Revision as of 23:31, 6 August 2019

The Blessing of Audnev

The mark itself is a black star, of about two-inch diameter, which manifests beneath the hair of the blessed's head. Those with blond hair may want to get their hair dyed, to ensure no mark shows through. Baldness can be a real problem, though it is solved easily enough by a wig. Audrae's domains of shadow, secrecy and deception completely favor this attitude of hiding her mark. The fear is for when her blessed's mark and power are revealed! Audrae does not limit her blessings to the naerikk alone, but it is more difficult for a member of a different race to prove they truly have her interests at heart.

Favored

Ability Name	Ability Description
Blood Tie	The blessed can always tell in what direction The city of Augiery lies. This does not magically open an easy path, but it does give a boon to ignore the many decoys and avoid the traps that ensnare the unblessed who attempt to locate the hidden city. It can double as a compass of sorts. Can be activated twice per trial.
Leading the Blind	The blessed is able to inflict, upon a single victim, a sense of absolute certainty that some item could only be hidden in one particular place. The victim simply refuses to consider the possibility of it being concealed anywhere else. It lasts as long as the searcher feels the necessity to search, or as many bits (minutes) as the blessed's "Deception" skill point total, whichever comes first. This can be done twice per trial, but not both uses at once, so a pair of guards will still be a problem.
Stare Down	The blessed is always able to think clearly under extremes of terrifying situations. This does not mean they will never decide to run or hide (or whatever) anyway. But they will have been able to give lucid consideration to other options at the time. This includes the option of acting scared if they think it might give them some edge. This does not protect them from fear inflicted by drugs or arcana, but the impact will be significantly reduced.
Hand of Truth	Once per trial, the blessed can impose a twitch upon a single victim, by which they can not keep their hand still if they tell something that is either an outright lie, or a distortion meant to deceive. It will be the same hand as the blessed's own primary hand. If the victim is missing that hand, this blessing will be ineffective. The duration is for half as many bits (minutes) as the blessed's "Intimidation" skill point total. The victim will be unaware of this condition, but this blessing does not compel him to talk if he chooses not to.
Shadow Blind	Once per trial, the blessed can cloak themselves in a concealing shadow for as many bits (minutes) as their "Stealth" skill point total. However, use of this blessing in an unlikely spot, like broad daylight, will still be noticed, and probably draw unwanted investigation. At "Adored" level, this can be done three times per trial; at "Exalted", five.
Trigger of Innocence	Once per trial, the blessed can speak one single phrase that will be believed by everyone in hearing range, provided it contains a single trigger word. This word must be chosen when the blessing is first received, but at each new tier of devotion, two more trigger words can be empowered with this ability.
Light the Way	Once per trial, the blessed can boost their visual perception to see clearly in complete darkness. Any sudden flash of light, or significant increase in ambient light will end this boon. Otherwise, it will last as many bits (minutes) as the blessed's "Detection" skill point total. At "Exalted" level, a flash of light will not dazzle the eyes of the blessed, nor end the boon.
Echo of Nightmare	Once per trial, the blessed can affect everyone within 25 yards, who is focusing on her, with the ominous feeling that nearby ambient sounds are something they heard in a recent nightmare; giving them a sense that something terrible, foretold in that dream, is about to occur. Usually, this is employed to facilitate escape by making pursuit afraid to turn a particular corner. Once the blessed is 50 yards from the activation point, the effect ends.
Mommy's Girl/Boy	The character is granted an extra three skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Deception, Intimidation, Stealth, or Detection. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses.

Adored

Ability Name	Ability Description
Shadow of Home	Ten bits of Meditation will allow the blessed to gain a sensory connection to events currently transpiring in Augiery. Only one sense can be involved, so the blessed can either receive silent visuals or blank audio. Scent, touch or taste can also be chosen, but this is rare. This connection can be maintained for as half as many bits (minutes) as the blessed's Detection skill.
Mother's Pet	The character is granted an extra six skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Deception, Intimidation, Stealth, or Detection. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses.
Dark Reflection	Three times per trial, the blessed is able to look into shadows as if they were mirrors, allowing them to see around corners, under doors or anywhere that a mirror would allow them to see.
Revealing Ink	Once per trial, the blessed may call upon Audrae's command of secrets, to demand the exposure of a desired source of information. In this case, it can either be that a single book or scroll, out of many, will take on an unusually darkened look, indicating that the data is contained somewhere within; or that flipping through the pages of an already selected item will display this same unusual shading on certain texts. This will not reveal the cypher to break anything written in code, but will at least expose which individual letters or passages are the coded ones.
Mother's Sign	Audrae now blesses her devotee with three instances of "Hand of Truth" per trial. And during one of them, the blessed can modify the affliction to cause the twitching hand to use Naerikk sign language to pass them desired information. Again, the victim will be completely unaware of the tic. Either hand can be affected now, and if the victim is holding something in both hands, only a very strong skill to resist such things will prevent him from absent-mindedly setting something down to free up a hand for this purpose.
Face of Shadows	Once for every 5 points of disguise, or a minimum of twice per trial, the blessed may call upon nearby shadows to emphasize or obscure the shading of the blessed's facial and bodily build features for five bits (minutes). This can be done to exaggerate facial shadows to create the impression of much higher cheekbones or sunken cheeks, protruding brows of cleft chin, pot belly, etc. This gives a person with no Disguise skill a 5-bit Competent (26) level. Those who do possess some points in Disguise, rise to the corresponding point in the next skill tier. This means someone who already had a Disguise skill of 26 would be able to operate with a level 50 skill for those 5 bits. However, someone with the "Detection" skill sufficient to see through such a level of disguise will not be fooled.
Haunting Memory	Once per cycle, the blessed can inflict a horrifying amplification of their target's worst nightmare. The blessed does not need to know what this nightmare is. It is entirely produced within the mind of the victim as the boon takes effect. When activated, the blessed makes mention of something they would like the victim to forget. As the victim tries to hold onto this memory, the fear infused into his psyche from this nightmare grows steadily. If the victim willingly chooses to relinquish this memory, both it and the nightmare vanish permanently. The longer the victim fights the nightmare, the more fearfully crazed he becomes, until no one would believe anything he says anyway.
Severed Shade	Once per trial, the blessed can detach themselves from their own shadow and send it off to lure pursuit away or do mischief. The shadow can stretch itself the same way a shadow will stretch because of the angle of a light source. But in this case, there need not be any such light source, nor is the form of this increased shade restricted by any such concerns. It can take any shape or appear to be the shadow of multiple figures, as long as they are connected. It could appear as the shadows of lovers on the blinds of a well-known married diplomat's home to cause scandal. It could cause the shape of it's "head" to appear to be wearing a very recognizable crown if desired. The limits are only in the malicious creativity of the blessed. Use of this specter lasts for as many bits (minutes) as the blessed's "Deception" skill.
Shades of Iron	Twice per trial, the blessed can make shadows lock around the ankles of a target, stopping him in place. This does not affect actions the target may attempt with his arms, but he can not move his feet. The target must run through existing shadows for this boon to be activated. This boon can not be cast upon the same target twice in the same trial. The restraint lasts for as many bits (minutes) as the blessed's Intimidation skill. At "Adored", this can be cast three times per trial, and twice on the same target. At "Exalted", the shadows can be conjured at will at the desired location to perform this boon.

Exalted

Ability Name	Skill Description
Mother's Favorite	The character is granted an extra nine skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Deception, Intimidation, Stealth, or Detection. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses.
Home Stretch	Once per arc, the blessed can immediately slip through paths of shadow all the way to Augiery. Upon arrival, the dark energy needed to speed this journey lingers, giving the blessed one a single break of time to give whatever report necessitated the use of this ability. Like 'The Gift' of the Naerikk, when this break passes, the blessed falls into a near comatose swoon for a full trial, and then suffers having their skills halved for a full cycle.
Revealing Shade	For one break every trial, any person's shadow within ten yards of the blessed will nod or shake its head to reveal whether or not the person speaks the truth. This does not have to be used all at once, but can not be used in less than ten bit increments.
Ward of Deception	The Blessed one is now permanently immune to all sources of fear, and can see through Illusions. This does not mean he will not recognize danger, or never choose to act scared, but only Legendary Empathy or Illusionism can truly cause the exalted one to lose his composure. And even then, it will not bring on mindless horror.
Mind Lock	Three times per cycle, the blessed one can instantly cause a secret to be locked in the mind of a single target, never to be unlocked until the blessed one desires it. This can be done instantaneously, with nothing more than eye contact, if both the blessed one and his target are in shadow. If not, it takes a total of three ticks of cumulative eye contact. It is up to the blessed one, at the time this impediment is inflicted, whether or not he chooses to have the target know that something is being blocked in his mind. In the alternative, the exalted can lock their own mind, causing any information heard during a full break to be remembered perfectly and permanently.
Blood Slide	By placing a drop of blood where there is shadow, the location can be marked as a potential site to which the blessed can teleport in the blink of an eye. Restraints are irrelevant, so long as the location is within 100 yards of the blessed one. This teleportation can only be performed once per trial, but all spots remains marked permanently. If a spot is desired and no shadow is present, the blessed one can conjure a shadow upon the spot, but then it can only be used one time.
Dawn of Dread	The blessed one must kill a long-established member of a town or area and cover himself in the blood of this victim. Then the blessed one buries himself in a grave, makeshift or otherwise, completely sealing himself off from the light of the coming day. No doubt a tube of some sort will be needed to allow breathing. The shadow of night is then gathered into the forms of worms, gnats, roaches and other tiny vermin to assail the populace of the target city or area. This comes in the form of an unusually early light in the sky. As the people look up in puzzlement, shapes begin to squirm up from the ground. These shadow vermin immediately swarm over anyone nearby, seeming to sink into the skin of their targets. There is no true physical invasion, but the darkness soon affects the minds of the hosts, filling them with a revulsion of their own vermin-infested flesh. Any blood spilled on the ground, in the desperate attempts to dig the nonexistent critters out, only creates more shadow vermin to expand and extend the assault. It is whispered in some corners of Augiery that if the exalted dies in the grave, the target area will be forever cursed with these shadows of fear. Otherwise it only lasts until the sun reaches the high point of the day, regardless of how many extra shades are born from victims' terror.
Counterfeit Divinity	The blessed one may conceal their own mark of Audnev in favor of a falsified mark of a different Immortal. While most Immortals would be furious to have their exalted hide their mark, Audrae's domain of deception encourages such forgery. She knows who her exalted are, and sees no reason why it should be blatantly displayed if some advantage can be gained through this deception. This forgery may be used off and on for a full season; but once used this way, it can never be used again. No more than four different counterfeits can be faked over the course of a single arc, and never more than one at a time. Only a true champion of the counterfeit Immortal can see through this fake. And while active, the phony mark will "call" vaguely to him. This would not be a problem except that it takes a full trial of meditation to dispel a mark once activated.
Night Light	Once per cycle, the exalted may cast an entire room of any size, or an area 100' in diameter, into a numbing, blinding darkness. The dark affects the senses, causing all but the blessed to feel like they are moving if they try. But they remain motionless. This applies to the physiology of speaking as well. The darkness absorbs a great deal of ambient sound too, so victims caught in the darkness feel as if they are isolated and speaking into a blinding emptiness. Any that enter this area after the casting are immediately caught in the effect. A narcotic fear begins to grow, which is accompanied by a psychological delusion that revealing secrets will dispel the dark. As they pour out their secrets, the darkness begins to take on the look of whatever environment they feel most comfortable in. This lasts for a full break, or until dispelled by the exalted. The exalted will be unable to use any divine abilities for a week after using this.

The Curse of Audnev

Those amassing the Immortal's disfavor are in dire straits indeed. Such domains as Shadows Deception and Fear are naturals for the administration of punishment. And the element of Secrecy only adds to the suspense of when the curse will strike. The only visual sign of Audrae's ire is the star-shaped mark is turned upside down up their forehead, in much the same way as the victim's life is about to be.

Hated

The target of Audrae's disfavor lives forever in gloom. There is an unshakable feeling of being watched and tracked by those with ill-intent, hiding in nearby shadows. He becomes extremely gullible, and those around him feel oddly compelled to tell him disturbing lies and pull pranks on him. He is also unable to get anyone to believe him. If he gets clever and tries to use reverse psychology by deliberately telling the opposite of what he really means, he is simply condemned as a trouble maker, spreading lies.

Despised

The despised gets extremely jumpy, which frequently draws unwanted attention. He alternates between seeming like someone that can be trusted with any secret, but then is unable to keep even the simplest one. He always says the wrong thing at the wrong time to look like the one to blame for any scandalous secret getting out. If he stays in one place for more than a few trials, he will become the target of an angry mob blaming him for any and all social and political disasters. If he tries to get away, shadows inevitably hide things which trip him up or entangle his feet.

Condemned

The condemned is not long for the world. He is believed to be keeping secrets from everyone and telling them to all the wrong people. Everything he says is presumed to be a malicious lie. He lives in a permanent state of utter dread, but cannot hide. Instead, he must walk in the open, because shadows trip and slash him relentlessly, whispering cruel threats and laughter which rob him of any decent amount of rest. Lack of sleep and relentless fear soon bring him to look like the madman he is doomed to become. And if he does not take his own life, he will surely be murdered by someone who blames him for something terrible, or executed for some charge like attempted treason.

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