BogModAlternateSidereals/Linguistics
Linguistics and the Pillar.
In Joke Understanding
Cost: 4m; Mins: Linguistics 2, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: College, Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Any Linguistics Excellency
The difference between two people saying the exact same thing is in how they are connected to the one listening. A close friend saying it means one thing while a complete stranger saying it means something completely else. The Joybringers luckily are friends to all. This charm enhances a written social attack and increases the amount her Linguistics rating will reduce another's MDV by. The increase is equal to her House of Serenity rating.
Cunning Editor Reading
Cost: 4m; Mins: Linguistics 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Any Linguistics Excellency
Viziers are masters of seeing the hidden purposes in letters and find themselves unswayed by tricks of prose. While this charm is active the Sidereal treats all unexpected social attacks as if they were not unexpected.
Disarming Laugh Method
Cost: 4m; Mins: Linguistics 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Cunning Editor Reading
Venus is known as the most beautiful of the Gods. What is less commonly known about her is how engaging a speaker she is and how impossible to upset she is. Things that would incite anyone else to a rage she laughs off and so it is that the Joybringers laugh off the quips and words of others. This charm functions lets the Sidereal parry any natural social attack completely and has one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability. While the charm itself is named for a laugh any form of verbal response to the attack is an acceptable form of defense.
Cunning Rejoinder Technique
Cost: 4m; Mins: Linguistics 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Disarming Laugh Method
What a Joybringer can not laugh off she always has the perfect comeback for. Against an unnatural mental influence she perfectly parries the attack assuming that it is not an unblockable social attack. This charm has one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability.
Descending Pillar Understanding
Cost: -(1wp); Mins: Linguistics 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Disarming Laugh Method or Cunning Rejoinder Technique
Communication is an integral part of the works of the Department of Serenity within the Bureau of Destiny. Promoting it in places and preventing it in others. Sometimes the Sidereal herself must be willing to ensure talks with her go nowhere. This charm enhances both its prerequisite charms letting the Sidereal use each of them against attacks that would normally be unblockable. Doing so makes the charm use Obvious though at the cost of an additional willpower they can also make the attackers charm use Obvious.
Four Corners Communication Technique
Cost: 2m; Mins: Linguistics 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Social
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Any Linguistics Excellency
The greatest barrier between people is different languages. Yet where the Joybringers desire harmonious fates such things fall by the wayside. So long as the Sidereal acts as a translator communication between groups is flawless and perfect. Any penalties that would normally be applied to social attacks or problems in communicating ideas is cancelled out. This doesn't ensure understanding for while she could arrange communication between a human and a snake the snake can only understand so much.
Trusted Phrasebook Technique
Cost: -; Mins: Linguistics 2, Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: None
Though perhaps their words do not compel awe as the Lawgivers can the Viziers are masters wordsmiths. A Sidereal with this charm can use their Linguistics score and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Excellency for rolls that would require Socialize or Presence normally.
Son-as-Brother Technique
Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Linguistics 5, Essence 3, House of Serenity 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: College, Combo-OK, Illusion, Social
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Any Linguistics Excellency
People in Creation are defined by their connections to others. You are someone's friend, someone's sibling, someone's child, someone's servant. These bindings are simple things to be shifted and twisted by the Chosen of the Maidens. After a scene of interacting with a social group the Sidereal can roll Charisma or Manipulation + Linguistics + House of Secrets. If her successes beat the MDVs of the targets she can redefine their relationships. Who are friends, who is the child of who, who is married to who, all these things can be reorganized. Throwing off this belief costs 3 willpower. Those who don't throw it off after a month the change becomes permanent. This chance in relationship works its way into everyone's mind so they see the people in their new relationship. Throwing off the effect on doesn't fix everyone's perception of that person so just because one person knows they are not really the local police chief everyone else will see them that way. This charm can not change magical aspects of a person's connections.
Roll of Connections
Cost: -; Mins: Linguistics 5, Essence 5, House of Serenity 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Shaping
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Son-as-Brother Technique
No longer are the bonds of essence and true connection beyond the Sidereals manipulation. She can change relationships that were normally beyond her. This is not a mental change in opinions but a transformative change. For some it can be temporary but in others it can be permanent. For example a Sidereal using this can change someone to free them from the bonds of lineage so that Dynasty charms no longer apply to them or even cripple their own Dynasty charms. A godblood can have its kind changed. The son of a god becomes the son of a Solar and has a power change appropriately.
Demons can be temporarily cut off from their Yozi preventing the Yozi from forcing themself into it. Any demon killed while cut off from its yozi suffers real death if its killed just as if it had been killed with Ghost Eating Technique. First circle demons are cut off forever unless they return to their yozi. Second circles are cut off for a week. Third circles merely a scene.
Exaltation is proof against this though. A Solar is always the chosen of the Unconquered Sun. They can however form bonds just like the Lunar Bond or change who is bonded. This effect is reversible and a Sidereal had best be careful doing so lest two very angry Exalted come after them.
