Szoreny Infernal Charms

For use with the Exalted Storytelling System, Infernals.

Charms

Excellency

First Szoreny Excellency:

• Szoreny possesses both a first and second but not a third excellency like the other Yozi, his theme is as follows:
• The Silver Forest is the most patient Yozi, making long-term plans that will not bear fruit for ages. He must take time to properly reflect before making a decision and cannot act rashly. He is a mirror, and he reflects the natures of those who stand before him. He respects order and admires balance. He appreciates exploration and understanding, seeking to fully comprehend that which he opposes. He has become twisted by his imprisonment, creating false reflections that mislead and deceive but abhors this state and seeks freedom and restoration. Though he is capable of showing the truth, it is often cryptic and metaphorical.
• Characters may apply this Charm to any actions in which they make a plan or prepare for a plan's execution. Szoreny's excellency assists instances in which the Infernal mimics their opponent in nature or action. He also facilitates actions that misdirect or mislead without outright lies. The Silver Forest helps an Infernal provide a cryptic truth wrapped in metaphor or use misdirection to reveal a greater truth. The Charm may assist attempts to balance a situation or oppose an action with equal and opposite force. This excellency does not assist in the execution of a plan once it is fully set in motion, nor will it help against an opponent who cannot be comprehended or understood in some way.

Szoreny Mythos Exultant:

• The Silver Forest defines the flow of time and may redefine it to delay a resource for a more opportune time. An Infernal may choose to forgo all bonuses from a stunt to "bank" it. Up to (Essence) dice worth of stunts may be banked at any one time and will fade away at the end of the scene. The Infernal may use these banked dice to add dice to any action, up to three additional dice that stack with stunts. The dice, once banked, are no longer stunts and will not grant essence or willpower.

Mirror

Mirror-Entity Apotheosis
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: None

• A mirror reflects. A twisted and imperfect mirror gives a lie, but a perfect mirror shows the truth. By meditating upon the nature of a perfect mirror and large amounts of self-reflection, an Infernal can push themselves one small step closer to the ideal of the perfect mirror. When they are at the cusp of understanding, they close their eyes. When they open them, if they have grasped the nature of what they seek to emulate, the eyes they open are like pools of liquid quicksilver. Those who do not fully know themselves, or deceive themselves as to their true nature find the Infernal's mirrored gaze incredibly unnerving.
• Additionally, this attunement to truth allows the Infernal to add their Essence to their MDV against manipulation-based attacks and as bonus successes to recognize or pierce another's deceptions. However, the Infernal finds that direct lies become incredibly difficult to make, imposing an internal penalty equal to their Essence to any manipulation-based social attack in which they outright lie, though they are not penalized for omitting, implying, or misleading in a less direct manner.

Blood of Silvery Sap
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms:

• The blood of Szoreny is the incredibly deadly Quicksilver sap, and so too is the blood of any Infernal who takes this charm. The Infernal's blood is replaced entirely with Quicksilver equivalent to Bostvade's Quicksilver (Damage 6L, Toxicity 3, Penalty -2). At Essence 5, the Quicksilver flowing through their veins becomes equivalent to Szoreny's Quicksilver Sap (Damage 7A/minute, Toxicity 3L, Penalty -3).

Fooling the Blade
Cost: 4m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Illusion
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Mirror-Entity Apotheosis, Blood of Silvery Sap, Summon Forth the False Reflection

• Szoreny is patient, but only a fool would mistake his deliberate and decade-long plans for an innate slowness. With a sudden burst of speed and the assistance of an illusion to blur their exact location, the Infernal avoids attacks. This charm is a perfect dodge against any attack the Infernal can perceive, even undodgeable attacks. This charm is vulnerable to the Imperfection of The Silver forest.

Dance of Phantoms
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Fooling the Blade, Fragile Quicksilver Clone

• This charm permanently enhances Quicksilver Mirror Evasion. If the Infernal pays an additional mote upon activation, an illusionary double of the Infernal is produced that acts in a manner appropriately mimicking the Infernal. The illusionary double will also gain illusionary wounds if attacked, but a (Perception + Awareness) roll at a difficulty equal to the Infernal's essence will allow the attacker to perceive that they are attacking an illusion. When this charm is used against a flurry, roll one die, with no successes the attacker makes the rest of the flurry against the illusion (with appropriate chance as described above on each attack to realize it is an illusion), with one success the attacker correctly picks the Infernal, with 2 successes the attacker correctly picks the Infernal and discerns that the target they did not hit is an illusion. This double will last for (Essence) actions before fading.
• A second purchase of this charm at essence 8 adds the Shaping keyword to Quicksilver Mirror Evasion and causes the charm to produce a genuine doppelganger with all the abilities, attributes, charms, etc. that the Infernal possesses instead of an illusion.

Imperfection of The Silver Forest: Szoreny's reflective nature is not so perfectly imitated by the Infernals that would invoke his power, who require an immobile, man-sized reflection from an object they do not own (resonance with the Infernal's essence would distort the reflection in a metaphysical manner) to be within 30 feet in order to use any charm vulnerable to the Imperfection of The Silver Forest.

Reflections of Pain
Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Fooling the Blade

• Strike at Szoreny and you will soon find your own strength turned against you. Once an attack connects, the Infernal invokes this charm to reflect their foe's attack back at them. For every level of damage the Infernal suffered, their attacker suffers an unsoakable level of damage of the same type they inflicted (Bashing returns bashing, etc.) as metaphysical forces reflect their own attacks back on them.
• A second purchase of this charm at Essence 4 allows the Infernal to expend 6 motes instead to counterattack all attacks directed at them until their next action (though this does nothing if they do not suffer damage from the attack).

Mirrored Argument Reversal
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Reflections of Pain, Befuddle the Senses

• Not all reflections are physical. Words, too, can be reflected a turned around on those who would wield them. This charm exerts an unnatural mental influence on all those currently engaged in social combat with the Infernal to make them believe your and their arguments have been switched and that it has been this way the entire time. 5 temporary willpower must be spent in total before this unnatural mental influence may be overcome. If the opponent successfully debates your point and wins the social combat, the Unnatural Mental Influence immediately ends and you may use their own argument to make a perfect social attack against them, automatically beating their Dodge or Parry MDV with a threshold of one success.

Mirror Walk
Cost: 15m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious, Sorcerous
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms:Mirror-Entity Apotheosis, Blood of Silvery Sap

• To a disciple of Szoreny every mirror is a door waiting to be opened, and it is a simple matter to open one door and step through and out another. By activating this charm, an Infernal may step through any reflective surface with a surface area large enough to accommodate them and exit from a reflective surface with a likewise large enough surface area up to (Essence/2, rounded down) miles away.
• The Infernal must have personally seen or obtained a thorough description of the reflective surface and the surrounding area for this charm to function, and if the reflective surface no longer exists, the charm automatically fails and no motes or willpower are expended. Only reflective surfaces considered valid by the Imperfection of Szoreny may be used for this charm (thus you cannot step out of or into a well-polished suit of armor if it is currently in motion).

Quicksilver Infusion Technique
Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Blood of Silvery Sap, Mirror-Entity Apotheosis

• The sap of Szoreny is extremely deadly and a potent weapon for those who can harvest it, but it is an even deadlier weapon for those who can conjure it from nothing. With this charm, an Infernal may coat a single weapon with one dose of Quicksilver equivalent to Bostvade's Quicksilver (Damage 6L, Toxicity 3, Penalty -2). At Essence 5, the Quicksilver created is instead equivalent to Szoreny's Quicksilver Sap (Damage 7A/minute, Toxicity 3L, Penalty -3).
• A second purchase of this charm at Essence 4 makes it reflexive instead of simple.

Fragile Quicksilver Clone
Cost: 6m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: (Essence) hours
Prerequisite Charms: Quicksilver Infusion Technique

• To most, a reflection is an image and nothing more, but for those who are attuned to mirrors they are an erstwhile ally and assistant waiting to be pulled from the prison they find themselves in. By using this charm, an Infernal may reach into a reflective surface large enough for them to fit through (The surface must provide a clear reflection as is described in the Imperfection of Szoreny) and pull out their reflection, which is formed into a construct composed of quicksilver. This reflection has the attributes and abilities equal to the Essence of the Infernal that spawned it or the Infernal's own rating, whichever is lower. The reflection has no Essence score or charms and will shatter into shards of glass should they be struck with a force greater than a pat on the back. The reflection cannot act on its own and must be commanded, it has a willpower score of 0. Only one such clone may exist at once.
• A second purchase of this charm at Essence 8 turns the reflection into an exact copy of the Infernal that spawned it, with an Essence score, charms, and associated health levels (it will no longer shatter in a single strike, although it begins to fracture as wound penalties accumulate). This doppelganger can act on its own but will not take initiative, requiring orders or a general goal of some sort to follow on.

Reflected Vision
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Blood of Silvery Sap, Mirror-Entity Apotheosis

• Szoreny can perceive the inner reflection within all things, dull though they may appear on the outside. While this charm is active, all surfaces appear reflective to the Infernal (though they do not count for the Imperfection of Szoreny), thus they may look around a corner by looking at the wall or keep an eye on the sky by staring at the ground.

Reflect What Truly Is
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Reflected Vision

• The inner reflection cannot lie, cannot distort. The truth of all that has a reflection may be gleaned from them by those perceptive enough to do so. Whenever a character with this Charm activates its prerequisite, they may pay an additional three motes. Doing so allows them to perceive dematerialized entities and pierce illusions via observing the reflections they create.

Reflect the Heart
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Reflect What Truly Is

• More than just the mere physical shell is reflected by a true mirror, through understanding the nature of reflections, so too can one understand the nature of what they reflect. This charm permanently enhances Reflected Vision, allowing an Infernal to discern the motivation and intimacies of any being whose reflection they observe with a successful (Perception + Investigation) roll.

Supreme Mimic Shintai
Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: (Essence) Actions
Prerequisite Charms: Reflect the Heart, Mirrored Argument Reversal

• To absorb the reflection of another being is a dangerous proposition, for by doing so you become the reflection on truth. When the reflection is consumed, the Infernal quickly becomes engulfed in quicksilver. From their now seemingly-liquid body, they may form the features of the reflection that they have devoured. When the Infernal activates this charm, they must choose a target. For the duration they act on the same tick as their target, take the exact same actions as them (except directed toward their target. In the case of something more abstract like pulling a lever, the Infernal would grab the lever and exert an equal but opposite force pulling it in the other direction) using the same dicepool, and use the exact same charms enhancing any associated actions they are mimicking. Scene-longs the Infernal had active before using the Shintai remain so and still offer their benefits, as do Permanent charms. At Essence 6, the Infernal also automatically gains the benefit of all scene-longs the target has active for the duration of the Shintai as well as the benefit of any permanent charms the target may possess.

Illusion

Summon Forth the False Reflection
Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 3)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: None

• Szoreny is a master of illusion, capable of wielding the false and distorted reflection as readily as the true and pure. An Infernal who knows this charm may craft an illusion (entirely immaterial but may produce auditory and olfactory sensations) that affects an area no larger than 400 cubic yards. The illusion lasts for as long as the Infernal commits the motes and the Infernal may maintain as many illusions as their mote pool can sustain. Each illusion is a single distinct change (Changing the scenery from a forest to a castle gate, for example. A single guard for the gate would be a second illusion. Another guard would be a third), but multiple illusions may be overlaid for a larger, more complex illusion. Anyone interacting with the illusion is entitled to one (Perception + Awareness) roll at difficulty equal to the Infernal's Essence per hour of interaction and upon first interacting with the illusion. Charms that would pierce illusions automatically use the standard roll-off rules, but the Infernal's player adds (Essence) bonus successes to his roll. At Essence 4, the area a single instance of an illusion can encompass increases to 2500 cubic yards. At Essence 6, the area increases to 100000 cubic yards.
• A second purchase of this charm at essence 4 increases the difficulty to perceive that the illusion is an illusion by 2, for a difficulty of the Infernal's (Essence + 2). Additionally, the charm becomes reflexive.

Scintillating Illusion Invocation
Cost: 6m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Illusion
Duration: (Essence) Actions
Prerequisite Charms: Summon Forth the False Reflection

• Mortals are so easily amused and distracted; their attention spans so short. A simple little pattern of pretty colors can hold their attention for quite some time. With this charm an Infernal may conjure forth a brilliant and ever-shifting array of colors that undulate through the air. The Infernal rolls (Charisma + Performance) against the Dodge MDV of all those who can see the color pattern, those whose Dodge MDV are overcome suffer an Unnatural Mental Influence to sit and stare at the pattern unless attacked, in which case the fascination automatically breaks and they may defend themselves as normal. An affected individual may spend 1 temporary willpower to break the Unnatural Mental Influence and ignore the pattern for the remaining duration. At Essence 5 the duration increases to one day.

Call Forth the Nightmare
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Illusion
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Summon Forth the False Reflection

• Most beings fear something, it is the very rare individual indeed who has no fears at all. Using this charm, an Infernal may summon forth an illusion of their opponent's worst fear. The target, who must be within (Essence * 10) yards, rolls their Valor against difficulty 1, if they fail they must immediately flee at a full dash for (6 - their Valor) actions or until they spend 1 temporary willpower to resist the Unnatural Mental Influence to flee. At Essence 4, the difficulty becomes 2. At Essence 5, they must spend 2 temporary willpower before the Unnatural Mental Influence to flee stops.

Befuddle the Senses
Cost: 4m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping
Duration: (Essence) Actions
Prerequisite Charms: None

• Those who travel through The Silver Forest quickly find themselves confused and slowly driven mad as their senses begin swap around. With this charm, an Infernal may inflict the same disorienting effect at will. The Infernal rolls (Manipulation + Awareness + Essence) against the Dodge MDV of a target within (Essence * 50) yards. The target suffers an internal penalty equal to the number of threshold successes on the roll for the duration. At essence 3 the target's MDV is reduced by one for the roll-off. At Essence 5 the target's MDV is reduced by two.
• A second purchase of this charm at Essence 4 allows the Infernal to use it on themselves, but instead of swapping two pre-existing senses, the Infernal trades one of their senses for a more abstract sense, such as "seeing" time. This can have wide-ranging consequences and the exact effects are up to the individual ST to determine.

Army of One
Cost: 4m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

• The Silver Forest is filled with many reflections, both mere images and twisted beings that have escaped the surfaces that held them. The sheer multitude makes it often impossible to distinguish which until it is too late. An attack supplemented by this charm creates (Essence/2, rounded up) illusions which attack at the same time as the Infernal. The net effect of this is an Onslaught penalty equal to the number of illusions that stacks with any onslaught penalty inflicted by a flurry.
• A second purchase of this charm at Essence 6 increases the number of illusions to (Essence).

Time

Adjusting the Flow
Cost: 2m per +/- 1 speed; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 3)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Temporal
Duration: (Essence) Actions
Prerequisite Charms: None

• The Silver Forest was one of the primary Yozi who developed the concept of time and thus has an acute understanding of how it functions... and how to to impede or assist its flow. The Infernal chooses a target within (Essence * 30) yards and may spend 2 motes per 1 speed adjustment to either increase or decrease the speed of all their actions (to a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6) for the duration. At Essence 4 the maximum speed they may increase a target's actions to becomes 8.
• A second purchase of this charm at Essence 5 makes it Reflexive.

Matching the Moment
Cost: 4m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Temporal
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Mirror-Entity Apotheosis

• All beings travel along a stream of time (although some do so more haphazardly than others). With a subtle movement along the stream using another entity as an anchor, an Infernal may slightly adjust their position along it. By using this charm, the Infernal forgoes a Join Battle roll and may instead act on the same tick as a target of their choice within (Essence * 10) yards.
• A second purchase of this charm at Essence 5 allows the Infernal to roll Join Battle as normal, but exchange their roll with that of the target. Using this function of the charm adds the Shaping keyword.

Flooding the Stream
Cost: 1m per tick; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping, Sorcerous, Obvious, Temporal
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

• Movement through the time stream is designed to be natural, flowing from moment to moment. To be violently shoved forward without regard for this flow is incredibly traumatic. The Infernal makes a shoving gesture at a target within (Essence * 30) yards and rolls (Intelligence + Occult) as a ranged attack. If successful, the target vanishes, they will not reappear for a number of ticks equal to the number of motes spent on the activation of this charm. The ticks for which the target has vanished do not count towards taking their next action, essentially delaying their action by that number of ticks. Upon reappearing the target immediately takes 1L for every tick they were gone. Up to (Essence + 1) motes may be spent on this charm. At Essence 3, the damage inflicted increases to 2L per tick delayed.