Dawn
Caste
As the Unconquered Sun rises in the
morning sky, its light flares forth, burning away the darkness and turning the
sky red — as if the horizon was soaked with the blood of light’s enemies. Thus
do the warriors of the Dawn Caste strike against the minions of darkness,
staining the ground crimson with the blood of all who dare to stand against
them.
In the First Age, members of the Dawn
Caste were the generals and champions of the Realm. They brought the light and
the glory of the Unconquered Sun to every darkened corner of the earth, guarded
the borders of the Realm against the destructive forces of the Wyld and lead
the armies of the Realm to victory in battles that became legend. When the
Dragon-Blooded betrayed the Solar Exalted and usurped control of the Realm, no
member of this caste who escaped the Terrestrial’s initial ambush went gently
into the darkness of the Underworld. All those bearing the mark of the Dawn
fought to the death, falling only to superior forces and treachery, each taking
dozens or hundreds into the land of the dead with them.
Now that the Solars have returned, the
Children of the Dawn have reclaimed their place as the greatest warriors to
walk the earth. Unparalleled masters of the martial disciplines, they battle a
thousand enemies on a hundred fronts, laying their foes low with blade, bow and
fist. A single Dawn Child can destroy dozens of lesser foes; a group can lay
waste to entire armies.
Members of the Dawn Caste are chosen
from among those who have struggled to master the arts of war and combat.
Master swordsmen and archers only scratch the surface of this caste. Gang
leaders who excel at urban warfare, hulking brutes who dominate gladiator
arenas, philosopher-monks who seek enlightenment through the martial arts, swordsmiths
of legendary skill, hotheaded youths with the courage to fight for what they
believe in; all these and more are found among the Children of the Dawn.
Dawn Children are the martial arm of a
Circle, and one is frequently the character a group looks to for leadership in
battle. They are the Circle’s first line of defense and use their mastery of
combat to destroy the Circle’s enemies.
Anima Banner: Dawn Caste Solars are marked by a
brilliant golden sunburst that adorns the center of their brow. Their anima
tends to be bright white and pale gold, sometimes tinged with red or light
violet.
Anima Effects: By spending 10 motes of Essence, the
character can appear huge and terrifying for the remainder of the scene (or
until she chooses to let the effect dissipate). The change is quite dramatic,
as the character appears taller and fiercer, with a terrible visage, burning
eyes and a deadly rending grasp.
Mortal creatures attempting to face the
Exalted must make Valor checks or be unable to look directly at the character
or strongly oppose him, subtracting 2 dice from all attempts to attack the
character. Characters who botch their Valor rolls (and most natural animals)
will flee in terror of the wrathful apparition that confronts them. Golems and
automata, demons and the undead and other creatures that do not know fear
cannot be affected by this power.
Caste Abilities: Members of the Dawn Caste excel in all
forms of combat, armed and otherwise. They have a natural affinity for the
Abilities of Archery, Brawl, Martial Arts, Melee and Thrown.
Associations: The season of spring, the colors of
saffron and lavender, the eastern direction, the element of fire, the full moon
and the Maiden of Battles
Sobriquets: Ascending Suns, Children of the Dawn,
Lightbringers, Bronze Tigers, Swords of Heaven, The Forsaken (derogatory)
Concepts: Mercenary prince, city guardsman,
warrior-scholar, grizzled veteran, daring young farm boy, famous pit fighter,
heroic bandit, barbarian raider, swordsmith
I am not
a wise man,
but I am
a strong one,
and I
know right from wrong.
Surrender,
and I
will see you
are
judged fairly.
Resist,
and I
will end your
tyranny
with your life.