Scourge Caste

The Scourge Caste are the assassins of the Infernal Exalted, associated with the Night Caste of Solar Exalted.

Overview
Named for their newly adoptive mother, Adorjan, the Scourges are the assassins of the Green Sun Princes. While the other four castes were broadly designed to advance some metaphysical concept relevant to the Yozis—be it destruction, domination, conformity or corruption— Adorjan lacks such coherence of purpose. Her desires may change from moment to moment, but the intensity of her passions will never dim. Accordingly, her strong preference in potential Exalts is for candidates who are unbound by mortal constructs of behavior and motivation. Or to put it more crudely, Adorjan prefers for her Scourges to be insane. While the Infernal Exaltations do not always take this preference into account, madness does seem widespread among those who have Exalted as Scourges thus far.

Surprisingly, given the malignancy of their patron, Malfean Scourges are not as overtly destructive as one might expect, as the raging destruction imposed by the Demon City is often incompatible with the quiet urgency of Adorjan’s Chosen. Those who do carry Malfean Urges are often agent provocateurs who spread destruction and chaos by quietly silencing those who would counsel for peace, restraint, compassion and forgiveness or by assembling mobs of raging anarchists and building them into deadly fighting forces. Cecelynian Scourges, on the other hand, are often beset by contradictory impulses: an overweening ambition married to a compulsive need for silence and discretion. Such Scourges often content themselves to becoming the power behind the throne, using their dark arts to remove any others who would seek to give counsel to the ruler or who would oppose their vendettas. Pyrian Scourges turn their silent blades on those who would undermine the status quo or promote learning or free thinking, and they seek to purge Creation of music, art, debate and every other mode of expression they think might offend their patron. Adorjani Scourges are whirling dervishes of silent devastation as unpredictable as their patron. Finally, Ophidian Scourges deliver death to any who simply dare to stand between them and their forbidden pleasures.

Scourge Exaltations seek out potential hosts who have no fear of death, whether suffering it or causing it, and psychopaths are common choices, if not preferred. Many Scourges hail from criminal backgrounds, but some are secretive scholars or devious courtesans. Cunning, guile and ruthlessness are prized traits among the Scourges.

Anima Banner
A Scourge’s caste mark manifests as a blood-red circle similar to the mark of the Night Caste but which slowly rotates in imitation of the swirling path of Adorjan. The anima of a Scourge is a mixture of green and red light that whirls around the Exalt in utter silence. Scourge totems resemble demons descended from the Silent Wind.

Anima Effects
Like their Night Caste cousins, Scourges have the power to mute the effects of their own animas. Whenever a Scourge spends Peripheral Essence, he can spend one additional mote to prevent the expenditure from adding to his anima banner. If the Peripheral Essence was spent to activate a Charm with the Obvious keyword, the Scourge must spend twice the normal Essence cost to prevent any addition to his anima banner.

The Scourge can also use his anima to conceal his own movements. By spending five motes, the Scourge can render himself utterly silent for up to a scene. He can choose to talk or deliberately make a sound, but otherwise, nothing he does will make any noise. While this power is active, the Scourge adds his permanent Essence in automatic successes to all Stealth-related rolls in which silence plays a part. This power does nothing to prevent others from perceiving the Scourge through other means.

If the Scourge spends 10 motes, he can surround himself with a zone of perfect silence that covers a radius of (Essence) yards from his person. No one within this radius can make any sort of mundane sound save by the Scourge’s will. However, while a victim seized and garroted while this power is in effect cannot cry out and be heard, if she, for example, throws a dagger or some other object outside the effect’s radius, any such noises will be heard as usual. Also, this power will not interfere with the casting of sorcery or necromancy spells in any way, even those that require some verbal utterance as part of their casting, nor will it interfere with Charms or any other supernatural effects that have auditory components, such as Demon-Wracking Shout.

Caste Abilities
Bringers of quiet death in the night like their patron, Scourges excel at Athletics, Awareness, Dodge, Larceny and Stealth.