RISE OF

RATHESS
 RISE OF
RATHESS

Joshua Heath
 R I S E O F R AT H E S S

Credits Special Thanks

Written By: Joshua Heath Quinn, Cat, JN, JC, Lisa, and others. Thank you for the
support and hard work.
Developed By: Joshua Heath
Chaz! You and your folks are awesome.
Edited By: Joshua Heath
David, you know that I think you are great.
Cover Art JH Illos

Interior Art: WW Art Packs

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 RISE OF
RATHESS

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 R I S E O F R AT H E S S
Rise of Rathess
An Expanding Location Supplement for
Exalted 3rd Edition
What is this? This is an expanding supplement
that covers the city of Rathess, in the East of
Creation. We will be adding to this supplement
over the next several months as we develop
content. This means that if you have purchased
this book you should check back regularly to
see what updates we make. It also means that
if you purchase the book early you’ll end up
getting it for cheaper than those folks that
come along in the future and pick it up. We’ll
be using the funds raised early on to add
contracted art, and perhaps to hire writers
to add specific content to the supplement.
I’ve always been a fan of the basic concept of
Exalted, but the mechanics have always given
me a hard time. The game is much heavier
mechanically than I prefer at my tables. So,
if you have any concerns, frustrations, or
suggestions for the mechanical content in
this supplement, please let me know and I’d
be happy to adjust or accept criticism. This
will be both an update and revisioning of the
Ruins of Rathess book from 1st Edition, and
we’ve done our best to read any content which
directly connects to the Dragon Kings or their
city of Rathess from all editions. However, the
corpus of lore for Exalted is expansive and I
won’t claim to have read even ½ of the books
that are available for the game. As this is an
Expanding Supplement, we’ll continue to add
elements based on feedback, so if you want
to suggest an element from a supplement
we haven’t included just give us a shout.
Introduction
Already ancient at the height of the first
age, Rathess, the First City, home to the
Dragon Kings, has a chance to return to
prominence. A powerful Dragon King has
awoken from stasis and this bold portent
has the potential to change Creation forever.
This will be a make it, or break it, moment
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for the Dragon Kings and their city. The
Terrestrial Exalted believe that they rule
Creation, but their usurpation is still ‘recent’
in the minds of the reawakened Dragon Kings.
Where is Rathess?
Rathess is deep in the East, far into the jungle
of Ixcoatli, along the Vaneha river. However,
Rathess was not always where it is now, and
the Dragon Kings awaking will be aware of
one key element that few in Creation are
aware, Creation is changing, shifting, and
subtly being redesigned. Is this an effect of
the Wyld? Or is the Primordial, Gaia herself,
engaged in a long-term readjustment of the
world. This shift is so subtle, and magical,
that even the ancient Lunars are unaware
of this shifting change to Creation. It is as if
some nigh universal force adjusts everyone’s
mind to accept these shifts and changes as
how things have always been. The Dragon
Kings appear to be immune to this effect,
however, and with the reawakening of
Lord Quetz, the Feathered Serpent King,
he has begun chronicling the changes he’s
seen in Creation. Most interestingly, the
Orrery of Arainthu continues to be accurate
even with these changes to Creation.
East, see map of Exalted p. 88
What is Rathess?
This great city was once the center of the
mortal world. Known as the First City,
Rathess was ruled by a long-lived dynasty of
Raptoks. Rathess was the home of all Dragon
Kings though, and even the aquatic Mosok
had their own octad dedicated to their needs.
Rathess is a giant artifact of the First
Age. The city is a great circle, laid out
like a great solar wheel, in honor and
devotion to their Solar deity. The wheel
was separated into eight sections, each
dedicated to one of the Kings, their human
servants, and others that might visit the city.
Who are the Dragon Kings?
Also known to some of their human servants
as The Wani, the Dragon Kings were humanoid
saurions that were the first experiment in the
creation of non-spirit guardians of Creation.
They ruled Creation for an eon at the start
of the First Age, worshipping the eminence
of The Unconquered Sun. When the gods
created humanity, and eventually the Solars,
the two groups saw one another as equals
and partners in service to their shared God.
What Happened?
The Dragon Kings chose to fight alongside
the Gods during the war against the
Primordials, which cut their numbers down
extravagantly. A powerful Primordial has a
particular grievance against the Kings and
it slew them in a great swath. This didn’t
destroy their society, but it did allow for the
ascension of Humanity. Their friendship with
the Solars kept them from being decimated
by Humanity, who were still bitter about
their previous rulers. When the Solars moved
their rule to the Blessed Isle, this further
undercut the power and authority of the
Dragon Kings, which by itself wouldn’t have
been enough to disrupt them completely.
The Contagion however, raged through their
society and decimated their population. This
was devastating and several powerful Elders
chose to go into suspended animation in the
hopes that sleeping for an hundred years
would be enough to oversee the rebirth of
their people in the wake of this epidemic.
However, something went wrong with their
reanimation tanks, probably something due
to the fact that their tanks were connected
to astrological signs of calm, signs that
never came. Instead, outside interference
was required to reawaken them. So far, one
Elder has reawakened and he has begun
to restore small portions of the city and
restore the souls of a community of Stalkers.
Meta-Physiology of the Dragon Kings
The souls of the Dragon Kings were designed
by the Primordials to be immortal, carrying
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over personality and some memories, life
to life as they were reincarnated into new
bodies. Unlike their later creations, humans,
the Primordials kept the spirits of the Dragon
Kings separate from them for the first period
of their lives. This was partly because their
spirits were created separately from their
animal bodies, and partly kept as a method
of design because it allowed for an element
of evolutionary gain outside of the direct
interference from the Primordials themselves.
Both elements were an experiment, one that
proceeded in a manner that worked, but
would be changed in their later creations.
This created an off period of time in the life
of the Dragon Kings, and a requirement that
impacted their society and their descendants
significantly. Dragon Kings are hatched with
no immortal soul present. They are intelligent
animals, capable of significant thought and
skill, but the lack of soul means they have no
memories, powers, or any other elements of
their former lives. It is only through the direct
intervention of either gods, Elder Dragon
Kings, or, occasionally, circumstance, which
reconnects one of the Stalkers (See Jungle
Stalkers, Hundred Devils Night Parade, and
below for more details) to their immortal self.
Elder Dragon Kings used a series of rituals,
tests, and astrological divination to jumpstart
the reconnection of the soul to the body
of their young. Infusions of Essence were
required to help call the soul into the body.
This often took several years, and the young
Dragon Kings were kept in specially designed
hunting preserves for the first 3-10 years of
their existence. Once they were reconnected
to their souls, most Dragon Kings lived to
be between 300-400 years old, on average.
Once reacquainted with their souls, the
Dragon Kings were excellent manipulators of
Essence, and with work they could reawaken
their memories, powers, and such from the
soul. This makes it impossible for Dragon
Kings to Exalt as humans can. Without a
 R I S E O F R AT H E S S
soul they cannot be given the Second Breath,
and with one, they have already begun the
process of channeling Essence which forever
prevents them from further Exaltation.
However, Lord Quetz was approached by
an Abyssal Exalted, one of the servants of
Mask of Winters with an offer: Accept the
Power of Death and see Rathess reborn.
This Lord Quetz is considering reawakening
more of his surviving fellows, but he’s also
unsure if it is better to reawaken them all or
to let some continue to sleep, in case he fails at
his task. He’s also concerned that reawakening
them all could lead to the total destruction of
his people, if the Mask of Winters, Ma-hah-
Suchi, or other dangers in Creation decide to
set their eyes upon the Ruins of Rathess. For
now, he’s working to awaken more Stalkers,
and once he’s done so, and reasserted control
of enough of Rathess, he’ll decide what to do.
The Octads
Sites of Interest
Observatory and Orrery
Temples of the Sun
Resting Chambers of the Kings
Beings of Import
Filial Wisdom, Brother of the Able Shepherd
Spirits
Han-Tha
Leeyaata   -Lunar
Feathered Serpent, Lord Quetz
-Ancient Dragon King
Lord Quetz is a Feathered Raptok, with an
exceedingly long neck, and smallish legs
and arms. This gives him the look of a great
snake, and is part of the reason for his
title. Beyond the Stalkers, Lord Quetz was
involved in the ancient development of the
serpent folk of The Empire of the Winged
Serpent with a powerful Lunar. It’s unknown
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if this Lunar still lives, but if he did, the two
would be thrilled to rediscover one another.
Lord Quetz worked with the Lunar over
six lifetimes and the two helped to ease the
development of this segment of beastmen
into something quite unlike the rest of the
similar types of beings the Lunars manage.
Quetz was one of the youngest Elders
to be put into suspended animation. He
was chosen because of his skill with the
machinery of animation and the various
mechanisms around Rathess. Though the
Dragon Kings didn’t anticipate the length of
time they would be in slumber, they did know
that they would need to repair significant
portions of the city, and placing someone of
Quetz’ caliber into torpor allowed them to
ensure they would be able to do so quickly.
When he was awakened, he was shocked to find
a trio of Terrestrial Exalted standing looking
at him quizzically. They were representatives
of the Empress, sent a scant few days before
her disappearance to explore Rathess and
return whatever goods they could return
to her. When Quetz heard who sent them,
he dispatched the trio with the aid of a
weapon he’d stored inside his chambers. The
Empress herself killed two of Quetz’ family
cloud, and he has an intense and fiery hatred
boiling inside himself for her personage.
Alliance With the Lunar Dragon
Great Dragon of Luna’s Radiance
-Eaten Stalker Dragon King hearts
Stalkers
The Saurians that live within the region
of Rathess, known commonly as Stalkers,
Swimmers, and Flyers, are the remnants
of the Raptok, Mosok, and Pterok Dragon
Kings who once ruled the world. These
beings occasionally are naturally reunited
with a soul, and when this occurs they gain
a level of intelligence slightly higher than
normal for their kin. However, without
the support of Elder Dragon Kings, gods,
or even Celestial Exalted, they are often
unable to gain enough Essence to reawaken
the memories and powers of their souls.
Very few Ankloks lived in Rathess to begin
with, and so none of their kind became
stalkers around the city itself. However, Lord
Quetz has taken it upon himself, through
intermediaries, to send for brave souls to
attempt to bring back more stalkers from
around Creation. So far, a few brave souls
have attempted the task, and have returned
a half-dozen Anklok Stalkers to the city and
Lord Quetz. Why does the Feathered Serpent
Lord care about these particular Dragon
Kings? One of his life-partners was an Anklok
and he hopes that he can finally find his soul
and bring him back. Until then, he’s happy
to reawaken as many of the Stalkers as he
can, he’s already succeeded in bringing one
of his mates back to awareness, but his hope
is to return his entire cloud of partners
to Creation. Which could be a heady task.
Tyrantoks
These massive Dragon Kings were we’re
very rare, there was only a small tribe of
them at anytime. They were incredibly long-
lived, likely immortal, and they continued
to grow through their lives. There are there
are a single pair of spiritless Tyrantoks that
make the jungles around Rathess their home.
There are also a mated pair, one in stasis
under Rathess, and her mate somewhere in
creations South. This sort of wandering was
not uncommon for any of the Dragon Kings,
and the unexpected nature of the Contagion
made it difficult for them to return to one
another’s side before seeking stasis.
The Tyrantok are effectively a form of
Tyrant Lizards that were joined with a
Dragon King soul. They hatch only rarely,
either from the mating of a Tyrantok with
a Tyrant Lizard, or two Tyrantok’s mating.
Only these special Tyrants can be bound to
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a soul and Enlightened. This soul-binding is
incredibly difficult and can only be done in
the third year of a Tyrantok’s life.
Breed Attributes: The Tyrantok receives
+4 to Strength, Stamina, and a +2 to
Manipulation
Breed Abilities:  Tyrantoks excel in
leadership positions. They have a natural
affinity for Bureaucracy and Integrity.
Enlightened Tyrant Lizard (Stats are similar,
but advanced slightly from Tyrant Lizard on
p. 573 of Exalted 3rd Edition)
Essence: 5
Willpower: 9
Join Battle: 15
Personal Motes: 20
Health Levels: -0x6/-1x7/-2x10/-4x9/Incap.
Speed Bonus: +4
Actions: Feats of Strength: 12 dice (may
attempt Strength 7 feats, see Incredible
Might); Hide in Dense Forest or Swamps: 8
dice; Intimidation: 10 dice; Resist Poison/
Disease: 10 dice; Senses: 5 dice (see
Relentless Pursuit); Tracking: 8 dice (see
Relentless Pursuit) Resolve 3, Guile 1
Combat
Attack (Bite): 13 dice (Damage 16, minimum
5). A tyrant lizard’s bite can easily puncture
armor, allowing it to make piercing attacks
(p. 586). Attack (Slam): 12 dice (Damage
14, minimum 4). The tyrant lizard uses its
head or tail to bash an enemy, and can make
a smashing attack (p. 586). Attack (Talon
rake): 13 dice (Damage 12, minimum 3) Attack
(Grapple): 8 dice (10 dice to control).
Technique.Combat Movement: 7 dice
Evasion 4, Parry 6 Soak/Hardness: 15/5
Paths: Path of Prehuman Mastery 3, The
Shaping Wood Path 3, Flowing Water 1
Paths of Prehuman Mastery
In the First Age the Dragon Kings were
experts in the creation of linear magical
 R I S E O F R AT H E S S

structures. These were part in parcel to the

process of Enlightenment of their people.
The initial ritual to reforge a soul into
their bodies was enough to awaken them to
sentience, but it was not enough to help them
master their bodies, minds, and conflicts
of the soul. To do so, the great Dragon King
bodhisattvas helped to produce a series of
paths that would assist in mental and spiritual
development. As a side benefit, these paths
were able to instill a sense of connection to
the world that helped to channel essence
and allowed the powerful minds of the
Dragon Kings to become focused. The Paths
of the Dragon Kings must be purchased
in a linear fashion, unlike most Charms.
The Path of the Tyrant
Bend the Will
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Command Duration: One Tick
The Tyrantok used this power to implant
commands into their mind. This allowed
them to control themselves when specific
things would otherwise be impacted by
their instinctual desire to crush and destroy
things around them. The Tyrantok makes
a Manipulation + Integrity roll versus the
targets Resolve. This allows them to make
a simple command, with a trigger that they
must follow the next time the trigger occurs.
For example: When the sun rises, meditate.
When the Shogun’s Daughter walks by, strike
her. This command may be accepted without
a contested roll, and can be used on oneself.

Loosely based on the Clear Air Path, the Path

of the Tyrant is not a Dark Path, as some of the
Dragon King paths are known. Instead, this
path was developed to assist the Tyrantok’s
in their development. However, the name has
two meanings, and the powers of mind control
affect both Humans and Dragon Kings. The
steps of this path allow for an increase in
control over the powerful emotions that the
Tyrant Lizards experience and this control
allows them to impact the emotions of others.

Affect the Heart

Cost: 2m; Mins: Essence 1; Type: Simple
Keywords: Command Duration: One Scene
The Dragon King with knowledge of this
Path level is able to affect the emotions of
those around them. With a shake of their
feathers, or a broad smile they can control
their emotional state, or any other creature,
as long as they spend a mote per person or
create they would like to affect. This can be
used to either fully dull emotions or shift
emotional states to their opposite. An angry
person becomes incredibly calm. A calm
person rages, potentially pushing themself
into Limit Break, or worse. The Tyrantok
often used this to calm themselves and
others who were attempting to attack them.

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Rising from the Ashes, Rathess
will slowly be revealed once more
in this expanding supplement
for the city of the Dragon Kings

What is this? This is an expanding

supplement that covers the city of
Rathess, in the East of Creation. We
will be adding to this supplement over
the next several months as we develop
content. This means that if you have
purchased this book you should check
back regularly to see what updates
we make. It also means that if you
purchase the book early you’ll end up
getting it for cheaper than those folks
that come along in the future and
pick it up. We’ll be using the funds
raised early on to add contracted art,
and perhaps to hire writers to add
specific content to the supplement.

Included are details on the Tyrantok,

a new breed of Dragon King, hints
as deeper plots in the city of the
sun, and the start fo the Path of the
Tyrant, a new Dragon King path.