Divination

 

The art of fortune telling has long been amainstay of sorcery, fromTarot cards and tea leaves to rune casting and the I Ching. The specific set of tools or method used will depend upon your chosen style and is subject to Storyteller approval. Unless otherwise stated, all uses of this Praxis require a Static Mental Test. 

 

Looking into the future can be problematic in many chronicles. Storytellers should feel free to tailor the format and content of information gained as needed to preserve the story plot. A Narrator or Storyteller must be present during the use of this Praxis, and she will determine the exact nature of the information given out.

 

Basic:

 

Query

At this level, you may gain answers to simple yes-or-no questions. As with all applications of this art, the trick is knowing which questions to ask. You may ask up to three questions about any specific topic during a given scene, though each requires a separate Static Mental Test. In general, information about the present or near future (a few hours) only may be gained.

 

Hidden Meaning

This spell may be cast any time you are studying awritten text or listening to someone speak. By winning a Mental Challenge, you are able to “read between the lines” and get the basic gist of what is being said. You will be able to determine whether the writer (or speaker) believes what is being expressed as well as how much is opinion versus fact. Even if you do not know the language in question, you will gain a general sense of the tone and content of the work, though no other details will be available.

 

Intermediate:

 

Attunement

This spell allows you to draw general information about your surroundings. If you pass a Static Mental Test, you may gather basic impressions about the local area: the presence (but not location) of other supernatural beings, the rough population of the region, disturbances (supernatural, physical), current social dynamics, etc. Hard facts (names, dates, phone numbers, etc.) may not be gained through this power. Any use of this spell requires the presence of aNarrator, who will decide exactly what information is obtained.

 

Secret Whispers

Your powers of information-gathering have become reflex, allowing you to size up an individual even if you have never met her before. You must engage your target in conversation for at least five minutes and have her touch something of yours (i.e., a handshake, a Tarot card) before attempting to cast Secret Whispers. An Extended Static Mental Test will determine how much you discover. As always, your information comes in flashes and glimpses, with no hard facts. This power may only be used on a given individual once per game session.

 

Advanced:

 

True Visions

By now, you have mastered the art of pulling information out of thin air. You can read details about the subject of inquiry, gaining one piece of information for each success on an Extended Static Mental Test. This may be a name, a date or even a brief vision related to the question or subject at hand. These inquiries may be spread out over the course of a scene, though once you fail a test, you may not seek information on this topic for the remainder of the game session. You must spend at least five minutes with your chosen Divination medium, concentrating on the subject and speaking to no one, before beginning the test. Time also imposes less of a limit in your visions. However, the farther ahead you go, the more significant the events need to be and the vaguer the vision in return. Thus, you could tell that the subject of your inquiry would meet someone within the next six months, and a serious accident or a marriage could be predicted years in advance. The events must have farreaching consequences for you to be able to see them in the tapestry of fate.

 

Master:

 

Pulse of the World

This is a more potent version of Attunement and is always considered active once it is learned. A Narrator may come up to you at any time and provide you with hints about events occurring both within the chronicle and elsewhere across the globe. This awareness may even take the form of prophetic visions of the future, though again, details are subject to change without notice. It may manifest while you are staring into the depths of a cup of tea, creating art or making crafts, even in the middle of conversation with friends (which can be disconcerting to people watching you). It is important to remember that this power is an intuitive or subconscious ability. If you’re lucky, the power may manifest largely in dreams, but more often it will follow your waking hours. Constantly catching snatches of events without context and being psychically assaulted by the resonances of Third World massacres can take their toll on your body and mind.