Information on the Souls
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[edit] THIS SECTION CONTAINS HELLGAME SPOILERS.
[edit] The Origin of the Souls
Towards the decline of the Solars, there lived five brave and selfless Terrestrial Exalts who recognized the madness growing in their masters. Their Solar lords were no longer the great and just leaders they once were, so the five journeyed to the farthest reaches of the East where an ancient temple to Gaia and Cytheria was rumored to be. There, almost in the Wyld, after weeks of travel, the five unearthed the ancient place of worship and prayed without ceasing for five days and five nights.
They begged the Compassionate Mother of Creation to give them strength to show their masters the error of their ways, for their Solars' decline was so great that only a violent lesson would suffice. While countless other Terrestrials wished to overthrow the Solar rule out of jealousy or vengeance, the five kept pure hearts; mass slaughter and the resulting extermination of an Exalt type was not something they desired. Because of their selfless intentions, Gaia heard their prayers and granted each a vision of becoming one with their Dragons. When they opened their eyes, they realized the limitations of Terrestrial Exaltation had been removed. They returned to their homes, calling themselves by the Names of the Dragons.
They championed the Terrestrial Exalted as word of their triumphs spread. Eventually the Sidereals co opted their story and around the tales of their deeds built the foundation for the Immaculate Faith. In the wake of the Usurpation and during the height of the Shogunate, many more Terrestrials joined The First Five in their righteous cause. These elected Exalts came to be known as the Souls of Gaia and served the world. During the Shogunate, all Souls were Chosen by the First Five, but in the Second Age of Man, new paths have opened.
[edit] Becoming a Soul of Gaia
- The Lunar Exalted know of a ritual that calls out to the heart of the Mother of All. While Lunar Exalts rarely partake of Gaia's Blessing themselves, there are a few who wish to know the fullness of Luna and Gaia's love. The Swords of Luna periodically recruit Outcaste Terrestrials into Gaia's Fold. A Soul of Gaia is always welcomed with open arms by the Swords of Luna.
- Somewhere a TRUE copy of the Immaculate Texts exists. This is not the fabricated copy propagandized by the Bronze Faction. The True Texts contain detailed descriptions of the visions each of The First Five witnessed, as well as the exact rituals they followed. Should an Exalt read and follow this book, it functions like a holy Broken Winged Crane.There are only five copies of the True Texts in existance. One is in the Forbidding Manse of Ivy. NONE are in the possession of the Deathlords, who cannot bear to be within sight of the holy book.
- Finding a temple of Gaia and offering up one's soul. Gaia responds only to those whose intentions are pure, however.
- Other, rarer methods have been known to exist, including an existing Soul electing to elevate another Terrestrial he deems worthy. Many secular Dynasts believe that the Souls ARE the Immaculate Dragons or the Elemental Dragons personified and this process of election is often written off as the mythic Ultimate Exaltation
- Rarer still is a "Wyld Hunt" sent after a young Solar that, rather than kill him, spirits him away where he is initiated and welcomed in Gaia's Fold. Solars make exceptionally powerful Souls and are useful in times of crisis.
[edit] Factions
[edit] The Vanguard of Heaven
The personal assistants to the whole of Heaven. They work most closely with the Sidereals--both Bronze and Gold-- as the strongarm of Heaven. Their relation with the Chosen of Fate is as open as it can be and many Souls are aware of the Bronze's puppetry of the Realm. Rumor has it that at least two of the First Five still serve the Vanguard of Heaven.
- Right Hand of the Maidens: Members of Gaia's Fold who directly work with the Chosen of Fate in their Conventions and often as partners and guards on personal missions. The Bronze Faction dominates this alliance, so rarely are other Celestial Exalted permitted into this faction.
- The Heaven-Dragon's Talons: The only faction that pulls from others. The Heaven-Dragon's Talons are the fiercest fighters out of all the Souls. When the time calls for it, these soldiers are called to fight in the Army of Heaven, under the command of the Unconquered Sun. Due to the infrequency with which the Army of Heaven is used, members of this faction are always members of another. They are highly respected members of whatever Faction they belong to.
- Ambassadors of Heaven and Earth: The Souls who function as go-betweens for the Terrestrial and Celestial bureaucracies; they fill the roels left empty by the missing Eclipses and the small number of Sidereals. with the return of the Solars, the Ambassadors may prove to be invaluable mentors to new Eclipses--an may find the burden of their job lessened, for good or ill.
- Scions of the First Five: The leadership of the Souls. Like all akuma (and Abyssals--the cheating bastards) those in Gaia's Fold enjoy truly eternal lives. Despite this, many die gloriously in battle or end their contract with Gaia voluntarily in a ceremony with the Maiden of Endings.
The First Five built an enclave in the glory of Yu-Shan, a manse dedicated the the might of all five Elements which produces five level 5 Hearthstones; one of each in the possession of the Five Glorious Dragons who consistently take the names of the Dragons before them--Mela, Danaa'd, Pasiap, Heshiesh, and Sextes Jylis. Five Souls sit on the thrones of the Immaculate Dragons, while ten other Souls with seniority attend them and assist in the management of Gaia's Fold. At the head of them all is the Soul with the most seniority--at the moment, a woman occupying the Throne of Mela (though many whisper that she is Mela herself and not a successor.) Positions as a Scion of the First Five are not permitted for starting level characters, however ARE explicitly attainable in play.
[edit] The Vanguard of the Realm
- Pillars of the Order:Those souls dedicated to the maintenance of the Immaculate Order. Though partners with the Bronze, many Pillars of the Order have differing views on the Sidereal Propaganda. The majority agree that the Immaculate Order should continue their duty of monitoring spirits and applying force where the diplomacy of the Ambassadors fails. Not all believe that the Anathema are inherently evil and those few who have read The True Texts object to the reworded edition young monks are made to read. Ragara Myruun is counted among the Pillars of the Order
--Similar, smaller sects exist for the Heptagram, The Spiral Academy, and the House of Bells, each upholding their respective school's purpose and ensuring that the Realm's foundation remains strong. At the Heptagram, they teach the students to resist the predations of the Yozis. At the House of Bells, the Souls push for an avoidance of civil war.
--There may very well be a Soul or two who minister to the Lost Eggs or failure children at Pasiap's Stair, Palace of the Tamed Storm, etc, but they are few enough to not be a whole Faction.
-- The most famous of the Vanguard of the Realm is, of course, the Scarlet Empress, though rumor has it her disappearance is related to her ascension to the Vanguard of Heaven. Some say she's joined the Scions of the First Five, others say she's made a pilgrimage to her native Dragon to raise her Essence, still others believe she may be in communion with Gaia herself in Yu Shan.
[edit] Shields of the World
- Heralds of Stability: The partners to the Swords of Luna who venture into the madness of the Wyld and keep the Raksha at bay.
- Blades of Sacred Life: The corps of Souls dedicated to the eradication and destruction of the Deathlords. Thorns was a surprise. There will be no more surprises.
- Lances of Daylight: The corps of Souls dedicated to the war against the Yozis, maintaining their prison, fighting their servants and expunging Yozi cults.
- Guardians of the Threshold:Many Souls who stumble upon Gaia's blessing are reluctant to leave behind their lives and thus a faction of those who guard and protect the very people of Creation was founded-- a loose association of Souls spread among the people of the world. Often, the Guardians of the Threshold are called to assist other factions, provided their native charges are not in serious danger themselves.
