While I Read: Glories of the Most High

There is one question I wondered about that came up reading TUS' specialties: Why the hell would he have a specialty in building temples to himself? I just can't imagine how that would come about. Being awesome at building a temple to himself simply because he's pretty awesome at crafting, sure, but why an actual 3 die specialty to making his own temples? It certainly could tie into his shame at the Solar Exalted, and how personally he takes anything that is less than perfect in his name but....I just find it hilarious to imagine TUS in his free time before the Usurpation just walking out and randomly redoing a temple to himself because they got his eyes wrong or something.

Nephilpal:

The question is "Which option is cooler for that scene?"

The Sun predates the Exalted, as you know. The Dragon Kings built temples to him, and if they were super-super-lucky, he told them what he wanted.

thinker:

Always true, personally I just find it difficult to imagine killing the Sun without some sort of complex Lugh / Blodeuwydd type contrivance.  Just busting in on him while he's chilling with his friends, because board games are unrighteous seems extremely boring to me, not in least part because that's what he spends 99+% of his time doing.

Busting in on him should be the end of such a plot, not its totality. You buff, you sabotage, you prepare, and when the time comes, you blitzkrieg.

Playing the games alone probably won't make him vulnerable. Playing the games in a way that is clearly intemperate can. Even without the shield, though, he's still a hell of a fight.

Nephilpal:

Busting in on him should be the end of such a plot, not its totality. You buff, you sabotage, you prepare, and when the time comes, you blitzkrieg.

Playing the games alone probably won't make him vulnerable. Playing the games in a way that is clearly intemperate can. Even without the shield, though, he's still a hell of a fight.

The Silver Lady, the Argent Madonna, the Second on High...

Anyway, here's my thoughts as I read the Luna book.
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Okay, first of all, Gaia is MISSING? WHAT?! I feel like this is something that should have shown up somewhere before, but then I remember that Gaia is more or less a giant missing piece of Exalted Cosmology, so it only fits that she is missing in the plot too.

Luna's creation is fairly epic, essentially the child of Cytherea and Oramus, forged to give people a break from Sol Invictus' all consuming awesome. I also like the descriptions of Oramus, basically making him some sort of horrific space-god with a mind full of insanity. Huh. Apparently Cytherea built Luna to keep Gaia around. Didn't work out too great. Well, depending on who you ask, at least.

I'm a little touched from the way they describe the love of Luna and Gaia. Its... a little beautiful. What else... oh, a little artifact write-up, which copies a Knack, if I recall correctly.

Hm, Luna is apparently something of a patron of Sorcery... color me interested. Her basic stats aren't as high as Sol's which is what I expected. Didn't expect her to be able to Craft: Glamour though... interesting. It would figure that her Martial Arts is higher than her Melee, a large variety of weird effects suits her better than the singularly focused power you'd find in Archery or Melee. This is the second time something called the Silver Chair was mentioned, I'll be keeping an eye out for it, but a guess would place it as her equivalent to Sol's chariot.

Her Background is as high as Sol's. Nice. Huh, apparently she has very limited access to Adamant Sorcery, based on her relationship to Gaia. Her version of Host of spirits is particularly notable, it makes me think of Luna as a Sentai Team for some reason. I like that she is able to use any Martial Art that is based on an animal, its one of those little pieces of writing that makes complete sense and makes you wonder why you didn't think of it before. Wow, she probably is one of Creation's best Martial Artists. She needs no combos for her Martial Arts, and can do all sorts of weird stuff.

Oh, she has a Sutra... kickass. "The World is a Dream, and I am not a Maiden." You minx. Lets see now, her panoply... Huh, apparently she can adjust her stats as she sees fit, higher than Sol can go I think. Oh, and she can convert dice to successes, nice. And she effectively has every Knack, but can't transform into someone who has Essence 10. So she can't transform into Sol to make fun of him. Thats a little sad. Wow, Luna is a pretty good healer, and she can take a beating like a CHAMP. A few of her Charms seem to be focused on dicking over Fair Folk including making them something called truculee, I approve. Oh, and she can just yoink FF Charms whenever she feels like. Hmmm, so Luna defines herself by her passions, while Sol defines himself by his virtues... interesting stuff, I'd guess the Maidens are defined by their Motivations. And apparently everyone who has met Luna has an Intimacy to her. I can understand why, she is Appearance 15.

So... Luna ate all of the proto-Gods that Oramus and Cytherea could have made in order to come into existence, and a handful of them are able to speak to her... creepy. A handful apparently want to get out. SUPER CREEPY. Her real appearance is like some beautiful nightmare. They should have sent a poet.

Huh, I wondered why the Moon was so closely related to the ebb and flow of the Wyld, apparently its because of her Chair thing. Her relation with the Sun and the external forces arrayed against Creation are really interesting, I'm going to need to re-read this section eventually. I just realised that Luna's Silver Chair is a Space Ship, which is apparently full of monsters and is starting to resemble the Labyrinth. AWESOME.

She and the Maidens are apparently pretty tight. She and Sol have a kid, the god of eclipses... I wonder if Gaia is jealous? I really want to go up to the moon and get in adventures now. It seems like a cool place, and 5DD hangs out there sometimes, officially making it the coolest place ever. Plus apparently Gaia lives in a rainforest there. (So wait, is she missing or...?)
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So lets look at the Entourage of the Fickle Lady. Granalkin... woah. Wait what? He used to be a 3rd Circle Soul? HOLY SHIT, of Mardukth, Who Holds in Thrall (way too close to a Neverborn's name for my comfort). So, he was the 3rd Circle who helped kill his Yozi? Wow. Okay, I always wondered what the deal with that was.

Tethys is a goddess of the lost, and something of a jerk, if I read this right. Kind of alien in mindset, she apparently causes trouble because... its part of her nature. Not much else to say about her.

A side bar on Gaia proves enlightening and... troublesome. Apparently Gaia is looking for something in the Wyld, and leaves only a piece or two of herself in Creation. Ooh, but she travels in a comet called Gnosis. That sounds fun.

The Truculee are described... Apparently Luna can turn Fae into Gods. I'm impressed, their Charm selection reads like someone tried to use the spirit rules to build a Raksha. They act as her servants and... actually I'm getting the feeling that we desperately need a Celestial Directions: Silver Chair book now. I mean come on! Countless horrors born from the mind of an ever shifting goddess, magic temples, treasure friggin everywhere, and a race of gods born from the countless horrors outside reality. Think of all those countless horrors. Its way too interesting to just leave sitting up in the sky.
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There is some interesting stuff on ways that Luna is worshipped, most of which appear to be hunts. And letting Luna be all pervy at you. And pulling pranks.
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And so we reach the most difficult part of these write-ups, the Charms section. Apparently a good number will be based on the Lunar-Solar bond. Last Warrior's Unity is... creepy. I'm stuck with the image of an Octopus Lunar with blades at the end of each tentacle. His wide eyed gaze paralyzes me. Deadly Mantis Practice is neat, especially because it sneaks a Solar Charm in a Lunar book. Heaven-Spanning Staff of the Monkey King is something I've actually put together once or twice. A sidebar on "Defend Other" is appreciated. Ferocious Guardian Beast Stance immediately takes advantage of the new combat mechanic with a perfect defense, which then evolves into a Charm that the Lunar can use for themselves (giving them a perfect parry after all this time). Then Vigilant Mastiff Technique shows up and gives us a ranged, scene-long "Guard Other." Fish and Fowl Gestation lets them custom build Beastmen... I imagine that it was applied to some pretty mean practical jokes in the 1st Age.

I'm not sure what Tiger and Sultan's Daughter does, anyone feel like clearing it up for me? Crap, Lunar child-bearing is freaking controlled as all hell. Tiger and Seahorse Dynasty is very impressive for what it does. Oh, and they have an anti-aging Charm too. Take a nap, wake up younger, very stylish. A charm that forces opponents to attack the user is pretty snazzy assuming a nearby ally is range-focused. Treasure as Trash Misdirection seems like one of those simplisticly useful Charms that everyone wishes they had. Nest Names the Wasp seemed kind of useless at first blush, then I put it in the context of a murder mystery and extrapolated other situations from that.

Laughing into the Teeth of Madness gives the Lunars a blanket Shaping Defense, so that's good. Hmm, Argent Weaver Art proves that Spiderman is Essence 3, by dint of stat minimums. What else? A Charm to mask peripheral Essence use, its like a preemptive version of the Solar Charm, which I think fits the Lunars better, acting ahead of time to keep something from being a problem. Implausable Lunar Panoply is kick ass, personally I was thinking of the Lunar hiding boulders and such to block off his opponents chasing him, but the light implosion bow? KICK ASS. Being able to Wyld Shape in your Secure Den is pretty cool too.
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And we are back to Martial Arts. White Reaper Style, armor-ok with a large selection of weapons... cool. The note about Autochthonia is interesting, I kinda want to know how this style plays out. So here we go.

Falling Scythe Flash, seems a bit weak, until I remember that Lunars can turn into Tyrant Lizards. Revolving Crescent Defense seems like it would useful when dueling, or otherwise ganging up on someone. White Reaper Form seemed average, but that second paragraph raised my interest, not 100% sure where it would come in handy. Ah, all the following Charms become more powerful based on how many people you killed when using the Form Charm, thats an interesting mechanic... you have to build up "charges" in order for the style to be as powerful as possible, which means you might break off a fight with a tough opponent to slaughter a few extras. An Abyssal with this Martial Art would be horrifying, and I just remembered all those Lunar "kill for motes" Charms... this Martial Art has some good synergy. The cap Charm is especially interesting, but doesn't seem like something a Lunar would need to use, then again, its not Lunar Hero Style.

The Knacks do indeed have an "OH MY GOD! BEES!" Charm. The size changing knacks are greatly appreciated, I wondered why they were lacking in previous charm-sets. God Beast Transcendence makes me giggle, it throws an animal form into Kaiju mode. Hungry Dream Cloak gives us the previously lacking Fair Folk knack. I can't wait to start eating lies. Oh, a way to forge graces! Hmm, Somnolent Statuary Method seems like a great way to kick off a plot, an oil lamp is damaged, and a Lunar leaks out. Golden Widow Method is horrifying. Ant and Starfish Method seems awfully Chimeric to me. And me. And me. And me as well. (Sorry for the lame joke)
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Which takes us to Luna's thaumaturgy. The Strange Days Tincture is... confusing. I suppose its purpose is recreational. River Washed Memories could be fairly useful to avoid legal ramifications in a society where people can read your mind.

Hmm, I think I enjoyed Sol's book more, but that may be due to the rather... excessive amount of Alcohol I had imbibed in. Tomorrow will probably see the Maidens get a post, and I'll see what I can do about an altered mindset for them.

Beowulf90:

Her basic stats aren't as high as Sol's which is what I expected. Didn't expect her to be able to Craft: Glamour though... interesting. It would figure that her Martial Arts is higher than her Melee, a large variety of weird effects suits her better than the singularly focused power you'd find in Archery or Melee.

What about her basic stats?

Beowulf90:

Huh, apparently she can adjust her stats as she sees fit, higher than Sol can go I think. Oh, and she can convert dice to successes, nice. And she effectively has every Knack, but can't transform into someone who has Essence 10. So she can't transform into Sol to make fun of him. Thats a little sad. Wow, Luna is a pretty good healer, and she can take a beating like a CHAMP. A few of her Charms seem to be focused on dicking over Fair Folk including making them something called truculee, I approve. Oh, and she can just yoink FF Charms whenever she feels like. Hmmm, so Luna defines herself by her passions, while Sol defines himself by his virtues... interesting stuff, I'd guess the Maidens are defined by their Motivations. And apparently everyone who has met Luna has an Intimacy to her. I can understand why, she is Appearance 15.

You're spot on about the Maidens. Those are the controlling traits for each of the 3 (8).

Any surprises or gems or suck in her Charms?

Nephilpal:

Those are the controlling traits for each of the 3 (8).

3: Sun, Moon, Stars
8: Total number thereof.

Nephilpal:

8: Total number thereof.

Doh.

And this is what happens when you post while working on something else, kids.

*shame*

Nephilpal:

Beowulf90:

Oh my Sun, where do I start on his stats? Well, the specifics of his intimacies are pretty nice, I especially liked the Solar Exalted, Gaia, Autochthon, Weaker Deities, Dragon King and Humanity entries. I think that they alone say a lot about what Sol is all about.

Why do you like those specifically and what did they tell you that you find enlightening?

Wary Respect for Solar Exalted. Like how a person may react to someone in the special forces. You're pretty sure you are safe around them, and you probably admire them a little. But there is always a voice in the back of your head that tells you to step lightly around them.

Kindness towards Gaia, I get the feeling he sees her being something like a kind and indulgent aunt of his. The Luna book is a bit more enlightening on this subject.

Pity for Autochthon. As a bet, he's probably the only person among the powerful deities who think that way about ole Auto. He recognizes Auto as someone who is crippled, and feels pity for him, despite everything that Auto has done for Sol, Sol pities him. Its epic misplaced Compassion.

Weaker deities are dealt with Arrogant Magnanimity. He's becoming more and more of a father figure in my mind.

Dragon Kings get Regret. I always wondered what he felt towards them and how he'd interact with one of his former chosen people. I'd like him to try and help the Dragon Kings get back on their feet, and he'd probably like to as well, but we'd both agree they probably have no real chance anymore.

The idea that he has Hope for Humanity is kind of inspiring. Especially when you look at his reaction to the Solar Exalted.

Nephilpal:

Beowulf90:

His backgrounds are impressive as well. My eyebrow raised as I read them, but I can't bring myself to raise argument.

The Sorcery section is especially enlightening, but mostly confirms my own suspicions in regard to what it brings up. (Trying not to piss anyone off with these posts)

What suspicions were confirmed for you?

Mostly that he doesn't have the 3rd Circle, but he does have Charms that look a lot like Sorcery.

Nephilpal:

Doh.

And this is what happens when you post while working on something else, kids.

*shame*

The Maiden of Wisdom doesn't exist anymore. Or perhaps not yet. Or maybe she never can.

8 is the number I use talking about the highest pantheon, with Gaia as the +1. That's not applicable to this dicussion, but I was on autopilot.

Basic stats being attributes (sorry about incorrect terminology). Sol's add up to 104 or so, Luna adds up to 110. I apparently miscalculated somewhere. I think I'll add up their abilities too. Luna has 178 (ignoring specialties), Sol has 163... hm.

Luna's Charms... Well, besides what I said in the previous post, I liked her ability to manipulate the environment and call down hazards. Connects her closer to the weather which seems to mortals to be as unpredictable as the Changing Lady herself. Her motive changing Charm made me smile, its incredibly cheap to use. Oh, and the mental influence power up was pretty impressive.

It may just be rose tinted glasses, but I'm really liking everything I'm reading. The only complaint I have is that I'm not sure how to kill Luna. Sol was fairly obvious, mess with his virtues, but Luna... I just don't know.