Anima

By Jay Knioum (madafro@trip.net) for the Codex of Whispers

Description

An ancient Discipline created by Cainites now known only to legend, Anima enables a vampire to perceive, communicate with, and even seize control of the spirits inherent in all things. This Discipline builds upon the belief that all things have a sort of spiritual energy, or are actually alive. Trees, rocks, buildings, even entire cities have an Anima, and this Discipline can tap into that spirit.

* Anima Sight

This most rudimentary skill in Anima allows the vampire to perceive the existence and general nature about the Anima of a person, place, or thing. Similar to and more widespread than Aura Sight, but less potent, the vampire may get an empathic sense from just about anything. The Anima sensed will "feel" differently depending on what has happened to the object, person, or in the place in the past. The most powerful emotional occurrence will always be reflected in the Anima. For example, a wedding ring may have an Anima of joy and love (reflected by the wedding) or sorrow and betrayal (if the marriage ended in bitter divorce). Or, a mansion may have an Anima of proud nobility, while a burned-out orphanage or prison may have a feeling of fear and hopelessness.

System: The Cainite must roll Perception + Empathy, difficulty depending on the force of the Anima in question. A brand-new ballpoint pen with no previous owners would be a 10, while a bed from a Nazi concentration camp would have a 5. The number of successes reveals how much information is gleaned from the Sight. One success would reveal only fleeting glimpses of emotion, while five would yield a tapestry of experience throughout the subject's existence. However, only emotions and feelings are revealed, never anything more concrete than that. This power does not reveal supernatural origins, specific deeds or details, or anything other than raw emotion.

The power can be used on any object or area up to a moderate-sized building. However, the larger the area, the more jumbled and confusing the information will be.

** Speak to the Silent Creature

The vampire may speak to anything alive, but not actually self-aware. For purposes of this power, "self-aware" is any creature of human intelligence upward. In other words, the Cainite may converse telepathically with animals, plants, even fungus. The power even imbues the subject with limited intelligence, so that fairly detailed questions may be asked. However, the plant or creature so questioned cannot converse on any topic outside their direct experience; trees don't watch the news.

System: The vampire spends a Blood Point and rolls Perception + Animal Ken, difficulty 6 for animals, 8 for plants or fungus. The power lasts for a scene, but only one animal or plant may be affected per use.

It must be pointed out that this power is not Animalism. Animals or plants don't feel especially compelled to be friendly to the vampire, but they are rendered capable of communicating.

*** Speak to the Stone

This power is exactly like Speak to the Silent Creature, except now the vampire may actually communicate with the Anima inherent in inanimate, nonliving objects and material. As above, the object is granted limited intelligence and may communicate with the Cainite by telepathy. As above, the object may only report on matters within its direct experience (although with objects like computers, especially ones with modems, this is quite a bit of information).

**** Marionette

The vampire may manipulate the Anima of objects, causing them to move of their own accord, subject only to the limitations of their shape and function. The vampire may cause a crane to start up and lift a car, or may cause a generator to stop functioning.

System: The vampire spends a point of Willpower and must make an Intelligence + whatever Talent, Skill or Knowledge is most appropriate to the item being manipulated. Thus, if the vampire is manipulating a Computer Anima, then the Computer Talent is most useful. The difficulty is 8. Since the vampire is actually making use of the object's latent spiritual essence, it may or may not require her complete concentration to act. If only one success is scored, the object moves only as the vampire directly wills. Otherwise, it sits there. Five successes mean it is all but free-willed and self-aware, and may follow complex commands that the vampire need not remain to oversee.

The power's effect lasts until the dawn.

***** Awaken

The vampire can fully awaken the Anima of an inanimate object. In essence, the object becomes a thinking, sentient being with its own Nature and Demeanor. The Awakening is performed by "feeding" the object some of the Cainite's own vitae, so that the new awakened item is for all intents and purposes, a ghoul. The awakened object requires regular feeding of vitae to survive, or else it "dies" and becomes dumb once again.

As with other powers that animate objects, the object may only move as its form allows.

With this power, a vampire may own an intelligent car or motorcycle, even capable of independent movement. She may also have a "smart" computer that can code or hack all on its own. Better yet, since the awakened item is fed a steady diet of the vampire's blood, it is considered Blood-bound. Lastly, the object can communicate telepathically with the vampire that Awakened it. It can communicate with others only to the limit of its form. Therefore, a car could show displeasure by slamming its hood down on someone's head, while a computer could communicate very effectively by simply creating a message on its monitor.

The downside to this is that awakened objects are fiercely protective of their "domitors." They are insanely jealous, and may even seek to harm or kill any other person that the vampire pays attention to.

As for Traits, the object is granted such purely at the Storyteller's discretion. A computer would probably have high Intelligence, while a truck would have a high Strength and Stamina.

System: The vampire must spend between one and five Blood Points, depending on the size of the object to be awakened, as well as a Willpower point. Then, the vampire must roll Perception + Empathy, difficulty 9. The number of successes gives a rough indicator as to the intelligence of the awakened object. One success means the object is about as smart as a dog. Five indicates near-genius intellect.

****** Possession

The vampire may actually transfer her own Anima into a plant, animal, or even inanimate object, thereby animating the object and using it as a body.

System: The vampire spends a Willpower point and rolls Stamina + Appropriate Talent, Skill, or Knowledge with a difficulty of 9. Success means the vampire has transferred her Anima into the object, and can now move about and perform actions limited by the object's form. The vampire's body enters torpor until the vampire returns her Anima to it. The vampire's presence in the object may only be detected by Aura Sight (Level Two Auspex), and five successes are required on the roll. Garou Theurges are also able to discern the possession, but may not know it is a vampire locked inside the object or animal.

The vampire may remain in her new "body" as long as she likes. However, she is not aware of anything happening to her true body while she is possessing the object. In addition, the vampire may not make use of any Disciplines that require Blood expenditure, as she is effectively cut off from her supply of vitae. She may return to her body at any time, and from any distance.