Exalted

so dramatically different.

I remember the first time we played Exalted.

For everything we could talk about with Exalted, the things it does well, the things it doesn't do well, I remember the way it encouraged you to kind of roleplay and build up what you are doing and gives tools to rewards the players for really playing up the drama of what they're doing with each test.

That is just kind of one little step that would later become a lot of different approaches.

But I remember as a kid thinking that was... incredibly cool and like empowering, you know, to the player.

None of the players, and certainly not myself, have lived experience or even ancestry from that part of the world.

While Origin is part of the canonical setting for Exalted, I've drawn on real-world West African traditions to help bring the setting more fully to life.

This isn't meant to be an accurate historical or cultural portrayal, and it is definitely not a commentary on any real world nations, peoples, or beliefs.

One key difference is theological.

While Timbuktu and the surrounding regions were deeply shaped by the arrival of Islam, Exalted has its own divine and mythological structure that plays out very differently.

My hope is to approach these inspirations with respect and care, and I welcome feedback if I fall short.

In the session notes, there will be a short list of resources to learn about the real history of West Africa and the Sahel.

You have you have resources for another three months or so,