Chapter Five: Metaphysics

 

 

Shadows. They grow deeper as I walk down the beach. The ocean, the symbol of eternity, licks the shore in relentless hunger. The moon hides her face. The pain has been growing sever. I’m using it to find him, to get nearer to him. If he’s alive, I’ll kill him. If he’s dead, I’ll…

He’s not dead.

I feel dizzy. As I start to stagger I feel the surf wash over my feet. A sudden stab of pain punches through my stomach. I double over. I retch. Gold surges out of my throat and hisses as it sinks into the cold water. I cry out and fall to my knees. Wave after wave after wave of agony pounds through my body, like this relentless ocean. I clench my jaws closed. I clench my teeth so hard a pain springs up from between my eyes…

“Open your mouth, whore!” the blacksmith mutters, grimacing as he pinches both sides of my jaw. I fight to keep them clenched, blood running down my cheek. The King stands by, his eyes gleaming with amusement. His white teeth shine in the firelight. Perfect teeth, so rare for this age. The Bright Blood courses through his whole being. Another forceful slap causes my ears to ring. Now the Blacksmith is fumbling for a tool to pry my mouth open. “My lord,” he snarls. “I’ll smash out her teeth and then open it.’

“Not necessary.” The King smiles. He walks over and touches my throat where a necklace containing my vox is suspended. I struggle all the more as his fingers caress the hard crystalline reed. I feel that touch through my whole being. There are a hundred hands stroking me, inside and out, but all are just a single hand touching the core of Me. The Vox. The part of me I most hate and most love.

“I wish…” he whispers, gripping the vox between his thumb and index finger, massaging it.

“NO!” I scream, feeling the vox respond to him, feeling my innate power creeping up out of me and spinning around his arm.

“I wish for you to open your mouth as wide as you can, and keep it open until the sun rises,” he intones.

Silence falls.

There is a pause as reality takes a breath. Then, the power responds. My mouth opens, expanding to its furthest limits. My muscles relax. I am paralysed by his symbiosis with me, his control of my power.

“Bring her reward,” he motions, tracing a finger around my lips.

I see them coming. It takes three of them to heft the cauldron. I feel its heat as it grows closer, see molten gold slop over the edge as one of them stumbles. Terror rises in me. Voices scream in my mind, other parts of me buried in this new identity.

“A woman, Immortal or no, should know how to keep her place,” he says in a conversational tone. Not you. Dabbler in enchantments and treachery. You tried to own the heart of the High King and failed. You couldn’t even win the heart of the King’s servant. You want your gold? Let it not be said my word is not good to even the lowest whore in the land. My word, like my justice, will outlive me. Make sure she gets all of her payment!”

I cannot forget the sight of the gold. Bright, flowing, gold as the blood of the sun pouring into my throat, down into my stomach.”

“Curse you, witch.” He murmurs. “Curse you to the hell of your own greed.”

It pours.

It pours.

It

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Introduction

All Immortals still possess many of the old powers they wielded when mankind worshipped them as gods and legends. Power to destroy and heal with but a touch (and a generous expenditure of Essence). The powers inherent to Immortals belong to two separate categories: Natures and Serenades. Each represents the dichotomy Himsati Immortals are – part beast (even those made from the elements), part alien intelligence. The first are the Natures, special abilities granted by an Immortal’s original form, which appear are claws, fangs, wings, among others. The second are the Serenades, music created by the vibration of the Vox within the Immortal’s throat – which allow him to alter reality with a song.

Natures

Natures are the heritage an Immortal has from his original form, and the capabilities it had (most of the time, much superior to those of humans). They are activated without the need for a test or Essence expenditure – the Immortal only needs to shapeshift (partially) to activate any number of Natures – that only costs him one action. Shifting back is slightly more complicated, since it demands a Simple Intelligence Test for all activated Natures, or the same test with a –1 penalty for each activated Nature if the Immortal tries to revert from all natures at the same time (see p. xx for more information on shapeshifting).

General Natures

Alternative Language (Type), Commune With Species (Type), Terrible Countenance, Natural Weaponry (Type).

Elemental Natures

Wishgiving, Synthesis (Type).

Natural Natures

Balance, Beauty.

Type-specific Natures
Air Elemental: Blur, Deafen, Discorporate Form, Flight, Poison.
Amphibian / Reptile: Aquatic, Camouflage, Mesmerize, Poison, Regrowth.
Bird: Deafen, Enhanced Senses, Flight, Haste, Mimicry.
Earth Elemental: Armour, Blur, Burrowing, Charge, Discorporate Form.
Fire Elemental: Bioluminescence, Beauty, Blur, Haste, Mesmerize.
Insect / Arachnid: Clinging, Blood Drain, Flight, Multiple Limbs, Poison.
Mammal: Armour, Charge, Blood Drain, Enhanced Senses, Estrus.
Marine Animal: Aquatic, Bioluminescence, Breathe Water, Echo Location, Multiple Limbs.
Plant: Armour, Burrowing, Clinging, Poison, Synthesis (Earth).
Shadow Elemental: Blur, Clinging, Discorporate Form, Flight, Haste.
Water Elemental: Aquatic, Armour, Beauty, Breathe Water, Discorporate Form.

Natures Description

The following Natures are organized alphabetically, and each includes a description of the Nature as well as the system rules for using it. To know if a Himsati form has access to a Nature or not, check on the charts above.

Some Natures are upgradeable; therefore they can be increased like a skill. When such is the case, it will be indicated next to the name of the Nature. During Character Creation, it is possible to purchase more Natures with either Metaphysical or Memory Points – each point in a Nature costs 5 points per level. Afterwards, the cost to increase a Nature is the same in Memory points, but it costs the next level x 5 Experience Points (raising a Nature from 3 to 4 costs, therefore, 20 XPs). Purchasing a new Nature costs 30 XPs.

Alternative Language (Type): Upgradeable

The character produces a form of communication other than the normal sonic forms. Examples include pheromones (odour), colour shifting of the skin, highly evolved body language, or subsonic vocals. This form of language cannot be deciphered by anyone who does not possess an equal or superior level in this specific Nature, or a superior level in the Enhanced Senses Nature (the sense must match the language type).

Starting Level: 5 skill levels. Each upgrade adds +3 to the skill rating.

Aquatic

The Immortal ignores all penalties caused by water or by being underwater, and is also immune to deep-sea pressure while using this Nature.

Armour: Upgradeable

This Nature protects the Immortal in the same way as normal armour. It may show up as anything, from a layer of fur and fat, to a chitinous layer, to actual stone.

Starting Level: 1
1 – Leather Jacket: 1D4
2 – Leather Armour: 1D6 + 1
3 – Class I Armour: 1D6 + 7
4 – Class II Armour: (1D6 x 2) + 14
5 – Class III Armour: (1D8 x 3) + 18
6 – Class IV Armour: (1D8 x 5) +20

Balance

Immortals with this Nature disregard all penalties related to balance and poor footing, such as being or fighting in narrow ledges, etc.

Beauty: Upgradeable

Everyone in view of this Immortal is awed by his presence and beauty. Therefore, anyone attempting to directly harm him must pass a Difficult Willpower test (with –1 penalty for each level the character possesses in this nature).

Starting Level: This Nature grants +5 to both Attractiveness and Charisma per level. Each upgrade adds a +5 bonus.

Bioluminescence

The Immortal’s body glows brightly, both blinding his opponents and negating all darkness-related penalties.

System: When this nature is used to blind someone, everybody around the Immortal must pass a Difficult Constitution Test, or be blinded during (5 – Constitution) turns (minimum 1 turn). After that, and for the remainder of the scene, all sight-related Perception Tests are made with a –3 penalty.

Blood Drain: Upgradeable

Many creatures feed on the blood of others. Some do it for the nutrients; others can taste the fear in their prey. This Nature is used as weapon Nature, but it can be used to get a quick “fix” of Essence (in a Vampyre-like manner – refer to the Mystery Codex p. 103, for more on the dangers – or benefits – of feeding from someone’s blood just in order to get at their Essence.)

System: In order for this to work, the Immortal but have immobilized his victim (if the victim is unwilling) the turn before. Then, the Immortal attempts to bite – he may now opt to deliver damage or to steal Essence (if the victim is human, she will receive damage from blood loss, however). Each turn the victim is allowed to make a resisted test against the Immortal, in order to get free. For each two points of damage that the victim would receive, the Immortal can instead get 1 Essence point straight to his Essence Pool. This is also one quick way for an Immortal to recover his Essence Pool after he became Tainted, due to Serenade use (see p. xx).

Starting Level: 1

1 – 1D4 x Strength damage / turn
2 – 1D6 x Strength damage / turn
3 – 1D8 x Strength damage / turn
4 – 1D10 x Strength damage / turn
5 – 1D12 x Strength damage / turn

Blur: Upgradeable

Anyone trying to detect or fight against the Immortal with this Nature has great difficulty to do so, as his form fades and loses definition.

System: Each upgrade on this Nature makes it harder to hit or even notice the Immortal with it, as each level gives a penalty to his opponent’s tests.

Starting Level: -1 to hit in combat, -2 to detect. Each further level adds a –1/-2 penalty.

Breathe Water

The Immortal can breathe underwater.

Burrowing

This Nature allows Immortals to move through the earth.

System: The Immortal moves through packed dirt at a speed equal to normal walking. It is also possible to burrow through harder substances, such as concrete or asphalt (Chronicler’s discretion). A burrowing Immortal could also carve out an underground cavern using this trait at a rate of one comfortable room per day.

Camouflage

Immortals with this Nature are extremely difficult to find as their skin changes colour and apparent texture to match their surroundings.

System: When in combat with an Immortal with this Nature, the opponent receives a –2 penalty (multiply the penalty by 2 for each range distance) to hit. If the Immortal is not making any aggressive actions, the penalty will be of –5 (still subject to increase due to distance), and if the Immortal is totally immobile, the penalty is of –10.

Charge: Upgradeable

Everything in the path of an Immortal with this Nature is promptly destroyed, as he rushes at full speed into the fray.

System: If a character with this Nature runs at full speed into combat, he can add additional damage from his charge. No weapons can be used, however. It is possible to charge again in later turns, but the character must withdraw at least 20 yards to do so.

Starting Level: 1
1 – 1D4 x Strength damage
2 – 1D6 x Strength damage
3 – 1D8 x Strength damage
4 – 1D10 x Strength damage
5 – 1D12 x Strength damage /

Clinging

Much like insects, spiders or even plants do, Immortals with this Nature can cling to walls and other vertical surfaces (or even upside-down horizontal surfaces), and move about without problems.

System: The Immortal may stick to walls and ceilings, and move at normal speed or even fight without penalties.

Commune With Species (Type)

The Immortal can engage in normal conservation and use all his social skills with other members of his Himsati type (animals, plants or elementals).

Deafen

With this Nature, the character unleashes a powerful roar or cry that startles his opponents.

System: Everyone around the Immortal must pass a Resisted Constitution test against the Immortal, or be dazed for (10 – Constitution) turns.

Discorporate Form: Upgradeable

The character can render himself into an unsolid form, be it liquid gas, light, shadow or some other intangible substance.

System: Since this form is intangible, only mystical artefacts, Serenades, Essence draining attacks or Attack Natures with a superior rating to this Immortal’s (such as Natural Weaponry) can truly hurt him.

Starting Level: 1 (only Attack Natures of level 2 can cause wounds).

Echo Location

This Nature rends the Immortal immune to any penalties that affect the senses, as long as his hearing is not impaired.

Enhanced Senses (Type): Upgradeable

Immortals with this Nature have particularly developed senses.

System: Each level in this Nature gives a +2 bonus to any Perception Tasks related to that sense.

Estrus: Upgradeable

After physically touching his target, the character can secretes a powerful aphrodisiacal pheromone that is chemically keyed to the target.

System: The target must make a Difficult Willpower test to resist carnal desires for the character. The character has not control over the target or how she will deal with her desires, however.

Starting Level: -1 penalty to the target’s Difficult Willpower Test. Each level in this Nature adds –1 to the penalty.

Flight

The character can fly (possible without wings, depending on the Himsati form) and fight without penalties while doing so.

Haste: Upgradeable

Characters with this Nature are quick-witted and fast on their feet, almost as if reacting by instinct to the danger even before it is there.

System: This Nature gives a bonus to the character’s Initiative.

Starting Level: + 2 to Initiative. Each further upgrade gives a cumulative +2 bonus to the Initiative Test.

Mesmerize: Upgradeable

An Immortal with this Nature can hypnotise with his eyes or body movement, making his victims to fall under a kind of stupor, which prevents her from taking any other action than to look at the Immortal.

System: By making a resisted Willpower Test against the victim, the Immortal can force her into doing nothing but stare at him. If the Immortal makes any aggressive or sudden gestures, however, the target is freed at once.

Starting Level: +1 Bonus to the Immortal’s Resisted Willpower Roll.

Mimicry: Upgradeable

This Nature allows the Immortal to recreate any sound he has heard, except Serenades.

System: Anyone listening to the Immortal must make a Resisted Intelligence Test with him, in order to realize she’s not listening to the real thing.

Starting Level: +1 Bonus to the Immortal’s Resisted Intelligence Test. Each further level adds +1 to the Bonus.

Multiple Limbs: Upgradeable

This Nature enables characters to sprout extra limbs when shapeshifting.

System: Each pair of limbs allows an extra action per turn. Of course, there is still an off-hand, which can be used normally with the same penalties of using an off-hand and multiple actions.

Starting Level: 1 extra pair of limbs. Each upgrade grants 1 extra pair of limbs.

Natural Weaponry (Type): Upgradeable

The Immortal’s body sprouts weapons: claws, fangs, a flame-engulfed limb or even a stone- or ice-formed blade.

System: These natural weapons vary accordingly to the Himsati form, and can be used together with Brawling or Martial Arts.

Starting Level: 1
1 – 1D4 x Strength lethal damage
2 – 1D4 x (Strength + 1) lethal damage
3 – 1D6 x Strength lethal damage
4 – 1D8 x Strength lethal damage
5 – 1D10 x Strength lethal damage

Poison (Type): Upgradeable

This Immortal has the capability of secreting a poisonous substance and using it against his foes.

System: The Immortal must choose how his poison is delivered (most commonly by wounding the opponent with Natural Weaponry or any other Himsati-enhanced attack ability; spat venom causes the damage per turn, but as soon as it is cleaned off, it stops having effect), then deliver it by the chosen means.

Level Damage Duration Poison Strength Constitution Penalty to Resist

1 1D4 2 days 1 -1

2 1D6 2 days 2 -2

3 1D8 1 days 3 -3

4 1D10 2 days 4 -4

5 1D12 5 days 5 -5

Regrowth

Even if an Immortal loses one or more of his limbs, they will grow back as soon as he recovers all his Life, Endurance and Essence points. With this Nature, however, the Immortal is able of doing it if he takes no action for an entire turn. This includes limbs grown by the Multiple Limbs Nature.

Synthesis (Type): Upgradeable

The character with this Nature has an element that accelerates his healing.

System: When in contact with his element of choice, the healing rates (for Endurance, Essence and Life points) will much faster.

Starting Level: 1
1 – 75% of the total time
2 – 50% of the total time
3 – 30% of the total time
4 – 20% of the total time
5 – 10% of the total time

Terrible Countenance: Upgradeable

The Immortal becomes terrible to gaze upon, inducing ancient fears of predatory creatures.

System: The target (can be more than one) must make a Resisted Willpower Test against the Immortal not to run away. When there are multiple targets, the one with highest Willpower makes the test.

Starting Level: -2 to the target’s test. Each additional level adds a -2 to the test.

Wishgiving

This Nature is always active, regardless of shapeshifting. It is only allowed to Elementals, however.

Elementals have trouble voicing their Serenades since their Vox is not within their bodies. An Elemental’s connection to his Vox is spiritual; therefore, he has the power to let humans voice their wishes through his Vox, just by touching it. An Immortal cannot use this Nature himself – it must be a mortal (not a Vampyre or a Demon) to do it.

System: The power and scope of a wish depends on the mortal’s Willpower rating, but it’s up to the Immortal whether to grant it or not. The Elemental must make a difficult Willpower test when creating the wish. On a final result of 1 or less, the wish is horribly distorted, maybe even becoming dangerous for both mortal and Immortal. Any other result means the wish is granted

Rating: Wish ranks go from 1 to 6, and are based solely on the mortal’s Willpower, as follows:
1 – Trivial (Willpower 1-2) – The wish creates a harmless special effect with no particular game effect. It is apparent only to those looking for an action or effect.
2 – Minor (Willpower 3-4) – The wish is invasive but ignorable. Increases existing penalties for the duration of a scene.
3 – Significant (Willpower 5) – The wish alters major setting details such as NPCs, props, possessions, the setting’s description or the Immortal himself. It is inconvenient but not often lethal. This change will usually last only to the end of the game session.
4 – Major (Willpower 6) – The wish alters major setting detail in potentially dangerous ways that may last for several sessions.
5 – Mythic (Willpower 7) – The wish changes the world in a notable and possible permanent way. A wish with mythic influence would include setting off a nuclear device in a population centre, or sending a computer virus to infect every computer in a continent.
6 – Godlike (Willpower 8) – The wish changes the world in an extreme manner, redefining what we know asreality. Examples include the erasing of the identify of a person from the minds and history books of the human race, bringing an imaginary character to life as a real person, or summoning a plague to spread through the entire world.

Serenades

When a shard of the Sanguinary invades a living thing, it enters a chrysalis stage and emerges as a reed-like organism, crystalline in form and indestructible: this is called a Vox. In the case of living things (the Naturals) the shard becomes a vocal chord the newly emerging Immortal can use to create mystic effects, a voice of power. Non-organic Immortals (the Elementals) can resonate their Vox from a distance since it remains always apart from them. It takes more effort for an Elemental to use their mystic voice, and they always have, therefore, a -2 penalty in each Serenade they perform.

Because the presence of the Vox telepathically opens the senses of the Immortals to the true nature of the universe, they use it to imitate the celestial din and thus shape the Essence matrix, very much like a Gifted does. Such is the origin of the serenade, the ability to change reality with a whisper, a muttered word, or a song. The discovery of this ability nearly destroyed the Immortals, as serenades became the ultimate weapon against each other during the Shouting War, a confrontation that nearly wiped out the entire Immortal race.

Unlike the Gifted, the Immortals do not have problems overcoming human disbelief, so they do not suffer from the crowd effect. However, altering reality does take its toll, and when an Immortal uses Serenades while on the Earth plane he can be sensed by anyone who is Essence-aware within a radius of 1 city block, approximately – which includes, of course, the servants of the Enemy.

Tainting and Sinning

There is an additional danger to using Serenades: Tainting – when an Immortal rolls a 1 on a Serenade Test, he immediately makes a new Serenade Test (without applying the Rule of 1). If the second test is successful, then the Serenade merely fails, as the Immortal is unable of shifting the Essence Matrix (no Dispel Task is necessary); but should the second test fail, then something goes wrong with the Serenade, to the point of warping reality – and backlashing on the Immortal – who is now Tainted. For each time this happens, the Immortal loses temporarily 1 Willpower point. Should an Immortal’s Willpower rating ever reach 0, he will not be able of performing Serenades until he has brought that attribute up to 1 at least. While an Immortal is Tainted, all the Sanguinary’s minions will feel it (and thus guess the Immortal’s true nature) while in his presence.

The only way to recover the lost Willpower rating and lose the Taint is by Sinning: stealing permanent Essence from willing (or unwilling) humans. When an Immortal Sins, he and the victim make a Resisted Willpower Test (if the victim is willing, then, the Immortal has a +3 bonus on the roll). For each Success Level the Immortal has above the victim, he receives 1 Essence Point, which, instead of going to his Essence Pool, starts feeding his depleted Willpower. Each 5 Essence Points retrieved thus give the Immortal minus one Taint level and one Willpower point.

Stealing Essence from a mortal (no matter how willing) is a terrible experience, for the Immortal is actually stealing part of the mortal’s soul. And reality exacts a price for that vile act: Curses. The more an Immortal Sins, the more strange things around or with him start to happen: mirrors break, statues cry tears of blood, thunder crashes when he speaks (see Appendix 2 for some more examples on Curses). The truth is that such Curses are very annoying and can even be dangerous for the Immortal and those around him. It’s up to the Chronicler to decide the seriousness of the Curse, and for how long it will plague the Immortal; usually, the Immortal suffers from a Curse for (1 + Stolen Essence Points) weeks (of course, some Immortals prefer to steal just a little Essence at a time and endure lesser Curses for shorter periods of time) – nonetheless, it is also possible for an Immortal to suffer from a Curse for years, decades and even centuries, if his Sinning was serious enough.

Using Serenades

Serenades are used much as any other Skills, by making a Serenade + Willpower Test. If the target of a Serenade is the Immortal himself, an inanimate object, or a spiritless creature (such as the Progeny), the test is made against a target number of 9 (the normal target number). If other kinds of creatures are being targeted – such as humans, vampyres, etc. – there are always Serenades that demand a Resisted Test between the two. When a target is willing, then, the difficulty to make the Serenade work on her is her Willpower Rating x 2. All Serenades are accompanied by “visual” effects that better suit the Immortal style, but that does not imply any necessary changes.

It is possible for Immortals to conduct group magic with Serenades – this is called a “Choir”. However, in order for an Immortal to participate in a Choir, he must know the Serenade, otherwise, he won’t be able of participating nor donating his Essence. The leader of the group magic is always the Immortal with the higher rating in the Serenade.

Abbadon

Example Effects: Lightning bolts, fireballs, legions of insects, spontaneous combustion, hoards of animals, etc.

The Immortal can hurl damaging energies at an opponent's Life or Essence Points, or even against an inanimate object.

System: For 5 Essence Points, the Immortal sends a wave of destructive energy, which causes D6 x Willpower Rating of the Immortal, with a reach of 10 yards (meters) per Willpower level. For 1 Essence Point, the Immortal can increase the reach and the Multiplier by 1. Attacking multiple foes costs plus 1 Essence per extra target.

Allure

Target Defence: Resisted Perception Test of the target against the Serenade Test.

The Immortal can create a variety of phantasmal effects that do not truly exist, and given enough skill and Essence, they can be even fully interactive (although no real damage can come from such an illusion). When trying to affect more than one people, the resisted test is made against the person with the highest Perception. This Serenade is particularly useful when Immortals need to run around carrying strange items such as swords and battleaxes.

System: Each Illusion costs 1 Essence Point per cubic foot, and lasts for 5 minutes, unless the Immortal pays for the cost multiple times, in order for it to last longer. The complexity of the illusion depends on the Essence invested on it – the final cost of the illusion is always calculated by multiplying the base cost by the correspondent multiplier.

Level:      Result:                                                          Multiplier:

0             Static; sensed by one sense only.                         1

1             Slightly mobile; sensed by two senses                  2

2             Moderately mobile, sensed by three senses          4

3             Mobile/slightly interactive; affects four senses       6

4             Moderately interactive; affects all five senses        8

5             Fully interactive                                                      10

Brio

Example Effects: Despair, hope, joy, love, fear, anger, jealousy, hate, happiness, sadness, greed, etc.

Target Defence: The target must pass a Difficult Willpower test, with a –1 penalty for each Success Level the Immortal achieved in the Serenade Test, in order not to be swept by his emotions.

The purpose of this Serenade is to alter and influence moods, emotions, feelings, etc. Please notice that this a subtle Serenade, since it cannot alter at a moment’s notice hatred to love, joy to despair and so on. It can however influence or increase feelings that already exist (envy can become hatred, for instances) or even to create them if the target isn’t feeling any particular emotion at the time (such as making someone dislike someone he has just met; it is not possible to make him hate the other, however).

System: This Serenade costs 1 Essence Point per target, if the target is already leaning towards that emotion; 2 Essence Points if he wasn’t feeling anything in particular, and 5 Essence or more if the target was feeling the exact opposite of what the Immortal wants him to feel.

Cantabile

This Serenade was created with a single purpose: counter-magic. With Cantabile, it is possible to unweave Spells, Miracles, etc. before they are cast, as long as they are targeting someone else than the caster (for instance, it is possible to counter the Miracle Holy Fire, but the Strength of Ten is not).

System: The Immortal must make a Serenade test against the opponent’s test (if no test is required for the power, then, the opponent makes a Simple Willpower Test, instead). If the Immortal manages to have a higher result, then, he effectively counters the magical effect and nothing happens.

Gremlin

This Serenade enables the Immortal to control inanimate objects such as computers, cars, ATM machines, bicycles, phones, locks, lights, cameras, doors, windows, etc., and forces it to do his bidding. The Immortal must consciously control this effect, using an action to force the inanimate to perform actions or (in the case of machines) to cause them to change actions. A bicycle could be made to go down the street on its own, or a microwave could suddenly turn on and activate at different temperatures. A television set could turn on and flip channels by itself. A computer could access the internet by itself and browse web pages and send email, just by the Immortal thinking about it. A lock could lock and unlock by mere thought. Ropes could untie themselves. However, objects under the control of Gremlin have no life of their own and can only function in ways they are meant to, so the Immortal must consciously direct the item. Items also cannot be forced to do things that their form and function don't normally allow. A toaster could not be used as a television set. Broken items can be made to work normally, (hence the strange view of a car going down the road on only 3 wheels but reacting as if it had all 4).

System: To control an inanimate object costs 5 Essence Points, multiplied by the complexity level multiplier. This power lasts for an entire scene.

Complexity: Type of Objects: Multiplier:

0 Simple items, no working parts 1

1 Mechanically complex items 2

2 Simple electric items 4

3 Electronic devices 6

4 Complex electronic devices with

internal systems 8

5 Very complex/large items with

many electronic devices 10

Iris

This Serenade allows an Immortal to work with senses other than their own. It does not create new ones, but simply borrows them from another being or object that was at a determined place. This can also be used by an Immortal to "leave" a number of senses in a location

System: Iris has a base cost of 5, but it must be multiplied by the due factor, depending on the distance (if the Immortal is leaving her senses behind) or time (if he is watching the past through another’s senses). This power lasts for an entire scene.

Level: Distance / Time: Multiplier:

0 Room / 1 day 1

1 Building / 1 month 2

2 City / 1 year 4

3 Region / 10 years 6

4 Country / 1 century 8

5 Otherworlds / 1 millennia 10

Malekin

Through this serenade the Immortal can control and command a spiritual being. There are many ways to do so, however – a spirit can be coerced or reasoned with, or even bribed. The Immortal must decide how he desires to act towards the spirit. Summoning and banishing spirits is also possible with this Serenade.

System: Summoning a Spirit costs 5 Essence Points plus 1/5 of the total Essence Pool of the Spirit (if the Spirit does not wish to be summoned, he may choose to resist, by making a Simple Willpower Roll against the Immortal’s Serenade Test). Banishing it (if the Immortal chooses to do it the “right” way) costs 1/3 of the Spirit’s Essence Pool – it can resist, however, with a Simple Willpower test. After summoning the Spirit, the Immortal states his request – from this point on, they can either enter an agreement, or the Immortal may try to force it: in both cases, the Immortal pays 10 Essence Points – if the spirit breaches the contract, he his banished instantly, and loses the 10 points, as well as 5 of his own – permanently. If the spirit resists, then there is a Resisted Willpower Test between the two – if the Immortal wins, he can command the spirit at will (less than self-harm or destruction) for a period of 1 + difference in the Success Levels hours. Afterwards, the Immortal should be ready for some retribution from an angry spirit (unless he can talk or cajole himself of it – of course, banishing the spirit is also an option).

Memoir

Target Defence: Resisted Simple Intelligence Test.

This serenade allows in Immortal to create, change, delete, or control thoughts. This does not control emotional reactions to those thoughts, nor feelings in any way. However, this serenade does not control the reaction to the new or changed thought. If someone's favourite colour is red and the Immortal changes it to blue, the target will have some amount of confusion why he suddenly has decided his favourite colour is blue.

System: Firstly, this power is never permanent – unless the Immortal constant adds Essence to the effect, the maximum this power will last is one year. Secondly, an Immortal can never order the target to cause serious harm to herself. And lastly, it is never possible to make someone forget something vital, such as breathing or eating.

To alter a simple thought (“My favourite colour is red”) costs 1 Essence point. More complex thoughts (“I don’t need to see your papers…”) cost 3 Essence points. Truly important thoughts go up to 5 Essence points (such as making a Gifted forget he can do magic). Multiplying the cost accordingly to the following chart can increase the duration of the effect:

Level: Time: Multiplier:

0 1 turn 1

1 1 hour 2

2 1 day 4

3 1 week 6

4 1 month 8

5 1 year 10

Nostrum

This enables an Immortal to heal damage done to a creature or object.

System: For each Essence point the Immortal spends, the healed creature recovers 1 Life Point. When repairing an object, each spent Essence Point returns +2 points to the Damage Capacity of the object. If in any case, a piece of the object (or person) is missing, the Immortal may opt to spend between 5 and 20 Essence points (depending on the size of the missing piece) to regrow a new one. However, the Serenade will last for at least one entire hour, instead of being instantly, as in the first case.

Orisha

This allows an Immortal to gain knowledge from possible the possible future – it is not precise, and often contradictory, as it presents one (or several) possible and probable futures

System: The Immortal must spend 5 Essence Points and enter a trance-like state (if he doesn’t have the Trance Skill, then he must make a Difficult Intelligence Test) and then roll for the Serenade. The higher the Success Level, the more exact and farther into the future the predictions will be. Of course, the Chronicler always decides what information to dispense.

Portal (Type)

Portal is a rare serenade, and one that Chroniclers should keep a careful watch on in their game. This serenade allows one to open passage into other "dimensions", as well as sense openings into those dimensions nearby and analyse them. A speciality must be chosen for each dimension that the song of

Portal will be used on. If one has the focus of mantles, than he cannot use portal to go into the Threshold, unless purchasing that speciality too.

System: When an Immortal is trying to open an existing portal, he must spend 25 Essence points and the portal will remain open for 1 minute per Success Level in the Serenade Test. When trying to travel through a portal, the Immortal must spend 20 Essence Points – for each person he wants to tag along, he must pay 10 extra Essence Points. It is also possible to close a portal, but both sides must make a Resisted Test. The Immortal uses his Willpower + Portal Serenade versus the adequate skill of the opponent (if she’s a Gifted, for instance, make it against her Willpower + Gateway Test). There are places such as the Kether or Binah, which are barred to the Earth, to which the Immortals have, therefore, no access. But is very common to hear of Immortals connected not only to the Mantles and Netzach, but also to the realm of Yesod, and even to Geburah.