Wheel of Ages

From the White Wolf Wiki, the most complete White Wolf reference

The Wheel of Ages is a concept first introduced in Kindred of the East that describes a cyclic view of the history of the World of Darkness. The idea has been loosely adapted by Exalted in the Ages of Man.

The Wheel of Ages is a wheel with twelve segments, each of which is an era in world history. The First Age is a glorious utopian era, and the Sixth Age is Hell on Earth. As history progresses, the ages get shorter the closer to the Sixth Age we are, and longer the closer to the First Age. The Wheel continues perpetually. The Sixth Age is heralded by the arrival of the Demon Emperor who will rule the world in darkness and fear. Most Kuei-jin believe that the Demon Emperor will be one of the Yama Kings.

Ages have supernatural impact; Blood and Silk takes place near the end of the Fourth Age and the Kuei-jin of the era are both more powerful and more readily able to reach The Hundred Clouds. As the ages progress, feeding becomes harder, chi becomes rarer and enlightnment takes longer. Ages do not change cleanly, although there is usually an event that marks the changing of the ages.

This is one piece among many elements which lead many people to conclude that a connection exists between Exalted and the World of Darkness. If this is indeed the case, it's uncertain if the two settings exist in the same turning of the Wheel or seperate turns. Or, indeed, whether Exalted is the past or the future of the World of Darkness (although most evidence points to Exalted coming first).

[edit] The Ages

• The First Age, also known as the Age of Heaven (KOE: Kindred of the East Rulebook, p 43) was an age of glory and wonder.
• The Second Age, also known as the Age of Beauty (KOE: Kindred of the East Rulebook, p 43), was still a fantastic time, but somewhat less Utopian than the First Age.
• The Third Age, also known as the Age of Legends(KOE: Kindred of the East Rulebook, p 44).
• The Fourth Age, also known as the Age of Beautiful Sadness (KOE: Kindred of the East Rulebook, p 44), included the Dark Ages.
• The Fifth Age, also known as the Age of Darkness (KOE: Kindred of the East Rulebook, p 45), occupies most of the present age of the World of Darkness.
• The Sixth Age, also known as the Age of Sorrow (KOE: Kindred of the East Rulebook, p 45) (not to be confused with the Age of Sorrows of the Second Age) is the period most western supernaturals already know as Gehenna or the Apocalypse.
• The Seventh Age
• The Eighth Age
• The Ninth Age
• The Tenth Age
• The Eleventh Age
• The Twelfth Age is also the First, and here the cycle repeats.