Moonsilver Caste
Autochthonian society venerates an ideal of clockwork
order, in which every component of every machine, industry and social structure
exists in perfect harmony with the rest. In such a mechanized utopia, there
would be no need for lies, nor need for leaders to spy upon their people.
However, until the social engineers of the Tripartite find the elusive formula for
perfection, Moonsilver Caste Exalted will remain
their secret agents, scouts and assassins.
Younger Proteans
answer jointly to their own caste hierarchy and the upper echelons of the Tripartite,
though they privately defer to the former in the case of conflicting orders. To
both sets of masters, they provide the same services, exploiting their
characteristic penchant for disguise, deception and camouflage to go where they
are not wanted and discover what people would keep hidden. Through their
deceptions, the Razors of Autochthon serve the greater truth — or so declares
the Theomachracy when pressed on the uncomfortable
point. Proteans also perform a secondary function for
which they are more widely feared, employing their preternatural agility and
martial prowess to strike down the enemies of state and god. No one is safe
from these quicksilver killers, though dissident cells and heretic cultists go
to extreme lengths to test each other’s identities before revealing anything incriminating
at a meeting. Sometimes, these precautions actually delay discovery, but more
often than not, the assassin is already in the room.
As Mirrorblades
mature and grow in power, they reach a critical juncture in their careers.
Developing beyond Essence 5 leaves them too large to serve as spies, saboteurs
or covert killers. Many delay their transition for some time, until the game
itself comes to bore them. Whenever they finally cross into the next phase of
their development, they leave behind the task of spying on mortals and turn
their attention toward threats beyond the cities. With their superior speed and
stealth, coupled with the inherent toughness imparted by their massive bodies, these
elders can execute lightning raids into gremlin nests and eliminate the queens
or pack leaders before anyone knows they are there. A strike team of such
killers provides one of the deadliest units fielded by any military, an advantage
the generals of the Locust Crusade quickly seize upon once they begin sending
sizable numbers of Exalted into Creation.
The oldest members of the Moonsilver Caste eventually settle down and usually evolve
into hidden fortresses, using their potent municipal Charms to cloak entire settlements
from prying eyes or simply disguise portions as something more innocuous. Other
patropoli follow a more conventional layout, turning
their mastery of aesthetics to maximize architectural geomancy. Regardless of
their functions, these settlements are breathtakingly beautiful, with organic
spires and flowing curves that almost appear to defy gravity.
Caste Markings: Moonsilver Charms display smooth, organic curves
and look more like they were grown than forged. The overall mien of a Protean
expresses biomechanoid grace that is at once as
beautiful as it is alien. Of course, given the caste’s renowned skill at
disguise and misdirection, few ever see a Mirrorblade
in her true visage, and no one who thinks he has can ever really be sure. The
animas of this caste seep and grow from under their skin, taking the form of
dozens or even hundreds of undulating and intertwined tendrils of light. These
living displays of power rhythmically flicker between pale silver and white.
Anima Effect: For a reflexive cost of 5 motes, a Moonsilver Caste may suffuse her being with the flowing grace
of quicksilver. In this state, her quickened senses perceive the world moving
in slow motion through a faint silver tint. In contrast, she perceives her own
accelerated body moving at its normal pace. Observers only note the preternatural
flexibility and deftness of the Exalt’s movements, provided
she gives them an opportunity to notice anything. This power adds (the
character’s Essence rating x 2) to her base initiative for the scene.
Caste Attributes: Moonsilver Caste Alchemicals
are universally nimble and quick, favoring finesse over force as a way of life.
Socially, they are mercurial and mirror-like, adapting themselves to the
expectations and desires of those around them or simply avoiding notice
altogether. Accordingly, their Caste Attributes are Dexterity, Appearance and
Wits.
Associations: The color white, silver, moonsilver, the element of oil, innovation, secrets, guile
Sobriquets: Mirrorblades, Proteans,
Razors of Autochthon, Blessed of Debok Moom
Concepts: Everyman spy, explorer of the Far
Reaches, assassin, heretic finder
Of
course the exiles won’t
notice
me. To them, I’m just
another
dirty face in the mob.