Great Curse

The Great Curse is a curse leveled by the Primordials on the Exalted as they died. The Curse is not common knowledge, with relatively view parties (notably Lytex, God of Exaltation) aware of it.

The curse affects each type of Exalted differently. For Solars and Lunars a specific aberrant personality trait (such as deliberate cruelty) will rise to the fore after specific actions. Narratively, this becomes more extreme and violent the longer an Exalt lives. The curse is less powerful for the Dragon Blooded who, while still subject to it, can control the affects. Sidereal Exalted deal with their curse in a largely narrative fashion: they are prone to overweening hubris, such as organizing the slaughter of the Solar Exalted and ruling Creation from the Shadows.

Abyssal Exalted are subject to an alternate curse, the Abyssal Curse which means that they will cause pain and misery to those around them regardless of how much they would like not to. Alchemical Exalted are not subject to the Great Curse.

The Great Curse is intended to emulate the actions of classical heroes such as Hercules, who slew his wife and children in a fit of madness.