Celebrochan
(A constant work in progress)
While the Mekhet are best known for their ability to gather secrets they are also known for their ability to keep them. While many Mekhet are satisfied at simply concealing their secrets from prying eyes that is not enough for the Celebrochan. The Celebrochan are a mekhet lineage who believes that the best way to keep a secret is to lie with the express purpose of creating miss information, making those who are seeking the truth chase after false leads until they abandon their search. They often tell tall tales, many of them as fantastic as they are dark, tales involving elves, pixies, nixies, sprites, and other things that may gather in the hidden corners of the world. A thousand conflicting rumors exist regarding these tricksters and many suspect that their vitae is infused with the very stuff of lies, they happen to be right.
(Designer note: I need to extend this section and tie the paragraph below in with the history section or incorperate the whole history section into this section.)
Many Celebrochan have a reoccurring nightmare where the Methuselah of legend is trapped being tortured by unseen hands calling out for them to find and free it from it’s torment. Some believe this nightmare is caused by the Methuselah of legend seeking their help, or a trick to call them to come and feed it’s legendary appetite. Many take up the nomadic lifestyle to learn the truth, others simply to end the nightmares… they wander forever looking over the next hill and around the next bend for some clue. Others ignore the nightmares or simply don’t have them to begin with.
Rumors tell that the Celebrochan are dying out and that there are fewer than a handful left in the modern nights, other rumors say they lurk in several major cities and in the shadows between them with no one the wiser.
Parent Clan: Mekhet
Founder: Who founded this clan is a mystery as none stand forward claiming to be it’s founder and none remember the founder’s name. The Celebrochan refer to their mythological founder simply as “the elder.” The elder’s first childe who, legend tells, is responsible for spreading the bloodline in the elder’s absence is referred to as the elders 13th childe. Those Celebrochan irreverent enough to attempt to pass themselves off as either of these legendary kindred tend to disappear.
Nicknames: to themselves ->The Unseelie, to others -> Deceivers
History:
Due to their nature it is hard for anyone, even those who are members of the bloodline, to know the truth of their history but rumors and reports of them go back to at least the dark ages. As a Bloodline they have a history of mysteriously disappearing. Sometimes when they disappear they are never seen again and others they reappear decades later when least expected.
The Celebrochan’s creation can be summed up by one of their legends. This legend is passed from sire to childer in an unbroken chain (though parts are occasionally improved, embellished or forgotten.)
Ages ago there was a Kindred of incredible years and power, a preverbal Methuselah. This Kindred was old and its blood potent, the desire to sleep the sleep of ages was strong but the Methuselah year after year refused that call knowing that the sleep of ages would steal the many secrets it had worked so hard to gather. As time passed it’s blood grew potent beyond our kenning and even the blood of young kindred could no longer sate it’s ravenous appetite. It had to search further and further a field to find sustenance.
Then one day it smelled on the wind a scent of blood potent enough that the Methuselah knew that it could satisfy it’s burning hunger. For days it chased the smell of the one it was stalking but the smell seemed to always be just beyond the next couple of trees, over the next hill, around the next bend in the river. Over time the greenery grew strange and the Methuselah, even though it could sense it’s prey was closer than ever before, chose to rest. When it took stalk of its surroundings it realized that even in hills it should have known as intimately as it knew the intoxicating scent of fear, it was lost and the moment that the elder was struck by that realization, the scent vanished. The more it tried to find it’s way home the more obscured and full of thorns the path became. The Methuselah was truly ancient and knew ancient lore, the secrets long forgotten by man, the knowing of how to appease the fey and win their favor. The Methuselah, once it realized that the fey had chosen it to be their quarry, began to sing. It sang the song of crashing waves, of trees in a storm, of mountains ground to dust and of promises made long ago.
The fey heard the song and came out from their places of hiding as they were obligated to do. They took the Methuselah through a hidden door way under a hill. There they talked and bartered and drank bloody dew from silver chalices. Before the sun rose the Methuselah had forged 13 pacts with the creatures of fey and to seal each pact the Methuselah embraced one child freshly stolen by the fey. The Methuselah was never seen again in the lands of men and today suffers perpetually in the fairy realm forever in fear of a sun that never quite rises. Such is the fate of those that try to win a game of words with the fey.
However, one hundred and thirteen years after the Methuselah disappeared one of its thirteen childer was released back into the world of man. Perhaps the Methuselah’s contract had some merit after all, or perhaps the cursed childe was simply lucky. The last of the Methuselah’s childer and only one to again see the world of man was the first Celebrochan. Or so the tales say. The progenitor of the bloodline has not been seen in several hundred years and it is rumored that one of the progenitor’s childer consumed his essence when their sire finally descended into madness. However, it is also rumored that the progenitor was dragged back into faery by a hunter with a crown of horns, riding a horse made of bones and burning autumn leaves and lead by 12 especially rabid skeletal hounds.
Besides this legend little firm history exists regarding the Celebrochan for two reasons. The first is they are very fond of rewriting history and the second is that few make it known that they are Celebrochan. Some make a point of “forgetting” their lineage or even go so far at to try and pass themselves off as another lineage to cloak their presence.
Covenant: A disturbing number of Celebrochan have a streak of wanderlust that causes them to take up the nomadic lifestyle. After a period of time they tire of it and set up shop in a city they haven’t lived in before (or for a long time). Each time they set up shop in a city they join whichever covenant is predominant (or the underdog depending on the Celebrochan). They are particularly active in that covenant and do their best to prove their worth. However, after reaping several of the low hanging fruit of the covenant and almost without warning they pack up and vanish, often changing their name, move to a new city and start the whole process over again. On the sixth or seventh move they rejoin a covenant they had joined previously and see if they can pick up where they left off. Strangely they almost never betray the secrets they hold in confidence through their past alliances, especially if they were sworn to secrecy.
Of course those Celebrochan give the rest a bad name. There are a few Celebrochan scattered around the all of the major covanants who are loyal to their causes, though they may not fully disclose their lineage to their peers. One Celebrochan is documented to have been a member of good standing in the Circle of the Crone for over 50 consecutive years, supposedly because devotion to the crone keeps other “things” at bay.
Haven: When they have a haven, besides being blessedly free of iron their havens share no particular similarity. Those who reject their wanderlust generally build a home for themselves as though it isn’t going to strike again.
Appearance: Celebrochan tend to embrace people who possess “Elven” features. As they age their eyes and hair takes on a translucent silver tint and the tips of their ears gain a minor but noticeable point. They tend to dress like those around them.
Organization: Sire and childe often stay together long enough for the sire to feel that the childe would survive on it’s own on the open road, they then often part ways. In modern nights it has become more common for Celebrochan gather in large numbers and hold a “faire.” A faire is a party that is designed to reaffirm their social bond as a blood-line, and introduce new members to the old. At each faire the eldest Celebrochan in attendance makes the location of the next faire known. Members are not required to attend, though if they do not others generally investigate why. Generally a sire will have a newly released childe swear an oath to attend the next faire before parting.
Character creation: Celebrochan’s tend to embrace people who are manipulative and cunning. They tend to favor social attributes seconded by mental attributes, though this is not always the case. The childer of all Celebrochan are trained in subterfuge and survival.
Concepts: Con man, Gypsy, Traveling salesman, Fey Occultist
In-Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Lore of Cnuic na Sidhe, Obfuscate
Clan weakness:
(Designer’s note: Their first additional curse is relatively minor until anyone in the city figures out what it is. Then it becomes a death sentence if the celebrochan has even one ambitious enemy. This encourages them to move around before their bloodline’s identity or weakness can be discovered.)
The ordeal of joining the bloodline alters a Mekhet’s essence and adds yet another bane to the Mekhet’s already large list of weaknesses. Touching an object made of iron causes them pain and being struck by an iron object burns unnaturally. They take a point of bashing every round they touch an object made of iron. Being struck by an iron object causes them lethal even if it would normally only do bashing. Being struck by a hand forged iron weapon causes them aggravated damage. To qualify as an “iron” object it must be predominantly elemental iron, Steel has been altered sufficiently not to count as iron any longer.
Additionally, Celebrochan can feel the weight of the obligation imposed on them when they swear an oath or sign a contract and must spend a point of will power to choose to break such an obligation. They need only pay this cost once per oath or contract. To be considered an oath or contract the Celebrochan must formally swear on or by some entity, power or thing. They could swear by their requiem, by their mother’s grave, the law of the land, their covenant, etc. If they are compelled to agree to a contract through mystical means it is rendered void for this purpose. An oath sworn in duress but lacking supernatural compulsion is not automatically voided for this purpose.
Lore of Cnuic na Sidhe
Members of the Celebrochan bloodline often manifest a set of powers unique among the kindred. They agree that their signature abilities result from a connection to something strange, faint and far away. The connection seems to strengthen the further they progress in the Lore of Cnuic na Sidhe. Some argue whether these powers come from the time their progenitor spent with the fey or from the pacts made by the “Methuselah” of legend. However, the fact that the powers work is explanation enough for most.
Whether these powers revolve around the pacts that “the elder” made with the fey or the time the elder spent in fey is unknown and essentially unimportant. What is important is that both the elder and the fey were masters of trickery and deception, the time the elder spent in fey and all of the pacts that were forged were infused with lies and counter lies, tricks and counter tricks all woven together into a tapestry that eventually resulted in Lore of Cnuic na Sidhe.
1) You caught me. You caught me not.
(designer note: rip off of the theme of the faux path thaumaturgy path from vampire the masquerade. *tips my hat to it*)
“If they don’t want the truth, then a lie will have to do” A Celebrochan instructing their childe
This power allows the Celebrochan to make a statement they make, that they believe is the truth, to be tainted with the stuff of lies. This clouds the subject’s perceptions making them think the true statement is a lie and that the lie that follows it is true.
Cost: 1 willpower
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Subterfuge + Lore of Cnuic na Sidhe – Resolve + BP
Action: Instant
Roll Results:
Dramatic failure: The subject is unaffected by this power and know that the Celebrochan tried to use some sort of mind trick on them.
Failure: The target is unaffected by this power.
Success: The Celebrochan speaks the truth as they know it, however the target is compelled to believe that the Celebrochan is lying or trying to cover up a deeper truth. If they ask the Celebrochan for a different answer, then the Celebrochan gains a dice pool bonus equal to their successes in any roll to create an alternate explanation. The next morning the target may choose to reevaluate their encounter with the Celebrochan and may come to their own conclusion as to whether the Celebrochan's initial statement was the truth or a lie.
Critical success: Additional successes are their own reward.
2) One bright morning, in the middle of the night
(designer note: hehe waiting for inspiration is worth it. I am not sure if this should be the Second level power or the third.)
Celebrochan have a way of leaving confusion in their wake. Often when one of the tricksters speaks there are differing accounts as to what was said, many more so than usual even. This ability personifies that and allows the celebrochan to say one thing and have some members of his audience hear another.
The Celebrochan prepares two different things to say but need only need actually say one. The one he actually says is the “true” message while the other is the “faux” message.
Cost: 1 vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Expression + Lore of Cnuic na Sidhe – Highest Resolve
Action: Instant
Roll Results:
Dramatic failure: The Celebrochan says only the faux message rather than the one he intended.
Failure: The Celebrochan speaks his real message only.
Success: The Celebrochan may pick certain members of the audience that hear the “faux” message rather than the “true” message. One person of the celebrochan’s choosing may hear the “faux” message per success.
Critical success: Each success above the fourth may affect two more audience members.
Kindred with auspex may try to oppose this power as per the auspex vs. obfuscate rules using Lore of Cnuic na Sidhe in place of obfuscate to hear both messages.
3) Dust of the state of dreaming
(designer note: Modeled after the level two Vedma power from the Ordo Dracul book.
“Listen you don’t have to believe me… you probably don’t want to believe a word I say… you barely know me I know… but I have something important to tell you and you haven’t heard truer words.” A con man getting warmed up
The Celebrochan are well known for their ability to pull the wool over people’s eyes and make them believe the boldest of lies and the tallest of tales.
Cost: 1 vitae per scene
Dice Pool: This power requires no roll. While this power is active the Celebrochan gains a social dice pool bonus equal to his dots in Lore of Cnuic na Sidhe when lying, acting, story telling, engaging in deception or generally trying to convince someone of something that isn’t true. This bonus has no effect on other discipline powers. The humanity cap for these dice pools when interacting with mortals is considered to be their humanity + their dots in Lore of Cnuic na Sidhe while this power is active. Mortals around the Celebrochan tend to feel slightly elated when this power is in effect.
This power does not make it any more possible to convince someone of something is obviously not true (i.e. the sky is green when it is in fact blue) but it makes convincing them of something false that they could possibly see as true much easier.
Action: instant
4) Path of the familiar Labyrinth’s walking
(designer note: New effect.)
“Where the HELL are we!? We must have passed that sign five times already!”
– Someone really lost seeing a sign for the first time
This ability fills the victim with a sense of uncertainty as familiar landmarks and signs suddenly become alien and new. The victim of this power becomes unable to recognize signs and markings that would help them find their way and generally become lost despite their past familiarity to an area.
The Celebrochan must see the target to activate this power. Mortal victims often feel that they have been in a strange place once the power ends. This power is only effective at night and does not function between the first lightening of the sky that foretells the coming dawn and day’s last fallen ray of sun light.
Cost: 1 vitae.
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Persuasion + Lore of Cnuic na Sidhe – composure + BP (against strongest) (circumstance dice examples; they would have been lost anyway +5, they ask for directions and are less than two blocks away -3. There is a -1 die per subject after the first.)
Action: extended
Roll Results:
Dramatic failure: The subjects are unaffected by this power and know that the Celebrochan tried to affect their mind.
Failure: The target is unaffected by this power.
Success: For the rest of the scene the victim becomes lost and may not find their way to their destination (so long as the entrance to their destination is not within line of sight). Any sense of familiarity they have will only miss lead them. They will miss-read street signs and miss-judge their orientation from landmarks. The victim remains lost until the end of the scene or until the Celebrochan releases them from the effects of the power. (one success is required per target). They may still be lost when the power ends but are no longer magically prevented from finding their way.
Critical success: As per success but anyone they stop and ask for directions becomes temporarily affected by the power and gives bad directions or none at all.
5) Pact of the Heart’s desire rendering
(designer note: Instant effect similar to a Dominate 2 &4 effect and presence 3 effect. Does not have the lack of will problems of dominate 4, is not nearly as permanent or difficult to use as dominate 4. This ability should have a stronger effect than presence 3. Has additional addiction flavor text)
“Let’s make a deal!”
The fey are known to hold great treasure, but those looking for it often find themselves grasping straw instead of gold. This ability allows the Celebrochan trick the target into agreeing to a deal where the target will provide a service in exchange for their hearts desire.
The Celebrochan locks eyes with the subject and reaches into a place obscured and pulls out a handful of what seems to onlookers like fine golden powder. In the subject’s eyes the powder takes the shape of the object that they most crave. Often the significance of this object is very personal, such as a letter from the subjects dearly departed wife, etc.
The Celebrochan tells them what service they are willing to exchange for this object and the subject will do their best to do what they must to have it. The subject will perform any action requested by the character at this time so long as it doesn’t involve inflicting direct self harm. They feel like this “gift” can’t really be theirs until they complete the task for the Celebrochan. This ability may only be used if the Celebrochan can talk to the subject and be understood, combat is not an ideal place to make use of this power.
Once they have completed their task they forget what exactly was promised to them… only that they want it.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Persuasion + Lore of Cnuic na Sidhe – ( the lower of the characters composure or resolve) + victim’s blood potency (victims with greed as a vice roll at -2) (any character who knows this power gains +5 dice to resist it’s effects when it is used on them.)
Action: Contested: resistance is reflexive
Roll results
Dramatic failure: The subject sees the deception for what it is, making them immune to the celebrochan’s “advances” until the next sunset.
Failure: The character looses or ties the contested roll and is unable to pull forth the object of the subject’s desires but still expends the vitae.
Success: The character wins the contested roll by getting the most successes, and the subject agrees to the trade and will immediately attempt to fulfill “their side of the bargain” to the best of their ability, rationalizing what they do as their own decision even if someone questions them in depth.
“Their side of the bargain” may be a single task or set of tasks. While performing these tasks the target receives a +1 to all resistance dice pools against any mind or emotion control effects other than those employed by the celebrochan per success above the target the Celebrochan scored. The target also receives a +1 to all physical die pools while under the effects of this power as they are going “all out” (this does not stack with the bonus’ of frenzy.)
This power lasts until the subject has fulfilled “their end of the bargain,” is destroyed, enters torpor, one month has passed or the celebrochan has been driven into torpor or destroyed. Impossible actions such as, “count all the stars in the sky.” automatically cause this power to fail. The subject must carry out “their end of the bargain” even if it involves acts contrary to their moral code. If in the course of “carrying out their end” they would violate their moral code they may choose to spend a will power dot to reroll to resist this power.
This power may never be used to cause someone to do direct harm to themselves, though it can be used to have someone carry out a near suicidal action, such as kill the man surrounded by body guards.
Exceptional Success: The character wins the contested roll with five or more successes. The subject forgets all about “the bargain” once they have completed their end of it.
Dramatic failure: Not only must the subject continue to carry out the command, they may not spend a willpower dot to reroll if carrying out their end of the bargain would be abhorrent to their moral code.
Failure: The victim must fulfill their end to the best of their ability.
Success: The victim refuses the deal and is unaffected by the power.
Exceptional Success: The victim sees the deal for the trick it is.
Suggestions and comments are always welcome.
G. Turner = Author
