Luminare
By Rainbow Dreamfire (salubri@io.com)
I'm not giving in to security under pressure,
I'm not missing out on the promise of adventure,
I'm not giving up on impossible dreams!
Experience to extremes, experience two extremes.
-- Rush, Grace Under Pressure, "The Enemy Within (Part II of Fear)"
Description
Luminare, as passed down from Saulot, is a Discipline providing knowledge of the inner light present within all things. This light, called by some "ch'i," or quintessence, is the animating spark within all things, including vampires. The Discipline of Luminare is divided into three 'paths': the Warrior Path, the Pilgrim's Path, and the Healer Path.The Warrior's Path leads its followers to use their inner strength and light to be strong, and to use their powers to defend themselves, or even attack others in defense of the weak. The Pilgrim's Path, on the other hand, is about peace: the follower of this path seeks to keep others from harm if at all possible. Thus, the Pilgrim's inner light should be used for defense of all. The Healer Path leads its followers to cure others, by using inner light to harmonize and patch flaws in others' ch'i fields.
Historically, all paths were followed to a minor degree universally. However, during the Purge they became concentrated in their places of greatest frequency. The Warrior's Path was centered in the Far East, in such places as Okinawa and Japan; the Pilgrim's Path was most common in Tibet and India, and the Healer's Path over Europe. Very few in Europe followed the Warrior or Pilgrim's paths, those having returned to the West with Saulot, and after the Passing they quickly died out. A version of the Healer's path survived to become the Obeah Discipline and the mechanics are the same.
The Warrior Path
* Kiai
The vampire draws in her ch'i and concentrates it in a certain place to cause damage. An extra level of damage can be done (as Potence) for each BP spent up to the Luminare level of the vampire. A loud shout is also required as a form of focus.
** Blocking the Ch'i Channels
The vampire may, by touching a victim along the proper ch'i channel, cause the victim's ch'i to cease flowing to the affected area. This causes paralysis and a loss of feeling in that location. If used on a victim's head or torso, it can cause unconsciousness. A Willpower roll must be made vs. the target's current will:Successes | Duration
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1 | 1 turn
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2 | 2 turns
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3 | 5 turns
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4 | 1 hour
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5 | 1 day
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6 | 3 days
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7 | 1 week
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8 | 7 weeks
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9 | 1 month
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10 | 1 year
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Note that after 3 days, a human will die of dehydration.
*** Cage the Tiger
By utilizing her own ch'i, the vampire may make about her opponent a field of blinding light, which also acts as a forcefield of sorts. The effect is stationary, and is a 10' radius sphere. The sphere cannot be seen into or out of. No non-visual senses are affected. If the target attempts to leave the sphere, or touches the side, they are instantly affected by a 2 success effect as 'Unshielding the Inner Lamp' (see Pilgrim's Path). The same happens to anyone attempting to enter the sphere. The vampire can cause only one such sphere to appear per round. The vampire must spend two Willpower to summon the sphere, and two will per turn to sustain it. It may be dropped at will, and more than one may be held at a time. Unensouled objects may not pass in or out, but are stopped at the edge of the effect and all to the ground.
**** Kamakaze
The vampire may use her own ch'i to act as a magnet in reverse, as two identical poles of a magnet. By spending a certain number of Blood Points, the vampire may push a target a number of meters equal to the number of Blood points spent, and doing a number of non-aggravated levels of damage equal to the blood points spent.
***** Tame the Raging Storm
By using this potent ability, the vampire may take out the target's soul and store it within herself, making the target's body a mindless zombie. The vampire may release the soul when she sees fit, and if the soul is not released directly back into the body, it may wander aimlessly until it finds its own body again or another empty shell. The body may be commanded with Dominate or Presence by other than the user of the Discipline, but has the equivalent of 1 Willpower to the user and only requires simple commands from the user. The vampire must look into the target's eyes, and make an extended willpower roll vs the target's willpower. 5 successes must be garnered. Also, the third Eye must be visible.
****** Flames of Retribution
Similar to 'Kiai,' the vampire draws up her own ch'i, but instead of using it with her own body, she inflicts it upon others as a burning light which can cause terrible wounds. As 'Kiai,' a shout is required, but a Willpower point must be spent, and a number of Blood Points equal to the damage desired up to 6 levels. the damage is aggravated, and is caused by a brilliant flash of light. Vampires will roll for Rotschreck.
******* Taking the Oni's Seeming
Similar to 'Keeping the Fires Burning,' above, the vampire creates a field of ch'i around herself. But instead of armor, she resonates this field in such a way that it clashes with other ch'i fields in the area, particularly of living things. Thus, all beings in the area become uneasy around the vampire, doing their best to stay away from her. Note that unless they are forced into a confrontation with the vampire, they will not be consciously aware of their dislike of her.
******** Lighting the Inner Burning
By this time, a follower of the Warrior Path has learned to vibrate her ch'i in such a way as to excite the ch'i flows of others, to the point of boiling away like evaporating water. This process is terribly painful to the target, and can eventually be deadly. the vampire rolls Willpower vs. the target's Willpower; each success causes a level of aggravated damage that cannot be soaked by any means, nor healed by any means other than time. (Vampires may spend 5 Blood points and 1 day per level to heal it.)
********* Shadow Puppet
At this level, a warrior learns that just as there is a bright, or yang, ch'i, there is a dark or yin ch'i. She has already learned to harmonize her ch'i, now, she learns to make her ch'i totally yin, and in fact convert her entire body to yin ch'i, transforming her body to a shadowy, insubstantial form. While in this state, it is possible to enter another person's ch'i field and to take control of his body. The vampire must win a Willpower vs Willpower contest and accumulate as many successes as the target's Willpower. The victim may then be used as a puppet, acting as the vampire wills. All Disciplines, attributes, and abilities may be accessed and used. The aura of a victim becomes very dark, due to the yin ch'i, and this may be noticed as remarkable in certain powers (Auspex, Mind Sphere, Scent of the True Form, etc.)
********** The Serpent Coiled Within
The Warrior has now learned to tap into the great store of ch'i within all things, and can make those things express their ch'i all at once. Unfortunately, that is often very destructive, especially to the target. The vampire must make an extended Willpower vs Willpower contest, and win by a number of successes equal to the target's Willpower. When this is done, the vampire may instantly destroy the target, and everything within a number of meters equal to the total ch'i pool of the target (Blood Points, Glamour, Gnosis, Quintessence, Pathos) takes that many levels of damage (thus, a 5 Pathos Wraith causes 5 levels of damage in a 5 meter diameter area). This damage is permanent, and if another object is destroyed in this explosion, it explodes as well, releasing its ch'i in the same method, in a chain reaction. This ability may be used upon the vampire herself, and since the user is not immune to the power, often is, really.
The Pilgrim's Path
* Lighting the Inner Lamp
The vampire may draw up her own inner ch'i and with it create a bright flash of light in the physical world. This flash does no damage, but will stun opponents, and cause vampires to roll for Rotschreck. This costs 1 Blood Point/use, and the vampire needs to roll a will roll vs. the highest will in the area, each success indicates another round the target is blinded and stunned (1+ # of successes). Anyone who is attacking or even speaking to the user is considered to be looking. Note that this flash will blind even the user, unless her eyes are closed.
** Unshielding the Inner Lamp
The vampire may, by touching her target, cause a distortion of the victim's ch'i momentarily, causing a bright flash of light as 'Lighting the Inner Lamp' above, but also causing the victim to be unconscious for a certain time, and weak once they do awaken. The vampire needs to roll a will check vs. the target's current Willpower each success indicates 1 round the target is unconscious, and an equal number of minutes the target will be weak (1 in all physical attributes). At the end of that time, the victim's attributes return to normal. Note that the victim is not affected by the flash itself, as they are unconscious, but the vampire is not so lucky. See 'Lighting the Inner Lamp.'
*** Cricket under a Paper Lamp
As a person might put a cricket in a box to keep as a pet, so the vampire can place another in a sheath of inner light, to keep him from harm or harming others. The vampire spends 2 Willpower, and the target is surrounded in a diffuse light that lines his form. This field absorbs all force directed at it, either from within or without. Thus, the victim may not harm others, or be harmed. As opposed to 'Cage the Tiger', above, the target can see others, and can be seen. Thus Dominate and Presence can still be used. The effect costs 2 Willpower/round to continue, or the vampire may elect to not spend the Willpower, in which case the target may make an extended Willpower test vs. the vampire's current Willpower. 3 or more successes indicate the target is freed; if the vampire gets 3 more successes, the target is trapped within the field for 5 more turns, or whenever the vampire drops it voluntarily.
**** Bend Like the Willow
As 'Kamakaze' acts like the repulsing magnet, so this power acts as an attracting magnet. The vampire resonates her ch'i in such a way that the vampire may follow the affected person's actions effortlessly, countering them easily. Note that while this power does work on spirits or non-corporeal beings as well as physical things, it does not counter Disciplines or other mind-based powers. It costs 1 Willpower to activate this power, and 1 willpower/turn to continue it. It gives the user the equivalent of 5 Dexterity, 5 Dodge, and 5 Brawl while fighting the target. However, this power cannot be used offensively, and the user cannot do physical damage to the target, only counter their actions.
***** Calm the Swirling Waters
By looking into a target's eyes and accumulating three successes on an extended Willpower roll, the vampire may detach the target's spirit from his spark of life, making the target docile and calm. He cannot become angry or frenzy, but he still has free will.
****** Keeping the Fires Burning
This power is similar to 'Flames of Retribution,' but instead of inflicting the damage on others, the vampire instead wraps her ch'i around herself, a cloak of luminescent protection. For the cost of a Willpower point to activate, and a Willpower/turn to keep it activated, anything that touches the vampire will take a number of levels of aggravated damage equal to a number of blood points declared at the activation of the power. The blood points need only be spend once per activation.
******* Bodhisattva's Bright Lamp Shows the Way
Similar to 'taking the Oni's Seeming' above, the vampire wraps herself in a cloak of ch'i and resonates it. However, instead of cacophony of other fields, she harmonizes, thus, all beings in the area perceive the vampire as harmless, and even perhaps as a true friend. They will not attack her, nor allow harm to be done to her, but this provides no control over other beings, merely goodwill.
******** Harmony of All
Similar to 'Bodhisattva's Bright Lamp Shows the Way,' the follower of this path learns to harmonize her ch'i, but this time she learns to make the harmony so pleasing to other ch'i fields that some or all of them will no longer harm her field. A will roll is made vs the target will, each success indicates how many Blood Points, Gnosis, Quintessence, Pathos, or Glamour points cannot be used to harm the vampire. The effects last until the affected target spends a number of Willpower equal to the number of points so blocked. Note that only one target may be affected per action, and it may be used on the same target more than once.
********* Keeper of the Celestial Cup
At this point, the vampire has learned even better how to stimulate the ch'i fields of others, to the point the vampire may now command others to use their own ch'i against their wills. An extended Willpower contest is made, and must be won by the vampire by a number of successes equal to the target's will, but instead of the target losing her physical control to the vampire as in 'Shadow Puppet,' the vampire has total access to her pools of ch'i (Blood Points, Gnosis, Quintessence, Pathos, Glamour), and can force the target to use that ch'i in any way the vampire sees fit.
********** Quenching the Inner Lamp
As a warrior may use her opponent's ch'i against them and others, the Pilgrim learns to quiet the ch'i of another..to the point of obliterating the life force of another. A Willpower vs. Willpower test must be made, and the vampire must garner a number of successes equal to the target's Will. The vampire may then destroy any number, or all, of the ch'i pools of the target. A living being, if all his ch'i is quieted, falls down lifeless. Vampires must roll vs Rotschreck as a difficulty of 3 higher, and if all of their Blood Points are lost they fall into Torpor. Clearly, this is a last resort for a follower of this peaceful path.