Ixaos

By Zach Archer (zkarcher@engr.ucdavis.edu)

Warmasters

Stygia's finest generals, the Warmasters use Ixaos to give the Hierarchy an advantage in any battle situation. Ixaos was supposedly a common Arcanoi at one point, thus the Renegades were able to use it to their own ends and effectively combat all Hierarchy plots. Several Harrowings later, Ixaos was a rare find outside of Stygia, and the Hierarchy resolved to keep this art protected.

Warmasters explore the boundaries of instinct and animal impulses. They frequently develop animal-like traits such as pointy ears, fur, claws, tails, scales, fins, and other non-human anatomy, due to the primal effects this art produces.

Basic Abilities

Who Is Fried? The Warmaster can see who is being affected or controlled by an Ixaos effect. (Chances are, so can everyone else in the vicinity!) Roll Perception + Ixaos, difficulty 4.

* Terror Reflex

The Warmaster can instill any creature with feelings of excitement and danger. Even Wraiths will feel as if their blood is pumping adrenaline through their veins, and they will imagine they are panting heavily. This is a perfect Arcanoi to cast before doing battle, as the difficulty of some physical feats may be lessened. However, mental tasks and concentration will be more difficult.

System: The Warmaster rolls Manipulation + Ixaos. The number of successes determines how many turns the "Terror" lasts. Even after the duration of the effect, it will take several more turns for the rush to completely subside. Most Warmasters have one favorite way of instilling this effect, such as waving a knife in front of the target, or screaming loudly to raise the nearby tension level. If the Terror Reflex effect causes primal fear and despair in the target, the Warmaster takes a point of angst. This art costs 1 point of Pathos.

** Dream Shocker

A nasty little Arcanoi that can render every creature in the vicinity crippled and dumb for a few turns. The Warmaster's Corpus shakes violently, emitting a piercing noise which incites a barrage of thoughts and dreams in everyone around her, swamping their minds. It is painful and some creatures affected by this Arcanoi will actually damage themselves in hysteria.

System: Roll Strength + Ixaos, difficulty 7. The surrounding creatures are temporarily crippled, docked as many health levels as successes rolled. Using Dream Shocker requires 2 Pathos, and 1 or 2 Willpower points, depending on how many entities are about to get shocked. This art grants a point of angst; if someone dear to the Warmaster is affected by this Arcanoi, the Warmaster takes two points.

*** Legacy

The Warmaster can re-create the death experience for any Wraith. This process consists of the Wraith feeling "alive" momentarily, and then slowly dying and coming back to the Shadowlands, while seeing her life flash before her eyes.

System: Roll Charisma + Ixaos, difficulty 8. Most Warmasters talk their targets into a sleep-like trance, then grip them to begin the effect. The experience is very pleasant and helps affirm a Wraith's existence, thereby granting the Wraith either 2 points of Willpower, or a momentary rush of confidence which reduces the difficulty of a few rolls, depending on the storyteller. Friendly hint: Don't botch! Costs 3 Pathos points.

**** Hemlock Grip

A modern philosopher once speculated that the cycle of existance does not consist of only Alive, Dead, and Transcended. This philosopher claimed that there are dozens of "layers" of existence, and as we die in one realm and shed that skin, we are taken to one of the next realms, and a deeper experience begins. The Hemlock Grip simulates the re-death of a Wraith, "killing" her Corpus and giving her a taste of the next realm. It is an intense sleep which lasts about an hour, and most Wraiths feel very refreshed upon returning.

System: Roll Charisma + Ixaos, difficulty 9. With three or more successes, the Wraith phases out of Shadowland reality, and is "re-born" an hour later with a full Corpus.

***** Primal State

The Warmaster can reduce anyone's psyche to utter "fight-or-flight." Complex thought becomes impossible, yet the difficulty of physical rolls is substantially lowered.

System: Roll Manipulation + Ixaos, difficulty 7. The effect lasts for as many turns as twice the successes rolled. Use this Arcanoi with caution; No one knows what will happen when someone is reduced to a total animal! Costs 2 Pathos, 2 Willpower and gives the Warmaster a point of Angst.