Zenith Caste
The brilliant noonday light of the Unconquered Sun banishes shadows and bathes Creation in its brilliance. Similarly, the Zenith Caste banishes the dark denizens of Malfeas and the Underworld, and the Zeniths' faith and shining example provides comfort and solace to the faithful masses. During the First Age, the Zenith Caste Solars were the priest-kings of the Realm. Its members led the Solar Deliberative, the Realm's original governing body, and served as intermediaries between the people of the Realm and their celestial patron. The populace looked to the Zenith Caste for leadership in both spiritual and temporal matters. During the Usurpation, those Zenith Castes who escaped the Terrestrials' ambush stood against their enemies like mountains, fortified by their unbreakable faith in the Unconquered Sun. Unfortunately, wind and water can wear away even the greatest of mountains—thus did the endless armies of the Terrestrials eventually wear them away to nothing.
Members of the Zenith Caste were the first of the Solars to return. Throughout the Threshold, tough and charismatic men and women arrived in cities and towns. They wandered out of the deserts and mountains or sailed in from the sea, preaching the glory of the Unconquered Sun. Today, the Pillars of the Sun are beginning to lead the people back toward righteousness and greatness and to confront the forces of darkness and corruption with faith, fist and fire.
Members of the Zenith Caste are chosen because they are natural leaders who thirst for righteousness and justice. They are willing to endure great hardship in the name of what they believe in. All members of this caste have been granted a deeply personal vision of the Unconquered Sun, and this vision kindles their passion and faith to new heights. Regardless of what he might currently believe, every member of the Zenith Caste is innately a priest of the Unconquered Sun. The members of the Zenith Caste are often both their circles' leaders and their tireless defenders.
Anima Banner: Zenith Caste Solars bear large, bright-gold circular caste marks. Their animas are a brilliant, burning white or a majestic gold.
Anima Effects: The Zenith Caste is empowered by the light of the Unconquered Sun himself. With but a touch, the Golden Bulls can burn the bodies of the fallen for one mote of Essence per body, sending the smoke (and soul) to Heaven and preventing the body from rising after death as a zombie or and the lower soul from rising as a hungry ghost. They are protected from and can strike down demons, the undead and other creatures of darkness. As his action, a Zenith Exalt can channel 10 motes of Essence through his anima. He then glows with the holy fire of the Unconquered Sun and illuminates the area around him as brightly as if it were noon. This illumination extends for (Permanent Essence x 10) yards. For the remainder of the scene (or until he chooses to let the effect dissipate), he gains additional lethal and bashing soak equal to his Essence against attack by all creatures of darkness. In addition, when he has activated his anima power, his player can also add the Zenith's Essence to the minimum number of dice he rolls for any attack made against a creature of darkness (meaning that, in most cases, he will roll a minimum number of dice equal to twice the character's Essence). This effect comes into play automatically once the Solar spends 11-15 motes of Peripheral Essence.
Caste Abilities: Members of the Zenith Caste excel at surviving great hardships, both physical and mental. They also possess amazing skills of persuasion and inspiration. Zeniths have a natural affinity for the Abilities of Integrity, Performance, Presence, Resistance and [8Survival]].
Associations: The season of summer, the colors of gold and cobalt blue, the southern direction, the element of earth, the half moon and the Maiden of Serenity
Sobriquets: Resplendent Suns, Pillars of the Sun, Solar Thunder, Golden Bulls, Hammers of Heaven, The Blasphemous (derogatory)
Concepts: Former priest or shaman of another god, brilliant astrologer, two-fisted laborer, wandering tinker, desert hermit, physician, peasant rebel, tax collector, pirate, old man on the mountain, runaway slave
The Blasphemous
According to the theology of the Realm, these Anathema were unholy priests who forced their subjects to bow down and worship dark powers. The Dragon-Blooded abolished this foul cult and set up the pure faith of the Immaculate Order in its stead. These vile priests are referred to by the faithful as the Blasphemous.
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All of Creation is now corrupt. The dead walk among the living, the beasts of the Wyld grow bolder every day, and the cruel Dynasts care nothing for the common people. The world was not always this way. Listen now to a tale of the wondrous First Age, and hear how we can rebuild this glorious era anew.