[Mage: The Awakening] Fetishes Indepth: Part I: The Basics

((Out of Character (OOC) Document))

Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen

Venue: Mage: The Awakening (Fallen World Chronicle)

Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler

Cannibalized from multiple sources such as the Werewolf: The Forsaken 2nd Ed and the Chronicles of Darkness Corebook))

Fetishes In-Depth

A Pentacle Academy lecture series by Daduchos Gabrielle and Thunderbolt Guardian Anton (MD), Dean of the Adamant College.  This would be taught during the normal progression of the students' studies at the Pentacle Academy.

Part One: Basics

Fetishes and talens are powerful tools in the armory of Magi. These spiritually infused charms and trinkets show how beings can harness the Shadow, binding its denizens into service. Mages skilled in the Spirit Arcanum value such items; Cabals barter talens in return for favors, Essence, and information with the local spirit courts. They guard fetishes more jealously due to their relative permanence and accrued history, and a gift of such an item is a matter of deep symbolism, emotion, and honor.

Fetishes often look rather unusual. Their forms reflect the symbolism of the power bound within them, and glyphs, runes, and sigils are all common decorations. A knowledgeable mage who has time to study a fetish or talen can identify its general nature with successful Scrutiny with any Active mage sight.  Any mage who touches one of these items can immediately sense the subtle spiritual power held within.

The creation of a fetish is not a simple act, nor casually done. It involves invoking old rites and caging a spirit within an item. Some spirits willingly partake in such ceremonies, trading their power to mages in return for protection or oath-sworn rewards after a period of service. Werewolves have been known hunt other spirits down, chaining the them into their new homes by force. A fetish made in this way is a risk — feeding it Essence to fuel its powers will one day lead to the spirit breaking its ritual chains and escaping. Spirit mages who relentlessly abuse the spirits of a region by herding them into fetishes rather than negotiating and bargaining can expect to earn the fear, mistrust, or outright ire of the Shadow over time.

Talens are another matter entirely, as they only require a fraction of a spirit’s power. While some talens contain petty spirits caged within, most form from a spirit feeding some of its energy into a vessel. Spirits will not acquiesce to making a talen without good cause as it still reduces their power, but some Caba;s enforce a monthly or yearly talen tithe from the spirits in their territory. Tribute from the spirits is one of the main sources of talens amongst the the Pentacle Orders in an area, although too heavy a burden can push the spirits into rebellion.

CREATING & USING A FETISH

The “Create Fetish” rite ((Spirit 3)) is used to create fetishes — a powerful ritual that binds a spirit into a physical prison and harnesses its Essence flow. A fetish possesses unique and often rather strange powers and benefits that are born from the symbolic power of the caged spirit. Fetishes have a dot rating from one to five that indicates the Rank of the spirit bound into the item and just how powerful the fetish is. Possible effects include (but are by no means limited to):

• A weak fetish with a minor or specialized effect. A minor dice bonus under certain circumstances, such as a bonus Specialty or two, access to an Influence at a single dot (or maybe two for something niche), or a very simple utility like a sturdy padlock that chews up lockpicks used on it.

•• A useful fetish. A weapon with a minor bonus like inflicting a minor Tilt on its first strike in combat, a moderate bonus to a particular Facet such as a +3 to its dice pool, or something that replicates the benefits of a modern technological item and improves on them by adding its rating to the item’s equipment modifier.

••• A potent fetish with serious impact. An entire vehicle benefitting from minor bonuses like a +3 bonus to its Handling or traffic lights always showing green, a serious movement enhancement that only works in the Shadow like the ability to spider-climb or even fly for short bursts, a moderate Influence at three dots, or a modification to a specific Facet that allows it to be used in new ways.

•••• A strong fetish with either very potent or very broad application. A weapon with a powerful enhancement such as increased damage, a moderate bonus to all Social maneuvers — perhaps +3 and 9-again — or a large bonus to resistance against spirits of certain types such as a +3 bonus to Defense and contested rolls.

••••• A legendary fetish of great power. A truly deadly weapon like one that cuts Essence or Willpower as well as flesh, 8-again and the rote quality on particular dice pools, a major bonus to an entire Spell, or something that allows the Mage to outright break some rules such as using their Defense against mental attacks or to count themselves as the bane of something that doesn’t usually suffer a bane.

Using a fetish normally requires a mage to have a Spirit 1 Spell “Activate Fetish” on the item and succeed at a Resolve + Composure roll penalized by the fetish’s dot rating. This attempt to will the bound spirit into action can be circumvented by spending a point of Essence instead. 

“Activate Fetish” Spirit O – Single shot spell or enchantment can allow a mage to interact with Talens and Fetishes.  The mage rolls Resolve + Composure OR spends a Essence on hand.  If no essence is on hand the item the mage must make the roll to activate.

CREATING AND USING A TALEN

Talens can also be created through a rite, although they rarely involve binding anything but the most minor of spirits. Usually, a talen’s power comes from a spirit spinning off part of its being into the item, a painful process that deals lethal damage equal to the talen’s rating to the spirit but which requires no rite. Very rarely, talens form from items that have naturally gathered power in a place saturated with strong Resonance. Talens have a dot rating of one to five that indicates the power stored within. A talen generally contains the power of a single effect or spiritual Influence, although some have more unusual effects.

A mage who activates a talen containing a Numen may use that power as if he possessed it. Effects that have a permanent duration only last a single scene. Activating a talen containing an Influence allows the Mage to use that Influence for a single scene as if it had a rating equal to the talen’s dot rating. In place of Power + Finesse, the mage uses his own Presence + Wits.  No roll is necessary for a mage to activate a talen, a simple Spirit 1 effect can activate. Influences take an instant action to use, while Numen are instant or reflexive as indicated in their entries. Talens expend their power after a single use. 

((They are one-shot items of spiritual power and commonly use/have Werewolf Facets and Gifts built into them.  They also may have analogues of spells))