Vitreous Path
More a complement to more common necromantic powers than a power in and of itself, Vitreous Path Necromancy is practiced almost solely by its Nagaraja creators. Steeped in the entropic energies of the Underworld, energies even the most talented and experienced necromancers hesitate to wield, the Flesh Eaters' were afforded considerable opportunity to study Oblivion and the power that drives it. The Vitreous Path is the result of their efforts, its secrets guarded jealously, and with good reason - any who pursue mastery over death and restless souls would give near anything to acquire even the basest primer of Vitreous Path lore. As do most Necromancers, Nagaraja begin their studies with the Sepulchre Path. The Vitreous Path follows soon after. Even the least talented of the Flesh Eaters, armed with knowledge of the Vitreous Path, can be a formidable force. Indeed, this last precious lore may well be the secret to the Nagaraja's survival, if they can just keep it from the sort of creature that would risk a great deal to learn it, such as the Harbingers of Skulls. This Discipline retests with the Occult Ability, although the Storyteller may allow the more specialized Wraith Lore to be used instead.
basic vitreous path necromancy
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Eyes of the Dead | |
Ghosts, or wraiths, are born into the Underworld with certain gifts stemming from the nature of their new existence. Use of Eyes of the Dead allows the necromancer to usurp one of these gifts, Deathsight, from a nearby wraith and use it herself. There must be at least one wraith in the vicinity as the necromancer actually sees through the wraith's eyes for the duration of this power. For the unschooled, it can be disorienting trying to sort through the strange auras visible to the dead, not to mention the distraction of literally seeing the world from another (or several) person's point of view. To invoke Eyes of the Dead, the necromancer must spend a Mental Trait. She may then attempt to view her subject whether it be in the Shadowlands or the living world. By using this power, the necromancer may determine the general health of the subject, including any injuries, illnesses or disease. The likelihood of imminent death can be determined, and even such things as curses and hostile enchantment may be discerned. The Storyteller may decide that particularly subtle readings require a Static Mental Challenge (retest with Occult) to decipher the death energies' meaning. Eyes of the Dead lasts for one scene or one hour, whichever ends first, though the necromancer may decide to return to his own perceptions at any time.
| Hour of Death |
As his mastery over the energies of Oblivion increases, the necromancer gains the ability to perceive death energies in the auras of those around him. Like Eyes of the Dead, this power grants the necromancer use of the Deathsight. Unlike Eyes of the Dead, however, Hour of Death actually grants the user Deathsight of his own without need of borrowing the eyes of a wraith. Hour of Death also allows for much greater detail in readings. With it, the necromancer may determine just how far his subject is from death, how soon death is likely to occur and what the cause of death is most likely to be. In addition, fluctuations of death energies may be interpreted to reveal the subject's feelings toward others when first meeting them. To exercise this ability, the necromancer must first spend a single Mental Trait, empowering himself with Eyes of the Dead for one scene or one hour, whichever is shorter. To make a reading, the necromancer performs a Static Mental Challenge against a difficulty designated by the Storyteller in accordance with the depth of knowledge desired. A one-Trait challenge might reveal the subject's probable death within several weeks to a month. Three Traits may reveal time of death to within a few days along with impressions of the cause of death (ghostly wounds or withering organs), while five Traits may give the time of death to within an hour, vicinity within a few blocks, and strong impressions of the cause of death. This Discipline may only be used on one target at a time. Targets viewed beyond the first require successive uses of the power.
intermediate vitreous path necromancy
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Soul Judgment | |
It seems the Kindred are not the only creatures that struggle nightly with a dark side. Wraiths, too, wrestle with the passions of a baleful reflection lying just below the surface of their psyches. Though more urbane than the ravening Beast, a wraith's Shadow is no less ruthless or destructive. Knowing which persona is in command at any given time can be an invaluable boon to a necromancer looking to strike a deal. By spending a Willpower Trait and defeating the wraith in a Mental Challenge, the necromancer may discern which personality is ascendant at any particular moment as well as which personality typically holds dominance. Wraiths controlled by their Shadows are called Spectres and are dealt with at the necromancer's peril. Those dominated by their higher selves, however, are often prime pickings. The wise vampire can reap great returns playing one personality against the other, taking gains from each as the Psyche is often unaware of the dealings of his Shadow. And while the Shadow is not similarly unaware of its Psyche's affairs, it is often more than willing to cooperate to the Psyche's detriment.
| Breath of Thanatos |
This power marks a significant step on the road to a necromancer's mastery over the energies of Oblivion. With it, the wielder may actually expel entropic energies from his body in a baleful mist. This mist, invisible to any not particularly attuned to entropic manifestations, acts as a siren call to any Spectres in the vicinity, drawing them to the infected area in droves. This foul haze can be spread over an area or focused into an object or person. When dispersed into the air, this foul mist will summon Spectres to the area, but does not offer any means to control them when they arrive. Necromancers who instigate such a gathering without knowledge of other Necromancy paths sufficient to sway the tide do so at their own risk and are just as likely to be a target as anyone else in the vicinity. Objects or people infused with this power bear a lingering malaise of the spirit and inspire unease in those not accustomed to the touch of death. The necromancer need only spend one Blood Trait, one Willpower Trait and succeed in a Simple Test to manifest the Breath of Thanatos. If dispersed over an area for the purposes of summoning Spectres, the radius covered is one-quarter mile plus one-quarter mile for each additional Blood Trait spent and is always centered on the necromancer. Again, the mist grants the user no authority over those who respond; other powers must be used to gain control of the approaching spirits. In any case, the cloud of fog lasts for no more than a scene. If concentrated in an item or person, the wielder must touch the target or, if used at range, defeat her in a Physical Challenge (retest with Occult?). If the necromancer is successful, the target suffers a single aggravated wound - often manifesting as disease, decay or rot - as she is infused with the death fog and filled with entropic energies. The infusion will persist until sunrise or sunset, whichever comes first. For the duration of the infection, the victim will be two Traits down on all social interactions with those unfamiliar with the touch of death - werewolves, faeries, certain mages and most normal humans. In addition, to those with senses tuned to detect such things, the victim will appear as tainted by the entropic energies that fill her. Most will mark the victim as a threat, and some (werewolves in particular) will regard her as worthy of immediate attack. Those already infected with the Breath ofThanatos cannot be infected a second time until the first has worn off. Failure in the Simple Test means the necromancer has failed to expel the negative energies, instead incorporating them into his own body. After the first failure, certain minor nuisances are his to endure - the attentions of a particularly mischievous Spectre or a short-lived Aura of Corruption as per the Flaw. Subsequent, consecutive failures will inflict effects equivalent to those he sought to turn on his victim in all particulars, each successive failure increasing the effects' intensity.
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advanced vitreous path necromancy | |
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Soul Feasting | |
At this level, the necromancer has gained as comprehensive a mastery over the energy of Oblivion as anything not truly of the Underworld can. Now her power has grown to such heights that she can actually use the essence of the Dead to power her gifts. Whether absorbing power from a locale rich in such energies or feeding directly from the dead, the necromancer may convert the essence of Oblivion into a crude fuel, if not actual sustenance. Only places recently touched by death hold sufficient energy to be harvested using this Discipline. Whether the site of a recent murder or an ancient burial ground with generations of the dead buried within it, the place must have been touched by death recently or in such volume as to leave a retrievable surplus. Depending on the source, a vampire may draw the equivalent of one to four Blood Traits of energy, as determined by the Storyteller, in a single night. Doing so eliminates all benefits that might otherwise apply to the use of Necromancy or ghostly abilities in such a place as the energy that facilitates such things is consumed. In the case of cemeteries and the like, these energies will replenish themselves within a few days. For the scene of a murder or a fatal accident, however, it may well take another death before more energy can be harvested in that place. A vampire with knowledge of this Discipline is not restricted to gathering ambient energy alone, though. She may also feed directly from wraiths, robbing the hapless ghosts of their vital essence to fuel her vampiric powers. To do so, the necromancer must attack the wraith as though she were feeding normally. Upon doing so, the vampire enters a sort of half-state wherein she inhabits both the Underworld and the lands of the living. During this time, the vampire is vulnerable to any of a wraith's attacks, even those that would not normally affect the material world. The wraith must defeat her assailant in a Willpower Challenge before attempting any action and is considered immobilized and unable to escape until doing so. Wraiths all have the equivalent of 10 Blood Traits in an "Entropy" pool. Each Entropy Trait drained renders the wraith less and less substantial until it finally dissolves into nothing as the last shred of its spirit is drained away. This power may be used in conjunction with Ash Path Necromancy, allowing the vampire to gain power (though not sustenance) from wraiths as she travels the Shadowlands. Wraiths drained in this way are completely destroyed. They do not fall into the Labyrinth or suffer a Harrowing. They are utterly and irrevocably destroyed. Energy gained in this fashion can be used only to fuel Disciplines. It is ineffective for any physical task in which Blood Traits are normally spent, such as healing or increasing Attributes. At the Storyteller's discretion, subsequent and consecutive failures in implementing this Discipline may result in the vampire becoming trapped between the two worlds for a short time, thus being vulnerable to attack from either side for the duration of her entanglement.