Binding

By Ernie Sawyer (ernies@diamondmm.com) for the Mer

Description

The Mer have been studying the ways of the mind and the many ways to manipulate it for millenia. In addition to being very proficient at Sovereign and Chicanery, they have their own Art that explores the inner unknown.

At level four, Neptune's Eye manifests itself, becoming a third eye in the middle of the forehead. It is solid, not having a white, pupil, and iris. The color is determined by the Court the character follows and how strongly. White is unerringly Seelie and black is unforgivingly, chaotic Unseelie, and varying shades of blue give degrees. Use the Seelie Code and Unseelie "Code" (or Manifesto for Shadow Court members) to determine the shade. The stronger the dominant one is followed, the darker or lighter the color.

Attribute

Perception

* Gaia's Eyes

Gaia's Eyes allows the mer to perceive things through the target's senses. After success is determined, the caster chooses which senses he receives while the successes determine how many and how long.

Successes: One sense per success, maximum of five. Duration is ten minutes per success.

The Realm determines what the caster is seeing through the eyes of. Senses are not necessarily literal.

Actor: Who's senses are being perceived.

Fae: Who's senses are being perceived.

Nature: What's senses are being perceived.

Prop: What's senses are being perceived.

Scene: What location is being perceived. If scene is used, there may be problems due to overwhelming sensations. After determining success, roll Willpower (difficulty of cantrip successes + level of Scene being used; difficulty at least 3, not to exceed 10).

Time: Standard effect as per Changeling: The Dreaming 2nd Edition.

** Summon

This cantrip allows the caster to summon someone from afar. Use of this cantrip requires the use of two Realms (one for the target and one for the destination) and therefore a point of temporary Glamour must be spent (even if the target and destination Realms are the same). The target will do everything she can to get to you as soon as possible. Similar to the Level four vampiric Discipline Summon (see Vampire: The Masquerade).

Successes	Distance from target
1	100 feet
2	One mile
3	100 miles
4	1000 miles
5	Anywhere on earth

Actor: Who the target is/Who the destination is.

Fae: Who the target is/Who the destination is.

Nature: What the target is/What the destination is.

Prop: What the target is/What the destination is.

Scene: Where the target is/Where the destination is.

Time: Standard effect as per Changeling: The Dreaming 2nd Edition

*** Mind's Eye

Mind's Eye allows the mer to speak mentally to one or more people at a time, transferring conscious thought, emotions, and visual images instantly. With four or more successes the caster can read the mind of the target without the target consciously sending. With five or more successes thoughts and memories can be found without relying on what the target is currently thinking about. Adding additional people to the mental link will require a point of Glamour to be spent for each additional person (regardless of whether the Realms are different).

Successes	Effect	Duration
1	Allows the caster to send/receive visual images	One minute.
2	Allows the caster to send/receive emotions and visual images	Five minutes.
3	Allows the caster to send/receive thoughts, emotions and visual images	Fifteen minutes.
4	Allows the caster to send/receive/read thoughts, emotions and visual images	One hour.
5	Allows the caster to send/receive/read/scan memories, thoughts, emotions and visual images	One scene.

Actor: Who the target is.

Fae: Who the target is.

Nature: What the target is. Usually used on animals.

Prop: What the target is. Useful for communicating with artificial intelligences, learning what an automated Prop is doing/going to do, etc.

Scene: Where the target is.

Time: Standard effect as per Changeling: The Dreaming 2nd Edition

**** Neptune's Gaze

At this level, the mer may now do more than bring emotions out and read thoughts. They can heal scars in a person's psyche. This allows the caster to remove Bedlam, derangements, Quiet (see Mage: The Ascension), or bring someone out of frenzy (see Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse; also useable on the House Gwydion or House Scathach Flaws), psychological flaws (the character still must pay the required experience points to buy it off), stun damage, etc. This cantrip may never be used to remove House Flaws (with the above exception), Frailties, or any other equivalent weakness. Casting this cantrip can only be done once successfully to a single person. Failure to affect the target gains the caster one temporary point of Banality. Failing the cantrip gains the caster two temporary points of Banality and botching gains the caster three temporary points of Banality.

Successes: For each success the target's difficulty to resist frenzy lowers by one. Rage roll difficulties are increased by one.

For every two successes a First Threshold Bedlam trait can be removed. For every three successes a Second Threshold Bedlam trait can be removed. For every four successes a Third Threshold Bedlam trait can be removed. The target can resist with a Glamour roll (difficulty 8) to cancel successes from the cantrip.

For every two successes a derangement can be removed. The target can resist with a Willpower roll (difficulty 9) to cancel successes from the cantrip.

For every two successes a mage's Quiet pool is reduced by one. The target can resist with a Willpower roll (difficulty 9) to cancel successes from the cantrip.

Actor: Who the target is.

Fae: Who the target is.

Nature: What the target is. Usually used on animals.

Prop: This realm is not usually used with this Art.

Scene: This realm is not usually used with this Art.

Time: Standard effect as per Changeling: The Dreaming 2nd Edition.

***** Soulbind

Soulbind means just that. The caster can either possess a target or switch two different target's minds and bodies (two Realms). Possession leaves the caster's body vulnerable, in a coma-like state, and entirely unuseable by the caster as the caster is now in someone else's body. Resistance is possible with a roll of Willpower (difficulty 8).

Switching minds and bodies requires a point of Glamour to be spent (regardless of whether the Realms are different). Switching minds allows both targets to resist. This cantrip affects the function of objects and things that don't have a "mind".

Successes	Duration
1	One round/One minute.
2	Two rounds/Five minutes.
3	Three rounds/Fifteen minutes.
4	Four founds/One hour.
5	Five rounds/One scene.

Actor: Who the target is.

Fae: Who the target is.

Nature: What the target is.

Prop: What the target is.

Scene: Where the target needs to be for the cantrip to take effect.

Time: Standard effect as per Changeling: The Dreaming 2nd Edition.

Bunks

Bunks for the Art of Binding represent the insight and manipulation possible as well as adding classic and more modern methods of summoning, viewing, controlling and healing others.

*	Boink! - poke your target in the eyes with two fingers.
**	Ouwwch!! - poke yourself in the eyes with two fingers.
**	Be Healed! - Slap the forehead of your target and announce their change of mental condition.
***	Come'ere! - mime grabbing your target and declare a challenge.
****	Gift of an Idol - create a figurine of your target and give it to them.
*****	Declaration - Declare your actions and true intentions to a crowd.