Mytherceria Revised

By Kabael (kabael@bu.edu) for the Kiasyd Revised

Description

The unique Discipline of the Kiasyd, Mytherceria calls upon their fae blood, allowing them to see the fae, call upon minor faerie spirits, and even twist fate. The eldest Kiasyd are said to be able to duplicate the mystic powers of the fae themselves. It's rumored that Marconius could "cheat the wheel" and return to mortality, if he wished.

This Discipline requires a great deal of involvement. In the hands of those who don't quite get the power (read The Monkey's Paw to understand, I really recommend it), Mytherceria can completely unbalance the game. Remember, every twisting of fate has a cost attached to it. This is not a "I can do whatever the hell I want to do" Munchathurgy power. Manipulating fate always has unforeseen ramifications. There is a reason that older Kiasyd become passive and sessile; they don't want to cause those around them misfortune. There is a "karmic balance" for those who use Mytherceria frequently. A Kiasyd who constantly twists fate to his own ends will eventually get what he gives, at least to some extent. An abnormal amount of good luck will inevitably be followed by a balancing amount of bad luck. "Do unto others" indeed....

* Fey Sight

A vampire with this power is able to catch glimpses of the fae, seeing changelings for what they are. She can even see into and detect fae regios sometimes (places like freeholds and glens, as well as the edge of the Dreaming). With enough success, the Kiasyd can see through fae glamours and enchantments. The faint hints of chimera (fae spirits are the edge of reality) can also be detected, although this requires great concentration.

System: This does not require a roll to simply see the fae seeming of a changeling or to detect the ambient faerie power in freeholds and the like. Actually seeing into the Dreaming to see chimera or view freeholds is a different story. Without actually concentrating, the Kiasyd will only get a feeling around regions of power. The roll to "peek" is Perception + Occult. The difficulty ranges from 7 to 9, depending upon the strength of the subject being viewed. A great freehold or powerful chimerical dragon would be difficulty 7 while a minor glen or weak chimera would be difficulty 9.

** Darkling Trickery

The Kiasyd can now call upon minor mischievous chimera to plague those who displease him, causing minor pranks, although they are potentially dangerous. The Kiasyd concentrates for a moment and then calls up a swarm of near-sentient spirits that swarm about the victim. Those with Fey Sight can easily see them as a cloud tiny winged faeries.

System: Using this power requires a Manipulation + Occult roll (difficulty 7). The number of success determines both the extent of the prank and its duration. Although the details vary depending upon the trick, generally one die penalty due to distraction per success, lasting one scene per successes can be used as a measuring stick.

Examples include causing someone's hair to fall out, a banshee's wail (frightening all nearby, often deafening them for hours), blight crops (causing plants to die quickly), battering someone with stones (causing pebbles to rain upon opponents, the number of successes in bashing damage for a turn or 1 bashing per turn for a number of turns equal to successes), slipping (causing the victim to lose his balance and fall without a successful Dexterity + Athletics roll), and causing machines to malfunction (The more complex the machine, the greater and longer-lived the effect. Simple mechanical devices, like guns, are difficult to affect but electronics, such as computers, are simple to destroy).

*** Know the Dan

At this level, the Kiasyd begins to see the threads of fate and detect the destiny, the Dan, of a subject. By preparing a mixture of her own blood and that of the subject with molten wax, the vampire can scry into the past, present, or even the future. The Darkling mixes her own blood with that of the person she wishes to view (it can be herself) and drinks a portion of it. She then pours it into a stone bowl full of molten wax. So long as the wax stays molten, the vampire can spy upon her subject. If she does not have wax or a bowl, the Kiasyd can still scry, but it is more difficult.

System: Using this power costs the Kiasyd 2 blood points and 1 from the subject (which can be herself) along with 1 Willpower point if the subject is supernatural. Mixing the blood together and drinking it (the mixing does create a minor Vinculum after several uses), the Kiasyd then rolls Perception + Enigmas. The difficulty depends upon how far in the future or the past the user wants to see. If the difficulty is raised above 10 for any reason, the scrying fails.

Difficulty	Time period or circumstance
6	One day
7	One month
8	One year
9	Decades
10	Centuries
+2	Lacking wax and bowl

The effect of the scrying depends upon determines the degree of detail. Sight is the only sense in the vision.

Successes	Detail of vision
1	Mere shadows
2	Shapes and movements
3	Misty images
4	Clear visions
5	Detailed pictures

**** Luck of the Devil

Now the Kiasyd's connection with Dan is so strong that it works subconsciously, subtlety twisting fate and luck around the vampire. Things often just seem to go her way. Coincidences abound around the Kiasyd: the bullet just barely skims her skin, leaving her with but a scratch; she just manages to jump and roll over the car barreling towards her; she makes the impossible shot, her bullet hitting the villian's only weak spot. This is where the Kiasyd's legendary luck finds its source.

System: At the beginning of each night, spend 1 blood point (in addition to the 1 needed to rise each night. Luck always has a price) and rolls Willpower (difficulty 7). Each success allows the Kiasyd to change one die from a botch into a failure or a failure into a success. This cannot be used on rolls on which the player has spent a Willpower point or on any Mytherceria roll. Storytellers have the final say about what rolls this can be used on.

***** Hitomi's Folly

The Kiasyd can now begin to truly manipulate the strings of fate like a master puppeteer. The goals and intentions of others are like putty in the hands of the vampire. Outcomes are bent, resources redirected, and plans thwarted or advanced merely by a simple tug. This does not come with a price, however. Unforeseen repercussions are inevitable, as no mind could conceive of all the possible ramifications of one "simple" twist.

System: This power is very expensive, costing 1 Willpower and 8 blood points. The prohibitive cost almost necessitates that the Kiasyd be in a safe location and have some time to prepare. The roll to use the power is Manipulation + Enigmas (difficulty 10), and each success allows for 1 goal to be achieved, although more successes must be used to "balance out" the effects.

One success accomplishes a minor task (getting a reasonable supply of money, gaining access to a closed library) with unforeseen repercussions (family death provides the money in the form of life insurance payments, the man who leaves the library unlocked loses his job). Five successes would allow for a minor goal to happen without any repercussions or for a major goal (the death of an enemy, receiving of an ancient fragment of the Book of Nod) to be accomplished with many unforeseen ramifications (the enemy was killed by a new and more powerful antagonist, the former owners of the fragment come looking for it...). Getting a number of successes in between results in a more favorable outcome.

****** Second Chance

With the expenditure of 1 Willpower point, the vampire can immediately re-roll any roll except one on which he has spent Willpower or used the Level 4 (Luck of the Devil) power.

****** Slip to the Dream

The Kiasyd can now actually enter the Dreaming. After successfully using Fey Sight, she can spend 1 Willpower to "slip" into the Dreaming, leaving the physical world behind.

****** Lesser Geasa

By expending 1 Willpower and 5 blood points and smearing the blood upon a subject (which cannot be someone who possesses Mytherceria), the Kiasyd can give him superhuman abilities, but only in certain circumstances. Roll Charisma + Enigmas (difficulty equal to 10 minus Path rating). Each success allows for the raising of an attribute by one or the decreasing of difficulties by one, but only in very specific circumstances. Things such as "Strength +5, but only when lifting stone" or "Reduce all archery difficulties by 3 but only when aiming at dragons using an ashwood bow." Once again, the Storyteller should use his best judgement with this power.

****** Kenning

This power has little obvious effect, though it is powerful. At this level of Mytherceria mastery, the Kiasyd now has his Fey Sight on at all times. The vampire can in fact now learn a new Talent called Kenning if he can get faerie tutelage. Kenning allows the Kiasyd to clearly see the fae and look into the Dreaming with less concentration, rolling Perception + Kenning (average difficulty is 7). Otherwise, roll straight Perception roll whenever encountering something fey (or when a changeling would perform a Kenning roll).

******* Rewrite History

The vampire can now actually re-write history. On a successful Willpower (difficulty 10) roll, he can dictate actions for a number of turns in the past equal to the number of successes. This cannot result in the immediate death of any person, and it must be within the realm of possibility.

******* Greater Geasa

The Kiasyd can now grant great supernatural powers to a subject, but the recipient is now under a geas, or a ban she cannot violate. Truly spectacular effects are possible. Things like "Cannot die except if you eat the flesh of a dog and you must never refuse hospitality" or "Undefeatable in battle, but must never lose contact with the ground" are completely within the capabilities of this power. It is inevitable, however, that the geasa will eventually be broken. Fate does not appreciate cheats.

******** Supplant Fate

The Kiasyd may now switch his fate with another. By spending 5 points of Willpower and a Path (difficulty 9) roll, the vampire may swap fates with anyone else. If the Kiasyd is destined to die in battle, and a mortal farmer destined to die in bed of old age, their fates are now switched. The Kiasyd will now die in bed of old age while the farmer will be killed in battle. Only one aspect (death, success in one venture, etc). may be switched per roll. Fate has a way of working itself out, however, and this cannot be used to cheat death, no matter how it may appear.