New Fae Arts

The following fae Arts may be used in the CoLA Troupe, specifically with the Haidao Fringe Troupe.

Surfeit

One of the most feared Arts available to the Kithain has caused all Kingdoms that know of its existence to ban it outright. Any caught in its practice could be subjected to the local lord or lady’s most severe law. In Seelie Courts, this is upheld to the highest extent. Surfeit is considered a calculating method of Ravaging and little more. To the Unseelie, this law is upheld only so far as it serves to protect the local lord or lady’s own interests. But many hard-core Unseelie practice it anyway. Indeed, it is said that the Shadow Court developed this magic first, although darker rumors suggest it descends from the dreams of Fomorians and taught to their most loyal minions. Regardless of how a changeling learns this Art, and why he employs it, it carries high risks. Like Ravaging, a failed cantrip can inflict Banality’s curse upon the foolish fae. While rare, those who learn it praise its power and utility to surviving the dangers of a Banal world. Sure, it tears away Glamour and the like from others -- but it’s a dog-eat-dog world. Few Unseelie have problems using this Art. A few Seelie have learned its practicality, too, though they employ its magic much more judiciously than some more rapacious Unseelie. But even they risk the consequences of this Art. Heavy users of Surfeit often develop the Flaw, Psychic Vampire.

Note: This Art is a potent one indeed. It is easily abused, particularly when the player manages to always roll well and avoid the dire consequences detailed under each level for botching. The fact is, however, that this Art can be very good or very bad. If used for abusive and wicked purposes over and over with no regard to consequence, the character will become Dauntain and the Storyteller will commandeer it as a NPC thereafter.

Attribute: Strength

* Shilly Shally

The practitioner of Surfeit is a changeling that likely believes most fae and elements of the Dreaming horde their power. They horde because they don’t know what to do with it, or are preparing for a rainy day that can’t really be prepared for. Through this basic cantrip, the changeling acquaints himself with a person’s inner strength and magical potential, as well as how far down road the subject may be to the Undoing. The changeling learns how to study another’s spiritual essence until his most vital characteristics radiate.

System: The Realm of this cantrip merely determines the subject of study. With one or two successes, the character gains a general idea of the subject’s Glamour score (high, low, mediocre, non-existent). With three successes or more, the changeling can learn the target’s specific score. Alternatively, the changeling can decide to scan the subject’s Willpower or Banality scores with the same requisites. With enough successes (and it would take a total of nine!), the character could determine the subject’s exact Glamour, Willpower, and Banality scores with the same cantrip. Though a simple Kenning roll can be used to determine a subject’s general strength of Glamour or even Banality, the results are always vague (without an outlandish roll involving more than 5 successes at least). Use of this Art demands more precise knowledge of the target’s Advantages, to prevent over- or underdoing it.

Type: Chimerical

** Efflux

Once the faerie learns how to visualize the essence of a being or thing, she can begin to drain it of that vital power. Unfortunately, the changeling cannot yet take that energy for herself. This cantrip invokes both an exhausting and disconcerting sensation on the victim, as some of her own energies seep away wastefully. Unfortunately for the user of Surfeit, the changeling must touch the victim to effect this power. To those with keen awareness, the source of the drain will be pretty obvious.

System: Realm dictates the target of this cantrip, and inanimate objects can be affected. Sentient chimerae, changelings, Prodigals, and even mortals can resist this cantrip with a successful Willpower roll (difficulty 6), which opposes the character’s roll. A touch is mandatory, and in combat this requires a Dexterity+Brawl roll (difficulty 6), and it can be dodged. Scene can be employed as a modifier Realm so long as the character can touch more than one target. If the changeling succeeds in touching the victim and the victim fails her resistance roll (even by one success), the victim loses one point of Glamour. If the victim is a mortal or Prodigal, this has no effect if Glamour is targeted unless the victim was Enchanted. In that case, the duration of the victim’s Enchantment is appropriately lessened (possibly even ended).

Normally, the energy that the character drains from a target is Glamour. He may choose instead to target Willpower or even Banality (normally from a person). The latter is normally a blessing, and it reveals one of the few virtues of Surfeit. But targeting Willpower or Banality instead of Glamour requires the expenditure of an additional Glamour point.

This cantrip can only be used on the same target once per scene. The victim’s animus’ defenses rise up after being victimized by this cantrip. The changeling can target herself if so desired. Of course, if used to constantly sap one’s self of Banality, the constant cantrip casting risks the botch and additional Banality all the more. Botching this cantrip automatically gives the changeling 3 points of temporary Banality in addition to the Nightmare dice.

Type: Chimerical

*** Parsimony

Finally, the changeling begins to learn the advanced applications of this Art and why it is truly forbidden. Upon touching the victim, the changeling can not only drain the subject of the power of Glamour. The magic of the Dreaming itself can be sapped from a target and drawn into the thief’s own essence, or even transferred to another. Like Efflux, the victim of this cantrip will have little doubt as to the culprit. This is one of the most hated spells of this Art, and common use will earn the changeling many enemies very quickly.

System: In standard use of this cantrip, Realm only determines the target. The Glamour stolen from the target is immediately transferred to the caster of the cantrip (the Fae Realm is not needed to cover this base, but its use counts as a secondary Realm as per Advanced Cantrip Casting rules). But the character can add another Realm at the price of one additional point of Glamour. This allows the character to transfer the stolen Glamour to the secondary subject instead. This use either gives another changeling or chimera a surge of Glamour (Fae), Enchants a Prodigal or mortal (Actor), invest a freehold with additional Glamour or simply liven up a neutral area (Scene), or create an “artificial” form of Dross (Nature or Prop) that can be accessed a bit later. However, this “artificial” Dross will expire by the end of the scene. That is, the Glamour supplanted in the object will bleed out and return to the Dreaming, wasted.

As with Efflux, the changeling must touch an unwilling victim of this cantrip. To utilize a secondary Realm in the way explained above, the changeling must be touching the victim and the subject of transferral. And as with Efflux, the victim can resist with Willpower. And just like Efflux, this cantrip can be cast on one target only once per scene. The changeling cannot exceed his own permanent Glamour score through this cantrip, nor the permanent score of the transferral subject (e.g., another changeling).

This cantrip can be used on freeholds themselves. And that is probably why this entire Art was banned. To steal Glamour from a freehold, the changeling must plunge his hand into the freehold’s center of power, or balefire. The changeling will not likely make the freehold go inert unless it already suffers badly, although repeated uses of this cantrip on the same hold (over many days) could definitely do so. Only weak freeholds (Level 1 or 2) risk much from the occasional theft, but that is enough to make all of the Seelie (and most Unseelie) Courts condemn this Art altogether.

Note that like Efflux, if an Enchanted mortal or Prodigal is targeted, the Glamour loss affects the duration of his Enchantment.

The number of successes (after any resistance roll) determines how much Glamour is stolen. Every 3 successes drains 1 point of Glamour. Botching this cantrip inflicts one point of permanent Banality on its user, just as if the character blew a Ravaging attempt. This Art is not for the weak of heart!

Using Fae 5 as the target of this Art has no effect in the real world. But anywhere in the Dreaming is downright foolish. The Dreaming strikes back at one who dare to try and steal from the source of it all. Although the changeling can gain plenty of Glamour (1 point per 1 success) in this fashion, he immediately gains the Cursed Flaw as a consequence. The Storyteller will dictate the nature of the curse, though it should be potent and difficult to work off.

On the other hand, it is thought that by using Fae 5 in conjunction with the Glamour theft of this Art (that is, making Glamour itself the recipient of stolen Glamour) will actually create incidental chimera out of thin air. This hasn’t been practiced enough to be proof, however. And even if it were true, the caster wouldn’t have any control over the chimera created.

Type: Chimerical

**** Enervation

After learning to target Glamour, the changeling next learns how to attack a victim’s inner mental reserves. Although less Banal in nature, it is even more debilitating. As a consequence, the victim of this cantrip is rendered more diffident to the pull of the world. The victim could easily be sucked into a more banal lifestyle due to this cantrip’s deadly effects. Worse, some victims are so weak-willed to begin with that this Art could easily relegate them to catatonia!

System: This cantrip shares most of the same systems that Parsimony describes (particularly in regards to various Realm applications). However, only sentient beings possess Willpower. So obviously, only sentient beings can have Willpower stolen from them -- or given to them. Thus, there is no way to create “Willpower Dross”. And obviously, this cantrip has no effect on a freehold.

The recipient cannot gain more Willpower than his permanent score allows as usual. A victim reduced to 0 temporary Willpower from this cantrip enters a state of catatonia. He will not usually be able to escape this catatonia without somehow being able to gain a point of Willpower back (an unlikely prospect, but plenty of acute therapy can help).

As with Efflux and Parsimony, the changeling must touch an unwilling victim of this cantrip. To utilize a secondary Realm in the way explained above, the changeling must be touching the victim and the subject of transferral. And as with those previous cantrips, the victim can resist with Willpower. And just like the others, this cantrip can be cast on one target only once per scene.

The number of successes (after any resistance roll) determines how much Willpower is stolen. Every 3 successes drains 1 point of Willpower. Botching this cantrip inflicts three points of temporary Banality and costs the caster one point of Glamour despite its chimerical nature. The Glamour cost is a sort of metaphysical “transaction fee”.

Type: Chimerical

***** Firth

The ultimate use of Surfeit can be its most dastardly or its most compassionate. The changeling is able to drain off Banality from a subject and place it elsewhere. Banality, the changeling now understands, is as much a natural, metaphysical force as Willpower and Glamour. And thusly, it can be redirected, channeled, and even controlled. Naturally, this kind of paradoxical manhandling carries greater risk than any other. Some would say use of this cantrip is a sure way to undertake the doom of Dauntain. But only those who cede Banality’s power become Dauntain. Firth is a method by which to resist its bland touch -- one of the most directly effective methods in existence, no less. In fact, judicious use of this cantrip may lead a compassionate changeling closer to the fabled state of Siochain. Of course, the Banality that the changeling excises has to go somewhere. And many darker fae dose their enemies up with whatever Banality they seek to channel off. Of course, there is no surer way to score powerful enemies than imprudent violations through Firth.

System: Firth follows suit behind Parsimony and Enervation in its systems. In fact, its application through Realms is exactly the same as Parsimony, since any target is bound to have a bit of Banality at least. Only targets made up purely of the Dreaming, such as certain chimera and (of course) Glamour itself are immune to this cantrip. Banality cannot be taken from any subject with no Banality score, nor can Banality be transferred to them. But anything else is fair game.

Naturally, this standard target of this cantrip is the character’s self. The changeling seeks to rid himself of temporary Banality points and transplants them elsewhere. Through Nature, Prop, and even Scene, this transfer is fairly harmless. Unfortunately, such places or objects lose quite a bit of life luster with this transplanted Banality. They become grayer and more hum-drum. A changeling who targets a two-story building that serves as an art display center will likely go out of business and be replaced with a insurance office/notary instead. Targeting a simple ink pen makes anyone who picks it up incapable of writing anything creative with that particular instrument. But if the character targets a person through Actor or Fae, the results are much more profound. Obviously, the victim gains the amount of temporary Banality points so transferred, very possibly increasing her permanent Banality score.

Firth can also be used to transfer Banality from a different subject than the caster’s self to another. This requires the same use of Realms in a secondary fashion as described under Parsimony. This use could be considered quite benevolent…depending.

The same systems in Efflux, Parsimony, and Enervation for affecting the target in the first place are observed for Firth. The subject must be touched (and can dodge and resist with Willpower). Every 3 successes channels 1 temporary point of Banality. Furthermore, this Art has a high cost in Glamour. The changeling sacrifices (after the casting, though in the same turn) one point of Glamour for every point of Banality channeled off -- this holds true even if she’s transferring Banality from something other than herself to something else. If, after the casting, the changeling lacks the requisite Glamour, for every Glamour point short he retains the same amount of Banality…times two. And botching this Art has terrible consequences. The changeling gains 1 permanent point of Banality, the standard Nightmare dice, and a potent Curse (as mentioned under Parsimony).

Type: Chimerical