Hear that? That howling behind the shadows in the alley and under the concrete skin of the city lots....Hear it? Take my hand, and hold tight. That's where I'm taking you.... Argos is an Arcanos of travel, specifically of travel through the Tempest. It enables wraiths to "swim" though the Tempest's substance, find secret pathways from place to place and journey reasonably safely between the realms of the Underworld. Masters of Argos can go virtually anywhere in the Tempest and arrive without being molested by Spectres. Without Argos, though, travel in the Tempest is very hazardous. Wraiths with no Argos knowledge drift about in the storm, and can only change firection by spending a Pathos point. Spectres, especially Sahdes, are often drawn to such easy prey. Also, it is almost impossible to find a Byway without some Argos knowledge. A character with Argos can usually "carry" a small group of companions with her, so long as they don't resist. As long as all link hands, the one can guide the rest. However, passengers can increase the difficulty of Argos actions.
The Guild
The Harbingers' Guild came together as a collection of messengers, heralds and explorers. They never submitted to the same levels of dreary bureaucracy as the more formal Guilds did. They occupied a niche in the periphery of Stygian government, working for the Kierarchy without actually becoming a tru part of it. Their sense of honor lef them to serve as a sort of "Coast Guard" for the Tempest, rescuing the lost and besieged. This honor also lent itself to Stygian loyalty, and the Harbingers joined the Great Revolt reluctantly. When the Masquers and Usurers backed out, the Harbingers followed soon after. Following the breaking of the Guilds, it was simply business as usual for most Harbingers, albeit on an individual rather than a Guild-centered basis. It is worth noting that the Harbingers still command respect, and wraiths consider it bad luck to interfere with a Harbinger's duty. Perhaps to earn this respect, Harbingers will always stop to rescue souls they see lost in the Tempest. Of course, Spectres know this as well and take full advantage when laying traps for unwary Harbingers. Jarbingers are exceptionally calm, swift, quiet and collected. The time they spend in the Tempest gradually but invariably stains their eyes jet-black.
Botches
If a wraith botches an Argos roll, she may become stranded in the tempest for a time. She may also hallucinate, seeing things in the Tempest's fabric that are not really there or overlooking the otherwise visible. Generally speaking, an Argos botch will lead the hapless wayfarer into some sort of danger -- Spectres, the Labrynth or whatever the Storyteller can devise.
Basic Abilities
Orienteering: Distance and time have little meaning to the alien storm of the Tempest. Orienteering allows a wraith to determine his location in the Tempest and find the route to his destination. Those with Orienteering can travel to their destinations via the quickest and easiest path (usually a Byway), dodging most obstacles along the way. Only the foolish attempt to navigate the Tempest with Orienteering alone, but it is an excellent way to find a sage path out in dire emergencies. Wraiths moving through the Shadlowlands without resorting to Tempest shortcuts move at normal walking or driving speed; the standard travel times referred to above are for this sort of normal ground transportation. Note: Travel time depends upon how far a wraith is traveling and whether she is moving bettern the levels of the Underworld. It usually tkes two to seven days to travel between the Shadowlands and Stygia; two weeks to reach the Far Shores. Moving through the Tempest from point to point in the Shadowlands rarely takes more than a day, but there are no guarantees. If the wraith fails an Orienteering roll, she has gone in the wrong direction and may become lost. This (as wello as the perils a botch bring on) could even turn into an adventure, at the Storyteller's discretion. Tempestpeek: This art allows a wraith to look into the Tempest observing any beings or things drifting nearby. He can be seen by any beings in the near Tempest, and can even communicate with them if need be. Tempest Threshold: Most wraiths can only enter the Tempest through Nihils. Those with Argos can open their own portals, hwoever. The portals are usually small, and iris closed immediately after the wraith passes through.
1 - Enshroud To avoid the hazards of the Tempest, those with Argos learn first how to hide themselves from unfriendly eyes. This art allows the wraith to pull shadows around herself, making herself unseen in both Tempest and Shadowlands. When first activated, Enshroud causes the wraith to suddenly vanish. She is thereafter cloaked in shadows. This costs one point of Pathos.
2 - Phantom Wings A wratih using this art may fly in both the Tempest and the Shadowlands. Flight is not terribly fast (resembling gliding more than anything else), but can be a convenient way of getting around. Wraiths may hover using this art, but can never accelerate more than jogging speed. A character must be Incorporeal to fly while in the Shadowlands.
3 - Flicker A character with Flicker can harness the natural distortions of the Tempest to quickly travel from one place to another. These mini-jumps are only good for short distance, generally line-of-sight. Flicker is also a good way to blindside opponents in combat. Each "leap" costs 1 Pathos.
4 - Jump The wraith with this art may rapidly travel to any of her Fetters, riding secret pathways to the familiar destination. She may Jump any distance to a Fetter, but only to a Fetter. Rumor has it that the eldest Gaunts can instantly travel anywhere in the world without the aid of Fetters, but this as yet is only hearsay. Jump costs 3 Pathos per use.
5 - Oubliette This art is the terrifying ability to cast other wraiths directly into the Tempest. By focusing his will, the wraith may eithe rhurl others into the Tempest, or hold them in one spot, preventing them from escaping into the Tempest or Shadowlands. Wraiths cast into the Tempest are free to use any Argos arts they posses, but they are in serious trouble if ignorant of such secrets. The sheer force of the banishment tears a Corpus level from the target, in addition to the other effects. If the wraith is trying to hold his target in place (in either the Tempest or the Shadowlands), the target is improsione for one turn per success. The imprisoning wraith must maintain some minimal concentration to keep his victim in place. Either use of this art costs 3 Pathos and grants the user 1 point of temporary Angst.
