[Ex3] Why Gods Need the Exigence

[Tiresias]

I'd thought it'd be interesting to start a thread about what would push various gods to pray for the Exigence in order to obtain an Exalted champion. Based on the spoilers we've had so far, I'm assuming Exigents are Exalted when gods are faced with a massive threat to their purview that they're too weak to resist. So, starting with...

Sunipa, Goddess of Eastern War

Sunipa's purview includes honourable rules of engagement, military discipline, elite units, Dragon-Blooded officers and duelist-champions. Potential threats to her domain include:
- An invasion from the Realm, which would likely shift the focus of Eastern warfare away from elite units and back to full legions. In addition, the prevalence of Dragon-Blooded officers and champions of the Realm might cause Sunipa's patronage of the Dragon-Blooded to slip back to Tachi-Kun, the God of Central Warfare and technical patron of the Realm's warfare.
- Barbarian hordes commanded by Lunars have no care for the proper rules of engagement. A massive beastfolk invasion would force the states of the River Province to turn away from Sunipa's military and religious doctrine in order to survive.
- Solar warlords rise and begin conquering neighbouring lands in the name of their personal glory, which goes against Sunipa's military ethics and causes her power to wane as other warlords follow suit.
- Mask of Winter's undead legions are sustained by mass slaughter. Not only does he ignore the honourable rules of engagement, his conquest of the East will likely render Sunipa obsolete eventually if he is not opposed.
- The return of the Solars means a rise in Solar champion-duelist who also fall under Sunipa's purview. This threatens to undermine her patronage of the Dragon-Blooded, as well as the support she received from the Bronze Faction.
- A fallen tyrant Exalts as a Getimian and begins to encourage wars of disproportionate retribution throughout the East. The bloodshed and resentment escalate at a rapid pace, making peace between the nations impossible. The Celestial Bureaucracy's influence over eastern warfare erodes, creating new opportunities for Rakan Thulio and his allies to expand their war against Heaven.

[Tiresias]

Nara-O, God of Secrets

Nara-O's purview includes secrets that are only known to one person. Possible threats to his purview include:
- An Infernal plans to enslave all of humanity within a world-spanning hive mind, which would eliminate the possibility of secrets. This would destroy both Nara-O and the Forbidding Manse of Ivy.
- Itzcalimon has used his powers of blackmail to obtain a Black Market Exaltation from a god who had petitioned the Unconquered Sun for the Exigence. The Chosen of Blackmail is stealing records from Nara-O's office and using them as leverage against gods, mortals and Exalted alike. Nara-O's power wanes the more of his secrets are used for blackmail, and Itzcalimon threatens to replace Nara-O's place in the Forbidding Manse of Ivy as his own influence grows.
- The true names of the Deathknights are lost to Heaven, and Nara-O cannot stand this insult. He has tasked his Exalted champion with recovering the names and history of all the Abyssal Exalted so that his records may be complete.

[Tiresias]

Ruvia, God of Roads

Ruvia is primarily the god of roads, but he also serves as the head of the Golden Barque of the Heavens, as well as the captain of the Barque itself. Potential threats to his purview include:
- A Lunar and her Infernal mate have engineered a plan to destroy the Realm. The Lunar's beastfolk legion will go forth, destroying all the roads used by the Realm's Legions, while the Infernal will summon Jacint into Creation to build new roads. This will allow the two Exalted to control all of the Realm's transportation. It is also likely to destroy several hundred road gods, Ruvia himself, and possibly the Golden Barque of the Heavens as a whole.
- The return of the Solar artisans has allowed Vanileth to regain some measure of his power, and he grows more influential with each passing day. If left unchecked, artificial flight will one day return as the primary mode of transportation, and Ruvia may very well lose his position as the captain of the Barque. He needs an Exalted champion to defend and develop major roads, or else to subvert Vanileth's portfolio into his own.
- A Deathknight familiar with the forbidden roads of the Labyrinth has offered to guide major caravans through the Underworld so that they might reach their destination faster. The Guild has gladly accepted her offer and now, many road gods are demanding horrific human sacrifices so that their roads might be turned into shadowlands and become part of the Deathknight's circuit. If this is allowed to continue, Creation's major roads will fall into the Underworld.

[Lioness]

Nice going with this.
I've not put much thought into why specific canonical gods need the Exigence but some more general thoughts about why it'll improve their role in the setting.

[Tiresias]

The Exigence is interesting. Solars and Lunars kinda-sorta Exalt when they need it, but Exigents seem to Exalt when a god needs it. They're more about the world's problems than people's problems with the world.

Which is actually why the Solars and Lunars were created in the first place, and raises interesting questions about the ethics of their current role as Exalted champions.

[Yishten]

This may have been answered, or we may simply not know, but:

Solar and Lunar, et al, Exaltations are loosed and not under the direct management of the sponsor, which is why they seem to affect individuals who need them more than individuals the god needs at the time.

Certainly the first recipient of an Exigence seems to be selectable. What if that person dies? Does the Exigence continue as other Exaltations, finding suitable candidates? Does it vanish or return to UCS?

[Lioness]

Certainly the first recipient of an Exigence seems to be selectable. What if that person dies? Does the Exigence continue as other Exaltations, finding suitable candidates? Does it vanish or return to UCS?

Usually the Exaltation perishes with the host like with Dragon-Blooded and Alchemicals, however there are exceptions.

[Hand-of-Omega]

Usually the Exaltation perishes with the host like with Dragon-Blooded and Alchemicals, however there are exceptions.

Is that something we've been told? I was under the impression it was up to the God (player/ST) designing the new Exaltation if they wanted it to be a permanent thing or not...

[HaplessWithDice]

I think the managing god will decide if they choose from a pool of eligible candidates or if it will pass father to first born son, or mother to first born daughter. Or how ever.

[Hand-of-Omega]

The Exigence is interesting. Solars and Lunars kinda-sorta Exalt when they need it, but Exigents seem to Exalt when a god needs it. They're more about the world's problems than people's problems with the world.

Which is actually why the Solars and Lunars were created in the first place, and raises interesting questions about the ethics of their current role as Exalted champions.

One thing I don't quite get about Exigence as presented is why it has to do with the Sun and the Solars. As I understand it, the Exigence largely disappears when the Solars do, and reactivates when they come back. But the problem with that is that the Solars vanishing is EXACTLY when the gods need it!

The Spirit Bureaucracies in the First Age were set up so that, if there was a problem, the local god followed a chain of command and submitted a request for Exalted, the lords of the earth, to come round and check it out. If no Solars were available, some Celestial would be dispatched, and failing that, a bunch of Dragon-Blooded. When this system is functioning, which it mostly did, there'd be no need for Exigents.

However, once the Usurpation hit, not only are there no Solars or Lunars to appeal to, but the Sidereals are seen as traitors (and too busy to help in any case) and the Dragon-Blooded are no longer trusted. This is the perfect time for Exigence to be a big deal! It really seems to me that the Shogunate is the period where Exigents should really shine!

But sadly, that's not a playable era. But it would still be cool to pepper the backstory of Creation with the notion that these guys had been very active and influential back then! Not every new Exalt need be new to the setting...

[HaplessWithDice]

I agree there Hand of Omega. You make a good point about how it doesn't need to be that new. If other gods discovered how to make an Exalted essence Then the shogunate is when these would have made their debute.

[Lioness]

Is that something we've been told?

That Creation isn't overrun with the Exaltations of long-dead gods? Yes. I remember it coming up in response to people screaming "RUINED FOREVER!" at the notion of more exalt types.

[marin]

I agree there Hand of Omega. You make a good point about how it doesn't need to be that new. If other gods discovered how to make an Exalted essence Then the shogunate is when these would have made their debute.

They did - the Liminals first popped up in the Shogunate.

It seems to me that the absence of the Exigence during the Shogunate is precisely the point, showing the problem with having the Exigence being dependent on the UCS to hand out - and what it means that it is once more being handed out.

Something else of relevance is that the capacity to create Exalted singlehandedly appears to be limited to god-figures of a certain standing - the Celestial Incarnae, the Five Elemental Dragons, the Yozis, Autochthon, etc. That is, it does not appear to be something any god can do ex nihilo.

[Hand-of-Omega]

That Creation isn't overrun with the Exaltations of long-dead gods? Yes. I remember it coming up in response to people screaming "RUINED FOREVER!" at the notion of more exalt types.

Ok, thanks!

~~It seems to me that the absence of the Exigence during the Shogunate is precisely the point, showing the problem with having the Exigence being dependent on the UCS to hand out - and what it means that it is once more being handed out.

Do we know anything about the relationship between the Sun, the Solars and the Exigence? Does it becoming active again mean that TUS is actively interested in Creation again? That's a pretty big change from previous editions...Or is it just dependent on the Solar exaltations being in the world for some reason?

[Tiresias]

Based on the Strawmaiden Janest fiction, gods need to pray to the Unconquered Sun to be able to use the Exigence. I assume the decay of the Exigence has to do with the Unconquered Sun turning away from Creation. Now that the Solars are back, the Unconquered Sun is paying attention again and the Exigence is more accessible. It could also be that the Exigence was part of the collateral damage of the Usurpation, or was tied to the Jade Prison somehow.

Or maybe it'll never be explained.