Heru/ChakraSlaveSeed
Chakra Slave Seed
Heru HeruHeru/Artifacts Artifacts
Chakra Slave Seed
NHeru/ChakraSlaveSeed/A Artifact
This remnant of the First Age, this product of Solar genetic artifice takes the powers of the Slave Collar and the natural abilities of the Chakra Orchid and brings them to new heights. Designed and produced by the Solar Twilight Ardemi to control the population under his domain, only a single Chakra Chamber was ever created by the Twilight. The existence of the device is one of the reasons for the later development of the Usurpation, though the artifact itself was not found and still remains hidden in the sanctum that the Twilight built.
The Chakra Seed is a complex living artifact that contains four parts that make up a whole. The first part is the Chakra Chamber, an artificial generative chamber that can produce the various types of Seeds. The general appearance of the Chakra Chamber is that of a cauldron that is encircled with rules and patterns of the Five Magical Materials in the motif of plants, especially seeds. This device must be equipped with a single Level 5 hearthstone that does nothing but provide power and requires a commitment of 5 motes to produce any seeds. This cost is committed during the entire production period.
The engravings on the Chakra Chamber are designed to provide the viewer with a means of learning what the device does. The viewer, if he can read the First Age language, may make an Intelligence + Lore check at normal difficulty to interpret the designs to learn the story. If the roll succeeds he may operate the Chakra Chamber as if he learned the system from a tutor.
Only those that can utilize Essence - Mortals with awakened Essence and the Exalted - may utilize the Chakra Chamber to gain mastery over the Seeds. One needs to have a body that is enhanced through more levels of Essence than the common person before one can use the power.
The second part is the Controller Seed, the main master control seed that has dominion over all associated subordinate Slave Seeds. Only a single Controller Seed can exist at a time and lasts until the death of its possessor. Once that occurs a new Controller Seed may be produced through the expenditure of 10 non-committed motes of Essence, 1 Willpower, and 1 health level. Over the next few hours after activation the golden colored Controller Seed with be produced. This Controller Seed must then be absorbed by the would-be master before its powers may take effect. The bearer of a Controller Seed has a number of effects that he can use on those containing Slave Seeds:
- At the major cost of 10 motes, the Controller can take Total Control over the bearer of a slave seed for a scene. The Controller directs the body of the slave as if it was his own body, which the slave looses direct control of for the duration. The Controller may, if he wishes, use any Charm or other magical effect that he knows during this time through the body of the victim (effects center around the slave’s body). The slave is pushed into the back of his mind, through which he can see what is happening but cannot influence anything. The Controller may, if he chooses, converse with the slave in this state.
- For 5 motes the Controller can implant new beliefs into the bearer of the Slave Seed. This acts like an Illusions effect.
- A special effect of the 5 mote ability is what is termed a ‘Sleeper Slave,’ this is a bearer that has been ordered to act and think normally. This is done to such an extent that the slave does not even realize that he has been controlled.
- Through the expenditure of 3 motes the Controller may use the senses of the slave. This works for a single scene and, for the duration, the Controller no longer uses his own sense.
- For 2 motes, the Controller may telepathically commune with the bearer of a Slave Seed. This communication only works if both are in the same metaphysical location - both in Creation (the Wyld counts as Creation for this purpose), both in a Sanctum, both in the Underworld, etc.
- For 1 mote, the Controller can cause a brief pulse of intense pleasure or pain to a bearer of a Slave Seed. This is done, for the most part, as a means of reward or punishment.
When the bearer of a Controller Seed dies then all those containing a Slave Seed must make a reflexive (Wits + Integrity) roll, with a difficulty equal to the (deceased Controller’s Essence + [1 for Exalted] or [2 for Spirits] or [3 for Mortals]). Failure on this roll means that the slave goes into Sleeper Mode, with all the normal rules for Sleeper Mode. Success on the roll instantly frees the slave from the bondage, destroying the Slave Seed in the process. The next person to become implanted with the Controller Seed must spend 20 motes of Essence, 1 Willpower point and 1 health level to try and activate all formerly held slaves. Like at the moment of the former Controller’s death the slave gets to make a (Wits + Integrity) roll, with a difficulty equal to the (new Controller’s Essence + [1 for Exalted] or [2 for Spirits] or [3 for Mortals]). Success means the slave is freed, and the Slave Seed is destroyed, while failure means the slave is now attuned to the new Controller as if he was the one that implanted him.
The last component of the Chakra Slave Seed is the Slave Seeds, an innumerable number that constantly receives commands from the user of the Controller Seed. The Slave Seeds come into three varieties: Mortal Seeds (green in color), Exalted Seeds (five colors representing the Five Magical Materials) and the rare Spirit Seeds (purple in color). Mortal Slave Seeds may only be used on mortal creatures, which including animals, humans, Godbloods, Beastmen, and those with awakened Essence. Exalted Slave Seeds can be used on the Exalted of any type and of any Essence level. The third type of Slave Seed, the Spirit Slave Seed, works only on beings of spirit – gods, ghosts, demons, Fair Folk and the like.
A Slave Seed is produced by the Chakra Chamber at a rate and a cost that varies between the three types of Slave Seeds. It takes a day for a Mortal Slave Seed to be produced, a month for an Exalted Slave Seed to be created, and a year for that of the Spirit Slave Seed. An Essence cost of 5 motes for a Mortal Slave Seed, 10 motes for an Exalted Slave Seed and 20 motes for a Spirit Slave Seed must be paid per seed, neither cost is committed. Finally, to create an Exalted Slave Seed or a Spirit Slave Seed a point of Willpower must be spent.
A Controller does not need to be physically present in order to begin the process of Slave Seed production. If he is physically present then no added cost is incurred, but if he is away then he must send a point of Willpower. This is done to safely channel the requisite Essence (as well as the Willpower if necessary) through the Controller Seed to the Chakra Chamber, wherever it may be located. The Slave Seed produced at this time maybe handled by either the Controller or any other bearer of a Slave Seed. Through this process a slave can aid the Controller in expanding the network. (If an unbound individual of a type equal to the particular Slave Seed handles it then the Slave Seed will try to get absorbed by the person.)
Once created a Slave Seed must be absorbed into a victim's body before it can begin to function. This absorption almost immediately occurs when the Slave Seed is placed in any external orifice in the target body. While the non-Exalted do not have the ability to resist the control made by the Slave Seed, the Exalted and Spirits are under no such restriction. In fact, upon implantation the Controller immediately makes a magical social attack. His player rolls (Manipulation + Presence), adding a number of automatic successes equal to his Essence, against the target’s Dodge MDV. Because many such supernatural beings possesses various ways to resist such effects, through the use of Charms for example, it is best to implant the seed when the target is asleep or unconscious, making the target’s Mental DV unusable.
Once implanted (in a mortal) or if the attack succeeds (for the Exalted or Spirit), the victim is under an unnatural mental influence that creates a Compulsion effect (a powerful Intimacy to the Controller), Emotional effect (love) and a Servitude effect. The control that a bearer of a Controller Seed possesses over the victim is unequalled in anything but the most powerful of magics. It is a control that is ultimate and absolute, with no restrictions or limitations.
When a bearer of a Slave Seed dies, there is a great chance that he retains his bondage to the Controller even in death. The creation of a ghost is up to the vagaries of chance and cannot be forced upon the former mortal by the Controller. A newly dead slave must make a roll of (Wits + Integrity) at a difficulty equal to the Controller’s (Essence). This roll cannot be modified through the use of Charms, Willpower or Virtue expenditures or the like; the new ghost wishes to remain in bondage. If the slave succeeds at the roll he achieves Lethe automatically. Upon failure the newly dead slave has its hun and po souls split into two parts, the hun becomes a regular ghost and the po becomes a hungry ghost. (If he is an animal and only has one soul then it is the one soul that is effected.) Both parts of its previously singular soul are automatically treated as if they have been successfully implanted (at no cost to the Controller) with a Spirit Slave Seed. The new ghost and hungry ghost are written up using all the normal rules for such beings of the Underworld. The moment of testing and bondage occurs before both parts of the soul formally reform in their new existence as a ghost. It should also be noted that if the Sanctum contains its own Underworld then the ghost forms there. If the Sanctum does not possess an Underworld then the ghost forms in the normal world as an immaterial spirit with no need to worry about being destroyed by the sun of the Sanctum. The sun of Creation destroys the ghost as normal.
A bearer of a Chakra Seed does not undergo any physical changes and remains entirely the same physically. One cannot tell the bearer of a Seed through appearance, even through the use of supernatural effects. In addition, if the Controller orders the Slave Seed bearer to “Act normal in all ways” then it is also impossible to detect any differences through behavior. The only way to detect the existence of the Slave Seed or the control it exerts is through the use of a Celestial level or above Essence pattern detector. This can detect the seed, though knowing about it and knowing what its nature is is entirely different. This detection ability is possible through the existence of a secondary Essence pattern that seems to be intertwined within the victim’s own and becomes visible to the heightened senses of those of proficient ability.
If at any point the bearer of a Slave Seed increases his Essence (this includes mortals) then the victim gets to make a reflexive (Wits + Integrity) roll, with a difficulty equal to the (Controller’s Essence + [1 for Exalted] or [2 for Spirits] or [3 for Mortals]). This roll may not be augmented by Charms, channeling virtues or spending Willpower, though. This attempt at resistance is not a conscious event, in fact the bearer doesn’t want to break the control and actively works against it. Even more, the bearer is not even aware that such an attempt is going on, but if it succeeds then the victim is freed from the control of the Slave Seed.
Once a Seed is implanted into a target their is no mundane method, including the use of Thaumaturgy, of removal, at least not without killing the patient. However, powerful Charms and sorcery can provide cures. A Charm effect of Essence levels 1 through 5 can only impede the Slave Seed, not end its effect. This null effect lasts for as long as the Charm/spell is in effect. An Essence 6+ perfect Charm can permanently end the control that the Slave Seed has over the bearer. If such an effect is successful then the Slave Seed shrivels up and is expelled harmlessly and effortlessly from the body. An effect of such a rare expelling causes a feedback that prohibits the former bearer from ever being made into a victim from that particular Controller ever again.
ST Note: It should be noted that a ST should be very careful before allowing a PC to utilize the power of this artifact to control another PC. Such effects might ruin the fun of the game if both players are not mature enough to handle the effects that such magic might have.
