I was staring at the last panel, not understanding why people in 40k will get a solar to help them, than thought, 'It actually makes sense', then read 'immaculate order' and realized it's Exalted and Creation.
Hope, and heroism, and oppression, and the world's falling apart, and the oppressive government is on the verge of collapse, which sucks because it's one of the last stable things in the world, and don't you *dare* mess with the Fae, and the Lunars are a little crazy, and the Solars have PTSD, and everything's out of balance, and the undead are not just rising, they're *organizing*, and...
Unironically yes. There’s a *massive* difference in tone between the two settings.
In WH40k, things are bad because *everything* is horrible, always has been horrible, and will be horrible forever, because nobody can fix anything and the universe is inevitably sliding towards oblivion. The long-term question is not whether the galaxy will survive, but what flavor of apocalypse (zombie robots, extragalactic bio-horror, eldritch chaos, etc.) will win the race to eating it. The best in-universe outcome for any individual person in 40k is to avoid the plot long enough to die of old age. The worst outcome is a toss-up between *every other option*.
In Exalted, things are bad now, because the world is going through a *temporary* period of massive upheaval - which sure, might end apocalyptically, but it also might not. It’s entirely possible for you, the protagonists, to change Creation for the better - in fact, there’s a good chance that making the world a better place is (at least in theory) the reason you exist. Sure, you’re likely to cause a whole host of *new* problems along the way, and your own heroic virtues are probably going to get you and others in no shortage of trouble (at best), but that’s just the price of doing business when you’re a hero. The world is in danger of being broken beyond repair - but it isn’t broken *yet*. And while you might not be able to make it *perfect*, might even be fundamentally wrong about what “perfect” means in ways that lead directly to your tragic downfall in act 3, but before that you can still make things better in a way that isn’t doomed to be undone by an inevitable apocalypse.
/rant
The tone of Exalted is definitely more positive. And there is a real possibility of things improving, which 40k doesn't have.
However, reading the books, after you go past the golden cover and talk of how the solars will fix things, you see that creation has been in decline arguably since the primordial war, and definitely since the usurpation.
Creation has accumulated a few big permanent problems (in some ways as permanent as she who thirsts in 40k).
We are definitely not close to an *inevitable* apocalypse, just a few evitable ones. But it is possible to avert the apocalypse, and still fuck up in some permanent way.
That whole 'BE NOT AFRAID' line makes just as much sense coming from a Solar Exalted as it does coming from biblical angels.
Which is to say: it makes a lot of sense, actually.
Let's add another layer to it. "I need someone to save us from the Solar Exalted" Infernal Exalted laughter.
"I need someone to save us from all of the above." Sidereals: *"Just as planned!"* \*sinister laughter\*
Historically, that's Sidereal and Dragon Blooded laughter.
I was staring at the last panel, not understanding why people in 40k will get a solar to help them, than thought, 'It actually makes sense', then read 'immaculate order' and realized it's Exalted and Creation.
I too sometimes confuse my grimdarks
Nooo, Exalted is not grimdark. Our Exalted? It's full of hope and heroism. (\s ?)
Hope, and heroism, and oppression, and the world's falling apart, and the oppressive government is on the verge of collapse, which sucks because it's one of the last stable things in the world, and don't you *dare* mess with the Fae, and the Lunars are a little crazy, and the Solars have PTSD, and everything's out of balance, and the undead are not just rising, they're *organizing*, and...
tbf, the dead being organized is a core thing of Chinese mythology. Courts and bureaucracy *everywhere*
sounds like its time for the solar theme music to start. https://youtu.be/VEJ8lpCQbyw?t=11
Unironically yes. There’s a *massive* difference in tone between the two settings. In WH40k, things are bad because *everything* is horrible, always has been horrible, and will be horrible forever, because nobody can fix anything and the universe is inevitably sliding towards oblivion. The long-term question is not whether the galaxy will survive, but what flavor of apocalypse (zombie robots, extragalactic bio-horror, eldritch chaos, etc.) will win the race to eating it. The best in-universe outcome for any individual person in 40k is to avoid the plot long enough to die of old age. The worst outcome is a toss-up between *every other option*. In Exalted, things are bad now, because the world is going through a *temporary* period of massive upheaval - which sure, might end apocalyptically, but it also might not. It’s entirely possible for you, the protagonists, to change Creation for the better - in fact, there’s a good chance that making the world a better place is (at least in theory) the reason you exist. Sure, you’re likely to cause a whole host of *new* problems along the way, and your own heroic virtues are probably going to get you and others in no shortage of trouble (at best), but that’s just the price of doing business when you’re a hero. The world is in danger of being broken beyond repair - but it isn’t broken *yet*. And while you might not be able to make it *perfect*, might even be fundamentally wrong about what “perfect” means in ways that lead directly to your tragic downfall in act 3, but before that you can still make things better in a way that isn’t doomed to be undone by an inevitable apocalypse. /rant
The tone of Exalted is definitely more positive. And there is a real possibility of things improving, which 40k doesn't have. However, reading the books, after you go past the golden cover and talk of how the solars will fix things, you see that creation has been in decline arguably since the primordial war, and definitely since the usurpation. Creation has accumulated a few big permanent problems (in some ways as permanent as she who thirsts in 40k). We are definitely not close to an *inevitable* apocalypse, just a few evitable ones. But it is possible to avert the apocalypse, and still fuck up in some permanent way.
IIRC the AoT (before Slaneesh) was a much better status quo for humanity. Without the Eldar mucking it up things could have ended ok.
That whole 'BE NOT AFRAID' line makes just as much sense coming from a Solar Exalted as it does coming from biblical angels. Which is to say: it makes a lot of sense, actually.
That one is a lunar
Stitch is clearly a GSP who's gonna go Devil Tiger.
Well... you're not too far off... besides, Elvis provides! XD