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[[setting:lores#lore_of_the_firmament|Back to the Demon house rules]]


====== Lore of the Firmament ======

===== • Remote Viewing =====

This evocation allows a Scourge to see through the eyes of one of her thralls. This form of viewing is strictly passive; the demon is merely a spectator along for the ride. \\

**System:** Once the Scourge learns this evocation, she always knows where her Thralls are. No roll is necessary. \\

When the Scourge extends her senses to one of her Thralls, roll Perception + Empathy. The Scourge may see through her thrall’s eyes for a number of turns equal to the successes rolled. There is no range limitation for this evocation. \\

**Torment:** When a monstrous demon uses this evocation, it causes blood vessels to burst in the mortal’s eyes. When the demon breaks contact, the mortal must make a Stamina roll with a difficulty equal to the Scourge’s Torment. If the roll fails, the thrall is blinded for a number of days equal to the total number of turns the evocation was in effect. If the roll botches, the thrall is blinded permanently.

===== •• Sense Connections =====

This subtle but useful evocation allows the Scorge to scrutinize the connections that exist between the target and his surroundings. \\

**System:** Make a contested Perception + Empathy roll against the target’s permanent Willpower. For each net success scored on this roll, the demon learns one important fact about one of the target’s Backgrounds. Only Backgrounds that represent a connection to other people can be targeted by this evocation. Typically those will be Allies, Contacts, Mentors, or Pacts, but the evocation might also yield information about other Backgrounds at the discretion of the Storyteller. \\

**Torment:** Having one’s connections scrutinized by a monstrous demon puts an inexplicable strain on them. For the rest of the day, the difficulty of utilizing the observed connections is increased by 2.

===== ••• Scry =====

The Scourge must know one of the names of her intended subject or be able to hold one of the subject’s possessions, e.g. car keys or an article of clothing. The demon can observe the subject and her surroundings, no matter how far away. \\

**System:** Roll Perception + Empathy. The difficulty depends on the level of connection to the subject: Using a mortal’s name or a physical possession is difficulty 8. A demon’s Celestial Name is difficulty 7. A True Name is difficulty 6. The amount of detail gained depends on the number of successes rolled. One success provides only a visual image of the immediate area around the subject. Two successes expand the visual sphere out from the subject to a distance in yards equal to the Scourge’s Faith score. Three successes adds audio; the demon can hear the subject’s voice, but no one else. Four or more successes allow the Scourge to hear everything that occurs around the subject. This evocation lasts a number of turns equal to your character’s permanent Faith score, or the connection can be broken voluntarily at any point. \\

The Scourge can use her evocations on the target of her scrying as if she were touching him at the cost of one point of Faith per evocation, in addition to any cost the evocation might have normally. Evocations that have an area of effect are centered around the target if cast this way. \\

**Torment:** The weight of a monstrous demon’s attention causes a severe headache in the subject, as well
as feelings of mounting paranoia and aggression. The Storyteller must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) for the subject in each turn that she is observed. If a roll fails, the subject suffers a level of bashing damage and reacts with increasing anger and aggression toward the people around her, increasing the difficulty of all Social rolls by two for the duration of the scene. If the roll botches, the subject gains a temporary derangement as well.

===== •••• Identity Theft =====

A Scourge who understands someone's reflections in mortal minds can attune herself to those connections, using their power as if they were her own.

**System:** Spend one point of faith and roll Manipulation + Empathy. The target contests the roll with his permanent Willpower. If she wins, the demon gains access to the target’s social Backgrounds, including Resources, Allies, Followers and so forth, for a number of hours equal to her net successes on the roll. Backgrounds that represent connections to supernatural beings can not be accessed in this way. People will treat the demon like they would normally treat the target, and will later remember the target in the demon's place when he is using the target's Backgrounds. 

The evocation does not grant any knowledge of what the target's Backgrounds //are,// so the Scourge has to research the target by other means (like the Sense Connections evocation or mundane investigation) before she can use his connections.

While their identity is stolen, the target succumbs to lethargy — he sleeps while the demon is using his persona, or sometimes wanders in a daze. If the target dies while the demon is using his identity, the evocation ends immediately. The player makes a degeneration roll, with a negative modifier equal to the number of hours that the demon has already used the identity.

The demon must touch the target in order to use this power, but once she has made initial contact, she can use the power on the target within a number of miles equal to her permanent Faith. Identity Theft does not work on supernatural characters.

**Torment:** Monstrous demons don't care about soothing the target's mind into lethargy. Instead the target is fully awake and aware that his identity has been robbed. His physical characteristics don't change, but nobody is able to recognize him for who he is for the duration of the evocation.

===== ••••• Sever Connection =====

Once the Scourges were tasked with creating and maintaining the metaphysical net of connections and sympathies between the various aspects of creation. But what was given can be taken away. This evocation allows the demon to erase the connections that exist between two objects or people. \\

**System:** Spend one Faith point and roll Manipulation + Empathy. The difficulty depends on the strength and complexity of the connection the Scourge is trying to sever: Separating a lock from its key might be difficulty 6, removing the connection between parent and child might be difficulty 9 or 10. The demon needs to touch at least one of the affected elements while using this power. Intelligent beings can resist having their connections stripped by contesting the roll with Willpower. In the case of a connection between two intelligent beings only contest the roll with the higher of the two Willpower scores.

Certain connections have a high mystical significance, or are protected by powerful magic (like the connection between a mage and his avatar). Severing these connections requires more successes, in addition to having a high difficulty. As always, the Storyteller is the final arbiter deciding how many successes are required to remove a given connection. Severing the connection between a supernatural being and their power source, while theoretically possible in certain cases, is extremely difficult and player characters will likely not be able to do it.

The separated objects or individuals will behave as if their connection had never existed. The key will no longer open the lock, family will greet each other as strangers. Note that this does not rewrite the past or affect anything except for the individuals or objects in question. Spouses who had their relationship erased will still be living together, even if they no longer understand why.

The effect will last for a number of days equal to the demon’s permanent Faith score, afterwards the severed connection returns. The demon can make the erasure permanent by spending a second point of Faith at any time before the effect elapses.

**Torment:** A monstrous demon severs connections violently and without caring about the side effects (or maybe she enjoys them). Having a connection severed in this manner inflicts a number of levels of bashing damage equal to the demon’s permanent torment on the objects or individuals involved.
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