Exalted: Bloody Claws

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by Beachfox

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Across Creation, there is a story. The story of Bloody Claws. Across creation, his grand caravan travels on the five nights of Calibration, when the laws of gods and man hold no sway, and Creation lies naked benieth alien stars.

On these nights, in villages and cities across the world, the Grand Caravan travels. At its head rides a wolf, or maybe bear, in heavy furs and leathers, dripping blood that never dries. His hands twisted into great bloody claws, his breath steaming in the air. At his side are The Reindeer. Some have two arms and four horns. Some have three arms and one horn. Some have two of both, some have four. They rarely speak, except to trade.

When the Caravan comes, you will trade. If you do not trade, then they will take. They will steal what you treasure most and leave behind twisted things from beyond the reaches of reality and sanity. They will take your little doll and leave behind a crystal that sings with the voices of the dead. They will take your wife's wedding ring and leave a piece of wood as hard as iron that glows in the starlight and shudders to the touch. If you leave offerings of meat, drink, and sacrifices, they will take them, and leave behind wonders and items you've never seen before and will never see again. One way or another, there will be Trade.

This is how Bloody Claws preserves Creation for another year, keeping bound tight the frayed threads of the Creation Maintaining Trade Network in this dark and fallen age.

***

Bloody Claws was the McGuffin of our Exalted group's Holiday Special game. He was kidnapped, and Christm- Calibration had to be saved! Save Calibration, Save Creation. For their reward, everyone took a reindeer man of their very own.

Bloody Claws Upon the Endless Snows is a True Fay that turned traitor and now works to preserve Creation against his brothers. He does this by preserving the Creation Maintaining Trade Network as best he can, using the weakening of natural laws during Calibration to travel to all portions of Creation not tied into the current trade routs and trading between them. Those that do not trade willingly are pillaged, and offerings left in the place of what's been taken. It is brutal, perhaps, and hard. But for the last 760 years, it has worked.

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