Book of Bone and Ebony

EXALTED • THE BOOK OF BONE AND EBONY
CAPPING THE LEADERS & TAKING OVER THE JOINT
One of the hallmarks of Exalted is the effect players can have on the setting. Nations are conquered, cities
are destroyed, and societies are utterly rewritten by the players’ characters’ hands. Exalted accommodates, even
expects, this sort of behavior. So, why should Stygia be any different? Why couldn’t players conquer it, overthrow
the Dual Monarchy or restore the city to its former glory and set everything right once more? Nothing should
discourage a Storyteller from running such a game. However, a few factors and consequences should be considered
first, for Stygia is utterly unlike the cities of the mortal world.
The Underworld thrives on stability. It is literally filled with people and personalities who refused to let go
of their old lives and aren’t about to now. Major change, even positive, is seldom greeted with cheers. A victim
of assault or tyranny might resent liberation, for her existence might be defined by that injustice. And in many
ways, the Dual Monarchs embody this stability. They have always ruled, and most of the dead would rather they
continue to do so. Their Calendar regulates this stability and allows for the endless repetition of days. Further,
their very nature as ritual kings lets Essence flow into Stygia, and their destruction could jeopardize the very
wealth of the city the players may be seeking in the first place. Caution should be used when usurping the rule
of Stygia, for the metaphysics of the Underworld do not match Creation’s, and the Dual Monarchy serves as a
very real linchpin for the natural order of things in the land of the dead.
Additionally, despite appearances, the Deathlords rule Stygia, not the Dual Monarchy. Assuming the players
could depose the mighty Dual Monarchs with little trouble or upheaval, they would likely find themselves in the
thrall of the Deathlords, parroting their proclamations just as the Dual Monarchy did. True control of Stygia
requires the defeat of the Deathlords, the 13 most powerful and malevolent ghosts in existence. Assuming the
players are strong enough to defeat them, then the conquest of Stygia is likely the smallest of their goals.
Perhaps the most approachable source of power in Stygia is a Council seat. The control of a district grants
enormous amounts of Essence from the worship of the dead, and the Council itself offers a very real opportunity
to shape some of the policies of Stygia. However, other ghosts understand just how worthwhile the pursuit of
Council membership is, and the players will find themselves embroiled in intense politics and deadly competition.
Despite the benefits of this more subtle approach to rulership, becoming a member of the Stygian City
Council can cause as many problems as any other source of power.
In the end, players should not feel discouraged from making sweeping changes in the Underworld, so long
as they understand the consequences of their actions. The Time of Tumult is sweeping up even the land of the
dead, and change is inevitable. Without player intervention, Stygia and the rest of the Underworld will likely
fall into the clutches of Oblivion. Though they kick and scream, the ancestors of Creation must face change or
fall forever into damnation.
and the common man, for example. The prayers generated
in each district, as well as the Essence channeled
through them, is colored by its association with the
district and allows for a diversity of fate to flow from the
Calendar. As a district grows in power and influence in
relation to the other districts, its representations grow
stronger in the Underworld. As the Street of Swords
gained wealth, for instance, more war began to erupt
across the Underworld. Whether the district’s influence
alters the fate written out by the Calendar or the changes
in the Calendar are reflected by changes in the districts
is unclear. While changes in the relationships between
districts never produces predictable results, scholars have
learned that careful observation of the politics within the
districts grants insight into the fate of the Underworld.
Any attempts at astrology in the land of the dead using
the model of Stygia’s current map as a guide grants one
die. This bonus is not compatible with bonuses granted
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by the observation of the Calendar, for information
gleaned from the workings of the Calendar exceed and
supersede the knowledge gleaned from Stygia itself.
The Grand Necropolis is vast, and each district is
larger than most mortal cities. Though each has a distinct
and consistent character, the districts are certainly large
enough to accommodate lesser cultural groups, and small
communities of ghosts lose themselves in the twisting
streets of Stygia. Because of its enormity and variety, the
separate faces of Stygia must be examined before the
necropolis itself can be fully understood.
To further describe Stygia, five of the thirteen districts
are detailed below. Though an incomplete list, the
districts described serve important functions within Stygia
and are typical of the necropolis. Any storyteller running
a Stygian series is encouraged to expand upon these
descriptions and use them as templates for the details of
those districts not featured here.