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Vodou
Topic Started: Jan 4 2014, 10:56 PM (116 Views)
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Vodou
Posted ImageOriginating from western Africa and the Caribbean (most prominently Haiti), the Discipline of Vodou developed from a strange mixture of religious practice, blood magic and necromancy. A versatile discipline which features several paths much like Necromancy or Thaumaturgy, Vodou is almost exclusively developed by Samedi kindred though there are tales of certain Laibon and adventurous Tremere kindred developing it to a small degree.

Most of the abilities conferred by Vodou come with some sort of price beyond the simple expenditure of Blood and their affects can be broad ranging and deadly. The First Law of Vodou declares that Vodou cannot be used selfishly; the Second Law states that any harm done by the craft shall be visited fivefold on the one who invoked the curse; the Third and final law of Vodou states that the loa are supreme and do be respected.
Clans:Samedi, Tremere, Giovanni, Laibon
Paths:Sentespri, Kò, Invoké
Vodou is a potent discipline with three main Paths, Sentespri (relating to spirits), Kò (relating to the body) and Invoké (relating to charms, curses and blessings). All involve to some degre the Loa...

The Loa
To an outsider's understanding the Loa are a powerful group of semi-divine ancestral spirits; necromancers skilled in the Paths relating to wraiths often describe them as the Antediluvians of the spirit world, though this is hardly an apt description - the Loa are in fact the manifestations of several entities which somehow succeeded in imprinting themselves upon the 'realm beyond'. Despite their presence beyond the Veil most necromancers cannot perceive the Loa, because for the most part they represent more of a force than a conscious entity like a wraith however those that can see them as a miasma of subtle energy permeating everything.

Few people are capable of communing with the Loa and fewer still survive the experience unmarked for the Loa always exact a certain price for their involvement in a given affair - sometimes that price is transitory and simple, the rubbing of chilli peppers into one's eyes or allowing one's body to become 'possessed' by the Loa for a time; but at others the price can be much greater and more permanent, the sacrifice of an animal or in extreme cases a person. Kindred however are different, their nature gives them something with which to directly pay the Loa, their blood - though that is seldom all a kindred must pay their blood is of such a nature that it can be used to invoke greater boons and curses from the Loa.

The Loa of Kindred Vodou come in three main families;

  • The Ghede, masters of death lead by the Barons La Croix, Samedi, Cimitière, Kriminel and Maman Brigitte. They favour offerings of rum mixed with gunpowder and chilli peppers and are loud, obnoxious and rude but also highly sexual and great fun. At heart they are not evil but are rather considered to be party animals and trciksters.
  • The Rada, masters of life and growth, they are lead by the old African deities Erzulie Freda, La Sirène, and Agwé. They favour offerings of herbs and spice infused rum or whiskey. Unlike the Ghede they are purely beneficent and offer comfort and healing; however they are also very serious and a bond made with the Rada should be considered unbreakable or else terrible retribution will be meted out.
  • The Petro, masters of the hunt, war and politics, they represent change and flux and are lead by Ezili Dantor, Marinette, and Met Kalfu. Often deceptive they tend to make Faustian deals with people and are treated with great respect and wariness by any sensible practitioner of vodou. Met Kalfu is always the first and last Loa to be consulted in any vodou ceremony for it is he who grants access between those on the physical plane and the Loa.


Sentespri
The oldest but rarest form of Vodou is Sentespri, which deals directly with the contacting and manipulation of spirits and the wielding of the frightful powers of the Loa.

Bann Lang Mortèl (o)
Also known as Deathly Tongues this ability allows the kindred to commune directly with the Loa to ask simple yes or no questions. To begin the process costs a single blood point following which a willpower test at difficulty 7 must be rolled; every success grants one question however for each botch the Kindred is rebuffed by the Loa angry at his impertinence and one answer becomes a lie (the Kindred does not know which). In order to prolong the process and ask further questions the kindred must spend a further blood point and roll another willpower test this time at difficulty 8; each time the process is repeated another blood point is taken and the willpower test difficulty increases; once the difficulty reaches 10 no further attempts may be made.

The kindred must always declare which family they are asking for different families of Loa know different things; if the Loa do not know the answer to a question they will say so (unless they lie) in which case the question is wasted.

This ability also grants the kindred the ability to see wraiths as man sized gatherings of mist; though they don't necessarily know what the nature of the wraith is nor whether it is a wraith or just mist.

Murmura Imòtèl (oo)
Also known as Immortal Whispers, this ability allows the kindred to passively listen in on the constant chattering of nearby wraiths and the Loa. Most of their speech is inane and garbled nonsense however for the perceptive bokor it often has a deeper meaning though it is down to them to work out if its present and what it is; with the expenditure of one blood point the kindred may speak with nearby wraiths.

This ability also allows the user to use the Loa to pass on a message to someone a great distance away. With the expenditure of one blood point to find out how far away the person is (though not where they are) and a further blood point for every 10km distance the message must travel the message may be passed on. However if the message must only travel 10km or less either an extra blood point must be spent, or a willpower test at difficulty 7 be taken; three or more successes mean the message makes it to its destination unchanged, botches increase the number of required success by one per botch. Messages sent over longer distances need not do this.

Men Baron la (ooo)
The Baron's Hand, this ability draws directly upon the Ghede Loa and allows the kindred to locate an item and then summon it from that location to theirs at a cost of one blood point per 10km and 1 blood point per 10kg of weight. If simply locating an object the one blood point is expended. This ability cannot be used to summon creatures living or dead, nor can it move objects which would, if moved, cause harm to another.

This ability can also be used as a defence/attack against wraiths, meaning that a kindred's unarmed attacks on wraiths cause aggravated damage.

Benediksyon (oooo)
Also called the Benediction of the Loa, this ability allows the kindred to heal the injuries of others, both mortal and immortal. The kindred must expend three blood points and roll a willpower test (difficuly 6 for standard, 8 for aggravated damage) every success allows them to heal a single level of damage previously sustained while each botch inflicts one level of damage with no soak of any kind allowed as the Loa reject the kindred's requests for aid. This ability cannot be used on oneself only on others.

This ability can also be used to temporarily grant the kindred or a nearby ally dots of Celerity, Potence or Fortitude and a cost of four blood points per dot; this affect lasts for so long as the kindred is able to see the target and for so long as the kindred has blood to spend on it, it must be renewed every five turns in combat or once per scene otherwise. This ability cannot push a person's dots over a maximum of six.

Avatar of the Loa (ooooo)
The kindred allows himself to become a physical manifestation of a Loa of their choice; at a cost of five blood points to activate. The kindred must then pass a willpower test at difficulty 8 with at least four successes and NO botches every turn to retain control; failure results in the Loa's will taking control of the Kindred meaning that the storyteller takes control of the character and acts according to the Loa's will.

The following Loa may be called upon with the following results:

  • Baron Samedi - Regerate one health level per turn (regardless of damage level etc). Inflict 1 level of aggravated damage with no soak of any kind allow to everyone within 1m of the kindred per turn. Once during this invocation the manifestation may completely heal a single ally (but not the kindred using the invocation) thus removing all poisons, diseases or other negative effects. - The Kindred must pay a toll, the Baron likes gunpowder and chilli infused rum, cigars, black coffee and grilled peanuts and consumes a unit of these each turn that this ability is active; if the kindred runs out they must immediately pass a difficulty 8 willpower test with five successes or lose control, if they pass the invocation ends.
  • Marinette - The Kindred enters a frenzy and counts as have Potence and Celerity 5 for the duration however they may no longer use any weapon of any kind and will instantly Frenzy if they see a pig or another Vodou practitioner. For every turn that this ability is active the Kindred must take a standard frenzy test. - The Kindred must pay a toll, Marinette likes the blood of any animal but a pig, the blood of vodou practitioners or believers, gold coins and black pepper and consumes a unit of these each turn that this ability is active; if the kindred runs out they must immediately pass a difficulty 8 willpower test with five successes or lose control, if they pass the invocation ends.
  • Maman Brigitte - The Kindred gains four dots of Fortitude (up to a maximum of 10) and becomes temporarily immune to fire; however they cannot attack children or those wearing crosses or religious symbols. They also count as having 0 in all social stats and skills as they can speak nothing but swear words and insults. - The Kindred must pay a toll, Brigitte likes black coffee, pounded tobacco, sugar canes and sweets and consumes a unit of these each turn that this ability is active; if the kindred runs out they must immediately pass a difficulty 8 willpower test with five successes or lose control, if they pass the invocation ends.
  • La Croix - The Kindred's social stats and skills are set to maximum and they take on the appearance of a dark, handsome and mysterious stranger; however they become obsessed with sex and must resist the urge through a difficulty 7 willpower test every turn that they are in the company of a member of the opposite sex or else they will rush and try to fornicate with them whether or not its asked for. - The Kindred must pay a toll, La Croix likes custard, cookies, warm milk, banana milkshake, fish fingers and sand and consumes a unit of these each turn that this ability is active; if the kindred runs out they must immediately pass a difficulty 8 willpower test with five successes or lose control, if they pass the invocation ends.
  • Met Kalfu - The master of the crossroads, the Kindred is able to summon spirits and bind them to physical 'bodies' of clay or bone to fight for him; additionally the kindred gains the ability to fire shotgun blasts from their hands as if they were actually wielding such a weapon. However Kalfu is a cruel master and constantly tempts the Kindred with sin, they become fearful of ice and cold and and if they have the opportunity to commit a crime they will. Additionally the kindred may not call upon other Vodou abilities while using this invocation. - The Kindred must pay a toll, Kalfu likes gunpowder infused rum, cocaine, explosives, black dye and semen and consumes a unit of these each turn that this ability is active; if the kindred runs out they must immediately pass a difficulty 8 willpower test with five successes or lose control, if they pass the invocation ends.



This is another rare path of Vodou which deals with aspects more closely relating to necromancy and death; as with all other branches of Vodou it grants the wielder the ability to help or hurt but always at a price.

Je Yo Nan Vòlè (o)
Also called the Thief's Eyes, this grants the kindred the ability to replace one or both of their, or a willing ally's eyes with those of another person or animal; the process requires one blood point per eye and an investment of time through which to perform the necessary rites needed. For non-Samedi kindred the eye lasts for only one night at which point it is forced out of place as their real eye regenerates; however Samedi may maintain the eye for longer by spending an additional blood point every time they wake, however these eyes are not a natural part of the kindred and will atrophy much like one would expect from an eye torn from its socket.

What this ability allows in practical terms is for the kindred to gain the visual capabilities of the person or animal whose eyes they have taken, so if a cat's eyes were taken one could expect sharper eyesight while if a kindred with Auspex's eyes were taken then the visual aspects of their Auspex discipline would be assumed for the duration. Also an interesting feature of this ability is that if the eyes are taken from the corpse of one recently deceased, the kindred gains the ability to look through the veil and see the world as those truly dead see it.

If the kindred uses this ability to replace the eyes of a human then the change lasts so long as the eyes remain, but once they atrophy and die the human will not 'regrow' their old eyes as these will have been taken by the kindred as payment to the Loa. It goes without saying that the kindred needs to acquire the eyes used for this ability as they do not simply appear out of nowhere.

Atire Dyab la (oo)
Sometime's called the Devil's Allure, this ability allows the kindred to temporarily boost their or a nearby ally's Social attributes by 1 per blood point spent to a maximum of 4; this even affects Nosferatu, Gargoyles and Samedi who would normally have a fixed Appearance level of 0, since this ability affects the perception of those around them rather than their actual appearance. Characters with Auspex may see through this ability's affects if they pass an opposed Willpower check against the kindred invoking this ability, at difficulty 7.

Alternatively this ability may be used to temporarily reduce an enemy's social attributes by 1 per blood point spent to a maximum of -4.

Kò a Ajil (ooo)
The kindred creates a small humanoid shape, no more than one foot in stature and imbuing it with a mixture of rum, chilli powder and 3 points of their own blood, brings it to life. The creature has a limited degree of intelligence and consciousness, but is bound directly to the will of its creator. The 'Akolit' communicates with its master through telepathy though it lacks the ability to communicate with others as it cannot read, write or speak. Each Akolit mimics the character sheet of its creator with all dots halved (rounding up), but it does not possess any disciplines as it is not a vampire or ghoul, additionally the Akolit cannot use firearms or any complex machinery.

If used in conjunction with Je Yo Nan Vòlè the Akolit may be given a real eye (only one), allowing its creator to see what it sees, where ever it is.

This creature is only made of soft clay and if left in dry heat for too long it will become baked hard and lose the ability to move; rain also causes it to lose shape and consistency and prolonged exposure can result in it simply melting away. Each Akolit lives for a total of one day, but can be granted an extended 'life' span by infusing it with a further feeding of the mixture which created it. All Akolit count has having Fortitude 2 and Celerity 3, they also gain a +4 bonus to any stealth checks they may need to make thanks to their small stature and reclusive nature.

Akolits may be created for others, to do this the kindred creating it must use only 1 blood point from himself and three from the person to whom the Akolit answers. Such Akolits last of a period of 24 hours and then crumble to dust regardless of any attempt to prolong their 'lives'. Akolits being spotted in action are an obvious Masquerade violation.

Zombi (oooo)
Unlike true necromancy and the creation of undead automatons bound to an individual's will, this ability allows the kindred to create a 'zombie' from a living mortal; these creatures are referred to as Zombi and have notable advantages and disadvantages over their undead counterparts.

To create a Zombi the kindred must first create a powder from a mixture of sacred ingredients; usually datura stramonium, powdered blowfish, dried jellyfish tendrils and gunpowder (though these ingredients are not what is important, its more that the ingredients be considered to have 'mystic' properties by the kindred creating the paste, to a degree that they believe that the mixture they are creating will work). The powder is then mixed with the kindred's blood into a paste; 3 blood points is a minimum but to prolong the effects of the mixture 1 blood point per day of duration must be expended. The paste must then be fed to a mortal (it does not work on the supernatural, kindred, ghouls etc) who will drop into a deathlike coma for three hours, after which point they will awake as a completely compliant Zombi, bound to the will of the kindred.

Compared to animated corpses Zombi are excellent in social situations and perfect for public use as guards or servants, since they are no different from any other human in appearance, they are immune to fear and will do anything they are commanded to do (with the exception of deed which will unquestionably lead to their death); however there are obvious drawbacks, though impervious to pain Zombi are still just humans and can be killed as easily, they must also have all of their needs provided for - food, drink, minimum six hours rest a day etc. Zombi obey the will of their master without question as it is impressed upon them through a telepathic link similar to that between a kindred and his Akolit. In order to maintain their subservient nature they must be regularly fed the paste by the kindred.

Zombi retain the stats they had before being turned into a Zombi, except for their immunity to pain and lack of free will they are just humans after all; however they are complete immune to the effects of Presence, Dominate, Dementation and other mind altering abilities while under the kindred's control.

Retounen Nan Mouri a (ooooo)
The Return of the Dead, the ultimate expression of the Kò, this allows the kindred to call upon the spirits of the deceased to come and inhabit a nearby corpse; unlike in the case of regular zombies where the corpse is animated as an undead automaton, or the Zombi which are the enslaved living these Tounen are animated by willing spirits, the servants of the Loa. The invocation itself costs 3 blood points per spirit.

Tounen have free will and are not bound to the will of the one who 'created' them, however they may be made by the kindred, to do their bidding in exchange for certain sacrifices to the Loa they serve. These sacrifices vary depending on the Tounen in question, but must regularly be paid in order to maintain the compliance of the Tounen.

Once created the kindred may banish the Tounen, leaving nothing behind but a pile of dust and whatever clothing and items the being was carrying at the time. Banishing Tounen requires that 1 blood point be spent and a sacrifice be paid; if banishing the Tounen of another kindred then an opposed willpower roll against that kindred at difficulty 8 must be taken.

Tounen are in many regards like zombies, immune to pain or fear, yet confined to a shambling, rotting husk; they take on the physical characteristics (in terms of stats and abilities) of their summoner but lack their disciplines, instead they are considered to have Fortitude and Potence 3 and their attacks cause aggravated damage to wraiths. Like kindred their bodies are highly flammable.

For all their toughness Tounen can be killed through the destruction or removal of their head; otherwise the complete destruction of their physical body is required.

Invoké
The most common form of Vodou which all practitioners must learn to a basic degree before embarking upon the others. In experienced hands Invoké can be a truly terrifying to behold or a source of great comfort.

Gerizon Manyen (o)
The Healing Touch, this ability allows the kindred to produce healing salves from simple and seemingly mundane ingredients. The healing offered by such salves will not heal anything more than straight forward injuries unless applied carefully over a period of time, however they are potent enough that, given time they can be much more effective than ordinary medicines. For a mortal such salves can preserve life long enough for them to recover from otherwise fatal injuries such as severe burns or blood loss provided enough of the salve is used and that it is regularly tended.

The ingredients for salves created with Gerizon Manyen are not important, so long as they would not be poisonous; good examples are simple oat pastes or ground nutmeg. What is necessary is that at least 1 point of blood be expended in its creation; the application of the healing salve is treated as an advanced healing action - 1 blood point will create around 1 pint of salve, enough for one application - additional points expended will produce more (1 pint per point).

Malediksyon (oo)
With a great deal of theatrics the kindred casts a deadly curse upon his enemy causing them excruciating pain whenever they attempt to move towards the kindred. This ability is purely harmful in nature and affects mortals and the supernatural with equal malice. Such curses last until the caster is killed or the curse is lifted, either by an act of will on the part of the victim, by ritual or by the kindred who placed the curse in the first place.

Though this ability inflicts pain, which is supernatural in nature and cannot be numbed by drugs or mundane means, it does not actually harm the victim physically. The curse costs 3 blood points to inflict, 4 on supernatural beings and requires a ritual or five successes on a Willpower test at difficulty 8. The caster and the victim must make eye contact for the curse to be inflicted.

Je Manyak (ooo)
The Manic Eye is a curse or blessing which works in a similar manner so some abilities found in Dementation. When cast this ability alter's the the target's perception of themselves as well as their perceptive memory so that for the duration of the ability they believe wholly in this new perception. This ability works in the same manner regardless of how it is used; it can trick kindred into thinking they are mortals and mortals into thinking they are kindred and they will act accordingly. As a curse it can cause mortals to cringe at bright lights or kindred to move slowly as though their body were rotting away.

What it cannot do is cause a person to die, or force them into a situation in which death in obviously inevitable. But it can make a person think that they are dead, causing them to simply flop to the ground and play the lifeless corpse, though their survival instinct will remain intact (i.e. they won't lie there while someone cuts their throat or a bus runs them over). This said the ability can cause a victim into a position where there is a possibility of death, by delaying their actions or reactions.

Je Manyak's duration depends upon the victim, out of combat it will last for the scene or until the target succeeds in an opposed difficulty 7 willpower test against the caster (though the caster gains +1 to their rolls if the target is mortal or a lesser being than them). In combat an opposed willpower check is taken for every turn after the curse has been cast. Regardless of whether or not the change in perception is positive or negative in effect the target will always try to resist it as a natural reaction. For the ability to work the kindred must make eye contact with his victim.

Men Fwad la Nan Limiteur la (oooo)
The Cold Hand of the Limiter as it is otherwise known is one of Vodou's greatest abilities. Such powerful Vodou is not without its price and the kindred seldom accepts that toll himself, preferring to have others pay in his stead - however such an ability cannot be used by the bokor alone, it requires a third party who is prepared to pay the price for such incredible power.

The Blessing of the Limiter is truly the greatest of blessings imaginable, suddenly the impossible seems easily achieved and nothing is beyond the ability of the Blessed. The bokor has used his power over the spirits, and his influence with the Loa to place a powerful blessing upon a talisman which grants them +2 dots to every attribute for so long as the talisman holding the blessing is worn; in dire need the blessing can be 'cashed in' allowing the bearer to automatically pass a single roll of their choice, this however causes the blessing to be spent, the talisman will break and payment will be exacted by the Limiter three fold. The Blessing lasts until it is used up. However the Limter has her price for such a gift, a price which must be paid by someone and preferably not the Bokor given how steep the toll can be.

The Curse of the Limiter does precisely the opposite of the Blessing, inflicting a -2 (to a minimum of 0) penalty on all attributes; if the kliyan is extremely vindictive they may 'cash in' the Curse causing the victim to automatically fail a single roll of the kliyan's choice, this however causes the blessing to be spent, the talisman will break and payment will be exacted by the Limiter three fold. The Curse lasts until it is used up. However the Limter has her price for such a gift, a price which must be paid by someone and preferably not the Bokor given how steep the toll can be. To inflict the curse upon another the talisman must be pressed against the skin of the victim, it will then dissolve leaving a red mark where it took root.

The kliyan must make a payment of five years of their lifespan, or in the case of those endowed with immortality one 24 hour period of their existence, during which the Limiter will control their mortal form and use it to act out her fiendish desires. Such blessings and curses are rare and powerful indeed and are held in magical talismans crafted from a stone of magically solidified blood which is in fact the mingled blood of the bokor and their kliyan. This talisman lasts for 1 day per blood point spent (a 50/50 mix of the bokor and the kliyan's blood must be used) in its creation and the process of creation itself costs 3 blood points on the part of the bokor. The talisman may be worn and used by anyone however the price is always exacted from the kliyan - the bokor can get no benefit from the talisman at all.

Given the expense the bokor must go to in order to create such a talisman they often ask a price of their kliyan themselves for such powerful uses of Vodou are taxing on both the bokor's strength and their influence with the Loa - many of whom disapprove of the Limiter's actions.

Pèlen Nanm (ooooo)
One of the most effective and coveted abilities available to any bokor, the ability to trap and store souls within a specially crafted talisman. Unlike many other abilities they can use this on themselves and often do as a powerful 'insurance policy' on their immortality. Throughout the centuries tales have been told of how powerful sorcerers trapped the souls of innocents in seemingly mundane objects for their own nefarious reasons; some of those tales have some basis in this powerful ability.

The Pèlen Nanm is an amulet, crafted by the Ghede Loa themselves at the behest of the bokor and drawn from the 'other side' into our plane of existence; such amulets are both surprisingly tough yet fickle in their fragility. Armed with their pèlen the bokor may then entrap the essential essence of a person or being within, the name pèlen nanm means 'soul trap'but this is a misnomer for it does not in truth trap the soul but that which sustains a sentient being in the realm of the living - in this manner it can be used to 'trap' kindred, humans or even werewolves with equal ease.

But trapping a 'soul' within the amulet is only half the job, such an act will not 'kill' a person, nor will it render them unconscious, in fact their physical manifestation remains unchanged. What the pèlen does is to store that essence. In this way it is similar to a phylactery - if the body of the one whose 'soul' is contained within the pèlen is destroyed then the pèlen can be used to bring back the person contained within it by pouring their essence into a suitable host body - recently dead corpses, soft clay fetishes; anything will do.

Bokors produce these pèlen and entrap people within them for a variety of reasons - some who are skilled in certain necromantic arts may use them to store souls to be consumed - others use them as a form of life preserver, in case their 'mortal' form is destroyed and a very rare few unscrupulous individuals will trap people for kliyan in exchange for money or other valued commodities.

Once a person's essence is trapped within the pèlen it becomes their true physical manifestation and will remain so until their essence is transferred into a new body. If their pèlen is destroyed whilst they are 'trapped' within it, regardless of whether their body is still alive, the person will be taken by the Loa and dragged into the hell of the shadow world to become their plaything for all eternity. A person may only have one pèlen at a time and each time their essence is transferred to a new body a new pèlen must be crafted to repeat the process - though each time the process is repeated a small amount of their essence drains away, leeched away by the Loa and eventually there is so little left that the person becomes little more than an automaton - alive and yet not, going through the motions but no longer wholly there. Needless to say few people choose to undergo the process more than once or twice and those who do are usually the most nefarious of people.

To create a pèlen the bokor must expend 10 blood points, this covers the cost of its creation and drawing it from the 'other side'. Once created he must place one point of the intended target's blood within it at which point the pèlen becomes active. The target will experience a feeling similar to that of slow painful death as their essence is mercilessly sucked into the amulet, after which they will be rendered unconscious for a short time. Upon waking they may be none the wiser of what has happened to them, though they will be afflicted with a strange chill as though a biting breeze were seeping through their very soul for the duration of their 'soul's' stay within the pèlen. A person who was involuntarily placed within a pèlen may reclaim their essence fully by drinking the contents of their pèlen; only they will be able to do so as to everyone else the pèlen and its contents will seem solid. Remember if an active pèlen is destroyed that person immediately dies - that goes for kindred, garou etc etc etc.
Edited by Vincent Tadeu, Jan 8 2014, 10:30 PM.
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Rituals and Expanded Powers

Transfòmasyon (ooo)
Requires Kò (ooo)
This ritual requires nothing more than an expenditure of blood (2 points) on the part of the bokor, the intended wearer (1 point) and a talisman made of either bone, glass, fired clay or carved wood. The process of the ritual infuses the talisman with power so it need not have any mystical properties prior to the ritual's commencement.

The bokor reaches into the realm of the Loa, infusing the talisman with a measure of their transformative power; once the talisman has been empowered and saturated with the energies of the Other Side the bokor retrieves it by placing their hand directly into a mirror. The mirror acts as a postal and the bokor's hand will temporarily pass through it, when they withdraw their hand the talisman will have taken on a new form more pleasing to the Loa though will retain the physical properties of the material from which it was originally made.

The empowered talisman is now an empty vessel with a thirst for human blood, upon making contact with an open wound (it need not be a serious one, a simple cut will do, so long as it draws blood) it will feed, consuming 1 point of blood. This only works on human targets. Once filled the talisman will transform anyone who wears it into the exact likeness of the person whose blood it contains - the transformation process takes a matter of moments but is extremely painful for it is a literal physical transformation and not simply the manipulation of perception.

While worn the bearer of the filled talisman is a carbon copy of the person whose blood fills it, even down to a genetic level - thus any fingerprints, blood or DNA they leave behind will be exactly the same as that of the real person. The bokor himself may not benefit from this talisman and wearing it has no effect on him at all, additionally the blood inside it must come from a living human - if the person whose blood is inside it dies then the wearer will suffer 3 levels of aggravated damage with no soak as they violently transform back into their original form.

Each talisman, once filled will work for exactly 24 hours, at which point it must be refilled with the blood of the same person it took before. A talisman may not be reused, once a person's blood is taken by the talisman it will accept the blood of no other person. If the talisman is destroyed while worn then the intended wearer whose blood was used in its creation will immediately suffer 2 levels of aggravated damage with no soak allowed as the Loa exact their revenge for the wanton destruction of such fine craftsmanship.

Anyone may wear the talisman once it has been created, but only the intended wearer gets the full 24 hours - others will gain only 6.

Egzagòn (oooo)
Requires Kò (ooo) and Invoké (oooo)
With a malicious wave of his hand the bokor transforms his victim into a toad, grass snake, small lizard or rat. This is not so much a ritual as a spell that can be learned by adepts of both Kò and Invoké Paths. The spell costs 2 blood points for humans and animals, use on kindred uses the following formula (20 divide by Generation, rounded up, to a minimum of 2) so a 10th Generation kindred (20/10) requires 2 blood points, while a 5th Generation kindred (20/5) requires 4.

The spell lasts for half an hour, after which time the bokor and his victim must make opposed willpower tests every half hour at a difficulty equal to their generation (to a maximum of 10). As soon as the victim wins a willpower test they revert to their original form. While hexed the victim is treated like the animal they have been transformed into, however attempts to kill a kindred who has been transformed in this manner will result in their automatic reversion to their natural form (probably a bit pissed off too).

Boule Manyen
Requires Kò (o) and Invoké (ooo)
With some expenditure of will and no small degree of trepidation the bokor calls upon the infernal powers of Legba, Met Kalfu and/or Marinette, causing their palms to inflict burning damage to anything they touch. Such an ability is not uncommon among the practitioners of Vodou for it provides them with a useful defence against a variety of foes.

Boule Manyen, or Burning Touch inflicts two levels of fire damage per blood point spent (to a maximum of three blood points) to anyone touched by the bokor's palms. Note that it must be the palm, a punch will not have the desired effect. This power lasts for two turns once activated.

The fiery nature of this ability makes it particularly potent against kindred, however there are drawbacks; if for whatever reason the bokor's palms touch any part of their own body other than their hands they will inflict damage upon themselves. Additionally the Boule Manyen will burn anything held in or worn on the bokor's hands. The heat produced is not significant enough to melt metal, but it will burn through wood and fabric with ease.

Transfere Retif a
Requires Invoké (o), Kò (oooo) and Sentespri (oooo)
This ritual is only known to a very rare few who have studied and mastered the Vodou arts extensively. Considered by many Vodou practitioners to be a dark and evil expression of their art most right minded individuals shun this particular ritual and those who attempt it. The ritual is intended as a defence against Final Death and attempts to attack the bokor who performs it, or thier kliyan but it can also be used as a weapon against one's foes for the end result is quite shocking.

The ritual requires at least two people, the benefactor who will receive the positive effects of the spell and the victim who will receive the negative. The benefactor must be present for the ritual, though the victim need not even be aware of it for all that is required of them is a sample of their hair, skin or blood. Both the benefactor and the victim must be of the same species and the bokor may take the place of either victim or benefactor is he chooses.

While in effect Transfere Retif a inflicts any harm sustained by the benefactor, onto the victim instead. So if the benefactor is stabbed through the chest the wound will close as if it had never been and will instead be visited upon the victim. This even goes to the extent of fatal injuries. However as with all Vodou there is a drawback; the benefactor will suffer any harm caused to the victim (except through this spell) halved (in the case of a fatal injury the spell is broken and the benefactor loses half of their current health and blood points rounded up).

To perform this ritual a number of offerings are required; (the bokor's blood, 3 points of it) blood infused rum should be poured over a strawman made of dried herbs, with a long needle, the victim's hair, skin or blood sample within it and then burned to ashes. After this the benefactor must drink some of the remaining infused rum before lying in a circle drawn out in pig's blood. The bokor then takes an obsidian blade and cuts open the benefactor's chest and drives the needle from the burnt strawman directly into thier heart. The chest is then closed and stitched shut with coarse thread and smeared with a healing salve produced by the bokor.

If the benefactor survives the process then the ritual is successful - if not then the bokor immediately loses 3 blood points and must take a frenzy test.

Summon Loa
Requires Invoké (ooooo)and Sentespri (ooooo)
One of the most integral and most potent of the bokor's powers, the ability to summon the Loa is their supreme source of power. As strange inter-planar beings the Loa find it difficult to manifest themselves fully in our reality, as a result the ritual must be used to open a portal for them - even once a portal is open the Loa will seldom manifest their full power for doing so places them fully within this realm and thus subject to its rules. Sustaining the Loa once they have come through to our reality is a taxing activity; the summoning is difficult in and of itself but sustaining the manifestation is just as difficult.

Unlike when a Loa possesses a body prepared for it by the bokor, the Loa in all their majesty are extremely powerful and can utilise powers beyond imagining; however the mere process of summoning the Loa is one which comes with great risk to all involved. To begin with those participating put their very souls on the line, for if genuine insult is offered to the Loa then they will consume their would be summoners - dragging them into the shadow realm of their existence. For another thing the mere presence of such a powerful and majestic entity can drive men insane and cause physical harm on a grand scale.

To summon a Loa one must have offerings appropriate to that particular Loa and in considerable quantity for the true manifestation of a Loa is not limited by the restrictions of the bodily form of the one they have possessed. With a sacrifice of five pigs whose blood is subsequently drawn into a circle with the offerings at the centre the bokor starts to invoke the Loa's name and begins the rites of summoning. The other participants, of which there must be at least four, must then offer some of their own blood to the circle and repeat the rites as they are read by the bokor. Extremely potent bokor's who have been previously blessed by the Loa may attempt the ritual alone so long as they have possession of a gifted copy of The Book of the Loa.

Roll a difficulty 10 Occult test, reducing the difficulty by one for each additional person over five that is present to a minimum of 5. If there are 5 or more successes the ritual is successful. Any roll of a botch results in the failure of the ritual and all participants must take a standard frenzy test (or in the case of non-kindred) suffer 1d5 levels of aggravated damage with no soak allowed.

If successful the form of the Loa's mortal manifestation will appear. While present a direct and powerful bargain with the Loa can be struck, allowing the bokor to request powerful artifacts or blessings in exchange for a specific payment. In the event that multiple Loa are summoned, offerings to all of those summoned must be given - additionally a bokor may only summon Loa from the same family in the same ritual.

Summoned Loa are sustained on our plain for as long as the bokor can hold his concentration and for as long as there are blood and offerings available to fuel their presence. As soon as any of these three things are lost the Loa will return to its own realm immediately, draining the ritual participants of their energy in the process.

While manifested in our reality the Loa can bless weapons or items for a specific purpose or offer powerful blessings, charms or hexes. In some cases a Loa may be summoned to perform a specific task of fight a powerful foe. In any event it is down to the Storyteller to determine the effects of what the Loa does, and of their presence.
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