••••• Accepting the Mantle of the Divine
Elder Illuminated profess not only to an understanding of the nature of reality above that of any other Kindred, but also defend that knowledge with powers beyond the pale of the average vampire’s experience. Such savants become changed by their encounters with the divine, their forms shifting and gaining features that are at turns angelic and demonic.
Through this power the Mystikos allows her Beast to rise to the surface of her flesh, blending her body and spirit into a single terrible whole. She gains subtle inhuman features, often based in part on the Disciplines she knows. A character’s skin may seem to thicken into a gray or hairless hide or chitenous shell (Resilience), become translucent, or develop chameleon scales (Obfuscate). More exotic Disciplines result in stranger changes: she may develop animalistic features such as tufted ears or elongated fingers tipped with sharp claws (Protean) or gain unusual or unpleasant mutations that seem utterly alien to this world (Spiritus Sancti). Such changes risk the Masquerade, so Mystikoi under the influence of this power take pains to hide their deformities.
Worse yet, the character’s Beast becomes infused in her flesh, making it impossible for the character to utilize the other powers of Spiritus Sancti. The advantages, however, are considerable, and a character who has accepted the Mantle of the Divine becomes a terrible foe to her enemies.
Through this power the Mystikos allows her Beast to rise to the surface of her flesh, blending her body and spirit into a single terrible whole. She gains subtle inhuman features, often based in part on the Disciplines she knows. A character’s skin may seem to thicken into a gray or hairless hide or chitenous shell (Resilience), become translucent, or develop chameleon scales (Obfuscate). More exotic Disciplines result in stranger changes: she may develop animalistic features such as tufted ears or elongated fingers tipped with sharp claws (Protean) or gain unusual or unpleasant mutations that seem utterly alien to this world (Spiritus Sancti). Such changes risk the Masquerade, so Mystikoi under the influence of this power take pains to hide their deformities.
Worse yet, the character’s Beast becomes infused in her flesh, making it impossible for the character to utilize the other powers of Spiritus Sancti. The advantages, however, are considerable, and a character who has accepted the Mantle of the Divine becomes a terrible foe to her enemies.
Effect
Dramatic Failure: The character fails utterly, accidentally loosing the Beast upon herself. She immediately enters an uncontrolled frenzy and remains in it for the rest of the scene. She may not utilize Embracing the Invisible Other, Leashing the Beast or Chastise the Beast to resist or exit it.
Failure: The character enters an uncontrolled Frenzy.
Success: The character makes progress towards her goal. Upon accumulating the necessary number of successes, the character garners an Investment (see below). This Investment remains part of the character’s person for one night per success on the activation roll. The power may not be ended early.
Exceptional Success: As above, save the power can be ended early at the character’s whim.
Failure: The character enters an uncontrolled Frenzy.
Success: The character makes progress towards her goal. Upon accumulating the necessary number of successes, the character garners an Investment (see below). This Investment remains part of the character’s person for one night per success on the activation roll. The power may not be ended early.
Exceptional Success: As above, save the power can be ended early at the character’s whim.
Side/Secondary Effects
While the character is under the affects of this power, she exists in a state of frenzy available only to masters of Spiritus Sancti. She may not ride the wave while benefiting from this power (meaning that she cannot utilize the first three powers of Spiritus Sancti) nor can she separate herself from her Beast (and thus cannot use Communion with the Higher Realms). She is not, however, immune to frenzy (quite the opposite, in fact). She cannot utilize Chastise the Beast nor Leashing the Beast to resist frenzy (though she can use the latter to inspire it in herself or others), nor does she gain the usual bonuses from frenzy when she enters that state.
Instead, the following applies to the character, whether or not she is in Frenzy:
Instead, the following applies to the character, whether or not she is in Frenzy:
- The character gains a +3 bonus to all Animalism rolls.
- The character gains the Unseen Sense Merit for all supernatural entities who can enter maddened rages (vampires and werewolves, for example) as well as for entities who exist primarily in Twilight (such as spirits and ghosts). By spending one Vitae, the character can perceive Twilight entities for twenty-one seconds (seven turns).
- The character gains an Investment (see sidebar). A character may only have a single Investment at any given time.
Investments
A character utilizing Accepting the Mantle of the Divine garners one of the following abilities. These powers include a physical manifestation of the improved or additional ability, from bulging muscles to razor-sharp fangs.Focused Will: The character gains the 9 again rule when spending Willpower for extra dice. When using Willpower to avoid being hit or otherwise resist a power, she enjoys a +4 rather than a +2 modifier.
Furious Strength: The character gains a bonus die to all physical dice pools. Furthermore, she benefits from the 9 again rule on such rolls. Finally, her attacks cause Knockdown (p. 168, World of Darkness Rulebook).
Incredible Hide: The character gains an Armor rating of 1 (this stacks with other forms of Armor and is not reduced by Armor piercing weapons) and ignores wound penalties.
Mandate of the Archons: The character may utilize the Dominate power Mesmerize (whether or not she has it) on spirits and ghosts. The Illuminated adds her rating in Spiritus Sancti rather than Dominate, and the Twilight entity resists with Power + Resistance. The character need not establish eye contact, but both the target and the Illuminated must be able to perceive one another. The power otherwise functions as normal (see p. 125 of Vampire: The Requiem for details), but the character may not use this Investment to control the actions of entities other than spirits or ghosts.
Predator’s Awareness: The character gains a +1 to all Perception rolls. Furthermore, she benefits from the 9 again rule on such rolls. Finally, she benefits from the Danger Sense Merit.
Primal Appearance: The character gains the Striking Looks Merit at four dots for the duration of the Investment.
Resolute Heart: All attempts to influence the character’s mind, by Dominate, Majesty or other means, suffer a -3 penalty. Rolls for the character to resist or throw off mental influence receive a +3 dice bonus.
Vicious Bite: The character’s fangs elongate and sharpen, but can never be retracted while she benefits from this Investment. She need not grapple before making a bite attack and her fangs inflict aggravated damage.
Material Components
Cost: 1 Vitae and 2 Willpower
Gestures & Ritual
Dice Pool: Resolve + Composure + Spiritus Sancti
Related Discipline
Effect Casting Time
Extended. Each roll represents thirty minutes of prayer. Six successes are required.
Level
5
Applied Restriction
If the character possesses Lure the Beast, activating this power requires only four successes.
Modifier | Situation
+2 | The character meditates successfully prior to the ritual, garnering four or more successes (see p. 51 of the World of Darkness Rulebook).
+2 | The character is in the vicinity of a powerful Wyrm’s Nest.
+1 | The character is in the vicinity of a weak Wyrm’s Nest.
-1 to -3 | The character is in a distracting environment, ranging from loud, distant noises (-1) to immediate flashing lights or pounding music (-3). Penalties for each distraction are cumulative.
Modifier | Situation
+2 | The character meditates successfully prior to the ritual, garnering four or more successes (see p. 51 of the World of Darkness Rulebook).
+2 | The character is in the vicinity of a powerful Wyrm’s Nest.
+1 | The character is in the vicinity of a weak Wyrm’s Nest.
-1 to -3 | The character is in a distracting environment, ranging from loud, distant noises (-1) to immediate flashing lights or pounding music (-3). Penalties for each distraction are cumulative.