Ancient: The Venerable

Ancient the Venerable.

Ancients
Ancients are Immortals who have been around a long time, and are into their second millenia. Some are not even technically Purified, being Wardens tied to places which no longer have significance such as the Library of Alexandria, or even souls reincarnated long enough that they have begun to go beyond the 'normal' limitations, embracing an entirely new mindset. This growth, this potential enables them to be truly fierce oppoents and acquire even greater capabilities - all Ancients can use Chi for instance, and even if they began as Purified or Wardens they gain something in common with other immortals.

Some Attribute Differences
-All Ancients are considered to use the Purified Template for mechanical purposes. In addition they can raise their Chi to 6 and higher which makes them honorary rank 4 and 5 spirits. They are immune to all mundane posions, with the +3 to resist applying to exotic/supernatural/hyperscience posions. Finally due to immense age and the differing mindset, all efforts to negatively influence/baffle them mentally (such as willpower drain) a venerable recieves +1 die in efforts to resist.

-Chi scores beyond 5 (chi scores of 8 are extremely rare, and reports exist of going beyond 8 but it is thus far unknown)

Of some utility, additional Numina can be learned.

-Clasp (Strength or Dexterity + Brawl),

-Fearstruck (Pressence + Intimidate?)

-Final Strike (only usable when 4 healthboxes or less remain)

-Firestarter

-Innocuous

-Spirit Venom

-Threshold (requires Chi 6)

Sorcery of the Ancients, The Cycle of Ages
The Ancients, being neither driven by Gnosis nor affected by Torpor or such sleeps like what the Mummies endure, have seen the world as what it is for a very very long time. Indeed, even the youngest amongst the Venerable, such as Atilla the Hun, trace thier llineage back to around the time of the Fall of Rome. With this knowledge, and the capability to dedicate centuries to one persuit has come a certain Wisdom, or understanding or various cycles not just of civilization but also of nature itself. This enables a slow and methodical guiding through cycles of weather, of nature, or even of heroism that others simply cannot grasp - they simply have not lived long enough.

Heroic Cyclic Sorcery
First you must align your self to the heroic cycle, and then the age you wish to emulate. When emulating a specific age, you cannot use powers from the other ages. These are considered to be Numina for activation and learning purposes, and require an initial investment of 20 xp, plus 10 for each age. When an age is switched, you must switch it to an Adjacent Age, thus Kali Yuga can switch to Dwapara but not Treta Yuga, yet Dwapara can switch to Kali Yuga or Treta Yuga. You tend to need to think ahead to use Heroic Cyclic Sorcery, but not as far ahead as the Kalpas.

Sagnum Yuga (Confluence Age) -
Sagnum Yuga is not a proper age, and can be entered into via any age. While in Sagnum Yuga, you may access any ages abilities, and use two abilities at once - however both abilities must be from different ages. The downside to Sagnum Yuga is it burns 3 Chi every action. In addition with Sagnum Yuga, are special overdrive techniques possiable enabling dice adding or other modifications - you get one Murlis Point for each level of Chi you have devloped. There is a merit to increase this a bit.

Natural Cycle Sorcery (Kalpas)
There is an entirely different path of sorcery available to the Ancients, that of the Cycles of Nature, the Passage of Aeons, or the Kalpas. These oft involve long rituals, as the Ancient seeks to attune thier existance to nature, and produing an effect, rather more similar to that of a thaumaturgy ritual and involve such things as creating a storm, or effecting conditions, producing minor earthquakes.....or even better enabling other powers by aligning them to nature. Kalpas are subtle, but far reaching and filled with consequences.

The Inner Artes (Katas)
Sometimes termed martial arts, they are not quite, but represent higher forms of chi use - even the simpliest of the Katas is not open to anyone with a Chi score less than 5. However, there are many legends concerning these inner Katas, produced over a lifetime of obsession with a singular skill they enable incredable techniques of skill and grace. Amongst the most fanciful is the Dancing on Water Technique, or techniques to modify yourself from within. They require decades of meditation to learn, indeed several Venerable never bother with the roughly forty years of near perfect seclusion bothered to enter this realm (Legends persist a handful of mortals did succed at this, but nothing to confirm - and they would be old men with only a technique or two to thier names, but might be the folk heros of legend).

Strength of Memories (2, 3 and 5 dot merit)
Prequisites: Eidetic Memory

By expending a essence point, your memories really do strengthen you. In a situation similar to your past, you can draw strength and thus gain 1 extra die to a roll at 2 dots. At 3 dots, you can go a step further and add an automatic success for one essence point in addition to the dice you already roll. At 5 dots, you may expend up to your chi rating adding dice, or half your chi rating adding automatic successes at the cost of one point of essence per success. Strength of Memories cannot be applied to modern things, such as Computer.

Locus (4 dot)
The Venerable are not your average purified by any means. To reflect this, they may claim 3 dot loci as thier own, with the extra one dot enabling it to be mobile under the same restrictions of Size 5.

Essence Resovoir (3 dot)
This is a more advanced version of the Essence Resovoir merit, and stores 10 points of Essence. It needs to be the size of a e-reader like a kindle, or a large flashlight, or say a belt or tie.

New Siddhi
Not really 'new' per se, but with the advanced age and capability, the Venerable can take existing Siddhi to the next level and acquire a fourth dot in various abilities.

-Words of Power (4 dot)
Cost 4 Essence

Dicepool: Manipulation + Socialize + Chi

Use of this power takes an action, but in so doing focusing the Venerable announces old words, words tied to great deeds of glory, the past, or terriable defeats. (I reccomend looking at say GRRM's Game of Thrones for sayings, or bits of historical pieces to say - obviously old).

Upon saying them, either one of two things happen up to the player, in the first it is a thing of terror to enemies who must resist the dicepool with Composure + Resolve, or be shaken in fear and terror unable to act for 2 actions. It does not work against the deaf, and affects all enemies who can hear you directly without artifical aid.

Alternatively, it is used to inspire and harken back to days of glory in which case every ally within (Chi rating X 10) yards who can in some way percieve the Ancient gain +3 to die rolls for 1 action + 1 per three successes rolled with the dicepool.

-Realm Shift (4 dot)
Cost: 2 Essence + 1 willpower

Dicepool: Resolve + Chi + Atheltics

Just Twilight is not quite enough for a Venerable to preform whatever duties need doing. Provided the appropriate projection power is known, Underworld for instance, the Purified can shift to that Realm at Difficulty 3 on the dicepool check - however this does not gurantee a way back which one must find for thier own as you emerge entirely in that realm.

However, this Siddhi has another side to it. You can for one extra essence, follow another even if they dont like it, into whatever Realm they step into, provided you score 4 successes on the dicepool. The shift of the opposing creature must of occured within the last 15 minutes, and may need to be detected - but provided it is known using this Siddhi you can follow them. Even into the Abyss or hell itself - and it is rumored some of the most powerful of the Venerable have done just that.

-Astral Projection (4 dot)
Cost 4 Essence

Dicepool: Resolve + Occult + Chi

By going into a trance, and using an extended roll once every five minutes until 12 successes are gleaned, the Ancient can enter the Astral Realms. He needs to make the same roll and garner 5 successes to leave. More details on the Astral Realms can be found in the Mage the Awakening: Astral Realms book.

-The Hidden Swing (4 dot)
Cost 3 Essence and 1 Willpower

Dicepool: Manipulation + Melee or Brawl + Chi

This is 1 action, but by using the properties of the Shadow Realm one can go a bit further and 'cut' distance down - it allows in effect, Melee or Brawl attacks to be done at a range of 2 yards + 1 yard per success - provided you can of course percieve the target, see, hear, smell etc. Due to the nature of cutting the attack through the shadow realm, the target recieves a -3 to Defense against it. Note: It can also be used to preform other simple actions like a push against a boulder or pushing open a door that might be boobytrapped. (without endangering yourself)

Alternatively, this Siddhi has a secondary useage. Normal swings and punches can also be effected, enabling a decrease in opponent's defense by 3 plus 1 per two successes up to the Venerable's Chi score/rating.

-Ward Against Succor (4 dot)
Dicepool: Wits + Occult + Chi

Cost: 3 Essence

Action: Extended (target number 12)

The Venerable do not suffer intrusions by other supernaturals lightly, not permit thier feeding without taxing them. Once this ward is complete the Venerable chooses a target, such as Vitae, Essence, Mana or another power aspect. Inside the ward, any uses of the chosen supernatural energy type incur a 1 point surcharge, in addition any attempts at restoring or regaining such as a vampire feeding gain 1 less of the associated energy type than they would otherwise. The ward is temporary lasting until the sunrise or sunset.