By Matt McFarland
This Arcanos originated in the British Isles, but is practiced worldwide. What country's legends, after all, do not include stories of ghostly lights or will-o-the-wisps? In Wraith terms, a will-o-the-wisp is a spectre with this Arcanos.
Though found worldwide, this power is not often practiced, as other Arcanos can accomplish similar effects and are more easily taught. Still, it can be a useful power.
Basic Abilty:
Sense Lunacy: The wraith can discern true madness from Arcanos-induced. System:Roll Perception + Ignis Fatuus(difficult 7). Success indicates that the wraith knows whether a mortal is truly mad or has been driven mad by Arcanos. With enough successes, the wraith could even divine vampiric intervention(such as the Dementation discipline).
* Flash: Causes a momentary glow of light which vanishes if anyone takes a step toward it. This can be used to distract or warn mortals, but isn't really bright enough to blind them.
System: Roll Charisma + Ignis Fatuus (difficulty of the local Shroud). Success indicates a yellow-white flash of light in the Skinlands, which lasts only a few seconds, and, as stated, vanishes if anyone approaches it.
** Second Light: With this art, the wraith can cause an unliving object in the Skinlands to glow faintly. Any mortal witnessing this will fall under the effects of the Fog.
System: The wraith must brush her hand over the intended object and roll Charisma + Ignis Fatuus(difficulty of the local Shroud). The number of successes indicates the number of turns the object will glow. This art costs one Pathos.
*** Corpse Candle: This art makes the wraith a true Will-o-the-wisp. She causes a glow around her Corpus that mortals find alluring. If they take a step toward it, they find it hard to stop. Spectres with this art lure mortals into dangerous situations and watch them die. System: Roll Manipulation + Ignis Fatuus(difficulty of the local Shroud). Any mortal who takes a step toward the light may either spend a Willpower point to stop or succeed in an opposed Willpower roll vs. the wraith's Arcanos roll(difficulty of 8).
This art costs 1 Pathos to use.
**** Lunacy: At this level, the wraith can drive mortals temporarily insane. The wraith induces a paranoid terror which sends the victim into fits of gibbering and laughing. Acting violent is not uncommon. Like Puppetry, the mortal will try to rationalize his actions later. System:Roll Manipulation + Ignis Fatuus (difficulty of the target's Willpower) opposed by a Willpower roll(difficult of 7). If the wraith succeeds, the mortal goes mad for a number of hours equal to the successes rolled.
It costs 2 Pathos to use this art, and it's use bestows a point of temporary Angst on the user.
***** Mesmerize: This art is the perfected version of Corpse Candle. When used, a mortal viewing the light will be determined to follow it at all costs. Scrupulous wraiths will use this art to lead mortals away from danger. Spectres use it to kill them and steal their souls for food.
System: Roll Manipulation + Ignis Fatuus(difficulty of the local Shroud). Success indicates that the target follows the glow until the wraith turns it off or the target is physically unable to do so. There is no opposed roll possible, though the Storytellar may elect to allow the target to spend Willpower to resist in certain circumstances. This art costs 3 Pathos to use. Using it to endanger or harm bestows a point of Angst.