In light of all of these discoveries a minor revelation in the pseudo-science of astrology went nearly unnoticed. A new constellation had appeared in the sky, a constellation that undeniably resembled... a Mask.
With the discovery of Motic Science, technology has swelled to heights only dreamt of in science fiction. Cybernetics have become a highly viable technology due to the ability to leverage a person's soul to power and control the device. AI have gone into wide use since essence seems to naturally pattern itself into a self aware state (the term god has been thrown around but it is hard to respect the appellation when you have one bound to control your Honda Civic).
The Return of Autochthon
The first of the Exalted to return to the world were the Alchemicals.
The sky opened and a clockwork god of unimaginable scope stared down at the world. For exactly 7500 minutes the clockwork god stared unblinking down at the world. On the second day they tried firing missiles at him, to no avail. At the start of the 5th day people started to get used to him, thinking maybe he was here to stay. But at the end of his stay the rift re-sealed and the cities started to erupt.
All across the globe the government and military buildings of most major cities were infected by a strange type of Animating Intelligence. These Intelligence's called themselves Champions and they insisted they were only here to serve. Their declaration of service was viewed with suspicion by most, the infected structures were destroyed in a few cases, but the Champions were able to sway local governments in most cases.
In time the secrets of Autochthon were passed on to several mortal scientists and work on constructing municipal charms and eventually smaller scale Champions could begin.
Current Events!
Alchemical Champions are government heroes. Holding significant Celebrity status. The Avatars of the city scale Alchemicals typically serve as mascots for the inhabitants of cities where they reside.
The Dragon Blooded
A few years after the return of Autochthon, The Dragons of Gaia stirred in their slumber. Elementals across the globe awakened and the faint dragon lines that had been found crisscrossing the planet began to throb with energy.
The spirits of trees and such awakening would have been front page news on it's own but the Exaltation of roughly one in ten thousand people world wide turned the elementals and the dragon lines into a foot note. Until now the only way for a person to harness Essence was through artifice (artifacts and the Alchemicals), through study (thaumatergy), or through discipline and training (martial arts) no other way of harnessing the power of your soul was known. But the Exalted, the Dragonblooded could harness the power of Essence on the fly and instinctively.
The initial Exaltations were fundamentally random. There was some theories that people who could trace their lineage back to royalty had been more likely to Exalt rather than those who couldn't but most people just dismissed that as unsupportable garbage.
The reception of the Dragonblooded was mixed to say the least. In some places they were able to seize power through their inherent talents, in more civilized countries they were mobbed and killed by fearful mortals, in even more civilized countries they were given an equal opportunity as everyone else... and dominated.
Current Events!
The Dragonblooded have equal rights by United Nation decree. But that doesn't really go very far. In developed nations Dragonblooded hold many positions of power. The Alchemical cities maintain the rule of law and so prevent the Exalted from abusing mortals with their inherent powers (in high profile ways at least).
Developing nations tend to put their Exalted to use rather than pander to them or stop them from seizing control. In countries that did not warrant the attention of one of Autochthon's Champions the Dragonblooded are seen as the heroes of the people.
Studies at leading universities have show strong evidence of Exaltation being genetically linked. Genetic markers to indicate Exaltation have yet to be identified but researchers are confident they will find them with more research (GMnote: they won't). This research hasn't really changed many habits of the world's dragonblooded. Inhumanly capable people were seeking each other out before they had a conclusive reason too. When you're a man who's hair literally catches fire when you are angry the only one who can really sympathize with your problems is the girl who makes her house plants grow out of control during particularly intense yoga sessions.
The Lunar Exalted
There have always been tales of beasts hiding at the edge of civilization, it was another one of those things that people sort of face-palmed over when motic science was discovered, but no one had seen a werewolf until one ripped the head from the shoulders of the Somalian Dragonblooded Pirate King. In the years since then the Lunars have been spotted across the globe. They generally are not a talkative bunch, appearing in a place, dealing with or causing a problem, then retreating back into anonymity.
The only apparent communication they have with the general populace is the Twitter profile @TheRealMahasuchi. Where someone who is apparently very well informed on the activities of the Lunars spouts off Eco-Terrorist rhetoric about the Lunars ripping down the corporate establishment and explaining how their apparently random acts are all related to that particular goal.
Current Events!
Most Mega-Corps have a standing bounty out on any and all Lunar Exalted. It is not really public knowledge, but them that run in the shadows can put two and two together think that maybe @TheRealMahasuchi might not be completely bat-ass crazy.
The Sidereal Exalted
Coders, Hackers, Sys-Admins, and even unusually talkative Gods all post to anonymous message boards about ghosts in the machine. Troublesome gods that just stop one day. Deep magic code that simply appears over the weekend. Incriminating photos that appear (or disappear) from nowhere. No one has a concrete explanation for the way this essence powered computing will occasionally just correct itself but one name does keep poping up, Sidereal.
The Sidereal Exalted are the global system administrators and trouble shooters off the Essence Net. The massively complex mandala of twisted and flowing essence that is the keeper of all human knowledge and the home of thousands of millions of spiritual entities that no one wants to call gods.
Current Events!
What were we just talking about? Moving on!
The Solar Exalted
In the last few years there has been a stir on the Net about a massively powerful AI that has declared itself the ruler of the gods and has started laying down policy. The AI's presence is reasonably supported by a few notable spikes in the Net's power usage and no one is really complaining about the speed increase and the general increase in the amicability of most of the lesser AI.
Right around the same time as this Mega AI seemed to appear a few hundred accounts globally of people Exalting in extreme circumstances started popping up in the news. The weird thing about them was that they glowed with a blinding golden light and had symbols on their foreheads rather than lighting on fire or setting off a tornado.
These golden Solar Exalts are very new and very powerful. Several have been hunted down under the same bounty contract as the one that hunts the Lunars and no one has complained about not getting paid.
Current Events!
You are about to find out!
Current Day
Oh crap, I forgot to say. Most of this is old news. Your characters all grew up in a world filled with Alchemical cities. You knew better than to follow strange creatures into the woods. You grew up hoping (probably) that you would take your second breath (as a Dragonblood).
I'm thinking that if the Mask reformed right now that the game would take place in the year 2100. That means that the 4th generation of Dragonbloods are probably exalted in the last 5 years. It is far enough off that a Dragon blood that exalted at 30 would be over 100 at this point with no signs of slowing down so rumors of their immortality are already starting.
Second generation of Alchemicals probably haven't gone City form yet and but most of the major world powers can field a colossus in a pinch.
Solars are still very new no more than 5 years.
GMgripe: It is sort of a pain, earth history is so fast compared to exalted. If George Washington were Dragonblooded he would still be alive. In short I had to make this time scale pretty long to keep up with some expectations of the setting.