Bureaucracy, The Haywain

 

Once, there was a maiden…

…who was the living embodiment of everything right in the world.

While she lived, no real harm could come to anyone. Oh, wounds, disease, even death, sure. But she stood between the world and anything worse.

“Except,” she said, “I’m going to die.” And no one listened.

“I’m going to die tomorrow,” she said. And no one heard.

Into the silence, she said: “There’s always an ending, after all.”

 

Slick Essence Replenishment

Cost: None

Duration: Permanent

Type: Special

Minimum Bureaucracy: 1

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: None

In demonstrating her superiority to the frantic masses that mill about her, a calm and settled soul becomes a natural sinkhole for the Essence of the world. This Charm draws on a Sidereal’s ability to keep perspective and maintain her tranquility in the most troubled circumstances, easily juggling a hundred projects and a thousand data points, controlling herself always and controlling others when necessary. Immediately after a successful roll using Temperance or immediately after a Bureaucracy roll that substantially helped her implement her agenda, the Exalt regains twice her Temperance in motes of Essence, up to her normal maximum. There is no cost to use this Charm’s effects ― learning this Charm simply enhances the Exalt’s capabilities.

 

Icy Hand

Cost: 1 mote

Duration: Five days

Type: Reflexive

Minimum Bureaucracy: 2

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: None

The character’s cold clean touch instantly drives away bureaucratic corruption. She can invoke this Charm immediately after touching a target bureaucrat, which, for unwilling targets, requires an unarmed attack (which need do no damage). The Sidereal’s player rolls Charisma + Bureaucracy against the target’s Essence. If successful, the target is compelled to perform his duties honestly for the duration of the Charm.

A spark in the character’s pupil glitters violet during the use of this Charm.

 

Terminal Sanction

Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Bureaucracy: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Icy Hand

Sometimes, all it takes to kill a god is a word in the right ear. To invoke this Charm, the Exalt’s player rolls Charisma + Bureaucracy against a difficulty equal to the target’s Essence. Normally, this files a petition in the Bureau of Endings, activating certain perquisites of the Chosen of Fate that facilitate quick, effective resolution of a conflict with a spirit or elemental. However, due to the terms of the Primordials’ surrender, this Charm specifically affects demons of all Circles and adds the Sidereal’s Essence in automatic successes against them.

The effects of the Charm are as follows. Whether the character succeeds or fails, the spirit must instantly manifest and materialize to meet the Sidereal’s calm gaze. It cannot dematerialize until the end of the scene. If the character succeeds, the spirit becomes additionally vulnerable. If its materialized body dies that scene, the Sidereal can either destroy it utterly, bind it into an object, coerce it into service for an indefinite task or command its obedience for a year and a day. This can offer a Sidereal a second opportunity to bind a demon that breaks free of her control.

Sidereal Exalted may always use their Temperance with this Charm. Learning this Charm requires the Maiden of Endings’ approval.

 

Underling Invisibility Practice

Cost: 4 motes

Duration: Indefinite

Type: Simple

Minimum Bureaucracy: 3

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: None

By the will of the Maiden of Endings, who marks the end to every destiny, those who consider themselves above the process of fate shall find themselves most vulnerable to it.

With this Charm, the character conceals his presence effectively from those who foolishly consider themselves his superiors. Anyone who knows of the Sidereal Exalted and looks down upon them, or who considers himself superior to all others, simply cannot detect the Sidereal. This invisibility also applies to those who consider themselves more important than or hierarchically superior to the character himself.

The character registers on such entities’ senses as a brief impression related to his caste. Chosen of Journeys “feel” like there is somewhere the subject needs to be. Chosen of Serenity exude a faint sense of peace and happiness. Chosen of Battles provide a sense of intangible tension to the air. Chosen of Secrets provoke a strange sense of déjà vu. And the Chosen of Endings radiate a vague air of danger.

The arrogant cannot use the help of others to spot the Sidereal. Reports on the character’s presence no more register than the character’s direct visual impression. However, victims can derive other information from such reports, such as “something bad is happening and is preventing me from hearing exactly what my friends are saying.” They can even target the Sidereal based on this kind of information and the faint impression mentioned above. However, their dice pool for attacking or defending against the Sidereal starts at 0, before the effects of Charms. A perfect counter to invisibility overcomes this effect. This Charm conceals the last few seconds of a Sidereal’s tracks.

This Charm has no effect on other Sidereal Exalted. Otherwise, the Storyteller always decides whether a Storyteller character falls victim to this Charm, and players of non-Sidereals can explicitly decide their characters’ opinions on the Sidereal Exalted and specific Exalts. Learning this Charm requires the Maiden of Endings’ approval.

 

End Debate

Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 health level

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Bureaucracy: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Terminal Sanction, Underling Invisibility Practice

This Charm uses a prayer strip marked with the scripture of the Maiden’s Promise, which explodes in searing amethyst light as the character throws it to the ground. As the light fads, passion and the desire for speech drains from all those who witnessed the Charm. Everything has already been said.

If the character wishes, this Charm can instantly end a debate ― leading into an immediate vote or to everyone dropping the matter, as circumstances dictate.

Alternately, as long as one or more key individuals are present, End Debate can stop any bureaucratic process cold. Only an Intelligence + Bureaucracy roll with a difficulty equal to twice the character’s permanent Essence can restart it.

Finally, if the Sidereal’s player successfully rolls Strength + Bureaucracy against the target’s Essence, this Charm can impose the effect of Icy Hand on a single bureaucracy permanently ― only by resigning his position (and, if desired, seeking another) can he reestablish a career of corruption.

Sidereal Exalted may always use their Temperance with this Charm.