Spark of Genius
Cost: 10m Type: Simple (Dramatic Action)
Duration: Indefinite
Keywords: Stackable
Mins: Occult 3, Essence 2 Prereqs: (Any) Occult Excellency
Since the Terrestrial Exalted cannot rely on the expansive Sorceries of the Celestial Exalted, they have been forced to look more deeply into the mysteries of thaumaturgy to maintain their society. This Charm allows the character to instantly learn thaumaturgy degrees. He must have access to a library or tutor which has information regarding the degree and one hour of free time to do nothing but study the subject.
Once the character spends the motes and takes the hour, he develops the lowest level of that degree, able to use any Procedure available at that level. If the character already knows a degree at that level (either via normal training or other applications of this Charm) he attains the next level. In this manner a Dragonblooded can go from completely unschooled to a Master level Degree in three short hours. This knowledge remains for as long as the Dragonblooded commits the motes. If the character has the XP available he may spend them to instantly learn any degree (or procedure within a degree) he qualifies for (obviously characters can only learn advanced degrees after learning the lower level ones).
Breath On Embers Insight
Cost: 12m,1wp Type: Simple (Dramatic Action)
Duration: Indefinite
Keywords: Stackable
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 3 Prereqs: Instant Occult Refinement, Spark of Genius
This Charm works exactly the same as Spark of Genius, except that it can affect another character instead of the Dragonblooded. The Dragonblooded need not even know the Degree in question, provided he has access to a suitable source of knowledge. Lookshy makes extensive use of this Charm.
Shadows On The Wall
Cost: 3m Type: Simple (Speed 4, DV-0)
Duration: One Scene
Keywords: Combo-OK, Cooperative, Obvious
Mins: Occult 2, Essence 2 Prereqs: None
Through this Charm, the Dragonblooded can alert himself, and his allies, to any dematerialized spirits in the area. The character spend the motes and semi-visible field of Essence (appearing vaguely like heat shimmer) spreads out from him across an area equal to the Dragonblooded’s Essence x 5 yards. Once this is finished, the area begins to fill with strange visuals and signs, all of which point to the existence of spirits. This zone is mobile with the Dragonblooded who evoked it.
This Charm works not by revealing the spirits (or other dematerialized beings) directly but by secondary signs. The exact nature of these signs depends on the area in question and the Dragonblooded’s aspects, but they are obvious if you know what to look for. For example, a Fire Aspect may cause all dematerialized beings to cast shadows as if they were material, an Air Aspect may cause them to reflect normally in nearby mirrors, or a Water Aspect may cause a fog with shifting shapes within.
This Charm makes dematerialized spirits valid targets for awareness and investigation rolls; however, these rolls suffer a -1 external penalty because viewers must infer the locations and actions of dematerialized beings. This Charm does not allow people to interact with dematerialized spirits physically.
If this Charm is used Cooperatively the area covered by this Charm significantly increases, becoming equal to the combined Essence of all Dragonblooded using it times ten. However this zone is fixed on a specific point agreed upon by all Dragonblooded who used the Charm. Most commonly this Charm is used to create picket lines around Dragonblooded encampments, especially by Lookshy in the spirit-heavy East.
Soul Scorching Infusion
Cost: 5m, 1wp Type: Simple
Duration: One Scene
Keywords: Combo-OK, Cooperative
Mins: Occult 3, Essence 2 Prereqs: Shadows On The Wall
This Charm allows a Dragonblooded to turn the lowliest group of mortals into a threat to any rogue spirit. It is known by many itinerant Immaculate Monks, who use it to empower a small posse to deal with cowardly spirits. The Dragonblooded has a small group touch their weapons together in the centre of a small circle, then places his weapon (or hand) on them and his anima flows into the weapons, empowering them with spiritual weight that allows them to strike dematerialized beings.
This Charm can only effect man-made weapons (including artifacts), not natural weapons such as fists or feet. Further, the weapons must be in the hands of those who are going to use them, and if these weapons are sheathed, released or dropped for any reason the magic on that weapon ceases to function. A single Dragonblooded can enchant a number of weapons (including his own, if necessary) sufficient to equip a unit of mortals of Magnitude 1. If multiple Dragonblooded evoke this Charm simultaneously increase the magnitude of the unit appropriately. Obviously, proper use of this Charm allows Mass Combat units to engage in battle with dematerialized spirits. This Charm cannot affect ranged weapons, as those weapons must leave the user’s hand to be of any effect.
Burning The Sky
Cost: None Type: Permanent
Duration: Permanent
Keywords: Anima
Mins: Occult 3, Essence 2 Prereqs: Shadows On The Wall
This Charm causes the Dragonblooded’s anima to take on a more ethereal nature: it grows simultaneously less bright to mortal eyes but more obvious to them as well, drawing eyes to it and filling mortals with a vague feeling of divine awe. At the same time, those using Charms such as Spirit Detecting Glance or Essence Sight see that the Dragonblooded’s anima has extended into the dematerialized plane.
Once this Charm is purchased, the Dragonblooded’s anima can affect dematerialized beings and objects just like it would materialized ones. This includes the Dragonblooded’s anima flux damage, the anima powers of the Fire and Wood Aspects and any Charm which allows the Dragonblooded to strike with his anima (such as Elemental Bolt Attack and Refining The Inner Blade). As a trade off, this Charm also makes the character vulnerable to the attacks of dematerialized spirits. If the characters anima is flaring at even the 1+ mote level any dematerialized spirit or other creature may attack or use their Charms on the Dragonblooded as if the spirit were materialized at the time.
This Charm is more common in the Realm (where spirits are more or less under control) than in Lookshy (where spirits are far more likely to attack random soldiers without warning).
Spirit Chaining Strike
Cost: 1m Type: Reflexive (Step 10)
Duration: Instant
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 3 Prereqs: Spirit Scorching Infusion
Unlike their Celestial commanders, the Dragonblooded are incapable of permanently destroying spirits. This was a flaw deliberately placed in the Exaltation at the insistence of the Incarna, who distrusted the capacity to endlessly breed an entire race capable of permanently destroying spirits for several reasons. However the Dragonblooded would need some way of truly threatening their opponents, so this Charm was developed as a compromise solution.
When a Dragonblooded successfully slays a spirit, he may reflexively activate this Charm during Step 10 of combat resolution. Doing so causes ethereal chains of elemental Essence to spring from nowhere and ensnare the dissolving Essence of the spirit. The soul of the slain spirit is then dragged, screaming and in pain, into Elsewhere. Cut off from the cycle of reincarnation and the ability to respire Essence, such beings cannot regenerate in the normal manner of spirits. However the bindings the Dragonblooded impose will wear down in time, allowing the spirit to return to Creation… eventually.
This Charm increases the amount of time it takes a spirit to regenerate from death by a factor of the Dragonblooded’s Essence. So at a minimum, this will increase the convalescence one thousand times! It was not uncommon during the First Age for certain rogue gods and demons killed during the Primordial War to appear again, unaware of (and unaffected by) the outcome of the War. Such beings were quickly dealt with. The Sidereal Exalted are almost certainly sure that no other such beings of any notable power were killed by mere Dragonblooded and have not yet re-emerged and been dealt with. Almost certainly.
Demesne Repressing Meditation
Cost: None Type: Permanent
Duration: Permanent
Keywords: Anima, Cooperative
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 4 Prereqs: Terrestrial Occult Reinforcement, Occult Anima Infusion
The Dragonblooded have a special tie to the demesnes of Creation, and this Charm builds upon that relationship. To use this Charm, the Dragonblooded must find the centre of the demesne (or hearthstone chamber of a Manse). He then sits down in quiet meditation and focuses all his will on Gaia. One hour later all the Essence flowing through the demesne or manse ceases. This means that no one regains extra Essence while within it, any Hearthstone(s) that originated from it cease to function, any supernatural qualities of the manse that are fuelled by its own Essence cease to function (which can be disastrous in certain cases). This effect continues so long as the Dragonblooded sits in quiet meditation.
While maintaining this Charm, the Dragonblooded can perform no actions of any kind. He is considered Inactive, and he cannot activate any Charms or Anima effects. His DVs are all set to zero. He is utterly unaware of his environment and automatically fails any Awareness rolls to detect the presence of anyone. Only attempting to move the Dragonblooded or inflicting damage on him will register, and even then the Dragonblooded comes out of his trance extremely groggy, suffering a -6 internal penalty to all actions (including Join Battle rolls) for the rest of the scene. While maintaining this Charm the character does not respire Essence: in fact he loses Essence from his peripheral pool at a rate equal to the bonus granted to his respiration by being in the manse/demesne.
A single Dragonblooded can only repress a Manse or Demesne with a rating of one or less. If multiple Dragonblooded team up, they can suppress higher rated Manses and Demesnes. Only one Dragonblooded of each Aspect can participate in this meditation, multiple ones have no effect. Each aspect represented in the meditation circle allows the characters to repress a Manse/Demesne of equal rating. If the Manse of Demesne is rated higher than the number of available Dragonblooded, this Charm has no effect.
Demesne Forming Meditation
Cost: None Type: Permanent
Duration: Permanent
Keywords: Anima, Cooperative, Elemental
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 5 Prereqs: Demesne Repressing Meditation
This Charm was first developed during the early days of the Primordial War, allowing the righteous armies of the Unconquered Sun to create demesnes to fuel their war efforts without the Primordials being any the wiser. It also saw extensive use during the First Age, especially as the Solars expanded the borders of Creation. While their techniques could form demesnes (and even manses) from the inchoate chaos the use of this Charm was easier in the long-term. The knowledge of this Charm has all but vanished in this fallen age, not the least of which because the logistics of using it are near impossible to arrange.
This Charm must be used cooperatively. A number of Dragonblooded must come together. The Dragonblooded must all be of the same aspect. These Dragonblooded choose a location at least five miles from the location of any other demesne or manse, and then all sit down in a circle, meditating on the Essence of Gaia and singing songs to the Five Elemental Dragons. During this process the Dragonblooded are as vulnerable as those using Demesne Repressing Meditation are.
A single Dragonblooded using this Charm has no effect. A unit of Magnitude 1 will form a level one Demesne of the appropriate aspect over the course of one week. Higher magnitude units of Dragonblooded (and they must be composed entirely of Dragonblooded of a single aspect) produce higher rated demesnes, up to a maximum of a Magnitude 5 unit creating a level 5 Demesne. Do NOT count Health Levels when determining the magnitude of this unit. Each Dragonblooded counts as one person, no matter how many Health Levels he has. It takes one week per level for the demesne to form, during which time all participants must continue to do nothing but meditate on this Charm.
Demesnes formed using this Charm are permanent and have no negative consequences on the local geomancy (though they will alter it significantly) – these manses are created with the will of Gaia herself. If she chooses to, Gaia can refuse to allow a demesne to form with this Charm. If so, every participating Dragonblooded becomes aware of this and (in previous ages at least) usually received a short message explaining why.