Kalla vindens marionett

Kalla vindens marionett

The Elemental Marionettes

The Elemental versions of the Marionette Manifestation works quite differently from other versions of this power. Instead of manipulating or shaping some other creature, thing or emotion, the Sin-Eater fashions a tiny homunculus from the spiritual remnants of a living being. In order to create a homunculus, the Sin-Eater must create a small fetish called a homunculus egg. The materials required for the egg vary according to the element upon which the homunculus is to be based. Air calls for the dying breath of a human being. Earth requires a handful of dirt from a grave into which a body has been interred within the last hour. Fire requires a handful
of ash from a cremated human body or residue from a human being who was burned to ash. Water requires a small quantity of water drawn from the lungs of a drowning victim or a like amount of sea water drawn from the ocean near where a person was buried at sea within the last few minutes. Once the Sin-Eater has acquired the appropriate elemental material, she must forge it into a homunculus egg by spending one point of plasm per dot of Size the creature is to have, as well as one permanent Willpower point. The Sin-Eater may not spend more plasm than his Elemental Marionette rating. The appearance of the egg varies according to the elemental type, as does the appearance of the homunculus it carries. Any type of egg will be able to fit inside a person’s hand easily.

An egg can be destroyed — each egg has Durability equal to the Sin-Eater’s Marionette rating and Structure equal to its Durability + activation successes. Destroying an egg ends the Manifestation automatically. While it endures, the Sin-Eater may invest the egg with a point of plasm at any time and cause the homunculus to emerge and do her bidding. While the homunculus is active, the Sin-Eater has total control over it and can perceive through its senses and speak through its mouth, but she must maintain constant concentration and can take no action other than to focus on the homunculus.

If the Sin-Eater’s concentration wavers or if the homunculus suffers enough damage to otherwise kill it, it automatically reverts back to a homunculus egg. It will also do so, wherever it is, at the end of the scene unless the Sin-Eater spends another plasm to maintain its activity for an additional scene.

Marionette Activation (Elemental Version)

Cost: 1 plasm per dot of Size + 1 permanent Willpower
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Occult + Marionette rating. Generally, there is no opposition roll, but if the deceased person whose body is used as the basis for the homunculus egg exists as a ghost, she may resist the attempt to violate her remains with a reflexive Resistance + Power rating.
Action: Instant

Roll Results

Dramatic Failure: The attempt to create the homunculus egg fails. The ghost of the deceased used as the basis for the egg (regardless of whether the deceased was previously active as a ghost) is summoned to the area and immediately becomes hostile towards the Sin-Eater, who is treated as an Anchor for the ghost for the duration of the scene.
Failure: The attempt to create the homunculus egg fails.
Success: The Sin-Eater fashions a homunculus egg that can be used to birth a homunculus with the characteristics outlined below. The egg endures for a time period equal to one month per activation success, at the end of which the Sin-Eater may spend another permanent Willpower to preserve the egg for another term of the same length.
Exceptional Success: The Sin-Eater and homunculus are well-connected. While the homunculus is active, the
Sin-Eater can divert his attention away from directing its action for a number of turns equal to the activation successes before it collapses back into its egg. During that time, the homunculus will continue to follow its last instruction.

The basic characteristics of a homunculus forged with Elemental Marionette • are as follows: the creature starts with Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, and Size equal to the Sin-Eater’s Elemental Marionette rating. The homunculus will always use its creator’s Mental and Social Attributes, as well as her Skills (since it is merely an extension of her will and personality), but it suffers a –3 dice penalty on all Presence rolls due to its disturbing appearance. Each homunculus closely resembles the person whose death gave rise to it.

That is, a Grave-Dirt homunculus will resemble the person whose grave was disturbed to create the egg. Although the homunculus acts according to the dictates of its creator, it will speak with the voice of the dead person it resembles and often have many of its mannerisms and personality quirks so long as they do not interfere with the Sin-Eater’s control.

A Cold Wind homunculus is fashioned from a person’s dying breath. It looks like a tiny version of the dead person but with pale blue skin suggestive of cyanosis. Cold Wind homunculi have wings that allow them to fly at three times their normal Speed. Also, Cold Wind homunculi are very difficult to see and add the activation successes to all Stealth rolls. However, they are highly vulnerable to fire- or heatbased attacks, either of which adds a +3 dice bonus to all attack rolls. The egg for a Cold Wind homunculus is an ice-cold shard of glass etched with the face of the deceased person moaning in agony.

A Grave-Dirt homunculus is formed from the fresh soil of a recently interred body. It also resembles a tiny version of the deceased but with gray rocky skin and the constant aroma of decay. Grave-Dirt homunculi are stronger and more durable than other types, adding +1 to all Strengthbased rolls and gaining Armor equal to the activation successes.

However, they recoil from water which, in sufficient quantities, can turn their flesh to mud and destroy their material consistency. Water-based attacks inflict lethal damage on Grave-Dirt homunculi, and being totally submerged for more than one turn will instantly turn one back into an egg. The egg of a Grave-Dirt homunculus appears as a brownish-gray rock upon which is etched the image of the deceased.

A Pyre-Flame homunculus is forged from the ashes of a recently cremated body or directly from the remains of someone who was burned alive. It resembles the deceased but with black, crackled skin, and an ashy aroma. Like their Cold Wind cousins, Pyre-Flame homunculi have wings and can fly, though at only their normal Speed. Pyre-Flame homunculi are also totally immune to fire or heat-based damage.

Like their Grave-Dirt kin, however, these homunculi are highly vulnerable to dousing. Water-based attacks inflict lethal damage on Grave-Dirt homunculi, and being totally submerged for more than one turn will instantly turn one back into an egg. The egg of a Pyre-Flame homunculus appears as a lump of coal, uncomfortably warm to the touch, which smells of burnt flesh.

Finally, a Tear-Stained homunculus is borne of water either drawn from the lungs of a drowning victim or from the immediate area where a human body was buried at sea earlier in the same scene. Such homunculi usually have greenish-blue, constantly wet skin with jet-black eyes. Most also have webbed hands and feet. The homunculi can breathe underwater and can swim at triple its normal movement rate. If the Sin-Eater wishes, the Tear-Stained homunculus may have a fish tail in place of legs. Such a specimen can swim at four-times its normal Speed but can move at only half its normal Speed while on dry land. Like their Cold Wind cousins, Tear-Stained homunculi are highly vulnerable to fire- or heat-based attacks, either of which adds a +3 dice bonus to all attack rolls. The egg of a Tear-Stained homunculus is a tiny glass snow globe. If one looks closely, one can see that the “snow” appears to be made of fingernail scrappings.

When the Sin-Eater reaches Elemental Marionette •••••, the homunculus gains the potential for quasisentience.

In addition to Physical Attributes and Size, the homunculus begins with one dot in each of the Mental and Social Attributes, and the Sin-Eater may spend activation successes to give the creature dot ratings in Mental or
Social Attributes (on a one-for-one basis) or in Skills (at a ratio of three Skill dots per activation success spent). Such a homunculus can follow the orders of its creator without her constant supervision, allowing the Sin-Eater to focus on other things while her obedient servant carries out her wishes.

It is possible for one Sin-Eater to steal a homunculus away from its creator. To do so, the poacher must first acquire the egg and then attempt to harmonize it. The creator intuitively senses when such a theft attempt takes place and can resist reflexively. The creator can also sense the location and distance of a stolen egg with a successful Wits + Composure roll and can find it unerringly absent some type of magical occlusion.

Poaching a Homunculus

Cost: None but the poacher must have physical possession of the egg.
Dice Pool: Presence + Occult + Marionette rating (sentient beings usually have a resistance roll described
under each specific Manifestation)
Action: Instant

Roll Results

Dramatic Failure: The attempt to steal the homunculus fails, and the egg’s true owner knows exactly where the egg is and who has it.
Failure: The attempt to steal the homunculus fails.
Success: The Sin-Eater acquires ownership of the egg but must immediately spend one dot of Willpower to reset the lifespan of the egg for a time span (based on the original activation successes rolled for the creator).
Exceptional Success: The new owner automatically gains control over the egg, which will endure for (activation successes) months without the expenditure of a Willpower dot.

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