Charms/WillowsInfernalInvestigation
- Charm Count: 8
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Infernal Investigation
These Charms allow the Infernal to take on part of the responsibilities of Orabilis, the End of All Wisdom; he gains the power to reclassify and rearrange information, managing it like the demon librarians of Orabilis' infinite archives. They are also inspired by the minute observations of Dune's Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. The idea is that Infernals mes with investigators by mucking with the way people think of things, rather than by sneaking around, covering evidence, etc.
Olivine Surveillance Method
- Cost: 5 motes
- Duration: One Scene
- Type: Simple
- Min. Investigation: 1
- Min. Essence: 1
- Prerequisite Charms: None
The Infernal sees as the gumelae do, through eyes of jewel and crystal. This altered perception allows him to identify telling details that mortal eyes are unlikely to uncover; he adds his Essence in automatic successes to Investigation rolls. This Charm is more effective in the presence of wealth; the Infernal also adds the Resources value of a residence or business to his Investigation dice pools when he is on their premises.
Imperceptible Gesture Perception
- Cost: 6 motes
- Duration: One Scene
- Type: Reflexive
- Min. Investigation: 2
- Min. Essence: 1
- Prerequisite Charms: Olivine Surveillance Method
By watching the subtle tells of a person's mannerisms, the Infernal can read his true emotional state, and observe what he is paying particular attention to.
Scent of Brass and Honey
- Cost: 3 motes
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Simple
- Min. Investigation: 3
- Min. Essence: 2
- Prerequisite Charms: Imperceptible Gesture Perception
Making oblique references and scenting the target's reaction, the Infernal determines whether the target knows about a particular topic.
Inescapable Conclusion
- Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Simple
- Min. Investigation: 4
- Min. Essence: 2
- Prerequisite Charms: Scent of Brass and Honey
knowledge can color behavior in many subtle ways. This Charm allows the Infernal to reassemble these tiny cues into hard facts. After a brief, topical interaction, he determines what the target believes is the true answer to a particular question.
Attention to Silent Tone
- Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Simple
- Min. Investigation: 3
- Min. Essence: 1
- Prerequisite Charms: Olivine Surveillance Method
By carefully modulating his patterns of speech and intonation, the Infernal makes one target have a particular emotional reaction to an utterance. This ability can be used to issue commands that the target cannot help but obey; these must be simple, immediate actions. The target may resist obeying by winning a reflexive opposed test of his Willpower against the Infernal's Essence + Investigation; targets with greater Essence than the Infernal's may choose to automatically win this contest, but they are no less vulnerable to more subtle applications of this Charm.
Agataïc Logic
- Cost: 7 motes, 1 Willpower (1 experience point)
- Duration: Varies
- Type: Simple
- Min. Investigation: 4
- Min. Essence: 2
- Prerequisite Charms: Attention to Silent Tone
Twisting the Essence of a memory, the Infernal causes his target to miscategorize it under something equally commonplace; for instance, an Infernal could kill a woman's children in front of her and then cause her to file that vision under "tangerines", in which case she might fly into a murderous rage when next she goes to a fruit stand at the bazaar. This only ties the specific memory into the wrong category; the woman will not reminisce fondly about playing in the park with her late, beloved grapefruit, or her pomelo's first birthday.
This misassociation continues for the Infernal's Essence in weeks; he may make it permanent by spending an experience point when activating the Charm. Targets with greater Essence than the Infernal are unaffected by this Charm.
Burning Moth Sickness
- Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower (1 experience point)
- Duration: Varies
- Type: Simple
- Min. Investigation: 5
- Min. Essence: 2
- Prerequisite Charms: Agataïc Logic
There is a disease in Malfeas, where the afflicted cannot drink water because they find that the very sight of it recalls their worst moments of suffering. To drink such a vileness is unthinkable. This Charm, emulating the illness, muddles two topics in the target's mind, making it impossible for her to think of one without thinking of the other. This increases the difficulty of Mental actions relating to either topic by the Infernal's Essence, as well as making both topics topical whenever at least one is.
Alternatively, this makes the target completely unable to associate a fact with a particular topic; when thinking about her children, the hapless mother of the above example may simply be unable to process the fact that they are dead.
This misassociation continues for the Infernal's Essence in weeks; he may make it permanent by spending an experience point when activating the Charm. Targets with greater Essence than the Infernal are unaffected by this Charm.
Contradiction of Proven Truths
- Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower (1 experience point)
- Duration: Varies
- Type: Simple
- Min. Investigation: 5
- Min. Essence: 3
- Prerequisite Charms: Agataïc Logic
This Charm makes the conclusion derived from two facts unpalatable; the subject will behave as if the opposite conclusion is true, and firmly defend this alternate conclusion as well as her abilities allow. Only supernatural persuasion performed by a being with Essence higher than the Infernal's own, or a life-threatening situation which forces the subject to face facts, will allow her to acknowledge things as they are.
This misassociation continues for the Infernal's Essence in weeks; he may make it permanent by spending an experience point when activating the Charm. Targets with greater Essence than the Infernal are unaffected by this Charm.
Comments
Oooh. I like Irrelevance Charm 2. Flashes of Glory and Ben from Buffy :) DS
- Thanks! What? - w
