Calling the Hungry Shade
Extending his mastery of the Abyss beyond The Heart That Beats in Silence, a mystic who knows this ritual may call forth an actual Hungry Shade into a circle of blood. Such entities are incalculably malicious and resent attempts to bind them into service. If they break free of the magic that enslaves them, they do not hesitate to drag the errant Cainite to the Abyss or tear him asunder on the spot.
System: A mystic may initiate this ritual any time between dusk and midnight. To begin, the vampire stands at the center of the intended summoning area and slits his left palm. He then turns counterclockwise in silence with bloody hand outstretched to drip a circle of blood. Next he steps out of the circle, taking care to drip no more blood outside its edge. He then begins a whispered chant of invocation as he prowls around the circle in a spiral that winds slowly inward. Multiple Abyss mystics who know this ritual may assist and usually do, circling equilaterally apart from one another in synchronous steps. The total number of participating mystics cannot exceed the highest Occult rating in the group. Make an extended Intelligence + Occult check (difficulty 6) for every mystic involved, rolling once per hour of chant without looking at the dice. The Storyteller should privately keep track of the total number of successes amassed and permit players of the participant mystics to continue as long as they like until an hour before dawn. A botch from any mystic reduces the number of accumulated successes by five. When the mystics choose to resolve their processional litany, they stop and turn to face the center of the circle. Each speaks a syllable of summons in perfect unison and their players spend one point of Willpower. It is at this moment that the air tears asunder and a Hungry Shade rises in the blood circle.
The statistics of each summoned Hungry Shade vary. Each success in casting generates three bonus points that may be used to generate its statistics according to the costs listed on p. 129 of Dark Ages: Vampire... The shade begins with a rating of zero in all traits except Obtenebration and may not have Backgrounds, Virtues or a Road (as it has no need of such Traits). Health levels cost two bonus points each and the creature never suffers wound penalties. It can also store more Willpower than its permanent rating for a cost of one bonus point per additional point of capacity and begins with a full pool. None of the shade’s traits may exceed the rating of the highest Obtenebration score among the participating mystics. The only exceptions are Obtenebration (begins at five dots; cannot exceed a rating of eight), permanent Willpower (can equal double the highest caster’s Obtenebration), total health levels (up to twice the shade’s permanent Willpower) and temporary Willpower capacity (no upper limit). The shade may possess only the following Disciplines, or rather analogous powers: Celerity, Fortitude, Obtenebration and Potence. The shade’s default state is immaterial as per Tenebrous Avatar, so its version of that power allows it to solidify for a turn at the cost of one Willpower point. The shade can see in all darkness, natural or otherwise. It regains one point of Willpower for every blood point consumed or health level of damage inflicted, and all its attacks (including Arms of Ahriman) inflict aggravated damage. It has no blood pool and does not need to spend blood to activate Obtenebration powers but substitutes Willpower to augment shadow effects or use Celerity. The shade suffers aggravated damage from sunlight and fire and soaks like a vampire when materialized. It cannot speak but may telepathically communicate at will in images and emotions with any sentient being it can see.
Once the Hungry Shade is built according to the number of successes rolled, the player of the lead mystic makes an opposed roll of Willpower against the sum of the shade’s two highest permanent traits other than Willpower (both rolls at difficulty 4). The vampire receives one extra die per assisting mystic. If the vampire wins, the shade must serve him faithfully in all endeavors for a number of nights equal to his Willpower. This duration may be extended by one night per point of fresh human or vampire blood immediately fed to the monster. It is not possible to increase the duration of servitude after the ritual ends, though it is believed that more powerful summoning rituals may exist for such purposes.
If the shade wins the contest of wills, it may freely attack the mystics and usually does, though some have been known to flee the area and wreak havoc elsewhere or even return to the Abyss without incident. A freed shade may remain in the physical world as long as it desires, although it loses points of Willpower equal to its Obtenebration rating each dawn. If it runs out of Willpower, it can no longer bear separation from the Abyss and returns home through the closest shadow.
SAMPLE HUNGRY SHADE (160 SUCCESSES; 480 BONUS POINTS)
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Charisma 1, Manipulation 3, Appearance 0, Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3
Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Dodge 3, Intimidation 3, Melee 3, Stealth 3
Disciplines: Celerity 1, Fortitude 1, Obtenebration 6, Potence 1
Willpower: 6, Willpower Pool: 16 Health Levels: 12 x -0
