[Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition] Legacy: The Fangs of Mara

 Out of Character (OOC):

Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen
Venue: Mage: The Awakening 2nd Edition
Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler

Assistant Storytellers: Hannah Nyland & Alex Van Belkum

Legacy Conversion: Chimera's Fangs of Mara

The following is a conversion by our very talented Hannah Nyland of the original Legacy: The Fangs of Mara to a version for use in Mage: The Awakening Second Edition for her Character Chimera.

Some credit for good ideas must be shared with this other FoM homebrew for MtA 2e by Teatime: http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-new-world-of-darkness/mage-the-awakening/885637-2e-homebrew-fangs-of-mara

“Fear is the chain that binds all souls together: men, beasts, spirits and gods alike. Nothing that lives is free from fear.”

As seen in Legacies: The Sublime sourcebook:

The Fangs of Mara are, if the Legacy’s adherents are to be believed, practitioners of an old Legacy. Some Awakened scholars believe that its philosophy has always existed, in one form or another. Such allegations can neither be confirmed nor denied, however, and only a scant few facts exist to corroborate the claims of the Fangs, or of the mages who condemn them.

What is known is that the Fangs derive some measure of their power from the acamoth and their Abyss-bound kin. In the eyes of most other willworkers, this offense makes the Fangs as bad as the Scelesti. After all, how much difference can there really be between bending knee to the Devil, and making use of his tools?

In truth, the Fangs of Mara make use of the darkest of magics, though not in the same manner as the Scelesti. Rather, the Fangs wrest their attainments from the restless dreams and hideous imaginings of the demon-gods, nightmares literally beyond any human comprehension. But why? Though known to but a handful of living willworkers outside of the Legacy, the Fangs aspire to the goal of using their knowledge to destroy those elder monstrosities and, perhaps, bridging the unfathomable gulf between the Fallen World and the Supernal.

Parentage: Mastigos, Nameless,  Guardians of the Veil,

Nickname: Nightmares

Suggested Legacy Oblations: Writing in a journal of one’s nightmares (or carefully scrutinizing and analyzing previous entries), indulging or confronting one’s own fears, inducing fear or nightmares in another, engaging in a deep and meaningful discussion on the subject of fear, methodically researching the fears of another, studying Acamoth or Nightmare Lore.

New in MtA 2e:

Yantras: Comfort objects or self-soothing behaviors (+1), Succeeding on a fear-related Empathy or Intimidation check (+2), Suffering or inflicting emotional torment (+1), Destroying a representation of an Abyssal such as a sketch or drawing (+2), Fixating on objects of phobia (+1), Symbols of nightmare imagery (+1), Any records of nightmares and trauma (+1, +2 if tailored to the spell),

Ruling Arcana: Mind. Secondary: Death.

Requirements: Gnosis 2, Mind 2, Intimidation or Empathy 2, and having had at least one major experience involving either experiencing or inflicting traumatic fear. Initiation involves a trip into the dreams of an Acamoth. Also one approved Specialty Skill (see below)

Approved Specialty Skills: Intimidation (Any), Empathy (Fear) (Weakness) (Breakdowns), Breakdowns. Occult (Acamoth) (Nightmares) (Abyss) - and others along this vein...

Legacy Attainments:

First Attainment O “Know Fear” – Fangs of Mara are experts at determining and manipulating the fears of others. Functions similarly to Mind 1 "Know Nature", except instead of the normal information, the Fang instead determines the most prominent fears in their psyche at the moment at which the spell is cast. Fangs of Mara often use this Attainment in order to tailor the details of the nightmares they inflict to a particular target’s fears. When the mage scrutinizes a subject they automatically gain their Mind dots in successes to reveal information relating to their fears and automatic successes on any Clash of Wills to pierce attempts to veil this information.  


Requirements: Initiation.

Withstood: NA (as with Mind 1 “Know Nature”)

Requirements: Initiation.

Optional Component "Pierce the Cradle" - Death 1. The Fang also studies the scars and trauma imprinted on the target’s very soul, as the Death 1 spell “Soul Marks”. This is exceptionally useful for conversion, interrogation, and even therapy, as it provides powerful and intimate leverage, especially as it is applied in conjunction with the Know Fear component of the attainment. Once Pierce the Cradle is used on a subject, he Fang can discern the presence of Persistent Conditions, if the subject is Awakened, if the subject is a supernatural being, if the subject has created a soul stone, if the subject has had her soul tampered with, if the subject is Possessed, the presence of any Gnosis 5+ Legacy Attainments, if the subject has eaten or otherwise consumed another’s soul, or if the subject is suffering from a Paradox Condition. The Fang reveals a number of soul marks in this manner equal to their dots in Death.

Second Attainment OO “Dreams of Ice & Darkness” – The Fang of Mara offers a fragment of the horrors they have witnessed by inflicting traumatic dreams, just as they themselves were shaped by Acamoth dreams. Functions similarly to the Mind 2 spell “Dream Reaching” (automatic one Reach to being able to influence the Lucid dream) fused with “Psychic Domination”. The Fang is able to study and actively exert influence over the target’s dreams; if successful, they code a psychic compulsion into them that the victim is only subconsciously aware of. This functions as a single command by Psychic Domination; it may be as complex as can be expressed as a few sentences, but while the task does not necessarily have to be healthy to pursue and may cause emotional or social damage to the target incidentally or if repeated over time, it cannot be actively suicidal or put them in immediate harm’s way. The task must be something that can be completed within a day; once the character wakes up, they subconsciously start looking for chances to accomplish it without realizing that the task is another’s will. Optionally, the Fang may instead choose to inflict the Frightened Condition on the target, which immediately manifests once the target is exposed to a specific trigger (also chosen by the Fang). Like Psychic Domination, the Frightened Condition has a window of a day in which to manifest.

Active attempts to notice compulsions on the character trigger a Clash of Wills if “From the Shadows” was used in the casting.

Unlike normal Dream Reaching, Dreams of Ice and Darkness are by their nature heavily colored by fear and optionally, Abyssal imagery. Characters who suffer particularly bad dreams may have a hard time regaining Willpower from sleep, and over time, the Fang of Mara may set the victim up to develop derangements and neuroses, gather information about their innermost fears, or make them more susceptible to further influence by the Fangs of Mara by subtly altering their actions. The Fangs have snared several of their recruits through this attainment, and set more than a few of their enemies on the path to ruin. This attainment has a Potency equal to the caster's Mind dots withstood by the target's Composure. This can be cast sympathetically.

Requirements: Mind 2, Gnosis 2/3, a second skill specialty from the list
Primary Factor: PotencyWithstood: Composure

Optional Component “From the Shadows”: Death 2. To be unveiled as a Fang of Mara usually means ostracism or death; Nightmares learn to tread carefully and obscure their magic by “deadening” their more questionable abilities as they use them. Unless deliberately suppressed as a reflexive action, this component functions as an always active version of the Prime 2 spell Supernal Veil, but only affects the mage’s use of Mind spells and Fang of Mara Attainments. Passive abilities (such as Peripheral Mage Sight) automatically fail to detect the veiled phenomenon, while active attempts provoke a Clash of Wills (Gnosis + Mind). As with Rote spells, spells or attainments cast using From the Shadows obscure the caster’s Signature Nimbus; their identity is not discernable unless another mage fully scrutinizes the spell.

In addition, the crushing psychological trauma they expose themselves tends to give them a countenance that’s a bit . . . off. Some fangs develop flat affects and blank, stoic expressions. Others are like looking into a void; all thousand yard stares and emptiness. Still others become unpredictable, sporting odd facial tics and strange behaviors. These are only the outward manifestations of trauma; the effects burrow all the way down to their souls. The end result is that they are very difficult for any sane person to read; other’s take a penalty to Empathy checks against the Nightmare equal to the Nightmare’s dots in Death; Withstood increases by the same amount against attempts to read their thoughts, emotions, aura, soul, or motivations.

Third Attainment OOO “Fear's Icy Core” 

The Fang of Mara stabs a dagger of Abysally-inspired resonance into the target’s spiritual core, infecting a number of points of their mana or supernatural equivalent equal to the user’s Mind withstood by Resolve. For the duration of the Attainment or until the victim finds a way to purge the mana from their system (difficult, when it cannot simply be spent), the mana is both functionally unusable and tainted. The victim suffers negative effects until the Attainment ends: nightmarish visions, a sickening icy sensation, nausea, and an overall feeling of intense spiritual unwellness. Mechanically, this manifests as the Poisoned (at Grave intensity; Toxicity equals dots in Mind when out of combat, once per hour) condition and Sick tilt (at grave intensity).

It’s important to note while that the infection looks and feels very similar in imagery to Abyssal corruption, it’s simply a convincing mimic; it alone will not permanently alter the nature of a spirit, corrupt a mage, etc, and the target returns to normal after the spell is over. However, a character that doesn’t know this is likely to be horrified by what they perceive as an Abyssal invasion of their body – in cases where it makes sense, this may be cause for a breaking point. It may also cause social damage to the target in some cases, as the poison in their core temporarily gives their resonance an ugly, almost Abyssal looking quality, like a wound oozing pus – some people may incorrectly assume that they’ve either fallen victim to Abyssal influence or even been practicing Left-Handed magic themselves. The attainment is perhaps more useful as a tool of intimidation and demoralization than it is for combat purposes. By default, it lasts a day; the Fang can spend a point of Willpower to have it last up to a week. Sensory range.

Requirements: Mind 3, Gnosis 2/3, Intimidation 3, Empathy 3.

Primary Factor: Potency

Withstood: Resolve

Optional Component “Gibbering Wreck” – Death 3. Entropy tears away at the target’s sense of self as surely as the Abyssal poison erodes their physical well-being. Fangs often use this to accelerate the social damage caused to a target of Fear’s Icy Core, or to soften their psyche up for a later mental assault. For the duration of the attainment, the target also takes a total penalty to their social or mental Attributes equal to the Fang’s dots in Death. The Fang may choose how to distribute the penalty, and can split it among different social and mental Attributes as desired.

Fourth Attainment OOOO “Nightmare Roulette” – At this level, the trauma the Fang of Mara inflicts becomes ever more vivid and deep-seated. The floodgates are thrown open, and unspeakable horrors rush in to the target’s psyche as they are struck by a seemingly never-ending array of nightmares. The pillars that hold up the mind crumble; the target suffers an immediate Breaking Point or Wisdom check penalized by the Fang's dots in Mind, which causes a drop in Wisdom or Integrity and the Broken Condition, Frightened Condition, Madness Condition, Obsession Condition, Amnesia Condition, Insensate Tilt (applies for Duration or until resolved, i.e. by an attack) or Fugue Condition (The Fang picks which) on a failed roll, and Shaken or Spooked on a non-exceptional success.  The Conditions last a scene, or by spending a point of mana, a number of steps equal to the Fang’s dots of Mind on the Advanced Duration table.  On a Dramatic Failure, Sleepers and Mages alike suffers Broken as a Persistent Condition. 

Requirements: Mind 4, Gnosis 6/7, a third skill specialty from the list.

Withstood: A Breaking Point / Wisdom roll – Fang’s dots in Mind
Primary Factor: Duration

Optional Component “Twist the Knife”: Death 4. A Fang of Mara feeds off of fear and trauma like a vampire feeds off of blood. When a target within sensory range of the Fang makes an Integrity/Wisdom roll (often through this attainment, but at ST discretion, other Fangs of Mara abilities may sometimes cause Breaking Points, as can mundane intimidation or unrelated traumatic circumstances), the Fang may also choose to reflexively scourge the target for Willpower, Health or Mana equal to the Nightmare’s dots in Death. This functions similarly to Death 3 “Devouring the Slain”, except that it draws on mental trauma rather than physical injuries.

Fifth Attainment OOOOO “Throw Wide the Gates” – Functions as a fusion of Mind 5 “No Exit” and Mind 4 “Psychic Reprogramming”. The Fang of Mara creates an unending mental loop of terrors dredged up from the darkest parts of their mind – a horrific place indeed, for a Fang of this level - and traps a target within it. The immense psychological pressure put on a target of this spell is often enough to collapse whole parts of their identities, allowing the Fang to rebuild them from the ground up. On a successful casting of this spell, the target is unable to do anything but play through a single continuous loop in his mind for the duration. Thoughts cannot enter or exit the subject’s mind, and he appears nearly catatonic to outside observers. On every turn until the spell ends (Primary Factor Duration equals Mind Arcanum Dots in turns), the caster and the target engage in another reflexive Clash of Wills (Gnosis + Mind vs Resolve + Gnosis) for the Psychic Reprogramming aspect of the spell. Each time the caster wins, they receive successes to reprogram the subject – when the spell ends, the accumulated successes are pooled, and used for a Psychic Reprogramming effect on the target, if the Fangs of Mara wishes to do so. The effects of the Physic Reprogramming lasts the number of steps up the Advanced Prolongation table the Fang desires up to their dots in Mind, but this costs a mana and Willpower Point and indefinitely costs a mana and Willpower dot.

Drawback: These reprogramming effects are almost always traumatic, destructive, and damaging to the psyche; it destroys rather than fixes.  A Fang can change a person however they desire by amplifying Fears and Nightmares and shape their personality and response to stimulus.  The downside is that the targets always gain the persistent Madness Condition.

Requirements: Mind 5, Gnosis 8/9, Intimidation 4, Empathy 4.

Primary Factor: Duration

Withstood: Resolve

Optional Component: “Invictus”. Death 5. All that the Fang has seen and done hardens them against fear. A high level Nightmare is borderline impervious to being frightened – they've already seen the worst the world has to offer. They add their dots in Death to oppose powers and abilities that would apply a fear or horror related effect to them, and the same value is added to their effective Withstood for any Mage spell that would do the same.