Lore Charms

 Virtue-Donating Grace 

Cost: —; Mins: Lore 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent; Keywords: Mirror; Duration: N/A; Prerequisite Charms: Will-Bolstering Method.

The excellence of the Lawgivers helps others to find greatness of spirit and strength of will. This Charm expands the utility of its prerequisite, enabling the Solar to tap her own Virtue channels to restore another’s corresponding channels, or do so as a source of Willpower points.

Infinite Wisdom Well

Cost: 1 point of Limit Break, 1 wp; Mins: Lore 5, Essence 1; Type: Simple (Dominion Action) Keywords: Combo-OK, Mandate Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Lore Excellency - Lore Mastery

This charm is appropriately used in the Mandate of Heaven system.

The savants of the Sun understand the rise and fall of empire. This Charm is a dominion action to install spies in a target kingdom. This Charm uses the normal rules, but the character’s understanding of historical imperatives reduces the action’s Limit cost and allows her to gain superior insight from the spies’ reports — the difficulty reduction from the installation of spies lasts for ﬁve dominion actions rather than three. The Exalt must pay 10 motes to fuel this Charm at the beginning of her next played-out scene.

Golden Savant's Largess

Cost: —; Mins: Lore 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Power-Awarding Prana

This Charm permanently enhances Power-Awarding Prana in the following ways:

While the Charm’s invocation cost remains unchanged, only five motes must now be committed to maintain its effect. Additionally, it may be applied to any un-exalted human. Those who already possess an Essence rating of 2 and/or an Essence pool of 15 motes or more do not receive any additional upgrades.

Shinmaic Communion

Cost: 30m, 2wp; Mins: Lore 7, Essence 7 Type: Simple (One day-long dramatic action) Keywords: Native, Obvious, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Wyld Cauldron Technology

The concepts which engender the universe fall readily into the grasp of the Solar Exalted. Emptying himself of all thought and desire, the Lawgiver becomes a vessel for the knowledge of the Shinma. Entering a trance state, his eyes become unblinking lanterns and his caste mark appears, glowing the same stark white for one full day. During this time, the Solar subtly alters universal principles with the force of her will, to great effect. The character may use Shinmaic Communion to target a landscape he has created with Wyld-Shaping Technique, redefining its relationship with the great cosmic elements known as the shinma. The character gains ten ‘points’ with which to edit the region in accordance to his will, which may be spent on the following modifications:

Nirupadhika, the Way, governs spatial relationships. For one point the Solar may enchant the roads in the region such that they prevent travelers moving along them from getting lost, or infallibly lead them to specific places regardless of where they intend to travel. Two points allow the Solar to speed up or slow down travel according to his design; by default, this halves or doubles travel times, though each point invested beyond the initial two raises this by a factor of one. Three points may designate points within the region as impossible to miss, or occlude them so that all efforts to find them suffer an external penalty equal to half the Solar’s Lore. Four points make the region mobile, able to move (Solar’s Lore miles / day). Each additional point spent on mobility doubles the region’s movement rate. Five points doubles the interior size of the region without altering the size of its borders—the region is simply bigger on the inside. Each additional point spent on this aspect increases the region’s size by a factor of one.

Dharma, the Cup, governs corrosion, ignorance and desire. For one point, staying within the region for at least one week counts as a scene spent building an Intimacy of hatred toward a particular social group not native to the region. Two points cause each week spent within the region to count as a scene eroding an Intimacy of the Solar’s choice. Three points create a tenor of desire within the region according to the Solar’s definition; all actions which directly reject this desire are taken at a -2 internal penalty, while all actions in pursuit of it enjoy a +1 circumstantial bonus die. Four points produce a regional agenda—the Solar defines an Intimacy, and each time an individual sleeps within the region, this counts as a scene spent building that Intimacy. Five points hide knowledge about a particular thing from those within the region, inflicting an external penalty equal to (Solar’s Lore / 2) on all attempts to uncover information about the thing; alternately, the Solar may ensure that anyone who seeks a certain thing will find it. This thing must exist within the region, be intangible, of limitless supply, and likely to bring the individual significant turmoil in the future. Valid examples, then, might include worldly insight, occult secrets, or love.

Nirvishesha, the Ring, governs identity. One point raises or lowers the region’s level of Wyld infection by one stage, for example changing a Tainted Land to a stretch of Bordermarches. Two points summon a certain common variety of little god or minor elemental to flock to the region, according to the Solar’s will (consider the differences between a region full of field gods as compared with one full of bloody hands). Three points may create or close a shadowland within the region, with a diameter no greater than one mile. Four points may create an Essence bias within the region with the same range of flavors as demesnes enjoy (the five elements, Solar, Lunar, vitriol, etc). Beings matching this Essence bias raise their hourly respiration rate by four motes. Five points may alter the cycle of life and death within the region. This may guarantee that all souls go on to lethe, linger as ghosts, or plunge into Oblivion; or it might create a closed reincarnation loop, where all residents who enter lethe within the region are guaranteed to reincarnate somewhere within its borders.

Nishkriya, the Sword, governs conflict. For one point, the region takes on a martial tenor—its people slowly become more generally warlike and inclined to the ways of battle. Each season spent within the region acts as a scene of building a positive intimacy of some kind toward conflict into the Policy of all social groups. For two points, the region be-comes a magnet for conflict—it will begin to produce natural resources needed or coveted more by the region’s neighbors than by the region itself. For three points, the region becomes a den of brotherly raiders—all military units raised within the region have a Drill one higher than normal, and all individuals enjoy a +2 situational bonus to all attempts to take something from another person or group by force. Four points formidably defends the region against invasion—its animals attack intruding military forces, and the land itself rises up in protest, causing all movement to be across what is considered difficult terrain, and producing a -1 external penalty to all military activities by invaders. Five points tithed to Nishkriya turns the region into a weapon against hostile forces attempting to move into the Lawgiver’s domain, raining down at least one environmental attack per hour against any invading military unit, of a sort devised by the Solar—avalanches, rains of lightning, supernatural ice storms and localized earthquakes are only the beginning of the woes that may be hurled at unwelcome guests.

Nirvikalpa, the Staff, is the medium through which communication occurs. One dot makes the region a gathering place for societies, by increasing its yield of timber or making it more fecund farmland. Two dots make the region a magnet for commerce, increasing the amount or value of mineral resources found within. Three dots make the region a point of interaction between its inhabitants and the supernatural world, by seeding the region either with raw materials capable of being refined into the magical materials, or with those materials directly. Four dots makes the region a point of communion between Creation and Heaven, by causing each prayer uttered within the region to count as though it had been spoken from five mouths rather than one. Five dots makes the region a communication network between Creation and itself, drawing dragon lines together to create a three-dot demesne. This value may be raised by one dot per additional point invested.

The Solar is not obligated to spend ‘left-over’ points, if he does not wish to do so. A region may only be affected by one use of Shinmaic Communion at a time; additional uses cancel any existing alterations and overwrite them. Shinmaic Communion’s effects vanish upon the Solar’s death, unless a surcharge of one permanent point of Willpower is paid upon the Charm’s activation.This Charm may be purchased up to (Lore) times. Each purchase after the first grants two additional points to spend on shinmaic alterations.

 Terrestrial Edification Program 

Cost: -; Mins: Lore 5, Essence 5 Type: Permanent Keywords: Training, Obvious Duration: One Week Prerequisite Charms: Legendary Scholar Curriculum

The Solar’s Harmonious Academic Methodology is permanently enhanced by her greater enlightenment. The Solar may now use her instruction to enlighten mortals, granting them the enlightened essence blight (see The Compass of Celestial Directions, Vol. II—The Wyld, p. 148). She also abolishes the 4-dot training cap from Harmonious Academic Methodology and Legendary Scholar Curriculum; only the age and Essence of her students limits their potential to absorb knowledge at the Solar’s feet. She may also use Harmonious Academic Methodology to impart knowledge of thaumaturgy, sorcerous initiation Charms, or spells, assuming her students are capable of using such magic.

 Shinmaic Calibration 

Cost: 20m, 1xp; Mins: Lore 7, Essence 7 Type: Simple (One day-long dramatic action) Keywords: Combo-OK, Native, Obvious, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Shinmaic Communion

Having communed with the foundational elements of the cosmos, the Solars forge miracles. This Charm must be activated in a region the Solar has altered with Shinmaic Communion. The character defines a wondrous aspect or blessing for inclusion within the region. Much like artifact crafting, this Charm is conceptually broad and depends on cooperation between players and Storytellers to design uncanny wonders that later Ages will disbelievingly mythologize and dream of. The parameters of the effect depend on the Shinmaic Communion elements affecting the region this Charm is used in.

Nirvikalpa determines the power of the miracle. One point affecting the region permits the Solar to produce works equivalent to mundane effort. Two points may produce uncanny effects equivalent to thaumaturgy. Three points produce wonders equivalent to Terrestrial Circle sorcery. Four points are equivalent to the Celestial Circle, and five points may produce awe-inspiring effects comparable to Solar Circle sorcery. Zero points limits the effects to only the weakest happenstance, the equivalent of mood lighting—effects with no mechanical repercussions at all.

Nishkriya determines the strategy of the miracle. Each point of Nishkriya invested in the region allows one trigger to be built into the miracle. Examples of potential triggers include “entering the region,” “praying to the Yozis,” “sleeping within the region,” “stealing from a merchant,” “marching under the flag of a foreign power,” or “disguising one’s identity.”

Dharma determines who the miracle affects. One point permits only a very limited subset of a population—old men of Varangian descent. Two points allows the miracle to affect a population—Varangians. Three points permits a category of magical beings to be targeted (such as gods, or Dragon-Blooded). Four points affect all individuals who wish to be affected. Five points allows the miracle to target everyone within the region. Zero points limits the miracle to working upon the environment; it cannot affect people at all.

Nirvishesha determines how long the miracle persists. One point causes the effect to last unto the third generation (60 years). Two points last unto the seventh generation (140 years). Three points last until the 30th generation (600 years). Four points last unto the 50th generation (1,000 years). Five points create a permanent miracle. Zero points invested in Nirvishesha produces a miracle lasting a single paltry year.

Nirupadhika determines the scope of the miracle. One point affects all regions the Solar has shaped out of the Wyld within a single Direction. Two points affect all such regions he has shaped within the boundaries of Creation, and any realms of the Faraway which he has visited. Three points affect all of the above, as well as the entirety of Creation. Four points affect all of Creation as well as all directly adjoining realms (the Underworld, Malfeas, Yu-Shan, Autochthonia, the Wyld). Five points are conjectured to affect all of existence—even those conceptual frontiers the Exalted have yet to discover or invent. Zero points invested in Nirupadhika affects only the Shinmaic Communion-marked region in which the Charm is used.

For example, a Solar might lay a blessing of protection on a region lasting for seven generations, so that all invading armies are scoured at its borders by enormous pillars of white-hot sunfire and other horrifying manifestations of Adamant Circle destruction. This would require that the region be affected by two points under Nirvishesha, five under Dharma, five under Nirvikalpa, and two under Nishkriya. Or a Solar might attempt to permanently ennoble all the cosmos so that anyone attempting to initiate into the practice of sorcery will receive this tutelage by the world itself. This would require five points of Nirupadhika, five points of Nirvishesha, four points of Dharma, one of Nishkriya, and two points of Nirvikalpa.

Crafting a miracle is an extended dramatic action using a dice pool of (Intelligence + Lore) with an interval of one day, a difficulty of (points of Nirupadhika used), and a cumulative difficulty of (total number of points used x 10). Abandoning the effort at any point before completion causes the effect to unravel harmlessly, and the Solar is refunded the xp cost of the Charm. A botch causes the miracle to erupt in some dangerous and unpredictable manner—at best, everyone in the region is likely to have a very interesting day.

This Charm’s miracles take effect automatically once crafting is complete, unless the Solar has utilized one or more points of Nirupadhika. In that case the miracle becomes what is known as a shinmaic potentiality or “Miracle Shell,” an Essence-shaped working which exists in potential but does not interface with Creation. Greater arts than Shinmaic Calibration are required to integrate a Miracle Shell into reality—the Salinan Working is likely the most well-known example of such an integration.

Legend-Drawing Invocation

Cost: 5m; Mins: Lore 5, Essence 4 Type: Simple (Speed 3, DV -0) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Essence-Lending Method

By speaking to the soul of an artifact, a Solar may remind a broken wonder of its legendary purpose, briefly restoring it to working order. Channeling Essence through her sagacious knowledge, the Solar is able to revive a legendary wonder and temporarily restore it to functionality. The Solar may restore a broken or damaged artifact to full working order so long as Essence is committed to sustain this Charm. In order to use this Charm, the Solar must know what the artifact in question is and what it does.