Custom Combination Discipline / Technique

Pre-Reqs

Akhu – Path of Corruption: Dependence (MET: Laws of the Camarilla P. 42)

Presence: Entrancement (MET: Laws of the Night Revised)

Challenge Type: Social

Retest: Subterfuge

Difficulty: Contested

Notes:

• This combo is considered to manipulate Emotions, but not manipulate the mind, when comparing it against other powers where this is a consideration.

• As Serpents Due is a Presence combo it is effected by the merit: Quiet Heart, and the Combo: Denial of Aphrodite's favor, as well as other instances where this is a factor; although not listed.

• As Serpents Due is an Akhu combo power, it is effected by Magic Resistance, as well as counter Magic. As well as other instances where this is a factor; although not listed.  The target however will not have "magic Sparkles" in their aura during its duration, only when the power is invoked, this is also true for the Setite who invokes it.

• Setite Citizens who belong to the Cult: “Hands of Ash”– is assumed to have a teacher for this combo, but should still log their learning of it with MIlwaukee Nocturnal Rapture.

Restrictions:

• Setite Citizen only  (if a Citizen becomes Ordained, the power is lost and XP should be refunded)

Requirements:

Although you do not need to know any actual specific information about the target, the more information you have, generally it is easier to manipulate them, at the very least a brief conversation. This power relies on social interaction and manipulation, as such it is not appropriate to use during combat.

Mechanics:

Engage the Target in a Social Challenge (Retest: Subterfuge). If successful, the target’s Emotions become bonded with the idea of an outstanding Debt (and how to repay it) for one night per Permanent Social Trait, the citizen posses.   The target feels no particular way towards the Citizen in specific, only to their outstanding debt.  With this psychological addiction to the debt, as a constant reminder, the Target must bid an additional trait in all challenges when not pursuing its repayment, until the debt is paid.  This effect will fade gradually once it is.

Refusal:

The Target has the free will to refuse to pay the debt, but to do so is a dangerous betrayal. In addition to the effects mentioned above, the Setite who invoked the Serpents Due, gains an additional five social traits against the target, in any challenge that asserts their authority. IE: Dominate, Presence, Subterfuge, or Leadership – Other additional disciplines/powers, or abilities at ST discretion.  Finally the target is unable to regain any willpower traits, unless they are actively involved in repaying the debt.

Limitations:

      A Citizen may only call upon a Debt from the same Target after a period of 5 game sessions, or if the ST’s feel the Citizen has taken sufficient actions to place the target again in debt to the clan/Citizen.

Continuously calling upon this power, is severely looked down by other Citizens as it weakens its strength, especially if used frequently on the same target.  As such in these extremes an ST may declare the Target & their Forefathers no longer owe a Debt to the Clan – which usually ends harshly for the Citizen at the hands of their fellow Citizens.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of cainites?  Only one whom has plumbed the very depths of the unholy themselves, and emerged still whole.  From those righteous souls forged in hellish flames, no sin can be hidden.  They can see the marks of corruption lurking beneath as surely as they have once felt it on their own flesh.

System: To use this power, the cainite must spend a round staring at their victim.  This is not a casual glance, your eyes are very clearly (but not literally) burning into your target, and that much is obvious to any onlookers.  You must then bid a number of traits and engage the target in a Social Challenge, nudging their will and drawing forth what the sins they conceal within.

For one Trait you may learn a Negative Trait the target possesses, or perhaps the circumstances of a Morality Check they have made recently.  With two Traits risked you may assess the strength of their Morality Path, and which Path or Road it is that they follow.  For three Traits, you push deeper into their inner heart, and may learn a Derangement they possess or a crime of their society that they have committed.  For Four traits their entire soul is laid bare and you may become aware of truly monumental sins they have committed, that their very lives depend on keeping secret.

Note that this power requires the assistance of a Storyteller to use, both to ensure that the information received matches the severity of the risk, and that it is presented allegorically to the user of this power rather than literally.  Against Elders or beings of power above and beyond PC level, the effectiveness of this power is entirely at the Storyteller's discretion.

To activate this power, the Salubri must have eye contact with their target and engage them in a Mental challenge, retest Medicine, adding each of their levels of Valeren/Obeah/Watcher Valeren (maximum 5) to their traits for this challenge. The effects of this power are instantaneous, as the combat or conversation that ensues will be at the speed of thought.

Upon success, the Salubri's third eye opens and glows a baleful red as they bring their target into a dreamscape that they may describe upon entering. It may not be larger than 100x100 meters and the landscape is completely static, it may have dramatic flares to it at ST discretion based on the mood of the user of this power. The Salubri may use this power to speak to their enemy for a time or convey messages to someone in combat, or in some instances, take a moment to say goodbye to a close friend. The Salubri must spend a willpower for every thirty seconds of conversation, if out of combat. Due to the protections afforded by their physical forms, most targets may not be harmed while in the dreamscape. However, creatures without a physical manifestation are more susceptible to the soul-bending effects of Valeren, and may be attacked. For example: A human being or a spirit bound in an object may not be harmed, while a Vampire in Astral Projection may.

Any combat that happens inside of the dreamscape uses the dream fighter's social traits plus their Valeren ratings but the combatants otherwise incur no benefit from supernatural powers other than pre-existing, stat-related boosts, successfully attacking in dream combat confers one level of "damage" represented by the loss of a single unit of an appropriate resource (Essence for Spirits, Willpower for Vampires in Astral/Soul Steal). Exerting the necessary power needed to attack within the dreamscape is extraordinarily difficult for the Salubri using this power, and as such it comes with its risks. Every round spent in combat costs a willpower from the Salubri using this discipline. If the Salubri's willpower is reduced to 0 through this expenditure of otherwise taking damage, they become incapacitated. Once the dreamscape in which there was a fight has ended, the participants are down whatever resources they lost and the Salubri (aggressor only) is unable to act again until the beginning of the following round. Spirits reduced to 0 Essence are destroyed. If this power was used for combat purposes, the Salubri may not activate Valeren-related powers for the next scene or hour due to the significant strain they have put on themselves.

Spend One Willpower Trait and One Blood Trait To activate the power for One Scene or Combat (whichever is shorter)
Spend One Social Trait per attack

You may choose to forego any or all your physical action(s) (Normal, Alacrity, and followups) to produce a glistening dagger of abyssal darkness that you may then throw at your foe at range. Targeting your foe requires a mental vs physical action and retests with Occult you you and either dodge or survival for your target (as appropriate to their risked trait for the challenge). The dagger disappears after the action it is thrown regardless of the success of your challenge to hit.

If you are successful, your target takes two levels of aggravated damage that bypass armor. They may soak or reduce this damage normally.