Dreamspeakers
The Dreamspeakers are a Tradition of mages consisting of individuals who practice shamanism, communing with spirits as part of their magic and existing as intermediaries between the Mortal World and the Spirit World.
It is one of the most diverse Traditions, with those representing the ancient cultures of African, Native American, Inuit, and Aboriginal Australian societies standing alongside practitioners of Shinto, independent spiritual savants, and descendants of other forgotten tribes and civilizations. Though originally shoehorned into a single group by the other, Eurocentric Traditions, the disparate cultures within the Dreamspeakers have found common ground in their respect for and dedication to the balance between physical and spiritual reality.
As the Gauntlet has grown thicker and the Spirit World more dangerous, the shamans' duties have become increasingly harder. But whereas other mages tend to overlook matters of spirit and Sleepers forget them altogether, the Dreamspeakers were born to walk the middle round, to see and hear what others do not, and fill roles still very much needed in the modern world.
Contents
Paradigm
Animism
That Creation is essentially animistic is central to Dreamspeaker philosophy and magic, and in fact, tends to reflects their daily lives. As shamans, they possess the ability to freely interact with the Spirit World to one degree or another, and are often called upon to resolve conflicts between spirits or seek solutions to problems that can be felt in material and spiritual reality. Dreamspeakers realize that each reflects the other, and that by acting upon the Spirit World they can perform feats that are considered magic in the Material World. This can take the form of direct communication with spirits capable of making the desired changes, but just as often makes use of the Dreamspeakers understanding of spirit behavior and rules to know what rituals and acts upon the Material World will invoke the appropriate response from the Spirit World.
Tools and Practices
The most important part of shamanic magic is placing oneself in the correct state of mind to be able to perceive and influence the boundary separating the Spirit and Material World. Just about anything that helps a mage reach this ecstatic state of consciousness can serve as a focus, including drugs, exercise, music and dance, or simple meditation. Some Dreamspeakers believe that external tools are a crutch to be avoided or that artificially manufactured drugs and technological devices are counterproductive, but this is a matter of personal preference. When it comes to invoking spirits, anything that grants the shaman connection and power over the spirit in question can help, such as a symbol or crafted representation, names and other words of power, or rituals sacred to the spirit. Dreamspeakers are also cognizant of the fact that every tool has a spirit of its own that can be called upon to aid their magic.
History
Dreams of the Beginning
Unlike some other Traditions, the Dreamspeakers do not have a common cosmology or explanation for their origin. They are descendants of numerous diverse societies from around the world who were forced together by outsiders who did not understand them. Each of these cultures have their own stories of the world's beginning, though they share tales of a time when reality was fluid and there was little distinction between the Material and Spirit World. Some speak of the Pure Ones, others of gods, or great totem spirits who tended the earth and guided the first humans. Regardless of which story is true (today, many Dreamspeakers would likely say they were all true), shamans served their communities even in those ancient times. They acted as intermediaries with spirits, learned of the world's cycles, and passed on their cultural knowledge as new ages dawned and set.
Out of Many, One
The Dream-Speakers were officially formed in 1466 at the Grand Convocation. Naioba, an African dream priestess, and Star-of-Eagles, a Powhatan medicine man, saw the Tradition as a brotherhood of shaman. The Europeans saw it as a dumping ground for tribal magi; Native Americans from North and South America, the tribes of Africa's jungles and savannas, Australian Aborigines, Lappish and Siberian shaman, and the kahuna of the Hawai'ians, Maori and Polynesians were all lumped together in a single Tradition. Many magi, such as the Ngoma, saw this as racism and left the Convocation in disgust. Though there was initially misunderstanding and antagonism between the different cultural groups, the dedication and love between Naioba and Star-of-Eagles served as an example of the Dreamspeakers' shared values. The two assumed joint leadership of the new Tradition until Naioba's assassination by Nephandi, but rather than break the Tradition's union the pain of her death only bound them together more tightly.
Exploiters and Exploited
The Dreamspeakers suffered greatly during the Age of Discovery and the subsequent centuries of Colonialism and Imperialism. The Spanish conquest decimated the Aztecs and Incas, and spread smallpox among the Mound Builders. Likewise, the Portuguese slave trade decimated much of West Africa. Missionaries, both Sleepers and from the Celestial Chorus, attempted to convert native peoples to European culture and religion. As the world was mapped and charted by explorers and scientists, lands connected to the Spirit World became fewer and more of reality became static. The Dreamspeakers called on the other Traditions for aid, but though they received expressions of support from the Cult of Ecstasy, Euthanatoi, and Verbena, the Council as a whole did nothing. Finally, in 1756 nearly half the Dreamspeakers in Horizon walked out, led by a delegation of Iroquois medicine men. Those who remained did so out of the belief that the cause was lost and the native people could only return if the Dreamspeakers survived as a Tradition long enough for the others to see their errors.
New Awareness
Though the Industrial Revolution and the rise capitalism and communism further degraded humanity's connection to the spirits and damaged the Earth, the second half of the Twentieth Century has seen the tide turning for the shamans. Renewed interest in the philosophies and practices of non-Western societies has made the traditional garb, ceremonies, and beliefs of Dreamspeakers culturally acceptable. Meditation, spirit guides, and shamanic healing have become more trendy. Perhaps most importantly, the Dreamspeakers have increasingly recognized that the modern spirits of electricity, information, plastic, and cities are just as legitimate and needing of mediums as those of the natural world. Urban and techno-shamans are on the rise, fighting to find a place in the Tradition.
Organization
While many Dreamspeakers are solitary, they tend to view others within their Tradition as extended family. Thus, while they rarely organize and may have conflicting customs due to different upbringings, there is a common bond that keeps them together. The Tradition has also experienced many centuries of persecution from the world and their supposed allies in the Council of Nine, so its leaders have learned that they must present a unified front if they are to protect their interests. Once a year the majority of Dreamspeakers gather either physically or spiritually in the Nevada desert to share news and discuss positions for the Tradition to take as a whole. All members are allowed to speak, though elder shaman are given the greatest deference.
The Dreamspeakers maintain several Chantries where the old ways can be preserved in peace. Turtle Council House, the Dreamspeaker subrealm in Horizon, was one such place, combining a Native American, African and Australian sub-Realm. Other prominent Dreamspeaker holdings include the Lodge of the Gray Squirrel (a Native American Chantry), Vali Shallar (a lost Mayan temple in the jungles of Peru, shared with the Akashic Brotherhood), Yambula'kitino (a lush jungle Realm used by the Baruti to teach African culture), Onikari (a Cherokee lodge near Asheville, North Carolina, watched over by Uktena Garou) and Njia Panda (a multicultural Realm created by the Keepers of the Sacred Flame to preserve their homelands).
Balamob
Descendants of the shape-shifting warrior-priests of the Mayans, the Balamob continue to practice the bloody sacrifices of their ancestors. The Balamob practice totemic magic, often adopting the shape of jaguars, but they are also skilled at astrological divination and using hallucinogens and blood-letting to contact Xibalba (the spirit world). While some Balamob have immigrated to the United States, most in the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala to protect their people, even affiliating with Zapatista militants. They were only recently recruited by fellow Native Americans amongst the Dreamspeakers who had travelled to Mexico to study the lost magic of the Aztecs, Mayans and other Mesoamerican civilizations.
Baruti
Originating in Africa, the Baruti are wandering storytellers and performers. They memorize, preserve and teach the (often mutually contradictory) oral traditions of hundreds of different cultures, including those believed lost to history. When two Baruti meet, they often exchange tales. The Baruti also maintain old ties with the Eshu Kith. In more modern times, some Baruti have also turned to writing science fiction, horror, fantasy, comic books and even ethnographies. Their magic revolves around storytelling; legends of heroes can inspire the masses, while myths of creation tap into primal sources of power or rouse the spirits of the elements themselves.
Contraries
The Contraries began as societies of 'sacred clowns' amongst the Indians of the Great Plains and Southwest. Following Coyote, Raven and other trickster spirits, the Contrary way is mcuh a lifestyle as it is a magical faction. Members do everything backwards, dress as members of the opposite sex, and speak the opposite of their intentions. By challenging expectations, they bring laughter into the world and teach others through their comical behavior. Other Dreamspeakers are divided in their opinion of the faction. Some admire the Contraries for their dedication, while just as many Dreamspeakers view them as misguided at best and outright lunatics at worse.
Four Winds
Members of the Four Winds Society spend most of their time exploring the Spirit World. They place little value on material possessions, instead trading secrets for secrets. Most eventually adopt spiritual landscapes that suit their personality and attune themselves, effectively becoming guardian spirits. Over time they even forget their mortal lives altogether. This was likely the fate of the entire faction after the appearance of the Avatar Storm.
Ghost Wheel Society
The Ghost Wheel Society are urban techno-shaman who commune with modern elementals of plastic, glass, metal, and electricity. Born out of the Ghost Dance movement, the Ghost Wheel Society believes that the old ways are dead and they must adapt to the modern world. Bohemians, entertainers, and even con artists, members often operate on the wrong side of the law. Their magic tends to involve negotiating with various urban spirits, trading favors, and creating high-tech Fetishes.
Independents
Independents are Dreamspeakers who Awakened, often traumatically, without being trained by another mage. Some were taught entirely by inhuman totems, while a few are guided by disreputable spirits that want to use them as pawns. Some degree of madness has long been common among Independents, but they tend to be far stabler than Marauders. Because they often come from cultures without a tradition of shamanism, they tend to improvise their magic haphazardly using pain, drugs, and music to enter trance states. What separates them from Orphans is that Independents eventually seek out other Dreamspeakers, either on their own or at the urging of their spirit mentor.
Keepers of the Sacred Fire
One of the most visible Dreamspeaker factions, the Keepers focus on preserving as much of their cultural traditions as they can, even when the battle against invaders and foreign influences has already been lost. They accept that societies change, but believe there is wisdom in a people's history and stories. Keeper magic is highly traditional and well-defined, with most spending many years learning from an elder practicianer.
Kopa Loei
The native mages of Hawaii, the Kopa Loei once made up the largest and most organized faction in Polynesia. Their numbers included both kahuna and ali'i chieftans, as well as commoners skilled in navigation and travel magics. Their ties to the gods and sacred mana of their homeland was legendary, and some are said to maintain ties with the Rokea or Menehune. While they have fought for native sovereignty, by the late 20th century many Kopa Loei realized that the only way to preserve their magic was to join the shamans of the Dreamspeaker Tradition. They bring with them extensive knowledge of the spirits of the South Pacific.
Red Spear Society
The Red Spears are aggressive warriors who believe that the spirits are angered at the modern world. Eco-terrorists and Indigenous rights activists, their raids seek to reclaim tribal lands, artifacts, and heritage. Unlike other Dreamspeakers, the Red Spears are highly organized with a strong heirarchy and single leader.
Sheikha
An all female faction, the Sheikha serve as wise women to the nomadic Bedouin and Berber tribes of Arabia, Egypt and North Africa. As soothsayers, healers and exorcists, their magic helps their tribes to survive the harsh desert environments of their homelands. A Muslim sect, the Sheikha are members of the Web of Faith and still maintain contact with the Ahl-i-Batin and other Middle Eastern groups. At one point a Sheikha delegation even invited the lost Hem-ka Sobk to join the Council of Nine. In recent years, the Sheikha have become concerned with the efforts of Saudi Arabia and other governments in the region to forcibly settle their tribes.
Solitaries
Solitaries are hermits and eschew many of the trappings of humanity, retreating into the wilderness to practice their magic in solitude. Here their magics tend to become slower but powerful, following the cycles of nature. Some transform their bodies so that they can survive in the depths of the deep seas. Others adopt animals as their new tribe, following the same Totems that guide wild beasts. Dreamspeakers of other factions respect Solitaries for their deep wisdom, but worry about their non-human outlooks.
Spirit Smiths
From Väinämöinen and Ilmarinen in the Finnish Kalevala epic to modern techno-shaman, there has always been a mythical link between shamans and smiths. The Spirits Smiths exemplify this link, crafting some of the most powerful and exquisite fetishes known to the Dreamspeakers. Members of the faction are comfortable with high-tech devices and many work on commission. Spirit Smiths greatly admire well-crafted tools, and will go out of their way not to destroy them unless they are absolutely corrupt. Most instead prefer to "liberate" such items from unfit users and instead give them to someone they view as more responsible.
Uzoma
One of the largest Dreamspeaker factions in Africa, the Uzoma are the traditional priests and diviners of the Yoruba people. Each Uzoma follows a particular Orisha as their patron. As intermediaries between humans and the spirit world, the Uzoma serve their people as soothsayers, advisors and healers. They were invited to the Grand Convocation by Naioba, but returned to their homeland after her murder and avoided contact with non-African mages. Many forgot they were ever members. Only after the events of the Reckoning have they decided to return to the Traditions. In recent years, an increasing number of Uzoma have left Nigeria to live amongst immigrant communities in America and Europe.
Rotes
The Curse of Consequences
Mind 3, Spirit 1
The Red Spears developed this rote early on as a tool of psychological warfare, refining many traditions' legacy of curses for a particular sharp effect. The shaman forces open the "inner eye" of the victim, letting the target see and hear all the spirits who suffer because of the target's actions. Close up, this includes the tiny spirits of dust motes and air currents crushed or shoved aside, the spirits of molds and insects crushed underfoot, the spirits of animals and plants raised and harvested cruelly and without proper sacrifice to provide food. The victim can also hear, far away, the anguished groans of earth and water spirits around landfills and anywhere else the victim's society marks the world.
Most Red Spear rotes remain closely-guarded secrets, on the grounds that only proven warriors deserve them. This one the society teaches far and wide, regarding every spirit magician as deserving of the power to make the soul-blind suffer.
System: The victim must make a Willpower roll, difficulty 5 + the shaman's Arete, to do anything but suffer the misery of increased awareness each turn the curse remains in effect. Even on turns when this roll succeeds, the victim experiences a strong flood of unhappy emotions. On a botch, the victim develops a suitable Derangement. Standard duration, area and other restrictions apply; the curse is vulgar without witnesses in cultures that don't accept shamanism, coincidental elsewhere. After a number of turns equal to the shaman's Arete, the subject will at least be capable of acting in some manner regardless of Willpower, but will still take a two-Trait penalty on all actions (not reflexives) for the rest of the spell's duration.
Moving the World Walls
Spirit 2
This ancient ritual involved specially marking and preparing a region so that the Gauntlet can be locally raised or lowered. This ritual can be used to protect a house or even an entire apartment building against spiritual attack, or to lower the Gauntlet sufficiently that even weak spirits and low-powered mages can leave or enter the umbra.
System: Every successes raises or lowers the local Gauntlet rating by one point. Since the Gauntlet is not normally perceptible to Sleepers, affecting it almost always counts as coincidental magic. Affecting a doorway is made at normal difficulty. The mage must allocate successes to area in order to determine the size of the alteration. Duration is calculated normally, but if the mage scores two or more successes above those necessary to alter the Gauntlet by the desired amount, the Dreamspeaker can tie the ritual to a set of physical objects, like carved wooden poles or specifically decorated mirrors that mark the boundary of the altered Gauntlet. If this technique is used, the ritual remains in effect until the boundary markers are disturbed.
Walking the Open Path
Spirit 2, Prime 1
This ritual is a version of Moving the World Walls that is specifically designed to lower the Gauntlet at a Node to zero. At this point, a Shallowing is created, and the mage and anyone with her are all able to freely and safely walk into the Umbra. Since the Gauntlet is not being ripped or torn, but rather locally removed, no one entering the Umbra through a Shallowing takes any damage from the Avatar Storms.
System: Every success on this ritual reduces the Gauntlet by two points. Two successes are sufficient to penetrate the Gauntlet at any Node. At midnight or at other especially auspicious times, a single success will reduce the Gauntlet to zero. Because Shallowings are natural occurrences this ritual is coincidental. However, since the Gauntlet continues to thicken, an artificial Shallowing can never be made larger than the wall of a small room. Also, created Shallowings never last longer than a day, regardless of the number of successes rolled. Fortunately, this ritual can be used on both sides of the Gauntlet.
Lesser Binding of Spirits
Prime 2, Spirit 2
While Adepts of Spirit can forge unbreakable Umbral chains around spirits, less skilled Dreamspeakers must rely upon other means of convincing Umbrood to do their bidding. This rote summons a single spirit and immediately surrounds this umbra visitor with a shining corona of fiery quintessence. With the merest thought, the summoner can cause this unnatural fire to harm the spirit. While the damage caused is often not terribly severe, it is always quite painful. Also, the target cannot determine the amount of damage they will suffer beforehand. Most spirits, like most people, are loathe to suffer any harm.
While powerful and lordly spirits will often ignore the risk and attack the summoner for daring to cast such a spell on them, most weak and moderately powerful spirits will agree to perform minor services in exchange for the Dreamspeaker's promise not to harm them. Also, when bargaining with a difficult but not overwhelmingly powerful spirit, this ritual is a useful way to indicate that the summoner is not to be ignored or trifled with.
System: A single success on this roll will summon the spirit; additional successes empower the Prime energy that surrounds the spirit. One additional success surrounds the spirit with energy that will cause two levels of aggravated damage. This magical corona will last one scene before it harmlessly dissipates. Two additional successes cause the energy to last for a full day and can deal up to four levels of aggravated damage to the spirit. In either case, this damage can be inflicted at any time during the duration that the mage chooses. This damage can only be inflicted once, however, unless the spell is cast a second time. As with most summoning spells, knowing the name of the spirit being summoned reduces the difficulty of this spell by two.
Some mages also incorporate a Mind 2 effect into this ritual to produce a magical suggestion of the caster's power and of the uselessness of resistance. This rote can also be used on a spirit that is already present. In that case, all successes go towards energizing the magical corona of Quintessence surrounding the spirit.
Spiritual Persuasion
Mind 2, Spirit 2
While compelling spirits with threats of imprisonment or harm can obtain their cooperation, such tactics can also breed resentment and hatred. Many Dreamspeakers avoid force and coercion and instead rely upon bargaining, alliances and friendship as a way to obtain various services from spirits. In addition, the most powerful spirits are far too strong for any but the mightiest Dreamspeakers to control. Therefor, Dreamspeakers who need the services of Incarna or Celestines must use means other than force to obtain their cooperation. While payment in Tass, help defeating their enemies or pacts of mutual aid can all be used to pay for a spirit's aid, bargaining with spirits - especially with powerful spirits - requires great skill. To aid them in their negotiations, many Dreamspeakers use magical aid to help convince the spirit to accept their offer.
System: Success on this roll both summons the desired spirit and helps to place it in the desired frame of mind for accepting the Dreamspeaker's offer. Each success on this roll (including the first) reduces the difficulty of rolls to convince the spirit of the summoner's wishes by -1. Two or more successes on this roll reduces the difficulty of all suggestions the summoner makes to the spirit during the next full scene by the number of successes rolled.
Umbral Visions
Correspondence 2 or 3, Mind 1, Spirit 2
While actually piercing the gauntlet is now fraught with risk, extending one's senses through it is relatively safe. Using this spell, Dreamspeakers can perceive any point in the Umbra that they are familiar with, and can even communicate with the spirits there. This spell is almost always performed as a lengthy ritual where the caster goes into a deep trance and shuts off her mundane senses as she shifts her perceptions into the Umbra. In the most basic version of this spell, the caster can see and hear Umbral events at whatever locations she desires. While this spell does not allow the caster to form an Umbral body, she can use this spell to allow her to cast other spells at targets she can perceive within the Umbra. Doing so risks sending her magical essence across the Gauntlet, however, and thus attracts the damage of the Storm.
System: Using Correspondence magic, the caster can either send her perceptions to an already known location (using Correspondence 2,) or she can use Correspondence 3 to search for objects or people within the Umbra. Mind 1 is necessary to allow her mind to deal with the unusual input. With the addition of Forces 2, the caster can even form an intangible, ghostlike Umbral body. The number of successes on this spell primarily determines how unfamiliar the caster can be with the location or individual within the Umbra that she desires to perceive. The same number of successes, however, also determines the maximum level of spell that caster can use on spirits or other targets that she can perceive using this spell. If the caster only scored one success, then she could only use first rank Sphere effects on targets perceived using this spell. As with all other spells designed to allow the caster to perceive the Umbra, this spell is normally Coincidental. Effects projected into the Umbra will either suffer heavy Storm damage that degrades and warps the effect, or else cause Storm damage to the caster, as usual.
Shaman's Craft
Matter 3, Spirit 3
The link between smiths and shamans is extremely ancient. This rote is one of the primary magics used by the Spirit Smiths. This spell allows them to repair broken items of all sorts. In addition, Spirit Smiths use it to improve items so that they will function better than they did before. This spell also (temporarily or permanently) awakens the items the Spirit Smith is working on. In some cases, the caster will temporarily awaken the item so that its spirit can help the caster figure out both what is wrong and the best way of repairing it. If there is sufficient time, however, almost all Spirit Smiths use this spell to permanently awaken any item they are working on. Doing so is almost always a lengthy and extensive process. Awakening items in this fashion both improves their function (as long as their owner treats them well) and is part of the Spirit Smiths' plan to reawaken the world and reconnect the mundane world with the Umbra.
System: A single success will repair minor damage and gives the caster a clear idea of both any hidden defects and how its owner has treated the item. More successes provide greater levels of repair. Three successes will repair all but the most severe damage. Even a single success also temporarily awakens the spirit within the item; use the duration chart in Mage to determine how long it remains awake.
Prime 2 must be added to this spell if it is being used to repair objects or devices that have been so badly damaged that they now have large missing pieces. To make this spell coincidental, most casters actually perform some form of physical repair on the item. Some of the more dedicated Spirit Smiths use this spell only as an aid to such mundane efforts. Used in this fashion, each success provides a -2 modifier to the difficulty of any repairs.
Night Battle
Mind 4, Forces 3, Prime 2, Spirit 2
This ritual is one of the most powerful and deadly attacks known to the Dreamspeakers. It allows the mage to separate his spirit from his body and to prowl both the astral planes and the mundane world hunting for victims. Traditionally, the mage's spirit takes on the appearance of a large and dangerous predator. While only mages using spirit senses or individuals and creatures with similar supernatural perceptions can directly perceive this astral form, its effects can be seen and felt by everyone. Using her magic, the Dreamspeaker ventures forth to kill her enemies and destroy objects, while her body remains elsewhere in a deep trance. When the ritual is complete, the target will appear to have been the subject of an attack by a savage animal. No one without powerful magic can even trace this event back to the caster.
System: The caster must roll at least two successes when casting this ritual, since it is not useful if it does not last at least a scene. Also, while the caster's spirit can move with the speed of thought, the caster must already know the target's location or use Correspondence magics to locate the target. Once the target is located, additional rolls are needed for any attacks.
All damage using the Forces effects are made normally, and such damage will look like it was caused by a wild animal. Careful examination of the victim, however, will reveal no evidence of animal fur or other traces that always appear during real animal attacks. If desired, the caster can spend a point of Quintessence and make all damage done by this spell aggravated. Unless care is taken, this ritual is vulgar if used against targets in the mortal world. All attacks on Umbral targets, however, are fully coincidental. Because you must send your spirit out across the Umbra, you do risk the vagaries of the Avatar Storm if you're not at a Shallowing, but you do so only once.
Spirit Slaying
Prime 2, Spirit 2
This rote is commonly used by Dreamspeakers to slay or drive off malevolent spirits. With it, the Dreamspeaker infuses a weapon with raw prime energy and then strikes through the Gauntlet to inflict deadly damage on nearby spirits. This spell is most commonly used to empower swords, knives, clubs and guns with the energy necessary to slay hostile spirits. It can also be performed using symbolic weapons like blunt swords or even crystals and rattles, to allow the Dreamspeaker to attack possessing spirits without harming the host.
System: Like all spells that channel prime energy, this spell does aggravated damage to the target. If this spell is used on a spirit possessing a living host, a single damage roll is made for the attack. The physical weapon damages the target, but all of the aggravated damage affects only the spirit. Depending on the weapon being used, the weapon may do lethal, bashing or even no damage to the target, but the spirit will bear the full brunt of the attack. To perform this spell, the caster must always expend a point of Quintessence. Since this spell only affects spirits, it is almost always coincidental.
Spirit Eating
Mind 3, Prime 3, Spirit 2
Instead of merely slaying or driving off spirits, some Dreamspeakers seek to take the spirit's knowledge and power by consuming the spirit. Like the Spirit Slaying spell, the caster empowers a weapon and uses it to attack the spirit. In addition to harming or killing the target, the caster drains both Prime energy and knowledge from it. Killing a spirit with this spell destroys it forever and gives the caster considerable power.
Despite the temptation of power offered by this spell, many Dreamspeakers consider it to be too horrific to use. It is normally only used in desperation, or by Dreamspeakers who desire to command and rule spirits rather than working equitably with them. Dreamspeakers who regularly use this spell can intimidate spirits into working for them, but will rarely have spiritual allies or friends - the rare exceptions being a few highly predatory spirits that engage in similar tactics. Regular use of this spell will cause most Dreamspeakers to regard the caster as a violent individual who they would rather avoid.
System: The damage caused by this spell is identical to that caused by Spirit Slaying . Every success rolled on damage also gives the caster one point of Quintessence. Each point of Quintessence drained from the spirit also reduces the spirit's power by 5 points. Reducing a spirit's power to zero using this spell destroys it forever. Spirits cannot provide more Quintessence than one-fifth their power.
Successes on this ritual also allow the caster to steal knowledge and memories from the spirit. A single success on any attack will gain the attacker a few random memories. Two successes on one attack give the caster access to most of the spirit's recent memories. Three successes give most of the spirit's memories to the caster, and four or more successes give the caster access to the spirit's most carefully guarded secrets.
Casters who roll two or more successes on an attack must also make a Willpower roll. Rolling a number of successes on this Willpower roll equal to the number of successes rolled on the attack results in the caster experiencing no problems. A successful Willpower roll that scores fewer successes than were rolled for the attack temporarily gives the caster some Mental Flaw or other personality trait possessed by the spirit. This trait remains until the caster next sleeps. A failed Willpower roll results in this trait remaining for the next week, and a botched Willpower roll makes this new trait permanent or can result in the caster believing he is actually the spirit for the next week. An additional Willpower roll must be made for every attack that does significant damage to the spirit. A series of failed Willpower rolls can easily result in the caster gaining a large number of severe mental problems.
Reading the Umbral Skein
Mind 1, Spirit 2, Time 2, sometimes Correspondence 2 or 3
This spell is a favorite for many Baruti. In addition to now being the only safe way that most of them can gain access to their Umbral library of lost tales and ancient memories, this rote also allows them to probe the history of the Umbra itself. According to Baruti doctrine, the world has undergone numerous drastic changes. Whole lands and peoples have suddenly ceased to exist, the rules governing magic have changed, and even the shape and basic geography of the world has not been constant. In most cases, these changes have been so sweeping that they eliminated almost all traces of the previous world and replaced it with histories and artifacts that seem to consistently and inevitably lead to the new present.
The Umbra, however, is both more flexible and more enduring than the mortal world. Significant traces of these prior realities can sometimes remain in neglected corners of the Umbra. Curious Baruti use this spell to cast their consciousness into the Umbra and read its history.
While the validity of the truths gained using this rote are often questionable and impossible to prove, on a number of occasions Baruti using this spell have used the knowledge gained to lead them to strange physical artifacts in the Umbra or in the mundane world. They claim that these curious relics support the stories they have learned. Most other Tradition historians dismiss theories that artifacts like the Mayan crystal skull are proof of the existence of a vastly different world, but the Baruti rarely care about the opinions of others. Some Baruti also use this spell to attempt to divine the future of the Umbra, but their results are even more confusing and inconsistent than ordinary divinations. A few Baruti claim that the odd results obtained using these divinations are further proof that the entire structure of the world will change in the near future and that the Umbra and the mundane world will soon be reunited.
System: This spell is functionally identical to ordinary Time magic divinations, except that it provides information about the past or the future of the portion of the Umbra that corresponds to the caster's location. Because all magic is easier in the Umbra, the amount by which the caster can look into the past (but not the future) is 21 times that obtained by corresponding divinations in the mundane world (see the table in Mage: the Ascension page 209.) If Correspondence effects are added, the mage can determine the history of any portion of the Umbra that she is familiar with. The Mind portion of this rote allows the caster to clearly remember every detail of the odd and confusing information that was gained.
Websites
- Dreamspeakers Tradition Book: [1]
