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CREDITSAuthors: Carl Bowen, Michael A. Goodwin, Holden Shearer, Dean Shomshak and John SneadComic Scripter: Carl BowenDeveloper: John ChambersEditor: Carl BowenCreative Director: Rich ThomasProduction Manager: matt milbergerArt Direction and Layout: Brian GlassArtists: Tazio Bettin, Leanne Buckley, Ross Campbell, Groundbreakers Studio (with Paolo Aguasin, Rafael Cal-Ortiz, Ian Cang, Kevin Libranda, Bayani Pasig, Jaimee delos Santos and Brian Valeza), Andrew Hepworth, Alisa ‘Kiyo’ Kyypelto, Pasi Pitkanen, Andie Tong, UDON (with Steven Cummings, Jason Ibarra, Alex Milne, Andre Mina and Mark Sinclair) and Melissa Uran Maps: Ed BourelleCover Art: Groundbreakers Studio (art by Ian Cang and colors by Brian Valeza)
© 2010 CCP hf. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf and Exalted are registered trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. Return of the Scarlet Empress, the Manual of Exalted Power the Alchemicals, the Manual of Exalted Power the Infernals, the Manual of Exalted Power the Dragon-Blooded, the Manual of Exalted Power the Lunars, the Manual of Exalted Power the Sidereals, the Manual of Exalted Power the Abyssals, Graceful Wicked Masques the Fair Folk, Scroll of the Monk, Scroll of Kings, Scroll of Fallen Races, Scroll of Heroes, Scroll of Exalts, the Books of Sorcery, Wonders of the Lost Age, the White and Black Treatises, Oadenol’s Codex, the Roll of Glorious Divinity I, the Roll of Glorious Divinity II, the Compass of Celestial Directions, the Blessed Isle, the Wyld, Yu-Shan, the Underworld, Malfeas, Dreams of the First Age and the Second Age of Man are trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by CCP hf.
CCP North America Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CCP hf.The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fi ction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature
content. Reader discretion is advised.Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com/
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 12
CHAPTER ONE: THE CURSED ISLE 16
CHAPTER TWO: THE SCAVENGER LANDS AND THE EASTERN FRONT 46
CHAPTER THREE: THE NORTHERN FRONT 75
CHAPTER FOUR: THE WESTERN FRONT 106
CHAPTER FIVE: THE SOUTHERN FRONT 135
CHAPTER SIX: OTHER REALMS OF EXISTENCE 163
CHAPTER SEVEN: END GAME 190
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INTRODUCTION 13
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After years of absence, the Empress returns to her people, just in time to halt the long-feared war over who would ascend to her Scarlet Throne. Yet, there’s more to her return than meets the eye, and the powers behind it will soon plunge Creation into a more terrible confl ict by far, the Reclamation.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE RECLAMATION CONFLICT
The Yozis’ Reclamation of Creation proceeds simul-taneously on all fronts, throwing the world’s would-be defenders into disarray. The grand scheme takes place in three broad acts. In the Threshold, the fi rst act is a time of subtle manipulation and clever social maneu-vering, which kicks off upon the advent of the Scarlet Empress’s long-awaited reemergence. Using the Realm Defense Grid to project an enormous image of herself standing astride the Imperial Mountain, the Empress
announces her “return from meditative isolation” to the people of Creation in grand style. Confi rmation of the terrifying apparition’s legitimacy spreads across the Blessed Isle fi rst (instantly), then the satrapies in the Threshold (at the speed of Infallible Messenger) and fi nally those independent nations and civilizations that are aware of the Realm but not beholden to its government (within weeks). The Empress makes a great show at fi rst of cleaning house, ending (if not averting) a civil war between the Great Houses and righting the foundering ship of government that her absence all but scuttled. These efforts make her people rejoice, believ-ing that their Empress can single-handedly unmake the chaos of the Time of Tumult.
Yet, for all her peacemaking and work reestablish-ing the rule of law, the Empress’s actions conceal a sinister agenda. She streamlines the functioning of the Thousand Scales by replacing weak and ineffectual
INTRODUCTION
The other shape,If shape it might be call’d that shape had noneDistinguishable in member, joint, or limb;Or substance might be call’d that shadow seem’d,For each seem’d either, black it stood as night,Fierce as ten furies, terrible as hell,And shook a dreadful dart; what seem’d his headThe likeness of a kingly crown had on.
— John Milton, Paradise Lost
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