Survival, The Ship’s Wheel
Once, there was a maiden…
…who lived in a tomb, and the tomb was
made in her image.
Because she lived in a tomb, she became
like the dead.
She slept and dreamed.
And sometimes, woke, and walked within
the confines of her tomb.
“Why do you move?” her own ghost asked.
“Why walk at all?”
“I am not trapped while yet I run,” said
she.
Becoming The Wilderness
Cost: 1 mote per target number
reduction
Duration: One day
Type: Simple
Minimum Survival: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None
The character calls forth and
spreads cat’s cradle between her hands as a representation of the weave of fate
for the entire local wilderness. She sets her will on it, remaking the land
into a mirror of her soul. For the duration of this Charm, tree branches
shelter her from the rain, food animals wander into her camp, the winds blow
lightly near her, and she rarely encounters danger. This Charm reduces the
target number of Survival or Awareness checks in the wilderness. Sidereal
Exalted may always use their Valor with this Charm.
Adopting The Untamed Face
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Survival: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Becoming
the Wilderness
In turn, the character can make
his soul mirror the land, imposing the pattern of its fate upon the flows of
his Essence. His player receives automatic successes equal to the Sidereal’s
Essence in any roll against a natural beast. While this Charm is active, add
the Sidereal’s Essence in extra dice when dealing socially with Lunar Exalted.
Sidereal Exalted may always use their Compassion with this Charm.
Dreaming The Wild Lands
Cost: 5 motes, 2 Willpower
Duration: Five days
Type: Simple
Minimum Survival: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Adopting
the Untamed Face
As she mirrors herself to the
land, the character bends the wild directly to her will. Under the pressure of
her intention, trees shift their places and river dragons cease to hunger. She
can make cosmetic changes to the scenery in uncivilized regions and dictate the
behavior of any wild beast she can see. She receives all the benefits of
Adopting the Untamed Face. Unless they know better, Lunar Exalted perceive her
as an eminent member of their own kind ― that is, ikth-ya. Sidereal
characters with Essence 5 or more appear as murr-ya.
Lunars do not imagine a Tell or
Caste Mark or other such indicators. The Sidereal Exalted simply carries
herself like an ikth-ya and, therefore, must be a Lunar. Even if a Lunar
knows better, the impression is difficult to shake. Mistreating the character
is mechanically easy but emotionally difficult. Sidereal Exalted may always use
their Valor with this Charm.
Sky And Rain Mantra
Cost: 10 motes
Duration: One day
Type: Simple
Minimum Survival: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: None
The character extends her
influence into the sky, adjusting the region’s weather. Her player rolls
Stamina + Survival. The number of successes determines how harsh the Exalt
makes the weather. Specifically, other characters’ players need at least that
many successes on a Survival roll for their characters to survive the new conditions
without hardship. The Sidereal can voluntarily reduce this difficulty when
creating the storm. If the Exalt wishes to calm the weather, she needs only one
success.
Generally, this Charm takes
effect within either minutes or hours, depending on the magnitude of the
effects.
Sky Spirit Demand
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Survival: 4
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Sky and
Rain Mantra
The character strives to mirror
the fate of an air spirit or elemental to the flows of her
own Essence, and vice versa. Her player rolls Manipulation + Survival
against a difficulty equal to the spirit’s Essence. If she succeeds, the Exalt
imposes one of her goals upon the spirit. It appreciates the importance of that
goal to the same degree and in the same fashion the Sidereal does. It can
choose between that goal and its other beliefs when and if they clash
dramatically. Using this Charm in a civilized region or against a civilized
spirit adds +2 to the difficulty. It can be adapted for use against spirits and
elementals of other elements, but this also adds +2 difficulty. Sidereal
Exalted may always use their Compassion with this Charm.
Wilderness-Commanding Practice
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Five days
Type: Simple
Minimum Survival: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Dreaming
the Wild Lands, Sky Spirit Demand
This Charm uses a prayer strip
marked with the scripture of the Maiden Entombed. The character casts it into
the air, where it dances in the wind, casting off shapeless golden phantasms.
This Charm co-opts a wild region
and turns it against the Exalt’s enemies. So long as the character remains
within sight of the prayer strip, he notices anyone of interest within his
Essence in miles, even those who are not able to be tracked by non-supernatural
trackers. He can give anyone three automatic successes on all Survival rolls
made within the region or reduce anyone’s Survival pool to 0 before they
benefit from Charms. Each effect requires a further commitment of 2 motes per
person so affected.
The Sidereal can also convey the
location of someone or something to a local beast or spirit. The Charm’s target
sees the indicated person or thing as a hated enemy. This requires 5 motes and
a successful Manipulation + Survival roll against the beast or spirit’s
Essence. The 5 motes are not committed. Intelligence victims can change their
minds if given a reason to rethink the situation. Sidereal Exalted may always
use their Valor with this Charm.