While he's not actually working on it, Ethan Skemp has some insider information on the upcoming White Wolf game, The Exalted. (That's the "Before the World of Darkness" game advertised in the back of Werewolf Revised.)

Date:  Wed, 28 Mar 2001 11:20:45 -0500
From:  Ethan Skemp (alphaethan@WHITE-WOLF.COM)
To:  Discussion of White Wolf's World of Darkness (WEREWOLF-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM)
Subject:  Re: Exalted: The Crossover

      
    on 3/28/01 10:51 AM, André Ribeiro at base@BESTWAY.COM.BR wrote:

    > I posted this same thread in the Vampire's list, but I found
    > something exteemely more fit to Werewolf...
    >
    > Is it just me or this Exalted game is lika a Medieval-slash-Fantasy
    > Mega Wod Corssover? You see, there are Chantries, and Nodes and Fairies
    > and Spirits and Shap-shifting people... By the way:

    Mmmm. I wouldn't describe it like that at all. Geoff is really sick of
    medieval fantasy, so there's none of that in there (except swords and armor
    and stuff, which are hardly limited to medieval-style fantasy settings).

    > "Lunar Exalted: Champions of Luna. The Lunar Exalted were once the
    > spouses of the Solar Exalted and the generals of the armies of the First
    > Realm. The Lunars fled into the wilderness after the murder of the Solar
    > Exalted or were slain fighting to avenge the memories of their fallen
    > mates. Today, these shapeshifting warriors live as barbarians, dwelling
    > together in small packs or ruling savage nations of their bestial
    > offspring."
    >
    > ProtoWerewolves? Where would it fit the tribes history then...?

    It might not fit the tribes' history at all.

    You see, Exalted is its own game line. It isn't really a World of Darkness
    title at all. It borrows many elements from the existing WoD, yes; but I
    would caution the reader to expect contradictions greater than the
    creationist vs. consensual contradiction between Werewolf and Mage.

    I expect people who are expecting Exalted to jibe with the Mokolé book are
    going to be in for a rather nasty disappointment. Which is a shame, and it
    *really* makes me regret this advertising campaign, because I think people
    are starting to develop too many preconceptions, which will ruin their
    enjoyment of discovering all the brand new cool stuff inside.

    > Before the Impergium, maybe?

    Before the World of Darkness is more appropriate. Now ask yourselves when
    the World of Darkness *begins*...

    --
    Ethan Skemp
    WWGS

Date:  Wed, 28 Mar 2001 12:51:25 -0500
From:  Ethan Skemp (alphaethan@WHITE-WOLF.COM)
To:  Discussion of White Wolf's World of Darkness (WEREWOLF-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM)
Subject:  Re: Exalted: The Crossover

      
    on 3/28/01 11:42 AM, Chris Hayes at ChrisH@GIBBSCAM.COM wrote:

    > Okay, I'm confused.  What it sounds like you're saying is that this new
    > Exalted line is not part of the WoD, but a new game in and of
    > itself...similar to Trinity in that aspect?

    Only partly similar. The Aeonverse is completely separate from the WoD;
    Exalted, on the other hand, is tied into the WoD. However, it is *not* the
    World of Darkness proper. The concept is kind of like a different world in
    the same Tellurian (complete with Umbra and Triat and what-have-you) -- now,
    that's *not* the concept, mind you, but it's an example of how Exalted and
    the World of Darkness can be strongly tied together in concept and still not
    be the exact same entity.

    > If that's the case, I'd have to
    > agree with Ethan...it seems to be marketed as a new line in the WoD and that
    > it fits in as such.

    Regrettably, people aren't taking the "Before there was a World of Darkness,
    there was something else" tag line all that seriously. The default
    presumption (at least what I gather from forums and the like) is that
    "Before there was a World of Darkness, there was the World of Darkness with
    a different coat of paint," and that doesn't do the concept of Exalted
    justice.

    It's a *neat* game. There's a lot of strong concepts behind it, and I think
    that those who want to tie it even more closely to the World of Darkness
    will be able to do so. Certainly those people who have striven to unite
    Werewolf and Mage cosmologies will be well-prepared for that sort of thing.

    But like I said, I think this game will be a lot more fun if you don't go
    into it with the mindset of "Hey, now we'll find out the truth about where
    werewolves came from" or "Hey, where's Caine?". It really deserves to
    be
    judged on its own merits, and not by the yardstick of "does it unify/explain
    the World of Darkness?" -- which is not the game it's trying to be. It's a
    game, and a neat one at that -- not a supplement.

    > Who's heading this project up?  Are you involved at
    > all, Ethan?  Where can we find out more about this?

    Geoff Grabowski is the project head. I'm not really involved at this point,
    although Geoff and I have talked about getting me to do some freelance for
    the game some time in the future. I'm a big ol' fantasy buff (although a
    snobbish one), so it's tempting. And our website is the biggest source of
    info so far, although someone's posted another teaser in the Coming
    Attractions forum of Ex Libris Nocturnis.

    (And for those who have read said teaser -- not all hyena-things are Ajaba,
    nor are all shark-things Rokea. Don't judge by appearances.)

    Ethan Skemp
    WWGS

Date:  Wed, 28 Mar 2001 14:20:27 -0500
From:  Ethan Skemp (alphaethan@WHITE-WOLF.COM)
To:  Discussion of White Wolf's World of Darkness (WEREWOLF-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM)
Subject:  Re: Exalted: The Crossover

      
    on 3/28/01 1:59 PM, André Ribeiro at base@BESTWAY.COM.BR wrote:

    > ... a whole new world...
    >
    > ...But one with seeds to be grown into the WoD as we know it.

    You know, that's a very appropriate way of putting it.

    --
    Ethan Skemp
    WWGS