Sorcery/DariusSollumanSpells

The Terrestrial Circle

Seal the Guilty Heart
Cost: 10 motes, +2 motes / die

This spell saw some use during the First Age. Sometimes, even the Chosen could err- but their vast power would make them a danger to even their own Exalted kin. This sorcery was devolped in response to these criminals- it provided a means of controlling them, and censuring them, without resorting to destroying them and losing their knowledge, experience and power.

Invoking it requires a full minute, instead of just one turn. Further, it requires the target be relatively close to the caster.

Upon being cast, the sorcerer purchases dice, up to their Intelligence + Occult. Each success reduces a target's Essence pool by 4 motes. These motes are considered committed, and may not be regained until the spell is broken.

When the caster completes the spell, they may either committ the motes to the Seal, which makes it impervious to anything less than Saphire Countermagic, and are much harder for the prisoner to escape from. Alternatively, they may lock the Seal without committing their own energy in an ongoing fashion. Locked Seals are vulnverable to Emerald Countermagic, and can be escaped, given time and determination.

Once the Seal is in place, the target can attempt to escape. Once a day, they may roll their Permanent Essence, with the difficulty equal to the caster's Occult, or 1 (if the Seal is maintained or locked, respectively). Every success they get above the difficulty returns 1 mote to their pool. Further, if the spell is being maintained, the sorcerer who cast it will be instantly aware of any escape attempts, as well as how successful they are.

The Terrestrial Exalted were said to have devolped a Synergistic version of this spell, one in which one sorcerer could maintain just their part of the shield and hold the whole together, freeing their kin and preventing any easy escape. Knowledge of this version of the spell was lost during the Usuperation, however- perhaps intentionally, the Sidereal not wanting to leave such a potentially potent weapon in Dragonblooded hands.

Beckon the Serving Man
Cost: 10 motes

By whispering a mortal's name on the wind, the sorcerer calls them to him with a powerful compulsion. As the name indincates, the spell will only work upon the unExalted (including Godblooded of any sort, but not ghosts, gods, animals, Dragon Kings, or other non-mortals). When the spell is cast, a resisted roll is made; the Sorcerer rolls their Manipulation + Occult, with their Essence as automatic successes, while the subject makes a Willpower roll. Distance is no barrier, and someone effected by the spell knows where they need to go.

At 1 success, the compulsion is powerful, but does not compel instant action; the subject may delay long enough to allow for poor weather to pass, or to arrange their local affairs. At 3 successes, the compulsion becomes more rash- although they will not take obviously suicidal risks on the journey, they will behave without forethought to reach their conclusion. At 5 or more successes, nothing will make the subject hesistate or flinch for even a moment.

For an additional 10 motes, the sorcerer may summon someone by title, rather than name.

A Shadowlands Necromancy variant exists, which will summon Ghosts.

Sacred Barrier
Cost: Variable motes

By etching certain arcane sigils at geomantically significant points, a sorcerer may build a powerful ward. Wards are bans; they prevent a specified entity or collection of entities from crossing them. Many a wiser savant have a Sacred Barrier against Demons, which they summon them in to; even if the summoning goes awry, the demon will be unable to bring harm to the summoner.

Creating a Sacred Barrier requires a full day of work, although little in the way of Resources. They cost an increasing amount, depending on the size of the area being warded; a manor house would be 3 motes, while a small city would be 10. A small city is the practical upper limit, although it may be possible to cover a larger area through either sorcerous conveyance or aides.

When the Barrier is created, the sorcerer must chose a subject. It can be as broad as an entire class of entities (Fae, Gods, Demons, Elementals, Exalted, Mortals, divinatory magic, baneful magic) or anything deemed more specific. As an alternative, only certainly classes of creatures may be permitted through the Barrier (Dragonblooded, faithful Immaculates, Solars), and all others will be repeled.

The caster gains their Intelligence + 2x Occult + 3x Essence as points for building the Barrier; these points are divided as successes between the Barrier's Strength and Duration. (See Exalted: Player's Guide, pg 131 - 132).

Warding Talismans can be made with Sacred Barrier; they impose a dice penelty equal to half their Strength, to a maximum of -5. Invoking such a talisman still requires a Willpower roll, with the same consequences for failure and botching, but always at a difficulty of 1.

The Celestial Circle

Dreams of Peace and War
Cost: 15 motes per Permanent Essence
The proper time to strike an enemy is when one knows they are assured of success. However, learning too much may be disasterous- as can acting too blatantly. Invoking Dreams of Peace and War projects two people into a dreamscape of the caster's devising. This dreamscape may be of any sort, and those summoned may have any equipment the caster wants, or 'as attired for battle'- but this does not include any comrades, allies, familiars or summonded and bound entites. The initally environment is entirely under the caster's control.
The two people in the dreamscape are compelled to fight; the dream ends when one dies. Both people will wake, remembering the dream. Should the two fight again under identical circumstances, the battle is replayed exactly- no rolls are made, unless some outside force interferes.
If the caster is one of the target's of the spell, they pay only 15 motes for themselves.

Summon the Lesser Dragons
Cost: 20+ motes
As per Summon Elemental, save that it instead may call one of the lesser Elemental Dragons. The sorcerer and dragon engage in a contest of Willpower+Essence, as per Summon Elemental. However, the cost to reduce the Dragon's dicepool is 10 motes per point, not 5. The roll to banish the Dragon back to whence it came in the event of a failed binding is still just 1.

Call the Small God
Cost: 30+ motes
Summons a minor god from the Heavenly City of Yu-Shan, binding it into sorcerous service much as they would a demon from Malfeas. No god who currently has an active duty within the Heavenly Bureaucracy may be summoned without the pre-given consent of its superior, and the terms of the binding are identical to those of summoning Elementals. Otherwise, they are precisely the same. The difficulty of banishing a god if the binding fails is 3.

Seal of Absol
Cost: 40 motes
The Seal of Absol, devolped by one of the eldest Sidereal in the First Age, was intended to act as a censure measure against those who had violated the Perfected Harmony in some gross fashion. In many ways, it was seen as a fate worse than death- for death was the one thing certain to never befall the bearer of the Seal.
The Caster may inflict the target with up to 20 points of Flaws (from the Player's Guide). Of particular favor were Sun-Seared, Dying, Disfigured, Slow Healing, Derangement, Nightmares, Beacon of Power, and Unlucky. Aditionally, there is a sense about the person- anyone within 10 feet can instantly sense the crime of which they were accused, and knows that if they kill this wretch, the curse will pass on to them.

The Solar Circle

Bring Forth the Immaculate Dragons
Cost: 30+ motes
As per Summon Elemental, save that it instead may call one of the Five Elemental Dragons. The sorcerer and dragon engage in a contest of Willpower+Essence, as per Summon Elemental. However, the cost to reduce the Dragon's dicepool is 10 motes per point, not 5. The roll to banish the Dragon back to whence it came in the event of a failed binding is now 3.

Beckon the Greatest God
Cost: 40+ motes
Summons any god from the Heavenly City of Yu-Shan, binding them to their will. In theory, any god- even one of the Celestial Incarna -may be summoned by this spell; but in truth, the Incarna need only respond if they decide to do so. If they choose to manifest, however, they may be bound into service as any other God. The terms of the binding are identical to those of summoning Elementals, and the difficulty to banish in the event of a failure to bind them is 5.

Brand of Ruin
Cost: 50 motes
Using the Brand of Ruin was never lightly done, but some crimes called for such a punishment. Someone targeted with the Brand of Ruin has their ability to channel Essence reduced by whatever factor the caster considers appropriate- They can reduce the target's permanent Essence by anything from 1 less to just 1 remaining. Someone targeted with the Brand of Ruin became unable to channel Essence at all. Their Permanent Essence is considered 1. For all intents and purposes, they have been reduced to mortal status. If they had any Attributes or Abilities in excess of 6, they are immeditely reduced to 5. Further, they have only a mortal allotment of years, and begin aging at a mortal rate again. Age does not catch up with them- their Exalted age is simply scaled into whatever is appropriate for a mortal frame. Additionally, anyone who can percieve the flows of Essence will see a firey mark on the target's forehead, where their castemark once was, proclaimin what their crime was.
The Brand of Ruin is vulnerable to Adamant Countermagic, as per normal. Additionally, it is said that the Yozis could break the Brand- but these are naturally just rumors, as it was never done.

Labrynith Circle

Investiture of Undying Glory
Cost: Special

The Investiture imbues an existing item with the true portion of the caster's spirit and Essence. When seperated from the item, they become a simple Ghost, no more potent than any other. While it exists, they are incapable of dying. Most therefore take care to use it on something virtually indestructible- an artifact, say, or a Ring of orihalcum (in one famous case). If 'killed', the owner will flee away and reform as a Ghost- but cannot be permanently banished to Oblivion or enter Lethe.
If someone else gains possession of the Investiture, it will add the owner's original Essence to their own, no more than doubling their own or increasing it past the original owner's. However, the Investiture wants to return to the person who created it- each day the Investiture is borne the bearer must make a Willpower test, and each time they draw on the Investiture's power, a Temperance check. If they fail a total of three times, they are completely under the sway of the Investiture, which will attempt to bring them to it's owner with all haste.

Comments

Oh good dear sweet Jesus. I mean... that is... I uh... ouch. - SMK

Mm. Comparing stats between Fakharu and a few Second Circles, they seem to be roughly on par- especially in that crucial Willpower + Essence department. And Luna doesn't have to answer some punk Solar's summons... unless she'd rather make an example of them, and finds herself caught in a bit of a sticky web of will and power she had underestimated :)

More seriously, it helps broaden a sorcerer's summoning repitore; it keeps sorcerer's from being solely reliant on demons as they scale the eschelons of power- just use them for long or dangerous tasks :) DS

Oh this is so wonderful. This is one of those great things where someone actualizes it and everyone else is like, oh, yeah, damn, that was totally necessary. Like the spoon, or pointy things. Sheer genius. Really what all that gibbering meant was "hot damn, someone wrote 'em up so I don't have to!" - SMK

I am not very comfortable with the idea of big gods being summonable.
_Ikselam

I think it's a great conduit for one of the most prevalent themes I've seen in Exalted so far - underlings overthrowing their superiors. I don't see why Exalts shouldn't be able to do anything about the gods if they could kill the primordials. - SMK

Ditto ditto- until I asked myself which I would be more afraid of my player's summoning- Lytek or Orablis. :) And the Incarna specifically have a 'get out of jail free' card, should the ST feel the need. Also, consider the Sidereal Presence Charms that allow them to summon and bind Gods via massive battles. DS

Is Investiture of Glory deliberately similar to Investiture of Infernal Glory? If so, then why the need to reenumerate the properties of the spell? If not, then I suggest you examine your PG again. - willows

It doesn't bear any real resemblance to IoIG, other than the similarity of the name. I think that, in order for it to function in the desired manner, it needs more restrictions and some very different formulae. Right now, I can invest a bunch of one- and two-dot Abilities into an item that boosts my highest Abilities and then buy them back for cheap, or dump ten Charms into the item (and by the time I have Celestial Circle Sorcery, I can probably spare ten Charms) and get 2500 freebie points. There's a lot I can do with 2500 freebie points... - Quendalon

First, no, Investiture of Glory has no link to the Investiture of Infernal Glory. I'd honestly forgotten about the specific 'turn you into an Infernal' spell's name

The thematic goal of IoG is to enable someone to play Sauron; you make this Thing which contains a very litteral part of yourself. This power may be used by any, no matter how small they are (although the Greater benefit more mightly from it). Now, the only reasons I can imagine doing this for are either Insurance (even if you strike me down, while the Ring exists, my will lives on!) or Boost.

The reason the bonus was squared was to provide a compeling reason to dump as much of yourself into one item as possible, thereby maximizing benefits.

Maybe Insurance would be a better way to go about it. Creating the Item subsumes your Exalted Shard and copies your Virtues over to it. If you are seperated from the Item for any reason, you 'die', resuming existance as Deathlord-like Ghost, with the knowledge of how to use your power, but not the power itself to use. As long as the Item exists, you'll always reform in a short period of time- but until you get the Item back, with only the echo of your power. Of course, anyone that has the Item could draw on some portion of it... bleh.

Tired. I'll try and think of something more later. :) DS

It seems clear that the squaring thing is absolutely crazy. You need a much less crazy formula for that. Putting that aside - It also seems very odd to me that a generic spell should exist for this thing. There was only ever one One Ring, thus its name. You're stripping it of serious coolness by making it into a spell any Tom, Dick, or Raksi could get her hands on. As a specific cosmological explanation for the Deathlords, I'm much more fond of it - I'm sure you, as I, have noted that they are all described with one especial Artifact, an attribute unique to them. With that in mind, I think this does better as Labyrinth Necromancy, with its themes of self-destruction and sacrifice. - willows

Re: Turns something of cosmological coolness into something anyone can do.

This, as opposed to turning rivers to blood, parting the sea, calling down a pilliar of guiding flame, call manna from Heaven, or do any of Moses' other Top Ten tricks :)

However, you're right- it does work better as Labyrinth Circle than Celestial. Tis moved :) DS