I'm glad we could come to an agreement. Seal the deal with a handshake, and I'll get you what you need. I'm nothing less than fair, friend. In death as in life, nothing's free. Pathos is the currency of the afterworld, and Usury is the Arcanos of barter. It is the delicate dance of the deal, of shifting Pathos and Corpus from one source to another. Those with Usury can act as healers, mendicants, merchants or extortionists, and sometimes all at once. It all depends on how reputable they choose to be. Usury involves power over death energy, and is accordingly mistrusted in some circles. Many point to the Shadow as the source of this Arcanos, citing innumberable "deal with the Devil" stories as proof. They are not so mistaken; repeated use of Usury can raise a wraith's Angst to unhealthy levels rapidly. When used upon the Quick, Usury is nothing less than the theft of life itself. A wraith must touch his subject to use Usury. To affect mortals, this requires another Arcanos, such as Puppetry, Embody, Inhabit or Phantasm. The life energy thus stolen is visible to other wraiths as a vivid light, which dims as it is absorbed.
The Guild
In their heyday, the Usurers were a Guild of considerable repute and political power. Ever alert for the next opportunity, they cast in their lot with the other Guilds when the Artificers led the coup against Charon. However, as it became clear that the attempt was doomed to failure, the Usurers quickly reversed their position, stranding the forces of the other Guilds without desperately needed resources of Pathos and Corpus. This betrayal, more than any of the others, doomed the revolt. The Usurers have since had to resort to secrecy to protect themselves, both from zealous Sygian patrols and from vengeful Guild members who resented their "treachery." Even now, those in need of quick Corpus or Pathos must follow a series of clues on a wild and unorthodox hunt to find a Usurer. If nobody follows the client, and if she seems reliable, the Usurers will see her. Although this tends to restrict business somewhat, the Usurers console themselves by being able to charge higher prices to clients whom they don't particularly care for. Usurers tend to speak in precise, numerical terms. All carry some form of scales, allowing them to keep track of the balance of energy transferred.
Botches
Botching a Usury roll usually reverses the path of transferal; if stealing Corpus, a wraith might suddenly find herself pouring her own Corpus ito the target. If trying to heal a mortal, the wraith might find herself stealing Health Levels. The Storyteller should feel free to have the wraith's personal energy levels fluctuate as another possibility.
Basic Abilities
Assessment: The wraith can gauge the relative levels of life and death within an individual. Careful scrutiny can reveal some idea of the person's relative Stamina, Health or Corpus. Wounds appear as vivid black slashes in the person's form, and the observer can estimate their severity. The wraith may also perceive life energy in general within a specific area.
1 - Transfer The wraith may transfer Pathos between herself and another wraith. She may lend her Pathos to the subject, or steal her victim's Pathos away. This transferal is always visible to onlookers as a vivid halo around the wraith receiving the Pathos. When stealing Pathos, this art grants a temporary Angst.
2 - Charitable Trust By infusing a mortal or wraith with his own Corpus, a wraith may heal wounds. The wraith breathes out his Corpus into his target. This art can even be used on mortals without using any other Arcanos to manifest. This art costs 1 Pathos per use.
3 - Early Withdrawal The reverse of Charitable Trust, this art allows a wraith to steal another person's life energy with but a touch. The wraith may only use this art as long as she is below her maximum Corpus; if she is unharmed, she has no place to "put" any stolen Corpus unless she possesses the Exchange Rate art. This art gives the Usurer a temporary Angst point.
4 - Exchange Rate Any wraith may convert Pathos to Corpus Levels. Wraiths who know this art may do the opposite, transforming their Corpus Levels into Pathos. They may simply convert their own Corpus, or use this art along with Early Withdrawal. There is a cost of one Pathos for each time this art is used, sort of a metephysical transaction fee.
5 - Investment This art allows a wraith to pour Corpus and/or Pathos into a relic, storing it for future use. The wraith must focus on the relic in question, channeling and carefully sealing his energy into it. The energy may then be accessed by anyone who knows the seal's gesture or command phrase. To seal the points in place, the wraith must spend a Willpower point and assign a command phrase or gesture to "unlock" the store reserve. A given relic may only store one type of energy. This art is the means by which soulfire crystals are created and maintained.
