Nakyrae

by Dark Whispers (14 Nov 94)

The Discipline of Pain and Injury

It is this awesome power that makes the Avengers of Diedne one of the most
feared bloodlines (at least feared by the few who are aware of their
existence). While it was originally a perverted version of the Salubri's
discipline of Obeah, over the years it has transformed into something far
more vile. It is the use of this power by the Black Druids that gives the
Tremere a basis in fact from which to spread their propaganda regarding the
Childer of Saulot.

Like Obeah of the Salubri, Nakyrae seems to be intrinsically connected to
the third eye, and any who learn this discipline will develope the putrid
third eye of the Avengers of Diedne. Unlike Obeah, the third eye opens after
the first level of this discipline has been attained, so all members of this
bloodline know this discipline to at least the first level.

[1] Liadere's Kiss: This fearsome power is the source of many of the
weaknesses of the bloodline. The saliva of the user becomes transformed into
a powerful acid, allowing her to cause great damage to those who come into
contact with it. It is this transformation which causes the victims of the
user's feedings to become so damaged during the process, and it makes the
Avengers unable to create progeny and to lick their wounds.

System: A lick by the Avenger will cause one Heath Level of Damage. For
every Blood Point they expend during the licking, they may cause a level of
aggravated damage (as this increases the potency of the acid). The character
may also use this power to spit at foes, at a range on 10 feet for every
level of Strength and/or Potence that the character possess, and the attack
causes one level of aggravated damage per blood point spent. Note: If Blood
Points are not spent, the character may not use the spitting attack, as the
acid loses it's potency when out of the mouth.

[2] The Touch of Torment: A Vampire utilizing this power can cause someone
to become paralyzed with wracking pain with just a touch.

System: The character must touch the victim, and then make a Willpower roll,
with the difficulty as the target's Willpower. The effect will give the
target 7 levels of illusionary damage which can not be healed with Blood
Points. If this attack puts the target beyond incapacitated, then they
automatically enter torpor because of the intense agony. Once the
illusionary levels have disappeared, the target will recover from Torpor.
These illusionary 'pain' level of damage will last a length of time
dependant on the number of successes rolled. Note that this power will work
on any supernatural being, provided that it can be physically touched.
 1 success   one turn
 2 successes two turns
 3 successes five turns
 4 successes one hour
 5 successes one day

[3] Demonic Guard: This power allows the user to put up a defensive barrier
that will neutralize her enemies with fear while protecting her at the same
time.

System: In order to activate this power, the character must spend two
willpower points. This creates a barrier surrounding the Vampire, allowing
none who were not within the barrier's protection when it was erected to
approach. The barrier can encompass everything to a maximum of 10 feet from
the caster, but it can be as close as 5 feet. Any who attempt to enter the
barrier must engage the Vampire in an extended Willpower test, and she must
exceed the user's successes by at least three. If the user scores three or
more successes than the intruder, then the intruder will be overcome with
fear for five turns. Powerful visions of the intruder's greatest phobias
will spring to her mind, and she will immidiately have to roll her
Courage/Morale against a difficulty of 8 not to enter the Rotschreck. If she
succeeds on the role, she will still be paralyzed with crippiling fear for
five turns. If she fails, she will flee as far and as fast from the Demonic
Guard as possible, until she recovers. If she botches, she will immediatly
receive a Phobia Derangement, although the details are left up to the Player
and the StoryTeller.

[4] Achilles' Heel: This power allows a Vampire to use her third eye against
an unmoving target, and to sense character flaws within their personality.
The Vampire can then use her power to enhance this character flaw, creating
a full fledged insanity from it.

System: The character rolls Perception and Empathy against a difficulty of
8. Similar to the level 2 Auspex power, this allows the Vampire to sense the
target's true nature and their character flaws; the more successes they
receive, the more information they can sense from the target. Once they have
found a character flaw (this may be an actual flaw, or simply a function of
their Nature), the user must roll Manipulation and Medicine to enhance this
flaw to a full fledged derangement, with all the penalties that a
derangement incurs. The choice of the derangement should be left up to the
Player of the Target and the User, as well as the StoryTeller, and a
derangement which 'suits' the player should be selected. Not surprisingly,
those of Clan Malkavian and the Malkavian Antitribu seem to be strangely
immune to this power.

[5] Diedne's Diablerie: This is perhaps one of the most feared powers of the
Bloodline, and it has been a great source of propaganda for the Tremere. By
staring into the eyes of the Target with her third eye, the Vampire slowly
removes the soul from the target's body, turning it into a mindless slave.
Once the soul has been removed, it is destroyed, and the knowledges of the
soul become the possessions of the user. This perverted version of Diablerie
has taken more than one Tremere, and it is perhaps the reason that the
Avengers are privy to so many of the Tremere's rituals and secrets.

The former body of the soul remains a slave to the user, following every
instruction that it is given. However, this 'zombie' can perform no
voluntary actions, and it must be told to feed and to protect itself when in
danger. Also, the 'zombie' is by no means indestructible, and it can easily
be destroyed in the manner that any kindred can (or any of its kind can in
the event that the target is not Kindred).

System: In order to take the victim's soul, the character must stare into
the target's eyes and engage them in an extended Willpower vs. Willpower
test. If the target succeeds, she may choose to break eye contact. If eye
contact is broken, or this test is interfered with in any way, it must be
started again. If the user succeeds, the character then removes the soul
from the target, and incorporates elements of that soul into her own. For
any Talent, Skill, Knowledge or Discipline that the target had a higher
rating then the user in, the user gains one dot. In the event that this
includes Thaumaturgy, the user may also gain a ritual of a level which they
may perform. After this 'incorporation', the soul of the target is
irrevocably destroyed, and the target's body becomes the slave of the user.

[6] Death's Caress: The Vampire who utilizes this power can send another
Kindred into Torpor with but a mere touch. The effects on others, however,
is more grisly...

System: If the user of this power utilizes a Willpower point, they can send
any Vampire whom they touch into instant Torpor. Unlike the 'false' Torpor
of the Touch of Torment, this is true Torpor, and the Vampire will remain in
this state for as long as their Humanity/Path Rating dictates. This power
has been known to take Methuselah's out of the action for a few centuries.

The effect of this power on Non-Kindred is much more painful. It will
instantly kill a Mortal, and it will cause seven Health Levels of
non-aggravated damage to any other supernatural being.

[7] Spiritual Disfigurement: This power allows the Kindred to rend the
spirit of a victim, causing their spirit to become disfigured. This results
in others avoiding the victim at all costs, as they seem to be impossibly
rude and uncouth, as well as making all around them feel highly ill at ease.

System: By looking at the victim with her third eye, the user causes their
spirit to become disfigured. The result of this is that others will feel
very unsettled when in the presence on the target, and will attempt to avoid
them if at all possible. Many victims of this power are shunned by their
clans, and some have even become Caitiff. The result of this power is that
the victim will automatically fail all social rolls (ie any rolls involving
Charisma, Manipulation or Appearance) as all around them feel so
uncomfortable, they will do all they can to get away from the victim. Also,
anything they say seems to come out badly, and all victims of this power
appear to be very rude and disrespectful. This power has been known to
destroy Princes and Toreador alike, and may be one of the reasons that the
Avengers get along relativly well with the Nosferatu.