Micro-preview of Infernals

[Aretii]

One of the Castes of Infernals will be called Penumbra.

Neall Raemonn Price @burntneall
Happy eclipse to Eclipse Caste Solars, Moonshadow Caste Abyssals, and Penumbra Caste Infernals

Tyler Carpenter Adarael
My co-worker and I were waiting to see the first Exalted tweet.

Neall Raemonn Price @burntneall
Ahh, but did you spot the first re-named Infernal Caste...?

This goes against what was previewed under the old dev team, which was that the new Infernal Castes would be two words, but is in line with the move towards being a twisted mirror of the Solars instead of miniature Yozis.

Dear Neall: As a massive Infernals fan, I will accept this micro-preview as your birthday present to me.

[Isator Levi]

So, assuming this is intended seriously, the theme there would seem to be... shadows cast by the sun? Or possibly phenomena associated with the corresponding Solar phase?

I wonder what that theme could lend to the other Castes.

[Sunder the Gold]

So, assuming this is intended seriously, the theme there would seem to be... shadows cast by the sun? Or possibly phenomena associated with the corresponding Solar phase?

I wonder what that theme could lend to the other Castes.

False Dawns? Coronas?

[Aretii]

Yeah, Corona is an obvious option for one of the others.

I've been raiding http://solar-center.stanford.edu/gloss.html for other potentials, but nothing stands out.

[Isator Levi]

I wonder what the interesting twist on Caste Marks could be, assuming they go for modified Solar ones rather than the... varied originals.

Abyssals have them not only as black Solar Caste marks, but resembling bruises that then start bleeding; I'm trying to think of something Infernal that could follow the same lead, without just coming across as a copy. For instance, I feel wary of something that could just be a different kind of wound.

[Aquillion]

Obviously 3e Infernals will be Antisolars. Not in the Abyssal sense, but in the matter-vs-antimatter sense - if an Infernal and a Solar of the corresponding caste come into contact, they cancel out and explode violently, killing both.

[Saur Ops Specialist]

Yeah, Corona is an obvious option for one of the others.

I've been raiding http://solar-center.stanford.edu/gloss.html for other potentials, but nothing stands out.

Some weather phenomena: Halo, Sun Dogs/Parhelia, Pillar, Glory.

Ah, my good old atmospheric sciences textbook... who knew I'd have to pull you out for something like this...

[Lioness]

Yeah, Corona is an obvious option for one of the others.

I've been raiding http://solar-center.stanford.edu/gloss.html for other potentials, but nothing stands out.

Extreme Ultraviolet sounds like a more imaginative name than Slayer.

[nalak42]

Extreme Ultraviolet sounds like a more imaginative name than Slayer.

Though then you have to make Clockwork Orange reference by calling them the old ultraviolence.

[Robert Vance]

So, assuming this is intended seriously.

It is intended seriously. Neall and I have spent lots of time discussing Ex3's Infernals.

[Aretii]

Obviously 3e Infernals will be Antisolars. Not in the Abyssal sense, but in the matter-vs-antimatter sense - if an Infernal and a Solar of the corresponding caste come into contact, they cancel out and explode violently, killing both.

I know you're joking, but I'm going to take the opportunity to talk about the thematic shift that is both exciting me and making me go "whoa, that's hard, I hope they pull it off."

2E had Solars, their inverses the Abyssals, and "Exalted of the Yozis powered by a Solar Exaltation". It seems like the setup in 3E is more like:

Solars: 1, the positive unit
Abyssals: -1, the negative unit
Infernals: i, the imaginary unit

"A theme, and then its dark mirror serving as a foil" is a great concept, but one that's tricky to pull off without feeling stale and by-the-numbers. "A theme, and then two variations on it" is potentially extremely cool (foiling Solars in different ways!) and also really hard to do without repeating yourself, especially if they want to also capture what was cool and resonant about the Yozi grab-bag of 2E.

But obviously this is years down the line and I shouldn't gnaw my fingers too hard wondering how they'll do it.

[Ellis]

Extreme Ultraviolet sounds like a more imaginative name than Slayer.

Well now that's unfair. Surely it should be Extreme Ultraviolet vs Extreme Slayers, or possibly Extreme Malefactors (which sounds like some kind of obscure legal term).
Edit: I now refuse to play anything other than a Chosen of XTREME BATTLES

[Robert Vance]

I know you're joking, but I'm going to take the opportunity to talk about the thematic shift that is both exciting me and making me go "whoa, that's hard, I hope they pull it off."

2E had Solars, their inverses the Abyssals, and "Exalted of the Yozis powered by a Solar Exaltation". It seems like the setup in 3E is more like:

Solars: 1, the positive unit
Abyssals: -1, the negative unit
Infernals: i, the imaginary unit

"A theme, and then its dark mirror serving as a foil" is a great concept, but one that's tricky to pull off without feeling stale and by-the-numbers. "A theme, and then two variations on it" is potentially extremely cool (foiling Solars in different ways!) and also really hard to do without repeating yourself, especially if they want to also capture what was cool and resonant about the Yozi grab-bag of 2E.

But obviously this is years down the line and I shouldn't gnaw my fingers too hard wondering how they'll do it.

If the Abyssal Castes are dark mirrors of their Solar counterparts, then the Infernal Castes are twisted, warped reflections.

[Fata-Ku]

If the Abyssal Castes are dark mirrors of their Solar counterparts, then the Infernal Castes are twisted, warped reflections.

This forum needs a facebook-style reaction menu
because I <3 this.

[Aretii]

If the Abyssal Castes are dark mirrors of their Solar counterparts, then the Infernal Castes are twisted, warped reflections.

That's what I was trying to get at with the 1, -1, i comparison -- rather than an inversion, they're through a glass darkly. I'm glad I'm on the right track with your thinking, and really looking forward to seeing what you come up with!