The Fall of Jiara Dragon Blooded Actual Play by The Story Told

[ElfSpeaker]

We have another Fall of Jiara episode out this week, still focused on Kai and Sanzo and their adventures in Daric: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-episode-18

And you can find the session notes here: https://thefallofjiara.obsidianporta...ssion-8-part-2

[JohnDoe244]

The episode link is missing: https://thefallofjiara.obsidianporta...ssion-8-part-2

http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-episode-18

[ElfSpeaker]

The episode link is missing: https://thefallofjiara.obsidianporta...ssion-8-part-2

http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-episode-18

Thank you for pointing out my mistake!

[JohnDoe244]

Thank you for pointing out my mistake!

Thanks for making such an entertaining podcast.

I really hope that kid comes back as a lethal ninja known only as Teamaster.

[ElfSpeaker]

Thanks for making such an entertaining podcast.

I really hope that kid comes back as a lethal ninja known only as Teamaster.

I do have a note not to forget him and Sanzo's promise to him. I'm glad you're enjoying the podcast!

[ElfSpeaker]

The latest episode of the Fall of Jiara is out now: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-...ragons-divided
I have added the session audio start time to the episode notes, so you can skip through the front matter if you're so inclined.

We also have the long-form session write up available on the campaign site: https://thefallofjiara.obsidianporta...ssion-9-part-1

[Mnemon Liranan]

Hey ElfSpeaker,

I started listening to your Fall of Jiara Podcast and wanted to say thank you for sharing your stories with us! I'm not really all that far in, but I already like the overall feel of what you do. And as I believe in telling people if I enjoy something they do (and put hard work in), well, here I am.

Very much looking forward to an Exalted Podcast (so far, I have mainly listened to lots of DnD5e stuff) ...

[ElfSpeaker]

Mnemon Liranan Thank you for letting me know you're enjoying it!

I also forgot to post the link for the latest episode: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-20

At this point, it looks like there are 3-4 episodes left in the first act. I'm planning to create a summary at that point for people who want to jump in with act 2.

[ElfSpeaker]

We're closing in on the conclusion of Act 1: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-...ravages-of-war

[ElfSpeaker]

We're one episode away from the conclusion of act 1: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-22

This one was stitched together from a couple of sessions to keep the narrative flowing, which I usually don't do, but it'll make for a strong finish to the season in two weeks.

[Reminiscent Oasis]

I just wanted to thank you guys for doing this. I recently started listening and it's been good to have some Exalted themed material to add to my podcast rotation. Just finished the dinner party episodes, and I'm enjoying the game so far.

As an aside, I'm typically not a big fan of dynastic dragonblooded, but listening to this game inspired me to create a Dragonblooded character I would want to play if I were participating, so thanks for that too!

[ElfSpeaker]

Awesome! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it and that it's inspiring character for you. What is it that you typically don't like about the dynastic DBs?
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[Reminiscent Oasis]

What is it that you typically don't like about the dynastic DBs?
=

The short version is that I'm not a big fan of the Scarlet Dynasty's naked imperialism. More "What have the Romans ever done for us?" / Dragonblooded's Burden style apologia would help on that front, which this edition may have added. Still haven't gotten around to reading much of the DB book or any of the Realm book yet. Also characters born with a jade spoon in their mouths usually don't appeal to me. Of course, I can tell already that one or two of the characters in this game aren't terribly happy with the politics of the Realm either.

So the character that got inspired here is an outcaste who grew up under a Legion boot rather than wearing one.

Side note: in a few episodes, there's mention of associated artwork, but I haven't seen any of that. Is it online somewhere?

[ElfSpeaker]

Noah, who plays Sanzo, has done some sketches, but nothing final yet. I'll post it here when we do have art to share.

Yeah, that view of the Realm is pretty pervasive, and the new edition leans into it rather than walking it back any. My players wanted to examine what that means for each of them through their characters.

Personally, I'd love to do the "what have the Romans done for us" version of the Realm as well to give it some more complexity. Actually, just last week, I started thinking about a region where that could be the paradigm. More may follow...

[Reminiscent Oasis]

I'm looking forward to seeing the art.

I have to say I'm a little disappointed to hear that the Realm hasn't been giving some more complexity in that regarded. I don't want to drag out old arguments, but that's a drum I had been beating back in the formative days of 3rd Edition. The Realm needs some nuance so a moralistic character might justify their service to the Realm. Give them something to fight for beyond "Queen and Country." Even if the infrastructure the Realm brings to a conquered region is meager compared to that of the Blessed Isle and exists primarily to reinforce their political and economic domination of the region, at least the character can point to them and say "Without our engineers, you wouldn't have clean water. Without our geomancers, your fields would not be as bountiful. Without our training, your streets would not be as safe. Without our scholars, your libraries would not be brimming with knowledge collected from around the world." In time, they may still come to view this as inadequate compensation for the Realm's imperialism but at least there's a foundation and an alternative pathway for such a character.

They might be able to pull off the training one now, since retired mortal legionnaires have to go somewhere. They can also talk about defending mortals from the onerous burden of avaricious spirits and from the barbarian hordes of the Lunar anathema, but we'd need to see both being a more serious problem beyond the borders of the Realm than we currently do. Perhaps as we get more information about the Threshold in this edition, we'll see more of these issues manifest in regions beyond the Realm's influence.

Of course, my opinion on this might also be colored by the fact that I'm listening to a story about Dragonblooded in a satrapy in open rebellion rather than one where they're defending from invasion. Guess I'll just have to see what else you have in store as the group continues on the road to Daric and beyond.