The Lunar Exalted are a sub-category of semi-divine heroes from the high fantasy role-playing game Exalted published by White Wolf Game Studio. They are briefly described in the game's core rulebook, but are given full attention in the "fatsplat" (hard-cover sourcebook) entitled Exalted: The Lunars (ISBN 1588466574). The book draws heavily on another White Wolf product about lycanthropes: Werewolf: The Apocalypse.

Overview

The central premise of Exalted is that gods have the ability to infuse ordinary mortals with a shard of their divine soul, exalting the individual into a demigod. The Lunars, obviously, derive their powers from the goddess of the moon, Luna, the Fickle Lady, who typically chooses men and women who are best described as determined survivors. In terms of raw power, the Lunars rank behind the Solar Exalted and Abyssal Exalted , but ahead of the Sidereal Exalted and the Terrestrial Exalted , or Dragon-Blooded.

During the First Age, the Solars ruled an empire of unparalleled beauty, and the Lunars served as their lieutenants and lovers. But the Solars grew arrogant, and the Sidereal and Terrestrial Exalted schemed to overthrow them. The Solars were slaughtered, and the chosen of Luna, outnumbered and outmaneuvered, scattered to the edges of creation. There, some waited hopefully for the return of the Solars, while the rest grew bitter and plotted revenge against the upstarts.

Unlike the other four categories of Exalted, who are often sophisticated and refined, the Lunars are nearly always barbarians: savage warriors, cunning shapeshifters and wise shamans. They live outside the Realm, the empire now administered by the corrupt Dragon-Blooded. However, they can never stray too far from civilization without crossing over into the Wyld, the fae realm of formless chaos and seductive madness.

Gameplay

Each and every Lunar has the unique ability to consume the Heart's Blood of an animal or human, which allows them to attain the shape of the consumed. There is no limit to the number of shapes they can attain. When each Lunar is chosen, they gain a craving for the Heart's Blood of an animal they feel an affiliation with, which becomes their totem.

Whereas their brethren, the Solars, are glorious heroes, the Lunars are far more bestial and animalistic, and most of their various Charms (simple sorceries) have to do with shapeshifting. One of the more significant Charms is called the Deadly Beastman Transformation, which melds the traits of the totem and human shapes to create a formidable hybrid war-form.

All Lunars have a tell, an inhuman feature such as vivid green eyes, that varies with each Lunar but remains constant no matter what shape he or she assumes. The result of this is while Lunars can change their shape, they may still find it difficult to hide their identities.

The Lunars have a unique affinity for the magical material of moonsilver, and consider it their gift from Luna. Therefore, they consider it a grave insult for a non-Lunar to wield the protean metal.

There are three castes of Lunars, corresponding to the individual's method of survival. Full Moons live by their incredible strength, legendary agility, or unstoppable stamina. Changing Moons get by with their ability to manipulate others through charisma, charm or cunning. Lastly, the No Moons rely on intelligence, perception and, often, sorcery.

The Lunars call their code of honor the Silver Way, which was originally created as a defense against the Dragon-Blooded's genocidal Wyld Hunt. From that code grew a loosely-held and far-flung culture known as the Silver Society, which exists to both unify the Lunars and prevent the Casteless from suffering.

External Links

RPG.net's review of Exalted: The Lunars