Charms/WillowsInfernalMedicine

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Infernal Medicine

These Charm deal with alterations of the body and soul. The motivation for the ordering: Infernals are twisted Solar sparks, so emulating Solar animas is easiest for them. Other Exalted animas are marginally more difficult, but not dramatically so; the iconic anima is an expression of the spark's inner workings, so it is extremely difficult to muck around with.

Charm Count: 9

Blinding Eye of Day

Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 lethal health level
Type: Simple
Duration: Indefinite
Min. Medicine: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereq. Charms: None

The Infernal stabs orichalcum needles into his eyes, in a lengthy surgical ritual. For the duration of the Charm, they remain there and refract the Infernal's anima banner so looks like that of a Solar's (it does not reproduce the anima effect, and he may only simulate the banner of the corresponding Caste), and his eyes flash a characteristic golden like a cat's. The Health Level cost of this Charm cannot be regained while a Charm is in effect. Furthermore, the Infernal suffers a -2 to Perception dice pools. Once the Charm's mote cost is decommitted, the HL can be regained, and the Infernal convulses in a fit of coughing, until he disgorges the needles. Neither this nor any of the following Charms can change the iconic anima unless they explicitly say so.

Five Elemental Talons

Cost: 5 motes, 1 Health Level
Type: Simple
Duration: Indefinite
Min. Medicine: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prereq. Charms: Blinding Eye of Day

In a day-long ceremony, the Infernal tears off his fingernails and replaces them with long false nails of jade, which shine translucently in their elemental colour. For the duration of this Charm, his anima display looks like that of a Dragon-Blooded (particular Infernal Castes correspond with particular elemental Aspects), and the false nails take root and look as though they are his own. The Health Level cost of this Charm cannot be regained while a Charm is in effect. Furthermore, the Infernal suffers a -2 to Dexterity dice pools for fine manipulations (Melee combat, calligraphy, and the like). Once the Charm's mote cost is decommitted, the HL can be regained, and the fingernails drop off, leaving raw, bare patches of skin. Neither this nor any of the following Charms can change the iconic anima unless they explicitly say so.

Immaculate Fang Procedure

Cost: 7 motes, 1 Health Level
Type: Simple
Duration: Permanent
Min. Medicine: 5
Min. Essence: 2
Prereq. Charms: Five Elemental Talons

The Infernal removes at least four of his teeth and replaces them with false teeth of jade, which gleam wickedly in their elemental colours. Even white jade looks distinctly diferent from natural teeth. This alteration is permanent; its cost cannot be regained. After he has done so, his anima produces anima flux effects, and has all the benefits of Five Elemental Talons as well. He does not suffer the penalty to Dexterity pools. This procedure affects the Infernal's Essence flows very deeply; he gains only half the motes from Celestially-aspected Hearthstones and Manses.

Resplendent Dragon Mask

Cost: 5 motes, (1 Health Level)
Type: Simple
Duration: Indefinite
Min. Medicine: 4
Min. Essence: 3
Prereq. Charms: Five Elemental Talons

The Infernal impregnates his skin with powdered jade. This procedure requires several days to complete, and unless it is done in conjunction with Immaculate Fang Procedure, it disrupts the Infernal's Essence, causing him to lose 1 Health Level while under the effects of the Charm. It stains the Infernal's skin an appropriate colour, and allows him to use Charms of this element as if attuned. When the Charm is ended, the jade dust billows out in a cloud, and blood wells up out of the Infernal's skin. This causes an additional HL of damage, but this and the previous can now be normally healed. This interferes with Celestial Essence just as Immaculate Fang Procedure does, but the penalties do not stack; an Infernal under the effects of both still gains half motes from Celestial sources.

Filigreed Tattoo Ritual

Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 Health Level
Type: Simple
Duration: Indefinite
Min. Medicine: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prereq Charms: Blinding Eye of Day

The Infernal carves ritual patterns into his forehead and fills them with molten moonsilver. While it is in effect, the Infernal's anima display resembles that of a casteless Lunar. This Charm is identical to Blinding Eye of Day except that it penalizes Appearance pools.

Silver Structure Perversion

Cost: 10 motes, 1 Health Level
Type: Simple
Duration: Permanent
Min. Medicine: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Prereq. Charms: Filigreed Tattoo Ritual

The Infernal, in a lengthy occult ritual, infuses his bones with moonsilver. This permits him limited access to Lunar shapeshifting magics; he does not gain access to Deadly Beastman Transformation or Heart's Blood shapechanging, but may learn Finding the Spirit's Shape and the following Charms, at double experience cost. This procedure is permanent and using a shapechanging Charm always costs 1 HL plus its mote cost.

Maiden's Veil Intertwinement

Cost: 5 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Permanent
Min. Medicine: 4
Min. Essence: 4
Prereq. Charms: Blinding Eye of Day, any one Sidereal prayer-strip Charm

The Infernal weaves starmetal threads into his blood, anchoring himself into the web of Fate. This permanently makes his anima banner display as a Sidereal's, but makes him lose access to the benefits of being outside of fate. Only Solar Circle Sorcery can reverse this transformation.

Identity Amputation Procedure

Cost: 1 Permanent Willpower
Type: Special
Duration: Permanent
Min. Medicine: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereq. Charms: At least three other Medicine Charms

The Infernal slices off his name with a starmetal scalpel, and loses 1 permanent Willpower. Only through the intervention of Adorjan, the Silent Wind, can his name be regained. While he is nameless, the Infernal has no iconic anima; the banner never extends beyond the bonfire stage of display.

Golden Soul Alias

Cost: (1 Permanent Essence)
Type: Simple
Duration: Permanent
Min. Medicine: 5
Min. Essence: 5
Prereq. Charms: Identity Amputation Procedure

This procedure requires another Infernal who also knows this Charm to assist. The beneficiary has a tiny figurine made of four Magical Materials (Infernals have not developed the technology to mimic Abyssal animas) implanted into the root of his spine, just at the base of his neck. The beneficiary loses 1 permanent Essence and his iconic anima is premanently transformed to match the figurine. Furthermore, if the Infernal dies, his souls are trapped inside the figurine, and they can be recovered and interrogated by any interested parties.

Note: Infernals have not yet developed Abyssal-impersonation Charms, but it's expected that when they do they will use them liberally, as Abyssals are known of, but poorly understood in Creation.

Comments

Very interesting stuff! Some of the flavor looks like it could use some clarification: what exactly happens to the needles used in Blinding Eye of Day? Apparently they remain in the Infernal's body, if they're to be disgorged later. Do the Five Elemental Talons and the Immaculate Fangs retain the color of jade or do they look like ordinary nails and teeth? Does the Golden Soul Alias allow one to imitate an Abyssal (your italicized note suggests not), and if not, why all five magical materials? If it can't imitate an Abyssal anima, it shouldn't require soulsteel. Lastly, do the benefits of Maiden's Veil Technique, Identity Amputation Procedure and Golden Soul Alias outweigh the restrictions, given their high cost and permanence? Just a few things to think about for a highly original and thought-provoking Charm tree. - Quendalon

Very nice error-catching. I clarified the flavor text of the Charms you mentioned and changed Golden Soul Alias to require only the four worldly Materials; how would you recost the last three Charms? I was wary of making them too effective, so I gave them hefty drawbacks. - FourWillowsWeeping

The lack of any mechanism for healing themselves is a major disadvantage for Infernals. - Quendalon

Ah, so true. I'll have to look at healing Charm mechanics. - willows

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