One of the major distinctions between Wizards and true Mages is their ability to channel, harness, and store Quintessence. Mages do it as an afterthought, absorbing it into their Awakened Avatar, and manipulating it to store more with Prime. Wizards, being wholly Unawakened, have no such luck. The ebb and flow of Quintessence through them is no greater than any other Sleeper. As is the case with enlightenment, a Wizard could know that Quintessence can be stored in an "Avatar," but questions such as how and why still elude the Hedge Mage.
Instead of all-potent Tass, Hedge Wizards have to be content with vis, the name given to the energy which trickles from the Shadow Empyrean. There are two kinds of vis, and to truly understand how and why they work, it is first neccesary to take a step back, and see precisely where vis comes from.
When the Sphere of Prime shines on the Tellurian, and sends Tass surging through the system, much of the Quintessence is burned out, making reality happen. A small amount is harvested by Awakened Avatars, and still more is herded into Nodes and Caerns. However, the walls of Gaia are spun so tightly, because of the Gauntlet, that pure Quintessence seldom escapes the Earth. To fit in the cracks of reality, and slip beyond, the Tass must first squeeze through a flaw. Normal Tass is too full of energy, too full of potential, to simply get out. It must first lose a great deal of potential before it can slide through a crack. What emerges on the other side is not as powerful as Tass, and indeed is "shaped" by whatever it passed through. Thus, the Shadow Empyrean is not a homogenous mix of energy; it consists of billions and trillions of different units of energy, swirling and cohesing within the broth. Like seeks out like; if a piece of vis passed out of Earth's reality while fueling a fire, it would seek out vis created in a flame, from a match to a pig iron refinery.
The vis, as it flows and seeks, sometimes rubs against the wall the wrong way, and re-enters reality. However, it is no longer running through the channels of Quintessence anymore. Instead, vis is thrust into reality, where it sits, invisible and undetectable to the naked eye, waiting for enough pressure to build on this side to force it back, and that will be a long time in coming.
Occasionally, enough vis of similar origin collects in a single spot. This is usually around a tear in reality, similar to the one they first entered. When a critical mass of vis is collected, it condenses and collapses, falling back through to Earth, except this time in a solid form.
"Solid form" is a tad of a misnomer. What happens is that the vis seeks to manifest into an object which it represents. Vis that was once of learning might coalesce into a book. Vis that was once of disease might coalesce into a decaying rat. In any event, the naked eye cannot discriminate between a normal object, and one soaked with vis, except that it is wholly extraordinary in some unexplainable way. When an egg soaked with vis is placed in a carton with twelve others, similar in texture, taste, and appearance, anyone desiring an egg will first pick the one soaked with vis.
For an object to absorb vis, it must first exist. Objects containing vis simply don't spontaneously generate. After the vis is consumed, the object usually crumbles, but will sometimes remain. However, the object will have lost all of its uniqueness, its distinctive quality. If it is a book, no one can read it without losing interest. If it is a dead rat, no one will bother even looking at it, and it will cause no repulsion.
Second, as alluded before, the object cannot actively translate Quintessence. In short, it cannot be "alive", or a Magickal item which runs off of Quintessence. It must be only a passenger in the Stream of Probability. Thus, a living creature cannot actively store vis within itself.
Physical destruction of the item, or "pawn," as it has come to be known, will completely release all vis. Often, it is absorbed into reality, making the act of destruction seem more genuine, more "real." Sometimes, it will escape into a nearby item, with a fraction of the previous total. On a rare occasion, it will fuel the subconscious desires of someone in a 20' radius, if those pawns align with those thoughts. Thus, pawns of destruction, when released from a stick of dynamite ripped apart, will not respond to the man looking amorously at a passing woman, but will make a man wishing ill on his ex-wife decide to make the dream a reality.
Pawns, as noted, can come in any shape or size. Certain disciplines allow pawns to stand out, making searching a bit easier. However, a Wizard can go months without noticing there is a pawn right under his nose. More than one Hedge Wizard has survived a gruesome encounter, with the sudden realization that the rabbit's foot in his pocket has transformed itself into three pawns of Luck. Spurred on by this belief, many Hedge Mages are ecletic packrats, keeping any ol' doo-dad, hoping that a random manifestation of vis will soak an item.
Also, the more sturdy an item, the greater amount of vis it can hold. The theory is that sturdier items need more Quintessence to keep sturdy. This "structural Tass" acts as a rider, creating "cups" in reality into which the vis settles. As a general rule, something disposable, like blank paper, seldom carries more than 1 unit. On the other hand, a car could contain perhaps 10 units, locked away somewhere. Further, the uniqueness of an item also has something to do with the amount of vis it can store. It would seem that an object which already stands out in a crowd tends to attract vis more effectively. Scribbling on a page won't do it; it must be special, unique, like a love letter, handwritten. A 1990 Porsche won't do it, but a 1990 Porsche with lime green exterior might just attract some Tacky vis.
For those who do not want to deal with carrying around a fire hydrant which just happens to be worth 8 pawns of vis, there is an option: Condensation. The science of condensation attempts to drive all the vis out of an object, and put it into a physical form. This usually manifests into a brilliantly faceted gem, small as a diamond ring for 1 unit of vis, or as large as a basketball for 10 points. The gem is usually very opaque, but can range in color from glowing scarlet red to deep sky blue. Some colors glow suspiciously, while others seem odd in their utter normalcy. Once all vis manifested thusly; now only the completion of certain rituals will allow pure vis to remain stable.
Condensation is an excruciatingly slow process that sometimes wastes more vis than it's worth. A wizard must first possess the Knowledge vis theory (a specialization of occult), which is also a non-Magickal way of detecting vis levels in an object. Some apparatus, much like an alchemical retort, or a modern crystal growing set, must be carefully assembled next. The object to be drained is attached to the apparatus, and the siphoning process is begun. The Wizard rolls Int+Vis Theory (Diff 7). The number of success determines the quality of translation:
Botch All vis lost Failure 1/2 vis lost from pawn, none condensed. 1 Success 1/4 vis Condensed, none remains in pawn 2 " 1/2 vis Condensed, " " " 3 " 3/4 vis Condensed, " " " 4 " All vis Condensed, " " " 5+ All vis Condensed, Pawn becomes Receptacle
A Receptacle refers to any Pawn specially attuned to attract vis. Whereas most pawns either are destroyed or soon degrade after being drained of vis, Receptacles actively absorb ambient vis, and recharge vis levels at a rate of one unit per week. This unit must then be drained using Condensation, where it will always yield 100% vis translation with but one success. However, it can also be used like a normal Pawn. If the Pawn is drained in this fashion, the Receptacle is forever destroyed. Further, only one receptacle may be in use in a 100' radius. For each extra Receptacle in that area, the vis level drops 1. Although it seems a detriment, this is a good way for a Mage to proof his abode from Hedge Magick. For those who would think of creating many Receptacles, keep in mind that a Receptacle is a Pawn, and as such, it stands out. Anyone, from a common thief to a Mage, will spot the Pawn as something truly extraordinary, and seek to obtain it.
The Apparatus necessary for vis Condensation must be a paragon of its science. If alchemical, it must be built from the finest products, with a Intelligence+Appropriate Science (Diff 5) roll. Five successes must be obtained in an attempt to build; any less, and there is a flaw which prevents its proper function. For each success less than five, a success is removed from the Condensation roll. Working on it for a full week will add an automatic success. Thus, working on it for five weeks, with the proper theory being applied, will yield assured results.
The Appropriate science varies from Wizard to Wizard. It can be simply the generic Science skill, or can be Alchemy, with its retorts and elixers, Chemistry, with its burners and beakers, Electronics, with silicon and diode gates, Metallurgy, with spectroscopy and refining, or Crystalmancy, with circles and incense. Keep in mind, though, that if a secondary skill is selected, the difficulty of the construction roll drops by two. The science must be able to explain how it derives the unmeasurable energy and structure of the vis out of the pawn, and fixes it into a crystalline nodule.
Vis is Condensed slowly, at a rate of 1 unit per day. This unit can be snapped off prematurely, yielding smaller vis, rather than one big chunk at the end of the cycle.
The vis level of Earth cannot support anything but the most simple of magicks. Obtaining Pawns, then, is key for the survival of a Hedge Wizard. He cannot survive long without something to augment his feeble powers.
The Vis Harvest, then, becomes the focus of much of the Wizard's "up time." Always searching for that extraordinary Pawn, whole Chronicles can be set around acquiring enough vis to create a truly spectacular effect, or even the business of survival in a Pawn rich environment which carries as a penalty hazards such as Wyrm-spawn, vampires, Garou, and, of course, True Mages.
How plentiful are Pawns? In the Dark Ages, when vis levels climbed as high as 10 or 12, all things were suffused with the substance. However, the Technomancer Gauntlet had not yet fixed things so rigidly, that holes would form where vis would trap. Instead, areas exceptionally strong in vis concentrations were known to spontaneously generate pure vis crystals. The average Hermetic Wizard was led to believe that vis only appeared in this form, and thus when vis levels dropped, and pure vis became an impossibility.
When the Gauntlet tightened, objects became more rigidly real. Rather than allowing the vis to flow through unchecked, complex objects tended to form nooks and crannies in their Pattern where vis could catch and fix, as it tried to reform with reality, locking onto a "like" object. (Thus, when vis is consumed, it does not merely vanish. It instead adds to the reality, the Pattern of the Pawn, making it "less" complex, filling in the holes it once occupied. When a spent Pawn completely degrades, it is actually becoming so real, so in tuned with the Gauntlet, that the entirety of its Pattern becomes one with the Gauntlet, sacrificing its individual Pattern to form part of the greater pattern of the Gauntlet). Between the Fall of Hermetic Magick and the Rise of Hedge Magick (with the Order of Tremere), much time has passed, and a great deal of objects have caught enough vis to barely make them Pawns.
So Pawns are more plentiful in the World of Darkness than in the World of Myth? Like all things, Pawns survive best when they hide from snooping eyes. Precisely how plentiful they are truly depends on the ST's concept for a campaign. Ultimately finding Pawns involves entering the subjective reality of the Hedge Wizard. Where does he expect to find them? What is he looking for? With what sort of a mind set does he try to find them with? Each of these questions play a major role in determining the effect of vis harvesting.
First, as stated before, the assault of the Wyrm on Earth has led to gaping crags in the Gauntlet of Earth. Thus, an ideal place to seek out Pawns is in places ravaged by the Wyrm: toxic waste dumps, areas heavily polluted, big city courtrooms; wherever the Wyrm physically, mentally, spiritually corrupted reality. However, the Pawns a Wizard finds there will reflect the environment, and those things found therein. They will be of Chaos, Destruction, Despair, Pain, Suffering. A judge's gavel could soak with the anguish of the innocents he sentences, a dirty cop's badge could corrupt with the greed he now stands for.
Other places to look for Pawns are in pristine environments, where the Gauntlet is weak, and the vis flows sweetly through poorly woven walls. Pawns found here will be representative of all things not of Man or Science, the mortar which builds the Gauntlet. They will be in the plants, the trees, the stones.
Finally, the science of the Technmancers is inimical to the formation of Pawns. However, even in these most desolate areas, an exceptionally rare or complex item will soak enough vis to make it worth stealing. But remember: anything worth stealing is worth getting back, sometimes by any means necessary.
In the World of Myth, all vis was divided into 15 types, representative of the 15 forms and techniques they used in their Hermetic Magick. It was believed that all vis had to be of one of these categories. With the fall of Hermetic Magick, Wizards came to understand that the Hermetic Categories were irrelevant. People found what they sought. If a unit of vis was spawned in a campfire, a Hermetic Mage might find a point of Ignem vis, or Perdo vis, or something similar. If a modern Hedge Wizard approached the same fire, he could find Thermal vis, Heat vis, Light vis, Ash vis, Energy vis, Forces vis, or even nothing at all. The vis would be there, but rather than conforming to a specific type, it conformed to a specific environment or situation, and was locked into a new form by how the Hedge Wizard interpreted the environment. If he knew a lot about Fire magick, and sought Pawns in a fire, avaliable vis would conform to Fire. However, if the Wizard knew nothing about Fire magick, not even tangentially, the vis would remain hidden. It would be very much like an expert in Russian determining different dialects of Sanskrit.
To find vis mundanely, without using magick, takes a Perception+Appropriate Skill roll (diff vars.). The appropriate skill is either Occult or Vis Theory, which subtracts two from the roll difficulty. The difficulty starts at 10, and decreases for every 2 points of vis, rounded down, out there. Each success determines how many units were discovered. Thus, if the Storyteller decides 5 are out there, the difficulty for a Per+Occ roll would be 8, while a Per+Vis Theory would be 6. Of course, one cannot find more vis than were originally in the area. A mundane search usually takes about an hour. The search may be repeated, with the new difficulty (with the above example, 3 out of the 5 were discovered. To search again takes a difficulty of 9 and 7, respectively). It is considered bad luck to take all vis out of an area, and many mages will leave a pawn behind, as "seed" for future harvests.
Of course, this only finds you a hunk (or hunks) of vis, contained in some material shell (or shells). The kind of vis varies greatly. To determine the type, the ST has to do a little bit of work beforehand. She determines how much vis would be out there, given environment (discussed below), and then asks the player what kind of vis his character is looking for. This can be general (any vis), which would locate any vis he could use, but with less chance of discovery, or it can be specific (one of my techniques), or it can be multiple specific (this technique, and that form, and this other form).
Once this information is disclosed, the ST looks at the vis amount, and breaks it down into percentages, relative to the location. This is the maximum vis the character can locate and readily use. He may come across a Pawn (if he's doing a general search, or if the ST is feeling generous) of a type of vis which the character cannot use. This is usually saved, since some lab work will reveal its true nature. The unusable Pawn can still be used for any application which requires general vis (increasing effect level beyond 5), or is usually saved, to be bartered at a later date to another Hedge Wizard.
As stated above, location plays a huge role in determining vis concentrations, as well as the type of vis found. No matter how hard a Hedge Wizard will try, he will not find much Water vis in the middle of a desert. Areas where the Gauntlet tears often, or is corrupted by the Wyrm, will have a great deal of vis "lying around" in Pawns. These places are, by their nature, very dangerous. The greater the corruption, the greater the danger, and strangely, the greater amount of Pawns in the area. The ST should not feel compelled in any way to stick the Pawns in easily portable items. Often, a great deal of vis will stick in a statue, or a street lamp, making drawing power, even for Condensation, tricky at best. Caerns, places where Garou can rupture the Gauntlet easily, tend to have a great deal of Pawns. However, obtaining this vis is sometimes more tricky than wading through toxic sludge.
When deciding what vis is available in an area, a ST should hold a picture of the location in his mind. As a general rule, vis pools at a rate of twice vis in a square kilometer area. Thus, the average square kilometer will have 10 units, contained in pawns. Vis replenishes itself at a rate of vis level per week. In this area, a ST must look over items and objects that stand out. An average pop can will usually hold nothing, but a crumpled one (vastly different from the thousands of uncrumpled, or crushed) might hold promise. A single tree, or a lone piece of quartz in a rock garden also might be likely candidates.
Next, to discover how much vis a pawn can contain, the ST looks at the uniqueness and size of the object. Think of how the object is represented pattern-wise. Is it incredibly complex, masterfully detailed (usually by hand), or huge enough to allow that many nooks and crannies? Something mass produced by a machine, or something smaller than a fist, will only allow 1 unit of vis. Something produced by a machine, and then deformed by man a little, or a larger object, will allow two or more depending on the degree. Generally, if an item holds more than 5 vis, it will be large to the degree of immovability, complex enough so as to be missed if stolen, or wholly fashioned by hand, which also could be missed.
Finally, the Pawns must represent the vis they contain. A rock probably wouldn't have much Light vis in it. Pawns will never contain more than one type of vis. Like clings to like. The ST must now determine, given what the character is searching for, and what the character would know, precisely how the vis is split up. If one were to hunt a house beneath which an Indian burial ground lies, Pawns will be selected based on 1) what can be found in the house, and 2) how it ties in with the environment (why vis is seeping in there at that point). Although the house has an antique stove, commonly used, it probably won't contain Fire vis. Spiritual items would become infused with vis, becoming Pawns. Thus Bibles, having nothing to do with those buried in the graveyard, still exist as a spiritual focus, and would collect Spirit vis. The Spirits who are causing the weakening of the Gauntlet might have used Kachina dolls. Modern day equivalents could thus collect vis. Finally, a fire was set to burning whenever a new body was interred. An antique stove might collect Fire vis, because the Umbra remembers the connection, but if 10 vis are to be found in the house, no more than 2 will be given over to something so inconsequential to the "theme" of the environment.
For those with access to Quintessence, the problem of acquiring vis becomes fairly academic. The Order of Tremere, understanding the mechanics of vis-formation, have devised a way to filter pure Tass through an item, and infuse it with the desired vis. Thus, if they need Weapon vis, they can take Tass, drive it through the pattern of the gun, while subtly altering the pattern, to make a "leak." The vis confronts the pressure of the Shadow Empyrean, and trickles back out. Since the Mage is still pushing (but with a fraction of the force of the Shadow Empyrean), the vis gets caught somewhere in between, and fuses into the item. A Pawn is thus created.
The act of creating Vis is nowhere near as simple as the theory, however. First is the question of time. Most Wizards are wholly unaware of how long it takes to produce vis in nature. Tass translates into vis at the rate of (roughly) 1 point of Tass equalling 2 points of vis. This transformation, if left to run automatically (a Prime 3 rote), will take a week, during which time the item that is becoming a Pawn cannot be moved in any way. A Mage can supervise the transformation, but it still takes 6 hours to accomplish, during which time the mage can do nothing strenuous whatsoever. A Mage who uses Hedge Magick will often set several to run by themself.
The second problem is a question of value. The 1:2 ratio is true only for solid, free Tass. Using internal Quintessnence requires the personal touch of the Mage (the 6 hour wait), as well as a less efficient 2:3 ratio. To some Mages, it's not worth it. It's easier to find it lying around, or to take it from less powerful Hedge Wizards. Vis can be turned back into Quintessence, but at horrendous cost. For every 3 units of general vis spent, only 1 Tass is recovered. However, whereas Prime will detect Tass in a pocket, it will not detect a Pawn containing 3 units of vis. It is this very reason that some Mages carry vis around, just in case. Still, a mage starts with 2 internal Quintessence points. He spends six hours, and yields three quintessence. After he sneaks past security, he retransforms the vis back, yielding only one for his troubles.
Third is storage size. Most Pawns, as explained above, can only hold up to 5 units total, unless it is immobile, unique, or very expensive. Given that Pawns often disintegrate after use, it is an unwise Mage who fuses an heirloom with vis. Still, using this method, a Pawn with only one point of vis can be recharged, thus keeping an object around for longer.
Condensation can also occur as part of the manufacturing process, turning a hunk of Tass into a hunk of vis. The object to be Pawned must be set up in the apparatus, but in the same amount of time a transformation took (a week or six hours), pure vis can be obtained. However, Receptacles are never fashioned as a result.