Abyss Mysticism
Level One
Craft the Oubliette
The Fledgling Abyss Mystic finds a room that Light has never touched and enacts the ritual in the center of the room. As the Mystic chants, tangible darkness erupts forth from her, transforming the room into a halfway point between the world and the abyss. The Oubliette room acts as though it is permanently under the effects of the Level 2 Oblivion power. The Oubliette is destroyed if it is ever exposed to sunlight but it snuffs all flame and light. The oubliette becomes a background on the Mystics sheet. Players can improve the background like any other background. This increases the size and provides a 1 trait benefit ( per level) when casting oblivion rituals within the oubliette.
(Takes an action)
The Shadow of Hands that Serve
The Vampire snuffs a lit candle with her bare hand and takes an ag. Blood from the wound falls and, where the blood lands, it shrieks in pain and births a momentary gateway to the Abyss. Out of this brief rift emerges a globe of shadow substance the size of a child's hand. It moves with unnatural quickness and makes a slightly squishing sound as it skitters across the floor. The creature endures permanently but takes up one of the caster’s retainer slots until dismissed. It requires one blood a month in upkeep. It serves the vampire's spoken will with unquestioningly if unimaginatively.. It can crudely communicate with material beings in images and emotional impressions, but only while in physical contact.
A level-two version of this ritual exists, known as The Heart That Beats in Silence. This ritual follows the same rules and process, save that the summoned being is stronger but less flexible. A vampire may not summon more beings through castings of The Shadow of Hands That Serve and/or The Heart That Beats in Silence than his occult rating. Both of them serve as either Investigation or Guard retainers.
Hand: Physicals:2 Mentals:10 Socials:2 Stealth:4 Subterfuge:3 Oblivion:2, Obfuscate 1 Health:2, can only be harmed by fire, sunlight, any source of aggravated damage or kindred-ward (any damage from a weapon is ignored, only the damage from the ward itself affects the creature)
Heart: Physicals:7 Mentals:10 Socials:2 Stealth:4 (discipline level retest) Subterfuge:3 Oblivion:4, Brawl 2, Health:4 Takes damage in the same way that a Hand does.
Note: the hand can not make physical attacks of any kind and the heart can only attack with its arm of the abyss. While present in the world it gains exp like any retainer.
The Abyss Knows
Cast on another target. This ritual takes 30 minutes and tells you whether or not the target has pledged their soul to the service of a Deific being. It is very obvious and requires a lot of chanting. The number one use for this power is to identify those practitioners of abyss mysticism who have not sold their souls to the Abyss. Just a yes/no as to whether or not the targets soul belongs to another greater entity. Just a religion doesn’t count. The ritual is searching for a deeper connection
Level Two
Transubstantiation of Essence
The Mystic spends a full round in concentration. He may then spend any amount of blood to heal. He heal 2 lethal for every blood spent this way. Afterwards, the Mystic is in blood debt to the abyss and must consume one blood for every health level previously restored. He gains no nourishment from this feeding.
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Anga Mainyu Consumes Spenta Mainyu
The user take 2 (soakable) aggravated damage as she ingests hot tar. At any point during the night, the mystic may vomit up all the tar which magically spews forth blocking all sources of light by encasing them in tar. and dealing one automatic aggravated damage to all other creatures. ( no test). The mystic may only have one use of this stored at a time. Range room.
Third hidden eye of Richard Argentis
The caster is immune to surprise attacks for the night. If the caster fails the casting check they are blind for the night.
Level Three
Drinking the Blood Ahriman
The mystic spend an hour in quiet contemplation within his Oubliette. After an Hour an abyss creature comes to greet him and bonds to his shadow. If the caster fails the occult check it tries to consume him immediately ( treat as a Blatherskite) If they succeed in the ritual the creature offers to live in the casters shadow. It can live in the casters shadow for up to a month after casting and during this time the caster may act as though they posses One “Lucky” retest. However during this time, the caster must provide one blood a night for the creature. Once the retest is used the creature slithers off the caster and disappears in the nearest shadow.
Pierce the Murk
When the mystic purchases this ritual he permanently ignores the effects of Oblivion level 2 no matter the caster
Invoke the BlatherSkite
This ritual requires the mystic to lay submerged in a pool of water for 2 days. For each additional night the kindred remains submerged and does not feed a Blatherskite emerges from the shadows somewhere within 1 mile of the caster. The caster has no control over the Blatherskites save that they won’t attack him.
A player who knows this ritual can also banish Blatherskites with an occult chop diff 3 in a single round.
Blatherskite: 8 health levels, 3 brawl, athletics, defense, and survival. Arms deal 3 lethal, Potence 2, Fortitude 2, Obfuscate 2
Level Four
Reflections of Hollow Revelation
This power works just like Scry except a pool of shadow instead of water.
Abyssal Blade
Treat as a ward for the purposes of adding other wards to a weapon. This ritual submerges and suffuses a weapon with darkness. After being cast, the weapon deals aggravated damage to mortals (ghouls, Hunters and kinfolk count but nothing higher tier) and bypasses all armor. The blade itself is semi- transparent and definitely not natural looking. Lasombra are loathe to gift one of these weapons to a non- clan member but it does happen occasionally. This ritual has only recently been "stolen" by the clans of death.
Lord Aludains Orifices
No. Go look it up in Dark Ages v20 companion. Its not Larp approrpiate.
Level Five
Boukephos Gateway
The ritual requires the Mystic to stare into the darkness of a mirror for 3 days straight. At the end an abyss creature emerges and offers her the choice to become an Ahrimane, surrendering his soul for true power. The effects of this ritual vary but they can do things as severe as increasing the level of disciplines a character can posses. However, the character is no longer the same. They are now a true servant of the abyss unable to pursue their own wants and desires unless they align with the abyss. This change is also very clear in their aura. A player who casts this ritual will likely cease being playable shortly. ( as soon as they do something their new masters do not like.)
Into the Chasm
This ritual must be performed in the Mystics’ Oubliette. With an hour of preparation the caster can teleport herself and up to 5 others to any place she has ever been in the world by traversing the abyss. Failure on this ritual causes the caster to be consumed by the nothingness and any passengers to be lost in the abyss with no readily available path out. There must be shadows where you are teleporting to.
