Terrestrials

## Terrestrial Exaltation

Terrestrial Exaltation differs significantly from Celestial varieties. The Celestial Exalted are CHOSEN. By deed, by fate, it matters little - they are Chosen. The Terrestrial Exalted are born with the blood, and if they are lucky... it will catalyze at some point in their lives. Because it runs in the blood, some lines are thicker than others. The Realm, Lookshy, Prasad, and a few lesser-known enclaves across the Threshold can claim a pedigree that reaches back to the Shogunate or even the First Age. For these carefully-bred lines, Exaltation is likely enough that children are raised with expectations to Exalt, with between 30 and 70% of offspring from the best pairings taking the Second Breath. Why do some Exalt and others not? These questions have no answers. Children are often raised in the virtues and interests of their expected Aspect in hopes it might help catalyze their transformation, but there yet remain cases where no amount of this helps while a lazy and seemingly useless individual (at the time) Exalts in their sleep. The latter, however, is not the norm. Most Exaltations occur during times of stress, soaring spirit, or similar impact - for instance, a heated debate, a fight, or during deep meditation. Very few are BORING, to say the least.

In the First Age when the Dragon's Blood was perfectly thick, Terrestrial Exaltation would catalyze during very early puberty. In this fallen age where it runs far thinner, Exaltation is more common in the mid teens to late teens. A very rare few Exalt in their very early twenties, but no Dragon-Blooded is known to have arisen later than that. Where children come from strongly Aspected families, on RARE occasions they might Exalt as a different Aspect. It happens, but families view such with a little trepidation.

Thanks to their many dalliances with mortals, drops of the Dragon's Blood can be found in virtually every mortal bloodline across every corner of Creation. However, it is so thin that any one person's chance of Exaltation is infinitesimally small. Among thousands and thousands of people, even ONE of them Exalting is highly unusual... but not unheard of.

### SIDEBAR: Mah Breeding!

While different Dragon-Blooded certainly have differing thickness to said blood, this is relevant only for producing more Dragon-Blooded. Everything from the grandest purity Dynast to the unlikeliest Outcaste has equal potential for greatness. Terrestrials of 'Superior Breeding' do tend to exhibit more dramatic and extreme Aspect Markings from a younger age, but even this tends to even out as a low-breeding Lost Egg's Essence reaches substantial levels.

## Aspect Abilities

* **Air:** Lore, Occult, Linguistics, Thrown, Stealth
* **Earth:** Awareness, Craft, Integrity, Resistance, War
* **Fire:** Athletics, Dodge, Melee, Presence, Socialize
* **Water:** Brawl/Martial Arts, Bureaucracy, Investigation, Larceny, Sail
* **Wood:** Archery, Medicine, Performance, Ride, Survival

## The Great Curse

Dragon-Blooded suffer the Great Curse far less intensely than Solars. They do not have specific Limit Triggers, but do gain limit as Solars do from acting against their Major or Defining intimacies. When they suffer Limit Break, the Dragon-Blood is driven by the worst extremes of their Aspect and personality for one scene. The outburst should be narratively interesting for the scenario, and delayed until an opportune moment if necessary.

## Charms and Spells

This most excellent fanwork covers the Charms we use here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2d9MosRLCKeMDRYd0N2WjBWU1E/view?usp=sharing

Each Ability has different Elemental Charm trees. Dragon-Blooded pay Favored costs for Charms which match their Aspect in ANY Ability OR are in their Aspect/Favored Abilities. For instance, a Fire Aspect who did not choose to Favor Craft may still learn Steel-Tempering Method for Favored costs because it is a Fire-Element Charm.

Spells are purchased as Favored only if Occult is selected as an Aspect/Favored Ability.