Skyquest:

Background file:

Dramatis Personae:

Leaping Sky:  You are Leaping Sky, a Dawn Caste.  It has been twenty five years since you exalted, defending a girl who is your sister in every way but blood.  In that time, you have fought alongside your Circle, defended the cities of An Teng, dueled the Walker in Darkness and purified the City of Dead Flowers, partook in great crusades and wars- but never for yourself.  Perhaps because of memories not your own, perhaps because you've come across evidence of what a truly unfettered Solar Exalted was capable of, you've always been content to be someone else's aid, lieutenant, or minion if you ask the circle's Twilight.

It has been three years since the Scarlet Empress returned.  Two years since the Sun died, and two years since he rose again.  It has been two years since your Circle parted ways, since the heart of your Circle died ending the threat of the Ebon Dragon.  Since then, you've had some contact with the others, but have contented yourself to manage things in An Teng.  Now, however, you find yourself in a familiar place.  The last thing you remember was meeting with a young woman from one of the remaining Realm Houses, who's Satrapy was looking to hire your services as a guard.  You went to sleep after a night of feasting, drinking, and flirting, and have woke up in a maze filled with magitech traps.  This is not the first time, and you're wondering how many times this party will try to trap you before they finally give up.


Stone Splitter (proper name:  Splits Stones Like Thunder and Rain):  Sky's sword.  It appears to be an orichalcum daiklave, unremarkable in comparison to the more elaborate daiklaves of the exalted host.  However, Sky and his Circle have taken time to study its origins and powers.  The key is the hilt- beneath the masterfully crafted leather wrappings there is a jagged length of obsidian, the first weapon used by one being to murder another.  From this, Stone Splitter draws its strength and meaning.  The sword is unmistakably linked to Sky, for as his power grows so does the sword.  Now that Sky is an Elder Dawn due to the death of the Sun, his sword has taken its place as among the greatest weapons in Creation.  It bears the following powers:

Father to All Weapons- All weapons in Creation trace their ancestry to Stone Splitter, and will not rise against it.  All mundane weapons made in Creation will leap out of their wielder's hands when Stone Splitter makes itself known.  Artifact weapons made in Creation will make a difficulty 2 valor roll, with their artifact rating as their valor, in order to raise arms against Stone Splitter.  Weapons not made in Creation- such as hell forged or Wyld- do not suffer these effects.

First of Blades- Sky may commit up to 20 motes to Stone Splitter.  This allows him to use Infinite Melee Mastery alongside Melee Essence Flow.

Forged Together- Stone Splitter is somehow linked to Sky's Exaltation.  He has many past life memories of wielding the blade.  It is meant for his hands- the hands of those who has has been before, who he is now, and who he will be.  Its artifact rating rises alongside Sky's Essence.  Additionally, Sky can call Sky Splitter to his hand from wherever he is, similar to Call the Blade.


Other Exalts:

Cynis Velenti (or, as she says, Once-Cynis Velenti)- The Zenith caste of Sky's former circle and one of the foremost demonologists in Creation.  Possibly to the point of mania, but she defends such things with the fact that demons solve all her problems, so she should keep using demons to solve her problems.  Sky and her have kept in touch more than he has with his other compatriots due to her excessive wanderlust, and that Sky is more likely to humor her when she has an idea.  Velenti is a beautiful woman with shoulder length red hair, often wearing emerald and indigo and carrying an ornate metal staff with a jewel embedded at the top.

She is also one of the few, but growing number of Adamant Circle Sorcerers in Creation, specializing mainly in demonology.  Often traveling with an entourage of first circles, she does make it a point to spend much of the final month of the year in preparation to summon up a Third Circle demon during the first night of Calibration, and keeping them bound as a companion for the year.  This has served as both a boon and complication in the past, and Sky will often point out that they were almost turned into stars due to this.

Potential love interest.


The Twilight:  The Twilight Caste of the circle, and one of the three survivors of their circle.  Sky hasn't spoken to her in a while, but she did design and build much of his infrastructure, including his warstrider.


The Leader:  The leader of their Circle, who with his final act tore out the heart of the Scarlet Empress and offered it up to the newly arisen Sun.  With that act, the demonic invasion of Creation ended, although may are still puzzled as to why that act caused the Ebon Dragon to vanish as he did.


V'Neef Megara:  A dragonblooded of the wood aspect who approached Sky about hiring his services as a bodyguard, and at who's camp Sky was most recently kidnapped.  Visibly attracted to Sky- although he can't tell if it's an act or not to get him to agree, but he won't deny that he finds the young woman attractive as well.  She's well-read, classy, and a redhead.  It is the last point that makes Sky look at his previous love interests- which include Velenti, varied sun gods, a night caste he had a fling with, and Mara, and come to the conclusion that he has a type.


Luminous Grace:  Sky's sister-in-all-but-blood, sifu, and Joybringer.  With the Lotus Massacre, now one of the senior Sidereals left, much to her horror.  Lumi exalted around the same time Sky did, and has been one of his constant companions, even when she has been called away to her duties in Yu Shan.  Often serves as a source of information for Sky regarding godly and historical matters, now that his circle is broken.

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Author Stuff:

Who is after Sky's sword?

He doesn't remember because it is an Adamant Caste Exalted, and a different one each time.  He has been kidnapped four times, as it has been roughly six years since the Lotus Crusade began.  As it will turn out, there is not a single person responsible- each attempt to steal the sword is ordered by a different Divine Minister, as each of them are trying to get their hands on the First Weapon, for different reasons.

The current one is Studious Inexorable Astra, who has a cosmetic resemblance to KOS-MOS.


What happened to the Ebon Dragon?

When Bright Star, the leader of Sky's circle, killed the Empress, he unknowingly ended the Ebon Dragon.  The Empress has been transformed into the Ebon Dragon's Fetich, and her death caused the Dragon to experience the full cascade failure of Fetich Death.  Should this be allowed to happen naturally, he will eventually reform as The Divine Shadow.


Who is the new Sun?

Shining Barrator.  With Heaven's total population reduced, the sidereals massacred, and the Sun dead, the remaining Sidereals decided that much of this was because too many corrupt gods has been in charge for too long, and convinced the greatest lawman in Heaven to take the empty throne.  He has been busy.  Whether or not this was a good idea will be saved for later.