Across the Burning Sands | (Learn Exalted 3E!)
The call has gone out, and you must answer, journeying hundreds of miles to the burning South to stop a terrible monster that would destroy the world.
TYPE
SYSTEM
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$25.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Wednesday - 8:30 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2.5–3 hours
1 / 5 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
1/5
About the adventure
Deep in the remote vastness of the Southern deserts lies the Tomb of the First Lion: a lost monument to a forgotten king. Forgotten by all, except one. Once in a generation, a terrible monster--Anathema--arises and comes to the tomb, trying to break in through its sealed doors, killing any and all who stand in its way. Legend holds that if it ever succeeds, if it ever breaks through those doors, the world will end. And so a holy duty falls upon a select few once every thirty years. And now the call has come, and you must answer. Many will fight, few will survive. Will you find glory and fame to be remembered in story and song for generations to come? Will you stop the Anathema and save the world? Or will you die in ignominy? - - - This is an Exalted 3e game that serves as an excellent introduction for new players who know nothing about the lore or the setting, but will still be great fun for veterans who know (or can guess) what's going on. If you are a veteran player who joins, please come prepared to not share any lore at all with the newbies! Let them discover through play! Your characters will start as mortals, underdogs in the high-powered world of Exalted. However, you can expect that your characters will Exalt over the course of the story--should you survive!
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(5)
5 years on StartPlaying
2 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Storytelling
About me
"So you want a game, do you?" The witch's voice seems to crack in the brittle air, and her one good eye rolls until it finds your face. "Then you must pay the price..." She cackles as she extends her bony fingers. "But coin is just the beginning. What do you want? Tell me what is inside your soul... Who are you?" Hello and welcome! Gaming is more than a hobby for me, it’s a lifestyle. I first started playing as I was learning to walk and talk as a little tyke, and I’ve been playing, running, and designing rpgs since then. I’ve been running games professionally for about 10 years now, although not on SPG until 2026. I like to run a character-driven, roleplay-heavy story, but at the end of the day what’s most important is the players. If you want a hex crawl, if you want high political intrigue, if you want mystery and murder and danger… let me know! I can probably design content tailored to what you’re looking for. For myself, I love stories and I love gaming! I’m looking forward to getting to run some different systems and explore new worlds through this medium.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We will make characters together in a session 0. This will also give me the opportunity to help introduce new players to the world and setting of Exalted, as well as the nuanced ruleset of the system. You will start as mortals (which will provide an easy way for new players to learn the system) and eventually Exalt during play.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
New Players: Please make every effort NOT to read about Exalted in advance! The less you come in knowing, the better :) Veteran Players: Please come prepared to not share any spoilers! (And even the most basic information about the setting *could* count as spoilers in this case.)
What Ashton brings to the table
I will bring a scenario that puts your characters in a tight spot--then it's up to you to figure out how to get out of it! Once the game is going, I will neither try to punish you nor try to help you succeed. Do your best, make good decisions, and hope for good dice rolls, and things may go in your favor. But the stakes are real and success is not guaranteed! You should expect a balance of roleplaying and action. I'm not a voice actor, so I can't guarantee the quality of my performance, but I am a writer! I like to develop NPCs with a lot of depth and personality, and you can expect to see that reflected in the game. A lot of my storylines involve getting to know the NPCs and navigating their motivations, secrets, and emotions. Exalted is designed to have no need for tactical battlemaps, so combat will be handled in Theater of the Mind. You should NOT expect me to provide background music. I don't do well with it; my brain processes it as just noise. If you like having background music, you may want to find a playlist you like that you can set up for yourself.
Homebrew rules
As part of session zero I will propose a few homebrew rules.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Ashton creates a safe table
I honor the X-card, which you can present vocally or by typing X in chat during session. You are welcome to elaborate, but if all you can manage is the X, I will heed that and immediately pause the game. At least once every few sessions, I will make time to debrief and hear feedback. I like to use the Stars and Wishes format. This game has some dark themes, so come prepared. People are not safe, and sometimes children or animals are not safe. But when bad things happen, I will treat those events with respect, using the narrative to reflect upon the moral implications.
Content warnings
Safety tools used