At Creation’s jagged edges, in forgotten kingdoms flooded by chaos, in the ruins of magnificent cities whose name is lost, there dwell the March Lords. At the head of merchant caravans forging through scorching sandstorms to establish trade routes thought impossible, there ride the March Lords. In the chambers of princes, poring over dusty tomes and listening to travelers’ tales to draw the lines of the map on parchment, there stand the March Lords.
They are travelers, explorers, mapmakers, scholars of the unknown, tomb-raiders, settlers, and conquerors. Born in an act of sacrifice and unimaginable sorrow at the dawn of the Second Age, the March Lords were cast into the world without guidance, other than the yearning they feel in their deepest soul to push back the edges of the map, to write what is unwritten, and to define what is unfathomable. To define the world is to give it shape, to wrest it from blind chaos, and chaos is what they abhor above all, for they bear its scars.
History
In the early First Age, Forma sat high in the courts of Heaven. She was the Doyenne of Cartography, known as the Winnower of Shape, revered by those who drew the lines and boundaries of Creation in that distant time when so much was unknown. Forma gave the world shape. Forma made the world make sense.
What Forma did not understand was that as the world came to be fully known, her abstract ideals regarding the nature of cartography were rapidly falling out of favor. A map was no longer a symbol of what rendered reality into shape, it was a concrete tool to plan logistics and warfare. The Doyenne lost much of her status at the peak of the First Age, when the world was believed already mastered, and then again in its fall, when the Shogunate made her intellectual understanding of her position obsolete. Rather than live in the shame of her lowered status in Heaven, Forma exiled herself to Creation to live as a queen among her subjects.
In Creation, Forma gathered a court of locational deities: gods of remote, forgotten, and fragile places. With what remained of her wealth and status, Forma could still turn a backwater into a thriving town; with a stroke of a quill, she could turn a remote shrine into a pilgrimage destination and thereby elevate its god. In exchange, Forma obtained what she valued most: love, adoration, and the feeling that she was giving sense to the world. She took many of the cleverest, fairest, and boldest lesser gods as consorts, and, for a time, she was happy.
Then came the Great Contagion, and death swept the land. In horror, Forma and her consorts watched as the world withered and unraveled at the edges. When the fae came in the wake of the plague, villages, hidden groves, secret shrines, and mountain temples all ceased to exist, swallowed by blind, laughing chaos. Her consorts and courtiers fled from their homes, many of them wounded or maimed, most having lost everything. When they beseeched Forma for guidance, she did the only thing she could think of to redress their loss: she pleaded with the Most High for the Flame of Exigence, and for the first time in an age, he accepted. She burned herself upon that fire. She burned, all of her consorts who knelt with her in that moment burned, and in their pain they fueled the fire of Exaltation. The winds carried their final gift to the corners of Creation, to empower fleeting human lives standing against the end of the world.
For nigh on 800 years, the March Lords have dwelled at the edges of Creation. They have lived, carved their meaning into the world, and died, and the winds carry Forma’s wail onward. They remain still.
Traits
March Lords are intended for Terrestrial play (Exigents, p.46).
Aspects
The March Lords are divided into four Aspects based on each cardinal direction of Creation’s borders, reflecting the origins of those among Forma’s consorts whose power was invested in that particular Exaltation as channeled through the Winnower’s own perception of that Direction. Forma was not without her own biases, even — some might say especially — toward those she favored; the Aspects do not represent intrinsic truths about the Directions so much as an idealized, sometimes fantasized vision of that Direction as a narrative, and they tend to Choose those whose personalities align with that vision.
Martial Arts
March Lords are restricted by the Terrestrial keyword (Exalted, p. 427) when using Martial Arts. They’re limited in their ability to combine Martial Arts Charms with their native Charms. When they make a Martial Arts attack, they can enhance it with either native Charms or Martial Arts Charms, but not both, with the exception of Excellencies and Versatile Charms (Exigents, p. XX). This doesn’t apply to Charms that are permanent or provide ongoing benefits, nor to actions other than attacking.
Sorcery
March Lords can initiate into Terrestrial Circle sorcery or Ivory Circle necromancy, but not both. Their Occult Ability determines whether they receive the Favored Ability discount on spells.
Evocations
The March Lords are neutral with moonsilver and white jade. They are also neutral with another color of jade that corresponds to their Directional Aspect; blue for North, black for West, green for East and red for South. They are dissonant with all other materials.
Divergence
A subtle poison lies within the March Lords’ souls, the plaintive wail of warped gods and the grief of watching the world consumed by chaos. A March Lord’s Great Curse manifests as a ten-point Divergence Track. Unlike Limit, reaching ten Divergence does not cause a cathartic eruption of terrible passion. Rather, as a March Lord’s Divergence waxes and wanes, the howl of Forma’s grief, the pain of her consorts’ loss, and the awful allure of the Wyld come to hold greater and greater power over the March Lord’s inner flame, causing them to lose touch with reality and the linearity of time, but also suffusing their Essence with strange new power. March Lords gain direct benefits from their Divergence, in the form of both innate traits and the Outsider keyword, which expands their Charms’ capabilities at certain Divergence thresholds or allows them to gain Divergence to access particular abilities.
Charms
March Lord Charms reflect Forma’s love of the world, the unknown, the remote, and her cartographic prowess. They empower journeys, exploration, and learning from those one meets on one’s travels; but they also impose the March Lords’ order upon the world, forcing it into a shape that accords with their own vision. They only have Charms for Athletics, Integrity, Lore, Socialize, and Survival, though their Charms encompass the breadth of Exalted endeavor. Furthermore, the patchwork nature of their Exigence has warped some of the March Lords’ powers and left burning embers of Wyld influence in their Exaltation, represented by the Outsider keyword.
New Keyword
Outsider: An Outsider Charm has an alternate function drawn from the otherworldly corruption suffered by Forma’s court and passed on to its Chosen. It is often connected to the Wyld in some way. Using the Outsider function of a Charm often involves gaining Divergence, or else grants additional powers or alternate functions to March Lords at a certain threshold of Divergence.
Excellencies
March Lords have Excellencies for all twenty-five Abilities. They must purchase individual Excellencies for each Ability, other than the five free Excellencies they receive at character creation.
March Lords may add up to (Ability + Specialty) dice to rolls. Automatic successes count as two dice toward this limit. Static values such as Evasion or Resolve can be raised by half their dice limit, rounded down. Temporary specialties created by Charms are not considered Charm dice.
Ever-Expanding Scroll of Battles
Cost: —(+4m); Mins: Athletics 1, Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: None
Creation is home to ten thousand arts of battle both known and forgotten, and in their journeys the March Lords are called to record them all.
Upon purchasing this Charm, the March Lord gains two free specialties in Athletics or a combat Ability of her choice. Any time she purchases an Athletics or combat specialty, she can also acquire a second specialty in either the same or a different Ability. So long as she is being instructed by another character in a fighting style with which she is unfamiliar, she halves the training time for combat Ability dots and specialties after all other factors.
For four motes, the March Lord can introduce relevant facts using combat Ability specialties instead of Lore Backgrounds, using that Ability instead of Lore. Once per scene when she does so in combat, she gains (Essence) Initiative.
With an Athletics 3 repurchase, the March Lord gains two additional free weapon specialties in a combat Ability of her choice. From now on, she can purchase specialties for weapons that have the Martial Arts tag in the closest appropriate combat Ability — this is typically Melee for melee weapons and Thrown for ranged weapons, but weapons with the Worn tag may use Brawl while some weapons may call for Archery. When wielding such a weapon, she can substitute that combat Ability instead of Martial Arts.
Forma’s Wandering Carriage
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Integrity 5, Essence 4
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: One journey
Prerequisite Charms: Any 10 Integrity Charms
Whether seized by wanderlust, cornered by enemies, or casting out a lifeline for whoever might need her, the March Lord may always find Forma’s carriage ready to take her where she needs to be.
The March Lord summons Forma’s carriage, which arrives at the beginning of her next turn, materializing within close range with a high-pitched whistle. From the outside, it appears to be a finely apportioned windowless cab or palanquin, capable of bearing four passengers comfortably, although with no porters or horses to move it. Inside, it reveals itself to be a richly apportioned windowless mansion, with stores of rich food, water and wine, books, instruments, and sundry entertainments, as well as beds and facilities to easily accommodate over a dozen.
The door to the carriage remains open for up to five minutes, or until the March Lord closes it, at which point it vanishes. Those inside cannot leave for the duration of the journey. From the March Lord’s perspective, the journey always takes five days, and she has no direct control over her destination. If a character or group of character for toward whom the March Lord has a Major or Defining Intimacy is in need of aid, then the carriage will speedily carry her to them, ensuring she arrives just in the nick of time, whatever the distance or urgency of the threat. A city besieged will see her arrive on the eve of the final assault, while a friend being held at sword point by treacherous guards may find her arriving immediately, the carriage emerging into his bedroom with only minimal damage to the furniture, the journey having taken only moments.
If the March Lord is not direly needed, then the carriage will instead direct itself toward a place the March Lord has never visited before, where some aid she could provide would be welcome: a village facing slow encroachment by the Wyld, a satrapy being squeezed for blood and silver by hungry Dynasts, an underwater city whose walls are facing erosion, etc. This journey always takes five days, and has no range limit, though it should generally take the March Lords toward places that are dramatically relevant to her ongoing story, usually by being close neighbors to places she cares about or having some relevance to her Intimacies.
Reset: Once per story, unless reset by achieving a legendary goal related to traveling or exploration.
Whispers of Worlds Beyond
Cost: —; Mins: Lore 4, Essence 2
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Reading the Land’s Record
Creation’s hidden magic reveals itself to the March Lords.
This Charm permanently upgrades its prerequisite. When using Reading the Land’s Record, the March Lord may ask an additional question for every two successes instead of three. She may also ask the following questions.
• What is the nearest manse or demesne within this area, and what is its name?
• Do any spirits have a sanctum which opens into this area, and if so, what are their names?
• Does the Wyld intrude in this area?
• Do any shadowlands open in this area?
Outsider: At Divergence 3+, she may additionally ask: Is anything in this area of relevance to Forma and her consorts’ history?
Opal’s Wisdom, Intrepid Explorer
Opal’s Wisdom (p.XX) is a young Western Lord plagued by troubling dreams. She is in search of allies for a dangerous expedition to Atmu, where she hopes to uncover evidence of what befell her mentor. She’s a suitable three-dot Ally or four-dot Retainer.
Essence: 2; Willpower: 6; Join Battle: 10 dice
Personal: 13; Peripheral: 31
Health Levels: −0×1/−1×2/−2×6/−4×1/Incap.
Actions: Administration: 9 dice (+4 for 4m); Bargaining: 10 dice (+6 for 6m); Esoteric knowledge: 8 dice (+4 for 4m); Navigation: 10 dice (+6 for 6m), Read Intentions: 10 dice (+6 for 6m); Seafaring: 8 dice (+5 for 5m); Senses: 7 dice (+4 for 4m); Social Influence: 8 dice (+4 for 4m)
Appearance 4, Resolve 4 (+2 for 4m), Guile 5 (+2 for 4m)
Combat
Attack (Unarmed): 8 dice (Damage 10B/1)
Attack (Pinnacle, White Jade Daiklave): 11 dice (+5 for 5m, Damage 13L/4)
Attack (Sling): 12 dice at close range (+5 for 5m, Damage 10B/1)
Attack (Grapple): 8 dice (8 dice to control)
Combat Movement: 10 dice
Evasion: 5; Parry: 6
Soak/Hardness: 5 (Chain shirt)
Intimacies
Defining Principle: I dream of things that should not be, and no longer know who I am.
Major Principle: I refuse to believe anything is ever truly lost.
Major Tie: My Mentor, Ishizu (Grief and Mystery)
Major Tie: Other March Lords (Yearning)
Minor Principle: Fear is best confronted head-on.
Minor Tie: The Guild (Resentful Obligation)
Minor Tie: Qeya (Affection)
Escort
Opal is always accompanied by Qeya, her raiton familiar (Exalted, p. 570). When not venturing alone, she is usually found in the company of several well-armed bodyguards (as Battle-Ready Troops, Exalted, p. 497).
Anima
Stalk the Deck (Permanent): Opal ignores penalties for unsteady ground.
Ride the Current (5m, Reflexive, Instant): Opal adds (Essence) non-Charm dice to a roll to rush or disengage. This is free at bonfire.
Link the Isles (—, Reflexive, Instant): When appealing to an Intimacy toward a different community than the target’s own or a Principle related to contact between communities, trade, or opportunity, Opal may treat it as if it were one step higher. Once per day.
Offensive Charms
Blood-Spilling Style Synthesis (3m, decisive-only): Opal adds up to two extra successes as dice of damage on a decisive attack with her sling, or up to three when using her daiklave.
Defensive Charms
Unfettered Freedom Stance (1m per point of penalty, Reflexive): Opal negates 3 points of Defense penalty except surprise penalties. If she suffers no penalty, she gains one Initiative for defending against an attack.
Southern Gemhide Resilience (3m, Reflexive, Perilous): Opal gains +2 soak. She gains an additional point of soak per point of penalty to her Defense she negated against the attack, to a maximum of +4. On barren ground, she can use this Charm after the attack roll.
Social Charms
Equitable Trade Understanding (3m; Simple): Opal reads intentions to see what would be needed to entice a character to perform a specific transaction with a bargain. Success reveals the general quantity and type of payment he would require, as long as his strongest Intimacy related to the bargain, if any.
Reading the Air (4m, 1wp; Simple): Opal reads intentions against all characters she can perceive. Success reveals the current emotional state of each character whose Guile she beat and the overall emotional tenor of the area. If her recent arrival caused a change in collective emotions, she learns that, too.
Knowledge Charms
Eight Horizon Ways (Permanent): Opal ignores up to two points of penalty on navigation and travel rolls. She always remembers the path to any place she’s visited before and rerolls 1s until they cease to appear on navigation rolls to find these places. She can create compasses that point unerringly to places she has been before, though they lose power with her death.
Listening to the World’s Voice (3m, Simple): When Opal reaches a prominent landmark she has not visited before she may spend a minute in contemplation and roll Navigation against difficulty 4. On a success, she intuits a piece of the history of the region of which she was not previously aware, learns the name and general direction of the closest place that is relevant to one of her Intimacies, and can introduce a fact about some feature of the location without needing an appropriate Lore background.
Teaching Princes Geography (4m, Supplemental, Instant): As long as Opal uses a map to illustrate or enhance her point when using social influence, she counts as leveraging a Minor Intimacy. If she is already leveraging an Intimacy, the Willpower cost to resist her influence is increased by one. When making an influence action that does not rely on Intimacies, like bargains, her evidence always supports convincing the target to engage in at least a trivial task.