Zenith
Caste
As the Unconquered Sun
reaches its height amid the noonday sky, its light shines down, banishing
shadows, blazing with power and revealing the Sun’s immeasurable might for all
to see. And so do
the Zenith Caste crusade to banish the shadows of doubt and confusion, infusing
the masses with faith and revealing its power — the channeled strength of the
Unconquered Sun — to all those around it.
At the height of the Solars’
power, the Zenith Caste served as the priest-kings of the Realm. It members
lead the Solar Deliberative, the Realm’s original governing body, and their
words inspired all who heeded them to greatness.
Hearing the voice of the Unconquered
Sun, members of the Zenith Caste served as intermediaries between the people of
the Realm and their celestial patron. The people looked to the Zenith Caste for
leadership in both spiritual and temporal matters, seeking from its members the
wisdom and blessing of the Unconquered Sun. When the Dragon-Blooded rebelled
against the Celestials, those Zenith Caste who escaped
the Terrestrials’ ambush stood like mountains, fortified by their unbreakable
faith in the Unconquered Sun. But even the greatest of mountains is worn away
by wind and the seas, and so, the Pillars of the Sun were slowly worn down and
broken by the endless armies of the Terrestrials.
The Zenith Exalted were
the first of the Solars to return. Throughout the
Realm and the Threshold, strange men and women arrived in cities and towns.
They wandered out of the deserts and mountains or sailed in from the sea, each
preaching the glory of the Unconquered Sun. Once again, the Pillars of the Sun
have begun to lead the people back toward righteousness and greatness and to
confront the forces of darkness and corruption with faith, fist and fire.
Exalted of the Zenith Caste are chosen
from those who thirst for righteousness and justice, as well as from among
those who are natural leaders of men or who are willing to endure great
hardship in the name of what they believe in. All members of this caste have
been granted a vision of the Unconquered Sun, and this vision helps fire their
passion and faith to new heights. No matter what the Zenith Solar fights for,
he fights for it with every fiber of his being, never quitting — no matter
what.
Within a Circle, members of the Zenith
Caste are often the pillar that Circlemates look to
for support and strength. The Zeniths tireless energy and fortitude allows them
to bear the brunt of assaults that would break others, and their charisma and
leadership abilities allow them to inspire others to feats above and beyond
what they believe possible.
Anima Banner: Zenith Caste Solars
bear large, bright-gold circular Caste Marks. Their animas are a brilliant,
burning white or a majestic gold.
Anima Effects: The Zenith Caste is empowered with the
touch of the Sun himself. With but a touch, they can burn the bodies of the
fallen for 1 mote of Essence per body, sending the smoke (and soul) to Heaven
and preventing the body from rising after death as a zombie or hungry ghost.
They can also strike down demons, the undead and other creatures of darkness.
As her action for a turn, a Zenith Exalted may channel 5 motes of Essence
through her anima and indicate such a being within 10 yards. She then rolls her
Essence as dice of unsoakable aggravated damage
against the target. It is known that the Deathlords
and their deathknight servants can resist this
attack. As fierce enemies of darkness, the Zenith Exalted may cause their anima
to flare for 10 motes of Essence. The effect is the same as the anima flare of
the Dawn Exalted, but it only applies to demons, ghosts and other such unclean
creatures.
Caste Abilities: Members of the Zenith Caste excel at
surviving great hardships, both physical and mental. They also possess amazing
skills of persuasion and inspiration. They have a natural affinity for the
Abilities of Endurance, Performance, Presence, Resistance and Survival.
Associations: The season of summer, the colors of gold
and cobalt blue, the southern direction, the element of earth, the half moon
and the Maiden of Serenity
Sobriquets: Resplendent Suns, Pillars of the Sun,
Solar Thunder, Golden Bulls, Hammers of Heaven, The Blasphemous (derogatory)
Concepts: Former priest or shaman of another god,
brilliant astrologer, two-fisted laborer, wandering tinker, desert hermit,
physician, peasant rebel, tax collector, pirate, old man on the mountain,
runaway slave
The
stars and the prophets
have
long foretold a day
when
the forces of righteousness
would
come vanquish
that
which is wicked.
I have
come in from
the
wilderness to tell you —
that
time is now at hand.