CharmRelay/ManipulatingWorshippers
Charm Relay
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Manipulating Worshippers
These are Arcanoi.
Nigrescent Mantle Arts
The dead treasure the living, for it is through them that their energy is restored and their ranks refilled. A ghost who masters the Nigrescent Mantle Arts becomes a dark king of his living descendants, binding the two worlds together with tight chains of prayer bolstered by dead magic. He is at once celebrant and tyrant, ruling with flower and whip!
These Arts are closely related to the Essence-Measuring Thief Arts.
Ashes and Passions Offering (FourWillowsWeeping)
Cost: 5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Compassion: 2 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
The first skill of a king is to ensure the happiness of his subjects. With the Ashes and Passions Offering, the ghost-king can make a sacrifice personally fulfilling for a worshipper. A ghost who knows this Arcanos instantly becomes aware when a burnt offering is supplicated to him. He may use this Charm at any point in the offering rite to turn the gift's energy back on the worshipper; instead of providing the ghost with energy, it refreshes the worshipper's strength of spirit, bolstering his ability to serve while filling him with confidence. This restores a number of temporary Virtue points to him equal to the offering's Resources value. At the ghost's option, two temporary Virtue points can be converted into a Willpower point instead. Most ghosts will perform this conversion for worshippers who have not expended any Virtue points.
Mark of One Above (haren)
Cost: 3+ motes Duration: One hour per 3 motes Type: Simple Minimum Compassion: 3 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: Ashes and Passions Offering
The second skill that any ruler must learn is to gift those who are chosen for his glory, and mark those who shall suffer his wrath. With the power of the Mark, a ghost causes stigmata to form on one of his worshipers, or those who dwell among them. This mark bleeds constantly and with a flow strong enough to soak through bandages within a minute, yet it does not cause harm to the one so marked. The marks can take on any form the ghost desires, usually being some mark associated with them. Often there is a mark that shows one chosen as their mouthpiece or special worshipper among the living, and that which defines the heretic. Heretics rarely live long, so marked while in the domain of the ghost's loyal worshippers... most often they become a sacrifice, feeding the ghost for his wisdom. The ghost may spend 3 motes for each Permanent Essence, she has.
Ecstatic Communion Touch (CrownedSun)
Cost: 5 motes, OR 10 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One turn per point of permanent Willpower Type: Simple Minimum Compassion: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Ashes and Passions Offering
Sometimes the living cry out to the dead for aid, seeking wisdom and lore from the ancients. It is with this charm that many such prayers are answered, allowing the ghost to speak through the tongue of one who seeks his wisdom. This charm can be used with a single incorporeal touch, allowing the ghost to use it at will if he should be within the living world (of his own will, or as the result of an Occult ritual that summoned him for his aid and wisdom), and costs 5 motes when employed in such a way. Alternatively, the Ghost may choose to use this charm upon a fetter, or a ghost to whom he's been bound via the Mark of the Relentless Hunter -- this allows the ghost to use the charm over vast distances, but requires 10 motes and a point of willpower to invoke.
Most of the subjects of this charm are quite willing, in which case no roll is required -- unwilling subjects require the ghost make a Perception + Compassion roll, with a difficulty equal to the subject's Essence. In either case, the subject falls into a deep ecstatic trance, his body filling with pleasurable sensations -- limbs often thrash about, and the subjects eyes often glaze over. The ghost falls into a light trance, unable to do anything except speak, though his words are echoed through the voice of the subject. The ghost may speak for a number of turns equal to his willpower rating, usually limited to about 10 words per turn. There are often translation problems associated with the use of this charm, due to the slight change in language over time -- this is most especially acute with truly ancient ghosts who speak only Old Realm.
Bittersweet Ascending Rapture (haren)
Cost: 8 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One minute per Virtue Type: Simple Minimum Compassion: 4 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Ecstatic Communion Touch
The essence of the dead flows in powerful, but easily predicted, manners. Their emotions are akin to the sensations of the flesh, capable of being sublimely wonderful or like unto a hell given birth within themselves. The wise among the dead can visit both these pleasures and tortures upon the living by filtering essence through their passion and into a person.
With a single incorporeal touch, the ghost can infuse the tainted essence into the target. The ghost must choose to channel the essence through Compassion (pleasure) or Conviction (pain). If the target is willing (for example, expecting a reward) there is no roll. If unwilling they roll the Virtue + Manipulation with a difficulty of the target's Essence. Either one causes the victim to suffer a penalty to their dice equal to the ghost's Essence to all . This is treated as a wound penalty. The pleasurable effect is addictive. Every day for 8 days, they make a Willpower roll at difficulty 3. On a success they break the habit, but on a failure they seek to do whatever is needed to recieve the same sensation from the ghost. Similarly, a victim of the pain must make such an identical roll anytime they are threatened with the pain within the next 8 days to not do what the ghost asks of them. Exalted lower the difficulty of the willpower roll to one, as their own Essence control grants them similar sensations
Blood Commands Litany - FourWillowsWeeping
- Cost: 15 motes, 1 Willpower
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Simple
- Min. Compassion: 5
- Min. Essence: 3
- Prereqs: Bittersweet Ascending Rapture, Mark of One Above
With this Arcanos, the wisdom of the dead is not only spoken by the living, but lived by them. It can only be used on a willing ghost and one of that ghost's descendants - who may not be so eager! The living target may, if he is unwilling, roll Perception + Compassion to resist this Arcanos, at a difficulty of the highest Essence of the ghost using this Arcanos and the ghost targeted by it.
If the living target fails this roll or is willing, then he falls into the hypnotic grip of the Arcanos, and begins to chant the names of his forebears, calling upon an unfathomable ancestral memory. This draws the soul of the target ghost into his body, and causes it and its memories to fuse with his own. The ghost is effectively destroyed in this process, but from this moment forward the mortal beneficiary becomes a Ghost-Blood, calculating his Inheritance using the Essence ratings of the two ghosts involved in this Charm's use; he may use the bonus points that Inheritance provides only to purchase Traits that his forebear possessed.
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