CharmRelay/Epidemics

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Epidemics of the Soul

These are AbyssalCharms.

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Unquenchable Black Rhyme (Gamlain)

   Cost:  5 motes, 1 Wp
   Duration:  essence x days
   Type:  Simple
   Minimum Socialize:  3
   Minimum Essence:  1
   Prerequisite charms:  None

The most vulnerable point in a souls life is its childhood, and it is the childhood this charm begins it's attack with. The Abyssal speaks a short, evil ryme or short story to a child which takes on a life of it's own, spreading unwillingly through the children of a community -the children will tell the evil story over and over, often chanting it in eyrie unison. The Exalt spends 5 motes and 1 willpower, and makes a Charisma+Socialze roll. For each success, one child per day learns the Unquenchable Black Rhyme from his or her playmates, and will seek to spread it further, either by telling it to others or scratching grafiti on walls, or simply whispering it in the dark at home. The Black Rhyme causes fear in adults. The infected children notice nothing, thinking it a enjoyable but macabre game, but the adult population exposed to the Rhyme must make a temperance roll or be stricken with fear that the story or rhyme is a sign of a true and unconqorable evil that will shortly attack their home.

One Drop of Poisoned Rain (TedPro)

   Cost:  9 motes, 1 Willpower
   Duration:  Essence x days
   Type:  Simple
   Minimum Socialize:  3
   Minimum Essence:  2
   Prerequisite charms:  Unquenchable Black Rhyme

Speak unkind words to a target to infect them with a sense of verbal cruelty. The subject must make a simple Compassion test to resist the Poisoned Rain Epidemic. If the subject fails, she is infected with a strange hostility. Whenever she feels annoyed, contemptful or frustrated with someone, she must make a Temperance roll or lash out at the victim with vitriolic rage, saying the nastiest things imaginable. The words simply slip out unbidden. Anyone who is addressed in this way must also make a Compassion roll to resist catchng the Poisoned Rain Epidemic. However far the disease spreads, though, it will fade from all those affected a few days after you infected the first victim.

Contagion of the Deathknight's Seal (Quendalon)

Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Min. Medicine: 4
Min Essence: 3
Prereqs: TBD

By marking a target with blood, sweat, phlegm or tears, the Abyssal imposes a dread sickness that seeps into the soul. This requires a successful attack roll against an unwilling target. The target must then make an Essence + Resistance roll against a difficulty of the Abyssal's Essence. Failure means death after a number of agonized days equal to the afflicted's Stamina. Anyone who comes within three paces of the victim must roll Stamina + Resistance (difficulty 1) to avoid catching the disease; this difficulty rises to 3 for anyone who touches the victim or his bodily fluids, even for up to three days after death. Those who are indirectly infected in this way are not themselves contagious.

Everyone who dies from this contagion rises as a ghost. These ghosts bear the spiritual mark of the Abyssal who administered the contagion; that Abyssal adds a number of dice equal to her Essence to all Social rolls against such ghosts.

Hunger of the Empty Soul (haren)

Cost: 15 motes, 2 Willpower
Duration: Indefinate
Type: Simple
Min. Medicine: 5
Min Essence: 3
Prereqs: Contagion of the Deathknight's Seal

With an open-handed strike, the Abyssal inflicts a rot that destroys the higher soul of all who suffer from this terrible disease. To resist contracting this disease, the victim (or anyone who latter can catch it) must make a Conviction + Endurance roll (difficulty of Abyssal's Essence). For a number of hours equal to their Stamina, their condition quickly degrades. They eat ravenously, but waste away. If they recieve magical treatment during this time (including Exalts using charms on themselves), they may be saved.

If they do not, they become a terrible beast. They hunger for the flesh of those who are uninfected and only it can grant them sustinence . Their teeth lengthen, and their fingers twist into terrible claws... both capable of infecting those harmed by either. They do not feel pain. Also, they never completely kill their victims, who are mauled but recover quickly. If killed, they always become hungry ghosts of slightly greater power. As long as the essence is commited, the infected can continue to transmit this horror. But they can not recover one of the willpower used, as their own soul must focus to keep the disease going.

Unsurpassed Ennui Precipitation - willows

Comments

Don't ask me what it means. I have no idea. - Moxiane

Inspired by one of the notes in the Scavenger Sons book about an evil nursery rhyme fortelling plague in Nexus. Gamlain

Dude, this OWNS! One, two, Freddy's combing for you... -TedPro

Made a similar charm, kind of inspired by a clever parapgraph in the first (I think) chapter of Pratchet & Gaiman's Good Omens. -TedPro

Woot. - Han'ya