Mysteria

This is the Art of Mysteries; of discovering secrets primarily, and misdirecting others secondarily.

It was developed and is practiced by House Eiluned, although some Sluagh have gained this art as well. It is suspected that some of the Shadow Court must also know this Art, though there is no proof. Of special note is that Eiluned has managed to prevent House Gwydion from learning this Art through a pact with the Dreaming - if any practitioner of this Art tries to teach it to a Gwydion, the memory of the Art is erased from his/her mind (and can't be relearned). If any practitioner of this Art joins House Gwydion, the memory of this Art is likewise erased (and can't be relearned).

Attribute: Perception

@ Whisper

Type: Chimerical

So, you're not a Sluagh, and you don't have enhanced hearing nor lip-reading, but you just have to know what those two lovers are talking about! With this cantrip, you don't need those things - you don't even need to see your target. Like clairaudience, this cantrip places the center of your hearing directly between your targets - you can hear exactly what your targets are talking about. Note: you must know the language being spoken, as this cantrip does not allow for translation.

System: The realm is determined by the target to be heard. If you only target one person, you can hear what she hears. If you want to hear the conversation between multiple persons, you must also use Scene. If your targets are not in sight, you must know where they are, and use Scene as a secondary realm centered on you - the targets must then be within range of the Scene.

Only one success is needed to hear what the target(s) are saying. Additional successes determine how long the cantrip lasts:

Zero additional successes: you heard one word
+1 success: one minute
+2 successes: 10 minutes
+3 successes: one hour
+4 successes: as long as you listen (one scene)

Note: you will only hear the conversation you are concentrating on. Once it stops, so does the cantrip. You will not hear anything but that conversation, so you won't hear the elephant knocking down the wall behind you. However, you do need to concentrate and cannot move while listening, so any physical disturbances will possibly disrupt the spell - roll WP vs. a Storyteller-assigned difficulty. You still see normally, though, so you will see the troll bearing down on you from the front (time to stop the cantrip)!

@@ Muffle

Type: Chimerical

You need to communicate a secret, but you're in a crowd of Sluagh. What do you do? Shoot, they could even hear Willow Whisper. This cantrip obscures all communication except between you and the intended parties. Note that this cantrip is effective on all forms of communication, not just verbal. So, go ahead, write a letter. Give it to the most loudmouth Gwydion as a messenger to your agent. He'll read it as just a normal, innocent letter. Only your agent will see its true intent.

System:

For conversation (verbal, sign language, smoke signals, Morse code, etc.): this cantrip interferes with the perception (including lip-reading) of all parties except those with whom you are communicating. The realm is determined by the target(s) you wish to converse with - Scene must be used if there is more than one target. All others will either ignore the conversation, don't hear it, hear muffled voices, have other noises/sights distract them, have something get in the way, etc. Attempts to perceive the conversation have the number of successes rolled by the caster added to the difficulty to perceive. The cantrip lasts until the conversation is completed (one scene maximum).

For communication through letters, etc.: this cantrip again interferes with the perception of all parties. The realm is determined by the medium carrying the message (Prop for a letter, Nature for a message carved on a tree, etc.) - however, in this case, Scene need not be used for multiple targets, as the cantrip is cast on the medium carrying the message. Other persons trying to ascertain the meaning of the message will either not notice it, not be able to read it, or see a harmless, almost meaningless message. In game terms, these people must make a Perception + Enigmas roll versus a Difficulty of 5 + the number of success gained from the casting of this cantrip. This cantrip lasts until the message is completely destroyed - and since the message is part of the cantrip, attempts to undo the cantrip also destroy the message.

@@@ Clear Sight

Type: Chimerical

This cantrip allows the caster to pierce through obstacles and perceive/understand that which she seeks. Whether it is the intent of a message clouded by Muffle, an enigma that she just can't understand, or a memory that's just out of reach (even due to the Mists), Clear Sight will help bring it back.

System: again, the target determines the realm. For one's own memory, the cantrip is cast on self. To understand someone talking in another language, the realm is either Actor or Fae (well, Nature for animals). For a riddle written on paper, the realm is Prop. Scene may not be used with this cantrip to try to understand multiple mysteries at once (sheesh, twinkers) - it is instead used to pierce through mysteries about a place. The number of successes gained from this cantrip are added to any Enigma rolls to understand mysteries. Successes may instead be used to counter successes from other cantrips/abilities which hide communication/intent. For languages, the number of successes gives the caster an understanding of the language in question for a time determined by the success table given above for Whisper.

@@@@ The Shadows of Mystery

Type: Wyrd

This cantrip picks up where the Art of Delusion (Shadow Court pg 82) left off - it is a much more powerful version of Innocence. This cantrip is also analogous to the Mage background Arcane (Mage 2nd Ed. Pg 130). Casting the Shadows of Mystery envelops the target in a fog of half-truths, misdirection, and forgetting. At the most successful castings, others will not even perceive the target, much less remember it. Yet, it is hard to achieve such success with this cantrip, so it is normally cast as an extended roll.

System: the target determines the Realm (note that this cantrip may also be cast to hide locations, by using the Scene realm). The base duration of this cantrip is one hour. The number of successes gained from the casting adds to the difficulty of others to accurately perceive things about the target. This gives many effects:

The number of successes gained drops 1 per hour. Still, judicious use of this cantrip can make one seem to disappear. Note that the target does not have to agree to have this cantrip cast on it. Also note that if the caster is not the target, the caster will be effected by the Shadows of Mystery just like anyone else - a pre-cast Veritas cantrip is the best proof against this eventuality.

Botches can be very serious matters. If an extended roll is botched, add all previous successes to the number of botches. The final number of botches indicates the power of the Shadows of Mystery on the caster to relate to the entire world, including herself. Of course, this will wear off in time - one botch per hour.

@@@@@ Veritas

Type: Wyrd

This is THE cantrip House Gwydion would love to know. Successfully cast, the caster will not only know the truth about something, he will have proof. This proof will be in a form that can be shared with others.

System: this cantrip must be cast as an extended roll. On the first roll, at least one success is needed to "get the glamour going." The realm is determined by the nature of the truth to be revealed - if the truth is about someone, use Fae/Actor (maybe Nature). If it about a thing, use Prop/Nature. If it is about a place, use Scene. If it is about a time (future/past) use Time. If it is about a concept, use Fae 5 (since the answer is coming from the Dreaming). The number of successes needed for truth is solely determined by the Storyteller. If you want to know the exact process of becoming Siochain, be prepared to roll at least 50 successes (that's right, no one's done it yet). Notes:

  1. The "truth" received is how the Dreaming interprets it. So, if you want to know what type of creature Cain was, the answer you receive will likely match the story given in the Changeling books (he was a Redcap).
  2. The answer may not be what you want to hear. Remember, this is the truth you will be receiving. The answer to "How do I get into Arcadia?" may well be, "Resolve your exile, rid yourself of Banality without falling into Bedlam, then..." Obviously, it pays to word your questions very carefully.
  3. The caster will also receive proof of the truth in a form able to be shared with others. This might be a chimera who was there during the battle of Thor with the World Serpent, or a correct map of a trod. Whatever form the proof takes, others will believe it (although they may act as if they don't), and any other truth-telling abilities will confirm what the caster knows. This does not mean the proof will last forever - only the Storyteller will determine this (although, it should last at least a day, or until shared with a particular person desired by the player). This proof can also be shared with non-enchanted beings and believed (in the case of a chimera, those with whom the caster wishes to share the truth will automatically perceive it - their Banality will not cause it to disappear).

Botches: don't botch this one. You really don't want to. If you do, the number of botches will dictate how much the truth about you in the Dreaming will become a lie. See the Reweaving cantrip (Player's Guide pg 174) for a table as to how severe the change will be. Additionally, at 11+ botches, your very existence within the Dreaming is a lie, meaning...you become Undone.

Jhardhel'Healdan @ Arts @ Mysteria Site Map