Abyssal Mysticism Packet

Abyss Mysticism Genre Packet November 2007 “And the Earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.”

-Genesis 1:2 Introduction This packet was designed to be a complete resource to reference the existence of Abyss Mysticism from printed in White Wolf source material and created by OWbN Coordinators and Chronicles. Please note that the rarity system used in this packet is an enforceable genre standard in OWbN. This is designed to be a living document with additions to be made in the future. If you have a ritual you wish to submit, please send it to the Lasombra Coordinator with your STs carbon-copied on the e-mail.

Learning Abyss Mysticism In order for a Lasombra, Lasombra Antitibu, or Kiaysid character to learn Abyss Mysticism - the character must be submitted for approval to the Lasombra Coordinator per rare and unusual by-laws. Once approval is granted, characters may be required to seek additional approval to learn rarity 2, rarity 3, or rarity 4 rituals. Rogue Abyss Mystics (defined as not being members of Clan Lasombra, Lasombra Antitribu, or Kiaysid) fall under the Rare Category of Rare and Unique and must submit per the procedures required. Abyss mysticisim is to be considered blood magic under character regulation.

Because an Abyss Mystic needs to understand the very nature of the Abyss, an Abyss Mystic cannot have a Ritual with a rarity rating higher than her current level of the Lore: Abyss (or Abyss Lore) ability. Unlike other forms of Blood Magic, there are no paths of Abyss Mysticism. Rather the discipline of Obtenebration provides the necessary ability to manipulate the Abyss. However, simply possessing the discipline of Obtenebration is not enough to become an Abyss Mystic. A further understanding of what the Abyss is and what rules govern its behavior are also necessary. Gaining this understanding requires an exceptional investment of time and research or a capable teacher. Furthermore, because there are no Paths of Abyss Mysticism, Abyss Mystics do not gain free rituals with the purchase of Obtenebration. Rather, an Abyss Mystic must purchase all Abyss Mysticism rituals at the cost of 2 experience points per level of the ritual (4 experience points for intermediate rituals, and 6 experience points for advanced rituals).

How to Use this Packet The rituals described in the packet have corresponding rarity ratings. These rarity ratings are similar to those listed in the Thaumaturgy Packets for Tremere Thaumaturgy and Assamite Sorcery. However, the initial approval to become an abyss mystic must meet the rare and unusual requirements. Not all Rituals are readily accessible to all Abyss Mystics. The following system of rarity has been established to ease the understanding of which Rituals should be accessible to a given PC. In any case, a Storyteller has the final call as to which Paths and Rituals are to be allowed in her game. For Lasombra learning Abyss Mysticism is a matter of enlightenment. As the rituals rarities increase so does the level of understanding necessary to master them. Because of this fact simply having a tutor (while still necessary) is not enough to learn a given ritual; instead a Lasombra must expand her understanding of the Abyss and her connection to it. It falls to the storyteller to determine if a character has indeed been making an effort (be it IC, in downtime, etc) to develop a better grasp of their craft. A Storyteller should feel free to prevent a character from attempting to circumvent this by using a PC teacher. Common (Rarity 1) – Available with ST approval. These powers represent the basis of Abyss Mysticism and should be available to virtually all practitioners of Abyss Mysticism. Uncommon (Rarity 2) – Available to PCs with ST approval. Abyss mystics of Clan Lasombra closely guard who in their ranks learn these powers. Rare (Rarity 3) – Available to PCs with ST and Sub-Coordinator Approval. These powers represent mastery of the Abyss that can be taught only by those with exceptional understanding of the Abyss. Most Rare (Rarity 4) – Available to PCs with ST and Lasombra Coordinator approval. These powers are rarely seen outside of the secret strongholds of the Abyss’s Children. While possessed by some Lasombra they generally feel uncomfortable displaying powers this rare in all but the most secure of locations. The level of understanding needed to master these paths is oppressive, and should at this point be the main focus of anyone attempting to learn these powers to the exclusion of almost everything else. Rarity 5 – PC Created Rituals. While there are currently no rarity 5 rituals, PC Abyss Mystics may create new rituals with ST and Lasombra Coordinator Approval. Once PC created rituals are incorporated into the Abyss Mystic Genre Packet, these rituals may only be learned from the PC that created them or from an Abyss Mystic that has received instruction from the PC that created the ritual.

Casting Abyss Mysticism Rituals:

The rituals of Abyss Mysticism are neither as rote as Hermetic Thaumaturgy, nor as free form as Assamite Sorcery. Rather, the important aspect of forcing the Abyss to behave in a way altogether different than that which the Discipline of Obtenebration provides is a means to contact an Abyssal Entity and the ability to convince it to behave as the Abyss Mystic wishes. Because of the large number of distinct Abyssal Entities that exist, the specific rituals that Abyss Mystics use may vary in verbal and somatic components. However, while the specifics may vary between Abyss Mystics, the general practice of each ritual is distinct. Regardless of any superficial differences in the casting of Abyss Mysticism, all Abyss Mysticism rituals are functionally identical. Abyss Mysticism rituals are cast using the same system outlined in laws of the Night: Revised (page 185). Once the caster decides to cast the ritual, an investment of time is made. Unless specifically noted otherwise, basic rituals require 10 minutes, intermediate rituals require 20 minutes, and advanced rituals require 30 minutes. At the conclusion of the ritual casting time, the player of the Abyss Mystic initiates a static mental challenge against 5 traits for a basic ritual, 7 traits for an intermediate ritual, and 9 traits for an advanced ritual. The occult ability may be used as a retest. If the player wins the static challenge, the ritual functions as written in this packet. If the player fails the challenge, then the ritual does not function, and whatever expenditures (i.e. Blood, Will Power, and / or material components are expended).

Abyss Mysticism Rituals Ritual Name

Difficulty

Rarity

Communing with the Darkness

Basic

1

Drawing the Shades of Darkness

Basic

1

The Heart that Beats in Silence

Basic

2

Name the Shadow Puppeteer

Basic

3

Nocturnal Discussion

Basic

1

Nox Eternum

Basic

2

Pierce the Murk

Basic

1

Transubstantiation of Essence

Basic

1

Ahriman's Favor

Intermediate

2

Calling the Thing in Darkness

Intermediate

1

Empowering the Shroud of Night

Intermediate

1

Pilfer the Tenebrous Essence

Intermediate

2

Reflections of Hallow Revelation

Intermediate

2

Seeing the Darkness Within

Intermediate

3

Shadow Servant

Intermediate

3

Aegis of Ahriman

Advanced

3

Descent into Darkness

Advanced

1

Imbuing the Hand of the Void

Advanced

4

Sight of the True Shadow

Advanced

2

Shadow Vault

Advanced

1

Wispers in the Darkness

Advanced

3

Basic Rituals Drawing the Shades of Darkness (Rarity 1) System: This ritual functions identically to “Defense of the Sacred Haven” found in Laws of the Night Revised (page 185). Communing with the Darkness (Rarity 1) System: The caster spends one hour in the isolation of a lightless room, intoning a chant in a long-forgotten language. The caster then breathes in the nocturne of the abyss into his being, allowing the chilling darkness to merge with his very soul. If the ritual is successfully cast, for the rest of the night the caster is up two traits on all self-control / instinct challenges, but is down a trait on conscience / Conviction challenges, as

the cold heartlessness that permeates the Abyss alters the caster’s mindset. If the caster fails to successfully cast this ritual they may not attempt to cast the ritual again that evening, and the skin of the caster becomes darkened, similar to that of an elder Assamite, for the rest of the night, as the darkness of the Abyss is taken in by the caster, but rather than merging with the caster’s soul, it coalesces in the caster’s body. The Heart that Beats in Silence (Rarity 2) System: To invoke this ritual, the caster crushes a lit candle in their hand inflicting one level of aggravated damage (and prompting a rötschreck check at difficulty 4) . If the Lasombra maintains control of herself, she then engages in a static mental challenge versus six traits. If successful, the burning wound in the caster’s hand bubbles with vitae which blackens and drips to the floor. a horrific shriek of pain emanates from the place where the vitae lands, and a small portal to the Abyss opens. a small (fist-sized) tentacled black orb immerges from this brief rift into the Abyss, and jumps into the casters hand, where its tentacles lick clean the casters wound (but does not heal the damage). The creature then serves the caster’s spoken commands with unquestioning and unimaginative fervor. At sunrise, the creature will be pulled back into the Abyss. The caster may have as many of these Abyssal creatures under their control as they have levels of the Occult Ability. Heart of Silence Physical traits: 8 Disciplines: Social Traits: 6 Obtenebration: Shadowplay Mental Traits: 8 Obtenebration: Shroud of Night Abilities: Obtenebration: Arms of the Abyss Athletics Brawl Willpower: 5 Dodge Health Levels: 5 (no wound penalties) Stealth x3 Special abilities: The Heart of Silence can invoke all of its Obtenebration without the expenditure of blood. However, it must expend willpower traits to enhance its Obtenebration (such as increasing the size of a shroud of night or lengthening an arm of the abyss). The Heart of Silence is also composed of a shadowy substance, very similar to that a Lasombra assumes in Tenebrous Form. Thus, the Heart of Silence can envelope a target to affect it as a localized shroud of night. However, the Heart of Silence can not cause any physical damage without invoking arms of the abyss. Likewise, the Heart of Silence can not be harmed by physical objects, though fire still affects it normally. The Heart of Silence is an alien being that does not suffer from Frenzy. Social and mental challenges affect it normally, though mental contact via telepathy or similar powers will provide only the vaguest information about the creature. The Heart of Silence can fly at 30 feet (ten steps per round) and does not take trait penalties for movement. The Heart of Silence, like all Abyssal Entities are considered an umbral

spirit for the purpose of wards and warding circles. Name the Shadow puppeteer (Rarity 3) System: Casting this ritual requires the expenditure of one blood trait and one temporary will power trait. Upon successfully casting this ritual, the Abyss Mystic calls out to a lesser Abyssal Entity which enters the casters body and resides in one of the casters ears. Until sunrise, when the Abyss Mystic sees or experiences an effect caused by Obtenebration, she may attempt to coerce the summoned Abyssal Entity to divulge the name of the one who summoned the witnessed Obtenebration power. To do this, the Abyss Mystic engages in a static mental challenge against a difficulty of the temporary mental traits possessed by the individual that summoned the Obtenbration effect, with the occult ability used as a retest. If the Abyss Mystic is successful, the Abyssal Entity they summoned divulges the name of the Kindred (or Abyssal Entity) that summoned the witnessed Obtenebration effect. Nocturnal discussion (Rarity 1) System: The Abyss Mystic must cast this ritual in the presence of a stationary shadow. Upon the completion of the casting of this ritual, the Abyss Mystic expels at least one trait of vitae directly on a stationary shadow. If the ritual was successfully cast, that shadow then becomes possessed by a weak abyssal entity who is compelled to truthfully and completely answer one question made by the caster regarding what occurred in the environment around the shadow within the last night. Examples of questions that the shadow may answer include, “What did the person who last passed by you look like”, “How long has it been since the lights were turned on in this room?”, etc. The shadow can not answer any questions who’s answers could not be divined by a mortal standing at the shadow’s location during the time in question. Nox Eternum (Rarity 2) System: This ritual is primarily used to keep safe an Abyss Mystic’s haven. Casting this ritual requires the expenditure of a will power trait in addition to what ever blood is required to call forth a Shroud of Night of sufficient size. Upon successfully casting this ritual, the Abyss Mystic calls forth a Shroud of Night to whatever size they desire (limited by the amount of vitae they can spend in a single round). Unlike a normal Shroud of Night, this one is unable to be moved. However, it remains in existence until sunlight strikes it. An Abyss Mystic may only have one such Shroud at any given time. Pierce the Murk (Rarity 1) System: Upon casting this ritual, the player engages in three static mental tests at a difficulty of eight traits. Winning two of the three tests provides the

caster with the merit Controllable Night Sight for the remainder of the Night. With ST approval and the expenditure of four experience traits, this merit is made permanent. If all three static tests are lost, the caster of this ritual gains the flaw Uncontrollable Night Sight, and this ritual will never function again for the caster. Failing to win two of the three tests, while not losing all three tests merely means the ritual fails with no other negatives. When the caster uses Controllable Night Sight obtained from this ritual, their pupils are covered with an inky blackness that expands to cover the rest of their iris and sclera (the whites of their eyes). Those that fail the three simple tests have their eyes blacked out for the rest of their existence. Transubstantiation of Essence (Rarity 1) System: The caster engages in a static physical challenge against eight traits. If the test is failed, throw a second challenge. If the second challenge is won, the ritual simply fails. If the second challenge is failed, the caster takes one level of aggravated damage that may not be resisted with fortitude and this ritual will not function for the rest of the night. If the first challenge is won, the caster may expend as many blood traits as desired (exceeding generational limits). Each trait expended in this way heals two levels of lethal or bashing damage. When the caster next feeds, the Abyss will take an equal amount of vitae that the caster expended in the ritual. Until this debt of vitae is repaid, the caster will gain no sustenance from feeding. Furthermore, the caster can not successfully recast the ritual until their debt to the Abyss has been repaid.

Intermediate Rituals Ahriman’s Favor (Rarity 2) System: To invoke this ritual, the caster must spend half an hour in a lightless room reciting a prayer to a long forgotten Abyssal entity. Upon completion of the prayer, the caster expends a point of willpower and three blood traits, which are completely soaked up by the darkness. Until the next sunrise, the caster may engage in a mental challenge with any entity that has currently active Arms of the Abyss. If the caster wins the mental challenge, she gains control of the Arms of the Abyss created by the target of the challenge. Furthermore, any Arms of the Abyss that are taken from another entity do not count against the normal limit of Arms of the Abyss that a Kindred may control. At the end of the scene, the Arms of the Abyss cease to exist. Calling the Thing in Darkness (Rarity 1) System: To enact this ritual, the Caster must invoke Arms of the Abyss, which used in conjunction with this hour long ritual, only summons one arm. This arm has

the standard three physical traits, and one mental trait per point of the casters Obtenebration. For each point of Occult OR Lore: Abyss the Caster possesses, another mental trait may be added to the ‘Thing’, as does each additional blood point from the caster himself spent at the time of invocation.

This creature possesses at least ONE powerful, dangerous derangement, and an obsession that resembles one particular sin from a path of enlightenment (usually level three or higher on the Hierarchy of Sins), chosen by the Storyteller. Each Abyssal creature is driven to do something, and that may not coincide with what the summoner wishes. The creature can move independently at a regular running speed, and exists for the duration of the scene or one hour. Intense light dispels the creature immediately. Similar to the creature summoned in ‘Heart of Darkness’, the ‘thing’ is considered an umbral spirit for the purposes of wards and warding circles.

The summoner can repeat the ritual to reinforce the creatures presence. If the caster succeeds at all steps, the creature remains present for the rest of the night. Like the original casting, this takes an additional hour. The summoner may try to summon the same creature, and three successes in a row allow it permanent presence as long as the summoner feeds it 10 minus the characters obtenebration level in blood per night.

Finally, the summoner may attempt to absorb the Abyssal manifestation into himself. This requires the summoner to defeat it in combat, reducing it to zero health levels. If successful, he gains half the creature’s dots in each attribute added to his own for the duration of the night, to a maximum of +5. He also gains the creature’s derangement, and cannot spend Willpower to negate this effect.

Should however, the summoner be driven into torpor by the abyssal creature, it can invade his body, and control it for the rest of the night. It can also return the following night and try again, and if it defeats the summoner three nights in a row, it will possess the summoner until driven out. Dispossession requires some other practitioner of Abyss Mysticism to reduce the invaded vampire to torpor, and go through the steps of the summoning ritual. If they all succeed, the creature returns to the Abyss, and never returns again with that combination of Attributes.

Empowering the Shroud of Night (Rarity 1) System: As this ritual’s name implies, this ritual imbues a Shroud of Night summoned

by the Abyss Mystic with the actual power of night. In order to cast this ritual, the Abyss Mystic must anoint every window and door in a specified room with a mystical symbol drawn in their own blood. This requires the expenditure of at least one blood trait. The caster then spends ten minutes in deep concentration, at the end of which she brings forth a Shroud of Night to fill the room (requiring the standard expenditure of one blood trait per 10 foot sphere the caster wishes to bring forth). In addition to the standard effects of a Shroud of Night, the Empowered Shroud further affects all those within it as if they were under the fall of night. Mortals experiencing this wholly unnatural feeling must immediately make a selfcontrol test against 3 traits or flee the shroud to the best of their ability. However, the real use of this ritual is to allow Abyss Mystics to conduct their research even during the daylight hours unimpeded. Characters in the Empowered Shroud of Night are not restricted by their morality rating to determine the number of traits they may call during the day. Sunlight still disrupts this shroud of night. Rituals cast in this empowered shroud of night which normally end at sunrise must still be recast at sunrise. Pilfer the Tenebrous Essence (Rarity 2) System: Upon successfully casting this ritual, until sunrise the caster may once activate shadowplay to try and steal the Shroud of Night created by another individual. This requires the usual expenditure of blood and a contested mental challenge. If successful, the caster gains control of the Shroud of Night as if she created it. Reflections of Hollow Revelation (Rarity 3) System: The caster invokes a shroud of night while successfully casting this ritual (with its normal blood cost) and then wills the shroud to shrink to a sphere about the size of the caster’s head (which costs a willpower trait). The caster then concentrates on an individual or location they have previously seen (if the target is a location, then the caster must have actually been there, not just seen a picture of it), and engages in a static mental challenge versus eight traits. If the caster wins the challenge and the target is within a number of miles equal to the sum of the caster’s levels of Obtenbration and occult ability rating, then the target appears in the orb of darkness from the perspective of the closest shadow to the scene. Any character at the scene with Obtenebration or Auspex is granted a static mental challenge versus eight traits to notice the thickening of the shadows from which the caster is peering, but there is no knowledge imparted to the characters that they are being watched. This ritual will last for a scene or hour, or until the target moves from the line of sight of the shadow through which the caster is watching. At the conclusion of this ritual, the caster suffers a two trait penalty on all perception-based challenges for the remainder of the night. Failing to successfully cast this ritual leaves the caster drained and down two traits on all challenges for the rest of the scene. Seeing the Darkness Within (Rarity 3)

System: This ritual requires that the caster have Aura Perception in addition to Arms of the Abyss. Casting this ritual requires the caster to sit in a lightless room and draw a perfect ritual circle in the blood of a Lasombra (not necessarily the Caster’s). At least three traits of Lasombra vitae are consumed in the casting of this ritual. Furthermore, if the caster does not have Night Sight (controllable or uncontrollable) or some other way to see in the darkness, the difficulty of casting this ritual is increased by two, due to the complication of constructing the ritual circle without being able to see it. Upon successfully casting this ritual, the caster has attuned themselves to perceive the subtle traces that contact with the Abyss leaves in ones soul. For the rest of the evening, the caster may attempt to perceive the aura of others (via aura perception) to determine if that individual has the discipline of Obtenebration. Upon successfully casting this ritual, the caster’s vision of auras is altered, so they are no longer able to perceive diablerie or emotional state in the auras they see. Shadow Servant (Rarity 3) System: The caster must first cast the ritual “Calling the Thing in Darkness.” Then, upon completion of the ritual, Shadow Servant must be cast on the “Thing.” To enact this ritual, the caster must first subdue the “Thing” (possibly requiring a physical challenge) and then the caster must intone a ritual chant lasting approximately fifteen minutes. At the conclusion of the chant, the caster spills his vitae over the “Thing,” which takes the caster’s vitae into it, making it a shadow servant. The blood trait invested in the “Thing” will not return to the caster until the “Thing” is destroyed, effectively lowering the caster’s blood pool by one trait. However, so long as the caster’s vitae is invested in the shadow servant, it will respond to the caster as if it is bloodbound.

Advanced Rituals Aegis of Arhriman (Rarity 3) System: To activate this ritual, the caster must spend half an hour in a lightless chamber, focusing the power of the Abyss into their body, which requires the expenditure of the blood trait and a temporary will power trait. If the casting of the ritual is successful then until sunrise, arms of the Abyss may not initiate any challenge against the caster. Descent Into Darkness (Rarity 1) System: After casting this ritual, the character passes into the Abyss, akin to an Obtenebration equivalent to Psychic Projection, however, the caster actually enters the Abyss physically. When doing this, the character risks running into abyssal entities.

While in the Abyss, said entities attempt to possess the traveler. The character may make an Awareness chop versus 8 traits to detect the approach of said intelligences. Every (the characters Obtenebration rating) Turn, they may make the Awareness chop to detect such encounters. If this chop fails, an Abyssal creature approaches with statistics equivalent to one summoned via the ‘Calling the Thing in Darkness’ Ritual. The more skillful the Abyssal traveler is, the more powerful the entity that is attracted to the Mystic and wants to posses him. ST’s should distribute the attribute scores of the Abyssal creature as if the character had scored the character’s maximum number of successes on the summoning. Should the character outright fail the Awareness chops, the creature possesses the traveler, and drops back into the ‘real world’ and into the nearest dark place.

The game mechanics for travel in the Abyss should be treated like travel via the Astral Plane in terms of distance and speed traveled.

*Due to the prerequisites of this power including an elder power (Shadowstep) this ritual is off-limits to PC’s in OWbN.

Imbuing the Hand of the Void (Rarity 4) System: After successfully casting this ritual, until sunup the caster may expend blood (up to the generational limit of the caster) when creating Arms of the Abyss which is then stored within one or more of the shadow tentacles. At a later point during the scene in which the imbued Arm of the Abyss was created, the caster may command it to spend the blood the caster imbued in it at the time of creation to add an additional physical trait, heal a level of damage, or activate a level of potence or fortitude (which ever the caster granted to the tentacle at the time of creation) that requires the expenditure of blood (such as imprint and earth shock). Shadow Vault (Rarity 1) System: Casting this ritual requires the expenditure of three traits of vitae and one temporary will power trait. Once this ritual is successfully cast, the Abyss Mystic brings forth a three dimensional protrusion from an existing shadow. The Abyss Mystic may then place any object, up to something with trench coat concealability, into the protrusion. The bubble of shadow then returns to the Abyss. At any later time that the Abyss Mystic is physically at the same location as the ritual was originally cast, she may again call forth the Abyssal Vault to produce the object stored within. An Abyss Mystic may only have one such Shadow Vault at any given time. Objects with even a

fleeting consciousness, such as Torpid Kindred, objects with wraiths or spirits fettered to them, etc. may not be placed in a Shadow Vault. Sight of the True Shadow (Rarity 2) System: By successfully casting this ritual, the Abyss Mystic brings an abyssal entity into his body, which resides in her eyes. Until sunrise, the mystic may engage in a static mental challenge against the number of mental traits possessed by any individual they can see. If successful, the mystic is able to see the shadow cast by the target when they are in their true form. For example, a mystic viewing a Tzimisce in Horrid Form would see the shadow cast by the Tzimisce without the effects of vicissitude. However, having the abyssal entity reside within the eyes of the mystic also reduces their visual acuity, granting the caster the negative Mental trait “Oblivious” for the rest of the night. Whispers in the Dark (Rarity 3) System: The vampire invokes a shroud and forces it to contract as outlined for the ritual Reflections of Hallow Revelation. Rather than staring into the orb and viewing another place, the mystic swallows the darkness, and so is swallowed by it. The vampire falls into immediate torpor as her consciousness merges with the Abyss. The vampire may ask one question of the void, which may be as mundane or arcane as desired. The ST assigns a rating of 1 to 10 based on complexity and significance. Truly impossible or momentous questions may even surpass 10, rising as high as the ST deems appropriate. The character then engages in an extended static mental challenge (difficulty of 9 traits, retesting with the occult ability) by making one chop for every night the Kindred remains in torpor. When the mystic has accumulated the number of successes equal to the difficulty of the question, the vampire awakes from torpor, and knows the answer to the question asked. For each chop that is failed, the time interval between chops is increased. After the first failure, chops are made for each week the vampire is in torpor. After two failures, chops are made after each month of torpor. After three failures, chops are made after each year of torpor. Further failures result in the mystic remaining in torpor for a time period that exceeds the limitations of the OWbN LARP setting, and the character is considered to be dead, though the physical form of the character remains to be affected by actions of any other character. There is NO way of prematurely waking an abyss mystic from this self-induced torpor, including the Mortis Path of Necromancy, as the consciousness of the character has descended into the Abyss and is forcibly held there until the ritual is complete.

Primary Resources: Laws of the Night: Revised The Lasombra Clan Book Revised Dark Ages: Guide to the High Clans Credits:

Writer - Bryan Delius Contributers - Geoffrey Combs (Lasombra Coordinator 2006-07), Dawn Sherman & David Herald Special Thanks - Fr. Brian Gilbert, Nate Franklin, Robbo, Darryl Roosevelt, the Lasombra Players over the years.