Linguistics
Charms
Language Absorbing
Method
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One week
Type: Simple
Minimum
Linguistics: 2
Minimum Essence:
2
Prerequisite
Charms: None
With this Charm, an Abyssal may absorb a
victim's knowledge of language even as he devours her Essence. The character
must have consumed at least 1 mote from the target sometime during the scene —
whether through blood drinking, Charms, etc. His player then rolls Wits + Linguistics,
with a difficulty of (5 - the total number of motes taken). If this lowers the
difficulty below one, no roll is needed. If the roll succeeds, the Abyssal
instantly learns one language of his choice known to the target. This knowledge
is absolute — the deathknight speaks with perfect fluency and no trace of
accent and may read and write in the tongue so long as the target knew how to
do so. If the character consumes more than 5 motes, he may also spend double
the requisite experience point cost to digest the stolen knowledge and
permanently increase his Linguistics rating on the spot. Otherwise, languages
absorbed with this Charm fade completely when the Charm expires.
Peerless Fluency
Style
Cost: 1 mote per die
Duration: One scene
Type: Reflexive
Minimum
Linguistics: 4
Minimum Essence:
2
Prerequisite
Charms: Language Absorbing
Method
As the warrior-poets of the Underworld, many Abyssal Exalted speak and write with haunting skill and
eloquence. For every mote spent on this Charm, the character may add one die to
all Linguistics rolls for a specific known language. These dice are
mechanically identical to a Linguistics specialty and may similarly add to
other communication-related rolls, at Storyteller discretion. The character
cannot purchase more bonus dice for any language than her Intelligence score.
Note that characters with four or more dice of fluency convey superhuman grace,
as is immediately evident to any listener or reader. Indeed, slow-witted mortals
may have trouble following the cadence and intricate vocabulary of such
characters.
Theft Of Words
Cost: 2 motes + 4 motes per language
Duration: One hour
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Language Absorbing
Method
With this Charm, an Abyssal can
temporarily excise a victim's comprehension of a particular language. The Exalt
whispers softly in the maddening dialect of the Malfeans and indicates a target
within line of sight. His player then rolls Manipulation + Linguistics against
a difficulty of the target's permanent Essence. For every success rolled, the
character may spend 5 motes to remove a random language or pick a
language known the Abyssal and suppress it. The latter is a gamble, however,
unless the Exalt is certain his target knows the language in question. Individuals
deprived of all languages cannot speak or write at all, although they may
attempt to grunt and crudely pantomime their intentions. Once the duration
ends, the target regains full memory of all her forgotten languages. This Charm
has no effect on beings with a higher permanent Essence than the Exalt.
Confusion Of Tongues
Cost: 8 motes, 1
Willpower
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Theft of Words
Cursing sharply in the lost tongue of the
Malfeans, the Abyssal distorts all communication in a zone around her person.
No one inside this area of effect can understand written or spoken language.
Familiar letters run together into baffling glyphs, while every spoken phrase
twists into complete gibberish. Clever characters may communicate simple
concepts with pantomime or crude drawings, but formal or established hand signs
convey no more meaning than any spoken tongue. The character makes a Manipulation
+ Linguistics roll against the targets, with a difficulty equal to the targets'
highest permanent Essence. This Charm has no effect on characters whose
permanent Essence matches or exceeds the Abyssal's. However, while such beings
hear and see languages as they truly are, their own
words remain twisted to affected beings. The zone of distortion extends to a
radius of (the character's permanent Essence x 3) yards.
Words Beneath A Whisper
Cost: 3 motes, 1
Willpower
Duration: Until released
Type: Simple
Minimum
Linguistics: 5
Minimum Essence:
3
Prerequisite
Charms: Theft of Words
An Abyssal with this Charm may bypass
language entirely and communicate telepathically. The character must be able to
directly sense her target to invoke this Charm. If at any time the Exalt cannot
perceive her target, the connection instantly breaks, and the Charm ends. While
the link remains, however, the Abyssal can project her thoughts at will as a
reflexive action, enabling her to speak with someone she does not share a language
with. The target knows the thoughts come from outside his mind, although he cannot
pinpoint their source without other magic unless the Exalt identifies herself.
Similarly, the target may project his own thoughts and
replies along the link. As with vocalized speech, neither party projects information
they do not intend to convey — this Charm does not allow deeper mind
reading or memory probing, nor does it preclude deception.
Blood Inscription
Technique
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum
Linguistics: 1
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite
Charms: None
By channeling Essence-laden blood through
his fingertips, an Exalt who knows this Charm always has a means of writing. As
the Abyssal traces glyphs with his fingers, his touch leaves runes of indelible
crimson.
Marks etched with this Charm are virtually
indistinguishable from ink stains and can be cleaned or removed as such if the
writing surface permits. It is far easier to scrub stone than paper, after all.
If used to mark living beings, the glyphs resemble tattoos, but gradually fade over
a period or days or weeks like any applied dye.
Characters using this Charm write with
uncanny precision, easily matching the graceful calligraphy of even a very fine
stylus or brush.
Ghost-Warding Glyph
Cost: 8 motes
Duration: One day
Type: Simple
Minimum
Linguistics: 2
Minimum Occult:
4
Minimum Essence:
2
Prerequisite
Charms: Corpus-Rending Blow,
Blood Inscription Technique
By tracing a mystical blood rune on a
target's forehead, an Abyssal with this Charm may protect an individual from hungry
ghosts and walking dead. The mark cannot be washed off and retains a slick
appearance even after it dries.
For the duration of the Charm, no zombie
or bestial ghost will attack the target unless compelled to do so by a
necromancer, an Abyssal, a ghost using Arcanoi or some other supernatural
compulsion. Sentient ghosts generally leave the character alone out of fear of
the Deathlords but are not compelled to do so. This Charm can enchant any
human, including Exalted, but any display of an anima banner or Caste Mark
burns away the rune and revokes
the protection. The Abyssal may use the Ghost-Warding Glyph on himself.
Glyph-Unveiling Meditation
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One reading
Type: Simple
Minimum Linguistics:
3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite
Charms: Blood Inscription
Technique
By touching a sample of writing, an
Abyssal with this Charm can attune his mind to the lingering wisps of memory
left by the author. The Exalt can read the targeted work with perfect fluency,
but loses attunement and comprehension as soon as he stops reading or reaches
the end of the document. Note that it is not necessary to read in a linear
manner: He may skim passages, jump ahead and reread sections as many times as
desired. However, once the Abyssal halts to pursue another task, the Charm end.
Although an Exalt cannot quote specific passages or recall exact wording after
the Charm ends, he still remembers what he read and what it meant.
This Charm does not work against artificial
languages, codes and other such methods of deliberately obscuring the content
of a work, as the author's intent is devious and the traces left behind are
opaque.
Scathing Cynic Attitude
Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: One scene
Type: Reflexive
Minimum
Linguistics: 5
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Peerless Fluency
Style, Blood Inscription Technique
A character using this Charm becomes
preternaturally resistant to all forms of persuasion, from simple argument to
outright mind control. For the duration of the Charm, the character's Nature
changes to Critic.
Any time the deathknight is subjected to
words or magic that would alter his point of view or perceptions, his player
may reflexively roll Willpower against a difficulty of the offending character's
Essence. Success allows the Abyssal to scornfully shrug off the suggestion.
Characters using this Charm are notably brusque and bitter, which adds +1 to
the difficulty of all Charisma rolls. Scathing Cynic Attitude cannot defend
against persuasion by beings with a higher permanent Essence than the character's
Willpower.