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The Scripture of the Savory Maiden
Once, there was a maiden...
Creation Smuggling Procedures
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Larceny 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple (-2 DV) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One day Prerequisite Charms: None
...who ate 236 leaves, and a blossom from as many different trees.
The Vizier's are more connected to Creation than any of the other Exalted. Yet, these connections are flexible and can be rewoven to integrate the Sidereal temporarily into another paradigm. Characters may use this charm to connect their Exaltation's into the underpinning structure of the Wyld, the Underworld, or even to con his way into becoming a Denizen of Malfaes. Regardless of the use of this Charm, the Sidereal remains ultimately under the aegis of Fate and is not considered a Creature of the Wyld, Death or Darkness for the purposes of other charms and effects.
The Sidereal registers as a native of the environment chosen, though casual inspection will reveal this to be a lie. Under the protection of this charm, the character does not risk mutation or madness at the hands of the Wyld, respires Essence and interacts with the Underworld as one of the Dead, (benefit for a Denizen of Malfaes), as appropriate for the choice made when the charm was first activated.
If the Sidereal invokes this charm again after it has run its full duration, she may ignore the Willpower cost.
Masque of the Uncanny
Cost: 7m, 1wp; Mins: Larceny 3, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 6 in long ticks) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Creation Smuggling Procedure
She had to, because otherwise she'd forget where she came from and make everyone very sad or, possibly, very happy.
The Sidereal wraps herself in a cloak of Essence patterned on forces from outside Creation and beyond the reach of fate. This disguises the Sidereal as a nonspecific native of those realms: a ghost, raksha, demon, or similar creature. The Sidereal's appearance actually changes very little; he appears as he would look were he a very human-like Demon, a Ghost, or one of the Fair Folk. Similarly, this charm does not allow the character to disguise himself as a specific creature beyond fate.
By itself, this charm is sufficient to pass casual inspection. If the character comes under close, prolonged or Essence-enhanced scrutiny, the success of the character's disguise depends on a (Wits + Larceny) roll. If the Sidereal is under the effects of Creation Smuggling Procedures, he receives his (Essence) in automatic successes on this roll. In either case, the observer usually resists with a (Perception + [Awareness, Investigation or Occult]) roll, the exact ability used varying depending on circumstance.
Sidereal Shell Games
Cost: 7m; Mins: Larceny 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic, Fate, Shaping Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Creation Smuggling Procedures
She found herself in the woods, surrounded by monsters and impelled toward their stew pot.
Skilled by now at reweaving her fate, the Sidereal moves from misdirection to theft. The player rolls (Wits + Larceny + Essence), stealing a tiny bit of destiny from a target within her sight or for whom she has a Arcane Link. Each success enables the character to steal one die from one of the target's specific dice pool (which count as bonus dice from charms), one point of bashing and lethal soak (to a minimum of 0L/0B), or the Destiny background of a heroic mortal (which requires successes equal to the background rating). The target loses all traits stolen. The Sidereal may use this charm again during a scene, to the limit of his Essence pools, but thefts of the same trait are not cumulative.
Avoiding the Truth Technique
Cost: 3m; Mins: Larceny 2, Essence 1; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion, Virtue(Conviction) Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None
"Do you want to cook me?" she asked. "Or do you just think that's where maiden's belong?"
Drawing on preternatural insight, the character imbues a true statement with implications that horrify the listener. The player adds her Essence in automatic successes to a Manipulation-based Social Attack to convince her victim that she is lying. If the result exceeds the target's Dodge Mental Defense Value, that subject suffers from an Illusion effect that whatever the Sidereal spoke was a lie. It costs 3 willpower to accept the Sidereal's words at face value and overcome this effect. This Charm may be placed in a combo with charms of other abilities.
Name Pilfering Practices
Cost: 5m; Mins: Larceny 2, Essence 1; Type: Simple Keywords: Fate, Compulsion Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: None
There was a crack in the pot's bottom that let in the sky.
Ones name is ones connection to the Loom of Fate, and an essential part of any persons identity. Just, sometimes, what a Sidereal needs to get a particularly troublesome job done. The Sidereal's player makes a (Manipulation + Larceny) roll, against a difficulty equal to her targets permanent Essence. If the roll succeeds, the character succeeds in stealing her targets name. The most immediate effect of this is to induce a compulsion in her victim, causing him to develop a euphoric distance from his previous responsibilities, instead leaving to undertake actions he would not under most circumstances. This could include traveling, engaging in an affair, gambling, or any other activity and usually under an assumed name. Resisting this compulsion costs 2 willpower, but this does not actually return the characters name to him.
While in possession of someone's name, the Sidereal is metaphysically that person, and statements to that affect register truth to supernatural detection charms. With a Miscellaneous (Speed 5) action, the Sidereal may don the stolen Name as if it was a resplendent destiny, with similar overall effects including a +3 bonus to Larceny rolls to disguise oneself as that individual and the ability of others to remember the Sidereal's current guise for so long as he maintains it. Unlike a resplendent destiny these memories remain even after the Sidereal ends the commitment and returns a subjects name; they become attributed to the original holder of the name.
The Vizier may only carry a single name other than his own at a time. A person's name also acts as a Arcane Link, for purposes of Sorcery and charms such as Sidereal Shell Games.
Dream Confiscating Approach
Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Larceny 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic, Sickness, Touch Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Avoiding the Truth Technique, Name Pilfering Practices
She started to squirm through the crack, but then, she saw that the clouds carried chains and the wind was their manacles.
With naught but a touch, the Vizier may infect a mortal, spirit or Raksha with the Dreamless Fate Infection (see below).
This disease is sometimes known as the Loom-Spreading Torment amongst those outside the normal influence of Fate, and is a supernatural infection without a natural vector. It is inflicted by the Sidereal Charm "Dream Confiscation Approach", both the charm and the illness named such for the primary symptom of the illness. See Exalted, page 350, for basic rules on infections. Dreamless Fate Infection uses these rules except as stated below.
Virulence: Dreamless Fate Infection is perfectly virulent, the victim receiving no roll to avoid infection, only able to overcome the illness through treatment or his own immune system.
Morbidity/Treated Morbidity: The diseases Morbidity is equal to the Essence rating of the Sidereal that inflicted the disease, while those fortunate enough to receive treatment roll against the much lower Treated Morbidity of 1. Dreamless Fate Infection is significantly more dangerous in Creatures from outside fate; increase both values by 2.
Symptoms and Duration: After infection, Dreamless Fate Infection lies dormant for 24 hours, prior to the victims first (Stamina + Resistance) roll to overcome the illness. If this roll succeeds, the disease fades with no mechanical effect over the course of another day. Should this roll fail, however, the victim becomes depressed and restless – and, while able to sleep somewhat fitfully, is unable to dream. Until the victim fully recovers, she is unable to recover either Essence or Willpower. Those within Fate affected by this illness soon recover and find it unpleasant but not dangerous; the morbidity of this illness drops by one for every 72 hours past the incubation period when affecting mortals and the Exalted.
Those not nominally under the aegis of Fate are more strongly affected by this disease, as the Loom of Fate forcibly infects their pattern and rewrites their nature to something more natural to Creation. Raksha, Demons, Ghosts and other Creatures Outside Fate must succeed on three morbidity rolls to fully recover from this disease. They take one aggravated damage from any failed morbidity roll, and cannot heal this damage until they fully recover from the disease. In addition to the inability to regain Essence or Willpower, Raksha cannot feed while infected by this disease and Demons are not considered to be such until they recover. Ghosts are not especially affected beyond the normal effects of this disease. Any creature outside fate who "dies" from this disease becomes a particularly strange-blooded human, or similar creature, fully subject to the Loom of Fate and the powers of the Sidereal Exalted.
All Exalted, even Exalted considered outside Fate for any reason, recover from this disease as if they were within fate. They do not use the rules given in the above paragraph!
Treatment: Those without magical healing are often out of luck when it comes to treating Dreamless Fate Infection. Any treatment must come from someone with Craft[Fate] 1+, and the medicines required have a Resource cost of 3, or 5 for those restricted to the markets available in Malfaes, Stygia or some other place outside Creation.
Special: This sickness can infect spirits (particularly demons and ghosts) and Fair Folk as if they were Exalted. Second or Third Circle Demons are partially beyond the power of this disease; they will never die from Dreamless Fate Infection, and will eventually recover from it, but even they are still subject to the torments of the Loom. The Yozi are beyond this sickness by virtue of innate nature and/or charms.
Broken Threads Method
Cost: 1m, 1wp; Mins: Larceny 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 1) Keywords: Combo-OK, Holy, Virtue(Temperance) Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None
As the monsters pulled her back, she called to the storms and to the sky, but it was the night that came to her aid; and, in the night, fire and pain.
The Sidereal Exalted momentarily suspends his connection to the Loom of Fate, becoming a non-thing, interacting with the world in strange and unpredictable ways. This charm may enhance any close-combat attack against a Creature of Darkness or the Wyld, regardless of the Ability used for the attack. The enhanced attack becomes unexpected. This Charm may only benefit one action in a flurry, but it may explicitly be placed into a Combo with Charms of other Abilities.
Until the beginning of his next action, the Sidereal is considered to be outside of fate for the purposes of charms and other effects. This incidentally allows the Sidereal to wiggle his way out from under a single Astrological effect of his choice, without ill effect.
Honorable Thief Spirit
Cost: --; Mins: Larceny 1, Essence 1; Type: Permanent Keywords: Maiden, Illusion Duration: N/A Prerequisite Charms: None
"Why should you help me?" she asked.
After the breaking of the Mask, many Sidereals lost extensive contacts they had developed in Creation. While most were willing to make this sacrifice, it did make their job significantly more difficult. Thus, the Maiden of Secrets created this charm, which requires the Vizier's player to select a occupation or segment of societies lower class such as a pickpocket, a manservant or a sailor. Anyone sharing this descriptor whom the Sidereal meets must pay 1 willpower, or suffer from an Illusion effect that the character is in similar circumstances. The amount of trust this engenders depends on the person in question, and this charm does not necessarily create trust. The Sidereal may change the focus of this Charm at the beginning of a story, or within a single story with some amount of Bureaucratic wrangling.
Conning Chaos Technique
Cost: 15m, 1wp; Mins: Larceny 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 7, -2 DV) Keywords: Fate, Obvious, Prayer Strip, Sanction, Shaping Duration: Varies Prerequisite Charms: Masque of the Uncanny, Sidereal Shell Games, Dream Confiscation Approach, Broken Threads Method, Honorable Thief Spirit
"To know the world is to serve it," they said.
The Vizier seals a bargain between Destiny and one of Creation's implacable enemies with a prayer strip on which is written the scripture of the Savory Maiden. The Sidereal must, as his part of the bargain, pick an individual within 10 miles of his location at the time of charm activation. The strip pulses with vivid blue, sickly green or pale white light as it affixes itself to the strand of the loom on which the victims destiny is written, metaphysically giving either the Wyld, the Yozi or the Neverborn influence over the bartered individuals destiny. In the moment when her life is bargained away, the victim can see the glowing prayer strip as though through the eyes of the Exalt; after this awareness fades the prayer strip finds an inconspicuous hiding place easily found only by the Sidereal.
The essence spent on this charm is not considered committed; the other party in the bargain is considered to pick up the metaphysical tab. Until the Prayer Strip is destroyed, the subject is plagued with the attention of whichever force the Vizier bargained with. She is burdened by the attention of Raksha and Wyld-tainted Mutants, Demons and Yozi Cultists, or Ghosts and the machinations of the Deathlords. Over time the twisted destiny affects the victim mentally and physically as well; those traded to the Wyld become manic and prone to the delusion, while the Underworld produces a mixture of obsessions and crushing ennui and Hell tends to spiral straight away to pure sociopathy. Physical mutations, when and if they occur, tend to be mild yet striking and cause additional discord within the victims already greatly disturbed life.
Though the victim might disagree, the bargain the Sidereal has entered into is stacked in Creation's favor. Even absent the Chosen simply using his victim as a stalking goat against Creation's Enemies, the Maidens receive the better end of the deal. Each month the victim remains outside the jurisdiction of Destiny, the Wyld gives a little of itself back to Creation, the bonds holding the Yozi become a bit stronger or the day when Oblivion finally stands triumphant is pushed back a little more. Despite this the Bargain is never rejected; the Wyld lacks the capacity, while the Yozi and the Neverborn simply can't resist the opportunity to earn even a little ultimately insignificant revenge upon Creation. Still, those Sidereals that use this charm too much earn the particular Ire of some of Creation's enemies, most especially if they work too hard to deny the fallen Primordials their amusements. Still, even with the bargain stacked so heavily in their favor, this charm is not without danger.
Each month the victim remains so cursed, he rolls (Intelligence + Lore) to better understand what is happening to him. This extended roll has a final cumulative difficulty of 18; after achieving six successes the individual realizes the significance of the Prayer Strip he saw when the charm was activated and that it was within 10 miles, after twelve successes he knows approximately where the Prayer Strip was at that time and has a good idea of how to find it, and after reaching the cumulative difficulty the individual understands that the Exalt who cursed him no longer has any real control over the Curse. If an individual so armed can claim his Prayer Strip, he can either destroy it and end the curse or attain metaphysical ownership over his condition. In the latter case the individual continues to be marked by the Charms power, but is no longer cursed, instead benefiting from his association. If she's able to reach a highly placed servitor of the faction claiming her (one of the Unshaped, a Demon of the Third Circle, one of the Deathlords), she can often go on to become a real threat to Creation. Sidereals that abuse the Charm in this fashion often receive audits.
No matter how deeply the victim falls into the clutches of forces beyond Creation, however, he is always one of Fate's own. She is never considered Outside of Fate for the purposes of Sidereal Charms, and in fact Sidereal Charms are especially good at both dictating and predicting the actions of such a tainted individual. Increase the willpower cost for the tainted victim to resist any Unnatural Mental Influence caused by Sidereal Charms by one, and add two successes to any rolls made by the Chosen of Destiny to predict the tainted individuals actions with charms
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