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The Terrestrial Exalted, also called the Dragon-Blooded, are the champions of the five Elemental Dragons. For the last millennium and a half, they were the unquestioned rulers of Creation itself. Despite being the weakest Exalted in terms of raw power, the Terrestrial Exalts are the most numerous by far. Once the soldiers of the Exalted armies that fought the Primordials, the Terrestrials murdered the Solar Exalted at the behest of the Sidereals and took over the reins of Creation.

While they are the champions of the Elemental Dragons, they are not truthfully the "Chosen," as Dragon-Blooded are not imbued with their power, but rather born with it through descent from other Dragon-Blooded. The Terrestrials are thus the only Exalted who can pass power on to their descendants, but are also the only Exalted not to have a moment of Exaltation.

The name Terrestrial is also somewhat of a misnomer: unlike other Exalted, who are imbued by (for example) the Unconquered Sun, Luna, the Five Maidens or Autochthon, the Terrestrials are not Exalted by Gaia, but rather via the Elemental Dragons created by Gaia.

[edit] History

The Dragon Blooded were created by the Gods as footsoldiers in the war against the Primordials; since that time, they have served primarily as soldiers and servants, aiding the more powerful Celestial Exalted by forming the bulk of the armies of the First Age.

At the end of the First Age, the Dragon-blooded conspired with the Sidereal Exalted to rise against their Solar overlords in the Usurpation. Creatures of duty, the Dragon Blooded did this deed primarily to save Creation. With the fall of the Solars, the Dragon Blooded established the Shogunate, the last civilizaton of the first age.

Some information on the Shogunate is available in the various Dragon Blooded splatbooks, which indicate that the Terrestrials of the first age were organized in a society strongly reminescent of Tokugawa era Japan. Arguments about duty appear commonplace, and in many cases, high-ranking officers committed suicide over matters of honor. The technological level was only slightly behind that of the Solar Deliberative, although even then the Shoguns were aware of how far they had fallen.

The Shogunate fell during the Great Contagion and the subsequent invasion of Creation by the Fair Folk. During this time, the Scarlet Empress activated the first age defenses of the Imperial Manse and founded the Realm. With her accession to the throne, the Dragon Blooded can be divided into roughly three groups: the Terrestrial Exalted of the Scarlet Dynasty, the remainder of the Seventh Legion quartered in Lookshy and the remaining Outcastes scattered throughout the Threshold. It should be noted that from the perspective of the Realm, Lookshy is also filled with outcastes.

In the modern era, Dynastic Dragon Blooded are the absolute masters of the Realm, at the pinnacle of both the political structure ofthe realm and the theology of the Immaculate Philosophy. In the modern Realm, the Dragon Blooded are all ideally raised in one of the Great Houses, although given their passions and position, Lost Eggs regularly appear and are inducted into imperial society through other well-defined channels. While Dynastic Dragon-Blooded may initially appear decadent and lazy to an outsider (and a good number are decadent), they are still creatures of duty dedicated to the advancement of the Realm and their own personal goals.

With the return of the Solar Exalted and the rise of the Abyssal Exalted, the Dragon Blooded are coming to terms with the appearance of Anathema in a number unseen since the introduction of the Wyld Hunt. The realm is on the brink of civil war, and Lookshy is on the cusp of greatness. The future of the Dragon-Blooded promises to be eventful.

[edit] Aspects

The Dragon-Blooded have five elemental Aspects, which are functionally identical to the system of castes which the other Exalted share. Each correspond to one of the five elements of Creation.

• Air
• Earth
• Fire
• Water
• Wood

[edit] Notes

Dragon Blooded have the least raw power of any Exalted, with a firm cap on their maximum Essence and higher ability requirements to use Charms. However, many of their Charms have group effects, and Dragon Blooded are generally trained to work as groups.

For those who choose to view a connection between the Age of Sorrows and the World of Darkness, the Dragon-Blooded correspond to modern Kuei-jin.