TheKaishar/ManipulationArts
Manipulation Arts
Seed of Command Cost: 1 blood feast Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Manipulation: 1 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Arts: None
The Kaishar exercises his basic ability to dole out directions to his lessers. With cold assurance, he gives a mortal a simple one-word command. The Kaishar rolls Manipulation + Socialize. If successful, the mortal will perform the command. If the mortal is aware of the command, he may prevent obeying with the expenditure of one point of Willpower. After one successful use, this Art forever marks the weak willed with a –1 penalty to resist the Kaishar’s influence. This bonus never increases, but may be permanently abolished with another point of Willpower, again provided the mortal is made aware of the magic. This Art has no effect on beings with a permanent Essence higher than one.
Subtle Shadow’s Whisper Cost: 1 blood feast Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Manipulation: 2 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Arts: None
Kaishar are unusually adept at deception and misdirection, but in those instances where they are not, they may still rely on the guiding evil of blood Essence and their own seed of Oblivion to deceive in their place. This Art is the definition of unobtrusive Kaishar magic – its use renders a certain insinuation or comment mystically subtle. No one will notice or remark on the insinuation, but it lingers on like a splinter hiding in their mind. The target of the comment may even look back to recollect who gave the insinuation, but they find they are entirely unable to recall when the Kaishar could have said it. This Art raises the difficulty to detect the Kaishar’s manipulation attempt, whether mundane or supernatural, by a number equal to his total Manipulation Arts.
Effortless Serpentine Deception Cost: 2 blood feast per success Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Manipulation: 2 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Arts: Subtle Shadow’s Whisper
This Art is the heart of the Kaishar’s flawless ability to stay concealed within large crowds of mortal men. Acting in tandem with his shrewd conniving darker nature, and the unforgiving quality of the power within his Essence, the Kaishar lends his words ironclad magical support. For every two points of blood feast spent activating this Art, the Kaishar may convert one die in any Manipulation roll into an automatic success, to a maximum of his total Manipulation Arts.
History-Harvesting Conversation Cost: 1 blood feast Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Manipulation: 2 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Arts: Effortless Serpentine Deception
Effortlessly engaging a subject in rapt conversation, the Kaishar employs a subtle series of burrowing words, putting the subject off-balance and into the defensive. The subject can sit and rattle off justifications to the Kaishar for a seemingly limitless stretch of time, often giving up more information about himself than he would normally ever think of doing. The Kaishar spends one point of blood feast, and rolls Manipulation + Socialize; for every success, he gleans one vital bit of information from the subject, provided the subject is not normally rigidly close-mouthed on the topic. The subject, if aware of the deception, may spend a point of Willpower to roll Conviction and subtract his successes from the Kaishar’s. No more secrets can be gleaned per use of this Art than the Kaishar has total Manipulation Arts.
Unwholesome Suggestion of Corruption Cost: 2 blood feast per –1 penalty Duration: Varies Type: Simple Minimum Manipulation: 1 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Arts: None
The shard of Essence that motivates the Kaishar is smaller than that of their Abyssal superiors, yet it is subtle and cunning. This basic supernatural deception robs its subject of faith in himself with an insidious suggestion that embeds itself in the subconscious. Self-doubt begins to plague the victim, as does uncertainty of the veracity of the suggestion. This Art effectively lowers a target’s virtue for a short period of time. The compassionate become callous, and the valorous lose heart, et cetera. The Kaishar may affect one virtue per use of this Art. The cost is two points of blood feast per –1 penalty, and another point of blood feast per turn the penalty lasts. This penalty cannot be higher than the Kaishar’s total Manipulation Arts, nor can the duration last longer than the Kaishar’s total Manipulation Arts.
Command the Flock Cost: 5 blood feast Duration: One scene Type: Simple Minimum Manipulation: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Arts: Unwholesome Suggestion of Corruption, Seed of Command
The Kaishar wreathes himself in an unquestionable aura of command, and all of his words crawl deep into the minds of mortal men, settling there demandingly until they have been fulfilled. For one scene, sinister blood Essence reverberates in all of the Kaishar’s commands, making them irresistible. All living mortals of Essence one are subject to the Kaishar’s simple demands. Unless it is too complexly worded, life threatening, or against the grain of a mortal’s basic nature, the mortal will unthinkingly obey. If aware of the Art, a mortal may spend a point of Willpower to resist this compulsion for the scene.
Beckoning Conjuration of Men Cost: 3 blood feast Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Manipulation: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Arts: Command the Flock, Subtle Shadow’s Whisper
Freeing his inner seed of Oblivion in a rush of blood Essence, the Kaishar sends across the five winds a seductive beckons, darkly enticing a mortal in the Kaishar’s direction. The Kaishar rolls Manipulation + Presence. If successful, the mortal will come to him regardless of obstacle, filled with a nameless anxiety and eagerness. This Art only works on beings with a permanent Essence of one. This Art only works on mortals marked by the Seed of Command Art. Use of this Art weighs the Kaishar down with a point of Consumption. The maximum range of this Art is equal to the Kaishar’s total Manipulation Arts in miles.
