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The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
Much in the same vein as the Hill-Crushing Hero contest mentioned a while back in this blog (the voting is still going on here), the idea of this month's contest is to design your favorite canonical Lunar Exalt that never got a write-up in second edition.  Yeah, I know this comes shortly before the release of the Scroll of Exalts, but there are Exalts that we never really get a good write-up of in second edition.  The Lunars on the following list are valid candidates for write ups and you can submit as many different Lunars as you like (no submitting the same Lunar twice).  Remember, theme is important, so don't just try to build the biggest powerhouse you can!  Entries must have a Starting Character (0XP) build and a finished character (any XP you want) build to be accepted.  The winner will receive the chance to have an article of their own published in this blog.  So, get out there and give it your best shot!

List of potential Lunars (if you can find others that aren't on this list, by all means, propose them or just write them up!):
Kajeha Lef (MoEP: Lunars, p. 96), Mnalif Nganto (Blood & Salt, p. 106), Strength of Many (MoEP: Lunars, p. 53), Arr-D'gado (Kingdom of Halta, pp. 53-55), Red Jaws (MoEP: Lunars, p. 115), Tagar Frostbreath (Bastions of the North, p. 112),  Ten Stripes (MoEP: Lunars, p. 58), Anja Silverclaws (MoEP: Lunars, p. 117), Gerd Marrow-Eater (Bastions of the North, p. 111), the Last Hunter of Xaal (Kingdom of Halta, pp. 55-56), Light Sinks Deep (Caste Book: Zenith, p. 56), Rain Deathflyer (MoEP: Lunars, p. 55), Silver Python (MoEP: Lunars, p. 55), Celebrated Serpent (Lands of Creation, p. 100), Den'Rahin (Bastions of the North, pp. 11-17), Echinna (MoEP: Lunars, p. 205), Elcithe Avalanche-Dancer (MoEP: Lunars, p. 80), Faithful Pia (Cult of the Illuminated, p. 120), Flintbreak Nightengale (MoEP: Lunars, p. 80), Flourish Deathcry (Caste Book: Dawn, pp. 59-60), Grandfather Frost (Caste Book: Eclipse, pp. 57-58), Heysha Black Asp (MoEP: Lunars, pp. 124-125), Howling Talon (Caste Book: Eclipse, p. 95), Ka-Koshu, Kambaka, Madame Vert (MoEP: Lunars, p. 119), Merian Whitecrow (MoEP: Lunars, p. 80), Muan, Raiton (Caste Book: Zenith, p. 56), Sleeves of War (Exalted: The Dragon-Blooded, p. 15), Smaragdine Serpent-Eye (Caste Book: Twilight, p. 58), Stone Bear (Caste Book: Night, p. 55), Swift Pinions, Swims in Shadows, Tekia-Blue Water, Thorn Moon and Sun (Caste Book: Eclipse, p. 96), Toro, Uka the Boar (MoEP: Lunars, p. 29), and White Leopard Goddess (Caste Book: Twilight, p. 96).

Those 39 Lunars should get you started.  I don't have references for all of these Exalts, but if you know where to locate them, posting that information here would be appreciated.  Entries must be received on or before Thursday, November 12 at 11:59PM ET.
Posted 12 Oct 2009 4:22 PM by Bodhisattva
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Comments

Kukla wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 13 Oct 2009 12:10 PM

Dibs on Uka!

Who's Toro?

Adamant Siaka wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 13 Oct 2009 3:14 PM

Muan is the wolf Lunar Uka chased down in Exalted: the Lunars, in the second chapter's opening pages (not the two page spread, that was the Exaltation of Red Jaws).  For those of you who weren't around for 1e.

NateD wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 18 Oct 2009 9:13 PM

I would love to build Ten Stripes, but I haven't my book with me.

Hand-of-Omega wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 21 Oct 2009 1:05 PM

So, it's safe to assume that none of the above will be appearing in Scroll of Exalts?

Jester7789 wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 24 Oct 2009 11:03 AM

Was Thorn Sun and Moon the Lunar that found his Solar mate Exalted within a Child and vaguely described in the 'Who's who' chapter at the end of CB: Eclipse?

Adamant Siaka wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 25 Oct 2009 12:26 PM

Jester - yes.  But it was Thorn Moon and Sun (to Rose Sun and Moon).  

Inugami wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 26 Oct 2009 12:48 PM

Wait, this actually got started?

Time to work on Faithful Pia!

Inugami wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 28 Oct 2009 8:06 PM

I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to go ahead and assume that Cult Lunars get to start with an automatic Essence 3 as the Solars do.

Otherwise, Pia doesn't qualify for Hybrid Body Rearrangement, which is the ONLY Knack I can see her getting at char gen. Every other Knack is either against her character and wishes (such as eating people or acquiring a warform), useless to her (she has no stolen forms) or beyond her current capacity.

Also, HBR is perfect for her canonical 1st edition transformation into a hissing catgirl when mad or threatened. (Though it is, ironically, more expensive in total than a true warform would be. But she's a very half-hearted sort of shapeshifter.)

Besides, it's not as if Lytek can't whip up a similar concoction from pruned Lunar memories and some donation from Luna herself, whether tears or blood.

Bodhisattva wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 29 Oct 2009 11:55 AM

Inugami,

Who says that you have to present Faithful Pia only as a starting character?  Yes, I requested to see the starting build of each character so that we understand where they came from and how they got to where they are now, but when you present the current, Realm Year 768 version of your character, I don't think there's anything that says that Faithful Pia still has to be a starting character.

Also bear in mind that she can start with Essence 3 if you purchase it with bonus points.

Bodhisattva wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 29 Oct 2009 6:32 PM

Also, in case anyone is interested, I figured I'd post a Lunar for you all to check out and enjoy.  You can see Sleeves of War at the following link:

wiki.white-wolf.com/.../index.php

Inugami wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 30 Oct 2009 2:59 AM

As I said, as a starting character, she needs a minimum of one Knack, and yet any of the ones I thought suitable for her were beyond her capacity. I have since come to a new understandng of her character that may change that, however.

Still, the fact remains that the 2E Cult generation rules have not been established, and it is very possible for the Cult to employ a Lunar-specific potion for Essence building. This was a far more attractive prospect than spending two-thirds of her BP just to meet her required chargen minimums.

Bodhisattva wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 30 Oct 2009 10:14 AM

Even in First Edition, Cult of the Illuminated Lunars started out with Essence 2, not Essence 3 (Cult of the Illuminated, p. 95.).

I understand that there should be some benefit that a Solar gains by having been trained by Sidereals leading the Cult of the Illuminated, but I always felt that starting out with Essence 3 was kind of hax anyway.

Inugami wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 30 Oct 2009 10:52 AM

Whether it was or not, giving the benefit to Solars when it could have just as easily been given to the Lunars as well just seemed like another First Edition case of "keeping the Lunar man down."

Kukla wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 30 Oct 2009 11:19 AM

I swear to goodness, I've statted up Uka, I just haven't posted him yet :C

Bodhisattva wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 30 Oct 2009 11:35 AM

Inugami,

If you're looking to build a custom character according to the rules as written, your Lunar is going to start out with Essence 2 any way you look at it.  Of course, if you're going with non-standard character creation rules, the characters can come out with rather bizarre results that may leave players scratching their heads and wondering how you came about your stats or flat-out stating, "That was poorly designed."  

It's unfortunate that you see the Lunars as being "kept down".  Canonically, they are not as powerful as the Solars in the same way that Luna is not as powerful as Sol Invictus.  This is reflected both mechanically and thematically.  Not all exalts are created equal, and that's okay.  I don't see any particular reason to beef them up to keep up with the Solars in every way.  Doing that kind of reminds me of the days when I played D&D and I saw every starting character come out with all 18's in their traits so that they'd all be equally "awesome".  It can spoil game play.

Now as far as Faithful Pia goes, I could see her as taking Life of the Hummingbird, Changing Plumage Mastery, Quicksilver Second Face or Deadly Beastman Transformation (which she had in first edition) and not damage or significantly alter her presentation in the Cult of the Illuminated sourcebook one bit.  She doesn't have to have Hybrid Body Rearrangement, although it would be appropriate, and if you've got to spend the 10BP to ensure that she can take it, I don't see this as a problem.  If it's in her character to have Hybrid Body Rearrangement and not Deadly Beastman Transformation, that's cool.  Spend the bonus points and move on.  It's not the end of the world.  :)

Inugami wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 1 Nov 2009 12:18 AM

"Kept down" in 1st of course. They don't have that problem in 2nd. (But the potion exclusion was/is unnecessary.)

I'm also not sure what's in character for her anymore. My picture of her has gotten shaken up, and I haven't gotten around to finding her again. (Other projects, whee!) Maybe she does go in for DBT afterall. (It would require shifting a dot from Dex to Stam, but she needs Stamina 3 to survive Kether Rock anyway.)

I'm also embarassed to see I missed Hummingbird Life. I dismissed Changing Plummage, because it seems to only work for stolen forms, of which I thought she would have none. (Silver Declaration and Internal Form Mastery were dismissed for that reason.)

Of course I considered Second Face, but she doesn't have Dex 4. Though, with BP...

Inugami wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 1 Nov 2009 12:20 AM

"Kept down" in 1st of course. They don't have that problem in 2nd. (But the potion exclusion was unnecessary.)

I'm also not sure what's in character for her anymore. My picture of her has gotten shaken up, and I haven't gotten around to finding her again. (Other projects, whee!) Maybe she does go in for DBT afterall. (It would require shifting a dot from Dex to Stam, but she needs Stamina 3 to survive Kether Rock anyway.)

I'm also embarassed to see I missed Hummingbird Life. I dismissed Changing Plummage, because it seems to only work for stolen forms, of which I thought she would have none. (Silver Declaration and Internal Form Mastery were dismissed for that reason.)

Of course I considered Second Face, but she doesn't have Dex 4. Though, with BP...

Kashi wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 10 Nov 2009 8:28 AM

I'm seriously considering submitting a Lunar, even though it's very close to the close of the contest, but I am wiki illiterate. Would someone please be kind enough to explain to me how I might acomplish this under the correct heading in regards to the contest? Thanks!

Thyme wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 15 Nov 2009 5:14 AM

I have not been able to find the write up for any of the Lunars?

I was hoping to see what people did and what they submitted.

I might have entered something in myself, but I just now saw this.

Kashi wrote re: The Solar Deliberative: Build-A-Bear? Well, not quite...
on 16 Nov 2009 3:33 AM

I mailed my entry to Bodhisattva, but I haven't heard anything back about it. :/

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