Retest: Leadership
In the oriental word scholarship and academia are more associated with ones position in society than with intellectual innovation. This is due to the emphasis on tradition and obedience that is a quintessential part of oriental culture. Furthermore, while alien to us, in the west, the idea of the "Warrior-Scholar" is a central figure in their history. More so than any other purpose, learning was viewed as a tool to keep the army in line. Scholars were expected to know the laws and traditions of society but not to question them.
Development of this arcanoi follows a natural progression within this framework. Students who follow the way of the Scholar must first become sensitive to other wraiths psyches and eventually are able to exert their will over others minds. The knowledge of this arcanoi is especially popular among the magistrates and judges within the Yellow Kingdom for obvious reasons.
Innate
Studious Nature
The way of the scholar is one of vigorous self-discipline and study. As such all who follow it find learning other subjects of an academic nature easier to master. Followers of this path find challenges associated with academic subjects easier, gaining a bonus trait to challenges equal to the number of levels they posses in this arcanoi.
Challenge: None
Cost: None
ST required: No
1st Level
Discern the Lie
By attuning herself to the patterns of another wraith, a Scholar is able to determine if those speaking were lying to her. During the course of a conversation she can initiate a mental challenge to see if the last sentence spoken to her was a lie.
Challenge: Mental
Cost: None
ST required: No
2nd Level
Inquiry
The scholar can force a subject to answer a question truthfully. The subject my express the answer in whatever terms they will but it must be a full answer to the question and must be truthful. However they have some flexibility in how they answer the question so the Scholar must be careful in how they phrase the question.
Challenge: Social
Cost: 1 pathos
ST required: No, but may be helpful in determining what is a valid answer.
3rd Level
Word of Yu Huang
The Scholar may issue a single command to a subject. The subject is required to follow the literal statement and so may take advantage of any ambiguity. The command may not be self-destructive. The subject will be aware that the command was given.
The number of successes indicates the complexity of the challenge that may be given. 1 success allows for a one word command, 2 for a simple sentence, five would allow for commands of up to a paragraph. The command must be given immediately.
Challenge: Extended Social
Cost: 1 pathos, 1 angst
ST required: No
4th Level
Filial Duty
This power is a subtle use of the Scholar's abilities. The scholar twists the target's mind so that they believe that the Scholar is a beloved friend of the family. The subject would then cooperate with the Scholar as completely as the new status allows but would not do anything which would violate his convictions.
The number of success gained using this power determines the length of time this power will be in effect: 1) one hour 2) one night 3) one week(includes following game session) 4) one month 5) six months 6) one year. Once the power wears off the victim will be aware that something was done to them.
Challenge: Extended Social
Cost: 3 pathos, 1 willpower, 3 angst
ST required: Recommended
5th Level
The Emperor's Servant
The scholar has mastered the ability to manipulate a victim's mind. They can place permanent commands in a subjects mind. These commands many not be self-destructive in nature. Like the word of Yu Huang the number of successes determines the complexity of the command that may be implemented. The difference lies in the fact that once a command is completed it does not automatically fade, if it is possible to complete again the subject will still feel the compulsion to do so. The power requires spending an entire day with the subject.
Challenge: Extended Mental
Cost: 3 pathos, 2 willpower, 3 angst
ST required: Yes
Retest: Jade Working
For thousands of years oriental artists have produced works of magnificent beauty. Much of the work served a religious purpose serving to venerate ancestors. Families would have shrines within their houses to venerate their ancestors where many of these works were placed. Due to the connection to the world of the dead these items would have a significance on both sides of the shroud.
Artisans are the craftsmen of the Jade Empire serving the role filled by the masquers and the Artificers. They have the ability to shape and mold plasm into and shape desired. Furthermore they can even invest objects with powers possessed by the wraith. The primary material used by Artisans is jade, of which there is two forms. The first is True Jade which is a relic like material and the second is white jade formed from the plasm of other wraiths.
While there are strong connections between the way of the Farmer and the Way of the Artisan the distinction should be made that while Farmers can extract plasm from wraiths corpus they can not actually shape it into anything useful.
Innate
Hear Jade's Tale
All those who study the way of the Artisan learn to know the nature and powers of an item. Each success on the challenge will reveal one piece of information about an item starting with its nature (jade, artifact, relic etc.). Each additional success will reveal either one of its powers or information about its creation(i.e. soulforging).
Challenge: Extended Static Mental
Cost: None
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: 10 - highest level of Way of the Artisan
1st Level
Shape True Jade
When true Jade comes into the Yellow Springs only Artisans are able to shape it. Given sufficient material and time the artisan is able to create simple objects. The more successes achieved determines the complexity of the object involved. Required successes: 1) for a club, 2) for a knife or sword, 3) for a ball and chain, 4) for a flintlock and 5) for a modern gun. Once the artisan fails they are unable to do anything more with that particular piece of jade.
Challenge: Extended Static Mental
Cost: None
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: 10 - highest level of Way of the Artisan
2nd Level
Work White Jade
Once a soul has been transformed into white Jade the artisan is able to shape it with this power. White Jade does not have the same shape and malleability as true jade and it requires three times as much material to create an object. Also White Jade requires one more success on the extended challenge to shape the object. Once the artisan fails she is unable to do anything more with that particular piece of jade.
Challenge: Extended Static Mental
Cost: None
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: 10 - highest level of Way of the Artisan
3rd Level
Rework Relics
With this power the artisan is able to change the form of a relic. It is even possible to change the nature of the material itself but this is very difficult (at least three successes). Once the Artisan fails she is unable to work with that object further.
Challenge: Extended Static Physical
Cost: None
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: 10 - highest level of Way of the Artisan
Note: In some ways the description of this power has been left purposefully vague and is up to the discretion of the STs to set both the difficulties and the number of required successes.
4th Level
Empower Jade
The Artisan can now imbue jade items with pathos and even arcanoi they posses. Any jade item can be used to store a single arcanoi ad the pathos necessary to power it. Without the aid of one skilled in way of the Merchant the Artisan is limited to the arcanoi and pathos they possess. True Jade can retain their powers indefinitely while white jade's powers will fade after a number of months equal to the number of successes achieved.
The number of pathos imbued in the item determines the number of times the object may be used, when the pathos is used up the object must be reworked.
Challenge: Extended Static Mental
Cost: 3 pathos + the pathos imbued
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: 10 - highest level of Way of the Artisan
Note: 1 success required per level of the power (minimum of 1)
+1 additional success for White Jade
5th Level
Create White Jade
At this level of ability the Artisan is able to transform souls into white jade. First, the captive soul must have his will broken (willpower and pathos both 0). This should be done through role-play. Then over three days the artisan transforms the corpus into White Jade. The process creates three pounds per corpus changed. White jade has two forms: hard, for swords, containers and armor and soft, for clothing, parchment and furniture.
Challenge: Extended Static Mental
Cost: None
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: 10 - highest level of Way of the Artisan
Note: This power requires 10 successes which may be gained in any number of challenges. However if at any time the Artisan fails to gain one success they have botched the process and the jade is lost.
Retest: Intimidation
Oriental society is decidedly a rice based agrarian economy. In the afterlife there is still a place for a farmer in society but the fact that wraiths no loner need to consume food means that what is a crop changes dramatically. Like the stygian empire the Yellow Kingdom turned to harvesting wraiths as a primary source for raw materials. Farmers herd and gather Kuei, a type of wild untamed wraith, for harvesting. Kuei are the result of wraiths who had no family to bury them. [Note: Kuei are actually spectral drones or what is referred to as nothings in the spectral rules.]
There are many underlying similarities to the Castigate arcanos. Both are directed against the darker part of a wraiths nature, that of the shadow. The power of purification is at the core of both. However, it is the difference in cultural paradigm that differentiates these two arcanos.
It is important here to make a distinction between the way of the Farmer and the Way of the Artisan. The Farmer's role is to gather and herd the crop but not to process it or change it in any way. Even at the highest levels the way of the farmer is one of extraction rather than any sort of alteration.
Innates
Kuei Howl
Farmers can call out to the Kuei so any Kuei within hearing will think that the Farmer is one of them. This power has been used by rebels in the field as a form of communication. Failure while using this power will immediately alert any Kuei in the area that one not of their kind is present. The howl is heard for up to 100 yards in the shadowlands.
Challenge: Static Mental
Cost: None
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: 10 - highest level of Way of the Farmer
Note: The discussion potential of the howl is limited to one word signals
1st Level
Finding the Hidden Ghost
This power allows a Farmer to sense all the wraiths around him. This includes those who are hidden by enshroud and other means.
Challenge: Mental [Group challenge against all in the area]
Cost: None
ST required: Yes
Note: the test for the use of this power is automatic if the Farmer wishes to use it. i.e. it does not require concentration to employ.
2nd Level
Cowing the Bestial Spirit
This power intimidates kuei and other wild spirits into submission and obedience. The effects last for a scene. The actual effects depend on the successes: 1) the target flees in terror 2) The subject can not advance towards the traveler and can only retreat slowly 3) The subject is frozen in place 4) The Farmer can render the subject unconscious 5) The Farmer can control the subjects movements
Challenge: Extended Social
Cost: gain 1 angst
ST required: No
3rd Level
Purify
This power functions identically to that of the Castigate power of the same name:
Purify (W:tO2) - The pardoner can cleanse and purify her subject of temporary angst traits. The subject of the castigation bids temporary angst traits against the pardoner. If the pardoner wins the challenge, the subject loses the temporary angst traits bid. The subject also loses, however, a number of corpus traits equal to the number of temporary angst traits lost.
Class: Common
Cost: Nothing. If the pardoner loses, however, she gains an angst trait.
Challenge: Social vs. Angst. Can be extended if desired.
4th Level
Deaden Spirit
This power reduces the emotion and energy of the target mollifying him through soothing words. Wraiths under the effects of this power may not take any violent or even sudden actions. Each success is one round that this power has effect.
Challenge: Extended Social
Cost: gain 3 angst
ST required: No
5th Level
Reap the Hungry Ghost
The farmer may now collect the corpus of kuei as one would harvest rice. This power only works on Kuei that have been subdued or preferably deadened. It is totally ineffective on wraiths and spectres. Each success converts one corpus into a clayey material and requires a half an hour of time.
Challenge: Extended Static Social
Cost: 3 pathos, gain 1 angst
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: 10 - highest level of Way of the Farmer
Retest: Science, Finance
The way of the Merchant is superficially similar to usury. In fact many of the powers have the same effects. However it should be made clear that they are not different aspects of the same arcanos. He base of a wraith's power is based in her system of belief. The difference here is one of underlying philosophy rather than effect.
Innates
Jingle Jingle
Merchants can literally smell the money around them. Using this power they can sense all pathos in a solid form within a twenty foot radius.
Challenge: Static Mental
Cost: gain 1 angst
ST required: No
Difficulty: 10 - highest level of Way of the Merchant
1st Level
Transfer
This power works like the Usury power of the same name:
Cost: 1 willpower (on top of the other costs)
Transfer (W:tO2 pg.160) - The usurer may give and receive pathos. This exchange can be seen by others as a visible display of energy transfer. Pathos may only be exchanged; this does not affect angst at all. Each success scored on the initial challenge is one point of pathos that may be transferred.
Class: Common
Cost: 1 temp angst is gained if angst is stolen from a target. If the target relents and allows the usurer to take pathos, angst is not gained.
Challenge: Extended Social
2nd Level
Cash Money
With this power the merchant is able to take advantages of sacrifices made by members of his family in the form of pathos. Each success is one point of pathos that may be converted from the sacrifice.
Challenge: Extended Static Social
Cost: None
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: Shroud
3rd Level
Withdraw Essence
The merchant can withdraw pathos from corpus converted by way of the farmer or raw white jade. Shaped White Jade can not be used for this nor kuei that have been hammered into a new form. Each success is one pathos that has been converted from the corpus.
Challenge: Extended Static Social
Cost: 1 willpower, 1 angst
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: 10 - highest level of Way of the Merchant
4th Level
Returning the Favor
This power allows the merchant to give pathos to a mortal, usually one of her relatives. The pathos acts as an emotional boost, restoring energy. The number of points donated will determine the effect.
1 trait: lowers the difficulty of the targets next challenge by one
2 traits: allows for a free retest on the next failed challenge
3 traits: restored a spent willpower
No more than three traits can be given at any time. It is not necessary to manifest to use this power but the wraith must be within five feet of the recipient. This power can only be used on a given target once per night.
Challenge: Static Social
Cost: 1 willpower, 1-3 pathos, gain same number of angst
ST required: probably
Difficulty: shroud + pathos traits to be donated
5th level
Mint Money
With this power the merchant is able to convert pathos into a solid form. This form is usually some form of money coins or paper currency. The number of successes will determine the number of pathos converted.
Challenge: Extended Static Social
Cost: 1 willpower, 2 pathos in addition to the pathos converted, gain 2 angst
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: 10 - highest level of Way of the Merchant
Retest: Meditation
While the following statement is something of a generalization it helps in understanding the distinctions between the Way of the Soul and Castigate: One of the fundamental differences between eastern and western belief systems is the direction one looks in order to achieve peace. In the case of the west (Christianity in particular) one looks to an outside agent to grant peace. One confesses ones transgressions to an intercessor of this religion be they a Priest or Rabbi and the intercessor aids the individual in finding peace. In the case of eastern religions one looks inward and uses meditation and other forms of self examination to find spiritual peace.
This difference carries over between Way of the Soul and Castigate. While the effects are the same castigate still requires an outside agent to aid in the process whereas a wraith can use Way of the Soul can be used on herself.
Innate
Negotiation
This power grants the Doctor a free retest to avoid entering catharsis. If unsuccessful, it may not be used a second time to resist the same bid for control.
Challenge: None
Cost: None
ST required: No
1st Level
Coax
This power functions identically to the castigate power of the same name.
- The wraith with the power of Coax may modify the number of shadow traits that her shadow offers her by +1 or -1 per success. The angst that accumulates from a failed challenge is appropriate to the number of traits take, not the initial bid by the shadow. The players may only modify existing bids, not instigate new bids. For further information, see the section on shadow bids. Note that five is still the maximum number of traits that may be gained from a shadow bid.Coax (W:tO2 pg.138)
Class: Common
Cost: Nothing
Challenge: Extended Static Social
Difficulty: Angst
2nd Level
Nullify Thorns
By spending a point of pathos the wraith is able to prevent her p'o from using one of her thorns. Each success on the challenge is a scene that her shadow is unable to access that thorn.
Challenge: Extended Static Physical Challenge
Cost: 1 pathos
ST required: No
Difficulty: temporary or permanent angst which ever is higher
3rd level
Give Higher Passion
Using this power the doctor can replace one of the shadow's dark passions with one of her own. For one day the shadow's dark passion is replaced by one of the wraith's own. Since this is a straight substitution of a passion, if it is fulfilled then the wraith will gain equal amounts of both pathos and angst.
Challenge: Static Social
Cost: 2 pathos, gain 2 angst
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: temporary or permanent angst whichever is greater
4th Level
Alter Demeanor
The Doctor has achieved such a high level of ability that using this power she can change her shadow's archetype. This power is used to elevate her to a higher level of enlightenment. Each success is one week that the new archetype remains in effect.
Challenge: Extended Static Social
Cost: 3 pathos, gain 4 angst
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: temporary plus permanent angst
5th Level
Inner Peace
This power is similar to the castigate power defiance except in this case the psyche and shadow work together. The psyche gains access to her shadow's thorns and when her shadow fulfills a dark passion it counts towards pathos instead. Each success is one day the power remains in effect. If the characters pathos or willpower reaches zero the power's effect is broken.
Challenge: Extended Willpower versus Angst (Higher of temporary or Permanent)
Cost: gain 3 angst
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: temporary or permanent angst whichever is greater
Retest: Melee, Soul Shaping
Yu Huang's private bodyguard a force of some fifteen hundred wraiths is one of the finest bodies of men in the underworld. It is also one of the most feared. More than just a body guard it forms the elite core of Yu Huang's forces.
This particular arcanos is known only to members of that force. It is one of their most feared weapons and is specifically focused to counter one of the chief arcanos of their enemies in the hierarchy, that of Argos. It has many similarities to
None of the members of Yu Huang's bodyguard have ever become spectres so this arcanos is unknown to the HiveMind. The reason for this is unknown but could be due to strong purification of their shadows or some more extreme measures. The result however is that no PC should ever posses this arcanos, period.
Innate
Soul Anchor
With this power the Guardsman is able to detect any use of argos within a 50 ft radius. With this power the guardsman detects the location of all those who are enshrouded as well as the location of any other use of argos. One challenge is performed against all those who are using Argos within the specified range.
Challenge: Group Mental
Cost: None
ST required: Yes
Difficulty: 10 - Chains of the Emperor
1st Level
Brilliance
With this power the guardsman is able to make his skin glow with an unnatural blinding green glow. The first round all attacks against the guardsman are at +1 difficulty. The second round +2 difficulty. The third is +3 difficulty but at the fourth round the lights begin to diminish and the difficulty is only +2. Finally during the fifth and final round the difficulty is only +1. Attacks made by the guardsman do not benefit from the use of this power.
Challenge: None (see above)
Cost: 1 pathos
ST required: No
2nd Level
Shackles
With this power the guardsman is able to create a pair of manacles which can then be placed over an immobilized wraith. The shackles take a round to make and another one to place over the wraith. They can only be remove by another wraith with this power or rent with moliate (retest Soul Shaping).
Challenge: Static Physical to create
Cost: 2 corpus, 1 pathos
ST required: No
Difficulty: 10 - Way of Emperor
3rd level
Snare
This power allows a guardsman to cancel another's use of argos. As long as the guardsman remains in physical contact with the wraith she is unable to use any form of argos unless she defeats the guardsman in a physical challenge. In the case where shackles is used in conjunction with snare the shackles will count as physical contact.
Challenge: None (see above)
Cost: None
ST required: No
4th Level
Lariat
This power works much like Shackles except that is can be used on wraiths in line of sight up to fifty feet away. The Guardsman creates the shackles in the same manner and then hurls them at an opponent, requiring a total of two rounds.
Challenge: Static Physical to create, Physical to "hit"
Cost: 2 corpus, 1 pathos
ST required: No
Difficulty: 10 - Way of Emperor
5th Level
Net
This arcanos resembles both shackles and lariat. It is a net woven from the corpus of the guardsman and hurled up to twenty feet. It is up to twelve feet in diameter and can only be cut by true jade. Any foes hit by the net will become completely ensnared as the fibers of the net will immediately wrap around them. This power requires a total of two rounds to use: one to create the net and a second to throw the net.
Challenge: Static Physical to create, Physical to "hit"
Cost: 3 to 6 corpus, 3 pathos, 2 angst
ST required: No
Difficulty: 10 - Way of Emperor
Note: When hitting one challenge is made against all foes within a twenty foot radius. Characters trying to break free of the net must make an extended static physical challenge against difficulty of the Guardsman's Physical Traits. The number of successes required to break free is equal to the number of corpus implanted into the net. Between rounds the net will fix itself so successes are not cumulative from round to round.
Moriman
retests: Awareness & Puppetry
To the African ghosts, called Ibambo, death is not the end of existence, or even of life, but the transition into another state. It is the chance to experience the universe from another facet of the Wheel. Indeed, to the ibambo the Web of Life has been traded in for the Web of Death, and those who could manipulate the Web in life may now manipulate it still, in death. These wraiths may have been tribal chiefs, seers, and witch doctors in life; now they are Moriman.
The powers of Behest are split into two hands, for the arts of Behest have two parts. On the one hind (the right one), there is the ability to extend one's perceptions along the Web of Death to learn about the shadowlands and its denizens, regardless of distance. On the other hand (the left one), the Moriman may manipulate his target across whatever distance separates them. Obviously, those who know of this art fear it greatly.
The arts of Behest are divided into two distinct "hands," each quite different. The Moriman begins practicing the Right Hand Arts, of which the retest is Awareness. Once the art Scry has been learned, the Moriman may also begin to learn the Left Hand Arts, for which the retest is Puppetry. Attentive readers will note that there is no level five Right Hand art, nor are there level one and two Left Hand arts. If these arts once existed, they have long been forgotten, and any such knowledge of the lost arts should be considered quite Rare.
Behest marks the Moriman as black veins that stretch up his arms, progressing as the Moriman gains skill in Behest. Each Hand affects the appropriate arm. The veins converge on the Moriman's chest at highest levels.
Note - Wraiths of Stygia may not learn Behest. Abambo, in turn, may not learn Lifeweb or Fatalism, as Behest replaces them. Although Behest mimics Puppetry, the Abambo may still learn it as a separate art, since it affects mortals, while Behest only affects the dead.
Note on Difficulties - The difficulty of the Behest arts vary, depending upon the amount of information or possessions of the target the Moriman possesses. The difficulties (or modifiers to the Moriman's challenges) are listed below.
ITEM Diff. Mod.
Skinmask/severed extremity - 5 +2 traits
Fetter - 6 +1 trait
Chief Haunt - 7 no modifier
Personal Relic or Artifact - 8 -1 trait
Recently handled object/
Recently visited place - 9 -2 traits
Note on Meditation - Although not a retest for Behest, Meditation is crucial to Behest. To use any of the right hand arts, the Moriman must meditate for a while, following which a meditation trait is spent for the night.
Note of Soulsight - Soulsight (Castigate) can detect Level 3 and higher uses of Behest on a target.
THE ARTS OF THE RIGHT HAND
retest: Awareness
INNATE
Link (W:tGW pg.165) - This art, foundational to Behest, allows the Moriman to exhale a cloud of smoke that coalesces into an image that can relate to the target. The Moriman must meditate for some time prior to this art, and then performs the challenge. Each success increases what may be discovered. The effects are not cumulative, however; only one piece of information can be discovered.
Cost: 1 corpus, one trait of meditation
Challenge: Extended Static Mental
Difficulty: See chart above
ST Needed: Yes
Note: The number of successes determines information about a target as follows:
1 success = a place recently visited or object handled
2 successes = a relic owned
3 successes = an artifact owned
4 successes = the target's chief haunt
5 successes = a fetter
Note - This art may only be cast once per day. No more than five successes can be gained with this art.
LEVEL ONE
Delve (W:tGW pg.165) - The Moriman can enter a trance-like state that allows him to experience some of the recent (within past week) surroundings and events that surround his target. The number of successes determines the amount of information that is determined.
Cost: 1 pathos, 1 trait of meditation
Challenge: Extended Static Mental
Difficulty: Target's Mental traits (see chart above for modifiers to the difficulty)
ST Needed: Yes, to determine which scene is perceived
Note: The number of successes determines the information about the experiences as follows:
1 success = Target's recent mood
2 successes = Visual details of what the target saw
3 successes = Auditory details of what the target saw
4 successes = All other senses the target perceived
5 successes = location and time of perceived event
LEVEL TWO
Trace (W:tGW pg.165) - The Moriman may determine the location of a target by exhaling a cloud of smoke that points toward the wraith. This requires two challenges. The first, if successful, allows the Moriman to track the target wraith down; he will be able to follow the trail for a number of scenes equal to the successes scored. If the Moriman fails the second challenge, the target is alerted to the Moriman's presence, and knows she is being tracked.
Cost: 1 pathos, 1 corpus, 1 trait of meditation
First Challenge: Extended Static Mental
Difficulty: Target's mental traits
Second Challenge: Mental
ST Needed: Usually (Strongly Recommended)
LEVEL THREE
Scry (W:tGW pg.166) - This art is identical to Delve, the level one art, except that it applies to current events, as opposed to events in the recent past. The Moriman may perceive events through the target wraith. The duration of this art is one minute per success. The Morimon is considered to have one automatic success whenever this power is employed.
The initial test of the challenge is to determine if the target is aware of the Morimon and must be performed. If the Morimon loses the challenge she can still use the power but the target has the option of spending a willpower and ejecting the Morimon automatically(no test required). If the initial test is successful then the Morimon can continue to accrue successes and time as normal.
Cost: 2 pathos, 1 willpower, 1 trait of meditation
Challenge: Extended Mental
ST Needed: Usually
LEVEL FOUR
Divine (W:tGW pg.166) - The Moriman may read into the Web of Death to determine what fate holds, either for herself or for the target. The Moriman exhales a cloud of smoke that coalesces into images. If the Moriman uses this on himself, Soulsight will have no effect.
Cost: 1 corpus, 2 pathos, 1 willpower, 1 trait of meditation
Challenge: Extended Static Mental
Difficulty: Target's mental traits, or 10 minus highest level of Behest if used on self
ST Needed: Yes
Note: The number of successes determines the level of success
1 success = blurry images, no sounds
2 successes = foggy images, no sounds
3 successes = clear image, no sounds
4 successes = clear image, indistinct sounds
5 successes = clear images, distinct sounds
THE ARTS OF THE LEFT HAND
retest: Puppetry
LEVEL THREE
Twitch (W:tGW pg.166) - This art, like all arts of the Left Hand, require the Moriman to successfully Scry his target first. After Scrying the target, the Moriman may cause his target to make sudden, involuntary action. If the target is aware of the Moriman (via a failed Scry secondary challenge), the target may resist by spending a willpower trait.
Cost: 1 pathos, gain 1 angst
Challenge: Physical
ST Needed: Sometimes
LEVEL FOUR
Murmur (W:tGW pg.166) - Like Twitch, the Moriman must first Scry his target. After this, the Moriman may speak through the mouth of the target; each success is one sentence that may be said. Like Twitch, the target, if aware, may spend a willpower trait to negate the use of this power.
Cost: 2 pathos, gain 1 angst
Challenge: Extended Mental
ST Needed: Sometimes
LEVEL FIVE
Veer (W:tGW pg.166) - Like Twitch, the Moriman must first Scry his target. After this, the Moriman may completely override the target, possessing the target utterly, like a puppet. Like Twitch, this power may be resisted by the target if she is aware of the Moriman and spends a willpower trait. Each success is one round that the target is possessed.
Cost: 2 pathos, 1 willpower, gain 1 angst
Challenge: Extended Physical
ST Needed: Strongly Recommended
Note: Atunement increases the duration to one scene per success.
Serviteurs
retest: Ettiquette
In the Carribean, the mortals know of Les Invisibles, the wraiths who inhabit the Mirrorlands. Many of the local wraiths serve the Mystere; these wraiths are the Loa, and their devotion is to beings of great power who dwell deep in the tempest at the Island Below the Sea. The Loa look after their mortal kin, and do their best to keep a balance between all of reality; between the mortals, the Bak (spectres), the Mystere, and themselves.
The Loa long ago learned Connaissance from Les Mystere in their efforts to keep peace between themselves and their Mait' Tete (their shadows) and the Baka. Connaissance allows the Loa to deal with the darkness, both within and without. Because the Loa who practice it must appease Les Mystere, the Baka, and their own Mait' Tete, they are called Serviteurs. Connaissance is not necessarily unknown in Stygia, but it is quite uncommon, and no non-Loa may learn it past the third level.
Serviteurs, in their constant pacts with their Mait' Tete, begin to display some of the physical characteristics of their Mait' Tete. Even non-Loa begin to show some characteristics of their shadows; those with a monster nature may begin to look monstrous, while those who are abusers may show signs of abuse. Those Loa whose Mait' Tete is Damballah may begin to look or sound serpintine, and those whose Mait' Tete is Legbe may show signs of aging.
INNATE
Eyes of the Abyss (ShPlG pg.70) - The Serviteur may see through the eyes of his Mait' Tete (his shadow) to detect the presence of Oblivion around him. With this, the Serviteur may detect the shadow eaten (spectres and wraiths in catharsis), other Serviteurs, nihils, or byways in the tempest.
Cost: None
Challenge: Static Mental
Difficulty: (10 minus Connaissance) or the mental traits of the target (when appropriate)
Note: Eyes of the Abyss allows a retest for the Argos art Orienteering
Langage (ShPlG pg.70) - Using the Hive-Mind, the Serviteur may communicate in the language of the shadow-eaten, a language that may only be understood by Spectres, wraiths in Catharsis, or wraiths possessing Hive-mind. The number of successes on the initial challenge determines how long the Serviteur may communicate like this.
Cost: None
Challenge: Extended Static Social
Difficulty: (10 minus Conaissance)
Duration: The number of successes determines the duration of the art as follows:
1 success = 1 turn (1 sentence)
2 successes = 1 minute
3 successes = 1 hour or 1 scene
4 successes = 1 day
5 successes = 1 week
Regler Mait'Tete (ShPlG pg.70) - The Serviteur may voluntarily go into a sort of controlled catharsis. This has the advantage of satiating the Mait' Tete while giving the Serviteur a chance to regain control at his convienience. The duration is one scene and does not require any sort of challenge unless the Serviteur wishes to reassert control early, in which case a challenge is made.
One benefit of this power is that the Serviteur will lose one temp angst whenever they use this power. However, the Mait' Tete must remain in control for atleast five minutes for this benefit to be gained.
Cost : None (Mental vs. Perm Angst to reassert control early)
Cost (To reassert control early): 1 Willpower
LEVEL ONE
Reler Baka (ShPlG pg.70) - The Serviteur may summon a Baka (a spectre) with this art. Serviteurs have put this art to quite a bit of use, including laying traps for Baka, distracting them, or summoning them out of a possessed mortal. The Baka so summoned may or may not act favorably to the Serviteur. Each success is one Baka summoned.
Cost: 1 pathos
Challenge: Extended Static Social
Difficulty: (10 minus maelstrom rating)
LEVEL TWO
Renvoyer Baka (ShPlG pg.70) - The Serviteur may make himslef more fearsome and terrifying in an effort to frighten away Baka. As an added benefit, the Serviteur may cut off all communication between his shadow and other shadow-eaten, so that his shadow may not call his bluff. The Baka frightened away will not be able to approach the Serviteur for the remainder of the scene.
Cost: gain 1 angst
Challenge: Social
LEVEL THREE
Engagement (ShPlG pg.71) - By tapping into the Hive-Mind, the Serviteur may transmit his thoughts to nearby Baka, making them think that the thoughts are their own. This is a subtle art, and the Baka will not know that they have been manipulated by the Serviteur. The number of successes determines how well manipulated the Baka are. One success might encourage the Baka in an action they would have done anyway, while five successes would make the Baka run straight to Oblivion.
Challenge: Social (Use Group Rules if appropreate)
Cost: 1 pathos, gain 1 angst per Baka
ST Required: No (Recommended)
Note: Multiple Baka may be affected. There is no trait penalty for using this art on multiple Baka; 1 challenge is made all at once against each Baka, although ST's may simplify and have 1 challenge affect all present Baka. One angst is gained per each Baka, whether or not teh challenge was successful.
LEVEL FOUR
Reler Mystere (ShPlG pg.71) - Only Loa (Carribean wraiths) may learn this or higher arts of Connaissance. The Serviteur may tap into the thoughts of the Mystere, similar to tapping the Hive-Mind. This power has two uses. The first is that the Serviteur may gain a number of temporary abilities to use as retests; these last for the duration of the scene. No ability may be raised higher than five. The other use is that the Serviteur may question the ST's concerning a riddle or problem; the ST's dispense answers based upon the number of successes acheived.
Cost: 1 willpower, gain 1 angst per success
Challenge: Extended Static Mental
Difficulty: (10 minus Connaissance)
ST Required: No (Recommended)
Note: This art may only be used once per scene.
LEVEL FIVE
Marrer Baka (ShPlG pg.72) - The Serviteur may restrain a Baka (or a wraith in Catharsis), and lead the Baka around. The Baka, if dominated, will mindlessly follow the Serviteur around. It will perform basic actions for the Serviteur, but will not do anything overtly strenuous or life threatening (such as combat) Even self-defense is near impossible; the Baka may only bid as many traits as she has temp angst on any challenge. Once abandoned, the Baka will gradually awaken, and will have a dim memory of prior events.
Cost: 2 pathos, 2 willpower, gain 2 angst
Challenge: Physical. The Baka may spend a temp angst for a retest, and may take as many retests as she wants (1 angst per retest). At any time the Baka may spend a point of temp angst to attempt to break free from the Serviteur.
ST Required: No (Recommended)
Note: If the Serviteur wins, the Baka is paralyzed for a numeber of rounds equal to the Serviteur's willpower, following which the Baka awakens enough to follow the Serviteur around.
Tvashtriya
retest: Subterfuge
Some wraiths of the Hierachy know of the Dark Kingdom of Jade. The Bush of Ghost is known as well, as is the Smoky Mirror and the former Dark Kingdom of Obsidian. But Swar is unknown to almost everybody. Swar: the City of Eternal Delights. Swar, the unknowable. Swar the forbidden. Swar, the damned. The souls of those who die in India (as well as other surrounding countries) are taken to a city rich in wealth and prosperity, buth with a dark secret. Worse than the forges of Stygia are the gardens of Swar, for the wraiths consigned to its mercies go on to feed the Upper Caste of Swar.
Displace is a combination of Inhabit, Moliate, and Usury, with elements of Puppetry thrown in. Tvashtriya, those who practice Displace, may not learn Inhabit, Moliate, or Usury for this reason very easily. Effectively, all common arts are considered uncommon, and all uncommon arts should be considered rare. The rare arts remain rare. Stygian wraiths may not learn Displace.
Displace allows a Tvashtriya to invade a host, and change the host from within. This art is largely unknown, but those who know of it desire it greatly. Particularly, the Artificers, Masquers, and Userers are desperate to learn more of this arcanos.
Any damage that a host suffers is also suffered by the Tvashtriya. Indeed, they suffer equally. Thus a Userer attempting to drain a pathos or corpus from a wraith being ridden by a Tvashtriya gains double. Likewise, any pathos or corpus given to the host gets divided between the host and the Tvashtriya.
Displace is a draining art, and forever mars the countenance of the Tvashtriya. As a tvashtriya grows weaker and loses corpus, his image displays this. Some become skeletal, rotting away. Others show wounds, or show whithering. Some simply begin to fade away. Clothing may conceal the lesser stages of this.
In Wraith: the Great War, where this arcanos appears, most of the arts are not listed with a cost. Costs appropriate to the levels have been added to some of the arts for balance.
INNATE
Straddle (W:tGW pg.159) - The wraith invades an object, to conceal himself from others. Only Inhabit (Sense Gremlin) and Displace (Sense Rider) may detect the Rider (see below). The number of successes determines the number of scenes that the Tvashtriya may straddle the object. If the object is destroyed, the Tvashtriya loses a health level.
Cost: None
Challenge: Extended Static Physical
Difficulty: Shroud
Sense Rider (W:tGW pg.159) - The Tvashtriya may detect if an object is being possessed, via either Inhabit or Displace.
Cost: None
Challenge: Mental
LEVEL ONE
Wraithride (W:tGW pg.160) - The Tvashtriya must touch the target, who may or may not notice. Once successfully touched, the Tvashtriya may invade the host. He is unaware of his surroundings at this level, and only knows when the host is slumbering. Any damage, including Harrowings, that the Host suffers, the Tvashtriya suffers. Likewise, if the Tvashtriya goes into a Harrowing, the host is dragged along as well.
Cost: 1 pathos
Challenge: Physical to touch the host (retest stealth)
Physical to invade the host (unless she relents)
Note: The book Wraith: the Great War does not list a cost for this art. 1 pathos seemed appropriate.
LEVEL TWO
Deflect (W:tGW pg.160) - This art has two uses. The first is that it makes it far more difficult to detect the wraith who is Wraithriding a host. It gives the Tvashtriya one free retest on each challenge.
The second use is that the Tvashtriya may impart to his host any damage he suffers. This causes the host to take massive amounts of damage from sources, which may be a little suspicious or confusing. Each success on the challenge is one level of corpus damage that the host takes instead of the Tvashtriya. This only applies to corpus; pathos, angst, and other energies may not be so transfered.
Cost: None
Challenge: To avoid detection, none. For deflecting damage, it is an Extended Physical Challenge.
ST Required: No (Recommended for part two)
LEVEL THREE
Transfuse (W:tGW pg.160) - A Tvashtriya inside a host may take or give pathos to his host. This is visible to the host and onlookers; if pathos is given to the host, she glows briefly, while pathos taken from the host causes waves of darkness to wash over her briefly. Each success is one pathos trait that may be transfered. If the host is aware of the Tvashtriya, she may relent to the challenge.
Cost: gain 1 angst if pathos stolen
Challenge: Extended Physical
LEVEL FOUR
Reconfigure (W:tGW pg.160) - The Tvashtriya can modify the corpus of the host. The host will notice this, unless she is slumbering. Still, anything beyond minor altercation may wake the host up. The Tvashtriya can cause the host to glow, or make the host transparent or resonant (so he may see and/or hear outside the host). This reconstruction of the host may only be undone via Displace or Moliate. The number of successes determines the amount of changes that may be done to the target. Anything that requires beyond 1 success will alert the host.
Cost: 1 pathos, host takes 1 copus damage. Gain 2 angst if host does not relent, gain 1 angst if host relents.
Challenge: Extended Mental
LEVEL FIVE
Transmogrify (W:tGW pg.160) - The Tvashtriya may change his host into nearly anything, including a form of "edible" pathos, often as a cluster of grapes. Each level of corpus the host posseses becomes a piece or fruit; each piece of fruit consumed by another wraith bestows a point of pathos. Three successes are needed to convert the host into this "fruit form".
Cost: 2 pathos, gain three angst
Challenge: Extended Mental