Moonsilver Caste

The Moonsilver Caste is one of the five known castes of Alchemical Exalted. They are somewhat analogous to the Lunar Exalted of Creation.

Overview
The Lunar Exalted were Chosen to safeguard Creation and those things in it worth protecting. In the Realm of Brass and Shadow, everything is precious — not individually, of course, but the sum totality of Autochthonian society must be defended from those forces that would seek to destabilize or even destroy it. The Moonsilver Caste exists to fulfill this function. The Mirrorblades use their special aptitude for stealth and disguise to locate and neutralize threats from within. They use their preternatural agility and martial skill to destroy threats from without.

Exalts of the Moonsilver Caste are peerless spies, infiltrators, assassins and saboteurs. They make sure that Autochthonia harbors no secrets that might destroy it, primarily by making sure that it harbors no secrets at all. Answering publicly only to the Tripartite Assemblies of their city and nation, the Razors of Autochthon compose a powerful tool of state intelligence and security. Their deceptions, the Theomachracy assures a sometimes-nervous Populat, serve to uncover the greater truth. Still, rumors persist. They describe internal chains of command within the Moonsilver Caste, with young Mirrorblades reporting to and secretly taking orders from their elders. These tales are whispered, of course. Carefully. Privately. The Razors of Autochthon might be listening, after all.

A Protean comes to life only when bonded to a soul that has displayed a history of heroic innovation and adaptation. The Meticulous Surgeon who saves lives without adequate supplies, the Populat worker who diverts his factory’s molten runoff to stop a foreign raid on his city, the deep-cover spy in a nation at war, the cunning aide who rises above her station by riding the success of those around her—such a diverse collection of unusual individuals and more could combine to create the persona of a nascent Mirrorblade. As a result, Proteans are often changeable, open to new ideas and of two minds about a subject. They are not known for their deliberation, however. The Razors of Autochthon act quickly under pressure. Their habit of weighing all options makes them unpredictable, not indecisive.

Moonsilver Castes rarely lead their assemblies. They are often deployed as scouts, assassins, decoys, saboteurs, infiltrators and front-line fighters. They are not only comfortable in these roles but, in many cases, equally able to adapt them to combat missions, social affairs and political maneuvering.

Elder Proteans either deploy avatar-drone bodies to allow themselves to continue working as spies, saboteurs and covert killers, or else abandon such tasks to the young, repurposing their vast bodies for deployment in the Far Reaches. These frighteningly agile and powerful behemoths spy on the workings of gods, infiltrate gremlin nests and execute lightning raids on rogue elements within the body of the Great Maker, leaving behind only shredded steel and eerie silence to mark their passing. When Moonsilver Castes finally take root, they blossom into strikingly beautiful organic spires and flowing architectural curves. Inhabitants of these patropoli go about their business in safety, secure in the knowledge that their cities are watching over them.

Anima
By reflexively spending five motes, a Protean may suffuse her being with the flowing grace of quicksilver. In this state, her quickened senses perceive the world moving in slow motion through a faint silver tint. In contrast, she perceives her own accelerated body moving at its normal pace. Observers note only the preternatural flexibility and deftness of the Exalt’s movements, provided they have a chance to notice anything. This power reduces by one (to a minimum of 3) the Speed of all of the Mirrorblade’s actions that have a Speed greater than 3. It activates automatically at no cost whenever the Alchemical’s anima reaches the 11+ level of display