Deed the Heart's Desire

Quietus 6

This subtle but potent power cuts the user off from unwanted distractions, allowing him to better focus and to gain a heightened awareness of both himself and his surroundings. Elder Assamite antitribu use it as a way of isolating themselves, regaining lost mental fortitude and quickly crafting elaborate plans. Among such individuals, the power has become something of a localized hand tradition - a custom of blood, exclusive to their bloodline. Some Hand members outside the Assamites who have heard of the power call it "the Fortress of Silence." This is a powerful ability and, unknown to many, capable of being used on others as well. When used on vampires, it causes delirium and confusion, debilitating even the sturdiest-willed opponents. Used on mortals, it causes escalating disturbance to the point of insanity, as they hear their own blood flowing in every vein and artery with a distinct and maddening thrum.

System: To activate the power on oneself, all that is required is the expenditure of a single blood point and a place to meditate. Upon activation, a zone of silence spreads outward from the character's "center," allowing him to push away all unwanted distractions. While the character meditates inside this zone, he suffers a +2 penalty to all Perception-based difficulties. His mind is too preoccupied with his own thoughts to give full attention to the outside world. This preoccupation, however, allows him to refocus his will, rejuvenating it at the rate of one lost Willpower point every 15 minutes. he need not meditate until he has regained all spent Willpower, nor must he cease meditation once all Willpower is restored. when the character does emerge from the zone, he will be at a -1 difficulty to all Willpower rolls and all rolls involving Mental Attributes for the remainder of the evening.

If the user opts to target an unsuspecting opponent with this power, his player must spend a blood point and roll Stamina + Occult (difficulty of the opponent's Willpower). the number of successes is the number of dice the target will be penalized for the duration of the scene on any roll involving Dexterity or any Mental Attribute. The target may reduce this number by spending Willpower on a one-for-one basis. If the user achieves more successes on his roll than a target has permanent Willpower, then the target acquires a derangement as well. If the target is mortal, the derangement is permanent. Otherwise, it goes away at the end of the scene or evening.