(Melancholy Epiphling)
By Tod T. Fox (vulpine@pobox.com)
Willpower: | 4 |
Rage: | 2 |
Gnosis: | 10 |
Power: | 30 |
The Bittersweet epiphling is most commonly summoned when melancholy, happy-sad feelings are felt. It appears to feed on the emotions, and most strongly on tears and other emotions of release. The spirit will use its various Charms in order to bring on these emotions; its actions, however, rarely seem malicious. It will not bring about sadness if it does not think, within its admittedly alien intelligence, that it will be beneficial to the creatures in question. In a turn of events that can only be termed bittersweet in and of itself, the Bittersweet Umbrood are becoming more and more rare as humans become more set in their ways and start to view life in more and more black and white terms. The delicate spirits are also occasionally harnessed with ulterior motives -- a few uncaring or heartless Mages have tried to summon a Bittersweet spirit in order to goad a person into revealing some deeply kept, emotionally charged secret. Many of these Mages, however, have had a rude awakening when their own, happy-sad memories are brought to bear.
Appear (4 power) The Bittersweet epiphling can appear to anyone, but only out of the corner of the eye (hence the reduced cost). The spirit will appear as some physical but ephemeral manifestation of some missing or desired thing. Some Mages have also reported that the spirit can use a similar ability to draw attention to an object or symbol that will be reminiscent of a lost loved one.
Catharsis (1 power) By expending one power, the spirit can then charge itself by absorbing the cathartic grief and laughter in an area. Amount of power gained ranges from 1 to even 15, depending on the power of the emotions released.
Cleanse the Blight (10 power) Most often used in scenes of tragedy brought on due to corruption, and only used after the successful application of the Catharsis charm.
Create Rain (1-6 power) The spirit can create catharsis through rain. The power cost ranges depending on the strength of the rain summoned and the existing weather conditions. The better the weather, the harder it will be to bring on rain and the less it will be able to create; a perfectly clear, cloudless day will completely inhibit the use of this charm.
Memories (3 power) While the images that normally appear in the presence of this epiphling are taken from the collective unconscious, with the use of this charm the spirit can harvest specific memories, images, or sounds from individuals or small groups. Common images include lost friends, childhood toys, or, disconcertingly, a person's own voice speaking to or about a lost lover.