Difference between revisions of "TheKaishar/WitsArts"

Revision as of 19:03, 10 September 2003

Wits Arts

Hollowed Vessel Technique
Cost:  None
Duration:  Permanent
Type:  Special
Minimum Wits:  1
Minimum Essence:  1
Prerequisite Arts:  None

In the deepest pits of his stomach, the Kaishar is an insatiable being. Decadent Kaishar are prone to gluttony and fits of vast feeding, for which they have no receptacle. However, this Art is an often practiced technique that refines the Kaishar’s internal alchemy, altering it so that he may indulge to greater effect. Every time this Art is purchased, the Kaishar adds 5 to his blood feast maximum, though it must be filled normally. This Art only counts once towards the maximum amount of Wits Arts the Kaishar may learn, no matter how many times he may purchase it. It also only counts once towards the total Wits Arts the Kaishar knows, for the purposes of limiting other Arts of the same Attribute. A Kaishar may not have more instances of any single Art than he has permanent Essence.

Knife’s Edge Derision
Cost:  None
Duration:  Permanent
Type:  Special
Minimum Wits:  1
Minimum Essence:  1
Prerequisite Arts:  None

This basic Art instructs the detachment of the soul from the body, so that while pain may still wrack the body, the soul may drive on impervious to the signals coming from the Kaishar’s dead nerves. The Kaishar’s wound penalties are lessened by one, to a minimum of –0, for each purchase of this Art. A Kaishar is never immune to pain. The predator feels anything that exceeds this threshold. This Art only counts once towards the maximum amount of Wits Arts the Kaishar may learn, no matter how many times he may purchase it. It also only counts once towards the total Wits Arts the Kaishar knows, for the purposes of limiting other Arts of the same Attribute. A Kaishar may not have more instances of any single Art than he has permanent Essence.

Repentant Baying Shadow
Cost:  4 blood feast per die
Duration:  Instant
Type:  Simple
Minimum Wits:  2
Minimum Essence:  1
Prerequisite Arts:  None

This Art is a Kaishar’s last hope against losing control, in many circumstances. It allows the Kaishar to enter into a megalithic internal struggle with his own Seed of Oblivion, and wrench from it its power with the sanguine magic purchased by the blood of innumerable victims. For every four points of blood feast spent activating this Art, the Kaishar rolls one die, and subtracts the successes from his Consumption total. Permanent Consumption may not be removed through any means known. No more dice may be rolled involving this Art than the Kaishar has total Wits Arts. If not dispelled using this Art, or through some other extraordinary means, Consumption remains indefinitely, bringing the Kaishar’s Seed closer and closer to the control it hungers so much for.

Shadow-Lengthening Curse
Cost:  6 blood feast
Duration:  One scene
Type:  Simple
Minimum Wits:  3
Minimum Essence:  2
Prerequisite Arts:  Repentant Baying Shadow

This Art is the only hope of a Kaishar wanting to keep control of himself in the thrall of the Seed, and unfortunately, it is not powerful. This Art may only be used while in the control of the Seed, and only if the Seed attempts to destroy the Kaishar or other things the Kaishar loves. For the expenditure of six points of blood Essence, the Kaishar regains control of himself. He also has full memory of the Seed’s deeds, for now. For one scene he is free to thwart his Seed however he deems proper – whether through fleeing or restraining himself, or anything else, is up to the Kaishar. This Art may also be activated when the Seed first bids for control of the Kaishar (i.e., when he gets ten points of Consumption built up), to delay the takeover for one scene. Doing this infuriates the Seed, however, often driving it to greater and subtler atrocities when it eventually does break free.

Unliving Sanguine Womb
Cost:  Varies
Duration:  Instant
Type:  Simple
Minimum Wits:  5
Minimum Essence:  3
Prerequisite Arts:  Knife’s Edge Derision, Shadow-Lengthening Curse,
                    Hollowed Vessel Technique, Special

This Blood Art is considered to be unspeakable amongst Kaishar – that is to say, while they have formalized certain tenets amongst themselves preventing the action of provided uses of this Art, it is never specifically mentioned. This is not because they fear or dread it, but rather because its existence is a jealously guarded secret amongst the Kaishar. The rules for this Art are long winded and mostly ignored in one way or another, except for one law in association with it that none dare break – never shall one cursed by the Gods be given power by this Art, for to do so is damning for both Kaishar and his would-be minion. Those who have tried to defy the Gods in the past have paid heavy tax on their ambition. So far only minor Gods have been offended, and so the supplicants remain low and unnoticed, but what if the day should come that the Unconquered Sun himself takes offense, and then takes action? This Art takes effect as the Kaishar is feeding, although its effects only occur after the subject has been slain. Often, Kaishar make this Art into a ritual to disguise the actual moment in which they use the Art – usually early on in the ritual, with a splendid, but false climax. This Art fashions the victim of a Kaishar into something else, lifting the body back into reanimation after the life has been sapped from it. This Art only works on beings of permanent Essence one, and never on more powerful beings. What the mortal becomes on death depends on how powerful the Kaishar creator is, specifically in regards to mastery over his own dead form in the shape of Suffusion Arts. Every time the Kaishar wishes to create something more powerful, he must repurchase this Art again to upgrade it. All three instances of this Art must be purchased in sequential order. This Art only counts once towards the maximum amount of Wits Arts the Kaishar may learn, no matter how many times he may purchase it. It also only counts once towards the total Wits Arts the Kaishar knows, for the purposes of limiting other Arts of the same Attribute. A Kaishar may not have more instances of any single Art than he has permanent Essence.

• Pawn (1 Suffusion Art known) – Pawns are still somehow alive, yet with the minor power of Kaishar. They are unfailingly loyal to their creator, but have no special abilities by default. However, they may learn one or two Suffusion Arts in their career. Pawns are extras with a blood feast pool of 5. Every night, they spend one point simply to stay alive. If unable to do this, they fall into ashes. Creating a pawn involves three points of blood feast on the behalf of the Kaishar.
• Zombie (3 Suffusion Arts known) – Zombies are simultaneously lesser and greater than pawns. Stupid and bestial, they are also easy and cheap to create. These are standard zombies. Creating a zombie costs two points of blood feast.
• Flawed Kaishar (5 Suffusion Arts known) – The seeming ultimate of the Art, a flawed Kaishar is in almost all ways identical to his Kaishar creator, yet with a slightly diminished intellect and a feral loyalty to its creator. Flawed Kaishar are created just like normal Kaishar, except they may never improve their Essence score – it lingers forever at two. Creating a flawed Kaishar is expensive, costing ten points of blood feast. This ritual usually involves the sacrifice of four or five mortal individuals – three to replenish the Kaishar, one to feed the ravenous spawn Kaishar, and one for creator to sup on with his new minion.

Spider Upon Dead Threads
Cost:  None
Duration:  Instant
Type:  Reflexive
Minimum Wits:  1
Minimum Essence:  1
Prerequisite Arts:  None

Though mostly segmented from the living, the Kaishar have a keen preternatural sense of foretelling that cannot be quenched, merely redirected. And so, the Kaishar may intuitively foretell the comings and goings of ghosts. Unfortunately, the method of this is simple, although humbling. In order to make a prediction, the Kaishar must resort to letting his Seed assume temporary control. One fact or premonition is then awarded to the Kaishar, along with a point of Consumption. This can even allow the Kaishar to reflexively anticipate surprises of the spectral variety.

Circumstance-Unfolding Forethought
Cost:  3 blood feast
Duration:  Instant
Type:  Reflexive
Minimum Wits:  3
Minimum Essence:  2
Prerequisite Arts:  Spider Upon Dead Threads

This powerful Art allows the Kaishar to exert his will, and use his corpse body as a conduit for his natural prophetic ability. In a vision delivered to him by swirling blood Essence, the Kaishar foretells the outcome of one person involved with him in the present, if no circumstances were to change. The Kaishar rolls Wits + Occult, each success indicating an additional day that the Kaishar’s vision will foretell. Any rolled successes past the Kaishar’s total Wits Arts are ignored, and have no effect on the foretelling. Note that this is not an opportunity to ask any questions of fate; it is just a passive experience that the Kaishar witnesses. It does not indicate how things must be changed to change the future, either – that much is up to the Kaishar, just like it is up to him to share the vision or not. Using this power, the Kaishar accepts one point of Consumption.

Got Balthasar?