CREDITS Grove, john Snend, David Wend Pb.D. SPECIAL THANKS: ‘Authors: Dierd’re Brooks, Genevieve Cogman, Heather — Phil“The BigDog In The Sky Is Peeing On Us All” Boulle, xd William Wulf forproving that although he may look noma, be isnt Storyteller Game System Designed By: MarkRein*Hagen Jess “Shuttlecock” Heinig, for running me all over Tutor: John Chambers AAtlantatohelp with the world’s most troubled uperade ever. Becky “I Used ToBe A Manatee” Jollensen, forreaching ‘out to help others with similarly tereible conditions Ethan “Escape From NIMH” Skemp, for helping me go Artists: Ross Campbell, Mike Chaney, Gregory Johnson, over the wall Chis Stevens, Melis Uran, Tracy Yanlley Cone Dee ek i POA Uissicand Types Brn Ges ‘Additional Material By: Geoffrey C. Grabowski Developer: Geofirey C. Grabowski And oalltheotherfolksat White Wolf who made my year on-site a happy, productive, strange and occasionally frightening one. ol Py 735 PARK NORTH BLYD. SUITE 128 CLARKSTON, GA 30021 USA CANE STUDIO © 2001 White Wolf Publishing, Ine. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission Of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire, Vampire the Masquerade, Vampire the Dark Ages, Mage the Ascension and Aberrant are regis- tered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. The Book of Three Circles, Exalted, Trinity, Werewolf the Apocalypse, Wraith the Oblivion, Changeling the Dreaming and Werewolf the Wild West are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. Check out White Wolf online at hucpsl/www.white-wolf.com; alt games.whitewolf; and ree.games.frp.storyreller PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.‘TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION CHapTeR One: HisTorY AND PRACTICE CHAPTER Two: THE TERRESTRIAL CIRCLE CHAPTER THREE: THE CELESTIAL CIRCLE CHAPTER Four: THE SOLAR CiRCLE CHAPTER Five: Works OF WONDER CHAPTER S1x: DemesNe, MANSE AND HEARTHSTONE APPENDIX: WARSTRIDERS. 30 54 68 80 98 120“Well, well are such safeguards on the p before, unless with my connivance. Yes, you mus lack, and your powers extraordinary said Zhirek he magician. than the night is 1 do not deny it, said she, staunchly sharp, “you must be the father of magicians to force an entrance to my g den, for there 1ce no other has ever come in —Tanith Lee, Death's Master The world of Exalted is one of fallen splendor, and none ate more aware of this than sorcerers and savants. Where once a great civilization flourished, the savage and the ignorant now hold sway. E Dynasty is a pale shadow of the pre-Contagion and daimyos of old were themselves only aping the glories of the Solar Deliberative. Once, there were thousands of sorcerers and count less spells and enchantments. Through sorcery, the world was tamed — disobedient spirits were chastised and crops made bounteous. The enemies of Creation knelt before the power of the Exalted, and the people ‘were entertained and delighted by the countless prodi- gies thar fell from the hands of the Chosen, Now, Creation is less than it onge was. The Contagion and the centuries of constant struggle that praceeded icdestroyed many of the wonders, and what nthe Shogunate was broken could no longer be replaced, for the Celes- tial Exalted were not there to forge new glories, and the skills of the Dragon-Blooded were barely adequate to maintain them, THE SOLAR PURGE Pethaps the greatest scourge of sarcerous knowl. edge was the Solar Purge. Originally, the purge was very specific, targeting only the Solar Exalted and texts of Solar Circle sorcery. However, as rime went by, memories faded. The Lunars became increas. ingly hostile to the Old Realm, and the Sidereals slipped from sight and memory. Faith in the Im maculate Order grew, and the purge grew to include magic and knowledge of the Celestial Circle as well as that of the Solar Circle, Artifacts and enchant- ‘ments that were the product of the Anathema were aclosely watched, and wisely to be traps of autor he Celestial Exalted as mechanisms of revenge in many were revealed constructed by mous weapor heir betrayal By the time of the Contagion, much of the lore of the Celestials had been forgotten, destroyed orhidden away by various parties who found it useful to secretly possess such forbidden lore. Much of what remained was claimed by the Empress in her centuries- n sorcerous power. Outside of the , most of what remains of powerful s long lost and forgotten, or else in the posses stial Exalted. sion of Sorcery TODAY In the modern era, only fragments of the golden corded in this book are a rity of those commonly remembered. While there Lls kept secret by those who possess them ot lost texts waiting to be rediscovered, all the magic that survives in Creation today is but a tiny fraction of age survive. The spell: what once was Cho fronted with two great burdens. One learning, for sorcery isa demanding tremendous lifespan of an Exalt, as leamall there is to know, and will forever str en who wish to become the burden of ¢. Even with the will never strive against the terrible difficulty of magical learn- ing. To change Creation b terribly wearying task, and it is easy for even an Exalted magician to strain himself to the point of sickness or even death from exhaustion The second burden is the burden of k for any magician who pursues her studies seriously cannot help but realize how much has been lost and gotten since the First Age. Even the simplest prim. nntain dozens of referen stood but now forgorten, Yet for all the burdens and demands, sorcery is wledge, sto phenomenon once rewarding as well. It offers vast power, beyond the narrow confines of Charms. A Dragon-Blood with no magic, and a Celestial m ruly talented one, ean help to roll back the eurtain ation and help to reclaim some of the mastery of the world that is the birthright of the Exalted How To Use Tuis Book magic, ranging from spell descriptions to the theory of nd in power ro no one. Furth of ignorance that has fallen overthe art and craft of creating enchanted items. Ic is divided into six chapters and two appendices. Chapter One: History and Practice describes the history of magic from the legendary first magi- cian to the modern day and details the process of magical research and learning. It also details a number of sorcerous artifacts of use or interest to theoretical magicians Chapter Two: The Terrestrial Circle derails sorcery of the weakest and most common sort — Terrestrial Circle sorcery. This magic can be practiced by all Exalted and is taught in the Realm at the Hepeagram and by private tutors Chapter Three: The Celestial Circle details the second circle of sorcery, the Celestial Circle. Too powerful for Dragon-Blooded to harness, this magic is the province of the Celestial Exalted alone. Chapter Four: The Solar Circle details Solar Circle sorcery, the most powerful sort of sorcery Once, this magic was available only to the Solar Exalted, but the Abyssal Exalted have recently demonstrated the ability to practice this form of sorcery as well Chapter Five: Works of Wonder explains the process used to create artifacts, both in the setting and in mechanical terms. It also contains descriptions ofa number of magical artifacts, varying in power from inconsequential to extraordinary. Chapter Six: Demesne, Manse and Hearth- stone details the formation of Demesnes and the conditions generally prevalent around them. It also examines Manses and their construction, ex- plores the processes that cause Demesnes fo come into existence and contains an extensive catalog of common Hearchstones. Appendix: Warstriders provides statist Warstriders, powerful suits of armor used during the First Age to combat threats of huge size. Today, these relies are some of the most powerful weapons in the arsenal of the Realm, and a character attempting to challenge the Dynasty or the Wyld Hunt will surely cross swords with one.A ForcOrren LEGEND “There isa story once taught to young magicians in the Old Realm, before the usurpation of the Dragon-Blooded and the murder of the Solar Exalted. ts truth or falsehood! en, Afier the murder of the Solar the Dragon-Blooded, who Exalted, it was suppressed propagated their own legends Today, the story survives in its original fem only in texts that escaped the pyres ofthe censors and in the minds of the Sidereals and Lanars whose knowledge of sorcery springs directly from First Age roots. Those whose know! exdge springs from the Heptagram and the writings of the Dragon. Blooded learn a similar version, save that the pro- tagonists Hesiesh, andthe spirits reach himat the behest of the Elemental Dragons that he might have the ability ro overthrow the Anathema ‘The story runs that, athe dav of the First Age, when Exalted frst walked the land, they were ignorant of sorcery and abstract magic. They had been trained hurriedly and in great secrecy by the gods. The young Exalts had fought their battles armed only wich Charms and the weapons that the god’ and their alliesamong the Primordial issued to them In that age, the narrative asserts, chere was not yet a shared understanding of how Charms worked. Thus, each Exalthad one or more powerful C her own. Each Exale save one. Brigid was one of the Solar cs that were uniquely CHAPTER ONE HISTORY AND - 1d 7 NGUE Ss Exalted butseemed unable todevelop any powerful Charms. ‘This greatly saddened herand made her the least amongher off ro learn a CI peers, and so, the young Exalted mighty enough that she could stand tall amon; This search led her co more than a simple Chasm. Het quest changed the face of Creation, bringing her power and distinction and increasing vastly the might of the Exalted. She became the Mother of All Spells and istecognized as the progenitor of all sorcery Yetwhen shesetout, she had nothing, noteven the well wishes of er peers. Most felt she was the product ofa failed Exaltation and hoped thar she would perish in the wilder- ness, Then, they hoped, when her spirit wasreborn,i¢would riot be se weak. Only her Lunar spouse saw her off on her journey. He made her a gift of his own arms and armot t9 protect her fom peril Brigid ist traveled tothe East journeyingdeepintothe forest. The life around her gave her comfort, and the dense foliage hid her shame from her peersand from the gods. She walked on, uncertain of her purpose and unsure of the direction of her next step. Desolate, she reached a ting of| stones, with a pool asclearas crystal atthe center, She cried there, in shame and loneliness forher heart was tom to be away from her spouse. When at last she slepts it was asleep as deep as the death for which she longed. She awoke in the last hour of the evening. Looking up ar the ky, she saw shooting star ate actoss the heavens and an a nn nnn nC nNsmiled at the beauty of the Maidens’ handiwork. Then she startled, for there was another beingin the ring with her. She ‘worried it was one ofthe Fair Folk ora servant of the Yozis, forthere were many of both walking the world in chose early daysofthe Fest Age, and Brigid had traveled fart the East. Butas Brigid blinked away hersleep and grabbed forher spouse's moonsilver daiklave, she realized it was nothing ‘more than aforest spirit. The spirit waspretty inher longskirt and sat humbly with her legs folded beneath her. The spirit bowed her head and greeted Brigid as the Mother of All Spells, a term that had no meaning, for, of course, there were no sorcerers. Brigid asked her, “What isthis name you call me? You should leave me and tell no others you have seen me, for [ am a disgrace among my kind, and they will think less of you and revile you ifthey know you did me honors.” But the spirit cast her eyes to the heavens, a if to indicate the Maidens, and said, “Nay, for my masters smile upon you. Though yourjoumey is long, andshall take youto four cardinal directions and the summit of the Imperial Mountain, in the end, it shall give you knowledge of power far beyond your peers. I is your destiny, and though your travelswill tke youto the fourcomersof the Earth, younced not fear for your future as you have despaired of your past.” And she gave Brigid a robe of red silky sewn with orichalcum thread, and fine even for the raiment of the Exalted, The forest spit bid Brigid to put on the robe. Still unsure of herpurpese but buoyed by the richnessfthe forest spirit’ gift, Brigid named north, From the words ofthe spittin the forest, Brigid knew this was the next step of the journey, and her quest, which, had seemed so hopeless, now had a purpose. As the winds sew colder, she kept the spirits’ words in mind and did not fear. She traveled on and eventually came to a citcle of crystals, grand and beautiful. She stopped, certain that she ‘would find great magic here. Suddenly, in the center of the crystals, a shard of ice appeared. Anditspun above the ground; slowly shapingitself into the most beautiful crystal sword ‘And then, amazingly, it spoke to her "Iam for the Bearer of Magic. I am for the Mother of Sorcery. am for you. Brigid took the sword intoher hand. She heed it, felt itscold anditsweight. Then, shesheathedit, forthefirsttime ager to continue her journey. Brigid cured south and crossed the ocean on a borrowed ship. Thesouther windsparched Brigid’sskin, although but she paid them little attention, Soon, she was lean and weathered, for the heat of the South bumed away her weaknessand her fat. The heatof the desert bumedawayher shame and her disgrace as well, and she continued her journey untilshe reached acircular wall ofswirling sand that ‘ose up from the ground in the farthest South. She touched the wall, and a doorway appeared before her. Recalling the spirits’ words and drawing courage fiom her successes 50 far, she stepped through. The wallsofsand glowed golden in the light, as iFcavered in jewels of amber. Brighd was drawn to the jewels and waited expectant, certain that the magic of this place would speak toher. And igid had ever seen,sure enough, with thesound ofbrazen bells the largestof the amber ewels broke free from the wal. Itsangto her: “lam for the Bearer of Magic. Lam for the Mother of All Spells. !am_ for Brigid.” Brigid took the jewel and placed it on her forchead, where it shone with glittering perfection, Brigid chen cured west and walked through the desert until she reached a shoreline. There, she found a boat of cbony and orichaleum pulled up on the shore, waiting for her. Filled with anticipation, she stepped inside the craft Without ahand on rudder, sil or cars the ship sailed across the ocean into the farthest West “The journey was long, across rough waters, for the ship sailed without tacking or turning. Yer Brigid recalled the words ofthespiitand feltno fear —this washerdestiny.One ‘morning, asshestood in theship’sbow and looked out across the waters she spied an island before theship'sprow. Allday, the ship sailed toward the island, and when evening cae, she felt the keel gently scrape against che shingle. A tall and handsome man met heron the shore as she waded from the surf. He was a tall, beautiful man with silver hair and ebony robes, and he greeted heras the Mother of Sorcery and Root of Spells. He took her toa palace of whale ivory andaskedofherjourey,andshe toldhim whatshe had seen and heard on her travels. He told her that she should never mourn the lack of power, for her gifs would earn her teat honor and increase tenfold the power of the Exalted “That night, aftershehad lain with him, Brigid asked the spirit-prince to tell her of her destiny. “What is this future that has been foretold for me?" she asked. “How can 1, a pariah among the Exalted and a burden to my mate, rise to such grand position?” The silver-haired prince answered: “We have chosen togive this thinginto yourkeeping, not 10 reward you, but as ourgift to your people. Do you complain thar you have been chosen as the vessel for such a gift?” When she awakened the next moming, the prince ws gone, and hispalace hac vanishes well But ying there was a beautiful girdle of red silk, studded with diamonds and moonsilver. Brigid fastened the sash around her waist, and ‘boarded the boat ofebony and orichaleum, andiitcarried her cast, 10 the shores of the Blessed Isl. Brigid reachedthe isle, butshe wasnot yetdone with her pilgrimage. Traveling by night and hiding herself from the vision of her fellow Exalts, she journeyed across the land to the foot of the Imperial Mountain. She climbed its slopes, anclat the peak, she founda crystal the size ofher fist and the shape ofan egg. With hertobeand girdleabouther,hersword of ice and the straw-yellow gem upon her brow burning like aasun, Brigid touched the erystal. Itcracked, and a brilliant bind flew out, The bird had iridescent feathersin every color of the rainbow, and as it rose into the sky, it grew larger and fainter, until it was justa rainbow — the first the world had ‘ever seen. And in her mind, as ifadoor had been opened in adark room, Brigid suddenly knew the rhyme and pattern of sorcery. She knew m0 magic, but she knew of its making Laughing, she tumed, only to find the Unconquered Sun behind her. Falling on her face, she begged the Sun's pardon for intruding so near to his abode. Unconquered Sun touched her shoulder and bid her to rise and said to her, "Blessed are ‘you, child, for you earry great power within you. As am your father, I give this w you and bid you, never forger from ‘whence this power comes. Use itnever in pride or hubris, for in those sins lies the root ofall wickedness.” ‘And Brigid pledged to him that this would be so and raced back to herspouse. He greeted her, and she had hardly kissed him when she went ta the library, ord to bring her paper and a pen. Foe five fll seasons she wrote, and when she emerged, she bore with her two books — the first was The White Treatise, which taught the fundamentals of sorcery, and the second was The Black Treatise, which contained the fist five spells ever to be created Brigie wentamong the Exalted, c knowledge and teaching others the craft that had bee pift. She gained great honor in so doing and brought great power to the Exalted, for with this sorcery, they could tray realize their power to shape and master the world the s hrad given them, Such is the power of magic, thac it can enabl disgraced child to grow strong or even to become re above all Exalted. From sorcery stems the greatest powers of the Exalted, and Brigid is rightly called the Mother of All Spells for her magic, just as those who gave her magic promised she would be THe TRUTH Sorcerous opinion about the veracity of the tale of Brigid (and the Inter version with Hesiesh) runs the gamut from utter disdain todevotion o.fanatic and literal reading. Ie is definitely cre that there was very powerful Exalted sorceress named Brigid early in history, just as itis true there was once a Terrestrial Exalted named Hesiesh, During the First Age, opinions wete split sto if Brigid's quest had really happened or if it was nothing more than exaggeration or her own campaign of self-promotion. For everydetractor who called the myth nothingbutachildren’s This MytH AMONG THE DRAGON- BLOODED The story of the origin of sorcery is alo told ce cess eee abe) Senate sh, and rather chan being, dishonores oa Se with Coes si et Rather than Pees Pea Bb ete rial Mountain, where the Dra always use his magic with humility and honor.story, there was another who was planning a pilgrimage to trace the path of the Mother of Spells Likewise among the Dragon-Blooded, many of whom aren't entitely sure where the truth ends and the myths they themselves created begin. The general consensus among both Exalts of the Old Realm and Terrestrials at the beginning of the Age of Sorrows is that the tale should be taken as allegory. Most believe that Brigid or Hesiesh may indeed be the first sorcerer, but that the protagonist's legendary journeys are nothing more than illustrative anecdotes intended to de- scribe the trials of magical research to a people unfarniliar with the process. Brigid may have recognized the ability to channel Essence into sorcery, and Hesiesh may have stolen that knowledge from the Anathema or gained it from the Dragons, but sorcery as modem Exalted know it is the result of a least a millennium of research. Consider the tale Brigid faced trialsand was rewarded for herperseverance —it is both an educational story for aspiring ‘magicians shout the difficulty of the trade and a heartening fable for apprentices. [tis also similar in some ways to the initiation of modera Lunar sorcerers, where the would-be spell-caster faces grueling natural ordeals to strengthen her resolve. Modem Lunar initiation isderived from practicesthat ‘were old when che Fust Age was young, and it could be that Brigid's tle is somehow a corruption of an initiation ritual, pethaps one passed down from the Dragon Kings (Certainly, the protagonist’sactionshave aclearly citual character. Titingand movement are critical to the comple- tion of her test. She interacts with spirits constantly throughout her journey. What remains unknown is if the story's ritual rats are a comuption or retelling of an actual sorcetous working of some sort or just mythic elements that were added by various storytellers over the tale’ life. Iris certain that the exact joumey described doesn'tproduce any special results — there have been several well-documented efforts in the modem era dedicated to replicating the event, and there was at least one genuinely serious application of power during the First Age. Despite the resistance to the tale as history, Brigid isa popularfigure. There wasa folklore tradition during the Old Realm that that Brigid was not Exalted at all, but mortal — that is, truly without Charm. The morta interpretation of the myth claimed that the Exalted owed Beigid (and by extensionall nExalted) adebt,foritwas Brigid who brought magic and spells and, asaresult, wasindeed the Mother ofall Exalted. Indeed, some versions of this tale seem to suggest that, at that time, no Exalted had Charmsand that Brigid's disgeace actually stemmed ftom herbeliefin magic. Thisidea seemsnonsensical,butitenjoyed acertain populasityamong ‘mortalsin the latter stages of the Old Realm, when disatis- faction with the Exalted wasarits height, ‘Such popular reinterpretations aside, those whobelieve the legend of magic’s entry tothe workd have found a great dealofsupportforthe taleboth in the worckofthe tellingand in historical records. They point to the dating of the tae to being consistent with the fist known sorcerers, Those who have traced Brigid’s travels claim that they are not only posible, but fairly ikely given the maps of the time. Yet, there are ancient landmarks, still extant today, that match the descriptions ofthe earliest versions ofthe tale. Specifi- cally, the Standing Stones of Cinnabar could be responsible forthecircularvortexof sind Brigid encountersin the South, and the island described would scem to be one ofthe sles of the Exiles in the far West. THE LINEAGE OF Macic ‘The Book of Three Circles is the greatest magical textever written. It describes every spell invented before the Conta- gionand most magical research techniquesaswell. Completed just a few centuries before the Usurpation of the Dragon- Blooded, its introduction is a product of the revisionism, self-aggrandizement and outright mythmaking that marked thateraof Solar history. In its preface, it purports to trace the intellectual lineage of sorcery. ‘This isthe history of magic. Brig frst learned magic and used magic asthe Urcon- quered Sun directed. Brigid taught fora thousand and thirty years, and ist amonghersudents was Thesis. And Thess taught for thousand and fue years, and he taught many students. Thess foremost student was Somah, who founded the fast College of Sorcery, and she taught there for nine hundred years, Sonah's foremost student was Nanica. Nanica taught for seven hundred ‘years, andher foremost student was Leelah, thowghNanica taught ‘many other worthy students Leelah taught for six hundred and five years, and her first student was Derja who founded the second College of Sorcery. And Derja taught for a thousand sixty and two years, and she taught Chone and many other worthy students. And Chone aught for six hundred and five years, and his first student suas Halleus, who taughe for a thousand eighty and seven years and ‘whose first student was Kemal. And Hallews taught many other students. And Kemal taught fora thousand eighty and tuo years, and his first student was Hano. And Hano taught Salina, Devon and Siler, who each formed their own Colleges of Sorcery, which didnot peridh a those before them had. ‘Tritt COLLEGE OF SALINA Salina formed her college based on four primary prine ciples. The first principle was the study of the fashion in which Esence flowed through forest areas. The second principle was the study of the plants and animals in their natural habitat. The third prineiple was the study of the behavior of weather and wave. The final principle was the study ofthe inceractionsof sorcery in natural systems. Salina and her students believed thar Essence flowed most freely through natural systems and that, singe this was the case, studyingmagic inside the confines of ny manmade structure was inefficient, at best : eeThe College of Salina was not a true school of sorcery, in thesense thar it had nopermanent buildingsand libraries. Instead, the Salina group was an attempt by its founder t© progress toward what she deemed true sorcery — Salina rook sorcery into the wildemess. Sheand herstudents studied the plants and animals of nature to discover the fashions in Which they used Essence. The group also studied spirits to leam their habitsand therootsoftheirpower, forsincespirits embody thatfrom which they spring, tostudy themistostudy the concentrated essence of nature. In the last days of the Salina group, when they began tobelieve thesignsindicated an incipient cataclysm of some sort, the soreerers of the College of Salina bound many spells to spirits for safekeep- ing. Modem sorcerers who can find these spirits and show them theproper signs may then be educated inthe loreof the college. ‘The spells and fragments of knowledge are con- nected by a series of riddles, references and ecological clues thacallowa magician who begins learning the path of Salina from spirits to progress to the rank of master. Tue Coutece DEVONIAN Devon wasan inquisitive student who constantly asked questions and continuously sought for the reason behind actions. He reasoned that, since everything in the world seemed 10 follow arbitrary probibitions and the various ‘magical principles, sorcery and Essence themselves must be governed by similarly strict rules. Devon formulated his theories about the nature of magic into a series of questions ‘and posted his questions in the great halls ofboth Sonah and Derja’s schools of sorcery. While the questions generated a great deal of debate and a number of followers among the students of the schools the final result was Devon's general exclusion from mysticsociety. Unable topusuehistheoryin the great schools, Devon's allies convinced by hit to form his own school ‘The College Devonian, established in thenow-losteity of Sperimin, was one of the two last great schools of sorcery Itsuperceded Sonah and Derja's schools, both of which had come to focus largely on rote methoxlology and staff politics Devon believed that the sectet to sorcery could be unlocked through intensive and logical scudy and research. Under his ‘guidance, the College Devonian dedicated itself toresearch- ing the rules that drive reality and the laws that allow the channeling of Essence. Potei re tested thor- oughly to determine theit suitability and capability for the study of these laws. Accepted students were put through a strict battery of classes and exams before they were allowed toeven glimpse the tomes that contained the laws of magic. atic, of Daric's Laus of Magic, was generally considered to be Devon's greatest student. students ‘Tue SrLuRIAN SCHOOL, Salina and Devon both diverged wildly from main- stream sorcery, but Hano’s third student, Silur, was a strict, traditionalist. From her writings, this was clearly a reaction to Hano’s older and more adventurous students, both of whom were politically active and busily demolishing the sense of intellectual community that sorcerers ha fethe founding of Sonah’s school. Though the older magicians found the teachings ofthe two old colleges tobe incestuous indstifling, manyothersfound them worthwhile, as Devon's exclusion from magical culture established. ‘Though Silur rejected the involuted politics ofthe older colleges hermagic focused on rial and the traditions she felt were stil critical to magic. She encouraged community be- tween sorcerers, the conformity of sorcerous styles between, individuals, and she instituted regular methods of magical notation (anact quickly copied bythe College Devonian) and encouraged meticulous attention to detail. Silur’s teaching made her popular among those who were not charismatic ‘enough toprsperinthe Devonian andSalinanschool. Inthe end, Silur and her followers formed their own academies, called Retreats, to spread the teachings oftheir magic. Silur was the mistress ofthe last great school of sorcery, founded only seven centuries before the Usirpation. Unlike her colleague Devon, Silur believed that Essence was not governed by strict and logical rules, but was, instead, achaotic force hamessed by ritual behavior. To her eyes, the College Devonian was simply another form of ritualistic magic, just cone with a neurotic fixation on consistent behavior. The Silurian School of Sorcery was dedicated t0 recog. nizing and cataloging the key components of known mystic rituals, Once those components were cataloged, the re- searchers ofthe Silurian School began to look for ways t0| recombine them intonew forms. While the Silurianscreared a lange number of new spells in this manner, they also made a number of terrible errors, including several that totally destroyed a Retreat's Manse. ‘One of the greatest strengths of the Silurian school was, the speed at which new sorcerers could be trained. Unlike the five to ten years required to leam the magic of Salina or the College Devonian, sorcerers could be tried in the Silurian School in less than two years. However, magicians trained in this holistic fashion typically had little familiarity with the theoreticalunderpinningsofsorcery and were much lssuited to develop new spells than members of other colleges. LEARNING MAGIC ‘Whereas most Exalted must rely on Charms, sorcerers haveaccesstothe secrets of actual magic. Most Exalted draw ‘on Essence to enhance their Abilities to superhuman levels, while sorcerers channel Essence to warp reality itself, and their powers are limited only by the magician’s imagination and the time ittakes to lear or create new spells. Sorcery is dangerous and time-consuming path, buc in the end, it offers power unsurpassed by even the mightiest Exalts. ‘On Becominc A SORCERER ; ‘During the Firsc Age; therewere well-established schools and colleges of magic, and Exalted who wished to become ‘magicians had clear and easy pathways to follow. In the modem day, the only organized school of sorcery is the Heptagramon the Blessed Isle which tains Dragon-Blooded sorcerers for service to the Empress. Yet, this elite school specializes in training the young and the young alone, and those who wish to become magicians later in life must find tutors or teach themselves. For most Exalted in the modem cera, finding training to become a magician is almost as dificult as the actual process of learning magic. Dracon-BLOODED SORCERERS Sorcerous training at the Heptagram consists of five long years of intensive study followed by nine to fifteen months of painstaking research. Each of the first five years are divided into four seasons. Bach season, the students are put through a strict regimen of courses, each intended to prepare them for some aspect of their future. Courses in the early seasons focus onseemingly mundane subjects, includingancient history and modem politics. Later courses build on these early subjects, focusing on sorcery’s interactions with society. While the basics of herbalism and other sciences are drilled early on, itis ‘not until late in their education thar students begin to learn magic theory proper. These courses are followed by examina- tion, failure of which leads to expulsion. For the remaining season of the year, students are granted a brief break. During this “holiday,” students are ‘expected to conduct independent study, often in the form of publicservice, workingas an intem for the Thousand Scales, or exploration and adventure. Students are quizzed or di- rected to write extensive essays on what they leamed during these “vacations.” It is not unusual for particular students to. be singled out by the faculty for special attention. These students often have specific activities recommended to them, for their breaks, which the faculty sees as useful or improving to the student. Which season the student is excused for depends on the year of study they're in. For example, fresh- men students have the season of Water off to see their families, while fifth-year students typically have the season. ofFire, duringwhich they're expected toaccompanyaRealm military expedition of some sort. At the height of each season, the Heptagram holds ‘extracurricular activities in which the school’s various dor- mitories, orhouses, compete. These extracurricularactivities ‘most often take the form of sporting events, While students are not strictly required to involve themselves in such activities, to do so is a mark of honor, Often, the Dragon- Blooded face family pressure to compete and excel in these events. Rivalry between houses, as between individual stu- dents, is intense and has led to bloodshed. ‘Once formal courseworkhas been completed, would-be sorcerers face one final test. They must conceive of an original spell and successfully develop the theory behind its: casting. Ifthe examination committee agrees thatthe spell issuffciently orginal and that the theory has been success fully developed, the student is taughe the final secrets of sorcery. These new sorcerers are then given the opportunitySorcery, LINEAGE AND YOUR CHARACTER are and wete a tremendously insular lor. No person, Exalted or otherwise, can easily understand fee erence Petree the sharin eee ea Ronen ics Rene ane tngee a tremens «back to the semi-mythical First Sorceress, they know who their mentor was and whom their mentor e-shapers witha sense of like-minded fellowship, itcanservea alted rican that even ifone’s mentor has her life cur short, ces reeset ete et eens very practical purpose. The extended life spans of the Ex aeerone freeones eee ees NOS aE Res, eres cely toshare herknowledge than tion of channeling Essence directly to work magic. Yer, sorcerershave at leastas much Daten acre et cece iain is a eae Cece serene ‘can prove greatly beneficial. Because of SMe ems s. A youngsorcerer should not be surprised by a visit from his great- randmaster, nor should she be sutp fee eer ee enn Soke disposable pawn in the power games and personal disputes of the Demon ee Set ese eee Blooded, sorcerersstill venerate their masters and consider their magical line ved when the older Chosen requests a fav Peer a ee rent eee eae oe arena orcs Sac Rem Dai Pn eee CL a eater am of the modern Realm isthe direct intellectual descendant of the College Devonian, and though most Dragon-Blooded magicians are tutored in a classt patronage that forms distinct “families” within the Ree ennai eats lineage. Ifa ch ea Pe eg eee ennas swell. Also, keep in mind that sorce their students in the hundreds. enaneg iin ainibive sorcerers can numb Seer aed en Eee ; en Crone to demonstrate their new rank in a public forum, What qualifies as “successful” and “original” vary depending ofthe Joreerer in qui his final testis oft political tes as atest of ability The core faculty of the Heptagram rarely ough it is nov uncommon for st rcerers are invited by the don the alt visiting lecturers. These visiting administration of the Heptagram be achievementsin sorcery outside of the institution. When the core faculty does change, the new permanent faculty berismore often thannotdrawn fromamongrecent graduates. These new instructorsare selected for their abilities and their contributions to the art of sorcery, buttheyarestill reared as junior faculty by their new peer. SIDEREAL SORCERERS Sidereal sorcerers of either faction train in the deepest iance with the Dragon Blooded and secrecy, Despite theira the work they do as teachers at the Heptagram, even the members of the Bronze Faction keep their numbersand the true extent of theit power hidden. They study in forgotten rene en Sn ee eee ote aoe ee Ee Se eee ccna Se ema? ith the players of sorcerer characters wo develop the characters! aracter's mentor should, at the very least, be identified ringthecourse of play, the mentor isobvious, and the mentor ee ea Petree ea ea Sag cons eee isiblingsin magical fora fuller erie eta catacombs and in sec tars. In these rooms open to th private chambers, the Sidereal learn rituals that have been passed down from master to student for generations. Earlyin their education, students learn common Terres The apprentice learns how t Lastro logical magic, while memorizing 1 channelings required to perform magic. Ar the si » care for the implements of sorcery e ritual motions and et this is only a prelude to their true raining time, the young Sidereal leamsthebasicsof the ritual astrology that forms the center of Sidereal magical practice Th i taught to locate the herbs and pr chemical ingredients used in these rituals and co identify the messages that the Maidens write in the skies, Once a snaxdentluasmastered herearlylesons,sheisincludedinsimple astrological ritu expected to memorize all the words and movements fall the pprenti in assistant. The would-be sorcerer is participants in these rituals. When the ekler sorcerer believes the student i prepared, the aspirant is given at cone of the rituals she has been memorizing. This rime isa key ‘one in thestudent’scareer: Not only does it mack the fstlevelof ue acceptance, iris also the is true test in the student's education. The ritual doesnot involve true magic, but iit is not completed correctly, the stuskent will not be allowed to progress further. Instead, she is consigned toa suppor level for several years. At one time, Sidereals who couldn't learn the rituals properly were ostracized orset to nonmagical task, but in the moxier era, both factions of Sidereals are too small 10 reject anyone completely. ‘When the ritual test is pased, the stuxlent is allowed to Farticipate in more advanced, less commonly performed rituals The would-be sorcerer only participates in each such ritual once. Unbeknownst to the student, ey features of these rituals are actively concealed. These features are those that transform the ceremony from mundane to magical. When they are not participating in the ceremonies, appren- tices are instructed in ancient rales of legendary sorcerers. (Once thisperiodofinstruction iscomplete, Sidereal students, face afinal test. They are informed of a special ritual that is tobe completed and instructed to prepare themselves for the ceremony. When the established time arrives, they eam for the first time that they are responsible forthe lead role in the ceremony. (Ifthere are mulripe students ready for this stage of their education, all of the students are included in this ritual, with roles assigned according to the each student's prior performance ancl demonstrated capabilities.) The elder sorcerers, including the student's mentor, participate only as support during the ritual, instead observ- ingand ating the initiate sperformance. Ifatthepenuiltimate poine in the ritual, a would-be sorcerer demonstrates suf cient ability and appropriate respect for the ritual and the Maidens, the elder sorcerers instruct thestudent in the final secrets of sorcery. The new sorcerer is swom to secrecy and givenhisfirstassignment, typically the tending of region far from his home. The size and importance of this fist assign rmentisin direct proportion othe newsorcerersdemonstrated ‘magical potential and political capabilities. ‘LUNAR SORCERERS Lunar students, typically members of the No Moon Caste, study under independent masters, rather than as students ofan institute of magic. Asaspirants, these Exalted typically have to complete quests associated with Luna's phases to prove themselves. Lunar training is more primal, ‘more instinctual, than the training of the Dragon-Blooded or the Sidereal. t Like all Lunars, would-be No Moons earn ritualistic: sears and tattoos that fix their castes and forms. Other ‘Chosen studying under a Lunar master are likely to be likewise marked —a distinction that may bring admixing respect in some circles and undying enmiry in others. For the student, three trials determine his success in this challenging endeavor. The first, the tes¢ ofthe Full Moon, is atestof survival. The stdent must demonstrate the ability 0 | survive in the harshest conditions the master can find and to complete tasks assigned by and resist temptations provided by spirits workingar the master's behest. A student who fails this, the simplest ofthe three taks, is either slain and sent into his nextincamation orfixed on tothe Changing Moon Caste and smarked so that no other Lunar sorcerer takes him as student. If the fist task is completed successfully, the student is instructed in the basic ways of sorcery. He is taught the history of hispeople and the basics ofhow tosurvive without killing. Once thisinstruction iscomplete,hefaceshisseconel tral, the test of the Changing Moon. This testis a test of versatility and cunning. The mentor names three creatures native to the region that the student is to locate and live among, For one month per species, the student isto become asone with each of these creatures, learning theirsecretsand befriending them askin. Atthe end of the trial, the student facesa predator who posesa threat to each of hisanimal kin, which he must ourwit or outright defeat, Failure ofthis tral typically leads to death, and ifnot, the Exaltifixed into the ‘Changing Moon Caste and sent back into Creation, Success leads to another round of education. Prior to the thitd task, the student is instructed in the stories that other Lunars expect to hear during the times of relaxation and in how to recognize spirits and what the properrituals of espectare foreach, The thicd tral isthe test (of No Moons and isa tes of wisdom. The mentor weaves a scenario, part eal, part spiritual, part illusion, which appears to have no solution. The student must learn to ignore his senses andl rely on his intuition to find success where only failure is apparent. Ifthis tial is failed, there is no dishonor tothe Exalted, buthe will never learn the final secrets ofthe ‘No Moon Caste He is marked with the ritualistic sears that lock him into the Changing Moon Caste and sent away with abit of benevolent eryptic wisdom. ‘Upon the successful completion of the chire rial, the studentis aught the greatest secrets ofthe No Moon Caste. He leams the Terrestrial Circle sorcery Charm and is taught the inysteries ofthe ritual markings that fixa Lamar’s caste. When these final lessons are complete, the new sorcerer is himself responsible for making the final markings that fix him as a member of his caste, From that moment on, hisfate is his own. Guideslbythespiritsandtheneedsoftheirpeople, uch sorcerers typically find acceptance wherever they go among the Lunar. ‘Thoughspiritsknow little ofsorcery, theyare wisein the mysteries of Creation, and Lunar magicians in training encounter and lear from spitits in a number of different ways. In some cases, the student's mentor will summon a spiritfor instruction, while, in other cases, thestudenissent tothespiritto study or interact. In the latter case, hallucino- genicdrugsareoften used to help thestudentdeal moreeasily with the spirit: In rare situations, the spirits will come in search ofthe sorceret-to-be toimpartwisdomandknowledge pertinent to the student’ training — often legacies of the College of Salina. Indeed, a budding No Moon typically learns.as much from spirits ashe does from his Exalted tutor.SOLAR SORCERERS Many newly Exalted Solars wish to leam sorcery, and those who wish todosomust learn thesecretsofmagicwithin ‘minimal support structure. Would-be sorcerersamong the Solar Exalted ean learn through any or all of the training tmethods by which other types of Exalted teach themselves sorcery. During her quest for knowledge, a Solar student mnight learn secrets from ancient tomes and an enlightened master, study plants and animals witha Lunaro understand the nature of Creation and practice ritual magic with a teacher from the Gold Faction of the Sidereals Yer, Solars may often be forced to leam sorcery without assistance, either because they cannot find a tutor, because they do not know they can lean magic ftom other types of Exalted ot because they do not wish to become bebolden to a tutor. Some Solars may do this through searching. out last, tomes or troves of magical lore treasures. There are a few remnantsoftheakdschoolsleft, the rarely more than erurabling ruins, with no more to do with gic that a few mythic names carved into stone beneath weathered and unrecognizable statues, Still, thereanesecrers to gleaned from the mysteries hidden within some of them. These rumbledown ruinsmigh fal inscriptions or archaic but still functional equipment, or they may even, occasionally, serve as homes to ancient masters clinging desperately tothe past. (Other Solars seek to lear from the world around them, rather than from the past. These Exalted seek the secrets of sorcery in the epiphanies that come from observing birds in flight or the ac of a rainbow. They lear endurance from the stonesand from the tree that bends tothe wind. To the open minded student ofsorceryallexperiencescan provide insight Both such methods of leaming without a tut insanely dangerous. Even the frames of the Exalted can be scarred ortomn asunder by mischanneled Essence. Even those Exalted who escape without bodily harm must fear posses- sion by raw Essence. Even ifan Exalt somehow successfully casts a spell, the very power she channels may possess her, twisting her will to mizror its own primal urges. Tewould seem thata young Solar would stand no chance of discovering the secret of sorcery on her own, Afterall ittook the intervention of powefil spirits to teach Brigit. Yet many young ‘Solarsdo manage to discover the fundamentals ofsorcery, anit would seem that there are other forces at work instcting them, Asarule, each Solar who wishes to lean sorcery finds herself involved in five quests The specifics ofthe qustsare different for each student, but can be generalized into five phases: The length wer of each phase ares foreach individual, but every would-be sorcerer must pass threugh them all. Tue Five Quests The five quests, unsurprisingly, correspond to the five ppositionsof the sun, lending credence to speculations tharthe Unconquered Sun is patron ofthese neophyte sorcerers. The hold ancient tomes, insi Dawn quest centers on the Solar Exalted learning meckness Itisatruismamong sorcerers thatinordertocontrol theforces ofthe universe, one must first be humble before them, for they are stronger than the mightiest Exalt, and those who stand before them rather than flowing with them will certainly break. The Dawn quest often includes manual labor, such as tending livestock, quarrying stone or farm labor. During the Zenith quest, the student discovers oF is, discovered by a mentor. More often than not, this dis ccccurs in the middle of a seemingly untelated matter: This ‘mentor may be an accomplished sorcerer but is more often a spirit, a mortal occultistoreven a wise but otherwise ordinary mortal, For example, a young would-be magician in an old hermit whose help is requested by an imprisoned princess might leam that the hermitis actualy Gold Faction arch of Sideteal eager fora student or might on the way encounter a spirit willing 1 offer advice and instruction. He might even befriend afield hand or a guide who possesses great wisdom, ‘The Twilight quest finds the would-be sorcerer on a quest in the wildemess, Sometimes, the student finds lost wisdom in the wilderness, often inthe place he least expects. Other times, however, the wisdom of the Twilight quest comes from the joumey itself In the Night quest, the student is conftonted with her darkest fears. For some, these fears are as simple as facing a room full of dreaded snakes. For others, the fears take the form of the darkness in the student's own soul. The student must face che fears and overcome them. This tests the rmagician’s ability to confront dangerous and terrifying situ- ations and still react. The Eclipse quest involves choice, which i life altering. The student must choose berwe: and darkness or This choice tests ways friends and family, between the forces of li between several of his fondest drean the sorcerer’s ability to act decisively, even when the stakes are high, and, also, his willingness to sacrifice one thing he loves for another — critical to a magician, for sorcery is ultimately a path of sacrifice. Afr these five quests are complete, the magician typi cally finds he has the ability to perform sorcery. It may come tohim in the form of instruction, or it may be that he simply Bras e ns aon Ae enece acne ee tion of the process of buying the Ter See OUR UL Cuts Llane ere ett ore ny should beroleplayed our. Even if it occurs before the ect teceene Seer Rte eta ene ced passed through his five quests. Keep in mind that POM ie a Feeieeste aden ence sorcerer must learn or research.es he as always known howe. Thisfeeling, that sorcery is somthing intuitive that has been suppressed or forgotten, is common atoongall tremely rate frit to emerge independently before the present period LEARNING CELESTIAL AND SOLAR SORCERY Regardless of the method studied, the processes above only teach the sorcerer the Terrestrial Circle of magic, the simplest step on the road to magical power. This step is the easiest in the joumey. To advance to the higher circles requires something more than pure study — both potential and inspiration, To master sorcery ofthe Celestial and Solar Circles, the sorcerer must be able to channel sufficient Essence, must have a great enough knowledge of technical sorcery and must gain greater understandingof the narute of magic. The festewoare easy, in relative tems. Any man ean study lore, Any Exalted of the proper type can expand his capability to tap Essence The last is difficult because no one knows from whence inspiration comes. For some, the insight comes froma newly foun text, forothers from theit location, Forstilorhers, rnuse evolves from the events around them. A sorcerer can ¢goseeking for inspiration, but in che end, he who seeks the hardest finds the least, On the other hand, many sorcerers claim that when they stop theie search, insight springs upon them, fully formed. For such magicians iis nora matter of finding inspira tion in the las place they looked, itis a matter of inspiration finding them, Even more knowledge, even greatercommand of Essence and even more insight are needed to master Solar sorcery once Celestial sorcery is known. The sorcerers who are not frustrated by the search for the former have no illusions as tothe dificulty ofthe ques for the latter. Those sorcerers who master Solar sorcery often con- tinue the search, continue to quest for something beyond levelofpower, perhaps the power ofthe gods orof those who came before them. Even in the First Age, no sorcerers reached this lofty ideal, but this does not deter modem ‘magicians from the hunt. THe EFFECTS OF MAGIC However magic is learned, there is no doubt that it is inherently different than the use of Charms. Once the sorcerer has cast his first spell, he can never go back. From that moment forward, he never perceives the world in the same way again. The colors become more real, the experi- ences more vivid. No two sorcerers perceive the world in. the same way, but forall the joy added by the use of sorcery, there is pain as well. ‘With great power comes great responsibility, and with thar responsibility comes the burden of command. Many. sorcerersare constantly plagued by the worldas itmight have been. They are tormented by what might haveoccurred had they not cast that last spell or if they chosen to intervene inaascemingly insignificantincident. Such sorcerersoften grow weary long before their time. Crooked backs, unkempt white hair or wrinkles bom of guilt mark them. Altematively, they are paralyzed by what might be. In these cases, the spell- «astersfind themselvesanalyzing every possible action, every choice and every permutation before taking any While they frequently choose well, their colleagues often feeluncertain fthey can be trusted tact ina timely manner. ‘Other sorcerers are tormented by the specter of death, ‘They can look at nothing without seeing the touch of decay uponit. Infintsare malnourished children, bor tosuiferand dle, while older children already show signs of the stresses and pain they will endureasadults. Anadult’smarch toward the grave is clearly visible to these magicians, and the truly coldare patently decrepit corpses. Such a sorcerer cannot see ‘a new building without his eyes fixing on marks of wear. Sorcerers tormented by this awareness are those most con. scious of the loses the modem age suffers. In the Old Realm, people were healthier, longer lived — somehow mote vi brant. During the First Age, steuctures were taller, walls broader, and architecture more omate. With such aware. ness, how can the modern world look like anything but a shell ofits former self! Regardless of the ers typically keep their eyesshaded,asifthe t them from the decay they sec. shadows can prot. For other sorcerers, the torment is more subtle, The magicians find themselves unable to look at anything in a superficial manner again. Every behavior, every material, every event must be analyzed. Such spell-casters oft themselves subconsciously analyzing the flow ofthe warerin a waterfall, while those around them see its beauty: Relation. ships with others suffer, as the Essence-shapers are unable to take the words of their loved ones at face value. Subtle shifts of ton with their possible true meanings. These distractions, espe cially when combined with the drive for ever-increasing knowledge, lead such sorcerers ro distance themselves from nd peculiar choices of words torture the sorcerers thers and possibly to paranoia ‘LEARNING New SPELLS. Learning to cast spells and learning the spells them- selves represents two very different tasks indeed. Typically the lore of the magican’s frst spell is incorporated into the staining that leads to becoming asorcerer,andthey leam the spells metaphysical structure intimately. Ir isaspell-caster’s fist spells after that which typically prove to be the most difficult. Inevitably, the sorcerer misses the point of some lecture oranotherand mustdiscoverhismentor'struclessons onbis own, Fortunately, resources exist to ease this passage. Many sorcerers ean go ask theie masters exacely what has gone wrong. For those who cannot, there are tomes; both ancient and modem, that catalogue well-known spells There are spirits entrusted with secrets by ancient sorcerers that will share knowledge with those who show themselves UNExacrep Sorcerers irene Wen erase! Tonal technical mastery of theartis insufficient —the mortal simply lacksthe Essence and the spiritual power codrive Exalted sorcery. That does notmean that there are no unExalred individuals who practice ma Anyone can east Pen ae es tninor illnesses or divine the future. These are simply mechanical acts such as forging a sword or writing a eee ee eet Others make pacts with spirits, or even with ‘or use powerful occult drugs and preparations to make Cre cS study, a good deal of luck and en. together the rare and exotic ingredients involved ‘mortal sorcerer can be quite a formidable individual mortals. Yet, for all her art, she would barely on-Blood. Even the Exalted could Pete see eee tea eee because even the simplest working of the Terrestrial eee etre Seer worthy. There are other seekers who will exchange knowl sdge of desired rituals for the proper price. Some sorcerers claim thar, with each new spell ‘That is, of course, until the sorcerer finds himself in an he learning hecomeseasier intellectual rut. Then, learning each new spell becomes a trial in and of itself Sometimes, of course, the spell sorcerer truly wishe raster does not exist or has been lost to the annals of time, ‘When this occuts, the sorcerer must create the spell himself on his intellect and knowledge of the arts. The spellsisalongand sometimes rustrating path, but relyir when completed succesfully, it ean be potentially more rewarding than any other method of gaining spell. CREATING MAGIC SPELLS If the tales are to be believed, creating spells used to be icantly easier than it is today. Once, the weakest of the Exalted sorcerers knew dozens or hundreds of spells, while today, even the greatest of them is limited to the few scraps of knowledge that survived the passing of the First Age Many secrets of why magic warks have been lost, even ifthe knowledge of how magic worksisstill available tosome. From historical records, creating new spells seems at one point to have been a simple matter of creativity, where, now, it is painful process of experimentation, failure and danger ‘The creation or rediscovery of a spell is one part inspi ration and creativity, one part intellectual exercise and one part physical experimentation. While the theory of a new spell can be thought about, written on and refined al infinitum, eventually, it must be tested. Ultimately, thesorcerermust expose her theoriesto the actual investment of Bssence and cast the spell she has careflly composed, checked and rechecked. If that fist casting is successful, i leads toa feeling of elation. Hf the spel is unsuecessful, the lucky caster will merely be disappointed. On the otherhand, the caster may suffer a distortion or miror ofthe intended effect, maiming or even death. Different sorcerers take different approaches to devel- oping theirspells, Some theorize in hesafery oftheir libraries for months on end, Others experiment constantly in their labs, fiddling with this reaction and that until they discover the result they are looking for. Either way, sorcerers need both raw materials and a source of information. MecHANICAL DETAILS Ingame terms, the playerdescribes the spell the charac- ter wants to research and create. The Storyteller then must determine the cele of sorcery that the spell hest belongs in. The player should not be informed of the circle before research begins, chough the Storyteller should let her make herself aware ofthe rules of magic. (Once the Storyteller has determined the proper cieele, the sorcerer can begin study. Ifthe sorcerer is incapable of casting spells ofthe circle that the propased spell belongs in orif the spells impossible based on the guidelines provided, itwill ake thespell-castersome time todetermine this. After every three months of research, the researcher's player may make an latelligence + Occult rol. If this roll is successful, the sorcerer realizes that the spel i beyond her capabilities, at this time and can stop the research without further investment. lftheroll sunsuecessful inany manner, another three months of research is required before she can check again. Note that this rll simply determines if the spell is outside the character's capabilities, it does not provide any information about the spel’ circle. If che spell is within the sorcerer’s current capabilities productive research can begin immediately. This research, period is characterized by a number of months of intensive study followed by a period of experimentation. The circle of sorcery determines the length of these periods, as follows; ‘Terrestrial spells tkea minimum of nine months of research, Once the basic research is complete, the player may begin colling for success. One Intelligence + Occult roll (Gifficulty2) may be madeevery month afterward toward the goal of accumulating 5 total successes, ‘Celestial spells take a minimum of 18 months of research, Once the basic research is complete, the player may begin rolling for success, One Intelligence + Occult roll (fficlty3) may be made every month afterward toward the goal of accumulating 10 total successes. : ‘Solar spells take a minimum of 36 months of re- search. Once the basicresearch is complete, the player may begin rolling for success. One Intelligence + Occult roll (difficulty 4) maybe made every month afterwant toward the seal of accumulating 20 total successes, ‘These difficulties and research times assume the sor- cerer is attempting to re-create a spell that already exis This includes atterapting to rediscover spells described in ancient tomes andjor inspired by discussions with older or ‘more experienced spell-casters. Ifthe sorcerer is trying to create @ spell whole cloth or to create a spell that has never ‘been artempred, the basic research time is doubled and the difficulty is increased by one. If-any of these checks is a failure (not a botch), the sorcerer must backtrack and recheck the research. Basic research must be repeated, after which the attempt co accurnulate successes can continue. The research period is equal to one-third of the length of the initial research, period (three months for Terrestrial spells, six: months for Celestial spells and 12 months for Solar spells). Fortue nately, any previously accumulated successes remain accumulated. For example, ifresearcher ona Celestial spell hrad gathered 9 total successes before a basic failure, he doesn’t have to start completely over. After a six-month review of his notes, the researcher's player can make another roll in hopes of accumulating one final success. ‘Whena sorcerer botches any single spell cteation roll, he doesn’ just fall — he fails spectacularly and painfully. The Essence is so poorly channeled that the sorcerer must soak one health level for every 5 motes of Essence required for the basic casting of the spell. In addition, at the Storyteller'soption, the sorcerer maysuffersomesortofside effect based on the type of spell being researched. For example, ifa sorcerer is attempting create spell that will tum lead into gold, he might find that anything from isleft hhand to his entire left side has been transformed into gold instead, It is recommended that the severity of such side effects be based on the number of successes accumulated before the botch. The more successes accumulated before the botch, the smaller the side effects should be. Botching with no successes might lead to serious physical orspiritual damage to the character, while borching one success short ‘of completion should likely have no side effects. Further, after a botch, the process doesn’t just need to be started over. It needs to be completely reconceptualized. The sorcerer can not just try the same spell again, he has a mental block againstit, Hehas to, instead, come up witha new spel. Ifthe sorcerer’s Occult score improves, he may try the same spell again, but he must start from scratch. Doringthe spel creation process, thesorcerercan rake up to a week off each month without penalty to his research, Thistime can be spent traveling, relaxing, social- izingorinany athermanner he sees fit, While researching, however, the sorcerer must. spend the majority of his ‘walking houts focused on the spell to be created or magic theory in general, 20THe Limits OF MAcic The Storyteller should use the following guidelines when determining what spell can and cannot be created by character sorcerers. Remember, these are just guidelines. The Storyteller is free to adjust them as eer tsar General Guidelin * Dead isdead. There’sno resurrection in the world of Exalted, although you could bind someone's ghost eee eee mee eg # Time isa river, and it lows unceasingly through the world. There is no going back in time, and the re ee eh eee st ee nee ee ery is similarly awful at animating the dead and commanding ghosts — powerful necromanc} amagical discipline specific to Abyssals, Summoning ghost is Celestial Circle sorcery, asis making azombie. The Solar Circle lets you create a slightly better zombie # Celestial events are outside of sorcery’s purview. You can’t use sorcery to move the stars and planets, change the phase of the moon, make the sun rise in the middle of the night or speed or delay the coming of Reece om eC CR eae Re eo of the gods. A spell that transforms the heavens will not function if the god or gods goveming the affected oa eR genes * Likewise, sorcery can't foretell the future very well. Sensing at a distance is a Terrestrial or Celestial t, but sensing the future requires either astrology or the ee ces Sorcery can’t create a Demesne outright, though eee ee ey raise a Manse, but the magician has to actually have high Craft (Architecture) and Occult Abilities in order to direct the ritual. This spell is of the Celestial Circle and is always costly or difficult to actuate. Changing the worlds possible. The conjuration of something from raw Essence is perfectly reasonable. Living things are harder than inanimate things, and such spells are Celestial Circle. Sentients are harder to make than mere living creatures, and spells to create sentient beings are Solar Ci ecifie Guidelin cle spells can conjure a fait amount of “base” material. They can make a wall or a suit mn conjure “neble” materials such a gold, silver, jewels, pepper or saffron. = * Celestial Circle spells ean create a fairamount of noble material. They can make enough base material to provide 10 men with arms and anor or conjure up a tower with a ritual. They can make natural animals, but they are limited to animals no larger than an elephant. * Solar Circle spells can make armor out of diamonds and swords out of solid flame. They can provide enough horses or swords and armor fora company of 100 men. With a ritual, they can conjure up a fabulous palace of ivory, jet and chalcedony, full of gold and jewels and with hot and cold running ambergris, or they ‘can whip up enough weapons to equip an army. Through a ritual, they can create sentient life, even sentient eR eee Sore Ere caste ct eat ao Tomes, ITEMS AND Booxs PLACES OF INTEREST Fn eae ee oe ae : il fertile be cena Despite the holocaust of the Contagion, a number of texts and objects still exist from the ancient times. In . addition, therearesome things hat neithertimenor Sabo tee Meco Barcahlves can destroy. These artifacts can reveal ee : research tasks and inspire the soul. The followin ne sbjects and places known or rumored to exiscin the Second THEART OF SORCERY Age. Other similar locations and iteras may exist, either yet. uthors Surman Tung tobe discovered or actively hidden by their discoverer. he locations that have survived to the modern era mightas well be considered indestructible. Ifthey have laste this long ic will ake more power than even the mig Deseription: The Arof Sorceryisa textoriginally credited tothe Silurian School of Sorcery. TI ‘no specific author, historians attribute the book to Suman. one ofthe lesserstudentsofS lur ing, whowasknown tob ‘modern: sorcerers possess to destroy them. Historians claim that Taung collated the tome against hi asnistres's wishes, for Sikurbelieved thatrtual should be pasted by the spoken word rather than by the written word. Taig disagreed batt compromised by creating his text in pictogram form. Further, he codes his picture language so that certain innayes were intentionally misleading, “The modem incarnation of the text is called The Are of Sorcery. Only a small nusaber of the pictograms have been translated, so, at the current time, the text is little more than an inexplicable picture book. ‘The modem incarnation is generally bundled with anotebookofknown facts about the pictogtams. There are only three known modern copies ofthe text Game Effects: Storytelle’s discretion. The book prob- ably contains spells. “THE BROKEN-WINGED CRANE Author: Unknown Deseription: This book is an instruction manual t0 damnation. Itis said fo exist only as an evil dream and that ir will noc actually be written for many eons yer to come, when it shall serve as the prayer book of ultimate darkness. Yet, through certain magics, the dream can be made half real, allowing a sorcerer to read from a shadow of the tome. The possessor of this forbidden text gains great in- sight into the politics of the damned, but The Broken- Winged Crane is not a hook of demonology, but of dark worship. Those who read it gain power not by commanding demons, but by striking pacts and alliances swith princes of Malfeas. Within the Realm, even rumor of possession of this tome can doom a sorcerer to death. In. recent history, gossip about the book has been used to eliminate political rivalsin the Heptagram. Several shades of text have actually been discovered, and it seems as if each of the known copies of the text is subtly different. Most theorize that the book is the product of today’s fature and that, as each day passes, events occur that change the shape of that future, thus changing the shape of the book that shall eventually come to be written. Game Effects: The wearer gains the ability to trade her soul for great power, becoming an Infernal Exalted of the most powerful sort. Such an act is an imedeemable blas- phemy and forever damns the character. Danic’s Laws oF Magic Author: Daric Description: Daric is considered to be the greatest student of Devon and of the College Devonian. He was the first sorcerer to recognize and record a unified theory of magic. Building up from the most basic truths, he painstakingly recorded a set of rules that can be applied, if researchers and historians are to be believed, to almost any Terrestrial Circle spell, ‘This text contains an extended series of postulates, theorems and corollaries about the nature of magic. The veiting is dry and confusing o even the most enlightened sorcerer. On the otherhand, these details can be extremely useful to those scruggling with the conception of a new spell. Fonecan follow che eryptic trail winding through the book, almost any research pussle can be unwoven. Savants suggest thar the current Laws of Magi is but fone volume of a three-volume set. Each book buildson the lastand provides and extended theory ofrules to enlighten the research with regards to one of the other circles of magic. While at least four copies of the first volume are Known to exist in the modern era, no one admits to possessing volume two or three. Game Effects: For the first volume, -2 months when performing preliminary research fora Terrestrial Circle spell Others volumes should have commensurate effects for Ce- lestial and Solar Circle sorcery Oapenot’s Covex Author: Oadenol Description: This one-of-a-kind text isactually the notebook of the Sidereal master sorcerer Oadenol. The yellowed pages are filled with highly detailed diagrams and spider-fine script. When the book was first discov ceed in the City of the Mad, it was assumed to be the fanciful scribblings of a madman, The writing was in- comprehensible and the drawings seemed pointless. However, as inventions and locations carefully noted in the tome were discovered, the book was reconsidered more carefully ‘When read under the light of the full moon, the formerly unintelligible script was discovered to be letter- ing in an Old Realm dialect used during the era in which, Ondenol is believed to have lived. Further research indi- cated that when the book was read during a solar eclipse, a completely different set of notes existed on the same pages. These notesare in thesame scriptand dialect asthe so-called full moon notes. Researchers have theorized other sets of notes exist, which can only be read under other specific stellar conditions. However, despite years of atterapts, no researcher has discovered another stellar condition that yields afresh set of notes. Game Bffects: A recipe book for experiments and probably magical devices as well. Obviously, either there is an easier way to read the book or else they were notes that Cadenol didn’texpect wo use very often, butthoughcneeded protection from prying eyes. ‘THe WHT TREATISE Author: Brigid Description: While it is unknown if this book was actually written by Brigid, itis an ancient text nonethe- less. This book is a primer on basic sorcery — and an excellent one at that. Since the early First Age, it has served as a teaching text for young magicians and is read even today by second-year students at the Heptagram Many copies of this book ate in existence, and most 2Dragon-Blooded sorcerers keep a copy in their personal libraries because it forms an excellent handbook Game Effects: Characters studying from this book can, learn sorcery as if they had a tutor. THE BLACK TREATISE Author: Brigid Description: The companion volume to The White Treatise is The Black Treatise, which contains the fist five spells that Brigid invented. This book is as common as its companion volume and is just as often taken into the field, as it forms a valuable reference of spells that every sorcerer will be frequently using Game Effects: The book contains the spells Death of Obsidian Butterflies, Demon of the First Circle, Em- crald Countermagic, Invulnerable Skin of Bronze and Stormwind Rider Tre Boox oF THREE CIRCLES Author: Various Description: The centerpiece of the Library of Sperimin, The Book of Three Circles was, in fact, three books, one for each circle of sorcery. By order of the Solar Deliberative, every spell invented in the Old Realm was to be recorded within The Book. Its unclear if the tomes were lost with the fall of Sperimin in the Contagion or if they were carried away or hidden, The tomes were themselves wonders of their grand age. The three books had thousands of pages ofspidersill, and the binding of each was an automaton whose rind was bent to helping the reader find and reference particu lar spells. Each book had its own unique personality and helped collect and index the vast catalog of sorceries it and its sisters contained. For those who had been autho- rized to copy material from the text by the Deliberative, the spine of the book containing the spell would open, and hundreds of automaton spiders would surge forth and quickly weave a perfect copy of the pages. Game Effects: Ifthe books survived and were willing to allow themselves to be used (they were quite capable of deferaling themselves), they would be the largest storehouse ‘of magical lore in Creation, containing practically every ‘magical secret of the Old Realm ARTIFACTS Most of the wonders of the First Age were destroyed in. the Contagion or in the centuries of strife that came before and after it. Now, in the Second Age of Man, Exalted and mortal alike seck to seize and hold the last few remaining wonders, milking them for the power and luxury they bestow, Sorcerers are no different, and detailed below are a number of artifacts of use to magicians. For more informa- tionon enchanted devices, see the Wondersand Equipment chapter of the Exalted core rulebook and the Works of ‘Wonder chapter of this book. 2BANASTACIA’S CHAINS AND CATCHES (Arniracr ese) Description: The Sidereal sorcerer Anastacia was fu mmored to be one of the fist great spirit binders. There were afer, but ma others before her any in spirit binding actributed to Anastacia have yet to be deciphered by modern sorcerers. In addition, Anastacia is reputed to have bound some of the most powerful spirits of her time in ornamental bracelets. Some of these spirits were bound to prevent their continued rampages against the world, Others were bound, many willing future catastrophe. Unfortunately, ifthere isa way to tell the nature of the spirit bound in one of Anastacia's bracelets, that sec Bach c mental lock on asmall bracelet with an equally fine key. The bracelet has a number of clasp which specially designed figurescan bea sound its circumference to ed. According to the tales, these charms served to enhance the enchant ments that bound the spirits within the chain itself. Unfortunately, over the millennia, many of the figureshave been lost, weakening the wards on the bindings. Equally unfornunately, many of the keys have also been lost If the research on the few rec ered catches support rm co be unraveling cr that has led to these theories, che enchantments ly with time — a world, On the other hand, the weakening omte time delay sorcery intended ch contains a powerful sprit or demon of a least Essence 5. Some are hostile, some poten tially benevolent. The only way the catch. through the use of the key or th Countermagic directed atthe the catch is opened by means bound to serve the opener for a ey, the being within itis rand a day ‘Tie CRUCIBLEOF TARIM (ARTIFACT #4 Description: Tarim wasoneo the frst Exalte effect to preparing spels in li the ingredients in some sorcof container, etrors tended tTamin dedicated a number of years to the creation of the ulvimace in spell-preparation containers The Crucible of Tarim is the culmination of this research. Not only does it protect the sorcerer from the caustic effects of misapplied Essence, this great copper vessel is rumored to enhance the mystical research of anyone who uses it. Large enough to hold a young child within its depths, the vat features a mystifying array of wheels and spigots on its exterior. The pot can be opened for the introduction of ingredients, but when closed, a wheel on itslid seals ictightly. The spigots can then be used torelease pressure or the contents of the pot in a controlled manner without opening it. Rumors have irthat the pot isresstanc to the ravages of timeand thusitisimpossibletodate when itmighthave been