Hedayat el-Qalb
This sihr path focuses on enhancing the abilities of the caster and on examining or manipulating the abilities of others. As with the Hedayat Iman, prayer plays an important role in this path, serving as a focus for the caster and subjects though in many cases devotion is less important than will and determination. As such, the path is more widespread than the Hedayat Iman, though this renders it more open to abuse and corruption. Ultimately, the Ashirra abandon the path as irredeemably tainted by forbidden sorcery, many of its powers subsumed by Tremere Thaumaturgy and Assamite Sorcery.
1) Hikma Min Allah (Wisdom from God)
By means of a prolonged period of introspection lasting at least two hours and accompanied by meditation or prayer, an Ashirra with this power can focus his mind to aid problem solving. by this means, he identifies strengths and weaknesses in his own soul that he can reinforce with the supernatural power of vitae.
System: After the vampire meditates or prays for two or more hours, the player makes a Willpower roll against a difficulty of 6. Assuming a success, the Cainite may spend a single blood point to boost a single Mental Attribute by one point (and one point only). The effect lasts for a single scene and only one Attribute can be augmented at any one time. A failure on the Willpower roll means the vampire fails to obtain the proper calm to focus wisdom from above. A botch means he uncovers some inherent flaw in his own character; the precise effects are up to the Storyteller but can include the loss of one temporary Willpower point, a check for Rotschreck or frenzy, or even a check for Road loss.
2) Idrak' min Allah (Insight from God)
Gaining an insight into the relative strength of an opponent can often make the difference between unlife and final Death. By means of Idrak' min Allah, activated by a short prayer to Allah, the caster gains a glimpse of the target's background and strength. the results are imprecise, often little more than a momentary flash of the truth, but even that can be vitally important.
System: The vampire utters a short prayer aloud. The player spends a blood point and rolls Perception + Alertness against a difficulty equal to the target's Willpower. for every two successes, he may ask for details on one of the following regarding the target of the power: clan, generation, current blood pool, highest Attribute or highest Ability. The Storyteller need not give precise answers; she should rather frame the results relative to the caster's knowledge. For example, if a 12th-generation hajj uses the ability on a 6th - generation Wah'Sheen, the Storyteller's response about generation would likely be that the Wah'Sheen is "substantially closer to Caine than you."
3) Sultat el-Nabi (Authority of the Prophet)
Use of the Sulat el-Nabi compels the subject to obey a short phrase comprising no more than ten words. The target must hear and understand the command, which is embedded in a short prayer that requires a turn to recite and ends with the phrase "as Allah commands." If successfully implanted, the command will be acted on immediately and literally. the target cannot be forced to harm themselves or made to go against deep-seated instincts. Eye contact is required when the command is issued but need not be maintained while the victim acts out the compulsion.
May Ashirra regard use of the Authority of the Prophet as a sorcerous enslavement and thus an attempt to usurp god's powers. As such many of the faithful shun this power and those who do use it often have to spend many nights wrestling with their conscience.
System: The character utters the required prayer and order. The player then spends a blood point and rolls Manipulation + Intimidation against a difficulty equal to the target's Willpower. The number of successes indicates the speed and efficiency with which the task is carried out. A botch indicates that not only has the command failed, but the target is aware of the attempt. Storytellers may, at their discretion, judge use of this power as grounds for a Conscience roll to see if degeneration occurs.
Sawt El-Nabi (Voice of the Prophet)
By use of the Sawt-el-Nabi, the caster may communicate with any Cainite known to him irrespective of the distance. The caster spends at least ten minutes reciting a prayer containing the target's name, intended to attract his attention. The prayer takes the form "By the grace of merciful Allah and his Prophet Muhammad may the winds carry these humble words to..." If successful, only the intended target hears the message (as a disembodied voice in her head) and may replay to the caster. The communication is not entirely secure - both parties need to speak aloud, though this need only be a whisper - and can usually only be maintained for a short period. Nonetheless, it allows those skilled in its use to maintain contacts across vast distances.
System: Once the vampire has invoked the prayer, the player spends a blood point and rolls Perception + Empathy against a difficulty of 5 + 1 per 100 miles (round up) separating caster and target. the number of successes determines the length of the conversation. A single successes allows only a few words before the link is lost while five or more successes allows the link to remain open as long as the player concentrates on it. At the Storyteller's discretion, a botch indicates the caster's prayer attracts the attention of the wrong person.
5) Nar el-Iman (Fire of Faith)
'Nar el-Iman is one of the most formidable powers of Ashirra blood magic, using the target's own blood curse against him, but is also one of the hardest to use effectively. It exploits the inherent weakness of vampires in matters of faith, undermining the target's resolve and inflicting both mental and physical injury. The power requires intense concentration and vocal prayer by the caster. At first, this may appear as intense concentration, but as the invocation progresses the caster becomes increasingly zealous. the power works best against a target of the same faith but functions against any Cainite.
As with the Sultat el-Nabi, many Ashira regard use of this power as an evil act and thus refuse to use or even learn it. Those who do so are the strongest of the Islamic Cainites but even they find the knowledge a great burden.
System: The character prays aloud for at least three turns, the zeal of his diatribe rising with each moment. The player then spends a blood point and rolls Charisma + Theology against a difficulty equal to the target's Road score (+1 if the target is of a different faith than the caster; -1 if the vampire prays for more than three turns). Each success reduces the target's Willpower by one and inflicts a point of aggravated damage. A botch requires the caster to make a Self-Control/Instinct roll (difficulty 6) or enter frenzy. Use of this power is, at the Storyteller's discretion, grounds for a Conscience roll to see if degeneration occurs.
