Winter of Wonders
Exalted 3rd Edition | Campaign
About the adventure
In the heart of the North, where the auroras gleam like distant, dying gods, something strange stirs. Towns and cities are transformed, replaced by breathtaking reflections of what they once were. Gilded spires gleam against the ice. Streets of ivory wind past gardens lush enough to defy the frozen air. And yet, these places are wrong. Perfected. Parodies of themselves. Those who set eyes upon them are caught—entranced, beguiled, lost to the beauty that hides the rot beneath. The tales of these "utopias" are carried south on the wind, but the halls of power dismiss them as inconsequential. Why waste resources chasing rumors in the wastelands? Let those cities and their people fend for themselves. But there are those who cannot look away. A small band of Exalts, young enough to believe the world can be saved, abandon their posts and orders to seek the truth. Driven by fire-bright ideals, they journey to the frozen edge of the world, vowing to unmake this creeping perfection before it consumes all. What awaits them is a labyrinth of danger. Maddened Rakshasa offering bargains for blood and dreams. Monsters haunt the white void between these strange new cities, hungry for the warmth of flesh and spirit. The land itself turns even more hostile, and rival Exalts— ranging Sovereigns of Uluiru and the increasingly fraught subjects of the Bull of the North’s fracturing empire—stand as obstacles, driven by ambitions that cannot abide interference. The beauty they fight is a cage, a trap spun with otherworldly precision. Every step closer to the truth threatens to unmake them, as they face not only the terrors outside but the doubts and divisions within. In the North’s radiant shadow, the question remains: can their righteousness resist perfection or will they be consumed by it?
Game style
Rule of Cool (RoC)
“Rule of Cool” emphasizes creative story beats over sticking to a system’s rules as written. Players have the ability to push the limits of the rules or even break core rule mechanics at times if the Game Master thinks it is interesting, fun, or cool enough.
Roleplay Heavy
“Roleplay Heavy” games place the focus on the story, the characters, and the world they live within, and tend to lean hard into the various roleplaying elements of the game. These games will frequently find the party talking with NPCs, exploring the personal elements of their backstories, or even having emotional moments around the camp fire.
Combat Heavy
“Combat Heavy” games emphasize the combat mechanics within their systems over roleplay or puzzle solving. There are frequent and longer battles with enemies and a greater emphasis on tactical game play.
3 years on StartPlaying
781 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Voices
Average response time: 6 hours
Response rate: 100%
Game Master Reviews (47)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Creativity
Storytelling
Voices
Tsire is an amazing story teller and one of the best DMs I've ever played with. I've played multiple games and systems with him, and they've all been a blast. He keeps things interesting for experienced players while also making sure newer players learn the ropes. He is amazing at improv and his narration makes me feel like I'm watching a movie. Tsire is great at making sure everyone is having fun and feeling out if the party is looking for more or less of a certain aspect to adjust the game. Highly recommend him!
Tsire's creativity and ingenuity shine through in his ability to allow players agency in the world. His ability to create meaningful impacts from character decisions really allow you to feel like you're making an impact on the world, and it brings a lot of interesting tension to the narrative decisions you make. I can't speak highly enough of his willingness to work with players to let people do cool things in interesting ways, but also his effort to maintain balance among the players at the table. He was the first GM that I ever tried with pay-to-play, and it was a clean experience that I enjoyed. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best possible introduction to paid GM'ing, and I'm VERY happy to have experienced it.
I started as a Lunar doctor/scholar in a Prasad Empire campaign (in the Dreaming Sea) with Tsire Divyn however after the second session I just wasn't liking it. After some discussion I switched to a water blooded Dragon Blooded. Having never played a DB before, he was patient and helpful with building my character and giving me plenty of advice on how to approach the character. With that my my ship captain was born and I have been enjoying the character very much since then. Campaign wise Tsire Divyn was has been weaving a captivating narrative when describing scenes, background elements and unfolding areas of plot that make the game fun and interesting. This has allowed them to wrap me up in a level of detail and creativity in Exalted's setting that makes me look forward to diving into it and getting involved. The way they describe the Dreaming Sea's exotic locales and its myriad dangers brings the world vividly to life. His understanding of the game mechanics (the difficulties make be high on the rolls but we have alternate ways of engaging) helps keep the gameplay smooth and engaging, allowing us to focus on the narrative. His enthusiasm and passion for the game are infectious, making every session something I look forward to. You are in good hands in an Exalted game with him.
GM has a talent for interesting NPCs and situations, and I had fun when doing RP-heavy interactions with other players and friendly NPCs. however, the playstyle is fairly frustrating. Stunting is rarely rewarded as intended, difficulty on common tasks is unusually high, rules are applied strictly and often more restrictively than rules as written or intended, and player creativity is usually penalized rather than rewarded - generating extra work and wasting entire sessions on side-tasks upon side-tasks. In addition, in this Exalted game, players will spend several months of real-time as unexalted mortals who cannot succeed at most rolls being asked of them, before they become an exalted who is likely being run at lower essence than intended for a starting character. GM also does not ask for feedback, nor respond to in-session feedback. All in all, I never once felt impactful or cool in this Exalted game.
Additional details
How to prepare
As this is an online game using discord and FoundryVTT, players will need access to both as well as microphones to play. While reading the rules ahead of time will help, it is not required.
What I provide
The Books, A Flexible Mind, A Whole Bushel Full of Patience, and FUN!
Gameplay details
With the number of Tags we have, it's important to note that we will absolutely be doing a session 0 to discuss the Overall tone of the Campaign. Character Creation will also be done during Session 0. Players who join after Session 0 has been conducted can schedule a meeting with me to get caught up on the game and go through character creation and whatnot together.
Content warnings
• Freezing
• Nightmares about Traumatic Events
• Violence
• Drugs (addiction, use, withdrawal)
Safety tools used
• Lines and Veils
• Session 0
• X, N, and O Cards
How will character creation work
This will be a mixed splat campaign, no Solaroids or Janest. Apocryphals may be accepted on a case-by-case basis. (Alchemicals *may* be accepted in the future)
Players can expect
Combat / Tactics
Medium
Roleplay
High
Puzzles
Low
Experience level
Open to all
Platforms used
• Discord
• Foundry VTT
$20.00
/ Session
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Details
Weekly / Tuesday - 6:00 PM UTC
Apr 15 / Session 1
2.5-3 Hour Duration
5 / 6 Seats Filled
Schedule
Requirements
Experience required: Open to all
Age: 18+