Follow
sun, nor encase its wielders in living metal armor. The Infernal The Infernal Monster is a being of singular madness and
Monster remains a fundamentally human beast. It smashes, violent purpose. He refuses to be conflicted in his urges. This
gnaws and shatters everything in its path. Malfeas conceives Charm is a permanent modification of the Infernal’s capabili-
of forces beyond the physical, but the Infernal Monster only ties. Whenever he hits Limit 10 and would enter a bout of Limit
understands violence. Malfeas hates himself as much or more Break or Torment, he can allow the usual madness or suffering
than he hates his enemies, while the Infernal Monster revels in to take place. Alternately, he can choose to frenzy with ben-
its unholy might and howls bloody triumph at the sky. efits and drawbacks identical to an uncontrolled Berserk Anger
The Infernal Monster is not the Lunar Hero. The Hero style Limit Break (Exalted, p. 105). He regains (Martial Arts rating)
of Luna’s Chosen is the fighting art of trickster-warriors who Willpower points from entering this rampage and is considered
guard their friends and control the terms of battle. The Lunar to have Retribution Will Follow active for all Infernal Monster
Hero does not permit her enemies to flee. She chooses whom Style Charms that have effects based on using that Charm. He
they can attack. When she strikes, she is a whirlwind of sud- can also choose to heal instead of regaining Willpower from

8 Chapter Two • Infernal Charms

going berserk, regenerating any of the following damage op- rage passes, shattered mental influence effects do not return.
tions: one level of aggravated, two levels of lethal or four levels A secondary benefit of Fury is Freedom is that no mental
of bashing. influence can prevent the Exalt from activating Retribution
With Essence 5+, the Infernal radiates his madness in a ra- Will Follow. It does not matter whether Fury Is Freedom can
dius of (Martial Arts x 10) yards. Any being that hits Limit 10 break the influence in question; nothing can prevent the Infer-
within that radius has the option to frenzy like the Exalt. Such nal from frenzying when he encounters the appropriate stimuli
beings can only regain Willpower and may not heal by going enabling activation of Retribution Will Follow.
berserk.
Untamed Apocalypse Shintai
Fearless Frenzy Attitude Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Native
Keywords: None Duration: Permanent
Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Smoldering Rage Beast, All-Consuming
Prerequisite Charms: Retribution Will Follow Rampage Release, Fearless Frenzy Attitude, Fury Is Freedom
The Infernal Monster is dauntlessly fierce. This Charm is a The Infernal Monster has no worries or guilt. Absolute
permanent enhancement of the Infernal’s capabilities that ap- violence yields absolute freedom. This Charm is a permanent
plies if he has Valor 3+. While using Retribution Will Follow or modification to the Infernal Exalt’s psyche and soul, scar-
Infernal Monster Form, he adds his Martial Arts rating in bo- ring her with empowering madness. Green Sun Princes can’t
nus successes to all Valor rolls to resist fear and adds this same be compelled to learn Untamed Apocalypse Shintai with any
amount directly to his Valor rating to defend against effects mental influence; they must truly wish to embrace its tran-
resisted better with a higher rating. He also treats all Emotion scendent damnation. Akuma have no say in the matter; their
effects solely based on instilling fear as unacceptable orders. patrons decide whether to devolve their slaves into beasts of
This does not improve the effectiveness of Valor channels. Fi- war. Untamed Apocalypse Shintai makes characters largely
nally, he confers this same fearlessness to all Valor 3+ victims unplayable, so Storytellers should probably restrict it to an-
driven berserk by his Rage Charms. tagonists. Learning the Charm changes the Infernal in the fol-
Infernals with this Charm can choose to reflexively improve lowing ways:
it at any time, making themselves permanently fearless even • He lives in a constant state of fury like an uncontrolled
when not using Retribution Will Follow or Infernal Monster Berserk Anger Limit Break (Exalted, p. 105). However, he is
Form. The catch is that their “sane” resting state becomes iden- not compelled to wreck the environment in this resting state,
tical to a partially-controlled Foolhardy Contempt Limit Break just slaughter everything that moves. Furthermore, when he
(Exalted, p. 105). Going berserk obviously trumps this behav- becomes fatigued or sleepy, he can end his rampage to seek a
ior, as does Limit Break or behavior-altering Torment. However, good place to rest. He will still attack anything that tries to pre-
when the acute madness ends, the pervasive madness of a mind vent him from finding a lair, but will not pursue such opponents
without fear returns. Once the Infernal embraces a life without if they withdraw and let him resume his search. Living a berserk
fear, he cannot go back to using the Charm as he first learned existence does not reduce the character’s mental attributes or
it. He can only explore deeper into the madness of the Infernal force him to fight incompetently. However, he won’t take pre-
Monster, trading fearlessness for something worse. paratory actions longer than a single miscellaneous action, so
he can draw a weapon, but won’t have the patience to strap
Fury Is Freedom into a warstrider.
Cost: —(+1ahl, 2 Limit); Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 3; • Activating Retribution Will Follow brings on a scene of
Type: Permanent unrestrained rage with a number of benefits (wound penalty
Keywords: None reduction, mental influence resistance, etc.). His resting rage
Duration: Permanent does not provide these benefits. The frenzy brought on by Ret-
Prerequisite Charms: Retribution Will Follow ribution Will Follow, Limit Break and behavior-altering Tor-
The rage of the Infernal Monster is not just a shield against ment all take precedence over the Infernal’s mind and displace
mental trickery and domination. Anger frees the mind. This his constant fury for as long as they last.
Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite. Whenever the • Infernal Monster Style and its expansions only cost the In-
Infernal activates Retribution Will Follow, he can pay one ag- fernal four experience points per Charm. This discount applies
gravated health level and gain two Limit in addition to com- retroactively, awarding the difference in experience the Infer-
mitting the usual mote. Doing so terminates all unnatural men- nal is owed. Should the character somehow lose this Charm, he
tal influence effects currently affecting his mind unless these must pay that difference back. In the unlikely event a Storytell-
effects meet one of the following criteria: the influence was er lets a player take Untamed Apocalypse Shintai at character
self-imposed, the influence was caused by a being with a higher creation, the Infernal gains two Infernal Monster Style Charms
Essence rating than the Infernal’s Martial Arts at the time it for every starting Charm allocated to them and can buy more
was imposed or the influence functions by making the Infer- for two bonus points each. Untamed Apocalypse Shintai is not
nal angry or taking advantage of his fury to make him perform a precedent for Charms that provide dramatic cost reductions
specific anger-driven behavior. Use of Retribution Will Follow to acquire Solar-level Charms unless those Charms wreck the
this way can reduce Limit by slaughtering or maiming, reducing character permanently and absolutely. Not all paths of tran-
the net increase to one point rather than two. When the killing scendence are desirable.

Chapter Two • Infernal Charms 9

 • The Exalt can raise his traits up as high as 10 without re- armed attempt to initiate a grapple), allowing the Infernal to
gard for the usual age-cap. His constant bestial fury sharply reflexively jump toward the target before determining whether
limits the kinds of Charms he can use, but he shatters through the target is in range for the purposes of resolving the attack.
the limits that govern most Essence users. If he somehow los- If he reaches his target, the attack resolves normally with a +2
es this Charm, he converts all dots in excess of his permitted bonus to its raw damage from added momentum. Otherwise,
age cap back into experience. Learning this Charm precludes the jump moves the Infernal the appropriate distance but the
metamorphosis into a Primordial. The Infernal cannot learn attack automatically misses. Leaping Smash Technique can be
the Charms that initiate this apotheosis. activated as an innate power rather than a Charm activation
if the Exalt has Raging Behemoth Charge or Infernal Monster
Inescapable Fiend Charms Form active. Essence 2-3 Exalted can only use this Charm to
These expansions of Infernal Monster Style explore the con- enhance the first attack in a flurry; those with greater Essence
cept of the monster you cannot avoid. You cannot run. You surpass the limitation and can flurry to bound across the battle-
cannot hide. The Infernal Monster will find you and destroy field.
you. It is eager to feel your bones break under its touch, to tear If Leaping Smash Technique is used in conjunction with
screams and viscera from your flesh. God-Smashing Blow to enhance an attack, the final jump dis-
tance is doubled after applying any modifiers from Bounding
Impatient Slaughter Speed Beast Advance.
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious Shock and Awe Slam
Duration: Permanent Cost: — (+4m); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type:
Prerequisite Charms: Raging Behemoth Charge Permanent
The Infernal Monster charges toward enemies. They are Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
prey, not threats. Exalted with this Charm can activate Raging Duration: Permanent
Behemoth Charge as an innate power rather than a Charm ac- Prerequisite Charms: Leaping Smash Technique
tivation while using Retribution Will Follow or Infernal Mon- The Infernal Monster shouldn’t be fast enough to strike as
ster Form. While using Raging Behemoth Charge, the Infernal it does. Nothing that strong should be so fast. It’s just not fair.
also gains the following additional benefits: This Charm permanently improves its prerequisite. The In-
• He cannot become fatigued from exertion. Any fatigue fernal can pay an additional four motes when using Leaping
penalties suffered at the time of activation are suspended until Smash Technique to impose a DV penalty against the attack. If
the Charm ends, resuming as though no time had passed. the target attempts to parry, the penalty is equal to the Exalt’s
• He can run through muck, climb and swim toward valid Martial Arts rating. Dodges (and any combination of dodge
opponents at the same speed as ground movement (rather than and parry) only suffer a penalty of half the Infernal’s Martial
half). Arts. Although adding this penalty does not make the attack
• When moving toward a valid opponent, the Infernal’s ac- unexpected, defenses that convert an an unexpected attack
tions aren’t capped by Athletics over unstable footing or swim- into an expected attack also negate the penalty.
ming in rough conditions. He effectively has whatever Athlet- If the Infernal has Essence 4+, the DV penalty to dodge in-
ics he needs to ignore such complications. creases to the Exalt’s full Martial Arts.
Bounding Beast Advance Nowhere to Run
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Permanent Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Raging Behemoth Charge Prerequisite Charms: Leaping Smash Technique
The Infernal Monster leaps great distances to pounce on It is difficult to run fast enough or far enough to escape the
prey. While an Exalt with this Charm has Raging Behemoth Infernal Monster. Yet they always try. This Charm permanently
Charge active, she adds her Martial Arts rating to her Athlet- enhances its prerequisite. Whenever the Infernal uses Leaping
ics to calculate how far she can jump toward a valid opponent. Smash Technique, if the target is aware of the Exalt’s location
With Essence 3+, she adds a bonus of +(Martial Arts + Es- and is moving away from him, the Exalt multiplies the maxi-
sence) instead. mum final jump distance by his (Martial Arts) after applying any
modifiers from Bounding Beast Advance. If the Leaping Smash
Leaping Smash Technique Technique is performed in conjunction with God-Smashing
Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive Blow, the distance modifier is doubled again, so (Martial Arts
(Step 1) x 2). This is a special exception on how multiplicative effects
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious usually stack in Exalted. Characters who have an Intimacy of
Duration: Instant fear toward the Infernal are always considered moving away
Prerequisite Charms: Bounding Beast Advance from him for the purposes of this Charm.
Fleeing the Infernal Monster is an exercise in futility. This
Charm enhances an unarmed attack (which can be an un-

10 Chapter Two • Infernal Charms

Nowhere to Hide the Infernal requires new injuries to re-tag that character with
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent another activation.
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Sorcerous, Stackable Whenever an Infernal makes a tracking roll to pursue a vic-
Duration: Permanent tim tagged by this Charm, that roll is enhanced as though by
Prerequisite Charms: Leaping Smash Technique the Solar Charm Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique (Ex-
The Infernal finds those who flee her. Whenever an Infernal alted, p. 211). However, the Infernal receives no bonus to the
with this Charm uses Leaping Smash Technique to attack an roll-off if another effect contests the tracking effort. With Es-
individual, he can place a Sorcerous tag on that individual for sence 4+, the Infernal becomes immune to all fatigue accrued
one hour. The brief arcane link of sublime aggression connects while actively tracking a tagged target. Sleep deprivation af-
the Infernal Monster with her intended quarry. It is possible to fects him normally, but he can give endless chase without tiring
tag any number of separate victims with separate attacks, but from exertion. Existing fatigue is also ignored while tracking
Infernals can’t tag and have no need to tag the same victim tagged victims, but resumes as soon as he stops as though no
more than once. time passed.
Whenever the Infernal Monster uses Leaping Smash Tech-
nique while he has tagged one or more victims, he can choose
Eternal Monstrous Hunt
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent
one of those enemies as the attack’s target and allow the arcane
Keywords: None
link to guide her. Her instinct-driven leap carries her in the
Duration: Permanent
direction of her quarry, regardless of whether she is aware of the
Prerequisite Charms: Blood Heralds Death
victim’s current location. If an unobstructed path to that target
The Infernal Monster does not understand forgiveness. This
exists and the target is in range of the leap, the attack resolves
Charm improves its prerequisite, allowing tags it places to last
as normal for use of Leaping Smash Technique. An invisible
until the Exalt dies, the target dies or the tag is removed via
opponent (or a dematerialized one) still applies a -2 external
countermagic (i.e. duration becomes indefinite rather than one
penalty to the attack roll. If the opponent is out of reach or
month).
protected by total cover, the leap carries the Infernal the maxi-
With Essence 6+, the Infernal’s enmity is the stuff of ter-
mum possible distance toward her without slamming her into
rible legend. If the target dies, the tag is inherited by the oldest
intervening obstacles (unless she chooses to slam through them
surviving blood offspring of that person. If there is no child to
because she has other magic enabling her to do so). With the
inherit the tag, it passes to the victim’s oldest surviving sibling.
right Charms, it is possible to use Nowhere to Hide to leap
If there is not a sibling to carry on the family curse, the ven-
through a wall and resolve the attack against someone on the
detta dies there. The Infernal intuitively knows when a transfer
other side.
occurs and the relationship between the tag’s last bearer and
Martial Arts 5+ allows the Infernal to leap toward the clos-
its new heir.
est god or demon bigger than a least god or Thing That Lurks
In Corners that he can reach with the attack (as though that Armageddon Nightmare Duel
being were tagged). He can exclude any potential targets he Cost: 0m or 15m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type:
can perceive to avoid attacking allies (even while in a berserk Reflexive
state). This doesn’t let him hit dematerialized beings, but in Keywords: Combo-OK, Sorcerous
conjunction with magic that does, he can use an attack as a Duration: (Martial Arts rating) minutes
means of testing if there are any spirits snooping about. Prerequisite Charms: Blood Heralds Death
The Infernal Monster haunts his enemies. They see his rage-
Blood Heralds Death contorted face when they sleep. They feel his hot breath upon
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type:
the back of their neck. They know he is coming for them. Upon
Simple
activating this Charm, the Infernal’s eyes glaze over as though
Keywords: Combo-OK, Sorcerous, Stackable
from a distracting daydream. A small smile curls at the corner
Duration: One week
of his lips. He is completely unaware of his environment and
Prerequisite Charms: Nowhere to Hide
unable to take physical actions in this fugue state, but remains
The Infernal Monster follows the scent of blood, whether
upright if standing. The trance lasts for the Charm’s full dura-
that is blood he has drawn or the blood on the hands of those
tion, but his player may choose for him to reflexively snap out
who wounded him. This Charm may be activated to Sorcer-
of it and end the Charm in order to react to stimuli (like an
ously tag any living victim the Infernal inflicted actual levels of
incoming attack). It is also possible to activate Armageddon
damage on with an unarmed attack in the past hour. Alternate-
Nightmare Duel while the Infernal is unconscious, focusing his
ly, Blood Heralds Death can tag enemies who inflicted actual
dreams on distant prey.
levels of damage to the Exalt in the past hour as a direct result
This Charm is not studied as an idle distraction to avoid
of their actions (even unintentional injury). Either way, the
boredom. At the time of activation, the Infernal chooses an
tag forges an arcane link duplicating that placed by Nowhere
enemy he has tagged with Blood Heralds Death. If that enemy
to Hide (to the point that it can be used to tag characters in
is awake, he knows this and activating the Charm costs him
order to leap after them when they are close by). Unlike its
nothing. The tagged character momentarily hallucinates and
prerequisite. Blood Heralds Death places tags that last a week
imagines he sees the Infernal somewhere nearby, but his senses
rather than an hour. If the tag is removed via countermagic,
catch up a split second later to reveal he’s just jumping at shad-

Chapter Two • Infernal Charms 11

 ows. The delusion is unsettling, but too fleeting to have any Dying inside the dream feels like actually dying, so the expe-
mechanical impact. rience drains five additional Willpower points from the victim
If the tagged enemy is sleeping when Armageddon Nightmare and counts as a scene spent building an Intimacy of fear toward
Duel activates, paying fifteen motes and one Willpower allows the Infernal. If this results in the Intimacy actually taking root
the Infernal to meet the victim in a shared nightmare created or bolstering an existing Intimacy of fear, nothing can remove
by the Charm. Sleep means real sleep, not an alternative activ- it until a week has gone by since the victim awoke from the
ity that counts as sleep for the target due to magic. This night- dream. Beings with a Limit track can gain equivalent points of
mare’s terrain can contain any landscapes and environments Limit in lieu of losing any of the Willpower. Victims can choose
natural to Creation and is arbitrarily vast, effectively an infinite to quickly commit suicide within the nightmare to escape it
plain on which to impose features as they are discovered. The with minimal loss, but doing so causes the Intimacy of fear to
Infernal and the victim are the only two beings in this world. form immediately rather counting as a scene toward it.
Sessile life-forms like plants and fungi are permissible, as these If the victim’s real body suffers any levels of damage during
qualify as scenery rather than actors in the psychodrama. the dream, the Charm abruptly ends for both parties. This also
The two enter the dream in sight of one another, but no clos- happens if the Charm runs its full duration without being inter-
er than one hundred yards. Neither can be placed in a starting rupted. Both dreamers leave the dream with the Infernal no
position that is actively injurious to him, though targets im- worse for the wear and the victim depleted by her exertions
mune to particular environmental hazards may begin exposed within the dreamscape. The tag remains, but the dream does
to such conditions. Inability to see or use similarly-acute senses not hurt the victim’s psyche like virtual death.
is a special hazard for this purpose. The Infernal becomes aware Victims of Armageddon Nightmare Duel leave the nightmare
of such immunities in the instant he activates the Charm so acutely aware of the Infernal Monster Style Charms the Exalt
that he can set the stage appropriately. Storytellers should en- displayed. Those who are capable of learning Celestial Mar-
sure that this rule is followed in spirit as well as letter. Placing tial Arts from a teacher can instruct themselves in any of the
an enemy on a tiny pedestal over a vast sea of lava with no way Charms they observed as though the Infernal was their teacher.
to move or escape without suffering burning horrid death is not Obviously, only other Infernals can learn Infernal Monster
technically a violation of the rule. Neither is placing a strong- expansions this way without an effect like the Eclipse anima
but-slow enemy who can’t see in the dark in pitch-black frozen power. Characters requiring a special initiation before they
cave so slick its floor can’t be walked on without supernatural can learn Celestial Martial Arts (like Dragon-Blooded) cannot
balance or astounding agility. Both scenarios are completely learn Charms from exposure to Armageddon Nightmare Duel
against the spirit of the Charm. Dangerous environments are until they undergo that initiation.
permissible, but using them as weapons should require work Players who purchase this Charm for their characters are ex-
and there should always be some means of avoiding the dan- pected to use it to create additional interesting scenes, not steal
ger. the spotlight. It is poor form to hold a game hostage to play
When the dream begins, the Infernal has full motes, Will- out a personal fight. If the outcome isn’t really in doubt and
power, Virtue channels and health. He can choose not to carry the both dreamers’ players consent, a quick narrative of the
over any lingering negative effects currently afflicting him into one-sided brawl suffices in lieu of devoting an entire scene to
his dream self. In effect, his nightmare form is himself at full the duel. Standing and fighting the Infernal in quick narration
power, but with no Charms that require activations active. rather than jumping off a cliff may be equally futile, but at least
The victim enters the dream as she is in real life, but with no the Intimacy of fear forms less quickly.
Charms active. If she is wounded or supernaturally beguiled
or mutated into a three-armed freak outside the dream, she Death-Devouring Sadism
remains so within the dream. Both characters immediately join Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent
battle. Time flows in the dream at the same rate as reality, so Keywords: None
the dream cannot actually take or appear to take longer than Duration: Permanent
(the Infernal’s Martial Arts) minutes. Prerequisite Charms: Armageddon Nightmare Duel
Nothing that happens to the Infernal in the dream has any The Infernal Monster takes joy in crushing her enemies. This
bearing on his actual self. If he dies or falls unconscious within Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite. Whenever the
the dream, the Charm ends and the dream ends for both par- Infernal kills a non-extra victim of Armageddon Nightmare
ties. This also severs the sorcerous tag connecting the Infernal Duel with an unarmed attack within the dreamscape, she re-
to that victim like countermagic. The victim has much more gains two points of Willpower. If the victim intentionally com-
at stake. Any motes spent in the dream are lost to no real ef- mits suicide, the death yields only one point of Willpower. Ac-
fect, though Exalted victims consider all dream-spent motes cidental demise is unsatisfying. If the Infernal kills an enemy
Peripheral as they subconsciously flare their animas. All Will- with an unarmed attack outside of the nightmare that she has
power and Virtue channels spent are actually spent. All mental previously killed in a nightmare, she regains three Willpower
influence imposed in the dream carries over to reality for its points.
full duration. No physical harm carries over, but if the victim
is killed in the dream, the Charm ends for both parties without
breaking the tag.

12 Chapter Two • Infernal Charms

Roar of the Devil-Beast Charms Panicked Soldier Stampede
These expansions of Infernal Monster Style build on the idea Cost: —(+1wp); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type:
of the inescapable monster more abstractly, allowing her to ter- Permanent
rorize and traumatize her prey with her primal screams. Keywords: Obvious, War
Duration: Permanent
Post-Traumatic Brutality Roar Prerequisite Charms: Post-Traumatic Brutality Roar
Cost: 15m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3;
Soldiers train to fight other soldiers, not Things That Must
Type: Simple
Not Be. This Charm permanently improves its prerequisite. By
Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion, Obvious, Sorcerous,
spending an additional Willpower to activate Post-Traumatic
Stackable, War
Brutality Roar, the scream also induces a rout check in all units
Duration: One week
successfully penalized by it. This check is made at a +2 dif-
Prerequisite Charms: Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide
ficulty modifier.
The Infernal screams his fury, and the armies who have faced
With Essence 6-7, the rout difficulty modifier rises to +3. It
him remember his wrath. The thunderous bellow can be heard
jumps to +4 at Essence 8-10.
for a mile. Within that radius, the scream affects all organized
Magnitude 3+ military units that engaged with the Infernal Rank-Paralyzing Horror Infliction
in the past day in mass combat while he fought as a solo unit. Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Even units not currently engaged in battle are affected, provid- Keywords: Obvious, War
ed they are camped or marching together and clearly operating Duration: Permanent
as a group. Prerequisite Charms: Post-Traumatic Brutality Roar
The Infernal’s player rolls Charisma + Martial Arts, add- Fear is a cancerous malaise that grows over time, sapping
ing a number of bonus successes equal to his Valor. Any af- competence. This Charm permanently improves its prerequi-
fected unit led by a character with a Dodge MDV less than the site. All units currently suffering a penalty to Drill/Morale from
number of successes rolled suffers an unnatural Emotion effect invocations of the Infernal’s Post-Traumatic Brutality Roar also
that imposes a -1 penalty to its Drill and Morale ratings as an suffer an equivalent internal penalty to all non-reflexive rolled
unnatural Emotion effect. Units with perfect Morale are im- actions using Attributes and/or Abilities.
mune. Gaining perfect Morale terminates ongoing applications
of the Charm affecting the unit. Leaders can pay two points Fear of Foretold Fury
of their own Willpower to rally the unit in hopes of reversing Cost: —(+1wp); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type:
this damage; if the rally succeeds, the penalty is removed. Mul- Permanent
tiple roars stack their penalty, each of which requires a separate Keywords: Obvious, War
Willpower-fueled rally to remove. Duration: Permanent
With Essence 4+, the roar carries out to a radius of (Limit Prerequisite Charms: Post-Traumatic Brutality Roar
+ 1) miles. The radius at which the roar may be heard by ev- When the outcome is a given, trauma precedes horror. Those
eryone does not improve with Essence 5+, but magic carries who stand in the presence of the Infernal Monster know this.
the sound to the ears of all valid targets in the same realm of This Charm permanently improves its prerequisite. By spending
existence. Affected units hear the magic-born cry as a faint and an additional Willpower to activate Post-Traumatic Brutality
distant sound, clearly made by something far away—but not Roar, the cry penalizes all military units within a mile (whether
nearly far enough. or not they have engaged with the Infernal in the past day).
Rabble-Terrorizing Puissance With Essence 5+, using Fear of Foretold Fury affects all units
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent in full earshot distance (Limit +1 miles). The trauma also mag-
Keywords: Obvious, War ically carries to all units in the same realm of existence who
Duration: Permanent have ever engaged with the Infernal as a solo unit, provided
Prerequisite Charms: Post-Traumatic Brutality Roar they retained consistent unit identity and leadership since that
What hope do mortal leaders have of reassuring their troops? battle. The Storyteller determines if a unit has undergone suf-
They can’t stop the Infernal Monster. They can’t outplan him. ficient turnover or shift in identity that it no longer recalls the
They can’t outfight him. They can say the beast will not come horror of that fight. Gradual replacement of the rank-and-file
back again so soon, that lightning seldom strikes twice. Veter- does not erode the impact of the experience. Grizzled veterans
ans see through such lies. This Charm permanently improves pass along the whispered horror stories to wide-eyed recruits.
its prerequisite. The Willpower cost for Essence 1 leaders to Some refuse to talk about That Day at all. They just scowl and
rally away the effects of Post-Traumatic Brutality Roar is four drink and look nervously behind them. A unit leader can ad-
Willpower rather than two. dress the lingering damage from the experience by taking the
With Essence 5+, this resistance cost increase also applies time to reassure the ranks and inspire them. This convales-
against unit leaders who are First Circle demons, Essence 1-3 cence extends the time required to perform a restorative rally
UnExalted living Essence users (like Dragon-Kings and Moun- to a dramatic action lasting one week (ten hours a day); the
tain Folk), Essence 1-3 Fair Folk, Essence 1-3 gods, Essence leader must pay five Willpower to make the roll at the end. If
1-4 elementals and Essence 1-5 ghosts. Infernals who reach Es- the rally succeeds, the unit is no longer scarred and can’t be
sence 8+ extend the benefit against all Essence 1-5 unit lead- affected outside of the (Limit +1 mile) radius until they have
ers who are not Exalted. another actual battle with the Infernal.

Chapter Two • Infernal Charms 13

 Chained Beast Charms • Whenever the akuma activates Relentless Lunar Fury, he
can simultaneously activate Retribution Will Follow as an in-
Long before there were Green Sun Princes, akuma explored
nate power rather than a Charm activation. This still requires
the hideous potential of Infernal Monster Style. In so doing,
the usual commitment, but the use of Relentless Lunar Fury
they formulated four special Charms unique to each Exalted
takes the place of suffering damage as a trigger condition.
akuma type. These Charms are the only demonstrated ex-
• Infernal Monster Form gains the Gift keyword. Whenever
amples of akuma-specific expansions, though it is possible that
the akuma shifts into war form, he may commit the usual cost
other such techniques exist as secret weapons for the day the
to activate Infernal Monster Form. Used this way, the Form
Yozis unleash their beasts of war upon Creation.
Charm remains active for as long as the Lunar remains in war
Unthinkable Shining Horror form. This does not alter the way Infernal Monster Form ac-
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent cumulates its Strength bonus, so it still resets to zero at the end
Keywords: Emotion, Form-Enhancing, Monstrous, Native of each scene even if the Charm remains active.
Duration: Permanent • Armor created with Lunar Charms counts as armor cre-
Prerequisite Charms: Infernal Monster Form ated with Infernal Charms for the purposes of compatibility
It must not be forgotten that the inventor of Infernal Mon- with Infernal Monster Style.
ster Style was a Solar akuma. Gorol was an abomination to his Fallen Star Fury
circle mates, a living rejection of everything he stood for. In Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
forsaking any claim to heroism, the akuma made himself the Keywords: Fate, Native, Shaping
perfect monster. Unthinkable Shining Horror is exclusively Na- Duration: Permanent
tive to Solar akuma and can’t be learned by other beings. The Prerequisite Charms: Infernal Monster Form
Charm upgrades Infernal Monster Form, providing the follow- Sidereal akuma can expand Infernal Monster Style, but this
ing additional powers: is a dubious honor for those who already aspire to the Blossom
• The akuma is not obligated to attack his Yozi master or any of the Perfected Lotus. Fallen Star Fury is exclusively Native to
of its component Third Circle demons while in a berserk state Sidereal akuma and can’t be learned by other beings. By pur-
(such as that induced by Retribution Will Follow) unless said chasing the Charm, the akuma rejoins fate on his own hideous
entities physically attacked him earlier in the scene. terms. His unholy power grabs the strands of causality and
• The fallen Solar shocks those who love him, giving him tangles them around his fingers. He is still considered outside
a chance to slaughter them in their moment of hesitation. of fate for any effect in which being removed is an asset, but
Characters with a positive Intimacy toward the akuma suffer can connect to the Loom to use astrology or otherwise benefit
an internal penalty of (the akuma’s Essence) to all physical at- from being inside fate. In effect, he is between fate rather than
tacks targeting him. Resisting this unnatural Emotion effect for fully outside it, perversely enjoying the best of both worlds. The
a scene costs five Willpower. Characters must have had the In- Storyteller adjudicates which state is preferable with regard to
timacy for a minimum of one month to invoke the penalty. The resolving all effects that depend on whether the akuma is part
horror afflicts loved ones, not awed strangers. of Fate. Additionally, the akuma is not obligated to attack his
• If the Exalt knows Solar Hero Form, he may activate it si- Yozi master or any of its component Third Circle demons while
multaneously with Infernal Monster Form, paying the full cost in a berserk state (such as that induced by Retribution Will
of both Charms. The joint activation uses the highest Speed Follow) unless said entities physically attacked him earlier in
and DV penalty for both Charms and allows them to co-exist. the scene.
• As an optional Blasphemy effect, the Solar akuma may With Essence 5+, the Charm gains the following additional
shove aside the limitations of his Charms, raising his bonus powers, the last of which only helps masters of Infernal Mon-
dice cap to (Attribute + Ability + Essence) while enhancing ster Style:
unarmed attacks and parries. This power is optional and can • Infernal Monster Form does not interfere with the use of
be used at any point, but once reflexively invoked, it lasts until Sidereal Martial Arts Form-type Charms. For example, she can
Infernal Monster Form ends. have Infernal Monster Form and Citrine Poxes of Contagion
Form active at the same time. If another effect allows him to
Moon-Beast Monster use a limited number of Sidereal Form-type Charms concur-
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent rently (like Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Form), Infernal
Keywords: Native Monster Form does not count toward this limit. The akuma
Duration: Permanent cannot generally use this power to stack Infernal Monster Form
Prerequisite Charms: Infernal Monster Form alongside other non-Sidereal Form-type Charms. This can be
Lunar akuma are among the most savage weapons the Yozi’s enabled with Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Form (or sim-
command. It is not much of a leap from fury to rage or anger to ilar effects) by including lesser Forms within that Sidereal Form
madness. Moon-Beast Monster is only Native to Lunar akuma Charm and then stacking this with Infernal Monster Form.
and may not be learned by other types of Infernals. The Charm • If employing the previous power to wield two Form-type
provides the following effects: Charms, then all form weapons of either style are considered
• The akuma is not obligated to attack his Yozi master or any form weapons for both styles. This does not apply if the styles
of its component Third Circle demons while in a berserk state use different range weapons. Infernal Monster cannot be prac-
(such as that induced by Retribution Will Follow) unless said ticed with a bow any more than a bow-themed style could use
entities physically attacked him earlier in the scene. improvised weapons.

14 Chapter Two • Infernal Charms

 • The corrupt Vizier can activate Infernal Monster Form at
the same time as he activates a Sidereal Martial Arts Form-type
Charm, paying the usual cost to activate each Charm. This
combined activation uses the highest Speed and DV penalty
among both Form-type Charms.
• If the akuma flares his One Hand Fury with a Sidereal
Martial Arts Form-type Charm, the burning runes spiral and
twine from his hand and trail behind his blows like ribbons of
smoldering emerald flame. This Obvious display provides the
same benefits as the best sutra the akuma can use with that
Sidereal Martial Art, but at no cost and without any chance of
external disruption. For instance, if the akuma can only use a
student sutra, then flaring his hand with a Sidereal form dupli-
cates a student sutra.

Dragon-Spawned Demon-Monster
Cost: —; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Native
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Infernal Monster Form
Terrestrial akuma achieve greatness their former peers can-
not imagine. Through Infernal Monster Style, fallen Dragon-
Blooded become incarnate natural disasters. Dragon-Spawned
Demon-Monster is solely Native to Terrestrial akuma and can’t
be learned by other beings. It provides the following benefits:
• The akuma is not obligated to attack his Yozi master or any
of its component Third Circle demons while in a berserk state
(such as that induced by Retribution Will Follow) unless said
entities physically attacked him earlier in the scene.
• Weapons of elemental energy created by Terrestrial Charms
are considered form weapons for Infernal Monster Style (e.g.
Refining the Inner Blade). If such Charms have the Holy key-
word, they permanently lose their special benefits against crea-
tures of darkness and cease to be Holy. If this results in a Charm
that doesn’t make sense, the Storyteller should exclude that
Charm from conversion.
• Instant-duration Terrestrial Charms that damage targets
through direct exposure to elemental energy are also consid-
ered form weapons for Infernal Monster Style (e.g. Elemental
Bolt Attack). If such Charms are Holy, they are converted as
previously explained. The akuma may also choose for such at-
tacks to emerge from his mouth like the breath of a dragon.

Chapter Two • Infernal Charms 15

 Chapter Three

Alchemicals
Autochthonia and The Use of Soulgems
Autochthonian religious doctrine is mistaken. The soul of a

the Cycle of Souls

mortal who dies without a soulgem simply returns to the Radi-
ant Amphora rather than being lost to some mythical oblivion.
Life in the Realm of Brass and Shadow begins much as it Furthermore, the most senior leaders of the Glorious Luminors
does in Creation. An infant is born and draws its first breath, of the Brilliant Rapture are aware of this falsehood. Why, then,
and with this first breath, it receives a soul. The process is simi- do they perpetuate the use of soulgems within Autochthonia?
lar in either world, but not identical. When an Autochthonian dies and his soul flees into his soul-
Humans in Creation are granted souls by Heaven, according gem, the soulgem imprints a specialized, singular mark upon
to ancient processes designed by the Primordials. In the First the soul. This soulmark is unique, corresponding to the soul-
Age, when Creation’s total human population was steadily on gem that created it, and it endures until the end of the soul’s
the rise, infants often received new souls freshly drawn from next incarnation, at which point the mark vanishes. The Lumi-
the Well of Souls, consisting of a joined hun and po. In the nors know how to read an individual’s soulmark, a feat accom-
Second Age, new hun souls are rarely produced. Instead the plished through a special device known as a Legacy Calibrator.
quiescent hun of a deceased individual is cleansed by the pro- The Luminors jealously guard the secret of how to build and
cess of Lethe, bonded to a new po freshly extracted from the operate these devices. Through this technique, they are able to
Well of Souls, and sent down to grant life to a newborn. This identify an individual’s former incarnation by consulting their
is necessary because upon the death of a mortal in Creation, enormous archive of citizen profiles and soulmark legacies.
higher and lower souls separate; the hun passes through Lethe This affords the Luminors two advantages. First, because
if it does not linger as a ghost, while the vigilant po remains they are the only group capable of determining an individual’s
with the corpse until its final dissolution, at which point the incarnation history, they are also the only ones capable of de-
animal soul vanishes. termining the proper disposition of his new life. Senior Lumi-
In Autochthonia, souls are distributed by an ancient wonder nors review case files and decide whether an infant should be
known as the Radiant Amphora of Celestial Accumulation, assigned to the Populat, Olgotary, Theomachracy, or Sodalities
more commonly called the Ewer of Souls. This incredible arti- based on their soul’s history of achievement and aptitude. The
fact automatically recycles souls in much the same manner as Luminors occasionally falsify a soul’s legacy to give favorable
occurs in Creation, save that the souls it recycles have never treatment to the reincarnations of friends and allies, or to de-
been split apart; hun and po remain bonded after death, and mote to the ranks of the Populat an individual who has caused
pass together from life to life. The end of a mortal’s life within trouble for them across multiple incarnations.
Autochthonia is as neat as its beginning. Upon his last breath, Such petty bureaucratic tyranny is merely an incidental bo-
the mortal’s entire soul departs to the Ewer, to be cleansed of nus, of course. The true reason for the use of soulgems is that
memories and given new life again. No part of his soul remains without this method of tracking the reincarnation history of
behind with his corpse, and the state claims his remains to be souls, the Luminors would be unable to identify souls of repeat-
rendered down for the good of Autochthonia. This recycling ed heroic character who are potentially capable of Alchemical
system is as necessary as it is efficient, for Autochthonia has no Exaltation. Even the most cynical senior Luminors take this
way to produce new hun or po souls. task seriously, for none of the Eight Nations would still survive
without the might of its Champions.
Autochthonian Beliefs
The vast majority of Autochthonians are ignorant as to the The Function of Soulgems
intricacies of their world’s cycle of death and rebirth. The Tome Soulgems serve three purposes: Social class identification,
of the Great Maker states that Autochthon bequeathed the holy capturing souls, and imprinting souls for future identification
artifacts known as soulgems to the people of the Eight Nations, by the Luminors.
that their souls might be captured and returned to the Radi- After a Luminor review board has consulted a newborn’s soul
ant Amphora after death. The soul of any human who per- history—a task done with as much haste as possible, since most
ishes without a soulgem, the Tome warns, will fall into the Void members of the Sodality believe that a crib death before soul-
and be lost forever. Because of this, the Eight Nations implant gem implantation will consign the infant’s soul to the Void—a
soulgems into all infants shortly after birth. Thanks to the be- soulgem is selected which corresponds to the social class the
nevolence of the Machine God, no citizen of the Eight Nations infant will be assigned to. The majority of Autochthonians are
must fear dissolution upon death; the Populat may toil in the given round soulgems of black, polished onyx which signify
secure knowledge that when their life ends and they lay down membership in the Populat. Those destined for the Olgotary
their burdens, they will soon be reborn to continue their sacred receive rectangular soulgems of orange topaz, while future
service to state and God. Theomachrats are granted square soulgems of blue sapphire.

16 Chapter Three • Alchemicals

Finally, the Five Sodalities all share the same diamond-shaped
soulgems of purple amethyst. Estasia’s Militate is known by its
New Autochthonian Thaumaturgy
Soul manipulation is an important, secret activity, vital to
triangular ruby soulgems. All of these soulgems retain the same
the Autochthonian way of life. These are a few of the secret
metaphysical properties—they mark a soul upon its entry to
rituals used by the Sodalities:
the gem postmortem, and they will hold a soul indefinitely after
death, until it is manually released by the Pious Harvesters of The Science of Bioenhancement
the Hallowed Flesh. Soulgem Implantation (0, Intelligence, 1, one minute): This
The soulgems of the Alchemical Exalted are a bit different. exceedingly simple ritual, jealously guarded by the Illustrious
Alchemical soulgems begin as perfect, many-faceted diamonds. Conductors of the Consecrated Veins, grants a soulgem to an
Unlike other soulgems, these gems not only catch a Champion’s individual. It is performed upon every Autochthonian infant
soul after death, but bequeath the Exalt with a soul and grant within a week of birth, by unanimous order of the National
him life. Also unlike the soulgems of Autochthonian mortals, Tripartite Assembly of all Eight Nations, but may also be per-
Alchemical soulgems are not uniform in appearance; when a formed upon captured second-generation outcasts from tunnel
Champion draws in his first breath, the flawless diamond upon folk communities. The procedure is performed within a special
his forehead shifts in appearance to suit his personality and self- chamber found in Autochthonian nurseries and re-education
image. The gem of Stern Whip of Industry, for example, is an centers known as a Unity Vault; both varieties of room are
oval of deep emerald, while Lissome Avid Engineer bears a rect- small, cramped, and dimly-lit by subdued red lights, reminis-
angular soulgem the same color as Creation’s sky. A deceased cent of a mechanical womb; the chief difference is that Unity
Champion’s soulgem returns to its clear, diamond original form Vaults at re-education complexes feature a sturdy table outfit-
once that hero’s soul departs; otherwise, it retains its distinc- ted with restraints.
tive appearance until implanted in a new Exalt, at which point The procedure enough is swift and simple: a soulsteel plate
it customizes to the newly-empowered Alchemical. featuring two needle-like prongs is placed against the forehead
The Sodalities believe that it is harmful to retain souls in a of the infant or outcast, and driven through the skull with a
mortal soulgem for an extended period of time after death, par- special starmetal-tipped hammer. The pain of this experience
ticularly those of heroes. Though available data is not conclu- is so all-encompassing that it takes a few moments to register.
sive, many Luminors insist that they detect a statistical trend During this time a soulgem is set against the backing plate, and
among those whose souls linger overlong in such gems between a live nerve of the Great Maker is drawn down from a special
lives—such individuals, they claim, are less likely to be persons housing in the Vault’s ceiling. A spark of Essence jumps be-
of outstanding merit in their next incarnation; as such, they tween cable and soulgem, fusing the gem to the plate as the
worry that ‘warehousing’ heroic souls in unsuitable gems may agony of the procedure finally sets in, provoking ear-splitting
decrease the likelihood that a soul will prove suitable for Al- mechanical scream from the patient.
chemical Exaltation. As a result, each of the Eight Nations has Soulgem implantation, once learned, is so exceedingly simple
a mandatory deadline by which a soul must be released from its that characters with a pool of at least six dice succeed at it au-
gem if at all possible, ranging from three weeks (in Jarish) to six tomatically without need for a roll. Successful execution of this
months (in Nurad). procedure inflicts one level of lethal damage to the target, while
Unlike soulgems intended for mortals, Alchemical soulgems a failed attempt inflicts five levels. Botches tend to be ugly, in-
are believed to be capable of holding a soul indefinitely after volving skulls smashed by missed hammer swings or electrocu-
death without harm. The Eight Nations may retain the souls of tion by inexpertly applied live wires—and if the subject is the
their greatest heroes in this manner for years if need be, in or- son or daughter of a high-ranking member of the Tripartite,
der to ensure that when the time is right they will be able to live such mistakes are an excellent way for a young Conductor to
again in new incarnations. This practice is strongly frowned on discover what life is like among the ranks of the Lumpen.
by the Theomachracy if there are no plans to empower any new Soulgem Revocation (3, Intelligence, 5, one hour): One of the
Champions in the foreseeable future, however, as The Tome of most famous procedures in practice, Soulgem Revocation is a
the Great Maker claims that it is a great wickedness to separate punishment reserved solely for the worst offenders of Autoch-
Autochthonia from its heroes. thonia’s laws. This ritual requires that the offender be brought
Unfortunately, the lack of an automatic-release feature on to the nerve that was used to implant his soulgem originally.
soulgems means that sometimes corpses and soulgems are lost If the original nerve is unavailable, taking the offender to any
to the Reaches, and need to be recovered. While the loss of nerve of the Great Maker which has died will work for the pur-
mortal souls is tragedy enough, each of the Eight Nations has a pose of this procedure. The target must first be given a perfectly
roster of Champions whose bodies could not be recovered, and calculated dosage of an anesthetic drug, dropping his vitals to
whose soulgems are presumably still lost in the depths of the nothing and sending him into a near-death state. Once on the
Reaches, waiting for some enterprising hero to recover them verge of death, one of his victims is brought forward. If a vic-
and return them to their homes and the cycle of reincarna- tim is unavailable, a representative of the victim—preferably a
tion. Such national treasures are valued above orichalcum and blood relative but also a significant other, best friend, or some-
starmetal, and to discover one is the dream of both mortal and one avowing support—can be substituted. The victim places
Alchemical alike. a drop of their blood on the soulgem, which the thaumaturge
paints in a symbol that reflects the crime committed. He then

Chapter Three • Alchemicals 17

 calls upon the soul of the offender, in a manner eerily remi- Winding the Amphora (1, Manipulation, 2, fifteen minutes):
niscent of Creation’s Summon Ghost ritual (see The Books of This procedure releases the spirit within a mortal soulgem into
Sorcery, Vol. III—Oadenol’s Codex, p. 133). the Ewer of Souls. This procedure can only be enacted ten
If the procedure works, the soul of the offender is drawn into minutes before or five minutes after the hour. The soulgem is
the soulgem by attraction to the blood of the victim, which is taken to the lonely, low-traffic end of a sector, where there is
said to further seal his guilt. This is signified by the blood turn- a station containing the Psychopomp Gears of the Transmodal
ing a bluish-white that glows in the dark. At this juncture, the Essence Recombinator. The Harvester places the soulgem on a
nerve of the Great Maker is pressed against the soulgem and a dais close to the frightening mechanisms of death and makes a
word of practiced revocation is spoken. There is a distinctive ward of salt around it, leading to a massive series of interlocked
pop sound as a spark travels backwards up the nerve (even a moonsilver and soulsteel plates that form a gigantic gate. He
dead nerve), and the setting around the soulgem instantly be- then draws a curtain around the salt ward. Pretending to be a
gins to bleed as the soulsteel posts separate from the flesh and parent, lover, or other person significant to the deceased, the
the setting ceases to be an extension of the offender’s body. Harvester calls her forth and her silhouette can be seen rising
At this point a tool is used to carefully rip the setting (and the behind the curtain. The spirit may even call out to the thau-
soulgem in it) from the offender’s forehead. If the blood of the maturge (for this reason, many Harvesters wear earplugs during
victim does not begin to glow, the ritual has failed to draw the this ritual), but it cannot pass through the curtain due to the
soul into the soulgem, and any application of the Great Maker’s line of salt. At this point, a single rivet on a bulkhead begins to
nerve to the gem will have no effect. Such a botch may be at- unscrew itself, and the dead gears that flank either side of the
tributed to a technician’s failure to measure the dosage of the machine each make one fraction of a turn, from smallest to
anesthetic drug, or it may cause doubt to be thrown on the guilt largest, and the layered moonsilver-soulsteel gate behind the
of the offender. curtain slides open. A wind blows in, and sometimes there are
The ruined shell of a person left behind in the wake of this sounds in it, and sometimes there are voices. Then a number of
ritual behaves much like a dream-eaten slave of the Fair Folk. articulated tendrils appear, moving behind the curtain, wrap-
The subject has no Motivation, his Virtues all drop to 1, his ping around the startled spirit before dragging it back through
Willpower falls to 0, and his MDVs are also permanently set the gateway, which slides shut with a bang, cutting off all noise
to 0. He becomes listless and pliant, doing whatever he is told. and wind from the other side and draining the room of its sense
Autochthonians use such offenders as slave labor on danger- of presences.
ous, back-breaking projects for the remainder of their short and A Hero’s Goodbye (2, Charisma, 3, twenty minutes): Some-
miserable lives. The Exalted never respond to this or any other times it becomes necessary to release the soul of a Champion
ritual which draws their soul into their soulgem prematurely. back into the Radiant Amphora so that it might spend a few
lifetimes aggregating mortal experiences. When such an Al-
The Science of the Dead chemical dies, the procedure to return her soul to the Ewer
Hope Starts Here (2, Charisma, 3, ten minutes): The ritual is often performed as part of a state funeral. This ritual is per-
that transfers the spirit of a destined hero from a mortal soul- formed by a high-ranking Harvester at an amphitheatre called
gem to an Alchemical soulgem is both quick enough to be ef- the Cradle of Returns. The soulgem is carefully placed into a
ficacious and spectacle enough to evoke awe. A Luminor takes setting atop an altar that rises from the superstructure, and
the soulgems to a small room where the wall has been stripped the Harvester says an emotional prayer to Autochthon, giving
away to reveal a network of the Maker’s Essence-conducting thanks for the Champion while they were allowed to have her,
arteries. At this point, all witnesses are asked to stand still and and summarily giving her back to the care of the Great Maker.
silent and to think thoughts of the Maker’s greatness and of the She then presses down on the soulgem with a gloved hand
dire need for a new Champion. Banishing light from the room, bearing the seal of the Machine God, and a number of multi-
the Luminor takes hold of a pre-selected cable, which has been colored Essence tubes light up around the circular borders of
ritually severed for the purpose of this ritual. This cable has a the amphitheatre, displaying images of the Alchemical’s past
soulsteel clamp on one end, and an orichalcum clamp on the incarnations, while a single column across from the Harvester
other. Carefully placing the mortal soulgem in the soulsteel is illuminated with a shaft of pure light, in which the spirit of
clamp and the Alchemical soulgem in the orichalcum clamp, the deceased Alchemical appears and begins to slowly ascend
the Luminor invokes the presence of Autochthon, bidding him into the dark upper reaches, accompanied by a chorus of voices
attend the faithful in their hour of need, then makes a final in- from deep within the Cradle singing the hymn of Autochthon,
vocation bidding the future Champion within to bring light to while a monitor reads out the data of the Champion’s exploits,
the darkness of their world. At this point, the Luminor touches even going so far as to display some of her fondest memories as
the soulgems together, completing the circuit. As the power they flee her for the last time. During this time, each image of
flows through the soulgems, both glow softly. Then, as the spirit her past selves slowly winks out, the Essence tubes darkening
of the hero rises within, the mortal soulgem begins to glow bril- as she ascends, until finally she is gone and the whole Cradle is
liantly for a moment before going completely dark, at which dark except for the soulgem, which glows with the initial radi-
point the Alchemical soulgem glows even brighter and briefly ance given to it by a Luminor so long ago. Then, it too finally
shines with enough force to light up the room, before dropping goes dark, and the ritual is complete.
to a simple but unmistakable ethereal radiance. At this point
the soulgems are parted, removed from the clamps, and the
procedure is complete.

18 Chapter Three • Alchemicals

Artifacts
Essence Pulse Cannon (Artifact ••)
This specialized artifact weapon is custom designed to per-
fectly integrate with Transcendent Multimodal Artifact Matrix
(see The Manual of Exalted Power—The Alchemicals, p.
166), so much so that the device’s delicate motonic circuitry is
incapable of independent operation. When deployed for a five
mote attunement, the device transforms one of the character’s
hands and forearm into a the bulbous barrel of a heavy cannon
mechanism. Within the machine, pneumatically-driven clock-
work gears turn banks of capacitors in opposing rotation, build-
ing up charges of super-heated ball lightning in the colors of the
Champion’s anima. After each shot, the cannon audibly vents
jets of steam from the wrist area to prevent overheating.
Essence Pulse Cannons use the base statistics below and gain
the benefit of the appropriate thrown weapon Magical Material
bonuses (though wielded with Archery). Each shot costs one
mote for ammunition and can inflict bashing or lethal damage
as desired. In the former case, damage never spills over past
Incapacitated to become lethal and so cannot do worse than
knock the target out. Lethal attacks disintegrate slain or de-
stroyed targets, destroying all non-indestructible objects car-
ried by them. Physical disintegration does not affect the target
spiritually (slain spirits to reform normally, etc.). Non-magical
armor predominantly constructed of metal conducts the plas-
ma blasts, reducing soak to one third (rounded up) rather than
the piercing tag’s usual half.
Variant models of this weaponry exist. Hands-free subtle
designs can be mounted as miniaturized emitters implanted in
the eyes, as shoulder turret cannons or any number of other
options. Regardless of the specifics, such weapons only inflict
8L/12B due to their reduced size. Siege Devastators are rated
Artifact 3 and take the opposite approach, with oversized can-
nons that impose a -2 mobility penalty that stacks with any
from armor and blasts that ignore the soak of non-magical
metal armor entirely. Targets are also hurled back and suffer in-
jury if slammed into objects as though the attack was enhanced
by Heaven Thunder Hammer (see Exalted, p. 242), though
knockback damage caps at 25L.
Essence Pulse Cannon: Speed 6, Accuracy +2, Damage
10L/15B, Rate 3, Range 100, Tags F, P
Siege Devastator: Speed 6, Accuracy +0, Damage 15L/20B,
Rate 1, Range 200, Tags F, P

Chapter Three • Alchemicals 19

 Chapter Four

Martial Arts
Celestial Martial Arts one’s foe so that he castigates himself as thoroughly as his vic-
tim. Defeat is mollified by exposing the perfidy of the victori-
General Charms ous.
Black Claw style has two qualities that differentiate it from
Flowing Kata Form other Celestial Martial Arts. First, like all demon-created Ce-
Cost: 6m+ (1wp per Form); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; lestial arts, any demon of any circle may practice the style so
Type: Simple long as the spirit satisfies all relevant trait minimums. Second,
Keywords: None Mara’s association with perverse relationships bleeds into every
Duration: One Scene Charm, inseparably binding sifu and student. It is impossible to
Prerequisite Charms: Two Complete non-Terrestrial Styles know the secrets of this style without being exposed to the in-
Grandmasters understand that all principles are connected nermost heart of one’s instructor, and impossible to understand
and all fighting styles express different petals of the same Per- that knowledge without accepting what is within that heart.
fected Lotus. Flowing Kata Form expresses this principle as one So it is that every Black Claw practitioner bears an Intimacy of
of the rare Celestial Martial Arts Charms unconnected to any genuine and unbreakable love toward his teacher. No amount
style. Invoking it requires a commitment of at least six motes. of natural persuasion or scenes spent working against this love
So long as the Charm remains active and the martial artist has can weaken the Intimacy. Only unnatural mental influence can
no Form-type Charms active, he can pay one Willpower (and sever the emotional connection, and even then, every scene in
any non-mote costs) to reflexively activate any known Martial which the character invokes a Black Claw style Charm counts
Arts Form-type Charm with a mote cost less than the number as a scene spent rebuilding the Intimacy.
of motes committed to Flowing Kata Form. This Willpower sur- This style gained popularity in Creation during the First
charge does not apply the first time a martial artist invokes a Deliberative Era of the Old Realm. Its practice, which began
Form Charm this way each scene. among several of Brigid’s students, quickly flourished through-
Activating a Form-type Charm via Flowing Kata Form out the Solar and Lunar community. Its first Exalted practitio-
doesn’t count as a Charm activation or cost motes, though ners viewed the style as a quaint and amusing demon-trap, its
Dragon-Blooded still have to roll to invoke a Celestial Martial dangers easily seen and avoided so that its benefits could be
Arts Form. Forms turned on this way inhibit activation of other enjoyed. However, as the art spread far and wide, it came to
Form-type Charms as normal for the keyword. Even magic that be regarded with unease—while conquered demons were of no
allows multiple Form-type Charms to coexist does not allow threat to the Realm, the idea of a power bloc forming among
reflexive invocation while using another Form. Characters with young Solars bonded in love to a handful of mighty teachers
“multi-Form” magic remain free to stack Forms by convention- (all the worse if those teachers were Lunars, or Sidereals!) was
ally activating them. quite alarming. So it was that after a few short centuries Queen
There is no limit on how often a martial artist can reflexively Merela outlawed the style and brutally suppressed its schools.
adopt a new Form beyond the Willpower cost to do so, mak- Those without the personal or political power to ignore the law
ing it possible to use one Form to help an attack hit and then were bonded in Eclipse-sanctified oaths to forsake the practice
swapping to another to enhance the attack if it hits. Enabling of the style. Save for a handful of lovestruck outlaws, it fell from
a flexible fighting style that changes tactics without warning is the history of Creation.
the very reason Flowing Kata Form exists. The Black Claw style likewise proved disruptive to the regi-
mented chaos of the Demon City. Because it allowed the weak
Black Claw Style to bond the mighty to themselves in chains of love, Cecelyne
Three times during the First Age, deer-footed Mara con- issued a partial proscription against the style, sanctioning its
cocted grand and insidious schemes to bring low the Chosen use only by citizens of Malfeas. Orabilis, who does not con-
of Creation. Three times, her plans came to naught. Mara’s sider love to be a form of wisdom, tasked his soul Florivet with
prestige within Malfeas remains undiminished despite these rooting out illegal schools within the Demon City. However,
failures, for the tools of her ambition still abide in the world and the Whim-of-the-Wind has rarely bothered looking since he
much cautionary lore regarding them has vanished in the fires became an adventurer. On the rare occasions when he uncov-
of cataclysm and revolt. The Black Claw style was her second ers demonic serfs making unauthorized use of the Black Claw,
plan, and while it failed, it has not passed from existence and he defeats them in gaudy and spectacular public fights, but this
might still bear fruit in this Age or the next. happens less and less as time goes on. The public resentment
Also known variously as the Fainting Maiden style or the against him after such battles makes Florivet sullen and unen-
Mouse-Seizes-Bear Art, Black Claw style utilizes the tools of thusiastic.
misdirection, perception and love as its primary weapons. Vic- Now, as the Reclamation begins, Black Claw style is experi-
tory is grasped by opening oneself utterly to the aggressions of encing a resurgence. Mara has already taken on several Green

20 Chapter Four • Martial Arts

Sun Princes as students (and lovers), and it will not be long This Charm will not function if evoked in conjunction with
before they establish their first school in Creation. a Charm possessing a Flaw of Invulnerability (or equivalent
Weapons and Armor: Black Claw style may only be prac- effect, such as an Infernal Imperfection); the martial artist’s
ticed with bare hands, and without armor. An appearance of beauty lies in his weakness, not his invulnerable strength.
martial readiness would undermine practitioners’ posture of
unjustly assaulted innocence. Flexing the Emerald Claw
Complementary Abilities: To properly grasp the insights Cost: 3m or 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type:
upon which the style is founded, a student must possess at least Supplemental
two dots spread in any fashion among Larceny, Socialize and Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion, Obvious, Poison
Performance. Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Open Palm Caress, Torn Lotus Defense
Open Palm Caress Even for the unjustly wronged, there comes a time to strike
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive back. Students of the Black Claw opt to do so with deceptive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion force. By paying three motes to supplement an unarmed attack,
Duration: Instant the martial artist’s hand becomes wreathed in a bilious green
Prerequisite Charms: None spray of Essence. If the attack hits, it inflicts normal damage
From the beginning, things start to go wrong. Righteous he- and the victim becomes afflicted with a dose of poison with
roes find themselves cast as a vicious bullies when they fight a the following statistics: (7L/action, 3, —/—, -2). This poison
student of the Black Claw—even if the martial artist picked is exceptionally subtle, displaying no outward symptoms as it
the fight himself. This Charm supplements a Join Battle action, destroys its victim from the inside. By paying four motes in-
adding the user’s Essence in bonus successes. stead, the martial artist may veil his strike in an unnatural Illu-
Regardless of whether the Join Battle roll permits the martial sion effect, removing the Obvious tag for all observers save the
artist to act first, compare the result to the Dodge MDV of Charm’s target. This Illusion may be ignored by observers who
all other characters who witness the fight begin (including all spend one Willpower.
combatants). If the roll result is higher, they suffer an unnatural
Illusion effect which costs two Willpower to resist, convinc- Black Claw Form
ing them that the martial artist’s opponents initiated hostili- Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple
ties. This even applies to the opponents themselves, who may Keywords: Emotion, Form-type
suddenly find themselves quite confused about why they are Duration: One scene
attacking the character. Characters that do not pay this cost Prerequisite Charms: Flexing the Emerald Claw
upfront can pay four Willpower to correct their memories later, The martial artist assumes a defensive posture, equally de-
but only with external prompting or a compelling personal rea- clarative of his unwillingness to fight and his readiness to de-
son to question the memory and not until a day has passed since fend himself regardless. During Step 9 of any attack directed
they last encountered the martial artist. Minds need distance against him, the character may pay one mote to leap away from
from such a toxic presence before they can think clearly. This his aggressor (Appearance) yards, although the character does
Charm may enhance only the first Join Battle roll the character not actually move until after Step 10 has been resolved.
makes in a fight. Additionally, as only a brute would assault such a reluctant
opponent, each attack directed at the character causes any on-
Torn Lotus Defense lookers to act as though the attacker had just spent a scene
Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive eroding any positive Intimacies they might feel toward him.
(Step 10) This unnatural Emotion effect costs one Willpower to ignore
Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion for the rest of the scene with regard to that attacker. Witnesses
Duration: Instant with higher Essence than the Charm’s user who pay this cost
Prerequisite Charms: None ignore its influence with regard to all attackers.
Every Black Claw student must submit to his sifu. As one Finally, the character may parry lethal and ranged attacks
whose heart has already been conquered, he knows that any without a stunt or Charm, and Torn Lotus Defense does not
greater defeat is impossible. The martial artist draws on the count as a Charm activation while this Form is active.
memory of his love and channels it into his stance, projecting
unmistakable and fragile resolution: a sight to move the hearts Storm-Calming Embrace
of gods and demons alike. Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive
This Charm may be invoked when the character successfully Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling
negates an attack with his DV. The aggressor is struck by the Duration: Until next action
character’s posture of resolute defiance, and treats the success- Prerequisite Charms: Black Claw Form
ful defense as a scene spent working toward building a positive Despite being cruelly assaulted, the martial artist clasps his
Intimacy for the martial artist. The specific emotional context opponent to him. Swallowing his rancor, he does nothing to
of the Intimacy, be it respect, admiration, or even unexpected escalate the fight—such virtue! This Charm allows the martial
love, depends on the context of the situation and may be cho- artist to add his Essence rating in dice to all attempts to estab-
sen by the attacker’s player. This unnatural mental influence lish, maintain or control a grapple. However, a clinch enhanced
costs one Willpower to resist. by this Charm may only be used to apply a hold, not to crush
or throw.

Chapter Four • Martial Arts 21

 Incidentally, as a Crippling effect, the target the martial artist style are revealed as hypocrites; this technique employs the
is holding automatically fails all Toxicity rolls, and any poisons weapons of Creation, not Hell.
in the target’s system add the L tag to their Toxicity. This Charm may be activated in response to an attack that
successfully strikes the martial artist. It takes the form of a kiai
Doe Eyes Defense that compresses the character’s agony into a heart-rending
Cost: 2m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive wail. Roll ([Manipulation or Appearance] + Performance),
(Step 2) adding a number of successes equal to any wound penalties the
Keywords: Combo-OK, Emotion martial artist may be suffering, and apply it against the Dodge
Duration: Instant MDV of all witnesses within earshot save for the attacker him-
Prerequisite Charms: Black Claw Form self. Those who succumb to this unnatural mental influence
The Black Claw practitioner is well aware that vulnerability (spending the standard one Willpower to resist immunizes a
is his greatest defense, and exploits it ruthlessly. The martial listener for the rest of the scene) suffer a Compulsion to assault
artist falls back hurriedly in response to an attack, his every the martial artist’s attacker and to protect the martial artist.
movement accentuating his inferiority in the face of the on- This behavior persists until either the attacker or the martial
coming assault. Realization of her target’s weakness unnerves artist has been out of sight for one minute, or the scene ends,
or unduly excites the attacker, depending on her temperament, whichever comes first.
causing her to experience an internal penalty on her attack roll The attack is considered automatically successful against all
equal to the martial artist’s (Appearance + 2). This unnatural listeners who have a positive intimacy toward the martial art-
mental influence costs two Willpower to ignore. In the First ist, a negative intimacy toward the attacker, or who believe the
Age, this technique was also sometimes known as the Fainting attacker started the fight.
Maiden Ward, or the Painted Boy Defense.
Heart-Ripping Claw
Table-Turning Reversal Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type:
Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Supplemental
(Step 9) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack, Emotion Duration: Instant
Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Outrage-Kindling Cry
Prerequisite Charms: Black Claw Form This is the secret final technique of the Black Claw style.
Only a coward would use a weapon to strike down an un- In the past, many teachers kept this Charm to themselves.
armed man. All Creation rejoices to see a bully given a dose of Though the Yozis have forbidden their progeny from withhold-
his own medicine, and the martial artist is the one to do it. ing it from the Green Sun Princes, it seems likely that many
This Charm is activated in response to an attack; regardless of the style’s Infernal masters may likewise neglect to mention
of whether the attack succeeds, the martial artist may launch Heart-Ripping Claw when they establish their schools in Cre-
a counterattack. This counterattack is a standard disarm at- ation.
tempt (see Exalted, p.158), save that rather than knocking the Eight wisdoms live at the heart of Black Claw style: Love is a
opponent’s weapon away, the martial artist steals and reflex- lie; innocence is a lie; blame is a lie; lies are inescapable. Chil-
ively equips it. If the counterattack succeeds, he may treat the dren betray their parents; gods betray their makers; students
pilfered weapon as though it were an unarmed attack for the betray their teachers; betrayal is inescapable. Wise masters are
purpose of all Black Claw style Charms then for the rest of the ready to strike first, and strike better.
scene or until the weapon leaves his grasp, whichever comes Enhancing an unarmed attack with this Charm causes the
first. Weapons made entirely of Essence and attuned artifact attacking limb to be wreathed in a corona of screaming black
weapons are not valid targets for this Charm. shadows, razor-edged and lashing. An attack so enhanced in-
Additionally, all characters who witness a successful disarm flicts lethal damage, and adds a raw damage bonus equal to
performed with this Charm treat the sight as a scene of work twice the martial artist’s Essence rating.
toward building a positive Intimacy for the martial artist. The Moreover, if the Black Claw master is held in someone’s
emotional context of this Intimacy is chosen by the observer’s heart, he cannot fail to strike that mark. This Charm acts as
player. This unnatural mental influence costs one Willpower an unblockable and undodgeable attack against any target har-
to resist. boring a positive Intimacy toward the martial artist. If the at-
Outrage-Kindling Cry tack would have missed such a target without this Charm, then
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: it strikes with a threshold of 0 successes. If the target has an
Reflexive (Step 9) Intimacy of love toward the martial artist, then the attack in-
Keywords: Combo-basic, Compulsion, Counterattack flicts aggravated damage in addition to the benefits mentioned
Duration: Instant above. If this Charm slays an opponent, the Infernal tears the
Prerequisite Charms: Storm-Calming Embrace, Doe Eyes target’s heart out of their chest and holds it in his fist as it
Defense, Table-Turning Reversal crumbles to ash.
These things are natural in Creation, but not Malfeas: To
cheer for the underdog, to feel one’s heart go out to another in
pain, and to abhor injustice. Thus pious critics of Black Claw

22 Chapter Four • Martial Arts

 Chapter Five

Allies, Foes & Pets

Animals Attacks:
Bite: Speed 3, Accuracy 8 (+ specialties), Damage 3L, Parry
Ink Monkey (Familiar •••••) DV —, Rate 2, Tags: N
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 5, Stamina 1, Charisma 2, Strike: Speed 5, Accuracy 7 (+ specialties), Damage 2B,
Manipulation 3, Appearance 4, Perception 5, Intelligence 2, Parry DV 4, Rate 3, Tags: N
Wits 4 Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 6 (+ specialties), Damage 1B,
Virtues: Compassion 1, Conviction 3, Temperance 2, Valor 2 Parry DV —, Rate 1, Tags: C, N, P
Abilities: Athletics 2 (Climbing +3), Awareness 5, Dodge Soak: 0L/1B
4, Integrity 1, Larceny 2 (Pickpocketing +2), Linguistics (Na- Health Levels: -0/-1/-2/-4/Incap
tive: Old Realm, Ink Monkey Chatter +1, Forest Tongue or Dodge DV: 5 Willpower: 5
appropriate Tribal Tongue) 2, Martial Arts 1 (Biting +1, Dirty Essence: 1
Fighting +1, While Victim Is Casting a Spell +1), Occult 1, Other Notes: Though their mouths cannot speak human
Performance 3 (Fooling Mortals +3), Resistance 1, Stealth 4 languages, all Ink Monkeys are imprinted with understanding
(Creeping Closer +1), Survival 2 of Old Realm as part of their genesis template. Borighana in-
Backgrounds: Allies 1 (Ink Monkey Swarm) cluded this so she could instruct them to stop biting without
Powers: having to break them. The creatures benefit from a -1 external
Environmental Adaptation: Ink Monkeys add three successes penalty to hit them due to their small size and up to eight of
to all Survival rolls in temperate forest climates. They also suf- them can surround a human-sized target. Ink Monkeys are of-
fer a -2 internal penalty to all non-reflexive actions while in ten extras.
cold weather conditions; even a brisk day makes them miser-
able.
Meditative Capering: Essence users with Occult 4+ who med-
itate while watching Ink Monkeys play observe secret mudras
of cosmic enlightenment hidden in their movements. These
truths confer 10 motes per hour of meditation instead of the
usual eight.
Scent of Magic: Whenever an Ink Monkey perceives an Intel-
ligence 2+ character with a basic Awareness check, it intuits
that target’s Occult rating as hunger pains proportional to the
target’s metaphysical understanding. Anyone with Occult 2+
registers as prey. Ink Monkeys also add a number of bonus suc-
cesses on all tracking-based Survival rolls equal to their quar-
ry’s Occult rating.
Air Inked With Lies: Ink Monkeys can fool others with illu-
sions that beguile the mind’s eye, courtesy of the crushed gos-
samer used in the ink that changed them into monsters. Creat-
ing an illusion requires a (Manipulation + Performance) roll
as a social attack that potentially affects all Intelligence 2+
beings who could perceive it within 100 yards of the monkeys.
Anything unreal may be created out of thin air within the
maximum radius. If the attack overcomes an observer’s Dodge
MDV, she believes the unreal things are actually present and
reacts accordingly until she encounters proof that the illusions
are fake (they have no substance) or she spends a total of three
Willpower points to inoculate her mind against this power for
a day. Those who resist in any way and other Ink Monkeys still
perceive the illusions, but always recognize them for what they
are. This doesn’t stop the creatures pretending something is
real to give the ruse added credibility, like scattering and howl-
ing in response to the arrival of a large predator.

Chapter Five • Allies, Foes & Pets 23

 Appendix

Commentary
Agenda It is our intention to give this same sort of love to other Hero
Styles, particularly Solar Hero Style. Grendel needs his Beowulf
The Ink Monkeys scheme to bring readers Exalted content
after all. Readers may certainly offer suggestions on what they
on par with their published works, using the blog as a pulpit to
hope to see from later installments of the Infernal Monster se-
expound on topics that Second Edition never got around to
ries. Until then, have fun grinding the universe to paste.
updating from First Edition, as well as subjects deemed too eso-
—Michael A. Goodwin
teric or niche to merit precious allotment of wordcount. Here,
unbound by such restraints, the Ink Monkeys will dig up the Roar of the Devil Beast
bones of the setting and crunch them. Hey all.
More seriously, we hope you enjoy reading our ravings as Here is part three of the Infernal Monster expansion series.
much as we enjoy gibbering them in your general direction. To You’ll note we cut out Post-Traumatic Brutality Roar from the
that end, expect articles, essays, new Charms and spells and previous post and added it here. It has an activation roll now,
other crunchy bits, insane Deathlords with sane stats, fiction which I added after realizing there were problem interactions
vignettes, locations you never heard of or thought you would with later Charms by not including one. This is one advantage
never hear about again, new ways to beat ass with or without of the blog format. I can recognize that something isn’t working
kung fu and perhaps even a contest or two. Updates will be right and fix it immediately. Isn’t technology awesome?
frequent, but not at regular scheduled intervals. We welcome On an unrelated note, I’ve been seeing some grumbling
feedback. Tell us what you want to see. Tell us what you dislike. about how everything we’ve put up so far has been for Infernal
We don’t promise to take all reader comments to heart, but we or Alchemical. There is some Lunar content coming in one of
do promise to listen. We hope you like what we have to say. the IMS expansions, but that isn’t the main focus, so it’s not
Most of all, we hope you’ll have as much fun reading our work that much. However, this is not to say that Ink Monkeys will
as we do writing it. only be offering content for those Exalted types. I’ve promised
—Michael Goodwin some Solar Hero and Lunar Hero and Dark Messiah and Ter-
—Holden Shearer restrial Hero expansions, and you’ll get those. However, before
—John Mørke we get there, I’m working on statting up Gardullis. At last, you
will see the full power of an armed and operational Greater
Essence Pulse Cannon Elemental Dragon. Can’t promise when he’ll be done, only that
When Holden and I were converting the Alchemical Charms he is my next project after the IMS series ends. Hope that is
for Second Edition, we quickly realized that some of the most some reassurance to the “Quit with the Primordial Exalted al-
iconic combat Charms I gave them in First Edition were so nar- ready!” camp. As always, thanks for reading.
row that they tended to produce One True Builds. With every- —Michael A. Goodwin
one rocking Essence Pulse Cannons and using mechacthulhu
multi-limb Grievous builds because they were where the fire- Chained Beast
power was, nobody was exploring all the other amazing aesthet- Hey all,
ics that Alchemicals could wield. To combat that, we took a Here is something unexpected and different for the latest
broader approach, ensuring that people could arm themselves IMS installment. Yes, these Charms are overpowered. Yes,
however they want to. Still, some people miss their Essence that is the point of akuma. If you sell your soul and your pro-
Pulse Cannons. And we get that. They were cool. tagonism, you deserve to get something for it. Consider these
We think they’re still cool. We might be biased. Charms a bit of that something. Enjoy!
—Michael A. Goodwin —Michael A. Goodwin
For that matter, are there any other lost First Edition gems
your Alchemical just can’t live without? Autochthonia and Souls
—Holden Shearer It has become apparent of late that the new Manual of Ex-
alted Power—Alchemicals, though awesome in every other
Infernal Monster Expansions way, could stand to be clearer on the subject of Autochthonia’s
The Ink Monkeys will be showcasing expansions for the in- unique cycle of reincarnation, and the role soulgems play in
famous Infernal Monster Style introduced in The Manual of this cycle. Because both soulgems and Autochthonia’s current
Exalted Power—The Infernals. The style is clearly inspired by soul crisis are matters of such great import to its Champions, we
a variety of sources, including The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy, present the following information to hopefully shine some light
Grendel and a whole bunch of assorted nasty beasties in folk- on the issue and dispel confusion.
lore and mythology. It is the fighting art of ogres and raving psy- Clarity: It’s not just a game trait!
chopaths and hideous bloody tyrants. Each installment of this —Holden Shearer
series will explore different thematic niches the style explores. —John Mørke

24 Appendix • Commentary
Chosen of the Unconquered Sun I had no memory of such a thing and was quite surprised—
Martial Arts have always been one of my biggest areas of inter-
This time out, Ink Monkeys at long last pays tribute to the
est in Exalted. So I dug out my old copy, blew the dust off of
heart and core of Exalted—the Chosen of the Unconquered
it, didn’t see anything about a Black Claw style, read it again,
Sun. Below are some new tools for young Lawgivers to wield
and then finally noticed it in her Ability block—Martial Arts 5
as they wade into the Time of Tumult and struggle to reshape
(Black Claw Style +2).
Creation. These Charms strive to not only incorporate design
Conrad has an amazing memory for fine details.
principles Neph and I learned while putting together the later
Neph wasn’t especially interested in adding such a thing to
hardbacks of second edition, but to match these advanced les-
his already-full plate, so, half-jokingly, I said “I’ll write it up.”
sons to the vibrant new visions for Solar thematics and me-
He said that I should go ahead and do so, and he’d include it in
chanics that John Mørke brings to the table. I think the result
the end, if there were any room.
speaks for itself.
Anyone familiar with The Manual of Exalted Power—The
—Holden Shearer
Infernals is laughing right about now. Or crying. For me it’s
—John Mørke
usually both at once.
—Michael A. Goodwin
At any rate, although I wrote it, this style owes one debt of
Black Claw Style gratitude to Conrad Hubbard (for bringing it to our attention)
and two debts of gratitude to Michael Goodwin. First, because
I’ve been waiting a long time to make this post.
Yes, it’s yet another martial arts style, but a bit different than he gave me the go-ahead to write it in the first place, and sec-
what you may be used to. ond, because he provided the idea for the style’s unique sifu-
This style was created by a demon. student relationship, which I built the rest of Black Claw on.
Black Claw pushes the envelope for esoteric weirdness within This has been sitting in my proverbial bottom drawer, wait-
a Celestial style—it’s very much riding the edge, and shouldn’t ing for the right moment to be unleashed upon the world, for
be taken as something you see a lot of in CMA. Still, exploring a very long time. It may be my single favorite martial arts style
the odd outer boundaries of the system and the setting are one that I have ever written. I hope it provides some benefit to your
of the things we wanted to do when we asked for this blog, so games.
here we are. —Holden Shearer
This style is actually, in a manner of speaking, the first thing
I ever wrote for White Wolf. Sort of. Black Claw dates back
to the summer of 2008, when Neph was writing Infernals and
I was still hoping that I might some day graduate from play-
tester to writer. One day, as memory serves, Conrad Hubbard
sent over an email wondering if Neph might possibly write up
Black Claw style for inclusion in the book. “What’s Black Claw
style?” I asked. Neph indicated that, according to Conrad, it
was a martial arts style in Mara’s writeup, from way back in the
first edition Storyteller’s Companion.

Appendix • Commentary 25