by Haren
Cost-> 6 motes, 1 willpower Duration-> One Scene Type-> Supplemental Min. Lore-> 5 Min. Essence-> 4 Prereqs-> Breath-Draining Prana (till a better one is made)
The power of gods and demigods is great, but those chosen by the Malfeans have been given the gift to see the weakness in those who consider themselves mighty. With but a word whispered, and a touch of weapon or body delievered, those beings find themselves hung by the very power they revel in. Where the Abyssal touched as they whisper in the voice of the Malfeans so only the victim hears, the Abyssal's caste mark appears seared into the being's form. From this mark, cracks begin to radiate out. On gods, these fractures are in their very body. In the Exalted, they appear within their animas. For every 4 motes they have committed to Charms, they lose 1 mote a turn as the essence visibly leaks out of the fissures. Peripheral essence bleeds first, adding to anima banner as normal. The Abyssal has to make a successful attack or touch, though not do damage to use this Charm.
Cost-> 2+ motes Duration-> Five turns Type-> Reflexive Min. Lore-> 4 Min. Essence-> 3 Prereqs-> Essence-Scattering Blast, Wyld Shield Meditation
With the proper motions, an Exalt can infuse their anima with essence, granting it powers related to their innermost nature. For those chosen of Death, their anima catches and slows attacks. Heat becomes cold, lightning flickers out, and more physical attacks find their power drained away into the void. For every two motes (up to a limit of double the Abyssal's Essence) attacks against the Abyssal are drained of one presoak damage and one die from the attack.
Secrets in Darkness Prana
Cost-> 8 motes, 1 willpower Duration-> Instant Type-> Simple Min. Lore-> 4 Min. Essence-> 2 Prereqs-> None
The voices of the Malfeans are terrible ones to hear, but in them is power. For those gifted enough to already hear them, they can use this Charm to focus themselves on listening to their dark gods' wisdom. The Abyssal must mediate for half an hour, listening to voices only they can hear. Afterwards, they can access their Whispers background as many times as their Permanent Essence for a day. If they are unused before 24 hours have passed, the extra uses are wasted. This Charm does not allow them to access their Whispers during the daylight hours. Use of this Charm gains the Abyssal 1 Resonnace.
Cost-> 6 motes Duration-> Instant Type-> Reflexive Min. Lore-> 4 Min. Essence-> 2 Prereqs-> Secrets in Darkness Prana
When the Malfeans command their obdeient and listening servant to go somewhere, some Abyssals learn to listen to more than simply where they are needed most to spread death, but they can understand to some degree what their gods desire there. The Abyssal can use this Charm whenever they use their Whispers as a guide. As long as they follow the lead, they can use the Charm, but only once per day. The player of the Abyssal rolls their Wits + Lore at a difficulty of 6 minus their rating in Whispers. With a success, the ST should give them something of an idea of why the Malfeans want them to go in that direction. More successes give a clearer and better understanding of why.
Cost-> 4 motes Duration-> Instant Type-> Simple Min. Lore-> 4 Min. Essence-> 3 Prereqs-> Dead Gods Commandments
In blood there is power. Blood is the gateway between life and death, and so those who are neither dead nor truely alive may peer through it into the hearts of the living. By tasting the blood of a person (at least a mote's worth of blood), the Abyssal can roll their Whispers + Lore (Difficulty of the target's Essence) to read something of that person's soul and secrets. With greater successes, more information is granted.
Cost-> None Duration-> Permanent Type-> Simple Min. Lore-> 5 Min. Essence-> 3 Prereqs-> Secrets in Darkness Prana
There are those who are not satisfied to merely dwell in the darkness and night of the shadowlands. Abyssals must often leave, but with this Charm they carry something of it's power with them. Quite simply, an Abyssal can now use the power of their Whispers day or night. There is a cost to this. They have linked themselves to death more strongly with the Charm, and should they go into Creation without the vestments of the dead, they find themselves unable to regain Willpower without the use of Agony-Savoring Spirit. This weakness is not lessened with the expenditure of 5 motes of essence.
Spirit's Black Sepulchre
Cost-> 12 motes, 1 Willpower Duration-> One Scene Type-> Simple Min. Lore-> 4 Min. Essence-> 3 Prereqs-> None
With growing power for the Exalted, comes growing understanding of the nature of existance, or for Abyssals, lack of existance. This is the begining of that path. The Abyssal understands that nothing without a mind and spirit could exist so near to the Void as the Labyrinth. The only explanation is that it is formed from the unconcious shifting thoughts of every being within and really is just a reflection of them. With this understanding, the Abyssal can shape the Labyrinth conciously and leave it somewhat stable. For one scene, the Abyssal can shape part of the Labyrinth, creating a domain within it and pathways that will stay relatively steady for a time. They could make a tunnel that leads to a particular existing portal to the Underworld or a Shadowland (though they have to travel to the portal to make the tunnel.) They can customize the appearance of the domain as they wish. With multiple uses, they can create a place of practically infinate size, since space is flexible within the Labyrinth. This place and it's passages will last without change for one month, assuming no outside forces attempt to change it.
Cost-> 8 motes, 1 Willpower Duration-> One Journey Type-> Simple Min. Lore-> 4 Min. Essence-> 4 Prereqs-> Spirit's Black Sepulchre
Now the Abyssal may travel with assurance of reaching their destination by travel through the Labyrinth, should they survive. For one journey, the Abyssal considers all successes towards the total needed, even if below the difficulty. Also, they never find their dice pool reduced, since they are making their own path rather than trying to find the correct one. While the successes are counted even if under the difficulty, the dangers encountered are figured as normal. It is rumored that there are those specters can can feel such changes in the Labyrinth and try to hunt down these interlopers.
Cost-> None Duration-> Permanent Type-> Special Min. Lore-> 5 Min. Essence-> 4 Prereqs-> Infallible Spirit's Guidance
The Abyssal may travel the Labyrinth seeking a goal or object rather than a specific place. They walk letting will and their desires guide them without any planned route. This adds at least 2 to the difficulty of the navigation roll. A map can not be made for the route since the Abyssal does not know where they are going. The ST chooses total number of successes needed to find their goal.
Cost-> 12 motes, 1 Willpower Duration-> One Journey Type-> Simple Min. Lore-> 5 Min. Essence-> 3 Prereqs-> Spirit's Black Sepulchre
The Abyssal pours their malicious hate and rage to surround and curse a group traveling within the Labyrinth. This may be used on someone attempting to follow the Abyssal, or just traveling for their own reasons. These emotions twist the pathways to lead the group deeper within the Labyrinth and find dangers worse than they might otherwise. In effect, add the Permanent Essence of the Abyssal to the base difficulty of the navigation rolls. Should the Abyssal actually have the chance to use this ability before the one or group they wish to curse travels, use it to also add to the difficulty of any attempts to make a map.
Cost-> 8 motes, 1 Willpower Duration-> Instant Type-> Simple Min. Lore-> 5 Min. Essence-> 4 Prereqs-> Malicious Byway Travel
The Abyssal has learned to focus their dark emotions into a power which can make the substance of the Labyrinth bubble, roil, and flow with a murderous intent. With a Manipulation + Lore roll at a difficulty of 3, they can make an attack on a number of people equal to the successes. The roll also functions as the actual attack roll. The base damage of this attack is equal to their Willpower + Essence. This attack may take the form of spikes, mouths forming to spit acid, etc... This is easiest within an area the Abyssal has already molded with their powers, so add 2 to the difficulty if used in an area that the Abyssal has not used Spirit's Black Sepulchre on already.
Just a flavor note on Spirit's Black Sepulchre-> given the postulate indicated in the Charm description, that isn't the *only* explanation. ->) - Quendalon?
Oh what were you thinking? ->) I just was thinking about it, and really, I can't see anything without the will to resist it's pull existing so close to the Void, and it makes sense that it's really all in their heads. Going to put up some more later. ->) - Haren
On Cursed Stigmata, I'd suggest that maybe it also has some effects on spending Essence while it's active on you. Perhaps 1 mote of "bleed" per 3 motes spent normally? And maybe have it bleed out due to Artifact commitments as well (or do another charm up that has these effects, perhaps...) - Ashande?
To be honest, I had thought of some different ideas to take care of active charm use... ^_^ Trust me, they're vicious. And the reason I didn't work with Artifacts is for two reasons. First, those commitments tend to be more stable than Charms, though maybe I'll add that in. Second, this was made as an Abyssal counterpart to a Solar charm I made, which works on persistant Charms. - Haren
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