Vishuddha
From Summoner
Contents |
Breath and Shuddered Truths
It is here that the Kingdoms become more difficult to describe. Every visit to Vishuddha is different for every traveler, as altered by what a traveler brings in as by what he leaves behind. Return visits by the same traveler may begin with a similar theme to the last foray, but will quickly shift and alter to this latest thoughts, needs, and dangers. Every expression within Vishuddha resounds unto the infinite horizon, and then rebounds. It is here that one may go to find one's words avenging themselves, if they are not careful.
Landscape
Vishuddha is called often called the Echo Plains, due to the seemingly simple ground of endless grasses and flowers that tend to fill in the unimportant gaps of the realm. That is where the simple descriptors have to end. Vishuddha is, most of all, a shared reality. The strongest traits at the forefront of every participant's mind come together to form a whole. A man who is distracted by romantic feelings for a fellow traveler may draw unbudding roses, flightless doves, and all manner of things into view. But Vishuddha is not an amusing place, all its own. A restrained desire may show itself by calling out demons of strangulation and bondage, sadomasochistic horrors that have no compunction about acting out repressed whims. Luckily, the realm is receptive to the higher will, or else it would likely destroy anyone who travelled it.
Voice has an astounding impact in Vishuddha. All words find life, and symbols find meaning. A woman with a flaming tattoo might find the small of her back painlessly ablaze - at least for her. Shouting "Look out!" may warp the viewpoints of the intended listener, causing her to see all things in all directions. The realm responds to demands, but only a carefully worded response will yield positive results.
And the demons who reside here have had lots of practice.
Hazards
The most clear and present danger of the Echo Plains are the voices of its travelers. Any thought given voice WILL impact the realm somehow, and more deeply the more powerful the command. Idle chatter may warp the landscape in interesting or disturbing, but ultimately minor ways. It could create a benefit or hazards that might cause penalties or bonuses of one die. Shouting, however, can cause earthquakes and torrents of fire to rain from the sky. Whenever a character says something with passion or cold determination, the character should roll Intelligence + Presence to determine how strongly their Ego warps the realm. However, the Storyteller should privately roll that character's Resolve + Composure. Note the difference in results. If the Storyteller's roll matches or exceeds the original roll, then the effect is one likely to benefit the traveler and his allies. If the traveler's charisma outweighs his restraint, however, the effect goes wild.
The most common backlash is a Shuddering. The realm will recoil and react strongly to the traveler's demand, and in an overabundance. A cry for water may cause a brief flash flood. An order to kill an enemy may cause the ground all around to sprout deadly barbs, uncaring for friend or foe. Surviving these ordeals is normally a roll of a Physical Attribute + Athletics or Survival, with successes compared to the original declaration's successes. Each success made by someone avoiding the hazards negates a success of the speaker, with any left over successes causing bashing or lethal damage based on the type of threat used.
More deadly than a simple Shuddering is a transfiguration. These are normally caused when a speaker strongly defines someone. "You lying snake!" is a poor choice of words within Vishuddha. The declaration roll of Presence + Intelligence is made again, this time contested by the subject's Stamina + Resolve. If the declarer succeeds, the subject takes on an appropriate trait, normally taking the net successes in lethal damage during the gruesome shift. These modifications are similar to those of the Art of Transformation power, My Hands, and can grant the subject bonuses to relevant rolls. However, these changes are permanent if the subject fails a second Stamina + Resolve roll upon leaving Vishuddha. There are a rare few powers in the World that can restore that warped flesh to right, and experimenting with new declarations to "fix" matters can lead to all kinds of new, interesting problems.
The Storyteller is encouraged to come up with their own declarations to suit the needs of the sojourn. Strong repressed desires can also cause subtle declarations through body language or tone. Remain aware of what the characters are truly displaying about their desires through their conscious actions. If they give a need a voice, directly or otherwise, a declaration could result.
Thrones
Optional Rule: Vishuddha and the Awakened
Those who call themselves Awakened are natural masters of Vishuddha, and she both rewards and punishes them for their dominion. Mages may make declarations using appropriate Arcana as bonuses to the activation, and add Gnosis to the roll to control the manifestation. Furthermore, these declarations can function as spells, but only require Mana if the mage is mimicking a spell intended to cause aggravated damage or to be performed sympathetically. However, any willful, deliberate declaration adds to the mage's total castings to determine the pool for paradox as if they were a vulgar spell. The Abyss yawns beneath the flesh of the Kingdom, or so it seems.
A mage who weathers the temptations of Vishuddha and suffers significant setbacks for their restraint may be worthy of a reasonable amount of Arcane Experience, or even a dot of Wisdom at no cost.
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